This is my first time reading Dissenus in ages, really glad I've found this thread... Being an early 20something, my tastes tend to skew towards post-80s hXc, particularly the melodic hardcore coming from the east coast US in the 90s and the Youth Crew revival stuff led by In My Eyes from around 97 onwards. It annoys me that a lot of the recent coverage of the scene (kickstarted by the Blush book) completely leaves this more recent stuff out, particularly given how influential mid-90s bands like Lifetime and In My Eyes are on so many bands currently playing.
In terms of personal favourites...
Refused - Shape of Punk To Come. Can't believe this thread has come 5 pages and no one's trotted out arguably the most influential hardcore record of the past 10-15 years. Techno bits, breakbeats - they even covered the Prodigy's Voodoo People on an earlier EP.
Lifetime - Jersey's Best Dancers.
In My Eyes - Nothing to Hide
Modern Life is War - Witness
Black Flag- Damaged
Kid Dynamite - Shorter, Faster Louder
Bad Brains - I Against I
On another note, I promote and DJ a punk/hardcore club night in Newcastle and am really enthused by the amount of great records coming out to an increasingly awesome response. Top 5 of the year so far...
Have Heart - Songs to Scream at the Sun
Blacklisted - Heavier than Heaven, Lonelier than God
Verse - Aggression
Cancer Bats - Hail Destroyer
Ceremony - Still Nothing Moves You