The Top 10 Artists of the Decade

So everyone is going nuts about the decade coming to a close and making all their lists of favorite things of the decade. Am I the only one who knows that the new decade didn't technically start until 2001? New decades, centuries, etc. start on the year ending in 1, not 0.

However, since I'm not going to be a total buzzkill, I will indeed make my end-of-decade lists now. I cannot restrict myself to just 10 albums for defining the whole decade, so I'm going to start with 10 artists who made this decade amazing. But first, as I always do, the Honorable Mentions! Here are 10 bands, in no particular order, who had really great decades, as well as my favorite albums by them and why they didn't crack the top 10.

-Parkway Drive - These Aussies have done more to advance metalcore than most bands could ever dream of doing. They barely miss the top 10 because they are so young and they only had two big releases. If they can keep this trend going, though, count on them to deliver hugely in the next five years.
Albums to check out: Killing With a Smile, Horizons

-Soulfly - Soulfly started out the decade with the two weakest releases of their career, Primitive and 3. They got much better with the following three albums, but the stigma of the first two remains. I hope Max Cavalera can stick to his current trends on upcoming albums.
Albums to check out: Dark Ages, Conquer

-Slipknot - Starting off the decade in fine fashion with Iowa, Slipknot went all over the map after that. Their three releases this decade were all good, but their lack of consistency plagues them. Sadly, that's only likely to continue in the future.
Albums to check out: Iowa, All Hope is Gone

-Soilwork - Soilwork definitely set the bar high this decade, with six excellent releases. My only gripe is that the music they put out changed every time their lineup did, which was often. Soilwork couldn't keep a consistent lineup for more than two years at a time this decade. They need to have their style nailed down in lieu of future membership changes.
Albums to check out: A Predator's Portrait, Natural Born Chaos

-Demon Hunter - Yeah, you all expected these guys to make my top 10. Well, I won't deny that Demon Hunter is an excellent band with four great releases this decade. I will, however, say that their lack of touring is the one thing holding them back a lot. I understand that Ryan and Don Clark had a major creative studio to run, but managing only one tour a year (and sometimes not even that) is hard on the fans.
Albums to check out: Summer of Darkness, Storm the Gates of Hell

-Dark Tranquillity - At this point in time, Dark Tranquillity are undoubtedly the best Gothenburg band of the original group of innovators. However, only one of their four albums this decade displayed much growth. While they were all solid releases, a little more innovation would have been nice. I'd love to see them do that in the future.
Albums to check out: Character, Fiction

-DevilDriver - A band that rose from the ashes of nu-metal's wasteland and destroyed all memory of the much-maligned genre for many. DevilDriver is definitely a great band, there's no denying that. There are just others that did more for the genre than they did.
Albums to check out: The Fury of Our Maker's Hand, Pray for Villains

-Tool - Once you all stop screaming at your computer screens, think about this logically for a minute. Two albums in ten years? From one of the biggest rock bands in the world? Tool is definitely a one-of-a-kind band, but they can't just release albums when they feel like it and expect to remain relevant.
Albums to check out: Lateralus, 10,000 Days

-Dimmu Borgir - Without these guys, symphonic black metal would be nowhere near as popular or relevant as it is right now. My sole complaint with Dimmu Borgir stems from the iron hand with which Shagrath and Silenoz rule that band. Shuffling drummers all decade like playing cards, followed by kicking out two of the most important members of the band's creative and musical landscape, does not sit well with me.
Albums to check out: Puritanical Euphoric Misanthropia, In Sorte Diaboli

-Between the Buried and Me - It took these kids the better part of the decade to find their direction, but when they did, they turned out some of the best material of any progressive metal band in years. Expect great things from BTBAM in the future.
Albums to check out: Colors, The Great Misdirect


And with that, I now give you my Top 10 Bands of the Decade!

10. Amon Amarth



Being the best at what you do isn't always the easiest position to be in. However, Amon Amarth have been at the top of the Viking metal genre since they first formed, and they stay in that spot with comfort and ease. The past decade has been particularly good for them, as they only got better with time. No matter what they do musically, Amon Amarth seem to do it well, and no one can take that away from them.

Albums to check out: Versus the World, With Oden on Our Side, Twilight of the Thunder God

9. Iron Maiden



With the exception of Judas Priest, no band has maintained relevance in heavy metal like Iron Maiden. And all it took to revitalize their career this decade was bringing back Bruce Dickinson. Their releases now sound just as fresh and powerful as their earliest material, and even with most members approaching the legal age of retirement, the band shows no signs of slowing down. The most influential band in metal history will not go away, and all metal fans can rejoice in that fact.

Albums to check out: Brave New World, Dance of Death, A Matter of Life and Death

8. Unearth




Unearth are the unsung heroes of the Massachusetts metalcore scene. While Killswitch Engage, Shadows Fall, and All That Remains have made more prominent moves and caused bigger waves at various times, Unearth have consistently delivered solid metal releases and crushing live performances. What's more, they have done that while dealing with almost non-stop adversity and struggle. Their music has the technicality and brutality to stand beside some of the heaviest death metal bands out today, and they still attain catchiness and melody with ease. Unearth are, to borrow one of their song titles, unstoppable.

Albums to check out: The Oncoming Storm, III: In the Eyes of Fire, The March

7. Machine Head



Machine Head are undoubtedly the comeback story of the decade. After being dropped by the label that had signed them at the start of their career and facing a near break-up, Machine Head came back and delivered two albums that will define metal for years to come. Through the Ashes of Empires and The Blackening are epics on the grandest scale, and thrash will be forever changed by these releases. In all honesty, Machine Head have never released a bad album, but these two albums are essential to anyone who calls themselves a metal fan.

Albums to check out: Supercharger, Through the Ashes of Empires, The Blackening

6. Scar Symmetry




Dragging a dying subgenre back from the brink is usually impossible. But Scar Symmetry did it. Through three amazing releases with one of the best singers ever to come out of Europe, Christian Älvestam, Scar Symmetry reinvented Gothenburg metal and made it something entirely new. And even after Älvestam's firing in 2008, Scar Symmetry were still able to release another amazing album in 2009 with two new singers. The new brand of melodic death metal is here, and the scene is forever changed.

Albums to check out: Pitch Black Progress, Holographic Universe, Dark Matter Dimensions

5. Cradle of Filth




Even after endless criticism for their entire career, Cradle of Filth have never stopped doing what they do best: creating music that is downright evil. This decade has shown that Cradle of Filth have the staying power of legends. They craft and mold the entire black metal scene at their will, and no matter how many other bands attempt to take the throne from them, Cradle of Filth will always be the kings of black metal.

Albums to check out: Damnation and a Day, Nymphetamine, Godspeed on the Devil's Thunder

4. Disturbed



No band has done more for hard rock than Disturbed. From The Sickness all the way to Indestructible, the entire hard rock genre has been revolutionized by this band. David Draiman's harsh vocals and the band's unrelenting musical onslaught are completely unique, and no band will ever be able to replicate their formula for success. Every hard rock band that is popular right now owes a debt of gratitude to Disturbed for making this genre so powerful and diverse.

Albums to check out: The Sickness, Ten Thousand Fists, Indestructible

3. Lamb of God



The spirit of metal lives in Lamb of God. Five hicks from Virginia playing the most assaultive brand of music heard in years? There is pretty much nothing more metal than that. And when you add in their unrelenting lyrical content that stirs the heart of rebellion in everyone, you get a titanic force of music that can't be denied, ignored, or stopped in any way. Lamb of God is the very essence of metal.

Albums to check out: As the Palaces Burn, Ashes of the Wake, Wrath

2. Opeth



Opeth is genius put to music. What else can you call it? There is no other band that has the level of skill and creativity that they do in the progressive metal genre. You won't find such dedication to craftsmanship anywhere else either. Opeth don't write music, they sculpt it. They paint it. Their artistry is immeasurable. And the creations are only getting more beautiful as time goes on.

Albums to check out: Blackwater Park, Ghost Reveries, Watershed

1. Killswitch Engage




What do you do after you've created an album that defines an entire genre? Well, if you're Killswitch Engage, you create another one, except under the forced conditions of a different singer and drummer. And then you do it a third time, distilling the genre to its very essence while simultaneously expanding its boundaries beyond all previous limits. Killswitch Engage have made the metalcore genre into the beast that it is today. And in doing so, they have made metal into a viable genre that cannot be ignored by the public anymore.

Albums to check out: Alive or Just Breathing, The End of Heartache, As Daylight Dies


Okay, that settles that! Next we will move on to my favorite albums of the decade. That will be a very long countdown, I promise you that. Be ready!

2009 Top Music Countdown and Review, Part 3

As promised, I give you now the third and final installment of my review of the year in hard rock and heavy metal. When I said at the end of Part 2 that I would deliver the most complete countdown of the year, I meant it. If you are able to read through this entire list, then you are a better person than me, because after making this list, I don't want to read it. It's long, it's comprehensive, and it's the epitome of what most reviewers would call "overdoing it."

DISCLAIMER: You are free, of course, to debate and complain about the ranking/inclusion/exclusion of any particular album on my countdown, as your First Amendment rights afford you. However, I beg you all to PLEASE keep the flame wars to a minimum. Let's face it, we're all going to have differing opinions on what's good and what's bad. Rather than whine and complain about what someone else's opinion is, how about we just state our own and leave it at that? Thank you in advance.

And now, without further ado, I give you the Top 200 Albums in Hard Rock and Heavy Metal, as chosen by me, your resident Mad Scientist guy.

