By: Victor Van Ommen
2015 was a year which brought out two heavy rock
masterpieces and one Clutch album. These
three albums are tied for my number one spot. The other seven records on my top
ten are there because of how god damn tasty the jams were and that a feeling of
guilt rose up inside of me every time I returned the album to its sleeve.
Though in terms of innovation and genre-defying riffs, there was little on
offer in 2015 but none the less, I got quite a kick out these ten albums and
will continue to do so for the foreseeable future. So without further ado, my
top ten albums of 2015 are: (click on the artwork for full review links)
10). Brent
Best – “Your Dog, Champ”
In the song “Good Man Now,” Brent Best
sings:
Momma, you always told me that the only good man was a
dead man
and I guess it had something to do with who you chose
to be your husband
So I go to him at night and I nailed him to his bed
And I stood there and I laughed while the sheets were
dripping red
So momma please don’t cry, he’s a good man now
It may be acoustic but hot damn, its heavier
than a slab of Texas BBQ Spare Ribs.
9). Ecstatic Vision – Sonic
Praise
Ecstatic Vision released a strong debut that
mixed elements of Hawkwind with Monster Magnet. So I ask you, what’s not to
like?
8). Weeed
– Our Guru Brings Us the Black Master Sabbath
These guys took me by surprise. I generally
let bands with such names pass me by because I’m a fan of subtlety but I
couldn’t deny the raw, spiritual groove in album opener “Bullfrog.” I don’t
remember why I put the song on in the first place but I’m glad I did.
7) The
Midnight Ghost Train – Cold Was the Ground
Aside from this album being 11 songs of
hard-rock riffs that pound you in the face, there’s not much here in terms of
wow-factor. That said this doesn’t take away from how good these songs are. At
times they miss a little depth but the amount of energy exuding from these
tracks makes up for it.
6). Death
Alley – Black Magick Boogieland
There are a surprising amount of fantastic
Dutch bands out there – I’m looking at you, Astrosoniq – and now we can add
Death Alley to that list. Check these guys out, you won’t regret it.
5). Snail
– Feral
I had never been completely impressed by
Snail but I also never gave them a fair chance. This changed when I was sent
their new album “Feral,” to review. As an album, it pits heavy riffing against
a light vocal delivery which is a combination that will get me every time.
4). The
Atomic Bitchwax – Gravitron
This shit-kickin’, diesel-fueled barn burner
of an album is all things that I like about stoner rock. Speed, riffs, solos,
drums, and strong choruses. I can’t get enough of these guys.
3). Clutch
– Psychic Warfare
I can’t remember the last time a Clutch
album didn’t rock. I’m hearing a lot of grief that “Psychic Warfare” sounds too
much like “Earth Rocker.” My response to this is, “so what, that was a damn
good album, too!” In my book, Clutch can do no wrong.
2). All
Them Witches – Dying Surfer Meets His Maker
All Them Witches is a band that I wish had
more than just three albums out. With their new one, “Dying Surfer Meets His
Maker,” the band has crafted something that is heavy according to every
definition of the word while never really going over the top. They take their
time unfolding these tunes yet the album is still too short. I can’t get enough
of these guys. An absolute classic that I will be talking about for years to
come.
1). Elder
– Lore
I never liked Elder very much. And then Lore
came out. Now I can’t stop listening to them.
