There has been so much incredible music released this year that I’m unwilling to wait until December to post a “Best Albums of 2013” article. Thus we have the first segment of my Top Ten Favorite Albums of 2013 (So Far) list.
The rules are more or less the same as they were for my 10 Favorite Albums of 2012 segment; namely, I must have purchased and repeatedly listened to the album for it to be considered, with bonus points being awarded for standing the relative test of time (i.e., albums released earlier in the year could get a little bump), or the band giving a kickass live performance in support of the album, or the album inspiring me to branch out into a new genre of music, or basically whatever arbitrary criteria I deem fit.
The original list was actually more than 10, but on reflection I decided to cut the post from three parts to two; the top 10 that remain just seemed to be in a league of their own. Nevertheless, I’m starting with an honorable mention that floated around the 11th or 12th spot in my rankings that I think merits a mention.
Otherwise, enjoy my #6 – 10 favorite albums of 2013 (so far) today, and expect #1 – 5 to be posted in a day or two!
Honorable Mention: John Fogerty – Wrote a Song for Everyone
How does what is essentially a country rock album end up just barely edged out of my Top 10, surpassing a number of killer metal and hard rock releases? Try taking a classic rock legend (Creedence Clearwater Revival’s John Fogerty) and letting him remake some of his band’s greatest hits with modern-day rock and country superstars. The guest list on this album is insane: it opens with “Fortunate One” featuring the Foo Fighters, closes with “Proud Mary” featuring Jennifer Hudson, Allen Toussaint, and Rebirth Brass Band, and swoops up a myriad of big names across genres in between.
I called the album “country rock” because the new arrangements do have more of a southern, twangy vibe than the CCR originals – but I’d argue that Creedence always fell on the bluesy/country end of the classic rock spectrum, so the new arrangements shouldn’t be too jarring for long-time fans. The artists connected to my favorite collaborations ended up surprising me: “Bad Moon Rising” with Zac Brown Band, “Born on the Bayou” with Kid Rock, and “Someday Never Comes” with Dawes come to mind immediately. Plus, a remake of “Who’ll Stop The Rain?” featuring fellow rootsy rock ‘n roll mainstay Bob Seger?! The 17-year-old me driving around my hometown with the dial permanently tuned to the classic rock station begged me to purchase the album for this duet alone.
Incidentally, Fogerty’s two new tracks, “Mystic Highway” and “Train of Fools” are also highlights, proving he still has the chops to create standout new material as well.
#10. Volbeat – Outlaw Gentlemen & Shady Ladies
Public declaration: Volbeat is underappreciated by metalheads and other music geeks. I’ll concede that, relative to some underground Norwegian doom metal band or a random instrumental-only djent/jazz/conga fusion group, their radio singles are a bit more accessible to a wider audience. And I acknowledge that, in addition to touring with some legends, they’ve also joined up with some bands that can only be described as pop rock. But it would be wildly unfair and inaccurate to lump this band in with the garbage that has been payola’d onto the airwaves.
Definite elements of a country western vibe permeate Outlaw Gentlemen & Shady Ladies, as the title might suggest, but the band somehow manages to incorporate that sound seamlessly into their songs without abandoning their traditional heavy metal roots. The fact that this fusion plays out naturally in great hooks and riffs – as opposed to coming across as forced or gimmicky – underscores the strength of this group. Drummer Jon Larsen’s game is especially tight this album, incorporating a variety of tempos and styles that drive the songs forward without overwhelming the harmony.
Here’s the coolest song on the album, a collaboration with King Diamond. Good luck repressing the desire to scream out “in Room 24… IN ROOM TWENTY FOOOOOOUR” every time after your first listen.
#9. Sound City soundtrack – Real to Reel
Yep, another album of superstar collaborations involving Dave Grohl has wiggled its way into day one of my favorite albums of 2013 so far. The screening of the Sound City
The songs themselves all fall under the broad label of good ol’ fashioned rock ‘n roll, and yet remain fairly diverse in their sound. I imagine pretty much everyone can find something to like on this album, and many will love it all. I get excited when superbly talented individuals combine their creative forces and see what shakes out, and the pleasure of hearing the results on this album far outweighs any relative lack of cohesion in theme or tone among the songs. Basically, all it means is that nothing special is gained from listening to the songs in order – feel free to bounce around the tracks as your whims impel you! This is not a Foo Fighters album (nor a Queens of the Stone Age nor a Nine Inch Nails nor a Fleetwood Mac album), but by deviating from their traditional sounds without wholly abandoning them, the artists end up achieving something all the more notable as a result.
