My Top-10 Albums of 2023

Another year, another ten albums. 2023 was a fun year for music. I listened to what feels like a hundred albums in a hundred genres, though I wound up not purchasing … 90% of them. I’m finding as my music library gets bigger, the harder it is for me to buy more. I only rate albums I bought though, so we’re in a bit of a pickle.

Shoutout to Powerwolf, Ed Sheeran, Bebe Rexhe, Kesha, Orbit Culture, Tash Sultana, and too many more to count. I really did have a blast this year.

On the concert front, I got to see Ronnie Radke throw a fit at Rockfest, Jinjer jam so hard we couldn’t hear the storm right outside the tent, The Lonely Ones twice at a local venue with barely a hundred people around, and Tash Sultana in Madison, who was one of my major highlights of the year. Top-5 concert, that one.

So, with that being said, let’s begin!

10: Godsmack – Lighting up the Sky

Genre: Rock

I’m a long-standing fanboy of Godsmack and their brand of radio-friendly rock. I’ve been listening to them since I was nine. So when I say their musical trajectory from 1999 to 2023 has been an interesting one, I really mean it. Lighting up the Sky combines the best of When Legends Rise with Sully Erna’s solo output. This means it’s their least “Godsmack” album in sound. Some days, I don’t really know what to make of it, and other days, I’m really happy to have it on. It’s certainly got some of their best guitar work, and the emotional songs hit harder lyrically than ever before, but … “Red, White, and Blue” is easily the worst tune they’ve ever put out, and I miss that wet guitar tone. They make my list because it’s what the heart wants, but I won’t pretend they’ve put out a masterpiece here.

9: Ava Max – Diamonds and Dancefloors

Genre: Pop

You know what’s fun? High-energy pop music I can dance and sing to. Do you know what Ava Max does? That. There’s not much more to say about this one. It’s exactly what it sets out to be, filled with fun, catchy ear-worms and an audio mix that’s as massive as the voice behind it. We stan Ava Max here.

8: Heretoir – Nightsphere

Genre: Black Metal / Post Black

Every year there’s a new black metal album I latch onto and turn into my personality for a spell, and this year it’s Heretoir. Nightsphere is a funky combination of that raw, black metal we all love, with the more mellow, melodic post black atmosphere we also all love. There’s just as much singing as screaming in this one. It jumps around in sound seamlessly, going from heavy to somber, twisted to melancholic, all the while feeling like you’re wandering through a forest. I adore this genre of music.

7: Illenium – Illenium

Genre: Electronica

It’s always fun when a new Illenium record drops, because I can eagerly hit up the song list to see what powerhouse vocalists he has on board this time. For his self-titled, that means Teddy Swims, Chris Motionless, Avril Lavigne, Grabbitz, and Courtney fucking Laplante from Spiritbox! In some respects, this album is more of the same—we’re getting killer production, killer drops, and amazing, emotional songwriting. However, I feel like there’s a bit more experimenting going on here. The songs with Grabbitz and Courtney get heavy in ways that make me smile like hell, while songs like “Starfall” and “Drwn” play with atmosphere in ways I don’t think I’ve heard Illenium do. There’s more vibes than ever!

6: Kalmah – Kalmah

Genre: Melodic Death Metal

Melodic Death Metal—aka melodeath—is maybe my favorite genre of music, with the good stuff being the tipytop best but the bad stuff being borderline unlistenable. Kalmah hit that first camp. They’re Finnish, which is probably why. That country puts out the best melodeath…. Anyhow, combining groove, a bit of thrash, death metal, and even a little bit of folk here and there, Kalmah have released what is an amazing guitar-driven record with riffs for days. The songs are catchy as hell, brutal and somber, but still super fun because it’s death metal.

5: Ashnikko – Weedkiller

Genre: Hyperpop

Hyperpop isn’t a genre I can say I like, but Ahnikko’s newest effort might be a masterpiece. I don’t even know how to describe the music as it seems to jump genre every other song (or in the middle of songs), with pop choruses, bits of rap here and there, some upset screaming now and then, and at least one full-on cheerleader ensemble. It’s just strange. In terms of emotion, it hits all of them. Some songs are angrier than a Cannibal Corpse tune, others more tragic than the saddest Ed Sheeran joint. It’s minimalist yet bombastic. Just all the things. I love it. What a treat.

4: The Lonely Ones: The Lonely Ones

Genre: Rock

Wow, 2023 was a big year for self-titled records. The Lonely Ones are are what happens when you take Bobaflex and grind off some of the strange but add in more depression. Which is to say you’re in for some of the best rock music this side of your local radio station. Honestly though, this is kind of exactly what I want out of rock music. It’s got dirt and grime to it. It’s produced but not perfect, everything feels real, and while the guitar riffs aren’t always complicated, they groove hard as hell. Everything just fits.

3: Demi Lovato – Revamped

Genre: Rock / Pop

Did you know Demi Lovato put out a rock album this year that’s basically just her “best of” record but with more guitar and even more impressive vocal runs? Jesus Christ can Demi sing. All of these songs are so good, you don’t even know. You don’t even know! I honestly didn’t expect to love this one as much as I do, but I just cannot stop listening to it. It’s so fun!

2: Mental Cruelty – Zwielicht

Genre: Blackened Deathcore

The only band to do blackened deathcore right, Mental Cruelty put out one of the best albums of the year in Zwielicht. It’s gross, bombastic, loud, atmospheric, and filled with nasty-as-fuck breakdowns from beginning to end. Lukkas’ vocals are absolutely insane, filled with more acrobatics than a Cirque-du-Soleil show but also layered with proper storytelling. This an album with a cohesive sound yet none of the songs sound the same; it’s a blackened album where the black metal bits take center stage. See, there’s this divide between, “sure deathcore sounds evil, but black metal is evil” and this album has moments that are just evil.

1: Floor Jansen – Paragon

Genre: Pop

Floor Jansen is my favorite singer right now. I swear she can sing literally anything and it will sound amazing, so when I heard she was putting out a solo album of pop tunes, I grew irrationally excited. That the album lived up to those expectations is wonderful. I adore Paragon. The soundscape is almost more rock than pop, filled with guitars—some distorted, others acoustic—a proper drum kid, piano, and the occasional string ensemble, but it hits that pop vibe. Every song is a bombastic ear worm, easily learned and easy to join in. Vocally, Floor is flawless. She might as well be casting magic, because that’s how good she sounds.

My Top 5 Albums of 2022

I’m not really sure where to begin. Typically I end the year with a big, top-10-albums-winter bash, but 2022 just didn’t really deliver. Or maybe I didn’t deliver. I listened to a lot of albums this year, and I was beyond excited for most of them! But it’s December 31^st and I’ve got a small handful to show for it. I don’t like being negative in these end-of-year posts, but goddamn. It’s like everything I wanted to love just wound up being … fine.

Fine’s fine, but with music so easy to find, listen to, and forget, I want more than fine. I want exciting! I want special! I want spectacular! 2022 wasn’t spectacular.

There was also this systemic issue of albums being too damn long. If I were the supreme president of the world, I’d make every musician, band, or artist have to pass a test before they could release an album more than 50 minutes long. Most of y’all shouldn’t be allowed to. Not every deathcore song needs two breakdowns. Not every power metal album needs to end with a ten minute epic that has no goddamn thesis. Kill your darlings!

Maybe my attention span has gotten worse. God I hope not….

