Top Albums of 2012

[LiamC]

Couldn't see one of these anywhere so, with the end of the year rapidly approaching, which albums have been "top of the pops" for you this year? Post your top 5, 10, how ever many you want

These are mine in no particular order:

1. Enter Shikari - A Flash Flood of Colour

Awesome follow up to Common Dreads, really took their political vibe to the next level on this one. Some absolute fighting tunes on here

ENTER SHIKARI - Gandhi Mate, Gandhi [Live in London. Feb 2012]

2. Cancer Bats - Dead Set on Living

Canadian Punk at it's finest. Balls out, riffs in your face awesome .

Cancer Bats - Bricks and Mortar

3. Gallows - Gallows

Album of the year for me (probably 'cus they're my favourite band ) I was afraid when Frank left that they wouldn't be able to even replicate the swagger of their first two albums, but Wade McNeil blew me away on this. Who needs Frank

Gallows - Last June

4. alt-J - An Awesome Wave

What a debut album! Such a chilled out album and a breath of fresh air, an "NME" band actually worth listening to imo. Worthy winners of the Mercury Prize.

alt-J (∆) Breezeblocks

5. Plan B - Ill Manors

Plan B back to what he does best imo, rapping! Took everything he did on Strickland Banks and threw it in the face of people who bought that album (not slating it, I thought it was an awesome album.) A great social commentary album, can't wait to see him in the new year!

Plan B - ill Manors [OFFICIAL VIDEO]

6. The Gaslight Anthem - Handwritten

I don't think these have written one bad song, let alone album. Still stinking of The Boss and NJ rock and roll, never a bad thing. 45 is an absolute masterclass of an opening track!

The Gaslight Anthem - "45"

7. Your Demise - The Golden Age

A more "family friendly" album compared to The Kids We Used to Be, but no less worse. I think they really hit their stride on this album, some many catchy songs.

YOUR DEMISE - These Lights

8. The Cribs - In the Belly of the Brazen Bull

After ten years and four albums, you expect a band to be somewhat winding down but not The Cribs. Even the departure of guest guitarist and somewhat God Johnny Marr, they've lost none of their swagger in song writting. This is probably one of their if not the best album to date.

The Cribs - "Come On, Be a No-One" (Official Video)

9. Polar - Iron Lungs

British hardcore at it's best. For such a young band releasing their first album, this sounds huge. There isn't one track that lets the side down on here. The best thing about this record and Polar as a band are how distinctive their sound is. I can't wait for the follow up!

POLAR - H.E.L.L.

10. The Vaccines - Come of Age

A brilliant follow up from their debut, Come of Age really does see them "come of age." They've let go of their simple lyrics and guitars and moved onto something a lot more mature in my opinion. A solid follow up.

The Vaccines - Teenage Icon

So, there we go, there's my ten. Please, post your own list of however many you want . It's really interesting comparing other peoples taste's and take on music.

 

[SLC]

There weren't really many albums which I liked a whole lot, but my two shout outs are...

Passion Pit - Gossamer

Passion Pit - Gossamer (Full Album)

Gossamer's a great, light album. Only problem is that a few of the songs feel a bit samey. The three opening songs are probably the best.

Matt Skiba and the Sekrets - Babylon

Luciferian Blues - Matt Skiba And The Sekrets

Couldn't find the full album, but this is really good. This song and Angel of Deaf are my highlights.

 

[Martin]

Beaten to it, but I can't look past A Flash Flood Of Colour.

A magnificent fusion of genres that out-Rage Against The Machines Rage Against The Machine. Much more focussed, potent, confident, relaxed and varied and generally much higher quality than the at times stuttering, confused and awkward Common Dreads. As powerful and angry as ever, but much more musical and melodic. Highlights include the stunning two-part opener System Meltdown, gorgeous closer Constellations, Warm Smiles... a smart, ironic rant against the pop machine which starts soft and explodes with some of the finest fretwork in guitardom this year, and the deranged centrepiece Gandhi Mate, Gandhi, a foul-mouthed, multi-sectioned masterpiece that transverses spoken word, dubstep, punk, the finest line you'll hear all year, a hilarious, ab-libbed breakdown and a speaker destroying outro.

A fearless opus that could well become the defining statement of one of the world's hardest working and best live bands.

Enter Shikari - Sssnakepit (Official Music Video)
1:45-2:02 <3

 

[Poisson]

Totentanz by Thunderkraft

An insane, but brilliant, album from the scary band that calls itself Thunderkraft

Incongruous by Beneath The Massacre

An album that I believe deserves to be classed as chaotic metal, it got me hooked as soon as I downloaded it

I Am Nemesis by Caliban

A very brilliant album by this very brilliant German Metalcore band. Also has a very special second disc full of covers and a remix of Edge Of Black

Antennas To Hell by Slipknot

Enjoyed this compilation album but think some songs sounded better on their respective original albums. Loved the second disc which is the recording of Download '09

Global Flatline by Aborted

Enjoyed this album from the Belgians, possibly their best album to date

Other albums I have only heard part of but deserve a mention

Koloss by Meshuggah

w^w^w^w by Car Bomb

Relapse by Ministry

 

[Nick]

Haven't even reached ten albums bought this year.

