By now, the hangover of 2018 should have long subsided, and 2019 should now begin to be as familiar to everyone as much as your work colleagues, classmates, or friends you go clubbing with, are. We’ve conversed, debated and voiced our collective opinions on what the best of the best of 2018 was, and ahead, we look into the eyes of 2019 longingly, yearning for continued musical excellence as this decade draws to a climax. So bearing that in mind, the site has put together 20 bands and artists bearing a variety of new musical fruit in 2019, that you should absolutely sample, and hopefully savour and find immense pleasure from.
Category Archives: List-O-Rama!
The Soundshark’s Top 10 Albums of 2018
As the world begins to stir, gently putting the gears back into production, and steadily adjusting weary eyes to the bright new horizon of 2019 (I mean, it probably won’t be that different, other than some cases of lingering hangovers, apparent nationwide incense about a vegan sausage roll, and more than likely international condemnation of whatever Donald Trump does next), we at least have a period longer to contemplate how good a year of music 2018 really did provide us with. However the longer it took to mull over how a good year of music it was, the more frustrating it became to whittle down and distil the ten best. It’s very safe to say EVERY album about to be mentioned was in contention for a top ten position. Tantrums happened and tears were nearly shed. An iron resolve and persistence eventually paid off, and in the settling dust, lay the final ten chosen to represent the best of 2018. Just one of them became the victor and declared ‘the undisputed favourite.’ Continue reading
The Soundshark Artists of The Year 2018 – Lotus Eater
The first month of the year always brings forth the time to look ahead to the next 11 months of what we all hope will be a monument in each of our lives, but it also serves as a stopping point to reflect on our previous rotation around the Sun and everything that happened in that particular snapshot of our lives. Safe to say, 2018 was not short on stellar musical performances and releases whatsoever, it may have been among the strongest years of this decade undoubtedly. While this site is often not bound by dates nor limitations, the strength of the music that bands and artists have produced this year was simply staggering, staggering to the degree that recognising and commending it as such had to be the course of action. So when it came to deciding which bands or musicians should be in contention for this accolade, this shortlist wasn’t so short. However, in terms of sheer hard graft, songwriting, endless energy on and off stage and their frankly indescribable success this year, none were more deserving than Glasgow’s finest wrecking crew, Lotus Eater.
For context, Lotus Eater entered 2018 with a handful of music videos detailing their ferocious, laser-tight, tech-metal onslaught, pining for violence and bloodlust, from their crushingly heavy debut EP. They enter 2019 with a record label, even more European show dates, countless festivals under their belt, Radio One Rock Show airplay, and with a reputation as one of the UK’s most nerve-shredding live bands. In the space of 12 months and with less than ten recorded songs. If you want the definition of meteoric rise, then this is it. Even side-by-side with their brothers in brutality Loathe, who’ve had a similar build in exponential growth this year, that is a truly astonishing feat.
Bathed from head to toe in green, these snarling, seething verses from the throats of real, pissed off, and disenfranchised youth is not a commodity. It’s an experience, an exhibition, an exercise of conveying unchained aggression and pure cathartic release, in one of the most devastating fashions likely to grace auditory nerves. Their guitars scream in the most vindictive and vengeful tones imaginable, yet while it becomes the sonic equivalent taking a breezeblock to the skull, their sense of groove twists this into some of the most unique and innovative hooks tech-metal has yet to produce. As musicians, their meddling with time signatures is surprisingly complex, given their vast emphasis on blunt force trauma, so their raw skill and ability should never be downplayed. Even in atmosphere and ambience, there is an unrelenting dread and malice that strays far from being overbearing and slots perfectly into this volatile formula. Not everything is rooted in vehemence, you get occasional clean vocals that may seem an oddity amongst such bleak and barbaric displays, it is but another tool they transform into a hook and sinks their stories even further into your brain.
Lotus Eater create music, that is as intense and personal as structured chaos gets. A band so relevant and immediate, that from the poverty-ridden streets of the UK’s third most populous city, understands despair, hardship, and disadvantage better than some take for granted, and expel their rage into mantras with more than a healthy fucking dose of reality behind it. Once this surfaces, why they have resonated with so many, so quickly becomes a no-brainer. Their desire and fervour to bring gloom worldwide, with a small but captivating and concise catalogue has to be applauded. Gloom is their home, and everyone is welcome.
