Hermano features musicians from bands like Supafuzz and Afghan Whigs, but stoner god John Garcia is the whole reason why I was dying to get my hands on this disc. This is not the smouldering desert heaviness of Slo Burn, nor is it the stripped down AC/DC-infused biker rock of Unida, and obviously it ain’t the mighty Kyuss. There’s a more laid-back approach at work here, perhaps a little more drawn-out and deliberate. That said, these guys can still kick it up and rock out. “The Bottle” opens things in fairly subtle fashion, but damn it’s good to hear John’s voice again. This song is a grower, but later reveals itself to be a very strong track. When you get to “Manager’s Special” two tracks later, the band shifts gears, pops the clutch, and puts the pedal all the way down. And they keep it there for the duration of the track. The fuzzed-out groove of “Senor Moreno’s Plan” leads to “Landetta (Motherload),” which is essentially a perfect rock song. The main melody line will have you thinking Kyuss, but the tune just has a smooth, steady style with a catchy chorus that makes it infinitely listenable. “5 to 5” is probably my favorite track of all, and is probably also the most Unida-like song on here. It just brims with attitude, and it’s chock full of the “yeahs” and “heys” that Garcia spits out in that charming way of his. In a way it’s inaccurate to call this a 2002 release because the material was actually recorded over 3 years ago, but didn’t see the light of day until Tee Pee Records released it this year. For that, I thank them.

All hail the mighty frostbitten riff! Immortal return to slaughter us again with their grim and icy metal anthems. This disc is not the old-school thrashfest that At the Heart of Winter is, nor is it the blinding black metal fury of Blizzard Beasts or earlier works. Nevertheless, Sons... hits home with a trademark Immortal sound, an honesty and intensity that the band somehow manage to maintain album after album. More importantly, each album is genuinely interesting; the simple truth is that Abbath and Horgh are brilliant songwriters. The title track rolls in with speed demon drumming and spastic, jolting rhythms, then settles into a relentless tempo that’ll have your fingers springing into a devil-horned salute of their own volition. “In My Kingdom Cold,” jumps from calculated speed to rumbling mid-tempo to plodding doom and back again, all the while enveloping you in unending gloom. The riffery of this track is to die for; you can almost feel the bitter Scandinavian wind in your bones. Subsequent track “Antarctica” is also powerful and quite appropriately named. The various bands considered to be the forefathers of “true” Norwegian black metal have gone in some pretty experimental (and sometimes excellent) musical directions over the last few years but Immortal continue to tread essentially the same path, yet put out consistently high-quality work.

Self-proclaimed “English Heathen Metal” stalwarts Forefather return with another album of epic hymns to Ye Olde England. The title of the album translates to “The English Are Coming” and when you hear these inspiring anthems you’ll believe it. Forefather is one of the best-kept secrets in the world of heavy metal. There are only two members, Wulfstan and Athelstan, but they’ve got the talent and passion of any great four- or five-piece band. The word “epic” gets thrown around a lot in metal, but with Forefather it’s simply the most appropriate term. The guitar has a trance-inducing Burzum-esque quality about it that lends to the ancient feel, but that is not to say that the production is poor; everything is crisp and clear. The melodies, of course, are the driving force of the album. Instrumental closer “The Fate of Kings” needs no vocals; the powerful, deliberate guitar lines tell the tale. Black metal blasts are rare here compared to earlier works but when they do occur in “Into the Forever” and “The Fate of Kings” they are that much more effective for their rarity. Forefather understand dynamics, they understand atmosphere, and most of all they know how to evoke emotion in the listener. Hails to thee, Sons of the Angelcynn!

