7 Rock Albums You Must Add to Your Collection

In no particular order (because they all rock hard, and you’re welcome)…

1. Black Lab – See the Sun

This is the sophomore album from an amazing singer/songwriter, Paul Durham, and his band, Black Lab. I waited five years for this album, so it was a relief that they were still together and recording, but this album blew me away and still does. Song to rock out to: Perfect Girl.

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2. Snow Patrol – Fallen Empires

What I love about Snow Patrol is that they defy most rules of a rock band. However, they do write soaring anthems, and the guitar work is so subtle, and yet so necessary to their albums. Their latest offering is a mix of love-gone-wrong songs and soul searching. Song to groove on: In the End.

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3. Radiohead – OK Computer

Radiohead had the nerve to go all indie at the height of their rock powers, but before they left the commercial world completely behind for the mutually exclusive artistic world, they produced this amazing ode to technology. OK Computer is a treatise for all those nerds like me at the beginning of the internet saturation era. Song to drive to while screaming out the window: Paranoid Android.

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4. The Cribs – Men’s Needs, Women’s Needs, Whatever

Another British band, I know, I know. But I couldn’t help myself. Unlike Radiohead, however, this band never lost its indie cred. On its second album, The Cribs infuses a certain sense of wide-eyed wonder into its already amazing repertoire. Song to play at high volume, preferably in a residential area: Our Bovine Public.

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5. Live – The Distance to Here

Their name is much more than a name. In order to truly rock out to this band in all its glory, you need to see them live. But, since they split and are putting out music with another lead singer, you won’t get the chance. The next best option is to listen to their best album. And use those beats by dre headphones to get the full effect. Song you’ll want to put on repeat: Where Fishes Go.

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6. Flyleaf – Memento Mori

This band is most often compared to Evanescence but their lyrics are stronger, their lead singer has more of a stage presence, and her vocals are always spot on. The guitar work is definitely darker and more layered as well. Flyleaf’s second full-length album is one of the best albums of the last five years. As a bonus, the Japanese version includes a cover of U2’s Stay (Faraway, So Close). Song with an amazing chorus: Beautiful Bride.

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7. Adam Lambert – For Your Entertainment

This American Idol runner up is the real deal, with glitz, glam, and an amazing team backing him up on his first full-length record after Idol. For Your Entertainment is a mix of old and new, but what makes it incredible are Adam’s vocals. They soar over the driving beat, and make this record unique in a way rarely seen. Every song has a “rock moment,” which is all I ask for from a rock album. Song that makes me dance: Strut.

Sam

7 Albums Archive