2011, No Thank You

Is it just me, or are the vast majority of 2011 rock/metal releases lacking in the quality and "staying power" department? Sure, we have gems from Mastodon, Cave In, Trap Them, Blindside, City of Ships (to name a few), but I'm just not finding the passion I once had for a ton of other bands.

Am I getting older? Yep. Am I old? Nope. Do I give a shit that there's a new Megadeth record out soon? Not a chance.

I've always known it's quality over quantity, even though I had a CD collection into the thousands, but this year, it's become glaringly obvious that:

a) I don't care about CD's anymore, other than my very favorite bands
b) New bands, for the most part, are shit
c) Old bands, for the most part, are old shit

For example, I actually think the new Dream Theater is a great listen. Apparently, 35,000 other DT fans thought enough of them to check it out as well, as it clocked in at an impressive #8 on the Top 200 in its release week. I think it's better than their last two lackluster releases, but still, not one note on that record got me excited for repeat listens. Not a one. Same goes for the snoozefest that is the recent Explosions In The Sky and the new Unearth. All solid releases...all headed into the obscurity bin of my brain. Just notes, no memories.

...and some records are just bad. Steven Wilson, you're better than this, dude. Queensryche. So very, very, bad.

The releases that truly separated themselves (Mastodon, Cave In, Foo Fighters, to name a few) are something special. Fantastic albums that I will spin for years to come. I just wish there was more of that to go around.

Currently spinning:
Mastodon- The Hunter
Cave In- White Silence
Bayonet- s/t EP
Thrice- Major/Minor
Wilco- The Whole Love

Spinning about to get underway:
Ryan Adams- Ashes & Fire
Will Haven- Voir Dire
Dreamers of the Ghetto- Enemy/Lover
Junius- Reports From The Threshold of Death
Rob Crow- He Thinks He's People

I'll be posting WAY more often. Seems like the thing to do.

Buy more records.

In the mean time, jam on this...

Will Haven "Held To Answer":

Testicular Thursday?

I'm on vacation so forgive the two-day lateness. I've been trying to show my brother some ball-rattling tunes but still think it's too soon to introduce him to Mastodon. Perhaps the heaviest prog-type band to ever exist (Opeth, we'll get to your awesomeness soon enough), they are the only band that people who love Yes and Sonic Youth both listen to. For some reason, the Pitchfork crowd loves this shit. Maybe they just love the clothes or maybe it's just that they know the metal guys in the crowd will eat their skulls if they don't pretend to enjoy the band. Whatever.

I've been a Mastodon fan since they only had their Lifesblood EP out on Relapse. The drumming is spastic but perfect, the guitars and bass weave in and out and between the drum patterns until they explode into the sickest shit you've ever heard. The vocals are reminiscent of late-era Neurosis, but have more melody where needed.

This is the best thing to EVER come out of Atlanta. Period.

"The Wolf Is Loose"
"Marh of The Fire Ants"