Post by drhickman1983 on Oct 24, 2021 23:38:37 GMT
Is it too early for this? Still a couple of months left I guess (and some of the albums on my watch list are released in November). But I think I'm a good enough place to reflect on the years music.
So much so I made a playlist that I'm going to share, though expect nobody to listen. It's been a pretty metal heavy year for me, though I think my favourite albums might actually be some of the none-metal selections.
Starting my playlist with one of the outliers of the stuff I’ve listened to this year. The album isn't out yet so it might end up being pants, but I like the few preview tracks. Hedfi is a Tunisian multi-instrumentalist who popped onto my radar as this debut album of hers was produced by Olof Dreijer of The Knife. It kind of scratches the same itch that Dead Can Dance does, with it’s globally influenced and cinematic sounding melodies and textures.
Fear Factory – Disruptor (from "Aggression Continuum")
After the gentle start I figured the “mixtape” could do with a jolt of energy, so Fear Factory it is. Aggression Continuum is the tenth album by Fear Factory, and after a series of disputes and in-band fighting the last to feature vocalist Burton C. Bell. It’s a shame in some ways as I think this is the first Fear Factory album in a while to really get hold of me. Bell’s vocals seem, at least to me, rawer and more vitriolic than the last few albums. And Dino Cazares’ brings some great riffs to proceedings. It’s hard not to see it as a Swan Song (though the bands line-up has changed several times over the last few decades) but it’s a good swan song to go out on.
Memoriam – No Effect (from "To the End")
Memoriam are an old school death metal band, essentially formed from the ashes of the legendary Bolt Thrower, with members of other late 80’s and early 90’s death metal dinosaurs Benediction. This fourth album finds them seemingly renewed and energised. The music encompasses a lot of sludgy mid-tempo death metal, but also reaches into slowed down doom metal passages and punkier, faster songs. The album as a whole is a step up.
Turnstile – Blackout (from "Glow On")
Coming from Baltimore, Turnstile have their basis in hardcore punk, and many of the riffs are reminiscent of, for example, Bad Brains. But they take that basis and play around with it quite wonderful ways. Many of the songs have a dreamy, ethereal sheen, injected with a punk-rock sound that could be compared to AFI or The Offspring. Their songs frequently take unexpected twists, without ever sounding incohesive.
Deafheaven – The Gnashing (from "Infinite Granite")
Deafheaven’s earlier albums were a strange, but compelling, mixtures of shoe gaze and black metal. This fifth album sees the black metal aspects dropped almost entirely, with vocalist George Clarke abandoning the rasping shrieks until the albums closing moments, focusing entirely on his “clean” vocals. The use of reverb and tremolo give Infinite Granite a dreampop vibe, albeit with perhaps more muscular drumming. Very post rock sounding.
Forhist – I (from "Forhist")
Forhist is a side project of the Vindsval, of the industrial, avant garde black metal group Blut Aus Nord. Where as Blut Aus Nord can be quite experimental, Forhist takes a very traditional approach to black metal, at least sonically, though he eschews the trite satanic imagery associated with the genre and focuses on themes of nature and environmentalism. Sonically it has a wonderful mixture of scuzzy guitars and simple, haunting synths, which frankly I’m a sucker for.
Sarke – beheading of the circus director (from "Allsighr")
This also hasn't been released yet, but I like the preview tracks and their earlier work. Formed by Thomas "Sarke" Bergli of the black metal bands Khold and Tulus, and joined by other black metal artists including Nocturno Culto of Darkthrone (who we’ll get to later) including Sarke expand their influences far beyond black metal and encompass thrash, 70’s and 80’s rock, punk and metal. It’s big sounding. Progressive in its song writings, Sarke change gear often, but they are based very much in big, fun guitar riffs and epic keyboard.
Poppy – So Mean (from "Flux")
Poppy’s previous album was a chaotic, sprawling, magnificent fusion of her airy, bubblegum pop vocals and industrial metal. With Flux Poppy has refocused her sound, taking inspiration, it seems, from the 1990’s, tracks take in influences from Garbage, Hole, Jack Off Jill, The Breeders et al. Whilst it doesn’t feature the same surprise twists and turns of her previous work, it sounds more sincere and cathartic. Given that she signed to a major label very young and has spoken about being subjected to manipulative behaviours by form collaborators, it’s reasonable to say that this is the real Poppy, as opposed the character she played previously.
