It's close enough to the end of the year, so what are your favourite albums or songs from this year?

As always I listen to an album at least ten times before I decide what I really think of it. My three favourites are:

1. Монеточка - Раскраски для взрослых (a song)
2. Orphaned Land – Unsung Prophets and Dead Messiahs (a song)
3. Aurora – Infections of a Different Kind - Step I (a song)

A very hard decision between the top two but I've listened to #1 more than #2, so that decides that.

Stand-out songs (one for each artist):

• Arkona - Tseluya zhizn' (17 minute pagan metal epic.)
• Arsis - Hell Sworn (Somehow I've listened to only two Arsis albums. This song, like the others on the album, is based on a horror movie. In this case it's a movie called The Gravedancers.)
• Aurora - All Is Soft Inside (If I have to choose just one.)
• Behemoth - Havohej Pantocrator (I like the use of clean vocals on this one.)
• Coheed and Cambria - It Walks Among Us (This is the C&C I like.)
• Ghost - Miasma (A metal instrumental with saxophone that takes it to another level.)
• Julia Holter - Les Jeux to You (Quite a strange song on this more experimental Julia Holter album.)
• Orphaned Land - Yedidi (The one Hebrew language song on the album.)
• Гречка - Анимешница (The first Russian language song I got into after starting to learn it.)
• Монеточка - Нимфоманка (Possibly my favourite song on the album, though I linked a different one at the top.)

My biggest disappointment is "Espejo" by Javiera Mena, my least favourite of her albums by far. But maybe it'll grow on me in the future.

And the full list of the albums I've listened to:

• Abigor - Höllenzwang (Chronicles of Perdition)
• Arkona – Khram
• Arsis – Visitant [possibly my fourth favourite]
• Aurora – Infections of a Different Kind – Step I
• Behemoth – I Loved You at Your Darkest
• Coheed & Cambria – Vaxis – Act I: The Unheavenly Creatures
• Deafheaven – Ordinary Corrupt Human Love
• First Aid Kit – Ruins
• Ghost – Prequelle
• Гречка – Недокасаемость
• Ihsahn – Ámr
• Immortal – Northern Chaos Gods
• Janelle Monáe – Dirty Computer
• Javiera Mena – Espejo
• Julia Holter – Aviary
• Koevary - בת זקונים
• Монеточка - Раскраски для взрослых
• Orphaned Land – Unsung Prophets and Dead Messiahs
• Rolo Tomassi – Time Will Die and Love Will Bury It
• Skeletonwitch – Devouring Radiant Light [haven't reached ten plays yet]

That's a short list. I suppose I could check one or three tomorrow.

I've mainly been listening to music while eating breakfast. Luckily this has been the year of the short rap album.

My favourite album that came out this year is either Kids See Ghosts [self-titled] or Some Rap Songs by Earl Sweatshirt; I need to listen to the latter more. It'll probably beat it, because as good as Kid Cudi's return to form is, Kanye West is as boring as he has been for the past few years. Daytona by Pusha T is a close third. Could be AOTY if his Drake-killing diss made the album rather than the entree, Redline.

I also really liked the new Vince Staples album, the new Noname album, and Fetti by Freddie Gibbs and Curren$y. But, it really could have done without Curren$y, who I like, but can barely hold a candle to Freddie Gibbs. I can't remember a single line by him on the album, let alone a verse lol.

I need to listen to the new Atmosphere, J.I.D., Denzel Curry, A$ap Rocky, Travis $cott, Jay Rock, Cunninlynguist, Lupe Fiasco, and Lil Wayne, Flatbush Zombies, The Underachievers, albums more (or at all), but they're longer than my breakfast.

I also need to get around to buying Salo Sessions II, because I listened to Salo Sessions and Phantom Limbs a lot this year, and fell in love with Sadistik...'s music.

Speaking of albums that weren't released this year, my favourite album I listened to, rather than was released, this year is Relentless Mutation by Archspire. It's every bit as good as At the Heart of Winter, which was previously my favourite metal album of all time...not that I've heard very many of them. Now it’s got company.

I also liked the first 6ix9ine album more than I think people who aren't shameless are supposed to admit to these days.

Oh, and the new Eminem album was surprisingly good. It probably could've done with the non-rappity rap songs being removed, but it was actually decent.

My poor taste in Nas albums also continued, as I enjoyed Nasir.

Lastly, I dabbled in some Charles Ives, Sophia Gubaidulina, 24K, BTS, Brockhampton (the best boy band of them all) and Crayon Pop. Richard wept.

Best video was This Is America.

Best nohomo moment was Action Bronson on Irishman Freestyle (his album was also better than expected) “jizzed in my first scene with De Niro, jizzed in my first scene with Scorsese.” If he didn’t actually say that, then the album sucks, and fuck that pale imitation of Ghostface Killah forever.

Té_Rojo said:

This confirms that Archspire are superior to rap in 2018.

You mean they're the best rap release of 2017.

SupremeAC said:

After reading the intro to this post on the homepage, one can not imagine my disappointment when I discovered this wasn't going to be about the best breakfast of 2018.  

I eat the same breakfast every day, so there would only be a winner by default.

Perhaps the best accompanying drink?