THE TOP 112 ALBUMS OF 2012!!!

THE TOP 112 ALBUMS OF 2012!!!

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Ok. So I know I’m publishing this, like, 2 months later than I did last year. And I guarantee that the 2013 reviews will be more prompt. But, in my defense, I listened to way more new music in 2012 and it took a long time to process and whittle down. So, what you’ve got here is not at all a “Best-to-Worst” list but, rather, the very finest 112 albums out of the 5000+ that I listened to. I lost track of how many at some point but the listings filled up dozens of pages. Thus, these represent less than 2% of all the music on my radar for that year. So, essentially, it’s just one big collection of #1’s. So, don’t take the order too seriously. My thoughts about 2012 have changed a bit and, whereas I had had a pretty down view about it, I’ve come to see that said year did hold a lot of nice little surprises and a few records that I’ll keep with me always. So, without further ado, I present to you the top 112 albums of 2012… FINALLY!

1. Everclear – “Invisible Stars”

So, this is number one. After more than 20 years of making music, most of which have been spent braving the storm of financial ruin, Art Alexakis comes out clean on the other side. Listening to “Invisible Stars” you can hear the wisdom of someone who has known true joy, heartache and disaster and, regardless, continues to push forward in the face of all logic and good sense. This album’s ever-so-regal placement on this year’s list comes mainly from the fact that there’s not one single tune on it that isn’t fantastic. As far as production goes, its brightly lit southern-tinged pop rock is pretty resonant of the group’s breakout 1997 release “So Much for the Afterglow”. But the choices made here display that aforementioned wisdom with a lot more open sections that give Alexakis a chance to bring his heartbreaking lyrical sentiments to the forefront. A lot of the songs plead to a woman, asking her to go or not to go or begging forgiveness for not being able to give her the life she deserves. I understand the sentiment. Maybe it’s just my particular attachment to this group or, maybe, to the 90’s but I think this album is extraordinary and, more often than not, tear-inducing. In addition, the song “Jackie Robinson” would be a sure-fire contender for song of the year and is one of the best songs you will ever hear. Everclear. Classic.

2. Morning Glory – “Poets Were My Heroes”

For those who consider themselves aficionados on the world of crack rock( and roll), you will, of course, recall the splitting of Stza Crack and Ezra Kire as an artistic division marked by floods and earthquakes and the speaking of tongues. Then again, maybe you don’t. Stza has shown off plenty of punk artistry in Star Fucking Hipsters. But Ezra ended up here. Originally an experiment in extremity, Morning Glory has blossomed into a full-fledged and brilliant offering of punk to the gods. “Poets Were My Heroes” has a little bit of everything. There are some epic orchestral rock tunes, hostile punk/ska moments, Billy-Joel piano-laden beat poetry and a lot of well-thought-out songs to boot. But, more important than the songs is the album as a whole. As I see it, it serves as sort of a companion volume to Kire’s life story( not that I have any idea). But there’s a whole lot about drugs and loss and mom and dad. This one digs deeper than most artists are ever normally willing to dig; sort of Ezra Kire’s “Pinkerton”. Listen to it all the way through… twice.

3. Bruce Springsteen – “Wrecking Ball”

What’s up, Boss? I really like all the music that Bruce Springsteen has released over the past 10-11 years. For anybody who knows me, you’ll be all too painfully aware that I celebrate the man’s whole catalog. But, in past years, he’s just been a bit more up front with his lyrics and experimental in his arrangements. In my opinion, “Wrecking Ball” is Bruce’s best album since 1984’s “Born in the USA”. He’s managed to write a few stadium rockers with songs like “We Take Care of Our Own”, “Death to My Hometown” and the title track; while other offerings get into fiddlin’ folk territory, somber ballads, big bad gospel rock and even rap( I know, right?). The message on the album is sort of a sympathy card given out to the disenfranchised at the funeral of the American economy. Bruce is an integral part of breathing. If I hear one more jerky lip flapper talking about how he’s a hypocrite because of his accumulated wealth, Ay’sabout to pop a cap. He’s not like the Rolling Stone’s, charging a month’s rent to see a glorified assembly of the California Raisins trying to kick it coked-out blues style. Bruce has been planting the seeds of descent in the hearts and minds of the many for over 40 years. And “Wrecking Ball” is as important a piece of that history as any; a bold and brilliant album in a crucial moment for rock and roll.

4. Between the Buried and Me – “The Parallax II: Future Sequence”

Holy progressive metal, Batman! Here we have Between the Buried and Me’s most epic album to date. It’s so grand that I doubt most people could really get into it upon a first listen. “Future Sequence” completes BTBAM’s two-part science fiction space epic with an astonishing 78 minutes of tonal, stylistic and rhythmic twists and turns and a much more broad musical landscape than you’d believe they could traverse. You won’t hear Tommy Rogers getting into as many “choruses” on this record as much as on past releases. I feel like this is a conscious choice made in order to leave you feeling lost out in the lunar wilderness that they’ve created, never knowing what awaits you around the coming pass, a beautiful and nightmarish circus image of deep space marked by some of the finest music ever written by the hands of men. And, at the end of the 10 minute and 19 second “Melting City”, when you’re ever so sure that it’s all over, they drop the over-fifteen-minute crushing “Silent Flight Parliament” and an outro just in case you need a brandy after your crème brulee. I find the production to be consistent with the bright and heavy sound illustrated on “The Parallax: Hypersleep Dialogues” but with the significant exception of a greater prominence of Dan Briggs’ bass. Sonically, you get Rush-style discordance and tempo changes, King Crimson-esque harmonic lunacy, brutal death metal moments, balladry and even some surf! Oh yeah! Tommy Rogers, Dusty Waring, Dan Briggs, Paul Waggoner and Blake Richardson… these are the best men at the marriage of earth and the great horse god.

5. Emilie Autumn – “Fight Like a Girl”

You might be put off by the first minute or so of this album’s introductory title track. But stick around. It’s fantastic. “Fight Like a Girl” serves as a companion volume to Emilie Autumn’s autobiographical fiction hardback, “The Asylum for Wayward Victorian Girls”, the tale of a girl introduced to a barbarous and intolerable Victorian English asylum who sends letters of her plight to Emilie( who is also in an Asylum at the time of writing) through time and space. Stylistically, it has been described by the artist as “victoriandustrial” music. In reality, it’s quite a lot of things. There’s darkened synth pop, big burlesque insanity, industrial and/or electro-metal bits, baroque-style violin and orchestrations from Autumn (a prodigy in her own right) as well as more intimate chamber pop songs and delicate marches. I’m a sucker for a good story and the album’s theme just draws me right in. The quality of the very numerous tracks is astonishing and the entire album is necessary and inspired. Most of all, I like the fact that Emilie has the vocal capacity to belt out these full and pretty little arias but doesn’t abuse that particular aspect of her voice as would a pop artist. She can get away with deep bellows, screeches, yells and awkward but effective screams and much more. Challenge yourself and give this album a nice full spin.

6. Woods of Ypres – “Woods V: Grey Skies and Electric Light”

The moment you hear the beginning to “Lightning and Snow” the first track on Woods of Ypres’ masterful “Woods V: Grey Skies and Electric Light” you’ll know you haven’t been deceived by the cover or title. The final album from this unfairly labeled “Blackened doom metal” band is, to me, their best and most diverse offering. “Woods V” is unique amidst their releases in that it features the late great David Gold with a completely new lineup not featured on past releases. And, from the looks of it, it was really Gold’s baby in that he performed most of the parts and sung all of the vocals himself. This is not to say that the band doesn’t sound terrific. They do. Gold’s somber baritone provides a nice counterbalance to the occasional aggression of the music and screaming is only placed where appropriate. I find this record to be more rooted in gothic rock than anything else. Black metal, doom, prog rock and post-hardcore are also hovering constantly over each track while the overall sound of the album is really something unique and pretty difficult to label. It’s a sick irony that most of Gold’s lyrics here concern dying and having died, having been written so very close to his own untimely passing. There’s a passion and individuality about this release that’s rare. Here’s a forever album.

7. Jimmy Cliff – “Rebirth”

Wow. What a blast from the past. I’m not trying to say that Jimmy Cliff ever actually faded away or anything. But listening to the rough and sandy reggae of “Rebirth”, you could swear that it was 1977 or even earlier maybe. This is due in part to the brilliant production work of Rancid’s Tim Armstrong, clearly a purist and a likely admirer of the dry and dirty Lee Perry recordings of the late 60’s. Cliffs sound on this record is romantic and convincing. I feel like the song “One More” really says a lot about Cliff at this point in his life. So many old-timers are getting given the boot so that some smug teen can make money off of their legacy. But, while “rebirth” is certainly a prominent lyrical theme, the album speaks more to using one’s every last breath to protest war, injustice and the trampling down of universal love. The covers of “Guns of Brixton” and “Ruby Soho” fit the album like a hemp-knit glove and it’s one disc that you’ll want to keep spinning for a long time after it’s done. Great job.

8. Cryptopsy – “Cryptopsy”

Not that anyone would ever ask, but I wouldn’t have to flinch if someone were to ever inquire as to what’s my all-time favorite death metal band. For fans of Cryptopsy, or anything that’s good, I think you’ll find the band’s self-titled emission far less timid than 2008’s “The Unspoken King”. For one thing, Matt McGachy is no longer feeling out his place in the band in regard to his vocals but has now worked extensively with the group for years and his spiky, guttural roar is just what the pathologist ordered. I also feel that the brief comeback of Cryptopsy veteran guitarist Jon Lavasseur calls up a little of that roots “None So Vile” magic and his interplay with Christian Donaldson is surprisingly tight. The void one might expect to be left by the departure of long-time bassist Eric Langlois is a pretty small one as Olivier Pinard, as it turns out, is another brilliant player. And Flo Mournier further inserts why he is my all-time favorite drummer. Stylistically, it’s a very clean and heavy album with a lot of nice technical and progressive notes. I think it sounds a bit like “Once Was Not” but, personally, I prefer the production on their self-titled effort. Somehow, with all the chaos that is Cryptopsy, every last note and lyric is clear and well-transmitted. As a mix, it’s a success. As an album, it’s a masterpiece.

9. Amanda Palmer & the Grand Theft Orchestra – “Theatre is Evil”

Here’s a miraculous record to be sure. I find this album from Amanda Palmer to be far more ambitious than any of her past work both with The Dresden Dolls and as a solo artist. Stylistically, it’s sort of experimental pop and hard rock. Wow, I sound like i-tunes. A personal album, “Theatre is Evil” feels like a shedding of skin, so to speak. Intimate accounts of the artist’s life encounters make no attempt to glorify Palmer as a rock star but, rather, as someone who’s void of unrealistic expectations or a glossed-over view of their surroundings. Musically, it takes on theatrical elements and some big-top stuff as well as having moments of riot girl angst and majestic Queen motifs. Did I mention that it’s excellent? It’s definitely epic. And the analog-style recording has just the right amount of Stooges-type fuzz to shake off the Hollywood Vaseline of the big orchestrations. And the whole experience just feels like having one of those unforgettable, revelatory conversations at 4 in the morning which oh-so-rarely come along. I will always be listening to this.

10. Pennywise – “All or Nothing”

I don’t mean to be at all offensive to Jim Lindbergh when I say that the only Pennywise album without his inclusion is indeed their best and most cohesive. Over the past ten years, the straight-forward Hermosa Beach punk rockers have become more and more experimental in their musical endeavors. “All or Nothing”, on the other hand, makes no attempt at trying to maintain any level of mystique. Instead, you’ve got fifteen catchy, hard-hitting tracks; old-school pump-up anthems with a rediscovered youth energy one doesn’t expect to hear from a group of forty-somethings. The playing is strong and, in particular, Randy Bradbury’s rock-solid bass work is nicely detailed in the mix. While Zoli Teglas occasionally belts out those high-octane punk arias which have given him such well-deserved fame in his own group Ignite, I’m surprised that, for the most part, he sings down in Lindbergh’s middle C. I assume this is done both out of respect and in trying to distinguish one band from the other. In any case, it sounds awesome. This album is a fist-pumper. And the X-Games-ish anthem “We Have it All” is already a legend of song in my book.

11. Van Halen – “A Different Kind of Truth”

Dropping the needle on the new Van Halen record, the playful “Tattoo” might not make you fully drift back before the bad job and receding hair line. But even this playful introductory track has some instant charms that let you know you you’re listening to friggin’ Van Halen. Accept no substitutes. After more than a quarter century of absence, David Lee Roth rejoins the crew and and balance is restored to the tune-iverse. It just feels right, doesn’t it? Whatever. The songs are great. All of them are catchy and don’t sound forced at all. As opposed to albums like “Diver Down”, where the band seemed to shuffle into the studio and let Eddie shoot off some guitar workouts and then reserve one or two singles for the arena-rock crowd, the songs on “A Different Kind of Truth” come first. Of course, there’s plenty of dexterity if you’re looking for that. Alex, Eddie and Dave exceed in a way that only those with the wisdom of their own 100-plus years combined experience in the music industry could. Even Eddie’s son, Wolfgang, shines on this album, taking over on bass. All of the blues, metal and hard rock of early 80’s Van Halen is graciously delivered with surprise and delight; without hesitation and with a jock strap full of ball bearings.

