2K7 in Review: Music, part 1
Howdy gang! I'm about to attempt something crazy, but with your help and/or interest, it should go pretty smoothly. Please leave some feedback, as it would be nice to know I'm not doing this purely for my own amusement.
Every week for the next four weeks, I'm going to post twenty songs that were released this year for your listening pleasure. I did some of these back in March, and I promise not to repeat anything featured there. As you can see, the first new bunch is already streaming to your right. Expect new ones every week, so if you're curious about what I've enjoyed in 2007, this series of virtual mixtapes is your guide. Of course, this is all leading up to a grand finale wherein I will gush about the albums that stood out the most to me. So, consider all of the songs you'll see here for the next three weeks to be superior moments from discs that range from decent to very good, but are not in my final ten. The results may surprise you!
Here's a brief look at each of the current tunes on offer. Please give them a spin, and if you discover something that blows your mind, please let me know.
1. Nightwish, "The Poet and the Pendulum," Dark Passion Play (Spinefarm) - With the very public and hostile ousting of soprano Tarja Turunen from the lead vocal spot, I figured the Finnish superstars were done, at least for me. I was really into their early power/goth/symphonic metal, but recent attempts to "heavy it up" didn't sit well with me. Well, it turns out that rock-oriented Swedish vocalist Annette Olzon fits their current style much better than Tarja did, and while Tarja's new solo record kinda blows, Dark Passion Play is pretty decent. This lead-off track is a real statement of intent by bandleader Tuomas Holopainen, nearly 14 minutes of the sweeping drama and fireworks one expects from Nightwish.
2. Mac Lethal, "Jihad!" 11:11 (Rhymesayers) - This Scribble Jam-winning rapper is from Kansas City, a fact of which he reminds you very often on his debut for indie hip-hop stable Rhymesayers. A bit more aggressive than your typical backpacker, Mac Lethal also leaves room for introspection among many harsh and pointed critiques. He's a fairly blunt lyricist, not flashy with technique, yet he's as smart as your average academic MC. Some of the beats on 11:11 are too gimmicky for me, but this tune is tons of fun, from its religion-bashing to its chant-along chorus.
3. High on Fire, "Waste of Tiamat," Death is This Communion (Relapse) - One of a handful of Relapse acts that have inexplicably found favor with the indie rock crowd, guitarist Matt Pike's power trio remains oblivious to this and soldiers on in their signature war-torn doom/thrash style. Part shaman, part barbarian, Pike cranks out cranky riffs bred from Black Sabbath, Venom, Celtic Frost and other no-nonsense metal forefathers while maintaining a nearly blissful sense of abandon. It was hard to pick a representative track, but this mystical caveman basher should do the trick.
4. Limbonic Art, "Nebulous Dawn," Legacy of Evil (Nocturnal Art) - One of my most anticipated comeback records of the year was this sixth platter by Norwegian duo Limbonic Art. Unlike most black metal bands who utilize electronic drums, these dudes never get dancy, nor do they try to cover them up. Legacy is in line with their later, more guitar-oriented material, its barrage of percussion, hammering guitars and sweeping synths creating a perfectly enveloping nocturnal atmosphere. Like most good Norwegian black metal, it typically moves too fast for legit hangbanging. Just sit back and let this tale of Earth's destruction pummel away.
5. Tomahawk, "Mescal Rite 1," Anonymous (Ipecac) - Although the supergroup Tomahawk already had two excellent albums to their name, it wasn't until now that they began to address anything related to that moniker. With Kevin Rutmanis departing during the recording, former Jesus Lizard guitarist Duane Denison also took over bass duties for this disc of "original arrangements inspired by Native American material from the late 19th century." I have no idea if that attribution is true or bogus, but Denison, vocalist Mike Patton and percussionist John Stanier hold a hugely engrossing art rock pow wow. This song, like many on Anonymous, utilizes worldless vocals, which makes it seem more like something Fantômas, one of Patton's other bands, would do.
6. Slough Feg, "Tiger! Tiger!" Hardworlder (Cruz del Sur) - The cult San Francisco horde continues to craft heavy metal in its rawest, purest form, albeit with the occasional Celtic touch. I got to see these dudes three times this year - with two different drummers - and each set was equally intense. Hardworlder is a relatively low-key record for Slough Feg, as the songs generally stay midtempo, but the combination of stunning guitar harmonies and Mike Scalzi's unmistakable croon/growl carry tunes like this one to realms beyond your average underacheiving "true" metal biters. A note for all Maiden/Priest/Lizzy fans: the last half of "Tiger!" is pure guitar bliss.
