Best of 2012.

[theis]

Metal:

1. Pallbearer - Sorrow and Extinction
2. Converge - All We Love We Leave Behind
3. High on Fire - De Vermis Mysteriis
4. Gojira - L'Enfant Sauvage
5. Baroness - Yellow & Green
6. Meshuggah - Koloss
7. Neurosis - Honor Found In Decay
8. Anaal Nathrakh - Vanitas
9. Every Time I Die - Ex Lives
10. Lamb of God - Resolution

Non-Metal:

1. Graveyard - Lights Out
2. Mark Lanegan - Blues Funeral
3. The Gaslight Anthem - Handwritten
4. Crippled Black Phoenix - (Mankind) The Crafty Ape
5. Soundgarden - King Animal
6. Bruce Springsteen - Wrecking Ball
7. Alcest - Les Voyages de l'Âme
8. Motorpsycho and Ståle Storløkken - The Death Defying Unicorn
9. Swans - The Seer
10. Rush - Clockwork Angels

[samson simpson]

King Animal was a mighty pleasant surprise 

love it

[Starz]

It's been a good year for music. I didn't think it would be able to top 2011 but in some ways it has. Saying that though, its been quite hard for me to pick a definitive 'Top 10 Albums of 2012' because there wasn't actually one stand out album that blew my mind. 2012 has been more of an endless stream of great music with many albums I know I'll go back to time and time again. I also call 2012 the year for 'women' as a lot of great bands and artists released albums this year who were female or had a female singer.

This list is more of what I listened to the most this year rather than being the best albums of 2012 which you have to hear right now...

1. Yppah - Eighty One



I've listened to this album so much that I honestly forgot that it was even released in 2012. It felt like more of a classic album I fell in love with years ago. Definitely a summer record for reminiscing about when you and her were together late at night on the beach. Think Massive Attack beats and vocals layered over the top of Lights Out Asia's guitars and atmosphere.

2. Exotic Animal Petting Zoo - Tree of Tongues



Surprised to see this album go under the radar as much as it has. "Through The Thicket..." is probably my most played song this year. The vocal melodies, lyrics and THAT guitar solo at the end are worthy of constant repeat listens. Deftones and Dillinger Escape Plan similarities aside, this is an album with much more focus and stronger songwriting skills than their debut, partly due to the addition of second guitarist Jeffrey Zampillo who brings his Mars Volta and jazz influences to the table. Apart from the slight issue of lacking in the production department, this is one of the strongest metal albums released this year, which deserves much more attention.

3. Deftones -  Koi No Yokan



Probably my most anticipated release of 2012 and it didn't disappoint. Took several listens to fully appreciate what was going on here but that's what happens with all great albums; you need time and patience to truly marvel in its glory. Where I saw "Diamond Eyes" as being the bands most commercial release to date, having got that out of their system it's good to hear them going back to creating melody and atmosphere as opposed to full on rocking out. Here we see Deftones at their best, drawing the listener in with Chino's harmonies and stories of dark relationships and environments. This is far becoming my second favourite Deftones album after S/T.

4. Devin Townsend Project - Epicloud



Everything Devin touches lately seems to turn to gold and Epicloud can definitely be considered to be a part of that category. His ambient, new age project "Ghost" was in my top 10 albums of 2011 and he's back again in my top 10 list. Devin is a non-stop songwriting machine! Epic vocals, epic guitars, epic drumming and epic songs all add up to the most theatrical and fun album of the year.

5. Caspian - Waking Season



I'm so happy this album got made. Whilst I'm a fan of the bands previous outings, the production was always a sticking point for me and the band really needed an engineer/producer to come in and hone their craft (which I find a lot of post-rock music needs now a days to stop becoming too monotonous). Luckily for us, Matt Bayle's did just that. Gone is the self-produced sound of "Tertia" and in is the sound of classic microphones and old analogue gear recorded in the grandiose surroundings of Q Division studios in Somerville, MA. On another day this album would be number one on my list. It seriously is that good.

6. Hammock - Departure Songs



A double album is always an ambitious task for any band but with Hammock it's a welcome gift, as you can never get enough of their ambient, dreamy guitars cascading over haunting vocals and drums. With "Raising Your Voice..." they set the standard for what beauty should sound like coming out of a pair of speakers but yet again they've raised (pun not intended) the bar with this release. For long and lonely cold nights.

7. Hunting Grounds - In Hindsight



Debut album from Australian band Hunting Grounds who do the indie space-rock with synths and vocals to astoundingly good effect for a band so young. Think The Music meets Empire of the Sun and you've got the ingredients for an eclectic mix of reverb drenched melody and maturity.

