If you are like me, you are completely sick of the countless ‘Reality’ shows, that make pop stars, The Voice, X Factor, Idol; That just pump out generic artist after generic artist, and are responsible for some of the worst ‘artists’ to come onto the world stage, yes I am talking about that group of fake boys that sing about taking advantage of insecure girls.
The whole concept of these shows are flawed, if they are not going to perform their own music each week, you become a shell of a real artist, known for performing Leonard Cohen’s Hallelujah really well, or a good impression of lady gaga, who knows, but do you see the problem? You do well for imitating an artist, not becoming your own artist, music to me is best, when pushing the boundaries of what we know about sound, being different, being creative and unique. This is why I believe the art of the writing process takes more talent than performing said song.
How to fix this model? Well it is simple, don’t be a glorified Karaoke show and get your artists to write and perform an original song each week, sure this can be just a singing show, but we need to get out of the ‘singer is the only person that is important’ mindset, and have actual bands performing each week…wow that would be awesome wouldn’t it? I know a lot of governments and people keep on saying that we need more Australian music, we need bands, If you have a show where bands perform each week and have maybe a final 10. That is 10 Australian bands that is getting massive attention, whom each will have an album under-way, and if they get eliminated, give them resources to finish said album. By the end of the show you will have 10 different albums by 10 different bands. At 5-pieces a band, that is 50 people you have helped get their music careers afloat.
I think this is the kind of show people want to watch instead of the current tripe, people are not stupid they see that the current shows are a record company trying to make a quick buck on the success of the ‘cookie-cutter artist’ they just created, but having original bands playing original songs..that is something people want.
Gojira – L’Enfant Sauvage, This album was so close to being the Album of the year for me, the decision was the hardest decision I have had to make writing my 2012 list, however some may debate that this album is actually death metal, but I believe it is. The album is brilliant from start to finish, chunky riffs that make the hairs on my arms stick up ever single time I listen to it and beautifully arranged songs that make this the greatest Death Metal album of this year
Best Black Metal Album:
Blut Aus Nord – 777 – Cosmosophy, this year I have felt there has been few stand out Black Metal albums, however one stands above them all, that is Blut Aus Nord’s conclusion of the 777 trilogy, over the last 18 or so months they have released a trilogy of albums that has boggled the minds of metalheads, the twisted, dark and grim atmosphere to these albums is what has attracted me and kept me coming back, the sound-scape that Blut Aus Nord creates is unmatched in modern metal and should be a lesson to any atmosphere obsessed fans.
Best Progressive Metal Album:
Between The Buried And Me – The Parallax II: Future Sequence, For years I have thought of BTBAM as a mediocre Metalcore band, mainly due to the name, if a band name is a sentence I usually stay away, however this year I decided to forego my previous rule and give them a serious listen..and boy was It worth it, this album is amazing. As they were a metalcore band they have cut all ties with that genre and become a behemoth in the Progressive Metal scene.
Best Progressive Rock Album:
Breaking Orbit – The Time Traveller, Breaking Orbit is a progressive rock band, out of the Australian progressive rock scene, the scene I feel that Australia should be most proud of with countless amazing bands coming out of it, with little mainstream recognition. This debut album is fantastic from start to finish, the use of some world music elements only help to build the solid progressive foundation that it masters, mixed with amazing drumming, beautiful spacing and crushing riffs makes this the greatest progressive rock album of 2012.
Best Sludge/Doom Metal Album:
High On Fire – De Vermis Mysteriis, for anyone that is a follower of Sludge, Stoner or Doom, this should come at no surprise, with Matt Pike at the helm, this band can do no wrong, each album is better than the last and I had the pleasure of seeing them perform live this year. This album is raw and beautiful, with riffs that make you want to get up and headbang. All I can say is, you really need to listen to this album if you have not before.
Best Grindcore Album:
Cattle Decapitation – Monolith of Inhumanity, this album is by far the best Cattle Decapitation album to date, the fury and brutality is unmatchable. This album made me think of this genre in a completely different way, and helped me open up to a lot more Grindcore and I thank this album for doing that, because I would have missed out on a lot of great albums form my pre-dismissions of the genre.
Best Indie Rock Album:
Silversun Pickups – Neck Of The Woods , This album came out of nowhere for me, I had not heard this band before, the drummer, I find is the best drummer I have ever heard in a Indie Rock band, the signer is brilliant without being too whiney, the phrasing of the songs on the album are brilliant, which makes it the best Indie Rock album of the year.
Best Ambient Album:
Storm Corrosion – Storm corrosion, This group is the brain child of two people that were destined to create an album together, unfortunately it looks to be a one time occurrence, however this album is an Ambient masterpiece, the textures are beautiful and the whole album I can lay on my bed and get lost in atmosphere that only music could convey.
Best Electronic Album:
The Algorithm – Polymorphic Code I have been listening to The Algorithm since it’s conception, however this is the French man’s debut album…and what a debut, the whole album is riddled with glitch glory that I have grown to adore, and being a Computer Scientist, I get a kick out of the song titles and themes.
Best Electronic Dance Album:
Infected Mushroom – Army of Mushrooms , Army of Mushrooms marked a change in Infected Mushroom’s sound, they went from very Psytrance root to a more Drum and Bass/Dubstep sound however keeping a bit of Psytance along the way, this makes them a stand out mature act in the scene, this album is fantastic, extremely unique and full of energy, this is why it is the best EDM album of 2012.
Best Experimental Album:
Igorrr – Hallelujah, Ahhh Igorrr, you odd motherfucker, back with another album that is amazing, and the sole reason why I kept off writing my 2012 list until now, his latest album was released on 21/12/12 for obvious reasons. The album is filled with oddity and craziness yet being very coherent in a nice package, most of all it is a fun album one I can just put on and confuse most people. This is why it is the Experimental album of 2012.
