As is traditional, we highlight some of the best non-album releases of 2018, plus a bunch more things. After you've checked out our favorite albums of the year, read this list to find out the best EPs that you missed, the strangest albums of the year, most-read reviews, non-punk/metal albums... and the top five saddest Infinity War deaths. You read that correctly.

Best EPs and split-records

Next to a shitload of darkness in my yearlist I also listened to some EPs and splits this year. I handpicked the ten best ones I’ve listened to this year and you will notice this list is a lot sunnier. Let me be honest with you: when I started this list I was only looking for EPs. Then I realised that one of the best things I heard this year is not on my yearlist, as it is a split record. So I cheated and included split albums in this list. Enough about breaking your own rules though: on with the list!

1. 

   Fluisteraars / Turia

   De Oord (Eisenwald Tonschmiede)

   Two Dutch black metal bands combine their forces on this brilliant split album. With only two songs this clocks in around 30 minutes. That should give you an idea of the type of black played here.

2. 

   Neighborhood Brats

   Night Shift (Taken By Surprise Records)

   I absolutely love this EP. I thought the band had quit and then this pops up. Strange enough I completely missed that their second album is released a couple of months ago.

3. 

   Tache

   Tache (TV Police Records)

   This band from Belgium plays old school punk. 70’s, early 80’s old school. It’s incredibly catchy and it’s really a shame this EP is over after only four songs. Gimme more!

4. 

   Rotterdam Ska Jazz Foundation ft. Bosco

   Big Horns (WTF Records)

   The second Dutch entry on this list. This is a really nice and catchy ska jazz release. Is it possible to combine the relaxed vibe of jazz with upbeat ska madness. Yes, it is! RSJF are here to prove it!

5. 

   Tragedy

   Fury (Tragedy Records)

   Darker Days Ahead was a bit disappointing. It's not a bad record, I feel it is just cannot compete with the brilliance that came before it. It’s been quiet a few years, but here’s a nice sign of life from these crusties. And the best thing: it is a return to form!

6. 

   Sun-0-Bathers

   Local Warming (Morning Wood Records)

   This is an ode to 90s skate punk. It’s done exactly right. Listen to this and you’ll want to grab your board and ride!

7. 

   The Number Ones

   Another Side of The Number Ones (Static Shock Records)

   I just loved this bands take on powerpop on their debut LP. The only thing: it was too short! A few years later and here’s four more tracks that would seamlessly fit on their debut. And still… I want more… GIMME!

8. 

   Superhero Status

   Escape The Herd (WTF Records)

   Another band from Belgium. Superhero Status are basically an ode to H2O. Nothing groundbreaking, just good old hardcore punk fun.

9. 

   Boygenius

   Boygenius (Matador)

   When Phoebe Bridgers and Julian Baker, two of my favorite singer songwriters team up with Lucy Dacus you may consider that a supergroup, I guess. Usually I am disappointed by supergroups. Not this time though. This is same brilliant stuff.

10. 

    Distillator / Space Chaser

    Split (This Charming Man Records)

    Perhaps I am more chauvinistic than I thought. Distillator is the fourth item on this list with Dutch roots. This split contains some good old thrashy speed metal. Both bands have a slightly different take on the genre which makes for an entertaining ride. Warning: this is contagious stuff!

- Dennis

Best Non Punk And Metal

My play-list is 90% punk and metal. If not more. The last couple of years I have noticed I need to hear something else every now and then. To cleanse my palate if you like. Looking at what I listened most (outside of punk and metal, that is) there's still plenty of dark music, but also sunshine in audio format.

1. 

   Hoshi

   Il Suffit D’y Croire (Jo & Co)

   I'll confess: French pop music is my guilty pleasure. This year I did not discover to much new music in this genre that I can recommend. However, Hoshi's debut makes up for all that. It's all hits and no filler if you ask me.

2. 

   The Eye Of Time

   MYTH II: A Need To Survive (Denovali Records)

   One review on this very website changed my musical taste drastically. This review to be precise. A perfect score makes me curious. It took me some time to get used this type of music, but this strange mix of electronics and a bit of classical music with a dash of punk spirit never ceases to amaze me. This years MYTH II is another great record in an almost flawless discography (I find Acoustics a difficult record). It's part two of a trilogy. I can only say I am looking forward to part three!

3. 

   Nils Frahm

   All Melody (Erased Tapes Records)

   This is minimal music at it's best. On All Melody I hear Nils Frahm discovering new sides of his trademark sound. The result is a beautiful and relaxing album. Perfect music for dark nights while enjoying poetry and a good glass of scotch.

