Paul R's Top 12 Albums from 2018

 1. Clutch - Book of Bad Decisions             

Erstwhile Baltimore hard rockers add a little more swagger and soul to their proven formula.

2. TesseracT - Sonder    

TesseracT are clearly raised on Tool and progressive metal, turning out a smooth and groovy combination that is complex under the surface, like Steely Dan if they were millennial metal heads.

3. Ghost - Prequelle       

Ghost are the Def Leppard of satanic metal, and Prequelle has big choruses that aren't about sugar, photographs or untag glieben glauten globen.

4. John Escreet - Learn to Live   

Jazz pianist updates the best of 70s fusion, while still sounding 21st century.

5. Zeal & Ardor - Stranger Fruit

Is there such a thing as Gospel Metal? Now there is.

6. Daughters - You Won't Get What You Want  

This is what industrial noise rock should be right now.

7. Laibach - The Sound of Music

It's Laibach, doing the Sound of Music. Only their cover of "Let It Be" is better.

8. Tõnu Naissoo Trio  

    

Re-release of a long-forgotten Estonian free jazz trio from the early 70s. Who knew the Estonians could swing like that?

9. Neneh Cherry - Broken Politics  

          

Decades after "Buffalo Stance" Neneh Cherry remains at the edge of new sounds.

10. Yob - Our Raw Heart            

Can stoner metal be heartbreaking?

11. Deafheaven - Ordinary Corrupt Human Love          

12. Devin Townsend Project - Ocean Machine Live at the Ancient Roman Theatre Plovdiv