Nekrogoblikon, Ice Nine Kills and many more proved that metal is alive and well in 2018, but my list is weird and includes every genre of music – BEHOLD THE TOP 10 ALBUMS OF 2018:
#10. Imagine Dragons – Origins
The world’s most talented mainstream rock band has now dropped TWO fantastic records in TWO years. Featuring some of their most impressive work to date including ‘Natural’, ‘Machine’ and ‘West Coast’ – Imagine Dragons are evolving with every effort and continue to impress me with their originality.
#9. Tenacious D – Post-Apocalypto
The D are back with a hysterical concept album based on their animated YouTube series ‘Post-Apocalypto’. I actually didn’t watch a single episode before playing through the latest record from Tenacious D and it still worked very well. It’s definitely one you should listen to all the way through and enjoy the twisted journey which includes robots killing Nazis and a villain named Daddy Ding Dong.
#8. Paul McCartney – Egypt Station
When I first listened to Paul McCartney‘s latest single ‘Fuh You’, I was confused and delighted to hear the legend putting out such edgy? material. Is it an edgy song? I still don’t know but I what I do know is that the album Egypt Station is loaded with some of McCartney’s most upbeat and catchy rock jams ever. He’s still just as relevant and impressive today and that blows my mind.
#7. Eric Church – Desperate Man
The world’s best country artist continues to deliver the most raw and personal music of the entire genre. I’m typically not a fan of this kind of music unless it tends to gear towards the outlaw subcategory but Eric Church just has this edge to his music that hooks me. Desperate Man is mostly a calmer effort than past records but Church is a monster with the acoustic guitar.
#6. The Underground Avengers – Anomaly 88
The best underground release of 2018: Anomaly 88 is loaded with geektastic references (who doesn’t love some Thanos with their hip hop?) and features some of the finest rap tracks to ever grace a Majik Ninja Entertainment release. Boondox, Claas and Bukshot are at their best when they form the Underground Avengers and I dare say this could be the best rap supergroup since Dark Lotus. I’ve been banging the single ‘Goodfellas’ nonstop since the album dropped and you should do the same, immediately.
#5. Bad Wolves – Disobey
Bad Wolves are the new Five Finger Death Punch. That’s a major compliment too by the way, because Disobey is loaded with just enough metallic breakdowns to appease heavier music fans with a helping of mainstream hard rock to get them on the radio. See them live too by the way – because they can crush the stage in a way that reminds me of Hatebreed. That’s an even bigger compliment.
#4. The Prodigy – No Tourists
The Prodigy are still killing it. When every other EDM innovator comes and goes, The Prodigy remain and continue to deliver their unique brand of dance music that also carries the ability to turn the dancefloor into a moshpit without a moment to prepare. No Tourists features some of the band’s best work to date, including the must-listen ‘Fight Fire with Fire’.
#3. Ghost – Prequelle
I didn’t get Ghost until Prequelle. I wasn’t sure what they were – I wrote them off as being metal imposters with a Satanic gimmick that felt insincere. After listening to their latest record about a hundred times all the way through, I can now honestly proclaim them to be delightfully evil and brilliant. The song ‘Pro Memoria’ is a love letter to our dark lord Lucifer and one of the tunes I played the most in 2018. It’s more hard rock than metal, but that doesn’t mean it can’t be evil as fuck.
#2. Ice Nine Kills – The Silver Scream
Ice Nine Kills have created their masterpiece with The Silver Scream. Each song is themed after a classic horror film or franchise, including classics such as Friday The 13th, A Nightmare On Elm Street and Halloween. There is not a weak track on the record. Each and every song feels like it was created with the utmost love for the subject matter and they all work extremely well. ‘Stabbing in The Dark’ is the perfect tribute to Halloween so check that one out first, but don’t ignore the rest of this brilliant metal album.
#1. Nekrogoblikon – Welcome to Bonkers
Nekrogoblikon may seem silly at first glance, especially if you watch their mascot John Goblikon delivering some of the funniest interview clips of 2018, but the music is masterful. Welcome to Bonkers is not only the band’s best effort yet, but the best metal record of 2018 and one of the most original and exciting albums in years for the genre. ‘Darkness’ is one of the best metal songs ever created and I urge you to check these psychopaths out right now because they are legit. I’ve listened to this entire record more times than I can count with no sign of stopping any time soon.