2004 was the year that the site's initial semi-monthly "issue" format went by the wayside and v2.0 was eventually born. Focused solely on reviews, I still cranked out over 900, despite a looming wave of burnout. Again, some familiar names that I had raved about in past years—E.Town Concrete, Fall of the Leafe, Killswitch Engage, Misery Index, Shadows Fall, etc.—have been omitted below to allow room to reflect on as wide a range of releases as possible. If you had asked me prior what I thought about 2004, I don't know that I would've had much to say, but putting this list together, it was actually a damn fine year for music. Here's a semi-synopsis of Aversionline v2.0 circa 2004.
Some of What I Loved the Most...
All Else Failed, This Never Happened (Abacus Recordings)
"It's been several years since these guys' last record, and that time has been well spent in various forms, because this is by far their finest work to date across the board. The writing is more memorable, more cohesive, and more powerful; the lyrics are stronger and more communicative; the recording is better; the layout looks more attractive; etc... This disc obliterates their past work. I'm fucking impressed... I didn't expect this to be so damn good."
Their masterpiece. Breathtaking to this day. I happened to be 27 when this came out, which made the song "At Twenty-Seven" hit me that much harder, and I'll never forget that. It still gives me chills. Simply can't recommend this album enough.
Arsis, A Celebration of Guilt (Willowtip)
"...this is precisely-played, expertly-crafted, and powerful fucking metal that blends classic late-'80s thrash, the most tactful and aggressive elements of melodic Swedish death metal, scarce hints of black metal and brutal death metal, and blazing virtuoso lead playing in a slick format that's overflowing with energy and various levels of complexity... Absolutely and completely recommended. One of the best releases to date this year, in fact."
I had been pretty tough on the Arsis demos, but their growth by the time of this album solidified me as an enormous fan. One of the only bands in 25 years of doing this site where I overcame my freakish shyness and actually introduced myself to them in person. Where are they now: James Malone...?
Cast Aside, The Struggle (Deathwish Inc.)
"No bullshit, fucking hard as nails hardcore with metal added only to amp up the heaviness factor tenfold, and this fucker kicks in straight away with a good level of moderate speed, massive breakdowns, etc. This is by far their most pissed off and in-your-face material to date, it's definitely something very much in line with the '90s style of chugging, brutal metallic hardcore with a NYHC sort of thread... These guys are by far one of the best bands out there for this niche of the genre, so this comes highly recommended."
Gone too soon. Could've done with at least one more Cast Aside album, to say the very least. Still holds up 100%. Fondly remembered by some, but perhaps overly forgotten in the grand scheme of things. As I've stated at least once before, The Struggle is the only album that makes me feel like an edge-breaking sellout piece of shit.
Disillusion, Back to Times of Splendor (Metal Blade Records)
"To call it technical, atmospheric, melodic death metal would be mildly accurate, but there's so much going on here that it can't be limited to any one or two genres without committing an injustice against its true mastery... By far the best thing I've heard in 2004, and any metal fan would be foolish not to at least check this out. If you like progressive metal of any sort, I cannot recommend this strongly enough... I don't see this record getting much promotion and that is a grievous crime... Wonderful material here. I fucking love it."
A lightning strike of perfection amidst the Disillusion discography. However much I lost my mind over Back to Times of Splendor, I just couldn't quite get into the follow-up, which has prevented me from properly investigating what they've done since reuniting in more recent years. This album is still monumentally excellent, though.
Eyes of Fire, Ashes to Embers (Century Media)
"...this band features former members of the mighty Mindrot in its ranks, and this excellent piece of work marks their long-awaited debut full-length after last year's teaser Disintegrate EP... Expect thick, massive compositions that change up the dynamics frequently between the punishingly heavy and the soothingly restrained, with lush clean passages and singing vocals, an eerie edge, and some downright oppressive fury—all with an obvious emotional thread that never wanes... Highly fucking recommended."
It can be too easy to overlook 'em, as I might tend to reach for Mindrot when I'm in this type of mood. But, in all honesty, Eyes of Fire was probably the better band, pound-for-pound.
Further Seems Forever, Hide Nothing (Tooth & Nail Records)
"...despite my first impressions I think this record is as good as their debut, and I could almost argue that it's in fact better, because I've spun this damn thing almost exclusively since I bought it and it's blowing me away. I certainly hope their circumstances stabilize, but the fact that they've successfully weathered so many seemingly impossible obstacles already speaks to their dedication. I'm certainly still a huge fan, and this is my favorite CD of the year right here. This band is fucking incredible."
