It’s late as usual, but here is my year end list of 2018! These are not in any particular order. I kept things short and sweet this year due to being busy with our movie Death Drop Gorgeous which is coming along. I hope you all find something new and fun on here. Feel free to send me suggestions of albums I should check out.
Brandon’s Best Albums of 2018
1. sewingneedle – user error
sewingneedle sounds like everyone of your favorite 90’s post rock bands, complete with vocals that are just as snarky as the lyrics. Think Silkworm, mid Unwound, June of 44, Versus, Sunday Puncher, The Lapse, lowercase, early Blonde Redhead, etc. It’s some of the best song writing I’ve heard done with this style of music in a long time.
2. Flesh Narc – Pillow Talk
I love seeing music get dissected and reassembled in all the wrong places and Flesh Narc has done just that. Think Soak the Saddleera Arab on Radar, Normal Love, Hot Nerds, etc. but even more disgusting and dizzying. I mean what else would you expect from member of Bukkake Moms and Gay Cum Daddies?
3. Daughters – You Won’t Get What You Want
Daughters seems to always add or subtract a little something to their sound with each album and I think they found their stride here. Nothing else sounds like You Won’t Get What You Want and it is their best album to date.
4. Guðveiki – Vængför
Atmospheric, noisy black metal but like atmospheric noisy black metal like you’ve never heard before! I promise! It’s from Iceland and it sounds and feels like some sort of mythological creature that would reside there. Another flawless release from Fallen Empire Records
5. Infernal Coil – Within a World Forgotten
Barbaric and pummeling, this album is a force and unlike most blackened _________ metal that came out this year, this maintains re-listenability. In the vein of Pissgrave, Knelt Rote and Impetuous Ritual.
6. SRSQ – Unreality
Speaking of a blast from the past, Unreality could have comfortably been released on 4AD in 1984 and make total sense. This album is a dream complete with ethereal vocals that will give you chills – some of the most beautiful songs ever written.
7. HIRS Collective – Friends. Lovers. Favorites.
Tired of white dudes in hardcore and metal bands screaming about nonsense ? Want to know what true hate and anger sound like? Want to hear the fury of the oppressed? This is it. HIRS is a ferocious reminder of what our cartoonishly macho, patriarchal joke of a culture and government is. This is the soundtrack to a revolution and it can’t come soon enough. Complete with a roster of many guest appearance like of Shirley Manson of Garbage, Alice Bag and Martin Crudo, this album is a must have.
8. Moaning – s/t
Sub Pop snuck this album out and no one even flinched and I am not sure why; amidst the post punk, 90’s shoegaze throwback trend that is still going strong, Moaning definitely stands out in the crowd. Reminds me of the first Cheetah’s full length and Swervedriver. A great album that deserves some attention.
9. Bosse-De-Nage – Further Still
You’ve all been sleeping on this band and I am not sure why; post hardcore with a spattering of blast beats in the mix, you really can’t go wrong. Think Level Plane, Ebullition, era post hardcore and metal.
10. Imperial Triumphant – Vile Luxury
This band and especially this album fall into their own genre of art-damaged, blackened metal and it rules. For fans of Thantifaxath, Deathspell Omega, Dencdritic Arbor, etc.
11. Secret Cutter – Quantum Eraser
Definitely the heaviest and meanest album of the year, but also keeps things interesting in the process; the sludgy parts are crushing and the fast parts are ferocious.
12. Tongue Party – Looking for a Painful Death
Post hardcore, noise rock, whatever you want to call this, Tongue Party are one of the best live bands I saw last year. The whole album is driving and raucous and loaded with tons of sharp temp shifts. Looking for a Painful Death proves that there are still ways to keep rock music fun and interesting.
13. L.O.T.I.O.N./Scumputer – Campaign for Digital Destruction
Well if your Nintendo or Sega decided to come to life and kill you and your family, this is what it would sound like. Digipunk gone haywire in all the right ways.
14. Exploded View – Obey
Somewhere between Broadcast and The Space Lady Obey lives on it’s own planet and contains some of the best songs written this year. You kinda have to hear it for yourself.
15. Machine Girl – The Ugly Art
There has been a big revival of digital hardcore and I am here for it. The Ugly Art is the best I’ve heard so far. This album is completely unhinged. For fans of Space Streakings, Atari Teenage Riot and Realicide.
Honorable Mentions of the Year
- No Babies Someone To Watch Over Me
- Falter MKE Death
- SQRM Rodeo
- Great News It Is Time
- Intercourse Everything is Pornography When You’ve Got An Imagination
- HWWAUOCH s/t
- Heads Collider
- Wax Chattels s/t
- SPACE CAMP INEVITABLE DEMISE
- Beach House 7
- Jobs Log On For The Free Chance To Log On For Free
- Slow Crush Aurora
- Death Fortress Reign of the Unending
Special Mentions that are not full lengths:
Elizabeth Colour Wheel Queen Tired (“Mika Says” is my favorite song of 2018) / Full Review Here
Sapphic Lasers Ache
Empath Liberating Guilt and Fear
Nicole Dollanganger Heart Shaped Bed (side B)