Favourite Records of the Year. Selected by: Dreadnought

von Heavypop am 11. Dezember 2015 in ...in english please!

Most likely the Jack-of-all-trades of 2015, no other band proved as effortless that the borders of progressive rock, doom, pop and heavy metal are hazy at best. With Bridging Realms, Dreadnought created a chimera of genres that floats fascinatingly above these categories. Just take one look at the favourite records of the year by the four-piece from Colorado, and you know where their broad stilistic approach stems from: Kelly Schilling, Jordan Clancy, Kevin Handlon and Lauren Vieira tell us their Top 5 records of the year.

Kevin Handlon

Leviathan – [amazon_link id=“B00R4W2NH0″ target=“_blank“ ]Scar Sighted[/amazon_link]

One of the darkest records I’ve heard in my life, and a testament to black metal’s room for growth, even at such a late stage in its existence.

Bosse-De-Nage – [amazon_link id=“B00TTLS8LO“ target=“_blank“ ]All Fours[/amazon_link]

Inspiring, majestic, triumphant black metal that dug deep to find the rock inside.

VHÖL – [amazon_link id=“B0131GUXVU“ target=“_blank“ ]Deeper Than Sky[/amazon_link]

This bands ST was a highlight of 2013 for me, and I thought at the time it would be hard to top, but it seems they’ve done it again. A record that somehow accumulates everything I love about metal.

Enslaved – [amazon_link id=“B00RBD0IEC“ target=“_blank“ ]In Times[/amazon_link]

Reminding us that prog can be fun.

Drudhk – [amazon_link id=“B00U0RAWPG“ target=“_blank“ ]A Furrow Cut Short[/amazon_link]

A return to form for a band I’ve always loved.

Lauren Vieira

KEN mode – [amazon_link id=“B00VJ57G66″ target=“_blank“ ]Success[/amazon_link]

This album brings the hevs. I end up yelling along with Jesse, usually alone in my car, suddenly mad for no reason at all. Success fills my bones with adrenaline and noise.

Kendrick Lamar – [amazon_link id=“B00UDDM7K0″ target=“_blank“ ]To Pimp A Butterfly[/amazon_link]

Kendrick is a master of cadence. I listen to him when I need therapy, when I’m feeling stagnant, when I need to feel art instead of just sound. He inspired me to delve into creative writing, and this album is as smooth and beautiful as ever.

Abrams – Lust. Love. Loss.

These guys are not only close friends, but they experiment with their genre in ways that people aren’t accustomed to, and barely notice, but then all they remember is how bad they wanted to jump on stage and beat the crap out of something.

Frank Turner– [amazon_link id=“B00ZJQ3B4M“ target=“_blank“ ]Positive Songs for Negative People[/amazon_link]

Frank Turner and his many projects (Möngöl Hörde, anyone?) touch every feeling in the spectrum in exactly the right ways. FT writes about humanness, and it has a way of sucker-punching me in the gut when I crave that feeling of vulnerability.

Swallow the Sun – [amazon_link id=“B015S12SO6″ target=“_blank“ ]Songs from the North I, II & III[/amazon_link]

This band has always been a huge influence, and taught me plenty about the role of my instrument in darker music. They make painful and solemn music beautiful. There is often so much buried beneath the surface that haunts us, and they managed to capture that in yet another enchanting record.

Kelly Schilling

Magma – [amazon_link id=“B00LALVRBO“ target=“_blank“ ]Slag Tanz[/amazon_link]

I watched Magma perform this album before hearing it on record and it blew me away to the point of holding back tears. The album is not dark in the gloomy sense, but it brings out the darker, intense side of prog while showing off a lifetime of musical growth.

Arcturus – [amazon_link id=“B00U6003GA“ target=“_blank“ ]Arcturian[/amazon_link]

I have always been a fan of the textures Arcturus brings forth in their music, mixing classical, symphonic, and electronic elements with metal, and this album does not disappoint. What drew me in particularly were Vortex’s vocals. He has an incredible range and control, not to mention a creative approach to melodies and storytelling.

Sunn O))) – [amazon_link id=“B0161H1LR6″ target=“_blank“ ]Kannon[/amazon_link]

I can listen to this album on repeat for hours. I feel as if I am surrounded, enveloped within the guitar tones while listening. It is incredibly meditative and hits a certain emotive spark.

Pyramids – [amazon_link id=“B00UDF7A32″ target=“_blank“ ]A Northern Meadow[/amazon_link]

If Blut Aus Nord and Kayo Dot had an offspring, it would sound like this record. It is both haunting and beautiful.

Enslaved – [amazon_link id=“B00RBD0IEC“ target=“_blank“ ]In Times[/amazon_link]

An old favorite releases another great album. It took me a while to really enjoy this record due to some of the catchier riffs, but over time I grew to love it.

Dreadnought online: Facebook | Bandcamp |

Thanks, Dreadnought!

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