The Top 20 Albums of 2024 : 20 to 11

This year I have decided to expand what was once the Top 10 Albums of the Year to the Top 20. The Top 10  was a little limiting considering there are now 20 best-of-genre lists, so a Top 10 would leave off ten albums that captured the top spot for their respective genres.  In doing this it's expanded said list into two parts. This is the first part counting down from album 20 to 11.  These are the albums I listened to most. When you take into consideration the fact I listened to over 900 albums this year, it's impressive for these albums to have endured the influx of new music that hit My inbox every morning and made me want to hear them again and again. Yes, this is the culmination of all the other lists done up to this point for other blogs and was refined down to this master list of all genres.; So here ya go...

1-Iress -" Sleep Now, In Reverse" 

Taking the top spot is this beautiful wave of gloomy gazing from this  Los Angeles-based band.  It was a tough call between this album and Bleakheart, with the vocals of Michelle Malley being the tiebreaker as she delivers an emotionally stunning performance that creates a wonderful contrast to the storm clouds the band summons beneath her sublime melodies. The drumming gives this album a great deal of focused intention which in turn creates songwriting magic as they grow as songwriters. 

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2024/07/iress-sleep-now-in-reverse.html

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20-iRESS -

19-REZN - "Burden"

The new album from Chicago's Sonic Sorcerors found them expanding their minds and sound The dark groovin' drive that lurks as the heartbeat of this album, might not be metal, but it is aggressive enough to get the point across.  The plea of the vocals echoes out into the expansive place they have created here. It feels darker than the previous album, but darker in a more hazy moonlit manner. When it comes to making melancholy stoner rock that is heavy on the atmosphere this year these guys can not be beaten. 

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2024/05/rezn-burden.html

 

 18-Charli XCX -"BRAT" 

If you strip away the cultural marketing tactics that put her in the spotlight this year, she already has released an album of Strong Bangers, but she was not letting it just be a great album. It's the nature of the beast she is in the belly of, but that aside, these songs bump seriously, and I have been a fan of hers for some time now, so glad to see she is getting the recognition she deserves. 

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2024/06/charli-xcx-brat.html

17-Witnesses - "Joy" 

 Despite my preference for Kody Ternes as the vocalist, things changed, and  Bibby from Seventh Angel is handling the vocals this time around. He is more of a metal singer than Ternes, he does make melodic choices that think outside of the power metal box, some doom singers lean toward. His voice grew on me.  Not as dark as some of their previous work the album deals more with self -actualization. There is a highly emotive nature they invoke with the atmosphere. It is one of Greg Schwan's strengths as a songwriter. Things are very dynamic, with the vocals soaring above it all. They once again excelled, and if you are a doom fan who enjoys melody then this album is a must.  This band is onto something and it is one of the more original expressions of doom I have heard in a minute. 

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2024/11/november-is-doom-witnesses-joy.html

 

16-Crypt Sermon- "The Stygian Rose" 

Taking their  80s-flavored metal down its darker grittier path, not unlike Savatage or Metal Church, the songs benefit from more vocal colors going on this time around. The riffing carries more thrash, as they hit their stride as songwriters.  There are lots of tasteful guitar solos that relentlessly hit you with killer riffs. This album finds them coming into their own, and standing shoulder to shoulder with the albums these songs draw inspiration from.

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2024/07/crypt-sermon-stygian-rose.html

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15-Planes Mistaken For Stars - "Do You Still Love Me ?" 

The late Gared O'Donnell recorded this album while undergoing Chemo, before succumbing to his chance at 44. They were always too gritty and real to break through to the mainstream. Their take on rock n roll still pounds the song into you. Unless you share in the inner darkness with which these songs were conceived you might not know what to make of the brooding. To my ears it's beautiful. Some brighter guitar tones on this album than in their previous work, it's clear he was ending things in a manner that still pushed their sound forward. Gared you are missed

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2024/11/planes-mistaken-for-stars-do-you-still.html

14-Chelsea Wolfe -"Unbound" 

 If She said the versions of these songs found on this EP were how they were originally written, before being re-mixed into what was presented on "She Reaches Out to, She Reaches Out to..." it would make perfect sense as this sounds more like who she is. This is emotionally powerful and feels like a true expression of who she is. 

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2024/10/chelsea-wolfe-unbound.html

 

13-Full of Hell-"Coagulated Bliss"

This album grew on me more than any other this year, partly due to catching these guys live where it all clicked. It's also a huge step of maturity in songwriting. From a production standpoint, it's more organic. They were not darker, but more punk than the sludge-tinged gnarliness that comprised their guitar tone on other albums. The guitarist claims that he learned how to serve the song during their sessions for the album with Nothing. Things here reflect that due to the fact it is angular and mathy, but not spastic. The vocals are more deliberate as well.

