So you know the best records, but what about everything else? For the eight year in a row, we examine the best EPs, genres, cassettes, painful moments, and tons more. Read on, or use the handy dropdown picker to jump to specific features. Be sure to let us know how it was for you too by commenting on what you'll remember 2011 for.
Like most classic rock bands, Van Halen have been presumed dead for a long while now. However, back in August of 2010, it was announced that Van Halen were returning to the studio and would be releasing a new album in 2011. What made this particularly special was that original vocalist David Lee Roth was back in the fold, and the entire album was finished recording back in July. Unfortunately, the band didn't wind up signing a contract until November, and as of now, no release date has been confirmed. One thing is for certain, though: it'll be better than Van Halen III.
Only one band is so "trve kvlt [they] have no fans" and so desolately bleak that they record at the Geographic South Pole, and that would be Antarctica-based drone/doom/noise metal band Nanocyborg Uberholocaust. They announced back in June that their latest LP, Degrees, was in the process of being recorded and that it should be finished by early August. And since then...no one has heard from them. There's no word on whether they've finished recording or when they're planning to release the new material or if it's been scrapped entirely. Then again, a substantial effort is certainly required to record 26 individual hour-long tracks. Yeah, you did the math right. That album is 26 hours long. I bet they froze to death recording it.
All the way back in 2009, Powerglove's guitarist Chris Marchiel announced that the band was going to be working on two albums: one of TV show and movie theme covers, and one of their traditional video game soundtrack covers. The former, extremely excellent album Saturday Morning Apocalypse was released in 2010, and its follow-up was originally projected for 2011. Unfortunately, the album wasn't finished as planned. The band expressed their intentions to get back into the studio after finishing the Summer Slaughter tour this year, and reaffirmed that they'd be doing video game covers, but it's clear that they were a bit too optimistic with their original timeframe.
Unlike most rock acts from the 70s, Rush have aged surprisingly well; their latest studio album, 2007's Snakes & Arrows, had some of the best material of their later career. And in June 2010, the band released a double A-side single promoting their newest album, titled Clockwork Angels. The two songs, "BU2B" and "Caravan", only seemed to improve on their latest album, and hopes were high for a 2011 release. And then other projects started to get in the way. The band extended their Time Machine tour further into 2011, and the final few songs on the album went unfinished. This album, has been tantalizingly close to being finished for a while--it's now being projected for an early 2012 release.
This one was really more of an unintentional tease on the band's part. Originally, the band had announced in Terrorizer magazine that their newest album would be released sometime this autumn. However, in future interviews, the band revised their statement, pushing back the date to spring 2012. It's not that surprising, given how little we still know about this release, that some details were probably mentioned prematurely. However, it doesn't take away the sting of missing out on one of the finest bands in extreme metal for another year.
Following their resurrection in 2008, it was only a matter of time before Quebec tech death group Gorguts decided to record a new album. The band had finished the songwriting back in February for their first album since 2001's From Wisdom to Hate, even releasing an untitled teaser song from the album, and had planned for a release date this summer. Then, things started going sour. The band wasn't able to negotiate their record deal in as timely a manner as they hoped, and without new material to play live, the band cancelled their summer tour appearances. Fortunately, it seems things have gotten back on track for the band and, according to their website, the album is now expected to be released in 2012.
Everything seemed to be going well for this release. Gojira had lined up a host of guest musicians, they had everything recorded, and they had even leaked one track that whetted everyone's tastes: "Of Blood and Salt", featuring Fredrik Thordendal and Devin Townsend. And then, in an unfortunate accident, a hard drive containing a lot of material for the album broke, setting back the release indefinitely. And because it's a charity project (eventual proceeds of the album will go to the conservationist group Sea Shepherd), everyone involved is basically working for free, and progress on recovering the data and getting the album out there has been slow. In the mean time, the band have plowed ahead with other projects; they recently signed onto Roadrunner Records and started to record their fifth studio album. It looks like this release, however, is up in the air.
Words: Matthew Sarah
While it's not Steve Perry on vocals, it's hard to deny that Journey's latest album isn't enjoyable. It's disappointing that arena rock this pure is almost a dead art form, so it's refreshing to hear a band unafraid to write rock pieces over three minutes in length and bust out the unnecessarily wanky guitar lines. I certainly can't compare it in good faith to ESC4P3, but I can say that this album made me smile from ear to fucking ear.
Chickenfoot is one of the rare supergroup success stories, and their flippantly named sophomore album Chickenfoot III proves that there is still room for the likes of Michael Anthony, Sammy Hagar, and Joe Satriani in today's music scene. Rounded out with RHCP drummer Chad Smith, the quartet have created another record of unabashedly enjoyable hard rock. While Satriani's trademarked guitar playing is much more muted with this release, the Van Halen influence is absolutely abundant; with Hagar on vocals, it's almost the new Van Halen album wish we had. You know, anything that isn't Van Halen III.
Nobody expected that Collapse into Now would be alternarock giants R.E.M.'s farewell album, but no one is denying that it was a satisfying end. Granted, it's somewhat toned-down from their more popular works like Murmur or Automatic for the People, but Collapse into Now had an undeniable level of maturity to it that can only come from years and years in the business. It definitely is a fitting resolution to one of the better careers in rock music.
With a new vocalist in tow, Yes returned to the studio this year to record their latest effort, Fly From Here. Everyone knew the band wasn't about to record another album on par with Close to the Edge or Fragile, but no one expected the album to turn out quite as good as it did, either. While it still shows signs of a band in their age, Fly From Here is still full of unusually bright, fresh ideas from a band that's aggressively out of style in the modern music scene. What's more, most of the album still holds up favourably to their canonically 'best' works. Definitely a welcome surprise.
Way back in 1997, it was said The Cars were finished forever. Apparently forever is much longer than I thought, because The Cars, down one member, reunited to release the excellent Move Like This. What's most surprising about this album is that, unlike most other bands that are relics from the 1970s, The Cars have managed to stay in pretty good shape. Maybe it's because we've had some time off, but Move Like This is a surprisingly enjoyable album. It's full of new ideas, yes, but it still maintains The Cars' familiar glossy sheen. Definitely one of the better pop rock albums of the year, and proof that classic rock acts can still remain relevant today.
Words: Matthew Sarah
Rush don't usually make a big fuss about reissuing their albums. However, for the 40th anniversary of their unarguably greatest album, Moving Pictures, the band decided to finally make a splash. In addition to the remastered album itself, this collection comes with a bonus DVD that includes high quality stero and surround sound mixes of the album, music videos for three of the tracks, and even a photo collection. Diehard fans of this album will love the freshness of the new mixes, and newcomers will be blown away by one of progressive rock's biggest gems.
Pearl Jam was one of the greatest bands to come out of the 90s grunge scene. From the raw, earthy grit to the sweeter, light acoustica, Vs. is the album that captured absolutely everything they were about. The reissue also comes with a strong selection of rare Pearl Jam tracks from the time that fit perfectly with the rest of the album, like the excellent instrumental "Creedy Stomp" and the sentimental cover "Bloody Mary". If you're a fan of grunge or alternarock at all, you must own this album.
Being re-released as part of U2's rolling 20th anniversary reissues, Achtung Baby stood out as one of the few albums that's still relevant to modern music. No one's denying the beauty of The Joshua Tree or the unbridled fury of War, but this is probably the first U2 album that hinted at their modern sound, as well as proving that they could remain relevant with the emerging alterarock scene. Given that their last album, No Line on the Horizon, was absolutely pitiful, it's rather refreshing to hear rock music this good and remember why U2 used to command such esteem.
