50-31 | 30-11 | 10-1

10. Intronaut – The Direction Of Last Things

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Love it or hate it, progressive metal is a tough genre to tackle because it takes true skill to balance technicality and emotion. At the same time, it’s another skill to make it sound completely engaging even when it’s nothing new. Even the genre’s most essential artists have trouble going about their music regarding this aspect. Intronaut accomplished this with flying colors due to their incredible musicianship and engaging vocals, both clean and harsh. In addition to this, this album’s melodies prove to be absolutely breathtaking. The band manage to tread familiar ground while consistently making things sound quite fresh in the process, which is quite admirable. It’s for these reasons that The Direction of Last Things exists as one of the best releases of the year. –Nick Mongiardo

9. Titus Andronicus – The Most Lamentable Tragedy

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It isn’t – and probably never will be – anyone’s favourite Titus album, but with the benefit of hindsight, 2012’s Local Business was a record that had to be made. Hell, the mere thought of topping The Monitor must have been daunting in itself, so it’s to their immense credit that Patrick Stickles and co. circumvented the cravings of their fanbase and did the wise thing: they didn’t even bother trying.

If the resulting LP was a tad so-so, the retreat seems thoroughly worthwhile now that we’re blessed with its own follow-up. More than any other record in 2015, The Most Lamentable Tragedy is the sound of release: release of years of pent-up mental tension, drug and alcohol abuse, and all that absurd, reckless ambition Local Business put a lid on. And my word is it a blast. Sure, it operates at a surplus – lasting 20 minutes more than it needs to and carrying no shortage of filler – yet these are precisely the indulgences many crave from a band whose great appeal lies in chronic imperfection. By that token, Stickles’ 92-minute opus delivers everything one could want from a Titus Andronicus record. Not the most appropriate introduction perhaps, but a raucous, jubilant feeding frenzy for existing converts. –Ali

8. Chelsea Wolfe – Abyss

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The newly-appointed Queen of Darkness continues to impress. On a hot streak of highly praised albums, Wolfe somehow continues to outdo herself, delivering the deepest and darkest album of her career. Following the electronic experimentation of Pain is Beauty, Abyss presents its listeners with a much more straightforward version of darkness. Though the album is full of heavy guitar riffs, punishing drums and eerie electronics, it is the production that is true hero of the release. The production team created nothing short of a chasm of aphotic gloom and despair. Each and every sound carries a massive weight, making the album as heavy as any doom metal release. Yet, the instrumentation also carries a vast amount of emotion, keeping Wolfe close to her folk roots. Even with the added heaviness, Chelsea Wolfe’s vocals remain front and center; equally beautiful and mournful, her vocals become an angelic presence that lead us through this crushing, and seemingly endless, abyss. –laughingman22

7. The Wonder Years – No Closer to Heaven

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After a trilogy of albums ostensibly about overcoming depression that actually seemed to sink further into it, The Wonder Years are back and sadder than ever! No Closer to Heaven is fittingly titled for an album that seems oddly directionless, as if, without the guiding structure of the trilogy, the band have lost the benefit of an underlying message. Yet part of Heaven‘s charm lies in its insistent ambiguity, as if The Wonder Years are determined to be passionate about anything they bloody well want to be. But as “Cigarettes & Saints” boils over to its tempestuous conclusion, there’s little doubt that that emotion is as potent as it ever was. –Rowan

6. Iron Maiden – The Book of Souls

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Chances are that in the near future a new metalhead will join the ever-growing and respected ranks of sputnikmusic.com. Even more possible is that his/her taste in music will have been greatly influenced by these British legends and their latest effort. This is the effect that each new Iron Maiden release has on every young and impressionable metalhead, and The Book of Souls‘ impact is far greater than notes on paper. It might or might not be the best album of 2015, but it’s hands down one of the most significant metal releases of the last five years just because of the above. However, it would be an injustice if one doesn’t acknowledge the fact that the band refuse to rest on their laurels and still sound fresh 35 years and 16 albums after their inception. Tracks like “The Red and the Black” or “Shadows of the Valley” hint to Iron Maiden’s glorious past, whereas “Empire of the Clouds” is one of their most ambitious songs to date. More importantly, it feels that The Book of Souls is a conscious effort to sound modern in an era where revival bands pop up like mushrooms after a rain. 60 year olds shouldn’t be this good… –manosg

5. Deafheaven – New Bermuda

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There was a sense of ennui in 2013 when many major music publications lauded Sunbather as metal album of the year. Despite its strengths within critical circles, there was a typical – if not deserved – pushback from more traditional metal audiences disappointed with the genre’s belated cultural acceptance. It seemed as if Deafheaven had become something of a token metal band for those who didn’t really give a shit about metal, the same way Metallica had been martyred post-The Black Album. It was undoubtedly a fantastic musical accomplishment, but the question remained: was it really much of a heavy metal album?

