Of all of the albums released this month, I'd say that this one is not only the best, but also the most surprising. On hearing that Norwegian Post-Grunge rockers Audrey Horne were about to release album number 4, I was more that a little nonplussed. I mean, they have always had their moments, but none of the previous albums has exactly blown me away. Each has had its highlights, but none has been consistently good enough to stand out from the veritable hordes of bands playing that type of music.
That is until now. The more keen-eyed among you may have already noticed the genre in brackets above...yes, this is NOT a Post-Grunge album. This album is full of classic, 70's/80's style hard rocking goodness. That isn't to say that this is old hat or just another "retro" album from yet another Scandinavian band. No, AH have come up with something really special here.
This album sounds like it could have been recorded by a "supergroup" featuring members of Iron Maiden, Deep Purple, Kiss and Thin Lizzy. Imagine that for a moment if you would indulge me. Right. Got it? OK, well now prepare to be blown away by the confidence and by the amazingly catchy songs here...from the Kiss swagger of "There Goes A Lady" through to the NWOBHM stylings of "Show And Tell", the Maiden-esque brilliance of "This Ends Here" and the epic "The King Is Dead", almost every song would probably be considered a Rock classic if this had been released a couple of decades ago. It really is that good.
This is the best Classic Rock album I heard in many years. Do yourselves a favour and pick up a copy.
If you still need convincing, check out the video for "Redemption Blues" for a taster of this stunning album.
I know I do a lot of these lists, but here is another anyway. We all have those albums which have been with us for years like faithful companions. The albums which don't seem to age. As a long time reader of Metal Hammer, I have always read with great interest when they ask which album or albums would you recommend to a newcomer to metal or which album defines metal? Well, I am taking it further. These are the 20 (Yes, 20!) albums that I would recommend to anyone, be they a grizzled metal veteran or a relative metal virgin. If you haven't heard the albums on this list, well you should. Simple. Go on Spotify, download them if you must, but just give them a try. They are all bona fide classics in my, as always, humble opinion. I have tried to avoid anything from the last few years. This isn't due to falling standards of quality (quite the opposite is true in many ways), rather due to the fact that tastes change. "Favourite" albums come and go. An album I love and play to the point of wearing it away today, may be gathering dust in a year. No, these are albums that have had a long time to mature, albums that I have listened to more times than I've changed my pants and those which I could put on right now and listen to all the way to the end.
As usual, I have split this down as not to overload your delicate brains too much in one go, and to allow you time to digest and appreciate the music on offer fully (if you decide to do so).
So, here are the first 5 which came to mind.
Raging Speedhorn - Raging Speedhorn (2000)
First up are the hard bastards from Corby with their self-titled debut.
And what a debut it is! This album is a Sludge/Hardcore monster. Simple
but effective riffs, throat tearing (twin) vocals and all the groove you
could ever want. It's a shame that they never came close to these
heights again and sadly disbanded in 2008. But they left this brutal classic behind.
Listen to: Thumper
W.A.S.P. - The Headless Children (1989)
After the controversy the band attracted/courted in the early days and the wonderful, but often tongue-in-cheek anthems such as "I Wanna Be Somebody" and "Animal (Fuck Like A Beast), in 1989 we were introduced to a more serious, darker W.A.S.P. through the medium of that most dreaded of beasts, the concept album. From the Maiden-esque guitars to Blackie's mournful wail, this is a truly classic clutch of songs. The title track still gives me chills to this day. This album should be in the collection of any self-respecting metal fan...even those who don't like W.A.S.P. It's that good.
Listen to: The Headless Children
Judas Priest - Painkiller (1990)
This is almost so obvious that I shouldn't need to include it, but I will and definitely should. This album IS metal. It defines metal. It saw the band up their game in the face of the more brutal competition (Pantera and the like). The band needed to something to save their reputation and career after the woeful duo of "Turbo" and "Ram It Down". Well, they did that and so much more. They breathed new life into not only their own career, but into the ailing metal scene itself. Pounding drums, THAT twin guitar sound and Rob's inimitable vocal delivery all cement the place of Painkiller in any classic metal albums list. It is over 2 decades old now, but it hasn't and probably never will be considered "old". It was all downhill for Priest after this (although I liked a lot of the Ripper-era material), but how many bands could follow up an album like this? No wonder Rob quit the band.
