I'm Back: 7.2/10
And Available For Bookings: 6.2/10
I'm Reasonably Priced: 6.3/10
And Need the Money: 5.5/10
Was in the process of preparing my year end lists and decided to revisit this relatively obscure neurofunk and tearout fusion track. Needless to say uh...definitely going to be keeping an eye on them next year.
I stepped out into the snow
Crunching underfoot blurring to static as nerves numbed
Beauty in the still death of winter
To resist-- to exist as a shout
Words uneeded, distractions unheeded
A clouded sunset glows the briefest orange
Fave tracks: N/A
Least fave track: N/A
The third album from melodic dubstep pioneer and veteran Seven Lions is one of the most surprising rebounds I've heard this year, with Jeff more or less confirming to the scene that he does indeed still have it in him to deliver with his solo output as well, showcasing a real willingness to actually try to make sprawling tracks that take as much time as they need to breathe, as well as a desire to experiment a bit such as with the title track or "Delusional". The record can still ... read more
One of the greatest things about the explosion of brostep tearout over the past few years is that it's been really rewarding to see which acts will push the genre further, every year having their own standout(s). While early on in the year it definitely seemed like this title would be defended yet again by JoeB and KAIFU, it seems that Nimda is here to enter the fray with some of the heaviest briddim tearout the scene has to offer, utlizing heavily degraded melodies and soundscapes, as ... read more
Only a few more albums on my to-listen queue after this one, then I'll be getting to lists.
Ophidian is a name I was not particularly familiar with prior to being directed towards this record, but after learning of the album which this is a spiritual successor to, I am now very intrigued, as this was just an absolute blast to go through. From start to finish, "Blackbox: Kasamann" is unrestrained Industrial hardcore and darkcore mastery. Despite clocking in at a hefty ... read more
Coming in stealth right at the end with the best EDM EP of the year is exactly the reason I wait till Christmas to finalize my year-end lists.
Au5's latest and third EP of 2025 sees the veteran producer taking the greatest step in reinventing his sound in nearly 10 years, simultaneously streamlining his sound design down to a science, and fully embracing colour bass aesthetics that feel fully his now, whilst losing none of the attention to detail that has made his work such a treat to ... read more
A solid compilation of the deep side of dnb and dubstep. The minimal soundscapes on these tracks can sometimes be to their detriment, but when they do hit they tend to draw me right in.
Fave tracks: Ronnie Elbow, Perception Disorder (Alix Perez Remix), Sparkles, Slither, Lost Connection, Wasp Nest, Crowd Control
Least fave track: Rigid Lord
![かめりあ [Camellia] - Chimera Dragons](https://cdn2.albumoftheyear.org/100x0/album/1425338-chimera-dragons_164036.jpg)
This album is let down by one simple fact: Camellia almost never mixes his songs properly, despite intentionally aiming for a Maximalist soundscape. It's part of the reason the last album of his I listened to, "Ashed Wings", left such a bad taste in my mouth. It's a shame too, because I can tell there were definitely some improvements made on this album over that one, since at least I can pick out clear melodies when listening to these tracks. Once you've heard Kobaryo ... read more
Heart Stab: 7.8/10
Inverted Memory: 7.9/10
close your eyes and dance: 7.6/10
Take My Time: 7.3/10
Guess I'm doing a sewerslvt discog dive next year.
Though the blown-out aesthetic of many veins of edm hardcore is often used by producers as a crutch, Cynthoni brings enough interesting ideas and solid fundamentals to the table to get my foot in the door with this project, and I felt she did enough to justify that messier soundscape here much of the time as well, giving the whole thing a more apocalyptic feel to it, which I quite enjoyed.
Fave tracks: The Fucking Apocalypse, ... read more
Idk I really liked it
subconscious w/Dank Frank: 7.6/10
think2much: 8.3/10
machine_age: 8.3/10
streeetched: 8.5/10
overindulged: 8.4/10
flow_wave: 8.2/10
One More Night: 6.2/10
Holding On: 6.5/10
Find Me: 7.7/10
Five PM: 7.1/10
Go There: 7.0/10
As I continue my year-end album round up, yet another quality record gets added to the list. Romain Garcia's debut album is a wonderful journey through prog-melodic fusions and just lifts the spirits of the listener wonderfully. This is the kind of music I suck at reviewing but will always give a shout-out and recommendation.
Fave tracks: Eureka, Next to You, Heya, Regarder la Nuit, Desire, Used To, Other World
Least fave track: Alone
Man, what a solid album. Kaskade's slick production, while not necessarily rocking the boat, still delivers a very enjoyable listening experience from start to finish, with only a few roadbumps towards the backend.
Fave tracks: heart worth breaking, where's my wedge, started over, imprint, touch, if only, obvious, i can't make you love me, fools
Least fave track: deep
Another excellent melodic and progressive house record. There's a cold comfort which permeates throughout this album that makes it absolute butter on the ears. Rezident has secured a spot on my radar with this one.
