By the way, if you are brave enough to steal an artist's work online because "I want to sample it first," please think for just a second. You are most likely not, as you say "going to buy it if I like it." So please consider "sampling" artists on youtube. Every recording artist out there has their shit posted in some form on the youtube. Very easy to find. If you like it at that point, find an affordable way to buy the record. Most record labels have an online store with value-added package deals, and amazon features pretty good quality downloads in their MP3 store for usually less then iTunes, plus sweet $5 album downloads...that's how I discovered some of the records in my year-end list. Oh yeah, Google recently launched a music service too, and as I type this, they currently feature over a million records or so for under $5, which means I have some surfing to do. Thank you. Without further ado....
20. Theocracy-As the World Bleeds
Heavy metal can make you feel powerful and protected. Christian power metal masters Theocracy make me feel very powerful and incredibly well-protected! Released late in the year right around Thanksgiving, this album takes Theocracy in a heavier, more progressive direction as a whole, and I LOVE it! Opening with the 11min epic "I Am," you get to know early and firsthand what this group is capable of, and that's a crescendo...a tidal wave of positive emotion, ranging from soft storytelling to fast melodic metal perfectly executed in every phase. Some of the following cuts repeat this formula as in "the Gift of Music" and the mini-epic closing title track. Elsewhere, other songs showcase the heavier side of the band ("Light of the World," "30 Pieces of Silver") in a little more effective fashion then on their last album, Mirror of Souls (also worth checking out, though). If you like those soaring vocals, choir choruses and plenty of positive energy and pinpointed performances that some of the power metal bands have been lacking, check this out. These fellows are not doing this by the numbers, there's true inspiration to be found in their compositions.
Following lead guitarist roulette and personnel issues, mainman Mark Briody announced following the release of Scourge of the Light that long running trad metal band Jag Panzer would be "retiring." Very sad news indeed, but metal fans can rejoice that this album is a hell of a way to go. I grabbed this on the release date and was instantly drawn to the massive Morrisound Studios drum sound and Harry Conklin's masterful voice. Christian Laseague shredded in a Broderick-like fashion as well, if anything he's more tasteful in the solo department. Standout songs from start to finish include the speedy opener "Condemned to Fight," the anti-greed anthem "Bringing on the End," and the equally epic and inspiring "Union," and "the Book of Kells."
18. The Devin Townsend Project-Deconstruction/Ghost
The polarizing parts three and four of Townsend's series of DTP albums Crept it's way into my top 20 after I had initially dismissed them as "underwhelming." Fortunately for me, I didn't give up on these records and subjected myself to repeated listens, as all listeners of progressive music should. Described by some as "extreme metal meets Frank Zappa," Deconstruction is the most diverse metal album Townsend has ever constructed. The record starts of soft before a slow paced pummeling begins, leading into some of the more direct, frantic cuts, like "Juular," and SYL-ish closer "Poltergeist." The Zappa comparisons take hold on the epic title track (best ode to fast food ever) and "the Mighty Masturbator." Loads of guest musicians, most notably drum overlord Dirk Verbueren and Meshuggah's Frederick Thorendal. Upper-tier extended range guitar work is featured throughout. A lot to take in for sure, but the album revealed itself to be brilliant to me in concept and execution as Townsend gives us reasons why we as metal fans are so perpetually pissed off, and also what sacrifices we make as metal musicians. It's counterpart is the hauntingly beautiful "Ghost," no pun intended, which sees a completely different Devy showcasing his compositional skill in soft, new-age music. "Blackberry" is one of the best songs I heard all year, with it's soft drum/banjo interplay. Ghost is the perfect end to the whole DTP, and it's something that any metal fan with an open mind could use to unwind after attending a huge metalfest. It's ok, he's the same guy who made City!
