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

the National : "Laugh Track"

The second album from these guys this year was a bit of a surprise. Songs that did not fit what they were doing on 'the First Two Pages of Frankenstein" and were further fleshed out on tour. Where the previous album was more introspective pop, they allow the drums to take the wheel and steer them into a more rock direction. This is not to say they do not indulge in similar sonics on song like "Weird Goodbyes", which features Bon Iver. They largely shed the Taylor Swift influence on this album. Matt's mellow yet resonate baritone gives plenty of room to muse. When Justin Vernon chimes in, his voice is mixed as a background layer and does not step into the spotlight. 

"Turn off the House" feels like a folky ballad that has a brisk current of drummer rolling under it . The works to make this not feels like slow song, but rather a song that is lazing about behind itself. It takes a second listen to really take in the song's nuances. Many of them hide in the lyrics. "Dreaming" is another song that I had to listen to a few times before it sank it. It works off a hypnotic pop drone. There is a more laid back twang to the title track that features Phoebe Bridgers. She just kind coasts as a more delicate layer under his voice.  "Space Invader" has all the right accents in all the right places, making it's sleepy mood work. The jammy build up in the songs second half is cool and would work well live. 

"Hornets" works off a more country inspired strum. Lyrically reflective, the clever play of words proves to be their strength. "Coat on a Hook" works more off the ambient shimmer of the guitar that trickles around the vocals. The first song on this album that feels like filler, though it still works for what they do. "Tour Manager "works off a more reserved and introspective drone. The country amble of  "Crumble" feels like it was designed for Rosanne Cash who lends her voice to this song, though that has always been a subtle influence to what they do. The last song feels like if Nick Cave was trying to write electronic music, it's not the album's strongest song, though I like how it gradually builds. I will give this album a 9.5, it continues to show that these guys are great songwriters, capable of a wider range than given credit for. 

The 10 Pop Albums of 2023 ...so far

That time of year again . These lists serve as a decent snap shot of where the year is heading in terms of music. I have already received  promos for albums dropping as far out as August in my in-box, so they are really going to need to bring it in order to compete with the top five albums on this list. When it comes to pop what you are not going to see much of are big mainstream radio artists that are part of the music industry machine that spits bullshit out on an assembly line with two dozen producers and even more songwriters making a product for the sheep to consume. There are only two artists on this list that came from that machine and they both have risen above it unlike the bulk of their peers. 

What I want from my pop is catchy songs that have actual instruments being played, rather than just empty calories being pumped into my ears. My people refer to this sort of thing as their guilty pleasures, which I do not use that terms as anyone on this list is better than vapid shit kids on Tik Tok are dancing to. Hip Hop has pretty much been garbage this year, so don't hold your breath for any of that to appear, there are links to full review if you want to check these out and with all that said here are the top 10 pop album of 2023 so far. 

10- Gorillaz - "Cracker Island"

More of an honorable mention as it is far from their most compelling effort. This album is well done from a production stance, but loses inspiration in the third act as it becomes to streamlined

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2023/02/gorillaz-cracker-island.html

9-Sleep Token- '"Take Me Back to Eden" 

My prediction for band most likely to break big into a more mainstream audience goes to this band. Much like Ghost they mask up to disguise the fact they are a pop act, but a much better one than Ghost.  The vocals are soulful enough to show Sam Smith how it should be done. It mainly ballads or I would be compelled to listen to it more.  

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2023/05/sleep-token-take-me-back-to-eden.html
 

8-Lana Del Rey- "Did You Know There is a Tunnel..." 

Lana has more than enough melancholy to fall neatly within my tastes. This album finds her 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 sea side of California. To some extent that is who she is, but she needed to switch it up a bit. This album does that while making fun rainy day music. 

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

7-M83-"Fantasy" 

The French electro pop project finds itself stripped down to primary songwriter Anthony Gonzalez who worked on a large part of this album with live keyboardist Joe Berry. He also brought many of the live musicians he works with to aid in the sessions and the seemed to have gotten really high and made something that sounds more like floating on a cloud than the pop music of Tik Tok. 