That being said, there were some really great moments this year. I got five albums I’m really excited to talk about. I also went down a pretty big Bollywood kick for whatever reason and had a blast, so I recommend everyone try that. Same with K-Pop. Go listen to K-pop! It’s great!

On the live-music front, 2022 was pretty nice. I saw Godsmack, John 5, Trivium, Whitechapel, Royal Bliss, The Lonely Ones, and a handful more thanks to big festivals. That Godsmack show was like two years in the making, too. Thought it would never happen. It was worth the wait.

5. Nickelback – Get Rollin’

Genre: Rock

I’m tired of the world pretending Nickelback are a bad band. They aren’t. Because in a year where most of my favorite rock bands released mediocre albums, Nickelback stepped up to the plate and delivered something extremely fun, singable, and danceable. “Let the record show / I did it all for rock ‘n roll” baby! Is it high art? No. Is it awesome? Yeah. I’ll die on this hill.

They also played around with their sound in 2022. They took a step back from their normal hard rock edge and played up an almost-southern rock twang that works really well and adds all kinds of new atmosphere to their tunes. It’s a neat change of pace that fits in with their discography while not treading on old ground.

I’m also forever a huge fan of their sound production. Nickelback albums just rock. They hit that magical thing where everything sounds big all the time, and nothing sounds small, and I don’t get it but I’m happy to be here.

Standout tracks are “San Quentin,” “Steel Still Rusts,” and “Just One More.”

4. Allegaeon – Damnum

Genre: Technical Death Metal

Three years ago I’d have told you I don’t really care for technical death metal, and then it’s like every year a new tech-death album comes out that rocks so hard I can’t stop listening. Maybe—just maybe—I was wrong. Entheos next year, too! The journey continues!

Damnum is a top-to-bottom masterpiece of death metal. It’s got the speed, it’s got the heavy, it’s got the brutal, and it’s got the scary. But it also has moments that are genuinely beautiful, where either the songs slow down and get introspective, or they speed up but manage a delicate quality not normally found in extreme music. I think it’s this dynamic that keeps the album so engaging from start to finish.

There are also moments of just straight up like, power metal thrown in. Some of the choruses could fit right at home in an Avantasia album—they’re singable and catchy as all hell. That’s what I want from my extreme music. Give me a melody I can hum later. Make it memorable.

Standout tracks are “To Carry My Grief…”, “Bastards of Earth,” and “Only Loss.”

3. Sigrid – How to Let Go

Genre: Pop

Sigrid was a very happy 2022 surprise. One minute I had never heard of her, the next she’s doing a collab with Bring me the Horizon and releasing one of the best songs this year in “Bad Life.” Something about her music is just so wonderfully uplifting and beautiful. For every bit of sour, there’s a followup dose of sweetness, because all sour moments can be overcome. Grief is only a compelling emotion if joy is right around the corner to offset it.

On the sound side, How to Let Go hits pop from a more … European format? I don’t really know how to put it, only that this music sounds pretty different from American and Korean pop music while still firmly existing within that genre soundscape. It’s a bit more chill for one thing, but not in a synthpop kind of way. It’s dance-y, but it doesn’t sound like Eurodance ala Cascada. I like it though. It never gets sonically huge, but it does swell and contract in its own, distinct sort of way.

In that way, the singing and vocal hooks really carry the music. Sigrid is an amazing singer. Just phenomenal. There’s such a high-intensity emotional through-line from start to finish, regardless of the song topic or instrumental that is both engaging and inviting to sing along to. I’m all about that pop music that will get me to open my mouth and completely embarrass myself.

Standout tracks are “Bad Life,” “Last to Know,” and “High Note.”

2. Devin Townsend – Lightwork

Genre: Devin Townend

I’m very new to the Devin Townsend hype train, but he’s quickly grown to be one of my favorite artists. Full speed ahead, and choo-choo! There’s something so uniquely Devin Townsend to his music. He’s the only person that could make these songs. They’re strange yes, but they’re also so emotionally raw and honest, and I think that’s what makes them truly compelling. The fun prog is draws us in, but getting a glimpse into another soul is why we stick around.

Lightwork is a little more digestible than his last full-length—it’s a little less metal and a little more standard, pop-structure formula. Even so, the songs are still full of surprises. You never know where they’ll go, what goofy noises might be sampled, or when Devin will just start screaming. It’s all very fun and exciting, even when the songs slow down.

Every little detail matters here, from the main melodies and drum sounds to the little bells and whistles hidden within the mix. There’s this immaculate level of craft throughout the album that’s very inspiring. It’s also a joy to listen to, especially with a really good sound system.

Standout tracks are “Call of the void,” “Celestial Signals,” and “Heavy Burden.”

1. Rina Sawayama – Hold The Girl

Genre: Pop / Alternative

There’s always one big surprise every year, and in 2022, it was Rina Sawayama. Hold The Girl is one of those masterpiece albums that just kind of has everything. It’s exciting, heartbreaking, danceable, singable, nostalgic, introspective, and a ton more fun adjectives because it’s just that good. One song you’ll be roaring along in upbeat defiance; the next you’ll be on the verge of tears. The emotional swings of this album are just astounding.

Sonically, it’s also a bit of everything. Songs like “This Hell” are just wicked pop anthems while “Send my Love to John” is a straight-up country song; “Phantom” has an amazing guitar solo in it that comes out of nowhere and just works, and “Hold the Girl” is so damn unique I’m not entirely sure what genre it’s in. I love it though! Fantastic tune.

It hits pretty hard lyrically too, covering topics like growing up, forgiving those that hurt you, coming to terms with trauma, finding self empowerment, and discovering yourself. Every song is just dense with something to enjoy. Vocally, Rina sells it all as an absolute powerhouse of a singer. She could throw a dart at a genre board and excel in it.

I really cannot stress enough how good this album is.

Standout tracks are “Hold the Girl,” “Catch Me in the Air,” and “Phantom.”

My Top 10 Albums of 2021

2021 was an odd year for music. Concerts came back, sort of, and a bunch of bands got me really hyped for new music, sort of. I only wound up going to two shows—shoutout to Ra, Born of Osiris, and Shadow of Intent—and only bought ten albums. Normally I aim for 16 to 20.

I was so excited for so much music that wound up being … mediocre. Two years ago I’d have gobbled it up and shrugged, because even mediocre music from bands I love is worth listening to. But I just don’t have that energy anymore. Thus, this list is a bit strange. It features some of the wildest, heaviest, gnarliest stuff I’ve ever purchased, and it also has a heavy dose of … mainstream? I think Chvrches are mainstream.

I am not pretentious!  

Let’s have fun.

10: Human Serpent – Heirlooms Eternal

Genre: Black Metal

Black metal comes in many flavors, and Heirlooms Eternal exists somewhere in that “oh this is painful” realm. The songs are discordant and sad, with the vocals sounding like a ghost is howling from another room. Normally that’s a bad thing, but this is black metal. You’re allowed to sound like the guitar was recorded on a toaster oven. Speaking of guitar, the riffs here are amazing! This isn’t for everyone, but if you’ve got the stomach for some lower-production noise, then here is a great place to be.

9: Illenium – Fallen Embers

Genre: Electronica

While not as upbeat Ascend, Fallen Embers carries a huge sound, wonderful lyrics, and amazing vocal performances from everyone involved. It’s an album easy to get lost in as it moves from song to song, some extremely danceable, others extremely thought provoking. The variety in emotion is worth the trip, making every song stand out in its own little way despite all of them carrying a pretty similar structure. And shoutout to Illenium, because I think “Sideways” is my favorite song of this year. What a masterpiece.

