Can you believe we’re a decade in to the new millenium? Sometimes it’s simply stunning how fast time flies when you take a second to look back. We at UTG decided that before we close the book on this decade, it would only be right to pay our respects to the albums that shaped our lives this past decade [which, for many of us, encapsulates nearly every year we’ve loved music]. However, to up the antey, we’ve invited all our closest friends to take part in looking back as well. So, without further ado, here is PART TWO of the lists we gathered between ourselves and our friends. Feel free to share your lists as well!

Grant Trimboli, Chief Operations Manager, Under The Gun Review

1. Linkin Park – Hybrid Theory
This is the album that got me into music. If anyone ever wants to discuss this record, let me know, I will defend it to the ground.

2. Blink 182 – Take Offf Your Pants and Jacket
3. Underoath – They’re only Chasing Safety
4. Brand New – Deja Entendu
5. Story of the Year – Page Avenue
6. Jimmy Eat World – Bleed American
7. Thrice – The Artist in the Ambulance
8. Tool – Lateralus
9. A Perfect Circle – Mer De Noms
10. The Used – the used
11. P.O.D. – Satellite
12. System of a Down – Toxicity
13. My Chemical Romance – Three Cheers for Sweet Revenge
14. New Found Glory – Sticks and Stones
15. Thursday – War All The Time
16. Eminem – The Marshal Mathers LP
17. Hawthorne Heights – The Silence in Black and White
18. A Day To Remember – Homesick
19. Fall Out Boy – Take This To Your Grave
20. Linkin Park – Reanimation
21. From First to Last – Dear Diary
22. Atreyu – The Curse
23. Incubus – Morning View
24. Taking Back Sunday – Tell All Your Friends
25. Fall of Troy – Doppleganger

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Jayce Kalinkewicz, Vocals/Guitar, Secret Secret Dino Club

Ok, a disclaimer. I understand a lot of these albums are probably not included in anyone’s lists, but i was just being honest and went through my itunes and looked at what i actually still listen to. I was pretty surprised how this list turned out haha

1. Gatsby’s American Dream- Ribbons And Sugar

2. Saves the Day-Through Being Cool
this got almost everyone my age into music and in a band

3. Forgive Durden- Wonderland
the lyrics, the song structures, the chords, everything about this album is what bands should aspire to have.

4. Bright Eyes- I’m Wide Awake It’s Morning
“this is the first day of my life/i’m glad i didn’t die before i met you” if you can listen to that song and it doesn’t change you, there’s something wrong with you.

5. Bayside-Bayside
i can remember driving home in the rain after finding out my girlfriend had cheated on me and “don’t call me peanut” slapping me in the face.

6. Kay Kay and His Weathered Underground-s/t
i thought when this album came out, it would really change the music “scene”, as far as putting real musicians in it, who take pride in being individuals. Maybe a wave of bands who played instruments because they are a way to be heard, not just something be held on stage. I thought this album would kill screamo, pop punk, autotune, but not crunkxcore, that will never die. Maybe it didn’t do any of that, but it made me rethink what being in a band meant.

7. The Early November- The Mother, The Mechanic And The Path
a massive amount of great songs, on a concept album, not a gimmick album.

8. Lux Courageous- Reasons That Keep The Ground Near
i think this album went pretty under the radar. every song is just as solid and honest as the one before it. maybe this album being so sneaky was partially my fault because as soon as i heard it, i wanted to keep it all to myself.

9. Weezer- Malodroit
Does anyone else remember when Weezer put up all those demos on their website for like feedback, and like maybe one of them went on this album? This album ended up being way sweeter than those demos.

10. Name Taken-Hold On
not sure why i love this album so much haha, but it’s awesome.

11. New Found Glory-Sticks And Stones
i don’t know anyone in my life who doesn’t know all the words to every song on this album.

12. Phantom Planet- Raise The Dead
although i enjoy “california” as much as the next guy, this album is insane, and by far the best thing they ever did.

13. Say Anything- …Is A Real Boy
the “Pinkerton” of the scene

14. Something Corporate- Leaving Through the Window
i kissed a drunk girl and i liked it. lame joke.

15. The Starting Line- Based On A True Story
“surprise, surprise” is so brutal, i bet the girl that song is about still wakes up everyday sad.

16. Thrice-The Artist In The Ambulance
i think half of people who casually listen to music found out what a bass guitar sounds like when they heard “stare at the sun”

17. Further Seems Forever- How To Start A Fire
i know a lot of people with FSF tattoos that don’t feel stupid about them. but, there’s also a lot of people who love their hatchetman tattoos so i guess that doesn’t really mean anything.

18. Eisley- Room Noises
what a cool family. if i tried to make an album with my family it would sound nothing like this.

19. Copeland-In Motion
when i first heard this i didn’t get why anyone would listen to this other than to fall asleep to. granted i still fall asleep to this album, it’s just an overall beautiful album.

20. Green Day-Warning
not their most influential or most popular album, but my favorite.

21. Guster- Keep It Together
i don’t know anyone that would be mad at you for putting this album on in the car

22. Wyclef Jean- Ecleftic;II sides to a book
The best part about this album is that The Rock is on a song. By coincidence, that’s also the worst part.

23: Hidden In Plain View: Life In Dreaming
when i was 16 and i heard “spilling ink and spill you guts again!” man i thought that was cool. it’s still pretty cool.

