Top 30 Albums of 2021

Welcome back friend, it’s good to see you again! This year has been jam packed with personal milestones. Auditorily, I listened to the most albums I’ve ever listened to (130+) and the result is perhaps one of my most diverse lists I’ve ever had. Yes, there is still a lot of progressive rock and metal, but there are a lot of gems on here as well. Whether you just plan to skim until something catches your ear, or you only want to read and shake your head in disagreement, or maybe you plan to listen to each song, I encourage you to keep an open mind. My descriptions are (in my opinion) decent but they are by no means perfect and there are a lot of surprises!

A word on the term “progressive”. My lists in general tend to be fairly stacked with the term “progressive”. Progressive rock. Progressive metal. The frustrating thing about the term is that it isn’t as straightforward as pop or country. Progressive could mean that the sound and style is akin to those who first pioneered the genre (Yes, Emerson/Lake/and Palmer, Dream Theater) but it can also be used to describe people that are pushing the genre into other boundaries. Progressive metal could be rhythmically progressive, or compositionally progressive. To keep it brief, progressive might just mean that they are doing something unique with the genre besides just the typical sound. So if you dislike one progressive rock band, it doesn’t mean you won’t like another!

Alright, enough blabber. Onto the list!!!   

30. None But a Pure Heart Can Sing So Hideous (Experimental Hardcore)

 Kicking down the door to earn spot number thirty on this list is an album that refuses to be overlooked. With its first chords masquerading as nothing more than earsplitting hardcore riffs, it’s easy to write off this album as just another black metal release, but as the album progresses this beast reveals its true form. None But a Pure Heart Can Sing is a thrill ride from front to back, combining hardcore and black metal riffs with trembling violins, violas, and cellos, blaring trumpets, and even a saxophone solo. With only 32 minutes of runtime, there isn’t a single moment wasted, and the result is absolutely gripping.

For fans of… Mr. Bungle.

29. Engine of Hell Emma Ruth Rundle (Singer/Songwriter)

If the previous album listed was unabashed bombast, this is its foil: quiet, calm, and reflective. Engine of Hell is a walk through the empty house of your childhood. Rundle captures nostalgia, grief, and reflection in the tips of her fingers, composing memories with muted piano chords and solitary plucked guitars. Her voice seethes and quivers, teetering on the edge of fragility. The result is an album that is haunting, perfect for a quiet winter night.

For fans of… Regina Spektor

28. Volcanic Bird Enemy and the Voiced Concern Lil Ugly Mane (Lofi/ Alternative)

This is a strange album, not simply because it is musically weird, but because I didn’t know what to make of it for a long time. Did I even like it? Is it too disjointed or is that what makes this collection of hodgepodge, psychedelic tracks endearing? Are these tracks even finished? The artist name “Lil Ugly Mane” seems to suggest that this is going to be a trap album, and the result couldn’t be further from it. The truth is, even if this album doesn’t always work, it’s strange (and charming) enough to have earned a spot on my list. Volcanic Bird Enemy… is an album that sounds like it was written in the 90’s and then dumped in some kids’ closet under a pile of well-worn socks and ripped jeans until surfacing here in 2021. Lil Ugly Mane a.k.a. Travis Miller’s voice sags like that of a man slumped over the bar of some shitty dive at noon, his beats acting as the friend propping him up for one more drink before dragging him to the next watering hole. It’s the kind of album that leaves you wondering where the truth begins and the art ends, and that’s one of the reasons why I couldn’t leave it behind. Yes, the cover is exactly how this album sounds.

For fans of… Moby.

27. Talk Memory BADBADNOTGOOD (Jazz Fusion)

Speaking of albums that don’t sound like the era they were written, get a load of these guys. Drawing influence from the likes of Funkadelic and King Crimson, Talk Memory is a murky, atmospheric, and funky ride through a neon lit city. At times it is akin to the feeling of watching the lights in front of you turn green and putting the pedal to the floor, and others it is like sticking your hand out the window and watching it float in the breeze.

