50-31 | 30-11 | 10-1

50. The Tallest Man on Earth – Dark Bird Is Home

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Despite expanding his sound to fill a much broader scope, Kristian Matsson’s fourth full length shares a vital component with its predecessors: an unmistakable feeling of connection with the listener. Deemed his most personal work to date, Dark Bird is Home is affecting and passionate, but not without the lyrical genius of his past efforts. Fueled by topics like the death of a family member and the separation with his wife, Matsson conjures up a release that feels like an unashamed examination of life, rather than an exercise in self-pity. Make no mistake: the album is a grand adventure through life’s bleaker circumstances. Whether it be the horns that bounce around on “Slow Dance” or the gradual build-up in the title track, one can’t help but feel as though they’re part of the journey this time around. –Atari

49. TesseracT – Polaris

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Perhaps it is a bit surprising to see TesseracT’s Polaris on this list, mostly because of the number one complaint about it: the lack of real standout tracks. In some respects, this is understandable; however, what ultimately makes this album so great is its simplicity. It’s the uncomplicated instrumentation, the one-dimensional atmosphere, and the softer tone that makes Polaris worth your time. With songs like the beautifully moody “Hexes”, the heavier “Messenger”, and the emotionally gut-wrenching closer “Seven Names” carrying the album, Polaris manages to feel more like an experience than your typical progressive rock album. –Toondude10

48. Amorphis – Under the Red Cloud

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Amorphis have redefined themselves so many times in their career, but what has remained constant — with very few exceptions — is the level of quality throughout their discography. In addition, maybe it’s the recent 20th anniversary of the legendary Tales from the Thousand Lakes, but Under the Red Cloud is the heaviest LP the Finnish masters have recorded in a long time. Even though the title track may not signify it, one can hear the most growls on any Joutsen-fronted album. At the same time, the typical catchy melodies and Eastern influences are present, providing a semi-progressive scent to the release’s melodeath nature. The electric sitar on “Death of a King” brings to mind Elegy and the folk theme of “Tree of Ages” will be ingrained on the minds of numerous listeners for a long time. Nonetheless, where Under the Red Cloud excels is in the songwriting’s consistency and the fact that the record doesn’t flat out disappoint at any point throughout its duration. Well done, gentlemen. –manosg

47. Sleater-Kinney – No Cities to Love

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There’s a whole reunion narrative implicit around No Cities to Love that really just does not matter. Its predecessor, 2005’s The Woods, took classic rock tropes and reapplied them to riot grrrl as so to make a point about the gendered nature of hard rock music. Comparatively, No Cities to Love is not weighed down by themes, context, or ideas, opting instead towards an aesthetic closer to All Hands on the Bad One. Without the album waning to any one side of their sound, it’s the most concise dissemination of Sleater-Kinney possible in 2015. Highlights abound within the first half of the album — specifically “Price Tag”, “Fangless”, the title track, and “A New Wave” — thus ensuring that although this is not Sleater-Kinney’s strongest effort, it’s easily the most Sleater-Kinney-sounding album in their catalogue. –Arcade

46. August Burns Red – Found in Far Away Places

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You should know the drill by now: August Burns Red release an album that sounds decidedly like August Burns Red. You’ll get the same naysayers repeating themselves and the same defenders crying. Sure, their formula was never original to begin with, but at the end of the day, they’ve always done it better than most of their counterparts.

If you were able to look past the repetition found in their past and see the silver lining, then Found In Far Away Places will be your calling. To be honest, I thought they’d taken it as far as they could on their last album, where they perfected their melodies and doubled down on intensity. Yet once again, they’ve managed to prove me wrong. While there would normally be defined lines between their clean and heavy sections, that boundary has been blurred here, adding a coherence that has been lacking in the past. It’s like they took what was once achieved in one of their most affecting songs to date, “Marianas Trench”, and expanded it to fit their latest full length. From Jeremy McKinnon’s contributions in “Ghost” through the careful development of “Twenty One Grams”, the songs sound far more natural than they ever have. They’ve built on Leveler‘s diversity, combined it with the coherency of Rescue and Restore, and finally reached a compromise that sounds like a complete product. Even if they’ll undoubtedly prove me wrong in another two years, for the time being, Found In Far Away Places marks yet another peak in their lengthy discography. –ComeToDaddy

45. Lupe Fiasco – Tetsuo & Youth

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After two sub-par releases and a lengthy label dispute, the spotlight has moved on and Lupe has been left behind. However, Lupe has gone on record saying this doesn’t disappoint him as you may expect it to, and it’s easy to see why on Tetsuo. Waning popularity gives him space to exercise his ambition and craft into something monstrous: an 80-minute concept album replete with 8+ minute rap tracks and interludes, which would have been a hard sell were he still at the peak of popular hip-hop. The livewire flow and dense lyricism of old have returned with a vengeance, resulting in his most ambitious track to date (it’s hard not to dedicate a paragraph to this song alone). Between the varied guestlist, a plethora of influences and an impressively diverse palette of instrumentals, there’s a little something here for everyone — and while it may stretch itself a bit thin in places, that variety guarantees an attractive piece for every listener. –ComeToDaddy

