Top 14 Music Albums of 2012 by 
DriftingOrpheus 
- Chart updated: 03/02/2024 20:15
- (Created: 06/11/2020 13:27).
- Chart size: 14 albums.
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In many ways, the 2010 rebirth of experimental rock giants Swans is an unflinching diagnosis of ugliness, but others would classify it as a deluge into beauty. The bands attempts to stretch allegories into long-form, punishing soundscapes was briefly traversed in 2010's My Father Will Guide Me Up a Rope to the Sky. The results were fruitful and served as insidious bits of precedent for following projects. Recorded between Brooklyn and Berlin, the 11 tracks would prove to be the band's most fatalistic, foreboding statement of their collective careers. The 12th LP from the post-rock plague-harbingers was released in August of 2012, four months before the Mayans predicted Earth's curtain call. It's entitled The Seer. It sounds like the apocalypse.
The album inaugurates opening track, Lunacy, with freezing hammered dulcimer that progresses into a trio of voices chanting the song's signature. The threesome is headlined by lead vocalist Michael Gira, flanked by Alan Sparhawk and Mimi Parker, who make up two-thirds of the band Low. They coalesce as they incant, "Hide beneath, your monkey skin; feel his love, nurture him; kill the truth or speak the name; lunacy...lunacy...lunacy." The track then winces as the chorus declares that "your childhood is over". A pilgrimage of lost innocence is beginning to take shape. Neighboring track, Mother of the World, is a coiling, gyrating nightmare of disorientation. Quick, pummeling guitar strikes, feverish bass and calculated drums dizzy the listener for the first four and a half minutes before soothing mandolin ceases the oscillation. Gira paints visions of a Mother Earth deflowered and desecrated by humanity's ignorance. He asserts, "And where are you now, o' mother of the world; we feed from your hands and we drink from your filth and your oil." It's a distinctly provocative experience of purposive repetition. A brief moment of minimalist stillness is heard on The Wolf, which features a singing-spoken word hybrid with only acoustic guitar as accompaniment. Then, with startling immediacy, the title track appears, ushered in by wailing bagpipes. The tracks spans 32 minutes and takes many forms, paralleling the shapeshifting nature of its cognomen. Gira echoes, "I see it all," as distant kick and snare drums curiously unravel partnered with a dishonest bass groove. The malevolent pillar of a track billows before relapsing into crushing guitar collisions. The Seer then drifts into a swampy, grimy harmonica that carries a nefarious, southern hospitality. The final phase resembles the ramblings of a transient which defy articulate translation but carry an intention that is identifiably sinister. The totality of the track is truly a species unto itself.
The ever-vigilant entity recovers with the subsequent track, The Seer Returns. This experience is more traditional, if that's the word for it. Gira emits amidst a chilling choral backing (which features former Swans constituent Jarboe), "I'm down here naked, there's a hole in my chest; both my arms are broken, pointing east and west; your life pours into my mouth, my light pours out of my mouth." The return hits a euphoric plateau just before the four minute mark with the arrival of a thundering drum crash as the track whirrs into a starless sky. What follows refuses any kind of classification but it does transport the band back to their no-wave origins in New York City. 93 Ave. B Blues is a reference to Gira's 1980's big apple quarters. The area was riddled with crime and malice and it's not difficult to connect the track to its contextual inspiration. It isn't always clear what is being heard throughout the song, as the only discernible instruments are the typhoons of guitar and drums heard at the climax. It remains the flag bearer for the bands' most terrifying outing. The Daughter Brings the Water feels like a sun-soaked day at the beach in comparison. However, the track has its own misgivings detailed through its proclamations. "Stilted bones, cloaked in foam; squeeze laughter from the lather; drink water from the daughter," Gira outlines. The vague nature of the imagery leaves much to interpretation but at this point, we'd be remiss to assume a virtuous exegesis. Just when the all the light seems to have escaped, the beguiling vocals of Karen O (of Yeah Yeah Yeahs fame) ease your fears. Behind understated piano she coos, "There lies a seed of a million more just waiting to become." Gira joins in as the track wonderfully combusts with chants of "Send them home". Song for a Warrior is a thematic outlier of serene, cloudless beauty.
