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2014 - Leth's List Of Likables (Non-Metal Inclusive)


Pretty much every album that's caught my attention over the year, including non-metal. (Variety is a virtue, y'know )

I'll only be commenting on albums that I've given enough time to really form an opinion on. Chances are albums that failed to interest me beyond a first listen will eventually be removed from the list.

Also pay in mind that there won't be many occasions where I talk about an album I didn't enjoy, simply because I only get albums when I'm pretty certain that I will end up enjoying them.

Updates will (hopefully) be constant.

Created by: Lethrokai | 11.04.2014



1. Swans - To Be Kind
Experimental Noise Rock - There are no words. A mastery of sonic-assault. A build-up of sound to epic proportions. 9.7/10
2. Darren Korb - Transistor Original Soundtrack
Soundtrack / Downtempo - Purely stunning. I have yet to see a video-game where the soundtrack is both so central to the game's world AND a such a complete standout from the game itself. Darren Korb, only two games into his career, has already established himself as my favourite composer of VGM. 9.5/10
3. Bent Knee - Shiny Eyed Babies
Art-Rock / Avant-Indie - Original, diverse, incredibly written and even more incredibly performed. It's not often that a band can convey such a sense of solemn beauty alongside raw power. 9.4/10
4. Gazpacho - Demon
Progressive Art Rock - A breathtaking, original, atmospheric release that shows off a beautiful sense of maturity. What's not to like? 9.2/10
5. Vampillia - My Beautiful Twisted Nightmares In Aurora Rainbow Darkness
Avant-Garde Metal - Considering this band released two albums in less than a month, this is incredible. Pure Japanese avant-garde goodness which I would recommend for any fan of the genre. Haunting, soothing, beastly but beautiful. The title is the perfect description of the album itself. 9.2/10
6. Igorrr - Maigre [Collaboration]
Breakcore / Avant-Garde - Igorrr's insanity balanced out by Ruby My Dear's mellow beauty. What a glorious collaboration this was. One of the best collabs I've seen. 9.1/10
7. clipping. - CLPPNG
Experimental Hip-Hop/Rap - Incredibly original. Beats range from static to alarm clock noises to synth-rhythms that alter every 10 seconds. "Story 2" has potential to be song of the year. 8.9/10
8. Jenny Hval & Susanna - Meshes Of Voice
Art Pop / Avant-Garde - Beautiful. The Meshes of Voice between Jenny Hval & Susanna are really something to behold. Hval takes the more mature, deeper road, whereas Susanna controls a far higher, almost lighthearted range. But when put together with the music, these two let their voices explode, weaving a narrative of raw emotion held strong by the very essence of sound itself. 8.9/10
9. Cynic - Kindly Bent To Free Us
Progressive Rock - Cynic have moved away from their metal roots, adapting to themes that really fit a spacier, more "indie" vibe. That being said, this is still clearly Cynic, and the brilliant textures that riddle this album help make it a definiteive progressive album, and perhaps even Cynic's best yet. 8.7/10
10. Lazer/Wulf - The Beast Of Left And Right
Progressive Metal - Creative, impressive and one hell of a wild ride! This album was built on the idea of a palindrome, and carries out this little experiment perfectly by creating a mirror image of itself. One of the most innovative instrumental metal albums ever made, and possibly the best instrumental prog metal album out there. 8.7/10
11. Car Seat Hedrest - How To Leave Town
Indie Pop / Lo-Fi - An album that just absolutely hits home for me, both musically and lyrically. Possibly one of my favourite lo-fi releases to date, because it actually really explores the sound in interesting ways. 8.7/10
12. Destrage - Are You Kidding Me? No.
AreYouKiddingMeCore - Incredibly creative and unique, taking on tendencies from ALL OVER the spectrum, this is perhaps the best metalcore-related release I've seen to date. 8.6/10
13. BADBADNOTGOOD - III
Instrumental Jazz-Fusion/Hip-Hop - While it isn't as good as the masterpiece that was BBNG2, these guys seem unable to release anything substandard. Great stuff. 8.6/10
14. Kishi Bashi - Lighght
Indie/Art Pop - An absolutely beautiful album that perfectly portrays a feeling of happiness. Brilliant production also fuses the use of synths and violins to give the album its very own unique soundscape. 8.5/10
15. Hail Mary Mallon - Bestiary
Abstract Hip-Hop - Aesop Rock and Rob Sonic team up yet again, and the effects are great. As expected, lyricism is phenominal. What wasn't expected was just how good the beats are too. On one final note, FUNDRAISER CONCEEEEEERT! 8.5/10
16. Lunatic Soul - Walking On A Flashlight Beam
Progressive Rock / Ambient - Cool, calm and collected. Possibly my favourite Riverside related release to date. 8.5/10
17. Sage Francis - Copper Gone
Conscious Hip-Hop - Strong beats complimented by (mostly) strong lyricism and flow. The sage is back, even if he did unfortunately have to bring back some egocentric, meme-fueled lyrics with him for the odd song. Solid stuff from every angle. 8.5/10
18. tUnE-yArDs - Nikki Nack
Art-Pop / Freak-Folk - A strong release with unique composition and a fun Afro-American edge for variety. Bonus points for genuinely impressive utitilisation of looping. 8.5/10
19. Death Grips - Niggas On The Moon: The Powers That B (Disc 1)
Experimental Hip-Hop - A fantastic 1st parter to Death Grips' final release, with Bjork's vocal samples providing a central beauty to Ride's harsh aggression. 8.5/10
20. Tobacco - Ultima II Massage
Wonky / Indietronica / Hip-Hop - Some of the filthiest electronic stuff you'll find out there. 8.5/10
21. Troldhaugen - Obzkure Anekdotez For Maniakal Massez
Avant-Garde Metal - An absolute joy to listen to, a musical representation of monstrous fun. Recommended for fans of Diablo Swing Orchestra. 8.5/10
22. Kairon; IRSE! - Ujubasajuba
Shoegaze / Post-Rock - An unusually heavy approach to shoegaze/post-rock that really shines in its originality. This is a must-have for both genres; every song is unique from each other, and all are high in overall quality. 8.5/10
23. Sukekiyo - Immortalis
Alternative Metal - Kyo does it once again. Solid, unique alternative metal from start to finish. 8.5/10
24. Flying Lotus - You're Dead
Wonky / Nu Jazz Fusion / Experimental Glitch-Hop - With a mesmerising feel of jazz, a smooth sense of hip-hop, and some incredible creativity and lack of limitations in putting it together, this is a release you do NOT want to miss. 8.4/10
25. Ben Frost - A U R O R A
Industrial / Dark Ambient - A darkened, constantly evolving soundscape. Every time the church bells come in, I expect musical bliss. The only problem is that sometimes there's a lot of buildup that just doesn't resolve. 8.4/10
26. Alt-J - This Is All Yours
Art Pop / Indie Pop - A brilliant sophomore release, showing that these guys are no fluke. They perfectly execute the creation of an atmosphere completely of their own. 8.4/10
27. Grey Widow - I
Black/Doom/Noise/Sludge - Heavy, heavy stuff. Generally not my usual alley, but this was damn well executed. 8.4/10
28. St. Vincent - St. Vincent
Art Pop - Great production. Great performance. Incredibly original, and really shows off just how good an art pop release can be. Even the lyricism on this thing is great. 8.3/10
29. Open Mike Eagle - Dark Comedy
Abstract Hip-Hop - Creative, smooth and free-flowing. Definitely a hip-hop album worth checking out. 8.3/10
30. Devin Townsend -
Progressive Metal - Hevy Devy's finally starting to nail down his wall of sound, giving to a much more complete release than what one would expect from him. 8.3/10
31. Wildbirds & Peacedrums - Rhythm
Art Pop - A release of vocals and various drumming, both of which work to great effect. Reminds me of Fiona Apple, except with percussion replacing the piano. 8.3/10
32. 椎名林檎 (Shiina Ringo) - 日出処
Art Pop - Every song sounds like a different theme to a 70s Bond soundtrack. Needless to say the queen of the Japanese art pop scene has done it again. Every single song is fun, engaging and musically sound. 8.3/10
33. Sophie - Lemonade / Hard
