It's about that time where
every music blogger, and publication in the world is putting out
their “Best Of 2014” lists. In the spirit of staying true to the
aesthetic of No One Likes Your Band, I'm gonna do my year-end
list a bit differently than everyone else. It is my belief that here
in South Carolina, and the surrounding area, we are champions without
opponents. There is really no need to rank our output because it all
reflects us as a whole. We do things our own way, and that attitude
has served us quite well over the past year. While most lists are
made to generate arguments (and clicks, can't forget about that
almighty ad revenue!) view this list as a round of applause for all
us outsiders, and weirdos doing our own thing with blatant disregard
for what's popular. So, without further filler text (why say “adieu”,
just call it what it is, right?) here are just a few of the releases
that have been blasting from my speakers this year, in no particular
order.
This came out at the
beginning of the year, and has remained in my regular rotation ever
since. I already wrote a glowing review for this, but it bears
repeating: this album is damn near perfect. It's filled with lush
instrumentation, and stellar rhymes, running the gamut from wavy to
hardcore. Katalyst brings his own unique style, and revolutionizes
trap music on this release. No wonder it got nominated for “Album of the Year” by NOLYB listeners.
This is only a three song
E.P., but that doesn't make it any less awesome in my opinion. It's
kinda Metal, kinda Hardcore, and kinda just dark, nasty Rock and
Roll. There's groove, and pounding drums galore, all brought together
by a commanding vocal performance. Anger has never sounded like this
much fun.
One of the best Metal bands
in South Carolina, hands down. They combine all their favorite parts
of Black, Death, and Thrash Metal to create something that is
uniquely their own, but still permeates with the aura of classic
Metal bands like Death, or maybe Dismember. Hang on, let me put on my
“elitist” hat before I type this next line... anyone who claims
to be a Metal fan, but doesn't like this, is not an actual Metal fan.
(Oh shit, son! Shots fired! Shots fired!)
Also one of the best Metal
bands in South Carolina, but these guys are slower, and lay on the
groove extra thick. The heavily-reverberated sound at the venue
manages to add a little to the atmosphere of the music, not that it
really needs help sounding huge. This is highly recommended for Metal
fans who worship at the altar of the riff, and anyone who might want
a fitting soundtrack for their weekend haze. It's a pretty good
teaser to get you hyped up for their upcoming full-length as well,
I'm sure that'll be making it's way onto next year's list.
Another one of Upstate South
Carolina's ridiculously heavy Stoner Doom bands, but there's a
distinct element of Death Metal in Coffin Torture's sound. Over the
course of about 18 minutes, these two guys melt every face in the
room with their wall of sludgy sound. It's no wonder that every time
these guys play live it's viewed as a must-attend event., and this is
a great document of one of those occasions.
This is a release that
could've easily made the running for “Album of the Year” if there
were more than five slots. That's one of the problems with awards
shows, but I digress. House of Francis is full of well-written,
thought-provoking rhymes over dark, cinematic beats in addition to
quite a few memorable hooks. “Biggie Drake” flexes his lyricism,
and production prowess all over this album, and creates a true
underground classic. No surprise this release garnered him a bit of
attention from major labels.
The current front-runner for
“Album of the Year” according to the NOLYB listeners, and by no
small margin. This is perhaps the deepest, most intelligent Hip-Hop
release I've heard since the mid '90s heyday of Wu-Tang Clan, and
their affiliates, particularly Killah Priest. Dissecting religion,
our capitalist economic structure, global politics, and even their
own lives; these two men dropped a true jewel on the masses with this
one.
This is a release that's
just plain fun. It comes blaring out of the gate with feedback, and
almost barked vocals. Borrowing from Noise Rock, as well as
old-school Hardcore Punk, Ningas Tongas have made a mark on the scene
rather quickly with their unique approach to Rock music. This is
unlike anything I've heard coming out of this area, perhaps ever, but
definitely in recent memory. A must listen for anyone searching for
something a little out of the ordinary.
I recently wrote a review
full of flowery ways to say how excruciatingly heavy this album is,
and my opinion has remained unchanged. This thing is a beast. It's a
raging, terrifying, nihilistic beast determined to destroy everything
anyone has ever loved. I mean that in a nice way. In short, oh my
damn this thing is heavy.
The world's crustiest,
heaviest, Anarcho-Pop-Punk band. Rubrics takes everything from the
realm of Punk Rock, and makes it a little meaner. They're pissed off
because they care enough to be pissed, and that translates into the
music that they make. This band truly is equal parts catchy Pop-Punk,
and nasty powerviolence; a combination that not many other bands
could pull off so well. Don't be surprised if you see this in the
running for “Album of the Year” next year.
Of course this is hardly
even close to all the releases coming out of this area in the past
year, but I left it at ten for the sake of saving space, and because
I have to stop at some point. I didn't even include the HU/LK demo,
or the two-song E.P. by Deathstill; both of which also got a lot of
spins from me this year. Come to think of it, I didn't mention
anything from North Carolina. A state that has not only been
producing some quality Hardcore, and Heavy Metal recently, but also
has a growing Hip-Hop community, particularly around the Charlotte
area.
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