Album Of The Year

Album Of The Year 2021 – Number 11

Welcome to Day 20 of my Album Of The Year 2021 Top 30 Countdown series. That means that this annual labour of love is now two-thirds complete already. I can’t quite believe it, but that’s the situation. I’m still really enjoying putting this together and I hope so of you are enjoying the daily updates as I get closer to the top ten albums of 2021.

If you’re new to the series, please feel free to check out all the links at the bottom of this post – you’ll be able to check out all of this year’s picks so far as well as those from previous years should you be so inclined.

But, with that out of the way, here’s the next album in my list…

Number 11

Frost*

“Day And Age”

InsideOut Music

Release Date: 14 May 2021

Score Of Much Metal: 95%

Hands down, this record has been one the biggest surprises of 2021 for me. Not in the sense that they were an unknown entity about which I knew nothing. No, ‘Day And Age’ surprised me because I wasn’t expecting to like it that much. I really didn’t warm to their previous release, the 2020 EP entitled ‘The Others’. And I was never the biggest fan of their previous material either, certainly not to the extent that the music might feature in my top 30.

However, right off the bat, my feelings towards ‘Day And Age’, the latest and greatest album from Frost* were markedly different. And what’s more, these feelings have not dimmed throughout the year either.

This is an incredibly mature, intelligent record, full of great songs that only get better; warmer, more immersive, catchier, ‘Day And Age’ sees this group of talented musicians at the very top of their game. As a fan of the heavier end of the musical spectrum, I also like the fact that some of the music on this album has real teeth. Chunky guitar sounds, strong drumming from the guest musicians that they invited along for the ride, and moments where the music veers nicely towards metal territory – these sections then seamlessly and effortlessly flow into other ideas and soundscapes, more progressive, pop-like or downright strange. And yet even these ‘strange’ elements sound compelling.

Every time I listen to ‘Day And Age’, I like it a little more. And that’s why it thoroughly deserves its lofty position in my 2021 list. Marvellous.

What I wrote at the time:

“Frost* are renowned and loved for their ability to blend progressive rock music with unashamed pop sensibilities and a bright, modern edge. So to say that the music is dark may seem to be a far fetched notion for many. However, whilst there is an audible edge to some of the music itself, it is mainly within the lyrical content that ‘Day And Age’ is at its darkest.

…each song is blessed with quality across the board; excellent songwriting craft, superb instrumentalism, and obvious hunger and passion.

...I’m almost shocked by the strength of the melodies that liberally litter ‘Day And Age’. Many will cite ‘Milliontown’ or maybe ‘Experiments In Mass Appeal’ as their favourite by Frost*, but as far as I’m concerned, ‘Day And Age’ pushes them close. Actually I’m fairly certain, despite this being early days, that this might be their very best yet…

I cannot find a single song that I dislike, even the more jagged and confrontational ‘Terrestrial’ that dials back slightly from the melodies in favour of bolder, weirder, and more challenging sounds.

What a revelation. Frost* have always been an admired entity as far as I was concerned, but never fully embraced and loved. I would strongly suggest that this has changed with the creation of ‘Day And Age’, because I do love this record. And it’s a love that has emerged in spite of the fact that, on paper, this shouldn’t be the kind of music to make me giddy and excited to such an extent. But, as I’ve said elsewhere in this review, everything is of the very highest order here: the musicianship, the song writing, the clarity of purpose, and a bucketload of memorable hooks, catchy choruses, and stunning melodies. This is pop-infused, synth-laden progressive rock of the very highest order and I’m thoroughly blown away.”

Read the full review here.

The list this year so far…

‘Honourable Mentions’

Also, if you’ve missed my lists from previous years, you can check them out here:

Album Of The Year 2020 – Number 17

Welcome to instalment number fourteen of my 2020 ‘Album of the Year Top 30 countdown’.

I really hope you are enjoying my series – I’m blown away by the interest, the comments, and the likes that I have received so far, with very few people telling me that I’m an idiot and that I have got my choices all wrong. I’m not yet halfway, so there’s still plenty of time mind you. In the meantime, I’ll just bask in the glory of minimal negativity.

