Post by GL on Jan 2, 2012 12:42:55 GMT -5
This year turned out to be the hardest ranking to come up with, due mainly to the glut of releases that really weren't all that good. This turned out to be among the worst years for the style and really didn't have too many that warranted being here, resulting in a odd ranking system that saw a lot of albums that wouldn't be here in most years coming up on the list, and the result is a weak field without much to really get excited about. Let's hope it was an aberration and not a sign of an upcoming trend.
10. Darkest Hour-The Human Romance
Having arrived ten years too late to join in on the Gothenburg scene in the last part of the previous decade, these guys sound just like they could’ve been at the forefront of the scene due to the obvious influence, bordering on straight rip-off factor found in the songs. With that style and tone present in the riffs and style of vocals, as the low-end screaming gels with those bands even more and fits in with the music, all the more completing the influence from before. When they strike out on their own and capture their own twist on the style, it’s not all that bad as they’re a lot more technical in the riff-work and the solos are a lot tighter and more energetic, captured off-course with better drumming and more lock-step rhythms that are rather catchy and memorable, but the problem here is that there’s way too much other influences than their own unique take, which holds this one where it is.
9. One Man Army and the Undead Quartet-The Dark Epic…
Continuing to mine the same Death-infused metal they’ve been utilizing for a while now but sounding more focused than before, this is a fairly solid and enjoyable release from these Swedish mainstays. Lacking the power of their past efforts, which is due to the weak production job that really neuters the drums and is responsible for why this is so high on the list when it really should be a lot lower based on quality of the songs, this one really struggles at times to break itself out of the shell it has because of that, but thankfully the rest of the album doesn’t have a problem which exploits the fine guitar-work and stellar vocals that are spewed forth like a rabid wolverine with their intensity and urgency. The extra dose of energy in some of the songs with their extended riffing and solo segments is a nice addition to their sound which makes for some melody amongst the blasting, but a little more in the production job would go a long way for them.
8. Cavalera Conspiracy-Blunt Force Trauma
So the continuing legacy of Brazil’s Patron Sons of Metal has provided yet another fine release that’s nearly as good as the original. A really punishing and incredibly brutal album, this one has a lot of the same issues that the old one had as well in that, rather than being a full-on return to prime-era Sepultura this could’ve been, it still sounds like luke-warm Soulfly leftovers just recorded with a more popular lineup and not much else, which isn’t a bad thing but really doesn’t have a lot going for it to distinguish these two bands from each other. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, though, since it guarantees a lot thrashing riffs, tons of pounding drum-work and the same brutal vocals dished out atop the whole affair, and while there’s some change-ups offered in the form of the more melodic solo-interludes throughout the album, the brief lengths and Soulfly-style tone of the songs is a bit of a problem to get over with this one.
7. Malefice-Awaken the Tides
A pretty fun release, these newcomers are going to be fun to watch in the coming years if this is an indication of what they’re capable of. Sounding like a faster Black Dahlia Murder with a more traditional singer, this is one that can grow rather well with its fierce combination of Death Metal-ish blasting, great riffs and forceful drumming with a mixture of screaming and semi-growling vocals over the whole affair, as this one does, and in conjunction with the superb soloing there’s a nice foundation here to really build on for these guys. While they lack a discernable identity yet, as too much of the disc reminds of other bands being cobbled together rather than take their own route, the fact that they’re still young gives them time to do so, not to mention the fact that so far what they’ve taken seems to be the best stuff so while they build a base it’s still not too bad.
6. Kittie-I’ve Failed You
After finally making their best album last time around where they found their own sound (finally) and made a great record, they continue on and produce another absolutely fun engaging album that really should push them out of the comparisons to the past and into their own. Carrying on with the more mid-tempo bruisers with some nice grooves wrapped in a tight production job and more polished songs with the addition of some nice solos here and there, this features a nice addition of more up-tempo drumming and an increased addition of the slightly darker vocals than before, which match the ferocity of the music rather nicely, surprisingly meshing with the clear crooning nicely to really round out a nice package overall. It sometimes slips into the mediocre and generic at times, especially in the later half, but the front half still packs enough of a punch that it’s mostly acceptable and features enough good points to overcome the later weak half.
