50-31 | 30-11 | 10-1

30. Cult Leader – Lightless Walk

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In 2012, I felt a renewed faith in “heavy” music. When Gaza dropped No Absolutes In Human Suffering, it was refreshing, to say the least. Three years later, Cult Leader have risen from the ashes and released an album mired in Gaza lore, but drenched in a new identity. Murky and of the moment, Lightless Walk sees the band chart out their own path with a more focused metal sound. The album is sludgier and grimier than anything Gaza ever released. And while that band’s breakup still stings, Cult Leader more than make up for all of those lonely nights. –Eli K.

29. Paradise Lost – The Plague Within

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Since the early ’00s and the gradual reinstatement of Paradise Lost among the flagship bands of European death/doom metal the same questions come to mind once the cycle of each and every full length release has been completed: where will they go from here? Will they still be relevant? Truth be told, the Shadowkings have shown to be extremely resourceful in redefining their style, while taking calculated risks regarding the addition of “foreign” elements. For example, the album Tragic Idol refined the Paradise Lost classics Icon and Draconian Times to perfection, and introduced a solid sense of old school heavy metal in the whole package.

An analogous situation holds with this year’s The Plague Within, which hints at the extreme metal days of old for the Halifax-based outfit. As with its predecessor, the band exploited the experience of 20+ years so as to give a modern rendition of the bleakness founded in early ’90s death/doom metal, while successfully incorporating experimentations with classical music and groove metal that had been previously tested in special releases. To everyone’s benefit, the band is still brimming with inspiration, and intends to be around for a long time, discarding the fact that time waits for no one. –Voivod

28. Amorphis – Under the Red Cloud

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Maybe it was a bit of foreshadowing when Amorphis took the stage and played Tales from the Thousand Lakes in its entirety earlier this year at Maryland Deathfest, because Under the Red Cloud seems to hearken back to an earlier time in Amorphis’ venerable career. The album is the heaviest record they’ve written in many years, and perhaps because of that it is like the band’s sound has been born again (again). Sure, Amorphis have re-invented themselves more than once over the years, but with Under the Red Cloud the re-birth is running the route of the phoenix and spawning from its own ashes. Tracks like “Dark Path” or “The Skull” rip through bellowing growls before soaring high with gorgeous cleans moments later, constantly showing different facets of Amorphis’ past and present.

The record is a near-constant juxtaposition of older, heavier Amorphis and the melodic, progressive tendencies they have been exploring more in recent years. It is this dichotomy of mood that resonates so well – I haven’t heard Tomi growl this much ever and I haven’t heard the guitars display such a sense of groove and motion before. To add to that, Amorphis inject more than a little bit of folk, and suddenly there is a progressive metal giant rearing its head before us. Amorphis have long been masters of their own domain, but this record shows just how broad that domain is. Under the Red Cloud hits a high note in one of the most respected discographies in heavy metal, and has such broad appeal that if you even remotely enjoy metal this record will command your attention, respect, and adoration. –Kyle Ward

27. Earl Sweatshirt – I Don’t Like Shit, I Don’t Go Outside

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Earl Sweatshirt probably likes shit, and he probably goes outside. But for the half hour that comprises his bleak sophomore record, Earl recounts with his signature attentive detail the factors that soured his attitude to life, fame, love, and one believes it when he says in reference to the album’s title, “I been living what I wrote.” The effect should be numbing, but Earl has catharsis on the mind, modulating with obsessive precision the battles and some hard-won victories that come with being young, cynical and chemical dependent, all in that downcast spotlight of fame. Working with self-produced beats and a naked honesty made more poignant by his storytelling craft (check the drunken cadence coming out of “DNA”; the negative-image cloud-rap “Grief”), Earl has made that most peculiar of rap albums: a focused study of the truths that comprise the self at one particular moment in time, irrespective of anyone else’s bullshit. Apocalypse, boy. –Lewis P.

