Year in Review: The Releases of 2012 (January - April)

      As we near the end of another year, and the "end of the world" looms in front of us, we start to look back at everything we've done this past year and reflect. Or, if you're me, you start cramming for finals like it's nobody's business. The brief hiatus I've had is coming to an end, and it's time to buckle down once more before the holidays.
        That being said, we've had a slow year for music. The heavy hitters of metal and hardcore, for the most part, released their new records last year. August Burns Red's Leveler, The Devil Wears Prada's Dead Throne, Trivium's In Waves, We Came as Romans' Understanding What We've Grown To Be...all released last year. That's not to say we haven't had great releases in 2012, but for the most part, everyone's favorite metalcore bands have nothing new planned and are touring their hearts out in support of the new material.
         Conversely, big things are happening next year - Shai Hulud have announced their first album in four years due out in February - entitled Reach Beyond the Sun. August Burns Red, if their record is to be trusted, will have another album out next summer. A Day to Remember's Common Courtesy is slated for a winter 2013 release. But in any case, it's time to start looking back at the releases of the past year. I'll be handling a different quarter of 2012 every week, and after the entire year is covered, I'll make my own top 10 list for 2012 in time for the new year. With that said, let's get started!

1. Enter Shikari - A Flash Flood of Colour
          

          British experimental post-hardcore rockers returned to the scene with their third studio LP in early January. Flash Flood incorporates the most electronic effects of Shikari's discography so far - complete with dubstep bass drops and synth-y breakdowns done right. More critically acclaimed than the band's two previous releases primarily because of Shikari's masterful exploitation of the guitar-dubstep barrier and because of a well-rounded message beyond "screw banks and the government, PARTY!', Flash Flood is an epic, varied walk through what bands like Woe Is Me could be doing if they weren't singing about fellatio.
 
2.Attack Attack! - This Means War

          Straight out of Ohio come the inventors of crabcore themselves. Never to be pathfinders, Attack Attack!'s new release is a djent-y experience dotted with their trademark dance beats in a style that, while not as undoubtedly silly as their previous, self-titled release, is  on the decline - even the Devil Wears Prada have called it quits with regards to synth everywhere. In any case, the dollar and support of squealing fangirls is a wonderful thing, as the band headlined Scream it Like you Mean It! this year. This Means War is a decent album, but nothing special.

3. Lamb of God - Resolution

         
The legendary heavy metal band returned in late January this year. Most people know the band because of frontman Randy Blythe's manslaughter charges in the Czech Republic - a scandal that rocked the metal community this past summer. Nevertheless, Resolution marked the introduction of progressive elements to Lamb of God - the band, who was infamous for writing songs continuously in the same key, finally expanded their repertoire slightly.  Acoustic portions and tasty riffs abound, and despite Pitchfork's whining that Resolution did nothing new, it's still a fun romp through good old heavy metal.


4.Silverstein - Short Songs

           Following the release of Rescue last year, long-standing Canadian post-hardcore group released a plucky, interesting little EP in early February. Short Songs is a series of covers of everything from seminal screamo band Orchid to advertisement jingles from the 90s, and a series of songs all under 90 seconds. Suffice it to say, Short Songs is a very fast listen, but that makes it difficult to review. The band's versatility and talent is definitely on show...aaaaand it's gone.

5. Veil of Maya - Eclipse
    

          Chicago progressive deathcore group released their third album while on tour with Trivium and In Flames to universal approval and newfound popularity. The band's willingness to experiment, and their incredible talent for time signature variation and raw instrumental prowess propelled them to the forefront of the prog metal consciousness - the band was slated to headline a tour with the Contortionist and Intervals in Canada but was hastily called in to replace Whitechapel during August Burns Red's European tour, much to everyone north of the border's chagrin. In any case, Eclipse plays like a better Born of Osiris - with a downplayed synth, and a far more brutal and epic feel.

