Top Ten Albums - First Half Of 2012

10.) The Offspring - "Days Go By"

The Offspring return after four years away with a new album, "Days Go By." Originally, this album was supposed to be released in 2010, but the band went back into the studio to re-work with some classic B-sides and unreleased tunes, some of which made it onto this album. This album is probably the most diverse album they've released, with some songs sounding similar to Rise Against ("The Future Is Now"), some of them similar to Sublime ("OC Guns"), some classic Offspring fare ("Dividing By Zero"), and one of them mocking the current pop scene yet becoming a catchy pop tune in its own right ("Cruising California"). The Offspring are a band that will always be reliable for a good listen. 

9.) Every Time I Die - "Ex Lives"

I would be lying if I said that Every Time I Die wasn't one of my favorite bands. Keith Buckley is a genius of a lyricist, an excellent vocalist, and his rapport with brother/guitarist Jordan Buckley and lead guitarist "Awesome" Andy is outstanding. ETID never disappoint, with each album having its own vibe, yet always maintaining the southern-fried hardcore punk mentality that ETID is notorious for. This album is perhaps the punkiest album they've released, with no song in danger of being mistaken for "poppy" at all. ETID reach into their bag of tricks and pull out what is most likely the heaviest album they'll release. 

8.) Fear Factory - "The Industrialist"

Fear Factory are a band that is hit-or-miss. Their albums "Demanufacture" and "Obsolete" are absolute classics, and helped innovate the groove/industrial subgenre of metal. However, since the original departure of guitarist Dino Cazares and his return, they haven't quite reached the same heights that they once did (no pun for Cazares' weight, I swear). 2010's "Mechanize" was close, yet was missing the spark that made their original albums such instant classics. Their new album, "The Industrialist," is probably as close as we're going to get to their original classics, but shares more in common with "Mechanize." The band decided to utilize a drum machine for this album, and although the album sounds great, it's missing the human element that past drummers Gene Hoglan and Raymond Herrera had in spades. A great album, but if you're expected "Demanufacture: Part 2" you might be disappointed... but not by too much. 

7.) Medius - "Burns Going Down"
If you're like me, the name Medius should be unknown. They're a new band, but one that has definitely impressed me so far. I downloaded their album with no expectations, and ended up being blown away. Their style of music is one that combines old Pantera (imagine the heavy groove of "Vulgar Display Of Power") with some of the intense riffage that Slayer is known for. Most of the album lives in that groovy thrash sweet spot that is my favorite style of music, and Medius does it well. The vocals are heavy, a gravely Phil Anselmo-inspired scream, and the riffs and drums are fast. This seems to be a band that knows what they want to be, and they do it well.

6.) Teramaze - "Anhedonia"
Apparently the band Teramaze has been around for a while, but I just recently became aware of them. These are a handful of dudes from down under, yet stand out from the Australian music/metal scene. The best way that I can describe this band is to imagine Dream Theater somehow inter-breeded with Nevermore and they decided to play groove metal. The vocals are proggy, very reminiscent of Dream Theater's James LaBrie, with moments that are similar to Nevermore's Warrel Dane. The guitar tone is heavy, at times similar to modern thrash/metalcore bands, but has the catchy riffs that DT's John Petrucci is famous for. Of course, this band doesn't have the intense song lengths and proggy influences that Dream Theater has, but they play a style of groove metal that is far different than what else is out there. If you like Dream Theater, Nevermore, or groovy, riff-heavy metal in general... check this one out.

5.) Shadows Fall - "Fire From The Sky"
Shadows Fall is another one of those bands that I've always loved. They were one of the first bands that I got really into, and I've eagerly been awaiting for the one "great" album that I knew they had in them. Ever since 2002's "The Art Of Balance" and 2004's "The War Within," these thrashcore legends have been poised for a big breakout but haven't reached the heights that everyone knows they can. Their past few albums, while good, have been lackluster and missing the spark that their early 2000s albums had. "Fire From The Sky" is probably the best album they've made since their heydey a decade ago, as it retains the heaviness that they were once known for mixed with the melodic, catchy hooks and choruses that they've tried perfected in recent years. None of the songs on this album are too long, so most anybody who likes metal music will probably find something on this album to like.

