The Top 15 Albums of 2015

Hey, guys.

So, first of all, I'm sorry this isn't a full text post with like essays and explanations and shit. Long story short, I've had a shitty January, school is overtaking my life, I haven't been sleeping well, my life is sort of a massive clusterfuck right now and I've not the time nor the motivation to sit down and write a full length dissertation and still manage to get these lists out by the end of January like I promised.

Therefore, this and my Top 50 Songs of 2015 (which is coming over the weekend, I promise) are not going to be fully written out or explained at all. This is going to be a quick thing where I'm only going to show what the albums are and what my favorite tracks on them were, no more. Again, sorry that this isn't a proper blog post, but my life is fucky right now and I just wanted to get the year-end lists overwith.

So, I guess without any further ado, here are my Top 15 favorite albums of 2015:

 

~FlamingScribblenaut

Coldplay: "A Head Full Of Dreams" Album Review

https://open.spotify.com/album/3cfAM8b8KqJRoIzt3zLKqw

Let's talk about hype.

In a lot of ways, hype can be very helpful to a project. It can create buzz and get you excited for the release of the given creative work.

But hype can also be very dangerous.

Take me for instance. I have sort of an unfortunate habit of setting absurdly high expectations for any given creative work, bet it a television episode, a movie, or yes, an album. This, more often than not, tends to lead to disappointment, and it's more of my own fault than that of the thing itself. This can be a problem when, say, your favorite band announces a new album that promises to be everything they'd ever done times ten, one might set sort of a ridiculously high precedent for said record.

Because yep, that is exactly what happened with me and this new album from Coldplay.

My favorite musical artist of all time and the biggest band in the world right now, Coldplay are a band of not only incredible musical and artistic talent and depth and one with an impressively diverse catalog, but also have had some of the biggest influence on rock and pop music in the past 15 or so years.

Coldplay were one of the first bands I gravitated towards when I started really getting into music, and with a string of phenomenal albums including masterpieces like A Rush Of Blood To The Head, Viva La Vida Or Death And All His Friends, and Mylo Xyloto, which I stand by as being one of Coldplay's most enthralling and wonderful releases to date, among others, they went on to impress me and inspire me like few other bands really ever have.

I'll admit, after last year's Ghost Stories, which I absolutely loved, I was really surprised to see them announce a new album so quickly afterward, especially with the rumors that this may very well be the band's last album.

So, when this album finally hit Spotify, I came in and listened to it immediately. And now that I've given it some time to sink in, how does A Head Full Of Dreams turn out?

Well, it's... good. Yeah, it's good. Decent. Passable. Enjoyable.

OK, let's make one thing perfectly clear: this is, from top to bottom, a pop album. There's no going around that, this is a pure pop record. And you know what? There's nothing wrong with that. I mean, Mylo Xyloto was also pretty much pure pop and that album is, in my opinion, one of their absolute best, and from an artistic standpoint, the more upbeat, poppy sound does make sense.

See, the band said this album is sort of meant to be a companion piece to last year's Ghost Stories, sort of the "getting over the breakup" after the "wallowing in sadness and pity because of the breakup" of the last record, so a more upbeat, celebratory sound certainly fits.

Here's the thing though: seeing as Mylo Xyloto was Coldplay's other big "pop" album, it's inevitable the two are going to be compared, and this album does not match that one. It just doesn't have the same powerful, operatic explosion of color and beauty that was Mylo Xyloto. Those themes are still there, they're just not as strong, as the production is a lot more washed out, reverb-heavy and sleepy, even on the quote party tracks like Hymn For The Weekend. It's not bad, but it doesn't really do the themes of the album justice. There are moments of that colorful bombast that do occasionally shine through, like the excellent opening title track and "the single" Adventure Of A Lifetime, but for the most part, this album just doesn't match the pure joy and wonder of Mylo. If anything, I think Mylo makes a way better contrasting companion piece to Ghost Stories.

That being said, I do think this album at least sounds nice. Not as uplifting and colorful as I would've liked, but it still has a very nice, happy vibe to it. It's just more of a content, sentimental kind of happiness than celebratory or wonderful, and I do kind of like that angle. The best example of this is the track "Fun", featuring incredibly talented pop singer Tove Lo. Fun is one of my favorite tracks on the album, perfectly capturing the feeling of reminiscing on a past period of your life, feeling that wave of nostalgia and just thinking, "man, wasn't that great?". Chris and Tove play off of each other excellently, and the aforementioned washed-out production actually really works for this sort of track. It's one of the biggest highlights, no question.

But unfortunately, this album does have the exact opposite of a highlight in it. I've ling said Coldplay have never put out a legitimately bad song. A few weaker tracks here and there, but nothing outright awful. Well, I'm said to say that streak has been broken. Broken by the bewildering bundle of bad that is the hidden track X Marks The Spot. I think this is Coldplay's attempt at a Chris Brown-style hip-hip R&B type thing and it's kind of completely awful. Seriously, I know Coldplay, and the Coldplay I know is above that.

