Following on from the look back at my favourite albums of 2018, I thought I'd close out that retrospective by also sharing my favourite EPs of said year. There have been some great releases from well established artists but also from some promising newcomers and this list contains my personal favourites in no particular order. Get the playlist here, grab your headphones, a beverage and a snack and enjoy.

1. Phoxjaw - Goodbye Dinosaur

https://phoxjaw.bandcamp.com

From the moment I heard the single Triceratops, prior to the release of Phoxjaw's debut EP, I knew this was a band to keep an eye on. It's an explosive track with down and dirty, punchy riffs punctuated with serene and atmospheric verses. As such I eagerly waited for Goodbye Dinosaur to drop and when it finally arrived I was not disappointed. It opens with short instrumental track The Great Dying before launching into Triceratops and then into Lottery, a pacy and crunchy banger. The rest of the record is just as powerful, full of hard hitting riffs, a perfect blend of screaming and clean vocals intertwined with some satisfyingly jagged and screechy lead guitars. Weapons is a particularly satisfying example of that cocktail of clean melodies and abrasive heaviness and then there's Dinosaur Bones with its moody, brooding verses and crushing yet bouncy lead riff ending with its anthemic chant of "we can't keep folding". Closer, Plastic Wedding is a fuzzed up, sludgy, groove-laden, stomping beast which wouldn't feel out of place on a doom record and is arguably the stand out track. I can't wait to hear what Phoxjaw can do on a full album.

Essential Listen: Triceratops

2. Gender Roles - Lazer Rush

https://bsmrocks.bandcamp.com

I first heard about Gender Roles when they were supporting Jamie Lenman on his tour at the beginning of 2018. Regrettably I only showed up in time for the main event so missed out on seeing Gender Roles. However, I made a point of going back and checking out their EP Lazer Rush and I'm really glad that I did. It's four songs of jagged lead guitar licks, pounding, crashing drums and big chunky, fuzzy riffs. The vocals are quite reserved and laid back for the most part with no screams but there is a good deal of grit and roar in the choruses. The lead guitar lines that open up Plastic and Gills are both unforgettably catchy, About Her is endlessly singable and Teeth is a brilliant soaring slow burner. Gender Roles are definitely a band to keep an eye on in 2019.

Essential Listen: Gills

3. Code Orange - The Hurt Will Go On

https://codeorangetoth.com

Code Orange may have won 2017 with their groundbreaking album Forever but they were still big news in 2018, narrowly missing out on a Grammy and releasing one of the coolest EPs of the year. The Hurt Will Go On is only 3 tracks but it still displays serious ambition and invention over its 9 minute run-time. 3 Knives is pure aggression, full of static filled, crushing riffs, bizarre electronic squeals and some of the the most punishing yet accessible hardcore vocals you'll hear. Then there's The Hunt, featuring an excellent collaboration with Corey Taylor of Slipknot, and it's an absolute onslaught of heaviness with bending guitar riffs, a fucking addictive electronic melody in the chorus and seething roars back and forth from both singers. It all descends into a demonic groove of riffs, roars and electronics. Final track The Hurt Will Go On - Shade Remix is a slow burn of industrial fog and moody, fuzzing electronica. This EP is an incredible reminder of why Code Orange are one of the best bands in heavy music.

Essential Listen: The Hunt

4. Open Mike Eagle - What Happens When I Try To Relax

https://openmikeeagle360.bandcamp.com/

When a hip-hop album contains a song about dating a ghost, you really have to sit up and take notice and that's exactly what happened to me whilst listening to Open Mike Eagle's latest EP What Happens When I Try To Relax. Single Ghosts is the third from last track and it floored me with its utterly bizarre subject matter, creepy harmonies, looping, out of tune synths and buzzing static. The genius of Single Ghosts should not detract from the quality of the rest of the record though as it's a great listen from start to finish. Heavy with synths and electronics and featuring unstoppable raps and flows and the vocal quirks, such as the falsetto inflections on the end of the early lines on opener Relatable, are to die for. Every Single Thing has an utterly addictive and silky smooth vocal delivery especially when it comes to the chorus with the repeating line of "predict me get me a hundred percent". Songs like Southside Eagle are honest and open about the trials and tribulations of being a hard-working musician in modern times and then there's the expansive, glitchy and almost orchestral Maybe Gang (an initiation) a perfect closer to a great EP. Open Mike Eagle is a wonderfully unique artist in modern day hip hop.

Essential Listen: Single Ghosts

 5. Fever 333 - Made an America

https://fever333.com

When I first heard Made an America, I'll be honest, I just dismissed Fever 333 as a poor man's Rage Against The Machine with some decent vocals but lacking musically and with some naff lyrics. However given a chance, the title track and songs like Changes will start to work their magic on you. The vocals are stunning in places with furious rapping and screaming and lyrics about revolt and taking no shit. The heavy riffs, electronics and driving bass even start to feel a bit punchier after a few listens. The bounce and thrash and aggression of Hunting Season is hard to ignore and the Linkin Park-esque Soul'd Me Out is a personal favourite. Whilst Made an America still fails to fully convince me, its pace, anger and attitude leaves me excited for what comes next. The debut full length from Fever 333 is due on January 18th. Join the revolution.

