I wasn’t really sure what to expect with this album. Sure, I’d heard their live album Stop Making Sense a handful of times while growing up, so I knew from tracks like “Psycho Killer” that they could be weird. But I wasn’t ready for this album to groove so hard. The first three tracks alone are chaotic, claustrophobic dance tracks that groove over a clattering of multi-layered drum cadences, and they are only undermined by the fact that they’re preceding one of the greatest rock tracks in the history of the genre (or at least, one of my favorite rock tracks of all time) “Once in a Lifetime”. From there the album takes a darker turn, immersing the listener in a moodier, more introspective atmosphere while still maintaining enough of a bass backbone to get the listeners head bobbing, or at least nodding. If the beginning of the album is a dance party, the end is the conclusion where, after reaching ecstasy through movement and expression, the party-goers are sent shuffling out into the dark and the cold to maybe see the world with clearer, more sober eyes, and I’m here for it. “The Overload”, at first glance, doesn’t sound on paper like the right closer for an album that starts off so high energy, but in context it’s perfect. Seductive and haunting, it’s easy to see how this track might go on to influence bands like Duran Duran, or even one of my favorite bands, The Deftones.
In general, there’s not too much to dislike about this album. The Talking Heads, inspired by African drum circles, funk, hip-hop, and the immaculate production of Brian Eno, hit a lot of the right notes with this one. It’s funky enough to make you want to dance, but heady enough to draw you back in for deeper analysis with its intricate lyrics and multilayered instrumentation. And while I haven’t been able to dig into the nature of the lyrics, I’m intrigued to the point (much to my wife’s dismay… David Byrne’s voice isn’t for everyone) where I’ll be returning to it multiple times over the years and can easily see myself recommending it to family and friends who haven’t yet dug into the strange, funky, trance-y world of Remain in Light.
They were bound to be on this list, the only questions being what rank and what album. And while I have spent the past ten years attempting to broaden my musical horizons, pushing out into every direction and genre, it’s time for a confession. I have never sat down and listened to a Beatles album in full until this week.
Let the “boos” commence.
Reflecting on it, I think a reason for that was that I thought I’d heard it all. Given that the band had produced so many hits, what else was there really to hear? How could this be “essential” listening when I’d already heard what curators had dubbed “essential”? So you can imagine my excitement and curiosity when I saw that there were not one, but two Beatles albums on this list. This was my chance to dig into a discography that has, up until this point, been boiled down to the smattering of hits that have been spoonfed to me since I’ve been old enough to comprehend what music is. The most prominent questions on my mind were: does this album live up to the hype? Or is it carried by a hefty dose of nostalgia, stellar singles, and the fact that it marks a tonal shift in the Beatles music?
My answer is a lot of both. To the ear of someone who has never listened to a Beatles album, this album sounds like a quintessential mix of what I’ve come to understand as their sound: straight pop rock hits (“Good Day Sunshine” and “Gotta Get You Into My Life”) and their experimentation with psychedelic music (“I’m Only Sleeping” and “Tomorrow Never Knows”). It’s fun to witness a band on the cusp of being something different, although this is a criticism that I also have for the overall product. And while the singles (“Eleanor Rigby”, “Tax Man”, and “Yellow Submarine” to name a few) are absolutely incredible, I was pleased to hear that a lot of the other tracks are just as enjoyable, if not even better! Writing this, I’ve found myself returning to songs like the simplistic, melancholy love ballad “For No One” and the dizzying “She Said She Said” (which was supposedly based on a conversation Harrison and Lennon had with Peter Fonda on LSD and… I would 100% believe it). This album is a snapshot in time, capturing perfectly the cultural tug-of-war of the 1960’s, and the songs themselves are all memorable and instantly catchy, while all feeling like they have their own unique qualities.
This characteristic of the album is a strength, but also my only critique. At times Revolver sounds like a band reaching for the future but also weighed down by the past, a band that doesn’t have the courage to fully embrace the trajectory of their new sound. Given the prominent psychedelic textures of the album, songs like “Gotta Get You Into My Life” and “Dr. Robert” feel a little… off, as if they were recorded for another session and were shoe-horned into this one. This is a minor criticism for an otherwise stellar album and one that, if I can find records of it, will definitely be adding it to my collection.
It’s been fun to listen to this and “Kind of Blue” back to back. Both do a fantastic job of immersing the listener in mood, albeit two very different ones. While Mile’s David opus was the perfect album for a dreary rainy day, Coltrane’s “A Love Supreme” is pumping with nighttime energy, capturing both the swaying shadowy figures in the corners of a nightclub and the glare of the spotlight on the warm metal of a saxophone. At times loud, at times chaotic, at times reflective, this album has a little bit of everything. It pulses with energy; a testament to a musician’s newfound sobriety and his faith and surrender to a higher power.
Again, I find myself struggling to put a hard ranking on this album, despite a weekend of repeated listens. There’s so much I don’t grasp, and yet I already find myself pulling his “Love Supreme” poem melody from multiple parts, and instruments. And unlike the previous album, I find myself needing to sit down and focus on it, having put it on in the background multiple times only to switch to something else because I felt like I wasn’t being fair to it. This isn’t to say that it should be considered automatically superior to something that doesn’t require the listener to sit down with it intentionally, but I do feel like it rewards more because of it. Or maybe I’m just putting jazz on a pedestal. It is, after all, just music.
Of all the albums on this list, I think this is the one I’m most intimidated by. That isn’t because I dislike jazz, but rather because I’ve felt like when it comes to this genre it’s the one most other music aficionados are to claim that I “don’t get”. I wouldn’t disagree with them. Prior to writing this review I scoured the internet for guides to ensure that I was interpreting it correctly, understanding its influence and legacy before I went on to express any sort of half-baked opinion on it. I read song by song guides. I inspected other reviewers’ opinions. I read listicles.
And you know what I discovered? This album is good because it’s good. It’s a well-composed album put together by a group of stellar musicians. It’s one of Miles Davis’ more subdued albums, even lambasted by the composer himself in later years. It’s great because it’s simple. It’s praised as one of the best jazz albums of all time because it doesn’t try to be anything other than a laid back, moodsetter of an album. Sure there’s some hip modal stuff going on, but just enjoy it ya know? There’s something to be said about not needing to demand that people notice how great you are at your craft, and just being great. You’re thinkin’ too hard, Cat.
I include all of this exposition not to somehow justify my inexperience with the genre and its subtle nuances, but to almost reassure myself that what I’m hearing (or not hearing) is ok. To many of my trained musician friends I’m sure there are subtle details that could be pulled from each song, each moment even, to explain the genius of this album. But these reviews aren’t for the jazz literate, nor should they be a venue for me to wax on about something I quite frankly don’t know shit about. These are the simple reviews of a man who likes music and enjoys exploring the vast array of genres.
The long short of it is that this album is good! It’s a solid jazz album that sets a mood, and doesn’t demand repeat listens but rather rewards the listener for them. I found, having listened to this album months ago, that upon rediscovering it this week I was able to hum along with the majority of the melodies. There are plenty of hooks to go around, and I’m sure that with continued listens I would find myself being able to pick out engaging moments from the vast solo sections. So if there’s anything to take away from this review, it’s this: this album is cool. Put it on when you’re making dinner, studying for your test, or just sitting with a scotch and watching the snow fall. And if you find yourself tapping your toe to it, then great! If all you catch is a passing melody, nice! This album doesn’t erupt from your speaker, firing on all cylinders, but maybe that’s the point. Because when you’re great at something, do you really need to prove it? No… sometimes you can just be it.
