AOTY 2007

Before I start with the project, I'd like to post my album of the year list for 2007. It's only fitting that this blog begin with a look at the year preceding it.

In 2006 I decided on a whim to make an album of the year list (which you can see here if you like) sometime around November. I didn't have a running list of all the records I liked from that year, so I'm sure some great ones got left off just because I didn't remember what year they were from, and the records that made it onto the finalized list are a haphazard and sometimes bizarrely inappropriate representation of what I liked the most in 2006. Having an overload of albums in the list, I decided (fairly arbitrarily) to limit it to the top 25 albums. My cutting process was, as far as I can remember, based essentially on looking at the album covers and making a gut decision about which bands were better. There are definitely some amazing records that were cut at the last second and some puzzlingly mediocre records that made it to the final version.

To avoid that sort of foolishness (though probably in vain, I'm sure I'll slap myself at some of these choices in retrospect, but if I didn't then I couldn't really claim to be growing, could I?), I started my list for 2007 at the very start of the year (well, actually a month or so before), and so this year the list should be far better. 25 records actually seemed to work out very nicely, so I kept that. This list is not supposed to be definitive and critical, it's merely the 25 albums I dug the most last year. It is in no order except alphabetical. It makes me uncomfortable when people have long ranked lists, the distinctions very quickly become arbitrary. A record has to be a full-length album to be considered for the list (for no real reason, I suppose, I'm just a stickler for LPs), and a record that is solidly good throughout has a better chance of making the list than a record that is spectacular for 5 songs and ends forgettably.

Enough bullshit, here's the list:

The Austerity Program - Black Madonnas

I'd heard of these guys before only in the context of ambient, droning noise, so when I got my hands on a copy of their new record it was surprising to hear heavy, mostly-instrumental math rock with heavy nods to Shellac but none of their grating attitude and blueballing inability to achieve climax. It's just two guys and a drum machine, but I wouldn't have it any other way. The drums sound full and heavy and everything is perfectly produced (I can't even articulate how perfect the bass sounds, you'll have to listen to it yourself), and the mechanical precision of rhythm is a positive attribute to this sort of music in every way. A surprise hit.

Busdriver - RoadKillOvercoat

Creative, fun music. I guess I would file it under hip-hop but that's completely arbitrary. He sings and has a kind of wacky voice like Subtitle, and did half of the rap on that one song on that one album by Islands. Feel the bass and the momentum and try or don't try to parse out the rapid-fire wordplay as suits your fancy and dance whether it does or not, that's an order. I'm not sure I get it some (or probably most) of the time, but I like to sing along anyway. It's damn fun.

Cutting Pink With Knives - Populuxxe

This is totally insane on paper. Drum-machine blastbeats over screamo/Blood Brothers "sass" vocals, techno keyboards, and occasional spasms of prog-guitar with lyrics about love and science and such. But it works so well it seems strange that nobody thought of it before. One of the most distinctive records of the year, and one of the most fun. I wanted to write it off, but I couldn't. Too catchy, too unique, too damn good. They're from Britain. I didn't know that when I first heard it and wouldn't have guessed either, but now I hear an accent all through it whether I want to or not. This is why sometimes it's better not to look things up. Or maybe the opposite moral holds here if you really like British accents. But it's hard to concentrate when every 30 seconds you think, "Wow, they really are from the U.K.!"

Dälek - Abandoned Language

I was skeptical of a Dälek that was no longer noisy and abrasive, but after a couple listens this proved to be if not the most aesthetically confrontational then the most accomplished and solid record in their catalogue. The instrumentals are haunting and memorable (I've found myself trying to hum the deranged saxophone from "Starved for the Truth" in fucking bus stops), and the lyrics are intelligent and belligerent, delivered in a shout that it is impossible not to feel commanded by. Much potential here, and hopefully more great records in their future.

