The Top 50 Albums Of 2012 #10-1

10.     Car Bomb - w^w^^w^w
Holy hell this album is brutal. Car Bomb play Meshuggah-style calculator metal with grinding syncopated downtuned riffs criss-crossing every which way. Vocals are encrusted in filth for the most part, but every so often a snatch of clean melodic singing shines through, though it is usually heavily distorted. Clean vocals can be a make or break proposition with many people, but their used sparingly, and a little goes a very long way here. These bits of tunefulness make the heavy sections all the more jarring and discordant, and believe me, w^w^^w^w  (how the hell do you even say that?) is 99% sonic holocaust. What’s more, Car Bomb have a much more bluntly aggressive, hardcore inspired lurch which Meshuggah’s precise mechanistc pounding lacks. There are very few bands out there that sound like Car Bomb right now. I think that’s gonna change soon.

9.     Converge - All We Love We Leave Behind
Although they’ve been relentlessly re-defining hardcore for the better part of two decades now, it took me a very long time to come around on Converge. I was aware of their work and their reputation, but I found their spastic mathy tendencies too chaotic to sit through. I even saw them a few years back, and although I was impressed by their chops and intensity, I still couldn’t get into them. Well, my opinion started to change with their last album, 2009’s Axe to Fall, a record that finally offered the kind of sludgy riffs and suffocating atmosphere I like to complement their highly technical breakdowns. This time out the sound is even bigger and the songs are more memorable, balancing on a razor’s edge of overwhelming aggression and supremely controlled fury. It is quite clearly the most accessible record of their career, but this is no radio bid. “Aimless Arrow” kicks off with the kind of wicked shredding and choppy drumming that Mastodon made its name on, and elsewhere “Sadness Comes Home” has a death grip riff worthy of Neurosis. Perhaps the best song here is the title track, with opens with a subduded bass intro before exploding into more superb explosions of sound and contains the album’s most anthemic moments. The sound here is huge, loud and heavy, thanks to the production work of guitarist and metal’s 2012 MVP Kurt Ballou. Fresh off recording some of this year’s other great records like the new ones from Torche, Gaza, Black Breath and High On Fire, it seems like everything he touches turns to gold. It has been a year of triumphs for the man, and Converge just seem to get better and better.

8. Pallbearer – Sorrow & Extinction
Must be something in the zeitgeist of 2012 which has made mid-tempo undesirable to most bands. It seemed to me like most of the best heavy music this year was being made by hyperactive hardcore units and snail-paced doom metal outfits. Pallbearer fall in the latter category, and the mournful funeral trudge they display on this record is one of the most addictive and emotionally satisfying sounds you’ll hear all year. Anyone can tune their guitars low and play 16 beats per minute, but it takes a special band to take the standard doom template and wring a maximum amount of feeling and depth out of it. Pallbearer shame every one dimensional doom trudge act out there with the very first song on this remarkable full length. “Foreigner” opens the album with a plaintive semi-classical acoustic guitar figure, drawing the listener in and tantalizing with possibility before the apocalyptic mega-riffs drop. And make no mistake, those huge guitars are there, and all over the album. No song is less than 8 minutes long, but they never seem to feel long because they are so well structured and relatable. There are beautiful shimmering passages alternated with molasses-like head nodding groove. Right down to the band’s very name, the whole thing seems tailor-made for funeral bells. There are shades of Forests Of Equilibrium –era Cathedral here as the band makes frequent use of doubling heavily sustained harmony guitar leads over the depressive doom riffs. But the lonely high pitched and heavily reverbed vocals here create an atmosphere of very human sorrow. You don’t need to know what the songs are about to get sucked into this whirpool of sadness. When Pallbearer reach for transcendence, as on “The Legend” or “An Offering Of Grief,” the effect is truly breathtaking. Pallbearer have crafted one of the finest doom metal albums in a very long time.

