TOP 16 MOST POPULAR ALBUMS OF 2018 SO FAR.... THE SOUR 16 (JAN - JULY 2018)

It has been hectic 2018 to say the least, so forgive me readers for I have sinned, it has been 6 months since our last SOUR 16, and our usual presentation of the 16 most popular albums of the month.  So given that I have failed to deliver the chart for the last six month, I’ve decided to present not only the most albums of the 7 months , but also the individual charts for the months you missed.  So by my reckoning that 112 albums for you to check out.  So apologises normal services is resumed, here is our TOP 16  MOST POPULAR ALBUMS OF 2018 SO FAR and the SOUR 16(JAN - JULY 2018)

Here’s a quick recap, each month you the reader are unwittingly compiling a list of the top 16 records of the month, covering all genres of metal.  Is it not a chart, in which reviewers or contributors extol their opinion about their favourite music.  To put it simply, the SOUR 16 are the records that have been trending the most at SLUDGELORD HQ.

The results are compiled based on the amount of page views the reviews have received and are then calibrated into the list below. (Total views are highlighted in brackets)

16). Black Label Society, “Grimmest Hits” (2134)

15). Tribulation, “Down Below” (2249)

14). Harakiri for the Sky, “Arson” (2504)

   
13). Phantom Winter, “Into Dark Science”(2532)

12). Fu Manchu, “Clone of the Universe” (2657)

 
11). Verheerer, “Maltrer” (3504)

   
10). Somali Yacht Club, “The Sea” (3651)

   
9). Witchcryer, “Cry Witch” (3884)

   
8). Earthless, “Black Heaven” (4071)

7). Monster Magnet, “Mindfucker”(4744)

6). Forktail, “Forktail” (5194)

5). Sleep, “The Sciences” (5931)

4). Hooded Menace, “Ossuarium Silhouettes Unhallowed” (5924)

   
3). Winterfylleth, “The Hallowing of Heirdom” (9958)

   
2). Amorphis, “Queen of Time” (15574)

1). Wolftooth, “Wolftooth” (19820)

June/July 2018

16). Aseethe / Snow Burial, “Split” (413)

15). Witchsorrow, “Hexenhammer” (415) 

14). Drug Cult, Drug Cult” (451)

13). Witch Mountain, “Witch Mountain” (463)

12). Grave Lines, “Fed Into The Nihilist Engine” (503)

11). Uniform & The Body, “Mental Wounds Not Healing” (517)

10). Smock, “Interstellar Nobody” (520)

9). Wytchhazel, “II: Sojourn” (535)

8). Yob, “Our Raw Heart” (649)

7). Tomb Warden, “Reflection of the Mistake” (690)

6). Dopethrone, “Transcanadian Anger” (702)

5). Acid Priest, “Drop Out” (771)

4). Orange Goblin, “The Wolf Bites Back” (1097)

3). Cult of Occult, “Anti-Life” (1129)

2). Churchburn, “None Shall Live...The Hymns of Misery” (1305)

1). Bongripper, “Terminal” (1963)

May 2018

16). Tunguska Mammoth, “Breathless”(465)

15). Garganjua, “Through The Void” (477)

14). Mol, “Jord” (500)

13). Behemoth, “Messe Noire” (521)

12). Skinless, “Savagery” (580)

11). Cist, “The Frozen Casket” (581)

10). Iron Void, “Excalibur” (615)

9). Bong, “Thought & Existence” (709)

8). Wychhound, “Earth Orbiter” (730)

7). Chrch, “The Light Will Consume Us” (847)

6). Barst, “The Endeavour” (909)

5). LLNN, “Deads” (942)

4). Morag Tong, “Last Knell of Om” (997)

3). Nibiru, “Netrayoni” (2018) (1040)

2). Speedclaw, “Beast In The Mix” (1123)

1). Amorphis, “Queen of Time” (15574)

April 2010

16). Vomitor, “Pestilent Death” (428)

15). Boss Keloid, “Melted on the Inch” (438)

14). My Silent Wake, “There Was Death” 510)

13). Beneath Oblivion, “The Wayward & The Lost” (537)

12). Conjurer, “Mire”(565)

11). Will Haven, “Muerte”(610)

10).Foehammer, “Second Sight” (641)

9). Judas Priest, “Firepower”(721)

8). Hashteroid, “Hashteroid” (975)

7). Lychgate, “The Contagion in Nine Steps” (1000)

6). Mammoth Weed Wizard Bastard & Slomatics, “Totems” (1084)

5). Eagle Twin, “The Thundering Heard” (1090)

4). Ulvesang, “The Hunt”(1189)

3). Aerosol Jesus, “Failure”(1444)

2). Sleep, “The Sciences”(5931)

1). Winterfylleth, “The Hallowing of Heirdom” (9958)

March 2018

16). Vile Creature, “Cast of Static & Smoke” (498)

15). Blheg, “Solarmegin” (527)

14). Dead Empires, “Designed To Disappear” (598)

13). Ilsa, “Corpse Fortress” (617)

12). Mournful Congregation, “The Incubus of Karma” (668)

11). Hemelbestormer, “A Ring of Blue Light” (683)

10). Solleme, “The Infinite Violence” (888)

9). Rivers of Nihil, “Where Owls Know My Name” (969)

8). Leechfeast, “Neon Crosses”(1053)

7). Ministry, “AmeriKKKant”(1210)

6).Blaze Bayley, “The Redemption of William Black (Infinite Entanglement Part III)” (1308)

5). Coilguns, “Millenials”(1437)

4). Ancst, “Ghosts of the Timeless Void” (1727)

3). Earthless, “Black Heaven” (4071)

2). Monster Magnet, “Mindfucker”(4744)

1). Forktail, “Forktail” (5194)