The ones that I have go in this order:

The 2nd Law- Muse (surprise, surprise). Better than expected.

A Flash Flood of Colour- Enter Shikari. Very, very nice- almost as good as Take to the Skies. Personal favourites are System..., Arguing with Thermometers and "we're nice guys, until we're not" in Sssnakepit. The rest are all very nice, but those are stand-outs to me.

Given to the Wild- the Maccabees. Pretty solid album, but sorts of dies off to the end. Highlights are Child, Ayla and Glimmer.

Rize of the Fenix- Tenacious D. Utter crap. Only some of Rize of Fenix and Low Hanging Fruit is any good at all. Massive disappointment.

Couldn't be arsed with other albums that may have been good- Blunderbuss, Battle Born etc. because I'm lazy. A pretty crap year of music, only slightly than last year. Music is slowly dying.

 

[Stevie]

Being one who's not a big fan of nowadays music. Here's my list:

1. Jeff Wayne's Musical Version of The War of the Worlds: The New Generation.

Okay, it has no patch on the classic 1978 album featuring Richard Burton, Justin Hayward, Chris Thompson, David Essex, Julie Covington and Phil Lynott. But, it's a great album in it's respect. It's a nice refresh on the original album, some great new dialogue, some song re -works. But, it's brilliant. All the new artists are brilliant on it (yes, even Gary Barlow). I just love the final Epilogue, very intense compared to the original!

2.Storyteller - Alfie Boe

Not much I can say about this album, apart from it's a brilliant record to listen to if you want to relax. Love Alfie. An artist this country should cherish and be proud of!

3. Sweeney Todd: 2012 Cast Recording

Well, being a big fan of Sweeney Todd, I was very excited to hear that there was a rerecorded version with Michael Ball and Imelda Strauton. Both a brilliant together, especially in "A Little Priest". Oh and the chorus is so powerful in the opening "Ballad of Sweeney Todd".

4.En Vivo:Live - Iron Maiden

Great live collection of some brilliantly epic songs by Maiden. I'd buy it just for "When the Wild Wind Blows" and "Fear of the Dark".

and finally...

5. The Rise of the Fenix - Tenacious D

Nothing to say really apart from it nice to see them back, after a six year hiatus, with no new record. Stand out songs for me is the title song and "Rock is Dead".

And there's my list.

 

[LiamC]

Keep the replies coming, some good ones here. It's amazing to see how eclectic everyone's music taste is! Glad to see there's some more Shikari fans out there too

Just a shame Muse had to creep into someone list

 

[Adam]

Swedish House Mafia - Until Now

My favourite album of the year, some boss rave tracks on there imo.

 

[Martin]

Just a shame Muse had to creep into someone list

It's early yet.

 

[Nick]

Just a shame Muse had to creep into someone list

The album's just better than all the other ones- I'm not going to lie about it. I don't regard many albums better than Muse's, just because I like Muse albums so much. Especially Origin of Symmetry, which is, pretty much, going to be my favourite album for ever. Even their worst album is better than average, for me. I just like the music style, vocals and instrument tones. And the albums may not have several stand-outs, but there are few weak songs. Most albums have I song I dislike, but Origin of Symmetry has none, neither does Black Holes and Revelations- which generally means I listen to it more, and so like it more.

 

[Poisson]

Keep the replies coming, some good ones here. It's amazing to see how eclectic everyone's music taste is!

I hadn't heard of some of the albums posted......and can guarantee that some people won't have heard of half of mine

 

[LiamC]

Keep the replies coming, some good ones here. It's amazing to see how eclectic everyone's music taste is!

I hadn't heard of some of the albums posted......and can guarantee that some people won't have heard of half of mine

Of all the ones on your list, I've only heard of Slipknot . That's the great thing about music though, how varied and eclectic peoples tastes can be!

Some albums that didn't make it onto my list but still worthy of a mention:

The Maccabees - Given to the Wild
Attack Attack! - This Means War
Young Guns - Bones
OFWGKTA - The Odd Future Tape Vol. 2
Two Door Cinema Club - Beacon
Cruel Summer - GOOD Music Collaboration

Wow, my list just got even more hipster :

 

[rightbackgranty]

Coheed and Cambria - The Afterman: Ascension

I will admit massive bias on this one, as they are one of my favourite bands. However, their 6th album was a sign of return to form from the Prog Rockers. They're not everyones cup of tea, but I just cant get enough of them!