Tyler, the creator – Manifesto (from "Call me if you get lost")
Call me if you get lost is a twisting, turning album that never sits still. Heavily influenced by 1990’s boom-bap hip hop, but encompassing soul, jazz and even a hint at times reggae, every song starts and ends in a different place. It speaks about Tyler’s own development as an artist; the album both looks back at his angsty, deliberately provocative early days and his latter, more melancholic and nostalgic albums. Half built on wonderfully understated braggadocio, and half built on heart break, the album flows together wonderfully, every twist seems deliberately placed and sequenced. And the ad libs from DJ Drama are fabulous.
The Bug – Hammer (from "Fire")
The Bug (aka Kevin Martin) has been busy since his Angels and Devils album in 2014. He’s done a few collaborations, including a sprawling urban soundscape with the drone rock of Earth, and a more recent, sombre, claustrophobic colab with Dis Fig, but Fire is a return to the industrial dancehall and grime, with a wonderful selection of guest vocalists. Including three tracks with Flowdan (including this track, Hammer) and I can’t really think of a better producer / vocalist duo. But throughout, Martin’s production is big, angry, bassy. Apocalyptic. Mutant rhythms and oppressive tones. Fire indeed.
Slowthai – ADHD (from "Tyron")
I loved Slowthai’s previous album “Nothing Great About Britain”. It had a real punk vibe, looking at the world through a working class lens, angry and critical of society, and had a definite The Streets vibe at times. Tyron focuses inward more, and less outward and splits into two halves. The first is living up to what people expect Slowthai to be. Aggressive, in your face. The second more introspective and anxious. Not as immediate as his first album, but the latter half especially is quite rewarding.
Andrew WK – Everybody Sins (from "God is Partying")
This was marketed as Andrew WK’s “metal” album, moving away from his hard rock previous work. Whilst this is partly true, it’s a more diverse album than that, encompassing metal, hard rock and synth pop. It’s very anthemic, with the most grandiose, most metal moments, reminiscent of Dio. Other moments could be something from a latter period Devin Townsend album. It’s a lot of fun through. That Andrew WK reportedly played *everything* on the album is also pretty impressive.
Monolord – Ill Be Damned (from "Your Time to Shine")
Swedish doom metal trio Monolord return with their fifth album. Also not quite released yet, but it's Monolord so you know what to expect. It doesn’t exactly reinvent the wheel, still lying firmly in their brand of doom, but does seem them evolving slightly – 'I’ll be Damned' is perhaps the fastest song they’ve recorded. But it’s that subtle psychedelic tinge to their music that slightly sets them apart. Rifftastic.
Darkthrone – Lost Arcane City of Uppakra (from "Eternal Hails……")
Darkthrone are basically legends. They made three genre defining black metal albums at the start of their career in the early 1990’s, then stopped touring. Drummer Fenriz has a day job in the postal industry. They make music they want to make, and over the years they’ve had albums influenced by crust punk and the new wave of British Heavy Metal. Eternal Hails…… (I love the six ellipses in the title) is their most doom album. It’s not the only influence, but it’s full of exceptional riffs and moments. I mentioned being a sucker for synth over scuzzy guitar in my notes for Forhist – the last half of Lost Arcane City of Uppakra is possibly my favourite musical passage of the year.
Nick Cave and Warren Ellis – White Elephant (from "Carnage")
recorded over a period of weeks in lockdown, Carnage feels claustrophobic and bitter at times, with moments of romanticism and cathartic release. It feels cinematic, falling between Cage and Ellis’s film scores and their work in the more recent albums Bad Seeds albums. I'll be honest, I didn't really get into this, but I like a few tracks, including this one.
Conflict – Mighty and Superior (from "Statements of Intent 1982-1987")
Cheating somewhat as this is a collection of their recorded work from (you guessed it) 1982-87 (there’s also a second box set covering 1988 – 1994), but both box sets are staggering. Conflict are one of the most outspoken and brash of punk bands – even more so than Crass. There’s just something about the sincere vitriol and spleen of Colin Jerwood’s vocals, and it’s interesting to hear the band develop over the two box sets, perhaps becoming more bitter and embattled as time progressed. Just powerful stuff.
