Hey everyone. First off I'd like to apologize for not posting anything in the last few months. I'm sure you all understand what I say when I say my life has been CRAZY lately. Anyhow, I'm sitting here at work (not working, obviously) and I decided to put my "lil library" on shuffle and make an update. I've been thinking a little about my favorite albums that I have heard this year and I decided I want to share. Now, only one of the albums was even released this year... but that's ok.
The first album I want to point out is one which I've been listening to almost constantly since I picked it up. The album Controller is the 3rd full-length album pressed by Misery Signals (the 2nd album featuring "new" vocalist Karl Schubach) on the Ferret Music label. Now, I'm no professional album reviewer and I don't know plenty about music and how it goes together, but this album is perfectly complete in all the right ways. The album takes off hard, opening with "Nothing" and keeps your heart pumping and ears bleeding throughout the rest of the album's 11 tracks. But the reason this album is so great is not because of it's face melting speed - even better than anything like that, the boys of Misery Signals really (to me anyhow) explored the full range of their musical skills. Technical riffs and rhythms, intense drum lines, dramatic creciendos and dimenuendos in all the right places, and even great singing (rather than simply the "growl") on a few tracks. Each and every time I listen to this album (and it's gotta be near 100+ times through by now) I hear new things musically that I didn't pick up before. So even if you're not into the hardcore scene much I highly suggest you give this album a listen. Found on Amazon --> http://www.amazon.com/Controller-Misery-Signals/dp/B001AZI20E/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1221523878&sr=8-1
The second album I wanted to mention is by the artist BT (his name is Brian Transeau) who is known for his innovation in the Trance genre. However, this album is more than the typical "techno" that I would shrug off normally. This Binary Universe, released in 2006, is something much more. The album seems to somehow seemlessly blend between, jazz, piano, orchestral, breakbeats, and everything inbetween, and blend beautifuly. Three of his seven tracks feature a full 110-piece orchestra and none of them feature any vocals. The album is sold with a DVD complimenting the CD which contains animated video to correspond with the tracks, as well as a brief commentary by BT on his work. In this commentary he mentioned that the project started out as a simply lullaby written for his daughter. The "lullaby" theme can be felt throughout the entire piece and I think that because he put so much love into this project it can really be heard in the music. I realize this sort of music typically isn't in my list of shared tunes, but sometimes you'll be amazed at the things you don't usually consider. And This Binary Universe is definately one of those times. Pick this album up. Found on Amazon --> http://www.amazon.com/This-Binary-Universe-BT/dp/B000G8OZ16/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1221523939&sr=1-1
Well, as short as the list seems, these two albums have been on repeat on my iPod for the entire summer. Of course I will say that the conclusion to Thrice's The Alchemy Index was spectacular. Disc III and IV were more than I ever could have hoped for. I have to get back to work and chances are I won't update again for a while (because of school), but I really wanted to get this posted.
Cheers!
