Darkocean's Best And Worst Of 2013
Well, I decided to finally finish this, even though I haven't listened to
everything I wanted to from last year. Between the proliferation of music
on the Internet, working at a radio station, going to school and doing
homework, not to mention having a social life, there's no way I could
fulfill my "yearly quota", as I like to call it.
Anywho, here are my top and bottom albums of 2013. Top 32 are best of
the year ranked, and 33-71 are all the other records I heard this year,
ranked from best to worst. (Meaning that 33 may not be a "bad" album
per se). Here's to a great 2014 for music! Enjoy! :) |
| 71 | | will.i.am
willpower
Do you really need to ask? |
| 70 |  | Linkin Park
Recharged
LP?s first truly bad album, if you can call it that. All of their previous stuff had at
least one song for lovers and haters alike, this...this is a monstrosity. |
| 69 |  | Bullet for My Valentine
Temper Temper
It?s almost painful how bland this is. |
| 68 |  | Falling in Reverse
Fashionably Late
lol Ronnie Radke. No, seriously, I appreciate the attempt at merging multiple
genres in this, but this is pretty badly executed. |
| 67 |  | Lady Gaga
Artpop
The first track has Infected Mushroom. That?s all you need from this. ?Do what you
want with my body...?... so it?s OK if I rape you? Didn?t think so. |
| 66 |  | We Came as Romans
Tracing Back Roots
Like blessthefall, it seemed like they were going somewhere with their last album.
Not this poppy stuff. |
| 65 |  | Born of Osiris
Tomorrow We Die Alive
Talk about a leap of quality from album to album. |
| 64 |  | Red
Release the Panic
Red gets Howard Benson-ized in their first truly lame album. |
| 63 |  | Sleeping with Sirens
Feel
Crap compared to their earlier stuff. Kellin?s voice is the only thing worth mentioning. |
| 62 |  | blessthefall
Hollow Bodies
And I thought they were actually going somewhere with Awakening. Oh well. |
| 61 |  | Seeker
Unloved
These guys actually may have talent, but they don?t really show it through this
monotonous deathcore tripe. |
| 60 |  | Mat Zo
Damage Control
Standard EDM. |
| 59 |  | Sky Ferreira
Night Time, My Time
I have a review, go look it up, I'm not pasting my link, I'm lazy. :) |
| 58 |  | Palisades
Outcasts
Issues does this sound much, much better. Hence (Hance?) why the track with
Tyler Carter?s the best one here. |
| 57 |  | Close Your Eyes
Line in the Sand
More meh. |
| 56 |  | Hands Like Houses
Unimagine
Meh. |
| 55 |  | Crystal Fighters
Cave Rave
More inconsequential indie-folk-dubstep-island-blurredgenre music. |
| 54 |  | Chunk! No, Captain Chunk!
Pardon My French
Fun, but mostly bland. |
| 53 |  | Paul McCartney
New
Pretty inoffensive, and that?s the problem with it. I love you, Paul, but stick to touring. |
| 52 |  | Beartooth
Sick
Not a ?bad? release per se, just aggressively mediocre. That?s what you get with a
Caleb Shomo album, though (or sometimes much worse) |
| 51 |  | A Day to Remember
Common Courtesy
A few quirks here and there, but their pop-punk meets metalcore style is so played
out by now. |
| 50 |  | The Flaming Lips
The Terror
For the first time in their careers, the Lips, once the poster children for alternative-
inspired sonic inventiveness, have made their first truly boring album. Soundscapes
drone on, songs become mere vessels for deadening ambience, and
frontman/lyricist Wayne Coyne steps over the line seperating cryptic and
nonsensical. You've had your fun guys, but let's hope your next album is back-to-
basics. |
| 49 |  | Julia Holter
Loud City Song
I can appreciate the artistry behind what?s trying to be achieved here, but this
record is so emotionally distant upon first listen that any chance of it growing on
me is slim to none. Confounding that this is sputnik?s #1. |
| 48 |  | Vampire Weekend
Modern Vampires of the City
While I appreciate the recording techniques that went into this record (like pitch-
shifting and unconventional mic setups), the end result is another bland indie-pop
record from this most inoffensive of bands. |
| 47 |  | Arctic Monkeys
AM
The Monkeys lean heavily on garage-rock shenanigans that have become cliche
since The Black Keys' meteoric rise to fame. |
| 46 |  | Stratovarius
Nemesis
Decently-played, just another power metal album. |
| 45 |  | Kanye West
Yeezus
Sure, Yeezy continues his tradition of sonic experimentation, and when it
hits, it really hits, but he never makes it gel together quite as cohesively as he'd
like. Plus, politically uncouth lyrics like "Put my fist in her like a civil rights sign" and
"Get this bitch shakin' like Parkinson's" aren't winning him any favors. Many people
complain about people who can't separate an artist from his personal life or politics,
and that may have been true for him in the past, but Yeezus makes clear that
Kanye doesn't want you to divide the two, which makes listening to the record
inherently problematic. The rushed release of this record should sound obvious to
anyone who enjoyed My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy (which greatly deserved its
acclaim). Moments such as Justin Vernon's ending to "I Am a God" or the too-short
length of "On Sight" reveal that more time should have been spent on this project.