17. Satan's Host-By the Hands of the Devil, Celebration
In a move that may have helped kill Jag Panzer, Harry Conklin regrouped with his old bandmatesConklin paid off dividends right away with some buzz in the underground. Then, By the Hands of the Devil dropped, and so did most people's jaws. Amidst a backdrop of devastating riffs and blasting drums, Conklin's layered vocals provided metal listeners with something that's familiar, yet really hard to lump into a genre. I'm going to call it good 'ol aggressive heavy metal. The songs are long and expansive exercises in devil-worshipping goodness. The riffage and tone of the guitars are amazing, to the point that I don't mind that all the guy's guitar solos sound exactly the same. The drummer who goes by the name "Evil Little Hobbit" puts on a hell of a show as well, his beats daring you not to band your head. Of course the real star of the show is Conklin, who like on the Jag Panzer record, just knows where all his notes should be and executes them flawlessly! "Demontia," "Revival," "Fallen Angel," and the title track are all standouts, but this is one heavy metal album that you can listen to start to finish and enjoy. To top off their awesome year, Satan's Host dropped another bomb in November with the Celebration-For the Love of Satan compilation record, which features re-recorded songs spanning their entire career. Fans like me who are new to the band get to appreciate their older, Conklin-era songs like "Metal from Hell," while the band rightfully picked a bunch of songs from their "death metal singer" era and reworked them with Conklin making them all his own (ex. "Ecliptic Equinox").
If I may have a "fanboy" moment, Revocation are just fantastic. Got to see them in 2010 with their current two guitar lineup and they back up their stellar recorded output with an extremely tight live show. Their 2011 opus Chaos of Forms does nothing to diminish their buzz, and if anything it should add to it. High on the fun factor, Revocation mix fast, accurate thrash metal with a lot of death metal sensibility, with a lot of tech-death flourishes thrown in. Over the course of three albums, Dave Davidson has made it his intent to showcase the guitar solo, and he never repeats himself, developing tasty licks that all help give the song some personality. And by God the arrangements on these new songs are stellar. Riffs are well thought out, the rhythm section is of the highest caliber, and the lyrical subject matter is amusing without degenerating into total comedy. This record is something that pretentious pretenders like Trivium wish they could write. Tough to pick out an album highlight, but the opening twosome of "Cretin" and "Cradle Robber" are great places to start.
15. Gigan-Quasi Hallucinogenic Sonic Landscapes
I don't know what it is about the "robot voice" effect but it killed me on Deceased's Surreal Overdose this year, and did the same on one of Gigan's new songs, "Vespelmadeen Terror." So I bought the album solely based on the chorus of that song, not really paying attention to the music. I knew the album would be good, but not this demented! With their second full length, Gigan have pieced together something quite wonderful for all those who love a lot of dischord and sound effects in their fast-paced death metal. While many death metal bands channel the spirit of Morbid Angel, Obituary, Death or old Entombed, Gigan channels Gorguts' Obscura record and is every bit of a mindfuck. But with repeated listens, you start to unravel the mystery and a lot of these songs end up getting stuck in your head for hours on end. Best songtitles in the business notwithstanding, Gigan is equally at home blasting your face off or wind-sweeping you out to sea in songs like "Transmogrification into Bio-Luminoid" and "Suspended in Cubes of Torment." Just when you thought all the surprises are done during the course of the album's eight songs, you get the fantastic feedback outro at the end of "Fathomless Echoes of Eternity's Imagination." Big Crunch indeed!
14. Black Country Communion-2
I mentioned Amazon's $5 album downloads. This was one I took a shot at, and I definitely won the grand prize! The best hard rockin' album since Black Gives Way to Blue, and something that makes me reminisce about the days when I listened to Soundgarden and Eric Johnson in between my fits of metal. This supergroup of sorts sees Glenn Hughes singing like a cross between Chris Cornell and Stevie Ray Vaughn. Powerful and full of soul. The opening cuts of the record give way to Joe Bonamassa, who shreds with ease to remind metal minded musicians like me that there are some other ways to be heavy on the guitar. His playing is both deeply rooted blues rock, but it is also progressive, but doesn't come out as a copy of anything else, or a tribute to anything else out there, for that matter. Duly impressive are his vocals on what have to be two of my fave songs of the year, "the Battle for Hadrian's Wall," and "Ordinary Son." the rest of the performers involved hold as good of a backbone to the guitar as I've ever heard. Never overdoing a thing, Sherenian Hughes and Bonham all get equal opportunity to shine.