Beautifully spinning thrash metal with progressive rock, Death has earned its place in metal history as one of the best technical death metal bands in the business. Their album Individual Thought Patterns is still the gold standard of the genre, holding up favourably alongside classics like Focus and Unquestionable Presence. This reissue contains the album itself, as well as a live performance from 1993 and a studio outtake, "The Exorcist." Metal this finely tuned will never become boring, and this reissue captures the album in its context perfectly.
Wish You Were Here gets overlooked all the time by the popularity of The Dark Side of the Moon and The Wall, but unlike those two, this album has held up incredibly well with age; we're all not collectively sick of hearing every track on it just yet. The 2011 reissue of the album is still as enjoyable now, if not more so, than its original release, and if you opt for one of the two multi-disc sets of the album, you'll also get a lot of incredibly enjoyable bonus tracks that frame the album historically in Pink Floyd's catalogue--the alternate, live versions of tracks from Animals alone are worth it. If there was ever an album worth rebuying, it would be this one.
Words: Matthew Sarah
Power metallers Machinae Supremacy deserve a nod on this list. They released their debut album, Deus ex Machinae, for free this year as a reward to their Facebook followers. Of course, it originally came out in 2004, so it doesn't get to make the official list, but it's too good of an album not to mention.
Valve kindly made Mike Morasky's beautiful soundtrack to the excellent Portal 2 available for free download, released in three installments. At least we didn't have to wait over four years (and counting) for the third volume. You don't necessarily have to have played the game to enjoy the ambient clicks and beeps, but anyone who has had the opportunity will enjoy the feeling of Aperture's vast lab coming to life once more.
Space rockers Zombi kindly released this brief remixes EP for free via Amazon.com's .mp3 store earlier this year. It contains the original song "Slow Oscillations", plus four new versions of the track. From the mesmerizing to the chaotic, this brief but satisfying EP has some moments for every taste.
It's been a slow year for Senmuth; he's only released nine solo albums (ten if you include his side project Tenochtitlan). While a lot of his albums this year have been wonderful, Enigmatic Nubian Mask stands out as the best offering. Consisting of just five tracks clocking in at forty-five minutes, this album is the epitome of his long-sought fusion of ethnic ambiance and metal. While you're there, also listen to this year's Geheimatite for some great djent-influenced metal or Eastextures of Soundstones for some fantastic oriental metal.
Just the first of many excellent debut albums on this list and released on the very first day of the year, Forge of Clouds' self-titled debut is an example of sludge metal done correctly. Beautifully fusing grungy grooves and cloudy ambiance, this album definitely will pave the way for a successful career from this Polish quartet.
It takes chutzpah to write an album-song. It takes even more to direct a full-length video for that song. Apparently no one mentioned this to Montréal-based technical death metallers krokmitën, because they've come out of nowhere to release a 44-minute album-song and accompanying video titled alpha-beta. Sonically somewhere between Death and Atheist, these guys are without a doubt one of the pleasant surprises to come out of 2011.
Speaking of album-songs, Sheffield rock band Bleaklow went with the much more modest 20-minute EP-length approach for their debut. Fusing elements of progressive rock and post-metal, The Sunless Country is an absolute pleasure to listen to from beginning to end, even if it does feel like it's over all too soon.
Of course Cloudkicker was going to be on this list. Ever since he started releasing music in 2005, Ben Sharp's beautiful mastery of post-rock and progressive metal and unprecedented level of maturity from an Internet artist has kept us captivated and waiting for more of his wonderful music. This year's major release, Let Yourself Be Huge, is no exception of quality. It returns to Sharp's original post-rock roots while still utilizing all of the tricks that made his metal excursions so successful. While you're at his website, also check out its sister release, the more experimental and ambient Loop.
Giving the finger to traditional genre labels and focusing solely on creating wonderful music, Charts and Maps have made an album too chaotic to describe properly and too beautiful not to share. I'll approximate and call it post-math-jazz-core. If that hasn't intrigued you already, there may be no helping you at this point. While you're downloading this album, check out many of the other wonderful releases this year from their free netlabel, Lost Children.
If you read my review for this album, you'll know it pisses me off to no end, and therefore, I absolutely have to recommend it. Though you'll still need to hear this one on vinyl to get the full auditory experience, the free version comes in the still-passable .wav format. This is one of the rare beautiful-sounding albums out there, and it deserves to be heard as clearly as possible. Don't get me wrong, the music is fantastic, but listening to this album is in of itself an enjoyable experience, too.
Flabbergasting in its complexity and mind-blowing in its beauty, the proper debut from Argentinian band Random has to be heard to be believed. Combing progressive death metal with a healthy dash of who-the-fuck-knows, this album will leave you confused, intrigued, and strangely aroused, right up until the very end. This album is one of the most satisfying albums of the year. The fact that it's free is just a bonus.
Words: Matthew Sarah
Some albums came out this year, that for some reason or other I can't really include in my top 25. Reissues, differing release dates and albums that have been lost to the metal ether for decades.
Having been released in the UK (where I happen to reside), in 2010 this record made my list last year. Unfortunately, the release date for this stateside was very early 2011 meaning it was kind of a personal cheat to include it. Sorry Inquisition.
The mighty Beherit unleashed this collection upon us in June. Comprising of rehearsal takes and early demos, it's not an album proper - it is darn fantastic though.
This year, the glorious Darkthrone put out a bunch of reissues featuring commentary from Fenriz and Nocturno Culto. At times hilarious and always informative, these records are a reminder of why this band are still held in such high regard today.
Three releases from a band many thought had long split up heralded their return to the live scene. Having not released anything for night on ten years, these doom legends spoilt us all with a live recording (Live For Nothing), a 12" reissue (Erode The Person) and a set of tracks recorded soon after the bands inception but never before released (Self Titled).
It's no secret (pun totally not intended) that Alcest are a favourite of mine. Their new record is about to hit at the beginning for next year, and this year Neige re-recorded first EP Le Secret as it was originally envisioned. Quite beautiful.
Words: Cheryl
Here's some most excellent EP's from this past year. Black metal, death metal and all round evil.
Pale Chalice - Afflicting The Dichotomy Of Trepid Cremation
Savage black metal from San Francisco.
Teitanblood - Purging Tongues
I haven't heard this yet as the release date was set for December 21st and it's vinyl only - chances are it's absolutely incredible.
Sorrows - Lethe
I know bugger all about this band, information is hard to come by. This EP is just stunning.
Cruciamentum - Engulfed In Desolation
Finally seeing the cold light of day, Engulfed In Desolation hammers home that Cruciamentum are a death metal force to be reckoned with.
Chaos Moon - The Ouroborus Worm
Raw and frantic black metal, unfortunately this group is now disbanded. Really a massive shame, this was amazing.
2011 was a great year for EPs. In fact, I probably could have done a top 25 without a problem; bur writing them all up would have hurt my brain. Anyone that thinks that 2011 was a lackluster year simply was not listening well enough as a ton of artists released some awesome records. EPs are quickly becoming a go to for me as opposed to LPs, and this batch is just some of the evidence why. This list is in chronological order of how I listened to these releases; a cop out I know, but there was no way to place these in any kind of critical hierarchy… trust me, I tried.
