Please note: This list is not culled in any way from the Readers Poll, which is ongoing. If you haven’t yet contributed your favorites of 2015 to that, please do.

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I’ll note right away that this list started out as a top 10. When it came to it, it didn’t seem fair to cut it off. Too much left out. It gets to a point where you look at your list of honorable mentions and it’s like three times as long as your list itself and you realize maybe you should up the numbers and give a few more records their due. So yeah, a top 20 it is.

The temptation with a list like this, especially since it’s dealing with bands working on their first full-length albums (EPs are counted separately), is to think of it as indicative of future movement overall, to try and measure some overarching trend from some of the best outings of the year. I’m not sure that’s a fair approach either to the bands who made these records or to everyone else who might come after, but if we step back and look at what’s presented in the list below, we see veterans resurfacing in new incarnations, new, young groups coming together with classic ideologies, a bit of heavy extremity, psych melding with pop, heavy rock going prog and much more.

What all that tells me is that notions like “underground” and “heavy,” these vague terms that get applied so liberally, are constantly expanding. Whatever their individual sound might be, these bands all pushed ahead an overarching stylistic progression in whatever they’re doing, and like the best of debut albums, they held promise for further growth beyond this already impressive output. It’s less about which seems like an immediate landmark, touchstone, whatever, than it is about what sets up and effectively begins that development going forward, though striking a chord in the present never hurts either.

To that end, here we go:

The Obelisk Presents: The Top 20 Debut Albums of 2015

1. Brothers of the Sonic Cloth, Brothers of the Sonic Cloth
2. Death Alley, Black Magick Boogieland
3. Cigale, Cigale
4. Kind, Rocket Science
5. Fogg, High Testament
6. Crypt Sermon, Out of the Garden
7. CHRCH, Unanswered Hymns
8. With the Dead, With the Dead
9. Demon Head, Ride the Wilderness
10. Sacri Monti, Sacri Monti
11. Stars that Move, Stars that Move
12. Chiefs, Tomorrow’s Over
13. Sunder, Sunder
14. Ecstatic Vision, Sonic Praise
15. Bison Machine, Hoarfrost
16. Serial Hawk, Searching for Light
17. Cloud Catcher, Enlightened Beyond Existence
18. Khemmis, Absolution
19. Sumac, The Deal
20. The Devil and the Almighty Blues, The Devil and the Almighty Blues

Honorable Mention

By way of honorable mentions, first I have to give a nod to Foehammer‘s self-titled debut EP, which would be on this list probably in the top five if not the top three were it not for the fact that, as noted, it’s an EP. Its list will come. The 2015 release of Horsehunter‘s self-titled on Magnetic Eye was killer as well, but since the album initially came out in 2014, it didn’t seem fair to include it in the list proper.

Releases from Killer Boogie, Snowy Dunes, Sweat Lodge, Planes of Satori, DoctoR DooM, Lasers from Atlantis and Lords of Beacon House (I heard the EP, not the LP) also provided thrills a-plenty, and while I recognize that sounds like sarcasm, please rest assured it’s not. I’m sure there are others, and as always, I reserve the right to tweak mentions and numbers over the next however many days, weeks, years, etc.

Notes

There wasn’t much mystery to this one for me. Brothers of the Sonic Cloth held onto that top spot for most of the year, and it seemed like no matter what came along, the wall of sound that Tad Doyle and company built on that record simply would not be torn down. As oppressive in tone as it is in atmosphere, it was a long-awaited debut that produced devastating results the ripples from which I expect will continue to resonate well into 2016 and beyond.

Brothers of the Sonic Cloth is one example of a veteran presence finding a new home, as several did this year. See also, Sumac with former members of Isis, Ecstatic Vision with players from A Life Once Lost, With the Dead with members of Cathedral and Ramesses coming together for the first time, Kind drawing its lineup from the likes of Roadsaw, Milligram, Rozamov and Elder, and even groups like Sunder, who previously released an album together under the moniker The Socks before abandoning that project in favor of the current one, as well as Sacri Monti, with a member from Radio Moscow in tow, Cigale, who had two members from Sungrazer, Stars that Move which sprang from Starchild, and Death Alley with members of Mühr, Gewapend Beton and The Devil’s Blood showcased how one band flows out of another and out of another, and so on.