This band had released four quality albums, two with original singer Torbin and two with their longtime producer-turned-singer Jacob Hansen. For their fifth, self-titled record, Hansen decided to focus strictly on the production with bassist Henrik Fevre stepping up to the plate on vocals. The end result was one of the best power/prog metal albums of the year. Anubis Gate is a progressive band that like Communic do not look to dazzle the listener with flurries of out-of-place shred passages. Rather they build a tight foundation in their songs first, sticking to the somewhat basic formula of great riffs, solid rhythm section, and atmospheric keyboards. While all the players involved are certainly capable of shredding your face off, they choose to reign themselves in. Over the course of five records now, that philosophy has worked without playing itself out, and this latest album is quite possibly their best. Fevre, while new to vocals, sounds a lot like the guy from Vanden Plas on these songs, and fits perfectly in the scheme of what AG had done before. The songs still are dark, yet emotionally expansive, ranging from haunting, reflective moments like on "The Re-Formation Show" to the more joyous spots on immortality tale "Golden Days." All songs are highlights in one way or another. I just love how they layer the guitars in a similar fashion to the vocals, which gives this band a true identity in a sea of imitators.
The second installment in a purported trilogy, drummer/vocalist Proscriptor and his band of flunkies step up the thrash and burn considerably from the last record (the "self-titled" Absu, which was also a killer record). Riff and production-wise, this is much more similar to the 2001 masterpiece Tara. Speed and dexterity is the name of the game, but we are not without dynamics, as seen on "Circles of the Oath" and closing epic "Song for EA." Proscriptor constantly challenges himself to come up with some beats and fills that no one else has thought of, and Abzu sees him coming up with some of his most controlled chaotic playing yet...see "Abraxas Connexus" for the Proscriptor philosophy in a nutshell. Or better yet, just acquire this whole record for yourself to see US black metal at it's finest and thrashiest.
Long-running NJ neo-classical prog fellas Symphony X have progressed so far over the course of their careers that they are quite machine-like at this time. So, it's only fitting that the underlying theme of their latest album is man versus technology. Continuing in the more aggressive direction of Paradise Lost, Iconoclast is the showcase of a band that can do little wrong. During the course of some 80+ minutes of music, you will not find a song without strong hooks or performance. The standout song for me is the ridiculously catchy "Electric Messiah," which has one of the best choruses of the year. Alleged Yngwie clone Michael Romeo again shows that he is no mere turkey gobbler...check out his extended solo on "Dehumanized" for some true feeling, while his riffs throughout the album's 12 songs are punchy, punishing and enveloping. Russell Allen also continues to be the premiere traditional vocalist in all of metal, and seems poised to carry the torch left by Dio for years to come. Lets not forget their impeccable backbone of Lepond, Rullo and Pinnella, who all play with precision and help these groovy tales of machines come to life.
Meet Paul Wardingham and his brand of instru-metal. Simple description would be Scar Symmetry meets Joe Satriani/Steve Vai, but peel away that label, and you're faced with a monstrous guitar player who outshines both. I'd say this guy combines the technical skills of Per Nilsson, Ron Jarzombek and Jeff Loomis with the compositional skill of a band like a Meshuggah or Arch Enemy. Tastefully destroying the fretboards of his seven and eight string axes, Wardingham delights and amazes not only with his guitar antics, but also his home studio work. Synth flourishes and sci-fi sound effects provide just the right amount of icing to his shred, which includes plenty of jaw dropping sequences throughout the album's near hour run time. The whole record slays, but here's an example. Check out the ascending lick in "Ghost in the Machine" starting at the 4:08 mark...kills me!
9. Arch/Matheos-Sympathetic Resonance
Like many of the albums in my year end review, this one took a while to "sympathetically resonate" with my ears. Get it? I have to admit I was not at all familiar with Arch or Matheos and their large body of work going way back to the early days of Fate's Warning. After letting this album sink in, I know now I was missing out big time...this combination of musicians made for one hell of a progressive metal album. John Arch's voice is golden, he is a unique talent that must be analyzed to appreciate. The man's range is stellar. His middle eastern-ish melodies that he favors take a while to sink their hooks in you, but once you "get it," his voice becomes the best medicine in the world. As for the prog metal enveloping his vocals, Jim Matheos' compositions bob and weave with the best prog bands in the business. Of course, hardcore classic metal fans like me SHOULD have already known this. No bullshit keyboards, plenty of crunch, yet another virtuoso drum performance from scene veteran Bobby Jarzombek, and plenty of tasty guitar solos from Matheos and another Fates alum, Frank Aresti. Top notch musicians at the top of their game, what more could the thinking man's heavy metal fan ask for? Heavy as a big box of hammers at some points, reflective at others...a must own!