4.) Slash - "Apocalyptic Love"
If you are a fan of music in general, you will most likely know the name Slash. He's one of the best, most legendary guitarists of all-time, and made his legend as lead guitarist (and guitar solo maestro) of bands such as Guns 'N Roses and Velvet Revolver, along with working with legends such as Michael Jackson, Lenny Kravitz, and many more. He's back for his second solo album, and first full-length collaboration with Myles Kennedy, who I frequently refer to as the greatest vocalist on the planet. "Apocalyptic Love" is exactly what you'd expect from Slash: blues-inspired hard rock, very reminiscent of Guns 'N Roses debut masterpiece, "Appetite For Destruction." Slash is in top form, and his backing band manages to keep up. Myles Kennedy is, again, perfect on this album, which is the soundtrack to my summer so far.

3.) Prong - "Carved Into Stone"
I can't speak highly enough of the band Prong. Tommy Victor is a genius songwriter, if you ask me, yet his contributions to Prong have been lackluster as of late. 2003's "Scorpio Rising" tried to hard to fit in with the times, and 2007's "Power To The Damager" was a fine return to form, but suffered from shoddy production. Half a decade later, Prong returns with "Carved Into Stone," which is one of the band's best works. The production on this album is superb, and the riffs are NASTY. If you have ever been into Prong, or have been interested in the band at all, you should check this out. Prong perfectly balances all of its influences on this album, whether they be thrash, groove, or industrial, and the sound is absolutely perfect.

2.) Rush - "Clockwork Angels"
There's nothing I can say about Rush that hasn't been beaten to death already. They are legends at what they do, which is kick ass with instruments in hand. This trio manages to accomplish more in their later years than younger bands can ever hope to accomplish. Now, back with their 20th album, Rush are returning to the heights that they haven't seen in a couple of decades. Fueled by a concept for the album, Rush combine the sounds that they have used since their inception nearly forty years ago to create "Clockwork Angels," a behemoth of an album. Songs like "Headlong Flight" and "BU2B" prove that they can still rock harder than ever, yet songs like "Clockwork Angels" and "The Garden" prove that they have matured with age like a fine wine. It's truly the best, most diverse album they've put out in quite some time, and easily their best work in quite some time (which is saying a whole hell of a lot).

1.) Gojira - "L'Enfant Sauvage"
It takes a behemoth of an album to top Rush on any of my best-of lists, but if there's a band to do it, it's French metal revolutionaries Gojira. Gojira have been a band that I've always been interested in, but never considered myself a huge fan of. They were death metal, yet showed a lot of growth in their last two albums, 2005's "From Mars To Sirius" and 2008's "The Way Of All Flesh." I've enjoyed some of their previous work, but "L'Enfant Sauvage" is something else entirely. The band Gojira, as a whole, hasn't changed their sound as much as let it evolve to become a nearly-perfect creature. The band is still heavy as a whole, and their sound remains much of the same, but the band has let a perfect amount of melody slip into it. Vocalist Joe Duplantier, who always was a great death metal screamer, has created the perfect mixture of screaming/shouting/singing, which gives this album an entirely unique sound. The album starts off with a flurry of a track, "Explosia," and takes you on a journey similar to what you'd expect from a Mastodon or Opeth album (albeit, much heavier). The title track (which can be translated to "The Wild Child" yet missing some meaning) is easily one of the greatest songs I've ever heard, and can be a wonderful crossover for even the most ardently opposed to listen to death metal. "L'Enfant Sauvage" is not only the best album I've heard so far in 2012, but one of the greatest albums that I've ever had the fortune of listening to.

Album Review: Prong - "Carved Into Stone"

If I had to rank the bands that were most influential to me, the groove/thrash/post-hardcore pioneers Prong would definitely be within the top 15. Maybe the top 10. Hell, perhaps even the top 5.

Prong has constantly been a changing force in metal music, basically help create the groove metal and industrial metal subgenres; all the while strengthening their claim has a legendary thrash band. Band leader/vocalist/guitarist Tommy Victor has been the only mainstay throughout the bands 20+ year history, while also acting as recording and touring guitarist for several other bands, including Danzig and Ministry.

Prong disappeared for a few years in the late nineties, but ever since 2003’s “Scorpio Rising,” have been churning out albums every few years, continuing with 2007’s amazing-yet-tragically-under-produced “Power Of The Damager” and then 2012’s “Carved Into Stone.” This go around, Victor is joined by a duo of talented musicians, Tony Campos (Static-X, Soulfly, etc.) on bass and Alexei Rodriguez (3 Inches Of Blood, etc.) on drums.

