by Ken Geiger
2016 was a pretty bad year for most things… Not music though. That much we should all be able to agree on. While everyone has their top 10 lists for the year for album of the year, not many can say they have a top 11 list! I can though. Why did I go 11, you might ask? Well, it's always a good thing to go one step beyond. Now without further ado, the top 11 albums of 2016:
11.) Melvins, Basses Loaded: The Melvins were a busy bunch this year. They released 2 new records, a slew of reissues and announced a supergroup featuring members of the Mars Volta and Bosnian Rainbows. That’s more than most bands on this list probably did. Basses Loaded, to me, is a great crash course in modern Melvins. The revolving number of bassists (a whopping SIX on one album!!!), a fearlessness to experiment and the ability to still write crushing riffs 33 years into their lifespan. This record is yet another great testament to how the Melvins can soldier on and still kick ass, whether you care or not. I recommend this album as a good starter for both newcomers to the band, as well as those who had trouble keeping up with them after the 1990s ended.
The best track off this record? The epic spaghetti-western type of riffs on "The Decay of Lying" earns that title for sure, as it is right up there with some of the great Melvins' classics.
10.) Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds, Skeleton Tree: While David Bowie's Blackstar showcases the story of a man who knows he is dying, Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds' Skeleton Tree shows the pain of a man who has lost so much without any warning and must keep living regardless (even if the lyrics were written prior to Cave's personal tragedy). Recorded in the wake of his 15-year-old son's death, this album conveys much by doing so little. Musically, the album is ambient in tone and minimal in actual song structure. When the music is paired with Nick Cave's haunting vocals, it makes for one of the, if not the most, emotional performances on record this year. While my favorite stuff by him was when he was a madman in The Birthday Party, Skeleton Tree has shown me that there is yet another beautiful side to an artist that I see as pivotal to the grand scheme of music over the past 40 years.
The best track off this record? It's "Girl in Amber," without a doubt. This track is the perfect example of how big this album sounds with so little. I'd even go as far as to call this my favorite song of the year. It's hard to hold back a tear or two when hearing this one.
9.) hepa-Titus, FM Warm Weather: Kevin Rutmanis, the bass genius behind great bands like the Cows and Melvins, really brought his A-game on this new hepa-Titus LP. The riffs can be heavy one minute, and just flat out odd the next. In addition, nobody can quite play the slide on a bass quite like this man. It's great to see a musician I love and admire a lot put out records this great, even if it is at a later period in his life. The rest of the band, consisting of members of fellow weirdos Orphan Goggles, help in delivering the music of hepa-Titus to a much more cohesive direction than it has been in the past.
The best track off this record? I think that the oddity that is "Crystal Shine" has to be my pick. It manages to capture both the quirky experimentalism and heavy, catchy drive that makes me love this band as much as I do.
8.) The Black Queen, Fever Daydream: Face it; we as music fans will always compare the side projects of any famous musicians we love to their main gig. That's how things started with me when figuring out Greg Puciato of the Dillinger Escape Plan is the singer of the Black Queen. Little did I realize how this album sounds nothing like Dillinger. There's no screams present and no technical riffing to be found. Instead, I was greeted by a record that tapped more into the musical styles of new wave / industrial pop that I was raised on by my father. Pretty soon, I didn't even think of it as just some side project. The Black Queen is its own entity that I find to be powerful and emotional in its own special way. Definitely worth checking out if you like bands like Nine Inch Nails or Depeche Mode.
The best track off this record? Tough to say, since this record just contains great song after great song. I think I might stick with saying that the best introduction to this band/s body of work is their first single, "The End Where We Start."
7.) Chthe'ilist, Le Dernier Crépuscule: Now THIS is how you play fucking death metal! Pummeling drums, evil guttural vocals, unsettling use of ambience and guitars that sound like they came from hell itself make up the bulk of this album by Canada's relatively new Chthe'ilist (they formed in 2010). What really grabbed me about this album is how it can be both interesting and unrelenting to the listener at the same time. Many death metal records I hear nowadays just feel like they are going through the motions and don’t have much to offer, song-wise. The songs on this record not only take you on a journey with every twist and turn they make, but they also offer up great riffs with each turn. Definitely reminds me of some of my favorite bands from this genre, like Entombed and Morbid Angel (especially the latter).
The best track off this record? While every track off this album is great, none manage to rile me up like "Tales of the Majora Mythos Part 1" can. Prepare for an amazing 13+ minute journey through hell and back with that one.
6.) Nathaniel Shannon & The Vanishing Twin, Trespasses: The biggest surprise of the year came for me in the form of this record. Nathaniel Shannon's songs are as beautiful as they are haunting. His lyrics range from morbid comedy to somber tunes about love. His voice delivers these lyrics so magnificently. Above all though, his guitar playing has really been inspirational to me lately. He has a style that holds a song together while being all over the place. What a rarity it is to see that come out of someone performing in a singer-songwriter style.
The best track off this record? I can easily say that it's "Pallbearer for My Lover's Mother." It has all the great elements of Nathaniel Shannon on full display; great singing, great lyricism and some amazing guitar playing.
5.) Neurosis, Fires Within Fires: The old guards of heavy music, Neurosis, continue their path as titans of "Strength and Vision" with Fire Within Fires. The band makes it seem incredibly easy to evolve their sound constantly, while still maintaining the core elements that have always been within it. Not too many bands at their age can say that they can do that. That's the reason we see so many of them fold. Not Neurosis though. As far as I am concerned, it's going to take some kind of supernatural forces to stop these guys from being the kind of musical entity they are.
