For fans of: Slayer, Napalm Death, Carcass, Helmet, HORSE the Band

*Best Rock Album of the Year
Net Sounds
7. Radiohead - In Rainbows (self-released)
Shame on those of you who stole this album. After all that Thom and company have done for you and music in general, you couldn't pay them back with a few of your hard earned bucks? Do you even remember Kid A and OK Computer? I would have paid 40 dollars for those albums if I had to and now, all of a sudden we're too good to give 'em even a buck or two? (I chose to give them $10. It was the least I could do.)

Hail to the Thief was a minor disappointment, but it was no stinker. Don't tell me you thought these guys weren't capable of conquering the world again. You should know better by now. Radiohead is still one of the best bands in the world and they proved it effortlessly by going back to the basics and doing so with a mastery that cannot be taught. Luckily, Radiohead were born with it.

You could say they do "more of the same" here, but they present it in a matter in which it appears to be mind-blowing. There are little-to-no space age antics here, which I selfishly miss, but there is such an abundance of OKC-era beauty, who could complain? I have to admit that I still cannot always tell whether Thom is happy or melancholy, from song to song, but I can say with near certainty that most of the subject matter stems from love and loss, the stuff that sweet, simple, and great music is made of and that thankfully, they seem capable of producing forever.

For fans of: All the greatest albums, bands and artists of all-time

Mystical Graffiti
6. Battles - Mirrored (Warp)
Coming out of nowhere with a big bang is harder to do than ever, but that didn't stop Battles from breaking through with some of the most shockingly gorgeous and progressive, unclassifiable music since Tortoise arrived on the scene and this makes that look pedestrian at times.

This is something that hipsters and old Jazz fans and musicians alike can be proud of. Perhaps this is Bitches Brew for punk rockers. This album reminds me of when DJ Shadow's Endtroducing... came out, because it has the possibility of opening up so many doors for any young, talented band out there who is paying attention and hates playing by the rules. This could just be the most scene-changing and shaping rock album since Radiohead's Kid A, but unfortunately, this one didn't move as many units. Perhaps it could be more accurately compared to Velvet Underground's debut album which didn't sell very well either, but seemed to transform everybody that did pick it up into professional musicians overnight. Let's hope this one has similar effect, because I'm looking forward to hearing some of the aftershocks.