Weekly Round-Up (Dec 20th 2013) Part 2.

Generation Kill

Terrible name aside (taken from a book as it happens), if you are a fan of 90's metal (Pantera, Skinlab, Pist.On, Pissing Razors, etc), then this should be of interest to you. The band is the "side-project" of current Exodus frontman, Rob Dukes (who actually looks very much the part for this style of music), but avoids Thrash for the most part, instead opting for a more Groove-based style. Worth a few minutes of your time, I'd say.

Ævangelist

This is the most harrowing band I have heard since "Fleurety" unleashed "A Darker Shade Of Evil" way back in 1994 and is certainly not for the faint of heart. This is a nasty, terrifying experience. Technically, this falls under the Death Metal banner, but don't expect catchy grooves or predictable head-banging riffs from this US act. What you get instead is a wall of hair-raising, spine-tingling noise with sporadic, guttural vocals. This is not music to brighten up the dark, cold winter months, but is definitely recommended for fans of extreme music, especially if you think that Death Metal has become a bit tame as of late. Let Ævangelist take you to the depths of despair and restore your faith in the darker side of music. Click on the link below for a 4:37 taste of nastiness.

Relinquished Destiny

Mutation

It's hard to know how to describe what you are about to hear, but maybe a good start would be The Wildhearts played through a Fantomas filter. Essentially an Avant-garde musical project from Ginger Wildheart and Shane Embury (Napalm Death), the album features guest appearances from the such luminaries as Mark E. Smith (The Fall) and Merzbow, so is every bit as deranged and experimental as you might expect. That it has been released through Mike Patton's Ipecac record label is perhaps unsurprising. 

Weekly Round-Up (Dec 20th 2013) Part 1.

This is the first of what I'm hoping to make a regular (weekly) feature on this here blog. I've thought about it and I reckon that this will save me trying to find the time and energy to review one band at a time or post random videos on facebook every 5 minutes...of course, there will be exceptions that I just HAVE to post straight away, but I will try to show some restraint and self-control.

Disclaimer: The following music will not necessarily have been released this week, but it is new to me.

As there has been so much exceptional new music this week, I will be posting a second part tomorrow or Sunday.

Beastmilk

I posted a couple of videos by this Finnish band on Facebook yesterday, but if you missed them, read on. They call themselves "Apocalyptic Post-Punk", but I'm not entirely sure that this is an accurate description. In fact, I'm sure it isn't. They have a whole host of influences from The Smiths, Joy Division and Bauhaus through to Killing Joke, Talk Talk and Sisters Of Mercy, so the underlying style here is very much an 80's gloomy, gothic, dark pop. Beastmilk are not just another throwaway retro band though. They manage to bring together their influences and use them to create something fresh, modern and interesting. One of the best new bands I've heard in '13.

Avatarium

Candlemass mainman and mastermind, Leif Edling returns to the fray with his new band following the Swedish Doom Metal legends' (studio) demise. In some ways, it is pretty much what you might expect from Edling -  Majestic, Sabbath-worshipping Doom Metal, but there is a hidden depth to Avatarium. For one, the band is fronted by an exceptionally talented, unknown (to me, at least) female powerhouse of a vocalist which gives them an added dimension and a gives the band a whole new dynamic (similar, at times, to the brilliant Black Moth). Then we come to the songs structures -  They are more varied and complex than the standard Candlemass fare, featuring some interesting forays into more Opeth-esque Prog Rock territory in places and some nice instant melodies. More diverse than Candlemass, then, but fans of the band should find much to sink their teeth into.

Doyle

When I heard that the former Misfits guitarist was about to unleash a solo album, I was expecting a straight forward Horror Punk record in the vein of said previous band. What I actually got was something much more interesting: There ARE Horror Punk elements here, most noticeably in the lyrics (which are very much what you might expect), but the whole thing is wrapped up in a Groove Metal cloak. This is as much Damageplan as it Misifts. If this sounds interesting, it should do. Edgier than Danzig's recent output with better songs than the Misfits have written in years and with more balls than Wednesday 13, this is something rather special.

A Quick Update

Just to let you all (ever the optimist) know that my Best Of 2013 list is coming along nicely, despite having taken longer than expected to put together, and will be posted on this very blog in the next few days. I will also be throwing together (he says, casually) a Best Of The Underground 2013 list featuring the more extreme artists out there...which is sure to be of interest to some of you.

See, it really was a quick update. Toodle pip!

