FRENCHIE'S TOP 50 RECORDS OF 2017

FRENCHIE'S TOP 50 RECORDS OF 2017

PART ONE: #50-21

PART TWO: TOP 20

It's that magical time once again. It's been a very solid year of music. I've listened to a lot of records but naturally there are always going to be some winners that pass me by so if there is something I may have overlooked please let me know! 

I'm going to include albums, EPs and collabs but not compilations or live releases. 

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Do you agree with my picks?

Did you dislike any of these covers?

What were your favourite covers of 2017?

Let me know in the comments!

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ALBUM REVIEW: MELVINS - A WALK WITH LOVE & DEATH

MELVINS
A WALK WITH LOVE & DEATH
Ipecac Recordings.
Doom Metal, Sludge Metal, Hard Rock, Sound Collage, Original Score.
Listening Format: Digital.











Melvins have been incredibly prolific in the last few years. Two albums in 2013 (one was a cover album), two albums in 2014 (one was King Buzzo's solo album), two albums in 2016... Offshoot project Crystal Fairy have already released a quality album earlier this year too! At this point, Melvins announcing a double album seems like some kind of threat! 'A Walk With Love & Death' very much presents both sides of the Melvins coin in one release. The 'Death' disc is that classic Melvin's Sludge Rock sound. Whilst the 'Love' disc is a return to the experimental side of Melvins that made 'Electroretard' and collaborated with Lustmord. Truly a release for the die hard Melvins connoisseur!


DEATH

It's probably safe to say that Melvins have softened up their sound a little bit this decade *takes cover from a pelting of rotten fruit*. But seriously, Melvins' recent output has been closer to a Hard Rock sound, even if there are still some classy doomy riffs on show. King Buzzo hasn't quite given us a ferocious scream or a haggard, crushing deathblow of a riff that abuses stereo speakers lately, such as displayed on their seminal 1993 album 'Houdini'. But what Melvins' have done well is to keep releasing interesting stuff. Their run of albums on Ipecac hasn't always been gold, but have been full of varying sounds, line-up changes and lots of collaborative efforts. Considering they are releasing material at a yearly rate, their creative flow certainly hasn't diminished.

The 'Death' disc of this double album is such a fun and breezy listen. I wouldn't quite consider it Metal, although stand out 'Euthanasia' has a slow and heavy riff that could slay a woolly mammoth. Sounding like classic 90s Melvins (this song has been knocking around live sets for a long time now). But most of this album is much more in the Rock terrirory. Standout track 'Sober-dellic' has a Blues Rock stomp to it that seems to be challenging 70s ZZ-Top. Lead single 'What's Wrong With You?' beautifully channels their 90s Grunge/Sub Pop roots. This track sounds like the Beach Boys, Nirvana and Bubblegum Pop all mixed into a blender. The vocal harmonies sound so immediate and ear grabbing on this track. The vocal harmonies shine really well on the crunchy riff rocker 'Flaming Creature' too, another huge track. Ultimately the 'Death' disc is just so much fun. Melvins' have been trying to create more immediate, catchy and fun songs for a few years now and it sounds like they are getting better and better at it. They still totally inject them with that Melvins quirk and sense of humour. 


LOVE

On the tails side of the coin we have the 'Love' disc. It's been a while since the more controversial and experimental side of Melvins has been let loose but here we have it. 'Love' is an original score for a short film directed by Jesse Nieminen, also called A Walk With Love & Death. I've not seen the film yet, but judging from the score I imagine it to be a very surreal, arty collage film perhaps? The 'Love' disc is not a film score in the traditional sense. It is basically a series of noisy sound collages with field recordings, spoken word samples (presumably from the film) and little to no structure. Each track noodles about seemingly randomly, with the occasional pulsing electronics, banging drums, scatty guitars. All the tracks here sound like they are completely improvised in the studio and sound very lo-fi and barely mixed or mastered. It definitely harkens back to their 1994 sound collage album 'Prick'. 

I honestly really struggled to sit through this disc. It just... It's not good. The sound of Melvins messing around with instruments in their rehearsal room with no rhyme or reason might appeal to a small quota of Noise fans or Melvins die hards, but in reality, this is not enjoyable to listen to. It sounds like the band churned it out in an afternoon and barely looked back on it. It also has absolutely no connection to the impressive 'Death' disc in terms of sound, style or thematic content. I did not take away anything memorable or enjoyable from this disc, and I quickly want to forget I ever heard it.


CONCLUSION

These two albums really deserved to be released separately because they don't have any logical connection to each other. 'Death' is one of the best Melvins releases of this decade, and 'Love' might be the worst thing they have ever put out. If 'Love' had just been billed as a "bonus disc" I could have let it slide. But this package is not only being marketed as a double album, but priced as such too. And sadly, as much as I enjoyed the 'Death' disc, it isn't worth shelling out that extra buck (although the album packaging is superb). The 'Love' disc is something you will not want to listen to more than once... Ever! I'm going to leave this at a 6/10 (but in reality think of it as an 8/10 & a 2/10)

*Note: At least it lives up to the title. Feels like they got the 'Love' & 'Death' titles the wrong way around though?

