So, with little fanfare, here are numbers 1-10 of my favorite 20 albums released in 2012.
10. Napalm Death-Utilitarian
If you'd have told me Napalm Death were going to take some of the biggest risks this year in the extreme music community, I'd have asked you to supply me with some of the drugs you were taking. Shockingly, these risks, which range from a saxophone solo (hi there guest cameo from John Zorn!), to guitarist Mitch Harris singing cleanly, work incredibly well for the godfathers of grindcore. And for those of you who are uncomfortable with experimentation, don't worry, there are still plenty of righteous blasts of hostility to be found. True, ND have been on a good tear for the past ten or so years, but this one will probably warrant the most repeats (next to Enemy of the Music Business at least) in their recent catalog. Diversity is your best friend sometimes.
9. Early Graves-Red Horse
Two years after losing frontman Makh Daniels in a horrible van accident, this promising dark hardcore/crust band return with an effort that was as punishing as it was inspiring. New vocalist John Strachan (also of The Funeral Pyre) seems like a natural fit, his Gothenburg-style yells adding a very strong Disfear vibe (and the Tragedy influence is even stronger than before) to a band that I'm sure some were uncertain were ever going to return after their excellent 2010 effort Goner. Well, they're still going strong, and in my opinion, this is even better than that record. To quote one Joey Diaz, "TREMENDOUS!"
8. Witchcraft-Legend
I've slept on this band for way too long, and it figures that my first real exposure to them is when they have a mostly new lineup. Shame, since this is some absolutely beautiful heavy metal. In my book, Magnus Pelander and Mlny Parsonz (Royal Thunder) were neck and neck for vocal performance of the year, and despite the album positioning on this list, I'm not quite sure who won out in the end. I get the feeling that this will be a grower, and over time, could potentially sneak into my top five. If you still haven't listened to these Swedes, and count yourself as an old school metal/doom/stoner/hard rock fan, I implore you to find this album however you can, and give it a spin.
7. Gaza-No Absolutes in Human Suffering
Ouch. This album wants to hurt you. Badly. Not like in that pseudo-hardcore tough guy way, but in that "tear your hair out and pummel you to death with a microphone" kind of way. I've always liked this band, but something always prevented me from loving them. Their BotchalesceVerge sound (I will NEVER used that term again) has been perfected on this full-length however, so watch out. This is some of the most chaotic music I've heard in a long time, making you feel like you had been crushed by a bulldozer. Mathcore fanatics and fans of "violent" music in general will be drawn to this like a moth to flames.
6. High on Fire-De Vermis Mysteriis
I'm going to make a ballsy claim here: this will be the last truly great HOF album. Matt Pike checking into rehab earlier this year didn't particularly surprise me, but you know the old saying of "No Drugs, No Soul?" Well, this has TONS of soul, some of the best riffs I've heard from the (now) legendary guitarist, and it feels pretty drenched in drug use. Easily the best thing in this band's catalog since Blessed Black Wings, though let's hope their next effort doesn't turn into the band's equivalent of St. Anger. For now though, let us bask in its sheer power and magnitude.
5. Royal Thunder-CVI
The moment I heard about this GA stoner rock/doom metal band signing to Relapse Records, I knew their full length debut would be a monster. True, some songs on this can drag a bit, but Mlny Parsonz's vocals are enough to keep the listener's attention throughout any potential mediocrity (which there really isn't any). With fantastic chemistry between rhythm section and guitarists abound, and the aforementioned amazing performance from Ms. Parsonz, this bluesy and doom-soaked debut was well worth the wait. All I can hope is that they don't become too big to forget that they still owe us another show!
4. The Devil's Blood-The Thousandfold Epicentre
Okay, technically I'm cheating by putting this one on my list, given that it saw release in Europe back in November 2011, but we didn't see an official release in the U.S. until January. So nyah nyah. My childish insult aside, they were one of the standouts this year at Maryland Death Fest, and this is damn good psychedelic rock/metal from the Netherlands, with soaring vocals, a great use of the hammond organ, and a lyric sheet that makes the listener feel like they've been dropped off in a mid-70s drugged-out satanic ritual. Speaking of Maryland Death Fest, I just remembered that I neglected to type a proper review on here, so here's a quick recap: Everyone but Anvil, Die Pigeon Die, and Needful Things were good, and the latter were more disappointing than bad.
