The music industry can be a funny old business. Some artists strive for mainstream success with easily digestible records, while others are more concerned with creating something entirely unique - even if it means falling into obscurity. These radical performers don't make it easy to grasp their complex thought processes, but they have legitimate chops when it comes to limiting the audience of their art for a greater reward in the long run. With the vast array of artists now available at the touch of a button, many of these avant-garde or outsider musicians are now in a wider circulation than ever before, but they are also up against the rest of the pack in trying to grab attention. In an era when patience and persistence with music is at an all time low, that's not an easy task. An albums genius can often lie in its webbing, with the flow from beginning to end providing a rewarding sense of fulfillment once you can wrap your head around the more abstract concepts. In other words, they embody everything that a challenging album should be. As impenetrable and obtuse as some of these entries may sound, they are also some of the most fearless and groundbreaking pieces of work found within any art form, many of which have stood the test of time decades later. You might not be humming these ten albums when going about your daily routine, but you certainly wont forget them anytime soon either.
Music Journalism graduate and freelance writer from Northern Ireland, who enjoys scouring the music archives for the best sounds from the past and present. Writer for the awesome publications WhatCulture, Metal Injection, Scribol, The Gamer, and Prefix.