If you happen to be new to the series, please allow me to issue the usual reminder to check out the links at the bottom of the post to find out who made the cut, from 30 down to 19, as well as my lists from previous years too.

But that’s it – let’s get on with the show…

Number 17

Psychotic Waltz

The God-Shaped Void

InsideOut Music

Score Of Much Metal: 95%

If you’d told me 13 months ago, that this band would find its way into my top 30 for 2020, I’d have laughed in your face. Standing in the crowd for Psychotic Waltz’s performance at ProgPower Europe 2019, I was not impressed, as you’ll know if you read my review of the festival. Poor individual performances, sound problems, and technical issues – it was a bit of a mess, and I could only last a few songs. Not a great first impression, given that somehow Psychotic Waltz had, until then, eluded my radar.

Nevertheless, when I was presented with the promo for ‘The God-Shaped Void’, I felt somehow compelled to dive in and take a listen. Surely a band like this, with the talent they have and the cult fanbase that they enjoy, cannot be as bad as I was led to believe the year before? As it turns out, no, they’re an excellent band and, frankly, this latest release blew me away.

Big riffs, melodies, bold, moody atmospheres, understated complexity; it’s all here. Not to mention a compelling performance with voice and flute from Devon Graves. And the more I listen, the more I like the music on this album, to the point where I’m just about floored. I have listened to this record nearly as much as any other in 2020, as much now as I did around the time when I was gearing up to write my review. I don’t get bored of it in the slightest; it is as strong and fresh now as it was back in February.

This could be the biggest ‘oops’ moment of my musical life – but better late than never, eh?

Psychotic Waltz 04.10.2019 Session Bochum – Matrixn, Germany

What I wrote at the time:

“The first impression I have is that ‘The God-Shaped Void’ is much more melodic and majestic than I was led to believe from what I’d heard at ProgPower. ‘Moodier’ is another adjective I’d throw into the mix. It is also, dare I say it, less overtly progressive than I was expecting. There is no disputing the ‘prog’ tag, but I was anticipating the music to be just a little faster and demonstrably complex if I’m honest.

However, the fact remains that I have put off this review for a good while now because I want to have an excuse to listen to it just a little bit more. And I’d not do that if it was an album that I didn’t fundamentally like. Or, in this case, an album that I like a lot more with each passing listen. For it is not until you allow the music to really get under the skin that you notice everything that’s going on here.

I’m struggling to name any track out of the ten on ‘The God-Shaped Void’ that isn’t up to scratch here.

An album of this quality leads me to a specific and important train of thought: what the hell have I been doing all these years to have missed a band of this quality? ‘The God-Shaped Void’ is an intelligent, brilliantly executed slab of heavy progressive metal which, if I can ever stop playing it, will be the catalyst to check out the entire back catalogue.

Read the full review here.

The list this year so far…

If you’ve missed my lists from previous years, you can check them out here:

Album of the Year 2017 – Number 26

Welcome to day 5 of my ‘Album of the Year 2017 top 30 countdown’.

The response I am getting so far to this year’s countdown is insane, eclipsing previous years by far – thanks to everyone once again for getting involved and supporting this foolish endeavour of mine.

As with all of the posts so far, you’ll find a few quotes from my full in-depth review and a link to it, along with an embedded track and a few further thoughts about why the album in question has been granted a place in my end-of-year top 30. Hopefully you like this format but please suggest improvements if there are any changes you’d like to see – I won’t be too offended!

My choice today is yet another surprise for me; another band with which I was previously unfamiliar and had never before given the time of day. I must be getting wiser in my old age.

As always, if you have missed any of the previous posts in this series, links can be found at the bottom of this post along with links to the entire countdowns from previous years.

Number 26

Dyscarnate
With All Their Might
Unique Leader Records

“Generally speaking, I’d class myself as a metalhead with a penchant for more intricate and complex compositions as well as having a love of melody and a weakness for guitar solos and over-the-top flamboyance… So then, why am I so beguiled by the new Dyscarnate record, ‘With All Their Might’, given that it features no guitar solos, next to nothing in terms of prog-like complexity and is straight-up brutal death metal that flirts with elements of hardcore?