12. Manowar – “The Lord of Steel”

I don’t know if I could deal with someone who doesn’t get this album. On “The Lord of Steel”, Manowar get back to the straight-forward, thumping hardened heavy metal of their first couple albums. In comparison with their last full-length release (of new music), “Gods of War”, you’ll find no grand orchestrations, no discernible narrator and the lyrics will not be written out in runes. The bass is fuzzy, the guitars are heavy and the drums are Viking-bonesaw-dry and super compressed. It’s pretty metal. It’s the heaviest metal. It’s plutonium. Every last word belted out is gravelly and strong and the ending choruses are sung for way too long. There’s a song called “Born in a Grave”. That doesn’t even make any sense. It’s incredible. It’s hard to imagine that Manowar’s music can still be that heavy when it’s this stripped down. But it hit’s like a steel –enforced bank security truck full of rabid badgers and the T-virus.

13. Math the Band – “Get Real”

Jump for joy! Clap hands! There’s a party going on down at 10^th and Muzak. Math the Band’s 7 billionth album brings together all of the elements that have ever made them great. While not so identical to the balls-to-the-wall, 40-song chiptune party albums that started off the band’s career, “Get Real” still maintains MTB’s street cred with the 8-bit crowd while featuring more real-instrument tracking and a lot more editing as far as limiting the track list to only the most effective songs the band has to offer. Everything about the cutesy, screamy electro-punk and boy/girl vocals has the dirty, comfy feeling of the Philly underground rock and punk boom of the early 2000’s. One notable difference between this and past releases is its lyrical focus upon real-life relationships and situations. If you like Andrew WK, Melt Banana and The Dead Milkmen, then I guarantee you’ll treasure this record like you’re beat-up original ‘88 Powerglove. Turtle Power.

14. Sleigh Bells – “Reign of Terror”

This is something that shouldn’t work but it does. And it probably won’t ever again. Apparently, the band’s next album will, “…feature a cleaner sound with more emphasis on melody.” How silly. The things that make “Reign of Terror” excellent are its dirty electric percussion and screeching Death-like thrash guitars layered over electro-pop simplicity and lovely, ethereal female vocals. It’s a contrast and a beautiful one. So why do they want to go and fuck it up? If you take away the oddly placed aggression, you’ve just got another breathy-voiced indie pop band. I sifted through about 1,000 of those this year and, as a rule, they’re nothing to write home about and are a fad at best. But, for the time being, Sleigh Bells as a musical symmetry between Derek Miller and Alexis Krauss remains free of any corporate input and sounds fresh and incredible. This album’s a head turner.

15. Baroness – “Yellow & Green”

This is something I wouldn’t have given a half a glance towards if my friend Evan hadn’t suggested it. I tend to not like the “loud rock” or “metal” albums cautiously thrown into the “Top 100” lists of trendy Brooklyn indie rock bandwagoners to make for the perception of balance and diversity. But I’m really fond of this album from Baroness. Not nearly as depressing as one might think, the sprawling 2-disc “Yellow and Green” combines Weezer-style pop-rockiness, Queens of the Stone Age type stoner guitar jams and the progressive and harmonic elements of groups like Rush and Emerson, Lake and Palmer. Honestly, every track on this fruitful 2-disc release has something a little different. It’s been referred to as “metal”, I suppose, because of the intricate harmonic leads and heavy low end. But, to me, the sound is something completely original, using more natural, dirty and/or psychedelic tones to elicit a variety of emotions from the listener. Crafting an album of this scale where every song is interesting and catchy is a feat in and of itself. I could really recommend this to just about anyone.

16. La Sera – “Sees the Light”

If you weren’t so impressed with La Sera’s 2011 self-titled, lo-fi 50’s dreampop debut in 2011, don’t let that frighten you; neither was I. On, “Sees the Light”, Vivian Girls co-lead Katy Goodman and her band achieve something which transcends genre and kitsch. All the good stuff makes it onto this album: lonely girl pop, very lo-fi Ramones type numbers, Buddy Holly lover gems and the cleverly disguised melancholy of Jan and Dean. But, more importantly, the underlying message is a bit more forceful than “I’m Going to Wash That Man Right out of My Hair.” There’s true heartache present herein and an album with tons of superb interconnectivity; long enough to sustain the experience but short enough that you’ll want to play it again. Bright and astonishing.

17. Local H – “Hallelujah! I’m a Bum”

Few bands have so frequently come so very close to superstardom without ever fully attaining it, as is the example of Local H. And few bands today that would actually write a song called, “They Saved Reagan’s Brain” could actually remember what the US was like when Reagan’s brain was actually in a living body. Musically, it feels as if the past 20 years never occurred when one listens to “Hallelujah! I’m a Bum”. ’91 was a good time. Why change anything? While not exactly Grunge, there’s plenty of ballsy guitar rock with classic rock harmony and just enough attitude to not exclude it from the post-punk category as well. Lyrically, it’s very political but also concentrates heavily upon various levels of poverty. “Another February”, a song about the devastating climate, expense and seasonal depression that goes along with a winter in Chicago, particularly resonates with me (in the case of Philadelphia). I love how the album is so full and balanced but without ever sounding like some monster producer with dollar-sign sun glasses had his grubby hands all over it. An excellent job… really.

18. Blood Command – “Funeral Beach”

Norwegian female-fronted hardcore band Blood Command has managed to drop something completely new and original in 2012. While “Funeral Beach” has a lot in common sonically with Refused, one could just as easily say that there are strong traces of bands like Bane, Shellac, Rage Against the Machine, The Locust and Hot Hot Heat. While the band’s music is indeed aggressive, beautiful U2-like tremolo harmonies seep into almost everywhere and make for more interesting songs. Something very appealing about “Funeral Beach” is when certain songs get this “surprise” epic third act where they build up apocalyptically to an awesome crushing final chorus. This is not any speedy hardcore. Silje Tombre’s diverse vocal attack can modulate between Tegan and Sara alterna-sweet to Seattle riot-girl loudspeaker bully and, finally, to the high-pitched screeching chirp perfected by contemporaries like The Locust’s Justin Pearson. The guitars and bass all have that Shellac aluminum-gate sound with splashy and pounding drums. And the song “Cult of the New Beat” could very well be the best song of 2012. I can’t stop listening to this. It’s fantastic.

19. Suzanne Vega – “Close up Vol. 4: Songs of Family”

This album doesn’t technically fit my criteria but I am making a brief exception. To quote Wikipedia, “The album consists of re-recordings of songs from Vega's back catalogue with stripped-down arrangements that highlight her lyrics and melodies.” But it also includes 3 previously unreleased tracks, so I let it slide. These re-considerations have not been released as a marketing ploy but, rather, as a form of letting some songs shine that might have not had such a chance to in the context of the albums they came from. Absent of awkward moments, the album is compelling and attention-grabbing. Suzanne Vega is a wonderful songwriter and a storyteller. In particular, “World Before Columbus” and the beautifully austere “Ludlow Street” are enough to warrant constant replays. More than an acoustic album, “Close up Vol. 4: Songs of Family” is a well-balanced, lovingly-arranged look into the artist’s soul. Wonderful.

20. Burzum – “Umskiptar”

Another year... and more Burzum. This is actually one of two releases from Varg Vikernes in 2012 but the only one to feature new material. Musically, “Umskiptar” continues in the in the vein of “Belus” and “Fallen” with long, psychedelic black metal passages and haunting twilight guitar melodies. But I’d have to say that there are two notable distinctions about Burzum’s 2012 release. One element which becomes readily apparent from the get-go is Varg taking the forefront as narrator during extensive instrumental portions. It’s happened before but never with such great prominence. I guess if you can speak old Norse, you can enjoy the tale! The other distinguishing element is the noticeable difference in production value. While maintaining its Nordic black metal nature, the recording of “Umskiptar” pushes the boundaries set by the genre’s recording guidelines; which say it needs to be “cold” and “raw” or, in other words, intentionally lo-fi. A purist might shun this record. But it’s their loss. There’s so much to enjoy here. Beautiful and dark.

21. Coheed and Cambria – “The Afterman: Ascension”

For what it’s worth, I’ve come to examine of late that Coheed and Cambria has had a pretty consistent and impressive career, especially considering the relatively short time that they’ve been a band. “The Afterman: Ascension” is a more grandiose album than most of that which makes up the band’s catalogue. While not based so much upon the length of songs and the compiling of musical sections as can be found on “On Keeping Secrets of Silent Earth 3” (for example), the album’s epic nature comes more from the overall experience of listening to it from beginning to end. Certainly, it’s progressive but, on the other hand, independent of prog-rock clichés. The ultimate goal of the record would seem to be to detail, clearly and fully, the events of this chapter of Claudio Sanchez’s epic “Amory Wars” saga. But the refreshing part of the album is how very catchy the songs are. I don’t think they’ve had so many sticking, subtle and/or hard-rocking hooks since “The Second Stage Turbine Blade”. An element which the band has become known for is the partial revisiting of themes and melodies from past record. I support this. It makes this band unique in that their whole catalogue has an organic feeling. It’s not just a band. It’s a condition. I love this record.

22. Cattle Decapitation – “Monolith of Inhumanity”

Oh boy… How can I sell this in a way that’ll make you want to give it a chance? Do the words “beautifully repulsive” appeal to you? I really prefer this album to the entirety of Cattle Decapitation’s back catalogue. Like Cephalic Carnage, here’s a group that’s always observed and exploited the more comical and over-the-top aspects of death metal and grindcore. But, in my opinion, this is the first time around where they seem to be able to balance an easily-achieved humor and smugness with a raw display of power and song-writing prowess. Just listen to how many different textures Travis Ryan’s throat can emit in the course of a single song without ever even getting into “Creed” territory. The whole band sounds strong. There’s a lot of technical stuff and the mix allows for high-volume listening without making for any aural bleeding. Sometimes you just want to listen to a little grindcore without completely blowing out your pallet. Anyway, the sound and the themes are very complete and the song order is, ultimately, very logical. If you’re in any way into extreme music, I don’t see how you wouldn’t like “Monolith of Inhumanity”. But, then again, metal folk are picky.

23. Murder by Death – “Bitter Drink, Bitter Moon”

Johnny Cash is alive! Or, at least, that’s what I thought when I first put this on. Okay, so the similarities between Adam Turla’s voice and Cash’s are uncanny. But even the life force that I associate with Cash is alive in this band. Stylistically, you’ve got quite a lot of things going on. There’s straight folk and Americana along with some folk punk and sparse, sort of Ennio-Morricone-playing-lounge-jazz type stuff. It’s difficult to not get taken in by the band’s eerie, romantic stories and arrangements. I like how Murder by Death is unafraid to greatly change up styles and orchestrations from song to song. The way they do it, it doesn’t feel as much like a cheap trick. And just listen to that creepy haunted-house piano. There are a lot of really novel musical ideas on “Bitter Drink, Bitter Moon”. This is the type of compelling music I just don’t encounter much anymore; the kind of tunes that don’t leave you thinking about style or context. You just get absorbed into the dark, romantic Southern world of Murder by Death. And that’s astonishing.

24. Public Enemy – “Most of My Heroes Still Don’t Appear on No Stamp”

Somehow, in the face of all that’s logical, Public Enemy have managed to release 2 full-length albums in 2012, both of which could make one believe the past 20 years of hip hop never existed… well, almost. Everything that made Public Enemy a really stand-up act so many years ago is present on “Most of My Heroes Still Don’t Appear on No Stamp”. There’s an intelligent socio-political message. The music is diverse and includes actual performances like soaring guitars, church organs and unadulterated vinyl scratches. And, instead of a beat getting dropped at the beginning of each track and somebody rapping over it until the clock runs out, there’s actual production on this album. Songs get built up, filled up and torn down. It’s great. The lyrical delivery is direct and unapologetic and without any of the current rap clichés like mumbling, boasting about one’s riches or bad-mouthing peers. Maybe that’s because they don’t really have many peers. It’s always seemed to me like hip hop was completely based upon the “now”. Rap tracks don’t seem to get as much play on the radio and in movies unless they’re brand spanking new and “trending”. And nobody seems to care about the record as a whole concept. Here you’ve got some actual engaging hip hop with a reason to listen from beginning to end. There is not a single ingenuous moment on this entire album.

25. The Gaslight Anthem – “Handwritten”

My feelings about Brian Fallon and his band have been mixed over the years. As a devout Springsteen fan, I never appreciated Fallon’s abuse of the “tribute” elements in The Gaslight Anthem’s music on early albums. For example, there would be frequent references to events and characters in the Boss’s songs as if Fallon had experienced them himself and a whole lot of musical cues that are taken straight out of Bruce’s songbook.  On “Handwritten”, I feel that Fallon has sort of found his own voice. While there’s still (probably too many) references to (particularly early 80’s and late 2000’s era) Springsteen, the passionate and hard rocking tunes present here really shine. It’s easy to get caught up in Fallon’s stories and dedicated blue-collar romance. And it is, I’ll admit, a tearjerker. Images of hard-laboring angry young men falling in love and struggling with the sins of their fathers really push the album into a place where my mind so frequently desires to go. In the world of “Handwritten”, it’s always twilight and somebody’s always getting out of an old Ford truck, wiping the sweat off their brow and picking someone up from the diner. It’s infectious.

26. Murs – “Yumiko: Curse of the Merch Girl”

This is a first for me. “Yumiko: Curse of the Merch Girl” is the first hip hop album I’m aware of which contains a complete and linear storyline. And it’s a rich and perilous story to be sure. Murs combines cool 80’s roadhouse and lounge-style musical production with catchy and lyrically intense tracks that begin in a dark place and just get more and more ominous as Yumiko’s world sinks deeper and deeper into the depths of despair. Murs doesn’t actually refer to himself on the record as far as I remember. So, that pretty much eliminates the whole ego-maniac element that’s so prominent in this musical style. This is not feel-good hip-hop. But it sounds great.