Thankfully, they prove that they actually are above that on the very next track, the absolutely gorgeous, wonderful track Amazing Day. This was the first track revealed from the album, and oh what a glorious first taste it was. Amazing Day is flat-out beautiful. Shimmering guitars, ethereal, soaring production, a song about looking out upon the beauty of nature and the world, it's a truly stellar track. I really would've liked if the album has a few more tracks like this.

And of course there's the best song on the album, the closer Up & Up. If this is indeed Coldplay's last album, Up & Up is the best note they could possibly go out on. A song about optimism and facing your challenges, about how maybe we face struggles, maybe everything's not perfect, but we're gonna get it together, and we're gonna keep moving. The two guitar solos, one of which provided by famed Oasis guitarist Noel Gallagher, are the best parts of the song and close the track out beautifully. It really does feel like a grand finale, a final bow, and while I do hope that this isn't Coldplay's last album, if it truly is, Up & Up might be their perfect final bow.

So in the end, does A Head Full Of Dreams stack up with Coldplay's other works? Well, yes and no. Yes, there are some absolutely stellar standout moments, but as a whole product, A Head Full Of Dreams doesn't really stand out to me as the rest of Coldplay's work. There are quite a few kind of forgettable tracks, and of course that one awful track, but I'd say the good moments are more than worth checking out this thing for.

And if this is the end for Coldplay, we can at least say they've left behind an incredible discography and will no doubt go down as one of the greats.

BEST SONGS: Up & Up, Amazing Day, A Head Full Of Dreams, Fun feat. Tove Lo, Everglow, Color Spectrum

WORST SONG: X Marks The Spot

Final Score:

8.5/10

CHVRCHES: "Every Open Eye" Album Review

https://open.spotify.com/album/6qRpXui3PWubskblkUNUls

"Pop music is anti-intelligent."

"Pop music takes no talent to make."

"Pop music is the worst genre and has fully killed the art of music."

These are all statements I've heard around the internet in one form or another. Now, I'm not going to say that there doesn't exist an abundance of stupid, obnoxious, or outright offensively horrible pop music, because there certainly does.

However, I'm not one to discredit an entire, massive genre just because of its shortcomings, abundant as they may be. I'm under the belief that any kind of music can be good, and this includes pop. Yes, it's usually very simplistic and mostly electronically-driven, meaning classic rock snobs and "90's kids" scream in horror at the though of it, but that doesn't mean there aren't any pop artists out there making legitimately fantastic stuff, and CHVRCHES is probably the best example out there.

Their 2013 release The Bones Of What You Believe was an excellent blast of synth pop, with Lauren Mayberry's gorgeous vocals and the excellent synth work that made the album feel very atmospheric, is was a perfect display of what the group was capable of.

And here, they've taken what made TBOWYB so good and amplified to eleven. Every Open Eye may be the best pop album that's come out in a long time.

The first and biggest thing of note: this album is beautiful. Like, utterly gorgeous. Not just from a musical standpoint, although the musicality on display is easily one of the best things about the album and we'll get to it, but also just on aesthetic and themes. Look at the album art, the videos they've released for the singles, the songwriting, this shows the band building on the absolutely breathtaking soundscape and pushing it further with some stunning imagery.

The music, of course, matches that beauty brilliantly. The synth work on this album is much cleaner and brighter than on Bones, and it works wonders for this album. The vocal samples, the blurry chip tune sounds, the grand, soaring choruses and drops on tracks like Clearest Blue and Keep You On My Side give the album a heavy atmosphere, one that just bleeds optimism and wonder. It's a pure experience, and Lauren's vocals are just the cherry on the top, her voice just soars all throughout this record.

I think the best example of all of this comes in the lead off single Leave A Trace, possibly the best song on the album. It's one of the slower tracks on the record, but it absolutely works in its favor. It's a bit hard to describe just what a pretty, almost ethereal experience it is listening to this song, but it's possibly one of the best things the band has ever done.

There are, of course, points where the album switches things up. Most notably, the male vocals on the track High Enough To Carry You Over, performed by the band's own Martin Doherty, who holds his own excellently, and the slower, more somber closer Afterglow, which is not one of my favorites on the album, but it closes the record on a nice change of pace.

If you're a fan of music that sets up a great atmosphere, makes you feel good, or just quality music in general, Every Open Eye is an album I cannot recommend enough. Seriously, CHVRCHES have outdone themselves on this one, and it's certainly one of the best releases of this year.

Take my word. It's a good one.

BEST SONGS: Leave A Trace, Clearest Blue, Playing Dead, Make Them Gold, High Enough To Carry You Over

WORST SONGS: Bury It, Empty Threat

Final Score:

9/10

TesseracT: "Polaris" Album Review

https://open.spotify.com/album/1PCD14Vo3hiTbz0l5580Gi

You know, I gotta say, as a fan of progressive metal, 2015 has been one hell of a year.