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2024/04/full-of-hell-coagulated-bliss.html

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12-Death Killer -"Total Destruction of the Entire Universe" 

Here is the kind of industrial album I was waiting for. It is both pissed and heavy as hell with a fair dose of chaos in its veins. There is a great balance of instrumentation and programming/ electronic elements. It is not industrial music to dance to it is industrial music that is going to kick your face. Not unlike Ministry's "Filth Pig" album in that regard though this is heavier. It blasts at you like a jackhammer, as it sonically fucks your brains out right from the first song

 

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2024/10/gothtober-death-killer.html

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11-Nails - "Every Bridge Burning" 

It's been 8 years since the last album from this California-based hard-core band. They are just as angry as they were on "You Will Never Be One of Us".  The grind-core influence on the band has them spitting out minute-and-a-half songs propelled by an unrelenting momentum. The faster moments that create a frenzied wall of sound are balanced out by the intentional songwriting masterstrokes delivered here, and find this album to be worth the wait and put the band on the top of the hard-core heap. 

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2024/09/nails-every-bridge-burning.html

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The Top 10 Rock Albums of 2024

Rock music continues to be one of the last vestiges of picking up instruments and playing songs the artist has written.  With metal having a more loyal market, it feels like less straight-up rock music is coming out, but then again it's not something I always look for. There is a very specific feel of moodiness, melody, and underlying mental health issues I seek out from rock music, and these albums touch on varied corners of that sound.  In fact, this year's list is more varied than last year's list. After I sort through the top 10 albums of all the respective genres, I use those lists to compile the top 10 albums of 2024. 

 The fact 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, you look forward to listening to it again. You might find your next favorite on this list. I included links to reviews of these albums if you want to check out the audio on these guys. Anyway here are the top 10 Rock albums of 2023.

10-The Jesus Lizard -"RACK" 

There is much more of a rock n roll feeling possessing this album. Yow's voice sits back in the mix, though when he comes to the forefront it's evident he still has his voice. There is a cool tension lurking under the surface of the rock facade. The rock n roll direction takes some getting used to at times,  but it's still better than the bulk of rock music coming out these days, thus earning its place here. 

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2024/09/the-jesus-lizard-rack.html

             

9 -Rope Sect -"Entrangement" 

As a big fan of this band, we have covered every release from this German band, and they have yet to disappoint, so when it popped up in the old inbox there was a great deal of excitement. This project has never been content just settling for one sound and milking it. The album opens with a more familiar sound that picks up closer to where they left off marrying the metallic energy of their picking hand with the melancholy of post-punk. This comes with a cleaner guitar sound and not the overdriven metal tone. They are not metal, though this album does go in a more rock direction. 

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2024/03/rope-sect-enstrangement.html

 

8-Solstafir - ""Hin helga kvöl" 

I'm old enough to remember when this band from Iceland used to be black metal. They have been on this more rock n roll road for some time, so the direction never surprises me. The vocals are emotive and have more edge than your average rock band, The use of atmosphere works really well, as they start off the album with a strong dynamic balance.I like the direction they are going here, and think the more weed-influenced songs are better than when they try to rekindle the metal fires. 

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2024/11/solstafir-hin-helga-kvol.html

7-Bruce Dickinson -" The Mandrake Project" 

Despite being a huge Iron Maiden fan, I have never paid much attention to Dickinson's solo work. Sure I have heard and once owned "Tattooed Millionaire" and am marginally familiar with "Chemical Wedding". When he sings, he is unmistakable. It sounds like a more rock n roll take on Iron Maiden. It has more in common with Deep Purple or other proto-metal bands like Uriah Heap most of the time. 

 

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2024/02/bruce-dickinson-mandrake-project.html

6-Brume- "Marten" 

I really liked this band's 2019 album. This time around things are darker and more organic with less of the atmosphere which previously reminded me of the Gathering. Thanks to Jackie Gantz bringing her cello to the party there are sweeping post-rock dynamics expanding the sonic zip-code way past the normal Sabbath pandering of the genre. It's a gripping listen. 

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2024/09/brume-marten.html

5-Poppy-"Negative Spaces" 

Some people want to call this album metal. They obviously do not know what metal is and their opinions are equal to the sound of a toilet flushing , when it comes to the subject, not only is this album not metal but other albums on this list are heavier than this album, and they are also just rock albums  This album is fun, it would be on the pop list but there is more guitar on it than most pop albums this side of Linkin Park have , who is another pop band have, so here it is since it's not even hard enough to make the hard rock list, but it's fun music. 

