My Top Albums of 2011! (Yes, they are pretty much all metal or at least close to metal)

Now, this year was a big year for retro metal and doom; so, you will see a lot of my favorite albums as being such.  Here you go (In no particular order):

The Wounded Kings - In the Chapel of the Black Hand: Well-produced quality doom, and I love the girl's voice so much on top of them heavy riffs!

Blood Ceremony - Living With the Ancients: This girl has an exceptional voice and a great band that accompanies her.  This very old school yet fresh, and it is great!

In Solitude - The Devil, The World, The Flesh: Those that know me, probably know how much I love this album.  I have listened to it so much and come back to it all the time.  Retro 80s metal done right, and these kids just know how to bring it.  I am excited to hear the next offering, I only see them getting better.

YOB - Atma: YOB is a band that always releases a quality product, and with the guest appearance from Scott Kelly on two tracks just enhanced the record even more.  All you have to really do is listen to the last track, it is epic.  Their is a great balance between brutality, heavy, and melody in the composition.

Graveyard - Hisengen Blues: Besides Witchcraft, this band sounds so 70s, that I just have to love this record.  As I haven't had a Witchcraft album in over 4 years, this has quenched my thirst.  Now, they sound different from Witchcraft, but that 70s vibe exist.  All I have to hear is "Uncomfortably Numb," and I am in a trance.

Orchid - Capricorn: Like In Solitude, I have played the shit out of this record.  My love for Black Sabbath is massive, and these guys aren't copycats, but they capture the spirit of Sabbath in all its elements.  The riffs kick ass, the tunes kick ass, and the production makes it solid.  Fantastic record.

Trap Them - Darker Handcraft:  Ever since I heard the first note from Trap Them, I have loved this band. And to me, they just keep getting better.  I love Kurt Ballou's production, he just makes them sound so badass.  The music is just ferocious.   I will never forget how tired I was one night, and then I put this record, and I was ready to fucking party after 1 song!  Great shit!

Devil - Time to Repent:  Another classic retro metal band of the 70s/80s.  I don't know what it is about this music, but it strikes such a big chord with me.  Maybe I should have been around at this time, maybe I was "Born Too Late."  However, this record rules.

Uncle Acid and the Deadbeats - Blood Lust:  Damn, this record rules.  Once again, retro like no other, but fantastic music let me tell you.  It sounds like doing acid in a dark lit music club in the 70s, watching go-go girls getting down and dirty.  What else could you ask for?

Opeth - Heritage:  Fuck the haters.  To me, this what Opeth should be doing with their music.  Would I like them to add death metal again?  Yes, but when the time is right.  Don't force that shit, go with what you want to do, and that is exactly what Opeth did, and I like it.  I thought Watershed was watered down, and this what they wanted to do anyway.  I am sure we will here another heavy record, but for now, this will do.

Serpent Venom - Carnal Altar: God, I love this record.  Riffs, I love riffs, and these guys got riffs.  Very old school Black Sabbath style metal.  Once again, I just love this stuff, I am a sucker for it.

Rwake - Rest:  Rwake is one of my favorite sludge bands, they do sludge in their own style and no one sounds like them.  I loved Voices of Omens so much, I didn't know if they could top it, but this one is pretty damn close.  They just keep evolving as a band, and it is awesome.  This is not a casual listening album.  You have to turn it up loud, lay back, and listen.  At this point, you will fall in love.

Vallenfyre - A Fragile King: Another style I am a sucker for is old school death metal, and that fuzzy entombed guitar tone.  I just can't get enough of it.  This record combines the sounds of old school death and the likes of Paradise Lost and My Dying Bride (which feature members of each band).  great record.

I am sure that I am missing some great records, but these are the albums that spoke to me this year, and I listened to the shit out of them.  let's see what next year brings, but damn, I love it!

Road Trip

Well, I made it back safe and it was a hell of a ride.  So, basically what I did was drove all the way down to Texas, and then back to Michigan.  I made a few stops along the way, I got to see my Aunt and Uncle in Driftwood, TX, and then I got to see some old friends in Chicago, IL.  If there is one thing I can say about traveling by yourself, it gives you a lot of time to think.  Whether it is the past, present, or future, it was constantly on my mind.  And the last two years, they have not been what I like to consider great years.  Sure, some of awesome things did happen throughout these years, but overall, the bad outweighed the good in my opinion.  Well, now it has started having a toll on my well-being, and I am in the "who am I?" phase in my life.  I hate this stupid garbage, but it happens to all of us at some point.  Well, the conclusion that I came to while traveling was I need to move, I need to change my direction, and I need to do something different for a little while.  Change is good, and I have been ready for a long time, but I have just let myself stay stagnant for too long.  Now, it isn't going to be overnight, but it is going to sooner than later.

However, before I make this next step, I have decided that I must create a project that defines what the last two years have been like, and close that chapter of my life properly.  I must be ambitious, work-hard, and make something out of it; so, I have documentation of this time period.  So, I plan on calling the project, The Great Escape, and it is going to have elements of post-rock/doom/stoner/the cure/depeche mode.  Well, I really don't know how it is going to turn out yet, but this is the vision that I have.  Encouragement is welcome, and I know I need to do this.  I am going to push hard to make it happen.  For those that read this, thank you and hope you enjoyed it.

Your pal,

Steve

Top 10 albums to Bring on a Road Trip

Well, this week, I took upon myself to drive down south alone in a two day trek.  First day, I drove for 13 hours, and the second, I drove for about 9 hours.  And I never remember before on a road trip having to piss as much as I had, but it could have been the coffee, the energy drinks, and the powerade, however, every two hours, come on!  Anyway, back to the story, it is essential that you have plenty of music, which I probably brought over 50 CDs with me just in case.  The ones that definitely made this trip a satisfying trip were (not in any particular order):

1.  Kyuss - Welcome to Sky Valley
2.  Down - NOLA
3.  Black Sabbath - Sabbath Bloody Sabbath
4.  Orchid - Capricorn
5.  In Solitude - The World, The Flesh, The Devil
6.  Ghost - Opus Eponymous
7.  Graveyard - Hisengen Blues
8.  King Diamond - Abigail (at night)
9.  Electric Wizard - Dopethrone
10.  YOB - The Great Cessation (any YOB really)

I know it is mostly metal, but trust me, it makes great driving music!  Ps.  Never listen to Decapitated during rush hour in Dallas traffic.  That was chaos.

Band of the Day

Iron Monkey.  Iron Monkey is a sludge band from England that came to a halt when their vocalist died.  They have 2 albums, Iron Monkey and Our Problem.  Highly recommended is Our Problem.  Whether you are sober, angry, or just in the mood that requires slow, heavy riffs, pummeling/caveman like drums, and vomiting-induced screaming, this album is for you.  Disclaimer: Do not listen to this band while drunk on whiskey, it will lead to fights, holes in walls, broken glass, the whole nine.  However, if you do want that, then, well, this band will do it for you as well.  Check out the link below!