As 2011 is nearly at an end I felt that it was the right time for a bit of nostalgic reflection on the last 12 months of music. 2011 has been a great year for all things music, trying to capture my highlights would take far too much time and would make for very indulgent writing so I will spare you all of that… for now.
As I did last year I am going to try and make a list of my personal top 10 albums of the year. In all honesty restricting myself to 10 is difficult as there are so many EPs and LPs I want to write about, but I’m going to try and keep it to 10… here we go! I was originally going to write this in a 10-1 format but after hours trying to make up my mind I abandoned that tired format and just went for 10 releases that I think killed it this year. Enjoy.
Tyler, The Creator – Goblin
Despite all of the hype surrounding this album I think that it delivered and lived up to all expectations. Yes, there are some weak tracks on Goblin, Bitch Suck Dick is just unneccessary and probably could have been dropped, but when Tyler gets into the darkness of this album it is a complex and intriguing listen. Yonkers, Sandwitches and Tron Cat are a tour de force of dark rap music, with some disturbing and powerful rapping being demonstrated. The highlight of the album I think is the twisted story of obsession and lust that is She. Tyler shows he is a cut above the rest of the OFWGKTA collective on this track and when you get into the lyrics it makes for a clever listen.
Standout Tracks: Sandwitches, Yonkers, She.
Trapped Under Ice – Big Kiss Goodnight
Notoriety has surrounded TUI since the infamous ‘Justice broke a fans jaw’ incident and it appears that the band have decided to draw on this to fuel Big Kiss Goodnight.
This is an album packed full of venom and ferocity that hits so hard from start to finish. Born To Die may well be the best opening track of any album this year and the album continues in the same vein for another 12 tracks. In terms of production it is one of the most powerful albums in 2011, in some places the guitars are extremely reminiscent of the tone Metallica used on the legendary Black Album. All in all one of, if not the best hardcore releases of the year.
Standout tracks: Pleased To Meet You, Outcast, True Love
Basement – I Wish I Could Stay Here
In all honesty it is only in the last two months that this album has really grabbed my attention, but since then I’ve listened to it nearly every day. This album start to finish is packed with strong, passionate music. I’m a massive fan of Andrew Fishers voice, it’s not the most perfect but it gets across the raw emotion of the songs perfectly. This album is jam-packed with massive hooks and the chorus to Crickets Throw Their Voice has to be the catchiest thing all year, my house mates and I were singing it for weeks after I got hooked on the album. Massive things should be on the horizon for this band next year, UK music showing mad strength!
Standout tracks: Crickets Throw Their Voice, Earl Grey
Brutality Will Prevail – Sleep Paralysis
Three tracks of raw, unbridled darkness. Despite only clocking in at 17 minutes long, Brutality Will Prevail took the benchmark for UKHC that they had set with Root Of All Evil and raised it a few more notches. The guitar work throughout the three tracks is sublime, riff after riff wash over you like a dark wave, be it the tumbling clean picking at the start of Cursed or the aural bomb that goes off in the middle of Heavy Eyes this is a masterclass in guitar playing. Anyone who has witness BWP play live this year will bear testament to this band being at the top of the game right now. No-one can compete with this band when it comes to making dark, moody and heavy as hell hardcore. If 2012 doesn’t completely belong to them it will be a shock.
Standout tracks: Cursed, Heavy Eyes
Trash Talk – Awake
Despite only being 5 tracks and only coming to 8 minutes you get everything you need from this brilliant EP. Trash Talk have shown definite progression with Awake, granted the songs still pack a punch equivalent to a broken bottle, but the anger is more refined and presented more efficiently. Purists will bemoan the lack of short blasts like Worthless Nights and Destroy, but when the middle riff in Blind Evolution kicks in it is clear to hear this is Trash Talk firing on all cylinders. Hopefully they will take this new found extended song writing into a full length, and god help us all if they can put the same amount of energy in 10 or so tracks.
Standout Tracks – Blind Evolution, Awake.
Touche Amore – Parting The Sea Between Brightness And Me
Touche Amore have been the name on everyone’s lips this year and have risen majestically from the hardcore underground. For anyone who was aware of them on last years incredible “… To The Beat Of A Dead Horse” this wasn’t a surprise. PTSBBAM is a musical step forward, the guitars are much brighter and vibrant without losing any of the raw feeling they had before, the drums are mightily impressive, blast beats anyone? But the stand out on this album is the lyrical and vocal ability of frontman Jeremy Bolm. As well as being one of the nicest people I had the fortune to interview this year he displays an incredible mind for writing enigmatic and relatable lyrics. Obviously influenced by the bands incessant touring there is a lot of mention of travel and solitude. “Late nights and all night drives are the reasons why I’m alive” has to be one of the best lyrics this year, it completely demonstrates what this band are all about. They also get mention for putting on one of the sets of the year at Hevy Fest this year. Superb band.