For fans of…Flying Lotus

26. SHYGA! The Sunlight Mound Psychedelic Porn Crumpets (Psychedelic Rock)

In a year where King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard dropped a measly TWO albums, the Psychedelic Porn Crumpets come crashing through the window with the most fun psychedelic/ noise rock of the year. Each song is an assault of blown out guitars, driving drums, and hazy vocals culminating in an album that feels like a flower garden… on acid. This is an awesome summer album. To be enjoyed with a case of beer, a lake to jump into, and a beach to dance on.

For fans of… Cage the Elephant.

25. Call Me if You Get Lost Tyler, the Creator (Hip-hop)

I should start this review by saying I don’t care for either Flower Boy or Igor. Both efforts were filled with sleepy sad-boy bops that never really went anywhere and just tread the same thematic water, and not in an interesting/ conceptual way. Call Me If You Get Lost isn’t always consistent in the narrative it sets up in the first song, bouncing between a Laissez-faire mindset (“CORSO”) to a braggadocios anger (“HOT WIND BLOWS”), and eventually a reflective sadness (“WILSHIRE”) and at times it can’t decide if it wants to be a political commentary or a lofi hip-hop album about third wheel romance, but that doesn’t diminish the quality of the songwriting. In addition to this being his best album yet, with this album cycle Tyler has established himself as a visionary when it comes to live performance, and if he keeps this trajectory he could very well release some of the best rap albums in the coming years.

For fans of… Vince Staples.

24. Diorama MOL (Black Metal)

It’s hard to know where to begin when talking about MOL. On paper it would seem like they’re doing everything that other black metal/shoegaze acts are doing. Fuzzy guitar tones… check. Shrieked vocals… check. Blast beats and guitar tremolos… check. So then why is this album any different? What sets MOL apart from all their contemporaries? The reality is not much… they just do it better. Vocalist Kim Song Sternkopf is an absolute force of nature behind the mic, shrieking and growling in a way that commands the listeners attention. I don’t often find myself waking up to remembered black metal lines, but this album is chaulkful of massive moments. The songwriting is also absolutely next level, each song packed with riffs that toe the line between black metal, post rock, and even… dare I say… new wave. It might sound like a stretch but that’s what makes Diorama such a dynamic listen.

For fans of… Deafheaven.

23. Wild Type Droid Failure (Stoner Rock)

For some strange reason the 90’s are back with a vengeance. Don’t get me wrong, as a product of it I’m highly nostalgic for it, I just didn’t think I would ever see bucket hats, baggy ripped jeans, and crop tops again. So it seems only fitting that one of the best albums of the year would belong to a band who apparently coasted through the background of it, releasing some of the most critically acclaimed (and clearly underrated) rock albums of the time. I say “clearly underrated” because it’s time to confess that Failure didn’t make it onto my radar until the release of Wild Type Droid. Yes, this is a complete failure on my part, and yes I get to use that terrible pun at least once. My short-comings as an auditory explorer aside, Wild Type Droid is an absolutely mind-bending album, largely because Failure manages to write earworm riff after earworm riff. On songs like “Headstand” and “A Lifetime of Joy” the guitar chords teeter between melody and dissonance, the result drawing the listener back repeatedly. One of my favorite moments of the year comes on the album closer, the absolutely haunting “Half Moon” where the chord progression doesn’t quite go where you think it is, swinging back and forth between minor and major. The result is a song that, after my first listen, I instantly played it again because the goosebumps that had broken out over my back and arms demanded I immerse myself once again in the moment. Released twenty-nine years after their first album, Failure have fully convinced me not only to check out their back catalog, but to return to this album on an almost weekly basis. That, in my mind, is the furthest thing from a failure.

For fans of… Queens of the Stone Age or Alice in Chains.

22. Eternal Blue Spiritbox (Metalcore)

What an absolutely wild year for Spiritbox. Through a brilliant marketing campaign that unveiled one incredible single and music music video after another they established themselves as one of the most hyped bands to follow. After much delay, Eternal Blue finally dropped, and the internet went crazy. While some listeners didn’t feel like the album quite lived up to the hype, the reality is that Spiritbox have released an incredibly strong metalcore album. This is in large part due to Courtney LaPlante who carries this album on her shoulders. Not to say that the musicianship isn’t strong, but this album’s success is largely thanks to the vocalist who elevates every track with soaring leads (“Secret Garden”) and absolutely violent unclean vocals (“Circle With Me”). Every track is an emotional roller coaster, (seriously, “Constance” is a strong contender for music video of the year. Get the tissues ready) as LePlante lays herself bare, exploring loss, insecurity, and fury. While this isn’t their debut album, this feels in many ways like a coming out party. And even though Eternal Blue is by no means perfect, it is a collection of metal tracks that draw the reader in and then leave them excited for more.

