The new Rock and Roll HOF Inductees -

Lots of bad names, insults, characterizations, etc have been lobbed at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame over the years, and the vast majority are completely justified.  Their blatant disregard for anything not deemed worthy by the Rolling Stone top brass was beyond reproach.  The fact that entire genres like Heavy Metal, Progressive Rock, any punk band formed after 1977, were generally frowned upon was really, really insulting.

In the past few years however, things begun to change.   In 2012, the process of selecting who was inducted was transferred from the stuffed shirts at Rolling Stone and other industry types the people who matter most - the fans. The benefits were instant as the one and only Rush were finally inducted.  While still not perfect, it's at least taken a step in the right direction. 

The class of 2016 is another positive sign of this change.  Thanks to the fans, some extremely influential bands who have been on the outside looking in for many years are finally getting their getting that recognition.  One can still say that the R and R HOF is still a bit of a farce, but at least they're trying.  

Cheap Trick:  Rockford's finest sons - Cheap Trick mastered the art of hard edge power pop in the seventies and 80's and influenced everyone from Big Black to Smashing Pumpkins to Foo Fighters. Rick Nielsen may be one of the most under appreciated songwriters of all time.   Bonus points - they only wrote Surrender - one of the greatest songs ever.

Deep Purple: Save for Led Zeppelin and Black Sabbath, no other band had an influence on heavy metal than Deep Purple.  Only a couple of million bands mimicked Ian Gillan's soaring vocal style and Richie Blackmore's blistering, over the top guitar solos.  And we haven't even begun to discuss the millions of air guitarists that "Smoke on the Water" has spawned over the past four decades.



NWA:  "You're about with witness the strength of street knowledge" - the opening line that changed everything.  NWA brought the brutalities of life in Compton, CA to the masses with their epic, no holds barred, 1988 album Straight Outta Compton.  The rhymes of Easy E, Ice Cube and MC Ren backed by Dr. Dre's beats enlightened many and enraged many others.  Hip hop, and rock music in general, was never the same after Straight Outta Compton.



Chicago:  Once you look past their insanely sterile, over produced, dull output that has dominated the latter part of their career, Chicago's very own was actually once a pretty amazing band.  Over the course of their first 5 or 6 albums, they seamlessly mixed jazz, rock, and blues into a very, very combustable mix.  For that, this is a well earned entry.  As for everything else, not so much



And while on the topic, here are some suggestions for future R and R HOF entries while I have the podium:

Yes
Roxy Music
King Crimson
Iron Maiden
Motorhead
Judas Priest
Black Flag
Minor Threat
The Descendents
The Smiths
The Cure
The Replacements
Big Star
Television
A Tribe Called Quest
De La Soul
Brian Eno
Kraftwerk

Just sayin!!

Let's get back to this...The Best Albums of 2015

After a very long siesta, it is officially back.  With such a lengthy break, have many ideas percolating but those can wait until next year (no Cubs pun intended).  Let's start with the easy stuff - since 2015 is thankfully drawing to a close, here are the records that I listed to over and over and over this year:


Kendrick Lamar: To Pimp A Butterfly -   I get that this one is totally predictable and that everyone had this as their album du 2015 but there's a reason....it's a hip hop album for the ages.   Kendrick has made an album that is passionate, angry, and brutally honest.  The beats - sampled and those from his smoking band, keep the vibe going throughout.   Won't be shocked if we're speaking about this album in 20 years the way we do about The Chronic or Illmatic in 2015.



Deafheaven: New Bermuda - It's a tall order to top what this band did with their genre defying, shape shifting 2013 epic Sunbather, but San Francisco based Deafheaven trumped it with this release.  With it's five tracks ranging between 8 and 10 minutes each and encompassing equal parts Black Metal and more atmospheric, shoe gaze, New Bermuda is brutal and lush at the same time.   Looking forward to seeing them on tour with Anthrax and Lamb of God in 2016



Viet Cong: Viet Cong -  Other than their soon to be former, controversial name, this Canadian quartet didn't get nearly the attention that they deserved with their first full length album.  Viet Cong's debut is equal parts post punk, low-fi noise rock, with some Joy Division in the mix.   Their songs extract melody and tunefulness from vast walls of noise.  They also played a great set on day 3 of Pitchfork which I think you can find on You Tube.



