My Favourite Albums of 2016

Most scrobbled albums of 2016 as per last.fm

So I scaled back on my writing this year. You couldn’t tell from this site because it’s neglected anyway but I wrote less for other sites. I was burning out, man! I was losing the passion. I had become a factory. I work at one and I don’t want my job to become my identity. Ha! In doing so I was able to enjoy fewer albums to a greater degree instead of my previous method of listen-write-move on. I didn’t have to move on if I didn’t want to. So basically my Top 20 albums of 2016 are those albums that I didn’t want to move on from. And didn’t. Or at least kept coming back to them. Now bear in mind there are a handful of Canadian albums that cracked 11-20 but since they’ll be highlighted in my Top 10 Canadian Albums for Hellbound.ca I left them out to highlight as much as I could. Screw it. Let’s just make this a Top 40. But pay little attention to the numbers after 20. Let’s get to it.

40. Darkthrone - Arctic Thunder (Peaceville)

39. Neurosis - Fire Within Fires (Neurot)

38. Mizmor - Yodh (Gilead Media)

37. Skeletonwitch - The Apothic Gloom (Prosthetic)

36. Asteroid - III (Fuzzorama)

35. Meshuggah - The Violent Sleep of Reason (Nuclear Blast)

34. Psalm Zero - Stranger to Violence (Profound Lore)

33. Khemmis - Hunted (20 Buck Spin)

32. Amon Amarth - Jomsviking (Metal Blade)

31. Conan - Revengeance (Napalm)

30. Sumac - What One Becomes (Thrill Jockey)

29. The Dillinger Escape Plan - Dissociation (Party Smasher)

28. Sourvein - Aquatic Occult (Metal Blade)

27. The Shrine - Rare Breed (Century Media)

26. Brant Bjork & The Low Desert Punk Band - Tao of the Devil (Napalm)

25. Admiral Sir Cloudesley Shovell - Keep it Greasy (Rise Above)

24. Fistula - Longing for Infection (self-released)

23. Trap Them - Crown Feral (Prosthetic)

22. Gozu - Revival (Ripple Music)

21. Gatecreeper - Sororan Depravation (Relapse)

20. Greenleaf - Rise Above the Meadow (Napalm): I’m a sucker for stoner rock.

19. Gojira - Magma (Roadrunner): I’m hit or miss with this band. Hit.

18. Ringworm - Snake Church (Relapse): Human Furnace burns so hot!

17. Ash Borer - The Irrepassable Gate (Profound Lore): They can do no wrong.

16. Crowbar - The Serpent Only Lies (eOne): Always brings the heavy.

15. Megadeth - Dystopia (Tradecraft/Universal): Megadeth back on point!

14. Wrong - Wrong (Relapse): Blatant Helmet worship works for me!

13. Mammoth Weed Wizard Bastard - Y Proffwyd Dwyll (New Heavy Sounds): DOOM!

12. -(16)- - Lifespan of a Moth (Relapse): RIFFS RIFFS SLOW SOUTHERN STEEL

11. Testament - Brotherhood of the Snake (Nuclear Blast): Thrash album of the year!

10. Spirit Adrift - Chained to Oblivion (Prosthetic): Emotionally addictive.

9. Wormrot - Voices (Earache): AODFOIANIOHIEAHADHHGHHAEIGHNISIGHRRRR!!!!!!

8. Oranssi Pazuzu - Värähtelijä (20 Buck Spin): Goodbye, reality.

7. Subrosa - For This We Fought The Battle of Ages (Profound Lore): No brainer.

6. Blood Ceremony - Lord of Misrule (Rise Above): Captivating isn’t even a start.

5. Graves at Sea - The Curse That Is (Relapse): May have compromised the structural integrity of my house.

4. Hammers of Misfortune - Dead Revolution (Metal Blade): So much air guitar.

3. Anciients - Voice of the Void (Season of Mist): My kind of prog. The sludgy kind.

2. Cult of Luna & Julie Christmas - Mariner (Indie Recordings): Wow. Just fucking WOW.

1. Cobalt - Slow Forever (Profound Lore): Charlie Fell and Erik Wunder are a match made in heaven.

Here's hoping 2017 is better. Even with Trump as leader of the free world.