Top 13 Releases of 2017

Top 13 Releases of 2017

13

Elder – Reflections of a Floating World

Elder’s songs are looooong.  You might assume to make them that long they would be repeating themselves from time to time, but the beautiful thing about Reflections… is that it is progressive in the most literal sense of the word.  Their psychedelic jams feel like journeys into ever-changing territory, rather than laps of a convoluted circuit.  With a sound that recalls earlier Pelican, some Mogwai, and Baroness, Elder are as committed to melody as they are jamming the heck out of everything.  While post-metal outfits might feel draining because of the sparsity of melody, Elder are never far from delivering you a delightful vocal line or a harmonised guitar sound to send tingles along your spine.

Try listening to: Staving Off Truth

12

Saint Vincent – Masseduction

I still remember the cold I felt listening to Actor for the first time, and while I like that record I was not overly keen to hear more Saint Vincent.  Saint Vincent changed that with its funky passion and dancey poise.  Masseduction continues the trend with lush warmth in every track.  Don’t confuse that musical warmth for a lack of cynicism or fighting spirit though.  Annie Clark still tells it like it is, and her direct, unflinching look at life is what makes her so engaging.  Whether churning out distorted guitar sounds, gently eulogising over piano, or bashing out bass-heavy dance tunes, Annie Clark is a master, and, while entirely her own artist, there is a sense that this generation has its Bowie, Prince, and David Byrne all rolled into one.

Try listening to: Savior

11

Dead Cross – Dead Cross

I guess Mike Patton will be on my best of list every year in some capacity.  On this occasion he has Dave Lomardo (Slayer, Fantômas), Mike Crain (Retox), and Justin Pearson (The Locust) rounding out this supergroup.  While Patton has described it as a straight up hardcore record, he simply can’t help but have other flavours pouring through.  From background chanting and spoken word moments to the Aphex Twin atmospherics of “Bela Lugosi’s Dead”, there is an abundance of texture here.  For a hardcore record, the guitars sit a little too low in the mix and there is a need for an injection of anger every now and again, but this is a frantically enjoyable listen.  Lombardo’s insatiable appetite for snare and Patton’s wild screaming will keep you spinning to the end.

Try listening to: Grave Slave

10

Mutoid Man – War Moans

You’ll forgive me for thinking Ben Koller is actually a highly sophisticated drum machine.  Little else could explain his active careers in Converge, All Pigs Must Die, and now Mutoid Man.  Amazingly, his drumming is at the centre of each bands' sound, but War Moans perhaps shows off a greater scope of his skills.  Sounding like a collision between Bad Religion, Danzig, and the aforementioned Converge, Mutoid Man give you big stinking piles of riff, catchy-ass rock vocals, and enough unexpected stylistic twists to make this more than just a "fun" side project.  The undeniably lovable Stephen Brodsky brings the rock cheese but with just enough edge to avoid cliché.  Only problem I have is that he's singing down the corridor from the mic.  Come closer next time.

Try listening to: Headrush

9

Kreator – Gods of Violence

With a thematic shift here and there Kreator’s latest would have benn an incredible heavy metal accompaniment to the Egyptian fever dream that was Gods of Egypt.  But where that film’s mad ambitions and insane scope were let down by literally everyone working on it (except Gerard Butler, of course), Kreator’s ability to deliver pristine, energetic, full force thrash smashes a battering ram through the gates of disbelief.  The album also serves as a quick lesson in Heavy Metal Imagery 101, so is not only entertainment but an education.  Gods of Thrash.

Try listening to: Totalitarian Terror    

8

Obituary – Obituary

Obituary are unlike any other death metal band.  Not only do they have the inimitable John Tardy tearing his cords to shreds on every track, they are also having an endless amount of fun.  That feeling powers through on their most recent record: a hard rock death metal album with welcoming production and insidious hooks.  For newcomers to Obituary or death metal it is a fine place to start, but existing fans should not despair.  Tracks like “Brave”, “Turned to Stone”, and “Ten Thousand Ways to Die” do what Obituary have always done: stomp and thrash.  A simple and heavy album for complex and heavy times.

