2019: My Favourites

2019 was a good year but an odd year. As you can see I'm not writing as much. I'm listening to possibly more than ever but I'm just enjoying the experiences and not worried about "keeping up". Like how during "list season" I spent two weeks listening to music released from 1992-1997. I'm getting old and my memory has never been good. I've now realized I don't need to waste my time TRYING to like something. I've got nothing to prove. Music is personal. If I have to try too hard I'm moving on and filling my ears with the easy stuff. It has to leave an impression. It's like my brain has music receptors. Sometimes I don't have receptors for noise, or tech death, or weird screaming stuff. But I'll always have enough receptors for doom, sludge, stoner, etc. More often than not certain grind and death metal will find a place. It's all over the place. But as my hermit powers grow stronger and my circles get tighter I just want to enjoy every second of sound entering my ears. Here are 40 of the best albums I enjoyed listening to in 2019. And honourable mentions of course.

(Note the above intro was written well before the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown. My hermit powers are even stronger now.)

Honourable Mentions: Cult of Luna - A Dawn to Fear, Scissorfight - Doomus Abruptus Vol. 1, Speedealer - Blue Days, Black Nights, Alunah - Violet Hour, Smoulder - Times of Obscene Evil and Wild Daring

40. Yawning Man - Macedonian Lines (Heavy Psych Sounds)

39. Alcest - Spiritual Instinct (Nuclear Blast)

38. Takafumi Matsubara - Strange, Beautiful and Fast (selfmadegod)

37. No One Knows What the Dead Think - No One Knows What the Dead Think (Willowtip)



36. Tool - Fear Inoculum (Tool Dissectional/RCA)

35. Exhorder - Mourn the Southern Skies (Nuclear Blast)

34. Godsleep - Coming of Age (The Lab/Three Chords)

33. Russian Circles - Blood Year (Sargent House)

32. Year of the Cobra - Ash and Dust (Prophecy Productions)

31. Lightning Born - Lightning Born (Ripple Music)

30. Ithaca - The Language of Inquiry (Holy Roar)

29. Mars Red Sky - The Task Eternal (Listenable)

28. Vastum - Orificial Purge (20 Buck Spin)

27. Mammoth Weed Wizard Bastard - Yn Ol I Annwn (New Heavy Sounds)

26. Cruickshank - Cruickshank (No Why)

25. Magic Circle - Departed Souls (20 Buck Spin)

24. Ringworm - Death Becomes My Voice (Relapse)

23. Cloud Rat - Pollinator (Artoffact)

22. Crypt Sermon - The Ruins of Fading Light (Dark Descent)

21. Yellow Eyes - Rare Field Ceiling (Gilead Media)

20. Creeping Death - Wretched Illusions (Entertainment One)

19. False - Portent (Gilead Media)

18. Cattle Decapitation - Death Atlas (Metal Blade)

17. Gatecreeper - Deserted (Relapse)

16. Call of the Void - Buried in Light (Translation Loss)

15. Dead Feathers - All Is Lost (Ripple)

14. Danko Jones - A Rock Supreme (Indica)

13. Ian Blurton - Signals Through the Flames (Pajama Party)

12. Immortal Bird - Thrive on Neglect (20 Buck Spin)



11. Wizard Rifle - Wizard Rifle (Svart)

10. The Pilgrim - Walking Into The Forest (Heavy Psych Sounds)

9. John Garcia - John Garcia and The Band of Gold (Napalm)

8. Ancient VVisdom - Mundus (Argonauta)

7. Mizmor - Cairn (Gilead Media)

6. Irata - Tower (Small Stone)

5. SÂVER - They Came With Sunlight (Pelagic)

4. Monolord - No Comfort (Relapse)

3. Tomb Mold - Planetary Clairvoyance (20 Buck Spin)

2. Blackwater Holylight - Veils of Winter (RidingEasy)

T-1. Spirit Adrift - Divided By Darkness (20 Buck Spin)



T-1. Colour Haze - We Are (Electrohash)