TOP TEN BAY AREA ALBUMS OF 2016
In
Black Cobra: Imperium Simulacra
February 26, Season Of Mist
Possibly the most brutal and relentless album yet! It seems like Black Cobra are almost a victim of their own success at this point, they are so productive, putting out solid album after solid album, that this one went well under my radar until the last minute! Also, they're so busy touring the Euro festival circuit that they barely seem like a local band, only rarely playing at home.
Body Void: Ruins
June 16, Transylvanian Tapes / Dry Couch / Crown And Throne
Muscularly heavy. At times, almost elegant in it's single purpose mission: to smother you with the unyielding weight of it's Earhammer / Greg Wilkinson production. Crushing.
Cardinal Wyrm: Castaway Souls
October 14, Svart
"Interesting doom," finally! Diverse, musical, magical, mysterious.
CCR Headcleaner: Tear Down The Wall
June 20, In The Red
Noisy blown alterna-grunge, butt-hole fuzz. The old Bay Area spirit that I miss: Offensively slovenly dirty, torn, shredded, rolling in beer mud, stained flannel, unapologetic.
Eerie: s/t
July 29, TeePee
Pretty good for hipster tattoo artist black metal! An all star cast of at least half Bay Area musicians, so I'll count it. I don't think they've ever played live?
https://soundcloud.com/actionmedia/sets/eerie-eerie
Glitter Wizard: Hollow Earth Tour
October 21, Heavy Psych Sounds
Their third and best album yet! Bay area mainstays of gay wizard heavy glam rock for ten years now! The songwriting overshadows the spectacle of this time, which is good.
Hammers Of Misfortune: Dead Revolution
July 22, Metal Blade
Hammers veered off an a twisted course over the last few albums that I could not quite follow, too operatic, too pop maybe. This year they came back out of the woods with something I can not only listen to, but can really enjoy! Heavier, faster, thrashier than anything they've done in awhile! Reminds me of why I used to like this band!
Negative Standards: Fetters
June 16, Vendetta / Negative Standards
More black metal, more interludes, but still the same old Nega-stan! Biting, totured vocals about what I can only assume is something very intense and politcal. I think this might have supposed to been a 2015 release, but there were crazy-ass delays at the pressing plant?
Pins Of Light: Home
January 16, Sound And Pressure
Motorhead meets Hawkwind may sound like an over simplification, and it is. Because you forgot that 90's post punk skate hardcore influence with the dual slashing guitars!
Void Omnia: Dying Light
June 20, Vendetta
Cool death / black metal, some really good riffs in there, pretty epic. Great debut from a new band.
Click down below for much more on Bay Area releases that came out in 2016!
