Territory’s Edge - Best New Metal of February 2022

Welcome to the February edition of Territory’s Edge where I highlight the heavy music released this month that caught my attention.  I don’t care much for strict categories or genre purism; whether the music is 13-minute-long blackened funeral doom or R&B influenced post hardcore, it’s eligible here.  Bandcamp links are always listed by default if available, as buying from this platform does the most to directly support the artists.  Otherwise, streaming links and music videos for singles will be posted.  For an individual single to be discussed in full in this column, it must be released over one month in advance of an upcoming album, or be a standalone single.  

Cult of Luna - The Long Road North

Cult of Luna's music often evokes a lengthy, scenic journey - for their latest album, specifically in a rural, remote part of Sweden, according to frontman Johannes Persson.  With that in mind, it makes sense that The Long Road North would come accompanied by an immersive grayscale game where the player navigates through a harsh landscape.  If "Lights on The Hill" from 2019's A Dawn to Fear evoked reaching a scenic overlook, The Long Road North is akin to a trek in harsh weather through remote wilderness.  Throughout the band's nine albums, lengthy compositions use repetition to create an atmosphere or build up slowly to a climax.  Drummer Thomas Hedlund provides a backdrop of complex, progressive rhythms for the slow-burning, chugging riffs from Johannes Persson and Erik Olofsson.  "Into the Night" and the instrumental “Full Moon” provide a melancholic respite in the middle.  This atmospheric break is comparable to quieter Neurosis material with Johannes adopting a Scott Van Till style of singing. Similarly, the ambient “Beyond I” and “Beyond II” offer two variations on the same theme.  One features lead vocals by guest singer Mariam Wallentin, while the other is an instrumental. Brooding, colossal tracks like the title track and “An Offering to the Wild” provide a cinematic scope.  Cult of Luna has yet to release a bad album, and The Long Road North is a legitimate early AOTY contender. 

Hollow Front - "Comatose"

I was introduced to Hollow Front with their 2020 debut full-length, Loose Threads, and took note of the band's potential while finding room for improvement.  This track displays some growth in the songwriting department, and overall is a stronger display of their abilities.  According to Tyler Tate, one of the band's two vocalists, "Comatose" is about battling depression, specifically during the midst of the pandemic, as well as anxiety over an uncertain future at the time.  “Comatose” features a nice usage of backing clean vocals that mesh well with the low growls, rather than just following the expected clean chorus-unclean verse format.  This Grand Rapids based metalcore band goes on tour with Fit For a King and Silent Planet this spring. 

Venom Prison - Erebos

On Venom Prison's new album, frontwoman Larissa Stupar is as fierce and passionate as ever.  Melodic guitar solos and powerful riffs from Ash Gray and Ben Thomas further augment her powerful delivery. The band’s use of elements of Greek mythology as metaphors for modern issues, particularly current criminal justice systems, is a recurring theme throughout Erebos.  Songs like “Judges of the Underworld”, “Castigated in Steel and Concrete” and “Technologies of Death” all focus on incarceration or the death penalty, and the lyricism is a strong point.  A comparison between Primeval (the band’s first two EPs reissued last year) which was straight-up death metal, and Erebos reveals a new direction for them.  While still primarily death metal, Venom Prison ventures into new territory with this album.  The most obvious departure is the excellent “Pain of Oizys”,  alternately delicate and fiercely confident. This song about battling depression is the first Venom Prison track where Larissa’s clean singing takes center stage, and her singing reappears in a supporting role elsewhere on tracks like “Veil of Night”.  On the other side of the spectrum, the closer “Technologies of Death” has Larissa adopting a raspy black metal style delivery, before the fury settles down for a melodic bridge.  Towards the end of the song, Larissa leaves the listener on a hopeful note, “Somewhere deep inside/empathy is still alive.” Without a doubt, Venom Prison are poised to reach bigger audiences and garner attention here.  

