March's Top 10 Albums

March is now in the rearview, so let's get you abreast of new releases. This might help you, casual readers, with what you might have missed.  I am not doing little blurbs on them, just linking the reviews. This helps me organize my lists for the end of the year by listing the album's genre. This does not mean that these albums have been released this month, but it is a list of new or upcoming albums I have enjoyed the most. I have albums in my in-box that are not coming out til June, so I am normally way ahead of the curve in this regard. They are ranked in order of what I have listened to the most. This month, there is a wide variety from Sudge to pop to post-punk, so perhaps you will find your new favorite among them. Here are the Top 10 albums for March of 2026.

10-Dalek- "Brilliance of a Falling Moon." 

Hip-hop

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2026/03/dalek-brilliance-of-falling-moon.html

9-Fotocrime- "Security" 

Post-punk

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2026/03/fotocrime-security.html

8-Lair of the Minotaur- "I Hail I." 

Hardcore- Sludge

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2026/03/lair-of-minotaur-i-hail-i.html

7-Starbenders - 'The Beast Goes On" 

new-wave

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2026/03/starbenders-beast-goes-on.html

6-Traitrs-"Possessor" 

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2026/03/traitrs-possessor.html

5-Poison Ruin- "Hymns From the Hills" 

Punk

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2026/03/poison-ruin-hymns-from-hills.html

4-Slayyyter - "the Worst Girl in America." 

Pop

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2026/03/slayyyter-worst-girl-in-america.html

3-Morrissey -"Make Up Is a Lie." 

Indie- Rock

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2026/03/morrissey-make-up-is-lie.html

2-The Twilight Sad- It's the Long Goodbye." 

Post-punk

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2026/02/the-twilight-sad-its-long-goodbye.html

1--Neurosis- "An Undying Love For a Burning World."

Sludge 

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2026/03/neurosis-undying-love-for-burning-world.html

Lair of the Minotaur : " I Hail I"

These bruisers are back with more hardcore grit to their attack. The vocals come across as being less growled and more of a burly command. The grooves are as dense as you might want them. There is almost a sludge weight. The aggression is not a full-speed-ahead charge but a massive grind of distraction chugged with malicious intent.  Things are more melodic on "Enthroned in Violence," which brings the Melvins to mind a little. "Fucked Inside Out" finds the brutality moving more smoothly than expected. 

Sure, "Deepest Hell" moves in a rapid-fire, punishing manner that reminds me more of their older work; the growth they showed me on the first four songs spoiled me and raised my expectations."Saturnus Reigns" is more hammering but slowed down enough to take it all in. It continues to groove like a sludged-out version of hardcore. 

"Prowler Twin Sister"  chugs with headbanging authority, but things continue to move in the same direction. The vocals are more barked in some places.  I knew they were going to do a cover of Ethel Cain's "Family Tree."  The original is more of an atmospheric intro that she does sing over, and the lyrics are pretty muh the only thing that is the same. Not sure where the inspiration for that riff even came from. 'Vulture Worship' sounds cool, but is more of an interlude. Things slow down to a more ominous sludge mood on the last song. I will give this one a 9 andd see how it grows on me it is a excellent return to form, while still showing growth andd heavy as all hell. 

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Midscale : "Dread, This Could Save You"

 

The first from the French band's new EP kicks off with the kinda of woozy vibes you expect from shoegaze in 2026. Especially given how pronounced the nod to the 90s guita5r tones they have dialed in. Where they set themselves apart is in the more indie rock feel of the vocals, This in some ways is more of a production choiuce, less effects on the voice and more forward placement in the mix, instread of the hazy whisper of shoe gaze vocals that are a more androgymous coo, that what happens here, where you can make out lyrics rather than it being the texture of a voice.

This carries over to a greater extent on the second song, "Screengaze," that finds the guitar ringing out more like the Smiths. The sullen croon of the baritone vocals might not carry the anxious tension of post-punk, but it comes closer to the genre than shoegaze here. This gives a strong argument in favor of them not just falling in line with what other bands are doing and setting themselves apart. This is also accomplished in the more nuanced vocal approach with this song. They are also very dynamic songwriters, and I think giving the vocal priority falls in line with this. This can also be felt in hte very organic flow of "Blurry." 