Listen to: Painkiller
Hatebreed - The Rise Of Brutality (2003)
Hatebreed are one of those bands. Always consistent, never releasing a weak album...but it is "Rise..:" that is the jewel in their crown. Jamey's voice is brutal on this album. He roars his way through the uplifting and empowering lyrics...espousing inner strength and self-belief, never letting up for a moment. Not giving the listener time to breathe or recover from the aural pounding. This is as hardcore as Hardcore gets. I'd go as far as to say genre defining.
Listen to: Live For This
Pantera - Vulgar Display Of Power (1992)
Pantera had already managed to leave behind their humbe (and generally rubbish) beginnings as a Sleaze/Glam band when they released the brilliant and groove-laden "Cowboys From Hell" in 1990, but it was VDOP which really made the metal world sit up and take notice...influencing and attracting the attention of a new generation of fans (me included) at the same time. This was revolutionary and was one of the albums responsible for keeping Metal alive in the face of the Grunge onslaught. It was as brutal an album to break the mainstream as it could have been at the time, with the unforgetable and instantly recognisable cover setting the tone. Phil stomped, spat and bellowed his way throughout, taking no prisoners and the band were tighter than an emo's jeans. This is an album which had such an impact on the scene that it can never be over-rated or under-stated.
So we are down to this - the third and final part of my "Top 30 of 2012". These are the albums that really shook my world over the past 12 months. Here you will find career bests, comebacks and in one tragic case, final albums. A mixed box of treats, but one which contains no bloody coffee creams!
10. Soundgarden - King Animal (Grunge/Rock)
To call this album "highly anticipated" would be a huge understatement. To be honest I don't think any of us really ever expected to hear a new Soundgarden album again. So, it was with trepidation and curiosity that I cautiously approached this - the band's first full-length in 15 long years. The last album was released way back in 1997, which really was a different era musically and I was 21 for G*d's sake. Could the band repeat what Alice In Chains achieved on their "comeback" album in 2010? I should point out that I was never much of a Soundgarden fan 'back in the day'. Of course I liked the "hits" - Jesus Christ Pose, etc, but I always found them to be dull in comparison with their 'Grunge' peers. Well, I was not only surprised, but also well and truly converted when I heard this. It's like no time has passed, but at the same time succeeds in sounding fresh and relevant. The chemistry between the members is immediately apparent and Chris Cornell's voice retains its familiar power and passion, but now has a raspy, gruffer edge. Welcome back! You really have "Been Away Too Long".
Song: Taree
9. Waylander - Kindred Spirits (Celtic/Blackened Metal) The Irish Celtic Metallers return with another clutch of Pagan Black Metal war songs. Even after two decades Waylander still retain an urgency and energy not found in a lot of their contemporaries. The tin whistle and bodhran provide the perfect accompaniment to the blackened, dark tones of the songs on offer here and the band sounds vibrant and raw, managing to capture an almost live feel. The lyrics are steeped in the Celtic mythology of their native Emerald Isle and at the risk of coming across as twee, evoke images of a horde of Celtic warriors, faces painted, ready to face the enemy. If Folk Metal is your thing then you owe it to yourself to listen to this fantastic album.
Song: Echoes Of The Sidhe
8. Korpiklaani - Manala (Folk/Pagan Metal)
Korpiklaani are a unique beast. They are one of those bands where you not only know what to expect, but actually welcome it - If it's not broken...and all that. The band deliver time and time again. Everything you might expect from the band is here, but this time, almost gone is the party feel and the drinking songs. In their place is an album based around the concept of the Finnish mythological Underworld, Manala (or Tuonela). It is a darker, more edgy work than we have come to expect from Korpiklaani in the last few years and with a sound which harks back to their debut, will hopefully usher in the beginning of a new era for the band and help them maintain longevity when the Folk Metal fad dies. Don't despair though...the catchiness and head-nodding rhythms are still evident here, but are counter-balanced with some slower, mournful instrumentation.This is the jewel in the band's crown and probably the best release of their career. Where some may mourn the death of the party animals, I look forward to more of this - a more organic, authentic "folk"sound. Song: Ruumiinmultaa
7. Cradle Of Filth - The Manticore...And Other Horrors (Gothic Black Metal)
This
is a truly pleasant suprise, if that word can be applied to COF. The
darkness and nastiness of their early work, which was missing on the
last few neutered releases is back with a vengeance. This is COF on top
form. "All killer and no filler" as I believe the saying goes. For once
Dani and co. have managed to reign in their need for over-indulgence,
opting this time to keep the album to an easily palatable 11 tracks/51
minutes. This is a streamlined showcase of the band's strengths.