Ends Embrace - "Warhorse"/"Forgotten Ways"/"Voices of the Dead"

Up next is an underground one-man Navajo black metal project from Scottsdale, Arizona.  Ends Embrace's three newest singles, two of which appear on a split EP called Thrall of the Winter Moon, show a marked progression in musicianship from We Will Never Die.  Ryan Silas plays raw black metal with a bit of crust punk influence as well.  The whinnies of a horse and a doomy, melodic guitar line set the backdrop for “Warhorse”, while "Forgotten Ways", which transitions into “Voices of the Dead”, reminds me of a lo-fi take on Downfall of Gaia.  While I'm not normally into raw recorded black metal, Silas' affinity for punk, usage of minor key instrumentals, and anti-oppression message from an indigenous perspective give Ends Embrace a sense of individuality in the crowded underground black metal scene.  The split EP is available as a pay-what-you-want download on Bandcamp if you like what you hear.

Rolo Tomassi - Where Myth Becomes Memory

While this band currently has six albums in their discography, Where Myth Becomes Memory was my introduction to Rolo Tomassi, and a very good first impression at that.  This is a well-paced progressive metal album with wide influences as disparate as mathcore and dream pop.  The band, whose name is a reference to the film L.A. Confidential, is led by sister and brother duo Eva (lead vocals) and James Spence (keyboards, electronics and backing vocals).  Where Myth Becomes Memory is very dynamic in sound, ranging from ethereal dream pop to a maelstrom of technical metal and throaty growls.  Reminiscent of Spiritbox, the single “Cloaked” is a good overview of both sides of the Rolo Tomassi sound.   Softer tracks like “Closer”, “Stumbling” and “The End of Eternity” tip the overall balance of Where Myth Becomes Memory in favor of atmosphere and elegance. 

Graphic Nature - new skin

While Graphic Nature take their name from a Deftones song off the progressive alternative metal masterpiece Koi No Yokan, this young band's sound is clearly in the realm of hardcore, with some industrial and old school nu metal influence thrown in.  Like their fellow British contemporaries Loathe, the band has listed instrumental video game soundtracks as an influence.  This ruthless ten-minute EP wastes no time kicking the door down, and finishes the sonic destruction just as quickly.  According to frontman Harvey Freeman, new skin represents Graphic Nature's core sound, and is thematically about the process of freeing yourself from self-hatred and toxicity.  Each of these songs lasts about two and half minutes, and offers a quick cathartic release from negative emotions.  

Other Notable Releases 

Albums/EPs

Korn - Requiem (Feb 4, nu metal)

Windveill - There Inevitably Will Be Silence (Feb 4, atmospheric black metal/blackgaze)

Circa Survive - A Dream About Death EP (Feb 4, post-hardcore/alternative)

Vorga - Striving Towards Oblivion (Feb 4, black metal)

Thorn - Yawning Depths (Feb 4, death metal)

Hangman's Chair - A Loner (Feb 11, doom/heavy metal)

Zeal & Ardor - Zeal & Ardor (Feb 11, black metal/soul/blues)

Napalm Death - Resentment is Always Seismic EP (Feb 11, grindcore)

Cane Hill - Krewe d'Amour Vol. II EP (Feb 11, nu metal/metalcore)

Once Human - Scar Weaver (Feb 11, melodic death metal)

Darkmatter - Project Darkmatter EP (nu metal/metalcore)

An Isolated Mind - A Place We Cannot Go (Feb 15, noise rock/experimental)

Black Map - Melodoria (Feb 18, alternative metal/post-hardcore)

Bloodywood - Rakshak (Feb 18, folk metal/nu metal)

Pure Wrath - Hymn to the Woeful Hearts (Feb 18, black metal)

Immolation - Acts of God (Feb 18, death metal)

SIFYN - Marionette (Feb 18, progressive metal - side project from Veil of Maya's Lukas Magyar)

Bad Omens - The Death of Peace of Mind (Feb 25, metalcore)

Blood Incantation - Timewave Zero (Feb 25, dark ambient)

Eight Bells - Legacy of Ruin (Feb 25, doom) 

Allegaeon - Damnum (Feb 25, death metal)

Corpsegrinder - Corpsegrinder (Feb 25, death metal)

Territory’s Edge - Best New Metal of January 2022

One month in and 2022 already has an impressive selection of material to cover.  

