#1 - Agalloch | Marrow of the Spirit

So here we are at the number one album of the year. Agalloch's Marrow of the Spirit. Although the album did only come out last month, I've still had enough time to develop something to say about this record. I tried to write something about it when it first leaked and a month and a half later here I am typing aimlessly on my blog about it and still am struggling on what to say about it and it's my goddamn album of the year and one of the best metal albums in the last 10 years and could possibly be one of the best metal albums of the next 10 years...

I'll try my best. Bear with me.

A quick introduction:

Agalloch are a rare and special band. They are maybe the most well known unknown band. They are one of the only bands I can think of recently where their entire discography is praised and spoken very highly of. Almost every band has that one or two CDs where almost all of the fan base can agree is the best record, and every band has that one CD that everyone says "...Fucking sucks, what a disappointment."

Yeah, that doesn't happen with Agalloch. The beginning, Pale Folklore, everyone loves. It's raw, unique for black metal, and is beautiful. The Mantle shows Agalloch stepping out and doing new things already, throwing in post-rock influence and even more melody. On Ashes Against the Grain Agalloch turn it up and write heavier songs with tighter production, and still, this fantastic record is not disliked by fans of music.

Not one of these CDs is their "best" cd. Any of these three could be any one's favorite. They're all incredible, diverse, and innovative on so many levels. Before I heard the new record, many people were already stating this may be their best release. I was skeptical due to that just being absurd. That was until of course I finally embarked on the journey...

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The album is meant to be a journey and it's musically obvious. Marrow of the Spirit begins with you floating in a river or creek in the middle of a frost bitten forest, literally where the album artwork displays.

A cello is heard and foreshadows later melodies throughout the CD. You can feel something huge is going to happen.

So where will this river take us?

After an abrasive analog produced drum fill we are sucked into a vortex of otherworldly and disgustingly frigid black metal. But not the black metal we heard on the previous records. I'm talking about primitive, fuck-all, black metal. When I describe this song as some sort of vortex, I literally get this imagery when hearing this song. I feel as if I'm being sucked into another dimension of music, "Into the Painted Grey".

The song basically rapes you. It penetrates you with its' powerful blast beats, and dry tremolo guitars, makes you want to cry with it's ambient seeping guitar melodies and reverb soaked tremolo guitars, holds you down and suffocates you with utterly dense bass tones and doomy chords, and frightens you with John Hauhgm's even more twisted rasping vocals than ever before and it seems to never ever end and you feel sick for never wanting it to.

This may be the best Agalloch song ever written. But there's still four more songs.

When the 13 minute song finally ends after a two minute blast beat climax, it feels as if time and reality suddenly become apparent in your life again, but you can't remember when both of these things slipped away from you. You only realize suddenly that you're ONLY just listening to music for a second until "The Watcher's Monolith" PERFECTLY introduces itself to you after the beautiful chaos of the previous track.

Somber and powerful melodic doom blankets you, and it's a very, very heavy blanket. It's almost night time and you're walking through the woods. The raw guitar tones sound like their being amplified by the trees. The grass grows out toward you, and the last beams of sun slip through the canopy atop. The depths of nature are composing a song for you.

This song sounds familiar for Agalloch but has a more mature and confident feel to it. One moment, it's heartbreaking, and the next it's triumphant. It's slower, and constructed with perfection, and is phenomenal. It's almost midnight, crickets chirp, and a haunting piano melody plays as the song concludes.

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There are certain AWEsome aspects of life where our brains capacity is reached when we try to comprehend them. This mostly happens for the idea of life itself and trying to figure out who we are and why we are.

When one person is challenged to write about one of the greatest songs of all time, that person may not have the intelligence required to deliver such a feat. One of those people is me.

If you know me you know that when I love something, I love it. I'm PASSIONATE about things, and you can hear it in my voice when I talk about them. The only way I could express my feelings for a song such as "Black Lake Nidstang" by Agalloch would be if I were in the early stages of alcoholism.

Although, I'd make the song sound quite pretentious by doing that, I'd at least get SOMETHING out.

So let me grab a drink...

"Written in the waters..."

"Black Lake Nidstang" is a journey on its own; an 18 minute journey through a forest upon a mountain at midnight that leads to a lake of the dead. The sound of drums echo in the distance through the trees. It sounds like a warning of sorts, or some kind of calling. It could be a warning for what you're about to experience.

The song transitions from a dark and rather sinister introduction of acoustic guitar to seamlessly heart wrenching melodies and seeping wails of ambient guitars until opening up into the main section of the song.

Whispers from the dead occupy the first verse and the melodies are still only a taste of the despair you're about to witness via music.

Literally, the middle of this song is one of the greatest moments in music ever. It resides nearby the last few minutes of "Lateralus" the song by Tool. Except this part doesn't make me want to tear out of my body and become some sort of super being. The middle part of this song is one of the most devastatingly emotional moments you may ever hear. It is the equivalent of watching the saddest scene in a movie, but instead, listening to the most despairingly powerful moment.

As John Haughm's depressive black metal vocals shock your ears, his guitar plays the earlier leads but slightly off tune, just to make the part that much more fucked up. I can't help but get chills every time this part consumes me. It takes me lower and lower with the sludging of the bass line, and shrieking of the guitars. The vocals still overwhelm me every time. I cannot fathom how one recorded these vocals without having tears in his eye. The sound of the Nidstang shrieking out through the night, "YOU CREATED THE STARS AND GAVE BIRTH TO ALL THE HEAVENS; THE DARKNESS OF SPACE AND TIME. SO GO TO THE NIGHTSIDE END BELOW!!!"

Heaven. The darkness of space and time. Quite possibly the imagery you get when the moog sets in moments later, and suddenly a cascading of spacial guitars seeps in, like the edges of nebulas suddenly to fill in the void. Are we still listening to Agalloch? The trance inducing guitars, what sounds like five of them on the most gorgeous of looping reverb suddenly is halted by an onslaught of heavy bass and tremolo and we're brought to the conclusion of this masterpiece. The drums transition several times to heighten the already dramatic and suddenly triumphant melodies and the song finally explodes. The delay guitars over the nighttime crickets fade out the final seconds.

The only issue with this song is that no matter what, the next two tracks could never live up to what you just endured. But you keep moving on, now through snow filled woods to find out that "Ghosts of the Midwinter Fires" is a pleasantly classic sounding piece, filled with post-punk-esque, twinkly guitars. The track sounds like a combination of Pale Folklore and Alcest.

