10. Palms – Palms
Palms has the greatest elevator pitch of any album on this list: What would happen if Chino Moreno joined Isis? This album isn’t too far off from that. Musically, Palms is mellower than Isis, but it isn’t nearly as dynamic. Some of the songs also drag a bit, but that’s a minor complaint. I’ve always been partial to Jeff Caxide’s bass playing, and his part during the verses of “Patagonia” complements Chino’s soothing voice perfectly. Bryant Clifford Meyer (guitar/keys) and Aaron Harris (drums) distinguish themselves on “Mission Sunset,” which is probably the moodiest and most atmospheric song on the album.
Album Highlight: "Patagonia"
9. Anciients – Heart Of Oak
Heart of Oak is a veritable melting pot that is chock full of all kinds of cool stuff. There’s something for everyone: classic rock intros, blistering black metal verses, throwback vocal melodies, and drawn out Allman Brothers jams. Anciients are able to make this work because they can write songs with catchy hooks and incredible riffs. Album opener “Raise The Sun” sounds like the greatest song that Black Sabbath never wrote.
Album Highlight: "Raise The Sun"
8. Killswitch Engage – Disarm The Descent
When Jesse Leach rejoined the band in 2012 after a ten-year absence, I was excited for his first Killswitch album since Alive Or Just Breathing. Regrettably, Disarm The Descent didn’t come close to meeting my unrealistic expectations, but it’s still an encouraging return to form. The songs haven’t been this catchy since The End Of Heartache. The songs are packed to the gills with tasty riffs and guitar melodies. The highlight of the album is Leach, though. They digitally retouched his voice a bit more than I would have liked, but you can still hear the pain and urgency behind his voice. It’s also nice to have his uplifting lyrics (“In Due Time;” “The Turning Point;” “Blood Stains”) back in my life. People unfairly gave Howard Jones a lot of crap for writing about failed relationships, so I think it’s kind of funny that the best song on this album is a love song. Vide Infra, y’all.
Album Highlight: "Beyond The Flames"
7. Deafheaven – Sunbather
Until I listened to Sunbather, I could never get into black metal. I enjoyed traces of it in other bands’ music, but I couldn’t handle it straight up. Kind of like mayonnaise. Sunbather is different from most other black metal albums in all of the right ways. The guitars are majestic and glimmering, so much so that the music still sounds uplifting and cathartic even with George Clarke shrieking on top of it. The production is crisp and clear; most black metal albums sound like they were recorded in the back of an old van in the woods. The lyrical concept behind the album is refreshing as well; the last four lines of “Dream House” sent a shiver down my spine when I first read them. If you like U2 or Darkthrone, then you’ll probably enjoy Sunbather.
Album Highlight: "Sunbather"
6. Dead Letter Circus – The Catalyst Fire
Dead Letter Circus’ follow-up to This Is The Warning is the most impressive rock album I’ve listened to since high school. The band’s sound is still very similar to their Australian counterparts, Karnivool, but the songs are catchier and not as weird. The music is rich and atmospheric. There is clean guitar that's soaked in delay, and the bass and drums provide contrast with a dirty, growling low end. Kim Benzie’s unconventional voice is probably still a deal-breaker for some people, but this band wouldn’t be as good and the hooks wouldn’t be as strong without him.
Album Highlight: "Lodestar"
5. Revocation – Revocation
Revocation continue to find new ways to keep their modern brand of thrash metal fresh and exciting. The songs on Revocation are heavier and catchier than last year’s superb Teratogenesis EP. “Invidious” gets off to a raucous start that is punctuated by perhaps the most impressive use of the banjo in any metal song to date. Revocation’s music will always be driven by David Davidson’s blistering guitar playing, but drummer Phil DuBois-Coyne’s performance is just as impressive. The best song on the album is also its angriest; “Scattering The Flock” is the best anti-Christian song I've heard in years.