Untitled will envelope you in this strange aural haze that is so easy to get lost in the dreamy undulations of sound that emanate from the two tracks (three if you purchased the uber exclusive CD that will make you cooler than sliced Beatles if you own one, so those who are desperate to be a party of the nerdy music literati should get on it ASAP before all the Europeans show how much further along they are than us barbaric far westerners). You will not be able to resist the harsh malaise and mellow musings of these songs.
Shards of noise, pounding industrial sounds, screeching, et al lay one of the most droning and hypnotically infectious just under ten minutes that you may ever hear and that is just in the first couple of minutes and then the mood and tenor of the sound changes from the frantic sonic assault to a more mellow and virtually serene aural pasture.
The first time that I put Ordo Adversarial on the record player, it felt like I was cheapening the experience by not getting into the mood; but my level of excitement was so high that I was neither thinking clearly nor did I feel like frightening the other people in my house by initiating some dark rites (though by now I am sure that they are used to bizarre behavior involving my record listening habits). Even still, my excitement was completely justified as the blackened waves of noise enveloped the air around me as my ears were subjugated to two bleak and harsh soundscapes.
I first called this Pure punk rock power that seethes and froths in the all of the ways that these grizzled old timers could be expected to do so, and I completely stand by this assessment. With only 6 tracks and not a single one being over 2 minutes long, this 7” is over in almost the blink of an eye. It took a bunch of listens to hear just how great this EP is and how good the songs are (don’t believe me? Check out “This Life” and tell me I am wrong); this record gets better with time.
Maybe a sonic orgasm the aptly titled 2 (as this is the second tape from this project literally elicit this kind of intense and powerful emotional response while the tape plays over and over again while you drown in the hypnosis and depressing malaise. The multitude of sonic layers are mind-blowing as you pick out specific sounds in the whirlwind of white noise and cascading keyboards that hide the slightest of subtle melodies beneath the seemingly ceaseless sonic storm.
This is another hold over from my mid year EP list… and barring the near tragedy that befell these guys this year, their second EP may be the craziest thing that the band did with their time. Three new untitled tracks (and another cover) of the noisy riffing and pounding rhythms that Gods & Queens are becoming known for creating. Whether or not the aim of the band is to literally damage your ears is up for debate (though, being acquainted with Jamie, it might be the closest thing to the truth that you are likely to hear), this record actually betrays their ability to come up with a good melody and bury it amongst the thick, swirling feedback and white noise.
I need to stop listening to this, but, wait, no, I really do because it is getting rather ridiculous repeatedly listening to the same piece of music over again and that is exactly what is going on with Hushed Bloom and my headphones; these tones reverberate inside my head as the warm tones caress my tired brow in an utterly depressing but strangely comforting manner. This is a cassette of two sides: one (“Hushed Bloom”), all subtly nightmarish and disturbing without getting loud or overly oppressive and frightening comes complete with a droning female voice which threatens to drag listeners down in to a severely despondent abyss that comes out of a movement that is virtually just percussion and vocal depression while the second side is more dream inducing in a pleasant and almost beautifully tragic manner with a barely audible spoken word part hidden beneath the droning, ambient waves that embrace the listener in an all too strange hypnosis almost certainly guaranteeing the loss of time.
SUSPENSION takes drones, found sounds, atmospheric noise, feedback, loops, and whatever else REMNANTS can find and melds them together into a strangely and satisfyingly uplifting sonic landscape that works on listeners’ psyches on many different levels (just as a great ambient record should); but where some recordings of this nature can sound like one long piece with little or no variation, the four compositions on this tape are all very distinct while all fitting perfectly together.
Self released by Planning For Burial, this tape contains four new pieces of gloom-y hook laden post post dreamy gloom pop ‘o’ rama. Imagine if you will, some of the prettiest paeans to the confusion of late twenties malaise and depression and angst that you will ever hear (at least until someone else writes songs like these or the album versions of these songs drop sometime within the current millennium) pour through your speakers complete with luscious beds of hazy drones, delicious melodies, and the crushed vocals of a doomed and broken man.
Daemons puts the seven inch format to good use as it is one nasty track per side of the record (believe me that is perfect) that pushes the scathing blackened noise to further blackened depths of sonic terrorism while adding some new methods to their assault as they cut back a bit on the total oppression on the b-side (“Haunting”) to create some real tension to their work that had not been explored up to this point what with the almost industrial percussive elements and the subtle tones. “Haunted” (the A-side) is the unadulterated oppression that one might expect from this outfit, although the melodic opening guitar lines did make me do a double take the first time that threw this single on the turntable, and the swirling feedback and harsh noise only intensifies from there as Sutekh Hexen lays down layer upon layer of sound to create a dense piece of music.
Was a bit disappointed with the debut album from Iroha, not necessarily because of the music either; but End Of An Era is awesome and everything that I wanted to hear from these guys. These four songs are damn catchy and just plain great to listen to while driving around aimlessly.
As a disclaimer, this are full length debuts. Yes, these bands may have released EP's, demos etc.... beforehand, but these are the pick of the most interesting and intriguing first full lengths from some outstanding bands. Also, I couldn't fit these into my personal 25. It was a tough decision to cut them out, but they deserve a place somewhere.
Bursting onto the scene in a whirl of atmosphere and sorrow, this record is both extremely intense yet still holds onto the pure emotion within.
An incredible concept album regarding the fall of Lucifer. Completely engrossing and genuinely affecting.
Truly disturbing, and acoustic (yes) occult based rock.
Black metal from members of Baton Rouge sludge masters Thou. Total misanthropy.
Forming many moons ago (2001), Soror Dolorosa finally released this record in 2011. Comprising of members of a multitude of influential French black metal bands, this record is pure 80's cold wave goth revival.
Words: Cheryl
Having had 25 slots to fill, I found I had to miss off some excellent 2011 releases. So here's 5 that unfortunately just didn't quite make it. Obviously all of them are worth checking out.
Absu unleashed this spectacular second installment in a new trilogy upon us this year. Black thrash at it's absolute finest.
Emotionally draining and unnerving, this solo album from Have A Nice Life's Dan Barrett is a trip into the subconscious and the unknown. Heartbreaking, this record is one of wonder and exhaustion.
Black metal in the atmospheric vein, yet featuring some sublime clean vocals. At odds with other bands in this genre, Falloch have produced something quite extraordinary in their first release.
Riffs aplenty and that classic Finnish sound make Goatmoon's first full length in four years a fine release indeed.
Absolutely madness from these French maniacs. Eurobeats galore and the sound of cocking guns. Has to be heard to be believed.
Words: Cheryl
London is a fantastic place for live music. With a gig happening almost every night of the week, there's always something to see. Metal is the genre I generally experience most in the live format, and with that in mind here's a rundown of five shows that made me feel that life would be nothing without the glory of live music.
The most exhausting show seen in town this year, Altar of Plagues give catharsis in it's purest form.
Running through newest album We're Here Because We're Here in full, then enveloping the audience in an accomplished set of greats, Anathema kicked off my personal gig year on an incredible high.
This show was touch and go for a while, after having cancelled the previous nights gig due to illness. Ronan Harris pulled through and gave probably the best VNV show I've seen thus far. Not stopping for the entire two hours, audience and band included, it was euphoric.
40 Watt Sun's first UK show was an event to marvel at. Laden with doom and exquisite emotion, Patrick Walker and his band did enough to make even the hardest of hearts melt.
This exclusive UK show marked the first time Negative Plane deemed us worthy to witness their live event. And damn, it was spectacular.
