| 2012 |
| Fozzy Sin and Bones | 3.5 |
| Frank Ocean channel ORANGE | 4.0 |
| Linkin Park Living Things | 3.0 |
| Fiona Apple The Idler Wheel... | 3.5 |
| Rush Clockwork Angels | 4.0 |
| Usher Looking 4 Myself | 4.0 |
| Call Me No One Last Parade | 4.0 |
| Garbage Not Your Kind of People | 3.5 |
| Beach House Bloom | 3.5 |
| Death Grips The Money Store | 3.5 |
| Storm Corrosion Storm Corrosion | 3.0 |
| In Mourning The Weight of Oceans | 3.5 |
| Monica New Life | 3.0 |
| Pelican Ataraxia/Taraxis | 4.0 |
| Despite a few dead spots including the lethargic ambiance of opener "Ataraxia", and to a lesser extent, the gratingly dissonant acoustic guitar melodies meddling with "Taraxia", Pelican is in top form on this EP. The majority of the 17 minutes, bolstered by powerful doom riffing, a heavy atmosphere and overall tight musicianship ranks among the band's best work since The Fire in Our Throats. It's a concise and penetrating listening experience that shows why Pelican is still one of post-metal's elite. |
| Elsiane Mechanics of Emotion | 4.5 |
| Soso (SWE) T.T.I.D.S.D.I.E.U.I.C. | 3.5 |
| Atoma Skylight | 3.5 |
| BADBADNOTGOOD BBNG2 | 3.5 |
| Meshuggah Koloss | 3.0 |
| OSI Fire Make Thunder | 4.0 |
| Madonna MDNA | 3.0 |
| IS NOWHERE SAFE FROM THE DUBSTEP INVASION? IS NOTHING SACRED ANYMORE? ... Better than Hard Candy. A little. |
| Kill Devil Hill Kill Devil Hill | 3.5 |
| Melanie Fiona The MF Life | 4.0 |
| Adrenaline Mob Omerta | 3.5 |
| There is no weak link in this band and it shows. Russell Allen displays more vocal range than he did on the most recent Symphony X album, Mike Portnoy puts on a drum clinic and Mike Orlando absolutely lays waste to every single guitarist in any band that Adrenaline Mob can be compared to. Unfortunately, they've limited their potential to impress by restricting their songwriting to a very specific style of music. This is nothing more than a rock band rocking out at full blast, only stopping for a couple "raise your lighter" moments (the lighter's *flick* at the beginning of "All On The Line" is brilliant). No surprises here. Anyone familiar with last summer's EP will also not be surprised at the the awful lyricism throughout. The few lyrics that aren't terribly cliched only escape that label because even the most unimaginative folks know better than to record such lines. That aside, you'd be hard-pressed to find an album that straight-up rocks as hard as this one does in 2012. "Hit The Wall" is six minutes of unbridled intensity and "Come Undone" is about as good as a cover gets. In an industry filled with countless failed supergroups, these guys have proven that they have what it takes to survive. It will be interesting to see what comes about if there is a follow up album somewhere down the line. |
| Fireflight Now | 3.0 |
| Micatone Wish I Was Here | 3.5 |
| WZRD WZRD | 3.5 |
| Christian Mistress Possession | 3.5 |
| Imminent Sonic Destruction Recurring Themes | 3.5 |
| The Cranberries Roses | 3.5 |
| Van Halen A Different Kind of Truth | 3.5 |
| Mark Lanegan Blues Funeral | 3.5 |
| Grimes Visions | 3.0 |
| Lana Del Rey Born to Die | 3.5 |
| Lana Lane El Dorado Hotel | 4.0 |
| Lamb of God Resolution | 3.0 |
| I was skeptical about this album's early reception here being that most of the ratings were likely coming from die hard fans (the types who would quickly jump on a low quality leak), but this is actually quite good. This is due in large part to the greatly improved and varied guitar work. Yes, some of Resolution actually sounds different for Lamb of God which is probably the best thing that can be said about the record. The increased emphasis on melodic sections also warrants a mention. Unfortunately, the vocals still suck as we've come to expect. In the end, it's nowhere near Ashes/Palaces level, but at the very least it is on par with Sacrament and a hell of a lot better than Wrath. |
