Well, this has certainly been an interesting year. In late 2012, I became a father; in June, I said goodbye to KSJS-FM after 13 years of bringing metal to the Bay Area (not that anybody noticed); amidst these major changes, I discovered the simple pleasures of classic country music. By the time I found my writing mojo again, the year was almost over, so I had a lot of catching up to do in preparation for this. In just over a week, I managed to give at least a cursory listen to over 100 albums from the year gone past and still barely made a dent (and according to some, even that was in the wrong direction). Regardless, it was another strong year for music full of ups, downs, surprises, and disappointments. New faces made statements or inexplicably shone; old timers added to their legacy or sputtered in their old age.
Me? I just tried to find the metal wherever I could. Along the way, Dillinger Escape Plan discovered a new energy on One of Us is the Killer; Rob Zombie proved he could still make a great album with Venomous Rat Regeneration Vendor; Phil Anselmo added another iteration to his career in the form of Walk Through Exits Only. As silly as it seems, these all went a long way in helping me to keep the faith.
With only a little more ado, here are my ten favorite albums of 2013. First, though, a bunch of stuff that made a damn good argument, aside from those name-checked above (because if I took the time to listen and rank, you can be damn sure I’m going to talk about it): Motörhead, Darkthrone, Ministry, Gorguts, Sodom, Hell, Tyr, Annihilator, Enforcer, Svart Crown, Blazon Stone, Finntroll.
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10. SOILWORK – THE LIVING INFINITE
With co-founder and guitarist Peter Wichers leaving the band for a second time in mid-2012, Soilwork felt they had something to prove: that they could release a quality album without him. The result is this double album, which makes their point emphatically, treading dangerously close to jumping-the-shark territory. Double albums in general are tough to judge as uninterrupted listening is incredibly difficult, but its easy to say that The Living Infinite is the sound of a band refreshed, and a proclamation that they are more than capable of surviving and thriving even without their longtime creative catalyst.
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9. ARSIS – UNWELCOME
Here is the first benefactor of the aforementioned year-end blitz. I’ve long respected Arsis (yes, even through “Forced To Rock”), but have never quite been ready to heap the praise upon them that so many others have. That has all changed with Unwelcome. The claws sink in with “Carve My Cross” and don’t let go until “Scornstar”. That warm feeling I’m getting must be the blood flowing from my ears.
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8. CLUTCH – EARTH ROCKER
Is there a better rock band on the planet today than Clutch? Earth Rocker is the latest in a long line of there-ain’t-a-bad-one-in-the-bunch albums. Beer-soaked riffs and enough rock-n-roll swagger to bum out Angus Young only begin to tell the story. It is arguable that the true beauty of Clutch lays in simple lyrical truths like, “If you’re gonna do it/ do it live on stage/ or don’t do it at all” and “I may not got a lot of money/ but I’ve got self-esteem” which finds them putting their ethos at the forefront and, subsequently, what money they do have firmly where their mouth is.
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7. THRAWSUNBLAT – WANDERER ON THE CONTINENT OF SAPLINGS
Trying to describe Thrawsunblat in 100 words or less is daunting enough without wasting several to just say that. Though it is safe to say I probably wouldn’t have heard this without the much talked about personnel connection, I promise their inclusion is based strictly on merit. Expertly-crafted and performed blackened death folk (or whatever silly extended label you want to use) that makes you feel both like a world traveler and a native son to any of the countries given a stylistic/musical nod here.
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6. ONSLAUGHT – VI
Several years ago I heaped a good amount of praise onto Killing Peace here, yet I couldn’t be bothered to even listen to its follow-up. The onset of VI was met with more eye rolling, but I felt I owed to these old-timers to include them in my year-end blitz. Possibly the best decision I made all month. Intense, ripping thrash that blows the hell out of, at least, the two albums immediately preceding it. VI was particularly gratifying after a number of like-minded heavy hitters were met with disappointment.
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5. EXHUMED – NECROCRACY
So there was slightly less excitement surrounding this release than their previous one, but only because it didn’t come after a multi-year hiatus. They’ve always had a heavy thrash influence but it seems to be particularly at the forefront this time around with the gore taking a relative backseat – and people seem to be OK with that. Strange as it sounds, it’s comforting just knowing these guys are still around and still kicking ass – or maybe its just this casket.
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4. SKELETONWITCH – SERPENTS UNLEASHED
Yet another blitz benefactor, but it nearly wasn’t. Skeletonwitch had never done enough to hold my attention, so I had little interest if any when this was announced and/or released. Enough people were talking about it, and I recalled a surprisingly high score on this very site, so it seemed like the right thing to do. Maybe it was because I was near the tail-end of a 10+ hour workday, but boy, did this thing knock me on my ass. Simplest thing I can say is, Serpents Unleashed lived up to its title – and they went straight for the jugular.
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3. ATLANTEAN KODEX – THE WHITE GODDESS
What I’m still trying to figure out is, how did this promo end up on my hard drive? I have zero recollection of ever requesting, downloading, or even talking about it until crunch time when Zachie Boy was campaigning for it. Clearly he knows what he’s talking about. Traditional metal collides head-on with doom folk, and perhaps even some black influences. The result manages to hit upon everything I listen for and enjoy in a metal band/album, leaving me with a sense of awe that that I haven’t experienced in many years.
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2. CARCASS – SURGICAL STEEL
When Carcass did their reunion tour in 2008, no one really knew if a new album would follow. Well it took five years, but it finally materialized. If you were hoping for Symphonies of Sickness II, then you were a fool to begin with. No, this is the proper follow-up to Heartwork, fully eschewing the commercial leanings of Swansong and showing no signs of rust or aging. It’s like they surveyed the current state of metal and said, “Silly children, this is how it’s done,” nonchalantly brushing everyone else aside and reclaiming their proper place at the head of the table.
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1. CATHEDRAL – THE LAST SPIRE
Really, my #1 and #2 could have gone either way, but the sentimental favorites won out. The Last Spire is just that, the final act of Cathedral’s brilliant, and at times confounding, career. Every prior release made my year-end list, but never higher than #2. This is arguably their best work since The Ethereal Mirror, my all-time favorite of the catalog, so it seemed appropriate to reward them with the top honor this time around. Aside from that, Cathedral was an important gateway band for me into the metal underground, courtesy (ironically) of Colombia Records. Viva doom – viva Cathedral.
TOP 3 EPs:
3. Immortal Bird – Akrasia
No, I don’t have a crush on Rae Amitay; yes, this debut EP is an attention-grabbing hybrid of metals that will make even the most fickle listener take notice.
2. ArnoCorps – The Fantastic EP
“The Greatest Band in the World” returned with more fantastic tales of might that bear more than a passing resemblance to the works of a certain Austrian bodybuilder/actor/philanderer.
1. Secrets of the Sky – To Sail Black Waters
A monolithic backbone of drums and bass and a three guitarist juggernaut create massive soundscapes accented with keyboards and violin. Most impressive.
