This is the second year for me at More Fuzz. I have written very few reviews this year due to different reasons, but this has been still a very fuzzy year for me. I could say that this year my personal fuzz revolution continued even bigger and louder than last year. I still looked for and found a ton of new and exciting music on the internet, but what makes this year special for me is the fact that I saw many of my favorite bands play live!
I visited 5 different festivals and two of them were outside of Estonia: Soulstone Gathering in Krakow, Poland and Hellfest in Clisson, France. Plus several smaller concerts. I got to see Eyehategod, Church of Misery, 1000mods, Dopethrone, Dopelord, Monolord, Weedpecker, Sunnata, Spaceslug, YOB and many more bands from and outside Estonia. I also got to meet Mr. Stone and Mr. Fuzz at Hellfest!
I am also happy that the genres of stoner/desert rock and doom metal live strong in my home country Estonia. Three of the festivals I visited were held right here: 2 indoors, 1 outdoors. Dopelord, 1000mods and Weedpecker performed at Tallinn, Estonia. There were also a lot of smaller gigs in Tallinn and in Tartu where we could hear bands from our neighboring countries. And not just stoner and doom, but also black metal, crust punk and so on.
My top 10 of 2018 is just as personal as the last one, because I guess none of us look for the absolute truth here, but a way to appreciate good bands and albums and share our findings with other music lovers.
Don't forget to check out the Top Albums of the other More Fuzz team members !
10 : Sundrifter – Visitations
This album was released in February, but I discovered it in December. It only shows how much new awesome music is coming out each year and how easy it is to miss many albums you would enjoy. It is fortunate that I did find this gem as it was instantly in my top 10. Sundrifter caught my ear from the first riff as they make, in my opinion, very well balanced space rock with infective drive and impressive vocals.
9 : Absent – Towards The Void
They play with skill and patience, alternating the tempo in a trustworthy manner. The four songs melt into each other in both sound and lyrics, creating their own 40-minute world, a story of pain and acceptance, misery and enlightenment, of semen and fucking. This album is also from the beginning of the year, but I found this one right when it was released and have enjoyed it through the year. Full Review Here
8 : Red Lama – Motions
Less heavy, more psychedelic. This album draws a lot from the sixties and seventies and gives psychedelic rock new breathing. The album is diverse, experimental and an absolute delight. Johannes H. K. Linnet’s vocals remind me of Morrissey a bit and trust me, it’s a good thing. Full Review Here
7 : Deathbell – With The Beyond
Viscous occult doom with mournful female vocals. Do I even need to say more? For the fans of Windhand, Haunted and also Acid King Full Review Here
6 : Windhand – Eternal Return
Speak of the devil, eh? Windhand has insured it’s place among the greats of the doom bands and this album is just an affirmation of that. Let’s hope they keep returning… eternally
5 : King Buffalo – Longing To Be The Mountain
Beautiful is the word for this album. Developments of layers of amiable melodies that take you on a journey. This album is to be played on a weekend morning, maybe after you went to a Dopelord concert the night before.
4 : Appalooza – Appalooza
Passed years the albums that satisfied my hunger for something fast and heavy to rock out to were from 1000mods and Half Gramme Of Soma. This year it was Appalooza with their relentless self-titled first LP. In the words of Jac Grobbelaar, a youtube commentator: ” The drumset did not survive the making of this album.”
3 : Sunnata – Outlands
These four poles sure can produce an intertwining wall of fuzz and reverb. I had the chance to see them live at Soulstone Gathering in Krakow and they gave a remarkable show. The album is a masterfully built trip into ourselves. Full Review Here
2 : Weedpecker – III
Layers of guitar riffs overlapping and eventually climbing up to an orgasmic culmination plus multi-voiced vocals. I saw them in Tallinn and they blew my mind. Elder has competition.
1 : Dopethrone – Transcanadian Anger
Filthy, heavy and sludgy AF! Even so that it’s fucking ridiculous! I guess that’s why I have a biggest grin on my face when listening to this album. I saw them live at Hellfest and I think that was one of the top 3 moments of my year. Check out the videos too! Full Review Here
Don't forget to check out the Top Albums of the other More Fuzz team members !
Honourable Mentions
This time it was even harder than last year to decide which albums throughout the year would be in my top 10. My honorable mentions makes this technically a top 20 where the second half is just randomized. Initially I was choosing from 74 (!!!) albums – you can check them all out in a Youtube playlist I made – HERE.
Haunted – Dayburner
Magmakammer – Mindtripper
Ripis – Shadow Dies In The Morning Light
WORRY – Humiliation Psalms
Somali Yacht Club – The Sea
Forming The Void – The Rift
Eudaimonia – Eudaimonia
SORE – Her Last Gasp In The Gallows
REZN – Calm Black Water
Wolftooth – Wolftooth
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