26. Intronaut – The Direction Of Last Things

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One of the most consistent contemporary prog-metal bands return with The Direction of Last Things, a masterpiece which, if not surpasses, at least rivals what’s now considered their magnum opus, Valley of Smoke. There are several similarities in between the two since Intronaut once more combine brutal, dissonant riffs backed up by growls with clean, blissful melodies. This is where the guitars go wild with their intricate interplay, whereas the several progressive passages that tie them showcase the amazing interplay between bassist Joe Lester and drummer Danny Walker.

The main difference is the overall sound of the album, being mixed by Devin Townsend. His focus on volumes and little details made these tracks shine more than ever. The result is less sludgy (a downside for some), yet songs like the bludgeoning “Pleasant Surprise” or the title cut successfully bring back that heavy side that lost ground on previous affair, Habitual Levitations. Still, these guys are at their best when they use their entire sonic palette in their compositions, thus creating some career highs such as “Digital Gerrymandering” or “Fast Worms”. These flawless epics portray their strengths, delivering some of their most memorable hooks so far. Also, the vocal harmonies have been upgraded too, with Timnick and Dunable bringing out their best harmonies to accompany the gorgeous, scattered progressions, each better than the other. One of the best releases of the year comes from a band whose constant explorations continue to pay off, thereby making The Direction of Last Things downright infectious and refreshing. –Raul Stanciu

25. Joanna Newsom – Divers

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For those of us who consider Joanna Newsom’s post-Ys career to be a well-deserved victory lap for “Emily”, Divers arrives like a text message from an old friend who usually can’t be bothered to keep in touch. It’s nice to have, but it’s been five years since the last one and, to be honest, I forgot she existed. That’s half a decade, Joanna, and I’ve left school, moved cities and met and forgot too many albums to remember. You’re still doing the same thing, and I don’t care how tight those orchestral arrangements are because this haughty upper-class folk replicates the sound of aging bohemia: expensive and comfortable.

I just can’t seem to crack in to this – maybe I need to buy better wine to understand it properly or something – but still, it’s good to hear from her. “Anecdotes” is a stunner and “Waltz of the 101st Lightbourne” isn’t too bad either – even verging on novel – which isn’t something Joanna tends to be too comfortable with. Fuck, her voice is good, though, and that’s what it really comes down to. Divers creeps into the Top 25 by being too sophisticated for its own good yet beautiful enough to get away with it. –Jonny Hunter

24. Carly Rae Jepsen – Emotion

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Carly Rae Jepsen reportedly prepared over 250 songs for her third studio album, but the true scale of her desire to prove herself goes way beyond mere numbers and figures. The Canadian Idol alumna also famously refused to take on any pre-written songs in order to hone her own songwriting skills and showed no qualms about repeatedly delaying Emotion‘s release date so that she could focus on developing the new sound that she wanted to showcase. The end result is that rare thing: a pop product that is as authentic as it is charming; there is genuine nostalgia in these fifteen tracks for the days when pop music could glitter without sounding superficial, when it could be gimmicky without being disposable. Album opener “Run Away with Me” billows in improbably on the back of a wistful saxophone before slowly giving way to Jepsen’s bright-eyed narrative, which is made even more inescapable by the pure earnestness of its message (“Take me to the feeling; I’ll be your sinner in secret”). Elsewhere, the irresistibly aerodynamic “I Really Like You” is a worthy successor to the zeitgeist of “Call Me Maybe”, while “Gimmie Love” and “All That” are perfectly distilled slivers of ’80s-influenced pop. Emotion may have charted significantly lower than Kiss and even Curiosity thus far, but in time, it will be seen as a career highlight from a bonafide artist, who just happened to find her big break on reality TV. –Irving Tan

23. Blanck Mass – Dumb Flesh

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Dumb Flesh is the aural equivalent to all of those trashy club scenes you saw in ’90s movies. You know, the sort of scenes in those raver clubs in cheesy vampire flicks or revenge thrillers. With sweat and flesh roiling about, bodies glide by one another in a haphazard fashion while dim lights flash around a grimy dance floor. This makes the title of Blanck Mass’ fascinating record seem quite fitting. Dumb Flesh is a multifaceted album that churns darkness and mechanical noise into a weird package, only to contort it into something strangely moving. The little intricacies and multiple layers give this industrial/drone record the flair of a polished IDM release. Blanck Mass knows how to craft a dark ambient piece yet makes it seem like a dance track. Meanwhile, his most fervent pieces seem best equipped for introspection. It’s these idiosyncrasies that make Dumb Flesh such a brilliant release. Blanck Mass has made a record that is dim and dark, while also bright and moving; a piece that demands attention but also submission. –Eli K.