Bubblegum Dance / UK Bass - Those vocals are just SO obnoxious! ....so why am I loving it so much? Beautiful "tin-pan" sounding beats make this one of the most original and special releases I've heard all year. 8.3/10
34. Vampillia - The Divine Move
Avant-Garde Metal - Brilliant avant-garde stuff that really fuses brutality with a Japanese flair of beauty. 8.3/10
35. Idylls - Prayer For Terrene
Hardcore / Mathcore - AGGRESSION! 8.3/10
36. Lantlôs - Melting Sun
Blackgaze - Definitely a key album to make its way into the rising Blackgaze scene. While I'm still having trouble getting into the sound, this album definitely does nail it. Yet another album where I'd probably say it deserves a score higher than what I give it. 8.2/10
37. Anaal Nathrakh - Desideratum
Black Metal / Grindcore - Anaal Nathrakh knew exactly what they wanted to go for, and they did damn good work with it. Does a great job at adding a more melodic side to the scene, adding a number of new tricks to the box too. 8.3/10
38. Schizoid Lloyd - The Last Note In God's Magnum Opus
Progressive/Avant-Garde Metal - A solid debut, with an interesting take on the Leprous-esque prog/avant-garde metal area. 8.2/10
39. Toehider - What Kind Of Creature Am I?
Progressive Rock - The definition of having a good time with rock. Playful, over-the-top, humorous, but most importantly, a damn good/unique release, which makes it even more surprising that it was all written/performed by one man. Oh, and that man has a voice that could put most of the legends to shame. 8.2/10
40. Botanist - VI: Flora
Experimental Black Metal / Blackgaze - A really standout take on the usual sound. Everything is just... organic. Even though this is still a sound I'm trying to find roots in, needless to say the roots of the Flora have gripped mine. 8.2/10
41. '68 - In Humor And Sadness
Post-Hardcore / Noise Rock - Heavy hitting stuff that's really close to reaching Future Of The Left levels of greatness. 8.2/10
42. Snarky Puppy - We Like It Here
Jazz-Fusion / Prog Rock - Perhaps the best live album of the year, and maybe even of all time. Absolutely outstanding performance. 8.2/10
43. Liars - Mess
Experimental Electronic Rock - Really unique and creative. I can't exactly elaborate further than that, other than by saying it makes for some great music memes too. FACTS ARE FACTS AND FICTION'S FICTION. 8.2/10
44. Odonis Odonis - Hard Boiled Soft Boiled
Noise Rock - It can be hard hitting and softly subtle at times. I now get the title. 8.2/10
45. tetema - Geocidal
Experimental 8.2/10
46. Run The Jewels - Run The Jewels 2
Hardcore Hip-Hop - Killer Mike and El P are back for another round, and kicking better than ever. A definite improvement, though still not quite my cup of tea. 8.2/10
47. The Liturgists - Vapor
Devotional - This EP is the closest anything has ever gotten me to persuading me to start believing in God. Absolutely beautiful music. 8.1/10
48. Lethe - When Dreams Become Nightmares
Electronic Trip-Hop / Experimental Rock - Pretty much Manes with a female vocalist, but whoever said that was a bad thing? 8.1/10
49. Amerigo Gazaway - Yaasin Gaye: The Departure (Part 1)
Mashup/Conscious Hip-Hop - A great, soulful mashup that really captures the essence of both sides of the coin, Yaasin and Gaye. 8.1/10
50. That Handsome Devil - Drugs & Guns For Everyone
Genre-Mash / Experimental Rock/Hip-Hop - A plethora of sounds are offered by a band who knows how to do all of them well. 8.1/10
51. Neneh Cherry - Blank Project
Art-Pop / Trip-Hop - Hypnotisingly addictive. Can cycle you through the full range of emotions. 8.1/10
52. Rabbit Rabbit - Rabbit Rabbit Radio Vol. 2
Experimental Folk / Art Pop - Yet another solid collection of monthly releases from the Sleepytime Gorilla Museum duo. Every song brings something brand new to the table, even if the odd few don't exactly hit home. 8.1/10
53. Sohn - Tremors
Art Pop - Solid induction of electronics and vocal-splicing to make quite the original art pop release. 8.1/10
54. Sunn O))) - Soused [Collaboration]
Psychdelic Drone - A surprisingly beautiful fusion between Sunn O))) and Scott Walker. Definitely left its mark. 8.1/10
55. Messenger - Illusory Blues
Progressive Folk Rock - Great prog folk, raised carefully as a seedling until it matured perfectly. 8.1/10
56. Every Time I Die - From Parts Unknown
Mathcore / Metalcore - While not quite as surprising as, let's say, a TDEP album, we've definitely got a solid mathcore album on our hands here. 8/10
57. Tipper - Forward Escape
IDM / Glitch - "How to make electronic music blink neon lights in a colorful way that soothes your soul" - The Album. 8/10
58. Ariel Pink - pom pom
Psychedelic Pop / Hypnagogic Pop - A really versatile release that knows how to hit you from left-field every now and then. A few tracks drag it down, but just as many raise it far above your typical release of its type. 8/10
59. Natural Snow Buildings - The Night Country
Drone / Psych-Folk - The kings of pull off another beautifully willful and entrancing release. 8/10
60. Kashiwa Daisuke - 9 Songs
Glitch-Pop - Kashiwa's poppiest release to date (with a J-Pop singer on board) but there's still a lot of interesting stuff happening here musically. The guy(?) has standards to uphold after all. 9 Songs is definitely a worthy addition to Kashiwa's already great discography. The glitch elements (of course) are what really make this album what it is. 8/10
61. White Hinterland - Baby
Art Pop - An incredibly pure-hearted release, where the effort that went into it really shows. 8/10
62. Los Random - Pidanoma
Experimental Prog Metal - Fun and addictive, but with a much darker edge to it this time around. 8/10
63. Fungoid Stream - Prehuman Shapes
Borderline Funeral Doom - Gripping and incredibly unique. One of those weird cases where I end up saying you have to "experience it" instead of just "listening to it". 8/10
64. きのこ帝国 (Kinoku Teikoku) - フェイクワールドワンダーランド
Alternative Rock / Shoegaze - I'm still trying to find my ways into the shoegaze genre, but these guys offer an incredibly accessible (and at the same time musically interesting) point of entry, emphasised by the Japanese feel of the whole thing. 7.9/10
65. Mehliana - Taming The Dragon
Jazz Fusion - Keyboard fusion heavy jazz styles, which I'm glad are becoming more popular nowadays. A really nice take on it all. 7.9/10
66. Words Of Farewell - The Black Wild Yonder
Progressive Melodeath - These guys might be to 2014 what Persefone was to 2013. 7.9/10
67. Devin Townsend - Casualties Of Cool
Country-Rock / Ambient - While it does occasionally get monotonous at points, this is a solid release all the way through, and definitely worthy of the Devin Townsend label. 7.9/10
68. Closure In Moscow - Pink Lemonade
Prog-Rock / Post-Hardcore - Is this a Mars Volta rip-off... maybe. But I'll be damned if it doesn't pull off the style in great fashion. 7.9/10
69. Half-Handed Cloud - Flying Scroll Flight Control
Art Pop / Chamber Pop - While overpacked with religious references and so stereotypically "indie" that it'll make you chuckle to yourself, the execution of this album is damn near flawless for its style. 7.9/10
70. D'Angelo & The Vanguard - Black Vanguard
Neo-Soul / Funk - The great revival of its kind. 7.9/10
71. Tuomas Henrikin Jeesuksen Kristuksen Bändi - Käkkyrällään
Experimental Rock - It's great when flaunting its experimental goodness, but gets dulled whenever its not. Fortunately, the good outweighs the bad here. 7.9/10
72. The War On Drugs - Lost In The Dream
Heartland Folk Rock - These guys really know how to set the mood. Definitely recommended for those long car-drives where you want to get "Lost In The Dream". 7.9/10
73. Haken - Restoration
Progressive Metal - More classic material from Haken. The epic is great, though Darkest Light leaves something to be desired. 7.9/10
74. Destiny Potato - Lun
Djent - David Maxim Micic and his projects once again prove to be some of the most unique and innovative things on the djent scene right now. Love the fresh take on the style, and the fact that every song tries something new. That being said, I don't think it's AS boundary-pushing as his previous solo album. 7.8/10
75. Numbers - Three
Progressive Metalcore - FINALLY we get something actually interesting from that djent-influenced metalcore scene. It's about bloody time. 7.8/10
76. DVA - NIPOMO