27. The Beach Boys – “That’s Why God Made the Radio”

How striking. I was expecting John Stamos and Tiki music. Instead I got a blast of mid-to-late sixties seaside action and thoughtful production. I am beside myself. How the hell did they get Love, Marks, Wilson, Jardine and Johnson in the same room anyway? And how did they get them all to sound like they’re 25? If that’s an app then I’m going to go find out how to get apps and get that app. This is a more relaxed and romantic sounding Beach Boys than was present on some of their more psychedelic albums. But it doesn’t get into the realm of silly nostalgia like on the Full-House-era releases. And Brian Wilson’s anti-depressants must’ve finally caught up to modern-day apothecary standards because he’s really keeping up and holding strong as a composer, producer and vocalist. But I think that the really awesome elephant in the room is the silky, youthful baritone of Mike Love. 50 years of belting out the hits and those pipes are still running clean as copper. He’s got it going on. They all do. This is very impressive

28. Anti-Flag – “The General Strike”

Barring their first album of childish punk masturbation “Die for the Government”, few bands have been so consistently innovative as Anti-Flag. I even know right-wing people who are into this group. On their 10^th album “The General Strike”, you’ll find a group heavily invested in collaborative vocal sections and a large variety of sonic motifs. There are some really funky Clash moments here that help to diversify the album; while certain songs are just downright vicious hardcore. This album definitely wasn’t written for the record company. I also appreciate Chris Head’s show of thoughtful restraint. Here you’ve got a world-class bass player but, on this record, he’s making a conscious decision not to scribble all over everything with riffs and let the energetic punk anthems breathe a bit. And the low end still sounds killer. Anti-Flag’s political views have matured over the years alongside their music. 13-year-old Casualties supporters probably aren’t going to be able to grasp a lot of the historical and contextual politics discussed on “The General Strike”. But, who knows? Maybe they’ll learn something. Great songs. Solid production. Awesome.

29. Dan Vapid and the Cheats – “Dan Vapid and the Cheats”

This record didn’t seem to me like a recipe for success. But it worked out great. I’m a Screeching Weasel Fanatic. But their 2 most recent albums really didn’t appeal to me. And Vapid’s other band, The Riverdales, also with Screeching Weasel leader Ben Weasel, never suited me either. Then comes “Dan Vapid and the Cheats”, an album which could stand up to basically any release from the Screeching Weasel catalogue. After more than two decades of making music, I guess Danny Vapid just decided it was his time to shine. The sound of the majority of these songs as well as most of the production has a great resemblance to that of early-80’s Ramones, which is basically what Vapid has always done. But the (maybe) legendary punk-rocker brings some other things into the mix as well. You can definitely hear some Devo, Talking Heads, Misfits and the Kinks on this self-titled release. There are a lot of positive, major chords here and typically romantic, goofy and/or jokingly morbid content in the lyrics and Dan’s voice sounds in top shape. A great punk release.

30. Katatonia – “Dead End Kings”

It’s difficult to imagine that 20 years ago, Katatonia would have been described as a black/doom metal band. While their music still features prominent elements of darkness and melancholy, nowadays the Swedish group has more in common with bands like Bush, Tool and Anathema. But I definitely think you could still call it metal as well as symphonic hard rock. The songwriting on “Dead End Kings” is very passionate and the mix is full of piano and strings. As is common on a Katatonia album, the vocals take center stage. But I don’t feel that this has any negative impact upon the force of the guitars, bass and drums. At moments when it gets too angsty for its own good, harmony is restored in the nick of time. There’s good balance between the harsh and subtle as well as chaos and order. Still, it’s not a record for sunshine people. But I think they could at least appreciate the integrity displayed here. An enigma.

31. Dragonforce – “The Power Within

It would be easy enough to write off “The Power Within” as evidence of a band treading past their prime. But it’s just as easy to be a prickly loser trying to chant down Babylon, one blog comment at a time. To me, Dragonforce is an eternal light, a bright bastion of faith emerging from the dungeons of butterscotch and destined to lead mythril-laden dragonriders down the isle of truth and destiny. While I don’t feel that the band’s new lead singer Marc Hudson has quite the distinctive and not-power-metal-sounding voice of original frontman ZP Theart, the new guy is talented and able to match up the prestige of his arias with the fabled brilliance of Li, Totman, Pruzhanov, Mackintosh and Leclercq( what I believe to be DF’s greatest musical line-up). One might say that Herman Li and Sam Totman have lain back a bit here in that there are at least two songs that don’t include 4-minute guitar and keyboard solos. But I must feel that this was a conscious choice made in an attempt to create an album which is pretty easy to listen to from beginning to end. One might argue that, on past releases, the sheer unrelenting intensity of DF’s epic speed metal anthems make it difficult to give the records a full hearty spin. Here, you’ve got variety. And, in particular, the mid-tempo rocker “Seasons” stands up easily as one of the band’s greatest anthems. Dragonforce.

32. Gorod – “A Perfect Absolution”

Gorod is a prolific and progressive band of musicians who probably don’t get as much credit as they deserve. While not containing any “epic” songs, “A Perfect Absolution” offers chaos and technical proficiency the likes of which have rarely been heard. While rooted in death metal, the band’s music has a lot more to offer than the brutal. There is plenty of prog rock and old-school thrash in the mix and nice, little subtle and/or orchestral moments. Balance is the key to making a metal album that’s both extreme and possible to listen to from beginning to end. The movements between the musical events in these songs really do a great job of keeping your attention. At the same time, you never get the impression that the band is just trying to pack the songs full of parts for gimmick. By the end of each tune, you can sort of get the original intention of its writing. And, for those who think deeply and contextually about the stuff their mp3 players are spitting out, these rambunctious suites are some good puzzles to wrap your head around. A brutal and impressive album from a very talented band.

33. The Faceless – “Autotheism”

On “Autotheism”, acclaimed technical, progressive death metal act The Faceless have, once again, pushed the threshold and standards of song structure and performing techniques. It is this aspect of the band’s music which has inspired a myriad of younger admirers to try and do the same. As per the album’s title, “Autotheism” is one band’s analysis of the autotheist movement or, in other words, being one’s own god. On this eclectic release, you’ll hear babies crying, prominent pianos, pump organs and even saxophones present amidst an otherwise intense, if odd, brand of melodic extreme metal. I hear a lot of the richness of Cynic and the progressive dorkdome of Symphony X alongside some of the more obscure and aggressive elements of bands like Necrophagist and Burst. The greatly increased use of clean vocals has been cited by some as a detriment to the band’s sound. But I find that, especially in the more circus-ish parts, the sinister crooning of guitarist Michael “Machine” Keene fits right into the mix. Lastly, while the whole band is made up of brilliant musicians, I feel a need to mention Evan Brewer’s insane bass playing and how it really takes this band out of being confused for a deathcore act by adding a wonderful tone and diversity to the low end. This is a truly great band.

34. Oi Polloi – “Duisg!”

This one’s going to be a tough sell. What we’ve got here, in general, is some rough-around-the-edges Scottish oi! punk sung in Gaelic. But look a little deeper and you’ll hear all sorts of things that separate Oi Polloi’s “Duisg!” from everything else that’s come out of the genre. Listen to the rich harmonic chords filling out the interludes. Admire the beauty and fullness of the analog-style recording, the cause-and-effect relationships in the verse/chorus structure and the pleasant harshness of the vocals. Oi Polloi’s songs are diverse and excellent. I really think the ’86 style melodic post-punk numbers make a great contrast with the more raging, aggressive hardcore songs. In the end, you’re left with a lot of dirty bass and a great balance between differing aural textures. This is one of my leap-of-faith selections. Do yourself a favor and take the leap.

35. Rick Springfield – “Songs for the End of the World”

What a pleasant surprise. Out of the shadows emerges Rick Springfield, recurring star of General Hospital and 40-year career musician toting an album jam-packed with peppy anthems and thoughtful, pumping rock n’ roll. In the past, I’d written off Springfield as a product of Bruce-Mania and the BOSS copycats that came along in the early 80’s. I never realized that their careers have actually been pretty much chronologically parallel. Of late, I’ve begun to accept Springfield’s relevance on a wider scale. I really don’t think there would be an Andrew W.K. if it weren’t for Rick Springfield. Anyway, on his 2012 release “Songs for the End of the World”, a youthful and energetic voice can be heard in full color, a surprise coming from a man of 63. “Wide Awake” is an excellent song, a punky number which pretty much expresses the overall conscious and lively world view of the album. The songs are catchy, plentiful and, in general, pretty touching. I feel this album easily stands up to Springfield’s seminal 1980 “Working Class Dog” and is some of his best work. Great job, Rick.

36. Death by Stereo – “Black Sheep of the American Dream”

On “Black Sheep of the American Dream”, you’ll find Death by Stereo returning to the sound of their earliest records. So, in this case, punk rock and hardcore have taken dominance in the songwriting in place of the somewhat greater concentration upon melodic death metal as displayed on the band’s past couple albums. These are really great songs; the best choruses they’ve had in years. And there’s a grittiness to it that I really like about it. Dan Palmer still does some fantastic guitar work and Efrem Schulz still maintains that great and hearty vocal range that the band has become known for. Lyrically, I think this might be their best work. The political stuff is very clearly stated and backed up and the more personal songs really connect as well. This album is super easy to listen to end-to-end and there’s a whole ton of passion and aggression. They’ve made for a full and compelling sound that makes me feel so damned good. Killer.

37. Foxy Shazam – “Church of Rock & Roll”

This one was a suggestion from my friend Evan. It’s very good. While goofy and largely related to novelty, Foxy Shazam’s balls-to-the-wall rock n’ roll contains all of the elements that have ever made the arena rock genre splendid. The performances are dead-on and sparkle. And I feel that FS’s music is much more a celebration of the band’s influences than a mockery of them. You like Queen, Led Zeppelin, The Cars, Boston, Huey Lewis and the News? You’ll get all of that here in spades. Each and every song on “The Church of Rock and Roll” sparkles with manly guitars, horns, synth and soaring, bluesy vocals. This band seems to be able to pull off funny really well without compromising creativity or artistic integrity. This is a very strong album, indeed.

38. Aaron Lewis – “The Road”

I just keep coming back to this. I must’ve listened to it about ten times already. While not at all novel in its approach, Staind frontman Aaron Lewis’s country effort is well worth a listen. Lewis’s sentiments are strongly felt here. So if staunch nationalism, god, guns and big trucks aren’t your thing, you’ll have to curb your reservations and respect the artist’s values. If you’ve got that part solid, you can enjoy a well-written and beautifully performed presentation of both modern country tunes and more old-school cowboy trucker anthems. I’ve always liked Aaron voice. And here it’s at its max potential. There’s some wonderful Southern rock axe and slide guitar performances here that really stick out and the brazen, front-porch Americana of the record takes you back to a time that, if you’re me, never really existed. But I like being taken there anyway. Lewis’s America is romantic and proud and so worth the struggle. I think just about anybody could get into “The Road”. It’s a no-brainer as far as I’m concerned.

39. Anaal Nathrakh – “Vanitas”

Why has extreme/black metal duo Anaal Nathrakh appeared on my list for their past three releases? One word: “Insanity”. This insanity idea is something missing from so much of modern metal and rock music in general. There are typically four main vocal movements in an Anaal Nathrakh song: low roaring and pig grunts, death metal growls, operatic harmonies and Dave Hunt screaming at the top of his lungs. I mean, like a distorted and coked-up King Diamond. But, on this release, the number of uses of the voice is really pretty incredible. Sonically, there’s a lot of Baroque-style black metal melodies in the guitars on “Vanitas”. And I think that strikes up a nice harmony with the caustic vocals and drum sequence. My friend Jake has commented that he thought the production was a big step up and I’d have to agree. It’s a thoughtful EQ and encourages just enough balance to the insanity to make it an easy record to listen through till the end. This is a really great band.

40. The Mystery – “Apocalypse 666”

I guess you’re probably saying to yourself right now, “Wow, this album cover really sucks.” And I wouldn’t fight you on that one. As I’m somebody who traditionally does judge an album by its cover, I’m really glad I gave this record a shot. The Mystery is a German power/heavy metal band with a lot of ability as a songwriting unit. If there’s one record that made sure its songs stayed in my head every day of the last year, it would be “Apocalypse 666”. While their chosen genre of music isn’t typically known for innovation or rule-breaking, I think that The Mystery does a pretty great job within the format. The guitar solos are not so concerned with speed or note-tally but, rather, with maintaining great tone and memorability. The scratchy tenor vocals soar and the low end is super heavy with lots of thumping bass and double-kick attack. I’m particularly fond of the song “Outlaw” as well as the very instructional title track. If you like Manowar, Stratovarius and Masterplan, I think you’ll definitely find a soft place in your heart for “Apocalypse 666”. I love it.

