ALBUMS/EPS/SONGS OF 2019 - LOOKING FORWARD TO/BEST OF

GREAT

• Bring Me The Horizon - amo

VERY GOOD

• Mike Posner - A Real Good Kid

GOOD

• Papa Roach - Who Do You Trust?
• Avril Lavigne - Head Above Water

OK

BAD

ANTICIPATING / QUEUE

• Weezer - The Black Album
• Rival Sons - Feral Roots
• Kaiser Chiefs - LP7
• Slipknot - LP6
• Weezer - Teal Album
• Puddle Of Mudd - Welcome To Galvania

 

I haven't been good at keeping my list up to date this year but I came by to say that Lover by Taylor Swift is most likely my new AOTY. So much better than Reputation was and its way better than I expected it to be.

 

2019 Albums
Best (8+)
Within Temptation - Resist 9/10
Tool – Fear Inoculum 8,57/10
Cage The Elephant - Social Cues 8,53/10
Chelsea Wolfe – Birth of Violence 8,23/10
Billie Eilish – When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go? 8,15/10

Good (6,5-7,9)
Sigrid - Sucker Punch 7,8/10
Taylor Swift - Lover 7,27/10
BMTH – amo 6,5/10

Average (5,1-6,4)
Half Alive - Now, Not Yet 6,45/10
Slipknot - We Are Not Your Kind 6,4/10
Broods- Don't Feed The Pop Monster 6,16/10
Avril Lavigne – Head Above Water 6/10
Devin Townsend - Empath 6/10
Dream Theater – Distance Over Time - 5,88/10

Worst (0-5)

Still Have To Listen To/ Anticipated
Badflower – OK, I’m Sick
Foals – Everything Not Saved Will Be Lost Parts 1 and 2
Lacuna Coil – Black Anima
Lingua Ignota - Caligula
Jade Bird-Jade Bird
Keane – Cause and Effect
Of Monsters and Men – Fever Dream
Opeth – In Cauda Venenum
PUP- Morbid Stuff
The National – I Am Easy to Find
Tropical Fuck Storm - Braindrops (could possibly be interesting to check out judging by the reviews it's been getting)
Vampire Weekend – Father of the Bride

I was impressed by how good the new Chelsea Wolfe album since the singles really lowered the expectations, but this record actually managed to improve greatly on the deep cuts and is now one of the best albums of the year and I suppose not many things will beat it in the final list.

 

My 2019 picks:

• Sunn O))) - Life Metal
• Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross - Bird Box (Original Score)
• Bobby Krilic - Midsommar (Original Score)
• Merzbow - Noise Mass
• Ryuichi Sakamoto - Black Mirror: Smithereens (Original Series Soundtrack)
• Chihei Hatakeyama - Void XIX
• Fennesz - Agora

 

Albums of the Year 2019

The Great:​

1. Taylor Swift- Lover*
2. Billie Eilish- When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go?
3. Chelsea Cutler and Jeremy Zucker- Brent*
4. AJR- Neotheater*
5. The National- I Am Easy to Find*
6. James TW- Chapters* (possibly higher)
7. Ed Sheeran- No. 6* (possibly higher)
8. American Football- American Football*
9. Wage War- Pressure*
10. Lana Del Rey- Norman Rockwell*
11. Mariana’s Trench- Phantoms
12. While She Sleeps- So What?
13. Free Throw- What’s Past is Prologue | Down 1 Spot

The Good:
14. Cassadee Pope- Stages
15. Our Last Night- Let Light Overcome
16. Blackpink- Kill This Love*
17. The Head and the Heart- Living Mirage*
18. Greetings From.... Jake by Jake Owen
19. Catfish and the Bottlemen- The Balance
20. Local Natives- Violet Street
21. Thomas Rhett- Center Point Road*
22. Silversun Pickups- Widow’s Weed*
23. Carly Rae Jepsen- Dedication*
24. Clairo- Immunity*
25. Born of Osiris- The Simulation
26. Ariana Grande- Thank U, Next
27. The Japanese House- Good At Falling*
28. Too Close To Touch- I’m Hard To Love But So Are You*

The Okay:
29. Set It Off- Midnight*
30. Sum 41- Order in Decline*
31. Of Monsters and Men- Fever Dream*
32. Killswitch Engage- Atonement*
33. Bastille- Doom Days*
34. Crown the Empire- Sudden Sky*
35. BTS- Map of the Soul: Persona
36. Kayak Jones- You Swear It’s Getting Better Everyday
37. Simple Creatures- Strange Love
38. Toro Y Moi- Outer Space
39. P!nk- Hurts 2B Human
40. The Fever 333- Strength in Numbers
41. Pup- Morbid Stuff*
42. Cage the Elephant- Social Cues
43. Two Door Cinema Club- False Alarm*
44. Andersen Paak- Ventura
45. Broods- Don’t Feed the Pop Monster
46. Emarosa- Peach Club*
47. Avril Lavigne- Head Above Water
48. Khalid- Free Spirit
49. Schoolboy Q- Crash Talk*
50. Frenship- Vacation*
51. Dodie- Human EP

