At just over 200 posts for the entire year, 2006 was a pathetically massive dropoff—especially when you consider that that number was a combination of new and old releases. So, despite some posts covering multiple artists, the volume of new music that I was writing about compared to prior years was pretty damn minuscule. Combine that with having dropped the ratings scale, and it was significantly harder to sift through and reflect on write-ups from 2006. Please note that the following list only includes music that I actually wrote about at the time, so by no means am I claiming that this is what I would consider to be a best-of-2006 compendium (though some of the selections that follow certainly are)! Here's a semi-synopsis of Aversionline v3.0 circa 2006.
Some of What I Loved the Most...
Arkangel, Hope You Die by Overdose (God's Child Music)
"...still cranking out an intense brand of European metalcore with absolutely scathing vocals. I'm talking completely over-the-top screams with no fucking remorse—totally nuts. The frontman definitely gives these guys an edge, because I have to confess that musically this style of metalcore can sometimes get tiresome due to all of the tremolo picking riffs, though I have to give Arkangel credit on a few fronts. First of all, they generally keep the tracks short, so the majority of these songs run around three minutes apiece. They also keep things moving along, so even though there's a heavy reliance on chugging tremolo picking riffs, they break up the monotony with lots of churning mid-paced breaks and minor shifts in tempo..."
Hope You Die by Overdose was technically first released in 2004, but I didn't know it at the time, so this God's Child pressing was my first exposure to the material. I know that many disagree, but in my opinion 2000s era Arkangel is superior to their early "edgemetal" days. Of course I enjoy their entire discography, but I'll pick Hope You Die by Overdose or ...Is Your Enemy damn near every time. Classic.
Arsis, United in Regret (Willowtip)
"Sure enough, the bulk of this album offers up the same top-notch brand of scorching, energetic, technical, melodic death/thrash that's come to be expected of Arsis... The drumming's gotten much livelier this time out, with loads of explosive fills and quick shifts bouncing around within its patterns—thus providing a better balance to match the similarly flashy guitar work; which is jammed with sick picking patterns, super tight interaction between varying guitar lines, and, of course, fuckin' blazing solos worthy of the '80s heyday of the Shrapnel Records roster."
The Willowtip years of Arsis' output are just phenomenal. Nonstop ripping excellence. The Depeche Mode cover on this album rules, too. As I said in the 2004 rewind, where are they now: James Malone...?
Betrayed, Substance (Equal Vision Records)
"As expected, the album offers up a great mix of extremely solid songwriting that teeters back and forth between the band's more direct and aggressive old school hardcore tendencies and their more melodic and intricate riffing, which is what initially caught my ear in their earlier output. What makes this material all the better is that the band has finally scored the balanced sound quality they've needed all along, which comes as no surprise with Kurt Ballou at the helm, so whether they're plowing through a fast and borderline caustic track with a classic hardcore/punk aesthetic, or a longer and more developed tune with some badass rocked out riffs or slick melodic dissonance, it all sounds mighty fine."
Simply superb melodic hardcore. I always forget that Todd Jones was in Betrayed. Man, what a résumé...
Dead City, The End of Communication (Keep it Core)
"Dead City hails from Memphis, TN and cranks out three tracks of absolutely vicious metallic hardcore [herein]. In some ways their attack is a fairly standard dose of thick power chords and shifts in tempo from throbbing mosh breaks to moderately fast power chord rhythms, but there's a darker than average edge to the atmosphere, and the density of the recording has somewhat of a sludgy undercurrent to it that really works... At times it's somewhat reminiscent of a stripped down Bloodlet without the oddball time signatures and all that, which you won't find me complaining about."
My first exposure to Dead City, and holy shit, what an introduction! This EP and Goddamn the 21st Century are essential. Incredibly underrated band...
The Distance, The Rise, the Fall, and Everything in Between (Abacus)
"...having been part of the Bridge Nine roster at one point in time, I wouldn't be at all surprised were The Distance dealing with cries of 'Sellout!' from purists as a result of their decisions on this record, though I'm actually surprised that they haven't started blowing up a little more already based on the nature of this material. I mean, fuck it, man... good songs are good songs, so while there's barely anything about this album that you could refer to as 'hardcore' (it's more like a catchy, heavy-ish brand of pseudo emo with hints of pop-punk and roots in ultra melodic hardcore), there's no question at all that this is by far The Distance's strongest material to date, and while I enjoyed some of their earliest work, I'm not gonna lie: I'm much more a fan of this."
