I listened to more new (and new to me) albums in 2008 than I have ever before. It was also a year of the strangest genres I've ever explored. I have lots of new favorites. Here's my thoughts on the last several batches of albums I checked out:
Oceansize - Everyone Into Position: 7 : Nice progressive soaring rock. Biggest detriment for me is the mushy structure. Rhythms and melody are indeed there, but it's often hard to find the backbone. I'm not against songs being free flowing, but I think Oceansize is a bit too ordinary sounding to pull this off really well. Still, the music is pleasing and pretty memorable.
Oceansize - Frames: 6 : The lesser of these two. Similar music as before, but they've pushed the structures further into progressive territory and played with some less pleasing melodies. I think they are better as a straightforward rock group and thus this album was pretty forgettable.
Ken Andrews - Secrets of the Lost Satellite: 6 : Ken Andrews has such a unique voice and guitar sound that I could identify anything he's worked on just from a 30 second clip. This is no different. Unmistakable Ken Andrews. Year of the Rabbit is still my favorite of his projects (aside from Failure), but this is totally solid and thoroughly enjoyable.
Behold... the Arctopus - Skullgrid: 5 : Completely insane. Sounds like the most well-rehearsed chaos ever recorded. Completely unidentifiable structure, and yet a pretty cohesive (and somewhat thin) sound across the board. It's really not terribly beautiful or enjoyable except from a technical standpoint. I don't feel like they've done anything that far beyond Blotted Science - The Machinations of Dementia, but that album is far more enjoyable. Still... remarkable for its utter detachment.
Indricothere - Indricothere: 6 : Explorations of extreme metal with a Warr guitar. Much more conventionally structured than Arctopus. I think the shorter album length (28 minutes) helps with the digestibility. Programmed drums are obvious throughout, but provide some pretty cool inhumanly heavy passages. This is one case where I wouldn't mind hearing some really hardcore vocals, but it works alright as an instrumental as well.
Mae - The Everglow: 6 : This is practically the definition of emo. Vocals sound familiar, but I can't quite place them. It actually approaches heavy in some places, but never lets off the pretty melodies. Quite beautiful throughout actually... well put together.
Between the Buried and Me - Colors: 5 : Starts out incredible... moves into pretty standard metalcore. Throws in some jazzy polka for good measure. Of all the metalcore albums I've heard, this is probably my favorite. Usually metalcore vocals are the weak spot for me, but these aren't bad. Fast fluttering melodies on the guitar are pretty annoying here. I feel like the songs have about 4,000 notes too many.
Andy McKee - Art of Motion: 8 : Heartfelt acoustic fingerstyle instrumental guitar. Absolutely beautiful and impressive songs. Made me want to play acoustic guitar. Wonderful.
Muse - Absolution: 8 : When I first heard this, I thought I had found the best band in history. I've realized that they're just a poppy alternative rock band with some cheap tricks. I don't mean that in a bad way, just that their chord progressions and heavy use of arpeggios kinda wears thin after many listens. Still, they're very very good at what they do. They're the only band that approaches Radiohead in terms of awe-inspiring rock for me. Every song is a favorite.
Muse - Black Holes and Revelations: 7 : More great stuff in the same vein as Absolution. Almost too much the same actually. Save a few exceptions, I feel like most of these songs are derivations of (better) songs from Absolution. Still, I like this album a lot and enjoy hearing any of these songs chosen at random.
3 - The End is Begun: 7 : Chugging... almost like metal songs played at a soft rock level. The songs are great, but the sound is odd. They're definitely unique, but I'd like to hear them with more power and driven guitars. I bet they are astounding live.
Yes - Fragile: 6 : Part of my dig into the 70's progressive rock bands that pioneered the genre and influenced the bands I like today. This is pretty good stuff, but I think after hearing what progressive rock has become, the early examples sound pretty tame.
Rush - 2112: 6 : Classic Rush. Not my favorite, but must have been incredible to hear in the 70's. Again older prog stuff sounds tame by today's standards. Still, Rush's talent is obvious. I'm confused by why the track 2112 is 20 minutes long, but is obviously just 4 songs rolled into one. They don't even lead into each other. They're 4 distinctly different songs. WTF?
Zero 7 - The Garden: 7 : A big step up from When it Falls. Not quite Simple Things, but back in that direction. Swanky and relaxed... more organic feeling this time.
