King Parrot – Matt Young

It’s safe to say that Melbourne’s King Parrot have had a bigger year than most Australian metal bands. They have toured across Australia several times with bands such as Thy Art Is Murder, Cattle Decapitation, Psycroptic and Gay Paris, as well as a tour across South East Asia. These tours featured several festival appearances like Dead of Winter, Devil’s Kitchen, Sonic Forge and Obscene Extreme. On top of that, the band signed a worldwide record deal with Candlelight Records and re-released their successful 2012 album ‘Bite Your Head Off’.
2014 is shaping up to be a big year for the band, as they are already confirmed for the SXSW Festival in Austin, Texas, with plans to do a full tour of the US. Soundwave head-honcho AJ Maddah has also given them a spot on the Melbourne leg (at the very least) of Soundwave Festival in Australia, although that is unconfirmed until the 3rd announcement.

Metal Obsession is pleased to have vocalist Matt Young to share his favourite international and Australian albums of 2013 with us.

AUSTRALIAN ALBUMS

5. King of the North – Sound the Underground
A great rock band from Melbourne who have a relentless work ethic and have produced a really great record. The first time I saw them I thought they were brilliant, kinda like The Black Keys but heavier and catchier. Andrew Higgs has an awesome voice and when he and Danny Leo sing together, it just works. This album is a testament to all the hard work these guys have done on the road.
Listen: “It’s Been Too Long (live version)”

4. Bruce – S/T
These guys have always been some of my favourite musicians in Australia, featuring half of the amazing Wollongong band Hy-Test. This album is great rock’n’roll, executed with a precision that has been a trademark of their sound over the years. These guys can sing and know how to pen well crafted songs. They have always done it for me and I will continue to be a fan of anything these guys release. Listen: “Screams of Silence”

3. Mason – Warhead
A great debut effort from the guys in Mason. These guys have been hard at work ever since I met them 3 or 4 years ago. Since Jimmy jumped onto lead vocals they have come a long way. I know the blood, sweat, tears and dollars they poured into this and it is a great thrash record. Listen: “Warhead”

2. Batpiss – Nuclear Winter
These guys are really awesome dudes and we’ve been lucky enough to play with them quite a few times. They produced a great record with Tom Lyngcoln, its sounds raw and trashy, pretty much exactly like they do live. The songs remind me of The Bronx, but heaps nastier and more of a Melbourne-street-gutter attitude. I can really relate to that! They have some great videos too.
Listen: “Loose Screws” (featuring a cameo of King Parrot‘s “Shit on the Liver” video)

1. Miazma – Bacteria of this Earth
We played with these guys in Alice Springs earlier this year and they really stood out. A great quality recording that reminds me of classic 90’s death metal with a modern twist. I’ve enjoyed this record every time I’ve listened to it and I think these guys have a massive future if they keep touring and producing such quality music.
Listen: “Portal”

Honourable mentions: New Blood, Rome, F.U.C., Hackxwhore

INTERNATIONAL ALBUMS

5. Vaporizer – S/T
This demo gets a special mention, as these guys haven’t released a full-length record yet. They were bought to my attention this year, and have been on high rotation on my stereo. They sound like a mid paced, doomy, sludgey, black metal type thing. The vocals are nasty as hell, coupled with some brilliant riffs and I think their album is going to be killer when it comes out. It reminded me of Acid Bath when I first heard it, but it is definitely its own beast. I highly recommend checking them out. Listen: “Wolves in the Woods”

4. Dark Throne – The Underground Resistance
These guys are just awesome, they don’t give a shit, keep making the music they want to and importantly continue to take the piss out of themselves (at least I hope they are). This record has been a bit of a step up in my opinion, and I really like the trashy sound, but I think their performances are much better on this record. It’s obviously nothing like their early stuff, but I like what they are doing here and I hope they keep flying the flag for many years to come. Listen: “Lesser Men”

3. Ghost – Infesstissumam
Some people love Ghost and a lot of people, especially metalheads I know, hate them. To me, that is the sign of a great band. I love rock music, and when it is done this well and the songs are crafted in an undeniably awesome way, it is hard to deny it. The mystique of the band is unique, and the content of the songs is disturbing for a band considered to be mainstream by the metal community. Good on them, I like this band a lot and this album is good solid slab of rock. Listen: “Secular Haze”

2. Philip H. Anselmo & The Illegals – Walk Through Exits Only
The thing I like about this record is that it goes out into weird territory and has some really memorable songs, especially the first single ‘Bedridden’. From what I know, Phil apparently wrote most of the music himself, so, regardless of what you think of the guy, he must be respected for being a great musician, and one of the best metal vocalists of all time. Listen: “Bedridden”

1. Carcass – Surgical Steel
I love Carcass, so this was really easy for me. Its just a great record and everything that Carcass have done well in the past has been replicated here and then some. Amazing riffs and guitar work throughout, brilliant lyrics and vocal placement is all on show. It’s Carcass and I’m glad this record didn’t suck, it’s fuckin’ awesome. Listen: “A Congealed Clot of Blood”

Metal Obsession would like to thank Youngy for sharing his favourite albums of 2013 with us.

Catch King Parrot on their remaining Australian tour dates with Gay Paris.

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