For fans of… Breaking Benjamin.

21. Niratias Chevelle (Alternative Metal)

It’s a solid Chevelle album. The end.

Wait… you wanted more? Ok… fine. In many ways Niratias (short for “Nothing Is Real and This Is A Simulation”) is a sequel to their 2009 album Sci-Fi Crimes. Chevelle lighten up on the gas a little. Eerie interludes (“Sleep the Deep” and “VVurmhole”) provide some atmosphere and breathing room while singles like “Peach” and “Self Destructor” remind the listener why Chevelle have been the black sheep princes of metal radio for the past decade and change. At the beginning of the album cycle Chevelle announced that this album was potentially their last. Whittled down to two artists and having released consistent (if not sometimes derivative) album after album, they laid it all out on one “final” project and asked fans if they wanted more. And personally, I don’t. I don’t mean that to say that I wouldn’t want more Chevelle albums. If they continue to release music I will continue to listen and, probably, enjoy it. But if this is their final album… what a helluva way to go out. This album is full of love letters to their fans, ranging from power ballads “Endlessly” and “Remember When” to crushing moshers like “So Long, Mother Earth” and “Mars Simula”. So if this is it, then I will bask in the warmth of their setting sun, reminiscing in the memories and joy their music has brought me. 

Remember your youth instead… when you’re drifting off to nowhere. 

For fans of… Seether. 

20. SINNER GET READY Lingua Ignota (Hymnal/ Folk)

It’s strange for me to think that I have an album on my list that I really wouldn’t recommend to many people. I suppose that makes it sound like I didn’t enjoy this album or don’t find it to be a relevant piece of art in the year of 2021, but the truth couldn’t be further from those two statements. The reality is that SINNER GET READY isn’t really music meant for “enjoyment”, it’s meant for expression. It is a startling piece of art about trauma and religion (both its beauty and horror). Kristin Hayter (a.k.a Lingua Ignota) croons, smolders, moans, and weeps through this project, her voice coiling between harmony and dissonance, pushing the listener past the point of comfort and casual listening. She can be operatic as seen on the truly brutal “I WHO BEND THE TALL GRASSES” where she commands God to take vengeance upon one who has wronged her (and I mean it when I say this track is brutal. It is by far one of the most shocking pieces of music I’ve listened to this year), and also fragile as seen on “PERPETUAL FLAME OF CENTRALIA”. I say all this not to deter the reader from listening to this album, but to simply warn that this is not something you would play on friday night. Nor maybe even Sunday morning. SINNER GET READY is meant for a quiet, solitary night. It is as reverent as it is sacrilegious. It is one of the most artistically honest pieces to be released, through text, film, and music, this year.

For fans of… Florence and the Machine.

19. Illusory Walls The World Is a Beautiful Place and I Am No Longer Afraid to Die (Indie rock)

It was on my third attempt through the last half an hour of this album, the two songs “Infinite Josh” and “Fewer Afraid”, that the album finally clicked. Don’t get me wrong, an album’s strength is not carried only on the back of one or two songs, but when the second HALF of your album is two songs, then those two songs better be damn good, especially when the first half is as good as it is. Opener “Afraid to Die” is a complete stage setter, building to a triumphant climax before leading into “Queen Sophie for President” an infectious pop rock banger. “Invading the World of the Guilty…” builds a sense of urgency as the band sings about wasted time and the dark circle of capitalism, consumerism, and all other sorts of -isms. The album continues with strong momentum, carried by monumental vocal hooks and some frantic drumming by Steven Buttery, that when the album gets to the two aforementioned closers (both of which are slow burns to say the least) it left me scratching my head. While I’m still a little convinced that there could be some carving done on those two beasts (and this is coming from a guy who loves a good prog opus) I think I’ve finally figured out WHY the album ends this way. For much of the album the band talks about these cycles we’re stuck in, consuming constantly until we’re dead (morbid, I know) that when the band finally gets to the end and the listener is just immersed in sound, you’re almost forced to lose yourself in it. In many ways these songs play like something you would hear in a live setting. In a way, it snaps you out of the doldrum that modern life can often be and forces you to immerse yourself in something else, even if it is just as hypnotic. For an album that probably reads a lot like a downer, those last few songs actually elevate it to something else, first forcing the listener to confront the truth, and then showing them that the world, indeed, is a beautiful place. 