Erykah Badu - New Amerykah Part One: 4 : I haven't really heard a full Erykah Badu album before, but I had several songs of hers before (You Got Me (actually a Roots track, On and On, Tyrone) and really liked them. This album was just kinda annoying and pretty much forgettable.
The Used - Shallow Believer: 5 : God, why am I doing this? Lies for the Liars was bad enough to pretty much ruin The Used for me completely. Forgetting that album's existence completely, this one is not too bad, but still a significant step down from their debut. At least there's some genuine intensity here. Still uncomfortably juvenile sounding.
King Crimson - In the Court of the Crimson King: 7 : Great early progressive rock. Definitely need to check out more of their albums.
Coal Chamber - Chamber Music: 5 : Probably the only nu-metal band I missed back in the day. It's not bad... just not what I'm into anymore. I would have really loved it in 1999. Nice and heavy, angry. Similar to Korn I guess.
Ween - The Mollusk: 6 : Silly shit. Some really nice songs though... fun to listen to and very catchy.
Primus - Tales From the Punchbowl: 7 : Great. Strange, dark, heavy funk. I really need to get more albums from them too.
Talib Kweli - Ear Drum: 7 : About 8 songs too long, but some really great hip hop tracks. Trim some of the fat, and this is an 8. Not a lot else to say about it.
Portishead - Third: 8 : Uncomfortable. Where they're usually swanky and chill, this album has a grueling tension. It's infectious Portishead as always, but it makes me feel really uneasy, like something terrible is about to happen. It's so wonderful though.
Deltron - Deltron 3030: 5: I got this after years of loving the song Memory Loss. Since that's the climax of this album, I was probably set up for disappointment. It's okay, but I find myself wanting more. Also, too many short skit type tracks, which gets old.
MGMT - Oracular Spectacular: 8 : Awesome. I knew right from the first time I saw the title. Didn't know it would be one of the most popular albums of 2008, but it really is deserving of all the attention. Very catchy.
Children of Bodom - Blooddrunk: 4 : Meh... It just is what it is. All I want to hear from them is "If You Want Peace, Prepare for War". And even then, all I want to hear is the spectacular guitar/synth battle. Nothing that impressive here. It does fit perfectly into their catalog though... nothing surprising.
Augustana - Can't Love, Can't Hurt: 6 : Classic case of a first album delivering some standout tracks but low overall consistency, followed by a second album with higher average quality, but less standouts. But in this case, I think I like this album better even without a "Boston" or "Stars and Boulevards". They're still mediocre though... there's just no other way to describe their sound. Exceedingly average. :P
The Roots - Rising Down: 5 : Iunno.. I must have missed the point. I love The Roots, but this sounds like a crappy remix album or something.
Santogold - Santogold: 5 : Oh my Grey's Anatomy. Sounds a lot like MIA on certain songs, but the production is just not as exciting. Elsewhere, it's just hipster department store music to buy jeans to. Gah.
Max van Richter - Resurrection: 4 : I can't really remember why I got this. It's cliche spacey electronic new age stuff. Okay for background. Nothing really interesting.
dresden dolls - No Virginia: 4 : Each Dresden Dolls release gets more and more polished, but in so doing, loses a lot of the raw feminine brutality and demented beauty that made the first album so great. These may be better written and performed songs, but for me, the draw was in the rawness, and that's something that hasn't improved.
Thrice - The Alchemy Index: 7 : A bit lofty as a 4 disc set, but actually it's the length of a double. The four distinct parts are cool. Nice to see Thrice do something a step beyond their usual style. Fire is the least interesting. Earth and Air are my favorites. Water is cool, but not really fitting.
65daysofstatic - The Fall of Math: 6 : This seems like something I should really love. Really, it's just okay. I dig all the individual elements (noise, rhythm, melody, song structure). But it sounds a bit too rigid and perhaps like they're put together sloppy. I have several other albums to check out, but haven't done it yet.
Shpongle - Are You Shpongled?: 6 : Strange stuff. A lot of it sounds like playing around with a keyboard rather than a developed song. I want to freebase some DMT and listen to this album again. Coincidentally, Divine Moments of Truth is my favorite song here. Great progression into a wild ending.
Prokofiev - Symphonies 1 & 5: ? : I guess I thought I should check out some symphonic compositions. It's... a symphony. Sounds like every symphony. Not even sure how to rate this one.