Words: Cheryl
Despite what you may have heard elsewhere, there were a lot of really good hip-hop records this year. In fact, trying to single out twenty of them is hard enough, let alone put them in some sort of numerical order. Rankings are bullshit anyway. Of couse some things are better than others and some things are just bad. I mean, there is a reason you won't find Throne, Weezy, or Tyler on here. But trying to decipher who should get the highest honors can turn into a endless game of he-said/she-said—friendships will end, divorce rates will increase, brothers won't talk for 10 years, and limbs will be lost. So I am going alphabetical-by-artist on this one. You might think of it as a cop out, but I think of it as saving a life. The 20 best hip-hop records of 2011
Following on the heels of his first solo album Dr. Lecter, Action Bronson teams up with production workhorse Statik Selektah for his second full-length record of the year. Of the all the underground MCs on the verge of breaking through (MaLLy, Freddie Gibbs, Danny Brown, Torae, Quelle Chris, etc.), Action Bronson seems the most poised of the bunch—showing the ability to grow in terms of both subject matter and delivery. Selektah provides a variety of beats and no doubt encouraged Bronson to broaden his approach for Well Done. Much like his mentor DJ Premier, Selektah has a knack for picking just the right samples to drop in the cut.
Bronson’s cadence oddly familiar to that of Ghostface or Big Pun, skills-wize though, the argument could be made that he is actually superior. He moves effortlessly through a variety (albeit a small scope) of subject matter—pro-wrestling, weed-smoking, sports, the streets, and food. Dude makes me straight hungry. "Lock the refrigerator/there's no controlling me/steak and chocolate got their motherfucking hold on me." And he's funny too. Example: "Never mess with the blanco/and that's word to O.J.'s Bronco." Producer Tommy Mass—who is known mostly for his work with hipster-hoppers Team Facelift—created a backdrop consisting primarily of breakbeat loops. It all makes for a very ‘90s New York hip-hop vibe.
Coming out of North Carolina, this duo—MC Sean Boog and Khrysis—drop their latest album; showing a noticeable growth both in terms of production (all courtesy of Khrysis) and song structure. Khrysis’s beats are on some serious head-nod ish; the bass is low but not rattling—like getting punched in the chest underwater. The record is loaded with guests—Evidence, Talib Kweli, and Phonte among them—that complement Boog’s raspy dialect.
Old-School hip-hop…scratch that, rap music resurfacing at a time when contemporary popular hip-hop is in dire need of actual rappers. Complete with all the obscure cultural references (Kenny Rogers Roasters, André Leon Telly, Jerome Crooks, Splenda, etc.) and witty humor you’ve come to expect from the Beasties. Sample Adrock lyric—“The proof is in the pudding/And the pudding is in my pants/You’ve heard me rap/Now watch me dance.”
Raekwon seems hell-bent on not repeating the lackluster outings that happened between the first and second installments of Only Built For Cuban Linx, as evidenced by last year’s Wu-Massacre with Ghostface and Method Man, and now Shaolin vs. Wu-Tang. Rae comes hard as ever with a bevy of complimentary guest MCs in tow—Lloyd Banks, Nas, Rick Ross, Black Thought, and several of the usual suspects—sans RZA—from the Wu-Tang Clan. Complete with all the kung-fu movie samples and sword-slashing Wu-distinctions, the record is throwback-ish yet refreshingly contemporary.
Mikey Rocks and Chuck Inglish have earned a rep for themselves as those new-school kids, supplying that old-school vibe—simplistic 808-heavy beats, high-treble claps, and a laidback flow. With Fish, the core formula hasn’t changed much but they have expanded a bit on overall sound; adding in elements of R&B, Southern hip hop, and funk. In what might initially seem like an odd pairing, UGK’s Bun B makes an appearance on “Gas Station.” It works surprisingly well though, as the beat is hazy and gangsta-lean, and Chuck and Mike slow their roll just enough that it matches Bun’s appropriately.
Boston’s Edo G has been in the game for a minute now. And he’s not shy about it either. “I Was There” is an ode to ‘90s, wherein Edo pin points various people, places, and events from the Golden Era, of which he was connected. Edo’s mates from Special Teams, Slaine and Jayson drop by for one, and he’s backed by production from likes of Statik Selektah and DJ Premier. That latter of which laces him on the standout track “Stop it.”
It has been a lackluster year for Rhymesayers, what with veterans Atmosphere and Blueprint turning in disappointing albums, and barely noticeable outings from Grieves & Budo and Hail Mary Malone. But Evidence swooped in to save the day late in the game with his second solo outing since Dilated Peoples was put on hold back in ’06. And this is perhaps the most inspired he’s come since the Expansion Team over a decade ago—dropping clever and pointed rhymes amidst a complimentary beat selection (Preemo, Alchemist, Khrysis, and Evidence himself took turns behind the boards)—he’s risen to the top of the indie heap.
Over two decades in the rap game, Kool G Rap proves he is still a lyricist not to be fucked with. This OG can wrap…ah, I mean rap circles around these youngins’ out here today. On this record, Kool spins tales of gritty street life—from the perspective of a” ‘70s-ass gangsta”—around beats from a number of lesser known producers. Gordon H.U.M.P. Humphrey provides a dark, DefJux-dubstep-like grind on “Going In”—A track in which G Rap cements his status as the elder statesmen; throwing cautionary warnings to those on the come-up. As well, Alchemist and longtime collaborator Marly Marl lace a track each. Don’t sleep on true hip-hop!
This is what happens when California and Indiana, in an act of “divine intervention”, meet up in Minnesota, discover that not only are they roommates, but that they share a mutual admiration for J.Dilla, Native Tongues, and Golden Era hip-hip. Aquatic Son (California) and LeMons (Indiana) are dual headed monsters in their own right (both produce and rap) but when they work together something special happens—that is Midwest Konnect. This record is as impressive as it is ambitious. The Trailer is twenty-some tracks, existing in the middle ground between backpack and jiggy. Students of hip-hop’s history, capable of making big moves in the future.
Okay, this one might technically be a mixtape—It has a bunch of recycled beats on it and it’s a free download—but then again it might not be—there is no annoying DJ shot-calling his own name between songs and Bandcamp calls it an “album” (yes, I know they call everything an album)—but either way, I have to include it here. If anything, because of the glorious cover art, and because, well, his name is Mr. Muthafuckin’ eXquire after all. Plus “Huzzah!” is the hood party anthem of the year. The hook: “Drunk driving on a Wednesday/ With three bitches and an M.P.V./ Half a gallon of Georgi Porgi/And cranberry that's the P.O.P./ The love passion, a recipe for terror/We mix that shit together, then we have an orgy.” Also there is an entire song dedicated to the chicken spot-“Chicken Spot Rock.” But mostly it’s because MMeX don’t give a fuck. Dude recorded himself getting a blowjob from a hoe, and put it on here. Seriously!? Production provided by El-P, Jake One, Necro, Esoteric, and the “Huzzah! Remix" with Danny Brown, El, and Das Racist aint bad reasons either.
Aptly-titled, Monumental brings together a legendary producer and two of the underground’s most revered MCs: Pete Rock—half of the duo (along with CL Smooth) responsible for early ‘90s classic Mecca and the Soul Brother—has been the monster behind the boards of your favorite rapper’s favorite rapper for a long-ass time; and Boot Camp Click members Tek and Steele— known collectively as Smif n Wessun—have been rhyming for some twenty odd years. In a genre where the focus has shifted from being skill-driven to more personality-driven, it’s exciting when an album like this comes along that celebrates the original aesthetic of hip-hop laid forth in the Golden Era.
