MY TOP 30 HARD ROCK/METAL/GOTH/PUNK/ALT ALBUMS & TOP 40 SINGLES OF 2018

Wow! 2018 really has been a fantastic year for music. Choosing my top 30 albums has been particularly difficult, and there are so many genuinely superb records that haven't made the list. I've made my selections on the strengths of these records as pieces of work in their entirety, as opposed to them having just one or two absolutely killer songs.

I could write an essay about how I've made my choices, but I won't bore you with that. I have linked my favourite albums to my reviews, and, if you scroll further down, you'll find my favourite singles of 2018 which I've linked to YouTube videos and audio.

It's been a pleasure reflecting on all of the amazing albums that were released this year, and my personal favourites are as follows (Drum roll please...):

01.   GHOST - Prequelle

02.   JUDAS PRIEST – Firepower

03.  TURBONEGRO – RockNRoll Machine

04.  HANK VON HELL – Egomania

05.   THE AWAKENING – Chasm

06.   MGT – Gemini Nyte

07.   AMARANTHE – Helix

08.   HALESTORM – Vicious

09.   BILLYBIO–Feed The Fire

10.   LETTERS FROM THE FIRE – Letters From The Fire

11.   DEE SNIDER – For The Love Of Metal

12.   BEAUTY IN CHAOS – Finding Beauty In Chaos

13.   W.E.T.- Earthrage

14.   VENUES- Aspire

15.   DIAMANTE– Coming In Hot

16.   PARKWAY DRIVE - Reverence

17.   LIGHT THE TORCH - Revival

18.   HARDCORE SUPERSTAR - You Can’t Kill My Rock N’ Roll

19.   THE CRUEL INTENTIONS – No Sign Of Relief

20.   OTEP - Kult 45

21.   SICK N' BEAUTIFUL -Element Of Sex

22.   CHASING DRAGONS - Faction

23.   STRIKER – Play To Win

24.   KOBRA AND THE LOTUS – Prevail II

25.   PRIMAL FEAR -Apocalypse

26.   URIAH HEEP -Living The Dream

27.   U.D.O. -Steelfactory

28.   MARMOZETS-Knowing What You Know Now

29.   OF MICE & MEN -Defy

30.  MEGARA - Aqui Todos Estamos Locos

SINGLES

Choosing my favourite 30 songs of 2018 has been even harder than the albums. So, for the first time, I've decided to do a Top 40 instead, as there are so many amazing songs that deserve a mention.

As always, I have certain rules:

Only one song per artist (This stops Ghost from clogging up the top 5).

Any single released prior to an album due the following year is excluded. For example, Habits by Marmozets was released in late 2017, but the album didn’t come out until early this year, so that’s why the track is in the 2018 list.

Oh, and re-releases are excluded.

I hope you enjoy my pick of top tunes for the year. Feel free to argue over my choices, share your own lists etc. Seriously though, if there’s anything here you haven’t heard, click the link and have a listen. There’s so much fantastic new music out there, it’d be a shame to miss out on what could be your new favourite jam.

01.   GHOST– Rats

02.   PARKWAY DRIVE – The Void

03.   MGT– All The Broken Things

04.   THE AWAKENING – Back To Wonderland

05.   HELALYN FLOWERS – Run Away (With My Demons)

06.   AMARANTHE– Inferno

07.   HANK VON HELL – Bum To Bum

08.   THERAPY? - Callow

09.   LIGHT THE TORCH – Calm Before The Storm

10.   BAD WOLVES – No Masters

11.   W.E.T. – Urgent

12.   BEAUTY IN CHAOS - Storm

13.   DIAMANTE – Haunted

14.   THE CRUEL INTENTIONS – Reckoning

15.   HALESTORM – Black Vultures

16.   VENUES - Lights

17.   RISE OF THE NORTHSTAR – Nekketsu

18.   SKINDRED- Machine

19.   BILLYBIO - Untruth

20.   BURY TOMORROW – Black Flame

21.   STRIKER – The Front

22.   FU MANCHU – Intelligent Worship

23.   MARMOZETS- Habits

24.   GOST– Sigil

25.   BULLET– Ain’t Enough

26.   CHASING DRAGONS – Bareknuckle Lover

27.   FOLLOW THE CIPHER – The Rising

28.   HARDCORE SUPERSTAR – You Can’t Kill My Rock N’ Roll

29.   KAMELOT – Amnesiac

30.   LORDI – Haunting Season 

31. CARPENTER BRUT - Beware The Beast 

32. THE PRODIGY - No Tourists 

33. TURBONEGRO - Hurry Up And Die 

34. KOBRA AND THE LOTUS - Losing My Humanity 

35. SICK N' BEAUTIFUL -New Witch 666 

36. BIG TIME KILL - Answer 

37. THE NIGHT FLIGHT ORCHESTRA - Turn To Miami 

38. LUCIFER - Phoenix 

39. LETTERS FROM THE FIRE - Harley 

40. LOVEBITES - Pledge Of The Saviour