So you’re probably wondering, after all this jabber, how the album actually is. Well, here goes…

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1.) “Eternal Heat”

The album jumps straight into a thrashy intro, and it’s clear from the get-go that the band didn’t mess around with the production. The last album, “Power Of The Damager” was good but featured very muddy production… not this time. The guitar is down-tuned and clear, while the bass is audible and the drums are sounding perfect. This track almost sounds like a song taken from the songwriting process of their thrash classic “Beg To Differ,” and features a very vintage-thrash song structure. I also loved hearing Victor release his inner-Zakk Wylde and show off his Danzig side, squealing numerous times throughout the song. A great thrash track, and a good way to get the album moving.

2.) “Keep On Living In Pain”

This song gets off to a much chuggier, groove-oriented start than its predecessor. It’s very thrash-like, but features more of the “Cleansing”-era stomp that recent Prong albums have been lacking. The chorus, while very simple (musically and lyrically), is an instant classic, and will get stuck in your head for days if you’re not careful. Tony Campos gets his chance to shine on bass on this song, while Alexei Rodriguez carries a nice beat throughout.

3.) “Ammunition”

By this point in the album, Prong are in full-on ass-kicking mode. This song is essentially a great fight song, and Victor makes that very clear through the lyrics (I won’t spoil the nice surprise in them for you). In writing this song, you can tell that they wanted to make a song that was the perfect mix between their “Cleansing”-era groove and their “Power Of The Damager”-era thrash. They manage to pull that off in spades, and this song is another great song in an album that is chock-full of them.

4.) “Revenge… Best Served Cold”

What Prong (and music in general) has been lacking for the longest time is the instantly-classic song… a song like “Snap Your Fingers, Snap Your Neck” was almost twenty years ago. I can proudly say that “Revenge… Served Cold” is the closest thing to a classic song that I’ve heard in years. The main riff is one nasty son of a bitch, and is so simple yet one of the greatest things you’ll hear in a while. The chorus, likewise, is simple but infectious. Victor gets a chance to solo throughout large parts of the song, and it only adds to the classic sound this song has. Drummer Alexei Rodriguez manages to breathe new blood into the band with his double bass fills, but his shining moments in this song comes from the very vintage-Prong-styled drumming he brings to the majority of it. If you’re an iTunes person, and buy only a few songs per album… buy this one. You will not regret it.

5.) “State Of Rebellion”

Following the last track is a tall order, but “State Of Rebellion” manages to pull it off. Prong does this best by upping the heavy factor to 11, and letting bassist Tony Campos groove like a madman. The verse features a very “Rude Awakening”-styled bass section, but replaces the industrial elements from that album with thrash mayhem. Another great song.

6.) “Put Myself To Sleep”

This is one of the calmer moments on the album, but do not worry: Prong has not gone acoustic. This song is still thrashy, yet in a melodic sense. The lyrics seem to come from a dark place within Victor, and it shows throughout the song. Victor’s voice is young and fresh throughout the song, and he is the driving force on this track. This features yet another incredibly catchy chorus, which manages to accomplish that feat with minimal lyrical work, which is a very impressive feat.

7.) “List Of Grievances”

Prong get full-on thrash with this song, ditching all groove and other elements to make a song that could have been pulled from their early days. The band manages to accomplish a Machine Head “Burn My Eyes”-type of sound on this track, including Victor, who reaches down into his lower register for the more aggressive vocal parts of the song, sounding very similar to MH’s Robb Flynn. The gang vocals near the middle of this short track escalate this into a great thrash song, and Victor’s solo certainly doesn’t hurt.

8.) “Carved Into Stone”

Tommy Victor certainly reaches into his Danzig bag of doomy riffs for the title track, and the rest of the band complies by turning this into an epic Black Sabbath-type song. Like I said, it features very doomy riffs, and largely sounds like a Danzig track with Victor singing vocals: that doesn’t make it a bad Prong song, though. It’s the longest song on the album, over 5 minutes in length, and builds up throughout its duration.

9.) “Subtract”

This song is the biggest Frankenstein that Prong created for this album. So many elements remind me of all eras of Prong, including their thrashy beginnings, their groove-oriented midlife, and some parts even remind me of “Scorpio Rising” and “Power For The Damager.” If anything, I’d say that this is a very modern-sounding song, perhaps the most so on the album. This is very reminiscent near the end, with the almost Sevendust-sounding guitar solo. It’s another great song, and if you’re an iTunes person, I’d recommend this track, as well.