Heralded for his time with 9th Wonder and Rapper Big Pooh in the group Little Brother, North Carolina MC Phonte reemerges in 2011 with his first solo record. This is a heartfelt outing that finds the rapper flexing a variety of styles—soulful R&B vibes, emo-ish personal insights, and braggadocios rhymes, evocative of classic hip-hop. Big K.R.I.T., Evidence, and Pharaoh Monch make reciprocal appearances, and 9th produced a few of the tracks.
A multiregional supergroup of sorts, Random Axe is comprised of three men who have cut their teeth in the hip-hop underground: Detroit’s Black Milk and Guilty Simpson and NYC’s Sean Price. Individually, these three carry lavish resumes, but as a clique they offer an even more impressive product. Sean P’s gruff and rugged voice and Simpson’s penetrating off-kilter flow complement each other well. Milk—a formidable MC in his own right—forgoes rapping this time, and instead concentrates primarily on the production and beat-making side.
Veteran Massachusetts rhyme slinger Reks comes hard on his third official full-length. Laced by an impressive grip of beatmakers, including Preemo, Pete Rock, Nottz, Statik Selktah, Hi-Tek, and Alchemist; Reks slings tight lyricism like it aint not thing but a chicken on a string, Burger King. “You are now in tune to the fact: Rek is the black Aristotle with beers in the backpack.” Straight no-frills rap music. Highly recommended.
Another long-awaited debut album that finally saw the light of day this year. With Just Blaze behind the boards, Saigon maneuvers his way through a range of topics—the streets, church corruption, impressionable inner-city youth, single mothers, and prison life. That latter of which, he knows all too well. The Yardfather’s tale, while entertaining, is also one of caution. Real talk from the realist of rappers.
More than a half-decade since the release of his debut album, the veteran Minneapolis MC returns with venomous tongue-lashings directed at both the over-caffeinated, plugged-in, self-serving masses and the man in the mirror—all laid upon some of the most innovative and hard-hitting beats this side of the Mississippi, courtesy of fellow Doomtree member, Lazerbeak.
Despite several projects throughout the year with individual MCs (Action Bronson, Freddie Gibbs, Freeway, Freddie Foxxx), Statik reaches into his bottomless bag of beats and pulls off an ambitious solo album. The M.O. here is standard producer-album-format: Selektah invites a bunch of rappers to rap over his beats. But where this excels is actually in the selection of said rappers. Aside from a few big names, he brings in a ton of unknowns and up-n-comers. You can find the likes of Sean Price, Talib Kweli, and Styles P rhyming alongside Terminology, Saigon, and Li’l Fame. Smoke Dza goes it alone on “Harlem Blues”, a standout track in which Statik shows off his scratching skills.
For the second year in a row this California click drops one of the better albums of the last twelve months. Aside from one track, SAS goes at it without Madlib, the production wizard behind 2010’s In Search of Stoney Jackson—instead selecting harder-nosed beats from a variety of sources like Nottz, DJ Khalil, and Jelly Role. Combine that with grimy street raps, and the result is a more heavy-hitting sound. A bangin’ record from a highly underappreciated crew.
Large Professor, DJ Premier, Pete Rock, 9th Wonder, and Khrysis are among the beat-providers on Torae’s first official solo record. You’d have to be really bad on the mic to screw this up. Like, really bad. Like, Riff Raff bad. Thankfully Torae in no way whatsoever resembles the Texas Tornado. Well, other than that they both rap. But even that is questionable. Jokes aside, Torae is on some real personal ishnit here. He’s not up in the club poppin’ bottles, making it rain, or lying about which kind of whip he’s got a lease on. This is a concept album of sorts—it’s the story of Torae’s foray the hip-hop biz, from high school graduation to present day, and even a little peak into the future. He strikes a unique balance between street-level raps and high-IQ lyricism.
Words: Nathan
Combining incredible musicianship with an attitude of just not giving a fuck, Animals as Leaders have doodled, shredded, and chugged their way into their sophomore album, Weightless. It's much tighter and more reined in than their eponymous debut, but it still showcases everything wanky that endeared us to this incredible trio in the first place.
Stepping aside from Porcupine Tree for a bit, Steven Wilson has assembled the most incredible guest ensemble to join him on his newest solo album, Grace for Drowning. A ridiculous double-disc extravaganza, Wilson takes his time to lay praise on the classic prog rockers before him while still expressing his love for newer technical metal acts.
Bright keyboards and soaring vocals abound in the newest release from Sun Caged, The Lotus Effect. Sure, they're still unabashedly ripping of Dream Theater, but for once, they seem to be actually doing it better than Dream Theater does. Though it's much more mellow than either of their first two albums, it's still the best progressive metal in the pure you'll find this year.
Bringing a refreshing bit of iciness to an already cold and unforgiving genre, Frenchmen Uneven Structure have combined the polyrhythmic chugging of djent with the emptiness of dark ambient to incredible effect. Though their ambient music is a few steps ahead of their math metal, Februus is nonetheless an incredibly solid debut that should please fans of Meshuggah and Lustmord alike.
Bright and triumphal, Scale the Summit's third album The Collective somehow manages to feel epic while scarcely running over four minutes a track. While it's clear the band have matured, the album still feels as free and unfettered as their debut. The only fault this album has is that it will leave you wanting even more.
The combination of death metal and symphonic music is incredible on Between the Buried and Me's latest EP, Hypersleep Dialogues. Though it's only the first in a duology, the second of which will be a full length, it is still a generous and satisfying offering without any chaff to be found.
Given the epic, symphonic nature of Symphony X's music, it seemed only fitting that they'd finally want to break the single-disc barrier. Also their first non-classically-inspired album (the theme is machines this time, not Greek mythology), Iconoclast manages to never tire out for its entire two-disc length.
French prog-alt-rockers Seed from the Geisha have come out of literally nowhere to release their incredible debut, Talk Peace to the Wolf. The album is unabashedly accessible and guaranteed to appeal to a wide audience, and yet it still maintains an impressive level of musicianship. It may cleverly hide all of its subtle progressive elements behind engrossing riffs and melodies, but it's still one of the best progressive releases this year.
Argentinian group Random just don't care what you think. Todo.s los colores del, their debut, is all over the map stylistically, yet it still maintains this inexpressible sense of cohesion that makes the album incredibly satisfying. This album also gets our distinction of being the best legally free-to-download album of the year, so you don't have an excuse not to hear it.
Djentleman Vildhjarta have left me literally floored with their debut release. Everything about the album is so intricately composed and deeply layered that, after an uncountable amount of listens, I'm still not certain I understand everything that's going on here. Without a doubt, this is the most flawless, satisfying album in progressive music this year, not to mention one of the best progressive death metal albums, period.
Words: Matthew Sarah
In no order:
Again, in no order. My dislike of the largest venues may be a handicap.
Words: Loren
With the proliferation of the internet and an overwhelming public opinion that full length albums, let alone the physical product, it has made labels a hard thing to really quantify. In the muck and mire of the current music industry a handful of labels stand above. These labels made their mark for a bevy of reasons. The main reasons having to do with the consistency of their releases and a strong eye on detail. Here are a few labels that not only made themselves known but kept rolling strong throughout the year.
