Music Reviews

Ok I won’t be beating around the bush as much with this one, this is a much briefer list of just around 15 songs I think were some of the best to come out this year. Oh and all of these are essentially 10/10 songs for me so keep that in mind. With that being said, let’s kick things of with…

15.) Tyler, The Creator – SORRY NOT SORRY

Really good introspective and emotional song from Tyler, one of his best actually. Really recommend the music video for this one too, it helps to contextualize this one even more. Great lush instrumentation and all of Tyler’s different sides and egos showing through, great in concept even better in execution.

14.) Poppy – Spit

It’s kinda nuts how she can come out with one of her middest albums ever and one of her best songs ever both in the same year, this being of course the latter of the two. This is probably one of the most insane female vocalist metal songs I’ve heard in a hot minute, this song is the ultimate musical beat-down and a perfect example of what I’d like more from Poppy in the future. Amazing tune, with really great lyrics too.

13.) Lil Yachty – the BLACK seminole.

Yeah this one is a whole experience, probably my favorite from this album if I had to say. Very multi-layered, super psychedelic and for Lil Yachty the song sounds AMAZING. Enough said about this one, it’s a Lil Yachty song with a guitar solo and a psychedelic final crescendo at the end, what else do you want.

12.) Ludwing Göransson – Can You Hear The Music

I get chills everytime I hear this one, it’s truly special, as is the film. With a runtime in only under two minutes this song manages to completely encapsulate me in this beautiful, mystical and ambitious orchestral sound that just feels larger than life. Definitely worthy of a spot.

11.) slowthai – Yum

This is the album opener for slowthai’s fantastic new album and wow, does it not hold back right from the get go. The industrial abrasive instrumental, demented erotic lyrics and a last minute freakout during a psychiatric session, this song really sets the mood for the rest of the album and by itself perfectly captures Tyron’s state of mind. Insane song.

10.) underscores – Cops and robbers

This song just has no right of being so darn catchy and fun. The pop-punkish instrumental kicks ass, the story is really intresting and very well portrayed and goes with the instrumental really well, everything blends together beautifully and I just can’t get enogh of this one, right from the opening few notes.

9.) Travis Scott – MY EYES

Yeah yeah yeah, say whatever you want about this man and his actions but I’m telling he hasn’t got a song like this in him again for a while. Nevermind the verse that is absolutely fire, nevermind the really beautiful two minute intro… But the moment the switch-up of this song starts to fade in is just something else. The last two minutes alone are easily one of the best experiences with music I had this year. Beautiful tune.

8.) DYL – Gimlé

Speaking of really gorgeous tunes, this one is definitely a one alright. I’ve learned about this song and by extension about this artist through Brad Taste In Music’s stream and I gotta say, this is one of the best finds of 2023 for me. Beautiful and mezmerizing from start to finnish, really recommend checking it out, it’s not a song with a huge crescendo or anything but it doesn’t need to have that. Really spectacular.

7.) Sprain – Man Proposes, God Disposes

This song is like if every trope that I enjoy in music came into one gigantic euphoric experience. It has like 5 different layers to it and all of them are amazing and it goes through all that in only around 7 and a half minutes, really just an insanely impressive song that also happens to be super right up my alley and really catchy too.

6.) Black Country, New Road – Turbines/Pigs

It’s really intresting how this song went from one of my biggest dissapointments to one of my favorite songs of the year – you could say that I finally got it. It also helped that I saw them perform this live and let me tell you live on 3 hours of sleep this song is an entirely different experience. It’s really flawless from front to back and insanely gorgeous too, May Kershaw kills it on the vocals.

5.) Jeff Rosenstock – 3 SUMMERS

The king of modern pop-punk is back with a solid good album without a doubt, but this song just takes the cake for me. In just around 7 minutes this song provides one of the most energetic, heartfelt, cathartic and catchy music experiences of the year for me, the last two minutes of just the same repeated chant over and over of „you can’t help me anymore“ in this really shiny bright pop-punk sound is just top notch.

4.) Liturgy – 93696 (the song)

This whole song was actually released as an EP earlier this year too I think, which just goes to show how much of an absolute insanity this song is. The last 4 minutes are the best in all of metal this year hands down no contest whatsoever. Perfect song for an almost flawless album, I’ll just leave it with that.

3.) Sufjan Stevens – So You Are Tired and Shit Talk

Yeah I know it’s a bit of a cheat to put two songs in one place but here I really couldn’t decide. The atmospheric long-winded outro of Shit Talk could probably put it on here for just that alone, but So You Are Tired is, at least for me, like on of the most just physically down to the bone sad songs I’ve heard in forever. Both are great though and are part of an amazing project that will no doubt go down as one of Sufjan’s best.

2.) Foo Fighters – Rest

Part of their latest project honoring their late drummer Taylor Hawkins and this song was directly written to him… Yeah, it’s a rough listen. And probably the best Foo Fighters songs since Everlong. Just absolutely gutt-wrenching and one of the best tributes Hawkins could have recieved from the band. Love this one to death and R.I.P. Taylor Hawkins, God knows you are very much missed.

1.) Parannoul – Into the Endless Night (Live)

I mean what did you expect… If you’ve read my review of this album or my top 10 albums list, you know this song is for me one of the best things I’ve ever heard at this point. It’s 46 MINUTES LONG. It alone is longer than a lot of the albums I review on here. And it manages to feel like probably half of that. It’s literally the perfect song for me but it is kinda unfair to the other tracks on here due to it’s length… Still, that won’t stop me from putting it here.