10.) “Path Of Least Resistance”

I’d say that this song is definitely the most melodic of the album, but again: not a bad thing. When Prong go melodic, they do so with style. This track is mostly led by a strong rhythm section, and both Tony Campos and Alexei Rodriguez manage to make the most out of their instruments, building the song up towards the end, where it finally begins to evolve. Victor’s voice sounds extremely youthful and fresh on this track, and his guitar solo near the end is perhaps the most epic, soul-searching one he’s ever recorded.

11.) “Reinvestigate”

How else would Prong end an album than by thrashing the hell out for three minutes? Alexei Rodriguez double bass drives the song, yet does so methodically. This song is a great way to end the album, as it continues on the resurgent-thrash vibe they’ve resurrected, yet leaves you wanting more. This is a great song, but seems much too short for me to fully appreciate it.

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All-in-all, this is the best album Prong has released in years. I would definitely put it in the same category as their breakthrough album, “Cleansing,” which is held in the pantheons of legendary metal albums. In time, I think many will see this as Prong’s true return to form, the one we’ve all been waiting for since Tommy Victor got the band back together in the early 2000s: this is their equivalent to Machine Head’s “The Blackening.”

The vocals on this album are vintage-Prong. Tommy Victor has a very unique and identifiable voice, which makes him a stickler to many. He is honestly a vocalist that you either love or hate. I think most people would consider this album to be in their “love” category after listening to it. Victor hasn’t sounded this energetic in years, and it shows throughout the entire album; the heaviest vocal parts are the heaviest he’s ever done, and the lighter, more melodic vocals parts are cleaner than he’s ever done.

Of course, on guitar, Tommy Victor is a legend. And this album is no exception to that. The man seems to never run out of riff ideas, no matter how many albums he plays guitar on. These songs feature the strongest riffs he’s written in years, and even his solos sound great. Victor’s style-of-play isn’t overly technical, but he definitely makes up for that in groove and HAVE I TALKED ABOUT HIS RIFFS YET?!?!

The rhythm section on this album is sound. New band-members Tony Campos and Alexei Rodriguez not only carry their own, but contribute to Prong’s overall sound in spades. As a trio, they manage to carry a beat better, I’d say, that the four-piece did on Prong’s classic “Cleansing” album; musically, they are that good. Campos is great at “slappin’ da’ bass” on this album, and it’s very audible throughout, which is something that hasn’t been featured on a Prong album since “Rude Awakening.” Alexei Rodriguez brings his youthful style of drumming to the band, and this is very evident with the abundance of double bass, which only adds to Prong’s sound for this album.

If you’ve ever been a fan of Prong, groove metal, thrash metal, or anything close to those, I’d highly recommend this album. I’d go as to say that this can eventually challenge “Cleansing” as tops in Prong’s repertoire, and is cemented as a finalist in my album of the year category. Although this album just came out, and I’ve listened to it countless times within the few days since, I’d be very surprised if this wasn’t one of the finest metal albums released this year.

Album Review: Demon Hunter - "True Defiance"

Demon Hunter is the perfect example of what a Christian metal band should be: a band that’s not overly preachy, and doesn’t let the message overshadow the music. They are one of the premiere metalcore bands still in existence, and have been known for their use of melodic vocals in an epic way. They have never been known as an overly heavy band, but set out to change that on this album. How did they do?

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1.) “Crucifix”

A quick intro leads into a song that never lets up as soon as it starts. Demon Hunter haven’t started an album this quickly before, usually settling for expanded intros and the like, and it really works for this album. It’s clear from this song that Demon Hunter are trying to make an album that’s heavier, but they also manage to start a pace on this song that shows that their songs are groovier and catchier, too, without having to sound overly melodic. A really good starting song.

2.) “God Forsaken”

This song starts off with the quintessential Demon Hunter sound, and I’d say that this song is the biggest representation of their past albums. This sounds like a song that could have been on either of their last two albums, with the pleasant mix of screaming and clean vocals as well as the addition of the keyboards they’ve been known to use in the past. There is a clean guitar solo about halfway through that’s a nice change of pace, as well as a breakdown at the end that is very reminiscent of Machine Head.

3.) “My Destiny”

This is the first single from the album, so it’s one of the catchier songs on the album. However, it still has moments of heaviness, especially in the verses, which features vocalist Ryan Clark utilizing a barking style of screaming vocals he hasn’t used before. The chorus is infectious as all hell, and an hour later, I had the lines repeating through my head. I also have to commend the guitarists for the solo, as it is one of, if not, the best that Demon Hunter has ever done. For a single, this is a great song, and a good representation of what the album is: catchy, heavy, melodic, and carrying some metallic groove.