7.     Black Breath – Sentenced To Life
Black Breath’s debut Heavy Breathing straddled the line crossover thrash and very heavy sludge metal. It was an enjoyable record, but something about it didn’t quite grab me. This time out they’ve shifted gears into a full on hardcore sprint, and with that slight tweak to their sound they immediately grabbed my attention and didn’t let up the whole time. Nearly every song on Sentenced To Life barrels ahead at a breakneck pace and features relentless drumming, serrated bellowing and as thick and heavy a buzzsaw guitar sound as you can imagine. These guys have clearly brushed up on their Entombed and Disfear records, but it’s the quality of the songs and the intensity of these performances that make Sentenced To Life such a satisfying listen. This isn’t just some background noise for speed junkies. Each song contains memorable shout along choruses from a singer who sounds like he’s been guzzling razors and gasoline for about 20 years. Take one listen to “Feast Of The Damned” and try not to turn whatever room you are in into a slam pit. It sounds like fucking Slayer. There are elements of classic heavy metal inserted sparingly amid the relentless onslaught, such as the gorgeous leads that emerge seemingly out of nowehere on “Obey.” Not to mention the fact that the sound of the record is fucking huge. I dare you to call yourself a fan of punk or hardcore or any kind of metal and not love this album.

6.     Purity Ring – Shrines
Many of my favourite records are simply worlds unto themselves. Shrines is kind of like that, a self-contained wonderland where only ghostly synths, skittering drum machines and spectral vocals with only the vaguest hint of a human voice peeking through. I’m not really sure what these songs are about, but whatever is being said sure is creepy. What I do know is that Purity Ring makes some chilling electronic music with just the vaguest bits of pop sunshine shimmering through the snow. Everything here is hazy, sparse and lonely. Yet somehow there are moments of tender intimacy curled up amidst the darkness. I’ve probably listened to this album as much as anything else I’ve heard this year, yet I can’t quite pin down why it resonates with me so deeply. It’s soundtracked some pretty memorable moments in the past year, both good and bad ones, and I’d be hard pressed to cal the record either happy or sad. Depending on my mood, it’s been unsettling, lonely, romantic and joyful. It simply is, a strange world that you can visit whenever you need to look at ours through a different lens.

5.     Blut Aus Nord – Cosmopoly
The third installment of this french bedroom black metal project’s 777 trilogy of albums that began with last year’s Sect(s) [scene] and The Desanctication is also the best of the three. Although avant garde and electronic elements have been creeping into Blut Aus Nord’s music for a long time now, here they are melded more seamlessly than ever before with the band’s ripping metallic fury.

Opener “Epitome XIV” (Cosmopoly continues the track naming scheme of the last 2 records) serves as a palette cleanser, leading off the record with several minutes of absolutely gorgeous textural guitar noise before the extremely synthetic sounding drums begin to march the track inexorably toward the horizon. Bolstered by a crystalline production job, the heavily reverbed and highly melodic guitar leads spiral ever upward, reaching for transcendence. Meanwhile the rhythm guitars are mixed low to match frequency profiles with the underlying synth beds to add colour and fullness. This is a record made for headphones, and the devil is most definitely in the details. It’s absolutely beautiful, and will shatter any notions that this is just another wannabe Darkthrone retread.

The creepy death disco of the second track shows a definite industrial influence, complete with creepy synths and Vindsval’s robotic French monologue. Soon enough it explodes into a full on assault, but before long the intensity recedes and fades into a mournful slowburning hymn to the gas giants, before ending on a pregnant dropped beat and fading to black. The division between assault and airiness is a line that Blut Aus Nord have straddled many times throughout their career, but here they’ve perfected it.