So with all that said, I think my favourite album of the year is one of:
The Bug – Fire
Darkthrone – Eternal Hails……
Tyler, The Creator- Call Me If You Get Lost
So yeah, best albums of the year from your perspective?
So much so I made a playlist that I'm going to share, though expect nobody to listen. It's been a pretty metal heavy year for me, though I think my favourite albums might actually be some of the none-metal selections.
Starting my playlist with one of the outliers of the stuff I’ve listened to this year. The album isn't out yet so it might end up being pants, but I like the few preview tracks. Hedfi is a Tunisian multi-instrumentalist who popped onto my radar as this debut album of hers was produced by Olof Dreijer of The Knife. It kind of scratches the same itch that Dead Can Dance does, with it’s globally influenced and cinematic sounding melodies and textures.
Fear Factory – Disruptor (from "Aggression Continuum")
After the gentle start I figured the “mixtape” could do with a jolt of energy, so Fear Factory it is. Aggression Continuum is the tenth album by Fear Factory, and after a series of disputes and in-band fighting the last to feature vocalist Burton C. Bell. It’s a shame in some ways as I think this is the first Fear Factory album in a while to really get hold of me. Bell’s vocals seem, at least to me, rawer and more vitriolic than the last few albums. And Dino Cazares’ brings some great riffs to proceedings. It’s hard not to see it as a Swan Song (though the bands line-up has changed several times over the last few decades) but it’s a good swan song to go out on.
Memoriam – No Effect (from "To the End")
Memoriam are an old school death metal band, essentially formed from the ashes of the legendary Bolt Thrower, with members of other late 80’s and early 90’s death metal dinosaurs Benediction. This fourth album finds them seemingly renewed and energised. The music encompasses a lot of sludgy mid-tempo death metal, but also reaches into slowed down doom metal passages and punkier, faster songs. The album as a whole is a step up.
Turnstile – Blackout (from "Glow On")
Coming from Baltimore, Turnstile have their basis in hardcore punk, and many of the riffs are reminiscent of, for example, Bad Brains. But they take that basis and play around with it quite wonderful ways. Many of the songs have a dreamy, ethereal sheen, injected with a punk-rock sound that could be compared to AFI or The Offspring. Their songs frequently take unexpected twists, without ever sounding incohesive.
Deafheaven – The Gnashing (from "Infinite Granite")
Deafheaven’s earlier albums were a strange, but compelling, mixtures of shoe gaze and black metal. This fifth album sees the black metal aspects dropped almost entirely, with vocalist George Clarke abandoning the rasping shrieks until the albums closing moments, focusing entirely on his “clean” vocals. The use of reverb and tremolo give Infinite Granite a dreampop vibe, albeit with perhaps more muscular drumming. Very post rock sounding.
Forhist – I (from "Forhist")
Forhist is a side project of the Vindsval, of the industrial, avant garde black metal group Blut Aus Nord. Where as Blut Aus Nord can be quite experimental, Forhist takes a very traditional approach to black metal, at least sonically, though he eschews the trite satanic imagery associated with the genre and focuses on themes of nature and environmentalism. Sonically it has a wonderful mixture of scuzzy guitars and simple, haunting synths, which frankly I’m a sucker for.
Sarke – beheading of the circus director (from "Allsighr")
This also hasn't been released yet, but I like the preview tracks and their earlier work. Formed by Thomas "Sarke" Bergli of the black metal bands Khold and Tulus, and joined by other black metal artists including Nocturno Culto of Darkthrone (who we’ll get to later) including Sarke expand their influences far beyond black metal and encompass thrash, 70’s and 80’s rock, punk and metal. It’s big sounding. Progressive in its song writings, Sarke change gear often, but they are based very much in big, fun guitar riffs and epic keyboard.
Poppy – So Mean (from "Flux")
Poppy’s previous album was a chaotic, sprawling, magnificent fusion of her airy, bubblegum pop vocals and industrial metal. With Flux Poppy has refocused her sound, taking inspiration, it seems, from the 1990’s, tracks take in influences from Garbage, Hole, Jack Off Jill, The Breeders et al. Whilst it doesn’t feature the same surprise twists and turns of her previous work, it sounds more sincere and cathartic. Given that she signed to a major label very young and has spoken about being subjected to manipulative behaviours by form collaborators, it’s reasonable to say that this is the real Poppy, as opposed the character she played previously.
