16. Knife Party - Rage Valley
From the ashes of platinum-selling electronic group Pendulum came Knife Party. More heavier, more dubstep oriented than their parent's drum n' bass roots. Behind Skrillex, these two are easily my #2 in the genre. Incredible musical talent, and much higher quality than their cohorts. Rob Swire and Gareth McGrillen clearly understand musical progression, and don't just put out beats: they have licks that mesh perfectly with the aggression of the music, as well as having the pummeling bass that drives the song consistently. After a well-placed buildup comes the crushing drop, only to be taken on this smooth, beautiful synth melody. And the catchiness of each song on this EP goes without saying. Maddeningly infectious. Being that this is only their sophomore release, I can only imagine what time will churn out for these two individuals. This is the highest electronic album on this year's list, so I can say from my experience that if this doesn't tickle someone's fancy, then give up and stick with whatever it is you listen to.
P.S. - Very cool artwork too. A good amount of metal bands don't even get there for me.
9/10
"Rage Valley" -
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rnw4GzXgXNA