Key details like release date and title have yet to materialize, but Skyharbor fans have recently gotten another reassurance that work on album number three does indeed continue. And while previous single "Out of Time" was more of a grower for this guy, Skyharbor's latest offering hooks me quicker and deeper.
"Blind Side" feels like it would be right at home alongside Guiding Lights standouts like "Evolution" -- it's big and melodic, with the right amounts of heavy and groove and emotion. To me, this is Skyharbor firing on pretty much all cylinders, and this is the kind of song they need to populate album three with. If they can do that, my copy of the next Skyharbor album will be getting lots of play.
Showing posts with label Skyharbor. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Skyharbor. Show all posts
Wednesday, 25 November 2015
Thursday, 10 September 2015
Monday: Anup Sastry - Reflex
Skyharbor fans have more to lament about the recent line-up shuffle than the departure of vocalist Dan Tompkins. Skinsman Anup Sastry bid the band adieu as well, meaning that the groove quotient for Skyharbor's next album remains a semi-open question (we've heard new drummer Aditya Ashok's first crack at some Skyharbor material in the form of recent single "Out of Time").
Anup's got a couple of solo EPs under his belt, but it doesn't look like he's joined up with another collaborative project just yet. I certainly hope he finds the right group of people, if he's looking for another band, because he's be an asset to a variety of heavier styles. For now, though, we can only fall back on said catalogue of EPs for some Anup Sastry Monday Funday groove.
To that end, your belated Monday song is "Reflex" from Anup's 2013 EP Ghost. It's a little djenty, but don't let that stop you from bobbing your head and catching the energy that Anup's beats have got in spades.
Anup's got a couple of solo EPs under his belt, but it doesn't look like he's joined up with another collaborative project just yet. I certainly hope he finds the right group of people, if he's looking for another band, because he's be an asset to a variety of heavier styles. For now, though, we can only fall back on said catalogue of EPs for some Anup Sastry Monday Funday groove.
To that end, your belated Monday song is "Reflex" from Anup's 2013 EP Ghost. It's a little djenty, but don't let that stop you from bobbing your head and catching the energy that Anup's beats have got in spades.
Thursday, 27 August 2015
Skyharbor - Out of Time
No throwback this Thursday, because the beneficent gods of new music have dropped something particularly exciting into all of ours laps today, and I'd be remiss if I let it slide even until tomorrow.
That something is a new Skyharbor single, the first to feature the complete new lineup, including vocalist Eric Emery (in for departed Dan Tompkins) and drummer Aditya Ashok (replacing skinsman Anup Sastry). We heard Eric's take on "Evolution" back when he was announced as Dan's replacement, but this "Out of Time" is our first taste of all-new material.
Does it live up to Skyharbors past? Not right off the bat, but I for one would like to sit with it for a bit, and hear the rest of the record-in-progress, before I pick any favourites. The word so far on this one is just "2016", so let's hope that means more Q1 than Q4.
That something is a new Skyharbor single, the first to feature the complete new lineup, including vocalist Eric Emery (in for departed Dan Tompkins) and drummer Aditya Ashok (replacing skinsman Anup Sastry). We heard Eric's take on "Evolution" back when he was announced as Dan's replacement, but this "Out of Time" is our first taste of all-new material.
Does it live up to Skyharbors past? Not right off the bat, but I for one would like to sit with it for a bit, and hear the rest of the record-in-progress, before I pick any favourites. The word so far on this one is just "2016", so let's hope that means more Q1 than Q4.
Thursday, 2 July 2015
Saturday: Skyharbor - Celestial
By now all you Skyharbor fans out there will likely have heard the news, but for those who haven't: singer Dan Tompkins is, alas, parting ways with Skyharbor and dedicating himself completely to his work with Tesseract (real blow for Tesseract fans, right?) and presumably his other solo/session stuff.
Skyharbor fans take heart, however, because the band has already introduced the world to Dan's replacement, American vocalist/producer Eric Emery, and even provided a little taste of what's in store for us as far as Eric's Skyharbor vocals will be concerned. Click right about here to sample Eric's take on Guiding Lights lead single "Evolution".
Facebook tells me tracking for a new Skyharbor single is about to begin, so maybe we'll hear Eric on some new material sooner than we think. In the meantime, however, we're going to go back to square one for your way-late Saturday Skyharbor song. Go back in time a bit and check out the epic "Celestial" from Skyharbor's superb debut Blinding White Noise: Illusion & Chaos and then join me in counting down the days until we get some Eric-led Skyharbor.
Skyharbor fans take heart, however, because the band has already introduced the world to Dan's replacement, American vocalist/producer Eric Emery, and even provided a little taste of what's in store for us as far as Eric's Skyharbor vocals will be concerned. Click right about here to sample Eric's take on Guiding Lights lead single "Evolution".
Facebook tells me tracking for a new Skyharbor single is about to begin, so maybe we'll hear Eric on some new material sooner than we think. In the meantime, however, we're going to go back to square one for your way-late Saturday Skyharbor song. Go back in time a bit and check out the epic "Celestial" from Skyharbor's superb debut Blinding White Noise: Illusion & Chaos and then join me in counting down the days until we get some Eric-led Skyharbor.
Friday, 13 March 2015
Skyharbor - Idle Minds
Despite the fact that I'm both a Skyharbor fanboy and a Dan Tompkins fanboy, I didn't put Skyharbor's sophomore disc Guiding Lights on my Best of 2014 list. That doesn't mean, however, that Guiding Lights isn't a solid album deserving of at least another day in the sun.