1. Daylight by West Gate
2. The Isolation Game and The Restless Memoirs by Disarmonia Mundi
3. Vigilance by Threat Signal
4. Lullabies for the Dormant Mind by The Agonist
5. Hordes of Chaos by Kreator
6. Earthsblood by God Forbid
7. The Great Misdirect by Between the Buried and Me
8. Slaves of the World by Old Man's Child
9. Sound Awake by Karnivool
10. Children of the Dark Waters by Eternal Tears of Sorrow
11. The Infection by Chimaira
12. War is the Answer by Five Finger Death Punch
13. Sot by The Few Against Many
14. Son of the Morning by Oh, Sleeper
15. Design Your Universe by Epica
16. The Mirroring Shadow by Miseration
17. Evangelion by Behemoth
18. When Legends Become Dust by Conducting from the Grave
19. Say Hello to Tragedy by Caliban
20. Across the Dark by Insomnium
21. World Painted Blood by Slayer
22. Daylight Deception by The Bereaved
23. Pray for Villains by DevilDriver
24. Night is the New Day by Katatonia
25. Urban Being by Destrage
26. Endgame by Megadeth
27. Retribution by Shadows Fall
28. Wrath by Lamb of God
29. Dark Matter Dimensions by Scar Symmetry
30. Force Fed Lies by Dirge Within
31. Black Gives Way to Blue by Alice in Chains
32. As Shadows Burn by Echoes of Eternity
33. Skyforger by Amorphis
34. Bringer of Plagues by Divine Heresy
35. Those Whom the Gods Detest by Nile
36. Esoteric by Skyfire
37. Crack the Skye by Mastodon
38. The Slaughter by Incite
39. A Taste of Extreme Divinity by Hypocrisy
40. From Afar by Ensiferum
41. Time Waits for No Slave by Napalm Death
42. Necropolis by Vader
43. Black Clouds & Silver Linings by Dream Theater
44. Hatebreed by Hatebreed
45. Omnicide - Creation Unleashed by Neaera
46. By the Light of the Northern Star by Týr
47. The Incident by Porcupine Tree
48. Ruination by Job for a Cowboy
49. Deathless by Throwdown
50. A Dialogue by Gwen Stacy
51. Deflorate by The Black Dahlia Murder
52. Waking Into Nightmares by Warbringer
53. Old Crows/Young Cardinals by Alexisonfire
54. Passiondale by God Dethroned
55. In Ancient of Days by Thy Will Be Done
56. A-Lex by Sepultura
57. Blue Record by Baroness
58. Quantos Possunt ad Satanitatem Trahunt by Gorgoroth
59. Kingdom of Might by Woe of Tyrants
60. All Shall Fall by Immortal
61. Double Brutal by Austrian Death Machine
62. Fragmentary Evidence by Augury
63. Evisceration Plague by Cannibal Corpse
64. Fed Through the Teeth Machine by The Red Chord
65. Cosmogenesis by Obscura
66. The Eternal Return by Darkest Hour
67. The Days of Grays by Sonata Arctica
68. Order by Maroon
69. Agorapocalypse by Agoraphobic Nosebleed
70. The 13th Floor by Sirenia
71. Romulus by Ex Deo
72. Wormwood by Marduk
73. The Grand Partition and the Abrogation of Idolatry by Success Will Write Apocalypse Across the Sky
74. Wearing a Martyr's Crown by Nightrage
75. Planetary Duality by The Faceless
76. Blood Oath by Suffocation
77. It's All Happening by Iwrestledabearonce
78. Constellations by August Burns Red
79. The Onslaught by Lazarus A.D.
80. Halestorm by Halestorm
81. Infected Nations by Evile
82. The Lustrate Process by The Project Hate MCMXCIX
83. A Higher Place by Born of Osiris
84. Breathing the Fire by Skeletonwitch
85. The Reckoning by Arise
86. Njord by Leaves’ Eyes
87. The Great Stone War by Winds of Plague
88. Acedia by Dark Age
89. New Moon by Swallow the Sun
90. Gather the Faithful by Cain's Offering
91. Descend Into Depravity by Dying Fetus
92. Above by Samael
93. The World Outside by Eyes Set to Kill
94. Endless Echo by Construcdead
95. Spectrum by Starring Janet Leigh
96. Silent Echoes by D Creation
97. The Root of All Evil by Arch Enemy
98. Sleepwalking by Memphis May Fire
99. Attitude by Susperia
100. Mirror of Retribution by Chthonic
101. April Rain by Delain
102. Carver City by CKY
103. Portals by Arsonists Get All the Girls
104. Angelus Exuro Pro Eternus by Dark Funeral
105. Executioner by Mantic Ritual
106. Sci-Fi Crimes by Chevelle
107. Diabolical Figures by Graveworm
108. Mothra by Slowmotion Apocalypse
109. Darkest Day by Obituary
110. Disciples of Doom by Misery Speaks
111. The Dethalbum II by Dethklok
112. Homesick by A Day to Remember
113. My Fatal Kiss by Krypteria
114. Death Domination by Impious
115. Depravity by A Plea for Purging
116. Polaris by Stratovarius
117. Years in the Darkness by Arkaea
118. The Serpent Servant by Impending Doom
119. Faith Divides Us - Death Unites Us by Paradise Lost
120. Until We Surrender by Heartsounds
121. Almost Home by Evergreen Terrace
122. Human Museum by Icon in Me
123. To Die As Kings by The Ascendicate
124. Skeletons in the Closet by Children of Bodom
125. Profugus Mortis by Blackguard
126. Massive Aggressive by Municipal Waste
127. Meet Your Maker by As We Fight
128. With Roots Above and Branches Below by The Devil Wears Prada
129. Crógacht by Suidakra
130. The Tropic Rot by Poison the Well
131. Memories of the Afterlife by Human Error
132. Stone's Reach by Be'lakor
133. Spirit Black by Jorn
134. Carving Out the Eyes of God by Goatwhore
135. Fear No Evil by Doro
136. In the Constellation of the Black Widow by Anaal Nathrakh
137. The Absence by Luna Mortis
138. Awake? by Zao
139. As Silence Breaks by As Silence Breaks
140. Cult of Static by Static-X
141. Relentless by For the Fallen Dreams
142. The Darker Shades of White by Corpus Christi
143. Vae Victis by Enraged by Beauty
144. No Time to Bleed by Suicide Silence
145. Naked and Cold by Advent
146. The Final End Principle by Bloodwork
147. To the Nines by Hatesphere
148. Total World Domination by Sworn Enemy
149. New Junk Aesthetic by Every Time I Die
150. Enemies by Marionette
151. Walpurgis Rites - Hexenwahn by Belphegor
152. Out of Ashes by Dead by Sunrise
153. Static Tensions by Kylesa
154. Phoenix by Agathodaimon
155. Origin of the Storm by The Sorrow
156. Resurrection Through Fire by Burning Human
157. Bury Me Alive by Inhale Exhale
158. The Quietude Plains by Ablaze in Hatred
159. Call of Schizophrenia by Fear of Domination
160. Day of Mourning by Despised Icon
161. Night Storms Hailfire by Arise and Ruin
162. Shallow Life by Lacuna Coil
163. 16.6 (Before the Devil Knows You're Dead) by Primal Fear
164. Ares by Salt the Wound
165. Wars and Rumors of Wars by The Chariot
166. Portraits by For Today
167. Grounded: Chapter Eight by Metalium
168. Dead Harvest by This Ending
169. And Every Knee Shall Bow by The Great Commission
170. Battle Sluts by Destroy Destroy Destroy
171. Ego Anthem by Tracedawn
172. The Echo Verses by The Arusha Accord
173. The Resting Sonata by Rose Funeral
174. Tales from the Grave in Space by Gama Bomb
175. Bones as Armour by Enemy Logic
176. Lividity by It Dies Today
177. Into the Labyrinth by Saxon
178. Hollow Crown by Architects
179. No Sacrifice, No Victory by Hammerfall
180. Messiah by Soulgate’s Dawn
181. Confess by Too Pure to Die
182. Killswitch Engage II by Killswitch Engage
183. Out of Body Experience by Degradead
184. III by Maylene and the Sons of Disaster
185. The Campaign by Into the Moat
186. The End of Tomorrow by Ravage
187. The Great Depression by Trigger the Bloodshed
188. The Everhaunting Past, Chapter IV: A Splendid Retrospection by Fragments of Unbecoming
189. Sons of Thunder by Sleeping Giant
190. Survivalist by ABACABB
191. A Clear Perception by The Eyes of a Traitor
192. Harmony of Discord by The Destro
193. Reflection by As You Drown
194. Depths by Oceano
195. Out of Darkness by In the Midst of Lions
196. Avatar by Avatar
197. Felony by Emmure
198. Karkelo by Korpiklaani
199. Autumnal by Dark Moor
200. Mordium by Mordium

And thus ends my review of the year 2009 in hard rock and heavy metal. If any of you happen to find a list longer than mine, please let me know so I can see what other people are looking at. Long live music!

2009 Top Music Countdown and Review, Part 2

Part 2 of my end-of-year review involves a genre-by-genre breakdown of the hard rock and heavy metal scene, covering the best of each area and why one album is better than another. If you would like to know what a particular genre sounds like (or in some cases, should sound like and yet usually doesn't), these are the albums you should check out. Enjoy!

Best Rock Album:
Daylight by West Gate
Really, was there any question about this? This is the best rock album of the decade for me.

Runners-Up:
Sound Awake by Karnivool
The Incident by Porcupine Tree
Black Gives Way to Blue by Alice in Chains


Best Melodic Death Metal Album:
The Isolation Game by Disarmonia Mundi
This album tells us two things about melodic death metal. One, the Gothenburg sound is far from dead, and can still be executed tastefully without sounding stale and overdone. Two, balance is everything with this genre. Blending the perfect degrees of thrash-infused brutality with beautiful, catchy melodies that stick with you for hours on end, Disarmonia Mundi have succeeded in delivering another masterpiece.

Runners-Up:
Children of the Dark Waters by Eternal Tears of Sorrow
Sot by The Few Against Many
Across the Dark by Insomnium


Best Metalcore Album:
Lullabies for the Dormant Mind by The Agonist
All three albums listed here are in contention because of how much they don’t sound like typical metalcore. However, The Agonist does it best because they stay true to what they started on their first album. God Forbid and Five Finger Death Punch both venture into new territory sonically, which is good for them, but The Agonist has the most cohesion in their sound, and they’ve put together a solid, complete package.

