Vision Thing Best of 2002

It's that time of year again, when after taking stock of our yearly purchases, we each work out which of last year's album releases have made the most visits to our CD players

If this band aren't anywhere near the mainstream top twenty this time next year, there's no justice in the world. With 'Who Watches Over Me', Mesh delivered their most mature work, and whilst it deviates little from the template set out on 'The Point At Which It Falls Apart', there's a renewed sense of optimism (Possibly thanks to the fact that the band are definitely on the up) and the canvas of styles explored flips from rock to dance, with a hint of eighties pop and industrial to keep the old fans happy.

The fact that Mesh are aspiring to be more than what they once were may have upset a few of their older admirers, but the dance floor friendly 'Friends Like These' has given the band a number one in the German alternative charts, a claim that can be made by few contemporary UK bands. During a year in which the 'electroclash' movement and the music press's infatuation with Ladytron looked to give a section of the scene that Mesh have championed for over a decade it's turn in the spotlight, the band stuck to their guns and in the process delivered their most satisfying LP yet.

A band jumped on by the metal press, not least due to the fact that covers featuring beautiful female vocalist Cristina Scabbia were guaranteed to get hormonal teenage boys to part with their pocket money, yet if we look beyond Lacuna Coil's public face we have perhaps the first pure Goth Metal band to come along for many a year. Not since the glory days of Paradise Lost's 'Draconian Times' has a band so easily combined power with grace and lyrical beauty.

A fantastic show in October (with ticket demand so great, it was upgraded to the Astoria) proved that this band are equally as capable in a live setting, and the vast amount of young ladies in the audience displayed that a female vocalist can be equally attractive a usually quiet section of the alternative music fan base.

"When is the new Nephilim album not the new Nephilim album? When it's a collection of demos!"

'Fallen' was a surprising, if not controversial release. The Neph's fan base was somewhat perplexed when postcards promoting a new Nephilim album on the Jungle label arrived through their mailboxes, despite no word of new material appearing on the band's somewhat bare official website.

However, it soon transpired that this 'album' was a collection of unreleased demos that had been rejected by Nephilim main man Carl McCoy, and that were being released without McCoy's approval. Upon hearing the album, it was pretty obvious that most of the tracks were incomplete, yet after almost six years without any new material from the band, this collection was a gift from the gods. Whilst still retaining the brutality of 'Zoon', 'Fallen' featured a hybridisation with the melodic, ethereal side of the band last seen on 'Elizium'. Whilst lyrically less esoteric or mystical than we have come to expect from McCoy (If anything, as vague as the Nephilim's 1987 debut 'Dawnrazor') the moods were very much within the music itself. It also looks as if the experience with Jungle records has given McCoy the kick he needed to finally return from his long absence. 2003 looks like it could be a good year for long suffering Neph fans.

Had this been released a year ago it would probably been number one in this chart, but seeing as we had been hearing most of these tracks live for well over two years there really wasn't any surprises. Having said that, it was inspiring that an entirely British band managed to garner themselves some space in the music press (sadly some of it strangely hostile)

and reach the ears of American TV execs who used much of Sulpher's music in their Winter Olympics coverage. Where so many new bands feel the need just to sulk, Sulpher are pure blind anger and at a time when so many of the baggy trousers and chains following of Nu Metal are on the look out for something more diverse, Rob Holiday's boys might just be the ticket.

They may have a foot in the past, but with these boys that's no bad thing. They remind you of how great the world was when it wasn't so PC, and for doing so are a breath of fresh air. One live show back in February and I was hooked. On the night back in August where they blew (literally!) an impotent Sheep On Drugs off the stage, I was so bowled over that I made it my mission to lay my hands on anything they had recorded.

Their low-key debut LP was a mixed affair, but there was far more good than bad, and it was just good for being so darn dirty! The sleazy 'new Soft Cell' banner that presently hangs around their necks may be a slight inconvenience in the long run, but they deserve to be guaranteed dance floor filler in 2003.

Like Sulpher's debut, this live album was a long time coming, but when it arrived, it failed to disappoint. The concert recording was of the highest quality, showcasing just how willing Trent Reznor is to re-evaluate and reconstruct his past achievements. The accompanying DVD set new standards for the format and successfully captured the naked primal rage of the NIN stage show.

However, it was with the accompanying 'Still' disc that Reznor showcased an unseen side to his work. Finally, some of the intimacy that Trent has hinted at in the likes of 'Hurt' and 'A Warm Place' finally came to the fore, in the beauty of stripped down reworkings of tracks such as 'The Fragile' and 'Leaving Hope', hinting at a new direction for his band, and in the process displaying some of the beauty that has remained hidden for so long amongst his horror show.

How the mighty do fall. Just when we thought Paradise Lost couldn't get any worse, along comes this. Whilst the electronic flavourings of 'Host' and 'Believe In Nothing' for all their failings at least strived for something different, PL now attempt to reel in Nu Metal fans with a boring thrash album that has absolutely nothing remotely interesting or memorable about it. All that I can remember is the constant thud that occupies the space that would have once been filled by Gregor Mackintosh's superb guitar work. No wonder Kerrang liked it.

This LP's only redeeming features were covers of Dead Can Dance's 'Xavier' and Jimmy Somerville's 'Small Town Boy', which highlighted just how poor PL's own once mighty, yet melodic compositions have now become. At least the 'Evolve' DVD of live shows from the early nineties (also released in 2002) reminded us of just how great this band once were. A piece of advice lads- watch the DVD or listen to 'Draconian Times' and remind yourselves of how you once did it, you're not too far down the abyss to go back.

The most original thing I have heard this year. Kind of astral black metal!

Immense and epic.

Its Opeth. Say no more.

Very strange. Ultra slow hardcore with ambient and Pink Floyd influences. Pretty much instrumental.

Only had a week to live with it but signs are looking good.

Still trying to force myself to like 80 % of this.

I've bought a few CDs over the last year, but only one of those was actually released in 2002, and that was "Fragmente 2" by Mesh. Not bad, but being a remixes/b-sides collection, it wasn't vastly exciting either!

I think that's it, I would like to give honourable mentions to Matt Skiba/Kevin Seconds split ep, it's not on the list 'cause it's an ep and the Kevin Seconds bit wasn't great but I'm pretty sure Skiba is a genius. Also the D4 were one of the best bands live this year, there were loads of others just as good but bizarrely I don't tend to listen to their album much so it didn't get in the list, but I saw them live a couple of times and thought 'this is great why don't I listen to the album more?' One of life's mysteries I think.