8. Raging Fyah, Everlasting (VP Records/Dub Rockers)
Kingston-based outfit Raging Fyah spent much of 2016 on the road, performing extensively throughout America and Europe. Their efforts spreading their message overseas were duly rewarded, when their third album Everlasting entered Billboard’s Reggae Albums Chart at No. 2, before receiving a Grammy nomination for 2017. The follow-up to their previous full-length projects Judgment Day and Destiny is their first on VP Records’ Dub Rockers imprint. Producer Llamar “Riff Raff” Brown expertly fuses the vocals of frontman Kumar Bent with the musical backing provided by the band, with recordings made live at Tuff Gong International. The unapologetic “Raggamuffin” and the thought provoking “Getting Dread” are contrasted by the playful “Dash Wata”, and the melodic upbeat “Live Your Life,” which includes guest vocals from J Boog and Busy Signal. Well rounded and more polished than their previous efforts, Everlasting is surefire proof of Raging Fyah’s maturation. — Gibbo