That wolf guy's top 5 of '07!!

1//
Messengers
by August Burns Red
Solid State
June 19, 2007

In 2005 August Burns Red released their first major label debut "Thrill Seeker", and while I was late to jump on their bandwagon, I can safely say that it was my favorite cd of the year. In 2007 they brought a new singer into the mix, which was better, but it altogether didn't change much. But as with most hardcore/metal bands, it's never usually about the singer, but about the music and the breakdowns. If its breakdowns you want, this disc delivers. Actually, it over delivers. After the first several listens, this thing was like, way over the top, too much crash cymbal, all the breakdowns sound the same kinda stuff. But the more and more I listened to it, this shit just got off the fucking chain. This cd is brutally heavy. All the breakdowns sound nearly identical the first couple listens, but if you start picking them apart, they get better and better. My favorite metal moment of 07 is in my favorite song of 07, "The Balance" brings the metal with my favorite metal verse and my favorite breakdown of the year.

I admit, this cd doesn't do too much for variety or originality, I just like it for its heaviness. It's metalcore as metalcore gets if you ask me, and I'm sure if you ask someone like the owner of this blog, he'd say, "Yeah, its probably about one of the heaviest cd's out there." All you blog readers need to get this on your Ipod and blare it in your car, its great.

4.5//5
Listen to 'The Balance' and 'An American Dream'


2//
When I Am God
by Oh, Sleeper
Solid State
October 23, 2007

This is a rockin cd full of great tunes by yet another Christian band off of Solid State records. This label sure does know how to find some quality bands. I talked about this band in detail on Brandon's "One List To Rule Them All" list. ANYways, what I think that makes this cd so badass is the singer. He's great, he's got an original voice, his hair is really cool, and he's got lyrics that I like, and they're Christian, which is unusual. Musically it's a pretty solid listen, a few bongdongular moments that really split the pants, and whats best, cool lyrics to accompany them. Pick this puppy up, you'd have fun with it.

4//5
Listen to 'Vices Like Vipers', 'To Flagship', and 'The End of a Dark Campaign'



3//
Deliver Us
by Darkest Hour
Victory
July 9, 2007

Now, if you're a fan of my music of the year lists, you know by now that every other year Darkest Hour releases a badass cd that tops my list. This year its a little different. Just so you know, DH is probably my favorite band, them and The Album Leaf and Circle Takes the Square, but Deliver Us is different from their recent records. 2003's "Hidden Hands of a Sadist Nation' is probably the most thrash-metal cd of the new millennium. 2005 saw Darkest Hour get the hang of writing a catch in a song and they released "Undoing Ruin", which is a great great cd. Now its 2007 and this band is still progressing. You haven't heard a solo until you've heard the multiple solo's in Tunguska. These Mike Schleibaum and Kris Norris guitar players aren't human, they are metal gods. With this new record, Darkest Hour grows just like how they do every cd, they are better musicians, John Henry is a better lyricist and his voice is better and he can hit more notes. On drums, Ryan Parrish is still the blast beat bomb.

The reason this cd doesn't top my list is because I know DH is capable of writing a better cd. Not saying this a bad cd, its just not as good as these guys can write. They're better than they've ever been, but they need to bring the heaviness that we saw in "Hidden Hands" back to the forefront.

3.5//5
Listen to 'Tunguska', 'Full Imperial Collapse' and 'Deliver Us'



4//
Silent Treatment
by The Bled
Vagrant Records
September 25, 2007

This band really couldn't release a sub-par record if they had to. They're one of those bands that found their formula early on in their career and stuck with it. Every cd is great beyond mentioning. Good lyrics combined with great music equals a 2xgreat band! "Breathing Room Barricades" is my second favorite song of the year, the end is just pure awesomeness. Listen to it. I really need to see these guys in concert, I had to work and missed them the one chance I had, sucked. Anyways, there's not much to say about The Bled's newest effort, another solid, great cd. I'm looking forward to their next offering already.

4//5
Listen to 'Breathing Room Barricades' and 'Shadetree Mechanics'



5//
The Big Dirty
by Every Time I Die
Ferret Records
September 4, 2007

Bk hit it on the nose with his review of this cd in his yearly list. Him and I share the same views on this band-hit or miss, end up liking it kind of thing. We both hated their last cd, but loved Hot Damn! and Last Night In Town marks a time in our lives when we started listening to the music we listen to now. Keith Buckley on vocals is the current best lyricist in the biz, besides the CTTS gang of course. This dude is very innovative, very provocative and funny. The music that backs up his angry wailing is quite heavy. The pinnacle of the record lies in my third favorite song of the year "INRIhab". With lyrics like "I tied the devil to the tracks, and I tied the tracks in a lover's knot around the finger of a beautiful girl. I'll keep hell if hell will have me.", you can't not love this band at times. Every Time I Die scores with this cd, but who knows where the next outing will take them. Give it a listen.

3//5
Listen to 'INRIhab' and 'Buffalo Gals'