Dodecahedron - Dodecahedron

This one was recommended to me by our Ewan but I thought I'd write about it since he hasn't yet.

This album is pretty much everything I love about metal. Two content factors usually govern my love for metal: emotional and cerebral. The combination of these two things make for a record I am more than likely going to love. Emotional on it's own, for example all the well meaning but mostly generic Hardcore bands, don't do much for me as, IMHO, they all sound the same and nothing they do grabs me as really new, clever or interesting. Then, purely cerebral music gets you into Meshuggah territory where, as much as I feel bad for it, I just can't get into them as it's just too clinical and soulless without the passion and fire I need to really get me banging.

So here we have Dodecahedron. We have Meshuggah/Deathspell Omega complexity but with real fire and ferocity akin to the best Metal/Hardcore bands I love like Kiss it Goodbye and balls to the wall Black Metal. This really does get it right in my book. The third factor which makes this album stand out is this band really understands the importance of creating an album instead of a collection of songs. The progression of music through this record begins with hooked filled metalcore through to dense droning soundscapes, electronic sequences, Meshuggah style poly-rhythmic mantras, acoustic sequences and a whole shit load more. It really ebbs and flows, dragging you around like a vortex of evil, promising you beauty and then crushing you to death with some of the best riffs you've ever heard.

Oh, and the kick drum sound is utterly pulverising, I cannot get enough of that sound!

On bandcamp they've only posted two tracks which is a shame as you can't appreciate the whole epic in its full form (especially the "View From Hverfell" trilogy of tracks at the end which are a fucking masterpiece), so you'll need to demo the whole album via other methods (you know what to do), but please then go buy their album via bandcamp if you like it (you get the whole album in the download, don't worry).

Easily one of the best albums of 2012.