There is the saying that history doesn't repeat, but it does rhyme. While every year in music is an entity unto itself, there are themes and trends that carry over from one to another. In our current case, that theme is one of waning interest. The number of albums I have both listened to and fully enjoyed has been on the decline for a few years now, and it has hit yet another new low this time around.
While other years have been disappointing when it comes to the depth of the releases I hear, there are always a few albums at the very top that make up for it by becoming enduring parts of my listening habits. I can look back through my list of Album Of The Year winners (and usually the runners-up as well) and know those records still excite me the same way they did when I first heard them.
That may not be so true this year. As I sat down to make this list, I was struck by the realization that this is the first year I didn't have an album that grabbed hold of me and was without question the leader in the clubhouse for the top honor. That could be taken as a good thing, as increased competition could mean a different perspective is more positive than how I'm viewing things. I take it the other way, as going so long without falling deeply in love with one album is a concerning development that makes me question the future relationship I will have with music as a whole.
Anyway, there were still good albums, and that is what we're here to talk about today.
10. VK Lynne - The Spider Queen
Like a year-long advent calendar, each month we were treated to a new VK Lynne single. These songs traversed wide swaths of the musical ocean, drawing maps to places we know only by reputation. VK is a songwriter's songwriter, using her talents to craft songs that have something to say, that reveal pieces of ourselves so we can find the one that completes the image of the truth. Taken as a whole, they are a rainbow of creativity, each song a different color on the spectrum, but all combining to create the blinding gleam of a jewel in the sun. The beauty of a kaleidoscope is in the fractal designs giving us new interpretations at every turn. That is what "The Spider Queen" does, asking us if we love music or a particular sound. The answer tells us a lot about ourselves. The method is enchanting.
9. Cassandra's Crossing - Garden Of Earthly Delights
Not all of us listen to music the same way. I am unquestionably a 'vocals first' listener, as nothing else is as important to my judgment of an album as the melody/voice/lyric that soars over the top of the music. When there is a voice I love, it does widen the margin for error. That is the case for this record, which comes from the Frontiers factory with the benefit of featuring Cassandra Cross' voice, who is nearly a doppelganger of Lzzy Hale. That is enough to pique my interest, but she delivers hooks and melodies throughout the record that pull the best out of George Lynch's guitar playing. I gripe a lot about these 'project' albums, but then one like this comes along to make sifting through the others worth the hassle.
8. Myles Kennedy - The Art Of Letting Go
I've heard perhaps too much of Myles Kennedy in the last decade. Between working with Slash, Alter Bridge, and his solo albums, there seems to always be something new coming from him. The Alter Bridge connection is the interesting one, as this record slots in where that band began, as they have gotten more metallic over the years. Myles picks up the slack, delivering songs that are heavy and rocking, but with more restrained aggression. That keeps this record from getting to that area Alter Bridge has been in recently wherein they are trying too hard, and pushing Myles' voice too hard. This is the perfect balance, and preferable than anything Alter Bridge, Slash, or Tremonti himself, has putout lately.
7. Cemetery Skyline - Nordic Gothic
There are different shades of darkness, and while I am certainly one to enjoy melancholy and melodrama, goth is something that has always escaped me. So when I found myself enjoying this record as much as I did, it was a major surprise. This is goth, but it's slick and polished, so the blackness gleams and reflects the uncomfortable look in our eyes. This fits the mold of records I have liked in the last few years, especially Katatonia's "Sky Void Of Stars", where it gives us the sound of the silver lining in the dark clouds.
6. Powerwolf - Wake Up The Wicked
Powerwolf is always good for some fun. I don't think they have ever appeared on my year-end list, but that was more because of the competition than anything I have against them. This year, despite not thinking this is their best record, they finally make an appearance. The wolves put a little more bounce into their sound this time, frolicking in their bloody fun. I do still long for the band to spend a bit more time with their more dramatic side, but it's hard to be disappointed in another batch of their trademark fun. Power metal may be a stale genre, but Powerwolf is one of those rare bands that transcends with their unique take.
5. Smash Atoms - Smash Atoms
I feel a bit bad putting this album so high, because I was never the biggest fan of its most direct inspiration. This record is a spiritual successor to Alice In Chains, as it bears the crushing riffs and haunting harmonies that band made famous. It does this while delivering great songs, hooky melodies, and a nostalgic look back that doesn't feel like a time machine that got stuck. Smash Atoms is a modern interpretation of the grunge era, and is without a doubt the best album trying to dip into those waters I've heard in this recent wave. It says something when an album can make me nostalgic for a sound I wasn't listening to when it was popular. Kudos.
4. Hot Water Music - Vows
There are some days we need music to lift our spirits, and that is what Hot Water Music did more than anyone else this year. Their blend of punk and emo sparkles with positive energy and uplifting melodies. Some of the hooks on the record soar above their weight, with the gruff vocals reminding us why we needed that boost to begin with. If there is something to the adage about needing a spoonful of sugar to take the medicine, this album is an example of it.
3. Sunburst - Manifesto
Progressive metal is difficult to do
well, and it deserves applause when a band succeeds. Sunburst put out a
good debut album eight years ago, but they returned with an even better
effort. They hit all the right marks, with all the intricate playing one
could ask for, but every song is anchored with a swelling melody
delivered by a voice very much in the vein of Roy Kahn. Sunburst is a
more progressive version of Kamelot, but also a more melodic version at
the same time. They take that style and perfect it, giving us an album
that can be enjoyed on several levels. It's the closest thing to a
flawless record this year.
2. Lucifer - V
One of the most enjoyable things about chasing new music is when a band finally lives up to their potential. Lucifer has achieved that feat on this album, finally perfecting their sound and delivering the record I knew they had in them. I have always liked their hazy take on occult rock, but their music had always stopped just short of winning me over. This record adds just a bit more energy to the mix, which gives the songs a stronger melodic factor, and that is the key. These are the most memorable songs the band has ever written, and it creates an album that is still sinister and haunting, but now the kind of haunting that stays in your psyche. That's everything we could have asked for.
1. The Requiem - A Cure To Poison The World
I shouldn't be surprised that my list this year is topped by an emo album. It was a difficult year, and that required music that could tap into the tumult of a mood that struggled to get up off the mat. The Requiem's record came at just the right time, delivering an experience that was a more grounded, less theatrical version of "The Black Parade". It has the same emotional resonance, and the same penchant for sing-along choruses, but eschews the pantomime for something a bit more straight-forward and honest. Carl Jung wrote of a collective unconscious that tethers us to the same human experience, and great records feel like they came through that pipeline. That's what The Requiem was able to achieve, and that is why "A Cure To Poison The World" is my Album Of The Year.
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