Average Rating: 3.54 Rating Variance: 0.65 Objectivity Score: 76% (Well Balanced)
Sort by: Rating | Release Date | Rating Date | Name5.0 classicBrand New The Devil and God Are Raging Inside MeConverge Jane DoeGlassjaw Worship and TributeNeutral Milk Hotel In the Aeroplane Over the SeaSaosin Translating the NameTool Aenima4.5 superbA Perfect Circle Thirteenth StepBetween the Buried and Me ColorsDeftones Around the FurFrank Ocean Channel OrangeIf you would have told me an OFWGKTA album was going to be one of my favorites of the year, I would have laughed. However, with Channel Orange, Frank Ocean shows why he is bar none the most talented member of the Odd Future collective and deserves all the respect in the world, even from OFWGKTA haters. Songs like "Pyramids" shows how much he is improving, but that is not the only standout tracks on here. Songs like "Super Rich Kids," "Lost," "Bad Religion," and "Pink Matter" show why this deserves to be so praised. With phenomenal lyrics, awesome production, great song concepts, and great singing, Frank Ocean puts out one of my favorite albums of the year 2012.Glassjaw Everything You Ever Wanted To Know AboutIsis PanopticonKanye West YeezusKanye West Late RegistrationKendrick Lamar good kid, m.A.A.d cityIn one of the most cinematic, dramatic, and intense hip hop albums of the year, Kendrick releases the best concept hip hop album in a while with "Good Kid, m.A.A.d City." This album told a story of peer pressure, lust, temptation, and then finally realizing what's really important in your life. Full of great lyrics, stories, funny dialogue, and technical flow of Kendrick, this album doesn't ever miss a beat. The production was stellar as well on this album, especially with Dr. Dre (yes, he still produces good music, or at least he did on this album). The only problem with the album to me is a few extremely weak hooks, especially with the song "Real." Other than that, this is a near perfect album and, without any doubt in the world, my hip hop album of the year.Madvillain MadvillainyMastodon Blood MountainPink Floyd Wish You Were HereThe Dillinger Escape Plan Calculating InfinityTool Lateralus4.0 excellentAb-Soul Control SystemAlice in Chains Jar of FliesBilly Woods History Will Absolve MeChance The Rapper Acid RapConverge Axe to FallConverge All We Love We Leave BehindWith superb song concepts, lyricism, production, and musicianship, Converge puts out one of their best albums to date. It's as heavy as Jane Doe at points, and as versatile as Axe to Fall on others. With tons of different kinds of genres being mixed into this album, this album is diverse as it gets for Converge. Not only is this album diverse, but it also contains lots of standout tracks to keep it from being too held down by the weak ones. Even though there are a small handful of tracks that had nothing special going on for them on this LP, AWLWLB still lives up to the hype and remains on of my favorites of 2012.Dark Time Sunshine ANXANX is just another reason why 2012 is such a phenomenal year for hip hop. The stellar production, technical flow, and the Aesop Rock feel of this album really just cements it as one of my favorite albums overall this year. With only one weak track, this album really flexes its potential with the meaningful story track ANX, the few group tracks, the soulful tracks, and just the flat out solid hip hop tracks. I love this record, and can't wait to see where these guys go from here. Death Grips The Money StoreHave you ever had a record that you loved, but you had no idea why? This is that record for me. This album is almost all production driven, with most of the rapping being too hard to figure out (although they are not bad lyrics if you look them up) and not having that great of a flow either. This sounds like an album I would hate, but I love it and I still don't have a full grasp as to why I do. I think the main reason is that the album is just so damn catchy. The hooks are one reason this album is so catchy, with almost every track having a great hook, but I think the production was what really got me with this album. The production is so layered, complex, and bass heavy that there is no way I can't love it, no matter what any of Death Grips haters say. Overall, this is a great banger of an album, but not something I'd recommend to anyone into lyrics.Deftones White PonyExotic Animal Petting Zoo Tree of TonguesGlassjaw Our Color Green (The Singles)Glassjaw Coloring BookGodspeed You! Black Emperor 'Allelujah! Don't Bend! Ascend!In one of the most shocking releases of 2012, GY!BE releases an album that helped put post-rock back on the map. Being on hiatus for quite some time now, this band had a lot to live up to, and for the most part they did just that. Clocking in at about 54 minutes, this album is essentially two mammoth tracks and two six minute drone tracks (which both didn't do much for this album). The mammoth tracks, however, are both wonderful and worthwhile journeys. The first one, Mladic, is almost like a circus of instrumentation in the way that it always keeps the listener on edge. The second mammoth, We Drift Like Worried Fire, is the real great track on this album though. Its essentially just two melodies stretched out and improved on, and it ends up making one of the most interesting tracks of this year. Overall, this album is a fantastic listen and an easy contender for album of the