Folktronica - Incredibly varied and original take to the sound. Definitely a lot of promise showing through. 7.8/10
77. "Weird Al" Yankovic - Mandatory Fun
Comedy Rock - While comedy music doesn't often get good praise, this is a perfect example of how to do it right. Weird Al is back, and fresher than ever. 7.8/10
78. Manes - Be All End All
Experimental Rock / Electronic Trip-Hop - Solid, though not up to the standards of some of the band's previous works. 7.8/10
79. Benevolent - The Covenant
Extreme Prog Metal - Really driving stuff, with a sound I haven't heard done this well in a LONG time. 7.8/10
80. Epica - The Quantum Enigma
Symphonic Metal - This should be the bar for how symphonic metal should be done. Everything is done right, but just never steps beyond the boundaries that it sets. 7.8/10
81. Juçara Marçal - Encarnado
Vanguarda Paulista - Yeah... I don't know what that genre means either... What I do know is that this album has no bass or drums, yet manages to shine greatly thanks to the amazing latin vocals, guitar lines and other various instruments that are brought into the mix. 7.7/10
82. Avey Tare's Slasher Flicks - Enter The Slasher House
Neo-Psychedelia - Not quite as interesting or grabbing as his works in Animal Collective, instead going for a more straightforward, poppy sound. However, it's still solidly executed. 7.7/10
83. Anathema - Distant Satellites
Atmospheric Rock - Anathema capture that signature beauty of theirs once again, though it's not quite as astounding as its predecessor Weather Systems. 7.7/10
84. Murmur - Murmur
Avant-Black - Beautifully constructed. 7.7/10
85. Sisyphus - Sisyphus
Experimental Hip-Hop - A really nice fusion of hip-hop, electronics and art pop. 7.7/10
86. Major Parkinson - Twilight Cinema
Cabaret Prog - Unique and fun, but can outstay its welcome sometimes. 7.7/10
87. Hail Spirit Noir - Oi Magoi
Prog-Black - ...as in it literally alternates between 70s prog rock and black metal. And it does it pretty damn well too. 7.7/10
88. Serdce - Timelessness
Progressive Metal - A great fusion of many great names in the genre such as Cynic, Dream Theater and Symphony X to create something completely of its own. 7.7/10
89. Rome - A Passage To Rhodesia
Neofolk / Martial Industrial - Like a Neofolk Type O Negative. Interesting to say the least. 7.6/10
90. KOOL A.D. - WORD O.K.
Abstract Hip-Hop - The guy's got a hilariously charming personality that really shines through in his words, and the laid back beats are all that you need for lazing on a Sunday afternoon. 7.6/10
91. Anubis Gate - Horizons
Prog-Power - I generally don't enjoy PP releases to often. This is one of the clear exceptions. 7.6/10
92. Perfect Beings - Perfect Beings
Crossover Prog - Good fun. 7.6/10
93. Mondkopf - Hadès
Dark Ambient Electronic - Forboding in multiple colours. 7.6/10
94. - Missing Character
Experimental Electronic - A lot of hits and misses. Fortunately, the misses are short and sweet, whereas the hits take up most of the album. 7.6/10
95. Young Fathers - Dead
Abstract Hip-Hop - A really nice ethnic vibe to add to the relaxed-but-powerful music. 7.6/10
96. Babymetal - Babymetal
Idol Metal - Know what? I'll say it. Everyone's going to judge this album for its gimmick, but there's actually some pretty decent stuff underneath the smoke and mirrors. Solidly written. 7.5/10
97. Too Many Zooz - F Note
Brass - Pure, unfiltered fun. The three-piece drumset is perfect for the sound, and gives new meaning to "more cowbell". 7.5/10
98. Busdriver - Perfect Hair
Abstract Hip-Hop - A collection of really outstanding and really dull tracks. Thankfully the former strongly outweighs the latter. 7.5/10
99. Distorted Harmony - Chain Reaction
Progressive Metal - They've managed to be a bit more versatile with the Dream Theater brand of prog metal, which is honestly quite a feat. The electronic touches, while minor, are what make this album stand out. 7.5/10
100. Fabio Zuffanti - La Quarta Vittima
Progressive Rock - Takes the usual cliches of prog rock (jazz flute, Hammonds etc.) but utilises them in a unique and refreshing manner. 7.5/10
101. Jack White - Lazaretto
Blues Rock - A brand new take on the genre, with solid results. 7.5/10
102. Skalpel - Simple
Nu Jazz - A great EP that keeps up with Skalpel's previous works in terms of quality. 7.5/10
103. Fire! Orchestra - Enter
Avant-Garde Jazz / Progressive Rock - Has some beautiful songwriting involved, but just too much random chaos going on at certain points. 7.5/10
104. Ne Obliviscaris - Citadel
Progressive Metal - I love these guys for their incredibly fresh (and strong) take on the genre. However this album also frustrates me because there's really nothing truly remarkable that happens here. Songs filled with musically entertaining and engaging themes tend to do little with them, and sometimes the most complicated works are left desiring something "more". These guys have got an INCREDIBLY strong sound, so I just want something a little more interesting/creative done with it, and this bugs me. 7.4/10
105. Elbow - The Take Off and Landing of Everything
Indie Rock - Overall, a well done release. Good to see this stuff being recognised by mainstream media too. 7.4/10
106. Pyrapisme - Blastbit Rococollider
8-Bit - A great retro-rendition of their completely wacky release. 7.4/10
107. Fennesz - Bécs
Electroacoustic Glitch / Ambient - A solid and unique execution that I can definitely recognise, but unfortunately can't enjoy too much. This album is better than the rating I give it. 7.3/10
108. Jordan Rudess - Explorations
Modern Classical - A good fusion between Rudess' skill on his Steinway and the colour that the orchestra adds to the mix. 7.3/10
109. Opeth - Pale Communion
Progressive Rock - Overall a far more solid style shift than Heritage... however PC seems to lack any sort of standout tracks, which greatly hinders it. A good album in need of something "more". 7.3/10
110. Narrow House - Thanathonaut
Doom Metal - Solid doom, but not much more than that. Feels good most of the time, but somewhat missing at others. 7.3/10
111. Blues Pills - Blues Pills
Blues Rock - Both a fresh and well-done execution of the style. Special props go out to the female vocals. 7.3/10
112. Carla Bozulich - Boy
Experimental Rock - Definitely creative and unique, but had its moments where I was just wondering where the heck it was taking me. 7.3/10
113. DragonForce - Maximum Overload
Power Metal - It looks like Dragonforce is finally growing up. Still littered with a few "gotta go fast!" tracks, but now there's also a good amount of solid power metal to balance it out. 7.3/10
114. A.C.T - Circus Pandemonium
Progressive Rock - Some fun, theatrical concept prog with circus themes that Ayreon fans may enjoy. 7.3/10
115. Todd Terje - It's Album Time
Nu Disco - Incredibly catchy. Some songs have potential to be song of the year. Others fall flat though. 7.2/10
116. The Algorithm - OCTOPUS4
Electro-djent - While clearly a niche sound, this is The Algorithm's best work to date by far. Good variety, but I just think the sound's gotten a bit old for these ears. 7.2/10
117. Killer Be Killed - Killer Be Killed
Alternative Metal - Solid. 7.2/10
118. Imogen Heap - Sparks
Electronic Art Pop - Occasional moments of mainstream pop mediocrity stop this album from reaching its full potential. That being said, however, Imogen Heap's technological innovation is as good as it's ever been. 7.2/10
119. Chimurenga Renaissance - riZe vadZimu riZe
Experimental Hip-Hop - These guys create a really unique sound that takes you back to Africa, but unfortunately don't do much to really experiment with it, which can make the album sound very same-y, even if the core sound itself is rather unique. 7.2/10
120. Pink Floyd - The Endless River
Progressive Rock - A pleasant farewell to the band as they sail their paper boat slowly down the stream. Nothing spectacular, but nothing really wrong with it either. 7.2/10
121. Behemoth - The Satanist
That-One-Album-Every-Metalhead-Is-Climaxing-To - Overrated? Definitely. Bad? Definitely not. 7.2/10
122. Neil Cicierega - Mouth Silence
Mashup / Comedy - Lion King porn grooves, bluegrass SOAD, Austin Powers and much, much more. Hilarious, though not particularly interesting from a musical standpoint. 7.2/10
123. Horseback - Piedmont Apocrypha
