05) Deftones, Ohms (Reprise)
I’m a cautious listener in that I try not to build too much hype in my head for a new album lest I end up disappointed. In the case of Ohms, easily my most anticipated record of the year, I ended up more than satisfied. Deftones always seem to know how to cast a spell on me, and this album is no different. The opening pummel of “Genesis” made me feel right at home. Chino Moreno is as good as he’s ever been with his insane vocal variety. And the riffs. Good lord, this album has riffs for days with “Urantia” as the standout for me. Ohms is yet another testament to Deftones’ inimitable sound and will be counted among the band’s top releases in the years to come.
Key Track: “Genesis”
04) The Ocean, Phanerozoic II: Mesozoic / Cenozoic (Metal Blade)
Phanerozoic I: Palaeozoic was my 2018 album of the year, so to say I was a little excited for the second part of The Ocean’s concept album would be an understatement. Whereas part one was full of big heavy-hitting tracks, part two features more smaller tracks that are a bit more mellow by comparison. Don’t get me wrong, the 13-minute epic “Jurassic / Cretaceous” hits as hard as any of the band’s best, but the middle of the album, specifically from “Eocene” though “Miocene / Pliocene,” is a smooth journey through slower sonic landscapes. This helps distinguish the album as a whole from its predecessor, but it still feels like the other half of the whole. And let me tell you, listening to both albums back-to-back is a treat.
Key Track: “Jurassic / Cretaceous”
03) Elder, Omens (Stickman)
Elder have evolved into one of the most exciting progressive rock bands out there. I was enraptured with 2017’s Reflections of a Floating World, and now Omens has built upon its predecessor to deliver an album that sounds like an ever-changing life form, shifting shape from one track to the next, but manages not to lose itself. The heavier rockin’ riffs found on “Embers” will please longtime fans, but the spacey psychedelic trip through “Halcyon” was what sealed the deal for me.
Key Track: “Halcyon”
02) Protest The Hero, Palimpsest (Spinefarm)
Few album announcements elicit a physical reaction from me, but when Palimpsest was announced I couldn’t help but let out a Ric Flair style “WOOO!” It has been far too long since we had a full-length album from Protest The Hero, and their fifth delivers everything I could have wanted and more. It’s packed with songs that grab you by the wrist and pull you through an amusement park, jumping on roller coaster after roller coaster constructed from ludicrous guitar work, rapid fire drumming, and lyrical hooks galore. Little instrumental vignettes scattered across the album help to break things up a bit so you have time to catch your breath. But the album’s crown achievement comes on the finale “Rivet” which not only features one of Rody Walker’s finest vocal performances ever, but turns a detestable political slogan into one banger of a chorus.
Key Track: “Rivet”
