Best HEAVY records of 2016

Here I suspend the "no screamo" rule, get in touch with my inner metal-head, and present a collection of the hardest, heaviest, roughest records of the year -- no holds barred. If you get into the pit at one these shows, be ready for some Mortal Combat moshing. Hold on to your hat!

Spotify Playlist: https://open.spotify.com/user/fluid3sally/playlist/4ALslQTBeYuxSRDmmAnwJ5

YouTube Playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLWm4729w0mtckDmOesoEprOk90tbxQ7Sv








....
turn amps up to 11
set bass to thunder
lock and load
...
BOOM!
...


















(1)  Forever Still - Tied Down
January. From Copenhagen Denmark. Second full-length
video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-GrcVsgj8UU

























(2) Otep - Generation Doom
April. From Los Angeles. 4 or more full-length recordings
video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GsWSsp38KnY























(3)  Lacuna Coil - Delirium
May. From Milan Italy. 4 or more full-length recordings
video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CYIEGaIjklk 


























(4)  And Then She Came - And Then She Came
June. From western Germany. debut full-length
video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1dIobkSUYtY


























(5)  We Are the Catalyst - Elevation
September. From south-west Sweden. Second full-length
video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SnYV_9bhwbg

























(6)  Amaranthe - Maximalism
October. From south-west Sweden. Fourth full-length
video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yR05g0Co7W4








(7)  Rev Theory - The Revelation
September. From Boston area, Mass USA. 4 or more full-length recordings
video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ovSCXctuyUg








(8)  Epica - The Holographic Principle
September. From Holland. 4 or more full-length recordings
video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P_Ys_W7ySkM










(9) 9electric - The Damaged Ones
July. From Los Angeles. Debut full-length
video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iohbWaa9HiY








(10) Black Peaks - Statues
April. From London area. Debut full-length
video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6W7OI2YsN-U








(11) Delain - Moonbathers
August. From Holland. 4 or more full-length recordings
video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qmo06CrXP4M










(12) Walls Of Jericho - No One Can Save You From Yourself
March. From Detroit Michigan USA. 4 or more full-length recordings
video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Nt3s0JkSKA








(13) Korn - The Serenity of Suffering
October. From Southern California. 4 or more full-length recordings
video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nq9j1qkj2Vc








(14) (hed) p.e. - Forever!
July. From Southern California. 4 or more full-length recordings
video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_fmAbMjbN_A









(15) Avatar - Feathers and Flesh
May. From south-west Sweden. 4 or more full-length recordings
video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4p6GWewmTYQ








(16) Secret Rule - Machination
June. From Rome Italy. Second full-length
video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y5U4ZsbO2vI








(17) Scorpion Child - Acid Roulette
June. From Austin Texas USA. Second full-length
video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zXpxiiyeT18








(18) Anthrax - For All Kings
February. From New York City. 4 or more full-length recordings
video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZWSPItDCOkI










(19) Heck - Instructions
March. From central England. Debut full-length
video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ykC0MQNgyM0








(20) Black Stone Cherry - Kentucky
April. From Kentucky USA. 4 or more full-length recordings
video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iyXOZYqfs1E








(21) Metallica - Hardwired... To Self-Destruct
November. From Los Angeles. 4 or more full-length recordings
video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uhBHL3v4d3I








(22) Jorn - Heavy Rock Radio
June. From Norway. 4 or more full-length recordings
video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_AFmJ1Rq1xU








(23) Neurosis - Fires Within Fires
September. From San Francisco Bay Area USA. 4 or more full-length recordings
video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=puITnaI5hEw








(24) Megadeth - Dystopia
January. From Los Angeles. 4 or more full-length recordings
video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bK95lWHl7js








(25) Testament - Brotherhood of the Snake
October. From San Francisco Bay Area USA. 4 or more full-length recordings
video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wkHT86Ei7DY









(26) Hatebreed - The Concrete Confesssional
May. From Connecticut USA. 4 or more full-length recordings
video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=viD6JMRGbbM
















Note:
Metal heads and fans of related genre may also enjoy new records by the following bands, which were featured on the main Spunk Rock list:

• Cilver
• Bad Seed Rising
• Stitched Up Heart
• Letters From The Fire
• September Mourning

See the main Spunk Rock list here:
http://joelspunkrock.blogspot.com/2016/12/best-of-2016.html

Reason for the Season

Friday, December 21, 2018
17:23 Eastern Standard (New York) Time,  22:28 UTC (Greenwich)


Today, on the Winter Solstice (in the Northern Hemisphere), I like to take a moment to reflect on the significance of the holiday season.

Scientifically, the winter solstice marks the precise moment when the northern pole of earth's axis of rotation is titled furthest from the sun. At this precise moment, the angle of the axis of rotation is approximately 23.44 degrees from a line perpendicular to the plane of orbit about the sun.