It’s because ‘With All Their Might’ is heavy, uncompromising, brutal and groovy as all hell.

…once heard, has to be listened to again and again because it is so damn groovy, so wonderfully infectious and so gloriously heavy. At times, I simply cannot believe that such a full and bold sound can come from just three musicians.

In keeping with the tone and output of this record, I shall keep my conclusion simple and to-the-point. ‘With All Their Might’ is a brutal behemoth of a record, making it easily one of the best and most satisfying death metal albums of 2017.

Read the full review here.

‘With All Their Might’ is one of many surprises for me during 2017 and another clear example of my willingness to listen to albums that I might have steered well clear of in the past. As my review quotes above suggest, I’m not normally a fan of this kind of thing. And yet, here Dyscarnate are, nestled in my ‘top 30 albums of 2017’ list at no.26.

This record is a mighty slab of groove-laden, thunderous and unrelenting death metal, so much so that it is impossible to ignore. I’d heard the name before but Dyscarnate had never really registered with me because of the general descriptions that had been given about their music. When trawling through my emails looking for the next album to review, I stumbled across ‘With All Their Might’. Not expecting anything, I clicked the link to ‘Iron Strengthens Iron’ on YouTube and was literally blown away. The force of the music that this English trio produced practically sent me flying, only to be dumped unceremoniously on my backside some twenty feet from where I had been originally.

Immediately, I loved the brutality and the canyon-sized grooves that this track and many others on the record possessed. And the fact that ‘With All Their Might’ finds its way into my end-of-year top 30 is proof that I still find their gargantuan sound thoroughly engrossing. Every time I press play, my neck hurts, I feel battered and bruised but the whole experience is well worth it. And, sitting here now, I have to say that the dark, foreboding album closer, ‘Nothing Seems Right’ is fast becoming one of my favourite tracks of the year.

If you missed either of my 2017 ‘honourable mentions’ posts, here they are should you be interested:

Album of the Year 2017 – honourable mentions Part 1
Album of the Year 2017 – honourable mentions Part 2

Previous posts in my 2017 Top 30 countdown:

Album of the Year 2017 – Number 27
Album of the Year 2017 – Number 28
Album of the Year 2017 – Number 29
Album of the Year 2017 – Number 30

And from previous years:

Album of the Year 2016
Album of the Year 2015
Album of the Year 2014
Album of the Year 2013
Album of the Year 2012

Album of the Year 2016 – Number 15

I can’t quite believe that I am already half-way through my ‘Album of the Year 2016’ top 30 countdown. It doesn’t seem like five minutes ago that I was contemplating starting out of this annual journey and yet, here we are. 15 albums down, 15 to go.

I hope you have enjoyed the posts in this series up to now – if you are new to this series however, or if you’ve shamefully missed any of my posts, you can find links at the bottom of this post.

And with that, here’s the next album in my list:

Number 15

Brutai
Born
Transcend Music

“Sitting her now, I am firmly of the opinion that if I wanted to listen to a more modern style of heavy metal, Brutai are the band and ‘Born’ is my chosen weapon. A few weeks ago, I might have chosen Textures but today, it is Brutai. Yup, ‘Born’ is that good.

‘Born’ is incisive, sharp and clinical, full of strong riffs, muscular rhythms as well as moments of extreme yet measured brutality. At the same time however, Brutai demonstrate a well-honed sense of melody and overt pop sympathies, allowing their compositions to bludgeon one moment and then soar majestically the next. I have to frequently remind myself that this is Brutai’s debut full-length, because it is just so adept, so commanding and so self-assured. It might be late in the day, but ‘Born’ is deservedly one of my albums of the year. The only problem? How on Earth do they top it?”

Read the full review here

Make no mistake about it, the only reason why this album is not within the top 10 for 2016 is because it was only released less than a month ago. As such, I’ve not had it in my life as long as all of the other contenders and I’ve not been allowed to let it mature and develop over time. But that is it, no other reason.