Runners-Up:
Earthsblood by God Forbid
War is the Answer by Five Finger Death Punch


Best Black Metal Album:
Slaves of the World by Old Man’s Child
While Gorgoroth were busy finishing their legal battle and Immortal were brushing the dust off their amps, Old Man’s Child were putting together yet another solid, crushing black metal opus. Galder chose the perfect drummer for this album, bringing in Peter Wildoer from Darkane, and the payoff is obvious. One of the best albums of Galder’s career.

Runners-Up:
Quantos Possunt ad Satanitatem Trahunt by Gorgoroth
All Shall Fall by Immortal


Best Thrash Album:
Hordes of Chaos by Kreator
At this point in time, America’s Big 4 have got nothing on Germany’s Big 3, and if anyone still has lingering doubts about that, Kreator put those doubts to rest with one of the best thrash albums in recent memory. Slayer and Megadeth don’t slouch on their new albums by any sense, but even their renewed metal senses can’t top Kreator’s consistency.

Runners-Up:
World Painted Blood by Slayer
Endgame by Megadeth
The Slaughter by Incite
Waking Into Nightmares by Warbringer


Best Death Metal Album:
The Mirroring Shadow by Miseration
Behemoth had this spot locked up for quite awhile, but then Miseration decided to release their album a little earlier than previously expected. And thus, everything got thrown into confusion, until Miseration came out on top with one of the most solid straight-up death metal albums of recent memory. Removing much of the melodic influences from their previous album, The Mirroring Shadow sounds like it would fit right into Ceremonial Oath’s discography, with its seamless and brutal death metal sound.

Runners-Up:
Evangelion by Behemoth
Those Whom the Gods Detest by Nile
A Taste of Extreme Divinity by Hypocrisy


Best Industrial Metal Album:
Vigilance by Threat Signal
Industrial metal is a genre that doesn’t often have a high output of albums from year to year, and thus, the annual output of quality albums is often even smaller. However, this year was an exception, as three excellent industrial metal albums revitalized the genre in many ways. Threat Signal is definitely the best of the group, delivering a brutal onslaught reminiscent of Fear Factory’s glory days. “Through My Eyes” alone is enough to make this album the best of the year for industrial metal.

Runners-Up:
Daylight Deception by The Bereaved
Urban Being by Destrage


Best Progressive Metal Album:
The Great Misdirect by Between the Buried and Me
This album is ridiculously good in so many ways. As progressive metal bands go, Between the Buried and Me are definitely the most chaotic of the bunch, but this album has a gorgeous flow to it. The song structures are perfect, and all the intricate tidbits taken from music theory make this album a joy for any musically trained person to listen to.

Runners-Up:
Crack the Skye by Mastodon
Black Clouds & Silver Linings by Dream Theater


Best Groove Metal Album:
The Infection by Chimaira
Chimaira, DevilDriver, and Lamb of God have unknowingly become the chief producers of groove metal on the US scene. All three of their albums this year were good, and none of the bands show any signs of slowing down. However, Chimaira takes the cake here because they delivered an album that none of the fans could have ever anticipated or expected. Their newfound affinity for sludge and grime makes this a totally unique album for them, and it’s a lot of fun to listen to.

Runners-Up:
Pray for Villains by DevilDriver
Wrath by Lamb of God


Best Gothic Metal Album:
Design Your Universe by Epica
The gothic metal scene may be looking tired and overdone to many, but there are still a plethora of talented bands out there, as well as a ton of new faces showcasing their new style and take on the genre. Epica is part of the former group, and they are miles ahead of the competition in that area. Epica’s releases always deliver something that makes your emotions stir, and on this album, Simone Simons outdoes herself in her vocal performance to deliver the most powerful stirring she can. This album moves in ways previously unseen in the gothic metal scene.

Runners-Up:
As Shadows Burn by Echoes of Eternity
The 13th Floor by Sirenia


Best Deathcore Album:
When Legends Become Dust by Conducting from the Grave
The deathcore train is starting to run out of gas, but bands are still jumping on like crazy, trying to grab one of those last seats. Conducting from the Grave is a band that managed to snag one, and like many other bands appearing throughout my review of the year, it’s because they did something outside the box. Melding numerous other subgenres into their deathcore foundation, they found a way to not make their music predictable. That puts them miles ahead of most of their peers.

Runners-Up:
Fed Through the Teeth Machine by The Red Chord
The Great Stone War by Winds of Plague


Best Folk Metal Album:
Esoteric by Skyfire
The only thing that pushes Skyfire ahead of the competition here is the five-year waiting period between Esoteric and its predecessor, Spectral. Were it not for that, this category would be too close to call for me. All three albums are excellent displays of folk metal’s finest characteristics.

Runners-Up:
From Afar by Ensiferum
By the Light of the Northern Star by Týr


Best Post-Hardcore Album:
A Dialogue by Gwen Stacy
Post-hardcore is, for me, one of the only genres where catchiness can actually turn me off to something. However, Gwen Stacy turned that on its head with this new album. The songs are ridiculously catchy, but the best parts of the songs are the ones that stay with you. Their sense of melody is much more fine-tuned than on their debut, and it shows very clearly.

Runners-Up:
Old Crows/Young Cardinals by Alexisonfire
The World Outside by Eyes Set to Kill
Sleepwalking by Memphis May Fire


Best Doom Metal Album:
Night is the New Day by Katatonia
Under normal circumstances, doom metal is definitely not my music of choice. However, Katatonia have delivered an album that simply blows my mind. As a band, Katatonia can best be described as Opeth’s Damnation album stretched into an entire band. But Night is the New Day does so much more, delivering a doom metal album that is far outside the box with its progression and outside influences, while still maintaining a bleak and appropriately dark atmosphere.

Runner-Up:
New Moon by Swallow the Sun


Comeback Album of the Year:
Black Gives Way to Blue by Alice in Chains
The best comeback story in music in years. Layne Staley is looking down on the new Alice in Chains with a smile on his face.

Runners-Up:
All Shall Fall by Immortal
Carver City by CKY


Best Debut Album:
Daylight by West Gate
Once again, were you really expecting anything else? Come on, this has got to be predictable by now.

Runners-Up:
Sot by The Few Against Many
When Legends Become Dust by Conducting from the Grave


Song of the Year:
“With Time” by West Gate
If my iPod could only hold two songs, this would be one of them. The other one would be “Zombie Autopilot” by Unearth, which, as everyone knows by this point, is my favorite song ever written. “With Time” is my second favorite, and if after listening to it you don’t understand why, then I pity you, because this song is a masterpiece.

Runners-Up:
“Flare” by Disarmonia Mundi
“Through My Eyes” by Threat Signal
“24 Years” by Caliban
“Contractor” by Lamb of God
“Ascension Chamber” by Scar Symmetry


There you have it, friends! Keep your eyes peeled for Part 3 of my review...the most complete countdown of the year 2009 in hard rock and heavy metal that you will find ANYWHERE! Be ready!

2009 Top Music Countdown and Review, Part 1

Part 1 of my 2009 Top Music Countdown and Review will be my thorough review of what I consider to be the best of the best for this year. But first, as always, for those albums that didn't quite make the Top 10, here are my honorable mentions for the rest of the Top 25:

25. Urban Being by Destrage
24. Night is the New Day by Katatonia
23. Pray for Villains by DevilDriver
22. Daylight Deception by The Bereaved
21. World Painted Blood by Slayer
20. Across the Dark by Insomnium
19. Say Hello to Tragedy by Caliban
18. When Legends Become Dust by Conducting from the Grave
17. Evangelion by Behemoth
16. The Mirroring Shadow by Miseration
15. Design Your Universe by Epica
14. Son of the Morning by Oh, Sleeper
13. Sot by The Few Against Many
12. War is the Answer by Five Finger Death Punch
11. The Infection by Chimaira

And now, the moment we've all been waiting for. I present you with the Top 10(-ish) Albums in Hard Rock and Heavy Metal of 2009, as chosen by me!

10. Children of the Dark Waters by Eternal Tears of Sorrow
Genre: Melodic Death Metal, Symphonic Metal
Origin: Finland



In the world of metal, there are always bands that go unnoticed and are underappreciated. The Finnish melodic death metal scene is the hallmark of this, as seemingly every band that comes from that scene is endlessly compared to Children of Bodom, the only band from the scene to gain a significant worldwide fan base. Thus, bands like Kalmah, Eternal Tears of Sorrow, Mors Principium Est, and many others are never given the chance to excel on a worldwide scale, which is unfortunate, since many of these bands have delivered high-quality releases in the past few years that deserve recognition. Eternal Tears of Sorrow is the latest in that group, with their sixth full-length album, Children of the Dark Waters. This album is undoubtedly EToS’s best to date, because the band have finally perfected their mix of powerful, driving death metal with haunting, doom-laden melodies. There are very few bands that attempt this brand of melodic death metal, and EToS is one of the best.

Recommended Tracks:
#2 Baptized by the Blood of Angels
#4 Summon the Wild
#7 Diary of Demonic Dreams
#9 Nocturne Thule


9. Sound Awake by Karnivool
Genre: Progressive Rock
Origin: Australia



Have you ever experienced the sensation of your brain imploding? Well, I can tell you from personal experience that it’s not as unpleasant as you might think. My brain implosion occurred when I heard Sound Awake by Karnivool, a band that has proven themselves to be among the most promising young talent worldwide. With a refreshing and vibrant new brand of progressive rock, Karnivool are one of the smartest bands I’ve heard in a long time. What separates their variety of progressive rock from others is their willingness to avoid formula. Their songs shy away from repeating passages while still maintaining excellent structure. The shorter songs have just as many elements and intricacies as the longer songs, and the band does things with music that make my head spin. I say music here because this has nothing to do with instruments. The songwriting on this album is absolutely phenomenal. I can guarantee that what you hear from Karnivool on future albums will be similarly mind-blowing.

