Poppy : "Empty Hands"

 Poppy's new album raises a few questions, as I am not willing to believe this was made in a creative vacuum, causing me to start clicking around to investigate. First off, if it is obvious she has been doing the festival circuit, she is aware of what music works to move large crowds.  Jordan Fish from Bring Me the Horizon, who worked on her last album with her, worked on this one as well, which makes sense as there is a similar feel,l though more pop elements and modern rock elements run through a filter of what Spiritbox did on their last album, so rather than Courtney being mistaken for Poppy the tables have been turned. She collaborated with Courtney and Amy Lee on a single that was pretty boring last year, but she got to see how Courtney works, and she seeks to follow that path on."Bruised Sky," which was the first song released from this album. 

There is more groove to "Guardian," but it invokes the same kind of anthemic choruses that even Spiritbox feels like they borrowed from nu-metal. Everything still works up to this point, though I doubt this formula will keep its gas for the duration of the album. "Unravel" is more electronically driven, with lighter pop vocals floating over it, though it works well for what it is. This is less of a metal album than the last Spiritrbox. The dudes in House of Protection also lend their instruments to the cause on this album. The guitarist from Knocked Loose helped write "Dying to Forget," which is the heaviest song so far, though that is not the highest bar. She screams and sings on this one, the sung vocals factoring in more heavily on this album. 

"Time Will Tell' pretty much follows the blueprint of commercial rock music in 2026. I feel like experimenting more would play in her favor rather than just sounding like everyone else. "Eat the Hate" goes in more of a 90s direction. I respect this more than sounding like today's take on commercial rock music. "The Wait' is more of a ballad. I like where "If I am the Light" is going; I hope it maintains its trajectory. Despite defaulting to the big anthemic chorus and metalcore breakdown, the shift in the verses is enough to work. 'Ribs" follows a similar dynamic with its choruses. The title track closes the album and finds her throwing herself into a more cathartic metalcore chaos. I will give this album a 9, it works for what she does , but it feels like there is not enough of her personality here and too much pandering to the bigger crowds.Yet there is enough of what even long time fans want to make it worthwhile.  

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Just How Metal is Babymetal's "Metal Forth" album?

 The novelty of this album lies in the fact that the J-Pop group features a guest artist on each track. The only reason I decided to give this album a listen is because Poppy and Spiritbox are on it. Both artists flirt between the boundaries of what is metal and pop, just because an album has distorted guitars and some screaming on it does not make the album metal, metal is an aggressive feeling of darkness, that can be expressed in a few ways that is why we have over a dozen sub-genre, that split into a half dozen more sub-genre, so i am breaking each track down to score how metal it is on a scale of 1 to 10, 1 being pop to 10 being the level of metal that bands like Nails and Morbid Angel exist on, We can say Slipknot is a 9, solo Ozzy an 8, 7 being hard rock with metal influences a band like Alice in Chains, 6 being just loud rock think Motley Crue, 

"from me to u" 

Is an OK pop song thanks to Poppy's contributions, though not the most original thing. They seem more like cheerleaders when not just employing melodies that sound like they could be played on the opening sequence of any anime. The guitars sound like they were sampled from a digital audio workstation, which, knowing Jordan Fish, who produced this it would not surprise me. 

metal score- 3 

"Ratatata"

This one is a collaboration with Electric Callboy, another "metal core' artist not unlike Bad Omens, who is more of a pop artist than they are metal, though they have wisely partnered with artists like HEALTH and Poppy , to give them more balls, Electric Callboy is less discerning, and in truth this album feels like Disneyfying the concept of metal as a marketing gimmick. This one has heavier production and a harsher vocal accent, but not much heavier than the previous song. 

metak score- 4 

"Song 3" 

This song was on Slaughter to Prevail 's new album, so perhaps they agreed to share the rights and allowed  Babymetal to use it on their album despite Alex Terrible and his comrades being the driving force behind it. 

Metal Score- 8

"Kon ! Kon!" 

With Bloodywood on this track, it is like the ethnic gimmicks had collided. Bloodywood brings a more nu-metal sound to the song, which feels more like System of a Down's more pop-inflected moments. It's pretty much a mish-mash of musical nonsense. 

Metal Score- 4

"KxAxWxAxIxI"

It's just the schoolgirls by themsevles on this one which is more electronic music, that mixes dub-step with trap, it has a groove, but that is about it , though I think when they fully embrace the fact they are pop artists, they are at least not trying to be something they are not, and it works better.