7. Entombed, "Serpent Saints," Serpent Saints - The Ten Amendments (Threeman) - The long-awaited Serpent Saints is a letdown from the ever-shifting Entombed. Truth be told, the majority of the tracks seem lifeless or half-formed, and contrary to the decency of their recent diverse material, the Swedes only really come up aces here when they drag out the ol' 1991 Stockholm death metal vibe. It's unfair to blame the record on the completely new rhythm section, but it's tempting. This kickoff tune is one of the few keepers, with a cool horror flick-style piano intro, a groovy Motörhead bass line, and plenty of chainsaw guitars sawing away - even if it's only Alex Hellid playing them by himself anymore.
8. Modest Mouse, "Spitting Venom," We Were Dead Before the Ship Even Sank (Epic) - Okay, I'm not lining up to suck Isaac Brock's cock, but only otherwise owning their debut 7", I do like this new Modest Mouse album. Sometimes the indie rock megastars - who happened to form in the Washington town where my uncle, aunt and cousin now live - still get on my nerves, usually on the dancier tracks where Brock's herky-jerk howl makes their white-boy funk all the more painfully white. But Modest Mouse is not the Spin Doctors, as they have a sense of atmosphere and decorum. This mini-epic gets to rocking pretty hard, but it never wears me out.
9. Turisas, "A Portage Into the Unknown," The Varangian Way (Century Media) - Album number two for Finnish sword-hoisters Turisas took three years to surface. It feels more "serious" overall than their action-packed debut, edging away from their more cartoonish countrymen Ensiferum and toward a gigantic, cinematic Viking metal ideal, or at least a more easily digested version of Moonsorrow. While the synth orchestrations are gleefully fakey, especially when contrasted with a real accordion, the massive choirs and stout-hearted Scandinavian folk melodies of this seafaring song are a fine indication of what Turisas can do. Best of all, it's a pretty heavy recording, which helps balance the saccharine symphonics.
10. The Coral, "In the Rain," Roots & Echoes (Deltasonic) - Boy, talk about a band that fell from grace. The Coral's self-titled debut was an intoxicating retro Britpop revelation, a cornerstone of what came to be known as "cosmic scouse" because of its Liverpool-by-way-of-Jupiter sensibility. Yet, the sextet kinda screwed themselves by releasing alternately pleasantly subdued or petulantly spastic material since. R&E is their fourth proper LP, it hasn't sold very well in England and hasn't even been released in the States yet. I still like them, as they've settled into a gloomy roots/psych/garage pop groove which, while no scratch on that amazing kitchen sink debut, is frequently very enjoyable. This tune features Oasis' Noel Gallagher on guest guitar, but don't hold that against it.
11. HORSE the band, "His Purple Majesty," A Natural Death (Koch) - In a year that saw the combination of quirky metalcore and 8-bit Nintendo theme music becoming a somewhat unlikely trend with the kids, the original Nintendocore kings from California made strides toward an even more unique sound. HORSE the band's second album is a diverse gallop through bizarre, funky, destructive, goofy and sometimes meditative modes, with funk and new wave touches making it slightly more accessible, yet unlike anything else out there. This song, which I think is about a malevolent penis, manages to be gleefully catchy and disturbing at once.
12. Beneath the Massacre, "Sleepless," Mechanics of Dysfunction (Prosthetic) - An even more unlikely trend than Nintendocore was this year's explosion of technical death metal and/or grindcore acts. For every obnoxious gaggle of garage-level spazzcore incompetence foisted upon the Hot Topic crowd, several seriously proficient metal bands seemed to rise in response. Montreal's Beneath the Massacre is one of the most engaging of these, no surprise since Canada has long been a primary source for aggressive instrumental mastery. This closing track from their debut LP shows the quartet has a lot of genuine crunch and groove to go with their stentorian blast, and even approaches memorability, a rare quality for this type of music.
13. Explosions in the Sky, "Catastrophe and the Cure," All of a Sudden I Miss Everyone (Temporary Residence) - Here's some more lovely guitar action for you. Explosions in the Sky didn't exactly top their past work this year, as many of their swirling instrumentals are similar in structure and emotional impact. Still, the quartet's soft beds of chiming shoegazer bliss continue to nestle warm melodies which never fail to swell in the chest. The picturesque peaks and valleys of this track are indicative of the beauty these guys evoke on a regular basis, and the fact that no cruddy vocals muck it up makes it even better.
