Sputnikmusic's Top 50 Albums of 2016

Sputnikmusic's Top 50 Albums of 2016

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50.

Alcest - Kodama
September 30, 2016
Critic Score
82
7 reviews

Kodama exhibits all the dreamy and engrossing qualities one can expect from Alcest, while progressing their complex sound magnificently.

49.

September 27, 2016
Critic Score
84
36 reviews

Atrocity Exhibition is the Danny Brown we know and love, but even though his attitude and perspective remain largely the same as it ever was, he’s made room for further growth and corruption.

48.

April 15, 2016
Critic Score
81
4 reviews

The band has made an immense and incredibly work of death metal with their sophomore album. It's a bold and winding masterwork of metal that shows how keenly aware the band is to every little facet of the genre.

47.

October 14, 2016
Critic Score
68
8 reviews

46.

June 17, 2016
Critic Score
83
16 reviews

45.

May 20, 2016
Critic Score
72
14 reviews

Dangerous Woman still feels unshakably safe. She appears to be in the right place creatively, but she just needs to take her own advice and break free.

43.

June 10, 2016
Critic Score
75
9 reviews

42.

May 6, 2016
Critic Score
80
27 reviews

It’s a vintage hip-hop sound, but it’s so many different shades of that vintage that it’s a record that is quintessentially 2016.

41.

September 30, 2016
Critic Score
70
8 reviews

40.

Chevelle - The North Corridor
July 8, 2016
Critic Score
81
2 reviews

It amazes me how Chevelle manage to maintain such a consistent output. They never sound boring, always tweaking the overall sound in small amounts, so that you’ll be constantly surprised. Dig it!

39.

February 12, 2016
Critic Score
82
6 reviews

Like all truly great artists, it seems that The Jezabels are not content to remain still – and with their third full length release, they’ve evolved into the best version of themselves that we’ve ever heard.

37.

Be'lakor - Vessels
June 24, 2016
Critic Score
80
4 reviews

Vessels is immediately attention-grabbing and, ultimately, an inspiring piece of music that is borderline genre-defining.

36.

June 17, 2016
Critic Score
85
30 reviews

For all its buzzing, sneering self-flagellation, Puberty 2 barrels head-first into contemporary rock’s inner circle. It’s an album both earthy and graceful, performing its own ballet routine in the dirt and the mud.

35.

September 30, 2016
Critic Score
71
20 reviews
She’s always had a knack for writing both flashy and tender pop melodies, but on her latest album she knocks each number clear out of the park. It’s a delightful smorgasbord of all things Regina, complete with the richest selection of music she’s ever offered up on a single album.

32.

September 30, 2016
Critic Score
87
48 reviews
One of the most important pieces of music you will hear this year.

31.

February 26, 2016
Critic Score
70
16 reviews

The strength of The Ridge isn’t really in how it evokes emotions, or even to showcase Neufeld’s maturing skills, though it accomplishes both. Moreso, it succeeds in how it makes an indeterminate landscape worth trekking.

30.

February 14, 2016
Critic Score
77
36 reviews

In its utter madness it somehow forms a coherent picture of Yeezy’s unhinged genius.

29.

September 30, 2016
Critic Score
69
8 reviews

It’s a befitting and worthwhile finale to one of the most incredible, memorable rides in the history of pop-punk.

28.

Saor - Guardians
November 11, 2016
Critic Score
90
1 review

26.

April 8, 2016
Critic Score
77
31 reviews

Some strange production choices and a few safe songwriting decisions may bring down the experience for some, but Gore is Deftones further pushing their sound in a more melodic and rewarding direction.

23.

Trophy Eyes - Chemical Miracle
October 14, 2016
Critic Score
86
1 review
From continuous instrumental surprises to brutally honest lyrics, Trophy Eye’s sophomore effort is much more than a solid return, it’s an unanticipated punch to the gut - one that will leave the listener reeling as it rightfully earns its spot among the genre’s most passionate and achingly honest albums.

22.

September 30, 2016
Critic Score
82
25 reviews

Despite controversial lyrics, unconventional song structures, and a lofty concept, Blood Bitch somehow fits like a defiant glove against all the odds.

19.

Dorisburg - Irrbloss
March 11, 2016
Critic Score
76
1 review

17.

May 27, 2016
Critic Score
77
16 reviews

The Dream is Over is everything the band’s debut was and more. It’s angrier, louder, and at times, it’s downright hilarious.

16.

Insomnium - Winter's Gate
September 23, 2016
Critic Score
76
5 reviews

15.

June 17, 2016
Critic Score
81
29 reviews

Far from the sort of thrown-together collaboration that is generally de rigueur, case/lang/veirs stands out because it remains an accurate representation of the sum of its parts, a catalog of what makes its three artists great.

14.

October 21, 2016
Critic Score
73
12 reviews

The dreamy sensation and emotional relevance of Futures is apparent here, and the catchier tracks (especially the designated singles) sound as natural as they ever have, at least since Chase This Light.

13.

April 15, 2016
Critic Score
82
26 reviews

Singing Saw is one of those albums that immediately captures your interest, but offers enough depth and hidden intricacies to make every subsequent listen just as rewarding.

12.

September 9, 2016
Critic Score
91
40 reviews

Skeleton Tree is meant to be a record for everyone, a naked, honest depiction of true grief in musical form ... This stands as possibly his greatest achievement, as much a sorrowful exploration as a loving sendoff only for his fans, but more importantly, for himself.

11.

September 16, 2016
Critic Score
83
15 reviews

9.

March 25, 2016
Critic Score
82
7 reviews

6.

Ulcerate - Shrines of Paralysis
October 28, 2016
Critic Score
83
5 reviews

A masterpiece of musicianship, composition and imagery, Shrines of Paralysis is Ulcerate as we’ve come to expect, while showing us another facet of them as artists and human beings.

4.

September 2, 2016
Critic Score
86
39 reviews

From the surreal, cloudy opening of ‘Intern’ to the wild and noisy guitars that close out ‘Sister,’ MY WOMAN feels like an authentic trip into Angel Olsen’s mind. It may not be perfect - and it’s certainly not all roses - but it’s real.

3.

May 8, 2016
Critic Score
87
49 reviews

A Moon Shaped Pool sees Thom Yorke gazing into his own reflection. It makes for one of Radiohead's most personal efforts, but also an elusive one. Yorke often loses himself to the point of losing others.

1.

January 8, 2016
Critic Score
86
45 reviews
In coming to see David Bowie the man finally portrayed by David Bowie the artist, he not only affirms our natural human hopes and fears, but realizes his own in his final hours. The artist lowers his mask and takes a bow. And the audience applauds.
Original Source: http://www.sputnikmusic.com/blog/2016/12/21/staffs-top-50-albums-of-2016-50-31/
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