That Death Alley debut had charm worthy of its title — which was also my favorite of the year — and showed the potential of that band to set up a real stylistic range going forward. I hope they continue to expand, get a little weird and freaked out and keep that core of songwriting and forward drive that makes Black Magick Boogieland so propulsive. For new bands, Cigale‘s self-titled was beautiful, but would later become tinged with tragedy following the death of guitarist/vocalist Rutger Smeets earlier this year. Not to mention friends and family, his is a significant loss for European psychedelia as a whole, and while that was inarguably one of the low points of 2015, the album itself remains a gorgeous statement.

Young acts like Fogg, Demon Head, Bison Machine, Sunder, Cloud Catcher and even Sacri Monti showcased varied takes on classic heavy, some more into boogie and jams and some looking for something a little rougher edged. Cloud Catcher‘s progressive take was a particularly pleasant surprise, while Sunder‘s psychedelia teemed with melody and a cohesive presence born out of what could’ve been unhinged otherwise. Between these, the heavy riffing of The Devil and the Almighty Blues and Serial Hawk, the formative fuzz of Chiefs, the resonant doom of Khemmis and the righteous traditionalism of Crypt Sermon, the notion of genres and subgenres as an ever-expanding universe seemed to be playing out on a weekly basis.

This, invariably, leads to new extremes, which in turn brings me to CHRCH. Like Foehammer, whose EP is in honorable mentions, the Unanswered Hymns long-player from CHRCH was a bright spot especially for how little light it seemed to let escape its abyssal grasp. They’re an easy bet for a band to catch on because they’ve garnered a formidable response already, but what sticks out to me most about them is the sense of pushing established parameters into fresh territory. What they’ll do in the months and years to come of course remains to be seen — they could break up tomorrow; it happens — but where a group like Primitive Man are almost singularly based on extremity of pummel and brutality (not to take away from them), CHRCH have the space in their sound for a multi-faceted progression, and that’s a huge part of what made Unanswered Hymns so encouraging.

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I know there were many more debut LPs than these released this year, and even more debuts that were EPs and demos of note and things like that. The reason I single out debut albums for a list is because it’s among the most pivotal offerings a band can make. You’ll never get to release a second debut record. Some bands never live theirs down, some never attain quite the same level again and struggle with it for decades. Either way, it’s no small thing to get a group together and bring it to the point of putting out a first long-player, and that accomplishment in itself, regardless of the results, is worth highlighting.

No doubt I’ve left a few excellent offerings out. I hope you’ll let me know in the comments what debut albums landed hardest with you in 2015. In any case, thanks for reading.

 

Southwestern trio Chiefs will officially release their debut album, Tomorrow’s Over, next Tuesday on Roosevelt Row Records CD/DL (vinyl in May on Battleground). A current of straightforwardness runs through the record’s 11 tracks, four of which are inherited from Chiefs‘ 2013 demo, Buffalo Roam, and those songs — “Buffalo Roam,” “Palms,” “1999” and “Tomorrow’s Over” — feature in prominent spots. “Buffalo Roam” opens, “Tomorrow’s Over” closes, and “Palms” and “1999” are spaced between newer cuts like “Like a Match,” “Tesla” and “Sharpshooter,” which affirm among other things that Chiefs knew what they were going for their first time out. That demo, recorded as a two-piece with guitarist/vocalist Paul Valle and drummer Stephen Varns — the band is now Valle, bassist Jeff Podeszwik and drummer Kevin Michel — is still available to download, and while of course the sound is fuller as a three-piece and more developed, the basic structures are pretty much intact. And structure is a big part of what Chiefs do.

As noted, Tomorrow’s Over is a straightforward affair. There’s little trickery involved, and the album’s 45 minutes work more as a showcase of heavy rock songwriting prowess than of stylistic experimentation. That is to say, Chiefs have their paperwork in order; they sound assured in their presentation and are ready to continue progressing from here. One rarely thinks of a debut album as a stopgap — and I wouldn’t call Tomorrow’s Over one either, as it would take away from the substance and vibe Valle, Podeszwik and Michel have working in their favor throughout — but the thrust in a song like “Lows and Highs” and the Truckfighters-style percussive tension in “Peel” speak to an eagerness on the part of the three-piece to get on with it. I’ve received no word that one is, but I wouldn’t be surprised at all to learn a follow-up to Tomorrow’s Over was already underway in some fashion. Again, that doesn’t mean Chiefs‘ debut can’t stand on its own. In tone and catchiness, they envision a post-Kyuss incarnation of Helmet, more heavy rock than noise, but with a few-frills undertone that comes through in their verse/chorus tradeoffs, in the turns of mood between “Like a Match”and “Ride” near the start of the record and in Valle‘s vocal approach, which recalls Page Hamilton circa “Unsung.”

