Our list of favorites from last year includes devastating dub metal, organ-fueled psychedelic grind, a re-released classic-rock gem from nearly four decades ago, an international assemblage of punk-infused field recordings, and an Indian/surf/metal take on John Zorn’s Masada material.
In alphabetical order:
For a decade, An Albatross has blurred the lines between psychedelic rock, synthesized circus sounds, tech riffs, and grind. Building on the group’s adventuresome past, this thirty-minute sonic carnival is the most complete expression of An Albatross ever put to tape.
Progressive, epic, trippy, and heavy tunes commingle with layers of strings, horns, flute, and organs — as well as a lengthy spoken-word narrative. The An Albatross Family Album is the band’s magnum opus.
From the moment that each of us heard the Brooklyn trio’s third studio album last January, we were in love.
A mix of rock, metal, punk, electronica, and of course, dub, Another Sound… is the group’s most audacious album to date, speaking to fans across genre lines while pummeling them with the heavy riffs from opener “Not for Nothing” and the rippling low end of closer “Funishment.” Mike Patton provides guest vocals on “No Flag.”
The Golden Hour is the product of one man’s personal and musical odyssey over land from India to the Mediterranean Sea. Firewater’s Tod A. blends his punk roots with field recordings of musicians in five countries, resulting in a mix of past and present, familiar and exotic.
Tod A.’s pairings of music samples recorded in nations that are in conflict with one another shows that “sonic harmony” can be produced even where personal harmony seems unobtainable. The Golden Hour is an ambitious recording that remains intensely personal while encouraging the listener to think about a greater picture.
To us, Fucked Up was one of the most successful bands of 2008, and we were thrilled by The Chemistry of Common Life. With this album, the group has brilliantly drawn from the traditions of hardcore and created something comfortably familiar and powerfully new.
Influenced by the stripped-down rock of Cave and company’s 2007 Grinderman project, and inspired by both the biblical story of Lazurus as well as Harry Houdini, (whom Cave dubs as the world’s first- and second- greatest escape artists, respectively), Dig… finds a modernized “Larry” sprung back to life in the seamy underworld of 1970s New York City.
Each expertly crafted, hook-driven song provides vivid imagery to add to the story. “Today’s Lesson,” “Lie Down Here (And Be My Girl),” and “Midnight Man” are particular highlights.
On first listen, the psychedelic folk styles of Detroit’s Rodriguez sound so familiar, it’s as though you’ve known his songs your whole life.
Originally released on the Sussex label in 1970, the album was largely overlooked in its home country, but unbeknownst to the inner-city troubadour, it grew an international cult following of millions (Rodriguez even became known as “Jesus” to many South African fans).
Upon its 2008 resurrection, Cold Fact became an instant classic, with tunes like “Sugarman” and “Hate Street Blues” still hitting a personal chord with every listener.
Released on the heels of the decade’s most exciting and miraculous rock ‘n’ roll comeback, Halloween Live showcases the rock icon’s stunning voice and talent for songwriting, despite his then-fragile mental state.
Comprised primarily of material from the sci-fi-laced, psychedelic hard rock of 1980 album The Evil One (Roky Erickson and The Aliens, 415 Records), Halloween Live is perfect for fanatics and newbies alike with tracks such as the eerie “Creature with the Atom Brain” and “Bloody Hammer” and a ferocious rendition of “Stand For the Fire Demon.”
Led by multi-instrumentalist/composer Trey Spruance, Secret Chiefs 3 has re-imagined Masada material for Zorn’s Book of Angels series. The group’s use of Indian instruments and melodies, combined with surf rock, cinematic flourishes, African guitar, bits of electronics, and bursts of death metal, is unparalleled in execution and contemporaries.
Used here with Zorn’s material, the outcome is magnificent.
Meanderthal, the second full-length from Miami-based Torche, is in essence, a big “fuck you” to naysayers who would have you believe there is nothing fresh to be heard in rock ‘n’ roll.
Between the driving rhythms of “Speed of the Nail,” the punk-pop blend of “Healer,” and undercurrents of sludge, the album is accessible without losing any of its punch (these ain’t no “monster ballads”). Meanderthal is a wholly original, powerful album that will resonate with listeners for years and will undoubtedly mark a turning point in the band’s career and musical legacy.
The love- and death-riddled lyrics, shuffling snare drums, devious scenarios, and strangely un-pop hip-hop sound of Alopecia is somehow relatable.
It’s evasive, but tempting, and acceptably poetic. With quirky wordplay and creative rhyme schemes from frontman Yoni Wolf, Alopecia slowly unfolds and then devours you into its own neurotic world.