14. Dark Tranquillity, "Empty Me," Fiction (Century Media) - I hate to admit it, but on their new record, melodic death metal legends Dark Tranquillity seem to be treading water. The results are still often mighty fine, as on this characteristic number featuring lots of sharp Gothenburg guitarwork, bracing keyboards and fantastic drumming by the ever-underrated Anders Jivarp. But at times, Fiction is like a weak carbon copy of their last two commendable platters, which saw the august Swedes refocused on aggressive melodies while integrating the progressive spirit that had caused them to flounder for a while. That restless "experimentation" is back here, and it unfortunately tends to drag the back half of the record down.
15. Federico Aubele, "Este Momento," Panamericana (Eighteenth Street Lounge) - Endowed with one of the richest audio mixes I've heard all year, Argentine hipster Federico Aubele goes for a sensual mix of Latin folk and electronic textures that sounds like a late summer evening. His second album is sexy enough for dancin' or sexin', but is also a great headphone record to savor when you're all by your lonesome. There are a lot of great tracks on Panamericana, many cooed by breathy Latinas who'll raise goosebumps on your goosebumps, but something about the insistent rhythm of this tune really grabs me.
16. Samael, "On the Rise," Solar Soul (Nuclear Blast) - I lost track of Swiss electro-metallers Samael a few years ago, when it appeared they were shedding their more aggressive tendencies and trying for some mainstream success. Since my interest in industrialized metal has dropped a great deal in recent years, I never heard 2004's Reign of Light and have no idea if it's any good, but this year they definitely won me back. Stomping ahead with the imposing martial countenance of a satanic Laibach, Solar Soul is the product of the Samael I first got into back in the '90s (around the Passage era). There are faster tunes on display, but I think this one goes at the perfect pace for this stuff.
17. Stereo Total, "Moderne Musik," Paris <-> Berlin (Kill Rock Stars) - My first exposure to this pan-European duo is a positive one. The German dude sounds effete and disaffected, while the French lady usually sounds like she just arrived at a birthday party. Together, they give their music a winsome range echoed in diverse songwriting, hopping from disco to chanson to kiddie punk to electro to bossa nova. This is one of the peppiest numbers on their eighth album, punctuated with fun sci-fi sound effects that give the already effervescent pop-punk a unique, exploratory energy.
18. Elvenking, "Poison Tears," The Scythe (AFM) - Italian folk metal favorites Elvenking decided upon a concept album for their fourth LP. I'm not exactly sure how the story goes, even after several reads through the lyrics, but I think it has something to do with death and/or the Grim Reaper, who may or may not be female. The dark subject matter gave them an excuse to put a little more crunch in the guitars and heft in the rhythms, making for their heaviest outing yet. But since their demo days, one of my favorite things about the pagan power-folkies has been their embrace of more "extreme" elements like thrash metal riffs and death metal growls, so the transistion is natural. "Poison Tears" seemed a bit metalcore when I first heard it - that's not the case now, but it's definitely not a Ye Olde style folk metal tune.
19. Devendra Banhart, "Shabop Shalom," Smokey Rolls Down Thunder Canyon (XL) - We keep the folk going with "freak folk" apostle Banhart. OK, I think the dude is waaaay overrated, and seeing him live didn't do anything to convince me otherwise. This album is my first full exposure to his studio stuff, and I find it ponderous and directionless for the most part. A few of the songs do manage to gel into something tuneful or interesting, and then there's this one, which has Strokes guitarist Nick Valensi on it and wherein Devendra swoons and flutters like a '60s crooner as he delivers a wordy love song to a rabbi's daughter. It's so not like the rest of the disc; it sticks out like a novelty tune. I must admit, his lyrics here are charming, clever and perfectly arranged.
20. Thurisaz, "Circadian Rhythm," Circadian Rhythm (Shiver) - We close with one of my favorite metal discoveries of the year: Thurisaz, not to be confused with Turisas at #9. Horns high to the hard-working guys who arrange Chicago Powerfest (next year already looks fantastic - Suidakra and Darkane!) for bringing this underground Belgian quintet over. Their style draws from melodic death, black, gothic and progressive metal, making for a beautifully moody, congruous and organic Eurometal immersion. While reminding me of a lot of my favorite bands, Thurisaz delivered a more engrossing, satisfying album in Circadian Rhythm than many of the bigger metal names bothered to this year, and it deserves to be heard by anyone into dark, textured, majestic and intelligent modern metal. Plus, I am proud to say that I partied with these dudes, and they're cool as hell.
