#26 Nashville Pussy
Pleased To Eat You
This band hit #1 on our countdown for the year 2000 with High As Hell, a record that still stands the test of time. It was the last album with bassist Corey Parks and it ruled. Flash forward to today, Pleased To Eat You is keeping the same rock n roll spirit alive. I found the songs to be a bit predictable and the lyrics a bit juvenile in it's craftsmanship. Testify, a Parliment Funkadelic cover is the highlight of the album, drawing off that soul clap Kentucky Bridgeburners gospel rock side project they did a few years back.
#25 Soulfly
Ritual
Max is back with a tribal vibe, minus the nu metal crap and we are loving it. It harkens back to Sepultura sounding riffage with some Native American themes and it all in all is a solid record. We interviewed Max just prior to it's release.
#24 Sick Of It All
Wake The Sleeping Dragon
We are so glad to see a new SOIA album out this year, they are an institution to us here at Full Metal Racket. Based On A True Story is still one of their better albums to come out since the 90's, and that is still the case. It seems their last album Last Act... got a bit punky and now this one is even more punky sing songy. We still dig it though, some corny lyrics but oh well, NYHC baby, NYHC.
#23 Born Low
Sorry For Your Loss
This is what #24 should have sounded like hahaha. Sweet chugga chugga riffs these Albany hardcore dudes lay it down properly on this one. Hardcore is getting too beatdown boring, this keeps it on the right track.
#22 Fu Manchu
Clone Of The Universe
So, omitting the 18 minute jammer at the end of the record, Fu Manchu's album seems like a EP compared to some of their other works, which is just fine in my book. The major drawback to stoner rock band types is the incessant playing of the same riff over and over which is a bit too boring for this ADD fast punk rock loving metal head. I get all "yo, I get the point, change the riff" which, this album has none of that, which rules.
#21 Visigoth
Conqueror's Oath
Utah's Visigoth celebrated 20 years of The Full Metal Racket Show with us a few years back out on their first album's tour. They were young, the singer blew out his voice on tour, but managed to sing that night. I knew that these guys had a lot of potential and promise, and the new album delivers. It's classic power metal and just plain heavy metal at it's finest. Salt City is a banger and the metalheads of that city better be proud.
#20 White Wizzard
Infernal Overdrive
I try and not follow the politics of the band members of this band, and just take the albums as they come. I love each of White Wizzard's albums and this one is possibly the weakest effort yet, but they set the bar high with their previous albums. They have that classic metal sound with that tinge of thrashyness that most modern heavy metal bands are doing these days, and we dig it.
#19 Skinless
Savagery
Skinless have been doing the NYDM slam thing since the 90's and this album has all the same riffage and mosh/slam parts like any of the first albums. The dual guitar attack is definitely present on this one though, which is a newer addition to the Skinless sound.
#18 Gama Bomb
Speed Between The Lines
Gama Bomb always satisfies with their brand of fast paced silly thrash. It always takes me a lil bit to warm up to the vocalist's talking/singing style, though it's very distinct and quite hilarious at times. This album shreds in a Exodus style of unrelenting speed and we love these guys, each of their albums rule, they never let us down.
#17 Corrosion Of Conformity
No Cross, No Crown
I'll admit, I was expecting a bit more from these guys with Pepper back at the helm. But, this album coming out prompted me to revisit the old Pepper era COC, and, well, same as this one, there are some real classics, and some jammers that I could either take it or leave it. I interviewed Reed Mullin a month after this albums release, check it out!
#16 Supersuckers
Suck It
Here's another band on the countdown that had hit #1 on a previous countdown. Evil Powers Of Rock n Roll took 1999 with force. That was when the 'Suckers gang were all still there, soon after, Dancing Eagle left, then, eventually, flash forward to 2018, and Eddie Spaghetti is the only original dude left. His style and wit is what keeps this show on the road, and it shines through on several songs on this record. Metal Marty has been there throughout the 2000's and he's alright and all I just think the 3 piece version of the Supersuckers of today is a cheap rendition of what I know and love, but there's some charm to that I guess.
#15 Tzimani
Tzimani
I normally won't put EP's on the countdown, but, I did put the new Fu Manchu hahaha, all Tzimani had to do is end it with a 18 minute droner and it's a LP. Anyway, Full Metal Racket hosted these dudes on their trek out here in support of this album, and I listened to this CD a bunch since. The sound is somewhat Armored Saint ish just a bit more thrashier I'd say.