4. 

   Zaz

   Effet Miroir (Jo & Co)

   Zaz is the singer that drew me into the French pop scene. Her albums are irresistable. This new album is again a mix of pop, gypsy music and a lot more all blended into one coherent sound. Oh, and that voice...

5. 

   Prairie

   After The Flash Flood (Denovali)

   Prairie operates in more or less the same genre as The Eye Of TIme. Prairie is more dark, more thunderous and less classical influenced though. This type of music is just epic. Like The Eye Of Time this could be the soundtrack for a movie; it is like this album is telling a story. So sit back and let the music take you to a different world.

6. 

   Cœur De Pirate

   En Cas de Tempête, Ce Jardin Sera Fermé (Dare To Care Records)

   More French goodness. Well, sort of. This is actually Canadian, but you could have fooled me. Again some catchy music. Perfect for roadtrips if you ask me!

7. 

   Nadia Struiwigh

   WHRRu (Denovali)

   I guess I could characterize this album as ambient techno, if that even means anything. It's very slow stuff, soundscapy, with nice interplay between electronics and (acoustic) instruments.

8. 

   Julia Holter

   Aviary (Domino)

   After two albums that were a bit easier on the ears Julia Holter returns to the musical region where she truly excels: avant-garde. This is some weird stuff and thus not an easy nut to crack. Give it a couple of tries though, you will be rewarded!

9. 

   The War And Treaty

   Healing Tide (Thirty Tigers)

   After all that ambient electronic stuff and those French pop-princesses this is nothing short of a stylistic u-turn. I've read comparisons to Ike And Tina transformed to today. And I can understand that comparison just fine.

10. 

    GoGo Penguin

    A Humdrum Star (Blue Note)

    Would this list be complete without a jazz record? No, it would not. This is a prime example of modern jazz. With just drums, double bass and a piano this trio creates a whole universe. It's weird and wonderful at the same time and it will keep you on the edge of your seat the whole ride!

- Dennis

• 

  :>PI)I(NYGT^T$E$W#@!

  Internet and Weed

  The first weird thing about this two-track album is the artist's name.  I'm not even sure how to begin pronouncing that.  The tracks feature glitchy, sometimes gurgling electronic tones over rumbling and pulsing bass, an almost nightmarish collision of sounds, but Internet and Weed is also notable for the pair of hallucinogenic videos that accompany the audio portion of the release which break down human forms into spastic pixellated shapes.

• 

  Kurushimi

  What Is Chaos?

  This atmospheric, sometimes mesmerizing and frequently eerie freakout of an improvised jazz album seems to pack a little bit of everything into its duration.  The album boasts some solid grooves and the diverse instrumentation leads to some fascinating sonic texture, with flurries of distorted guitar, honking sax, and alternately haunting and menacing vocals arguably answering the very question posed by its title.

• 

  Swamp Dogg

  Love, Loss, and Autotune

  Combining comically raunchy blues and heartfelt soul with copious amounts of autotune and synthpop effects, this latest effort from 76-year-old Swamp Dogg has to stand as a definitive singular work in his decades-long career.  On paper, this unlikely combination of genres and styles sounds like a bit of a trainwreck and the album does seem somewhat uneven, but it's surprisingly enjoyable - and often made me chuckle.

• 

  Machinefabriek

  With Voices

  What at first seems like a standard ambient album becomes something else once Machinefabriek introduces snippets of recorded speech and vocal exclamations into the mix.  While some pieces here are pretty straight-forward, some even playing like word association spoken word, others are a tapestry of unfamiliar sounds: word segments, foreign language, pops, gasps, hisses, sighs, and moans, all over a vaguely mysterious backdrop of synth and tape loops.  It's an interesting work of sound art that frequently has an appealingly earthy feel and strong sense of space in the audio mix.

• Stephanie Richards

  Fullmoon

  Trumpeter Richards' debut album of experimental jazz is stark and minimalistic, culminating in a hypnotic and unsettling two part title track.  There's a pervasive sense of apprehension and uneasiness to the work created by placing layers of processed and often tortured sounding trumpet and horn over eerie electronic backdrops and occasional percussion.  While it probably won't appeal to many listeners, those who appreciate mood will probably find something to like here.

