Nocte's Best Albums Of 2018
I think you guys/gals and tugboats know the drill by now. 2018 has been a big year, full of hugely positive releases and its share of disappointing albums. Despite this 2018 somewhat rivals those so-called big years in music. Here's what I've been listening to in a somewhat un-ranked list. |
| 1 |  | Clouds (INT)
Dor
The funeral doom supergroup to end all supergroups. Tracks of longing and loss fill the void between halls and caverns alike. With its roster made up of Shape of Despair and Eye Of Solitude members (as well as others) there's appeal to those that appreciate the more accessible but completely gravid forms of doom. |
| 2 |  | Slugdge
Esoteric Malacology
My usual misgivings to anything musically thematic is now a thought to the wayside as Esoteric Malacology takes over my self indulgent mind and fills it with slime filled fantasy. The death metal is fierce, on point and casts no doubt as to what species is the superior. |
| 3 |  | Horrendous
Idol
Death metal has had a big year indeed. There was controversy (not to mention a staple of saxophone parts), but no controversy could outmatch the fierce and unwavering sonic assault of Idol. |
| 4 |  | Sul ad Astral
Oasis
A quick look through sput's rating's says that this guy hasn't had too many spins or received anywhere near the attention it deserves. The immersive space between post metal and natural progression. Admittedly, it's a slow grower and at times a hurdle but the journey is as rewarding as the album itself. |
| 5 |  | Funeral Tears
The Only Way Out
Doom metal has taken a definite backseat to the powerhouse of death metal this year. That's not death's fault, rather the likes of Clouds and Mournful Congregation just couldn't match the quality and quantity of albums popping up every week. Funeral Tears is another slow moving display of melancholy and not quite as memorable as the other acts mentioned above. |
| 6 |  | Arkona (RUS)
Khram
It's early release date hasn't aged Arkona's latest too well, namely because it's been forgotten about. Another quality album that got buried all too quickly. |
| 7 |  | Monolithe
Nebula Septem
Nebula Septem is admittedly the weakest offering Monolithe has dressed up in their career. It's not bad, per se. Rather the motif of "seven" doesn't carry well enough into the songwriting to give validation to the fact that Monolithe turn everything to doom filled gold. |
| 8 |  | Erdve
Vaitojimas
Erdve dropped the debut of the year. There I said it. |
| 9 |  | Horizon Ablaze
The Weight Of A Thousand Suns
Yeah the love child of Gojira and Emperor is heavy, interesting and all over the place in the best possible way. It may not be as heavy as the title suggests but it's one of the year's more interesting metal releases. |
| 10 |  | Usurpress
Interregnum
Another genre bender blender. More focused on the band's previous releases and all the quality to match. The 'jazzier' elements run parallel to the death metal grandiosity. It's hard to see how the band will move forward after the death of their drummer shortly after the album's release. |
| 11 |  | Rolo Tomassi
Time Will Die And Love Will Bury It
This album has been popping into general discussion throughout the year and deserving of the praise it has been receiving everywhere. |
| 12 |  | Judas Priest
Firepower
Leather jackets, flame throwers and an aging legacy that can still bring shame to the kids trying to be like their idols. We all have heroes, we just don't want to see them go. |
| 13 |  | Barren Earth
A Complex of Cages
With a bit more polishing these guys could be the next Opeth (the heavier version, not the hippy prog version). The clean vocal work takes some getting used to for sure but there's merit to be found here every day of the week. |
| 14 |  | Primordial
Exile Amongst the Ruins
Man crushes are okay for Primordial right? The 'black n' roll' approach of their latest album left a few heads being scratched when one considers the band's past works but Primordial are going to do what they want, even if it's dragging its listeners to the Hangman's Noose. |
| 15 |  | Can Bardd
Nature Stays Silent
A few production issues but Can Bardd are on the way to becoming Saor-tier. |
| 16 |  | Grift
VILSNA ANDARS BONING
A short blackened folk piece for Atari. Gentle, smooth and pleasantly bringing the Swedish mountain. |
| 17 |  | Caliban
Elements
When metalcore started letting everyone down this year Caliban were just waiting in the wings with their stock standard formula and occasional banger. |
| 18 |  | TesseracT
Sonder
People got on the hype train quickly for Tesseract, and then got off at the next stop once the album dropped. It's not fantastic, but it's not bad either. |
| 19 |  | Ihsahn
Amr
All hail Ihsahn |
| 20 |  | Letters From The Colony
Vignette
It's a tech death album with a saxophone, you work it out. |
| 21 |  | Alkaloid
Liquid Anatomy