6. Every Time I Die - Ex-Lives
           
            As one of metalcore's longest-standing acts, the Buffalo four-piece has seen the rise and fall of many styles and sounds, while slowly and quietly refining their own. Ex-Lives is their seventh album out in almost twelve years, and is a complete transformation from 2009's New Junk Aesthetic. It's still a bitingly sarcastic commentary on music - "We made the scene, when we made a scene!" Keith Buckley screams in 'Underwater Bimbos from Outer Space' - and of the industry all around - "I'd rather beg your forgiveness, than solicit permission!" from 'I Suck [Blood]'. In any case, Ex-Lives ultimately sounded a little tired - it's still a solid release all around from a band with a ton of experience, but ETID's sound is starting to show its age. The relentless sound and pulse-pounding beat of New Junk Aesthetic and The Big Dirty are markedly more muted - the record has slowed down, and all bets are on for what happens next.

7. Hands Like Houses - Ground Dweller

             I've ranted about this band too many times. Bottom line: they're amazing. Amazing vocalist, amazing drummer, amazing lyrics, amazing everything. You can read my circlejerk here. Buy. This. Album.







8. Mychildren Mybride - Mychildren Mybride

            To be completely honest, I've never gotten into Mychildren Mybride. I understand that they're another of metalcore's longest standing acts, and probably one of the first Christian bands out there as well, but for the life of me I can't see what's so appealing. They're at best generic and at worst grating (but not as bad as Oh, Sleeper). Sadly, the tradition continues with their self-titled album. While it still sounds closer to classic metalcore - a breath of fresh air in times like these - the frequent breaks to preach and the deeply conservative lyrics left a bad taste in my mouth. My money is still on Hatebreed and Converge to deliver that metalcore sound we haven't heard since the late 90s and early 2000s.

9. I See Stars - Digital Renegade

          In a world where electrocore has become the newest hot thing, I See Stars continues to lead the charge. Sadly, despite the band's incredible contribution to the scene, their innovation has largely become commonplace - Crown the Empire's shitfest The Fallout is a perfect example. Digital Renegade is a step up from End of the World Party, which ISS released a little over a year earlier, but overall is a fairly mediocre release - Asking Alexandria are still kings of the electrocore stage, an unfortunate turn of events since they were undoubtedly influenced by I See Stars during their bastardization of too many genres - 'Alerion' and 'Gnars Attacks' sound way too similar to me.
But that's beside the point. Bottom line, Digital Renegade is a forgettable album if only because electronic effects have become too prevalent in metalcore overall. It has its moments - 'Filth Friends Unite' is catchy and fun, but synth-studded breakdowns have already been done to death.

10. Emmure - Slave to the Game

           New York's Emmure has become a giant in deathcore for reasons no one quite understands. In any case, the jury seems to be out on whether Emmure are a PR play or actually trying to be taken seriously. The funny thing is, when I say a band only plays breakdowns, I'm usually joking - there are breaks here and there for a riff or two. But when I talk about Emmure playing nothing but breakdowns, I'm completely serious. That's saying nothing of the constant negative reviews their material gets. But in any case, for better or for worse, the band released their newest album Slave to the Game in early April this year. This time with a video-game-ish vibe, the album is a surprising upturn for the band considering how their previous two releases - Speaker of the Dead and Felony flopped worse than Michelle Bachmann's campaign. It's still primarily breakdown upon breakdown, with stupid lyrics to top off the mindless mosh, but use of the frets past 3 make for an interesting listen (for Emmure). And the ending breakdown of 'A.I' is ridiculous.

 11. Upon a Burning Body - Red. White. Green. 

            From San Antonio, Texas, and damn proud of it, the Latin-tinged deathcore group released their second studio album in mid-April this year. Still featuring technical elements, chaotic rhythm, and mindless, drunk fun, Red. White. Green. is a great album, even if it falls flat after acoustic break El Mariachi. However, the first five tracks are triple-A, five-star fun - 'Once Upon a Time in Mexico' is probably the band's best song so far, and is way too overplayed on my iPod. 'Texas Blood Money' is a drunk redneck anthem celebrating Texas. Lyrically, the album is nothing special - going as eloquent as 'Life sucks, and then you die!' and 'Don't fuck with Texas!" but Danny Leal's midrange growl is as strong as ever and gives the band the energetic, metal-fueled rage that makes Upon a Burning Body so great.