As we wind down our Album Of The Year coverage with staff and guest posts, we have another from our venerable pundit Gary Alcock! Gary shares his personal Top Ten Albums of 2018.
10. Saxon – Thunderbolt
Things Yorkshire has given us:
Wensleydale cheese.
The Third World segment of Monty Python’s The Meaning of Life
But most importantly, SAXON.
9. Rivers of Nihil – Where Owls Know My Name Rivers of Nihil – Where Owls Know My Name
In my review earlier in the year, I wrote “a perplexing, undulating powerhouse of subtlety and intensity”.
So yeah, that.
8. Ihsahn – Amr
Ihsahn once said that if you wanted to know what Emperor would sound like these days, then just listen to his solo albums. If that’s the case, then Emperor are still frighteningly awesome.
7. Powerwolf – The Sacrament of Sin
If you don’t like fist-pounding anthems about vampires, werewolves, and sexy nuns, then quite frankly, you’re doing metal wrong.
6. Behemoth – I Loved You At Your Darkest
Piece of Mind. South of Heaven. State of Euphoria. Load. All albums which suffered from having to follow stone cold classics and hugely popular albums but were still great in their own right. I Loved You At Your Darkest is the latest to add to that list.
5. Voivod – The Wake
Managing to incorporate the sound of their classic albums while also continuing to experiment in new areas, The Wake is easily Voivod’s best record since the early nineties (at least).
Canadians are awesome.
4. Dimmu Borgir – Eonian
If Satan wrote epic black metal while listening to classical music with a load of goths wearing Sisters of Mercy shirts, Eonian would be the result.
3. Sulphur Aeon – The Scythe of Cosmic Chaos
It wouldn’t be an end of year list without at least one late entry to completely confuse the order, and this year that honour belongs to German H.P. Lovecraft enthusiasts Sulphur Aeon. Cheers, chaps. Thanks so much for messing up my painstakingly constructed running order at the very last minute.
2. Judas Priest – Firepower
No band formed in the sixties should be able to put out an album this good in 2018. Luckily for us, Judas Priest are no ordinary band, and Firepower is no ordinary album.
Pick a bad song. Go on. I fucking dare you.
1. Ghost – Prequelle
One of the best things about 2018 has been watching actual adults crying on the internet about how Ghost “are shit”, “aren’t even metal”, or are just “Scooby-Doo music for girls”.
Ghost are great, Prequelle is a monster, and your tears and your butthurt are delicious. Keep them coming.
GARY ALCOCK
GHOST CULT ALBUM OF THE YEAR PART I
GHOST CULT ALBUM OF THE YEAR PART II
GHOST CULT ALBUM OF THE YEAR PART III
GHOST CULT ALBUM OF THE YEAR PART IV