Top 11 Albums of 2015
11 : Mammothwing – Morning Light
Facebook – Soundcloud – Youtube
A smashing effort from one of the hottest up-and-coming bands in UK heavy rock right now, Mammothwing boast an addictive heavy blues vibe and thoughtful songwriting. The guitar playing on Morning Light is rather unique. It’s all finger picked, which gives it a slinky, delicate tone, making for some really quirky lead parts. Mammothwing are a little more subtle in their approach than most of the heavyweights on this list, but don’t be fooled as Morning Light still has a gigantic low-end. Definitely one for the hardcore fuzzicists out there!
10 : With The Dead – With The Dead
Rise Above Records page – Facebook – Spotify
Without question the best straight-up doom album of the year, the invincible super-trio of Lee Dorian (ex-Napalm Death/Cathedral), Mark Greening and Tim Bagshaw (both of Electric Wizard fame) waste no time in showing the kids how it’s done. Unsettling and devastatingly heavy, With The Dead are second only to Conan in the UK scene at present.
9 : Elder – Lore
This simply goes without saying. Elder have delivered a masterpiece of (largely instrumental) stoner metal, with epic, writhing songs and plenty of tasteful experimentation. If you dig proggy sludge like Isis, Neurosis or even Mastodon, this will keep you coming back again and again. Likewise if you enjoy stonerific jams à la The Atomic Bitchwax, you’ll feel right at home.
8 : My Dying Bride – Feel The Misery
No end of year list would be complete without a token slab of downright dark and depressing doom, and My Dying Bride win the nomination hands-down. Each track on this record feels like a journey in itself. Expect gut-wrenching riffs, plodding atmospheric passages and epic vocal climaxes. A staggering album number 13 for these Yorkshire lads, and they show no sign of letting up. Feel the misery!
7 : 36 Crazyfists – Time and Trauma
A bit of a wildcard here. Alaskan metalcore veterans 36CF are quite possibly my favourite band of all time (laugh all you like), and they’re in fine form here on album number six. While it comes nowhere close to the suffocating angst of their bruising 2001 debut Bitterness the Star, the ‘Fists songwriting prowess combined with Brock Lindow’s unique vocal delivery still proves to be as intoxicating as ever. The title track even features a riff which wouldn’t be out of place on a Crowbar album. Emotionally-charged and balls heavy, this band is worthy of your time.
6 : Jucifer – District of Dystopia
Nomadic husband and wife team Jucifer have been bringing their low-fi sludge/grind to the underground for donkeys years, and this is their most deranged effort to date. District of Dystopia is positively fucking mental, with vocals which frantically wail over the crustiest wall of fuzzed-out filth you could possibly imagine. Officially dropping at the arse end of 2014, I’ve been jamming this record all year and feel much better for including it. Be in no doubt that Jucifer are the real deal!
5 : Skeletal Remains – Condemned to Misery
I wanted to include some death metal on this list, as believe it or not at More Fuzz we don’t all constantly wank over ageing transistor circuits. Lying somewhere in the murky region between Obituary, Entombed and Death, Californian upstarts Skeletal Remains could certainly give the old school a run for their money. With glum production values, eye-popping cover art and a whole bunch of catchy riffs, this is wholly unoriginal yet spectacularly executed death metal.
4 : High on Fire – Luminiferous
A titanic slab of heavy metal sleaze, and further proof that Matt Pike and co. deserve to sit not only at the top of the stoner pile, the modern metal pile in general. Luminiferous dropped in June and immediately, deservedly, blew up. Each track throbs with wave after wave of marauding grooves, with tunes like Carcosa and The Cave becoming instant classics. Don’t expect anything which even vaguely resembles Sleep’s Dopesmoker on this album – High on Fire have long since evolved into an entirely different beast.
3 : Monolord – Vænir
The European underground has been raving about this band in 2015, and for good reason. Vænir is as full of scorn as it is inventive. Genuinely creepy, serpentine riffs spew forth from an unholy wall of Sabbathian tone, accompanied by razor sharp drum pyrotechnics. Monolord are seriously threatening to deal the stoner-doom genre the sort of blow Reverend Bizarre handed to traditional doom – effectively killing the genre off by being way too fucking good. You need this in your skull!
2 : Acid King – Middle of Nowhere, Center of Everywhere
The return of the ‘King. This was my most anticipated album going into the year, and it frankly blew me away. Acid King play sultry stoner metal for your hazy Sunday afternoon needs. Throbbing overdrive is layered with effects to create huge psychedelic soundscapes. This is a masterclass in communicating the vastness of space while playing in an effortless, almost lethargic manner.
1 : Weedeater – Goliathon
One of the best things to come out of the South since Skynyrd, Weedeater took their trademark swagger to a whole new level on their best release to date. They’ve managed to evolve from the infectious stoner-doom vibe of of their earlier albums to a full-blown redneck stomp which is virtually guaranteed to get your head bobbing. You’re bound to love this, whether you’re a fan of Seasick Steve or Sourvein.
Honourable Mentions:
Ufomammut – Ecate
The Sword – High Country
Sumac – The Deal
The Body & Thou – On You, Whom I Have Always Hated
Nile – What Should Not Be Unearthed
Malevolent Creation – Dead Man’s Path
Marduk – Frontschwein
Best Concerts:
Weedeater and Bongzilla at Temples Festival 2015 (Bristol, UK)
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