Standout Tracks – Pathfinder, Tilde, Amends.
Defeater – Empty Days, Sleepless Nights
Another album that took me a while to get into, but once I got into it and delved into the lyrics I was completely sold. Defeater are hands down one of the most passionate bands out there at the moment. Having seen them blow everyone away at Hevy Fest I had the pleasure of seeing them in the intimate Sugarmill in Stoke-On-Trent and they were equally as brilliant.
While people will listen to the acoustic songs and assume a City And Colour style streak runs through this band, it is on the hardcore songs that they come into their own. The story telling of Empty Days is gripping from Warm Blood Rush to the sudden stop half way through White Oak Doors. The passion behind the lyrics on songs like Dear Father “can you feel the soil, covering your coffin…” are touching and haunting in equal measure. In a year where heavy, tough guy hardcore has made a big impact, it is testimony to Defeater that intelligent and at times fragile music like this is still being done so well.
Standout Tracks – Dear Father, Cemetery Walls, Brothers.
BatsAboutBats – Unholy Jazz
As well as being in my Top Ten this year, BatsAboutBats would also be in my list of “bands to look out for in 2012” should I care to make one. Hailing from Bristol, Bats have put out one of the best EPs this year. Thats no mean feat considering I’m putting them alongside the likes of Trash Talk. This EP showcases everything that is good about the growing scene in the South West, a lot of angst and anger but also incredible musicianship from the very first to the very last note. There is a musical depth to every song that a lot of bands just display, be it the frantic Tropical Priest or the doom influenced Death, every song displays rich music textures with guitars, bass and drums doing their all to compete with the anguished howl of frontman Paul Collier. Having already played alongside bands such as OFF! and having been mentioned in Kerrang, 2012 looks like it could be a huge year for this band.
Standout Tracks – Death, Impaler/Mellancollier
Pariso/Kerouac – 5” Split
This E.P wins the award for most ingenious bit of packaging as well as for being incredibly good listening. The pop out CD and 5” record are things of absolute beauty, worth the money alone. Once you get past the aesthetic niceties it’s all about 8 minutes of absolutely unrelenting fury. The Kerouac side is slightly less heavy, and more discordant than the suffocating crush of the Pariso side, but both are balls to the wall heavy in their own right. Songs such as Blastbeast and Brutacus leave absolutely no room for breathing such is the power behind the riffing and drumming that Pariso produce. “You stand for all that I hate, fucking die you piece of shit” should probably win some sort of award for being one of the most Negi lines in 2011 as well, and being a massive Pariso fan, I wouldn’t have this EP any other way. Crush the fuck up or get the fuck out.
Standout Tracks – Brutacus, Stillness And Cold, The Recluse
Mastodon – The Hunter
Following on from the incredible Crack The Skye, Mastodon must have felt the pressure to create an album as equally brilliant, and while I don’t think The Hunter is that album, it is still a mightily impressive effort.
Opening up with some of the best riffs this year in Black Tongue and Curl Of The Burl, Mastodon couple the more melodic instrumentation that they discovered on Crack The Skye with the harder more aggressive playing style that was seen on albums like Leviathan. One of the biggest influences on The Hunter is the love for Thin Lizzy that both Brent Hinds and Billl Kelliher have and this is so apparent in their guitar playing with dual lead parts thrown around everywhere for good measure. Brann Dailor puts in a superb shift on drums as well as providing more vocals, singing solely for the first time as well. The Hunter definitely isn’t an album that can just be dropped in and out of, it needs dedication to sit down and appreciate, but once you do, it is completely worth it.
Standout Tracks – Curl Of The Burl, Black Tongue, All The Heavy Lifting
So there it is, my top 10 albums and EPs of the year in no particular order! Undoubtedly I will think of ones that I’ve missed off or would have instead in the coming weeks! Feel free to leave me comments telling me what you think, suggesting albums or letting me know what you would have chosen instead! If any of those take your fancy, I have hyperlinked videos to certain songs, so get involved and check them out.
2011 has been an incredible year for music so fingers crossed 2012 will be even better!
– Peace and love, anarchy and freedom. X
The New Beat 