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2023/03/m83-fantasy.html

 

 

6- Fever Ray- "Radical Romantics"

Swedish singer Karin Drejier from the Knife continues her journey into moody electronic music as Fever Ray with third album under this moniker. The album's strength lies in how she uses her voice as an instrument along with the interesting beats that provide the backdrop for her uncanny pipes. I think this lines up well with what she has done in the past 

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2023/03/fever-ray-radical-romantics.html
 

5- the national- "First Two Pages of Frankenstein" 

First off the album has nothing to do with Frankenstein, but it is still pretty great. They are back to their moody ways , and the easy listening mood of the album brings heavy replay value, but there is a uniformity to the beige shades the songs are colored with.

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

 

4-Boygenius - "the record" 

There is something lyrical cutting about the tone of this album . It is a super group of indie sirens who still embrace the more transgressive elements of their origin stories while still being able to connect with your average Taylor Swift fan. In fact Tay Tay herself called them her favorite new band. 

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

 

3-Miley Cyrus -"Endless Summer Vacation" 

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. Not here best album, but it is better than everything else on the radio. 

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

 

2- Depeche Mode- "Memento Mori"  

This album  picks up where they left off on "Ultra" and makes for a logical new chapter. If this is the album they choose to end things with I would not blame them as this would be a high note to end it on. It paints a clear picture of Depeche Mode playing to their strengths. 

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2023/03/depeche-mode-memento-mori.html

 

1-Pierce the Veil- "Jaws of Life" 

I found these guys originally through the POP GOES PUNK series , and what they did well on their contributions to those albums they have quantified. This album displays some of the smartest  song writing , and emotionally vulnerable singing makes a great combination for those who like the emphasis on pop melodies when it comes to rock music. They even do pop better than the current string of pop artists and do not need a team of producers to do it. 

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

the National : "First Two Pages of Frankenstein"

There are albums I measure an artist by. For this band it's "Trouble Will Find Me". Up to this point it feels like the band has not tapped into the same depth of feeling. That has changed with this album. The vocals are more memorable and melodies weave complex webs of melancholy around everything. Granted this album has nothing really to do with Frankenstein like the title suggest. Instead they have written some thoughtful songs, that are introspective , but still go somewhere. Matt's sullen baritone remains understated but with impeccable phrasing as the lyrics bounce off the music around him. Sufjan Stevens contribution of harmony vocals to the opening track, sits back in the mix. They indulge the kind of musings that play to their sonic strengths that border familiar territory without sounding stagnant. 

Phoebe Bridgers joins them on "This Isn't Helping" . Her voice cuts through more than Stevens did. She feels like more of a working part of the song. They pick up the tempo to a marginally poppier pace for "Tropic Morning News". This album sounds great and it's impressive they produced it it themselves. "Alien" coasts along an easy going middle road, that makes me think kids today will feel this is like the Barry Manilow of their day. It lacks the offensive edge that makes rock music dangerous, and makes this to casually play in a suburban coffee shop. I can also hear how this sits sonically not far from say the War on Drugs, when the smooth guitar solo comes in. They are so flowing in what they do it is hard to fault them. "the Alcott" which brings in Taylor Swift, is poised to expose a whole new generation to a while new kind of music, though to be fair it is not far from what Tay Tay does on "Folklore". How could anyone not see this coming. 

"Grease in Your Hair" required multiple listens before the subtlety of the writing caught up with me. The more folk flow of "Ice Machines" was another song that took time to sink in. Matt is singing up close to the mic in almost a whisper. There is more to the ballad "Your Mind is Not Your Friend" which Phoebe Bridgers returns for. Her vocals play a lesser role in this song. The pleading reflection of "Send for Me" hovers by with an intangible breeze of sound. I will give this album a 9.5, and see how it grows on me. The easy listening mood of the album brings heavy replay value, but there is a uniformity to the beige shades the songs are colored with. 

