
Patsker
RAPOON - Offworld OP1 Equs
AMBIENT NATION 5 - Various
DRUHA SMRT - Egocedeum
JETON HOXA - Vowel
KARIBU ORCHESTRA – Music Over The Ruins
SEAR BLISS – Letters From The Edge
NO ONE & ASHTORETH – Redemption
THY CATAFALQUE – Geometria
DIMMU BORGIR – Eonian
Björn
ears:
joint 1st place:
Unreqvited - Stars Wept to the Sea
Unreqvited - Mosaic I: L'amour Et L'ardeur
runners up:
Blanck Mass - Odd scene / Shit luck
Book of Sand - Postmodern Witchcraft
W O L F C L U B - Infinity
eyes:
1st place:
Summer of '84
runners up:
Ant Man and The Wasp
Avengers Infinity War
Black Panther
A Quiet Place
Mission Impossible: Fallout
pretty sure i forgot loads.
sucked the hardest in 2018: saying goodbye to Jef, our french bulldog. r.i.p.
filled my pitch black heart with endless joy in 2018: welcoming Jos, a miniature pincher and Leonie, a french bulldog, in our lives. as well as Mitzi and Ulrich, yet more cats.
be safe and well, dear MOA readers. hopefully more from me in 2019.
be kind to animals. love.
Koen
Year end’s lists are by definition very personal, so I’m not claiming these are the best records of 2018. They just made an impression on me that lasted longer than a few spins – on some cases, a lot longer. Enjoy!
-Wolvennest – Void
If their self-titled debut felt like a kick in the nuts, “Void” feels like Sharon Shazzula is driving one of her high heels up my nose, right into my corpus callosum. Krautrockers from Brussels, Great atmosphere, great live act. My favourite record of 2018. Unreal…
-Paara – Riiti
Fantastic riffs, majestic melodies and brilliant vocals (both clean and shrieking). On “Riiti”, these Finns created a moody mix of black and post metal, delivered in their supremely juicy mother tongue. This record shows that solid songwriting skills still is the most important aspect of any good release.
-Crow Black Sky - Sidereal Light: Volume One
Atmospheric black metal from South Africa, of all places! Too often, Atmospheric BM is stereotypical (they should start their own #metoo movement). Crow Black Sky, however, mamages to avoid this, and somehow sound very honest to me. If you liked Woods of Desolation, you’ll love this.
-Bliss Signal – Bliss Signal
About fifteen ago, I started to drift towards Black Metal, simply because it is a genre that is very open towards experimentation. A very good example of this is Bliss Signal’s debut album, where pummeling electro beats and dense layers of guitars/noise conjure a magical atmosphere.
-Empty – Vacio
Based on the book “La Lluvia Amarilla” (Yellow rain), these Spaniards deliver a gripping ode to solitude and a dying way of life in the Spanish mountains. Filled to the brim with original riffing, this record hit me on an emotional level like no other this year.
-Adaestuo – Krew za Krew
An electrifying mix of black metal and ritual ambient, and, as a cherry on the cake, the incredible voice of Hekte Zaren. Praise the Lord of Darkness! Boy, am I looking forward to seeing them playing live in Brussels in a couple of months.
-Gaerea – Unsettling Whispers
A couple of weeks ago, I saw Gaerea playing live in a freezing cold venue in Leuven, Belgium. Barely 50 people braved the harsh conditions to see these Portuguese guys perform the songs of their first record. Shame on you, Belgians! “Unsettling Whispers”, being a highly original and intelligent BDM record, really deserves more praise!
Mare – Ebony Tower
This is what Black Metal is all about, in the end: an enigmatic band that lets the music speak for itself. And what music! Glorious riffs, ritual chants, catchy songs. Halleluiah for the Horned one!