I consider myself fairly new to the genre of hip-hop. It wasn’t until my mid twenties that I began digging into it as an art form, interestingly enough after listening to an album on this list. That being said, I consider it a Cardinal sin that I’m just now digging into Nas’ Illmatic. There’s something timeless about it that can’t be ignored, something that still continues to influence rappers like JID, Kendrick Lamar, and Saba who all released albums THIS YEAR. This album isn’t just impressive by the standards of its time, but even released today would stand toe-to-toe with the best offerings of the year. Nas crushes each beat like he’s a veteran in the game, which is made all the more impressive by the fact that this is his debut album (on the opening track “N.Y. State of Mind” he begins a flow, confesses he doesn’t know how to start, recalibrates, and then drops an absolutely killer verse. Supposedly this isn’t a skit, but him actually being caught off guard by the beat, and it greatly illustrates just how skilled he is as an M.C.). He flows from one verse to the next, weaving a tapestry of stories that chronicle life in the inner city of New York. The jazz influenced beats, a trait undoubtedly inherited from the east coast scene and his musician father, also help add to the narrative, providing a sometimes laidback, sometimes haunting backdrop for his rhymes.
In general I lean towards hip-hop that has something to say, instead of relying on trend following, clout chasing, and just having a banging beat. What Illmatic does brilliantly is immerse the listener in the world of Nas. Listening to this album feels like having a conversation with the artist while he walks you through Brooklyn. Nas really demonstrates that he can do it all, killing beats on songs like “Halftime” and “Represent” with a cocky bravado while by contrast sitting back in the pocket and providing reflective commentary in pieces like “Memory Lane (Sittin’ in da Park)” and “The World is Yours”.
The more I listen to this album the more I can see it becoming a permanent staple in my music collection. Every song is a masterful composition of genuine storytelling, memorable hooks, and catchy beats. And given that I’ve only had a few days with this album and I’m already as impressed by it as I am, I feel confident saying that this album is, indeed, a certified classic.
It’s hard to begin talking about this album without acknowledging the historical context. Simply put, metal as a genre owes its existence to Black Sabbath’s “Paranoid”. On top of having three of the most iconic metal songs on it (“War Pigs”, “Paranoid”, and “Iron Man”) this album is almost a blueprint from which so many subgenres would be born. Songs like “Iron Man” and “Electric Funeral” plod along as the pallbearers of Doom metal, while Sludge can very clearly be heard in the bass-laden riff of “Hand of Doom”. “Jack the Stripper” is a straight up Van Halen riff slowed down (or the other way around, given Van Halen wouldn’t release an album until eight years after). In short, almost every song seems to have threads that can be connected to bands that succeeded it, making it a piece of art that is worth listening to, if not for the music than for the sheer cultural importance of it. To listen to it is the equivalent of studying Da Vinci or Rembrandt!
So how does one evaluate an album that has been dropped in your laps as something not only heralded as one of the greatest of all time by the community that you subscribe to, but has also proved itself to be influential… dare I say a classic? Can one even be an impartial judge in that regard? It’s pretty damn hard. And while there’s a lot to love about it, this reviewer often finds himself comparing this album to another hard rock/ metal album that came out a year later from a band that is arguably tighter… Deep Purple. My complaints really start and end at the rhythm section… and truly start and end with drummer Bill Ward. While guitarist Tony Lommi cranks out mammoth riff after mammoth riff, and bassist Geezer Butler sits in the pocket and, dare I say, single handedly invents groove metal, Bill Ward proves time and time again that he isn’t close to the same league in terms of musicianship. “Rat Salad”, in particular, is a great example of this and becomes a hard listen when he’s given a minute of space to fill and aimlessly stumbles through it. In addition, while I can hear the influence the songs have on others to come, I can’t help but feel like after this week I won’t be returning much to them. It’s one thing to appreciate something, and another to actually have it make an impact on you.
That being said, even as I write these words it’s hard not to come to the defense of these young (now very old) men. It’s easy to argue that this is an album from a different time, one in which music was recorded “live” as opposed to with a click track or hundreds of digitally manipulated tracks. One could also argue that the historical context is more important than any other consideration, that before I even consider rating it it’s necessary to consider that without this album a whole helluva lot of my favorite albums wouldn’t exist. And they were kids for god sakes! What the hell was I doing in my twenties? All arguments are correct, and yet it is my task as I work through this series to try my best to remove any sort of lens that might skew my judgment, to go with my gut, and to provide an honest rating for an album that is beloved by many, and classic by all definitions. “Paranoid” is a culturally important album, one that will continue to influence and inspire artists long after this writer is dead, and will undoubtedly do more for its medium than any composition I’m able to whip up. And while I have small complaints I can’t deny it that.
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!!!
Honorable Mentions:
Garbology Aesop Rock (Hip-hop) – Lots of great rhymes. Some banging beats.
Classic Four Stroke Baron (Progressive Metal) – Have you ever wondered what Tears for Fears would sound like as a metal band?
Etemen AEnka Dvne (Sludge Metal) – Heavy Riffs for days.
Pressure Machine The Killers (Rock) – An awesome late night campfire album.
Lantlos Wildhund (Post Rock) – Deftones atmosphere with a little more shoegaze.
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 AfterBiffy 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 OnTurnstile (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.
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.
Well folks, we made it. Between the fires, the political upheaval, and the civil unrest there were a lot of things that demand focus and, at the same time, escape. I found that escape in music, and after listening to 80+ albums and countless singles this year I’ve been able to whittle that number down to a list of 25 albums that I would recommend. Listed below the album write-up is a suggestion as to who this artist sounds like or an artist that writes in certain themes or has similar lyrical content. It is by no means a direct comparison. In addition to these 25 albums I’ve included a list of ten honorable mentions. These honorable mentions were albums that I might have mentioned over the year and thought were quite good, but compared to the ones listed below them they were either not quite as strong or I didn’t get a chance to dig into them enough. Without further ado, find a comfy seat, put in a pair of headphones, and enjoy my favorite albums of 2020!
Honorable Mentions: Search and Destroy by Ruston Kelly (Country) Purple Moonlight Pages by R.A.P. Ferreira (Hip-hop) Reluctant Hero by Killer be Killed (Metal) BRASS by Moor Mother and Billy Woods (Hip-hop) Nothing is True and Everything is Possible by Enter Shikari (Post Hardcore) Fluid Existential Inversions by Intronaut (Progressive Metal) Impossible Staircase by Andrew Judah (Indie Rock) Rise Radiant by Caligula’s Horse (Progressive Metal) Dreamcatcher by Their Dogs Were Astronauts (Progressive Metal) Phanerozoic II: Mesozoic/ Cenozoic by The Ocean (Sludge Metal)
25. Kala by Mobius (Progressive Metal)
I always enjoy when an album comes out of nowhere and surprises me. In truth, this list had already been hammered out when I discovered Mobius and, quite frankly, it’s blown me out of the water. Kala bumped its way onto this list because it does a brilliant job of weaving Asian melodies with the jolting polyrhythms of modern metal. The cherry on top, however, is vocalist Heli Andrea who does an incredible job of creating earworm melodies in both English and Sanskrit. Kala is appealing not because it does anything particularly genre-defying or revolutionary, but because it is an album on which a band sounds hungry. “Mukti” is hands down one of the best prog metal songs this year. This being only their second release, I look forward to what they put out in the future. For fans of… TesseracT.
