Best Albums 2018

by Sami

I finally managed to increase the number of listened tracks per year after several years of downhill on this sector. In contrast, the number of records I bought in 2018 was lower than ever before. Let's see how this affects the listening of the records in the future when these chosen ones might not be as readily available as they are now. I guess that this is the future though and of course there are obvious benefits with the streamed albums. When choosing the best albums of the year, I noticed that there are clearly two categories that are really hard to compare to each other. Therefore I chose to select just the best album from the whole bunch of them and then evaluate the rest within their own genre.

The Best of All

Hamferð - Támsins Likam

Roaring seas, howling winds, serene coves, rocky mountains, seabirds, fresh air, violent storms, rough men, fighting against the elements, surviving. If this is how the Faroe Islands are like, Hamferd describes it perfectly in their music. The album is so full of feeling, and only six songs, you can only listen this one once a week (with headphones) or you will explode. It fills you, it makes you feel empty and longing, it makes you feel small, it makes you bigger than you were before. Not Icelanders this year, but Atlantic Islands rule again!

Metal 1 - 5 (not in particular order)

Bloodbath - The Arrow of Satan Is Drawn

Give me a speaker big enough and a Bloodbath album, and I shall move the world.

Amorphis - Queen of Time

Amorphis has combined styles from their different eras and has done it well.

Soulfly - Ritual

Max hasn't been anywhere far away, but now Max is back! You can either go out and pick a fight in your local mall (if you live in Eastern Helsinki) or you can listen this album, the result is the same, you'll feel victorious (and beaten).

Primordial - Exile Amongst the Ruins

Beautifully massive music. Pretty much all the songs begin with at least a minute long intro where the atmosphere is created and the rest then continues from these ruins.

The Crown - Cobra Speed Venom

A true wave of metal!

Metal 6 -> (not in particular order)

Barren Earth — A Complex of Cages

Tribulation — Down Below

High on Fire — Electric Messiah

The Best of Stoner/Rock/Psychedelic

Clutch - Book of Bad Decisions

Stoner that makes you move.

Stoner/Rock/Psychedelic 2 - 5 (not in particular order)

Alice in Chains - Rainier Fog

The album speaks for itself.

Monster Magnet - Mindfucker

A real mindfucker, psychedelic rock, stoner and everything else that Monster Magnet is.

Orange Goblin - The Wolf Bites Back

After the first song, it is just pure bulldozing.

Black Label Society - Grimmest Hits

A hammock, six pack of beer and BLS album, what else?

Stoner/Rock/Psychedelic 6 -> (not in particular order)

Brant Bjork — Mankind Woman

Corrosion of Conformity — No Cross No Crown

Uncle Acid And the Deadbeats — Wasteland

The Best Gigs

Clutch, Tuska Festival
Body Count feat IceT, Tuska Festival

Uncle Acid And the Deadbeats, Tavastia

Best of 2018

I predicted that 2018 would be above average what comes to new releases based on speculations or solid knowledge from the record companies. Some must buy albums were to be expected. I can already reveal that some of those really delivered. Then there were some surprises that I either did not expect or I was completely unaware that they were about to released. Looking back now, I have to say that 2018 were indeed great year. My top ten album charts were almost entirely composed of albums released this year. Let’s see what was left on hand this time!

Corrosion of Conformity - No Cross, No Crown

Corrosion of Conformity has become one of those bands that whatever they put out I buy. As expected, “No Cross, No Crowns” was a damn good album. NCNC was released during the first quarter of the year and it collected formidable amount of listening, way above anything else and I’m not even bored with it. Although I liked their previous albums, it is so good to have Pepper back. I adore his vocal performance, absolutely one of my all-time favorite singers. He isn’t a bad guitarist either. NCNC kind of continues where this band left things after In the Arms of God. “Wolf Named Crow”, “E.L.M” and “No Cross, No Crown” are amongst those pearls. Instrumentals songs were doomed as fillers by some reviews, but I think they have a certain function: they give a short break to breathe in and they are important contributors to the overall sound and especially to the feeling of this album. Maybe this is not the best album, but the dearest of them all. 1700+ plays verify that.

Voivod - The Wake

The one that was the biggest surprise of 2018 was Voivod’s new release “The Wake”. This could be the best album and without NCNC, my pick for number one. But hey, Second position isn’t that bad. “The Wake” is by far the most interesting album released in a long time and easily one of the best in Voivod’s discography (which, to be honest, contains many shitty albums as well). I’m one of those fans that love The Outer Limits and was thrilled then Post Society EP came out. This also sets the stage to my hype toward “The Wake”. I completely understand that if progressive elements are not your cup of tea, The Wake might be too obscure and not heavy enough. It could be progressive thrash or whatever. I’m so tired to that genre jerking. Decide yourself what you want to call it. The Wake is one of those albums that should be listened in a linear order following the story. I really think that the story plays an important part here. It brings all those progressive elements into life and gives them the meaning. Another thing that is worth mentioning is Chewy’s brilliant guitar playing. That was even more evident during Voivod’s live performance last summer. Besides being technically flawless, his way of playing has a soul rarely seen. Go figure what that means as we are talking about metal guitar playing. That was just my thoughts while watching the gig. I don’t know maybe I should have put this as number one.

The Crown - Cobra Speed Venom

Besides the Corrosion of Conformity, The Crown is one of those bands whose new albums go directly to my waiting list and I buy the album the very day it is released. Cobra Speed Venom is absolutely fantastic metal album. It wins also the coolest album art prize. That skeleton wave is simply brilliant making me regret that I went and sold my vinyl player. CSV art would be awesome in vinyl size. Some call The Crown a thrash band, some death metal, I really don’t care. These guys are past forty and they are still able can compose this kind of music. The very existence of the CSV proves that magical metal is not born only when you are young and abusing narcotics. It is born from the attitude and devotion to metal music. I saw these guys playing lase summer and their live performance was second to none. Many younger performers should attend and learn. I remember that I was so thrilled then Johan Lindstrand’s return to the Crown was announced couple of years ago. Their first reunion album “Death Is Not Dead” was pretty good, but they really nailed things with CSV. 

Clutch - Book of Bad Decisions

It seems that Clutch is unable to release a bad album. I saw them performing some of the songs from this album in the summer before it was released this and those songs were flawless. “In walks Barbarella” could be the best song of the year. If not, it is weaponized funk at its best. Clutch songs have that magic groove that makes their live performances so enjoyable. In addition, their lyrics are fun. I’m looking forward to see them again. 

Immortal - Northern Chaos Gods

Immortal was supposed to be dead and buried deep, but somehow Demonaz found energy to reanimate the band. I like his vision of “The Post-Abbath-Immortal”. Northern Chaos Gods is a return toward their older sound, which is a good thing. More importantly, NCG again captures that mystical atmosphere that I loved so much in “In the Heart of winter” -album. Just listen to the “Mighty Ravendark” song and you’ll understand what I mean. For me that is the thing in black metal and Immortal does that well. 

    

Amorphis - Queen of Time

Amorphis might have reached their bombastic upper limit with Queen of Time -album. For the first time, they have a symphony orchestra and choirs impeded. The end result is big and glorious. QoT contains lots of hits and always so wonderful Anneke Giersbergen as guest appearance in Amongst Stars. Production is flawless, Jens Borgen did good job. So everything should be OK, but I still found a bit difficult to develop a relationship with this album. I honestly liked Under the Red Cloud more, maybe because it is not that big and glorious. Amorphis performed their first Old Ice Hall -gig utilizing the Black Box concept. I think that venue did justice to hhe music of QoF. It is really made for a big context and as such it outperforms Nightwish.