ALBUM REVIEW: SOLSTAFIR - BERDREYMINN

SOLSTAFIR
BERDREYMINN
Post Rock, Hard Rock, Progressive Rock.
Seasons of Mist.
Listening Format: CD & Digital.














Solstafir are an Icelandic Rock band who have been active for over 20 years but only put out their first full length in 2002. Originally conceived as a Black Metal band, Solstafir have always created very atmospheric and melancholic music. Over the course of six full length albums, their music has really changed up a lot and continued to evolve to the point where they can barely be labelled a Metal band these days. 'Berdreyminn' is their sixth full length release and it's not an easy album to pigeonhole (which I like), with elements of Post Rock, Hard Rock and Prog.

The album opens with a kind of Ennio Morricone Spaghetti Western inspired intro before (and I kid you not) launching into a main riff that sounds like classic Muse (honestly it really does)! Once this track gets going though, it becomes really interesting with a triumphant feel, stomping drums and these soaring yelling vocals. Second track 'Isafold' has this unashamed 70s Rock stomp that sounds like classic ZZ Top. This thing even has what sounds like a slap bass interlude and cheesy guitar licks. I have to say I'm loving this track, although the vocals are mixed a little too high and sometimes when Tyrggvason goes slightly off pitch it is a bit unpleasant on the ears. The album takes an even stronger leap forward with a song that has a completely different tone. 'Hula' is Solstafir coming out in their true form. It sounds dark, mysterious, brooding and epic as you would probably expect. There are some absolutely beautiful touches of strings and female backing vocals on this track, and the clean lead vocals are far more muted and lowered in the mix compared to the yelling vocals on the first two tracks. This is easily the strongest track on the album that could be described as a Post Rock or atmospheric Rock song, for lack of a better term.

As the album starts to venture into its second half things keep changing up from there. In fact 'Naros' has a very dynamic change just within the same song. It begins as slow and ghostly as 'Hula' before it, but around the half way mark suddenly bursts into a colourful array of Punky power chord lead guitars and brilliant sounding yelling vocals. Although I can't understand the lyrics (presumably in Icelandic), I can still hear so much passion in the vocals, so whatever he is shouting about, I can tell he really means it. Another strong album highlight, but mostly just the second half of this track.

As the album continues its journey, it seems to keep switching back and forth between simplistic and energetic Hard Rock, and melancholic and very dramatic songs. 'Dyrafjordur' near the end of the album piles on the strings and hammering piano arpeggios to create a song that could easily soundtrack a main character's last dying breath at the climax of a hard hitting drama. If you compare this track to the ZZ Top stomp of 'Isafold' earlier in the album, it is hard to believe these two songs can possibly coexist on the same record! I guess this is the album's biggest strength and biggest weakness at the same time. 'Berdreyminn' is a vastly eclectic album with a wide musical pallet. Sometimes it sounds simplistic and catchy as hell, sometimes it sounds very complex, layered and serious. Rarely is the album boring because Solstafir pull off all their ambitions well, with solid, heartfelt performances, and detailed, nostalgic production. But tonally this record is all over the place. I think if you do pretend it is a soundtrack, then it makes more sense. Soundtracks are allowed to be all over the place. Listening all the way through there are mostly very bold and engaging moments all over this record. But there are also some irksome parts too, whether it is a guitar lead or yelped vocal sounding a bit too cheesy and over the top, or a change in the album's mood and pacing being too drastic a shift. As a whole though, I'm really enjoying this record. It is certainly a unique and thoroughly engaging experience, and it doesn't really sound like anything else I've heard this year, which is very refreshing indeed. 7/10.

ALBUM REVIEW: EMPLOYED TO SERVE - THE WARMTH OF A DYING SUN

EMPLOYED TO SERVE
THE WARMTH OF A DYING SUN
Mathcore, Post-Hardcore.
Holy Roar Records.
Listening Format: Vinyl










Employed to Serve return with their second full length LP, 'The Warmth of a Dying Sun'. The Woking quintet's 2015 debut album 'Greyer Than You Remember' was fantastic, showcasing a ragged and chaotic sound combining Post-Hardcore elements with full on Mathcore, showing influences from the likes of label mates Rolo Tomassi, as well as Dillinger Escape Plan and Botch. Since then the band have been touring and playing shows relentlessly, honing their craft and wowing audiences with their destructive, high energy live performances. This has lead to a fairly big anticipation for this sophomore record.

