Album of the Month: June 2008
Album of the Month: June 2008
Shai Hulud
Misanthropy Pure
Here we have metalcore makers showing off their metalcore mastery. This is a fresh approach to a genre that almost every one of Shai Hulud's peers treats in a generic way. Metalcore can be more than blastbeats and breakdowns. "Mysanthropy Pure" is made for intelligent, active listening yet brings forth the brawn required to give it power for the mosh pits.
This is Shai Hulud at their absolute best.
Runner-Up
Opeth
Watershed
Opeth has created a certain sound for themselves. While they experiment with each release, the elements of song they experiment with are pretty much static. While "Watershed" does not reach the heights of their previous album "Ghost Reveries" (which is, in my opinion, their masterpiece), they have incorporated new sounds and new directions.
Unfortunately these fresh approaches are more dressing than the meat of the album, but I appreciate that these approaches are at least being explored. I'll hope that "Watershed" serves as a transitional album that leads to a braver embrace of what used to be peripheral elements in their music (much as "Damnation" was).
In the meantime, I'll enjoy these fresh, rock-solid Opeth tunes. I can complain all I want about stagnation, but that doesn't change the fact that they changed two key members of the band and managed not to lose a thing. Heir Apparent (the incredible album highlight) and The Lotus Eater will serve as Opeth classics to be drawn into their setlists as long as they exist.