Another @#$&! 2015 Top 10 rock albums list: Part 2

The best five metal and hard-rock records of the year
By Peter Lindblad

Sevendust brought forth 'Kill The Flaw'
in 2015

While death and the mortality of rock legends have dominated headlines in recent weeks, stories of musical resurrection and redemption made 2015 a year of renewal and inspiring artistry, with a number of fantastic records seeing the light of day. Such tales were sorely needed.

Most notably, Sol Invictus marked the glorious return of Faith No More, proving that even after lying dormant for 11 years, the intensely creative spark within them still burned as bright as ever.

And then there was Baroness, still reeling from a horrible tour bus accident that caused the departure of half the band and forced John Baizely to go through excruciating rehabilitation. In spite of their troubles, Baroness marched on, releasing in December one of the year's most life-affirming records with Purple. For consistency and continued brilliance, there's Clutch, whose album Psychic Warfare provided more evidence of their greatness, and Motor Sister's Ride showed that all Mother Superior's Jim Wilson needed was a little help from friends like Anthrax's Scott Ian, his wife Pearl and Joey Vera, of Fates Warning and Armored Saint, to churn out great '70s-inspired rock 'n' roll.

Ross the Boss and Death Dealer screamed, "Death to false metal" with their rugged, all-encompassing brand of power metal on Hallowed Ground. Lucifer conjured up beautifully evil sonic witchcraft. Fear Factory crafted another epic sci-fi concept record with Genexus. Rivers Of Nihil conceived a nightmarish dystopian scenario in Monarchy, and TesseracT somehow performed some kind of weird alchemy to convert complex prog-metal into something melodic and tuneful on Polaris. In the end, however, none of those records made the final cut, failing to beat out others like Sevendust's dense and darkly soulful Kill The Flaw. Here's a look at our top five albums in metal and hard rock for this past year:

Baroness - Purple

5. Baroness – Purple: Arriving late to the party, Purple was an emotional volcano, erupting and overflowing with anguish, confusion, joy and a determination to not let the harsh reality of their circumstances derail the mighty Baroness. A binge-and-purge record that celebrates and appreciates life and all its confounding highs and lows, Purple made a statement, a declaration of independence from what happened in the past with arms spread wide to embrace the future. Its rough-textured riffs seemingly chiseled out of granite, Purple is not smooth or stylish, but it is powerful, exciting, heavy and raw, with full-bodied choruses of voices bloodied and beaten, but unbowed. It slams into ears like a giant runaway freight train. The feel-good story of the year.

Sevendust - Kill The Flaw

4. Sevendust – Kill The Flaw: Luxurious melodies pulled along by strong, thick currents of heavy guitar riffs combine to make Kill The Flaw nearly flawless, as do the rich, full-bodied vocals of Lajon Witherspoon and Morgan Rose's accomplished drumming. Never once have they lost that sense of who they are, and yet Kill The Flaw finds Sevendust still growing and maturing as artists, expanding their signature sound without compromising their integrity. Commercially speaking, the '90s were nirvana for Sevendust, but in the here and now, they're as polished and potent as they've ever been.

Clutch - Psychic Warfare

3. Clutch – Psychic Warfare: Earth Rocker was a tight, efficient machine running on organic grooves, grabbing hooks and killer riffs. On Psychic Warfare, all those elements can still be found, along with Neil Fallon's oddball humor and infectious storytelling, his forceful, rousing delivery begging for a rapt audience of miscreants. What also emerges is a tougher, more tumultuous sound that doesn't mind digging around in the muddy blues of ZZ Top. There is plenty of dirt on Clutch's boots and flannel shirts here, but when the time comes to regale us with noir-like tales from the trailer court, mystery and menace lurks in the shadows.

Motor Sister - Ride

2. Motor Sister – Ride: Explosive proto-punk mingles with rugged, rough-and-tumble '70s American hard rock and shaggy, blues-infused soul on Ride, the earthy, tuneful album that shined a light on '90s underdogs Mother Superior and its talented leader Jim Wilson. The genuine article in a period of pop insincerity, artificiality and insipidness, Ride is hungry for riffs and has real blood running through its arteries of compelling, gripping melody. It has swagger, energy and sex appeal – everything good, meat-and-potatoes rock 'n' roll music should have, although Motor Sister manages to elevate it to something more inspired and pure. It is altogether human, and it knows what it likes, and you want to hang out with it for hours on end in a dimly lit tavern before taking it someplace more exciting and dangerous, because it's not a stick in the mud and it wants a little adventure before the night ends. This Ride should never end.

1. Faith No More – Sol Invictus: Sol Invictus really is the album of the year, unlike the 1997 Faith No More LP that sarcastically proclaimed itself to be just that and failed to deliver on such promises. Furiously propulsive, deeply soulful, and incredibly diverse and playful, Sol Invictus isn't Angel Dust and it isn't The Real Thing, but it's something in between – a uniquely eclectic entry in the Faith No More catalog that remains interesting and intoxicating right up until its last breath. The sonic architecture of Sol Invictus is designed to amaze, and it leaves lasting memories of melodic grandeur, schizophrenic vocal treatments, swirling keyboards, rhythms constantly pushing and pulling back, and guitar riff conflagrations. Translated from Latin, the title of the album supposedly means "Unconquered Sun." That's as apt a description of this record as any ever written.

