The Holy Roar Roster Picks Their Albums of the Year

Just when you thought they couldn’t top their 2017 release schedule, Holy Roar Records triumphed again – releasing some of the most incredible albums of this year. But what about the influences behind the Holy Roar artists? Which bands have been inspiring them to create such killer records?

I asked my labelmates who released an album on Holy Roar in 2018 for their own top ten Albums Of The Year. Get ready for some serious list-heaven.

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Møl

In spring 2018, Danish blackgazers Møl released their debut album Jord on Holy Roar. The record received widespread critical acclaim for its revitalising take on the beautiful side of black metal. Here are Møl’s top ten albums of 2018:

Spurv – Myra

Rolo Tomassi – Time Will Die And Love Will Bury It

Deafheaven – Ordinary Corrupt Human Love

The Ocean – Phanerozoic I: Palaeozoic

YOB Our Raw Heart

Cult Leader – A Patient Man

Panopticon – The Scars Of Man On The Once Nameless Wilderness (I and II)

Dorias Baracca – Dorias Baracca

CABAL – Mark Of Rot

Drudkh – They Often See Dreams About The Spring

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Rolo Tomassi

The expansive Sheffield outfit released their fifth studio album Time Will Die And Love Will Bury It on Holy Roar in March. Easily some of their finest work to date, this album reaches staggering heights of songwriting. Here are their favourite albums from 2018:

Olafur Arnalds – re:member

Drug Church – Cheer

Jon Hopkins – Singularity

Møl – Jord

Conjurer – Mire

Bliss Signal – Bliss Signal

Cabal – Mark Of Rot

Federico Albanese – By The Deep Sea

Cassus – Separation Anxiety

Blind Girls – Residue

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Conjurer

Mire. Oh, where to start on Mire! Arguably one of the most intelligent releases of 2018 – Conjurer went above and beyond to deliver the crushingly heavy goods this year. Here are their top albums of 2018:

Cardi B – Invasion Of Privacy

The Dirty Nil – Master Volume

Turnstile – Time + Space

Rolo Tomassi – Time Will Die And Love Will Bury It

Boss Keloid – Melted On The Inch

Ghost – Prequelle

Nervus – Everything Dies

Palm Reader – Braille

Tesseract – Sonder

Attan – End Of

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Svalbard

Hey, that’s me! We released our second album It’s Hard To Have Hope on Holy Roar this spring, and have been completely bowled over by the response we have received. It is such an honour for us to be on a label that features so many incredible bands. Here are my top ten albums of this year:

Kalmah – Palo

Toby Fox – Delta Rune OST

Tribulation – Down Below

Janelle Monae – Dirty Computer

Cor Scorpii – Ruin

Slugdge – Esoteric Malacology

At The Gates – To Drink From The Night Itself

Shylmagoghnar – Transience

Night Verses – From The Gallery of Sleep

Dimmu Borgir – Eonian

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Slow Crush

This Belgian-based shoegaze band released their eagerly awaited debut album Aurora this year. Showcasing the finest aspects of swirling noise-pop wrapped in grungy layers, it was a hugely atmospheric release. Their favourite records of this year are:

Holy Fawn – Death Spells

Wild Nothing – Indigo

DMA’s – For Now

Culture Abuse – Bay Dream

Kurt Vile – Bottle It In

Rolo Tomassi – Time Will Die And Love Will Bury It

Amusement Parks On Fire – All The New Ends

The Daysleepers – Creation

Castlebeat – VHS

Emma Ruth Rundle – On Dark Horses

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Boss Keloid

Melted On The Inch has been cropping up in loads of Albums Of The Year lists and that’s no surprise. These Wigan-based sludgers really expanded their sound with their latest offering – featuring psychedelic moments and additional keyboards, it takes the listener on a mesmerising journey. Here are their top ten albums of 2018:

BKO – Mali Foli Coura

Seven That Spells – Omega

Tatran – Foresee

Ken Mode – Loved

Under – Stop Being Naïve

Cypress Hill – Elephants On Acid

Eagle Twin – The Thundering Heard

Sumac – Love In Shadow

Ohhms – Exist

Kurokuma – Dope Riders

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Secret Cutter

Frankly speaking, Quantum Eraser by Pennsylvania trio Secret Cutter is obscene. A monstrous hybrid of grind and sludge, it’s got to be one of the most brutal releases on Holy Roar this year. Here are their favourite albums of 2018:

Pestilence – Hadeon

Tile – Come Home Stranger

Cult Leader – A Patient Man

Author and Punisher – Beastland

Pig Destroyer – Head Cage

ASG – Survive Sunrise

Rotten Sound – Suffer To Abuse

Idles – Joy As An Act Of Resistance

Acid Priest – Drop Out

Devil Master – Manifestations

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Ithaca

After earning a name for themselves as one of the UK’s most devastating metallic hardcore bands, Ithaca announced the release of The Language Of Injury on Holy Roar, due to hit the shelves in February 2019. If the title-track is anything to go by, this album is going to slay. Here are their favourite albums from 2018:

Daughters – You Won’t Get What You Want

Old Wounds – Glow

Conjurer  – Mire

Drug Church – Cheer

Møl – Jord

Polyphia – New Levels New Devils

Pianos Become The Teeth – Wait For Love

Sting & Shaggy – 44/876

Noname – Room 25

Ivar Bjørnson & Einar Selvik – Hugsjá

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Burning Vow

UK doombringers Burning Vow have recently dropped something exciting in the form of a self-titled record. Featuring members from the UK metal scenes prolific past and present, including Employed To Serve, Pariso, Group Of Man and Harrowed, this is an irresistible combination of creative minds coming together to make some awesome noise. Here are their top ten releases of 2018:

Tragedy – Fury

Sumac – Love In Shadow

Infernal Coil – Within A World Forgotten

Panopticon – Scars of Man on the Once Nameless Wilderness

Sleep – The Sciences

The Messthetics – s/t

Thou – Magus

Fórn – Rights of Despair

Holy Fawn – Death Spells

MØL – Jord

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Pijn

Manchester post-metal outfit Pijn released their dynamic album Loss this autumn. Packed with both bleak and blissful moments, it’s a captivating and emotive listen. Here are their top ten albums of 2018:

Daughters – You Won’t Get What You Want

Conjurer – Mire

Nils Frahm – All Melody

Rope – Come Closer Now

Jaye Jayle – No Trail And Other Unholy Paths

Pianos Become The Teeth – Wait For Love

Rolo Tomassi – Time Will Die and Love Will Bury It

Deafheaven – Ordinary Corrupt Human Love

Johnny Greenwood – Phantom Thread OST

Spanish Love Songs – Schmaltz

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Group Of Man

There’s something so refreshing about Group Of Man, and their rifftastic, unashamedly dad-rock tinged release What We Got In Common was no exception. Here are their favourite records of 2018:

Self Defense Family – Have You Considered Punk Music

The Messthetics – The Messthetics

Fucked Up – Dose your dreams

Fórn – Rights of Despair

Thou – Magus

Sleep – The Sciences

Regional Justice Center – World Of Inconvenience

Thee Oh Sees – Smite Reverser

Drug Church – Cheer

Press Club – Late Teens

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All bands’ releases available on Holy Roar. Ithaca’s The Language Of Injury drops 2nd February.

Words: Serena Cherry

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