Every week for the next four weeks, I'm going to post twenty songs that were released this year for your listening pleasure. I did some of these back in March, and I promise not to repeat anything featured there. As you can see, the first new bunch is already streaming to your right. Expect new ones every week, so if you're curious about what I've enjoyed in 2007, this series of virtual mixtapes is your guide. Of course, this is all leading up to a grand finale wherein I will gush about the albums that stood out the most to me. So, consider all of the songs you'll see here for the next three weeks to be superior moments from discs that range from decent to very good, but are not in my final ten. The results may surprise you!
Here's a brief look at each of the current tunes on offer. Please give them a spin, and if you discover something that blows your mind, please let me know.
1. Nightwish, "The Poet and the Pendulum," Dark Passion Play (Spinefarm) - With the very public and hostile ousting of soprano Tarja Turunen from the lead vocal spot, I figured the Finnish superstars were done, at least for me. I was really into their early power/goth/symphonic metal, but recent attempts to "heavy it up" didn't sit well with me. Well, it turns out that rock-oriented Swedish vocalist Annette Olzon fits their current style much better than Tarja did, and while Tarja's new solo record kinda blows, Dark Passion Play is pretty decent. This lead-off track is a real statement of intent by bandleader Tuomas Holopainen, nearly 14 minutes of the sweeping drama and fireworks one expects from Nightwish.
2. Mac Lethal, "Jihad!" 11:11 (Rhymesayers) - This Scribble Jam-winning rapper is from Kansas City, a fact of which he reminds you very often on his debut for indie hip-hop stable Rhymesayers. A bit more aggressive than your typical backpacker, Mac Lethal also leaves room for introspection among many harsh and pointed critiques. He's a fairly blunt lyricist, not flashy with technique, yet he's as smart as your average academic MC. Some of the beats on 11:11 are too gimmicky for me, but this tune is tons of fun, from its religion-bashing to its chant-along chorus.
3. High on Fire, "Waste of Tiamat," Death is This Communion (Relapse) - One of a handful of Relapse acts that have inexplicably found favor with the indie rock crowd, guitarist Matt Pike's power trio remains oblivious to this and soldiers on in their signature war-torn doom/thrash style. Part shaman, part barbarian, Pike cranks out cranky riffs bred from Black Sabbath, Venom, Celtic Frost and other no-nonsense metal forefathers while maintaining a nearly blissful sense of abandon. It was hard to pick a representative track, but this mystical caveman basher should do the trick.
4. Limbonic Art, "Nebulous Dawn," Legacy of Evil (Nocturnal Art) - One of my most anticipated comeback records of the year was this sixth platter by Norwegian duo Limbonic Art. Unlike most black metal bands who utilize electronic drums, these dudes never get dancy, nor do they try to cover them up. Legacy is in line with their later, more guitar-oriented material, its barrage of percussion, hammering guitars and sweeping synths creating a perfectly enveloping nocturnal atmosphere. Like most good Norwegian black metal, it typically moves too fast for legit hangbanging. Just sit back and let this tale of Earth's destruction pummel away.
5. Tomahawk, "Mescal Rite 1," Anonymous (Ipecac) - Although the supergroup Tomahawk already had two excellent albums to their name, it wasn't until now that they began to address anything related to that moniker. With Kevin Rutmanis departing during the recording, former Jesus Lizard guitarist Duane Denison also took over bass duties for this disc of "original arrangements inspired by Native American material from the late 19th century." I have no idea if that attribution is true or bogus, but Denison, vocalist Mike Patton and percussionist John Stanier hold a hugely engrossing art rock pow wow. This song, like many on Anonymous, utilizes worldless vocals, which makes it seem more like something Fantômas, one of Patton's other bands, would do.
6. Slough Feg, "Tiger! Tiger!" Hardworlder (Cruz del Sur) - The cult San Francisco horde continues to craft heavy metal in its rawest, purest form, albeit with the occasional Celtic touch. I got to see these dudes three times this year - with two different drummers - and each set was equally intense. Hardworlder is a relatively low-key record for Slough Feg, as the songs generally stay midtempo, but the combination of stunning guitar harmonies and Mike Scalzi's unmistakable croon/growl carry tunes like this one to realms beyond your average underacheiving "true" metal biters. A note for all Maiden/Priest/Lizzy fans: the last half of "Tiger!" is pure guitar bliss.