Meshuggah - “The Abysmal Eye”

Widely credited as the forefathers of the djent movement, this influential Swedish technical death metal band just released their first new song in six years.  Meshuggah is the kind of name whose music speaks for itself, and "The Abysmal Eye" is reliably aggressive, with a blistering guitar solo to boot.  An April 1 release date has been set for their ninth album, Immutable.  It's new Meshuggah, they deliver their signature sound, complete with off-kilter time signatures, and not much else needs to be added.  The Swedes' technical sound occasionally experimented with avante-garde compositions, especially on the underrated Catch Thirtythree.  The band may venture into a similar headspace on Immutable, which they summarized as "their wildest sonic adventure yet."

Loathe is currently working on a full length album to follow up their breakthrough 2020 project I Let It In and It Took Everything.  This abstract, experimental track appears to be a stand-alone single.  "Dimorphous Display" remained unreleased in demo form for a while before Loathe finished it last year.  The song still maintains the spontaneous nature of a demo, as well as the spirit of a 1990s alternative track, much like I Let It In and It Took Everything deep cut "Screaming".  Frontman Kadeem France's feral snarls interject at the just the right moments, countering the brooding clean singing that comprises most of the vocals.  The sonic cacophony represents a raw expression and experimentation moreso than an indication of how their upcoming material will sound, so it’s still a question of where Loathe will go next.  The sky's the limit for the Liverpool band's creativity.  Don't forget that they had the boldness to put out an entirely ambient instrumental project the previous year.

Northlane - “Plenty”

Now an independent band, Northlane return to the signature cyber-djent style they perfected on 2019’s Alien.  The third single from their upcoming April album Obsidian is dark and technical, forgoing the poppy nature of the previous two.  A stunning vocal performance from Marcus Bridge alternates seething snarls with his impeccable clean singing on the chorus.  Over an unorthodox time signature, "Plenty" contemplates the question of whether you would start your life over again if given the chance.  It is by far my favorite of the three Obsidian singles.  While the first two took a few listens to get on board with, I found myself loving "Plenty" almost immediately.  While Northlane have received multiple ARIA awards in their home country of Australia, I still think they don't get enough credit for their ability to hybridize genres - and blend the old with the new - in a way that rivals crossover superstars Bring Me the Horizon.  Northlane's recent material masterfully incorporates early 2000s influences (the first Celldweller and Linkin Park albums come to mind) within the context of a heavier, modern progressive metalcore sound.   They are also one of the frontrunners in terms of promotion, writing a theme for a tactical video game esports league and launching the Worldeaters patreon this past year.  With tracks like "Plenty" in the band's arsenal, Obsidian is on track to be one of the best heavy albums of 2022.

Wolves at the Gate - “Lights and Fire”

Wolves at the Gate got their start as an aggressive, fervent post-hardcore band with a dichotomy of light and dark, tension and release, screamed and clean vocals.  That duality was in full force on the band's debut full-length Captors, one of the finest metalcore releases of the 2010s.  Every track on that album, including the heaviest ("Amnesty") and the softest ("Safeguards" and "Man of Sorrows") incorporated both aspects of their identity.  In contrast, "Lights & Fire" is an entirely melodic rock track that exhibits Wolves at the Gate at their most accessible, and in fact has been receiving some attention from satellite rock radio station SiriusXM Octane.  There are no screamed vocals here, which is rare for a non-acoustic Wolves at the Gate track.  What hasn't changed is the band's love of Thrice, and their creative interpretation of that influence continues to take on new forms.  The lyrics are also evocative, as vocalist Steve Cobucci sings about about a moment of clarity that came with the realization that he was holding on to something self-destructive.  While upcoming album Eulogies is unlikely to top their first three, this is a strong single that proves "radio-friendly" doesn't always mean stale. 

