TOP 16 ALBUMS: THE SOUR 16 (January 2018)

Hooded Menace

It has been hectic to say the least during the last 7 weeks or so of 2018, so forgive for the delay in our usually presentation of the 16 most popular album from January, but here it is your SOUR 16. 

You know the drill by now, each month you the reader are unwittingly compiling a list of the top 16 records of the month, covering all genres of metal.  Is it not a chart, in which reviewers or contributors extol their opinion about their favourite music.  To put it simply, THE SOUR 16 are the records that have been trending the most at SLUDGELORD HQ.

The results are compiled based on the amount of page views the reviews have received and are then calibrated into the list below.  All reviews can be viewed by clicking the artwork and we have included album streams wherever possible. (Total views are highlighted in the red)

16). Greber - “Cemetery Preston” (704)

 
Greber’s pursuit of intricate heavy music pays off immensely, creating a consuming sonic experience. “Cemetery Preston” will be one of the most unique and layered experiences of this year.

15). Corrosion of Conformity - "No Cross No Crown" (751)

Dissipated is the more prevalent punk and thrash of "IX" in favor of the sound that made CoC its name, but done in a contemporary way. As such, this is Corrosion of Conformity's finest work in many years.  "No Cross No Crown” is something Corrosion of Conformity fans can rejoice in.

14). Greyfell - "Horsepower" (786)

 

“Horsepower” is an interesting and accomplished album – a wonderful piece of doomy, gloomy, ritual rock – which should please fans of Greyfell’s previous work, and no doubt introduce many new listeners to the band.

13). Agrimonia - "Awaken" (805)

 
 'Awaken' is a tour-de-force of genre hopping doom. It should see the band gain ground on their contemporaries and even surpass them.

12). Haunt - "Luminous Eyes" [EP] (826)

 
 Fitting in squarely with the likes of Cauldron, this is heavy metal of the old school done correctly and with affection. If you want traditional sounds with a dark edge to the songs, this is most assuredly for you.

11). Possessor - "The Ripper" (872)

     

"The Ripper" is one of the most pleasing releases to wrap 2017 and open up 2018. Possessor's massive sound and brutal composition make it one of the more intimidating listens on the scene, and one you should get to know now, if you aren't already down.

10). Come to Grief / Fistula & Fistula / -(16)- [Splits] (946)

   
9). Druid Lord - "Grotesque Offerings" (956)

   
Fans of Hooded Menace, Serpentine Path and traditional Florida death metal like Obituary or Malevolent Creation can't go wrong here; this is a great example of the doom/death genre and surely one of the musically darkest albums you could pick to play out the winter.

8). Watain - "Trident Wolf Eclipse" (999)

“Trident Wolf Eclipse’ is an album that’s both diverse, but also does a better job of staying within the band’s established wheelhouse.  The album’s opening track is a perfect statement of intent: “Nuclear Alchemy” is the sort of thrashy, high-energy hellstorm that sets the stage for the rest of the album

7). King Buffalo - "Repeater" [EP] (1397)

 
 The band sounds confident as they play through the dreamy plucking of the guitars, the perfectly enunciated vocals, and that sweet meditative groove that drummer Scott Donaldson brings with him. The tunes are mellow, meditative, groovy, and best of all, heady. As a short release, “Repeater” does what it’s intended to do and offers the hungry fans just a taste of what the main course is going to bring. Bring on that sophomore release!

6). Black Label Society - "Grimmest Hits" (1665)

“Grimmest Hits” is a Sabbath-esque listen with bluesy inflections and is chock full of riffs and solos.

5). Wolftooth - "Wolftooth" (1723)

   
If you were disillusioned by The Sword after their first three albums, and if you loved Earth Witch then don't delay and get hold of this album as it is a riffing stoner metal delight.

4). Tribulation - "Down Below" (2074)

I’ll stop short of calling this Tribulation’s defining masterpiece, if only because the band seem to keep outdoing themselves. For that same reason, it’s hard to imagine the band won’t have even more to show us as the years go by, and that’s a thrilling prospect.