Like many of the albums in my year end review, this one took a while to "sympathetically resonate" with my ears. Get it? I have to admit I was not at all familiar with Arch or Matheos and their large body of work going way back to the early days of Fate's Warning. After letting this album sink in, I know now I was missing out big time...this combination of musicians made for one hell of a progressive metal album. John Arch's voice is golden, he is a unique talent that must be analyzed to appreciate. The man's range is stellar. His middle eastern-ish melodies that he favors take a while to sink their hooks in you, but once you "get it," his voice becomes the best medicine in the world. As for the prog metal enveloping his vocals, Jim Matheos' compositions bob and weave with the best prog bands in the business. Of course, hardcore classic metal fans like me SHOULD have already known this. No bullshit keyboards, plenty of crunch, yet another virtuoso drum performance from scene veteran Bobby Jarzombek, and plenty of tasty guitar solos from Matheos and another Fates alum, Frank Aresti. Top notch musicians at the top of their game, what more could the thinking man's heavy metal fan ask for? Heavy as a big box of hammers at some points, reflective at others...a must own!
8. Hell-Human Remains
The runner up for the heavy metal feel-good story of the year is the grandiose, theatrical, way British and badass Hell and their brilliant Human Remains. If you don't know the backstory, Hell is a NWOBHM band from a quarter century ago that never released a proper full length record. The band was known for their strong live show. However, the band like many other local bands you know broke up, and the original lead singer committed suicide. Fast forward to present. Metal uber-producer Andy Sneap, who grew up in England as a fan of the band, kept in touch with the remaining members of Hell and they began work on a reunion album together. The album would consist of re-recordings of Hell's old demo songs. In addition to production duties, Sneap grabbed his axe to play second guitar with Hell, adding some rather chunky life to the old songs in the process. Originally, Martin Walkyier (Sabbat) was also in on the project to sing. Through a unique twist of fate, Martin stepped down to make way for David Bower, brother of main songwriter Kevin. A theater and television actor, David ends up stealing the show as he channels original singer Dave Halliday and puts on record a vocal performance to rival any Broadway or West End lead. So yet another stellar vocal performance vaults a record into the top 10, right? Well, that's part of it, but the songs themselves happen to be very strong, and the album's infamous length of 66 minutes, 6 seconds breeze right by. Some recommendations: "Let Battle Commence" rages, "Plague and Fyre" disgusts, "The Quest" inspires and "the Devil's Deadly Weapon" marches, all in epic, pompous fashion. This line from "the Quest" is what metal is all about: "If you truly believe in what you do, one day your dreams will come true." Now, the future appears to have been reborn for Hell, as they have made some talk of recording a second album, this time with old and new songs.
The runner up for the heavy metal feel-good story of the year is the grandiose, theatrical, way British and badass Hell and their brilliant Human Remains. If you don't know the backstory, Hell is a NWOBHM band from a quarter century ago that never released a proper full length record. The band was known for their strong live show. However, the band like many other local bands you know broke up, and the original lead singer committed suicide. Fast forward to present. Metal uber-producer Andy Sneap, who grew up in England as a fan of the band, kept in touch with the remaining members of Hell and they began work on a reunion album together. The album would consist of re-recordings of Hell's old demo songs. In addition to production duties, Sneap grabbed his axe to play second guitar with Hell, adding some rather chunky life to the old songs in the process. Originally, Martin Walkyier (Sabbat) was also in on the project to sing. Through a unique twist of fate, Martin stepped down to make way for David Bower, brother of main songwriter Kevin. A theater and television actor, David ends up stealing the show as he channels original singer Dave Halliday and puts on record a vocal performance to rival any Broadway or West End lead. So yet another stellar vocal performance vaults a record into the top 10, right? Well, that's part of it, but the songs themselves happen to be very strong, and the album's infamous length of 66 minutes, 6 seconds breeze right by. Some recommendations: "Let Battle Commence" rages, "Plague and Fyre" disgusts, "The Quest" inspires and "the Devil's Deadly Weapon" marches, all in epic, pompous fashion. This line from "the Quest" is what metal is all about: "If you truly believe in what you do, one day your dreams will come true." Now, the future appears to have been reborn for Hell, as they have made some talk of recording a second album, this time with old and new songs.
