Kris Aarre ’ s Album of the Year
Kris Aarre ’ s Album of the Year
1 . Architects – All Our Gods Have Abandoned Us
The story of this band has been beyond comprehension this year . Coming off the back of an album where they really honed in on a staple Architects sound , recording this fantastic album and a few intimate release shows , shortly followed by the passing of their guitarist Tom Searle . 2016 won ’ t be quickly forgotten . The album was released a few months before Tom ’ s passing and it was clearly going to rank quite highly in my albums of the year list , but since Tom ’ s passing it has taken on a whole new meaning . On the face of it , the album is proficiently written , with a lot of catchy hooks and huge choruses , but when you understand what the band was going through whilst writing the record , it brings a deeper connection . All Our Gods Have Abandoned Us isn ’ t just an amazing collection of songs , it is conceptually challenging and moving . Please , please , please go and check this record out . Listen to it in one sitting from start to finish , and if you can get through Memento Mori without shedding a tear , you ’ re one hell of a tough person to crack .
2 . Black Peaks - Statues
Back to something a little closer to home , British proggy alt rock band ( difficult to classify ) Black Peaks released this rager of an album back in April , and it ’ s retained a spot in my top 5 ever since . Their live show is one thing ( seriously check it out ), but this album has more twists and turns than the Nürburgring . A stand out vocal performance demonstrating a good range of sung vocals and incredible control over a monstrous scream . Check this out if you ’ re into anything on the more artistically challenging side .
3 . Letlive - If I ’ m The Devil …
The most exciting rock band in the world right now strike again with the soulful If I ’ m The Devil .... After producing two of the best albums this century with Fake History and The Blackest Beautiful , it may seem like a bit of a daunting task to follow , but Letlive pull out all the stops and deliver the most thought provoking and intelligent songwriting of their careers thus far . Too many stand out tracks to mention on this , but it is the third best album released in a crazy year .
4 . Zoax - Zoax
Zoax were one of the biggest surprises this year when we caught them supporting Funeral For a Friend on their farewell tour . Filling the room with enthusiasm and energy , I checked this album out as soon as I got home after the show . It ’ s as interesting on record as it is live , and the personality of frontman Adam Carroll shines through . It ’ s like a mix of alt rock and post hardcore , but there are calls out to Deftones in track Mirrors . There is not particularly vital track on this record , as the variation in styles is huge , but I do urge you all to check out The Wave . This song is a ballad , and I can feel myself going soft in my old age but it ’ s moving , intelligently written and the wall of sound when the song finally drops blocks everything else out of your brain for a short amount of time .
5 . The Dear Hunter - The Dear Hunter Act V : Hymns with the Devil in Confessional
Keeping a whole wealth of incredible albums at bay , in the best year we ’ ve had in alternative music for a while , is The Dear Hunter . A mixture of prog rock , folk rock , orchestral compositions which all have an element of musical theatre , Casey Crescenzo manages to take the listener on a journey through their emotions . From the soft folky delicacy of Light , contrasting the grandiose elegance of Gloria , please go away and give The Dear Hunter a spin .
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