So that is my list of my favorite songs of the year – which songs grabbed your ear this year? Let me know in the comments belllow and I’ll see you in the next one :).

So to start things off with this list, I would just like to further specify that these also include EPs and that they are not perhaps the definitive 10 worst albums of this year, but just the 10 worst I HAVE personally heard, because I definitely didn’t listen to even half of some of the awful albums that came out this year. But with that out of the way, let’s kick this list off with…

10. The National – First Two Pages of Frankenstein (strong 3/10)

Yeah it really hurts to put this here but there is just no other way – this album is like biting into a piece of cardboard. And that’s coming from a pretty big The National fan honestly – but there is just little to no substance on this. And I also just don’t get how you manage to fumble the bag SO BAD with features like SUFJAN STEVENS and TAYLOR SWIFT. Like seriously, what went wrong here? Because the album they release after this one later this year „Laugh Track“ is actually once again pretty good, so I just don’t get what happened here – either way it’s a disappointing release to say the least.

9. Sleep Token – Take Me Back To Eden (decent 3/10)

I just don’t get this one. Some of the ideas are pretty great honestly, BUT… The blend between metal and pop on this project has to be one of the most awkward and forced things I’ve EVER heard. Like don’t get me wrong, as I already mentioned, some of the metal passages are like seriously great, it’s just that whenever something starts sounding just somewhat decent, the really ear-grading vocals come in or some random out-of-nowhere pop/trap/R&B switch-up comes in and completely butchers anything that could have possibly been going on. This could have been at least okay but no, the majority of ideas on here are just so processed, so sloppy and just soo non-human.

8. NF – HOPE (light 3/10)

Look, there are 1 or 2 songs on this that I quite enjoy – the rest of the album though is either just fast-rapping and at the same time saying nothing braggadocious garbage or some poppy lovey-dovey nothing burgers of songs and together it makes for what I think is so far easily NF’s worst project. I don’t remember a single key from this, nor a single bar, it’s once again just a void of super melo-dramatic synematic avengers type beat production with little-to-no substance in the lyrics department. NF really needs to switch things up at this point, because this one was especially emberrassing.

7. Lewis Capaldi – Broken by Desire to Be Heavenly Sent (strong 2/10)

I mean the title just says it all… Pretentious paino ballad garbage songs all about the same thing with the literal worst voice that’s ever hit the mainstream pop music. This album is really competing with the Sleep Token album for which one can make the singer sound more annoying, but at least the Sleep Token had some intresting instrumental moments here and there, this album has NOTHING. Okay well I mean the first song kinds slaps, but after that it’s just a total pain to sit through. I hate this guy’s music with a passion, seriously devoid of any actual emotion.

6. Slipknot – Adderall EP (decent 2/10??) (profanity warning ahead)

I mean what the hell even is this. I’m more putting it here just to make a point… That point being to RETIRE ALREADY. Like holy shit, if you say you’re gonna retire then do it, stop feeding us shit like this. Like what even is this??? There are 6 „tracks“ total, 2 of which are the literal most low-effort garbage interludes ever made and the rest of the songs are just different versions OF THE SAME FUCKING SONG and NONE of them add anything new. This literally has no right to exist, the song upon which is this album based around is mid to begin with but WOW there is just nothing here. Just RETIRE.

5. Lil Pump – Lil Pump 2 (light 2/10)

uhhh.. The first songs is kinda fire? No yeah, this has no right to exist either, I tried to enter the same mindset of stupid fun songs I had with his previous projects and just enjoy myself but I just couldn’t do that here… These songs just absolutely suck so hard, I’m sorry but like this is just pathetic at this point. You’re not reviving your career with this, I’ll tell you that much and as someone who semi-defended some of Lil Pump’s music when it was first huge, yeah this just ain’t it.

4. Roger Waters – The Dark Side of the Moon Redux (strong 1 – light 2/10)

What the hell is this. No seriously, this has to be one of the worst ruinings of an album’s legacy since Green Day dropped „The Father Of All…“. Like WHAT are you doing Roger Waters, you’re ruining your own album! The instrumentals are just slower and worse and less exciting and almost devoid of anything and Roger Waters is just having his schizo rant abour life and stuff and I’m sorry but I’m not gonna listen to that for over an hour – I literally haven’t even heard half of this in full, but from the little snipets I went through yeah, this doesn’t change at all. Wow what a waste of time this was.

3. 30 Seconds To Mars – It’s the End of the World but It’s a Beautiful Day (strong 1)

I’m SO glad to finally be able to put this on here because seriously I can’t stand everything this „band“ is and represents. This new offering from Jared Leto and the gang is probably their worst yet, which after 2018’s „America“ is one hell of an achievment. Besides the opening song being kinda catchy, this album actualy has no redeeming qualities – Jared Leto is so disconnected from reality that he makes music for Walmarts and clothing stores. This is just sad to hear, please just go back to making listenable music or just give up on this project, because next time you release an album like this, I’m honestly just not gonna give you any streams.