Recommended Tracks:
#1 Simple Boy
#3 New Day
#4 Set Fire to the Hive
#10 Deadman


8. Slaves of the World by Old Man's Child
Genre: Black Metal, Symphonic Metal
Origin: Norway



If you look at the timeline of black metal, controversy abounds everywhere. Almost every band in the scene has experienced some form of conflict that has brought them negative attention of some form. Even Dimmu Borgir, one of the most stalwart bands in the scene, became entangled in an internal battle, with core members Shagrath, Silenoz, and Galder firing bassist I.C.S. Vortex and keyboardist Mustis, and Mustis then filing legal action against the band. However, Galder’s other band, his solo project Old Man’s Child, is one of the few black metal bands that has consistently released high-quality material while avoiding controversy and drama. Slaves of the World is the latest opus of evil to come from Galder’s twisted mind, and he really raises the bar on this album, creating compositions that rank among the most unique and memorable in the genre. What really sets this album above the rest of the band’s discography is the choice of drummer for the album. Peter Wildoer of Darkane/Pestilence fame really takes this album from solid to astounding with his outstanding skills. Old Man’s Child truly has set the standard for symphonic/melodic black metal with this album.

Recommended Tracks:
#1 Slaves of the World
#4 Unholy Foreign Crusade
#6 The Spawn of Lost Creation
#7 On the Devil’s Throne


7. The Great Misdirect by Between the Buried and Me
Genre: Progressive Metal
Origin: USA



I’ve already talked about the best progressive rock album of the year in my countdown. But now we get into the best progressive ANYTHING album of the year. Between the Buried and Me drew me in with their last album, Colors, which was definitely an enjoyable album and really displayed their skills. But the thing that held the album back for me was that, despite it being a concept album, there was no continuity or flow to it. Well, BTBAM found their continuity with their new album, The Great Misdirect. This album pushes the boundaries of progressive metal further than they’ve been pushed in a long time. With songs changing genres internally and compositions that baffle even the most stalwart music theorist, BTBAM have managed to put together an album that actually feels like a complete album. That is so rare nowadays, and I’m extremely pleased that they pulled it off.

Recommended Tracks:
#2 Obfuscation
#3 Disease, Injury, Madness
#4 Fossil Genera - A Feed from Cloud Mountain
#6 Swim to the Moon


6. Earthsblood by God Forbid
Genre: Metalcore, Thrash Metal
Origin: USA



God Forbid have frequently been described by some of my peers as a “hit-or-miss” band, and while I don’t agree with that statement, I will admit that I didn’t enjoy 2006’s IV: Constitution of Treason as much as I liked 2004’s Gone Forever. However, their new album, Earthsblood, surpasses both of these albums and all their previous work as well. Instead of delivering a full-on concept album like Constitution of Treason, Earthsblood just has an overarching theme built into most of the songs. The thing that makes this album excellent is the expansion of sound that God Forbid have added here. Bringing in influences from progressive metal and upping the thrash content significantly, this album breaks many metalcore boundaries and truly shows just how talented God Forbid are. I hope they continue showing this diversity on future releases.

Recommended tracks:
#3 Empire of the Gun
#4 War of Attrition
#8 Bat the Angels
#9 Earthsblood


5. Hordes of Chaos by Kreator
Genre: Thrash Metal
Origin: Germany



I’m a person who appreciates consistency, and consistency is what makes me think that Germany’s Big 3 of thrash have, at this point, far surpassed America’s Big 4. The number of disappointing thrash releases from America is at least triple what it is from Germany, without a doubt. Of the German Big 3, Kreator have been the most consistent by far, releasing album after album of straightforward, in-your-face thrash that doesn’t compromise on lyrical content. Hordes of Chaos follows the vein of its predecessor, 2005’s Enemy of God, with punishing riffs and solos that melt entire bodies, not just faces. This album is a model of modern thrash that will surely influence the new generation of young thrash bands worldwide. The older thrash bands around the world would also do well to take some lessons from this masterful release.

Recommended Tracks:
#2 Warcurse
#5 Destroy What Destroys You
#6 Radical Resistance
#10 Demon Prince


4. Lullabies for the Dormant Mind by The Agonist
Genre: Metalcore, Technical Metal
Origin: Canada



There are plenty of female-fronted metal bands out there that get a lot of spectacle just because they have a beautiful lead singer. However, The Agonist is one band that deserves more recognition for having a beautiful lead singer AND playing amazing music. Taking cues from their countrymen in Into Eternity, The Agonist have added highly technical elements to their songs, including split-second time changes and intricate polyrhythms. The drumming on this record is some of the best I’ve heard in a long time. Simon McKay really outdoes himself on this album. Alissa White-Gluz’s vocals, though, steal the show here. Easily one of the most talented singers in all of metal, her effortless shifts from guttural rasps to gorgeous singing emphasize different parts of different songs perfectly, and the diversity of her screaming styles give her depth that many singers lack. In short, The Agonist are everything that metalcore should be and so often isn’t. They have originality, brutality, melody, and technicality in equal measure, and no one is even attempting to do what they do right now. That sets this band far above all of their contemporaries.

Recommended Tracks:
#2 …And Their Eulogies Sang Me to Sleep
#5 Waiting Out the Winter
#6 Martyr Art
#9 The Sentient


3. Vigilance by Threat Signal
Genre: Industrial Metal
Origin: Canada



I enjoyed Threat Signal’s debut album, Under Reprisal, and I knew that they had lots of potential. I never expected what I got with Vigilance, though. This album is a genre-definer. In much the same way that Fear Factory’s Demanufacture became the foundation on which all industrial metal albums were built until now, Vigilance sets the standard for all future industrial metal albums. With crushing guitars, tight drums, and Jon Howard’s immensely talented vocal prowess, Vigilance has everything that an industrial metal fan could want and then some. It doesn’t hurt, of course, that legendary ex-Fear Factory bassist/guitarist Christian Olde Wolbers was in the producer’s chair for this album, like he was for Under Reprisal. Regardless of who’s producing, though, Threat Signal are quickly becoming one of the best young metal bands out there, and if they continue to put out albums that are as good as Vigilance, they will surely become one of the best metal bands, period.

Recommended Tracks:
#2 Through My Eyes
#6 Another Source of Light
#8 Severed
#11 In Repair


2. The Restless Memoirs and The Isolation Game by Disarmonia Mundi
Genre: Melodic Death Metal
Origin: Italy



Very few bands have put out two releases in one year that are equal in terms of talent and listener enjoyment. DMX did it in 1998 with his two groundbreaking albums, It’s Dark and Hell is Hot and Flesh of My Flesh, Blood of My Blood. System of a Down also managed it in 2005 with Mezmerize and Hypnotize (we’ll put aside the fact that those two albums were actually a double album split in half). And now, in 2009, we have Disarmonia Mundi releasing both an EP, The Restless Memoirs, and their fourth full length album, The Isolation Game. What we learn from these albums, first and foremost, is that Disarmonia Mundi functions just fine without Bjorn “Speed” Strid of Soilwork assisting on vocals. Although Speed does appear on at least one track on The Isolation Game, Claudio Ravinale is the main vocalist on both releases, and he is finally able to come into his own. We also learn that Ettore Rigotti is one of the most talented musicians and composers in all of Europe, although fans of the band probably knew that already. Simply put, Disarmonia Mundi is the best melodic death metal band in the world that almost no one knows about. If The Restless Memoirs was a full-length album, it would occupy its own space on the countdown. But since it’s an EP, both releases take one spot on my list. I know, I'm cheating just a bit, but honestly, both of these releases deserve a spot, so they'll both get one.

Recommended Tracks on The Restless Memoirs:
#1 Across the Burning Surface
#2 Flare
#3 Kneeling on Broken Glass
#4 Spiral Dancer

Recommended Tracks on The Isolation Game:
#1 Cypher Drone
#2 Structural Wound
#5 Stepchild of Laceration
#10 Losing Ground


1. Daylight by West Gate
Genre: Hard Rock
Origin: USA



If you are surprised by this, then you don’t know me at all. I’ve been raving about this album since I knew it was being recorded back in January. My ravings only increased in May after I heard the album in its entirety, two months before its release. And when it was released in July, I listened to it for a month straight. You can call it devotion or insanity, whichever you prefer. The point is, there’s a reason why this is my top album for the year. I defy you to find me a rock album with this level of maturity and skill from a bunch of guys who just graduated college. I will save you a lot of time and tell you that one doesn’t exist. For a band that has only been active for about three years, West Gate already has the musical expertise to take the stage alongside some of the biggest names in rock. If you are a fan of rock music at all, you can’t not like this band. They’re just too good for any rock fan to dislike them. Without a doubt, Daylight is one of my top five favorite albums ever. And things will only get better for West Gate moving forward.

Recommended Tracks:
#1 Bleeding Out
#3 Ordinary
#7 Soul Searching
#10 With Time


And there you have it, folks! Part 2, my categorical awards, and Part 3, the full rankings for 2009, will come later, so keep an eye out for those! In the meantime, if you haven't heard any of the albums listed here, I highly recommend you check them out! If you are a fan of their genres, you won't be disappointed!

Lady Gaga, Singing Disgrace and Public Enemy #1 of Music (A Rant)

As many of you know, I am usually very widely accepting of different styles of music. Even if I'm not a big fan of a certain genre, I can tolerate it up to a point. However, Lady Gaga has earned herself a place among the few artists whom I absolutely cannot stand at all. Unfortunately for yours truly, she dominates top 40 radio right now, and I am subjected to her every morning when I work at Target. I have reached my boiling point, and this is the only constructive outlet I have for my frustration.

I now give you my top six reasons why Lady Gaga should lose her publishing rights, her recording capabilities, her touring licenses, and possibly her vocal chords.

1. Lady Gaga is a trend follower and has no originality whatsoever
When I hear Lady Gaga's different songs on the radio, all I hear is her attempting to copy the successful female pop stars who have come before her. Not one single star, mind you. She's trying to copy them ALL. "Poker Face" is her attempt at the bad girl sex songs that made Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera so huge. "Paparazzi" shows her trying to imitate the innocent, good girl styles of Mandy Moore. "Bad Romance" has her trying to be an independent punk chick like Pink or Avril Lavigne. Lady Gaga is trying to become a universal star, picking up every female ear in the 13-18 demographic and increasing her fame that much more. But none of her music is at all original or new. It's just the same old stuff that we've heard before. Why is that entertaining?

