Well, we're all still here: the year 2012 didn't see the world end, thankfully. And it's just as well -- it's been a brilliant year for music (according to SPB's review data, it's been a return to form after a mildly disappointing 2011). In this roundup of our favorite albums of 2012, we leave no stone (or genre) unturned in our quest to bring you the greatest original releases (no reissues, compilations or EPs here) from the previous year.
A note on production: SPB's top album list is decided on by staff who submit individual lists, which are then automatically number-crunched into this; one list to rule them all. You can see these source lists on the third page of this feature.
Without further ado, here begins Scene Point Blank's top 30 albums of 2012!
1
Converge - All We Love We Leave Behind
Epitaph\Deathwish Inc
Converge offer up another uncompromising album that certainly is further evidence of this group of individuals doing what they do on their terms without having the need to answer to anything or anyone, and there are several songs on this record that some bands will have wished that they wrote. The heavy and crushing “Empty On The Inside” with its dynamic interplay or the standout “Glacial Pace” might be some of the strongest compositions from the band in quite a while. There is more evidence of variation in Converge’s attack, such as the blink-and-you-miss it “No Light Escapes” and its awesome angular guitar lead, showing the band taking a more measured approach to crushing their listeners. All We Love We Leave Behind is a triumph that is further evidence of Converge being at the pinnacle of their powers, standing with a select few groups that consistently demonstrate their name as a b(r)and to be counted on for exemplary albums. (Bob)
2
Pallbearer - Sorrow And Extinction
Profound Lore
Arkansas residents Pallbearer have been a band to watch out for ever since the release of a fantastic three track demo in 2010. Through many a twist and turn, Sorrow and Extinction finally sees the light of day. Pallbearer are here, and oh, how they have arrived. It’s incredible to see a band this early on in their career speak with such wisdom, and be able to wrench such emotion and touch quite so profoundly. It’s genuinely remarkable to think that this is only their first full recording, and where the band go from here is certainly an exciting prospect. Sorrow and Extinction is a record to fall into, the themes held within are universal and immersive and such that Pallbearer have transcended all, and are able to break even the coldest of souls. Magnificent. (Cheryl)
3
The Tallest Man On Earth - There's No Leaving Now
Dead Oceans
Sweden’s Kristian Matsson first found himself atop a mountain of praise in 2010 following the release of The Wild Hunt, wheedling his way into the hearts of many with soothing melodies and uplifting energy. Relying almost entirely on just his guitar and commanding voice, Matsson’s brand of folk garnered more than a few comparisons to Bob Dylan, but at the end of the day was a niche he fit into seamlessly. Over the course of ten tracks, there’s an everlasting feeling of comfort and familiarity. It tempts thoughts of paths once taken, songs long sung, and nights already spent, but not without the belief in bright horizons. Engrained in the words and chords of the Tallest Man On Earth is an intrinsic charm that permeates every song and sets him apart from the rest. (Nick)
4
El-P - Cancer 4 Cure
Fat Possum
A man such as El-P is an anomaly to say the least. To fully describe his music in genre labels or easily identifiable terminology is almost an exercise in futility as both a music fan and writer. The life long New Yorker and figurehead within the underground hip hop scene manages to make a legitimate argument for hip hop as full fledged artform outside of the art of rhyme or production in and of themselves. His rhyme schemes and almost obsessive attention to detail in both his choice of words and beats has made him something far beyond the norm. This is his record through and through, still very much his own style without being merely an addendum to his recorded legacy. This is something to listen to in the late night hours while feeling the toll of the world. (Jon)
5
Propagandhi - Failed States
Epitaph
Without a doubt, the same calibre of unbridled, pissed off raw emotion so eloquently displayed over the band’s past 5 albums. Socio-political commentary is draped over wave after wave of pummeling riffs, thundering drums, and droning bass lines. Failed States contains some of the heaviest songs Propagandhi’s ever written, with songs like “Rattan Cane” doing their best at tearing down the world around them with the subtlety of a fighter jet. Failed States is just another chapter in a long, storied, tongue-in-cheek narrative, yet it stands as strong and defiant as ever. From the vicious bass line imbedded in “Cognitive Suicide” to the rambling nods to Kurt Russell and the Toronto Maple Leafs in “Things I Like,” one thing remains clear. This album fucking slays. (Nick)