Everything you would expect from COF is here: From razor sharp riffs and
Dani's trademark screeches through to the dark, poetic, gothic lyrics, but this
time the keyboards and female vocals are kept in the background and are
therefore applied to greater effect. Gone are the 10 minute bore-fests
and clean vocals. Welcome back. The future is black...the future is
Cradle.
Song: Huge Onyx Wings Behind Despair
6. Woods Of Ypres - 5: Grey Skies And Electric Light (Dark Metal) This
is the album that should and likely would have been the album the
elevated Woods Of Ypres beyond the underground. A band that flew under
the radar of most metalheads, but just oozed quality. Blending post
black metal, shoegaze and gothic rock with ease, the band enchanted the
select few who discovered them with their ethereal sound and with David
Gold's heart-breakingly honest lyrics. Sadly, however on December 21st
2011, mere weeks before the release of this album, David Gold was killed
in a car accident at the age of 31. Rest In Piece David. You will truly
be missed.
Song: Finality
5.Eluveitie - Helvetios (Celtic Metal/Melodic Death Metal) Eluveitie have always come across to me as the perfect middle ground between In Flames and Cruachan - and Helvetios is no exception. Effortlessly melding Celtic rolls with blistering Gothenburg-stlye Death Metal riffs. As one would expect, this is full to burst with tin whistles, flutes and more hurdy-gurdy than you could shake a stick at. A career best for a band which has yet to release a bad album...and that really is as high a praise as I can give them. Stunning! Song: Neverland
4. Corrosion
Of Conformity - Corrosion Of
Conformity (Sludge/Punk/Metal) Do
I even need to explain why the mighty COC made the cut? I hope not, but
just in case, this is the band doing what they do best...Sludge-ridden, Doom Metal with a Punk/Hardcore bite. This doesn't sound like a band who have been peddling its wares for three decades, but rather one which is stamping its authority and marking its territory. An exhilarating, blistering display which belies COC's long, storied history...It doesn't come much more real than this. Essential. Song: Leeches
3.Napalm Death - Utilitarian
Napalm storm back into the fray with their latest offering, Utilitarian. As far as
ND go this is pretty business as usual. It is almost strangely reassuring to hear a new ND album...it just makes the world feel 'right'. The band are as pissed off and hungry as ever, proving yet again that these grizzled old veterans can more than hold their own in a scene dominated by bands half their age. This is the sound of a confident band
still angry at the world, but very much at ease with their place in it.
Song: Collision Course
2. Deftones - Koi No Yokan (Alt./Post Rock/Nu-Metal)
The ever-consistent and classy Deftones come storming back with their
7th album, Koi No Yokan, and I am pleased to say that it definitely does
not disappoint. Sound wise, what you have here is the energy and
aggression of White Pony mixed with the subtlety and restraint of later
releases and it works brilliantly. Do I need to say more? Just listen to it.
Song: Swerve City
1. Anaal Nathrakh - Vanitas Britains nastiest purveyors of brutality haven't let up one bit. This is
the sound of one of the most extreme bands on the planet broadening its
musical horizons yet again. The band's trademarks are all here: The
unearthly shrieks, face-shredding riffs and almost operatic clean
vocals, but this time they come complete with "catchy" choruses and even
occasional forays into electronic beats. This is pure savagery at its
best.
Without a doubt, the best album released in 2012 and one of the best extreme metal albums of all time.
OK, so I have finally prepared myself mentally to even begin to approach this monumental bastard of a task. What a year 2012 has been! As I have said previously, it seems like most bands in the world of rock and metal have really raised their game this year (there are exceptions...to follow). Bands old and new alike have released top quality statements of intent (albums if you prefer). Bands once close to being written off, by me at least, such as Cradle Of Filth and Deftones have come back with a vengeance, and the new upstarts are seemingly out to prove a point. Either way, the bar has been well and truly raised in 2012.
I can honestly say that I have never known a year with so many great releases. I didn't even know if I could do it, but after 6 weeks of headaches (literally) and headbutting (virtual) walls, here it is for your perusal. I have to admit that even after making this a top 30 as oppsed to a top 20, there are some albums that it really pained me to exclude (I may post this list later if anyone would be interested?), but it needed to be done for quality control purposes - there was just such a volume of great albums that I had to remove anything that had anything even apporaching too much "filler".
I am going to attempt to compile a Spotify list - if I can figure out how - containing a playlist of recommended songs from each album as this was suggested to me by more than one person and does seem a more sensible idea than posting endless links that most people won't bother clicking on. For now, however, YouTube links it is...I have also noted the genre of each band, so you only need to click on those that you think might be for you.
