There is one question I ask myself when choosing my album of the year: "what band occupied my iPod the longest?". This year, Cloudkicker came very close, but I had to give it up to Nobis and their album 'Confession'. There's a good chance you are unfamiliar with this band as they are unsigned and have been M.I.A. since 2007. Hailing from northern Maine, these guys lead the local metal scene back in the day and it looks like they are back to prove they have far from lost their touch. With the addition of two former members of another Maine metal band, Donnybrook, they have managed to create an amazing album from start to finish that kept their original badass sound and threw in some new influences that they have acquired throughout the years. The stand-out track for me, if I had to choose one, would be "House of Cards", but other than the instrumental filler track "Gehalgod", there isn't a weak track on the album. I urge you to head over to their Bandcamp page and give 'Confession' a download. You'll thank me.
For those not familiar, Cloudkicker is not a band but one person, Ben Sharp. He writes, performs and records everything himself and releases all of his albums independently through Bandcamp. Ben has gone on record in the past to say that he never intended on performing live. Well, something big changed that this year: he met Intronaut! They graciously offered to learn his songs and be his backup band for a tour and luckily for all of us, he took them up on that offer.
I was able to attend one of these performances, but before I tell you what I thought, I must mention that I had an absolutely horrible time getting to the show. I'm not a big fan of driving in Boston at all. Those damn one-way streets! I got lost as I usually do in Boston, but with traveling alone I struggled a bit more to navigate my way through the hellish roads than usual and got into my first ever fender bender with a cabbie. No one got hurt, but it was still incredibly disappointing for me. I was already running late and now this. Cloudkicker was the opener and the whole reason I was going to the show and now I'm going to miss it. Things got settled and my buddy who I was meeting up with told me they haven't hit the stage yet so there was still a glimmer of hope!
The next challenge was finding a parking spot which I quickly learned is nearly an impossible mission is Allston, the section of Boston where the club was located. After driving in circles for twenty minutes, I was forced to park a mile away and walk, which made the little bit of hope I had left disappear with every step I took. Finally, I arrived at the club. Expecting to have completely miss them, I entered just as the lights were dimmed. I made it in time! Hooray!
As soon as they started playing, all of my trouble went away. It was easily one of the best live performances I have ever seen and they absolutely stole the show. As awful of a time I had getting there, it was 100% worth it just for the chance to see this amazing group of musicians playing songs that were never meant to be played live.
As for the album (I know, I know, it's about damn time!), I had no idea this was even being released and turned into a giddy little school girl when I found out about it. There aren't any new songs on it, just a playlist of his strongest material that all translated perfectly in the live setting. I have lost count of how many times I have listened to this already and I don't plan on stopping anytime soon! If you haven't listened to Cloudkicker before, this album is a great place to start.
I should also mention Ben did release an album of new material this year, Little Histories. It's more of a rock album that, dare I say, sounds like it was written with the intention of being played live. One can hope anyway! Although I prefer the live album, this is still a great addition to his resume. He truly has a way with creating atmospheric tunes that transport you to a place I would much rather be.
When I caught wind that vocalist Greg Puciato (The Dillinger Escape Plan) and Max Cavalera (Sepultura/Soulfly/Cavalera Conspiracy/Nailbomb) was working on a side project together, I was intrigued. They mentioned they were going for a thrashy, Nailbomb type of sound which could have gone either way, but I held on to hope. Then I heard that bassist/vocalist Troy Sanders (Mastodon) and drummer Dave Elitch (ex-The Mars Volta) jumped on board, I knew the sound was going to change dramatically and that excited the hell out of me. Supergroups are almost never what they should be, being a muted version of each band that just never come together well. Killer Be Killed is exactly what a supergroup should be. Each member brings their own element to the group without being too overpowering to create songs that fans of each individual band can be proud of. I really hope we hear more from these guys in the near future.
Whitechapel has been evolving their sound for the past few albums which have been dividing their fans: it's now the "original" fans that prefer their more "brutal" deathcore/death metal sound that they started with against the fans who have embraced their exploration of other styles yet still remaining heavy as hell. I not only welcome this change, I prefer it. It's no secret that groove metal is my preference over blast beats, so seeing these guys move more in that direction little by little is fine by me! The song "The Saw Is The Law" certainly fulfills all my groove metal requirements, but the winner on 'Our Endless War' for me is definitely "Digg's Road" which I believe is the best song they have written to date. This has been my go-to angry album I blast in my car on the way home from a bad day at work.
Monuments, among similar bands like Tesseract and Periphery, seemed to have contracted the "can't-hang-on-to-a-singer" virus that has plagued them for years. With the loss of three vocalists, their second album has introduced number four: Chris Baretto. If you are a fan of Periphery, that name may sound familiar as Chris was in the group for a short period of time before being fired for not giving it his all. It seems that battling through so many struggles has at least paid off for both Monuments and Chris as their meeting has made for an incredible album. Chris had a lot to prove to doubting fans but he obviously took that as a challenge and crushed it to pieces by giving one of the best vocal performances of the year. He even brought a little Michael Jackson flair at times which works surprisingly well! I just hope that the curse has been lifted and we see these guys working together from now on.