7. Omnium Gatherum-New World Shadows
Finnish melodic death metal band that drifts underneath the radar of us American metal fans. This album is their crowning achievement to date, although I will give a shout out to The Red Shift, which fully laid the foundation for what transpires on New World Shadows. To death metal purists, this is not an extreme metal album, not by a long shot. What we have here is emotive melodic metal of the highest order, with a very brutal and guttural lead vocalist. I don't know why, but the extra low-end rage this fellow emits makes me want to drink a tall glass of whole milk before I scream bloody murder at the world, if you know what I mean. The deep gutturals, mated to the deliberately emotive riffs, result in an instance where you can actually hear real human emotion in guttural vocals! Listen to the title track to believe. The songcraft here is wondrous...the shimmering lead guitar, the mellow passages, the album as a whole makes me think of the sun rising after a too-long winter's night. Key tracks are the anchors, the 9 minute bookends of "Everfields" and "Deep Cold."
Finnish melodic death metal band that drifts underneath the radar of us American metal fans. This album is their crowning achievement to date, although I will give a shout out to The Red Shift, which fully laid the foundation for what transpires on New World Shadows. To death metal purists, this is not an extreme metal album, not by a long shot. What we have here is emotive melodic metal of the highest order, with a very brutal and guttural lead vocalist. I don't know why, but the extra low-end rage this fellow emits makes me want to drink a tall glass of whole milk before I scream bloody murder at the world, if you know what I mean. The deep gutturals, mated to the deliberately emotive riffs, result in an instance where you can actually hear real human emotion in guttural vocals! Listen to the title track to believe. The songcraft here is wondrous...the shimmering lead guitar, the mellow passages, the album as a whole makes me think of the sun rising after a too-long winter's night. Key tracks are the anchors, the 9 minute bookends of "Everfields" and "Deep Cold."
6. Dream Theater-A Dramatic Turn of Events
You know who they are, and you know the events that transpired to bring progressive metal elitists Dream Theater to this point. The right move for the band was made (continuing without Mike Portnoy and with new drummer Mike Mangini). With Petrucci and Rudess leading the charge, the newest DT record should be considered nothing less than a stunning success. From the opening moments of "On the Backs of Angels" which channels "Pull Me Under," we see the group reaching backwards to move forwards. Not that I had a problem with their epics, but this time around the guys show just enough restraint to make epic-length cuts like "Lost Not Forgotten" and "Outcry" seem shorter and they do not wear out their welcome. Perfect execution all around. Mangini brings a laid back approach to the drums that was lacking on the last two albums. Labrie stands out a bit more, probably because he's not competing with Portnoy for face time, but I believe his work on his recent solo album (Static Impulse) helped his performance on this album. Of special note, the incredible final epic "Breaking All Illusions" features, among shitloads of other cool spots, Petrucci's best extended guitar solo since "Under a Glass Moon," perhaps his best ever.
You know who they are, and you know the events that transpired to bring progressive metal elitists Dream Theater to this point. The right move for the band was made (continuing without Mike Portnoy and with new drummer Mike Mangini). With Petrucci and Rudess leading the charge, the newest DT record should be considered nothing less than a stunning success. From the opening moments of "On the Backs of Angels" which channels "Pull Me Under," we see the group reaching backwards to move forwards. Not that I had a problem with their epics, but this time around the guys show just enough restraint to make epic-length cuts like "Lost Not Forgotten" and "Outcry" seem shorter and they do not wear out their welcome. Perfect execution all around. Mangini brings a laid back approach to the drums that was lacking on the last two albums. Labrie stands out a bit more, probably because he's not competing with Portnoy for face time, but I believe his work on his recent solo album (Static Impulse) helped his performance on this album. Of special note, the incredible final epic "Breaking All Illusions" features, among shitloads of other cool spots, Petrucci's best extended guitar solo since "Under a Glass Moon," perhaps his best ever.
