Snaximus’s **Smackers Only** of 2018
Below is a list of only bangers.*
15. Black Thought & 9th Wonder – Streams of Thought, Vol. 1 (Human Re Sources)
Wow. Dude has been going at it forever and on The Tonight Show for like 40 years but came out the gate with a pure head bopper.
14. Myrone – ONLY MYRONE IS REAL (Self-Released)
THE GOAT OF GUITAR MUSIC
13. SUMAC – Love in Shadow (Thrill Jockey)
Someone in “the scene” once said to me “Nick’s other band is really a bit much” but I gotta say, have always loved this shit, and this album really clangs. Every song is like half an hour long so I’m embedding a 30 second teaser instead so you get the idea.
12. Night Birds – Roll Credits (Fat Wreck Chords)
Always great, every release. Our generation’s GOAT punk band.
11. Asuza – Heavy Yoke (Solid State)
Where the hell did this thing come from? Liam Wilson has been keeping so much weird shit under the surface and it’s all pouring out now. Also, I never knew vocalist Eleni Zafiriadou but holy shit is she a star. What a performance.
10. Guerilla Toss – Twisted Crystal (DFA)
This band is so banging and they just keep getting weirder and cultier and tighter.
9. Deafheaven – Ordinary Corrupt Human Love (Anti)
I never liked this band before but god damn this is pretty good urban sad guy music.
8. Baptists – Beacon of Faith (Southern Lord)
Of course Baptists dropped another slammer…. like of course… and “Victim Service” is like one of the best songs of the year.
7. Pagan – Black Wash (Hassle)
WOW this album bangs and Nikki Brumen is one of the sickest new vocalists in hardcore/metal/punk going right now! Holy shit does she go IN on this thing. So much attitude and spit. I don’t understand why more people aren’t hyping this band, they’re like the new Kvelertak…
6. Rolo Tomassi – Time Will Die and Love Will Bury It (Holy Roar)
This thing is kinda amazing… been waiting for Rolo Tomassi to really knock it out and I think this is like their Pelagial or Blood Mountain or All We Love We Leave Behind type moment, where everything suddenly clicks with precision and clarity. Real shit. Every time I listen I hear new nuances.
5. Freddie Gibbs – Freddie (ESGN / Empire)
This is the best album cover of all time and the opening track is the hardest thing I’ve ever heard.
4. Now vs Now – The Buffering Cocoon (Jazzland)
This band is dirty – Jason Lindner is like what would’ve happened if Ben Weinman or John LaMacchia went full jazz instead of hardcore.
3. Revocation – The Outer Ones (Metal Blade)
This is the clapper I always knew Revo could pull off. Slamming start to finish.
2. Horrendous – Idol (SoM)
OK so… it takes a lot for a metal band to get me excited these days, but Horrendous is fucking awesome, and they entered a whole new realm with Idol. I know people love Anareta but this is just a higher level achievement. Bassist Alex Kulick is so sick on this thing… he is maybe the MVP musician of the year. Nobody plays bass in guitar-based music the way he does. This album draws on so much – Jaco Pastorius, 80’s dm, Red-era King Crimson, Guns N’ Roses – and is as loosely played as it is tightly constructed.
1. The Armed – Only Love (No Rest Until Ruin)
Not only was this the greatest album of all time of 2018 but this Noisey article about them was the best music investigation of 2018.**
*Please note my real number one will probably be the new GRIMES album if that comes out after the deadline.
**Other than the Threatin articles, obviously Vince….
