Cobra’s Top 15 Albums of 2018

15. Heroes Like Villains – Bad Vs Evil: This was a new direction for these former pop-punkers. This album is what a pop-rock album in 2018 should sound like. I also love the story the album tells.

14. Janelle Monae – Dirty Laundry: This is a fun album that makes you think and dance at the same time. Her lyrics are so thought-provoking, and I love it.

13. American Aquarium – Things Change: I will always say that BJ Barham is one of the best songwriters in country music, and this release is no different. If you want a good storyteller, then this is an album you need to listen to.

12. Tiny Moving Parts – Swell: For the better part of the spring and summer, this was my soundtrack. So many nights riding around with a friend blasting this album and singing at the top of our lungs.

11. The Wonder Years – Sister Cities: This album took awhile for me to get into but once I did, I couldn’t stop listening to it. The growth this band has shown over the past five years is scary. A few years ago, after The Greatest Generation was released, I said these guys one day will be mentioned in the same breath as Blink-182, Green Day, and The Offspring. Well, they have further cemented that belief with this album.

10. Terror – Total Retaliation: 16 years together, and they are still releasing bangers. In my eyes this hardcore band does no wrong. This album is hands down one of their best. 

9. Real Friends – Composure: I may lose some pop-punk cred here, but that’s ok. This is a band that I haven’t listened to this since the release of the Everyone That Dragged You Here EP back in 2012. This album is good, really good. The songwriting is off the charts. Dan Lambton really opened his heart to the world on this release.

8. Spanish Love Songs – Schmaltz: This album came out of nowhere for me. I don’t remember how I cam across it, but I’m glad I did. This is the album that The Gaslight Anthem should have made after American Slang. If you are a fan of Beach Slang, The Menzingers, and The Gaslight Anthem, then check this release out.

7. Coheed and Cambria – The Unheavenly: When talking about this album with friends all I can say is I got the feeling I first got back in 2002. This album is beautiful in every sense of the word, and it’s so fucking epic.

6. Hawthorne Heights – Bad Frequencies: These guys will always have a special place in my heart. This album is a throwback of sorts for them, and it’s amazing. Everything about this album is on point. From the lyrics to the musicianship. And I don’t see them slowing down anytime soon.

5. Whale Bones – Island Fire: I love it when friends in the industry tell me about bands/albums beforehand. I was given an advance copy of this CD, because a friend thought it would be something I would like, and holy cow he was right. I spent many a night listening to this record thinking about life. It’s so chill and epic at the same time.

4. Pale Waves – My Mind Makes Noises: This album makes Cobra so damn happy. It’s a dark, happy pop album, and it’s amazing from start to finish. Heather Baron-Gracie has cemented herself as the new goth queen.

3. Old Wounds – Glow: What can I say about this album that I already haven’t. I love the mix of AFI, Deftones, Glassjaw, Darkwave, and hardcore that engulfs this album. This album was one of a few that made me want to make music. I’m excited about the future of this band.

2. Sevendust – All I See Is War: Over twenty years and twelve albums later, these Georgia boys are still killing the game. I honestly don’t know how they do it, but I’m glad that they do. This album is one of the best in their career, and this is a band that doesn’t put out bad albums.

1. As It Is – The Great Depression: At the start of the year, if you would have told me that As It Is was going to release my AOTY, I would have punched you in the knee. I always thought of them as a cookie-cutter band with nothing special about them. Well, that changed with this release. This is a concept album about the stages of grief, and they go about it very well. The songwriting is some of the best you are going to find on a pop-punk album. I applaud them for making the album that they did. This is an album that the world needs to hear.

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