The most notable thing about this follow up record compared to their debut effort is that it isn't quite as wonky, or jarring, or as unpredictable. This is to say that it doesn't just hang on the Mathcore tropes of delivering highly visceral, fast music with odd song arrangements and riffs that jump around a lot. Some of those Mathcore elements are of course retained in their sound, but feel more controlled. 'The Warmth of a Dying Sun' is built on a greater sense of cohesion and linear songwriting than its predecessor. But before fans of the first record start to let out a big groan, let it be known that this does not at all mean that Employed to Serve are sacrificing anything or going soft on us!

From the moment opener 'Void Ambition' kicks in, it is evident than we are still very much in for a very visceral, aggressive and punishing listening experience. In fact this song is one of the more Mathcore oriented songs that weaves fast staccato tech guitar playing, with heavy as fuck dissonant breakdowns and vocalist Justine Jones awesome ear splitting screams. But as the record goes on we can hear influences of Deathcore, particularly in the way guitarist Sammy Urwin adds in his guttural backing vocals that compliment Justine's raw screams very well. Employed to Serve also unashamedly reference slight influences of Nu-Metal in some of the riffs here as well! Again, before you start to groan, hear me out! It is no secret that the band are huge fans of Slipknot (going as far as to sell their own brand of boiler suits on tour). Tracks like 'Good For Nothing' and 'Platform 89' (making an excellent pairing in the tracklist) will suddenly just burst out into these downtuned groovy riffs that would not feel out of place on an early Slipknot record. However because of the absolutely crisp and monstrous production on this album (a notable step up from the debut), these riffs sound absolutely massive and crushing! Stand out track and lead single 'I Spend My Days (Wishing Them Away)' is built around a riff that Deftones would have been proud to have composed at any point in their discography. The vocal production on this track in particular is as dynamic as Deftones too. Even the album sleeve featuring a sticker that reads "parental advisory, crushing content" feels like a nod to Nu-Metal nostalgia!

'The Warmth of a Dying Sun' is also a very dark album lyrically and emotionally. The title track is a huge standout, beginning with a recording of an ominous phonecall before unleashing an unholy barrage of jagged and unforgiving riffs and screams, proving that none of the intensity from the first record or their live performances has been lost here. The track even throws in some eerie clean vocals, making this one of the most ambitious songs the band have ever crafted. After nine relentless and brutal tracks, the album concludes with a lovely softer piece lead by Sammy's hushed vocals and clean guitars in the verses. Ending an album on a "ballad" (for lack of a better word) is perhaps a little bit cliche, but 'Apple Tree' feels as genuinely heartfelt and expressive as anything else on the record, reminding me of 'Artist In the Ambulance' era Thrice.

Employed to Serve have really come through and done exactly what they had to do to deliver a successful sophomore album. This concise 10 track album is not only a step up in terms of production, using a wider pallet of sounds and details, but by actually curbing some of the chaos in favour of implementing more linear moments, it has made the songwriting much more cohesive and memorable throughout. 'The Warmth of a Dying Sun' is intense, it's very heavy and it is brimming with passion and emotion. I'm hearing one of the most exciting Hardcore/Metal albums of 2017 so far. 8/10. 

LIVE REVIEW: MORASS OF MOLASSES + BATTALIONS, SIGIRIYA & GAUL

MORASS OF MOLASSES
BATTALIONS
SIGIRIYA
GAUL

Live at The Star & Garter Manchester. May 20th 2017. Presented by Up From Under.

GAUL

Opening a night of Stoner Rock was Manchester's own Gaul. I've seen this band already last year but they had a different vocalist, so it was interesting to hear them again with a shifted line-up. Current vocalist Chris Whitehouse stepped up to the plate with an exquisite gravelly tone in his voice and plenty of power and enthusiasm. His reverberated growls and wails were very reminiscent of Kyuss frontman John Garcia. At times though the reverb was a bit too strong and his voice occasionally disappeared into the ether. 

Unfortunately Gaul had a bit of a cock up on the second song and had to start it again. I feel like this knocked their confidence a bit during the performance, although they did get back into their stride towards the end of their set. The performance was entertaining enough, but musically it was quite by the numbers Stoner Rock, with the kind of riffs I've already heard performed similarly and bettered by many other bands that play Metal shows in Manchester. I feel like Gaul need to chuck in a few more surprises and find a unique sound in order to deliver something really memorable in the future. 6/10.

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SIGIRIYA

This was my first time seeing and hearing Sigiriya who have traveled from Swansea to play here tonight. Though they expressed a similar sound and style to openers Gaul, they took it up a level by playing with much more power, passion and urgency. Their self described "Mountain Rock" certainly livened up the crowd and the band were very tight and confident on stage. They tried out some new songs from a forthcoming release with plenty of gusto. Sigiriya ended their set with a song that is apparently adapted from Welsh folklore, but to me it sounds like a storming and stomping Stoner gem. Again, not a particularly unique or memorable set of songs, but certainly a strong performance. 7/10.

