Another year, another torrential downpour of albums across our desks. (Not literally — our insurance doesn’t cover that.)
As always, we encountered way too much amazing music. How does anyone keep track of it all? It’s good that we have this magazine, because our mushy brains can’t keep up…
(Text by the ALARM crew. Albums are in chronological order.)
“Vodka & Ayahuasca”
Rappers/producers The Alchemist and Oh No return with a grimy, tripped-out nightmare, fusing hip-hop beats with psychedelic effects, distorted-guitar and piano samples, and clips of ayahuasca freak-outs.
“Build No System”
As a “grindcore opera,” Liberteer’s debut is epic and unorthodox — essentially one continuous song that marries D-beat crust to horns, flutes, banjos, and marching snares.
“Ropes That Way”
Dirty Ghosts: “Ropes That Way”
With a pedigree in punk rock, guitarist Allyson Baker used Dirty Ghosts as a new beginning, reemerging as a vocalist for a project that’s more groove than attack. Metal Moon features Baker’s vocals front and center, supported by elements of dub, psych, blues, and punk.
“Leper Colony”
[audio:http://alarm-magazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/Napalm_Death_Leper_Colony.mp3|titles=Napalm Death: “Leper Colony”]Extreme-metal vets offer hyper-speed grindcore and mid-tempo mayhem, with the occasional Converge-esque riff refrain, Fear Factory-style vocals, and skronky saxophone.
“We Are All Teenagers”
[audio:http://alarm-magazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/Tim_Fite_We_Are_All_Teenagers.mp3|titles=Tim Fite: “We Are All Teenagers”]For the final installment of his Ain’t trilogy, singer/song-rapper Tim Fite reinvents his own unconventional process, now sampling himself on a collection of songs about the teenage years.
“Quitters Anthem”
Primitive_Weapons_Quitters_Anthem
Hardcore quintet Primitive Weapons was one of last year’s emerging names in heaviness. By pairing muscular, catchy riffs and assailing beats with a few legit choruses and post-rock effects, The Shadow Gallery is more than a beat-down record.
“Far Beneath the In-Between”
Sigh_Far_Beneath_the_In-Between
In 2010, Japan’s Sigh delivered epic, symphonic metal while adding Dr. Mikannibal, a scantily clad saxophonist, to the lineup. This time around, In Somniphobia delivers a demented, theatrical journey through prog metal.
“Tiny Me”
Aaron Turner of Isis and three Finnish madmen — including members of Circle and Pharaoh Overlord — put away the post-metal effects to crank out old-school hardcore/punk/NWOBHM, with a touch of Motörhead for good measure.
“Everyone’s a Friend”
Another inbred project of Louisville’s hardcore-punk scene, Black God maintains a dedication to music under two minutes, with none of this EP’s six potent tracks topping 1:53.
Meshuggah: “Do Not Look Down”
As Meshuggah’s first album since ObZen crushed listeners in 2008, Koloss places a further emphasis on groove, combining breakneck pacing with menacing atmospheres and greater differences in tempo and riff range.
“The Malkin Jewel”
As the final Mars Volta album to be written exclusively by Omar Rodriguez-Lopez, Noctourniquet is far from a throwaway “last fling.” In fact, it’s an engaging dose of “future punk,” ditching prog freak-outs for quirky electronics and emphatic synth riffs.
“Com Touch”
After a pair of albums that explored dance-floor territory, IDM maven (Chris) Clark takes a bold step back to the future, combining acoustic guitars, soft vocal bits, and field recordings with his old and new synth sounds.
“Fertile Green”
Recorded with Converge’s Kurt Ballou, the sixth album from High on Fire balances punishing sludge riffs with epic progressions — working through classic churn, ultra-menacing stomp, and old-fashioned doom-metal haunt.
“Whispers”
The previous two albums from psychedelic doom-metal quintet Ancestors hinted at the band’s progressive and melodic potential, but In Dreams and Time unleashes it, twisting its sludge sounds through organ-driven, classic-rock, and acoustic filters.
“8-Circuit Model”
Matt Chamberlain: “8-Circuit Model”
Marked by influences from Ennio Morricone, Nine Inch Nails, krautrock, and general groove oddities, the latest from Matt Chamberlain — the multi-talented drummer, Critters Buggin alumnus, and backing muscle for a billion big names — is one of the most deeply buried gems of 2012.