As a possible counterpoint to that discussion, “Brought to the Water” wastes little time in establishing New Bermuda as a big, bad, fuck-off heavy record. The fact that it isn’t a red herring – that the majority of New Bermuda entertains endless riffing and soloing – is enough of a relief for those put off by the endless shoegaze and post-rock referencing that spread Sunbather thin towards its second half. Where last year’s “From the Kettle Onto the Coil” hinted at a Deafheaven more ready to accept its heavy metal lineage, New Bermuda expands upon and establishes Deafheaven’s abilities as ambassadors for heavy metal in 2015. Despite these welcome changes, though, obvious flaws remain: a lack of seamless transitions, less pronounced crossover appeal, and Slayer homage bordering on parody all abound in the time it takes to get through at least one song here. Regardless, New Bermuda doesn’t regurgitate or imitate Sunbather, instead opting to solidify Deafheaven’s reputation as one of metal’s most divisive and exciting bands. –Arcade

4. Viet Cong – Viet Cong

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“We are a band who wants to make music and play our music for our fans. We are not here to cause pain or remind people of atrocities of the past.” Out of respect for the band, I should probably eschew the standard sociopolitical rant on this one.

However, as disappointing as it is to say, I feel as though the controversy surrounding the band’s name has worked in their favour, keeping them in the spotlight that little bit longer. News articles appear every few weeks, reminding listeners of that album from early 2015 that they never quite managed to wrap their head around. I truly didn’t expect Viet Cong to come even close to this position. Not because I find it lacking in any way, but because it’s unusual for an album released early in the year to gain this kind of traction when thriving on discord. From the ironically aimless trajectory of “March of Progress” through to the relentless assault of the closing track, Viet Cong frankly lacks staying power. In this world of six-second videos and instant gratification, the Canadian quartet stand out for their refusal to pander to the listener. Not once do they ease up, weaving their labyrinthine compositions with little regard for waning attention spans.

It’s refreshing, having an album care so little for my well-being. It’s equal parts off-putting and addictive. Some simple sections loop an unbearable amount, while other complex passages fly past at blinding speeds. One time you’ll be tapping your foot to the point of exhaustion, while at other times the twists come so quickly you completely lose track of where you are. Sometimes all I want to do is go back and repeat the previous 20 seconds, but then I feel like I’m doing the album a disservice. It’s all deceptively coherent, not thanks to any concerted effort by the members, but due to them collectively not giving a fuck about how I receive the album. They know I’ll come crawling back eventually. Every piece of the puzzle I fill in simply reminds of how many pieces I still haven’t put together. Still, I come away satisfied every time knowing I’ve filled in a few more of those gaps, and there aren’t many albums that can pull that off. –ComeToDaddy

3. Father John Misty – I Love You, Honeybear

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I want to take a moment to appreciate everyone who didn’t like I Love You, Honeybear: nay, applaud them. Congratulations, because you are everything I wish I was. You’re well adjusted, handsome, moralistic, sociable, and you cry at the end of sad movies. You find Joshua Tillman overbearing in his sarcasm and think his musical accompaniment isn’t much better. You probably really like Carrie & Lowell, too, with its lack of pettiness and contemplative thoughts on death. You’re fairly normal, and I’m incredibly jealous of you. All the while, Father John Misty has me under his thumb, writhing under every harsh truth he confronts me with.

You see, Father John Misty isn’t too unlike any number of folk artists who incorporate the extended satirical and ironic themes of entertainment into their craft (Randy Newman, Elton John, John Grant, et al.). Joshua Tillman’s character, however, doesn’t have anything to say with his character that isn’t inherently entitled or obnoxious. He sleeps around with women he desperately wants to murder (“The Night Joshua Tillman Came to Our Apartment”), mocks his girlfriends who wish to wait until marriage (“Chateau Lobby #4 (In C for Two Virgins)”), and on numerous occasions he hoists mundane events up a flag-post of supposed monumentality (“I Went to the Store One Day”). At the same time, however, everything he says just seems so honest and frank that I can’t help but devote myself to it. He’s an awful character, and the fact he parades it around in the skin of a honky tonk entertainer magnifies all his inglorious traits. But he’s a human, and much like all humans, he’s an absolute fucking asshole. Now that’s something Carrie & Lowell won’t teach you. –Arcade

2. Sufjan Stevens – Carrie & Lowell

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Sufjan has always been one to decorate his narratives in purple prose. Even if his albums feature some intensely personal subject matter, it’s always obfuscated by all the blaring horns and crescendoing bleeps and bloops. While there’s undoubtedly merit in that sort of ambiguity, that background makes it so much more satisfying when Carrie & Lowell strips away all that pretext. Even if it was obvious to any who studied Stevens’ work, the rest of us finally discovered that all the cheerleading outfits and angel wings were covering some pretty deep scars.

