The Top 12 Albums of 2012 Numbers 9-7

We continue today with our series on the best albums released in 2012, regardless of genre.  The rules are simple: That I select what I feel are the 12 best full-length albums released in 2012.  Yesterday we featured the outstanding new works from Sybreed, Between the Buried and Me, and Katatonia.  Today is an even more eclectic mix.

9. Two Steps from Hell-SkyWorld.  This was a close one.  In the preliminaries, the latest album from Ulrich Schnauss & Mark Peters was in this slot, but upon hearing the brand new public album by Two Steps from Hell, I was compelled to move them into this slot instead and reward Ulrich Schnauss and Mark Peters an honorable mention.  "SkyWorld" is a 22-track epic orchestral masterpiece chock-full of orchestral and choral ensembles including electronic samples and percussion sections.  This is trailer music, in that it sounds just like something you would hear in a movie trailer or a film soundtrack.  In short, if you are a fan of film scores, you will definitely dig this new album.  Check out another track from "SkyWorld" below.  We have previously raved about this album before, so check our older posts for a full review.


8. Dead Can Dance-Anastasis.  I have never really paid much attention to world music, but this one shook me to wake me up to the world of world music.  This Australian duo began writing intriguing new wave and world music in the 10980s.  "Anastasis" is their first album in over 16 years, so it was long in the making and hugely anticipated.  It lived up to the hype by combining eastern and African drum and percussion sections with orchestral synths and fantastic male vocals.  This is a difficult album to beat for any producer of world music and should be a standard in the genre for years to come.  Take a listen to the track below and enjoy!


8. Alcest-Les Voyages De L'Ame.  I have always been a big follower of metal.  I believed Alcest to be an average black metal band before I gave their sound a chance with their newest release, which came out earlier this year.  This French band showcase an impressive range of sound, melding mind-bending atmospheres and looping live instruments atop metal and post rock drumming and clear, stretching vocal lines.  Many consider this band to be a "blackened shoegaze" or "metalgaze" band, but this terminology doesn't quite describe the mood and energy present in this release.  In reality there is very little metal to be heard in this album and plenty of introspective shoegazing to go around.  Enjoy an amazing track from the newest Alcest album below.  As always, thanks for reading!!

Brand X Music and Jack Trammell

Good afternoon, readers.  Today's post is going to be similar to our randomness posts where we take new music we have not heard before and give it a quick review.  Today I am going to review two artists whom I have heard before, in a sense.

I first discovered Brand X Music and Jack Trammell when I was listening to Two Steps from Hell and other similar music.  Both of these artists produce epic trailer music.

Let's start with Brand X.  I first noticed the cover of this artists' new public album on Amazon and decided that, based on how much I was digging Two Steps from Hell, I might enjoy Brand X.  I was right.  Brand X is indeed similar, but differs in small ways.  Most compositions on this album, "The Best of Brand X Music", are short epic pieces ranging from sullen and serene emotions to loud, complex and heavy pieces incorporating drums and highly distorted electric guitar.  This diversity shows on the album's first track and carries on throughout a spectacular landscape covering 23 tracks.  The production quality is exceptional and the compositional competency of the writers is breathtaking.  Take a chance on Brand X below.


Continuing on the similar vein of trailer music, we'll take a look at Jack Trammell's new disc, "Pillars of Creation".  The album cover seems to convey a dark, spacey feel to the music, which I think fits accurately.  Similar to Brand X in style, Trammell uses powerful string melodies mixed with distorted electric guitars and drums to bring a hard rock and metal feel to the music, all while maintaining the epic grandeur that defines trailer music as a genre.  Trammell uses vocals sparingly to highlight the contours of the complex melodies and punchy rock rhythms.  Check out the following track from a TV spot for Twilight: Breaking Dawn Part 2.  Below.  Thank you for reading and enjoy!