year.Joey Bada$$ 1999While this has been a pretty weak year for mixtapes, up and coming rapper Joey Bada$$ released quite an impressive debut mixtape with "1999." Even though this is a relatively unknown artist (at least at the point of release), Joey managed to score some great production from huge names in hip-hop like MF DOOM. The lyrics I thought were great for the most part, tackling lots of serious topics of his life as well as girl issues, but I was a little letdown with some of the monotonous hooks on this tape. Other than the few poor hooks and a small handful of bland and almost sexist sounding songs, there was little to complain about with this tape. The standouts tracks were there, the production was stellar, and there was also a lot of variety on this tape. Overall, this is not only one of the best mixtapes of the year, it is also one of the best hip-hop albums of the year.Killer Mike R.A.P. MusicLamb of God Ashes of the WakeMastodon LeviathanmewithoutYou Ten StoriesWhile the release of "Ten Stories" may not be one of mewithoutYou's best, it still provides a bundle of well written song concepts, along with thought provoking lyrics. Even though it is a concept album, this album is more of ten different small stories that all tie in to one big one. This album is a much more heavy approach than the group's last album, but it also is a bit of a step up in the musicianship department. This album also isn't lacking in standout tracks, with tracks like Fox's Dream of the Log Flume, Grist for the Malady Mill, and the phenomenal closer All Circles. However, this album wasn't all positive. There were an exceeding amount of uninteresting parts in songs, and even just a handful of uninteresting songs all together that became a bit of a downgrade for this album. There were also a few songs that's overall stories really fell behind some of the better tracks of this album as well. Overall, not the best album from this group, but definitely a great release that will easily fall into my favorite albums of the year.Mos Def Black on Both SidesNirvana NevermindOpeth Ghost ReveriesOpeth DeliveranceSwans The SeerTyler The Creator BastardTyler The Creator Wolf3.5 greatAesop Rock SkelethonASAP Rocky LongLiveA$APBADBADNOTGOOD BBNG2Baroness Yellow and GreenBig K.R.I.T. 4Eva N A DayWith very jazzy, Southern styles of production, Big K.R.I.T. releases one of his best albums in "4EvaNADay." This album (just like most of K.R.I.T.'S work) is very cohesive, and acts just like a story. On this 'story', there are lots of great standout tracks, such as the title track, Boobie Miles, and The Alarm. However, the lack of consistency and the mediocrity of the hooks on here really prevent this from being on of the best hip-hop releases of this year. This album is still a solid release, and definitely deserves a listen if you are a fan of Southern hip-hop.Death Grips No Love Deep WebOn one of the most so called controversial albums of this year, Death Grips strips down the production and becomes much more lyrically oriented. Even though there are a handful of interesting tracks, the stripped down production on this LP is really hit and miss. Though MC Ride has some very dark lyrics on this tape, the lack of interesting production and poor hooks on this really prevent it from being one of Death Grips best albums.Deftones Koi No YokanDream Theater Metropolis Pt. 2: Scenes from a MemoryEarl Sweatshirt EARLEvery Time I Die Ex LivesFlying Lotus Until the Quiet ComesOn "Until The Quiet Comes," Flying Lotus takes a much more smooth sounding approach for his instrumental style of music. This album showcases a much more jazzy side of Flying lotus, which is evident on almost every track on here. This album also succeeded at being very consistent, as there was not a bad song on here, but there also weren't many standout tracks (with the exceptions of Nightcaller and Pretty Boy Strut). Overall a great album, but I'm hoping for more standout tracks on the next release.GOOD Music Cruel SummerEven though the lyrical content is as bland as ever (with the exception of the track "Cold"), Kanye and his friends manage to put out a pretty solid release with Cruel Summer. The rapping on this tape may be pretty bland at times, but you do get some good verses on Cruel Summer from people you normally wouldn't expect good verses from. The production is what really saves this tape from being just average. Almost every track on here has interesting, well done production that makes G.O.O.D. Music a worth while hip-hop collective.High on Fire De Vermis Mysteriis2012 has just been one of those years where I have been dying for something heavy, and "De Vermis Mysteriis" has been a great help for that. The sludge metal genre has been getting more progressive (Mastodon), so it was great to hear that High on Fire stayed to their sludge metal ways on their latest release. The album is full of great solos, heavy breakdowns, phenomenal musicianship, dense vocals, and even a few heavy ballads (King of Days). However, this album was lacking in more than one department. The biggest problems I have with this record is the lack of diversity, no standout tracks, and really nothing overly interesting in this record. Overall, a great metal release with a few flaws in a year that has been pretty poor for metal.JJ DOOM Key To The KuffsThere aren't a whole lot of rappers more consistent than MF DOOM, are