24. Eons by Neptunian Maximalism (Experimental Jazz)
Eons is what I expect the apocalypse to sound like. Thunderous percussion boom in the distance. Sound washes over the landscape, the echoes of the earth groaning its final death heaves. Saxophones wail and growl like demons clawing their way out of the very chasm of Hell. There are moments on this that are just downright… evil. If this sounds hyperbolic, prove me wrong by checking this album out yourself. At two hours long, Eons can seem like an inaccessible, daunting album to approach, but it is so immersive that once you put it on, it’s hard to step away. Little moments capture the listener’s ear as the band concocts a witches brew of jazz, Asian folk music, and even drone metal. 2020 might have felt like the end of the world, but Eons is a glimpse at what it truly could have been. For fans of… Sons of Kemet.
23. The Oubliette by The Reticent (Progressive Metal)
What The Reticent have created with The Oubliette is a truly heartbreaking album about the effects of Alzheimer’s disease. Told in seven chapters, and in part inspired by the lead singer Chris Hathcock’s tragic loss of a loved one to this disease, the album ventures through the stages of confusion, frustration, and ultimate deterioration that come from this brutal disease. Heavy metal riffs and shrieked black metal vocals are woven together with soft acoustic sections and sung vocals to mirror the moments of clarity or sadness among the terror of slowly losing one’s faculties. The inevitable, tragic ending, in particular, is a beautiful end cap to the emotional rollercoaster that is The Oubliette. If you have recently lost someone to dementia or Alzheimer’s I would recommend giving yourself some time before listening to this album, for while it may be relatable and possibly a comfort, it also could bring up painful emotions. For fans of… Dream Theater.
22. Van by Clown Core (Experimental Grindcore)
Excuse me sir/madam, could I have 17 minutes of your time to talk to you about Clown Core? No, not the band that paints their face and writes horror inspired hip-hop. Yes, the band that filmed themselves playing jazz inspired grindcore in a port-o-potty. Hold on! Don’t shut the door in my face! Just… I’m sorry could you open the door a little wider please…I think you’ve broken my foot. Look… I know it sounds silly, but that’s the exact reason why Van made the list while so many other albums faded into obscurity. The brilliance of Clown Core comes from its hilarity. This album is the best joke album you’ve ever heard. Helmed (presumably) by modern jazz and funk genius Louis Cole (don’t believe me, listen to his Knower material and tell me it isn’t one step off from this), what this album does so incredibly is it lulls you into a false sense of security, be it on the grindcore or jazz side, before completely blind-siding you with a phat, sexy sax solo or an assault of blast beats. This album is hilariously weird, and at times even breathtakingly beautiful (see “End”). Seriously… take 17 minutes of your time to listen to this album. In a year of killer wasps, a pandemic, a train-wreck of a presidential stint, and fires that consumed almost half the United States… all that’s left is to send in the clowns. For fans of… clowns.
21. Ghosts V: Together by Nine Inch Nails (Ambient Electronic)
Music has the wonderful ability to transport one to the exact time and place they first heard it. Whenever I play a song or an album, I find myself often reflecting on something occurring in my life at the time and, for a brief moment, I’m back there feeling and remembering how life was. When I think back on the beginning of quarantine, remembering the uncertainty and wonder and terror I felt as I huddled in my small apartment with my wife, this is going to be one of the albums I associate with that. Ghosts V: Together is exactly what this pandemic has felt like. Composed not so much of songs but of moments, this album is a meditation on loneliness and darkness, a collection of compositions that unsettle as much as they soothe. There is a level of anxiety that Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross are able to capture on this album that is unparalleled by most other music on this list. And while revisiting the beginnings of the quarantine might sound like the last thing anyone wants to do, Ghosts V: Together is a wonderful reminder of the beauty that comes with horror, and the clarity that comes with isolation. For fans of… Olafur Arnalds.
20. Shrines by Armand Hammer (Hip hop)
Billy Woods is on a roll. Last year’s Hiding Places stormed to the top of my list, an incredible piece of hip-hop that confirmed Billy Woods as one of the smartest lyricists and storytellers of our time. Shrines finds Billy Woods paired with Elucid, an equally impressive pen-man, trading punches over dizzy, tumbling beats. The genius of this album is that both MCs know how to turn a phrase, and the result is an album so chaulkful of wordplay and literary references that one would probably need a degree in literature and an appendix just to catch them all. Shrines is a poignant, angry album. Billy and Elucid spit so much venom I wouldn’t be surprised if the vinyl showed up soaking wet. And the anger is justified. Released around the time anger over racial injustice and police brutality boiled to a head, this album serves as a brutal commentary on what growing up in a system and nation that continually dehumanizes the black community does to a person that’s had enough. For fans of… Kendrick Lamar.
19. West of Eden by HMLTD (Post Punk)
This is probably one of the strangest albums on the list. Listening to West of Eden is like walking through the swinging doors of some 19th century Rocky Mountain saloon and finding yourself thrust into a dance club somewhere along Colfax. HMLTD’s music is a combination of post punk, country, and EDM and somehow it works. There’s a swagger to the album that is infectious. It doesn’t give you any room to really question whether or not it’s going to work, it just does. West of Eden captures both the glitz and the sex of a dance party, while still perfectly zooming in on the grime and the ugliness of bodies heaped on top of each other, gyrating and groping. It’s glitzy, it’s campy, and vulnerably human. This album is a dance party… sure… but beneath the sheen on the skin is the reek of the sweat. For fans of… David Bowie.
18. No Dream by Jeff Rosenstock (Punk)
Every year I like to identify an album I affectionately dub the best “Summer Album” of the year. The album might not be the deepest or most complex compilation of songs, but it makes you feel good. It reminds you of sitting up at the reservoir, basking in the midday sun, or driving through the curving mountain roads as the sun sets. No Dream is that album this year. Jeff Rosenstock has created another solid entry of pop punk songs that are going to take you back to when the airwaves were ruled by Third Eye Blind and Blink-182. These songs are fun, but beneath the fun, upbeat lyrics there’s a sarcastic anger that serves as the perfect cynical commentary for life in 2020. For fans of… Weezer.
17. While Time Disappears by Our Oceans (Progressive Rock)
The sound of this album is so hard to pin down. While Time Disappears takes cues from math rock, alternative, and dare I say… musicals? The end result is an album that feels absolutely theatrical. Vocalist Tymon Kruidenier’s Rush-esq melodies float above his impressive fretwork, the subtle but satisfying bass playing of Robin Zielhorst, and the jittering drumwork of Yuma van Eekelen. Emotionally raw and sonically polished, this album is a tragic tale of lust, rejection, self-doubt, and ultimately acceptance. For fans of… Steven Wilson.
16. Polysomn by Kairon, IRSE! (Psychedelic Rock)
If I were to sum up this album in one word it would be “drugs”. This album is drugs. It’s floating among warm, sweeping guitar lines. It’s being propelled through distant galaxies by jazzy, playful drumming. It’s bouncing on groovy bass lines made out of syrup. This album is as fun as it is meditative. It knows when to jam (as heard on songs like “Retrograde”) and when to slow down, immersing the listener in swells of static sound beneath the mantra of “Breathe in/breathe out” (as heard on “Altair Descends”). This album is a beautiful piece of psychedelic noise rock, and great for a day when you just want to watch the clouds dance above you. For fans of… King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard.
15. The Call Within by Tigran Hamasyan (Jazz Fusion)
I’ve had Tigran Hamasyan on my radar for a while now, but it wasn’t until The Call Within that I think I truly understood what he was doing with his music. This album is a mind-bending combination of jazz and progressive metal. Tigran uses his piano to create beautiful melodies as much as he uses it as a percussive instrument. Piano lines sweep effortlessly between frantic and lush, and the result is a musical soundscape that teeters between beautiful and energetic. Oh… and stankiest lick of the year goes to “Our Film”. It’s probably the funkiest groove I’ve heard in the past couple years. George Clinton would ascend to the mothership if he heard that one. For fans of… Animals as Leaders.