Metal Score- 2 

"Sunset Kiss"

This one features Polyphia, who is an artist I have never given much of a thought to. It sounds like tracks Spiritbox was planning on using but scrapped when they got better ideas. Yes, there are lots of technical guitar dynamics and solos, but they feel pretty hollow

Metal Score- 4

"My Queen" 

This one features Spiritbox, while you can hear the influence they had on this one, this is not up to the quality of writing they showed on their most recent album, which was stellar, so this is a disappointment. The breakdown Courtney shows up on makes the heaviest moment behind what was basically a Slaughter to Prevail song. 

Metal Score-  6

"Algorism" 

Is another song that finds Babymetal on their own, and the results are pretty sad. I mean if you are into J-Pop, it's going to be the best of an already disposable genre of music. 

Metal Score- 2 

"Metal !" 

The only thing I respect about Tom Morello is his love of Kiss. So he is not a key selling point for anything. The only thing metal about this song is its title. The little girls sing better, and this one, but overall it's a pretty stupid song, and nothing about it is metal. 

Metal Score- 2 

"White Flame" 

This is the 3rd song of a 10-song album that is just Babymetal, meaning they need lots of help. It once again sounds like it could be the generic theme song for any anime, no heavier than what you might find on Netflix

Metal Score -3 

Overall Metal score- Rounding it down to a 3.5 feels fair enough, considering beyond the production and sonics, the feel of this album is the least metal thing, so more metal than Taylor Swift, about on par with what it might sound like if Katy Perry tried to make a rock album. 

In terms of overall songwriting quality, which is what I normally base reviews on, things like replay value and how long it will stand the test of time, I will give this a 5, making it one of the worst albums I have sat through this year so far. 

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The Top 10 Albums Most Mistaken for Metal in 2024

Once upon a time, the battle cry championed by metal bands was "Death to False Metal", it's a sentiment going back to the earliest beginnings of the genre when it drew lines to separate itself from the bands of the Sunset Strip who wanted the look but were making glammed out pop music. Today kids are thin-skinned and take offense screaming out that this is gatekeeping rather than seeing it as quality control standards. Most of those people just need to feel like they belong wherever they want to go and call those who actually belong there elitists as a projection of their own insecurities. 

I'm here to say fuck your feelings. In the interest of this blog's mission statement pledging to always tell it like it is easy even if you can't handle the truth. After seeing albums like those represented here appearing on metal top ten lists, I think it fair to set the record straight and have some truth in advertising to pick out the top ten offenders in this regard. Four of these entries are great albums, they just are not great metal albums. They are great rock, shoe-gaze, and trip-hop albums, just not metal. There are a few that are terrible, but they are also not metal so here we go setting the record straight for you.  

 10- Unto Others - "Never Neverland" 

These guys used to make cock rock dressed up as goth, but now they are applying that template to pop music, it's catchier than their previous work, Wish it was darker than it is. 

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2024/08/unto-others-never-neverland.html

9-Haunted Plasma -"I' 

This album features members of Oranassi Pazuzu, but that doesn't make it metal. It does carry a great dark throb to it and has Mat McNeary lending his voice to this album, so it sometimes sounds like Grave Pleasures on acid. Lots of metal comes from Finland, this project is not counted among that. 

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2024/04/haunted-plasma-i.html

8-Dool- "The Shape of Fluidity" 

There were once doom metal elements to what they did on their previous album. This more rock n roll approach to things works as they are appearing on more end-of-the-year lists, which means they are getting more recognition, which works for me, as they deserve it even if they are growing away from metal. 

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2024/05/dool-shape-of-fluidity.html

7-Bring me the Horizon - ""Post Human -NeX GEn" 

This is a fun pop album, Pierce the Veul might do it better, but kids seem to like this, though kids don't know any better as they are young and dumb, we know better, making it our job to set the record straight, distortion or the occasional scream does not make things metal, even pop bands throw temper tantrums from time to time. 

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2024/05/bring-me-horizon-post-human-nex-gen.html

6-Devin Townsend- "Powernerd" 

Here is a good case in point of an artist who was in a metal band (Strapping Young Lad) branching off to play other kinds of music, Sure the influence of their metal past is there, but that does not make their current project metal. What this album proves is Def Leppard would be fools for not asking Devy to produce their next album as he sounds more like them than they have in decades. If you are tempted to say Def Leppard is metal then you should keep your mouth shut before you embarrass yourself. 

