Lamb Of God is essentially over at this point. Disregarding the fact that frontman Randy Blythe will likely be returning to the Czech Republic to stand trial on charges of manslaughter, Resolution happens to be their most boring release yet. Accusations of recycling old material stand true in this case, but at least Sacrament and Wrath had a few solid songs to add to their repertoire. I can't find a single song on here that stands out, let alone compares to their oldies. Lamb Of God may have been the face of true metal back in the dark ages of nu metal and metalcore, but like many others, their time is up. Now it's time for them to pass the torch.
Angel Witch - As Above, So Below (March 12)
Meh. Not sure what I expected from a New Wave of British Heavy Metal band that broke up twice in 1983 and 1999, and took nearly 14 years just to release this album. But their title song in the game Brutal Legend kicked ass!
Cannibal Corpse - Torture (March 13)
It sounds just like you would expect Cannibal Corpse to sound. They don't break from their trademark sound so much that they lose their core fanbase, but they aren't exactly exploring uncharted terrain either. I preferred Evisceration Plague myself.
Soulfly - Enslaved (March 13)
Now THIS I liked! Both Soulfly's Omen and Cavalera Conspiracy's Blunt Force Trauma were equally disappointing, and sounded like Soulfly in their uninspired nu-metal era. But Enslaved is essentially the continuation of the badass streak they started with Dark Ages and Conquer. Hopefully the next album that Max Cavalera is involved in is just as brutal.
Meshuggah - Koloss (March 23)
Meshuggah is one of those bands that I will never not love what they do. But even though this album stands shoulder-to-shoulder with the rest of their catalogue, it's still overshadowed by their previous work: Obzen, my personal favorite of theirs. Both the songwriting and production quality are down on Koloss, but I would still put it on equal grounds with their older classics. Perhaps Obzen was jut too good. Either that, or Meshuggah didn't care to repeat themselves, which they never have. That's more than I can say for the countless djent bands out there, who did nothing but ape Meshuggah when they started out, and ended up regurgitating the same boring formula when the time came for follow-up albums. So good on the Swedes for having the balls to distance themselves from what was arguably their best work, and showing their copycats how it's done with a body work that easily qualifies for Metal Album of the Year.
Ministry - Relapse (March 23)
It's mostly dogshit, like the majority of Al Jourgensen's post-Psalm 69 work. But I'm a sucker for covers of S.O.D. I'm still surprised he would fake a hiatus just to come back and push yet another mediocre album, only to tour himself into personal illness.
Black Breath - Sentenced To Life (March 27)
Black Breath is one of the few modern metal-ish bands I pay attention to, and they breathe new life into an over-saturated genre. But, as good as this is, it still doesn't stand up to their debut Heavy Breathing. I would hope they don't slowly slip into irrelevance, as they are one of the few Cascadian hardcore bands with any balls in the whole region. Maybe they can give one to Wolves In The Throne Room.
Pantera - Piss [Single] (April 11)
Surprisingly good for a unreleased b-side released in the post-mortem Dimebag era.
Prong - Carved Into Stone (April 24)
One of my favorite albums to play this last year. It continues, if not surpasses, the level of quality inherit in their last release, Power Of The Damager. I hope they never break up (again).
Brendon Small - Galaktikon (April 29)
Proof that Brendon Small's destiny lies in music, as opposed to animation. The Dethalbums get better and better, and Galaktikon helps to show his range. It is, however, a lot more sentimental and even melodramatic that the typical Metalocalypse fare, but in certain situations it's just what the doctor ordered.
Godsmack - Live & Inspired (May 15)
I can't believe I spent money on this.
Tenacious D - Rize Of The Fenix (May 15)
I can't believe I pre-ordered this.
Comedy Rock is dead.
Havok - Point Of Return (May 22)
YES. YES. YES.
I mean, Havok are also pretty good, and one of the few bands that can save modern metal...
...by playing re-hashed 80's thrash metal. Who am I kidding? I'm a sucker for classic thrash, and as far as I'm concerned, Havok is the only one that does it well, and they do it VERY well.
Trocadero - Flying By Wire (July 7)
Not so much boring as it is depressing, as was their previous work, Ghosts That Linger. I don't think they'll ever make an album that compares to Roses Are Red, Violets Are Blue, nor do I think they want to. More power to them, but I'm going to be paying closer attention to their former bandmate Jeff Williams, if they don't mind.
Baroness - Yellow & Green (July 17)
Can't really nominate this for Metal Album of the Year; there isn't a shred of heavy on here. And that's okay! They expanded on the progressive rock of Blue Record and stripped it of any hint of sludge metal, effectively divorcing them from the genre. Mastodon did the same thing, but Baroness was more successful in my opinion. Mastodon wasn't particularly good at either heavy metal or soft rock, but Baroness excels at both. Unfortunately, Baroness ended up in a particularly bad bus accident earlier this year, thus putting them in an indefinite hiatus. I guess that makes the more sullen tone of the new album a bit more appropriate at this time.
Testament - Dark Roots Of Earth (July 31)
Pretty good, but I preferred their "comeback" record The Formation Of Damnation. I should have figured they wouldn't keep that renewed energy up for long.
Dethklok - Dethalbum III (October 16)
Though it lacks the comedy elements of Dethklok's first release, Dethalbum I, III surpasses it and II in every way imaginable. The best songs of Metalocalypse's last three seasons are featured here, and they kick their old songs' asses. Hopefully now they won't kill me.
Deftones - Koi No Yokan (November 12)
I can't say much about an album that I haven't had the chance to listen to in full and absorb yet. But I will say that it was the step in the right direction from Diamond Eyes that I hoped it would be. It's still dark and moody as Deftones have been since White Pony, but it's not as sensitive as D.E. or Saturday Night Wrist, and it doesn't skimp on the rock either. Now I just have to find a favorite song off of the record.
Jeff Williams - Red Vs Blue: Season 10 Soundtrack (November 16)
Jeff Williams does it again with his third contribution to the music of Red Vs. Blue. It was released shortly after the finale episode of the online show's latest season, and it holds up in comparison to the soundtracks of both Season 8 and 9. However, the strongest songs on here still aren't as memorable or downright hilarious as those of it predecessors. Oh well, maybe next year when Season 11 rolls around. Also, can you believe there will be eleven seasons of this?
The Prodigy - The Fat Of The Land [The Added Fat Reissue] (December 4)
Disappointment. And by that, I don't mean that this album or the Prodigy suck, because the Prodigy are among my favorite electronic musicians and the original Fat Of The Land is easily their best work. I mean there was no point in purchasing this album again, especially considering the tracks are in the exact same condition as they were in 1997 without any remastering. And the remixes? Dubstep. That's all I'm going to say about that. Their new album better come out sooner than planned to make up for this.
See you in 2013: The Search For More Music.
