PJ's Top 25 of 2016
It's been quite a year, probably the hardest end-year list I've had to make. Fun sidenote: I'll be spending all of tomorrow with the lady before leaving on a cruise with my family so I won't be here to hear any of your thoughts after tonight. I expect some god-tier shitposting. Thanks for reading everyone. I've had a lot of fun chatting with you all this year while boredom at work has been at an all-time high. Sayonara, sputnikers. |
| 25 |  | Deftones
Gore
As we kick off the list, I'd like to hand out honorable mentions to the following:
Silent Planet - Everything Was Sound
Denzel Curry - Imperial
Mouth of the Architect - Path of Eight
Kvelertak - Nattesferd
Sianvar - Stay Lost
J. Cole - 4 Your Eyez Only |
| 24 |  | Anthrax
For All Kings
I was late to the party on Anthrax, but this album kickstarted something great for me. A very strong year for thrash metal. |
| 23 |  | If These Trees Could Talk
The Bones of a Dying World
It feels like this album came out forever ago considering how much time I've spent listening to this. |
| 22 |  | Revocation
Great Is Our Sin
Revocation proved willing and able to overcome the loss of the immensely talented Phil Dubois-Coyne with yet another strong release. He will be missed, but the punch of this technical death outfit is still hard as ever in Great Is Our Sin. |
| 21 |  | Radiohead
A Moon Shaped Pool
Radiohead returns with their uncanny mastery of sonic beauty. Even when it might not be the most experimental release in their repertoire, it has certainly proven to be a treasure among 2016's offerings. |
| 20 |  | Metallica
Hardwired... to Self-Destruct
The key word here is balance. Metallica has finally recovered from all of the blows they've landed on themselves for the past 20 years in full, with the true successor to Black album that we've all been waiting for. It's about time. |
| 19 |  | Mick Jenkins
The Healing Component
The Water[s] was a hard act to follow, but The Healing Component is it's own beast. |
| 18 |  | Twelve Foot Ninja
Outlier
With all of the same ferocity and experimental wonders that made Silent Machine as great as it was, Outlier offers all of the same groove and wrath wrapped in a short but sweet package. |
| 17 |  | Kendrick Lamar
untitled unmastered.
After the juggernaught of Butterfly, it's almost unfair that Kendrick would drop another dime on us in consecutive years. |
| 16 |  | Dream Theater
The Astonishing
Yeah, the story is cheesy. It may never stand a fair chance against Images and Words or Metropolis II, but the magnitude of the task DT undertook in The Astonishing and the powerful delivery from every member makes it great in its own right. |
| 15 |  | Haken
Affinity
I was initially underwhelmed by Affinity given the perfection of its predecessor, but it's grown on me quite a bit. Prog is alive and well in the hands of Haken and their peers. |
| 14 |  | Taking Back Sunday
Tidal Wave
Happiness Is... was an exciting turn after a couple sub-par releases, and this is exactly what I had been waiting for in a much greater way than I ever could've hoped for. |
| 13 |  | Be'lakor
Vessels
With Opeth taking a more accessible turn, it's good to know that progressive death metal is in good hands. Be'lakor continues to set high standards for their peers to follow. |
| 12 |  | Bad Rabbits
American Nightmare
A gorgeous offering of impeccable groove, tasteful melody, and unrelenting passion. I could barely turn it off to find other albums for this list. |
| 11 |  | Alcest
Kodama
Neige continues to pave the way for blackgaze with Kodama. Beautifully melancholy and quietly raging, Kodama offers something new with every listen. |
| 10 |  | Ulver
ATGCLVLSSCAP
I was dumbfounded when I discovered that this was all live and for the better portion, improvization. Ulver makes it look easy. |
| 9 |  | Danny Brown
Atrocity Exhibition
Danny Brown is still new to me, but I find myself constantly returning to him despite the uniqueness of his delivery. What an album. |
| 8 |  | Tiny Moving Parts
Celebrate
I had no idea who TMP was when I decided to put this album on while running through the remastered version of Final Fantasy X, but I found myself listening to this collection of 2-3min songs over and over and over. I didn't listen to much pop punk this year but I think you'd be hard pressed to find a better pop punk album that came out this year. |
| 7 |  | Ulcerate
Shrines of Paralysis
The prodigies of technical death metal return with what might be their best album yet. |
| 6 |  | Vektor
Terminal Redux
Chuck would be proud. |
| 5 |  | Norma Jean
Polar Similar
The kings of metalcore continue to show us how it's done. It's always nice to see bands get better on the back end of their careers, and I hope Norma Jean lives forever. |
| 4 |  | Night Verses
Into the Vanishing Light
After their monstrous entrance with Lift Your Existence, Night Verses proves that they are here to stay with what might not even be their magnum opus. So exciting it's scary. |
| 3 |  | Thrice
To Be Everywhere Is to Be Nowhere
With every listen this album got better and better. Thrice found the perfect formula for alternative music for the masses, fans, and critics alike. All hail. |
| 2 |  | Childish Gambino
"Awaken, My Love!"
Childish took Kendrick's formula for his musical shift from Good Kid-Butterfly and ramped it to 1000% and it couldn't have sounded any better. Truly a masterpiece and I already need more. |
| 1 |  | The Dear Hunter
Act V: Hymns With The Devil In Confessional
I made a conscious effort to find an album that could possibly be better, but I just couldn't do it. Casey Crescenzo has done it again with another indomitable masterpiece and the grueling conclusion(?) to his tragic 5-part story. |
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