http://youtu.be/IIHH9THNRQA

Sometimes it is the case that the albums being referenced everywhere really are just great. I know of the five or six albums that seem to be popping up on so many year end lists that I’ve read, I can say it’s true of at least two of them; the music far exceeds the hype. Looking solely at metal press, there are probably a handful of albums appearing in multiple places. Again, there is something to be said for the quality of releases this year – it has been a fantastic year, as I now intend to demonstrate. As…

A show covering the best 20 or so in my top list will hopefully air 27/12 @ http://www.rtrfm.com.au/shows/behindthemirror or 92.1FM if you're in Perth, Western Australia.

TOP ALBUMS 2012

Jodis – Black Curtain
Jodis is a project featuring Aaron Turner (ISIS, Old Man Gloom, Mammifer etc) and two other Hydra Head regulars – James Plotkin and Tim Wyskida. Unlike the first Jodis album, which was excellent, but somewhat uneven in terms of flow, Black Curtain feels like a journey from a beginning to an end, with a wonderful middle. The tracks are rather spartan but not lacking in variety or…

1 Deafheaven – Roads to Judah
I guess the choices I tend to make in my top list this year, and the trend more generally within my metal tastes at least, has been towards the style of music Deafheaven play. Passionate, not afraid to mix in outright post-rock, hardcore, punk, lo-fi and folk influences, but still unquestionably brutal at times. Deafheaven are a fairly new bunch of kids on the block (they are very young, so kids is apt), but the sound they make sounds supremely accomplished and mature. Effortlessly mixing styles and creating a strong atmosphere not of dread,…

1 Deafheaven – Roads to Judah
I guess the choices I tend to make in my top list this year, and the trend more generally within my metal tastes at least, has been towards the style of music Deafheaven play. Passionate, not afraid to mix in outright post-rock, hardcore, punk, lo-fi and folk influences, but still unquestionably brutal at times. Deafheaven are a fairly new bunch of kids on the block (they are very young, so kids is apt), but the sound they make sounds supremely accomplished and mature. Effortlessly mixing styles and creating a strong atmosphere not of dread,…

1. Deathspell Omega – Paracletus
Deathspell Omega are not the most popular band in extreme music, and this release will win them no more fans. However, what they do splits opinions for a reason. It isn’t easy or comfortable music, its inexorably linked to their personal philosophical and theological opinions, and it requires dedication and submersed listening.
In an era where people struggle to hold their attention on anything for a few minutes, this sort of album, like the two that preceded it (Si Monumentum Requires, Circumspice and Fas - Ite, Maledicti, in Ignem Aeternum) was never going to be…

ep, the time of year where Craig craps on about what music floated his boat the most is here again.

Each year I say it was an interesting year. This year it was a fucking great year musically. So many good solid quality releases. Inevitably what this means is that my “Worthy Mentions” section that follows the top list, is massive this year. Hideously massive.

No more top 10 in metal and top 10 in ambient/electronic etc, this year. Just one big top 20.

Without further rubbishing in the way of intro, here goes my top 20 for 2009

1Peste…