The moment you've all* been waiting for! The Top 12 Albums of 2012!
*1 person, and I'm including myself
12. The Quiet Life, by Anchor & Braille
Reminds me of Fair. Kodachrome is probably my favorite song, but they're all really solid.
11. Tepid, by See the Light
Maranatha was an okay EP, but this is clearly an improvement. So many of these songs just make me happy that music exists. As an added bonus, the whole album is free on Comeandlive.com. I'm really curious to see the next project by these guys.
Showbread's back! Well, kind of. Showbread is a mere skeleton of it's former self, but at least they scream again. It's not their best album, but it's also not their worst.
9. WitcHunt, by White Collar Sideshow
2 awesome songs, 4 good songs, and 2 songs that I just can't stand. Still some of the songs are really good. I also like how there are actually vocals this time, too.
8. Indicator, by Onward to Olympas
Onward to Olympas keeps improving, albeit incrementally. So why is this album #8? Because they started out so high. Even their first EP is really good, although the mix is, well, a "first EP" mix. The only downside to this album is how 2 tracks are less than 20 seconds and just lead into the next track. I just deleted them from my iPod. Footnote: Wolf's Jaw is the best song on the album.
It's definitely not one of Meshuggah's best albums, but hey, they've never made a bad one. There are a handful of good songs, and a handful of decent ones, but Do Not Look Down is now one of my favorite Meshuggah songs ever, so there's that.
6. Antiseptic Bloodbath, by Tourniquet
A new Tourniquet album! after 9 years, Tourniquet has finally come back with a vengeance. As a bonus, it actually sounds like a Tourniquet album, unlike Crawling to China and Vanishing Lessons.
5. Symbiosis, by A Bullet for Pretty Boy
This, along with the next album on this list, showcase just how fun music can be. I know it's not the most technical album ever, but I really like listening to it, and at the end of the day that's what really matters.
4. Immortal, by For Today
See Above. Plus, they're from Iowa!
3. I Am, by Becoming the Archetype
This album should be terrible. It really should. It doesn't sound like Becoming the Archetype at all. It's a new VOCALIST for crying out loud. Where's the death metal? This just sounds like generic metalcore! The vocal mix is too quiet! You can barely hear the drum ride! Every song has the same tempo, and sounds just like the one before it, except for The Machine Killer, because it's a dumb piano interlude that sounds terrible! Why is this album my third favorite album of 2012?! Dang it! I hate you, Becoming the Archetype! I hate you!
2. Baptized in Filth, by Impending Doom
So, after progressing from the most cliched sounding death metal (Nailed. Dead. Risen.) to There Will Be Violence, which is practically melodic metal, you then go back to noisy death metal with a lot of 808 drops? You're just lucky it sounds so awesome. I was let down by this album the first time I heard it, then I listened to it again. And again. Death metal done right.
1. Find Your Worth, Come Home, by To Speak of Wolves
On first listen, too noisy to make sense of. On second listen, an Underoath knockoff. On third listen, you start to understand all the layering and speed a little. On fourth listen, a beautiful dischord full of odd time signatures. I knew after their last album, Myself Letting Go, that this was a band with tons of potential, and they've really proven me right. Here's hoping their next album is anywhere near as awesome as this.