10. Don Broco - Technology
The boys in Don Broco never disappoint!
In at number 10 is Technology which was released wayyy back in
February. I've been going to see Don Broco on tour since the Priorities era and
I'm booked in to see them again in a couple of months. The marketing for the
album seemed to go on forever with many singles pre-released and, whilst they
are still sticking to their Rock roots, this album was riskier than their
previous release, Automatic. Despite taking the risk, the album has been a
great hit with fans and this is shown through their huge tour announcement for
February 2019, adding Neck Deep and Issues to the bill. If you haven't already
got a ticket, get on it!
Favourite Track: 'Pretty'
9. Hands Like Houses - Anon
I love Hands Like Houses. The Australian rock band were back this year
with their follow up to Dissonants, releasing Anon in
October through UNFD. As a lover of Wrestling, I was also thrilled that the
band had the opportunity to grow their fan-base through 'Monster' being
the official theme song for the WWE Super Shown-Down event which took place in
Melbourne in October. The album is different to Dissonants in many ways, and in
some aspects, I prefer the previous album, the band seem to be trying to move
into mainstream indie rock. Despite it not being a glowing report, it is still
in my top 10 list!
Favourite Track: 'Tilt'
8. The Wonder Years - Sister Cities
The pop punk band of my teenage years
were back again with their sixth album, bringing Sister Cities to
our ears! In my eyes, they continue to improve with every album and this is no
exception. The 43 minute-long album has eleven tracks which all have a similar
The Wonder Years sound to them. 'Raining in Kyoto' starts
calmly before really going into that familiar sound with Dan Campbell's
incredible vocals. 'Sister Cities' is probably the heaviest
track on the album and it's my favourite. The rest of the album is pretty
chilled but makes a great listening. A good album from the band who continue to
bring brilliant music into the world!
Favourite Track: 'Sister Cities'
7. Post Malone - Beerbongs & Bentleys
Completely different to the rest of the
artists on this list but it cannot be helped, I bloody love Post Malone. I
wasn't keen at first, when one of my best friends was blasting it at pre-drinks
one night (looking at you Will!). I then saw him perform at Leeds Festival over
the summer and I was blown away. Blown away to the point where I've had the
album on repeat A LOT.
Berrbongs & Bentleys is Post Malone's second album, following on
from 2016's Stoney and it has really taken him from one level to the top,
beating records held by the likes of The Beatles for having so many tracks in
the top 20 of the US hot 100 charts at one time. This album has collaborations
with the likes of Ty Dollar $ign and Nicki Minaj amongst others. His vocals are
simply mesmerising and sound so good on both the album and live. With some
absolute belters on the album, 'Psycho' and 'Rockstar'
made it to number 1 in the US charts whilst 'Stay' makes it to
my favourite spot with an beautiful acoustic sound and lyrics that give you all
the feels. 'Candy Paint' is also up there for me!
Post Malone is touring the UK again next year and tickets flew out - if
you got one, enjoy! I'm not jealous at all...
Favourite Track: 'Stay' or 'Candy Paint'
6. Panic! at the Disco - Pray for the Wicked
Pray for the Wicked, a 34 minute long
album with a ridiculous range of vocals from Brendon Urie. Every single track
has a different feel and vibe but all add together perfectly to make this
incredible album. 'High Hopes' really showcase Brendon's
vocals whilst 'Dying in LA', 'Dancing's Not A Crime' and 'King
Of The Clouds' are slower tracks on the album but you literally cannot
help singing at the top of your lungs. I could literally say a different
statement about each of the eleven tracks but I'd be here all day. Basically,
it's a bloody good album and you should listen to it!
Panic! at the Disco are on tour in the UK next year - lucky to those
that managed to get tickets, I'm keeping my eye on resales in the hope I manage
to get to a show.
Favourite Track: 'High Hopes'
5. You Me At Six - VI
You Me At Six made their
long-anticipated return this year with their release of VI and
it didn't disappoint at all. Whilst still having a rock sound to it, the album
also feels quite pop-like with some tracks that would sound huge in an
arena. 'Straight to my Head' just makes me want to dance and
sing my heart out whilst 'I O U' is much slower but certainly
fits in with the vibe of the album. Opening track, 'Fast Forward', introduces
the album nicely with a catchy chorus and standard You Me At Six sound. An
enjoyable release where the tracks sound just as good live as they do on the
record!
Favourite Track: 'Straight to my Head'
4. State Champs - Living Proof
If you like pop-punk, you'll love State Champs if you haven't already heard of the band taking storm in that scene. State Champs were back this year with 'Living Proof', a 13-track strong studio album which is probably my favourite of theirs. This album is one of those that I have been able to listen to on repeat without having to skip a single track as each and every one is fantastic, catchy and leaves you singing at the top of your lungs.
Track 12 of the album, 'Time Machine' also features Mark Hoppus adding that little bit of extra to the album, not that it was needed! In terms of choosing a favourite track, it's a bloody tough one.
Favourite Track: 'Lightening'
3. Beartooth - Disease
Beartooth's debut album was incredible,
their follow-up was good but didn't hit the spot as much as I thought it would.
2018 was the year that the Beartooth I knew were back with 'Disease'.
Whilst the album is still heavy, some of the tracks show signs of diverting
from the genre with more radio-rock, however, 'Bad Listener' throws
the band straight back into the metalcore surrounding.
I've had some pretty bad days this year and the one track that has got
me through it has been 'Disease'. There have been days at work
where I have had that track on repeat for 8 hours and I'm still not sick of
it.
Catch them touring Europe and the UK in January with Architects!
Favourite Track: 'Disease'
2. Architects - Holy Hell
Architects were back in 2018 with a
European tour then a killer set at London's Alexandra Palace. I was lucky
enough to catch these guys in Prague, Berlin and London. All of which were
incredible. Doomsday was something else live and it really left a lot of the
fan-base anticipating a full studio album and, Architects delivered. Holy Hell
was released in November and it personally blew my socks off yet again. The
band did an incredible job of keeping Tom's spirit in the album, with snippets
of his demos and riffs added throughout the tracks. All in all, Architects have
shown strength, courage and a hell of a lot of determination to continue to be
the band that they are today.
Catch Architects touring the album across Europe and the UK early next
year (you'll find me in Bilbao and Manchester!).
Favourite Track: 'Hereafter'
1. Bury Tomorrow - Black Flame
Bury Tomorrow are back with a banger. I
could literally leave it at that and just leave you guys to listen to it but I
feel that it needs more justification I mean, you shouldn't need much more
justification other than knowing it ended up in the UK Album Charts, and not
just for the Metal genre, but the whole spectrum of releases.
The album is 10 tracks long, each with heavy riffs and that primary Bury
Tomorrow sound. 'Black Flame' continues to be a car-karaoke track on mine
and Rachel's road trips with a dance and party-enticing ending, whilst 'More
Than Mortal' feels like an anthem, which was made more realistic hearing it
live at Manchester O2 Ritz earlier this month. Not only do these guys create
fantastic music, they are also one of the most down to earth bands that I know,
always making time for their fans no matter the venue.
Favourite Tracks: 'Overcast'
So, there you have it. My top 10 albums of 2018.