5. Fleshgod Apocalypse-Agony
Here is a sophisticated spin on brutal, technical death metal. A soundtrack the mafia might use as they shake you down. Italy's FA surpass all expectations with their first Nuclear Blast release, Agony. Whereas their debut Oracles and it's follow up, the stinging Mafia EP, were both relentlessly brutal, the band's self-labeled "classical meets death metal" tag was not yet fully realized. This time around with Agony, they level the death metal playing field with an atomic barrage of brutality made even more intense by full classical orchestration mixed in. The whole record is really intended to be absorbed as one 50 min. composition, movements and all. Yes, there are all the traditional brutal death metal staples such as the cookie monster vocals, relentless hyper blasting/double bass racing and swirling detuned riffage. That orchestration and the classical sense of repetition and build that composers such as Holtz used is totally evident as not just influence, but elemental in how the band constructed this whole record. Another nice touch is the King Diamond meets ICS Vortex operatic tenor vox used on many of the album's choruses. So neat. Check out "the Egoism" or "the Deceit" if you need to be convinced.
Here is a sophisticated spin on brutal, technical death metal. A soundtrack the mafia might use as they shake you down. Italy's FA surpass all expectations with their first Nuclear Blast release, Agony. Whereas their debut Oracles and it's follow up, the stinging Mafia EP, were both relentlessly brutal, the band's self-labeled "classical meets death metal" tag was not yet fully realized. This time around with Agony, they level the death metal playing field with an atomic barrage of brutality made even more intense by full classical orchestration mixed in. The whole record is really intended to be absorbed as one 50 min. composition, movements and all. Yes, there are all the traditional brutal death metal staples such as the cookie monster vocals, relentless hyper blasting/double bass racing and swirling detuned riffage. That orchestration and the classical sense of repetition and build that composers such as Holtz used is totally evident as not just influence, but elemental in how the band constructed this whole record. Another nice touch is the King Diamond meets ICS Vortex operatic tenor vox used on many of the album's choruses. So neat. Check out "the Egoism" or "the Deceit" if you need to be convinced.
4. Anthrax-Worship Music
Alright, THIS is the feel-good story of the year, and certainly the comeback of the year. Anthrax was all but left for dead following their six-year vocalist Russian roulette that took place between 2005 to the present. At some point a couple of years back, the rest of Anthrax finally sucked it in and decided to regroup with beloved singer Joey Belladonna in order to take part in the worldwide "big 4" festivals with Megadeth, Slayer and Metallica. Gaining back some credibility thanks to their strong live performances, they went ahead and decided to rework the already recorded Worship Music with Joey. After what seemed like forever, the album was finally released. If you were like me and didn't get your hopes up, you were blown the fuck away by how outstanding the record is. It may be the best new release of any big 4 band (with all due respect to Megadth's Endgame). While it is not balls out thrash metal ala Spreading the Disease through Persistence of Time, Worship Music draws upon those records, weaving the thrash elements together with the songwriting strength of their best John Bush-era album, Sound of White Noise. You can tell this was a very emotional experience for all the guys in the band, especially Joey, who shockingly delivers the best vocal performance of 2011...layers and layers of melody brought forth with power and conviction. And those hooks! Every song on this album is chock full of them. You simply can't not sing along to each song. The core of the band executes competently, the record's overall sound is immense, and producer turned 2nd guitarist Rob Caggiano finally comes into his own in the guitar solo department...no longer will he be known as "the guy who couldn't play Dan Spitz's leads from Among the Living." Awesome songs include the hard driving "The Devil you Know," the intense fallen heroes tribute "In the End," and the Judas Priest tribute aptly titled "Judas Priest."