5. Chimaira-The Age of Hell
Having finally outgrown the Epic song-lengths that really killed their past few efforts, the marriage of the progressive side of their Metallic sound with a shorter running time just makes the whole affair all the better. As mentioned, the core of their sound is still pretty much the same with their full-throttle attack, hard-edged riffs and superb drumming, along with the still furious vocals and pummeling rhythms that propel their own individual sound within the style make this a rather enjoyable record before the shortened song lengths come into play which was a major hurdle to get over in the past as their songs had a great idea behind them but definitely ran at least three to four minutes too long, not so here which has a more manageable length due to the shortened songs that still pack in their usual punch. Not too many faults to hold it back, but the others below were just slightly better.
4. Machine Head-Unto the Locust
Well, it’s certainly not the sterling metal anthem of its predecessor, not that it was to be expected or knocked down for it, but it’s certainly not the beast of an album it could’ve been. Overlong to the point of overindulgence and frankly feeling like it’s got too much stuffed inside that aren’t really worth being there to begin with, this one really struggles to gain traction until it gets to the half-way point with a couple of fairly decent thrashers that are much better than the overly-technical groovers that open this one, and the return to aggression works well as the majority of the album features a bit too much clean singing to really warrant a lot of use for it. Then comes the children’s choir on that one particular song which nearly almost kills the album dead, it’s so unneeded and unnecessary that the inclusion it just plain impossible to include. Luckily the solid guitar-work and superb drum-work save this or else it would’ve slipped further down the list.
3. DevilDriver-Beast
Like the previous band, this one was a step-back from a spectacular previous release, yet this one somehow managed to do it better by not jumping all over-the-place and stayed a lot more traditional to their approach and tactics. Frankly, this is one is still just as vicious and brutal as the last one, and at certain points it goes into overload with the brutality that really contains a lot of great moments to it, as the band is just bashing away with murderous abandon creating a rather impressive cacophony matched with the furious and just plain devastating vocals displayed throughout. The main thing holding this down from the others is the lack of really memorable songs, as while the brutality on display just overwhelms to the point of overkill, it really lacks the memorableness of some of their earlier hits, which is somewhat of a contradictory with the fact that this one does contain more melody and quietness at times, but the fact is none of them stick in your head after the bludgeoning, a tactic that had worked for them in the past and is sorely missed here. Not a real substantial complaint, but one nonetheless.
2. Times of Grace-The Hymn of a Broken Man
The perfect Killswitch Engage cover band, for those that miss the first two Killswitch albums this is a must-have release and really comes as close to what that version of the band could’ve been. The similarities are so close, due to the writing factors and members, but also to illustrate how good this is, as there’s not a whole lot to this one that doesn’t work, from the stellar guitar-work, fantastic solos, impeccable drumming and an intelligent mixture of clean singing and screams that aren’t overdone in the slightest and keep a lot of the energy up throughout the album. Matching up the great work is the fact that this has a lot of intangibles spread throughout which make all the more memorable, from a collection of infectious and memorable choruses to a wide variety of different tempos and song structures that this makes it a fairly enjoyable and memorable release in a year that didn’t have a whole lot of them.
1. Trivium-In Waves
A surprising choice for the top-tier effort this year, but it’s hard to not see the progression they’ve made from just a few years ago to where they are now, which is a rather focused, mature effort that really has a lot of great parts to it. Utilizing their dual-vocal style approach a lot more confidently now and the change-ups are a lot more jarring as the cleans are just so clear and powerful that it’s got a lot of positive points just for that alone, yet the growls are kept to a nice minimum and still fit in with the rest of the music. As the music itself is another highlight, matching up their Metalcore past with an energetic take on their more melodic sensibilities, letting the songs breathe a lot more with some extended sessions rather than trying to cram it all into a confined space they used to do, and mixing that with some absolutely fantastic guitar-work including breathtaking dueling solo-sessions, great drum work and some atmospheric keyboard interludes, this is a fantastic effort that has a lot going for it.
