25. King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard - "PetroDragonic Apocalypse; or, Dawn of Eternal Night: An Annihilation of Planet Earth and the Beginning of Merciless Damnation"

Over the years, we have had plenty of examples on this list of metal bands making non-metal albums, Leprous and Ulver are cases in point. This is however the inverse. This is a firmly psychedelic indie band (hailing from down under) making an unashamed heavy metal album. 

Now King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard are so blooming prolific that the law of averages means that they were going to get around to metal at some point (on a good year they have been known to release four albums). 

However, what is refreshingly surprising is that this is not a cynical cash in nor is it a derivative facsimile of a musical type. This is a bonafide stonking good grinding metal album that shows that the band knows their Lamb of God from their Killswitch Engage. In many ways, this is the album that I wanted Metallica to make. It is urgent, it is minimal, and it frizzles with vibrant energy. 

It skilfully avoids playing to type and instead, it embraces the wonderous wonder of heavy music’s many textures and varieties. It gets its spot on that metal is not just noise. Yes, it brims with aggressive power, but it also realises that vulnerability plays a crucial role. An unexpected highlight of my listening year.