tyman128
Tyler White
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Last Active 01-01-70 12:00 am
Joined 01-01-70

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 Lists
03.18.24 Sputnik March Madness!!03.09.23 Sputnik March Madness Bracket ♦
12.31.22 tyman's top 75 of 2022 ♦11.11.22 Check The New EP ♦
09.23.22 check out my vocals12.16.21 tyman's Top 20(21) ♦
01.01.21 tyman's 2020 Awards06.12.20 tyman's 1,000
12.30.18 tyman's AOTY 2018 ♦

tyman's AOTY 2018

First End of Year list on the site, and what a ride it's been. Sputnik got me into more music than I would've accessed in my normal routine before joining. I didn't really get much musical variation until a few months ago, so many of the albums I wanted to listen to didn't make it in here. Not much description because, well, I'm not good at giving concise descriptions for stuff. Nonetheless, here are my top albums of the year.
26Shinedown
Attention Attention

HONORABLE MENTIONS
25Vexes
Ancient Geometry
24Shoal Lake
The Meadowlands
23Tremonti
A Dying Machine
22Fit For a King
Dark Skies
21The Wonder Years
Sister Cities
20Breaking Benjamin
Ember

OFFICIAL TOP 20 OF 2018

Ah yes, the next two picks are quite controversial among the Sputnik community I'm sure of it. Breaking Benjamin's newest is probably one of my favorites from them. Although still maintaining the same BB formula as before, Ember has some of the bands most aggressive as well as some of the best riffs the band has put out in a long time. Don't care how average people call this, it's still one of my favorites of the year.

Favorite Track: Blood
19Underoath
Erase Me

Me putting this here is actually surprising myself. Just a little bit ago, I had made a list and put this as one of the worst albums of 2018. Then it grew on me. It is definitely not their best album they've made, but it's not as bad as many make it out to be. It takes a much more electronically focused approach and melodic aspect than before, but it's actually pretty good. Never thought I'd put this in my best of the year list...

Favorite Track: No Frame
18Portrayal of Guilt
Let Pain Be Your Guide

Another album that didn't sit well with me at first. It kind of caught me off guard because I wasn't quite sure what to expect. The mixture of hardcore and punk as well as intense riffing creates the atmosphere of chaos that is both unsettling as well as fantastic.

Favorite Track: Your War
17Foxing
Nearer My God

I wasn't entirely sure what to think when I first heard this album. It was a weird combination to me and it didn't sit right with me. But now, it's stuck with me after repeated listens. Nearer My God is full of alternative rock with pop-like influences that make for an interesting record.

Favorite Track: Lich Prince
16Silent Planet
When the End Began

Although riddled with generic cleans and some unwanted melodies, Silent Planet's third release is still a great metalcore record. Filled with intense note-scaling riffs and punchy production, When the End Began is still an intense album despite moments of oddly placed melodies that don't fit.

Favorite Track: Afterdusk
15Let's Eat Grandma
I'm All Ears

With bouncy beats and poppy rhythms, the fact that I liked this album was completely shocking to me. With a blend of electronics and alt-pop, I'm All Ears is full of atmosphere and ambiance while remaining original and intriguing.

Favorite Track: Donnie Darko
14Daughters
You Won't Get What You Want

Probably one of the eeriest records I've heard all year. An interesting noise rock album that brings both ambiance and haunting atmosphere. Didn't really play this one all that much, but from the few times I did, I was truly surprised by how much I enjoyed the album.

Favorite Track: City Song (this thing creeped me out a lot on first listen)
13Greyhaven
Empty Black

Similar to Black Peaks, I didn't really know about this band until just a few days ago, but Empty Black has been a great record to jam. Their mix of metalcore-esque stylings with post-hardcore vocals and fluid melodies over the choruses, Greyhaven's sophomore effort is a great one.

Favorite Track: Day is Gone
12Mol
JORD

Never having delved into much black metal, this was the perfect album to be introduced to. The atmosphere is breath taking and the riffs are top notch. Although vocals were always my issue with previous bands, Mol's vocals are quite amazing and consistent throughout, resulting in a great album for the year.

Favorite Track: Vakuum
11Elemantra
To Know Better

Another Sputnik album. With influences of Smashing Pumpkins, ISIS, and shoe gaze, To Know Better is a fantastic alternative album. I was thoroughly impressed with Elemantra's chemistry and progression flow from track to track.

Favorite Track: A Good Man
10Coast
Coast

What a great jazz fusion album. The mixture of jazz with hints of rock-influence is very intriguing and makes for a great listen. I've found that turning this on and doing something creates a very relaxing atmosphere and makes you pretty chill haha

Favorite Track: Or Not
9Kars Landman
Everlasting, Ever-Fleeting

A Sputnik musician. I was pleasantly surprised by this album. The instrumentation is phenomenal with only the vocals holding it back just slightly with its lack of power. Nonetheless, the variety of genres presented (alternative metal, black metal, progressive) provides an album of diversity that is both interesting and quiet impressive.

Favorite Track: Follow the Wolves
8Clamfight
III

Such an underrated band. From beginning to end, III is full of hard-hitting riffs, pummeling drums, a variety of screams, growls, and melodies, as well as moments of peace. Having never really listened to much post-metal sort of stuff before, I was surprised to enjoy this as much as I did.

Favorite Track: Echoes in Stone
7Haken
Vector

Progressive Metal has never been my favorite, but Haken is an exception. Vector is dominated with both atmospheric instrumentation as well as oddly fitting vocals that soar over the choruses scattered throughout. This didn't click with me on first listen, but since then, it has been album I have returned to multiple times over the last month.

Favorite Track: Veil
6Rolo Tomassi
Time Will Die And Love Will Bury It

Another band new to my library, Rolo Tomassi's newest album caught me off guard. Opening up with a rather atmospheric and epic sounding song quickly turned to aggressive screams that kept me hooked. With the perfect balance between melody and chaos, Time Will Die... is an album with variety and shifting moods which makes the album all the more amazing.

Favorite Track: Contretemps
5Twenty One Pilots
Trench

Pretty sure many will disagree with me here. I've been a fan of twenty one pilots for a while now and Trench is their best in my opinion. Ditching the mainstream path Blurryface was showing, the band puts out a record that I can listen to over and over again without getting bored.

Favorite Track: Neon Gravestones
4Night Verses
From the Gallery of Sleep

One of the few instrumental albums I can consistently listen to on repeat. The chemistry between all three musicianships is absolutely phenomenal and the mixture of dreamy ambiance and chaotic distortion hits just right. Easily one of the best instrumental albums I've ever heard.

Favorite Track: Vice Waves
3Black Peaks
All That Divides

This is the most surprising album on this list for me personally. I hadn't even known about this band's existence until 5 days ago, and All That Divides has been on repeat ever since. Although production does falter at times, the instrumentation is amazing and the vocalist is absolutely insane. (This also takes my favorite album art of the year)

Favorite Track: Across the Great Divide
2Emery
Eve

Another band I didn't get into until just this year, Eve is one of the best records the band has put out during their career. Taking melody over aggression opposed to their previous efforts, Emery produces an album that flows so well as the trackless progresses.

Favorite Track: Safe
1mewithoutYou
[Untitled]

2018 AOTY

No doubt, this takes the cake. Having only got into the band this year, there may be slight recency bias, but this is my favorite from the band by far, just topping B,S. With a great mix of hard hitting rockers and slow melodic tracks, mwY hit home with a solid record.

Favorite Track: [Dormouse Sighs]
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