2. 6ix9ine – Leyenda Viva (light 1/10)

The only reason this isn’t a 0 is because some of the production sounds okay. That’s lliterally it. This is the worst thing 6ix9ine EVER made and that’s saying a lot. I honestly just don’t wanna give this guy any more attention than he so obviously wants, so let’s just move on to…

HONORABLE MENTIONS:

Skrillex – Don’t Get Too Close

Waterparks – Intellectual Property

Daft Punk – Random Access Memories (Drumless Edition)

AJR – The Maybe Man (it’s the best AJR album though!)

anything DA BABY released this year (haven’t even heard anything, just saw some of the bars and heard little snippets… More than enough if I’m being honest)

+ probably more

1. Dream – To Whoever Want To Hear (strong 0 – light 1)

This is the musical embodiment of being chronically on-line and out of touch with the real world. WOOOW this is bad, like you can’t even imagine how uninspired a person’s music can be. There is kinda nothing to write about here, because this is literal wallpaper music. Young Gravy is the best part about this album. YOUNG GRAVY. I sincerely hope Dream either just give music up all together or just starts actually putting something listenable out.

So there you have it, this year I hated myself even more and made this list on top of the best 10 albums. Hope you enjoyed and if you have your own list, or you just have an album you think should have been on here (which I am aware there are many), let me know in the comments bellow!

So, the year is coming to an end, and as per usual, I’ve compiled a list of some of my favorite music of this year. I’ve gotta say the year started of really strong, but somewhere down the line the quality just sort of became all over the place. Don’t get me wrong, there were some AMAZING records this year (as you’ll see in a minute), but overall, this year has honestly almost been more dissapointing than it was rewarding. Even still, here’s some of my favorite music of this year, so I hope you enjoy.

10.) Paramore – This Is Why (strong 8/10)

I’ve been kinda struggling what to put at this place honestly, as many records have been competing for it, but after a while of thinking it through, it just had to be this one. Yeah, with each listen this record more and more slowly becomes what’s probably my favorite Paramore album. I just can’t get enough of it – every song is like a combination of their whole discography up to this point, the lyrics are really relatable and depressing, the sound super danceable, the guitars so clean and Hayley Williams is just as charming as ever as a vocalist. No yeah, this album is what it’s about, bangers front to back, just a great and versatile rock record, enough said.

9.) Black Country, New Road – Live at Bush Hall (strong 8/10)

I’m honestly just an absolute super fan of this band at this point. This probably barely wouldn’t have made the top 10 if it wasn’t for the fact that I’ve seen them perform this album live this year and it has been one of the most enchanting experiences I’ve had the pleasure of whitnessing this year. After the departure of the former lead vocalist Isaac Wood, I’ve been really worried about the future of this band, but my worries couldn’t have been more pointless, as Tyler Hyde and the gang make up for it masterfully on this project. There are just so many great highlights and melodies on this, I could go on for hours about some of the songs on here, but there are a few duds too. Those are maybe like one or two songs which I find not as memorable as the others, but honestly besides that, this is basically a flawless live album from the band. Can’t wait for they do next honestly and I wish them the best moving forward.

8.) Model/Actriz – Dogsbody (strong 8/10)

Yeah the first half of this album is basically a 10. Some of the songs in the second half start to get a bit repetetive, but this album is still just something to behold. I’ll be completely frank, it took me a while to really get completely adjusted to the lyrics and the way they’re sung, but I’ve really gained a big apprecation for what this project is ultimately about. The themes of sexuality, one find themselves and the struggles of young adulthood are fully on display here with really intense and vivid imagery that can sometimes honestly be a little too much. But when you’re in the mood for it yeah, this album does it all – danceable grooves, drone instrumentation, really out there lyrics and delivery, completely frantic songs, just an absolute ride front to back and I love every second of it.

7.) Slowthai – UGLY (strong 8/10)

So I’ll be the first one to admit that this one shrunk on me just the tiniest bit, especially some of the moments in the second half HOWEVER I still stand by the fact, that this album is Slowthai’s magnum opus (at least so far). The opener and the follow-up song are some of his best yet and a great majority of the songs on here have been in my constant rotation the entire year. The themes of self-loathing, constant intoxication etc. are brough to live with Slowthai’s excentric perfromances throughout this entire project. Besides like one or two so-so songs, this album’s just constant action, all killer no filler. Easy placement on this list for me, love what he did here.

6.) Sampha – Lahai (light 9/10)

I mean wow, what a gorgeous record. From front to back, this record sounds exactly like how the album cover looks – smooth, beautiful, ethereal, peaceful and totally breath-taking. Sampha’s voice is like the cure for the soul, the way this man sings is beyond gorgeous. Then you combine it with the really introspective and thought-provoking lyrical themes and the stunningly beautiful production all throughout this project and you get this album. Honestly if it wasn’t for the second half once again in my opinion being just the tiniest bit weaker than the first, this album probably would’ve ranked even higher, but as it’s still just a literal journey. I can’t recommend this record enough, some other-worldly stuff right here.

5.) Sprain – The Lamb as Effigy (light 9/10)

This album is an enigma. I really don’t understand it all, but I just love the hell out of it. The first song is like the combination of all your favorite Anthony Fantano-isms and from there you have one really dynamic all over the place song, one song that’s basically just an ambient drone with a string outro, than a 24 MINUTE SONG just thrown in after that, than two 10 minute-ish long songs with the word „Nude“ in their title, than a short 4 minute songs, which is the most heavy and abrasive on the album, and than ANOTHER 20 MINUTE SONG. And yet it makes just perfect sense when you listen to it. Granted it DOES require A LOT of patience, like really a lot, but it rewards you immensely for it, an absolutely stellar experimental noise rock record that just keeps on giving everytime i hear it.