I included The Moon is Down in the 2001 rewind, but am doubling-up on Further Seems Forever here, 'cause this album was also jaw-dropping—one of the only 10/10 reviews I wrote throughout all of 2004. R.I.P. Jon Bunch.
Helmet, Size Matters (Interscope Records)
"...there are still plenty of the staccato rhythms, churning power chords, and eerily dissonant layers of subtle melodic textures or caustic guitar noise that Helmet laid the foundation with well over a decade ago... The bulk of it is extremely catchy without being overly stripped down or devoid of musical aptitude, and the end result is a phenomenal disc well-suited for repeated listens. Very fucking highly recommended. I'm impressed. I love it when my minimal expectations are absolutely shattered."
Weirdly, I have a pretty clear memory of driving to Best Buy—of all places—and buying this CD the day it came out. I didn't have high hopes, but was very impressed, and continue to scream at people who have ignored this album in the (many) years since its release. Absolutely killer songs, and very possibly a Top 3 Helmet album.
Jesu, Heartache (Dry Run Recordings)
"Of course similarities to various periods of the almighty Godflesh's illustrious back catalog exist herein, so much so that I could easily have stomached this being labeled a Godflesh release, but there's definitely a new angle represented here that gives this project its own identity... Godflesh is one of my all-time favorite bands, and this material leads me to believe that Jesu will follow suit. This is absolutely intense and emotional, and I simply can't say enough about how amazing the title track is... fucking awesome."
I have a soft spot for music that's heavy both musically and thematically, and this title track is just crushing with depressive atmosphere. Indeed, Jesu turned out to release even stronger material in the years that followed.
Misery Signals, Of Malice and the Magnum Heart (Ferret Music)
"Technical, melodic metalcore with an emphasis on metal. However, this is far superior to most others in this genre across the board: better writing, tighter performances, a stronger recording, etc... Misery Signals is the only band I can recall having heard in the last few years that has any real hope of redeeming metalcore as a genre, pushing it forward into something challenging, emotional, and musically sound that has a real sense of quality and creativity. Awesome, awesome work... I'm definitely blown away."
I'm glad that this has become a bit of a landmark album for its generation. While I enjoy the band's complete discography, Of Malice and the Magnum Heart remains the highpoint for me. Just phenomenal.
Necrophagist, Epitaph (Relapse Records)
"...still focusing on speedy, technical death metal riffing with lots of sweep picking and flurried note-based runs with sick melodic solos that are perfectly orchestrated... As blazing and complex as some of this stuff is, the playing is fucking pristine with clarity and fluidity... I eagerly await their future work as well, because the level of talent exhibited on this disc is practically unparalleled in the death metal genre today, and once the songwriting abilities max out these guys are going to annihilate the planet."
I'll be honest: I can't remember the last time I listened to Necrophagist, and don't recall having been this enthusiastic about 'em back then. I do remember being a fan, and was into technical death metal, but I'm so damn picky that I wouldn't necessarily have expected this level of hyperbole. Looks like I need to revisit their work ASAP and see where it lands now!
Rwake, If You Walk Before You Crawl, You Crawl Before You Die (At a Loss)
"...some of the most creative sludge/doom riffing you're ever going to fucking hear... period. Thick power chords with plodding rhythms and a bit of natural vibrato? You're motherfuckin' right. But there are also some amazingly interesting chord phrasings, innovative uses of dual guitar harmonies, a lot of emotion to the writing... and just a general sense of intensity that so many of these bands lack... Anyone who's into this type of stuff that doesn't like this record is a fucking moron. Hands down."
I'm the moron now, because I haven't kept up with Rwake and even feared that I had sold this album. Thankfully, I was mistaken, but this is the only Rwake album in my collection, and I think that's going to have to change soon.
Tantrum, The Frontier Bursts Into View (Radar Swarm)
"This French act unloads some pounding, monolithic excellence in the vein of the finer side of the Hydra Head camp (think Isis, Knut, and so forth), blending doomy, sludgy, rhythmic dirges with a more caustic and abrasive side—often with fucked-up shifts and time signatures involved. And it punishes... Holy shit, I love this... I'm so glad this showed up in my mailbox, because this band deserves a shitload more attention, and something tells me they're going to be criminally underrated unless someone steps up."
