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Last Active 12-23-19 9:27 pm
Joined 09-16-14
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| December 2016 resumé
This is no best-of list, it is just a bunch of records I've heard, that were RELEASED this month. Not the ones I've heard this month, but ones that were RELEASED this month that I've heard. Therefore, as the time goes, I'll be adding more items on the list, since I listen to stuff constantly. By the way, the names occasionally written under the comments are titles of songs that I recommend. If there are none written, it's either because I didn't like enough of them or because I can't point out a highlight. And as always, if you're reading any of this, write "I like your big hairy cat, mate." in the comment section. And now a score guide: 10/9 - 5; 8 - 4.5; 7 - 4; 6 - 3.5/3; 5 - 2.5; 4 - 2; 3 - 1.5; 2/1 - 1 | | 42 |  | Juliette Jade
Terrarium
Terrarium is a dissonant, oddly charming and magnetic project filled with raw, earpiercing instrumentation and a muddy distroted production that only adds to the album's overall heaviness and appeal. The soft vocals could have used some range and the DIY atmosphere with the amateurish production also don't always complimetn the music, but overall, this is a damn solid album for a one-man self-releasing bands. 7/10 | | 41 |  | Gnaw Their Tongues
Hymns For the Broken, Swollen and Silent
This might very well be the most distressing and confusing thing I've heard all year. I really have no idea what to think of it, but I definitely had a hard time getting through. 6/10 | | 40 |  | Spectral Lore
Fossils
Quite a dreary and uneventful album about nothing really. I don't know, Drone just goes over my head, even when it sounds kind of blissfully like on Fossils. 5/10 | | 39 |  | WVRM
Heartache
Instrumentally decent enough, but there's just nothing really gripping about this record. It's merely a collection of okay Grind tracks. 6/10 | | 38 |  | Mesarthim
TYPE III
A fully realised Mesarthim EP that is just as brilliantly epic and versatile as Mesarthim can be. However, this time around, the synth interludes don't sound like Dream Pop this time, but rather like a necessary atmospheric break from the raw harshness of the music. 8/10 | | 37 |  | Mesarthim
The Great Filter
On The Great Filter Mesarthim perfect their sound of epic cosmic Black Metal with all of their usual synth tropes and noisy production. This might very well be their most sophisticated and mature record. 8/10 | | 36 |  | Often the Thinker
Better Part of Vice
This is really nice, well put together and with a striking instrumental finesse, but it is also so long that it will get exhausting pretty quickly. 6/10 | | 35 |  | who loves you
Green and Tangerine
I dunno, it's alright, nothing special...yeah that's all I'm willing to say. 6/10 | | 34 |  | Cattle (UK)
Nature's Champion
It's okay, nothing particularly outstanding though. I didn't care for some of the instrumental experimentations or for the atmosphere, but it's an enjoyable Noise Punk nonetheless. 6/10 | | 33 |  | Traitrs
Heretic
What's the point of this EP's existance again? I mean, those are good tracks, but they were on the album already. 7/10 | | 32 |  | Vaults
Caught In Still Life
Beauty and explosion. 7/10
Paradise, Hurricane | | 31 |  | OneRepublic
Oh My My
OneRepublic half go Mumford and Sons with a horde of falvourless synthetic musicianship/ half exactly the same thing they've always been (even to a point that I think they might have been rehashing old songwriting), but again, with more flavourless synthetic musicianship. 4/10
P.S.: But Peter Gabriel on this thing...dude, what are you doing?