Check out Stevie Nicks, Dave Grohl, Taylor Hawkins, and Rami Jaffee with “You Can’t Fix This.” Stevie’s voice is still hypnotic.
#8. TesseracT – Altered State
My prog-nerd heart is aflutter. I want to justify this #8 ranking with the massive caveat that I’ve only owned this album a short time (it dropped at the end of May and I didn’t manage to purchase it until later in June), so when I make a 2013 overall album list, it wouldn’t surprise me if it climbed a few spots higher, notwithstanding all the awesome material that is slated to be released in the second half of 2013.
TesseracT could be a purely instrumental band and still be mesmerizing. Even more than usual, I’ll find myself completely distracted by the guitar throughout a song, and then completely focused on the drums or bass line in the next listen. Having said that, the lead singer’s vocals are silky and at times chilling – “Resist” is a phenomenal track in which the various layers of the song come together in a breathtaking harmony, and it wouldn’t be the same without that voice. Given how compelling the instrumentals are, I’m almost surprised that I quite enjoy the vocal accompaniment and think it ultimately adds to the album.
Like a lot of progressive / experimental metal stuff, Altered State is tough for me to describe without a generic “it’s trippy,” and imploring you to just listen to it. So here’s the video for the song “Singularity” that will hopefully pique your interest:
As an aside, if YouTube is trying to make you log in to view the video because of its “controversial” content (which is what happened to me), you might be able to get around it by watching it on Metal Injection. Another aside, the album version of the song is longer but, you know, I guess almost 5 minutes is pushing it for the average YouTube commenter’s attention span as is. Just another reason to actually purchase the album itself.
#7. Stone Sour – House of Gold & Bones (Part Two)
Creating this Top 10 list has me falling in love with the album all over again. Long-time readers of the blog might remember that House of Gold & Bones, Part 1 was my #7 favorite album of 2012. Points for consistency in rankings for me! As the conclusion to a two-part concept album, released many months after the remarkable first disc, HoG&B Part 2 confronted the mixed blessing of especially high expectations. But Stone Sour pulled it off.
Listening to Parts 1 and 2 back-to-back is an hour and a half experience – and one that I’d recommend when you have the time – but HoG&B2 can stand as a fantastic album on its own as well. My initial reaction after a few listen-throughs was that Part 2 was powerful lyrically and melodically, well-produced with some great riffs… but I couldn’t help but acknowledge a lingering preference for Part 1. I don’t think that preference has totally dissipated, but like Part 1, this is an album that seems to improve each time I listen to it. Indeed, while there was never any doubt that the album would find a spot on this list, I came to a newfound appreciation of many of the tracks — from a ripping opener with “Red City” to the killer close with “The House of Gold & Bones” — while “researching” (i.e. compulsively listening to my album purchases for this year) and pulling together this post, and ultimately bumped it up a notch or two in the final rank ordering. Yep, Corey Taylor, my love for your work persists.
The video for “Do Me A Favor,” which continues the theme of the album and the first music videos:
#6. Killswitch Engage – Disarm The Descent
Killswitch is one of my all-time favorite bands, so it’s a bit discomfiting to have Disarm The Descent land at #6 in my favorite album rankings for 2013 so far. I’m confident that it’s not a function of my (implicitly or explicitly) taking a side in the eternal Howard vs. Jesse debate; I suppose I find Jesse slightly more compelling on stage and favor Howard’s voice on the album cuts, but these are preferences at the margins. Jesse’s vocals are brutal metalcore goodness on this album, particularly when backed by/harmonized with insanely talented Adam D.’s, and that unmistakable Killswitch sound permeates every track without becoming formulaic. KSE’s 2006 masterpiece As Daylight Dies has effectively solidified itself as my #1 album of all time, but Disarm The Descent joins The End of Heartache and Alive or Just Breathing as KSE brilliance that will find regular rotation on my mp3 player.
Here’s “In Due Time,” which isn’t even the best song on the album but it has the professionally done music video, so there ya go:
Pro tip: Get the “Special Edition” version of the album for cool live cuts of “Numbered Days” and “My Curse.”
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Verbose? Me? Don’t worry, the forthcoming Part Two is an equally rambling clusterfuck compilation of a music reviews that is sure to be celebrated throughout the ages as well.