2. Lady Gaga is almost totally devoid of singing ability
Those who have only ever heard Lady Gaga on recorded material will, of course, immediately object to this statement, because even I will admit that her voice sounds good on record. However, her horrific performance at the VMA's (which I only watched because I was waiting for an instant replay moment of the Kanye West/Taylor Swift debacle) got me wondering, and I looked up some live performance videos of her on YouTube. The things I saw confirmed my belief that Lady Gaga cannot sing her way out of a pickle barrel. So how does she manage to sound so good on record? Well, she does what many other pop stars do in this age of technology: she overproduces the hell out of her voice. Talk about a raw deal.

3. Lady Gaga's lyrics promote the worst values and stylize completely unrealistic situations
Normally I don't get preachy about this sort of thing, but the things she says in "Poker Face" just horrify the crap out of me. And let's consider the logic of the song "Paparazzi" for a moment. According to that song, stalking a guy will make him fall in love with you. How often do you think that actually happens in the real world? I would say maybe one time in a million, and that one time is because the guy being stalked is a sociopath planning to murder the girl stalking him.

4. Lady Gaga has the worst stage name ever
Seriously, she couldn't just use her real name like 90% of the rest of the female pop stars out there? She had to pick a stage name that not only sounds completely ridiculous, but also makes absolutely no sense? What is the point of that?

5. Lady Gaga is ugly as sin
That's what really makes things ridiculous to me when I consider how successful she is. This isn't even a case where a person can say, "Well, her songs suck, but at least she's easy on the eyes." When I see Lady Gaga, I want to retch. She is disgusting.

6. Lady Gaga is Lady Gaga
For those of you scratching your heads at this, here's the longer sentence I would have used for the title of this point, if it weren't so long: Lady Gaga is yet another pop star perpetuating the cycle of musical mediocrity by cashing in on the trends of the day and using shock value to increase the buzz about her, while creating nothing new or original that contributes positively to society or people's lives. That really just sums all of these points and says what she'd have to do in order for me to have even a modicum of respect for her. I'm not holding my breath on that, though.

2009 Music Review is under way!

I've started making my annual Music Review of the Year lists. I'm doing things very differently this year, adding to my review to include not only my Top 10 albums of the year, but also my top picks by genre, as well as some other categories. I encourage you all to offer me your input, because surprisingly, as thorough as I have been about getting 2009 albums lately, it's always possible that I missed something. Therefore, if you heard any excellent albums that you think I should consider, let me know, and if I don't have them I'll check them out!

Aggression Maximized - A Second Look at Neaera's "Armamentarium"

When I first listened to the album "Armamentarium" by Neaera, I enjoyed it, but I didn't find it particularly impressive. It was fast, harsh German death metal - the kind also played by Heaven Shall Burn, Maroon, and countless other German bands. However, after a lot of listens since then, I have come to realize that this album is one of the best expressions of aggression and ferocity in all of music. This album truly brings out the most extreme emotions that music can create. It excels both musically and lyrically beyond the abilities that most bands have.

The album's musical strength comes from guitarist and primary songwriter Tobias Buck, who may be one of the most solid guitar players in all of Europe. While he may not have great solos, his lead lines and chord progressions are some of the most well-put together compositions a melodic death metal band can have. Sebastian Heldt's drumming also intensifies the musicality of the album immensely, providing solid rhythm lines and great fills for slower sections. These two musical forces together create the immense soundscape that encompasses this album. Slower guitar parts matched with machine-gun drum sections, as well as lightning fast guitar riffs with more rhythmic drum parts, create a dense layering of sound that gives both parts greater strength and depth. The songs "Spearheading the Spawn," "Tools of Greed," "Synergy," "The Orphaning," and "Mutiny of Untamed Minds" are the best examples of this.

Without a doubt, though, the element that brings the music together is Benny Hilleke's ridiculous vocal performance. He has three amazing styles to his vocals: the earth-trembling bass growl, the throat-blackening scream, and the rarely-used harsh spoken voice. The effortless transitions he executes between these voices maximize his ability to create an emotional response within the songs, and the chosen vocal style used in different sections can drastically alter the mood. Surprisingly, the most memorable parts of some songs occur when Hilleke uses his harsh spoken word voice, mostly because it occurs during quiet parts of songs and is either immediately preceded or followed by a very intense breakdown or solo part. The use of contrast in these parts is what makes them so memorable. It's a technique that few vocalists use, and even fewer use correctly.

Lyrically, Hilleke's messages of social justice, rebellion against corrupt authority, and self-actualization reach the base motivations of metalheads everywhere. These may not be new themes, but they are refreshing to hear from a German death metal scene that is entirely oversaturated with either gory scenes of violence or overblown dramatic metaphors of men caught in circumstances where they are forced to kill.

"Armamentarium" is addicting because it has all the elements to draw in metalheads of any kind. Those who appreciate vocal depth will be awed by Hilleke's stylistic diversity. Those looking for strong instrumentation will love the performances by Buck and Heldt. Those looking for intelligent and insightful lyrics will appreciate the messages Hilleke delivers. In short, "Armamentarium" has it all, and it delivers everything to you in a cement-encased fist through the teeth.

Celebrities should have a word limit on their public statements

So Dimmu Borgir announced this week that they fired keyboardist Mustis (Øyvind Johan Mustaparta) and bassist ICS Vortex (Simen Hestnæs) from the band. I was very displeased upon hearing this news, as Vortex is one of my favorite metal musicians of all time and Mustis is definitely the best keyboardist Dimmu has ever had.

Mustis soon released an official statement telling fans he was fired by text message and that he was taking legal action against the remaining members of Dimmu for not properly crediting him on compositions he did for several songs during his tenure with the band. Vortex followed with a statement telling fans that he would continue with future music plans, and expressed his support for Mustis in his legal case, calling the keyboardist "the true creative force in Dimmu for the last ten years."

Today, the remaining three fulltime band members - vocalist Shagrath and guitarists Silenoz and Galder - fired back with one of the longest press releases I have ever read. They mocked the statements released by Vortex and Mustis as false, and offered up several incidents involving both band members (although never naming which of the two perpetrated the different events) as evidence that the band was better off without them. The band concluded by saying that their forthcoming album, due out next year, would offer testimony to the fact that the "creative force in the band is highly intact" and that the album would retain the sound Dimmu is known for, even without Vortex and Mustis.

After reading all the statements from all parties, I will offer these thoughts. First of all, I firmly and truly believe that the truth cannot be found in any of the statements given, but somewhere in between all that, and it will remain that way most likely. Therefore, I give no creedence to any of the press releases except discussing current facts (those being that Mustis is filing a lawsuit and Vortex will continue with his other bands).

Second of all, I think the statement by Shagrath, Silenoz, and Galder is the epitome of pettiness and derision. They offer up these incidents of wrongdoing by Vortex and Mustis as evidence that they did not belong in the band, but their wording gives testament to their true intentions. The re-telling of those stories is full of language that lacks any objectivity and exclusively acts to smear their reputations. Contrary to that, Mustis and Vortex issued statements that did not attempt to influence opinion in not-so-subtle ways, but rather offered their view of the story and detailed their plans for the future. I applaud this action, and hope that they do not respond to the statement by the band in any way, so as to maintain their professional attitude.

Third of all, the fact that the band members were also unwilling to point out which incidents occurred with Mustis and which occurred with Vortex in their statement shows that they are truly motivated by petty revenge. I expect no less from Shagrath and Silenoz, who have proven throughout the years that they are elitist and they lord their roles as founding members of the band over every other band member. I am disappointed to see Galder's name on this statement, but if he has chosen to side with the other two in this, I'm sure he has his reasons. The fact that drummer Daray does not appear as part of this statement shows just how elitist Shagrath and Silenoz have become, and how much Galder is letting them get away with it.

In summation, I am seriously disappointed by the fact that this even occurred, and I don't think Dimmu will be nearly as good now that Mustis and Vortex are gone. However, I wish the two of them best of luck and hope that they succeed in their individual endeavours. As far as the band goes, I hope that the new album does retain the Dimmu sound, but if it doesn't, we will see Shagrath and Silenoz revealed as frauds, which I would revel in.

Here's some links if you want to explore this topic further:
Mustis' MySpace
ICS Vortex's MySpace
Dimmu Borgir's MySpace
Mustis' Statement on Blabbermouth
ICS Vortex's Statement on Blabbermouth
Statement from the band's management on Blabbermouth
Statement from Shagrath, Silenoz, and Galder on Blabbermouth

The year in music so far

I had meant to do this at the end of June, but that obviously passed without incident. So I will do it now, at the two-thirds point in the year, so that it's done.

Albums that exceeded my expectations
1. "Daylight" by West Gate
I don't even need to say anything about this album because of how good it is. Also, every good thing I have to say about it is in my review of the album. Suffice to say, there is only one way that this album could end up not in the #1 spot in my end-of-year countdown, and that would be if Disarmonia Mundi releases "The Isolation Game" before the year is out. Unless that happens, I already have my Album of the Year.
Recommended Tracks: Bleeding Out, Ordinary, With Time

2. "The Restless Memoirs EP" by Disarmonia Mundi
I'll be honest here - I wasn't sure how good Disarmonia Mundi would be without Bjorn Strid in the line-up. Well, forget any uncertainty. The six tracks of this EP are enough to convince me that Disarmonia Mundi is going to be amazing no matter who is with them, as long as Ettore Rigotti and Claudio Ravinale remain. If "The Isolation Game" comes out this year, Disarmonia Mundi will appear twice in the top three of my year-end list, which is unprecedented for any band. That's how good this EP is.
Recommended Tracks: Across the Burning Surface, Flare, Spiral Dancer

3. "Hordes of Chaos" by Kreator
With their last album, "Enemy of God," Kreator reminded everyone of two things. First, that thrash metal is supposed to sound a certain way, and they were doing it right. Second, that the Germans have done thrash better over time than the Americans. Kreator, Destruction, and Sodom have stayed true to the old thrash sound while Metallica, Megadeth, Anthrax, and (to a much lesser degree than the other three) Slayer have all strayed from the formula at one point or another, and in some cases, stayed lost instead of coming back to it. "Hordes of Chaos" proves these points even more firmly, and gives a blueprint of thrash for new metalheads to follow.
Recommended Tracks: Warcurse, Destroy What Destroys You, Radical Resistance