Witch - Witch: 7 : Awesome without even trying. Incredibly addictive first track. The rest tends to meander a bit, but overall very exciting stoner metal. Not sure if it's just my copy, but the mix is a bit muddy. Sounds good on headphones, but not in the car.
The Morningside - The wind, the trees, and the shadows of the past: 8 : Amazingly evocative doom metal. Crisp, bleak, and beautiful guitars. The Trees is definitely a low point, but the rest is great. The Wind is one of the most memorable tracks I've ever heard.
Black Mountain - In The Future: 6 : I would give this a 7 if I hadn't heard Witch. This was my first experience with new music that had such a definite classic rock/metal sound. Black Mountain does it well, but others go so much further, I feel like they could be better. Still, some great songs. Bright Lights is pretty awesome. Good variety here as well. Hope to hear more from them.
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind Soundtrack: 8 : It's a compilation, so a bit unfair. But a great selection combined with an excellent score. Jon Brion's theme is awesome. Other favorites are ELO's Mr. Blue Sky, Beck's Everybody's Gotta Learn Sometimes, and Phone Call. Some strange ones in there as well, but overall good. I really love the movie as well.
Neurosis - A Sun That Never Sets: 5 : Slow moving, not really memorable. Vocals are hard to listen to. Didn't really enjoy this like I hoped I would.
Weezer - Red Album: 4 : It's Weezer... sliding off the bottom of my list of favorites. The Greatest Man That Ever Lived is the worst song I've ever heard in my life. I've come to realize that I don't like when artists heal. What they move on to is usually not as interesting as their pain or anger.
Adem - Takes: 7 : A bunch of cover songs, but pretty out there selection-wise. I'd probably like it better if I knew more of the original songs. Still, it plays well. Melodic and pleasing throughout. Nice voice. I need to hear some of his original work. Extra points for covering Aphex Twin.
Nerd - Seeing Sounds: 6 : Not as innovative as I had hoped. Several standouts and favorites, but a lot of sorta duds. Fun to get lost in the rhythm of Spaz or sing really loudly along with Love Bomb. Great live show too.
Nine Inch Nails - Ghosts I-IV: 5 : This was crazy to get out of the blue. 36 new instrumental tracks. Took so long to get familiar with it all. I think there's just too much here. It's just a raw dump of ideas that haven't been developed into what Nine Inch Nails songs should be. Lots of potential, and I think that was the idea -- give it to the fans and let them build on it. I haven't heard anything from that end though.
Nine Inch Nails - The Slip: 7 : Another out of the blue release, and free even! Lately NIN albums have followed a general structure: intro, rock, hit, experiment, and grand finish. I'm usually drawn to the grand finish. This time I really like the first 6 tracks right in a row. It took a while to get used to the idea of NIN being a band and not just Trent Reznor, but I think this section of songs is their best work in that form.
Opeth - Watershed: 7 : Opeth is constantly changing for me. There's so much in each of their albums that it's hard to decide with any kind of finality which is my favorite. I thought this was maybe their best work when it came out. I think they're getting better at what they do, certainly. But I think the music might suffer a bit from their attempts to stretch out into so many styles at once -- even within individual songs. Regardless, they are my favorite metal band for that very reason. Awesome work. Keep pushing into new territory and producing beauty.
Scar Symmetry - Pitch Black Progress: 7 : I'm a sucker for this type of pounding and indulgent metal. They combine really acecssible hard rock with unfathomably brutal death metal. Retaliator is maybe the heaviest and catchiest (hook) song ever recorded. Great at super high volume in the car.
Scar Symmetry - Holographic Universe: 5 : Didn't get into this one as much. Not sure what happened, but there's just less to grab onto here. I wanted this to be awesome, but it just wasn't.
UNKLE - Psyence Fiction: 6 : It was odd to be let down as much as I was by this album. The closing song Rabbit in your Headlights is maybe my 2nd or 3rd favorite song EVER. I also really liked UKNLE's War Stories album. Several songs here are decent, but not even close to Rabbit. I don't even feel like they serve a purposed in leading up to it. I'd say just listen to that song on its own and skip this album (which would be a 4 without it). I later discovered that what I really wanted to hear was DJ Shadow.
Sigur Ros - Med Sud I Eyrum Vid Spilum Endalaust: 7 : Much better than the last few albums from them. I was getting discouraged. They're back to using more than 5 syllables for all the lyrics (not sure if they're real words or not, but I don't really care). Probably their most ubpeat songs ever. Some really beautiful tracks and a well constructed album.