Short Cuts: Fear Factory, Atreyu, TesseracT

CD Review: Fear Factory – Genexus
Nuclear Blast Entertainment
All Access Rating: A-

Fear Factory - Genexus 2015

Visionary chroniclers of unsettling dystopian nightmares that exist in elaborately conceived, sci-fi concept albums, veteran industrial-metal insurgents Fear Factory have signed on for yet another tour of duty in what's become a never-ending war for the soul of mankind in the face of a hostile takeover by the machines. Visceral, creative and majestic, Genexus covers much of the same well-trodden ground Fear Factory has marched through in the past, but unlike the mechanical and overly precise The Industrialist, the latest from Burton C. Bell, Dino Cazares and company balances cinematic beauty and hammering, roaring brutality with breathtaking artistry in the stampeding opener "Autonomous Combat System" and tension-packed punishers "Anodized," "Dielectric" and "Soul Hacker" – all of which eventually open into rapturous choruses and oceanic melodies, before again turning apoplectic with rage. Moody synthesizers and orchestral string pads leaven the screaming, teeth-gnashing violence of Genexus, as the almost proggy epic "Regenerate" rises to glorious heights and starry dreamworlds "Expiration Date" and "Enhanced Reality" offer a calming respite from rugged sonic beatings. While verging on becoming formulaic and predictable, Fear Factory is also still a work in progress, further establishing its literary and musical identity with Genexus, a flowing, dynamic work with imaginative storytelling that rivals their masterpiece Obsolete.

Atreyu – Long Live
Spinefarm Records
All Access Rating: B

Atreyu - Long Live 2015

Five coffins are littered about a gloomy landscape on the cover of the ironically titled Long Live. For pioneering metalcore comeback kids Atreyu, it at first blush seems an oddly depressing choice, considering this rebirth they're undergoing at present. Then again, they have been vacated, perhaps signaling a resurrection of sorts. Visitors won't find this tomb entirely empty, as Long Live runs the gamut of strong emotions – going from spitting mad and vengeful to broken hearted and pained in short order – and contains a good variety of fresh musical ideas, especially from guitarists "BIG" Dan Jacobs and Travis Miguel. Their creative mix of crunching, furious riffs and frenzied, fiery leads can make one forgive the uninspired emo melodic backwash and stereotypical screaming impotence of the title track, the staggering "Labor to Live" and "Cut Off The Head" – songs that would otherwise be considered chaotic, gripping and intense, with surprisingly unexpected breakdowns and tempo changes that demand your attention. However, it's their rather subtle and tasteful execution of the gorgeous acoustic piece "Revival (Interlude)" that's remarkable. While Long Live initially struggles to break out of a modern-metal mold Atreyu helped form, it does eventually hit its stride, as "A Bitter Broken Memory" blossoms into a widescreen, melodic epic and the stomping feet and hand claps of "Do You Know Who You Are" give a tip of the hat to Queen, adding some organic texture and natural feel to an album in desperate need of it. Swinging heavily, with pummeling, ferocious urgency, "Heartbeats and Flatlines" is bruising and raucous, but it's the satisfying, strong hooks, vicious anger and frayed punk nerves of "Brass Balls" that win the day. Running on a half-full tank of furious energy and instrumental vitality, Long Live could give Atreyu a second chance at having a musical life.

TesseracT
Polaris
eOne Music/KScope Music
All Access Rating: A

TesseracT - Polaris 2015

Take any track from Polaris and pull it apart, like a curious child examining some beautifully complex piece of machinery. Even the cleverest and most imaginative of engineers would find it difficult to reconstruct any part of the miraculous third album from progressive-metal cartographers TesseracT. It would take hours of focused study to adequately trace the meticulously mapped out arrangements of Polaris and explore all of their gloriously enigmatic rabbit holes. For music that is this adventurous, complex and clinically experimental, it also happens to be unexpectedly accessible, atmospheric and lush, with inside-out, acrobatic melodies that twist and turn in the most delightful ways. Dreamy currents, earnest supplication and reflective lyrics carry "Hexes" almost imperceptibly into unsettling puzzlement and then a blustery volcanic eruption, where the bounding, menacing "Dystopia" throws listeners around like rag dolls almost from the start. Inviting warmth and expansive settings seem to beckon sonic travelers into the wondrous worlds of "Phoenix" and "Messenger," only to crash their vessels on rocky shores or in sudden storms that don't reveal themselves until its too late to escape. There is great drama and utter sincerity in TesseracT's vocal designs. They practically swim in the majestic swells of "Seven Names" and wander about spacious confines of "Cages," aware of its mystery and illusory character and not knowing what to expect next. Though engaging, soulful and intelligent, and as cinematic as Porcupine Tree or Radiohead ever were, the brilliantly conceived Polaris can also explode into staggering, hard-funk violence, as it does in "Survival," and its sheer unpredictability, fully engorged grooves, intricate virtuosity and propensity for taking bold risks makes it one of this year's most stunning works.
– Peter Lindblad