Parade... is a bit different than 2000’s brutal, storming self-titled, and a little less consistent. Nevertheless, this is Zao we’re talking about, a band with true vision. Once again aided by Barry Poynter’s production, these songs roar forth with unbridled intensity. Jesse Smith’s vocals are also more or less unchanged; they burn and seethe like erupting magma. He definitely has one of the coolest voices I’ve heard. The band had dabbled in electronica with former song “Alive is Dead,” and here they add quite a bit more of it. This element is most effectively put to use in “A Pirate’s Prayer,” where the mantra “But the candle burns alone, it guides us safely home” is repeated over and over with nifty stops that sound like someone slowed down the master tape for a half-second, then released it. After about 30 seconds of this chant every instrument is dropped into an ultra-viscous lake of mud and the tune goes subsonic for about 10 seconds, only to blast back to the surface louder and more distorted than before. Then it gets louder. And louder. And louder, while the distortion begins to rattle plaster off your walls. The end result is positively scorching; heavy, heavy shit, my friends. Following track “The Ballad of Buddy Bigsby” goes full-on ambient techno, but is very cool and moody. Other highlights are the creepy, skulking “Suspend/Suspension,” the enraged love-gone-wrong “Killing Cupid,” the...ah hell, all these songs are great, with the exception of “Angel Without Wings” which has a chorus that is just too sappy for me. Alas, this release is Zao’s swan song, as the band has broken up to pursue family life, careers, etc. They will be missed.

As I held this disc in my hands for the first time I wondered, “Will this be it? Will this be the Sentenced album that goes too far? That falls headlong into some sort of wussy goth territory that I cannot stomach?” The answer, thankfully, is a resounding no. In fact, this recording is quite likely their finest since Amok. Previous effort Crimson was also very solid, certainly more so than the disappointing Frozen and the hit-and-miss Down, but Cold White Light kicks things into high gear. “Cross My Heart and Hope to Die” and “Brief is the Light” are fairly standard tunes, though both decent in their own right. “Neverlasting,” however, takes it up several notches. Quick-paced, heavy, and chock full of Sentenced’s despairing lyrics, this is one of the best tunes I’ve heard from the band in a long time. Above all I think what makes this album so appealing is that it ROCKS. Amok is great because, melancholy aside, that album kicks total ass the whole time. Sentenced has succeeded in bringing that wonderful element back into their music. “Aika Multaa Muistot [Everything is Nothing]” even has would I would call an “arena rock” sound. It’s essentially a power ballad, Sentenced-style, with an enormous, ringing, emotional guitar solo and heartfelt vocals belted right from the gut. Crimson had the “hit” single “Killing Me, Killing You,” and Cold White Light’s answer to that track is “Excuse Me While I Kill Myself.” Silly, you say? Overblown? Melodramatic? Yeah, it’s a little of all of those things, and though at first I wasn’t sure what to think of this song it quickly won me over. Obviously the song is about committing suicide, but the remarkable thing is how upbeat it is. It rocks with total fury, total abandonment, and the end result is that it’s actually quite empowering. Perhaps as someone in good mental health I’m naive in thinking that this song would actually help someone to NOT kill his or her self. The utter “fuck you” attitude of it is all the escape from the world you could ever need. Anyway, the song is brilliant. The only tune on here I can’t handle is “Guilt and Regret,” which steps too far over the line of cheesiness. “Luxury of a Grave” is also borderline ridiculous but like other songs on the album it rocks so damn hard that I can’t resist it. All in all I think this album is a tremendous success for Sentenced; they’ve been re-infused with some of the rock ‘n’ roll spirit that put them on the map in the first place. Here’s hoping they can build and maintain the momentum.

I picked up Suplecs’ 2000 album, Wrestlin’ With My Lady Friend, after they bludgeoned me with their live performance in a local club. That album, while great, is pretty much straight up Nebula/Fu Manchu and is somewhat one-dimensional. I’m happy to say that this grimy New Orleans threesome has upped the ante this time around. The production is fabulous, especially for an indie release; guitars hum and buzz with the perfect level of distortion and crunch. More importantly, Sad Songs... shows Suplecs expanding their horizons, thereby keeping their sound fresh. “Unexpected Trauma” is my favorite track on the disc, and a great example of a different approach for the band. The weird semi-chorus is distinctly reminiscent of Suicidal Tendencies. The bluesy freeform guitar melodies are achingly soulful. The final seconds of the track slam the tempo into sludge mode, bringing to the forefront the defining aspect of stoner rock: THE RIFF. This song’s union of quiet interlude and bombastic fuzz make it pure gold. Every track has its merits, but also of note are “Blue Runners,” a heavy and engaging instrumental that never gets old over its considerable length, and “Rock Bottom” which contains the hilarious line “I found my woman at a truck stop.” Gotta love those hillbillies. Both grittily heavy and surprisingly emotional at the same time, this album kicks my ass over and over again.