Psychedelic Drone - Does what it does, and does it well. Will put you in a good trance. 7.2/10
124. Animals As Leaders - The Joy Of Motion
Instrumental Prog Metal / Djent - While I can sense the new, creative ways they've utilised it, this is stil the exact same core sound that we've grown to hear from most of these types of bands. 7.1/10
125. Buffalo Daughter - Konjac-tion
Shibuya-kei / Indietronica - Catchy, quirky, fun and jerky. 7.1/10
126. Kyary Pamyu Pamyu - Pikapika Fantajin
J-Pop / Synth-Pop - First time trying my hand at the J-Pop icon. The music is pretty damn fun overall, but it doesn't strike me as anything too particularly special. 7.1/10
127. TEEN - The Way And Colour
Psychedelic R&B - Makes you wonder why this combination of genres isn't more commonplace. A solid sound.
128. Benighted - Carnivore Sublime
Brutal Death / Grindcore - Pretty fun, considering I'm not really one for the br00tal side of metal. 7.1/10
129. The L-Train - Moonrise: A Symphonic Metal Opera
Symphonic Metal - Pretty well executed, especially considering it's a fan-project. That said, the vocals do hold this performance back. Nice Symphony X/Nightwish/Ayreon vibe to it. 7.1/10
130. Sleaford Mods - Divide And Exit
Post-Punk / Spoken Word - Oh so British... 7.1/10
131. Periphery - Clear
Djent - Did what it was meant to do, and showed off Periphery's full diversity. 7/10
132. The Lawrence Arms - Metropole
Punk Rock - Fun stuff. Not too original, but still a good listen. 7/10
133. Dog Fashion Disco - Sweet Nothings
Avant-Garde Metal / Alternative Metal - It's pretty solid, but I couldn't help but feel like I wanted a bit... more... especially from these guys. 7/10
134. Cities Aviv - Come To Life
Experimental Hip-Hop - Musically beautiful, but I can't stand the MC's voice. 7/10
135. Iisa - Iisa
Indie Pop - Good fun. Nothing special, but entertaining music. 7/10
136. Current 93 - I Am The Last Of All The Field That Fell: A Channel
Avant-Folk - Interesting poetry, but I can't give a score yet... really hard to pin down. 7/10
137. Ian Anderson - Homo Erraticus
Progressive Folk Rock - It's decently written, and contains that ol' Tull flair, but Ian's lack of voice is starting to show nowadays... 7/10
138. Evian Christ - Waterfall
Instrumental Hip-Hop / Trap - One of the only trap albums I can listen to. 7/10
139. Vanden Plas - Chronicles Of The Immortals: Netherworld (Path 1)
Prog-Power Metal - It's good, but I don't get what the big deal is about these guys. It's above average prog-power. 7/10
140. ??? - ???
Alternative Rock - 'S Alright, I guess. 7/10
141. Sockweb - Werewolf
Grindcore - Brutorable stuff made by a father-daughter duo. Quality is surprisingly good considering that part of the vocal performance and all of the lyrics are on behalf of a child. 6.9/10
142. Big Ups - Eighteen Hours Of Static
Post-Hardcore / Noise Rock - Depending on your listening experience this can be anything from painfully annoying to fist-pumpingly strong. Fortunately for me, I found it to be the latter... most of the time. 6.9/10
143. Alcest - Shelter
Shoegaze - Great stuff half of the time, but the other half is completely dull 6.8/10
144. Sun Kil Moon - Benji
Contemporary Folk - Powerfully blunt lyricism backed up by a decent band. Wears on you after a while though. 6.8/10
145. Issues - Issues
Trancecore - Someone actually put effort into the originality of their generic metalcore? Well I'll be damned. 6.8/10
146. Peculate - In Two (A)
Extreme Progressive Metal - Absolute insanity that may occasionally go a little TOO far. 6.8/10
147. - Auria; Fade of Dusk
Experimental Electronic - An interesting experiment in taking randomly generated images and translating them to music. That being said, most of the images don't really leave much of an impression. 6.7/10
148. - No Mythologies To Follow
Electropop - Not one of the best of its genre, but it'll suffice. 6.7/10
149. The Contortionist - Language
Progressive Metal / Djent - They were onto something with this one, but unfortunately felt the need to go for yet another "squeaky clean guitars for ambience" trope which I already felt had outstayed its welcome upon the third time I heard an album do the exact same thing. There are some nice parts which redeem it however. 6.6/10
150. Whispered - Shogunate Macabre
Melodeath - Fun at first, but the effects wear off quick. 6.6/10
151. The Bug - Angels & Devils
UK Bass / Grime - Some songs are quite unique, rich and entertaining. Others are completely void of any substance. 6.5/10
152. Phantogram - Voices
Indietronica - Well written, well performed, but just largely uninteresting. 6.4/10
153. Aenaon - Extance
Prog-Black - Has some great ideas thrown in there, but doesn't really bring anything too "new" to the table. 6.2/10
154. Mastodon - Once More 'Round The Sun
Progressive Stoner Metal - At this point, I don't know if I'm just not feeling it with these guys, or if they're not the band for me. Either way, Once More 'Round The Sun just seems... unimpressive. Average, but hardly anything worth noting. 6.1/10
155. David Crosby - CROZ
Folk Rock - The guy still has it in him... but what he has is rather uninteresting. 6/10
156. Xiu Xiu - Angel Guts: Red Classroom
Experimental Rock / Synth-Punk - BLACK DICK BLACK DICK BLAAAAAAACK DICK! 6/10
157. Lykke Li - I Never Learn
Indie/Art Pop - While it definitely has great, soothing instrumentation, the vocals (which are the main focus are the album) fall flat for me. 5.7/10
158. Sza - Z
Contemporary R&B - One listen, and I'm already tired of it. 5.6/10
159. Neil Cicierega - Mouth Sounds
Mashup / Comedy - Smash Mouth, Shrek Jokes, whatever more you need to piss people off. Here it is. Probably the lesser of the album duo though. 5.5/10
160. Transatlantic - Kaleidoscope
Prog Rock - You know the phrase "If it ain't broke, don't fix it." Transatlantic pretty much runs by this motto, and now I just get bored with them. 5.4/10
161. Big Giant Circles - The Glory Days
Chiptune - Presents a rather fresh sound to chiptune, but the trick wears off about 10 songs in... did I mention this album is over 30 songs long? 5.2/10
162. Linkin Park - The Hunting Party
Nu-Metal / Alternative Rock - Definitely a step up from their previous releases. A bunch of great tracks on here, but also many that just make you want to listen to Korn or something... I dunno. 5.1/10
163. Dream The Electric Sheep - Heretics
Progressive Rock - I can't understand why people are liking this one so much... It's just riddled with cliches and cheese that the prog scene already has too much of. Still has some noteworthy moments though. 5/10
164. Trust - Joyland
Synth Pop - The melodies are good, but the vocals are a huge turn-off. 5/10
165. Mechina - Xenon
Industrial - Loved it on my first listen. Couldn't get through it on my subsequent attempts. Weird... 5/10
166. Within Temptation - Hydra
Symphonic Metal - ... 5/10
167. Andrew Jackson Jihad - Christmas Island
Anti-Folk - Easily his most commercial release yet, which is worrying considering his whole persona was built on being an "anti"-catalyst. 4.9/10
168. Perfect Pussy - Say Yes To Love
Post-Hardcore / Noise Rock - This album has hype... but I just don't get it. The production is either a major turn-on or turn-off, but for me it was the latter. 4.9/10
169. Shlomo & Jeremih - No More
UK Bass / Contemporary R&B - A great starting track followed by wave after wave of mediocrity. Such a shame... 4.8/10
170. Stephen Malkmus & The Jicks - Wig Out At Jagbags
Indie Rock - Uninteresting. That is all. 4.5/10
171. Pharrell Williams - G I R L
Contemporary R&B - Has one or two really good songs, but the rest is just fluff. 4.4/10
172. Lana Del Ray - Ultraviolence
Wannabe Art Pop - Almost insultingly melodramatic, this is an album that has an obsession with being "deep", but has no musical substance with which to actually do so. 3.1/10
173. Foxygen - ...And Star Power
Pyschedelic Pop - The perfect example of how to butcher any sort of good production. 2.3/10
174. ALBUMS I NEED MORE LISTENS OF TO RATE - PLEASE SUGGEST WHICH I SHOULD LISTEN TO FIRST
175. Ab-Soul - These Days...
West-Coast Hip-Hop
176. Actress - Ghettoville
Microhouse
177. Agalloch - The Serpent And The Sphere
Atmospheric Black Metal
178. Allegaeon - Elements Of The Infinite
Technical Melodeath
179. Amerigo Gazaway - Yaasin Gaye: The Return (Part 2)