Five essential Lotus Eater tracks:
All of Lotus Eater’s music can be found on Bandcamp and your reputable online retailers. You can grab all other merch and the likes from their Bigcartel page, but everything sells out fast, so act quickly on that front. They are currently signed to Hopeless Records, and chances are this will herald new music in 2019, so watch this space. They also begin a headline live run from January, and support dates that run into February. Find them all here, or hit up your local promoter to bring them to a venue near you.
All news and updates regarding these gentlemen can be found on their social media here:
http://www.facebook.com/LotusEaterUK
http://www.twitter.com/lotuseateruk
http://www.instagram.com/lotuseateruk
And lastly, if you like what this site does, consider leaving a like, a follow or subscribing to the site by clicking the button that appears:
http://www.facebook.com/IAmTheSoundshark
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Another 10 Great Bands To Listen To While You Wait For The New Tool Album
On the 11th March 2018, something short of ground-breaking was announced on the social media outlets of one of the world’s most renowned progressive metal groups. Tool had entered the studio to record what has become their now fabled follow-up to 2006’s 10,000 Days. While this news has become a revelation and an answer to many a collective prayer (or keyboard warrior whinging, depending on how you view it), Maynard himself put on record at Metal Hammer’s Golden Gods ceremony that the new Tool album will most likely see the light of day in 2019. Affirmation is one thing, and commitment another, and while 2019 is just around the corner, chances are that will be the absolute bare minimum Tool’s global cult following will have to wait for a new sonic masterpiece. One more year after the twelve of relentless internet hyperbole and immeasurable anticipation that proceeded it, is surely doable, right?
Instead of preparing for what may end up becoming a mass exodus from the workplace on the day that album is released, and following the unexpected success of this article’s predecessor, The Soundshark has put together ten more bands from the underground, worthy of your time, until the musical gap has been bridged by the band themselves. To touch upon briefly from previous feedback, you won’t find Karnivool on this list, or any other list on this site themed similarly, as while not entirely known around the planet at present, they’ve had large enough worldwide success to be able to tour anywhere they see fit, which surely evolves beyond underground status.
Semantics aside, let’s begin:
The Soundshark’s Top Ten Albums of 2017
I’ll be among the first to admit that 2017 is now a fading memory in long and short terms of immediate recollection. After all, we’ve reached a quarter of the year in already and only now do I find myself reflecting on and scrutinising the year past, since coming to terms with my current situation. Of which I feel is moving in a more positive direction. That said, while my own personal presence took a negative slant in the seventeenth year of the new millennium, musically, there was such a creative surge of magnificence which resulted in many, many excellent albums being released. Also one such reason for this list being delayed as it is. So, with ever-so-slightly wistful eyes, The Soundshark casts its spotlight on my ten favourite albums released in 2017, and for your listening indulgence:
20 Bands And Artists You Should Listen To In 2017
It seems very few people utter a breath about 2016 any more. Probably for good reason, it seemed very much like a culling of revered figures and idols of popular culture, let alone a universal gasp of disbelief at what idiocy we may have unleashed on the world. 2017 isn’t really fairing any marginally better in that department, by a hair strand at best. But whisper it: The music is fantastic. If you want to invest in it of course. Admittedly, this list was compiled at the inset of 2017, but as the halfway stage of this year rapidly approaches, it still holds as an all-star ensemble of killer bands you may have overlooked, some yet to release their brand new material and some you may never have heard of. It seems like a solid enough foundation for this article to still exist, while maintaining some resemblance of relevance. That, and you may be reading this, looking for some new music to listen over the summer. Let’s get started, shall we?
