It’s hard to fathom just how good a year 2013 has been for music. Releases from Soulfly, Sepultura, Alice in Chains, Bob Dylan, Pearl jam, Manic Street Preachers, Black Sabbath and more have all proved to be fantastic and yet, amazingly, still haven’t quite managed to make their way onto the top 13, simply because the music listed below was so stunningly good that we couldn’t justify their inclusion. Our list is based not on the size of the band or artist, the label or the sales, but simply on what made us feel alive in the way that only a record of depth and power truly can. You may not have encountered all of the releases below – but we’re prepared to state that irrespective of size, scale of distribution or genre, these bands all fired our imagination in ways that have had us returning time and again to their music over the course of the year.
The Top Releases of 2013 1-13
Sound Of Contact – ‘Dimensionaut’
This year has proved to be an exceptional one for progressive rock, and surely the most exceptional act has proved to be Simon Collins’ outfit Sound of Contact. ‘Dimensionaut’ is a record of breath-taking scope and beauty and its ethereal wonder has not ceased to shine in the intervening months since its release. Now available on double vinyl, surely the best format with which to appreciate the sonic splendour of the music and the grand scale of the artwork, this is a magnificent statement of artistic intent that stands as a testament to the innovation and skill of all concerned. ‘Dimensionaut’ is, without a hint of hyperbole, a masterpiece and it belongs in every home – words fail to describe its stunning, epic swirl.
Le Mur – ‘Silentia Nova’
Described as a record that made us ‘remember why we started writing about music in the first place’, Le Mur’s second LP (albeit the first to appear publicly due to record company shenanigans) is a wondrous thing. Jazzy, atmospheric, immured in the dusty grace of vintage psychedelia, it’s like one of those records you find at the local market and buy because of the cover (which, by the way, is absolutely stunning). A band who sound like they belong on vinyl, elements of Carlton Melton, Glenn Branca and Pink Floyd abound and there’s no question at all that ‘Silentia Nova’ firmly deserves a place on this list.
Darkthrone – ‘The Underground Resistance’
Some twenty years into their career and Darkthrone appeared with an album of raw, brutal, punk-infused metal that sounds utterly timeless thanks to its complete rejection of sonic fads and its embracing of the raw passion and commitment that has been Fenriz and Nocturno Culto’s trademark over the years. A blazing light in the stygian darkness of the underground music scene, ‘the underground resistance’ is a passionate love letter to heavy metal, a call to arms against the faceless corporate hordes and one of Darkthrone’s finest albums.
David Bowie – ‘The Next Day’
No one expected a return from the master, and yet when a single quietly appeared on the internet the world was suddenly ablaze with rumour and speculation. The single, the reflective ‘where are we now’ suggested a hesitant return to the fray, but when the album finally appeared it led off with the intense, muscular title track suggesting that Bowie had been taking inspiration from ‘Scary Monsters’, ‘lodger’ and ‘heathen’ above all else. Earl Slick’s sinewy lead work appears on the recording, and the album is one worthy of endless replays, making ‘the next day’ a powerful entry in a musical canon that , while not faultless, is still the envy of the musical world. What will happen next is anybody’s guess, but ‘the next day’ felt like a gift to the faithful and with a new, expanded edition available in time for Christmas, if you haven’t already embraced this wonderful album, now is the time.
Nine Inch Nails – ‘Hesitation Marks’
Another return, although perhaps not as unexpected as Bowie’s, ‘hesitation marks’ sees Trent and co further heading off into dark ambient territory, eschewing the nihilistic rage of ‘the downward spiral’ and ‘the fragile’ for the cold, gleaming soundscapes of ‘year zero’ and even ‘pretty hate machine’. Musically it is an immense journey that takes in some of Nine Inch Nails’ poppiest moments, whilst ‘copy of a’ lays into today’s sound-a-like culture with sneering glee. A most welcome return, ‘hesitation marks’ may well see Trent at his most at ease, but the music still packs a powerful punch that is utterly irresistible.
Spock’s Beard – ‘Brief Nocturnes and dreamless sleep’
Another of the brilliant progressive albums released in 2013, ‘Brief Nocturnes…’ is, astonishingly, the eleventh album of Spock’s beard and it is, without a doubt, one of their finest releases. It’s all here – from the lengthy brilliance of opening track to ‘hiding out’ to the quirky pop of ‘submerged’, the record covers elements of jazz, pop, progressive and metal and sounds, most importantly, like the band had the time of their lives recording it – a fact further evidenced by the band’s brilliant live shows in support of the disc. A beautiful, mystical record, ‘Brief Nocturnes…’ was an unexpected and hugely enjoyable highlight of 2013.