There are enough moments of sheer beauty here to even convert non metal fans. The gothic tone of the album may unsettle some, but the romantic atmospheric drift of “Epitome XVI” could easily appeal to fans who have never heard a Slayer record, much less a Mayhem one. The crescendos in these 6 to 11 minute long tracks remind me of a number of post rock bands in how they evolve from quiet beauty to triumphant destruction. But what Blut Aus Nord is not anywhere close to the likes of what the legions of Neurosis and Isis clones have been peddling for the last few fears. The preoccupation with texture is clearly shoegaze inspired, but the mechanical precussion pulls the locus of the band’s sound away from guitar-centric genres altogether, birthing a cybernetic hybrid of red blooded aggression, human warmth, and mechanical precision.

4.     Krallice – Years Past Matter
Jaw-dropping feets of technicality married into impossibly brutal arrangements that run for marathon lengths is nothing new for Krallice. The thing that makes Years Past Matter the best album this extreme metal super group has ever made is the newly mastered sense of space and tunefulness that they bring to the table this time out. The album opens with some ominous and ghostly synth ambience before erupting into a jackhammer burst beat that’s straight out of the USBM playbook. But the kicker comes just a few second later, as the beat dissolves into a vast soundscape of epic swelling harmonics before exploding back into a frenzied atonal black metal assault as the drums grind out quadratic equations on your skull. It’s pretty clear here that Krallice don’t just want to kick your ass, they want to END YOUR FUCKING WORLD.

Music as complex and devastating as Krallice’s risks exhausting the listener without space to breather. Throughout the album are limpid pools of shimmering beauty, which exist like an oasis in the endless wasteland of the album’s scorched landscape. Elsewhere there are dark, droney soundscapes which build tension and dread in the listener before Krallice undertake yet another obliterating assault. What’s more, some of the band’s best ever riffs can be found all over this record, such as the off-kilter stomper that opens the album’s sixteen minute finale.  Superbly well crafted and paced, Years Past Matter is a clinic in how to make music that is musically complex and totally decimating without alienating the listener.

3.     Cloud Nothings – Attack On Memory
In the past the Cloud Nothings specialized in short, punchy pop punk tunes. While enjoyable, something about those early records struck me as a little bit lightweight, maybe even immature. The harrowing Attack on Memory is another matter entirely. Urgent, forceful, and emotionally devastating, the depth of this record was only hinted at on earlier recordings.

The album opens with a dark slate clearing track entitled No Future/No Past. For four and a half minutes, the song vamps on a simple piano figure, building in tension and intensity before climaxing in a volley of explosive guitar release and primal howls from mainman Dylan Baldi. Cathartic and gripping, the track is a complete turnaround from the sort of fare that has previously dominated the band’s work. No question about it, this is a statement. It also might be the best song the band has ever written.

Clearly this is an ambitious work from a band eager to grow as musicians. The almost 9 minute long “Wasted Days,” demonstrates the band’s far more accomplished musical approach. In particular, it shows off the band’s viciously powerful rhythm section, which sustains an awesome level of intensity throughout the track without losing momentum.  There isn’t an ounce of filler on this record. “Stay Useless” is a catchy anthem to the joys of being lazy, but still plays with themes of alienation and regret. The album closes with the devastating one-two punch of “Our Plans” and “Cut You.” Baldi pours all his rage, hurt, insecurity, bitterness and jealousy into these two tracks, and the affect is captivating.

This record is heavily influenced by a number of 90’s post hardcore bands like Jawbox, Dismemberment Plan, Fugazi, Sunny Day Real Estate, Jawbreaker, and even Nirvana. But the quality of the songwriting, and the great performances of the musicians make this record is as good as anything those bands put out. It’s a definite classic, and a must listen for anyone who likes their rock music to have emotional heft as well as physical power.

2.     Japandroids – Celebration Rock
It would be all too simple to point to the Hüsker Dü guitar sound or the anthemic hooks of this record as the reason for its appeal. The Vancouver guitar and drums duo was already known for their spastic high fuzz-low fidelity take on drunken, anthemic rock n’ roll. Their debut earned rave reviews for its sweet but rickety hooks and catapulted them to the top of the indie blogosphere sweepstakes. This time out they seem fully aware of their chance to make the big time, and gave Celebration Rock a more crystalline production. With bigger sound, Japandroids’ exuberance is given room to breathe, and the result is some of the most life-affirming music you’ll ever hear.

