As the eight month of 2014 approaches, it's the perfect time to look back at the year of 2013's music and how it holds up in the next calender year. The 2013 list didn't have as much of a shakeup as previous years, but there were a handful of great releases that I didn't get around to until after I published my 2013 year-end recap. Here is my updated rankings for 2013 for both EP's and LP's from worst to best with star ratings and some quick (and some not-so-quick) reviews for the new entries on the list.
EP's (previous ranking)
EP's (previous ranking)
8. (new) Jhene Aiko-Sail Out (2.5/5)
Jhene Aiko had a huge breakout year in 2013 thanks to guest spots on tracks by Drake, Big Sean and Childish Gambino and the success of her debut EP Sail Out. The beauty of Aiko's voice is undeniable and it doesn't waver throughout the duration of Sail Out, its just that her music lacks soul and direction. The production- mostly handled by Fisticuffs- is boring as hell and Aiko's lyrics leave a lot to be desired. Not even a strong group of guest artists headlined by hip-hop heavyweights Kendrick Lamar and Gambino can lift Sail Out out of the depths of mediocrity. Aiko has the vocal chops to be a star, but suffers from a distinct lack of personality and emotion in her music.
7. (new) Real Friends-Put Yourself Together
(3/5)
In the wave of new pop punk acts, Real Friends is smack dab in the middle in terms of quality. They're too catchy to be written off completely yet too repetitive to make a really strong impression. Put Yourself Together is relatively compelling stuff when you're listening to it, but it escapes your memory almost immediately afterwards.
6. (5) Glass Cloud-Perfect War Forever (3/5)
5. (4) Kitty-D.A.I.S.Y Rage (3/5)
4. (3) Action Bronson-Saaab Stories (3.5/5)
3.(2) Hundredth-Revolt (4/5)
2. (new) Black Crown Initiate-Song of the
Crippled Bull (4/5)
Every year, there's an up-and-coming band in the metal scene that I get really excited about. In 2011, it was Fallujah. In 2012, it was The HARRP Machine. In 2013 that esteemed title goes to Pennsylvania's Black Crown Initiate. Black Crown Intitate plays a striking mix of classic death and new-wave prog metal. Think of them as a modern-day version of Opeth with a sense of groove. Song of The Crippled Bull is a promising start for Black Crown Initiate and hopefully they'll capitalize on their potential with their debut full-length, which is tentatively set for a September release.
1. (1) Fallujah-Nomadic (4.5/5)
LP's
112.(100) Atilla-About That Life (1/5)
111.(99) Daft Punk-Random Access Memories
(1.5/5)
110.(98) Eminem-The Marshall Mathers LP 2
(2/5)
109.(new) Deafheaven-Sunbather (2/5)
The single most overrated metal record to be released in years. Every single song sounds exactly the same with jarring, awkward tonal shifts, horrible production and ear-piercing vocals from George Clarke that are about the saddest excuse for black metal vocals I've ever heard. Making matters even worse is the album features pointless interludes after each actual song that do nothing but add length to an already bloated, overlong album. The ambient parts have some interesting moments, but it's not nearly enough to save this absolute snore of a record.
The single most overrated metal record to be released in years. Every single song sounds exactly the same with jarring, awkward tonal shifts, horrible production and ear-piercing vocals from George Clarke that are about the saddest excuse for black metal vocals I've ever heard. Making matters even worse is the album features pointless interludes after each actual song that do nothing but add length to an already bloated, overlong album. The ambient parts have some interesting moments, but it's not nearly enough to save this absolute snore of a record.
108.(97) A Loss for Words-Before it Caves
(2/5)
107.(96) Arsonists Get all the Girls-Listen
to the Color (2/5)
106.(95) Thee Oh Sees-Floating Coffin (2/5)
105.(94) The Weeknd-Kiss Land (2/5)
104.(93) Kid Cudi-Indicud (2.5/5)
103.(92) 2 Chainz-B.O.A.T.S II #METIME
(2.5/5)
102.(new) Scorpion Child-Scorpion Child
(2.5/5)
Scorpion Child isn't a bad band at all. They're actually quite the opposite, possessing a lot of talent across the board. It's just that their brand of vintage hard rock doesn't click with me in the slightest. Despite my indifference towards this record, I highly recommend fans of bands like Kiss and Thin Lizzy to check this out immediately.