Once the track ends, the journey's end is closing in on us as we're back in the cold waters from the opening track, but this time it's different. "To Drown" clearly is trying to represent the sound of drowning in musical form. The somber acoustic guitars and cello sound remorseful as if they know what's about to happen to you. Suddenly they twist and turn and drag you deeper beneath the ice cold water, the intensity of the cello's strings heightening as your inability to hold your breath becomes stronger. This section of the song sounds like Godspeed You! Black Emperor decided to stop by the studio for a session. Finally the song concludes with you washing up on shore, the combination of the lake and the lakes ripples softly crashing on land, an oddly incredibly satisfying sound to end Marrow of the Spirit.

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So there you have it. The album of the year. Now, I admit, this post was more of a babbling like my original Envy, Recitation post was a couple months ago when I first heard that. It wasn't until I had some extra time with it that I was able to somehow connect with that record on a more personal level other than just really enjoying it. That may never happen with this record, so for now, you got to hear me just express my admiration for the quality of unbelievable musicianship and song writing on Marrow of the Spirit. Maybe one day down the road I'll put this record on my mp3 player and wander deep into the woods at night and have something more personal and interesting to read. But for now, this album is just better than anything else that came out this year and you should no doubt listen to this if you're a fan of music at all.

Happy New Year everybody!

#2 - Envy | Recitation

Recitation

— n
1.	the act of reciting from memory, or a formal reading of verse before an audience.

"Patterns connect the red-starry skies.
The shadow of an evening calm surfaces while I close my eyes.

The warmth came along and I trusted its voice.
Pile up my thoughts on exploited scenery.
The eyes sense the warmth of regrets.
Respected ambiguous words harbored.
The sealed look has vanished.
Smell of the beginning of night.
You once were a vision, but you have recovered over the days.
And learned the whereabouts of an inverted future.
A gaze passes into oblivion.
Lines of people block my sight ahead.
Proof of the days of consolation.
Words of admonition in many ways.
Seven voices I carry, descending.
I tip my shoe up but the contradicting guidance still does not change.
Light and darkness.
Sunlight and the sound of the night.
Dark sky and the surface of water.
They all passed us by and are ahead of us.
A drop of rain announces the beginning."

- "Guidance" | Envy

A good friend of mine and I were recently discussing how particular songs of melodies or just certain music can somehow trigger a memory deep inside of your mind for reasons you aren't aware of. It's something rare but certain albums or songs give me this sense of utter nostalgia to a point where it nearly makes me feel sick with a sense of longing for no apparent reason.

Certain melodies bring me back to certain visions of dreams or thoughts I had when I was very young. One of them being a small house on a small hill. The grass is almost too green. The house is yellow and cute. The yard overlooks the ocean and the sky is blue and perfect. I had a dream I lived in this house and I have no idea why. I hadn't thought of this dream for years. Why would I? What would being this memory back to me?

One day Isis' Wavering Radiant dripped onto the internet. Listening properly and ever so intently, I got to "20 Minutes/40 Years". It wasn't until about 30 seconds in when all three guitars enter the song when suddenly I was hit full force with the feeling of standing on that very hill overlooking the house with the blue ocean back-set and the huge sky over-top of me. I cannot even begin to explain why this happened but it felt amazing and depressing all at the same time.

Besides this, I sometimes get this vision of a landscape I thought up in my head when I was about 4 years old of a beautiful orange-ish, pinkish sunset sky overt-op a vast horizon of ice, with literally nothing else to be seen. I randomly get this vision while listening to various Jakob songs. Again, I have no idea why and at times the music literally takes me there and breaks my heart.

When I first acquired Recitation, I loved it. Envy are one of my favorite bands of all time and I was very excited to be listening to their new record, especially after they released one of my favorite records of all time, Insomniac Doze. You may remember my enormous 'review' about it when I first got it months before everyone else. I was basically just posting premature thoughts on it after a 3rd or so listen. People thanked me and got pissed at me simultaneously. Sorry about that.

It wasn't until a few months later after I was viciously listening to my yet to be number 1 album of the year (TEE HEE) that I returned to Recitation one night just as I was ready to lay down to go to sleep.

Instantly the melodies from "Guidance" sounded more beautiful than I ever remembered. Sure, the melodies on this entire record are some of Envy's best, and most precious, but for some reason, instantly this particular melody affected me more than it ever has.

Then "Last Hours of Eternity" came on, and again, I was blown away but how out of nowhere, the progressions and layers of instrumentation and brilliantly crafted melodies was breaking my tired heart and body.

Next came "Rain Clouds Running In a Holy Night", one of my already favorite songs on the CD. I don't know why this happened but especially the intro, middle section of three gorgeous guitars intertwining the main notes, and the outro made me nearly weep due to the memory they conjured up.

Maybe my first memory I've ever had of my mother was her and I sitting on our living room couch together in upstate New York. Our couch was against the living room window and we sat on it backwards with our knees in the cushions and our arms leaning over the top of the couch gazing out the window. We were looking at the clouds. They were all kinds of different shapes and sizes. I don't remember how long we did this for. It may have just been for a minute, or maybe 5. But I barely think of this memory and it's one I should try to remember more often.

For whatever strange reason, the melodies in "Rain Clouds..." brought me back to that exact moment and I couldn't deal with the sinking feeling of nostalgia I suddenly felt in my heart and stomach. There are tons of songs and bands that give me a sense of nostalgia, just because their music in general gives you that sort of vibe, but it's different when particular melodies literally bring you BACK to specific times or thoughts in your life so vividly that you FEEL it in your stomach. The outro of this song brings me there full force. I can barely even.

After those first three songs, I don't get that feeling too much more, which may be a good thing. I don't think I could handle a full record of songs that make me feel like that.

Beyond that, Recitation is an incredible record full of diverse yet gorgeous music that's consistent throughout its long duration. I'm not sure if Fukagawa has a concept at all for this CD but I get this sense that a lot of these songs, especially the intro and outro, "Guidance" and "Your Hand" are random memories he's had spoken out by female. There is more spoken word on this Envy CD than any before and I think all those moments are connected in some way.

If you want a more analyzed write up about this CD, go back and just find my random blabbering about it when I was just heard it. There's no sense in my explaining how great this band is or how great this CD is. If you know who Envy are, you know they cannot do wrong at this point. This CD is no exception.

"We have repeatedly felt the grief of separation.
Profound fingertips were supposed to have arrived.
The beat of the rain is quick. I recite sorrow into it.
The immortal temperature dwells in blessing hands.
A moment's profile is falling asleep with a dim field of vision.
Felt a faint heart beat, and heard your whisper.
I carry my dragging feet as I turn to go.
The shaking voice has long been forgotten.
Discovered that we have lost the end of a precious feast.
Gentle breath wrapped in Spring.
A sunbeam loop streams through leaves of trees in Summer.
Fallen leaves sway and connect with each other in Autumn.
The morning calm repeats farewells in Winter.
The change of the seasons reminds me of words I never knew.
The steps are even, as they go on. A sign of an end."