Seriously, not only have there been some absolutely excellent releases from the likes of Between The Buried And Me, Periphery, Widek, Shattered Skies, Plini, and more, but with upcoming records from Skyharbor, Uneven Structure, Scale The Summit, 2015 has been a prog-head's dream. If this keeps up, I'm kind of afraid my Best Albums of the Year list is gonna consist of almost entirely this genre. I mean, I love me some prog metal and all, but geez, give the other genres and artists some room to breathe, will ya?

And as the proverbial whipped cream on top of the milkshake, we have a new release from Tesseract, one of the leading bands in the scene and one any fan of djent-infused, bass-heavy, atmospheric progressive metal should definitely be familiar with. Especially with their masterful 2013 release Altered State, a must-listen album in my opinion and easily one of the best albums of that year, hell, maybe even of this whole decade.

So when the news came we were getting a new release from these guys, needless to say, I was excited.

I'm happy to say those expectations were met. TesseracT have delivered another masterful work here on Polaris. 

The album begins on a slow, foreboding buildup before exploding into the first track Dystopia, which sets the tone for the record perfectly. The chugging lead guitar and bass work harmonize together beautifully, and Daniel Tomkins' vocals, whispery, reverberating, yet urgent and powerful, show Tesseract's knack for complex, layers, and atmospheric bliss in terms of the technical musical standpoint, and the rest of the album lives up. All the arrangements, progressions, and pure instrumental talent and complexity shown on this record is impressive, as well as being absolute heaven on the ears. When this album slows down, it reaches a state of sounding hypnotic, almost trancelike, as every instrumental flourish, every note is strewn together beautifully. Not a single bit of musical space is wasted, and it forms a beautiful and massive landscape of sound.

Most tracks on this record don't flow into each other like they do on Altered State, as well as lacking the multi-act story structure, yet it still manages to feel as cohesive and large in scope as the band's previous releases.

Every song adds a new flavor to this album's sound and scale. From the soft guitars opening up the track Torniquent, to the heavy, dark tone set in the ethereal opening of Cages, before that soft, gentle guitar leads into the track proper in the most beautiful way possible, this album proves to be one of the band's most diverse releases to date.

Some moments on this album are outright breathtaking, and there is no better example of this than the closing track Seven Names. Seven Names may very well be one of the best songs released this year. It's intense, dark, emotional, and passionate in all the right ways. Tesseract has always been very abstract in their songwriting, but Seven Names feels much more personal and intimate, and the soaring instrumentation and Tompkins' screaming leads to the song feeling epic and grand, almost apocalyptic, and serves as a perfect closer to this album.

All in all, if you're a fan of Tesseract or this kind of music at all, Polaris is a must, another great release from a great band. If you're new to this band, well, I'd probably recommend Altered State above anything (seriously, that album is fucking great, go listen to it now if you haven't), but Polaris is definitely worth your time as well.

BEST SONGS: Seven Names, Torniquent, Cages, Messenger, Survival

WORST SONG: N/A

Final Score:

9/10

Bring Me The Horizon: "That's The Spirit" Album Review

https://open.spotify.com/album/7FqHuAvmREiIwVXVpZ9ooP

It's time to tackle one of the big ones.

Concept albums can be a difficult tightrope to walk, especially when dealing with heavier and more sensitive material. When done well, they can go down as magnificent pieces of art, really touching or powerful records that can resonate closely with lots of people. But when done wrong, be it through poor execution or complete misunderstanding or even blatant disrespect of the subject, they can turn out pretty damn horrid, even insulting. It's tricky to do a heavy subject well, and it takes either some real balls or a real personal and well-informed understanding of the subject material to try to pull it off.

Case in point? That's The Spirit, the 5th major release by British metal outfit Bring Me The Horizon, an album telling a story of dealing with depression, self-harm, and even suicidal thoughts. Yeah, that's some heavy shit, and this record does not shy away from getting pretty deep into that swirling, dark feeling of hopelessness and hatred.

But before we delve into the psychological insanity and darkness that is this album, let's talk about Bring Me The Horizon for a bit.

A deathore-turned-hard rock outfit from Sheffield, England, and that's gathered up a fair bit of controversy over the years for their drastic shift in style.

From the head-splitting deathcore of Count Your Blessings and Suicide Season to the more light, melodic sound of 2013's Sempiternal, their drastic shift from throat-shattering screaming and gory, messy instrumentation to a more nu-metal and electronic rock influenced radio metal sound, a lot of fans were turned off by the quote-unquote "selling out" the band was doing (and this is just a personal peeve of mine, people, please only use the term "selling out" if you know what it fucking means.).

Where do I stand on it?

Well, I did briefly mention my affinity with this band in my Bullet For My Valentine review, but I'm a huge fan, both of the old and the new. In fact, if I'm gonna be a bit controversial here, I kind of prefer their later stuff. Yeah, the scream-heavy deathcore of Suicide Season and especially the extensively-titled There Is A Hell, Believe Me I've Seen It, There Is A Heaven, Let's Keep It A Secret did certainly have its appeal, it kinda started to get old after a while and the more accessible and melodic sound of Sempiternal was a big breath of fresh air.

