Sales Pitch: 2013
My official 2013 list. 20 EPs. 40 LPs. Reverse order. |
| 62 | |
TOP TWENTY EPS |
| 61 | | Love Interest
Demo 03?.?2013
#20. Post-Punk |
| 60 |  | Altered Boys
2nd EP
#19. Hardcore Punk |
| 59 |  | CityCop / Les Doux
Family Ties/Labors of Love
#18. Post-Hardcore/Emo |
| 58 |  | Chalk River
You Are Going To Heaven EP
#17. Ambient |
| 57 |  | Tollund Men
Virbius Abstract
#16. Post-Punk |
| 56 | | Violent End
Violent End 7"
#15. Hardcore Punk |
| 55 |  | Pusha T
Wrath Of Caine
#14. Hip-Hop/Rap |
| 54 |  | Whirr
Around
#13. Shoegaze |
| 53 |  | Methmouth
Bleach Bath
#12. Powerviolence |
| 52 |  | Barge
No Gain
#11. Powerviolence (again) |
| 51 |  | Spine/The Repos
Split
#10. Powerviolence (again, again) |
| 50 |  | ACxDC/Magnum Force/Sex Prisoner
Split
#9. Powerviolence (again, again, again) (x3) |
| 49 |  | Gag
This Punk Shit Is Cool But...
#8. Hardcore Punk |
| 48 |  | Whores.
Clean
#7. Noise Rock |
| 47 |  | Gas Rag
Human Rights
#6. Hardcore Punk |
| 46 |  | Solstice
Death's Crown Is Victory
#5. Doom Metal - Even after a fifteen-year absence, these guys still rule hard. This is the
perfect Skyrim music and luckily for me, I just got back into that game. Slay dragons,
conquer lands and put heads on spikes with this epic release. |
| 45 |  | Ash Borer
Bloodlands
#4. Atmospheric Black Metal - Ash Borer took the black metal and hipster community by storm in
2011 with their self-titled LP then kinda nudged them with their second one. The ferocity missing
from their sophomore effort is exemplified on this 2-song EP. It is recorded live and although it is
not entirely raw, the production has enough grime between its gears to create a solid atmosphere. |
| 44 |  | Creem
Curator
#3. Hardcore Punk - Creem are just killing it this year! These dudes put the "awesome" in "fucking
awesome" with their Curator EP. More riffs. More catchy. More fun. These guys know how to start a party
and burn it to the ground! |
| 43 |  | Sex Prisoner
State Property
#2. Powerviolence - I only started digging Sex Prisoner this year; I was not too keen on them a few years back
when I was first getting into powerviolence. Although their self-titled 7" is excellent, State Property shows the
band trying new things while still retaining a signature, pulverizing sound. |
| 42 |  | A Pregnant Light
Domination Harmony
#1. Black Metal - A Pregnant Light is the shit when it comes to CSR bands. Yet another purple album
cover and the material is some of the best stuff APL has recorded in my opinion. As soon as the first
riff comes in after the acoustic intro, you know you're in for something different. I would have to say
this is my favorite APL release and my favorite EP from this year for sure. |
| 41 | |
TOP FORTY LPS |
| 40 |  | Cosmic Church
Ylistys
#40. Black Metal |
| 39 |  | Manipulation
Manipulation LP
#39. Hardcore Punk |
| 38 |  | Clipping
Midcity
#38. Experimental Hip-Hop/Harsh Noise |
| 37 |  | Wedrujacy Wiatr
Tam, Gdzie Miesiac Oplakuje Swit
#37. Atmospheric Black Metal |
| 36 |  | Sed Non Satiata
Mappo
#36. Emo/Post-Hardcore |
| 35 |  | Iron Lung
White Glove Test
#35. Powerviolence |
| 34 |  | Touche Amore
Is Survived By
#34. Post-Hardcore |
| 33 |  | Ataraxie
L Etre et La Nausee
#33. Doom Metal |
| 32 |  | Mutoid Man
Helium Head
#32. Punk/Sludge |
| 31 |  | Chelsea Wolfe
Pain Is Beauty
#31. Dark Ambient |
| 30 |  | Raspberry Bulbs
Deformed Worship
#30. Punk |
| 29 |  | Cara Neir
Portals To A Better, Dead World
#29. Black Metal/Post-Hardcore |
| 28 |  | Quincunx
Quincunx
#28. Black Metal/Hardcore |
| 27 |  | Primitive Man
Scorn
#27. Sludge |
| 26 |  | Night Birds
Born To Die In Suburbia
#26. Hardcore Punk/Surf Rock |
| 25 |  | Queens Of The Stone Age
...Like Clockwork
#25. Alt. Rock/Stoner |
| 24 |  | Curse The Son
Psychache
#24. Stoner Rock/Doom |
| 23 |  | Vattnet Viskar
Sky Swallower
#23. Black Metal |
| 22 |  | Hoax
Hoax
#22. Hardcore Punk |
| 21 |  | Iron Chic
The Constant One
#21. Punk |
| 20 |  | Uncle Acid And The Deadbeats
Mind Control
#20. Psychedelic Rock |
| 19 | | Arabrot
Årabrot
#19. Noise Rock/Sludge |
| 18 |  | Nails
Abandon All Life
#18. Grindcore |
| 17 |  | Peste Noire
Peste Noire
#17. Black Metal |
| 16 |  | Abuse.
