Albums of the year SO FAR!

I don't know about you, but I've got the feeling that this year is going to be one of the best for music in a long time. We've had a number of great albums already released with plenty more to come. So I thought, as we're nearly halfway through the year (and I have some spare time), why not look at what I think are the top 5 albums of 2010 so far? Why not indeed. So lets get stuck in:

5. Gorillaz - Plastic Beach

The third instalment from the animated band, which has morphed into a huge machine including a string quartet and plently of guest stars. Many have said this album sees Gorillaz taking a big move towards Pop. This is obvious in singles Stylo and Superfast Jellyfish, which have the simple and catchy melodies, but the usual portion of guest rappers is still present. There are a lot of guests on this album, and I was afraid this might detract from the music. But instead it adds something to the experience, to know that a large group of very talented musicians have come together to create something so mellow and chilled, perfectly capturing the warm image Damon Albarn wanted, while still making you question the relevance of our plastic obsessed world.

4. Gogol Bordello - Trans-continental Hustle

Gypsy-punk is one of those odd genres that only exists really to accommodate one or two bands. Gogol go very neatly into it. The nutty Romani tribe have released an absolute gem here, bringing together politics, love and general silliness into their unique style. The folksy Pala Tuteand My Companero kick the album off brilliantly, building to the fantastic Immigrada and finishing off with the folky title track, as they take you on a journey through punk-folk perfection. As main support to Rage Against The Machine for their free Finsbury Park show, they have started to break even further into the public eye.

3. Cancer Bats - Bears, Mayors, Scraps and Bones

With Hail Destroyer being such a solid album, you'd think Cancer Bats would struggle to build on it. Yet this is possibly their best album to date. From the pounding opening of Sleep This Way, through the hardcore swagger of Black Metal Bicycle and Doomed To Fail and finishing with an epic cover of Sabotage, we are given a master-class in hardcore. There are thrash tracks, slow pounding tracks and modern groove-metal classics, we have the whole spectrum making this a brilliantly varied album. This band were without a doubt a highlight of Download this year, and it looks like they're going from strength to strength.

2. As I Lay Dying - The Powerless Rise

Well, this is just amazing. As with CB, As I Lay Dying's last album was an absolute cracker, defining their sound and maturing into one of the best metalcore bands ever. It was going to take something spectacular to beat it, and that's what they've done. Brutal riffing with sing-a-long choruses is what AILD do best, and there is plenty of that on The Powerless Rise. It comes flying at you from the first brutal guitar riff, and doesn't let up until the last note fades away. Anodyne Sea and Parallels are almost the perfect metalcore songs, Without Conclusion is one of the heaviest songs they've ever written, yet the lyrics are extremely profound and soulful. This is without a doubt their finest hour, and as another band who slayed at Download this year, it just goes to show how fantastic the line-up really was.

Speaking of Download....

1. Deftones - Diamond Eyes

It's being hailed by some as their best ever, and those some are not far off. On Diamond Eyes we are treated to the full range of Deftones unique style, from the crunching heavy licks of Rocket Skates to the ethereal, wandering melodies of Sextape, with others such as the title track that mix the two for epic results. Although there are arguably less stand out tracks as previous offerings, the album as a whole is a clever, solid and beautiful piece of work that shows off just how fresh Deftones can be with each album, yet still keep their instantly recognisable sound. Live the new tracks have sounded powerful, fitting in perfectly with the rest of the back catalogue, blowing audiences minds as they have been for years (apparently, I've only seen them this year...). It is imperative that everyone sees them when they next tour, it is a truly awesome experience.

So that's my top 5. There should be special mentions to dan le sac vs Scroobius Pip - Logic of Chance and The Dillinger Escape Plan - Option Paralysis, both fantastic albums that haven't quite made it. If I've missed anything or you disagree, don't hestitate to inform me/ call me a moron so I may be corrected, or re-evaluate my friendship with you. That is what is at stake here.