Album Highlight: "Scattering The Flock"
4. Scale The Summit – The Migration
The instrumental metal scene has become crowded lately, and for the most part, listeners have been rewarded with diminishing returns. Scale The Summit are one of the bands responsible for the scene’s explosion in popularity, and The Migration is both a reminder of that and an illustration of why they will always be ahead of the curve. This record is as immersive as it is diverse. Scale The Summit have finally put out an album with production values that match the quality of the music; The Migration sounds organic and natural. The band’s bassist is finally high in the mix, and it adds to mellower songs like “The Traveler” and “Atlas Novus."
Album Highlight: "Atlas Novus"
3. Last Chance To Reason – Level 3
Level 3 is as impressive as it is bittersweet. The band recently decided to revert to a part-time project, which is disappointing because Level 3 is Last Chance To Reason’s best album by a considerable margin. They reined in their proggy weirdness just enough and wrote songs that are cohesive and consistent. Vocalist Michael Lessard is the star of the album; he showcases variety and range that weren’t present in the band’s earlier work. He also continues the video game storyline from Level 2 in the lyrics; the hero from Level 2 is somehow transported from the digital realm into our world. Anything that nerdy is bound to please me. “This can’t be the end / there has to be more.” Indeed.
Album Highlight: "The Artist"
2. The Ocean – Pelagial
The Ocean have a more holistic approach to music than any other band that I know of. No band has put more care into concept, composition, production, and packaging than The Ocean. Somehow, band mastermind Robin Staps outdid himself again on Pelagial, the album that will be remembered as The Ocean’s masterpiece. Staps originally envisioned Pelagial as an instrumental album and as one continuous piece of music. Musically, he wanted the album to represent a journey from the surface of the ocean to its lowest depths. As the listener traveled “deeper,” the music would get darker and heavier. The journey is not linear, though. Each song is richly textured and filled with atmospheric flourishes like classical instruments and myriad aquatic sounds.
Fortunately, Staps decided to include Loïc Rossetti on the album when the vocalist learned he was no longer in danger of permanently losing his voice. This also allowed Staps to add a lyrical concept to Pelagial that serves as an allegory to an oceanic descent. The lyrics are loosely based on the film Stalker, where three protagonists travel to a zone where one’s innermost desires are believed to come true; however, as they come closer to their destination, each traveler is confronted with the notion that he may not even have control over his own wishes and desires. The synergy between the album’s concepts is just icing on the cake, though. Pelagial is the most impressive and rewarding listen of 2013.
Album Highlight: "Hadopelagic II: Let Them Believe"
1. Intronaut – Habitual Levitations (Instilling Words With Tones)
Pelagial is the best album I listened to in 2013, but it’s not my favorite. Intronaut and The Ocean are two of my favorite bands, and while both of them love to push the envelope with their music, they do so in their own ways. The Ocean pursue a grand and dramatic vision with their music; Intronaut try to do something different on every album. Habitual Levitations is their most mature album to date, and it's no coincidence that it’s also their lightest, pun not intended. It’s a prog rock album, and there isn’t one scream to be heard. Habitual Levitations sounds like Alice In Chains would have if they ate a bunch of mushrooms and listened to Tool and jazz. Album opener “Killing Birds With Stones” is comprised of seven or eight different parts, but Intronaut are talented enough musicians and songwriters to make it sound like one cohesive piece of music. The last minute of the song still gives me goosebumps when I listen to it. “Sore Sight For Eyes” wouldn’t sound out of place on rock radio, and its bridge presents the most dramatic moments of the album. “Harmonomicon” most closely mimics an Alice In Chains song, except with a bossa nova jam added on the end. “Milk Leg” starts out with some awesome syncopated grooves and ends with an extended jam session where all four members are doing their own thing.
On Habitual Levitations, Intronaut have finally tapped into the potential that they have hinted at in the past. The sung vocal harmonies, reverb and delay guitars, and jazzy and unconventional rhythm section blend together seamlessly to comprise a whole that is much more than the sum of its parts.
Album Highlight: "Killing Birds With Stones"
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