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BATTALIONS

Replacing Barbarian Hermit at the last minute was Battalions from Hull. Battalions stood out the most on tonight's bill. Whilst they did churn out some bluesy and groovy Stoner riffs like the other bands, their sound was much more diverse. Their wild frontman was fascinating to watch on stage, moving about with so much energy. He had a really extreme vocal style, belting out indecipherable shrieks reminiscent of Jacob Bannon from Converge. The way that Battalions mixed up their tempos made them really exciting and unpredictable on stage. They were able to transition slow, crushing riffs, head nodding grooves and even more unforgiving Hardcore riffs, all seamlessly. In particular, 'Shitstormtroopers' got a huge reaction from the crowd with a massive riff that kept slowing down, getting heavier and heavier each time. 8/10.

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MORASS OF MOLASSES

Tonight's headliners have just released their brand new album 'These Paths We Tread' a day beforehand so it was an exciting time to catch the trio live. MOM set the dark and moody Star & Garter stage alight with a colourful performance that oozed confidence and finesse. The trio pounded us with slow and swampy riffs that sounded huge. Self described as "Disco Doom", their songs were deceptively simple with nods to classic Stoner bands such as Sleep and Electric Wizard, but with a more cheerful and upbeat mood. Vocalist Bones' prominently clean wailing vocals were refreshing and were on pitch perfect form tonight.

For me, there was far too much yapping in between the songs, with crude stories between each song that all revolved around the male genitals, but it was cool that they got the crowd involved, and the punters certainly were enjoying themselves throughout. The banter did seem to eat into the set time quite a bit though! Regardless, MOM were very enjoyable to watch and that thick, fuzzy sound of theirs hit the sweet spot. In particular the opening track of their latest album 'My Leviathan' really enticed the crowd tonight. All the best to Morass of Molasses with their album release tour! 8/10.

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ALBUM REVIEW: FULL OF HELL - TRUMPETING ECSTACY

FULL OF HELL
TRUMPETING ECSTASY
Grindcore/Deathgrind.
Profound Lore Records.
Listening Format: Digital.












Full of Hell are an American Grindcore band still in their early twenties.
It's very hard for a Grindcore band to do something fresh this far down the line, but this band manages to combine the fastest and slowest of extreme music genres. I first heard them live opening for The Body and they blew my mind. They would transition from tight and intense Grindcore and out of nowhere cut into piercing, agonisingly slow electronic drones, and then out of nowhere they'd kick back into furious grind again. Their live performance was not only insanely tight and full of chemistry, but they really left the audience on edge with this disturbing and overwhelming air of tension. I'd never really seen or heard anything like it, except possibly for Powerviolence band Man Is the Bastard.

Full of Hell proved with their debut album 'Roots of Earth Are Consuming My Home' that they could transfer that live intensity onto the records and since then they've pushed further into experimenting with noise and drone music, with a slew of full on Noise EPs and collaborations with Merzbow and The Body that often left the Grindcore realm completely. It's safe to say that there was a lot of hype for their next full length 'Trumpeting Ecstasy', and perhaps an expectation that they could push those experimental boundaries even more.

What we have here though, feels very much like a step backwards into what is mostly a pure Grindcore assault. The record is 23 minutes long and ten of those minutes are taken up by the last two of the eleven tracks. The first nine tracks are pretty much just a relentless barrage of lightning fast grind action, but if I am honest the intensity is rather lacking throughout, and there is very little to make them stand out amongst other run of the mill Grindcore releases.

The album has been recorded at GOD City and produced by Kurt Ballou of Converge. If you listened to the rather good Code Orange album 'Forever' released earlier this year, you'll recognise quite a few similarities in the production. The sound Full of Hell are going for here is much more guttural and full of low end. Most of the tracks also include low gargling vocals, very much borrowed from the Death Metal or Deathgrind playbook. Whilst this bowel crushing low end sound worked really well on the Code Orange album, for me it is actually detracting from Full of Hell's performance here. I think their previous offerings sounded much more vital and urgent. This could be a personal preference of mine, as I tend to prefer Grindcore to have a lot of high end. In particular some of my favourite Grind acts Discordance Axis, Gridlink, Wormrot, Pig Destroyer and Evisorax don't use a bassist and tend to go for a noisy, fast, discordant blur of sound. But even compared to previous Full of Hell records, this record does not make me wanna go apeshit, smash up my room and punch an old lady in the face...!!!

For me the best part of the record is those last two tracks. The title track has these eerie, clean female vocals and a slow, churning industrial beat, with layers of electronics and droning noise and it is wonderful, by far standing out from everything that came before it. Also when those crushing and raw as fuck vocals kick into full force, I start to feel that intensity that was sorely lacking on beforehand! The way the vocals switch between clean, dreamy female vocals into Godflesh style aggression is a touch of magic. Yet despite it being my favourite track, it sounds exactly like something that could have easily been on The Body's latest album 'No One Deserves Happiness', and that can't be a coincidence since the two bands released a collaborative album last year.