24. Har Mar Superstar- The Handler
I know this is a bizarre choice, but put this on and don’t have a good time. impossible. the cover of “Alone Again (Naturally)” on this cd is also my favorite cover of any song.

25: Nightmare of You: s/t
a creepy awesome album

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Matthew Reich, Vocals/Guitar, Lights Resolve

1. U2 – All That You Can’t Leave Behind
2. Sigur Rós – með suð í eyrum við spilum endalaust
3. U2 – How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb
4. Muse – Absolution
5. Radiohead – In Rainbows
6. Sigur Rós – Takk
7. U2 – No Line On The Horizon
8. John Frusciante – Shadows Collide With People
9. Muse – Black Holes & Revelations
10. The Killers – Sam’s Town
11. Kings of Leon – Because of The Times
12. Muse – The Resistence
13. Björk – Volta
14. Radiohead – Kid A
15. Ours – Mercy
16. Green Day – American Idiot
17. The Killers – Hot Fuss
18. Kings of Leon – Only By The Night
19. Blink 182 – Enema of the State
20. Death Cab For Cutie – Plans
21. Blink 182 – Blink 182
22. Phantom Planet – Phantom Planet
23. Interpol – Our Love To Admire
24. No Doubt – Return of Saturn
25. Midtown – Forget What You Know

– I wish Ace of Base put out a record in this decade…they would be #1.

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Shane Stiles, Warm Fuzzy Publicity

1. Botch – We Are The Romans

This album played one of the biggest roles in the evolution of heavy music in the past decade. It showed bands that you don’t have to follow conventional song structure, you don’t have to honor particular time signatures, you just have to go out there and write songs that will obliterate the nerdy metal kids everywhere. Botch was a musical gift.

2. Copeland – Beneath the Medicine Tree
One of the most heart wrenching and sincere albums of the past ten years.

3. Thrice – Vheissu
This was the band’s shining moment of glory. It takes balls to release an album like this on a major label.

4. American Nightmare – Background Music
Anyone who has ever had problems of any kind in their life can relate to this album.

5. Further Seems Forever – The Moon is Down
Chris Carrabba in Further Seems Forever before Dashboard Confessional became a worldwide sensation. Their best record ever.

6. Minus The Bear – Menos El Oso
After a couple of records of mastering their formula, Minus the Bear hit their stride on Menos El Oso

7. Thursday – Full Collapse
This was one of the first bands I got to watch/help go from a small regional band to a global phenomenon. I still love this album to this day.

8. mewithoutYou – A -> B Life
The first time I ever heard this album, I was in complete awe. Written at the singer’s darkest point in his life.

9. Hopesfall – No Wings to Speak Of
Hopesfall at their best…Doug on Vocals, Ryan on guitar, pre-Trustkill. Four brilliant melodic hardcore songs.

10. Converge – Jane Doe
If you’re a heavy music fan and you don’t honor or respect this album, I really don’t know what you’re doing with your life.

11. Isis – Panopticon
Though most will have you believe that Oceanic was the better of these two records, Panopticon is the one that always kept my attention.

12. Death Cab for Cutie – Transatlanticism
Death Cab’s break out album, from indie market giant to mainstream wonder. One of the few bands that made the transition and didn’t lose their integrity.

13. Circa Survive – Juturna
This album didn’t get the respect it was due when it first came out. It was slightly before it’s time. Wonderful songs on this disc.

14. The Movielife – Forty Hour Train Back to Penn
At least once every couple of months I think about how bummed out I am that The Movielife is broken up. When that happens, I break out this record and it makes me sad to think of what this current music scene is missing out on.

15. Pedro The Lion – Control
David Bazan’s divorce album. No matter how you slice it, that’s what it is. These songs are chilling.

16. Grade – Under the Radar
These Canadian boys are one of the main reasons that there are “screamo” bands out today. This was their Victory debut and their biggest album….and for a good reason.

17. Killing the Dream – Killing the Dream
Though only one song on this record clocks in at over three minutes…the sheer intensity and fervor of the songs cannot be denied. This is what hardcore should be written like.

18. Small Brown Bike – The River Bed
Michigan’s Small Brown Bike was a great post-hardcore band. The River Bed was their last album it sucks that they called it a day but they went out with a bang.

19. Lucero – Tennessee
Our generation’s sad ole’ country songs. Lucero packaged together some of thier best work on Tennessee.

20. Clutch – Robot Hive / Exodus
Some things just have no explanation. Clutch is one of these things. From the lyrics to the music, it’s all fantastic.

21. Cave In – Jupiter
This is a depressing and great album all at the same time. Though the band departed from the off-time metal that we loved so much on Until Your Heart Stops, they wrote one of the best space rock albums of our generation.

22. Radiohead – Hail to the Thief
Radiohead. The end.

23. Glassjaw – Worship and Tribute
An editor at Alternative Press once said “If there’s a better song than ‘Ape Dos Mil’ I just don’t know what it is”. I would have to agree with him.

24. Explosions in the Sky – The Earth is Not a Cold Dead Place
Not all music needs words to convey emotion. This six song musical marvel is a good example.

25. Hey Mercedes – Loses Control
Post Braid work by Bob Nanna. It’s upbeat and saucy. A must listen.

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James Shotwell

James Shotwell is the founder of Under The Gun Review. He loves writing about music and movies almost as much as he loves his two fat cats. He's also the co-founder of Antique Records and the Marketing Coordinator for Haulix. You should probably follow him on Twitter.

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