Dom, over the years, has kept a keen eye on both the metal and hardcore scenes. As of late, more so than ever, this has been parlayed by him into something of an anomaly within hardcore label circles. He has managed to build a label that has a consistency within their releases that is nearly unmatched. Forgoing the usual need for a label to pay attention to hype and message board clamor Dom has managed to pick a number of bands that are merely great bands nothing more nothing less. With releases by Ringworm, Seven Sisters Of Sleep, Low Places, Full Of Hell, Witch-Lord, Withdrawal. and Seraphim among others the label has become something to not only watch in matters of quality but also in matters of being on the cusp of what is going on in current metal and hardcore circles.
Having a long storied history in east coast hip hop has done little to make most people take notice of what Dru Ha has been up to on the regular. While a few years of meager releases had set them back quite a bit 2011 was a much appreciated return to form. Branching out slightly while sticking close has been their year. Focusing on the strength of east coast hip hop while not limiting themselves to just that. The label released a few gems that should be on any hip hop fans this year.
R. Loren, best known from his various musical projects (Pyramids, White Moth, Sailors With Wax Wings) started a label from the ground up this year. While it is hard to say from merely a year into it Handmade Birds is a collectors wet dream of a label. Servicing mainly avant garde and black metal the label pays close attention to the details. This goes so far as the sound of the record and remastering involved. Boasting a strong list of new records as well as reissues the label seems to have a very bright future ahead.
Here is another young label having started in 2010 and staying consistent. MRL has released a number of favorites at SPB and that is due to a keen ear and consistency within their releases. Keeping a strong focus on mostly the experimental sides of black metal and shoegaze among others the label has managed to pick a handful of bands that are situated well above their peers. With Limited quantities of most releases this allows the collector something to covet with each of their releases.
While not really a secret in the metal underground anymore Soutehrn Lord has made it a point to continue feeding fans of a vast array of heavy music genres. This includes a great number of releases that are branching out from their original construct of doom metal. The label has done more to include standout releases that embrace crust, hardcore, black metal and even some grind. This coupled with the attention to detail in the artwork has helped to make them something to pay attention to with each release.
Words: Jon
Explosions in the Sky doing more of what they do best: rocking out (as quitely as possible). It honestly isn't that much different from their other albums, but Take Care, Take Care, Take Care is nonetheless another strong, moving entry to their impressive discography, and it'll definitely satisfy anyone's post-rock kick.
Proving that he is not yet out of tricks, Ben Sharp returned to his post-rock roots in order to write his latest album, Let Yourself Be Huge. It's every bit as cathartic and moving as his metal excursions while transferring his already impressive creative energies to lighter, more acoustic material. The result is his most beautiful-sounding album yet.
Long Distance Calling have turned down their heaviness slightly, extended their jams just a pinch, yet retained their modest progressive influences that made them such a standout band in the first place. And then they went ahead and got John Bush to do some vocals, too. The result is their excellent eponymous third album, another strong entry to their growing catalgoue.
I really am being quite generous in deeming Charts and Maps' album Dead Horse post-rock, given what a clusterfuck of genres it draws from in the first place. But it's undeniably creative, flippant, and epic all at the same time. Featuring incredible musicianship skills during their frequent jamming digressions and songwriting unparalleled, this album will never tire.
Australians sleepmakeswaves have released what is probably the most unapologetically purest post-rock album ever. Featuring just a hint of indie rock and a mess of song titles about as concise as the text of Atlas Shrugged, ...And So We Destroyed Everything is blissfully happy, expressive, and playful through and through.
Striking a happy medium between stripped-down hard rock and drawn-out ambiance, UpCDownC's fourth album Calaveras reconciles all of the stylistic experimentation that's defined their career up to this point. It swings back and forth between soft and chaotic, but most importantly, the entire album is enjoyable from beginning to end.
This album is really too beautiful for words to describe accurately. And that's not just because the songwriting is fantastic; this album literally sounds like a work of art. It's impeccably recorded, and everything about it will leave you floored with its pristine quality, from the clear-as-day strings to the impeccable vocal performances. Definitely an album for the audiophiles.
They may be incredibly kitschy and they may have the most annoying guitar tones in the world, but it's hard to deny that math rockers Battles are not an incredibly fun band to listen to. Their first album without Tyondai Braxton, Gloss Drop shows without a doubt that Battles are far from over. Though they may never recapture the original brilliance of Mirrored, Battles have forged a new path for themselves, and with an impressive list of guest performers, the end result is immensely satisfying.
Though before he may have been just one person in a large ensemble, Efrim Manuel Menuck has proven with his first solo album, Plays "High Gospel", that he is not just along for the ride. Featuring the incredible songwriting that made A Silver Mt. Zion and Godspeed You! Black Emperor famous in the first place, Menuck's incredibly heartfelt ode to his family and his hometown is one of the strongest offerings he's made with any band to date.
French noise metallers Dirge already have an impressive catalogue behind them; the fact that 2011's Elysian Magnetic Fields is their frostiest, most sonically-overpowering album yet is only a testament to their inability to ever slow down anything but their tempo. Filled with thick, blaring, cathartic layers of guitars and drums, not to mention the immensely unforgiving droning, almost nothing about this album could be more perfectly executed.
Words: Matthew Sarah
Words: Loren
Splits and collaborations are dangerous tools in music; dangerous because in the wrong hands both can be lazy and even absolutely terrible given the right (or wrong) circumstances. These were the exemplary releases of this ilk that I continue to go back to over and over again. I may be a little more partial to collaborations because they have the potential for really stretching the involved artists to new musical climes , but splits can be a ton of fun.
One of the more fitting pairings in recent memory, Locrian and Horseback join forces to create this single sided LP of two new pieces of music that bring together the best elements of two of the more challenging outfits in their spheres of influence. New Dominions is all bleak atmosphere and creepy moods as both tracks are full of tension with little release.
Graminaea / Poaceae is one of those releases that I love but have an extremely difficult time explaining just what draws me to the release over and over again other than that I find all three pieces rather soothing in a creepy sort of way. The concept of the “record” is great as well with a track each from Sequences and Isolated Existence and then an equally impressive collaborative effort that just takes the whole effort up several notches in my book.
A massive and ambitious collaborative effort conjured by two young but increasingly prolific artists with almost an hour of ambience and stark atmospheres that emanates an ominous malaise that could quite possibly induce anxiety and panic attacks given the right circumstances. Voidness is a challenging black mass whose name is wholly appropriate in both sonic results and the possible visual images that form in your mind while this is playing, and while it may not physically pull you into oblivion, this collaboration may simulate it better than most other objects and cause some passing moments of catatonia.
Now this may be a live record, but this live album puts to shame many studio records from other artists. Lou Lou… In Tokyo is both a split and a collaboration with Mamiffer offering 4 songs, including one new one, that really shows how the outfit can be a different animal altogether in the live setting while House Of Low Culture joins forces with Merzbow for their one track offering before all three outfits collaborate with Atsuo from Boris on the “Lou Lou”. Intense, gripping, and pretty, Lou Lou… In Tokyo is what live albums should be as well as a great of example of artists collaborating with each other to create something new.
This record delivered in two ways: one, A Death Cinematic dropped its usual post apocalyptic sounding aural vision down like a hammer meant to slowly bludgeon you to death while you are not paying attention because if you do pay attention, you hear a sonic landscape like no other, rich and rewarding; two, Ekca Liena is transfixing with its swirling ambiance that just fully immerses you in this sonic landscape that sounds so warm and inviting, if you shut everything out and turn this part of the split completely up it is the most pleasant sensory depravation experience that you could ever have (save for the sound of course), and I literally feel like everything that I was thinking about just melted away.
