Best Music of 2015

[OnionAhaiReborn]

2015 starts here!

 

Best of the year lists are the best part of December! We've got one for TV, let's do one for music.

 

 

 

 

I looked back on my 2014 listening and picked out the albums I fell in love with at some point this year, coming up with 7 8- a weirdly numbered list, but not arbitrary. I threw in an example track, too. These were just my favorites, I made no attempt at naming the most important or widely acclaimed releases.

 

 

 

 

 

Do whatever you want! Give me your 3 or 10 or 6.5 favorite 2014 albums, or just favorite songs, or favorite new artists.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Men - Tomorrow's Hits

 

 

"Different Days"

 

 

 

 

 

Sturgill Simpson - Metamodern Sounds in Country Music

 

 

"It Ain't All Flowers"

 

 

 

 

 

Lydia Loveless - Somewhere Else

 

 

"Head"

 

 

 

 

 

Ty Segall - Manipulator

 

 

"Feel"

 

 

 

 

 

The Both - The Both

 

 

"Milwaukee"

 

 

 

 

 

St. Vincent - St. Vincent

 

 

"Birth In Reverse"

 

 

 

 

 

The Apache Relay - The Apache Relay

 

 

"Katie Queen of Tennessee"

 

 

 

 

 

Spoon - They Want My Soul

 

 

"

 

"

 

 

Honorable mentions to Lucinda William's Where the Spirit Meets the Bone ("Stowaway in Your Heart") and Tweedy's Sukierae ("Low Key"). Double albums are usually inadvisable, if they'd pared these down to a normal length there were enough exceptional tracks that they'd have made albums I'd listen to over and over for years.

 

[Durckad]

I still have need to dedicate some time to a few albums that I've been a bit negligent with due primarily to lack of time and other albums to listen to. It's fairly metal heavy but here's my list so far.

Swans - To Be Kind

- "Oxygen"

In my experience, most double albums tend to be fairly heavy on the filler but somehow the Swans managed to craft 2 hours worth of music where almost every second feels essential. There are some moments on the 34 minute long "Bring The Sun / Toussaint L'Ouverture" that feel a bit drawn out, but other than that, I can't really knock anything. The worst thing I can say about this album is that I really need to be in the mood to listen to it and, at 2 hours long, I need to allocate a block of my day to listen to it.

YOB - Clearing The Path To Ascend

- "In Our Blood"

Four tracks of crushingly heavy and despondent. Each track clocks in above 11 minutes and yet each never feels too long. The first half of the album is typical YOB; heavy, slow, crushingly punishing doom while the last two tracks introduce some post-rock-ish elements, especially "Marrow". It takes a lot of skill to craft long songs that don't fall apart under the weight of their own ideas and YOB succeeded brilliantly. Check this out if you enjoy being bludgeoned to death by shovels while digging your own grave.

Darkest Era - Severance

- "Boundless Realms Of Sorrow"

This album pretty much came out of nowhere for me as I wasn't familiar with this band at all. All it took was a single great review and the above track to convince me it was worth spending some cash on. Thankfully I did because this was pretty much all I listened to during July. This album expertly combines soaring vocals, black metal-esque riffing, celtic folk influences, into one perfectly melodic package. Every song is great and the album doesn't overstay its welcome. By the time I'm finished listening I want to go back and listen again, which is the mark of a great album.

Evergrey - Hymns To The Broken

- "Hymns For The Broken"

I wasn't a fan of Evergrey before listening to this album but now I'm going to give the rest of their stuff a shot. I was familiar with them but never gave them anything more than a cursory listen. Well, I'm glad I decided to give them a chance because this album is just really solid music with no tracks reeking of the dreaded filler. Any albums that break the one hour length barrier and don't feel overlong are albums to be cherished.

