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The following is the list of the best METAL/ROCK releases for 2012 by some of writers at Metal Revolution Webzine. Last year's list is available here.
TOP 10 OF 2012 BY BATO:
1.
Ethereal Architect - Monolith (Self-released)
I'm not the biggest follower of Prog Metal, but there's simply no way to do this better than on Monolith! Ethereal Architects has proven once again that they are a great gathering of young and enthusiastic people who are capable of creating complex yet listenable and approachable music. With intricate prog metal arrangements and fresh and modern production, Monolight is a reminder how awesome US Progressive Metal can sound. Close to a masterpiece…
The return to heavy doom sound was completed with the band's previous album. Tragic Idol continues in the same manner and as such it doesn't offer many surprises, but what it does offer is some very good gothic/doom metal delivered by one of the genres finest and most stable bands.
Haters will hate and lovers will love as indiscriminately as ever, but this is a very good album that should provide some pleasure for anyone who has a bit of time for big, stupid violence and relentless brutality from the masters of the genre.
4.
Deftones – Koi No Yokan (Warner Brothers)
Koi No Yakan is another triumph for Deftones and all this without really altering their recipe for what Deftones albums should be like. Focus is on songwriting and dynamics and the band succeeds prominently, whether the band is ripping through big fat downtuned riffs or hypnotic mellow melodies and textures. Read the review of this album here.
5.
Soundgarden – King Animal (Republic)
The more I listen to King Animal, the more I like it. My expectations for the new album were not sky-high, while on the other hand I am aware of this band's qualities. In the end King Animal has excided my humble expectations; it's an album that screams of quality performance.
Stone Sour - House of Gold & Bones - Part 1 (Roadrunner)
House of Gold & Bones - Part 1 features, by far, the best song writing of the band's career, but much like most of the double albums there are few songs which feel like fillers. This album is a huge, even revolutionary, step for Stone Sour, and I listen to it frequently. Read the review of this album here.
7.
Saxon - Heavy Metal Thunder – Live: Eagles Over Wacken (UDR/Playground)
I know this is not an ordinary studio album, but a live recording of band's Wacken performance, yet I had to add it to this list over best releases in 2012. Two CD's guarantee a few hours of sonic pleasures, where this mighty band manages to capture the power, the magic and the atmosphere of a Saxon show put on Wacken. DVD/2CD set is just phenomenal and should be 'a must have' in any heavy metal fan's collection.
Testament – The Dark Roots of Earth (Nuclear Blast)
The Dark Roots of Earth picks up where the previous album left off, which is quite logic, taking into consideration the clinical and commercial success of The Formation of Damnation. It is not the best album of their career, but almost everything they ever released was a high-quality product, so is the case with The Dark Roots Of Earth. Read the review of this album here.
9.
The Cult – Choice Of Weapon (Cooking Vinyl)
The Cult anno 2012 is the most vital they have been I years, if not decades. Choice Of Weapon represents both a band that is not afraid of experimenting, but at the same time also a band that is confident in what they are doing, sounding more mature and competent that ever before. .
Marilyn 'God of shock-rock' Manson has been highly criticized for this album, as according to the critics some of his magic and energy disappeared during the last couple of years. The necessary youth rage and revolutionary ideas might have changed and Marilyn Manson is suddenly a respected musician and activists, a part of the system if you prefer. Yet for me, Born Villain is still a competitive and solid album.
Choice Of Weapon marks first time The Cult did not make any personnel changes over two consecutive albums and one can only hope that these four continue making music for many years to come, because The Cult anno 2012 is the most vital they have been I years, if not decades.
More than two decades into their career, Therapy? show absolutely no signs of stopping or even of slowing down, but even more importantly, they are at the place in their career where they feel absolutely comfortable. Their albums and nonetheless live performances breathe of enjoyment and creativity. They have nothing to prove and so much to give. Unlike with so many other bands the comfort of their current situation results in exciting new material, some of the best of their career and I can't wait to hear what they are going to pull out next.
The third part of a Baroness chronicle is a bold and very interesting one. It is also a part that adequately demonstrates this band's potential and no one should be able to deny the fact that this is one of those bands that has so much more up their sleeve, more than any of us is aware of and perhaps even more that Baroness themselves are aware of.
With their new album the band delivers pure rock with inspirations form the likes of Led Zeppelin, Kyuss, Joy Division and Tool. Fortunately the inspirations remain as the inspirations and never take the music there where it feels like copy rather than the band's own. On contrary, El Caco's identity shines brightly through each of the ten songs. Hatred, Love & Diagrams sounds very good and the band creates a fantastic balance between sound of fairly elegant rock and raw garage rock.