| Lacuna Coil Dark Adrenaline | 3.0 |
| While the inclusion of some darker and heavier moments might please a few of those who jumped ship following the release of Shallow Life, the majority of this album follows a similar enough direction to likely only retain the newfound fanbase and keep those older fans content to stay where they are. To the band's credit, Dark Adrenaline is a well-polished alternative metal record containing a number of potential hit singles. Aside from the laughable "End of Time", Lacuna Coil seems to have gotten a better handle on just what sort of commercialized sounds can work best as a template for their music. The most interesting thing here is their discovery that R.E.M. wrote better songs than Depeche Mode, but ultimately their decisions both to alter "Losing My Religion"'s esteemed melodies and to allow Andrea Ferro to sing its chorus exemplify everything that is wrong with the band. |
| Beyond the Bridge The Old Man and The Spirit | 3.5 |
| Gonjasufi MU.ZZ.LE | 2.5 |
| Kathleen Edwards Voyageur | 3.5 |
| Rose Elinor Dougall The Distractions EP | 3.0 |
| Alcest Les Voyages De L'Âme | 3.0 |
| Ani DiFranco Which Side Are You On? | 3.5 |
| 2011 |
| Emily West I Hate You, I Love You | 4.5 |
| I Hate You, I Love You is an intimate six-song collection of gems brought to us by one of the finest voices to emerge out of Nashville in a long, long time. Propelled by West's impressive and dynamic vocal performance, the EP is saturated in rich melodies flourishing amidst an impeccably arranged, organic instrumentation. The poignant lyrics centered on life and love are tenderly delivered with an all too rarely heard honesty and realism, heightening the emotional experience and thusly the overall value of each song. It's a near-perfect recording that threatens to draw listeners into an obsessive relationship with their repeat button. This woman will be a star before the end of 2012. |
| Les Doux Dialects | 3.0 |
| The Weeknd Echoes of Silence | 4.0 |
| Common The Dreamer/The Believer | 3.0 |
| Modified Modified | 4.0 |
| Alternate universe Lacuna Coil where the band has perfected their mainstream-leaning alt-rock/metal sound, does not have an overbearing male vocalist with a bad accent and covers Kate Bush instead of R.E.M. |
| Charlotte Gainsbourg Stage Whisper | 3.5 |
| Metallica Beyond Magnetic | 4.0 |
| My Ruin A Southern Revelation | 2.5 |
| Korn The Path of Totality | 3.0 |
| Czar (USA-IL) Vertical Mass Grave | 3.0 |
| The Roots undun | 4.0 |
| Nujabes Spiritual State | 4.0 |
| Vektor Outer Isolation | 3.5 |
| Rihanna Talk That Talk | 3.0 |
| Kate Bush 50 Words for Snow | 4.0 |
| Drake Take Care | 3.5 |
| brokeNCYDE Guilty Pleasure | 1.5 |
| Megadeth Th1rt3en | 3.5 |
| Miranda Lambert Four the Record | 3.5 |
| Lou Reed and Metallica Lulu | 5.0 |
| Metallica has once again proven that they can succeed at anything. This time, the radical shift in sound is due to an unlikely collaboration with legendary songwriter Lou Reed. Lulu chronicles the harsh realities of prostitution and the effect it has on the whore as well as those she encounters. Spanning the length of two discs, Lulu sees the relative aspects of love and morality pondered amidst a backdrop of heavy-hitting riffs. Topics including vulnerability and heartbreak are juxtaposed with harrowing depictions of violence and ugliness resulting in a profusely emotional listening experience.rMetallica provides not only their trademark metallic flourishes, but also experiments with more atmospheric compositions (as can be heard on "Cheat On Me"); adding new layers of depth to their already impressive repertoire. Reed pulls his weight by delivering the lines of his poetry with a unique conviction seldom heard in modern music. Never one to shy away from controversy, Reed also shines with his many thought provoking metaphors such as when he equates the force of a flesh-penetrating blade to that of a colored man's dick. Together, these two artists have combined to create a challenging recording which will no doubt be making an appearance on many year-end lists. |