3. Pig Destroyer-Book Burner
I was scared that the sheer amount of dicksucking that this album was receiving would ruin it for me, but I'll admit: it may be warranted. It has been way too damn long since the D.C. masters of grind released a new album, but this was definitely worth waiting five years. The production might throw fans off, but Scott Hull's riffs slay and J.R. Hayes still sounds like a man possessed. This album is also more noticeably groovy than past efforts, but it works in its favor, especially on "Iron Drunk" and "The Diplomat." Guest vocals by Kat Katz (AnB/Salome) and Jason Netherton (Misery Index) only add to the intensity, and "The Bug," which features one of two collaborations between Hayes and Katz, might be my favorite song of the year. I'm expecting their set at 2013's Maryland Death Fest to be pure insanity.
2. Converge-All We Love We Leave Behind
I've never been shy about my love for Converge, and I'm probably one of the few who prefers their newer material (Jane Doe and onward) to their older material. Whereas 2009's Axe to Fall was a family affair stuffed with guest appearances galore, Converge is back to doing their thing as four piece on this album with no appearances but their own. Jake's vocals are torturous and pained like usual, and his skills as a songwriter have certainly not diminished, but to me the stars of this one are his bandmates. I've always thought that as musicians, Converge was severely overlooked. Kurt Ballou can riff with the best of them, Nate Newton's vocals and bass lines are growing in size, and Ben Koeller can beat his drums better than most in his field (opener "Aimless Arrow" and the title track are proof). The kings of metallic hardcore continue to reign supreme.
1. Christian Mistress-Possession
Unbelievable. Just when I think Relapse has dropped the ball with signing newer acts, this proves me wrong. No disrespect to the purveyors of the "retro metal" revival that seems to be the thing nowadays, but I prefer to see my favorite music genre go forward rather than take two steps backward. That doesn't mean I can't enjoy some of the albums though, and god DAMN did I love this one. Incredible guitar melodies that could compete with the best of early Iron Maiden and Judas Priest, soulful and sultry vocals that resemble if Grace Slick listened to a lot of Black Sabbath, and a very solid production that mixed just the right amount of modern with "old school," I'll be shocked if this band doesn't blow up within the next few years, or at least doesn't garner a slightly bigger following. The only thing I can ask now is COME TO THE EAST COAST!
And there you go, my top twenty albums list is complete. But you might be asking "Ryan, why title this 'best of tunes, worst of tunes' without a bottom 20?" Well, not to sound egotistical, but I avoided most of the albums this year that I knew would disappoint me.
But there were two albums that stuck with me the same way shit sticks to your shoes...
Dead Icons-Condemned
Remember my unpopular opinion on hardcore being mostly stale now? This is the epitome of it. I was struggling to say anything worth note, be it slightly positive or overwhelmingly negative, about this album. At the end of the day, however, I found it to be completely unmemorable and forgettable, which sometimes is the worst crime of all. I'm sure they're all nice guys, but this just didn't do a thing for me.
Lamb of God-Resolution
I feel bad bashing this because of the band's recent troubles involving Randy Blythe's manslaughter case, and I also avoided the new releases that nearly everyone has on their "worst of" lists (Muse, Bad Brains), but good fuckity god did this suck. The opening song "Straight For the Sun" is passable (mostly due to LoG going sludge on it), but it was a downward spiral after those two and half minutes were over. There is no life and variety to be found on this release, and LoG have pretty much confirmed their decision to take the Slayer route by deciding not to stray too far from the sound that helped secure them gold records. If you're okay with that, then you might not despise this album nearly as much as I did. For me though, I'm still yearning for something to match As The Palaces Burn. I'll probably have to keep waiting though.
NOW you have it. The best (and worst) of 2012's music, as chosen by this bearded weirdo.
As with last year, here are some other top lists from fellow music fans, a.k.a. friends and acquaintances.