February 2018

16). Marriage + Cancer, “Marriage + Cancer” (763)

15). Cultus Profano, “Sacramentum Obscurus” (845)

14). Lowered, “Lowered“(890)

13). Oryx, “Stolen Absolution” (897)

12). Philip H. Anselmo & The Illegals, “Choosing Mental Illness Is A Virtue” (926)

11). Green Lung, “Free The Witch” (962)

10). Mammoth Grinder, “Cosmic Crypt” (1264)

9). Keiji Haino & Sumac, “American Dollar Bill - Keep Facing Sideways, You're Too Hideous To Look At Face On” (1336)

8). Necrophobic, “Mark of the Necrogram” (1394)

7). Windhand / Satan’s Satyrs, “Self Titled”Split (1431)

6). Against The Grain, “Cheated Death” (1507)

5). Visigoth, “Conquerer’s Oath” (1709)

4). Harakiri for the Sky, “Arson” (2504)

3). Phantom Winter, “Into Dark Science” (2532)            

2). Fu Manchu, Clone of the Universe” (2657)

1). Verheerer, “Maltrer” (3504)

January 2018

16). Greber, “Cemetary Preston” (731)

15). Corrosion of Conformity, “No Cross No Crown” (751)

14). Greyfell, “Horsepower”(786)

13). Agrimonia, “Awaken” (805)

12). Haunt, “Luminous Eyes” (EP) (826))

11). Possessor, “The Ripper” (872)

10). Come to Grief / Fistula & Fistula / (16) Splits (946)

9). Druid Lord, “Grotesque Offerings” (956)

8. Watain, “Trident Wolf Eclipse” (999)

7). King Buffalo, “Repeater”(1397)

6). Black Label Society, “Grimmest Hits” (1665)

5). Wolftooth, “Wolftooth” (1723)

4). Tribulation, “Down Below” (2047)

3). Somali Yacht Club, “The Sea” (2388)

2). Witchcryer, “Cry Witch” (3676)

1). Hooded Menace, “Ossuarium Silhouettes Unhallowed” (5646)

ALBUM REVIEW: Forktail, "Forktail"

By: John Reppion

Album Type: Full Length

Date Released: 30/01/2018

Label: Independent

“...if sitting off stoned round that camp-fire, drinking that cider is a thing that appeals… maybe thinking about all those other camp-fires, real and imagined, others have sat round before… well, “Forktail”’s a pretty good soundtrack for that.”

“Forktail” CD//DD//LP track listing:

1). Smell The Foxglove

2). A Forked Tale

3). Primitivo

4). The Trickler

5). Beast ‘82

6). Wolves of Saint August

7). ∆O§ 

8). Familiar

9). Dronehenge

The Review:

Forktail are Simon Davis and Boo Cook, and their self titled debut is an atmospheric ode to the English Weird. Part soundtrack to an imagined film, part spoken word seance, part dream-logic sound collage, “Forktai”l presents the listener with a kind of micro-dose Psybient Folk Horror.  I should probably use the word hauntological too, just to make sure I get it in there.

The ragged calls of crows and jackdaws accompanied by the thump of a timpani introduce us to the world of “Forktail”'s “Smell the Foxglove”; a calm yet ominous psych-folk sneak deeper and deeper and deeper into the Old English woods. “A Forked Tale” is a well crafted spoken-word piece (written and performed by Si Cook) dealing with witches, magic, folklore, history, and all that good stuff. The words are accompanied by ambient church-bell drones, bird-calls, and minimalist bass, guitar and drums which evolve by degrees into something more trippy and drippy.

“Primitivo” is a Neolithic camp-fire drum-ritual jam session with added fuzz bass that comes out sounding like Shpongle on ketamine. “The Trickler” is a wonderfully chilled whimsical Detectorists dream-sequence guitar-soundscape, with a wassailing theme. “Beast ‘82”, the most unabashedly electronic sounding thing on “Forktai”l up to this point, pairs John Carpenter-esque synths and sensibilities with the same stoned in a muddy field, drinking cans of warm cider sensibilities as the rest of the record. By the end of the track the revellers have got a bit freaked out by a noise from a nearby farm and are doing their best to quieten down, but it’s almost certain that they’ll forget about all that in a minute or two.

“Wolves of Saint August” is (the linear notes tell me) “based on a Transylvanian chapel field recording by Monica Lucia Madas a.k.a. Monooka who improvised the vocals live in situ”. Spacious church ambience and beautifully sacred sounding vocalisations are chopped up and remixed into something that sounds not unlike Portishead joined in the studio by a pack of wolves. “∆O§” (AOS) is built around a sample of modern-day writer/magician Alan Moore talking about the work of 20^th century artist/occultist Austin Osman Spare. The nature of magic and art, and art as magic. What begins as quite subtle musical accompaniment builds and builds into a laid-back bass driven slice of Trip-Hop.

“Familiar” is the track most deserving of the Folk Horror tag on the record, with an air of menace and malignancy which just mounts and mounts throughout. “Dronehenge”offers a more positive and optimistic sounding reprise of some of “Primitivo”’sideas – its a kind of structured grounding ritual, bringing proceedings to a close.

“Forktail” is not a metal record by any stretch of the imagination, and is not even really a rock record. It is also not heavy, or ever truly harsh, and in fact maintains a pleasantly fuzzy-muzzy, foggy-headedness throughout. I’ve already besmirched myself enough by using the term Trip-Hop in this review, so I won’t make things worse by using Chill Out too. However, if sitting off stoned round that camp-fire, drinking that cider is a thing that appeals… maybe thinking about all those other camp-fires, real and imagined, others have sat round before… well, “Forktail”’s a pretty good soundtrack for that.

“Forktail”is available here

Band info: bandcamp || facebook