It’s been an interesting year for music for me personally. In Riley Breckinridge’s blog Hermitology I have found a new music guru to aid in my appreciation and discovery of new music. I discovered a few new muses in 2010, which has led the reach of my musical landscape to expand. I have felt for a while my musical taste has been broad, but recently it has grown in leaps and bounds. It’s a good mirror of how I’ve changed personally during those twelve months. The spectrum of sounds I fell in love with in 2010 covers a lot of ground. There are many more “lighter” bands and albums on this year’s list, but don’t be fooled, they aren’t any less epic than the fist pumping, head banging LPs which are synonymous with my taste in music.
Circa Survive – “Blue Sky Research”
With their third release, Circa Survive has figured out how to write traditional rock songs while not losing their signature sound. It was a challenge for me to get through “Blue Sky Noise” the first time. I thought I lost another one of my favorite bands to the cult of the major label. Growth is a hard thing to deal with for sometimes. I am however, a victim of my quick judgment. In time, some of the things that I disliked about the album and the band’s “new sound” grew into an understanding of where the band wanted to go with their music, and laid out a clear path to where they plan to trek next. There's no putting a nose up to the fact that Clear Channel might have a band worthy of their bullshit airwaves. There's certainly enough passion in “Blue Sky Noise” to show the masses where rock and roll and great songwriting can meet in a traditional compromise everyone can enjoy.
Frightened Rabbit – “The Winter Of Mixed Drinks”
When I have a variety of people telling me to check out a band, I usually tend to veer away from ever giving their music a chance. It’s the music snob in me, and it’s a bad habit I am learning to break one day at a time. I started with “Midnight Organ Fight” as instructed, and quickly realized my preconceptions of this band were very wrong. The songwriting on “Winter” is sharp and witty throughout, and most of their songs – with themes of escape, freedom and reinvention – have extremely impassioned choruses made to be shouted from the nearest available mountain.
Lewis Black – “Stark Raving Black”
Much like a catchy song makes you want to tap your foot to the beat, Lewis Black persuades you to see society his way. Whether you agree with his position or not, by the end of every album, you find yourself at least understanding where he is coming from, if not completely giving in to his gospel. Black does it again on “Stark Raving Black”, recording seventy-five minutes of pure irritation and pure comedy. Lewis is brutally honest in his jokes, and not more so then when he declares, “Our two party system is a bowl of shit looking in the mirror at itself.” What makes Lewis Black the great topical comic he is (and my favorite comic period) is when he speaks, when you hear his voice, you not only hear the anger and animosity in his voice, but you become enraged yourself.
Underoath – “(Disambiguation)”
With their 2010 release, Underoath continues to progress. This is their first release without vocalist/drummer Aaron Gillespie, making it the first album screamer/growler/vocal beast Spencer Chamberlain has to helm himself. On first listen, “(Disambiguation)” seems a little out of place with the rest of the band’s library. The back and forth banter between Gillespie and Chamberlain is definitely something I miss. However, Chamberlain finds the balance in his own voice, volleying successfully between singing and low octave screaming, giving “Æ” a much darker feel. Underoath has evolved yet again. The more I listen, the more I find myself noticing the individual elements of the music, reminding me once more why Underoath is one of my favorite bands.
Good Old War – “Good Old War”
What makes this Philadelphia band so appealing, besides their classic folk sensibility, is the vocal harmonies utilized in their music. I had a crush on this band when they released “Only Way To Be Alone”, but now I am fully in love. The self titled contains songs like "That's Some Dream", which mixes solo vocals and group harmonies, a central acoustic guitar with an electric guitar coming in to play a solo in the bridge, and some honest lyrics, [“I know everyone would want me to say / That I'm not afraid to be alone / I'm gonna live, I'm all right / I'm gonna die, it's alright / I'm okay"]. “Good Old War” is one of the most real and personal collection of songs I've ever come across.
Norma Jean – “Meridional”
These Atlanta metal heads have found their niche. With “Meridional”, the band revisits their “Botch”-esque style the band often referenced at beginning of their career. It can’t be heard any clearer than on the album’s second track, “The Anthem Of The Dying Brides.” “Meridional” combines the more rock-style elements from Anti-Mother with old school “O’ God The Aftermath” they were playing at the beginning of their career. I believe Norma Jean finally found the “grown up” sound they were looking for, but realized getting older doesn’t mean forgetting the past, but building on it. This album can definitely hold its head up high right there with “Redeemer”.
