The Top 10 Folk Albums of 2025

There is less country music on this list than in past years, though the influence lingers in many of these albums. 2025 finds neo-folk or the traditonal pagan music of northern Europe playing a much larger role, though not splitting the top ten down the middle, though all the albums are darker and more melancholy. These albums do not really give a damn about the Nashville status quo, even when it comes to the artists in the more commercial spotlight. These are not the coolest albums, but the best, fuck what other blogs say. 

 After I sort through the top 10 albums of all the respective genres, I use those lists to compile the top 20 albums of 2025 list. The very fact that these bands made it on the list speaks to how great these albums are, so it's not a slight that the number 8 album is above the 9th album; there is something that just gives it an edge that makes me want to listen to it more. After all, we can try to look cool and pick the hippest bands for a list, but at the end of the day, what makes an album the best is that it makes you want more, and you look forward to listening to it again. Perhaps you can find your next favorite on this list. I've included links to reviews of these albums if you want to check out the audio on these guys. Anyway, here are the top 10 folk albums of 2025

10-Greet - "I Know How to Die." 

The heart of the album si often the mournful-sounding folk chant of the vocals. There are also elements of country/ gospel music in the mix. It almost sounds like bagpipes. The vocal melody feels earnest enough to make this work amid the pulse that rings out. Matthew Broadley is weaving this all together. There is a more Appalachian feel that touches on the early Irish roots of things like bluegrass. Often droning, this abum feels like the soundtrack to an A24 movie.

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2025/10/gothtober-greet-i-know-how-to-die.html

9-Marissa Nadler -"New Radiations." 

 Her 10th album finds Nadler stripping things down to a more minimalist yet cinematic feel. It feels spacious, yep, with an intimate yearning. Her vocals are produced in a similar reverb-heavy manner, but the layered harmonies feel more pronounced. It feels more like her earlier work than the past couple of albums in the overall sound. The kind f haunting ballads you want for Hot Ghost Summer. At times, the guitar takes things in a more folk direction with the pining twang of country ambiance coloring things with a longing ambiance.

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2025/07/marisa-nadler-new-radiations.html

8-Jason Isbell- "Foxes in the Snow"

This might be his 10th album, but it's his first solo acoustic album. This brings a more stripped-down take on what he does without the 400 Unit or an accompaniment that shows his rock influence. Instead, what we are getting is his voice and guitar. There is minimal production; it just sounds like this cut in one take with a mic in a room. This is a novel concept in a world of auto-tune and dozens of producers/songwriters on just one song. Lyrically, there is the kind of depth you expect from him. The kind of solemn reflection that haunts "Southeastern" can be felt here. 

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2025/03/jason-isbell-foxes-in-snow.html

7-Bloodyhammers -"The Acoustic Halloween Special." 

They released this collection of brooding ballads for Halloween that dips into dark country. I prefer their more driving metal output; this works for what it is. It makes sense they would need to take a breather for the sake of their creative juices and make this album to explore this side of the melodic spectrum. It works for what they do and is better than most murder ballad crooned this year. 

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2025/11/november-is-doom-bloody-hammers.html

 

6-Chimehours -"Underneath the Earth." 

This British project blends a tense urgency with ethereeal melodies and a folky organic feel. The singer has a Björk feel to her emotive singing style. Her fragile folkish vocal haunts things like a higher-pitched Lana Del Rey at times. The darker elements are subtle, an eerie layer in the background. Some songs are more dynamic than others. The folk strum of guitars  draped in a fairytale ambiance

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2025/10/gothtober-chimehours-underneath-earth.html

 

6-Sowulo-"NIHT"

This Norwegian project respects ye olde days, while writing actual songs that go somewhere. Yes, there is a very ritualistic feel to what they do, but it has verses and choruses you remember. Also, a dark tension broods under some of the passages, so it is not surprising these artists are often metal adjacent in their fan base. They are named after an old Germanic name for the sun, which reflects some of the elder pagan ideology behind the concepts of this album.  

 https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2025/06/sowulo-niht.html

5-Allie -X- "Happiness is Goiung to Get You." 

There is a more nuanced style of pop songwriting that leans in a somewhat Lana Del Rey direction this time, with a 1950s California vibe. These more organic vibes increase as the album progresses into this folk direction, which might not be what you would expect considering her past releases. It's moody but not as dark as the last album. 

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2025/11/allie-x-happiness-is-going-to-get-you.html

 

4-Florence + the Machine-"Everybody Scream." 

A very brooding album with the centerpiece being the trembling vibrato of her rich alto is a key selling point, and she is capable of creating memorable hooks with it,t even though she wanders in a pondering circle much like Natalie Merchant at times. I can also hear the influence of the Cowboy Junkies lurking in the more organic moments, which grew on me with repeat listens. 

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2025/11/florence-machine-everybody-scream.html

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3-Wardruna- "Birna" 

Six albums into their career, Norway's primal folk bards are still bringing an increasingly cinematic conjuring of otherworldly eons past. It is weird how they are the biggest band making this kind of music. Also, even stranger is how they can headline festivals. It is very much a wintery sound as should be expected from the region where the music is being made. It feels like they are getting ready to be hit by the worst storm in over a hundred years and are invoking the ghosts of their ancestors

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2025/12/wardruna-birna.html

2-Noah Cyrus- "I Want My Loved Ones to Go With Me." 