Try listening to: Turned to Stone 

7

Hark – Machinations

Fusing the playful heaviness of Torche with the riff and vocal hook glory of Clutch, Hark have built a following on the back of their debut album, Crystalline, and confident live performances.  Stoner rock influenced riffing and a rock ‘n’ roll sensibility combine to produce heavy party music equally suited to clubs and bedroom headbanging.  Not as instant as its predecessor, Machinations brings you unexpected time changes, denser arrangements, and a darker overall atmosphere that all reward repeat listens.  Frontman Jimbob Isaac’s standout voice is warm and heavy, and his guitar is just as happy doling out pop hooks and exciting woodly bits as it is thick riffs.

Try listening to: Nine Fates

6

Crystal Fairy – Crystal Fairy

The swampy riffing and heavy drumming are on point and all you’d expect from King Buzzo and Dale Crover, but the hooky bass lines and attitude-packed vocals, from Omar Rodríguez-López and Teri Gender Bender respectively, revitalise the efforts of the legendary Melvins core.  While Teri sings in her own band, Le Butcherettes, the Melvins sludge brings out a Julie Christmas-esque tortured quality to her voice.  Hints of Peaches, Liam Lynch, and Saint Vincent come through, but the vocal stands on its own atop this mountain of rock to produce an uplifting, truly dance-worthy record.

Try listening to: Drugs on the Bus  

5

OHHMS – The Fool

No point in trying to tell you what sub-genre OHHMS belong to because they don’t know or care.  It is rock music that organically draws on sludge, doom, classic rock, prog, and the earth around them.  Previous records have been tightly focused two-track thematic musings.  On The Fool the band have expanded to a mammoth six tracks dealing with tarot card interpretations of the world.  If you’re put off by any sense of pretension, don’t be.  OHHMS’ strength is in their direct and honest passion.  Whether it’s a big riff or gently gliding soundscapes, a near spoken word delivery or an angry roar, OHHMS mean every note or moment of silence.  Music for an open mind. 

Try listening to: The Lovers

4

SikTh – The Future In Whose Eyes?

In 2016, the Opacities EP brought SikTh back to an eagerly waiting original fanbase, and a whole new generation of kids into schizo-math-djent-prog metal.  Luckily there was only a short time to wait for a full-length dose of the same, but there is no point trying to pin down SikTh.  The joy is in finding out what lunacy is coming your way.  Whether it is late stage capitalism rebel anthem “Golden Cufflinks”, or spoken word tracks with multiple characters all voiced by one brilliant orator, SikTh want you to revel in their oddness.  In amongst it all, with tracks like “Cracks of Light” and “No Wishbones”, SikTh have written the best album of their career.

Try listening to: Golden Cufflinks  

3

Royal Thunder – Wick

Let’s start by clearing up one thing: Wick is not better than Crooked Doors.  However, I rated Crooked Doors so highly that I will probably unconsciously refuse to allow another Royal Thunder album to topple it.  Wick takes the pared down aesthetic of its predecessor even further, allowing Mlny Parsonz’s phenomenal voice yet more control of our souls.  “Burning Tree” is as confident an opening track on a rock album as you’re likely to hear.  Slow, deliberate, impassioned, and entrancing.  “Plans” seems to grow right out of the hearts of its performers.  “Wick” expertly plays with anticipation and payoff, dark and light.  “The Well” is the most beautiful song I’ve heard this year.  The rock music available to you here is as pure as you’ll find.

Try listening to: Plans

2

Converge – The Dusk In Us

Roaming the metal section of my local music shop, I picked up Converge’s latest more out of habit than anything else.  I mean, it’s Converge.  They have, somehow, become a mainstay of just-off-the-beaten-path heavy music.  And somehow they’ve surprised me again with the quality of this record.  Somehow the brutal assaults are as hellish and fresh as ever.  Somehow the riffs are all killer.  Somehow the more diverse, clean, and experimental passages are encapsulating and emotional.  Somehow it is both metal and hardcore without losing an ounce of purity from either.  Somehow Converge just keeping doing it.  Somehow.

Try listening to: Cannibals

1

Amenra – Mass VI

This time last year I was hoping to start my music blog with a top 13 list that would have anointed Neurosis’ Fires Within Fires as my favourite album of 2016.  While I couldn’t get my finger out long enough to actually write the damn thing, it’s still fitting that a band Neurosis signed to their own Neurot Recordings and seemingly inspired has taken 2017’s honours.  Mass VI is a startling reminder that when doom-laden post-metal strikes, it strikes hard.  Stirring heaviness, exciting departures into foreign aural landscapes, and a bold dedication to desolation make this the most memorable album of 2017.

Try listening to: Diaken