| Haken Visions | 3.0 |
| Pain of Salvation Road Salt Two | 3.5 |
| Myrath Tales of the Sands | 3.5 |
| 3 (USA) The Ghost You Gave To Me | 3.5 |
| Redemption This Mortal Coil | 4.5 |
| This is a raw account of a man's struggle against the darkest aspects of humanity and subsequent triumph over death itself. Not content to rely on their past successes, Redemption boldly experiments with new ideas to create a truly inspirational recording. From hard-hitting riffs that depict a scene of someone about to break for the last time to lyrics relating a realization that hope still exists, stunning technical musicianship combines with an unmatched sense of melody to take listeners through an unyielding journey along the coil of mortality. |
| Bjork Biophilia | 3.0 |
| Feist Metals | 3.5 |
| Evanescence Evanescence | 4.0 |
| Emika Emika | 3.5 |
| Chelsea Wolfe Apokalypsis | 4.0 |
| Tori Amos Night of Hunters | 3.0 |
| The Jezabels Prisoner | 3.5 |
| Opeth Heritage | 3.5 |
| Anthrax Worship Music | 3.0 |
| Dream Theater A Dramatic Turn of Events | 3.0 |
| Bush The Sea of Memories | 3.0 |
| Primus Green Naugahyde | 3.5 |
| Staind Staind | 4.0 |
| Arch/Matheos Sympathetic Resonance | 4.5 |
| Two past collaborators have reunited 25 years after their last full-length recording to spin "progressive metal" on its head. Each musician involved gives standout performances while keeping grounded within the song and never straying into the virtuosic territory occupied by many peers. Brilliantly complex melodies weaved into Matheos' alternately crushing and beautiful guitar-driven music are the focus. Arch's imaginative yet introspective lyrics also paint a vivid reality that enhances the experience created by the sonic landscape. Sympathetic Resonance is a genre-defining album which will surely be pointed to as a landmark for years to come. |
| Thrice Major/Minor | 3.5 |
| Melanie C The Sea | 3.5 |
| For All We Know For All We Know | 4.5 |
| Kittie I've Failed You | 3.0 |
| Red Hot Chili Peppers I'm With You | 3.5 |
| Pistol Annies Hell on Heels | 3.5 |
| Sunny Sweeney Concrete | 4.0 |
| The Weeknd Thursday | 4.0 |
| YOB Atma | 3.5 |
| Nikkiya SPEAKHER | 3.5 |
| Kelly Rowland Here I Am | 3.0 |
| The Living End The Ending Is Just The Beginning Repeating | 3.5 |
| Little Dragon Ritual Union | 4.0 |
| Trophy Scars Never Born, Never Dead | 2.5 |
| Cold Superfiction | 3.0 |
| Toxic Holocaust Conjure and Command | 3.0 |
| Ashton Shepherd Where Country Grows | 3.0 |
| Incubus (USA-CA) If Not Now, When? | 3.5 |
| Fair to Midland Arrows and Anchors | 4.0 |
| Kendrick Lamar Section.80 | 3.0 |
| Beyonce 4 | 4.0 |
| Jill Scott The Light of the Sun | 4.0 |
| Symphony X Iconoclast | 3.5 |
| Submotion Orchestra Finest Hour | 4.0 |
| Elysian Fields Last Night On Earth | 4.0 |
| Blindside With Shivering Hearts We Wait | 3.0 |
| Tech N9ne All 6's and 7's | 3.5 |
| Above and Beyond Group Therapy | 3.5 |
| In Solitude The World. The Flesh. The Devil | 3.5 |
| EMA Past Life Martyred Saints | 2.5 |
| Saul Williams Volcanic Sunlight | 4.0 |
| Death Grips Exmilitary | 2.0 |
| Skindred Union Black | 3.0 |
| Believer Transhuman | 3.5 |
| Thursday No Devolucion | 3.5 |
| Foo Fighters Wasting Light | 4.0 |
| League of Lights League of Lights | 3.5 |
| Havok Time Is Up | 3.5 |
| Swarms Old Raves End | 3.5 |
| Within Temptation The Unforgiving | 3.0 |
| Pharoahe Monch W.A.R. | 3.0 |
| CunninLynguists Oneirology | 3.5 |
| The Weeknd House of Balloons | 4.5 |
| Raekwon Shaolin vs. Wu-Tang | 3.5 |
| Sara Evans Stronger | 3.5 |
| Frank Ocean Nostalgia, Ultra. | 3.5 |
| The Civil Wars Barton Hollow | 3.5 |
| Patty Moon Mimi and Me | 3.5 |
| The Shadow Theory Behind The Black Veil | 3.5 |
| Adele 21 | 3.5 |
