The Sour 16 End of Year
List 2016
Whatever is going on in the world, in our personal
lives, at work and at home, music is a constant source of escapism and as one
year ends and another begins, the prospect that 2017 will bring another batch
of fantastic releases is a mouth watering prospect.
So, with that in mind, today we present the
culmination of our efforts from 2016 and present “The Most Popular Albums of 2016” for your viewing
pleasure. I hope you had as much fun checking out the new music as we did
presenting it to you. I’d like to bestow an immeasurable amount of gratitude to
the contributors, who made this year so awesome.
The
results are compiled based on page views alone and calibrated into
the list below. All reviews can be viewed by clicking the artwork and we
have included album streams wherever possible. (Total views since their publication
are highlighted in red).
16).
Gozu - "Revival” (1753)
At
their core, Gozu is a bad ass American rock band. They’ve got heavy riffs in
tow and bang out tunes loud enough to piss off the neighbors. But Gozu is more
than this. Gozu is a songwriting machine, one that is able to churn out eight
loud, hard hitting compositions without sacrificing the meaning behind the
songs or the band. Gozu’s “Revival” is gruff and dirty when it needs to
be just as it’s swift and soulful when the time is right.
15). Slomatics - "Future Echo Returns" (1818)
When a band's guitarist has their own
signature fuzz pedal, it's a safe bet that they can cut through solid rock with
their riffs; when both guitarists have an alternate version of the same pedal
then prepare your eardrums for some serious, rock crushing heaviosity. The
towering heaviness of the riffs and the images of the infinite, shimmering
darkness of space is executed and captured perfectly. An amazing album worthy
of any and all praise it will undoubtedly receives.
14) Rob Zombie - "The Electric Warlock Acid Witch Satanic Orgy Celebration
Dispenser" (1935)
Rob
Zombie hits a home run with each gnarly cut, keeping the fire hot throughout.
Pastor Snow was right. Rock n’ roll has a great beat. And that evil feeling you
feel when you sing it? It’s a good feeling to feel!
13)
Conan – “Revengeance” (1964)
The song 'Every Man Is An Enemy' has
one of the most metal sounding titles I've ever heard and the violent
intentions inherent in the brooding, bruising riffs put the bands money where
its snarling mouth is. 'Earthenguard', the final track of the 6 on offer, is a
song so heavy it has its own gravitational pull. Its 12 minutes of
neanderthalic doom which also swims and swirls thanks to the phased guitars.
It's an odyssey, a massive trek through mountainous chops and pounding beats
that are designed to systematically cave your head in. Have Conan
outdone themselves? Quite possibly.
12). Neurosis - “Fire Within Fires” (2056)
As this decade has yet to
close, it's difficult to define what Neurosis are...but herein lies their beauty; you define who
and what they are to you. After 30 years, these guys know what needs to go into
a Neurosis record and
will continue to do so until the music is finished with them.
11). Periphery- "Periphery III: Select
Difficulty" (2137)
Experimental metal bands like
Periphery will (hopefully) never settle for sticking to one particular
groove. Constantly innovating, this adds to “Juggernaut”, jumping off from that platform and
diving into dark, unexplored depths. Music should surprise and
inspire, and “Periphery III: Select Difficulty” does both with eye-opening
results. Just watch out for unexpected face-melting, okay?
10). Asteroid - "III" (2159)
It is a hugely diverse record and
shows the advanced musicianship between the band, blending all kinds of stoner
rock and fuzz. This is a band who are firmly on the rise to the top and know
exactly how to get there. One of the best releases of 2016 without a doubt.
09). Dunsmuir - "Dunsmuir" (2341)
Dunsmuir, manages the uncanny trick of
amounting to the sum of its parts. The record's players have some serious
pedigree and none if it is wasted. Vinny Appice is as powerful as ever, with a
beastly snare sound, while Bone and Davis are a formidable strings team. Fallon
puts in a hardworking and uniformly stellar shift as per
usual. Simply put, if you like Clutch and Dio-era Sabbath, you will
be right at home here. If you are a fan of Fu Manchu, there are sounds for you
here as well. This album rocks, it’s that simple.
08). Wretch – “Wretch” (2673)
This is a fine debut and a much needed
shot of trad doom, with actual songs, - in an era of obsession with amps and
pedals (but without, you know, actual songs and stuff). It is a triumph for
this intrepid trio and surely there are great things to come for the band. Make
no mistake, Wretch are here and Wretch will bring you real doom or throw you
out of the bar if you don't like it.
07). Subrosa- "For This We Fought the Battle
If you love really emotionally charged
hard hitting music, give this record a listen. I had very high expectations of
this record, and those expectations were met and then exceeded.
06). Meshuggah - "The Violent Sleep of Reason” (3065)
Trying to describe Meshuggah’s sound
is a challenge. The only way I can put it is that they’re a musical
cascade: a never-ending barrage of sound and heaviness pounding down upon
you. Don’t expect or ballad or moments of levity here, this is a relentless
tide which you will not escape from. Tracks like ‘MonstoCity’ and
‘Our Rage Won’t Die’ are pummelling tracks of new material which can easily be
slotted in to their live setlist and not seem out of place. In fact,
the same could be said for any of those songs on display here: like a chain
forged by Vulcan, there’s not a weak link present. It all hits, and
hits hard.
05). Gojira - "Magma”
(3156)
‘Magma’ is a record that envelopes you
with its overtly dark drama, but within its haze, its crushing catharcism makes
it one of the most special metal records to be released in some
time. It may not be the relentless assault many fans wanted from the
album – and that’s not to say it is barren of those moments – yet, as a vehicle
for emotional cleansing, as a eulogy and an obituary for a woman who shaped the
personalities that drive this act, it is staggering.
04). Suicidal Tendencies - "World Gone Mad" (3326)
It
flows in a virtually flawless manner and I do believe “World Gone Mad” will be
remembered as one of their best records, ever. This one’s a home run
with a bullet.
03). Blood Ceremony – “Lord
of Misrule” (4006)
If you are new to Blood Ceremony, this
album is as fine a place to start as any. If you have heard any of their
previous albums and enjoyed them, your enjoyment of this one is guaranteed.
This is as good an example as any of a band looking to the past both in terms
of musical and folklore tradition to create fantastical and occult inspired music.
02). Megadeth - "Dystopia"
(6616)
This line-up has introduced itself with
a battering ram of thrash utopia; the riffs, the fury and the sizzling lead
playing present here stands toe-to-toe with the bands best 21st century
output. It’s a record which accentuates the bands relevancy in 2016.
Masters of their trade just listen to ‘Lying In State’ and tell me they can’t
smash shit up with the best of them. They continue to release music and make
the effort to give more content for their fans to consume. Not many other bands
their age can say that.
1). Alter
Bridge
If you have any interest in the more
commercial end of the rock and metal spectrum i.e. Metallica, Maiden,
Soundgarden and so on then this album could be a fine intro to the band. If you
are a fan already you will enjoy this one
immensely. Alter Bridge are leading lights in modern rock and
may well be the last of a dying breed.
A
big thank you as always to our amazing writers, your dedication knows no
boundaries and for that I am truly grateful.
September’s “Sour 16” features reviews by: Richard Maw, Theron
Moore, Dan Brownson, Jake Wallace, Phil Weller, Chris Markwell, Chris Bull
& Victor Van Ommen