8: Slaughter to Prevail – Kostolom

Genre: Deathcore

There’s a lot to love about Kostolom, but my favorite bit is that it’s just a fun romp. Taking cues from nu metal, this disgusting wall of sound is bouncy, silly, and weird in ways I’m happy to see deathcore approach. Not everything needs to be horrible and sad and angry! Sometimes deathcore can be unashamedly Russian! But in all honesty, Slaughter to Prevail threw everything at the wall when they wrote this, and everything seemed to stick well enough to be worth using. Kostolom is a wild ride.

7: (G)I-dle – I Burn

Genre: Kpop

I keep falling down these random Kpop holes, and (G)I-dle happened to be the big one this year. I Burn is everything I want from the genre, yet it’s also everything I didn’t know I wanted too. Typically I’m here for dancing and upbeat tunes—of very in-your-face songs—but this one takes a hint from synthpop. This EP is more subtle, spreading a wider scope of emotions and sounds that range from fun to bittersweet to downright nostalgic. It is, at the end of the day, just a really pretty set of songs.

6: Ninkharsag – The Dread March of Solemn Gods

Genre: Black Metal

Hey! More black metal! I’ll be honest with this one, Ninkharsag decided to pretend Dissection were still around and making music, and they nailed it so well that I basically have nothing more to say on the matter. Go do that thing where you listen and praise Satan.

5: Chvrches – Screen Violence

Genre: Synthpop

Full disclosure: I’ve never been the biggest fan of Chvrches. I’m not sure why, but I guess they never really struck me until Screen Violence. This album is a real special treat. It’s a great use of contrast, where the music itself is fairly mellow and pleasant, and the singing is nice and pretty, but lyrically it’s extremely dark and traumatic. There’s this sorrow surrounding every song in such an artistically beautiful way that’s hard to explain. From a production standpoint, the album is amazing—every song just sounds wonderful.

4: Archspire – Bleed The Future

Genre: Technical Death Metal

When it comes to the extreme side of 2021, Archspire are front and center. Bleed the Future is wild! This is that kind of death metal where the guitar, drums, and vocalist are all competing to see who can go the fastest, and then all of them win. The songs are just monsters of speed and aggression, the last one clocking in at 400 bpm. Yet there’s moments of clarity scattered around, where you can stop and go “oh good, this is actually nice. I’m glad we’re—” and then they’re off again, racing to some bizarre finish line of brutality. I love it.

3: Halsey – If I Can’t Have Love, I Want Power

Genre: ???

What if one of the most interesting pop singers teamed up with them Nine Inch Nails guys? What if? If I Can’t Have Love, I Want Power is such a wonderful mix of sounds and emotions, mostly dark yet just hopeful to keep you on edge. Lyrically it’s astounding, some of Halsey’s best work, which is saying something. Halsey is an amazing lyricist. There’s this undercurrent drone-y focus to every song like it’s heading downwards to some horrid direction, yet enough bounce to keep things fun and respectable. I dunno. This album rules. Just go listen to it if you haven’t.

2: Mental Cruelty – A Hill To Die Upon

Genre: Deathcore

I don’t even know how to explain this one. Mental Cruelty are gross. They make gross music. It’s like what if deathcore met slam met black metal. This here is 45 minutes of gross, nasty, gnarly music but in the best way possible. There’s atmosphere and pig squeals and blast beats and more atmosphere and then more pig squeals and then more blast beats. And then the breakdowns! It’s peak this genre, really. Just heavy music firing on all cylinders. And shoutout to Luca for being able to make some of the best pterodactyl noises in the genre.

1: Whitechapel – Kin

Genre: Metal

Sliding away from their deathcore roots, Whitechapel have put out one of the most amazing death metal albums I’ve ever heard. It’s heavier than boulders, gross, emotional, and gorgeous all in one. Harsh vocals aren’t really known for carrying delicate emotion, but Phil works magic here, telling a story that’s both horrific and beautiful. The guitar work is some of the band’s best, with brutal riffs and emotional solos unlike anything I’ve ever heard in death metal before. This is an absolute masterpiece of an album, and even if you don’t like heavy music, I’d say give it a try. It’s remarkable.

Inonum – When Did The Butterflies Become Robots

When Did The Butterflies Become Robots is a 5-track EP that loosely tells the story of a sentient AI realizing it is the last thing alive on Earth and being very upset by this fact. Musically, it is inspired by all kinds of fun death metal, industrial metal, EDM, pop punk, and video game OSTs.

https://inonum.bandcamp.com/album/when-did-the-butterflies-become-robots

Top-10 Albums of 2020

I typically start every one of these going, “It was a great year for music!” and then listing all the concerts I went to. Hahahahahahahahahaha. So I went to all of one concert this year, it was Mod Sun, and honestly, good show. Had a blast. Got high for the first time, so that was a treat. Let’s focus on the positives, okay?

When it comes to band discoveries there was Passcode, Makhlvk, I, Valiance, Anaal Nathrakh, Kardashev, Slaughter to Prevail, Halsey, Illenium, Tash Sultana, and Vintersea. Oh, and Zmey Gorynich. Y’all gotta check that stuff out. Holy crap! Someone mixed folk metal with deathcore, and it’s brilliant.

Honestly, 2020 wasn’t a bad job for music. I branched out a bit more than normal and had a lot of fun in the process. Thus, I’m approaching this top-10 with a smile and a hefty nod to the new. I’m also writing it backwards because I still haven’t quite figured out 10 through 6. There’s some hefty competition going on.

10 Five Finger Death Punch – F8

Genre: Metal

Spot number ten was a hard one to figure out, because there are a lot of really good albums that could go here. I’ve chosen FFDP for a few reasons. One: They got me into heavy metal and despite whatever dumb nonsense seems to follow the band, I adore their sound. It’s great. Two: They’ve put out one of their best albums in almost a full decade. F8 sounds both old-school yet fresh, and Ivan’s got the lyrics and delivery to sell it. It’s heavy and catchy and groovy, and that’s really all I want out of metal music. Give me beautiful noise, please.

Standout tracks are “A Little Bit Off” and “Full Circle”

9 Blackpink – The Album

Genre: K-pop

I’ll be honest, I don’t have that much to say about Blackpink’s first album other than it’s stupid and I love it. If you’ve heard their two EPs, this is more of that with more heart. It’s fun, it has attitude, and it makes me want to learn Korean so I can sing along. Like there’s an entire song about ice cream that’s almost entirely sexual innuendo, but it lays into ice cream so much that it also might just be about ice cream. How is that not amazing?

Standout tracks are “Lovesick Girls” and “Ice Cream”

8 Manic – Halsey

Genre: Pop

I feel like there’s this stereotype with pop music that it has to sound like X and talk about Y and do Z, and then people roll their eyes at the genre because of this box. And yeah, the radio doesn’t help most of the time, but then someone like Halsey comes around and it’s like, “Oh god. Pop music owns. It’s so good. This is so good!” Halsey hits with some dense, introspective songs that are a pleasure to hear and decipher because, on top of being a great singer, she’s a great lyricist. Give this one a go please.

