I think I would've liked this more if Bilmuri's album hadn't come out a few weeks prior and blew it out of the water.

The fact that the best song on this EP is the one that she blatantly ripped off that other girl really speaks for itself here...

35 minutes of Brian Butcher doing hot guy shit. A+

AOTY Top 20 - #15 - HYPERVIOLENCE by Windwaker (Pop/Metalcore)

TL:DR An album that is as fun and sporadic as it is angry and metal, HYPERVIOLENCE manages to find a near-perfect balance between it's insanely catchy choruses, slammin' breakdowns, and electronic/hip-hop influences.

I won't lie, I felt pretty meh about this album on my first go, but dozens of listens later this has become one of my favorite albums to blast in my car and scream along to. There are just so many ... read more

I FEEL THE INEXPLICABLE URGE TO KICK SOMETHING

AOTY Top 20 - #5 - Girls Who Are Wizards by Vylet Pony (Dubstep/Glitch Hop/Progressive House)

DISCLAIMER: If this list was based off how much dopamine my brain makes when I listen to something, this would be the easiest #1 this year, and maybe of all time honestly.

TL:DR - Girls Who Are Wizards is the perfect homage to early 2010s dubstep and EDM, while also showing new heights to what those genres could be. It's lighthearted goofiness and colorful sound design not only fit the silly ... read more

I'm not the person I was 44 minutes ago.

An already really well done breakcore album that gets taken to another level by it's metalcore and darksynth influences. Very cool listen and one that I'm certain I'll be returning to just as I did with Elysium.

Syzy has been "up next" for like 3 years at this point and I really think this is going to take them over the edge. Incredibly creative and well done debut album.

ALL GAS indeed.

A perfect marriage between the skatepark and emo sides of pop-punk.

I'm sure this is going to only go up from here, but 86 feels like a fitting start. This album feels like getting wrapped up in a warm blanket, helplessly sitting in stasis while the world around you changes in a way you can't go back from, a feeling that is very befitting of the name "Let Me Be Your Womb".

I've been listening to Crywolf since his Ghosts EP back in 2013 when I was in high school and it has been an absolute pleasure listening to his sound mature over the past decade ... read more

AOTY Top 20 - #20

While it's not the flashiest album I'll be reviewing this year, it does something better than nearly everything I've heard this year: Matching your theme with your sound.

The title "The Learning of Urgency" describes the anxious feeling of being unsure you're doing the right things in life as you get older, making you feel like you're running out of time. Every track has a slow and calming instrumentation while this constant deep-house beat ... read more

AOTY Top 20 - #16 - NO HANDS by Joey Valence and Brae (hip-hop)

TL:DR - NO HANDS is two goofballs coming together to yell some of the corniest bars you've ever heard. That being said, their undeniable swag and tight production makes for one of the most fun listens of the year.

I'm not gonna sugarcoat it, I'm one of the whitest dudes ever when it comes to my taste in hip-hop, so it should be no surprise why JVB has had my attention from the very first song I heard by them. ... read more

This is CRAZY good. It's been a while since I've been this hooked by a dubstep/bass album on first listen, but I can already tell I'm gonna be running this one back over the next few weeks.

While this certainly isn't perfect, the concept of a deluxe album delivered in this way is super cool and something I hope other artists try out in the future!

Everything up to Nervous System is right at home and was pretty enjoyable as a long-time Bad Omens fan. Sadly, I was extremely disappointed that the two Thousand Below collabs were really just remixes and not covers. Except for the WEAREFURY remix, the remainder of the album left a sour taste in my mouth afterwards.

If I had a nickel for every time a new BMTH album pushed the metalcore genre forward through the addition of outside influences, I would have way more nickels than any one band should reasonably have.

For NeX GEn, the influences of Hyperpop are definitely what sets this apart from the rest, and it has made the band feel as fresh as ever. Songs like r.i.p. and p.u.s.s.-e having a heavy breakcore/dnb influence was also a WELCOME surprise on my first listen, and honestly led to them being some ... read more

I've been a huge fan of the metal/EDM crossovers for years, but this is done so much better than the original.

Really enjoyed this more than I thought I would.

I have a lot of respect for someone taking this large of a swing in a musical direction they're clearly passionate about when they could easily continue to make the same pop-style music until the end of their career.

One of my all-time summer favorites, and an album that has always hit me deep in the chest with how much I resonate with it.

The Night Game perfectly encapsulates the multitude of bittersweet feelings that can come from growing up, whether that be from relationships, regretted decisions, or leaving your home to pursue something bigger.