And yet, critics keep piling on the accolades to the finished product. Spin, The A.V.
Club, Time, Entertainment Weekly and Complex have all named it their album of
the year, while Rolling Stone and NME place it at number 2. Lou Reed's praise of
the album before his death (in which he called it "majestic and inspiring") should
not be taken seriously, since...come on, the dude was recently responsible
for Lulu (R.I.P. Mr. Reed). I guess dick jokes and political incorrectness are the
norm for rap now. All of Ye's previous material had something to
say. Yeezus simply lacks insight. |
| 44 |  | The Devil Wears Prada
8:18
The band have both progressed and regressed musically, but one point remains
clear: Mike?s voice is gone. (Don?t give me that bullshit about ?it was intentional?) |
| 43 |  | Dream Theater
Live at Luna Park
It?s fun to hear the band play live, but they?ve had better live material than this. As
always, the solos are what keep the audiences at home truly entertained. |
| 42 | | ASAP Rocky
Long. Live. ASAP
Best tracks here are the singles. Otherwise mediocre rap album with spacey
production. |
| 41 |  | Death Grips
Government Plates
Odd-sounding, and not always in the best of ways. What do the lyrics to ?Birds?
mean? No one but oltnabrick knows. |
| 40 |  | David Bowie
The Next Day
This has a few greatly enjoyable songs (particularly "If You Can See Me"), but the
album is hampered by pure muzak ("Where Are We Now?") and bland disco-
inspired indie (the last three tracks). Calling it Bowie's best since Heroes seems a
little nearsighted. |
| 39 | | Justin Timberlake
The 20/20 Experience (2 of 2)
The 20/20 Experience (2 of 2) - Definitely not as good as the first volume, it only
really starts to fall off during the second half. |
| 38 |  | M.I.A.
Matangi
Crazy production, not entirely consistent. I don?t think she?ll ever top Kala, but this
was a fun listen nonetheless. |
| 37 |  | Norma Jean
Wrongdoers
High-quality metalcore release, it?s just the band?s vague lyricism don?t do the
music any favors. |
| 36 |  | Dream Theater
Dream Theater
Being someone who thought A Dramatic Turn of Events represented some of the
band?s best work in their career, I was slightly disappointed when I heard this in
full. By now, in 2013, they really are just churning out the same old stuff over and
over again. And don?t get me started on that snare drum tone...what were they
thinking? |
| 35 |  | Paramore
Paramore
Instead of just being a pop-punk band, Hayley Williams and co. are now playing
with multiple genres. I appreciate the audacity, even if sometimes the experiments
don?t always work. (Chan, please don't kill me...) |
| 34 |  | Deafheaven
Sunbather
Black metal for people who don't like black metal. I'm not the biggest fan of black
metal tho. "Dream House" is gorgeous. |
| 33 |  | Queens of the Stone Age
...Like Clockwork
I want to love this album, and while the first half is chock full of memorable tunes,
my attention starts to waver during the latter half. The production is not friendly to
my eardrums, either, but then again, neither is any QotSA album (which makes it
hard for me to like these guys in general). |
| 32 |  | Trivium
Vengeance Falls
I was one of the few who really liked In Waves, and while this album isn?t quite as
good as that one (nor is it their best), it still provides enough riffage and poppy
choruses to make it one of the bands? better releases. |
| 31 |  | The Color Morale
Know Hope
Above-average post-hardcore release. |
| 30 |  | Haim
Days Are Gone
The new Fleetwood Mac? No, not even close. But still a damn fine indie-pop album.
Even my mom likes it. |
| 29 |  | After the Burial
Wolves Within
Out of all the bands who overuse Axe FX these days, these guys seem to get it
right. Catchy and fairly well-written, though the production needs proper balancing. |
| 28 |  | Sleigh Bells
Bitter Rivals
Forget the blandness that was Reign of Terror. This is the album that should have
been the follow-up to Rivals. Expands and experiments with their sound while
keeping the ear-bleeding noise fans love to hear. |
| 27 |  | Cut Copy
Free Your Mind
A fun throwback to the early 90's Madchester scene: think Primal Scream and The
KLF sent through a 70's psychedelic processor and thrown in a vat of contemporary
synthpop. |
| 26 |  | Carcass
Surgical Steel
Now THIS is how you do a classic metal sound/comeback album. If this album only
consisted of intro ?1985?, I would be just as happy...but then it proceeds to gut
your ear canals and intestines for the entire rest of the record (in the best possible
way). |
| 25 |  | Until the Ribbon Breaks
A Taste of Silver
My indie find for the year. If you don?t listen to any other track on this album (and,
trust me, they?re all good), at least check ?Perspective?. When dat beat drops, oh
man. Props to a certain Mr. Robinson for alerting me ;) |
| 24 |  | Sound City Players
Sound City: Real to Reel
Awesome to hear all these artists on one disc. While it?s unfortunate that Dave has
to resort to the Loudness War when mastering a highly touted analog album like
this, the music and passion still bleeds through. |
| 23 |  | Device
Device
One of the more enjoyable industrial rock albums as of late. Then again, I'm a fan
of Disturbed, so I'll follow David Draiman wherever he goes. |
| 22 |  | Scale the Summit
The Migration
Another fine instrumental release from the cream of the crop of modern
progressive rock. |
| 21 |  | The Dillinger Escape Plan
One of Us is the Killer
After coming back with the near math-terpiece (get it?) that was Option Paralysis,
DEP combine all of their previous albums to create a summation of their sound.
