Year End Lists Are For Suckers! 2012 Edition

It happens every year, the dreaded year end lists sprout their ugly little heads in every corner of media. Just waiting to spark heated comments and douchebaggery by those Cheetos caked and Red Bull jacked internet phleebs. They are inescapable. Everyone clamors to let you know how cool, enlightened, or kvlt they are and just how stupid the author is for their choices and omissions. It may sound as if i'm being bitter, not so much. More empathetic than anything. On one hand I give it to the authors. "This is one of, if not the best record I've heard all year, but John Q public probably won't like it, so I wont include it on my list." Said no one ever. It's their choice not yours, get over it. On the other hand it goes to the commenters. They just want their voice to be heard too. Albeit in a rather rude and inarticulate manner. Never the less, they should most certainly have the ability to share their likes and dislikes with others. Where the fuck am I going with all this...I have no idea. I see both sides of the coin here. I'm ranting for the sake of ranting i guess. Bottom line is that I still find it fascinating and strange that matter of opinion, no matter how insignificant the topic may be, sparks such emotions.

So I have been going back and forth with the idea of doing my own top whatever for weeks now and finally decided to suck it up and write it up for you. Before I do that, I want to take a minute to mention a few of the outstanding records that won't be appearing on this list. Torche - Harmonicraft, another slam dunk by Brooke's and company. Neurosis-Honor Through Decay, as always these masters of endtyme music crush the soul. Deftones-Koi No Yokan, easily the best sounding album these lads have ever recorded.  I have omitted these fine showings simply for the fact that they dominate year end lists every time they put out a record.(rightfully so!) I felt I wanted to showcase some material that may have not received the same level accolades and deserves too. I have listed my top 15 albums of 2012 below they are not "ranked" so to speak.

Ajuna-Death in The Shape of Winter 

Dodecahedron-S/T

Stoneburner-Sickness Will Pass

Irata-Vultures

Hell-III

Death Grips-No Love Deep Web

False/Barghest-Split

Royal Thunder-CVI

Deathspell Omega-Drought

Blut Aus Nord- Liber II

Planks-Funeral Mouth

Kowloon Walled City-Container Ships

Chelsea Wolfe-Apokalypsis

No Sir-Holy Land

Cursive-I Am Gemini

Hell- III (2012)

I spent a bunch of time doing a write up for this record, but then I realized that not only did I not like what I had written, but I was doing III a disservice. III is the closing chapter of the Hell trilogy. This is one of the best bands on the planet right now and their evolution over the course of their three full lengths is something to behold. Get it.

Try it.

Buy it:

Hell on bandcamp.

The cassette is already sold out. Vinyl is coming soon from Pesanta.

This Gift Is A Curse - I The Guiltbearer

Having completely shit the bed last month due to the phenomena know as retail hell, posting new music for this sight has become a priority. And since it's December, consider them little electronic presents for your ear holes. 

First up is the Swedish outfit This Gift Is A Curse (see what I did there). I've wanted to post these guys for awhile, but for one reason or another they fell through the cracks. Unleashing an amalgam of  noise that could best be described as Botch and Knut hangin' with some Norwegian church burners, This Gift Is A Curse is no joke. Bitter, intense, oppressive, and impossibly heavy is the name of the game here. Their interplay between straight up blackened hardcore rage and their more Swans/Godflesh-y moments is really pretty stellar. While all bludgeoning, it's that shift that makes all the dynamics and mood on I The Guiltbearer so compelling. I can see this band making some serious waves on this side of the Atlantic. Get familiar. Do it.

Try It

Buy It:

Physical

Vinyl Fetish: Deafheaven/Bosse-de-Nage Split Pre-order

The Flenser is currently taking pre-orders for a 12" split between Bay Area black metal/shoegaze/pos-rockers Deafheaven and Bosse-de-Nage, done in partnership with Deathwish Inc. This is Deafheaven's first release since their strong debut LP on Deathwish last year. For Bosse-de-Nage this split comes right on the heels of their newest full-length, III, one of my personal favorites this year. The Flenser is offering a purple marble with black variant limited to 200 copies exclusive to The Flenser webstore, as well as a standard black. It would appear that the Flenser exclusive variant is already more than half sold out at this point, so grab it quick. Deathwish will also be offering an exclusive variant, details to be announced later.

The Flenser

Behexen- By The Blessing Of Satan (2004)

I know I'm in a slump when my queue of albums to listen to balloons to over 300...it's well beyond that right now. Time to get my ass in gear and listen to some new music, but first here's one from the archives.