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2024/11/poppy-negative-spaces.html

4- Pearl Jam -"Dark Matter" 

This album comes closer to what you expect from them than some of their more recent albums that found the band taking more chances. Granted if you think of these guys as a grunge band, then you might find this album lacking in grit, however, this is their 12th album, and only their first two albums should really be considered grunge, as the band has ventured off into varied forms of rock and Americana since then in the 10  albums that followed these guys have a pretty basic formula to follow to be successful and please their fan base. Eddie sings and the rest of the band supports him allowing Vedder to do what he does. Side note great guitar playing .

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2024/04/pearl-jam-dark-matter.html

          

3-Choke Cherry -"Messy Star" 

This band carries a raw grunge edge to their otherwise trippy take on "dream pop' that leans into the pop hooks. The opening song rocks out more and the dense guitar riffs pack more of a punch Their frequent use of subtle hooks that are highly effective. The loud-to-soft formula is very 90s but cements their songs as being authentic to that era which they pay homage to. 

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2024/10/choke-cherry-messy-star.html

2-Marilyn Manson - "One Assignation Under God Chapter 1"  

Manson is back. Vocally sobriety seems to be doing him favors. His upper range is not as strained. His 12th album is once again produced by Tyler Bates. It sounds like Code Orange's Rebe Meyers is playing for him and lending backup vocals, which makes sense as she has been a part of his most recent touring band. Lyrically this album is interesting and honest, it grew on me as it might not have the edge of his earlier work yet, but there are still a few glances back at his legacy, his voice sounds great and it's dark enough to work for me. 

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2024/11/marilyn-manson-one-assignation-under.html

 

1-Planes Mistaken For Stars - "Do You Still Love Me ?" 

The late Gared O'Donnell recorded this album while undergoing Chemo, before succumbing to his chance at 44. They were always too gritty and real to break through to the mainstream. Their take on rock n roll still pounds the song into you. Unless you share in the inner darkness with which these songs were conceived you might not know what to make of the brooding. To my ears it's beautiful. Some brighter guitar tones on this album than in their previous work, it's clear he was ending things in a manner that still pushed their sound forward. Gared you are missed

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2024/11/planes-mistaken-for-stars-do-you-still.html

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Planes Mistaken For Stars : "Do You Still Love Me ?"

 

The late Gared O'Donnell recorded this album while undergoing Chemo, before succumbing to his chance at 44. The first song encapsulates why these guys never broke through to the mainstream, they pound into the song at a more sludge-like pace, and unless you share in the inner darkness with which these songs were conceived you might not know what to make of the brooding. To my ears it's beautiful,. "Fix Me" comes closer to punk, with its palm-muted tension, Gared's signature howl, is possessed by even more despair. When these guys came out back in the 90s. "Further" finds them galloping into things with a more aggressive approach. 

"Arrow"  has a more kinetic punk energy. Gared's gravelly voice is possessed by more depth and raw introspection than what is commonly heard in the genre. "Modern Logic' touches on a more melodic side that was not often heard from the band, here it makes me think of Screaming Trees. The guitars are brighter than what you expect from this band but work. You get to hear a wider range of sounds on this album than they normally ventured into in their earlier work, "Punch the Gauge "being an example of this.

The first stab at the title track is a very metallic riff that has an almost grunge-tinged rumble. "Run Rabbit Run" is more punk and driving, with a reckless sonic jangle.  "Peace" is another song where the overall feel is brighter than what you think of when it comes to these guys. I think when it comes to expanding their sound "Put Your Heart to the Fire", feels like it comes closer to his vision.  "The Calming" is more emotive in the atmosphere it hovers in. "In Hell" is on track for the more punk roots of who the band is. The closing take on the title track is much different than the first version. I am not sure if this brighter guitar tone is his doing, or if this was the direction he wanted, I appreciate it's shimmer for what it is. I will go ahead and round this up to a 10, as it is clear he was ending things in a manner that still pushed their sound forward. Gared you are missed.  

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Blunt Razors : "Early Aughts"

 I have been a fan of Planes Mistaken For Stars since the late 90s. This project feature the tow main songwriters from that band, Gared and Neil.  This embraces the emo side of what Planes Mistaken For Stars did , so I am over the moon about it as the first album had more of that Sunny Day Real Estate side to it . I remember the first time I saw them it was all punk and none of the softer touch. His voice still has the rasp to it but tempered with a more introspective side. Musically they kind of drift closer to slow core.  The arrangements are more minimal and stripped down or this might be shoe gaze. Too rock for folk. It does not neatly fall into any sub genre. 