I remember being a major fan of Radar Swarm and Basement Apes and feeling like those labels were like Europe's version of Hydra Head, but I must confess that I haven't circled back to some of these releases in far too long. Thankfully, I do still own 'em, and am looking forward to re-exploring Tantrum (amongst others)...
Twelve Tribes, The Rebirth of Tragedy (Ferret Music)
"...solid post-hardcore hinting at a more tangible and creative metalcore angle with a definite focus on rhythm, and they've got an excellent knack for making discordant textures really work in a subtly melodic format that memorably layers together lots of instrumentation with a consistently driving tempo... This is definitely one of the better records I've heard in recent times that really builds off of a classic heavy post-hardcore framework... I've been spinning this one quite a bit lately..."
Their finest work. Especially the final minute of "Venus Complex," which still makes me want to destroy everything in sight. Dangerous.
Under Pressure, Still No Future (Sound Pollution)
"Whew, 10 tracks of ripping hardcore/punk in an all-too-brief 16 minutes from this Canadian outfit formerly known as the mighty Guns, Liquor, and Whores. I like this even more than the GLW material as well. It's similarly fast hardcore/punk with a very subtle grinding edge at times, and a good dose of rock tossed in, with really unique vocal shouts that are fucking awesome... I know these guys have recorded more songs, so they need to release some more jams as soon as possible. This rules."
I had forgotten the Guns, Liquor, and Whores connection. While I wasn't into a ton of this style, I do have memories of Under Pressure being high on my list. I actually broke out the Habits 7" last year, so I'll have to get back into the other releases soon as well.
Other Stuff That Got Me Hyped...
100 Demons, 100 Demons (Deathwish Inc.)
"Sweet, holy fuckin' hell... it's been over three years since their last record, and this fucker blows that shit out of the water! It's faster, more precise, way more metal... Expect a mix of fucking pummeling NYHC-styled metalcore with a European flare, as well as shitloads of metal à la All Out War meets tactful and creative melodic Swedish death metal... I'm totally blown away by how much this band has progressed since their last disc... Expect these cats to start getting namedropped all over the place within the next few months."
I was sort of indifferent about In the Eyes of the Lord back in the day. While I appreciate it quite a bit now, I'd still have to say that this self-titled outing remains my favorite from 100 Demons. This shit just fuckin' rips, man. Killer songs, ace vocal performance, just awesome. So good.
Candiria, What Doesn't Kill You Will Only Make You Stronger (Type A)
"...well worth the fucking wait, as I find this to be Candiria's best work in many years, if not their best work period... Excellent work overall. Definitely my favorite of the band's full-lengths. The compact running time and precise sense of direction makes a huge difference. Longtime fans will have some new tastes to adjust to, but there are still plenty of rock-solid songs representing the band's central style... Definitely worth checking out."
It's really tough to pick a favorite from Candiria, but What Doesn't Kill You... may well be #1 for me.
Commit Suicide, Synthetics (Willowtip)
"10 new tracks of ripping death metal from Commit Suicide, with a technical edge, but never shedding its sheer brutality—making for lots of quick changes and a slew of riffs that are definitely more complicated than might be apparent from a base level listen to the tracks... This band is hands-down one of my most respected death metal acts out there right now, and that fact's not gonna change. Very well done."
I'm overdue to revisit a lot of the Willowtip releases from this era. It's been quite some time since jamming any Commit Suicide, so I'll looking forward to diving back in!
Into Eternity, Buried in Oblivion (Century Media)
"Holy shit... this rules. I bought this without listening to it and damn... the hype is right! This is some sweet progressive metal that hits on everything from the staples of the genre (soaring singing vocals, blazing virtuoso lead breaks, etc.) to death metal growls/snarls, thrash metal picking patterns, some power metal shredding, the works... Any fan of progressive metal would be well-advised to check this out. It's not run-of-the-mill, it's just a great metal record chock full of quality musicianship and songwriting. Very cool."
It's interesting that I fell so hard for Buried in Oblivion, as I haven't spun it in a while, but definitely recall some highlight moments. To this day, though, I've not explored much else in their discography, which surprises me. I'll have to start taking care of that mistake at some point...
