It seems like everyone who has been writing about the previous year in Richmond music keeps talking about it in terms of RVA finally being "on the map" as a cultural center for underground music--and that probably makes a lot of sense, if you're the sort of person who only thinks about the mellow indie world of Pitchfork and NPR blogs. Don't get me wrong, it's good that Richmond music is diversifying, but the idea that Richmond is an active and important town for underground music is nothing new where the hardcore, punk, and metal scenes are concerned. Indeed, in a year when artists like Matthew E. White, No BS! Brass Band, and White Laces were the talk of the town, the biggest and most popular album to come out of Richmond came from metal veterans Lamb Of God. Although their name was most often brought up in connection with an unfortunate international incident that left vocalist Randy Blythe in a Czech Republic prison, Lamb Of God had just as big an impact on the world of music this year by releasing an album, Resolution, that hit #3 on the Billboard album charts. Great music of all genres came out of Richmond this year, and I heard and enjoyed a lot of it, but in my personal opinion, the great majority of the best RVA music released this year still had its origin in the hardcore and metal scenes--just as it has for many previous years. Here's my list of the best RVA had to offer in 2012:
1. The Catalyst - Voyager (Forcefield)
Starting nearly a decade ago with a sound that was heavily reminiscent of Nirvana, The Catalyst have spent the intervening years getting heavier and heavier, a process that reached its pinnacle on their third full-length. Voyager greets the listener with a fusillade of brutal, pounding riffs, as demonstrated on immediate favorites like "King Of Swords" and "Jupiter Brain." That's not all the album has to offer, though, with its layered approach revealing itself through lengthier psych-metal epics like "Septagon,""Big Bend," and the title track--all of which also contain some surprisingly melodic moments. The science fiction narrative that connects all of the album's lyrics is a particular masterstroke, and helps place this album head and shoulders above every other local (and almost every non-local) piece of music I heard in 2012.
2. Tungs/Heavy Midgets - Sisters split LP (Bad Grrrl)
This excellent split release brings together two of the bright young hopes coming out of the RVA house show underground on one LP, which holds up as a cohesive unit despite the differences between the two bands it features within its grooves. On their side, Tungs mix short, catchy fuzz-punk tunes, particularly standout track "Tapestry," with longer psych-drone jams for a lo-fi cumulative listening experience that always stays interesting. Meanwhile, Heavy Midgets is a janglier, more indie-sounding group with a ramshackle pop sensibility that is given a punk edge by their equally raw production sound. Despite familiar titles, "Oh Susanna" and "Glory Days" are original tunes that mingle appealing vocal melodies with tough-sounding lead guitars. Meanwhile, "Safe On Your Mountaintop" is probably my favorite song that I heard for the first time in 2012, and features a strong lead vocal from Midgets guitarist Charlanne McCarthy, who forsakes her usual harmonizing with male bandmates for a stunning solo performance. I still haven't made it out to any of the house shows to which members of both of these bands send me frequent facebook invites, and believe me, I'm kicking myself about that. But this album has done plenty over the course of this year to give me my fix of awesome RVA indie-punk jams, and I'm sure it'll continue to do so well into 2013.
3. Springtime - 6 song demo (springtime.bandcamp.com)
It's just a demo, but I couldn't be much more excited about this five-piece hardcore band than I already am, so clearly they did something right on their first release. Springtime makes me think of a lot of the chaotic hardcore bands I loved back in the 90s--bands that detractors often lumped into the category of "emo," though Springtime bear no relation to Jimmy Eat World, Taking Back Sunday, or any other modern band that people categorize that way. Instead, they have a solid foundation in the building blocks of hardcore--quick tempos, chunky riffs, gruff vocals--into which they mix melodic lead guitar fluorishes reminiscent of bands like Dag Nasty or Rites Of Spring. The non-melodic but passionate and emotional vocal delivery mingles with the more overt lead guitar melodies in a way that creates intensity and puts forth a sincere and heartfelt appeal. This quality separates Springtime from any random band bashing away at the oft-repeated tropes of a 30 year old genre, and their demo proves that there's still something worthwhile to be done with the hardcore template. In light of their recent signing to Florida label Tiny Engines, I can't wait to see what else Springtime does with it in the new year.