The Bad:
52. Marshmellow- Joytime III*
53. I Prevail- Trauma
54. Flume- Hi This Is Flume*
55. Suicide Boys x Travis Scott- Live Fast, Die Whenever*

Please Retire:
56. Bring Me The Horizon- Amo
57. Poppy- Choke*

Songs of the Year:
1. Taylor Swift- Cruel Summer*
2. Taylor Swift- Paper Rings*
3. Taylor Swift- I Think He Knows*
4. Taylor Swift- Soon You’ll Get Better*
5. Taylor Swift- Death By A Thousand Cuts*
6. Taylor Swift- Cornelia Street*
7. American Football ft. Hayley Williams- Uncomfortably Numb*
8. Babymetal- Elevator Girl*
9. Angels and Airwaves- Kiss and Tell*
10. Ed Sheeran ft. Khalid- Beautiful People*

Songs of the Year Playlist (includes all favorites from this year, not just top 10):
https://open.spotify.com/user/123591090/playlist/7asEizkxyIH0bBYSDE3jdv?si=TtervXwtSw-I_H7IL58xLQ

* and Bold= New

Anticipating/Still Need to Listen To:

• Aaron Lewis- State I'm In
• Alessia Cara- This Summer
• Anne-Marie- LP2
• Angels and Airwaves- LP6
• Danny Brown- U Know What I’m Saying?
• Ellie Goulding- LP4
• Halsey- LP3
• Korn- The Nothing
  
• The Lumineers- III
• M83- DSVII
• Mallrat- Driving Music
• Melanie Martinez- K-12
• Milky Chance- Mind the Moon
• One Republic- LP5
• Post Malone- Hollywood’s Bleeding
• Puddle of Mud- Welcome to Galvania
• Rihanna- LP9
• Sleeping With Sirens- How It Feels to Be Lost
• Starset- Divisions
  
• Tame Impala- LP4
• Zara Larsen- LP4

 

My 2019 picks:

• Sunn O))) - Life Metal
• Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross - Bird Box (Original Score)
• Bobby Krilic - Midsommar (Original Score)
• Merzbow - Noise Mass
• Ryuichi Sakamoto - Black Mirror: Smithereens (Original Series Soundtrack)
• Chihei Hatakeyama - Void XIX
• Fennesz - Agora
• Tyler, the Creator - IGOR

 

THE GREAT
Slipknot - We Are Not Your Kind
Rammstein - Rammstein
Tool - Fear Incolum
Zebrahead - Brain Invaders
Fiddlers Green - Heyday
Within Temptation - Resist

The Good
Rival Sons - Feral Roots
Bring Me The Horizon - amo
Mark Morton - Anesthetic
Montreal - Hier und heute nicht
Sum 41 - Order in Decline


The Okay
Papa Roach - Who Do You Trust?


The Disappointing


Anticipating

 

–Released–
8/10
Tool - Fear Inoculum – (Invincible, Pneuma)
Jinjer - Micro [EP] – (Teacher, Teacher!, Perennial)
Rodrigo y Gabriela - Mettavolution – (Terracentric, Cumbé)

7.5/10
Helms Alee - Nocticula – (Be Rad Tomorrow, Interachnid, Lay Waste Child)
Russian Circles - Blood Year – (Kohokia, Quartered)
Lisa Hannigan - Live in Dublin – (Barton, Fall)
Yvette Young - Piano [EP] – (Yearn, Jolt)

7/10
Hozier - Wasteland, Baby – (Wasteland, Baby!, Dinner & Diatribes)
Devin Townsend - Empath – (Genesis, Evermore)
Baroness - Gold & Grey – (Borderlines, Seasons)

–Upcomming–
Opeth - In Cauda Venenum [Sept 27th] (Dignity, Heart in Hand)
William DuVall - One Alone [Oct 4th] ('Til the Light Guides Me Home)
Jinjer - Macro [Oct 25th] (Judgement & Punishment)
Suns of the Tundra - Murmuration [Nov 15th]
Scale the Summit [?] (finished recording)
Apocalyptica [?] (finished recording)
Gojira [?]
Alien Weaponry [?]