I still love this album and listen to it fairly often. I'm sure it's not for everyone, but I find the unbelievably catchy songwriting just undeniable. As far as I'm concerned, "The Setup" has a million-dollar chorus. Incredible.
L'Esprit du Clan, Chapitre 2: Reverence (God's Child Music)
"L'Esprit du Clan's style is a violently brutal and ultra slick Merauder meets early Machine Head sort of thing, with a sick dual vocal onslaught delivered entirely in French. It's much more metal than 'metalcore' at this point (and remember—we're talking about the form of crushing '90s metallic hardcore that was king when this band formed in 1995), with plenty of chugging modern thrash and scorching lead breaks with just the right presence of occasional melody... It's 55+ minutes of complete annihilation, and I'm lovin' every damn second of it. Awesome."
Released in Europe the year prior, the God's Child pressing of Chapitre 2: Reverence was again my first access to this material. This remains my overall favorite from L'Esprit du Clan, an obscenely underrated band. Were their lyrics in English, I can practically guarantee they'd be regarded almost as highly as Kickback. Always totally respected their decision, though. Keepin' it real.
Ignite, Our Darkest Days (Abacus Recordings)
"...a lot of the songs are so god damn catchy and so god damn melodic that it's just insane. I mean, any mainstream 'alternative rock band' or whatever could record a handful of these tunes and probably make millions. And that's no insult to Ignite at all, I'm not making any accusations with that statement. Those unbelievably infectious and memorable songs—driven largely by Zoli Teglas' unique voice and soaring harmonies—are by far my favorites, and really make this album what it is... All I know is that these fuckers better not wait another six years to do a new record if they're gonna keep cranking out jams of this quality! It's not for everyone, but I fuckin' love it!"
It's kinda crazy that in over 30 years, Ignite has never fallen off in quality. So many ridiculously catchy choruses on this thing... Probably the all-time best Ignite album, really.
Katatonia, The Great Cold Distance (Peaceville)
"I have this borderline nonsensical expression for certain bands where I say that they make me feel like I want to live and die at the same time, which, as weird as it might seem, is pretty much the highest compliment I could ever pay them. There are only a handful of bands that I've experienced in my lifetime that have hit that level, and Katatonia is right up there. I'm not even kidding when I say that at this point in time if I had to pick only one band to listen to for the rest of my life, Katatonia would be it."
The last truly, truly great Katatonia album. I still love and follow the band, but 1996 - 2006 was absolutely untouchable. I have a pretty clear memory of throwing this disc in the stereo and lying on the couch to listen top-to-bottom as soon as I got it. "Soil's Song" really took my breath away instantly, as did "Journey Through Pressure." The end of an era.
Parallax, Mediums & Messages (Counterintelligence Recordings)
"This is contemporary metalcore, yes, but it's that rare breed of such metalcore that operates on an entirely different level of magnificence that few bands could ever even dream of reaching. In the past I've compared elements of Parallax's music to both Shai Hulud (one of my favorite bands of all time) and Misery Signals (who are responsible for what is probably the single finest metalcore album of the decade thus far), and those are no small compliments coming from me. Parallax is just among the few who are able to harness a frenzied sense of chaos that's jammed with so many powerful riffs and arrangements that they really take hold of the listener and refuse to let go."
Probably one of the more important—if, again, grossly underrated—albums that I've covered in the last 25 years. Seriously, if Mediums & Messages has somehow managed to elude you all this time, I beg you to seek it out. Name your price on Bandcamp. Next-level technical, emotional, and meaningful metalcore brilliance...