4. This Is Your Life - Before We Fade Away (Reveille)
This Is Your Life are a bit more easy to apply the emo tag to, but like Springtime, they've got a solid foundation in hardcore that keeps their music heavy even at its most passionate moments. And there's a lot of passion here, particularly in the vocals--their singer always keeps a melodic undertone to his voice, but at the same time he often sounds like he's screaming with every ounce of energy he possesses. And it's incredible, especially on songs like "Arrivals And Departures" or "Blackout Curtains," which mix melodic guitar riffs and shouted backing vocals with a lead vocal that bridges the gap between the screams and the melody. Add heartfelt lyrics dealing with the passage of time and regrets about past mistakes, and you've got a record that hits all sorts of nerves. I've listened to this record in dark rooms late at night more often than I'd like to admit this year, and I'm sure that trend will continue. And from me, that constitutes a strong endorsement.
5. White Laces - Moves (Speakertree)
I can't deny it--when White Laces singer/guitarist Landis Wine told me that the material they were writing for their new LP was significantly less loud and abrasive than anything they'd done previously, I was a bit concerned. The harsh guitar feedback and noisy shoegaze-style crescendos that were plentiful on the first few White Laces EPs were a lot of what originally drew me to them. However, I shouldn't have worried, because it turns out that the band's songwriting skills have improved more than enough on Moves to make up for any shortcomings in the volume department. Besides, while songs like "Invocation" and "Carousel" take a while to reach their loudest points, the payoff is always worth the wait. And even mellower tracks like "Heavy Nights" sound so good in their present form that I'd be a real grinch to demand more volume. Rhythm guitarist Alex French has shown that he's just as adept on the keyboards he's playing much more often on this album as he is on his original instrument, and Jimmy Held's beats are still heavy enough to maintain a strong, solid foundation underneath even the most ambient sections of this record. Their sound changed on this album, but rather than merely mellowing out, White Laces expanded their sonic territory without surrendering any of the skills they demonstrated on their earlier releases. As much as I loved the early EPs, Moves is clearly the best thing they've released--at least, so far.
6. Hold Tight! - Blizzard Of 96 (Animal Style)
Number six on my overall list is number one on the list of album titles that made me feel old this year. I remember the blizzard of 96--a bunch of my friends from the West End were partying at my apartment the night before it hit, and nearly a dozen of us got stranded inside that tiny two-bedroom cubbyhole for over a week. It was fun... at first. Meanwhile, the members of Hold Tight probably associate the titular storm with missing two weeks of first grade. Sigh. But one thing I can't deny is that this record is a blast of melodic hardcore energy that never fails to put a smile on my face. I guess the kids really are all right. Carrying on the legacy of Lifetime and Kid Dynamite with their mingling of poppy riffing, superspeed tempos, and punk intensity, these guys seem full of angst about the transition from teenagerdom to adulthood. On the album-ending title track, James Goodson and Jake Guralnik trade lines like "Twenty two years and counting of past mistakes--I'm still dragging," and "I always thought I'd find my way with age. Now I see a little more each day that maybe it doesn't matter anyway." At damn near 37, I find myself relating pretty heavily. Because here's the secret, dudes--it doesn't get better. Dan Savage lied to you. But hey, at least we all have albums like this to help us get through the day.