Kris Hargitt
1. Torche-Harmonicraft
2. Gaza-No Absolutes In Human Suffering
3. The Rival Mob-Mob Justice
4. Power Trip-7"
5. Converge-All We Loves We Leave Behind
6. Rise and Fall-Faith
7. Burning Love-Rotten Thing to Say
Lew Cabral
1. Converge-All We Love We Leave Behind
2. Every Time I Die-Ex Lives
3. Grizzly Bear-Shields
4. Pig Destroyer-Book Burner
5. Gojira-L'Enfant Sauvage
I've never been shy about my love for Converge, and I'm probably one of the few who prefers their newer material (Jane Doe and onward) to their older material. Whereas 2009's Axe to Fall was a family affair stuffed with guest appearances galore, Converge is back to doing their thing as four piece on this album with no appearances but their own. Jake's vocals are torturous and pained like usual, and his skills as a songwriter have certainly not diminished, but to me the stars of this one are his bandmates. I've always thought that as musicians, Converge was severely overlooked. Kurt Ballou can riff with the best of them, Nate Newton's vocals and bass lines are growing in size, and Ben Koeller can beat his drums better than most in his field (opener "Aimless Arrow" and the title track are proof). The kings of metallic hardcore continue to reign supreme.
1. Christian Mistress-Possession
Unbelievable. Just when I think Relapse has dropped the ball with signing newer acts, this proves me wrong. No disrespect to the purveyors of the "retro metal" revival that seems to be the thing nowadays, but I prefer to see my favorite music genre go forward rather than take two steps backward. That doesn't mean I can't enjoy some of the albums though, and god DAMN did I love this one. Incredible guitar melodies that could compete with the best of early Iron Maiden and Judas Priest, soulful and sultry vocals that resemble if Grace Slick listened to a lot of Black Sabbath, and a very solid production that mixed just the right amount of modern with "old school," I'll be shocked if this band doesn't blow up within the next few years, or at least doesn't garner a slightly bigger following. The only thing I can ask now is COME TO THE EAST COAST!
And there you go, my top twenty albums list is complete. But you might be asking "Ryan, why title this 'best of tunes, worst of tunes' without a bottom 20?" Well, not to sound egotistical, but I avoided most of the albums this year that I knew would disappoint me.
But there were two albums that stuck with me the same way shit sticks to your shoes...
Dead Icons-Condemned
Remember my unpopular opinion on hardcore being mostly stale now? This is the epitome of it. I was struggling to say anything worth note, be it slightly positive or overwhelmingly negative, about this album. At the end of the day, however, I found it to be completely unmemorable and forgettable, which sometimes is the worst crime of all. I'm sure they're all nice guys, but this just didn't do a thing for me.
Lamb of God-Resolution
I feel bad bashing this because of the band's recent troubles involving Randy Blythe's manslaughter case, and I also avoided the new releases that nearly everyone has on their "worst of" lists (Muse, Bad Brains), but good fuckity god did this suck. The opening song "Straight For the Sun" is passable (mostly due to LoG going sludge on it), but it was a downward spiral after those two and half minutes were over. There is no life and variety to be found on this release, and LoG have pretty much confirmed their decision to take the Slayer route by deciding not to stray too far from the sound that helped secure them gold records. If you're okay with that, then you might not despise this album nearly as much as I did. For me though, I'm still yearning for something to match As The Palaces Burn. I'll probably have to keep waiting though.
NOW you have it. The best (and worst) of 2012's music, as chosen by this bearded weirdo.
As with last year, here are some other top lists from fellow music fans, a.k.a. friends and acquaintances.
Kris Hargitt
1. Torche-Harmonicraft
2. Gaza-No Absolutes In Human Suffering
3. The Rival Mob-Mob Justice
4. Power Trip-7"
5. Converge-All We Loves We Leave Behind
6. Rise and Fall-Faith
7. Burning Love-Rotten Thing to Say
Lew Cabral
1. Converge-All We Love We Leave Behind
2. Every Time I Die-Ex Lives
3. Grizzly Bear-Shields
4. Pig Destroyer-Book Burner
5. Gojira-L'Enfant Sauvage
Ben Johnson
Cattle Decapitation-Monolith of Inhumanity
Pig Destroyer-Book Burner
Christopher Millard (Children of the Reptile)
The Sword-Apocrypon
Dragonforce-The Power Within
Justin Palughi
Converge-All We Love We Leave Behind
Between the Buried and Me-The Parallax II: Future Sequence
Come back tomorrow for another best of/worst of list featuring movies, MMA, and all other sorts of things!
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