1. The Soviettes - Her Neon Heart
2. Tsunami Bomb - 5150
3. The Gits - Absynthe
4. Signal Lost - Simulation
5. Scheer - Wish You Were Dead
6. Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Date With the Night
7. The Detroit Cobras - Hot Dog (Watch Me Eat)
8. Gore Gore Girls - Loaded Heart
9. Thee Merry Widows - Remember Me
10. The Pack A.D. - Wolves and Werewolves
11. Million Hollers - Egoista Socialista
12. Nashville Pussy - Going Down Swinging
13. The BellRays - Too Many Houses in Here
14. The Distillers - Die on a Rope
15. Civet - Everything Everything
16. Ballast - Cutting Nails
17. Khatarina - Constructive Criticism
18. Skarp - Human Tragedy
19. Garmonbozia - Hopes Turned Black
20. Made Out of Babies - Grimace
21. Jucifer - Contempt
22. Show of Bedlam - Vermin
23. Damad - Hide and Seek
24. Agrimonia - Serum
25. Obscure Sphinx - Paragnomen
26. Bardo Pond - Destroying Angel
I know this is a custom for the beginning of the year, but it's just now that I've realized I never posted my 10 favourite albums of last year. As you've probably noticed, this is not the only sign of this blog's retardation so you can rest assured that this is nothing out of the ordinary and there's nothing to worry about. Yet.
Off we go then with the thrilling countdown: *drum rolls*
10. Black Breath - Sentenced to Life
These American newcomers (sort of, they've been around since 2007) demonstrate casually how one can successfully shuffle the classic Swedish deathmetal (some would say "death n'roll") sound with a hardcore edge and a metal topping; and all that on their second full-length release. Listen like you did when you were 16.
9. Nightstalker - Dead Rock Commandos
Yes, stoner is dead; but if today it is represented by bands like this one, give me more zombies! Nightstalker keep on delivering a steady natural flow of groove and catchy guitar riffing. If your game is innovation and high culture, save yourself the time and effort and stay away. This is dirty and original rock n'roll feeling, what you see is what you get, and similar clichés.
8. The Nomads - Solna
I don't think I can find anything new to say about these Swedish garage old-timers that hasn't already been said. With a constant presence for almost 20 years and after an 11-year break, they returned in 2012 like they didn't age one day. Solna is definitely not their best work, but it stands with excess decency among their discography; something that automatically means that it easily beats the vast majority of the garage shit out there.
7. Terrible Feelings - Shadows
Another Swedish miracle that hit me out of nowhere. Moving generally within the melodic-punk/power-pop area, they take their Wipers experiences and blend them with beautiful and inspiring melodies dressed with a modest and humble attitude that you just can't help but love. And Manuela Iwansson's tender but deep voice is a basic factor.
6. Imperial State Electric - Pop War
Nicke Andersson's done it again! While his latest personal project Imperial State Electric's debut s/t album back in 2010 sounded to me a bit "little" and numb, Pop War marks his re-enthronement as the leader of the scandinavian rock n'roll movement (if we have to call it something). Nicke digs even deeper into his musical memories and keeps on paying tribute to his childhood heroes, offering us an enjoyable rock n'roll record.
For more than 20 years, Thanasis Papakonstantinou has been taking Greek folk and traditional music and giving it new life through experimentation, always with utmost respect. Giannis Charoulis is, what almost everyone thinks, today's leading Cretan singer. Their discographic collaboration was anticipated for years and it is finally here. While many have criticized this album for poor or not adequate orchestration (especially judging by the standards Thanasis Papakonstantinou and his band have set), this fact doesn't take away the songs' intensity and beauty.
4. Gallon Drunk - The Road Gets Darker from Here
Gallon Drunk is a band with great history, being around for almost 25 years, while its members have been involved with numerous projects and collaborations, namely Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds and the Scapegoats. Sadly and ignorantly, I always considered them somewhat as a second league Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, but I guess it's never too late as with their latest album they've gained more than just my attention. The Road Gets Darker from Here is groovy, dirty, artistic all at the same time, all with just the right dosage.
3. Turbonegro - Sexual Harassment
I cannot begin to express my excitement when this record fell in my hands. Disappointed by the sleaze/glam path thay had taken (especially with Retox and Party Animals, although the latter is not entirely bad) and the news of Hank von Helvete leaving the band, I was happily blown away by their return to their Apocalypse Dudes days. Tony Sylvester not only proves to be a great replacement for Hank, but he also gives new energy and edge to the band, resurrecting the infamous Turbonegro death-punk sound.