Alright, THIS is the feel-good story of the year, and certainly the comeback of the year. Anthrax was all but left for dead following their six-year vocalist Russian roulette that took place between 2005 to the present. At some point a couple of years back, the rest of Anthrax finally sucked it in and decided to regroup with beloved singer Joey Belladonna in order to take part in the worldwide "big 4" festivals with Megadeth, Slayer and Metallica. Gaining back some credibility thanks to their strong live performances, they went ahead and decided to rework the already recorded Worship Music with Joey. After what seemed like forever, the album was finally released. If you were like me and didn't get your hopes up, you were blown the fuck away by how outstanding the record is. It may be the best new release of any big 4 band (with all due respect to Megadth's Endgame). While it is not balls out thrash metal ala Spreading the Disease through Persistence of Time, Worship Music draws upon those records, weaving the thrash elements together with the songwriting strength of their best John Bush-era album, Sound of White Noise. You can tell this was a very emotional experience for all the guys in the band, especially Joey, who shockingly delivers the best vocal performance of 2011...layers and layers of melody brought forth with power and conviction. And those hooks! Every song on this album is chock full of them. You simply can't not sing along to each song. The core of the band executes competently, the record's overall sound is immense, and producer turned 2nd guitarist Rob Caggiano finally comes into his own in the guitar solo department...no longer will he be known as "the guy who couldn't play Dan Spitz's leads from Among the Living." Awesome songs include the hard driving "The Devil you Know," the intense fallen heroes tribute "In the End," and the Judas Priest tribute aptly titled "Judas Priest."
3. Pestilence-Doctrine
The reformed Pestilence released a record in 2011 to little fanfare. For whatever reason, most long time fans of death metal, the ones who have been around long enough to trace it's history back to origin, believe that the only album worth a shit is Consuming Impluse. Multiply that by the Mustaine-like attitude of band mainman Patrick Mameli, who manages to draw fire for speaking whatever comes to mind, and fans have a recipe for hate towards all things bearing the Pestilence name. However, I notice that there are some folks out there who share my mindset. I got turned onto Pestilence in the 90s, when metal in general was on the decline. I love the oft-criticized Spheres and it's predecessor Testimony of the Ancients. I also still rage their comeback album, Resurrection Macabre, which was one of the most instantly satisfying metal albums in 2009. No three of those albums are exactly the same in direction, same thing with Consuming. Same thing with Doctrine. This is Mameli's intent the whole time, to experiment and create. On Doctrine, the creation is the most deliberate, chunky death metal possible and the experiment is the use of Ibanez 8-string guitars and returning bassist Jean Yves Theriault towing a custom 7-string bass. I think the album is near perfect. Low, lower, lowest end dissonance possible, with still even lower chunk. This is angry,ugly, demented stuff, courtesy of a man who had enough balls in the 90s to use eerily beautiful guitar synth on an entire album. Mameli also adjusted his vocals to a higher register to purposely stand out among the lower tunings. Most people hate the vox he decided to go with, but I think it fits this music to a T. He sounds insane, and that's what these songs sound like ultimately, pure insanity! Still, it's an insanity of the catchiest possible nature...you have the right to groove along to songs such as "Sinister," "Absolution," "Malignant," and the unholy "Salvation."
The reformed Pestilence released a record in 2011 to little fanfare. For whatever reason, most long time fans of death metal, the ones who have been around long enough to trace it's history back to origin, believe that the only album worth a shit is Consuming Impluse. Multiply that by the Mustaine-like attitude of band mainman Patrick Mameli, who manages to draw fire for speaking whatever comes to mind, and fans have a recipe for hate towards all things bearing the Pestilence name. However, I notice that there are some folks out there who share my mindset. I got turned onto Pestilence in the 90s, when metal in general was on the decline. I love the oft-criticized Spheres and it's predecessor Testimony of the Ancients. I also still rage their comeback album, Resurrection Macabre, which was one of the most instantly satisfying metal albums in 2009. No three of those albums are exactly the same in direction, same thing with Consuming. Same thing with Doctrine. This is Mameli's intent the whole time, to experiment and create. On Doctrine, the creation is the most deliberate, chunky death metal possible and the experiment is the use of Ibanez 8-string guitars and returning bassist Jean Yves Theriault towing a custom 7-string bass. I think the album is near perfect. Low, lower, lowest end dissonance possible, with still even lower chunk. This is angry,ugly, demented stuff, courtesy of a man who had enough balls in the 90s to use eerily beautiful guitar synth on an entire album. Mameli also adjusted his vocals to a higher register to purposely stand out among the lower tunings. Most people hate the vox he decided to go with, but I think it fits this music to a T. He sounds insane, and that's what these songs sound like ultimately, pure insanity! Still, it's an insanity of the catchiest possible nature...you have the right to groove along to songs such as "Sinister," "Absolution," "Malignant," and the unholy "Salvation."
