SteakByrnes
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Last Active 01-06-23 2:36 pm
Joined 02-20-16

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 Lists
03.08.24 RIP Akira Toriyama ♦01.03.24 STEAK 2023 ♦
04.10.23 MARCH MADNESS 2023 WINNER πŸ†πŸΎπŸŽ‰ ♦04.06.23 MARCH MADNESS FINALS 🦈🦈🦈 ♦
04.03.23 MARCH MADNESS SEMI FINAL RESULTS πŸ¦„πŸ ♦03.30.23 MARCH MADNESS RESULTS 6 πŸ§™β€β™‚οΈπŸ ♦
03.27.23 MARCH MADNESS RESULTS 5 🐍🐍🐍 ♦03.23.23 MARCH MADNESS RESULTS 4 πŸ’€β˜ πŸ’€ ♦
03.20.23 MARCH MADNESS RESULTS 3 πŸ€–πŸ€–πŸ€– ♦03.09.23 MARCH MADNESS RESULTS 2.2 βš”πŸͺ“πŸ—‘ ♦
03.06.23 MARCH MADNESS RESULTS 2.1 🐲🐲🐲 ♦03.02.23 MARCH MADNESS RESULTS 1.4 πŸ’—πŸ’•πŸ’Ÿ ♦
02.28.23 MARCH MADNESS RESULTS 1.3 πŸ’™πŸ₯ΆπŸ“˜02.24.23 MARCH MADNESS RESULTS 1.2 πŸ–€πŸ”²πŸ€
02.22.23 MARCH MADNESS RESULTS 1.1 πŸ’šπŸπŸŸ© ♦01.05.23 STEAK 2022 ♦
10.31.22 Goodbye Dad ♦06.16.22 Steak was in Europe
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Steak's 2020

Haven't done a year end list in a few years, this year I wanted to so here you go babes. Only the top 12 are ranked.
1Invent, Animate
Greyview

Progressive Metalcore

Man, I'm so glad this was as good as it was. The loss of Ben English on the mic was huge, but Marcus really stepped up to the plate and knocked it out of the park on his first album with the band. You'll find the usual chilly ethereal instrumentation of their past albums here, with that frosted over atmosphere even more emphasized than ever before. I was so afraid that losing Ben would be the downfall of this band (as it usually is with bands of the genre), but they're in good hands.

Rec'd tracks: Dark, Cloud Cascade, Shapeshifter, Monarch
2Enter Shikari
Nothing Is True and Everything Is Possible

Art Rock/Alt Rock/Post Hardcore

This is the album that screams quarantine to me. This came out right after all of the lockdowns and shutdowns took place, and man did this album help me feel better about being trapped in the house. There are fun dancey tracks, melancholic artsy waltz style tracks, and everything in between really. This is the quintessential Shikari album, and while it may not top my nostalgia love for the debut album, it damn near came close to taking the spot of my favorite album by these guys.

Rec'd tracks: The Dreamer's Hotel, Modern Living, satellites
3Coletta
Idealism

Psychedelic Pop Rock/Post Hardcore

I'm on clouds bros. These guys stunned me with their first EP back in 2018 with their unusual blend of a more psych rock based take on the swancore genre. Enter 2020 and it seems that Coletta wanted to drop their more post hardcore roots in favor of the poppy side that was shown in flashes on the EP, but did it work for them? Idk you tell me, it's my 3rd favorite album this year lmao idiot. But yes, this style shift absolutely worked wonders for them, giving us a dreamypopscape that I love to get lost in. Some out of nowhere rap bits need to be fleshed out but overall this was obnoxious, in the best way possible.

Rec'd tracks: Black Rabbit, Agoraphobia, Wanderlust, Bloom, Sweet Nothin
4Crystal Lake
The Voyages

Metalcore/Hardcore

Crystal Lake decided to give some of their older fans a gift by re-recording some pre-Ryo tracks off of their first two albums which resulted in one of their strongest outings to date. Better production and Ryo's strong vocals give these old tracks new life, and they're accompanied by friends far and wide for some stellar guest spots. Familiar voices in Gideon come through as well as a heart warming feature from the old vocalist Shinya Hori (who I might add sounds the best he ever has). This shit absolutely whips sack.

Rec'd tracks: Twisted Fate, The Passage, The Burden, Into the Great Beyond
5Loathe (UK)
I Let It In And It Took Everything

Metalcore/Shoegaze/Djent

Johnny gave this a 2.4, so I had to check this out. From the opening minute of the second song I had a feeling I was gonna love this, and I just gotta thank ol johnster for shining light onto this wonderful album for me. Now I'm not a huge fan of Deftones themselves, but when they influence other music it usually turns out incredibly well. On this album you can go from a vicious assault to a hazey soothing soundscape frequently, with both styles executed superbly.

