My Top 10 Albums Of 2019

 Its not been as active a year with time devoted to other things. I've got to start of with a mention to FKA Twiggs. Loving her new album and the moment and If I had more time with, I'm sure it would be on this list. Also need to mention Ghost and their Seven Inches Of Satanic Panic EP, two of their best songs to date but obviously a little short on the run time to call it an album. I don't think anything out of the ordinary has taken hold, just another year, another bunch of records and here are my favourites!

(10) Aeons Confer "Zero Elysium" link

This records theme and setting is colossal, a plunge into the expansive cosmos led by meaty metallic guitars and aggressive drumming to batter you through the abyss. Initially it felt a bit bland and straight forward but its riffs devoid of flash and flair have a lot to offer as it becomes familiar. I am so stoked they have gotten things together and somehow retained the magic they had sixteen years ago.

(9) Devin Townsend "Empath" link

If Devin releases an album, chances are it will make it to this list. I adore the man and his musical vision but with such a large catalogue of albums they new songs become a blur, the best of blurs. Empath however plays like a slice of everything rolled into one and elevated to another level. I think it could be among his best but only time will tell at this point. Its a huge record, loaded and layered, it may take more time to fully get through.

(9) Kanye West "Jesus Is King" link

Not his best work, a flawed ambition but fruitful its in new direction. Inspired by church music and Gospel, infusing elements of it with a dash of Hip Hop, Kanye forged a slice of something outside the ordinary to introduce to the masses and I personally loved it. Of course being somewhat of an agnostic the lyrics didn't move me much but the music and stunning voices at play did very much so.

(7) Slowthai "Nothing Great About Britain" link

The young Northampton rapper may be one to watch out for in the future. This statement led debut has a lot of attitude and vitality about it. The story telling is fantastic but it stems from many of the things that success changes. A lot of Rap artists I can recall have suffered from this, the escape of poverty diminishing the source of inspiration but none the less its a cracking album that I fondly frequent back too.

(6)  Slipknot "We Are Not Your Kind" link

I never expected it to be so but Slipknot have undoubtedly created something you can hold in a similar light to their classic arrival records. The eruption of chaos, aggression and frustration of them crash landing into the public conscious could never be the same again but twenty years later the group missing now three of the original nine tap into the very best of the bands sound with a solid record spiced with a bit of experimentation that has grown on me. Great to have he Knot back at it!

(5) Billie Eilish "When We Fall Asleep Where We Go" link

Its certainly nice to hear more advantageous, experimental artists capturing ears in the mainstream. She may not exactly be "out there", her songwriting has many of the decent tropes Pop music can have but the use of ASMR techniques and vocal distortions is fun, interesting and expressive. All in all a fantastic record I enjoy every time I hear but also one to follow closely in the future.

(4) Cane Hill "Kill The Sun" link

Kill The Sun is an example of why bands shouldn't be afraid to explore their other aspirations. Stepping aside from their metallic roots, the group explore an exotic breed of Americana. Its utterly infectious and may of been what sent me on an Alice In Chains binge this year, learning that group too made Americana EP's between albums. There is now doubt they were an influence and although this was a short record I've loved it over and over. Massively infectious!

(3) Little Simz "Grey Area" link

I've been blown away by the sheer talent that is Little Simz. English Rap music has often felt in the shadows of the states if not pursuing a cultural altercation like Grime or Drill. Simz stands firm with fiery traditional rhyme skills and impressive cadence, she also has a lot to say and thus delivers some serious lyrical substance alongside some boisterous, affirming bars. 

(2) Puppy "The Goat" link

I was anticipating this album immensely and on arrival it blew me away. Puppy have a fantastic sound, a mix of all the best bits from Alternative Rock & Metal of the nineties. This album delivered in droves however I may have over saturated it. With a year to binge on The Goat, another surprise came along to steal the show. It was my first record of 2019 and I was pretty sure it would take the top spot.

(1) Sabaton "Great War" link

Sabaton have done it, maybe only with the help of Indy Nidel! I've been converted. Knowing these guys are history buffs interested in similar aspects of war, this album animated into life as I knew its inspiration intimately. Having followed the week by week reliving of World War I, its songs took on a whole new meaning that let melodies and tuneful songwriting really take hold. It can be a bit cheesy in places but its always fun and riveting with metallic energy. Since I wrote about it, its been on frequent rotation and is still giving tones of pleasure. It was totally unexpected but they trumped The Goat for me.

