Alter Bridge - Fortress (2013)

I'll readily admit that I have a huge soft spot for hard rock and boy does this band/album fill it. It's just a no frills, rocking album with excellent riffs and vocals that will keep you coming back for more. There's no shortage of memorable moments on this album such as the epic chorus of "Addicted to Pain" or the monumental riff in "Peace is Broken." There's so much potential for headbanging throughout "Fortress" that I doubt even the "truest" metalheads out there will be able to resist this album's charm. I'd put this one about on par with "Blackbird" as Alter Bridge's best to date as well as one of the best hard rock/alt. metal albums of all time.

9/10

 

Karnivool - Asymmetry (2013)

The long-anticipated third album from alt/prog metallers Karnivool takes a pretty different direction than its two predecessors in terms of relying less on Tool-esque grooves and more on experimental sounds and structures. Unfortunately for most fans (myself included), this does not translate into very memorable songs or even, in some cases, coherent songs. Tracks like "The Last Few" and "Alpha Omega" just seem to go nowhere and at most offer interesting bits but not satisfying songs. Of course there are some very good songs here such as "Nachash," "Eidolon," and "Aeons" but even those pale in comparison to the songs that got me into the band such as "Shutterspeed" and "Roquefort." I'm not arguing that they should have stuck to their old style because artists naturally want to progress their sound, but this simply isn't a very satisfying album. And it really hurts me to say that because I actually liked it a lot when I first listened to it. Since then it's worn off of me a lot. If any album was ever a grower this is the one. Even in the amazing year for music that is 2013 there's bound to be some disappointments. This is one of them.
7.5/10

 

Alice in Chains - The Devil Put Dinosaurs Here (2013)

After the masterful "Black Gives Way to Blue" of 2009 (one of my all-time favorite records), my expectations for Alice in Chains' new release were incredibly high albeit somewhat tempered by lingering doubts over whether they ever top or even match that phenomenal album. Well, I can't quite say that those doubts have been put to rest but this is still a monster record that is likely to be my album of the year. There are so many jaw-dropping moments on this album that I don't want to spoil for you in case you haven't heard it, but I will mention a few of them. Some of the things that stick out most to me are the beautifully dark and epic ending to "Lab Monkey," the infectious riff in "Stone," the uplifting, anthemic ending to "Breath on a Window," and finally the beautiful "Down in a Hole" vibe of "Choke."

Alice in Chains' fifth album is certainly a worthy addition to the band's discography, but I feel that are a few shortcomings which prevent me from either giving it a 10 or liking it as much as "Black Gives Way to Blue." One of these is the sameness factor. Now, this isn't a huge problem by any means but it is there and makes it so some of the songs lose some of their uniqueness. Compare this to "Black Gives Way to Blue" where each song, in my opinion, has a unique identity and stands on its own two feet so to speak. Tying with that issue is my feeling that some of the songs, especially the title track, feel too long for their own good whereas BGWTB felt nice and concise. Finally, William Duvall simply doesn't have enough solo vocal parts. In fact, that's really my main beef with this album since I was hoping to hear him more than on BGWTB.

All this may sound like nitpicking and I admit they are minor issues in comparison to how pleased I am with this album, but I was hoping for perfection and didn't quite get it so I feel that I have to point them out. Overall, this is a brilliant achievement for a legendary band and I find myself coming back to it again and again. Hopefully you will too.

9.75/10

Incura - Incura (2013)

If you like quirky alt/prog metal a la Fair to Midland then this should be right up your alley. Like FtM, Incura's debut is catchy, fun, energetic and very well-written. The songs are fairly similar, but there's just enough diversity to not make it sound samey or boring. This is going right on my "Best of" list for 2013. Hopefully, it will go on yours too.
9.5/10

 

Serj Tankian - Harakiri (2012)

After ignoring his other two albums, I finally checked out his latest one and I think it's pretty decent. The songs are pretty catchy and quite political. It doesn't measure up to anything by SOAD, but it's a fun listen.
8/10

 

Alice in Chains - Black Gives Way to Blue (2009)

Since the fantastic new single Hollow from AiC's upcoming 5th album was released today, I figured it's a good time to review their masterpiece of a 4th album. Proving that they could still write strong music after Layne's death, AiC was able to create a dark, doomy outpouring of emotion in the form of Black Gives Way to Blue. The stylistic gamut runs from the sludgey, Sabbath-esque "A Looking in View" to the gorgeous title track. Will DuVall fits in amazingly as the band's new lead singer, and perfectly complements Jerry Cantrell's vocals as well as the mood of the music. It's unusual for AiC fans to say this, but I would have to say that I like this album slightly more than Dirt. But however it ranks within their discography, it is one of my all-time favorite records of any genre.
10/10

 

Deftones - Koi No Yokan (2012)

The alternative metal band's latest release shows their more experimental side and features some of their strongest songwriting to date. The shoegaze influence is more apparent, especially on my favorite song Rosemary, and Chino sounds as good as he did on White Pony. This is another contender for album of the year in my book. Deftones are certainly one of the most ambitious mainstream metal bands around and this album lends much credence to that.
9.5/10