If the National was more depressed and soaked in whiskey the results might be similar. Things slow down further into a more minimalist lingering for "Around You" . lyrically this is as depressing as anything you might have wanted from their previous band. This song doesn't grab me as firmly as the first three as it drifts with out going any where. "Amber Waves" is more sonic in the layers of atmosphere. Vocally he remains at the subdued pleading as if the emotional put into each word has alreayd made him break down and he is trying to sing despite this. 

He puts more into singing when they cover Kate Bush's "Under Ice". Granted he still singing it in his style and their version is not as dramatic as Kate Bush's., not that he has a voice that comes close to Kate's , but I have always him for what he does so it is cool to hear two of my favorites singings converging in this manner.  I will give this one a 9.5 , due to the kind of droning minimal nature of what they are doing the Kate Bush cover helped with this score for sure. If you like Planes Mistaken For Stars this is a more dialed back version but still worth your time. 

 

the Top 10 Punk 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. I broke up what was the punk / harcore list and made them two seperate lists. I am not going for what is the  loudest fastest , but for what has the best songs that are  worth listening to again and again.  Maybe these are not the hippest albums of the decade when it comes to this genre, but what matters more is the fact these are the albums I listened to the most when it came to this sort of thing. ; Any ways here are the Top 10 Punk  albums of the decade.




10- GBH - "Momentum" 2017 











9- Bleached- "Welcome the Worms" 2016



 





8- the Libertines - "Anthems For Doomed Youth" - 2015





 





7- Grave Pleasures- "Motherblood"- 2017 



 





6- Cult of Youth - "s/t " - 2011







 5- Drug Church- "Cheer" -2018



 



4- Iceage- "New Brigade"- 2011



 




3-the Menzingers - "Hello Exile" 2019




 



2- Low Dose- "s/t" 2019






1- Planes Mistaken For Stars - "Prey"- 2016

Wear Your Wounds : " Rust on the Gates of Heaven"

Jacob of Converge has established a more permanent line up that consists of members of The Red Chord, Cave-in,  Trap-Them and Hate Breed. But do not let that deceive you this has metallic elements in play but could only loosely be called a metal band. Ben Chisholm of Chelsea Wolfe fame, contributes as well. So does Gared  from PlanesMistakenforstars. His appearance I was most excited about though it is often relegated to the background since this is Jacobs show and it can be hard to tell their voice apart in places.  Jacob's singing voice has improved. Granted he has effects on it and is not projecting it. But he can hold a tune. Gared from Planes comes in behind him to bolster the melody. I like that this is darkly melodic. I comes with a  heavier build that is not metal, but works. It would most easily be filed under post-rock. "Paper Panther" is more straight forward sonic rock with the post rock atmosphere dialed down.

 There is am ore spoken tone to his voice on "Tomorrow's Sorrows" which winds it's way around to a heavy chugged riff. "Brittle Pillar" also has some heft to it. I like the fact he is using restraint since if this was a Converge album he would have already been screaming. It turns into a sludgey rumble. "Truth Is a Lonely Word " manged to be darker un expected ways that are not tangible and best heard. I can say this song has some great guitar playing. "Rainbow Fades" has some sounds that are already familiar to this project like soft whispered vocals and an almost ballad like intro. The guitar playing gets more Pink Floyd like when we are in the meat of the song. "Love In Peril " mood-wise feels like it could have come from "Crack the Skye".  The weak spots in his voice come through on "Lurking Shadows" thought it still works because he has made no illusion as to begin a great singer and exploits this fact in Converge"s earlier work. There cool touches of country in the guitars to this song.

If Pink Floyd's "Obscured By Clouds " had been the soundtrack to a movie about a serial killer the sound might have been like "Shrinking Violet". The  album ends as it began with a instrumental piano centered piece.  I will give this one an 9.5 . The guitar playing on this album is fucking great. It's not Converge, but it doesn't need to be.

Weathered Statues : "Borderlands"

Svart Records is gradually getting more into goth and post-punk, which is fine by me. I haven't reviewed any in a while so I am taking a stab at this band from Denver, whats up with Colorado ? It must be the weed. Anyways members of Planesmistakenforstars and Woven Hand are in the band. It starts off making me think of Siouxsie due to the vocals, apparently Lol Tolhurst of the Cure remixed this song. The bass line stays at the forefront which is consistent for this sort of thing. The second song really doesn't go any where that different from where they started. By "Dark Tides" they begin to establish more of a uniform sound varying only by the syncopation of the bass lines. Drawing from the typical bat cave bag of tricks. "Heather" finds these elements shift in a more organic way that works better. There is a subtle aggression to the song's dynamics. The tension is more tangible.