One of the year's more contentious death metal albums. More cohesive than the band's last offering, Liquid Anatomy is a highlight, even if you don't agree. |
| 22 |  | Ghost (SWE)
Prequelle
All hail the apocalypse, the world's ending and of course cheese. |
| 23 |  | Joan of Arc
1984
I'm not one to waver too far from what's normal and known to me, but I couldn't help appreciate the quirk, the minimalism or the outright abrasive smoothness of Joan of Arc's experimental pop. |
| 24 |  | Ulthar
Cosmovore
Blackened thrash that doesn't suck or blow. It's over quickly enough to ensure no one becomes sick of it, plus the art's pretty. |
| 25 |  | Moonshade
Sun Dethroned
Amon Amarth-core |
| 26 |  | Hissing
Permanent Destitution
Profound Lore have a knack for signing the bands we should be keeping more of an eye on. Hissing's brand of death metal is their own but hearkens both Portal vibes and death revival. |
| 27 |  | In Chasms Deep
The Realm Between
Death, Decay, And Magick Foul. |
| 28 |  | Ghastly (FIN)
Death Velour
Yet another solid release to add to death metal's 2018 tally. |
| 29 |  | Monstrosity
The Passage of Existence
Nothing new, but everything to see here. Another top-tier release from the Monstrosity camp. |
| 30 |  | Abstracter
Cinereous Incarnate
Another definition of a slow grower, Abstracter provide doubt on whether they're moving from strength to strength but this shouldn't be missed on a whim. |
| 31 |  | Until Death Overtakes Me
Missing
I've always followed the long winded funeral dirges that seep slowly into the mind penetrating the subconscious and reinforcing why it's okay to not be okay. Missing may not have the same potency as A Prelude To Monolith but carries the same vibes. |
| 32 |  | Anaal Nathrakh
A New Kind of Horror
The same kind of horror, but cleaner and less vehement than the album's predecessors. |
| 33 |  | Beyond Creation
Algorythm
Death metal consistency appealing for supremacy. |
| 34 |  | Soulfly
Ritual
Roots, Bloody Roots! Turns out Max has some fight left in him, he just has to remember the good ol' days to bring back the relevancy of Soulfly's groove based mainstream thrash. |
| 35 |  | Serocs
The Phobos / Deimos Suite
Cavern built tech death that doesn't feature the use of a certain saxophone. |
| 36 |  | Sepulcher
Panoptic Horror
Thrash/death. I wish I had more to say about this apart from it does exactly what it's supposed to and I'm definitely okay with that. |
| 37 |  | Anachronism
Orogeny
Another contender for death metal supremacy circa 2018. It comes from nowhere and leaves nothing left when it's done. |
| 38 |  | Circles
The Last One
Why is this so god-damn fucking catchy? |
| 39 |  | Obliteration
Cenotaph Obscure
Another contender for death metal supremacy circa 2018. Horrendous tier as far as the year's efforts in metal are concerned. |
| 40 |  | Northern Crown
Northern Crown
Simples. |
| 41 |  | Burial Invocation
Abiogenesis
Solid, albeit meandering death metal. |
| 42 |  | Glacial Tomb
Glacial Tomb
Thirty five minutes of solid deathened glory. Overshadowed by its peers, but in the best possible way. |
| 43 |  | Gorod
Aethra
Gorod equals god? No wait, don't answer that. |
| 44 |  | Outre
Hollow Earth
Dewi reviewed it because I told him to. He loved it like I knew he would and you should too. |
| 45 |  | Devouring Star
The Arteries of Heresy
This is beautiful, but dank. |
| 46 |  | Winterfylleth
The Hallowing of Heirdom
Why did you guys stop talking about this? Folk you can leave on repeat with a glass of wine in hand. |
| 47 |  | The Ocean
Phanerozoic I: Palaeozoic
I don't think I could get away with posting a 2018 list without mentioning what actually is my Album Of The Year. Luckily I reviewed it so I don't have to keep repeating myself. |
| 48 |  | Entropia (PL)
Vacuum
Suffocating, entrancing and everything in between. Entropia can keep genre hopping, I'll just try and keep up with it all. |
| 49 |  | Greyhaven
Empty Black
While mainstream metalcore may have been a let down this year, the left of field stuff is exceptional. |
| 50 |  | AEONIAN SORROW
Into The Eternity A Moment We Are
Doom metal that can sit on the shelf right next to my Eye Of Solitude collection. The female led vocals are a nice deviation from the standards the genre now finds itself falling into. |
| 51 |  | Agrimonia
Awaken
Another album that suffered from an early release date. Forgotten too early in a year filled with solid to excellent releases. |
| 52 |  | Ascension
Under Ether
Smooth tones hide a dark secret. |
| 53 |  | ASG
Survive Sunrise
Let the love flow through your locks, caress your back and whisper sweet nothings into your ear. |
| 54 |  | The Atlas Moth
Coma Noir
Another early album which to be fair found itself overrated slightly, but only slightly. |
| 55 |  | Avslut
Deceptis
Straightforward black metal, up tempo and fierce. |
| 56 |  | Behemoth
I Loved You At Your Darkest
A quick glance over a few others' lists and I'm wondering why this isn't getting a similar recognition from when it was released. Regardless, it's deserving of the praise. |