The Soundshark’s Top 10 Albums of 2016
Among all of the things that 2016 brought to us, no matter how good, bad or ugly, collectively, it was a very strong year for new music, hence why I have had an incredibly difficult task assembling a list of just ten albums that have lived on repeat and high volume. My only regret is that there are still albums missed I have yet to listen to, by artists I am yet to discover that could’ve been exemplary. If I were to just leave this to albums I’ve heard this year, Lantlos’ Melting Sun or Black Breath’s Slaves Beyond Death probably would have romped away with this one, despite being out in 2014 and 2015 respectively. There are so many honourable mentions too that a cephalopod with hands need be employed to even fathom counting. But, lo and behold, here are the ten albums from one of humanity’s most troubling years, that I personally consider to be certifiable must-listen experiences:
10. The Maras – Wax Beach
Having never met The Maras personally, it would be safe to say that the brothers from Ontario are a little hyperactive. Not purely because they’ve released a demo, an album and a brand new EP in the space of a year, but the speed, urgency and average length of their songs might have something to do with it. Though Wax Beach could be seen as an expansion of their already superb demo, the re-recordings sound a lot denser and deranged, letting their garage punk snarls and smorgasbord of influences flourish, on what is on one hand a damning indictment on mental health services, but on the other a dizzying rush of genre-bending bliss.
http://www.facebook.com/themarasband
http://www.twitter.com/TheMarasBand
http://www.themaras.bandcamp.com
9. Cruz – Culto Abismal
From beginning to end, 2016 has seen some magnificent death metal releases, but few have been quite as memorable as Barcelona quartet Cruz’s Culto Abismal. Injecting crust punk deep into the veins of death metal’s old blood, this untameable hellbeast of an album charges fast and ceases to relent once in motion. Deep growls in their native tongue punctuate the onslaught as a cavalcade of riffs over 40 minutes keeps the monster moving, the perfect balance of speed, technical ability and sickeningly heavy tone serving as Culto Abismal’s addictive centrepiece. Spain may not have the most renowned history in death metal, but on the basis of a debut this strong, Cruz sees reason for that to change very suddenly.
http://www.facebook.com/cruzmetalpunk
http://www.cruzbcn.bandcamp.com
8. Maeth – Shrouded Mountain
With every stride that Maeth take musically, it surpasses and obliterates the last, ensuring their status as one of metal’s must-hear bands. Shrouded Mountain is their third gargantuan footprint and maintains their unique, boundary-warping compositions which straddles the planes of psychedelia and sludge like no other band before them. They also play a mean flute too, to boot. So however Maeth choose to construct their stunning, mostly instrumental journeys, whether taking you soaring through the vast reaches of space or crunching hard down into the Earth’s crust, you can bet that it will be with an energy, passion and talent that you can scarcely conceive, and Shrouded Mountain does not disappoint. Not by a long shot.
http://www.facebook.com/MaethBand
http://www.twitter.com/WeAreMaeth
http://www.maeth.bandcamp.com
7. Bossk – Audio Noir
Always a looming presence on the UK’s stoner/doom scene, even during their split, Bossk’s first release outside of their seminal EP trilogy has catapulted their gorgeous ambient passages and pummeling riffs to unprecedented new heights. Though can be listened as an entire conceptual soundscape, the fragmentation certainly aids the quartet’s longest opus to date and makes every change of pace and tone a stellar moment. Even vocals, while used sparingly, are utilised at their most impactful, shifting what already sounds like ripping your throat out intensity, into ushering in a new Armageddon. Bossk undoubtedly stamped their authority through live performances over the decade their name has existed, but Audio Noir distills that very essence into an immensely satisfying anthology, proving that they are here to stay.
http://www.facebook.com/bosskonline
http://www.twitter.com/BosskUK
http://www.bosskband.bandcamp.com
http://www.bosskonline.com
6. Vodun – Possession
Lifting its name from the homophone of voodoo, as well as incorporating aspects of its lifestyle and culture into this very music representing it, this trio from London perform an ungodly racket that’s equal parts punchy to pulse-raising. In arguably one of the most original takes on big, fuzz-saturated grooves in years, the literally spirit-fuelled Vodun drags stoner rock by its ankles and imbues it with a staggering amount of soul. Think Aretha Franklin fronting Kyuss and you’re damn near close. The presentation of the album in a semi-documentary form, with a ritualistic thread running throughout, is a neat touch and grants deeper immersion into Vodun’s already enchanting sledgehammer of force and one of the best hard rock debuts of the decade.