Once - Soundtrack: 8 : Excellent. Spilling with emotion and poignant beauty. Simple compositions and absolutely lovable. The movie is great as well.
Venetian Snares - Winter in the Belly of a Snake: 6 : It's hard to not hear Aphex Twin in music like this. Listening closer, it's obviously not Richard James in composition, but the sounds are definitely similar, almost like they're using the same equipment. Great headphone music for being taken to another world. Very spastic, but with atmospheric moments that add to the overall feel.
Bryan Scary - Flight of the Knife: 7 : Bright and theatrical. Has the feeling of a musical... expressive as if multiple characters make up each song. Easy to picture the scene changes and choreography that might go along with it. Unique, catchy and memorable. Strange that it's not more popular, but then again it's not the kind of music I like to hear all the time.
Camel - Mirage: 6 : I love that this band is called Camel. I can picture actual camels doing weird knee-bend dance moves to this music. I checked them out because I often hear them referenced as an influence to Opeth's 70's prog rock tendencies. I do see a bit of a connection, if just in the sound of the classic rock instruments. I do like Camel, but I think Moonmadness is better (and evokes less camel dancing images).
Camel - Moonmadness: 7 : Softer of the two here. I'm a bit confused as to when this was made or released. Most sources say 2001 or 2002, but it sounds like it was recorded in the 70's. Aside from the odd intro track, this is pretty easy going rock. Nice familiar sound.
Candelbox - Into the Sun: 5 : A pretty okay album from a band that didn't really need to come back. I guess it's good that they were able to redeem themselves from their last album in the 90's, but after 10 years I'm not sure anyone cared anymore. I didn't. Solidly average music.
One Day as a Lion - One Day as a Lion: 6 : I was incredibly pumped about this release. I just recently got into Rage Against the Machine, and I love the drum work that Jon Theodore did with The Mars Volta. What better combination? Turns out, their tricks were limited to a pretty simple formula: a lazy synthesizer plays over a funky hip hop beat on live drums (which were well played of course, but not really lively enough to matter) and Zack does his thing like always. It's not bad, just not as spectacular as I had hoped. Zack can be one of the most intense vocalists in the world, and I know Jon can play drums like no other. I feel like they held back a bit here, and I wish they would have just gone all out more. Additionally, two songs use almost the exact same bassline... and on a disc with 5 songs, that just seems like a huge misstep. I like the whole concept... and I'd like them to do another EP and churn up some real devastation. More stuff like the fantastic last minute of Last Letter.
DJ Shadow - Endtroducing: 8 : Some of the smartest and most soulful trip hop ever made. A bit of fluff and filler, but the highlights are bright. Great for chilling out on a summer night.
Conor Oberst - Conor Oberst: 4 : I don't really feel anything hearing this album. Except at the end when the repetitive structure of Milk Thistle gets under my skin and annoys the crap out of me. That's all it really is... completely ignorable music that just reaches out enough to be annoying. Nothing special.
Tech N9ne - Killer: 5 : Good god, 32 tracks?! Simply put, there's 29 average Tech N9ne tracks here... not amazing, but not bad. There's 3 standouts: Psycho Bitch II, Too Much, and One Good Time. Not his best work. Certainly the highest quantity output though.
Jordan Rudess - The Road Home: 4 : It's getting harder to be impressed by technical skill these days. Equipment has gotten so good that it's sometimes hard to tell whether something has true musicality or just good production. This music might be technically impressive, but the sounds are tinny and dated. This was released in 2007, but sounds like a cutting edge keyboard demo from 1995.
Slipknot - All Hope Is Gone: 7 : Directionless ragers all grown up! Sort of... there's still plenty of mindless brutality here, but also a good degree of mature thought. The sound is Slipknot as usual. Psychosocial is elementary... anthemic and viral. This is a pretty enjoyable album. Vermillion Pt.2 (Bloodstone Mix) is great.
Metallica - Death Magnetic: 7 : A great album to end their carreers! Seriously guys, this is a remarkable turnaround. You should quit now and go out on top. Do it before The Unforgiven IV comes out and ruins your shit again. Musically, it's Metallica. Lars' drumming feels the weakest here, but mostly it's not noticeable (worst on double bass parts). Thrash gods turned crap reclaim their crown.