41. Psycroptic – “The Inherited Repression”

This is a very talented group of guys in the Technical/Progressive Death Metal genre. Just listen to those riffs! They’re nail-biting.  These young gentlemen are doing some really innovative things with their instruments. I included “The Inherited Repression” in the death metal category because that side of their music does take precedent over being a prog band. But, there’s a lot to be found that’s as much along the lines of Slayer, Opeth and Unsane as it is Cannibal Corpse or Decrepit Birth. I think I need to point out how very good the drums sound. I mean, if you get to the sections where Dave Haley’s intense, emotional battery can be heard on its own, you’ve got to be impressed by the clarity and detail of every piece of his kit. Haley additionally served as producer on the album. And his skills are apparent in that capacity as well. Everyone in Psycroptic is pretty excellent at what they do. And I think this record has something to offer pretty much anybody with an interest in metal. There’s great technique, a nice range of speed, a lot of heaviness, discordant harmony and fierce darting vocals. Their pieces also have a bit more of a song-format composition than is typical in death metal. And that really helps in making them memorable. Thumbs up.

42. Blink 182 – “Dogs Eating Dogs”

In a surprise turn of events, Blink 182 have left behind big-label promotion/production and independently recorded and released an EP in 2012. There may still be touches of poppy and exacting Blink. But, from the natural-sounding guitar tones to the simplistic and heartfelt choruses all the way down to the DIY black and white album cover, the whole package comes across as pleasantly human. I’ve always liked the camaraderie of this band and the idea of them jamming out and demoing in a garage just helps to fill out that fantasy. You’ll once again find Travis Barker doing cool hip-hop-inspired fills and combinations, the likes of which have never been heard before on a drum kit. In fact, these are some of the best songs they’ve done. I just wish there were more of them. That’s frankly the disc’s only flaw. I thought we were having a conversation but it turned out to be a chat, a great chat nonetheless. Oh yeah.

43. Spawn of Possession – “Incurso”

Do you like bestness? How do you feel about things that are awesome? Swedish technical death metal super-group Spawn of Possession really delivers the goods on “Incurso”. While involving a large number of modes, scales and time signatures, I still wouldn’t try to sell this one to the progressive rock crowd. Although, yes. It is pretty damned progressive. So, what does “Incurso” have to offer that the band’s past releases did not? Well, for one thing, they have three new members. Dennis Rondum relinquished his drum duties to Henrik Schonstrom in order to focus on the vocals. Erlend Caspersen from Deeds of Flesh has taken over on bass and brought with him a whole lot of invention. And brilliant Necrophagist/Obscura  guitarist Christian Muenzer has taken on the lead guitar alongside Jonas Bryssling. The new line-up sounds totally fresh and apocalyptic. I like how Spawn of Possession can get into a lot of complex noodle-y riffage and still maintain a consistent level of brutality. The vocals are rough and dry; pretty killer. All of the bass, drum and guitar work is tirelessly innovative and beauteous. And have you seen that album cover? Wow! But, let me stress this one more time: If you don’t like technical death metal, you won’t like this… and maybe you won’t like me either. Tear tear.

44. Torche – “Harmonicraft”

This one is pretty glorious. I’m not sure how to categorize it. For the zillions of indie-rockers who made their “best-of” lists for 2012, Torche and Baronness seemed to be the obligatory metal picks, possibly because all of their lists are exactly the same. But, I don’t really think Torche counts as a metal act. The vocals are delivered at or below middle-c. The guitars and bass have fuzz pedals. And the drum kit sounds like a 4-piece with a single bass pedal. Although, there’s definitely some phat intensity and volume on “Harmonicraft”. You can hear the strong influence of melodic punk bands like Down By Law and, especially, Lagwagon. There’s also a bluesy, doom-ish metallurgy in the vein of Black Sabbath and/or Mastodon. And, top it all off is the operatic, desert-stoned-miscreant quality of Deftones and Queens of the Stone Age. That said, it sounds like Rush. I don’t really know. Torche manages to touch on a different motif in every song. But, at the same time, it kind of all blends. The one over-arching element which seems to connect each track is the great harmonic scaling on the vocals; kind of like what Burton C. Bell does. It really brings a joy to the music and is delightfully uncharacteristic of the sludge/stoner genre. It is a marvelous record.

45. Macka B – “Rasta Soldier”

Here you’ve got a truly awesome reggae performer firing off one daring and relevant album, complete with all the excitement missing from the majority of the the oh-so-many poppy new rasta records. Macka B really believes in his message and is pretty militant about it without sounding like an angry preacher. With only 6 songs, Macka manages to deliver his strong views about modern reggae music, murderers, the state of the Rastafari movement and the perils of youth culture in general. Musically, there’s a lot of dub present but not to the point where it sounds like badly programmed karaoke. Several of the songs have these 2-minute sections towards the end of the song where a dub loop plays over and over again until one last surprise chorus pops out. It’s interesting and pretty effective. By the last coda, you walk away from the album feeling generally positive even though there are really no songs praising weed or golden rays of sunlight. Mr. B has got bigger fish to fry. I find nothing false or insincere about Macka B’s lyrics and I really think this is stand-out reggae that deserves your attention and utmost respect.

46. Tulisa – “The Female Boss”

So, this is what good pop sounds like. And it shouldn’t surprise anybody that it came from Great Britain in 2012. The market has just been flooded. But Tulisa really beats out all the competition. There’s a certain classiness to the clean sounds and plainly given lyrical content of “The Female Boss”. At the get-go, you won’t hear any plea for female empowerment. But, as the thing goes on, you begin to witness the reconstruction of a hurt woman and the joy which that brings as she starts to realize her own strength… And she goes to parties. But there are a lot of really mature elements on Tulisa’s album. I love the production. In place of auto-tune, you’ve got full and brilliant harmonies. The club songs aren’t so dependent upon a beat but, rather, their rich synth constitution. And the other tracks tend to be a little dancehall or reggaeton. I like the balance. Obviously, with that combination, MIA comparisons are inevitable. But you could just as easily say the same of Ace of Base. Finally, I really enjoy Tulisa’s lack of embarrassment to sound like a British person. It’s so easy to hide behind that American singing style but she’s got a certain English pride that’s very appealing. Yes, please.

47. Whitechapel – “Whitechapel”

I’m still at a loss to see why so many reviewers have tried to bury this album. Perhaps it has to do with its more progressive elements and how it doesn’t sound like the fifty million other deathcore albums put out in 2012. To me, Whitechapel’s self-titled offering is a magnum opus: brilliant. There’s a greater focus upon death metal than on other releases. But it also manages to be pretty melodic without investing in the “Djent/gore screamed verse followed by girlie melodic chorus” format. A unique element of “Whitechapel” is the lyrics, to be sure. They’re all basically spoken or screamed but are almost entirely audible. You can tell this band doesn’t really care about being part of the “scene” any more than they care about what reviewers think of them. Thanks for having real instrument sounds, Whitechapel. I appreciate the heaviness of your wonderfully-constructed songs and well-thought-out solo patterns. Your record sounds awesome.

48. Cursive – “I Am Gemini”

Upon a first listen, I felt like Cursive’s sprawling concept album, “I Am Gemini” was a near-total failure. I was wrong. But that goes along with the territory of doing something new and daring. And they do. They really do. Tim Kasher’s account of the plight of Gemini from a first-person (well… first-people) perspective is a challenge and adventure in music. While certainly their most progressive record (Picture an aggressive and caustic Emerson, Lake and Palmer), one could still compare the overall feel and energy of “…Gemini” to the band’s seminal 2003 offering “The Ugly Organ”. Although herein the orchestrations are far more consistently kept to guitar, bass and drums with nothing more than an occasional, decidedly pretty organ. Upon a second listen, having already absorbed the creative, punkie ragtime and downright goofiness of Cursive’s inimitable brand of indie rock; you can actually focus on trying to understand the previously very convoluted and off-putting epic of twin brothers Cassius and Pollock. My limited knowledge of the Greek legend holds that they were sons of Zeus and Leda and that the two were separated at birth, walking separate paths, one light and one dark. At least that much is clear upon subsequent listens. And I like the back-and-forth in the feel of the songs as Kasher assumes the identity of one hermano or the other. Perhaps the guy forces in the word “Gemini” a few hundred times too many but it is what it is. I think it’s brilliant, actually.

49. Cyntia – “Endless World”

Combining the power-metal fury of Helloween with the hard-edged glam of Motley Crue and the aesthetic pop brilliance of Wilson Phillips, Japan’s Cyntia have delivered a truly fun and exciting album in 2012. This group of gifted young women does a really great job of walking the line between super heavy and hella-cute. But don’t assume it’s Visual Kei. “Endless World” is an album of Japanese melodic heavy metal. So, if it’s riffage you’re interested, they’ve got it all day. Cyntia are incredibly talented and everybody gets their moment in the sun on this release. On the vocal end, prepare for infectiously sweet, little-girl J-pop. Although, the singing can become very grown-up and dark at a moment’s notice. What I really love about this album is the rare onslaught of gang vocals. Due to the nature of the girls’ voices, it sounds like a mild-mannered kindergarten choir group when this takes place. Does that sell it at all? The keyboard is a particularly utilized and expertly-played instrument on “Endless World” and a staple of Japanese pop and rock music. The songs are catchy and awesome with great soaring vocal passages and lots cool rewards and bright lights. Awesome

50. Smashing Pumpkins – “Oceania”

With “Oceania”, Billy Corgan and some people bring the Smashing Pumpkins name back to the days of “Gish” and Zeppelin-esque aggressive daisy guitar rock. The album would probably be closer to the top if I thought that Corgan’s new group of summer squashes could fill the humungous shoes of their immortal predecessors. But there’s still tons of stuff to respect on this record. Corgan is shredding in ways which haven’t been seen for quite some time. There are a lot of really strong numbers and certain ones are excellent. Corgan’s voice and ability to work harmony into an otherwise acidic and in-your-face song never fails to impress me either. “The Celestials”, a particularly touching and stripped down track in the vein of “Disarm”, is a fine example of the bullets this USA guitar geek is still firing. Billy Corgan can make the claim that “Oceania” is not an album but, rather, a link in a mega-album consisting of many Lo-fi EPs. But I think he knows he’ll always love making single, epic albums and sequencing them so as to elicit an emotion from his audience. And I think he does a good job of it here.

51. Hopsin – “Enter the Mind of Ill Hopsin”

The young and enigmatic rap man Hopsin has released an album that’s both strange and utterly divine. More than an album, “Enter the Mind of Ill Hopsin” serves as a mixtape for mostly Hopsin’s non-album singles. Some of the tracks are just under-produced demos. But it doesn’t matter. Hopsin’s lyrics and vocal delivery carry each track incredibly well. And there actually is a lot of connection between the themes of them all, especially considering the tape features all 5 parts of the “Ill Mind of Hopsin” series. Having more in common with the films of David Lynch than a generic hip-hop offering, Hopsin’s mixtape is an aggressive attack upon mediocrity, drug use and the music industry as a whole. The title is pretty dead-on. And with a combination of detailed, hilarious and embarrassing details, one really can see into the mind of a prodigious mastermind. Although, the crème de le crème is the omnipotent 2012’s single “Ill Mind of Hopsin 5”, a full breakdown of the artist’s likes and dislikes and abbreviated philosophy on life and hip-hop in general. It is terrific.

52. Trioscapes – “Separate Realities”

Like your jazz fused? Like your rock nice and progressive? Well, this one’s for you. Utilizing no more than saxophone, drums and electric bass, Trioscapes burst onto the scene with an album that puts to rest the argument that jazz fusion should be a live medium only. I feel like Dan Briggs( bass, Between the Buried and Me), Walter Fancourt( sax/flute) and Matt Lynch( drums) do actually achieve the same effect as their logical predecessor Mahavishnu Orchestra even with way fewer players present. On “Separate Realities”, you’ll hear these three incredibly gifted musicians do a lot of things to consistently alter your perception of their respective instruments. Occasionally, the drums will sound electronic or the bass will resonate like a keyboard while the sax sounds like a guitar. It’s another nice touch that goes a long way in trying to create truly “progressive” music. But, of course, you’ll also get lots of odd time signatures and bizarre modes and keys( Ethiopian scales being very prominent). It’s plenty funky and does touch upon the metal in its frequent heaviness while never really playing into any of the things that metal should be. I think this marks a new not-so-lacey-curtain, far less Ivy-League era in jazz and rock fusion and I’m excited to see how that plays out. For now, there’s Trioscapes.

53. Niko – “Hate & Love”

I know. It’s not the most creative title you’ve ever heard. But Niko’s “Hate and Love” is as much a creative offering as any you’ll hear out of 2012. Stylistically, the record sounds like Bjork but maintains a slightly greater emphasis on percussion. But even with the typically strange and free-form Bjork-style song forms, you still get these big, bright pop choruses that burst out and elicit delight. Niko’s beauteous, soulful voice can make the choruses sing in even the most laid-back of songs. The acid-lounge number “A Life in Dreams” is a real heavy hitter and one of several rare gems on this 90’s-fashioned, soulful pop outing. I could probably say the record is the musical equivalent of a perfectly cooked soft-boiled egg. Hmm… I really tried to make that sound positive. But, no. It’s great.

54. Neil Young and Crazy Horse – “Psychedelic Pill”

I find Neil Young’s “Psychedelic Pill” a real success. While the music is not performed entirely in the psychedelic “style”, the overall feel of the album and its frequent drifting sequences perpetuate th illusion of floating back to ’69 on a wee cloud of smoke. The audacious near-28-minute opener “Driftin’ Back” sets that up for you pretty well with its continuum of jazzy rock corridors and carefree psych-guitar noodling. Somehow, even at such great length, the song only boasts about 4 or 5 verses. And they’re pretty interesting. Bordered by the positive love exhibited by the psychedelic aspect, I feel the cynicism on the album comes from Young’s commentary about modern America, the cost of things and how he maybe wishes that more people were living up to his generation’s promise of rock and roll. There’s some folk stuff and balladry and definitely a large bit of soaring guitar rock in the mix, as well as a wise old Neil with his priorities in line. The record is heartbreaking, occasionally humorous and completely honest and among the man’s best.