And while that sound does mostly carry over from Sempiternal here onto this record, I'd say they improved upon it even more, keeping the eclectic blend of electronica-tinged hard rock and screaming metalcore with a dash of radio-friendliness, but they also vary it up a fair bit here on this album, each track having a different sound than the last, instrumentation that weaves in and out from anthemic screaming and explosive energy to bleak, never-ending sadness back and forth seamlessly, perfectly in tune with the emotional weight of the storytelling, making this a record that truly sounds like a descent into depression just as it tells the story of one.

By adding in touched of violin, piano, and even a harp onto the heavy blast of the metal instrumentation or even over the more somber and dark tracks, this record achieves a massive, almost symphonic sound that makes this descent into darkness feel all the more apocalyptic and hit with all the more potency.

Speaking of which, let's finally dive into the individual tracks on this album, as well as the lyrics and themes and see what makes this descent into hatred and madness so incredible.

Kicking off on the softer track Doomed, the album just begins on that note of hopelessness. The minimalist instrumentation and wispy falsetto of frontman Oliver Sykes set up the atmosphere perfectly, and the songwriting pulls that feeling through perfectly, with lines such as:

You must have made some kind of mistake

I asked for death, but instead, I'm awake

Followed up directly by the chorus, where Sykes just screams:

The sun won't shine here, it never did

And when it rains, it fucking pours

But I think that I like it

And you know that I'm in love with the pain

Implying this sick, twisted fascination and enjoyment the narrator somehow extracts from this hopeless depression adds and extra layer of twisted darkness and insanity to the storytelling, and this is a theme that permeates the entirety of the album, making the story this album tells all the more morbidly fascinating.

Through the following two tracks, the singles Happy Song and Throne, the album continues its theme in trying to find beauty in the sickness, Happy Song being about trying to escape from the depression through music and escapism, and Throne being about rising from the ashes, and for the record both are musically two of my favorites on the album (the bridge to Happy Song is one of my favorite moments in music in 2015 so far, period, and the synth work and massive anthemic chorus of Throne are just downright incredible), before the song True Friends comes in, a song that starts to portray this depression, this sadness and destructiveness as some sort of character that's (metaphorically of course) stabbed the narrator one too many times, but despite the desperate attempt to shake it off, it won't go away. It never goes away.

I wasn't too big on this particular track at first, but hearing it in the context of the record made it make so much more sense and it quickly became one of my favorites, especially being probably the most heavy and metal-centric song on the album.

And from True Friends we go into the track What You Need, a song of the narrator confronting himself on his issues, through a heartbreaking and powerful display of Oli just screaming at himself to stop this, yet deep down, he knows he can't, he just feels he wants it even though he knows he;s killing himself, making this lyrically one of the most potent tracks on the album. This is also true of Avalanche, the point where it finally takes a toll on him and he loses it. It's a very striking track, both in the instrumentation, and in the way the lyrics just perfectly display the narrator's state of hopelessness and sadness.

I never stood a chance.

My heart is frozen over.

And in the track Run, that theme continues, showing him trying to run away, escape this hell he's put himself in before the leadoff single Drown shows him finally breaking down and begging, screaming for help, screaming for an escape, even though he knows he can't get there. That is why, in the context of the album, Drown proves to be one of the most striking tracks on the record.

As a final track, Oh No serves as a perfect closer to this story, a very minimal song showing just how empty and hollow the struggle with his inner demons has left him and, honestly, this bitter, bleak ending serves the perfectly potent finish to this emotional wildride of an album, leaving it on a somber and saddening final note.

In short, That's The Spirit is an instrumentally diverse, lyrically potent masterpiece of musical storytelling and emotional power, detailing a struggle with mental issues and depression, and doing so in a way that lets us see into the mind and life of our protagonist and take that wild descent along with him, whether we want to or not, because it's not like he has a choice either.

The problem with a lot of modern rock albums is they tend to have a section of filler or tracks that just don't stand out, which can really distract from the experience of listening to the full album. That's The Spirit does not have this problem. Every track adds something different and something only improves the record's musicality and storyline while running at the perfect length. It's an album better listened to as a whole.

As a brilliant and emotionally intense concept piece and possibly the best rock album of the year, as well as the band's magnum opus, That's The Spirit is a harrowing listen, attempting to make light of the demons that haunt them but, in the end, shows the pain in its most potent and true form.

Classic Bring Me The Horizon fans may be somewhat disappointed in terms of the lighter sound, but anyone looking for a fascinating and hard-hitting record that diversifies its style and delivers an incredible narrative will not be disappointed. That's The Spirit may very well go down as a modern rock classic.

BEST SONGS: Happy Song, Avalanche, Throne, True Friends, Oh No, What You Need, Drown, Run, Doomed

WORST SONG: N/A

Final Score:

9.5/10

The Weeknd: "Beauty Behind The Madness" Album Review

https://open.spotify.com/album/28ZKQMoNBB0etKXZ97G2SN

So, as you all know, I'm a pretty avid follower of the pop charts, and as such I always try to predict future trends. Genres, trends, and artists I think are likely to get big.

