Greetings Fuzzers!
2018 has been a crazy year for music, and especially for us, doing our first series of Diggin’ The Fuzz with Ors, Brunt, Lord Vapour and Astrodome, releasing our fourth LP with More Fuzz Records and already working on some killer stuff for this year 😉
As always, I want to thank my partner in crime Mr. Fuzz, for making all this possible and keeping pushing us forward. Big kudos to all the More Fuzz team who keeps the Fuzz flowing, all the bands, labels and gigs/fests organizers for delivering so much great music to our ears and of course all of you for your loyalty and support!
Like every year, I had way too many awesome records to put in this list, and the choices were tough but I’m pretty satisfied with it in the end. I focused even more than usual on smaller bands and discoveries. I loved lots of releases by more renowned artists but that’s how we manage to make these things work in the end. So you’re getting a top 25 this year again, with only killer LPs in it!
If you wanna dig deeper, you’ll find a lot of other great releases in the Honorable Mentions (with clickable links) as always.
Let me tell you it’s been a crazy batch of amazing gigs and festivals also, with terrific live performances all over the city, country and continent that I loved roaming over these last twelve months.
I hope you’ll find some fuzzy, spacey and groovy gems you might not have heard about yet and most importantly, that you enjoy the wonderful tunes that shaped this excellent year 😉
Don't forget to check out the Top Albums of the other More Fuzz team members !
Top 25 Albums of 2018
#25 – Marijannah – Till Marijannah
This crazy band coming from Singapore knocked me out in early Spring, coming out of nowhere, so heavy and sooooo good. They’re not coming out of nowhere in fact, but from the Singaporean grindcore and hardcore scene, and you can feel it! The sound is crushingly mean, and this isn’t just that, you can feel the mastership of these guys. They may not be in their usual battlefield, but they know what they do and add a new point of view on a classic heavy doom we all love. Pounding drums and overfuzzed bass will rip you apart as killer fuzzed-out riffs, catchy melodies and sweet solos flow along with the great clean singing and even choirs at times, all creating a very dark, hazy and hypnotic atmosphere. Come on and dive into this warm Fuzz bath!
#24 – Slift – La planète Inexplorée
I totally missed these Frenchies debut EP last year, and I regret it deeply. I discovered them on stage this year, thanks to our good friends at Crumble Fight and I was mesmerized while my brain melted. They make wonderful spacey garage krautrock, relentlessly going forward in what can feel like an angry tribal space trip. Those repetitive rhythms and melodies should hypnotize you, while the groove makes you wanna dance, getting you ripe for crazy booty shaking. You’ll definitely discover unknown and funny landscape if you look at the windows along this journey, it will feel familiar, but kinda odd, in a good way, enjoy!
#23 – Ruff Majik – Seasons
This South-African trio from Pretoria used us to get a regular dose of their wonderful jams, always recorded in one take. After a first run of three 6-tracks Eps, they’ve been granting us with a 3-track Ep at each of the seasons from summer 2017 to spring 2018, releasing the 12 songs as an album, right on time for 4/20. I’ve since seen them on the Wake&Bake Stage at Freak Valley and I must say they set the bar pretty high that day, for the bands to come to the Main Stage after them. It’s crazy to start a day with such a level of awesomeness on stage. I just love their groove and fuzziness, this sweet Jack Whitesque singing and the unexpected spice they throw here and there. Their mix of 70s bluesy hard rock and fuzzy proggish stoner-doom is a sweet delight, delivering a weird crazy sick energy, charged with emotions.
#22 – Somali Yacht Club – The Sea
I was already a fan of these wonderful Ukrainians after The Sun and a few cool gigs I saw after that. Its follow-up doesn’t disappoint, their special cold post-rock infused heavy psych sound is still there, sharpened as time went by. The writing is still as beautiful as on the last one, and as its cover, one of my favorite this year. The music seems to depict landscapes and feelings at the same time, traveling far away, both inward and outward. You’ll be served with a full-package sensitive experience to this frozen and untouched land SYC are taking us to. Have faith, let yourself be enchanted and dive head-on in this blissful state these songs will put you in.
