Matt Scherer’s Top 10 Records of 2019
10 – Elder: The Gold & Silver Sessions
I mean, it’s Elder, and typically anything they release will be an instant top choice for me. This is more of an appetizer than a full course meal, but even the “jalapeño poppers” version of Elder is better than most stuff that comes out in a given year. The three tracks are completely instrumental, free form jams, and definitely leaning more into the experimental than their full-length albums. Still, the expertly crafted melody and feeling that is so uniquely “Elder” is here as well, so it fits in well with the rest of their discography. This is ideal music for a relaxing night at home with a nice Indica/Sativa hybrid and a great pair of headphones.
9 – Serial Hawk: Static Apnea
The tone on this album is just incredible, as the 6 tracks swell with a mix of heaviness and weightlessness that’s hard to convey in words and can really only be appreciated when listened in their entirety. Not easily classified Static Apnea really is an album, not just a collection of songs, that defies convention and doesn’t fit neatly into an individual genre (although you could say they incorporate doom elements, as well as drone, noise, and post-rock). With their second album Serial Hawk feel like they are fulfilling of all the promise they’ve held over their 10+ years of existence.
8 – Howling Giant: The Space Between Worlds
This was a super late addition to my top 10 list this year and although this Nashville-based three piece has been around for a couple years, this is apparently their first proper full-length album which is fairly surprising given how tight and fully realized it feels. As you might guess from my year-end list, I am a big fan of riff-driven heavy rock and this thing ticks all the boxes for me: big desert rock inspired riffs, strong vocals, epic fantasy driven lyrics, and just enough proggy experimentation to keep things interesting.
7 – Year of the Cobra: Ash and Dust
I already reviewed this one on this here website ☺ Go read that review, everything I said still holds up.
6 – Cranial: Alternate Endings
Absolutely crushing is the only way to describe this. One of the purest “heavy” albums of the year, if not ever. These songs almost make my teeth hurt. It feels like the creative epicenter of heavy-as-fuck “NeurIsis” post-metal has moved across the Atlantic Ocean and now officially lives in Western Europe. These German fellas are the perfect example of this and why I think that the US should just go ahead and concede the post-metal crown right now to the Europeans. (Also, the latest from Sweden’s The Moth Gatherer is also fantastic and will appeal to fans of the same genre, but with a greater emphasis on beautiful melodies and less of an emphasis on just dropping a safe on your head)
5 – Moon Tooth: Crux
I find that Moon Tooth are a pretty polarizing band, and most people who might otherwise enjoy their spazzed out, hyperdrive proggy weirdness are typically turned off by frontman John Carbone’s super high range soulful vocals which can bring to mind both Coheed and Cambria’s Claudio Sanchez and Incubus’ Brandon Boyd. I get it, at first I was not a fan either, but over time I’ve come to learn that his vocals are really the key to everything Moon Tooth does and now it’s hard to picture them any other way. Crux is a big step forward from their promising, but raw debut Chromaparagon in terms of both musicianship and song writing. This is fun, bold, and exciting stuff that reminds me of why I got into music in the first place.
4 – Idle Hands: Mana
These sunglasses at night, black leather jackets and boots PDX youngsters really captured lightning in a bottle with Mana. Admittedly some of the lyrics are a bit heavy on the cheese, but I’m cutting them some slack since it’s their debut. Mana is pure guitar driven gothy, catchy Peter Steele hero worship in all its glory and it really doesn’t sound like anything else out there right now. This is something you could put on for pretty much anyone, even if they don’t like metal or heavy music at all, and they would find something to appreciate about it. I just saw them open for King Diamond and I feel pretty confident in predicting that they’re about to go absolutely supernova.
3 – Beastwars: IV
Definitely one of the coolest comeback stories in metal history. These Kiwis hung it up in 2016 after their third album so that their gravel throated frontman Matt Hyde could undergo chemotherapy for a pretty grim cancer diagnosis. The fact that he was able to beat it and make this album is a testament to his awesome will and the fact that this album kicks all kinds of ass made it an instant top choice for me. Again, Beastwars wield their trademark sludge metal/noise rock riffage that recalls both High on Fire and Unsane. However, this time around, the songs are heavier, darker, and more personal than ever before, no likely the result of Hyde’s intense personal battle with the demon cancer.