| 57 |  | Bleed From Within
Era
While Rob Flynn was disappointing us with Machine Head's latest, Bleed From Within were releasing the album metalcore desperately needed this year. |
| 58 | | Boar
Poseidon
Sit back, grab a beer and stop giving a fuck. |
| 59 |  | Bongripper
Terminal
Slow.Death. |
| 60 |  | Chaos Echoes
Mouvement
Disruptive and pleasurable noisy death al a Portal |
| 61 |  | Coram Lethe
In Absence
Another death metal album inviting hell on its unwitting victims only to be spat out a shell of their former selves. |
| 62 |  | Crippled Black Phoenix
Great Escape
Album of the year potential. Built with grace and beauty. |
| 63 |  | The Crown
Cobra Speed Venom
If you like metal (at all) this is a must listen for 2018. |
| 64 |  | Deicide
Overtures of Blasphemy
Glen Benton and co. cookie monster their way through one of their better releases in the last few years. |
| 65 |  | Destroyer 666
Call of the Wild
Call of the metal fan. |
| 66 |  | Eigenlicht
Self-Annihilating Consciousness |
| 67 |  | Elderwind
The Colder The Night
Such pretty music. |
| 68 |  | Encircling Sea
Hearken
Completely overlooked as far as the year's better music goes. There was a lot that was better, even more that is worse. |
| 69 |  | Evoken
Hypnagogia
Lost tales of a fallen soldier wrapped into a less than succinct of funeral doom. Sign me up. |
| 70 |  | Frayle
The White Witch
Noctus-core |
| 71 |  | Glorior Belli
The Apostates
Gators rumble, Apostates quake. |
| 72 |  | God Is an Astronaut
Epitaph
Not the best thing ever, but we needed more God Is An Astronaut this year. |
| 73 |  | Haken
Vector
Not quite as good as everyone was making out, but it's definitely still great. |
| 74 |  | Hands Of Despair
Well of the Disquieted
Well Of The Disquieted runs rampart, building on a foundation that is melodic, deathly and venomous enough to qualify in the realms of black metal. It's forgettable, and unfortunate in design. |
| 75 |  | Kalmah
Palo
Epic, straight forward and everything we love about Kalmah. |
| 76 |  | King Goat
Debt Of Aeons
Drudging along disquiet. |
| 77 |  | King Witch
Under the Mountain
They tried for full Sabbath, fell short of copycatting. |
| 78 |  | Lago
Sea of Duress
Fans of Erdve's debut should give this one a go. I seem to have misplaced my wine. |
| 79 |  | Locktender
Friedrich
More pretty music from another act that's been left back at the start of the year. |
| 80 |  | Lumnos
Ancient Shadows of Saturn
Atmospheric Black Metal |
| 81 |  | Lunatic Soul
Under The Fragmented Sky
An acquired taste. |
| 82 |  | Marsh Dweller
Wanderer
Pretty lo-fi black metal, genre hopping stuff. |
| 83 |  | Noise Trail Immersion
Symbology of Shelter
What is a genre tag for? |
| 84 |  | Oceans of Slumber
The Banished Heart
Cammie Gilbert is quickly becoming one of my favourite vocalists. Her dexterity bridges genre gaps and puts heart back into stagnation. The Banished Heart is all the more emotional because of her vocal performance and is a legitimate highlight of the year. |
| 85 |  | Orphaned Land
Unsung Prophets and Dead Messiahs
Despite being released way too early in the year to be remembered recently, Orphaned Land has made one of their career highlights, rivaling even that of the legendary Mabool. |
| 86 |  | Palm Reader
Braille |
| 87 |  | Panopticon
The Scars of Man on the Once Nameless Wilderness
So magnificent it needed to be shown in two parts The Scars Of Man... should be a feature of many music fans end of year lists. |
| 88 |  | Portal
ION
Portal toned down the swarth and released an album that can appeal to a slightly larger audience. With repeated listens ION even matches the band's best performances. |
| 89 |  | Riverside
Wasteland
Admittedly, the songwriting here is missing that little something that woulld allow Riverside's newest offering to transcend the classifications and be the album it deserves to be. |
| 90 |  | Rota Fortunae
Solstice
Campfires, Trees and a cold winters' night all leave us with how great this little EP is. Solstice is over too soon. |
| 91 |  | Saxon
Thunderbolt
Obligatory Saxon mention. |
| 92 |  | Sinistro
Sangue Cassia
Robert Davis-core |
| 93 |  | Skeletal Remains
Devouring Mortality
Death metal revival, pure and with no frills. |
| 94 |  | Sleep In Heads
On the Air
For fans of Alcest and Lacuna Coil simultaneously. |
| 95 |  | Sojourner
The Shadowed Road
"We're taking the Hobbits to Isengard" |
| 96 |  | Spurv
Myra
Beauty, refined. |
| 97 |  | Summoning
With Doom We Come
"We're taking the Hobbits to Isengard" with less production values. |
| 98 |  | Taphos
Come Ethereal Somberness
Another genre bender bridging the gaps between black, death metal. |
| 99 |  | Thou
Magus
This year is truly the year of Thou. Three EP's and a full length, all top quality. Us plebs can only dream of being that good. |
| 100 |  | Thy Catafalque
Geometria |
| 101 |  | Tomb Mold
Manor of Infinite Forms
Filthy death. |
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