The Number One album of 2016

The Number One album of 2016

We are approaching the deadline for your lists for the Top 20 Countdown of 2019. That deadline is early December 13… So, if you want to contribute, send them now to our EMAIL! But before we start the Countdown of 2019 we look back at those past 10 years of Stoner HiVe. Indeed, we celebrate 10 years. 10 years of heavy riffs, romps and stomps! 10 years of heavy magic! That all started back in 2009 when the blog started, just so we would have a vehicle to count down the best 20 albums of 2009. The edition of 2016 had 76 lists to tally, a first decline in sent in lists since 2009, but it still made the outcome more valid then when we started back in 2009. That list, deduced out of the lists sent in by 76 heavy music fiends,  started with The Re-Stoned – Reptiles on Number 20. It featured Asteroid and their III album on Number 3 and the amazing Repeated Exposure To… album by 1000Mods on Number 2. For the entire Top 20 of 2016, visit the Countdown So Far post on Stoner HiVe… But what album ended up on the Number One position back in 2016... Well, that’s when we wrote:

“There can be only one. A 1000Mods stood firm on Second Place. But to reach our Gold Medalist, the Numero Uno, the one true legendary album of 2016, we almost have to double the amount of points of the 1000Mods album Repeated Exposure To… Incredible! And something I had not expected. Not because of some form of doubt about this album or this band. Cause they were ofcourse also present on the Countdown before, on Number 9 back in 2014 and Number 14 in 2012. But because there were so many great albums released this year. I reckoned the field would have been much closer together. I, have to say, to some shame perhaps, that I had not recognized the status and amazing beauty of this album. In former years I knew, as everyone probably did, that Elder would win. Or Wo Fat or even Electric Wizard. But while I kept listening to this album over and over and enjoying every freaking riff and moment of it. I had not recognized it’s true quality. I do now. And it will continue to be pure energy for me from this moment on. Righteous fuel. And I need fuel. I am a serious consumer. And I am a firm believer, that on some nights, when the moon is full, and the animals are on the prowl, a car with the gas needle on empty can run about fifty more miles with the right kind of music very loud on the radio… And yes, this album will make it run even faster and even further…”

And we are very honored that Madman Tony Maim wanted to revisit this album as well and give us his thoughts on how the albums has fared in the past few years… “Saying goodbye to Small Stone Records after 10 years this was to be their first recordings for Napalm Records. This still qualifies as one of the best hard rock albums released in 2016. Everything worked - the crisp production, the lineup changes, the aggressive attack on display, Everything. I still cannot fault this album. Stop reading this and play it at once!”

Greenleaf – Rise Above The Meadow

(For the rest of the Top 20 of 2016, visit the Countdown So Far post on the blog...)