This album sounds like shit. It's one of the least dynamic albums I've ever heard. Everything is ridiculously loud and pushed to the front of the "mix." It's super abrasive and over the course of it's 47 minutes, this album will fatigue your ears. I think that's  one of the reasons why I rank it among the best black metal albums of the 2000's.

The other reason why I rank it so highly is that it's an absolute blasterpiece and a total riff-fest. The production perfectly compliments the music in this case, it's slightly over three quarters of an hour of unchecked aggression and this aggression will stand, man. It's got tremolo picked riffs and blastbeats until the cows come home and gnarly high pitched wails abound. Behexen aren't really interested subtlety or mood-setting on this record. No, they're more interested in grabbing you by the hair and holding your face to a belt sander whirring at 3400 rotations per minute until the air is filled with a fine mist of blood and bone dust. If that sounds like the type of thing you would enjoy, you should definitely check this record out (I'm looking at you, James).

Oh, and bonus points for one of the best black metal album covers ever.

Try it.

This album is out of print, but you can pick up a copies from Discogs:

CD (Discogs)

Vinyl (Discogs)

Planks - Funeral Mouth (2012)

I had an incredibly difficult time trying to figure out how to express my thoughts on Planks. After giving Funeral Mouth (their third and most recent offering) a couple of spins, I was sure that this record was something special. The only problem is how do I describe a band like this and do them justice. Well, I'm just gonna go for it. Planks' sound, on the surface, is steeped in familiar territory. The post-metal/post-whatever tag immediately jumps out, but there's so much more. Hailing from Germany, Planks have been refining their assault on listeners for a while now. Rooted in D-beat hardcore initially, Funeral Mouth finds them incorporating a more sinister aesthetic in to their already somber songcraft, which ain't a bad thing. Their Facebook page states " if Darkthrone jammed together with Isis covering Cure songs". That's not a bad description, but not all encompassing or fair to the band. First off, unlike Isis, Planks knows how to write a riff. Secondly, they do not over stay their welcome with any one particular part. Everything sounds exactly as long as it should be. Thirdly, Darkthrone, while they have my utmost respect, cant touch these guys! I have no complaints about the Cure comparison. There is, overall, a real sense of urgency and threat in this music as well as beauty. And just when you think you got 'em pegged, the crusty comes roaring back, over a strait up black metal part no less. I cant find anything that confirms it, but I swear that's Dwid from Integrity singing on "Weak and Shapeless". All of this together make for a truly awesome listening experience. What makes Planks stand apart is, they have managed to take the familiar and craft it in to something wholly original. Year end contender here. 

Try It

Buy It

Physical

Vinyl Fetish: Midnight- Complete And Total Hell

Those of you desperate to get your grubby little hands on the now out of print Complete And Total Midnight compilation rejoice! Complete And Total Hell contains all of Midnight's pre-Satanic Royalty material from the previous compilation, plus the Farewell To Hell 10" which the previous compilation did not. However, the unreleased track "Death Sentence" was not included on this repackaged version, it also does not include the 7" of The Spits covers. Available on grey and black vinyl, no pressing info is available at this time. Snag one from Hell's Headbangers now or pay outrageous eBay prices later, your choice.

Long live death.

Vinyl Fetish: Barghest/False- Split and Mutilation Rites- Empyrean Pre-orders

Gilead Media just opened up pre-orders for two releases involving three of the finest black metal bands the United States has to offer, all three of whom went completely sickhouse on our asses at Gilead Media Fest. See our post about it here.

First up is Empyrean by Mutilation Rites. As I said when I posted their I Am Legion EP a few months ago, I'm fairly confident that Mutilation Rites is the best black metal band in the United States currently. Empyrean fits right in with the Devoid and I Am Legion EPs released earlier this year by Forcefield Records and Gilead Media. This might be the first time that any band has ever had multiple releases make my end of year list. These dudes are on a fucking roll. Pressed on 180gm black vinyl in a Stoughton tip-on jacket.

Next is the Bargest/False split. I've somehow managed to avoid hearing this despite the fact that it's been up on Bandcamp for a few weeks now. Gonna have to fix that ASAP. However, I'm entirely sure both bands will knock it out of the fucking park. This is the first release for each band since their respectively self-titled vinyl debuts of last year, both of which were issued on Gilead Media. 800 copies pressed on 180gm black vinyl in a nice thick jacket and a poster.