http://www.facebook.com/VODUNBAND
http://www.twitter.com/vodunband
http://www.vodunband.com
http://www.vodun.bandcamp.com
5. Losers – How To Ruin Other People’s Futures
With an album title that scathing, you wouldn’t be wrong thinking there is intense subject matter here. Suitably riled up trio Losers, well versed in their weaving of expansive, luscious atmospheres, frightening buzzsaw synths, distorted guitar attacks and truly thunderous percussion, unleash one of the most adrenaline-surging bouts of electro-rock charged catharsis you could ever hope to listen to. While How To Ruin Other People’s Futures features several bursts of pounding rhythms and explosive instrumentation, it allows enough breathing space for a whirlwind of ambience to take shape, for every conflagration and slow-burner, all with Paul Mullen’s dynamic vocal delivery giving a touch of humanity where chaos could spiral out of control at any given moment. A simply tremendous listen.
http://www.facebook.com/losersuk
http://www.twitter.com/losersuk
http://www.losersband.co.uk
4. Youth Code – Commitment To Complications
Certainly one of the most talked about bands of the year and for excellent reason, the Los Angeles duo’s sophomore offering builds upon the vintage analogue synths and drum machines of industrial’s heyday and cleverly sprinkles the zest of their own hardcore upbringings into the formula. The results are nothing short of spectacular. The growth from their debut is undeniably evident, not just as tempos vary and tones are more exploratory, but their whole sound is gigantic on this album making every notion of rage and every raw nerve amplified tenfold. When beats vibrate your skull and melodies claw into your brain like Youth Code’s do, it instigates that addictive property that all EBM enthusiasts have been raving about all year.
http://www.facebook.com/youthcodeforever
http://www.twitter.com/youth_code
http://www.youthcode.bandcamp.com
3. Noisia – Outer Edges
After mentions for half a decade, then seemingly nonchalantly announced three months before its release, Dutch drum and bass production maestros Noisia have compiled their second studio album, far more abstract and experimental in approach than the trio’s previous Split The Atom. While you will find the same mind-altering, visceral bass lines associated with the Noisia name, it’s the deeper, darker and noticeably slower beats that become the show stealer here. Often quirky in nature and exquisitely composed to emphasise the very best of every minuscule detail, the heavy gestation period for every track, especially the beats-driven numbers, brings a world class finish to what could filter through as an oddity, but arrives as a masterpiece in sound design and further reason to immortalise Noisia as the one of the best the genre has ever seen.
http://www.facebook.com/noisia
http://www.twitter.com/Noisia_nl
http://www.noisia.nl
2. The Qemists – Warrior Sound
In the six years since the Brighton drum and bass rock outfit’s last album, they’ve been honing their skills to create dancefloor anarchy on the live circuit, a tenure that has seen their reputation skyrocket as one of the UK’s best independent live acts. Now that energy has finally metamorphosed into The Qemists’ strongest, most consistent blockbuster yet. Fixing both live vocalists as permanent band members, has only benefited the original lightning strike of a production unit, and makes every word have purpose against the backdrop of all-out mayhem. Unforgettable, unbelievable and unflinching in the pursuit of perfect crossover bombshells, Warrior Sound is a sonic shockwave explicitly targeted to induce pleasure at an intoxicating level.
http://www.facebook.com/theqemists
http://www.twitter.com/TheQemists
http://www.theqemists.bandcamp.com
http://www.theqemists.com
1. All Hail The Yeti – Screams From A Black Wilderness
Three years on from their scorching debut, the Los Angeles metalcore mob return with a follow-up that is perpetually more terrifying in every imaginable way. Spinning narratives so gripping and ghastly, the lines of fact and fiction dissipate into black mist as imposing, monstrous roars with some mightily impressive clean vocal support coalesce their strength as bloodthirsty wordsmiths. Though horror and the occult is the given flavour, Screams… exhibits a previously unseen versatility in All Hail The Yeti, in that their sound features much broader influences from rock and metal, that fires on all cylinders and mellows in acoustic gloom. A hard-hitting, yet gruesome landmark of metalcore, All Hail The Yeti have once again established that they are one of the most essential bands in modern metal.
http://www.facebook.com/officialallhailtheyeti
http://www.twitter.com/allhailtheyeti
http://www.ahty.bandcamp.com
If you liked the look of this list and want to hear more, then here is a handy Spotify playlist for you (except Maeth, whom you can find on their Bandcamp page):
And in the mean time, if I feature anywhere in a top ten for you, or you enjoy what features on this site, then by all means feel free to give me a like, a follow or a subscription to the site by clicking the link below:
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