Cynic - Kindly Bent To Free Us

- "Moon Heart Sun Head"

Cynic have gotten a lot of shit ever since they reformed a few years back, mostly for how each release since 1993's Focus have slowly jettisoned the death metal elements in favor of more ethereal, progressive rock influences. Kindly Bent To Free Us is the most prog release the band have done so far and contain no death metal elements and very little in the way of actual metal. I was... very skeptical when I heard the two preview tracks. The first track was good but "The Lion's Roar" did nothing for me. Even after my first few listens I was not particularly enthused, but coming back to this after a few months away I realized just how good this album is. Sure there's no metal but the songs are great. Cynic take the time to craft some catchy songs that also allow them to show off their instrumental prowess, yet they never lower themselves to pointless wanking.

Honorable Mention:

Agalloch - The Serpent And The Sphere

- "Dark Matter Gods"

Not exactly up to the standards of their better albums (aka The Mantle and Marrow of the Spirit) but still another great addition of folky, blackened post-metal or whatever genre it is that they play. It took me quite a while to warm up to this one though so I might appreciate it more as even more time passes but right now it has a few tracks that are just... kinda there so it just misses the almost perfection of the above albums.

Horrendous - Ecdysis

- "Weeping Relic"

Horrendous play straight up, old school death metal but they play it so well and they sound excellent playing it. Ecdysis is probably one of the best sounding albums of the year, from a pure production standpoint, and listening to it reveals how truly shitty so many other albums sound. Aside from the production, for straight up death metal, there's a lot of variety here. "The Stranger" is a slow, crushing death march to oblivion while tracks like "Nepenthe" and "Weeping Relic" insert speedier, thrash metal influences while the instrumental song "When The Walls Fell" wouldn't sound out-of-place on a Judas Priest or Iron Maiden album. This is a great album to play loud and when you have plenty of room to headbang.

10 Great Songs Of The Year Ordered Alphabetically In List-Form But Not Ordered By Quality:

- Darkest Era - "Trapped In The Hourglass" (I couldn't find a Youtube link, which is insanity as this song is awesome, so here's their bandcamp instead!)

- Evergrey - "Black Undertow"

- Giant Squid - "Sixty Foot Waves"

- Horrendous - "Nepenthe"

- Kayo Dot - "Library Subterranean"

- Liars - "Mess On A Mission" (probably my favorite song of the year)

- Ne Obliviscaris - "Pyrrhic"

- Pyrrhon - "Balkanized"

- Swans - "A Little God In My Hands"

- YOB - "Marrow"

Favorite Album From A New Artist:

Savages - Savages

- "Waiting For A Sign"

Yes, I know this was actually released last year but I only listened to it earlier this year and holy fuck was it great. An absolute beast of an album and I can't wait to hear what they do next. If this doesn't count because it was released in '13 well then I nominate...

Pyrrhon - The Mother Of Virtues

- "Invisible Injury"

While this not a debut album or a perfect album by any means, it is complete fucking insanity. The guitars squeal like pigs going to the slaughter, the drums go apeshit, the bass just... does its own thing, while the vocalist rants and raves like a lunatic. On the surface, it seems like it shouldn't work at all. The songs should collapse under the weighted insanity of their own dissonance, but somehow they hang together. Sometimes the insanity is just too much for me, but when it works, it's kinda just mesmerizing. Hopefully their next album takes the best qualities from Mother Of Virtues and crafts something equally insane but somehow even more cohesive.

[Night's_King]

I have mixed feelings about 2014 in music. Most non-metal bands I listen to have disappointed me. The Gaslight Anthem's - Get Hurt and Rise Against's - Black Market were just really bad. Notable non-metal albums I did like were Ed Sheeran - X, Passenger - Whispers and alt-J - This is all Yours.

I really didn't get my ears on much new non-metal bands, I have to admit.

Now, on to metal. I'd like to start with bands that have disappointed me or bands which haven't disappointed me, because they release shit albums for years now.

Iced Earth - Plagues of Babylon

Plagues of Babylon

I'm a Iced Earth fan for years now. I've bought most albums and I really, really like to listen to most stuff. Powerful, fast, glorious metal. And then came this album. I can't say how much I anticipated a new release of one of my favourite bands. But this was just bad. Unimaginative, boring, and not in the least powerful. An utter disappointment.