Get 'em both here

Also, there are some pretty boss new shirt designs for each band

Deathspell Omega - Drought (2012)

The Proposition is one of the best modern westerns ever made. Not only was it written by, but also features an amazing score by none other than Nick Cave. Why is this important to this post you ask? Salowe Visions. Dark and foreboding, reverb tinged twang convey a sense of longing and deep isolation before building into an ultimately triumphant crescendo, much like the first two acts of The Proposition.  And then came violence. Fiery Serpents. Blasting forth with such brutality, I can feel its sweat and rage bearing down on me, as if the song itself had been riding with Guy Pearce through the Australian Outback. Again, why is this important? With in these two songs Deathspell Omega have captured a cinematic vision so potent that it encapsulated an entire movie in my head in a mere eight minutes. There are still four other tracks on this E.P. Their ability to so completely evolve a piece of music is a true testament to their mastery. You as the listener are right there along for the journey they are unraveling in three to four minute vignettes. Some bands can’t do that in twenty! Drought is by far the most concise of  Deathsell Omega's Recorded output. There are still unbridled amounts of ballistic, incomprehensibly executed riffs on this behemoth, so don't you worry! Scorpions & Drought right through to the last chord on The Crackled Book Of Life, are just as strong, if not stronger, than the first two tracks. Drought is yet another epic masterpiece of forward thinking, awe inspiring, and most importantly, terrifying black metal.    

*I know it may come as a surprise to most of you that I'd post about Deathspell Omega. Having only name checked them in 40-60% of the entries on this site, I felt that they needed more exposure than what we were already giving them! So thank you for bearing with me on this one folks.

Try it

Buy it:
CD
Vinyl

Ajuna- Incomplete Circles Becoming Dead Ends & Perpetual State Of Disbelieve (2011)

Like my compatriot Pat, my tastes in black metal do not ride the rails of convention. Ajuna is not your typical black metal band and therefore perfect for me. Even calling what they do on these albums black metal is almost a misnomer. Asides from the vocals and stylistic flourishes they share more with bands like Slint, Jesus Lizard, and 90's alternative than they do Mayhem or Emperor. The eight songs that comprise Incomplete Circles Becoming Dead Ends & Perpetual State of Disbelieve run the gamut of AmRep / Touch and Go sounds. Jangly, not overly distorted, but dangerous guitar, thunderous Henry Bogdan / David Wm. Sims bass tone, and propulsive drummimg. Yeah you read that right, second post featuring a black metal band where you can hear the bass. The rhythm section in Ajuna drive the hell out of these songs. Absolutely stellar shit here! This band has been on repeat for quite a while now and probably will for the foreseeable future. 

Included in the download is their brand new demo Death In The Shape Of Winter. Having listen to it, I can say they have definitely taken a turn for the heavier in the last year. That's not a bad thing at all, but a lot of the AmRepiness that make the first albums so charming and interesting is lost a little bit. I am in no way knocking these songs, hell the video I included is from Death..., they're just different.

Try it

Buy it:
Not yet, look for it soon on Neh-Owh Records

Azoic- Gateways (2012)

Yes, goddamnit. Yes. I don't know about you, but all of this weird, dissonant, cacophonous and angular death and black metal that's coming out these days gets me all antsy in my pantsy. Deathspell Omega and Mitochondrion are two of my favorite bands on the planet right now and released my favorite albums of 2010 and 2011 respectively. Since I'm name dropping those two bands it shouldn't come as a surprise that Gateways will likely nab a high spot on my best of 2012 list. If you were to make a box and whisker plot with DsO as the lower extreme and Mitochondrion as the upper extreme, Azoic would fall somewhere in the interquartile range, between the median and the lower quartile (remember box and whisker plots? they ruled!). What makes this album even more impressive it that's it's the work of just two dudes, who based on the only picture of them that is on the internet look like they're 17. But who knows, maybe the delightfully mild Icelandic summers and hot springs keep inhabitants baby-faced into their 30's. Alright, enough inane rambling. Fans of the aforementioned bands, fans of Enslaved's more recent output and fans of modern black metal acts like Dodecahedron absolutely need to check this out. Highly recommended.

Get it here.

Not available in a physical format or as a legit download yet.

