The end of 2016 would signal to a significant amount of bloggers that it’s time to write about all their trials, tribulations, and what-have-you. However, I feel no obligation to pay any homage to this year. Summer was one of the coolest seasons of my life thus far. Winter was a mess. Either way, life goes on, and behind every laugh and cry, there is music. So let’s just pretend that never happened. I don’t know her.
What I do know is all of this music is worth your time and you’re a fool if you haven’t heard of most of it. In no particular order, let’s begin.
I was skeptical that this band could top their last release, but this slowly rose to the top of my most-listened to music as the year went on. AD is one of the funnest bands and this album makes me feel like it’s summer any time I listen to it. While I associate it with some shitty things now, it’s one of those rare albums that can’t be ruined. I don’t think I ever will have as much fun as I did seeing them at Life & Death 2016.They are truly a one-of-a-kind band and this album rules. My favorite tracks are Headstone, Hurt You Bad, and Bad Thing.
No Victory is a band that snuck up on me for sure. In just a 3-song set at a house show, the band piqued my interest completely. Their brand of ignorant, classic beatdown hardcore is not for everyone, but if you want something to listen to instead of punching someone in the face (or while you do it), then this is your band. My favorite tracks are God Has Failed Us, The Enemies Remain, and Refuse. Go hit somebody really hard.
Paramount - Fury
First of all, my unpopular opinion; I don’t think Fury has changed all that much. A lot of people say they’ve “grown so much” but I honestly think they don’t want to admit that they’re not down with 80’s hardcore aesthetic recording quality, which is what Fury’s last releases had. That being said, Fury is a super cool throwback to the aforementioned 80’s hardcore genre, bringing an energy that is unique to youth crew and hasn’t been seen in a long time. My favorite tracks are The Fury and The Feeling.
Years of Rage - Regulate
Regardless of your politics, I can’t deny that this album was the soundtrack to a good two-thirds of my year. Regulate is one of the sickest straight edge bands in the genre and you’re lying if the unique riffs this band has to offer don’t make you want to move. This album covers the struggles of POC, straight edge, and flat-out rage in just under fifteen minutes. Something about this band will inspire you to be about it and stop talking about it. My favorites are Zero Toleanxe, End Action, and Life Wish.
Humblest Pleasures - Turnover
I am aware that this is only two songs, but I still played them a lot more than anything else in my collection. This release sounds like having the windows down in the springtime while the sun sets. I’m not picking a favorite track, but go check this out regardless.
Survival - Kharma
It’s no secret that I rode hard for this album this year. Sometimes this album is the only thing that makes sense to put on. With a collection that contains songs about politics, religion, and even relationships, you are bound to find something angry and heavy to suit your mood. In addition, this is one of the only bands that’s speaking out about police brutality that’s not made up of primarily white dudes, and that is definitely a step in the right direction. My favorite tracks are Disgraced, 12, and Slave To Society (which was a rough call to make).
Flower of Flesh and Blood - The New Harmony
Let's just get this out of the way; vocalist Zoe Benjamin is one of the coolest people on earth in a lot of ways. While I don’t want to reduce the band to one person, seeing someone embracing a femme look while fronting a band this hard is cool as hell and something this scene doesn’t experience a lot of. Her vocals are fucking evil and all of the music behind them is top-notch, fast, and loud. This is a stellar first release and only builds excitement for the future. Catch the band at FYA ‘17, without a doubt. My favorite track is Erase You.
The Emptiness Of - Eternal Sleep
Eternal Sleep are one of the few bands that seemed to bring something unique to hardcore this year, taking influence from metal and nu-metal without making it cheesy and overdone. (In other words, this does not sound like a Slipknot tribute album.) As a debut-full length and as an album as a whole, this is an amazingly constructed addition to the genre. My favorite tracks are Straw Man and Last Kind Words.
Let's make this a productive, at least-semi-okay year, guys.
No comments
Post a Comment