Aeons Confer "Zero Elysium" (2019)

Fun fact, this is the 1000th post on this blogpsot! That's a lot of music, time well spent but time that has flown by fast. It also feels fitting this numerical milestone would land on the shoulders of a band with a personal origin story for me. Before the streaming and easy discovery days of the Internet, I stumbled across the German band Aeons Confer's website in a pursuit of music similar to Dimmu Borgir. It was their The Soul Of The Universe record that became this unheard of gem, a relic among my friendship group, yet probably reached a minute amount of ears globally. Out of the blue a decade later they return from silence with the almighty debut full length, Symphonies Of Saturnus, one that's grown on me as I frequent it to this day.

Another six years roll by and now we have the groups sophomore record, one that retains their spirit yet advances the Symphonic aesthetic into the edges of a bleak icy cosmic abyss of space that clearly inspires their music on many levels. Embracing a meatier approach to the rhythm section, deep tonal guitars, almost Djent in nature, chug and stomp along tightly between the battering drum kit that sounds slick and brutal. Its synths are steered into more electronic synthetic tones, the sort you might hear in Trance or Aggro-Tech. They play a subtle roll in building the unforgiving cosmic atmosphere, often in bursts of tonality, looking for texture rather than melody. Every song holds together this vibe for a very consistent listening experience.

Its tight performance and cold nature borders on Industrial at times as the meat of the music churns away with a unending mechanical precision. These songs progress and unfold with acute, timely variations of unrelenting intensities. Distortion guitars often deploy sterile grooves, sparing melody for outbreaks of respite and relief. The clean vocals resonate in these moments, giving glimpses of color from the otherwise mechanical pallet. Its cosmic theming is held together throughout, its constant arrivals of angered guttural shouts and shrill screams reinforce the nebula. It can further be felt again with a closer inspection of the lyric sheet.

With many short and brief sentences, the wording marvels in the forces of the universe. Smart and technical language conjures visions on a colossal scale as planets and spacial phenomena become the play things for story telling with a vast sense of epic proportion. Its vocabulary is dense and a great fit for the overall feel. After a fair few listens Zero Elysium started to strike me as a deep record, the sort that keeps giving the more you get to know. Initially its starkness had me feeling It may not be all that but stick with it and you'll find quite the inter galactic experience awaits!

Rating: 7/10

Aeons Confer "Symphonies Of Saturnus" (2013)

In the blink of an eye 10 years passed by wondering if we would ever hear from this band again. 2003's wondrous "Soul Of The Universe" left a lasting impression. With 17 minutes of bliss and 10 years of absence I was both excited and dreading listening to their first full length. Time changes bands, but a decade without a whisper made me wonder if we would have anything left of the original sound. I'm happy to say they still have it, the astral "vibe" is there, but their sound has evolved, they have not been frozen on ice.

The symphonic component of Aeons's sound is the most reminiscent, still providing its subtle influences, acting as the backbone that adds distinguishable character to the rest of the sound. Theres no piano interludes or many leading moments, but they are not absent here. The sound is more oriented around the guitars providing classic thrashy, aggressive riffs that, in unison with the rhythm section, thump and pound crushing groove after groove. The songs are well developed, pretty typical for this era of Metal, but the quality of musicianship and presence of astral symphonics does set them above the bar.

On the vocal front Aeons's is a very different band, with obvious line up changes their new vocalists fit the mold well. Providing many guttural and screaming ranges, theres a much needed variety on display which also comes with some delightful clean leads, comparable to ICS Vortex, that steal the show on "Probe", a song that sounds like it could of been on there 2003 release. Overall its a well written and produced album, but its biggest flaw is its length. Clocking in at nearly 80 minutes the duller moments become more noticeable as the listen draws on. Its great that Aeons are back! I hope to catch them on the road soon.

Favorite Songs: ESP, Probe, Renaissance, 

Rating: 6/10

Aeons Confer "The Soul Of The Universe" (2003)

This may just be one of the best records you've never heard in the world of symphonic black metal. Aeons Confer are a German band who's brief activity in the early 2000's yielded 2 EPs, this one being the first. Clocking in at just 17 minutes across 6 tracks this record delivers 3 blistering, thrashy and aggressive tracks that execute a sublime balance between the progressive metal elements and the symphony that moves from the background to the forefront effortlessly. Along side these are 3 symphonic interludes that really thicken listening experience and enrich the astral theme this band deliver.

This EP is a tight execution of some very well written songs that have stuck with me as a favorite for over 10 years. When i discovered this record Aeons Confer were a localized band with a website i some how managed to stumble across. Since then they have been a lost gem, unable to obtain there second EP release in late 03 they have been a band i often check back in with and search the web in hop of finding there second release.

It seems very fitting that on this day that i write my thoughts on a record, that has given me 10 years of listening pleasure, that a search reveals they have got it back together and released a new album and the Mirror Heart EP on bandcamp. I am very much looking forward to hearing them both :-)

Favorite Songs: All

Rating: 8/10