Rec'd Tracks: Aggressive Evolution, Two Way Mirror, Screaming, Gored
6Bilmuri
EGGY POCKET

Post Hardcore/Alt Rock/Easycore

For the unacquainted, this is the solo project of Johnny Franck (former guitarist/clean vocalist of Attack Attack). Now before you immediately exit your window and turn off your monitor let me say this: it doesn't sound anything like his material in former bands. When I heard this I played it on repeat and couldn't get enough of it, such a fun blend of post hardcore and alt rock/pop stylings that I never tire of.

Rec'd tracks: Midwestlawncaredadswhosmashbrews, Flourideinthehardseltzerwater, E G G
7Palm Reader
Sleepless

Melodic Hardcore/Post-Metal/Metalcore

I've been a huge fan of these UK boys since before Braille dropped, and they seemed to be getting better with each release. When Braille came out I thought that was their peak, that is until this dropped. They went even more atmospheric and posty with this release, adding these HUGE effective choruses and creating such a solid album. This might be the best fusion of post-metal and metalcoreish styles I've ever heard, and I can't wait to hear more.

Rec'd tracks: Hold/Release, Stay Down, Willow, A Bird and its Feathers, Both Ends of the Rope
8Svalbard
When I Die, Will I Get Better?

Post Hardcore/Screamo/Blackgaze? idk maybe

The female fronted skramz outfit returns to wallop you with not only extreme instrumentation, but strong lyrical content as well. The vocals are strong, joined by these beautifully melodic leads and crushing rhythm section that only lets up for the more ethereal numbers done on the album. I'm glad this didn't get slept on like their other albums, and it lead to some interesting discussions in the threads.

Rec's tracks: Open Wound, Throw Your Heart Away, The Currency of Beauty
9Novelists FR
C'est La Vie

Progressive Metalcore

I've been in love with these guys since I first heard a single of theirs back in 2015, and that love has not waned much if at all. Their last album Noir took some time to grow into the 5 that it eventually became, and this also took some time to soak (shout out to Benecidal). Matteo's smooth as silk cleans are omnipresent, along with his strong harsh vocals that only seem to get stronger and stronger each release. The guitarist of this band always seemed to be a step ahead of every other guitarist in the genre, and his lead work is stellar throughout this 9 song journey. This is Matteo's last outing with Novelists which deeply saddens me, but I hope his new project turns out well, and maybe someday they'll end up on one of my year end lists.

Rec'd tracks: Somebody Else, Lilly, Modern Slave, C'est La Vie, Human Condition
10Saviour
A Lunar Rose

Metalcore/Post Hardcore

The underground Aussie group started off 2020 with a strong effort that quickly became my favorite album of theirs. Vocalist Bryant Best has drastically improved his delivery, opting for a more strong mid scream than his typical yells of the past, and his beefy lows are far more present than they ever have been in the past. Clean vocalist Shontay Snow does her usual spectacular performance, offering a beautifully stark contrast to Byrant's strong harsh vocals. Instrumentation stepped it up a bit from the last album, overall a solid album that will most likely go overlooked unfortunately.

Rec'd tracks: Never Sleep, Souvenir, Passengers, Rose, The City
11Dua Lipa
Future Nostalgia

Dance Pop

2020 was the year I got more into dancey poppy stuff, so I'm not sure why it took me until like November to listen to this. Admittedly I passed her off as a tik tok artist, and I wish I hadn't because this immediately hooked me. From dancing with my girlfriend in the kitchen while we make breakfast, to just jamming this at my desk at work, this has become one of the most fun and beloved albums I've heard this year.

Rec'd tracks: Future Nostalgia, Don't Start Now, Physical, Levitate, Hallucinate, Love Again
12Yukika
Soul Lady

City Pop/Dance Pop

Another fun dance pop record to round up my top 12 albums this year, this made me wanna pack my bags and take the next flight to Japan (please let me stay with you johnny). Some tracks sound like they'd fit right in on a 90s era sega game, with bop after bop getting stuck in my head for days on end.

Rec'd tracks: I Feel Love, Soul Lady, Cherries Jubiles
13Good Tiger
Raised in a Doomsday Cult

Post Hardcore

A fun summery post hardcore album from these guys, a solid step up from the last.
14Lost For Life
We All Share The Blame

Metalcore/Hardcore

Former For The Fallen Dreams vocalist Dylan's first project since leaving like 7 years ago, solid short fun EP
15No Note
if this is the future then I'm in the dark

Screamo

Fun little gem Marskid found, skramz with red hot chili peppers song titles lol
16Passcode
Strive

J-Pop/Trancecore

Fun trancecore with the guise of it being made by idols. Think Fear, and Loathing in Las Vegas made by idols.
17Avenade
Vice Versa in Such Things

Noise Rock/Post Hardcore/Garage Punk

Wild noisy mix of genres, very unpredictable album that's a lot of fun!
18Yashira
Fail To Be

Sludgy Metalcore

Relentless pounding core shit that will have your heart beating and head feeling heavy, only to want more once it's done with the assault.
19Dance Gavin Dance
Tree City Sessions 2

Swancore/Post Hardcore

They had two releases this year, this being the better one. More live versions of some deeps cuts, the band sounds perfect live.
20Ichiko Aoba
Windswept Adan

