Doomedat

This album has some of the best singer songwriter material released in 2023, pleasant vocals and well crafted instrumentals. But what really caught my attention was the creative and memorable lyricism. At its best, the imagery in this album is near tactile, and incredibly distinct. Consistently Greg Mendez manages to hook you into the world and story of each song with his expert lyricism. And while you are there, soothingly wash over you with warm instrumentation and vocals.

The very Elliott ... read more

Does this album have the biggest crescendos? The most complex drumming or guitar work? Does it have the most emotional lyrics of the year? Nope.

So how is this my current 2023 AOTY above albums like Let’s Start Here, UGLY or even Fauna?

It’s because I love every single moment, every single riff and every single drone. Every second of this entire album is near perfect for me, with next to no flaws. The use of wind instruments (including sax) adds so much to the album and although ... read more

An incredibly entertaining prog journey, filled to the brim with satisfying and catchy riffs and melodies. The instrumentation takes risks and they almost always pay off (even if some moments I would have preferred slightly different) overall this album consistently blows me away with unexpected switch ups tying together incredible sections. The instrumentation is catchy, sometimes grand and triumphant sometimes a little bit dark and menacing. Overall this is easily my metal aoty right now! ... read more

Immaculate energy and feeling throughout, the album equivalent of going outside in nice sunny weather while blanketed with a refreshingly chill breeze. Nostalgic and pretty, nicely sold and creatively paced. The instrumentation here is great, always cleanly produced. The crescendos got me floating and the slower sections are at worst good. Subtly uses background noises and sounds (like flowing water or birds chirping) to add a TON to the world and feeling of the album. A lot of the releases so ... read more