101.(new) Lorde-Pure Heroine (2.5/5)
There were few artists that enjoyed more success in 2103 than Lorde. The 17 year-old broke out of obscurity with smash hits "Royals" and "Team" and, is now one of the most buzzed about artists in pop music. Her first full-length, Pure Heroine, is a refreshingly raw affair with some huge highlights ("Tennis Court", "Glory and Gore") and sharp lyrics that manage to put a fresh spin on familiar topics (fame, love, partying, etc.) Even with its slick lyrical content and efficiently minimalist style, Pure Heroine is an inconsistent effort that fails to establish traction for any extended period of time. For every "Tennis Court" and "Glory and Gore", there's a boring track like "White Teeth Teens" or "400 Lux" to kill the momentum. Lorde has plenty of great ideas and has the dynamic voice and intelligence to express them, she just needs to express them with more consistency and moxie.
There were few artists that enjoyed more success in 2103 than Lorde. The 17 year-old broke out of obscurity with smash hits "Royals" and "Team" and, is now one of the most buzzed about artists in pop music. Her first full-length, Pure Heroine, is a refreshingly raw affair with some huge highlights ("Tennis Court", "Glory and Gore") and sharp lyrics that manage to put a fresh spin on familiar topics (fame, love, partying, etc.) Even with its slick lyrical content and efficiently minimalist style, Pure Heroine is an inconsistent effort that fails to establish traction for any extended period of time. For every "Tennis Court" and "Glory and Gore", there's a boring track like "White Teeth Teens" or "400 Lux" to kill the momentum. Lorde has plenty of great ideas and has the dynamic voice and intelligence to express them, she just needs to express them with more consistency and moxie.
100.(91) Dropkick Murphys-Signed and Sealed
in Blood (2.5/5)
99.(90) Palms-Palms (2.5/5)
98.(new) Paramore-Paramore (2.5/5)
Paramore's first full-length without founding members and primary songwriters The Farro Brothers sees the Tennessee-based band heading into a more pop-based direction. The Farro's musicianship and knack for catchy riffs is sorely missed, but the band is able to stay afloat thanks to vocalist Haley Williams. Wiliams' voice is tailor-made for pop hooks and she lets that be known throughout this album with some of the biggest and bubbliest hooks Paramore has done in their career thus far. Unfortunately, the generic pop-rock instrumentation can't match up to Williams' stellar vocals, making Paramore a giant mixed bag on the whole.
Paramore's first full-length without founding members and primary songwriters The Farro Brothers sees the Tennessee-based band heading into a more pop-based direction. The Farro's musicianship and knack for catchy riffs is sorely missed, but the band is able to stay afloat thanks to vocalist Haley Williams. Wiliams' voice is tailor-made for pop hooks and she lets that be known throughout this album with some of the biggest and bubbliest hooks Paramore has done in their career thus far. Unfortunately, the generic pop-rock instrumentation can't match up to Williams' stellar vocals, making Paramore a giant mixed bag on the whole.
97.(89) A.F.I.-Burials (2.5/5)
96.(new) Fall Out Boy-Save Rock and Roll
(2.5/5)
Fall Out Boy aims to save rock and roll by making a pop album? Fall Out Boy may not save rock and roll on their first LP since 2008's Folie a Deux, but they did at least make a somewhat respectable return to music after a four-year hiatus. Save Rock and Roll certainly doesn't lack in theatrics as Fall Out Boy experiments with orchestration and heavy use of keyboards/synthesizers to create a larger-than-life ode to the pop albums of the 80's and the electronic music of today. Fall Out Boy's new sound results in an erratic album which at its best is incredibly catchy pop bliss ("The Phoenix", "Death Valley", "Just One Yesterday") and at its worst is an obnoxious, whiny, scattered mess ("Alone Together", "The Mighty Fall", "Miss Missing You"). There are certainly some major kinks to work out on future releases, but there's still enough of the energy and sense of fun that made Fall Out Boy such a success in the first place present on Save Rock and Roll to make me optimistic about the next era of the band.
