Best of 2018: dbizzles edition
If 2018 hasn't been a great year in music for you, then I guess you need to start listening to more metal; especially death metal. I rated 136 albums released this year; the list below features albums I gave a 4 or above (no 5's have been awarded as of yet), in ascending order and with a somewhat formal ranking. My top 3 would probably be from mewithoutYou, Thou, Obliteration, but pitting three very different albums (40+, rather) against each other isn't a priority for me. There are so many albums from this year that I haven't heard yet so shoot me some relevant recs if you don't see your favorites posted. Also, there were a handful albums with which I was notably disappointed, but we will save that for another time because this is a celebration, not a shit-on-bands kind of thing! Without further adieu, the Best of 2018 as presented by dbizzles. |
| 47 |  | Cursive
Vitriola
phxc/indie
4/5
Honestly, I only heard this for the first time today, but it was so nice I had to play it twice. After a couple lackluster Cursive LPs and a middling Good Life album, I figured Kasher and Co. had run their course. But, this was a nice surprise. |
| 46 |  | Mortuous
Through Wilderness
death metal/doom
4/5
Just solid death metal with a tiny death/doom flare that hits the spot when I've worn out Rippikoulu and the Burial Invocation EP I talk about in a bit. |
| 45 |  | TTNG
Animals Acoustic
emo/math rock/acoustic
4/5
I've always enjoyed the first iteration of this, but this stripped down style somehow adds a variety that the original missed; really nice take on it and not something many bands would even try. |
| 44 |  | Night Verses
From the Gallery of Sleep
phxc/math rock
4/5
Also not something I expected to love, but something I revisited enough to really appreciate. |
| 43 |  | Jason Sharp
Stand Above the Streams
ambient/free jazz/drone
4/5
I don't usually fuck with ambient, but I fuck with this hard. |
| 42 |  | Arabrot
Who Do You Love
noise rock/post punk
4/5
This LP is all over the place in the best way. One minute you've got post-punk, the next you've got a beautiful serenade sending you to sleep only to have a bucket of scolding hot water thrown in your face as soon as you close your eyes. |
| 41 |  | Basalte
Vertige
black metal/post metal
4/5
Yet another fantastic band from Quebec and great example of the type of black metal being produced there. A big step up from their debut, imo. |
| 40 |  | Jesus Piece
Only Self
metalcore
4/5
I still can't believe there is a pure metalcore album on this list, but by the time I finished listening to this the first time, I was putting on my mesh shorts and lacing up my Osirises ready to fucking STOMP. |
| 39 |  | Drudkh
They Often See Dreams About The Spring
atmoblack
4/5
Drudkh breaks their streak of predictably okay albums by putting out their best work in years. |
| 38 |  | Ghastly (FIN)
Death Velour
death metal
4/5
I didn't get the hype for this when it came out, but after forcing myself to revisit it, I can understand the love. This is solid dm through and though. Lovely art as well. |
| 37 |  | Milanku
Monument du non-être...
post metal
4/5
Post Metal can be soooooo hit or miss, but when it hits, it hits hard, and this is a great example of that. Based on exploring their previous work, Milanku is on the right track now. |
| 36 |  | Torture Rack
Malefic Humiliation
death metal
4/5
This is one of three death metal albums on this list that are, well, not necessarily anything special, but just fucking great. It may not be groundbreaking, but it keeps me coming back. Really bangs in the whip. |
| 35 |  | Of Feather and Bone
Bestial Hymns of Perversion
death metal/deathgrind/war
4/5
You'll be forgiven if you thought this was by a different band than the one that wrote their debut. I gotta say, death metal looks pretty good on these guys. There is definitely something in the water in Denver as well. Spoiler: its weed- there's weed in it. |
| 34 |  | Craft
White Noise and Black Metal
black metal
4/5
Admittedly, my exposure to black metal was limited this year, but this was as immediately rewarding as a listen gets. I only wish I'd heard it sooner. |
| 33 |  | Scorched (USA-DE)
Ecliptic Butchery
death metal
4/5
This is one of three death metal albums on this list that are, well, not necessarily anything special, but just fucking great. It may not be groundbreaking, but it keeps me coming back. Really bangs in the whip. [2] |
| 32 |  | Cantique Lepreux
Paysages polaires
atmoblack
4/5
I'm always weary about checking out atmoblack, as I feel the genre has become over-saturated and somewhat stagnant in recent years. But, there's something in the water in Quebec and these guys are just another example of that. |
| 31 |  | Marijannah
Till Marijannah
stoner/doom
4/5
Credit to Ovrot for once again proving to me that I have no business writing off bands based on their genre tags. If it riffs, it riffs. Spoiler: it riffs. |
| 30 |  | Knelt Rote
Alterity
war/grind
4/5
I gave this a 3/5 on first listen. What a fucking idiot. |
| 29 |  | Nostrum Grocers
Nostrum Grocers
abstract hip hop
4/5