But we have to make it that way. 

For fans of… Coheed and Cambria 

18. Cavalcade Black Midi (Experimental Rock)

There are a few bands on this list where the song/video recommended at the end is an actual performance, not just one song but an actual concert. To truly understand how absolutely wild these kids (yeah, I say that as a thirty year old man and yes, they’re like… 21) are as musicians one has to see them perform. Cavalcade is a tour-de-force, the equivalent of running into a hurricane with an open tupperware, trying to contain even a part of the storm in it. This album threatens to fall apart on multiple occasions and yet it is through sheer will and musicianship that it is held together. Their live session with KEXP (listed below) beautifully encapsulates this feeling of controlled chaos. Songs begin and then dissolve into each other before reappearing again later. Lead singer and guitarist Geordie Greep squawks and mumbles over blistering guitar licks as drummer Morgan Simpson finds the pocket and takes a damn SIT in it. On their 2019 release Schlagenheim, Black Midi perked quite a few ears, some wondering if they could ever capture the lightning in a bottle that was that album. The answer is: hell yes. 

For fans of… King Crimson.

17. Aphelion Leprous (Progressive Rock)

Regardless of what you think of their most recent output, Leprous are hands down one of the most interesting “progressive” bands out there. Starting out as a progressive metal group, they crafted rhythmically complex albums like The Congregation that allowed the genius of guitarist Tor Oddmund Suhrke to really shine. Their most recent outputs have seemingly forced the guitarist further from the spotlight, highlighting atmosphere, keyboards, and the brilliant vocal performance of Einar Solberg (vocalist of the year IMO) instead. The result has been two absolutely phenomenal albums, 2019’s Pitfalls and this year’s Aphelion. The roots of Leprous’ sound are still there: mind bending drumming, memorable vocal hooks, and groovy riffs, but a little poppier, a little more experimental. Songs like “Silhouette” feature funky guitars and synths with galloping drums, while moments like “Have You Ever?” offer strange and meditative breathers. If Leprous knows how to do one thing, it’s a build to a satisfying climax and, my God, is this album full of them (seriously, the award for most emotional song this year goes to “Castaway Angels”). Pitfalls was a dark album, tackling Solberg’s depression and insecurities, and while Aphelion does this, it seems a little more hopeful, more of a looking beyond than backwards. In a year plagued with the mental and emotional ramifications of our pandemic, couldn’t we all use a little more of that?

For fans of… Muse.    

16. Ska Dream Jeff Rosenstock (Ska)

Go ahead, pinch yourself. Dump a bucket of cold water on your head. It’s not going to change the fact that there is, indeed, a ska album as one of my favorites of the year 2021. Sure, one could theorize that it’s there because I have a soft spot for the genre, but the reality is that it’s just a damn good album from start to finish. Coming off the high that was last year’s No Dream, Jeff Rosenstock has repurposed those punk songs to have more of a ska vibe. And the crazy thing is… it’s actually better. Songs like “SKrAm!” sit in a reggae groove while others like “S K A D R E A M” explode into straight up moshers. Perfect for a summer afternoon at the beach or a backyard BBQ, this album is designed to put a smile on your face and a skank in your step. 

For fans of… Reel Big Fish.