Dexter - Soundtrack: 6 : Everyone should watch Dexter. He's awesome. Mostly, these songs just remind me of the greatness of the show, but there are some really great musical moments. The cuban music sprinkled throughout is not my favorite, but fits the atmosphere.
Bon Iver - For Emma, Forever Ago: 8 : I almost wore this one out to the point where I didn't like it anymore. Luckily, taking a break from it fixed everything. Beautiful and desolate, memorable... wonderful folk album.
The National - The Virginia EP: 4 : I forget that this was even released. Boxer was one of my favorite albums of 2007. This seems like b-sides and demos that shouldn't have made it out. The best example is Slow Show. The version from Boxer is amazing. This is obviously a precursor to that final product. They improved it so much that hearing this almost has no purpose than to say "look what we made into a great song!". I've listened to this album many times and still it doesn't sound familiar to me. Completely forgettable.
Fleet Foxes - Fleet Foxes: 7 : Woolly and comfortable folk music. Classic vocal harmonies give it a retro feel. Immediately memorable... pulled me back in for another listen after the first time. One of the best rated albums of 2008. I wouldn't put it in my top 10, but it is quite enjoyable.
Protest the Hero - Fortress: 5 : BLOODMEAT!!! Energetic and pretty intense, but somewhat juvenile. It feels like something targeted at 13-17 year old boys. Uses some cheap production techniques to sound powerful. I can't stand reading someone describe this as "epic". A 17 second section of fluff in a song does not qualify as epic metal. It does hold my attention, but has me snickering throughout. It's just okay.
Shearwater - Rook: 6 : Some nice original melodies with a unique sound. Vocals bother me. Some really infectious tunes, as well as some delicate moments (I Was a Cloud) that became instant favorites. Overall, it's good, but not awesome.
Russian Circles - Enter: 7 : Pretty great mood here. Songs move along at a nice pace and keep being interesting. Feels a little bit sloppy in places, but otherwise a great first effort with plenty of melodic beauty. Followed by...
Russian Circles - Station: 8 : A great album. A new favorite. Cleaner and brighter than Enter. Delightful melodies give it an enchanting feeling, and heavier sections take me soaring. Instrumental tracks keep it focused on the momentum. Long songs provide the space to stretch out and fully explore the groove. Powerful and great.
Earth - Hex: 6 : The beginning of my foray into drone. Not as scary as I thought, considering what Sunn O))) sounds like (an Earth tribute band). Interesting mix of atmosphere and almost a country guitar twang. Tempos excruciatingly slow. Songs go on too long without much really happening. It's strange... it's not vacant enough to be purely atmosphere, but it's not varied enough to be a regular song. It's more just mood. Interesting if just to hear a pioneer in the genre.
Earth - The Bees Made Honey In The Lion's Skull: 5 : More of the same, but a lot more noticeable repetition. Slightly faster tempos might have something to do with that. It just feels like there should be some other sections instead of just the same slow measures over and over for 8+ minutes.
Dream Theater - Octavarium: 8 : My first experience with a Dream Theater album. A great experience. I learned to like James LaBrie's vocals on Ayreon's Human Equation album. Phenomenally fluid playing. They're a band full of prodigies, so every instrument is perfectly played. Astounding skill. Compositions are beautiful and memorable. One odd thing: These Walls sounds like From The Inside by Linkin Park. I don't know who copied who, but it matches up almost perfectly. Of course, DT's version is much longer and decorated, but still. The final track is incredible. Best finale ever!
Dream Theater - Systematic Chaos: 7 : I think I started with the pinnacle again (Octavarium). This just seems like more of the same. Still phenomenally played, but I feel like they've done about all they could do with Octavarium. Good stuff nonetheless. Is it just me (again) or is the bassline from Repentance copied directly from This Dying Soul (on Train of Thought)? Is it just a self tribute, or are they really just recycling old material? I love the tension in the final chord of the album. To be continued? lol.
Dream Theater - Train of Thought: 7.5 : This is the band almost at their full potential. Awesome stuff, just not quite as masterfully constructed as Octavarium. One gripe with Dream Theater overall is that these three albums follow almost exactly the same formula. Whatever... it works. But they kinda overdid it.
Daylight Dies - Lost to the Living: 6 : Doomy deathy stuff. Only band I've heard that sounds kinda like Opeth. I was looking for something similar to The Morningside. They're alright, but not what I hoped for. Starts with a good first few tracks and then I just lose interest.
