Coyote Doc Music Co-op

Monday, December 30, 2019

RJD's Best Albums Of 2019

13. Duel - "Valley Of Shadows" (5/17/19, Heavy Psych)

12. The Budos Band - "V" (4/12/19, Daptone)

11. Hath - "Of Rot And Ruin" (4/12/19, Willowtip)

10. The Tallest Man On Earth - "I Love You. It's A Fever Dream" (4/19/19, Dead Oceans)

9. Amulet - "The Inevitable War" (5/17/19, Dissonance Productions)

8. Michael Kiwanuka - "KIWANUKA" (11/1/19, Polydor)

7. Nick Cave And The Bad Seeds - "Ghosteen" (10/4/19, Bad Seed)

6. Opeth - "In Cauda Venenum" (9/27/19, Nuclear Blast)

5. Tool - "Fear Inoculum" (8/30/19, Volcano/Dissectional)

4. Leprous - "Pitfalls" (10/25/19, Inside Out)

3. Rodrigo Y Gabriela - "Mettavolution"/"Mettal EP" (4/26/19, 11/29/19, ATO)

2. King Gizzard And The Lizard Wizard - "Infest The Rats' Nest" (8/16/19, Flightless/ATO)

1. Amyl And The Sniffers - "Amyl And The Sniffers" (5/24/19, ATO)

Try not to smile while listening to Amy Taylor scream, rock and cuss in her bonzer accent. The Sniffers have a slew of absolutely infectious riffs along side a pummeling rhythm section. These four bad-asses from down under slay every single note on this modern punk rock masterpiece. Screw Vegemite, "I'm stressed on tick 'cause I'm gacked on anger!" WTF?! Whatever the hell they're saying, it works. HELL YEAH! Best album of 2019. "Later c**t$!"

Best Albums of the '10s to come...

Monday, December 31, 2018

RJD's Best Albums Of 2018

2018 has easily been one the best years for music throughout the past decade. Here are my cream of the crop...

13. Horrendous - "Idol" (9/28/18, Season Of Mist, Pennsylvania)

12. Rivers Of Nihil - "Where Owls Know My Name" (3/16/18, Metal Blade, Pennsylvania)

11. Clutch - "Book Of Bad Decisions" (9/7/18, Weathermaker, Maryland)

10. Nekrogoblikon - "Welcome To Bonkers" (4/13/18, Independent, California)

9. Graveyard - "Peace" (5/25/18, Nuclear Blast, Sweden)

8. Zeal & Ardor - "Stranger Fruit" (6/8/18, MVKA, Switzerland)

7. Chapel Of Disease - "...And As We Have Seen The Storm, We Have Embraced The Eye" (12/7/18, Van Records, Germany)

6. Turnstile - "Time & Space" (2/23/18, Roadrunner, Maryland)

5. Amigo The Devil - "Everything Is Fine" (10/19/18, Regime, Florida)

4. Tribulation - "Down Below" (1/26/18, Century Media, Sweden)

3. Amorphis - "Queen Of Time" (5/18/18, Nuclear Blast, Finland)

2. Skeletonwitch - "Devouring Radiant Light" (7/20/18, Prosthetic, Ohio)

1. Madder Mortem - "Marrow" (9/21/18, Dark Essence, Norway)

Agnete and BP M. Kirkevaag either have an absence of sibling rivalry or are able to channel it spectacularly. Touted as "Norway's best kept secret," Madder Mortem released their 7th full-length LP in 2018. God only knows how I could have missed this band before now. Folk, Avant Garde, Metal, Alternative. It's all on "Marrow." Ms. Kirkevaag's voice reminds me of an immaculate amalgamation of Ann Wilson, Beth Gibbons and Carla Kihlstedt. She has a perfect blend of crooning and screaming with enough pop flare for even non-metallic music enthusiasts. Book ended by intro and outro tracks, the meat of "Marrow" is flawless. From the Faith No More influenced bass lead-in on 'Liberator' to the Radiohead-esque prelude on 'Until You Return,' the album touches innumerable bands I grew up idolizing. The self titled track wanders through transitions reminescent of Mr. Bungle and 'My Will Be Done' kicks you in the teeth like Helmet. Damn! The BEST album of 2018. The secret is no longer safe.

Wednesday, January 3, 2018

ZH Best of 2017

10. Wand - Plum

9. (Sandy) Alex G - Rocket

8. Ty Segall - Ty Segall

7. Bonnie Prince Billy - Best Troubadour

6. The Yawpers - Boy in a Well

5. Dead Cross - Dead Cross

4. King Gizzard and the Wizard Lizard - Polygondwanaland (among others...)

3. St. Vincent - Mass Education

2. Father John Misty - Pure Comedy

1. Three For Silver - The Way We Burn

Sunday, December 31, 2017

RJD's Best Metal Albums of 2017

11. Kadavar - "Rough Times" (9/29/17, Nuclear Blast)

10. Havok - "Conformicide" (3/10/17, Century Media)

9. Power Trip - "Nightmare Logic" (2/22/17, Southern Lord)

8. Enslaved - "E" (10/13/17, Nuclear Blast)

7. Primus - "The Desaturating Seven" (9/29/17, ATO/Prawn Song)

6. Troubled Horse - "Revolution On Repeat" (3/31/17, Rise Above)

5. Iced Earth - "Incorruptible" (6/16/17, Century Media)

4. Dead Cross - "Dead Cross" (8/4/17, Ipecac)

3. Leprous - "Malina" (8/25/17, Inside Out)

2. Zeal & Ardor - Devil Is Fine" (2/24/17, Radicalis)

1. Grave Pleasures - "Motherblood" (9/29/17, Century Media)

From the ashes of Beastmilk's spontaneous combustion, Grave Pleasures has risen. Beastmilk's only LP "Climax" could have garnered my album of the year nod had I heard it in 2013. Instead, another Finnish band took home the crown that year (Sammal's glorious self titled album.) Lead singer/songwriter Mat McNerney (aka Kvohst) and bassist Valtteri Arino initially assembled the band with pieces of Beastmilk in addition to players from other dissolved bands (In Solitude, The Oath.) Their first LP under the new moniker "Dreamcrash" was then released in 2015 without much fanfare. After more lineup changes, Grave Pleasures released the "Funeral Party" EP in late 2016. 'Deadenders' was one of my favorite songs of that year and appears to have been a sign of greatness to come. The fist-pumping, post-punk, apocalyptic lyrics/riffs that made "Climax" an instant classic have come front and center on "Motherblood." The up-tempo chaos of 'Infatuation Overkill' and 'Haunted Afterlife,' the doomy, pop chorus of 'Be My Hiroshima' and the clautrophobic spoken word intro of 'Atomic Christ,' give the entire album enough variety and tongue-in-cheek schtick to make it interesting, fun and most definitely headbanging. Any concerns that Beastmilk's magic could not again manifest have been washed away in a splendid, atomic, bloody, fusion of Danzig, Bauhaus and Echo & The Bunnymen. Best album of 2017.