#21 – Chubby Thunderous Bad Kush Masters – Come & Chutney
After a very good first EP (see here) 3 years ago, the most greasy highly flammable trio Her Majesty has to offer came back with their debut album. And ouch, what a blast! I knew what to expect since my mind was already blown thanks to the Stoned Orgies’ gig in Nantes last year. Good ol’ ripping stoner riffs and style wrapped in a sludgy sound and singing, with a hint of British finest humor exuding from their songs. They’re skilled at what they do and seem really detached about it like their only drive is to have fun. So bottom’s up this hot sauce and brandy bottles put this blindfold, go full throttle, and see where it takes you!
#20 – 1968 – Ballads of the Godless
These kinds of covers are not so rare these days, and it’s always appealing the eye, not always rightfully. Here it is, though, as the British trio expand their sound so thickly to storm your eardrums with pure fuzzed-out stoner vibes. It’s funny how their music can make me think as if a band from the 90s had lived and recorded 30 years before that, and it works sooo well. The voice is rawring over nifty guitar licks, letting the overgroovy bass envelop you in a haze while the drums play with your emotions as a rhythm. Their relentless riffs and soli can only leave you panting but it feels sooo good.
#19 – Zeal & Ardor – Stranger Fruit
I really enjoyed the first release by Zeal & Ardor last year, and they outdid themselves this year. It’s not especially the kind of music we cover with More Fuzz, I think lots of stonerheads can let themselves be tempted, and enjoy it! Coming from a challenge on Reddit to mix two unrelated music genres, Manuel Gagneux and his bandmates pleasure our ears with this amazing Black Metal meets Spirituals. Themes addressed basically remembers classic Spirituals songs, but with a twist, under the Black Metal influence, the slaves don’t pray the same Lord. And it fits perfectly the atmosphere built by the band as if it was meant to be. They also took their time and a step back between those two albums, working on what the innovative “Devil Is Fine” uncovered to master it perfectly. This year, they came back with a longer, deeper, thicker and more diverse yet still coherent offering and we can only be glad for it.
#18 – Seedy Jeezus – Polaris Oblique
I fell in love with Seedy Jeezus when I first saw them at Freak Valley 2015, live since released on record by Rock Freaks in 2016. I was very fond of their collaboration with Earthless’ Isaiah Mitchell on Tranquonauts, expanding a bit more their modern Floydian sound. Don’t think this Pink Floyd reference is an easy one, they’re my favorite band ever, so I don’t make this comparison lightly. This record sees the Aussies’ universe grow even more, with lots of fresh territories inquiries, towards some heavier and darker sides, while keeping their intricate mastery of delightful cosmic jams. Seedy Jeezus came back brilliantly in 2018 with Polaris Oblique and I can’t wait to see them again on stage.
#17 – Lord Vapour – Semuta
I listened to this gem all along the year and it’s always been a pleasure to come back to it. Maybe you remember we went to Guernsey, a Channel Island, in February, with Mr. Fuzz, to meet the guys from Brunt and Lord Vapour to do our 2nd Diggin’ The Fuzz? One of my first listen to this killer LP was in the back of Lord Vapour’s truck, while Brunt was recording their 360° session in the bunker, and man, I loved it instantly, regularly interrupting our chat to mention how good it is. The groove is over 9000 with this power trio like they worship it as a god. Fuzzy, funky and gritty to the bone, this is pure rock’n’roll energy, riffing and soloing its way to melt your face.
#16 – Merlin – The Wizard
Expect no less rock’n’roll spirit here, though maybe a bit less aggressive and taking a bit more its time to get all the quintet aboard this crazy spiraling boat of wonder. If you read one of my previous tops, you know I’m a sucker for saxophone, so trust me, this one is fabulous. This record is heavy and mean, remembering classics of heavy and occult bands, Sabbath, Uncle Acid or Salem’s Pot. Though you should expect a more psychedelic mood created by the synths layers and sax outburst, elevating and giving way more depth to the overall blend. These epic oddities of fuzz, space, and sax will make you travel through time mesmerized and wondering when it will stop getting better and better and better. It won’t.
#15 – King Buffalo – Longing to be the Mountain
Back in January, King Buffalo delivered a wonderful EP, Repeater, that went straight into my regular listening queue. But as good as it felt, there was a need for more. October saw us relieved with the release of Longing To Be The Mountain, a sublime piece of music. The crystal-clear melodies and haunted singing wrapping up around each other supported by grungey bass lines and surgical drumming create a relaxing ambiance. Once you’re comfortable, they’ll take it to the next level, blending in some welcomed proggish heaviness. Let yourself go and take your time to admire the marvel this record is.