Essential Listen: Soul'd Me Out

6. Grandson - A Modern Tragedy Vol. 1

http://www.grandsonmusic.com

A Modern Tragedy Vol. 1 opens with the haunting Blood On The Water, a song that builds from clean guitar and restrained yet decidedly anti-establishment vocals, adding bass and drum loops before bursting in to a huge screeching, growling chorus. As an opening track it absolutely slams. Follower Stick Up immediately steps up the bounce and the lyrics about a character reaching breaking point in life are utterly gripping and exquisitely delivered. Despicable reminds of Imagine Dragon's Believer...the clincher though? It's not shit. It's lamenting, with its lyrics of shame and regret and sounds like a dark lullaby before it bursts into a massive loop of booming electrified brass and dubstep drum loops absolutely ripe for the dancefloor. 6.00 is a heavy, angry, rage-filled fuck you against the control of oppressive governance and one of the best moments on the record with an absolutely destructive chorus. Finally the closing track Overdose is dark, gloomy and grimy and bemoans the emptiness of modern life proclaiming that "the drugs don't work anymore". Overall a cracking EP and there are definitely big things to come from Grandson.

Essential Listen: 6.00

7. Warthog - Warthog

https://staticshockrecords.bandcamp.com

Warthog's self titled EP is four tracks of lightning fast, hard hitting, yet surprisingly accessible hardcore. Opening track Corroded explodes with pacy, thrashy riffs that are guaranteed to get your fists pumping and your legs spin kicking. Levitated Corpse is a much groovier affair sounding like a Ramones track drenched in hydrochloric acid before erupting into a fizzing fury of riffs and oh so addictive bass solos. Death's Hand opens slowly but builds to full speed punctuated with a number of cracking screeching guitar solos and drum fills. It leads straight into Brainwasher, a swaggering, distorted, rock and roll banger. It's all over in 11 mins but what a great 11 mins it is.

Essential Listen:  Brainwasher

8. Black Dresses - HELL IS REAL

https://blackdresses.bandcamp.com

Black Dresses' WASTEISOLATION appeared in the list of my favourite albums but they also released their HELL IS REAL EP in 2018 which is an even harder and more distorted listen. This is immediately apparent from the glitchy, scratchy and unsettling TRY NEW THINGS. It leads into the moody and booming YOU DON'T KNOW which is disgustingly heavy with some seriously abrasive screaming going on, especially that final "you don't know". Title track HELL IS REAL is the centrepiece though, building to its massive chorus of "death will never stop". The underlying bass line is both bouncy and punishing and super addictive. Final track There’s a Halo Round The Moon is a much dreamier affair but an undercurrent of dread permeates its whole being and the glitching vocals add a razor sharp edge to the haunting electronic instrumentals. I think I love this band.

Essential Listen: HELL IS REAL* 

*This song is not currently available on Spotify so listen to it below or on bandcamp. I've swapped it out for a song from WASTEISOLATION on the playlist. 

9. Tierra Whack - Whack World

https://www.facebook.com/TierraWhack

Whack World is made up of fifteen one minute tracks each with an accompanying video purpose built to be released in bite size pieces on Instagram. Individually they are unique attention deficit bursts of dark, witty, inventive and downright endearing songs. The simple and uplifting keyboard that opens Black Nails, the lazy rap of Bugs Life, the bizarre explanations of acronyms on Cable Guy, the moody down tuned vocals of 4 Wings, the bouncy ode to a lost dog on Pet Cemetery, the weird electro-country of Fuck Off...I could just list all the cool moments and ideas Tierra Whack explores on Whack World but that would take longer than it takes to listen to the EP. Whilst I wish some of the songs were a bit longer, Whack World as a whole piece of art listened to in a single 15 min block (or watched in the video below) is a staggering piece of work.

Essential Listen:  4 Wings

10. Gulch - Burning Desire to Draw Last Breath

https://gulchca.bandcamp.com

The sinister opening track of Burning Desire to Draw Last Breath will not prepare you for the devastatingly heavy music you are about to endure over the next 13 mins. The vocals are savage and acerbic, spat through the mic with an impressive venom and intensity. The riffs are buzzing, grimy and filthy but with a proper groove and grind to them that will really draw you in. Flesh Pursuit only just breaks the minute and a half mark but it's pure fury with stuttering guitars, massive crackling riffs, battering drums and searing vocals. Burning Desire to Draw Last Breath features much punkier riffs in places but it's still balls to the wall heavy with some serious machine gun percussive fills and a proper infectious groove through the main riff. R.S.A. opens slow and doomy but throws in throaty death metal growls before opening up into a more pacy beast with great diversity in the riffs and drums. E.P.T.S. is an assault on the senses with scathing screams (the vocals are horrible but also brilliant), skull crushing drums and razor edged lead guitars. The closing track is again shorter than 2 mins but it's an absolute monster, thrashing and growling and yeah, it's coming right for you. Despite its brutal and antagonistic nature this EP left me wanting more and I hope we get a full length album out of this band sometime soon.

Essential Listen: Burning Desire to Draw Last Breath

So that ends the journey back into my favourite EPs of 2018 and hopefully you'll find something on this list you'll want to keep coming back to. Please get in touch and let me know your own favourites so I can check those out too.

If you want more great music from 2018 then you can check out the list of my 35 favourite albums here.

Peace.