19. Mogwai – Hardcore Will Never Die But You Will Post-rock
Slightly more boring than their last few albums.

18. Subway To Sally – Schwarz In Schwarz Medieval/Folk Metal
Nothing we haven’t heard before, though the throwback in Kämpfen Wir! was unexpectedly fun.

17. Falls of Rauros – The Light that Dwells in Rotten Wood Folk/Atmospheric Black Metal
Vast improvement over previous albums.

16. Alda – Tahoma Folk/Atmospheric Black Metal
Essentially the same album as #17, but I won’t complain.

15. September Malevolence – Our Withers Unwrung Post-rock

14. Sólstafir – Svartir Sandar Progressive Black/Heavy Metal

13. Omnia – Musick & Poetree Celtic Folk
Besides a few painful moments (I Don’t Speak Human, F*** Her Gently), a thankful reprieve from whatever the heck Wolf Love Was (last year’s biggest disappointment).

12. Ghost Brigade – Until Fear No Longer Defines Us Death/Doom Metal
Heard about this one from Fursy’s (of Les Discrets) excellent video for Clawmaster.

11. Skogen – Vittra Atmospheric Black Metal

10. ASP – Fremd Gothic Metal/Electronic
More electronic and less folk, but still immaculately produced and a catchy album.

9. Burlap to Cashmere – Burlap to Cashmere Mediterranean Folk/Rock
Much more mature than their 13-year-old debut.

8. Wolves in the Throne Room – Celestial Lineage Atmospheric Black Metal
The song titles make me think of Xasthur (not a good thing). Nonetheless the ambient pieces are interesting, and it’s strong overall.

7. Heretoir – Heretoir Post-Black Metal

6. Faun – Eden Celtic Folk

5. Woven Hand – Black of the Ink Apocalyptic Folk
It’s labelled alt-country, but if “apocalyptic folk” describes anything, it’s this.

4. Yggdrasil – Irrbloss Folk Black Metal

3. Mamiffer – Mare Decendrii Ambient

2. Deafheaven – Roads to Judah Post-Black Metal

1. Tenhi – Saivo Apocalyptic Folk
Really the only spectacular release this year.

Best Debut: Seidr – For Winter Fire Doom Metal

Best EP: Alcest – Le Secret Post-Black Metal
Ok, it’s a re-release, but the songs are re-recorded (and much better produced) so it counts as a 2011 release.

Instead of fighting for “…truth, justice, and the American Way”, Superman is described in Soviet radio broadcasts “…as the Champion of the common worker who fights a never-ending battle for Stalin, socialism, and the international expansion of the Warsaw Pact.”

It’s a very morally complex work. There are strong moral parallels between… wait, hold on.

WARNING: Spoilers ahead! If you have not read Red Son and plan on doing so (I highly recommend it), go read it before finishing this post.

Okay then. There are strong moral parallels between Communist Superman and the Superman we know. Superman is idealistic, nonviolent, and an all around positive guy. Lex Luthor is brilliant, but arrogant and megalomaniacal.

But the moral homogeneity of the original doesn’t carry over. We are clearly supposed to sympathize with America over the repressive Soviet system, despite the moral qualities of the people representing each system.

Don’t step out of line.

The book has Superman seriously grapple with the moral and ideological consequences of a Superman to the Communist ideal. But in the end, as the world’s most capable central planner, he decides he has a moral duty to act as humanity’s protector.

Things even appear to be going passably well under the arrangement. America, on the other hand, is floundering.

Superman is a Keynesian

It’s unclear whether the regime’s success is more due to deft central planning or to effective repression. More than likely the latter, as the above makes it clear the goal has been an aggregated and homogenous “efficiency” divorced from any actual demand. Superman runs the Soviet economy like a Keynesian.

The book even touches on the moral hazard attendant to a nanny state. People act differently when they aren’t responsible.

The development of Superman’s moral qualms with his role on Earth is illuminated by comparison to (the even more opportunistic and tyrannical than Lex) Braniac, who shrinks cities and bottles them.

And though he detests full-out war, he has no problem forcibly reprogramming dissenters.

How do you hold to a materialist dialectic in a world with magic lassos?

The moral universe the book sets up makes us uncomfortable with any outcome, but it doesn’t leave much doubt that America’s going to win. So how does scrappy America pull back from the brink after standing alone against a world of Communism?

By electing Lex Luthor to be America’s central planner! Trade isolationism, monetary nationalism, a command economy – a whole host of unworkable economic goals. Hey, it worked alright under Superman, why not under the most brilliant man in the world?

