10 Best Hard Rock & Heavy Metal Albums Of 2018

In 2018, the sludge/death metal troupe Conjurer went from being a relative unknown in the British underground to bona fide heroes of modern extremity. International genre megastars like Joey Jordison and Trivium’s Matt Heafy have admitted to being fans of this pokey midlands quartet in recent months, and it’s all thanks to the debut album Mire.

First gracing shelves in March, Mire is a meaty slab of riff-driven brutality that has allowed its creators to totally rule the past year. The album is pure, undying dissonance from start to finish, yet is so creative in its aggression that it’s safe to say that nothing like this has ever been heard before. Whether it’s with the explosiveness of “The Mire” or the lengthy punishment of “Hadal”, Mire captures the sound of a hungry, raucous band with nothing to lose and the world to gain.

Armed with their debut album, Conjurer quickly became subterranean heroes of heavy metal, supporting their surprisingly successful disc with intense performances at festivals like Bloodstock and on the road with Monolord and Conan.

If nothing else, Mire represents the power of making damn good music.