Absent in Body - "The Acres/The Ache"

Composed of Neurosis vocalist/guitarist (and frequent Mastodon collaborator) Scott Kelly, former Sepultura drummer Igor Cavalera, and two members of Belgian doom metal group Amenra (Colin Eeckhout and Mathieu Vandekerckhove), Absent in Body has proven to be a formidable metal supergroup.  The first released song from their upcoming five-track album Plague God is powerful and surprisingly dynamic.  Starting with a measured drum cadence over an ominous hum, "The Acres/The Ache" descends into Stygian depths with Igor Cavalera's echoing percussion evoking a dark underground dungeon.  This crushing sludge metal onslaught suddenly gives way to atmospheric post rock halfway through.  Around the four minute mark, a slow melodic guitar line breaks through the gloom, and ghostly clean vocals follow.  The dark, cavernous atmosphere returns in the end, capping off an otherworldly eight and a half minute journey.  This song proves to be an intriguing start to a promising collaborative project. 

Erra - “Nigh to Silence”

 

This new track was recorded last year for a special edition of Erra's self-titled album.  "Nigh to Silence" starts off sounding like a track from Jesse Cash's Ghost Atlas project, before incorporating previous eras of Erra into one song.  "Nigh to Silence" is a song about loneliness, which Jesse described as "set on an empty earth observed by the moon."  As proven before, the band's lyricism continues to stand out, with lines like "wolves of ash, howling in a present past" and "walking in the shadow of my own ghost" vividly describing a cold solitude.   Simultaneously emotive and pummeling, "Nigh to Silence" displays Erra's mastery at progressive metalcore. 

Fit for an Autopsy - Oh What the Future Holds

While rooted in deathcore, Fit For an Autopsy have always worn their Gojira influence on their sleeve.  This is most notable in "Far From Heaven," with a memorable guitar rhythm and chorus hearkening back to Gojira's album L'Enfant Sauvage.   Produced and written by guitarist Will Putney, Oh What the Future Holds spans a spectrum of heavy music that incorporates more subtle influences.  Whereas some deathcore records follow the same formula for every song on the album, Fit For an Autopsy make a clear creative choice to branch out.  Of special note are the contemplative, melodic "Two Towers" and "The Man That I Was Not", spaced apart as tracks 5 and 10 respectively, which venture into progressive metal.  Elsewhere, straightforward deathcore cuts like "Collateral Damage" are absolutely relentless.  As one of several albums released by prominent deathcore bands on the same day (January 14), this held its own against some competition.

Underoath - Vouyerist 

 

Underoath have left a lasting legacy over the years.  The band's sound has always been distinct and recognizable, particularly since Spencer Chamblerlain came into the fold, but the Florida metalcore stalwarts never made the same record twice.  Nothing will top ø (disambiguation) for me (one of my favorite albums of all time), but Underoath's latest project is very solid.  The self-production has a heavy, sludgy tone that works well for the bleak mood of the album, especially on the experimental closer "Pneumonia".  The two-track sequence of ambient Sleepwave-esque interlude "(no oasis)" and fierce post-hardcore dichotomy on "Take a Breath" is the finest moment on Vouyerist.  The only aspect that might prevent me from listening to this album more throughout the year is its relentlessly bleak and futile lyrical tone.  I can certainly relate to the Ghostemane-featured "Cycle" as it echoes the frustrated inner dialogue when my mind is on a negative spiral, but it's not a headspace I want to succumb to or remain in for long.  However, that brutal honesty also works in the favor of an album this cathartic and furious in sound.  Vouyerist leaves no doubt that Underoath still has new avenues to explore. 

