THE 16 MOST POPULAR ALBUMS OF 2016: The Sour 16 End of Year List 2016

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 of Ages" (3040)

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 21^st 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 - (20,702)

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

The Sludgelord "Sour 16 for July 2016

By: Aaron Pickford

As we talk stock at The Sludgelord, that we achieved the milestone of publishing 4000 articles and over 2000 album reviews this week (n.b. Steve Howe’s contributions cannot be understated), our commitment to offer you many more magnificent riffs is unwavering, therefore it is time cast our minds back upon the month of July and digest the 16 albums that would become July’s sacrilegious ‘Sour 16’, the finest and most profane riffs around bundled together into a premium sized sonic soufflé.

You know the drill, each month; you the reader are unwittingly compiling a list of the top 16 records that we featured in July, covering all genres of metal.  Is it not a chart, in which reviewers or contributors extol their opinion about their favourite music.  The ‘Sour 16’ are the records that have been trending the most at Sludgelord Headquarters.

The results are compiled based on page views alone and calibrated into the list below. So kick back, with a cold one and let the power of the riff compel thee! 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). Graves At Sea – “The Curse That Is” (303)

The album opener and title track drops the anchor to establish the length, tone and rhythm this 76 minute voyage is about. An unpredictable, violent haze of amplifier worship, “The Curse That Is” is a strong candidate for one of the top 10 albums of 2016.

15). The Human Condition – “Pathways” (308)

This is a classy album, full of doom and melancholy. The band are great live and boasts some of the North West's most enduring doom talent from such luminaries as Unsilence, for instance. The band play a blinder throughout and front man Nathan Harrison really captures the feeling of powerlessness so prevalent in the lyrics and themes here. Harrowing stuff indeed.

14). The Order of Israfel – “Red Robes” (330)

Titled "Red Robes," their sophomore album is a crushing slab of classic doom. Twin guitar harmonies permeate the arrangements; slow, lumbering beats intermingle with high-energy, uptempo passages; stark vocals deliver creep out lyrics; all in support of their almighty neck breaking riffs.

13). Wytch Hazel – “Prelude” (343)

If you have any interest in Tull, Ash, Lizzy, Sabbath et al and yearn for a band to come along and play like those heroes of a bygone era, Wytch Hazel are definitely worth your time and money. They are a great band and one that is doing something unique- out are occult tropes and devil-ish imagery, in are song-writing, medieval sonics/themes and enthusiasm rather than cynicism. A triumphant record on every level.

12). Bleak – “No Light No Tunnel” (350)

From the jagged intro of “Teeth” to the guttural barks that bring “Fuck Your God” to a close, Bleak do not let up for a second. Every track here is a potent blend of Converge’s nastiest moments and the crushing attack of Coalesce brewed in a vat of filthy, thick sludge.  “No Light No Tunnel” is not pretty but makes for a horribly captivating listen. Few records this year will match the vitriolic onslaught Bleak deliver here.

11). Adolyne – “Of Ash/Of Shit/Of Shame” (363)

The whole album feels like it’s teetering on the edge of collapse which lends a real thrill and urgency to proceedings. This is felt most strongly during epic closer “Brawler’s Fracture”. Intense, restless riffing akin to Keelhaul is swallowed by a buzzing swarm of squealing guitars that threaten to consume all. Just before chaos fully descends, the track breaks into a crushing slow-motion finale.  “Of Ash/Of Shit/Of Shame” is a skilfully constructed visceral journey. Adolyne create a unique noise, a captivating damaged racket that will enrapture those with a taste for uneasy listening.

10). Wo Fat – “Midnight Coment” (400)

Stoner, psychedelia, doom and classic rock all coalesce here with massive results. Only one track under five minutes, the rest sprawling languidly well over that mark. Hendrix jamming with Fu Manchu and Sabbath¸ simply put, this is storming stuff; wrought from the heaviest of iron and the lightest of air. Massive.

9). Ghold – “PYR” (444)

“PYR” is an exceptional release from Ghold that really cements their position as the finest heavy act in the UK right now. It is the sound of a band who exist in a world of their own, above and beyond our plane of existence and drifting ever closer to the outer limits.

8). Reproacher – “Nature’s Bastard” (475)

Huge, awkward riffs dominate the landscape, their ugly, discordant racket is reminiscent of Converge at their nastiest.  This is a mighty offering, a captivating combination of savage intensity and considered dynamics.

7). Cough – “Still They Pray” (507)

6). Solothus – “No King Reigns Eternal” (748)

An encompassing album with an unforgiving heaviness, "No King Reigns Eternal" sees Finns Solothus’ improve on their debut album, and release one of the heaviest doom releases so far this year. Instilled with death metal elements and no signs of calm, it is a harrowing album full of weighty monolithic riffs and a murky atmosphere.