A good majority of the time I'm not really too good at it (seriously, I swear Fetty Wap had one-hit wonder written right across his face), but when I hit the nail on the head, it can be super fucking satisfying.

Case in point? The Weeknd, a Canadian R&B singer with a knack for darker, moodier production and reckless hedonism, yet with the self-awareness and utilization of tone and atmosphere to pull it off and pull it off well, as showcased in his first collection of mixtapes "Trilogy", a compilation of three independently-released mixtapes the captured The Weeknd's skill of making seductive, shadowy R&B jams excellently.

However, he didn't come close to mainstream success until a little song called Love Me Harder, a collaboration with Ariana Grande and hands-down the best thing Ariana has ever done, thanks in part (among many other great things) to The Weeknd's presence, providing the perfect contrast to Ariana's performance and meshing with her lyrics and vocals excellently.

These displays of talent, including his smash Top 40 hits Can't Feel My Face, which I already talked about in my first Billboard Top 10 Review earlier this month (SHAMELESS PLUG), and of course his excellent, excellent, excellent track The Hills, which is actually burning up the Top 10 right now, and rightfully so.

Those three tracks may not have been as atmospheric or ethereal as anything on Trilogy, which was probably that compilation's strong point, but he stilled shows his colors as a great R&B singer who could do sleazy R&B jams right, something I don't think anyone else in the Top 40 is doing (lookin' at you, Chris Brown).

And I think, at least for the most part, all that greatness does carry over to this record.

The thing about The Weeknd's lyrics is that they're generally sleazy, dirty, sexual, but they never felt vapid or like generic sex jams. Instead, The Weeknd often opts to tell more of a story with his lyrics, presenting this sleazy pick-up artist and substance abuser as a character, and more often than not frames him as more of the "bad guy" than anything. That alone puts The Weeknd over artists like Chris Brown and Lil Wayne, as he brings a very strong sense of storytelling that makes his music much more intriguing, or rather, actually intriguing at all.

That type of songwriting is very prevalent throughout this record, making Beauty Behind The Madness feel almost like a concept album, and a pretty good one at that.

While the production never quite matches the same mood and atmosphere as something like Trilogy, although they do come close on some tracks (Tell Your Friends, the 6-minute closer Angel, and Dark Times with Ed Sheeran, who I'll get to in a bit, are great examples.) it still sets the mood of this record incredibly well, lacing the dark production with classier touches of piano and violin (specifically on tracks such as Earned It) that give the sleaziness an almost classy vibe to it, which just strings the album together perfectly, especially with the Weeknd's performances. There are even times when this record brings in touches of rock instrumentation. Like the guitar solo (yes, a guitar solo) on the track Shameless, that was an incredibly pleasant surprise.

Of course, this being technically a pop record there are a few more upbeat dance tracks, most specifically the pretty good song and radio juggernaut Can't Feel My Face, which is a pretty good song despite not being one of my favorites on this album, as a song that actually is one of my favorites on this album, In The Night, which just captures that groove and fun while still remaining as seductive and sexy as ever, I'd argue much better than Can't Feel My Face, one of the best on this album.

I'll admit The Weeknd isn't quite always on-point throughout this record, there are points where his high-pitched crooning clashed with the production pretty badly, and he does sound a bit checked out on a few of these tracks (such as the aforementioned Earned It), but when he brings it on this record, man, does he bring it.

The Hills is a brilliant example of this. He just shifts from low-key and somber to screeching and eerie just as the production was in a grand blend of creeping, seductive, and massive, helped along by the booming bass, the dark piano-tinged bridge, and what sounds like a sample of something that sounds like the Lavender Town theme running through the background, and the man just keeps up with it perfectly. God damn it, The Hills is a good song.

Of course, there are many other excellent cuts from this album. Three collaborators come onto this album, and Ed Sheeran just steals the show from the other two on the track Dark Times, another example of The Weeknd matching perfectly with his collaborator. The two play off each other blissfully in front of the excellent atmosphere set by the production. The other major star collaborator on this album, Lana Del Rey on the penultimate track Prisoner, may not match Sheeran's excellent performance, but that's not to discount her either. She provides a hauntingly beautiful addition to this track, making this one of her best performances to date. Seriously, Sheeran and Rey were perfect fits for this kind of album and especially for their respective tracks.

I have to say I'm not too big on the track Losers. Labyrinth gives a very awkward performance and sound-wise it just feels so... unfitting with the rest of the album. I mean, it's only the second track, but.. it's still a pretty big throw-off.

But I think where this album really shines is in its storyline. Loosely tying together a story of a man addicted to drugs, alcohol, and sex, trying to come out of this place but in the end ends up right where he started, providing a certain sense of bleakness to this record that really helps prompt it up. It's certainly a cohesive record, and one with a very good storyline and a few standout tracks that are just god damn incredible.