 

Other Noteworthy January Releases:

Singles:

Haunted Shores - “Hellfire” (Jan 12, instrumental djent)

Bad Omens - “Like a Villain” (Jan 18, post-hardcore)

Ghost - “Call Me Little Sunshine” (Jan 20, doom/rock)

Vein.fm - “Fear in Non Fiction” (Jan 24, hardcore)

Shinedown - “Planet Zero” (Jan 26, rock/post-grunge)

Albums/EPs: 

Animårum - The Gaian Mind EP (Jan 14, djent/technical death metal)

Shadow of Intent - Elegy (Jan 14, deathcore)

Enterprise Earth - The Chosen (Jan 14, deathcore)

Worm Shepherd - Ritual Hymns (Jan 14, blackened deathcore/symphonic black metal) 

Pridelands - Light Bends (Jan 14, metalcore)

Mizmor - Wit’s End (Jan 14, black metal/doom)

Aethereus - Leiden (Jan 14, technical death metal)

Great American Ghost - Torture World EP (Jan 20, hardcore)

SOM - The Shape of Everything (Jan 21, doom/shoegaze)

Krosis - E.V.I.L. (Jan 31, deathcore, technical death metal)

Territory's Edge - Best New Metal of December 2021

Happy New Year 2022! As December tends to be, this month was lean for new metal albums, and none of these entries cover new full-length material.  However, heavy music still provided plenty to cover.  One particular song marked an exciting return for a band that has been essentially MIA for over eight years.  Arch Enemy and Venom Prison both released excellent second singles this winter, while other bands familiar to me like Sylosis, Nonpoint, and Fit For an Autopsy put out songs this month as well. 

Be on the lookout for several big posts on the way in January.  I'm currently working on finishing an in-depth breakdown of my best-of list for 2021, as well as a full-length review/essay on Silent Planet's Iridescent. 

Karnivool - "All It Takes"

Let's start with the big one first.  Australian progressive alt rock group Karnivool, whose 2009 opus Sound Awake combined an energetic catchiness with sprawling prog-rock ambition, is back. "All It Takes" uses the same producer as that album and marks the first stage of a new project with more to come.  While their vocalist Ian Kenny has remained active in the alternative group Birds of Tokyo, December 10th ended an eight-year-and-a-half gap since 2013's Asymmetry.  (In the interim though, Karnivool still played shows, including supporting Deftones for their 2016 Australian tour and recently livestreaming a playthrough of Sound Awake.)  It's suffice to say there's no rust in sight on the new single.

Sevendust - "All I Really Know"/"What You Are"

 

Reliable Atlanta alternative metal mainstays Sevendust put out a special edition of last year's Blood and Stone with two newly released tracks and three remixes.  "All I Really Know" and "What You Are" are the two B-side tracks recorded during the album sessions.  On a side note, while I'm generally not a fan of remixes of rock and metal songs, the three that appear are all mixed by artists well-versed in the metal world and retain much of the identity of the originals.  Jake Bowen (electronics in Periphery) produces a chilled-out take on opener "Dying to Live", and his solo ambient electronic project The Daily Sun is worth checking out as well.

Cult of Luna - "Cold Burn"

The Swedish post metal band releases their new album titled The Long Road North on February 11, which the band described as "big-sounding" and "cinematic".  "Cold Burn" is a slow-burning, brooding sludge metal track that opens up the upcoming 9-track project.  The black-and-white visualizer video doubles as a preview from The Long Road North game designed in collaboration for the album, representing a lengthy, uncertain journey.  Building visuals to accompany the music and taking it a step further by allowing listeners to interact within that visual plane is a creative premise.  The band aims to move forward and believes that adding these storytelling elements will be prevalent in the future of music video design. 

Arch Enemy - "House of Mirrors"

 

December brought another single from Swedish death metal outfit Arch Enemy.  The melodic opening guitar riff from Michael Ammott immediately commands attention, in a track that vocalist Alissa White-Gluz described as being "about the dark twists and turns of the human psyche".  While its predecessor "Deceiver, Deceiver" was good in its own right, I consider "House of Mirrors" to the be the stronger single of the two.  While no additional full-length been confirmed at this point, a new album announcement within early 2022 seems likely. 