The best track off this record? That's hard to say, considering this five track record really makes no time for any filler tracks. But if I had to choose one, I would say the closing track "Reach." The guitar work on it really grabbed me upon first listen, and Jason Roeder's drumming on the track is one of my favorite performances he's ever given.
4.) David Bowie, Blackstar: It's the best record he ever did. It's better than Heroes, Ziggy Stardust, Low, any of it. There, I said it. Hate me if you must, but it needed to be said. What David Bowie left us with here on Blackstar is a piece of work I can assure you I will be trying to figure out for years to come. How any man can simply write and perform songs about his own death when he is literally staring it down face to face is more than just astounding… It's brave. Many argued that Bowie was great at challenging himself to try new things. Even on this, the listener can hear him adapting from contemporaries such as Kendrick Lamar and even Death Grips. Except Bowie outdoes them, as he has been also known to do many times in the past. It only took me 11 months to realize what everyone meant when people were saying, "There will never be another like him."
The best track off this record? "Girl Loves Me" is such an amazing oddity of a song. It's dark, catchy and even funny at times. Weird coincidence: Bowie repeats many times on this track, "Where the fuck did Monday go?" He died on a Sunday… where the fuck did his Monday go, indeed.
3.) The Body & Full of Hell, One Day You Will Ache Like I Ache: Shout out to Null & Void's Nick Clark for turning me onto this record!! Perhaps the most intense and agonizing record of this year. Calling it a "tough listen" is an understatement, no matter how big of a fan of heavy music you are. The Body usually trudges along at a slower and noisier pace with their brand of "gross-pop," as they have referred to it in the past. Full of Hell sounds as fast and chaotic as a chimp on crack firing off a machine gun. How do these dynamics work when they collide? Phenomenally. These two bands play off each other so well and manage to capture the feeling of nihilistic sadness on record perfectly.
The best track off this record? It's hard to deny the opening title track that distinction. It's hard not to have chills run down your spine when the wall of noise hits you on this one.
2.) Big Business, Command Your Weather: Big Business has managed to separate themselves from the rest of the pack in the world of "sludge metal" they often fall under by rejecting the genre tag altogether. This record finds the duo of Jarred Warren and Coady Willis at their most ferocious and experimental as at any time during the existence of the group. Basses run through harmonizers to sound like guitars, percussion instruments called "blossom bells," and epic operatic vocals run amuck throughout the duration of this entire record. It kind of sounds like one big joke to mix those kinds of elements together in heavy music, but it makes sense when Big Business do it. Their years of being around the left-field humor that exists within the Melvins has rubbed off onto them well. It's now time to have people look at Big Business as more than a "Melvins-related" band. These guys are a force to be reckoned with.
The best track off this record? While I love how catchy tracks such as "Regulars" or "Blacker Holes" are, the high point of this record comes with the eerie instrumentation and creeping vocal melodies of "Send Help."
1.) The Dillinger Escape Plan, Dissociation: C'mon, who else was it going to be? Seriously? When people ask me who the best musical act to come out of New Jersey is, it is always going to be Dillinger (cannot wait for all the Springsteen fans to come crashing down on me for that one). This album is the ultimate testimony to that claim. Even when this trailblazing group decides to call it a day, they continue to challenge themselves even more and deliver a record that makes it sound like they are at the top of their game. Not a single track on Dissociation fails to strike me in some sort of stunning and emotional way. Although it is sad to know that the greatness of The Dillinger Escape Plan will no longer be around soon, I cannot stress how thankful I am to them for giving it their all in this last hurrah. They make me proud to be from their native New Jersey more than any musician ever could. If you have yet to hear this record, you're missing out. If you have not seen them live, you're most definitely missing out.
The best track off this record? The final two cuts, "Nothing to Forget" and "Dissociation," grab me no matter what the situation is. The latter also managed to get a few tears out of me as well. Not ashamed in admitting that, considering how beautiful of a closer it is.
5 Best EPs of 2016
Too many good releases that came in the form of EPs came about this year. This is so I make sure NOTHING is forgotten.
The Paranoyds, After You: Probably the last band anyone would expect me to listen to. But hell, these guys and gals can write some catchy songs. I found myself listening to this album in my car this summer more than I probably should have. If you enjoy some more power pop type tunes with a good punk rock snarl, then check this out.
Alcest, Kodama: Another great release that came to me out of nowhere (thanks, Spotify!). It was even more surprising to find out that Alcest had been together since 1999. You can totally tell where bands such as Deafheaven are ripping a good amount of their sound by listening to them and this EP in particular. Although I really love the heavy emphasis on clean vocals, as opposed to primarily screeches, that Alcest has with their sounds. It really brings out the beauty of their instrumentals more.
John Frusciante, Foregrow: The idea of a Red Hot Chili Peppers guitarist releasing an IDM-influenced record sounds silly, initially. But it really is not when you think about the type of artist John Frusciante is. He always has been known to push his sound down new avenues on his solo releases, and this EP shows that off well. The little sprinkling of guitar thrown in on the electronic beats, along with his great singing voice, makes for another experiment in sound done well on his part.
The Battery Electric, Lose Control: THIS EP HAS BRENT BERGHOLM PLAYING GUITAR ON IT. NEED I SAY MORE???
Bastard Noise & Sickness, Death's Door: Powerviolence / noise greats Bastard Noise have released so many damn records over the years, I just lose count of what they do sometimes. It is great to see that a label like Relapse is backing them and giving them a little more notoriety though. This collab with fellow noise act Sickness is pretty much business as usual for BN mastermind Eric Wood; but business as usual means some pretty killer things when it's coming from Bastard Noise.
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