#14 – Child – I
The soul of the Blues touched these three Aussies, that’s for sure. Almost one year and a half after Blueside, they gift us with an amazing but way too short EP, reviewed by Mr. Sloth. Those three songs manage to fully represent what they’re capable of on stage, melancholic and/or bouncy. Their fuzzy bluesy jams, going crazy at some point, will probably put you in a state of delight before putting you smoothly on your feet, mouth agape.
#13 – Uncle Acid & The Deadbeats – Wasteland
The British masters of occult came back this year with another amazing offering, always pushing forward their signature style. Wasteland is everything you could have waited for since The Night Creeper, and even more. Sounding catchier and gloomier than ever, they also tried a few new things. This LP has its own rhythm, with its ups and downs, punctuation to keep your attention and let you feel cozy, just to surprise you in the end. Bedouin was such an instant love when I first heard it, this autumn in Antwerp I bought the record directly at Desertfest Belgium. I can grant you the line-up change hasn’t done anything to the amazing energy they can deliver on stage. Stop lurking and join us in this dreary crypt, we’ve got a warm fire and good grease.
#12 – Astrodome – II
I love these guys, I fell in love with their music first, they got a really distinctive psych vibe that feels like summer on the beach. They know how to wisely mix aerial transcendental guitar melodies with groovy rhythms on the bass and drums, making it a dance trip amongst the clouds. I can’t help but to link it to their origins, Portugal is known for its wonderful landscapes, but also for their sense of rhythm and dance skills. As evoked by Mr. Fuzz in his review, with II, the guys have really refined what they already had on the first album, while exploring a wider field of possibilities. It’s brilliant and keep you hooked from the first to the last note.
#11 – Dommengang – Love Jail
Love Jail from Dommengang was released on January 26th, and I came back to it every week of the year. You just gotta love the laid-back vibe of the whole album, like it’s soaked in sun, and that was needed, back in January. The warmth it exudes instantly puts a smile on your face, you start stomping your foot, nodding your head, and you’re in for the Dommengang trip. The overall progression of the songs, with all the nuances they manage to express while maintaining a unity throughout the album is amazing. Keep an eye out for these guys, and go see them if you have the chance, they clearly have the potential to go big!
#10 – Crypt Trip – Rootstock
Another release from January, a sun-drenched jewel that stayed in my listening queue all year long. Coming from Texas, this power trio doesn’t make any concession on kicking our asses, as Mr. Sputnick told you in his review. These songs are so groovy and energetic, perfectly written as bluesy rock’n’roll anthems, as if coming straight from the 70s. That tone is so warm you can’t resist but feel the sun on your face as soon as you hear it. Each instrument blends in perfectly, including the voice, forming all sorts of wonderful pieces of sometimes heavy, sometimes relaxing bluesy jams. Don’t worry though, it feels like a 70s rock album, and it is as good as a Sweet Smoke LP, but with a fresh take on it, taking up the torch where their forefathers left it. If you need something to boost you while getting your dose of fuzzy groove in the morning, that’s it!
#9 – Black Space Riders – Amoretum Vol.1
January again, I told you, this month was crazy! Already on my radar since their sweet Refugeeum in 2015, I love how these angry Germans sound and what they express through their music. Expect massive epic spacey orgasmic solar winds coming at your ears while you listen to this. The overall vibe of the LP, while remaining mostly aggressive in its shape, shines with emotions of all sorts, creating a comfortable environment to explore yourself. Yes, yourself, because as much as it sounds spacey, the direction clearly is set towards the inside, and it’s quite a rollercoaster. Fuzzy riffing or piercing echoing melodies enlivened by clean or harsh singing, always wrapped in a endless thrust by the rhythm section and synth layers, building itself progressively throughout the songs. This is a really catchy and refined work with a nifty production that leaves no room for chance, an intricate masterpiece of energy, love and skill.
#8 – The Oscillation – U.E.F and Wasted Space
Sorry, I couldn’t decide, because each of those two releases has its place here. U.E.F. was a blast in the face early in the year, so far off you had to dive into the sound and let those mechanical vibes take you on an always increasing dancing trip. Flight Sequence is amazing, 22:22 of pure energy, but don’t worry, it will be gentle, at first, not to chock you. The atmosphere soon begins building itself progressively by layers, kicking just a bit more ass with each incrementation. This sound take you through crazy ups and relaxing downs to always seem one step away from climax. As U.E.F. can be two crazy trips, Wasted Space makes you discover a whole universe, piece by piece. The Oscillation seems to have taken some time to explore more in-depth on the album what they found on the EP. The two releases are very coherent with each other and will definitely give you all kinds of goosebumps, each on its way. Be it by grooving your ass off these crazy beats or drifting on the piercing echoing melodies, you will travel to places with the Oscillation.
