Top 10 albums of 2011

Well, it's that time of year again. Music critics around the world are revealing their Top 10 (or for the really ambitious, Top 25) albums of the past year, while angry, anonymous internet commenters are ripping them to shreds for being too mainstream, too obscure, too hipster, too hip-hop, too trendy, too nerdy, too old-school, too new-school or some other petty grievance. It never ceases to amaze me how so many people take it as a personal affront every time you pick 10 things and rank them, but hey, that's what we're here for. Some people make lists, and some people bitch about them. I'm happy to be in the former camp.

In my case, you could justifiably label my Top 10 as "too metal." It's no secret that I'm a metalhead first and foremost, but it's hardly the only style of music I listen to. Over the years, I've shown plenty of love to non-metal releases in my year-end Top 10 lists, but this year just seemed to be a really good year for metal (or maybe just a down year for hip-hop, indie rock, etc.). Outside of a pair of country albums, this list is all metal. Hell, even the two country acts on my list have metal albums to their credit.

But you know what? So be it. Maybe I'm just getting old and set in my ways, but these are the 10 albums that moved me the most this year. Throwing in a token nod to Fleet Foxes, White Denim or the Black Keys just didn't seem right in a year that featured so many great heavy releases. So feel free to leave a comment below lambasting my picks. I've developed some thivk skin over the past few years, and it just wouldn't feel like a proper Top 10 list without disgruntled commentary.

Concert Review: Hank3 at the Marquee Theatre, 9/19/2011

Hank3 performs live at Marquee Theatre on 9/19/2011

Seeing Hank3 live these days is like a test of endurance. At his show last night at the Marquee Theatre in Tempe, Hank3 took the stage at 8:30 p.m. to a near-capacity crowd and didn't finish up until nearly three and a half hours later, after roughly two-thirds of the audience had called it a night.

It's hard to fault anyone for leaving. It was a Monday night after all, with another long work week barely underway. But those who stuck around were treated to the full spectrum of what Hank3 has to offer -- from classic country to auctioneer-laced speed metal and everything in between.

Hank3 - Attention Deficit Domination, Cattle Callin and Ghost to a Ghost/Guttertown (Album Reviews)

Hank3 performing live (photo by Cindy Knoener)

Hank3 - Attention Deficit Domination, Cattle Callin and Ghost to a Ghost/Guttertown
Release date: September 6, 2011 (Hank3 Records/Megaforce Records)

What prompts an artist to release four albums' worth of material on the same day? Workaholism? Devotion? Ambition? Greed? Batshit lunacy?

Whatever the motivation, Shelton Hank Williams -- aka Hank Williams III, aka Hank3 -- apparently has a lot to get off his chest after a tumultuous 15-year stint with Curb Records. In a press release preceding this multi-album, multi-genre release, Hank3 explains his motivation thusly:

"I wanted to flood the market and do everything different. I wanted to come out of the gate strong. I'm opening up the mind a little bit and bringing some different styles together."

While it's certainly understandable that Hank3 is eager to make the most of his newfound artistic freedom, he's asking an awful lot of both his fans and music critics by dumping nearly four and a half hours of music on us at once. It's a lot to absorb, but as a member of both of the aforementioned groups, I'm happy to take on the challenge.

Arson Anthem - Insecurity Notoriety (Album Review)

Arson Anthem - Insecurity Notoriety
Release date: October 12, 2010 (Housecore Records)

The first thing that came to mind while listening to Arson Anthem's debut full-length album is that all these so-called "metalcore" bands out there right now should be forced to sit down and listen to this album on a continuous loop for about a week. Calling Arson Anthem a metalcore band might seem like a misnomer, but only because the term has been bastardized by a bunch of 20-something emo kids in eyeliner and white belts. If metalcore, as the name implies, is supposed to be a hybrid of heavy metal and hardcore punk, then Arson Anthem do it better than pretty much any band out there right now.

3?aK Episode 42: Joe Buck (Hank III, Assjack)

Back in 2007, when I was the music writer for College Times, Kip Winger blew me off for an interview because he was on “vocal lockdown.” I didn’t want to see the questions I’d prepared go to waste, so for the next year, I asked everyone I interviewed if they’d be willing to get into character and answer the following “Three Questions as Kip.”

If you're new to 3?aK and want a more detailed history of how this project came to be, click here.

OK, now that you're up to speed, let's get on with the show. Playing the role of Kip Winger for this installment of 3?aK will be bassist Joe Buck of Hank III and Assjack.