5). Wormed – “Krighsu” (953)

Krighsu’ is ten tracks of unrelenting tech-death, set at a warp speed that has no intention of ever slowing down.  Space is infinite, and it seems WORMED’s ability to create jaw-breakingly heavy music is just as vast.

4). Cold World – “Autumn” (1033)

Börner writes and creates music that should appeal to both purist and tourist alike. Not because he haphazardly smashes the pieces into each other, like a child with their toys, but because his instincts and strengths do so organically.  “Autumn’ is flush with atmosphere and overall is a cohesive and brilliant listening experience.

3). Wretch – “Wretch” (1877)

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.

2). Periphery – “Periphery III: Select Difficulty” (2009)

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?

1). Dunsmuir – “Dunsmuir” (2021)

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.

A big thank you as always to our amazing writers, your dedication knows no boundaries and for that I am truly grateful.  February’s “Sour 16” features reviews by:  Richard Maw, Daniel Jackson, George Parr, Charlie Butler, Chris Markwell, Doza Hawes  & Gerardo Pacheco

Periphery - "Periphery III: Select Difficulty" (Album Review)

By: Chris Markwell

Album Type: Full Length
Date Released: 22/7/2016
Label: Sumerian Records |
Century Media Records

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?

“Periphery III: Select Difficulty” CD//DD//LP track listing

1). The Price Is Wrong
2). Motormouth
3). Marigold
4). The Way The News Goes...
5). Remain Indoors
6). Habitual Line-Stepper
7). Flatline
8). Absolomb
9). Catch Fire
10). Prayer Position
11). Lune

The Review:

Djent is becoming such a massive subgenre of metal that I firmly believe that there will be three-year degree courses offered in many universities around the country before long.  One of the bands that have been at the forefront of this movement is Periphery: their sound, their scope, their technical prowess are all required classes in Camp Djent.  Papa Meshuggah should be proud of the brood they helped influence.  It’s a magical time to be a fan of the heavy, and, on July 22^nd, Periphery’s fourth album “III: Select Difficulty” gets released through Sumerian Records/Century Media Records. 

This album retains that experimental feel that makes their sound always feel fresh and exciting.  The downtuned sonic attack can pummel you at one moment, before softly cradling you the next.  Take a listen to the massive anthem ‘Catch Fire’ if you want to go on a journey of crushing and caressing aural sensations.  It’s probably the most open-sounding track on this album: a delicate prog metal track which is almost oxymoronic to say, yet it’s the only way to describe it that works.  In any case, I found it a refreshing surprise on this album. 

Now, that’s enough of the light-heartedness; back to the heavy.  And, boy does Periphery know how to do it.  Their heavier tracks are layered like six feet worth of dirt on top of you: a crushing, inescapable, relentless mass surrounding you.  Album opener ‘The Price is Wrong’ chops and yells, a barbarian’s fury given audio form; while ‘Marigold’ uses orchestration like a caged tide, rolling and swelling and crashing at the band’s command. 

My personal favourite of the album is a difficult choice to make… but I’m going to have to go with ‘Habitual Line Stepper’.  It’s near-seven minutes of expansive metal, journeying from skull-splitting to melodious, it weaves back and forth between these two elements with a craftsmanship that would make a master musician weep.  Like their Djent brothers-in-arms Monuments, these guys know how to make songs that will push the boundaries of your perception of heaviness. 

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? 

“Periphery III: Select Difficulty” is available here

Band  info: facebook

The Sludgelord Album Premiere - "In Absence" by Minarchist

By: Aaron Pickford

Like a cross  pollination  or the sharing or interchange of knowledge, ideas, for mutual enrichment Minarchist were formed.  The brain child of songwriter/guitarist/clean vocalist Connor McNamee, the band also features bassist/producer Nick Shaw (Black Crown Initiate) and harsh vocalist Jerry Martin (Alustrium), two bands of impeccable statue and pedigree, this new genetic constitution who hail from from Philadelphia, PA, play a style of modern prog metal that also brings in influences spanning the genre  such as Behemoth, Periphery, Opeth, Meshuggah and Gojira. The album is enriched even further still with guest guitar solos from Andy Thomas (Black Crown Initiate) and local musician Ethan McKenna. Having covered both bands over recent years, it was a no brainer when the band approaches us to host the album for your listening pleasure. 