The album ends with another droning and noisy track that switches between furious Grindcore blasts and slow pounding Industrial, with even a few spots of eerie Dark Ambient over a six and a half minute run time. and it kind of makes me feel like finally! Why did they wait 'til right at the end of the record to give me that hit?

Full of Hell are a very exciting band to watch, but I'm honestly feeling a disconnect with this record. A real shame as I was pretty hyped for this one. I just can't dodge the feeling that the nine Grindcore or Deathgrind tracks that open this album just feel really phoned in. Even a guest vocal from Aaron Turner of Isis and Sumac fame on 'Crawling Back to God' doesn't really add much to the break the monotony. 

Full of Hell's move to a more Deathgrind oriented sound on this album actually feels like their Achilles heel. I feel like the band have lost their identity and their uniqueness a little bit and although I am usually a big fan of Kurt Ballou's production work, this affair sounds strangely OVERproduced to the point where all the urgency and fire that this band are capable of gets sucked out the window. But it isn't just the production that lets this album down, but just a sheer lack of experimentation. I feel like Full of Hell have played things a little safe, especially when they've proven that they can go the extra mile and create some really out of the box sounds that their peers in the genre just aren't doing. 'Trumpeting Ecstasy' not only feels like a slog to listen to, but a missed opportunity also. 5/10.

Let me know whether you agree or disagree, whether you enjoyed this album more than I did. And if you want to hear some of similar sounds done better, check out the latest Code Orange album 'Forever' released earlier this year.

LIVE REVIEW: OATHBREAKER + SVALBARD & PIJN - MANCHESTER

Oathbreaker's latest album 'Rheia' landed itself in the #1 spot on my best albums of 2016 list (which you can read here) so it's safe to say I was very excited about seeing their sold out show in one of Manchester's very finest gig venues, The Star & Garter!

PIJN

Pijn (I previously thought it was pronounced like "pigeon", but apparently it is actually pronounced "pine"... Hope I've got that right) are one of the latest signings to an already stellar Holy Roar Records roster. The new band have been building up a lot of momentum over the past six months and since I last saw them perform as a trio with Pelican, their live show has added two extra members, playing violin and lap guitar/electronics respectfully. Considering over ten people performed on their debut EP 'Floodlit' (which was released on this very day), perhaps the Pijn live experience could end up expanding even more in the future?!

Their show tonight was belting, with pounding and rumbling drums that gave the lengthier compositions fantastic energy and transitions. The guitars were suitably sludgy and swampy tonight, with an array of dark and textured chords that were heavy and dreamy at the same time. Pijn performed some new material that felt darker, slower and at times really menacing, with elements of hardcore and sparingly used screaming vocals seemingly left over from their previous incarnation Old Skin. It was EP opener 'Dumbstruck & Floodlit' that left the biggest impression on me, journeying from major key Post Rock and chugging riffs in the vein of Pelican, and gradually transitioning into something more akin to Neurosis at their most raging. The addition of the violins and the lap steel guitar only enhanced the impact of their songs tonight, with massive crescendos that nearly reached Godspeed levels of epic! Pijn are a band that are growing and moving forward and I feel like the best is yet to come! 8/10.

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SVALBARD

"WE'RE FUCKING SVALBARD FROM BRISTOL!!!" Guitarist and vocalist Serena Cherry shouted before ripping apart the Manchester crowd with their ferocious and emotionally charged blackened Hardcore. The Bristolians play hard and fast, suitably taking the epic shoegazey tremolo guitars recently favoured by headliners Oathbreaker and combining them with an insane display of pounding thrashy drums and blastbeats, giving the quartet a pinch of crusty Punk attitude. 

Svalbard came at the crowd fiercely, with their breakneck speed and dual screaming vocal trade offs reminiscent of Circle Takes the Square, but their songs also evoke some achingly beautiful moments too, whether it is in the epic Post Rock inspired melodies of opener 'Perspective', or the sheer earnest honesty of their lyrics and vocal delivery. Svalbard are a band whose music cuts through your soul. They not only have the ability to pack a mighty punch with their blistering force, but their melancholic chord progressions and the sheer impact of their collective sound is enough to leave a lone tear streaking down your face. 9/10.

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OATHBREAKER

Unfortunately all of Oathbreaker had come down with a nasty case of flu whilst touring the UK, but you would never have even guessed it based on tonight's performance. A sold out crowd waited silently and awestruck as frontwoman Caro Tanghe snuck onto the stage, draped in long black robes, her face obscured by her hood and long hair. She began singing all on her own as the opening siren of '10:56/Second Son of R.' began their set. Atmospheric clean guitars soon sprang to life building up to one of the most impressive openings to any show I've seen. The band erupted into glorious thundering tremolo riffs, insane blasts and vicious, primal screams that open their stunning album 'Rheia'. The sold out crowd were instantly drawn into a hypnotic headbanging frenzy, and chills went down my spine just witnessing such magnificence.

