Ghost Cult once more brings you “End Of Year” lists, memories, and other shenanigans from our favorite bands, partners, music industry peers, and other folks we respect across the world from 2016. Today we have Pete Edwards, bassist of the awesome and awesomely named Mammoth Weed Wizard Bastard. Pete breaks down his top 10 albums of last year for our readers.
10. Sumac – What One Becomes
In 2006 I heard Isis for the first time and I’ve been fascinated by Aaron Turner’s songwriting ever since. There are very few people working in heavy music that can build to an apocalyptic riff the way he does. Sumac has those slow builds, but also mixes in abrupt switches between brutal riffs and improvised noise on an album that’s big, loud, ugly and uncomfortable in all the best ways.
9. Esperanza Spalding – Emily’s D+Evolution
I’m a bass player. I love other bass players. It’s the rules, especially when the player is as terrifyingly good as Esperanza Spalding. This record has her taking on the ‘Emily’ persona and a fretless electric in place of the usual upright bass to deliver a more rock infused sound that demonstrates her awesome tone, groove, compositional ability and that heinously beautiful voice
8. Aesop Rock – The Impossible Kid
I know some people struggle with Aesop Rock’s perceived verbosity and propensity for complex and abstract references, but The Impossible Kid has Aesop Rock at possibly his most direct and personal. The production on this album is his best to this point, too. Aesop Rock is an insanely talented and increasingly idiosyncratic artist.
7. Atticus Ross, Leopold Ross & Bobby Krlic – Almost Holy (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)
I actually stumbled into this through the work of Bobby Krlic (The Haxan Cloak) rather than the documentary itself. Krlic’s production has an unsettling darkness and heaviness that I find incredible. Teaming up with the Ross brothers for this soundtrack, they provide an ominous and unnerving atmosphere that reflects the darkness inside ‘Pastor Crocodile’ and also works perfectly as an album in its own right.
6. Neurosis – Fires Within Fires
Once upon a time I was sat on YouTube trawling for new sounds. An often fruitless activity, this time I got lucky. Locust Star loomed its way into my ears and I was introduced to Neurosis. Twenty years on from Through Silver in Blood and Neurosis still sound like Neurosis, but not in any tired paint by numbers way. As powerful and as relevant as ever, their myriad younger contemporaries still can’t keep up.
5. Injury Reserve – Floss
This album dropped in the depths of December, so was almost too late to make this list, but it squeezed itself in in time, and the singles ‘Oh S**t!!’ and ‘All This Money’ were, thankfully, accurate indicators of how good their sophomore album would be. Mixing jazz samples and aggressive bangers, a super versatile trio, hopefully this album gets them the attention they deserve.
4. Swans – The Glowing Man
I have huge admiration for artists, like Michael Gira, who are constantly moving forward, no lateral steps, laurels thoroughly non-rested upon. The Glowing Man is the third of a trilogy showcasing Swans in its current incarnation. Subtle and hypnotic, find 2 spare hours, a good pair of cans, strap in and melt away.
3. clipping. – Splendor & Misery
The soundscapes created by William Huston and Jonathan Snipes set the scene of a slave ship in deep space commandeered by Cargo 2331, whose story is told through the often dizzying, always articulate delivery of Daveed Diggs. A departure from the catchy hooks of predecessor CLPPNG, this project is a lesson in atmosphere and story telling. Hip-hop can take many forms, sci-fi concept laden noise music included.
2. David Bowie – Blackstar
Few artists will ever leave behind a body of work as impressive as Bowie, fewer still will remain relevant until their final day, and none will sign off with as poignant, beautiful and contemporary a work as David Bowie did here.
1. Death Grips – Bottomless Pit
Stressed out by the morning commute? As your medical professional I prescribe one copy of this album, a decent set of speakers, and offering no resistance whatsoever to the urge to bounce around the car like a damn fool. Overdose as necessary. The abrasive and bleak MC Ride, Zach Hill’s unique and glitchy drumming, the dissonant samples of Andy Morin and the effect-laden guitar work of Nick Reinhardt coalesce to form amongst the finest work in heavy music today.