I think I overlooked Guiding Lights at the end of the year because, for me, it didn't have the instantly memorable songs of Blinding White Noise. But Guiding Lights is a grower, not a shower. Every listen reveals another layer and sinks the album's hooks deeper.
So Skyharbor gets another Song of the Day, specifically "Idle Minds", another textbook sample of Skyharbor groove and strong Tompkins vocal performance. So when's album number three coming out then, boys?
I think I overlooked Guiding Lights at the end of the year because, for me, it didn't have the instantly memorable songs of Blinding White Noise. But Guiding Lights is a grower, not a shower. Every listen reveals another layer and sinks the album's hooks deeper.
So Skyharbor gets another Song of the Day, specifically "Idle Minds", another textbook sample of Skyharbor groove and strong Tompkins vocal performance. So when's album number three coming out then, boys?
Monday, 5 January 2015
Sunday: Skyharbor - Allure
You know I'm overfond of alliteration sometimes, and it's been a while since I've recommended you check out a Skyharbor song, so have a Skyharbor Sunday why don't you?
The other reason you're getting Skyharbor for your Sunday post is that vocalist Dan Tompkins has recently done another of his "live" vocal take videos, this time for the song "Allure" from the band's still-relatively-new album Guiding Lights. That's all the excuse I need to feature the track and tell you to check it out.
And in addition to yet another powerful performance from Dan -- including a glass-breaker of a high note -- you get some jazzy lead work part-way through that perfectly compliments the kind of groove the band is building throughout this jam. If you're not into what Skyharbor does, then you probably won't dig this one. But if you like them already, or just plain don't know them, then this one's for you.
The other reason you're getting Skyharbor for your Sunday post is that vocalist Dan Tompkins has recently done another of his "live" vocal take videos, this time for the song "Allure" from the band's still-relatively-new album Guiding Lights. That's all the excuse I need to feature the track and tell you to check it out.
And in addition to yet another powerful performance from Dan -- including a glass-breaker of a high note -- you get some jazzy lead work part-way through that perfectly compliments the kind of groove the band is building throughout this jam. If you're not into what Skyharbor does, then you probably won't dig this one. But if you like them already, or just plain don't know them, then this one's for you.
Tuesday, 23 December 2014
Saturday: The Helix Nebula - Sailing Stone
Will tonight be the night I finally get caught up with the Real World calendar? Read on to find out!
My boy Plini is all over the place these days. Not content to just finish up the third EP in his badass trilogy, he's also done some guest work recently, for Skyharbor's sophomore effort Guiding Lights as well as the EP Meridian by fellow Aussies The Helix Nebula.
The song in question is "Sailing Stone", for which the guys in the band have recently released a playthrough video, and the solo Plini recorded is about a minute in. But you shouldn't just skip ahead; no, you should really stick around for the whole thing, because it's a six-plus-minute slice of proggy instrumental metal that keeps moving the whole time and never gets boring. The next release or two from The Helix Nebula could be especially tasty.
My boy Plini is all over the place these days. Not content to just finish up the third EP in his badass trilogy, he's also done some guest work recently, for Skyharbor's sophomore effort Guiding Lights as well as the EP Meridian by fellow Aussies The Helix Nebula.
The song in question is "Sailing Stone", for which the guys in the band have recently released a playthrough video, and the solo Plini recorded is about a minute in. But you shouldn't just skip ahead; no, you should really stick around for the whole thing, because it's a six-plus-minute slice of proggy instrumental metal that keeps moving the whole time and never gets boring. The next release or two from The Helix Nebula could be especially tasty.
Sunday, 9 November 2014
Saturday: Skyharbor - Halogen
We're only a day or two from the release of Skyharbor's sophomore disc Guiding Lights, but you may have already checked the album out via one channel or another.
Maybe you're one of those who, like me, crowdfunded Guiding Lights and had the good fortune to get their download codes a little early this past week. Or maybe you're one of those who've checked out the leaked version of the album, the existence of which caused us crowdfunders to get their codes early in the first place.
Let's pretend, however, that you're everybody else and have yet to hear the entirety of Guiding Lights. To sustain you until the record hits stores and streams in force this week, the guys have released another follow-up song to "Evolution" and "Patience". Musically, new single "Halogen" sits somewhere in between those previous two tracks: it's not as epic and immediately "singley" as "Evolution", but it's also not as mellow and down tempo as "Patience". It's heavy, but not bludgeoningly so, and it's catchy without sounding overly concerned with being catchy.
All told, "Halogen" is a pretty good representation of where Skyharbor seems to be at right now, so if you're eagerly awaiting Guiding Lights this one'll help you make it the last couple of days.
Maybe you're one of those who, like me, crowdfunded Guiding Lights and had the good fortune to get their download codes a little early this past week. Or maybe you're one of those who've checked out the leaked version of the album, the existence of which caused us crowdfunders to get their codes early in the first place.
Let's pretend, however, that you're everybody else and have yet to hear the entirety of Guiding Lights. To sustain you until the record hits stores and streams in force this week, the guys have released another follow-up song to "Evolution" and "Patience". Musically, new single "Halogen" sits somewhere in between those previous two tracks: it's not as epic and immediately "singley" as "Evolution", but it's also not as mellow and down tempo as "Patience". It's heavy, but not bludgeoningly so, and it's catchy without sounding overly concerned with being catchy.