6
Anathema - Weather Systems
Kscope
Weather Systems is a beautifully natural evolution in a career that began in a completely different place, yet Anathema has always been able to make this change seem organic. Their sound and style developed with each successive record but they never lost that sweet despondency inherent in the music. Anathema are truly masters of their field. Able to flow through contradictory emotions and switch from calming moments to all-out rock and vice versa (“The Storm Before The Calm”), this is a band at their peak. Weather Systems will captivate and break you. (Cheryl)
7
Evoken - Atra Mors
Profound Lore
New Jersey quartet Evoken have consistently produced genre defining funeral doom throughout their twenty year career and Atra Mors is a grand and huge addition to such a flawless output. How they manage to outdo themselves every time is a mystery that only the band hold the key to and it allows Atra Mors to flow with a stately passion and a monolithic rage against life. Wildly emotional and profoundly moving, the final track combines Evoken’s ability to punish with huge walls of sound and voice yet break with small touches of melancholy and loss in the delightfully sombre guitar work or the grief-filled keyboard passages. Atra Mors is devastating in its sadness and anguish. Perfect. (Cheryl)
8
The Menzingers - On The Impossible Past
Epitaph
It's tough to turn tales of depression and downfall into infectiously anthemic slices of rock, but the Menzingers have managed it here on their third record. Lyrically it's maudlin and glass-half-empty in parts, but musically it's chugged back into posi territory in a similar vein to the Hold Steady's uptempo storytelling. A nice mixture of styles and pace keeps things going and really gives the album its confessional/purging vibe, with an admirably open approach to embracing failures. (Matt)
9
Off! - Self Titled
Vice
With 16 songs in 17 minutes, this record is shorter than a heart attack. Short, loud, fast, and seemingly named after an insect repellent. This record is a rager, with early ‘80s LA hardcore as the foundation and a relentless energy packing it in. It mixes a bit of that early period destructive tone with slightly more seasoned lyrics that revolve around many of the same themes. The band isn’t wasting time with clever bridges, solos, or mixing up their tempos. They’re jumping straight into the pit and not stopping for a breather. The record is evenkeelangry throughout, without many high or lows, just steady aggression and vitriol. As such, highlights and low points don’t stand out as much as the album runs together as one solid piece. Recommended, especially for fans of “Black Coffee” and “Nervous Breakdown” style hardcore. (Loren)
10
Ian Anderson - Thick as a Brick 2
EMI
If there’s anything movies have taught us, it’s that sequels almost always suck in comparison to the original. While there aren’t nearly as many sequels in the musical world, occasionally an artist will go back and revisit one of the ideas that made them famous in the first place. On a rare occasion, an artist will not only create a sequel that doesn’t suck, but a sequel that holds up well in comparison to the original, and, even more rarely, a beautiful album in its own right. Folks, Ian Anderson’s Thick as a Brick 2, a direct sequel to his band Jethro Tull‘s 1972 hit Thick as a Brick forty years on, is one such an album. While not a perfect album, this is so much better than it has any right to be. To end on another film analogy, this album is The Godfather: Part II when we should’ve expected The Matrix Reloaded. (Sarah)
11
Murder By Death - Bitter Drink, Bitter Moon
Bloodshot
Murder by Death's sixth studio album is their moodiest album yet. It’s a stark contrast to their last record, Good Morning, Magpie—returning to, while exploring, more layers of atmospheric tones. The reoccurring wander and lonesome themes that appear in Adam Turla’s storytelling go along with the different styles as a whole. It’s like you’re following a character into a number of different saloons that are playing different music. It’s always exciting to see where Murder by Death will go with their albums—as they’ll always do something different—and Bitter Drink, Bitter Moon was definitely something fresh while continually building off their previous works and now, I’m ready for another. (Aaron)
12
Black Breath - Sentenced To Life
Southern Lord
Black Breath came out of the depths of the Seattle hardcore scene about six years ago and released a sole demo before getting the eyes and ears of the infamous Southern Lord. Since then they have managed to make a name for themselves playing a well thought out mix of hardcore and classic metal (in this case meaning Motorhead and Slayer). If you consider yourself into the holy terror sound, or just miss the days when metalcore wasn’t simply tough guy vocals backed by psuedo-metal leads and weak breakdowns: this record is for you. (Jon)
13
Godspeed You! Black Emperor - Allelujah! Don’t Bend! Ascend!