As debuts go, this is arguably one of the strongest I’ve heard, alongside the likes of Earthside from last year. It has blown me away and, judging by the comments I’ve received and heard from other quarters, I’m not the only one. I don’t think I’ve seen a negative review anywhere about ‘Born’. That, in itself, says a lot.

Personally, I absolutely love the blend of heaviness, aggression and melody that Brutai delivers. From pop-like accessibility to all-out thunderous metal, from modern to classic and from the simple to the technical it is the combination of all of these facets that helps Brutai be the massively exciting proposition that they are. Sometimes I can be critical of bands who try to be all things to all people. However, where Brutai are concerned, they have pulled it off, seemingly effortlessly, leaving others to scratch their heads and wonder why they couldn’t do it.

‘Born’ is magnificent, hopefully just the first step in a long and fruitful career.

In case you’ve missed any of the other posts in the 2016 series, here they are for you to explore and enjoy:

And from previous years:

Album of the Year 2015
Album of the Year 2014
Album of the Year 2013
Album of the Year 2012

Album of the Year 2016 – number 20

It’s getting a little more serious now as I enter the Top 20 of my ‘Albums of the Year 2016’ top 30 countdown. Can you feel the tension start to increase? Your nerves jangling? Biting your nails?…

What do you mean ‘no’? You heathens!

Anyway, here we are over a third of the way through this annual undertaking of mine. I’ve started to get a few heckles from the masses over my placement and inclusion of certain albums in this list, but hey, that’s fine. This is just my opinion, nothing more. Who is to say that any of us are right or wrong? And anyway, I hardly hold as much sway as the big boys do I?

This list just pulls together my favourite 30 albums of the year, those 30 that have stood out above all others during what has been a very strong year. This is the first full year that I have gone solo with this blog, so the support from you all has been amazing – it also means that I can provide links to the full album review of each and every one of these picks in my top 30. So if you’ve not read them, now’s your chance.

So, keep the comments coming people, I’m loving hearing what you all think of my lone voice in the wind.

On that note, onwards into the top 30…

Number 20

Frost*
Falling Satellites
InsideOut Music

“It is such a varied and unusual album in many ways that I wasn’t really sure what to make of it…It is no surprise that the music on this album is imbued with a genuine pop sheen and, on occasions dare I say it, a commercial edge…one thing I wasn’t expecting from ‘Falling Satellites’ was the sheer amount of poignant and sensitive material that it delivers.

For my money, I’d have to say that ‘Falling Satellites’ could just be Frost*’s best album to date. It has a little of just about everything that I want in my progressive rock; it’s well-written, excellently performed and is just a little bit odd and quirky too. In a year that has delivered plenty of quality already and threatens to continue the trend to the year end, ‘Falling Satellites’ has really caught my attention and thoroughly deserves to be in contention for a spot in my end of year ‘best of’ list.”

Read the full review here

I have to be honest and remark at how surprised I have been with this album. Pleasantly surprised too. Never having been the biggest fan of Frost*, I was interested in hearing their first full length album in around 8 years. But nothing more than merely interested. I never expected in a million years that I’d be including it in my ‘album of the year’ list.

For one, there’s a lot of more commercial, pop and electronic content on the album than I am normally comfortable with, thanks to the input of Jem Godfrey. But it just gets under my skin and, when blended so effortlessly and smoothly with the prog rock core of the band as well as John Mitchell’s sublime lead guitar work, it creates a scintillating final package. Not to mention that tangible layer of emotion and rawness that comes through the compositions, another impressive string to the Frost* bow.

Even after so many months, it still pushes my buttons in the right way and, when I press play, I may as well forget doing anything else for the next hour or so, because I’ll be hooked. And the 90 second opener ‘First Day’ remains one of my favourite compositions to date, it’s stunning.

