Friday 11 January 2013

2012 Round-up, Part 2: 2013 Top Prospects

     Guten tag, kinders, it's time for part 2 of the Loud Noises 2012 Year End Round-Up. This time around we've got my 2013 Top Prospects list. Like a hockey scout watching the juniors for the next big star I'm on the lookout for the year's big records, not in the sense that I'm trying to get ahead of the curve a predict the next big thing (although you know how I like spreading metal love to the masses) but more in the sense of letting you know which gestating records that I'm looking forward to are likely to be birthed in 2013. How's that for an analogy, eh? Basically, I'm answering this question: of the bands I'm currently digging, who's got new material in the works that we're probably going to hear this year? Simple, right? Let's just see, shall we?

- Killswitch Engage - Disarm the Descent
   Here's a perfect example of what I'm talking about with this post. I've been a Killswitch Engage fan for years now,  but I don't think I'm alone among their fanbase in thinking that they've gotten a little complacent, that their last couple of records have suffered from a certain sameness or interchangeability. I know I'm certainly not alone among my friends in holding this opinion. So when Killswitch, having gotten back together with original vocalist Jesse Leach (who I saw with the band at Heavy TO last summer), announced that there would be a new album in the new year, I was definitely interested. And now I see that the title has been released -- Disarm the Descent -- a release date has been announced -- April 2 -- and the first single "In Due Time" is set to drop February 5. It all adds up to reason for excitement, and while I don't know what to make of that album title, I do know what I'll be doing with some new Killswitch as soon as I get the chance: playing it really loud.

- Cynic - TBA
   So even as I'm working on this post, I'm just now reading on the awesome Heavyblogisheavy that prog gurus Cynic are readying a new album for the world. I'm kind of a latecomer to the Cynic fold, having discovered them only in the last year or so, but I'm still super stoked to hear new material from them, particularly as I'm a fan of the path their musical journey has taken. I know it's not always easy to take when your favourite band goes... weird, so maybe it's better than I haven't been a Cynic fan from the start; with their entire catalogue before me, and without any preconceptions about it, I could just listen to the whole journey in one go, without having to wait years in between speculating as to what the next record might sound like. The bottom line is, I don't mind that Cynic have gone crazy proggy and atmospheric, and that path from Focus through Carbon-Based Anatomy gives me high hopes that this next record will be *something* great.

- The Black Dahlia Murder - Everblack
   Yet another piece of late-breaking news! I've just seen what looks to be the announcement for a new album on The Black Dahlia Murder's Facebook. Something called Everblack seems to be coming in Jun 2013. If this is indeed new material, it'll be like TBDM is getting me the best birthday present I could ask for -- another shot of balls out melo-death. I won't say I'm not a little surprised, since it seems like just yesterday I was waiting on my pre-order of their previous effort, Ritual, but the interwebs tells me it's been almost 2 years already, so who I am to question our good fortune? I suppose this could be a new live album or DVD (which would also be pretty decent) but here's hoping Everblack will be the latest installment in the ongoing saga of The Black Dahlia Murder.

- Mastodon - TBA
   This one's more rumours than facts, but I've read rumblings that Mastodon are once again gearing up their record writing machine to pen the follow-up to 2011's The Hunter. No official word has surfaced as of yet regarding a released date, but towards the end of the year is what I've seen tossed around. This means we've got a long wait ahead of us, but the quality of Mastodon's last couple of outings (fuck it, their entire catalogue) should hopefully make the end result worth the anticipation.

- Misery Signals - TBA
   Maybe you have no idea who Misery Signals is (shame on you!) but this one's near and dear to my heart. I've been a fan of Misery Signals for a long time now, and their last album, 2008's Controller, kicked about ten different kinds of ass, so I'm very excited to hear what new Misery Signals material will sound like. The band has unfortunately gone through some line-up changes, shedding a few members in the process. But the core of guitarist/drummer sibling Ryan and Branden Morgan and vocalist Karl Schubach remains intact, they've picked up a new bassist and a new second guitarist, they've done some shows (and are doing some more) and it's all culminating with new work that Karl has said will harken back to the ferocity and energy of their early work. Colour me ready for new Misery Signals.