- "Your Hand" | Envy

#3 - Rosetta | A Determinism of Morality

After Isis broke up I was clearly more devastated than I ever imagined I would be. When the band released Oceanic in 2002, people claimed it was the creation of 'post-metal', a genre combining their sludge sound with post-rock elements. I like to just say it's post-rock with sludge moments, but Isis were never just that typical.

Around the time the band broke up, you could sense the ending of the genre in general. Not just because Isis were leaving us, but because it's something that not many bands could nail anymore without just repeating the formula over and over.

Although Rosetta are ultimately post-metal, any time they release something, it still sounds refreshing and new. Their qualities are unlike any other band in sludge. It drives me crazy when people lump Rosetta into the "Neurisis" category because maybe 5% of Rosetta's music sound anything like those two bands.

With A Determinism of Morality, I get the feeling that Rosetta can be the next big thing for music combining softer elements with sludge. Although their unique tones and qualities are back on this cd, and maybe in a more aggressive manner, there is something about the guitars that make me feel like this is the first great shoegaze/sludge fusion album.

Matt's guitars on this CD are INCREDIBLE. The guitars themselves, before Armine's sampling, could give you the spacious, atmospheric imagery that occurs when listening to this band. The leads in "Je n'en connais pas la fin" (which by the way, may be THE best Rosetta song), sound like star beams racing across the night sky, while the overlapping ambiance in "Release" under the clean vocals sounds like Slowdive performing on the moon.

The main guitar melodies throughout "Revolve" are some of the most beautiful you will hear in any post-rock influenced band. The tone is reminiscent of The Cure, one of the bands biggest inspirations, and I feel on this CD, that inspiration is more blatant throughout, let alone this one song.

So why is this number 3 of 2010? Because I listen to this record and want to cry at nearly one point in each song. Although this record isn't as brilliant as Wake/Lift, I feel the overall melodies on this CD are the best the band has crafted. I'm a sucker for melancholic guitar leads, and Matt Weed has put like 4 in each song on this CD, making this one hell of a record up my alley.

Oh yeah, and the bass work, and drumming are fucking out of this world (get it?) awesome throughout and Armine's vocals are the most emotional they've ever been yet (See: The end of "Release", and the title track. Holy FUCK).

Seriously get into this band if you haven't yet. They are truly something unique for heavy music. Don't let Matt Dyess tell you otherwise (asshole).

#4 - Alcest | Écailles de lune

Some time ago when I first endeavored starting my very own band, I planned out an entire conceptual record based around a timeline of me being with people I love in a place that I loved. That place was the ocean. Not too long after I remember reading an article about an upcoming Alcest record. Neige had mentioned that the CD was strongly influenced by the ocean. The opening song I had written for this CD I entitled "Pier" was actually about a time my friends and I walked out onto the ocean pier very late at night and stared out into the eerie black nothingness.

I remember time stopping, and it seemed that everyone around me suddenly weren't in the same dimension of thought I was in. All sound paused besides the sound of the waves crashing into the old wooded pillars holding us up above the cold black water. I stared out into the void for 10 minutes thinking about how mysterious and scary the ocean can be, yet at the same time, is such a place of joy for people, especially when you can actually see where you are.

I thought about how powerful the ocean was, and how it could take your life away so quickly. I thought about what lives beneath the depths of it; the fact that there nearly is another world down there, and still undiscovered areas with who knows what living in the trenches.

I thought about how shitty human beings are, and how we still manage to ruin this planet even though most of it is made up of ocean, and I wondered what the world would be like if there were even less plates of land for us to live and shit on and just more salty mass. I thought of the idea of being trapped in the middle of the ocean at night and suddenly I got so goddamn startled by that thought that I snapped out of it and back into reality. My friends were all still around me, laughing, gazing out, taking pictures, and smiling, and I stood there with my heart beating viciously. It was if I had some kind of connection with the water, and with its' power. The moon was out that night and I realized how much it can alter the ocean, and our bodies. And that was out I suddenly got the idea for the CD.

I'm not too bummed out it never happened. There are already enough ocean inspired albums, one of my favorite being Isis' Oceanic, which at times literally gives the listener the imagery of being crushed by the ocean's weight and floating helplessly through it, without air.

On Écailles de lune, Neige gives the listener imagery of the ocean but in a different light. The gorgeous classic post-punk guitar tones literally sound like they could resonate throughout the ocean's body, deep in some mysterious trench below unknown areas. His somber vocals give you a sense of nostalgia yet solace and relaxation, and the second part of the two part title track brings me back to that moment I was out on the pier late at night. So curious and dumbfounded at what really lies beyond our sight, just feet beyond the damp wood.

To say I have a connection with the atmosphere of this record is an understatement. But simply, the first three tracks of this CD are FLAWLESS and composed with astonishing brilliance. Although the latter half of the album is rather short, it's still fantastic, with the shoegazey, Slowdive-esque "Solar Song", and melancholic and powerful closer "Sur l'ocean couleur de fer".

I'm struggling to find much else to say besides the fact that Neige is becoming one of the more inspiring musicians to me personally, and is also becoming one of my favorite vocalists in general.

I love this CD and I imagine you would too if you listened to it. It's truly something special.

#5 - Heaven In Her Arms | Paraselene

Heaven In Her Arms have become a well known and somewhat accomplished japanese screamo band, yet still in the shadow of Envy, who are clearly still the kings. One of the reasons for this is the fact that their releases would all sound like angry Envy b-sides, and there wasn't too much from this band that they could truly call their own.

That was until Paraselene was unleashed to our ears.

This record is one of the darkest, most brooding and dynamic screamo records ever. In fact, it's so dynamic that it's tough to actually call it a screamo record. Every song has it's own unique qualities that are daring enough to do just about anything.

Never before have I heard this much doom in this genre, or this much drone, or this much dissonance, and yes, at some points, this much depressive BLACK METAL.

The pacing of Paraselene is incredible as well. As a whole, the record sounds like it could be one huge ass song. Every track for the most part does indeed transition very smoothly into one another, but what's odd about this CD is that it seems that every song gets BETTER AND FUCKING BETTER as the CD progresses toward the end.