The last song fnds the hesitant chords falling with a thought of deliberation. The vocal melody carries a pathetic drone that sets the stage for the more intense sonic build that grows around them. While this all sounds great, it is more of an abstract arrangement than a hookier songwriting formula they have managed to balance up until this point. Things get heavier, with shouted vocals accenting this, which was not the build I was expecting, but glad they were willing to go there. Overall, what they do here works better than most since they are writing songs and keep the vocals vital, this places them ahead of the pack when it comes to indie rock flavored shoegaze in 2026 so far, I will give this one a 9.5, and see if it keeps my interest as the year progresses. 

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Dalek : "Brilliance of a Falling Moon"

This is the 10th album from the New Jersey-based hip-hoppers. Once again, they bring old school rap stylings that are in your face into collision with a haze of electronic atmosphere that almsot has more in common with trip-hop than what you typically think of hip-hop being. One thing I have always appreciated about this project is how dark and depressing what they do is. It offers a different perspective on the bleak urban landscape hip-hop is born in, with none of the ghetto fabulous excess. Surreal in its soni but more real in the overall picture it paints. 

The first song that finds a mix closer to conventional hip-hop is" Expressions of Love". That seems to be more focused on the fact that" the only answer/ is to rip out the cancer." There is a similar vibe carried over into "Substance," which is more about drug use. Whenever I hear surreal music, I normally assume they are pro-drugs, but I guess here it is contingent on what drugs are and how they affect society, when it is fair enough for me. There is a double meaning in how substance also refers to how they are rapping, so it flips onto a double meaning from the opening verses. 

"I AM A MAN' is the first song that feels like filler to me, and really the only song on this album that falls along these lines, though things are a little less straightforward for "For the People"; it does finds things finds a formulaic, droning pulse. The last song is "By the Time I get to El Salvador." Which lyrically is the most political, but it still works as it is the catchiest song as well, perhaps even the album's best track. I will give this album a 9.5; it works off of what made hip-hop great in the 90s but with more sonic depth and lyrical integrity. 

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The Melvins with Napalm Death : "Savage Imperial Death March"

 

This collaboration between the two bands finds these elder statesmen of Grind Core and Sludge blending what they do in a way that makes sense. The first song, "Tossing Coins into the Fountain of Fuck", sounds like the Melvins are in control of the instrumental arrangements and have Barney Greenway roaring over them. Some impressive riffing kicks off the nine-minute "Somekind of Antichrist." Buzz Osborne's vocals lead into this, with a call-and-response featuring Greenway's more savage snarl. Three and a half minutes, things ebb down to allow for atmosphere.  This ambient weirdness consumes the rest of the song. 

More electronic elements than you might expect from this pairing comprise the two minutes of "Awful Handwriting," which is more like an interlude than a song. The dark and stormy metal intentions that you might expect from them are the backbone of "Nine Days of Rain". The sludgey mood of "Rip the God" finds Osbourne's sung vocals dripping with melodic unease. It is hard to detect Napalm Death's contributions on this one until Barney's vocals come in later. 

The pace picks for "Stealing Horses" which finds them splitting the difference with a more punk flavored riff that still holds the Melvins angular ugliness. There is a fair amount of chaos injected into this. "Comparison is the Thief of Joy" finds a weird synth groove in the midst of a dreamy atmosphere. They rear the metallic head back up with a mean riff driving "Death Hour" that finds Buzz and Barney, layering their varied vocal approaches over this. Once again, the weird wave of experimental ambient noises takes over to wash the song away from going in a more metallic direction. This seems to be the theme of this partnership which is almost too odd for its own good, but works like old Pink Floyd in this regard. I will give it a 9.5 and see how it grows on me. Out on Ipecac Records April 10th. 

