Top Ten Albums of 2012

Top Ten Albums of 2012

2012 was a fantastic year for new music, with almost too many amazing albums dropping for a top ten that would represent just how good the last 12 months or so have been. However, I’ve managed to make a top ten list that showcases some of the best albums (debuts, returns to form and game changers). Starting with…

10. House Vs Hurricane – Crooked Teeth

‘Crooked Teeth’ is an incredibly strong album from a band with bags of know-how when it comes to writing heavy music. Almost every song is memorable and holds up well after repeat listens. House Vs Hurricane are back with a vengeance.

9. Converge – All We Love We Leave Behind

Visceral, animal, energetic. One of the most accomplished heavy records of the year.

8. InMe – The Pride

‘The Pride’ is another fine release from a band that show no signs of slowing up their pursuit for what they definitely deserve, a real crack at the big time. It’s on its way, if this album is anything to go by, and I look forward to their time coming. ‘The Pride’ is a truly top album from a truly top British band.

7. While She Sleeps – This Is The Six

The album is an assured, mature and heavy offering that stands head and shoulders above much of what is currently being offered in the metal and hardcore scene, and that’s a huge positive as there as absolutely amazing Brit bands doing great work at the moment. But While She Sleeps are different – their music is passionate, heartfelt and brutal, making ‘This Is The Six’ a group of songs that aren’t to be sniffed at.

6. Upon A Burning Body – Red. White. Green.

‘Red. White. Green.’ is a fantastic album from a band destined to start making huge waves on the metal scene. The sound they create is individual and memorable, which it needs to be in the current climate, and this album will continue to gain new fans for a long time to come.

5. Every Time I Die – Ex Lives

ETID craft an intricate ‘take-no-prisoners- sound that has no rival. They are quite possibly the best metalcore band of all time, not just today. ‘Ex Lives’ is big, brash and bold, and if you are a fan of metal, punk, rock or any guitar music, you really need to get yourself a copy of this album. It is utterly astounding and will leave you breathless and reaching to pick your jaw up from the floor.

4. Lana Del Rey – Born to Die

‘Born to Die’ is an accomplished and unique album for the modern music scene to ponder over, and Lana Del Rey is different and enigmatic, performing her songs with charm and charisma is a ‘tortured soul’ kind of way. It is often morbid, but isn’t that where all great pop music is really rooted? The album has the storytelling prowess of David Bowie, the heartbreak of Adele and grim tragedy of acts like Kate Bush and Bjork. Lana Del Rey is no doubt destined for greatness and this album should propel her towards the stardom she deserves. ‘Born to Die’ is a work of outrageous genius.

3. Glass Cloud – The Royal Thousand

Glass Cloud are an exciting new band who have done well to avoid the recent curse of supergroups, delivering an album in the shape of ‘The Royal Thousand’ that is consistently brilliant without feeling overcooked. One of the best heavy metal releases of 2012, for sure.

2. Deftones – Koi No Yokan

Deftones can do no wrong. FACT.

1. Gallows - Gallows

This album has more balls than you’ve had hot dinners, and that’s what makes it so enjoyable. It’s awe-inspiring at times, which makes it that much more addictive. Returning to the previous albums is a pleasurable and nourishing experience as always, but to know that once the catalyst for everything that gave Gallows a recognisable sound had flown the coop helped produce what is likely to be the band’s best record and perhaps the best record of 2012, it leaves them feeling slightly, well – lacking. And that’s two albums that I am a MASSIVE fan of, which can mean only one thing. Gallows, the self-titled album from a band coming to the end of a major transition, is perfect in every sense of the word.

AND HERE ARE 10 MORE HONOURABLE MENTIONS! BRING ON 2013!

Top Ten Movies of 2012

Here are my top ten movies of 2012! There were a few releases that passed me by this year, so this’ top ten’ list is made up of my favourite movies that I saw that had 2012 cinema releases in the UK (all except entry no.2, which I was lucky enough to see just recently before it's UK cinema release. Last time I counted from 1 to 10, completely missing the point of how a countdown should work, so for 2012 I am doing it properly. Starting with...

10. Killing Them Softly

This Brad Pitt vehicle, seeing the actor take on the role of hitman Jackie Cogan as he tracks down a pair of hapless thieves who turn over a mob enforced poker game, wasn’t as critically acclaimed as perhaps it was hyped up to be upon release, the slow pace being cited as a problem for what is essentially a very basic plot. However, it was that in particular that had me hooked, with some intense performances set against the American noir background making this one of the best crime films of 2012.

9. The Raid – Redemption

This Indonesian martial arts movie gain plaudits for some of the best fight scenes ever put together, making it an exciting thrill ride that delivers a lot of WTF moments. It’s non-stop, 100mph action and despite the plot being paper-thin, it doesn’t disappoint, making it one of the most memorable and unrivalled action movies in recent memory.