Dragonforce - Maximum Overload

The Game

Yes. I like Dragonforce. Laugh at me for it, but I don't care. But this album was shit. I know, every DF album sounds the same, is overloaded with solos and consists mostly of the words 'Glory, Tonight, Warriors, Freedom, blablablah.', but I really liked the last albums. This is just generic crap.

Hammerfall - ®Evolution

Hector's Hymn

Hammerfall were one of the first metal bands I listened to. They have released masterpieces like Glory to the Brave and Legacy of Kings, but the last two albums were just bad. I highly anticipated this album, because of all the talk like 'Hector is back!' or 'We will go back to our roots!'. Well, no, this was as bad as the last two albums.

Honourable mention: In Flames - Siren Charms: No. I don't even want to talk about it.

Now moving on to a few albums which were not really that great, but far better than the three albums I mentioned before.

Eluveitie - Origins

King

It was what I expected. Some nice tracks, nothing very new, no experiments, but still a good album.

Alestorm - Sunset of the Golden Age

Walk the Plank

Another typical Alestorm album. A few really great tracks, but otherwise really boring and silly shit. Honourable mentions are Walk the Plank, which is one of my favourite tracks this year, and The Battle of Cartagena.

Equilibrium - Erdentempel

Stein meiner Ahnen

Well, this is actually a band I really do like. Their first two albums are probably both one of my favourite folk metal albums. The last one wasn't that great and this isn't really great either. There are a few tracks which are pretty great, but otherwise it's just a boring album.

Sonata Arctica - Pariah's Child

What did you do in the war, dad?

Another one of my favourite bands when I was in my teens. Ecliptica is one of my all time favourite power metal albums. Even Unia, which many people hated, was great in my opinion. This album is definitly worth listening to, but all in all, it's not really great. Why do most bands tend to release worse albums when they grow older?

Now, onwards to a few of my favourite albums this year, before we're entering my top 3.

Nothgard - Age of Pandora

Wings of Dawn

This is a band I found this year. It really reminds my of the early CoB (not those shitty drunks they are today) and still they have a fresh and inspiring style. This is definitly one of my favourite albums this year.

Sabaton - Heroes

Night Witches

Oh god, was I scared when most of the band quit and then they released a killer album under the name of Civil War. But the new Sabaton sound as good as the old. Many fast tracks about glory and heroism. Great work on the instrument, and as always a great voice. Not in the least disappointed.

Crimson Shadows - Kings Among Men

Freedom and Salvation

This group of five canadians deliver a great mix of melodeath and power metal. I can't really say how much I've listened to this album. It was much.

Twilight Force - Tales of Ancient Prophecies

The Power of the Ancient Force

Well, this would be no list of mine if there wasn't a cheesy, rpg-based power metal band on it. Twilight Force deliver glorious power metal about elves, dragons and warriors. Great stuff.

Honourable mention: Mastodon - Once More Round The Sun. These guys can't release anything bad.

Thank you for staying with me this long :D Now, on to my three favourite albums this year!

Beyond Creation - Earthborn Evolution

Elusive Reverance

Technicial Death Metal at it's finest and in the style of Quo Vadis at their best. As good as their first release The Aura. Just great. Nothing more to say.

Insonium - Shadows of the Dying Sun

Revelation

I love this album. Insomnium just can't do anything wrong. A masterpiece like all their albums. Revelation ist probably one of the best melodeath songs I've ever listened to.

Hoth - Oathbreaker

Acolyte of the Tenebrous Night

This is an album I didn't have on the radar at all. I really like Hoth for a long time now, but I didn't realise that they've released a new album, until a few weeks ago. To say it simple: I was blown away. Probably one of the best albums I've ever listened to.

Honourable mention: The German Panzer - Send Them All To Hell. Straightforward heavy/trash metal. But I've just listened to it two times and it is way too early to call it one of my top three albums this year.