The Flower Kings – ‘Desolation Rose’
Opening with a thirteen minute track could hardly be considered the easy way, and yet on ‘Desolation rose’ Roine Stolt and his flower kings reached new peaks of brilliance. With the darkness of ‘dark fascist skies’ adding texture and depth to the record and Roine’s cleverly constructed lyrics commenting on modern life, the record is a relevant, wonderful musical journey that has much to offer the persistent listener. Add to the equation the stunning cover art and the spot-on production and you have a record that approaches the realms of the perfect.
Steve Hackett – ‘Genesis Revisited II’
Steve Hackett is an underrated master of the guitar and responsible for some of the most wondrous music in contemporary history. This double disc collection of reworked Genesis tracks stands as a timely reminder of how sublime the music of Genesis could be, a wonderful opportunity to hear classics interpreted by some remarkable vocalists (including John Wetton, Simon Collins and Mikael Akerfeldt). Of particular merit is John Wetton’s amazing take on ‘Afterglow’ a song that resonates with a simple beauty that few bands successfully realise with such heart breaking sincerity; but the entire selection is awash with beauty and dazzling technical innovation, and while the album may not quite capture the magic of the originals, it is a close run thing. ‘Genesis Revisited II’ is an absolute joy, and the live album released in its wake even more so.
Cold Blue Mountain – self titled LP
Music as art is the order of the day and cold blue mountain hark back to the majestic might of neurosis shot through with a bleak progressive beauty which is perfectly captured by the stunning artwork of the cover. Pressed on split white/blue vinyl, the album is a treasure to behold and a thing of sonic bliss, veering between the crushing might of its opening number ‘Branch Davidian Compound’ only to hurl itself through a multitude of sonic territories, drawing the listener ever deeper into a world hitherto only quietly imagined and, perhaps, wished for. Cold blue Mountain should be talked about the world over – that they aren’t yet is surely only a temporary oversight – track down this record.
Tyler Jakes – ‘Evil’
Do you adhere to the notion that music can be both forward and backward looking, that it can embody numerous qualities whilst maintaining coherence and that it can be hard rocking, hard drinking, sexy and funky all at once? If not you’re in for a shock with ‘Evil’, a record that gathers together the blues, funk and hard rock and spits out a bourbon drinking, leather clad beast that threatens to rampage through your town slaughtering virgins and decimating alcohol stocks. ‘Evil’ is a brilliantly conceived, beautifully played record and it’s best heard on warm, crackly vinyl to really maximise its effect. Whichever way you hear it, however, ‘evil’ is a slab of brilliance.
Carcass – ‘Surgical Steel’
Yet another returning band, no one exactly expected a new Carcass record to suck, but equally no one expected it to hammer home with quite such force. Precise, mechanical and cold, the sound of Carcass 2013 is the sound of surgery without anaesthesia, conducted by faceless automatons in gleaming rows; and with tracks like recent single ‘unfit for human consumption’ on regular repeat, there is no question that Carcass effortlessly returned to their precarious perch at the head of the death metal scene with this monstrous masterpiece.
Autopsy – ‘The Headless Ritual’
The sound of unadulterated rage, Autopsy continue to mark themselves out as one of the most uncompromisingly brutal and innovative metal bands on the planet. Gleefully skipping across genres, ‘the headless ritual’ is rooted in death metal but explores doom and sludge whilst it’s at it, satisfyingly destroying brain cells and mutilating expectations as it goes. Not a return to form, because Autopsy have never had a lapse in quality, rather an exceeding of form that leaves the listener in a state of euphoric shock.
Artillery – ‘Legions’
A late contender, Artillery is included here because it sends shivers down the spine in a way that so few modern thrash albums successfully do. Melodically and technically brilliant, ‘legions’ is a near perfect example of the genre that leaves you sweaty, exhausted and exhilarated. At the time of the review we saluted Artillery’s awesome power and we gladly do so again here – Artillery, quite simply, rule.
The Top Releases of 2013 14-25
Manic Street Preachers – ‘Rewind the film’
Elegant and poignant – a rare glimpse into the deepest fears of the band – ‘rewind the film’ takes on the topic of aging and deals with it with such grace and delicacy that the results are frequently heart breaking.
Bob Dylan – ‘Tempest’
The Bard’s finest record in many a year, ‘Tempest’ has it all, dreamy blues and dark, western epics and it packs an immense emotional punch.
Hidria Spacefolk – ‘Astronautica’
A late, but worthy, inclusion to our list, this mental mix of jazz and progressive is the perfect blend of Arthur C. Clarke, hawkwind, Pink Floyd and Miles Davis. Highly recommended.