All told, "Halogen" is a pretty good representation of where Skyharbor seems to be at right now, so if you're eagerly awaiting Guiding Lights this one'll help you make it the last couple of days.
Wednesday, 15 October 2014
Skyharbor - Patience
As I've said before, there are days when it takes me a while to find a song that hooks me enough that I feel I need to share it with all of you. And then there are days when a perfect song more or less falls into my lap -- or, more accurately, our collective internet laps. The latest track from Sylosis, which I featured over the weekend, is one good example. Today's song is another.
Those regular readers I'm so often addressing should know by now that I'm a big fan of both Skyharbor and their vocalist Dan Tompkins. I threw some money at the crowdfunding campaign for their sophomore album Guiding Lights and have been awaiting the record's release ever since, with only lead single "Evolution" to tide me over. And while "Evolution" is completely badass, I'm impatient and don't want to wait for the album's November release date to roll around before I get to hear some more new Skyharbor.
Thankfully the guys have got me (and you!) covered. Today they publicly unveiled the video for second single "Patience" after giving it a limited release yesterday to their pledge campaign supporters. Musically the song's a bit of a ballad, meaning it's not necessarily as heavy as "Evolution" or some of their older material. But throw in the cool paper cutout puppet-style animated video, and fugedaboudit, you've got something pretty sweet on your hands. If Guiding Lights isn't a top ten of the year candidate, I'll eat my beard.
Those regular readers I'm so often addressing should know by now that I'm a big fan of both Skyharbor and their vocalist Dan Tompkins. I threw some money at the crowdfunding campaign for their sophomore album Guiding Lights and have been awaiting the record's release ever since, with only lead single "Evolution" to tide me over. And while "Evolution" is completely badass, I'm impatient and don't want to wait for the album's November release date to roll around before I get to hear some more new Skyharbor.
Thankfully the guys have got me (and you!) covered. Today they publicly unveiled the video for second single "Patience" after giving it a limited release yesterday to their pledge campaign supporters. Musically the song's a bit of a ballad, meaning it's not necessarily as heavy as "Evolution" or some of their older material. But throw in the cool paper cutout puppet-style animated video, and fugedaboudit, you've got something pretty sweet on your hands. If Guiding Lights isn't a top ten of the year candidate, I'll eat my beard.
Sunday, 7 September 2014
Sunday: Piano - Disappearing Ink
Regular readers (yeah, you two) should know by now (because I keep telling you as much) that I'm a big Dan Tompkins fanboy. You know the guy: the once-and-future frontman for the British djentlemen in Tesseract and the voice behind India's Skyharbor, to name just two of the awesome projects with which Dan's involved.
Two not enough for you? Require further evidence of Dan's raditude? OK, how about Japan-based post-whatever band Piano? With Dan's formidable vocal help, these guys have been plugging away in relative obscurity for quite some time now, releasing a couple of cool EPs in the last eight or nine years. But now, for whatever reason, the stars have finally aligned and Piano has an LP coming out in a few weeks.
Being the fanboy that I am, Salvage Architecture would be worth checking out just for Dan's presence on it, but it sure doesn't hurt that this record's shaping up to be exactly my cup of tea. Have a listen to first single "Disappearing Ink" and then join me in rejoicing at the fact that a) there's going to be new Piano material widely available come the seventeenth, and b) it's so goddamned good.
Two not enough for you? Require further evidence of Dan's raditude? OK, how about Japan-based post-whatever band Piano? With Dan's formidable vocal help, these guys have been plugging away in relative obscurity for quite some time now, releasing a couple of cool EPs in the last eight or nine years. But now, for whatever reason, the stars have finally aligned and Piano has an LP coming out in a few weeks.
Being the fanboy that I am, Salvage Architecture would be worth checking out just for Dan's presence on it, but it sure doesn't hurt that this record's shaping up to be exactly my cup of tea. Have a listen to first single "Disappearing Ink" and then join me in rejoicing at the fact that a) there's going to be new Piano material widely available come the seventeenth, and b) it's so goddamned good.
Saturday, 28 June 2014
Friday: Tesseract - Lament
As I seem to say all the time, regular readers will know that I'm a big fan of the work of Dan Tompkins, original Tesseract vocalist and current Skyharbor pipesman. I am, however, also a fan of the vocalist on Tesseract's second LP Altered State, Ashe O'Hara, so yesterday's news that Ashe is leaving the band and Dan's back in is somewhat bittersweet.
Who knows what this might mean for the band's longterm future, or for the future of Dan's other big project Skyharbor, who just finished a successful crowdfunding campaign for their second LP? The only thing that looks certain at this point is that album number three, and its subsequent touring cycle, will see Dan with the band once more.
As I said, I really dug Ashe's work on Altered State, but being such a fan of Dan's I'm excited to see where he'll take things for Tesseract 3.0. For the time being, let's have something from One so the latecomers to the Tesseract party will know what I'm on about with this Dan Tompkins guy. Here's One album opener "Lament".
Who knows what this might mean for the band's longterm future, or for the future of Dan's other big project Skyharbor, who just finished a successful crowdfunding campaign for their second LP? The only thing that looks certain at this point is that album number three, and its subsequent touring cycle, will see Dan with the band once more.
As I said, I really dug Ashe's work on Altered State, but being such a fan of Dan's I'm excited to see where he'll take things for Tesseract 3.0. For the time being, let's have something from One so the latecomers to the Tesseract party will know what I'm on about with this Dan Tompkins guy. Here's One album opener "Lament".