There are no teases on this record. If you're listening to the middle of "Echoic Cold Wrist" and you feel that you're in for something special, you'd be correct. "Halcyon" EXPLODES with agony and aggression and a million chord progressions that all somehow work and make you want to cry. "Halcyon" seeps into "Butterfly in Right Helicoid" which COULD be the strongest track on the record, with a massive middle section of post-rock fused with black metal.

What continues to emotionally destroy me about this CD is the way it totally concludes with "Veritas". This is one of the best performances I've heard from a violin since a Godspeed You! Black Emperor track. This song gives me the imagery of walking through the rain at night in a small town trying to find a place to stay. I'm not sure why. It has SOMETHING to do with the sample of rainfall during the intro, but the rest is history. But nonetheless, this song is soul crushing.

In all, Heaven In Her Arms have totally set themselves apart with Paraselene. The feedback I've seen for this record has definitely been great and I'm proud that people are 'getting' this. In that sense Heaven In Her Arms fans > Eluvium fans.

#6 - Eluvium | Similes

"OMG GET YOUR FUCKING VOCALS OUT OF MY MUSIC!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

That was generally the overall response to Similes when it first came out early this year. You see this more and more every few years where fans cannot cope with change and compromise to music they enjoy.

It's just like any Tool or Dredg fan who says something moronic like "This band will never be good unless they write another AEnima or El Cielo!" Clearly not true. And although this is a cliche response, why in the fuck would you want a band to continuously write the same shit over and over again you piece of shit asshole human being?

*sigh*

With Similes, Matthew Cooper decided to do a few things differently. For one, there is percussion on this record and that is a first for Eluvium. I think for the most part fans can deal with percussion. There are many minimalistic ambient bands who have songs with some kind of subtle tempo in the background, this is nothing too new.

What really ticked off fans is that Cooper SINGS on this record, and this is definitely the first time there have been lyrics and legitimate vocals on any Eluvium CD.

Now not everybody is going to enjoy his voice, but I'm nearly certain that wasn't even the point. The fact that there were even vocals at all, just in general, pissed people off because it's unique and different for Eluvium and there's apparently some kind of law against any use of the voice box for this project and changing things up a bit is a quality of a musician who needs to spend time in Hell.

Don't listen to any of these people.

Similes encompasses emotion and feeling in music, and a lot of that emotion actually comes from Cooper's words and vocal lines in these songs. The music is as gorgeous as it ever has been, but let's be honest, would "The Motion Makes Me Last" be as incredibly hopeful and depressing at the same time if it didn't have gorgeous vocal lines and lyrics like this?:

"What is it that has my mind so hypnotized?
Evolving on a thought that you've half realized
Life is real only when I am, I am surprised
That shapes are for looking at
And their colors create my mood.

I'm a vessel between two places I've never been."

The answer is no and the consistently great quality of emotion and gorgeous melodies doesn't end there. "Weird Creatures" and "Making Up Minds" are just as great, as well as the ending ambient/drone closer "Cease to Know".

What also pisses me off is that when Eluvium released Static Nocturne only a couple months ago (Which also made my top 10, yes that's right, two Eluvium CDs in the top 10 of 20 goddamn 10), fans joked saying that release was an apology to the fans or a rebound of sorts due to the onslaught of negative feedback from Similes.

NNnno.

That's not how an artist, especially in this style of music works. He or she or the group of people working on this music does not make the music for you, but mostly for themselves. If anything, he wrote Similes for me personally due to the fact that I've fallen asleep to this CD more than any other CD this year.

I hope the next Eluvium CD has more vocals on it. And then I hope he gets signed to Starbucks Records.

Or that he releases THREE CDs per year so I can file them all into my top 10 of next year.

#7 - Anathema | We're Here Because We're Here

Could you tell Steven Wilson had something to do with this CD?

Porcupine Tree references aside (for now), this album is fucking unbelievably uplifting, refreshing, and brilliant. Over the last two years of my life I find myself scrolling through the list of bands and end up stopping on something that I know makes me feel. Those bands more than likely write melancholic music.

The first time I heard We're Here Because We're Here I was so overwhelmed by how optimistic the music sounded, and how inspirational the lyrics were. It was the first time I had heard anything like this since a Kaddisfly track, and we know that's been a long time. I found my musical moods constantly changing 'cause in the midst of wanting to hear something depressingly beautiful, I wanted to also hear this album, which is beautiful in a completely different way. In a way that made me look at music in a different way for the first time in awhile.

There is not a weak moment on this cd, although some of the earlier songs are clearly better than the later tracks. "Summernight Horizon" and "Angels Walk Among Us" are both highlights but track three, "Dreaming Light" is easy in my top 5 songs of the year. Unbearably gorgeous. It sounds like a combination of Porcupine Tree's "Lazarus" meets shoegaze.

"And you shine inside and love stills my mind like the sunrise"

I cannot

EVEN!

#8 - Jonsi | Go

You may know Jón Þór Birgisson for the lead vocalist of Sigur Ros, or also one of the most unique and incredible vocalists of our time. Last year he made my charts with Riceboy Sleeps, a fantastic ambient record that sounded like a combination of Sigur Ros and Eluvium.

When I heard he was coming out with a solo record I felt kind of jipped due to the fact that we'd have to wait longer for another 'Ros record. After reading Jonsi's press release for Go, I was intrigued at the fact that all of these songs started as very minimalistic acoustic songs and grew into huge tracks with tons of instruments that required tons of extra musicians.

After hearing the opening track "Go Do" I knew we were in for something special.

Some may say these all sound like Sigur Ros b-sides, and sure, you can't help but think about Sigur Ros when you hear these songs, but if you were to listen to this album more than a few times, and then watch some live videos of these songs, you'd realize that these tracks and this project is completely unique and special.

Every song on this CD is awesome, diverse, and full of emotion. There's songs with electronica influence, combining synthetic rhythms with acoustic instrumentation, clever percussion, and heart wrenching ambient moments ("Grow Till Tall").

In all, the more I listen to this CD the more I love it. Mr. Birgisson is truly one of the most innovative musicians and writers I've ever heard. I cannot wait to hear what he does next.

#9 - Eluvium | Static Nocturne

You're in a house upon a large cliff on the ocean side.

A storm assaults your peace and shelter, slamming down on the roof. Winds gust, and rain whips fiercely across the windows. Somehow you feel safe and secure. When all is said and done the only thing you'll hear is your front lawn; the sound of waves crashing down upon the rocks, over and over and over. Serenity.

All this time there is a gorgeous piano melody playing somewhere in the distance. Why?

Because you're experiencing Matthew Cooper's idea of music.

50 minutes of BLISS, ladies and gentleman.

Engulf yourself in Static Nocturne. Seriously. I just don't really know what else to say.