Yep, this is Miley's sister. Regular readers here will know I am a fan of Miley, whom I talked about her before, saying she's never wanted her help or wanted to do anything similar to what Miley does, and you can hear that on this album. However, there is less of an indie feel on this one, with a more produced sound; however, she is not making pop country either. She has a good voice, but isn't a powerhouse like her sister. It is more melancholy and atmospheric than what Miley does. What they do have in common is that country music is just in their DNA. 

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2025/07/noah-cyrus-i-want-my-loved-ones-to-go.html

1-Lord Huron- "The Cosmic Selector Vol 1." 

This is the 5th album from this melancholy folk rock band, which employs a reflective atmosphere in its sound that feels honest in its soul-baring introspection. They're playing a more modern take on Americana, as the vocals gain more confidence in their narrative, thanks to the shuffling groove provided by the drums that keep them moving as country influences slide in . Pull out the bong for this album. 

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2025/07/lord-huron-cosmic-selector-vol-1.html

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Marisa Nadler : "New Radiations"

 Her 10th album finds Nadler stripping things down to a more minimalist yet cinematic feel. It feels spacious, yep, with an intimate yearning. Her vocals are produced in a similar reverb-heavy manner, but the layered harmonies feel more pronounced. It feels more like her earlier work than the past couple of albums in the overall sound that drifts in from the opening track, so let's see where it goes from here. The answer is the kind of haunting ballads you want for Hot Ghost Summer, the same season she seems to be singing about on "Bad Dream Summer Time". There is a slight 1950s pop feel, to the otherwise lonesome western sound. The guitar takes things in a more folk direction for "You Called Her Camellia." Yet the more pining twang of country ambiance colors things with a longing ambiance.

The faint rumble of a low-end frequency anchors "Smoke Screen Selene". This gives the song a hypnotic drone that Nadler wanders around in. The guitars are more layered for the title track.   "It's an Illusion" might as well be from the soundtrack to a David Lynch movie; aside from its more pastoral depression, there is a mysterious quality to the surreal dreamy quality it invokes.  "Hatchet Man" was the only song I heard before giving this album a listen. The story it tells is not overdramatized. "Light Years" finds the vocal taking on an even lighter croon, as the song feels like clouds are descending from a starlit sky. Her breathy vocal delivery allows some of the lyrics to stand out in this song, they are "you used to be right there beside her. 

The song title 'Weightlessness Above the Water" is a fitting description of what the song sounds like, though the scene feels like it is set at night. Even more fragile is "To Be the Moon King." It feels more like a folk song. The mood is somewhat uniform on this album with subtle shifts in the stylistic change from song to song, but it is consistent in what she does. She brings emotions similar to longing and melancholy to life with the sound she uses. I will give this album a 9, as it captures the sound she has been perfecting for the past nine albums, no huge surprises if you are fluent in her music. 

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the Top 10 Folk / Country Albums of 2022

Feeling depressed? Need a soundtrack to sitting outside by yourself? This year's current crop of folk and country albums provided that. As with years past I sort through the genre lists before making the overall top ten of the year list. The fact these artists made it on the list speaks to how great these albums are, so it's not a slight that the number 8 album is above the 9th album, there is something that just gives it an edge that makes me want to listen to it more. After all we can try to look cool and pick the hippest bands for a list, but at the end of the day what makes an album the best is that it makes you want more, you look forward to listening to it again. Sure, you can bitch and complain about your favorite band not being on the list. However, I listen to five new albums a day so yes, I heard your favorite album and was not impressed. No, I do not care what you think about it. I do hope you can find your next favorite on this list and have included links to reviews of these albums if you want to check out audio on these guys. Anyways here are the top 10 folk and country albums of 2022

10-Serpentent -"Ancient Tomes, Volume 1 Mother of Light"  

While Anne K O' Neill's dark folk project, might follow a long trend over the past decade of goth sirens, but there is an honest conviction that gives the feeling of earnestness to what she is doing rather than trying to be the next Marissa Nadler or Chelsea Wolfe. It is surprising to see she is from Seattle as there is depth that carries and Old-World European feeling. 

Abysmal Hymns: Serpentent : "Ancient Tomes, Volume I: Mother of Light"

 

9-Karin Park-"Private Collection"   

A fan of Park's earlier pop album and kept an open ear toward the work she has done since.  These are e songs she has re-envisioned and decided to record again with new arrangements that lay her vocals bear with only a piano or organ accompanying her.; She has a great deal of integrity as an artist to embark upon making an album like this when given today's current pop landscape we have artists when two dozen producers and another dozen songwriters helping them create product for Tik Tok, with not true artistry. The dramatically stripped-down minimalist approach does high light here voice. For the first two songs this formula works really well and showcases a richness to her voice I had now notice before and propels the tracks on raw talent

  

Abysmal Hymns: Karin Park: " Private Collection"

 

8-Angel Olsen - "Big Time" 

If this album was solely Angel Olsen doing retro country, then its strengths might play off the moments the horns sounds like they s from 60s Motown. They bring together an interesting cross section of sounds not unlike what country music did in the 70s which is my favorite decade of country music. However midway into this album she takes off the cowboy hat and it's back to business as usual, which works as well. 

Abysmal Hymns: Catching Up with 2022 : Angel Olsen :"Big Time"

 

7-Swans -"Is There Really a Mind?"  

These are the demos Gira released to crowdfund the new album, which would be a Swans album that is not stripped down and strummed out on an acoustic guitar, not to say they have not used those neo folk elements before, they just tend to work off the weird and loud, so this is a skeleton of the songs, yet they still work better than most younger bands fully formed sense of self. At the end of the day, it's about the songs and that is what this is. 