Oathbreaker mainly performed songs from their latest album, and rightly so. Their sound has really evolved and transitioned from their Sludgy Hardcore upbringing, and it was amazing to hear their mixture of intense Black Metal and dreamy, shoegazy, atmospheric guitar parts in full force. Even through illness, the band gave it 110%, pouring so much emotion, energy and sheer intensity into their performance, as if the world would end tomorrow. As Oathbreaker have gone on, they have just got better and better at their craft, perfecting and tightening... In particular Caro Tanghe has never sounded as good as she does right now. Her screams tore the Star & Garter apart as if a malevolent force was haunting the old building, and her clean vocals rang out like an alluring siren.

After a selection of some of 'Rheia''s heaviest and most powerful songs, including 'Needles in My Skin', 'Being Able to Feel Nothing', 'Where I Live/Where I Leave' and 'Immortals', the quintet left us with a classic from their first album, 'Glimpse of the Unseen'. When THAT riff kicked in, the crowd just lost their shit, erupting into manic headbanging and circle pitting. This blackened Doom epic recalled Darkthrone's 'In the Shadow of the Horns', leaving us with a monument as dark and gritty as the Star & Garter itself. 9/10. 

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January 27th 2017 @ The Star & Garter, Manchester.

PLEASE NOTE: Because of the very dark conditions in the Star & Garter, the photographs used have been taken by me at different shows at Gullivers, Manchester and Brudnell Social Club, Leeds, taken on the 26th and 29th of January respectively.

TOP 25 LIVE PERFORMANCES OF 2016

Let's get the obvious out of the way. I can only count bands I have seen live in the flesh. Since I am based in Manchester this will mostly be the area covered. I've easily seen over 100 bands this year so here are the performances that knocked me sideways in 2016!

HOUSEWIVES - Gorilla, Manchester

25. DUKATALON
Rebellion, Manchester

The Noiz Alldayer ended up overrunning by about 2 hours, and this band that came all the way from Tel Aviv, Israel had waited patiently to play, finally coming on at 2am and devouring what was left of the crowd with their insanely high energy Sludgy Hardcore. They played with a real menace and their drummer was pumping up the crowd between each song, commanding them to get moving. The show ended in a fantastic stage invasion that saw nearly the whole crowd take to the stage in a moment of sheer bliss.
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24. RICK ASTLEY
HMV Manchester

I'm not Rick-rolling you at all here. I had practically no expectations when I arrived at this show, but Rick Astley really blew the crowd away, not necessarily with his songs (although a finale of 'Never Gonna Give You Up' was obviously incredible) but through his sheer passion and excitement. The man had a really good funk band behind him and delivered an incredible vocal performance. But it was his stage charisma, his fantastic sense of humour and the fact that he looked like he was having the time of his life on that tiny stage that really made this performance special. I'll never say a bad word about this man.
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23. JOHN CARPENTER
Victoria Warehouse, Salford

There was a lot of controversy about the arrangement and venue of this show, which sadly does taint the gig a little. I'm going to try and brush this aside and focus on the actual performance, which I thought was great since I managed to get there early and actually get a good spot in the room. It was incredible to see John Carpenter, the Horror maestro in the flesh with his excellent band that play on his 'Lost Themes' records. Not only did he play some of the best tunes of the two solo records, but of course many of his greatest film themes. Hearing the likes of 'Halloween' and 'The Thing' in the flesh was awe inspiring. Carpenter had a crazy charisma on stage and one of the best highlights was when the whole band put on sunglasses during the performance of 'They Live'. There were also scenes from each film playing on a big screen behind him, so that atmosphere was just right, and I had chills for almost the whole performance!
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22. ACxDC
Rebellion, Manchester

The news that US Grind/Powerviolence legends ACxDC are calling it a day became twice as sad after witnessing just how astonishing this band are live. They must have blitzed through about 50 tiny tracks, absolutely seamlessly with full on rage, venom, sweat and agony. There was no time to catch your breath as the band just raged and battered through blistering, lightning fast song after song. A blur of utter chaos and madness that was as beautiful as it was terrifying!
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21. SPACE WITCH
Rebellion, Manchester

This band don't come around my way often enough, but whenever they do it is an unmissable spectacle. As you probably know I have a bit of a fetish for Extreme Metal bands that implement electronics into their sound, and Space Witch are at the forefront of this in the British Metal scene. Psychedelic tinged droning Sludge riffs bludgeoned the Manchester crowd over their heads, as piercing electronics added deep, spacey textures to the mix and taking their sound to the next level of the spectral ether. Mindblowing from start to finish, seriously one of the most exciting bands in the UK right now!
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20. DESTRUCTION UNIT
Islington Mill, Salford