Venom Prison - "Pain of Oizys"

When covering "Judges of the Underworld" last month, I took note of the Greek mythology metaphors present on Venom Prison's upcoming album Erebos.  The UK band's most recent song holds true to that concept, taking its title from a lesser-known goddess of grief, anxiety and woe.  "Pain of Oizys", as interpreted through its music video, represents the struggle with inner torment - and ultimately finding liberation in the midst of it, as the protagonist finds her way to the dawn of a new day at the end.  The band's most dynamic track to date, "Pain of Oizys" is the first to completely pivot away from Venom Prison's established death metal style.  However, it does not sacrifice intensity as the subdued instrumentation hosts both cleanly sung and screamed vocals.  It's a song intended to lead the listener into a "false sense of security", as guitarist Ben Thomas described.  Vocalist Larissa Stupar has indeed made good on her word that Erebos would represent a new phase for her group while still remaining recognizable.  Larissa stated that "Pain of Oizys" ultimately represents a message of empowerment while acknowledging her own depression.  Saying, "It's about respecting that I want to live with it, instead of not wanting to live at all.  It's about catharsis; about feeling empowered in who you are instead of looking to find yourself as somebody different.  If you stay strong, you can survive anything." It's an excellent message of both honesty and hope, and one of the reasons why this band earned a spot here two months in a row. 

Underoath - disambiguation (2010)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Solid State Records, November 9, 2010

Tracklist

1. In Division

2.Catch Myself Catching Myself

3. Paper Lung

4. Illuminator

5.Driftwood

6. A Divine Eradication

7.Who Will Guard the Guardians

8.Reversal

9.Vacant Mouth

10.My Deteriorating Incline

11.In Conclusion

 Underoath’s 2010 release is not just my top preference from their discography.  Dark, heavy, and experimental, it is one of the first heavy albums I listened to, and one that influenced how I listen to music today.  Water is a recurring theme on this album, from some of the lyrics to the music video for “In Division”.  What makes this album so strong is the way that Underoath fully immerses the listener into the imagery and mood they convey.   Track three, “Paper Lung” shows this very well.  “Paper Lung” is a beautiful, atmospheric, and ultimately crushing track that builds to a climax and conveys imagery that transitions from still, calm waters on a cold lake to being dragged down underneath the surface.  The Radiohead-inspired "Driftwood" is one of the band's most experimental songs and really does wonders for the album's atmosphere and pacing.  There's not a moment of wasted space here.

 

Spencer Chamberlain’s performance is something else here.  He conveys a raw desperation and brutal self-examination that brings furious purpose to songs like “In Division” and “Catch Myself Catching Myself”.  Additionally, for taking over the clean vocals in the absence of Aaron Gillespie during this album cycle he does a fantastic job.  Tim McTague's driving guitar tone on these songs further brings Spencer's urgency to the forefront.  It’s well known that many songs on this album are about Spencer’s struggle with drugs (fortunately he is now clean) and nothing is lost in translation in terms of the disillusionment he conveys.  As far as the sound of this album goes, there’s more to it than just the metalcore style of their previous material, as there’s a post-rock and alternative metal influence on “Paper Lung” and “In Completion”, as well as the experimental track like “Driftwood”.  This album is more than simply a high point for the band; it ranks among my favorite records of the 2010s.

Rating: 10/10 

 

Devil Sold His Soul - Blessed and Cursed (2010)

Century Media, July 12, 2010

Tracklist

1. Tides

2. Drowning/Sinking

3. Callous Heart

4. An Ocean of Lights

5. Frozen

6.The Disappointment

7. Crane Lake
8. A Foreboding Sky
9. The Weight of Faith
10. Truth has Come

This entry is one in a series of ten-year retrospectives from my favorite albums of 2010. The placement of a band named Devil Sold His Soul might seem a little ironic immediately following the section on Haste the Day, but this post-hardcore/post-metal group from the United Kingdom has a sound that is far more angelic than devilish.  Somewhat under the radar, Devil Sold His Soul is probably one that deserves more attention as well.  In 2010 they toured with fellow U.K. – based group Architects and released an intricate and beautiful album on the Century Media label.   

