Roadie’s Best Albums of 2018- Part 1

by Alec Plowman, Jan 14, 2019 . 3 min read

Roadie’s Best Albums of 2018- Part 1

Last year saw some great releases from a number of Roadie’s favorite artists. And, in celebration of that, we’ve decided to compile a list of our top 2018 albums for your listening pleasure!

If you want to check out some of the best rock music of 2018, this is a pretty good place to start. This isn’t a countdown or anything – just a selection of great albums that got regular rotation on the Roadie turntable last year.

Halestorm – “Vicious”

“This album is about ownership, being unapologetically you, and not just survival but overcoming all the things that stand in your way. I kept this record very personal lyrically, and we kept it very adventurous and wild musically.”

– Lzzy Hale on “Vicious” (via Parade)

Halestorm’s 2016 album “Into the Wild Life” was a divisive moment for the band. AOR-leaning moments and pop-gloss production stretched their hard rock cred among some fans. But, with 2018’s take no prisoners “Vicious,” Lzzy Hale and co. reminded listeners that they still know how to throw down with the best of them.

This no-bull, balls-to-the-wall collection of gnarly hard rock anthems delivers the goods, honing and sharpening the band’s sound and affirming that Halestorm still know how to deliver the goods.

Myles Kennedy – “Year of the Tiger”

“I wanted to make a record that I needed to make, get things off my chest lyrically and musically, and it’s a side of myself musically that I love.”

– Myles Kennedy on “Year of the Tiger” (via CoS)

We’ve always loved Myles’ work with Alter Bridge and Slash. But, “Year of the Tiger” showed us a side to the singer/guitarist that we never expected. This concept album, about the death of Myles’ father, pulls back on the hard rock anthems, playing instead in the ballpark of Americana, blues, country and folk. Myles has never sounded as vulnerable and raw as he does on this album.

A Perfect Circle – “Eat the Elephant”

“With everything that’s happened with digital and social media, there’s an abundance of platforms for people to squeak… What they’re squeaking about always seems to be about what you’re doing wrong, rather than what they’re doing wrong. There’s little accountability. There’s little desire to look at themselves and ask what they’re contributing to make things better…”

-Maynard James Keenan (via NME)

While Tool fans are still pining for a new album, lovers of Maynard James Keenan were at least treated to a new record this year in the form of A Perfect Circle’s “Eat the Elephant.” Eschewing the rock drive of the band’s previous records, this album – their first since 2003 – is ominous, angular and driven by luscious sonic textures. Reflecting Maynard and co-conspirator Billy Howardel’s disillusionment with our relationships with modern technology, it’s a moody, weighty offering that might bewilder at first, but will keep you coming back for more.

That’s it for part one. Make sure to check out the next edition for part two. Oh, and let us know your favorite albums of 2018 in the comments section!



Subscribe to Gain Access to our Alternate Tuning Library & Accompanying E-Book Guide
Discover the origin of the most popular tunings, some less-known facts, AND most importantly, learn how to play songs in your desired tunings.

Check out some other similar articles

To show our appreciation of your love and loyalty to our products, and to give a little something back to you, we created

Abir H. Farha
Jul 29, 2021 . 2 min read

The 5 jazz albums every music fan should have are a collection of incredible music by incredible artists. These records marked a moment in history and continue to inspire generations of music lovers across the globe.

Rodrigo Sanchez
Apr 30, 2021 . 4 min read

Ever since its launch in May 2020, Roadie 3 received overwhelming support from publications, YouTubers,  social influencers, and musicians. With many of them expressing their thoughts on the next generation tuning device to their followers.

Hussein El Annan
Mar 26, 2021 . 6 min read

The 5 best debut albums with guitar heroes contain some of the most iconic music ever recorded. These albums have become classics and have influenced scores of fans around the world.

Rodrigo Sanchez
Mar 22, 2021 . 4 min read

Nothing can make us travel back in time like music. We all remember those special songs that we heard in special moments. Songs and albums that touched our lives uniquely.

Rodrigo Sanchez
Aug 28, 2020 . 4 min read

Is it really over?! Well, not quite! Roadie 3 is now available on Indiegogo with exclusive perks for a limited time!

For most of you, Roadie 3’s launch on Kickstarter on May 20, 2020, is not new news. 

Hussein El Annan
Jul 7, 2020 . 3 min read

Did you see that? The start of our campaign was explosive! In under 10 minutes, we reached 100% of our funding goal and so far raised over $290K in the first 14 days alone! 

Hussein El Annan
Jun 3, 2020 . 2 min read

Roadie 3 has finally launched on Kickstarter in the most explosive way possible!

Hussein El Annan
May 21, 2020 . 2 min read

We know you love the Roadie music blog. And maybe that’s all you know us for? But this time we’re here to share more than just great new content.

Hussein El Annan
Apr 23, 2020 . 4 min read

What do our 5 most popular articles of 2019 have in common? Nothing. That’s because we work really hard on making sure the content we develop for our readers is as diverse as the music world is.

Hussein El Annan
Jan 28, 2020 . 3 min read

New year, New reviews? But wait, before we officially welcome 2020, let’s look back at some of our favorite reviews of 2019.

Hussein El Annan
Jan 8, 2020 . 4 min read

In this edition of Roadie Spotlight, we’re checking out the Japanese guitar virtuoso ichika [sic] who has taken the Internet by storm with his amazing skills.

Frederik Nielsen
Dec 31, 2019 . 3 min read

Nothing says Christmas like a screeching guitar solo. Christmas Hits CDs are flying off shelves at this time of year. But, spare a thought for your heavy metal

Alec Plowman
Dec 25, 2019 . 4 min read

Not all stars are plastered across social media. Some manage to create a buzz without resorting to self-aggrandizing promotion techniques. 

Frederik Nielsen
Dec 24, 2019 . 3 min read

We’re almost at the end of 2019 and thought we’d round off the year with more spotlights on great guitarists that we come across online.

Frederik Nielsen
Dec 20, 2019 . 3 min read

Annie Plays Guitar is a name that has popped up on social media for the past few years. We’ve had a listen to Annie Wagstaff’s music and also looked at her new project HANNIE in this edition of Roadie Spotlight.

Frederik Nielsen
Dec 16, 2019 . 3 min read

We’re once more putting the spotlight of some of our favorite artists here on the Roadie blog. Some of them are famous, others are emerging — but all of them are amazing.

Frederik Nielsen
Dec 5, 2019 . 2 min read

If you don’t know about Bass Tuner by Roadie, then you have got to check this app out.

Karine Janho
Sep 27, 2019 . 3 min read

We are very excited to announce the release of our new Record Mode feature. Users of the Roadie Tuner have long been asking for a way to record and save the specific tunings they are in.

Karine Janho
Sep 13, 2019 . 2 min read

Wouldn’t it be awesome if an app could listen to you play and coach you to learn your favorite songs on the Uke? That’s exactly what Roadie Coach ( IOS | Android ) does. 

Karine Janho
Aug 14, 2019 . 3 min read
We'll be bringing you recommended tabs and plenty of interesting quotes from guitar legends along the way!