Constellation
As interesting and welcome an event for some that Godspeed You! Black Emperor’s return from a thirteen year absence to drop Allelujah! Don’t Bend! Ascend! is, the real proof of the collective’s power resides in the actual music of this album; the timeless nature of their sound which relies on no real “flavor of the day” that could possibly date them. Listening to Allelujah! Don’t Bend! Ascend! makes me forget that there was a time when the lights in the Godspeed You! Black Emperor had gone dark because it is every bit as triumphant as any other release that the group has produced in their time. (Bob)
14
Diablo Swing Orchestra - Pandora's Piñata
Sensory
The Diablo Swing Orchestra are without a doubt one of the best avant-garde metal bands around. I’m happy to say that their latest album, 2012’s Pandora’s Piñata, is undeniably their strongest album yet. What’s most amazing about this album is that the Diablo Swing Orchestra have managed to remain as unpredictable and fresh as they were during their debut. Everything about this album is designed in an incredibly effective manner to keep you on your toes until the very end. Just when you think you know where the album is going to go, it will throw a curve ball and smack you upside the head, sending you to first base, at which point I’m no longer entirely certain how the metaphor will continue. This has quickly become one of my most-listened-to albums, period. If you do not enjoy this album, you may not be able to physically experience pleasure. (Sarah)
I feel compelled to share my take on Kendrick Lamar’s second studio album Good Kid: M.A.A.D. City because of the impact it has made in the short time since its release. Despite heavy themes, the beats are decidedly subtle and stripped down, more reminiscent of the ‘90s hip-hop and more akin to west coast atmospheric instrumentals. Kendrick has an uncanny ability to juxtapose hard hitting verses with distant beats, making his first person narratives seem more removed and reflective. GKMC stands out in a time when many rap artists choose to release singles and fail to produce cohesive full-length albums. It’s meant to be listened to from beginning to end, and I suggest that you do so at your earliest convenience. (Hayley)
Aptly-titled, III is the third album by Ethan Kath and Alice Glass, the Canadian experimental electro-noise duo collectively known as Crystal Castles. They are everything you wish you could be: shadowy, ingenious, skinny, and punk as motherfucking fuck. With percussion that thumps like a persistent authoritarian finger-tapping your congested chest and searing, agitated synths that spike into the backs of your eyeballs with the ease of a hot knife through warm butter, it’s the best dream you’ve ever had and your worst imaginable nightmare colliding face-first deep in recesses of your brain matter; erupting into a tepid, saccharine goo that flows through your body in a hurried uneasiness. I’ve never done heroin, but I’m guessing this is what the first taste is like. III is mood-altering, strangely danceable, and most of all, frightening yet beautiful vandalism. (Nathan)
On some days, when I’m really brutally honest with myself, I can safely admit that all of my favourite old rock bands from the 1970s have gone completely past the point of no return; they’ll never release an album of the same calibre as those from their heyday, they’ll never sell out huge stadiums and get the attention they used to, they’ll never write another song that will be included amongst their ‘canon’ of tracks in constant rotation on classic rock radio. Every band, except for one, that is. Rush long ago set the standard for virtuosity in rock bands; now they’re just shattering it themselves over and over again. Let me put it this way: some bands Rush’s age are releasing songs that are pale imitations of their former sound. Rush are rewriting their own ‘best of’ collections with every release. (Sarah)
Every band reaches their peak at some point. Some blow their wads right out of the gate and spend the rest of their careers desperately trying to recreate an inexplicable combination of luck, talent, and inspiration. Some clumsily struggle through multiple albums worth of missteps before finally finding their collective voice. Others allow you to tag along on their journey from a promising beginning through an exciting period of growth, to the creation of their definitive album. Bison b.c. now fit firmly in this final category. Lovelessness is easily my favorite album of 2012 and should be the one that places Bison b.c. directly in the spotlight as one of the best heavy metal bands in existence. While this album certainly feels like a defining moment for the band, the urgency and confidence on display leaves the impression that they have yet to reach their peak. (Steven I)
