All In A Year.

It's a new year and also a new year for music. I'm looking forward to another great year of music, and it is looking to be promising with upcoming releases from Cancer Bats, Alkaline Trio, Sick Of It All, Bad Religion and Dillinger Escape Plan. But who's forgetting last year?

2009 was a great year. An especially great year for me because all my favourite bands decided 2009 was the year they would all release a new/deb

ut full length. The first of the releases that

caught my eyes, infact, ears was Propaghandi - Sup

porting Caste. What surprised me on my

first listen was how this amazing band had managed to go unnoticed by me for so long. With a similar speed and technicality to A Wilhelm Scream these guys manage to produce the perfect hybrid of punk rock and hardcore. They have the sing-along style and melody of punk rock but in an instant the singing will turn to vocal rants and the melody will convert to pure angry hardcore. Supporting Caste is an essential purchase for all punk/hardcore fans.

The second release of the year, which was my most anticipated release of all time was (of course) Gallows - Grey Britain. The Never Mind The Bollocks of our generation. A bold statement but I don't think a band has addressed the problems in Britain in this way for a long time. The first release - Orchestra of Wolves - was never going to be beaten, but the Watford lads gave it a good fucking shot. It combines fast hardcore, with some of the "meatiest" riffs with the standout tracks being The Riverbed, Misery and The Great Forgiver. Grey Britain featured a nice change with Simon Neil (Biffy Clyro) providing vocals on the eerie track Graves. Misery features a rare but colossal beatdown which I mus

t say was an experience when played live in a tent with 10,000 fans at Leeds. This isn't just an essential purchase to all hardcore fans, it's an essential purchase for all MUSIC fans.

The next release I'm going to talk about is The Ghost Of A Thousand - New Hopes, New Demonstrations. So what can I say about one of the UK's most underrated bands? Well aside from the fact they play the greatest live shows I have been too, they also bring so much into the hardcore scene. The album switches between slower songs and fast paced songs, both of which reflect a lot of the struggle the whole band has been through in the past few years. The opening track is an absolute face melter with a brilliant riff which slows in to Tom Lacey singing "Not Die Alone"where the song then crescendos and rea

ches its climax. Another stand out track is "Running on Empty" which is about the bands past few years and promotes a exceedingly strong message about friendship. You can not fault this band, they play honest, amazing music and put on the greatest hardcore shows.

The next release is going to be the last one I will talk about but I will list all of the "must own" CD's of 2009. So this is probably the most angry, emotional and talented band I have listened to. The talent has obviously been spotted as they got signed to Bridge 9 records where they released their debut CD. Any guesses? It is of course Dead Swans - Sleepwalkers. This album is what Bruce Banner would listen to had he wanted to go on a rampage. Hide and Seek is a blistering hardcore track lasting just 45 seconds. Other tracks such as Swallow and Ivy Archway usually end up with me 2-Stepping in the kitchen. There is not much else I can say about this album except anger, anger and more anger. Stunning.

So thats me talked about the 4 best ones, here's the rest of the albums of 2009 an iPod shouldn't be without:

Blackhole - Dead Hearts

Every Time I Die - New Junk Aesthetic

Trash Talk - Shame

Our Time Down Here - Love. Live. Let Go

50 Lions - Where Life Expires

Your Demise - Ignorance Never Dies

Strike Anywhere - Iron Front

Soul Control - Cycles

Shields Up - Shields Up

Rise And Fall - Our Circle Is Vicious

Reign Supreme - Testing The Limits Of Infinite

Poison The Well - The Tropic Rot

Architects - Hollow Crown (Guilty Pleasure)

Set Your Goals - This Will Be The Death Of Us (Guilty Pleasure)

Polar Bear Club - Chasing Hamburg

Ruiner - Hell Is Empty

Outbreak - Outbreak

Converge - Axe To Fall

The Chariot - Wars And Rumors Of Wars

This sums up the year in hardcore and punk, I'll keep you updated on my updates.

Cheers for reading!

Graham