Failure: The Heart is a Monster - Failure continued their out of left field comeback in 2015 with the crowd funded continuation to their 1996 classic "Fantastic Planet".  Like it's predecessor, "The Heart is a Monster" carries on with it's mix of prog and hard rock and leveraging lead singer/songwriters Ken Andrews' melodic touch.  It's that rare instance that despite a nearly 20 year gap between records you could play them in sequence and it feels seamless - see below.



CHVRCHES: Every Open Eye - For a band that is only on their second album, Scotland's CHVRCHES has mastered their brand of synth pop.  While slightly more rigid than the light but powerful the Bones of What You Believe it still miles ahead of most of the pop stuff out there.  Supporting data for their position in my top 10, their totally awesome video for Empty Threat.  Goth day at the water park anyone?



Armored Saint: Wins Hand Down - While there's nothing glamorous or revolutionary about this album, the first release in 5 years from veteran, brutally under appreciated, rockers Armored Saint is as solid a hard rock/metal release as you can get.   They blast out of the gates with the title track (featuring some really cool Thin Lizzy style harmonics) and never let up across the remaining 9 tracks.  And, John Bush is still one of the best singers in rock and roll.



Run The Jewels: Meow The Jewels - A formula for enhancing what was an already great album like Run The Jewels 2.   First, enlist legendary remixers like Dan The Automator, Prince Paul, and Massive Attack to offer a different perspective.  Second, leave some some milk, Friskies, and catnip in the backyard to attract new vocalists.  



Iron Maiden: The Book of Souls - When lead singer Bruce Dickinson was diagnosed with cancer last year, the was serious concern about the future of Maiden.  Fortunately, Bruce responded to treatment and is cancer free, and 2015 saw the release of an epic Maiden album.  Despite their exalted status and well into their fourth decade, Maiden doesn't take the easy route. "Book of Souls" features classic Maiden style tunes while venturing into some new territory, particularly with the soaring 18 minute finale, "Empire of the Clouds".



Rush: R40 Live- Because they're Rush and they rule over all!



Refused: Freedom -  Under the category of why be boring...Swedish hardcore legends Refused decided to enlist Taylor Swift (not a typo) producer Shellback as one of the collaborators for their follow-up to the classic "The Shape of Punk To Come".  Ambition not withstanding, "Freedom" definitely falls based on the standard that Refused has set.  However, it's not a total dud.  "Freedom" has a few excellent moments including "Elektra", co-written and produced by Shellback and the vicious "Dawkins Christ".




The Best of the Rest: 

Faith No More: Sol Invictus
Lamb of God: VII: Sturm and Drang 
Blur: The Magic Whip
Wilco: Star Wars 
Grimes: Art Angels
Sunn O))): Kannon
John Coltrane: A Love Supreme - The Complete Masters 
Godspeed, You Black Emperor: Asunder, Sweet, and Other Distress 
Purity Ring: Another Eternity 
Teenage Bottlerocket (RIP Brandon): Tales from Wyoming  
Donnie Trumpet and the Social Experiment: Surf
A Tribe Called Quest - Peoples Instinctive Travels.. (25th Anniversary Edition) 
D'Angelo and the Vanguard: Black Messiah 
Slayer: Repentless 
Swans: The Gate  
Led Zeppelin: Presence, In Through The Outdoor, and Coda reissues 

Just don't call this a comeback.

After a lengthy, lengthy, really lengthy absence, the blogmaster general has returned.   Let's get this next generation started off right. Boys.....




New stuff coming very soon!!!

SURPRISE!!!! The Sudden Reappearance of David Bowie and My Bloody Valentine'

The Beatles and The Smith's notwithstanding, the chances of a band reuniting at one point or another is pretty much even money.   The allure of a payday equivalent to the GDP of a third world country will generally cure all that ails even in the most dysfunctional of bands.  Anyone who has seen The Eagles documentary on Showtime knows that they spent the latter portion of their initial run finding new ways how to hate each other but when the opportunity to fully fund the 401k's for their great grandchildren's DNA, they couldn't start harmonizing to Desperado faster.