#10 - Rinoa | An Age Among Them

So here we are at the Top 10 of 2010. The best of the best. If your favorite cds of this year aren't in this list of 10, than they're more than likely INFERIOR.

Kidding. Or am I?

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Holy HELL, what am I hearing here?

It's like Envy and Taken formed into one powerfully emotional and epic force. Some may call this CD cliche or it's already been done before (Envy again, Funeral Diner, etc), but sometimes that doesn't matter to me, as long as the songs are affective and are written well, and on An Age Among Them, they definitely are.

This record is also incredibly consistent throughout. One first few listens the immediate mind blowers like "Sol Winds" and "Past Maidens" stick out, but after more spins, songs like "This is Our View" and the strong finisher "The Gates" begin to shine.

The tone on this album is fantastic as well. One moment it could sound blatantly like a post-rock band, and then the next it's crushing you with bass distortion and crunchy guitars, ala post-metal.

This is one of the greater underrated CDs of this year. Listen to this if you haven't or listen AGAIN if you're neglecting it.

#11 - Circa Survive | Blue Sky Noise

There will always be a place in my heart for Circa Survive but this was the first time I had really anticipated a release from them.

Blue Sky Noise definitely did not disappoint. Although I do miss some of the darker atmosphere the band would create, this album brings forth a lot of aggression and it's still very easy to listen to, especially considering I listened to it maybe a bit TOO much when it first came out.

Either way, this record is fantastic and is worthy of its spot. Some of the best Circa Survive songs are on this record, such as "I Felt Free" and "Fever Dream". I just wish some of the songs on the b-sides EP could have made this record as well.

#12 - Intronaut | Valley of Smoke

Valley of Smoke is one of the bigger grower albums of the year for me. It started off as a inferior album to Prehistoricisms and each time I put it on I fell more in love with the bands progression.

Intronaut have basically written an album right up my alley. It's heavy, progressive, and not only atmospheric but SPACEY.

The drumming and bass guitar is better than ever and the duo continues to be some of the best in the genre. A lot of the rhythms on this album are reminiscent of Cynic and that's a very, very good thing.

The addition of clean vocals also works very well. This is an addicting album that I'm glad I let sink in. Truly awesome musicianship and song writing from Intronaut here.

#13 - Lantlôs | .neon

Yet another atmospheric black metal band, this time from Neige's other band, Lantlos. Although Alcest are much superior, this album is quite fantastic. .neon combines jazz and post rock to truly create a great atmosphere throughout this CD. It's dark and groovy bass lines almost give the album a classical progressive rock feel. Parts of this record literally remind me of Pink Floyd.

It's also somewhat refreshing to hear no neo-folk style in this album. The influence seems directly from post rock bands like Explosions In The Sky, and black metal, and jazz. Neige's vocals are also extremely haunting on this record. More-so than any of his vocals I've heard before.

His clean singing on "Pulse/Surreal" is also fantastic, and is the strong point of the record, with "Minusmensch" very close behind with its' gorgeous repeating outro and driving drums.

What's awesome is that there is still two atmospheric black metal CDs to come that are superior to this.

Can you guess what they are?

#14 - Deftones | Diamond Eyes

There's been such a huge battle between my #15-#10 spots. I've been listening to all of the CDs heavily as I post them and suddenly I'm rethinking my spots as I'm putting them up. Anyways...

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Deftones are back and stronger than ever. Diamond Eyes is nearly a tribute to their old sound and it works well for them. What's awesome is that this album leaked way too early yet it was still in rotation long after it came out. This CD is heavy, very catchy, tuned lower than ever, and it brings you back to those very moments when you fell in love with this band.

Check out Diamond Eyes if you're somehow fucking crazy and did not already.

#15 - Cloudkicker | Beacons

This is easily Cloudkicker's most cohesive and consistently great release. The songs really feel like one complete unity of awesomeness.

I also love the amount of trancy ambiance within and beneath the normal layers of the songs. I really can't wait to hear what else he comes up with in his future work.

I'm drunk, so this is all I'm going to say.

This CD rules HARD. Dig it.

#16 - Devil Sold His Soul | Blessed & Cursed

I've always liked Devil Sold His Soul. In fact, I loved their debut EP and reviewed that and reviewed their debut full length which I enjoyed but felt was rather weak. The band emailed me and asked further what I did and did not like about the record.

Was this album their answer to me?

Now I'm not sure what you would categorize Devil Sold His Soul as anymore. Maybe metalcore? Post hardcore? Who knows, but all I know is that this CD has moments of pure atmospheric post-metal ala Isis, beautiful post-rock moments reminiscent of This Will Destroy You, and crescendos of soul crushing melodies that could appear on an Envy album.

Yup. Right up my alley. This band went from good to fucking fantastic.

I want to note that the middle to end of "Drowning/Sinking" is one of the best moments in metal music this year.

#17 - Ef | Mourning Golden Morning

Yes, I know that Ef will most likely never make a record as good as Give Me Beauty...Or Give Me Death! but lets be honest...this is miles better than I am Responsible.

Mourning Golden Morning isn't anything new for post-rock, but then again, what is.

As Greg from Moving Mountains very recently told me: "Post rock is a dead end".

This record is still very solid and very listen-able to me due to tracks like "Sons of Ghosts", "Longing for Colors", both which have beautiful female vocals, and the ending track "Alp Lugens and Beyond" which could have been on This Will Destroy You's self-titled album.

In fact, if it weren't for "Sons of Ghosts", this record might have been in the top 20s, or maybe a honorable mention, but the song is so goddamn good that it brings me back to listen to the entire CD frequently.

In all, this is still the best post-rock CD of the year, as there wasn't much else offered up in 2010.

#18 - Les Descrets | Septembre et ses dernières pensées

I remember the Alcest/Les Descrets split from earlier this year and me neglecting the Les Descrets songs just because I was too anxious to hear what Neige had been up to. That was pretty stupid of me.

This record is fantastic and is one of a few really great atmospheric black metal CDs to drop in 2010 (the rest are obviously coming). The shoegaze influence in the songs is a huge plus for me as it's something I'm continuously falling in love with; the feminine side of this dark music. Although the parts aren't full on dance 'gaze like some Ameseours songs, there is definitely a wicked catchyness to a lot of these songs within the blatant neofolk sections (middle section of "L'echappe").

One thing that's interesting about this CD is the complete lack of harsh vocals. Everything on this is soft sang, even with blast beats and classic black metal drumming. I'm still not sure if that's a good thing or not. It's definitely a CD that a lot of people who can't quite grasp the coldness of black metal could actually acquire either way.