Koi No Yakan is another triumph for Deftones and all this without really altering their recipe for what Deftones albums should be like. Focus is on songwriting and dynamics and the band succeeds prominently, whether the band is ripping through big fat downtuned riffs or hypnotic mellow melodies and textures.
I must admit that I was highly skeptic about this album and part of me thought that ending their career after Self-Destructive Pattern was good way to end a career – at the very uppermost. But Anger Denial Acceptance is here and it's an album far better than I ever dared to hope and while the band's music might never have been revolutionary the new album covers the void, which was somehow missed since their previous album. Perhaps that means that there is something original about this band. Welcome back boys.
Fire Make Thunder is another impressive release from the band, which is greatly important for the genre, but at the same time it's their weakest release to date. Despite that it for sure deserves place among the best releases of the year. That alone witnesses the quality of this band.
Stone Sour – House og Gold & Bones - Part 1 (Roadrunner)
House of Gold & Bones - Part 1 features, by far, the best songwriting of the band's career. This album might not be revolutionary for the genre but it's a huge step for Stone Sour Read the review of this album here.
10.
Kevlar Bikini – Explodisiac (Self-released)
"LICK THE WOUND! LIQUOR TUNED! LICK THE WOUND! WHILE THE DEVIL'S JUKEBOX IS PLAYING YOUR TUNE!" blasts through the speakers as the opener "Devil's Jukebox" sets the tone to what's to come on the debut from this Croatian band. And describing the album in few words is actually quite easy – It's a ballsy, loud bad-ass rock record. Just take a look at the song-titles and the front cover and you'll get the picture.
Definitely the single-most played record of mine in the year 2012. After having an eight year break British Tank returned with a changed line-up, but every bit as powerful and headstrong as they were in the past. It is good to see that there still are pioneers from the eighties left in the world.
Kreator has risen to new heights these last few years, and dragging Thrash Metal along with it. Neither Kreator nor Thrash have been this popular since their glory days in the nineteen eighties, and while it obviously it not solely Kreator's doing, they certainly did their part as evident on Phantom Antichrist.
3.
Accept - Stalingrad (Nuclear Blast)
Yet another blast from the past! Blood of the Nations is the second album featuring Accept's new front man and he was quite clearly risen to the challenge. While I doubt that Accept as a band will never truly leave the shadow of former lead singer Udo's new band UDO, they have proven that they can manage just fine without him.
4.
Phobos Corp – Felicity (Metal Revelation)
By far the shortest album on my list, it is nevertheless a pleasure to give a spin. Despite its low number of songs (four), it manages to create a feel and sound that would make many other bands of this genre envious.
Overkill is an old colleague of Kreator's, genre-wise and they also came to the conclusion that the world was ready for a revival of the Thrash scene and so they decided to release the record The Electric Age, which is every bit as aggressive and fast-paced as it should be.
6.
Melencolia Estatica - Hel(Temple of Torturous)
The only Black Metal release on my list this year, Hel is also by far the best one I have heard in a long time. All songs are a part of a bigger whole, which forces you to listen to the record in its entirety in order to fully appreciate the ambience created.
Cyclophonia - Impact is Imminent(Battlegod Productions)
A good Power Metal release is always a pleasure, especially when you come across one from a band that you have never heard of. This is what happened to me when Impact is Imminent was thrown in my direction. While they may lack some of the inherent charm of older acts such as Blind Guardian, they are still fairly new on the scene, and they are growing. And I for one am looking forward to listening to their next release.
Despite a shift genre-wise, German VARG nevertheless managed to create another great album that is clearly of VARG design, yet with a more modern feel. While I do miss the more Blackened elements in their songs, they still give off a lot of aggression, which is probably what they do best.
9.
Steel Vengeance - Call Of The Dogs [Re-release] (Metal Mind Productions)
2012 was a golden year for a man stuck in the eighties such as me. Looking at my list I can find four eighties bands that have released new material, and a single re-release: Call Off the Dogs. While Steel Vengeance is not a band most people refer to these days, the American Heavy Metal Band are still very talented and should be appreciated accordingly. Read the review of this album here.
10.
Inside I – Beneath the Circus (Self-released)
Finally, Beneath the Circus, the début album from Norwegian Inside I is also worth mentioning. While I am usually not that bit a fan of Progressive music, this particular record still managed to win me over and lured me into playing it more than once, much to my own surprise. Inside I are still very new in the world, yet they already have a reputation of always creating an amazing atmosphere live. See them if you get the chance.