4. "Earthsblood" by God Forbid
For a band that has consistently tried to distance itself from the American metalcore movement, God Forbid wasn't having much success with that until now. "Earthsblood" is a marked step of progression for the band, incorporating more thrash into their sound and also using Opeth-like prog structures on some songs, showing just how diverse their sound can be. This album provides them the separation they wanted, and they can keep it if they continue like this on their next album.
Recommended Tracks: Empire of the Gun, War of Attrition, Bat the Angels

5. "Children of the Dark Waters" by Eternal Tears of Sorrow
I've always considered Eternal Tears of Sorrow to be the most underrated of Finland's many symphonic/melodic death metal bands, especially because EToS places the highest emphasis on the symphonic elements of any of the band's I've heard playing that genre from Finland. "Children of the Dark Waters" is the album that should raise EToS from the realm of obscurity. The beautiful melodies captured on this album contrasted with the punishing death metal sections make for an intense, well-balanced sound that will draw in new listeners from all ends of the spectrum
Recommended Tracks: Baptized by the Blood of Angels, Diary of Demonic Dreams, Nocturne Thule

6. "Lullabies for the Dormant Mind" by The Agonist
The Agonist's debut album, "Once Only Imagined," showcased a band still in its growing stages but with an excellent future in front of them. "Lullabies for the Dormant Mind" is an amazing sophomore album that not only sets The Agonist far apart from the rest of the female-fronted metalcore field, but really puts them in a realm of their own. Their razor-sharp, technical music, combined with their socially conscious lyrics filled with deep imagery, are what make The Agonist truly unique, and this album capitalizes on those things to create an amazing musical soundscape.
Recommended Tracks: Birds Elope With the Sun, Martyr Art, The Sentient

7. "Slaves of the World" by Old Man's Child
If Dimmu Borgir is the polished, clean, sell-out face of black metal that the fans say it is, then Old Man's Child is its evil twin - dark, brooding, vicious, evil. One-man force of blackness Galder (who incidentally also plays guitar in Dimmu Borgir) has created his finest opus yet in this album, bringing together the darkest parts of black metal, epic symphonic passages, and blazing thrash to create a titanic sound that dominates listeners. The drumming talents of Peter Wildoer (Darkane, Pestilence) only add to the musical excellence.
Recommended Tracks: Saviours of Doom, Unholy Foreign Crusade, Servants of Satan's Monastery

8. "The Infection" by Chimaira
Chimaira usually impress me with each new album they put out because they show evolution with each release. However, "The Infection" surpasses my expectations of improvement because the band has taken their sound in a whole new direction, bringing their groove metal influence to the forefront of their sound while allowing hardcore to take a backseat. The slowed-down tempos, basement-level downtuning, and guttural vocals give Chimaira a new face and show that their talents can give them success on any front.
Recommended Tracks: Frozen in Time, Secrets of the Dead, On Broken Glass

9. "Time Waits for No Slave" by Napalm Death
I know many of you are thinking, "Woo-hoo, Napalm Death's fourteenth album. What's so special this time around?" Well, how about the fact that this Napalm Death album features ambient passages and keyboards during songs, as well as a simultaneous return to the band's grindcore roots? Interested now? I thought so.
Recommended Tracks: Diktat, Time Waits for No Slave, Fallacy Dominion

10. "When Legends Become Dust" by Conducting from the Grave
When I first heard of Conducting from the Grave, I was expecting yet another boring chug-chug deathcore band. Boy, was I wrong. These youngsters have melded a deathcore base with countless other influences to display a unique, diverse sound that can only be described by listening to it firsthand. If you want a new take on deathcore, give these guys a try.
Recommended Tracks: The Calming Effect, Eternally Gutted, Improper Burial

11. "Evangelion" by Behemoth
After the straightforward death metal sound of "Demigod" and "The Apostasy," I was expecting a similar approach to Behemoth's new album. But I was pleasantly surprised. Not only have Behemoth returned to the blackened death metal sound that made them famous in the first place, but they've further expanded their sound to display a strong progressive edge, even managing to attain a Gojira-like sound on some tracks. It's no wonder Nergal says this is his favorite album from his band.
Recommended Tracks: Shemaforash, He Who Breeds Pestilence, The Seed ov I

12. "Across the Dark" by Insomnium
Another excellent opus of doom-laden melodic death metal from Insomnium is always welcome. "Across the Dark" fits that bill perfectly. The clean singing utilized on this album is what sets it apart from its predecessors. It comes unexpectedly but it makes a wonderful addition to Insomnium's soundscape. The instrumentation is still fairly similar to older material from Insomnium, but that's not at all a bad thing.
Recommended Tracks: Down With the Sun, Where the Last Wave Broke, The Lay of Autumn

Albums that met my expectations
1. "Wrath" by Lamb of God
I knew that this new album from Lamb of God would be a solid album. They have never released an album that was not good. However, I knew that this would not be the album that everyone claimed it would be. The critics were waiting for "As the Palaces Burn" part 2. Instead they got "Sacrament" part 2. As I said, it's a good album, but too many parts feel far too similar to "Sacrament." In the end, though, I'm satisfied with what I got.
Recommended Tracks: Set to Fail, Contractor, Choke Sermon

2. "Pray for Villains" by DevilDriver
I love everything DevilDriver does. Let me make that clear right from the start. This album is likely going to make my top 10 list at the end of the year. But there really wasn't any way that they could exceed my expectations here. I knew it was going to sound like DevilDriver, and I knew I was going to love it. What more can I say about it?
Recommended Tracks: Fate Stepped In, Resurrection Blvd., Waiting for November

3. "Crack the Skye" by Mastodon
When I saw the track listing and track times for "Crack the Skye" online, I knew this album would be far different from anything else Mastodon had released thus far. It definitely was. I liked the result quite a lot. It's nothing less than I'd expect from Mastodon, one of the most talented groups of musicians of this age.
Recommended Tracks: Divinations, The Czar, Crack the Skye

4. "The Great Stone War" by Winds of Plague
Winds of Plague, the progenitors of symphonic deathcore, have separated themselves from the mass of new deathcore bands by playing with keyboards. That much was well established on "Decimate the Weak." But "The Great Stone War" does little more than to continue this tradition. It's a nice tradition to keep up, though, because the deathcore pack needs some variety. So I say, let Winds of Plague continue on the fine path they've started, because it still is better than 90% of the garbage deathcore on the landscape.
Recommended Tracks: Soldiers of Doomsday, Creed of Tyrants, Classic Struggle

5. "Omnicide - Creation Unleashed" by Neaera
If Caliban and Heaven Shall Burn are the established stars of the German metalcore/death metal scene, Neaera are the fast-rising upstarts with everything on the line. With that in mind, you'd think they'd be doing everything possible to make each album they release excellent and memorable. "Omnicide" definitely is excellent, but it's not as memorable as "Armamentarium" was, even with the subtle changes from one album to the other. That's the problem - the changes on "Omnicide" were too subtle. Nonetheless, this album is still a great listen.
Recommended Tracks: Prey to Anguish, Grave New World, Caesura

6. "In Ancient of Days" by Thy Will Be Done
After Thy Will Be Done's impossibly good debut, "Was and Is to Come," it seemed impossible that anything could top it. Well, so far, that's correct. "In Ancient of Days" doesn't surpass its predecessor, but it comes damn close. This is an excellent album and shows that Thy Will Be Done have a bright future ahead of them. Which is great, because for me, it's always nice to see a hometown band succeeding.
Recommended Tracks: Mourning Without the Sun, Ex Morte Vita, A Solemn Oath

7. "The Absence" by Luna Mortis
Unfortunately for Luna Mortis, they came into the female-fronted metalcore game a little late, and thus their sound seems to be heavily borrowed from The Agonist and In This Moment. However, that doesn't stop them from delivering a solid album. "The Absence" is another fine example of strong melodic metalcore, and what it lacks in originality, it makes up for in strong musicianship and well-crafted songwriting.
Recommended Tracks: Ruin, The Absence, Phantoms

8. "No Time to Bleed" by Suicide Silence
Suicide Silence brought deathcore into the mainstream with "The Cleansing." "No Time to Bleed" continues where it left off, with its chaotic onslaught of breakdowns, technicality, and indecipherable vocals. However, there still doesn't seem to be much direction to their sound. Suicide Silence still seems intent on just punishing their listeners with the heaviest possible music they can make. Two albums of that is fine, but if the band hopes to continue to be successful, they need to find a way to solidify their end goals and make that evident in their music.
Recommended Tracks: Lifted, Something Invisible, Your Creations

9. "The Grand Partition and the Abrogation of Idolatry" by Success Will Write Apocalypse Across the Sky
Finally, a band not called Soilent Green that does deathgrind properly. When I first heard of S.W.W.A.A.T.S. (no, I am not writing that moniker out every time I talk about them), I thought they were just another deathcore band with an unnecessarily long name trying to sound tough. But upon listening to this album, I discovered a fine gem of deathgrind waiting to be served up. The mix of death metal and grindcore is perfect, and for a debut album, it's clear that S.W.W.A.A.T.S. certainly have the chops to make their incredibly long name a popular one among metalheads.
Recommended Tracks: The Realization That Mankind is Viral in Its Nature, Despot, Automated Oration and the Abolition of Silence

10. "Wearing a Martyr's Crown" by Nightrage
This album is not as good as "A New Disease is Born," but the excellence of that album left Nightrage very little room for error. That being said, "Wearing a Martyr's Crown" is still a good album. Getting used to Antony Hämäläinen's vocals will take some time, but hopefully in time the sound will grow on me.
Recomended Tracks: Collision of Fate, Among Wolves, Futile Tears

