Monday, December 31, 2012

AOTY #39: D.I.S. - Becoming Wrath


Few bands are as appropriately named as D.I.S. See, that acronym stands for Destroyed In Seconds and that is exactly what Becoming Wrath does to the environment in which it's played. This is a half hour of furiously vicious d-beat hardcore I feel privileged to have heard in advance of its November release date. I can be a sucker for that Swe-death tone but it's really the energy that draws me to this Los Angeles band. They spew relentless fury that infects my nervous system and compels me to act in violent ways. A favourite while I'm splitting wood, the ripping riffs, bile soaked vocals and angry drums infuse me with power. Becoming Wrath's ability to distract the listener from the real world can get dangerous. Preparing meals with sharp knives, swinging the aforementioned axe and driving a car while listening to this album should be undertaken with the utmost care. The thought of seeing D.I.S. live both frightens me and makes me crazy with anticipation. Someday maybe.

Sunday, December 30, 2012

AOTY #40: Cancer Bats - Dead Set On Living



Toronto's Cancer Bats have become a perennial entrant on my Top 40 lists. Dead Set On Living. As with Bears, Mayors, Scraps and Bones, just squeaks onto the list. This band always makes me want to move and scream out the lyrics. DSOL took me a little longer to get into than previous releases but once it grabbed hold it never let go. 'R.A.T.S.' and 'Road Sick" in particular caused some sore throats. Their Southern fried hardcore (ugh, I feel so cliched even typing that) is basically a really fun, high energy formula for having a good time. Their positive energy rubs off on the listener. I am really looking forward to FINALLY seeing them live this February.
Buy it from Metal Blade here.

Kingdom of Noise Top 40 of 2012 Countdown

As I have done for countless eons (well, 5 years) I'll be counting down the 40 albums that rocked my world in 2012. They aren't "the best" in the traditional sense. This is no democracy. These are the albums that I wanted to listen to the most. And did listen to the most. 2012 has been a crazy whirlwind year for me. In addition to KofN I started writing for Hellbound.ca and GhostCultmag.com. The new year will see me take on yet another "job" writing short reviews for about.com/heavymetal! This is could all cave in on me at any moment but I'm just running with the momentum. Anyway, I better start this countdown eh?
Here are the albums that almost made the cut. Any given day they could crack the top 40 but at some point you just have to call it a day and finalize.
The also-rans (in no particular order):

Pig Destroyer - Book Burner (Relapse): Great but I still don't hear what makes them special.
Converge - All We Love We Leave Behind (Epitaph): Not sure why this one didn't connect this time.
Hooded Menace - Effigies of Evil (Relapse): Starting to get formulaic.
Incantation - Vanquish in Vengeance (Listenable): Killer OSDM.
The Secret - Agnus Dei (Southern Lord): Could be Top 20 any given day.
Wizard Rifle - Speak Loud & Say Nothing (Seventh Rule): I don't really like noise but this is awesome.
Vision of Disorder - The Cursed Remain Cursed (Candlelight): What a return!
Author & Punisher - Ursus Americanus (Seventh Rule): Innovation, not a gimmick.
Xibalba - Hasta La Muerte (Southern Lord): Break down the ugly hardcore.
Witch Mountain - Cauldron of the Wild (Profound Lore): No doubting Uta's voice.
Norska - Norska (Self-released): Hard time keeping these doomsters out of the Top 40.
Encrust - From Birth to Soil (Self-released): Eardrums fully Encrust-ed.