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SLAYYYTER : "WORST GIRL IN AMERICA"

 NO, I did not misspell Slayer. This pop artist has been grinding her hips online for a minute now. This is her 3rd album. If any of these songs sound familiar. It's because over the past year, Catherine Grace Garner has been dropping these bangers like breadcrumbs for you to follow her to this moment. "BEAT UP CHANEL$" is the most notable calling card that embodies her vibe the best. She celebrates all the drugs and swags with confidence and embraces the trashiness of it all. 

"CANNIBALISM" is more of an organic apporach in poppy funk. She does not possess the most stunning set of pipes; I would say she is more on par with Charli XCX in this regard, but with a chaos grounded in trailer park fab. She does throw her voice into the mic more aggressively than the average pop singer, though is not marketing herself to a rock audience like Poppy. There is a very 2026 groove to "Old Technology," which embraces drug use in a manner not commonly heard outside of hip hop. "CRANK" is another high-energy declaration of her manic coping skills set against a dirty backdrop of beats that divert from a safe, radio-friendly approach. 

'GAS STATION' finds her backing off into a more ambient synth drone, and the beat lingers on for dynamic effect. I think her in-your-face approach works best, but you need these moments to create dynamic variance. I think "Yes Goddd" achieves this in a manner that retains her edge better, though, willing to go to more intense extremes. It highlights how her approach is half-rapped, half-sung, without trying to be anyone but herself. You could even mix this into an industrial set. 

"UNKNOWN LOVERZ" is another one where she lowers the intensity level. Not sure how much of this is influenced by a producer trying to steer her in a Sabrina Carpenter direction. There is a better club thump to "I'm Actually Kinda Famous".  "St. Loser" is another gritty hyper pop thumper. She takes a more radio-ready approach on "What it is Like to be Liked?", on this song and previous one there is an album Lords of Acid feel. "Brittany Murphy" is almost a commentary on her lifestyle in a more self-aware manner. Though sonically falling into a more accessible pop lens, aside from the lyrics. Overall, I think this is a great pop album. I will give it a 9.5 and see how it grows on me; some of the more mellowed-out moments might need time to click with me. 

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PIG : "Hurt People Hurt People"

 Raymond Watts is not only a founding member of KMFDM, but has also worked with Psychic TV, Foetus, and Einstürzende Neubauten, making him industrial royalty. This is clear when you hear the heart-thumping lead single"Tosca's Kiss Things" that steers the album in a direction that is brooding and bombastic all at once. Jim Davies of Prodigy and Pitchshifter fame aids him in these endeavors. The vocals are not an afterthought but an emotional expression that adds more depth to the crunching, larger-than-life anthems that unfold here. The range from a gothy baritone croak to a more glam rock-inflected croon. 

With the kind of beats that established him in KMFDM, clearing the path on songs like "Sex  & Suicide." The album continues to flex its dynamic range. The title track is a recovery-themed musing that ironically carries a Marilyn Manson vibe.  "Scars" emerges from a chaotic dark hole and is not as groove-focused, but carries a quirky Tim Burton feel. There is more of a grimy machine-powered march, "Quid Pro Quo," that makes me think more of a 90s industrial. The synth sounds are well-layered on this one, though the entire album sounds great, and I found the perfect mix. 

There is an almost gospel melody that hovers in the background of "Ruins", as well as other contrasting sounds that come from left field. With lyrical references to a church of fire, I suppose it's the subtext to this."DNA" hits the hardest groove, and it the most dancefloor appropriate song thus far. The big layers of backing vocals on the chorus carry a KMFDM mood. "Imposter" required a second listen to fully digest; it was not as dynamic as the last song. It carries a creepier, more bluntly unsettling feel like a Manson tune. The last song contrasts this with a greater melodic range. 

The Verdict

Overall his experience in defining this genre shows him displaying his mastery of this while bringing a new mood to the table rather than a recycled attempt at nostalgia, so I will give this album a 9, and see how it grows on me. 

Drops May 27th on Metropolis Reccords

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