21 Favorite Albums

YES, IT IS MY 21ST BIRTHDAY! =D

In no particular order, here are the albums that made the biggest impression on me:

Korn - Follow The Leader
(1998)
This album is great. This was the reason why Korn was my favorite band for a long long time. It has about 12 tracks that are just silent for a minute, until the 13th track comes on, titled "It's On". Crazy. I'd have to say this one hit me the most. It was the first Korn album I heard, with the song "Freak On A Leash" which was just amazing. I think it was back in 2001. My friend Alex introduced me to this album, during a family trip to the beach.

Korn - Issues
(1999)
I bought this on the way back from a school field trip, in South Africa. I listened to it the whole way through until we reached Maputo. It blew my mind. I think that this was the most really worked-out Korn album. And probably the last real studio effort they put out. Everything after this, was just...not too impressive. Untouchables was okay though. I used to go to sleep listening to this album, because the last few tracks were really deep and dark with all the ambient sounds.

Metallica - Black Album
(1991)
The first metal album I ever really paid attention to. The guitars and the drumming and the vocals were amazing. I got it for my 13th birthday from this dude named Giovanni, and I never stopped listening to it for over a year. I had just started teaching myself how to play the drums and I always air (and finger) drummed to the songs in the car and in my room - and I knew every single part to almost all the songs! This album is probably the reason why I'm a metalhead today.

Albert Hammond, Jr. - Yours To Keep
(2006)
I was in a record store when I heard one of the songs from this album, and I had to find out who it was. I liked the vibe I got from it, and I ended up buying it right there. Every song on this album makes me really happy and young. This is a great listen all the way through.

Wu-Tang Clan - Enter the Wu-Tang 36 Chambers
(1993)
Real lyrical kings. I started getting into them in around 2004 I think. This is a straight, gritty and grimy underground hip hop album. The first of its kind. It's so hardcore and raw that it makes you want to get up and rap your guts out. Wu-Tang is and always will be amazing.

Rage Against The Machine - The Battle of Los Angeles
(1999)
This was one of the first metal albums I really got into. I remember memorizing every drum part to the songs and playing this album to and from school, in the car. And memorizing some of the lyrics too. My favorite was probably the song "Maria". I remember me and my friends even performed on of the songs at our 8th grade graduation ceremony. There's never been a hip hop, funk, metal band like Rage. Not even Limp Bizkit could top them. These guys are living legends.

Deftones - White Pony
(2000)
This album was just so amazing. It's probably the most well-respected Deftones album. With an opening like "Back To School" that ended up being one of my favorite songs ever along with "Change (In the House of Flies)". The music videos were great too. I loved it so much that Mich even got me the guitar book for it, so I could learn the songs!

Deftones - Deftones
(2003)
This album I listened to so much during a vacation in the Philippines, in 2004. It was probably THE album that really got me hooked on the band. It was so heavy, but melodic and beautiful. I don't know why this was the most unsuccessful album of the band because I thought that every single song on here was just great. In fact, this is actually my favorite Deftones album. I found it mesmerizing how the vibe actually relaxed me, despite its heaviness. The way Chino sings can really touch you, even through all the heaviness which sends a tingle down my spine. Listen to a song like "Minerva" or "Battle-Axe" so you know what I'm talking about.

Incubus - Make Yourself
(1999)
AMAZING. Every single song on here is a hit. I remember being in my band, Mikaya, and playing acoustic Incubus covers at shows or small parties because it's just so great. "The Warmth" is probably the best track on here in my opinion. And the video to "Drive" (the first song I ever heard from Incubus) is one of my favorite music videos, as it pays tribute to M.C. Escher's Drawing Hands.

Incubus - Morning View
(2001)
Another great Incubus album. I can't stop listening to this album lately. The DVD is awesome too, where you take a look at their recording sessions and jams, and daily loco-nessness.

Lamb Of God - Ashes Of The Wake
(2004)
The first Lamb Of God album I ever heard and immediately loved them for. It's so heavy and crazy...I don't even know how to describe it. They're definitely not your average metal band. You can tell that these guys really put their souls into every song. Every technical detail stands out. I don't even know how they can memorize all the songs. These guys are so damn tight they don't even repeat things they've already done before. They're definitely metal gods.

Black Star - Mos Def & Talib Kweli are Black Star
(1998)
Definitely an amazing hip hop album that got me through the beginning of my first winter in Toronto. Pure underground and real hip hop. I love this. It's a good album to chill to. "Respiration" is a favorite on this one, featuring Common. It starts off with an audio sample from the graffiti documentary, Style Wars (one of my favorite documentaries) from 1983.

Gang Starr - Full Clip: A Decade Of Gang Starr
(1999)
I started listening to Gang Starr when my friend Hermano introduced me to them, and I used to just listen to the beats, which were done by DJ Premier. And it really struck a chord in me. If it weren't for Gang Starr, I wouldn't be as great a producer as I am today, and Hermano's criticism of my beats proved that to me. Songs like "Full Clip" or "You Know My Steez" are songs I recommend to people that want to get a taste of real hip hop.

Porcupine Tree - Fear Of A Blank Planet
(2007)
DUDE. Tim introduced me to these guys last year. He showed me the music video to "Fear Of A Blank Planet" and it's actually one of my favorite music videos. The album only has a few songs, but they're all great. I think this album marked the beginning of last year's spring for me.

Red Hot Chili Peppers - Californication
(1999)
Arguably the most commercially successful RHCP album. The songs on here are just unforgettable. This reminds me of 6th and 7th grade.

System Of A Down - Toxicity
(2001)
I used to listen to this album over and over again. It was at the beginning of 9th grade, and it was amazing. I remember my band even played System Of A Down covers when we first started off, because we were such big fans.

P.O.D. - Satellite
(2001)
These guys really made a big impression on me. I actually had a CD that this dude left at my house, so I was bumping this for a long time. I even kept the CD, which I think went to my brother. I remember going on family trips to Nelspruit or Bilene, and I'd be listening to this over and over. This was one of my life soundtracks for when I was 15, along with System Of A Down and a lot of Korn and I guess some of the great primitive Linkin Park.

The Distillers - Coral Fang
(2003)
I've only ever had a small dose of punk records, but Tim introduced me to these guys and they blew my mind. It was really upbeat, and we both agreed that it was a summer record that made you really happy and wanting to go out and have fun, not caring about anything. This was the soundtrack to my summer last year, hanging out with Tim at the park. I have to share this with people who don't know - the Distillers' singer/guitarist is a female with a kickass voice.

Cypress Hill - III: Temples Of Boom
(1995)
I heard this in 12th grade, lent to me by Hermano. It's strictly underground and such a stoner album - so slow with a dark, spooky vibe. Cypress Hill is care-free here, and I loved how unpredictable it was. It's nothing like their latest stuff. I actually used a few songs from this album on maybe one or two of my film projects in school.

Chevelle - This Type Of Thinking (Could Do Us In)
(2004)
When I heard and watched the video for the song "Vitamin R (Leading Us Along)", I knew I wanted more Chevelle. This album is always great to listen to. This actually marked the end of high school for me. After I graduated, I was always at home, listening to music and chatting, watching Lost, Prison Break and a handful of movies. This album reminds me of those days, all the way until I met Mich!

Across The Universe - Original Soundtrack
(2007)
We all know that the movie is a musical of Beatles songs. Now who wouldn't love this album? The movie was good because of the music, wasn't it? This album is special to me because I listened to it with Mich during the whole time I visited her in Thanksgiving. To make it even cheesier, we watched the movie together. All you need is love while my guitar gently weeps and it won't be long until we come together across the universe and let it be through strawberry fields forever.