One the whole, it's not quite a masterpiece, but it's certainly a massive highlight in releases in popular mainstream music this year, and if you're on the lookout for a sexy, dark, and incredibly well-put together R&B record, this is one I must recommend.

BEST SONGS: The Hills, Dark Times feat. Ed Sheeran, In The Night, Prisoner feat. Lana Del Rey, Tell Your Friends, Shameless

WORST SONG: Losers feat. Labrinth

Final Score:

8.5/10

Bullet For My Valentine: "Venom" Album Review

https://open.spotify.com/album/1YjxZhd158jSm2906JqzXF

Metalcore and its many subsidiaries are certainly polarizing genres, to say the least.

And I don't mean the general consensus when it comes to the genres under this label, I mean in terms of quality. Some metalcore bands line up with some of the best artists of the 21st Century, while others line up with some of the worst. For every fantastic group of artists like Bring Me The Horizon or Motionless In White, we've unfortunately had to deal with an absolutely atrocious act such as Atilla or Brokencyde.

Which brings me to arguably the biggest and greatest of the genre, Bullet For My Valentine, who first hit the scene in 2005 with their absolutely classic album The Poison, which has gone down as one of the staple metal records of the 2000's, and with excellent tracks like The End, Hit The Floor, and of course the certifiable classic Tears Don't Fall, one of my personal favorite songs of all time, it's pretty clear to see why.

And they followed it up with the incredibly solid duo of Scream Aim Fire in 2008 and Fever in 2010, which while not quite matching The Poison, were still fantastic metal records nonetheless, and produced quite their fair share of great songs.

But then came the album that nearly killed the band's reputation, 2013's massive misstep known as Temper Temper. A radio-friendly, mainstream hard rock album that the metalcore community completely shunned. Now, I personally didn't hate the album as much as others (I was more lukewarm towards it), but I completely understood the heavy fire it came under and personally, alongside the majority, consider it Bullet's weakest album by far.

So when Bullet announced a new album earlier this year and released the excellent, excellent, excellent leadoff single No Way Out, while simultaneously claiming it would be their heaviest release to date, I was stoked, with an excitement that only grew with each successive single.

You Want A Battle? (Here's A War), Army Of Noise, Worthless, all brilliant songs harkening back to Bullet's classic material while introducing a more traditional metal style with the heaviest guitars, drums, and screams of the band's career, and they were only previews of what the full album would hold.

So, when the album finally dropped, I was in full hype mode and came into it expecting one of the best albums of the year.

And is that what I got?

Well...

Venom by Bullet For My Valentine is a fantastic album and a massive improvement over the one that came prior, and it is filled with some amazing songs, and while on the whole it's not quite the utter masterpiece I came in expecting, it's still a fantastic metal record and an easy contender as one of the best albums of 2015.

That's not to say it doesn't have its flaws, so let's address those first.

I think my biggest problem with this album is the same problem that a lot of modern rock albums suffer from; there are many points where the album devolves into filler. It's not quite as filler-tastic as Temper Temper, but there are definitely several songs, specifically towards the middle and end of the album, that don't really stand out or grab my attention when compared to some of the other songs on the album. Tracks such as The Harder The Heart (The Harder It Breaks), Skin, and Playing God just seem less interesting and memorable than most of the album. None of these songs are really bad, just forgettable and, well, they do drag the album down a bit.

But that said, I don't really have any other major problems with this album.

Yes, aside from a few filler tracks that do distract just a little bit, there is almost not an element of this album I do not love. I'd dare say it's nearly if not completely on par with The Poison. Yeah, we're going there.

First and foremost, the general sound of this album. Matt Tuck said they were going for their heaviest and most powerful sound to date here on Venom, and by god, do they deliver. The guitars are heavy, fast-paced, and deliver some absolutely insane solos, specifically on tracks like Broken and Pariah, and the drumming is loud, pounding, and hard-hitting. And the vocals? I'm gonna say it: Matt's vocals are the best they've ever been on this album. They're aggressive, cathartic, loud, and powerful. In his singing, screaming, and growling throughout the record, he makes it all sound so incredibly easy, not like he's straining or stretching at all. His screaming alongside that of new bassist Jamie Mathias manages to be incredibly loud and sound absolutely righteously pissed-off without being ear-bleedingly obnoxious or whiny, which is a true sign of a good metalcore band.

For a good example of this, let's talk about the track Broken, one of the album's biggest highlights. It starts with some gut-punching drum work, and speedy guitar riffs from both Matt and guitarist Michael Paget, and proceeds to have some of the best instrumental work, screaming, and songwriting the band has pulled off in a long time.

This also shines through in the aforementioned singles, all of which were fantastic (seriously, great choice of singles here), and they make for some of the best stuff on this record. No Way Out (with the added atmosphere of the opening segue track simply titled V), Army Of Noise, Worthless, and You Want A Battle? (Here's A War) is just a four-piece face punch of pure heavy metal awesomeness, and serve as an amazing opener to the album.