Standout tracks are “Graveyard” and “I HATE EVERYBODY”

7 Miley Cyrus – Plastic Hearts

Genre: Rock

Here’s a 2020 surprise: Miley Cyrus put out one of rockiest rock albums. How cool is that? Skipping the pop-star-turned-rocker angle, Plastic Hearts is just a fantastic record with a great sound. Miley’s got an amazing voice, and it’s perfect over some awesome drums, a great guitar tone, and down-right funky bass. Please give this one a listen just for the bass lines. So fun. Beware though, this album is addictive. Once you start, it’s hard to put down.

Standout tracks are “WTF Do I know?” and “Night Crawling”

6 Makhlvk – Napurusek

Genre: Deathcore

I have a strained relationship with deathcore, because there are elements I like and elements I just hate. Like, most deathcore songs all kind of sound the same because there’s no melody and it’s just noise. Fun in theory, boring in execution. And then Makhlvk showed up and said, “NAY!” This is deathcore with bounce! I love that there’s actual melody here, and not just melody but really great riffs, catchy choruses, and a thousand-and-one animal noises. I cannot believe how fun and unique this set of songs is, but it’s absolutely worth a look.

Standout tracks are “Ov Waltz & Damnation” and “I The King Shall Return”

5 K/DA – All Out

Genre: K-Pop

Life is strange. Every year, thousands of albums release, and my top-five spot is a K-Pop EP written, produced, and executed by a video game company. I don’t even play League of Legends! I do, however, love this EP. It’s so fun and stupid and perfect and it makes me want to dance. I love the attitude and the characters, and I love that whenever I hit the end, I’m in a better mood.

Standout tracks are “MORE” and “DRUM GO DUM”

4 Run The Jewels – RTJ4

Genre: Hip Hop

Anger is the theme of 2020, and Run the Jewels put out one of the angriest albums I’ve ever heard. It’s just boiling with cold, seething fury at the injustice that is American in the death throes of late-stage capitalism. Like yeah, the production, beats, and melodies are all great. It’s Run the Jewels. Of course they are. But the message hits hard this go around, and every time I listen to this, I want to go and … I dunno, do something. Like we can fix this, right? Right?

Standout tracks are “Ju$t” and “A Few Words for the Firing Squad”

3 Taylor Swift – Folklore

Genre: Indie?

At this point, it’s not surprising that I super love Taylor Swift. What is surprising, however, is that she dropped two folky indie albums in one year and both of them are rock solid. Folklore takes the cake for me, with its catchy, introspective storytelling that suits Taylor’s voice in ways I could imagine but never thought she’d reach. It’s not like some of these songs are totally outside her wheelhouse, but to do an entire album? And then another! Goddamn! I know this is just dumb fanboy gushing, but I don’t know how to talk about music without that, so hey. Go listen to this one if you haven’t. It’s great.

Standout tracks are “betty” and “the last great american dynasty”

2 Anaal Nathrakh – Endarkenment

Genre: Melodic … Grindcore?

Anaal Nathrakh are the biggest surprise of 2020, releasing what is one of the most bonkers set of tunes I’ve heard in some time. It’s got the greasy, almost-unlistenable charm of grindcore and then splits into these massive power-metal choruses at the drop of a hat. It’s awesome. Like, the most awesome. The production is through the roof, but what really sells it is the lyric writing. This album is ANGRY and a very fitting companion to the political nonsense that is 2020. If you want some catharsis, toss this on and crank the volume.

Standout tracks are “Endarkenment” and “Create Art, Though the World May Perish”

1 Nightwish – Human :II: Nature

Genre: Symphonic Metal

Nightwish are one of my favorite bands. I love them. I love every facet of them. Thomaus is brilliant, and I’m always just the happiest person when they put out a new album. ❤ u Floor! Human :II: Nature is no exception. It’s dense, it’s emotional, has some of the best vocal performances I’ve ever heard, has wild song writing, and somehow manages to hit everything I want from the band and more. Like good god they close on a half-hour instrumental that makes me cry. Just, how? How do you do that? By being amazing, that’s how.

Standout tracks are “How’s the Heart” and “Procession”

Top-10 Albums of 2019

Maybe there are just no bad years for music. I think this is my fifth installment of “Top ten albums of XXXX,” and every year just adds to the pile of new records, new bands, and new concerts. 2019 was a treat in that I got to see Shinedown twice, The Struts for the first time, Bobaflex again, and Nightwish again. Also a bunch of other bands! For albums, it’s been a lot of brand new stuff. Y’all ever listen to Disentomb?

You should.

I also released an album of my own! So before we begin, consider this a shameless plug for Follow the Witch by Inonum. It’s melodic deathmetal with a garageband mix! So you know, fun composition that tries really hard.

Now, on with the best albums of 2019!

10 Avril Lavigne – Head Above Water

Genre: Pop

Starting off with something a bit out of left field, but the heart wants what the heart wants. Head Above Water is another example of a pop artist releasing something different—think Rainbow by Kesha and Joanne by Lady Gaga. It drops the commercial pop sound for something more raw and emotional, yet it still retains some of that fun, dancy … popness too. Head Above Water is a chill record then, one with hints of gospel and country influences, but it isn’t afraid to have fun either. I’m a fan. Woosh woosh. That is the sound fans make!

Standout tracks are Bigger Wow and Head Above Water

9 The Dark Element – Songs the Night Sings

Genre: Symphonic Metal

If you’ve read any of my end-of-year lists before, you know I’m a sucker for symphonic metal. Give me big and epic and wild, and I’m going to be happy. Songs the Night Sings does pretty much exactly that, and it brings Annette Olson of Nightwish fame back into the spotlight too. God I love her. What sets The Dark Element apart from other symphonic metal bands is that the guitar feels more in the forefront, but also, there are some pop elements to the song writing. Thing big, catchy pre-choruses.

Standout tracks are The Pallbearer Walks Alone and Songs the Night Sings

8 Shadow of Intent – Melancholy

Genre: Deathcore

Hey, the best deathcore group is back, and this time they’ve thrown a few black metal influences into the mix. Melancholy has a bigger focus on mood and tone than the band’s previous two albums, but the amazing composition is still there. This isn’t pure brutality for the sake of it; there’s a reason for everything. Ben Deurr also continues to be the best in the business, only this time, his vocals are mixed just a bit lower to let the guitar and drums poke through better. Couple that with a ten minute instrumental at the end, and you’ve got yourself a slamming piece of music.

Standout tracks are Dirge of the Void and Malediction

7 Eluveitie – Ategnatos

Genre: Folk Death Metal

Ah, the band that’s harder to spell and even harder to say! The pattern to my tastes is largely big, epic songs with plenty of layers, and this nine-piece death metal thing is all about that. You got screams, cleans, flutes, a hurdy-gurdy, guitars, more guitars, killer drums, and a guest appearance by Randy Blythe of Lamb of God. The songs are all inspired by folklore, so lyrically they’re killer, but what continues to blow me away is how well everything sounds together. This is a BIG piece of music, yet everything is crystal clear. The songs run the gamut from super catchy to super brutal to super atmospheric, so there’s always something new just around the corner.

Standout tracks are Worship and Ambiramus

6 Beast in Black – From Hell with Love

Genre: Power Metal

Beast in Black are quickly cementing themselves as one of my favorite new bands. Their sophomore album continues the trend of “we don’t write bad songs,” only it throws in some heavy 80’s inspiration on top. It’s not full-blown disco, but also, I’m typing the word disco on a top-ten music list. Like everything above and below, the songs are epic, though in this case, they’re also just a bit cheesy. It wouldn’t be good power metal without that though. And Yannis, holy god can that man sing. I hope y’all are ready to cry out for a hero, because I found one.