15. The Million Masks of God Manchester Orchestra (Indie Rock)

It’s hard to imagine a successful follow up to 2017’s A Black Mile to the Surface. That album was a masterclass in atmosphere, a collection of brooding songs about fatherhood and the uncertainty of bringing a child into a world filled with evil and darkness. It was dreary and melancholy, an album that my friends and I have repeatedly put on when we’ve looked up at the stars and wondered just what the hell is going on with this existence of ours. On this most recent collection of songs, themes of death and loss serve as the backbone for every song, but somehow this album seems a little lighter, not as bogged down by the heaviness that permeated so many of the songs on its predecessor. As a result this album is more varied and, ultimately, more engaging. Again, this is by no means a “light” album but it is at times triumphant, at times joyful. Death is not something to fear, but something to wonder about. After this long journey, filled with memories of light and dark, it is simply the next step. There’s a sense of wonder in this album, the feeling of walking through a long tunnel before being confronted by an opening filled with color and light. It serves as a lesson about life, a battle cry to move on from the burdens that trouble us, and to enjoy every moment, every beauty. For who truly knows what lies beyond? 

For fans of… Mumford and Sons.  

14. Playing House Meer (Progressive Rock)

Honestly, what genre of music is this even? Yes, my label for them is “progressive rock”, and if you go on their bandcamp you can see they self-describe as an “alternative progressive pop orchestra”, but those are really just words. “Progressive” itself is such a broad term for a genre encompassing so many sounds that it doesn’t quite put a finger on what the listener is going to get when they start listening to this album. Playing House is adventurous. It infuses sweeping strings, massive pop hooks, and memorable riffs into something that feels completely cohesive, something inevitably done before but rarely done this well.  With so many moving parts it could have just been a mess, and yet thanks to the brilliant production on this, each instrument and voice is able to enjoy its time in the spotlight before slipping into the background. Singers Johanne and Knut Kippersund, in particular, are absolute powerhouses, finding ways to write vocal lines that are simultaneously familiar and innovative. Meer sound like a band with a vision and a hunger. Listening to this album is like walking into the seedy local venue of your college town and catching a band right on the cusp of breaking through. There’s so much joy and life in each composition that, even after one listen, you’re going to catch yourself returning to melodies and lines. Meer aren’t playing house. They’ve paid the damn mortgage. 

For fans of… The Dear Hunter.

13. Sometimes I Might Be Introvert Little Simz (Hip-hop)

Within ten seconds of listening to this album, I knew that I was about to experience something truly remarkable. Snare drums set the pace of a march into battle, a choir of low brass announce the arrival of an army, trumpets and pizzicato strings herald the coming of a queen. And just as the song seems to be arriving at a climax, it sets into a laidback boom bap beat and Little Simz spins her tale. Sometimes I Might Be Introvert is by no means a debut album, but man does it feel like a coming out party, marking the moment when Little Simz stepped out of the shadow of the hip-hop greats to stand at their sides. This album feels like an actual album, not a collection of bangers but a story with an arch. In spirit it is a throwback to old school hip hop, using funk, jazz, and R&B samples to sculpt her beats. Over the course of its hour and change runtime Little Simz spits poetry about womanhood, Blackness, and her overall journey to where she is now, and even though I am by no means her key demographic here, I find myself moved by the power and passion she infuses into this album. If you’re in need of a battle cry, especially as a woman or a P.O.C., put this on and let Simz be your queen. 

For fans of… Mary J. Blige  

12. Ice Fleet Kauan (Post Metal)

I think it’s time to acknowledge that Anton Belov is one of the greatest post rock composers to ever make music. Sorni Nai and Kaiho are two of my favorite albums of all time, and Piano Works I has some of the most heartbreakingly beautiful songs ever written. I’m not convinced that he’s even really truly human, but rather some sort of spirit caught in limbo, trapped between worlds, lost in space and time. His music perfectly captures despair, loneliness, and nostalgia so brilliantly that it’s hard not to put his albums on and just become lost in them. Such is the case of Ice Fleet, an album that explores the true story of a set of Russian explorers who, crossing the arctic, found a collection of old ships (and the subsequent dead) buried in the ice. The album discusses what potentially led to their demise, but again it is Belovs mastery of somber music that makes this album a special listen. When you put on Ice Fleet you’ll find yourself no longer sitting in your living room but stranded in a world of white, alone save for howling wind and the creaking of wood. Among the dead and unburied, yes, you will find sadness and pain, but also the beauty of human strength and determination to survive. 

For fans of… ghost stories.  