Thursday, 12 June 2014
Skyharbor - Evolution
I'm very excited to be able to recommend tonight's song to you, especially because I got to hear it a couple of days ago. Feast your ears, dear reader, on the first track from Skyharbor's as yet untitled second album.
"Evolution" has a lot going for it -- good grooves, some techy/noodly lead work, more great Dan Tompkins vocal work -- and it perfectly straddles the line between growth and experimentation on the one hand and refinement of your existing sound on the other.
I'm the kind of Skyharbor fan how would have been happy if Blinding White Noise had been a triple album, so the fact that "Evolution" doesn't stray too far from what I know and love is welcome news. But since it also doesn't sound like the boys have simply been resting on their laurels, Skyharbor's sophomore disc has the potential to be a monster. Go throw some money at them to help them finishing recording already.
"Evolution" has a lot going for it -- good grooves, some techy/noodly lead work, more great Dan Tompkins vocal work -- and it perfectly straddles the line between growth and experimentation on the one hand and refinement of your existing sound on the other.
I'm the kind of Skyharbor fan how would have been happy if Blinding White Noise had been a triple album, so the fact that "Evolution" doesn't stray too far from what I know and love is welcome news. But since it also doesn't sound like the boys have simply been resting on their laurels, Skyharbor's sophomore disc has the potential to be a monster. Go throw some money at them to help them finishing recording already.
Tuesday, 6 May 2014
Album of the Week: Skyharbor - Blinding White Noise
I told you guys over the weekend that I'd be back with a little something to keep you going while I'm away, and here I am, with a new feature that'll hopefully run alongside the daily songs whenever I get back to them.
In addition to recommending a new song for you every day, I'm going to be trying a different album once a week, just to give you a little bit more time to chew on some stuff that you might or might not already be aware of.
First up is a record that I've recently been rediscovering, namely Skyharbor's phenomenal debut Blinding White Noise. Big melodies (both vocal and musical), grooves aplenty, just the right amount of technicality and virtuosity to elevate things above the mundane... all of it adds up to a djenty album that's so much more than djust djent.
Throw in the fact that Blinding White Noise is a double album of sorts -- two shorter discs make up the album's whole -- and you've got a pretty ambitious debut that succeeds at every turn. I can't wait to hear a follow-up, but for now I'll just have to spend some more time with Blinding White Noise.
And that's just what you should do too. If your tastes are anything like mine (which they might be, if you're reading this) then Skyharbor will be something that you dig. So spend the next week giving it a go, and I'll try and turn you on to something else next time.
In addition to recommending a new song for you every day, I'm going to be trying a different album once a week, just to give you a little bit more time to chew on some stuff that you might or might not already be aware of.
First up is a record that I've recently been rediscovering, namely Skyharbor's phenomenal debut Blinding White Noise. Big melodies (both vocal and musical), grooves aplenty, just the right amount of technicality and virtuosity to elevate things above the mundane... all of it adds up to a djenty album that's so much more than djust djent.
Throw in the fact that Blinding White Noise is a double album of sorts -- two shorter discs make up the album's whole -- and you've got a pretty ambitious debut that succeeds at every turn. I can't wait to hear a follow-up, but for now I'll just have to spend some more time with Blinding White Noise.
And that's just what you should do too. If your tastes are anything like mine (which they might be, if you're reading this) then Skyharbor will be something that you dig. So spend the next week giving it a go, and I'll try and turn you on to something else next time.
Friday, 24 January 2014
Friday: Marty Friedman - Steroidhead
If you're into metal -- and there's a good chance you are, why else would you be here? -- then you likely have at least heard the name of former Megadeth guitarist and also around shredmaster Marty Friedman. I know I've mentioned him at least once before, in the context of his guest solo on a Skyharbor track.
Well now Keshav and Anup from Skyharbor have returned the favour, appearing on what has turned out to be the first single off of Marty's new album Inferno. It's not necessarily the most memorable or exciting song in the world, but it is a nice thrashy slice of guitar-driven instrumental topped off with some buttery Friedman leads. Have a listen and discover why the Japanese shouldn't be the only people interested in this guy.
Well now Keshav and Anup from Skyharbor have returned the favour, appearing on what has turned out to be the first single off of Marty's new album Inferno. It's not necessarily the most memorable or exciting song in the world, but it is a nice thrashy slice of guitar-driven instrumental topped off with some buttery Friedman leads. Have a listen and discover why the Japanese shouldn't be the only people interested in this guy.
Tuesday, 3 December 2013
Devil Sold His Soul - Time
Regular readers (I'm going to keep making reference to you despite the dubiousness of your existence) should have clued in by now to the fact that I'm a big fan of British label Basick Records. With a few exceptions, I dig pretty much their entire catalogue to varying degrees, so when I hear they've got a new signing my ears prick up like a ravenous dog hearing kibble hit the food dish.
As such, I just had to check out Devil Sold His Soul, the latest addition to the Basick roster, and while I'm not immediately as head-over-heels as I was for, say, Skyharbor (I lurvs me some Skyharbor) Devil Sold His Soul has a lot of tasty goodness going on. Think epic metalcore with big melodies and bigger vocals and you're probably in the right ballpark.