Koma, Tsunami (Fullsteam Records)
"This Swedish act features members of Cult of Luna, The Perishers, Scared, and Plastic Pride, and it's a god damn crime that almost no one seems to have heard of them... This is a phenomenal disc chock full of mid-paced atmospherics ranging from heavy and plodding chord progressions to lush clean passages, chilled out experimental drones or keyboard accents, and thickly melodic rhythms with post-hardcore smatterings and lots of layering... Very, very nice. I'm loving this disc..."
Tsunami became a pretty important album for me, in no small part due to truly moving tracks such as "Like Coming Home." I wish their pre-Tsunami demos had been properly released. The Koma era (prior to the name change to Khoma) just rules.
Place of Skulls, With Vision (Southern Lord)
"With Vision sees Victor Griffin adding the mighty Wino (guitars/vocals) to an already powerful 'ex-member' factor of the lineup... Really, in this day and age it scarcely gets better than this as far as this general genre of rock music is concerned, and I can't remember the last record I heard of this nature that held my attention or drew me in as much as this one... Just like I said last time, I can't imagine anyone who's into this style being let down by this. They're a great band, and they keep getting better."
I definitely started to get more into Victor Griffin's work after this album. Still a killer demonstration of the genre at its finest.
Planes Mistaken for Stars, Up in Them Guts (No Idea Records)
"I've been curious about this band for years as they always seemed interesting to me, but I never bothered to look into much of their stuff... This is an awesome record. I'm not sure how it compares to their prior work, really. My instincts would tell me that this is likely a bit of a major progression from a similar foundation built on their prior recordings, but either way I'm kicking myself for not having been into them sooner. Very, very nice."
Mercy might be my personal favorite, but Up in Them Guts is not far behind. An impressive—if late—introduction to quite a special band. R.I.P. Gared O'Donnell.
Renee Heartfelt, Magdalene (Limekiln Records)
"There's a somber emo thing going on, and some of the textures have more of a lush rock thing happening... I'm trying not to overkill the Quicksand references because there are some different influences at work here, but I would absolutely recommend this to fans of said genre pioneers. This is a great EP and I'm very much looking forward to hearing more from this band. There's not one weak song on this thing. Very cool."
I wasn't as into the full-length that followed, in part because this EP is such an absolute gem. Hugely recommended for fans of emotional post-hardcore. Really a classic EP—a couple of 10/10 tracks, for sure.
Terror, One With the Underdogs (Trustkill Records)
"Their long-awaited full-length is here at last, and you can bet your ass it delivers. Just over a half-hour of brutal hardcore with a little metal to its heaviness, so expect typical chord progressions with a moderate tempo, massive breakdowns, pissed vocal yells with huge backup shouts, etc. Original? Nah, they're not rewriting any books here, but the songwriting is top notch for the genre, keeping its roots intact while also managing to be pretty catchy... I'd bet that these guys have yet to drop their finest work. I'm still all for it."
20+ years later and Terror is still as strong as ever. Legendary.
To What End?, The Purpose Beyond (Crimes Against Humanity Records)
"Burly and melodic hardcore/punk from Sweden featuring current/ex-members of Bruce Banner, Wolfpack, Sunday Morning Einsteins, and then some. A core of relatively straightforward Swedish hardcore/crust with some of that dissonant His Hero is Gone/Tragedy stuff going on... This is an awesome CD. Short but sweet, no weak tracks, lots of emotion... the best I've heard from this genre in a decent amount of time. Definitely get this one, I'm all over it."
Certainly one of the most underrated crust releases of all time. I still spin To What End? fairly often, and they hit just as hard today. The follow-up is also recommended, but The Purpose Beyond is often my go-to. "The Pressure is Gone" gets me every time...
Various Artists, It's a Trap Reader's Companion Volume One (It's a Trap!)
"This is a diverse collection of Scandinavian bands covering everything from rather aggressive indie rock to singer/songwriter folk-type stuff, with a few acts venturing toward hipster-ish garage rock or new wave sounds, though honestly the bulk of these artists are all quite talented... I've been introduced to some amazing music through this CD and will absolutely be tracking down more from some of these artists as a result, and that's exactly what a compilation should achieve. Very fucking well done..."
It's a Trap! was a fantastic website and I discovered so many incredible bands there—including Koma, cited above. I miss those days. Eternal respect.
