Favorite Albums of 2018

Maybe it was the fact that I didn’t watch as many movies since I put the Cleveland Movie Blog to bed at the end of 2017, and therefore had more time to listen to tunes. Or maybe this was just a really good year for music. Either way, I found a lot of music to like in 2018, and picking my top 10 wasn't easy. Many of my honorable mentions could just as easily rank in the number 9 or 10 spot depending on my mood.

FAVORITE ALBUMS OF 2018

10. The Breeders – ‘All Nerve’

Nineties alt rock seems to be having a resurgence of late, but this excellent album is too good to write off as a mere nostalgia trip.  Bonus points for covering Amon Duul II’s “Archangel’s Thunderbird”. 

9. Ihsahn – ‘Amr’,

Emperor’s frontman delivers an ambitious and adventurous album’s worth of prog metal. It’s rich and complex, but also catchy, at times reminding me of Stephen Wilson at his best. 

8. Amorphis – ‘Queen of Time’

This Finnish folk/progressive metal band is so consistently good it’s easy to take them for granted. This release is one of their best.

7. A Place to Bury Strangers – ‘Pinned’

Although I’ve liked APTBS in the past, it always felt like something was missing. Turns out that “something” was drummer Lia Simon Braswell, whose backing vocals add a welcome new dimension to the band’s psychedelic sound.

6. The Night Flight Orchestra – ‘Sometimes the World Ain’t Enough’

Eighties AOR as reimagined by a bunch of Swedish metal guys. It’s got all the cheesiness you’d expect from the genre, but the quality of the musicianship and songcraft are undeniable. 

5. Lucifer – ‘II’

Vocalist Johanna Sadonis left behind the straight forward doom sound of Lucifer’s debut album, and ditched her entire band, to boot. For her second album she collaborated with ex- Hellacopters main man Nicke Andersson and wound up with a broader sound with bigger and better hooks.

 

4. Carpenter Brut – ‘Leather Teeth’

After 3 eps, Carpenter Brut delivers a full album’s worth of pounding synthwave with this soundtrack to an imaginary eighties horror film. 

3. Ghost – ‘Prequelle’

Both the band’s most ambitious and accessible work to date, ‘Prequelle’ is a concept album about living life to the fullest in the face of death. A few filler tracks keep it from ranking higher, but it’s still an excellent album. 

2. Screaming Females – ‘All At Once’

Heartfelt vocals, stellar guitar work, and great songs prove there’s still life in straight ahead guitar rock.

 

1.      Janelle Monae – ‘Dirty Computer’

This album leaves behind the sci-fi concept of Monae’s previous work. It also tones down Monae’s rock influences while playing up her poppier side. But as this album proves, pop doesn’t have to be a dirty word.

HONORABLE MENTIONS

A Perfect Circle – ‘Eat The Elephant’,

Alice In Chains – ‘Rainier Fog’,

Behemoth – ‘I Loved You At Your Darkest’,

Black Salvation – ‘Uncertainty Is Bliss’,

Church of the Cosmic Skull – ‘Science Fiction’,

Civic – ‘New Vietnam’,

Clutch – ‘Book of Bad Decisions’,

Czarface & MF Doom – ‘Czarface Meets Metal Face’,

Dimmu Borgir – ‘Eonian’

Father John Misty – ‘God’s Favorite Customer’,

Franz Ferdinand – ‘Always Ascending’,

Fucked Up – ‘Dose Your Dreams’,

Gruesome – ‘Twisted Prayers’,

Gunship – ‘Dark All Day’,

Hank Wood and the Hammerheads – S/T

Harlan T. Bobo – ‘A History Of Violence’,

Harlot’s Grip – ‘Harlot’s Grip’

King Tuff – ‘Psycho Star’

La Luz – ‘Floating Features’,

Loma – ‘Loma’,

MGMT – ‘Little Dark Age’,

Monster Magnet – ‘Mindfucker’,

Mudhoney – ‘Digital Garbage’,

Neko Case – ‘Hell-On’

Octopus – ‘Supernatural Alliance’

Oh Sees – ‘Smote Reverser’

Persistent Aggressor – ‘Persistent Aggressor’

Powerwolf – ‘The Sacrament of Sin’,

Preoccupations – ‘New Material’,

Rik & The Pigs – ‘A Child’s Gator’

Shannon and the Clams – ‘Onion’

Starcrawler – ‘Starcrawler’,

The Sword – ‘Used Future’,

Voivod – ‘The Wake’

Zeal And Ardor – ‘Stranger Fruit’,