Black Sabbath - "13"
Thank you! First of all, this album is massively underrated by some of the press. They didn't even mention it AT ALL in their best album of 2013, well I guess they're wrong. I'm a big fan of Sabbath, I'm a big fan of Toni, I'm a big fan of Ozzy-years-of-Sabbath, not to mention Dio was bad, he's cool but I guess i have to say that Ozzy is much cooler and I guess I'm not the only one that happy Sabbath comeback with Ozzy, since Dio was dead. They open the album with "End of the Beginning", and guess what? MASSIVE HEAVY RIFF, and I fuckin' love it. They're back with that kind of riff, no melancholy songs like "Changes" or "It's Allright" in this album, well maybe "Zeitgeist" is kinda slow but they were all pretty much dark and heavy, well the album sleeve describe it very well, innit? Their first single of the album "God is Dead?" is bringing back the old-Paranoid-times of Sabbath and I think it's the best track of this album. So Sabbath, is this the end of the beginning? Or the beginning of the end?
Drenge - "Drenge"
The newest addition to my favourite band, Sheffield brothers duo, the magnificent, Drenge. I started to listen to this band when Converse upload their video of "Bloodsport" on youtube, and I can't stop ever since. They haven't release any album back then so I was visiting their soundcloud literally, everyday. I'm in love with the aggressivity of the ending of "Bloodsport", the bridge-pickup-with-zero-tone guitar sound, the mental live performance of them, so "Bloodsport" was on my repeat one list back in the day. But not when "the day" has come, the release date of their first self-titled album, it was more beautiful than love on first sight (or hear). The opener "People in Love Make Me Feel Yuck" is pretty much describe what the whole thing you're gonna listen in the next forty or fifty minutes. All the aggressiveness of Eoin and Rory Loveless (they pretty much hate the Sheffield music scenery that too much Arctic-Monkeyness) blend with their anger, and hate. Anger and hate is good if you pour it into the good side of yourself, in this situation it's their musicality. They remind me to the early Nirvana, the Mudhoney era but with proper tshirt. After they gave you nine-aggressive-songs, they let you chill down with the last three songs. "Bye Bye Bao Bao" is the opener of this section, followed with eight minutes of depression version of hate (instead of aggressive version of hate) "Let's Pretend". Their last song "Fuckabout" is the perfect song to close the entire album, it was like they want to show you even with their last name "Loveless" they still have a heart. A harmony is shown, the melancholy side of the Loveless bros closed with "I don't give a fuck about people in love, they don't piss me off, they just make me give up." Brilliant, 10/10 lads!
Primal Scream - "More Light"
Primal's number 10! The tenth album indicates their comeback after 2008's "Beautiful Future". Well actually they never been on hiatus but 5 years without Bobby G's work is dull, a pretty dull world. They start since 1987, even when I wasn't born, and never stop working until now. More Light is beautiful, more experimentic (compares to my fav "Give Out, But Don't Give Up"), more Screamadelica vibes. They still soundtracking Brittain's life, the politics, and the Brits culture. The first track "2013" is a soul melody, with dessert-snake kind of vibes, and rough acoustic guitar tune. The first track I hear in this album was "It's Alright, It's OK" and believe me, I didn't expect "More Light" is gonna be sound like this. The "XTRMTR" vibes at mind, but soul-bossanova vibes at heart. Well played by Bobby G and co's, they want more fight and more light for years ahead.
Foals - "Holy Fire"
When I first listen to "Inhaler" somewhere in 2012, I was like "Ok, you guys have to make something more than this to get in the big league (Yannis obsession, apparently)", but not after the "And i can't get enough, space" section, that was the climax should describe as it is, the grunge-y kind of riff heavier than they used to, play on the higher note. Ok this should be enough for them to get in the big league. And guess what? Yes they did it, play on the main stage on several festives, Mercury Prize nomination along with Arctic Monkeys and James Blake, that should be enough to consider they in the higher ground since "Total Life Forever". Yannis is pretty much sick of the comebacks, it makes the opportunity to headlining the festivals is almost impossible. The oldies should be giving the opportunity to the youngster, that's pretty much what Yannis tought, I can't really remember exactly how he said it. "If you're not Arctic Monkeys, there's no chance to headlining big festival with this kind of oldies comeback", "you had your time, now it's time for us to take control the festival". A lil bit too arrogant, innit? Well that was Foals and they prove it with a massive album. A well heard in a woods, with strong ambience supporting, like what they did in Royal Albert Hall, their latest DVD, good sounds, good lightings, very strong ambience. Again.
Arcade Fire - "Reflektor"
Last but not least, Arcade Fire or should I mention them as Reflektor? A double side album for the Canadian group, a very good dance-able songs. Art-like album, they take a walk to the different side of the world with Carribean vibes, Bossanovas, and that kind of harmony. I tought they had fun with this album, appearing on several gigs as Reflektor instead of Arcade Fire, wearing a big head helmet version of themselves on a tube on their way to their gig, and amusing music video. "Here Comes the Night Time" music video is a preview to their album before they release it, a lot of gimmicks, celebrities appearing in this music video. My favourite part is of course the spanish Michael Cera part "que sueñan con ser Mumfords and sons" (they dream about being Mumford and Sons) (pretty much) a good sarcastic cameo, innit? hahaha. The first time I listen to them was a glorious moment, I was in bad state at the time and listen to this album for the very first time is like, forgetting all the problems and just dance and flow with the music. Not to mention "We Exist" bass line is reminding me to Billie Jean, it's a very good song. Like the deputy of editor of NME said, "This Arcade Fire album is like jeans-shopping. You spend ages searching for the best ones and wonder which you'll go back for at the end" a humorous yet genius analogy.
So that's it, my version of top 5 albums of 2013 with a little review about it. Actually there's plenty more of my 2013's favourite album like Jagwar Ma's "Howlin" or Miles Kane's magnificent work but, they can't surpass any of these albums. I hope there's plenty more on 2014, hope it's gonna be a good year since 2013 is pretty shitty for me. Altough it's pretty shitty but you just can't miss out those great album, and said it's the worst year ever, can you?
