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Bob Ignizio’s Top 20 albums of 2002 

  1. Queens of the Stone Age – ‘Music For the Deaf’ – a near perfect blend of pop, hard rock, and psychedelia.
  2. The Hellacopters – ‘By the Grace of God’ – Almost a tie for first.  This would have gone double platinum if it came out in 1974.
  3. Boulder – ‘Reaped in Half’ – Absolute fucking mayhem.  Makes everything else sound weak by comparison.
  4. In Flames – ‘Reroute to Remain’ – Forget that “nü metal” crap, this is the real next step in heavy metal’s evolution.
  5. Sparta – ‘Wiretap Scars’ – Picks up where At the Drive In left off.  What more do you need to know?
  6. The Future Sound of London – ‘The Isness’ – The chill-out album of the year..
  7. Audioslave – ‘Audioslave’ – Chris Cornell and Rage join forces to deliver some killer rock.
  8. The Flaming Lips – ‘Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots’ – Truly alternative music with hooks and a sense of humor.
  9. Abdullah – ‘Graveyard Poetry’ – Sabbath meets Diamond Head. 
  10. Porcupine Tree – ‘In Absentia’ – Seventies prog rock retooled for the 21st century.
  11. Mudhoney – ‘Since We’ve Become Translucent’ – The most consistent album Mudhoney has ever done.
  12. Arcturus – ‘The Sham Mirrors’ – Metal without boundaries.  Weird, but accessible.
  13. Immortal – ‘Sons of Northern Darkness’ – Black metal monsters who know how to write a catchy song. 
  14. Johnny Cash – ‘American IV: The Man Comes Around’ – The old bastard shows why he’s considered a legend.
  15. Soulless – ‘Agony’s Lament’ – Brutal Cleveland thrash.  Accept no substitutes
  16. The Sahara Hotnights – ‘Jennie Bomb’ – Four chicks from Sweden show the boys how it’s done.
  17. Eyes Adrift – ‘Eyes Adrift’ – Country rock with a touch of psychedelia.
  18. Tom Waits – ‘Alice’ – Another legend who still hasn’t lost his touch.
  19. Spiritual Beggars – ‘On Fire’ – This just might be the best Deep Purple album ever.
  20. Various – ‘Rise Above – 24 Black Flag Songs to Benefit the West Memphis 3’ – Good tunes for a good cause

Dave Ignizio’s Top 20 of 2002  

  1. Q and Not U – ‘Different Damage’:  the only album this year that I can’t go more than a day without listening to
  2. Mary Timony – ‘Golden Dove’:  after a slight misfire on her solo debut, this one lives up to it’s potential
  3. Tom Waits – ‘Alice’/’Blood Money’:  what can you say.  The old coot still has it
  4. Hot Hot Heat – ‘Knock Knock Knock’/’Make up the Breakdown’:  two damn good records in one year
  5. Sonic Youth – ‘Murray Street’:  Sonic Youth keep showing everyone else how it’s done
  6. Hot Snakes – ‘Suicide Invoice’:  the best pure, fire-breathing rock album of the year
  7. Fire Show – ‘Saint the Fire Show’:  criminally overlooked and now broken up.  This farewell album is sweet
  8. Liars - various ep’s:  I think they released three ep’s this year, adding up to one great album.
  9. And You Will Know Us By the Trail of Dead ‘Source Tags and Codes’: a major label debut that doesn’t suck
  10. Black Heart Procession – ‘Amore del Tropico’:  good songs that sound a little too slick for their own good.
  11. Blood Brothers – ‘March on Electric Children’: not one, but two spastic, screaming vocalists.
  12. Breeders – ‘Title TK’:  Now if we could only get a follow up to Loveless - lazy My Bloody Valentine bastards.
  13. Godspeed You Black Emperor – ‘Yanqui U.X.O.’:  the lighter side of Godspeed.
  14. Enon – ‘High Society’: one of the few bands that can get away with playing a million different styles.
  15. Neko Case – ‘Blacklisted’:  country songbird makes it pretty for all you boys and girls.
  16. Mike Patton and Dillenger Escape Plan – ‘Irony is a Dead Scene’: whoa, obliteration.
  17. David Cross – ‘Shut Up You Fucking Baby’: He needs help. The scary thing is I agree with everything he says.
  18. Queens of the Stone Age – ‘Songs for the Deaf’: the QOTSA super group produce the second best rock album of the year.
  19. Greenhornes – ‘Dual Mono’:  Sonics inspired garage rockers from these Cincy boys.
  20. 20. Pupils – ‘Pupils’:  Asa and Daniel from Lungfish present some introspective tunes.