Fambly 42 is a rocker, and it totally lives up to the wait. “Mobbed by the 3’s” is a quick reminder of what sets Toys That Kill apart from their related projects: the upbeat energy and singalong nature of the songs and the subtle changes therein that alter the progression without hindering the flow. This record may have been years in the making, but it feels immediate and relevant—something that usually isn’t said about similarly delayed projects. The chemistry of the band and the distinct songwriting combines to make an early favorite for record of the year as well as prompts me to dig through the CD pile for the rest of their catalog. (Loren)
In the early eighties when the Boston post-punk band Mission of Burma announced their decision to stop playing and recording due to guitarist Roger Millers tinnitus issues, it seemed like the end of an era. The band enjoyed notoriety, not on the charts, but among music lovers/fans in general who were in love with the pure ferocity, quirky melodies, and raw lyrics espoused in songs like “Academy Fight Song” and “That’s When I Reach For My Revolver”. This July, Mission of Burma released Unsound, continuing to push themselves to the limits. All in all, these guys haven’t lost a step and are still pushing the boundaries of punk and post-punk while still maintaining the edge and feel of when the band first hit the scene. (Scott W)
It takes approximately 30 seconds to decide whether or not Cheap Girls’ latest album, Giant Orange, is to your liking. The overall, upbeat feel of the album is firmly established within the first few lines of “Gone All Summer,” instantly pulling you into the downtrodden world of bassist/vocalist Ian Graham and co. and not letting up once throughout. The 3 years in between full-lengths has culminated into one of the year’s best records that transcends labels of punk and rock and whatever the hell else the kids are calling music these days. Giant Orange leaves only more to be desired from the Midwestern trio and it’ll be exciting to see what they come up with next. (Nick M)
If there’s any band that defies easy description, it has to be French progressive metal band Gojira. Featuring influences and techniques from a variety of complex metal genres, incredibly technically talented band members, and an environmental fixation only a few degrees short of an actual whale fetish, these guys are anything but your standard death metallers. The title track is one of the most explosive pieces the band has ever released, if not the best individual song of their entire career, and unlike most Gojira pieces, you’ll probably wind up singing along to it, drawn up in the inexorable grip of its anthemic chorus. (Sarah)
Initial impressions with the record are good. There’s a driving energy, a clear structure to the songs, and it just sounds good. Michaels knows how to put a catchy song together and the sound isn’t a stretch from his previous endeavors. Lyrically, Michaels is his old self. The songs are political in nature, but the lyrics still roll with admirable cohesion given weight of the subject, feeling personal and political alike. The record is a call to action, from referencing Woody Guthrie in “Would-Be Kings” to ending the record on the line “we need a change,” there’s a very clear focus. (Loren)
The sound of this Canadian duo has heartfelt lyrics and their underground sound makes it feels as though they’re performing right in front of you - perfect for summer and great for playing in the background while you and your friends have a couple of pints. The overall sound has been heard before, but the duo ensures that their uniqueness shines through the melodies and sounds in Celebration Rock, captivating their audience and newborn fans. (Lucy M)
I applaud fun. for taking their chance with this album. Although they’re no strangers to ambition, this was a new direction that they pulled off. It’s hard to compare to their debut as they’re two completely different albums that can appeal to two different audiences. Despite a couple gripes, Some Nights was a pleasure to listen to and is gonna be one of the better albums I hear this year. I welcome whatever water they plan to tread next. This band can only get bigger and they certainly deserve to. (Aaron)