So, this was my year in music. There's still a lot I haven't gotten my hands on, probably some great stuff. But for now, this is it.

[Fat Mac]

My favorite album from this year was Run the Jewels 2 by Run the Jewels

other favorites were Mac Miller's mixtape Faces

In the non hip hop world, I enjoyed Counting Crows- Somewhere Under Wonderland and Hozier- Hozier,

[all swedes are racist]

Best of the year lists are the best part of December! We've got one for TV, let's do one for music.

Ty Segall - Manipulator

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"

I'll come back later with a full list, but I just want to take this moment to say "Oh, hell-the-fuck-YES"

[Mr. X]

The Both - The Both

"Milwaukee"

Whenever I start reading end-of-year "best of" lists or think about making my own, there are always a lot of "Whoah! That came out this year?!?" moments.

I saw The Both this summer (and that might be the funniest show I saw all year), but I totally forgot that the album was released this year.

[OnionAhaiReborn]

I'll come back later with a full list, but I just want to take this moment to say "Oh, hell-the-fuck-YES"

:cheers:

Fuck yea, Ty Segall!

Whenever I start reading end-of-year "best of" lists or think about making my own, there are always a lot of "Whoah! That came out this year?!?" moments.

I saw The Both this summer (and that might be the funniest show I saw all year), but I totally forgot that the album was released this year.

I didn't hear about their album until late summer- I wish I'd seen them. Based on the 'Milwaukee' music video (which I just saw for the first time making my list), I can see how it would be a very funny show. I wonder if they're going to keep writing/touring together or if this will be it.

[Inigima]

I nominate Chromeo's White Women.

[Mr. X]

I didn't hear about their album until late summer- I wish I'd seen them. Based on the 'Milwaukee' music video (which I just saw for the first time making my list), I can see how it would be a very funny show. I wonder if they're going to keep writing/touring together or if this will be it.

My guess is that Ted is going to do another Ted Leo & the Pharmacists album next, but there will be more from The Both in the future. You should be able to find some decent quality live footage of The Both on YouTube.

[KiDisaster]

Reposting my picks from the other thread since it didn't end up getting merged.

Favorite albums of this year:

BADBADNOTGOOD's III

Overall I'd go with BBNG III as my favorite of this year.

I nominate Chromeo's White Women.

Old 45's has been stuck in my head since yesterday so thanks for that :P Rest of the album is equally awesome.

[DeathYon]

I'm yet to listen to more albums from this year, but these are some contenders.

Behemoth - The Satanist

Artificial Brain - Labyrinth Constellation

Run The Jewels - Run The Jewels 2

Flying Lotus - You're Dead!

Busdriver - Perfect Hair

Botanist - VI: Flora

[lessthanluke]

Best album for me this year was Being as an ocean - How we both wondrously perish

[all swedes are racist]

Ty Segall - Manipulator

FKA Twigs - LP1

Duck Sauce - Quack

NRG

Lana Del Rey - Ultraviolence

Fucked My Way Up to the Top

King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard -I'm in Your Mind Fuzz

Cellophane

Edit: Oops, the track below is from their other album that came out this year... Keeping it because it fucking rules, and the video is wild.

Hot Wax

Thee Oh Sees- Drop

The Penetrating Eye

(Various Artists) - Warfaring Strangers : The Darkscorch Canticles

Stonehenge - King of the a golden Hall

Johnny Cash - Out Among The Stars

Robyn & Röyksopp - Do It Again

Monument

Edit: got to add surprise late in the year release, D'angelo & the Vanguard - Black Messiah

[KiDisaster]

Lana Del Rey and FlyLo both had new albums this year? Where the hell have I been? :stunned:

Oh well, I know what I'll be listening to this weekend now.

[OnionAhaiReborn]

Bumping this with some best songs of the year that came off albums that I mostly liked, but didn't love.