4.) JPEGMAFIA and Danny Brown – SCARING THE HOES (decent 9/10)

I mean what can I say about this album that hasn’t been said already. If it wasn’t for Danny being just a little bit overshadowed by JPEGMAFIA this easily could just be a 10. Like have you heard the songs on here? It’s just bangers back to back and it doesn’t stop for even a second. It’s kinda unreal how two dudes can just make this, the production is like so good it’s unreal. Really I don’t have much to say about this record because it just speaks for itself, a total ride from front to back, if you haven’t somehow heard this yet just do yourself a favor and go listen because you’re really missing out.

3.) Sufjan Stevens – Javelin (decent-strong 9/10)

This one somehow grew on me even more. Like it’s just such a powerful and moving record. It’s the perfect Sufjan Stevens album too, like you have your piano ballads, you have your weird experimental electronic parts, you have your gorgeous, and I mean GORGEOUS, string outros, you have your typical guitar-driven songs and all of that delivered into this hauntingly beautifully package that is this album. With the context of everything surrounding this album, this only enhances the already over-whelming emotional impact it has. Yeah this album is really something else and a great return to from for Sufjan, definitely one of his best records which is saying A TON.

2.) Liturgy – 93696 (strong 9/10) (small profanity warning for this one)

Holy. Shit. Like, okay, I kinda wrote this album off as not being as good as Liturgy’s previous one when I first heard it. But like… This is easily one of the best black-metal records I’ve ever heard in my entire life. Unreal volume. The way everything is orchestrated. It feels like something out of some sacred book, like I’m really struggling to explain the grandiosity of this album. It’s just overbearing in every sense of the word. The 4 big 8+ minutes long tracks are all fantastic, all the angel interludes are a really nice change of pace between everything and all of the other shorter songs and little weird interludes only enhance everything. Besides a few like minor gripes with little passages here and there, this thing is just, basically perfect.

Except there is just one album that came out this year that I think is even better than that… Before we get to that one though, I’d like to show you some honorable mentions that didn’t quite make the list, but are stilla amazing records that are worth being mentioned here.

HONORABLE MENTIONS:

Lil Yachty – LET’S START HERE

boygenius – the record

yeule – softscars

Jane Remover – Census Designated

underscores – Wallsocket

Swans – The Beggar

Of course those aren’t all the albums I’d like to have on this list (like the new King Krule record, or the 100 Gecs record earlier this year just to add a few), but this will have to do. Now without further ado, and to the surprise of nobody, my number one album of the year is…

1.) Parannoul – After The Night (Live) (10/10)

If you’ve read my review for this album (which I strongly recommend) you already know how I feel about Parannoul. They placed number 3 on my year-end list two years ago and now, two years later, they’ve finally made it. At least that’s how I see it – this album is just perfect for me. And don’t even get me started on the last 40+ minutes long song… That’s easily one of the best musical experiences I’ve ever heard. Yeah I could go on for hours about how comforting the sound of this album is, how perfect are the song choices for the live set, how the last song is the best thing to ever be made, but I think you get the picture. For a live album, this thing is pure magic. Front to back, like when you really let yourself get immersed in this, it makes you feel just so many beautiful things. It feels super nostalgic and powerful, I really think Parannoul achieved something truly special here. I ADORE this thing.

And yeah, that was my 2023 best albums of the year list – let me know what were yours in the comments bellow and I wish you all a happy 2024!

So there have been a few updates in my 10/10s lately, some I have docummented here on this very page and some changed over time, mostly it’s been additions. Before we continue I’d just like to say that the numbering of these numbers is in no particular order even though I tried to do so, all of these records I hold very close to my heart.

15. Injury Reserve – By the Time I Get To Phoenix (strong 9 – light 10)

Yeah this album is still kinda out of this world. The biggest problem I have revisiting this one is that it kinda looses me at points, especially with songs like „Wild Wild West“ and „SS San Francisco“ a little bit as well, those just don’t really do it for me as much as the other songs on this one, but even then they still fit nicely in the aesthethic of the album so I don’t really mind it all that much. Besides that yeah I still can’t wrap my head around this album. It feels like a complete mess and it makes literally no sense yet so much sense at the same time. It feels like a panic attack in musical form and is filled with this just absolutely depserate and sorrowful mood throughout it’s entire runtime, like it’s definetly an album for a specific mood, but when you let yourself get immersed by it, you get transported into a whole different messed up universe. At the same time the really specific nature of this album makes that a lot of the times this album just doesn’t do it for me because of x or y. But when I manage to get into that specific headspace, yeah, this one is just completely out of this world.

14. Deafheaven – Sunbather (light 10)

Yeah I’ve cried several times when I first heard this. With time this album doesn’t show me much more than it already did but MAN does it pack a serious punch even after all these albums, like this is a black-metal album and it’s easily the most bright and sunny thing on this entire list. It feels so hopeful yet hopeless at the same time, I can’t get enough of the aesthethic this one builds – and the sound of it is just so incredibly over-bearing, it really is too much to handle sometimes. There is no miss on this album, the interlude tracks maybe don’t do all that much for it, but I’ve still grown to enjoy them a lot as I think they serve as brief breathing point in the middle of all the madness. Yeah, another incredible record right here, definetly deserving of the 10/10 rating.

13. Death Grips – The Money Store (light 10)

Oh yeah I still recall the first time I heard „Get Got“ over at my friend’s house during a sleepover when I was around 12 to 13 years old – if Meteora and Sempiternal opened me more to music, then this album broke EVERYTHING I thought music could be. With more time this album isn’t AS unreal as it felt the first few times I’ve heard it, but even to this day the production on this one is still just unbelievable. The crazy synths, the fast-paced drumming, the barely intelligible rapping from MC Ride that all mashed together on paper really awkwardly but also somehow absolutely perfectly, this album had it all. I don’t think there is a single song on this project that I don’t enjoy to some degree – sure there are few ideas here and there that aren’t maybe as innovative or just don’t do it for me as much as others do, but man, songs like „Lost Boys“, „Hustle Bones“ or the to this date absolutely massive „Punk Weight“ are absolute bangers. An abslute classic in the underground experimental hip-hop scene and a really important project for me.

