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.
Astral Noize
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
Astral Noize
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
