Honorable Mentions
50-46
45-41
40-36

35

The Casualties – We Are All We Have

Pretty much anybody I know that got into punk got into The Casualties at some point, but then I guess people got real jobs and shaved their head or something because I don’t really hear anybody in my monkeysphere ever talk about them anymore. Sloppy, fast, punk as fuck. Kind of sums it up. It is weird to think that these guys have been together and making music for almost 20 years now. I wonder if they have mortgages. Can you still be punk rock if you have a mortgage?

34

It Prevails – Capture and Embrace

Like Oh, Sleeper who I mentioned earlier, It Prevails is another melodic metalcore band that still actually puts out a decent album. If you aren’t bored with the genre yet, you will love this. And if you are bored with the genre, there is still plenty of stuff here to be into it. They also harken back to that “Opposite of December” era and do it well. Be warned though, they might be Christian- any post you read about them online talks about how “deep and meaningful” they are and acts like nobody else does music like this, that is usually a good key sign that you are dealing with dorky christian music fans.

33

Centaurus-A – Side Effects Expected

Super technical death metal, and more brutal than the morning after a bottle of Wild Turkey. Some people complain that it is pretty soulless and just some dudes playing instruments, but I disagree since it is some dudes playing their instruments and making awesome songs. I guess if you don’t like talented musicians playing awesome death metal I can understand the complaint.

32

Karmella’s Game – You’ll Be Sorry

From death metal to Karmella’s Game. If anything, at least my list is diverse. Karmella’s Game remind me a lot of a super peppy version of The Anniversary. Same intelligent sensibilities with their songwriting and keyboards, although the lyrics are generally “cuter” and bubblegum- not that the Anniversary was channeling Kerouac or anything. They have gotten better with every release. As a matter of fact, even this CD gets better as it goes on. Every year that goes by without this band blowing up perplexes me. Karmella’s Game isn’t hugely known outside of Orioles country, but you put techno breakdowns and foil shirts in a band and you’ve got a sensation. Get into this band and you could save the world.

31

Touche Amore – …To the Beat of a Dead Horse

This is screamo in its loosest form. Harsh, raw, and powerful, Touche Amore found the perfect balance to bring some hardcore back into the genre. They fit a lot of moving parts into these short songs, and even though the CD is over and done with in about 20 minutes, you’ll find it staying with you.