Hello altrocklifers! As a music blogger, it’d make sense for me to be obsessed with all things rock, punk and alternative music. I’ve actively been seeking out the best new music since I was in secondary school, and all of my friends and family know that when I discover a new album I don’t stop talking about it until everyone I know has a) listened to it and b) is as in love with it as I am.
That said, there are a number of albums that I feel haven’t received the appreciation they deserve. Whenever I mention said albums, even to fellow rock and punk fans, they’re often met with “I’ve never heard of that band”, “I heard that album was rubbish”, or “I didn’t like the band’s earlier/later music so I didn’t bother listening”. So I’ve put together a list of my favourite underrated albums and my reasoning for why they’re so damn good.
Gallows – Gallows
Understandably, a lot of Gallows fans were disappointed when vocalist Frank Carter left to pursue his now defunct side project, Pure Love. After being replaced by Wade MacNiel (previously of Alexisonfire and Black Lungs) many fans shunned the band, suggesting that without Frank Carter they could no longer call themselves Gallows. Now, I love Frank Carter as a musician as much as the next person, but he left Gallows of his own free will, and he needed to be replaced. The band’s self titled album is an absolute cracker, and is in fact the album that introduced me to Gallows in the first place. It seems like a number of people simply wrote the band off after Carter’s departure, which is a real shame. Here’s Cross Of Lorraine, one of my favourite tracks from the album.
Band Of Skulls – Himalayan
It seems to me like Band Of Skulls are a criminally underrated band. They have slow, chilled acoustic tracks back-to-back with the wailing guitar solos of their heavier tracks, and who can resist a band with both a male and female vocalist? One of the album’s singles, Asleep At The Wheel, got a little radio airplay last year, but definitely not as much as it deserved. The video for Hoochie Coochie is really interesting, and a great fit for one of my favourite Band Of Skulls tracks.
Avenged Sevenfold – Diamonds In The Rough
This album, released alongside the band’s Live In The LBC live DVD, seems to be regularly forgotten by A7X fans. That is, aside from their cover of Pantera’s Walk, which is pretty much unanimously considered a fantastic cover. Diamonds In The Rough includes B-sides and a number of tracks never heard before its release. Unfortunately there is no official video for either of my favourite songs from the record, Girl I Know and Until The End.
The Blackout – Start The Party
Start The Party was the last full-length album by The Blackout, and it definitely struggled to get the recognition it deserved. Some would argue that the album was a lot more pop oriented, and I wouldn’t disagree with that entirely. Unfortunately the band’s (intentional or otherwise) attempt to appeal to the masses didn’t seem to work, and just over two years later The Blackout is no more. One track which never fails to get me in the party mood is the record’s title track below.
Twin Atlantic – Great Divide
Following the huge success of Twin Atlantic’s second studio album, Free, many fans believed that their third album was made to appeal to a wider, more mainstream audience. While it’s true that Great Divide isn’t quite as heavy as its predecessor, there are still a number of awesome tracks alongside poppier numbers. Take a listen to Cell Mate, one of my highlights of the album.
Green Day – ¡Dos!
Due to lead singer Billy Joe Armstrong’s admission to rehab around the time of the release of Green Day’s trio of albums, neither ¡Uno! ¡Dos! or ¡Tré! received the recognition they deserved. Unfortunately, publicity was focused on Armstrong rather than the release of the albums. Out of the three, ¡Dos! is by far the best, as it demonstrate’s Green Day’s ability to incorporate a number of different genres and styles in one punk-rock package. Stray Heart was the only single released from this album, which is a shame as tracks such as Nightlife are, in my opinion, much stronger. Make your own mind up about Stray Heart below.
What do you think of the albums I mentioned? What’s your favourite, criminally underrated album? Let me know on Facebook or Twitter.
Currently listening to: Bones – Young Guns
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