14. Anime, Trauma, and Divorce by Open Mike Eagle (Hip-hop)
Man, in a time where every artists was locked in their house dealing with isolation, anxiety, and loss, Open Mike Eagle has constructed the most depressing album of the year. The follow up to the sleepwalking Brick Body Kids Still Daydream, this album is a nightmare… and it rightfully should be. OME’s life has quite literally fallen to ruin (I won’t trouble you to go through all of it but if you want to hear him chronicle it just listen to “Everything Ends Last Year”… that song actually hurts). The result is a lofi hip-hop album that’s raw, heartbreaking, and yet somehow still filled with OME’s strange, exuberant humor (see “The Black Mirror Episode”). In a way, isn’t that the only way to approach the hard parts of life? For fans of… spoken word poetry.
13. 27 Miles Underwater by Higher Power (Nu Metal/ Hardcore)
Wanna hear what growing up in the early 90’s-2000’s was like? Higher Power plan to take you back there. 27 Miles Underwater is the bastard child of acts like the Deftones, Glassjaw, Sum 41, and even early Hoobastank. This album sounds like every skate/ski/snowboard movie from the time. It stomps around the pit with a can of whoop-ass and a pissed off attitude, and it’s dishin’ it out to anyone dumb enough to give ‘em the side eye. Even though it makes no attempt to do anything new with the genre it still manages to sound fresh. Nostalgia could be the reason why I love this one so much… or it could be that this just plain and simple kicks ass. For fans of… the Tony Hawk Pro Skater soundtrack.
12. Man, Alive by King Krule (Rock)
Titled (supposedly) off the phrase sailors would call out after coming upon a shipwreck and finding a survivor, this album feels exactly as that sounds. Archy Marshall (King Krule) comes across as waterlogged and exhausted, hauled up onto a ship after his own has been blown to smithereens and sent floating down to the depths of the ocean. His bluesy guitar work drips with melancholy and there’s a desperation to the way he growls and plays that just makes you want to wrap him in a towel, grab him a warm glass of tea, and tell him it’s going to be alright. In many ways I feel like this album is necessary for everyone to hear this year. Sure, life may be dreary. It may feel like you’ve been treading water for a while. But don’t forget you’re not alone. For fans of… Mac Demarco.
11. Spirituality and Distortion by Igorrr (Experimental Breakcore)
There was a period of time this year where I hit a music wall. I think it was right around the time we were quarantined. It got to the point where I couldn’t even listen to music anymore (I know… crazy right?). I even remember sitting down with my wife one day and saying, “I’m just not enjoying music right now.” Then this album came out. Igorrr has never been one to pull punches with his music and this album is no exception. Further honing his amalgamation of baroque music, accordions, blast beats, and breakcore with the return of powerhouse vocalists Laurent Lunoir and Laure Le Prunenec, not to mention the inhuman drumming of Sylvain Bouvier, this album is enough madness to shock you out of any sort of slump. Seriously, I actually burst out laughing multiple times listening to this (see “Kung-fu Chevre”). Gautier Serre (Igorrr) has a brilliant ear for finding new and fun ways to manipulate sound and rhythm (go watch the video on Youtube where he turns a cookie tin into a miniature steel drum), and the result is an album that’s as absurd as it is brutal. Igorrr continues to create excellent black metal while simultaneously taking the piss out of it, and you’ll love every second of it. For fans of… drinking orange juice after brushing your teeth.
10. OHMS by Deftones (Alternative Metal)
I think I just need to start this off by saying, this is a Deftones album. If you don’t like the Deftones, you might as well just stop here and scroll on. They aren’t doing anything new. There isn’t anything on here that you haven’t heard them do to some extent before. This might sound like a dismissal, but it really isn’t. There’s a reason why so many bands recently (Bring Me the Horizon, Loathe, Vexes to name a few) have tried to capitalize on their sound. The reality is that the Deftones are the best alternative metal band that’s ever existed. Almost all of their albums are heralded with some sort of critical acclaim, and there’s a good reason for it. The Deftones’ music exists on this razor’s edge between beautiful and grotesque, between anger and lust. OHMS just happens to be one of their “better” albums. I don’t know whether Terry Date is responsible for reigning in some of their more shoe-gazey ideas, or whether the band was just feeling a little more aggressive than usual, but this album comes out of the gate swinging. The Deftones have always been masters at creating atmosphere, and this album is saturated with the feeling of driving through the night, the windows down, the wind in your hair. OHMS sounds like a band hungry to remind you why you need to continue to listen, and I’m so excited to see what the Deftones can bring in the future. For fans of… The Cure.
9. Spirit World Field Guide by Aesop Rock (Hip-hop)
Aesop Rock is one of the most gifted lyricists of all time. Seriously, I really have a hard time wrapping my brain around how he hears a beat and then constructs his rhymes around them. His music isn’t accessible, but that’s the gift of it. Every time you listen to it your brain gets a little closer to moving at the speed at which the words flit from his mouth, and as a result catch something new with each listen. On top of continuing to be one of the best in the game, Aesop has stitched together some of his best beats ever. If that’s what you need to focus on first before digging into his lyrics, do it. This adventure into the Spirit World is not for the faint of the heart, but the journey is oh so satisfying. For fans of… El-P.
8. Enjoy Yourself by Melted Bodies (Avant-Garde Metal)
In a year where Mr.Bungle released a “new album” (a rerecording of their early thrash metal album), this is the best Mr.Bungle album to come out this year. That might sound sacreligious, but it’s true. Melted Bodies are absolutely rabid on this one, and the result is a monstrosity created by some mad scientist who Frankenstein’d Dead Kennedys, System of a Down, and Dillinger Escape Plan together. This album sets its hooks in on the opening ripper “Eat Cops” and doesn’t let go until the echoes of the final descent into chaos of closer “Meat Cleanse”. Once the world opens back up these guys are going to literally reduce the crowd to melted bodies. For fans of… Dog Fashion Disco.
7. Raised in a Doomsday Cult by Good Tiger (Post Hardcore)
Good Tiger have been on my radar for quite a long time now, but with Raised in a Doomsday Cult, the supergroup has elevated their craft to something extra special, resulting in a collection of their best songs to date. One of my favorite things about this band is that they’ve been able to exist in so many different worlds and sounds, and this album sees them perfecting their infectious mix of math rock drumming, post-hardcore riffs, and sweeping prog croons. Whether it’s ballads (see the rainy day-esq “1252”) or mosh pit thrashers (see “Animal Mother”) these guys have really dialed in their sound and the result is something that you’ll be stuck singing along with long after the music has faded. For fans of… Saosin.
6. Eupnea by Pure Reason Revolution (Rock)
There are a lot of different definitions of what constitutes “heaviness” when it comes to an album. Some albums are considered “heavy” when they contain highly distorted, low riffs played side by side with guttural vocals. Some albums are heavy because of the context they were written in or the content of the music. This album is the later, a concept about the emotions co-lead singer Jon Courtney felt at the birth of his daughter. While this moment should have been one of over-abundant joy, the moment quickly soured as he and his partner were informed that, because she was born extremely prematurely and couldn’t breathe properly, she teetered between life and death. This album reflects those emotions, soaring through beautiful melodies and heavy rock riffs over the course of the album and, most times, within the actual songs themselves. There is a happy ending to the story, but the raw emotion of this album is where its heaviness comes from. Eupnea is an emotional roller coaster and I can not stress enough how incredible the closer and title track is. For fans of… The Smashing Pumpkins.
