Articles : Mitch Alexander’s Top Albums of 2015

Mitch was asked to write a paragraph or two in third person for the Album Of The Year wrap up. While he’s got no idea why it should be in third, Mitch is nothing if not a professional, so he’ll write this in third person, and he’ll write it well.

Mitch enjoyed a number of tours this year, particularly Eye Of The Enemy’s tour across Asia, and this is probably because Mitch is their vocalist. He also saw Behemoth and that was pretty alright.

As far as albums go, Mitch puts 2015 down as one of the best in a long time, so much so that he’s kinda pissed that he heard Drug Church’s album Hit your Head after writing his Top 10 list. And while Mitch is a professional, he’s also a lazy cunt, so instead of adding it to the list he’ll just mention it here. He reckons you should go listen to it.
This was the year Australian bands really became international; Thy Art Is Murder, Parkway Drive and Ne Obliviscarsiaisiis all made huge waves internationally, with critical acclaim for both their albums and overseas touring, while a heap of smaller bands bit the bullet and went overseas, doing super huge tours supporting some pretty big names. Smaller bands like Eye Of The Enemy, who have a very handsome vocalist.

The List

CRYPTOPSY – THE BOOK OF SUFFERING, TOME 1

2015 will forever be the year my favourite albums weren’t albums. Maybe it’s cheaper to release EPs, or maybe it saves more time for the day job every musician has these days, but because none of us want to actually buy anything any more, we’re left with really good bands releasing stripped down products because who gives a fuck if no one swings you some cash, it cost nothing to produce. This EP stands above all the rest, and is my EP Of The Year (lucky it). It’s absolutely slamming when it needs to be, which is about once per song, with the other 3 to 5 minutes being some of the tastiest tech death released since… the last Cryptopsy album, actually.
Listen to: Detritus (the one they kept)

YAUTJA – SONGS OF LAMENT
This album sounds like the arts major, LSD taking younger brother of Gojira. Maybe this is influenced by my time studying arts in Lismore, but I swear this album was recording in one of the woodwork art spaces at Southern Cross Uni. It’s spacey, considered, and almost ethereal in production, in a way that most metalheads would want Mastodon to be, and in the same way Warner Music are glad Mastodon aren’t. It’s also balls out heavy, with the groove finding purchase in odd time signatures and odder riffs. It’s fuzzed out, weird, and beautiful, like that nerdy girl you didn’t ask out in year 11 you fucking loser.
Listen to: Breed Regret

MY OWN PET RADIO – GOODLUM
Goodlum is a harrowing and crushing Australian release, full of dark passages, ruthless vocals, and a production so thick it could turn coal into diamonds after just one listen. This album is the sonic expression of pure evil and revulsion for a world so consumed with creating marketable and deliberately “offensive” advertising campaigns. And while absolutely none of that true, this is still probably my album of the year. Turn off the metal for one fucking hour and get some culture in your life, you dirty plebs.
Listen to: No Great Mystery

FIT FOR AN AUTOPSY – ABSOLUTE HOPE, ABSOLUTE HELL
This is still my favourite type of fast food music; a guilty pleasure, and one that is pleasingly consistent every time. Not much more to say. It’s deathcore with a few astounding tracks, a couple of lamer ones, and breakdowns for days. Rad.
Listen to: Wither

HATE ETERNAL – INFERNUS
I think I liked these guys before, but I can’t remember. I’d heard the name a bunch, and if memory serves (it doesn’t) I was a fan of an album from maybe a decade ago? Whatever, this album stands out and kicks ass. It’s the guitar tone; it never doesn’t sound like an apocalyptic swarm of locusts, and when you combine that super sweet sweet production with really nasty, threatening riffs, you get this album of gentlemanly, delightful death metal.
Listen to: The Chosen One

THE ARMED – UNTITLED
Actual album of the year for me. It’s abrasive, chaotic, thumpy and moshy when it needs to be, and thrashy and fucked the rest of the time. Aside from the big stomp riffs that come from nowhere (like the end of Rhythm 0, holy shit the outro is so heavy the only way I could get all the aggression out of my system would be to take up bricklaying as a career), what really got me about this album is all the hidden melody and progressive song writing. Behind the washed out, Converge-like sound are some of the coolest and most well considered songs of 2015. If you turned off the distortion and got him to sing, you’d probably have the next Beatles on your hand. Best bit? This, and all their albums, are free.
Listen to: Rhythm 0

RETOX – BENEATH CALIFORNIA
This one came in super early this year, and got on my radar because Greg Passiona from Dillinger was in their film clip. Lucky I stuck with them because that song isn’t my favorite. But this is really tasty, high pitched mathcore nonsense, played by (hopefully) self-away, painfully fashionable and hipper-than-thou music geniuses that probably know it. It’s fantastic.
Listen to: Die In Your Own Cathedral

DEAFHEAVEN – NEW BERMUDA
Just kidding, it’s terrible. Seriously, listen to Goodlum.

BURNING SEASON/CURSED EARTH
Again, another fucking jaw-dropping EP (or split, whatever), and this time it’s a bunch of Aussie bands killing it. I’m not even sure what genre this would be. Sledgehammer hardcore? Breakdown crust? Really Good Metal? My only complaint with this cut is that there aren’t enough tracks, and I know that’s a terrible cliche, but in this instance I think it loops back around to being a compliment – a split is usually about highlighting two or more bands, and getting people keen on groups they might otherwise miss. And fuck me it works. Both these bands can count me as one of those die hard losers that goes to their gigs and awkwardly talks about merch and dumb shit until someone is luckily distracted and can fuck off, terminating the conversation like my life should be.
Listen to: Burning Season – Martyr

TANNED CHRIST – ANTIPODEAN SICKNESS
I’ve followed the projects of Drew, Tanned Christ’s singer, for the better part of a decade now, cause it turns out the chump likes good music. From Hospital The Musical , to Totally Unicorn he’s been in band’s that scratch my itch for some Australian noisey nonsense along the lines of Botch, The Chariot, Norma Jean and all that rubbish a lot of you reading probably don’t like. Tanned Christ is more artsy and more aggressive than his other two bands, with a very deliberate sounds courtesy of the unique guitar tone, which sounds like fucking sheet metal hitting lamp posts in a typhoon. The record is a tightly controlled panic attack, but the live show gives it a power and drive that’s needed. Check them out when they come to town.
Listen to: Abscond

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