The final act of the menacing record commences with Avatar, decorated with orchestral bells that convey the arrival of an ominous overlord. Gira finally surfaces at the 4:40 mark, claiming that "Your light is in my hand". This may be the first allusion to "Joseph", a spiritual companion that, Gira has claimed, has spoken through him. The "avatar" in question here makes a more visible appearance on 2016's The Glowing Man. The bells intensify in the final stages of the track, melding with a kinetic guitar passage that guides the song into the past. Tenth track, A Piece of the Sky, begins with what sounds like a crackling fire mixed with a steady rainfall before giving way to a tortured cry of incorporeal beings. The piece then evolves with hammered dulcimer as anxiety begins to swirl before an atmospheric drum procession creates the illusion of climbing an ever-extending mountain. We don't hear from Gira until after the 15 minute mark as bells twinkle with a heavenly grace. What we get is most definitely the finest poetry the band has ever produced. Gira asks, "In the wind of my lung, in methane and in love, in petroleum plumes, there's a floating slice of moon; in your tooth and your claw and your unforgiving jaws; are you there?" The thematic intention echoes a ponderance of a spiritual guiding light that is visible in all things. By the end of the track, we don't know if Swans have found it but they are not without hope. The last hissing, growling transmission from The Seer is entitled The Apostate. An Apostate is someone who renounces their faith which tells us that A Piece of the Sky has not decided the issue. The Apostate is less optimistic in its outlook as its narrator alternates between belief and condemnation. Sonically, it's unrelenting, completely devoid of recognizable form and only describable as a percussive fever dream. Guitar body blows conspire with drums that sound miles away that form a sonic texture that chases you as you flee from the threat of bodily harm. The latter half of the track begins to groove with the reintroduction of the bells found on Avatar. Gira spits"get out of my mind' and "we're on a ladder to God". We never find out if they get to Heaven as the track undergoes a psychedelic breakdown capped off by a cacophony of drums not out of place at a ritualistic sacrifice.
Though many Swans historians would point to albums such as 1987's Children of God or 1996's Soundtracks for the Blind when mentioning the band's most devilish collections, debate always seems to bestow that distinction on The Seer. The album gravitates to all things chiaroscuro, both sonically and spiritually. Swans' most dystopian sound collages are unearthed here, bolstered by brilliant guest performances that further elevate Michael Gira's caliginous meditations. Such meditations could only be done justice in this particular state, elongated and agitated, forcing listeners to confront their grotesque, philosophical aberrations. Though 2014's To Be Kind possessed the best amalgamation of the band's musical and metaphorical agility, it was The Seer which prophesied Swans' staying power in the scope of modern experimental music. The record presents 11 tracks possessing a hydrous anatomy that shear with the force of 1000 serrated blades. The Seer is a direct vein pumping blood into the heart of an act that expands its importance exponentially as time progresses, while intently observing from the shadows, surrounded by a collapsing blackness.
Standout Tracks:
1. Avatar
2. A Piece of the Sky
3. The Seer
87.7 [First added to this chart: 06/15/2020]
The album inaugurates opening track, Lunacy, with freezing hammered dulcimer that progresses into a trio of voices chanting the song's signature. The threesome is headlined by lead vocalist Michael Gira, flanked by Alan Sparhawk and Mimi Parker, who make up two-thirds of the band Low. They coalesce as they incant, "Hide beneath, your monkey skin; feel his love, nurture him; kill the truth or speak the name; lunacy...lunacy...lunacy." The track then winces as the chorus declares that "your childhood is over". A pilgrimage of lost innocence is beginning to take shape. Neighboring track, Mother of the World, is a coiling, gyrating nightmare of disorientation. Quick, pummeling guitar strikes, feverish bass and calculated drums dizzy the listener for the first four and a half minutes before soothing mandolin ceases the oscillation. Gira paints visions of a Mother Earth deflowered and desecrated by humanity's ignorance. He asserts, "And where are you now, o' mother of the world; we feed from your hands and we drink from your filth and your oil." It's a distinctly provocative experience of purposive repetition. A brief moment of minimalist stillness is heard on The Wolf, which features a singing-spoken word hybrid with only acoustic guitar as accompaniment. Then, with startling immediacy, the title track appears, ushered in by wailing bagpipes. The tracks spans 32 minutes and takes many forms, paralleling the shapeshifting nature of its cognomen. Gira echoes, "I see it all," as distant kick and snare drums curiously unravel partnered with a dishonest bass groove. The malevolent pillar of a track billows before relapsing into crushing guitar collisions. The Seer then drifts into a swampy, grimy harmonica that carries a nefarious, southern hospitality. The final phase resembles the ramblings of a transient which defy articulate translation but carry an intention that is identifiably sinister. The totality of the track is truly a species unto itself.