To see if this is a ballpark you want to be playing ball in, check out Devil Sold His Soul's latest single "Time", the first track to feature the band's new singer Paul Green, who you might already know from his other gig in The Arusha Accord, another Basick band. Between "Time" and the band's back catalogue, there should be enough there to hold us all over until the next Devil Sold His Soul LP drops.
As such, I just had to check out Devil Sold His Soul, the latest addition to the Basick roster, and while I'm not immediately as head-over-heels as I was for, say, Skyharbor (I lurvs me some Skyharbor) Devil Sold His Soul has a lot of tasty goodness going on. Think epic metalcore with big melodies and bigger vocals and you're probably in the right ballpark.
To see if this is a ballpark you want to be playing ball in, check out Devil Sold His Soul's latest single "Time", the first track to feature the band's new singer Paul Green, who you might already know from his other gig in The Arusha Accord, another Basick band. Between "Time" and the band's back catalogue, there should be enough there to hold us all over until the next Devil Sold His Soul LP drops.
Thursday, 30 May 2013
Song of the Day: Skyharbor - Trayus
A couple of my favourite bands have some new material for me to digest either already out imminently due (Tesseract's Altered State and The Black Dahlia Murder's Everblack, to name two) but there's a few others with albums under construction that I'm still waiting on.
Thursday, 23 May 2013
Song of the Day: These Precious Days - Drop the Rosary
Two things the regular reader will have learned about me by now if they've been paying attention: I likes me some Tesseract, and I likes me some Skyharbor. As such, the twin prospect of new Skyharbor material being under construction and a new Tesseract album dropping in mere days has me pleased as punch. And now I've got the perfect crossing of the streams song to hold me over.
Tuesday, 26 March 2013
Song of the Day: Anup Sastry - Limitless
I've written about the purveyor of today's track before, but previously it's always been by way of his connection to other musical projects. You see, up and coming drummer Anup Sastry is the skinsman for both Intervals and Skyharbor, two slick bands that are more than worth checking out. But Mr. Sastry has just released his first solo effort, which means more tasty grooves for the masses!
Wednesday, 9 January 2013
Song of the Day: Skyharbor - Catharsis
Like I said yesterday, I think it's fairly safe for me to assume that most of you are likely familiar, or even similarly enamored with, most of the albums on my Ten Best of 2012 list. But I've got a hunch that there's at least a few of you who don't know one or two of my selections, or have perhaps only heard of them and not heard them. Yesterday's Gojira song was aimed your way, and so is today's Skyharbor song.
Sunday, 6 January 2013
2012 Round-up, Part 1: Loud Noises Ten Best of 2012
If you follow any metal blogs at all (or any blogs or websites about anything, really) you know that this time of year is “Best of” season. Everybody and their mother’s dog is sounding off about their favourite albums of 2012, and dammit that bandwagon is looking a little empty without me. I've got opinions about how 2012 went down, and although I get the sense it'll be a bit like pissing into a hurricane, I'm nevertheless going to undertake the valiant effort of making those opinions known to you, dear reader. So having said all of that, it is my pleasure to present to you part one of the Loud Noises 2012 end of the year round up: the Loud Noises Ten Best of 2012!!
Now, before we get started, there is one important thing to keep in mind: my tendency towards indecisiveness. You see, I often have trouble making firm and confident decisions. Deciding what to have for dinner can prove quite vexing some days. So as you might be able to imagine, the task of ranking my favourite albums of the year and culminating definitively with a choice that I think stands above all others is one that might very well unburden me of my sanity. In the interest of keeping me from coming completely unhinged, I've decided to just tell you about my ten favourite albums from the past year, in no particular order, just a list, here's ten great records you should check out, bam, done. In fact, just so you can't infer anything unintended from my choice of structure, I'm not even going to number this list of epicness. How do you like them apples?
- Skyharbor - Blinding White Noise: Illusion & Chaos
Tremendously talented international bands spawned from bedroom and basement recording set-ups seem to be becoming increasingly common in the overlapping worlds of heavy and progressive music, but for my money India's Skyharbor comes out well ahead. Combine complex, melodic, and of course heavy guitar riffs with drums dripping groove and powerful vocals from my boy Dan Tompkins, and you've got an album I've listened to an absolute shit ton of this year, and an album that's so much more than mere djent. It's sometimes easy to forget that Blinding White Noise is Skyharbor's very first release. I for one will be very excited to hear where this group goes next, and I think if you heard them you would be too.
- The Contortionist - Intrinsic
I could describe The Contortionist's album Intrinsic in one of two ways: I could wax loquaciously about how Intrinsic is a stellar sophomore effort that shows The Contortionist to be a band maturing very nicely. I could talk about how Intrinsic strikes a careful balance between being grand and expansive and being lean and focused. I could talk about how while I maybe don't think it deserved the sheer volume of hype it received online prior to its release, I do think it's a cool and diverse album from a young band that is definitely worthy of your attention. Or I could just use one word to sum up Intrinsic: keyboards! Either way, I was very glad I picked this one up, and very bummed when The Contortionist ended up not playing here on Hallowe'en due to Veil of Maya dropping out of a Canadian mini-tour. Come on back, guys!
- Periphery - Periphery II: This Time It's Personal
Speaking of hype, we all knew Periphery's second full length was going to be a monster, if only because the interwebs told us so. A bigger, badder record with more of everything fans liked about the first one, and indeed more input from band members whose names aren't Misha Mansoor. My only complaint about this album is that every song is so chock full, so 110%, that it loses a bit of the impact it might have with a bit more ebb and flow, a bit more dynamics. Of course, I can't really fault Periphery too much for crafting an album that is monotonously good, can I? Periphery might need some new tricks when the time comes for Periphery III: Back to the Periphery, but for the time being Periphery has upped their game in every way for Periphery II.