This wouldn’t have worked so well had they not packed their sophomore album with a full complement of irresistible tunes. The album contains no wasted space whatsoever, with 8 perfect songs that clock in at just a shade over 35 minutes. What really grabbed me about these songs was how they managed to capture equal measures of elation and melancholy felt by old friends growing older together. “Nights Of Wine & Roses,” “Adrenaline Nightshift” and “Younger Us” celebrate the full throttle credo of living in the moment that young rockers espouse with the knowing wisdom of guys who have grown up. The music is as exuberant as the title suggests, but there is a weary, ragged quality to the music. It sounds lived in, like the band are comfortable with this music, and with themselves. The record is joyously immediate and raw while still expanding their sloppy distortion-drenched racket that they made built their rep on but expanding it into a triumphant call to arms. There is no room for regret or doubt, just the full intensity and sheer joy of living in the moment. When you listen to Celebration Rock, nothing sounds more epic than a drunken night of hilarity your best friends. Japandroids have managed to make lo-fi sound stadium sized.

1. Baroness – Yellow & Green

Baroness’s last two albums established them firmly among the first tier of today’s hard rock bands. Although in their early days they churned out swampy sludge in the realm of Bongzilla or Down, their ambition and flair for songwriting led them to incorporate elements of their homeland’s more traditional musics into their ever-percolating brew. Meanwhile they've incorporated more of the psychedelic touches that they and also Kylesa have recently adopted make for a heady brew of the best elements in guitar-based music. The colour theme is appropriate, as they have continually broadened their palette with each successive release. These days they are one of the only acts you could properly call a modern classic rock band, as popular with adventurous metalheads as in the know indie rockers. At this point, it’s silly to even think of them as a metal band, and really they were always too rootsy and naturalistic for something that rigid anyways. They simply are one of the best bands on the planet period.

 

Yellow & Green is a culmination of this evolution, seamlessly melding the Appalachian folk melodies and country twang that they had previously toyed around with to the sledgehammer riff assaults that are their bread and butter. From the very first moment you hear those gorgeous opening notes of “Yellow Theme” give way to the steamroller that is “Take My Bones Away,” it sounds undeniably like a classic.  Unsurprisingly, the riffs are awesome and just about each song has an explosive earworm of a hook. They’ve really developed a knack for the triumphant harmony-laden chorus, as the record is packed with the kind of shoutalongs that will get fists pumping, bodies flying and chests heaving in moshpits the world over. And the whole thing sounds just plain huge. Granted, not everything works, and some people won’t be sold on some of the more adventurous tracks (that disco drumbeat in Cocainium might not be for everyone). But the point is, this is a band at the peak of it’s powers, and they are determined to stretch out to the limits of their abilities, challenging expectations and striving to shatter conceptions of what a heavy band can sound like.

I feel like this is the best album of the year because we need Baroness. There should be a big, super successful stadium filling band that actually kicks ass and isn't afraid to push the limits of their sound. It's that world conquering ambition, taking the risk of falling flat on their faces, that makes Baroness so special. These guys are doing spiritually for rock now what Led Zeppelin was doing 40 years ago. And I know a lot of old fans might be disappointed in how commerical the mix is, how low the guitars are compared to the vocals, and the lack of rough edges in the recording. I get that, and I understand why it's not for everyone. It's not always for me either. But they've been pushing this way for quite a while now, and you have to hand it to them for having the balls to write a record that really does sound like it could conquer the world. And that's why there was nothing I liked better this year.

Currently the band is recoving from some very serious injuries sustained in a tour bus accident just a couple months after the album was released. Here’s hoping they get back to it soon. We need more like them.