Defeated Sanity - Psalms of the Moribund

Brutal death metal. Raw and fast. Riffs present but sped up and teched up and set on fire and nearly impossible to follow; they can't be considered hooks. If you're into this kind of shit, it's the best that has been made in a long time. If you're not, stay far, far away, because it'll act as if your ears were assholes. Sometimes I wonder about the musical merit of music of this sort. But most of the time I just think, "Whoa, brutal!" I think if more people shared that worldview, we would have a lot more fun.

Destroyer Destroyer - Littered With Arrows

People have been shitting on this album for the vocals, but I've always been fond of the scream-at-the-absolute-top-of-your-vocal-register grindcore shriek. And other than that, this record is solid, all-around great. Unpredictable, chaotic, technical, and surprising while still preserving song structure and stylistic identity. This record totally makes up for boring-ass records from Ion Dissonance and The Dillinger Escape Plan this year. All math/techcore bands should aspire to be this good.

Do Make Say Think - You, You're A History In Rust

This record is thoroughly amazing. The songs are placed in a loose, free-flowing structure that evokes them being played spontaneously by a bunch of friends hanging out in the countryside of Midwestern America, and the songs themselves are a breath of fresh air in the oversaturated glut of post-rock bands, not reliant on the cliched structures and melodies that bands like Caspian shamelessly ape (listening to The Four Trees is like seeing pictures of Explosions in the Sky songs as infants), instead creating their own language and style. This is essential listening.

Engineer - The Dregs

Not much to say about this one, it's just pure badass. Like Coalesce with all the knobs turned a couple notches higher. Incidentally, the new Coalesce EP is really bland. Those guys got irrelevant really damn fast. Anyway, this record starts heavy and in-your-face and stays that way pretty much straight through, and is by far the best hardcore album of the year. Check it out if you haven't. They're getting a lot of buzz, so maybe in a few years they'll be all watery and lame. But I don't think so. Check out last year's album, Reproach, if you haven't heard it. It's at least as good.

Erik Friedlander - Block Ice & Propane

No album illustrates why I download so many records I know so little about better than this one: it is a goddamn masterpiece, and I never would've heard of it if I wasn't constantly cruising download sites. This is an instrumental cello record that creates a singular amalgamation of blues, americana, and jazz. Every note is virtuosic, and if you let it, the music will take over every fiber of your body. Incredibly moving. It will make you feel good, and it will make you feel bad, and it will make you feel a whole lot. Also, one of the songs is in an iPhone commercial.

Explosions in the Sky - All Of A Sudden I Miss Everyone

Post-rock bands rip them off to no end and post-rock purists snub them for being too popular and polished, but they're on top because they're the best in the goddamn arena. Pitchfork dissed this album for being predictable. I agree, but that's not a bad thing. That you know when a climax is coming doesn't make that climax any less powerful (ask anybody who has ever had sex, ever). If that was the case, then you could never listen to an album more than once. The formula that this album sticks to is one that this band does very well, and these songs are just as good as anything they've made. Fuck the haters.

Harlots - Betrayer

Impeccable technical metalcore. One of the only bands in this genre with any sort of identity. Shrieking, noisy guitars with sheets of feedback, emotionally pitch-perfect drumming, and great production sets this apart from the pack, even if there is occasionally a bit too clear Pig Destroyer or Converge influence (I'm not complaining; if you're gonna rip off a band, those are some great starting points). This record would make the list without it, but what makes this record truly astounding is the centerpiece, Dried Up Goliathan. In the middle of a relentlessly heavy and abrasive record is the best post-rock tinged NeurIsis track of the year. And that's saying something considering that there was a new record from big daddy Neurosis themselves this year. Even if said record was disappointingly one-dimensional and filled with boring electro-wankery.

Hot Cross - Risk Revival

This record is unbelievably solid. Over 13 songs and 45 minutes, you can count the number of throwaway riffs and choruses not worth yelling along to on one hand. Unbelievable production, the constant jittery riffing that has come to define the band, and righteous and occasionally confusing lyrics. It's all there. So why are all of their fans pissed? Well, because they don't really scream on this record. In fact, the whole thing is more post-hardcore than screamo. But that's a petty and stupid reason to slag off a swansong this worthy of respect.