there? This album just proves this point even more. This album, "Keys to the Kuff," is a collaboration with MF DOOM with producer Jneiro Jarel. MF DOOM has yet another great album, with his rapping containing lots of clever lines and creative song ideas, but I was a little let down by JJ's production. Other than a few tracks, the production for the most part was bland, and almost seemed like he was trying too hard to be like Madlib (intro track). Though this holds the album back a little, MF DOOM manages to get it back on track with funny storyline tracks like "Wash Your Hands," deep and thought provoking tracks like "Winter Blues," and just typical MF DOOM tracks on "GMO." Overall, a stellar job by MF DOOM and a mediocre job by JJ to make a pretty solid rap release in a year full of great ones.Mastodon RemissionMeshuggah KolossWhile it may not be the most impressive release of their career, Meshuggah gives another consistent effort with "Koloss," their latest studio effort. This record is full of the usual stuff we are so used to with this band, like the awesomely heavy riffs, lots of technical instrumentation, and of course the dark lyrics that you get with a Meshuggah record. The only thing I felt this record fell on its ass on was its guitar solos (Devil's Name is still up there for worst solo of the year) and like of trying anything new. Overall, still a great releases by one of the most consistent metal bands around.Nirvana In UteroOFWGKTA The OF Tape Vol. 2Pro Era Peep the AprocalypseRevocation TeratogenesisWith this EP Revocation shows why there are one of the most important current thrash metal bands around. With phenomenal production, this is definitely the best sounding thing Revocation has put out to date. The guitar work done by David Davidson continues to grow and is still unbelievable, which puts this EP as one of my favorites for the year.Sigur Ros ValtariThe Chariot One WingThe Chariot's One Wing has a big chance to be hardcore AOTY, mostly because of its diversity of tracks. There are tracks here that break up the album (Your, First), beautifully done epic tracks (Speak, Cheek), and just kick ass tracks (Forget, Love, In) that make this album so good. Though there are a few tracks on here that are lacking, they still add to the whole excellent concept of this album leaving little to complain about when its all said and done.The Mars Volta NoctourniquetThough I didn't expect much from this album at first, Noctourniquet has definitely been one of my pleasant surprises of 2012. Even though the technicality and heaviness isn't as present, the songwriting ability and vocals on this LP have been a major improvement from the last few releases. There are some downfalls on this album though: no versatility, not a lot of great instrumentation (outside of the percussion), and the handful of uninteresting songs. Overall a pretty solid release from a band that hasn't had one in a while.The Tallest Man on Earth There's No Leaving NowSometimes simplicity can be a beautiful thing, and on "There's No Leaving Now" Kristian Matsson (The Tallest Man On Earth) shows just how beautiful it can be. With mostly just a guitar (although the playing is anything but simple), Kristian Matsson shows that simplicity and consistency are just what he has going for him. The album also has new things added that weren't as evident before, such as more piano tracks and even a whole lot more layering in some tracks. The only negatives on this album are the lack of anything really spectacular, and the few moments of blandness scattered throughout the album. Overall, this is an extremely consistent and diverse folk album that continues to show why Kristian Matsson is the best current folk artist.Tool UndertowTorche HarmonicraftOn "Harmonicraft" the happy sludge metal band releases one of the most distinct sounding records I've heard in years. This album has a sound that is hard to describe, but it resembles exactly what the album cover portrays: a metal album that sounds like rainbows and unicorns. While I thought the sound was pretty interesting, I couldn't rate this album higher than I've given it mostly due to its short and dreadfully similar sounding tracks. The one thing that keeps this album from just being a mediocre album is the fantastic closer "Looking on". Its an extremely droned and simplistic track, but the vocals and closing riff on it make it one of my favorites off this album. I see a lot of potential with this group, but I still have a bit of a problem with their short tracks and inconsistency.You Blew It! Grow Up, DudeEmo music has been extremely quiet for a while now. With the exception of Snowing, there has not been a solid emo band to make its name in over ten years. Emo music was in need of a revival, and I believe they are starting to get that with "You Blew It!". On their debut release "Grow Up, Dude", the band uses typical emo elements like harmonizing, arpeggiated guitar, and depression induced lyrics to make an album eerily similar to emo greats like "American Football". This is a great emo record, and also a great band that I hope to see a lot from.3.0 goodAnberlin CitiesBig K.R.I.T. Live From The UndergroundDeath Grips ExmilitaryDeftones AdrenalineDomo Genesis No IdolsEl-P Cancer 4 CureOn Cancer 4 Cure, El-P puts out some decent rhymes with some great production on what is yet another good hip-hop release in 2012. With interesting