Abysmal Hymns: Swans: "Is There Really a Mind? "

6-Ryan Adams -"Chris" 

His 19th album. He is a great songwriter who has been around the block a few times. At this point he is who I listen to when most people would listen to Bruce Springsteen. These songs fall somewhere between his country folk and rock leanings. The strum of guitar falling very comfortably into his wheelhouse so much so you might dismiss it as him just dialing it in, but there is something more urgent about the delivery than what people who dial it in normally do. Maybe he is just faking it. There is more of a rock swagger in the guitar in some songs, while it might not be Adams at his most inspired. He is a songwriter, and he cranks albums out it seems once a year, but his dialing it in is better than most can they do when they try their hardest

Abysmal Hymns: Ryan Adams : " Chris"

5-Emily Jane White-"Alluvion" 

There is a dark tension to this album that moves with the pulse of intense atmosphere that is coupled with a floating ethereal melody. At first the undercurrent of darkness here might remind you of Chelsea Wolfe, but the overall vibe of the album has more in common with Marissa Nadler. Sometimes showing its brighter side to the second song. In some places the melodies flow like pop with an almost 90s rock drive to it. 

Abysmal Hymns: Emily Jane White : "Alluvion

4-Sharon Van Etten- "We've Been Going at the Wrong Way" 

She continues to perfect her brand of atmospheric folk rock, with a great dynamic build on the opening track. Piano plays a more prominent role on the second song. Her voice holding a hushed tension. She is capable of writing pop worthy hook and works well with the beat, but the organic nature of this albums strips things down in a way that proves more intimate and introspective to earn its place here

Abysmal Hymns: Sharon Van Etten: "We've Been Going at This the Wrong Way"

 

3-Orville Peck-"Bronco" 

Even in 2022 the novelty of being a gay cowboy is only going to go so far for so long, so he had to prove himself on this album. Which making the number three spot means he did. Peck has grown his sound since "Pony". His voice has filled out into a more confident baritone croon that owes in equal amounts to Johnny Cash and Elvis. He does include is his love for Elvis in the lyrics f, and his yodel " feels more fluid than when he did this on his earlier work. He also hits pretty solid notes from his chest register. There is a more organic feel when it comes to how the interplay of the music backing him. The guitar tones reverberate with pristine lushness than accent the Western in country western.

Abysmal Hymns: Orville Peck: "Bronco"

2-Tyler Childers -"Can I Take My Hounds to Heaven" 

The more gospel slant to what he does this time around would not work for me given my distaste for the Christian religion and really all religion, but there is something raw and honest about what he does that seems like more of an ode to his hillbilly past rather than a declaration of his current belief system. The first version certainty more of a honky tonk feel. If you were going to compare this to say Orville Peck, it is clear who the more authentic version of country music is.

Abysmal Hymns: Tyler Childers : 'Can I Take My Hounds to Heaven"

 1-Marissa Nadler-"For My Crimes" 

She continues down a path of hauntingly morose balladry. More ghostly than Lana Del Ray. More folk than country this time around, though hints of western sounds still color this album. This one had to slug it out for top spot against Tyler Childers in my head and came out on top as Childers experimented more and included some instrumentals where Nadler was more song focused thus earning the top spot, as she can write songs that stand shoulder to shoulder with anyone.  

Abysmal Hymns: Marisa Nadler : " For My Crimes"

Marissa Nadler : "Wrath of Clouds"

 This EP consists of three unreleased songs and two covers. The originals she had forgotten about during the "Path of Clouds sessions", She went back into the studio and emerged with this. It splits the difference between the more atmospheric tone of her early work and where she is currently at with a more layered sound.   It opens with the ghostly drone of "Guns on the Sundeck" which is written from the point of view of the ghost haunting the Queen Mary Ship. Given the context, it makes sense why it lulls you into the dreaminess. There is a similar take on ambiance though it flows more thanks to the percussion of the song "All the Eclipses". Black Mountain's Amber Webber joins her voice with Nadler's . Lyrically Nadler has state it is supposed to feel like describing the after math of a fire. I can hear how it should feel that way and the song is more tangible than the ghost that haunted the first song. 

'Some Secret Existence" is a little darker. I like how her voice is layered. She has really gotten comfortable in the studio and while the dreamy siren sound has gotten more popular in the past decade, she has carved out a place for herself that is very much her own and not too much like any of her peers in this regard. Then come the two covers. The first being a cover by a more obscure country singer Sammi Smith. Nadler keeps a great deal of the original's smoky groove. It is much closer to the original than expected and very fitting for her voice, which she comes out from behind some of the reverb and ambiance she normally allows herself to sit back into. 

The second song sees a theme developing as it is a more obscure song from the 70s. Once again, she comes close to the original, though it is safe to say her version has perfected it as the Alessi Brothers were not really even one hit wonders. They would have been the equivalent of a Youtube star in the disco scene. There is less disco and it sound more like 70s country when it hit that really weird slick radio crossover feel that feels like California lounge music. But it works for her.  I will round this up to a 10 as it works really well, and she made the covers better than the originals.  