Great for newcomers getting into the band while serving up plenty for seasoned
veterans. |
| 20 |  | James Blake
Overgrown
Blake takes all that he learned from his debut, smooths out the edges and expands
his sound to include hip-hop ("Take a Fall for Me") and gurgling industrial ambience
("Digital Lion") while simultaneously deepening his love for R&B, soul and of course
dubstep. Overgrown? Try perfectly kept. |
| 19 |  | How to Destroy Angels
Welcome Oblivion
Reznor's side project with his wife, Mariqueen Maandig, and studio collaborators
Atticus Ross and Rob Sheridan goes further into chilly industrial beats and haunting
vocals than NIN ever has. |
| 18 |  | Childish Gambino
Because the Internet
No, seriously, read the screenplay attached to this thing. It all makes sense now.
The album Yeezus wishes it was. |
| 17 |  | Russian Circles
Memorial
Atmospheric doesn't begin to describe this release. Epic in scope and the drumming
in particular is exceptional. Like flying above mountainous wintry landscapes like
those on the cover. |
| 16 |  | The Joy Formidable
Wolf's Law
More massive-sounding than the first record, the instrumentation and vocals are
suitably more grand as well. |
| 15 |  | Steven Price
Gravity
Rises and falls in dramatic intensity and pure dynamics like the debris storm that
comes back to stalk Sandra Bullock again and again. |
| 14 |  | Arcade Fire
Reflektor
An exploration of the current technological age, a disco party inside the castles of
Haiti, a love letter to indie rock. Bowie and Byrne would be proud. |
| 13 |  | MGMT
MGMT
A psychedelic head-trip. Some sonic fireworks going on here. Plus, who can resist
"Your Life is a Lie?" |
| 12 |  | Amaranthe
The Nexus
Very fun mix of power metal, melodic death and metalcore with synths and electro
textures galore. Exceptionally clean production certainly doesn't hurt. |
| 11 |  | Nine Inch Nails
Hesitation Marks
A comeback for Mr. Reznor after the ambient and alt rock excursions of his
previous two records. At least as good as Year Zero, and similar in its tense
electronic aesthetic. |
| 10 |  | Northlane
Singularity
Whoa, it seems like these guys came out of nowhere. Absolutely intense, a little
harrowing and hopeful at the end. Just how I like my metal albums. |
| 9 |  | Protest the Hero
Volition
Thought-prov0king lyrics and a sense of self-awareness guide PtH through some of
their craziest musical passages and shredfests. This record is pure energy. |
| 8 |  | letlive
The Blackest Beautiful
More pop than Fake History, yet every bit as lethal. As mentioned before, the
production needs some work, but that doesn?t deter from one of the best post-
hardcore bands out there right now. |
| 7 |  | Bring Me the Horizon
Sempiternal
BMTH's new inclusion of keyboardist Jordan Fish and improved, more-pop
influenced songwriting allows them to play with more spacious ambient
arrangements, that is, until the guitars come crashing in and vocalist Oli Sykes
screams his lungs out about depression and thoughts on religion. I'm excited to see
where this band goes next. |
| 6 |  | TesseracT
Altered State
If anyone ever had any doubts about the validity of "djent" as a genre, this album
will silence the naysayers. An emotional roller-coaster, to say the least. |
| 5 |  | Haken
The Mountain
Talk about mashing up styles to create something new. All hail the Cockroach King. |
| 4 |  | Steven Wilson
The Raven That Refused to Sing
Wilson once again proves his mastery of musicianship and outside influences. The
tracks here never feel as long as they are, making the songs propulsive and full of
melancholic energy. |
| 3 |  | Biffy Clyro
Opposites
For the third album in a row, these guys have demonstrated prog songcraft in an
alt-pop context. |
| 2 |  | Justin Timberlake
The 20/20 Experience
Although the sequel fell a bit short of expectations, this is still the most daring pop
album of the year. Flavorful production courtesy of Timbaland, longer track lengths
that develop the beats and reveal new intricacies with each listen and Mr.
Timberlake's swagger all combine into one cohesive piece of work. "Blue Ocean
Floor" is simply beautiful. |
| 1 |  | Daft Punk
Random Access Memories
Instead of embracing the samey textures of much of the EDM scene today, these
two famous Frenchmen, with a host of collaborators, reject big beats and over-the-
top sonics in favor of subtle funk, disco, prog and old-school electro. The results
are thrilling and dynamic (which also describes the sound engineering). |
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