Tyler, the creator – Manifesto (from "Call me if you get lost")
Call me if you get lost is a twisting, turning album that never sits still. Heavily influenced by 1990’s boom-bap hip hop, but encompassing soul, jazz and even a hint at times reggae, every song starts and ends in a different place. It speaks about Tyler’s own development as an artist; the album both looks back at his angsty, deliberately provocative early days and his latter, more melancholic and nostalgic albums. Half built on wonderfully understated braggadocio, and half built on heart break, the album flows together wonderfully, every twist seems deliberately placed and sequenced. And the ad libs from DJ Drama are fabulous.
The Bug – Hammer (from "Fire")
The Bug (aka Kevin Martin) has been busy since his Angels and Devils album in 2014. He’s done a few collaborations, including a sprawling urban soundscape with the drone rock of Earth, and a more recent, sombre, claustrophobic colab with Dis Fig, but Fire is a return to the industrial dancehall and grime, with a wonderful selection of guest vocalists. Including three tracks with Flowdan (including this track, Hammer) and I can’t really think of a better producer / vocalist duo. But throughout, Martin’s production is big, angry, bassy. Apocalyptic. Mutant rhythms and oppressive tones. Fire indeed.
Slowthai – ADHD (from "Tyron")
I loved Slowthai’s previous album “Nothing Great About Britain”. It had a real punk vibe, looking at the world through a working class lens, angry and critical of society, and had a definite The Streets vibe at times. Tyron focuses inward more, and less outward and splits into two halves. The first is living up to what people expect Slowthai to be. Aggressive, in your face. The second more introspective and anxious. Not as immediate as his first album, but the latter half especially is quite rewarding.
Andrew WK – Everybody Sins (from "God is Partying")
This was marketed as Andrew WK’s “metal” album, moving away from his hard rock previous work. Whilst this is partly true, it’s a more diverse album than that, encompassing metal, hard rock and synth pop. It’s very anthemic, with the most grandiose, most metal moments, reminiscent of Dio. Other moments could be something from a latter period Devin Townsend album. It’s a lot of fun through. That Andrew WK reportedly played *everything* on the album is also pretty impressive.
Monolord – Ill Be Damned (from "Your Time to Shine")
Swedish doom metal trio Monolord return with their fifth album. Also not quite released yet, but it's Monolord so you know what to expect. It doesn’t exactly reinvent the wheel, still lying firmly in their brand of doom, but does seem them evolving slightly – 'I’ll be Damned' is perhaps the fastest song they’ve recorded. But it’s that subtle psychedelic tinge to their music that slightly sets them apart. Rifftastic.
Darkthrone – Lost Arcane City of Uppakra (from "Eternal Hails……")
Darkthrone are basically legends. They made three genre defining black metal albums at the start of their career in the early 1990’s, then stopped touring. Drummer Fenriz has a day job in the postal industry. They make music they want to make, and over the years they’ve had albums influenced by crust punk and the new wave of British Heavy Metal. Eternal Hails…… (I love the six ellipses in the title) is their most doom album. It’s not the only influence, but it’s full of exceptional riffs and moments. I mentioned being a sucker for synth over scuzzy guitar in my notes for Forhist – the last half of Lost Arcane City of Uppakra is possibly my favourite musical passage of the year.
Nick Cave and Warren Ellis – White Elephant (from "Carnage")
recorded over a period of weeks in lockdown, Carnage feels claustrophobic and bitter at times, with moments of romanticism and cathartic release. It feels cinematic, falling between Cage and Ellis’s film scores and their work in the more recent albums Bad Seeds albums. I'll be honest, I didn't really get into this, but I like a few tracks, including this one.
Conflict – Mighty and Superior (from "Statements of Intent 1982-1987")
Cheating somewhat as this is a collection of their recorded work from (you guessed it) 1982-87 (there’s also a second box set covering 1988 – 1994), but both box sets are staggering. Conflict are one of the most outspoken and brash of punk bands – even more so than Crass. There’s just something about the sincere vitriol and spleen of Colin Jerwood’s vocals, and it’s interesting to hear the band develop over the two box sets, perhaps becoming more bitter and embattled as time progressed. Just powerful stuff.
So with all that said, I think my favourite album of the year is one of:
The Bug – Fire
Darkthrone – Eternal Hails……
Tyler, The Creator- Call Me If You Get Lost
So yeah, best albums of the year from your perspective?