My All-Time Top 50 Albums

After around 24 hours of deliberation, I reckon I've managed to get this done. Of course, as with any list of this type, it's a constantly evolving process and there are a number of albums on this list that were released during the last few months. Would they appear on a similar list 5, 10 or even 20 years from now? Maybe, maybe not. It's hard to say for certain as obviously (as with most people) my tastes evolve, I am subject to changes in mood and I go through 'phases' of listening to certain genres. In all likelihood, such a phase is influencing me right now (has the cold and dark of winter made me partial to certain bands/albums?).

But, as it stands right at this very moment in time, this is the finished list. It's predictable in places, surprising (I think) in others, but the most important thing to remember is that these are the albums that have shaped MY life and have made me who and what I am today.

I hope you enjoy looking through my list, comparing it to yours, wondering why THAT album made it in and even, as I hope will be the case, see a couple of highly placed albums that you may not have heard. I hope I can inspire some of you to listen to albums you may not have played in a while. I hope that you will find your memory jogged to rediscover long, lost incidents from the dim and distant past - a night out at your favourite rock pub/club a live show or even just a memory of good times with those close to you in your life.

Music is very powerfully connected to memories and can trigger flashbacks, both good and bad. Each and every album on this list does that for me. Some make me smile, some may make me cry, but they all make me, ME.

50. Killswitch Engage - Alive Or Just Breathing

49. Marilyn Manson - Antichrist Superstar

48. L7 - Bricks Are Heavy

47. White Zombie - Astro Creep: 2000

46. Enthroned - Xes Haereticum

45. Down - NOLA

44. Bal Sagoth – Atlantis Ascendant

43. Bifröst - Heidenmetal

42. Solefald - An Icelandic Odyssey Part 1: Red For Fire

41. Mortiis - The Smell Of Rain

40. Fall Of The Leafe – Volvere

39. Biohazard - Urban Discipline

38. Falkenbach - Heralding The Fireblade

37. Obituary - World Demise

36. Iron Maiden - Brave New World

35. Machine Head - The Blackening

34. In Flames - Come Clarity

33. System of A Down – System Of A Down

32. Downer - Downer

31. Satyricon - Now Diabolical

30. Fear Factory - Demanufacture

29. Katatonia - Viva Emptiness

28. Sigh - Imaginary Sonicscapes

27. Judas Priest – Painkiller

26. Raging Speedhorn – Raging Speedhorn

25. Pitchshifter - www.pitchshifter.com

24. Agent Steel  - The Omega Conspiracy

23. Sepultura – Chaos AD

22. Pantera - The Great Southern Trendkill

21. DevilDriver - Pray For Villains

20. Soulfly – Prophecy

19. Skid Row - Slave To The Grind

18. Nirvana - Nevermind

17. Finntroll – Nifelvind

16. Deicide – Deicide

15. Cradle Of Filth - Cruelty & The Beast

14. Skyclad - Irrational Anthems

13. Paradise Lost – One Second

12. Faith No More - Angel Dust

11. Deftones - Around The Fur

10. Kvelertak - Kvelertak

9. Woods Of Ypres - V: Grey Skies & Electric Light

8. Therapy? – Troublegum

7. Alice in Chains - Dirt

6. Thyrfing - De Ödelösa

5. Hell - Curse & Chapter

4. Anaal Nathrakh - The Codex Necro

3. Prodigy - Fat Of The Land

2. Korn - Korn

1. Sparks – Hello Young Lovers

Do I Even Dare Attempt It?

Although I have barely scratched the surface of my 'Best of 2013' list (which is still 'in progress'), the devil on my shoulder is whispering in my ear. Prodding me, provoking me.

The reality is that I spend literally weeks each year agonising over my top 20 (30 or whatever) albums...yet despite this, I am considering compiling a list of my all-time favourite albums!

Now, here is where it really gets crazy. Believe it or not, I actually think it will be a whole lot EASIER than the top 20 of 2013 has been. The reason being that, although there has been lots of great albums released that I love this year and will be next year, there won't be many that are just THAT good - you know, good enough that you remember them 5, 10 or even 15 years later. The type of album that will feature on a list you can just reel off without too much effort.

I think (think being the keyword here) that I can compile such a list without too many headaches and without really putting too much thought into it. I mean, as I am typing (and as you are reading), I'm sure that we are both already naming albums in our minds.

Many of these are likely to be albums that made a big impact on me in my formative years or those released during the golden 'discovery' years as these are the ones I listened to the most and when music was still fresh and new to me...and they are the ones that have almost burned themselves into my subconscious. There is a 'but', however.

