4) Between The Buried And Me, The Parallax II: Future Sequence
Between The Buried And Me were able to jam mind-blowing guitar riffs, solos and harmony into roughly 30 minutes with 2011’s The Parallax: Hypersleep Diaries EP. So it shouldn’t come as a surprise that BTBAM were able to do that again and then some with the full-length sequel, The Parallax II: Future Sequence. The concept album succeeds at taking the listener through one hell of a journey, with each song working together beautifully as one piece to a larger picture. I personally can’t imagine a better way for this album to start than with “Goodbye To Everything” seamlessly leading into “Astral Body.” But that’s only the beginning, as songs like “Melting City” prove that BTBAM are standouts in progressive metal.
3) Lamb Of God, Resolution
So much has happened to Lamb Of God (more specifically, Randy Blythe) that it’s easy to forget that they kicked off 2012 with a new album. With that said, though, Resolution is without a doubt an album worth remembering. Songs like “Desolation” and “The Number Six” show Lamb Of God doing what they do best: face-ripping riffs and beats with Blythe’s signature, pulverizing vocals. Meanwhile, songs like “To The End” shows off the group’s southern flare, while “King Me” finds them going to new realms of rage and darkness. More to the point, Resolution reaffirms Lamb Of God’s status as one of the biggest groups in today’s metal scene.
2) Gojira, Le’ Enfant Sauvage
Expectations were high for Gojira’s follow up to 2008’s The Way Of All Flesh. Not only from long-time fans, but also those who kept hearing buzz from the underground about the French metal group. But simply saying that Gojira hit it out of the park with Le’ Enfant Sauvage is a major understatement. With help from producer Josh Wilbur, Gorjia quite possibly created the most exciting and refreshing sounding metal album of 2012. Gojira somehow find a way to combine the in-your-face aggression of Lamb Of God with the melodic touch of In Flames (in their prime) without sounding directly like either group. Essentially, songs like “The Gift Of Guilt,” “Planned Obsolesce” and the title track show Gojira raising the bar in the realm of metal.
1) The Devin Townsend Project, Epicloud
Hevy Devy does it again, releasing yet another batch of new material worth gushing over. Granted, Devin Townsend rarely disappoints, especially under the “Devin Townsend Project” moniker. But if you’re favorite DTP album is 2009’s Addicted, then you’ll love how Epicloud takes the melodic heaviness to an even higher level. Seriously, it’s next to impossible not to get Townsend and Anneke Van Giersbergen’s vocal harmonies in “Lucky Animals” stuck in your head for days on end. And songs like “Hold On” show Townsend’s gift for creating memorable and moving songs. Furthermore, the power and range of Townsend’s voice may be best captured in his re-recording of “Kingdom.”
note, Spotify playlist doesn’t have Between the Buried and Me on it since Metal Blade’s catalog isn’t on Spotify.
