Dan Hillier
Following on from the first part of our albums of the year feature, we’re now into the second instalment, counting down from 25 to 11. If you’re yet to read the first part of the list, you can read it here!
The cathartic use of music to not necessarily cleanse but at least recognise pain and wrap the performer and listener together in some comfort is as critical as it has ever been. Emma Ruth Rundle through her most stripped back and bare has certainly done so here. Acoustic guitar, piano and her soft tones hold you close throughout. This is music at its most raw talking of loss, addiction but also a glimmer of hope. Her storytelling through harrowing songs such as ‘Body’ and ‘Blooms of Oblivion’ are tough not to shed a tear to. A sombre but superb musician of our time. – Adam Vallely
Is there a band out there that sounds like While She Sleeps? The incredible release of ‘Sleeps Society’ saw While She Sleeps take their fanbase and create a community around themselves, more inclusive, forward thinking and diverse than any other band has managed in recent years. Ahead of the game and showing no signs of stopping, the band released an album full of beautiful melodic metal anthems and a fresh take on their punk infused metal. Another truly astonishing addition to the band’s back catalogue. – Sam Evan
An adrenaline-soaked celebration of all that is wonderful about rock music, The Dirty Nil have upped their game to deliver more earworm vocal melodies and fist-pumping riffs than ever before. The exuberance, confidence and swagger is somehow matched by the sheer songwriting nous on display, and despite feeling instantly arena-ready there isn’t an ounce of compromise in the rough and ready production. From opening rager ‘Doom Boy’ to joyously sardonic sign-off ‘One More and the Bill’, every track is an instant hit. – Matt Watts
To be simply and unequivocally, horrible and miserable is exactly what the debut record from London’s chaotic hardcore duo Death Goals is. Looking into how the rise of far right rhetoric has affected both queer communities and the personal lives of the band without filter nor censorship, this is a shrieking and berserking outburst of justified rage that’s expressed with mathcore tendencies and panic chords galore. Truly, it’s musical lashing that is both aimed outwards and inwards, a musical flagellation that’s violent, unpredictable and served with tear-streaked fury. – Dan Hillier
Almost a decade since their last album, Devil Sold His Soul have returned, re-energised, confident and more brazen than ever. The record explores feelings of grief and the many forms it can take, be it anger, misery or confusion and harnesses them to create some of the band’s most impassioned music to date. Now with the joint vocal duties of both Paul Green and the returning Ed Gibbs, Devil Sold His Soul can now convey desperation and emotion on whole new levels. Whilst soaring vocals, delay-heavy guitars and ambient keys fill the album with atmosphere, Loss allows Devil Sold His Soul to transcend yet again. – James Davenport
It may be following half a decade since the release of the last Bossk record, but Migration has been fully worth the wait. A towering and earth shattering behemoth comprised of gargantuan riffs, filthy analogue synths, engulfing atmosphere and guest features courtesy of Palm Reader’s Josh Mckeown and Cult of Luna’s Johannes Persson, Migration is a testament to both the longevity and ever-evolving dexterity of one of UK post-metal’s best. With us all individually traversing a journey into ever darkening unknowns in our respective lives, Migration is the ideal soundtrack to our unique personal exoduses. – Dan Hillier
Dying Wish came roaring onto the scene with debut record Fragments of a Bitter Memory, a devastatingly passionate exploration of trauma with some of the most blistering riffs from any band all year. The sheer energy and vivaciousness of the record is only matched by how good it feels to hear metalcore riffs that feel straight out of the golden age of the early/mid 2000s brought back to life and done just as well as any legacy band. Every word is spat with pure, unfiltered venom from vocalist Emma Boster, whose throat shredding rasp is laced with a desperation and strength befitting of the subject matter at hand, while the band backing her are tight and right at every turn, all backed with a huge production. This album is nothing short of monolithic, pressing ten thousand tons of heavy down upon the listener with every word, riff and hit of the drum. – Kris Kielich
Granted, Maybeshewill never quite reached the Olympian summits of the post-rock genre during their initial run as a band, but with their comeback record the band are poised to take their place at the top of the hierarchy. A deeply rich and exquisite affair, No Feeling Is Final is both without question the band’s most magnificent and harrowing offering to date, with the record lamenting how the inherent greed of capitalism has resulted in a planet of systematic injustice where scorched dead earth is being ceaselessly retaken by rising acidic oceans. But still, at the crux of the record is a dichotomy, one where the distressing concepts are balanced and articulated via sweeping soundscapes that are simultaneously lush, dramatic and cinematic. Complete with the band showcasing a tight and newfound focus on orchestral textures, this is without debate one of the most purposeful and vital post-rock records to be released this year. – Dan Hillier
Architects solidified themselves as modern metal namesakes this year with For Those That Wish To Exist, taking the natural step with this album to give fans and new listeners alike a taste of melodic metal without compromising on the technicality and snarl that stand as staples in their sound. Whether it be the stomp of “Animals”, the soaring vocals of “Meteor” or the tenacious rage of “Black Lungs” there was something here for everyone and that isn’t even scratching the surface. Earning them their first UK No. 1, Architects were on a warpath this year and came, saw and conquered. – Sam Evan