Best Debut Album:
In The Silence – A Fair Dream Gone Mad, This band came out of absolutely nowhere, they are a bandcamp band that I discovered recently, they take a lot of inspiration from one of my favourite bands, Katatonia, however not to the point where they rip-off them. This album is just phenomenal that will probably be just a blip on the screen, so please do yourself a favour and check it out on bandcamp.
Best Djent Album:
Monuments – Gnosis, I know what you are going to say, ‘Djent’ isn’t a genre, how can it have it’s own category, it’s just a off-shoot of Progressive Metal, well the whole Progressive Metal genre is currently well over-crowded so it doesn’t hurt breaking it up a bit. But this album is by what I call the world’s bounciest band, this album is groovy as fuck that I just can’t stop bouncing too, it is infectious.
Best Hip-Hop/Rap Album:
Die Antwoord – Ten$ion, Yes I give rap a chance, I can’t dismiss a whole genre from the little amount of enjoyable music it has produced, one being this album, from absoultely outrageous Die Antwoord. Their music is just so in your face and ravey, you just can’t help but like it, as for the rapping both are fantastic however I prefer Yo-Landi (female), with her high pitch take on it.
Best Power Metal Album
Sabaton – Carolus Rex , I am no stretch of the imagination a fan of Power Metal, however from all of the Power Metal albums I have listened to this year, this is by far the best. Sabaton are extremely cheesy and very over the top like all power metal bands, they just do it in some other way that I fail to put my finger on. But I can hounestly say this is the first Power Metal album I have enjoyed cover to cover.
The Biggest Metal News Of 2012:
Randy Blythe gets charged with Manslaughter, This news shocked a lot of metalheads around the globe, a band as big as Lamb Of God’s lead singer getting charged of the manslaughter of a 19 year old Czech teenager, by throwing him back into the crowd, which he received injuries from and died later in hospital later. Blythe has been formally Indicted of the charges and facing trail in the Czech Republic on February the 4th, 2013.
Best Live Gig:
Between The Buried And Me & Animals As Leaders 17th of Nov 2012, Metro Theatre, Sydney, I have not attended many gigs this year as I would have liked due to my final year of uni commitment, however this gig was the best I have been to this year. Both bands performed amazingly that words cannot describe, all I can say is, I wish I was still there.
‘What the fuck that is actually good?’ Award: Best album that I did not expect
Cancer Bats – Dead Set On Living, Holy shit this album came out of nowhere and landed on my lap, Cancer Bats, when I gave it a chance this was my thought pattern “I have heard the name before, sounds like a crap band…but hey they are looking to be performing in Australia soon, I guess I will give it a listen….how haven’t I listened to this band before, oh they are Hardcore Punk..a genre that I have never really given a chance in the past. However they say they are hardcore punk, but a lot of it sounds metal, but still I get the hardcore part…but it’s not metalcore”. This is where I came to the realisation this is Metalcore…this is what Metalcore should be.
Worst Album Of The Year:
Kraanium – Post Mortal Coital, The worst album this year, don’t get me wrong I love brutal/slam death metal…but this album is just utter crap, a good slam death metal band needs groove (for example: Dying Fetus) it needs some substance not just chunky guitar, gargle vocals, chunky guitar, gargle vocals, chunky guitar, if you took the distortion off the guitar it would probably sound like twinkle, twinkle little star. This is the music that gives Death Metal a bad name, which pisses me the fuck off. If you are going to write music like this…don’t bother, we already have it.
‘Why do people like that?’ Award: The album everyone seems to like that I hate
The Amity Affliction – Chasing Ghosts, I save you the trouble of listening to this album, here it is, Screamy vocals, Bass Drop, Awful ‘Blink-182’ Vocals, Breakdown, Rinse and repeat. Why do people keep on getting fooled by this formula music? Who knows, this album hit the top of the charts here in Australia, and it was a huge achivement for the ‘hard scene’ in Australia. Australia really needs to get it’s act together with good heavy music, enough of this Parkway Drive, Northlane bullshit.
Genre of the Year:
Grindcore, Grindcore has been the genre of this year, the amount of amazing albums from this genre is mindblowing, just to name a few, Cattle Decapitation – Monolith of Inhumanity , Murder Contructs – Results, Napalm Death – Utilitarian and Pig Destroyer – Book Burner. For a genre that I have not had much interest before, this year has changed the way I view Grindcore and made it such a enjoyable part of my listening schedule.
EP Of The Year:
Trioscapes – Separate Realities, This is the first music out of this ‘supergroup’ Trioscapes is an Expiremental Jazz band, their music is very similar to another band that released their first music this year ‘T.R.A.M’ However, Serparate Realities is miles better, it’s beautiful sax playing, amazing drumming, and the welcome addition of just a single bass without a guitar turns out to be amazing. Please do yourself the pleasure of listening to this E.P.
Album Of The Year:
Diablo Swing Orchestra – Pandora’s Piñata To come to the Album of the year….This album is completely out this world, it took me 5 hours to actually get through because I was keep on restarting it because I wanted to hear it all again before I actually finished it, I had to fight myself not 10 go back to the start, which was amusing. But this album fuses Swing, Metal, Opera in one flawless package. If you take anything out of this post LISTEN TO THIS ALBUM….let me say that again, if you didn’t hear me the first time..LISTEN TO THIS ALBUM, this album will get overlooked by many people, it’s a shame really, but this is the album of this year, enjoy.
drummer149 