Yet Another Q1
I was planning on making my first 2016 list at the halfway point, but I've been so much better with current stuff than I've ever been lately that I feel like a quarter list would benefit me as well as maybe being something interesting to look at. i've been getting music from a lot of other places besides sputnik lately too, which is a nice change of pace. but ugh there's so much i need to catch up on already. a lot to put in the database too. anywho here's everything i've heard so far from this year, ranked af. also thanks to the folks i did totally grab some of these from |
| 36 |  | Mandroid Echostar
Coral Throne
1.5 - this is "progressive," guys. wtf are you serious. the only thing keeping this from a 1 is a couple tasty riffs. the rest of it is a blur of absolutely tasteless, tuneless, aesthetic-less bullshit. first time an album has made me mad in a long time |
| 35 |  | Snekula
Rifts
1.5 - creepy grating ambient horseshit that sounds more like a halfhearted soundtrack for an equally halfhearted horror flick |
| 34 |  | Vorbkt
For Silence
2 - incompetent black metal |
| 33 |  | Panic! At the Disco
Death of a Bachelor
2 - no, this Vegas coke-pop will definitely not help you stay relevant you fuckin dolts |
| 32 |  | Moon Tooth
Chromaparagon
2 - really annoying faux-prog |
| 31 |  | No Fun
Photocopier Waltz
2.5 - i definitely get why one would find this awful, but i think the amateurish abrasiveness of it is kinda charming, actually. it's just that you've heard every piece of each song within the first 30 seconds of it |
| 30 |  | Ty (VEN)
The Golden Soul and the Hunger Feelings
2.5 - Atmospheric black metal with potential, but it's produced kinda horribly. it's almost like... orchestrated noise that you can vaguely tell is supposed to be black metal. |
| 29 |  | am.
Darkdays
2.5 - GarageBand trip-hop |
| 28 |  | Single Soul
cold drone blues expanded
2.5 - wow this is cool guys show it to all your friends you'll be so cool |
| 27 |  | Klahtouk
Deep Fried Thumb
2.5 - this is on the verge of a three.. idk it's interesting bubbly techno stuff but it gets kinda grating after a while. seems like the mixing of it was kinda rushed |
| 26 |  | Agoraphobic Nosebleed
Arc
3 - cool that they're taking this direction but make the songs more interesting plz thx |
| 25 |  | Basement
Promise Everything
3 - pleasant but ultimately pretty insubstantial indie-punk-whatever bullshit |
| 24 |  | Wormed
Krighsu
3 - This band is awesome, but I'm not a huge fan of the super dense production on this. I much preferred the guitar tone on Exodromos, it was easier to follow the riffs. Plus this album doesn't really have anything like "Tautochrone" or "Xenoverse Discharger" |
| 23 |  | Lycus
Chasms
3 - what walking through a black cloud feels like. just walking, just taking a stroll. |
| 22 |  | Submotion Orchestra
Colour Theory
3 - this album just slides by |
| 21 |  | Abbath
Abbath
3.5 - No, it doesn't throw you for any loops, but it's tight, crunchy and RIFFS |
| 20 |  | Tomb Mold
The Bottomless Perdition
3.5 - Death metal in 2016 has no business being this crusty |
| 19 |  | Sensory Deprivation
SNSRY DPRVTN
3.5 - A decided tour-de-force. Expansive, noisy, and pretty damn engaging |
| 18 |  | Fucked
Void 4: Permanence
3.5 - Crushing break-neck grind from the guys in Tanpopo Crisis |
| 17 |  | School of Seven Bells
SVIIB
3.5 - This is the first I've heard from these guys - I have a feeling I'd dig their earlier stuff more, but this is kinda delightful |
| 16 |  | King Green
The Moon Has Fallen
3.5 - If I could I would rate this three Batman symbols out of two yin-yangs. Inscrutable nightmarish dreamscapes courtesy of AnimalsAsSummit |
| 15 |  | Magrudergrind
II
3.5 - Tight, pulverizing grind, but you'd think that after seven years their sound would've evolved a little more |
| 14 |  | Pinkshinyultrablast
Grandfeathered
3.5 - ahem read my review |
| 13 |  | White Spot
I Had The Best For A Little While
3.5 - noise rock that's somehow both fresh and grimy |
| 12 |  | TOOTHGRINDER
Nocturnal Masquerade
3.5 - yeah this is sweet. if only bands like this could take Born of Osiris's spot |
| 11 |  | Eglise
Église
3.5 - probably the closest thing i've heard to the Converge/Botch style of metalcore tbh, vox are almost a little too similar |
| 10 |  | Latitudes
Old Sunlight
4 - post-metal that's equal parts pretty and heavy. the really riff-heavy parts could use a little more texture, but the songwriting is undeniable |
| 9 |  | Tanpopo Crisis
Nobody Knows
4 - grind with amazing spacey guitar tones. get on this |
| 8 |  | Chthe'ilist
Le Dernier Crépuscule
4 - delicious, adventurous death metal with some trimmable fat |
| 7 |  | This Is Nowhere
Music to Relapse
4 - really powerful psych/stoner rock. starts off amazing with two of the best songs i've heard so far this year - "Burn the Line" and "Thiefall", but falls off a little bit toward the end. its overall thick and entrancing sound still makes it very worth checking out tho |
| 6 |  | Nadra
Allir vegir til glötunar
4 - punishing black metal; crisp and tasty |
| 5 |  | Massive Attack
Ritual Spirit
4 - I really wanted to give this a 4.5, as it's evident that there's definitely an evolved sound happening here - "Dead Editors" is becoming one of my favorite songs ever - but there's something about "Voodoo in My Blood" that just seems... tawdry. So the fact that there's only three consistently amazing songs makes this release feel a little like a tease. Which I guess it is... but an excellent tease it is. |
| 4 |  | Tim Hecker
Love Streams
4 - This guy can do no wrong. "Music of the Air" is simply exquisite. |
| 3 |  | Ulver
ATGCLVLSSCAP
4.5 - You need to be in a pretty specific mood for this album to really resonate, but when that happens, it's amazing how powerful it is. Every song is an exercise in a different kind of hypnosis. |
| 2 |  | The Body
No One Deserves Happiness
4.5 - This rating isn't completely solidified yet, but a 4.5 is what it's feeling most like right now. This album is everything that's cool about this band refined and given even more detail. Punishing, beautiful, and bizarre; snapping and cracking with life. |
| 1 |  | Suuns
Hold/Still
4.5 - I guess this technically isn't out yet, but holy balls get on it when it is, guys. AOTY potential. review is already written, lying in wait. |
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