The risk here is that of bias. Are the albums from the early 90's (when I was discovering myself and my musical tastes) really better than those released in the subsequent 2 decades? Honestly? Probably not. Therein lies the hidden thorn in this rose. If I decide to approach this idea, then I want to do it in a subjective and fair way. This will inevitably result in giving me the very headaches that I would prefer to avoid. I am not one to back down from a (personal) challenge, though - even if there is a very real chance that I am being over-confident, cocky even, and that this will be too much for me handle, mentally (Scanners, anybody?).

Now, do I do it or not? And if I do, will it be a top 20, 30 or more? Personally, I'm thinking 40 or even 50. What do YOU think? And, for the purposes of solidarity, would you be willing to share your list?

Edit: I've just realised, with a sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach, that the problem here may not be deciding which albums make the cut, but rather compiling the list and placement positions. Hmm.

Best of 2013: 20 -16

20. Clutch - Earth Rocker

What do I really need to say about the mighty Clutch? This is Clutch doing what they do best - Southern Stoner Boogie Punk Rock? I really don't know how to explain this band to the uninitiated other than by saying that they are just full-on rock bastards! This is timeless, classic rock music with monster grooves and Neil Fallon's unique, occasionally bluesy / occasionally guttural vocal delivery. You can clearly hear that the band is made up of members who are clearly comfortable with themselves, each other and their music. Confident, stomping and filled with that special groove that Clutch has in spades, this is among the band's best releases and certainly the best since Blast Tyrant.

19.  Alter Bridge - Fortress 

A sign of the end of days or merely a changing of the guard? It speaks volumes about how this band has grown and developed that this album has made my top 20 where Pearl Jam and Alice In Chains did not. This is a hard rock album for the ages - heavier than they ever been before and bolstered by the ever-growing confidence of vocalist Myles Kennedy who has one of the very best rock voices in the world today. There isn't a weak moment to be found here. A true rock classic.

18. Månegarm - Legions Of The North

The Swedish Folk Metal legends return with their first album in 4 years and this time with a more stripped-down sound, due in part to the departure of long-time violinist Janne during the recording process. Where the album certainly lacks the distinct sound of the violin, it compensates with a more focused, punchy approach to the songs. In places it is noticeably more Viking Metal than the Death/Black Metal of the band's early material - on "Sons Of War" for example - which will help make the band more accessible to a whole "Legion" of potential new fans, but fear not, there are enough heavier moments to please long-time devotees too.

17. Sepultura - The Mediator Between Head And Hands Must Be The Heart

Sepultura return with their strongest release since Derrick joined the ranks back in 1997 and if there is any justice in the world, this should silence the naysayers once and for all. The tone is set from the get-go, with the thrashing "Trauma Of War". This is a band which clearly still enjoys challenging it's listeners and have done so yet again by delivering an album that is anything but instant. This is a Thrash album at heart, but one which is shrouded with a pervading sense of bleakness throughout. Thought-provoking and dynamic, this is undoubtedly one of the best albums released this year and deserves to be mentioned in the same sentence as the likes of Arise. Yes, it really is that good. Listen without prejudice.

16. James LaBrie - Impermanent Resonance

Although he is best known as the vocalist for the Prog Metal powerhouse Dream Theater, James has also released a number of albums as a solo artist. This, his latest, is a melodic, catchy little beast, chock-full of songs which will get stuck in your head for days. Forget what you think you know about Mr LaBrie and leave your angry metal head at the door. With lyrics ranging from positive to soul-searching and to occasionally trite, this album will have you singing along and smiling like a fool. Lovely stuff!

By Jove! I think I've Got It (Ready)

Yes, as unbelievable as it may seem, another year has flown by and it's time once again for me to rub my ego and give you all a run down of the albums that I reckon are the best that 2013 had to offer. I have heard over 400 albums this year, so this wasn't an easy list to compile...but who ever said life was easy? Yet again, this has been an amazing year for new music, which makes it even more frustrating when I hear people complaining about the state of metal in 2013. This may not be a 'cool' list, but these are the albums that have received the most plays and made the biggest impact on my year.There are literally hundreds (thousands?)  of quality acts - new and old - out there and whenever I think I've heard it all, an album comes along and makes me sit up and take notice. Instead of moaning about it, people need to get out there and find some new music (use S*****y if you have to) - we have t'internet literally at our fingertips, so there really is no excuse. Anyway, before I use my soapbox to help me climb on to this really high horse, I'll get on with the list. Part 1 will be posted this very afternoon. I'm fairly sure that I'll agonise over my choices as soon as I click "Publish", but that's the nature of the beast.

Note: I am typing this on Dec 8th. If anyone is foolish enough to release a record this late in the year, then they have fallen into a "no-mans land" where they are too late to make the 2013 list and too early for the 2014 list.