Alright,
well here it is! My albums of 2009 blog (a few of these may be from
2008). I will be continually adding to this until I have put in all
the records that I feel fit, so keep a look out. I hope this helps you
discover some new bands, and maybe re-discover some old ones as well,
so please enjoy!
Disclaimer: These are my opinions and my
opinions only, so if you disagree please do not take anything in this
blog personally, or as fact.
Also, these are in no order whatsoever.
Conducting From the Grave - When Legends Become Dust I debated whether or not I should get this album for a long time. The previews seemed alright, but not overwhelmingly amazing. Boy was I wrong. When Legends Become Dust is a solid metalcore release from start to finish. The guitars are the highlight here. The riffs are all over the place (but not spastic or wanky). The lead work is very melodic and the breakdowns are heavy but not overdone. Instrumentally this disc is executed very precisely and memorably. My main problem, however, is the vocals. The vocalist's highs are fine, but his lows are just plain terrible. He needs to change or get out of the band. After many listens he still bothers me. He doesn't completely ruin it, though, since I still listen to this fairly often. I'd highly recommend this to fans of the members' previous project, With Passion. Rating: 7/10
Born of Osiris - A Higher Place I had the chance to see Born of Osiris at Summer Slaughter this year, and they were quite impressive live. Their first cd (which is short enough to be an EP) The New Reign is very easy to listen to and I spin it all the time. It is legitimately technical (especially the drums) and is filled with really cool keyboard parts to change the mood. 2009's A Higher Place returns with the same goal, but doesn't quite accomplish that goal as effectively as The New Reign does. After several spins the songs still sound the same, although there are a couple stand outs. The instrumentation and vocals are great, but it's slightly predictable in places and the flat production doesn't help the band out. It's a solid effort, but just doesn't deliver like it should. Rating: 6/10
Augury - Fragmentary Evidence Wow. Canadian progressive/technical death metal outfit Augury are a stellar band. A lot of sophomore efforts of 2009 have been let downs for me personally, but Fragmentary Evidence goes against the grain, providing quite the opposite of a disappointment. The vocal delivery in particular is addicting (the vocal interlude of Brimstone Landscapes has to be heard to be believed). Soaring, spacey guitar leads are abundant, and the acoustic/clean sections are executed as if the band has been around for decades. I originally wasn't very impressed with the group's debut, Concealed, but after hearing Fragmentary Evidence, I have gained a new respect for it. Rating: 8.5/10
There are many more discs that I picked up (and thoroughly enjoyed) during 2009, but unfortunately I do not feel like reviewing the rest of them. Thanks for checking out these blogs, and I'll see you next year with (hopefully) a new pile of great albums!
CFTG are awesome! The Molotov Solution bassist was wearing their shirt when I saw them.
Augury looks pretty tight, and since they're Canadian, they're most likely awesome. Pretty much everything from Canada is awesome, aside from Nickelback and newer Sum 41.
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Albums of 2009 Review List (Part 2) blog