22. Arcturus – Arcturian

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If the return of Arcturus this year points to anything other than the quality and freshness of their latest album, it’s that bands need to take their time during releases in order to amass the right volume of inspiration and quality for future endeavours. Following the release of Sideshow Symphonies in 2007 and the promotion tours that followed, the band wound up completely worn out; future plans included an immediate dissolution and retreating into an indefinite hiatus.

These Norwegians took a great deal of time before getting their hands dirty with the composition of new music, but the wait was more than worth it. On par with the album cover art, a collage of previous ideas implemented in previous releases, Arcturian has shed new light to every territory visited by Arcturus in the past. Moreover, the electronic remixes of selected songs from the album is reminiscent of an earlier era, in which the band went on doing stuff like the Disguised Masters compilation, discarding the opposing minds of the (then) much narrow-minded metal community. It’s this spirit of artistic freedom and boldness that this company of Norsemen has brought about anew, with Arcturian being a promise for better things to come. –Voivod

21. Deerhunter – Fading Frontier

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“No more wife, no more kids / nothing left to live with / to exist”

Given the sharp turns Deerhunter have made more than once in their career, it’s less a surprise and more a reassuring sigh of relief that Fading Frontier ends up as their most unapologetically straightforward album after 2013’s chaotic Monomania. On the surface, the band are more assured, seemingly more content. But while songs like the blissful major keys of “Breaker” and broad, airy harmonies of “Take Care” are pop rock songs at their core, Deerhunter remain a fundamentally obsessive band.

“The time’s erased / you’ll find they’re gone / without a trace”

Obsessed about relationships, about mortality, about the fuck-ups that define a life far more than its successes. Bradford Cox has a lot to say on Fading Frontier, and that he does it through perhaps his most accessible set of songs – that first half is hook after pure hook – is so devious, so typically Deerhunter.

“There will be nothing to say / except I tried / not to waste another day / trying to stem the tide”

Yet for all the dissonance here I keep coming back to that line in “Breaker”. It’s sad and hopeful in equal measures, a dichotomy emphasized by one of the band’s most achingly lovely melodies. It’s universal, too, and Fading Frontier, perhaps more than any other Deerhunter record, best strikes that balance between Cox’s unique, caustic perspective and the classic, eminently approachable rock ‘n roll at the heart of Deerhunter’s sound. –Rudy K.

20. Vince Staples – Summertime ’06

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Vince Staples’ debut album has a lot to say, which is probably why its contents couldn’t be summed up on a single disc. The entirety of Summertime ’06 comes off as structured to fit around the corners of Vince’s stories, and its notably minimal production insists we pay attention to the Long Beach-born rapper. This, of course, is no problem – the listener has a breadth of tales here, and of many shades. Thematically, though, the majority of this record can be traced back to two main concepts: the process of making ends meet, and the resulting process of being caught in that thrill ride. These two things are frequently described as necessary for Staples, who makes his overarching mission clear in “Like It Is” – “Life is what you make it,” he says, “so I’m making money for my folks.” Drug sales and payment demands, they’re described throughout this record as something that HAS to happen, without exception, so that obligations can be fulfilled seamlessly and without delay. Above all else, Vince Staples tells us on Summertime ’06 that he’s a businessman. It’s the game’s fault that it forces him to play his cards in a way that hurts others – it’s not on his shoulders.

