1. Against Me!
New Wave (Sire)
"I've been a fan of these guys for awhile, but this album blew my mind. Jillian Harding, Dollard-des-Ormeaux, QC
"It's probably the only actual punk album released this year on a major label; a real emo killer!! Dave Bone, Morden MB
"Like the title suggests, its not exactly a punk record, but it is smart and cliché free. Rahul Gupta, Toronto ON
"I have the ba ba bas from Thrash Unreal permanently stuck in my head. Michael Keast, Toronto ON
"Okay, they signed on Sire. Okay, they toned it down. Okay, they're not as punk or country. But New Wave is still better than 92 percent of the CDs released in 2007. Francois Lachapelle, Montreal QC
"Against Me! have always been one of my favourite bands. I love their unique blend of punk and folk. Mike McDonald, Rothesay NB
"I can't believe I let the knee-jerk reactions coming from the internet punks keep me from giving this record a listen until only a few months ago. Apparently selling out means crafting the leanest, meanest Against Me! album to date. A big step in the right direction after 2005's inconsistent, wandering In Searching of a Former Clarity Adam Medley, Toronto ON
"They traded in the acoustic guitars and plugged in to make one of the best rock records in years. They sacrificed nothing in their jump from Fat Wreck to Sire as the lyrics are still as important and witty as ever. They may lose some fans with the more polished sound, but they will gain far more. Nathan Craddock, London ON
"It may be their major label debut, but it stays true to the Against Me! sound. They kept it short and sweet with just ten songs in just over 30 minutes. Bobby Dell, Beamsville ON
2. Black Lips Good Bad Not Evil (Vice)
"Universal and eclectic. Hip and rough. Spirited and cheeky. Lipstick and beer. Shut up and listen! Kristen Rutherford, Saskatoon SK
"With their fourth studio album, Hotlanta's Black Lips cleaned up their tones but kept their garage/punk edge. Already having a reputation for their amazing live show, these songs will only add to the greatness that is Black Lips. Harris Leach, Thunder Bay ON
"Good drinking music that encapsulates their terrific live energy. Rachel Kuzmich, Montreal QC
"Some might say they are not punk, but I was at the Horseshoe show... John Orr, Toronto ON
3. Bad Religion
New Maps of Hell (Epitaph)
"It would be impossible to write another album as good as The Process Of Belief or The Empire Strikes First, but this one stands firmly as one of the best punk albums of 2007. Nicolas Lepage, Rimouski QC
"These old men continue to release records that are angrier and better than bands half their age. Bryan Cook, Stoney Creek ON
"These guys continue to put out solid material. I thought they would start slowing down but I was taken aback by the album as a whole (lyrics, vocals, aggression etc.). Tim Duncan, Ottawa ON
"Old school? New school? How about some simple guitars, oohs and ahhs and some pretty good lyrics! Geoff Wright, Devon AB
4. Bad Brains
Build A Nation (Megaforce)
"Minus the expected reggae bullshit, it was a decent contender. Fitting that Adam Yauch produced it since the Beastie Boys were mainly influenced by this band. Cannot compete with Black Dots but tell me what can. Matt Johnson, Windham Centre ON
"My friend Ali used to squish his ball-sack against our screen door and yell BAD BRAINS! back in the days when Radwan was punk. We'd all listen to Bad Brains and Lifetime. Olivia Pojar, Montreal QC
"Awesome again. Sounds like they never split up. Neil Ryan, North Vancouver BC
"Sure they aren't young kids making fresh music, they are older dudes making the music that they make best. I hear all these screamo bands, and it just sounds like they want to be loud, noisy, angst brought to you by the GAP. HR will scream at you one second then ease you to sleep with a reggae lullaby. He is one of the great vocal talents in music and nobody can sing like him. I sometimes wonder if years after they are dead and gone a musical historian will dissect Bad Brains and come to an overwhelming conclusion that these guys are classical music of the modern era. A reflection of a world blazing towards its own destruction, its mesmerising, beautiful and hardcore. Kevin Whalen, Toronto ON
5. The Saint Alvia Cartel
The Saint Alvia Cartel (Union)
"Not only do these boys have years of experience from being in bands like Jersey, Grade, Boys Night Out and the Video Dead, but as their new unified entity they kick serious ass while at the same time lay down some soulful tunes. The perfect mix for the punk/rock/ska/indie fan. Matthew Seaborn, Toronto ON
"This sort of punk is down-to-earth, meaningful and just a lot of fun. Theres no need to run around playing three-chord guitar licks, screaming to make an awesome punk rock album. Bryce Maruk, Calgary AB
"Another one of my favourite albums of the year. Really just a feel good album, from a band comprised of members of some of the best Canadian punk bands of the past. Melissa Mowat, Toronto ON
