This one takes a little while to get the hang of, but the payoff is worth it. BRKN LOVE’s “The Program” is an exercise in reality versus expectation, but if the latter can be suspended, the former will provide reward.
It is easy, and often wise, to take pre-album press statements from an artist with an enormous hunk of salt. Words like ‘darker,’ ‘heavier’ and ‘emotional’ could be safely slotted onto a sardonic bingo card and marked with casual consistency. Justin Benlolo (who, no matter how many people BRKN LOVE puts in a band photo, IS BRKN LOVE, for all intents and purposes,) made a statement in the run-up to this record along the lines of expanding the parameters of the band, pushing the boundaries, and the usual tired cliches that every genre is rife with to the point of nausea.
The difference here, is that Justin, as it turns out, actually meant it. Written across a couple of months on an impromptu trip to South Carolina, Justin guides BRKN LOVE and “The Program” through some territory that will feel unfamiliar from the Canadian, even as it rings close enough to be recognizable.
And this is where expectation comes into play. When one thinks of BRKN LOVE, it’s nearly impossible to separate the mental image of the band from two distinct sounds - the chunky, gloriously over-distorted fuzz of “Shot Down,” and the biting hook of “Like a Drug.” BRKN LOVE, at their best to this point, has been defined by tone and by the inspiration of Benolo’s instantly catchy riffs.
“The Program” takes a few full listens to grasp, because some of that has gone by the wayside. Not entirely, of course. The guitar tone is still syrupy thick, albeit not as thick as on the band’s eponymous debut, and not even quite as gooey as the follow-up “Black Box.” The focus on this album is less about single, memorable moments and more about a long, uninterrupted ride of music. To that end, “The Program” seems more focused on melody and accessibility than on punishing moments of rock ferocity.
To call an album ‘poppy’ is a cardinal sin in some circles, but take the epithet for what it is - BRKN LOVE has composed an album that, in a different era of popular music, would have found a home in consistent radio play, more so than either of its predecessors. It’s hard to imagine a song like “Pulling Leeches,” with a central riff that has vague overtones of INXS, could dodge radio exposure, or have felt at home on either BRKN LOVE album to this point. Same goes for the bright beat of “Callous” and the proto-ballad “Cruel,” at least as far as the latter point is concerned.
The key to the entire experience is “Unholy,” which is in the middle of the record, and is the first song that really bridges the gap between expectation and production. Yes, it’s a little muted relative to the fury of “Bad Blood,” but the riff feels right, and Justin’s borderline indifferent, moderated vocal line helps sell the melody. “Unholy” in turn, serves as the Rosetta Stone for the rest of “The Program.” Once the listener understands that this album is focused on flow and melody and accessible pacing, the album opens up and the skill starts to shine through.
There is a fair criticism to be levied here that in alignment with this compositional shift, BRKN LOVE have put themselves in the nebulous middle ground of rock, somewhere between the jagged edges of Dead Poet Society, and the high-gloss perfection of The Warning. And so long as we’re here, outside of “Unholy,” there are many very good songs on “The Program,” an album’s worth as a matter of fact, but it’s hard to point a prospective listener to a “holy shit” moment, as opposed to the revelation of some of BRKN LOVE’s past singles.
In either case though, those criticisms are immaterial and don’t really matter unless the listener allows them to. It’s been discussed many times on this site, in many ways, that there are two pathways to success in music, especially rock music - either do something no one has heard before, or do something familiar really well. BRKN LOVE, specifically on this new record, falls into the second camp, and that’s totally fine, especially in light of how Benlolo stays true to most of his band’s hallmarks. Good music is good music, and however simple that comes across, that’s what really matters.
My statements at the head of this will be brief this year, because I think a lot of these albums speak for themselves. As usual, we begin with a recitation of the rules – original studio albums only. No compilations, no re-releases, no live albums, no cover albums. And, as ever, my list goes to 11.
I think I will say only this – I love and would defend all these records against naysayers of any stripe, but I find myself wishing that more bands I didn’t already know had made the final cut this year. I suppose it’s something that there are three or four bands who have never the cut of my top ten before, but that’s a small consolation. I’m fearful that the drought of new names is because I’m in my middle thirties and I’m subconsciously rejecting things are new and different. More optimistically, and this is what I’m telling myself, I’m hoping the lack of new bands is a signal of two things – one, that several resurgences and comebacks were truly, unequivocally excellent, and second, that maybe as Chris C and I discussed, it was a slightly down year.
In the end, there were sixteen finalists. To get the final roster down to the necessary eleven players (and one honorable mention,) four worthy albums got left in the lurch. I have commemorated them below, and I parenthetically feel a little bad for Toothgrinder, as both of their last two albums fell just short.
And so I leave you with this list, one man’s humble opinion of the musical year that was. Good luck and godspeed.
Others Receiving Votes:
Deathchant – Deathchant
Lord Vapour – Semuta
Death Angel – Humanicide
Toothgrinder – I Am
Honorable Mention - While She Sleeps - So What?
Every year there’s an album that populates my list because it simply overwhelms with power and reminds me of the heady days of my youth, when thunderous alt metal ruled the roost and Rob Zombie had spawned a legion of soundalikes and also-rans. That’s where While She Sleeps make their headway, and they’ve gone and combined it with a twist of layered songwriting to add some depth.
11 - A Pale Horse Named Death - When the World Becomes Undone
This album absolutely deserves to be here, but I feel a little torn about starting with it, only because it’s hard to get excited about the year’s records when the list starts with the most depressing one. Many of the bands born from the ashes of Type O Negative have failed to really hit home (Seventh Void and Silvertomb being two of them,) but APHND has something. They’re both the closest spiritual successor to Type O and the most adept at carrying the spark of that band’s infectious songwriting. The primary difference is that APNHD generally lacks Type O’s tongue in cheek humor, instead focusing on the darkness of a world gone mad. Cue up the slow dirges, it’s a long, enjoyable ride.