- The Faceless - Autotheism
The observant reader will by this point have noticed at least one trend in this best of 2012 list, namely that a number of these albums were highly anticipated and greatly hyped before their respective releases. The latest release from tech/death prodigies The Faceless was no exception. OK, maybe it was a bit of an exception, in the sense that it fully warranted both anticipation and hype. I jumped on the The Faceless bandwagon with Planetary Duality, which I really dug, so I was really excited to hear the follow-up, and I was really pleased with the result. Hell, the opening three track "Autotheism" suite alone is worth the price of admission, and there's six other tracks on the record! Some fans might not have been able to get into the proggier direction guitarist/songwriter/singer Michael Keene chose for his band (those who say saxophone has no place in metal, for example), but I for one think the step up from Planetary Duality to Autotheism bodes extremely well for the step from Autotheism to wherever The Faceless ends up next.
- Gojira - L'Enfant Sauvage
I could say a lot of things about Gojira's fantastic 2012 selection of doom and groove, L'Enfant Sauvage, most of which have probably already been said a dozen times on a dozen websites, but I think the most ringing endorsement of this album I can give anyone is to say that it made a Gojira fan out of me. Prior to hearing this album, I was a casual, lukewarm Gojira fan at best, really only knowing a few of their more "mainstream" songs. But L'Enfant Sauvage is all killer, no filler, with every song being solid and not at all skippable, which I find is something to be said for an album of any genre, let alone a genre as potentially pummeling as metal. If L'Enfant Sauvage can make a Gojira convert out of me, it can make a convert out of anyone.
- Trioscapes - Separate Realities
If I could say a lot of things about Gojira's L'Enfant Sauvage, then I can't say enough about the debut album from three-piece jazz fusion act Trioscapes. Among the many glowing statements I might make about Separate Realities: it'll make a jazz fan out of even the most staunch metalhead, especially when you consider that one full third of its membership (bass player Dan Briggs) does double duty in both Trioscapes and prog champs Between the Buried and Me; it'll also make jazz fans out of your friends and associates when played at gatherings and get-togethers (yeah, I've put Trioscapes on at parties, to largely positive reactions); Trioscapes'll even give metal-fan you and your non-metal-fan girlfriend something badass to share. Yes, with its deep, deep grooves and super funky riffs enough for days on end, Trioscapes' Separate Realities is the great jazzy equalizer.
- Deftones - Koi No Yokan
2010's Diamond Eyes is widely hailed as a return to form for the Deftones, a rebottling of the lightning of the seminal White Pony, and if you accept this logic then 2012's Koi No Yokan is proof positive that Diamond Eyes wasn’t a fluke and Deftones are capable of making lightning strike the same spot again and again and again. It's too bad that original bassist Chi Cheng is still recovering from a very serious car accident more than four years ago, but at least Sergio Vega is continuing his terrific job of holding down the low end of things. As a result, a playthrough of Koi No Yokan doesn't leave one wondering "Aw, where's Chi?" but rather "Wow, Deftones can still write a captivating album, can't they?" They're not reinventing the wheel or their sound, but then why should they? With Deftones it's long been about the quality of their songs rather than doing something radically new with each record; as far back as White Pony, Deftones had found the rough formula for what works for them, and they've been playing around with that formula ever since. Sometimes the resulting collection of songs is more Diamond Eyes and sometimes it's more Saturday Night Wrist (which is a good record, don't get me wrong). Koi No Yokan is a rock solid collection of songs, which is a pretty lofty achievement in my book.
- Baroness - Yellow & Green
2012 was a tumultuous year for Baroness to say the least: in July they released Yellow & Green, the much anticipated follow-up double album to killer sophomore effort Blue, to widespread acclaim, and then in August they were involved in a pretty serious bus crash while on tour in England. The band is recovering well from their various injuries (which included broken bones and fractured vertebrae) but it's still a major setback in a career, and a terrifying event for anyone to undergo. However, it seems like Baroness will rise again and forge ahead, so Baroness fans can take heart and, in the meantime, take pleasure in a double album that's as dark and melancholy as it is plaintive and beautiful. Listeners expecting a straight up increase in "heaviness" might be disappointed, but listeners looking for a deep and interesting listen will find it here in spades.
- Between the Buried and Me - The Parallax II: Future Sequence
As we've already seen, 2012 was a year with some pretty big, pretty highly anticipated releases, and the latest prog-metal opus from Between the Buried and Me was no exception. The band's track record of producing works of technically magnificent madness dovetailed nicely with the introductory EP Hypersleep Dialogues they released in 2011 as a teaser for Future Sequence to create an atmosphere of rabid expectation. And then they delivered, blowing us all away with an audio roller coaster ride through the stars. I think I'm personally still a bigger fan of The Great Misdirect, because I just really like how that collection of songs hangs together as a piece of music, but there's no denying that Future Sequence is a slice of Between the Buried and Me at the top of their game. If you're at all a fan of technically progressive metal or Between the Buried and Me, and have somehow not heard this record yet, stop what you're doing and go get a copy right now. Then come back, put it on, and finish reading this. Or just finish this first. Either way, don't run away for good just yet, because we're not quite done yet...