Culturally, this event has played a significant role in the lives of people on earth.





A Time to Party

Respect for the solstice probably dates back to the beginning of agriculture... so 10 to 15 thousand years ago. An accurate calendar became an important factor in the planting of crops, storage of grain, management of cattle, etc.

Coldest, most barren days were known to follow after the solstice (winter), during which time villages would survive on stores of grain. To conserve resources, cattle were slaughtered in the days leading up to the solstice, and either eaten or preserved. Hence, around this time, fresh meat was available in abundance, large fires were built for warmth, and wines bottled the previous spring had fermented and were ready to drink -- time to party!

The time for planting (spring) was also scheduled as so many days following the solstice, as the spring equinox is more difficult to observe.

Ever-green trees were the mysterious survivors of the winter season, and were taken as symbols of life.






Observing the Solstice at Home

















It is an easy event to observe. Simply drill a stick firmly into the ground, and mark the shadow every few days at noon (the point of minimum shadow that day). In the fall months, the shadow will get longer and longer, as the noon sun drops lower in the sky... until... one day, the noon shadow ceases to get longer, and then grows shorter again. Now the noon sun rises higher in the sky. The inflection point is the solstice. And there you have it - a simple DIY measure of the cycle of the year. (This isn't very precise, you might be off by a few days.. but close enough.)

















After doing the DIY stick experiment for a few years, you might erect something more permanent to mark the position of the sunrise on the morning of the solstice.






The "SOL" of solstice

The word solstice derives from Latin for "Sun Stands [still]". On this day, the apparent descent of the noon sun towards the horizon ends, and, for a few days, to the naked eye, it appears to hold the same point in the noon sky, until reversing direction, and climbing to a higher point above the horizon every day. Hence, in ancient times, the solstice was seen as a "rebirth of the sun". Then, as now, humans depended on the sun for sustenance, but for ancient people, that link was more poignant. The day began and ended with light from the sun, and their whole system of survival was wrapped up in its cycles. So the "rebirth of the sun" was something to celebrate - the sign that longer days of fertility were coming (all though the coldest days of winter lay ahead).

There is also some indication of mythology around the falling sun.. that, without the intervention of humans via ceremony and sacrifice, that the sun might continue to drop lower on the horizon and eventually disappear altogether.. in which case.. yes, your sol-ebration worked again this year! crisis averted!

From there, concepts of birth and rebirth worked their way into the mythology.. as the sun was re-born again - for another year.





Holidays Around the Solstice

• Earliest formal celebrations of the season may have started in Egypt about 3000 BCE.
• Yalda Night - Persian/Iranian celebration of the longest night of the year, which marks the solstice
• There is something called "Blue Christmas" that occurs directly on the solstice, as opposed to the more popular date of December 25.
• Yule or Yuletide - a German tradition
• Saturnalia - an ancient Roman festival
• and many, many more.. name your favorite. Of the whole year, this season has the highest concentration of traditional holidays (and there is one original reason for that).

Saturnalia

Saturnalia may have been the first instance of the solstice being taken for other purposes. Sometime near 300 BCE, The Roman empire subjugated the holiday in favor of the agricultural deity Saturn (viewed as a greater deity than the sun). Saturnalia became a huge festival characterized by role reversal (masters would serve slaves), debauchery, and gift-giving. Wreaths from ever-green trees adorned homes and doorways to mark the festival, and to foreshadow the rebirth of green plant life and prosperity.

In 217 BCE, a major Roman defeat led to the introduction of Greek traditions into the holiday.





















Santa Claus

Circa 270 AD, Nikolaos of Myra was born in modern-day Turkey. Historical facts of his life are limited, but legend has it that he was a giver of gifts to poor children. He would place gifts such as toys and food into socks and leave them at the homes of children in need. Legend has it one such gift included a large sum of money to the father of some young women who might otherwise have sold them into sexual slavery to pay a debt.

Nikolaos was a bishop in the Roman Christian church of the day, and, owing to his generous lifestyle, was later recognized as a saint... "Saint Nick" "Niko-LAOS", CLAOS, Claus, Saint Claos, Santa Claus, etc.

Best records show that Nikolaos died on December 6, 343. This date would eventually become a holiday to celebrate his gift-giving virtues.. a holiday actually not rooted in the winter solstice.. but rather in the coincidental fact that he died around that time of year. Of course, his iconography would eventually be sucked into the mega-holiday of Christmas.






















Modern-Day Christmas

Some time between the years 200 to 400 AD, the debauchery and festivity of Saturnalia began to fall out of favor with the puritanical piousness of the expanding Roman Christian church. Through this period, the holiday was again subjugated for religious and political reasons, and was recast as a religious holiday. Although likely not historically accurate, it was said to be a celebration of the birth of the central Christian figure, Jesus of Nazareth, or "Christ".