Planes Mistaken for Stars, Mercy (Abacus Recordings)
"The overall aesthetic of the album still retains that heavy, angular sort of indie rock undercurrent, while highlighting some of the sludgier rock riffs and integrating a much more recognizable post-hardcore quotient. There are still plenty of caustically noisy areas, as well as those venturing into much darker and more somber territory, they just seem to be widening their scope a bit while evening out some of their dynamic shifts in a way. Without eclipsing a few of the band's past glories, the songwriting here is a little more melodic and memorable overall, which I believe actually makes Mercy my favorite Planes Mistaken for Stars effort to date when looking at the big picture of the complete record."
The best Planes Mistaken for Stars album. There's just something powerfully special about the feeling these songs capture. R.I.P. Gared O'Donnell.
Solid Ground, Get Used To It (Dead Serious Recordings)
"This band absolutely fucking rages, and this is some of the absolute best heavy and super pissed hardcore I've heard in awhile—right up there with American bands like Allegiance in terms of its overall furious energy (not to mention superb vocals that have their own identity happening). I just eat this shit up, there really aren't enough hardcore bands out there that can write songs that actually cut to the chase and really convey a convincing sense of anger and emotion that I can identify with like this, so I have to commend these guys on a job damn well done... This is the kind of shit that seriously makes me want to crack heads and fucking destroy all living things, I totally love it."
Along with Allegiance, Go it Alone, etc.; one of the absolute finest hardcore releases of the 2000s. Very possibly my favorite pure hardcore release of the entire decade. The title track alone makes me want to destroy everything in sight. Masterpiece.
Spitalfield, Better Than Knowing Where You Are (Victory Records)
"I've said it before and I'll say it again (well, at least until it happens): this band should be fucking huge... The band's third full-length is back for the attack—rivaling the almost absurd levels of over-the-top catchiness and energy possessed by the band's outstanding debut, Remember Right Now... Hell, there's really no stopping, every song's a keeper for the most part! There are even some unexpected post-hardcore textures happening here and there. It's just good shit, what can I say? These dudes kick ass. The shit's not cheesy or anything, they just write great tunes, that's all there is to it."
I know that Spitalfield did achieve some degree of success, but man, they should've broken into mainstream-level hugeness. Such phenomenal songwriting chops...
Starkweather, Croatoan (Candlelight Records)
"Simple fact: Starkweather is one of the greatest (and yet most criminally wronged, overlooked, and possibly cursed) bands to have ever existed, and there is absolutely no shred of doubt that Croatoan will be among the best records of 2006. The end. No fucking argument... You can't properly describe Starkweather with words. You just can't. Are they a metal band? Sure, but there's so much more to it than that since it's far from 'conventional' in any way. And have they perhaps come from more of a hardcore background on some level? Yes, you'd more than likely say that, but they've never sounded even remotely like a hardcore band at all from a musical standpoint."
What more can I succinctly state that hasn't already been quoted above? Arguably the most singularly distinctive "metalcore" band ever. Legendary.
Other Stuff That Got Me Hyped...
About the Fire, Six Anthems From the Comfortably Jaded (Happy Couples Never Last Recordings)
"About the Fire [cranks] out something kind of like a crunchy melodic hardcore/punk style that has elements of pop-punk and metal going on in terms of catchy songwriting and energetic performances alongside occasionally dissonant riffs or dual guitar parts... And just check out those gruff vocals! Totally fuckin' killer, I mean... I was sold on this shit within 30 seconds or less."
Fantastic EP from this all-too-short-lived Indianapolis outfit. If the track above doesn't sell you, all I can do is shake my head in disappointment...
And This Army, Foe (Self-Released)
"They're certainly operating in a relatively interesting area that defies categorization within any basic genre. These tracks are much longer (the total of all six is nearly 45 minutes) and heavier than their past efforts, at times bordering on a droning brand of sludginess with ties to the raw, drawn-out grooves of '70s-esque 'stoner rock'—though I must point out that And This Army is simply not that kind of a band. There's just this powerfully unexpected, almost surprising sort of underlying pulse to the material that adds an intriguing sense of contrast... I'm really floored by the finest moments herein, to the point where certain aspects really hit me in a rare fuckin' manner... Good shit..."
I'm so glad that this release eventually filtered out to streaming services, 'cause it remains obscure enough to not be listed on Discogs. "Blackbeard" is probably my top And This Army song. There's something especially haunting about this one...