The similarities between Luthor’s rule and Superman’s do not go unnoted.

But these compunctions are quickly forgotten again once Superman leaves. Apparently he was the only corrupting influence on Lex. The reader celebrates the ouster of the alien demagogue, but the triumph of the human demagogue ushers into a billion year reign of prosperity and enlightenment under a cabal of philosopher kings.

A benevolent hipstatorship

So what’s the moral of Red Son? Apparently it’s not against demagoguery or tyranny. Though we might have a distaste for Luthor as a person, the end leaves us no choice but to respect his incredible accomplishments for humanity. And considering the parallel between Luthor’s and Superman’s rule was made explicit, we can’t condemn Superman’s rule and exalt Luthor’s at the same time. Superman created a utopia, Luthor created a utopia. They even used the same methods. We have to infer Luthor’s regime was just as repressive as Superman’s.

The moral of Red Son echoes something I remember being told as a child regarding the Boston Tea Party: “The Americans were protesting taxation without representation. Our taxes are much higher today than they ever were back then, but that’s ok, because we have a say in it now.” Red Son, if you will indulge the anachronism, is nativist allegory. It doesn’t matter that we’re slaves, as long as our master is one of us. The British can’t tax us; an alien can’t rule us – by golly, we can do it ourselves! Rule by Lex is acceptable; rule by Superman is not – never mind the outcome. Even the Batmen, the anarchist subversives, don’t seem to mind as long as they’re ruled by a human.

Red Son’s world is a country in our world, and its universe is our world. Superman is a foreigner assuming the white man’s burden to civilize earth, and the reader isn’t supposed to look kindly on the arrogance. Xenophobic and nationalist undertones run through the book, though it’s not always clear how we’re supposed to look on them. Superman is repeatedly referred to by (what is presumably) the slur “Alien”. Lex and Batman both refer to the human mind as the greatest weapon – not as a universal respect of sentience, but as a solidarity of the oppressed against the alien. It is the human mind, never mind that one would think Superman’s ingenuity far outstripped any human’s.

Red Son almost ends with a moral of the value of individual human freedom, but instead it veers to a moral of collective self-determination – even as an end in itself.

Real and powerful demagogues like Mugabe and Gaddafi continue their narrative of self-determination and independence from imperial colonialism, all the while their countries fall apart around them. The experience of post-colonial Africa contrasted with that of America makes it brutally obvious that collective self-determination is a worthless and hollow goal without individual freedom. Let that stand as a warning to supporters of a Palestinian state (but that’s a post for another day).

Red Son was generous towards Superman’s capability as a central planner, but it was downright profligate towards Luthor’s. In reality, Luthor’s America, independent yet with little room for individual initiative, would fare little better than modern Sub-Saharan Africa, Communist threat or not.

17. Eluveitie – Everything Remains as it Never Was Celtic Folk/Death Metal
Not nearly as good as Slania (2008′s #1 album). But it’s still ok.

16. Mar De Grises – Streams Inwards Doom Metal

15. Schelmish – Persona Non Grata Medieval
I’m glad they dumped the punk rock influence for this album. It’s quite good for what it is – a very danceable medieval album.

14. Constants – If Tomorrow The War Post-hardcore/post-rock
Ventures closer to hardcore than the last album (and closer than I might like), but it puts on a great atmosphere anyway.

13. Imperium Dekadenz – Procella Vadens Atmospheric black metal

12. Unheilig – Grosse Freiheit Dance metal/synth-rock
More ballady and less aggressive than previous albums, but it’s got some really good songs.

11. Rome – Nos Chants Perdus Mediterranean acoustic rock
Ok, so it’s not martial industrial anymore, but the songwriting has gotten quite good.

10. Rosetta – A Determinism of Morality Sludge/post-metal
Rosetta hits hard. Less expansive than Wake/Lift, but a more sustained attack.

9. Todtgelichter – Angst Post-black metal
A very interesting album. Different to be sure, and nice minimal cover. One that gets better with every listen.

8. Nechochwen – Azimuths to the Otherworld Native American neofolk/black metal
A bit spotty at times, but quite captivating.

7. Blindead – Affliction XXIX II MXMVI Sludge/post-metal
Interesting theme (an unwanted autistic child); by far Blindead’s best so far.

6. Alcest – Écailles de Lune Post-black metal
Less groundbreaking than Souvenirs (#3 in 2007), but probably more creative in the songwriting. It’s a grower.