Featuring artwork designed by the talented Alex Hofmann (Fallujah, Cypher Visual), get ready to subject yourselves to a flawless virtuosic prog metal apocalypse,   Minarchist's debut album “In Absence” is  an incredible achievement by anyone’s standard and you can check it out in full below and is available to buy tomorrow here

 “In Absence” track listing

1. In Absence of Air
2. Our Rose Garden
3. Threat of a Terrible Storm
4. Burn Down the Sky
5. Abandon
6. The Ecstasy of Dreams
7. In Absence of Fear

Band info: bandcamp || facebook

Live Review: Devin Townsend Project + Periphery + Shining Live @ Manchester Academy 1 31/03/2015

You haven’t lived until you’ve seen Devin Townsend jamming the tuba with Shining alongside members of DTP and Periphery on additional sax, trombones and, naturally, triangle. That’s how Shining play out a part of their set, kicking the whole thing up a few notches in the process – the energy that it spikes in the crowd is palpable. No one here was expecting such a hilariously entertaining sight when they made their way out of brute force gales into Manchester’s Academy 1. But Shining’s own signature bluster, a cacophony of black metal rage and pure progressive expression, wrapped up in a jazz infused bow, goes down a treat.

The Norwegian band is uniquely eccentric, leaving people to either love them endearingly or hate them dispassionately but, whatever your thoughts; they have been steadily on the rise. With a momentous performance at Bloodstock 2014 and an appearance in this very same venue with Marty Friedman, supporting Arch Enemy and Kreator behind them, they’re beginning to make a serious name for themselves. On a bill such as this – with Periphery and DTP both sharing a kindred barminess that deviates from the more traditional – you feel this is their best moment yet to define who they are to the perfect audience.

They do so with aplomb. Despite mic issues early on, the band rattles the eardrums with spades of groove and a healthy dollop of V8 engine replicating vocals.  ‘My Dying Drive’ is rampant, off-kilter and utterly delectable. It’s a menacing song with a driving rhythm, then it drops and all hell breaks loose. They end with the more catchy and accessible but still as mad-as-a-box-of-frogs ‘I Won’t Forget’ before walking off the stage to rapturous cheers.

Periphery’s recently release, the double album Juggernaut Alpha & Omega, may have been more hit and miss than a blind man playing darts, but oddly enough, in the flesh, it’s these songs which are the highlights of a set which seems to fly by. Spencer Sotelo’s softer vocals – one side to his more opposing, full frontal demeanour – get lost in the mix early on.

His performance is less than convincing, a confidence and energy seeming to have been sapped from him. It’s only until they roll out the new songs that things start properly clicking; ‘Psychosphere’ is the musical equivalent of a Rubik’s Cube, all contorting time signatures and scattershot riffs. But underpinned by vocals from Sotelo which are at this point on the ascent, it bewitches the room. ’22 Faces’ and ‘The Bad Thing’ are amass with bursts of groove, melodious, hook-laden vocals and all round revelry. ‘Alpha’ then steals the show – you will hear few songs as fun and bouncy as this in 2015 – before the heavier, less apologetic ‘Graveless’ opens up the circle pit and closes their set in style.

 

It’s the last night of a tour which, for the past fortnight, has seen Devin Townsend battling with the flu. Nevertheless, spirits are high as he makes his way casually onto the stage. Although he is at this point only addressing the mass of bodies before him to explain his current health issues, and that he may need some help singing at points, he still manages to captivate the room. He is a physical presence, impossible to ignore and equal parts charming, humorous and mad genius.

Then, before all the present, flickering eyes, unravels a set of anarchic beauty. “I’m never gonna out shine Shining or out prog Periphery, but what I have is a good chorus,” Devin had said backstage before the show and that is the weapon, in a vast and multitudinous armoury, that he chooses to arm himself with tonight. From the symphonic prowess of ‘Truth’ and the intergalactic riff monster that is ‘Death Ray’ to the final throes of a bombastic rendition of ‘Kingdom’ he fires those choruses out into the crowd with wild abandon. Moments such as ‘Addicted!’ and the lively ‘March of the Poozers’ raise the roof in the place, flowing into one another; a stream of emotively and passionately executed explosions.

‘Lucky Animals’ is complete with jazz hands from the joyous audience – another stroke of genius from Townsend, it’s all just so fun. Even during the heartfelt and tingling ‘Ih-Ah,’ with lighters held aloft as the Canadian performs solo with a Telecaster, everyone in the place has a smile across their face. Not only is Devin Townsend a damn fine musician and songwriter, he’s also one of the greatest entertainers around, he’s a showman and he does it all with so much ease. He loves his job, despite illness, home sickness and general fatigue he goes out tonight and gives it everything he has. His love for all of this is so translucent you can’t help but be infected by that maniacal grin.     

The last notes of ‘Kingdom’ fade, like an army venturing back home over distant hills, when they return; they will be greeted as champions.

Words: Phil Weller

Photos: Anthony Firmin