As the end of the year approaches, I began to give some thought to putting together a best of list for, all the music I heard this year. I gave it some more thought and began to put down a list of top candidates. As the thoughts stirred and swirled in my mind, I realized there was just no way I could put together a best of anything list. Why? Well, while I did listen to a lot of music, there was no way I could listen to everything. It is flat out impossible to do that. Still, I wanted to put something together. What you will read below is a list of some of my favorite albums of 2007. I couldn't even narrow it down to ten, but so be it. Hopefully you will find something here that will pique your interest enough to check out. There have been some truly great releases this year.

So, remember this is not a best of list, and if anyone tries to pass off a best of list on you, don't believe them. Just read them for suggestions for great music. When it comes right down to it all we want is good music, right?

Aside from the Tomahawk album (which, ahem, ,is the best of the year), they are not in any particular order.

Tomahawk - Anonymous. No matter how many different albums I listened to, I always found myself returning to Anonymous over and over again. It is haunting in concept and unforgettable in execution. The band wrote interpretations of Native American music through their rock and metal filter, resulting in compositions that sound completely original while remaining entirely faithful to the source.

The combination of Native American music with more modern styles would seem to be naturally at odds with each other. Fortunately, the two sides come together in perfect harmony creating music that is infectious. It gets under your skin and transports you to another world where music is more adventurous and originality is the norm.

Cephalic Carnage - Xenosapien. An album of first rate rocky mountain hydrGrind, at least that is the label the band has given themselves. Ask me what it means and you will be greeted with a confused expression. I have no clue as to what subgenres should actually be used to describe them. Suffice to say, it is extreme. Xenosapien is an excursion into metal experimentation, combining elements of death, grind, and jazz into a dizzying concoction that will satisfy any aggressive streak and challenge the listener with its complexities.

Dream Theater - Systematic Chaos. This album was like hearing Dream Theater again for the first time. It may not be their best, but it is the best they have put out in years. It is accessible yet it still contains everything that fans have come to love from the band. Systematic Chaos is an impressive debut for them on their new label, Roadrunner Records. It is heavy and technical, melodic and catchy, everything I wanted. The album is capped by one of favorite DT cuts in some time, "The Dark Eternal Night."