 

My 2019 picks:

• Sunn O))) - Life Metal
• Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross - Bird Box (Original Score)
• Bobby Krilic - Midsommar (Original Score)
• Merzbow - Noise Mass
• Ryuichi Sakamoto - Black Mirror: Smithereens (Original Series Soundtrack)
• Chihei Hatakeyama - Void XIX
• Chihei Hatakeyama - Forgotten Hill
• Fennesz - Agora
• Tyler, the Creator - IGOR
• Tim Hecker - Anoyo
• M83 - DSVII

 

Best albums of 2019:

1. Bring Me the Horizon - amo: 8.9
2. Ariana Grande - thank u, next: 8.7
   
3. Rosie Lowe - YU: 8.7
4. Periphery - Periphery IV: Hail Stan: 8.3
   
5. Carly Rae Jepsen - Dedicated: 8.3
   
6. Elohim - Braindead Pt.2 (EP): 8.3
7. Starset - DIVISIONS: 8.3*
8. Slayyyter - Slayyyter (Mixtape): 8.2*
9. Badflower - OK, I'm Sick: 8.1
   
10. LAFAWNDAH - Ancestor Boy: 8.0
11. Bad Omens - Finding God Before God Finds Me: 7.9
12. Northlane - Alien: 7.7
13. Lucy Rose - No Words Left: 7.7
    
14. Yonaka - Don't Wait 'Til Tomorrow: 7.6
15. Tove Lo - Sunshine Kitty: 7.5*
16. Secret Band - LP2: 7.4
17. MNQN - Mnqn: 7.3
18. Melanie Martinez - K-12: 7.2*
19. Maggie Rogers - Heard It in a Past Life: 7.0
20. Lights - Skin&Earth Acoustic: 7.0
21. Too Close to Touch - I'm Hard To Love, But So Are You, Vol. 2 (EP): 7.0
22. Kim Petras - Clarity: 6.9
23. Awaken I Am - The Beauty in Tragedy (EP): 6.8
24. Broods - Don't Feed the Pop Monster: 6.7
25. machineheart - People Change: 6.7
26. Káryyn – The Quanta Series: 6.7
    
27. Too Close to Touch - I'm Hard to Love, But So Are You, Vol. 1 (EP): 6.6
28. Le Butcherettes - bi/MENTAL: 6.5
29. CAPTIVES - Ghost Like You (EP): 6.5
    
30. Spiritbox - Singles Collection (EP): 6.5
31. Flume - Hi This is Flume (Mixtape): 6.4
32. Sigrid - Sucker Punch: 6.3
33. Slipknot - We Are Not Your Kind: 6.3
34. LPX - Junk of the Heart (EP): 6.2
    
35. Lykke Li - Still Sad Still Sexy (EP): 6.2
36. Marina - Love + Fear: 5.9
37. Banks - III: 5.9
38. Anteros - When We Land: 5.9
39. Fever 333 - Strength In Numb333rs: 5.9
40. Charly Bliss - Young Enough: 5.8
41. Being As An Ocean - PROXY: An A.N.I.M.O Story: 5.7*
42. The Foxies - Battery (EP): 5.7
43. While She Sleeps - So What? 5.6
44. Blood Command - Return of the Arsonist (EP): 5.6
45. Shura - Forevher: 5.5*
46. Our Last Night - Let Light Overcome: 5.3
47. I Prevail - Trauma: 4.8
48. Vampire Weekend - Father of the Bride: 4.4
    
49. Drag Me Out - Pressure: 4.3
50. Billie Eilish - When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go? 4.0
51. Miley Cyrus - She Is Coming (EP): 4.0
52. Poppy - Choke (EP): 2.9
53. Lil Nas X - 7 (EP): 2.8
54. Attila - Villian: 2.1

Best songs of 2019:

• Carly Rae Jepsen - Julien
• Rosie Lowe - Birdsong
• Periphery - Satellites
• Rosie Lowe - Pharoah
• Periphery - Garden in the Bones
  
• Bring Me the Horizon - i don't know what to say
• Zara Larsson - Don't Worry Bout Me
• Rosie Lowe - Little Bird
  
• Northlane - Talking Heads
• Starset - PERFECT MACHINE

Full Playlist

Anticipating:

• Kim Petras - Turn Off the Light, Vol. 2 (EP) (October 1st)
• Sabrina Claudio - Truth Is (October 4th)
• Blue Hawaii - Open Reduction Internal Fixation (October 10th)
• Leprous - Pitfalls (October 25th)
• Vérité - New Skin (October 25th)
• PVRIS - Untitled EP (October 25th)
• Highly Suspect - MCID (November 1st)
• Anavae - 45 (November 1st)
• Elohim - Braindead Pt.2 (TBD)