However, the financial motivation behind most comebacks generally neuters any semblance of creativity that may still exist.  While bands such as Mission of Burma or Wire have come back all guns blazing with albums that either matched or, in some cases, exceeded the works of their storied past, most just seem as nothing more than a contractual obligation.  Going back to my Eagles example, the drive and dysfunction that wound up smothering them in the 70's also gave us the iconic "Hotel California".  The modern day version of said band brought us "Long Road Out of Eden" - a smarmy, over the top piece of shit so pretentious it makes Yes' infamous "Tales From Topographic Oceans" sounds like Minor Threat in comparison.  In other words, past performance doesn't necessarily guarantee future results.  

With the start of the new year, the list of potential IRA padding candidates began to take it's usual form.  One more Van Halen run with Diamond Dave, the Stones being carted out for their 50th anniversary, the hope that Axl, Slash, and Duff would finally let bygones be bygones and give us one more chance to enjoy the proper Guns and Roses and so on.  But a strange thing happened early on, the unexpected began to occur and a couple of surprise comebacks just appeared out of thin air.

First case:  My Bloody Valentine, shoegazers extraordinaire. During their brief run in the late 80's/early 90's, MBV quickly built up a reputation as one of the leaders of the Shoegazer movement in England culminating in 1991's masterpiece "Loveless".  One of the most sonically stunning albums of all time,  Loveless was an album so carefully constructed and so costly that it nearly bankrupted their record label.  "Loveless" was an absolutely potent combination of Kevin Shields' blistering swirling guitars, nearly unintelligible vocals, and some masterful pop hooks.

However, after "Loveless", MBV simply vanished from the face of the earth. Like Keyser Soze in "The Usual Suspects", it was a puff of smoke and that was it.  However, the reals story was that the band never actually broke up but  bandleader Shields decided to spend the next two decades becoming the musical Captain Ahab and seeking that ultimate prize.  As time went by, Shields would occasionally surface to collaborate with artists such as Primal Scream or helping on soundtracks such as "Lost In Translation" and "Marie Antoinette".  In 2007, MBV actually reunited for a quick reunion tour that instantly sold out.  Then back to the shadows. 

Candidate #2: the immortal David Bowie.  From his days as the androgynous, just slightly flamboyant Ziggy Stardust to his drug addled days with Iggy and Eno in Berlin in the mid - 70's to the megastar Serious Moonlight days of the early 80's - his influence is unparalleled.  Even after the mega-success of Let's Dance in the early 80's, Bowie released a steady stream of albums.  If you take away his truly awful work from the mid 80's through the early 90's culminating in the head scratchingly bad Tin Machine project, his post "Let's Dance" work has been pretty solid.   In fact, his most recent release, 2003's "Reality, was his best album in a long, long time.  "Aladdin Sane" or "Low" it may not be but there are some great tracks on there like "The Loneliest Guy" or "Bring Me the Disco King".

However, just as he was starting to regain some momentum around the "Reality" tour, Bowie collapsed backstage at a show of a heart attack and required major surgery.  Post surgery, Bowie put his musical career on hold save for the occasional cameo with bands such as Arcade Fire and TV on the Radio (how about that for young, upcoming bands) and with his old pal David Gilmour of Pink Floyd.  In addition, Bowie could occasionally be seen at charity events or strolling around his adopted hometown of New York City (I tried to find him there many times over the years but to no avail). 

Set the clock ahead to January of 2013 and as if out of the blue, both of our candidates suddenly burst back into the limelight and with no fanfare whatsoever, unleashed new material on the world.  On his 66th birthday on January 8th, Bowie issued a press release announcing the upcoming release of a new album "The Next Day" and dropped a brand new single and video for "Where Are We Now" to a completely shocked public.  A few weeks later at a show in London, Kevin Shields announces that not only has MBV finished their long-awaited new album but it would be released within the next couple of days. 

After these mammoth announcements, the two artists took much different approaches in regards to releasing their comeback albums.  Less than a week later, on a Saturday night,  MBV simply announced on the Facebook page that the album, simply titled "mbv" was available for sale on their website - how about that for guerrilla marketing for an album 22 years in the making.  In early March, after a couple of months and a more traditional promotional campaign, Bowie released "The Next Day" in early March.  But despite their different approaches in promotion, the great thing about both of these albums is that they don't deny or attempt to retread past works.

