The Top 10 Metal of 2011 - #7

Setting sail across the Atlantic we arrive and disembark upon a technicolor world of oddity, innocence and promise...

#7

Fair to Midland - Arrows and Anchors

I know, the moaning will give me a headache and I can already anticipate sloshing around in the piss as you intimate ever so discreetly that Fair to Midland aren’t quite metal, actually; but fuck me dead – they’re more metal than some of the bullshit that passes for it these days. That said; the music sounds resplendent and playful as ever, still retaining that hotheaded energy that seems to effortlessly glow from each and every child’s imagination. Confluences of folksy banjo, warm synthesizer and of course, generous servings of hulking distorted guitars mosey on over while the incredible, dizzying voice of Darroh Sudderth gives the record its wings as he takes flight; a man that can belt out crystalline vibrato in tandem with muddy, gruff snarls is worthy of much praise. Couple it with an unmatched creativity and unparalleled musicianship across an impossible diversity of instruments it deservedly garners quite a bit indeed.

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The Top 10 of 2011

#8 - Primordial - Redemption at the Puritan's Hand

#9 - Hammers of Misfortune - 17th Street

#10 - The Black Dahlia Murder - Ritual

The Honorable Mentions

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The Top 10 Metal of 2011 - #8

A cab collects us from 17th Street and dumps us in the distant past, to a time where the Celts ruled with iron hands over their Emerald dominion...

#8

Primordial - Redemption at the Puritan's Hand

To be quite honest; I’ve always heard of Primordial but never paid any mind to them (in my incalculable folly); until a chance spin of one of their promo tracks in my car alerted me to their indomitable presence. It was one of those “Where have these guys been all my life” moments mixed with a sense of incredulity that I’d been foolish enough to only superficially hear them until presently. Nevertheless, Primordial’s inimitable sense of dense texture and dogged resistance to the lock down of riff manufacturing radiates outward in Redemption, evoking a proud and fervent sense of the arcane Celtic highlands. Careworn fingers can be heard sliding across strings and raw throated laments only serve to heighten the appeal of their chilling brand of black metal. There aren’t many records that can transport you to another time that only few have stood and watched, but Primordial are undoubted masters at whittling down at your conscious soul until you’re no longer tied to the present, sweeping you away with their despondent odes.

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The Top 10 of 2011

#9 - Hammers of Misfortune - 17th Street

#10 - The Black Dahlia Murder - Ritual

The Honorable Mentions

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http://twitter.com/crushtor

The Top 10 Metal of 2011 - #9

Discarding our robes to venture back into the grime-covered city, we make our way into the underbelly of...

#9

 Hammers of Misfortune - 17th Street

Seemingly the darlings of the mainstream press, Hammers of Misfortune are routinely overlooked by our bread and butter (anything with “metal” in the URL) instead lauded by the US National Public Radio of all places. They draw upon funereal doom as dark and foreboding as mahogany caskets resting inside pitch black hearses, soaring British New Wave pomp and pageantry, accursed piano driven dark cabaret in addition to plethora of other eclectic influences, crafting yet another sprawling and genuinely entrancing work. The songwriting sounds ambitious and impenetrably precise; a lesser collective of musicians could only aspire to butchery in contrast to HoM’s inspired finesse.  Careful attention is given to production; each track taking on its own unique character yet slotting in perfectly like a chapter in a chilling yet suspenseful mystery novel. Former Slough Feg guitarist John Cobbett and his accomplished company lovingly nurse the concept album back into its robust prime, layering sonorous guitar lines and counterpointed vocals that pay their respects to – but by no means shamelessly rip off – the greats of the past. It has been some time since a high concept record had the balls to tell a thought provoking story and just flat out rock.

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The Top 10 of 2011

#10 - The Black Dahlia Murder - Ritual

The Honorable Mentions

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http://twitter.com/crushtor