Without a doubt the loudest performance I heard this year, even with ear plugs in, this was painful and left my ears ringing. With a drummer, a bassist and about four guitarists crammed into the tiny Islington Mill stage, their sound was bigger than the entire venue. The aptly named Destruction Unit powered through pounding Garage Noise Rock with so much sweat and menace. The massive wall of tremolo guitars was intense and agonising... And EAR DESTROYING!
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19. MONO
Gorilla, Manchester

The majesty of seeing Alcest would have been more than enough to cover the ticket price, but we still had an epic MONO performance to enjoy. Equally as stirring as Alcest before them, their instrumental rock often started soft and melodic and built into loud, thunderous climaxes that were intense and overwhelming to the senses. True magic from the heart of Japan!
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18. ALCEST
Gorilla, Manchester

It's not often that you need to bring tissues to a Metal show but the double impact of Alcest and MONO would certainly reach deep into the souls of Metalheads. Alcest played a wondrous, dreamy set of buzzing shoegazy guitars, sweeping melodies and harmonious vocals, with a few shrieking Black Metal parts for good measure. Alcest really hit the sweet spot with a momentous performance.
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17. CONJURER
The Alma Inn, Bolton

The crowning kings of another incredible Riff Fest lineup, a free annual Metal festival in the heart of Bolton. Conjurer are a seriously wild bunch and a stage can barely contain the energy and immense heaviness of this band. As their set goes on these lads get angrier and more explosive to the point where the band and the audience can barely take it any more and the wheels fall off!
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16. HOUSEWIVES
Gorilla, Manchester

This was my first time seeing and even hearing this mysterious English Drone/Noise Rock band. They played in near darkness with strobe lights blaring as they played what seemed like one giant 40 minute composition of super atonal rock that almost felt like an incredibly minimalist and deconstructed version of Joy Division, complete with noisy saxophone and deranged screams. It was such a regimented and tense performance. This band had an entire crowd hanging on every note and even when they just jammed one note for 5 straight minutes it felt like the most intense thing that ever existed!
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15. UNDER
The Boulevard, Wigan

Under are a menacing and creepy Doom Metal/Drone Rock kind of hybrid band that have built an exceptional reputation over the year for their jaw dropping live performances. I've probably seen them about 10 times this year alone and they just get better and better. Under constantly change up their setlists, hinting at a well of new and unreleased material, so every performance of theirs feels fresh, exciting and unpredictable. This was the last time I saw them in 2016 and I am incredibly excited to just be a part of their wacky journey, just as a member of the crowd!
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JOHN CARPENTER - Victoria Warehouse, Salford

14. CAINA
Fuel Cafe, Manchester

Hands down one of the most extreme things I have ever witnessed. In what sadly looks like one of Caina's very last shows, the duo performed incredibly loud with dense layers of noise pedals and cold synths grinding away as the two screamed at the top of their lungs. Vocalist Laurence Taylor was terrifying, topless with a balaclava and cuts on his body. He got right up into the faces of the crowd, screaming nihilistic words and wrapping the microphone cable around his neck like a noose. This is what happens when a band take the performance aspect all the way up to 11!
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13. THE RIVER VERSUS
Rebellion, Manchester

Few things put as big a smile on my face as when I am watching The River Versus. They tantalise the Prog Rocker inside me with their virtuoso fusion of Neo-Classical verging on Post Hardcore. TRV are still a band that I am championing and sadly they don't quite play as often as I'd like or quite get the acclaim that they so sorely deserve. This band have the ability to leave newcomers completely speechless and the atmosphere at one of their shows is full of sheer joy and awe. Just go listen to them and never miss them live!
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12. SVALBARD
Damnation Festival, Leeds University

I was so excited to see Svalbard perform once again and they certainly didn't disappoint. In fact they just get better. It feels like the band are continuing to perfect their craft, delivering emotively resonant Blackened Hardcore with so much passion, energy and raw feeling. Playing in front of a packed out Damnation stage may well have been their biggest crowd and most defining show yet.
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11. FULL OF HELL
The Ruby Lounge, Manchester

This US band absolutely knocked me sideways. Bouts of lightning fast, brutal Grindcore suddenly evaporated into 0bpm electronic drones that were deafening and very intense, bringing a huge tension. The way Full Of Hell combine the slowest and fastest of Metal genres is really something special, and the way they switch between the two seamlessly is not only incredibly tight, but completely fucks with the audiences head. Absolutely astonishing.
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10. MAX RICHTER
RNCM, Manchester

The master of modern Ambient Classical performed his 'Blue Notebooks' and 'from SLEEP' albums in full with an ensemble and vocalist. Truly one of the richest and most beautiful performances I saw this year, with every note and instrument travelling through my body. It felt like a healing process and was incredibly moving.
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9. DEATH GRIPS
Manchester Academy