This is the 1st part of a "2 part" album, with the 2nd half to come in February and leads to my only criticism of this release - whilst the tracks are brilliant, it really does feel like you've only heard half of it!

In typical Coheed fashion their first single was an 8 minute epic. If you do get hold of the album, make sure to listen to Key Entity Extraction II: Holly Wood the Cracked and the last track Subtraction - really shows the diverse sound they can create!

Coheed and Cambria - Domino the Destitute http://youtu.be/CRoN4_kG6XM

 

[Sam]

So far. That's because the new Burial EP is coming out next week, which might take the top spot.

1. Scott Walker - Bish Bosch

2. Burial - Kindred EP

3. Belbury Poly - The Belbury Tales

4. The xx - Coexist

5. iTAL tEK - Nebula Dance

6. Azealia Banks - FANTASEA

7. Field Music - Plumb

8. Hot Chip - In Our Heads

9. Steinvord - Steinvord EP

10. Four Tet - Pink

Have I missed out any...?

 

[Meat Pie]

1. Plan B – ill Manors

2. Fiona Apple – The Idler Wheel Is Wiser Than the Driver of the Screw and Whipping Cords Will Serve You More Than Ropes Will Ever Do

3. Scott Walker - Bish Bosch

4. Roomful of Teeth (self-titled album)

5. Alt J - An Awesome Wave

6. BADBADNOTGOOD - BBNG2

7. Billy Woods - History Will Absolve Me

8. Brian Eno – Lux

9. Gotye – Making Mirrors

10. OFF! (Self titled album)

 

[Sam]

So surprised and happy to see Bish Bosch make someone else's list. It's such a startling work.

For me, any album with the lyrics "Take that accidentally in the b******s for a start!" and "I severed my reeking gonads, fed them to your shrunken face" deserves a place in my top 10.

It's certainly more disturbing and extreme than any of the metal albums mentioned above.

Lux probably just fell outside my top 10 (along with Bloc Party's Four and Ital's Hive Mind). I liked it, but it didn't really 'grab' me, maybe it needs a few more listens.

 

[josht]

There has been some amazing albums this year so here's my favourite albums.

The vaccines- come of age
Swedish house mafia- until now
Mumford and sons- babel
Jake bugg- jake bugg

 

[Fredward]

Many albums I've loved this year favourite has to be Helvetios by Eluveitie. It's essentially a full length concept album that focus on the gaulish wars from the perspective of the ancient Helvetians.

It's an amazing piece of music the whole thing, its probably my favourite album to date, when listining to it back to back, the songs flow into each other and it may aswell be turned into a musical as its story progresses throughout the album. (a heavy metal musical though!)

Eluveitie is a celtic metal, folk metal, melodic death metal. With their songs being a varying degree of heaviness. Some acoustic tracks, some instrumental tracks, and often they utilize their herdy gerdy player to sing... She has a beautiful voice. While the main singer has the more harsh deep passionate scream.

The band utilizes amazing folk instruments such as violins, herdy gerdys, lutes, tin flutes/whistles, bag pipes ext. Along with the normal metal combination of guitars, basses drums.

I would advise anyone to pick up this album!


Edit:

For me, any album with the lyrics "Take that accidentally in the b******s for a start!" and "I severed my reeking gonads, fed them to your shrunken face" deserves a place in my top 10.

It's certainly more disturbing and extreme than any of the metal albums mentioned above.

One word to prove you wrong Rammstein.

I could give you a list of translated lyrics but may get banned... But just as a goodbye gift I will give one example. "Barbed wire in the urethra tract"

Sent from my phone using Tapatalk, please excuse any ridiculous mistakes!

 

[Sam]

For me, any album with the lyrics "Take that accidentally in the b******s for a start!" and "I severed my reeking gonads, fed them to your shrunken face" deserves a place in my top 10.

It's certainly more disturbing and extreme than any of the metal albums mentioned above.

One word to prove you wrong Rammstein.

I could give you a list of translated lyrics but may get banned... But just as a goodbye gift I will give one example. "Barbed wire in the urethra tract"

Well I was thinking more compositionally extreme than lyrically. Walker's tracks are completely dissonant and atonal, and lack any sort on formal structure at all, whereas Rammstein's stuff is mostly traditional pop song structures with a layer of heavy instrumentation applied on top. Not that there's anything wrong with that.

Give Bish Bosch a listen, honestly Matt, you might like it (or it might be too extreme for you, not sure, my taste in music is so esoteric these days that I find it difficult to judge relative normalcy.)

 

[LiamC]

10. OFF! (Self titled album)

Nice to meet another OFF! fan Their album from this year is well worth a mention also, completely forgot about that one!