New Wave (Sire)
"I've been a fan of these guys for awhile, but this album blew my mind. Jillian Harding, Dollard-des-Ormeaux, QC
"It's probably the only actual punk album released this year on a major label; a real emo killer!! Dave Bone, Morden MB
"Like the title suggests, its not exactly a punk record, but it is smart and cliché free. Rahul Gupta, Toronto ON
"I have the ba ba bas from Thrash Unreal permanently stuck in my head. Michael Keast, Toronto ON
"Okay, they signed on Sire. Okay, they toned it down. Okay, they're not as punk or country. But New Wave is still better than 92 percent of the CDs released in 2007. Francois Lachapelle, Montreal QC
"Against Me! have always been one of my favourite bands. I love their unique blend of punk and folk. Mike McDonald, Rothesay NB
"I can't believe I let the knee-jerk reactions coming from the internet punks keep me from giving this record a listen until only a few months ago. Apparently selling out means crafting the leanest, meanest Against Me! album to date. A big step in the right direction after 2005's inconsistent, wandering In Searching of a Former Clarity Adam Medley, Toronto ON
"They traded in the acoustic guitars and plugged in to make one of the best rock records in years. They sacrificed nothing in their jump from Fat Wreck to Sire as the lyrics are still as important and witty as ever. They may lose some fans with the more polished sound, but they will gain far more. Nathan Craddock, London ON
"It may be their major label debut, but it stays true to the Against Me! sound. They kept it short and sweet with just ten songs in just over 30 minutes. Bobby Dell, Beamsville ON
2. Black Lips Good Bad Not Evil (Vice)
"Universal and eclectic. Hip and rough. Spirited and cheeky. Lipstick and beer. Shut up and listen! Kristen Rutherford, Saskatoon SK
"With their fourth studio album, Hotlanta's Black Lips cleaned up their tones but kept their garage/punk edge. Already having a reputation for their amazing live show, these songs will only add to the greatness that is Black Lips. Harris Leach, Thunder Bay ON
"Good drinking music that encapsulates their terrific live energy. Rachel Kuzmich, Montreal QC
"Some might say they are not punk, but I was at the Horseshoe show... John Orr, Toronto ON
3. Bad Religion
New Maps of Hell (Epitaph)
"It would be impossible to write another album as good as The Process Of Belief or The Empire Strikes First, but this one stands firmly as one of the best punk albums of 2007. Nicolas Lepage, Rimouski QC
"These old men continue to release records that are angrier and better than bands half their age. Bryan Cook, Stoney Creek ON
"These guys continue to put out solid material. I thought they would start slowing down but I was taken aback by the album as a whole (lyrics, vocals, aggression etc.). Tim Duncan, Ottawa ON
"Old school? New school? How about some simple guitars, oohs and ahhs and some pretty good lyrics! Geoff Wright, Devon AB
4. Bad Brains
Build A Nation (Megaforce)
"Minus the expected reggae bullshit, it was a decent contender. Fitting that Adam Yauch produced it since the Beastie Boys were mainly influenced by this band. Cannot compete with Black Dots but tell me what can. Matt Johnson, Windham Centre ON
"My friend Ali used to squish his ball-sack against our screen door and yell BAD BRAINS! back in the days when Radwan was punk. We'd all listen to Bad Brains and Lifetime. Olivia Pojar, Montreal QC
"Awesome again. Sounds like they never split up. Neil Ryan, North Vancouver BC
"Sure they aren't young kids making fresh music, they are older dudes making the music that they make best. I hear all these screamo bands, and it just sounds like they want to be loud, noisy, angst brought to you by the GAP. HR will scream at you one second then ease you to sleep with a reggae lullaby. He is one of the great vocal talents in music and nobody can sing like him. I sometimes wonder if years after they are dead and gone a musical historian will dissect Bad Brains and come to an overwhelming conclusion that these guys are classical music of the modern era. A reflection of a world blazing towards its own destruction, its mesmerising, beautiful and hardcore. Kevin Whalen, Toronto ON
5. The Saint Alvia Cartel
The Saint Alvia Cartel (Union)
"Not only do these boys have years of experience from being in bands like Jersey, Grade, Boys Night Out and the Video Dead, but as their new unified entity they kick serious ass while at the same time lay down some soulful tunes. The perfect mix for the punk/rock/ska/indie fan. Matthew Seaborn, Toronto ON
"This sort of punk is down-to-earth, meaningful and just a lot of fun. Theres no need to run around playing three-chord guitar licks, screaming to make an awesome punk rock album. Bryce Maruk, Calgary AB
"Another one of my favourite albums of the year. Really just a feel good album, from a band comprised of members of some of the best Canadian punk bands of the past. Melissa Mowat, Toronto ON