The Top 200 Greatest Rock Singers -190 to 181

Now we continue on the list which was inspired by my need to right the wrongs of Rolling Stone Magazines Top 200 Singers list, which included pop artists with no singing skills beyond Autotune and a lack of metal and rock singers. So, I took on the ambitious task of making my own.  As a singer myself, I key in on vocals first and foremost when listening to songs. In making this list I not only judged them according to their technical vocal ability when it comes to things like range and power, but also other dynamics brought to the table regarding phrasing and the character of their voice. Other important factors include their ability to emote from different places and how well their voice holds up on stage. If you are just making magic in the studio alone, then you might not fare so well on this list. Things like lyrical content and the instruments they play do not factor in as these ranking are based on vocal merit alone. How they control a crowd or their entertainment value as performers is also not a factor; there are some great front men who are also sub-par singers. The same can be said of song writers which is why most Bob Dylan songs sound better covered by someone else. Needless to say, ole Robert Zimmerman is not making the cut. 

Most pop singers won't appear here, but there are a few country or jazz singers who crossover just enough to qualify for this list, while having a significant influence on rock music. Don't expect rappers on this list or metal vocalists who just scream or growl, but never actually sing. I am also not keen on singers who are derivative of other singers. The bulk of these have to be doing their own thing, though a couple are basically tribute acts to other artists but still make enough of an impact with their music. Having a unique vocal quality is going to be one of the most important factors sometimes trumping technical ability. If they sound too much like Steve Perry from Journey or that they have listened to their vocal coach too much rather than developing their own style, then that is something that is also not going to fly.

 With that said do not expect to see a great deal of technically proficient power and progressive metal singers on here, so it cannot be said I am giving metal more of a priority, though there are some singers who might be otherwise ignored by mainstream media.  By the time we get to the top 10 I am sure it will all make sense, so here are the Top 200 greatest rock singers.

 190- Aaron Stainthrope 

The My Dying Bride vocalist brings a gothic croon to the band's depressive doom metal. he matches the despair in his vocal delivery while delivering an impassioned croon that borders on a whine at times. 

189- Matt Berninger 

The National's singer has a warm resonance to his baritone that still makes you think he might need to be on meds.

    

188-Rob Crow

While I am not judging by songwriting, one of the Pinback singer's strengths in how his uses his voice is where he puts amid their herky jerky riffs.  He uses his voice like an instrument which goes a long way with me.

   

 

187- Marc Bolan

There is no need to have Billy Corgan on the list when we have this guy. The T- Rex singer has an androgynous voice that was admired by many who placed much higher on the list. 

 

 186-Joey Ramone 

By the 80s the Ramones songwriting became more nuanced, and it allowed Joey to show that he could actually sing.

 

 

 

185-Andrew Eldritch 

 Not the widest range, but the Sisters of Mercy vocal possessed a very distinct voice that goth singers to come would try to mimic for decades to come.

   

184-Gary Numan 

This man has a very unique voice that fits his music and has aged incredibly well.

   

183-Adam Granduciel 

 The lead singer of the War on Drugs is another singer who might not have the widest range, but his mellow voice glides perfectly of the mood his band creates. It has a calming effect on me.

 

182- Ken Andrews 

Failure's vocalist has the kind of smooth croon that gracefully offsets the crunch of their space age sonics. I always imagine him being high as hell when he is singing. 

 

 

 181-Dave Pirner

The Soul Asylum singer had a more honest angst to his voice than the bulk of the 90s alt rock radio fodder that would follow his example.

 

Taylor Swift : " Folk Lore"

When I first listened to this album at the midnight release, I was just clicking songs as they came up, there were a couple videos for the singles then every thing else was a lyric video. Listen to the album in the context of an album finds it mkaing more sense. Orginally hailed as her collaboration with Bon Iver and the National. They do have a prescence on this album, though it is still very much a Taylor Swift album. This is certainly Taylor now as a full fledged adult musician with the youthful exhuberance of her pop days behind her. In other words if you are here for another "Blank Space" prepare for disappointment. She has retain pop sensibility , but even the song writing feels like it is aimed at an older audience.  She has a serious more introspective look, in a way it is darker. The album opens with something that could have been on "Reputation" as moves with the modern pop groove and her lyrics fall into the perfect cracks of the beat. With some of her best lyrical work to date lines like "you know the greatest loves of all time are over now" find her taking a less rose colored look at the world.