Blessed and Cursed marks their second full-length release.  The title alludes to the duality of the post-hardcore sound they explore here, but I feel like this one has more going for it than one might expect.  Additional instruments, including the piano, are layered along with the guitars in a way that enhances the mood and never feels generic.  Here we have hooks that would feel at home on a modern rock/post-hardcore band paired with song structures that are often lengthy and structured differently from the typical verse-chorus-verse-chorus-bridge format.  So while the vocal approach is fairly typical of this genre with a transition from an angry rasp to smooth crooning cleans, the track lengths and progressive song structures give these songs a refreshing novelty.  "A Foreboding Sky" is a nice example, starting as a piano-driven song and gradually building up across the song's eight and a half minute runtime.  This is the longest track on the album, but the majority of the songs on Blessed and Cursed exceed six minutes and take their time to build up to a satisfying finish.  

Devil Sold His Soul is clearly a band that knows what they are doing.  The vocal melodies and hooks are pretty enough to make the songs immediately accessible, and together with interesting progressions and atmosphere you get nothing short of a winning combination.  Thus, this album receives a score of 8/10. 

Rosetta - A Determinism of Morality (2010)

Translation Loss Records, May 25, 2010

Tracklist

1. Ayil

2. Je N’en Connais Pas La Fin

3. Blue Day For Croatoa

4. Release

5. Resolve

6. Renew

7. A Determinism of Morality

This entry is one in a series of ten-year retrospectives from my favorite albums of 2010. Rosetta, a band whose lead vocalist is also a high school teacher, has described their music in a tongue-in-cheek way as “metal for astronauts”. Their brand of atmospheric and slow building sludge metal does have a floating, spacey feel to it and is for a patient listener. This album stays true to their sound and has plenty of ambience and atmospheric instrumentation. As solid of an album as A Determinism of Morality is, I do feel like they could have done a little more with it, as the song tempos and vocals are pretty repetitive with the clean singing underutilized. The percussion, ambience, and sludgy rhythms are the highlight of this album and really come to the forefront on track three, “Blue Day for Croatoa”, as the vocals are dialed back. “Release” is another track that stands out with some cleans and has a slower, crushing ending. 

Rosetta's 2010 release earns a score of 7/10, and is one that requires some time to absorb. "Release", "Je N’en Connais Pas La Fin", and "Blue Day For Croatoa" eventually stood out as the highlights. You have to pay close attention to the songs to detect the subtle nuances and eclecticism here as A Determinism of Morality isn’t a record that will catch on with the first listen. Rosetta may call themselves metal for astronauts, but you don’t need to be in the space program to find their music enjoyable.

Deftones - Diamond Eyes (2010)

Reprise Records, May 4, 2010

Tracklist

1. Diamond Eyes
2. Royal
3.CMND/CTRL
4. You've Seen the Butcher
5.Beauty School
6. Prince
7.Rocket Skates
8. Sextape
9. Risk
10. 976-EVIL
11.This Place is Death
12. Do You Believe (bonus track)
13. Ghosts (bonus track)

A favorite of critics and musicians alike, Deftones’ style of alternative metal takes the term influential to the next level. Like the album before it, Diamond Eyes is a study in the beauty of contrasts. Guitarist Stephen Carpenter's affinity for the Swedish technical metal titans Meshuggah has been well documented, as is vocalist Chino Moreno's appreciation of decidedly softer acts like Interpol and Depeche Mode. Deftones' guitar sound has also evolved over the years - initially they used six-string guitars on their first few albums, before incorporating seven strings and finally eight, as is heard on Diamond Eyes. The presence of Carpenter's pummeling 8-string riffs and Chino's dynamic vocal performance ensure that both influences are well represented here. The keyboard and DJ sounds from Frank Delgado along with the technical rhythm section of bassist Sergio Vega and drummer Abe Cunningham add further nuance to the band's sound.

