05) pg.lost, Oscillate (Pelagic)More instrumental post-rock. Some of the best post-rock/shoegaze music makes you feel like you’re falling in slow motion. Swedish instrumental band pg.lost excel at this, and while this new record is less heavy than some of their earlier work, it’s no less epic. No one’s driving anywhere near as much as they did this year, but this is the perfect album to go on a long, aimless drive through the countryside to. Or if you’re working and want some excellent background music to help you focus.
Key Track: “Eraser”
04) The Ocean, Phanerozoic II: Mesozoic / Cenozoic (Metal Blade)Wow. That’s pretty much all there is to say about The Ocean at this point in their career. For the last seven years, their three concept albums about geology have been sprawling albums that are easy to lose yourself in. Referencing post-metal bands like Isis and Cult of Luna, but with the prog accessibility of Tesseract or Oceansize (especially with Katatonia’s Jonas Renkse helping out on “Jurassic | Cretaceous”), this is another one I found myself repeatedly coming back to, especially since the second half of the album is an instrumental version of the first.
Key Track: “Jurassic | Cretaceous”
Key Track: “Jurassic | Cretaceous”
03) Deftones, Ohms (Reprise)
With the exception of Diamond Eyes, which I loved, it had been 20 years since Deftones put out an album I was all that interested in. It turns out that teaming back up with Terry Date , who produced their first three albums, was the right move. He’s able to tap into their love of shoegaze and alt rock and pair it with the metal they’re best known for, and this is a heavy album, but one that captures the dichotomy of the band’s influences.
Key Track: “Ohms”
02) Spirit Adrift, 20 Enlightened in Eternity (20 Buck Spin)It’s hard to find a modern traditional heavy metal album that would stand up alongside the Maidens, Priests and Dios of yore. Often times, bands that try come off as cheesy as a night out at Medieval Times (but less nourishing) or they feel like they have to up the ante to be more extreme. Spirit Adrift knocked it out of the park with this. Tons of dual guitar solos and songs that call to mind the aforementioned standard-bearers, but also on songs like “Ride Into the Light,” bands like High on Fire.
Key Track: “Ride Into the Light”
