5 Favorite Back-to-Back Albums

We all know that the music industry is a tough, heartless, and (insert negative adjective here). Writing a solid album worth of songs is hard to do, and it's even harder to make all those songs enjoyable. There's inevitably going to be a couple tracks that people skip over and say, "crap!" in the process of finding their favorite songs.

There are, however, exceptions to this rule. Some bands not only make one album of 5 star tracks, but two back-to-back albums that are completely stellar. I'm talking about the albums that if you put both of them together on a playlist and hit "shuffle," you wouldn't be able to tell which of the two albums a song came off of...and you wouldn't care, because every song is awesome. Here I count down my top five.

Honorable Mention:
System of a Down—Mezmerize (2005) and Hypnotize (2005)

SOAD receives an honorable mention because this is technically a double album, just released individually 6 months apart. Coming from their previous studio album, "Toxicity" SOAD had a lot to live up to on these albums. Daron Malakian (guitars/vocals) and Serj Tankian (vocals) do just that, perfecting their blend of kooky vs. creepy metal that contains a wide range of musical influences. Malakian takes over more vocal duties than he did on previous SOAD albums, offering an interesting texture of the vocal tracks. Mezmerize/Hypnotize both went #1 on the Billboard charts. Thanks to countless powerful tracks such as "B.Y.O.B," "Violent Pornography," "Lost in Hollywood," "Holly Mountains," and the two part "Soldier Side" Mezmerize/Hypnotize is definitely a musical journey.

5. Breaking Benjamin—Saturate (2002) and We Are Not Alone (2004)

Arising from the ashes of the 90's grunge bands is Breaking Benjamin who received heavy radio rotation with their break-out hit "Polyamorous." After listening to "Saturate" though, it's clear that the band is not just a one hit wonder. Tracks like "Next to Nothing," "No Games," and "Skin" follow your typical alternative themes of heartbreak, freedom, and angst, yet somehow never seem redundant. "Saturate" is nicely complemented by "We Are Not Alone" with key tracks like "Forget It," "Firefly," and "Sooner or Later." Knowing how great these two albums were, it's a shame that Breaking Benjamin changed their style on their third CD "Phobia" by lowering their guitar-tuning which in turned changed their vocal keys.

4. Soil—Scars (2001) and Redefine (2004)

Soil's lead singer, Ryan McCombs, has a voice that could fill an arena. Just the right amount of growl vs. melody, combined with crunching syncopated guitars, and backed by a chugging rhythm section, Scars/Redefine are the very definition of Hard Rock. Unfortunately, critical success didn't seem to completely follow, and Ryan McCombs has since left the band to join Drowning Pool. Tracks like "Understading Me," "Need to Feel," "My Own," "Deny Me," "Say You Will," and "Pride" give these two albums a powerhouse sensibility that never lets up.

3. Aqua—Aquarium (1997) and Aquarius (2000)

Definitely a guilty pleasure. You either like Aqua or you hate them with a burning passion. I'm part of the former crowd who believes that you have to look past the silly lyrics to realize that Aqua is actually singing about some adult issues. Songs like "Bumble Bees," "Roses are Red," "Doctor Jones," and my personal favorite "Back from Mars" are perfect examples of this. Packed with 24 tracks that will either get you dancing or keep you laughing, Aquarium/Aquarius is a definite must for an party mix.

2. Garbage—Garbage (1995) and Version 2.0 (1998)

Shirley Manson (vocals) backed by super-producers Duke Erikson, Steve Marker, and Butch Vig offer a blend of industrial pop/alternative music that easily be ignored. Manson's moody and risque lyrics blend perfectly with the wall of guitars, synths, and loops on every track of Garbage/v2.0. "Vow," "Only Happy When It Rains," "Supervixen," "Temptation Waits," "When I Grow Up," "Special"...there's just too many tracks to list that are truly masterpieces. Ten years after their release, Garbage/v2.0 still feel fresh and relevant today.

1. The Offspring—Smash (1994) and Ixnay on the Hombre(1997)

Smash/Ixnay is the very definition of the back-to-back albums. I can't speak highly enough about these CDs. Fast punk beats over power-chord filled tracks are ironed out by lyrics about being young and growing-up...the perfect combination for awesome. "Nitro," "Genocide," "Smash," "The Meaning of Life," "I Choose," "All I Want," "Amazed"...I could list off the entire tracklist. These albums are the epitome of solid music without any filler.