Album of the Year 2019: Top 10

Top 10 Albums of the Year

1. Counterparts – Nothing Left to Love – It seems silly to expect anything sort of remarkable from Counterparts but man, did this album exceed expectations. I knew it would be good, but honestly, I wasn’t quite expecting this. But of course, it should be no surprise that these guys would go on to continue pushing the boundaries of what we all understand to be hardcore. As the lines between genres of heavy music continue to blur, Counterparts will be leading the charge. And thanks to brilliant and emotional albums like this, I don’t believe anybody will dare to question that. Nothing Left to Love is a brutally honest and personal.
2. Cult of Luna – A Dawn to Fear – You know those albums that you just know are going to be incredible before you even hear the first single? This was one of them. This is an absolute masterclass in post-metal. It’s a huge composition with an incredible dynamic range, fascinating songwriting, and top notch production. In practice, this isn’t anything that’s wildly different than what Cult of Luna have done in the past, nor do I think it’s quite as monumental as their album with Julie Christmas. However, it stands on its own with a moodier and more hypnotic take on their churning, gloomy post-metal, utilizing the vast expanse of time they have to play with on this 75-minute album to really contemplate every detail put into this fantastic record.
3. The Devil Wears Prada – The Act – I’ve been saying for years that the maturation of The Devil Wears Prada from the Roots Above days to now is one of the most incredible progressions in metalcore. Anyone that wrote them off as a MySpacecore band are doing themselves a huge disservice by missing out on this powerful, emotional, and thoughtful songwriting. The Act is an incredibly raw take a sound that they have been marching towards for the better part of a decade. Not as consistently heavy as something like Dead Throne, but just as powerful. It combines several elements from not only metalcore, but post-metal, screamo, and several other genres and the final form of this amalgamation is just breathtaking.
4. Northlane – Alien – This album is a weird one, honestly. It’s incredibly polarizing; a lot of people really don’t like it or don’t get it for whatever reason. All said, it was a huge surprise either way, it was very un-Northlane in a lot of ways, with a lot of electronic elements, and even a few nu-metal cues. Even after the first listen, I wasn’t quite sure I was sold on this one. But something kept pulling me back to the album and soon enough I couldn’t get enough of it. This was a remarkably innovative and surprising album that was brilliantly executed by an incredibly talented band that’s working to push the boundaries of metalcore. Like it or not, this might just be the album that metalcore needs right now.
5. Thornhill – The Dark Pool – I’ll be honest, I didn’t even know who these guys were a couple months ago, but holy shit, what an album. Bands like this are the reason that I spend so much time scouring new releases and refuse to just settle on waiting for new music from the old favorites. I would hate to have missed out on such a relative masterpiece. It combines some of the innovation found on albums like Alien with huge technical prowess and one of the best vocalists in metalcore. Thornhill combines huge., almost ambient soundscapes with creative, progressive riffs and the result is a remarkable take on progressive metalcore.
6. Norma Jean – All Hail – Well, what all really needs to be said about Norma Jean? They’ve been one of the leading names in brutal and chaotic metalcore for decades now, and as usual, the new album didn’t disappoint. There aren’t many bands out there that can say they’re still at the top of their game more than twenty years on, but there’s a reason why Norma Jean has been such a mainstay. In fact, this continues the streak they’ve had from their previous two albums of being some of their best work ever, which I know is rather blasphemous to people that believe NJ peaked with Bless the Martyr, but I highly recommend those folks check out All Hail for a pleasant surprise.
7. The Callous Daoboys – Die on Mars – There has been a massive void in my heart for the past 6 years, ever since The Chariot called it quits. But earlier this year, The Callous Daoboys rolled onto the scene and filled that niche very nicely with a similar breed of charmingly chaotic mathcore that doesn’t take itself too seriously. Not only is this album heavy, brutal, and technically incredible, it’s also genuinely fun. Melding a sense of pure chaos that plays with the conventions of metal and hardcore to the point of self-effacing absurdity. The whole album is just utter nonsense, and I fucking love it for that.
8. Russian Circles – Blood Year – While this may not be a universally renowned masterpiece like Memorial, it offers a different take on the Russian Circles style. Blood Year delivers raw and powerful, yet clean and precise production (thanks to Kurt Ballou) which creates huge, airy soundscapes allowing every instrument and every melody to really utilize its own agency as an important individual piece of a grander puzzle while still creating a hefty, crushing, and driving final product that we know so well from them.
9. Pelican – Nighttime Stories – Pelican really stepped things up on this one. I’ve always considered them to be in a similar league to Russian Circles but never quite being able to match the songwriting ability and raw power captured by their counterparts. This time was different though; with Nighttime Stories they were able to take their sound to all new heights. I was truly impressed with this album and it really made me rethink the entire Pelican discography as a result. It caused something to click on a much broader scale, and any album that has implications beyond its own limits merits celebration.
10. Knocked Loose – A Different Shade of Blue – For quite a while, Knocked Loose has been a treasured, but rather well-kept secret, however with this release they’re quickly being jettisoned onto an absolutely meteoric rise to acclaim in all corners of the heavy music community. Hardcore kids love them, the death metal crowd loves them, metalcore guys love them; Knocked Loose are pummeling their way into the hearts of everyone, and with good reason, A Different Shade of Blue was an absolute landmark hardcore album for the year. I’m sure we’ll be hearing a lot more from these guys, and I’m personally very, very excited about that.

 

Best EP

Captives – Ghost Like You – Captives is a relatively unknown post hardcore band out of the UK, and who would have known that they would pump out the most impressive debut EP that I’ve heard in some time. It’s a very polished and powerful post hardcore, kind of reminding me of early Hands Like Houses, which is a wonderful comparison to be able to make. I’m hoping for big things from these guys, and maybe a US tour, as well.

 

Best Single

Killswitch Engage – The Signal Fire – I mean, come on, Killswitch Engage with BOTH Jeese Leach and Howard Jones? This one was obvious. This has been every metalcore fan’s dream for a decade now, whether they knew it or not. And for a song that comes with such lofty expectations attached to it, man, did it live up to the hype. Not only is it a remarkable song, but it brings a great sense of closure to a tumultuous piece of the history of one of the most acclaimed bands in the genre. And I dare you to watch the music video without a smile on your face.