#14 Primal Rite
Dirge Of Escapism
This Bay Area HC band plays what sounds more like thrash a la Power Trip than HC, but I'm an old guy. I met them at their first NY show, and Lucy the singer dropped us a radio show ID spot, the first time for this individual and it stoked me that I was the first DJ to approach the band, check for these jammers, pretty heavy shit.
#13 Lucifer
II
Lucifer is back, this time with one of my favorite Euro rocker dudes, Nicke Andersson of the Hellacopters. It's a super dreamy album with longer, slower jams than I, their debut album. I still dig it, with the addition of Nicke, makes it a rocker indeed.
#12 Foaming At The Mouth
Writhing
This duo death metal thrashers debut album is everything metalheads need, metal guitar riffage, huge crunchy breakdowns, fast blast beats, and death metal growling vocals, it's music to our ears!
#11 Mindforce
Excalibur
This one came out a little later in the year, so I am still soaking it in, though it totally rules. It's got the 90's hardcore sound like Snapcase and a lot like today's jam, Turnstile, just they are a bit heavier. This is mosh ready HC slam for all the punks, HC, and metalheads.
#10 King Witch
Under The Mountain
This album is great doom metal with powerful female vocals. The album starts off with a couple really heavy, fast jammers, then goes into a slower paced album, then picks back up towards the tail end. I listened to it repeatedly. This album was the soundtrack to my 2018.
#9 Ghost
Prequelle
You either love it or hate it, I personally love it. This one is a bit more 80's metal MTV pop fun but I can speak that! The instrumental tracks are great, and the sax solo is so bad ass for a rock record of today. The riffs in the song "Faith" are metal, I'm not sure it is anything else. I kinda don't wanna explain myself, you are have your mind made up, that I'm sure of.
#8 Turbowolf
The Free Life
Turbowolf's follow up to Two Hands, another #1 holder of the countdown just a few years ago. This one sticks to the crazy all over the map style of Turbowolf, with that slow building engine rev that they do.
#7 Zeke
Hellbender
Zeke is back after a long hiatus, bringing the same triple speed punk rock we've been missing. Zeke is another band that hit #1 on our countdown in 2001 with Death Alley. This album is relentless in its attack and I really don't know how I rated it #7 but I guess I got some jammers coming here!
#6 Turnstile
Time And Space
Turnstile is my workout jams, it has a good mid-paced groove and sweet breakdown riffs that keep me moving. I've heard they are like a HC 311 which is funny, but I think they have more of the Snapcase 90's hardcore influence that 311 was certainly lacking.
#5 Graveyard
Peace
This stoner rock/70's influenced rock n roll band ia great at their craft. This album carries the torch from their previous efforts and continues to bring the rock. The bluesy guitar and gravely voice makes for some mellow rocking for the average metaller, it rules.
#4 The Sword
Used Future
The Sword have taken a slightly different direction in their approach to stoner doom. I really like it to say the least, their Low Country album redo of High Country was great in my ears, and this I think continues in a positive direction for the band. Don't get too comfortable. They heed to their own words. I do too!
#3 Judas Priest
Firepower
Judas Priest made a record that probably should have been the record made after Painkiller. It starts off very strong with Firepower and Lightening Strikes, then into Evil Never Dies. Evil Never Dies has this Megadeth sound to it, though, of course, it made me realize that Dave's Megastylee is essentially Judas Priest redux. (mindblown). The album then slows down a bit and gets a bit run of the mill, rote ass metal, that some may enjoy, I have to skip the tracks. But with that, the bangers outshine the weak ones enough to make this #3, I listened to this nonstop all summer. It rules. Traitor's Gate is one of the best JP songs in a long ass time.
#2 Skull Fist
Way of The Road
Skull Fist is possibly one of the best new metal bands to come out since the 80's. This album leans real heavy on some old Scorpions sounds almost to a T. I love the dueling guitar attack, and the falsetto vocals, it takes me back to the 80's and that's my jam. It was a really hard decision not to make this #1, but...
#1 CAULDRON
NEW GODS
Cauldron does it again, #1 on our countdown. Next to Skull Fist, and Enforcer, this band is the best metal band to come out since the 80's. This album continues on their path of classic mid-80's American hair metal. It reminds me of a lot Dokken, with some heavy early thrash sounds of Metallica or Testament. The dirty bass sound finally can be heard clear as a bell which is another dimension to the old school metal sound these guys from Canada bring to the table. They were involved in a terrible accident on tour which hospitalized the guitarist for some time. It is good to see that they recovered and put out the best album of 2018. Cheers!
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