Inhume - Chaos Dissection Order

This title is up there with the great three-word metal album titles like Blood Fire Death and Human Meat Gluttony. And oh yeah, the music is great too. Dirty, fast, catchy, groovy grind. One of a very few grind records with songs distinguishable from each other and worth repeated, close listening. It's not a masterpiece that proves grindcore is worthy of artistic respect and pushes the boundaries of the genre. In fact, the only band I can think of that accomplishes that is Discordance Axis (I've always found Nasum to be overrated and kinda boring). But it's damn fun, and what else do you want?

Insect Warfare - World Extermination

This gets pretty much the same paragraph as the last one. Minus the three-word title. It's clearer produced and maybe a little more accessible. But pretty much the same deal. Guess I was really feelin' the grind this year. I was skeptical of this band when I first heard of their existence a couple years ago, because their name is a shot at The Locust, a band that, though not at all grindcore and anyone who calls them that should really do some research on the subject, is really really good. Or rather, was really really good. Now they've gone to shit and Insect Warfare has put out an awesome record. Ironic.

Minus the Bear - Planet of Ice

This band pulls off a very rare feat: being both catchy and accessible and musically interesting. They've gained a following in a remarkable variety of circles with their other records, but this one shows a marked change. They've always been talented enough that their mathy elements are not jarring, in fact they're only noticeable if you've got a sharp ear. But they've still seemed somehow mechanical on previous records. Well, that's gone now. In its place is a lush prog aesthetic that is, however cheesy it sounds, really evocative of icy landscapes. I find myself not even thinking about time signatures and chord progressions this time around, and just losing myself in chilled soundscapes of moog and twin ethereal guitars. The lyrics are suspect and the vocals strangely monotonic, but the hooks are solid, and the instrumentals are just mind-blowing.

Modest Mouse - We Were Dead Before The Ship Even Sank

Modest Mouse have come a long way from the sloppy, bizarre guitar-rock they started out making. From indie sensation to pop sensation, and they're still making records that grab you by the throat and don't let go. Maybe the fact that they're all over the radio and TV commercials has cheapened them for some people, but I don't think that's fair. A little polish does a band like Modest Mouse good. Being heard clearly over catchy pop music only makes Isaac Brock's rantings seem even more deranged by comparison. And the thought of lyrics like these reaching millions of ears is heartwarming. I thoroughly approve of Modest Mouse's success, and if they can keep making records like this while being pop stars, then more power to them. This is a gem throughout.

Nadja - Touched

I had no idea what I was in for when I was handed this record to review for the radio station I work at. Nadja make droning neo-doom with guitars so heavily effects-laden that they become a force of sheer sound. Mostly instrumental, with vocals perfectly executed and strategically placed. Jesu put out a sub-par record this year (though it doesn't seem that way until about halfway through it) and I just don't find Alcest to be nearly as amazing as some people seem to, but at least one shoegazey ambient doom record this year can be considered an absolute success.

Odious Mortem - Cryptic Implosion

This record is absolutely everything that I like about death metal all at once. Perfectly clear production, fast, technical guitars, vocals that add an extra layer to the music without getting in the way. I've been hearing old-school death metal dudes shit-talking this record, but I have no idea why. And old-school death sucks anyway (the new Monstrosity notwithstanding). This is complicated, unrelenting, fast, brutal, and catchy (not to the degree of Necrophagist, but still). I don't see anything not to like.

Oxbow - The Narcotic Story

God damn, this band is straight crazy. Music a seamless fusion of blues, rock, noise, and classic film soundtrack, vocals the psychotic ravings of a drugged-up looney. The music is interesting and affecting, and the singing is compelling in a really, really fucked up sort of way. I can't even describe what listening to this record is like. You gotta try it sometime. Their singer whips out his penis and masturbates when they play live. I know this because I have a DVD (named, appropriately, Music For Adults) which came with the sort-of "best-of" compilation of theirs that Hydra Head put out last year.

