Wall of Sound presents: “2017 YEAR IN REVIEW” – by Wall of Sound Photographer Emanuel Rudnicki

Posted on December 22, 2017 by Paul 'Browny' Brown

Photography excites me! Getting out there, creating and shooting stuff is a great feeling whether it’s weddings, portraits, streetscapes, or bands. 2017 wasn’t really a different approach to shooting live gigs than it was the previous year; just trying to experiment and be different to what others are coming out with. Last year I brought out my tilt-shift a lot, which is a bitch to focus in a live setting as it’s all manual and this year was me trying to shove different things in front of the lens – but you’ve got to be committed cause doing stuff like that can scratch up your lens’ front element a bit. But above all the things I try, composition is still king. Every year I’m driven by a conscious effort to be a better photographer than I was the previous year so I’m hoping I can up my game in 2018 haha here’s what I’ve got for the Wall of Sound 2017 Year In Review…

TOP 5 ALBUMS OF 2017

1. Wintersun – The Forest Seasons
2. Satyricon – Deep Calleth Upon Deep
3. Zeal & Ardor – Devil is Fine
4. Enslaved – E
5. Mastodon – Emperor of Sand

TOP 5 SONGS OF 2017

1. Zeal & Ardor – ‘Blood in the River’
2. Ruelle – ‘The Other Side’
3. A Perfect Circle – ‘The Doomed’
4. Ulver – ‘Nemoralia’
5. Edguy – ‘Ravenblack’

BEST MUSIC VIDEO OF 2017

Advent Sorrow – ‘Pestilence Shall Come‘
Great song, awesome visuals, amazing atmosphere, ignites the imagination. And knowing a couple of people in this band, I know how it was filmed, which is what makes it all the more amazing – it just goes to show you don’t need a big budget or expensive cameras to create something really extraordinary.

BEST GIG YOU’VE SEEN IN 2017

Glenn Hughes – September 24th @ Perth Concert Hall, Perth WA
The voice of god! Unbelievable and inspiring to be there and hear him sing live. Legend. (Review & Gallery Here)

NEXT BIG BAND TO WATCH IN 2018

I’m not too sure what to look out for in 2018….maybe Zeal & Ardor… I’ve never heard anything like these guys before but I’m loving it. A mix of ‘African American spirituals, blues and black metal’…the description sounds weird and that’s why I decided to check it out. Looking forward to see what they come out with next! Locally, I think Earth Rot seem to be doing quite well for themselves with some great tours overseas, and they’re also a cool bunch of guys, so hopefully they keep growing musically into a bigger machine!

WHAT ARE YOU MOST LOOKING FORWARD TO IN 2018

Watching (and hopefully being able to photograph) Mayhem perform their classic album De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas live, it currently sits at the top of my concert photography bucket list. And hopefully some more great black metal bands come through; believe it or not, music and especially black metal, is my biggest photography influence (weddings, portraits, whatever else…)

Hoping also that a new Behemoth album shows up. Would also be cool to see some good power metal bands come through…I’m looking at Helloween’s Pumpkins United Tour among others. Oh and Manowar to finally tour Australia (wishful thinking?)