Flobots - Fight With Tools: 8 : Awesome. Timely message. Excellent sound. Accessible, memorable, and powerful hip hop. So much more than just the single (Handlebars). Unique combination of live instruments gives a cohesive and original sound to the whole album. Smart. The ending of Same Thing is incredible. Rise is a perfect final song.
TV on the Radio - Dear Science: 5 : This is a remarkably disjointed set of songs for one band. They have no defining sound. Neo-vintage hipster approved. There are some really nice moments here and there, but it's a bit tiring to listen to, and pretty forgettable. Vocals remind me of Super Furry Animals. Dancing Choose is terrible.
Clutch - Elephant Riders: 6 : Decent rock. Nice thick funky grooves. Silly vocals a lot of the time. Not too important, but fun to listen to.
High on Fire - Blessed Black Wings: 6 : Heavy thrashy stoner metal. Gets tiring after a while.
High on Fire - Death is This Communion: 6 : Same... Maybe more thrashy. I like the groove of the title track. Khanrad's Wall is an interesting break in the heaviness. Singer's voice sounds like it's completely shot. I guess he is like 90 years old though.
Fucked Up - The Chemistry of Common Life: 5 : Hard punk rock. Seems alright to me, but nothing really impressive. I've never been a fan of punk rock though. The aggressive vocals here wear on my nerves.
Porcupine Tree - The Sky Moves Sideways: 7 : Starts out with some excellent Pink Floyd type psychedelic rock. Moves into a bit of Shpongle territory. Nice work.
Porcupine Tree - Fear of a Blank Planet: 7 : Totally different style. Reminds me of 90's alternative rock like Filter or Stabbing Westward. Anesthetize is pretty amazing... long, lots of movements, gets insanely heavy for a while. Kinda lofty to turn a song like that into a 17 minute juggernaut, but it works pretty well. Lyrics are questionable... talking about Xbox and teenage angst in the first song. Enjoyable otherwise.
Death Cab for Cutie - Narrow Stairs: 5 : Finally got the real version of this after unknowingly listening to a fake leaked copy for several months. The leaked copy may be better than this, though neither was as good as I had hoped this album would be. There's really only two songs I like a lot (Bixby Canyon Bridge and The Ice is Getting Thinner). The rest is pretty bland.
Jenny Lewis - Acid Tongue: 6 : Dusty and warm organic indie pop. Interesting sound and unique pleasing vocals. While the music is classic sounding and pretty fun, it kinda just feels like a tribute to so much other rock country. Pretty good nonetheless, just not something I'd play that often.
Meshuggah - Chaosphere: 7 : This is one of the absolute heaviest albums ever. But it also carries some great grooves despite all the dissonance and technicality. It's easy to feel the rhythm and want to head bang along with it. Vocals match perfectly. Plays well extremely loud. New Millennium Cyanide Christ is a perfect song. I love the chaotic tapping solos.
Meshuggah - I: 6 : One long track (21 minutes) with several distinct sections. Not as overwhelmingly groovy as Chaosphere, but gets a fair amount enough. The beginning is excellent. Flailing tapping solos are amazing as always.
Meshuggah - Nothing: 6 : I got the reissue of this with the re-recorded guitars. Haven't heard the original, but this version sounds good to me. I find myself wishing they'd go more all-out here. They seem more calculated, and I think it just makes the music harder to listen to. Melodic breakthrough in Straws Pulled at Random is magnificent.
Meshuggah - Catch Thirtythree: 7 : Another long song (47 minutes), this time divided into separate tracks on the disc. Listening to it in MP3, I wish it was just a single long track so that it would play smoothly all the way through. Aside from that, it's one of their least melodic works. Best parts are toward the end.
Meshuggah - obZen: 8 : Their masterpiece? I'd like to think they still have more to achieve, but this is the best I've heard from them so far. Vocals are more controlled and fit tighter with the flow of the songs. Heaviness is as high as ever, but is used more subtly (if that's possible) than before. Chaosphere had astonishingly heavy riffs that just shot all over the place, as if just for shock. Here, the heaviness is carefully directed and flows along with the song and the album as a whole. I like the way the repeated riffs come together in the final track to form a nice harmony that ties all the songs together. Definitely a new favorite album as well as band.