This sort of narrative was explored by a few other commercially successful rap albums in 2015, most notably Kendrick’sTo Pimp A Butterfly. The thing that distinguishes Summertime ’06 from its contemporaries is the conclusion of its narrative, which is a conscious and deliberate embracing of the concept of “roughness” – that such a thing is necessary in order for a black man to survive in the ghetto. Slow-churner “CNB” yields multiple explanations for this, but the most relevant one here is where Staples notes, “We black skinheads for real, was bred to kill”. The duality of this line is brilliant, and not only because it gives a nod to Kanye’s omnipresence within the rap community. In particular, this verse points out how the phenomenally inadequate socioeconomic space granted to black people in America forces violence – it forces behavior that the rest of society writes off as “inhumane” or “uncivilized.” The quality of roughness I mentioned earlier is how Vince Staples fends for himself, as well as his loved ones. And this fact is what makes Summertime ’06 one hell of a bold debut album, because it functions as a celebration of this roughness. Vince does here what is most important – justifying his actions and choices as a person not only to his recently expanding fanbase, but also to himself. –Jacob Royal

19. Beach House – Depression Cherry

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I’m still not entirely sure what drew me so hard to Depression Cherry. Beach House have wrote some undeniably classic songs in their past but never held my attention over the course of an album, a feeling confirmed by 2015’s other Beach House release, Thank Your Lucky Stars (an album that, while not catching my interest, confirms Beach House as one of the most interesting bands active today in that the album is, somehow, not only an archetypal Beach House record but very much its own, distinct effort). Perhaps it’s because Depression Cherry both turns inward, with Victoria Legrand writing some of her most intimate, heartbreaking lyrics and reveling in simple, lugubrious, and somewhat lethargic melodies, and explodes outward, painting with a varied palette and bolstering it with massive production that echoes from even the shittiest pair of earbuds. Simultaneously complex and wonderfully direct, Beach House made their best album by trusting in Legrand’s soulful voice, and a set of dazzling, vibrant songs that always appear on the verge of stacking one too many things on top of each other, only to unfurl more colorfully than ever before. –Rudy K.

18. Kamasi Washington – The Epic

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I feel a striking sense of deja vu here, as if I’ve attempted to articulate my feelings on this album multiple times this year only to never quite follow through. This is probably because of how huge it all is, which brings to that album title – while it’d be easy to claim the name of Kamasi Washington’s debut album is overblown or try-hard, I honestly can’t imagine it being named anything else. What other descriptor could be used to summarize a three-hour jazz album that reaches critical and commercial success in the mid-2010s besides the word “epic,” truly? This record is enormous, it is dense and it is LOUD. Listen to just the first five seconds of “Miss Understanding” – nothing outweighs the sense of urgency the song sets forth in that moment. There are softer parts of The Epic that contrast this one, such as the introduction to “Leroy and Laneisha”, brisk yet playful. And “The Rhythm Changes”, driven by vocalist Patrice Quinn, is simply one of the greatest tracks I’ve heard all year – it adeptly blends memorable melody with soulful instrumental interplay. All these disparate ingredients come together effortlessly to make one of the biggest musical statements I’ve heard in awhile. I’m not sure I’ve ever heard modern jazz explored in such a variety of ways, by the same group of musicians. The Epic is a statement to be celebrated, its moments of magic to be gradually unearthed by listeners the older it gets. –Jacob Royal

17. Ghost (SWE) – Meliora

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On their best album to date, these old school rock revivalists sharpen their sound to the point that they manage to create a musical world of their own. The aptly titled Meliora (Latin for “better”) fully encapsulates the group’s aesthetic with the sound that artfully bridges the gap between darkness and light. Their appeal lies in juxtaposing the outright satanic lyrics and sinister atmosphere with radiant melodies and grandiose song structures. Not only do they expertly perform this 1970s-inspired occult style of rock, but also bring an array of new influences to the table, expanding on their highly theatrical style. There are more prevalent traces of classic progressive rock and traditional pop than ever before. The songs contrast inspired thrash metal riffs with great hooks, but it’s the pastoral “He is” that shows how approachable Ghost may be. Meliora is a wonderfully assembled record that will certainly bring them more followers. –Greg Fisher

16. Oneohtrix Point Never – Garden of Delete

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It’s surprisingly difficult for me to talk about Garden of Delete without also talking about “Mutant Standard”, and it’s also really tough for me to talk about “Mutant Standard” without completely analyzing the shit out of it. But that’s because it is a phenomenally dense track, containing moments unlike anything Daniel Lopatin’s ever created before, and it perfectly embodies the essence of this album. I’ve listened to Garden of Delete more times than any new album in at least the last four years, and that’s because it so perfectly captures a troubled, fleeting sentiment: that of being lost in one’s own head, completely separated from the very world that contains us.

