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I have read so many mixed reviews of this band. It sounds like they have all the components of a great band, but somehow fall short of greatness due to an inability to focus and find direction. Maybe their purpose is to keep you guessing, but we all know no one wants to listen to an album that is all over the place. When I hear djent (BTW I hate that genre tag, UGH) and jazz, I am sort of put off right there, but I really like what Ihsahn has done so genre melding can be done if done tastefully and only when it fits the song. I don't like when bands try to fit trendy genres in on purpose cause it feels and sounds like cut and paste most of the time. I will listen for myself cause my interest has definitely been sparked now.
Below are my top for 2012
#1 Rush – Clockwork Angels #2 Meshuggah – Koloss #3 Swallow the Sun – Emerald Forest and the Blackbird #4 Napalm Death – Utilitarian #5 Car Bomb – w^w^^w^w #6 Girls Names – All in 2012 #7 Afgrund – The Age of Dumb #8 Cloudscape – New Era #9 Fullforce – Next Level #10 Hardline – Dangerzone #11 Anathema – Weather Systems #12 Paradise Lost – Tragic Idol #13 Enslaved – RIITIIR #14 Warbringer – World’s Torn Asunder #15 Ihsahn – Eremita #16 Incantation – Vanquish in Vengence #17 Witch Mountain – Cauldron of the Wild #18 Borknagar – Urd #19 Goatwhore – Blood for the Master #20 My Dying Bride – A Map of all our Failures
Honorable Mention: Kamelot, Tiamat, Moonspell, Early Graves, Cryptopsy, Daylight Dies, Asphyx, Gaza, The Gathering
Biggest Disappointments: Katatonia (Just plain boring), Devin Townsend (Praying for a good Ziltoid follow up cause this has 4 great songs, but the rest has way to many unimaginative love lyrics), Pig Destroyer (Am I the only one who has heard almost every riff on this album on a different Pig Destroyer album? Way better grind releases this year) Sonata Arctica (UGH! And I thought the beginning of Devin Townsend’s new one was corny)
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