Bloodbath - Nightmares Made Flesh: 4 : I got this because I heard Eaten and decided it was the catchiest death metal song ever recorded. I wanted more of the same slow riffing and awesomely gory vocals. What I got was a totally standard death metal album, complete with mindless blast beats and forgettable or unintelligible lyrics. Oh and Eaten thrown in the middle. Still an awesome song, but this is one case where I'd say the single is good enough.
Sister Machine Gun - Burn: 5 : Way late on this one, but I had to see. This would probably be better when it was released. Aside from Nine Inch Nails, I'm not really a fan of industrial rock. I just find them all lacking the rage and layered sound of NIN. This is the same. It's not bad, but nothing really great, and no favorite tracks to speak of.
Guahaihoque - The Return Of The Ancient Gods: 4 : Hilarious pan flute metal. It's really not that interesting... it just sounds like your standard extreme ancestral pagan folk metal with some native american panflute thrown on top. It gets in my head, but I just find it funny to listen to.
Boris - Pink: 3 : Starts out really good. Then gets really bad. Sound is horrible. Production is dirty and distorted... japanese yelling is annoying. The mix is way uneven. Not fun to listen to.
Sunn O))) & Boris - Altar: 8 : Insanely good. A lot of dark atmosphere and agonizingly loud noise, and also one of the most delicate and beautiful songs ever (The Sinking Belle). Bonus disc is 30 minutes of one chord played behind some Earth-like twang and Boris shredding. Listening to this type of music makes every other kind of structured music seem like cheap poppy crap.
Boris with Michio Kurihara - Rainbow: 5 : Weird J-rock songs with some screeching guitar solos. The production is much better than Pink and thus it's easier to like. It's alright.
Boris - Smile: 6 : More Pink type Boris. It's amazing how varied their songs can be. I like this one more, largely due to the 20 minute bonus track (called Bonus Track). Really great song. I wish they had an album with more drone and less crust punk.
Stars of the Lid - and Their Refinement of the Decline: 6 : The other end of the drone spectrum. This is pretty simple music... almost entirely smooth and beatless chords droning on behind never ending volume swells. I have no idea why this is a double album. Their entire catalog could be summarized in a single 26 minute EP and I'd really feel like I missed nothing. I do enjoy the sound... it makes me feel like I'm coasting through space in a single seated vessel, gazing out at the universe, but even I feel like it's a bit pretentious to make so many different songs of the exact same thing.
Music Tapes - Music Tapes for Clouds and Tornadoes: 3 : I don't understand what's good about this.
Gregor Samsa - Rest: 7 : Too quiet for the car, but ideal for relaxing on the couch. Delicate, beautiful, and peaceful.
OM - Conference of the Birds: 7 : First track is incredible. Second track is a bit meandering, but only because the sound is so similar (not a lot of variety to be had with a two man group of drums and bass guitar) and the first track is so complete. I would have been fine with the whole album being just At Giza and having them stretch it out for another 10 minutes. Still, together, they make some entrancing stoner doom. There's really nothing I would change about their sound. I just wish I had thought of it before them.
OM - Pilgrimage: 6 : Less monumental, but still a good set of songs from their limited setup. Not sure what else they could really do. Their format works great for long slow buildups into heavy (but still slow) eruptions. There's only so many unique songs you can make out of a single scale. Oh and the word obelisk, lol.
Sunn O))) - Black One: 7 : Absolutely the most terrifying album I've ever heard. It's like snuff music. It's easy to believe that these guys record songs from the depths of hell and wish to brutalize their listeners with unbearably loud sounds. I actually like this quite a bit. There's not a lot to identify as a song, but even as pure atmosphere with the occasional chilling shriek, it's way beyond anything else in terms of sheer horror and realism.
Atmosphere - Sevens Travels: 7 : Always nice to hear a rapper represent the midwest. Lots of fresh hip hop here with solid rhymes and samples.
Bongripper - The Great Barrier Reefer: 6 : This is one case where I like an album less and less each time I hear it. The concept here is pretty crazy. Bunch of dudes get high, press record, and then proceed to jam for 78 minutes straight. Really sounds like it could have been done in one take. There's mistakes and places where they get out of sync. There's some really great parts, and some of the most crushing riffage ever, but I think maybe it's long just for the sake of being long, rather than there being great ideas that needed to be fully explored. It's experimental... It's fine. I still like it, just not as much as the first time now that I know what's going to happen.