Standout tracks are Heart of Steel and Die By the Blade

5 Taylor Swift – Lover

Genre: Pop

On this year’s second installment of “What the hell is this doing here?” the new Taylor Swift album is great. It’s fun and colorful and catchy, and I really like the experiments with more synthbased pop . It’s the kind of album where every song gets stuck in your head, and you just kind of have to put up with the cacophony of silky sweet nonsense. And in the context of her discography, Lover is an interesting evolution that proves Taylor Swift is in the game to write whatever the hell she wants. Mad respect, there.

Standout tracks are Paper Rings and Miss Americana and the Heartbreak Prince

4 Distentomb – The Decaying Light

Genre: Death Metal

So I’m going to unironically use the term brutiful, but goddamn is this album that. It’s so dark and heavy and crunchy and gross! If I could legally marry that guitar tone, I would. We would have very strange babies. Now the problem with this kind of death metal is that the tracks kind of blend together, so it’s less 10 tracks and more one 45 minute thing of heavy catharsis. The good news is that with this one, the guitarwork isn’t in the game for simple speed but tries for moody and at times, catchy too. Everything fits together. Also look at that logo! It has crab claws with spikes! That’s fucking awesome!

Standout tracks are Your Prayers Echo Into Nothingness and Rebirth Through Excoriation

3 Swallow the Sun – When a Shadow is Forced into the Light

Genre: Doom Metal

When a Shadow… is an album that thrives on its own mood. It’s dark and sorrowful in ways most albums wish they could be. Every note feels immaculately placed to make you connect with the song; every scream feels tortured in that black metal way that I can’t help but adore. It’s simply a captivating piece of music from start to finish, both devoid of hope yet gorgeous all the same. This is the kind of music only metal can pull off, and you should absolutely check it out.

Standout tracks are Stone Wings and Firelights

2 Deven Townsend – Empath

Genre: Deven Townsend

I’ve listened to this album about a dozen times, and I’m still not really sure what it is, only that I love it. It’s an hour and twenty minutes of never knowing what will come next, from giant choruses, rocking riffs, crunchy heavy metal, animal noises, to a goddamned nursery rhyme shoved in the middle of a song. It’s honestly an amazing piece of musicianship that jumps time signatures just as fast as it does genre. Lyrically it’s a bit chaotic, but very positive too. It’s one of those albums that makes me happy to simply be. Love is love, and \m/ is \m/.

Standout tracks are Spirits will Collide and Evermore

1 Avantasia – Moonglow

Genre: Powermetal

What seals the deal with Moonglow isn’t that it’s a fantastic album, but it’s also a fantastic story. Avantasia are one of those “concept album power metal” bands, which probably says more than I need to about their music. It’s big. It’s bombastic. It has more heart than that idiot in Captain Planet. In the case of this one, it features about a dozen guest vocalists, a bunch of songs over five minutes long, and follows a part of the moon that finds its way to Earth and has to learn how to live with humans. It’s a gorgeous piece of music that honest-to-god tells a compelling story. The melodies are soaring, the singers even moreso. And every time I listen to it, I want to know how the story ends.

Standout tracks are Lavender and The Raven Child

Top-10 Albums of 2018

My whole “Every year is a good year for music” continues, though there were a few more caveats in 2018 than I’d have liked. I won’t name or shame because I want this to be a positive little post, but it is disappointing when an album you’re excited for winds up being … fine. Fine is for settlers, and I am not a settler but an adventurer! Actually, that doesn’t make any sense, especially given how much radio-friendly stuff I bought this year. Whatever. More on that in a bit.

On the reverse, my 2018 live experiences were some of the best I’ve ever had. Wintersun, Godsmack, Trivium, Ne Obliviscarus, Aranda, Bobaflex, Nonpoint, the list goes on! My mantra of, “go see live music” also continues, but with more shouting than normal. Seriously! Go see live music!

So with that being said, onto my favorite albums of 2018.

10 Dimmu Borgir – Eonian

Genre: Symphonic Black Metal

Eonian is Nightwish meets, I dunno, Cradle of Filth or something. It’s a strange sound but one I’m totally hooked on. Sonically, this is one of the more interesting albums I stumbled upon this year: big orchestral synths, gross lizard vocals, and elements of honest-to-god post black metal too. It’s worth a look if you want a strange mix of parts that gel really well for reasons I cannot explain. Just don’t forget to hail Satan before you begin.

Standout tracks are “Interdimensional Summit,” “The Empyreon Phoenix,and “Archiac Correspondence.”

9 The Homeland Conspiracy – You Are Being Lied To

Genre: Rock

The Homeland Conspiracy (THC, get it?) are one of those hard rock groups that bring grit and attitude back to the genre. In some cases it’s raw and unrefined, and in some cases, it isn’t even pleasant, but it’s loud and completely unsafe. It’s a big middle finger to mainstream rock sounds. If you’re stuck in an area listening to radio DJ’s playing pop music and calling it rock, then check these guys out for a pallet cleanser. You’ll have a good time.

Standout tracks are “Nicolais Ghost,” “See You In the Morning,” and “River Killer.”

8 Shylmagoghnar – Transience

Genre: Blackened Death Metal

Continuing on with more extreme metal, Shylmagoghnar are here to deliver a band name that’s almost impossible to pronounce! The music is dark and massive, with long songs peppered with Lovecraftian imagery and a lead guitar tone that’s as wonderful as it is scary. Each song has a sense of sorrow to it that most bands can’t even come close to hitting, yet these guys make it sound easy. This is the kind of music you can work to or just put on while it’s storming out. It sets a hellova mood.

Standout tracks are “This Shadow of the Heart,” “Transience,” and “No Child of Man Could Follow.”

7 Disturbed – Evolution

Genre: Metal/Hard Rock

Evolution is … well, what it says it is. Embracing the success of their “Sound of Silence” cover, Disturbed have released an album that isn’t afraid to slow down or even feature a ballad. It’s a breath of fresh air, because while I’ll always show up for their normal rocking metal tunes, I love that the band are showcasing some range, both emotionally and sonically. I’m getting older, and not every song needs to heavy distortion and anger. Though there’s plenty of that here too.

Standout tracks are “No More,” “The Best Ones Lie,” and “In Another Time.”

6 Mike Shinoda – Post Traumatic

Genre: Alternative

Hey, look, it’s another album where the title is basically what you can expect of the music: A strong, mournful album about dealing with loss and every messy, gross, and frustrating emotion that comes along for the ride. The songs vary from rap to pop to bits and pieces of both genres, but the center core is always there. How do you deal with loss? How do you pretend to be okay? Is it okay to feel happy even though you don’t think you deserve it? It’s an exceptionally humane album, and while Mike’s inspirations for it are very personal to him, the execution is something anyone can relate to.

Standout tracks are “Ghosts,” “Can’t Hear You Now,” and “Watching as I Fall.”

5 Auri – Auri

Genre: ???

Auri are a hard group to place, the brainchild of Tuomas Holopainen, Johanna Kurkela, and Troy Donockley. They call the project celestial metal, but to me it’s more a collection of dark lullabies. Each song sounds like something you could fall asleep to, yet each song also takes you on a journey that’s as tense as it is gorgeous. I’m not sure I’ll ever know what genre this kind of music is, but it’s amazing and I hope Auri continue making more of it.

