3) Tesseract – Sonder
As a bass player, I strongly look up to Amos Williams for being as upfront in Tesseracts music as the guitars. He personally had a lot of parts in Sonder that really made sure he was heard, but in a tasteful not overbearing way. His bass work along with how well composed the music is as a whole really inspired me to become a more well-versed musician. The rhythms are crushing and easy to appreciate to an average listener, yet still so complex and can be dissected. At the same time the different incorporated sound effects, ambiance, and melodies create different moods surrounding these rhythms. The end result is an album I can sit down with for hours and still hear and feel new things each time through. – August Axcelson (bass)
4) Fever Dreams, Fever Dreams
Fever Dreams EP because this band shreds right out of the box and they deserve the attention. I always hear touring bands talk about “refreshing” local bands, but this is really it. They’re young kids from Philly with musicianship through the roof. Seeing them live is even better than the record, Cuz Pr0g. – Ryan Paolilli (drums)
5) Erra, Neon
Neon by Erra has to be my favorite album release of the year. I remember finding out about that band in high school and was mind blown by the musicianship that they have. I had a chance to see them recently in Michigan, they were on tour with the Acacia Strain and Make Them Suffer, and it still holds true to this day. I love the blend that they have in the melodies, both in the guitar and vocals, against the more aggressive parts. Not to mention all the riffs! – Roger Alvarez (guitar)
