#5. The Melvins: Nude With Boots On - What is there to say about The Melvins that hasn't been said before? Well, they have like 100 albums and yet here they are, still rocking our asses off as hard as ever. All the hallmarks of The Melvins are here, huge guitars and bass, thunderous drums, and Buzz screeching, singing and growling away. If you've never heard this band, you are missing out. If you are a fan of stoner rock, hard rock or a big guitar sound then you owe it to yourself to check out this record. I know it was an inspiration for me when writing songs for Black Sleep Of Kali and they have inspired countless others I am sure. The Melvins tread a fine line between pop and heavy, which makes them much more accessible than other bands in their genre.
#4. Bonnie Prince Billy: Lie Down In The Light - Will Oldham is a genius. He seriously releases records at a mad pace, and they are always interesting, if not wholly engrossing. Lie Down In The Light is a country, bluegrass, folk, gospel and even Americana inspired album; and what I mean by that is that many of these elements make up the whole of a truly great record. As I was traveling this year, I think this is the record that I put on the most. There is something comforting about it to me that I just can't really put my finger on. As with much of Oldham's music, it truly evokes a mood, which I think is a truly special talent. So I will grab a beer, you grab a jug of whatever grain alcohol you like, and we will head out on the porch to watch the fireflies while listening to Lie Down In The Light.
#3. Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds: Dig Lazarus Dig - Nick Cave in recent years has seemed to get even more menacing and rock and roll than in his youth, which is a great thing for fans of Nick Cave. Dig Lazarus Dig is the sound of a fire and brimstone preacher giving a sermon about sex, love and death; all while being very literary and actually using words that I had to look up - and I am an english major. If you heard Cave's other project Grinderman last year, then you have an idea of what is in store with Dig Lazarus Dig. Many of these songs are straight forward rock and rollers, but each track seems to be alive with background noises and little touches that actually add to the ambiance of the songs, rather than distract from them. Conjuring up images from the bible, to the ruined American dream, Cave and crew have crafted one of the best records in their long and kick ass career. I listened to this album so much, that I almost, or may have ruined it for my wife.
#2. Constantines: Kensington Heights: I have been saying it for years and I will say it again; the Constantines are the most underrated band around today. Hailing from Canada, the Constantines play a brand of frantic indie rock and straight up rock and roll that has a sense of urgency and energy many bands try to capture and fail. Now this isn't my favorite Constantines record, but it is still is awesome enough to be number two on my list. Think of the Constantines like this: if Bruce Springsteen played indie rock and was from Canada, then you may get an idea of their sound. Another description that I think would suit the Constantines is punk arena rock. My only complaint about this album and the band in general, is for some reason, on every record, they let one of their band mates sing, who isn't the main vocalist, and he blows; really, he is terrible. Why even let the guy sing when the main vocalist has such an incredible voice? Anyhow, The Constantines kick major ass, go listen and enjoy.
#1. Torche Meanderthal - All bow down before the mighty Torche!!!! I love this band and this record so much. It is the perfect combo of stoner rock heaviness, mixed with pop melodies. I wrote about this record earlier in the year on my blog and will repost my review here for you to enjoy once again......
So Torche's new album Meanderthal has been out for a while, but I felt compelled, nay I felt crushed by awesome metal pop riffage to review this record here and now. I can't stop listening to this juggernaut of a record. I thought that Torche's last album was pretty decent, but nothing prepared me for the leap forward they took here. Metal purists may disagree with me, but metal purist can go huff glue in the corner and keep lamenting the death of Cliff Burton while sewing their latest Slayer patch to their denim jackets. Me on the other hand, I will move on while listening to incredibly awesome riffage, melded with a pop sensibility that Torche has created on my favorite record in a long time -- the MIGHTY MEANDERTHAL! Torche was know previously for their infamous "bomb note" and sludgy riffs; the bomb note being an ultra down tuned top string, that when struck produced an epic sonic sludge, that was more of an earthquake than a note (I previously thought it was produced through a whammy pedal, but my pal Morgan gave me the real scoop). They still use the bomb note here, so don't get your panties in a bunch.
Torche blazes through 13 incredible tracks on Meanderthal. Barely pausing, this album's first six tracks fly by at a breakneck speed, with not one of the first six tracks topping three minutes. Each song is balanced nicely with vocal melodies, huge riffs, and even some pop hooks, which is why some metal purist may dismiss the album. It's strange, because the album still has plenty to offer the headbanger, but in the mix is a real pop sensibility. The first six songs are more in the sludge or metal vein, but on the sixth track titled Healer, something you don't see much in metal happens: there are "woah oh's" thrown in. Yup. Woah oh, woah oh. It works though. The "woah oh" vocals really signal a shift in the album; they come at the end of the song, but going forward the record has a distinctly different feel and sound. The seventh track, Across the Shield, is where a real shift in the album takes place, and this is the point where I expect the metal purist to really scratch their long-haired, greasy heads. Is this a metal band? It is still metal, but the rest of the album seems a little more straightforward rock, in the vein of the Smashing Pumpkins, Helmet or even Foo Fighters. This is a good thing in my opinion. Torche is still able to retain their huge sound and heaviness, while adding real hooks and well thought out melodies to each song.
I would recommend this record to just about anyone who enjoys hard rock, which is not something I would do with a lot of other "metal" bands. I mean, don't get me wrong, I love metal; but most metal bands don't have these kind of tricks in their bags so to speak. I will listen to Gaza, Slayer or Mastodon till the cows come home because they are so brutally heavy, but that type of music isn't for everyone; maybe Torche isn't for everyone either, but I could see them have a much broader appeal than many other metal bands.
Torche is truly a dynamic band, and if you are still pissing and moaning about their new direction, then you need to see them live. Although they have moved in a poppy direction, these songs will still punish you right to the core in a live setting and rattle around in your skull, like any good metal band should. All I can say is this album rules my fucking face and if you don't like it then you have terrible taste in music and you should be ashamed to voice your opinions in public.
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