Contributing Writer and Parius Guitarist George Fenton's Top 5 Albums of the Decade
New contributing writer, but long time friend of Philly Live, and Parius guitarist George Fenton shares the records that shaped him most over the past decade. Will this list finally demonstrate the credentials he needs to show that he likes more than just progressive metal and one indie record? Probably not - but read and discover for yourself!
George has written about Between the Buried and Me, IDLES and JPEGMAFIA for Philly Live.
Elder - Reflections of a Floating World (2017)
The back half of the decade has proven to be a renaissance for psychedelic doom metal, and no one else in that circle has perfected that sound more than the Boston four piece Elder. Over the decade they’ve consistently put out records that are mostly mammoth in size, but still allow for accessibility and simplistic enjoyment by anyone who’ll put in the time. Everything Elder had been working toward came to fruition on their 2017 release Reflections of a Floating World. A perfect swirl of proggy doom that invites the listener to step outside of themselves for an hour and that leaves the listener maybe not somewhere different, but at least feeling happier about where they are. And for a metal band to do that is almost unheard of, but Elder stuck the landing.
IDLES - Joy as an Act of Resistance (2018)
Though I’ve been aware of them for about a year, IDLES are a band I really only came to know and love in the past six months. While Joy as an Act of Resistance came from the waves of Brexit and all the political turmoil that Brexit has brought the U.K., the album fits nicely into the experience and discomfort rational people feel at the current state of the world. Though it sometimes speaks in platitudes, the record tackles xenophobia, toxic masculinity, and the grief of losing a child. While there are many bands that try to take on so many monumental issues at once there are few that do it in such a focused way while sonically alleviating the listener of these issues. They’re the only band I’ve come across that’ll make me confront my own issues of masculinity, while still being able to get drunk and dance to their songs with my friends. Post-punk has never felt so good.
Deafheaven - Sunbather (2013)
What can I say about Sunbather that hasn’t already been said? This album has become a cultural staple, and shifted metal music and culture in a permanent way for the rest of the decade. Blackgaze (a description listeners both applaud and roll their eyes at) has become a cornerstone genre thanks to Sunbather, and in doing so has dismantled many of the crossover aspects of metal culture, and what it means to be “metal.” Kerry McCoy and George Clarke were putting this album together for no one but themselves, and that authenticity really shines through. The album knows when to be harsh, when to be poetic, when to have shiny guitars pull through, and when to crush you with heaviness. But beyond that, it’s got a lot of emotion. And for someone like me who was getting tired of having to adhere to certain aesthetics to be a part of the metal community, that was really empowering.
St. Vincent - Strange Mercy (2011)
A lot of listeners will say that St. Vincent’s most iconic moments are on her records Actor or her self titled, but in my opinion the Texas art rocker hit a perfect stride on her album Strange Mercy. Reexamining a lot of indie from 2011, it seemed many artists were just working at etching away at a sound that was becoming cutesy and commercial, and then there was Annie Clarke, the identity behind St. Vincent. She came into the decade with a record that fused lullaby tunes, dark synth pop, and noise rock with lyrics that are simultaneously cathartic, self reflective, and loaded with violent rage (Lines like “I’ve played dumb when I know better/ Tried too hard just to seem clever” or “It’s a champagne year full of sober months” come to mind). As a guitarist, she solidified her place early on as one of the most interesting guitar players of the decade with her often theremin-esque guitar solos and atonal riffing. On a personal note, this album colored a lot of loving moments in my life since I first listened to it, and I’m happy to say that the rosey eyes of the past are more honest than usual with Strange Mercy.
Between the Buried and Me- The Parallax II: Future Sequence (2012)
When Between the Buried and Me released the second installment in their concept collection, they were at an interesting point in their career. Five years had passed since their highly acclaimed album Colors, and their follow up releases (The Great Misdirect and The Parallax I: Hypersleep Dialogues) had gained favored reviews, but had begun to alienate their orignial hardcore fanbase, while still not entirely solidifying a progressive metal one. Then came The Parallax II: Future Sequence. A record that dips its toes not only into death metal, jazz, world music, surf rock, electronica, ballads, and just pure nonsense. Clocking in at a monstrous 72 minutes, the album does exactly what a masterful prog album should, and that’s give the listener something new to uncover every time they put the record on. My parents gave me this album as a gift for my 17th birthday, and it’s one of the few records in my whole life where I finished it, and immediately started it over again. Since then, I’ve listened to this album at least every other week, and still feel that I’m getting something new out of it. And of course one of the strengths of BTBAM is that every member is a master of their instrument, each working in perfect chemistry with one another on almost every track. No one steps on another’s toes, they all know when it’s time to take a backseat, and when it’s time to step forward. I can say without doubt that The Parallax II: Future Sequence changed the way I think about music. In a decade that’s contained plenty of progressive music that’s become mostly forgettable, Between the Buried and Me are one of the few focused bands that weave together sound and story, to create music that’s beautiful and fans of progressive music swooning for years to come.
Honorable Mentions:
Dillinger Escape Plan - One Of Us is the Killer
Untiled. Unmastered. - Kendrick Lamar
The Direction of Last Thing - Intronaut
This Old Dog - Mac DeMarco
IV - BADBADNOTGOOD