5.Hush Mortal Core by Martin Grech (Progressive Rock)
Every time I return to this album I’m blown away by how fantastic it is. In fact, as I’m doing these album write-ups I actually bumped it up higher on the list because there is just so much to love about this thing. From the very orchestral opener, “Maelstrom Spark,” to the jazzy, monumentally huge “The Death of All Logic,” this album is a masterclass on how to write music. Grech does a brilliant job of introducing and then embellishing on themes throughout not just songs but the album as a whole. Even his vocal melodies, which are very reminiscent to Sting’s (see “Sadness is a Story of Beauty Only a Dancer Can Tell”), seem to do something different from what you’d expect, adding to the complexity of this brilliant piece of art. Hush Mortal Core is, in itself, a journey through birth, existence, and eventual death. By the end you feel like you’ve experienced something incredible, something almost cosmic. For fans of… King Crimson.
4.Run the Jewels 4 by Run the Jewels(Hip-hop)
This album could not have been released at a more poignant time. And yes, I understand that the group released it “early” because they felt that its message spoke louder than anything they could have articulated after the murder of George Floyd. Listening to this album while watching the riots, police brutality, and civil unrest that followed was almost an unreal experience, especially considering Killer Mike’s prophetic verse on “walking in the snow.” This album is exactly what we’ve come to expect from the duo. Killer Mike and El-P joust back and forth over the forty minutes of this album, demonstrating pretty efficiently why they are considered one of the hottest hip-hop acts today. I debated for a while which track to suggest for listeners with this one for quite some time, jumping between bangers like “out of sight” and some of the more poignant political tracks like “Ju$t”, but I eventually settled on sharing the final track. Run the Jewels have always ended their albums on a high note, but I feel like this might be their most emotional track, period. El-P and Killer Mike take turns musing on the reasons why they fight, WHY they are the way they are. Even if you aren’t big into hip hop I would highly recommend that you listen to this song or at least read the lyrics. It’s inspirational, and in a world that can seem so dark… I think we can all use a little more of that. For fans of… NAS.
3.The Long Dream I by Ebonivory (Progressive Metal)
Ambitious. That’s the word I would use to describe this album. The Long Dream I feels more like a mid-career album from some guys who have been making progressive metal for half their life, not the sophomore album to a group of baby faced twenty-somethings. Intended as the first part in a double album release, the album is an emotional juggernaut, propelled into the stratosphere by vocalist Charlie Powlett’s immaculate voice. The musicianship is second to none on this as well, and the result is a high energy metal album with roots in post metal and post hardcore as well. The real crux of this album is the use of a theme that appears first in “Introduction” and then reprises beautifully on “In Reverie” and finally “Introvection”. This album is so powerful and has been one for me to lean on when I’ve felt the weight of this past year on my shoulders. For fans of… Periphery.
2.Palimpsest by Protest the Hero (Metalcore)
It hurts me to say it, considering this is one of my favorite bands of all time, but I had counted Protest the Hero down and out. Volition, their last full length album was released seven years ago and the EP that popped up between then and now was ultimately a dud. Their lead singer underwent vocal cord surgery and let’s face it, PtH wouldn’t be the same without Rody. But like a prize fighter, these boys have risen from the mat and delivered not just a strong album, but one of their best. Palimpsest is an absolutely scorching review of America. Protest have never been soft spoken on their political views, whether it’s talking about women’s rights (Kezia), religion (Fortress), or even the treatment of pitbulls (see “A Life Embossed” on Volition), but Palimpsest sees them drawing a bead on the history of the United States, and particularly on how we’ve chosen to overlook or rewrite history to make ourselves more comfortable. Songs like “The Canary” and “Gardenias” focus on the way we push women and celebrities to the breaking point, while songs like “The Fireside” and “Little Snakes” look at internal and international policies, questioning the actions of some of our most revered “heroes”. Seriously, listen to “The Canary” and tell me Amelia Earhart’s quote, spoken solemnly and venomously at the end, doesn’t turn an emotional key in your chest. The album is chalk full of these moments, drawing everywhere from quotes from the people the songs are about, references symphonic music, Shakespeare, and even Frank Sinatra. This album is so important in a year where we see our society reevaluating and questioning our past, but the biggest moment on this album comes on the last track “Rivet” when the boys chant “Let’s Make America Great Again.” After the tongue-lashing that is Palimpsest, it’s an appropriation of the phrase. When the band screams it together it’s not a call to take things back to how they had been, but forward to what it could be. The phrase itself is a palimpsest, a battle cry to use the misdeeds of the past as a lens with which to scrutinize the future, and the actions of all Americans to come. For fans of… Rise Against.
Virus by Haken (Progressive Metal)
I’m going to try to keep this short and sweet because, to be honest, if I don’t I’ll end up writing an essay (which, don’t worry dear reader, I probably will at some point). Virus is my favorite album of this year. Hands down. And if I’m being honest, it might be one of my favorites from the past decade. This might be the quickest I’ve ever been to call something a “perfect” album, but here we are. Virus is monumental, a sonic masterpiece that’s gripping from start to finish. The sequel to the band’s 2018 release, Vector (which is good in its own right), Virus tells the story of Patient 21 as he transforms into the loathsome Cockroach King, his brutal and violent rise to power, and his soul-crushing demise. If that’s not the perfect idea for a progressive metal album, I don’t know what is. The album not only draws on its prequel, but also on the band’s epic 2013 track “The Cockroach King” (from their other masterpiece The Mountain), pulling themes, references, and lyrics into this collection of tracks. Vocalist Ross Jennings uses his voice to mirror the different personalities of his characters, truly pushing the album into almost musical territory while guitarists Richard Henshall and Charlie Griffiths, and keyboardist Diego Tejeikitter skitter, chug, and bounce around the dizzying grooves laid down by bassist Conner Green and drummer Raymond Hearne. Haken have always been on top of their game, but this album, coupled with the brilliant production from Adam “Nolly” Getgood, rockets them past the orbiting influence of progressive metal legends like Dream Theater, Leprous, and Opeth. And if you listen to nothing else from my list this year do yourself a favor and listen to “Messiah Complex I-V”. That song alone is worth the ascent up the mountain. For fans of… Yes.
Well, 2019 has come to pass, carrying with it a treasure trove of wonderfully put together albums. Over the course of the year I have taken it upon myself to explore many of them (60+) to try and push my musical taste, as well as discover wonderful albums within already established ones. What you see below you is a list of albums, starting from the 24th and working its way up to my absolute favorite of the year. I’ve included at the bottom of each paragraph a band that this group is kind of similar to. This is not necessarily an on-the-mark comparison, but just an idea of a different group that the artist compares to. Without further ado, sit back, put on some headphones, and enjoy my favorite 24 albums of the year.
24. “In Cauda Venenum” Opeth (Prog Rock)
Coming in with a late surprise this year we have an album that sounds like it’s straight out of the 70’s. The album sits comfortably between works from bands like Yes and Deep Purple, toeing the line between it’s progressive and hard rock leanings. If you think all the great music was made in the past, this is the album for you to hit.
For fans of… Deep Purple.
23. Yokai Orchestra” Cartoon Theory (Progressive Rock/ Electronic)
Definitely one of the lighter/ more “fun” albums on this list, this album could easily be dropped into the background of a video game or an anime and work. Bright guitars and synthesizers playfully (and technically) bounce around each song, as dizzying drums punctuate the backdrop. An incredibly exciting, and high energy listen.
For fans of… Plini.