The circumstances behind this album were very difficult ones, as Diamond Eyes was written while the band members were in the midst of a tragic situation with the loss of their founding bassist Chi in an auto accident. Part of the therapeutic process in the midst of these terrible circumstances was the direction Deftones took toward the tone of the album. Chino has stated that the band made a concerted effort to pour their energy and emotion into a new album that was more optimistic. The members of Deftones kept writing together and reworking the songs until they sounded perfect, and it shows. Also worth noting is that Chino's vocal performance on this album is far superior to their previous effort Saturday Night Wrist, an album he admits he dislikes because he sounded unconfident. Here he sounds much more in control, and fully centered on these songs. “Royal” is a nice showcase of his vocal strength as he switches effortlessly from soothing tenor vocals to screams that convey the ferocity of a cougar. In addition to the wide range of vocal styles, the structure of the album is also varied and set up very well. Two of the album's heaviest, most riff-centric cuts, "You've Seen the Butcher" and "Rocket Skates", are immediately followed up with the two softest, most serene tracks. "Beauty School" in particular is a song that really excels in the laid-back, ballad style. 

Diamond Eyes is a project I see as being the most essential record of the year. The dichotomy on this album had a major impact and influence, especially to the progressive metal and djent movement of the decade. While maybe not as influential as their 2000 landmark White Pony album, it at least comes close. Meshuggah is the group that is often viewed as starting that subgenre, but Deftones were the band that combined that riff style with a dynamic vocal style that made melody just as important to the songs. For these reasons, Diamond Eyes makes a strong case as the best album of 2010 and earns a score of 10/10.

A Hope For Home - Realis (2010)

Facedown Records, March 30, 2010

Tracklist

1. Nightfall
2. The Overman
3. Withering Branches
4. The Machine Stops
5. No Light
6. Post Tenebras Lux
7. First Light of Dawn
8. The Crippling Fear
9. The Warmth of the Heavens
10. Seasons
11. Ascension
12. After

This entry is one in a series of ten-year retrospectives on my favorite albums from the year 2010. A Hope For Home, an Oregon-based group, started out their career as a post-hardcore group and then transitioned to an abstract mix of sludge and post-metal. Realis was released under Facedown Records, a label that focuses on straightforward hardcore and metalcore, though sonically it diverges from that sound. Rather than following the template of the genre, A Hope for Home includes a lot of atmosphere and allows each song to progress at its own pace to a natural climax.  In 2011, the band would go further down the post-metal route with the seven-track In Abstraction, which has the theme of fire. 

Thematically, Realis has a strong emphasis on light and the absence of it, which is reflected in both the song titles and the album’s tonal shift from futility to hope. As the two-song introductory segue of "Nightfall" and "The Overman" would indicate, this is a project that is fully devoted to its strengths as a whole album - not a compilation of individual tracks. “Ascension” is the shining moment of the album with an expansive, magnificent instrumental section that lets the music convey emotion on its own. The bleak dreamscape of "No Light" is another song that stands out. The shift towards hope begins with the seventh track "First Light of Dawn", and the concepts are so well organized that Realis could easily be two separate EPs titled "Night" and "Dawn". Guitarist Tanner Morita has stated that this album marked the point where "we truly stopped writing music for others and began writing music for ourselves - raw, noisy, and imperfect as it may be."

A Hope For Home have created a dynamic masterpiece with this album. While "No Light" and "Ascension" are the songs that stand out the most to me, the album and the spiritual concepts behind it work marvelously as a whole.  For those reasons, Realis earns a near-perfect score of 9.5/10.  If you're a fan of post metal or post hardcore, make sure you don't miss one.