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2024/11/devin-townsend-powernerd.html

5-Pallbearer - "Mind Burns Alive" 

It was not so long ago these guys were a doom-metal band. People change and artists grow out of genres and do other things, I can accept that. These guys made one of the year's best shoe-gaze albums, so at least if they are no longer a metal band they are good at what they are doing. 

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2024/04/pallbearer-mind-burns-alive.html

 

4-Zeal & Ardor-"Grief" 

This one made it onto my worst albums of 2024 list. This project has a long history of being mislabeled thanks to the wishful thinking of the music press. They were first called black metal when they had more in common with ni-metal, and now they are just a shitty rock band who might as well be Breaking Benjamin or some other radio shit. 

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2024/08/zeal-ardor-grief.html

3-Poppy-"Negative Spaces" 

I like this album, and while Poppy has appropriated metal in the past, this album kind of splits the difference between her flirtations with nu-metal and the pop of her previous album. There is a mainstream radio rock formula on most of these songs that she makes work thanks to her quirky charisma. I think the guest appearance she did with Knocked Loose this year has made people unable to compartmentalize her from her own career, but this is not a metal album, industrial-influenced pop at best. 

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

2-Linkin Park -"From Zero"

Lumped in with nu-metal, but they have never been a metal band. This album brings that fact to the forefront. It's not a bad album though unable to live up to its hype, this is a fun lighthearted pop album that its fans are taking way too seriously. 

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2024/11/linkin-park-from-zero.html

1-Chelsea Wolfe -" She Reaches Out To She Reaches Out To She"

She's never made a metal album, there are albums where that is used as a dynamic in a few songs, but never throughout. This is more of a trip-hop album it is closer to Portishead than Motorhead, and yet it keeps appearing on metal lists because people are well ...stupid. I prefer the acoustic episode to this one , as it sounds more like her, but it continues to grow on me.  Regardless of how good it is, if you think this is metal, you clearly don't know what you are talking about. 

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2024/02/chelsea-wolfe-she-reaches-out-to-she.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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The Top 10 Pop Albums of 2024

Pop does not have to be a bad word. Sadly the music industry takes it down a deeper hole of vapid capitalism, by pumping out products rather than music with anything to say.  Unlike their more mainstream counterparts, these albums were not rolled from the same assembly line and did not need the teams of songwriters and producers to create for them, they generally did this themselves.  Here are albums that stand shoulder to shoulder with other genres, proving pop does not have to be trash, despite being that more often than not these days. 

 After I sort through the top 10 albums of all the respective genres, I use those lists to compile the top 10 albums of the year for 2024. The very 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. Perhaps you can find your next favorite on this list; and have included links to reviews of these albums if you want to check out the audio on these guys. Anyway here are the top 10 Pop albums of 2024.

10- Little Hag -"Not That's What I Call Little Hag" 

Clever indie pop occupies a needed void in this kind of pop music. She sings about her vibrator, and adds quirky touches of actual instruments, more larger artists need to take notes from here.  

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2024/06/little-hag-now-thats-what-i-call-little.html

9-Lauren Mayberry - "Vicious Creature" 

Here first solo album might not be on the level of  Chvrches but does allow you to hear some different sides of her, though her vocal approach is not wildly different. Solid song diverted my thoughts from obsessing about the fact this could have been studio time invested in a new album from her band, but she seems pretty earnest in her efforts here.

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2024/12/lauren-mayberry-vicious-creature.html

 

8-Eminem -" The Death of  Slim Shady"  

The opening track to Marshall Mathers' 12th album is a minute and a half, making it more of an intro to remind you who he is without having to knock on your TV set. This album might be s better than most pop music on the radio these days, even if it's not his best album. I am glad he did not censor himself and went for it on this one, which is actually this album's strength. 

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2024/07/eminem-death-of-slim-shady.html

 

7-Allie X - "Girl With No Face" 

She has always created a more thoughtful take on pop music, however, once she thinks too deeply into things the more she drifts in a dark wave direction. The 80s hint of it can certainly be heard on this album. This album is pretty infectious and another act that proves you do not have to have a whole team of songwriters and producers to make pop music.

