6. The King Of Limbs
Radioheads most recent effort, 2011s The King Of Limbs was announced five days before it was released, and even then it arrived a day early. This brevity took fans by surprise, but a bigger shock was in store for them when they started to actually listen to it. Its comfortably Radioheads weirdest album, featuring two drummers throughout, one playing in a conventional way, and one trying to mimic a drum machine. In fact, it could be argued the whole album is one long showcase of Radioheads under-appreciated yet exceptional rhythm section. Ed OBrien told an interviewer that on The King Of Limbs rhythm dictates the record. It's very importantthe rhythm is king." Heavily influenced by dubstep and jazz, its a very impersonal record, and there is an eerie malevolence that lies just beneath the surface throughout much of it. The lighter moments, songs like Codex and Separator, almost come as a relief after the chilly and syncopated Bloom, or Feral. Overall, it demands the attention of the listener this is not an album to be played in the background while doing other tasks.