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)

He Whose Ox is Gored - Rumors

He Whose Ox is Gored followed me on Twitter about a dozen times. Must have been a glitch but I never followed back. No offence, but at the time it was just another random band. Until the promo for Rumors landed in my inbox. I had no idea what I was missing.

After diving into this 10+ minute EP I feel like a fool. This band is really cool. It deserves to be said plainly. If these three tracks are any indication of their style, they can be added to the list of bands defying categorization. One can hear alt-rock, noise rock, grunge, sludge and techy/progressive elements woven into an aesthetic that feels decidedly unpretentious.

Vocalist/synths Lisa Mungo sings with confidence. One can sense her natural expressiveness and ingrained talent. Her vocals are a mix of sweet and easily digestible and a more passionate yell without loss of control. Paired with the atmospheric synths and she serves as contrast to the more abrasive tones laid down by her bandmates.

Opening track “Void Assault” has guitarist/vocalist Brian McClelland bringing a rolling semi-tech riff somewhat akin to modern Mastodon but with enough mathiness to make it sound like Meshuggah through a post-hardcore filter. Bassist/vocalist Mike Sparks also shines here with a bass solo that is just bonkers.

“Buried Twice” shows off their gnarlier side. The superfuzzed tone and straightforward, catchy riffs take hold as Mungo wails the chorus beyond a doubt of conviction.

The synths aren't as prominent on much of the title track but their subtle impact is still felt. The track drives hard as well as leaves space open for Sparks's dynamic bass to not get lost amid the crunchy fuzz and drummer John O'Connell's energetic and nuanced playing.

Overall, Rumors sounds intimate and heartfelt while maintaining an adequate energy. It's just edgy enough to be cool, but not so aggressive as to turn off a larger audience. They walk a stylistic line that could lead to quite the broad cross-section of converts. Rumors is incredibly catchy, especially in the vocal department. I have a feeling they could do much more musically but they wisely sacrifice overbearing virtuosity in the interest of songcraft and gut reaction.

He Whose Ox is Gored on Facebook

He Whose Ox is Gored on Twitter

Rumors on Bandcamp

Moon Coven - Amanita Kingdom

*enters room panting and breathless* Hey, sorry. Yeah. I had to run out and get some bellbottoms, sandals and a new shirt before writing this. Get into character, ya know. Right on. Ok. Lava lamp, on. Patchouli, burning. Bummer. No black light. It's all good. Where was I? Oh. Moon Coven. Amanita Kingdom.
Seems like anymore when I hear that a band is from Sweden my thoughts go in the direction of retro-styled stoner rock rather than death metal. Bands like Witchcraft, Horisont and Truckfighters being some of the more well known of the style. Moon Coven stands to join those fuzz-riden heavyweights with debut Amanita Kingdom.
Touted as an EP, the album actually clocks in around 34 smoke-addled minutes. But it is only five songs. Five totally solid songs. The quintet features three guitarists making their groove-heavy riffs dominate the speakers with a monstrous fullness. Despite the immensity of tone, the power lies in psychoactive realms rather than a simple display of volume.
Moon Coven's aural aesthetic is one of impeccable smoothness; their highly repetitive jams feeling effortless and natural. Fuzzed-out riffs and blazing solos float by with an ethereal lightness and a desert tranquility. Carefree and relaxed, the listener easily falls into Amanita Kingdom's embrace leaving all troubles behind. That feeling of escapism is a theme that runs throughout the album.
The clean vocals sound distant and dreamlike, and carry with them a detached sort of bliss. Music this authentically vintage sounding calls for nothing less. (But can you believe these guys used to be in a tech-metalcore band?) One can hear an analog hiss to go along with the overdriven amp worship. It's a package that points to the obvious influence of none other than Dead Meadow. My reaction upon hearing lead track "Ruler of Dust" back in October was strikingly similar to when I first laid ears upon a Dead Meadow record playing in a record shop all those years ago. That being "OHMYGAWDIMUSTHAVETHIS." Both bands have that quality that instantly binds to the soul lending a familiarity bordering on predictability without feeling like a rip-off or stale. It's like a sympathetic resonance. Ya, that's it.
Moon Coven's debut takes what it means to be stoner rock and embodies it wholly. Heavily psychedelic and mind expansive with a keen sense of melody and a few Sabbathian licks thrown in for good measure makes it easy to get completely absorbed in Amanita Kingdom. They make it all too easy to sit back, surrounded by the comforts of delirium, gaze into the night and wonder where it all went wrong out there. Headphones are highly recommended although intense volume would also suffice.
So Amanita Kingdom. Dude, it's like totally......psilocybacious! Know what I mean?! Just choose the right mushrooms, man.

http://mooncoven.bandcamp.com/
https://www.facebook.com/mooncoven