Panda Bear - Person Pitch

I've never been much of an Animal Collective fan. They've always been billed as a love-'em-or-hate-'em kind of band, but what I feel about them can be summed up with "eh." However, the solo record from the Collective's own Panda Bear is a real fucking treat. An exercise in looping repetition and incorporation of noise into a cyborg collage of organic sound on a skipping record, much of this album sounds like the Beach Boys on psychedelic drugs, in space. It's catchy, it's affecting, it's original. I love the shit out of it. And the owl at the start of Bros gets me every time.

Psyopus - Our Puzzling Encounters Considered

One of the first records I heard from this year (along with Explosions in the Sky) and even though I've heard it a million times, I still can't help but think, "Holy shit, I can't believe that people are even capable of making music this intense and crazy" each rotation. Accusations of being haphazardly constructed and devoid of songwriting have been leveled at this record, but I'm too in awe of the intensity and insanity of it to be able to confirm or deny those. Maybe in five or ten years I'll wonder what the hell I was thinking being into this record. But right now, this is so fucking insane that tech-metalheads are decrying it for being too crazy, and that's good enough for me.

Rotting Christ - Theogonia

I did not expect anything good when I listened to this band. After all, they're named Rotting Christ. But what came out of my speakers was not raw black metal with low production values and too much minor-key tremolo but incredibly clear-sounding Germanic black metal with immediately evident prog leanings and Middle Eastern influence that slowly reveals itself over the course of the album. The high point of the record is Nemecic, with its commanding Germanic chant of a chorus and main riff based around a bagpipe melody. If you want an interesting and new take on what metal can do, look no further. Dødheimsgard came close this year, but their record's industrial and electronica influence gets alternatingly grating and silly and the record presses on. This is the real fucking thing.

Rwake - Voices of Omens

I heard someone describe this record as good enough to tide them over until the new Neurosis came out. This record is better than that one by a long shot. Southern-fried doom metal with a creative focus and drive that makes up for its lack of striking new ideas. A record doesn't really have to be innovative to be great, and this record is one of the most consistent and solid albums that I've ever heard in the style. From the beautiful intro to the closing "FUCK YOU!" there isn't a single moment on this album that bores me, which is something I certainly can't say about Given to the Rising, so this makes the list, and that doesn't.

The Snake The Cross The Crown - Cotton Teeth

These guys used to be an emo-tinged post-hardcore band. Now they're a country-tinged indie band, and I couldn't be gladder about the change. I was at first drawn in by the opening track's lazy beat and melody, the interesting juxtaposition of honest poignancy and electronic sheen, and the handclaps. But the rest of the album won me over with time, and stuff from throughout gets stuck in my head on a regular basis. If there's any justice, this will become a classic. It grooves, and mourns, and boogies, and there's not a song on it not worth becoming familiar with.

Trap Them - Sleepwell Deconstructor

I heard a leaked copy of this album pretty deep back into 2006, and thought it was fucking great but couldn't find any information on it. An enticing mix of grind and Boston hardcore with the vocalist from Backstabbers Inc., this tears it up for 20 minutes then stops as quickly as it starts. The only break is the "ballad" at the center of it, Destructioneer Extraordinaire, which is just as hard as the rest of the deal.

Honorable Mentions:

These are records that didn't make the list for whatever reason but still deserve your attention.

Andrew Bird - Armchair Apocrypha

This album has a first half that is almost shockingly good. Fiery Crash, Imitosis, and Heretics start the record off strong with Bird's signature swagger and alternately searing and soothing violin. Dark Matter is a slow-burning knockout, and Plasticities is a cute, if somewhat forgettable little song. But then the album drops off drops off abruptly. The rest (with the exception of Scythian Empire) is boring and forgettable. Bird's wry hipness carries the songs of his I like and when he gets too quiet or minimal, it just doesn't do anything for me. Drums and production on this record by Martin Dosh, and I would love to give him a nod on the list, but no. If the first five songs of this were rearranged and sold as an EP, it would be perfect, but as is, I can only give it a tentative recommendation.