11. Witness VOLA (Progressive Metal) 

I’m not really sure why it took me so long to get into VOLA. I remember listening to Applause of a Distant Crowd and thinking, this is really cool… but isn’t this just the Deftones? In hindsight that comparison was understandable but not wholly accurate. Was I just burned out on metal? Was I just not in the right headspace? I don’t really have the answers for that, but what I do know is that Witness is a fantastic album. The bass grumbles under silky smooth synth lines and frantic fretwork. The drums can be driving or galloping, at other times minimal in complexity but thundering. Vocalist and guitarist Asger Mygind floats above it all, somehow churning out complex riff after riff while crooning some of the best metal vocal lines of the year. There’s plenty for people to love here, from the weirdness of “These Black Claws” infusing industrial metal riffs with hip-hop, to djent bangers like “Head Mounted Sideways”. With Witness, VOLA establish themselves as one of the best “djent” bands still doing it, and I can’t wait to find more treasures exploring their back catalog. 

For fans of… TesseracT    

10. The Myth of Happily Ever After Biffy Clyro (Alternative)

Biffy Clyro are one of the best alternative rock bands you’ve never heard of. Infusing heavy riffs with a strong pop sensibility, this album is an absolute blast from start to finish. Whether it’s writing stadium sized anthems like “A Hunger in Your Heart” or power ballads like “Haru Urara” Biffy Clyro rarely misstep on this album. My personal favorite track on this is closer and winner of “Dumbest Song Title of the Year”, “Slurpy Slurpy Sleep Sleep”, where Biffy put the pedal to the floor and don’t let up until a blistering climax that truly doesn’t relent until the song is an almost unbearable cacophony of static and sound. Whether you’re looking for a single song to pump you up in the morning or a sit down album experience, The Myth of Happily Ever After truly rocks from start to finish.

For fans of… the Foo Fighters.

9. I Lie Here Buried With My Rings and Dresses Backxwash (Hip-hop)

There are a few albums on this list that, upon first listen when I was doing daily mundane tasks, completely stopped me in my tracks and forced me to immediately pay attention. I Lie Here Buried With My Rings and Dresses is one such album. Before I write anything else I think it’s important to acknowledge that, of all the albums I have on this list, this might be the darkest (seriously… it’s hard not to be moved by “BURN TO ASHES”). Driven to the edge of sanity by depression, drug abuse, and a sense of isolation from cis society, Backxwash a.k.a. Ashanti Mutinta channels every one of her inner demons to create a deadly brew of industrial metal and hip-hop. Over a collection of dark trap beats and horrific samples she shrieks, howls, raps, and screams, trying desperately to exorcize the darkness within her. The pain is absolutely palpable on this album, and it’s hard not to feel an emotional connection to her by the end of it, even if that connection is simply that you can’t understand but you feel what she’s saying. Again, this is not hip-hop you put on when you’re planning on upping the mood at your party. This is music for the witching hour; for the darkest nights. 

For fans of… clipping..  

8. Hushed and Grim Mastodon (Sludge Metal)

Man, I was ready to be disappointed. Don’t get me wrong, I was never one of those keyboard knights who wasted their time complaining in Facebook threads about how one of my favorite bands of all time had changed and wasn’t heavy enough, but it was hard to shake the growing feeling of disappointment as Mastodon moved further and further away from what made them truly exceptional. Sure, The Hunter and Once More Around the Sun had some great tracks on them (looking at you “Blasteroid”), and Emperor of the Sand was a LARGE step in the right direction, but it was a startling change to hear a band who once wrote epic concepts albums about Moby Dick and astral projections writing simplistic psychedelic inspired rock songs. Not to mention they seemed to be missing a desire to write something “heavy”. I longed for them to write something reminiscent of their old songs. I didn’t really believe that they would ever write something like Remission again, but just give me something to headbang to dammit! 