In case you’ve missed any of the other posts in the 2016 series, here they are for you to explore and enjoy:

Album of the Year 2016 – number 21
Album of the Year 2016 – number 22
Album of the Year 2016 – number 23
Album of the Year 2016 – number 24
Album of the Year 2016 – number 25
Album of the Year 2016 – number 26
Album of the Year 2016 – number 27
Album of the Year 2016 – number 28
Album of the Year 2016 – Number 29
Album of the Year 2016 – Number 30

And from previous years:

Album of the Year 2015
Album of the Year 2014
Album of the Year 2013
Album of the Year 2012

Album of the Year 2016 – Number 25

Welcome to day six in my ‘Album of the Year 2016’ top 30 countdown. Thanks for staying with me. It already feels like I’ve been doing this for weeks, but at the same time, it is flying by.

One of the best things about doing this series is that I get a real and genuine excuse to sit back, relax and listen to all those albums that I have loved this year, with the sole purpose of trying to rank them into some kind of order. With so much music to listen to and to review, it can be easy to forget how good some albums really are and very difficult to revisit them as often as I would like. So this is the perfect opportunity for some self-indulgence.

If you’ve missed any of the 2016 series to date, links can be found to all these at the bottom of this post. Additionally, there are links to my 2012-2015 countdowns too, should they be of interest to you.

But now on to the most important part of this post: my choice at Number 25:

Number 25

Headspace
All That You Fear Is Gone
InsideOut Music

“The all-out attack and crunch of the debut is still present but nowhere near as frequently but that’s in keeping with a different overall vibe to this album than the debut. ‘All That You Fear Is Gone’ is more varied and arguably more mature with the quieter passages demonstrating a different facet of what is unquestionably a highly talented team of musicians…On ‘All That You Fear Is Gone’ nothing is apparently off limits and nothing is seemingly beyond the ability of the quintet.

…if you’re willing to persevere and listen to ‘All That You Fear Is Gone’ on its own considerable merits and accept that it has an identity all of its own, the chances are that you too will end up loving it and will willingly take it to your heart.”

Read the full review here

If you’d asked me to place a bet at the beginning of the year, I’d have said that the new Headspace album would almost certainly have featured in this 2016 list. The debut album ‘I Am Anonymous’ was so damn good and the clientele within this UK based progressive outfit is so talented that surely this would have been a safe bet for a died-in-the-wool progressive metal fan. And so it has proved.

‘All That You Fear Is Gone’ is a fantastic record, although it took me some time to get to grips with it and appreciate all of its charms. It is a bona-fide grower in every sense of the term. When I listened initially, I wasn’t a fan at all because it didn’t seem to have that crunch and power of the debut; it felt like it meandered along without much purpose. How wrong could I be though because with time and effort, it has blossomed into a thoroughly excellent, utterly absorbing listen, full of subtle and clever nuances that aren’t obvious at the beginning.

The key is to not compare it to the debut because stylistically, it is quite different. But the musicianship, the professionalism and the attention to detail ids quite incredible, arguably even more honed and assured. As I sit here now, listening to it for the umpteenth time, I am actually wondering whether this album should be featuring higher in my list, because the longer I have it and the more I listen, the more I fall for its unconventional charms. This isn’t as heavy as the debut, but it is as engrossing and commanding without a doubt. I still don’t like ‘Polluted Alcohol’ though!

In case you’ve missed any of the other posts in the 2016 series, here they are for you to explore and enjoy:

Album of the Year 2016 – number 26
Album of the Year 2016 – number 27
Album of the Year 2016 – number 28
Album of the Year 2016 – Number 29
Album of the Year 2016 – Number 30

And from previous years:

Album of the Year 2015
Album of the Year 2014
Album of the Year 2013
Album of the Year 2012

Album of the Year 2016 – Number 27

It’s officially December, the day when I lose my annual battle about putting up the Christmas decorations in my house. I always want to wait longer but when I’m outnumbered 3 to 1 by excited girls, I know when to fight and when to accede for a quiet life. And if I give in, I get more time to write these blog posts, so that must be a good thing surely?

And on that subject, we’re already on to day 4 of my ‘Album of the Year 2016’ top 30 countdown. It never ceases to amaze me how quickly this rather epic labour of love passes by, although it is usually in a flurry of panic and constant indecision about my inclusions in the list and then the appropriate order. But I love it, so here I am again.

