Albums That Made My 2016
i dunno man this was a good year musically for me i branched out a lot and started collecting more vinyl and found some shit that really inspired me in all of the art i do and i don't think i'd be a good reviewer so fuck it have a list. i hope you guys found some good music this year too. |
| 1 |  | Aesop Rock
The Impossible Kid
this was my major gateway into the world of rap this shit seriously changed my life. i feel like he gets me. i totally resonate with Rings, where Aes describes a time in his life where he was a visual artist which fell by the wayside. He also talks about his family, dealing with loss and his lifelong battle with depression; shit that I can really relate to. This album is incredibly powerful. |
| 2 |  | SUMAC
What One Becomes
It's just too fuckin' heavy. When we're talkin about peaks and valleys in post metal, SUMAC pushes them to its limits. This album's got teeth and some sharp ones at that, while the ethereal and atmospheric segments between them lull you into a false sense of security. When I'm with my shitty local band writing new songs, this has been my main point of reference for the sound I'd like to emulate. |
| 3 |  | Neurosis
Fires Within Fires
This album is like that kitchen fire you accidentally started when you were a kid and it started to get bigger and spread past the oven and the smoke detector was going off and you don't know if you should call 911 or yell for your parents but then it just sorta puts itself out. I should mention that I listened to this album in its entirety while peaking on two tabs of acid. Hoo boy. |
| 4 |  | Fall of Efrafa
Elil
I've always loved Fall of Efrafa but I recently decided to pick up Watership Down and it's a fantastic read. I enjoy the way the band pulled material from this book and made it fit their narrative. It's a very intelligent album and I just can't get over just how hard Elil rips. The riffs shred so hard that it gave me a hernia. |
| 5 |  | Rush
A Farewell to Kings
I'm a bit upset that it took me until this long in my life to get into Rush but I'm glad I finally did. I don't even have much to say about it because the music speaks for itself. This album is simply inspired from start to finish. Just... Xanadu, man. Xanadu. 6/5. |
| 6 |  | Madvillain
Madvillainy
People get all pissy pants when this particular brand of hip-hop is called "intelligent" but I can't think of a better word to describe it. The lyrics are well thought out, abstract as they are they're never boastful, and the beats are more than just a backdrop for the rhymes. Each song has a flow, even if its an unconventional one. It's like what started in the 80's and 90's grew and evolved and this is it's logical conclusion. It's a completely different type of music from any modern hip-hop you'd just hear on the radio, because it doesn't feel manufactured; it's hand crafted. |
| 7 |  | Kowloon Walled City
Container Ships
The overall sound of melancholy didn't quite sell me on my first listen of Container Ships a few years ago but this year I was able to gain a new appreciation for it. The vocalist's wailing and the long, drawn out riffs really set the mood, never getting slow enough to become uninteresting. Oh who am I kidding Dopesmoker is one of my favorite albums. |
| 8 |  | Aesop Rock
None Shall Pass
Yeah it's another Aesop Rock album fuck you. Everything I said about MF DOOM applies to this as well. It's just good music. |
| 9 |  | Gorillaz
Plastic Beach
This one's got some hits and misses but the hits are hits and the misses are definitely misses. I just enjoy the overall chillness of the album. I took a few road trips this year and I'm pretty sure I listened to Plastic Beach every single time. |
| 10 |  | David Bowie
Low
I listened to a lot of Bowie this year, pretty much following his death. I know that's kind of a loser thing to say, I hadn't been big into Bowie before then and when he passed it really bummed me out for some reason. I felt compelled to dive into his discography and I found some good shit. I'm still not entirely sure how I feel about this album, except I know that I like it though its oddly inaccessible to me. I think that just makes me more drawn to it. |
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