2 – Spirit Adrift: Divided By Darkness
I’ve been excited for this one for a while and it 100% did not disappoint. Curse Of Conception was a top 5 album for me in 2017 and when I heard the first couple tracks off Divided By Darkness I knew it would instantly be an EOY contender as well. Trad metal is all the rage these days, but Arizona’s Spirit Adrift have risen to the top of that mountain with one of the straight up catchiest, raddest albums in years. The songwriting is leaps and bounds ahead of Curse Of Conception and the riffs will give you air guitar carpal tunnel syndrome. Really not sure how they could top this one, but I said that after the last one as well… Can’t wait to see where they go from here.
1 – Tool: Fear Inoculum
OK so I’m not super original, as I’m sure this will be #1 on a ton of lists this year, but my expectations for this record were absolutely zero. I’m honestly not even that much of a Tool fan, I can’t say I ever really liked them in high school even when my best friend was spinning them in his dirty old brown Toyota Corolla when we would drive to and from Jack in the Box during lunch break every day. I mean, I always thought they were fine, but that’s about it. But the fact that this album made me literally rethink everything about my life up until this point is what made this the clear album of the year/decade for me. I mean, if I was THIS wrong about Tool, what else have I been wrong about over the past 20 years?!
Brian Kim’s Top 10 of 2019
10. Summoned By Giants – Azimuth
Summoned By Giants have been one of my favorite local bands almost since their inception. With Azimuth, the band dives even deeper into the sludgy, stoner metal riffs that they thrived on from their previous release, Stone Wind, while putting even greater emphasis on heavy grooves, uniquely catchy melodies, and overall superb songwriting.
9. Courtney Swain – Between Blood And Ocean
While Swain’s primary musical project, proggy art rockers Bent Knee, usually draws my attention for these year end lists, and this time around her solo work has firmly planted itself deeply in my brain. Shifting seamlessly from soft, subtle compositions to cleverly noisy and energetic movements, all the while reaching a world of dynamics in between, Between Blood And Ocean was a surprise hit for me this year.
8. Moon Letters – Until They Feel The Sun
Summoning a distinctly polished throwback to old school progressive rock, Moon Letters’ Until They Feel The Sun reaches depths rarely seen in any sort of modern rock. Songs reach from ethereal psychedelia to retro video game melodies to epic climaxes. One of the most dynamic and interesting albums I heard this year, and definitely a newer band I’ll be keeping tabs on going forward.
7. FEVRMOON – FEVRMOON
I don’t often get exposed to much electronic music or producers, but I was fortunate enough to come across this absolute gem of an album. Darkly melodic and downtempo vibes supported by an immense depth of production and deeply creative songwriting have kept this album on regular rotation since its release.
6. Baroness – Gold & Grey
As a long time fan of Baroness, Gold & Grey has captured my attention in ways I haven’t felt since I first heard The Red Album. The musical evolution that the band has gone through over the years is clearly present, but there’s a heightened level of heart and emotional intensity. A wide array of exploratory ambience and stripped down interludes juxtaposed against the hard hitting and expansive sound Baroness is known for culminates to create a beautifully dynamic sonic journey.
5. Thom Yorke – Anima
While Yorke’s solo work is often a slight step away from the almost unreasonable brilliance of the collective creativity of Radiohead’s albums, with Anima he’s managed to capture something really special. Each song creates a world of sound and feeling, heavily enhanced by the paired Netflix original short film which was released simultaneously. This album is absolutely a beautiful work of art.
4. Reader – Engrams
With their debut album Engrams, Reader feeds a few different musical niches for me that have been hungry for too long. They casually embrace mathy, angular riffs without coming off forced or pretentious. They employ melodies and grooves that hover around grunge and shoegaze. They hit hard with a ferocity reminiscent of golden era post-hardcore. But overall, with Engrams, they’ve crafted an impressively captivating and nuanced record that demands attention and delivers on all fronts.
3. Serial Hawk – Static Apnea
Serial Hawk have spent years establishing themselves as champions of heavy rock, consistently creating music that pushes the boundaries of loud, heavy riffs without becoming boring or predictable. With Static Apnea they’ve broken ground into a whole new level, masterfully flowing from brutally aggressive throwdowns to deeply layered celestial voyages and back around. The crushing riffs and immense tonality is more present than ever, but they’ve achieved a level of dynamics rare to see in this style of music. From the moment I first heard this album, I knew it was one of the best I’d hear this year, and it did not fail me.