Abuse
#16. Powerviolence |
| 15 |  | Full Of Hell
Rudiments Of Mutilation
#15. Hardcore |
| 14 |  | No Sir
The Future Is Bright
#14. Hardcore |
| 13 |  | Ghostface Killah
Twelve Reasons To Die
#13. Hip-Hop/Rap |
| 12 |  | Leucosis
Leucosis
#12. Atmospheric Black Metal |
| 11 |  | Nick Cave And The Bad Seeds
Push The Sky Away
#11. Post-Punk/Alt. Rock |
| 10 |  | GDP
Holla
#10. Hip-Hop/Rap - In 2011, GDP made my number two spot with Useless Eaters. It was
loud, politically-charged rap that packed a real punch. The emcee returns with his new
LP Holla and this time, he tosses aside politics to create a more personal record. The
lyrics hang over one or possibly several women in GDP's life and his flow and clever
wordplay could not be put to better use. Well... maybe if the album was a bit longer. No
matter! Still awesome. |
| 9 |  | Seven Sisters Of Sleep
Opium Morals
#9. Sludge - Relentlessly brutal and sickening, Seven Sisters of Sleep made a monster of an album with
Opium Morals. The constant shifts from muddy and slow breakdowns to rapid crust sections are so natural
and fluid, you would think these guys are veterans of sludge metal. Get your dose of Eyehategod worship
then kill yourself. |
| 8 |  | Skagos
Anarchic
#8. Atmospheric Black Metal - I first listened to this record on a bus ride home from the
beach. It began and it was soothing, enchanting me like a group of sexy fairies, before it
exploded into blast-beating chaos and black metal shrieking. I know this is ultra-mega
hipster-metal, but I can't help but love this stuff. For fans of Wolves in the Throne Room
and Ash Borer, take a listen to Skagos' Anarchic and treat yourself to some dense
Canadian black metal. |
| 7 |  | Autistic Youth
Nonage
#7. Punk - Man, how I wish the Descendents never grew up; they said it themselves on their
sophomore album I Don't Wanna Grow Up. However, they did eventually and it took a toll on their
songwriting process. Autistic Youth's Nonage LP is how the Descendents would sound if they never
grew up, which is freakin' sweet. The supreme of catchiness and pop-punkiness, this Portland quartet
know how to rock old-school style. |
| 6 |  | Bilskirnir
Wotan Redivivus
#6. Black Metal - There are those who wish Burzum still played raw black metal. Well, fortunately, there's
one man black metal project Bilskirnir to take his place. What Wotan Redivivus does best is everything:
the gnarly production, the riffs, the caged shrieks, and the use of folk music. This is Bilskirnir's best
release yet and the best black metal album of 2013. |
| 5 |  | Creem
Discography LP
#5. Hardcore Punk - What would happen if Ceremony were around during the 80s? You think they would
sound like how they did on their album Rohnert Park, but actually, they would probably sound like Creem.
These guys play a fantastically simple brand of 80s hardcore punk that is catchy, raw, and energetic.
Discography compiles all of Creem's material to date into one awesome LP. But thankfully, there's still
more to come. |
| 4 |  | Weekend Nachos
Still
#4. Powerviolence - I've been waiting for this record to come out for two years. Now it has finally
entered my ears and ripped its way out of my bum. This record does exactly what I expected it to: be
fast, heavy and awesome. The lyrics on Still cover topics such as killing people, wanting to kill people,
and more people-killing. This is great powerviolence from a firmly death metal-influenced quartet. |
| 3 |  | Beastmilk
Climax
#3. Post-Punk - The almighty Michael Snoxall indirectly recommended me this album through his review on
Media Snobs. Being a follower of Kurt Ballou's God City Studios on Facebook, I knew that he and Beastmilk
were concocting something magical. I didn't expect something this epic. Imagine if Danzig-era Misfits met
with Joy Division, had frivolous intercourse and birthed the apocalypse, then you'd get Beastmilk's debut LP
Climax. I think I've said enough. |
| 2 |  | Son Lux
Lanterns
#2. Electronic - I was recommended this album by a user on this website without any description of the
album or even what genre Son Lux was. I checked out the guy's Bandcamp and I was immediately
stunned. Lanterns is a journey through some dismantled, Blade Runner-esque dystopia in a rocket ship
made of glass. That is the best way I can describe this record. I don't even know if fans would get
what I mean, but that's exactly how it feels to me. Not only that, but the music is truly universal. You
could show this to your grandma and she'd probably get a kick out of it. And above all else, Lanterns is
peaceful. Gorgeous in its sound and meticulous in its construction, Son Lux has left an impression on
me and listeners everywhere with one of the best electronic LPs of 2013. |
| 1 |  | Children Of God
We Set Fire To The Sky
#1. Hardcore/Post-Metal - Children of God--besides having an awesome Swans-influenced band nam--
have released the best hardcore record of 2013. That is, if you can even call this hardcore. The band
definitely has their roots in powerviolence, which can be heard in their 2011 EP Coup de Grace. But on
We Set Fire to the Sky, the band dip their toes in doom, black metal, and even post-metal. It's an
authentic blend that is immense and sometimes terrifying. It's hard to think four guys from Orange
County, CA could create something this massive. The vocals are agonizing, like a psychotic man's pleas
in the depths of an asylum. The music goes from blisteringly fast to hauntingly slow in the blink of an
eye without breaking the rhythm of their sound. Children of God have crafted a mammoth hardcore
record that fans of Iron Lung and Neurosis alike can enjoy. |
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