"Exhile" is the duet with her and Bon Iver. The male vocals taking the first verse with Swift coming in after. It is a somewhat melancholic shade of great and stunning melodies from both parties. There are some interesting things done with her voice . Her main vocal finds her singing in in a more subdued lower mid range. Sure there are still love songs, but these feel framed in the context of given the state of the world how important is getting lost in my feelings. Instead the emotional is shown not told. She surprisingly put the socio -political commentary on the back burner with the one exception being the feminist notions on "Mad Woman".  I am going to be really surprised if she wasn't stoned when she wrote "Mirror Ball" which is a good thing. Mood wise in many ways this reminds me of Bjork's " Vespertine" album or Tori Amos' "Under the Pink". She has certainly established herself here as a force in music to be taken as seriously as Bjork or Amos.  "Seven" certainly lends credence to the Amos comparison. She takes a more upbeat approach to the melody on the second verse. Though this like many of the songs doesn't have the sugary pop chorus to is too obvious.
It is not a huge leap from the "Lover" album just not as happy. There is a slight carefree tinge to "August". I think her breathy vocal smootes this out.

There are still some surprises for me as I missed "This is Me Trying" on my inital Youtube listen. It finds her voice gliding nicely over the sonic simmer. "Illicit Affairs" might be back to her love gone wrong lamentations , but the melodies click for me more now than they did on the first listen. "Invisible String" is another new one for me. The strum of guitar leaves open space to create a groove closer what we have grown to know her as. I think "Mad woman " is the first time I have heard her say fuck. The song grew on me despite it's overt girl power. "epiphany" did not resonate with me the first time I heard it and I had to listen to it a couple times once I downloaded the album to connect. I think she makes some interesting choices melody wise. "Betty" is the only song that harkens back to her country past. "Peace" musically reminds me of Bon Iver, it grows on me, this and the song after as more minimal and work off less hooky vocal lines so take time to grow on me. I will give this album a 10, I think it is pretty clear the reasons why, if you are not into Taylor Swift, this is the album to check out.

The National : "I Am Easy To Find"

Their last album was a disappointment, but I am up for giving these guys a shot because they have made some great music in the past. The first song is up beat and electronic, though the vocals a thoughtful and it feel more congruent with who they are They glum mood of this album so far connect with where I am so I am glad these guys are back to being depressed, they were too manic on the last album. The baritone vocals are well produced much more like "Trouble Will Find Me".
 'Roman Holiday" has the vocals taking on a more Leonard Cohen feel, while that has always been an element, but it is more pronounced when t he instrumentation is more minimal.  I prefer songs like "Oblivions" where they are recreating the sounds I fell in love with on their 2013 album. Things are still different there are great deal of female vocals layering these songs. French folk singer Mina Tindle sings on this one, but the guest list of female singers on this album also include former David Bowie bassist Gail Anne Dorsey,   Lisa Hannigan, Sharon Van Etten, and Kate Stables.

There is a great deal of experimentation, that almost falls into Radiohead like sonic weirdness on "the Pull of You". At times this one goes on into passages that are more like jazzy Sonic Youth. The ambitious scope of what they are going for here is pretty impressive. "Hey Rosey" is a good song, but I am not sure if it's a good song for the National even if they wrote it. It is getting cluttered with all the varied vocalists taking away from Matt's more intimate performances. The same could be said of the title track, if they just let him sing these songs I think it would have been better, good songs with too many cooks on the microphone.  This has become an album of duets. There are cool guitar sounds, but the fact Matt's vocals are buried and there is so much going on detracts from it.

