Crippled Black Phoenix are my go-to band when I know I want to listen to something epic. They have a great tone. It's also good music to write around.

The Echelon Effect makes great soundcapes that take the listener somewhere else. Steve Tanton kills it on the drums. I'm also scattered around the album speaking some of my poetry.

Paralytic Stalks is easily my favorite album of 2012. It exposes Kevin Barnes's true consciousness by providing him a means of catharsis. This is one album everyone should listen to a few times.