Reuben’s Favourite Albums.

‘ere lie my favourite albums of all time, boi. Subject to change, of course. But this is what it is at the moment.

Red Hot Chili Peppers:

By the Way (2002)

Expertly toned to make for a beautiful and fun record, and the Chili Peppers’ very best. Took me a while to realise though!

Blood Sugar Sex Magik (1991)

Damn funky and consistently PHAT.

Stadium Arcadium (2006)

So much classic tracks, so much guitar shredding, so much brilliance from the Chili Peppers.

Californication (1999)

Another masterwork from the best band around, albeit slightly marred by poor production. Still, ‘masterwork’.

One Hot Minute (1995)

A forgotten and underrated piece of the Chili Peppers’ discography, a stream of heavy, psychedelic and funky awesomeness.

The Mars Volta:

The Bedlam in Goliath (2008)

A creepy masterpiece, my favourite album of all time. Prog, rock, metal, punk, jazz, funk, this thing’s got it all and it’s absolutely relentlessly brilliant.

De-Loused in the Comatorium (2003)

Equally as masterful as Bedlam in Goliath with an unfathomable groove beating at its prog rock heart through its whole run-time, and one of few albums that is entirely consistent.

Amputechture (2006)

*Not used album cover, but here as a tribute to Storm Thorgerson.* The greatest guitar album of all time, and a very solid third best Mars Volta album.

Frances the Mute (2005)

While ridiculous amounts of noodling mean this album requires the right mood and some patience, it all comes together in some of the most unforgettable musical climaxes I’ve ever heard, with heaps of innovation and energy throughout.

Octahedron (2009)

Nostalgia factor aside, this is a much welcome more patient record by the band, exhibiting moments of mad prog and tranquility.

Porcupine Tree:

Deadwing (2005)

A masterpiece in progressive rock and home to one of my favourite songs of all time, Arriving Somewhere But Not Here.

Fear of a Blank Planet (2007)

Best mixed album in history, and a masterpiece just as much as Deadwing.

Audioslave:

Eponymous (2002)

One of the best straight up rock records around.

Soundgarden:

Superunknown (1994)

Image result for superunknown album cover

An outright masterpiece and one of the very best albums of all time, or at the very least one of the very best to come out of the Seattle scene, which is no mean feat.

Down on the Upside (1996)

Fantastic in its ambient nature and full of its highlights, a perfect album to dose off to.

Rage Against the Machine:

Evil Empire (1996)

One of the very best on this list. Bombastic, powerful and hella cool.

Eponymous (1992)

A classic for a reason: one of the best, most raucous debut albums in history.

Mastodon:

Crack the Skye (2009)

Emotional and poignant masterpiece of prog metal, Mastodon’s best album and one of the very best on this list.

Once More ‘Round the Sun (2014)

Image result for once more round the sun album cover

My favourite album cover. The album itself is the best damn psychedelic metal awesomeness I’ve heard.

Clutch:

Psychic Warfare (2015)

Rockin’. An instant classic in hard blues rock.

Blast Tyrant (2004)

Unrelenting spades of crunchy riffs and hard rock brilliance – Clutch’s best album.

Pearl Jam:

Ten (1991)

Groovy, relaxing and amazingly written grunge to listen to on repeat till the end of the Earth. My second favourite album of all time.

Vs. (1993)

Raw, youthful, and full of energy and joy. A blast from start to finish.

Soilwork:

The Ride Majestic (2015)

An absolute ear-blinder and the best melodic death metal album to date.

Priestess:

Prior to the Fire (2009)

A fantastic ode to geek culture and metal giants like Iron Maiden and Black Sabbath, in a modern and catchy album.

SOiL:

Scars (2001)

A classic favourite of mine, full of aggression, phat riffs and immense vocal outputs from Ryan McCombs.

At the Drive In:

Relationship of Command (2000)

THE masterwork of punk rock.

System of a Down:

Toxicity (2001)

It’s not perfect but its full of its brilliant gems and has some help from our good friend nostalgia.

Neutral Milk Hotel:

In the Aeroplane Over the Sea (1998)

Weird, wonderful and bursting with unhinged passion — a genuine musical roller-coaster.

Tenacious D:

Eponymous (2001)

No words needed. Well, except for those ones.

Black Sabbath:

Eponymous (1970)

A haunting and brilliant piece of blues metal.

Paranoid (1970)

War Pigs? Fairies Wear Boots? And there’s MORE??

Nirvana:

Nevermind (1991)

Easy listening, feral grunge at its best.

Queens of the Stone Age:

…Like Clockwork (2013)

A masterful effort in alternative rock.

Faith No More:

Angel Dust (1992)

Absolutely off-the-wall and ridiculous but in this unique, brilliant and energising.

Radiohead:

The Bends (1995)

Joyously relaxing and energetic at once. Goosebumps galore.

Tool:

10,000 Days (2006)

My favourite Tool album — slick, hard-hitting and brilliantly layered.

Led Zeppelin:

Led Zeppelin III (1970)

A kinda weird and oddly balanced album but full of moments of wonder, I’m awe-struck at every listen.

Led Zeppelin IV (1971)

If anything’s a masterstroke it’s this. Robert Plant and co. struck the perfect balance between the hard rock and the folk and magic like Stairway to Heaven ensued.