55. Mago de Oz – “Hechizos, Pocimas y Brujeria”

An enigma of a band, Spanish folk/power metal rockers Mago de Oz are so popular in the country in which I reside (Mexico) that people who typically don’t listen to anything remotely heavy or loud just can’t get enough of them. While not strictly a power metal band, their roots are pretty firmly embedded in that music. But over the course of their fine career they’ve always done a lot with orchestral pieces, folk instrumentation, hard rock and blues. And, most of all, the thing that really catches people is that their songs are so incredibly catchy and good. They could have easily become a band enjoying their success, riding their own coattails with albums chocked-full of power ballads. But I like that they maintain their hardened edge regardless of who I’m sure are record industry types breathing down their necks. Needless to say, I love this band. You’ll hear a lot of fun and spirited vocal performances, completely sans falsetto (thank God). The guitars are bright and raging with an unabashedly heavy backline and smoothed-out mid-80’s Springfield keyboards. And, to top it off, there are the flutes, strings and accordion which come in for the energetic folk money-riffs. Great songs and a lot of heart.

56. MXPX – “Plans Within Plans”

Holy fuckin’ 1997, Batman! If you thought MXPX was just a temporary symptom of the mid-90’s pop punk outbreak, you’ve got another thing coming. I personally think this band’s gotten progressively better with years, regardless if anybody is paying attention. That 50’s-influenced three-piece skate-punk sound still gets to me, packed full of energy and heart. And I really think that “Plans Within Plans” is one of if not their best album. MXPX’s songwriting sensibilities are readily apparent on this album, letting the numbers breathe with curt interludes and, all the while, maintaining all of the adrenaline that makes this music so fun to listen to. To me, this sounds like the same band as 15 years earlier but with more consistent and judiciously-chosen songs. Great work.

57. Icona Pop – “Iconic”

This is really not the type of thing I would usually go for. It’s trash in the best sense of the word. What Icona Pop would seem to lack in caring for other people, they make up for in loud, glossy Jello-pop with a distinctly mid-90’s stain and British party-girl attitude. I don’t know what’s really to be gained by listening to “Iconic”. But the EP leaves you with a feeling akin to when you’ve just watched an eerie and well-made horror movie: dirty and sticky yet oddly satisfied. And you don’t share it with anybody later. Bubbly and crazed.

58. Die Toten Hosen – “Ballast der Republik”

While never having gained much of an American fan base, Die Toten Hosen remains one of Germany’s all-time most popular acts. It’s interesting to see that most popular kraut rock tends to be a lot heavier and/or faster than any typical pop-rock offering from the US or Great Britain. The epic 2-disc “Ballast der Republik” is really one of their best. While it’s a punk rock record for sure, you can also expect a tasteful inclusion of power ballads, funky stuff and passionate mid-tempo rockers. Die Toten Hosen have always been great at writing tear-inducing killer hooks that make insignificant the language barrier. I think Ciampino’s voice gets better and better with age. And, even with such a great volume of songs, the production is unique on each and every track. There’s a brilliant aesthetic and getting from beginning to end is no chore at all. What a great band.

59. Samuel Locke Ward – “Double Nightmare”

I’ve been following Samuel’s work for some years now. A prolific artist, Samuel Locke Ward utilizes the Lo-fi genre in a way that allows him to experiment with more untraditional rock sounds within the homey confines of short songs and analog tape. On “Double Nightmare”, Samuel’s 40-song magnum opus, you’ll hear the artist move from Count Chocula to goofy falsetto vocal motifs and everything in between. And, as far as what he does with the lo-fi, there’s punk tunes, sloppy soul music, synth rock, avant-garde dream pop and a very distinctive brand of Jim-Morrison-comes-back-as-a-spirit-in-“Poltergeist” type bizarro shock rock. But really, I think that Ward’s intention is more to entertain than to show that he’s different. While not every song is a blockbuster, there are quite a few that are extremely memorable; the finest of which, I’d have to say, is the Buzzcocks/Kinks-esque “All I Dread About”. Samuel’s really outdone himself this time.

60. Dethklok – “Dethalbum III”

On “Dethalbum III”, Dethklok morphs into way more of a studio act. I understand that that they started out as a studio-only act. But, my problem with the band’s past couple releases is that they, more or less, seemed to pack and compile songs in the disc as one might so much ground chuck. “Dethalbum III” seems a more tasteful selection of songs from a distinct and very creative moment in the band. I understand that the songs come from various episodes of “Metalocalypse”, but that doesn’t mean that they can’t fit together in a holistic EQ. Sonically, I think the band has a lot more dynamics going on on D3. I am not sure if Brendon Small had actually ever tried to compose all that much metal before first writing “Metalocalypse”. So, this time around, the songs actually get to breathe a bit. The band’s first record largely featured near-constant 32^nd notes on the double bass pedal and not a whole lot to differentiate the band from others. But now, I think they’re pretty recognizable from the sound of the music alone. Taking Dethklok out as a live act has done wonders for them as they’ve analyzed the things that make a song work out in Humanland. And they all work. At this point, “death metal” is nothing more than a colloquial term for the band’s music. All manner of heavy and melodic territory is covered here. And the song “I Ejaculate Fire” is just awesome.

61. Deftones – “Koi No Yokan”

I have little reservation about calling “Koi No Yokan” Deftones’ triumphant return. While I’ve no beef with anything the band’s put out, I just don’t think they’ve done something this compelling since “White Pony”. We’re in a good place now. Nu Metal has made a comeback over the past 3 or 4 years and it’s clear that only the strong survived. One enjoyable aspect of “Koi No Yokan” is Chino Moreno’s use of a filter rather than a distortion pedal on his vocal tracks. I recently strolled through the Deftones back catalogue and found myself much more taken aback by the abuse of that one parlor trick than when I was a kid. I don’t think the band needs it. The playing is so heavy and innovative in a consistently melodic fashion. And all of the songs are terrific. That’s really where the whole “comeback” takes shape. Both on the caustic metal numbers and the more atmospheric and/or romantic songs, the catchiness is undeniable and it’s all very moving. It really sounds like the Deftones. Killer.

62. Anchors – “Lost at the Bottom of the World”

I see great things for the future of Melbourne, Australia melodic hardcore band Anchors, one of the few hardcore bands to really make what I feel is a substantial impact on 2012. Combining elements of pop punk, heavy metal and New England hardcore, “Lost at the Bottom of the World” is energetic and fresh. Their songs are catchy and well-constructed with fearsome emotional breakdowns. And, let me tell you. These guys have chops. Track sections are in constant fearless modulation, even if it means temporarily drifting away from hardcore go-to territory. And I love the lyrics. They’re personal and delivered as clear as possible, much in the vein of Kid Dynamite and Jawbreaker. This kind of thing is candy to my ears with its snotty, youthful vocals, bright harmonic guitar work, caustic barb-wire bass and free-wheeling, fast-paced drum work. It’s a recipe for success. These guys are going somewhere.

63. Ellie Goulding – “Halcyon”

British singer-songwriter and cross-country enthusiast Ellie Goulding ultra delivers the goods with her sophomore record, “Halcyon”, a new-age celebration of alternative pop and atmospheric industrial soul. The choruses have all got their nice little “pop-out” moments but not in a gaudy way. If we agree that pop is something that should exist, then this is an example of it being put to good use. Parts of “Halcyon” exhibit the artist’s fascination with African drum and chant while others suggest a fondness for gospel and old blues. But it’s held together by a pretty gloss veneer in the form of 90’s Euro-pop drum samples. Do I really need to say it? Yes, “Anything Can Happen” is an excellent song. But I don’t think it just shits all over the other songs on the record. There’s a lot of diversity here. The lyrics are interesting and bit dark. And they’re quite lovely as well. Goulding’s control of her vocal chords in the soprano song-bird moments is both impressive and astonishing. There’s no need to lump this album together with any of the nex-gen pop available as none of the songs succeed at making reference to either the club or a Dj. But it succeeds in pretty much every other way.

64. Poor Man’s Pharmacy – “It’s Spontaneous Generation All Over Again/A World of Seven Billion Gods”

On this epic, somber release, Poor Man’s Pharmacy gives a full-fledged analysis of the state of the universe in terms of its social, political, religious and economic state. In its use of an array of instruments and performers from across the globe, I suppose one might call it “world music”. But, to me, the sound of sprawling “It’s Spontaneous Generation All Over Again/A World of Seven Billion Gods” is more or less free form in nature with roots in American folk music. The project’s captain, Jamin Casciato, is a good friend of mine and I’ve always said that his music has a distinct Radiohead quality to it, much to his chagrin. But it does. I’ve heard very few albums in my day where the heart-wrenching sentiments are so readily and continually felt. PMP can take you to the darkest realm of the human soul. But this is album about reaching up, first and foremost. Also, Jamin didn’t send me any sort of album cover so I made one myself (see above). Moving and awesome.

65. Ne Obliviscaris – “Portal of I”

A bizarre and eclectic stew of aural delights has boiled down to Ne Obliviscaris’ powerful and awe-inspiring “Portal of I”, a sprawling progressive album which takes the band’s symphonic black metal sound to new heights. The screamed vocals here may not be for everybody and there certainly not the ones I typically associate with black metal. But I think they’re nice and full-bodied and awesome. There is so much variety on this album’s orchestration. I don’t really think I’ve heard any band short of Ulver taking black metal to such extremes of interpretation. There’s a distinct secular quality to the epic songs on “Portal of I”. Ne Obliviscaris seem unashamed to throw in a major key or poppy male vocal amidst an otherwise intense and brooding extreme metal number. It seems like there’s a story somewhere amongst the album’s rich textures; something about searching for some paradise where all is in harmony with nature… or something like that This album is much more likely to put the listener in a serene and hypnotic state rather than completely obliterate them. But, you’ll definitely find all the speed and intensity that you’re looking for here as well. Due to its nature, I think a lot of people from way outside the world of black metal could really appreciate this marvelously composed celestial odyssey.

66. Thy Art is Murder – “Hate”

Prepare to be encountered by absolutely 0% bullshit. I really liked Despised Icon and that’s the first band I thought of when I listened to “Hate”. As much death metal as it is deathcore, Australia’s Thy Art is Murder manage to put out something with no frills, minimal orchestration and/or layering and a whole lot of crunch and manage to keep it fresh and exciting. The bass is pretty cool on “Hate”. It sounds of the distorted down-in-the-sewer bass tone on Napalm Death’s “Scum”. The drums are direct, caustic and probably amplified to really get to the point. And the guitars have a lot of dynamics unlike the barbarous, hastily-recorded wah-wah guitars annoyingly grunting their way across a wash of the other deathcore albums in 2012. Finally, there are the vocals which are, for me, the albums greatest appeal. A lot of guys (and girls) can pull off a studio-phonic, half-assed scream or pig grunt. But few have an actual talent in that capacity and aren’t just filling a nitch in a popular genre. But vocalist Chris McMahon is a true artist. The album cover’s also pretty terrific. This is really great

67. De De Mouse – “Faraway Girl”

Here’s a goofy and awesome electronic album. So much about De De Mouse’s “Faraway Girl” is wildly untraditional. Just check out how the first track “Firework Girl” manages to make its way from a djent-pop synth movement in 4/4 to a waltz in ¾ and, ultimately, a J-pop lullaby. It’s really brilliant music. And, interestingly enough for electronic music, it doesn’t depend so heavily upon its drum loops. The warm synth chords and ethnic percussion tracks keep the mix bright and glistening. If you need discernible vocals, you’re looking in the wrong place as they’ve been thoroughly chopped up and used as drum heads. While containing only 6 songs, “Faraway Place” makes for an enjoyable escape. It’s the land of fantasy and invention and maintains its musical brilliance in a genre that consists of, typically, non-musicians. It’s very broken up. I love it so much

68. Goran Bregovic – “Champagne for Gypsies”

Active for over 4 decades, Bosnian gypsy maestro Goran Bregovic sounds as young and energetic as ever on “Champagne for Gypsies”. Due to the worldwide success of Gogol Bordello and others, it’s a great time to be making Balkans folk music now. The punkyness of this album is undeniable. But that probably has a lot to do with the fact that all this gypsy stuff was, essentially, the first punk rock: loud, festive music played by religious and social dissidents depicting real life in addition to unmentionable thoughts and acts. That’s to say: it’s great. There’s a full house of musical styles with Greek, Serbian, Israeli and Spanish influences proudly donned on “Champagne for Gypsies”. The guitar playing couldn’t be more diverse and masterful and Bregovic’s orchestrations are never the same from song to song. And I’m talking about big orchestrations. The multiple stand-out collaborations with the Gypsy Kings and Eugene Hutz are just outstanding. This is not some Kenny G easy-listening crap. This is forward-moving, well-written gypsy-fuel pumped by a master of the art. Great, great Work.