#19 - At the Soundawn | Shifting

Although parts of this album are rather cliche or too reminiscent of other post metal bands, I still found this record entirely enjoyable and would return to it often. The atmosphere at times is wonderful, mostly reminding me of Jakob, while the tone of the guitars and song writing reminding me of Callisto. It's a good combination.

The straight up clean singing is also refreshing to listen to within this style of music, especially in the opening track.

Check this album out if you're a fan of Callisto, Isis, or Rosetta.

#20 - A Swarm of the Sun | Zenith

We made it to the top 20!

I know it wasn't long ago that I made a post about this record. There isn't else much to say.

It's dark, somber, and minimalistic. It relies on repetition of sad melodies and every now and then it get's loud.

It's like a mix of Tool, Isis, Post-Rock and Logh.

I also love the reprise of the opening track toward the end of the title track. I'm almost certain that melody reappears more than that one time as well. Awesome CD.

#21 - Memoryhouse | The Years

Holy shit! Another EP?!?! How could I?!

If the first two songs were the only two songs released for this EP, it would still have made it into the top 30.

Gorgeous dream pop that focuses on simplicity. It's something that I continuously find myself enjoying in music. Less parts. More affective melodies and harmonies.

The female vocals are a huge plus too, as well as the Eternal Sunshine rip.

#22 - Ion Dissonance | Cursed

Some of the most hilariously shitty lyrics I've ever heard yet some of the most insanely heavy music I've heard IN AWHILE.

Way better than Minus the Talent.

I listened to this maybe too much over the period of two weeks. It's still wicked awesome.

#23 - The Contortionist - Exoplanet

WHOA?! What is this? Pandolfo still listens to metalcore?

Yeah, only the best metalcore albums of the year. And there was only one really good one of the year.

The Contortionist.

It's like Self Titled Between The Buried and Me meets The Faceless. I couldn't help myself for about a week this summer. This was pretty much on repeat and every once in awhile I still get the urge to just blast the hell out of it.

So to answer that question actually...no I don't still listen to metalcore. It's a rarity. But every once in awhile a good band is still alive somewhere in the sea of shitastic gimmicky bands. This is one of them.

#24 - Periphery | Periphery (Instrumental)

Yeah, I may seem like a dick for stating that the number 24 album of 2010 is strictly NOT the actual CD with the vocals. As much as I do believe Periphery's vocalist has a great singing voice, and I didn't hate his screaming, the incredible instrumentation on this CD totally gets blocked out when there are constant vocals.

There were several things I noticed on this record that I wouldn't have if they never had released the instrumental album. Plus, there are moments of this CD that are actually much heavier due to the fact that there are no vocals.

Anyways, this was an awesome CD to blast as loud as possible. Although I think it's slightly too long at times, I must say that "Racecar" is an unbelievably awesome track, especially that it's clocking in around 15 minutes. I hope their new stuff sounds more like that.

#25 - Sleeping Peonies | Rose Curl, Sea Swirl

Well what the fuck is this?

Black metal dream pop?

Yup. And it's gorgeous and definitely unique.

This might be seeming cliche of me to keep saying this but I honestly cannot wait to hear what else this group comes up with in the future. This is their debut EP and I hope it's only the start of some big releases.

"Lighthouse Alight, Stars Aligned" is one of the coolest songs I've heard all year. Devastatingly pretty melodies, synthetic black metal drums, and emotional vocals. The end of the song kill me and it sounds like someone ripped the midi from tabit. Somehow it still sounds so beautiful. Definitely check out this EP.

#26 - Baths | Cerulean

What the fuck is Glitch Hop, you ask?

Well, other than another stupid sub genre, it's actually quite awesome sounding electronic beats, all created separately and placed properly to the artists' desires so that it can sound proper, or GLITCHY.

It also sounds great on Baths Cerulean.

One dude. Lots of sounds. Awesome beats and great ambiance.

This is definitely a fun CD to listen to. Would love to see this guy perform live and see how he pulls this off.

#27 - Dead Letter Circus | This is The Warning

One of the bigger surprise CD's of the year for me goes to Dead Letter Circus. HORRIBLE band name, but impressive musicians.

This album sounds like a combination of Lost Prophets, Incubus, and dredg. The vocals are dynamic and catchy, as well as more than half of the songs.

This was a CD I blasted hard for about two weeks straight and was my go to album if I wanted something fun to listen to. These guys have a lot of talent and I'm looking forward to hearing more.

#28 - The Tallest Man On Earth | Sometimes the Blues is Just a Passing Bird

Some may disagree with the idea that I'd choose putting his new EP over the full length in my top 30. For whatever reason this EP just touched home a tad harder than the full length, which is also very good.

I'm particularly fond of his bluesy attempt in "The Dreamer" as it is one of his more unique songs and has a gloriously catchy chorus.

"Like the Wheel" is one of his more simplistic and soothing songs and is also possibly my favorite due to the subtle and nearly depressing chorus. His vocal melodies and his style can be so crushing to your soul.

I am looking forward to hearing anything else from The Tallest Man on Earth in the future.

#29 - Her Name Is Calla | Long Grass EP

This EP sounds almost like a combination of Bon Iver and folk. The opening title track is gorgeous and somber. Building with acoustic guitars, banjo, violins and longing vocals.

"A Sleeper" is an upbeat campfire sounding song filled with claps, acoustic guitars, and what sounds like 5 or 6 people all singing together. It's fantastic.

Long Grass EP is just three short but sweet songs. It's time for this band to come out with a goddamn full length now.

#30 - The Secret | Solve et Coagula

Some people may ask how I could possibly enjoy this CD If I fucking despise Converge.

Answer:

This is not an annoying pile of shit.

This is extremely angry, heavy, dissonant, gritty, and ferocious hardcore.

This is also 10 times better than their previous record which sounded like Converge b-sides.

Pissed off Italians are awesome. Moving on...

Top 30 coming...

I tried writing about the new Agalloch record. It's too huge even for me to produce paragraphs that can actually describe the journey that takes place in your ears when you put on the record.

So in the meantime, I'll be posting my top 30 albums of 2010 starting with #30. A short, and sweet blog post about each CD starting from the top! By the time I get to Agalloch MAYBE i'll be able to brew something up.

Number 30 is coming soon.

Eluvium | Static Nocturne

Matthew Cooper's Eluvium has already released Similes this year, which still sits somewhere within the 5-10 list of albums of 2010. Although long followers of Eluvium were displeased with the addition of singing and percussion, I felt Similes is an incredibly heartfelt album and I feel like the addition of vocals really helped me fall in love with the melodies even more.

But what do I care about the fans...

