Judgement Day: Polar Shift (Minus Head, 7/31/12)
After months of creative seclusion in a northern California barn, string-metal trio Judgement Day has reemerged with an acoustic album, Polar Shift, that deviates from its electrically enhanced material — all without sacrificing its dark, metal-washed sound. The band’s third full-length studio album goes back to its street-performer roots with un-doctored instrumentals that embrace the dynamic variation of the drums, cello, and violin.
Soulsavers: The Light the Dead See (Mute, 5/22/12)
In May, Depeche Mode front-man Dave Gahan delivered powerful vocals on Soulsavers’ The Light the Dead See, a collaboration that bred soulful melodies with feel-it-in-your-bones lyrics. On its latest production, the British duo — comprised of Rich Machin and Ian Glover — painted a moving portrait achieved with a variety instruments, from strings to organs and choir-like backing vocals. Even Gahan’s harmonica can be heard on several occasions.
Ihsahn: Eremita (Candlelight, 6/19/12)
“The Paranoid”
Though the hazy noise of 1992’s Wrath of the Tyrant may seem a far cry from the sleekly produced Eremita, the songwriting of former Emperor guitarist and vocalist Ihsahn always has been based upon a very specific melodic voice. There is a clear thread from the tremolo-picked intro to “I Am the Black Wizards” (from 1993’s Emperor) to the arpeggiated “Introspection” (from Eremita), even if one composition tends much more towards Celtic Frost and the other much more towards Gentle Giant. Eremita, or “The Hermit,” is Ihsahn’s fourth solo album, and it continues a hybrid of progressive rock and black metal that was heard on Emperor’s later albums such as IX Equilibrium and Prometheus.
Aesop Rock: Skelethon (Rhymesayers, 7/10/12)
“Zero Dark Thirty”
Aesop Rock: “Zero Dark Thirty”
Rap, understandably, always has placed an emphasis on lyrics, and rapper Aesop Rock is known for his motley blend of allusions, metaphors, and symbols. This is rap on hard mode, and it’s nearly unmatched.
