Best of 2026

Recently Rated

The Locust - Locust
The Locust
Locust
1997 • EP
81
Mar 16
The Locust - Plague Soundscapes
The Locust
Plague Soundscapes
2003 • LP
83
Mar 16
Kauan - Sorni Nai
Kauan
Sorni Nai
2015 • LP
80
Mar 16
Soil & Pimp Sessions - Pimpin'
Soil & Pimp Sessions
Pimpin'
2004 • LP
83
Mar 15

Recent Reviews

Between the Buried and Me - Colors
98

You wouldn't expect one of the most schizophrenic albums in prog metal to carry heavy emotional power with it. Then again, Between the Buried and Me has been bringing the unexpected since they gatecrashed the metalcore scene back in 2002. This is definitely an album you should listen to all in one sitting for at least your first few trips through it. Colors lacks some of the subtlety and finesse that BTBAM learned starting with The Great Misdirect, but it never finds itself lacking aspirations.

The Bad Plus - For All I Care
80

I really enjoy the covers of the more contemporary rock and pop songs here. Barracuda, Long Distance Runaround, and Feeling Yourself Disintegrate are all stellar energetic covers which elegantly and creatively adapt the source material to a jazz-quartet setting, but the weird spacy morphine-jazz of Comfortably Numb, Radio Cure, How Deep Is Your Love?, and Lock, Stock, and Teardrops is where The Bad Plus really shines through, straining the characteristics of jazz to their very limit. The modern ... read more

Anamanaguchi - Endless Fantasy
92

The rare case of an album where every song is good and it would benefit from cutting tracks out. There's really no reason for this to be 22 tracks when it could be 14 and under an hour. Personally, I'd have taken some of the more redundant tracks out (SPF 420, U n ME, Everything Explodes, etc.) and put them on a companion EP to keep the album from being overlong. That said, it's still a hell of a ride and a longtime favourite of mine.

Alestorm - Sunset on the Golden Age
83

The fact that this album has a cover of a Taio Cruz song right next to an 11 and a half minute folk metal epic and still somehow has a good flow baffles me, and that's just one of the many reasons why you shouldn't write Alestorm off as a pure novelty.

Side note, these guys kick ass live, definitely a band to see if you ever get the chance.

Airospace - Øscillation
55

This was a pretty big disappointment compared to 羽川 翼 [ hanekawa ]. Where that album was atmospheric and poetic, this one is more straightforward both instrumentally and vocally and is a lot more tuned to trap. Luna and A Mother's Lullaby standout as tracks that bring back the feel of Airospace's more emo-informed releases, while Sweater sticks out as a particularly pointless excursion into brag rap.

The production is still pretty great, thanks to the great beatwork from JAMES, but the ... read more

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Rating Distribution

10014
 
90 - 9971
 
80 - 89881
 
70 - 79729
 
60 - 69107
 
50 - 5940
 
40 - 4912
 
30 - 392
 
20 - 292
 
10 - 19
 
0 - 9
 
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April Playlist