22. “A Distant Dark Source” Hypno5e (Cinematic Metal)
This album requires patience. Clocking in at 70 minutes over the course of eleven songs, it forces you to work through it slowly, consuming songs in palatable chunks rather than trying to sit down with the whole thing at once. Songs erupt from the gloomy and sparse atmosphere that permeates most of Hypno5e’s material, building with a crescendo until reaching almost unbearable breakdowns. The album itself tells the story of Lake Tauca, a place that once had a significant population living around it and is now an arid desert. The lake is now haunted by the ghosts of said people, both in spirit and in memory. If you liked last year’s “Alba-Les Hombres Errantes” but felt drawn to the album’s heavier moments, this is the one for you. Oh… and the music video is awesome.
For fans of… Gojira.
21. “Sonic Citadel” Lightning Bolt (Noise Rock)
This album is 100% energy. “Sonic Citadel” is a compilation of loud, raucous, pedal-to-the-metal rock. The wall of sound they create is incredibly impressive when considering it comes from only two dudes. There isn’t a whole lot more to add here, just crank the volume, take an ibuprofen, and go for a ride.
For fans of… headaches.
20. “Reveries” Rob Simonsen (Piano)
There’s a lot of noise on this list. This album takes a step back from all that and, instead, is like a walk through a winter wood. Everything is quiet, except from the sound of snow dropping from branches and the puffed sound of your footsteps. The night begins to fall, and you’re alone watching the stars come out overhead. Rob Simonsen has crafted an album of songs that range in mood and yet all share the same piano driven and reflective instrumentation.
For fans of… Olafur Arnalds.
19. “Veil of Imagination” Wilderun (Progressive Metal)
This album is a hard one to pin down. It tricks the listener into thinking it’s a metal album, complete with death metal growls and shrieks, when in actuality it leans closer to symphonic compositions more than anything else. In a sense, this album is a fantasy novel. It starts out with a passage from the William Wordsworth poem “Ode on Intimations of Immortality” and builds from there, sprinkling in instrumentation gradually until finally reaching a triumphant climax. Songs draw thematic references from previous movements, much like a good book, each time exploring different moods and variations. To sit down with this album once is to not truly give it the credit it deserves.
For fans of… Yes.
18. “Pitfalls” Leprous (Prog Metal)
Progressive music, as you have probably gathered if you’ve checked out any of my lists, is an expansive genre. Bands can lean more towards heavy, chugging “djenty” sounding music or sweeping, symphonic scores. The point of progressive music is to be constantly pushing your sound, to see what new boundaries you can surpass. Although I just started getting into this band over the past year, I can already say that “Pitfalls” is a huge sonic departure for the band. The album leans heavily on vocalist Einar Solberg, who has without a doubt one of the most beautiful voices in the genre. Songs soar and bounce on almost disco-esq grooves. The band took a risk with the album, and it paid off. I can’t wait to see which direction they choose to step in next.
For fans of…TesseracT
17. “Our Bones” The Contortionist (Prog Metal) (EP)
I tend to avoid putting EPs on this list, simply because they usually indicate an album is dropping soon, and the band is testing new material or perhaps a new direction in which to take their music. In the case of this EP and the one I will mention later, they had to appear on my list because they were just too good. While I felt like their previous album, “Clairvoyant”, was solid, I felt like something needed to change or the band’s sound would become stagnant. Cue “Our Bones”, an album that draws from their new, more groove and rhythm oriented sound while inserting stronger energy and emotion. If this is where The Contortionist are headed next year you can be sure they’ll be putting out one of the best, if not the best, albums of their career.
For fans of… The Deftones.
16. “Shlagenheim” Black Midi (Experimental Punk)
This is probably the weirdest album on my list. Black midi first grabbed my attention with their electrifying and strange performance at the Hyundai Mercury Awards where they jolted their way through a song in which the lead singer squawks variations of the phrase “She moves with a purpose” while one of the guitarists threw his guitar around the stage and then did a front flip. If that sounds bizarre, imagine what their album sounds like. It’s genre defying, abrasive, and punk as hell.
For fans of… The Talking Heads.
15. “Animated Violence Mild” Blanck Mass (Industrial Electronic)
I didn’t think it would be possible for Blanck Mass to come up with an album as great as 2017’s “World Eater”. The aggressive moments were chaotic, and atmospheric moments gave the album space to breathe in. Yet, somehow, this year’s album sounds even more frantic; more urgent than the last. Benjamin Power has crafted an album that sounds exactly as the title suggests. It is violent and packed with raw emotion. It’s an easy one to get lost in it, riding auditory swells as beats grow with intensity every minute.
For fans of… Nine Inch Nails.
14. “Guns” Quelle Chris (Hip Hop)
“Guns” plays almost like a dream. Quelle dances on his toes through fuzzy, jazzy beats, his flow sometimes teasing the groove ever so slightly, pulling the song in one direction after the other. He raps with a smile (or a grimace), as if only he sees the punchline to the jokes spread across each song. This album is like creeping through the aftermath of our current political climate. Quelle takes you to the dark places of a shelled-out city like the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come, showing you the future we deserve if we do not change our ways.
For fans of… Kendrick Lamar.
13. “Main Pop girl 2019” Default Genders (Electronic)
Let’s take a trip back to the 90’s. Imagine you are as you are now, but (at this point) three decades ago. The Backstreet Boys are creating boy band hit after boy band hit. Bands like Vertical Horizons and Eiffel 65 are ruling the airwaves. That’s where this album belongs. There’s something nostalgic about it, not simply in the lyrics but the music itself. The album plays like the end of some warm-happy-go-lucky rave. The sun is rising in the east. The patrons, though exhausted, are dancing as the light cuts through the darkness and bathes them in that bright, yellow glow. They’re smiling, you’re smiling, and even though things might not be alright, for 40 minutes, it will be.
For fans of… Moby.
12. “A Boat on the Sea” Moron Police (Prog Rock)
If you’ve ever thought that you would want to hear what a pop musical/ prog rock album would sound like, look no further. This album is 70% fun prog rock and 30% cheese. With a name like Moron Police, how could it be anything else? Put on your dancing shoes. This one’s a whole lot of fun.
For fans of… musicals.
11. “Trust In the Lifeforce of the Deep Mystery” The Comet Is Coming (Psychedelic Jazz)
Some people envision space as a massive black canvas, pocked with distant stars. The Comet is Coming takes a different approach, turning an adventure into the outermost reaches of space into a sexy, funky dance party. Get ready to groove. Get ready to shake your booty. Get ready to dance where no man has danced before.
For fans of… Parliament.
10. “Death Sequence” The Physics House Band (EP) (Math Rock)
This EP has been on my mind ever since I discovered it earlier this November. I’ve been a huge fan of these guys work over the years, first discovering their monstrous live groove session over “Teratology” (which, if you enjoy this, you NEED to listen to), and have been following them ever since. This EP, for its length, is absolutely mammoth, slathered with dirty King Crimson Red era grooves. The addition of a horn player gives the music another dimension, adding already to the wall of sound that these guys produce.
For fans of… The Mars Volta.
9. “Uknowwhatimsayin?” Danny Brown (Hip-hop)
If you were to ask me who the MC of the decade was, I think it would have to be Danny Brown. The guy just doesn’t put out bad records. Coming off the heels of “Atrocity Exhibition”, the question on every fan’s mind was “how is Brown going to follow this up”? While other hip-hop artists might have doubled down, delving further into the drug fueled madness that helped create their best critically received album, Brown’s life has taken a positive change, leading him to create an album that he described as “stand-up” comedy. Produced by the legendary Q-Tip, the album listens like a Richard Pryor routine, mixing dirty jokes with hard lessons learned from the world Danny grew up in.
For fans of… A Tribe Called Quest.
