Cult of Luna - Vertikal (2013)

Wow, what a way to kick off the year. This is an awesome musical adventure presented by one of the most recognized names in post-metal. Vertikal is an ode to Fritz Lang's legendary film "Metropolis" with the music echoing the film's industrial tones and dystopic theme. Vertikal shows a clear sense of progression from the band's previous albums in terms of adding in electronic sounds and giving the album the kind of cohesion that I felt the previous ones lacked. This is certainly their most experimental album to date, but of course they still retain a very good deal of their traditional sound. This is definitely the best post-metal release I've heard in a while, and if this is any indication for the rest of the year, I'd say 2013 will be another phenomenal year for music.
9.5/10