The first thing you have to remember about "mbv" is that it's not "Loveless", period.  It has moments, especially in the first part of the record that evoke memories of that classic but it really is it's own thing.  As pointed out by many since it's release, "mbv" can be divided into three parts.  And while there are a few slight misses over the course of it's nine songs, this is still an extremely powerful record from a group that hopefully has a few left in them.

The first third of the album that does kind of pick up where "Loveless" left off totally driven by Shields droning guitar work.  The opening track "she found now" features a classic Shields' riff over his airy vocals.  "only tomorrow" is the first knockout pop track on this record with a sick riff from Shields and co-lead singers Belinda Butcher's dreamy, occasionally soaring vocals.

The second third of "mbv", belongs to Butcher starting with "if this and yes" featuring nothing more than a toy synthesizer sound and her very subtle vocals that appear to drift in and out of the mix.  "new you" is probably the most blatant pop song on the record and the only one where it almost feels like Shields is ceding the limelight to Butcher to maximum effect. He even abandons his traditional droning guitar part for a simple rhythm line.

Shields unloads in the final segment of "mbv" and offers some direction as to where the band may go in years to come (if there ever is another album).  "nothing is" is a quick, intense 2 minute instrumental featuring a driving repeating riff over a pulsing electronic drum beat.  The closing track "wonder 2" is to this album as "Only Shallow" was to "Loveless" - the song that will be remembered for years to come. The song is a sonic tornado where all of the elements are consistently swirling around and occasionally something comes out of the chaos be it Shields vocals, or his blistering guitar licks.

In an era where everybody knows everything about everyone else at any moment,  Bowie managed to pull off the nearly impossible.  He wrote and recorded an album over the course of two years in New York City in absolute secrecy and the results of this covert activity are simply stunning.  "The Next Day" is an amazing record that reaffirms that the Thin White Duke is still a master songwriter with alot left to offer.  As opposed to rehashing his past glories, Bowie embraces life as an elder statesman. The cover artwork essentially defaces the cover of Bowie's classic album "Heroes" by throwing a plain white box over the picture of Bowie ("Anti-Heroes" maybe??).

While the first single "Where are We Now?" is a very lush and somber track, the vast majority of the songs on "The Next Day" completely rock out.  The opening song and the title track flies out of the gates with some monster riffs and oh so creepy chorus "here I am, not quite dying, my body left to rot in a dying tree".  It's apparent that Bowie may have been away for a while but he's not simply fading into the sunset.  The next track "Dirty Boys" is a very sinister, sleazy sounding track fueled by an equally unnerving sax part.

The most surprising thing about this record is it's musical diversity.  Each song has it's own feel and despite having 14 tracks (and three pretty good bonus tracks) there are no throwaways and Bowie's vocals are in prime form.  Also, Bowie's vocals throughout are simply amazing.  "Where are We Now" is a lush, somewhat somber track reliving his mid 70's period in Berlin where he made some of his finest recordings.  "Valentine's Day" evokes memories of his early 70's phase minus some of the over the top lyrics.

As the album draws to a close, "The Next Day" begins to mellow slightly. "You Feel So Lonely You Could Die" featuring some really sinister lyrics from Bowie and drum part at the end of the song that may be stripped from the classic opening track from "Ziggy Stardust". The closing track "Heat" is an experimental, electronic very dark track that harkens back to his Berlin days of the mid-70's.

If you had told someone in December that not only would David Bowie almost magically reappear with his first new recording in a decade but it also be one of his finest works, you would have laughed me out of the room.  But like Bob Dylan did with "Time Out of Mind" and Johnny Cash did with his landmark "American Recordings", David Bowie suspended disbelief and came back with a monster of a record that holds up with his classic output.

And now back to your regularly scheduled, soulless, disingenuous, Daddy needs a new Rolex reunion comeback circuit.

As Heavy as it Gets: Neurosis - Cabaret Metro

While Tony Iommi rang in the era of heavy metal over 40 years ago with the very simple yet terrifying and exhilarating opening chords to the song "Black Sabbath"it's evolution has been anything but simple.  In fact, the genre has been constantly reinventing itself from day one.  Remove the unfortunate commoditization of hair metal in the 80's from the equation,  it has been proven over and over again that heavy metal has become a musical melting pot.  From Motorhead's toxic mix of Eddie Cochran and the Dammed to the incorporation of progressive rock into Black Metal, it's been proven that this genre has no problems with experimentation.  While this doesn't always translate into gargantuan album sales, it's influence is widespread and helps assure the viability of the genre.