69. Don Omar – “Don Omar Presents MTO2: New Generation”

It’s no secret that I am not a fan of reggaeton. But Don Omar I can get into. He’s been really consistent in having catchy, well-produced songs. And “MTO2: New Generation” is no exception. It’s more than just the fact that (just about) each and every song he puts out has the makings of an international super-hit (self-fulfilling prophecy maybe?). It’s that he’s taken the repulsive, ogre-banging-on-a-cash-register sound of reggaeton music and re-fashioned it into something that goes down like an aural éclair. This guy makes people have sex with one another. You can hear the salt water, sand and Caribbean beer dripping off the speaker cone and, in an instant, you’re transported to Old San Juan and are suddenly much more heavily tattooed, better looking and sporting a wife-beater. But, more than that, he’s just a really great singer with a voice that’s full and perilous and gets stuck in your head. With the exception of annoying Britpop collaboration “FML”, the album really plays through pretty well. I mean, there are songs like “No Sigues Modas Aka Ella No Sigue Modas” which clearly try and imitate past singles (Namely the universal zumba hit “Danza Kuduro”). But, as “MTO2…” is meant to be a re-edition or, better, a complete re-imagining of the musical and thematic elements of its predecessor, I suppose that’s to be expected. Anyway, it’s terrific. The choruses pop and the mix is refreshing and distinctly Puerto Rican. Cool.

70. Ministry – “Relapse”

What an awesome album cover. I don’t really dislike any of Ministry’s material. I just think that some of their albums are more stand-out than others. On “Relapse”, you might very well find Al Jourgensen at his most personal and intense. Something missing from certain sections of the band’s catalogue is catchiness. But this one’s got it in spades. If any other disc, I’d say that “Relapse” more or less reminds me of 1989’s excellent “The Mind is a Terrible Thing to Taste”. There’s a lot of really fierce (but not caustic) industrial thrash as well as Jougensen speaking directly into the mic. Mike Scaccia (R.I.P.) is really on fire this time around and the stringed instruments are all super full and colorful without losing any of their intensity. There’s a real “Alice in Wonderland” quality about the experience. You’re just taken into all these little worlds of combat, drugs and the music industry. And the moment that you back out of a room you know you should have never walked into in the first place, you find yourself in yet another spooky chasm. Particularly notable are the songs “Kleptocracy” and “Ghouldiggers”, both poignant and stirring cautionary tales from the wrong side of the tracks. Metal.

71. Sonata Arctica – “Stones Grow Her Name”

On their most candid and best-sounding record, Sonata Arctica breaks the fourth wall of the fantasy world in symphonic power metal. Tony Kakko has always been one of my favorite singers but I don’t think he’s ever been so well-represented as on “Stones Grow Her Name”. Songs like “Shitload of Money” and “Losing My Insanity” tell stories that are personal and related to the world we know as opposed to something out of a fantasy novel. There is some truly brilliant guitar work from Marko Paasikoski and Elias Viljanen. Another topic of interest on “Stones Grow Her Name” is the complexity of the money-riffs dropped throughout the course of each and every song, not just during solos. There’s also some more untraditional stuff like piano-rock songs and numbers along the lines of roadhouse music or AC/DC. On a whole, probably their best album. Totally awesome.

72. Carach Angren – “Where the Bodies Sink Forever”

So, this is definitely the first time I’ve heard black metal used as a medium for telling ghost stories and myths about world wars I, II and the Vietnam. Neither have I likely ever heard an album from this genre with such direct and connective lyrical delivery. The storytelling is pretty haunting and told in a first-person narrative. The sound of the Netherlands’ Carach Angren is more melodic and symphonically-garnished than most black metal bands. Yet their orchestrations don’t sound anything like Cradle of Filth or Dimmu Borgir. It’s more of a diverse sound, occasionally maritime or secular in appearance and, at times, more along the lines of Chopin and George Crumb. I particularly like the tune “The Funerary Dirge of a Violinist”, a song about a gifted musician who gets caught up in the non-art of war (and comes back as a ghost… I guess?). Anyway, it’s cool. I like everything about this.

73. Pig Destroyer – “Book Burner”

On their first long-player in 6 years, Pig Destroyer gets busy doing the deed. I’ve always felt that Scott Hull’s mother project was the template for greatness en la musica grindcore. I’d say that “Book Burner” is maybe their “cleanest” album. This is not to say that the content, songwriting or performances are any less intense than on past records. I just think that the mix is less convoluted than on other releases. The guitars are well-panned and there’s a bit more concentration on the low end than one would expect. The riffs can be heard loud and clear and that’s a real godsend. There’s a good bit of heavy/death metal balanced by essence of punk rock. And the songwriting is a lot more experimental, making use of strange, inverted and dissonant chords with hyper-modulating drum patterns. But, all in all, it sounds just like Pig Destroyer. Great work, team.

74. Rush – “Clockwork Angels”

On their first studio outing in 5 years, Rush takes it back to where it all began. I’m talking about their earliest, grittiest hard-rocking sound from albums like “Fly by Night” and “Caress of Steel”. There’s a lot of psychedelic influence on “Clockwork Angels”. And, more than anything, I like how much the band sounds like a three-piece this time around. I’ve always thought a well-synced three-piece can be a wholly effective organism. So, on this cd you won’t hear much overdubbing; maybe some keyboard stuff and definitely some strings. But not much. Novelist Kevin J. Anderson views the record as more of a concept album than the band would seem to. But I’m inclined to agree with him. As he sees the disc, it’s the story of a drifter, roaming dizzily across a bizarre world of carnies and steampunk; “steampunk” being the key word here. Anyway, I think a lot of people could really enjoy the bass-heavy, rockin’ sound of “Clockwork Angels”. It’s surely not a premier example of “progressive” music (there aren’t really that many key/tempo changes). But it’s definitely Rush. Epic.

75. Pathology – “The Time of Great Purification”

If it weren’t painfully clear in the sick-ass album art, “The Time of Great Purification” is deathgrind act Pathology’s magnum opus. Let’s start with Tim Lambesis’ wonderful production. You just don’t get a sound this clear and distinct with something so heavy. You just don’t. It’s alchemy I tell ya. As far as guitars, listen to the phrasing on the complex riffs of Pathology. Sometimes it’s what you don’t play that counts. And that’s exactly what they’ve done. I haven’t been terribly supportive of Pathology’s vocals on other releases. But the short-lived presence of Jonathan Huber is a breath of fresh (or rotten) air. This guy uses his voice box the way that DJ Lethal uses turntables: swiveling amongst contorted octaves and generating such a volume of repulsive tones, it’s unimaginable. Did I mention that the songs are excellent? They are indeed. And the rhythm is surprisingly palatable given its intensity and a real delight. I love everything about it. There is not one thing I dislike about it. It’s like Dexter: perfect at being what it is.

76. Burlington Hate Factory – “Grindpop”

Here comes my annual six minutes of shameless self-promotion. This is a record you’re either going to love or hate. I wanted to combine the glossiness and accountability of pop music with the volatile speed and energy of grindcore. And then, for added measure, I took all the songs I’d written and converted them into Nintendo-ish 8-bit stuff. What can I say? I love the record. I think all of the songs are strong and catchy. I wrote about a lot of things I hate: ex-friends, ex-girlfriends, forced gentrification, sex-trafficking, crackheads… all that good stuff. The 8-bit programmed medium also allowed me to write some music that I would otherwise be unable to record because of the extreme technical challenge/impossibility or for lack of access to other musicians to do the orchestrations. I also finally encountered a medium which let me cover a Melt Banana song. Burlington Hate Factory is essentially me and Justin Credible Hate (Justin Kingsford Smith) who sings backups on the majority of the lyrical songs accompanied by occasional feminine vocals as well. I know there are a lot of better artists below me. But, I think, in this case, I actually made a pretty flawless record and deserve my self-awarded title. Anyway, “Grindpop” is free. Download it and see what you think.

77. Angel Haze – “Classick”

Angel Haze is a girl who raps. I’m not known for being a great authority on hip hop. But I know that she is great. On “Classick”, Haze emerges with more honesty than I’ve heard from almost anybody in any kind of music (except for Daniel Johnston, I suppose). Without sounding like a bitter, man-hating owner of a decorative plant shop, Angel tells stories about her life and the lives of others around her; stories which tend to show the dark unspoken side of human beings, typically male. There’s a bit of self-declaring “Don’t tread on me” type rap. But, mainly, the EP consists of tales. If nothing else, the album receives full merit for its end track, “Cleaning out My Closet”, probably the most honest, haunting and revelatory song I’ve ever heard; a stark account of Haze’s horrific youth. This is a very good album.

78. Rings of Saturn – “Dingir”

Quite simply, Rings of Saturn’s “Dingir” is probably one of the ten most extreme records you’ll ever hear.  This album was technically released in February 2013. But the band leaked it to the internet in 2012 while they were dealing with a legal dispute so I’m letting it fly. Performing under the style listing “aliencore”, the ensemble combines the speed and intensity of technical death metal and grindcore with the feel and modality of electronica and 70’s Italian prog rock. Don’t be surprised to hear the occasional hint of surf or whatever the band has decided to instill within a given song at that moment. Ian Bearer’s vocals are typically either gurgled or rasped at high pitch. Picture the gremlin in “Gremlins 2” who somehow got stuck in the telephone and electrical system and you’ve got a good idea of what I’m talking about. I can’t even begin to describe to you the technical prowess of each member of this band. They’re doing things that were just unheard of until very recently. But I must say, amongst bands playing extreme and technical metal, Rings of Saturn’s overall sound is absolutely unique. I’m not sure how many people out there have both the ears and the stomach to withstand all 41-plus minutes of “Dingir”. But if you can, it’ll change you. And, anyway, check out that album cover! Oh yeah!!!

79. The Darkness – “Hot Cakes”

I think it’s awesome that The Darkness are still at it. 10 years after the band’s popularity with teenagers soaking in the group’s novelty appeal, they’re still cranking out those soprano-laden old-school rock hits. I gotta say, the guitars just sound awesome on “Hot Cakes”. They’re oh-so-thick and fuzzy/punky at times and sweeping/ballsy when a big ol’ superman axe solo comes down. I think you’ll find Justin Hawkins swinging his dick around more often than his near-unlimited vocal range. It’s a great stride in trying to limit the group’s dependence on silly novelty fandom. The songs stand up perfectly well on their own without having to cater to the Adam Sandler crowd. “Hot Cakes” kicks into gear with several rockers but the thumping, operatic stadium bout “With a Woman” is when the religious experience comes in. Each song is expertly written and produced and the band is just a powerhouse of genital thunder. Great.

80. Krallice – “Years Past Matter”

With brilliant tracks like “IIIIIII” and “IIIIIIIII”, not to mention “IIIIIIIIIII”, you’ve already got a taste of what’s on the deck for Krallice’s experimental 2012 black metal opus! Ok, so the track titles are a little self-indulgent. But don’t let ‘em dissuade you from giving “Years Past Matter” a spin. Black metal? Yes. But it is so much more. A lot of the riffage sounds more like Rush than Darkthrone. And the vocals are growled or yelled a distance most of the time rather than intently screamed or rasped. I definitely hear a distinct King Diamond influence on the vocal delivery. As far as the music goes, there’s no discernible set of rules being followed, at least that I’m aware of. A section can repeat itself fifty times in a row or make no more than a single appearance in the course of an 11-minute solar epic. Tempo changes come and go as they please without even seeming to try and grab the listener’s attention; as if it were a commonplace occurrence to hear one bar in a series of “verses” shift to 11/4 for a single measure. If it weren’t performed by such excellent musicians, I would think it was unplanned. Something about nature and the end of nature and what comes after nature is all I can hash out as the main thematic elements of “Years Past Matter”. But you don’t need to make out all the lyrics to understand. Just listen to the ambience of each and every movement of this “Ben Hur” of a record. Feel the seas and forests and uncontrollable flame. It’s intense.

81. Tremonti – “All I Was”

You might be surprised to learn that I have Mark Tremonti’s “All I Was” scribbled down as 2012’s only contestant “thrash” offering. But if you, like myself have been following Tremonti’s career from the get go, then you’re well-aware of both his skill on the guitar and as his fondness for extreme and fast-paced metal music. But what surprised me about “All I Was” is the Creed axe-man’s uncanny talent as a lead vocalist (Yes. I know he sings sometimes in Alter Bridge). Tremonti is an ensemble consisting of said namesake guitarist/singer accompanied by Eric Friedman on guitar/bass/vocals and Garrett Whitlock on drums and takes its sound from many a fount. The more melodic death metal songs tend to sound a bit like Killswitch Engage. While the fast-paced solos and thrash interludes remind me of Dew-Scented or perhaps Death Angel. But the choruses are most frequently passionate, hard-rockin’ breakdowns akin to… you guessed it: Creed. But the thing that really separates Tremonti from all the above mentioned is the songwriting. Each number is a heartfelt parable about hard roads and loss. They’re flawlessly composed and produced and stand neither embarrassed to embrace their poppyness nor timid to break out thee extreme metal carnage when called upon. So, to people who like Creed for nothing more than their pop secular ballads, you’ve come to the wrong place. For everyone else, prepare to be amazed.

82. Slice the Cake – “The Man with No Face”

Here’s an intense and progressive death metal band who seriously rise above. On the epic parable “The Man Without a Face”, you’ll find yourself amidst a whole lot of story and an ocean of riff. Herein, Slice the Cake move through a variety of textures as well as the spectrum of soft and loud to create the kind of balance required to get your ass from one side of this whale to the other. The album has lots of highlights such as the trippy and beauteous “Of Gallows”. But probably most impressive is the albums crazily epic 21-minute title track. Channeling middle-east music, free jazz and Dillinger-esque spazzcore, STC show they’ve got a lot more than just chunky, low-tuned deathcore going on. And when the band decides to get into solo territory, some pretty impressive things happen in conjunction very uncommon techniques. I also think the choice to put the vocals at the forefront is one of merit. They’re as raucous as they are beautifully done and really serve the album’s function. This is an impressive feat.

