My name is Dan and welcome to my 2018 year end list! 2018 has been another great year for music, and I am looking
forward to sharing my favorite releases with the ever loyal Punk News constant reader. So, without more blather – here
it is! As always, enjoy.
entertainment one music
It is always tough for me to narrow down this list, but someone had to take spot #20. Electric Messiah is another
addition to the already impressive High On Fire catalogue. You like drone, dbeats, and THC-bred story telling? Look
no further.
Global Enterprises
Cheesy? Most definitely. Nostalgic? Yup. If you ever enjoyed MxPx you won't be disappointed.
Dead broke rekerds/my fingers!
Jon Creeden was great on his own acoustically, so I had high hopes for his debut LP with a full band. It does not
disappoint. Gruff punk rock from Canada, don't sleep on it.
closed casket activities
Nu-metal is back. You can dress it up however you want, but nu-metal is nu-metal - and It was not bad. ooooooooh
ah
ah aah aaaah.
Little Rocket Records
New music is always a good thing, especially when it comes from 3 english lads that love what they are doing.
Gruff
old school Green Day feels all over this one.
Bat Skull/new damage
Another hardworking and long standing Canadian band makes the list. The Spark That Moves came out unannounced, no
singles, no hype, no press. I respect that. Oh, and the album is solid as well.
2018 was the first year I had heard Foxing and I was impressed. The band pumps out indie rock hooks in a
post-hardcore package, and Nearer My God remained steady in my rotation since its release.
carpark records
Cloud Nothings backtrack with a more pronounced punk-rock influence with Last Building Burning. The indie rock
hooks
remain, but the over all product comes in a pretty raw and distorted package.
Another great acoustic/singer-songwriter album. This record was a pleasant surprise for me this year. FFO: Well
written and sad acoustic music.
Fatwreckchords
See in above blurb - I have a serious soft spot for acoustic stuff, so it was a no-brainer for me when Face To
Face
reimagined some of my favorite songs acoustically. Check it out.
There are a lot of opinions floating around about TSSF's most recent LP. I can understand the criticism, but for
me,
the progression outweighs the style change. The songs are memorable and catchy and definitely worth a listen.
Another example of a band that pushed themselves out of the typical mainstream pop-punk umbrella. The added
elements
of post-hardcore and droning distortion pushed this one into my top 10.
Following a significantly long break, Long Island's Glassjaw effortlessly produce a great follow up to 2002's
Worship And Tribute. Easily one of the best releases of the year.
2018 has been a big year for Pure Noise Records. This band just keeps getting better. I probably would have argued
that I preferred End of a Year before this - now I'm not so sure.
Nothing has been consistently releasing quality alternative/shoe gaze style rock for the last several years. Dance
On The Blacktop is a solid record front to back, and could easily be enjoyed by both metal, punk rock and
alternative
music fans alike. Another great release for a band that continues to hit their stride.
The Wonder Years push themselves to grow and adapt with each record. Sister Cities is the bands most matured and
organic record to date. The songs are meaningful and memorable, and have the band officially breaking out of their
previous pop-punk mold.
A3 can do no wrong, and Is This Thing Cursed? is very far from wrong. One of my most anticipated albums of 2018,
and
it definitely did not disappoint.
One of the most thoughtful records of the year. Easily one of the best of 2018.
bird attack
Sean Sellers, Chad Price, Joe Raposo - seems like a no brainer. A Vulture Wake is my 2018 super-band. Fast and
technical skate punk with one of my favorite All vocalists. Doesn't get much better.
Here is my album of the year. A fantastic punk rock record with all the right parts aggression and emotion. If you
haven't given Shook Ones a shot, you definitely should.