2. Allegaeon – Apoptosis
I have not been able to stop listening to Allegaeon’s Apoptosis. From the get go the band blasts through razor sharp riffs and incendiary leads while continually managing to cull them back into quiet, pensive meditations before releasing the reigns and unleashing further brutality. Allegaeon harnesses the power and intensity of death metal with a unique brand of progressiveness into an incredibly well crafted and dynamic sound. At no point during this record is my face not being melted in one mind bending capacity or another, and I don’t expect it to leave my regular rotation any time soon.
1.Lord Dying – Mysterium Tremendum
With Lord Dying’s newest offering, Mysterium Tremendum, the band has really pushed themselves to a whole new level. Using the sludgy and thrashier elements of their previous work as a foundation, Mysterium Tremendum ventures far into the depths of vintage progressive rock and psychedelia. This record breathes fresh air into a wide array of classic concepts while reshaping them into a surprisingly refreshing and conceptually well crafted album. There are few, if any, moments which I could pigeonhole the record into any one genre or another, but there is an overall cohesiveness to the album that adds to its weight and ultimately solidifies it as one of the best releases of the decade
Dustin Carroll’s Top Albums
Acathexis – s/t
A ripping international studio project featuring members living in Portland, Buenos Aires, and Brussels. Atmospheric, brooding, and intense, with lyrical content focusing on depression and pain within the human vessel.
Blood Incantation – Hidden History of the Human Species
This Denver supergroup has been carving their own path through the death metal revival faster than any other act. Despite having a dozen other active projects between the members, BI has managed to tour relentlessly all over the world, making trve believers out of everyone that witnesses their craft.
Blut Aus Nord – Hallucinogen
My most listened to album this year by far. Hallucinogen is the perfect balance of the various sounds that Blut Aus Nord have explored over their previous releases. Massive in scope, this record takes the listener on a journey through the cosmos, with so many catchy earworm riffs that you’ll never get them out of your brain again.
Cattle Decapitation – Death Atlas
The brutally angry climate change anthem our generation has been waiting for. Lyrically this is the best release of the year. Beyond that, Cattle Decap has progressed so far past their early days as just a grind band to an absolute powerhouse of extreme music.
Cult of Luna – A Dawn to Fear
20 years into their career and Cult of Luna are still putting out incredibly solid post-metal releases. Between this record and Mariner I’d argue they’ve surpassed a majority of their peers completely and left them in the dust.
Dreadnought – Emergence
Yet another masterpiece of an album from the Colorado-based progressive metal quartet. With each release Dreadnought’s vision and sound evolves and expands, and despite being in a class of their own, they haven’t even reached their Final Form yet.
The Great Old Ones – Cosmicism
France’s Lovecraftian black metal masters return with their 4th release of slime-coated cosmic horror. Their 3-guitars sound stands out amongst their black metal peers.
Heilung – Futha
With members hailing from Denmark, Germany, and Norway, Heilung aim to amplify the Old People’s of Europe’s traditional sounds through a modern lens. Using skin drums, bones, rattles, bells, and voices funneled through delay pedals and vocal processors, their sound is a callback to dead languages and times.
Russian Circles – Blood Year
How can a band that’s done virtually no wrong in my eyes get even better? Add blastbeats and release the most aggressive and angry album of your career, that’s how.
Schammasch – Hearts of No Light
There’s not enough space allotted to cover everything I love about this record. Swiss avant garde black metal act Schammash have always sort of been in a league of their own with very few peers – bands like Ulver come to mind – but this album goes above and beyond even their own previous releases. A grand and cinematic album that ventures into pop, rock n roll, introspection, the Kabbalah, and utter fucking madness, this record gets better and better with each repeated listen and I can’t recommend it enough
James Ballinger’s Most Listened to Records of 2019
10. Darkthrone- Old Star
9. Theories- Vessel
8. Helms Alee- Noctiluca
7. Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds- Ghosteen
6. Serial Hawk- Static Apnea
5. Big Business- The Beast You Are
4. Thom Yorke- Anima
3. Kim Gordon- No Home Record
2. Julia Shapiro- Perfect Version
1. Crowhurst- III