Yeah, it's got Milo, so it should be good. But, with Elucid nearly going tit-for-tat with my boy, the collaboration of Nostrum Grocers is lifted from good to great. |
| 28 |  | Parquet Courts
Wide Awake
post punk/art punk/indie
4/5
Prior to this, I had only heard Light Up Gold and while it was decent enough, I wasn't expecting a whole lot from this album. Wide Awaaaaake! stepped up and over-delivered. |
| 27 |  | IDLES
Joy as an Act of Resistance
post punk/phxc
4/5
What a violent ode to love this one is. Frontman Joe Talbot puts this album on another level with his outstanding delivery and message. Didn't hear anything else quite like it this year. |
| 26 |  | Outer Heaven
Realms Of Eternal Decay
death metal
4/5
This is one of three death metal albums on this list that are, well, not necessarily anything special, but just fucking great. It may not be groundbreaking, but it keeps me coming back. Really bangs in the whip. [3] |
| 25 |  | Portrayal of Guilt
Let Pain Be Your Guide
scramz/sludge
4/5
My only complaint about this album is that it is too short. Otherwise, what we have here is a nice, brief, no-fucking-around collection of slappers. Seems like they are catching on so I hope they run with the momentum. |
| 24 |  | Our Place of Worship is Silence
With Inexorable Suffering
death metal
4/5
Repeated punches in the face. That's what this is. A superbly curated track list of pain, with one of the better opening tracks of 2018. For those who want their death metal a little more punishing. |
| 23 |  | Yhdarl
Loss
black metal/funeral doom
4/5
Loss goes from blistering black metal to trudging, exhaustive dread in all of about 50 minutes over 3 songs. With this album, Yhdarl presents one of the most challenging and rewarding listens of the year. |
| 22 |  | Avantdale Bowling Club
Avantdale Bowling Club
jazz rap
4/5
Super underrated hip hop album. If you wanted to hear what TPAB would sound like if it was actually well executed (assuming you aren't one of the millions who jerk it dry, obviously), then hop on this train- you won't be disappointed. Years Gone By is an easy song of the year candidate. |
| 21 |  | SUMAC
Love In Shadow
sludge/free improv/post metal
4/5
I can credit this album for getting me into SUMAC. I was less than blown away by the deal when I heard it years ago, but, after hearing this, I knew there was something I must have been missing and now we're cool- reeeal cool. |
| 20 |  | Spectral Wound
Infernal Decadence
black metal
4/5
There is a noticeable lack of black metal on this list and either that's my fault or there just wasn't a ton of great releases in the genre this year. Either way, Spectral Wound sits atop the black metal mountain for me this year as far as traditional style goes. |
| 19 |  | Bonehunter
Children of the Atom
thrash/black metal
4/5
I much prefer this to the other Bonehunter album I heard, even though that one was pretty good. This album is like getting trapped in a carousel at full speed. Super fun, at first. Then, too much fun, too fast. It won't stop. Riffs. Riffs everywhere! I'm gonna be sick. Can we go again? |
| 18 |  | Thou and Ragana
LET OUR NAMES BE FORGOTTEN
atmoblack/sludge/doom
4/5
Best split of the year right here. Thou's two tracks vary in quality, but I talk enough about them below. The real highlight on this split comes from Ragana's contributions. Sludgy. Hypnotic. Atmospheric. Catchy. All of these describe their songs. Upon exploring their backlog, it seems Ragana have found their footing here. |
| 17 |  | Burial Invocation
Abiogenesis
death metal
4/5
I fucking love this band's debut EP. When this LP was announced, I was longing for the raw death doom blend performed on Rituals of the Grotesque, and instead I was treated to a more mature and polished version of death metal; for better or worse, this is still a death metal highlight this year. |
| 16 |  | Conan
Existential Void Guardian
doom/sludge
4/5
I love Blood Eagle. And before this, that was about all I could say for Conan. But, if you want that itch scratched again, this is the album for you! If you didn't like Conan before, you probably won't now. But I know this was a welcome kind of return to form for fans of Blood Eagle. |
| 15 |  | Ed Schrader's Music Beat
Riddles
post-punk
4/5
Riddles is the kind of album that, on the the surface, doesn't really seem to offer anything new in modern times. But, once you spend some time with the variety of this track list, that facade crumbles. From dancey, to weird, to downright sad, Ed Schrader's Music Beat has absolutely destroyed the bands' previous output. |
| 14 |  | The Body
O God who avenges, shine forth. Rise up, Judge of
power electronics/drone
4/5
Don't let the designation of this release as an EP fool you; the run-time may only be about 28 minutes, but The Body pull you under for an eternity. Less dancey (lol, yeah) and with less room for features than their LP mentioned above, Chip King and Lee Buford take center stage showcasing a masterful blend of power electronics with their signature sound as they close out an almost flawless 2018 campaign. |
| 13 |  | Thou
The House Primordial
sludge/drone/noise