Mutilation Rites- I Am Legion (2012)

I've been hesitant to post this since I think you should be giving Gilead Media all of your money every paycheck and I don't want anybody to think that just downloading this (or any album) is acceptable, but I suppose that if you're like me you like to hear things before spending your grocery money on records. Mutilation Rites is the best black metal band in the United States right now. I'm not stating that as my opinion, I'm stating that as a fact. I Am Legion features three tracks from early Mutilation Rites demos that have been re-tooled and re-recorded with the new lineup. The result fucking rules. Despite hailing from one of the five boroughs, the widely acknowledged epicenter of much of the post-black or "hipster" black metal happening these days (fuck I hate the word hipster, but I'll save that rant for another time), Mutilation Rites share little in common with their Empire State brethren. On I Am Legion you'll find fairly traditional sounding black metal with touches of thrash and maybe a little crust thrown in the mix. Mutilation Rites aren't breaking down any genre barriers, pushing the black metal envelope or showing you what black metal could be, but rather are reminding you of just how goddamn good black metal can be. I should also note how much I enjoy the production on this album. Everything comes through nicely in the mix and you can even hear the...wait for it....wait for it...bass! I need me some low end. Tinny sounding guitars that sound like they were recorded in a trashcan pushed to the front of the mix bore me, so kudos to Mutilation Rites.

Try it:

Get it here. 

Buy it:

Digital  

Vinyl 

Dodecahedron - S/T (2012)

 Dodecahedron are a Dutch collective that seem rather intent on dethroning France as the epicenter of  forward thinking avant black metal. This slab of bad acid trip apocalyptic reckoning is as clear a mission statement as I've heard in quite a while. Many in the black metal community would consider what Dodecahedron, Deathspell, and Blut do as part of the "third wave" of black metal. Forgoing most of what would be considered "orthodox" in favor of a sound that in my opinion is far more complex and often far more frightening, these "third wavers" are pushing their genre to some pretty awesome places. Whether they're delivering riff after vicious riff or descending in to the deepest reaches of the human Psyche, Dodecahedron play with absolute conviction and force. They have arrived and everyone should take notice. Thoroughly impressed... early contender for my year end list.

Try it.

Buy it:
Physical
Digital

Thantifaxath- Thantifaxath (2011)

This was a really pleasant surprise. Thantifaxath are a black metal band hailing from Toronto. I've alternately seen this called an EP and a demo, but fret not those of you who require some level of production value, this doesn't sound like it was recorded in a trashcan underwater. If I had to compare Thantifaxath to another black metal band it would be Deathspell Omega, who are, in my opinion, the best black metal band over the last decade, so said comparison is high praise indeed. Thantifaxath share a similar predilection for dissonance and riffs that lurch and flail about in an off-kilter fashion that brings late 90's mathy hardcore bands to mind more so than early 90's black metal.

For a first release, it's remarkable how good these three songs are. Hoping we hear a lot more from Thantifaxath in the future. I just picked up a copy on red vinyl (limited to 100) from Dark Descent, you should too.

Try it.

Buy it.

Obsequiae- Suspended In The Brume Of Eos (2011)

Wow. Yeah, wow. I somehow managed to not hear of this band until I read the totally awesome interview with them in Chips & Beer #2, but I'm retroactively adding this to my favorites of 2011.

"Classical" is a term that gets bandied about far too often."Classically trained" or "classically influenced" seem to get tossed out every time someone hears a guitarist with better than average talent who writes anything that can be considered "epic". However, the two gents from Minnesota that comprise Obsequiae are the real deal (seriously, one dude specializes in harp composition from the 13th century). Fine, maybe they're not influenced by the classical period as much as they are by the medieval and renaissance periods, but you know, most people just lump all of it together as classical music anyway.

A lot of reviewers seem to want to tag this as black, melodic black or post-black metal. So I guess I'll jump on that boat. However, other than the vocals and what adds up to perhaps a minute of blast beating and trem picking, there isn't a whole lot of black metal here, though I can see how this would appeal to fans of bands with progressive, epic or atmospheric tendencies like Krallice, Agalloch and Drudkh. Actually, if you took out the vocals, I don't think there would be anything too objectionable on this album to fans of medieval music with a soft spot for rock 'n roll or prog rock fans either.

So what does this actually sound like? Melodic black metal? Yep. Progressive black metal? Sure. Medieval music? Absolutely. You'll have to check it out to get an idea of what that sounds like all mashed together.

According to Bindrune a vinyl version is in the works for later this year! I'll make a post about that when the pre-order is up.

Try

Buy it:

Digital

Physical (CD)