If this was a response to the fans or not, Static Nocturne is an incredible 50 minute opus of gorgeous ambient drone and breath stopping atmosphere and samples, and it's completely void of the things that pissed off the fans with Similes.

I shouldn't explain the atmosphere this song creates, although it may be blatantly obvious the musical environment the sounds deliver, I feel every person can find there own unique world within this song.

If you want an idea, read this short paragraph from Matthew Cooper himself:

"I am ultimately a fan of sound in a much larger sense it is from rain falling, the ocean swelling, the wind picking up cars driving by, train yards, box fans, etc.. etc.. etc... the amalgamation of these things creates a wonderful comfort to me and it is in this "static" that ideas and music come to me the mixtures of these elements create the chord changes and melodies or are the foundation by which they are found there is nothing more comforting to me in the world than the flood of this vibration at a constant ....."Static Nocturne" is an ode to the process by which inspiration finds me and an homage, of sorts, to this foundation of noise..."

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It may be too soon to say but I think I may end up liking Static Nocturne more than Copia.

Intronaut | Valley of Smoke

1. Elegy
2. Above*
3. Miasma
4. Sunderance
5. Core Relations*
6. Below
7. Valley of Smoke*
8. Past Tense

* - stand out tracks

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I vaguely remember making a blog post about Intronaut's previous record, Prehistoricisms, which blew me away immediately. It was a giant upgrade from its predecessor, Void, which also kicks ass, just not as thoroughly.

On my first listen of Valley of Smoke I wasn't so impressed. There's now clean singing and a lot more reverby, spacey parts. Sounds right up my alley. In fact, it is my alley. So why didn't this click right away? It's because although the band progressed accordingly with clean vocals and a lot more atmosphere, they didn't progress experimentally. In all honesty, Prehistoricisms may still be the better album due to the fact that this band maxed the fuck out in experimentation, especially for this genre. That record is ridiculously groovy and WEIRD and weird in a very good way.

With that said, on second and a half listens of Valley of Smoke, this CD is fucking AWESOME. Yes, maybe they couldn't expand too much upon what they mind-fucked me on with Prehistoricisms but it's as if they took their own influence from that record, and the parts that really stood out and expanded upon those parts instead.

Although it's not my favorite song, I do want to mention the title track. It is essentially the two best songs on Prehistoricisms combined. The 16 minute "The Reptilian Brain" and "Any Port" merged into a half sized, 8 minute jam. This one featuring Justin Chancellor from my beloved Tool. The guitarist again, like in "Any Port" is jamming the drums on this track, but a full kit instead of two toms. So let me map this out.....two AMAZINGLY talented bassists and two drummers at the same time are ripping your mind apart with endless patterns and signatures on this track. It's not as incredible as "The Reptilian Brain" or "Any Port" for that matter but it's still a wicked track.

Either way, overall, this band still has it. If it continues to grow on me at this pace it may make the top 10 or 15. Dig it.

Hopesfall | No Wings to Speak of

I'll never forget the day I heard this EP in 2003. I had just gotten into 'hardcore' or any kind of music with screaming in general. A week after playing this EP on repeat I knew it may be my favorite EP of all time.

It's now 2010 and I've grown out of 98% of hardcore.

No Wings to Speak of is still to me the greatest four stand-alone songs recorded for one compact disc.

In words I can't quite describe, I'll simply say that these four tracks encompass the most beautifully aggressive song writing and emotionally impacting lyrics that nearly anyone could relate and feel to. The emotion of the melodies, the vocals, and the lyrics simply are beyond what other bands in this genre at that time we're attempting to do. What's blatant is that Hopesfall weren't attempting to do anything other than what their hearts were writing. This is natural and pure.

If you're into any kind of hardcore and you somehow missed this EP or are turned off by the way Hopesfall transitioned as a band, please go back and listen to this. You will not regret it.

Also, if you're Bill Lohr and you're reading this, your opinion is invalid. You love Pearl Jam.

Highly Anticipated Record: Agalloch | Marrow of the Spirit

1. They Escaped the Weight of Darkness 03:41
2. Into the Painted Grey 12:25
3. The Watcher's Monolith 11:46
4. Black Lake Nidstang 17:34
5. Ghosts of the Midwinter Fires 09:40
6. To Drown 10:27

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........

FINALLY. A new Agalloch record. And how I cannot wait to hear this one. The album title, cover artwork, and track listing are all fantastic. Now it's time to hear the overly awaited, highly anticipated tunes these guys have been writing for awhile now. I for some reason have a feeling this could be their greatest record. The Mantle is nearly a masterpiece but I feel if they combined that song writing with the production and overall sound of Ashes on the Grain they could produce an even better album than anyone expected. Hopefully that's what Marrow of the Spirit is.

Quick note: Track 2 is called "Into the Painted Grey". I'm thinking this is referring to the album cover. As if someone were walking into the painting. It reminds me of dredg's "It Only Took a Day" which is metaphorically about a sleep paralysis episode of somebody stuck inside of Dali's numerously named "Sting caused by the flight of a bee" painting (that's the shorter of the three names).

This record comes out 11.23.10. Sooner than I expected although still way longer than I planned on waiting after Ashes on the Grain. Let's see if this album can surpass my absurdly high expectations.

Cloudkicker | Beacons

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1. We are going to invert...
2. Here, wait a minute! Damn it!
3. We're goin' in. We're going down.
4. Oh, god.
5. I admit it now. I was scared.
6. We were all scared.
7. Push it way up!
8. ...it's just wide-open field.
9. It's bad. We're hit, man, we are hit.
10. Amy, I love you.

--

After releasing a debut LP and three solid EPs soon after, Ben Sharp finally gave us another full length, Beacons. The hype around this one was much larger due to the fact that he didn't actually just...give this one to us, instead posting little teasers every week. Each release thus far has been a free download on his site, something that I greatly encourage and appreciate, and so do fans. Intelligently, I believe he built up his fans appreciation enough for him to offer this record to fans in a stream, yet they can pay whatever quantity of currency they wish for a higher quality digital release, and he will then ship out physical compact discs of Beacons to those who dished out money. Very cool.

You may be looking at the track listing for this record and think...'What a bunch of stupid titles.' Actually, all the titles are rather eerie and interesting. Each are final or nearly final last words from pilots about to eat shit. What's great about the titles are that each song really resembles the final words. Such as the "We're goin' in. We're going down.", which is a very winding and frantic song that easily gives off panic-y imagery of you being in a plane twisting down through the sky.