Mashup / Conscious Hip-Hop PRIORITY
180. Angus & Julia Stone - Angus & Julia Stone
Indie-Folk/Pop
181. Antemasque - Antemasque
Post-Hardcore PRIORITY
182. Anubis - Hitchhiking To Byzantium
Prog Rock
183. Aphex Twin - Syro
IDM PRIORITY
184. Arca - Xen
Wonky / Glitch-Hop
185. Architects - Lost Forever // Lost Together
Metalcore
186. At The Gates - At War With Reality
Melodeath
187. Atomic Ape - Swarm!
Avant-Prog
188. Auric - Auric
Blackened Sludge Metal
189. Banks - Goddess
Alternative R&B
190. Black Milk - If There's A Hell Below
Hip-Hop
191. Blockhead - Bells And Whistles
Instrumental Hip-Hop
192. Blonde Redhead - Barragan
Dream Pop / Indie Rock
193. Bohren & Der Club of Gore - Piano Nights
Dark Jazz
194. Boris - Noise
Post-Rock PRIORITY
195. Burial Hex - Hierophant
Experimental Electronic PRIORITY
196. Clockwork Indigo - Clockwork Indigo EP
Hardcore Hip-Hop
197. Clouds - Doliu
Atmospheric Doom Metal
198. Cool Cavemen - Funkloric Trip
Funk Metal
199. Copeland - Because I'm Worth It
Art Pop / IDM
200. Crying - Get Olde Second Wind
Chiptune / Power Pop
201. Cybernetika - Solar Nexus
Psytrance / D'n'B
202. Darkspace - Darkspace III I
Atmospheric Black Metal / Dark Ambient
203. Dean Blunt - Black Metal
Art Pop
204. Death From Above 1979 - The Physical World
Dance-Punk PRIORITY
205. Deerhoof - La Isla Bonita
Indie/Experimental Rock PRIORITY
206. Diamond Version - CI
Glitch
207. Dirge - Hyperion
Atmospheric Sludge Metal
208. Dope Body - LIFER
Noise Rock / Post-Hardcore PRIORITY
209. East India Youth - Total Strife Forever
Synth-Pop / Art Pop
210. Esben And The Witch - A New Nature
Ethereal Wave / Post-Rock PRIORITY
211. Evergrey - Hymns For The Broken
Progressive Metal
212. Extreme Precautions - I
Industrial Techno / Experimental Electronic
213. FKA Twigs - LP1
Art Pop / Alternative R&B PRIORITY
214. Floor - Oblation
Sludge Metal
215. Flying Colors - Second Nature
Progressive Rock
216. Freddie Gibbs & Madlib - Piñata
Gangsta Rap PRIORITY
217. Full Of Hell - Full Of Hell & Merzbow [Collaboration]
Hardcore/Grindcore/Powerviolence/Noise
218. Galneryus - Vetelgyus
Power Metal
219. Ghetts - Rebel With A Cause
Grime
220. Goat - Commune
Psychedelic Rock
221. Godflesh - A World Lit Only By Fire
Industrial Metal PRIORITY
222. GoGo Penguin - v2.0
Jazz Fusion PRIORITY
223. Grey Skies Fallen - The Many Sides Of Truth
Progressive Melodeath
224. The Grouch x Eligh x CunninLynguists - The Winterfire EP
Conscious Hip-Hop
225. Guillaume Perret & the Electric Epic - Open Me
Jazz Fusion
226. Hauschka - Abandoned City
Modern Classical
227. Helms Alee - Sleepwalking Sailors
Atmospheric Sludge
228. Herder - Gods
Stoner Doom
229. Horse Lords - Hidden Cities
Experimental Rock / Krautrock PRIORITY
230. Hundred Waters - The Moon Rang Like A Bell
Folktronica / Art Pop
231. iamamiwhoami - Blue
Synth Pop PRIORITY
232. Iamthemorning - Belighted
Chamber Folk / Progressive Art Rock PRIORITY
233. Icarus The Owl - Icarus The Owl
Post-Hardcore
234. Iceage - Plowing Into The Field Of Love
Post-Punk / Art Punk PRIORITY
235. In Flames - Siren Charms
Alternative Metal
236. Interpol - El Pintor
Post-Punk
237. Intervals - A Voice Within
Djent
238. IQ - The Road Of Bones
Neo-Prog
239. Johann Sebastian Punk - More Lovely And More Temperate
Art Rock
240. Julian Casablancas + The Voidz - Tyranny
Synth-Punk / Neo-Psychedelia PRIORITY
241. Kangding Ray - Solens Arc
Minimal Techno
242. Kassem Mosse - Workshop 19
Deep House PRIORITY
243. Kayo Dot - Coffins On Io
Avant-Garde / Art Rock PRIORITY
244. Keaton Henson - Romantic Works
Modern Classical
245. Lone - Reality Testing
House / Wonky
246. Lux Occulta - Kołysanki
Avant-Garde Metal
247. Mantar - Death By Burning
Sludge
248. Marco Minnemann - Eeps
Progressive Rock
249. Marissa Nadler - July
Contemporary Folk / Singer-Songwriter
250. Markéta Irglová - Muna
Indie Folk PRIORITY
251. Mayhem - Esoteric Warfare
Black Metal
252. Mick Jenkins - The Water[s]
Conscious Hip-Hop
253. Milo - A Toothpaste Suburb
Experimental / Abstract Hip-Hop
254. Moab - Billow
Stoner Doom
255. Moanaa - Descent
Post-Metal
256. Monolord - Empress Rising
Stoner Doom
257. Morbus Chron - Sweven
Prog-Death - A lot of people hype this one. I haven't seen why yet.
258. Mr Oizo - The Church
Electro House / Wonky
259. Musk Ox - Woodfall
Dark Chamber Folk
260. My Brightest Diamond - This Is My Hand
Chamber Pop
261. Nadja - Queller
Ambient Drone
262. Natural Snow Buildings - The Night Country
Drone / Psychedelic Folk PRIORITY
263. North Atlantic Oscillation - The Third Day
Experimental Progressive Rock PRIORITY
264. Olga Bell - Krai
Avant-Folk / Art Pop
265. Oneohtrix Point Never - Commissions I
Progressive Electronic PRIORITY
266. The Osiris Club - Blazing Worlds
Psychedelic Prog Rock
267. Otto A Totland - Pinô
Modern Classical
268. Ought - More Than Any Other Day
Art Punk / Post-Punk
269. Owen Pallett - In Conflict
Chamber Pop / Art Pop
270. Perfume Genius - Too Bright
Art Pop
271. Perturbator - Dangerous Days
Synthwave / Horror Synth PRIORITY
272. Pet Slimmers Of The Year - Fragments Of Uniform
Post-Rock
273. Philip Selway - Weatherhouse
Singer-Songwriter / Contemporary Folk
274. Phish - Fuego
Jam-Band / Progressive Rock
275. The Pineapple Thief - Magnolia
Progressive Alt-Rock
276. Pink Floyd - The Endless River
Progressive Rock PRIORITY
277. Porter Robinson - Worlds
Electropop / Glitch Pop
278. Quirke - Acid Beth
UK Bass
279. The Raveonettes - Pe'ahi
Noise Pop / Dream Pop
280. Rishloo - Living As Ghosts With Buildings As Teeth
Progressive Rock / Alternative Metal PRIORITY
281. Rival Sons - Great Western Valkyrie
Hard Rock
282. Robert Plant - Lullaby and... The Ceaseless Roar
Folk Rock
283. Roll The Dice - Until Silence
Electronic / Modern Classical
284. Royal Blood - Royal Blood
Alternative Rock / Stoner Rock
285. Run The Jewels - Run The Jewels 2
Hardcore/Experimental Hip-Hop PRIORITY
286. Sadistik - Ultraviolet
Conscious Hip-Hop PRIORITY
287. Sane Masayuki - lucent indigo
Electronic
288. Selim Lemouchi & His Enemies - Earth Air Spirit Water Fire
Experimental Psychedelic Rock / Krautrock PRIORITY
289. Septicflesh - Titan
Extreme Symphonic Metal
290. Shabazz Palaces - Lese Majesty
Abstract/Experimental Hip-Hop
291. Silent Planet - The Night God Slept
Metalcore
292. Slash - World On Fire
Hard Rock
293. Sleepmakeswaves - Love Of Cartogrphy
Post-Rock
294. Slipknot - .5: The Gray Chapter
Alternative Metal / Nu Metal
295. Slows Down - The Way Down Leering / On The Street
Chamber Pop
296. Soen - Tellurian
Progressive Metal PRIORITY
297. The Soundcarriers - Entropicalia
Neo-Psychedelia
298. Spoon - They Want My Soul
Indie Rock
299. Synaesthesia - Synaesthesia
Crossover Prog
300. Tempel - On The Steps Of The Temple
Atmospheric Sludge Metal
301. Tengger Cavalry - Ancient Call
Chinese Folk Metal / Black Metal
302. Thantifaxath - Sacred White Noise
Black Metal
303. Thee Silver Mt. Zion Memorial Orchestra and Tra-La-La Band - Fuck Off Get Free We Pour Light Onto Everything
Post Art Rock
304. Thine - The Dead City Blueprint
Progressive Alt-Rock
305. Thom Yorke - Tomorrow's Modern Boxes
Glitch Pop / Electronic
306. Thou - Heathen
Sludge-Doom
307. Trepalium - Voodoo Moonshine
Progressive Death Metal / Swing PRIORITY
308. Trioscapes - Digital Dream Sequence
Jazz Fusion
309. Triptykon - Melana Chasmata
Doom Metal
310. Ty Segall - Manipulator
Psychedelic Garage Rock
311. Vader - Tibi Et Igni
Death Metal
312. Venetian Snares - My Love Is A Bulldozer
Breakcore
313. Voyager - V
Progressive Metal
314. We All Die (Laughing) - Thoughtscanning
Prog Metal
315. Weezer - Everything Will Be Alright In The End
Power Pop / Alternative Rock
316. White Suns - Totem
Noise
317. WIFE - What's Between
Electronic
318. A Winged Victory For The Sullen - Atomos
Ambient / Modern Classical
319. Wo Fat - The Conjuring
Psychedelic Doom Metal
320. Wolves In The Throne Room - Celestite
Progressive Electronic
321. Woods - With Light And With Love
Psychedelic Folk Rock
322. Wovenhand - Refractory Obdurate
Psychedelic Folk Rock
323. Wovenwar - Wovenwar
Alternative Metal
324. Zammuto - Anchor
Art Pop / Folktronica PRIORITY
325. 7for4 - Splash
Jazz Fusion / Prog Rock PRIORITY
326. 和楽器バンド (Wagakki Band) - ボカロ三昧 (Vocalo Zanmai)
Visual Kei / Folk Metal PRIORITY
327. 椎名林檎 (Shiina Ringo) - 逆輸入~港湾局~ (Gyakuyunyu ~Kowankyoku~)
Art Pop



