Coldworld - Melancholie (2008)

This is an awesome wintry, depressive atmospheric black metal album that reminds me of an abbreviated, more mainstream Paysage d'Hiver. The music is quite dark with haunting shrieks and driving riffs as well as beautiful synths and acoustic guitars. "Melancholie" is a really magical album that exemplifies the best elements of black metal.
9/10

 

Hiromi - Another Mind (2003)

I've heard a lot about this young Japanese jazz pianist so I finally decided to check out her debut album. I was utterly blown away. The musicianship is unbelievably good to the point where I was wondering whether the musicians were even human. They play with such speed, technicality and aggression yet there are beautiful melodies underneath that weave along to the dictates of the players. Some might say they're trying to accomplish too much too fast, but I think Hiromi and her band are breathing fresh life into a somewhat overdone genre. Just consider "Dancando no Paraiso." That track alone to me is unparalleled in the entire genre of jazz fusion. It's the kind of thing that demonstrates that not only does Hiromi and co. have major chops, but they can hold their own against the titans of the genre including Weather Report, Mahavishnu Orchestra, and Return to Forever. Some may consider this blasphemy and while I don't consider myself a jazz expert at all, I really think she is one of the best in the genre. Please either listen to this album or watch her live clips or both. You will be glued to the edge of your seat.
9.5/10

 

Minsk - The Ritual Fires of Abandonment (2007)

Minsk are a fairly well-known post-metal band hailing from Chicago that really know how to create atmosphere. Like Neurosis, they intersperse their sludgey metal riffs and howled vocals with beautiful, ritualistic, and quite hypnotic guitar drones. In fact, there might even be more of these ritualistic passages than actual metal on this album which is fine by me. While they do indeed follow the formula that pretty much every post-metal band does, they still do a hell of a job with it. I'm extremely impressed on my first listen and I'm sure I'll come to love it even more after time.
9/10

 

Gallowbraid - Ashen Eidolon (2010)

This pretty much blew me away on the first listen. If you're an Agalloch fan, you MUST check this out. That's not a request, it's an order. Even though it's technically an EP, it has the feel of an album and to be honest, I like this even more than Agalloch's most recent work "Marrow of the Spirit" (though that one is still quite excellent). I sincerely hope this talented fellow makes another album. Stunning stuff.
9.5/10

 

Zao - Shekina (1975)

Here's a great obscure gem I came across recently emanating from the enigmatic world of French zeuhl. It's an amazingly quirky, fun, and quite technical album with some incredibly talented musicians at the helm. Jazz fusion and classical elements feature so prominently and are played so adeptly that one wonders why this band/album didn't have the recognition of, say, Magma. This is truly an avant-garde masterpiece.
9/10

 

Beastwars - Blood Becomes Fire (2013)

Hailing from New Zealand, upstart sludge band Beastwars already show on their second album that they can tangle with some of the best in the genre even as the best are influencing them. In particular, the presence of High on Fire seems to permeate almost the entire record and the phenomenal vocalist Matt Hyde sounds an awful lot like Matt Pike. (They were even selected to tour their homeland with HoF.)  But reducing this band to the status of a mere HoF imitator would be doing them an injustice since they do in fact put their own unique touch on the album as is most apparent on the very psychedelic "The Sleeper." This album and the debut both demonstrate how much potential this band has within the relatively unsaturated sludge market and, as with HoF, their ability to attract fans from outside the genre. I will admit that some songs felt a bit tedious and could have been more varied, but I still really liked this album and will probably enjoy even more after repeated listens. "Blood Becomes Fire" might just turn out to be the sludge record of the year.
8.5/10

Finntroll - Blodsvept (2013)

Finntroll's sixth album shows no real signs of innovation, but rather meets the fans' expectations as far as releasing a solid, catchy collection of humppa metal tunes. It's not quite as diverse or epic as the band's last album, "Nifelvind" (my favorite of theirs), but it's still plenty enjoyable. If you want meat and potatoes, no frills folk metal then this album is a fine choice.
8.5/10

 

The Strokes - Comedown Machine (2013)

Continuing in the experimental direction they took with 2011's "Angles," The Strokes 5th album features heavy nods towards 80's music --particularly post-punk and synthpop -- as well as towards their original garage rock sound. Most of the songs are pretty catchy, and overall it's a very solid album but at the same time it seems to lack the freshness I found on "Angles." A few of the songs such as "50/50" and "Happy Ending" just seem rather stagnant and uninspired. But again, it's still a good album with several songs such as "One Way Trigger" and "All the Time" that are sure to become live staples. Hats off to this band for continuing to make enjoyable music even after they largely abandoned their roots.