If you’ve missed the first three posts so far this year, you’ll find links to them at the bottom of this post. And if you are new to the Blog of Much Metal entirely, you’ll also find links to my full lists from previous years that go back to 2012.

As I’ve said before, this list is not about a popularity contest, it is about shining a light on the bands and albums that have impressed me the most over the past 11 months or so. I’m keen to know what your thoughts are, so feel free to hurl the friendly abuse my way!

With that, I present you Number 27:

Number 27

In The Woods
Pure
Debemur Morti Productions

“For many reasons, ‘Pure’ is a very apt title for this record, not least because it is an album that offers pure escapism and pure entertainment from start to finish, across ten compositions and an hour’s playing time. But moreover, there is a definite pureness to the musical output, a palpable sense that ‘Pure’ represents the completely honest vision and distilled essence of an older, wiser and more experienced In The Woods.

I have tried to find it, believe me, but there is absolutely no filler on ‘Pure’. I don’t dislike any of the compositions and the consistent quality is very impressive indeed. It is an album that begins at a very high level and continues until the bitter end. As comeback albums go, this is very definitely one of the best I have heard. Highly recommended.”

Read the full review here

When I refer to this being a comeback album, I really mean it. ‘Pure’ represents the first new material from this fantastic and highly regarded extreme prog/experimental band for 17 years. And not only did it make a big impression on me at the time of its release as my review implies, it continues to work its magic nearly three months later.

There is much I could say about this record in terms of its strengths because believe me, there are plenty. However, sitting here now, the thing I like best about it is the overall depth of the music and the way in which the compositions are constructed. There is no doubt that this is an extreme metal record but this aspect has been blended so artfully with sweeping atmospheres, moments of quiet reflection and elegant melody that it is easy to forget. It sounds daft I admit, but I say this because the sometimes complex transitions sound so effortless. And the vocals too are so simply delivered and full of melody and poignancy that I find the whole thing such a smooth and immersive listen from beginning to end.

I just hope that we don’t have to wait until 2033 for the next studio album.

In case you’ve missed any of the other posts in the 2016 series, here they are for you to explore and enjoy:

Album of the Year 2016 – number 28
Album of the Year 2016 – Number 29
Album of the Year 2016 – Number 30

And from previous years:

Album of the Year 2015
Album of the Year 2014
Album of the Year 2013
Album of the Year 2012

Album of the Year 2016 – Number 28

Here we are already at day three of my annual countdown of the best albums released during 2016 as far as I am personally concerned. And, because the Blog Of Much Metal is a one-man blog, there is no voting system or complicated formula – the 30 albums that will feature in this list are those that have had the biggest impact on me personally this year. Simple as that.

If you disagree with my choices, tell me. I’d love to hear your opinions, whether or not you agree with me. Music is subjective and that’s part of the magic of it. So if I’ve put your favourite album too low in the list or if you hate a band in my list, let’s get some discussion going!

As I’ve mentioned before, I have reviewed justabout every album in this list, so I will keep the content here quite brief, whilst linking my full 1000+ word reviews if you want to take a closer look.

And with that, allow me to reveal my choice at number 28:

Number 28

Testament
Brotherhood Of The Snake
Nuclear Blast

“Speaking of sounding ‘fired-up’, this would be a worthy description for the vast majority of the material on ‘Brotherhood Of The Snake’ and explains to some extent why this is such a great album. There is an audible hunger and desire throughout the record that translates into the music to excellent effect. When you’re confronted with a bulldozing riff, blazing lead, full-on rhythmic assault or a snarl or growl from Billy, you believe it. The energy that oozes from the music isn’t forced or some attempt to recapture their early youth; this is the real deal. Five quality musicians delivering some of their most accomplished work and apparently loving every second of it.

With ‘Brotherhood Of The Snake’, Testament have produced a record that has truly captured my imagination, delivered enjoyment in spades and breathed life into a genre that had lost its spark for me. As a result, Testament have almost certainly managed the unthinkable – put a thrash metal album slap bang in my end of year ‘best of’ list. Yup, it’s that good.”

