Eric's Recs: Albums I've Been Digging a Lot Lately

By: Eric Perzanowski, Programming Director

I’m the type of music listener who obsessively listens to an album over a short period of time and then moves on to something new. It’s not that I get bored, but rather that I find something else that takes my attention away from the other album. Nevertheless, here are some albums that have stood the relative test of time.

1. Iced Earth – Plagues Of Babylon

This album has grown a ton on me. I’m pretty sure every single song on this album has had at least a few-day span of being constantly stuck in my head. In addition, I think that if I were to ever compile a list of favorite modern metal vocalists, Stu Block solidified his spot on said list with his performance on this album.

2. The Acacia Strain – Wormwood

I feel as though this album can be considered a musical incarnation of “pissed off.” Every track is just angry as hell and I love that.

 

3. Mastodon – The Hunter

Mastodon will always hold a special place in my heart because they were essentially the first metal band I discovered without the aid of “introduction to metal” type lists. I can understand why some don’t like this album in comparison to other Mastodon albums. This probably isn’t my favorite Mastodon album, but it’s certainly one I’ve been listening to a lot lately.

4. Battlecross – War of Will

My #1 album of 2013. Ever since discovering this band in the summer between junior and senior year of high school, Battlecross has been one of my favorite bands (in fact, there’s a good chance that if I hadn’t decided on this theme for this post, I would have done a top five Battlecross songs list). After listening to a couple of Battlecross songs, I usually end up spending the next half hour listening to the entire album. I can’t complain, though. It’s a fantastic album.

5. Cattle Decapitation – Monolith of Inhumanity

This album is just insanity from start to finish. Monolith of Inhumanity was my introduction to Cattle Decapitation and there’s no better way to be introduced to this band than with this album. Travis Ryan is an inhuman vocalist with a huge variety of vocal approaches, which he demonstrates on this album.

6. Within The Ruins – Elite

The first time I heard this album I was instantly hooked. The guitar work on Elite (as well as every other Within The Ruins album) is so infectious. Overall, this band has a unique approach on a stale metalcore genre.

7. Pathogenic – The Solipsist Dream

Unlike my other selections in this post, this is an EP. Pathogenic has really become one of my favorite local bands back home in Massachusetts. This five-track EP showcases the best of the band’s abilities.

8. Allegaeon - Formshifter

Ever since catching this band at 2013’s New England Metal and Hardcore Fest, I’ve been hooked. While I enjoy this band’s first album more, I’ve been really getting into Formshifter lately. It’s a nice mix of technicality and melody.

9. Nails – Abandon All Life

I didn’t really get a good look at this until this year, but man, this band just put so much heaviness and ferocity into this 17-minute, 10-track album.

10. Exodus – Tempo of the Damned

This album always seems to be in the mix of whatever I’m listening to, and for good reason. In addition to just being all around good thrash metal, Tempo of the Damned has so many enjoyable puns both in the lyrics as well as the song titles (ex. “Scar Spangled Banner,” and “Shroud of Urine”).