I love vibrant, loud, dirty bass.  That’s not the only kind, though.  I’ve heard all kinds of bass over the last year, and I was seriously impressed with much of what I heard.  Check out my top ten favorites of 2018.

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10. Iggy Cohen – Distorted Harmony

Iggy has always offered awesome bass, but the latest Distorted Harmony album was heftier and heavier than normal, and I think Iggy is one reason for that.  His thundering, technical style added so much to the music.

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9. Krzysiek Tomczyk – Wave

Wave’s latest was an adventure in abstraction, and Krzysiek’s inventive and flat out crazy bass lines were the foundation upon which all of that happened.  I’ve yet to hear an album that attempts some of things they pulled off texturally on that album.

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8. Paweł Konieczny – Albion

 

It’s basically a rule that Polish bands must have awesome bass.  Pawel’s performance is no exception, offering pulsating and dark bass lines that built the stage for the rich melancholy of Albion’s latest.

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7. Keegan Kelly – Oceans of Slumber

Keegan’s bass is energetic and extremely dark.  Oceans of Slumber came out swinging this year, and Keegan’s professional performance added the gusto and even theatricality that the album really needed.

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6. Crisanta Baker – Lo Moon

If you’ve heard Lo Moon’s debut, you will know why Crisanta is on this list.  Her bass lines formed the focal points on almost every song, and without her this album would have been severely lacking.

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5. Yaroski Corredera – Anima Mundi

Similar to Wave’s new album, the latest offering from Anima Mundi was journey into abstract textures and out of this world moments.  Yaroski’s amazing bass lines painted a blackened picture of insomnia and inner confusion, and the album wouldn’t be the same without him.

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4. Hagen Bretschneider – Electric Mud

Hagen sent me the new album from Electric Mud, and I literally had no idea what to expect.  Yes, the album is completely genre-less, but I can say one thing: Hagen’s bass is a riveting, meaty part of the experience.  The sheer power and glory of Hagen’s bass lines is partly why I am still revisiting the album months later.

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3. Kristian Torp – Gazpacho

Kristian is one my favorite bassists in prog.  His trippy, quirky bass lines take normal songs and change them into something amazing.  Gazpacho’s latest shows this even more as Kristian charges forward for some of the most gloriously climactic moments the band has ever recorded.

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2. Brian Craft – Lux Terminus

The debut from Lux Terminus is remarkable on so many levels, and you’ve seen me rave about Vikram’s keyboards from this album.  Brian’s bass, however, is the trampoline off of which those keys launch, and I’m still in awe over many of the bass lines that are incredibly unique and technical.  Brian’s grounding bass performance is the perfect complement to the soaring nature of this awesome music.

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1. Mariusz Duda – Riverside

Mariusz never disappoints.  His bass lines on the new Riverside album were somber and well written; and, on an album that expressed so much emotion, his bass stands out a medium for personal expression.  He still reigns supreme as my favorite bassist.

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