The ever-vigilant entity recovers with the subsequent track, The Seer Returns. This experience is more traditional, if that's the word for it. Gira emits amidst a chilling choral backing (which features former Swans constituent Jarboe), "I'm down here naked, there's a hole in my chest; both my arms are broken, pointing east and west; your life pours into my mouth, my light pours out of my mouth." The return hits a euphoric plateau just before the four minute mark with the arrival of a thundering drum crash as the track whirrs into a starless sky. What follows refuses any kind of classification but it does transport the band back to their no-wave origins in New York City. 93 Ave. B Blues is a reference to Gira's 1980's big apple quarters. The area was riddled with crime and malice and it's not difficult to connect the track to its contextual inspiration. It isn't always clear what is being heard throughout the song, as the only discernible instruments are the typhoons of guitar and drums heard at the climax. It remains the flag bearer for the bands' most terrifying outing. The Daughter Brings the Water feels like a sun-soaked day at the beach in comparison. However, the track has its own misgivings detailed through its proclamations. "Stilted bones, cloaked in foam; squeeze laughter from the lather; drink water from the daughter," Gira outlines. The vague nature of the imagery leaves much to interpretation but at this point, we'd be remiss to assume a virtuous exegesis. Just when the all the light seems to have escaped, the beguiling vocals of Karen O (of Yeah Yeah Yeahs fame) ease your fears. Behind understated piano she coos, "There lies a seed of a million more just waiting to become." Gira joins in as the track wonderfully combusts with chants of "Send them home". Song for a Warrior is a thematic outlier of serene, cloudless beauty.
The final act of the menacing record commences with Avatar, decorated with orchestral bells that convey the arrival of an ominous overlord. Gira finally surfaces at the 4:40 mark, claiming that "Your light is in my hand". This may be the first allusion to "Joseph", a spiritual companion that, Gira has claimed, has spoken through him. The "avatar" in question here makes a more visible appearance on 2016's The Glowing Man. The bells intensify in the final stages of the track, melding with a kinetic guitar passage that guides the song into the past. Tenth track, A Piece of the Sky, begins with what sounds like a crackling fire mixed with a steady rainfall before giving way to a tortured cry of incorporeal beings. The piece then evolves with hammered dulcimer as anxiety begins to swirl before an atmospheric drum procession creates the illusion of climbing an ever-extending mountain. We don't hear from Gira until after the 15 minute mark as bells twinkle with a heavenly grace. What we get is most definitely the finest poetry the band has ever produced. Gira asks, "In the wind of my lung, in methane and in love, in petroleum plumes, there's a floating slice of moon; in your tooth and your claw and your unforgiving jaws; are you there?" The thematic intention echoes a ponderance of a spiritual guiding light that is visible in all things. By the end of the track, we don't know if Swans have found it but they are not without hope. The last hissing, growling transmission from The Seer is entitled The Apostate. An Apostate is someone who renounces their faith which tells us that A Piece of the Sky has not decided the issue. The Apostate is less optimistic in its outlook as its narrator alternates between belief and condemnation. Sonically, it's unrelenting, completely devoid of recognizable form and only describable as a percussive fever dream. Guitar body blows conspire with drums that sound miles away that form a sonic texture that chases you as you flee from the threat of bodily harm. The latter half of the track begins to groove with the reintroduction of the bells found on Avatar. Gira spits"get out of my mind' and "we're on a ladder to God". We never find out if they get to Heaven as the track undergoes a psychedelic breakdown capped off by a cacophony of drums not out of place at a ritualistic sacrifice.