Fall Out Boy aims to save rock and roll by making a pop album? Fall Out Boy may not save rock and roll on their first LP since 2008's Folie a Deux, but they did at least make a somewhat respectable return to music after a four-year hiatus. Save Rock and Roll certainly doesn't lack in theatrics as Fall Out Boy experiments with orchestration and heavy use of keyboards/synthesizers to create a larger-than-life ode to the pop albums of the 80's and the electronic music of today. Fall Out Boy's new sound results in an erratic album which at its best is incredibly catchy pop bliss ("The Phoenix", "Death Valley", "Just One Yesterday") and at its worst is an obnoxious, whiny, scattered mess ("Alone Together", "The Mighty Fall", "Miss Missing You"). There are certainly some major kinks to work out on future releases, but there's still enough of the energy and sense of fun that made Fall Out Boy such a success in the first place present on Save Rock and Roll to make me optimistic about the next era of the band.
95.(88) Juicy J-Stay Trippy (2.5/5)
94.(87) Korn-The Paradigm Shift (2.5/5)
93.(86) Bring Me the Horizon-Sempiternal
(2.5/5)
92.(85) TesseracT-Altered State (2.5/5)
91.(84) Clipping-Midcity (3/5)
90.(new) I, The Mighty-Satori (3/5)
A great vocalist in Brent Walsh is letdown by a mediocre band that has no sense of variation. Satori is certainly not a bad record, but it is an incredibly repetitive one.
A great vocalist in Brent Walsh is letdown by a mediocre band that has no sense of variation. Satori is certainly not a bad record, but it is an incredibly repetitive one.
89.(83) Vampire Weekend-Modern Vampires of
the City (3/5)
88.(80) Gorguts-Colored Sands (3/5)
87.(new) Flatbush Zombies-Better Off Dead
(3/5)
Flatbush Zombies show a little bit of progress on their second mixtape Better Off Dead. Meechy Darko and Zombie Juice are still dropping a plethora of not-so-sophisticated verses about drugs and hoes, they're just more fluid and less annoying than they were on their breakout 2012 tape D.R.U.G.S. In-house producer Erick Arc Elliot remains the only real standout part of the Brooklyn trio with his wide-ranging and consistently spectacular beats. Flatbush Zombies are slowly getting better as a group, but they have a long way to go before they're anything above Brooklyn's best drug-and-pussy rap group named after the living dead.
Flatbush Zombies show a little bit of progress on their second mixtape Better Off Dead. Meechy Darko and Zombie Juice are still dropping a plethora of not-so-sophisticated verses about drugs and hoes, they're just more fluid and less annoying than they were on their breakout 2012 tape D.R.U.G.S. In-house producer Erick Arc Elliot remains the only real standout part of the Brooklyn trio with his wide-ranging and consistently spectacular beats. Flatbush Zombies are slowly getting better as a group, but they have a long way to go before they're anything above Brooklyn's best drug-and-pussy rap group named after the living dead.
86.(82) A$AP Rocky-Long. Live. A$AP (3/5)
85.(81) Bad Religion-True North (3/5)
84.(78) Ghostface Killah-Twelve Reasons to
Die (3/5)
83.(77) Touche Amore-Is Survived By (3/5)
82.(76) Alice in Chains-The Devil Put
Dinosaurs Here (3/5)
81.(75) Queens of the Stone Age-Like
Clockwork... (3/5)
80.(74) J. Cole-Born Sinner (3/5)
79.(73) Dark Tranquility-Construct (3/5)
78.(72) Reflections-Ex(i)st (3/5)
77.(71) Northlane-Singularity (3/5)
76.(new) Childish Gambino-Because the
Internet (3/5)
You really have to admire Childish Gambino's (a.k.a comedian/former Community star Donald Glover) ambition on his second LP Because the Internet. The record is all over the place production-wise with everything from eerie, ambient samples to saxophone solos and features a concept about the various effects the internet has on modern society- which is further detailed in a screenplay that was enclosed with the deluxe edition of the album. Despite all of the experimentation and forward-thinking that's featured on Because the Internet, the record still manages to be disjointed and really can't decide what direction it wants to go in. On the positive end, Gambino shows much more confidence and skill on the mic and the straight hip-hop tracks("Sweatpants" and "Crawl" in particular) on here are mostly pretty good. Where Because the Internet falters is a majority of the R&B-fueled tracks (the Jhene Aiko collab track "Pink Toes" being the notable exception) on here. Gambino has a half-decent singing voice, but his vocals are not nearly strong enough to carry an entire track by themselves. Not to mention that the album's concept is incredibly feeble and ill-conceived, with only a couple of tracks having anything even remotely meaningful to say about the problems the internet and social media cause in the modern day. Because the Internet is simultaneously a major improvement and a huge missed opportunity to create something special for Gambino.