- Andy

Top 10 metal EPs and split releases of 2018

The world of metal is enormous and alongside the plethora of incredible full lengths records that were released this year, extreme metal churned out an huge amount of additional material. EPs and splits can be used to bridge gaps between albums, to allow a band to experiment or to just get out into the world the music they've been working on due to large periods of creativity. This list attempts to collect some of those releases together. It is by no means exhaustive and despite wanting to listen to everything possible, it is obviously limited by time and ability to hear it all!

• Abyssal/Carcinoma

  Apanthropinization

  Combining two of the UK's most interesting death metal projects on one split is a stroke of genius and where Carcinoma are more direct, Abyssal take the cavernous route into the genre. Both contribute deathly atmosphere and the four tracks they each display are monumental. 

  Bandcamp link.

• Ancst

  Abolitionist

  Berlin's Ancst are one of the hardest working bands of the moment and 2018 was busy for them with two full lengths and several EPs to their credit. Abolitionist is the latest and it's a stunning showcase of just how much rage is still inside this band. 

  Bandcamp link.

• Dzö-nga/Wintaar

  Into The Heart Of Ice

  Hailing from American and Russia, respectively, Dzö-nga and Wintaar channel the frozen wastelands in their split release. Wintaar speak of the Dyatlov's Pass while Dzö-nga talk of the 1924 Everest expedition. Both are raw and pure in their own ways and together they find beauty in the harshest of landscapes. 

  Bandcamp link.

• 

  Farsot./ColdWorld

  Toteninsel

  Concept records are not unheard of in the world of metal and for Toteninsel the two German bands behind the music based their compositions on a painting by Swiss artist Arnold Böcklin. Finding themselves both interested in the subject matter, Farsot. and ColdWorld both created black metal that speaks of death and the elements. 

  Farsot.'s side.

  ColdWorld's side.

• 

  Horna/Pure

  Horna/Pure

  Finland's Horna have been on the black metal scene for over twenty five years but this year's split with Swiss entity Pure has shown no diminishment in their fire. Both bands play a similar style of black metal yet Pure's side is certainly the rawer of the two.  

  Bandcamp link.

• 

  Mephorash

  The Third Woe

  Sweden's Mephorash play a style of black metal that sits firmly in the occult and with The Third Woe they brought to us a taste of their future full length and a sound that pays homage to their past. 

  Bandcamp link.

• 

  Mesarthim

  Coma Wall

  Cosmic black metal has seen a huge upswing in popularlty in 2018 and Australia's Mesarthim are one of the band's leading that charge. Huge swells of synths, climbing guitars and desolate screams make up their sound.

  Bandcamp link.

• 

  Veldes

  Storm Borrower

  Veldes precede the release of Flameless in 2019 with an EP that speaks of beauty and loss with swathes of melancholy holding it all together. Atmospheric black metal at its finest, the Slovenian band takes all that is desolate and brings glimmers of hope to the feelings of despair that lay across the landscape. 

  Bandcamp link.

• 

  Void Ritual

  The Dreary Pale

  Void Ritual released three full lengths in 2018, which is a huge amount of material to be sitting on, and somehow found the time to put out this two track EP as well. Although the bandcamp page terms it as "just for fun," The Dreary Pale is a fully realised work that brings in symphonic elements and a sense of grandeur. 

  Bandcamp link.

• 

  Zatokrev/Minsk

  BIGOD

  While Zatokrev may not be a name as well known in the circles of sludge and post-rock that their split counterparts Minsk are, the Swiss band are by far one of the heaviest and progressive bands in the genre. Here, both groups contribute vocals to a track of each others, bringing a sense of camaraderie to the proceedings and devastating weight. 

  Bandcamp link.

- Cheryl

1. Groot

   The Giving Tree

   I know this one will probably stir up some controversy. Let me explain why Groot hit the hardest. It mostly stems (no pun intended) from Rocket's reaction and point-of-view. This is the second time he has had to lose Groot. If you're unaware, in the first Guardians of the Galaxy, Groot sacrifices himself to save the others. The Groot that emerges from Rocket's flower pot at the end is not the same Groot. It's a newborn that now views Rocket as his father figure. The Russos revealed that Groot's last words in Infinity War translate into "Dad." That's pretty rough.

2. Spider-Man/Peter Parker

   The New Avenger

   This is most likely the one a majority of viewers believed to be hardest to swallow. I won't argue that. It's pretty neck-and-neck. Tom Holland does a great job of selling his confusion and fear of what's happening. The darkest aspect of Spider-Man's dusting is that due to his spider-sense, he feels it coming well before it happens, unlike the others. His death is only brought down harder when you remember the excitement he feels to finally be dubbed an Avenger only to die on his first day. Oh yeah, being a kid doesn't help.