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2024/02/allie-x-girl-with-no-face.html

6-Denzel Curry -" The King of the Mischievous South" 

When it comes to Hip-hop this year there seems to be a Bone Thugs N Harmony theme when it comes to what is resonating with me. . While the phrase of lyrics being spat here, does share a similar cadence to Bone, there is more of a trap feel than what $uicide Boy$ were doing,.This much like their Louisiana peers, care about songwriting, and there is a darker vibe to what they are doing. For me to download a hip-hop album these days they have to be doing something right and care about writing songs, even if it is only to gain the kind of clout they rap about

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2024/11/denzel-curry-king-of-mischievous-south.html

5-Poppy- "Negative Spaces" 

I think Poppy is pretty sincere in what she does, but she also blurs the lines in what she does. This album is not "Suffocate". This album has nothing to do with Knocked Loose. Just because there is a distorted guitar on some songs does not mean this is not a pop album. It's a little over-produced and relies on her charisma, but it's fun which is what pop should be. 

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

4 -Mothica -"Kissing Death" 

The third album by this dark pop singer finds a mix of post-millennial dark-wave sounds with thoughtful hooks in a concept album theme of romancing the death as personified as the Grim Reaper. As someone who has a worshipful adoration of death myself, I can appreciate this, as well as an artist who steers clear of the normal pop tropes.

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2024/09/mothica-kissing-death.html

3-$uicide Boy$ - "New World Depression" 

Since Hip-hop does not have its own list just know this was the best hip-hop album of the year by a long shot. This is the fourth album by the New Orleans-based duo. The production value of their albums continues to improve, now finding the raw lo-fi quality that marked their early days as the first wave of Soundcloud rappers gone and it's not unlike when Bone Thugs N Harmony was at their peak in the 90s.

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2024/06/uicideboy-new-world-depression.html

 2-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

1-Taylor Swift - "The Tortured Poets Department" 

She had pretty decent competition, but at the end of the day, it's her songwriting and lyrical ability that continues to dominate pop music. There is a reason she has a fantastical cult of fans. If we weigh her other albums again this one there might be more debate, but that is where she is as an artist, Swift only has her own work to measure things against. I think this is at least as strong as her more recent work, which is enough to put her over the artists like Charli XCX, who made a great album by pop standards, Swift is just head and shoulders above those standards, as she is not as much of a product. 

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2024/04/taylor-swift-tortured-poets-department.html

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November's Top 10 Albums

It's time for November's top 10 albums. Staying abreast of the month's highlights might help casual readers see what they missed and check these artists out. I am not writing little blurbs on them and just linking the reviews. I am using this to organize my lists for the end of the year, by listing the genre of music the album falls under. Inclusion here does not mean that these albums have been released this month, but it is a list of new or upcoming albums I have enjoyed the most, I have albums in my in-box that are not coming out til next year so I am normally way ahead of the curve in this regard. They are ranked in order of what I have listened to the most. This month there is a wide variety from Synth wave to Doom metal so you may find your new favorite among them. Here are the Top 10 albums for  November of 2024.

10-Aiwaz- "Darrkh… It Is!" 

Doom

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2024/11/november-is-doom-aiwaz-darrkh-it-is.html

9-Yersin- "THE SCYTHE IS REMORSELESS"

Crust 

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2024/11/yersin-scythe-is-remorseless.html

8-Ulver -"Liminal Animals"

Synth Wave 

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2024/11/ulver-red-light.html

7-Poppy-"Negative Spaces" 

Nu-pop Electronica 

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

6-Underworld -'Strawberry Hotel" 

Electronic 

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2024/11/underworld-strawberry-hotel.html

5-Opeth -"The Last Will & Testament"

Prog

 

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2024/11/opeth-last-will-testament.html

4- Fatima- "Eerie" 

Grunge

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2024/11/november-is-doom-fatima-eerie.html

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

Goth Rock

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

2-David Gilmour - 'Luck and Strange" 

Progressive Rock 

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2024/11/david-gilmour-luck-and-strange.html

1- the Cure -"Songs of a Lost World " 

Goth 

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2024/10/the-cure-songs-of-lost-world.html

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POPPY : "Negative Spaces"

 I like that I  can click play on Poppy's new album with no clue what kind of music I will get. The opening track blends the two polarities I suspect might possess this album given the collaborations she has had this year. About as industrial as In This Moment, and still has sugary hooks, as well as her screaming, which I think she legitimized in her duet with Knocked Loose. There are still traces of rock drive in the second song that moves more like slick pop on the verse. It is a little more formulaic than her previous forays into this kind of thing, maybe she is dialing back the weird a little to be more palatable to the rock festival stages she is gracing. She still hits harder than Sleep Token. 