I suppose the paragraph above is a roundabout way to say that this album is a return to form, albeit in a progressive way. Hushed and Grim is as much a love letter to longtime fans as it is a statement about where they are currently at. Grieving the death of longtime band manager and fan Nick John, Mastodon express their loss through a collection of heavy songs that explore the afterlife and the sadness we feel when our loved ones leave us behind. Sure, there are some pit starters like “Pushing the Tides” and “Savage Lands”, but the majority of the songs march on like a funeral procession, weaving in elements of psychedelic rock and even (on closer “Gigantum”) post rock. And I never thought that I would tear up listening to a Mastodon song (besides maybe “Crack the Skye”) but I’ll be damned if “Had it All”  doesn’t put a lump in my throat every time. As someone who has enjoyed all of Mastodon’s albums to varying degrees, I can confidently say that this is one of their best and most engrossing. Sure it’s long, but that just leaves plenty of things for listeners to return to and discover.

For fans of… Gojira.

7. Loss Devil Sold His Soul (Post Hardcore)

2021 has been a year of soul searching. In many ways it was like emerging from a cave after some terrible winter storm. We made our way back to our homes, some of us finding them destroyed, others suddenly realizing that our neighbors and friends weren’t there to help us pick up the pieces when we needed them. For some of us this was a period of mourning, others a chance for renewal. On Loss, Devil Sold His Soul channel all of this, using longing and grief as a means for self-discovery and reflection. Their music toes the line between early 2010 screamo acts like Silverstein and post rock acts like Cloudkicker, and the result is an album that can, at one moment suspend the listener in a warm aura, and the next send them careening through frigid air back down to earth. There’s so much energy and passion on this project that even those who might not normally turn to this type of music may find themselves enjoying moments and songs. And who knows… maybe it too can help you overcome your own loss. 

For fans of… Saosin.

6. Radical Every Time I Die (Hardcore)

It’s weird to hear lead singer Keith Buckley describe Radical as an “uplifting, hopeful” album. Low Teens was a dark and twisted exploration of his emotions following the birth (and almost death) of his daughter and the near death of his now ex-wife, and this album is heavier and angrier. Written before and during the pandemic, and at a time of “radical” (get it) shifts in his life, it chronicles his realization that he was an alcoholic and trapped in a toxic marriage. So in many ways, this could be seen as incredibly dark subject matter to tackle, but Radical approaches these issues, as Every Time I Die is want to do, with a little tongue in cheek commentary and humor. Buckley is in peak performance, spitting venomous line after line (proving once again why he is one of the best lyricists out there today), while the band continues to chug through their brilliant brand of southern rock and hardcore. In many ways it’s what you’ve come to expect from ETID, if not perhaps a little bit less experimental. You won’t find any songs like “Moor” or “It Remembers”, but that’s ok because this album just rips from front to back, proving once again why ETID are one of the best bands making music right now. 

For fans of… Norma Jean.

5. Glow On Turnstile (Pop Punk)

If you have spent any time with me this year, regardless of your previous musical leanings, there’s a good chance that at some point you’ve heard me play this album. I mean, I’ve played this album for my students for chrissake. There’s something about it that is just completely universal. No matter what kind of music you like, this is the one album that I think almost anyone can find something to love. Blending pop punk, hardcore, funk, and even a little shoegaze, this album is filled to the brim with infectious energy. Did you ever think you’d hear a samba beat in a punk song? Did you ever think an absolute mosh would feature a tambourine and cowbell? If that has peaked your interest then good, because this album is that fun. In addition to dropping one of the best albums of the year, Turnstile have also also dropped one of the best live concerts (see the below video) which completely captures the energy this album is overflowing with (yes, I posted the whole concert. No you don’t need to listen to all of it… but at the very least check the first five minutes). On a list (and in a year) where there is so much darkness, this album is a ray of joy and light, something so overabundantly fun that you’ll have no choice but to jump out of your seat and groove along to it. Or… at the very least… bob your head along.

For fans of… Goldfinger

4. Day and Age Frost* (Progressive Rock)

It goes without saying that the biggest disappointment of this year was Steven Wilson’s album The Future Bites. There are plenty of reasons for this colossal failure, none of which I want to waste too much time discussing, and really I only bring up Wilson to say that after a immaculate stretch of progressive rock albums he has finally been knocked off his pedestal. Only time will tell as to how long these usurpers will hold the throne but for now Frost* have absconded the throne with their latest effort Day and Age. Composing music that sounds like the lovechild of Genesis, Rush, and Alan Parson’s Project, this album is an absolute must for anyone who loves the progressive rock genre. There are so many little gems on this album, from the galloping drumming of Kaz Rodriguez on opener “Day and Age’ (seriously, some of the more engaging drumming this year) to the brilliant callback of the main theme in the brooding “Kill the Orchestra”, and the result is that songs that near the ten minute mark absolutely fly by and demand repeat listens. This album is a modern prog classic, deserving to be compared to the likes of Wilson and other contemporaries like Haken and Dream Theater. This year has been quite the hellscape, so you might as well enjoy yourself… you scum. 