 

Marissa Nadler : 'the Path of the Clouds"

Returning more to her dream country sounds, this album drifts away in all the ways you want it to. She was aided by Lightning Bolt producer Seth Manchester who added the distorted guitars that sit back in the atmosphere. You might read some reviews that lead you to believe she is becoming Chelsea Wolfe and this is more of a rock record which is not the case. He supports her tone in a more conventional way to emerge from the ghostly haze her vocals normally sit in , the first time this is noted is on the song "Couldn't have Done the Killing" . Many these song s are true crime ballads more than murder ballads as the killing is not always the point. In fact she sings 'leave your weapons at the door' on this one , so many are more metaphoric. It also should be noted sooner than later than Cocteau Twins bassist Simon  In addition to pianist Jesse Chandler from the Mercury Rev, this creates a more organic band like feel. While many use the word intimate to describe this album, I would say it is more of a group effort in how it feels. This does not take away from the introspective nature of her performance. 

Amber Webber from Black Mountain lends her voice to "Elegy" . It is an even more fragile ballad that the first  four songs. More focused on the cloud like atmosphere. "Well Sometimes You Just Can't Stay" has a thick haze of woozy sonics over it's country gaze  that split the difference somewhere between the Cowboy Junkies and a David Lynch soundtrack. While an amazing sound, she still pouts an effort into the song writing rather than letting the hypnosis do all the work. She doe not always give the songs this kind of back bone as things are allowed to blow in the evening breeze more on the even more relaxed "From Vapor to Stardust".  Not a dark album , but the mood is captured in the reverb thick guitars that counter balance the strummed acoustics. Without this gray sky of the rainy day, it would come across like a country album at times. The twang buried in the effects 

"Turned into Air" is so intangible that the guitar solos Emma Ruth Rundle comes into add does not really ground it. This is why some kind of percussion is important not only on this album but this style of music as there needed to be some kind of back bone to anchor it into the physical plane. "And I Dream of Running" does this and in so doing almost reminds me more of Pink Floyd, "Lemon Queen' is another country song that keeps it's cool by hiding this in atmosphere.  I will give this album a 9.5, the songwriting is where it is at and good to hear her add more sonic colors.  

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the Top 40 Female Artists of All Time : 30 to 21

In 2020 we are making a bigger deal out of how wet the nether regions are rather than the quaity of music being made. Granted the people doing this must have never heard of Lil Kim. This also gives me the chance to take  break from the lists of androgynous guys and  makes this one.The top 40 hottest female artists, might come one day  I am bored at some point but right now we are just focusing on the music. After all if you are writing good songs that stick in my head I do not care what you look like. You are not going to see artists here that I feel are covered by those who do what they do better or are such originators in their genre why listen to imitators. Not only does this list give commonly under rated artists their proper place, but I dig into as expected from me both harder and darker artists not mentioned in the same breath as pop artists. Speaking of that is covered by a handful of ladies as more would be redundant. There is one big one here in particular that takes care of everything . Only one rapper, and they are unique , and this is about their impact on music as a whole so iconoclasts not strippers with prodiucers or entertainers alone. Since this the Abysmal Hymns list there will of course be a darker slant and singer's with any gospel leanings that are blasphemous are obviously disqualified. So here we go...





30- Beth Cameron - Forget Cassettes

A wonderful lyricist, great guitar player and possessing a very dynamically emotive voice that is as vulberable as it angry. While the band only has three albums. Two of those are phenominal .





29-Toni Halliday -Curve


Her purring alto is sex set to music. But she is not limited to that . She can go into a more sing song rap like voice when her band takes a turn toward the more industrial side of 90s alt rock.



 




28-Emile Wandelmer Gold



Not just a sweet voice. She is a capable guitar who channels powerful sonic layers. Vocally she has a melancholy sense to her melodies . Stotic rather than being overly emotive.







27- Lauren Mayberry - Chrvches



She is not only the singer but the drummer of her band. Her voice is sugary pop like while cating a gray shade of melancholy over her smart lyrics. She has a tremndous sense of melody. Much smarter pop than Billie Ellish.





 


26- Fever Ray

Like a darker version of Bjork she is not content with making pop music though very capable of it. Most noted for writing would would later be the "Vikings" theme song. She bends world music and electronica through her own filter of weird.


 




 25- Imogen Heap


She was way ahead of her time when it comes to quirky pop. The new Charli xcx album certainly draws heavy influence from her. Her sense of harmony is unrea and melodies are uncanny.


 




24 Laura Pleasants -Kylesa


She has a powerfu roar that mellowed into a more surreal post punk delivery, though her strength lies in her guitar playing . From a crushing chug to more intricate space rock , she has a range as a guitarist.

 







23- Marissa Nadler


Her ethereal take on dark country inflected folk , doesn't just work off a sound she has created but her ability to write even more haunting, he also has a somewhat secret metal past.





 



22-Melora Creager -Rasptutina



She has the market cornered on victorian chamber music. Sure Black Tape For a Blue Girl uses cellos, Melora, just does it with more bals when needed and has a knack for writing more hooky songs with a touch of 90s angst.


 



21- Lana Del Rey


She took a retro pop sound and married to modern songs with more grace than Amy Winehouse. She has proved her self to be a more consisten song writer than Winehouse who devolved into a one hit wonder

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the Top 10 Folk / Country Albums of the Decade

The decade began before this blog was started , I can not just rely on sorting through previous reviews. I am just embedding video clips to support the reasoning for these albums to be listed as such, since I already did a best of the year list for each sub-genre. This is a sub-genre that split off from my pop . Country and Folk fi together best as I have very specific tastes when it comes to those genres .Perhaps  this is not going to be  the most hipster of the lists that say Vice puts out, what matters is the fact; these are the albums I listened to the most. Any ways here are the Top 10 Power  metal  albums of the decade.

