1. Shai Hulud : Misanthropy Pure - This band has always never received the credit that was due to them, for reasons I don't understand. There has never been one phony element of this band: no gimmicks, stupid hair cuts, utterly pointless breakdowns, merch about partying, or another lame pick up line the scene uses to try to pull kids in. They've played from the heart, and wrote some of the most potent and trend setting songs in hardcore and metal. This couldn't be anymore evident than on Misanthropy Pure.
What really makes me happy about this album is the improved tonal quality. I'm pretty sure on Profound Hatred Of Man, Matt (Fox, guitar) was using marshall solid state amps. Just really bothered me, especially because of the great music. However, this time around Shai Hulud's guitar tone is fantastic, and is mixed perfectly with drum production. Lyrics are a wonderful introspective of the scene over the duration of their existence. Venomspreader should be required reading for every Emmure flat bill kid (if they can read that is).
I also think that if metalcore wants to stay relevant, they should pick up on some of the aggression that is coming out of the hardcore punk community right now with emphasis on the "punk", and the aforementioned Venomspreader should be guidebook for it, perfectly meshing great metal technical challenging metal riffs while still capturing the punk feel.
I really don't have enough to say about the album, it really needs to be the direction that metalcore needs to head, sadly I think its just not going to catch on with the masses, but will undoubtedly be referenced for influence for years to come.
2. Animosity - Animal : This album really came out in 07 but really was a 08 album, so I'll throw it in anyway. Riff maniacs is what these guys are, at every sense of an ensemble. Pound for pound the most talented band in the genre. What I really love is the band sticking with NYHC style breakdowns instead of dropping the influence altogether like many of their "deatcore" peers. Navene Koperweis is a monster of a drummer, and Franks wha wha solos really round out the overall aesthetic of the album. Animal is one of those albums that will take years of repeted listens to wrap your head around, so much packed in it, its great.
3. Verse : Aggression - We all new Verse was special with From Anger and Rage, and Aggression further solidifies that. Already set apart lyrically from 90% of their peers, musically its fantastic as well. There's probably no better band that melds both the harder and melodic sides of hardcore. Really love everything about this album. Pretty much everything I've said about Have Heart could be applied to Verse as well.
4. Have Heart : Songs To Scream At The Sun - If you don't know Have Heart yet, you need to get real. This band has been paving the way for a restoration of honesty in hardcore for years and it feels like their message is catching on. The personal element of all Have Hearts elements is correcting the course hardcore was going down. The idea isn't necessarily to push an agenda, but that Pat Flynn really bares his soul for the Have Hearts audience creating a personal bond that can only be described by seeing them live. I saw them at the (now defunct) Underground in Denver last summer, and Pat didn't need a mic the whole time. The audience member who truly gets what Have Hearts about will experience a show like they've never seen before, it boarders on spiritual.
5. Century : Black Ocean - 90's hardcore has really not got the respect that is due to it, with bands like Strongarm, Refused, and Botch I feel have been lost in the mix and both the more popular metalcore end and the crucial segments of hardcore. However Century gives a big middle finger to all of that non sense and cuts loose with effort. Truly crushing is only way to describe black ocean, great balance of creativity and brutality. My only complaint is to turn down the kick a little, as it match's with every single riff and can get a little repetitive.
6. Trapped Under Ice : Stay Cold - Definitely my favorite straight up hardcore album of the year, most people who don't know just blow them off as a Terror rip off, which couldn't be further from the truth. The Riffage is truly mind blowing, crusshing, and heavy without resorting to either ripping of Madball or Throwdown which has pretty much encompassed every band breakdowns for the last several years. Theirs are creative but not over the edge, and the lyrics are probably the toughest thing I've ever heard come out of anyones mouth, wow.
7. Cancer Bats : Hail Destoyer - Another band that I was initially really not into, mainly because of the whole southern rock thing, but this just goes to show that good bands will stand out even in the midst of crap. Awesome riffing with great grove and feel, you can party or mosh to this one take your pick, have yet to see these guys live but maybe will soon. Lucifers Rocking chair has to have one of the dopest riffs I've ever heard in it. Check it out.
8. Trap Them : Seizures In Barren Praise - My first experience with this band, as previously I had confused them with Pulling Teeth for some reason (I hate Pulling Teeth) so I kind of disregarded them. But I heard one of their songs on a Deathwish sampler and was blown away. I mean you can def. hear Curt's influence on the album, but its a little more punk and straight ahead than No Heros. Brutal album, great guitar tone, makes me very jealous. However for their next effort I think they need to go with a different producer just to see what happens, maybe Devin Towsend?
9. Misery Signals : Controller - Same case as Underoath I think, however instead of dropping the singing hooks Mis. Sigs picked them up. I'm not quite sure how good the singing is, but I like it. The rhythm's are tighter, however they are sounding like they are running a little low on riffs. The end sound scape section on Ebb & Flow really impressed me, and wish they would have expanded upon that allittle more throughout the album. Great job by Devin Townsend on the production, didn't really like the sounds he got with Darkest Hour, but on this effort really put himself up there as one of the top metal producers.
10. Underoath : Lost In the Sound of Separtion - I'm really impressed with Underoath's continual maturation process. I do enjoy them for their previous pop esque sensibilities, which they departed greatly from on this album, but gained another level of complexity. If there was a Neurosis of the screamo world they would hands down be channeling the directly.
Honorable mention:
Messhugah : obZen
The Ghost Inside : Fury And The Fallen
The Carrier : No Love Can Save Me
Energy : Invasions of the Mind
In Flames : A Sense of Purpose
The Red Chord : Prey For Eyes
Protest the Hero : Sequoia Thrown
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