It's that time again!
Despite what was a pretty slow start (at least in terms of metal), 2012 has been what I think is one of the best years for new music in a long time. I can't remember ever having such a hard time picking a "top 10" because of too many killer albums to choose between.
The only album I haven't heard yet which I expect might make this list is Saber Tiger's "Messiah Complex", but I'll wait until another distributor (hopefully) picks it up. Fuck paying $30+ let alone $50+ to import it. Since I couldn't decide a clear 10 places without it, I'll put all the 'honorable mentions' as equal 10th instead:
Marillion Sounds That Can't Be Made
Be'lakor Of Breath And Bone
Kamelot Silverthorn
Europe Bag of Bones
Cradle of Filth The Manticore and Other Horrors
Black Country Communion Afterglow
Lynyrd Skynyrd Last of a Dying Breed
Grimner Fard
Unisonic Unisonic
Graveyard Lights Out
Primal Rock Rebellion Awoken Broken
Adrenaline Mob Omertá
The Project Hate MCMXCIX The Cadaverous Retaliation Agenda
Psycroptic The Inherited Repression
Napalm Death Utilitarian
Pig Destroyer Book Burner
Flying Colors Flying Colors
Machinae Supremacy Rise of a Digital Nation
To Mera Exile
9. The Levitation Hex "The Levitation Hex"
I still can't put my finger on what it is about their sound which is so different. There's understandably an Alchemist vibe, at times a touch of modern Amorphis, but whatever it is they're doing I love it.
Munipuliar:
8. OSI "Fire Make Thunder"
Whereas the albums leading up to this were a moody mix of progressive metal and ambient electronica, this one is much more atmospheric overall and lacks a lot of the aggression of its predecessors. Still a brilliant album regardless, though with different production this could just as easily have been a new Chroma Key album.
Invisible Men:
7. Slash "Apocalyptic Love"
This further proves that Slash was a far more crucial element in the classic Guns N' Roses formula than Axl Rose could ever dream to be. Only a few relatively flat songs keep this from being higher on my list. After listening to this album many times over, I really hope Velvet Revolver get their shit together with Miles Kennedy on vocals.
Anastasia:
6. Soen "Cognitive"
Opeth's "Damnation" meets Tool. Though I never really enjoyed the latter, Soen takes only the positive aspects from their influence and the result is something quite unique.
Delenda:
5. Dethklok "Dethalbum III"
I wasn't a big fan of the first two Dethklok albums so this one surprised me. They're not really doing anything new here, they're just doing it a lot better than before.
Impeach God:
Starved:
4. Van Halen "A Different Kind of Truth"
Not really a 'return to form' in my eyes as I don't think they've released a bad album in the last 30 odd years, but definitely a return to the sound which put them on the map in the first place. As much as I dislike David Lee Roth for his seemingly endless douchebaggery, it's not enough to detract from what is, end-to-end, their most solid album since "F.U.C.K.".
Chinatown:
Honeybabysweetiedoll:
3. Meshuggah "Koloss"
If you didn't like Meshuggah before, you still won't like them this time around. For the rest of us, this is perhaps their best album to date. A well balanced mix of their classic nails-on-chalkboard sound, the mechanical groove they perfected around "Nothing" / "I", and the frantic energy from their earlier albums which is only starting to really show itself again since "ObZen".
The Demon's Name Is Surveillance:
Break The Bones Whose Sinews Gave It Motion:
2. Pineapple Thief "All the Wars"
I used to think of Pineapple Thief as a weak wanna-be clone of Porcupine Tree but with this they've really come into their own. Catchy and accessible without being overly simplistic, this is prog rock song writing of Transatlantic caliber without the ambitiousness or pretention - which is a good thing in this instance.
Burning Pieces:
Last Man Standing:
1. Trollfest "Brumbelbassen"
I absolutely loved their last album "En Kvest For Den Hellige Gral" and I don't think they've really topped it with this one but they've at least equaled it with this one, adding enough new elements to avoid sounding like a stale rehash but still retaining their distinct sound.
Böse Tivoli:
Bråk:
Other bands with new albums I've been really enjoying which come to mind but didn't make the "Top 10" cut include ZZ Top, Behold The Arctopus, Mago de Oz, Paul Gilbert, Fuck... I'm Dead, Devin Townsend Buckethead, Wintersun, Yngwie Malmsteen, Bob Katsionis, Andre Matos, Dragonforce, Blaze Bayley... the list could go on. There's so much great music coming out at the moment, here's hoping 2013 can continue the trend.
So what DIDN'T I enjoy?
Disappointments for 2012 were surprisingly few - or at least very few come to mind. The big one is Muse. I'm guessing they were smoking whatever Metallica smoked when they decided a Lou Reed collaboration was a good idea. The other big one was Haji's Kitchen, but only because their debut is one of my all time favourite albums and their reunion effort fell way short of that mark.