Read the full review here

I think the last quote above says it all really. I’ve never been the biggest thrash metal fan to be honest and so, to find one mentioned in this end of year round-up should speak volumes as to its quality.

As the weeks have gone by, I had expected the sheen to wear off ‘Brotherhood of the Snake’. However, the opposite has happened. The blend of razor sharp riffs, snarled vocals and the juxtaposition between all-out aggression and strong melodic sensibilities means that this record remains on regular rotation in my house and on my headphones on these cold dark nights. There’s nothing like a bit of solo moshing to warm you up, am I right?!

There is something incredibly intoxicating about this record that makes it a compelling listen for me – in a way, I think it serves to remind me just why I got into heavy metal in the first place. The energy, the power, and the groove all come together expertly to create a listening experience which is intense but also a lot of fun. The performances all-round are on-point and the overall production takes everything to another level. ‘Brotherhood of the Snake’ is a behemoth of thrash metal, easily the best thrash metal album released all year.

In case you’ve missed any of the other posts in the 2016 series, here they are for you to explore and enjoy:

Album of the Year 2016 – Number 29
Album of the Year 2016 – Number 30

And from previous years:

Album of the Year 2015
Album of the Year 2014
Album of the Year 2013
Album of the Year 2012

Album Of The Year 2015 – Number 6

Welcome to Day 25 of my ‘Album Of The Year 2015’ Top 30 countdown.

No long intro today, just a thanks for sticking with me through this mammoth undertaking and for any new readers, a reminder to check out my picks from 30 down to 7 via the links at the bottom of this post.

And with that, I give you my next choice…

Number 6

Caligula’s Horse
‘Bloom’
InsideOut Music

it might seem like a strange approach but I’m going to begin my overview of my sixth favourite album of 2015 with a minor gripe; I wish it was longer! ‘Bloom’ is comprised of eight tracks with a running time of around 45 minutes. For a progressive record, this seems just a little on the short side. Some might argue that it makes a refreshing change not to have to put aside a whole afternoon to listen to a prog record but to begin with, I felt just a little disappointed. Even now, I still wish it was a little longer.

Rather than view this as a negative though, I instead choose to look upon this gripe as a positive; if the music wasn’t so damn superb, the length of the album wouldn’t even be a consideration. As it is, so mesmerised am I by the compositions, that I just want them to go on for as long as humanly possible. Additionally, the relatively short running time just encourages more frequent repeat listens, something I can attest to wholeheartedly.

My full in-depth review of ‘Bloom’ can be read here, should you be interested. However, to quote a small passage from it: ‘‘Bloom’ opens with the title track where sounds of an acoustic guitar and nothing else seep into the senses for a few seconds before Jim Grey joins in with his beautiful voice. The melody is simple and effective and the whole thing sounds crystal clear and very rich and vibrant. On the very first listen, I looked across at my other half and, with headphones on, I mouthed ‘oh, this is good’, grinning broadly as I did so. A lovely emotive lead guitar joins the party before the track explodes at the half-way mark. Pummelled by something initially approaching a wall of sound, the melodic intent takes over and in a flash this three-minute opener concludes.’

What follows within the subsequent seven tracks is equally as impressive and fully engaging. A more detailed breakdown of each track can be read within my aforementioned album review so I won’t bore you with something quite so detailed here. Instead, what I want to focus on is the way in which ‘Bloom’ makes me feel when I listen to it.

Each composition packs a punch in terms of the sheer variety and the number of different musical ideas that are explored. This is properly progressive music but it is executed in a very sophisticated way so that the songs come across as just that: songs. Despite all the complexity and the intensity that Caligula’s Horse pack into this album, I come away from each spin with a different favourite track and cannot help but get fully immersed into the music. The combination of very clever and catchy melodies alongside an impressive lyrical depth and a perfect execution is a powerful combination that floors me every time. I genuinely get immersed into ‘Bloom’ every time I hear it and I find it impossible to just dip in and out. I have to listen to the entire record.