8. Prometheus

Ridley Scott’s ‘Alien’ prequel was overall received as somewhat of a disappointment, however for me, as a lifelong fan of Scott’s work and the science fiction genre, I found it to be an interesting and mysterious look back at the mythology of the ‘Alien’ world and the origin of the Xenomorph species. The performances are outstanding, in particular Michael Fassbender as passive-aggressive android David. The great cast work well with the source material, which although is occasionally rife with plot-holes, feels solid overall and leaves a longing for a possible sequel.

7. Lawless

This American Western gangster film, written by Nick Cave and directed by John Hillcoat, follows the Bondurant brothers who indulge in an illegal moonshine business before getting into trouble with the law (in the form of government agent Charlie Rakes – played with a villainous sneer by Guy Pearce). The brothers (Tom Hardy and Shia LeBeouf) have a complicated and tempestuous relationship, and this is what drives the movie and makes it so visceral. Plus, I love Westerns/Cave/Hardy in equal measure so this makes ‘Lawless’ one of my favourites this year. 

6. The Avengers

Now, when a film has been built up to with numerous other movies, each one introducing one of the major characters, there’s a definite and terrifying worry that it might not all fall into place. However, when Joss Whedon (of Firefly and Buffy fame) came on board and took the reins, there was a sense that when ‘The Avengers’ arrived in the summer of 2012 that it could be the biggest and best superhero movie of all time. Including Iron Man, Captain America, Thor, The Hulk, Black Widow and Hawkeye, Whedon managed to put together a script that squeezed in quality action to every inch, had story arcs for all of the major characters, didn’t baulk on the comedy and included a genuine threat that provided a challenge for the team of heroes. I could spend all day delivering superlatives but for anybody out there who has yet to see this, DO IT. 

5. Seven Psychopaths

Another movie with a great ensemble cast, however this is completely different kettle of fish, with Martin McDonagh (‘In Bruges’) delivering another black comedy gem. The plot follows Colin Farrell’s struggling screenwriter and his dognapping chums (played by Sam Rockwell and Christopher Walken) who get on the wrong side of a violent criminal (Woody Harrelson) when they steal his beloved Shih Tzu. The script is almost perfect and the comedy timing of all actors involved is second to none, and Rockwell excels in particular, stealing every scene with his sociopathic tendencies. It’s definitely one of the films that flew under the radar of the Oscars, because every element of this movie comes together fantastically.

4. Skyfall

The latest Bond movie, with Sam Mendes having a bash at Daniel Craig’s MI6 agent, sees arguably the most exciting and addictive of the new Bond come to life, in particular with the introduction of one of the most charismatically threatening villains in many years for the franchise (Javier Bardem’s Raoul Silva). It seems as though Craig finally comes into his own with the character, combining the gritty elements of Bond with the suave and sophisticated ones to bring the story to life. Bond 23, in my opinion, is the second best Bond ever and I will leave it up to you to decide what film takes the number one spot.

3. Looper

Rian Johnson’s time travel epic felt like everything a time travel epic should be, and it was refreshing to see an original story do so well at the box office. In ‘Looper’, time travel is used by criminal organizations to send those they want killed into the past where they are killed by "loopers", who assassins paid with silver bars strapped to their targets. Joe (Joseph Gordon Levitt), encounters himself when his older self (Bruce Willis) is sent back in time to be killed. Sound confusing? Well, luckily it isn’t, and it’s a thrill ride that never lets up. Again, it’s received a bit of stick for plot holes, but when a movie is this good, they can be ignored (it’s just nitpicking, right?). Looper rules.

2. Django Unchained

Can Tarantino do no wrong? Not in my eyes! Django Unchained is QT’s latest genre flick is a Spaghetti Western set in the antebellum era of the Deep South and Old West, following a freed slave (Jamie Foxx) who treks across the United States with a bounty hunter (Christoph Waltz) on a mission to rescue his wife (Kerry Washington) from a cruel and charismatic plantation owner (Leonardo DiCaprio). There’s everything here that can be expected from QT, great dialogue, fantastic characters, a wonderful and quirky soundtrack, and mainly – a whole bunch of awesome violence! It doesn’t get any better than this… well, maybe once in 2012.

1. The Dark Knight Rises

Now, Christopher Nolan’s final chapter in The Dark Knight trilogy will appear at the top of A LOT of ‘Best of’ 2012 lists, and in fact, it won’t make an appearance on just as many (I’ve seen it missed from a hell of a lot – not even in the top 10 – crazy right?), but it’s my love for the source material, the character of Batman, the inclusion of some of my favourite actors on the planet and a movie that’s on such a grand scale, it’s hard to take it all in (which is why I’ve seen it 4 times since its release in July 2012). The Dark Knight Rises is poetry, art that represents everything that superhero movies need to live up to from now on. We need to be able to connect with real people experiencing real things to be able to see the bigger picture, and that picture has been created by Nolan in such a way that TDKR will forever be a classic. Sure, it hasn’t received a Best Picture nomination from the Academy, but that doesn’t dilute the effect this movie had on me and millions of others. BEST MOVIE OF THE YEAR. Hands down.