- Sylosis - Monolith
The latest slab of thrash from the purveyors of shredding from Reading may not have been a record widely anticipated by the metal world at large, but I've been a fan of Sylosis since their first EP so I was definitely looking forward to it. And if 2012 is any indication of what 2013 might be like for Sylosis, by the time they get around to recording the follow-up to Monolith I won't be the only one who's excited. For now we all have to be satisfied with Monolith, the third full length album from modern British thrash titans Sylosis, and it's a doozy. I fee like it might lack a little of the fire, a little of the magical spark, that connected me so well with some of their earlier work, but that's not to say Monolith isn't...well, monolithic. From one end to the other it's tasty metal goodness. Sure, there's some quieter bits, and some slower bits, but the sheer riffage-per-minute numbers on this one are off the charts. I always try to talk Sylosis up to my friends who like metal, so let this be (another) lesson to you: if you somehow don't know Sylosis by now, get to know them. Like I said, after releasing Monolith in 2012 and then snagging a tour spot opening for Lamb of God, Sylosis are poised for a 2013 that you'll want to be a part of.
Well, there you have it, ten records that I listened to a lot of in 2012 and that I think I liked more than anything else I heard released last year. No doubt you're already familiar with at least some of these, but hopefully there's at least one you don't know and can check out, because you know how I like turning you on to new stuff. Aww yeah you do. Anyways, until part 2 of the 2012 year end report is ready for your collective eye- and ear-holes, why don't you crank some of the above? You won't be sorry you did. Schuss!
Now, before we get started, there is one important thing to keep in mind: my tendency towards indecisiveness. You see, I often have trouble making firm and confident decisions. Deciding what to have for dinner can prove quite vexing some days. So as you might be able to imagine, the task of ranking my favourite albums of the year and culminating definitively with a choice that I think stands above all others is one that might very well unburden me of my sanity. In the interest of keeping me from coming completely unhinged, I've decided to just tell you about my ten favourite albums from the past year, in no particular order, just a list, here's ten great records you should check out, bam, done. In fact, just so you can't infer anything unintended from my choice of structure, I'm not even going to number this list of epicness. How do you like them apples?
- Skyharbor - Blinding White Noise: Illusion & Chaos
Tremendously talented international bands spawned from bedroom and basement recording set-ups seem to be becoming increasingly common in the overlapping worlds of heavy and progressive music, but for my money India's Skyharbor comes out well ahead. Combine complex, melodic, and of course heavy guitar riffs with drums dripping groove and powerful vocals from my boy Dan Tompkins, and you've got an album I've listened to an absolute shit ton of this year, and an album that's so much more than mere djent. It's sometimes easy to forget that Blinding White Noise is Skyharbor's very first release. I for one will be very excited to hear where this group goes next, and I think if you heard them you would be too.
- The Contortionist - Intrinsic
I could describe The Contortionist's album Intrinsic in one of two ways: I could wax loquaciously about how Intrinsic is a stellar sophomore effort that shows The Contortionist to be a band maturing very nicely. I could talk about how Intrinsic strikes a careful balance between being grand and expansive and being lean and focused. I could talk about how while I maybe don't think it deserved the sheer volume of hype it received online prior to its release, I do think it's a cool and diverse album from a young band that is definitely worthy of your attention. Or I could just use one word to sum up Intrinsic: keyboards! Either way, I was very glad I picked this one up, and very bummed when The Contortionist ended up not playing here on Hallowe'en due to Veil of Maya dropping out of a Canadian mini-tour. Come on back, guys!
- Periphery - Periphery II: This Time It's Personal
Speaking of hype, we all knew Periphery's second full length was going to be a monster, if only because the interwebs told us so. A bigger, badder record with more of everything fans liked about the first one, and indeed more input from band members whose names aren't Misha Mansoor. My only complaint about this album is that every song is so chock full, so 110%, that it loses a bit of the impact it might have with a bit more ebb and flow, a bit more dynamics. Of course, I can't really fault Periphery too much for crafting an album that is monotonously good, can I? Periphery might need some new tricks when the time comes for Periphery III: Back to the Periphery, but for the time being Periphery has upped their game in every way for Periphery II.
- The Faceless - Autotheism
The observant reader will by this point have noticed at least one trend in this best of 2012 list, namely that a number of these albums were highly anticipated and greatly hyped before their respective releases. The latest release from tech/death prodigies The Faceless was no exception. OK, maybe it was a bit of an exception, in the sense that it fully warranted both anticipation and hype. I jumped on the The Faceless bandwagon with Planetary Duality, which I really dug, so I was really excited to hear the follow-up, and I was really pleased with the result. Hell, the opening three track "Autotheism" suite alone is worth the price of admission, and there's six other tracks on the record! Some fans might not have been able to get into the proggier direction guitarist/songwriter/singer Michael Keene chose for his band (those who say saxophone has no place in metal, for example), but I for one think the step up from Planetary Duality to Autotheism bodes extremely well for the step from Autotheism to wherever The Faceless ends up next.
- Gojira - L'Enfant Sauvage
I could say a lot of things about Gojira's fantastic 2012 selection of doom and groove, L'Enfant Sauvage, most of which have probably already been said a dozen times on a dozen websites, but I think the most ringing endorsement of this album I can give anyone is to say that it made a Gojira fan out of me. Prior to hearing this album, I was a casual, lukewarm Gojira fan at best, really only knowing a few of their more "mainstream" songs. But L'Enfant Sauvage is all killer, no filler, with every song being solid and not at all skippable, which I find is something to be said for an album of any genre, let alone a genre as potentially pummeling as metal. If L'Enfant Sauvage can make a Gojira convert out of me, it can make a convert out of anyone.