lyrics and wordplay, El-P doesn't disappoint with his mic skills. The production on here is also good, but I feel it wasn't near the production he had on Killer Mike's release. There are a lot of positives on this, but there also are some negatives to deal with. Although the song The Full Retard is one of my favorite songs of the year, most tracks on here don't really stick out to me, which is a bit of a problem for this release. Another problem was (other than Danny Brown) the guest rappers often disappointed me. Overall, a good release by an artist I can't wait to watch grow.Glassjaw El MarkGojira L'Enfant SauvageOn L'enfant Sauvage Gojira tries to take a more progressive approach to their style of metal, but it all ends up hit and miss. While there a few pretty great tracks on this album, most songs end up sounding extremely similar and lacking. Other than the songs themselves, the instrumentation was average at best on this tape and the vocals were pretty weak, which is something I wasn't used too with Gojira. The weakness in the vocals made most of this album sound like a radio rock album and not the typical heaviness we are used too with Gojira album. Overall, a decent album with a few great tracks being held down by weak vocals and lack of diversity.Hodgy Beats UntitledWhile the first two tracks made this EP start off promising, the rest of it proved to be another rap release that's production way upends the actual rapping. With great production from big time names (flying lotus, the alchemist), Hodgy's flawed flow and uninteresting topic choices really prevented this from being anything more than just an okay release.Japandroids Celebration RockWhile there is a big handful of catchy tracks on this LP, the lack of anything different or even interesting prevented this album from being anything special. Even though the lyrics reminded me of late 90's emo (which I found refreshing) and the musicianship was tolerable, I felt this album lacked way too much for it to be great. Even though I definitely see potential in this duo, this album just wasn't the full showcase of that.Lamb of God SacramentMastodon The HunterOm Advaitic SongsPianos Become the Teeth The Lack Long AfterPig Destroyer Book BurnerRush Clockwork AngelsIt's pretty impressive when a band in its 70's are rocking out as hard as these guys are. Rush, which is one of the progressive rock greats that needs no introduction, showed us that age doesn't affect their musical ability and writing with their latest release "Clockwork Angels." This album is full of old Rush characteristics like deep song writing, heavy bass and drum driven playing, and of course the ever so distinct vocals of Geddy Lee. While the old characteristics are still there, I just don't feel like this album matches up with their classics in comparison. It is definitely the best album they've released in the last ten years, maybe even twenty, but it lacks the technicality and standout tracks that I look for in a Rush album. Overall, a great release from a band that doesn't lose talent with age, just not one I would call the group's best.The Antlers Undersea2.5 averageAvenged Sevenfold City of EvilBetween the Buried and Me The Parallax II: Future SequenceThis album was just too much over the top production, and not enough interesting progressive metal that I've come to expect from these guys. Certainly not a favorite release of BTBAM for me.Circa Survive Violent WavesAlthough this album is lacking in a series of categories, the new album "Violent Waves" still keeps Circa Survive on top of the Alternative/Post-hardcore game. When I say this album is lacking, I am talking in comparison to past Circa album. I feel that the vocals aren't as there, the songwriting isn't quite there, and also a handful of songs here that are extremely bland. However, these flaws aren't enough to hold this album too far back. The hooks on this tape are pretty fantastic, and the usual catchy tracks haven't left Circa's system either. Overall, a pretty great album that just doesn't live up to their previous work.Foo Fighters Wasting LightRelient K mmhmmThe Classic Crime AlbatrossThe Lonely Island Turtleneck and ChainTyler The Creator Goblin2.0 poorAvenged Sevenfold NightmareFall Out Boy Infinity On HighLamb of God ResolutionWith Resolution, Lamb of God improves slightly from Wrath, but essentially is just doing the same old same old. There are absolutely no stand out tracks, or even tracks on this that are at all different. On a positive note the musicianship is still pretty great, and Randy's vocals sound better than ever.MellowHype NumbersI thought that this would be the album that MellowHype would come into its own, but that sadly just didn't happen. Even though Hodgy really flows on this tape, the lyrics are still extremely bland and almost pretentious at times. The production is okay, as Left Brain churns out some great beats here and there, but none good enough to save this album from its HORRIBLE hooks. This album is no where near what I was hoping it would be, and if the hooks continue to be as bad as they are I don't know if MellowHype will ever be as good as they could be.Relient K Five Score and Seven Years AgoRelient K Two Lefts Dont Make a Right But Three DoSlipknot All Hope Is Gone1.5 very poorAvenged Sevenfold Avenged SevenfoldEveryday Sunday Wake Up! Wake Up!
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