You really have to admire Childish Gambino's (a.k.a comedian/former Community star Donald Glover) ambition on his second LP Because the Internet. The record is all over the place production-wise with everything from eerie, ambient samples to saxophone solos and features a concept about the various effects the internet has on modern society- which is further detailed in a screenplay that was enclosed with the deluxe edition of the album. Despite all of the experimentation and forward-thinking that's featured on Because the Internet, the record still manages to be disjointed and really can't decide what direction it wants to go in. On the positive end, Gambino shows much more confidence and skill on the mic and the straight hip-hop tracks("Sweatpants" and "Crawl" in particular) on here are mostly pretty good. Where Because the Internet falters is a majority of the R&B-fueled tracks (the Jhene Aiko collab track "Pink Toes" being the notable exception) on here. Gambino has a half-decent singing voice, but his vocals are not nearly strong enough to carry an entire track by themselves. Not to mention that the album's concept is incredibly feeble and ill-conceived, with only a couple of tracks having anything even remotely meaningful to say about the problems the internet and social media cause in the modern day. Because the Internet is simultaneously a major improvement and a huge missed opportunity to create something special for Gambino.
75.(79) A$AP Ferg-Trap Lord (3/5)
74.(70) mr.muthafuckin' eXquire-Kismet
(3.5/5)
73.(69) Terror-Live By the Code (3.5/5)
72.(68) R.A the Rugged Man-Legends Never Die
(3.5/5)
71.(67) Noisem-Agony Defined (3.5/5)
70.(66) Arcade Fire-Reflektor (3.5/5)
69.(64) Kylesa-Ultraviolet (3.5/5)
68.(63) Volbeat-Outlaw Gentleman & Shady
Ladies (3.5/5)
67.(62) Havok-Unnatural Selection (3.5/5)
66.(61) Doomriders-Grand Blood (3.5/5)
65.(59) Chimaira-Crown of Phantoms (3.5/5)
64.(58) Captain, We're Sinking-The Future is
Cancelled (3.5/5)
63.(57) Within the Ruins-Elite (3.5/5)
62.(56) Ramming Speed-Doomed to Destroy,
Destined to Die (3.5/5)
61.(60) iwrestledabearonce-Late for Nothing
(3.5/5)
60.(55) Tyler, the Creator-Wolf (3.5/5)
59.(52) Red Fang-Whales and Leeches (3.5/5)
58.(46) Earl Sweatshirt-Doris (3.5/5)
57.(53) Children of Bodom-Halo of Blood
(3.5/5)
56.(51) CZARFACE-CZARFACE (3.5/5)
55.(35) Death Grips-Government Plates
(3.5/5)
54.(47) Last Chance to Reason-Level 3
(3.5/5)
53.(32) Fleshgod Apocalypse-Labyrinth
(3.5/5)
52.(49) Mac Miller-Watching Movies With the
Sound Off (3.5/5)
51.(54) Amon Amarth-Deciver of the Gods
(3.5/5)
50.(65) Kvelertak-Meir (3.5/5)
49.(48) The Story So Far-What You Don't See
(3.5/5)
48.(50) Chance the Rapper-Acid Rap (3.5/5)
47.(45) Big K.R.I.T.-King Remembered in Time
(3.5/5)
46.(44) Coheed and Cambria-The Afterman:
Descension (3.5/5)
45.(43) Born of Osiris-Tommorow We Die Alive
(4/5)
44.(42) Finntroll-Bloodsvept (4/5)
43.(41) Crossfaith-Apocalyze (4/5)
42.(40) Vince Staples & Larry
Fisherman-Stolen Youth LP (4/5)
41.(39) Warbringer-IV: Empires Collapse
(4/5)
40.(38) Rivers of Nihil-The Conscious Seed
of Light (4/5)
39.(37) Pusha T-My Name Is My Name (4/5)
38.(36) Defeater-Letters Home (4/5)
37.(34) Devildriver-Winter Kills (4/5)
36.(33) Rob Zombie-Venomous Rat Regeneration
Vendor (4/5)
35.(30) Heaven Shall Burn-Veto (4/5)
34.(31) Intronaut-Habitual Leviations
(Instilling Words With Tones) (4/5)
33.(27) Rotting Out-The Wrong Way (4/5)
32.(26) Counterparts-The Difference Between
Hell and Home (4/5)
31.(25) Suffocation-Pinnacle of Bedlam (4/5)
30.(new) Ovid's Withering-Scryers of the Ibis
(4/5)
