Mick's Töp 15 Albums of 2018

It's been a much quieter back half of the year here then we typically are accustomed to, but life has taken over the driver seat for us : I was busy getting hitched, Durf was busy welcoming a new addition to his family, and as for Tom I do know those New York football Giants have been having a less than stellar year so I can only assume he's been finding some other ways to grieve. Despite all of these momentous event we had going on, we've kept up on all of what 2018 had to offer as best we could.

So without further ado, check out my Top 15 Albums of 2018 after the break!

Durf's Töp 15 Albums and 5 EPs/Splits/Demos of 2018

2018 was a pretty momentous year for me personally, as the Durfette and I packed up and moved from Chicago, IL, our home for over a decade, and moved out west to Boise, Idaho.  It's been a great move, but owning a home and finding a new job have definitely brought with them their own challenges, as has the addition of the Durfling just a few short weeks ago.  Because of this most recent addition, my year end lists are a bit scaled down this year; I won't be listing my favorite concerts (Fire in the Mountains, not even close), non-metal albums (Panopticon's The Scars of Man on the Once Nameless Wilderness, Part 2, similarly a Crimson Tide-level blowout), or songs (Marche Funébre's "Darkness" or Panopticon's "At the Foot of the Mountain"), because it's taking all of the limited time I have to put together this admittedly half-assed list of what I consider to be the best EPs/Splits/Demos and Metal Albums of the Year.  I hope that 2018 has been good to you and yours, and that big things are on the horizon for your 2019.  Let me know if you agree with my selections or think I missed something obvious in the comments, but don't fucking talk to me about Prequelle.  That record sucked and I'm pretty sure Ghost blew their load in two albums and is running on fumes.  Here are some albums that didn't make me want to bash my head in with a square hammer.

Exclusive Interview - Mike Scheidt (YOB)

It was with great pleasure that Durf and myself moseyed our way to down to Chicago's Thalia Hall this past Tuesday evening to talk shop with a true legend, Mike Scheidt of YOB.  While our interview was limited due to Mike needing time for vocal warm-ups, we were able to chat about the current tour, YOB's latest album, and Scheidt's positive approach to song-writing.  

Check out the interview after the break!

YOB Announce Details For Upcoming Album

I'm just going to be completely upfront about this; when YOB announced the release info and cover art for their upcoming album Clearing The Path To Ascend yesterday afternoon, I popped a chubbie. I've made no secrets on several different occasions in the Töpian realm that the Oregon doomsters reside in a pretty dear place in my heart, and there's a very distinct chance that this new record could cement that fact even further. Frontman Mike Scheidt 'n' Co. sated the appetites of fanboys like myself with a short teaser video (actually released in mid-May) of a studio performance of a track off the new record, which will be released on Neurot Recordings in September, and you can catch that and view the artwork for Clearing... after the jump. Get fucking hype.