For a man as enigmatic as Sufjan, there must be a fine line between the character he forges for showmanship and the real man hiding underneath. However, he’s said that this album was a concerted effort to “extract myself out of this environment of make-believe.” He used to make emotional connections with the listener through these metaphorical tales that could be interpreted and applied at will. Conversely, Carrie & Lowell exists for nobody else, yet finally seeing the unabridged man share his story forges a connection far stronger than any interpretive tale possibly could.

I mean, it’s still not totally straightforward. There’s biblical allusions and references to his past that require some research to understand, but that comes part-and-parcel with his effort to remain unfiltered – after so long in character, that purple prose is part of him now. The plus side is that every few listens you’ll find new themes connecting tracks together, and those little gems are what makes Carrie & Lowell so endlessly listenable despite the relatively frank lyrical content.

Resting up next to Father John Misty, it might seem too kind-hearted to be relatable. When compared to that bombastic honesty, Stevens seems to feel uncomfortable sharing so much of himself with us. He’s conflicted with every extra inch he bares, torn between his depression and his attempts to shine optimism on the events. But really, who is that confident pouring themselves out to total strangers? Rather than confronting us with all the worst parts of himself a la I Love You, Honeybear, Carrie & Lowell takes care to present everything exactly how it is. Contrasting the ups and downs, soaring highs and crushing lows – that’s just life. It’s not some beautiful, cohesive listening experience. This is just his life. –ComeToDaddy

1. Kendrick Lamar – To Pimp A Butterfly

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It’s not so much the lyrical concept itself that has seen To Pimp a Butterfly garner so much attention regarding its social relevance and importance, but rather, it’s the timing combined with the album’s resulting widespread mainstream appeal. The lyrical themes Kendrick so eloquently tackles here are in no way innovative or unique within the realms of hip-hop, having historically dominated much of the genre, but in recent years few artists have approached such themes with this level of conceptual ambition and emotional intensity, and crucially, fewer have managed to sound so socially and musically relevant in doing so.

Over a distinctly flowing musical backdrop incorporating jazz, [neo-]soul and funk influences, Kendrick weaves his fluid lyricism, with his versatile delivery matching the continually shifting musical moods. Particularly impressive is the seamlessness in which the album shifts between different musical stylings, with much of this owed to the album’s production team. Despite featuring contributions from some particularly distinctive producers such as Flying Lotus and Knxwledge, with the latter notably providing the beat for one of the album’s standout tracks (“Momma”), every track manages to maintain a certain feel in keeping with that of the work as a whole. The way in which the visceral intensity of “The Blacker the Berry” gives way to its outro’s reprise of an earlier melodic theme epitomises this cohesiveness, and it’s the little subtleties like this that help make To Pimp a Butterfly come across as a work of real maturity. To Pimp a Butterfly is an album with a message; a message which is made all the more powerful by the way in which it is delivered. –JamieTwort

Acknowledgements

Many thanks to the following contributors and users for submitting blurbs for this year’s list: AliW1993, Arcade, Atari, Calc, CL0VER, ComeToDaddy, DoofusWainwright, ExplosiveOranges, Gameofmetal, hogan900, Ignimbrite, Jacquibim, JamieTwort, JohnnyOnTheSpot, jtswope, Judio!, laughingman22, LordePots, manosg, Mongi123, OvDeath, Rowan5215, TalonsOfFire, Toondude10, Trebor., and wtferrothorn.

Some of the aforementioned also deserve recognition and good cheer for taking on a robust leadership role given that we published this feature much earlier than last year — which also helps illuminate why I shouldn’t be left in charge of these things since they weren’t the first people to mention it to me. I GET IT; I AM THE WORST. MESSAGE HEARD LOUD AND CLEAR.

Special thank-you to Willie, as always, for creating the album art for this feature as well (and for not giving me too much shit that this feature got published earlier than last year).

Thanks for being here! Have a safe and Happy New Year, best wishes, and “see” you next year! –Jom

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