12. Radiohead – In Rainbows (light 10)

This is the most album that just sounds like it’s album cover. There is one Radiohead album I overall prefer more to this one, but don’t get me wrong, this one still has it’s undeniable charm – as many people have already stated before, this one is definetly Radiohead’s most human, that’s for sure. It’s also their most colorful and I’d argue the one most packed with bangers – like the first 5 tracks are just absolutely insane, how is this even real. „Bodysnatchers“ always sends shivers down my spine with it’s climac, „Nude“ is chillingly beautiful as is „Weird Fishes/Arpeggi“ and it doesn’t end there. „Videotape“ as simple as it is probably one of my favorite album-closers ever, I always get teary-eyed listening to it. This one is just so much fun – like with the Injury Reserve record though this one is this low because honestly, there are times where it doesn’t hit me as hard as other times, but once again when in the right mood, this album does wonders.

11. Danny Brown – Atrocity Exhibition (light – decent 10)

My most recent realisation of an album being a 10 is definitely this Danny Brown one over here – man I haven’t listened to this in AGES. But recently I’ve bought this album’s vinyl for a really solid price and decided that well, I haven’t heard it in a long while, might as well give it another shot. And I gotta tell you, these songs BANG. They do everything right. I just LOVE the aesthethic of this album, it’s so captivating throughout. And the production, like don’t even get me started on that. Some of the most craziest, most out-there beats created the last decade. And it all just sounds sooo good, like this album’s soundscape is almost edible I feel like. I had this one at a strong 9 for years but in reality I have virtually zero complaints about it.

10. The Microphones – The Glow Pt. 2 (decent 10)

I had this album at a 9/10 for a REALLY long time aswell, but man, recently it was just hitting in a way I can’t recall an album hitting in a long time and I could just no longer see any problems with it – in fact my last few listens of this thing have been so good that it skipped right here to this spot on this list. „The Moon“ is probably in my top 5 songs of all time. „Headless Horseman“ I’ve learned on guitar in it’s entirety, and the transition between „I Felt Your Shape“ to „Samurai Sword“ is probably one of the most brutal and defeating musical experiences I’ve had in a while. And the lore and story behind this one… Look I could at this point probably go for hours talking about it, it just resonates with me for so many different reasons that I can’t even begin to tell you, so I’ll just leave it with that, a really important album for me.

9. Swans – To Be Kind (decent 10)

8. Black Country, New Road – Ants From Up There (decent 10)

Yeah this album came out during what was probably the happiest era of my life and I have many many dear memories linked with it – not only that, but this might as well be my album of the decade so far. The emotional gutpunch I recieve every time I hear this thing is unmatched. Isaac Wood’s voice is filled with sorrow throughout this entire project and I can’t get enough of it – this album also may not be as instant as the band’s previous efforts, but it definitely rewards you ten times as much for being patient with it. Yeah there just isn’t a track on here I don’t at least really like from „Concorde“ to what’s probably the song of the decade for me so far „The Place Where He Inserted the Blade“. No yeah, this album is just fire front to back, enough said.

7. Parannoul – After the Night (Live) (decent 10)

6. Radiohead – OK Computer (decent 10)

Now don’t get me wrong, I love In Rainbows to death, but this album is just something else – the vibe it creates was, and still to this date is, quite literally revolutionary. And yeah the first few listens I didn’t get this one all that much, it definitely took some time to get adjusted to it – but when it clicked, oh man it clicked. It’s also kinda crazy how greatly this album ages with each passing day, the lyrical themes are so ahead of their time it’s kinda scary – and don’t even get me started on the absolutely beautiful musical soundscapes this album creates with it’s sound. It feels so depressed yet so hopefull, so harsh and yet so gentle, I still can’t to this day quite put my finger on it, all I know is that I just really love it. Songs like the opener „Airbag“, the ambitious „Paranoid Android“ and one of my favorite jams „Let Down“, which is an underated masterpiece, all the songs here just sound so futuristic and like they are from another planet. Everyone should hear this album at least once during their lifetime, it’s an absolute must-listen.

5. My Bloody Valentine – Loveless (strong 10)

This is like the musical definition of what taking drugs must feel like. From the very moment the first song „only shallow“ kicks you immediately get transported to a whole nother dimension. It’s all so serene and so in your face, like pure euphoria or ecstacy or something, it’s really hard to eplain the feeling of this album. Songs like „to here knows when“, „when you sleep“ and probably my personal favorite „sometimes“ are all just so magical and beautiful, like really out of this world levels of beauty. This album is perfect for me, there are only a select few I think out-do what this album does for me.

4. Godspeed You! Black Emperor – Lift Your Skinny Fists Like Antennas to Heaven (strong 10)

This is the album that I think is the most perfect musically. There isn’t a single NOTE on this 4 track hour and a half long album that I don’t like. It really is all larger than life and I don’t use that term lightly. The highs on this album are incomprehensibly high – the climaxes of instrumentation and the way everything plays off of each other is like nothing I’ve ever heard before and believe me I’ve heard a lot of stuff, I get PHYSICAL CHILLS during those moments, like it doesn’t even feel like it was made by actual living humans at points. I love this album to death, it’s so beautiful, I could write a whole essay on each song on here.