For fans of… Genesis.

3. Smiling With No Teeth Genesis Owusu (R&B)

It’s hard to know really where to begin with this album. Sure on paper this is an excellent R&B album, but consuming this media reveals a much different story. Blending elements of hip-hop, electronic, funk, and rock, what Genesis Owusu has done is craft an incredibly bold debut that isn’t afraid to buck convention and throw a curveball at its listener. After the glitchy “On the Move!” the album transitions to “The Other Black Dog”, a track that starts off with a pounding house dance beat before transitioning to a stanky Parliment-esq groove. “Waitin’ On Ya” begins with an autotuned, robot narrative before sinking into a steezy psychedelic funk beat. “Drown” is a piece of Springsteen-esq rock. My favorite track of the album (and possibly the year) is “A Song About Fishing”, an almost singer/songwriter, dreamy R&B track akin to something Otis Redding might have written if he were alive today about feelings of futility and the insanity of a repetitive life. If it sounds strange that this album can swing so violently from genre to genre you’re not wrong but, while the sound of the songs might vary, the backbone holding this whole album together is a collection of funky, R&B tracks. Genesis Owusu demonstrates his versatility as a front man as well, barking, musing, and crooning about identity and self-love over this collection of 15 tracks. If you find yourself put off by opener “On the Move!” try “No Looking Back” or “Smiling With No Teeth”. I promise, there’s a little something for everyone.

For fans of… Prince.

2. The Machine is Burning and Now Everyone Knows It Can Happen Again BRUIT (Post Rock)

Over the past year and a half we have truly come to understand the word “apocalypse”. No, this is not me being doom and gloom and insinuating that we are living in the end of times (although I’m not sure humanity is really trying to save itself either), but rather I am suggesting that for the first time in our generation we have come to see how fragile our systems are. As the pandemic swept across the globe, governments shut down, commerce ceased, riots broke out, friendships and families began to unravel. This, coupled with the regular undercurrent of injustice, destruction of our ecosystems, and constant war was enough to cause some to despair and others to rise to anger. “The Machine is Burning…” is the embodiment of all these emotions. There is beauty here, personified by sweeping strings and calm acoustic guitars. There is anger here, found in blaring trombones and french horns and thundering guitar chords. There is violence.  There is compassion. There is serenity. There is the awe of the human spirit. The Machine is burning. Maybe, now that everyone knows that it can happen again, we can fix it. 

For fans of… music.

1. Year of the Horse Fucked Up (Progressive Metal)

Let’s address the horse, err… elephant in the room. Yes, this band is called “Fucked Up”. If that fact is going to turn you off from listening to this masterpiece then I feel sorry for you because this album is absolutely incredible. Composed of four acts, it chronicles the tale of Perceval, a horse fallen from the cosmos and trapped in the wretched village of Abfall. She escapes only to be pursued by the sherif,f Bloody Lance, and his posse of drunks and murderers. Among them as well is a child, Blanche, who longs for a life free from her oppressive drunk of a mother. Written lyrically to mirror the epic poems of the Iliad or the Odyssey, it is a complete operatic triumph. The music is at times sludge metal, at others atmospheric post rock. In the second act it even sweeps into a Ennicio Morricone-esq western score. This album goes to so many unexpected places and, more importantly, they all work. To speak too much about this album would almost be to do it a disservice because there are so many twists and surprises that I can’t actually explain it all in a paragraph or two. What I can say is that, of all the music I listened to this year, this album was single handedly the one composition that I spent the most time with (or at least, according to Spotify it was). To say I love this album is an understatement. This album is a damn modern classic. 

For fans of… concept albums.