Let's Hurt Tonight, Lift Me Up | | 30 |  | Eneferens
In The Hours Beneath
Eneferens present us more of the same as what we've heard on their August release already, although that isn't necessarily a bad thing. They certainly improved in terms of duration. On this album we have much more consistent songs. The tracks are shorter, but much more varieted. On the other hand, some of them don't strike as hard with anything memorable as one would wish. 7/10
Through The White, Refuge | | 29 |  | Angela Martyr
The November Harvest
One would think that with all of its atmospheric and toned-down instrumentation the band would be able to create any sort of engaging or relatively interesting sound. But the opposite is the truth, because this album is utterly boring, even after multiple listens. 5/10 | | 28 |  | Bladee and Thaiboy Digital
AvP
This is a joke, right? There's no way this isn't a joke. Bladee and Thaiboy Digital purposefully sat down and made the single worst collaboration EP...maybe in years. Take its perfectly godawful vocals with its instantly forgettable music and the weird and idiotic lyrics and we have the headscratcher of the year. 1/10 | | 27 |  | Elbrus
Elbrus
Damn, I did not expect to enjoy this at all. I honestly thought that this will be just another underproduced and dizzyingly muddy-sounding Stoner with a hint of Doom. Well, it certainly is all those things, but it uses all of those tropes and tricks to its own advantage. For this album is overwhelmingly atmospheric and gorgeous. However, there are moments on this record that are dragged out into a bit sickening lengths. 7/10
Eye of the Mammal, Far Away And Into Space Part 2, Three Walls | | 26 |  | Lady Lamb The Beekeeper
Tender Warriors Club
On her latest EP, Lady Lamb comes off a bit one-dimensional, but still able to use the simplicity to her advantage, since a lot of the times the tracks turn from moody blandnesses into powerful ballads. 6/10 | | 25 |  | Krallice
Prelapsarian
They certainly still have the energy and rage needed for a decent Krallice album, but why do they sound so messy on here? 6/10 | | 24 |  | Ab-Soul
Do What Thou Wilt.
On this album Ab-Soul goes into much more loose and non-harmonic direction. His lyrics are still on point, his delivery is still sharp and the features actually do add a lot. This album is half packed with snarky and half with personal tracks that each either hit home, or go completely over my head, no middle ground. 7/10
Raw, Braille, Threatening Nature, Invocation, Beat The Case, D.R.U.G.S., Evil Genius, YMF | | 23 |  | Soviet Soviet
Endless
This is some genuinely gentle Indie Rock album with certain elements of Post-Rock in guitarwork. The album doesn't really hold up that well, because at the end of the day it is still somewhat silly Indie record. But the atmosphere is decent and from time to time the band manages to incorporate their Post-Rock influences very well and make them almost explode, emphesis on almost. 7/10
Fairy Tale, Endless Beauty, Going Through, Surf a Palm | | 22 |  | Tech N9ne
The Storm
Tech's flow and production is still hittong home, but lyrically it is possibly one of his most lackluster records in a long time. And talking about 'long time', why in the world is it so long? Tech N9ne is so eager on creating a Hip-Hop 'epic' that he is even ready to sacrifice the quality of some of the tracks for a longer runtime. Most of the songs are perfectly forgettable and besides Tech's masterful delivery, this album would be completely unacceptable. It is over an hour long and I can't even point out a highlight, that's how ridiculously bland and bloated this record is. Tech, you don't need this to secure your legacy. 5/10 | | 21 |  | Nine Inch Nails
Not the Actual Events
NIN came back with an eerie EP that only works to prove as to why exactly are they one of the best (if not the best) Industrial band. 7/10 | | 20 |  | Saintseneca
The Mallwalker
Some genuinely sweetly sounding Indie Folk that just isn't always that engaging as I'd want. Almost nothing on here particularly sticks out to me as any kind of highlight. It's just all fine music and that's that. 6/10 | | 19 |  | J. Cole
4 Your Eyez Only
Look, I totally get where is J. Cole headed, what is he trying to do and the messages he's trying to push, BUT the music is just so goddamn boring. As if he just focused on those 'meaningful' messages and lyrics and completely bailed on songwriting. And I really want to enjoy it, J. Cole is not that bad a lyricist, but again, the music just puts me to sleep. 5/10 | | 18 |  | Aramid
Shallow Dialects
...The slowdowns, though understandible as to why they are there, mostly create a sort of loose atmosphere and eventually might even cause the whole track to feel quite boring. But if the band manages to tighten up the songwriting (and get rid of those occasional electronic moments too while we're at it..ehm, Melancholic) and the instrumentation, I believe we might hear quite some things from them in the future. 6/10 | | 17 | | Aramid
Shallow Dialects
I'll be honest, I'm usually skeptical about Sputnik users' musical projects. Usually it reeks of amateurish directionlessness (not that back in the day when I was trying it out I was any better...I still cringe just thinking about those times). However, every now and then you come across a record that is very well promising and has a potential to become something musch bigger than just a mention in another one of the 'Check out my new album' threads here on Sputnik (because let's be honest, Sputnik is not exactly a PR paradise). One of such projects might just be Aramid. Now, did I love it? No. But do I think it has space for improvement that might change a lot in the future? Definitely. Naturally, the production sometimes feels flat and makes some instruments sound completely out of touch with everything else (but only sometimes). The music isn't exactly a powerhouse either... | | 16 |  | Star Slinger
We Could Be More
Okay, this may be the last time I decide to listen to an album, because it had interesting cover art. This could have been more indeed, not just a washed out, watered down, boring and generic Electropop. 3/10 | | 15 |  | Childish Gambino
"Awaken, My Love!"