- Trioscapes - Separate Realities
If I could say a lot of things about Gojira's L'Enfant Sauvage, then I can't say enough about the debut album from three-piece jazz fusion act Trioscapes. Among the many glowing statements I might make about Separate Realities: it'll make a jazz fan out of even the most staunch metalhead, especially when you consider that one full third of its membership (bass player Dan Briggs) does double duty in both Trioscapes and prog champs Between the Buried and Me; it'll also make jazz fans out of your friends and associates when played at gatherings and get-togethers (yeah, I've put Trioscapes on at parties, to largely positive reactions); Trioscapes'll even give metal-fan you and your non-metal-fan girlfriend something badass to share. Yes, with its deep, deep grooves and super funky riffs enough for days on end, Trioscapes' Separate Realities is the great jazzy equalizer.
- Deftones - Koi No Yokan
2010's Diamond Eyes is widely hailed as a return to form for the Deftones, a rebottling of the lightning of the seminal White Pony, and if you accept this logic then 2012's Koi No Yokan is proof positive that Diamond Eyes wasn’t a fluke and Deftones are capable of making lightning strike the same spot again and again and again. It's too bad that original bassist Chi Cheng is still recovering from a very serious car accident more than four years ago, but at least Sergio Vega is continuing his terrific job of holding down the low end of things. As a result, a playthrough of Koi No Yokan doesn't leave one wondering "Aw, where's Chi?" but rather "Wow, Deftones can still write a captivating album, can't they?" They're not reinventing the wheel or their sound, but then why should they? With Deftones it's long been about the quality of their songs rather than doing something radically new with each record; as far back as White Pony, Deftones had found the rough formula for what works for them, and they've been playing around with that formula ever since. Sometimes the resulting collection of songs is more Diamond Eyes and sometimes it's more Saturday Night Wrist (which is a good record, don't get me wrong). Koi No Yokan is a rock solid collection of songs, which is a pretty lofty achievement in my book.
- Baroness - Yellow & Green
2012 was a tumultuous year for Baroness to say the least: in July they released Yellow & Green, the much anticipated follow-up double album to killer sophomore effort Blue, to widespread acclaim, and then in August they were involved in a pretty serious bus crash while on tour in England. The band is recovering well from their various injuries (which included broken bones and fractured vertebrae) but it's still a major setback in a career, and a terrifying event for anyone to undergo. However, it seems like Baroness will rise again and forge ahead, so Baroness fans can take heart and, in the meantime, take pleasure in a double album that's as dark and melancholy as it is plaintive and beautiful. Listeners expecting a straight up increase in "heaviness" might be disappointed, but listeners looking for a deep and interesting listen will find it here in spades.
- Between the Buried and Me - The Parallax II: Future Sequence
As we've already seen, 2012 was a year with some pretty big, pretty highly anticipated releases, and the latest prog-metal opus from Between the Buried and Me was no exception. The band's track record of producing works of technically magnificent madness dovetailed nicely with the introductory EP Hypersleep Dialogues they released in 2011 as a teaser for Future Sequence to create an atmosphere of rabid expectation. And then they delivered, blowing us all away with an audio roller coaster ride through the stars. I think I'm personally still a bigger fan of The Great Misdirect, because I just really like how that collection of songs hangs together as a piece of music, but there's no denying that Future Sequence is a slice of Between the Buried and Me at the top of their game. If you're at all a fan of technically progressive metal or Between the Buried and Me, and have somehow not heard this record yet, stop what you're doing and go get a copy right now. Then come back, put it on, and finish reading this. Or just finish this first. Either way, don't run away for good just yet, because we're not quite done yet...
- Sylosis - Monolith
The latest slab of thrash from the purveyors of shredding from Reading may not have been a record widely anticipated by the metal world at large, but I've been a fan of Sylosis since their first EP so I was definitely looking forward to it. And if 2012 is any indication of what 2013 might be like for Sylosis, by the time they get around to recording the follow-up to Monolith I won't be the only one who's excited. For now we all have to be satisfied with Monolith, the third full length album from modern British thrash titans Sylosis, and it's a doozy. I fee like it might lack a little of the fire, a little of the magical spark, that connected me so well with some of their earlier work, but that's not to say Monolith isn't...well, monolithic. From one end to the other it's tasty metal goodness. Sure, there's some quieter bits, and some slower bits, but the sheer riffage-per-minute numbers on this one are off the charts. I always try to talk Sylosis up to my friends who like metal, so let this be (another) lesson to you: if you somehow don't know Sylosis by now, get to know them. Like I said, after releasing Monolith in 2012 and then snagging a tour spot opening for Lamb of God, Sylosis are poised for a 2013 that you'll want to be a part of.
Well, there you have it, ten records that I listened to a lot of in 2012 and that I think I liked more than anything else I heard released last year. No doubt you're already familiar with at least some of these, but hopefully there's at least one you don't know and can check out, because you know how I like turning you on to new stuff. Aww yeah you do. Anyways, until part 2 of the 2012 year end report is ready for your collective eye- and ear-holes, why don't you crank some of the above? You won't be sorry you did. Schuss!
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