10- Strangeweather- "s/t" 2015 







9-Death In June- "Essence" 2018




 





8- the Decemberists -- 'the King is Dead"- 2011




 




 7- Chelsea Wolfe - "Unknown Rooms" 2012




 



  6- Twin Bandit- "For You" 2015











5-Marissa Nadler-"For My Crimes" 2018











4- Lana Del Rey - Norman Fucking Rockwell"2019




 





3-  Amigo the Devil - "Everything is Fine" - 2018



 




2- Ryan Adams- "1989" 2015



 



1-Chris Stapleton- "the Traveller" 2015

The Top 10 Indie Rock Albums of 2018

It is that time again. For the sake of this list indie rock is anything that is not mainstream rock or hard enough to be punk or metal. Some folk and shoe gaze are included , though it can't be dark enough to be goth or tense enough to be post-punk The score from my reviews to help determine the ranking , but also how many times Last FM told me I listened to each album.An album can have all the critical acclaim in the world but if it does not inspire multiple listens then how good can it actually be ?

While the top ten lists for other genres leaned more heavily on the side of new blood it seems there is an even blend of well established acts who put out the greatest quality albums .; Rather than posting media of a track from each band I am leaving a link to the review, which will contain Bandcamp or Full Album Streams. Ok enough talking about it, the time has come to dig into the top 10 indie rock albums of 2018.

10-Slow Crush -"Aurora"


If this had come out earlier in the year and I had a more easilly accessible copy of it this album by the Belgian shoe-gaze band would have been higher on the list. But I just found them, the review is hot off the press, yet I could not avoid putting them on here because they are so good at what they do.

 https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2018/12/slow-crush-aurora.html

9-Rome-"Hall of Thatch"

 By the second song Jerome Reuter proves his gets better with each album. By the 3rd song it's obvious this album is a lot darker, which is fine by me as it carries a very Swans like feel. The theme of the album is a darker spiritual exploration and much more personal than the political themes he has championed in the past. I think this is a wise choice for him as this seems to elicit a more emotional response.


https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2018/10/gothtober-rome-hall-of-thatch.html

8- Hillary Woods-"Colt"

 Hilary Woods would not be out of place on the Twin Peaks soundtrack. Less fey sounding than the Cocteau Twins, yet it occupies a similar sonic space as an album like "Treasure". These ballads are haunting, yet invoke spirits of inner space rather than from beyond the grave. Hazy not dark would be the best way to describe the sound. There is a jazz like minimalism, though unlike 90s acid jazz, it serves the melody rather than the beat. The percussion on these songs is incidental.Any genre that embraces emotive and shadow filled sounds could embrace what is done here.

 https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2018/04/hilary-woods-colt.html

7-Church Girls- "Home"


Poppier than what I expect of most indie rock that tries to be too cool for school. It's not a poppy as say Pale Waves, though it's not as dark as them either. Though there is a touch of punk to what they do. Mariel's voice is plaintive while being emotive. It reminds me of 90s alt rock like Liz Phair or Veruca Salt.  She does have more range than she lets on at first . These guys are pretty impressive musically as the solo on "Black Seas" is pretty unexpected and highly fleet of finger.it's worth the dollar they are going to make me spring for it, which says something about the infectious nature of these songs.

 https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2018/12/church-girls-home.html

 6-Deafheaven- "Ordinary Corrupt Human Love" 

 The new album opens in a tone that is not metal at all with piano and post-rocky instrumentation taking a dreamy groove which the vocals eventually snarl over. Snarling doesn't instantly make things metal here or really anywhere. " The drums punch certain accents, but until it swells I am reluctant to call it metal. The drummer has really stepped up his game that is for certain. Vocally the are back to sticking to the same snarl so far. It's his typically mid range, sometimes it sounds like he is making more of an attempt to form words than others.It earns multiple listens ,while its not a metal album it excels when it comes to guitar playing and songwriting.


 https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2018/07/deafheaven-ordinary-corrupt-human-love.html

5-Iceage-"Beyondless"

 I was worried the boys from Denmark would stray to far from punk after their last album and the funky Rolling Stones like side project of their singer . The first song holds roots in the early days of punk, but is just good fucking music. While the drums continue to have a reckless edge the horns smooth out the sonic landscape. I am glad the gray clouds close in over the second half of the album, though none of it is sunshine and puppies,as it preserves the growing legacy of this band.


https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2018/05/iceage-beyondless.html

4-Marissa Nadler- "For My Crimes"


She continues down a path of hauntingly morose balladry. More ghostly than Lana Del Ray. More folk than country this time around, though hints of western sounds still color this album. Things seem simpler here. More minimal compositions, keep the focus on the vocals. Sometimes these vocals are layered on the chorus. Wispy the songs become intangible and don't hook me as quickly as some of her previous efforts, so its a grower not a shower.


 https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2018/09/marisa-nadler-for-my-crimes.html

3-Slothrust- "Pact"

 These guys have come along a way. This is a much smoother and polished effort right off the bat with a stab at pop injected. Gone is the grunge rawness. It does get kicked up later in the first song, but the hooky alternative rock going on here is much different than my first taste of the band. I would not call it selling out. It's a refining that could open them up to a bigger audience, it's a natural progression I suppose as I could never find their last album. This one certainly earned repeat listens.


 https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2018/09/slothrust-pact.html