As is common in lore and legend, somewhere along the way, words got a bit mixed up. What had been the "birth" or "rebirth" of the sun would later be subjugated by the church to honor the birth of the "son of god".




Ways to Observe

here are some ways to celebrate the solstice at home:

• Find a scenic area to view the sun-rise or sun-set. 
• Look up the precise time of noon near you, and observe the sun's position at this time
• Throw a party! consume rich meats and wines - or prepare delicious nutritious feasts
• Give a gift to a child in need
• Donate to a charity for children in need
• Remember, the sun remains the original source of energy for our bodies and our technology

sources and references:

https://www.timeanddate.com/calendar/december-solstice.html

http://blog.dictionary.com/summer-solstice/

http://www.crystalinks.com/wintersolstice.html

http://www.biography.com/people/st-nicholas-204635#death-and-legacy

New Single: Weekend Recovery - Don't Try And Stop Me

Be on the look-out for the new single from rising spunk stars Weekend Recovery. The new song "Don't Try and Stop Me" is due out early next year, and will be well worth the wait. It features clean, hammering riffs and strong vocals with an edge of sass. The band builds on their blossoming sound, driving harder and soaring higher. A good way to kick-start your day, if you need a boost of extra energy.

If you're in the UK region, look for a show near you in the coming months.

Best of 2016

One can say a lot of bad things about 2016. But "no good new rock" is not one of them.

Here is the Spunk Rock Official top 50 best records of 2016.

Notice several debut records from new bands or projects. I count 17 out of 50.. a strong vital sign for the future of Rock'N'Roll.

Spotify Playlist: https://open.spotify.com/user/fluid3sally/playlist/78gV6NVe3I9WaiSzW8aZKW

YouTube Playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLWm4729w0mteBqeipyy_KE88nMQadQGVt




... drum roll ...
... hint ...








1.  Cilver - Not the End of the World
April. From New York City. debut full-length (1)
video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_A1LLxG0tQo
audio: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pZ7-4JQzJyg








2.  Bad Seed Rising - Awake In Color
September. From Baltimore/DC USA area. debut full-length (2) (several previous shorter recordings)
video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=27WUNp76CPE
audio: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w5rMJtfKQ0o

3.  Nina Diaz - The Beat Is Dead
October. From San Antonio Texas USA. debut full-length (3) (see also Girl In A Coma)
video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6xL_nTij-5A
audio: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c1XILjxN7W0























4.  Fit For Rivals - Freak Machine
September. From Jacksonville Florida USA. second full-length
audio: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w8Q2YLJupNM
audio: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KkicULGOGKE

























5.  Hands Off Gretel - Burn the Beauty Queen
September. From South Yorkshire UK. debut full-length (4)
video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cz0xxjUgqiA
video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tIJb64JI4BQ























6.  Against the Current - In Our Bones
May. From Poughkeepsie New York USA. debut full-length (5)
video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bcvuYNhfj-c
audio: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ya-SzODPFVc

























7.  Tonight Alive - Limitless
March. From Sydney Australia. 3rd full-length
video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sZFBM2vTnI4
audio: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TXnzd4-D29A

























8.  Icon for Hire - You Can't Kill Us
November. From Nashville Tennessee (formerly Decatur Illinois) USA. Third full-length
audio: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ke43WgVC6N8
video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hO9qTXrXoe8









9.  The Pretty Reckless - Who You Selling For
October. From New York City. Third full-length
video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BQpZv2r8fb4
audio: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HrJoU0Cr-wE

























10. The Struts - Everybody Wants
March. From Central England.  debut full-length (6)

video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=abOhx2YtPyM
audio: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4T1kwQz6ExE








11. Stitched Up Heart - Never Alone
June. From Los Angeles. debut full-length (7)
video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qz8VjXMRiw4









12. Larkin Poe - Reskinned
May. From Atlanta Georgia USA, third full-length
video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JE8s3wbb1_0
























13. Band of Skulls - By Default
May. From Southampton UK. fourth full-length
video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-mMbra94tIo

























14. White Lung - Paradise
May. From Vancouver Canada, fourth full-length
video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eri7Y9zrVaM

























15. Against Me! - Shape Shift With Me
September. From Gainesville Florida USA. 5 or more previous recordings
video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KUWi8lVaGcE

16. Jeff Beck and Bones - Loud Hailer
July. From the UK. I'm calling this a debut full-length (8) for the combination of Jeff Beck and Bones
Beck himself, of course, has many more
video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ujz-c_nDWHA

























