5 Best Metal Albums Of July 2018

Khôrada is the dictionary definition of “enigmatic”, and their sludgy, riff-fuelled, post-metallic tunes drive the debuting quartet all the way to July’s number one spot.

The end result of ex-Agalloch mavens Jason Walton, Aesop Dekker and Don Anderson’s tag-team with Giant Squid frontman Aaron John Gregory, Khôrada is a group with a monumental pedigree that sets up expectations as tall as mountains. After all, Agalloch stood as one of the 21st century’s defining blackmetal titans, while Giant Squid received constant acclaim during their decade-long run for their unique, progressive take on doom metal.

Miraculously, however, Salt sees these four musical magicians live up to and perhaps exceed the hype of their individual parts. The hour-long opus is an eclectic giant: one that whirs wildly and evilly between the realms of sludge metal, prog, rock ‘n’ roll and even black metal, all anchored by the lament and melancholy of Gregory’s clean yet disturbing vocal performance.

While it is far from being the heaviest record of 2018 thus far, Salt resonates with its sheer atmosphere, which is constantly dark, ominous and subtly cataclysmic. Instantly, this first of hopefully many forays for Khôrada finds itself soaring into the upper echelon of this year’s best rock music – right up there with Zeal & Ardor, Ihsahn and Vermilia.