2. Ty Segall - Twins
Ty Segall is a thing of the '00s. He emerged as a solo artist in 2008, and has been considerably active ever since. He started off moving within the general lo-fi garage/rock n'roll sound, but he has greatly evolved since then. While this overproductivity of his does not guarantee a constant level of quality, there are times when it sounds like we've struck gold. In 2012, he was involved in three projects; Ty Segall Band's Slaughterhouse, his collaboration with White FenceHair, and his solo album Twins. While the first two didn't personally strike me as something exceptional, the latter nailed me to the wall with its fuzz-driven guitars and pure garage attitude.
1. Burning Love - Rotten Thing to Say
Burning Love's base is hardcore punk featuring ex-members of Cursed and Our Father. While I had never got a sniff of their great 2010 debut Songs for Burning Lovers, you can say that Rotten Thing to Say really got my attention. This basically is pure rock n'roll with an unstoppable hardcore edge making you want to stagedive from the top of your refridgerator to your kitchen floor.
1. Brotherhood of Sleep - Ain Berashyth
2. Agnes Vein - Melcor
3. Almost Heaven - Wired with Death
4. Violet Vortex - Luv
5. 1000mods - El Rollito
6. 45Rats - Labrat
7. Caveman Joe & thee Afrodykes - You Were Gay
8. The Unknown Passage - Little Bitch
9. The Earthbound - Lost
10. The Last Drive - Holy War
11. BLML - Godless
12. Honeydive - Drive Mad
13. The Mushrooms - Yellow Moon
14. Low Stone Nothing - Monotono
15. Spine Chilling Breeze - Losing My Insanity
16. Routes - Hit the Ground
17. Parafernelia - City of Fire
18. Dread Astaire - I'm Sucking with You
19. Mamma Kin - High
20. Vibratore Bizarro - Marvel
21. De Sades - Motherfuckin Blues
22. This Is Nowhere - Domino Memories
23. Sugah Galore - Cobra
24. National Pornografik - RBTK
Despite the certain danger to look outdated and retarded, I feel I need to make a Kvelertak post. The above video of a kick-ass tune announcing their return in a month or so with their second album "Meir" compels me to praise these six Norsemen that debuted musically with their revolutionary self-titled album back in 2010.
The exact reason I hadn't personally discovered them up until some time ago eludes me. For some reason, I had never given the time or the attention they deserved. And, despite all the outcries and jeers I'm bound to collect from hipsters and/or self-proclaimed music messiahs everywhere, I ought to scream that Kvelertak are my new favourite band from this decade so far and they certainly look like they have all the potential to become big. And we're talking BIG.
Blackmetal, punk, hardcore, rock n'roll, hard rock, heavy metal; all blended under lyrical themes of norwegian folklore wrapped inside a party mood. In writing, it might look confusing and contradicting, but their sound makes perfect sense and should appeal to all fans of extreme music with guitars. Black Sabbath, AC/DC, Slayer, Turbonegro, Hellacopters, Zyklon, Amorphis are few specific influences off the top of my head, but one could find dozens of different things in here all combined in an explosive result. Kvelertak are accused of unsuccessfully combining opposite musical elements, of being mainstream, of somehow being too happy and too "party-ish" for this kind of music..but does this all really matter against the feeling of being 15 again after you've discovered a new kick-ass band that makes you sing its tunes all day inside your head and compels you to grab your air mic and your air guitar?
If you haven't already, go listen to KVELERTAK; and this is the best advice one can get out of me these days \m/
1. Roachpowder - Viejo Diablo
2. Beaten Back to Pure - 866 Days
3. The Dukes of Nothing - Two Grammes
4. Skitkids - En Gastronomisk Resa
5. Totalitär - Flytande Värderingar
6. Darkthrone - Raised on Rock
7. Converge - No Heroes
8. Disfear - The Cage
9. Black Breath - Endless Corpse
10. Kvelertak - Blodtørst
11. Burning Love - Hateful Comforts
12. Entombed - Damn Deal Done
13. Haystack - Alright
14. Unsane - Humidifier
15. Kruger - Machine
16. Harkonen - Bargains Only
17. Meatjack - Sleep
18. Neurosis - To What End
19. Eyehategod - Blood Money
20. Iron Monkey - I.R.M.S.
21. High on Fire - 10,000 Years
22. Sun of Nothing - Hearthealer