Byla and Jarboe - Viscera

Christ, what a perfect name for this record. I was never that into Swans but Jarboe has an impressive voice, and Byla (made up of two thirds of Dysrhythmia) is the perfect backing band for her. This album mostly showcases her ability to make scary animal noises. In a good way. The combination of Byla's best apocalyptic soundscapes and Jarboe's best banshee howls makes for an awesome fucking record, and proof once again that Colin Marston (despite the somewhat lackluster new Behold... The Arctopus) just plain doesn't make bad albums. I can't think of a single reason why this isn't on the main list, other than that there were just too many records I liked more.

Ensiferum - Victory Songs

The first two or three tracks on this are just flat-out amazing. Viking-themed power metal that makes you feel like galloping across the battlefield on a mighty steed. But after that the record starts to drown itself in its own silliness and the songs get more epic ballady and less just plain epic. It's a shame. But listen to Blood is the Price of Glory even if you don't ever listen to anything else on the record.

Grails - Burning Off Impurities

I heard this band's Black Tar Prophecies last year and was blown away by the band's interesting take on Egyptian music. It wasn't a very solid record, but that was easily and readily forgiven because of the fact that it was a compilation of EPs. However, their new record is equally inconsistent and structurally unstable. It stayed on my list for a long, long time, mostly because I wanted it to be better than it was, but I've got to let it go. Though it's got some striking moments, the songs generally just lounge around for a while and then stop, and this problem gets worse and worse until the album concludes with a forgettable whumph. There's a lot of potential here if they would just spend more time crafting dynamic songs. I'm holding out for a killer record in the next few years.

Monstrosity - Spiritual Apocalypse

Great old-school thrashy death metal. Rare blast-beats and each song has a distinctive identity. Those two things make this an astoundingly rare record. I can't get the riff from Firestorm out of my head, and there are a ton of lyrics that are great fun to grunt along with. Guest performance by the guitarist from Atheist, catchy as shit, again I can't think of any reason why this didn't make the real list other than that I liked too much other stuff.

Biggest Disappointments:

There were quite a few this year, but most of them were minor, or records that I didn't really have high hopes for. Here are the ones that really stung.

Against Me! - New Wave

I am a unilateral fan of Against Me!'s early work. The EPs were great, Reinventing Axl Rose was absolutely amazing, and As The Eternal Cowboy is one of the best punk records ever recorded. But, due to fan backlash from dumb punks and assorted other issues, they released a thoroughly sub-par third album, empty of the spirit and vigor of their previous works, and full of clunky, graceless lyrics that all seem either resentful or hypocritical. Nonetheless, I had high hopes for an Against Me! redemption. Sadly, it seems that they've given up. This band used to burn with an incredible fire but by this record it has been doused and all that's left is a charred hunk of wood. The songs are unremarkable, the lyrics are crap, and now at their shows they have guys who run out and shove people off the stage when they climb up. I was hesitant to jump on the fuck this band bandwagon, but fuck this band.

The Dillinger Escape Plan - Ire Works

If this record had any other band's name attached to it, nobody would think twice about it. About a third of it sounds like a bland imitation of the DEP sound, about a third of it is Greg Puciato's sad, grating attempts at being Trent Reznor or Mike Patton, and about a third of it is stupid little directionless interlude tracks that desperately try to make this album seem "eclectic" but instead make it sound slapped-together and shoddily constructed. This album is boring throughout, and occasionally pathetic, like when they shoot for rockin' (in Milk Lizard) or epic (in Mouth of Ghosts) and come out with nü-metal. And considering what an arrogant fucking douchebag Ben Weinman is, I'm not inclined to be even a little forgiving of them because of their past work. Their own press sheet says "For fans of: System of a Down, Deftones, Nine Inch Nails." I agree. What shit.

The End - Elementary

This band's debut full-length, WIthin Dividia, is a mind-bending, relentlessly brutal record. Nothing particularly innovative, but impressive for its sheer force and consistency. So I had high expectations for their new record, especially when I heard that it would take their music in a more experimental direction. The phrase "boundary-pushing" was thrown around. When I got my hands on the album, I looked at the liner notes and the were all dolled up like a boy band, in eyeliner and suits. I laughed. Obviously, it was a joke. But then I put the album on, and found out that their idea of boundary-pushing experimentation was to sound like a heavy, Tool-influenced Linkin Park.