The Armed returned this year to confuse and create, ever evolving from their hardcore roots into a troupe of hench, muscle bound beings playing music which can roughly be described as a ‘merry go-round on speed’. From the electronic buzz and angelic vocals of the title track, pop-vibes coated with hideous dissonance of ‘AVERAGE DEATH’, to the pummelling blast beats and hardcore aggression of ‘MASUNGA VAPORS’. The semi-anonymous collective mesh and intertwine layers of chaotic sound and spat out a futuristic, cohesive record. Accompanying the record, main representative for the band Dan Greene and Co put together ‘ULTRAPOP: Live at the Masonic’ and a short live set for Adult Swim’s online festival. The former a ‘feature length’ film that peers into the Dan Greene cinematic universe. Another bewildering insight to the world The Armed have created around them and what we can expect from shows in 2022. – Adam Vallely
Dissonant mathcore, Converge-influenced hardcore, frenetic polyrhythms; Pupil Slicer’s debut album has it all. Between the crushing breakdowns and time signatures that turn on a dime, there’s an emotional vulnerability; just see the post-rock influenced ‘Collective Unconscious’ and the final, pained shrieks that closes the album. Despite the chaos that swirls around near constantly, there’s a sense that it’s all tightly controlled even if it does threaten to come off the rails at various moments. ‘Martyrs’ turns on a dime from dizzying mathcore to a near-galloping barrage, while ‘Stabbing Spiders’ is a short blast of white-hot fury at just 47 seconds long. Inspired by vocalist/guitarist Kate Davies’ experience of being autistic and trans, it’s a deeply affecting and emotional listen that takes in rage, pain, hopelessness and more in its catharsis. It all culminates in one of the most abrasive, chaotic and compelling albums of the year. – Will Marshall
Speaking of Converge, the godfathers of metalcore never rested on their laurels after the seminal Jane Doe. That’s never been more apparent than on this year’s Bloodmoon: I, born of a collaboration done some years ago with Chelsea Wolfe and Stephen Brodsky of Cave In. This time, rather than reimagining Converge songs in this expanded lineup, they’ve penned entirely new material that takes almost all Converge’s experimental leanings and takes them to their logical conclusion. The post-metal of opener ‘Blood Moon’ is followed by twenty seconds of furious d-beat hardcore in ‘Viscera Of Men’ before exploding into apocalyptic doom. Chelsea Wolfe’s more gothic vocals are an arresting counterpoint to the furious screams of Bannon and Brodsky, such as on the serpentine ‘Coil’ and the magnificent ‘Crimson Stone’. Bloodmoon: I is the sound of a band refusing to tread water and instead creating perhaps their most ambitious work to date. – Will Marshall
Urne first caught people’s attention with their 2018 EP The Mountain of Gold. Expectations were high given the reputation of their former band, and those were soon repaid; in its songs were flashes of classic heavy metal, thrash, hardcore and more that hinted at a band with plenty more to offer. That led to a confident move into far more expansive songwriting with their debut album, Serpent And Spirit. Still taking nods from the same genres but melding in a progressive sensibility and a refusal to be constrained by simple arrangements, Urne created an opus that not only took the timeless quality of its predecessor but expanded its scope to gargantuan proportions. The opening title track is a near-nine minute journey through searing leads, virtuosic solos and towering riffs, while ‘Memorial’ is an instrumental that’s riveting even without vocals and ‘Desolate Heart’ is titanic in scope, especially the vocal performance in its closing minutes. – Will Marshall
The French heavyweights started life as a death metal band before evolving into their current form, embracing progressive metal, cleanly sung vocals and occasionally more straightforward song structures to create maximum impact. This year’s Fortitude proudly continues their tradition of releasing consistently great albums. While it may not reach the dizzying heights of predecessor Magma, it’s still an outstanding work in its own right. Opener ‘Born For One Thing’ has all the trademark groove and ringing, dissonant moments in their riffs along with Mario Duplantier’s seemingly eight-armed assault on his kit. There’s plenty of time for them to reach back to their heavier material such as on ‘Into The Storm’ and ‘Grind’, but the band aren’t afraid to branch out into new sounds and textures. ‘Amazonia’ features a mouth harp in its central riff and ‘The Chant’ builds on the vocal motif from ‘Fortitude’ to create perhaps their most straightforward, almost rock song to date. – Will Marshall
Teenage Wrist came out of nowhere with their sophomore album at the beginning of the year blowing social media to pieces with their infectiously catchy album Earth Is A Black Hole. Imagine the very best of skater punk with dark lyrical themes, hugely anthemic choruses and a range of musical and vocal diversity throughout. The band have crafted an album that consistently delivers banger after banger whether it be anthemic opener ‘Taste of Gasoline’, the slow brooding ‘Yellowbelly’ or the soaring highs of ‘Wasting Time’ there is enjoyment to be had in a surface listen and a deeper dive. The album’s repeatability value is a strength that has landed it in AOTY features despite its February release. If Skate or Tony Hawk want to drop another game they may as well make Earth Is A Black Hole the soundtrack in it’s entirety, an absolute must listen. – Jac Holloway