4/5
Looking back, Thou's collaborations with The Body were probably an obvious foreshadowing for The House Primordial. The noise portions of this album may be entry-level, but the integration is superb. I spent many nights this year with this EP taking me to my places most unknown. |
| 12 |  | Thou
Inconsolable
folk/slowcore
4/5
Of all their experiments this summer, this was the most out of character by far. Slowcore? From Thou? What? Yeah, baby. Chock-full of guest vocals and acoustic rumblings, Inconsolable is able to perfectly capture the bleakness of Thou in an entirely different setting. |
| 11 |  | Thou
Rhea Sylvia
sludge/doom/grunge
4/5
Considering their apparent love for grunge, it is no surprise that they decided to experiment with grunge on their journey this year. Perhaps more surprising is how well it works when they are creating their own songs instead of covering bands like Nirvana or Alice In Chains. |
| 10 |  | Daughters
You Won't Get What You Want
noise rock/no wave
4/5
When they announced a new album, I don't know what I expected from Daughters- or even why I'd expect anything in particular- but this was not it. Nearly throwing out most of what I love from their early work (sans a few songs/moments here and there), on paper I probably wouldn't be into this. But I am. And it rules. |
| 9 |  | HIRS
Friends. Lovers. Favorites.
pv/grind/queercore
4/5
The HIRS Collective made a big splash this year, expanding their reach far beyond what it once was. Their ability to sound super pissed while shoving the LBGT flag down every cop and any-phobic throat in sight is something the metal community needed. I believe good things are in store for them and I can't wait to be a part of it. |
| 8 |  | Tomb Mold
Manor of Infinite Forms
death metal
4/5
You're going to see this album on a lot of year-end lists and for good reason. This was a banner year for Tomb Mold; a year that saw an LP, EP, and (recently) the announcement of a new LP to be released in 2019. Tomb Mold is busy and striking while the iron is hot. Expect to see them continuing their takeover of the death metal community in the future. |
| 7 |  | Infernal Coil
Within a World Forgotten
war/deathgrind/death metal
4/5
2018 saw me going balls deep into death metal, but war metal is another genre that kind of took me by surprise; it makes sense, then, that Infernal Coil would be right up my alley. This album only lets you breathe when it wants you to and the rest of the time it is forcing your head into a truck stop toilet which is, somehow, fantastic. |
| 6 |  | The Body
I have fought against it, But I can’t any longer
industrial/drone/noise
4/5
By George, they have done it! I've had a weird, almost love/hate relationship with The Body since I saw them (for some reason) open for Alcest. But, their ability and willingness to collaborate with other bands and explore new styles has won me over and this album is the result of the band growing from that mindset. Scariest, AOTY, btw, with the best features (looking at you, Lingua). |
| 5 |  | Transient and Bastard Noise
Sources of Human Satisfaction
grind/pv/noise
4.5/5
This little diddy is 19 minutes of pure chaos. Grind/PV band Transient and Noise project Bastard Noise teamed up to kick every single person in the mouth this year and I don't know about you, but I'm spitting my teeth out with a smile. This is the perfect balance of grind, powerviolence, and noise and it is in and out before you realize the massive size of the exit wound. |
| 4 |  | Obliteration
Cenotaph Obscure
death metal
4.5/5
Obliteration have returned after 5 years to remind everyone that they are the undisputed kings of the OSDM revival. Not only did the band churn out the best death metal album of the year, but they were able to seamlessly add little stitches of black metal and doom throughout, creating an atmosphere that is undeniably great. |
| 3 |  | mewithoutYou
[untitled] e.p.
indie/folk
4.5/5
Are you even surprised? In my opinion, this is the best EP in recent years in any corner of the music world. Everything from its somewhat sudden/surprising release to its just light-speed ignition of the hype machine to its perfect lead-in to one of the best albums of the year earn this EP a spot with the big boy LPs in 2018. PS I can't be persuaded that August 6th isn't the best thing to come out of this album cycle. |
| 2 |  | mewithoutYou
[Untitled]
indie/phxc
4.5/5
Again- are you surprised? Just when you thought mewithoutYou might have run the well dry, they return with a simultaneously fresh and seasoned sound that will have your foot tickling your intestines in no time. All these years later and mwY are still winning over new listeners. The reception speaks for itself. |
| 1 |  | Thou
Magus
sludge/doom
4.5/5
Okay, now I know you aren't surprised. It seems Thou was easily one of the busiest bands of the the year concerning out-put and this is the culmination of the Summer of Thou. Magus stands as the band's most ambitious LP while still running a clinic on the perfect blend of sludge and doom. All hail Thou. |
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