The chanting opening and chorus of You Want A Battle? (Here's A War) is one of the most memorable parts of the album, and would make for an epic part of a live performance (seriously, just imagine a whole massive mosh pit chanting that opening in unison... god, that sounds amazing.).

This album also has moments of real emotion, points of hopelessness and betrayal (both of which are strong themes throughout all of BFMV's discography), where the songwriting really shines through. Hell Or High Water is a good example of this, as not only is it musically very different, but fits the rather bleak songwriting really well, really giving of the feeling of sinking and drowning, just as the lyrics portray a similar feeling (albeit more metaphorically). The emotion also shines through on the slower title track Venom, which has a much more subtle tone then the rest of the album, especially in the opening instrumentals.

I think it's safe to say No Way Out was the prefect first taste of this album. Aggressive, heavy, and an all-around heavy metal track. That's what Venom is: no-bullshit, heavy-as-fuck, loud, aggressive, angsty, and kick-ass heavy metal.

Whether you're a BFMV fanboy, looking to get into the band, or just a casual rock/metal fan, Venom is a fantastic album that is a must-listen for anyone who likes modern metal, and aside from a couple of rather unimpressive tracks, is definitely one of the best albums of the year thus far.

BEST SONGS: Broken, No Way Out, Army Of Noise, Hell Or High Water, You Want A Battle? (Here's A War), Pariah

WORST SONGS: The Harder The Heart (The Harder It Breaks), Skin

Final Score:

8/10

Saint Asonia: Self-titled Album Review

https://open.spotify.com/album/70PgbB3WDDwNW9NRi35C7N

Let's flash back a bit.

Late 2012. Post-grunge band Three Days Grace just had a nasty breakup with their now-former lead singer Adam Gontier. There was a lot of drama and shit, but there were two important things this led to.

The first was Three Days Grace gaining their new lead singer Matt Walst, which of course culminated in the album Human earlier this year, and I will stand by my unpopular opinion that that album was fantastic and one of the best of 2015 so far, as well as one of the band's best albums in years.

The other was the forming of the band we'll be talking about today, Saint Asonia, a supergroup formed by Gontier alongside other members of popular post-grunge and modern rock acts, such as Finger Eleven and Staind.

Now, when I first heard of this big collaborative project, I was really excited. Said excitement only grew upon hearing the first two singles from the album, Better Place and Blow Me Wide Open, two of the best songs on the album.

So, when the album dropped earlier this morning, I knew I had to check it out.

And it was absolutely worth it.

I think the first major standout point about this album is Adam Gontier himself. His vocal performance on this album is absolutely on-point, maybe his best performance since Three Days Grace's One-X days. He's rough and angry on the more heavy tracks like Dying Slowly and of course the aforementioned Better Place, but there are quite a few moments on this album where he show some really genuine emotion (we'll get to those later). He's a really talented and passionate rock vocalist and it really shows here on this album.

But a great vocalist needs some good music backing him, and the instrumentation on this album is fantastic.

The guitar work is fantastic. Throughout this album, the guitars are chugging, heavy, and powerful, fitting the mood of most of the songs perfectly. Mike Mushok of Staind really stands out in both his riffs and his solos, especially the latter as the guitar solos make for some of the best moments on the album. From the quick shredding in Fairy Tale to the great conclusion of Happy Tragedy (which is otherwise admittedly one of the weaker tracks on the album. Still good, but a bit generic) to the incredibly powerful one on the closing track Leaving Minnesota, the guitar work on this album is absolutely stellar.

That's to say nothing of the bass work, which is actually really prominent throughout this album and really helps shape the album's heavy sound, unlike a lot of albums where the bass guitar is just kind of in the background. Corey Lowrey of the band Eye Empire shows some real talent on the bass guitar, and really helps sort of shape the album into what it is, especially on tracks like the fantastic King Of Nothing, another one of the best songs on the album.

Let's talk about some of the individual tracks on this record. I already mentioned the two singles Better Place and Blow Me Wide Open, which are two of the most aggressive songs here on this album and two of the best. This is post-grunge at its absolute finest, the vocals and instruments just coming to make something heavy and aggressive. It's pretty awesome.

But just because this album is aggressive most of the time doesn't mean it doesn't have its more stripped-back and slow moments. Let's talk about the track Waste My Time, possibly the best song on the entire album. A slow, acoustic guitar-driven love ballad with some of Gontier's most effective songwriting to date. Another great example is Trying To Catch Up With The World, a very stripped-back song dealing with fear and regret in a really powerful way, especially with Gontier's performance as he sounds almost on the verge of tears in the verses.

The mix of angsty, aggressive rock and slow, emotionally-driven ballads strikes a perfect balance, making this record an emotional experience while still being a fantastically heavy rock record.

If you're like me and actually really like a lot of post-grunge and mainstream rock, I guarantee you are likely to love this album. This is one of the best debut albums of the year so far, as Saint Asonia proves to be a great team and an extremely promising new artist, and I'm highly anticipating even more from them in the future.