Adam LaSota’s Top 20 of 2002 

  1. The Catheters--Static Delusions and Stone-Still Days (Sub Pop)--this album was a big surprise for me. ; Hearing the Catheters' first self-titled album, I knew they were okay, but this album is a step in the right direction.  The band's namesake might remind you of a punk band, but this album is definitely more loud rock than punk.  A few of the songs hint at a Stooges influence, but all in all this is a solid, original album that should be played loud and frequently.
  2. The New Bomb Turks--The Night Before The Day The Earth Stood Still (Gearhead)--I almost put this one at #1, but reluctantly decided against it.<  This album features a cleaner-yet-still-pissed-off NBT, dishing out the insults like they do oh-so-well.  Alot of people expected the Gearhead release to be a throwback to earlier Turks albums, but this is not the case--it picks up right where Nightmare Scenario left off.  A completely excellent album that doesn't have a bad track on it.
  3. Sahara Hotnights--Jennie Bomb--These girls should be giving the Donnas a run for their money right now.  Better chops, better songs, better live show.  Hotter.  Need I say more?
  4. Demons--Stockholm Slump (Gearhead)—of all the Swedish groups to come out last year, these guys seem to be less influenced by the garrage-rock that made 2002 so interesting, and more influenced by true punk like the Ramones.  All in all, a loud, solid album.
  5. Hellacopters—Cream of the Crap! (Gearhead)—This is a release of old demos, B-sides, and one-offs.  This album is something that metalheads and punk rockers can both enjoy, because it’s both hard and fast.  Highlights of this album are the Stones and Stooges covers.
  6. The Mooney Suzuki—Electric Sweat (Gammon)—aside from having a great live show, The Mooney Suzuki followed up their album “People Get Ready” with a balls-out MC5ish record.  Some people don’t like it because they say it’s TOO MC5ish, but I never thought sounding like the MC5 was a bad thing…
  7. The Donnas—Spend The Night (Atlantic)—I never thought the Donnas would release a good album after their awful Turn 21.  But they switched labels and I’m pleased to say, The Donnas are back, and they rock.  In addition to having better music, the singer finally learned how to sing.  Call them sellouts, mainstream, or whatever, but if this is the future of music, then I have no problem with it.
  8. The Greenhornes—Dual Mono (Telstar)—This is quite possibly one of the finest 60’s garage revival bands in the world.  Nothing really loud or lo-fi here; the music is very polished, laid back, easy to groove to.  A good record to play around girls—they seem to like it.
  9. The Forgotten—Control Me (BYO Records)—Sorry, I’m a sucker for snotty, easy punk rock.  There’s nothing really revolutionary here, but that’s a good thing.  They’ve basically just taken what has been working in terms of punk rock, and kept going with it.  No groundbreaking riffs, lyrics, or anything.  Just a great punk album.
  10. T-Model Ford--Bad Man (Fat Possum)--Hands down one of the best bluesmen of the modern era.  This is raunchy, dirty, boogie stomp bluees.  Proof positive that shitheads like Eric Clapton, Kenny Wayne Shepard, and even BB King don't know jack shit about the blues.  This is the real deal--gritty, unpolished, unrehearsed.  Just how it should be.
  11. Ramones—End of the Century reissue
  12. Ramones—Pleasant Dreams reissue
  13. Ramones—Subterranean Jungle reissue
  14. Ramones—Too Tough To Die reissue
  15. The Antisocialists—9 track demo tape
  16. The Cherry Valence—Riffin’
  17. V/A—Rise Above-24 Black Flag Songs to Benefit The West Memphis Three
  18. The Dukes Of Hamburg—Some Folks by the Dukes Of Hamburg
  19. V/A—Estrus Records Double Dynomite Sampler v.3
  20. Gasoline—Take It To The People