2- Nothing -"Dance on the Blacktop" 

 I found "Tired of Tomorrow" to be too happy and was underwhelmed. While this album might not be full return to the grunge tinged "Guilty of Everything" it does make shoe-gaze great again with more balls behind it than the previous album and keeps the surreal step back into the 90s going . There are authentic guitar tones and the songs builds into a hooky melody at the end. The new element being introduced on this album is the kind of vintage slacker rock that bands like Dinosaur Jr and Sebadoh used to crank out. This is a pretty solid return for them and was highly enjoyed even if it floats away at the end.


https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2018/07/nothing-dance-on-blacktop.html

1-Pianos Become the Teeth - "Wait For Love" 

 Their fourth album is another picture of this band's dramatic evolution. If you go back and listen to their first album it doesn't even seem like the same band. Gone is the explosive energy and the screamed vocals. While I  think of these guys as having come from the same emo-revival that bands like Touche Amore came from, it's weird to here such refined indie rock coming from these guys. They are capable of going at it with an almost Jawbreaker-like drive on "Charisma". The vocals are plaintive but well-placed. The guitar doesn't told much in terms of distortion and works off of a dream-like jangle more often than not. While other albums might have scored higher on the initial listen this one earned it's place in heavy rotation and I actually listened to it more than the other albums.


 https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2018/03/pianos-become-teeth-wait-for-love.html

Marisa Nadler : " For My Crimes"

She continues down a path of hauntingly morose balladry. More ghostly than Lana Del Ray. More folk than country this time around, though hints of western sounds still color this album. In fact there is more country on "I Can't Listen to Gene Clark Anymore" that the more ambient opening track. Things seem simpler here. More minimal compositions, keep the focus on the vocals. Sometimes these vocals are layered on the chorus , notably on " Are You Really Going to Move to the South". There is a modest return to country in the relaxed strum of " Lover Release Me". She sings smoothly without a trace of twang, yet there is something in her delivery that feels like old country.  She lets her voice crack rather than go into a head voice in certain places, giving it a rawer feel.

She doesn't try to take a stab at rock on "Blue Vapor", but has a more commanding deliberation. This is the strongest song thus far. Things get marginally darker on "Interlocking". Overall I would say this album feels more nocturnal than dark. Dreamy and somber are her subdued melodies. "All Out of Catastrophes" finds her with more of a lower pitches huskiness to her voice, while managing to still capturing her trademark feel. Lyrically this might be the most interesting song thus far. "Dream Dream Big in the Sky" feels like 50s pop. There are some great song titles on this album, "You're Only Harmless When You Sleep" is one of them. This is a more delicate folk song. It builds faintly with some strings in the background.

"Flamethrower" is another lazy strum that rings out into a sad empty place. The melodies float around rather than pulling you into it. There is some interesting atmosphere in the background. The bulk of this album is certainly more stripped down than "Strangers". Strings join in on " Said Goodbye To That Car".  I think this album is going to have to grow on me. Production wise it feels more intimate. Songs like "Interlocking" I like more each time I hear them so I am going to go ahead an give this album a 9, as it's so ethereal and wispy the songs become intangible and don't hook me as quickly as some of her previous efforts. Comes out Sept 28th on Sacred Bones.

the Top 10 Indie Rock Albums of 2016

Indie rock has become a blanket genre for hip college kids. It often hold more pre-tense and less balls than it's mainstream cousins. Here we have a mix of some albums that rock and others that are more introspective. While none of these artists are mainstream, there are some veterans in the mix who are far from the flavor of the week at the local coffee shop. They are ranked according to the albums that earned the most repeat listens.



10- Leonard Cohen-"You Want it Darker"


When you hear his new album “You Want it Darker” his influence on some like Nick Cave is obvious. He is storyteller first and foremost. His gravelly baritone is weathered, but recites the lyrics with conviction that makes up for what age does to one’s voice. At the end of the day he remains a masterful song writer with a vast amount of power over his words.


http://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2016/10/leonard-cohen-you-want-it-darker_21.html

  9-Decorum- "Vail"


 This trio out of Brooklyn casts an ample shade of gloom over their sound on their new album "Vail". This is not another run of the mill post-punk revivalist band, they do not plug in a single six string and instead hit you with a hypnotic swirl of two basses. Vocally they weave their melodies in between a dizzy entanglement of bass lines  that warble in echoing waves. Male and female vocals dance around one another sometimes harmonizing at other times creating counter points. The male vocals are a dead pan baritone that sometimes reaches more of a croon. The female vocals are an indifferent indie rock alto.

http://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2016/04/decorum-vail.html

8-Muscle & Marrow- "Love"



This Portland based duo caught my attention when I saw them open for Author and Punisher. Then when I went back to listen to their album that had been sitting around on my hard drive I was not as impressed.  The album's heart beat comes to life with an electronic pulse. Kira Clark's emotive vocals are layered in a dizzy spiral of melodies.The heavier mood is more restrained at times but still just as potent , and often even more so with the improvements in the vocal delivery on this album. The lighter shades which contrast starkly with the darkness are going to take some getting used to.

 http://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2016/05/muscle-marrow-love.html


7-Dead Forest Index- "All That Drifts"