"Not in Kansas" starts off with just his voice and an almost country guitar sound. This stripped down arrangement is what the album needed. Midway into the song other elements come in , but there is more of a balance. "So Far So Fast" stars off with "Lisa Hannigan, so it doesn't feel like a National song. So atmospheric it is almost not a song at all.  "Dust Swirls in Strange Light" finds the band once again getting off on the more pretentious foot with a choir. That is what this albums needs less of. I am fine with Matt  layering his own voice to create harmonies and would take much more like "Hairpin Turns" .  The female vocals are back with "Rylan" but there is a better balance and it still sounds like the National. I will round this one down to an 8. It is a much better step in the right direction, and while the album sounds great and these guys are wonderful song writers it just did not feel like they wrote these songs for themselves.

The Top 10 Worst Albums of 2017

You saw the best now here's the worst. Some of these albums are from bands I once loved making it more heartbreaking. Some are rookies you are more easily excused and some of this shit is not even music , but crap that wasted my time. Some have links to reviews and grew on me in the worst way if I ever tried to listen to it again, others I could not force myself through the whole album. Either way here they are if you like any of these, feel free to walk into traffic.

10-Warrior Soul- "Back on the Lash"


This really gave the teenage me a kick in the balls. I used to love these guys and they clearly should have hung it up as Kory Clarke can not sing to save his fucking life and would have been better off hiding behind more effects. I can not believe the producer let this slide. The music didn't do him any favors as it sounds more like Motley Crue's post-"Generation Swine" crap.

 http://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2017/12/warrior-soul-back-on-lash.html
 

9-Peasants- "Dirt Worship"

 In all fairness this is a demo, but it's like letting some one see a picture you are not finished drawing. The rough mix was a little too rough, maybe one day when they get into a real studio they might be worthwhile

. http://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2017/05/peasants-dirt-worship.html

8-Flynn Effect - "Obsidian "


The only redeeming aspect of nu-metal is that sometimes it was dark enough to make it almost work. This album did not have that going for it. Instead it sounded like warmed up Lacuna Coil b-sides that should have remained unreleased. The singer is not attractive enough when not airbrushed in promo photos to make this entertaining.

 http://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2017/10/gothtober-flynn-effect-obsidian.html

7- Dog fashion Disco<- br="" massage="" rotic=""> -"Erotic Massage" 
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<- br="" massage="" rotic="">This band clearly needs to break up again. This is a remake of their first album, which I didn't listen to the first time it came out , but if these guys passed on the chance to make these songs more than just Incubus worship then this is a fucking disgrace to calling yourself a musician.
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6-the National- "Sleep Well Beast"

 I used to love this band, so this was hard to swallow. I write for a blog where they tried to say this album was good and I was ashamed to be part of it. We know how great these guys can be. This is uptempo bullshit that doesn't play to their strengths. I get trying to do something different , but it clearly either doesn't work or they just don't give a shit and didn't want to be in the studio , but were obligated to fart one out.

5- Royal Blood- "How did We get so Dark?" 

 Naked chicks on an album cover and it still sucks? The album title explains the problem. It isn't dark. In fact it's the most boring sterile piece of shit begging for radio play, that I could get past more than the first five songs, that sounded like Muse trying to dumb it down for the Mumford and Sons crowd. This is arena rock for basic bitches. I condone the suicide of anyone who likes listening to this kind of bullshit. 

4-Necro Dethmort- "Overland"

 I reviewed this one for Treblezine and I couldn't bring myself to listen to the album more than once to review it hear or waste my time thinking about it to re-write another review, even now I feel bad about thinking about it. It's just worthless noise, no matter what words I used to try to be neutral for Treble.