Though many Swans historians would point to albums such as 1987's Children of God or 1996's Soundtracks for the Blind when mentioning the band's most devilish collections, debate always seems to bestow that distinction on The Seer. The album gravitates to all things chiaroscuro, both sonically and spiritually. Swans' most dystopian sound collages are unearthed here, bolstered by brilliant guest performances that further elevate Michael Gira's caliginous meditations. Such meditations could only be done justice in this particular state, elongated and agitated, forcing listeners to confront their grotesque, philosophical aberrations. Though 2014's To Be Kind possessed the best amalgamation of the band's musical and metaphorical agility, it was The Seer which prophesied Swans' staying power in the scope of modern experimental music. The record presents 11 tracks possessing a hydrous anatomy that shear with the force of 1000 serrated blades. The Seer is a direct vein pumping blood into the heart of an act that expands its importance exponentially as time progresses, while intently observing from the shadows, surrounded by a collapsing blackness.
Standout Tracks:
1. Avatar
2. A Piece of the Sky
3. The Seer
87.7 [First added to this chart: 06/15/2020]
Year of Release:
2012
Appears in:
Rank Score:
4,046
Rank in 2012:
Rank in 2010s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
45
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87.4
[First added to this chart: 06/15/2020]
Year of Release:
2012
Appears in:
Rank Score:
8,417
Rank in 2012:
Rank in 2010s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
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87.2
[First added to this chart: 06/15/2020]
Year of Release:
2012
Appears in:
Rank Score:
16,848
Rank in 2012:
Rank in 2010s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
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86.7
[First added to this chart: 06/15/2020]
Year of Release:
2012
Appears in:
Rank Score:
25,581
Rank in 2012:
Rank in 2010s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
Buy album
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86.2
[First added to this chart: 05/18/2021]
Year of Release:
2012
Appears in:
Rank Score:
561
Rank in 2012:
Rank in 2010s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
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85.9
[First added to this chart: 03/22/2023]
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85.2
[First added to this chart: 11/08/2020]
Year of Release:
2012
Appears in:
Rank Score:
1,699
Rank in 2012:
Rank in 2010s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
8. (7) 
1
1
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83
[First added to this chart: 06/24/2021]
Year of Release:
2012
Appears in:
Rank Score:
758
Rank in 2012:
Rank in 2010s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
9. (=)
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81.1
[First added to this chart: 06/15/2020]
Year of Release:
2012
Appears in:
Rank Score:
7,853
Rank in 2012:
Rank in 2010s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
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75.2
[First added to this chart: 06/15/2020]
Total albums: 14. Page 1 of 2
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Top 14 Music Albums of 2012 composition
| Artist | Albums | % | |
|---|---|---|---|
 |
|
|
|
| Swans | 2 | 14% | |
| Death Grips | 2 | 14% | |
| Cancerslug | 1 | 7% | |
| The Adicts | 1 | 7% | |
| Beach House | 1 | 7% | |
| Tame Impala | 1 | 7% | |
| Kendrick Lamar | 1 | 7% | |
| Show all | |||
Top 14 Music Albums of 2012 chart changes
| Biggest climbers |
|---|
 Up 2 from 8th to 6thWe Rose From Your Bed With The Sun In Our Head by Swans |
| Up 2 from 4th to 2nd Bloom by Beach House |
| Biggest fallers |
|---|
| Down 1 from 2nd to 3rd Lonerism by Tame Impala |
| Down 1 from 3rd to 4th Good Kid, M.A.A.D City by Kendrick Lamar |
| Down 1 from 6th to 7th 'Allelujah! Don't Bend! Ascend! by Godspeed You! Black Emperor |
| New entries |
|---|
 Pussytalkby Cancerslug |
| All The Young Droogs by The Adicts |
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