Album Ratings for 2012

A Happy New Year...'s eve! As the final post of 2012; here's my rundown of every album/EP/B-side compilation I had the pleasure/displeasure of listening to throughout 2012. Some have already been reviewed (which have a hyperlink), but the vast majority will likely never be completed.

So yeah, have an awesome start to 2013 and see you soon!

Resident Evil 6 Review

We’re stuck in a cabin, somewhere in Eastern Europe; a blizzard causes the wooden shack to creek and ache. The fireplace roars and offers momentary comfort from the constant reminder of isolation. A bookcase blocks the only door with a few cabinets and one of the two tables blocking the ridiculous amount of windows for such a small confinement.

She’s telling me something about the G-Virus and again, how I’m their only hope. I’m struggling to take everything in. We’ve barely survived a gun battle back in the city, where thirty foot giants rampaged through a small district and killed, five, maybe six men

Then to top it all off, the big guy, yes, that big guy, has chased us for the past day, going as far to hitch a ride and, subsequently crash several planes, killing anyone stupid or slow enough to stand in his way.

But still, the momentary pause is needed; it’s the first time in hours we’ve been able to take a breather, although deep down, we know it can’t last.

And it doesn’t.

Assassin's Creed 3 Review

Something has been wrong with Assassin’s Creed for too long. I couldn’t quite put my finger on what, but it was definitely something. It certainly wasn’t what plagued the first game; a glorified tech demo with linear mission structures paired with a somewhat interesting story.

It certainly wasn’t its sequel which improved on virtually everything in the original, replacing linearity with spontaneity, creating a protagonist players would want to see grow and develop.

You could say it’s partially down to Brotherhood; ACII’s sequel entering the fray a year later, beginning a trend of perhaps milking the franchise a bit too much. Sure, it added a leadership mechanic, a chance to watch Ezio develop a guild of Assassin’s to liberate Renaissance Rome and continuing on from the cliffhanger ending from the previous game.

No, Brotherhood did indeed add a certain component that not only stuck with Revelations; ACII’s second sequel which not only completed Ezio’s story, but added a completely unnecessary multiplayer mode, but also appeared in the recently released Assassin’s Creed III.

A Few Words on... Two Door Cinema Club - Beacon

There's something undeniably catchy regarding Two Door Cinema Club's follow-up to the popular and surprisingly good debut. While never branching out in a new radical direction and keeping it relatively safe.

Muse - The 2nd Law Review

It’s been a strange time to be a Muse fan. The Resistance, for lack of better terms, was too cheesy, its supporting tour lacked surprises and the spontaneity that made their live shows the best in the world and the period went on for a dog’s age.

Needless to say, I’ve been down-trodden by the prospect of The 2nd Law. Survival was initially a slap in the face and a slightly rockier version of Neutron Star Collision that wasn’t what the band needed and the constant quotes of a radical change could either be dismissed as banter (as the band have said this for every album since Origin of Symmetry) or fore-warning for the horrors unfolding.

So, it’s here, it’s certainly different but different doesn’t necessarily mean good.

Animal Collective - Centipede Hz. Review

To say you liked Merriweather Post Pavilion but find the majority of Animal Collective discography, for lack of better terms “difficult” is blasphemy to their very dedicated fanbase. The problem with MPP was Animal Collective managed to create one of the most innovative pop records for the past century, at the expense of the experimentation that made them so endearing and different from your run of the mill “alternative” band.

The Vaccines - The Vaccines Come of Age Review

Hands down my favourite debut album for last year was The Vaccines What Did You Expect from The Vaccines? Hyped to the brink of certain doom, the album was a surprisingly satisfying rock album, heavy on the short but sweet but just as heavy in the entertainment value of the record.

Despite being little over a year, the band have quickly released the dreaded follow-up album, named The Vaccines Come of Age (or simply Come of Age). With only a year after the impressive debut, the question on mine and many others lips was simply; can the band, famous for their addictive, under three minute tunes either replicate it again without diluting it, or possibly take a significant change?