Apartment 213, Cleveland Power Violence (Retribute Records)
"...they sound better than ever—which is to say that they basically sound exactly like they did in their heyday, just with better recording quality. But that's not to say they've polished things up... This is the real deal. It's not a blur of speed at all, and truth be told a good chunk of the material is actually churning and mid-paced—with a riffing style that alternates between bludgeoning power chords and twisted squeals. Sure, there are plenty of speedy moments that flirt with a straight hardcore/grind sort of feel, but the overall aesthetic is one that you don't really get the chance to experience too often these days, because there have only been a handful of bands in the last decade that have been able to properly harness this sound."
I mean, come on. One-of-a-kind. And here we are looking back on a reunion album from 2006 while Apartment 213 is back in action again, this time with a mostly-new west coast lineup. Expect new material soon, believe it or not!
At War With Shadows, The Truckstop Tapes (Hater of God)
"This is some seriously scorching metalcore that's by far the band's best material ever... In large part the songwriting on this fucker is incredibly energetic and teeters on the brink of feeling somewhat chaotic strictly in terms of the mass quantities of riffs and tempo changes flying all over the place, but the picking patterns alone are right up my alley and accentuate some of the dissonantly melodic characteristics of the writing quite well, so I'm fucking loving the twisted and mangled vibe they've got going on here. Some of this shit is just totally sick, and at times it's very diverse as well."
I'll repeat myself: Hater of God. Hell of a label. This shit smokes.
Closer, Tokpela (Self-Released)
"...I'd probably refer to what Closer's doing as something like 'progressive indie rock,' ha. Seriously, to me a lot of the riffs and arrangements sort of sound like Opeth if they were to drop the metal and go for somewhat of a dryer and more angular sound. There's a great balance of melody and dissonance, I love the vocal work, the songwriting is dynamic yet consistent, and there's a lot of intricate riffing—so the entire affair is much more involved than cursory listens might reveal. It really is very creative material, and definitely has a unique sound to it despite the possibility of loose comparisons to other artists."
Another impressive Swedish group that I discovered thanks to It's a Trap. They remain somewhat of a mystery, and only released one more even-harder-to-find EP in 2007. Feels like yet another band that really had the potential to stick around and make a dent if only the right opportunities had unfolded...
The End Will be Kicks, The End Will be Kicks (Chalksounds)
"This one unloads 10 tracks and about 40 minutes of jangly and melodic indie rock that blends catchy sensibilities with an efficient sense of rawness that lends a slightly dated sounding edge to the overall tone. To some degree there's a 'hip' tinge of rocked-out darkness that has a 'modern throwback' effect, if that makes sense, but for the most part the songwriting is very memorable and I really dig how they take a discordant and lightly noisy attack and counterbalance it with gripping melodic attributes... I just really love the writing here, and when you break it down there are some slick little winding riffs and lots of intricate interactions between the instruments that are pretty damn involved considering the catchy punch..."
Back-to-back It's a Trap finds here, and again from Sweden, too! TEWBK had some lineup ties to Breach, but you'd never guess it based on their catchy/jangly indie perfection. Awesome, awesome album.
Head Control System, Murder Nature (The End Records)
"...I'm not gonna lie, there are definitely a number of instances where this album does sound like flat-out nu-metal, were it to somehow be delivered in an artistically respectable fashion. But Garm's vocals are extremely unique, not to mention impressive and powerful, so his presence really changes the overall dynamic of the material—which is already too textured and creative in its use of electronic smatterings and atypical vocal arrangements to simply be relegated to some kind of 'heavy rock' or 'nu-metal' tag. But it does have some really catchy moments—again, due in large part to the vocal work—so they're certainly not shunning a certain element of simplicity as far as memorable songwriting is concerned."
Worth the price of admission for the vocal presence of Ulver's Kristoffer "Garm" Rygg alone. Wish this project had done another album (or even an EP) at some point...