  

8.5/10

 

Depeche Mode - Delta Machine (2013)

After 2009's rather disappointing "Sounds of the Universe," the biggest name in electronic music is back with their most diverse and creative album to date. Though some songs are similar to "Sounds," "Delta Machine" features a nod to almost every album/style in the band's career plus brand new styles. In particular, songs like "Goodbye" and "Slow" have a distinctive blues influence while "My Little Universe" is the most experimental, Thom Yorke-esque track DM have ever created. Basically, there's something for everyone on this album. But while the diversity of this album is an admirable trait, it also makes it harder for longtime DM fans such as myself to digest and compare it with their older albums. Tentatively, I will say that "Delta Machine" is about on par with "Playing the Angel" and possibly "Exciter" though definitely not on par with "Violator" and "Ultra" (my two favorites). But regardless of how it ranks up, it's still a really enjoyable album that shows just how viable and creative this legendary band is even this late in their career.
9/10

 

Amaranthe - The Nexus (2013)

Most metalheads who do like this band would be ashamed to admit so. The truth is that while we shy away from anything that seems too "mainstream" and "poppy", most of us can't resist a catchy chorus. I know I have a soft spot for catchiness and this album delivers it in spades. Once you get past the sameness which is to be expected of a "pop-metal" album, you'll find that the all the songs are really solid, there are great riffs, and the vocals are everything you'd want them to be. Elize Ryd is a phenomenal singer who delivers a memorable chorus on every single song. Of course, you have to listen to the album several times to even tell one chorus apart from the other, but you should try not to let that get in the way of enjoying this. The death vocals are rather generic, but they still complement Elize very well and push the band's sound closer to that of In Flames. I'm exactly sure why I'm rating this so high, but it's just such a seductively catchy piece of earcandy that I can't resist.
9.5/10

(P.S. If you like this band, you might want to try Blood Stain Child from Japan as they're pretty similar.)

 

Burst - Lazarus Bird (2008)

Well, it's been a while since I reviewed an older album so having just listened to this slice of awesomeness, I figured: Why not? Simply put, this is a magnificent piece of progressive wizardry with an aggressive hardcore attitude. The most notable aspects of this album are riffs which are some of the best I've heard in ages as well as the clean sections which are absolutely spellbinding. The only reason I won't give this a 10 is because a few of the songs meander a bit too much and the vocals are a tad underwhelming at times. Aside from that though, this band can easily hold its own against the progressive hardcore greats (don't know if that label applies, but I can't think of any other way to describe them) such as Isis, Mastodon, Baroness, and Converge. I was pretty much blown away starting from track one and continued to be so throughout. I really hope this band gets off their hiatus or whatever their situation is and makes another full-length. In the meantime, I'll be digging through their back catalog hoping to find something as good as or even better than this album (not sure if that's even possible though).
9.5/10

 

Intronaut - Habitual Levitations (2013)

                                 
Intronaut are a band that have always gone beyond mere imitation of their influences and have carved their own musical path. Each album in their discography is a unique, innovative experience and the band's latest release is no exception. Deciding to forgo harsh vocals altogether, Intronaut have crafted what is probably their lightest, most experimental album to date with influences ranging from metal, prog rock, and even jazz. I use the term "experimental" here very loosely since this album doesn't really mark a total transformation of the band a la Ulver, but rather a conscious decision to veer off into new territory while still retaining a good deal of their original sound. In that sense, one can compare this stylistic shift to the most recent albums by Mastodon and Baroness in terms of a greater focus on harmony and songwriting. In fact, with Intronaut's newish sound it's easier to see just how skilled the members of the band are. The vocal harmonies are some of the best I've heard from the band (especially on "Harmonomicon"). The drumming is fabulous as usual. The riffs are great and the fretless bass work is a stroke of brilliance. This album has given me even more respect for this phenomenal band, and I am eager to see what direction they take in the future.
9.5/10

Clutch - Earth Rocker

As this is only the second Clutch album I've listened to in full, I can say that this band is quickly becoming one of my favorites in the stoner genre. Their infectious grooves, upbeat attitude, and fiery vocals have me hooked. With influences from artists such as Jimi Hendrix and ZZ Top, this is an album that will have you dancing and partying all night long. I highly recommend it.
9.5/10

Boris - Praparat (2013)

Following up on the poppy "Attention Please," legendary Japanese experimental masters Boris have returned with their 18th album that, for the most part, takes them back to their drone roots. It's a very diverse affair with comparisons to be drawn to artists as varied as My Blood Valentine (especially on the second track "Elegy"), Earth, Sunn O))), and even Lustmord on the last track. While none of this is exactly new territory for Boris, the whole album nonetheless feels fresh and innovative. Nor are are the drone tracks as heavy as the ones on, say, "Amplifier Worship" or "Pink" but the beautifully dark mood Boris set with them more than makes up for that fact. While this is not my favorite work of theirs, I am glad to see Boris continuing to crank out solid material like this after so many great albums. This is undoubtedly a worthy addition to their catalog.
9/10

Jimi Hendrix - People, Hell and Angels (2013)

First of all, it's astounding just how much material Hendrix left behind and how it's still in the process of being released over 40 years after his death. Second of all, this is a very accomplished album, and further demonstrates just how much of a guitar master Hendrix was (not that we needed any more proof.) People, Hell and Angels does contain a number of hard rock/psychedelic tracks, but is more oriented towards Hendrix's experimentation with blues, soul and funk. A few of the songs didn't quite pique my interest and sounded incomplete, but most of them are what you'd expect from one of the most renowned guitarists of all time. While I can't say I like this nearly as much as the original three albums, it's still a joy to hear new Hendrix tunes in 2013.
8.5/10