Top 10 of 2013

I know there’s still a month left in the year, but what are the odds someone’s going to release a golden great album in the next 4 weeks?
So here’s mine, in no particular order.

Nine Inch Nails - Hesitation Marks

Chvrches - The Bones of What You Believe

Purson - The Circle And The Blue Door

Black Sabbath - 13

Tegan And Sara - Heartthrob

Uncle Acid And The Deadbeats - Mindcrawler

Sleigh Bells - Bitter Rivals

Blood Ceremony - The Eldritch Dark

Clutch - Earth Rocker

The Naked And Famous - In Rolling Waves

Steven Wilson-The Raven that Refused to Sing
Ulver-Messe
Church of Misery-Kingdom of Scum
Anathema-Universal
Katatonia-Dehtroned and Uncrowned
Monster Magnet-Last Patrol
Clutch-Earth Rocker
Soord/Renske-Wisdom of Crowds
Bill Laswell-Dub is Life
Kool Keith-Total Orgasm

Good call on Sabbath, Rev, what an album. Seeing them in 9 days and cannot wait.

Good call on Sabbath, Rev, what an album. Seeing them in 9 days and cannot wait.

I know it’s cliché to say but Ozzy’s vocals are totally fucked…it kind of ruined it for me when I saw them this summer…he was just so far out of key it felt like I was being punked…I did like the album though…especially Age of Reason ,which is one of the greatest songs they have ever done…

[reply]Good call on Sabbath, Rev, what an album. Seeing them in 9 days and cannot wait.

I know it’s cliché to say but Ozzy’s vocals are totally fucked…it kind of ruined it for me when I saw them this summer…he was just so far out of key it felt like I was being punked…I did like the album though…especially Age of Reason ,which is one of the greatest songs they have ever done…[/reply]

Yeah, i fully expect that Ozzy’s live vocals will be crap, definitely. Age of Reason is fantastic! Oh, and happy birthday to Ozzy, 65 today!

[reply][reply]Good call on Sabbath, Rev, what an album. Seeing them in 9 days and cannot wait.

I know it’s cliché to say but Ozzy’s vocals are totally fucked…it kind of ruined it for me when I saw them this summer…he was just so far out of key it felt like I was being punked…I did like the album though…especially Age of Reason ,which is one of the greatest songs they have ever done…[/reply]

Yeah, i fully expect that Ozzy’s live vocals will be crap, definitely. Age of Reason is fantastic! Oh, and happy birthday to Ozzy, 65 today![/reply]

Wow, officially a senior citizen…

Death Grips - Government Plates
Boards Of Canada - Tomorrow’s Harvest
Kanye West - Yeezus
Eminem - The Marshall Mathers LP 2
Daft Punk - Random Access Memories
Arcade Fire - Reflektor
Nine Inch Nails - Hesitation Marks
Kvelertak - Meir

I’m sure I’ll think of 2 more soon enough. This is in no particular order, but “Yeezus” is undoubtedly #1.

Going to give myself another few weeks to decide but MIA, Kanye West, Skinny Puppy and How To Destroy Angels will all be there.

I wonder if anyone will put From Beer To Eternity on their lists.

Nowhere near done digesting all the cool stuff that came out this year, but here are some highlights so far:

Legend: Fearless (A great album and these guys were amazing live)
Pop Will Eat Itself: A lick Of The Old Cassette Box (Ok, so it was supposed to come out in 1996, but finally saw the light of day this year)
Kirin J Callinan: Embracism (Completely out there and unpredictable. If Wax Trax were still around, this guy would be a shoe-in for signing)
Gary Numan: Splinter (great stuff as always)
Kevorkian Death Cycle: God Am I (A return from a long absence that’s just as good as where they left off)
Skinny Puppy: Weapon (Some great stuff on this one)
Project Pitchfork: Black (Similar to the last couple albums, but a nice increase in the song quality)
The National: Trouble Will Find Me (nicely melancholy)
Gentleman Junkie: Soul To Soul (a fun album with some very catchy tracks)
Blush Response: Tension Strategies (Noisy and great stuff!)
Bruderschaft: Return (long awaited. Some great stuff)
Kite: V (The part of me that loves cheesy synthpop can’t get enough)

[reply
Pop Will Eat Itself: A lick Of The Old Cassette Box (Ok, so it was supposed to come out in 1996, but finally saw the light of day this year)

Bruderschaft: Return (long awaited. Some great stuff)
[/reply]

I got some stuff to look up. Thanks!