3 Blank Spell- "Miasma"

 It's annoying enough for a punk band to parade around trying to make you think they are death rock, but when they don't really deliver in terms of punk well that makes matters worse. The singer's voice is one of the worst vocal performances of the year, she needed to be hot to make it make sense and wasn't so it all fell rather limp.

 http://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2017/09/blank-spell-miasma.html

 

2-Mentors- "Illuminaughty" 

 The album title is the only thing good about this album. Just when we needed rape rock the most these guys really let us down. I was being generous when I tried to say this album had it's moments. I think I really wanted there to be and I was left with something that sounds amateur rather than from seasoned veterans who should know what they are doing. This really proved they should never try this without El Duce. Way to not push the envelope.

 http://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2017/07/the-mentors-illuminaughty.html

1`-deaf Kids -"configuracao do lamento"

 
This album took away minutes of my life I will never get back. To call this music is really putting a strain on how you define music. I suppose if performance art is worth that to you I suppose that is your business. But does performance art need to market itself as being able to create an album?  I think their name refers to the audience that would really get what they do.Pretty much proof that industrial music needs to come from colder urban environments, one thing is for certain it can't come from Brazil. Maybe it's a shit hole and industrial should only come from post-apocalyptic shit holes rather than 3rd world ones

 http://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2017/09/deaf-kids-configuracao-do-lamento.html

Enter.. the Weekly Shuffle

It amazes me how popular this column is, I just review the first ten songs that pop up in my iPod and this gets more views that reviews of bands you would are big enough to compete with my iPod. It must be the power of the nameless kitten god from the abyss that makes it so.

"All I Want" by the Cure

The kitten gos is already at work, as all Robert Smith wants is to be an animal, hold you like a dog.. or doll. Kiss Me Kiss Me Kiss me  is a darker album than it gets credit for, sure its not Pornography, but there are some great drug coated guitar sounds.

"All That May Bleed" by Watain

A week ago someone said one of the silliest things I heave heard , that they don't like Watain, but like Dissection. So what you are really saying is that you don't like Erik's personality, as they take themselves much more seriously than Reinkaos. Watain blasts it in the more traditional second wave of black metal fashion. Dissection influenced these guys, and Erik even toured with them, so it's hard to separate the two at times, though the sonic scope of what they do is darker than Dissection in my book.

"All the Madmen" by David Bowie

Here Bowie, gets into some Syd Barret like prog but with T-rex powered guitars. This was next level shit, even though it might sound like typical Blue Cheer 60's rock.The bass line has crazy groove that wanders all over the place.Bowie was using Pink Floyd  as the template for what experimental was.

"All We Ever Wanted Was Everything" by Bauhaus

Oh to be.... this song is a fitting follow up to the Bowie as you can hear that era of Bowie's influence on this song. It's one of Murphy's better melodies, live his voice really kills it and this song shows a wide spread of this range and defies the typical goth spookiness.

"Alavartr" by Emperor

This song really shows what I think Emperor is about and that much more than blast beats alone.It's pretty much just and interlude , but has some great guitar playing that leads into the atmosphere.

"Don't Swallow the Cap" by The National

This album came out and I intended to review it for Soletron as I thought it was too mainstream for this blog and was prepared to rip it a new ass hole , but it surprised me and now it is still growing on me and I love it, though they are playing some festival with a bunch of hippie teeny bopper bands I hate so don't hold your breath for a live review.

"Dreamer" by Chelsea Wolfe

Back on her first album when she wrote rock songs ...or sorts. Sure she is getting played on trailers for "Game of Thrones" , but it doesn't mean anything to me, she is not a sell out and at her heart she just writes songs, this is a good example of that fact ,when she tried her hardest to be normal. This has an almost 50's doo-wop feel.

 "the House That Pain Built" by Killing Joke

They are well into their industrial phase here, and Ministry really need to fork over some of their royalties to these guys. The melody on the chorus is pretty awesome, the backing vocals work where I normally don't like gang vocals.The stiff guitar here works, in the same way it works for Kmfdm.

"Houses of the Holy" by Led Zeppelin

Well if it wasn't for all the occult references this song would be almost too happy for me. There is some good guitar playing on this, but it's Jimmy Page so how could it suck? Unless I guess it's the Firm, but I still like the song "Radioactive".

"Generation Landslide" by Alice Cooper

The lyrics are great , if I was looking to slough off some gigs taking up space and had to clear out some Alice Cooper, this might not make the cut, but her has so many great songs, the chorus is mine but it is a little Beatlesque and has more happy notes than I like from him.