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!!

Ataraxia-Llyr (2010) reveiw

There seem to be plenty of bands out there who share the name Ataraxia, not to mention several albums that are either entitled Ataraxia or at least include the word.  In fact there is a new Pelican album which uses that word.

My first experience with Ataraxia was a last.fm play when I was listening to similar artists to Amber Asylum.  I was impressed and decided then that I would purchase their latest album.  So i got onto the iTunes store and downloaded an album called "Melodious in Absentia."  I didn't listen to the album right off the bat.  The next day my iPod was on random and played a song from that album.  I had no idea what it was, but it sounded terrible.  Needless to say I wasn't listening to the same Ataraxia I had found on last.fm.  After running a search of the band's latest album, I discovered that the band I was actually looking for released an album entitled "Llyr" in 2010.  I found that one on iTunes, downloaded it, and haven't been disappointed since.

By now you are wondering what kind of music this particular band plays.  This Ataraxia is an Italian band who plays a folk-tinged selection of dark neo-classical tunes with minimalist instrumentation.  For those unfamiliar with the many eras of classical music, let me say that this is not your typical neo-classical music.  Instead of an orchestra playing this music, it is a band, whose three members each play various instruments.  This band plays many outdoor concerts on the sites of various landmarks of historical and spiritual significance, mainly in Europe dealing with spiritual qualities of Greek and Latin myths. 

This band employs anything from lutes, to banjos, to guitars, horns, violins and cello as well as modern technology.  It is a very diverse listening experience that can lend itself to a variety of emotional influences.  I would most compare this band to Dead Can Dance, but with less emphasis on ambiance and more weight put on the folksy, operatic vocals. 

For those not initiated to this type of music, this album can be a taxing listen in that it involves numerous odd time measures, minimal classical instrumentation, and an eclectic array of of mostly classical influences, including classical and early music.  If you have an open mind, there is beauty to be found in these songs.  Vocalist Francesca Nicoli has a heavenly, ethereal voice. 

The lyrics this band writes are in various ancient and contemporary languages, so if you need to understand what the lyrics mean, this band probably isn't for you. 

I enjoyed this album. Hopefully this band will reveal plans to record a new disc soon, because I am a fan.  Since forming in the late 1980s, Ataraxia has released no fewer than 20 LP albums. Take a listen to the title track from "Llyr" below.  As always, thanks for reading and enjoy!