3. Kendrick Lamar – To Pimp A Butterfly (strong 10)

So many good memories linked with this one. Look, there are way more people who are way more skilled in writing who wrote almost entire seminar works around this album, so I’m not gonna go too in-depth to why this is the album of the century or whatever – for me this is just a perfect story-based conceptual rap album with beautiful lush jazz instrumentations and really introspective and profound lyrical themes. This album is essentially for me just everything I want a rap album to be. Kendrick really went above and beyond when creating this thing, like this album has a SOUL. So many great songs on this thing, such as „Weasley’s Theory“, „King Kunta“, „How Much A Dollar Cost“, just to name a few. Definitely in my top 3 for sure, no questions about it.

2. Daughters – You Won’t Get What You Want (strong 10)

Look I know about the allegations and all that and I in no way whatsoever respect any of the heinous stuff the lead singer did… BUT this album is just… Brutal. No but actually like BRUTAL. I like to seperate the art from the artist here, because I just love this thing. It’s one of the most intense things I’ve ever heard, if not THE most. I hate listening to it because it just feels like I’m getting beaten up by the music and yet I can’t get enough of it. And trust me there is NO breathing room on this album – every single song is a different kinda of beatdown. The production on this album is like… So clean and so mezmerizing, I don’t understand how this album exists. It would be my number one if not for one album that not only dfined my growing up years but still to this date holds up as my favorite album of all time. Which is, as last time…

1. My Chemical Romance – The Black Parade (strong 10)

Yeah I’ve got no words, this is the perfect rock opera album. Not a single dud. Perfect from to back. Powerfull instrumentation and performances, powerfull vocals and lyrics, powerfull concept and it’s execution, this album feels like a whole movie. I like to just close my eyes and imagine the story of this album in my head as I listen to it. And what a story it is – every single song tells a story and they all connect into one huge theatrical performance of grief, hopelessness, denial and so much more. I also like how you can essentially decide for yourself how the concept of the album ends – if the so called „patient“ or the protagonists of the album lives or dies. Also yeah, „Mama“ is probably my favorite song of all time, just though I’d mention that. So yeah, this album is my favorite album of all time and the only other album besides Sempiternal of which I have a poster hung up on my wall if that counts for something.

After what’s been what I honestly consider one of the best years for music in recent memory, I am finally happy to present my personal picks (so keep in mind that these are objectively correct and any other opinion is automatically false and invalid) for my TOP 10 ALBUMS OF 2022! No but honestly though, I know this probably won’t reach a single musician out there, but a special thanks to everyone that contributed to the musical sphere this year, it really has been a hell of journey and here I’d like to show you some of my favorite moments from it – so without further a do, let’s get into it, starting off with…

10.) Björk – Fossora (strong 8/10)

Strange hearing all this fuzz about the Queen dying when Björk is still here releasing some of the finest albums of the year. In all seriousness though, this album is pretty fantastic – the psychedelic elements are through the roof with this one and there is always just this feeling present throughout this whole album of something just feeling a bit off but in like the best way possible. Björk really shows here that even after all these years she is still capable of releasing a conceptual masterpiece – check out the title track to see what I mean.

9.) Denzel Curry – Melt My Eyez See Your Future (strong 8/10)

On what is arguably his most cohesive and lyrically impactful album yet Denzel defends his status as one of hip-hop’s finest in the last few years – not only that but this album has my favorite song of the entire year „Walkin“ on it so yeah, the rest of it is bound to be at least great. If this peaks your intrest I’d also recommend you checking out the Extended soul edition of this album, just to answer your question if this album can even get any better.

8.) Kendrick Lamar – Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers (strong 8/10)

I know right, what a shocker this ended up on here. What can be said about this album that hasn’t been said a milion times throughout this year already – it’s Kendrick’s most human most voulnarable and flawed album to date and that’s what also makes it one my absolute favorites from him. I really think this is a serious step up from DAMN. and I can’t wait to see where his musical trajectory takes him next – check out „N95“ and „Mother I Sober“.

7.) Viagra Boys – Cave World (light 9/10)

Now we’re getting into the big ones, the 9/10s and so on – starting off with Viagra Boys’s Cave World and I have to say this is the most musically colorful and tasteful album I’ve heard probably the entire year – the album cover strangely reflects that almost alarmingly well. There are like one or two tracks that weight this thing down from being basically flawless but besides those yeah, this thing is basically flawless and more importantly, just so much fun to listen to – go listen to „Troglodyte“ and „Return To Monke“ to get a taste.

6.) Big Thief – Dragon New Warm Mountain I Believe In You (light 9/10)

This album is the musical equivalent of a long warm hug. I swear find me an album this year that’s as just warm as fuzzy or as welcoming as this one is – and Big Thief still manage to sneak in some really intresting experimentation here and there without it sounding odd or out of place, everything on this album is just so natural, so non-forced, so just incredibly relaxed. I can’t recommend this album enough to basically anyone, I can’t really see how anyone can dislike this – some highlights definetly include the title track and the stunningly beautiful „Simulation Swarm“

5.) JID – The Forever Story (decent 9/10)

(sorry for the low quality picture on this one, I’m too lazy to find a better pic lol) Yeah this is my rap aoty and it’s not even close. This thing just absolutely never stops punching you in the face the entire way through, whether it’s the lyrics or the at point insane sampling and instrumentation or just the insane consistency this album keeps all the way through – there just is not a moment to breather with this thing, you’ll just be constantly hitting these different musical peaks that just never stop coming. This is also JID’s best album hands down and I have no doubt in my mind that he is only going to continue to deliver this quality of music even more – you don’t wanna miss out on banger such as „Surround Sound“ or “ Kody Blu 31″.