Oh boy, I did not expect this. Donald Glover completely threw his rapping away and started doing R'n'B. And this might have been the best artistic decision he ever made since the beginning of his career as Childish Gambino. Now, I am normally completely disinterested in R'n'B, but for some reason, this album stuck in my head and I found myself enjoying it more than any other album of said genre this year. So with just one album, Donald managed to prove his musical versatility, vocal and compositional talent, but also make me less lukewarm towards a whole genre. Kudos, good sir! 8/10
Me And Your Mama, Have Some Love, Riot, Redbone, Terrified, The Night Me And Your Mama Met, Stand Tall | | 14 |  | Kid Cudi
Passion, Pain & Demon Slayin’
It's obvious that Kid Cudi is willing to progress in his influences, because this album has a gutload of those. However, that does not necessarily mean that he uses all of those styles (from Afro-Pop, R'n'B or even some sort of Art Pop on the song Releaser) to their fullest. Though ultimately on the right track, amost every trac on here never really reaches beyond the interesting style or a musical idea. So as of right now, I can appreciate that Kid Cudi is back from the world of obscure with an album that is full of really good musicalproduction, but this album has a lot of lowpoints still, whether those may be Cudi's vocals, ultimate unengaging nature of certain songs or sometimes even cringy lyrics. But I do believe that Kid Cudi is close to improving himself completely. 6/10
Releaser if you cut te vocals out, Rose Garden, Does It if the vocals were a bit more passionate, Wounds, Cosmic Warrior, Surfin' (Whoa, this one is actually fantastic) | | 13 |  | Injury Reserve
Floss
Criminally underrated trio Injury Reserve came through with an album of half catchy and energetic tunes, half slightly above-avergae Pop-Rap fillers. 6/10
Oh Shit, All This Money, S On Ya Chest, What's Goodie, Eeny Meeny Miny Moe, Look Mama I Did Its | | 12 |  | Nails/Full of Hell
Split
Just in case all those Full of Hell, The Body, Nails albums and EPs this year weren't enough for you, these guys decided to give you one last 3-minutes long gift. 7/10 | | 11 |  | The Rolling Stones
Blue and Lonesome
In 2016, when nearly all the legendary musicians as old as Rolling Stones are either all dying out or releasing their most unenergetic records (mostly due to their age), Rolling Stones rock up with an actually decent album. Now, I will say that it is not perfect. The songs are nearly all really slow to a point of absolute boredom and the album doesn't really bring anything new to the table. It just sort of rehashes anything Stones have already done before. But man, do they know how to play it all with passion, goddammit! 6/10 | | 10 |  | Peter Broderick
Grunewald
Just a few short months after the release of his latest somewhat underwhelming album, Peter Broderick set out to give us more of the same. However, his sombre and simpistic neo-classical tunes somehow manage to work in a small runtime. 7/10
Low Light, Violin Solo No. 1 towards the end (from the 1:30 mark) | | 9 |  | Ash Borer
The Irrepassable Gate
A massive and ominous record full of brutal and overwhelming, though quite standard, Black Metal tracks. What can you really say about this? It's fantastic, but it surely doesn't bring anything new to the table and you might have a hard time remembering anything on here after the listening. 7/10 | | 8 |  | Old Gray
Slow Burn
This album reeks of angst and pure directionless confusion-based rage. It is just trying to sound so brutal and depressing at the same time, and it mostly succeeds at doing that. The songs are all so overwhelming with their crushing instrumentation and production, but most of all with the eerie and rage-filled vocal performance. The album does a fantastic job at creating tension and angsty vibe within each track, despite the short runtime. My only major issue with the album are the occasional acoustic interludes (and that part with the spoken-word poetry). I'd say that this album is what I wanted that Big Ups album to be. 8/10