With experience and time on the road, she grew in her abilities as both a screamer and singer.  Jordan Fish of Bring Me the Horizon produced her new album. He did better with some of the more pop sounds than expected"Crystallized" is a good example. Though ''Vital" feels a little more homogenized, it could use a more experimental touch that marked her other work. We are not six albums into her career, so the sound is now perhaps streamlined in a manner that conforms to the mainstream too much. "Push go" finds a better balance though it's not far removed from what Olivia Rodrigo already does. I like the subtle use of the more exotic scales that sneak into her melody as it progresses making it one of the album's best songs. 

"Nothing" is back to more aggressive elements swinging the stylistic pendulum in a manner that plays to her strengths. The chorus sounds like it could be an anime soundtrack which works for her brand. Halfway into the album, I realized there are 15 songs, which is a lot, so there is more margin for error I suppose than if she went for 9 or 10. Not every heavy moment is the best, as "The Center is Falling Out' could use more hooks. There are also a few interludes, which I am not counting for the purpose of this review so realistically there are 12 songs. The title track is pretty strong even if it leans into more of a 90s pop punk feel. 

The power ballad 'Surviving on Defiance' works really well. It shows what she is still capable of even in this more commercial context. "New Way Out" is back to more of a nu-metal bounce. From looking at the production credits of the album, it is revealed there is not a band as much a trio of producers. I would be curious to see a making of the album to see if the guitar sounds are all sampled. I think there are many points on the album where there are distorted synth sounds, that are overdriven enough in post-production to create a guitar sound. Making this album less organic and more electronic than you might think Though Jordan Fish has enough basic guitar skills to pull off some of this.

The last song is more of a ballad that works well enough it kind of touches on some of the more whimsical sounds that have been heard on Grimes albums. Overall even with the more streamlined commercially viable direction this album works and I will give it a 9.5. Let's see how it grows on me from here. 

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Bad Omens : " Concrete Jungle ost"

 

Bad Omens is one of the millennial bands who is more pop than they are rock and the rock elements they possess are largely thanks to the production tricks in the studio.  This is the conclusion I came to after realizing I had not actually heard what they sounded like when left to their own devices before I reviewed their new collaborative album. They have pretty decent taste in music when it comes to the artists they are pairing up with as Poppy and HEALTH appear on the first two songs., which are slappers for this very reason, taking the nu-skool of industrial and applying it to what Bad Omens does. However, when the guest is less impressive like Bob Vylan, the result suffers as the band needs to do more to balance things out. This why the song Poppy is on sounds more like a Poppy song and the same could be said about the HEALTH track. Wargasm does bring out the best in "Hedonist". 

This is a double album with the second half being a live album I am not reviewing and just focusing on the studio portion. "Even' shows the band on their own. The result is basically a pop song proving my previous point. Thought pop with vocal melodies that are not really doing a great deal to hook you in and more of a chill sound that you might hear in the waiting area of a hair salon. There are moments like "Loading Screen' which are just interludes.  With Erra on "Anything More than Human" you might assume the end results will be heavier. Wrong... they are more pop, but it's too well done for me to complain about it.

'Nervous System" features industrial strength future pop artist iRis, EXE. It sounds more like it could be just her until the band kicks in. They collaborate with Thousand Below the first being "Artifical Suicide" which conforms to a more Slipknot flavored take on nu-metal. Then they lean into the pop side of the equation for "The Grey" though there are more electronic elements, that create the re-mix feeling, taking the emphasis off the song part. The remix with We Are the Fury, clocks in closer to pop, and with it comes more emphasis on the vocal melody which is lighter and more in line with the likes of Sleep Token. So Wylie does similar honors by creating a more atmospheric pop landscape. 

They keep things moving in this ambient pop direction for "BAD DECISIONS" which does not create much space between what they do and the Weeknd. It works for the song, which is a decent pop ballad. Though I am sure if their fan base is really showing up for slow jams, if they are that is even more telling about them. British pop duo Lets Eat Grandma joins them for "Just Pretend', which is another 80s-tinged synth wave ballad. I will round this down to a 9, it's holding the score there since there are some really strong songs on the first half, and the last quarter of the album weighs things down with the ballads, though most are well done, it just depends if that is what you are in the mood for. 