When bassist Dan Briggs from Between The Buried And Me announced the release of a jazz side project in 2012, Trioscapes, I got really excited and immediately fell in love with the project at first listen. I didn't expect another album from this group anytime soon. When I saw that a sophomore album was being released this year, I squealed with joy! Just like my excitement for their first album, I was not disappointed in the least by the final product. In fact, this time around there is much more chemistry between the three members who work as a single unit to create some of the best avant-garde jazz I've ever heard. Do yourself a favor and listen to this immediately!
It's not uncommon for a band to change paths throughout their career, but none have done it quite like Opeth. When a band changes their sound, it is usually for one of two reasons; for business (they need money so they pursue a more commercial route) or a legitimate evolution of their sound and it is almost always obvious which it is. To go from death metal to prog rock certainly sounds like a business move on paper, but just give a listen to 'Pale Communion' and you'll immediately hear that this is truly the type of music that Opeth is meant to play. It is a privilege to be a part of the musical journey they have embarked on and I look forward to seeing where we are taken next.
When Machine Head released 'The Blackening' in 2007, I really wondered if an album that good could be topped. I was very concerned that it was all going to go downhill from there as most bands often do. 'Unto The Locust' came in 2011 and it was a great album, but didn't quite have the "umph" that the previous album had so my worries continued to grow. That brings us to "Bloodstone & Diamonds". This time around, it seemed like the boys had a fresh outlook somehow, possibly because of new bassist Jared MacEachern, but that's just a guess. There is a really good mix of new and old here. The use of natural harmonics that became a Machine Head trademark when they first started is back! Sure, it never really went away, but it's used here more than it has been in a few albums. As far as new elements, the big stand-out for me is the song "Beneath The Silt" which is something I never expected: Machine Head doing stoner metal, and it's friggin' awesome! Is the album better than 'The Blackening'? Maybe not, but I certainly give them credit for pushing themselves to try something new and that in itself is enough for me. Plus, the album does rock!
For their third album, Animals As Leaders teamed up with producer Misha Mansoor (Periphery) once again (Misha also produced/co-wrote/programmed their first album) to create their best album yet by far. The songs are well written with just the right amount of showmanship without being too flashy. I had the pleasure of seeing these guys perform live where new drummer Matt Garstka stole the show. The drums on 'The Joy Of Motion' are all programmed, but Matt did a great job of sticking to the beats from the album while also embellishing when possible to make it his own. I request you do two things: pick up this album, then see them live as soon as possible. You'll thank me.
Fans of Devin Townsend have been demanding the return of Ziltoid (an alien character that Devin based an entire solo album around) since his creation in 2007 and we all knew that if he was going to do it, he was going to go big. Not only did Ziltoid return but he had to go up again the Devin Townsend Project! That's right, we got a new DTP album (Sky Blue) and a new Ziltoid album (Dark Matters) packaged as a double album, that both had a similar underlining theme: Ziltoid against the world. 'Sky Blue' is definitely the lighter and more serious album of the two, which was expected, but still great overall. If I had to chose between the two, 'Dark Matters' would take the cake. Surprisingly there were two factors that weren't as strong as I had hoped: it wasn't quite as heavy as I though it would be and there was a lot less Ziltoid then expected as well. It plays out as a narrated story describing the events of Ziltoid's second encounter with Earth. Even though I would have liked a bit more of both, I still enjoy it. Besides, where else can you find "oompa loompa -core"?
If you are unfamiliar with Psychostick, they refer to themselves as "humorcore" which basically sums it up: hardcore music with goofy lyrics. Just give the song "Obey The Beard" a listen and if you find yourself laughing your butt off while nodding your head to the music like I have, then I say they have accomplished their goal. Ranging from topics like anatidaephobia (the fear of ducks) to losing all of your computer saved items to the dreaded blue screen of death, Psychostick made sure there is a little bit of something for everyone to laugh at. With comedy being what they are known for the most, these guys still have proven to me they have true chops to play "real" metal if they so choose to, like in the song "So. Heavy." which takes a stab at the deathcore genre, but with all jokes a side, the music could truly pass as a deathcore song! I highly recommend this album, and if you are new to this band, go back and get their previous albums as they are equally hilarious.
This summer I was listening to 'Mirror Faced Mentality' (which was Scamp's debut full length release in 2008) and wondered, whatever happened to these guys? Days later, I see on a blog I follow the mention of a new album by a band called Scamp. Could it be that Scamp? I immediately rushed to Youtube to find a song and just seconds after I hit play, I knew it was. YES! I was taken back a bit when the vocals kicked in as it most certainly wasn't the original singer, but he did sound familiar. After some quick investigative searching, I discovered that Michael Bøgballe (ex-Mnemic) had become the frontman. I never really got into Mnemic, and the vocals had something to do with that, so I was very weary of what Michael would bring to the table, especially considering I really liked the original Scamp vocalist. Still, I gave 'The Deadcalm' a fair shot and am happy to say I really dig it. The band are really pros and bring something new to the progressive groove metal sound. Plus, the drummer is amazing! If you are into bands like Meshuggah and Fear Factory, give these guys a shot.