Daylight Dies were the greatest discovery to come out of this year’s Milwaukee Metalfest. They were one of the “pay to play” bands, and after seeing them listed on the Metalfest website a friend of mine found some MP3s of theirs and said “I have something for you to listen to. Katatonia Jr. from America.” Intrigued, I downloaded the songs and damned if he wasn’t right. This foursome hails from North Carolina but they sound straight out of Sweden, being quite similar to the aforementioned Katatonia. While Finland’s Rapture have matched Katatonia’s move to a cleaner vocal style and a somewhat “lighter” sound, Daylight Dies remain firmly planted in the past, most closely echoing Kat’s classic Dance of Decembre Souls. That means harsh vocals, mid-tempo melancholy, and those somber autumn melodies we know and love so well. So I guess I’m saying there’s not much new here, but if you’re as big a fan of this style as I am, you can’t get enough of it. The only disappointment is “Unending Waves,” which first appeared on the Idle demo released in 2000 and sounded much better there. I’m not sure why that is, but I think this re-recorded version is too polished, too thin, and lacking the fire of the original. Plus they changed the guitar solo and weakened it a little, in my humble opinion. That aside, this disc is total quality. Incidentally, the band signed to Relapse Records for this recording so kudos to that label for recognizing great artists and taking action. Fans of Katatonia, Rapture or atmospheric doom/death in general are urged to check this band out; you won’t be disappointed.

November’s Doom are one of the most underappreciated bands in metal. These Chicago doomsters have been hard at it for several years now and previous album The Knowing deserved to be heard by every metal fan on the planet. To Welcome the Fade treads a similar path as its predecessor, with lush guitar work that reminds of Opeth at times. The Knowing was the first disc to showcase this sound and while it was impressive it was almost a little overwhelming. It was like the band’s talent had suddenly grown to twice the size, but at the same time such a strong likeness to Opeth seemed slightly derivative. This time around things have gelled more and perhaps the band has grown more comfortable with their new sound; there is greater consistency overall. The Neil Kernon production doesn’t hurt either; the instruments all sound full and powerful. ND’s greatest asset, however, is vocalist Paul Kuhr. The man’s vocal style is simply perfect for this music; it thunders forth with wall-shaking intensity but virtually every word is clear and discernible. It’s amazing, really, and a true benefit to this material because when your lyrics are this morose and desperate it helps for the listener to actually be able to understand them. One song where this factor comes to brilliant fruition is “Lost in a Day.” The song features a driving, melodic main riff that is both emotionally and sonically crushing, coupled with lyrics such as “I have lost my will, to continue this way” and “I give into my life, and color it with black.” The end result is truly awesome. Other highlights include the massive “Within My Flesh,” which features a gorgeous acoustic intro, and the shuddering, immense finale “Dark Fields for Brilliance.” I’ve seen these guys perform at the Milwaukee Metalfest the last two years and I can tell you they also sound great live, so that’s another feather in their cap. Simply put, if you’re missing out on this band, you’re missing out on a lot. Give them the attention they deserve.

