Ryan B.’s 25 Most Influential Albums (in haiku)
Finally, we are at the end of March, and the time has come for me to put the closing bell on the Mind Inversion tribute to the recently popular Facebook meme on your most influential albums. I’ll have you know that, like most lists I make, the albums for this list were brainstormed rather quickly, and I think that’s a good thing. If an album were actually as influential as I thought, their importance should be fairly easy for me to recall. Truthfully, I’ve never really become too embarrassed about any album that I own; sure, I may have made some questionable choices in my youngest years, but somehow I’ve always seemed to have a remarkably good bullshit detector when it comes to music. What follows is a journey through the albums that had the biggest impact on forming my tastes and such over the years. If you really love the music I post about, read on for a brief reverse-chronological (moreorless) recounting of my most influential albums. For better or worse, I’ve written them out as haikus for your enjoyment!
25. Nachtmystium, Assassins: Black Meddle, Part I
Sick, twisted, subtle
Black metal psychedelia
With soul of Pink Floyd
24. Deerhunter, Cryptograms
Melodies so sweet
And a massive wall of noise!
A new Sonic Youth?
23. Ratatat, Classics
Ratatatatat
Electrorock that makes feet
Tap-Tap-Tap-Tap-Tap
22. Gojira, From Mars To Sirius
Crushing death metal
Progressive calls to action
My favorite things
21. Neko Case, Fox Confessor Brings the Flood
Pretty voice, red hair
Neko’s songs cane make me blush
Someday I’ll marry you
20. Pig Destroyer, Terrifyer
Shred is so brutal
Terrifyer! It’s the girl.
Natasha must die.
19. Mastodon, Leviathan
White whale, holy grail
Riffs so big, waves of sound
Purely mammoth grooves
18. Sonic Youth, Corporate Ghost DVD
Sonic Youth sellout
But videos are charming
Cause they’re still simple
17. Nine Inch Nails, Downward Spiral
Extreme highs and lows
An emotional record
Trent can’t be ignored
16. Converge, Jane Doe
Chaos is controlled
Violent, intense, unmatched
Now, hear with new ears
15. Isis, Oceanic
Oceans in my mind
Cerebral meditation
Headbanging parts, too
14. Blood Brother, Burn, Piano Island, Burn
Reminds of good times
Family trips to Florida
Eye-opening shows
13. … And You Will Know Us By the Trail of Dead, Source Tags and Codes
Distinct epic rock
Another morning, stoner
Sweetly start my day
12. A Tribe Called Quest, Beats, Rhymes & Life
New York flow so rich
Ghetto rhyme innovators
Beat motivators
11. Mogwai, Young Team
Creeping up, loud sound
The Armageddon on tape
There’s no turning back
10. At the Drive In, Relationship of Command
Dissonant, wailing
Independent stream of thought
Ahead of its time
9. Black Flag, Damaged
Rebel attitude
Dirt, grime, crust; it’s real punk rock
It’ll be okay
8. Nailbomb, Point Blank
Protest roar of war
Can’t ignore the world of shit
Masses blind to it
7. Snapcase, Progression Through Unlearning
Wake up, realize
Inspiration to decide
A new style of life
6. Soulfly, Soulfly
Heavy world music
Not another so diverse
A lifetime of noise
5. Pink Floyd, Meddle
Meddle, so mellow
Deserted island record
It’s a masterpiece
4. Bob Marley and the Wailers, Catch a Fire
As always, so chill
To me, his most sobering
Master reggae skills
3. Rage Against the Machine, Rage Against The Machine
Words to move mountains
Emotion complements teen angst
Defiant, wild skills
2. Blink 182 – Dude Ranch
Young and immature
I enjoyed their wild antics
But my folks hated
1. Led Zeppelin, Led Zeppelin
Zeppelin forms the base
Loud, soulful rock is my taste
Let the sin begin
And that’s all I’ve got! Let me know if you enjoyed..
MIND INVERSION 
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