Album number six from Mastodon continues their path towards a more proggy rock sound with a few twists and turns. There still isn't any screaming to be found but compared to their last album, 'Hunter', it's a wee bit heavier musically. I think their tour with Alice In Chains and the Deftones left a mark on them as little bits of both can be found here and there. Overall a very strong addition to their resume.
Unearth are truly masters of their craft by combining elements of metal and hardcore in a way that no one else does. With the addition of new drummer Nick Pierce who really brings it, 'Watchers Of Rule' is another testament to how good they are at what they do. Crank it up and start a mosh pit in random public places!
The Contortionist brought us their third studio album, but this time with a new person holding the mic, Michael Lessard who is also the singer for Last Chance to Reason. 'Language' is a solid album that continues to explore their progressive path. Following the footsteps of Mastodon and Opeth, they seem to be moving away from metal and more towards rock with every album they make. That isn't necessarily a bad thing, the musicianship is stronger than ever and Michael's vocal style works well with the direction the are headed. I look forward to hearing what else is in store for the future.
I was excited for three reasons when I first heard about this release: 1, Tim Alexander was back on drums. 2, Primus doing their take on the Willy Wonka soundtrack had to be awesome and 3, Tim Alexander was back on drums! Yes I'm aware that two of those are the same but Tim has always been my favorite of the Primus drummers and I couldn't wait to hear him back behind the kit. Once I finished playing through the album the first time, I had two thoughts: 1, this must be what it feels like to do drugs, and 2, where the hell are the drums?! Other than some tom hits and minor background percussion, Tim is nowhere to be found. Damn it! I tried to except that Tim was just trying to stay true to the original score so I fought through my anger and gave it another shot. The second time around I was able to appreciate it for the truly creepy and wacky spin that only Les Claypool could put on this timeless classic. It's most certainly not a standard Primus album which makes me wonder why this wasn't done as a Claypool side project, but it's still a good album to put on if you want your significant other and friends to ask "what the hell are you listening to?".
I haven't really considered myself a Slipknot fan since the early 2000's. Their album 'Iowa' was the last one to excite me. After that, I liked a song here and there, but I was put off by the blurred line between where Slipknot ended and Stone Sour began. They wrote songs to be put on the radio and that always taints bands in the metal genre. Fast forward to 2014, the band has been through a lot. The devastating loss of bassist Paul Grey and the firing/quitting of drummer Joey Jordison being at the forefront of struggles they have faced. With new blood in the band and a lot to be pissed off about, I was hoping this would be the album to truly redeem themselves (to me at least). I have some friends who have been long time fans and they absolutely love this new album, but for a "back in the day" fan like myself, it wasn't really enough to pull me back in. Sure, I enjoy a song or two, but still not what I was hoping for. I've seen it happen many times before, once a band gets a taste of the "radio single" life, there is no coming back from that no matter how hard they try.
Pink Floyd is famous for, among other things, creating an audio atmosphere that transports the listener to a new world and 'The Endless River' makes no exception to that. Other than the song "Louder Than Words", the album is largely instrumental which I was very surprised by, but pleased with after a full play through. There are a few moments reminiscent of other Pink Floyd tunes at times, but for the most part they accomplished to create a great album, which they claim will be their last. If that is true, I think they did it on a high note.
With their first album in seven years, Dog Fashion Disco answered the cries of many fans to return. They went the crowd-funded route by asking for $30,000 on Indiegogo to make a new album and that goal was reached in under 24 hours. The campaign was so successful that they had managed to raise over $85,000 by the goal date! The fans spoke. With a new album definitely on the way, it was left to our imaginations as to what mania the boys could bring to our ears. The last album DFD released in 2006, Adultery, was by far the best thing they have done. Could it be topped? My answer is unfortunately no. Singer Todd Smith, who usually brought an arsenal of vocal styles, seemed to have played it rather safe this time around. The mixture of musical styles they are known for is still there for the most point but the high energy is not. I'm going to hope that the boys just need some more time to work out the kinks of the long hiatus and that the next album will bring it, but only time will tell.
Periphery has been a ground breaking band from the get go. To go from a one man band who recorded everything in his bedroom to one of the leading groups in progressive metal, they continue to challenge themselves to bring new things to the table and I respect the hell out of them for that. Their latest EP, Clear, is no exception to their innovative approach. Each member is not only an extremely talented musician, they are all very capable song writers and producers so they decided to try something new and showcase that by allowing each member to take the reins on a song to show off their individual style that they bring to the group. Here's the breakdown: the first track "Overture" was written by the entire band and acts as an anchor that links everything together, "The Summer Jam" is by guitarist Jake Bowen, "Feed the Ground" is by drummer Matt Halpern, "Zero" is by guitarist Misha Mansoor , "The Parade of Ashes" is by vocalist Spencer Sotelo, "Extraneous" is by bassist Adam "Nolly" Getgood, and "Pale Aura" is by guitarist Mark Holcomb. Each tune is very different than the rest and I think the album accomplishes its goal to show off how unique every member is. Even with not loving every track, I still appreciate what they did here. Worth a listen.
