19. Ethereal by Jivebomb - 7

-Are you interested in hearing a cute girl growl over hardcore punk music? Well Jivebomb delivers that! It's funny that there are ten songs on here but the entire album is only 15 minutes.

20. Bloom In Heaven by Invent Animate and Silent Planet - 9.9

-Who needs Secret Wars when you have team ups like this going on? Two of the best metal bands in the lands combine their forces for 3 of the most awesome songs I've heard not only this year, or decade, or century, but possibly ever! Yes, its only 3 songs, but the length is about the same as the last album I reviewed lol. Armageddon Eyes is an early contender for song of the year.

21. Shapeshifter by Memphis May Fire - 6

-Eh ... on the surface this probably isn't too different from their previous album (which I gave an 8.5 to and is probably my favorite from them.) But, at the same time, it reminds me more of what bands like The Ghost Inside and Wage War have been doing recently - chasing the crossover audience that has been attracted to the genre by Bad Omens and other girlcore bands. I can't blame them for that though, I'd probably want to make money too. And its certainly not bad music or anything, much like TGI and WW its just the metalcore genre stripped down to its most basic and easily accessible elements. I can listen to that and be happy about it. Just won't be making my aoty list.

22. Lonely People With Power by Deafheaven - 9.6

-Many people have called have called this a return to form for Deafheaven. I disagee. I call it the best record they've ever made. After years of experiment (successfully I might add), they have come back to perfect their very unique Blackglaze style (black metal + shoegaze.) Just beautiful uplifting ethereal music mixed with death screams and an assault of drumming. This albums fucks ... hard. "Doberman" is my favorite song.

23. Save Our Souls by Balance Breach* - 6.5

-More metal, but this time by a newish band from Finland. It doesn't really sound like viking metal though. Just like anything that's been produced in the genre over the last few years. So I can't give it too high of a grade or too low of one. It was fine. I probably wouldn't go out of my way to see them in concert but if they were opening for someone else or playing at a festival then I'd happily bang my head and throw some fisticuffs.

Have fallen behind with new releases and am going on vacation in a few days. So gonna try to bang out as many of these as I can in the next 2/3 days. And usually I write reviews after two listens but these will be after only one. Starting with....

24. Is by My Morning Jacket - 7.7

-MMJ are a (now) classic jam band whose live show will carry them on until the day they decide (or don't) to call it quits. However, can they still rock on their new albums and add some new spices to said live show? Yes! I wouldn't place any of these songs on an MMJ top ten songs list (maybe a Flava'd Fifty if I get a computer that works well enough) but they will all be welcome additions to the setlist.

25. The Cost of Compromise by Leave* - 6

-Debut full length album from a band who might be from germany or might be from several other places. It's hard to look up artists with names like Leave since that triggers so many different search results lol. Anyway, these fellas (I assume) are another group that went to the school of Bad Omens with their melodic hard rock (calling themselves post-hardcore but I dunno about that.) In fact, I can hear how these songs would sound like Bastille or Imagine Dragons if they were released ten years ago, but the synthesizers have been replaced by power chords. I suppose thats a good thing for music on the whole? This album was fine, nothing too special but a solid listed. I'd see them at a festival and will probably try their next album too.

26. Dreams on Toast by The Darkness - 6

-Yes, before anyone asks, they still do believe in a thing called love. Normally I'd assume a band wouldn't wanna constantly be referenced by their one hit wonder, but for Darkness I don't think they mind. They were always a throwback to hair metal and now they are a throwback to a throwback. Dude doesn't sing in all falsetto anymore, and who can blame him as I'm sure it kills his voice, but still can hit those notes every now and then.

27. BODIES by Thornhill - 7.3

-Australian metalcore here and honestly they might be the continent doing the best work in the genre. Like Nature, it seems to get to experiment more in the isolated setting and come up with something different. Thornhill seem like they are just chasing the sound, but then they flip it on you and do some more progressive stuff, reminding me just as much of Deftones as all the other hot bands in the metalcore scene right now.

28. The Place After This One by Underoath - 6.9

-It's still always a bit jarring to start a new Underoath album and go "wait is this the same band?" Even though they've been full on metalcore way longer than their iconic, but short spanning emo years. This record is fine, but if it was the first one I listened to I would have never guessed they produced such amazing stuff when certain people were in high school.

29. Nu Dehli by Bloodywood - 5.5

-Blooodywood could be the name of the genre too as these Indians (from India) blend metal with their own cultural music. It reminds me of how RRR has those bone crunching action scenes back to back with the two most badass fighters in the land tap dancing at a wedding. They even have Babymetal on a song in case you didn't get what they were going for. Unlike Babymetal (and the Hu for that matter), I get tired of their sound after a few songs and find it to be a bit much. However, much like Babymetal (and the Hu for that matter) they will be a gateway band for so many more new fans of metal and you gotta love that.

As much as I can turned out to be 7 .. which is pretty good, but there are a few I missed (apologies to Black Country New Road and Cane Hill, you shall have to wait.)

30. For Melancholy Brunettes (and sad woman) by Japanese Breakfast - 4.9

-So I'm hoping that maybe cramming so much music into a short space has impacted the grade here, because it would be a real bummer if such a promising altpop singer made such a boring album after seeming to crack the code with Jubilee back in ... 2021 (really? Fucking covid ruined time perception.) I'll give it another try sometime in the future and hopefully come to a different conclusion. Cause there's nothing near as fun on here as Be Sweet or Slide Tackle or even as interesting as her older, mellower songs like Road Head.