The Ghost of a Saber Tooth Tiger - Too Deep

Sylvan Esso - Coffee

Woods - Moving To The Left

Hurray for the Riff Raff - The Body Electric

Robert Plant - Rainbow

The Notwist - Kong

Strand of Oaks - Goshen '97

Walk The Moon - Different Colors

The Orwells - Let It Burn

Bahamas - Stronger Than That

[DJDonegal]

I haven't dealt with many albums in their entirety this year, but if I have to give a shout out to one (and I know I don't, but I will anyway!) it has to be to the eponymous album from Royal Blood.

No other album took up my time in the same way that one did.

In terms of one-off tracks, however... There were a few and here is just a small selection:

Milky Chance - Stolen Dance - Actually released in 2013 but it didn't make its way out of Germany (as far as I can tell) until a radio edit released this year, so it's on the list and I don't care who says otherwise!

Kasabian - Stevie - I know it wasn't the track that caught the imagination quite like Ee-zeh did on 48:13, and it didn't even grab me until repeated relistens of the abulm. But now it is firmly ensconced as my favourite track from the Leicester boys.

George Ezra - Budapest - This guy's voice is just pure magic. I can't say I picked this track of his because it was so much better than his others (Blame It On Me needs a special mention, after all) but I had to pick something by GE because his voice is just that good.

Death From Above 1979 - Trainwreck 1979 - Thumping beats. I'm easily pleased.

Saint Motel - My Type - Along with Stolen Dance, probably the most 'fun' tracks on the list. While the former keeps this up the whole way through the song, My Type drops down here because the lead singer has quite a dour voice during the verses.

There are others that I didn't discover until this year (well into this year) and it feels like a shame to leave them out even though they're from tiny bands but rules be rules *cough*Shopping-InOtherWords*cough*.

[OnionAhaiReborn]

King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard -I'm in Your Mind Fuzz

Cellophane

Edit: Oops, the track below is from their other album that came out this year... Keeping it because it fucking rules, and the video is wild.

Hot Wax

Saint Motel - My Type - Along with Stolen Dance, probably the most 'fun' tracks on the list. While the former keeps this up the whole way through the song, My Type drops down here because the lead singer has quite a dour voice during the verses.

Really great stuff I'd never heard before. This is why I love best of the year lists, thanks!

[Fat Mac]

Milky Chance - Stolen Dance - Actually released in 2013 but it didn't make its way out of Germany (as far as I can tell) until a radio edit released this year, so it's on the list and I don't care who says otherwise!

Amazing song :thumbsup:

[RenlyIsNotRight]

YOB - Clearing The Path To Ascend

- "In Our Blood"

Four tracks of crushingly heavy and despondent. Each track clocks in above 11 minutes and yet each never feels too long. The first half of the album is typical YOB; heavy, slow, crushingly punishing doom while the last two tracks introduce some post-rock-ish elements, especially "Marrow". It takes a lot of skill to craft long songs that don't fall apart under the weight of their own ideas and YOB succeeded brilliantly. Check this out if you enjoy being bludgeoned to death by shovels while digging your own grave.

Props for that shit bro that Yob joint was tight. You into Pallbearer at all? They're pretty similar but a bit more immeadiate imo...ya know because their songs are on average like 8 minutes instead of 12 minutes lol. Really dig the proggy post-influenced doom metal type stuff, which is weird cause I don't like straight up doom all that much tbh.

[andrew_]

I dunno about them being the best, but these are a few that I've kept on listening to throughout the year

Kieza - Hideaway

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vnoz5uBEWOA

Kacy Hill - Experience

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aRBkpwlHtkA&feature=youtu.be

Ed Sheeran - Tenerife Sea

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4fktjAlczv8

St. Vincent - Digital Witness

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mVAxUMuhz98

And album wise I would put 2014 Forest Hill Drive as my favorite album of 2014 (although I'm yet to properly listen to the acclaimed Run the Jewels 2).

Edit: Honourable Mentions to Under Pressure, Oxymoron & Mastermind