Jon Hadusek

Senjutsu is more of a heavy head-nodder than a power-metal fistraiser. For those of us sitting at home, currently unable to witness an Iron Maiden concert, we can appreciate that.

Recorded pre-pandemic, the joy and enthusiasm of the reunion tour is captured here and the results are immensely entertaining. If you like thrash, then the Raging Wrath of the Easter Bunny Demo is mandatory listening.

Daemon is a definitive return to form for Mayhem.

Gore could be the Deftones’ best album, but you can earnestly say that about any album they’ve ever created and make a strong argument. If anything, it’s the most modern, and a statement that style and substance are not mutually exclusive.

Night Thoughts is a fine entry in their already strong discography.

Overall, Keenan comes off as inspired and reflective, which is encouraging considering his best work with Tool and APC provoked similar observations.

The sheer breadth of the album defies expectation, and though there is some pandering, the songs rarely compromise.

The album would fit snuggly next to Morrison, Otis Redding, and Bruce Springsteen LPs, though the strong vocal performances distinguish Rateliff from other retro-inspired folk rock acts.

They’re a pretension-free bunch, and except for some hokey concepts about the Reptilian Elite and our eventual demise at the hands of a corrupt world government, Luminiferous is yet another successfully badass entry in Pike’s canon.

Rented World is just so polished and clean — aesthetics that don’t suit The Menzingers’ brand of punk. Nothing unpredictable happens, and only Barnett’s lyrics stick around after the record stops spinning

While not the defining statement it could’ve been, My Name Is My Name shows different sides of Pusha T as he becomes a more multidimensional rapper.

Lorde’s clearly a gifted songwriter for her age, but don’t let the novelty affect your perception of Pure Heroine. It’s a very grown-up album despite its teenage topics, and if you give a damn about good pop songs, then you owe it a listen. 

Their music is suddenly sexier, no doubt a credit to Turner’s vision for AM, and continues to mature. 

Given all the distractions surrounding the record’s release, it’s shocking how well everything fits together. For a record 13 years in the making, 13 is worth the wait.

 …Like Clockwork is one of the year’s finer rock albums — an exercise in songwriting, production, and musicianship.

Every song here has its own mood, its own tonality — and the fact that it’s entirely self-produced gives it a cohesion that’s rare with lengthy rap records. Big K.R.I.T. is an unstoppable force right now. 

James Blake may lose some fans with the tamer, more sultry sounds of Overgrown. But he’s going to gain a lot more. Without the cut-and-paste dubstep, his music suddenly becomes quite radio friendly

The beats are so simple that they’re a nonfactor, and there aren’t very many funny lines — which was Wayne’s most redeeming quality in the past.

In a way, it’s the most honest collection of songs Anderson’s ever written. 

Although The Solution is too hung up on the past to be relevant in the present, it remains a competent throwback to hip-hop’s golden age, an era that both artists seem to be yearning for. That nostalgia pervades The Solution.