44. Little Simz – A Curious Tale of Trials + Persons

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Garnering endorsements from Jay Z’s Life+Times magazine and critically acclaimed rappers such as K Dot and Dizzee Rascal, the young and vivacious Little Simz has earned her keep in the UK Hip Hop scene over the last few years. With Little Simz’ debut album, A Curious Tale of Trials + Persons, “Bars Simzson” delivers an intimate and insightful concept album revolving around the multi-faceted flaws and hardships of being a part of the modern music industry and trying not to lose sight of where you came from. Across its rather short-and-sweet duration, she makes it abundantly clear that she has no intention of compromising what she stands for as she seamlessly traverses the territories of UK grime, jazz rap, and trap, all the while impressing with her verbosity and spirit, tools she no doubt will utilize in the years to come to solidify herself as one of the most ambitious young hip hop artists in the modern scene. –Graham R.

43. Bjork – Vulnicura

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I’ve come to realize I’d rather listen to a bad Bjork record than pretty much any other kind of record. Not to say that Vulnicura is a bad record, but it’s definitely not in the top echelon of Bjork albums. It’s got great string arrangements, it’s got emotional, visceral lyrics, it’s got Bjork’s unparalleled vocals, but it’s not really anything special, as to say it’s not as inventive as Homogenic, it’s not as moving as Vespertine, and it’s certainly not as fun as Post. But what I’m really trying to say is that one of Bjork’s weaker records still manages to make me feel very deep things, and it still manages to be one of the best albums of the year. –Robert Lowe

42. Paradise Lost – The Plague Within

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It is easy to say now that those who followed Paradise Lost closely expected The Plague Within to be a return to their roots; then again, time has shown that nothing about this band is ever guaranteed. At the peak of their commercial success, they decided to go against the tide, almost alienating their fans in the process. However, what is pleasantly surprising (even now) is that, at this point of their career, the British masters of gloom managed to record one of the better efforts in their discography. The band’s first three releases form the death/doom basis of the album, while elements from Icon and Draconian Times provide the necessary gothic flavor. The Plague Within is a statement of strengths and accomplishments, but after coming full circle, leaves us wondering where its successor will take us. –manosg

41. Jamie xx – In Colour

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It’s appropriate that Jamie Smith decided to pick out a vivid, vibrant, but simple picture of the color spectrum as the art for his debut album, because that’s exactly what In Colours essentially ends up being. Each and every song starts out fairly basic, with layers of simple electronic melodies building off one another to form a cohesive, joyous jungle of rave, dub, garage, and, well, jungle. From the soothing, distant synthesizers on “SeeSaw” to the bouncy drums and groovy bassline of “Girl”, In Colour has plenty to offer for the newest generation of ravers. –ExplosiveOranges

40. Soilwork – The Ride Majestic

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It’s incredibly hard just to create a good follow-up to a great album, mostly because audiences will be expecting a similar – if not greater – amount of impact that previously hit them.  Here, Soilwork nails it big time. In almost every aspect, from their instrumentation, songwriting, and Bjorn Strid’s vocal delivery, The Ride Majestic manages to succeed in proving 2013’s The Living Infinite was no one-trick pony. This isn’t the band that we know from their mid-2000 years, nor is this the same band we remember from their pre-Natural Born Chaos days. The Soilwork we recognize now is different: reorganized, rejuvenated, reinvented, and better than ever before. From the mood-setting, hard-hitting title track to the final near-six minutes of “Father and Son, Watching the World Go Down”, The Ride Majestic is this year’s biggest and best melodic death metal album. –Toondude10

39. Courtney Barnett – Sometimes I Sit and Think, and Sometimes I Just Sit

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I spent much of last year ranting about The Smith Street Band’s Throw Me in the River, insistent that what we were hearing was anathema to basic Australian etiquette: when you sing, try not to sound too Australian. For whatever reason, Courtney Barnett has abandoned this convention, and, much like Wil Wagner, opts to yelp and howl with a plaintive Oz drawl. On a wider scale, it’s reminiscent of Stephen Malkmus or Lou Reed, with the likes of “Pedestrian at Best” all the better for Barnett’s apparent distaste towards accepted vocal practices. She’s not made an album quite on the level of Throw Me in the River – a difficult task if there ever were one – but I have no doubt from here that Courtney Barnett will soon enough meet and eclipse such a feet based primarily on the promise of her debut. –Arcade

38. Purity Ring – Another Eternity

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Another Eternity didn’t seem like an entirely logical progression for Purity Ring. Granted, the overhype that surrounded Shrines was bound to disservice the band’s sophomore album; however, it seems as if every quirk that made this band stand out previously has been stripped at the cost of radio mediocrity. Many can – and have – viewed such a move as unintelligent or lazy, but it speaks to a broader ambition Purity Ring are capable of fulfilling. Interpreted as a tight and concise pop album of 2015, and nothing more, Another Eternity is at the very least one of the most straightforwardly enjoyable albums this year had to offer. –Arcade