Albums that did not meet my expectations
1. "Killswitch Engage II" by Killswitch Engage
The first misstep of Killswitch Engage's career was when they decided to let Brendan O'Brien produce their new album. The second misstep was when Howard Jones decided that writing negative lyrics, as seems to be the trend among countless metal bands, was a good idea. This album is a severe disappointment because of Jones' negative lyrics and the saturation of melody that drowns out almost all the heaviness that Killswitch used to have. There are a few redeeming tracks, but not nearly enough to counter the rest of the disappointments contained within.
Recommended Tracks: Never Again, The Forgotten, Save Me

2. "Show Your Colors" by Amoral
For three albums, Amoral played some of the best technical death metal out there. However, Amoral have changed their sound to generic pop power metal, and taken on a vocalist who is an abysmal failure at sounding even remotely good, never mind sounding remotely metal. Whatever steered Amoral off the path they were on is a travesty, because the new Amoral is something I never want to listen to.
Recommended Tracks: NONE

3. "Shallow Life" by Lacuna Coil
Lacuna Coil have definitely Americanized their sound as time has gone on, and "Shallow Life" is the final step in the process. The gothic elements of their old sound have taken a back seat to the alt-metal sound they've adopted in recent years. It's nowhere near as good as the older material the band put out, and while this album has some bright spots, most of it lacks the original Lacuna Coil sound.
Recommended Tracks: I Survive, Spellbound

4. "Years in the Darkness" by Arkaea
Arkaea is the union of ex-Fear Factory members Raymond Herrera and Christian Olde Wolbers with Threat Signal's Jon Howard and Pat Kavanaugh. Knowing the excellent material that those two bands have put out in the past, I expected Arkaea's debut to be a similar piece of musical greatness. However, this album falls far short of the mark. The industrial metal elements are not as prominent as they could be, and Howard's vocals do not have the power that they have with Threat Signal. There are some good tracks on this album, but the band needs to decide whether it wants to sound more like Fear Factory or Threat Signal, because the current mixture is mediocre at best.
Recommended Tracks: Beneath the Shades of Grey, Locust, War Within

5. "Revelations of the Black Flame" by 1349
1349's raw, straightforward black metal on previous albums was a cause for celebration among black metal fans who were looking for the next coming of Enslaved, Darkthrone, and Immortal. However, "Revelations of the Black Flame" moves away from that approach and adds in ambient passages, marking 1349 as the second "traditional" black metal band in the past year (Enslaved being the first) to abandon their raw sound and take up a much more atmospheric sound laden with synth elements. It's rather disappointing for raw black metal to be disappearing so fast from the landscape.
Recommended Tracks: Serpentine Sibilance, Uncreation, At the Gate...

Expectations for albums that will come out during the rest of the year
1. "Say Hello to Tragedy" by Caliban
After the excellence of Caliban's last album, "The Awakening," I firmly expect the band to continue sounding much better than their other albums were. The first single, "24 Years," definitely confirms this, because it is one of the best metalcore songs put out this year. Hopefully the rest of the album will have similar levels of greatness.
Release Date: August 25th

2. "Son of the Morning" by Oh, Sleeper
Oh, Sleeper has been (pardon the pun) the sleeper band on Solid State's roster. Poised for a big breakout, the band's live show and debut album, "When I Am God," have put them in position for that. "Son of the Morning" should hopefully push them into higher status, and the tracks debuted thus far on the band's MySpace seem to indicate a much more mature band that has a uniquely balanced sound.
Release Date: August 25th

3. "Here Waits Thy Doom" by 3 Inches of Blood
A lot has changed in the 3 Inches of Blood camp since 2006's "Fire Up the Blades." They have gone from a six-piece band to a four-piece, no longer have any original members in the band, changed record labels, and moved to yet another new producer. I don't know how this new record will sound, but I'm somewhat nervous as to how Justin Hagberg will do filling Jamie Hooper's shoes on screaming vocals.
Release Date: September 8th

4. "The Dethalbum II" by Dethklok
Dethklok is bringing metal to the forefront of pop culture slowly but surely. I'm happy about that. But can "The Dethalbum II" replicate the success of "The Dethalbum?" You bet it can. I expect "The Dethalbum II" to surpass "The Dethalbum" in sales easily. All that remains is to decide which one of these amazing tunes will be the first music video.
Release Date: September 8th

5. "Vigilance" by Threat Signal
It's been three years since Threat Signal stormed the scene with "Under Reprisal." Since then, Threat Signal has changed three-fifths of its line-up. But the song previews on their MySpace show that the band's sound has been retained, which is good because Threat Signal has one of the most unique sounds in metal. I hope that "Vigilance" displays the same level of skill and diversity as "Under Reprisal."
Release Date: September 8th

6. "From Afar" by Ensiferum
With Petri Lindroos out of Norther and Ensiferum now being his only focus, "From Afar" should have a bit more cohesion than 2007's "Victory Songs." That album suffered from a lack of unity that was so prominent on the band's previous two albums with Jari Mäenpää, who preceded Lindroos in the band. If "From Afar" is more unified, then Ensiferum should be in good shape to continue building their success outside of Finland. If not, then the band may want to consider some different strategies.
Release Date: September 9th

7. "Endgame" by Megadeth
People are saying that "Endgame" will be the best material Dave Mustaine has released since "Rust in Peace". I remain skeptical, though, because they said the same things about Dave's last two albums. I'm sure the album will be good, but whether it will surpass everything since Megadeth's landmark album is definitely not guaranteed.
Release Date: September 15th

8. "Retribution" by Shadows Fall
The one track Shadows Fall has released so far on their MySpace, which features D. Randall Blythe from Lamb of God on guest vocals, is promising for a return to form. After the missteps on 2007's "Threads of Life," Shadows Fall are hoping for a rebound with a self-released record and a return to the DIY ideals of their past. Let's hope success is on the horizon for them once again.
Release Date: September 15th

9. "War is the Answer" by Five Finger Death Punch
Five Finger Death Punch better not have gotten soft on us since "The Way of the Fist" debuted, because if they did, a great many people will be very put out. However, the tracks released so far by the band do not appear promising. We can only hope that the heavier material is waiting in the wings.
Release Date: September 22nd

10. "Double Brutal" by Austrian Death Machine
This may be the best news of the year. An Austrian Death Machine double disc? If there is anything that could be possibly cooler, I don't know what it would be. This album will satiate anyone looking for references to Arnold movies that Tam Lambesis missed on "Total Brutal," so Arnold fans the world over will be satisfied.
Release Date: September 29th

11. "All Shall Fall" by Immortal
It's been seven years since Immortal put out "Sons of Northern Darkness." Now Abbath and Co. are back with another black metal album that is sure to have the hordes raving. Being one of the most popular black metal bands out there now that people have realized that Abbath's face is hilarious, "All Shall Fall" should be a successful album that was far too long coming.
Release Date: October 6th

12. "Dark Matter Dimensions" by Scar Symmetry
If there is one release that I will remain skeptical about until I have heard it start to finish, it is this one. Most everyone knows how big of a fan of Christian Älvestam I am. The fact that he is no longer in Scar Symmetry, in my opinion, leaves a gaping hole in that band that no one man can fill. However, two men might be able to fill it. Whether or not Älvestam's replacements, Roberth Karlsson and Lars Palmqvist, are up to the task remains to be seen.
Release Date: October 20th

13. "The Isolation Game" by Disarmonia Mundi
I'm putting this album here because, if it comes out, I know that it will be in contention for my Album of the Year. There is no way that Ettore Rigotti and Claudio Ravinale could screw up an album badly enough to make it not be in the running. If "The Isolation Game" doesn't come out before the end of the year, then at least I know my Album of the Year for 2010.
Release Date: Unknown

The review everyone knew was coming....

Transcending the Mundane is undergoing maintenance right now, so I can't upload the review there yet, but I will post it here first just for general viewing purposes.

I won't bother to say that I tried to be as objective as possible, because none of you would believe me anyway. So I'll just put it out here for you all to read. Enjoy.



Daylight
by West Gate

If there's one modern music genre that needs a kick in the ass right now, it's hard rock. It's been almost a decade since any rock band not named Tool released a quality, unique album that furthered the genre's influence. Gone are the glory days of Deftones, Staind, and Incubus. While today's modern rock stalwarts like Shinedown, Seether, and 10 Years are respectable bands, their sound is mostly copied from the older bands. And it's extremely disheartening when the best-selling band in the genre is Nickelback, a band whose sound is completely generic and whose lyrics are written purely for shock value. Hard rock needs to get out of the rut in which it's so clearly mired.

Which is one of the many reasons why I've grown to love West Gate, an unsigned band from New Jersey that has a genuinely unique sound and can take the modern rock scene by storm with just a little more recognition. Formed in 2006, West Gate put out a demo immediately after forming that was good enough to earn them several local shows, including a spot opening for Flaw. In 2007, they recorded an EP, Selah, with Grammy award-winning producer John Seymour. The EP furthered their reputation and earned the band opening spots for Powerman 5000, Monster Magnet, and the Sonar Metalfest in Maryland, headlined by Soilwork and Darkest Hour. This cross-genre appeal is what makes West Gate so unique, and has helped them garner fans from a huge spectrum of potential listeners.

Musically, the band's influences are immediately recognizable. The guitar section of Kurt Andrews, Ken Abel, and Alex Goldenthal sounds very similar to Sevendust, with Clint Lowery's powerful lead lines and John Connolly's consistent and strong rhythm section. The polyrhythmic structures and overall prominence of Rob Struck's bass and George Roskos' drums recall Justin Chancellor and Danny Carey of Tool. And Pete Kelly's powerful, soulful vocals are reminiscent of Brandon Boyd from Incubus. West Gate's debut album, Daylight, brings these elements together to showcase both the full range of the band's sound and their ridiculous amount of talent. (Side note: Playing on and producing Daylight was Abel's last act as a member of West Gate; Goldenthal officially joined the band in May).