8. “S/T” Astronoid (Post Metal)
It took me a while to “get” this album. The lead vocalist’s voice is dreamy and gently floats about the black metal-esq guitar riffing. Many of the songs exist in the same auditory palette. I think, in the end, it took one bad day for me to get it. I put in headphones, dropped myself into “A New Color” and just allowed myself to be submerged. And, like good post-metal, I was entranced. Time seemed to move quicker, and before I knew it I was pressing repeat, wishing to experience those swaths of colors again and again.
For fans of… Russian Circles.
7. “Animal Choir” Her Name is Calla (Alternative Rock)
I fully realized how much I loved this album a few weeks back when I had a few friends over and was listening to this in the background. Amid the sound of food cooking and conversations I found myself being drawn again and again into the music, standing stunned and drawn into moments throughout the spread of the album. Clocking in at around 80 minutes, this album is gigantic, the headstone to the band that released it and then promptly called it quits. It plays like the death heaves of some dying beast. There are moments of violence; moments of tranquility. Songs inhale and exhale, creating moments of tension where you aren’t sure there will be a second breath. It’s beautiful and, if you can sit through it, worth it until the end.
For fans of…Radiohead.
6. “LP2” Secret Band (Hardcore)
If you’re looking for an album that grabs you by the back of your head and screams into your face for 40 minutes, this is the one for you. Secret Band drags its audience once again down into their madness, assaulting your senses with ten songs that bite and claw at their confines. Jon Mess melts absurd strings of lyrics together, catchy enough to be earworms and strange enough to make you wonder if the guy is really all there. It’s fun, it’s chaotic, and it’s an album that definitely should not remain a secret.
For fans of…Every Time I Die.
5. “Crux” Moon Tooth (Progressive Metal)
This album is a hard one to pin down. Moon Tooth have somehow managed to craft a work that touches on so many subgenres without distinctly putting it’s foot in one. The album is almost like a game of Twister, but the person spinning the dial doesn’t give the person playing time to find their balance before giving them another move. And on top of all this impressive musical gymnastics is vocalist John Carbone, who manages to sound wholly unique, a trait rare in a time when so many bands wear their influences on their sleeves.
For fans of… Mastodon.
4. “Hidden Places” Billy Woods, Kenny Segal (Hip hop)
“Hidden Places” is a lyrical labyrinth. Over the sleepy, dreary beats of Kenny Segal, Billy Woods barks and slurs together bars that don’t seem to end, rolling and changing with every listen like a kaleidoscope. There are so many references, both literary and cultural, that I probably couldn’t understand half of the lines even if I tried. That’s the true power of this album: every time you listen to a song you catch something else, whether it’s a brief aside by Woods or finally understanding something in a song you’ve listened to multiple times.
For fans of… Aesop Rock.
3. “Home” The Offering (Metal)
One of the most incredible things to hear, musically, is when a band finds lightning and is able to bottle it. Every single member sounds like they’re on board, galloping forward as a collective with energy and passion. “Home” is an album made by a band on the cusp of greatness, hungry for the glory they deserve. There isn’t a single moment of wasted space on this album, and I haven’t even begun to talk about vocalist Alex Richichi. That dude is like Bruce Dickenson, Corey Taylor, and Rob Halford all wrapped up into one. Seriously, the first time I listened to this album I had to stop what I was doing just to focus on what he was doing. Without a doubt the top vocalist of the year. If you’re a metal fan and you haven’t listened to this on, do yourself a damn service and give this a spin.
For fans of… Slipknot.
2. “Terraformer” Thank You Scientist (Prog Rock)
It’s always a rough position to be in when a band loses a good chunk of its members. Do they call it quits? Do they continue on and release a safe album, to reassure fans that they are still capable of the magic found on their previous releases? In the case of Thank You Scientist, the decision was not only to keep on as a group, but to also release their most complex collection of music to date. Many of the songs on this beast of an album either come close to touching or surpass the ten minute mark, requiring a lot of attention and patience from the listener. The result, however, is an album of catchy, well put together songs that will have you grooving into the new year. Not only are Thank You Scientist going to come out the other side of this split up, they’re going to come out bigger and badder.
If I had to pick a “defining” artist of this decade for me, Periphery would probably have to be it. They completely changed the soundscape of music, drawing me into strange lands with heaving poly-rhythms and soaring vocals. To say that these gentlemen are some of the best of our generation (or of all time for that matter) wouldn’t be a stretch. It’s been fun to watch them grow, from the pet project that was P:1 to the collective effort that has been there past couple records. This album is probably one of their most experimental, ranging from the 15 minute, symphonic, brutal, emotional opening song “Reptile” (yeah, they put their longest and most epic song to date at the beginning of their album) to the industrial electronic “Crush”. I can’t wait to see where these gentlemen take the band next, and where they push the genre in the new decade. Wherever it is, it’s sure to be a blast.
Disclaimer: Try as I might, there is no way I can work through my thoughts without some spoilers. While I’ll try to remain vague, understand that this whole essay contains spoilers for the end of the show. If you plan on watching it, please stop here.
Disclaimer #2: I love this show. My critique comes from a place of love. I’ve also read the graphic novel. I can imagine how if I hadn’t read the graphic novel, some of the decisions would make more sense. In a way, these two pieces of art are separate in my mind. Still, there are some problems that exist even in this alternative imagining.
Disclaimer #3: The purpose of this essay is to express strengths and weaknesses of this show, and then to provide answers to how those weaknesses could have been fixed. I understand that, because the show has already been produced and I am a small time writer, none of this matters. If this seems like an exercise in ego, it probably is. Cheers.
It’s important to begin this piece by expressing how much I loved this show. I would consider the first six episodes some of the best television I’ve ever seen. The writing was engrossing, the characters were realistic and beautifully acted, and the premise was brilliant. It took the world established in the graphic novel and expanded it, sprinkling in tasty references without relying too heavily on the source material. Everything felt organic.
And then, with a few blows of a hammer, Dr.Manhattan showed up and I felt my stomach sink. This isn’t to say that, after his arrival, I didn’t enjoy the show. On the contrary, I was emotionally gutted by both the ending of the penultimate episode, “A God Walks into Abar,” and Dr.Manhattan’s final lines in “See How They Fly.” But ever since his reveal in the seventh episode, “An Almost Religious Awe,” I felt something shift. The show was no longer this intimate story about a woman grappling with her role as a masked vigilante, her race, and her family’s past. Instead, it morphed almost instantly into something bigger. It was no longer organic. It was a sprint towards the ending; I can imagine the writers sitting in a room, trying to puzzle together how their villains would steal Dr. Manhattan’s powers. In a way, the final two episodes struggled with the same thing Game of Thrones struggled with, although with indisputably better acting and writing. By introducing a god-like character they introduced god-like holes into their airtight writing. So, let’s work through some of these glaring holes, and see how one might have fixed them.
Rushed Plot:
As I mentioned before, the biggest error I found with the show was writing in Dr. Manhattan. He completely changed the trajectory of the story that, if done correctly, could have been rather compelling. But because he just shows up in Angela’s life (yes, I know he has been there for ten years, but in the show he just shows up), he completely takes away from her character arch. The show is no longer about her learning her past and how that ties into her present circumstances (being on a police force that is half-infiltrated by the 7th Kavalry), it’s about her and Dr.Manhattan. So, if we want to have our cake and eat it too, it makes sense to split up the show into two seasons.
Angela and Her Past:
This would be the focus of season one. Leave seventy-five percent of the first season alone. Judd Crawford is hung. Angela finds his Klansman uniform. Laurie comes to investigate. Will leaves her clues, and ultimately is responsible for her swallowing his pills and gaining his memory. REMOVE Lady Trieu completely from this part with the exception that she is still building the Millenium Clock (but we don’t know for what purpose,) and she helps Angela when she is lost in Nostalgia.