8. John Talabot - Fin



Despite being released in the early parts of 2012, John Talabot's 'Fin' was a late listen for me despite lot's of rave reviews and publicity. Mainly set in the organic side of house music, Fin showcases beautiful craftsmanship with his beats and samples and somehow manages to stray away from the usual 4 to the floor cliche of house but still remains cemented in its roots. Pional offers some great vocals on a couple of the tracks here which adds to one of the best electronic albums released in 2012. Good stuff.

9. Now, Now - Threads



This trio offer one of the unexpected highlights of 2012 with their etheral and melanconly indie/pop. The atmosphere is created through a combination of crisp guitar layers, understated synths, the intriguing mix of Cacie Dalager's lower-tone whisper and Jess Abbott's floating harmonies and meticulous work on song structures.

10. Air Tycoon – Winter Purple



Joining other rising instrumental hip-hop artists like Clams Casino, Illinois resident Joe Garcia is making infectious and colorful tracks under the moniker Air Tycoon. Winter Purple is a tour de force of chopped-and-screwed beats, hauntingly catchy and manipulated vocal samples (as on "Minimal" and standout track "Care For You"), cavernous bass, and atmospheric synth work that ought to impress even the snobbiest Boards of Canada fans.

[Starz]

HONORABLE MENTIONS:

Andy Stott - Luxury Problems
Baroness - Yellow and Green
Basement - Colourmekindness
Beach House - Bloom
Burial - Kindred EP
BvDub - All Is Forgiven
Chairlift - Something
THE CHARIOT - ONE WING
Crystal Castles - 3
Devil Sold His Soul - Empire Of Light
Earth House Hold - When Love Lived
Efterklang - Piramida
Foe - Bad Dream Hotline
Grizzly Bear - Shields
Groundislava - Feel Me
IamamIwhoamI - Kin
The Invisible - Rispah
Lemonade - Diver
Mars Volta - Noctourniquet
Menomena - Moms
Minus The Bear - Infinity Overhead
Mutiny on the Bounty - Trials
ORCAS - S/T
Paul Banks - Banks
Pirate Ship Quintet - Rope for No-Hopers
Polica - Give You The Ghost
POP WINDS - EARTH TO FRIEND
Porcelain Raft - Strange Weekend
Purity Ring - Shrines
SCHOOL OF SEVEN BELLS - GHOSTORY
Sharon Von Etten - Tramp
Stomacher - Clara
Tame Impala - Lonerism
The Twilight Sad - No One Can Ever Know
The Unwinding Hours - Afterlives

[bright lights, big city]

I'd like to add 2 albums to my best of list that are just now finally getting some serious play time:

Tame Impala - Lonerism
Kendrick Lamar - Good Kid, MAAD City

[theis]

I gotta add 'Father John Misty - Fear Fun' to my list.

Can't remember the last time I've been this hooked on an album.

[godin]

Favourites (in no particular order):

Caspian: Waking Season
Alt-J: An Awesome Wave
Beach House: Bloom
Cloud Nothings: Attack on Memory
Japandroids: Celebration Rock
Lights Out Asia: Hy Brasil
Silversun Pickups: Neck of the Woods
Deftones:Koi No Yokan
Tame Impala: Lonerism

Other good ones:
Mark Lanegan Band- Blues Funeral
Grimes- Visions
Purity Ring- Shrines
Sigur Ros- Valtari
Bloc Party- Four
Crosses- EP 2
Black Phoenix Orchestra: A Manics Madness EP (* Unbelievable Calgary act.)
Miike Snow- Happy to you
Passion Pit- Gossamer
Of Monsters & Men- My Head is an Animal
Matt Mays- Coyote

[Braincleaner]

I have to add:

"Silent Machine" by Twelve Foot Ninja

"Portal Of I" by Ne Obliviscaris

"Flight Of A Dying Sun" by Purified in Blood

"Two" by Aristillus

[Corleone]

I'd like to add 2 albums to my best of list that are just now finally getting some serious play time:

Tame Impala - Lonerism
Kendrick Lamar - Good Kid, MAAD City

Tame Impala has really become quite commercial, can't say I'm suprised though. Innerspeaker was amazing.

[Crazylegs]

I'd like to add Norska - Norska

fucking great!

[tarkil]

I'd like to add Norska - Norska

fucking great!

So.... I had downloaded this for months, and finally got to listen to it today.
It's indeed fucking great !!! Really really awesome !
Thanks Crazylegs for the discovery...

[Crazylegs]

Cool, man. Yeah it's definitely one of my favorites from last year. I think they have a pretty original sound for a sludge band.