New Album: Crippled Black Phoenix - (Mankind) The Crafty Ape

With a band like Crippled Black Phoenix, I know of no way to accurately describe their sounds - both off past albums as well as current ones. Their music is different on each release, but somehow keeping the core 'feel' of CBP all the same. If I had to make a stab at labeling them (as I've attempted before), they are a blend of post-metal, ambient sounds, doom, and folk, into an one-of-a-kind sound.

I put Crippled Black Phoenix's release last year, I, Vigilante, on my 'Top 20 of 2010', a choice I still stand behind. While their earlier albums had a slight problem of uniformity (songs were often jarring in combination with the album as a whole), I, Vigilante was a much more accomplished work. I think this is due to the smaller track-listing off that album then the others, with only six songs while most of their other releases are over ten. This more concise selection, 'trimmed the fat' of their previous releases, with little truly ambient songs and sections then otherwise seen, and it is in this direction I hoped the band would have followed.

Top 20 of 2010: 1 - 5

Well this list began at 10, and then quickly grew to over 30 as I chose the best albums from 2010 in my vast collection. I've spent some time in whittling away at the list, trying to scrape it down to 10, and after i realized that was going to be impossible (too many categories to think about), I split the difference and decided on 20 - perfectly doable, without leaving too many great albums out of the cold. While this listy was still supposed to be only 10 albums, I was going to post one a day, from the 21st to the 31st, with a full-length article about each one. Because I upped it to 20, and because I didn't get a proper jump on this project, and also because I haven't even finished all the albums I wanted too before compiling the beginnings of this list, I am going to release it in four segments, five albums within each. Each album will have a short synopsis but that is all.
These lists aren't in a real order, it was too much effort just to get the list to 20, let alone order it in some fashion. It's all in alphabetic order; that's how I like it, that's how I'm keeping it.

1. Airbourne - No Guts. No Glory.
Airbourne does it again. Another balls-to-the-wall 80s throwback rock and roll classic. While not as groundbreaking as their first, Runnin' Wild, No Guts. No Glory. was a great release; following the mantra 'if it ain't broke, don't fix it.' I really need to hear this one again, the last time being over six months ago, but don't worry the sound still carries. If you have heard their first album, then you will like this one. If you're a fan of the late 70s/early 80s simplistic rock (AC/DC, KISS to some extent) the you have found your replacement band for those times of fond memories. Rock n' roll at its finest. 

New Band: Crippled Black Phoenix

Another band I discovered through AngryChairs, Crippled Black Phoenix is a supergroup, containing members from famous post-metal groups such as Iron Monkey, Gonga, Mogwai, Electric Wizard, Godspeed You Black Emperor! and others. While the post-metal tag is fairly accurate, it does not fully explain the complexity of the sounds of Crippled Black Phoenix. There are many progressive elements, psychedelic, industrial, stoner to an extent, it's almost impossible to collect it all under one heading, which is why post-metal they will remain.
The group has had numerous members - 27 is wikipedia is to be believed, there is not a lot of information about this band out there (Their official website is in shambles, allmusic.com only has half of their discography - hence the sketchy linking) - and has several vocalists on any one record, both male and female. It gives the group's albums a really odd sound, with all the eclecticness of instruments and vocals. Some songs are slow, doomy songs with almost no vocals, while others are upbeat rock and roll songs. Some are filled with a male's clean vocals, some with a woman's gentle wail, and others have a harsher version of both styles within. Each song of off each album seems to be headed into a different direction. It sounds like it wouldn't work, and for some parts it doesn't, but for the most part it all works together great.