BEST SONGS: Waste My Time, Trying To Catch Up With The World, Better Place, Blow Me Wide Open, King Of Nothing, Let Me Live My Life, Fairy Tale, Leaving Minnesota (especially that guitar solo... DAMN.)

WORST SONGS: Happy Tragedy

Final Score:

8/10

Breaking Benjamin: "Dark Before Dawn" Album Review

https://open.spotify.com/album/09asAAZJ7rXedp9J8wqvBR

Breaking Benjamin is a band I adored from the second I started listening to them.

With their dark, almost gothic songwriting, heavy yet atmospheric sound, Benjamin Burnley's phenomenal vocals, and of course masterpieces like The Diary Of Jane, they proved to be possibly the greatest band to come from the post-grunge movement of the 2000's.

To be honest, because of their much darker feel in terms of sound and songwriting, I never really associated them much with the likes of Nickelback or Creed. They were much closer to bands like Evanescence and We Are The Fallen in my opinion. They were a band that I could see soundtracking a horror movie or game, especially with songs like So Cold.

Their unique blend of dark atmosphere, heavy instrumentation and vocals, and excellent songwriting all quickly launched Breaking Benjamin into being one of my all-time favorite bands.

It had been 5 years since Breaking Benjamin released the song Blow Me Away, the last thing they did before going on a half-decade-long hiatus.

In that time, the band has undergone a massive lineup change, with lead singer and frontman Benjamin Burnley being to only remaining original member.

But despite all that, I was still unbelievably excited to see Breaking Benjamin make a comeback when it was announced earlier this year, especially after hearing the fantastic lead single Failure, which especially pleasantly surprised me by actually making it onto the Billboard Hot 100. A hard rock/alt-metal song on the pop charts? Today, that's unheard of, and I was fucking overjoyed to see it there (even though it left the next week, but hey, what can you do). This album was clearly something big and it was going be amazing.

And was it worth the wait?

Well, yes... for the most part.

While Dark Before Dawn is nothing groundbreaking or massively different from the band's previous work, I still found it to be a fantastic record nonetheless and one absolutely worth checking out, especially for long-time fans.

Let's start with arguably the biggest deviation from previous records and the one that stood out to me the most: the shift in tone. Breaking Benjamin's music has often has a heavy atmosphere to it, more hopeless and dark, but the tone takes on a much larger scope, making the album have a much more epic and grand feel to it, exemplified through the heavy use of religious imagery, something Breaking Benjamin has always incorporated, but not quite to this extent.

And you know what? It really works.

An album with a grand scope and lots of mythological imagery and story-driven songwriting is always something I love, and Dark Before Dawn pulls it off really well, especially with some of the band's heaviest instrumentation to date, the guitars and drums in particular are so hard-hitting and have so much presence that it's hard not to just be totally into it the whole way through.

Another thing of note is the songwriting. Despite being drenched in grandiose religious epic storytelling, if you look through that, you'll find it's actually a very personal album for frontman Benjamin Burnley, speaking of his struggles in life especially after the band had its big falling-out back in 2010, going through struggles with his own emotion and how his legacy that he's left behind with his music could be finished forever, and that helps give the album a layer of real emotion and real power, especially on more somber songs like Hollow and Ashes Of Eden, two of the best songs on the album.

They were really smart when picking singles for this album, as the three they chose, Failure, Angels Fall, and Defeated, are three of the best songs on the album. In fact, Angels Fall just might be my favorite on the album overall, the excellent blend of synthesizers and electric and acoustic guitars and heavy drumming all blend together with what is possibly one of Benjamin Burnley's best vocal performances to date, it's just an absolute standout, fantastic work.

Defeated is another one I absolutely love, the heavy guitars and drums mixed with the brilliant songwriting about overcoming hardships and standing up to your problems, fantastic song and brilliantly misleading title.

If I do have one complaint, it's that some of the songs, especially near the middle of the album, did kind of seem recycled and, to be honest, filler. Breaking The Silence, Close To Heaven and Never Again in particular didn't really stick out to me, they really did nothing for me.

One track that really did do it for me was the aforementioned Ashes Of Eden, a 5-minute ballad that is unlike anything else I've ever heard Breaking Benjamin do. Clean vocals, light synth-driven production, very personal and intimate lyrics, and it's all fantastic. A heartbreaking and powerful song, one of the band's best songs to date period. In fact, I think Ashes Of Eden sums up all the great aspects of this album in general.

If you even remotely like Breaking Benjamin or any of their kin, you're pretty likely to love this album (I know I sure did). While not quite on the level of, say, 2006's Phobia (one of my favorite albums of all time), it's still a great record and, aside from a few filler tracks, and overall great experience musically.

BEST SONGS: Angels Fall, Ashes Of Eden, Hollow, Failure, Defeated, The Great Divide

WORST SONGS: Breaking The Silence, Closer To Heaven

Final Score:

8.5/10