“Sixteen Saltines”
Jack White: “Sixteen Saltines”
At its core, Jack White’s first-ever solo album feels like the lifting of a veil. And despite its many elements — old-school rock guitars, acoustic instrumentation, piano wranglers, blues riffs, etc. — Blunderbuss never feels derivative or scattered.
“Kicking”
The latest from sludge-rock four-piece Torche again combines brawny drive with melodic release. Densely layered guitars, rich vocal arrangements, winding leads, and shimmering textures craft anthems for life-defining moments.
“Hollywood Forever Cemetery Sings”
Father John Misty: “Hollywood Forever Cemetary Sings”
After departing Fleet Foxes and ditching his former alias J. Tillman, singer-songwriter Josh Tillman has emerged as a new man — Father John Misty — to revisit 1960s and ’70s folk-rock traditions while teetering between heartfelt, playful, and slightly bawdy.
“Dark Steering”
Following his conceptual Shobaleader album of space-R&B fusion, electro/bass maestro Squarepusher uses Ufabulum to unite that album’s audiovisual glam and the breaks, acid squelches, and stutters of a more “traditional” Squarepusher sound.
“Don’t Die”
Atlanta rap veteran Killer Mike — a self-proclaimed “pan-Africanist gangster rapper, civic leader, and activist” — teams with acclaimed producer/rapper El-P for an album of “rebellious African people’s music.” Get down while getting political.
“Tougher Colder Killer” f. Killer Mike & Despot
El-P: “Tougher Colder Killer” f. Killer Mike & Despot
After another five-year wait between albums, “El Producto” returns with slow BPM rates, fat synths, and a faster rhyming style. Most of those rhymes are infused with a dark sense of humor, but the real star of the show is his mix of boom-bap beats, bass bombinations, and sci-fi sounds.
“Leon vs. The Revolution”
Melvins: “Leon vs. The Revolution”
Releasing an excellent EP (The Bulls & The Bees) this year was just a warm-up for the incomparable Melvins, who followed by collaborating with Mr. Bungle upright bassist Trevor Dunn for psych-, garage-, and classic-rock tunes mixed with Dunn’s moody, smoky contributions.
“Young and Lovely” f. Zac Pennington & Soko
Jherek Bischoff: “Young & Lovely”
A member of the experimental pop group Parenthetical Girls, composer Jherek Bischoff drops a full-length debut of immaculately arranged orchestral pop, one whose baroque whimsy varies by track and by guest after noteworthy guest.
“Go Right Ahead”
Still going strong from the early-2000s garage-rock explosion, Sweden’s The Hives continues to slash and snarl on Lex Hives. But the band also shows a taste for bubblegum glam in its most hooky rock ’n’ roll. Think ELO meets The Stooges, Joan Jett, and…well…The Hives.
“The House That Heaven Built”
Japandroids: “The House That Heaven Built”
In 2009, Post-Nothing announced Japandroids as a new talent in pop-punk rock. This year’s Celebration Rock continued the party, with racing guitars and anthemic vocals creating a musical sugar rush. These are tracks made for blasting.
“Common Species”
Our favorite reunion from 2012 was that of Old Man Gloom, an all-star noise-sludge lineup. Its first release in eight years finds members of Isis, Zozobra, Converge, and Cave In playing down-tuned, blown-out, and feedback-drenched metal, lathered in dynamic movements.
“The Inevitable Degradation of Flesh”
Nile_The_Inevitable_Degradation_of_Flesh
Most know what to expect from a Nile album: guttural chants, a torrent of Middle Eastern riffing, inhuman drumming, and melodic interludes on traditional Egyptian instruments. But here Nile’s songwriting shows a sharpened focus, one of more discernible death metal.
“Silence of Violence”
Featuring members of Mastodon, Brutal Truth, and The Despised, Atlanta’s Primate is a new hardcore super-group — a furious bastard child birthed by hardcore, punk, grind, and metal. Draw Back a Stump is power chords and D-beats galore, but with touches of sludge and tinges of the South.
“Zero Dark Thirty”
Aesop Rock: “Zero Dark Thirty”
Indie-rap standout Aesop Rock presents another motley blend of allusions, metaphors, and symbols, this time with heavy lyrical themes. Handling the production himself, Aesop imbues the album with a rock slant, fusing his beats with prickly urgency and throbbing grooves.
