Continuing to look back at 2012 in music, here are some more of my favorites:
Ahab
German doom metal group, Ahab's first release was an epic concept album based (not surprisingly) on Moby Dick. On their second album, they've returned to nautical imagery with The Giant. Even without another literary work to draw from, Ahab draws in the listener with long, intense passages punctuated by desparate vocals. You feel swallowed by the sound and drug to the ocean floor, the weight of the world bearing down. As beautiful as it is heavy, The Giant is enormous.
Between The Buried And Me
Firmly entrenched in the progressive death metal genre, Between The Buried And Me continue to push the envelope. Their follow-up to the 4 track EP, Parallax II is a galloping 10 song journey with their trademark twists and turns - pummeling blast beats give way to Spanish guitar and orchestra flourishes, while vocalist coos and bellows. The depth of the instrumentation is staggering. Having seen their wizardry live before, this album will be an epic adventure on stage.
Storm Corrosion
The long-anticipated collaboration between prog rock masters Mikael Akerfeldt (Opeth) and Steven Wilson (Porcupine Tree) provides a lush soundscape for listeners to lose themselves. The vocals are serene and supported by a delicate balance of sparse instrumentation and ambient sounds. Intricately composed, the album cannot be digested in one sitting, but sampled again and again.
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