Brendan’s Top 50 Albums of 2018: Part 4 (20 to 11)
2018 has been another supreme year for the rock and metal world. So many amazing albums came out from old and new band’s alike. It made this list really hard to complete. Even more so when you think we have reviewed over 500 albums here at GBHBL alone. Difficult or not, it is complete and this marks the 4th set of albums from my Top 50 albums of the year.
To give each album the focus it deserves we decided to break the list into 5 articles with ten albums in each counting down from 50. This is the fourth part of the top 50. These are the best albums of 2018 from numbers 20 to 11.
You can read Part 1 here, Part 2 here and Part 3 here.
Number 20: Dragonlord – Dominion (Universal/Spinefarm Records)
Complex arrangements, punishing black metal, symphonic leys, choirs, glorious solos all working together in dark, atmospheric harmony. Dragonlord have put out a blinder here with what may well be the best symphonic black metal album you will hear this year.
Read our full review of the album here.
Number 19: Terror Universal – Make Them Bleed (Minus Head Records)
The whole of Make Them Bleed offers a level of angst and anger that will make listeners take notice. It is reminiscent of older days but in a good way and with a modern level of maturity. Make Them Bleed is chock full of solid riffs and pounding drum rhythm. The vocals, clean or roared are excellent and the band sound really tight musically. I really enjoyed the album. A crunchy, riff heavy metal album chock full of aggression, devilish verses and even the odd anthemic chorus. Great stuff.
Read our full review of the album here.
Number 18: Machine Head – Catharsis (Nuclear Blast)
There are elements of The More Things Change, The Burning Red, The Blackening, Unto the Locust and Bloodstone & Diamonds here. This really is a Machine Head history-spanning record! It feels deeply personal & that is something I and all of us here at GBHBL adore about them.
Read our full review of the album here.
Number 17: At The Gates – To Drink from the Night Itself (Century Media Records)
There is plenty of variety on the album with differing paces and riffs, a little orchestral start and end, some really heavy blast tracks and some more traditional melodic death metal ones. It is a great album and one I will be listening to for a long time to come after 2018 ends.
Read our full review of the album here.
Number 16: Ihsahn – Àmr (Candlelight/Spinefarm Records)
Ámr is an intelligently composed album, making massive use of multiple genres and styles while managing to never become just one of them. While there are tracks on here that don’t quite hit the heights of others, any person with a mind even slightly ajar may listen to this and see it sprung wide open. Ihsahn continues to deliver the music he wants to deliver with no apologies. Luckily for us, that music is emotional, intelligent, creative and rooted in heavy metal.
Read our full review of the album here.
Number 15: Omnium Gatherum – The Burning Cold (Century Media Records)
The Burning Cold is a supremely impressive album. The songs are crafted beautifully and the album is so well balanced. 11 tracks fly by in minutes, each bringing you further along on the journey before hitting you with Cold right at the end. The musicianship is impressive but it is how well everything works together that really stands out.
Read our full review of the album here.
Number 14: Pig Destroyer – Head Cage (Relapse Records)
I was really surprised by Head Cage and it goes to show you shouldn’t judge a book by it’s cover. Or a band by the subgenre they are lumped into. It is a clever, progressive album with plenty of heaviness and even more groove. Head Cage is a mightily impressive piece of work.
Read our full review of the album here.
Number 13: Tribulation – Down Below (Century Media Records)
What an album this is. Down Below is fresh and exhilarating. It is often morose and depressive but also dappled with hope and encouragement. There is a whole lot to love on this album. It is well laid out and you get a sense that Tribulation are a band at the very top of their game.
Read our full review of the album here.
Number 12: Deicide – Overtures of Blasphemy (Century Media Records)
Overtures of Blasphemy is one of the best death metal releases of 2018. That is without a doubt. It shows a band who many felt to be passed it, back with a new fire and vigour and some damn fine songs too. Seriously impressive stuff from Deicide.
Read our full review of the album here.
Number 11: Alien Weaponry – Tû (Napalm Records)
I imagine we have all heard of Alien Weaponry by now right? The young New Zealanders really took the metal world by storm in 2018 with this excellent release backed by some stunning shows. One for the future but based on Tu, one for the present as well. A seriously strong debut!
Read our review of Bloodstock Festival where we caught Alien Weaponry Live here.
