I’ve been talking about doing a “Top 50 of 2009″ series of blog posts to end the year over the last couple weeks. I’m really looking forward to sinking a lot of time into writing it and really doing a good job with it. Here’s my plan for when each portion will be released:

• December 27th: #50 – #41
• December 28th: #40 – 31
• December 29th: #30 – #21
• December 30th: #20 – #11
• December 31st: #10 – #6
• January 1st: #5-#1

Make sure to check it out, releases from a large range of genres will be included and it may be an opportunity to discover an album that you may have missed. Obviously I have my own tastes and I want to make clear that in no way do I think this is a “definitive” list of the best 2009 had to offer, it’s simply the 50 releases I liked the most from the year.

Over the last couple months (since early October) there’s been something that has really been consuming me. For the most part it’s been incredible but about a week ago I heard some crushing news that brought a disappointing end to it all and today I’m finally starting to accept that what I was told was the truth. To put it mildly, I feel like there’s a huge hole inside of me. Why should you care? Because I intend to throw myself at a musical project over break to help compensate for these feelings. My dream would to be record an entire album, but that is highly unlikely. At the very least, I will be writing and recording some new songs and collaborating with Charlie and Patrick. Whether or not anything worthwhile comes out of these sessions is another question entirely, but I will definitely be very musically active over break. The genres I’m most interested in working with are black metal, drone metal, dark ambient, electronic, and stoner metal. The overall mood will definitely be quite dark. Winter break begins on Friday, and by Saturday I plan to start working with these ideas. I’ll make sure to post updates on the project as it progresses.

Lastly, I would like to give a huge thanks to Phish. No matter how shitty my day seems to be, listening to one of their records always manages to bring a smile to my face. Honestly, I think it’s keeping me sane. I would be in a bad place mentally right now if it wasn’t for them.

I’m pleased to say that the drummer I was talking about in my previous post has accepted an invitation from me to join Lifting Shadows for a practice at some point in the next couple weeks. Assuming everything goes well (and I’m confident it well), he will join full time. He’s a very talented musician, and while our music is definitely not in a genre he knows much about, he seems to be pretty enthusiastic about giving it a shot.

I had a really shitty day today, but I’m happy to say that I will be going to the Dillinger Escape Plan show in Albany on Friday the 18th. It’s definitely the light at the end of the dark tunnel for me (and it happens to also be the start of my winter vacation, another thing I’m looking forward to). There’s a also a good chance that I’ll be going to the Between the Buried and Me/Devin Townsend/Cynic/Scale the Summit (!!!!!!!!!) show in January. While the last couple months have been turbulent and ultimately have had an unfortunate conclusion, these shows are really giving me something look forward to and are keeping me sane.

The top 50 albums of 2009 series that I’m working on is a work in progress as of now, I can’t wait to work on it more in the weeks ahead!

The first three months of school (and the last couple of months in particular) have been stressful as hell, but there’s been plenty of bright spots and I’m still rather optimistic about the next couple weeks until break. My band, Lifting Shadows, has essentially been on hiatus since school started. I’ve been writing material and I’ve practiced with Patrick a couple times, but our struggles to find a suitable drummer have kept the project from progressing. The last drummer we tried over the summer was capable but we weren’t 100% satisfied. I’m willing to give him another chance but I’ve been seriously considering a kid that I go to school with. He’s incredibly talented and while he’s not exactly a friend, he’s certainly dedicated to his instrument. I’ve played with him many times before (in my school’s rock ensemble and jazz band) and I’m comfortable with his playing style. Sometime over the next week I’m going to approach him about joining the band.

If he accepts (and since he has expressed interest before, I’m sure he will), 2010 could be a promising year for Lifting Shadows. Hopefully we’ll be able to get him to up speed in a few months and polish the material enough to try and play some shows in the spring and summer.

As for my other projects, Static Light (my solo work) is essentially on hold for the time being. I’m not satisfied with any recordings I’ve released so far and I have very little new material. I have no doubt I will come back to it at some point, but I don’t expect anything in the first couple months of 2010. My black metal project I’ve been putting together with Patrick over the last couple months is still in its early stages, but I have high hopes for it. The music we’ve written is, if I may say so myself, some pretty kickass black metal. Hopefully over the next couple months we’ll begin recording.