In the liner notes of this album Primordial state, “If our last album ‘Spirit the Earth Aflame’ was the call to arms, a statement of intent, the desire and will to bring about the winds of change...to meet a new challenge head on, Storm Before Calm is the struggle to meet this new order...” In other words, Spirit... was the preparation for battle, and Storm is all-out war. This idea shows clearly in the tone of the album; it’s more vicious and direct than its predecessor. Still, the material isn’t a dramatic departure for the band. There’s the same epic grandeur, the same subtle, flowing melodic guitar lines. Music such as this makes you feel like you’re stepping into the past, walking along hillsides in ancient Ireland as the wind blows through your hair. It has a mystical quality that surrounds you and surges through your body. This is not an album with certain standout tracks, rather every song contributes to the whole to weave a tapestry of purest art. That said, I must comment on the closing track, a recitation of William Butler Yeats’ “The Hosting of the Sidhe,” where vocalist Nemtheanga’s impassioned speech is backed by gorgeous guitar melodies and tribal-like drumming. The effect is particularly chilling, vivid, and empowering. Amazing song, amazing album, amazing band.

Okay, I must admit that this album really threw me for a loop at first. I guess it falls into the “emo” subcategory of hardcore, which means it has a lot of sweetly-sung vocals describing love and loss. But it also has flesh-searing, lung-shredding screams as a counterbalance. My initial conclusion was that these two styles were far too disparate; the mild was too sickeningly timid and the extreme, by contrast, was totally over the top and thus rendered absurd. But somewhere along the way understanding dawned upon me. It is in exploring both ends of the vocal spectrum that this album finds success; these tunes can make you withdraw into grief and make you want to destroy everything around you. It’s the dichotomy of serenity and rage, love and hate, optimism and despair. Musically things are very diverse; I hear nods to The Cure (“Alone in December”) and Smashing Pumpkins (“When the Sun Sleeps”), while the intro of “A Message for Adrienne” could fit on a Zao album...I’m talking full-on crushing death metal here. Additionally, there’s the element that has popped up on dozens of metalcore and emo albums lately: Swedish Melodic Death Metal. I really don’t understand it myself, but all these hardcore kiddies have suddenly decided that Dark Tranquillity and In Flames were on to something. So amidst these emo-punk anthems you’ve got melody lines that’ll have you banging your head and/or wailing on your air guitar in short order. It seemingly makes no sense, but in this case it actually works. Yet another important facet of this insane hodgepodge is the keyboard accompaniment. It is essential to the moody yet strangely uplifting atmosphere of many of these songs, and it’s even the central component of “Angel Below.” This song was the first one that grabbed me on my initial listen; honestly the keyboard melody struck me as being culled from some cheesy 80s tune. Even after many, many listens it seems like this track should suck, but it continues to blow me away. And I guess that’s the brilliance of this album; it could have been a horrendous, sappy mess but instead it’s a pure gem. I can’t wait to see what else this band has in them.

As a huge QOTSA fan I was super-psyched for the new album, but the heavy-handed media push behind it concerned me. Often times if an album is singled out by a record company to receive premium marketing treatment, bad things happen. Not for the hordes of brainless mainstream listeners, of course; for them it is perfect. Exposure, exposure, exposure ad nauseam until every Joe Blow owns the album. That is, of course, until that person tires of spinning the hit singles and sells the disc to a used CD shop. But I digress. QOTSA’s former album, Rated R, is sheer genius while also being pretty off-the-wall. It takes several listens to appreciate but once you get there it’s an amazing ride. Songs for the Deaf, perhaps predictably, does step into more accessible territory. First single “No One Knows” is simplistic and quite catchy, though I have not grown weary of it. The reason, I suppose, (and this goes for most of the songs on here) is that I still find Josh Homme’s voice completely entrancing. He is as silky smooth as ever on these tracks, and my favorite moments are mostly due to him. “First It Giveth” is a perfect example; the semi-eerie crooned verses followed by the so-harmonious-you-could-die choruses make me shiver in delight every time. Vocal duties are split several ways this time, however. As on Rated R Nick Oliveri lends his demonically possessed screaming to a couple tracks, and may sing cleanly on others; to be honest I’m not sure and the liner notes are totally uninformative. Mark Lanegan of the legendary (as least to me) Screaming Trees is now credited as a full member of the Queens, and sings on “Hangin’ Tree,” though this song first appeared on the Desert Sessions Vols. 7 & 8 disc. Although the accessibility of this disc left me feeling uncertain for the first few listens, I soon fell prey to the irresistible nature of these songs. Tracks like “Gonna Leave You” and “Do It Again” are ridiculously infectious, exemplifying this band’s unbridled songwriting talent. Are Queens of the Stone Age set to be the Next Big Thing? Maybe. But at least I’ve become intimate with this album ahead of the tide. By the time it’s being played on every schlock radio station every hour on the hour (which would be terribly ironic given its commentary on modern radio), I’ll have long ago locked these songs away in the recesses of my soul. And I’ll be back for more when the next album comes.