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Knocked Loose : "You Won't Go Before You're Supposed To"

"Suffocate"  was enough to make me look forward to checking this album out.. This album is heavier than expected. The first song was hard-hitting without falling into too many of the metal tropes. This is the album, that is poised to break these guys big.  By the time we get to "Don't Reach For Me," it's clear they have established what they are doing here and now need to expand upon that concept. With a 46-second song like "Moss Covers All" they are willing to indulge their more power- violence-leaning influences. 

But to be going on tour with Slipknot, I expected this album to be more ripe with the darker more experimental notions that can be heard on "Take Me Home". They are going to need more of these moments to separate themselves from the pack that is already trying to make metal-core rock stadiums. Chris Motionless is certainly one of those figures that it makes sense they might align themselves with even though his band is on the more mainstream side of this scene. The song is well-written enough and has enough sonic nuance to work. 

"The Calm That Keeps You Awake" carries a little of the eerie dissonance that counterbalances the normal pounding and screaming these guys deliver. Their lead screamer puts his voice in the right places, he could just do more to create more colors with his voice, rather than just screaming from such a singular place of anger. This begins to make all the songs sound the same by the time we get to "Blinding Faith".  The last song is the only song that really brings nu-metal to mind, which is a miscalculation on the part of the music press, who have been hailing these guys as the band on the forefront of what could be the next nu-metal revival, since if there are no new bands fostering the genre then it just happens all the old band are just doing cash grab reunions. These guys have stuck to their hardcore roots well, I will give this a 9, and bet on this album is more inspired than the new Kittie whenever that drops. 

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The Top 10 Pop Albums of 2023

Pop does not have to be a bad word. Sadly the music industry takes it down a deeper hole of vapid capitalism, by pumping out products rather than music with anything to say.  Unlike their more mainstream counterparts, these albums were not rolled from the same assembly line and did not need the teams of songwriters and producers to create for them, they generally did this themselves.  Here are albums that stand shoulder to shoulder with other genres, proving pop does not have to be trash, despite being that more often than not these days.  After I sort through the top 10 albums of all the respective genres, I use those lists to compile the top 10 albums of the year. 2023. The very 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. Perhaps you can find your next favorite on this list; and have included links to reviews of these albums if you want to check out the audio on these guys. Anyway here are the top 10 Pop albums of 2023.

10-Hot Milk - "A Call to the Void" 

Closer to rock than Chvrches with the aggressive punchy nature of what they do, they are not better musicians than Chvrches as they tend to lean into pretty simple Tik Tok pop punk. Blending a few different styles the Paramore style of pop influenced by punk seems to be the core of who they are. 

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2023/08/hot-milk-call-to-void.html

 

9-KANGA- "Under Glass" 

She is back with another synth-driven stab at aggressive pop, sung from the shadows in a sultry alto. This time however the sound is underlit with neon. The melodies are more graceful this time around. She has some strong moments for this celebration of forward-thinking pop that still owes a debt to the industry that spawned it. 

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2023/12/kanga-under-glass.html

8-Kylie Minogue - "Tension" 

Kylie's 16th album. 15 songwriters and 9 Producers are more than legit rock bands, but these days pretty par for the course when it comes to pop music, and more respectable than artists like Doja Cat and Lizzo who have over 25 of each.  Minogue's brand of dance music is more complex than what either of those artists are doing. She also has more of a European fan base, with more progressive tastes. The most remarkable thing might also be due in part to her producers, but Minogue does not sound like she is 55. Her voice is light and high almost like her barely 20-something pop counterparts in the States.

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2023/09/kylie-minogue-tension.html

7-the National -"The First Two Pages of Frankenstein" 

The vocals are more memorable and melodies weave complex webs of melancholy around everything. Granted this album has nothing really to do with Frankenstein as the title suggests. Instead, they have written some thoughtful, introspective songs, but still go somewhere. Matt's sullen baritone remains understated but with impeccable phrasing as the lyrics bounce off the music around him. 

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2023/04/the-national-first-two-pages-of.html

  6-Lana Del Rey -"Did you know that there is a tunnel..." 

Lana is ditching the spoken word of "Chemtrails" and her last album seemed to be more of the same ole same ole from her, as she languished on the seaside of California. To some extent that is who she is, but she needed to switch it up a bit. Slightly experimental, but well-produced rainy-day fun. 

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2023/03/lana-del-rey-did-you-know-that-there-is.html

 

5-Poppy -"Zig" 

Her fifth album finds her stepping more solidly into pop. Is it more quirky and darker than most mainstream pop? Yes. Though it conforms more to the mainstream pop formula than you might expect. but that is still more than enough to set her apart from the TikTok pandering artists your kids are listening to.