Of course, the temptation with a list of this type would be to name loads of underground/obscure artists to attempt to look cool and knowledgable (which I am, obviously), but I have listed the albums that I enjoyed and continue to enjoy the most. besides, I have nothing to prove to anyone in that respect (do I?) and I am a little too old for that type of playground elitism.
So, finally and with no more arsing around, here we go.
30. Testament - Dark Roots Of The Earth (Thrash)
Song: Rise Up
29. Forefather - Last Of The Line (Folk Metal)
Song: By Thy Deeds
28 . Orange Goblin - A Eulogy For The Damned (Metal/Stoner/Doom)
Song: Death Of Aquarius
27 . Hexvessel - No Holier Temple (Dark Folk)
Song: Are You Coniferous?
26. While She Sleeps - This Is The Six (Metal/Hardcore)
Song: False Freedom
25. The Mercy House - A Broken State Of Bliss (Hard Rock/Grunge)
Song: Greed
24. Therion - Les Fleurs De Mal (Symphonic/Orchestral Metal)
Song: Initials B.B.
23. Paradise Lost - Tragic Idol (Gothic Metal)
Song: Tragic Idol
22. Be’Lakor - Of Breath And Bone (Melodic Death Metal)
Song: Remnants
21. Baroness - Green / Yellow (Progressive/Stoner/Sludge)
Once considered to be pretty much a "boys only" realm, the role of the death, black and grind metal vocalist has recently seen an influx of able-throated ladies who can more than hold their own with their male peers. Of course there is still the a minority of idiots who have a patronising and sexist attitude towards them, but let's face it, this is just down to insecurities and the unfortunate downside of the patriachal society in which we still live. Anyway, I'm getting too serious here. Back to the point.
Even though there were female vocalists in the metal scene long before her, I would say that it was Angela Gossow who really opened the floodgates and influenced a new generation of young female (extreme) metal fans to pick up a mic. Of course, in the late 90's/early 00's there were already a number of strong female (vocal) role models to be found in bands such as Tura Satana, Otep, Human Waste Project, Kittie, etc, but Fraulein Gossow was about to take things up a notch. In fact, this was the first time that I had heard a woman tearing up her vocal chords in such a way. I freely admit that when I picked up my copy of the new (at the time) Arch Enemy CD "Wages Of Sin" in 2001, I was aware that they had hired a new vocalist but when I saw a photo of the band in the album booklet, I just assumed that the woman pictured was a backing vocalist. A few minutes into the second track I still couldn't work out where the female vocals were (yes, shockingly ignorant, I know). Once the penny dropped though, I was surprised but I'm sorry to say, still a little sceptical. I needed to "see" this for myself before I fully accepted that this slightly built young woman was the growler I was hearing on the album - although these days, when compared with some of her peers, her vocals seem almost a little 'tame'. Well anyway, after seeing the band live in Birmingham the same year, I was both convinced and converted (and I was not the only one). No longer was the predominant role of a woman in a metal band that of bassist (just how many bands have or had a female bassist back in the day - I wonder why that is?). The new breed of extreme vocalist was here.
Angela Gossow (Arch Enemy)
Now, I am not going to sit here and type out an exhaustive list of extreme metal bands (although I probably could, if challenged) with a female singer - what would be the fun in that?. Instead, the three songs below are just a small sample of what the extreme ladies of the modern era have to offer.
At the tail-end of the 90's there were a growing number of bands playing what is now often termed "groove metal", which is sort of a post-thrash sound with elements of the nu-metal scene of the time (early Korn and Deftones). Bands such as Skinlab and Dearly Beheaded (both relatively unknown and under-rated in their own right) and their ilk released an array of quality albums at the time. There was, however, one band which stood way out ahead of the pack. That band was Pissing Razors, a charmingly named oufit hailing from El Paso, Texas. Although their later output was a little weak by the lofty standards they had set for themselves, the (un)holy trinity of albums "Pissing Razors", "Cast Down The Plague" and "Fields Of Disbelief", all released between 1998 and 2000, are and were outstanding metal releases which never really achieved the sales/success they should have, but isn't that often the way.
Sounding like they had been ingesting a steady diet of Sepultura, Machine Head, Pantera and Fear Factory, Pissing Razors should have been a force to be reckoned with, but instead seemed to have been around a few years too early and would have slotted nicely in with bands such as Lamb Of God and DevilDriver in the mid to late 00's (and today's) scene. They certainly deserved to reach a much larger audience, but alas it wasn't to be and the band disbanded in 2004. if you like your metal with a groove and a mid-tempo thrash edge you can headbang (slowly) too, this is the band for you.
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