Standout tracks are “I Hope Your World is Kind,” “The Space Between,” and “Night 13.”

4 Rivers of Nihil – Where Owls Know My Name

Genre: Technical Death Metal

Where Owls Know My Name is an absolutely amazing piece of musicianship, a spectacle of distortion and screaming. Also their drummer might be an octopus. And just when you think you got them down, they throw in some prog elements like a saxophone solo or hooking a cello up to a guitar amp. Hell, they even throw some cleaning singing in! The band aren’t afraid to experiment, and their technical chops are so on point that every little thing they try just works.

Standout tracks are “The Silent Life,” “Death is Real,” and “Where Owls Know My Name.”

3 Shinedown – Attention Attention

Genre: Rock

Hey look! Shinedown made my list again! I love Shinedown. A lot. This new album is pretty rad in that it tiptoes back to their older sound, with a bit less pop elements and more guitars and volume. It’s a straight rocker, and Brent Smith is a goddamned vocal god. I’ve a feeling a highlight of 2019 will be seeing them. Possibly twice given that Rockfest hasn’t announced its lineup yet. I hope I get to see them twice.

Standout tracks are “Black Soul,” “Brilliant,” and “Special.”

2 Cypecore – Alliance

Genre: Melodic Death Metal

Cypecore were my biggest surprise the year. They play my favorite style of death metal, and they do it with a manic precision unlike any other. I don’t really know what that means. If you’ve made it this far, you should know that I’m bad at talking about music. But it doesn’t matter because Cypecore rule! Seriously give this one a go. The songs are catchy as hell, loud, angry, kind of violent, and doused in this dystopian setting that works wonders for the band.

Standout tracks are “The Alliance,” “Dissatisfactory,” and “Values of Death.”

1 Godsmack – When Legends Rise

Genre: Hard Rock

Hey look! Godsmack made my list again! And first place too! Again! Yeah, they’re my favorite band and anything they do I’m probably going to like with an irrational fervor, but they really did do a great job this year. It’s very rare that a band can go, “We’re going to try a more commercial sound” and then nail it. Like with Disturbed, I love the seeing a softer side to the band, both sonically and emotionally. It just makes them feel like real people and not these caricatures writing the same songs over and over. But even then, there’s still plenty of hard rock to be found, especially in the latter half of the album. It’s still Godsmack, just with, you know, a ballad. That ballad might be one of their best songs too. People gotta stop fearing the ballad!

Standout tracks are “Under Your Scars,” “Unforgettable,” and “Let it Out.”

My Top Ten Albums of 2016

Well, 2016 has been a year. I’ll avoid the stuff Charlie Brown’s Linus van Pelt says not to talk about and jump into music, because politics aside, it’s been a crazy year for music. I discovered so many bands! Veldes, Avantasia, Shadow of Intent, Moonsorrow, Septic Flesh, Lamb of God, Soar, Dissection, Delain, Sonata Artica, The Wagaki Band, Chthonic…the list could probably go on. Some of my most-anticipated albums came out this year, and some of them were amazing! Some were also not amazing.

2016 strikes in more than one way.

Concert wise, I’ve seen four of my five favorite bands live: Nightwish, Five Finger Death Punch, Shinedown, and Bobaflex. I also got to see Deff Leppard, Delain, Sonata Artica, Hed P.E. Powerman 5000, REO Speedwagon, Sixx. a.m. Slipknot, Disturbed, Beartooth, Nothing More, Another Lost Year, and a darn good few others that I can’t recall off the top of my head.

In that respect, 2016 couldn’t bring me down at all. Do you know how crazy Slipknot were live? Like, all of the crazy!

So let’s stick with positivity and jump into my top-ten albums of 2016! This list is…well, it’s a list!

10 Korn — The Serenity of Suffering

Genre: Nu Metal

Perhaps the craziest thing about 2016 is that it got me excited for a new Korn album. Do you know how long it’s been since that happened? Like a decade! But I’m an adult that isn’t in middle school, and Goddamn, Korn put out an album that’s awesome. It’s got everything I want from them, from the scat singing to the crunchy riffage to the angsty lyrics.

It appeals to me on so many nostalgic levels, yet it’s also just good. It’s catchy as all hell, catchy as all hell, and also catchy as all hell. Also, it’s Korn without the electronic gimmicks from their last few efforts. That means…that means so much. You have no idea.

Standout tracks are “Rotting in Vain,” “When You’re Not There,” and “Everything Falls Apart.”

09 Amaranthe – Maximalism

Genre: ???

Amaranthe are a band I discovered early in 2015 and fell in love with because they’re a strange mess of noise. They have three vocalist: A pop singer, a rock singer, and a metal growler, and they mix pop-rock with straight metal. I don’t know what they are, but I love their sound. It’s different. It’s everything I want in music, really.

Their new effort is more of the same in that regard, with huge pop songs that pack on the metal grit. It’s a sing-along affair that turns into a scream-along, and you don’t really know where one part begins and another ends. It might also get you dancing and headbanging at the same time. It’s not every day an album will get both of those things out of me.

Not that I should dance. I suck at dancing.

Standout tracks are “Boomerang,” “On the Rocks,” and “Limitless.”

08 All Hail the Yeti – Screams from a Black Wilderness

Genre: Death Metal…?

All Hail the Yeti are the only band I know that can do horror lyrics and not sound like cartoons. Cannibal Corpse and Infant Annihilator bring on the gore, yet they do so with a cheesy shine that kind of hurts the overall package. Yeti? They’ll do up death, torture, and the apocalypse with the brutal salesmanship of a person promising a cure to cancer yet giving you snake oil.

Screams from a Black Wilderness is their sophomore effort, and in that respect, is much more refined than their former. That’s neither a condemnation nor a praise; just a fact. It flows better, and it has a hair less grit than their self-titled, yet it also packs one hellova punch. The songs are driving forces, the kind that make you want to go fight someone because anger is anger and you’re angry! They make you want to chant and scream too, because all good music makes you want to do those things, and this is good music.

Standout tracks include, “Witch is Dead,” “Before the Flames,” and “Daughter of the Morning Star.”

07 Thomas Rakowitz – The Musings of Balance

Genre: Hard Rock

Full discolor: Thomas Rakowtiz is a good friend of mine. Full disclosure: The Musings of Balance is a killer record.

The Musings of Balance probably has my favorite guitar work of any album released in 2016. Every track is different and flavorful, yet every track has that brutal riffage that you want from this brand of hard rock. It makes you want to mosh like a crazy person, and it makes you want to sing along while you do so. The vocal melodies are catchy!

Thomas mixes clean singing with death growls like a pro, and he layers them over just the best guitar work. It’s insane. Lyrically, he knows how to channel the things that keep him up at night, both good and bad. Musically, well musically it’s a bit of everything. There’s a goddamn bull-fighting song on this thing! Color it surprising, and use a black marker while you do so.

Standout tracks are “The End of it All,” “Frantic,” and “The Illusion.”

06 Six a.m. – Prayers for the Damned

Genre: Rock

This isn’t the first time Six a.m. have made my top-ten list, and given their track record, it won’t be the last. They do rock like rock needs to be done: catchy, hard, and awesome. Prayers for the Damned is a harder version of their sound, bringing the big guitars and the fast vocals without any letup. There are no ballads here.