7. Entombed, "Serpent Saints," Serpent Saints - The Ten Amendments (Threeman) - The long-awaited Serpent Saints is a letdown from the ever-shifting Entombed. Truth be told, the majority of the tracks seem lifeless or half-formed, and contrary to the decency of their recent diverse material, the Swedes only really come up aces here when they drag out the ol' 1991 Stockholm death metal vibe. It's unfair to blame the record on the completely new rhythm section, but it's tempting. This kickoff tune is one of the few keepers, with a cool horror flick-style piano intro, a groovy Motörhead bass line, and plenty of chainsaw guitars sawing away - even if it's only Alex Hellid playing them by himself anymore.
8. Modest Mouse, "Spitting Venom," We Were Dead Before the Ship Even Sank (Epic) - Okay, I'm not lining up to suck Isaac Brock's cock, but only otherwise owning their debut 7", I do like this new Modest Mouse album. Sometimes the indie rock megastars - who happened to form in the Washington town where my uncle, aunt and cousin now live - still get on my nerves, usually on the dancier tracks where Brock's herky-jerk howl makes their white-boy funk all the more painfully white. But Modest Mouse is not the Spin Doctors, as they have a sense of atmosphere and decorum. This mini-epic gets to rocking pretty hard, but it never wears me out.
9. Turisas, "A Portage Into the Unknown," The Varangian Way (Century Media) - Album number two for Finnish sword-hoisters Turisas took three years to surface. It feels more "serious" overall than their action-packed debut, edging away from their more cartoonish countrymen Ensiferum and toward a gigantic, cinematic Viking metal ideal, or at least a more easily digested version of Moonsorrow. While the synth orchestrations are gleefully fakey, especially when contrasted with a real accordion, the massive choirs and stout-hearted Scandinavian folk melodies of this seafaring song are a fine indication of what Turisas can do. Best of all, it's a pretty heavy recording, which helps balance the saccharine symphonics.
10. The Coral, "In the Rain," Roots & Echoes (Deltasonic) - Boy, talk about a band that fell from grace. The Coral's self-titled debut was an intoxicating retro Britpop revelation, a cornerstone of what came to be known as "cosmic scouse" because of its Liverpool-by-way-of-Jupiter sensibility. Yet, the sextet kinda screwed themselves by releasing alternately pleasantly subdued or petulantly spastic material since. R&E is their fourth proper LP, it hasn't sold very well in England and hasn't even been released in the States yet. I still like them, as they've settled into a gloomy roots/psych/garage pop groove which, while no scratch on that amazing kitchen sink debut, is frequently very enjoyable. This tune features Oasis' Noel Gallagher on guest guitar, but don't hold that against it.
11. HORSE the band, "His Purple Majesty," A Natural Death (Koch) - In a year that saw the combination of quirky metalcore and 8-bit Nintendo theme music becoming a somewhat unlikely trend with the kids, the original Nintendocore kings from California made strides toward an even more unique sound. HORSE the band's second album is a diverse gallop through bizarre, funky, destructive, goofy and sometimes meditative modes, with funk and new wave touches making it slightly more accessible, yet unlike anything else out there. This song, which I think is about a malevolent penis, manages to be gleefully catchy and disturbing at once.
12. Beneath the Massacre, "Sleepless," Mechanics of Dysfunction (Prosthetic) - An even more unlikely trend than Nintendocore was this year's explosion of technical death metal and/or grindcore acts. For every obnoxious gaggle of garage-level spazzcore incompetence foisted upon the Hot Topic crowd, several seriously proficient metal bands seemed to rise in response. Montreal's Beneath the Massacre is one of the most engaging of these, no surprise since Canada has long been a primary source for aggressive instrumental mastery. This closing track from their debut LP shows the quartet has a lot of genuine crunch and groove to go with their stentorian blast, and even approaches memorability, a rare quality for this type of music.
13. Explosions in the Sky, "Catastrophe and the Cure," All of a Sudden I Miss Everyone (Temporary Residence) - Here's some more lovely guitar action for you. Explosions in the Sky didn't exactly top their past work this year, as many of their swirling instrumentals are similar in structure and emotional impact. Still, the quartet's soft beds of chiming shoegazer bliss continue to nestle warm melodies which never fail to swell in the chest. The picturesque peaks and valleys of this track are indicative of the beauty these guys evoke on a regular basis, and the fact that no cruddy vocals muck it up makes it even better.