A classic case of this grand experimentation was on display at the Metro where, doom metal pioneers Neurosis played to a packed house touring behind their latest record "Honor Found In Decay".   As with the other dates on this relatively brief tour, the Bay Area legends have reached into each city's own musical base for opening acts and for the date in Chicago, picked local metal bands The Atlas Moth and Bloodiest.  The result was a four hour extravaganza chock full of 10 minute plus musical workouts and virtually no stage banter and leaving the capacity crowd drained but wanting more.  

Taking it's cues from everything from the Deftones to Isis to Jesu, The Atlas Moth mixes atmospheric, electronic backgrounds with a super heavy three guitar attack overlaid with a traditional Black Metal approach of both harmonic and gutteral style vocals.   They only played 5 songs during their 35 minute set but it was pretty tight and impressive set.  

Led by Chicago indie rock legend Bruce Lamont (Yakuza, Led Zeppelin II), Bloodiest features a number of local players.  While definitely more of an experimental act compared to the other bands on the bill, Bloodiest does incorporate a number of metal elements to the mix.  I'm not sure if they didn't they get to sound check but the mix during their set was really bad (Lamont's vocals were impossible to hear).  Finally by the 10 minute closer "Dead Inside" they seemed to resolve their issues which allowed them at least salvage some of the performance. 

With over an hour of pretty intense opening acts (and some minor sound issues) leading to this moment, the tension was at fever pitch in advance of Neurosis.  Having written about them a couple of times this year, I'll spare you the details again but they are one of my favorite bands around and this was my first time seeing them.  After a brief break where the boys in the band actually helped set up their rigs and then the madness started.  

Starting with "Distill" from 2007's "Given to the Rising", it was obvious that while this band has been together for nearly 30 years, the intensity is still present with an abundance to spare.  Co-leaders Scott Kelly and Steve Van Till looked like they were about to explode at any given moment.   Given this intensity, I was very curious to see how the more varied approach that the band took on their new album translate to the stage.  Their second song, the 11:00 plus "My Heart For Deliverance" erased all concerns.  As the song moved into the more melodic, airer middle section,  Neurosis was able to sink back into the mix and let keyboardist/sampler Noah Landis take over yet suddenly go full throttle for the epic conclusion.  

In fact,  the new songs served as the highlight of the night.  "At The Well" with Van Till's folksy, Western movie style eventually exploded into a, dare I say it, epic rock song that became so intense at the end that Scott Kelly accidentally banged his head into the microphone and cut his forehead.  Kelly's primal scream at the end of "We All Rage In Gold" will stick in my memory banks for some time.  Drummer Jason Roeder's Bonzo-like approach of being both heavy and nimble at the same time gives these tracks an added level of intensity.    

When the vast majority of the songs clock out at 10 minutes and there are 10 albums to work choose from, choosing a setlist can prove a bit tricky.  This set was definitely focused on their new material with three songs off of 2007's "Given To The Rising" in addition to the new tracks.  When they did go back to older material it was served as a very effective counterpoint to their newer material.  "Times of Grace" with it's three headed lead vocal assault from Kelly, Van Till, and bassist Dave Edwardson brought the intensity level up exponentially.  The set closing "Through Silver and Blood" was nearly 15 minutes of pure chaos.  Starting with a tribal drum duet between Van Till and Roeder, the song picked up a fury that I've only seen Slayer accomplish live with Kelly repeatedly hitting his head off of his microphone.  At the end, after another tribal drum solo with Kelly joining in this time,  the band left the stage in a wall of violent feedback.