If all deathcore bands were as forward thinking as Ovid's Withering, the genre would be not nearly as frowned upon as it currently is in the metal community. Ovid's Withering plays a combination of deathcore, prog, djent and symphonic black metal that sounds like a jumbled mess on paper, but is enthralling and wildly original in practice. The breakdowns are pummeling, the orchestration is beautiful, the vocals are loaded with black-metal and the tempo shifts are flawless. If you're a fan of extreme metal that isn't afraid of a band that has breakdowns, you'll be rewarded handsomely with the bonkers ride that is Scryers of the Ibis.
If all deathcore bands were as forward thinking as Ovid's Withering, the genre would be not nearly as frowned upon as it currently is in the metal community. Ovid's Withering plays a combination of deathcore, prog, djent and symphonic black metal that sounds like a jumbled mess on paper, but is enthralling and wildly original in practice. The breakdowns are pummeling, the orchestration is beautiful, the vocals are loaded with black-metal and the tempo shifts are flawless. If you're a fan of extreme metal that isn't afraid of a band that has breakdowns, you'll be rewarded handsomely with the bonkers ride that is Scryers of the Ibis.
29.(29) A Day to Remember-Common Courtesy
(4/5)
28.(28) Action Bronson-Blue Chips 2 (4/5)
27.(22) The Wonder Years-The Greatest
Generation (4/5)
26.(new) State Champs-The Finer Things (4/5)
There must be something in the water at Pure Noise Records. The label is previously responsible for launching the careers of new-wave pop-punk behemoths such as Four Year Strong and The Story So Far and have shown time and time again that they have an ability to find and sign the best bands in the genre. Pure Noise's newest success story is New York's State Champs, whose debut LP The Finer Things is the gold standard for the next wave of pop punk bands. State Champs have more of straight-punk crunch than most of their peers without sacrificing the traditonal pop punk catchiness. Ampflying the band's treasure trove of bouncy riffs is the impressive vocal chops of Derek Discanio. Discanio goes above and beyond the call of duty for your average pop punk vocalist with a unique style and range that could apply to a variety of other styles of music. State Champs are the easily the finest pop punk to emerge since their labelmates The Story So Far and I can't wait to see where they go from here.
There must be something in the water at Pure Noise Records. The label is previously responsible for launching the careers of new-wave pop-punk behemoths such as Four Year Strong and The Story So Far and have shown time and time again that they have an ability to find and sign the best bands in the genre. Pure Noise's newest success story is New York's State Champs, whose debut LP The Finer Things is the gold standard for the next wave of pop punk bands. State Champs have more of straight-punk crunch than most of their peers without sacrificing the traditonal pop punk catchiness. Ampflying the band's treasure trove of bouncy riffs is the impressive vocal chops of Derek Discanio. Discanio goes above and beyond the call of duty for your average pop punk vocalist with a unique style and range that could apply to a variety of other styles of music. State Champs are the easily the finest pop punk to emerge since their labelmates The Story So Far and I can't wait to see where they go from here.
25.(new) Night Verses-Lift Your Existence
(4/5)
Say hello to Nigh Verses, the next great post-hardcore band. Vocalist Douglas Robinsion-formerly of The Sleeping-has an incredible range that allows him to sing over both aggressive ("Rage", "Antidepressants" and emotionally-charged, melodic tracks ("Yours", "Blind Lighthouse") with equal levels of success. The scope of Lift Your Existence is insane and that diversity leads to one of the most satisfying and challenging records this genre has seen in the last decade.