I’m planning to do a huge series of blog posts during the last week of 2009, counting down the top 50 albums of the year. I’m already in the process of organizing my thoughts and expect to spend a great deal of time writing it all up. I know I’ve been blogging less than usual since the beginning of the school year, but hopefully I’ll pick up the pace in 2010. Thanks to everyone who has contributed to the 7,655 hits my blog has received!

When Phish announced the tour dates for their 2009 Fall Tour, I immediately requested tickets for the two Albany shows since they were the two that I could feasibly get to. I was hopeful that we would get tickets to both shows and worried we wouldn’t get any. Thankfully I lucked out and won tickets to one of the shows, the first of the two nights. So last night my Dad, Charlie, and I all got together for the 2 and a half hour drive to upstate New York.

The venue, by the time the show started, was absolutely packed and the energy was palpable. Our seats were located directly behind the stage. At first I thought it would suck being behind the stage but it was actually a very cool experience that I had no problems with. Sure it’s not as exciting as being on the floor 20 feet from Trey, but it was still a blast. I had an excellent view of the whole band, especially Page.

The band opened up the first set with “AC/DC Bag” and “Maze”, which together made up a killer opening. The last three songs of the set were also incredible (a great jam in “Limb by Limb”, “Cavern”, and “Light”). “Light” in particular was interesting, with the band creating essentially a huge wall of sound and letting it drone for the last minute of the song.

As fun as the first set was, the second set is where things got really interesting. The highlight for me was an impressive “Fluffhead” into “Piper” that together made up some of the most interesting jams of the night. The crowd went absolutely crazy during “Suzy Greenberg”, which was another highlight of the night (and I believe the picture at the top of the page is from that song). Page gave us a great treat during “The Squirming Coil”. The band had left the stage for the encore break but Page just kept playing. And playing. And playing. He jammed for at least a couple minutes before the rest of the band finally came back on stage to play one more number with him before leaving together for the encore. They ended the show with a cover of the Jimi Hendrix song “Fire”.

All in all it was an incredible night. The setlist was quite interesting, playing some songs for the first time (like a cover of the TV on the Radio song “Golden Age”) and bringing out some rarities. That coupled with excellent jams and an excited audience made this a night to remember.

Set 1:

1. AC/DC Bag
2. Maze
3. Driver
4. My Mind’s Got a Mind of Its Own
5. Gumbo
6. Bouncing Around the Room
7. It’s Ice
8. Two Versions of Me
9. Timber
10. Limb by Limb
11. Cavern
12. Light

Set 2

1. My Friend, My Friend
2. Golden Age
3. On Your Way Down
4. Fluffhead
5. Piper
6. Tomorrow’s Song
7. Prince Caspian
8. Harry Hood
9. Suzy Greenberg
10. The Squirming Coil
11. I Been Around

Encore: Fire

Devin Townsend has won a sizable and devoted fanbase due to the eclectic nature of his releases. He’s released progressive metal, extreme/industrial metal, and even ambient under the various projects he has spearheaded. The Devin Townsend Project was formed after he took a brief hiatus from music writing, and it has promised to combine all of the various elements of his sound under one name. The first release earlier this year, Ki, was a soft progressive rock album. Addicted on the other hand, while still being described as “melodic”, was also promised to be “much heavier”.

And indeed it is, “Addicted!” starts off the album with Devin’s trademark wall of sound production and some pretty heavy riffs that chug along for most of the five minute song. This isn’t as extreme as his work with Strapping Young Lad, but it still has quite a bit of chunk. “Universe in a Ball!” continues this heavy, thick, almost groove metal like sound and it isn’t until “Bend It Like Bender!” that the pop element really started to shine through. As strange as it is to describe, it really does feel like a metal song that one could move to on a dance floor. The female vocals done by Anneke van Giersbergen are well used and add to this unique atmosphere. “Supercrush!” continues this dance metal theme, with such blatantly popish elements that one can’t help but smile.