“Gethsemane”
Drone-doom duo Om has spent nearly 10 years combining drone and sludge with chant cadences and Eastern motifs and philosophy. On its second album with Emil Amos of Grails, beautiful string passages team with sitar, tabla, and guest vocals to build some of Om’s best songs.
“Anywhere”
Built around acoustic guitars and an “open-tuning, Eastern raga style,” the new super-group Anywhere — featuring members of Triclops! and The Mars Volta with Mike Watt on bass — is cross-hemispherical acoustic/psych punk, rooted in driving rhythms and organic/electric blends.
“Forest Battle”
A “string metal” trio armed with simply a violin, cello, and drums, Judgement Day returns to its acoustic, street-performing roots on Polar Shift, an album that strips back the band’s electricity, effects, and experimentation.
“Gran Bazaar”
Italian trio Guano Padano steeps in the traditions of Italian-western cinema, applying surf rock and 1950s and ’60s rock ’n’ roll to the music of America’s South and Southwest. Bits of gypsy, jazz, and oriental styles also dot the landscape, as each song is a journey to a new land.
“Good Company”
No Spill Blood: “Good Company”
Based in Dublin, Ireland, noise-rock trio No Spill Blood pulls off in three what other bands hardly can do with five. The band’s bass guitar — here the sonic lead — is kept loud and low, and thick, buzzing synths add both atmosphere and a cosmic progressive element.
“Carpe Diem”
A new project from Hella guitarist and cofounder Spencer Seim (who also drums) and avant-folk artist / temporary Hella singer Aaron Ross, Solos is a jaunt into pop territory, combining Led Zeppelin-ish acoustic rock with psychedelia and Seim’s pounding, distinctive drum beats.
“Plumage”
Early last year, quirk-rock trio Menomena streamlined down to a duo. The band’s future seemed uncertain, but Moms — arguably its best yet — is a magnificent resurrection, channeling classic Menomena tropes into a flurry of melodies, harmonies, and timbres.
“Last June”
New singer, new label, no problem. With new vocalist Wade MacNeil (ex-Alexisonfire), British hardcore/punk outfit Gallows offers more pissed-off hardcore/punk for the apocalypse, only now the in-the-red guitar fuzz mixes with metallic half-distortions.
“2-Bit Blues”
With the aid of an old sampler, fast-fingered DJ/turntablist Kid Koala sets his sights on the blues, twisting and folding recordings onto themselves and foregoing sequencing software to perform the tracks in real time (with cuts added over the top).
“Aimless Arrow”
Following a release that loaded up on guest stars, Salem’s metalcore vets send their friends home for the explosive All We Love We Leave Behind, another album of high-speed riffs and gut-wrenching emotion.
“Great Round Burn”
After a transformation to singer-songwriter, guitar phenom Kaki King returns to her instrumental roots with her first vocal-free LP since 2004. It’s much more than a rehash or a collection of melodies; Glow marries the best of her developed songcraft with melodic beauty and multi-layered accents.
“The Hill”
Twins is the third (and perhaps best) release of 2012 from garage-rock singer-songwriter Ty Segall, who filters Beatles-indebted melodies through thick, grimy distortions a là Big Business or Lightning Bolt.
“Jonathan’s Hope”
Indie-rap outfit Why? transforms again on Mumps, Etc. with an expanse of orchestration and the addition of front-man Josiah Wolf’s wife, Liz Wolf. Enjoy Yoni’s tangled wordplay as it pairs with piano, strings, woodwinds, harp, marimba, and much more.
“Astral Body”
Between the Buried and Me: “Astral Body”
Extreme metalcore quintet Between the Buried and Me has come to craft progressive metal of the highest order. Drawing from prog forefathers as well as cinematic and chamber sounds, The Parallax II is rounded by stronger dynamics and all manner of guest instrumentation.
“Fuck Your Stuff”
This year finally saw the solo return of P.O.S, the punk-spirited rapper/producer and cofounder of the Doomtree hip-hop collective. We Don’t Even Live Here, an anarchy-themed rap record,has plenty of rock to go around, but squiggly synths and electronics help create an electro-rap hybrid.
“The Diplomat”
After five years of relative inertia, Pig Destroyer — flaring up like an incurable Amazonian virus — is back on the books with Book Burner, a 19-track installation of furious, “misanthropic” grindcore that is as violent as it is relentless.