This is where I maybe lost some of you. I understand her importance to the overall story, but the connection between her and Will seems… shoddy. Did he come to her for help exacting vengeance on the 7th Kavalry? Did she seek him out, and if so for what purpose? Was it to get her closer to Angela? In the current story line Hooded Justice doesn’t really serve a purpose besides telling Angela that there was a superhero in her past. He should provide her with some sense of purpose, and then some closure. Take up my mantle, so to speak.
Angela’s story arch has been all about the closer story. She’s a black woman (presumably the ONLY black woman) on the police force. She mysteriously survives being shot in the chest (Dr.Manhattan just somehow remembers to teleport her out of there? Come on… it makes more sense that Judd Crawford spared her), and so as a result she is suspicious of everyone and everything around her. The first season should simply focus on these aspects. Then, bring everything to a head when she learns the truth about how the Kavalry have invaded the police force. Imagine a climax where she is fighting for her family’s survival, protecting her children and Cal (who, let’s make it easy and just say ISN’T DR. MANHATTAN because it makes him more interesting as well) alongside her grandfather in a final showdown. Maybe the 7th Kavalry are trying to use their teleportation device and Mesmer to attempt a repeat of the Oklahoma race riots and it’s up to her, Looking Glass, Red Scare, Pirate Jenny, and Will to stop it. Then, once it’s done, they realize that there is some bigger threat looming out there. Above them, the Millennium Clock begins to count down.
Keep it close to the chest, keep it simple: about Angela, her past, her legacy, and her empowerment.
Angela and Dr. Manhattan:
I’ll say it right now: Dr. Manhattan has no reason to fall in love with Angela. After the events in the graphic novel he claims that humans are too complicated, and he would be much happier creating life somewhere new (which he does in the show). The show works way better if Dr.Manhattan stays there. But if you NEED to bring him back, because let’s be honest, some of the most emotional moments come from him, it needs to make sense. He wouldn’t come back to Earth to fall in love with a new woman because he has already explained that he doesn’t understand relationships any longer.
But he does love Laurie, or at least was able to love when he experienced those memories with her.
So why not, instead of bringing him into Angela’s life and convoluting her character arch, he appears in Laurie’s? The series already establishes at the beginning of it in an incredible scene with Laurie (beautifully acted by Jean Smart) that she feels abandoned and frustrated with John for leaving her. Have the second season be about how Angela is attempting to clean up the police force and the aftermath of the 7th Kavalry, and Laurie is digging deeper into the conspiracy of WHO gave the 7th Kavalry the means to do what they attempted to do in the first season. It would already make sense that she’s suspicious of such things, given what happened in the graphic novel. The focus should be on how she falls in love with the idea of being… super again. She goes on missions. She gets a rush from the action. Then, when she is kidnapped by Lady Trieu and used as bait for Dr.Manhattan, it makes sense. You could literally take every scene from the last episode and a half, and replace Angela with Laurie and it would make more sense.
Men are outside her motel room to kill Laurie (or so she thinks). Dr. Manhattan arrives, after a season and a half of Laurie doubting and questioning him. He tells her he will die tonight, she doesn’t believe him, gunfight ensues, John is sucked into intrinsic field, Laurie knocked unconscious and tied up, everything. As you can see, my issue with Manhattan being in the story is seemingly small, but it makes a huge difference. If you remove Manhattan from Angela’s story and place him in Laurie’s, it provides Laurie’s character with a means to grow instead of muddling it. Maybe he even saves the world in the end instead of Ozymandias, but dies in the process. Laurie gets to see him as an omnipresent but caring god, whereas at the beginning she did not. She gets closure. I don’t know.
“But Kevin… what about Angela getting his powers?”
Does she really need to? It’s a cool premise, but does it really add to her character? Isn’t one of the ideas from the graphic novel that, by having god-like powers, it makes you less human? If Angela gains his powers she becomes like him, eventually growing detached and indifferent towards everything around her.
But again, if we’re going to keep to the general premise…
It would make sense for Dr.Manhattan to give his powers to someone he found to be worthy of them, not just someone he “loves” (again, is he really capable of love anymore? Can he really create new experiences of love or just experience old ones?). So maybe he is in Vietnam the day her parents are killed, sees a young Angela have this experience, and decides to keep tabs on her. And, by watching her grow up empathetic over the years, decides she is worthy of gaining his powers and, in a way, of righting the wrongs he committed.
Looking Glass:
What happened to Looking Glass? They did my boy dirty. Dude shows up early in the show, is arguably one of the most interesting characters, we find out he has an actual super power – being able to tell when people are lying, and then disappears without really using it in the bigger scheme of things. Maybe, once he finds out that the 7th Kavalry has infiltrated the police, starts using his power to determine who is with the actual police, and then begins killing masked cops. This would be a nice nod to the graphic novel AND would make use of him.
Also, keep him around so he and Angela have to deal with each other. After he betrays her he just sort of disappears. I would love to see an altercation between the two of them where she confronts him for turning her in and he reveals WHY he did it (to save her family as well as her). That’s what Watchmen is all about: morally complex issues. If this scene would have popped up in “season one”, it would have been incredibly powerful and a great place to show Angela’s empathy.
Ozymandias:
I loved everything about him, because it was so weird. I love how he is “banished” to a world of subservient beings only to long for a real challenge. I love how lady Trieu is his daughter (even though, being the smartest man in the world, I highly doubt he would have allowed a janitor to infiltrate his stash of seed unless he wanted them to). He’s arrogant, but he’s also meticulous. For him to be outsmarted seems… odd.
That being said, I love how he has to confront his ego to save the world. It’s a nice touch that could have used more development. Give him more space in “season two” to engage with Lady Trieu in a battle of wits. Maybe he even discovers her plan, agrees with her plan, and then changes his mind in the end when he sees John’s sacrifice. His use of the squids for good this time was a nice touch but, like most other things, it felt rushed.
Finally… Laurie wouldn’t turn him in. There’s no reason for her to. She held her silence for thirty years and nothing happened to change her mind. That’s why she became bitter and cynical. So, for her to turn him in at the end completely retcons the events from the source material, AND it goes against the entire premise of it. The whole point of Watchmen was that Ozymandias did a horrible, fucked up thing… but once you removed yourself from it, it was the only option. And even if people wanted to, the man is literally too smart. If he could orchestrate Robert Redford becoming president he could probably assume that someone would eventually find out his secret.
I should stop before I spiral off into a tangent.
Nothing Ever Ends:
Watchmen is, in my mind, a masterpiece of a graphic novel. Not only does it serve as a brilliant philosophical piece, but it is a brilliant re-imagining of the superhero genre that no other story has come close to paralleling since. Despite my griping, there is a lot that the show does right. I could go on and on about the pacing of that final scene from episode one, where Angela drives up to the tree where Judd Crawford is hanging. I could rave about the various subtle nods to the source material. I could confide that even while I ventured into the final two episodes with a few doubts about how they could weave Dr. Manhattan into this story, I still had tears streaming down my face when he said to Angela “I just told you that you can’t save me and you’re going to try anyway. In the bar, the night we met, you asked me about the moment I fell in love with you. This is the moment”. The show is messy, and that’s what this essay is about, but in the end it is still damn good television.
There are other talking points, I’m sure, but these were the most glaring. If you haven’t watched it and you made it this far I encourage you to watch it. The acting is phenomenal, the cinematography is out of this world, and the soundtrack steals the show. Take these critiques with a grain of salt because, despite its flaws, it’s still one of the best shows of 2019.
And of course, whether you agree or disagree, let me know what you think!
The Word and The Song 