5. Agalloch – Marrow of the Spirit Black/doom metal
The fact that Agalloch is getting number 5 is a testament to how much good music came out this year. It’s no Ashes Against the Grain, but to be fair, that’s a nearly impossible benchmark.

4. Les Discrets – Septembre et ses Dernières Pensées Post-rock
Great debut album. I’m looking forward to future releases.

3. Nucleus Torn – Andromeda Awaiting Folk/Modernist
This is a true masterpiece of creativity.

2. Year of No Light – Ausserwelt Sludge/post-metal
Some of the most beautiful, expansive, and atmospheric instrumental metal I’ve ever had the pleasure of listening to.

1. October Falls – A Collapse of Faith Neofolk/black metal
Is it too much to call this the telos of all metal? The drumming especially is phenomenal. My only complaint is there’s really only a “chill neofolk” switch and a “wall of sound” switch, with not much in between.

Best debut EP: Petrychor – Dryad Post-black metal

Runner up: Gallowbraid – Ashen Eidolon Neofolk/black metal
A bit repetitive at times, but they’ve got a good sound.

Best Compilation: Whom the Moon a Nightsong Sings Neofolk
Not as good as I was hoping – no one worth listening to on it that I didn’t already know about – but a solid album nonetheless.

Runner up: Wanderer Über dem Nebelmeer Black metal/neofolk

Biggest Disappointment: Omnia – Wolf Love Celtic folk/who knows
Where the heck did this come from? I won’t even complain about the folk-rap song (which besides the painfully overdone lyrics was actually pretty catchy), but somewhere between Alive! (2007′s #4) and this, Steve picked up a ridiculous inflection, Jenny started singing through her nose and traded her harp for a piano, and they all decided to be atavistic hippies (instead of atavistic pagans… ok, hippies aren’t really that much worse, but at least the latter made good music).

Worst news: Isis splits up. :( At least I got to see them in concert beforehand.

16. Amorphis – Skyforger Heavy metal
Very catchy riffs, as far as standard metal goes.

15. Eluveitie – Evocation I: The Arcane Dominion Celtic folk/rock
The acoustic sound works… sort of. It’s hit or miss, but many good songs nonetheless.

14. Karl Sanders – Saurian Exorcisms Middle-eastern ambient industrial
Fun, dark, and kitschy. Nothing wrong with that.

13. Sólstafir – Köld Post-black/sludge metal
Expansive genre-defying compositions, and thankfully less repetitive than Masterpiece of Bitterness.

12. Isis – Wavering Radiant Sludge metal

11. Subway to Sally – Kreuzfeuer Folk Metal
Nothing new, but hey, it’s Subway to Sally.

10. Faun – Buch Der Balladen Folk
Did they really need to tell us “acoustic” on the front cover? Oh well, it’s a solid album.

9. Rome – Flowers from Exile Mediterranean acoustic folk/folk-noir
What a departure from Masse Mensch Material (last year’s #2 album). Little martial influence anymore, but good songwriting.

8. Constants – The Foundation, The Machine, The Ascension Post-Hardcore
No disappointment having heard them on the Caspian split.

7. Skogen – Vittra Folk black metal
Not groundbreaking, but a very solid album for what it is.

6. Yggdrasil – Vedergällning Folk black metal
Well-produced and catchy. It has the folky melodies of Vintersorg and a smooth atmosphere similar to Skogen.

5. Unto Ashes – The Blood of My Lady Neofolk/acoustic
Surprisingly good; a different atmosphere from earlier albums: less creepy, more somber. Nice use of collaborators.

4. Altar of Plagues – White Tomb Post-black metal

3. Solanaceae- Solanaceae Neofolk/acoustic
Actually shares some tracks with The Blood of My Lady. Minimal, yet heartfelt.

2. Caspian – Tertia Post-rock
Engaging compositions and a great sound, a rare feat for purely instrumental bands. Tertia does not disappoint.

1. Wardruna – Runaljod – Gap Var Ginnunga Ambient, folk
Dark, minimalistic, and folksy, with pretty much perfect execution. Eagerly awaiting the rest of the trilogy.

Best EP: Wolves in the Throne Room – Malevolent Grain Post-black metal
Far better than the following full-length Black Cascade. Brilliant and enveloping atmosphere.
Runners up: ASP – Wer Sonst?, Blindead – Impulse

Best Artwork: Amesoeurs – Amesoeurs Post-punk/black metal
Shame the music was rather pants.