While there was very little conversation during any of the sets, the focus here was definitely on the music and what could be done with what has always been perceived as a very limited genre.  This set at Metro showed multiple generations of metal bands showing that nothing is off limits with the king of experimental metal bands showing that they aren't ready to stop soon.  Here's a clip of their epic closing track - "Through Silver and Blood".  Happy New Year  

The Fiend Ten - A Farewell to 2012

Don't know if it's old age or something else but it seems like 2012,  good, bad, and otherwise, has flown by.  Rapid pace notwithstanding, there was a wealth of really, really good music from up and coming new acts such as singer/songwriter extraordinaire Frank Ocean to guys named Bob Dylan.  However, only a handful of records make the final cut for the Fiend Ten and here they are:

1. Rush - "Clockwork Angels":  Bands who have been together for nearly 40 years, by rule, are supposed to finance their retirement accounts by touring and playing the hits of yesteryear over and over and over.  Fortunately, Geddy, Alex, and Neil never got the memo and opted to make one of the finest records of their career by making of all things, a concept album.  Chronicling the pursuits of young man looking for his destiny, "Clockwork Angels" is the culmination of Rush's storied and now Hall of Fame career.   

2. Swans - "The Seer":  Hands-down, the second release from the reunited version of noise-rock pioneers Swans is the most terrifying record of the year.  A sprawling, two plus hour epic, Michael Gira and crew use country (A Piece of The Sky), Americana (Song for a Warrior featuring Karen O), and pure Branca-esque, full throttle no wave (Apostate) to make it a trip not soon forgotten.  The highlight of "The Seer" is the 32 minute (not a typo) title track.  While having very few lyrics, the song takes the listener on a journey through some scary places with Gira's crazed guitar parts heightening the insanity.

3.  Chairlift - "Something":  Chairlift's debut "Does This Inspire You" showed some true potential, particularly with great pop tracks such as "Bruises" and "Make Your Mind Up" but there was definitely some room for improvement.   The Brooklyn-based duo have come back with a sophomore effort that is on a completely different level their initial work.  Much lighter and dreamier than "Inspire" this album takes many cues from 1980's electro-pop.  "Met Before" with it's homage to 60's California Pop has more jumbo hooks in 3 minutes than most other bands can put on an entire album.  Bonus points for reaching into the Bad Religion book of polysyllabic words with "Amanaemonsia".   

4. Grizzly Bear - "Shields":  If a band opts for the Lo-Fi route, it had better have both the chops and the songs to make up for the lack of production.  On their fifth release, primary songwriter Ed Droste and crew continue to expand their low key, DIY style pop to new levels.  Picking up from the open-ended fade out of their last album, "Veckatimest",  "Shields" features a couple of drop-dead mellow-pop hits in "Sleeping Ute" with it's thundering drums deep in the mix and epic Spanish guitar climax and "Yet Again" with it's multi-part harmonies and psychedelic mash up at the end.  As with "Foreground" the closing track from "Veckatimest", "Shields" finishes with a bang with the lush, elegant "Sun in Your Eyes".   

5.  Japandroids - "Celebration Rock":  While there are many bands who are deemed the next big thing - this Canadian duo has all of the qualities to become really big, really fast.  On their second full album,  Japandroids refine their unique blend of garage band looseness, power anthems with singalong choruses, and big old sloppy pop hooks.  The theme of the album migrates from the joys of youth ("The Nights of Wine and Roses") to the acknowledgment that it's only there for a short time so might as well enjoy it while you can (the fantastic "House That Heaven Built").  "Celebration Rock" is an wild 40 minute ride that leaves you drained but wanting more at the end. 

6.  Neurosis - "Honor Found in Decay":  Like a fine wine, the founding fathers of doom or experimental or whatever you want to call it metal have managed to age rather gracefully over their nearly 30 year existence.  While the primal scream approach that was so prevalent on their groundbreaking early 90's albums such as "Souls At Zero" may not show up, the intensity and power are still very much there.  Relatively streamlined (only 3 ten minute songs this time) than their recent work, "Honor Found In Decay" reflects the expanding influence of Americana and other types of folk music in the songwriting style of co-leaders Scott Kelly and Steve Van Till.  "At The Well", with it's almost Western movie opening reflects those new influences but eventually migrates into a steamroller of a song.  Keyboardist/sampler Noah Landis, while always a key member of the group has his most prominent role on this record.  

