So like, everything, basically.

I thought they were just a load of competent but uninspired Death worship. Especially the melodies struck me as very uninspired. Loads of mediocre guitar leads all over that album.

I might owe it a second chance.

:laughing:

sharp as a nail

never mind this is the AOTY

I actually really dig First Aid Kit's Ruins album that was released this year. Double Negative by Low was also a real joy to listen to.

Thanks, I do my best.

Ruins is one of many 2018 albums on my Christmas wishlist, so my year-end top 10 will remain uncertain up to the very end of the year.

Forgot about the new Neanderthal (Solo guitarist Mick Murphy, not the Grindcore/Power Violence band) album:
https://neanderthal.bandcamp.com/album/cave-math

That Ripped to Shreds album might still beat this one, but this is definitely a contender as aoty for me. Instrumental metal at it's finest, Hellzone Overload especially is a beast. It's unfortunate that Mick Murphy goes so unnoticed, he's doing a lot better than the classic shredders these days.

Nothing is remotely settled yet, because I still haven't even heard the new Anna Calvi album, Hunter. Her first two albums were excellent, so...

https://media.pitchfork.com/photos/5...na%20calvi.jpg

With only days to spare, here are my top 50 releases of the year. These are mostly albums, but includes a few EPs, too- also, while Coltrane and Prince's albums this year aren't really new recordings, they are newly discovered and therefore count. Don't @ me if you disagree. Oh, and if an artist released more than one thing that I consider to be a part of a series (see: Thou, Iglooghost) I just stuck them together.

These are all good, if not great albums, though for different reasons. If the genres they're tagged as pique your interest, even if they're not in my top 20, you should still listen.

Enjoy.

1. Tomb Mold, “Manor of Infinite Forms” (death metal)
2. John Coltrane, “Both Directions At Once” (jazz)
3. Brandi Carlile, “By the Way, I Forgive You” (country, americana)
4. Imperial Triumphant, “Vile Luxury” (experimental metal, blackened death metal, jazz)
5. Jeff Rosenstock, “POST-“ (pop punk, indie rock)
6. Obliteration, “Cenotaph Obscure” (cavernous death metal)
7. Portal, “Ion” (experimental metal, cavernous death metal)
8. Rolo Tomasi, “Time Will Die and Love Will Bury It” (mathcore, metalcore, pop rock)
9. Earl Sweatshirt, “Some Rap Songs” (hip hop)
10. Mitski, “Be the Cowboy” (power pop, indie rock)

11. Prince, “Piano & A Microphone 1983” (blues, pop, solo piano)
12. Robyn, “Honey” (dance pop)
13. Body Void, “I Live Inside a Burning House” (doom metal, sludge metal, crust punk)
14. Grouper, “Grid of Points” (ambient, solo piano)
15. Makaya McCraven, “Where We Come From” (jazz, instrumental hip hop)
16. Ben Lamar Gay, “Downtown Castles Can Never Block the Sun” (jazz, spoken word, experimental hip hop)
17. Infernal Coil, “Within a World Forgotten” (war metal, deathgrind)
18. Vince Staples, “FM!” (hip hop)
19. Sleep, “The Sciences” (doom metal)
20. Thou, “The House Primordial / Inconsolable / Rhea Sylvia / Magus” (sludge metal, dark ambient, atmoblack, folk rock, grunge)

21. Ripped to Shreds, “Mai-Zang” (death metal)
22. Sumac, “Love In Shadow” (post-metal)
23. ROSALIA, “El Mal Querer” (flamenco, pop)
24. Cult Leader, “A Patient Man” (mathcore, slowcore)
25. Neckbeard Deathcamp, “White Nationalism is for Basement Dwelling Losers” (black metal, noise)
26. Armand Hammer, “Paraffin” (hip hop)
27. The HIRS Collective, “Friends. Lovers. Favorites” (grindcore)
28. Schnell, “Live at Sowieso” (avant garde jazz)
29. Margot, “Busy & Lonely” (americana, folk)
30. Bog Body, “Through the Burial Bog” (death metal, doom metal)

31. Freddie Gibbs, “Freddie” (hip hop)
32. Binker and Moses, “Alive in the East?” (avant grade jazz)
33. Mortuous, “Through Wilderness” (doom metal, death metal)
34. Iglooghost, “Clear Tamei / Steel Mogu” (wonky, breakcore, IDM)
35. Tony Molina, “Kill the Lights” (power pop, psychedelic rock, pop punk)
36. Sepulcher, “Panoptic Horror” (crossover thrash, cavernous death metal)
37. Sectioned, “Annihilated” (mathcore)
38. The Myrrors, “Borderlands” (psychedelic folk, krautrock)
39. Gaerea, “Unsettling Whispers” (black metal)
40. Duval Timothy, “2 Sim” (ambient, spoken word, field recordings)

41. Messa, “Feast for Water” (doom metal, post-metal)
42. boygenius, “boygenius” (indie rock, folk)
43. Spiritflesh, “Spiritflesh” (techno, dark ambient, industrial)
44. Anna von Hausswolff, “Dead Magic” (experimental, doom folk)
45. Primitive Man / Unearthly Trance, “Split” (harsh noise, sludge metal)
46. Beta Boys, “Late Nite Acts” (punk)
47. Feminazgul, “The Age of Men Is Over” (atmoblack)
48. Beach House, “7” (indie rock)
49. Warthog, “Warthog” (hardcore punk)
50. Leon Bridges, “Good Thing” (RNB, pop)

Yes, definitely: the Coltrane and Prince are newly discovered releases for 2018.
I included reissues in my batch of picks too, so I think it's very fair game.
Good list!