17. Magic Wands - Jupiter
February. From Los Angeles by way of Nashville. Second full-length
audio: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xaj3niKzq_I
























18. Roipnol Witch - Starlight
March. From Carpi Italy. Second full-length
video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HP-NCQYBxRA








19. Ladyhawke - Wild Things
June. From New Zealand (lately LA). third full-length
video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gUwAnVX2ylc
























20. Fea - Fea
July. From San Antonio Texas USA. debut full-length (9) (see also Girl In A Coma)
video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fv4yHCASirU








21. Deap Vally - Femejism
September. From Los Angeles. Second full-length
video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LIreuaDVJdA

























22. The Amorettes - White Hot Heat
May/June. from Scotland. third full-length
video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R0zMQSGjvO4









23. Dorothy - RockIsDead
June. From Los Angeles, debut full-length (10)
video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AW4vejDcVe8








24. Thrice - To Be Everywhere Is To Be Nowhere
May. From Irvine, Southern California. 5 or more previous recordings
audio: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c27kBVSfDl0

























25. Letters From The Fire - Worth The Pain
September. From San Francisco Bay Area USA. debut full-length (11)
video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PFIOyNN5ZfQ

























26. Joanne Shaw Taylor - Wild
September. From Central England. 5 or more previous recordings
video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=93dvPh33EnE

























27. Lacey Sturm - Life Screams
February. From Texas, I think. debut full-length (12) (see also Flyleaf)
video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kk1JSpzwufg
























28. The Joy Formidable - Hitch
March. from Wales, currently in London. 4th full-length
video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dt40_u9pUh4
























29. Red Hot Chili Peppers - The  Getaway
June. From Los Angeles. 5 or more previous recordings
video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q0oIoR9mLwc

























30. Sixx:A.M. - Prayers for the Damned and Prayers for the Blessed
November. From Los Angeles. 5 or more previous recordings (see also Motley Crue and Guns N' Roses)
video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fAX5zB6Rsj4









31. Summer Cannibals - Full Of It
May. From Portland Oregon USA. third full-length
video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=11-mXYVZWh8

























32. Tegan and Sara - Love You to Death
June. From Calgary Canada. 5 or more previous recordings
video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HJOHoiPGpac








33. Savoy Motel - Savoy Motel
October. From Nashville, Tennessee USA. debut full-length (13)
video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ntxaaDci6Lo 










34. September Mourning - Volume II
July. not sure where from (sounds like LA) debut full-length (14)
video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XGhVoUapFXU

























35. Barb Wire Dolls - Desperate
July. From Los Angeles by way of Greece. Third full-length
video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OLlQV8D0OVA








36. The Dead Deads - For Your Obliteration
August. From Nashville Tennessee USA. second full-length
video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nisQhYqP5i4
live recording: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mz3wZ1SRLF0








37. Kidneythieves - The Mend
September. From Los Angeles. Fourth full-length
audio: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7-8KQFj0NUA
























38. Sleep Machine - Animal High
September. From Los Angeles. debut full-length (15)
video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WhBRatkx_-k









39. Lita Ford - Time Capsule
April. From Los Angeles. 5 or more previous recordings. (see also The Runaways)
audio: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rIz19XCDBLs

























40. Pierce the Veil - Misadventures
May. from San Diego California. fourth full length
video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fcsnCq-azSs









41. A Tribe Called Quest - We Got It From Here... Thank You 4 Your Service
November. from New York City (Queens). 5 or more previous recordings
video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vO2Su3erRIA

42. Asylums - Killer Brain Waves
July. from southern England. debut full-length (16)
video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n0zSQ9ePEa0

43. School Of Seven Bells - SVIIB
February. from New York City. 5 or more previous recordings
video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dPWJ0MreHeg

44. Sleigh Bells - Jessica Rabbit
November. from Los Angeles. 5 or more previous recordings
video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FnuMMkDGjmE

45. Garbage - Strange Little Birds
June. from Wisconsin USA. 5 or more previous recordings
video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hSa_hbutFt0

46. Panic! At The Disco - Death of a Bachelor
January. from Las Vegas Nevada USA. 5 or more previous recordings
video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AUChk0lxF44








47. Kristen Kontrol - X-Communicate
May. from New York City. debut full-length (17) see also Dum Dum Girls

audio: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YrAfGtpLiQ4









48. Feeder - All Bright Electric
October. From Wales. 5 or more previous recordings
video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ddCs4LKCLIY
 







49. Two Door Cinema Club - Gameshow
October. From Ireland. Third full-length
video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j7Wn0GbTkts







50. Purple - Bodacious
April. From Texas gulf coast. Second full-length
video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BVjT_mGcB8s























that's my list. there were quite a few close runners up, which can be found in my monthly posts. looking forward to another great year in 2017.




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