Intronaut, Null (Goodfellow Records)
"The band features current and former members of Impaled, Uphill Battle, Anubis Rising, and Exhumed and cranks out some fucking wickedly creative metal that's almost sure to surprise fans of the aforementioned acts with its excellent musicianship and songwriting... At this point in my life it really does take a hell of a lot for a song to really hit me 100% and trigger an actual wave of emotional response, but 'Fragments of Character' certainly succeeds time and time again... There are some riffs in this thing that seriously make me want to kill everything on the planet—in a good way. Fact: if you listen to any kind of 'heavy' music and don't like this song, you are fucked."
I should really go back and catch up on Intronaut at some point. I kinda faded away after The Challenger, and to be honest I love "Fragments of Character" so much that I grab Null almost every time I decide to listen to 'em. That chorus riff is an all-time Top 10, I mean, god damn...
Lion of Judah, Universal Peace (Youngblood Records)
"Universal Peace is what I would best describe as 'progressive' hardcore, and it offers a pretty damn impressive blend of influences that comes across as significantly more inventive than the vast majority of the hardcore you'll come across these days. Even the traditionally-based chord progressions and straightforward hardcore energy are layered with everything from technically sound riffs à la Burn or Turning Point to strangely rocked out runs that remind me of later Leeway, with a few noisy leads on occasion and plenty of those ringing D.C. undercurrents that create a great sense of melody."
Is it me or is Lion of Judah oddly less-remembered than several of the other bands that came out of the Lockin' Out roster? I still feel like this is one of the more effectively creative releases from that niche/time period, and I still enjoy listening to Universal Peace with some degree of frequency.
Rosesdead, Stages (One Day Savior)
"I cannot comprehend why I'm not hearing more about these guys, because the quality of this release should be garnering way more attention than it seems to have received thus far... Everything about this disc is top-notch contemporary metalcore that blows through shitloads of killer riffs and dynamics with no remorse. Chugging staccato breakdowns, caustic textures and dissonant chord phrasings, fluid clean passages and droning interludes, technical metal flare... it's all here, and the end result is actually cohesive—it's not a jumbled mess of riff after riff after riff. This is another band that's coming close to the level and overall aesthetic of what Misery Signals is doing... This is easily one of the best metalcore records I've heard all year..."
In retrospect, as a whole, Stages is certainly not as strong as something like Misery Signals. However, it is a very good and extremely overlooked offering from within that particular niche of metalcore, and I think that type of fanbase would really appreciate Rosesdead were they to dig into this one.
Things Fall Apart, We Are All... (Crustacean Records)
"As with their past efforts the style here is a blend of metallic indie rock/emo-tinged hardcore/punk with plenty of energetic melody, but the relatively unique vocal performance has improved tenfold, as has the recording quality, and the songwriting feels more focused and memorable overall. So, basically, this is an absolutely stunning 15 minutes of material that leaves me extraordinarily eager to hear more. At times elements of the work remind of the final EP from As Friends Rust, though a tad more streamlined. God damnit, this is just fucking awesome. I don't even know what else to say. This kicks ass, I love it..."
I don't know what happened to this band, but this EP still totally rules. Drives me crazy that gems like this just come and go, so bands like Things Fall Apart with so much potential just never get the chance to be heard by the number of ears that they deserve...
Unholy, Awaken the Sleep (Closed Casket Activities/Silentstagnation)
"Unholy's lineup boasts involvement in numerous other outstanding acts, among them Another Victim, Blood Runs Black, Godbelow, The Promise, Santa Sangre, and When Tigers Fight... Their debut EP unloads seven tracks of absolutely scathing metalcore chock full of everything from chunky power chords and meaty picking patterns with sludgy undercurrents to dissonant melodic accents or borderline caustic bursts. There's a good mix of basic hardcore-ish energy and thrashy crossover stylings, with the general riffing creativity I'd expect, and it's pulled off with a sense of inventiveness that creates an identifiable niche that Unholy doesn't really share with any of their contemporaries. I'm all over this shit, kids."
It's interesting that with Closed Casket Activities still very much active and involved with what's making waves in the scene at present that some of the label's earliest releases don't seem to be reflected upon very widely. All of the Unholy stuff still holds up, though, and any fan of Syracuse's vast array of metallic hardcore gold would be wise to investigate this group.