It’s awesome.

The album does get some bonus points for their live performance, which was killer as all hell, but really, if you’re into rock, this is the prime example of it. It’s got just a bit of classic flair to entice all walks of life, but the gut-punch we all want and need from new-timey music.

And I dare you to try and not sing along while this album is going. Try. Just try. You’ll fail as miserably as I do, because I suck at singing and shouldn’t try at all. This album gets me to try though, and it’s always a blast.

Standout tracks are “Belly of the Beast,” “When We Were Gods,” and “Can’t Stop.”

05 Delain – Moonbathers

Genre: Symphonic Metal

So I’m basically going to jump for joy if you’re either symphonic metal or folk metal, and this is the former. Happy day there, because Nightwish need to have some supplements for the years they don’t release an album. Queue Delain!

Delain are some prime-time symphonic metal, yet they have some subtle twists. I find that Moonbathers comes and goes when it comes to the symphony; it’s either very prominent or in the background. When it’s prominent, it’s the swelling sound we all hope and want, yet when it’s in the background, well, that’s when the guitars and drums just explode.

Mix that with some amazing vocals and even more amazing vocal melodies, and you have an album that I have not been able to stop listening to. Bonus points for Delain being phenomenal live. And they were an opening band! How the hell were they an opening band? They make most closing acts look like chump change.

Standout tracks are “Hands of Gold,” “The Glory and the Scum,” and “Dance Macabre.”

04 Gorjia – Magma

Genre: Death Metal

I’m tempted to just write, “It’s Gojira and Gojira can do no wrong,” because that’s probably the truest thing that’s been said this year. However, Gojira didn’t just do no wrong here; they did amazing. Magma is the only death metal album I’d call gorgeous. Seriously, this is pretty death metal! How is that even possible?

Magma is when you take pure, pure sorrow and put it to music. It’s when you take the frustration of death and just yell at it, yet it’s also what you do when you’re done yelling. There are real moments of contemplation here, of deep introspection on life and loss. It’s brilliant.

It’s also an album that takes the band away from their norm with quite a bit of clean vocals. Yeah. Gojira with clean vocals. Holy hell. Yet they work! At first they seem monotonous, almost in the background, yet the more you listen, the more they jive perfectly with what the record wants. They’re this sad, pretty drone, and they make this album something special.

Standout tracks are “Low Lands,” “Stranded,” and “Silvera.”

03 Moonsorrow – Jumalten Aika

Genre: Black Metal

Perhaps my favorite thing about 2016 is that it taught me that black metal can be amazing. At one point I wrote the genre off, and then Moonsorrow came along and slapped me upside the head with a gorgeous, atmospheric, and heavy album about gods and man.

It’s also in Finnish.

Juamlen Aika is one of two 2016 albums I’d call epic. Of the five tracks, four are over ten minutes long and two boarder on fifteen minutes. The whole package is a bit over an hour, yet the variety here is off the charts. The songs move in this glorious, unpredictable way, going from heavy riffs to soft keyboards and other classical instruments. The album keeps you on your toes in this tense way, yet it also asks you to relax, to sit back and enjoy.

Lyrically, the album is awesome (assuming you’re willing to check the booklet. The whole thing is in Finnish, but that really only adds to it. The vocals become another instrument, a distorted wail that sucks you in and doesn’t let you go at all. It’s so awesome!)

Standout tracks are “Jumaltin Aika,” “Ihmisen Aika,” and “Ruttoleto sis. Paivattoman Paivan Kansa.”

02 Avantasia – Ghostlights

Genre: Power Metal

Ghostlights came out sometime in January and remained my favorite album for most of the year. It’s a massive concept album about a guy journeying into the afterlife and finding God, and it’s nothing short of amazing. I cannot get over how phenomenal the guitar work is here, and I cannot get over how just…epic this piece is! Every song has at least one guest vocalist because Avantasia isn’t a band; it’s an event.

It’s also the pinnacle of power metal.

This isn’t cheesy stuff, and this isn’t repetitive riffage. It’s plain glory from start to finish, the kind of songs I want to belt out but cannot because my range is like three and a half notes. It’s smart and awesome and will not leave your head until you hit the repeat button in a failed attempt at purging such amazing notes. Even then, you might as well toss a coin, because you’re probably screwed.

You cannot make music this awesome go away! And you shouldn’t want to either!

Standout tracks include “Master of the Pendulum,” “Ghostlights,” and “Draconian Love.”

01 Sully Erna – Hometown Life

Genre: ???

Back in 2014 when I did my first top-ten music list, I said that I was a massive fanboy of Godsmack. That fanboyism includes their front man, Sully Erna. I kind of want to marry his voice.

Avalon was my favorite album for a good many years until I discovered Wintersun, and even then, it still remains my second favorite album. It’s goddamn perfection, and as luck would have it, so is Hometown Life. Blending five or six different genres—including jazz!—Hometown Life is half a love-letter to music and half a love-letter to personal triumphs and failures.

It’s such an interesting album to listen to, because on one hand it’s a biography of Sully Erna himself, on another it’s a message to his children, and on a third (because this monster has three hands) it’s open to interpretation. As an English major, it’s basically a wet dream I can throw into my ears.

Wow. That sounded strange.

What doesn’t sound strange is this album though (saved!). It’s a little bit country, a little bit alternative, a little bit jazz, a little bit soul, a little bit rock, and a little bit tribal. It might have bits and pieces of other genres too, because it’s just that kind of record. Sometimes Sully has half a symphony behind him, and sometimes he’s playing a piano. Sometimes that happens in the same song.

And all the while, it’s mixed wonderfully, vocally impressive, and makes you want to weep or dance.

Standout tracks are “Your Own Drum,” “Turn it Up,” and “Forever my Infinity.”

My Top 10 Albums of 2015

2015 was an amazing year for music for me, and not just in the stuff that came out that year. No, I found a ton of new bands to listen to (most were albums not released in 2015), had a ton of my favorite bands release new music, got caught up on tons of music from 2014, and in general, rocked out something fierce. Sadly though, I didn’t get to every band or album I wanted to, and as a personal rule, I’m only rating albums I outright purchased. This means some great music won’t make this list. This happened last year too, because damn, there’s only so much time and money I can realistically allot to this.

Sorry.

I should also probably mention that the order of these albums is…strange. I’d like to prioritize quality first, but when it comes to music, I also want to have fun. Just keep that in mind as you go through this one.

Now, with that out of the way, it’s time to count down!

 

10 Halestorm – Into the Wild Life

Genre: Hard Rock

Lzzy Hale has one of the best voices in the whole damn business, if I do say so myself. I love her range, I love the personality, both on stage and in her music, and I love how she’s so down for variety. In the case of Into the Wild Life, variety is the theme of the album; no two songs sound alike. Halestorm take influences from every genre of rock out there, including punk and even some old-school heavy metal, producing what I believe is their best album yet.

Lyrically, the album is an old-school party affair with a giant dose of throwing social norms out the window. There’s a big sense of being yourself and shooting hard for your dreams, and I really like that.

Standout tracks are “Scream,” “I am the Fire,” and “I Like it Heavy.”

09 Powerwolf – Blessed and Possessed

Genre: Power Metal

The wolves are back with more songs about werewolves! No, I’m being serious. If you’ve never heard of Powerwolf, all you need to know is in their name itself: They’re power metal, and they sing about werewolves. It’s cheesy as hell, takes itself perhaps a bit too seriously (what with all the religious overtones), but the package is somehow amazing.