They find a more Cure like guitar tone which works better . I prefer there more introspective and atmospheric moments. I prefer these from Siouxsie as well. The angrier bass tone to "Sabbat' is pretty awesome and the band sounds like they are beginning to find who they are here. It has that heavier sense of sonics like the Cure does when they are really bringing it home. Less impressive is "the Widow Sunday" that feels more like upbeat indie rock, thought after a few listens it began to grow on me when I focused on some of the layered guitar. "Ossuary"  had less of a post-punk feel and sounds more like new wave.

They close with the more driving  "Holy Masquerade" . The more aggressive touch is cool, though the vocals feel a little redundant at this point. It seems like we have already heard a performance too similar to this one already on the album. Overall despite the moments of Siouxsie Worship, there is not as much of this kind of post-punk coming out so I'm much more open to hearing it than when I was getting this kind of stuff in my in-box all day long. I'll give this album a 7.5 as these guys have potential and get some pretty cool guitar sounds. Svart Records is putting this out April 26th.

Top 10 Albums of 2016

So here they are complied in relative order in one master list of metal and other genres to see what were the actual best albums of the year. These are largely based on which ones I got the most play out of . When I said relative earlier on one day I might be moved to listen to one album more than another that might be ranked higher so this can shift,, but a fairly accurate representation of what endured 2016. If you want to check these albums out then go to the review urls I posted with each one. Who cares if your favorite album did not make the list, the Kleenex is on aisle three of  CVS, these are my favorite albums of 2016 and thus when it comes to this blog the Top 10 Albums of 2016.

10-Anagnorisis -"Perpetia"

 The narrative these songs are woven around provides a more personal touch then most black metal band's allow themselves to create. There are no arctic wastelands or occult gibberish to hide behind. In some ways if it was not for the sonic storm cloud raging as this album's heart beat you might mistake this for hardcore.  The vocals keep their scathing snarl as a static coat of white noise to a similar effect as Deafheaven. Their approach to black metal is less atmospheric and the ambiance if of a more emotional nature. It is without question one of the better black metal albums I have come across recently and these guys have really stepped up their game when it comes to song writing.

 http://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2016/09/anagnorisis-peripeteia.html

9- Khemmis - "Hunted"

At times more NWOBHM than doom and "3 Gates" starts off to uptempo to be doom at all, but in the end it got the most play time and had enough melancholy to qualify as doom, after all Black Sabbath albums didn't always crawl all the way to the finish line so something can be said for the dynamics.This one earned it space at the top not because it was the most dismal, but because I listened to it the most, which at the end of the day is what matters.

http://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2016/09/khemmis-hunted.html

8- Anthrax- "For All Kings"

 Anthrax used to be one of my favorite bands and to this day "Among the Living " is without a doubt one of the best metal albums ever with "Spreading the Disease" not too far behind. I hung tough with the band for the first six albums, even liking Jon Bush's first album. Then we grew apart.  "Worship Music"  saw the return of singer Joey Belladonna, but I never gave it a shot. I am giving them a chance here and while Belladonna might be 55, but I just reviewed the new David Bowie, and he is 69 so no body is slipping by due to age. Age might have helped Anthrax here , because with age Belladonna's voice is lower than even on "Persistence of Time" , but it gives him more aggression, which might have helped on albums like the almost too happy "State of Euphoria". There is younger blood injected in the band as Jonathan Donais from Shadows Fall is now in the band. They a surprisingly melodic section into the middle of the opener before thrashing back into it. They do not let up on the heavy with "Monster at the End", though it has a smoother groove allowing Belladonna's vocals to coast into a hookier chorus. A little less thrash and closer to mainstream metal, it's still a solid headbanger. .

http://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2016/01/anthrax-for-all-kings.html

7- Youth Code- "Commitment to Complications"

Production wise things have stepped up another level along with the song writing. After a melodic and perhaps dramatic synth intro the kick into the first proper song which kicks more like a rock song energetically than your typical industrial. Unlike your typical industrial there is not an obligatory layer of 90s thrash metal guitar over it. The synths are capable of summoning their own heft. This is in no way saying that there is not metal influence in place or this album isn't heavy. Ben from Goatwhore lends his snarl to the title track. It's interesting as he is not doing anything different from his normal delivery, but it's over a bunch of hammering synths.These kids are the real deal and not just hipsters playing dress up.

 http://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2016/04/youth-code-commitment-to-complications.html

6-Black Foxxes- "I'm Not Well" 

