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Forums - Music Discussion - Top 5 Albums of 2016

I haven't really dug deep to try to find all of the things I missed yet, but here are my preliminary picks (in no order):

-Weezer - White Album: For a long time, I've said "Weezer made two good albums and then spent the next two decades trying to figure out what made those albums good". With Everything Will Be Alright In the End they were on the edge of figuring it out and White Album put them over that edge. If you are a fan of Weezer's old sound but have given up on them, give them one last chance and check out this album.

-Deftones - Gore: Deftones has never made a bad album and this is no exception, but admittedly they are going in a direction that I personally don't like as much as, say White Pony or Diamond Eyes. This album feels perhaps more artsy and less of that dirty kind of sexy which I've always loved. Still, I think it is an objectively fantastic album.

-Plini - Handmade Cities: Plini has long been my favorite instrumental guitarist and he finally released his first full length album. It is tremendous. There isn't much more to say. If a more modern sounding progressive virtuoso guitarist sounds like it would be up your alley, check it out.

-Radiohead - A Moon Shaped Pool: I never really got into Radiohead. I love most of what I've heard, but I'm a lazy bastard who just hasn't jumped into all of their music yet. So, I hopped into this album not knowing what to expect and got something unexpected. This is a tremendously quiet album and one of the most emotionally resonant I heard all year. Wonderful album for those slow days when you just want to lay in bed and stare at the ceiling (unfortunately I haven't had much of those days lately).

Honorable Mentions:
-TTNG - Disappointment Island: Math rock band which made a fantastic album in Animals years ago, then lost their vocalist and haven't matched that album yet. Solid album but doesn't quite reach "Wow" levels.
-Katatonia - The Fall of Hearts: This is the tenth studio album from Katatonia, a swedish melodic metal band. Personal tastes is the only thing that keeps this album from my top list, because it is a really good listen, just not the type of thing that makes me want to listen over and over again.
-Protest the Hero - Pacific Myth: Its an EP, not a full length album, but I'm a huge PTH fan so it makes the list by default.

Albums I haven't listened to that have a chance of making the list:
-Big Ups - Before a Million Universes
-clipping - Splendor and Misery
-Kendrick Lamar - untitled unmastered
-Conor Oberst - Ruminations



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I think that Opeth's Sorceress and Chthe'ilist's Le dernier crépuscule are the only albums I've listened to from this year, so I guess that those two win by default?



The only 2016 album I listened to was Starboy and it was pretty good.



5. Young The Giant - Home of the Strange


4. Iggy Pop/Josh Homme - Post pop depression


3. Childish Gambino - Awaken my Love


2. Aesop Rock - The Impossible Kid


Undisputed best album of 2016, released completely free (like the previous 2 albums) for all fans...

1. Run the Jewels - Run the Jewels 3



"Trick shot? The trick is NOT to get shot." - Lucian

1. Rag N' Bone Man: Human
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L3wKzyIN1yk

2. Justin Bieber: Purpose

3. Adele: 25

4. Ed Sheeran: Divide

5. Kanye West: The Life of Pablo

 

 



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My top five albums for 2016 are:

  1. Biffy Clyro - Ellipsis
    Howl - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ag_r4TFf7HQ

  2. Avenged Sevenfold - The Stage
    God Damn - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wapOqjQ4r_M

  3. Taking Back Sunday - Tidal Wave
    Tidal Wave - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_csSRZdo34g

  4. Killswitch Engage - Incarnate
    Hate By Design - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nG7n93dShNQ

  5. Blink-182 - California
    She's Out of Her Mind - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=krpm0v_486k
Biffy Clyro is a band that everyone needs in their life. Just saying.


Blink's new album California didn't impress me last year. However, I like the deluxe edition a lot better. The songs are stronger and more unique.