ALARM's 50 Favorite Albums of 2012

ALARM’s 50 Favorite Albums of 2012

Another year, another torrential downpour of albums across our desks. As always, we encountered way too much amazing music, from Meshuggah to The Mars Volta, Converge, Killer Mike, P.O.S, and many more.

Black God

Q&A: Black God

Black God: IIBlack God: II (No Idea, 3/20/12)

Black God: “Everyone’s a Friend”

[audio:http://alarm-magazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/Black_God_Everyones_a_Friend.mp3|titles=Black_God_Everyones_a_Friend]

In 2000, Louisville-based Black Widows emerged from local hardcore powerhouses Rob Pennington (By the Grace of God) and Ryan Patterson (The National Acrobat, Coliseum). The amalgamation soon became known as Black Cross, which went on to release two full-lengths and a couple of seven-inch records by 2004. Though Patterson admits that the band “faded out of activity,” that hasn’t stopped the collaborative efforts of its founding members.

The most recent incarnation of Black Cross hasn’t evolved much in terms of a band name or even its founding members. Now performing together as Black God, Pennington and Patterson have recruited the likes of fellow Black Cross alum and Young WidowsNick Thieneman on bass, as well as the younger Ben Sears (Prideswallower, Mountain Asleep) on drums.

Black God

Video: Black God’s “Everyone’s a Friend”

Last month, Louisville-based hardcore super-group Black God (featuring members of Coliseum and Black Cross, among others) released its second EP, II. Now the guys have released a video for the album’s first single, “Everyone’s a Friend,” which, in compliance with the band’s no-song-under-two-minutes policy, clocks in at just under the mark.

Weekly Music News Roundup

Dysrhythmia begins recording its new album; Tinariwen announces UK dates with Tunng; Prefuse 73 has a new album and a project with Zach Hill; Lifetime reissues a pair of albums; Pelican signs to Southern Lord. Read about this and more in our weekly roundup.

What We’re Doing This Weekend: Saturday

Saturday brings the electric edition of bassist Tatsu Aoki‘s compelling mixture of American jazz with Japanese taiko drumming.  It also brings another post-reunion show from punk standouts Hot Water Music and Naked Raygun.