2ND RUNNER UP:
Menomena – “Mines”
I listened for months as Mr. Breckinridge discussed ad nauseum about how big a fan he was of Menomena and how he spun “Mines” forty-three times the first week he bought the album. After hearing a few tracks myself, I must agree, I was intrigued by the act. I went out and purchased the aforementioned album and after my first listen, I was as hooked as he was. Menomena exhibit creativity in their music not found in today’s musical gamut. Their previous outings can be compared to a child testing the cold water of a swimming pool, while “Mines” has the trio jumping full force into the freezing ocean. The band chooses each piece of the puzzle carefully before connecting them all in a completed song. Even the lyrics feel like they have been examined to the greatest detail. Regardless of how they're arranging their sounds, Menomena know how to balance them in a mix so that the listener can feel the spatial relationships between them. There's a lot of room for your ear to roam on “Mines”, and it is revealed over the course of your first few listens this is a very enjoyable album worth exploring and revisiting time and time again.
RUNNER UP
Bring Me The Horizon – “There Is A Hell, Believe Me I've Seen It. There Is a Heaven, Let's Keep It a Secret”
My first thought when I first spun “There Is A Hell…” was “Holy fuck. This album is really fucking good.” Everything about this band has improved on this album from the lyrics, to the songwriting, to the musicianship. As much love as I have for old school, I have give credit to Bring Me The Horizon for taking metal in an original direction. As young as they are, I've seen them live three times in the last year, and they can easily stand tall with the greats of heavy metal. A lot of heavier acts have grown into their own this past year and found their true sound, and BMTH have continued to build on “Suicide Season”, advancing further down the musical battlefield. One of the more surprising elements to this album is the guest-starring role of Lights on two tracks, “Crucify Me” and “Don’t Go”. You can’t really find two more contradicting vocal styles than Lights and Oli Sykes, but their dichotomy directly reflects the polarizing nature the album title suggests. Drew Beringer puts it best in his review on AbsolutePunk.net, “Debauchery was the general gist of ‘Suicide Season’, whereas some of the themes of ‘There Is A Hell…’ revolve around the consequences of that album.”
“There Is A Hell Believe Me I’ve Seen It, There Is A Heaven Let’s Keep It A Secret” will destroy all preconceived notions you had about Bring Me The Horizon. The aggression and passion bleeding from each track will stay with you for days, making this album an instant classic. This album cements the Brits' presence as one of the very best within the metal community.
ALBUM OF THE YEAR
Deftones – “Diamond Eyes”
The Deftones shelved their unreleased album, Eros, after bassist Chi Cheng was involved in a devastating car accident where he sustained serious brain trauma, which left him in a coma. The direction of the band was uncertain. Front man Chino Moreno stated:
[A]s we neared completion on Eros, we realized that this record doesn’t best encompass and represent who we are currently as people and as musicians… We needed to return to the studio to do what we felt was right artistically. Our inspiration and unity as a band is stronger than it has ever been before and we needed to channel that energy into our music, and deliver to our fans what you rightly deserve: the best Deftones record that we can make.
And they have done just that.
One of the reasons I love Deftones so much is because there is no other band like them. I haven’t come across one artist who I’ve ever described as “ sounding like the Deftones”. Along the same lines, I have heard many artists discuss their love of this band, but rarely have I ever heard anyone say they’ve tried to mimic the Deftones’ sound. Most likely: because it can’t be done.
The band produced an album that embodies the burden of a fallen comrade and expresses the aggressiveness and anger, which each member has to have endured over the last few years. Their take on metal continues to stretch the definition of the word. The soulful voice of Moreno effortless trades back and forth between ominous howl and bone shattering shriek. The flow of Stephen Carpenter’s guitar and Sergio Vega’s (Quicksand) bass makes one want to mosh and slow dance at the same time. Abe Cunningham’s killer drums and the beautiful fills of Frank Delgado’s samples and keyboards continue to push Diamond Eyes and the Deftones in a positive direction.
The members of Deftones could have done several things upon Cheng’s accident: called it quits, gone on indefinite hiatus, but rather, they chose to push on, creating maybe the best album of the career, and my choice as my favorite album of 2010.
To the edge til we all get off… I will take you away with me… Once and for all…
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