7.  Grimes - "Visions":  Can someone say quirky?   Grimes is the handiwork of Canadian artist Claire Boucher who has definitely spent lots of time studying electro-pop classics of the past 40 years.  Her first full release "Visions" is a mix of old school 1980's style pop music crossed with her extreme falsetto voice and some pretty impressive songwriting chops.  "Visions" starts off with a couple of really powerful tracks.  "Genesis" borrows it's rhythm line from Kraftwerk's classic track Autobahn but Boucher makes it her own with her multi tracked vocals and carefully placed keyboard fills.  "Oblivion" is the standout track on her debut with her multi part harmonies mixed effortlessly with a pretty complex track.  Don't know how what her follow-up albums will sound like but considering this was recorded at home using a laptop, there is some potential there.

8. Killer Mike - "R. A. P. Music":  For those of you who don't know Killer Mike,  he's an Atlanta based rapper with a very strong forceful style who, like Cee-Lo, got his start appearing on Outkast's masterwork Stankonia.  In addition to appearing on multiple Outkast albums, Mike released a couple of solo albums and underground tapes that, while very powerful never took off.  In 2012, he teamed with underground rapper/producer El-P to make his strongest record.  "R.A.P Music" is the perfect of Mike's  dominating rap style and El-P's quirkly, left-of-center beats and rhythms and without being overloaded with guest stars. "Don't Die" is a modern day version of NWA's F**k the Police while "Reagan" is a scorching political commentary that's probably going offend a few people on both sides of the aisle.  After years of establishing his cred as one of best MC's around, Killer Mike has found his perfect foil in the least likeliest of places.

9. Sleigh Bells - "Reign of Terror":   Of all the albums in my top 10, I was really torn on whether to add this to the list or not.  In many ways, this album is a major disappointment compared to the New York duo's crazy, over the top debut "Treats".  However, it made my top 10 because it has two of the best songs of the year.  "Born To Lose" is driven by electronic, speed metal style blast beat and Derek Miller's uber heavy guitar drones and lead singer Alexis Krauss' dreamy lead vocals.  "Comeback Kid" is one of my favorite songs of the year with the perfect pop mix of Miller's 80's style metal guitar mixed perfectly with Krauss' super sweet vocals.  While the rest of the album has some decent moments, they still fall a bit flat when compared to Treats' high points such as "Crowns on the Ground" and "Rill Rill".

10.  Balmorhea - "Stranger":  Based on a Facebook recommendation, I decided check this Austin, Texas based instrumental band out and was very pleasantly surprised.  Balmorhea has a very smooth, feel that evokes memories of bands such as King Crimson, Isis, and minimalist composer Steve Reich.  "Stranger" is a laid back record that crosses a wide variety of influences.  The opening track "Days" features a rolling rhythm across it's 9 minutes and mixes it with steel drums, piano,  before finishing with gorgeous multi-part harmony vocal parts before a gentle, two minute plus fade out.  "Fake Fealty" is driven by a very aggressive acoustic guitar piece while incorporating Steve Reich string pieces.  A very powerful release by a band that's quickly expanding it's horizons.

The honorable mentions - records that I really liked but just missed the top 10
Bob Mould - Silver Age
Animal Collective - Centipede Hz
Godspeed You! Black Emperor - Allelujah! Don't Bend! Ascend!
Big Boi -Vicious Lies and Dangerous Rumors
Blur - Parklive
Enslaved - RIITIIR
Cloud Nothings - Attack on Memory
Diiv - Oshin
Donald Fagen - Sunken Condos
Santigold - Master of my Make Believe
Bear In Heaven - I Love You, It's Cool
Frank Ocean - Channel Orange

And finally, a shout-out to some legendary musicians who passed away - RIP, wherever you are
MC MCA A.K.A Adam Yauch
Levon Helm (The Band)
Donald "Duck" Dunn (Booker T and the MG's, The Blues Brothers)
Dave Brubeck
Ravi Shankar
Jon Lord ( Deep Purple)
Donna Summer
Robin Gibb (The Bee Gees)
Dick Clark
Ronnie Montrose
Whitney Houston
Etta James

That's all folks - see ya in 2013.  Cheers.

Neurosis - No signs of Decay

If there was any justice, the boys in Neurosis would be getting paid royalties from all of the bands that they have influenced over their 25 plus year career and living the good life.  Their unique approach to metal known as "doom metal" or "experimental metal",  a hybrid form of metal that's equal parts Black Sabbath, King Crimson, and Killing Joke, has been a source of inspiration for any number of bands including Mastodon, Tool, Kylesa, etc.  So what do the Bay Area legends, whose origins are in the same Gilman St hardcore scene that gave us Green Day and Operation Ivy, get for a lifetime of excellence, they all still have their day jobs.

