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.
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.
No comments:
Post a Comment