Powerwolf are a band that have found a sound that works and have stuck to it for the past few albums, so Blessed and Possessed is really more of the same. That is, of course, a great thing if you like their sound–which I do.

However, they do change a few things up. The organ is more prominent than ever, lyrically we’ve got a song about vampires, there’s an entire song in Latin, and Blessed and Possessed has the strongest finisher of any of their albums (which normally don’t have great finishers).

“Army of the Night” is also their best song to date and so catchy it hurts. Seriously, don’t listen to this unless you want it to never leave your skull ever.

Standout tracks are “Army of the Night,” “Armata Strigoi,” and “Sanctus Dominus.”

08 Five Finger Death Punch – Got Your Six

Genre: Groove Metal

Five Finger Death Punch are one of my favorite bands, generally hitting my number 2 slot if I’m doing a countdown. I love ‘em. I’ve seen them live three times (once this year!), and their newest album was something I anticipated with lots of…anticipation!

It’s good too!

This go around, they’ve really thrown away their want for slow, radio-friendly songs and just went with hard-hitting groove. The riffs are crazy and the vocals/lyrics are very in your face. That isn’t to say the album is without its variety though; in fact, there’s still plenty of ups and downs, it’s just they’re now within songs instead of by song. So instead of going two hard songs and a soft song, it’s three hard songs, but that third hard song has some dips in tempo/rage.

It’s really cool and makes Got Your Six stand out a bit when compared to Five Finger Death Punch’s other albums.

Standout tracks are “Ain’t My Last Dance,” “Question Everything,” and “Boots and Blood.”

07 Aranda – Not the Same

Genre: Rock

When it comes to rock music, I prioritize catchy vocal melodies over pretty much all else. Give me something I can sing to without shame—which takes some work since I’m a garbage singer and attempts almost always fill me with shame—and then give me something I can headbang to.

Not the Same does both, and damn spectacularly too!

What makes Aranda’s newest stand out above most others though isn’t just the catchy vocals, excellent singing, and memorable/rockin’ riffs though. No, this album has soul to it. Lyrically, it’s great, with a good amount of range to boot. There are some truly moving songs here about loss and second chances, about standing up for yourself, and about finding love.

For fans, it’s another departure from their other two albums, proving without a doubt that Aranda will not release the same album twice. I appreciate that (even if I so miss the sound from their self titled work).

Standout tracks are “We are the Enemy,” “Don’t Wake Me,” and “Shadow of the Sun.”

06 Allen Stone – Radius

Genre: R&B

The odd-man out on this list, Allen Stone is the only, ONLY singer/songwriter that can get me to dance like the whitest man in the room while I’m still sober. His music just has this vibe to it that I find hard to put down into words, but I absolutely love it.

I actually don’t have all that much else to say about this album. It’s one of those, “I know it’s objectively better than most of the stuff on this list, but I’m putting it in the middle only because I don’t listen to it as often as I should.” It’s great music, and Mr. Stone himself has a wonderful voice and penchant for great lyrics, but as you can and will see, I’m more into rock/metal.

But when I do hit up Radius, damn do I dance! And not well.

Standout tracks are “Perfect World,” “Circle,” and “Guardian Angel.”

05 Bobaflex – Anything that Moves

Genre: Metal

Bobaflex are another one of my favorite bands, and I’ve been lucky enough to see them five times in five years. They evidently love Wisconsin. They’re a band that I find unpredictable, even if their brand of metal is fairly accessible. Yet the ups and downs the songs take, and the lyrical content they’re usually about, are hard to map out. They can go from biting social commentary to BDSM at the drop of a friggen’ hat, and I know it’s all because Sean McCoy is a crazy person (and super cool. I’ve met him.)

It makes for fun listening.

Anything that Moves acts as a slight softening of their sound; however, it’s also a bit of a blend of my favorite parts about Bobaflex as a whole. There are some crazy in-your-face rockers, some just downright strange tunes, and that above-mentioned unpredictability that drew me to them five years ago.

This album also has, without a doubt, some of their best guitar work yet.

Standout tracks are “Start a War,” “Spider in the Dark,” and “Pray to the Devil.”

04 Shinedown – Threat to Survival

Genre: Rock

2015 was pretty much the year of my favorite bands releasing new music. God damn do I love Shinedown. Like, a lot. When it comes to rock music, I really think they do it the best, and for pretty much all of the reasons I listed above with Aranda. Wonderful vocal melodies, Brent’s voice itself is phenomenal, killer guitarwork, and deep and meaningful lyrics on every song they do.

This is not a trashy rock band.

Threat to Survival, like Bobaflex’s newest album, acts as a slight softening of sound; however, it’s not a bad thing. Shinedown are another band that refuse to release the same album twice, and what they’ve given us in 2015 is certainly different. Going from their hardest song to date in “Cut the Cord” to one of their slowest in “Thick as Thieves,” this album has a bit of everything, and it’s all so damn moving and wonderful.

Standout tracks are “Cut the Cord,” “State of my Head,” and “How did you Love.”

03 Bullet for my Valentine – Venom

Genre: Metalcore

If you would have told me Bullet for my Valentine would be putting out one of my favorite albums in 2015 back in 2013,I’d have given you a funny look and shook my head. Not possible. But I was wrong, so thankfully, thankfully wrong!

Venom is a standout, featuring some crazy-awesome guitarwork and the band’s best lyrics to date. The album tackles some pretty heavy topics (like depression) while also diving headfirst into super dark territory with no parachute. It’s nonstop fun and only takes a break with its title track, “Venom,” allowing a brief breather before jumping back into the fray of growls and chugging guitar.

It also needs to be recognized for leaving some of its best songs as bonus tracks.

Standout tracks are “No Way Out,” “Playing God,” and “Raising Hell.”

02 Disturbed – Immortalized

Genre: Hard Rock/Metal

Up until 2015, Disturbed had been on a five-year hiatus, which is a Goddamned long time to go without new music. We did get The Lost Children in 2011 (which is one of my favorites by them), but still, that’s four years!

Well, Disturbed made 2015 an event by coming back and better than ever.

If the first theme on this top-10 list is favorite bands releasing new music (and Disturbed are a favorite), the second theme is variety. Immortalized is a varied album, in both sound and lyrical content. There’s the goofy fun we expect from Disturbed along with the rough and gruff voice and chuggin’ guitar, but there’s also a softer, lighter side here that I haven’t seen before.

There’s also a quick dip into sheer sorrow that breaks my heart every time.

The whole thing adds up into my favorite Disturbed album to date. The variety, the execution, everything about this album is damned flawless.

Standout tracks are “What are You Waiting For,” “Save Our Last Goodbye” and “Who Taught You How to Hate.”

01 Nightwish – Endless Forms Most Beautiful

Genre: Symphonic Metal

When it comes to music, I’d say Nightwish are the definition of breathtaking. They might also be the definition of phenomenal. I’ve never not been amazed by an album they’ve put out, and Endless Forms is obviously no exception to that. The entire album is a story about Earth, death, and everything that happens in between.

It’s so beautiful, so powerful, so impressive in its scope and execution that I probably don’t have to say anything more.

So I won’t.

Standout tracks are “Our Decades in the Sun,” “My Walden,” and “Alpenglow.”