This year was packed with amazing music in all forms. EP releases were no exception. The competition on this list was fierce but it is finally settled. Here are the top 5 EPs of 2012.
1 CHIMP SPANNER - ALL ROADS LEAD HERE
Hailing from the UK, guitar and composition wizard Paul Ortiz has been creating
some of the most mind bending, out of the box tracks known to man since 2005 and
he hasn't even remotely slowed down. If anything, he's sped up with his newest "All Roads Lead Here". This is a multi-dimensional aural adventure teeming with musical genius and complete excellence. And it's all crammed into 25 minutes of explosive audio perfection. From "Dark Age Of Technology" to "Cloud City",and the three massive parts of the epic "Möbius" in between, this is one you don't want to miss.This release deserves your full attention as the EP of the year.
Circle of Contempt have grown in
many ways since their debut while maintaining the edge they are known
for. Technical and creative with an increased focus on musical execution, Circle of Contempt have achieved classic status with the phenomenal "Entwine The Threads". Tracks such as "Transient Belief", "Perceive The Mendacity", and "Entwine The Threads" really set it apart. This is definitely an EP that's worth your time and money. More than that,
this is an EP worth recognition among the best this year has to offer.
"Entwine The Threads" is like the metal cherry on top of 2012 \m/ It is a
massive and inspiring musical experience.
This is the kind of band that will either inspire the hell out of other
artists or make them want to give up on their respective instruments. The Ascariasis debut was one of the most impressive Death Metal EPs to come out in awhile. "Ocean Of Colour" is filled with shreddy, razor-edged metal combined with a creative, tasteful
side. This band has the ability to combine a chaotic, heavy sound with a classical, melodic flavor. They even throw in some ambience. Altogether, it makes them really stand out
amongst the Death Metal pack. "Shatter", "Eleven", "Carving The World" and the title track all demonstrate why Ascariasis is the cream of the crop.
Coming
from Serbia, David Maxim Micic has both re-defined and set the bar
high for other "bedroom producers" worldwide. The Berklee trained
multi-instrumentalist followed up his debut in the biggest way possible.
"Bilo 2.0" borrows elements of the original release while being a beast
of it's own. Bringing together genius, progressive metal,
jazz fusion, huge atmosphere, electronics, technicality, tasteful
writing, and cutting edge experimentation, this EP creates a musical
journey
for the listener. Every track on "Bilo 2.0" will bring you "Along For A
Ride" like nothing you've heard before. This is easily one of 2012's
best EPs.
Novallo sounds like a combination of Periphery, The Human Abstract, Mute Math, Maroon 5, and lord knows what... The music these guys make, although random at times, is damn impressive. Their debut is easily one of the strongest EPs to drop this year. Packed with tight instrumental work, amazing vocals, and infectious ear candy, Novallo will leave you hooked. Every track on this release has something interesting and unique going. To name a few - "Angle of Perception", "4 Eyes Win!", and "Visually Silent" really stand out. Definitely give the EP a listen. Warning: It will get stuck in your head in the best way possible.
There was some very tight competition on all fronts this year. EPs were no exception. After much debate, here are the top 5 EPs of 2011.
1 CORELIA - NOSTALGIA
This was a tough decision, but Corelia deserves 2011's EP of the year. This band is composed of true musicians all the way through, and they all deliver in a huge way on this debut release. "Nostalgia" is an EP that will leave listeners exactly like that with it's infectious, well-composed glory which will leave you wanting to listen again and again. This is a damn near perfect Progressive Metal release touching on various musical and conceptual themes. "The Sound of Glaciers Moving", "Treetops", "Mute Swan" and "Blood Petals" are all great reasons why "Nostalgia" is a masterpiece that deserves nothing less than your full attention.
2 BETWEEN THE BURIED AND ME - THE PARALLAX: HYPERSLEEP DIALOGUES
Between The Buried And Me's "The Parallax: Hypersleep Dialogues" was a ground breaking release in many ways. This isn't so much an EP as an adventure through hyperspace. This is a band that always seems to expand and improve with every release. And with each new addition to their discography they also become more ambitious. The original "Parallax" is no exception. They brought out the first part of their epic space concept in the biggest way possible. Composed of three massive tracks ranging from approx 8-11 minutes each, there was no shortage of quality content here. Take a trip with part I then move onto "The Parallax II".
Give a good listen to David Maxim Micic's original "Bilo" and you should be able to tell the man is a musical genius. Also trained through the prestigious Berklee College of Music, he has the know how behind his craft. Bringing a virtuosic level of talent and serious creative drive together, David is becoming a very real force in the modern Progressive Metal scene. "Bilo" was only the beginning, but it was an especially impressive one. Split into four parts titled "Bilo I-IV", this debut EP covered vast amounts of musical ground with serious groove and guitar work. It's fully recommend you partake of David Maxim Micic's aural delights.
In many ways you could look at this release as the expansion pack to the Periphery debut. The "Icarus EP" offered up a randomly assorted collection of goods which included 2 new songs, 2 previously un-released ones, 2 slightly re-worked tracks from "Periphery", and 3 electronic remixes of "Icarus Lives!" Altogether, it made for one helluva EP package with a good bit of content. Of all the above, 5 tracks made this EP especially great. The dirty, groovy intro "New Groove", the technical chaos of "Frak The Gods" and release of "Eureka", the official release of "Captain On", and the cleaner tweak of "Jetpacks Was Yes!".
The debut EP from Substructure put the Missouri band on the metal map in a huge way. While many bands fail on the brutal front, Substructure just gets it with their juggernaut "intergalactic space djams". With a few similarities to The Contortionist, "Monolith" mercilessly crushed skulls with it's heavy onslaught only to seamlessly transition into tasty melodic segments. Substructure is an insanely creative, hyper-talented musical unit and it really shows on this release. Massive tracks like "Canis Minor", "Canis Major", "Telescopium" and "Cephus" are great examples. Expect excellence from this band on their upcoming full-length.