“Hyperdrive!” is a re-recording of a song from one of Devin’s other albums that I haven’t listened to, so I can’t compare it to the original. I can say, however, that it is one of the highlights of Addicted. Anneke’s voice really shines here, and the song as a whole has a very anthemic quality to it. “Resolve!” continues this heavy sound, while “Ih-Ah!” provides a very welcome change of pace by slowing things up and bringing in the clean guitar and piano. It’s a standout track that is definitely one of the highlights of the album. Devin and Anneke harmonizing each other is truly a beautiful thing to here.

“The Way Home!” builds off of the previous track while still remaining less harsh and more melodic than the opening songs. “Numbered!” is of the same style, and “Awake!!” (yes, that’s two exclamation points for a change) ends the album in epic fashion by slowing things up near the end with an electronic/ambient section to end the album.

Overall I found this release to be a little bit weaker than Ki, simply because for the most part it sticks to one sound throughout. However, that being said, it’s still a solid album. Even though the songs my blend together, it’s still a fun and interesting sound that he has found for this album, so it’s definitely worth a listen for any Devin Townsend fan.

Rating: 3.5/5

1. Addicted!   [5:36]
2. Universe in a Ball!   [4:08]
3. Bend It Like Bender!   [3:36]
4. Supercrush!   [5:11]
5. Hyperdrive!   [3:34]
6. Resolve!   [3:11]
7. Ih-Ah!   [3:44]
8. The Way Home!   [3:13]
9. Numbered!   [4:54]
10. Awake!!   [9:44]

Frequently cited as being at the forefront of the hardcore/metal scene, Converge has attracted my interest as of late. However, I found their “masterpiece” Jane Doe hard to sink my teeth into. I enjoy it, but I find myself coming up short as to why it’s so praised. Nevertheless, my interest in the band was great enough that when I heard Converge was preparing to release a new album, I took notice. To say the least, Axe to Fall has convinced me that Converge deserves every ounce of the praise they enjoy.

There’s a wide variety of sounds on this release. “Dark Horse” (one of my favorites of the album) and “Reap What You Sow” are pummeling slabs of metalcore that start off the album fast and furiously. This isn’t just a 42 minute shredfest, however. Plenty of slower numbers change things up and provide the album with a progressive tinge. “Worms Will Feed/Rats Will Feast” is the first track to employ this slower style and it does so to great effect, impressing the listener with its grinding brutality. “Damages”, another highlight, is also on the slower side of things. And then there’s the closer, “Wretched World”, which ends the album on an extremely high note with its unique feel and structure.

The playing ability of the band members is undeniable. Look no further than the furious shred on the title track to experience some breathtaking fretwork, while the drummer manages to throw in some great fills while sustaining the breakneck tempo throughout the album. The rest of the musicians in the band also manage to impress. The only really gripe I would have would be is with the singer. His shouts are undeniably brutal and usually suit the music well, but they do become slightly monotonous after a while. Overall though they are completely tolerable and do not take away from the experience.

To be blunt, this is essential listening for any metalcore/post-hardcore/hardcore punk/mathcore fan. Axe to Fall is an exhilarating album filled to the brim with aggressiveness, talent, variety, and impressive songwriting. Not to be missed!

Rating: 4.5/5

1. Dark Horse   [2:55]
2. Reap What You Sow   [2:39]
3. Axe to Fall   [1:41]
4. Effigy   [1:43]
5. Worms Will Feed/Rats Will Feast   [5:53]
6. Wishing Well   [2:50]
7. Damages   [4:26]
8. Losing Battle   [1:47]
9. Dead Beat   [2:36]
10. Cutter   [1:40]
11. Slave Driver   [2:48]
12. Cruel Bloom   [4:02]
13. Wretched World   [7:11]

It’s been a full week since I’ve posted, hasn’t it? Ugh what can I say, life is miserably busy right now and I’m doing very little music related stuff (whether it be listening to new releases, practicing, recording, or writing). Maybe I’ll write a review this weekend, since I have Monday off and not too much homework so I therefore shouldn’t be too busy for the next couple of days.

Personal life is kind of all over the place right now, which means that my mind isn’t really thinking much about music when I have free time (everyone was in high school at one point…I’m sure you know what I’m talking about). That being said I’m hoping things will work out in the next week or two, which would stabilize my mood and let me concentrate more on other things.