7. The Trillions - Tritones (Worthless Junk)
I've got to hand it to the Trillions. In a year I spent mostly hating on indie bands and the indie sound, they released an album of solidly indie power-pop that won me over so completely that I couldn't even consider leaving it off this list. I think a big part of it is how talented at their instrument each individual member of this quartet is. Excellent musical ability can lead some songwriters to come up with things a more average talent would never think to do--and although that exact ability is clearly what led to the weirdest moments on this album, such as the 8-bit video game sound of the guitars on "Parallelograms" and "Ctrl-X Ctrl-V," it also resulted in the brilliant multilayered riffing on "I.C.C.B." and the stop-start chorus on "Calm Down." The mannered and slightly eccentric pop sensibility that these four people come together to produce most reminds me of a modern Beatles--perhaps after listening to a bunch of Devo records? Whatever it is, I like it a lot.
8. (tie) Lamb Of God - Resolution (Epic)/Municipal Waste - The Fatal Feast (Nuclear Blast)
OK, I'm cheating, Ryan Muldoon-style--I know. But I just couldn't pick between these two excellent blasts of metal fury, both delivered by veteran RVA metal bands at the top of their respective games. Lamb Of God reaffirm their position as reigning kings of the American metal scene with their seventh album, which mixes a variety of different styles that they've explored separately on their past few albums back together into a swampy stew that results in their best work since 2004's Ashes Of The Wake. I definitely hear an increased New Orleans-style Southern blues/doom influence on this record, but it does nothing to slow down or dispel the overall impact--as proved in spades on incredible single "Ghost Walking," as well as on the spooky final track, "King Me." Meanwhile, on their fifth album and first for Nuclear Blast, Municipal Waste proved that there's still plenty of room for them to bring new ideas and energy to their long-running party thrash style. From the "Waste In Space" sub-theme, introduced on the album through a couple of spooky synth interludes, to the first-time use of guest vocalists (including Tim Barry and Nuclear Assault's John Connelly), the Waste found new ways to thrash it out in time-honored fashion. The new label seemed to give the band a new lease on life, and they demonstrated this in everything from the many-faceted promotional campaign for the album to what's most important--some of the best, most intense and energetic music that they've created in years. In a year when a lot of up-and-coming young groups made big splashes, these two albums constituted proof that the older guys still know what's up.
9. Herro Sugar - Smoking General Kills Sturgeon (herrosugar.com)
It's weird to think that a crew of high school juniors were able to put together an 8-song collection that ran circles around 90% of the people making music in RVA this year--many of whom are quite a bit older than the members of Herro Sugar--and yet all it takes is one listen to Smoking General Kills Sturgeon and you'll know that no matter how hard it is to believe, it's true. The twin-guitar attack of these talented teenagers bears a slight punk tinge at times, but that seems like youth more than anything intentional. Really, it's clear that Herro Sugar want to make great, timeless power-pop tunes that will get stuck in your head all week--and with standout tracks from this album like "Fat Jackson" and "Static," they've definitely pulled it off. Their fun side comes through on songs like "Happy New" and "Rock.wav," as lead guitarist Tristan Fisher demolishes his own guitar heroics by throwing in playful noise mid-solo while the rest of the band giggles and makes wisecracks in the background. But everything here is really well-written, and although I could nitpick about the version of "Moments" being slowed-down from the previously released version that I originally fell in love with, that's a minor quibble. These guys are killing it. I can't imagine how awesome they'll be by the time they're old enough to buy lottery tickets.
10. Hex Machine - Fixator (Learning Curve)
Hex Machine guitarist/singer/only constant member Trevor Thomas has been playing music around RVA for a long time now, in a variety of different bands going back to the early 90s. Hex Machine is just the latest vehicle through which he's pursuing the same sonic goal he's seemingly always had--to obliterate eardrums with a wall of post-hardcore/metal noise. Fixator is a worthy attempt at achieving that goal; its lurching, off-kilter riffing stays in standard time signatures for the most part, though it seems in danger of slipping out of them at any second. Its pounding drums, bizarro-metal riffing, and antisocial vocal howls and wails are an endurance test for anyone who considers soothing pulchritude a necessary ingredient of quality music. And it's loud--good lord, is it loud. Maybe I'm a weird, twisted freak, but I love this record. I doubt my neighbors have as high an opinion of it, but who cares what they think?