Disclaimer: All top lists are unofficial and do not represent the point of view of the MS Staff.
[ More lists by Lethrokai ]



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Comments: 59   Visited by: 125 users
22.09.2014 - 00:08
Ilham
Giant robot
Written by Lethrokai on 21.09.2014 at 23:51
Thanks, I kinda love getting into the whole spectrum of music, and I feel like this place doesn't really get enough of it. So it's nice to see people wanting to check this stuff out.
As for the guys you mentioned:

clipping. are one of those "gangster" hip-hop bunches, but they actually focus less on the usual gangster stuff, and instead bring a darker side to the scene into the light. Plus their beats are genuinely unique and really creative.
Tobacco is one I actually think you might enjoy a bit. It's basically the electronic version of what you seem to enjoy quite a bit, going by your list. (That being said, don't expect thrashing beats / absolutely shrieking vocals. It's just got such a nasty edge to it for an electronic sound, that I can't help but love.
Destrage is just a fun, wild ride.
The Transistor Soundtrack, while pretty solid on its own, is one I'd seriously recommend taking in with context of the game too. I just feel like it really helps enhance the experience.

Honestly, described like this, it all sounds great. Thanks for the details, now I know what to start with. Probably Tobacco. Feedback to be expected within 48 hours.

Well this is Metal Storm, you can't expect the talk about music outside of those boundaries to be predominant. But we should collectively make a little effort to keep the general music forum active. I'm not the best example of that, but I try to share my discoveries when I know it might interest someone in particular. Next time if I have a rap/hip-hop suggestion I'll notify you in the relevant thread. I have very wide tastes but still have limited knowledge in some areas, so don't hesitate to do the same.
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21.11.2014 - 23:40
Lethrokai

BIG UPDATE:
With 50 new albums added, 14 albums rated and 3.5 hours of my time gone by doing this, I'd like to say this update was a success.

ADDED:
Bent Knee - Shiny Eyed Babies
Hail Mary Mallon - Bestiary
Lunatic Soul - Walking on a Flashlight Beam
Flying Lotus - You're Dead
Anaal Nathrakh - Desideratum
Schizoid Lloyd - The Last Note in God's Magnum Opus
Ariel Pink - pom pom
Foxygen - ...And Star Power
Aphex Twin - Syro
Arca - Xen
Black Milk - If There's A Hell Below...
Car Seat Hedrest - How To Leave Town
Clockwork Indigo - Clockwork Indigo EP
The Contortionist - Language
Cybernetika - Solar Nexus
Deerhoof - La Isla Bonita
Devin Townsend - Z²
Dope Body - LIFER
Esben And The Witch - A New Nature
Evergrey - Hymns For The Broken
Flying Colors - Second Nature
Galneryus - Vetelgyus
Godflesh - A World Lit Only By Fire
Haken - Restoration
Hundred Waters - The Moon Rang Like A Bell
Iamthemorning - Belighted
Iceage - Plowing Into The Field Of Love
Jenny Hval & Susanna - Meshes Of Voice
Julian Casablancas + The Voidz - Tyranny
Kashiwa Daisuke - 9 Songs
Kayo Dot - Coffins On Io
Manes - Be All End All
Marco Minnemann - Eeps
Marissa Nadler - July
Markéta Irglová - Muna
Milo - A Toothpaste Suburb
Moanaa - Descent
My Brightest Diamond - This Is My Hand
Ne Obliviscaris - Citadel
North Atlantic Oscillation - The Third Day
Perfume Genius - Too Bright
Pink Floyd - The Endless River
Rabbit Rabbit - Rabbit Rabbit Radio Vol. 2
Run The Jewels - Run The Jewels 2
Slipknot - .5: The Gray Chapter
Thom Yorke - Tomorrow's Modern Boxes
Weezer - Everything Will Be Alright In The End
A Winged Victory For The Sullen - Atomos
和楽器バンド (Wagakki Band) - ボカロ三昧 (Vocalo Zanmai)
きのこ帝国 (Kinoku Teikoku) - フェイクワールドワンダーランド

REMOVED:
Not removing anything today because updates are a bitch, and I've spent enough time already. Will probably do it sometime in the near future.