This lack of mass recognition has not deterred Neurosis from expanding on the foundation they have spent the better part of the past three decades carefully building.  While their first couple of records reflected their punk roots, they slowly began to expand their sound into longer, textured much heavier songs incorporating samples and electronics more reminiscent of industrial music. As the 90's progressed,  a new Neurosis appeared with works such as 1992's "Souls At Zero" and 1993's post apocalyptic masterpiece "Enemy of the Sun" which may still be the only metal album to ever feature a terrifying 26 plus minute tribal drum track.  As the 90's moved on, their albums grew in both complexity and intensity.  Starting with 1999's "Times of Grace", punk icon and "recorder" extraordinaire Steve Albini took over the production duties, streamlining their sound without taking away any of their trademark intensity or experimentation.

Five years removed from their last release "Given To The Rising", "Honor Found In Decay" proves that there is no single formula for a Neurosis release.  While the trademark growling vocals and booming guitars of co-frontmen Scott Kelly and Steve Van Till are still ever present, some new influences factor into the equation.  During their five year break between releases, both Kelly and Van Till have released a number of folk influenced solo releases and even collaborated on a tribute to Townes Van Zandt with, of all people, stoner metal icon "Wino" Weinrich.  Another change on this album is the expanded spotlight on keyboardist/sampler Noah Landis.  This may also be one of the most efficient Neurosis albums since their punk days clocking in at just over an hour.

Starting with a single ringing sound, as if someone were running their finger along a glass of wine, the opening track, "We All Rage In Gold" quickly builds tension before detonating into a full blown rocker.  As with many of their past works, "Rage's" lyrics have a decidedly spiritual tone with Kelly exclaiming "I'll walk into the water, to wash the blood from my feet".  While only a relatively short 6 1/2 minutes "We All Rage in Gold" has a number of abrupt shifts in tone and intensity to keep the listener at the edge of their seat.   

The second track, "At The Well" is the direct by-product of Kelly and Van Till's ventures into folk and Americana.  The 10 minute epic track starts with a simple ringing guitar part and Van Till playing the role of a the lone gunman before the rest of the band kicks in.  Drummer Jason Roeder and bassist Dave Edwardson provide a slow, somber driving beat while Kelly and Van Till duet then suddenly everything stops except for a sampled bagpipe accompanied by the same ringing guitar from the first minute of the song.  The song eventually builds back up to a roaring climax with Kelly screaming "In A Shadow World" repeatedly.  If there was a metal song that could fit into a Western movie, this may be it.

With a running time of nearly 12 minutes, "My Heart For Deliverence", starts with a nearly 2 minute ambient intro from Landis before kicking into a slowish rocker that has some rare melodic moments.  Landis is all over the track with a soft piano piece in the middle of the song along with a sampled violin piece at it's conclusion.  "Bleeding of the Pigs" and "Casting of the Ages" are slowish tempo rockers that are very similar to tracks on the past couple of Neurosis' albums.

As the album draws to a close, the intensity builds back up in a big way.  "All is Found......In Time" is a full throttle rocker mixed with slower, more introspective parts interjected by Pink Floyd-ish synth pieces from Landis.  As the song beings to build towards it's conclusion, drummer Roeder's takes the baton with a furious barrage of rolls and cymbal crashes over the past 4 minutes of the nearly 9 minute track.  The closer "Raise The Dawn" is an intense, reflective song featuring some of Kelly's most impassioned singing and some bizarre little samples throughout.  As "Honor Found In Decay" began with a simple ringing sound, a quiet violin piece closes it.

"Honor Found In Decay" finds Neurosis doing exactly what it wants nearly 30 years into a wildly influential career.  They are still one of the heaviest bands in the universe but has no issue whatsoever about evolving and incorporating Americana or more melodic elements into their music.  Neurosis  embraces their past without having to rehash it - a trait not commonly seen by other bands who are hitting their 30th year.

Looks like Neurosis will be making a handful of tour dates over 2013, so hopefully you get a chance to see a true legend of American metal music.