Hank Wood

Fred Pessaro's favorite albums of 2018

Fred Pessaro — a lifer — was a long time BrooklynVegan and Invisible Oranges editor and show organizer before moving on to Noisey, CLRVYNT, Revolver, and other places. His taste in heavy music has helped shape not just our own coverage for over 10 years, but the music landscape as a whole. In addition to still occasionally contributing to BrooklynVegan and writing other places, and still booking shows, he also now works as a band manager. As the year is coming to a close, we’ve been publishing year-end lists from various music industry figures. Here’s Fred’s, who we’re always happy to have back:

2018 was a majorly odd year for me, with tons of personal triumph and transition. And while all of the below records meant a ton to me, I have omitted all records that actually meant the most — those which I have personal ties to as a band manager: Nothing’s Dance on the Blacktop, The Marked Men’s On the Other Side, Street Sects’ The Kicking Mule, Uniform’s The Long Walk and Uniform/The Body’s collaborative LP Mental Wounds Not Healing. Those five LPs are deeply important releases to me and would eclipse all of these if this was a list with inherent bias. That said, all of the below records are highlights for me, presented in no order and devoid of any single genre. I hope you enjoy these releases as much as I have.

Favorite Albums of 2018
Hank Wood & the Hammerheads – S/T
Silent Servant – Shadows of Death and Desire
Low – Double Negative
SHIT – What Do You Stand For?
Fiddlehead – Springtime and Blind
Sleep – The Sciences
Hyperdontia – Nexus of Teeth
Jean-Michel Blais – Dans Ma Main
Torture Rack – Malefic Humiliation
Vile Gash – Nightmare in a Damaged Brain
Big Bite – S/T
Skee Mask – Compro
Iceage – Beyondless
Demdike Stare – Passion
Robyn – Honey
Tomb Mold – Manor of Infinite Forms
Geld – Perfect Texture
Terry – I’m Terry
Makaya McCraven – Universal Beings
Earl Sweatshirt – Some Rap Songs

Favorite EPs, Demos, and 7”s of 2018
Warthog – S/T
Mil-Spec – Changes
CIVIC – New Vietnam
Tragedy – Fury
Temple of Angels Cassette
Tony Molina – “Kill the Lights”
Stigmatism – EP
Shogun & the Sheets – Hold on Kid

Honorable Mentions:
Mary Lattimore & Meg Baird – Ghost Forests
Bugg – S/T
Jesus Piece – Only Self
Kamasi Washington – Heaven & Earth / The Choice
City Hunter – Deep Blood
Kelly Moran – Ultraviolet
Marie Davidson – La Ecstase
Mandy Soundtrack
Infernal Coil – Within a World Forgotten
Clandestine Blaze – Tranquility of Death