Garden of Delete is hauntingly real, indescribably so. It’s taught me of the complex and confusing feelings that can come with music that impacts us so profoundly, and how we always sustain that possibility of being amazed by it, of finding new methods of examining our own lives through the recorded experiences of others. This album has made me realize things about myself that I couldn’t have possibly determined through any other way; it reconnected me to memories from childhood I’d long forgotten about. It pushed me to examine why these particular memories came to me, what was so significant about them that they’d return to me after so long. And if anything, I’ve realized that all these memories have to do with that feeling of bliss, recollections of fits of happiness where nothing else mattered. And I honestly owe Daniel Lopatin so much for him reminding me of this feeling through Garden of Delete. –Jacob Royal

15. Deafheaven – New Bermuda

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In the two years following the release of Sunbather, Deafheaven have had a lot to think about. Sunbather‘s runaway success brought with it a measure of prestige, comfort, and freedom – the very same things it had thematically aspired to (“I held my breath and drove through a maze of wealthy homes / And I watched how green the trees were” vocalist George Clarke once cried). New Bermuda, in contrast, feels like a recoil of disgust – Deafheaven had glimpsed the future, and decided that it was anathema to their very essence. They chose to respond by turning inwards and demanding even more of themselves, with any lingering sense of nostalgia being traded in for aggressive, often brutal soul-searching: “Where has my passion gone?!?” rages Clarke at the very beginning of the record. And New Bermuda thrives on that kind of relentless interrogation. From the bared-teeth aggression of “Brought to the Water”, to the insistent ebb-and-swell that closes out “Luna”, to the blissful build of “Come Back”, which eventually rounds on itself to summon a series of timeless thrash metal chugs, Deafheaven can make their struggle against their own selves feel like the most important thing in the world, and it’s a real privilege to be able to listen in. –Irving Tan

14. Hop Along – Painted Shut

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Every song off of Hop Along’s Painted Shut cuts me in half. Some cuts run deeper than others, but the fact that there’s at least one of those moments in each of the ten songs lining the record is a true testament to its staying power. And man, does this thing have staying power.

At its core, the Philadelphia quartet’s follow up to 2012’s (similarly excellent) Get Disowned is the so-badass-I-can’t-believe-it’s-street-legal vehicle for frontwoman Frances Quinlan’s raspy grandeur. Painted Shut manages to hit the most textured facets of late-twenty-something existence, and the complex emotional spectrum that necessarily attaches. Lament. Frustration. Passive optimism. Cautious nostalgia. The songs all have the impressive tendency to declare themselves in the first few measures, and build on that initial feeling until it drowns you. Quinlan begins the story, and then she and bassist Tyler Long steadily lift the stakes to the story’s inescapable conclusion: the world spins on, nothing matters unless everything matters, West Virginia. Whatever formula may be reverse-engineered from this dynamic, it’s more than welcome. Every song feels pure and right and innocent and defeated and broken and wrong. It’s great. –theacademy

13. Kauan – Sorni Nai

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Tragic, peculiar events can give birth to sincere, heartfelt music, as multiple artists have tried to understand and express certain moments through both beautiful and dreadful melodies. Sorni Nai is Kauan’s interpretation of the mysterious death of 9 Russian hikers led by Igor Dyatlov through the Northern Ural Mountains in 1959. Apart from hypothermia, there was no clear sign of what might have been the cause. Their bodies have been found under-clothed, frozen in the snow with no signs of struggle: only a couple of fractured skulls, some broken ribs, and a missing tongue. The case has been secretly archived, so controversy rose, leading to several theories that extend beyond the realistic realm.