4.) black midi – Hellfire (decent 9/10)

I mean if you know this band you really don’t need me to tell you how good they are – the’ve come out with some exceptionally great stuff over the years but ladies and gentlemen I gotta say this one right here tops all of that of. The sheer insanity that’s just condensed into this 39 minute literal hellride is overwhelming even for someone who is used this kind of stuff let alone for someone who just found about these guys – either way it’s definetly worht giving it a shot, like if you don’t wanna miss out on a record this year than this one right here is that record, try „Sugar/Tzu“ or „Welcome To Hell“.

3.) Soul Glo – Diaspora Problems (strong 9/10)

Yeah for the longest time this has been my number 2 pick, when at the last second a truly unexpected album swooped in and took that spot, however that still doesn’t mean this album doesn’t absolutely kick my ass everytime I listen to it and I listen to it A LOT. This right here is just pure agression in musical form and all the proof in the world that punk is not dead and very much alive and well. „Coming Correct Is Cheaper“ and „Spiritual Levels of Gang Shit“ are my personal favorites.

2.) Quadeca – I Didn’t Mean To Haunt You (strong 9/10)

Never in a milion year would I have expected a fricking Quadeca album to even make such a list let alone be this high but here we are. I mean if you’ve read my glowing in-depth review for this thing you already know that I’m pretty much in love with this project, like besides like a cut or two all the songs here are flawless masterpieces which makes it all that impressive that it’s all been recordered by just some dude who used to make corny youtube raps. But yeah, nothing I can say about this record can really do it justice, if you want some key tracks then try „tell me a joke“ or „house settling“ but honestly just listen to the whole album.

Now before we get to the number one spot I’d like to just breefly introudce some

HONORABLE MENTIONS:

Pusha T – It’s Almost Dry

-key tracks: Let The Smokers Shine The Coupes; Diet Coke

Beach House – Once Twice Melody

-key tracks: Superstar; Over and Over

Black Thought & Danger Mouse – Cheat Codes

-key tracks: Because; Aquamarine

Saba – Few Good Things

-key tracks: 2012; Few Good Things

FKA Twigs – CAPRISONGS

-key tracks: meta angel; tears in the club

And now finally for the number one spot – the number one best album of 2022, in my eyes, is…

1.) Black Country, New Road – Ants From Up There (10/10)

Yeah, big surprise there right? This album is flawless for me – from the minute I put this thing on I knew that this was gonna be something special. I enjoyed the band’s last album „For the first time“ well enough but I just had a gut feeling that they were capable of making something even more ambitious and even more mind-blowing and low and behold I was right – this album is everything and more than that. This album means quite a lot to me – it was there for me during some really tough times this year and for that it hold quite a special place in my heart. Normally I’d recommend you like a track or two to check out but with this album I really can’t recomment enought just sitting down and listening all the way through – it may not be ompletely your thing at first but trust me when I say this album really grows on you with each and every listen until you just can’t stop listening at all.

So yeah, there you have it, a complete list of my top 10 favorite albums from this year with some honorable mentions thrown in there aswell (this honestly took way longer then it should have to make lol). Don’t really have much of an outro plan here, so let’s just say see you all here in another year!

So yeah, here we are, my picks for my absolute favorite albums of all time. Currently there are only 11 albums I truly consider to be a quote on quote „10/10“. I will also be doing a ranking of sorts rather than from „worst“ to best I’d say „from great to greatest“ (also a trigger warning beofre we start: THIS IS ALL JUST MY OPINNION). So no more beating around the bush, let’s kick of the list with…

11.) (2021) Injury Reserve – By the Time I Get to Phoenix (Light 10)

-genre: Experimental Hip-Hop, Glitch-Hop

I actually have a full review on this one on my main page, where I go a little more in-depth why I think this is a 10, so feel free to check that out – it’s also the only 10 I gave out this year and actually also in the last 3 years. The reason why this is my „least favorite“ favorite album is simply because the record didn’t have much time to sit with me yet, so keep in mind this one is the most likely one to change in the future, however I feel like this album sets a big milestone in what experimental music can even be – no album has pushed he boundaries of the experimental hip-hop scene so drasically since I think „The Money Store“ in 2012. Speaking of which…

10.) (2012) Death Grips – The Money Store (Light 10)

-genre: Experimental Hip-Hop, Hardcore Hip-Hop

Yeah, this album honestly aged like fine wine – everytime I listen to this album it STILL give me headaches but I ain’t even mad, because it sounds so god-damn good. This album really marks the start of the „soundcloud rappers screaming their brains out“ era of music which we currently find ourselves in, but no artist has EVER even come close to the briliance of this record right here. Yeah, it’s a pretty basic pick and it’s a cliche at this point to call this a 10, but it’s a cliche for a good damn reason – the album is that universally praised, because it’s just that good.

9.) (2013) Deafheaven – Sunbather (Light 10)

-genre: Blackgaze, Melodic Black Metal

Haven’t heard this album in a while, but this is my go-to album when I’m feeeling depressed, because the way this album makes you FEEL while listening to it, is like no album I’ve ever heard – I listened to this album at a pretty rough point in my life for the first time and it honestly put me back on the right track in life, it was like a wake up call. I never felt such intense emotion in ANY media, not only music, this album truly justifies it’s placement here.

