When making annual best-of lists, it’s inevitable that some prime choices get lost to recency bias. But this ripper couldn’t be forgotten. Yautja released Dead Soil at the end of 2017, and the grind trio’s blur of blast beats and earache-inducing distortion carved itself deep into the skulls of Music City metalheads. The six-song collection is a 50/50 blend of formerly out-of-print material and face-peeling live tracks, and the physical release from Anti-Corporate Music is a gorgeous one-sided 12-inch, with Caroline Harrison’s stunning art etched into the B-side. P.J. KINZER
Best Metal EP
Yautja, Dead Soil