Honestly, this is the first that I heard both bands and was a release that sparked my interest in black metal this year to where I no longer kept things at arms length. Both of these bands destroyed some of my conceptions about what could be done within the confines of an at times staid and tired insular group of kvlt worshippers. This record feels or sounds like two sides of a coin; both bands crush you in similar ways but still maintain a sense of self while creating one of the best split of the year.
Dear lord is this ever one of the heaviest split records in quite a while, and I am sure that I don’t have to explain how that is saying something; but both bands on this could wreck your speakers on their own anytime so having them both on one slab of wax is a completely different kind of punishment altogether, even down to the cover art (that prison inmate looks like he wants to shank you). Bar none, this was the heaviest split that I heard this year, and that is saying something.
The second collaboration involving Horseback here on my list, only this one is with Pyramids. Throne Without a king is impressive (on vinyl it is an LP+7”, which is always a good time) in that there is one song from each entity on the 7” and then a huge collaborative piece spread out over two sides of an LP that features both of these acts and Aaron Turner (House Of Low Culture, Mamiffer, ex-Isis, et al). The collaborative piece is the centerpiece as everyone involved pushes themselves to create something almost quite literally… massive.
While I was expecting this collaboration between Great Falls and Kenji Siratori to be more along the lines of the Great Falls material on the split with Pastor Tonal from last year (the same mechanistic, churning, noisy guitar driven dirges that the band excels at producing just with Ryan from Trap Them on vocals), this release took me completely by surprise with the squealing noise oscillations and slower tempos that are heard on the 5 tracks on this cassette. It is nice to see a group branch out and try something new, but Great Falls outdo themselves with this collaboration. It really makes me curious to see where they take their sound next, and even if they do not pursue this sound again, this document exists for those that find it… good, good stuff.
Words: Bob
2011 may go down as the year cassettes forced their way back into wider acceptance as a legitimate medium for aural documentation; on a personal level, I have become completely reacquainted with the format to such an extent that I could probably have ten number one cassettes that I cannot distinguish which was my favorite one minute to the next followed by twenty-four to forty-nine other examples of great cassette releases this year. Here is just a taste.
This is a cassette of two sides. One, dream inducing in a pleasant and almost beautiful manner; the other side is more nightmarish and disturbing without getting loud or over the top directly frightening (it is a subtle nightmare). A completely logical step for Life In The Dark falling the Sunyata Rising / Limbs In Gloom release that further solidifies the growing niche that this project is starting to build and fill with moody pieces of sonic manipulation. Hushed Bloom is further evidence of the approaching essential listening quality from Life In The Dark; get lost in the dreamy sounds.
Bar none, I have never heard a more wondrous take on the violence of Power Electronics than the Untitled debut from Cremation Lily. Shards of noise, pounding industrial sounds, screeching, et al lay one of the most droning and hypnotically infectious just under ten minutes that you may ever hear. Conversely, 2 may be even better than the first tape… maybe. Luckily for some quick people, Waterpower packaged these both up into a tidy release, Funeral Home which took both tapes and housed them in an old film box and made to look so strangely neat and clean. If I were you, I would kill to hear this.
Sexless Merit ups the ante and features six new tracks spread out over three cassettes (the 1st press is this way and looks and feels better in my opinion). Cremation Lily drop crushing and brooding noise that does not venture into the all out destruction of Harsh Noise but stays just teetering on that edge creating a tension that is awesome to hear. Another step in the short but rapid evolution of this project that makes me obsess over it.
This belongs here. SUSPENSION is so much of what I want to hear in a tape, literally. I have worn out two copies of this tape while seemingly so few have paid attention to this under the radar release. Both ambient and noisy, REMNANTS has found a way to straddle a line that no one else I have heard to date has been able to come near. If I were an astronaut, this would be the soundtrack to my wandering in outer space.
Yeah, this was a total surprise to me. Ordered specifically because Strange Rules was releasing it, Ornaments has proved to be a necessary listening experience for me to function from day to day at this point. Royal Tropical Institute uses rebounding sound figures and other bouncing sounds to conjure one of the weirdest most infectious tapes that I have heard or own.
There are not many outfits that leave off their legacy with a release that contains both their first performance and their last performance, but Everlovely Lightningheart does just that with this cassette. Hearing the whole where they started to where they ended (plus two other tracks) makes for an intriguing document; throw in the handmade packaging, and you will probably be hard pressed to find a more striking overall release than this one from Dead Accents.
Possibly, all of this noise is making me insane because Call It Killing You Off is one hell of a creeped out listening experience that I would not recommend listening to in the dark if you are faint of heart. Chapels makes some tense atmospheric pieces on both sides of this tape that make a wholly engrossing just about a half hour.
When you see a double cassette from any group or project, it looks massive (almost like a brick that you would throw through some jerk’s window); Ash Borer’s Discography (so far) double cassette was intense looking right from the start, and listening to the whole thing took me quite a bit as just doing so seemed a rather daunting prospect. When I finally put this in my tape deck and pressed play, the soul crushing songs that tumbled through the speakers only further cemented the previous daunting first impression that I had upon seeing the release the first time. Well-constructed and long songs that bring to mind a weird melodic black metal influenced mélange of heaviness are what you can expect to hear on this release. Now, Ash Borer seems to get lumped into that whole “Cascadian atmospheric Black Metal”, and while that might not be completely inaccurate, these guys seem more raw and crushing and less overwrought to me than other outfits that get lumped in that group. If you can get this, it is well worth it.
Vice Wears Black Hose has some great imagery, giallo by nature (go look it up) and named after a giallo film… it sold me on the project. This double cassette contains some of the harshest noise that some of you may ever hear; it is absolutely glorious. I pop this sucker on and forget about everything as the tapes blare at me and wash out the reality not between my ears and the speakers.
I do not own this tape. I was afraid of it when I saw it. The pictures were intriguing and horrifying at the same time (like watching Alien) with nails and maybe bits of broken glass seemingly melted into the cassette; YAMA looked as though it would hurt you to hold it and forget about the potential damage to your tape deck. I imagine that the sounds on it are so blackened and terrifying and absolutely profane (in the way that profane used to mean). I wish I owned this tape.
Words: Bob
Again, let me start this with a disclaimer; I am insane and a weird collector of tapes and records and CDs. This is a small chronicle of the labels and bands that I become hopelessly obsessed with over the course of 2011. This is a horrible disease, and my wife feels like the labels on here are akin to drug pushers as far as I am concerned.
This record label spearheaded by R. Loren (of the Hydra Head Pyramids, Sailors With Wax Wings, White Moth) has been consistently churning out great records at an unbelievable pace; kicking the whole operation off was the mind blowing vinyl appearance of Blut Aus Nord’s MORT and Evan Caminiti’s (from Barn Owl) When California Falls Into The Sea through Celestiial’s Desolate North (which has dominated my stereo for some time since I received the album) and the massive 3x10” collection of the Key demos to the vinyl issue of the elusive King Of Sweet from His Name Is Alive to the awesome TRVTH from Servile Sect, and the critically lauded albums from Crooked Necks (Alright Is Exactly What It Isn’t) and Circle of Ouroborus (Eleven Fingers). Every release looks great and sounds beautiful and the upcoming release schedule is sure to continue to empty my pockets on a regular basis (it is mine), though the release schedule is slowing down a bit for next year. Not a single release has even been mediocre or average as every single artist involved seems to be excellent, speaking highly of R. Loren’s diverse and excellent taste in music.