Furthermore, I find myself fully committing to the music. Whether it’s a chugging riff built around an intriguing time signature, a moment of quiet introspective contemplation, an emotional lead vocal line or any number of other things, ‘Bloom’ grabs me, beguiles me, challenges me and wraps me within a warm musical embrace from which it is hard to escape, not that I ever really want to if I’m honest.

To conclude, I return to my review: ‘How on Earth do I sum up an album that’s a good as ‘Bloom’ from Caligula’s Horse is? The answer is to not be fancy with the words and be honest. I absolutely adore this record and I consider ‘Bloom’ to be a modern progressive rock/metal behemoth that will leave a hugely positive impression on anyone who likes quality music that is as beautiful as it is subtle and ambitious.’

And from previous years:

Album of the Year 2014
Album of the Year 2013
Album of the Year 2012

Album Of The Year 2015 – Number 9

Welcome to day 22 of my ‘Album of the Year 2015’ Top 30 countdown. No great long intro today, just a reminder to check out my picks from 30 down to 10, all of which are linked at the bottom of this post.

Number 9

Amorphis
‘Under The Red Cloud’
Nuclear Blast

I mean, who doesn’t love a dose of folk-tinged heavy and melodic metal anthems?! I certainly do and given that few bands produce this kind of music so well means that unless Amorphis released an out-of-character rubbish record, this was always destined to feature somewhere in my list. The fact that ‘Under The Red Cloud’ could be the Finn’s strongest record since 1999’s ‘Tuonela’ (my personal favourite) meant that their inclusion had to break into this years’ top ten.

I wrote a full, in-depth review of this album around the time of it’s release. It can be read in full here. However, to quote a small passage from it: ‘As is the Amorphis way, the record is a little deceiving. Listen superficially and you’re confronted with ten tracks of well-crafted heavy rock/metal with big choruses, the gruff-meets-clean vocal approach of Tomi Joutsen and those archetypal folk-inspired embellishments. It’s a powerful set of melodic and instantly engaging heavy songs that delivers plenty of head-nodding fodder to get the blood really pumping. However, if you’re prepared to listen more carefully, ‘Under The Red Cloud’ can be even more rewarding. Do so, and that initial simplicity and apparent economy of song writing within the compositions give way to something entirely different. Amorphis, comprised of vocalist Tomi Joutsen, guitarists Tomi Koivusaari and Esa Holopainen, keyboardist Santeri Kallio, bassist Niclas Etalövuori and drummer Jan Rechberger are a more complex band than many give them credit for and this record demonstrates this comprehensively.’

It’s no word of a lie to say two things about ‘Under The Red Cloud’: Firstly, there is not a weak track amongst the ten on offer on this record and secondly, in spite of the instant hit of gratification that it delivers, the music just gets better with each and every listen, to the point where you press play and within a few moments of the opening title track, that broad grin returns bigger and goofier than the last time.

If the opener is a bona-fide anthem, then ‘The Four Wise Ones’ is nothing short of a full-on metal monster; it has the riffs, it has the almost exclusive gruff vocals that actually sound savage and yet, at it’s heart, it also has a soft, almost whimsical Celtic-sounding folk melody that helps to soften the edges and create the kind of addictive listening experience that Amorphis have honed and become ever-more famous over their twelve studio releases to date.

The other nice touch about this album is that it quietly nods in the direction of past sounds. From the black/death metal overtones of the ‘Tales Of A thousand Lakes’-era ‘Dark Path’ to ‘Sacrifice’ with its more modern anthemic and up-tempo framework, via more overtly progressive numbers such as ‘Enemy At The Gates’, there’s definitely a rich variety within the compositions that draws upon all of the knowledge and experience of this talented sextet. Add in those decadent Middle Eastern and traditional Finnish folk sounds and ‘Under The Red Cloud’ quickly becomes an irresistible listen and easily one of the band’s best yet.

And from previous years:

Album of the Year 2014
Album of the Year 2013
Album of the Year 2012

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