I'd talked myself out of doing an "End Of Year List" because I didn't feel I'd covered as many of this years releases as I wanted; however, on reflection it's been a pretty good year and I couldn't let it go without writing something. I've decided to go with a review of 2015 covering the blog's ten most read posts, as well as talking about some of my personal favourite records of the year (based on what I've written about) and to close out by looking ahead to 2016.
Most Read Posts of 2015
These are the posts or reviews that gained the most attention this year in order of views:-
10. Putrid Offal - Mature Necropsy (118 views)
10. Putrid Offal - Mature Necropsy (118 views)
French death metallers Putrid Offal released Mature Necropsy via Kaotoxin Records in February 2015. Death metal seems to have exploded this year and while this was one of the more straight-up releases of the year, it obviously struck a chord with you.
This 7" was the final recorded output from Black Years in early 2015, as they ceased shortly afterwards. A short but sweet slab of UK riffy punk. You can still pick copies up from Footloose Records (check the link in the review above).
In 2015 the UK lost another hard-working DIY label. Witch Hunter Records was around before this blog started and many of Chris's releases have been featured here, including the four in this review. Gone but definitely not forgotten.
2015 saw the release of this glorious 1-sided 12" via Dog Knights Productions. The blistering hardcore/screamo of Sweden's No Omega was one thing, but the etching on the B-side really made this record standout.
Southern Lord's continued habit of releasing heavy music from the archives continued in 2014 with the help of Overkill Records, when they released this rarities LP from US SXE band Brotherhood. This is your chance to check out a piece of hardcore history if you haven't already.
In March 2015 I ventured up to Edinburgh for the first edition of Doom Over Edinburgh. I was my first attempt at reviewing a gig/festival and despite drinking too much on the first night, I managed to rustle something together when I got back. The festival returns in 2016.
Caina released what was (in my humble opinion) one of the best LP's of 2015. Setter Of Unseen Snares was the first to feature the band's new vocalist and spawned a new chapter for the band. It still remains on constant repeat here, especially the haunting closer Orphan.
Cornwall's premier punk band Rash Decision released a banger back in 2014. It's release brought together a slew of labels and it proved what DIY ethics can do. There's still plenty of reasons to check this out, especially because they reissued it alongside Headstrung on LP last year!
This post was supposed to be the first of many scene reports, but for some reason ended up being the only one I posted in 2015. That said, it seemed to be pretty popular and it was really fun to do.
Finally, here's the post that got the most attention on my humble blog in 2015. A review of the 2014 split 12" by Old Soul and NIC. Screamo grew in popularity during 2015 and this split was an example of the sheer breathe of talent calling the genre home.
In terms of my highlights from 2015, there have been so many amazing releases that I've been privileged to be able to write about here. There are too many to list (nearly 200!), but I've narrow it down to the 30 that really made their mark on me (in no particular order):-
Caina - Setter Of Unseen Snares LP
Raccoon City Police Department - Nightlife LP
Crowns & Thieves - Gravity LP
Blue Friend - Home/Violence 7”
Hybrid Nightmares - The First Age EP
Occult 45 - Human Abhorrence
Formes - Dysphoria Part 1
Regresser - .2 EP
Simmer - Yellow Streak 7"
Torpor - From Nothing Comes Everything
Faces Of Eve - The Story So Far EP
Okazaki Fragments - Abandoned
IZAH - Sistere
O Graceful Musing's Burden - Im Draußen Bricht Sich Das Drinnen
All Out War - Dying Gods EP
Vacivus - Rite Of Ascension EP
Minors - Anno Domini EP
Bone Tomb - Tombs Of Blood Tape
Fell To Low - Low In The Dust
Disgrace - True Enemy
Total Fucking Destruction/Fubar - Split 7"
Altar Of Complaints/Seek/Stubborn Father/Thetan - Split 12"
Sangus - Pedicabo Mundi EP
Ithaca - Trespassers 7"
Venom Prison - The Primal Chaos 7"
Altarage - MMXV Demo
Pendulous - A Palpable Sense Of Love And Loss
Arcane North/Torver - From Moonrise To Moonset Split
Lychgate - An Antidote For The Glass Pill
Downers - Noose 7"
2016
It looks like 2015 has been a pretty good then! Looking forward to this year, it's going to be a busy one hopefully. Firstly, I'm about to begin uploading my second digital download compilation, Reverberations Vol. 2 and I'll be writing a big promo piece to go with it. I've got songs from over twenty bands from different genres and countries appearing on it.
Following that, I'm going to be interviewing a US post-hardcore/metalcore band. It's going to be a pretty special interview because the band in question haven't been active for over ten years and are from a period when I really started to take notice of underground and new bands.
I'm looking to build the blog's readership this year, develop a few new things including a podcast and I am looking to do some guest posts elsewhere (if people or publications are up for it?).
Finally, This Noise Is Ours has been nominated in the Arts & Entertainment: Music category for the 2016 UK Blog Awards. Public voting begins tomorrow so if you like the blog, please go to the following link and vote for me - http://www.blogawardsuk.co.uk.
Thank you for your continued support and interest over the last twelve months.
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