Storm Corrosion
This is a collaboration between Steven Wilson (Porcupine Tree) and Mikael Akerfeldt (Opeth). Wilson's previous projects are varying levels of prog-rock, and Akerfeldt has taken Opeth down an increasingly proggy path as of late. The album is very dark; think King Crimson in a padded cell. But there are moments of beauty, as you can hear in this, their first single:
Cattle Decapitation -- Monolith of Inhumanity
I've written about these guys here before, when their last album released in 2009. I liked The Harvest Floor quite a bit (and it made my honorable mention list that year), but it was also inconsistent in the songwriting quality. That's not really an issue with this new one. Every performance is top-notch, especially Travis Ryan's double-take-inducing vocals. If their first video is any indication, I think this will be their year:
P.S. -- Another album came out yesterday, and it was from Silversun Pickups. I loved Swoon (and ranked it #4 on my 2009 list), even if it was unapologetically a Smashing Pumpkins / My Bloody Valentine mash-up. They brought the hooks, and that's all that really mattered to me. But their new album? Hookless. It's also toothless, as they stripped away almost all crunch and added a lot more electronic elements. That can work (and has worked for many bands), but without the hooks, it's meaningless. Maybe you'll find more in it to like than I did, but I was left wishing they could've spent more time on the melodies instead of thickening the production.
So, what have you been listening to lately?
