Album Rating: 4.5

Apparently Opal and Salva went down like a wet fart on the European tour. Always risky to end a concert with new songs. Doing Opal then Salva before the encore and New Day for the encore was probably a better option.

especially with damp squib songs such as they are!

Album Rating: 4.5

Opal was well received at the show I was at, lots of people singing along and a small mosh for the climax. Salva was a bit more lukewarm but I'd say it's partly because it was the final song and they already closed then main set with New Day.

Album Rating: 4.0

They should not have put those two songs next to each other on the album and they should not put them together live. The pacing of them is too similar.

Album Rating: 5.0

they're also the emotional climax of the record so it makes sense that they put them where they did. hopefully the crowds were just bad in certain spots and that this isn't the case everywhere. they may not work as well live though, that of course is possible

"hopefully the crowds were just bad in certain spots"

You're entitled to your opinion, but, as we put it in Poland, zamknij kurwa ryj.

Album Rating: 5.0

are you gonna make me google translate that or lol

You could, but the puny English "shut the fuck up" doesn't quite possess the same gravity as the original phrase.

Vool is back boys, and unlike Tool, they actually deliver. God bless.

Album Rating: 5.0

^ Fuck yea they don't disappoint. Titan of an album

nah but Salva though. What the fuck, I wept like a little bitch. lmao.

Album Rating: 4.0

The Guthrie Govan solo was delightful

album is insane.
honestly.
what the fuck
we don't deserve these guys

Album Rating: 4.0

I keep coming back to it too. Really loving Ghost

Album Rating: 4.5

Idk how I slept on these guys for so long. Just started listening to them in the last few weeks and they're seriously incredible.

Album Rating: 5.0

Still my AOTY after facing off some stiff competition

Album Rating: 4.5

It's definitely in my top 3. Periphery will probably be my number 1 depending on how good Loathe's new album ends up being, but Above, Below is also sitting up there too. A lot of incredible music this year.

Album Rating: 5.0

Yea 2026 has been insane for good music, even if a lot of it is outside my taste.

Album Rating: 5.0

To me this album epitomizes the idea of 'progressive' in the sense that the song structures are always moving forward. Things rarely settle into a tired rhythm or structure and it keeps it so interesting to me. It also does so without the instrumental "wankery" expected from 'prog' acts. I feel like they really used the huge gap between albums to refine the songs over and over and over again over a much longer than typical writing period, and it shows. And that's why it's the AOTY.

Album Rating: 5.0

well said funko, agreed with all of your points and with the no-wankery, but progressive song structured point especially