4.) “Wake”

A really short intro leads into what is probably the grooviest song on the album. Ryan Clark’s clean vocals accompany the groove-inspired guitars and synchronized rhythm section, which is very tight throughout the entire song. Another great solo in this song, which is basically daring you not to air guitar.

5.) “Tomorrow Never Comes”

This is easily the most melodic song on the album, and probably one of the most radio-friendly songs I’ve ever heard from Demon Hunter, who’ve been known to have a few. It’s not a bad song, per se, but just seems out of place on this album. Moments of it seem almost doom-inspired, with its haunting guitar chugs, but it’s a very clean song.

6.) “Someone To Hate”

This was the first song that Demon Hunter teased in previewing the album, and it made me very excited to hear the entire thing. The intro sounds almost Slayer-inspired, with the tremolo picking and rhythmic drumming leading into heavy double-bass. For the most part, this song is a great metal song, leaving the clean vocals only for the chorus and staying heavy throughout the rest. The drummer, Yogi Watts, does a great job in this song of not only keeping the rhythm, but kicking the double bass at the absolutely right moments. An atmospheric breakdown in the middle adds another dimension to the song, before returning to the metal side of things with an amazing solo and finish.

7.) “This I Know”

A synthesized intro leads into a chugging intro, which then transforms into another headbanger of a song. I’d definitely have to say that this is one of my favorites on the album, as it strikes the perfect balance between heavy and melodic. I’d have to compare this song to one off of Trivium’s “Shogun” album, not in terms of sound but in terms of tone and mood.

8.) “Means To An End”

This is a two-and-a-half minute-long instrumental track, consisting of little more than clean guitar, some bass, and a few percussions. It’s a great interlude, as it’s an instrumental song that carries emotion with it, and would make a great addition to any soundtrack.

9.) “We Don’t Care”

Definitely my favorite song on the album. Carrying over from the previous instrumental track, it immediately starts with a very strong guitar riff that carries the heavy portion of the song. The chorus is sung with clean vocals, but is very airy. However, in my opinion, it is the main riff and the heavy segments of the song that carry it, as well as the driving beats on the drums. Lead guitarist Patrick Judge goes crazy in the little space allotted to him for the solo, and makes the best of it.

10.) “Resistance”

A heavy guitar intro is followed by a cleanly sung verse, which is more croon than belting. Ryan Clark manages to keep things calm while maintaining the heavy mood of the song, and definitely gets the chance to show up his amazingly varied voices. If you’re a fan of metal music, but like your screaming vocals in small doses, then this is the tune for you.

11.) “Dead Flowers”

The intro, lead by keyboards, sounds like a mix of old school Demon Hunter and Lacuna Coil, with Ryan Clark singing in the softest tones imaginable for someone with his strong pipes. Demon Hunter try and go out on the most memorable melodic moment, and this song is very catchy while remaining a solid song. It’s not heavy by any measurement, but is still a great song to end things on, and I wouldn’t be surprised to hear this on the radio at some point.

All-in-all, Demon Hunter succeeded in making an album that was heavier and better than their previous works. Even as a fan, I feel like this album was leaps and bounds above their other albums, and I have not been able to stop listening to it.

The vocals on this album are amazing, as always. Ryan Clark has always been the band leader, and the most noteworthy part of the sound, and this album further cements that. Clark not only pushes himself beyond his previous limits in terms of clean singing, but he goes beyond the line of duty in showcasing screaming vocal tactics that he hasn’t used on any of the other albums before.

The guitars on this album stand miles above the work on the previous albums. Not only are the riffs stronger and catchier, but the solos manage to achieve in a short lifespan what emotion that longer songs can only hope to have. Patrick Judge, the lead guitarist, does an especially good job of stretching the boundaries of what the leads in Demon Hunter can sound like.

The rhythm section is strong on this album, but not as noticeable as it has been on their last albums. The bass is barely audible in the mix, but I do have to commend drummer Yogi Watts on his work on this album. Many songs, including “Someone To Hate,” feature standout work from him.

If you like Christian metal, metalcore, or melodic metal, then you should definitely check this out. Although it doesn’t quite fit into any of those categories, it’s a great album that I’d recommend to anyone that listens to metal music.