Best Split: Rosetta, Year of No Light, East of the Wall Sludge metal
Leaving the Alcest/Les Discrets split out of the running since everything good on it was later released on an album, this was quite the best. EotW wasn’t really worth listening to, but YonL was good, and Rosetta’s track was, as expected, a phenomenal build.
Runners up: The World Comes to an End at the End of a Journey, Panopticon/Wheels Within Wheels

Tooting my own horn: Epta Astera – SALIGIA Gregorian Industrial Folk Metal
You should give it a listen!

Though it was originally instituted for the protection of the distributors of media, copyright has come to be regarded in popular mindset as protection for the incentive of artists and innovators to create. The distribution industries know that the function of protecting the distributors as such has been made unnecessary by the advent of the internet, so they no longer try to justify copyright laws that way. They would have us believe instead that without copyright laws, actors, musicians, and writers could not make a decent living.

No doubt this is true for a few artists in the case of music, but copyright is hardly a windfall for artists in the current regime. Royalties from media sales account for a very miniscule portion of the average artists’ income.

So whose interests do copyrights serve? Certainly not those of the average artist signed to a major label, who in most cases does not even own the copyright to his work. Given recording and production costs, only the most successful artists will ever see any profit from media sales: the money for everyone else is in concerts and merchandise – naturally saleable items.

Why then do record labels exist, if artists usually can’t reap profit from their intellectual property that way? They are middlemen, lubricating a market in the absence of suitable technology. They collected and fronted the large amounts of capital necessary to make a recording, press it, distribute it, and market it. They negotiated for scarce shelf space in retail stores and for playtime on the radio. They were the artist’s voice to the world.

But that was a world without the infrastructure and technology we have now. Where before you had to invest large amounts of money before you could even think about producing music, the returns to investment diminish much more quickly now: anyone with a computer and a microphone can self-produce music of a reasonable quality. This simply was not possible in the world where record labels thrived. The barriers to entry in media production are practically nonexistent now that we can record, mix, and master all on an affordable computer. Not only that, but the advent of the internet allows artists to self-distribute on their own terms. With no limited shelf space for which to negotiate, nothing is required but a website (and even that is becoming unnecessary with services like myspace and last.fm).

As the amount of capital necessary to make good quality media declines, a multitude of smaller, more competitive record labels are able to spring up (and indeed have sprung up), allowing the artist to outsource things which he may not have expertise in, such as production or album art. At the same time, as internet broadcasting has obviated the need for vast investments in broadcast towers, a multitude of smaller, online radio stations have sprung up, negotiating directly with smaller artists and labels and filling niche markets which could never have been filled by airwave radio.As storefront distribution becomes more irrelevant, so does that advantage of a major label. In fact, the only irreplaceable service of the major record labels is sheer marketing muscle.

This is the business model of the labels: their business was built on investing in a few big acts simply because the cost was so prohibitive. So when costs came down, rather than downsizing and investing in vast numbers of new artists, they expanded their artist repertoire a bit, and shoveled the savings into marketing. Modern pop acts are, and have always been, nothing more than marketing dollars behind a pretty face.

Perhaps this was acceptable twenty years ago when it would have been infeasible for artists to self-publish. But there is no excuse for its continuance through the advent of the digital age. Yet it persists. The question must then be asked: why do major record labels still exist at their size? The answer is simple: copyrights.

Copyrights and intellectual property protections, as discussed earlier, are a windfall primarily for the record labels. This secures for them vast streams of capital, which are then funneled right back into marketing more pop culture monoliths. Indeed, the niche markets served by new radio stations are a threat to the dominance of the monoliths. The major record labels have been trying to stifle smaller radio stations by mandating exorbitant royalty payments for radio play, in order to secure the market for a cartel of monolithic radio stations, which would no doubt play only the monolithic acts.

Exactly the same problem exists in the movie and television industries. The major studios build their business on investing huge amounts of capital in monolithic blockbusters. As the barriers to entry continue to fall, the money is invested into marketing. This gives us, like in the music industry, a small number of actors with exorbitant salaries and near universal recognition.

This is not what culture should be: it is neither good nor natural. Where government fiat normally does no worse than to make the market inefficient or place financial burdens on one party or another, copyright laws have become a blight upon culture itself. By enforcing distributors’ claims on culture, we do not incentivize the creation of culture – we stifle it, and homogenize it. Consumers have fewer choices in a world where copyrights are owned by a company whose only irreplaceable service is raw marketing muscle.