Unconfirmed:
Purity Ring - LP3
Nothing But Thieves - LP3
MisterWives - LP3
Luna Shadows - LP1
HANA - LP1
Braids - LP4
Fickle Friends - LP2
Phantogram - LP4
Marmozets - LP3
Zara Larsson - LP2

* New

 

My 2019 picks:

• Sunn O))) - Life Metal
• Telefon Tel Aviv - Dreams are not Enough
• Hildur Guðnadóttir - Joker (Original Score)
  
• Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross - Bird Box (Original Score)
• Bobby Krilic - Midsommar (Original Score)
• Merzbow - Noise Mass
• Ryuichi Sakamoto - Black Mirror: Smithereens (Original Series Soundtrack)
• Chihei Hatakeyama - Void XIX
• Chihei Hatakeyama - Forgotten Hill
• Fennesz - Agora
• Tyler, the Creator - IGOR
• Tim Hecker - Anoyo
• M83 - DSVII

 

THE GREAT
Slipknot - We Are Not Your Kind
Rammstein - Rammstein
Tool - Fear Incolum
Zebrahead - Brain Invaders
Fiddlers Green - Heyday
Within Temptation - Resist

The Good
Bring Me The Horizon - amo
Mark Morton - Anesthetic
Montreal - Hier und heute nicht
Sum 41 - Order in Decline
Deichkind - Wer sagt denn das?


The Okay
Papa Roach - Who Do You Trust?
Rival Sons - Feral Roots


The Disappointing


Anticipating

 

My 2019 picks:

• Sunn O))) - Life Metal
• Telefon Tel Aviv - Dreams are not Enough
• Hildur Guðnadóttir - Joker (Original Score)
  
• Hildur Guðnadóttir - Chernobyl (Music from the Original TV Series)
• Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross - Bird Box (Original Score)
• Bobby Krilic - Midsommar (Original Score)
• Merzbow - Noise Mass
• Ryuichi Sakamoto - Black Mirror: Smithereens (Original Series Soundtrack)
• Chihei Hatakeyama - Void XIX
• Chihei Hatakeyama - Forgotten Hill
• Fennesz - Agora
• Tyler, the Creator - IGOR
• Tim Hecker - Anoyo
• M83 - DSVII
• Boris - LOVE & EVOL

 

Ryuichi Sakamoto - Black Mirror: Smithereens (Original Series Soundtrack)
Fennesz - Agora

Tbh, I listen to them for background music when I am depressed. It's like a meditative state.

DJ Seinfeld - Parallax EP

 

–Released–
8.5/10
Opeth - In Cauda Venenum -- (All Things Will Pass, Universal Truth)

8/10
Tool - Fear Inoculum – (Invincible, Pneuma)
Jinjer - Micro [EP] – (Teacher, Teacher!, Perennial)
Rodrigo y Gabriela - Mettavolution – (Terracentric, Cumbé)

7.5/10
Helms Alee - Nocticula – (Be Rad Tomorrow, Interachnid)
William DuVall - One Alone ('Til the Light Guides Me Home, The Veil of All My Fears)
Russian Circles - Blood Year – (Kohokia, Quartered)
Lisa Hannigan - Live in Dublin – (Barton, Fall)
Yvette Young - Piano [EP] – (Yearn, Jolt)

7/10
Hozier - Wasteland, Baby – (Wasteland, Baby!, Dinner & Diatribes)
Devin Townsend - Empath – (Genesis, Evermore)
Baroness - Gold & Grey – (Borderlines, Seasons)


–Upcoming–
Jinjer - Macro [Oct 25th] (On the Top, Judgement & Punishment)
Suns of the Tundra - Murmuration [Nov 15th]

--For 2020--
Apocalyptica - Cell-0 [10th January] (Ashes of the Modern World)
Scale the Summit [?] (finished recording)
Gojira [?]
Puscifer [?]
Opeth - [In Cauda Venenum B-Sides EP?]
Joe Satriani [?]

 

S-Tier
Cause And Effect - Keane (2019)
This was an album I fell in love with from the first track, did not expect one of my all time favourite bands who I got into around the same time I got into LP to make a return.

B-Tier
Amo - Bring Me The Horizon (2019)
Nihilist Blues, Medicine and Sugar Honey Ice Tea are some of the best tracks from this album for me. MANTRA's alright. The rest I wasn't too fond of personally.

Anticipating
PVRIS - Hallucinations (2019)
So far, both tracks released have been disappointing but maybe we'll still get some rock-y PVRIS flavour in this one?

Phantogram - [TBA]
On the flipside, Phantogram's output lately has been great. Into Happiness, Mister Impossible and In A Spiral are really good, mixing the atmosphere of Three with the darkness of Voices and Nightlife.