“In the Branches”
The Casket Lottery: “In the Branches”
Following a lengthy hiatus, indie-rock trio The Casket Lottery morphed into a quintet with a keyboardist and second guitarist. The band’s first full-length in 10 years is a dynamic rock record, with sing-along-ready lyrics built into its multiple-vocalist approach.
“Todos Somos Humanos”
Anaal Nathrakh: “Todos Somos Humanos”
Originating in Birmingham, UK, Anaal Nathrakh is an extreme-metal duo whose roots in black metal continue expanding on Vanitas. Grindcore, melodic death metal, metalcore, and bits of industrial pair with the usual sinister assortment — plus operatic vocals to go with scorching screams.
“Ruthless”
Activist MC Sole’s first official solo album since 2005 reflects a greater songwriting sensibility, continuing the electronically based, hook-laden approach that appeared on 2011’s Hello, Cruel World. His anti-capitalist rhymes have never felt so buoyant, propelled by arpeggiated synth melodies and bounding bass lines.
“Been Away Too Long”
Soundgarden: “Been Away Too Long”
Following its successful 2010 reunion, iconic Seattle quartet Soundgarden has created another work of diversity and dimensionality on King Animal, its first album in more than 16 years. No matter how the new directions work for you, it’s hard not to appreciate them for their audacity alone.
“Landscape Architecture”
Wires Under Tension: “Landscape Architecture”
Do androids dream of amazing music? If so, they might hear Wires Under Tension, whose new album derives inspiration from Blade Runner and its soundtrack. Organic loops, metallic tones, synth programming, and huge beats make Replicant one of the best albums you didn’t hear about in 2012.
Honorable Mentions
Kevin Hufnagel: Transparencies (Nightfloat, 1/3/12)
Rodrigo y Gabriela: Area 52 (ATO, 1/24/12)
Plug: Back on Time (Ninja Tune, 1/24/12)
Lilacs & Champagne: s/t (Mexican Summer, 1/31/12)
Air: Le Voyage dans la Lune (Astralwerks, 2/7/12)
Chimp Spanner: All Roads Lead Here (Basick, 2/14/12)
Sleigh Bells: Reign of Terror (Mom & Pop Music, 2/21/12)
Dirty Three: Toward the Low Sun (Drag City, 2/28/12)
Aaron Novik: Secret of Secrets (Tzadik, 2/28/12)
The Magnetic Fields: Love at the Bottom of the Sea (Merge, 3/6/12)
Floratone: II (Savoy Jazz, 3/6/12)
Melvins: The Bulls & The Bees EP (Scion A/V, 3/13/12)
Quakers: s/t (Stones Throw, 3/27/12)
AU: Both Lights (Hometapes, 4/3/12)
Cock & Swan: Stash (Lost Tribe Sound, 4/23/12)
Death Grips: The Money Store (Epic, 4/24/12)
Bereft: Leichenhaus (The End, 4/24/12)
Marriages: Kitsuné (Sargent House, 5/1/12)
Janel and Anthony: Where is Home (Cuneiform, 5/22/12)
John Zorn: Templars: In Sacred Blood (Tzadik, 5/22/12)
Andromeda Mega Express Orchestra: BUM BUM (Alien Transistor, 5/22/12)
With Lions: Equipo (6/12/12)
Fiona Apple: The Idler Wheel is Wiser Than the Driver of the Screw, and Whipping Cords Will Serve You More Than Ropes Will Ever Do (Epic, 6/19/12)
Jesca Hoop: The House That Jack Built (Bella Union, 6/26/12)
Serengeti: CAR (Anticon, 7/31/12)
Shanir Ezra Blumenkranz: Abraxas: Book of Angels Vol. 19 (Tzadik, 7/31/12)
Jerseyband: Forever Hammer EP (8/16/12)
Dan Deacon: America (Domino, 8/28/12)
Swans: The Seer 2xCD (Young God, 8/28/12)
David Byrne & St. Vincent: Love This Giant (4AD, 9/11/12)
Calexico: Algiers (Anti-, 9/11/12)
…And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead: Lost Songs (Superball Music, 10/23/12)
Neurosis: Honor Found in Decay (Neurot, 10/30/12)
Grails / Pharaoh Overlord: Black Tar Prophecies, Vol. 5 / s/t (Kemado, 10/30/12)
Emeralds: Just to Feel Anything (Editions Mego, 11/6/12)
Deftones: Koi No Yokan (Reprise / Warner Bros., 11/13/12)
The Algorithm: Polymorphic Code (Basick, 11/20/12)