Perhaps the most anticipated show of the year, that sold out in mere seconds. Death Grips slammed through all of their best discography highlights, with MC Ride's maniacal grunts, Zach Hill's pounding drums and Flatlander's noisy synths sounding supreme, with so much energy and violence. This will remain one of the most talked about shows of the year.
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8. CULT OF LUNA & JULIE CHRISTMAS
Damnation Festival, Leeds University

To think that these musicians said they didn't get time to even rehearse properly is absolutely staggering! I think many who attended Damnation Festival in Leeds this year will agree that this performance was the crowning achievement of an already magnificent festival that seems to get better ever year. With about 7 people on stage, Cult of Luna absolutely pummeled the Damnation main stage with crushing, dense and emotionally draining riffs and textures, Julie Christmas was a bundle of energy, dancing, moshing and belting out powerful vocals. An absolute marvel from start to finish that we may never see performed again.
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7. AUTECHRE
Old Granada Studios, Manchester

The first time I saw Autechre live I didn't enjoy it so much, but I think it was let down by a poor sound and venue choice. No such problem this time as they performed in pitch darkness in a massive room where you could hear every blip, beep and rumble perfectly. They played a continuous hour long piece of music that was rather slow and doomy, with lots of discordance and alien textures. The lack of light allowed the music to really enter my body and take over my thoughts. Things got metaphysical and even though this band have no lyrics and use total discordant sounds, there was much emotion and expression.
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6. STEVEN WILSON
02 Apollo, Manchester

The master of Prog treated us to a 3 hour performance. In the first half he played the entirety of his fantastic 'Hand Cannot Erase' album, synced up to a film that ran on a big screen above the band with amazing visuals, helping to tell the story behind the lyrics. His band was incredible, including Marco Minnemann on drums and Dave Kilminster on guitar. The second half showcased songs from his latest release '4 1/2' and songs from his previous albums including a tear-jerking rendition of 'The Raven That Refused to Sing'. He even threw in some stunning Porcupine Tree songs, including 'The Sound of Muzak' and 'Lazarus' which he dedicated to David Bowie who had only just passed.
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5. SHOBALEADER ONE
Gorilla, Manchester

This quartet is a side project of Tom 'Squarepusher' Jenkinson, where he focuses solely on his virtuoso bass playing. This is one of the tightest bands I have seen perform all year. The music they played really reminded me of 70s Blacksploitation Funk. There were some seriously infectious grooves going on here, but with techy and jazzy parts thrown in also. A few renditions of Squarepusher classics were also performed. The band all dressed in black cloaks with masks on that had neon lights on them. How on earth they managed to perform to such a level was wearing them is anyone's guess!
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4. YOB
The Ruby Lounge, Manchester

A truly mindblowing performance from the US Doom trio. Guitarist and vocalist Mike Sheidt is mesmerising on stage. His guitar playing looks effortless, whether he is churning out massive slabs of Doom or clean, emotive arpeggios, and he pours so much passion into his vocals. The performance of 20 minute "ballad" 'Marrow' was something really special, completely captivating an entire room into stunned silence.
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3. EMPLOYED TO SERVE
Damnation Festival, Leeds University

Truly one of the most angry, visceral and energized performances I've seen all year. Mathcore maniacs Employed to Serve showed us how to fucking BRING IT!!! Like this was a "COME AT ME BRO" meme in it's most literal and musical entity. The stage was like a warzone and there was some seriously crazy pitting, crowd surfing and stage diving as they tore into the Damnation crowd with a relentless barrage of aggressive screaming and jagged staccato riffs, that ended in the destruction of a bass guitar letting out it's final battle cry (and I was lucky enough to catch a piece of it thrown into the crowd)! ISS BYOTIFUL!!!
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2. SLABDRAGGER
The Alma Inn, Bolton

In this very special one off performance, Slabdragger performed the entirety of their new album 'Rise of the Dawncrusher', and it was a FREE entry show! Damn! The packed out crowd were truly knocked sideways by the loud, crushing and technically mind blowing riffs. Constant twists and turns looked seamless in these 10+ minute epics. A true testament of great musicianship, high energy and sheer headbanging delight!
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1. KAMASI WASHINGTON
Manchester Academy

Damn, this was more than a show, it was an experience, a journey, a transformation! Kamasi Washington and his insanely talented Jazz band are more than a band, they're a family unit. With most of the players having grown up together as kids and learning their instruments from a young age, and it really shows. This band is beyond tight, and have a spiritual chemistry together on stage. The show was full of raw talent, insane musicianship, fantastic storytelling between the songs, and a lot of emotion too. 'Henrietta Our Hero' left people in the audience in tears. This was not only the best live music experience I had this year, but one of the best shows I have ever witnessed!
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KAMASI WASHINGTON - Manchester Academy