In the world of depressive, melodic, atmospheric death metal, Katatonia will forever be hailed as innovators. Luckily for us fans of the style, the last few years have seen the rise of several other purveyors of nihilistic gloom: Blazing Eternity, Daylight Dies (also appearing in this list; what a year!) and the Finnish masters, Rapture. What is perhaps more remarkable is that on this, their second album, Rapture have proven just how strong their devotion to the Katatonic kult is. The last two Kat albums have shown an increase in clean vocals along with more pop-oriented song structures. Lo and behold, Rapture now deliver similar material although they retain more brutality overall. Opener “Nameless” has sparse verses with a crushing low end, balanced by clean-sung choruses. “Gallows” follows with a melancholic melody line strongly reminiscent of Katatonia’s landmark Brave Murder Day, and like that album the effect is top-notch. I still can’t get over how a few chords played in a particular repetitive fashion can be so emotionally powerful. When “The Vast” enters midway through the album, you get your biggest dose of the updated Rapture. Nary a harsh vocal to be found, I actually consider this track to be the album’s best, with perfect forlorn lyrics and a melody that evokes utter despair. Gives me chills every time. I think it is a testament to this sound that so few bands are capable of playing it convincingly. It is a style that demands talent, precision, passion, and real soul. Fortunately Rapture have all these qualities in spades. Rapture, indeed.

Opeth is on a track to cementing themselves as one of the greatest bands this world has ever known. They’ve dished out some masterpieces in the past, but in my humble opinion the albums have alternated between greatness and total mind-bending genius. Orchid is great, but Morningrise is godly. My Arms, Your Hearse is very good, but Still Life is stunning. Last year’s Blackwater Park was extremely solid, but not exceedingly impressive (by Opeth standards, anyway). Enter Deliverance, part one of a two-part collection that will be completed by Damnation in 2003. This disc is nothing less than phenomenal. After five albums Opeth continue to push themselves in all directions; on Deliverance the heavy parts are heavier, the gentle parts gentler, the progressive parts more progressive, the soulful guitar melodies even more soulful. Given this band’s track record, that’s remarkable. They are so technically proficient yet so moving at the same time. Opener “Wreath” displays wailing guitar solos that are more “rock ‘n’ roll” than I’ve ever heard Opeth be. The title track works its way up to a four-minute progressive rhythm finale that blows me away every time. Some have called this portion of the song repetitive, but Opeth are master artisans – they do everything for a reason, and I think the song works perfectly. They even drift into Pink Floyd territory midway through “A Fair Judgement.” “Masters Apprentice,” named after the obscure progressive rock band, begins with rumbling brutality, but later eases into Opeth’s most outright 70s prog-influenced material yet. The vocal harmonies are so happy and light you’ll swear they’ll flit up to the heavens, but the song gets yanked back to terra firma by sublime melodic heaviness. All six tracks on this disc delight and amaze in their own way. All hail Opeth, for they have no equal in their field.

