Patrick’s Top 10 Albums of 2013

Our new staff member Patrick is here to share with us 10 of his favorite albums of 2013. Check it out after the jump.

2013 was a year that yielded a massive amount of great music, including many of my already favorite bands releasing new albums to a slew of newcomers making a name for themselves.

After careful consideration and thorough listens, these are my top 10 albums of 2013.

10. Stray From The Path – “Anonymous” (8.5/10)

BLEGH! Probably the one word to best sum up this record, but if I wanted to use a few more they might be: loud, raucous, and emotive. “Anonymous” comes out swinging, and it provokes the listener to take a look at the world and the events that are happening around them that will surely come to define the “Anonymous” Generation of internet hacktivists, Occupiers, and The 99%. A fantastic, rowdy, hardcore record full of underdog anthems which features guest vocals from Jesse of Stick To Your Guns as well as Jason of letlive. If you’re looking to overthrow your local dictatorship, look no further than this record to be your soundtrack.

For fans of: Rage Against The Machine, letlive., and Stick To Your Guns.

9. Deafheaven – “Sunbather” (8.6/10)

Droning, ethereal guitars envelop the listener as the pounding, blast-beat driven drums propel the songs forward with every beat. The lyrics scratch at the surface of the textures, imploring you to dive a little deeper into their meaning and the honesty in their delivery. “Sunbather” is not a record to listen to casually or to be played as background noise. This is the soundtrack to your night drive, to your ride along the coast, and should be enjoyed as the contiguous piece of atmospheric-black metal meets shoegaze masterpiece that it is.

For fans of: Alcest, Slowdive, and Emperor.

8. Misery Signals – “Absent Light” (8.6/10)

A jarring, disjointed, discordant take on modern metalcore by some true pioneers of the genre. Haunting guitars and strings back the driving rhythm section, while the vocals bellow atop the songs and command your ear. This record reaffirms that you don’t have to be the most technically proficient shreddy guitarist to write metalcore that has a unique voice and original content. “Absent Light” is a reminder as to why I enjoyed Misery Signals to begin with and it clearly brings together influences both from “Mirrors” as well as the record that solidified my love for them, “Controller.” If you are a fan of anything metalcore, take note of this record and let them show you how to play metalcore properly.

For fans of: Erra, Poison The Well, and Shai Hulud.

7. letlive. – “The Blackest Beautiful” (8.6/10)

“I’ll stand upon the precipice and jump to pay my debt. Goodbye.” is one of my favorite lyrics on this incredible record filled with intelligent commentary on our world in addition to a symbolic and metaphoric take on Jason Aalon Butler’s own life experiences. The raw production of this record is a small glimpse into the intensity of their live show, and definitely allows you to hear the band as they actually sound. This record takes you across fast-paced post-punk highs, to shoe-gaze lows filled with somber melodies. One of the best parts about this record is how much replay value it has, with every repeat you will find something new to latch on to and enjoy.

For fans of: Glassjaw, Every Time I Die, and Scapegoat.

6. Tesseract – “Altered State” (9/10)

So. Much. Groove. Tesseract has morphed and modulated their way into the threshold of progressive metal and the forefront of the “djenty” groove-oriented realm of modern metal. A perfectly executed concept record filled with soaring vocal melodies courtesy of new vocalist Ashe O’Hara. Taking you across four worlds: Matter, Mind, Reality, and Energy; “Altered State” is certainly a musical journey and lends itself to the thinker more than the guitar virtuoso. Droning, bell-like guitars provide a melodic centerpiece for the odd meter and strangely accented rhythms to dance around all while being held tight to the beat by the ghost-note filled drum grooves.

For fans of: Uneven Structure, Meshuggah, and Periphery.

5. Protest The Hero – “Volition” (9.1/10)

“Volition” – The faculty or power of using one’s will. Such a fitting title for band that willingly dropped their record label in favor of the fledgling method of crowdfunding, and completely destroyed their own goals and raised almost three times what they proposed. In the end, the fans were given an absolutely incredible record that has the classic Protest sound while still having a completely fresh take on their unique brand of 80’s hair metal meets progressive metalcore. Left completely to their own devices, this record could not have been any better. Shred-tastic guitars compete with the punk-influenced metal drumming (brought to you by Chris Adler of Lamb of God!) while the slapped, tapped, and funk filled basslines are laid down by their bassist Arif. This record is incredible, and I can only hope that Protest The Hero will continue their conquest of modern metal for many years to come.

For fans of: The Human Abstract, Periphery, and Affiance.

4. The Ocean – “Pelagial” (9.1/10)

Released in late April of 2013, I knew after my very first listen that this record would be incredibly difficult to top by any of the bands that had releases slated for later in the year. Fifty-Three minutes to take you from the surface all the way on a progressive metal dive to the bottom of the ocean. Concept records always seem to grab my attention as it really helps to make it more of a cohesive entity as opposed to a collection of 10-12 songs that work well enough together to call it a record. “How much control do we have over what we wish for?” asks their singer Loic. You might just find the answer as you dive deeper and eventually reach the bottom.

For fans of: Mastadon, Tool, and Isis.

3. Erra – “Augment” (9.2/10)

Listening to this album takes you to another world, a world of desolate landscapes and constant downpours. Somehow, that is exactly where you want to be and this album is exactly what Erra needed to release to take another step in the right direction. No sign of a Sophomore Slump here. Just twelve songs of incredible progressive metalcore. Every melody flows perfectly over the swiftly changing guitar leads and the absolutely crushing rhythms. The alternating screams of the powerful lows and the strained yells provide a great contrast in the delivery of the introspective lyrics.

For fans of: The Contortionist, Architects, and Misery Signals.

2. The Safety Fire – “Mouth of Swords” (9.4/10)

Guitar arpeggios abound! One of the most immediately impressive things about this record is definitely the intricate guitar work. It really sets them apart from other progressive metal bands of similar caliber. However, don’t let that distract you from the incredible step up their vocalist Sean McWeeney has made from their previous release “Grind The Ocean”; which is not to say he was any less of a vocal force to be reckoned with. Every melody line fits over the shifting arpeggios of the guitarist as if it was always meant to be there. Not an easy feat with guitarists like theirs. While there is definitely an increased amount of melodic focus on this record, The Safety Fire definitely knows how to bring the heavy. Look no further than “The Ghosts That Wait For Spring” to show you exactly what they are capable of.

For fans of: Periphery, Protest The Hero, and SiKth.

1. Being – “Anthropocene” (9.6/10)

Oh what a long time coming it has been. Patiently waiting to hear the final version of this record, on the edge of my seat ready to bask in its audio-glory. Needless to say, as number one of 2013 it did not disappoint. This record is absolutely incredible and features a slew of amazing guest vocalists that just puts this album over the top. From the moment I purchased this record it has been a constant staple in my daily music listening. Groovy, spacey, melodic, this record really has so many different aural influences and soundscapes that it is impossible to pinhole it into any one particular category. They take all the parts of what similar bands are doing, and just execute them flawlessly. Any fan of progressive metal, or rock will surely find something about this record that they love. This record will continue to be a favorite of mine, even against the more seasoned veterans of my favorite albums. “Aren’t you bigger than that? Why regret all of that? What’s the matter, can’t you shatter all that’s holding you back?”

For fans of: Novallo, Friend For a Foe, and Periphery.