8.) (1997) Radiohead – OK Computer (Decent 10)

-genre: Alternative Rock, Art Rock

Yeah yeah, call me basic all you want, but there is a good reason that this album currently sits at „legendary status“ as I like to call it. Many people even goa as far as to call this the greatest album to ever be recorded, which I don’t find to be the case (after all there is still even one album from Radiohead themselves that I believe surpasses this one, even if it’s by just a little bit), but anyone who has heard this record can’t deny the cultural importance that it had on rock music as a whole. I ASCEND every time I put this album on, like this is a must listen for any fan of music.

7.) (2014) Swans – To Be Kind (Decent 10)

-genre: Post-Rock, Experimental Rock, Noise Rock

Checking of another Fantano-core album of the list, we have what’s in my opinnion the pinacle of rock music last decade, which is „To Be Kind“ by the legendary post-rock collective Swans. If OK Computer influenced the rock music of the 2000’s, then this album definetly is the OK Computer of the last decade, even though it came out basically after half of decade was already over, but that’s how good this record is – I just love how primal and at the core of things simple this album is, but it just keeps building and building different instrumentals on top of each other and before you know it you have a 2 hour long post-rock masterpiece that honestly doesn’t feel that long at all.

6.) (2007) Radiohead – In Rainbows (Decent 10)

-genre: Alternative Rock, Art Rock

Ah yes, Radiohead, the only musical outfit to make an appearance TWICE on a list like this – and yes, you may call me a bit biased, but hear me out here. This record has a spot here for completely different reason, then OK Computer does – it wasn’t super influential, nor was it that ground-breaking. This album proves 2 things though – firstly, that Radiohead still fricking got it, and secondly, that you don’t need to make a super experimental revolutionary album to make a masterpiece – quite the opposite in fact. This record is the most down-to-earth, stripped back and HUMAN album Radiohead has EVER put out. And that’s why I like it so much – the album cover perfectly represents the feeling this album conveys, it’s simple, but that’s where the magic happens, in the little simple things that together create something magical.

5.) (1991) My Bloody Valentine – Loveless (Decent 10)

-genre: Shoegaze, Noise Pop, Dream Pop

Now cracking at the top 5 of my favorite albums of all time here we have another example of an artist completely remaking an entire genre of music. The 1991 shoegaze classic „Loveless“ is nothing short of a masterpiece – this is the closest thing to doing drugs without actually doing drugs (though this album on drugs must be something else). I don’t even have anything else to say about this album, please just listen to it if you still haven’t.

4.) (2000) Godspeed You! Black Emperor – Lift Your Skinny Fists Like Antennas to Heaven (Strong 10)

-genre: Post Rock

Honestly, I might have lied previously about no album making me feel like Deafheaven’s „SUNBATHER“, because this album just takes me to a place that no album ever had taken me before. This album for some reason just resonates with my personal taste SO MUCH, I can’t even explain it – every note played, every single second of music on this hour and half long record just clicks. This is completely just a case of an album clicking with my personal preferences in music, there isn’t anything else to it – the album is like objectively amazing I think, but for me, it just does something to me man. Though there still are 3 albums left that I would consider even better than that. And those are…

3.) (2015) Kendrick Lamar – To Pimp A Butterfly (Strong 10)

-genre: Conscious Hip-Hop, Jazz Rap, West Coast Hip-Hop

I mean… What did you expect. Talking about objectively amazing albums, this one is a no-brainer – I can’t say anything that already hasn’t been said about this album a million times before. It’s a cultural milestone not only in music, but in the society we live in as a whole – this is the album that people bring up when they talk about the importance of music in our lives. And yeah, the album has a deep message and all that, but the music to go along with it is evenly good. I’m honestly at a loss for words with this record, the only two records that I consider better than this are entirely based around personal preference, but THIS is the definite strongest 10 of this whole list.

2.) (2018) Daughters – You Won’t Get What You Want (Strong 10)

-genre: Noise Rock, Industrial Rock

You’re right, I didn’t get what I wanted – I wanted a great noise-rock comeback album from a band that hasn’t been active in well over a decade, instead, I got one of the most horrifying and frightening expiriences I had with music PERIODT. This album broke me – the musical equivalent of terror, audio torture, whatever you wanna call this thing, one thing is for certain – before you listen to this thing, you really wanna make sure you are ready for some sleepless nights, because this album IS HAUNTED. So yeah, 10/10, some really good wholesome christian music and fun for the whole family :)).

and finally, drumroll please… My number one favorite album OF ALL TIME is…

1.) My Chemical Romance – The Black Parade (Strong 10)

-genre: Pop Punk, Rock Opera, Alternative Rock

This. This is the pinacle of music. It doesn’t really get better than this with concept albums, at least from where I see it. There is SO MUCH hidden beneath the surface with this record that the common listener may just completely miss – the lyrics and themes are dark and incredibly morbid, the concept is tragic and really well executed and the sound play is top-notch, the instrumentals sound great, there is not a single song on this record that isn’t brough to absolute perfection and if all of that isn’t enough for you, then last but not least, Gerard Way’s heartwrenching vocal performance throughout this whole project is honestly what should sell you on this album. If that STILL isn’t enough for you, then I don’t know what to tell you, I just feel sorry for you for not seeing this album as the masterpiece that it truly and honestly is. Labeling this just „emo“ is an insult to this album, because it’s really just so much more than that and I wish more people would see that.