3). Somali Yacht Club - "The Sea" (2388)

   
Basking in sonic emersion and drawing from an Elder influence, Somali Yacht Club succeeds in taking the listener on that well-known ride of warm tones and meandering melodies. In the world of progressive psych-rock, confidence is key and these Ukranians hold that key and open every door with it that they can.

2). Witchcryer - "Cry Witch" (3676)

 
The riffs are infectious, the grooves hit you right in the gut and their well written songs are accentuated by climatic dynamics and impassioned performances by all members of the band. Witchcryer have created something really quite special on “Cry Witch”, a debut surely worthy of addition to the doom metal cannon.

1). Hooded Menace - "Ossuarium Silhouettes Unhallowed" (5645)

Hooded Menace, is the quintessential death-doom metal band and this album is a crawling behemoth with so much gloom and doom that it feels like a slimy dense fog is pouring out of your speakers and into your unsuspecting lungs.

A big thank you as always to our amazing writers, your dedication knows no boundaries and for that I am truly grateful.  January 2018’s “SOUR 16” features reviews by:  Richard Maw, Andre Almaraz, Daniel Jackson, Ben Fitts, Ernesto Aguilar, Mark Tremblay &Victor Van Ommen

ALBUM REVIEW: Greyfell - "Horsepower"

By: John Reppion

Album Type: Full Length

Date Released: 12/01/2018

Label: Argonauta Records |

Atypeek Music

“Horsepower” is an interesting and accomplished album – a wonderful piece of doomy, gloomy, ritual rock – which should please fans of Greyfell’s previous work, and no doubt introduce many new listeners to the band.

“Horsepower” CD//DD//LP track listing:

1). The People's Temple

2). Horses

3). No Love

4). Spirit of the Bear

5). King of Xenophobia

The Review:

Normandy's Greyfell are in their sixth year of existence, and 2018's “Horsepower” is their second full length release (following 2015's “Vol. 1: I Got the Silver”). The entirely non-cheesy, yet nevertheless somehow retro rock-swagger of the first album endures, but the production and atmosphere of “Horsepower” are quite different to those of its predecessor; there’s something darker, bleaker, yet more polished and deliberate about this record, something that calls to mind the ambience, if not the actual sounds, of chilly1980s post-punk and pre-industrial.

“People’s Temple’s” droning gothy keyboard sounds are, fittingly, our introduction to “Horsepower”. Greyfell’s riffs are still big and fuzzed out with that same subtle eastern influence, but the desolate reverb soaked vocals, and the ever present whistle and wheeze of those keys set the scene – the agenda, really – for the rest of the record. They are the aural equivalent of the murk from a fog machine; adding intrigue and atmosphere to the phantom stage on which “Horsepower” is performed.

“Horses” starts out sparse and slow - fuzzy feedback and warping keys behind diving yet simple bass and drums – but gets progressively more aggressive and noisy. “No Love’s” Killing Joke-eque reverb bass intro becomes something much more bludgeoning. The dynamics remain the same – wide open echoing choruses and bigger, heavier verses. It works well, and it’s the template for the album.

Almost from its first note “Spirit of the Bear” proclaims itself to be the hugest, heaviest, most epic thing on “Horsepower”. Vocally, at times, it’s a bit like Simon Le Bon joined Godflesh. But in a good way. “King of Xenophobia” is doomier than all that’s gone before. The track feels like its about to go “full goth” somewhere around mid-way, but canters back around to its big riff which is eventually swallowed whole in the hungry fog of the ever-present keys.

“Horsepower” feels a lot like a first album and, while it’s not a gigantic departure, it’s oddly hard (for me, at least) to reconcile it with what Greyfell have released previously. It is not a direction I would have anticipated the band going in, but that’s surely no bad thing.

While the album has a very deliberate, well crafted atmosphere of its own, I feel like there are times when it robs individual tracks of their identity – the sounds and dynamics of “Horsepower” are so consistent throughout that there is a very real danger of the dreaded spectre of “samey-ness” rearing its head. That said, “Horsepower” is an interesting and accomplished album – a wonderful piece of doomy, gloomy, ritual rock – which should please fans of Greyfell’s previous work, and no doubt introduce many new listeners to the band. 

“Horsepower” is available to buy on CD via here and LP via here

Band info: Facebook || Bandcamp