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2023/10/poppy-zig.html

 

 4-Boygenius - "the record" 

Well, Taylor Swift said these girls are her favorite new band, and  It also helps that at the center of this trio is  Phoebe Bridgers, who I am already a fan of. At times their brand of dreamy pop flirts with folk along with indie rock. Sure there is a hazy ambiance to what they do, which is supplemented by smart lyrics and hooky melodies. .

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2023/04/boygenius-record.html

3-Miley Cyrus _ "Endless Summer Vacation" 

Miley straddles the Nashville Songwriting machine she grew up with and the pop machine she went to after reinventing herself to shed Hannah Montana. Unlike most pop stars she still holds a very active hand in the songwriting process. This can most be felt in the lyrics and the melodies which retain similar themes as those we have heard in the past from her. Perhaps the pop hooks are not twerking in your face as they drip with sex sugar, but the more mature effort provides a more serious look into who Miley is at this stage in the game  

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2023/03/miley-cyrus-endless-summer-vacation.html

2-the Beaches -" Blame My Ex" 

Yeah, I am just as surprised as you that they beat Miley as this band came out of nowhere and killed it with this album. Taking the number two spot here is a testament to the fact that I listened to this album more than the other eight albums, The vocals on this album are really well produced, and this is done so without an entire team of producers. They just have really fucking clever songs. 

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2023/09/the-beaches-blame-my-ex.html

 

1-Pierce the Veil - "The Jaws of Life" 

Here is an album that had no business being as good as it is. I only knew this band from the Punk Goes Pop series of tribute albums. Much like that series, they strike me as being more on the pop side of the equation. Now five albums later the band has continued to shine their songwriting formula to create something catchier than other pop that dropped this year, while still carrying the torch for the Myspace era,. Singer Vic Fuentes'   tenor sounds like he is in high school. It is impressive that he has kept this youth vigor now that he is almost forty.  If Justin Beiber made metal the results might be similar. Which is better than it sounds on paper. In fact it is so good I listened to this album as much or more than any other album this year. 

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2023/02/pierce-veil-jaws-of-life.html

Poppy : "Zig"

 

The last album I heard from her was 2020's "I Disagree" so the transition is more dramatic of a jump. Her fifth album opens with the moody groove of  "Church Outfit", which finds her stepping more solidly into pop. Is it more quirky and darker than most mainstream pop? Yes. "Knock Off" is almost mainstream pop except for her lyrics going sideways at times and she sings about trailer parks. Her vocal performance has smoothed way down since the last album. For what this is it still works, but if you want the jarring experimental wildness she has captured in the past, well two songs in it's too soon to say.  "Hard" has an interesting atmosphere that toys with noise at the periphery, but it is very controlled in the mix. She goes in more aggressive vocals but this outburst is very brief for her. 

Strings lead into "What it Becomes". She continues to use the short hip-hop-influenced pop phrasing here, creating a melody that is more rhythmic than melodic. She keeps things in a single lane when it comes to the stylistic scope of the album so far. Musically "Flicker" is more interesting, but the lyrics are about her car and other vapid materialistic shit. The first guitar I hear is on "1s 0s". It's another song where the musical backdrop for her to play with is more complex than what she chooses to do with her melodies. Lyrically this song is less conforming than some of the previous tracks. 

The title track is one of the album's strongest songs, as it incorporates beefy rock guitar and her vocal melody does not try to adhere to the pop rule book. "Linger" is more of a ballad, with some weird synth sounds coloring the odd-timed beat. Her melodies could be more supported by a less minimalist bass line. "the Attic" would be another pop ballad if it was not for the break-beat drums that come in and keep things moving. To her credit, she does not require an entire assembly line of producers and songwriters to pull this off like most pop artists these days,. "Motorbike" has a funkier futuristic groove. Perhaps not as hooky as the pop artists who are whoring for the labels, it's still pretty damn catchy. 

The jarring bipolar twist of the last song is what this album needs more of as it is what made "I Disagree" stand out. I will give this album a 9, it's really well-done radio-ready pop music, runs through her eccentric filter to a lesser extent than previous releases, but that is still more than enough to set her apart from the TikTok pandering artists your kids are listening to. 

the Top 10 Rock Albums of 2020 ...so far

The year is half way gone. What do we have to show for it ? While you guys have been running scared I have been listening to music , new music. Yes it is still coming out in 2020 despite the music business being dealt a death blow it is not going to recover from. Savor these albums as unless it is released by an artist we are going to see less big releases coming out from this point on,as they are making less investments. If you are a musician you are screwed ,so here are ten artists that are worht your support though  3 of these guys are doing ok on their own and have other sources of income. now let us move onto why you clicked .