Fave tracks: Miracle, It's All On You, Only For A Moment, Feeling Fades, Moving In, Hold On, Shape Shift
Least fave track: Muse
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On Mount Eerie - A Crow Looked at Me
"@Seb_ never"
On Habstrakt - SURGE
"@Baylen Corner of My Eye (AGGRESSIVE PHONK REMIX)"
On Marszan's review of Charli xcx - Von dutch remix with skream and benga
"??????????????? This is the Excision (pre2011) type of dubstep, not the Skrillex type though???"
On Joy Division - Unknown Pleasures (40th Anniversary)
"@Eruption78 the rougher mixdown helped to sell the desolation for me, also helped with a lot of the grooves which felt a bit spare in those anniversary mixes."
On Joy Division - Unknown Pleasures (40th Anniversary)
"@Eruption78 i mean my intial rating was like a 7"
On OctoMarkus's review of Gammer - Sun Will Rise Again
"It was REVEALED on April Fools so i guess it gets a pass."
On SPAMTON G. SPAMTON's review of Borgore - Switzerland
"The fact this isn't even in the top 20 worst Borgore songs"
On From First to Last - Dear Diary, My Teen Angst Has a Body Count
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On From First to Last - Dear Diary, My Teen Angst Has a Body Count
"@voicelikehoney i don't hate all emo, some of the best albums I've ever heard are emo. Vocals are what tend to make or break this genre for me. I almost never go into a project expecting to hate it unless it's a project by an artist I follow regularly, And if I ever do I still hold onto the hope that I will still find something of value. Additionally, this was an album I happened to listen to on a stream. My opinion may have even changed on it at this point since it's been so long."
On 🪓lexa ☮️💖☯️🤝🇵🇸's review of Various Artists - Monstercat 007 - Solace
"Also i find it interesting you dislike Animal Instinct but like Breakdown, as I feel like our ratings are probably switched. Idk i think Animal Instinct has one of the most fun drumlines and melodies of any SW track from that era, while Breakdown is a limp, misguided headscratcher of a track for me, and it makes complete sense why the VIP would go on to completely overshadow it later."
On 🪓lexa ☮️💖☯️🤝🇵🇸's review of Various Artists - Monstercat 007 - Solace
"Ampersand actually wasn't on the original comp, instead it was pulled from the edm spotlight collaborative comp which came out the following year to fill in for the track House by OVERWERK, after he pulled that track from the label, you can still hear it on the album mix though. I will say that House is one of the better tracks on this comp as it was originally intended, though pretty aggressively 2012"
On かめりあ [Camellia] - Chimera Dragons
"@svse idk, I feel like music by KAIFU and JoeB (even Figure a few years back) manages to outdo Camellia in terms of intensity for me, it's nowhere near as fast paced usually, but to me they're the ones pushing bass music to its breaking point the most in the current environment (In JoeB's case its more about his odd rhythms). And i would also make the case that, while maybe not as busy, Kobaryo often manages to match Camellia in terms of intensity. I've been meaning to get into Diabarha for a while now, but what I've heard of their music has also come pretty close, albeit less varied."
On Jerkcurb - Night Fishing On A Calm Lake
"@lickeroftables i don't want to hear that from someone who licks tables"
On lilyth's review of Skrillex - hit me where it hurts x
"My journey with listening to music more seriously really started with EDM as well, Approaching Nirvana, Tiesto, and Daft Punk when i was young, before I found Monstercat and followed them religiously from 2015 until about 2022 when I branched back into some of the older hits I just never heard on the radio in my youth before finding Björk and getting hooked onto listening through albums over comps and EPs. After a year of binging through fantano's top 200 LPs of the 2010s, I found new ways to appreciate the music I'd grown up with, as well as a whole new selection of genres to listen to to prevent my experience with that music from ever going stale or myself becoming jaded towards it."
On Skrillex - hit me where it hurts x
"@GabHugo Contra, last year. Sonny Moore from the very start in the 2000s"
On ROSALÍA - LUX
"@davipms Yves Tumor's contribution quite literally ruined the song for me, otherwise a perfect track"
On Danny Brown - Starburst
"@jamalama this is news to me"
On Pinball Gizzard's review of George Harrison - All Things Must Pass
"I will NOT accept this Ringo the 4th Slander !!!1!1 /s"
On H1DD3N_1N_TH3_ST4T1C's review of Ran-D - Zombie
"@UltimateLifeFrm with illenium and wooli like 2 years ago ye"
On Pendulum - Inertia
"@b0realis I'm starting a Panopticon discog dive soon, so I'll probably tackle it then."
On Distorted Vortex's review of Riot Ten - Threats
"There is a blatant production error in the first 20-30 seconds of the track, this is something not even Borgore has done with his deluge of terra-slop.
A bad mix is generally all it takes to tank a riddim track in the present time, a production error is straight up inexcusable when being released on a major label."
On Sleep Token - DYWTYLM
"@Elysian_Wave ??????????"
On Schizoid man's review of Skrillex - F*CK U SKRILLEX YOU THINK UR ANDY WARHOL BUT UR NOT!! <3
"Great review! Though I should add QFF actually featured quite a bit of dubstep on it, he didn't really abandon them!"
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