83. Reinxeed – “Welcome to the Theater”

Here’s a cool little gem from 2012. Swedish power metal band Reinxeed’s ambitious “Welcome to the Theater” does something which I, myself, have tried to do in bands in the past, albeit unsuccessfully: it has songs about movies! In an attempt to tap into the zeitgeist of various cinematic universes, some very compelling material comes out. Musically speaking, Reinxeed is a very gifted band. The rhythm section is super heavy and tight, the guitars and vocals soar and the keys/arrangements lead the progression as the record’s anchor and constant. The fun of this album is that the song titles are not completely indicative of what major Hollywood blockbuster is being sung about. And while the band’s not exactly leaving it up to you to solve a Rubik’s Cube, it could be a cool game to play with your best friend to listen to the album without looking at any titles and see who can call out the film being spoken about before the other. Then again, maybe you’re not me. Everything about “Welcome to the Theater” is cinematic from the intro track (similar to the great and glorious intro themes they used to play in decent movie theaters before they started putting up Wendy’s advertisements) to the grand orchestrations and subtle references to the films’ scores’ motifs and/or characters. Bitchin’.

84. Hold Tight! – “Blizzard of ‘96”

This 2012 release by young Virginia four-piece pop-punk outfit “Hold Tight!” really took me by surprise. Don’t expect to get your mountains moved. But these guys really get the whole pop punk thing. There’s a lot of honestly in the lyrics about work and relations with girls and friends. I don’t really know what to say about it. There’s not that much complication to it, just bright energetic lyrical sections and passionate breakdowns with infectious gang vocals. If you like New Found Glory, Samiam and Set Your Goals, you’ll probably relate with it. It’s the real thing. Well done.

85. Gaelic Storm – “Chicken Boxer”

Remember the Irish band that played at the 3^rd class bar in “Titanic”? This is that band. On past releases I’ve had problems with the Gaelic Storm’s vocals. But I really think that the old pipes sound pretty good on “Chicken Boxer”. I feel like Patrick Murphy’s no longer trying to sound like a traditional Irish singer and is more focused on just sounding like himself. I’d have to say that’s sort of a theme for the whole album, as it were. Earlier Gaelic Storm offerings dealt with traditional and historical themes related to the old Ireland as to make for a type of “world music” (yuck) ethnic nostalgia. But I feel like this one has more to do with being a proud 21^st-century Irish everyman and appreciating the small blessings in a simple life. There’s a lot that people can relate with here and a good amount of playful Irish instrumentals as well. I’ve gotten a lot of good vibrations listening to this record. Get it.

86. Flea – “Helen Burns”

On Flea’s eclectic, free-jazz offering “Helen Burns”, not once will you find yourself making Chili Peppers comparisons or singing along with hooks. This is something completely different. To accompany the aforementioned jazz is smart electronica, sparse and pretty ambience and gentle modernist symphony. Frequent modulation and shifts in style or demeanor are commonplace on “Helen Burns”. “Noise” music definitely rears its gnarly head amongst the many textures presented herein. The central melodies tend to be predominantly carried by flutes, saxophones and clarinets. So there’s really no need for vocals. And that’s good because you’ll find them on the chamber-ballad title track and nowhere else. I can only imagine an insane amount of journey and deep thought that went into the creation of this bizarre and pretty bit of symphony. I am very impressed.

87. NOFX – “Self Entitled”

NOFX’s “Self Entitled” is neither the band’s finest or crudest work. But it is a very good album. These fellas released a series of wonderfully epic and thematic records for several years in the 2000’s. So now I have no choice but to base my review off of comparisons to those albums. Oh well. I think “I Believe in Goddess” could be seen as sort of a half-cocked sequel to “Franco Un-American”. But there are other songs hold their own really well (“72 Hookers”, “She Didn’t Lose Her Baby”, “This Machine is 4”). “I’ve Got One Jealous Again, Again” is a literal sequel to “We’ve Got Two Jealous Agains.”, as the sad break-up counterpart to the happy get-together song from “The War on Errorism”. All in all, the album does elicit a smile and even NOFX’s least illuminated songs are tighter and more intelligent than the best of most any other band. Punk rock.

88. Titus Andronicus – “Local Business”

Titus Andronicus make lo-fi garage-punk cool again on “Local Business”. Without depending so heavily on choruses, the band has attempted to do something which is probably still impossible: making a near-free-form, noisy, lo-fi masterpiece. I still don’t know if it’s possible but I appreciate the attempt. On “Local Business”, the Clash influence is clear and immediate but not without accompaniment. I hear a lot of soul influences from Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes to early-70’s Bruce Springsteen, especially with all the big, thematic songs and jazzy, clobbered-up pianos. One can hear a Shadows influence on the lead guitar. And the overall alt-punk sound most frequently reminds me of The Dead Milkmen or, maybe Richard Hell and the Voivoids. “Opun Viewing Oregon’s Landscape with the Flood of Detritus” stands as the albums best and most distinctly memorable anthem, as well as its Clashiest. Many years of rock music had to transpire in order for this record to come together and the guys sound really natural. Superb.

89. Propagandhi – “Failed States”

I think I probably like Canadian punk group Propagandhi’s “Failed States” even more than 2005’s thrilling “Potemkin City Limits”. There are some really textured and progressive numbers on this release. The album’s flagship song is, without a doubt, the epic, intelligent opener “Note to Self”, an impressive display of technique, innovative song composition and lyrical prowess. The overall sound of “Failed States” tends to see-saw back and forth between aggressive hardcore and trippy, soaring prog punk. It can feel almost disjointed at times but still manages to attain its continuity. These are not the types of songs you can write in a single moment. There are all sorts of goofy dynamics going on in the tempo and harmonies that you just don’t hear on anything related to punk rock. Boundary-defying records like New Found Glory’s “Catalyst”, Rx Bandits’ “Progress” and Blink 182’s self-titled album come to mind. When “intense” and “fast-paced” are called for, the band pulls it off with gritty-ass metal fury. But this only helps to accentuate the more subtle and contemplative moments on the record. This music will likely be misunderstood by the young bucks just getting into punk rock. You’ve probably got to work your way through the band’s 20-year catalogue to understand how they got here. Poignant and awesome.

90. All That Remains – “A War You Cannot Win

Like money riffs? Like ‘em all day?  So do I. I initially felt that All That Remain’s 2012 release was somewhat underwhelming. Eventually, I began singing the thick, passionate metalcore songs to myself in the shower. So, I suppose you could say that “A War You Cannot Win” is like a good Indian meal. The flavors and textures need to build but are slowly understood and interpreted by the palette over time. There are a lot of factors working for this release. For one thing, you’ve got Adam Dutkiewicz’s brilliant and full-bodied production setting the mix. And there’s just as much of wall of guitar and kick drum as on the breakout “The Fall of Ideals” (for example). And those guitars are a central part of the album’s success. I’ve always felt that Oli Herbert is one of the only people on the planet making completely memorable guitar solos anymore. His phrasing is incredible. But everything in the mix sounds really bright and crisp in general. I actually prefer Phil Labonte’s vocals on this album to those on the band’s last 2. At some point, he’d gotten to using this very Slipknot sort of combination of raspy belting with and underlining growl and it just sounded a bit forced to me. Here, you’ll get that old, reliable “good cop, bad cop” dynamic that you know and love. And there’s a real diversity of song styling as well. When things have nearly begun to sink too deeply into ballad territory, a ripping thrash number Dumbo-drops in from out of nowhere to draw blood from the open wound. Moreover, as the album’s title might entail, there’s a good bit of lyrical content related to war, whether between lovers, adversaries or nations. Great stuff.

91. Chino XL – “Chino XL – RICANstruction: The Black Rosary.”

“Experimental” is not a term I typically throw around in describing a hip hop album. But “RICANstruction: The Black Rosary” is just that. It’s fairly evident from the get-go that Chino XL is a pretty intelligent guy. It’s incredible how many persons, religious practices and historical events he can manage to discuss in the course of a single song. Some of the music has sort of a 70’s funk sound. Other times, it’s more along the lines of creepy Italian synth-prog band Goblin. Chino is quite vocal about his dislike for some of the more mediocre artists and elements of hip hop. To quote the man, “…monkeys dancing around. They don’t even speak English.” It must be difficult trying to make art in a genre whose industry would prefer that its artists get arrested, doped or shot up in order to bolster album sales. A lot of tracks on the ambitious 2-disc “RICANstruction…” are stories about various moments and individuals in Chino’s life. Juggling between the 1^st, 2^nd and 3^rd person, a lot of it deals with Chino’s abusive mother as well as his own daughter’s battle with cancer. The track which wholly refers to the latter, “Father’s Day”, is not only a tearjerker but is a truly excellent song. This is what I really like out of hip hop. Darkened, articulate and honest throughout.

92. Tiamat – “The Scarred People”

Tiamat is a goth/symphonic metal band from Sweden, named after a powerful draconic goddess from Dungeons and Dragons. I’ve never played the game. But I’m sure I would have liked it if I weren’t so busy being awesome in high school. With its baritone vocals, slow-to-moderate tempo and Cure-ish themes of love lost and the macabre, it’s easy to say that “The Scarred People” is not for everyone. But, if you’re in that sort of mood, I think you’ll find their songs full and entrancing and conveying a certain mysticism. Actually, with the poppin’ backbeat, experimental guitar tones and funky bass, it kind of reminds me of early 90’s Pearl Jam or Soundgarden, just darker. So, yes, you’ve got a lot of thick minor-key guitars and keyboards. But the moment that the band decides to reward you with a rare positive major key, it’s like you just received a Wayne Gretsky table hockey set for Christmas. (See “Winter Dawn”). 20 years ago, Tiamat was a black metal band. And there are still embers of that resonating in some of the melodies and lyrics. I think that the album’s real turning point and finest moment has got to be the southern-rock styled “Messinian Letter” with its bittersweet chorus of “You are my only friend. I want you to be happy again.” It’s certainly one of the year’s 10 best and balances out an already terrific album. Dark beauty at its best.

93. Billy Talent – “Dead Silence”

On their fourth and best offering, hard rock act Billy Talent serve up an eclectic marathon jam-packed with poignant social and political commentary. Each and every track on “Dead Silence” is both catchy and interesting. It almost feels like the song titles were there before the songs were; like they had to write music to describe said titles as one might the theme to a James Bond movie. As is customary on a Billy Talent record, the guitars are stacked ten high and everything else is turned up to 11. It’s BIG music. The man-with-the-loudspeaker/gameshow-host style of vocals may be a little bit too in-your-face for some. But I think it suits the music really well. There’s a lot of seeming influences on the band’s music here: Muse, Van Halen, Rise Against, Michael Jackson … It’s all over the place. Sometimes, in the middle of a really intense sort of song, a classic rock or country style guitar solo will come in to break that tension. And, as far as chords go, these guys have got it down. They use such a gamut of rich chord figures, you’ll never feel anything but a full-on bulldozer of sound. A great record.

94. Gojira – “L’Enfant Sauvage”

And now we come to 2012’s popular and critically-acclaimed album from Gojira, “L-Enfant Sauvage”. Always trying something different, this French experimental band of metallers has done something pretty unique on this album. In its ability to incorporate melodic death metal with (occasionally) country-style guitar, it reminds me a bit of The Haunted’s “Revolver”. And in its heavy, djent-style repetition, there is a distinct influence of Meshuggah. Moreover, thee alt-hardcore moments remind me of Refused. The vocals are probably the greatest part for me: a thick, well-reverbed clean-cut growl not dissimilar to that of In Flames’ Anders Friden but with some polyphonic elements that make it Joe Duplantier’s own. The guitars crunch and play upper tones/harmonics simultaneously, the latter of which tend to sound like the ringing of bells or sounding an alarm. There’s some bottom-heavy bass that cuts like razor wire when it gets its turn to fiddle up high on the neck. And it’s got some of the most delicate and intricate drumming you’re likely to hear on such a heavy album; very Neil Peart. All in all, “L’Enfant Sauvage” is everything they said it was. Killer.

95. Ceremony – “Zoo”

It’s strange to think that just a few short years ago I’d have categorized Ceremony as a fastcore/grindpunk band when, at this time, their playing an early-70’s-style psychedelic proto-punk. It’s been hard to wrap my head around and I might be biased. But I do still think “Zoo” is a pretty sweet album and for almost none of the reasons I liked the band before. It’s a little less along the lines of Black Flag then their late masterwork “Rohnert Park”. But there’s still something very raucous about the Ceremony’s noisy, mid-tempo garage rock. You can hear the sounds of The Stooges, Shellac, Fear and The Kinks on “Zoo”. It’s a bit relentless. But this is still a great and intense group of guys, no matter what style they choose to play album to album. I think the song “Adult” is really good And its reluctant message about not fitting in to your aging self might be an explanation for the change in the band’s sound. Ross Farrar really has a way with words. Anyway, the band sounds super tight and into the music. Everything is smooth.

