Choosing an album of the year for 2017 has proven tough. While we were thinking about our own pick for AOTY, we opened the floor to musicians to share their favourite album of 2017, their favourite tracks, and why they loved it.
Holding Absence
James Joseph – Bassist
James’ Album Of The Year: Creeper – Eternity, In Your Arms [Stream via Spotify]
“The main singles are all super strong: “Hiding With Boys”, “Suzanne”, “Black Rain” and “Misery”. I grew up on skate punk such as early AFI, Millencolin and Alkaline Trio. I really like how you can hear these influences in the core sound of Creeper’s music, this angsty style of music combined with incredibly written radio rock choruses and a cult aesthetic makes Creeper a firm favourite! I also LOVE the bass tone.”
Aburden
Kylan Ridings – Drummer
Kylan’s Album Of The Year: A tie between Young Lions‘ Mr Spaceman [Stream via Spotify] and Movements‘ Feel Something [Stream via Spotify]
“”Full Circle” and “Deadly Dull” hit me the instant I heard them and I can’t stop listening to them. Movements’ tracks are so poetic and smooth flowing that they just keep me so connected to the song. By way of Mr Spaceman, “Better World” is INSANE. The ending build is so intense and just perfect.”
Ambleside
Jono Young – Bassist
Jono’s Album Of The Year: Code Orange‘s Forever [Stream via Spotify]
“The title track “Forever” is an absolute ripper, my personal fav would have to be “Bleeding In The Blur”. Special shoutout to “Real” and “Ugly”.
This album really brought Code Orange to the forefront of the metal/hardcore scene and deservedly so. You can really tell how much effort went into making this a complete project that flows so seamlessly together, track by track.
To be able to go from a song like “Real” which is one of the heaviest songs on the record into “Bleeding In The Blur” which is an out and out grunge banger, and it not feel out of place just goes to show how much pride Code Orange put into the product. Everything from the artwork down to how they present themselves live and on social media has been thoroughly thought out and they are duly reaping the benefits, bagging tours with bands like System Of A Down, Gojira and Opeth and a TV appearance on WWE, crazy shit.”
Thousand Below
Devin Chance – Lead Guitarist/Songwriter
Devin’s Album Of The Year: Hundredth‘s RARE [Stream via Spotify]
Devin’s Favourite Track: “Shy Vein”
“What I really like about RARE is how drastically Hundredth decided to shift their sound. While the style of their newest record may not suit some of those in their original fan-base, I’m personally a big fan of the direction they went, both sound-wise and aesthetically with their album art. This record reminds me of Whirr, and as a fan of shoegaze, I couldn’t be more interested to see where they go with this new approach.”
Belle Haven
Thomas Mitchell – Bassist
Tom’s Album Of The Year: Paramore‘s After Laughter [Stream via Spotify]
“It’s a really good mixture of melancholy lyrics with upbeat music that still match each other super well.
“Hard Times” – It’s a mature progression from their older stuff.
“I Told You So” – Has a super catchy guitar riff that leads it. Has voicing like a lead vocal.
“Fake Happy” – The lyrical content in this track is really well done but somewhat blunt and real.”
Citizen
Nick Hamm – Guitarist
Nick’s Album Of The Year: Cende‘s #1 Hit Single [Stream via Spotify]
Nick’s Favourite Track: “What I Want”
“The ambitions on this album are not necessarily there to challenge or polarize, but rather to lock inside your head. “What I Want” is the best example of that. The melodies and instrumentation could’ve come off a classic album. There hasn’t been an album this year that stuck with me so immediately.”
The Gloom In The Corner
Nic Haberle – Drummer
Nic’s Album Of The Year: Alpha Wolf‘s Mono [Stream via Spotify]
“My favourite tracks were the golden fate tracks (“Golden Fate; Water Break” and “Golden Fate; Gut Ache”). The emotion that you can get from those tracks particularly the chorus in gut ache is incredible. Their unconventional musical style works really well with the lyrical content and in particular those two tracks. The slow breakdown at the end of water break has a crushing effect and never fails to get me angry.”
Listen to The Gloom In The Corner
DBMK
Kyle Knudsen – “Singer, some guitar and keyboard, dramaticist.”
Kyle’s Album Of The Year: Bleachers‘ Gone Now [Stream via Spotify]
Kyle’s Favorite Tracks: “Everybody Lost Somebody”, “I Miss Those Days”, “I’m Ready to Move On/Mickey Mantle Reprise”
“The first time I listened to Gone Now was the night that it released and I was driving home with Colton and DBMK’s creative director, Phil. From the minute I heard the first transient I knew the entire record would be one of the most honest things I’ve ever listened to, and it would be a near perfect follow up to 2014’s Strange Desire.
Jack Antonoff is a lost novelist with this work; laying it all out in such a way that’s brutal and not always pretty in places. A lot of songwriters can get caught up in their own romanticism and sort of anguish on about it for bits (I am entirely guilty of doing this) but Jack hardly shows any moments of false grandeur or pretentiousness. Things like,
“I’m up in my room tonight whistling, wind out my teeth ‘Cause somebody didn’t fix them nice, well some things just don’t turn out right.” Are you kidding?!! That’s what it’s all about.
Aside from the songwriting, the sound of this album is exactly what alternative music needed. The synth heavy, choppy piano full, and left-field production brings this album to crazy heights that no one had ever heard before; but I promise, you’ll start to hear A LOT more of it in the following year. I cant get enough of the Talking Heads and Brian Eno style percussion woven between weird TV show samples and way compressed and MPC chopped piano and guitar. It’s crazy.
Gone Now is the kind of album that makes you feel everything all at once but somehow it’s totally cool and organized and perfect. At the very least, Gone Now will make you want to shop for Doc Martens on depop. Just listen to it.”
Deadlights
Dylan Davidson – Vocalist
Dylan’s Album Of The Year: ’68‘s Two Parts Viper [Stream via Spotify]
“It was a hard choice because this has been such an incredible year for new music, but this album really got me for two reasons.
The first is how it blends hardcore elements with rock & roll. The riffs are reminiscent of the music I grew up listening to but at the same time, the songs will twist on their heads and get real funky. Standouts of this are “Whether Terrified or Unafraid” & “This Life Is Old, New, Borrowed and Blue”.
The other reason is because some songs are just new, quirky takes on heavy music. The main standouts for this are “Life Has Its Design” & “What More Can I Say”. Both songs are so interesting in terms of timbre. “LHID” has this grimey sub-bass throughout the whole thing and the vocal effects are whacky. “WMCIS” has trumpets.
Enough said, I’m sold. Also the lyrics are touching and the way his vocal rhythm flows is so bizarre. Check it out when you get a chance, especially if you write music. It’s a journey that will inspire you to think outside the box.”
Alpha Wolf
Scottie Simpson – Guitarist
Scottie’s Album Of The Year: Kublai Khan‘s Nomad [Stream via Spotify]
Scottie’s Favourite Tracks: “The Hammer” and “8 Years”
“Funnily enough when i first heard this album it really didn’t click with me. I really enjoyed their previous albums after seeing them live last year at Invasion Fest but this one just didn’t do anything for me with my first listen over. Left it for a couple weeks and after coming back to it I couldn’t turn it off. Its simplistically heavy and in a complete style of its own, which are two things that are not easy to nail in today’s day and age. Lyrical content is really personal and matched with the delivery of Matt’s intense vocals makes it hit so hard. Was a privilege to be able to share the stage with them at this years invasion Fest and hear a couple of these new songs live.”