Julia Nunes - Left Right Wrong: 6 : Pretty good songwriting... not good studio recordings (for the most part). I like the Balloons version from YouTube a lot better than the studio version here. I know it's hard to capture the magic when recreating something you did alone in your room at 3:00 AM, but I hoped for more. The songs are good, and the ones I hadn't heard before are fine (save a few amature vocal blunders and a distracting amount of reverb). I think it could have been a lot better if she had recorded vocal harmonies here, but I understand studio time isn't easy to come by.
Julia Nunes - I Wrote These: 6 : More good songwriting and better studio production, but just enough to be really generic sounding. Reminds me a lot of Dashboard Confessional... the songs with the studio drums and guitars are good but held back somewhat by the boring, safe sounding band. The best tracks are without drums here. I like the playful nature evident in the songs... you can tell she makes music because she loves it. Her songwriting is great for her age, and her potential is high. I was never really a ukulele fan, but here it gives her a different sound from other acoustic singer/songwriters.
Zazen Boys - ZAZEN BOYS 4: 6 : It's hard to summarize this one with a single rating. There's at least three distinct genres covered here. The best is their funky noisy rock. The most boring is the electronic dance/house stuff. The rest is pretty weird. Japanese vocals are bad. Guitar effects are overused, but fit in pretty well with their sound. I like the noisy random note solos.
Devin Townsend - Ziltiod the omniscient: 5 : Really loves him some double bass, lol. This is the wackiest concept album ever. It's a campy sci-fi story of Ziltoid (the omniscient being so omniscient that if there were to be two omnisciences, he would be both) and his quest for the galaxy's finest cup of coffee. Captain spectacular comes in at some point to battle him. I'm not even sure what happens really. The music is pretty cool, but the sillyness is just too high to really enjoy this.
Shugo Tokumaru - Exit: 8 : Wow... so insanely colorful, but with a strange detuned quality that makes the melodies almost creepy. Very catchy. A new favorite.
Hercules and Love Affair - Hercules And Love Affair: 5 : Disco! It's alright... poppy and synthy, but pretty forgettable.
Robyn - Robyn: 4 : I don't see what people are claiming is so great about this album. It's pop. Completely regular sounding pop with a super squeeky poppy singer. Somewhat cute and maybe a little catchy, but nothing impressive. Even the lyrics are just standard issue pop. What am I missing? I definitely like it better than the Robyn stuff from the 90's, but that's about all.
Fennesz - Black Sea: 7 : Great textured soundscapes. Reminds me of The Field but without the minimalist techno beats. I really enjoy the live acoustic guitar over the digital canvas.
Randy Newman - Harps And Angels: 5 : Comfortable and familiar (with the exception of one bizarre song that seems to be riddled with random key changes). Nothing really special.
Harvey Milk - Life... The Best Game In Town: 7 : Nice heavy doom metal. Vocals are not great, but bearable. Interesting song structure and delightful guitar noise throughout.
Q-Tip - The Rennaissance: 6 : I like most all things Q-Tip has done. This was a letdown though. The beats are classic, rhymes good, but the samples just seem uninspired. Like someone just threw them together to get the album finished. There's no added value from the seemingly random melodies. Could have been so much better wtih just a little more care in this area.
Los Campesinos! - We Are Beautiful, We Are Doomed: 4 : Kids these days... with their modern sounds and cool british accents and their ironic hair and t-shirts. This music makes me feel old. It's just so dripping with trendy fashion. It really is kind of a barrage of all that is current in indie culture. I must be out of touch, because I feel like it's going in the wrong direction.
Nadja - Touched: 8 : Awesome. Huge sonic walls of noise and pummeling riffs. Sounds like a guitar trapped in a massive churning machine. Dark industrial sound. Just... huge... there's no other way to describe it. Pour the noise over me. I love it.
Red Sparowes - Aphorisms: 7 : Reminds me a lot of Russian Circles. Sound is somewhere between Enter and Station (brighter than Enter but not as clean as Station). So short... leaves me wanting more.
Sleep - Sleeps Holy Mountain: 6 : Fantastic reincarnation of Black Sabbath. Funny that I like this because I'm not into Black Sabbath. Something pleasing about their garage band sound. Simple riffs and a live and evolving feeling to the songs. Not a lot of innovation, but a nice celebration of metal's roots.
Electric Wizard - Witchcult Today: 6 : Produced so recently, but still channeling the spirit of the past. Pretty similar to Sleep. Simple classic riffs. Smoky 70's atmosphere. More of a staple than a gem, but pretty good.
Zazen Boys