Top 20 Albums of 2012: Part Three: 10 - 1

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.

Song: To Spite The Face