Readers Respond: What's Your Favorite Rock Album of 2009?

Responses: 22

By Tim Grierson, About.com Guide

U2 - No Line On The Horizon and John Mayer - Battle Studies definately are outstanding albums of 2009 so far.
—Guest SudipMaitra

There have been some amazing records put out in 2009. It's a shame that this list didn't include Porcupine Tree's "The Incident"... the band deserves to be heard by a much wider audience than they currently reach. Riverside's "Anno Domini High Definition" is a runner-up for best "rock" album of the year for me. Any list of the best of 2009 should also include: Silversun Pickups' "Swoon", Regina Spektor's "Far", Mountain Mirrors' "The Immortal Deadbeats" EP, Alice In Chains' "Black Gives Way To Blue", and Mastodon's "Crack The Skye". Amazing music should be heard!
—Guest XizorBlackSun

Lots of hard rock albums released this year - many of them good. I give strong nods to Chevelle & Alice in Chains as returning artists and HURT & The Veer Union as new artists, but the best album this year is easily "Backspacer" by Pearl Jam. The album acts as both a return to vintage Pearl Jam and an evolution to a new Pearl Jam not yet see before. The album has many of the same influences Ten had except with a little less resentment and more optimism - signs of maturity that comes to men in their 40s. The lack of overt political lyrics also raises this album above any they've released in many years. I'm hard-pressed to find a single song on this album that isn't good and a majority of the songs are great.
—Guest Shwax

Mastodon's Crack The Skye is album of the year, and this comes from someone who HATES heavy metal.
—Guest Lulz

Dredg-The Pariah, The parrot, The delusion -while not their best (that would be El Cielo), TPTPTD is certainly better than anything else out there in terms of sound and originality
—Honest_Truth

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