My Abbreviated Version of “A Best of 2012”

I wanted to share some bands, songs, and albums that people should check out. Let me start with what I considered the best song of 2012. Baroness’s song “Take My Bones Away” from the Yellow disc of the Yellow and Green Album is such a catchy and completely addictive song, with a chorus that just grabs you. The guitar riff that begins the song and rocks on throughout is so irresistible, you can’t stop listening. This is a song you can listen to multiple times in a row and still get something out of it. Decibel put their album as the No. 2 album of 2012.

A couple of 2012 albums that I want to throw out there were Barren Earth’s The Devil’s Resolve and Swallow the Sun’s Emerald Forest and the Blackbird.  Mikko Kotamäki does vocals in both bands and can go between clean and a death metal growl fluently. The Devil’s Resolve is Barren Earth’s 2^nd full length album and hopefully the 2^nd of many to come. The album was a great cross between Death metal and Doom metal. Songs like "The Rains Begin" and “Where All Stories End” play like epic tales of doom and sorrow, all packaged in a melodic death/doom metal package. The song “Cathedral Walls” off the latest Swallow the Sun record incorporates a mostly clean vocal sound and a little growl and a guest female vocalist named Anette Olzon. Also on the album is the “Labyrinth of London (Horror Pt. IV)”, the 4^th installment of their horror songs. The first one was “Swallow” (Horror Pt. I) off their The Morning Never Came album, then came “Don’t Fall Asleep (Horror Pt. 2)” off their Hope album. The 3^rd installment was “Lights on the Lake (Horror Pt. III)” off their New Moon Album. All four songs are different and unique in their own rights. The songs are Doom metal songs from their first notes to their last. Swallow the Sun is a band that should get more attention and one I would love to see live.

Meshuggah’s 2012 album Koloss was a force to be reckoned with. It was technical, intense, and brutal in every aspect of metal music. Jens Kidman’s vocals are fierce and you can feel his intensity in each song. I had the opportunity to see them live last year and their live show lives up to, if not surpasses their albums. Kidman looks evil with his many facial expressions throughout their set, as well as the amazing light show that went along with the songs. Songs like “Do Not Look Down” and “The Hurt That Finds You First” are simply pure Meshuggah and pound like a jackhammer through your head. The band as a whole is incredible and to experience it live is something any metal fan should do. Check out their live DVD Alive and their video for “Demiurge”.

Feel free to comment and tell me what you think or add any bands you think are important to you or the metal scene.