Dream Theater – Self-Titled
Cockily self-titled after all these years, Dream Theater’s latest release is a streamlined and darkly brilliant affair which never fails to remind the listener of the band’s instrumental prowess whilst simultaneously paying careful attention to the power of the song rather than the needs of the musician – a brilliant addition to the band’s already immense back catalogue.
Soulfly – ‘Savages’
Devastatingly heavy, Max and co. sound better than ever on this crushing blast of death metal.
Toy – ‘Join the dots’
Beautifully psychedelic, ‘join the dots’ is a dreamy, other-worldly journey that all listeners should take.
Monster Magnet – ‘Last Patrol’
A more restrained trip than ever before, but you can’t deny the band’s unquenchable rock ‘n’ roll spirit. Monster Magnet still rule.
Sepultura – ‘The mediator between head and hands must be the heart’
Sonically overwhelming, it’s hard to believe that Sepultura still sound this virile, and yet on this second outing for Nuclear Blast Andreas Kisser’s troops of doom sound better than ever.
The Ocean – ‘Pelagial’
More progressive than previous outings, this is a stunning effort from a band who continue to evolve before our very eyes.
Black Sabbath – ‘13’
Despite the controversy and infighting, ‘13’ is simply a damn good metal album from a classic band. With rich, menacing riffs and Ozzy delivering with unexpected force, ‘13’ is a damn sight heavier than it has any right to be and thoroughly deserves its place on this list.
Deep Purple – ‘Now what?!’
What was it with classic rock bands coming out with their best releases in years in 2013? ‘Now what?!’ packs a fearsome punch with the whole band coming out all guns blazing on tracks like ‘Vincent price’ – a blistering effort.
Jolly – ‘The Audio guide To happiness (part II)’
Oh man… Jolly apparently love their listeners, but not as much as we love them. Drawing from Tool, Pink Floyd, QOTSA and so many more, this metallic, progressive blast is just effortlessly brilliant.
Re-issue of the Year:
Eric Clapton – ‘Give Me Strength’
An exhaustive collection of recordings from one of rock’s finest guitarists, this beautifully packaged deluxe set houses five CDs and a blu ray inside a hard-backed book complete with photos and a lengthy essay. Covering Clapton’s brilliantly fruitful period from 1974-5 which incorporates the monumentally successful ‘461 Ocean boulevard’ (here in expanded form and a 5.1 mix), ‘there’s one in every crowd (complete with quad mix) ‘EC was here’ (expanded with a whole second disc) and even a collaboration with Freddie King, this lavish set is not only a wonderful collection of music, it also represents good value (retailing at under £50 at time of writing) and one of the few examples of content winning out over commercialism. A highly recommended master class in stunning musicianship this is proof (if any were ever needed) of the immense skill that Clapton possesses.
Live DVD/Blu Ray of the Year:
With so many great releases, this was an immensely tough decision, but two box set releases grabbed our attention above all the others (although an honourable mention to Dream Theater is surely deserved) thanks to their exceptional quality and production values.
Devin Townsend – ‘Retinal Circus’
Musically and artistically Devin Townsend is a genius and his stage show, designed to represent his musical legacy (yes, including Strapping young Lad tunes) is a demented and delirious journey through the man’s multi-coloured psyche. Musically this is a masterstroke with an amazing band (including the beautiful Aneke Van Giersbergen on vocals), guest slots (including an amusing and brutal appearance from Metal Hammer warrior Dom Lawson) and a full blown choir all adding to the giddy proceedings. With an existential plot hosted by none other than Steve Vai and all manner of shenanigans, this is not so much a live show as an event and the multi-format releases which followed were fully justified, offering up DVD, Blu Ray and CD versions along with all manner of other desirable goodies. Despite lacking 5.1, the stereo mix is so good you’re forgiven for barely noticing its absence and overall the show is just a lot of fun.
Joe Bonamassa – ‘Tour De Force’
Taking up a challenge to do four shows with four set lists in four separate venues, Joe Bonamassa recruited the best blues musicians out there and delivered a stunning set of performances, all of which are captured on DVD and Blu Ray in a mini, Marshall amp replica. With visual quality top notch and the Kevin Shirley produced sound even better (and in blistering 5.1), this is as essential as it gets and highlights exactly why Joe Bonamassa is one of the most revered blues musicians on the planet today. With a wide-ranging set list, brilliant performances throughout and awesome packaging, no blues fan should be without this comprehensive live document.
So that’s it for 2013. Did we miss your favourite band? Write in and let us know!!
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