Communion, Everything Is In Your Hands, Like Blood From A Stone, A Letter For Zach, On Earth As It Is In Heaven | | 7 |  | Enemies
Valuables
Ever wondered what does Indie Rock infused Post-Rock sound like? It sounds like any Indie Rock record ever, but occasionally using slightly unconventional instrumentation. But seriously, for some reason, people are calling it a Post-Rock. All I heard on here is Indie Pop-Rock with just more structured and detailed guitar section. It does pick it up at times, but not enough to make it a worthwhile listen. 5/10
Houran | | 6 |  | Team Ghost
Team Ghost
This is quite a refreshing Electropop album. However (because there's always a 'however'), it is one of those 'good-listen-but-only-once-then-I-have-no-interest-of-coming-back-to-it-again' kind of albums. When the music tries to go big and progressively overwhelming, it makes a great impression, but mostly it just sort of hangs in that middle-point where it could have been a fantastic listen, but ultimately remains a slightly rougher version of any other Electropop album. 6/10
The Riser, Sparkles, We Are War | | 5 |  | Permit
Vol. 1
Lo-Fi demo (I guess) of a band in some way associated with Hoops. It is actually quite interesting to listen to. I liked the rapidfire instrumentation and the Lo-Fi production, however that sound just won't make you want to come back to it even in the slightest. 6/10 | | 4 |  | Hanni El Khatib
Savage Times Vol. 5
And on presumably final installment to the Savage Times EP series, Hanni El Khatib delivers his probably most hellish and...well, savage... performance of all presented in the EPs. Unlike the others, Vol. 5 does not slow down even for a second, it just keeps on hitting hard. 8/10
Till Your Rose Comes Home, Savage Times | | 3 |  | Zao
The Well-Intentioned Virus
Can anyone explain how exactly is this a Metalcore album? It sounds much more like a Black Metal infused with slight Metalcore elements here and there. But this mild confusion is about all the issues I have in regards to this album. The album shifts and twists its style and direction on numerous occasions, always to an extraordinary effect. The general dismal heaviness and the instrumental weight push a feeling of some kind of grip of something abysmally gurgantuous that has no plans on letting you go or even rest for a second. This album doesn't slow down, it just keeps- on beating you to the ground with its sinister and ominous atmosphere. It is a magnificent album from start to finish. 8/10 | | 2 |  | The Last Shadow Puppets
The Dream Synopsis
How come you sound much better on a semi-live covers EP? Seriously. 7/10
Les Cactus, This Is Your Life, Is This What You Wanted? | | 1 |  | Run the Jewels
Run the Jewels 3
OOOH BOI, here we are! So RTJ decided to drop their third album like half a month prior to their planned release. And thankfully I start working on my year end lists when the year is over, because there's a lot of goodies on here. RTJ3 is easily Killer Mike's and El-P's most vibrant and lyrically heavy effort yet. They come through with a myriad of different production ideas (just listen to the difference between the song 2100 and...well, anythign else on here), and the album is also packed with a ton of typical for RTJ themes regarding politics, social state and injustice. However, while their previous efforts had songs that were more or less self-centered, on RTJ3 they delve completely into the politically-social world (with a few exceptions). I don't want to call it their best record yet, but it definitely is much more progressive, both musically and lyrically, than their previous outputs. 8/10
Down, Legend Has It, Hey Kids, 2100, Everybody Stay Calm, Thursday in the Danger Room | |
Conmaniac
01.01.17 | your write up for 15 makes me happy and you nailed my thoughts on 14. | Papa Universe
01.01.17 | Thank you, sir | UnnamedOcean
01.04.17 | Just noticed my album on this list. Thanks for writing about it, I always appreciate feedback! |
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