#40: Grayceon - All We Destroy

Two albums with female vocalists in a row! Awesome! And they won't be the
last either. It's also the second album on the list released by Profound
Lore Records. The March release date of *All We Destroy* has given me
plenty of time to absorb it. And I have absorbed it plenty of times. What
makes Grayceon so attractive is vocalist Jackie Perez Gratz. Not only is
her beautiful/terrifying voice a thing of wonder but she also plays cello!
The unorthodox trio is rounded out by guitarist/vocalist Max Doyle and
drummer Zack Farwell. The cello creates a smoothness in the music that even
a fretless bass couldn't achieve. It also helps to create the classical
feel of the album. The way the cello lifts the music, it makes it sound
like it is floating. This in turn makes me view the songs and parts of
songs as movements within the album as a whole. It's an experience I never
expected to have this year. It's also an album of contrasts. From Gratz's
clean/harsh vocals to the aggressive/pretty-calm movements to the fact the
there is a cello in a metal band (that's not Apocalyptica). As I said in my
Intro, FEEL is very important to me. The fluidity and airiness of *All We
Destroy* makes me feel good and the more aggressive passages make me feel
powerful. Life is about balance and for all they've destroyed, Grayceon has
created an album equally as enjoyable.
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#41: Dark Castle - Surrender To All Life Beyond Form

The Floridian duo of Stevie Floyd and Rob Shaffer have unleashed a doom metal beast of an album. Surrender To All Life Beyond Form (Profound Lore) is a richly atmospheric album I could scarcely believe was the work of just two people. Dark electronics, keyboards and piano join forces with the crunchy guitars to drag the listener down to the dungeons. It's a miserable and anguished sounding album. The male and female, harsh and clean vocals do nothing to change the mood to uplifting. In fact, Floyd's cries embody the desperation of the convicted locked in a black cell. Without a lyric sheet I can't tell much about the lyrical content but my best guess would be that it is as deep and dark as the mood everything else evokes. While I've heard Dark Castle described most as a doom band, STALBF is more than just that. Sludge and black metal rear their ugly heads and the electronics add some flavour atypical of most of the doom I listen to. Closing track "Learning To Unlearn"  could be the doomiest track on the album. It's molasses thick and sounds like it's threatening to stop altogether. But it trudges along as if it's resigned to surrender to the fate of slowly drowning in quicksand. Go ahead, surrender yourself.

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Top 40 Albums of 2011 "Explanatory Blurb"

Before I begin the countdown of my favourite albums of 2011, I have some 'splainin' to do. First of all, this isn't so much a Best Of list as it is a My Favourite list. No one pays me to do this blog so I feel no obligation to be unbiased. I guarantee there will be albums on this list that people will think shouldn't belong there. But that's too bad. I base this list more or less on three criteria. How much did I/do I want to listen to it? How difficult was it to take it off repeat and listen to something else? How did it make me FEEL? Each and every one of the albums on this list stirred something within me. Some made me mosh around the island in the kitchen or air guitar uncontrollably. . Some I turned to when I was feeling a certain way. Some made me thrust my hands to the sky and scream. The reasons may be different but they all affected me enough that I feel they need to be recognized for their achievements. I'll do my best to explain why as I count down My Favourite 41 Albums of 2011.

Yes, 41 is a strange number of albums. However, because I can never stop listening to new music, I stumbled upon an album that blew me away to enough of a degree that I couldn't help but include it. I had already committed to which albums would be included (I still don't have the order nailed down) so I just bumped it to 41. And no one can stop me!!! Muwahahaha! In an effort to prevent further delays and mistakes due to "freshness" (Re: Trivium - 2005), I won't be listening to anything new for a couple weeks at least. I will be writing a small piece about albums that I listened to too late or haven't had the pleasure of hearing yet. Albums that either have been critically praised or that I would have a high likelihood of enjoying and have thus far escaped my ears. (Deafheaven for instance)

Also of note. There were two albums released this year by artists that my brain is incapable of evaluating without bias. At some point along the way I will feature those releases without a formal ranking. I may even, if I get the time, make a list of albums that either sucked outright or just didn't do anything for me despite how others felt.

Finally, bear in mind that most of these ranks are quite fluid. That really goes without saying but I'm saying it anyway. And the majority of the time, I'm going without a lyric sheet. So if there is some crazy profound revelation buried in there somewhere, I probably didn't catch it.

Enjoy and PLEASE ARGUE with me! (But I'll still be right.)

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