One could pick any number of tracks to represent the whole of Tomorrow’s Over, since they feed into a central vibe that persists across the span, but “Vovi” is a particularly efficient encapsulation of what Chiefs are able to make work so well in dealing with familiar elements and crafting something concrete and engaging from them. The crunch of their tones is immediate, but “Vovi” smoothly shifts between open-sounding verse thud and the hooks of its instrumental bridge and subsequent chorus. While grooving, it asks little more of the listener than participation in that process, as Chiefs remain wholly unpretentious throughout Tomorrow’s Over, of which “Vovi” is the penultimate track before the title cut closes out. For anyone who heard Chiefs‘ 2014 split with Fuzz Evil (review here), it should make a suitable answer to the potential that they showed on that release while also setting up the creative growth that they seem so eager to get moving.

Please find “Vovi” on the player below, followed by some quick bio background from the PR wire, and enjoy:

CHIEFS originally began as a two-piece back in January of 2012 in Phoenix, AZ, but after years of releasing demos, touring and playing often around the Phoenix Valley, the duo made the decision to relocate to San Diego, CA. Shortly after, they released a four-song demo entitled Buffalo Roam, and did numerous short west-coast tours to support it. Eventually the group became a three-piece with the permanent addition of bassist Jeff Podeszwik, who filled out the low-end of the band and transformed their sound.

Hot off the heels of releasing a split 7″ with Fuzz Evil through Battleground Records, CHIEFS have returned with a debut full-length record in the bag, entitled Tomorrow’s Over. It was recorded at Arcane Digital Recording Studio in Chandler AZ and recorded, mixed and mastered by Ryan Butler (Landmine Marathon/Unruh). The record will be out on February 24th through Roosevelt Row Records on CD/DD, with a vinyl reissue through Battleground Records shortly thereafter.

Chiefs on Thee Facebooks

Chiefs on Bandcamp

Roosevelt Row Records’ BigCartel store

Roosevelt Row Records on Thee Facebooks

Tomorrow may be over, as the title of Chiefs‘ forthcoming debut full-length posits, but rest assured, yesterday yet arrived. When will then be now? Soon.

The Southern California/formerly Phoenix, Arizona, trio were heard from not all that long ago on a split with Fuzz Evil that was streamed here, and those looking for a sneak peak at what Tomorrow’s Over will hold might do well to check out their 2013 Buffalo Roam demo on Bandcamp or below as well, since all four songs from that release have been included on the album. The cover art and track info have been unveiled, as well as the Feb. 24 release date through Roosevelt Row Records — vinyl will reportedly follow in May on Battleground Records — and the PR wire has all the time-bending details one could ask.

So I’ll defer to it:

CHIEFS: SoCal Desert-Rock Trio Announces Debut Full-Length Album, Tomorrow’s Over, Out February 24 via Roosevelt Row Records

Hot off the heels of releasing a split 7″ with Fuzz Evil through Battleground Records, SoCal desert rockers CHIEFS have returned with a debut full-length record in the bag. The album, entitled Tomorrow’s Over, was recorded at Arcane Digital Recording Studio in Chandler AZ and recorded, mixed and mastered by Ryan Butler (Landmine Marathon/Unruh). The record will be out on February 24th through Roosevelt Row Records on CD/DD, with a vinyl reissue shortly thereafter.

Album artwork by David Paul Seymour.

Tomorrow’s Over Track Listing:
1. Buffalo Roam
2. Like A Match
3. Ride
4. Lows & Highs
5. Palms
6. Peel
7. Tesla
8. Sharp Shooter
9. 1999
10. Vovi
11. Tomorrow’s Over

CHIEFS originally began as a two-piece back in January of 2012 in Phoenix, AZ, but after years of releasing demos, touring and playing often around the Phoenix Valley, the duo made the decision to relocate to San Diego, CA. Shortly after, they released a four-song demo entitled Buffalo Roam, and did numerous short west-coast tours to support it. Eventually the group became a three-piece with the permanent addition of bassist Jeff Podeszwik, who filled out the low-end of the band and transformed their sound. Look for more details in the coming weeks about the band’s debut full-length, Tomorrow’s Over, and prepare yourself for to shed some California light onto the cold winter on February 24th.

CHIEFS is:
Paul Valle – Vocals/Guitar
Jeff Podeszwik – Bass
Kevin Michel – Drums

LINKS:
facebook.com/wearechiefs
wearechiefs.bandcamp.com
wearechiefs.com
twitter.com/ChiefsPHX
rooseveltrowrecords.com
facebook.com/rooseveltrowrecords

Chiefs, Buffalo Roam Demo (2013)