Portal - Vexovoid (2013)

What happens when you put death metal through the spin cycle of a washing machine? Portal is what happens. Portal's approach to death metal is highly unorthodox, highly abstract, and incredibly dissonant with almost no melody to speak of. Churning guitars and snarling vocals give this album a very otherworldly quality. It's quite easy to imagine oneself being sucked into a black hole as one listens to this monstrosity of an album. While this isn't my favorite style, I can say it's refreshing to know that there are metal bands such as this one that are still pushing the boundaries. Definitely give this one a try if you're up for something very unique and bizarre.
9/10

 

Consciousness Removal Project - Tacit (2013)

This is an excellent instrumental album from an awesome one-man band. It's quite varied and contains just what you'd want from post-metal music: heavy riffs, beautiful atmospherics, deep bass, and electronic melodies (optional for post-metal but still great). It's just more great music from Finland and definitely something worth checking out.
9/10

 

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

 

The Howling Void - The Womb Beyond the World (2012)

The Howling Void is an excellent one-man symphonic funeral doom band. This being my first experience with symphonic funeral doom, I can say that it's a brilliant combination of genres and that this album is a fine specimen of it. The symphonic elements, along with the pulsating guitars, make it one of the darkest metal albums I've heard and about on par with the heavyweights of the genre such as Evoken, Esoteric etc.
9/10

Marillion - Sounds That Can't Be Made (2012)

Not only is this an beautiful, uplifting masterpiece, but it might be my favorite Marillion album yet (although Marbles comes pretty close). As much as I appreciate the Fish era, this album and Marbles cement the Hogarth era as Marillion's best and most original period. The songs are expertly constructed for maximum emotional effect especially on the epic masterwork "Gaza" which connects the music with the lyrics incredibly well. Additionally, the crystal-clear production on the album gives the songs that extra shine which boosts the overall quality in ways untold. In all, this is prog rock at its most beautiful and, arguably, its best.
9.5/10

 

The Flower Kings - Banks of Eden (2012)

The latest release from one of the most respected names in neo-prog rock has the band writing some of their best tunes yet. All the songs are very passionate, adventurous and downright enjoyable. The band's technical skills on this album are top-notch, and the influences from bands such as Yes and Genesis are apparent and quite tasteful. Even after a five year hiatus, TFK prove that their prog abilities have not deteriorated. If anything, they've improved which is surprising considering the vast discography they already have. I have nothing else to say except this yet another solid release from a consistently good band.
9/10

 

Glass Hammer - Perilous (2012)

The latest album from the prolific Glass Hammer sees a slight drop in quality compared to Cor Cordium, but of course it's still a quality release from a quality band. The classic Yes-like sound still shines through, but I couldn't help but feel that the band were simply going through the motions in some of the songs. That said, I really think this one is a grower and I wouldn't hesitate to call it one of the best prog rock albums of 2012.
8.5/10

 

Lair of the Minotaur - Evil Power (2010)

Coming across as a more abbreviated version of High on Fire, Lair of the Minotaur deliver a punk-infused sludge fest filled with dirty riffs and even dirtier vocals. It's a pretty thrilling album even if it does have its dull moments, and I would certainly recommend it to fans of HoF, Baroness, Mastodon etc.
8.5/10

Circa Survive - Violent Waves (2012)

Circa Survive are another band in the same vein as Thrice, The Dear Hunter etc. in that they mix prog rock, alt rock, and a bit of hardcore. While this effort doesn't quite match Blue Sky Noise, it's still very good in its own right. Anthony Green's soaring, beautiful vocals are really the cornerstone of this album as on previous ones. Some of the songs could be shortened and parts of them made a bit more interesting, but it's still good to see that the band are as ambitious as ever on this record and show no signs of letting up.

9/10 

Clutch - Blast Tyrant (2004)

Yet another awesome band I've only recently checked out, Clutch have certainly earned their reputation as one of the best stoner rock bands around. Neil Fallon's blues-inflected, chain-gangish vocals and Tim Sult's outstanding guitar work really make for a cohesive and memorable experience with this album. This album has made me very excited for the new release coming out later this year. I'll be sure to review that when it drops.
9.5/10

Thrice - Major/Minor (2011)

I've heard so much about this band that I was finally compelled to check them out. I decided to start with their latest release and it's just awesome. It's quite similar to bands such as Coheed and Cambria and The Dear Hunter, but at the same time it has its own concrete musical identity. All the songs are catchy, upbeat and very sincere. It's all radio-friendly stuff (relatively speaking, not meant as a criticism in any way), but yet it's musically dynamic and sophisticated. I'll definitely be exploring this band's back catalog and reviewing it.
9.5/10

 

Loscil - Sketches From New Brighton (2012)

This is a superb ambient album that really shines both in its musical diversity and sense of progression. All the tracks have subtle beats and glitches that almost make them melodic. In that sense, it's neither too minimalistic nor too busy. I could easily imagine this music being the soundtrack for a dark movie or video game. As the first Loscil album I've listened to, I am thoroughly impressed with this one. I expect most ambient fans will be too.

9.5/10

Sleep Research Facility - Stealth (2012)

Filled with glitches, static, haunting atmospherics, and intermittent radio chatter, this is an album that evokes not only the silent glide of a lone bomber through the night sky, but also the uncomfortable ambiguity of humanity's relationship with technology. Tension and fear flow throughout the album giving it some kind vague narrative; what that narrative is exactly is left entirely up to the listener. While listening to this album, I imagined the B-2 flying gradually into a nightmarish realm where technology engulfs humanity. Now, I'm no Luddite of course but it seems that this album is trying to convey the message that we don't know what the full consequences of our collective decisions will be and that they could indeed be truly nightmarish. It's a deeply unsettling album, as all dark ambient works should be, and while Deep Frieze is still my preferred product from SRF, this is an excellent and quite unique album in its own right.
9/10

 

Ulrich Schnauss - A Long Way to Fall (2013)

The new album by noted electronic shoegaze musician Ulrich Schnauss finds him at perhaps his most exploratory and experimental stage. The tracks have a clear sense of progression and shimmering quality about them. In contrast to the more ambient focused "Goodbye," the new album leans towards techno and much more danceable. I still prefer his old style, but this is quite enjoyable as well. This is another very solid release from one of electronica's most talented musicians.
8.5/10

 

Twelve Foot Ninja - Silent Machine (2012)

This is a band that has crafted their own brand of "kitchen-sink" metal. You can find everything from funk to R&B to Latin jazz on this album and it's wrapped in a djent package. The vocals and songwriting are excellent, and their approach works very well most of the time. Overall, it's a very fun listen and one of the most unique metal releases I've heard in a while.
9/10