2. Gojira – Magma (Roadrunner)
Gojira’s mostly restrained, very experimental follow-up to L’enfant Sauvage left a lot of people confused to where the band was heading creatively. I’ll admit that I had one foot in that pool at first myself, as a Gojira record typically comes with a certain set of expectations. There’s no universe-caving-in-on-itself brutality like “Toxic Garbage Island” or “Flying Whales” anywhere on this, but given a few listens and the record takes on a very brooding, meditative quality that often reigns itself in and holds back the chaos right at that tipping point. It’s a very cool experiment that I find myself connecting with more and more as time goes on. The fact that it’s a challenge is what I like the most about it.

Essential tracks: “Silvera,” “Pray”

1. Devin Townsend Project – Transcendence (HevyDevy/InsideOut)
This is a little bit of a cop-out, because any year that has a Devin Townsend record on the calendar is basically a guaranteed #1 spot in my world. 2014’s double disc Z2 was a bit undercooked in some of the parts that mattered most, but even setting aside my fanboyism here: Transcendence is a masterpiece – a massive testament to both Townsend’s strength as an artist, but also the band and crew behind him. Increased collaboration with the live band and a spectacularly good engineering and mix job by Periphery’s Adam “Nolly” Getgood gives Townsend’s trademark wall of sound a new shot of clarity and energy, making it arguably the best sounding record of his career. You will feel many feelings while listening to it, as I did.

Essential tracks: “Failure,” “From The Heart”

Honorable Mentions:
Baroness – Purple
Killswitch Engage – Incarnate
Clutch – Psychic Warfare
Vantablack – The Nihilist

All of these tunes, plus more below!