Folk

This is just beautifully serene, me on the cover
21Plini
Impulse Voices

Prog Metal/Prog whatever/Bedroom Warrior Aficionado

Plini is back with another installment of "damn this dude is so insanely good", with probably his best songwriting to date. Trilogy EP still best tho
22Weathered
Everything All at Once

Emo/Alt Rock

Nice chill emo that I probably would never have checked if not for Marsbro
23Seiko Oomori
Kintsugi

J-Pop/Art Pop

Wild off the walls J-pop, not my favorite outing by her but still so good
24Glowing
No Fun

Indie Rock

From our very own staff writer and dear friend verdant, this was so fun and energetic.
25Chamber (US)
Cost of Sacrifice

Metalcore/Hardcore

Lost of albums came out that have this sound, this one was one of the better ones
26Snail's House
Imaginarium

Electronic/Downtempo/Future bass

Another solid Snail's House outing, doesn't reach the highs of the two 2018 releases but it's a good time. A more laid back sound from him this go around
27Kingdom of Giants
Passenger

Metalcore

I wasn't expecting this to be good after the first single, but they blew me away with this one. Fun guitar leads and dope vocals galore
28beabadoobee
Fake It Flowers

Alt Rock/Indie Pop

Fun garagey indie stuff
29I DON'T KNOW HOW BUT THEY FOUND ME
Razzmatazz

New Wave/Synthpop

Fun synth driven bangers from former Panic members
30Inventure
No Time to Waste

Progressive Metalcore

Solid fun progcore that doesn't push any boundaries, but good nonetheless
31Joji
Nectar

Sadboi/Alt R&B

A longer album this time so a few more ups and downs but overall another strong release from Joji, thanks b0ss
32PVRIS
Use Me

Synthpop/Alt Rock

This got a little too much hate me thinks, it was another fun outing from Pvris. Dropping some of the more moody textures for more upbeat poppy stuff and it works well
33Two People
Second Body

Downtempo/Ambient Pop

This was fun to throw on and vibe out to
34Black Crown Initiate
Violent Portraits of Doomed Escape

Prog Death Metal

Not usually my schtick but this resonated with me. Strong vocals and pummeling instrumentation
35TRVSS
New Distances

Post Punk/Hardcore

Another fun gem found by Marskid lol the dude scours bandcamp like no other
36Gulch
Impenetrable Cerebral Fortress

Metalcore/Deathcore/Hardcore

Mean in your face beat you down core
37Hum
Inlet

Gazey Alty You already know what it is

Strong return from these 90s rockers
38Hollow Front
Loose Threads

Metalcore/Post Hardcore

Run of the mill core stuff done very well, just up my alley enough to let it slide
39Nuvolascura
As We Suffer From Memory and Imagination

Screamo

Skramz with dope lead guitar
40Sunami
Sunami

Beatdown

8 minutes of dumb beatdown that owns
41Infant Island
Beneath

Screamo/Post-Metal

Massive screamo vibes in this house
42Seori
?depacse ohw

KR&B

Fun shit bro
43I Am Abomination
Passion Of The Heist II

Progressive Metalcore/Post Hardcore

These guys are a blast from the past, jammed their old stuff in high school. This shit went bomb
44Rina Sawayama
Sawayama

Dance Pop

Fun shit that gets a little out there sonically, mixing other genres to form a clusterfuck of sounds that work very well together
45Dream On Dreamer
What If I Told You It Doesn't Get Better

Post Hardcore/Alt Rock

More or less the last album with a touch more screaming, so it's still pretty good but
doesn't reach the same heights. Gonna miss these guys, Loveless will always be one of my
favorite albums ever, hopefully Zach continues doing Young Lions

Regrets is spectacular, a great way to send the band off
46Triangulo de Amor Bizarro
oɹɹɐzΔ±qΙΉoɯɐǝpolnΖƒuɐıɹʇ

Noise Rock/Shoegaze

Very fun gazey noisy shit
47downy
Mudai (7)

Post Rock/Electronic

Cool glitchy shit johnny told me to jam
48Orphan Donor (USA)
Old Patterns

Screamo

More skramz, with a more hardcore punk edge
49Motives
Death Throes

Melodic Hardcore

Melodic hardcore for the bois
50The Motion Mosaic
Avant-Garbage

Mathcore

TDEP inspired spazz fest
51Landon Tewers
Ai640 Pt. 3

Metalcore

His heavy side project gets another addition
52Jida
Lucid

Pop/Downtempo/R&B

Vibey shit rec'd by johnny and abe
53Cindy Lee
What's Tonight to Eternity

Hypnagogic Pop

This was my first delve into this style of pop and I loved how noisy it was
54Envy
The Fallen Crimson

Post-Metal/Screamo

The Japanese screamo titans return with a strong album
55REOL
Kinjitou

Electropop

Fun gonna get stuck in your head electropop ala johnny
56Pressure Cracks
This Is Called Survival

Hardcore

more hardcore bangers from these guys
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