The songs on Daylight cover multiple rock subgenres and flow seamlessly to create a genuine album experience. "Bleeding Out" has a strong metal edge and a high degree of technicality, while the slow, crooning "Daylight" and "Gaslight" are just a few perms away from being genuine power ballads. "Want it All" is edgy blues rock at its finest, and the bass lead on "Way Out" recalls the best parts of funk and jazz. The three-song suite in the album's second half - consisting of "Alive Again," "With Time," and "Fiction" - carries a wonderful prog rock structure. The haunting, poetic melodies on "Rebirth" defy almost every possible genre classification. Even the cover of Seal's "Kiss from a Rose" reproduces the soulful atmosphere of the original, while still maintaining a definitive rock tone. Consistently, though, West Gate manages to effortlessly fit a guitar solo into almost every song on the album, a feat that almost no other hard rock band today would even attempt.

The vocals are a big reason why West Gate stands out so much among other bands. Kelly's soaring voice covers a huge range and is able to create many different atmospheres in a song. His beautiful balladry on "Gaslight," his anthemic choruses on "Ordinary" and "With Time," and his rough-edged spoken epithet of 'Girl, you better cut that shit out' on "Want it All" are just some of the highlights of his performance on this album. Andrews' backing vocals provide strong harmonies that add depth to the songs and increase the power of Kelly's delivery in some areas.

This album has too many great moments to choose just one as the best, but one of my personal favorites comes during the song "With Time." The beginning of the last refrain starts with Kelly singing an octave lower than earlier, backed solely by a piano playing the lead line of the song. But after singing the first three lines of the refrain, Kelly switches back to his higher voice just as the full band comes back in, creating an epic peak of emotion and energy that lasts until the final moments of the song. It is absolutely breathtaking to behold, and it caps off one of the best compositions on the album in perfect fashion.

If nothing else, West Gate have proven with Daylight that hard rock can be more than it is right now. But hopefully, they will do much more than that, because this album is positively phenomenal. West Gate deserves all the recognition they receive, and combined with their excellent live show, they will definitely receive much more as they reach a nationwide audience.

Score: 10 out of 10

Five New Reviews

Read, comment, enjoy.

Chimaira - The Infection
Devildriver - Pray for Villains
Eternal Tears of Sorrow - Children of the Dark Waters
Killswitch Engage - Killswitch Engage II
Siebenbürgen - Revelation VI

New Life Begins

At 1:31:18 PM on Saturday, June 6th, 2009, I left the campus of Seton Hall University for the final time as a student.

I have no idea what to say about that, in all honesty.

The childhood chapter of my life is officially over. Adulthood has officially begun.

Four new reviews

These should appeal to a lot of people. I know I'll get plenty of flack for at least one of them, but whatever. Just go read.

God Forbid - Earthsblood
Lamb of God - Wrath
Neaera - Omnicide - Creation Unleashed
Old Man's Child - Slaves of the World

Last Show Playlist and Reflection

This is looooooooooooooooooooong overdue. I am sorry for the delay.

Playlist for Saturday, May 9th and Sunday, May 10th, 2009, 7 PM to 4:30 AM:

Pink Floyd – On the Run
Pink Floyd – Hey You
The Police – King of Pain
Led Zeppelin – Rock and Roll
Led Zeppelin – Black Dog
Kenny Loggins – Danger Zone
The Moody Blues – Ride My See-Saw
Frank Sinatra – The Best is Yet to Come
Frank Sinatra – Come Fly With Me
Bruce Springsteen – Dancing in the Dark
The Who – Won’t Get Fooled Again
Dave Matthews Band – Don’t Drink the Water
Tantric – Breakdown
Staind – A Flat
Linkin Park – 1Stp Klosr
Linkin Park – KRWLNG
Linkin Park – Points of Authority
Jay-Z and Linkin Park – Points of Authority/99 Problems/One Step Closer
DMX – Dog Intro
DMX – Blackout
DMX – D-X-L (Hard White)
Drag-On – Feel My Pain
Strong Bad – Trogdor
Sodom – Surfin’ Bird
S.O.D. – Ballad of the Scorpions
Napalm Death – The Kill
Napalm Death – Common Enemy
Napalm Death – As the Machine Rolls On
Napalm Death – Deceiver
Napalm Death – Point of No Return
Napalm Death – Prison Without Walls
Napalm Death – Parasites
Napalm Death – You Suffer
Napalm Death – You Suffer
Napalm Death – You Suffer
Napalm Death – You Suffer
Napalm Death – You Suffer
Napalm Death – You Suffer
Nonpoint – Years
Nonpoint – My Own Sake
Nonpoint – Past it All
Nonpoint – To the Pain
West Gate – Bleeding Out (live acoustic)
West Gate – Soul Searching (live acoustic)
West Gate – Daylight (live acoustic)
West Gate – Redemption
West Gate – Falling Farther
West Gate – Escape Artist
West Gate – Grudge
Apocalyptica – Fight Fire With Fire
System of a Down – Shimmy
System of a Down – Aerials
Sevendust – Deathstar
Sevendust – Follow
Sevendust – Failure
Sevendust – Home
Disturbed – Inside the Fire
Iron Maiden – The Number of the Beast
Iron Maiden – 2 Minutes to Midnight
Judas Priest – Painkiller
Sonata Arctica – Die With Your Boots On
Armageddon – Die With Your Boots On
Haste the Day – Long Way Down
Arch Enemy – The Book of Heavy Metal
Chimaira – Disposable Heroes
Pantera – Fucking Hostile
Machinemade God – Fuck Your Dead Heart
Strapping Young Lad – S.Y.L.
Strapping Young Lad – You Suck
Gama Bomb – Sentenced to Thrash
Metallica – Disposable Heroes
Megadeth – Devil’s Island
Anthrax – Metal Thrashing Mad
Kreator – Radical Resistance
Destruction – The Alliance of Hellhoundz
Slayer – Angel of Death
The Mighty Mighty Bosstones – Numbered Days
Rollins Band – What’s the Matter Man?
Eyes Set to Kill – Only Holding On
The Agonist – Rise and Fall
In This Moment – Daddy’s Falling Angel
Light This City – Firehaven
Arch Enemy – Ravenous
Nightwish – Deep Silent Complete
Within Temptation – The Howling
Devildriver – Damning the Heavens
Devildriver – The Fury of Our Maker’s Hand
Children of Bodom – Done With Everything, Die for Nothing
Children of Bodom – Needled 24/7
Children of Bodom – Hate Me!
Kalmah – Holy Symphony of War
Norther – My Antichrist
Dimmu Borgir – Progenies of the Great Apocalypse
Dimmu Borgir – Hybrid Stigmata – The Apostasy
Siebenbürgen – The Soulless
Dissection – God of Forbidden Light
Cradle of Filth – Shat Out of Hell
Kamelot – March of Mephisto
Sabaton – Attero Dominatus
Zonaria – Slaughter is Passion
Insomnium – Song of the Storm
The Duskfall – Downright Dreadful
Sonic Syndicate – Soulstone Splinter
Raunchy – A Heavy Burden
Killswitch Engage – For You
Still Remains – Bliss
Deadlock – Temple of Love
Bleed the Sky – The Martyr
Demon Hunter – The Latest and the Last
Demon Hunter – The Science of Lies
Demon Hunter – Beheaded
Demon Hunter – Storm the Gates of Hell
Unearth – This Time Was Mine
Unearth – This Glorious Nightmare
Unearth – My Will Be Done
Unearth – Zombie Autopilot
Sevendust – Gone

And so, my time on WSOU is at it's end. My last show is over. And a little while after its completion, I figured out how best to describe it: compelling and fitting.

I use the word compelling because this show basically confirmed my desire to continue in radio. Originally I had thought that I would not want to be in radio after my last WSOU show, because I didn't think anything could ever top the experience of that show. Well, after experiencing that show, and feeling not only the pride of having such an awesome shift, but also the pain of knowing that I would never do anything like it ever again, I know that I will continue on in radio because the last show is not the experience that can't be topped. It's the experience of being on the air and knowing that your friends, family, and fans are listening and loving what they hear. That feeling will never leave me, and I want that feeling to remain with me forever. So to all my loyal listeners - Dave from Stadium, Chicken Mike, Richie the Cop, Rob from Queens, and every single other one of you crazy fuckers - and to everyone who has ever told me that they enjoy the work I'm doing at any time, thank you for keeping it real and for helping my dream to stay alive. You are the reason I am where I am today.

Returning to my description, I use the word fitting because this last show really did show just how crazy my music taste is and why I value the things I do. And yet, there are so many artists that I didn't include in my last show that I wish I had, including several that I never had a chance to play at any point during my time at WSOU. Also, remaining indicative of my music taste, I didn't get to play nearly as much as I wanted to play. The fact that I went for nine and a half hours is irrelevant - if I could have, I would have done a full day straight and loved every second of it too. I suppose, though, that I will just have to take what I can get and be happy with it.

I want to thank every single person who showed up to the show in person or called to say hello or wish me well. To my family - Mom, Dad, Emily, Cathy, Grandma, Uncle Jimmy, Grammy & Pops, Aunt Mary Ellen, Uncle Don, Uncle John, and many many others - you made the night more special than any other time I've been on the air at WSOU. I am so glad that you enjoyed the show, and your pride in me still makes me blush a lot. Thank you for your unending support. To my fellow WSOU staffers, past and present, who showed up - Allie, Michcella, JD, Kurt, George, Pete, Kim, Craig, Andrew, Mell-dawg, Sheigh, Tim, Faulks, Biscuits, Steph, Brian, Tim, Stigz, Brittany, Taylor, and of course the mighty IRON MABEN - I couldn't have made it the past five years without all of you supporting me and backing me up in whatever ways you have, great and small. You are what makes our station great. To all my non-WSOU friends who made their presence known - JR-9000, Ryan, Bro. Michael Paul, Chris, Maria, Molly, James, Rob, Jeff, Shaina, Sam, Kate, Tejal, Mike, Mama and Papa Eagle Rock, and many many others - thank you for believing in me and supporting what I love in whatever way you can and did. You rule!

I can only pray that I end up somewhere else that's half as awesome as WSOU when I get a real job. Until then, thank you all. And for the last time, Chris the Mad Scientist signs off.

New review

First one in a long time and the first of 2009.

The Agonist - Lullabies for the Dormant Mind

I'll probably be writing more reviews in the next few weeks as procrastination from schoolwork, so keep your eyes peeled for them.