2. Obscura-Omnivium
The album that shatters the bar.of technical death metal and launches the sub-genre into a whole other level of gamesmanship. Music for musicians, by musicians, Obscura pull off the impossible, weaving together death, tech, prog, blackened death, jazz fusion and more death into a landscape of perfection the likes of which hasn't been heard before. This band offered up the real deal with Omnivium. Each song is like its own work of fine art. I'm at a loss for words to describe this album in short detail, so I'll just say that listening to Omnivium could bring you to better understanding of your place in the universe, and it's not a bad place at all. Special credit must be due to these guys for paying attention to image. For example, the use of color in both the album art and the packaging/layout is divine, this one being "green" while Cosmogenisis was "blue." Also, I can tell from reading some interviews that this band are truly excited by the music they create. How could they not be when "Vortex Omnivium," "Ocean Gateways," "Aevum," etc. are so damn convincing.
The album that shatters the bar.of technical death metal and launches the sub-genre into a whole other level of gamesmanship. Music for musicians, by musicians, Obscura pull off the impossible, weaving together death, tech, prog, blackened death, jazz fusion and more death into a landscape of perfection the likes of which hasn't been heard before. This band offered up the real deal with Omnivium. Each song is like its own work of fine art. I'm at a loss for words to describe this album in short detail, so I'll just say that listening to Omnivium could bring you to better understanding of your place in the universe, and it's not a bad place at all. Special credit must be due to these guys for paying attention to image. For example, the use of color in both the album art and the packaging/layout is divine, this one being "green" while Cosmogenisis was "blue." Also, I can tell from reading some interviews that this band are truly excited by the music they create. How could they not be when "Vortex Omnivium," "Ocean Gateways," "Aevum," etc. are so damn convincing.
1. Vektor-Outer Isolation
Yes, this is my favorite album. Speed/Thrash metal from the darkest edges of the universe. Vektor is a sci-fi slanted thrash band who sound as though they have a passion for all the best Noise Records bands from the 80s like Coroner, Voivod, Kreator and Destruction. This band are not mere knockoffs like other so called "retro thrash" bands, they draw inspiration from the past then launch that inspiration warp speed into the multiverse. They caused quite a stir with their last full length, the excellent Black Future, an album that still warrants regular play. As convincing as Black Future was, I haven't the foggiest idea how a band could top that album, but Vektor managed to do just that, making it look ridiculously easy. Again, Outer Isolation improves upon everything this band already did well. The performances are slightly tighter, the production even more organic, the arrangements even more staggering yet still under complete control and the vocals even more pissed. This music sounds as though it might be demanding as heck, but I can assure you it is as hook-laden as anything else that was released this year. Ok, I'm tired and can't think anymore...just get this album already and wait till you hear that hyper-bass at the beginning of "Tetrastructural Minds!"
Yes, this is my favorite album. Speed/Thrash metal from the darkest edges of the universe. Vektor is a sci-fi slanted thrash band who sound as though they have a passion for all the best Noise Records bands from the 80s like Coroner, Voivod, Kreator and Destruction. This band are not mere knockoffs like other so called "retro thrash" bands, they draw inspiration from the past then launch that inspiration warp speed into the multiverse. They caused quite a stir with their last full length, the excellent Black Future, an album that still warrants regular play. As convincing as Black Future was, I haven't the foggiest idea how a band could top that album, but Vektor managed to do just that, making it look ridiculously easy. Again, Outer Isolation improves upon everything this band already did well. The performances are slightly tighter, the production even more organic, the arrangements even more staggering yet still under complete control and the vocals even more pissed. This music sounds as though it might be demanding as heck, but I can assure you it is as hook-laden as anything else that was released this year. Ok, I'm tired and can't think anymore...just get this album already and wait till you hear that hyper-bass at the beginning of "Tetrastructural Minds!"