Kauan amazingly recreate what could’ve been the hikers’ last hours, constantly shifting from lush melodies to sparse, melancholic acoustic moments, culminating in harrowing doom outings. There are many sides to Sorni Nai, as the band ventures through different genres. The new age synthesizers maintain that huge, yet frozen atmosphere throughout, while a multitude of instruments such as guitars (both acoustic and electric), piano, strings, and drums help embellish the composition. Even though there are several peaks, the segments leading to them are the ones to focus on. The slow, cinematic build-ups guide you through and leave enough space for the listener to get lost in and imagine the scenes. The vocals also range from welcoming, clean croons to intense, hellish growls, describing key moments of such a dramatic event. This gorgeous, compelling musical display of nature’s brutal force keeps dragging you back to relive those long hours. –Raul Stanciu

12. Father John Misty – I Love You, Honeybear

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Every year, an album comes along that seems to stamp its name permanently across the calendar for twelve months straight. In 2015, that album was Father John Misty’s I Love You, Honeybear. There’s something undeniably unique about this record. It’s self-absorbed, cynical, insulting, and sometimes downright uncomfortable. And the fact that Father John Misty just makes you love him even more for it is exactly what allows I Love You, Honeybear to be such an enigma. Singer Joshua Tillman’s soulful accounts of the fucked up side of love are everything that is simultaneously attractive and off-putting about this record, as he puts forth narrations like “I obliged later on when you begged me to choke you” or “When you’re smiling and astride me / I can hardly believe I’ve found you and I’m terrified by that.” These aren’t your typical lyrics, but that’s why I Love You, Honeybear circles high above your other sugar-coated, PG-rated “romantic” albums that can typically be found alongside flowers and candy hearts. This is the opposite of such artificial emblems. It’s the fetishes we hide in our bedroom, the fucked up thoughts we keep to ourselves, and the narcissistic attitude that we suppress daily in order to keep our relationships functioning. It may also be the realest “love album” you’ll hear this decade. –SowingSeason

11. mewithoutYou – Pale Horses

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For many mewithoutYou fans, Catch for Us the Foxes and Brother, Sister have long represented an unattainable post-hardcore benchmark for the band. That isn’t to say that they didn’t branch out and champion other styles, such as the Christian folklore of It’s All Crazy! It’s All False! It’s All a Dream! It’s Alright, but the fervent pleas of yesteryear had become little more than faded memories – destined to play second fiddle to fable-entrenched musings, often involving entire hosts of farm animals. For those who have grown weary of watching this band experiment over the last decade, take heed. Pale Horses is not only an extended olive branch dipped in nostalgia, it’s also a sweeping, apocalyptic return to form that feels like the epic final chapter of a classic novel.

Pale Horses is an end-of-times account with one foot dangling in the Book of Revelation and the other foot planted squarely in reality. In a world where God punishes mankind with an atomic blast, we also see imperially-crowned demons ride forth from the sky. The urgency of this album is off the charts, and for the vast majority of its duration, it feels like the world really is about to end. The clashing chords and earnest shouts on tracks like “Watermelon Ascot” lend instrumental credence to the surrounding chaos, while Weiss’ lyrics are – as always – so genuine that you really have no choice but to be intrigued by what he has to say. Somehow, effortlessly, Aaron Weiss threads all of these strings together seamlessly along with personal anecdotes about his deceased father, thus forming quite possibly the most emotionally climactic piece of music in the band’s history. It possesses the raw urgency of mewithoutYou’s earliest works yet retains the sense of spirituality and storytelling ability that have brought so many of their more recent efforts to life. There’s so much to delve into here, and with each successive experience, the brilliance of Pale Horses makes itself more apparent. On one listen, it might be the incredible imagery of “Rainbow Signs”, and on the next it could be a passage from “Dorothy” that makes you want to break down in tears. Pale Horses is the heaviest and most emotional album that the band has created since Brother, Sister, and it is certainly the best overall representation of mewithoutYou that we’ve heard in a long, long time. That alone makes Pale Horses worthy of consideration amongst 2015’s greatest albums. –SowingSeason

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