#7 – Rezn – Calm Black Water
This Chicago based quartet delivered an amazing first offering last year, which was already high in my top last year. Their sound is so good, droned-out cosmic doom, crushing you slowly and relentlessly while cruising through the void of the universe. This second album has even more melancholy than the first one, living up to its name. You can feel this dark, oppressing and glacial atmosphere going through the whole record, as depicted on this beautiful cover. Off The Record Label did an amazing job with the different editions of this record, be it the Deep Sea, the Sea Weed or the Purple edition. Those colors, all clear with black smoke in it also participate to the special mood set this killer record will put you in. Take a deep breath, plunge into the abyss and let those fuzzy tentacles drag you to their unfathomable universe.
#6 – Psychic Lemon – Frequency Rhythm Distortion Delay
Expect pure spacey krautrock, going on crazy loops, increasing in noise and tempo to keep you on the hook from the first to the last note. I can’t remember how I found out about this London based trio, but I know I loved their first record. This one also came out at the beginning of January and I’ve been addicted to it all year long. I love every little part of this gem, the neverending rhythm of each song, taking you on a panting run through galaxies punctuated by this groovy bass lines and tone, while all the layers of guitars and keyboards wander as comets and shooting stars all over this wonderful journey. The songcrafting is flawless, everything falls so perfectly in place, provoking an amazing delight for the ears that will definitely make trip far far out.
#5 – Messa – Feast For Water
Released in April, this delight of Doom and Jazz brought a good dose of fresh air into a hot Spring. You’ll be totally enchanted by the voice of the Italian muse Sara, expressing the whole range of her voice over cozy jazzy melodies or crushing riffs and proggish outbursts. This alternation in moods feels wonderfully designed to carry a diverse assortment of emotions in a special sequence, unraveling forgotten scorched wounds. The slow pace of the music is perfectly tamed, allowing all the instruments to shine, intertwined in a superb masterpiece. If you let it happen, Messa will bewitch you and you’ll be carried away to a whole new world, amazed and speechless.
#4 – Holy Mushroom – Moon
Hailing from the mountains on the northwest shore of Spain, Holy Mushroom craft an astonishing spaced-out heavy psychedelia. The organ and synthesizer coating the raw sounding bluesy melodies and spiraling solos, are grounded by some solid drumming and echoing chants. The energy flows nicely throughout the whole record, long jam after long jam, digging deeper and going further with each song. I’ve seen the Bardenas Reales, and I must say I’d love to see this band, around dusk, amongst the chimneys of the Spanish desert. Or better in their own mountains, maybe for a Diggin’ The Fuzz ? Anyway, I know I can’t wait to hear their hypnotizing vibes under a starry sky, letting my mind explore the cosmos.
#3 – Dead Vibrations – Self-titled
Out on the fantastic Fuzz Club Records label by the end of January (again), these Stockholm based quartet Self-titled Debut LP hooked me instantly. I’m really fond of their stratospheric shoegaze, noisy and catchy, and the ethereal melancholic voices bring it even more into the sunny psych realm. The sound is stunning, bass tone right on point and piercing guitars melting together in a sonic breeze taking your mind on a trip above fuzzy clouds. I had the pleasure of catching them @ Fuzz Club Eindhoven last August and it feels really blissful to contemplate and experience live. This is clearly the record I listened to the most this year, it really hit a special spot and it will keep spinning often. Close your eyes and feel this sweet wind wind of fuzz soothe you.
#2 – Ancestors – Suspended in Reflections
This was one of my most expected records of the year, and I wasn’t disappointed. It’s been 6 years the L.A. doomsters hadn’t released an album, I had plenty of times to enjoy the pleasure of their two previous albums. In the meantime, the lineup evolved a bit, so they had to rework their chemistry to spoil us with such a gem. They deliver a massive contemplative heaviness echoing along with the melancholic singing and synth layers. Time may seem to have calmed things a bit, but you can feel it’s more refined than really calm, taking the time to do things right. And how right this is! The whole record, sadly a bit short, is orchestrally written to evoke grandiose and epicness and, well, suspend you in a state of reflection if you ask me. It can be so smooth and jazzy at times and carry you away in a minute with a crumbling flow of fuzz without warning.