This duo keeps things dark and simple. The vocals are generally androgynous, giving these guys a much different sound than if they were just another band of Ian Curtis impersonators. The music drifts by you with the slow melancholy pulse similar to Chelsea Wolfe's earlier work hovers like a rain cloud over it.Both bleak and graceful, it often defies genres, sure indie rock is the broadest genre, there are more folk and western influences hinted at than writing these guys off as being post-punk. Slow-core bands like Low certainly would be a reference along with the likes of Sun Kil Moon to some extent in the lethargy that lingers it the heart beat of these songs.

http://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2016/04/a-dead-forest-index-all-that-drifts.html

6-Slothrust- "Everyone Else"



They fuse apathy into the punk  attitude that reminds me of  when  Sonic Youth was once punk. The first real song is "Like a Child Hiding Behind Your Tombstone". This weaves it's wave into some pretty impressive jazz chops. The vocals of Leah Wellbaum are sometimes plaintive and some times emotive. "Horseshoe Crab" which is the first song I heard from these kids is pretty powerful and touches on emo in it's honesty.

http://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2016/12/slothrust-everyone-else.html

5-the Coathangers-"Nosebleed Weekend"


California vibes have smoothed out the more abrasive garage rock band that I once saw playing out in the parking lots of Little Five Points. Vocally they have really improved and the jangle of their guitars is not more in tune. Some of their rough around the edges punk riot grrrl comes across in "Dumb Baby". The play a squeaky toy on solo the pop tinged drive of "Squeeki Tiki".I enjoyed it a lot more than anticipated going into this. California is treating them much better than Atlanta did, even though they were the critics darlings there. I think they are in an environment where there creative juices are allowed to flow with greater ease out west. If you are a fan of indie rock with a garage rock vibe then this album is a must for you.

http://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2016/03/the-coathangers-nosebleed-weekend.html

4- Self Defense Family- "Colicky"

This ever evolving collective of musicians has been around for ten years. Their newest release finds the more slow core- pacing of what I have previously heard from these guys gone  in favor of a more sonic creeping. The drumming is not heavy or heard hitting, but is very deliberate in more of a Joy Division like fashion. The vocals are lighter and more introspective than the brooding tension the rest of the song stirs. The guitar sounds are once again top notch. The production is just right reminding me of some of the more classic post-hardcore albums of the 90s.


http://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2016/09/self-defense-family-colicky.html

3-Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds - "Skeleton Tree"



Darker electronic throb haunts the opening of Nick Cave's new album. This is a much different album than what he has touched upon with the Bad Seeds before. The minimalist arrangement of 'Rings of Saturn" bears a stark vulnerability. Very deceptive as the album is more organic than it sounds on first listen. Theremin and strings create the swells you would otherwise suspect to be Pro-tools plug-in's if this album had been made by any one else. Vocally there is more of narration, leaving me waiting for the moments when he sings. Nick Cave has been a story tellers in the past taking you back to varied colorful pages in the seedy corners of Americana. The darkness painted over these songs is done is shades of gray.Cave more focused on the narrative than letting me hear him sing on some songs, but still stands up with the 15 albums that came before this one. A must for fans.


http://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2016/09/nick-cave-bad-seeds-skeleton-tree.html




2-Marisa Nadler-"Strangers"



She sang on the final Xasthur album and has continued to pave a dark and sometimes country path for her self with her second release on Sacred Bones. It is evident from the opening strains of "Divers of the Dust" that her sense of identity is firmly intact the country croon is equal parts haunting torch singer. "Katie,I Know" is equally ethereal though more firmly rooted in the more Western side of Country. It's evident many of these songs take a few listens before they stick to you, but it's a solid album of intangible songs and feelings.


http://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2016/05/marisa-nadler-strangers.html

1- Emma Ruth Rundle-"Marked For Death"

 In some ways there is not much difference between Emma Ruth Rundle's  second solo album and the last Marriages album, which is a good thing. If you were expecting just her and an acoustic guitar then think again. Perhaps the punches are not as rock and the songs are less jarring in their dynamic shifts, there is a very stormy mood that brews in the first songs.

 http://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2016/09/emma-ruth-rundle-marked-for-death.html

Marisa Nadler : " Strangers"

 We have been joined by many new readers since Nadler released "July" a couple of years ago. So chances are you might have missed out on the interview I did with her, so it's linked right down there.

 http://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2014/07/interview-marissa-nadler.html

 She sang on the final Xasthur album and has continued to pave a dark and sometimes country path for her self with her second release on Sacred Bones. It is evident from the opening strains of "Divers of the Dust" that her sense of identity is firmly intact the country croon is equal parts haunting torch singer. "Katie,I Know" is equally ethereal though more firmly rooted in the more Western side of Country. All the the twang has been replaced by dream like floating. There is a more fragile atmosphere to "Skyscraper" that finds her utilizing her lower register in some of the layered harmonies. Production wise the vocals are masterfully layered and arranged. There are swathes of ambience that drip out of various corners of songs that sound very simplistic on a surface listen, making this one of those albums you have to hear through headphones. She finds her self at a very interesting cross roads that defies genres on "Hungry is the Ghost". It does lead me to conclude that this album is much more atmospheric and surreal than her previous. It almost borders on post-rock at time with sprawling expanses of sound that would not sound out of place on a Radiohead album.