10 - John Garcia - John Garcia & The Band of Gold
Speaking of artists who have it, John Garcia has it. I admit I’m eating a little crow here – if you had asked me who the member of Kyuss was who was destined to succeed as a solo act, I don’t know that I would have picked John. But there’s something about his dry, slow-burning band that’s clean and pure and infectious. Who knows if Vista Chino will end up being a one-off or not, but in the meantime, John Garcia is capably carrying the torch for desert rock.
9 - Devil to Pay - Forever, Never or Whenever
Nothing is more frustrating than a band from the underground who isn’t getting nearly the publicity or exposure they deserve. Overseas, that band is Red Eleven and in the good old continental United States, it’s Devil to Pay. Darlings of the metal scene in the Midwest, these crusaders for sludge from Indianapolis have been putting out one killer album after another since 2004’s Thirty Pieces of Silver. Fifteen years later, they’ve lost none of their steam and can spin out a killer riff at a moment’s notice. Get on the bandwagon, already.
8 - Children of Bodom - Hexed
It’s weird to think of Children of Bodom as elder statesmen, but at this point that’s where we are. They’ve taken a lot of twists and turns in their sound over the years, and Hexed is the natural evolution of their sound into a whole new phase. It’s not easy to write accessible and catchy death metal, but they’re figured out the formula and are better off for it. The news that three core members of the band are departing in December comes as a shock – particularly amidst the persistent rumor that the band’s name may have to change as a result. If this be the end of Children of Bodom as we know it, it’s a fine effort to go out on.
7 - BRKN LOVE - BRKN LOVE
And finally, we get to a band making their debut this year. 2019 was light on new acts who truly impressed, but these Canadians can bring it. To some extent, this album feels like a long EP more than a true album, but it’s still groovy and dire and heavy in all the right places. BRKN LOVE wears all their influences in plain sight, and that’s just fine, because they’re drawing on great material. I don’t know that I’ve had this much fun being introduced to a new band in this stripe since Wolfmother.
6- John 5 & The Creatures - Invasion
John 5 should no longer just be known as the guitarist for Rob Zombie and former guitarist for Marilyn Manson. He’s a musician unto his own right now, and the fact that Zombie allows him time and space on stage to touch ever so slightly on his solo pieces is sufficient testament to that fact. What separates John 5 from every other guitar virtuoso is that, and this sounds facile even as I say it but it’s true, he’s writing actual songs and telling stories, not just showing how many arpeggios he can play in thirty seconds (though he leaves plenty of space for that, too.)
5 - Combichrist - One Fire
Nobody is happier about the recent Industrial Revolution than me. Suddenly the genre is undergoing a huge comeback, and the big beats, cranked gain and scorched sounds are welcome in my ears any time. Combichrist has taken a lot of turns to make their sound more metal and less abstractly industrial, and I dare say they get better with every album. One Fire is a great listen for when you’re mad at the world. Or working out. Or playing sports. Or doing dishes. Or whatever damn time you want to listen to it.
4 - Life of Agony - The Sound of Scars
I wrote in great detail during my full review of this album why I’m conflicted about it. I won’t rake you all over the details again, but know that it’s because I’m not sure if I love this album because of what it is, or because it represents something that used to be. In any event, I’m quite certain the fault, if there is one, is with me, and not with the album. There are piled of bands out there who have tried to ape this sound in the past twenty years and fallen completely on their faces in the process. As a result, the door is open for Life of Agony to come marching in and teach a master class on the subject.
3 - Indestructible Noise Command - Terrible Things
The comeback is complete! INC now has more albums post-hiatus than pre-hiatus, and they appear to be here to stay (do some touring already, would you?) This album is an old-school thrash masterpiece, brimming with attitude and big riffs and speedspeedspeed. The band got away from the Pantera sound that had colored their other two recent albums (which I use only as a recognizable standard – INC predates Pantera and the intertwined history of the two bands is well documented,) and returned to the pure core of thrash from which they were born, to great effect.
2 - Royal Republic - Club Majesty
This album is fucking magnificent. It’s probably the album on this list that I go back and listen to the most. It’s a delicious blend of disco, rock and pure sleaze, molded together over cheap cocktails and sardonic songwriting. There’s only one thing that keeps this record from the top spot, and it’s that you have to be in the right mood to listen to it. The album lives right on the edge between sassy, over-the-top rock excess and completely and totally annoying. It plays that line to perfection, but boy, if you come into it with the wrong state of mind…..but don’t get me wrong. This is album #2 for a reason.
1 - Destrage - The Chosen One
I feel bad about this only because some might think I’m starting to show favoritism. Including this one, Destrage’s last three albums have finished 1, 1 and 2 in my end of year rankings (and Are You Kidding Me? No. could still make a case for number 1 over Red Eleven’s Round II.) Like all Destrage albums, this one grew me on over time. When it released in May, I thought it was good, but not as strong as the prior two. And then it wore on me. And wore on me. And for reasons I couldn’t understand, I just kept going back to it over and over again. Slowly it became a constant companion on road trips and when travelling for work. So, it’s hard not to think that some of this placement is based on the luck of timing – if it had released in October, I don’t know that I would have had enough time with it. There’s something about this band, though – they write lyrics way past the margin, bend their idiom for riffs that barely make sense and reach outside the comfort zone of genre to craft huge choruses and songs that are too irresistible to be denied. The Chosen One does nothing but continue the band’s dominance.
