One of those goth bands who timed their initial arrival on the scene just a year or two too late to reap the rewards, Pagan rockers Inkubus Sukkubus have been toiling away on the circuit for thirty odd years now and the practice has allowed them to hone their craft nicely with "Lilith Rising" being a pinpoint precise collection of big swooping old school goth epics which grab a hold of you and don't let go. A great effort from a criminally underrated band.
29. DESPERATE JOURNALIST - "In Search Of The Miraculous" (Review here)
Desperate Journalist's third album turned out to be their strongest to date with the group building well on the promise shown by their first two to come up with a bit of a cracker here. Drawing heavily on the sounds of early '80s post-punk and goth (the Cocteau Twins, the Cure and Echo and the Bunnymen et al) but showing the confidence to put their own stamp on this collection of songs themed around the sea, this is the sound of a band getting better with every release.
28. NEW MODEL ARMY - "From Here" (Review here)
A worthy follow up to 2016's epic "Winter", "From Here" was a desolate album for desolate times, seeing Justin Sullivan and co reflecting on the past and wondering where we go from here. The slower tempo allows the songs to breathe a bit more and definitely works well for this album. Another sound effort from one of the UK's most remarkable groups.
27. THE QUIREBOYS - "Amazing Disgrace" (Review here)
After a couple of albums which suggested that maybe the QB's had allowed their Herculean work rate in recent years to lead to a bit of a "quantity over quality" issue, Spike and co proved that taking a year off releasing new material in 2018 had done them the world of good and in "Amazing Disgrace" came up with their strongest effort for a good few years. Mixing solid rockers with more laid back summery blues, "Amazing Disgrace" was the sound of a band getting its mojo back and all the better for it.
26. LOS PEPES - "Positive Negative" (Review here)
When they first started out at the beginning of the decade, Los Pepes' main problem was that they were an awesome live band who seemed to struggle to capture that lightning in a bottle on record. However, "Positive Negative" represents their strongest effort to date and shows them well and truly starting to live up to that early potential - one part Buzzcocks/Ramones power-pop and one part Nuggets influenced garage rock, it's a pure delight of an album.
25. REDD KROSS - "Beyond The Door"
Scary to think that Redd Kross are now in their fourth decade as a band but "Beyond The Door" is another strong effort from the West Coast power-pop veterans providing their usual mix of punk urgency and sugar-sweet pop melodies to awesome effect on the likes of "The Party" and "There's No-One Like You". Long may they reign.
24. THE 69 EYES - "West End" (Review here)
Still very much out there and delivering the goods as they enter their fourth decade as a band, "West End" saw the 69 Eyes adding a few new tricks into their traditional playbook with elements of almost Type O Negative style heaviness on "Two Horns Up" and Alice style shock rock on "Last House On The Left". However, this album plays nicely to the band's strong points on the swooping epic goth numbers and should keep their sizeable fanbase more than happy.
23. KING SALAMI & THE CUMBERLAND THREE - "Kiss My Ring"
Sometimes it takes a band having a break for a couple of years to make you realise how much you miss them when they're gone and such was the case with sausage obsessed London garage rockers King Salami and the Cumberland Three. Or it could just be that "Kiss My Ring" might just be their strongest effort yet, bursting with energy and ideas and putting a whole new spin on the classic rock 'n' roll template. Great stuff.
22. FRANK TURNER - "No Man's Land" (Review here)
One of the most controversial releases of the year, "No Man's Land" saw Frank Turner turn his lyrical attention to the subject of history's unjustly forgotten women with an all-female backing band. It still didn't prevent some of the more po-faced elements of the music press deriding the album as 40 minutes of mansplaining but the truth is that "No Man's Land" is a good effort with plenty of thought-provoking songwriting from Turner and the band backing him up solidly and tightly. Put your preconceptions at the door and enjoy this music for what it is.
21. THE TOY DOLLS - "Episode XIII" (Review here)
First album from Olga and co in half a decade and pleased to say that it was worth the wait. "Episode XIII" contained plenty of the Toy Dolls' trademark irreverent humour with singalong choruses and killer hooks and riffs to match plus Olga's usual stand-out guitar playing. Silly they may undoubtedly be but you don't get 40 years into your career and still chucking out good material that sits comfortably alongside your better known stuff without a few street smarts.
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