 On her last album comparisons could be drawn to Chelsea Wolfe and with this album Nadler has stepped away from that. "All the Colors in the Dark" has the ghosts of classic country haunting the vocal melodies, but lyrically it is much more abstract. It took another listen for this one to grab me. The title track is more guitar oriented. The country elements on this song help paint the background. This is another song that took a second listen to really connect with. This need to take another listen continues on "Janie In Love" even though the melodies make more of an effort to reach out and connect. It's the lyrics that give this song more of an edge than the lazy sway of the song might suggest. While the Lana Del Ray comparisons could be drawn at a few different points in the album it's most apparent here. It took several listens for the glass like fragility of "Waking" to touch me. The 3rd song with a woman's name in the title "Shadow Show Diane". It is the kind of show Nadler said she could never tell her man, so their must a be a voyeuristic thing going on here. She strums an acoustic on this one, which is a much more streamlined arrangement than the bulk of the album.

Lyrically this album might be darker than "July" while the music is not as melancholy. It is more dream like. The synths that frequent this album give it the feel of something you might hear in a David Lynch, though it's feet are planted more firmly on the ground than say Julie Cruise. The album closes with "Dissolve". This song is stripped down to Nadler and her guitar, giving it a more folk feel. I'll around this one up to a 9.5 for now and see how it grows on me as it's evident many of these songs take a few listens before they stick to you, but it's a solid album of intangible songs and feelings.

     

Top 15 Goth/ Industrial Albums of 2014

Many of the normal contenders for this list have crossed over from post- punk into rock n roll. So now I'm throwing everything into the pot that is too dark for other lists, post-punk is here, dark folk is here, goth has ranged from Dead Can Dance to Velvet Acid Christ so it's all over the place to begin with. So if you used to be metal but are now leaning towards death-rock you are slugging it out on the list with a former goth princess now almost a pop star. So let the count down begin.

15- Laibach - Spectre

The militant theatrics continue to abound. This album is like toned down and more introspective Rammstein, with out the mall metal tendencies. They manage to make a very modern sounding album , but also being true to their legacy.


http://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2014/02/laibach-spectre.html

14-Ritual Howl - Turkish leather

Not as weird as Laibach, but these guys are dark folk ran through a collage of weird electronics and back again. St times this comes across like Death in June, so is anyone going to complain about that. This album also is filled with cool guitar sounds.

http://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2014/12/catching-up-with-2014-ritual.html

13- Rape Blossoms - Ruinenlust

In 33 minutes these guys cram a lot of drone and ambiance into some punchy post-punk.At times it seems like they are jamming out as the songs take you on nocturnal adventures.

http://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2014/12/catching-up-with-2014-rape.html

12-Gazelle Twin- Unflesh

If Bjork got possessed by the devil it might sound like this. Edm so dark and powerful it often comes across as industrial. Her voice is more than spot on as well.

http://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2014/12/report-to-dance-floor-gazelle-twin.html

11-Clan of Xymox- "Matters of Mind , Body & Soul"
An excellent come back album. They wrote fresh new songs, without sounding daated and retained the most important elements of their classic sound.

http://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2014/09/clan-of-xymox-matters-of-mind-body-soul.html

10- Hemgraven - "Sanddyner av Glas"

This album really grows on me with each listen. Post-punk that is still melody driven the Ian Curtis worship is far and few between. It has a very cold stark feel perfect for the winter months,

http://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2014/12/catching-up-with-2014.html

9- Marisa Nadler -July

 I Recently returned to this album. When it came out it  caught me by surprise as Nadler blends classic country with a gloomy folk. Darkly dreamy mix of Cocteau Twins and Cowboy Junkies holds an almost narcotic sway.

http://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2014/06/marissa-nadlerjuly.html


8- Have a Nice Life - the Unnatural World

These weirdos threw together a highly experimental batch of Joy Division like post-punk doused in liberal amounts of down trodden indie rock. Tons of thought went into the songwriting of this gem.

http://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2014/01/have-nice-life-unnatural-world.html



7-Population- Beyond the Pale

This album has a lot of heart and personality to it. They touch on both dark wave and death rock with in the span of a song. One of the best male vocal preformances of the year.

http://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2014/10/population-beyond-pale.html

6-Shadowhouse- Hand in Hand

When the bulk of this years crop of post-punk revivalists landed on a more rock side of the fence, this band brought the missing ingrediant ...elegance.This emotional drama infuses the album and paints a gray landscape of loneliness inside you.

http://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2014/12/shadowhouse-hand-in-hand.html

5-Death of Lovers- "Buried Under a World of Roses"

Some shoe gazers got together and indulged their dark sides. These shoe gazers are members of Nothing nad Whirr, so you know it's going to be on point, they exceeded my expectations here.

http://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2014/01/death-of-lovers-buried-under-world-of.html


4-Youth Code- A Place to Stand

One of the best industrial bands I have heard in some time. This duo is dark, mean and confrontational, even if their singer is a little blond girl.

http://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2014/10/youth-code-place-to-stand.html

3 - Atriarch- " An Unending Pathway"

They graduated from the metal chart to goth, as the death rock vibe is stronger. The metal elements are now more of a sonic Neurosis thing and they have left doom and black metal at home.

http://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2014/10/atriarch-unending-pathway.html

2-Zola Jesus-"Taiga"

She barely got beaten out for the top spot, the deciding factor was she lightened up a bit while the number one band got darker. Still for edm pop, she's better than anything on the radio.

http://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2014/08/zola-jesus-taiga.html

1- Lower- "Seek Warmer Climes"

Iceage went an "Exile on Main Street" direction while these guys held tight to the 80's. This album is almost more new wave than post-punk. Whatever you want to call it , this album is filled with the kinda desperate longing that goths can relate too, while also rocking.

http://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2014/06/lower-seek-warmer-climes.html