10. Darkest Hour-The Human Romance
Having arrived ten years too late to join in on the Gothenburg scene in the last part of the previous decade, these guys sound just like they could’ve been at the forefront of the scene due to the obvious influence, bordering on straight rip-off factor found in the songs. With that style and tone present in the riffs and style of vocals, as the low-end screaming gels with those bands even more and fits in with the music, all the more completing the influence from before. When they strike out on their own and capture their own twist on the style, it’s not all that bad as they’re a lot more technical in the riff-work and the solos are a lot tighter and more energetic, captured off-course with better drumming and more lock-step rhythms that are rather catchy and memorable, but the problem here is that there’s way too much other influences than their own unique take, which holds this one where it is.
9. One Man Army and the Undead Quartet-The Dark Epic…
Continuing to mine the same Death-infused metal they’ve been utilizing for a while now but sounding more focused than before, this is a fairly solid and enjoyable release from these Swedish mainstays. Lacking the power of their past efforts, which is due to the weak production job that really neuters the drums and is responsible for why this is so high on the list when it really should be a lot lower based on quality of the songs, this one really struggles at times to break itself out of the shell it has because of that, but thankfully the rest of the album doesn’t have a problem which exploits the fine guitar-work and stellar vocals that are spewed forth like a rabid wolverine with their intensity and urgency. The extra dose of energy in some of the songs with their extended riffing and solo segments is a nice addition to their sound which makes for some melody amongst the blasting, but a little more in the production job would go a long way for them.
8. Cavalera Conspiracy-Blunt Force Trauma
So the continuing legacy of Brazil’s Patron Sons of Metal has provided yet another fine release that’s nearly as good as the original. A really punishing and incredibly brutal album, this one has a lot of the same issues that the old one had as well in that, rather than being a full-on return to prime-era Sepultura this could’ve been, it still sounds like luke-warm Soulfly leftovers just recorded with a more popular lineup and not much else, which isn’t a bad thing but really doesn’t have a lot going for it to distinguish these two bands from each other. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, though, since it guarantees a lot thrashing riffs, tons of pounding drum-work and the same brutal vocals dished out atop the whole affair, and while there’s some change-ups offered in the form of the more melodic solo-interludes throughout the album, the brief lengths and Soulfly-style tone of the songs is a bit of a problem to get over with this one.
7. Malefice-Awaken the Tides
A pretty fun release, these newcomers are going to be fun to watch in the coming years if this is an indication of what they’re capable of. Sounding like a faster Black Dahlia Murder with a more traditional singer, this is one that can grow rather well with its fierce combination of Death Metal-ish blasting, great riffs and forceful drumming with a mixture of screaming and semi-growling vocals over the whole affair, as this one does, and in conjunction with the superb soloing there’s a nice foundation here to really build on for these guys. While they lack a discernable identity yet, as too much of the disc reminds of other bands being cobbled together rather than take their own route, the fact that they’re still young gives them time to do so, not to mention the fact that so far what they’ve taken seems to be the best stuff so while they build a base it’s still not too bad.
6. Kittie-I’ve Failed You
After finally making their best album last time around where they found their own sound (finally) and made a great record, they continue on and produce another absolutely fun engaging album that really should push them out of the comparisons to the past and into their own. Carrying on with the more mid-tempo bruisers with some nice grooves wrapped in a tight production job and more polished songs with the addition of some nice solos here and there, this features a nice addition of more up-tempo drumming and an increased addition of the slightly darker vocals than before, which match the ferocity of the music rather nicely, surprisingly meshing with the clear crooning nicely to really round out a nice package overall. It sometimes slips into the mediocre and generic at times, especially in the later half, but the front half still packs enough of a punch that it’s mostly acceptable and features enough good points to overcome the later weak half.