[edit] fixed Levitation Hex link [/edit]
Despite what was a pretty slow start (at least in terms of metal), 2012 has been what I think is one of the best years for new music in a long time. I can't remember ever having such a hard time picking a "top 10" because of too many killer albums to choose between.
The only album I haven't heard yet which I expect might make this list is Saber Tiger's "Messiah Complex", but I'll wait until another distributor (hopefully) picks it up. Fuck paying $30+ let alone $50+ to import it. Since I couldn't decide a clear 10 places without it, I'll put all the 'honorable mentions' as equal 10th instead:
Marillion Sounds That Can't Be Made
Be'lakor Of Breath And Bone
Kamelot Silverthorn
Europe Bag of Bones
Cradle of Filth The Manticore and Other Horrors
Black Country Communion Afterglow
Lynyrd Skynyrd Last of a Dying Breed
Grimner Fard
Unisonic Unisonic
Graveyard Lights Out
Primal Rock Rebellion Awoken Broken
Adrenaline Mob Omertá
The Project Hate MCMXCIX The Cadaverous Retaliation Agenda
Psycroptic The Inherited Repression
Napalm Death Utilitarian
Pig Destroyer Book Burner
Flying Colors Flying Colors
Machinae Supremacy Rise of a Digital Nation
To Mera Exile
9. The Levitation Hex "The Levitation Hex"
I still can't put my finger on what it is about their sound which is so different. There's understandably an Alchemist vibe, at times a touch of modern Amorphis, but whatever it is they're doing I love it.
Munipuliar:
8. OSI "Fire Make Thunder"
Whereas the albums leading up to this were a moody mix of progressive metal and ambient electronica, this one is much more atmospheric overall and lacks a lot of the aggression of its predecessors. Still a brilliant album regardless, though with different production this could just as easily have been a new Chroma Key album.
Invisible Men:
7. Slash "Apocalyptic Love"
This further proves that Slash was a far more crucial element in the classic Guns N' Roses formula than Axl Rose could ever dream to be. Only a few relatively flat songs keep this from being higher on my list. After listening to this album many times over, I really hope Velvet Revolver get their shit together with Miles Kennedy on vocals.
Anastasia:
6. Soen "Cognitive"
Opeth's "Damnation" meets Tool. Though I never really enjoyed the latter, Soen takes only the positive aspects from their influence and the result is something quite unique.
Delenda:
5. Dethklok "Dethalbum III"
I wasn't a big fan of the first two Dethklok albums so this one surprised me. They're not really doing anything new here, they're just doing it a lot better than before.
Impeach God:
Starved:
4. Van Halen "A Different Kind of Truth"
Not really a 'return to form' in my eyes as I don't think they've released a bad album in the last 30 odd years, but definitely a return to the sound which put them on the map in the first place. As much as I dislike David Lee Roth for his seemingly endless douchebaggery, it's not enough to detract from what is, end-to-end, their most solid album since "F.U.C.K.".
Chinatown:
Honeybabysweetiedoll:
3. Meshuggah "Koloss"
If you didn't like Meshuggah before, you still won't like them this time around. For the rest of us, this is perhaps their best album to date. A well balanced mix of their classic nails-on-chalkboard sound, the mechanical groove they perfected around "Nothing" / "I", and the frantic energy from their earlier albums which is only starting to really show itself again since "ObZen".
The Demon's Name Is Surveillance:
Break The Bones Whose Sinews Gave It Motion:
2. Pineapple Thief "All the Wars"
I used to think of Pineapple Thief as a weak wanna-be clone of Porcupine Tree but with this they've really come into their own. Catchy and accessible without being overly simplistic, this is prog rock song writing of Transatlantic caliber without the ambitiousness or pretention - which is a good thing in this instance.
Burning Pieces:
Last Man Standing:
1. Trollfest "Brumbelbassen"
I absolutely loved their last album "En Kvest For Den Hellige Gral" and I don't think they've really topped it with this one but they've at least equaled it with this one, adding enough new elements to avoid sounding like a stale rehash but still retaining their distinct sound.
Böse Tivoli:
Bråk:
Other bands with new albums I've been really enjoying which come to mind but didn't make the "Top 10" cut include ZZ Top, Behold The Arctopus, Mago de Oz, Paul Gilbert, Fuck... I'm Dead, Devin Townsend Buckethead, Wintersun, Yngwie Malmsteen, Bob Katsionis, Andre Matos, Dragonforce, Blaze Bayley... the list could go on. There's so much great music coming out at the moment, here's hoping 2013 can continue the trend.
So what DIDN'T I enjoy?
Disappointments for 2012 were surprisingly few - or at least very few come to mind. The big one is Muse. I'm guessing they were smoking whatever Metallica smoked when they decided a Lou Reed collaboration was a good idea. The other big one was Haji's Kitchen, but only because their debut is one of my all time favourite albums and their reunion effort fell way short of that mark.
[edit] fixed Levitation Hex link [/edit]
Last edited by a moderator:
's "DIC.NII.LAN.DAFT.ERD.ARK".