14. Dark Tranquillity, "Empty Me," Fiction (Century Media) - I hate to admit it, but on their new record, melodic death metal legends Dark Tranquillity seem to be treading water. The results are still often mighty fine, as on this characteristic number featuring lots of sharp Gothenburg guitarwork, bracing keyboards and fantastic drumming by the ever-underrated Anders Jivarp. But at times, Fiction is like a weak carbon copy of their last two commendable platters, which saw the august Swedes refocused on aggressive melodies while integrating the progressive spirit that had caused them to flounder for a while. That restless "experimentation" is back here, and it unfortunately tends to drag the back half of the record down.
15. Federico Aubele, "Este Momento," Panamericana (Eighteenth Street Lounge) - Endowed with one of the richest audio mixes I've heard all year, Argentine hipster Federico Aubele goes for a sensual mix of Latin folk and electronic textures that sounds like a late summer evening. His second album is sexy enough for dancin' or sexin', but is also a great headphone record to savor when you're all by your lonesome. There are a lot of great tracks on Panamericana, many cooed by breathy Latinas who'll raise goosebumps on your goosebumps, but something about the insistent rhythm of this tune really grabs me.
16. Samael, "On the Rise," Solar Soul (Nuclear Blast) - I lost track of Swiss electro-metallers Samael a few years ago, when it appeared they were shedding their more aggressive tendencies and trying for some mainstream success. Since my interest in industrialized metal has dropped a great deal in recent years, I never heard 2004's Reign of Light and have no idea if it's any good, but this year they definitely won me back. Stomping ahead with the imposing martial countenance of a satanic Laibach, Solar Soul is the product of the Samael I first got into back in the '90s (around the Passage era). There are faster tunes on display, but I think this one goes at the perfect pace for this stuff.
17. Stereo Total, "Moderne Musik," Paris <-> Berlin (Kill Rock Stars) - My first exposure to this pan-European duo is a positive one. The German dude sounds effete and disaffected, while the French lady usually sounds like she just arrived at a birthday party. Together, they give their music a winsome range echoed in diverse songwriting, hopping from disco to chanson to kiddie punk to electro to bossa nova. This is one of the peppiest numbers on their eighth album, punctuated with fun sci-fi sound effects that give the already effervescent pop-punk a unique, exploratory energy.
18. Elvenking, "Poison Tears," The Scythe (AFM) - Italian folk metal favorites Elvenking decided upon a concept album for their fourth LP. I'm not exactly sure how the story goes, even after several reads through the lyrics, but I think it has something to do with death and/or the Grim Reaper, who may or may not be female. The dark subject matter gave them an excuse to put a little more crunch in the guitars and heft in the rhythms, making for their heaviest outing yet. But since their demo days, one of my favorite things about the pagan power-folkies has been their embrace of more "extreme" elements like thrash metal riffs and death metal growls, so the transistion is natural. "Poison Tears" seemed a bit metalcore when I first heard it - that's not the case now, but it's definitely not a Ye Olde style folk metal tune.
19. Devendra Banhart, "Shabop Shalom," Smokey Rolls Down Thunder Canyon (XL) - We keep the folk going with "freak folk" apostle Banhart. OK, I think the dude is waaaay overrated, and seeing him live didn't do anything to convince me otherwise. This album is my first full exposure to his studio stuff, and I find it ponderous and directionless for the most part. A few of the songs do manage to gel into something tuneful or interesting, and then there's this one, which has Strokes guitarist Nick Valensi on it and wherein Devendra swoons and flutters like a '60s crooner as he delivers a wordy love song to a rabbi's daughter. It's so not like the rest of the disc; it sticks out like a novelty tune. I must admit, his lyrics here are charming, clever and perfectly arranged.
20. Thurisaz, "Circadian Rhythm," Circadian Rhythm (Shiver) - We close with one of my favorite metal discoveries of the year: Thurisaz, not to be confused with Turisas at #9. Horns high to the hard-working guys who arrange Chicago Powerfest (next year already looks fantastic - Suidakra and Darkane!) for bringing this underground Belgian quintet over. Their style draws from melodic death, black, gothic and progressive metal, making for a beautifully moody, congruous and organic Eurometal immersion. While reminding me of a lot of my favorite bands, Thurisaz delivered a more engrossing, satisfying album in Circadian Rhythm than many of the bigger metal names bothered to this year, and it deserves to be heard by anyone into dark, textured, majestic and intelligent modern metal. Plus, I am proud to say that I partied with these dudes, and they're cool as hell.
posted by SoulReaper at 12:03 PM
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