5. Chimaira-The Age of Hell
Having finally outgrown the Epic song-lengths that really killed their past few efforts, the marriage of the progressive side of their Metallic sound with a shorter running time just makes the whole affair all the better. As mentioned, the core of their sound is still pretty much the same with their full-throttle attack, hard-edged riffs and superb drumming, along with the still furious vocals and pummeling rhythms that propel their own individual sound within the style make this a rather enjoyable record before the shortened song lengths come into play which was a major hurdle to get over in the past as their songs had a great idea behind them but definitely ran at least three to four minutes too long, not so here which has a more manageable length due to the shortened songs that still pack in their usual punch. Not too many faults to hold it back, but the others below were just slightly better.
4. Machine Head-Unto the Locust
Well, it’s certainly not the sterling metal anthem of its predecessor, not that it was to be expected or knocked down for it, but it’s certainly not the beast of an album it could’ve been. Overlong to the point of overindulgence and frankly feeling like it’s got too much stuffed inside that aren’t really worth being there to begin with, this one really struggles to gain traction until it gets to the half-way point with a couple of fairly decent thrashers that are much better than the overly-technical groovers that open this one, and the return to aggression works well as the majority of the album features a bit too much clean singing to really warrant a lot of use for it. Then comes the children’s choir on that one particular song which nearly almost kills the album dead, it’s so unneeded and unnecessary that the inclusion it just plain impossible to include. Luckily the solid guitar-work and superb drum-work save this or else it would’ve slipped further down the list.
3. DevilDriver-Beast
Like the previous band, this one was a step-back from a spectacular previous release, yet this one somehow managed to do it better by not jumping all over-the-place and stayed a lot more traditional to their approach and tactics. Frankly, this is one is still just as vicious and brutal as the last one, and at certain points it goes into overload with the brutality that really contains a lot of great moments to it, as the band is just bashing away with murderous abandon creating a rather impressive cacophony matched with the furious and just plain devastating vocals displayed throughout. The main thing holding this down from the others is the lack of really memorable songs, as while the brutality on display just overwhelms to the point of overkill, it really lacks the memorableness of some of their earlier hits, which is somewhat of a contradictory with the fact that this one does contain more melody and quietness at times, but the fact is none of them stick in your head after the bludgeoning, a tactic that had worked for them in the past and is sorely missed here. Not a real substantial complaint, but one nonetheless.
2. Times of Grace-The Hymn of a Broken Man
The perfect Killswitch Engage cover band, for those that miss the first two Killswitch albums this is a must-have release and really comes as close to what that version of the band could’ve been. The similarities are so close, due to the writing factors and members, but also to illustrate how good this is, as there’s not a whole lot to this one that doesn’t work, from the stellar guitar-work, fantastic solos, impeccable drumming and an intelligent mixture of clean singing and screams that aren’t overdone in the slightest and keep a lot of the energy up throughout the album. Matching up the great work is the fact that this has a lot of intangibles spread throughout which make all the more memorable, from a collection of infectious and memorable choruses to a wide variety of different tempos and song structures that this makes it a fairly enjoyable and memorable release in a year that didn’t have a whole lot of them.
1. Trivium-In Waves
A surprising choice for the top-tier effort this year, but it’s hard to not see the progression they’ve made from just a few years ago to where they are now, which is a rather focused, mature effort that really has a lot of great parts to it. Utilizing their dual-vocal style approach a lot more confidently now and the change-ups are a lot more jarring as the cleans are just so clear and powerful that it’s got a lot of positive points just for that alone, yet the growls are kept to a nice minimum and still fit in with the rest of the music. As the music itself is another highlight, matching up their Metalcore past with an energetic take on their more melodic sensibilities, letting the songs breathe a lot more with some extended sessions rather than trying to cram it all into a confined space they used to do, and mixing that with some absolutely fantastic guitar-work including breathtaking dueling solo-sessions, great drum work and some atmospheric keyboard interludes, this is a fantastic effort that has a lot going for it.