The end of 2015 fast approaches and with nary a hoverboard in sight. Despite this initial disappointment and the outpouring of misplaced, first-world Internet grief, this year still managed to see the human race do what we do best: political in-fighting, thoughtless genocide and the gross environmental neglect of our planet. On the upside, we did get to see a glimpse of Pluto for the first time and it was a truly spectacular sight–so perhaps it wasn’t a complete waste after all.
Here are my picks for the Top 10 International Albums of 2015:
Axis – ‘Show Your Greed’
“In short, ‘Show Your Greed’ is a monster record and a huge achievement for a début. It’s really fucking good – we can’t stress that enough. If you’re a fan of anything from recent hardcore acts like Foundation, Incendiary, Discourse, Code Orange or even label mates Old Wounds, then what Axis bring to the table on ‘Show Your Greed’ should get you all fired up. Do whatever it takes to get a hold of this record. Then listen to it. Then do it again. And repeat this process over and over until your calling in life suddenly appears to be setting the hopes and dreams of strangers on fire.”
Read the full review here.
Baroness – ‘Purple’
“Baroness are fortunate enough to have found the silver linings that are born from tragedy and they’ve nurtured them into a triumphant return to making world-class heavy music. It’s clear that their recent independence has freed the band of any remaining creative restrictions and allowed them to write the most direct and captivating record of their career, without compromising on the edge and vitality that has made their back catalogue so engaging. ‘Purple’ is the supreme follow up to the incredibly high bar raised by ‘Yellow & Green’ and is sure to become a fixture in many ‘Best Of’ lists for 2015 (this reviewer’s included).”
Read the full review here.
Beach Slang – ‘The Things We Do To Find People Who Feel Like Us’
“As a cohesive whole, it’s next to impossible to find and pin down a single fault on Beach Slang’s first full length effort: the musicianship and production is tight and punctual, the lyrics are unabashedly fragile, direct and infinitely relatable, while each song represents the true potential for catchy, genuine and above all, fun melodic punk fully realised. ‘The Things We Do To Find People Who Feel Like Us’ is the soundtrack to your very own punk-rock Neverland, where you never have to grow old and can stay dirty, wild and young forever.”
Read the full review here.
Black Breath – ‘Slaves Beyond Death’
“Admittedly, this reviewer was never a big fan of ‘Sentenced To Life’, and our biggest critique of the band has always been their lack of staying power. But exploration from under and out of their hardcore roots has seemingly opened many doors for Black Breath, allowing diversity and dynamics to take centre stage, as they deliver a well-paced, interesting and engaging death metal record with ‘Slaves Beyond Death’. What they may have sacrificed in intensity, they have clearly traded in for soaring melodies, vicious riffs and an overwhelmingly bleak and unforgiving sound.”
Read the full review here.
Blacklisted – ‘When People Grow, People Go’
“On ‘When People Grow, People Go’ we get exposure to the themes already explored on ‘No One Deserves…’, along with a new sense of reflection for the direct toll that these feelings might take on a person’s well-being. The result is a short, furious record that sees Blacklisted simultaneously channelling and distilling all aspects of their back catalogue, and cohesively smashing these together to produce something uniquely raw, morose and visceral; think Nick Cave meets American Nightmare, and you’d be pretty close. The perfect soundtrack to getting mugged on a rainy day.”
Read the full review here.
Frank Carter & The Rattlesnakes – ‘Blossom’
“Considering the band’s genesis, rehearsals, first show and first release all came to be within the space of eight months, you just know that Frank had something simmering deep down inside of him – a melting pot of lyrical attacks and incendiary phrases just waiting to boil over – and ‘Blossom’ is the direct result of all of it. Musically, the 10 tracks on offer here explore territory that will come as familiar to those who have followed Frank since his early days in Gallows and releases like ‘Orchestra of Wolves’.”
Read the full review here.
Gunship – Self Titled
Gunship’s self titled début record is the side project of Alex Westaway & Dan Haigh, one half of British post-hardcore act Fightstar. Soaked in heavy doses of neon sleaze, ‘Gunship‘ was far more intoxicating than anything in Fightstar’s back catalogue and featured some of the most addictive melodies that I’ve ever heard. Tracks like ‘Shadow Fury’, ‘Pink Mist’ & ‘Fly For Your Life’ will get stuck in your head for days on end, where you’ll have to wade through the evoked images of dimly lit bars, shoulder pads and hazy cigarette smoke, just to return to some semblance of sanity. ‘Tech Noir’ came complete with a voice-over from the veritable master of sexy, 80’s synth, John Carpenter, which acted as both a compliment and wholly justified endorsement of Gunship’s potential. Synthwave can be slightly hit and miss as far as genre mash-ups are concerned, but ‘Gunship‘ locked firmly on target with a kamikaze knock-out of fuzzy synths, stratospheric choruses and massive 80’s drum sounds.
‘Gunship’ is out now through the Gunship Bandcamp page.
John Carpenter – ‘Lost Themes’
John Carpenter is a man more well known for revitalising the horror genre in the early 70’s and 80’s with his unique directing and prolific scores for films like Halloween, Escape From New York and Assault on Precinct 13, than as a traditional solo artist. With ‘Lost Themes‘, the 67 year old released his first true stand-alone record, a collaborative effort with his son Cody & godson Daniel Davies, that captured the haunting and ethereal qualities of his cinematic compositions and spliced them with electronic effects, pulsing synthesizers and thrumming bass tones. Being a huge fan of Carpenter’s cult-classic films like The Thing & They Live, I was immediately intrigued by the idea of this record and it delivered in every possible way, with each listen revealing hidden melodies and unexpected sonic detours befitting of any late night mood.
‘Lost Themes’ is out now through Sacred Bones Records.
Rosetta – ‘Quintessential Ephemera’
“Strictly by definition, ‘Quintessential Ephemera’ means ‘the most perfect example of a quality, that exists for only a short time’, and across nine tracks, Rosetta manage to cultivate a listening experience that echoes this sentiment with utter conviction. Bookended by lush instrumentals, the record leaps through seven untitled songs, with a focus on haunting and pained screamed vocals, interspersed with melodic singing across verses and choruses. Where the band has flirted briefly with these on previous releases, they are now heavily weaved into the sonic design, thanks to the welcome addition of good friend and City of Ships guitarist/vocalist Erik Jernigan as a full time band member.”
Read the full review here.
Turnover – ‘Peripheral Vision’
“On their previous effort ‘Magnolia’, Turnover were crafting punk/post-hardcore songs that would have sounded fine as Title Fight B-sides. With ‘Peripheral Vision’ however, you could easily think you were listening to a different band. Gone are the rough vocals, replaced by delicate, soaring choruses and excellent verses, with emotional and relatable wordplay. Musically, the band has embraced influences from shoegaze to pop to indie, and consequently, found a sound entirely their own. This record is nothing but back to back bangers, and sure to be the summer record for many a road trip.”
Read the full review here.