The album runs together pretty smoothly although certain sections of the CD are smoother than others. The stand out moment of the record are the two ambient tracks "I admit it now. I was scared.", "We were all scared" which beautifully run into each other and then into the best song on the record "Push it way up", a groovy monstrous track with oozing layers of ambient reverb soaked guitars gushing all over the product. The guitars sound like 3 separate sirens roaring loudly over the music that literally put you in a frozen trance. It's as if something terrible is happening yet you can't move because of how beautiful it sounds. It's a great moment on the record.

In all, this is by far the most cohesive and solid effort from Cloudkicker. As much as I enjoyed his previous releases, this one will easily get more spins from me. Definitely check this out if you haven't already. He is streaming the album right on his website for free.

A Swarm of the Sun | Zenith

1. Lifeline
2. This One Has No Heart
3. Refuge
4. The Stand
5. Zenith
6. Repeater
7. The Worms are Out
8. Lifeproof Houses
9. I Fear the End
10. Reaper

Two guys from Sweden. Seriously, can the Swedes do ANY wrong?

This record is dark and minimalistic. It's dreary and sad.

And really enjoyable.

It sounds like a combination of Callisto, Tool, Logh, and post-rock in general.

I would recommend it to anybody that likes any of those things.

Stand out tracks are "Lifeline", "Repeater", and "Reaper", the concluding track that makes me want to spend my entire day void of any sunlight, under thick covers. Check this CD out.

Envy | Recitation

Well look at that. Just a couple weeks later and here we are. I'm posting my thoughts about Recitation, the brand new Envy album. Honestly, I don't think the CD is even close to be fully lodged into my heart, but when that time comes, I can always make another post in the future.

Let's get one thing straight, and get this out of the way...

Personally, Envy will never top Insomniac Doze. Sure, to you it may not be their best record, as most screamo fans will agree that All the Footsteps You've Ever Left and the Fear Expecting Ahead is their greatest achievement, and I'm sure tons of people who got sucked into this band in 2003 agree that A Dead Sinking Story is their most monumental and iconic album, and extremely nostalgic to say the least. Hell, I wouldn't even be surprised if there are assholes who think this band died after From Here to Eternity. To each his own. All that I know is that Insomniac Doze is truly that 'album-never-to-be-topped- album, for me. Moving on...

Recitation is incredible.

Recitation is diverse, as well. There are definitely a few connecting aspects of the record though, and one huge thing that I find very new about this CD its' overall mood: dare I say......uplifting?

Envy have been a band literally known to make grown adults cry at live shows. Not many bands are known for doing that. What you might not know is that Envy is a band that can make me cry just from listening to their music on CD or mp3 format. Now I may be a hopeless emotional Italian, and tend to get very moody when listening to beautiful music, but if you're able to make me want to grasp my face and weep into my hands with your music, you are doing something amazing.

Normally, with Envy, especially on Insomniac Doze fills my world with gorgeously painted sadness. The melodies throughout that entire album are filled with so much emotional grief and sorrow. The most melancholic and epic parts intertwined to make one heaping pile of devastation. It makes me want to weep.

On Recitation, Envy make me want to weep tears of HOPE. Something I never imagined weeping about.

Just from the initial notes from the piano on "Guidance", I suddenly get a feeling of a new perspective from the members in this band. Sure, the intro to this CD can be translated as something quite sad, but I see it differently, especially given the song title. Even the slow, and foreshadowing build of "Last Hours of Eternity" fill me with feelings of change happening (although it feels as if this song is actually foreshadowing this band calling it quits soon, hence their long career, and the name of their debut lp). This track also is a combination of "A Warm Room" off of Insomniac Doze, and an epic piece from Mono, another incredible japanese band, strings and all. Needless to say, it's fucking WONDERFUL.

The following song "Rain Clouds Running in a Holy Night" is where the band begins to further pick up tempo and mood. The 'chorus' of the song, which suddenly turns into the climax of the song after the gorgeous, orchestral, three guitar build up, is one of the cheeriest and joyous things I've ever heard from this band. Tetsuya Fukagawa's vocals over this section brings a huge smile to my face. With each Envy album, his voice gets deeper, and with Recitation, there's no exception. Fukagawa's screams are nearly barbaric at this point, yet are still as emotional as they've always been.

After the awesome and almost chaotic "Pieces of the Moon I Weaved" comes another near masterpiece from the band called "Light and Solitude". Structure wise, the song is very typical. Yes, I'll spoil it: it's five minutes of soft drums, guitars playing beautifully until finally drums build up and the whole song explodes at the very end for two minutes. So why consider it nearly a masterpiece? THE MELODIES. And it's amazing how they stick with you. You do not understand until you hear the song finally start to build up. It sounds like heaven and it's so gorgeously cheery and catchy, and does not fail to almost bring tears to my eyes.

"Dreams Coming to An End" is a very welcome and upbeat punk song that I quickly fell in love with. The song is extremely catchy and reminiscent of classic melodic hardcore. It also keeps the flow of the album going from overall softer songs to more faster tempo songs, yet all seem to consistently remain hopeful sounding, despite how soft the songs are.

After "Incomplete", a very quick acoustic guitar intermission which breaks up the first half of the cd from the second half, comes "Worn Heels and the Hands We Hold". This song combines what feels like classic, and epic Envy melodies into a shorter and faster song. Although I wish it were a tad longer, it is a great track. It's not until "A Hint and the Incapacity" that again I want to explode of my own body. Following the typical and similar structure of "Light and Solitude" the guitars once again mingle and play, until suddenly every instrument is united in a stampede, or maybe even an avalanche of post-rock crescendos.

If you thought the band couldn't top their euphoria in the earlier songs, they prove you wrong with "A Breath Clad of Happiness". If the song title didn't give it away, this song literally is the most inspiring and 'happy' sounding tune they've ever done. The tremolo guitars sound like they are crying in blatant ecstasy. The CD comes back down a bit with "0 and 1", which took the longest to grow on me of all the tracks. It turns out, this might be the HEAVIEST Envy song they've ever written. It literally possess legitimate doom with the highly mixed bass, slow and steady drums, and droney guitars. It's an incredibly powerful piece and makes for a good overall conclusion of Recitation, but not until the final notes of the outro, "You Hand" which is a beautiful reprise of the opening track on the record, this time with strings.

Again, this may have been too soon for me to translate my thoughts on this CD into a huge mass of text and typing, but I can't hold back the feelings that this is once again another monumental album from Envy. Throughout the 66 minutes, it seems to encompass and touch base on everything they've tried to achieve over their existence, yet with a whole new and confident vibe. It might be a tad much to handle on the first few listens, especially since this is quite a bit of individual songs, but in the outcome, huge fans of Envy should be exceptionally pleased.

I know I am.