By rock here we are talking about anything that is not metal. There was not enough pop to justify making a seperate list and there are not a great deal of glaring pop albums aside from the number 10 album. I have albums coming out in August in my in-box already so I am way ahead of the curve, so this might be more prophetic of the year's best than in years before, considering how  bands can not tour to support releases , many are being delayed . So is this as good as 2020 is going to get ? I think not just in terms of music the answer is yes. Half of you might kill yourselves after what is going to happen in November, If you follow me on social media you know I am getting my transmissions from the aliens which are now even clearer since I am off my meds , but I have been pretty spot on in my predictions so far. It pays to be crazy these days.

10- Poppy- "I Disagree"

 This one grew on me. Makes a solid argument that she is more than a social media star trying to go metal. Head and shoulders over other gimmicks like Babymetal or Ghost. Not made but a pop album with an edge.


 https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2020/01/poppy-i-disagree.html

9-Ozzy Osbourne - "Ordinary Man"


 It's a miracle he lived to make this album. I can not imagine him being able to do another. It is much better than what I feared given the fact he is using Post Malone's producer. Not a metal album, but rocks enough for his age.


 https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2020/02/ozzy-osbourne-ordinary-man.html

8-Dool- "Sumerland"


 This band features members of the Devils Blood. They are less retro and more progressive, with a more straight up radio rock vibe. Some of this is thanks to the very accessible nature of the smooth vocals. A mature step forward with songwriting and even darker.



 https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2020/04/dool-summerland.html

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7-Sound VVitch- "Becoming" 


 interesting blend of dark wave and industrial, though not neatly falling into either sub genre. It is too heavy for dark wave and works of slow slithering pounds rather than a neat dance floor ready groove. If you are into the darkwave or industrial strains of gothic music this album is a must.


 https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2020/05/sound-vvitch-becoming.html

6- Mrs. Piss - " Self Surgery"



 Have yet to even load this one into iTunes, just got it last week, which factors into why it is a Chelsea Wolfe album that is not coming in higher. My first impression is I might like this better than "The Birth of Violence". This is only June so I have another 6 months to come to these conclusions.


 https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2020/05/mrs-piss-self-surgery.html

5-Katatonia- "City Burials"

 Not a metal album, but at least these guys are not just moping around and brought back some balls to their sound. The songs are more fun than anything since "Night is the New Day".


https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2020/04/katatonia-city-burials.html

4-Igorrr - "Spirituality and Distortion" 

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<- and="" br="" distortion="" pirituality=""> Might not pack the punch of the previous album, but is more serious about the exotic groove. If Dead Can Dance was too mellow for you then this is an album to check out. Yes the more aggressive Mr. Bungle like moments are here too. <- and="" br="" distortion="" pirituality=""> https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2020/03/igorr-spirituality-and-distortion.html 

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3-Pyschedelic Furs- "Made of Rain"
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Not being defined by their 80s hits,  theses guys made and album that will surprise you. It falls some where between their their new wave pop past and a progressive indie rock future. Lyrically it is very asute.
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<- and="" br="" distortion="" pirituality=""> https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2020/04/the-psychedelic-furs-made-of-rain.html

2- Morrissey - " I am Not a Dog on a Chain" 

There are some weird choices. I need to spend more time with this album to digest them. I always enjoy this album when I do play, I have the rest of the year to continue to unpack all my thoughts and feeling on this and it was a close call between Moz and the Furs here, but of course he is going to win out it is my blog. 

 https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2020/03/morrissey-i-am-not-dog-on-chain.html 

 

1- Waxahatchee - Saint Cloud

When talking to an editor of anohter blog I write for in regards to their list of the same kind, I told this ...if you have not heard that saint cloud album and want to be in a good mood , I implore you to listen to it, thanks to the wonders of the american health care systems I am off my meds and have been given more hoops to jump through than I am able to deal with so instead of my wellbutrin I listen to it when I drink my coffee in the morning.... that is not my blurb , just my endorsement to you lol so that is my blurb about it here.


https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2020/05/waxahatchee-saint-cloud.html