 This band is interesting as it's hard to imagine that they did not come from the late the 90s. While middle of the road when it comes to how hard the they do or do not rock,  I can appreciate the role the vocals play in their sound. As the opener builds there is more of  an early Pearl Jam like angst to the grit added in the vocals. They lock into a more traditional rock role on "Husk". When they ease their foot off the gas it offers a more dynamic glimpse at the band , but flirts with a more emo side than I am not sure I was ready to see yet on "Whatever Let's You Cope" .  There is an androgynous quality to their sound that doesn't glam it out like Placebo, but is there. They narrowly edged out Dinosaur Jr , I think I listened to this one a little more.

 http://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2016/10/black-foxxes-im-not-well.html

5- Merchandise- "a Corpse Wired For Sound"


 I guess the fact the band is on classic goth label 4AD , has finally settled in on them, so  it should not come as a surprise that the trappings of shoe gaze are more prominent in the guitar department on this album. It took a couple listens for me to fully appreciate the opening track.Perspective is a funny thing.  If I went Overall this album is great and Carson once again throws you a sonic curve ball and refuses to replicate past work and forge ahead creativelyinto the album not knowing it was Carson Cox and co, I would have latched onto the darker tones driving the songs.

 http://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2016/09/merchandise-corpse-wired-for-sound.html

4- 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

3- the Weeknd- Star Boy

 The tone of this album is much different and embracing more of a dance vibe with strong ties to house music. With the amount of drugs is supposedly does this is no surprise. The Micheal Jackson influence can be still felt on songs like "Rockin" though musically it is much more like Euro dance

http://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2016/11/the-weeknd-star-boy.html

2-Planes Mistaken for Stars- " Prey"

 These guys were always ahead of their time and finds music of today coming a little closer to meeting them in the middle. There has always been an unhinged side to the band and this is what the new album opens with. "Til it Clicks" is less explosive, but more of what I want from this band. The darker melody hangs around on "Riot Season" even after the pace picks up. The yowls of self loathing still haunt Jared's gravelly vocals riding the line between screaming and singing. The guitar to "Fucking Tenderness" carries some melody before tightening the tension. The vocals fill the spaces in the song perfectly and the band touching perfectly on all their trademarks without feeling like this song is any less urgent than it is.They are back in fine form and not standing stagnant in the legend of yesterday.

http://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2016/10/planes-mistaken-for-stars-prey.html

1- David Bowie - "Black Star"

 It was the Thin White Duke's 25th album. He released it on his 69th birthday. Then he died and most of you made me sick the way you ran out to get this looking for clues if he was hinting that he knew the time was coming. So lets talk about the music ...it's vulgar I know but some body has go to do it. The lead single and title track opens the album, finding Bowie in a darker and more surreal place than his last album. There is a very experimental ambiance to things that will delight fans of his Brian Eno years. His collections of musicians  ranges from LCD Soundsystem to avant garde jazz , with the jazz contingent weighing more heavily. Not his best album ever, or even post-"Lets Dance" I think "Outside" is way better and "the Next Day" might be as well, but it's Bowie so no one can really compete making this almost a no contest.

 http://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2016/01/david-bowie-black-star.html

the Top 10 Hardcore/Punk Albums of 2016

This is going to encompass anything that is a bastard son of punk from grind core to emo. This was an emotionally charged year, but none of these albums are really that political. And yet every one tried to console themselves after the election by saying at least punk will get good. Well the tried and true NOFX's have gotten old and might not have been bad, they just are not as good as any of the bands on the top ten hardcore punk albums of 2016 list. If you wanna hear what a band sounds like and are too lazy to find them yourself, then use the review links. 10-Meek is Murder-"Was" The Brooklyn trio returns and the first song is about a minute making it almost as grinding as it is hardcore. Almost like a more spastic and less powerful version of what Nails does . They sometimes opt for a more punk jangle. Very ADD, these guys are pretty fucking impressive when they commit to the results. http://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2016/07/meek-is-murder-was.html 9-Thraenenkind-"King Apathy" This band features members of Heretoir, so for some reason they get pegged as being post-rock, post-punk, but it feels like crusty metal to me so I am a little confused. Sure there is some atmosphere to it. The bass player is on point. The title track is straight up metal with little need to try and dress it up with other sub-genres, though it's obvious these guys influences hail from the days of Myspace. Unlike Heretoir I would not call them gaze anything either. They do go from a mid-paced emo like riff into black metal, but that is really as close as they come to that whole thing. While this album is heavier and more metal than Heretoir, it doesn't pull me in as quickly.The throaty vocals feel like this is a more metal version of Hotwatermusic or Coalesce. So post- hardcore is a more fitting sub-genre than post-whatever else. Given the organic feel of this music I am not surprised that these guys are straight edge vegan anarchists . Once upon a time it was more surprising to find some one in the hardcore scene who wasn't. http://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2016/05/thraenenkind-king-apathy.html