I did 13…tee he he he he…

  1. Ensemble Pearl - Ensemble Pearl

  2. Secret Chiefs 3 - Book Of Souls: Folio A

  3. Zomby - With Love

  4. Nine Inch Nails - Hesitation Marks

  5. Prurient - Through The Window

  6. AANIPAA - Through a Pre Memory

  7. Nurse With Wound - Chromanatron

  8. My Bloody Valentine - MBV

  9. Wolf Eyes - No Answer: Lower Floors

  10. Flaming Lips - The Terror

  11. Portal - Vexovoid

  12. Paysage D’hiver - Das Tor

  13. Ulver - Messe I.X - VI.X

Also…

Most Disappointing Releases Of 2013

  1. Jesu - Everyday I Get Closer To The Light From Which I Came

  2. Black Sabbath - 13

  3. Darkthrone - The Underground Resistance

  4. Low - The Invisible Way

  5. Tomahawk - Oddfellows

  6. Boards Of Canada - Tomorrow’s Harvest

  7. Primal Scream - More Light

Yeah…new Sabbath was vile.

Most Disappointing Releases Of 2013

  1. Jesu - Everyday I Get Closer To The Light From Which I Came

  2. Black Sabbath - 13

  3. Darkthrone - The Underground Resistance

  4. Low - The Invisible Way

  5. Tomahawk - Oddfellows

Can’t agree more re: Tomahawk. I saw them live in the spring and found myself thinking, “Wow, I used to hang on Patton’s every word, now I can’t wait to get out of here.”

[reply][reply][reply]Good call on Sabbath, Rev, what an album. Seeing them in 9 days and cannot wait.

I know it’s cliché to say but Ozzy’s vocals are totally fucked…it kind of ruined it for me when I saw them this summer…he was just so far out of key it felt like I was being punked…I did like the album though…especially Age of Reason ,which is one of the greatest songs they have ever done…[/reply]

Yeah, i fully expect that Ozzy’s live vocals will be crap, definitely. Age of Reason is fantastic! Oh, and happy birthday to Ozzy, 65 today![/reply]

Wow, officially a senior citizen…[/reply]
His chronological age has finally caught up to to how he looked 20 years ago! [:P]

The MBV album was a huge let down…

The MBV album was a huge let down…

Yeah, and yet it’s showing up on Best Albums of the Year lists across the internet, along with meh records by Arcade Fire, Neko Case, The Knife, etc. It’s like some of these critics are afraid to call certain acts out on having mediocre output.

yes this irks me as well…I agree about the MBV

[reply]The MBV album was a huge let down…

Yeah, and yet it’s showing up on Best Albums of the Year lists across the internet, along with meh records by Arcade Fire, Neko Case, The Knife, etc. It’s like some of these critics are afraid to call certain acts out on having mediocre output.[/reply]

Yeah, I was really disappointed by The Knife album, huge step down from Soent Shout.

Neil Young live at the cellar door.

I thought Jesu - Everyday was pretty good, if not exactly ground breaking. I really rather like Homesick.

It has more or less ended what little interest I had in future Jesu releases…

Sounded for all the world like demo material he rushed out to pay for his kid’s medical bills. Awful lyrics, awful “singing” and dopey, meandering, haven’t-we-been-here-before riffs recorded at the breakfast table whilst simultaneously reading the morning newspaper and eating his cornflakes.

Not to mention more of the same irksome Boards Of Canada styled keyboard flourishes that he’s milked to death over the past five years or so.

Give it up, really.