37. Panopticon – Autumn Eternal

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Comeback records are generally a pretty big deal by their very nature, especially from a prolific artist like Panopticon’s Austin Lunn. While Autumn Eternal is a comeback in neither intent nor definition, its sheer scale and quality make it feel about as much one as Lunn’s true upturn, Roads to the North. That aspect says a lot about why Autumn Eternal found its way onto this list. Instead of the comfortable slump after his victorious return, Autumn Eternal is Lunn’s declaration that no laurels will ever be rested on. His usual folky black metal is as emotive as ever and his amplified post-rock leanings complement marvelously. Best of all, those divisive banjos have been given a moment to breathe instead of plucking away relentlessly to Kentucky hymns. If anything, Autumn Eternal makes the impending winter after a fading fall seem a lot less cold and dreary. –Brett Tharp

36. Clarence Clarity – No Now

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Calling No Now a “weird” record is an extreme understatement. What Clarence Clarity achieves with No Now is breaking through the R&B scene with a debut record that turns the entire genre on its head, and then some. The British recording artist is often chaotic and aggressive with his approach to songwriting, never confining himself to the typical constructs of the genre. Many twists and turns are thrown that can be the most subtle of enhancements or as direct as a kick to the nuts.

Yet, No Now never feels as though its staggering presentation is a gimmick, but still, never a dull moment is to be found with its shocking 20-track run-time. As sinisterly catchy as it is with its choppy, glitchy, and harsh melodies, the album also boasts excellent technical production and cohesiveness with its dense and compact construction. No Now is undoubtedly one of the best of the year and of its genre(s). –CL0VER

35. Dance Gavin Dance – Instant Gratification

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Dance Gavin Dance can’t stop. They’ve put out six albums in nine years with a level of steadiness that’s unparalleled within the realm of 2000s Post-Hardcore. With all that being said, Instant Gratification is probably Dance Gavin Dance’s most consistent record, which is extraordinary considering the context of their impressive discography. Instant Gratification is the most technical record the band have made, and it’s also the catchiest, which is crazy considering the band’s six albums deep and really haven’t changed up their sound all that much. Instant Gratification might not sway anyone who wasn’t already a fan, but it’s a real treat for anyone that even mildly digs Dance Gavin Dance. –Robert Lowe

34. Carly Rae Jepsen – Emotion

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You know that feeling you get when you underestimate someone, and they end up surprising you in a way you never would have imagined? Well, amplify that tenfold, and you’ll get somewhat close to how I felt after listening to Emotion for the first time. From the moment I heard that saxophone at the beginning of “Run Away From Me”, I realized that this was going to be a very different experience compared to Carly Rae Jepsen’s prior discography. Every single track, from “Emotion” to “When I Needed You”, is glazed over with glossy, polished production that stays consistent throughout the album. Carly’s vocals are as confident as ever, with sugary, almost nectarous lyrics lending themselves well throughout all fifty-four minutes of Emotion. If you’re looking for an energetic, cohesive, and just straight-up pleasant pop album, Emotion is sure to please. –ExplosiveOranges

33. Jeff Rosenstock – We Cool?

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Jeff Rosenstock is the best friend you always underestimate until they’re there for you when you really need them. His uncouth voice is only as ugly as the car crashes and grieving processes that he sings about. Although his solo work has strayed away from the Nintendo synths of Bomb the Music Industry!, We Cool? still sounds like a childhood summer filtered through an amplifier turned up to 11. We Cool? is the king – nay, the goddamn messiah – of every stale beer and fistfight you’ve ever had, every scar you’ve ever received. We Cool? is comfort food, and it’s exactly what you don’t know you need yet. –Rowan5215

32. Foxing – Dealer

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Dealer shows a more vulnerable side to Foxing than their debut. The songs are much slower, less focused on the vocals of lead singer Connor Murphy, and instead emphasize atmosphere. The instrumentation is much more subdued, but when they begin building up to something grand, the force can become unrelenting. This is especially showcased on the standout track “Eifel”, which is some of the most crushing and emotional material the band may have ever put together. Even though the album has less post-rock crescendos than most others in the genre, there is a certain haze the album produces through the atmosphere, vocals, and instruments that really makes it stand out. –Hogan

31. Prurient – Frozen Niagara Falls

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On paper, Frozen Niagara Falls was set to be a complete disaster. Dominick was already treading thin ice in merging power electronics with Depeche Mode’s pop sensibilities, and by stretching this quagmire of an album to ninety-one minutes, alienating every demographic looked to be certain. Well, apparently not. This man has a well-documented history of not giving a fuck and communicating this sentiment beautifully, and whichever way you look at it, Frozen Niagara Falls is the ultimate summation of his work. There are barebones feedback loops akin to The History of AIDS, percussive harsh noise that brings Pleasure Ground to mind, and “Poinsettia Pills” even flirts with wall noise a la And Still Wanting. The mash of styles is compounded by continuous forays back into his recent electro-industrial output, and Dominick makes sure to alternate between each constituent in as jarring a manner as possible. Yet by some miracle, Frozen Niagara Falls works, both as a listening experience and as a middle-finger to conventionality. –Jacquibim

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