TOP 10 LIST - Martin Bate, Australia
1. Rollins Band Weight (Imago) Henry gives his best lyrical and vocal performance yet, backed by some of the tightest punk-metal around. On this form, not many come close. Intense.
2. Helmet Betty (Interscope/Atlantic) Helmet extend their trademark hardcore grind and release by touching on blues, funk and pop alongside their usual rumbling groove. Pummelling.
3. The Wonder Stuff If The Beatles Had Read Hunter...The Singles (Polydor UK) Pop perfection and laughs and tears aplenty. The big brothers had Madness, the little sisters have Blur, and I had The Wonder Stuff. I miss them more than Kurt.
4. Beastie Boys Ill Communication (Capitol) The latest crazy ride through the Beastie's mix of funk, hip-hop and hardcore with samples, live instruments and rhymes that only they could get away with. Fun!
5. Fun^Da^Mental Seize The Time (Beggars Banquet/Atlantic) Devastating mix of Islamic politics with UK hip-hop and dance beats and Asian and Indian instrumentation and samples. Where 'world' music gets tough. Set for a U.S. release on February 14.
6. Sugar File Under: Easy Listening (Rykodisk) Bob Mould is really making this guitar rock/pop thing look too easy as Sugar produce their third consecutive album of biting guitar and heart-fraying tunes.
7. Spearhead Home (Capitol) Disposable Hero, Michael Franti, returns with a sublime and uplifting mix of funk, rap, soul and life - everything from love to politics. Inspirational.
8. The Jesus Lizard Show (Giant) Pulverising mix of punk, rockabilly, blues and country with a maniac with a mic. The Lizard pile through their 'greatest hits' in front of an unappreciative audience which, quite frankly, just seems to spur them on. Mad.
9. Consolidated Business of Punishment (London) The US' premier rap-industrial-funk-metal politicos (with a sense of humor) return with their most accessible work to date, to reach some of the ears it needs to.
10. L7 Hungry for Stink (Slash) In the year that punk broke (again!), L7 show the little boys such as Green Day and Offspring how it's done, with three parts angst to one part humor and a bucketload of cool.
Disappointing: Soundgarden Superunknown (A&M) The point at which Soundgarden stopped doing something fresh, twisted and scary with loud guitars and became just another Alternative-Rawk (tm MTV) band. Made lots of money, but when Stone Temple Pilots produce a better album than Soundgarden, you should worry.