The best of 2012 ... so far (Part 1)

Picking the finest metal, hard rock releases of the half year

By Peter Lindblad

If this were a physical examination, the patients known as hard rock and heavy metal would get a clean bill of health. 2012 has witnessed a flurry of fine rebound albums from the reinvigorated likes of Fear Factory, Slash, Rush, Prong, and Kreator – to mention a few. No one is writing them off anymore. Even Van Halen returned from a long self-imposed exile to prove to everyone that Eddie was still God and that nepotism can work, even if they do have incredibly bad taste in first singles – “Tattoo”? Really?

There’s a new half a super group called Kill Devil Hill that’s fusing Pantera grooves with Black Sabbath’s gothic dirges and churning out wickedly melodic metal. For so long, Whitechapel has been chained to a radiator in the grim, dingy basement known as deathcore, but with their latest hate-filled self-titled missive, they have blasted their way out of their restraints and moved on to more adventurous sonic exploration. Cattle Decapitation has scared everybody out of their wits with some of the most uncompromisingly brutal music in recent memory, and progressive-metal architects Gojira have given the French – the French, of all people – a reason to get excited about their musical export business.

And there’s more to come. Testament is going back to its Dark Roots of the Earth, Dying Fetus hasn’t been aborted and The Deftones are reportedly set to release a record this fall. Strap yourself in folks. 2012 is going to be a white-knuckle ride, and a crash is inevitable. As for the first half of the year, I’ve compiled my Top 10, which is subject to change. The first five (Nos. 10-6), included here, are just a taste.  



Fear Factory - The Industrial 2012



10. Fear Factory: The Industrialist – Jackhammer industrial beats and raging vocals swim in the deep, toxic pool of disturbing dystopian visions, crushingly heavy guitars, and cinematic soundscapes of what may be Fear Factory’s most ambitious concept record yet. Fascinating alien melodies probe and prod a sound that is at once cavernous and claustrophobically condensed, with Dino Cazares constructing a Byzantine labyrinth of densely layered guitars under the imaginative lyrics and righteous bellowing of Burton C. Bell.



Slash - Apocalyptic Love 2012



9. Slash, Featuring Miles Kennedy and the Conspirators: Apocalyptic Love – On the heels of a scintillating live album, Slash lays down some of the slinkiest, most infectious grooves of his career, with knock-down, drag-out brawls like “You’re A Lie,” “Standing in the Sun,” “No More Heroes” and “One Last Thrill” capturing at least some the grit and dangerous energy of Appetite for Destruction. Providing a thrilling foil to Slash’s smoking, snaky leads is singer Myles Kennedy, whose spine-tingling vocals circle high above the fiery rock ‘n’ roll crashes Slash and The Conspirators gleefully orchestrate. Axl can have the Guns ‘N Roses name. Slash doesn’t need it.

Prong - Carved into Stone 2012

8. Prong: Carved into Stone – In full gallop, with smoke blowing out of its nostrils, “Eternal Heat” charges hard out of the gate, setting the blistering pace and aggressive tone for what is surely one of the most punishing records of Prong’s career. Seething with rage, Carved into Stone abandons industrial rigidity for a thicker, fuller sound that takes a baseball bat to society’s sick head and beats it bloody with violent, bare-knuckled poetry. Urgent and restlessly creative, Carved into Stone is a heat-seeking missile that’s locked onto its target and that target is you. Get ready to be blown apart.

Over Kill - The Electric Age 2012

7. Over Kill: The Electric Age – Relentless from beginning to end, The Electric Age spits fire and rages against the dying of their light – with apologies to poet Dylan Thomas – by tossing this exceedingly vicious and extraordinarily tight thrash-metal Molotov cocktail right in the face of a dogma that believes extreme music is entirely a young man’s game. Rarely has Over Kill sounded so dangerous and desperate, as rampaging drums, searing guitars, and the venomous, teeth-gnashing vocals of Bobby “Blitz” Ellsworth propel these grizzled, gasoline-guzzling East Coast veterans on a high-octane journey through an urban wasteland of garbage-strewn dark alleys and lawless streets.

Accept - Stalingrad 2012

6. Accept: Stalingrad – Thankfully, Wolf Hoffman didn’t empty his bag of riffs on 2010’s Blood of the Nations, considered by many as the best metal album of that year. A worthy successor, the storming Stalingrad is one scorching meat grinder of a track after another – thanks to Hoffman’s rugged, gnarly guitars and the sweaty toil of a band that’s regained its hunger – and singer Mark Tornillo’s balls-to-the-wall screams are winning over converts who swore they’d never accept an Accept without Udo Dirkschneider.