Say hello to Nigh Verses, the next great post-hardcore band. Vocalist Douglas Robinsion-formerly of The Sleeping-has an incredible range that allows him to sing over both aggressive ("Rage", "Antidepressants" and emotionally-charged, melodic tracks ("Yours", "Blind Lighthouse") with equal levels of success. The scope of Lift Your Existence is insane and that diversity leads to one of the most satisfying and challenging records this genre has seen in the last decade.
24.(24) Death Angel-The Dream Calls for
Blood (4/5)
23.(23) Soilwork-The Living Infinite (4/5)
22.(21) Conducting from the Grave-Conducting
from the Grave (4/5)
21.(20) After the Burial-Wolves Within (4/5)
20.(19) Scale the Summit-The Migration (4/5)
19.(17) letlive.-The Blackest Beautiful
(4/5)
18.(16) Clutch-Earth Rocker (4/5)
17.(15) Hatebreed-The Divinity of Purpose
(4/5)
16.(14) Anciients-Heart of Oak (4/5)
15.(13) Misery Signals-Absent Light (4/5)
14.(18) Kanye West-Yeezus (4/5)
13.(new) The Safety Fire-Mouth of Swords
(4/5)
There's improving from your previous record, then there's what The Safety Fire did with Mouth of Swords, the follow-up to their subpar 2012 effort Grind the Ocean. It's almost unbelievable just how much they progressed over the course of one album. Mouth of Swords sees The Safety Fire go from talented, but ultimately underwhelming act to one of the most unique and interesting forces in progressive metal. A majority of the improvement found on Mouth of Swords can be attributed to vocalist Sean McWeeny. His vocals on Grind the Ocean were grating to an extent that the band was almost completely unlistenable. His vocals on Mouth of Swords on the other hand are the most endearing aspect of the entire record. McWeeny's screams are still a little bit suspect, but his cleans are absolutely astonishing and more than make up for any deficiencies his harsh vocals have. The Safety Fire has gotten stronger instrumentally as well with more striking melodies and sneakily technical guitarwork that perfectly complements McWeeny's vocals. It's been six months since I heard this record for the first time and I still can't believe just how great it is. Kudos to The Safety Fire for vastly improving as a band and releasing one of the best records of 2013.
There's improving from your previous record, then there's what The Safety Fire did with Mouth of Swords, the follow-up to their subpar 2012 effort Grind the Ocean. It's almost unbelievable just how much they progressed over the course of one album. Mouth of Swords sees The Safety Fire go from talented, but ultimately underwhelming act to one of the most unique and interesting forces in progressive metal. A majority of the improvement found on Mouth of Swords can be attributed to vocalist Sean McWeeny. His vocals on Grind the Ocean were grating to an extent that the band was almost completely unlistenable. His vocals on Mouth of Swords on the other hand are the most endearing aspect of the entire record. McWeeny's screams are still a little bit suspect, but his cleans are absolutely astonishing and more than make up for any deficiencies his harsh vocals have. The Safety Fire has gotten stronger instrumentally as well with more striking melodies and sneakily technical guitarwork that perfectly complements McWeeny's vocals. It's been six months since I heard this record for the first time and I still can't believe just how great it is. Kudos to The Safety Fire for vastly improving as a band and releasing one of the best records of 2013.
12.(12) August Burns Red-Rescue &
Restore (4/5)
11.(11) Danny Brown-Old (4/5)
10.(10) Run the Jewels-Run the Jewels (4/5)
9.(9) The Black Dahlia Murder-Everblack
(4.5/5)
8.(8) Hope for the Dying-Altheia (4.5/5)
7.(7) Skeletonwitch-Serpents Unleashed
(4.5/5)
6.(6) The Ocean-Pelagial (4.5/5)
5.(5) Battlecross-War of Will (4.5/5)
4.(4) Protest the Hero-Volition (4.5/5)
3.(3)The Dillinger Escape Plan-One of Us
is the Killer (4.5/5)
2.(2) Killswitch Engage-Disarm the Descent
(4.5/5)
1.(1) Revocation-Revocation (4.5/5)
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