Wow. Isis’ Celestial full-length was surely impressive, a bombastic juggernaut of cosmic noise a la Neurosis with a few twists, but Oceanic is on a whole other plane of musical existence. The band has broadened their horizons and the results are stunning. These aren’t songs; they’re gigantic soundscapes that envelop your brain and offer you transcendence to a world beyond. The strong Isis backbone is present, but enhanced and bolstered by explorations of other sounds. It’s heavier than heavy, while also being deeply moving; to me it sounds very much like their style was crossbred with some of their Boston compatriots. “Carry,” for example, has a great sorrowful melody line that immediately brings to mind Cave In’s masterful Jupiter album. “False Light” offers up a massive, droning jam with shifting melodies that could sit comfortably on 5ive’s first album; it is both beautiful and totally devastating. Another fantastic addition to the recording is occasional female vocals. I know everyone is using female vocals these days, but these are subtle; they’re never overbearing and they succeed wonderfully in creating another facet within this already diverse sound. “Weight” would be very different if not for the soft feminine cries that punctuate it. Speaking of “Weight,” this track is a lesson in purposeful construction. I’ve heard few other tunes that are so expertly pieced together over the course of nearly 11 minutes. New elements are slowly added, one by one, causing it to expand, then draw back a little, then grow again until it reaches sonic glory. Musicians take note: if you want to craft a lengthy composition, this is how it’s done. “Hym” closes out this awe-inspiring collection with great quiet/loud dynamics and even breaks into fuzzy stoner fury about two and a half minutes in. Very cool. With Oceanic Isis have far exceeded any expectations I could have had and left me stricken and dazed. Chalk me up as a devoted fan and give me more, please.

I cannot deny that this long-awaited release at first came as a bit of a disappointment. On the first couple listens all I noticed was the alarming lack of swirling Katatonia/Opeth melodies set to brilliant mid-tempo melancholic glory (as found in Pale Folklore, the band’s first slab of epic genius). But to give up on this release because it’s not a replica of ...Folklore would be a grave, grave mistake. Yes, The Mantle is primarily acoustic in nature. Yes, it is not as instantly impressive as the band’s previous work. But oh how it creeps into your soul if you give it a chance. Agalloch are simply otherworldly in the sound and atmosphere they conjure. They are a cut above even the best bands out there. Their art has surely been enhanced by the divine intervention of some pagan deity. But enough of the vagaries; what is this music really all about? For starters let me assure you that the potent melancholy is still fully intact. These are grey hymns to match the grey tray liner and booklet in which they are ensconced. Vocally there is more “clean” singing, (reference “Kneel to the Cross,” the Sol Invictus cover found on the teaser Of Stone, Wind and Pillor EP that came out last year). This singing is at times excellent, but thankfully we also get the harsh blackened whisper that was found in previous material. For that matter there are still a couple songs strongly reminiscent of the ...Folklore album. “I Am the Wooden Doors” would fit quite nicely alongside older tracks, and to a slightly lesser extent so would “You Were But a Ghost in My Arms.” So even on the first listen you’ll encounter some familiar territory, but if you’re determined to stay locked in those old expectations, you’ll miss out on a lot. These melodies ebb and flow, taking you to a whole other plane of existence if you just let them. This album contains three instrumentals, an admittedly high number with only nine total tracks, and one review I’ve read criticized the album because of them, calling them “worthless.” I couldn’t disagree more. “The Hawthorne Passage,” in particular, is an 11+ minute soulful journey of stunning artistry. A couple of minutes into the song the band delves into distinct Pink Floyd territory, not unlike fellow Floyd fetishists Anathema, but most of the track rides a Cure-like wave that is both uplifting and somber at the same time. Overall I barely notice that the instrumentals are instrumentals, as each note of these songs (just like the rest of the disc) is so deliberately crafted and carefully constructed that they speak volumes on their own, rivaling Opeth in their intricate and perfect structure. Ultimately the highest compliment I can pay this disc is to say that it has the same emotional effect on me as In the Woods…’ 1997 masterpiece Omnio (also a #1 album in its year). Both works are equally adept at sending me into a hypnotic state where I hover on the edge of breaking down and quietly weeping for the duration of the material. Heady stuff, to be sure. Regardless of the influences I’ve referenced above, Agalloch constructs a magnificent sound all their own. Nobody sounds like them, and I doubt anyone ever will. Mesmerizing paeans to Mother Nature and all things gloomy.