Pelican - City of Echoes

Of all the albums on this list, this is the one I had the least inkling would suck. But Pelican really delivered the shit this year, with a badly-produced, boring, forgettable album. Their first two records went from crushingly heavy to epic and beautiful, but this time they decided that they wanted to make short pieces of instrumental rock. The title is fitting, as this album is completely empty. None of the songs go anywhere, paper-thin production negates the couple decent moments, and God damn I can't believe I never noticed how shitty that drummer is before. Pass.

Streetlight Manifesto

Four years in the making and it still sounds rushed. All the songs are mid-tempo and about 5 minutes long, there is repetitive structure within and between the songs, only a couple choruses are truly inspiredly catchy, world and jazz influence in the horns is not incorporated into the songs but rather cordoned off in little breakdowns, and halfway through the record they start blatantly stealing riffs from the old one. This album is good in exactly none of the ways their first one was. I'm bored just thinking about it.

The best records of 2006 that I didn't hear until 2007:

Amen Ra - Mass III

Absolutely breathtaking sludge/screamo from like Belgium or something. Methodical, heavy, and gripping. It's the kind of music that, at least for me, is very hard to ignore. When you hear it it just takes over everything and puts all thought from your mind. The riffs are memorable and mesmerizing. I loved it the first time I heard it and each time since I find new things to like. You have to check this out if you haven't heard it. They're not very big, and that's some sort of crime. I can't say enough good things about this record, and if I keep going on you'll think I'm some rabid fanboy. Which I'm not. I found them on a complete whim, with no recommendation whatsoever.

Entrance - Prayer of Death

Authentic-seeming blues backed by psychedelic rock. The oddly timed vocals and sudden shouts and cracking falsetto are very upsetting upon first listen, but if you've got the time or the mind to acquire this taste it will be worth your while. I was roped in by the opener, Grim Reaper Blues, so thoroughly that I forcefed myself the rest of the album until I understood it, and though I gagged at first, now I'm gobbling it down greedily and begging for more. That got unintentionally fellatio-oriented very quickly. This album is all about accepting death and not being afraid of it. Some pretty bizarre stuff sometimes, but the music is incredible.

Howlin' Rain - Howlin' Rain

Psychedelic folk-rock. Pretty fucking 70's, but with some 21st century guitar magic thrown in at points. I came upon it at random in my iTunes and have no idea where I could've gotten it from, but I decided to stick with it and by the end I felt very very good. This is the kind of music that a certain section of people who do a certain type of drugs are really into. I don't do any drugs regardless of type, and I like it too. Lots of lyrics about cocaine, if that matters to you. Same vocalist/guitarist/songwriter as Comets on Fire.

Maps and Atlases - Tree, Swallows, Houses...

This is the only EP on the entire list, but it's so so so good that I couldn't leave it off. This is what Hella should've sounded like when they turned into a band with structured songs and a vocalist, not that faux-prog bullshit. Beautifully constructed and catchy pop music with ridiculous math shit going on underneath it. Two-hand taps, unbelievable drums, and catchy hooks. Some people complain about the vocals, but I love them to death. Very distinctive, let's say.

Psycroptic - Symbols of Failure

Perfect, perfect, perfect tech-death. I decided to give this a serious listen because the cover art was so badass, and what do you know, the music was badass as well. This band is from Australia. They have great production. I don't know many bands from Australia. People who don't listen to death metal always seem surprised by how many places it comes from. Death metal is the universal language. This is true. They make it in South Korea and Columbia and Japan and Russia and Germany and Denmark and Canada and fucking Australia. It is essential to be familiar with death metal to function in our international community. Oh yeah, and this record is produced very well too.

Alright, that's done, thank God. Hope you found something cool that you hadn't heard of before.
-Deniz