Now, this might be two different obsessions to some, but the incestuous memberships and releases of these two projects justifies (in my mind anyway) doing this in such a manner. Starting off with the vinyl version of their split on Utech last year via their own Sige Records, Mamiffer and House Of Low Culture have assaulted their fanatics with small releases and great releases along the way. Lou Lou… In Tokyo (both on CD/DVD from Japan and a 2xLP), the magnificent Mare Descendrii, the two split tour cassettes and more releases on the way including the new House Of Low Culture album, Poisoned Soil and the new Mamiffer album, Lilac, and the Mamiffer collaboration with Locrian. Between the two of them, they are making me poor, but the music output is truly top notch.
Music Ruins Lives (or MRL for short) is another label that has easily been burning up my cash flow by consistently releasing excellent records this year (and late last year); to the point where the label, which hand numbers every release) has cooperated and taken pity on my obsession by ensuring that I receive all of the number 33 copy from every tape, record, CD, etc that they deem to release (with the exception of releases with less than 33 copies, in which case I get #3). This year saw some great releases from the label like Brightly Our Stars Did Shine from Greys, Untitled from mighty Planning For Burial , Monthhunting from Tom Vourtsis, the great Sequences / Isolated Existence release ( Graminaea / Poaceae), the amazing Sunyata Rising / Limbs In Gloom from Life In The Dark, (-) from Vit, the CD version of the critically acclaimed Wreck And Reference Black Cassette, and on and on. All releases are excellent and worth tracking down. Thank god that the two miscreants that run this are hopeless collector nerds like myself.
Locrian is another group that has had me running trying to track down their myriad of previous releases while their new output can be almost as challenging. Go to Discogs.com to see just how many releases this former duo now trio have produced during their existence. So far this year, the new records have been excellent with the vinyl release of The Crystal World as well as a split 7” with Horseback and a collaborative one sided LP, New Dominions, that is also with Horseback. They rounded off the year with the Dort Ist Der Weg 7” and the album, The Clearing while the beginning of next year already has something huge in store in the collaboration album with Mamiffer… ugh my wallet hates me.
Now, Sutekh Hexen is probably my latest obsession, chronologically speaking of course. With an already impressive discography under their belts (the tapes: Alters, Constellation, Ritualistic and a 3xCS boxset collecting the tapes, the 7”s: Ordo Adversarial, Daemons, Shadows, and a 3x7” box set of the aforementioned tapes, a CD compiling the 7”s other than the box set, and an LP, Luciform) Their awesome blackened noise is not just a force to be reckoned , but they are breaking new ground with some of the future releases like the upcoming Handmade Birds LP, LARVAE, and the Behind The Throne LP coming soon from Magic Bullet besides a multitude (and I mean that) of other releases that will taunt me until they are sitting in my hands
This guy completely gobbled up tons of my time this year. Life In The Dark is one of my most listened to artists of 2011 and not just because he has pumped out a bunch of material this year (The Sunya Is Rising / Limbs In Gloom, two tracks on the international compilation Dans L’isolement Solidaires, the Hushed Bloom cassette, the Roman Child cassette, and the Absolute Control cassette that I literally just received three days ago (as of typing this out)) but because everything that bears the Life In The Dark moniker is simply arresting. There have literally been where all I have listened to is this discography. Sick, I know; but it is just so good.
Seriously, it is getting tough to write about Planning For Burial at this point, because I feel almost as if it is bordering on fan-boy at times. Hands down though, nothing that this one man project has done is bad; and some of his releases at this point are just future classics at some point when people recognize it. This year saw the release of the Untitled EP and the Late Twenties Blues tape; not a huge amount compared to some of these obsessions, but I may have listened to this music more than anything else this year (outside of Swans). Next year is shaping up to be an amazing year for Planning For Burial, so hopefully I will not be alone in my obsession.
OK, so as of my typing this I don’t own anything from this enigmatic entity. I missed out on YAMA because deep down I thought I would lose my soul for owning the tape, but I stared at that tape on the internet quite a bit with my finger hovering over the mouse button while highlighting the “buy” button on the screen. I missed out on that tape that was limited to just 9 copies, and I regret it even now. I fear that I will never hear the 45 minutes of horror that awaits the 9 lucky people who ponder whether or not to destroy their tape deck to hear it. Not long after two new CD-rs and another LP went up for order and the same thing happened; staring at these in terror wanting badly to purchase them. Maybe one day I will… maybe. Until then, I will just obsess over whether or not I should.
This tape label is one of the entities that helped me get over my abject hatred for tapes. Not a single tape has let me down and has introduced me to a ton of great new music. The label is just as enigmatic as its artists and insane rumors surround the label in its small circle… by design no less. The biggest releases in terms of quantities that the label has produced were on the last two offerings of 2011 at 30 and 35 tapes a piece. The tapes normally sell out with alarming speed, particularly anything to do with the flagship group Cremation Lily. Damn Brits…always coming up with awesome music.
Words: Bob
All right, you've all read about the best music this year that we here at Scene Point Blank can recommend. But there's also a dark side to this year's music, and I'd like to take the moment to directly address a few of the worst offenders in this year's music scene, using the plural voice.
There's nothing inherently wrong with dubstep. It's an interesting genre and, executed well, it's actually pretty enjoyable. The problem is, guys, you've all been hemorrhaging crappy dime-a-dozen tracks in the genre without any care to the composition. Sure, a few of you are really taking the effort to make this work. We appreciate it. But for everyone else: please stop writing dubstep music solely to remain relevant to the modern pop music scene. If you're going to do it, do it well, and then we won't all be collectively sick of hearing it.
Look, LMFAO. We need to have a chat. No one here wants to listen to obnoxious synth lines and watch you do the Melbourne shuffle over a thinly veiled 28 Days Later parody. Even less do we want to hear the rest of your chaff-filled album. And honestly, it's not just because your music is terrible; it's because you'd have a hard time beating a cardboard cutout of Mick Jagger in terms of stage presence. Quite honestly, there is nothing redeeming about experiencing your band in any way, unless you count internal bleeding as a positive. Honestly, we're getting pretty close to considering it.
You're breaking our hearts, Portnoy. You're a wonderful, talented musician. We want to see you succeed. You had some issues with Dream Theater? That's fine, buddy. Dust it off and pick yourself up again. You're still a VIP in the progressive world. You know what, we're even fine if you want to record straight-up hard rock or heavy metal. Whatever floats your boat. Just, please, once you have an all-star lineup behind you and the chance to record the album of a lifetime, make sure you take a moment, evaluate what you have, and do it well. Don't churn out a tripe album like your debut EP. You have a chance to do something amazing with these musicians; please take the time to do your first full-length album well.
Okay, we get it. You're hipper and more cultured than the rest of us, Metallica. Look at you, palling up with Lou Reed and producing an album only a masochist could enjoy. If that makes you happy, by all means, please do so. But don't cower behind the 'avant-garde' label. Don't go into interviews with tears in your eyes about how beautiful of an album it is. Just admit that it's music you wanted to make regardless of how good it actually is, and we'll be happy. It's not the fact that you made such a terrible album that bothers us. It's the fact that you willfully ignore all of the critical feedback to it that makes us believe you are stuck in your own delusional fantasyland. We were fine with Death Magnetic--at least that was a step back in the right direction. But for the love of god, if you don't release something spectacular after Lulu, we're done.
You know what? There are no excuses for this one. We all weep for Rebecca Black's no doubt troubled future, dealing with perpetual social alienation from her peers as she gets older.
Words: Matthew Sarah
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