(belated) halfperus 2018
here are the albums I really dug from the first half of this year. everything is a 4 or higher. top 10 are ranked, the rest is alphabetical |
| 35 |  | Antlers (DE)
Beneath.Below.Behold
blackgaze |
| 34 |  | Basalte
Vertige
atmospheric black metal |
| 33 |  | Christina Vantzou
No. 4
ambient/neoclassical |
| 32 |  | Closer (US)
All This Will Be
screamo |
| 31 |  | Conjurer
Mire
sludge/post-metal |
| 30 |  | Erdve
Vaitojimas
sludge/post-metal |
| 29 |  | Florence and the Machine
High as Hope
choral/orchestral pop |
| 28 |  | Gatherers
We Are Alive Beyond Repair
post-hardcore |
| 27 |  | Harakiri for the Sky
Arson
post-black metal |
| 26 |  | Hegemone
We Disappear
post-metal |
| 25 |  | Janelle Monae
Dirty Computer
afrofuturist pop |
| 24 |  | Jon Hopkins
Singularity
electronic |
| 23 |  | Kaoteon
Damnatio Memoriae
extreme metal |
| 22 |  | Mastersystem
Dance Music
indie rock. RIP Scott |
| 21 |  | mol
JORD
post-black metal |
| 20 |  | Phantom Winter
Into Dark Science
evil doom metal. "Wouldst thou like to live deliciously?" |
| 19 |  | Sectioned (Metalcore)
Annihilated
noisy metalcore |
| 18 |  | Slaves BC
Lo, and I Am Burning
blackened doom/death |
| 17 |  | Svalbard
It's Hard To Have Hope
feminist screamo |
| 16 |  | Veld
S.I.N.
death metal |
| 15 |  | Verheerer
Maltrér
black metal |
| 14 |  | Wake
Misery Rites
grindcore |
| 13 |  | Yashira
Shrine
sludge/post-metal |
| 12 |  | YOB
Our Raw Heart
sludge/doom metal |
| 11 |  | Zeal and Ardor
Stranger Fruit
black metal/gospel |
| 10 |  | Nine Inch Nails
Bad Witch
industrial. probably the best album NIN has put out since Still, thanks to its willingness to experiment with structure and genre. even "Shit Mirror," which i wasn't crazy about at first because it was too close to the With Teeth style, grew on me with its horns and muted production. |
| 9 |  | Rivers of Nihil
Where Owls Know My Name
progressive death metal. i know there's a significant contingent that finds this album overrated, and i get that. what can i say, i have a soft spot for the Fallujah style, and this is an excellent example of that. |
| 8 |  | Storm{O}
Ere
screamo/crust. Storm{O} had one of the best and most overlooked screamo releases of 2014 with Sospesi Nel Vuoto Bruceremo..., which was fantastically haggard and turbulent. Ere isn't quite as good, but it continues the same sound and spirit with awesome results. |
| 7 |  | Slugdge
Esoteric Malacology
gastropod-themed progressive death metal. come for the tasty riffs and the fun sci-fi concept revolving around slugs, stay for the surprisingly deep politics. |
| 6 |  | The Armed
Only Love
post-hardcore/noise rock. the combination of chaotic hardcore and electronic noise here is nothing short of exhilarating, and there are times when the album is even catchy, bordering on danceable. i've been mildly addicted to the pummeling onslaught of "On Jupiter" since April |
| 5 |  | Smile to the Wind
Illusions
screamo. it's not as good as an Orchid reunion, but it's the next best thing. |
| 4 |  | Tanpopo Crisis
Millennium Flower
post-black metal. best black metal of the year so far, and yes i will fight you on that. Tanpopo Crisis finds a unique take on PBM via consistently tense, subtly dissonant guitar work that still maintains PBM's melodic qualities, and finishes it all off with killer vocals. |
| 3 |  | Big Ups
Two Parts Together
post-hardcore. the album's foundation is very obviously inspired by great 90s punk like Slint and Fugazi, but i also noticed traces of more contemporary bands like The Austerity Program, BATS, and post-reunion Swans. if the second half was as good as the first, this would be an easy 4.5, but as is, it's still an awesome album. |
| 2 |  | The Dead Mantra
Saudade Forever
lo-fi post-punk/shoegaze. i wrote a review for this album, but it's admittedly not my best work, so just go check out the album on Bandcamp. it's NYP, so you have no excuse. https://thedeadmantra.bandcamp.com/album/saudade-forever |
| 1 |  | HIRS
Friends. Lovers. Favorites.
super queer grindcore. i reviewed this bad bitch, go check it out. |
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