And of course…PHISH CONCERT IN THREE FUCKING WEEKS!!! Honestly, I’m looking forward to this so much. It’s nice knowing that no matter how much crazy shit might happen in the next couple weeks, I’ll have something to look forward to.

So yeah, sorry about the lack of anything interesting happening.

To let the uninformed in on this awesome news, Between the Buried and Me will be touring with Cynic, Devin Townsend, and Scale the Summit this winter. To have four artists known for pushing the boundaries and delivering amazing albums touring together is almost inconceivable. But it’s happening folks, so get your tickets while you can – this is a once in a lifetime kind of thing that I doubt will happen again. I personally will either be going to the 1/29 or 1/30 show, not sure which one yet.

Assuming I do make it to one of those, the next three months are going to be crazy in terms of concerts. I’ll be seeing Phish at the end of November, Dillinger Escape Plan in December, and the aforementioned BTBAM/Cynic/Devin Townsend/Scale the Summit in January. Can’t ask for a much better three shows than tat.

I also plan to start recording some Static Light material before long. I’ve been very happy lately (pretty much everything in my life is working out the way I want it to), which also means that I haven’t felt as motivated to write music as I normally am. Nevertheless, I do have some good ideas bouncing around that I’m eager to work on.

That’s all for now!

I didn’t know how to go into this album. Colors is my all time favorite album, and to expect Between the Buried and Me to create another masterpiece of equal quality would simply be too much to expect. I tried to keep my expectations low, though while listening to the album I realized I didn’t really need to. The Great Misdirect is not in any way a rehash of Colors and is instead a completely different beast. Is it better? Ultimately, no. But that point is almost irrelevant, as Between the Buried and Me yet again has written a wonderful album that fuses many different unique sounds into a cohesive whole.

That album opens up slowly with “Mirrors”, a very jazzy intro. It’s a nice little piece that sets the stage but at only three minutes it’s hard to look at it anything more than just that. “Obfuscation” brings the more standard BTBAM sound back into the fold, and is a solid piece that for the most part doesn’t cover any new territory but is enjoyable, nevertheless. The guitar solo/bass groove from around 5:00 – 6:30 is the highlight of the song for me, which definitely reflects an old-school prog influence. Overall the album has a decent start, and it only gets better.

“Disease, Injury, Madness”, the third track of the album, is without a doubt the best song of the album that ranks among some of the band’s best work. The song really showcases how much BTBAM’s writing has evolved over the years, and is some of their most mature work to date. They experiment with very atmospheric interludes, soft rock verses, bluesy sections, classical sounding guitar work, and of course their typical hardcore-influenced brand of metal.”Fossil Genera – A Feed from Cloud Mountain” is also a great song that feeds off of the momentum from the previous track. The band once again flips through a bunch of different sounds before landing on a very relaxing, melodic section at around 9 minutes that builds up to a very satisfying conclusion.

“Desert Song” is a very cool folky sounding song that came a bit out of left field but I found myself enjoying quite a bit. At this point it’s quite obvious that this album is a lot less heavier than any of there other releases, with Tommy’s clean voice being used perhaps even more frequently than the shouts/growls. It’s essentially a straight up progressive rock song, but it’s one of my favorite sections of the album.

“Swim to the Moon” acts as the ‘epic closer’ and is BTBAM’s longest track to date at over 17 minutes long. It starts off in excellent fashion with some wonderful guitar work and interesting synth work. Unfortunately the song loses steam and goes through a number of sections that simply fail to excite. It does pick up again though around the 10 minute mark and ends strongly.

Perhaps the biggest flaw of the album, in my opinion, is a loss of focus. At times, the longer tracks feel like they’re not building up or progressing towards anything, and instead are just flowing along. The result is the songs feel less memorable than they probably should. The album’s biggest strength, on the other hand, is that it really takes the band to places they haven’t been before and shows them exploring with a lot of new ideas. It’s not a rehash of Colors, which is good, because I don’t think they could have pulled that off.

So there you have it. I’m sure opinions of this will be across the board. Some will probably find it to be as amazing if not more so than Colors while others will come away greatly disappointed by the changes in direction. And of course, the haters will still be hatin’. For me personally, I would be lying if I said I wasn’t slightly disappointed. However, I also recognize that this is partly due to comparing it to the masterpiece Colors, because when examining The Great Misdirect on its own merits, it’s certainly a great album that all fans should enjoy.