96. Grendel – “Timewave Zero”

On “Timewave Zero”, Grendel has used the industrial electro genre as an unlikely base for a dystopian concept record. I can’t claim to fully understand the story or interconnectivity of the songs. But I know that they’re all superb. Song construction is not always a main concern in industrial music; but here it takes precedent. The choruses actually permit some chord modulation so it’s not just a monotone pulsing bass for the entirety of the song. This material would have worked really well on the “Matrix” soundtrack. While there’s some heavy guitar on the album and, definitely, a dark metal edge, I wouldn’t call the sound of this “Industrial metal”. It’s well-grounded in electronica and is on a rare occasion gothic and cutesy. But, I think it’s a real feat for this style in a time where not too much is really happening within its confines. A very fine, pulse-popping album.

97. Tenacious D – “Rize of the Fenix”

Jack and KG are back and on a mission to de-civilize. Serving initially as a humorous apology for the novelty rock act’s 2006 movie/album “The Pick of Destiny”, “Rize of the Fenix” stands up pretty well as its own album rather than in the context of others. A couple of the tracks are less funny than others. But “Deth Starr”, “Roadie”, “To Be the Best” and the title track are some new Tenacious D classics for sure. It is, actually, legitimately funny and pretty raucous. ‘Nuff said.

98. Lacuna Coil – “Dark Adrenaline”

I’ve always enjoyed the stylings of Italian symphonic metal band Lacuna Coil. But up until now I’ve more been a fan of their sound rather than of so many individual songs. On “Dark Adrenaline”, they’ve broken that trend and for the better. Rhythmically, the band’s often dwelled upon breakdowns with synced-up kick and bass , guitars holding power chords and a typically Egyptian-esque keyboard melody. This time around, there’s a lot more of forward motion, varying beats/tempos and a whole lot of riffage by everyone. I find that I like Cristina Scabbia’s vocals more on “Dark Adrenaline” than anything beforehand. Instead of attempting something operatic, Scabbia tries out clean-cut humanity and her back-and-forth with Andrea Ferro bares a lot more logical and less gimmicky production choices than on anything else they’ve done. I actually like the sound of his vocals best on this album as well. I think it’s the first time that there’s no awkward tension felt between them when either vocalist chimes in. It’s also probably the most heavy and crushing album they’ve ever put out. It’s wonderful, really.

99. Kaki King – “Glow”

Ah, yes. Yet another glistening travel across the boundless frontier with string-maestra Kaki King. Throughout her career she has straddled vocal-driven catchy folk rock and more contemplative acoustic music ranging from folk to rock n’ roll and orchestral stuff. “Glow” is the latter. King’s dexterous handling of the dreadnaught and pedal steel guitars is accompanied by the eclectic ETHEL orchestra in addition to Richmond Johnston on bagpipes. At times, the suites have the forward motion/energy of the film scores of Miklos Rozsa; while others have a more loose structure with haunting melodies and sparse production.  While probably not on everyone’s “Throwback Party 2012” lists, there’s a lot of emotion and beauty to be found on “Glow”. At moments it feels Spanish while, at others, a bit Celtic. While at other moments, it is quite American, delving into free jazz and old plains music. A diverse and joyous offering. Yes, indeed.

100. Muse – “The 2^nd Law”

While it might not be so much new territory for the band, this new series of epic symphonic fugues from Muse is as compelling as any in their career. Dwelling on big Souza-esque horn passages and spooky feats of simulated electronica, “The 2^nd Law” is completely clear in its intent and sound picture in addition to the emotional state which it means to convey. In some ways, it kind of reminds me of late 70’s Billy Joel with its banged-out pianos, big organs and grandiose orchestrations. I’ve always felt that each and every Muse song sounds like it could be in a modernist rendition of “Man of La Mancha”. All of the tracks just march forward and build and build and build. There’s some really interesting guitar work here. Some of it sounds a bit like what one of those ancient Roman bugelhorns would play. And as far as a sonic explanation, it’s certainly loud and experimental. But Muse has always been a pretty consistent band as far as their sound. I guess you could just say it sounds BIG.

101. Aborted – “Global Flatline”

Here’s another great record from Aborted. Honestly, for those unfamiliar with the subtleties of death metal, the band’s whole catalogue might not sound all that diverse. But, they really have done something very unique with each and every album. Here you’ve got a lot of different atmospheres, different speeds and dynamics within the course of each song. As far as riffage, they’ve come up with so much great stuff on “Global Flatline”, it’s amazing to think they we’re able to fit as much as they did on individual songs. While not dwelling heavily upon any popular songwriting format, there is still a certain catchiness about the songs. The vocals are sometimes screamed or growled in 3 different octaves at once and really help to fill out the sections the band would have you groove on. Also, the album cover is pretty awesome. Brutal, textured and brilliantly-composed death metal music.

102. The Other – “The Devils You Know”

The Other is a German punk rock band styled largely after The Misfits (and all of Glenn Danzig’s musical projects). If horror punk is really a genre, then these guys are definitely playing it. But that’s not to say that this group is a one-trick pony. It’s not. There’s a lot of thrash and heavy metal chops shown off on “The Devils You Know”. But they’ve a really apparent Iron Maiden influence well and I think the combination of these two major components makes for a fresh and interesting aural blend. Not surprisingly, the songs involve tombs and creepy ghouls and stuff like that. But, regardless of not being completely original in its concept, The Other is uncommonly tight and have written a suite of really great and infectious songs. I especially like the epic heavy-metal balladry of the vampire lovefest, “Hell is a Place on Earth”. This is a terrific album.

103. Thousand Leaves – “Lunatic Dawn”

As you might have guessed by the album cover, Thousand Leaves is, indeed, from Japan. And I think they really do, in every way, encompass what I think of as a quintessential Japanese spin on heavy metal. As far as how heavy we’re talking about, think Dragonforce meets Children of Bodom. In general, I’d call it melodic death metal. There are lots of keyboards and an excellent class of screaming. But, as anybody who listens to J-rock is aware, the Japanese necessity for glossy perfection keeps the band’s sound from ever becoming potentially caustic. There are some hardcore moments and some really impressive thrashing solo parts. And then, somehow, they manage to bring insane harmonies through the power metal ringer before taking everything back to extreme with a full-on blast beat. At the same time the style might be distinctly Scandinavian, there’s not 30 seconds that go by in which you’re unaware of the J-rock bubble you’re in. And that’s a good thing. This band is a good thing. They’re like Wheaties for the universe.

104. The Wallflowers – “Glad All Over”

In 2012, around The Wallflowers’ 20^th anniversary, Jakob Dylan manages to way outdo his own father, at least as releases go. There are really a lot of great and memorable tracks on “Glad All Over”. I feel like the majority of the music and lyrics presented here are a bit more hard-edged and poignant than anything from The Wallflowers as well as their many contemporaries in the early-to-mid 90’s. “Misfits and Lovers” would have probably been a smash hit in 1995. But peoples’ focus has shifted. I hear a lot of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers on “Glad All Over”. The band definitely tries and succeeds at making a big, cinematic album. There’s a great mix going on and the group sounds very funky. The lyrics on this album are probably the best I’ve heard of anything from Dylan. It’s got a lot of stories about desperate characters clinging to hope across a stern, barren landscape. A strong and rejuvenating effort.

105. In this Moment – “Blood”

If there’s one record that possibly surprised me more than any other in 2012, it’s “Blood”, the somewhat-industrial heavy metal album from the female-fronted In This Moment. The title track is an eye-popping yell-fest doctored by a woman possessed and declaring her hate for the lover who treats her undeservingly well. The vocals on “Blood” are quite unique. I guess they sort of remind me a bit of Angelspit or Kittie (on their first couple of albums); a combination of sexy and scary. But, just when they want to be, they’re also cute (in the way that dead girls with straight, long black hair who come back as ghosts in Japanese horror flicks are cute). The other distinctive factor about this record is its focus upon the hard-rocking shock sound of Marilyn Manson and Alice Cooper (It’s not just an image thing. Alice has always been the greatest musical influence on Marilyn’s music… just saying). And, as I mentioned before, there’s a strong industrial portent to the music. This is one you’ve just got to hear. It’s impossible to fully describe the insanity behind these tracks. Listen to it.

106. Shonen Knife – “POP TUNE”

Oh yeah! Classic all-girl Japanese rock n’ roll. Stylistically, you’ll still find Shonen Knife playing Ramones-influenced 3-chord punk/pop rock in strongly Japanized English on “Pop Tune”. But would you really want it any other way? I like this recording. It’s very bass-heavy and the vocals have some cool 50’s effects that I like as well. But, as far as an in-depth diagnosis, I have none. All the songs are quite good. The title track is a particularly catchy number. And there’s a song about eating food like on all of their albums. Bright and happy with lots of noise. Oh yes.

107. Phobia – “Remnants of Filth”

Over-the-top madness. The 2012 Phobia album really fulfills the promise of grindcore in every way. You’ve got movie clips, fast and mountainous drumming, riffs all over town and lots of group screaming. The tracks are kept at a good length and range from super-fast, out of control punked-out grindcore to slow, metallic hardcore with an occasional guitar solo in the mix to keep it grounded. I haven’t been a fan of the mix on many grindcore but this one’s just right. Everything is perfectly thick and crusty without ever delving into the realm of the “polished”. Lyrically, as far as it’ll let me understand, there’s a lot about religion and socio-politics matters. So, I think it’s really something of worth. Really I believe that “Remnants of Filth” would be a great introduction to Grindcore for the uninitiated who want to hear a super-tight and dexterous band without any prima donnas. Crush heads.

108. Alejandro Escovedo – “Big Station”

Alejandro Escovedo has a really great track record as far as making descriptive powerful rock n’ roll albums, even if he’s never attained the wealth or  fame of his contemporaries( Springsteen, Petty etc…). “Big Station” is a fairly straight-forward rock record but it’s jam-packed with energy and emotion. Escovedo is a great lyricist and tries to make his working-man anthems relate to the audience on a personal level. I particularly like the sparse, Clash-ish track “Sally Was a Cop”. You’ll get a lot about love, politics, murderers and hard workers and have it broken down to you by a master storyteller. I definitely recommend this album for all.

109. Dion – “Tank Full of Blues”

As his website reads, “Music Critics say he is the only first-generation rock and roll artist who has remained creative and relevant through the decades.” And I couldn’t agree more. I celebrate the man’s entire catalogue from the heartfelt Teen Beat rock to the philosophical 70’s gospel to the modern blues rundown. And while there isn’t much of what anyone would call “innovation” on “Tank Full of Blues”, Dion full-on delivers the promise of its title. Dion Dimucci’s voice hasn’t deteriorated so much with age and is, if anything, strengthened by the years of conviction and soul; the voice of a real-live hard road walker. And he sure plays a mean blues guitar. But, to me, the album’s true reward comes at the end with the honest beat-poet social breakdown “Bronx Poem”, a departure and good sealant for an enjoyable release. They call him the Wanderer.

110. Nathan Johnson – “Looper: Original Soundtrack”

I really adored Nathan Johnson’s clarinet/guitar-heavy ragtime soundtrack to “The Brothers Bloom”. And, while brilliant, the soundtrack to “Looper” couldn’t be any more different. When I initially put it on, my wife immediately questioned as to if we were listening to the audio from a horror film. So it’s clear that Johnson has taken the suspense element to the extreme. I mean, there are some really scary sounds herein. I see the soundtracks to “Inception” and “The Dark Knight” as possible guidelines followed on “Looper”. The orchestration consists of dark industrial loops which fit splendidly into the seething, gritty atmosphere of the movie. Accompanying this are some creepy “Silent Hill”-esque dissonant pianos, bold commanding strings and a lot of other things focused upon the low, guttural end of chamber music… creepy. As far as dystopia goes, this is the type of thing which should accompany it. But the only distinct element which makes me prefer Johnson’s earlier work to that of “Looper” is that it that this OST doesn’t really work as an album. The sequencing follows the scenes of the film but doesn’t really have the forward motion of an ordered record. Nonetheless it is a very enjoyable and I highly recommend it.

111. Felix – “Oh Holy Molar”

Here we have a rather unassuming album which happens to be of great worth. While Felix is indeed an ensemble (as this reviewer witnessed upon their opening for Yann Tiersen in Philly last year), the central fanfare of the group is huddled around the melancholic voice and piano stylings of Lucinda Chua. While the album’s not exactly bursting with jumbo hits and jolly old sing-alongs, the atmosphere is infectious in its somber “chamber pop” lull. Think rainy days and Charlie Brown and girls in English boarding schools getting into trouble without having quite as much of a ball as you wish they would.  On, “Oh Holy Molar”, the band’s sophomore release, the piano is used not only as the lead instrument but also to provide the low end and much of the percussion with some jazzy guitar and drums thrown in the mix for diversity of sound. The lyrics are neither mumbled nor belted out and the tracks maintain an independent flick/Dungeons and Dragons vibe that makes me think, “If April Ludgate from Parks and Recreation had a band, this would be that band.” Mostly, it just makes me feel good.

112. Imagery by Sound – “Insomnia”

Here you’ve got some great and ambient electro-pop from Imagery by Sound (AKA Lain Trzaska, AKA She), a multitalented Swedish music producer and composer. Certain elements from She albums can be found on “Insomnia”, such as pieced-together mosaics synth parts and the like. But, largely, this project is much less based upon beats and shiny keyboard vibrato. It’s more of a pro-active and atmospheric music a greater concentration on clear and even vocal passages. It’s very creative and quirky and a little bit darker and more rock-oriented than She with some cute The Cure elements to wash over the mix with that rainy-day feel. I like it a lot.