#1 – Mythic Sunship – Another Shape of Psychedelic Music
I had a really good year with Mythic Sunship, starting the year with their amazing Upheaval back in January (!) and finally seeing them a few months later in a small venue in Angers. By its name, I felt I’d like Another Shape of Psychedelic Music even before I first heard it. For several reasons, I know that I love everything they do and that I can deeply connect to this music. Upheaval was a delight earlier in the year, and they even teased the addition of a saxophone, what do you expect me to do? Those six insane jams propelled the band to a whole new level on the Hendrixian scale, and this splendid saxophone definitely impulses some craziness into this kraut sounding blend. The result is an irresistible space jazz spiral, managing to ground your feet and make you travel at the speed of light anyway, while you keep asking for more!
Honorable Mentions by Atmosphere Levels
Red Sun Atacama – Licancabur
First I wanted to talk to you about this killer record we produced this year, because it’s Fat, Hazy and smoking Hot! As Mr. Fuzz said in his top, it’s not really “fair” to put a record we released in our tops. And it wouldn’t have felt right either to put them at the end of the list as he did, because I could have put it in my top 5 easily. So if you missed it during the year, get your ears on this bomb right now! The Parisian power trio will take you on a high-octane psychedelic trip through the Chilean desert, to their sacred volcano Licancabur. The gritty riffing, thundering drumming and hazy solos backed with solid shouting vocals burst out in a crazy energetic frenzy. But it’s not just that, that would have been too easy, even if already fucking good. Kicking off with a frantic punkish fuzzy whirl, they know exactly when to cut some slack and let the groove take over to put us on orbit, then blending everything in an orgasmic eruption. It’s mindblowing live, touching your primitive soul to unleash the beast inside you with their endless craziness, be careful, it’s wild!
By Fat Level
Domkraft – Flood
Dopethrone – Transcanadian Anger
Dunbarrow – II
Godsleep – Coming of Age
Green Lung – Free the Witch
River Cult – Halcyon Daze
Sundrifter – Visitations
By Purple Haze Level
Arcadian Child – Superfonica
Astral Son – Wonderful Beyond
Kungens Män – Fuzz på svenska
Mountain Dust – Seven Storms
Red Lama – Motions
Rotor – Sechs
Weedpecker – III
By Temperature Level
Black Rainbows – Pandaemonium
Brant Bjork – Mankind Woman
Ddent – Toro
Fu Manchu – Clone of The Universe
Killer Boogie – Cream
Piniol – Bran Coucou
Wedge – Killing Tongue
Top Concerts of 2018
Motorpsycho, Waste of Space Orchestra (Dark Buddha Rising + Oranssi Pazuzu), The Heads, Damo Suzuki & Minami Deutsch, Godspeed You! Black Emperor @Roadburn, Tilburg, NL
Rotor @Markthalle, Hamburg, DE
Black Moon Circle + Oresund Space Collective @Little Devil, Tilburg, NL
Mythic Sunship @Joker’s Pub, Angers, FR
Dead Meadow, Domkraft, Swedish Death Candy, Child, Ancestors, Naxatras @Desertfest Belgium, Trix, Antwerp, BE
The Cosmic Dead & friends, Dead Vibrations, The Oscillation, RMFTM @Fuzz Club Eindhoven, Effenaar, Eindhoven, NL
Endless Boogie @La Scène Michelet, Nantes, FR
Messa @La Scène Michelet, Nantes, FR
Baroness, Nebula, Zeal & Ardor @Hellfest, Clisson, FR
Stonehenge @La Scène Michelet, Nantes, FR
The Flying Eyes, Black Bombaim, Mother Engine, Asteroid @Freak Valley, Netphen, DE
Weedpecker @La Scène Michelet, Nantes, FR
Giöbia, Dead Meadow, Mother’s Cake and Brant Bjork for my 30th birthday @Heavy Psych Sounds Fest, VAZ Hafen, Innsbruck, AT
Uncle Acid & The Deadbeats @La Maroquinerie, Paris, FR
Buried Feather @Le Chien Stupide, Nantes, FR
Thanks for reading till the end fuzzer! Don’t hesitate to check out the Facebook page for even More Fuzz And most of all: don’t forget to Keep on Fuzzin’ and Trippin’
Mr. Stone
Don't forget to check out the Top Albums of the other More Fuzz team members 
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