3. Loki

   The God of Mischief

   Loki is less sad and more shocking, as it comes at the start of the film. It sets the tone for the rest of the movie. The brutal way he goes made it a little hard to watch. It's probably more of my view on horrible ways to die. Being choked out and then eventually cracking the neck seems like such an incredibly horrible way to die. Loki's character had had the villainous role for most of his time in the movies. His death came at the cost of a last ditch effort to redeem himself and save his brother's life.  

4. Vision

   The Sacrifice

   I know I know I know. No one seems to really care about Vision. He spent most of the movie sitting on the bench. Allow me to explain why his death was monumental. Him dying twice in the same movie has little to do with it. Having to be destroyed by the love of his life was a little trite. The reason Vision has an effect is that he's essentially the only character to die that had been there from the beginning. It bummed me out to think I'd spent 10 years hearing Paul Bettany's voice, at first through Iron Man's mask and then as Vision, only to have it be gone. Having the stone ripped straight from his cranium was pretty ruthless too.

5. Falcon

   Who?

   No one really seems to care about Falcon and he's completely alone when he gets dusted.  Will he even be missed?

- Aaron H

Top 10 Most-Read SPB Reviews of 2018

Via some ghosts in the machine (well, website analytics), here's an automatically-compiled list of our most-read reviews across the entirety of 2018. Now, we're not suggesting that controversial bands attract lots of pageviews... but check out who's #1. These are our album reviews you wanted to read the most in 2018.

1

The Dwarves

Take Back the Night

Burger Records

Take Back The Night isn’t one of those experiment Dwarves records, like the industrio-tinge of Come Clean. On their latest offering, the long-running band alternates styles consistently between their unique and twisted take on bubblegum pop-pu ... Read more

2

Dödsrit

Dödsrit

Alerta Antifascista

After a couple of years of reviewing I’ve got a love-hate relation with genre definitions. I love ‘em because it makes my job so much easier. Just should a genre name and you, my dear reader, should have an idea about the sound of the record in question and if this ... Read more

3

Four Fists

6666

Doomtree

Four sixes, four fists, two rappers and some punchy production that’s equally space age and heavy hitting. It’s my own interpretation here, but the group name is more a reference to solidarity and kinship between rappers P.O.S and Astronautalis than it’s a st ... Read more

4

Daniel Miller and Terry Burrows

Mute: A visual document from 1978 – tomorrow

Thames & Hudson

For the uninitiated, and if you are, you might want to look at changing that immediately – shame on you: Mute Records (commonly known, referred to and stylized as “mute”) by and large is one of the most influential British independent platforms and record lab ... Read more

5

Stone Temple Pilots

Stone Temple Pilots

Atlantic

Jeff Gutt has a thankless task before him. Some might say impossible, even. He's replacing Scott Weiland, one of the most loved and recognizable frontmen of the last 30 years, who tragically died far too young.

He's also replacing Chester Be ... Read more

6

Baptists

Beacon of Faith

Southern Lord

Canadian hardcore is a weirdly veiled style. Like Canadian politics, it is highly deferential, often distinctly so. This means it both blends in with previous hardcore styles at the same time it writes original sounding songs, and it sounds highly derivative and mediocre despi ... Read more

7

Mark Lanegan

I Am the Wolf

Da Capo Press

I came late to the party when it comes to Mark Lanegan and his career.

It was him opening for Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds in 2013 and I was instantly overcome with the feeling that I have missed out on an intriguing man and his works.

Delving into his oeuvre an ... Read more

8

Watain

Trident Wolf Eclipse

Century Media

Spending any length of time with Watain will convince you of at least one thing: this is a band who means it. For this Swedish horde, black metal is life. It’s everything and for frontman Erik Danielsson it’s an integral part of his personality. Interviews with him ... Read more

9

Street Sects

The Kicking Mule

Flenser

This deviant punk/industrial hybrid sprout onto the scene in 2014 with their EP Gentrification I: The Morning After the Night We Raped Death, introducing their aggressive, noisy and extravagant sound. However, it was their debut record End Position& ... Read more

10

Perturbator

DANGEROUS DAYS

Independent

If Daft Punk were commissioned to score a cyberpunk horror film of the likes of Hardware, the resulting work may sound something like what Paris musician James “Perturbat ... Read more