Rating: 4/5

1. Mirrors   [3:37]
2. Obfuscation   [9:15]
3. Disease, Injury, Madness   [11:02]
4. Fossil Genera – A Feed from Cloud Mountain   [12:10]
5. Desert of Song    [5:33]
6. Swim to the Moon   [17:53]

The Mars Volta are less a band and more a force of nature, and nowhere is it more apparent than on their sprawling magnum opus, Frances the Mute. This is an incredibly busy record – every second of the album feels like it has a dozen different things going on at once all competing for your attention. To think that the (relatively) same group of musicians released Relationship of Command (by At the Drive-In) just five years before Frances is staggering. To this day, this album stands as the pinnacle of The Mars Volta discography and a masterpiece of modern progressive rock.

The album gives you about 50 seconds to prepare by starting with an acoustic guitar accompanied by Cedric’s swooning. The calm doesn’t last long, however, and before long your ears will be subject to a complete aural assault of dissonant guitars, latin rhythms, horns, and lyrics that switch on a dime between Spanish and English. Before long, Omar graces the audience with his always-breathtaking guitar skills by treating the listener to a lovely guitar solo that lasts for almost the entire mid-section of the song. Before long, the full band comes roaring back in before fading into an ambient/noise conclusion. All of this happens in less than 15 minutes, making the opener “Cygnus….Vismund Cygnus” an amazing song that’s filled with more ideas than many bands come up with their entire career.

The album continues in this schizophrenic fashion for the rest of the record. “The Widow” (the only sub-10 minute piece on the album) is a slow, soft number while “L’Via L’Viaquez” takes the latin tendencies of the band to its extreme. “Miranda That Ghost Just Isn’t Holy Anymore” is the most atmospheric piece of the album, acting as one, unbroken, tantalizing buildup to a very satisfying climax until at last fading into the final act of the album and the undeniable highlight.

“Cassandra Gemini” is essentially the best song The Mars Volta have ever released. Not because it’s absurdly long (which it is at over 30 minute), but because every second on the song is used to its greatest potential. The band manages to cover an enormous amount of ground throughout its course and touch on essentially all aspects of their sound. “Cassandra Gemini” is both the climax of Frances the Mute and arguably of their whole career. The only way to understand it is to experience it. The song ends with a reprise of the first 50 seconds of the album, giving the whole almost 80 minute album a real sense of continuity and a definite end.

All the musicians are really in top form here. Being progressive rock, there’s a lot of flashy songwriting and technique throughout, but it’s always done in a very fresh and interesting way without ever resorting to over-used cliches of the genre. Omar Rodriguez-Lopez (guitar) and Cedric Bixler-Zavala (vocals) are the two that stand out the most (which is true for all TMV records). Cedric’s lyrics are particularly fascinating. Don’t even attempt to understand what he’s singing about because it makes absolutely no sense, but the vivid imagery and unique word choices make them a joy to listen to.

In short, Frances the Mute is an incredible record that any progressive rock fan (or anyone interested in more “out-there” music) absolutely needs to listen to. While The Mars Volta have not reached the quality of this album since, they managed to craft a perfect snapshot of their interesting and unique sound within the confines of this album. Leave your pre-conceptions at the door, because this album will blow them away. And please, whatever you do, don’t read Pitchfork’s piece of shit review. It’s just not “trendy” enough for them.

Rating: 4.5/5

1. Cygnus….Vismund Cygnus   [13:02]
2. The Widow   [5:50]
3. L’Via L’Viaquez   [12:21]
4. Miranda That Ghost Just Isn’t Holy Anymore   [13:09]
5. Cassandra Gemini I   [4:45]
6. Cassandra Gemini II   [6:40]
7. Cassandra Gemini III   [2:55]
8. Cassandra Gemini IV   [7:41]
9. Cassandra Gemini V   [4:59]
10. Cassandra Gemini VI    [3:48]
11. Cassandra Gemini VII   [0:46]
12. Cassandra Gemini VIII   [0:53]