RATED:
Bent Knee - Shiny Eyed Babies
Hail Mary Mallon - Bestiary
Lunatic Soul - Walking on a Flashlight Beam
Flying Lotus - You're Dead
Anaal Nathrakh - Desideratum
Schizoid Lloyd - The Last Note in God's Magnum Opus
Sunn O))) & Scott Walker - Soused
Ariel Pink - pom pom
Anathema - Distant Satellites
Rome - A Passage To Rhodesia
Narrow House - Thanathonaut
Ian Anderson - Homo Erraticus
The Bug - Angels & Devils
Foxygen - ...And Star Power
----
Sometimes you just need to roll the dice and look away.
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22.11.2014 - 00:11
Alex F
Slick Dick Rick
Hail Mary Mallon's latest is currently my favorite non-metal album of the year, with Swans close behind. You should check this out
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22.11.2014 - 01:05
Ilham
Giant robot
You like your updates to be far apart from each other, and massive .
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22.11.2014 - 01:16
Lethrokai

Written by Ilham on 22.11.2014 at 01:05

You like your updates to be far apart from each other, and massive .

Makes em feel special.
But seriously, I should probably do them more often. 3-4 hours on a single update is NOT fun.
----
Sometimes you just need to roll the dice and look away.
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22.11.2014 - 01:21
Lethrokai

Written by Alex F on 22.11.2014 at 00:11

Hail Mary Mallon's latest is currently my favorite non-metal album of the year, with Swans close behind. You should check this out

As you can probably tell, love both of those.
And a new project my the Mondkopf guy? Will definitely give it a look. Thanks man.
----
Sometimes you just need to roll the dice and look away.
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22.11.2014 - 01:29
Ilham
Giant robot
Written by Lethrokai on 22.11.2014 at 01:16

Makes em feel special.
But seriously, I should probably do them more often. 3-4 hours on a single update is NOT fun.

Not that I'm looking for excuses for my own laziness, but I'm sure I'd have listened to your suggestions if you posted more often in this thread . I really think this is the most diverse list of 2014, and one of the most interesting for me at the moment.
You also don't seem to listen to too many at a time, too bad you're that busy.
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22.11.2014 - 10:42
angel.
Evil Butterfly
Babymetal ?!
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The Fangirl.
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22.11.2014 - 18:09
Lethrokai

Written by angel. on 22.11.2014 at 10:42

Babymetal ?!

Yeah, funnily enough I thought it was alright. I feel like people tend to judge it based on the gimmick (both lovers and haters), but the music itself is actually pretty good from my POV. That being said there were still many other albums I prefered from this year, as the list shows. I just thought it was a good album is all. Fuck the chocolate song though, that one was awful.
----
Sometimes you just need to roll the dice and look away.
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22.11.2014 - 18:13
Lethrokai

Written by Ilham on 22.11.2014 at 01:29

Not that I'm looking for excuses for my own laziness, but I'm sure I'd have listened to your suggestions if you posted more often in this thread . I really think this is the most diverse list of 2014, and one of the most interesting for me at the moment.
You also don't seem to listen to too many at a time, too bad you're that busy.


My schedule for listening to albums really just comes down to whenever I have free time. I try to listen to as much as I can, but I also like revisiting ones I love a lot (otherwise it would feel like a waste) so there's also that.
Anyway, I do want to try and update more frequently. I even marked some of the albums on the "Still To Listen" part of the list as "Prioritised" so that I can easily remember to get round to them quicker.

Thanks for the praises though. I'm really trying to make something of this music stuff right now, so I'm glad you like it.
----
Sometimes you just need to roll the dice and look away.
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22.11.2014 - 19:51
Alex F
Slick Dick Rick
Written by Lethrokai on 22.11.2014 at 01:21

As you can probably tell, love both of those.
And a new project my the Mondkopf guy? Will definitely give it a look. Thanks man.

Yes I can tell. Have you listened to the Extreme Precautions yet? I just listened to the new Bent Knee, and I am absolutely astonished at how good it is. Fucking unbelievable musicianship on all parts in that release, and it actually might have taken over Mary Mallon as favorite non-metal release of the year. I'm probably going to listen to it obsessively for the next few days, so thanks for that.
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23.11.2014 - 00:45
Ilham
Giant robot
Written by Lethrokai on 22.11.2014 at 18:13

My schedule for listening to albums really just comes down to whenever I have free time. I try to listen to as much as I can, but I also like revisiting ones I love a lot (otherwise it would feel like a waste) so there's also that.
Anyway, I do want to try and update more frequently. I even marked some of the albums on the "Still To Listen" part of the list as "Prioritised" so that I can easily remember to get round to them quicker.

Thanks for the praises though. I'm really trying to make something of this music stuff right now, so I'm glad you like it.

Hey, I wasn't asking for justifications, really. I understood that if you could, you would . Good idea for a system. Can I suggest your prioritise Perturbator? If you're familiar with his work, you know it's not going to revolutionise your view of music, but it's a great piece of retrosynth.
Since yesterday I promised myself I'd strike through some of the recs on my list, and I started with yours. clipping was just awesome. Story 2 is just impressive, those synths, the crescendo. Fuck me. Thanks for that one.
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23.11.2014 - 19:54
Alex F
Slick Dick Rick
Hey you should definitely check this out. Really fucking good hip-hop/rap with some various electronic elements thrown around and super-catchy choruses.

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23.11.2014 - 22:54
Lethrokai

Written by Alex F on 22.11.2014 at 19:51

Yes I can tell. Have you listened to the Extreme Precautions yet? I just listened to the new Bent Knee, and I am absolutely astonished at how good it is. Fucking unbelievable musicianship on all parts in that release, and it actually might have taken over Mary Mallon as favorite non-metal release of the year. I'm probably going to listen to it obsessively for the next few days, so thanks for that.


Yeah, Bent Knee was album that came completely out of nowhere and absolutely blew me away. They nail it live as well, from the videos I've seen.
As for the Extreme Precautions, haven't given it a proper listen yet (heck, haven't had the time to give anything a proper listen in the last few days) but the little bits I've heard are definitely promising.

Quote:

Hey you should definitely check this out. Really fucking good hip-hop/rap with some various electronic elements thrown around and super-catchy choruses.


Thanks man, have added it to my list. Will definitely give it a listen.
----
Sometimes you just need to roll the dice and look away.
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23.11.2014 - 22:59
Lethrokai

Written by Ilham on 23.11.2014 at 00:45

Hey, I wasn't asking for justifications, really. I understood that if you could, you would . Good idea for a system. Can I suggest your prioritise Perturbator? If you're familiar with his work, you know it's not going to revolutionise your view of music, but it's a great piece of retrosynth.
Since yesterday I promised myself I'd strike through some of the recs on my list, and I started with yours. clipping was just awesome. Story 2 is just impressive, those synths, the crescendo. Fuck me. Thanks for that one.


Alright then, have added Perturbator to the priority list. Glad you liked CLPPNG; it really is amazing.
Also, I'd recommend that you check out the Bent Knee album I added to the list in this last update. That one is special, at least, for me it is.
----
Sometimes you just need to roll the dice and look away.
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23.11.2014 - 23:22
Ilham
Giant robot
Written by Lethrokai on 23.11.2014 at 22:59

Alright then, have added Perturbator to the priority list. Glad you liked CLPPNG; it really is amazing.
Also, I'd recommend that you check out the Bent Knee album I added to the list in this last update. That one is special, at least, for me it is.

Between today and yesterday I also listened to Tobacco, which was a little less to my liking, but it was still a fresh and entertaining listen. I added Bent Knee to my list of recs. Thanks Dan .
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24.11.2014 - 14:56
Lethrokai

Written by Ilham on 23.11.2014 at 23:22

Between today and yesterday I also listened to Tobacco, which was a little less to my liking, but it was still a fresh and entertaining listen. I added Bent Knee to my list of recs. Thanks Dan .