When I get back (well actually like several days later) Beach Bunny will be releasing her third full length album. Very excited!!!

Hearing these songs in the live show really unlocked them for me and now I love it lol. Won't do a regrade here, but it is now alot higher on my musicboard.

31. Tunnel Vision by Beach Bunny - 10

-Lily Trifilio and the boys continue their streak with their third 10/10 album. I love her so much if that wasn't clear. And she really just continues to improve as a vocalist and writer. This is an album that all pop girls wish they could make ... but they don't have to because they are hot lol. Beach Bunny may neve rise to superstardom, but at least we can count on them for 10 excellent songs every couple years.

32. Skeleta by Ghost - 6

-I probably write the same thing for every Ghost album review. If you like their style of 80s throwback hair metal this will be a good time for you, if not then skip as usual. I will say they went really heavy on the 80s throwback, and less heavy on the devil stuff which is nice and makes it an improvement over their last album. I doubt they'll ever top Prequelle though (the one with Rats and Dance Macabre.)

33. Who Will Look After The Dogs? by Pup - 7.7

-Another solid effort by this humorous punk band from Toronto. They must feel pretty good about releasing their album on the same night that the Leafs finally made it out of the first round. The song with Jeff Rosenstock was definitely a pleasant surprise as I usually don't care for him. Thought them touring together was a weird fit at first, now it makes a ton of sense and I might have to go see it.

34. The Darkest Place I've Ever Been To by Landmvrks - 8.8

-More metalcore but this time from France. Though I had guessed, by their flippant use of the french language in interlude raps, that they'd be from Quebec. Oh well, good to have more heavy shit coming out of continental Europe when its the white islanders (on both sides of the globe) that have been running the game lately. The title track and Sulfur were my favorites. Whole album is hype though. I wish I had been able to see them when they opened for Imminence a few months ago but arrived at the show late :-(.

Mumford & Sons - Rushmore: 8/10

Seems slower than their early albums but makes it feel like an album rather than chasing for their banjo/stomp clap hey type of hits, and lyrics are a good mix of sophisticated/emotional. The title track is one of their best and the screw you writer girlfriend song Caroline is pretty fun concept, their other single Malibu grew on me, and Blood on the Page is a solid emotional collab and the song after it bleeds nicely after it. I think their best album since their first two since I didn't listen to their 3rd and 4th ones that much.

35. A6 by Lights - 8

-Suprised that the reviews on this one were kinda meh as it feels like a major breath of fresh air for one of my favorite singers. She usually goes very synth heavy, peaking in 2017 with Skin & Earth album, but the last two were feeling a bit stale. Going more guitar heavy for an 80s style poprock sound (think Pixies) works damn well for her. Alive Again is my favorite song.

36. Joyride The Pale Horse by Heart Attack Man - 8.2

-These emo-punkers from CLEVELAND OHIO (wooooo) find themselves in a spot where they sound more confident than ever but are still writing songs called Imposter Syndrome. Right where I like it, in other words. And while the insecurities will never go away for emo dudes, they have good reasons to be confident. Cloud Nothings have semi-retired and MGK switched genres again (everyone hates him anyway), so right now one could say they are at the top of the Cleveland rock scene. They even played a post-game ice show at the Monsters earlier in the year! This is their best album to date and I hope its nothing but up for these fellas from now on.

Arcade Fire - Pink Elephant: 8.5/10

Pretty solid mix of throwback style songs in Pink Elephant and Stuck In My Head (and throwing in a Fleet Foxes type song in Ride or Die), doing the electronic type thing with Alien Nation (get it, alienation, whooaa it's the age of anxiety infinite content - a grower though) and I Love Her Shadow is a standout, while Circle of Trust needed one more awesome bridge or something to take it over the top. Year of the Snake never worked for me and is one of my least favorite Regine centrics, although is not a bad worst song compared to an album like Everything Now that had Chemistry on it. I think it feels a little better as an album than WE but is worse than Everything Now overall, they don't make bad albums though as even WE had some great songs.

Best songs: Stuck In My Head, I Love Her Shadow, Pink Elephant

Now Circle of Trust-Alien Nation is my favorite part of the album, also feel better about Year of the Snake after in album context.

37. Even In Arcadia by Sleep Token - 7.7

-So quality wise, this one is closer to their first 2 albums then 2023's breakout smash Take Me Back To Eden, but for the most part they lived up to the massive prerelease hype. The first couple songs are all great, though it gets a little dull in the back half. Usually I wouldn't complain that a 56 minute album was too short, but in this rare case I could have used one more song. Something like Vore from TMBTE, just a total rager to spice things up. It's interesting to hear them sing about how they are uncomfortable with fame considering their gimmick is to spread the word of Sleep as far and wide as possible. I highly doubt they ever thought they'd be selling out arena shows when they came up with that bit though lol.

Oh I guess I forgot about one I listened to last week:

38. Superheaven by Superheaven* - 7

-Very 90s, grunge and shoegazey. If you miss that sound and were wanting for a revival, this is the place to go.

39. Pink Elephant by Arcade Fire - 7

-Not their best, possibly their worst, it is kinda dull at points, I'd have to listen to WE and Everything Now again to determine that since I mostly just stick to the first four. But still, if your worst album is a 7/10 that comes over 20 years after your first album, at a time when your fanbase is capped at people who already like you (Win's extracurricular activities prevent any younger fans from getting on board), then I'd say your musical career has gone pretty damn well. Agree with Shack that Circle of Trust-Alien Nation is the best part of the album.