8-Naive-s/t It's easy to become jaded about post-punk. If you are an old goth who has been listening to the original bands for over twenty years or longer, then you heard most of it played better then first time around. They take the more typical Joy Division sound loosen it up with an almost surf rock guitar tone and female vocals. They curve balls keep coming with the surreal dynamics employed that make you feel like you are on acid.Not what I expected going into my first encounter with this German band. There is more of punk attitude to the second song. Think that weird melodic place that 7 Seconds eventually wandered off to. http://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2016/04/naive-st-lp.html

7-Terrible Love-"Change Nothing" Hard-core with a British accent can rub me the wrong way as they never sound angry enough, so I had to go into this pretending it was more along the line of Iceage. Tonally these guys are pretty dynamic and have the sonic palate to create a dark enough sound, without having to go all Converge on us here. They often jangle more than they chug.Even when the pace picks up into a more frantic punk buzz, it's hard for me to think of these guys as hard-core. I like what they did on the first song more than where they go on MT. Misery. I don't need breakdowns, I do need the punch that they eventually find on this one.I suppose post-hardcore is a fitting title for what they are doing since it sounds more like angry indie rock. http://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2016/03/terrible-love-change-nothing.html 6-Terminus Cursus-"ON OF" What the hell is going on in Florida? These guys from St. Pete are killing it. Here is a band that came out of no where and really got weird in an original fashion. They are heavy, but not metal, so you know I am going to be a fan of that. the vocals really take it into a more feral place, when these guys explode they come closer to a more garage rock version of the Refused, though the bass line recalls Fugazi. The vocals are more punk than not even when coasting on more of an angular groove. - http://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2016/07/terminus-cursus-on-of.html

5-Apologies I Have None-"Pharmacie"

 If you are British it's ok to have a poppier take on punk. You accent and attitude will make it all work out in the end. This is the first lesson we are learning from the opening track of this band's new album. By pop punk think more Brand New than Blink 182. "Wraith" is more introspective and explodes in a manner than expresses aggression in a way that darkens back to Myspace ...in other words bordering on emo. But it is darker so that makes up for it. This album's strong points are it's lyrics and the over all honesty of the emotions poured into it.

 http://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2016/08/apologies-i-have-none-pharmacie.html

4-Bleached-"Welcome the Worms"

 The pop punk swagger, touches on the pop influence from the 50's that the Ramones carried rather than anything like Fall Out Boy.  The album's strength lies in when the instrumentation has the punk attitude without cramping the vocals. The songs are narratives on the party life of West Hollywood's legendary rock scene that still finds band's trying to chase the ghosts of Motley Crue. These girls might have more of dark side than say the Donna's they are more thoughtful than just getting wasted and throwing their t.v. out of the hotel window.If you are looking for something fun, then take a ride with these gals.
 http://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2016/04/bleached-welcome-worms.html


 3-Death Index- s/t

 Carson Cox got his start playing in hard core punk bands before starting Merchandise. It is weird hearing his  croon over the more pounding pieces. It makes more sense on "Dream Machine" which has more swagger and finds them meeting at that cross roads in the 80s that I am such a big fan of where punk got darker and more melodic. "The Meal" finds this throbbing down an even darker sonic alley. It's not smoothed out like Merchandise, and has feedback squealing off the edges. When they throw themselves into a more boisterous punk on the short blast of "Furio Controllo" it  has more in common with more the Stooges that say Negative Approach. The punk spasms come from unexpected places.Overall there hasn't been a punk album dark enough to do much for me in sometime so it's good to hear something fresh from an old familiar voice

. http://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2016/02/death-index-st.html

 

 2-Nails - "You Will Never Be One of Us" 

 I predicted 2016 as the year grind-core and power-violence breaks through into the metal mainstream. What Weekend Nachos failed to deliver is being jack hammered into your face by this band.  Their guitar tone is as nasty as you can get and still play riffs that hold together actual songs. Even then when I used the word songs here I am describing sharp bursts of anger. Grind-core has never been my forte, typically because of the genre's limited range of dynamic expression. Coloring with only the red crayon of anger can limit what you do, this band from Southern Los Angeles colors with this crayon so well, I know what I'm in for and can hold on for the jolting ride. The first song and title track fakes you out as it seems so maturity might have come into the song writing process for these guys.Fans of their previous work are getting what they asked for after "Abandon All Life " made them scream for more. For them to have sold me on this genre was pretty impressive.

 http://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2016/06/nails-you-will-never-be-one-of-us.html

1-Planes Mistaken for Stars- " Prey"