No probs.... err... don't think I ever got your name?
----
Sometimes you just need to roll the dice and look away.
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24.11.2014 - 15:15
Ilham
Giant robot
Written by Lethrokai on 24.11.2014 at 14:56

No probs.... err... don't think I ever got your name?

It's written all over the forum. Ilham is my real name . Pronounced "IL - AM" the same way you'd pronounce "ill" and the "am" of "amigo". < That's the European smooth way of pronouncing it.
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24.11.2014 - 15:30
Lethrokai

Written by Ilham on 24.11.2014 at 15:15

It's written all over the forum. Ilham is my real name . Pronounced "IL - AM" the same way you'd pronounce "ill" and the "am" of "amigo". < That's the European smooth way of pronouncing it.


Ah alright then, first time I've ever seen that name before.
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Sometimes you just need to roll the dice and look away.
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24.11.2014 - 15:44
Ilham
Giant robot
Written by Lethrokai on 24.11.2014 at 15:30

Ah alright then, first time I've ever seen that name before.

Completely normal: old-fashioned androgynous Arab name of Persian origin. It's as if I were named Montgomerya or something .
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15.12.2014 - 16:20
Lethrokai

BIG UPDATE:

I would list all of the albums I added to the list, but I just spent the last 2 hours doing that only to refresh the page, so for now, I'm only gonna put up the albums I newly rated. (Frustration does that to a man) I'll include the ratings as well for compensation though.

I've been getting more frequent with my ratings due to the deadline for my official list coming closer and closer, so at least that's something.

30 ALBUMS ADDED
19 ALBUMS RATED


RATED:
Jenny Hval & Susanna | Meshes Of Voice - 8.9/10
Car Seat Hedrest | How To Leave Town - 8.7/10
Sage Francis | Copper Gone - 8.5/10
Kairon; IRSE! | Ujubasajuba - 8.5/10
Ben Frost | A U R O R A - 8.4/10
Wildbirds & Peacedrums | Rhythm - 8.3/10
椎名林檎 (Shiina Ringo) | 日出処 - 8.3/10
Botanist | VI: Flora - 8.2/10
Rabbit Rabbit | Rabbit Rabbit Radio Vol. 2 - 8.1/10
Kashiwa Daisuke | 9 Songs - 8/10
きのこ帝国 (Kinoku Teikoku) | フェイクワールドワンダーランド - 7.9/10
Destiny Potato | LUN - 7.8/10
Busdriver | Perfect Hair - 7.5/10
Ne Obliviscaris | Citadel - 7.4/10
Chimurenga Renaissance | riZe vadZimu riZe - 7.2/10
Kyary Pamyu Pamyu | Pikapika Fantajin - 7.1/10
◻ | Auria; Fade of Dusk - 6.7/10
The Contortionist | Language - 6.6/10
Sza | Z - 5.6/10
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Sometimes you just need to roll the dice and look away.
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15.12.2014 - 19:13
Urs Blank

Best 2014 list I've come across so far If I could thumb it up twice I would

Many of my 2014 favourites are here: Bent Knee, Hail Mary Mallon, Kairon; IRSE!, BADBADNOTGOOD... just to name a few. And many more to discover it seems

We share a lot of tastes in music, especially outside Metal You probably listen to music a lot more than I do though, considering the impressive amount of entries in your list
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16.12.2014 - 01:05
Alex F
Slick Dick Rick
Your list is severely lacking in IGORRR
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16.12.2014 - 08:45
Lethrokai

Written by Alex F on 16.12.2014 at 01:05

Your list is severely lacking in IGORRR

Trust me, I'm incredibly aware of this. I haven't been able to get my hands on it, but I'm expecting top 20 material here.
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Sometimes you just need to roll the dice and look away.
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16.12.2014 - 14:14
Lethrokai

Written by Urs Blank on 15.12.2014 at 19:13

Best 2014 list I've come across so far If I could thumb it up twice I would

Many of my 2014 favourites are here: Bent Knee, Hail Mary Mallon, Kairon; IRSE!, BADBADNOTGOOD... just to name a few. And many more to discover it seems

We share a lot of tastes in music, especially outside Metal You probably listen to music a lot more than I do though, considering the impressive amount of entries in your list


It's funny actually, since, looking at your profile, our tastes within the metal scene are actually quite different.
But yeah, it's needless to say I'd recommend a lot of these albums.

Speaking of which, you got any suggestions for me? There's still a few weeks left in year so I want to make the most before doing the final list.
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Sometimes you just need to roll the dice and look away.
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16.12.2014 - 16:49
Urs Blank

Written by Lethrokai on 16.12.2014 at 14:14

It's funny actually, since, looking at your profile, our tastes within the metal scene are actually quite different.
But yeah, it's needless to say I'd recommend a lot of these albums.



I should probably update my profile but yes we like our Metal cooked in a quite different way it seems


Written by Lethrokai on 16.12.2014 at 14:14

Speaking of which, you got any suggestions for me? There's still a few weeks left in year so I want to make the most before doing the final list.



As for the suggestions, apart from the highly praised (and already recommended to you) latest Igorrr, and Metal excluded, off the top of my head:

Shellac - Dude Incredible (Math Rock)
Poil - Brossaklitt (Avant Prog)
Ocoeur - A Parallel Life (IDM)
Hologram_ - Geometrical Keys (IDM)
Wray - Wray (Shoegaze)
Khun Narin - Khun Narin's Electric Phin Band (Jam Rock)
Seven Impale - City of the Sun (Prog Rock)
TotorRo - Home alone (Math Rock)
Nightcrawler - Metropolis (Synthwave; yeah this one is an acquired taste )

Hope you'll find something up your alley, provided you haven't already heard all of these records
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16.12.2014 - 19:58
Lethrokai

Written by Urs Blank on 16.12.2014 at 16:49


As for the suggestions, apart from the highly praised (and already recommended to you) latest Igorrr, and Metal excluded, off the top of my head:

Shellac - Dude Incredible (Math Rock)
Poil - Brossaklitt (Avant Prog)
Ocoeur - A Parallel Life (IDM)
Hologram_ - Geometrical Keys (IDM)
Wray - Wray (Shoegaze)
Khun Narin - Khun Narin's Electric Phin Band (Jam Rock)
Seven Impale - City of the Sun (Prog Rock)
TotorRo - Home alone (Math Rock)
Nightcrawler - Metropolis (Synthwave; yeah this one is an acquired taste )

Hope you'll find something up your alley, provided you haven't already heard all of these records


Thanks man, I previewed all of them and, for the sake of keeping my schedule from becoming overbearing (I still have about 20 more albums I want to listen through/rate by year's end) I'm only going with the ones that really caught my eye, which were Poil and Ocoeur. (I love me some glitch influences) Hope you don't mind.

And thanks, of course.
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Sometimes you just need to roll the dice and look away.
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16.12.2014 - 21:19
Urs Blank

Written by Lethrokai on 16.12.2014 at 19:58

Thanks man, I previewed all of them and, for the sake of keeping my schedule from becoming overbearing (I still have about 20 more albums I want to listen through/rate by year's end) I'm only going with the ones that really caught my eye, which were Poil and Ocoeur. (I love me some glitch influences) Hope you don't mind.


Of course I don't, you already have quite a lot to do with what you've prioritized on your list

If I was to pick a single record from your "need more listens" albums list (that you haven't already prioritized), I would choose Cybernetika - Solar Nexus, or Guillaume Perret & the Electric Epic - Open Me.

Anyway good luck with your list sir, I'll check it again in a couple of weeks to see who made the final cut
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13.01.2015 - 19:33
Lethrokai

FINAL UPDATE: WELL DONE 2014 EDITION!

RATED:
Igorrr & Ruby My Dear - Maigre (9.1)
Devin Townsend - Z2 (8.3)
Run The Jewels - Run The Jewels 2 (8.2)
That Handsome Devil - Drugs & Guns For Everyone (8.1)
Natural Snow Buildings - The Night Country (8.0)
Mehliana - Taming The Dragon
D'Angelo & The Vanguard - Black Messiah (7.9)
Manes - Be All End All (7.8)
Pink Floyd - The Endless River (7.2)


Oh what a fun year it's been, eh?
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Sometimes you just need to roll the dice and look away.
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