- Protest the Hero - TBA
   Holy shit, a new year starts and suddenly people are itching to release new material. Of course, I'm not complaining. Anyways, once again my Facebook feed has made my day by placing before my eyes a post from the boys in Protest, saying they're most of the way through the initial writing process with recording to happen in March or April and release to be over the summer sometime. I for one am tickled by this news, and doubly so by what seems to me to be a compressed timeline. I don't know anything about this one beyond what I've just now read and subsequently related to you, but I will definitely have my eyes open for more information in the weeks to come.

- Tool - TBA
   This is another one that's a little less than solid, but things stand thus: first, it's been more than six years since the release of 2006's 10,000 Days, which even by the less-than-prolific standards of Tool makes it high time the wheels of the machine started turning. Second, the band themselves have said that the wheels are indeed turning, however slowly they might be doing so and however far away they might be from completing their labour. Last I read, Maynard wasn't really involved yet and the rest of the guys were still fleshing out song arrangements and structures. Beyond that, there isn't much to go on, so who knows if we'll even see anything in 2013. I, however, prefer my dreams to the potential disappointments of harsh reality, so I'll be rooting for new Tool this year.

- Coheed and Cambria - The Afterman: Descension
   By contrast to some of the above, here's one that's super definite. Coheed and Cambria put out the first part of their latest double-album epic The Afterman, called Ascension, in the fall (anybody remember Super Tuesday?) and we've known that the second piece of the story would drop early in the new year. In fact, we only have to wait until February 5th to hear more new Coheed material that continues the prequel-type story of Sirius Amory and the Keywork (yeah, I'm a big nerd, so what?) Based on how strong Ascension was, namely the strongest Coheed outing in the last couple of albums, I bet everyone's hopes are high for Descension, and I don't think Coheed and Cambria are interested in letting us down. I can't wait to get my copy and find out.

- Pomegranate Tiger - Entities
   Wait, wha? What’s this? Big name metal band after big name metal band appears on my 2013 impending album radar and then some strangely named act you’ve never heard of? Trust me, you’ll be glad I told you about these guys, especially if you’re a fan of technical instrumental brutality in the vein of Between the Buried and Me (yes I know, not instrumental) or Animals as Leaders or something. Go over to Youtube and listen to one of their demo songs, or one of the Entities studio update videos and you’ll quickly discover that my inability to adequately describe Pomegranate Tiger just now renders them no less tasty. I might be in a minority of people who know about these guys, but I don’t care: I for one can’t wait to hear what Entities has to offer.

- Arsis - Unwelcome
   Last but certainly not least I've got to mention the next release from tech-death fan faves Arsis. The album's title, Unwelcome, and the artwork were released last fall but there's been no word since then on a release date for the album itself. For now we'll just have to be content with the pretty fucking tasty Leper's Caress EP put out at FOR FREE (!) the end of the year on Scion/AV. If Scion keeps this up, maybe it'll start a trend of metalheads driving small, affordable cars. It could happen. And Arsis could also put out a badass album whenever Unwelcome does come out. I've got my money on the latter.

     Bam! And the list is done! Yeah, I know, I'll bet there's a million and one albums in the works or coming out this year that I haven't mentioned, including your favourite band's magnum opus, but hey, I'm only one guy. These are just some albums I've reason to believe I might hear soonishly and that I'll definitely be picking up copies of ASAP. Have I likely missed some good ones? Oh sure. Will awesome albums I don't know about come out this year by bands I've never even heard of? Probably. All I can say is I hope I hear about some of those bands in 2013, because I've got a whole year to fill with metal.

     Stay tuned for the final installment of the Loud Noises 2012 Year End Round-Up, coming soon to an LCD near you.

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