 These guys were always ahead of their time and finds music of today coming a little closer to meeting them in the middle. There has always been an unhinged side to the band and this is what the new album opens with. "Til it Clicks" is less explosive, but more of what I want from this band. The darker melody hangs around on "Riot Season" even after the pace picks up. The yowls of self loathing still haunt Jared's gravelly vocals riding the line between screaming and singing. The guitar to "Fucking Tenderness" carries some melody before tightening the tension. The vocals fill the spaces in the song perfectly and the band touching perfectly on all their trademarks without feeling like this song is any less urgent than it is.They are back in fine form and not standing stagnant in the legend of yesterday.

http://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2016/10/planes-mistaken-for-stars-prey.html

Thanks For Nothing : the Top 10 Break Up Songs

Before you are surrounded by depressing X-mas music every time you go out into public for the month to come we are going to wallow in this list of the top 10 break up songs. Many of these touch upon feelings that are as varied as those in the five stages of grief... denial, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance.This roller coaster touches on varied genres ranging from pop to metal.

10-Planes Mistaken For Stars - "Clean Up Mean" 

The newest song on the list off of the band's latest album "Prey". It's taking the number 10 spot since it has stood the test of time like some of the other songs.

 

 9-Marvin Gaye- "Is That Enough"

From the cocaine fueled concept album "Here My Dear", Gaye used powder and pain to propel this opus. He stepped away from the Motown hit formula to pour his soul in these somewhat progressive songs in this concept album that tells the story of his divorce.


 

8-the Twilight Sad - " I Could Give You All That You Don't Want"

These guys opened for the Cure, who are not on this list, because most of their music is happy or sensuous to me. These guys however have the melancholy and longing down. This one moves towards acceptance.

 

7- Alice In Chains - "Sea of Sorrow"
There is more acceptance with a tinge of anger, much like real life the stages of grief bleed into one another.

 

6-Morrissey "I Am Hated For Loving"

 For this I think  for the sake of  this list his solo career beats out the Smiths when it comes this brand of heart ache.

 

5- Taylor Swift - "I Almost Do"

I have alluded to my love for Tay Tay, bu think it is the first time her music has graced this blog. The lyrics and melodies are pretty moving and relate-able. For pop music these days it's the best it gets.



4- Chevelle- " I Get It "

While the lyrical metaphor is thick here, the sentiment fits, with sarcastic anger to serve as a proper middle finger to vent the anger stage of grief.

 

3- Type O Negative- "In Praise of Bacchus" 

These guys have a few, but Peter Steele's lonely drinking song takes the despair out on the streets of Brooklyn in ponderous reflection. It examines the complexities of  heart break in the lonely city.


 2-Chelsea Wolfe- "Mistake in Parting"

 The title track from her first album that has a more grunge tinged conventional rock sound. No ghostly vocals here, lyrically the honesty in this one might be here best work despite not being hidden in the shadows of metaphor she is now known for.

 

1-Megadeth- "In My Darkest Hour"

 This is a classic that has stuck with me even when I began hating Dave Mustaine for becoming a christian and sucking at pretty much life, with making shitty music his worst offense. Here it's dramatic, even putting suicide on the table, but isn't that where metal should go?  His darkest moments here seem believable.

Planes Mistaken For Stars : "Prey"

These guys were always ahead of their time and finds music of today coming a little closer to meeting them in the middle. There has always been an unhinged side to the band and this is what the new album opens with. "Til it Clicks" is less explosive, but more of what I want from this band. The darker melody hangs around on "Riot Season" even after the pace picks up. The yowls of self loathing still haunt Jared's gravelly vocals riding the line between screaming and singing. The guitar to "Fucking Tenderness" carries some melody before tightening the tension. The vocals fill the spaces in the song perfectly and the band touching perfectly on all their trademarks without feeling like this song is any less urgent than it is.

The guitar have more of a clanging jangle on "She Who Steps". This is more of a punk song despite being longer than some of the other more melodic songs. Three and a half minutes in it breaks down into a moody exploration. The build in this song might make you check to see if your speakers are blown. Their ability to convey emotion hit you hard on "Clean Up Mean" , which is the first song that really blows my socks off. It's very powerful. "Black Rabbit" finds them stripping it down to just an acoustic. If memory serves me Jared was pulling off these husky vocals back when Neurosis was still roaring all the time. The hit a more sonic heaviness on "Pan In Flames" than reminds me more of the pre-"Up In them Guts" days.

"Enemy Blinds" has more calm in it's storm. It locks in an drones into the nervous break down that doesn't really come until the next song. You can hear hints of how post- rock might have influenced these guys while they were gone. "Alabaster Cello" doesn't really sound like anything they have done before. I 'll easily give this one a 10 as they are back in fine form and not standing stagnant in the legend of yesterday.






  fg12                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  643