Written by: The Administrator
This one admittedly came down to the wire, but we still got this one in before 2026 begins so all is well. If you've missed out on my long-winded justifications for why my Favorites lists habitually run a year late, you can find an explanation here. Long story short, this year-behind approach allows releases to outlast a narrow moment in time. I enjoy the process of reflection, and I like to think a shoutout 18 months later or whatever is nice for the bands involved. So! These are 24 albums from 2024 that are, in significant hindsight, still very much my favorite albums of 2024. In terms of format, this list follows my established convention, i.e. alphabetical and unranked. Genres are primarily metal and hip hop adjacent--someday I may split the list into different genre categories for the sake of covering more releases, but today is not that day. If you are at all interested, you can check out my Favorite EPs of 2024 here, and my Favorite Album Artwork of 2024 here. The trilogy is complete. Regardless of whether or not you check out anything appearing in these lists, I hope you're inspired to revisit a favorite or two from yesteryear. To the readers: thank you for reading! It means a lot and I am very grateful that you've chosen to spend time checking out what some random internet guy thinks is cool. To the artists: thank you for making music that is cool. I have very much enjoyed listening and writing. Let's dive in, shall we?
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Written by: The Administrator
Whelp. Here I am once more, basking uncomfortably in the midst of list season, justifying why my year end lists are published a year behind schedule. If you've been around for a while, please feel free to skip ahead to the good stuff. If you're wondering why I do it this way, here's a brief explanation: I firmly believe that staying power is an important aspect of music appreciation. The ability of a project to outlast the narrow moment in time immediately surround release day is a testament to its quality. In deliberate spite of the inevitable industry churn, I enjoy the process of looking backwards to revisit old favorites at this time of year. But mostly, I started doing this because I got wildly off-schedule and found great value in committing to the bit. This is the way it is, now and forever. If you are at all interested, you can check out my Favorite Album Artwork of 2024 here, and my Favorite Albums of 2024 list will follow at, y'know, some random and inopportune point in the future. So: here are 20 EPs from 2024 that, given significant hindsight, are still my favorite EPs of 2024. They made an impact and stuck around in my rotation, and that's worth celebrating. As per established precedent, the following list draws from the assorted genres and subgenres that interest me, mostly within the sphere of metal and rap. I took some liberties with the "EP" label; some may technically be mini-albums, so apologies in advance. The list is alphabetical and unranked. Everything comes highly recommended. I'd also like to issue a massive umbrella "thank you!" to every artist who contributed to the releases contained within this list. And to you: thank you for your readership of this little music blog! You're very cool and I appreciate you very much.  Written by: The Administrator
Greetings! In typical fashion, we're posting a favorite-of-the-year list long after people have stopped caring about that sort of thing. But here we are regardless, proudly displaying our favorite albums artwork of 2024 on the Sleeping Village's decrepit and cobwebbed gallery walls. Our schedule is untimely, and my personal commitment to the bit is unassailable. The conversation surrounding album artwork this past year felt heavy. The promo inbox was absolutely riddled with gen-AI slop, the more obvious examples of which were immediately cast into the Bottomless Maw. However, as the year went of, it felt like detecting AI became more difficult, and many artists and labels seemed to be doing their absolute damnedest to avoid providing details about artwork. Generative AI is a true scourge, and it's our job as people who respect the integrity and profession to draw a line in the sand. And lastly: a plea to bands who don't credit cover artists: please credit cover artists! More than a few albums were left off this list because I simply could not find who to credit for the fantastic artwork. But! Without further ado, let's get to the art. 
Written by: The Administrator
I know you're here for the kickass music, dear reader, but allow me this brief preamble. As a so-called "big feeler," I tend to experience emotions in a fairly extreme sense. There exists insufficient equilibrium 'round these parts: happiness trends towards ecstasy, sadness is crushingly morose. Emotions are a lot to contend with, and, as such, I spend a lot of time with art that grapples with emotional extremity. I seek out music that explicitly explores and captures the essence of a particular feeling. I am also drawn, consistently and magnetically, to the musical output of one Alicia Cordisco, riff-queen extraordinaire. I've been a huge fan of her work since bearing witness to Judicator's classic run, and have followed her musical output with a certain zeal ever since, be it the bombast and adventure of Project: Roenwolfe and Justicar, the righteous death/thrash fury of Transgressive, or the epic funereal strains of Wraithstorm. No metal genre has yet seemed beyond her reach, as evidenced by this new excursion into the dark-lit mire of black metal. The Burden of I melds an old-school blackened bite with somber atmosphere and a whole lot of melodic inclination. It is an album that displays its emotional current openly: in the description, Alicia writes that The Burden of I contends with her "struggles with isolation, identity, trauma driven despair, and ultimately a reason and purpose to keep going." In other words, when it comes to my particular interests in music, The Burden of I promised to represent the perfect storm. The project's potential alone was enough; I was hooked before hitting play, and wasn't worried in the slightest about the execution. After all, if I know one thing about metal music, it is this: Alicia Cordisco executes.  Written by: The Administrator Yes, I know I don't formally rank my favorite albums of the year, but Let God Sort Em Out is indisputably #1. And yes, I know I don't rate albums, but after much consideration I am considering it a perfect 10. I have no complaints, no unsolicited notes. I am consumed by a radiant admiration for the impeccable execution of the craft. There are zero skippable tracks. Pretty sure skipping is cosmically impossible, in fact. If I get the urge to listen to any track in particular, you know I'm starting at the top and letting the whole damn thing play out. From the emotional "The Birds Don't Sing," to the intimidating swagger of "Ace Trumpets," to the narrative-driven snarling coke rap teamup with Stove God Cooks on (song of the year?) "F.I.C.O.," the Brothers Thornton deliver on literal decades of wordcraft and worldbuilding experience. Pusha T nails a level of intention-setting intensity that has become a bit of a trademark over the years, and Malice's similarly trademark second verses absolutely level the playing field with masterful wordplay and punchy rhyme schemes. He is an absolute force of nature as a lyricist, and his delivery is as pugilistic as they come. Pusha T has always been antagonistic, but at times Malice's tone practically drips with vitriol. Have you ever heard someone say "penne a la vodka" with such force? They both operate with an extremely admirable precision and care, with every single word feeling essential in the greater construct of the whole. They are masters of impact. And that's not even mentioning the glorious pantheon of Kendrick Lamar, Tyler, the Creator, Ab Liva, and Nas guest verses. While Kendrick has received much recognition, Tyler's verse on "P.O.V." is a standout for me--the way he delivers "I need God to play the lead in my biopic" is so unreasonably hard that, upon first listen, I needed to pause the track to refill my lungs. And then Malice drops in like a tungsten rod from God to absolutely demolish the third verse. And lest he be forgot, it's excellent to see Pharrell at the reins of production once more. I swear he's saved his best beats for years, saving 'em and breaking 'em out for the perfect occasion. His drums are striking and vivacious; his sample game succeeds enormously creating dramatic and attention-grabbing moments. I love, for example, the repeated integration of "cuz it's hot!" on "M.T.B.T.T.F." And if you haven't yet had the pleasure of hearing the masterful utilization of Tahal Maddah's "Maza Akoulo" on "So Be It," I highly recommend giving it a listen below. The cohesion Pharell's production imparts upon the tracklist is essential. I mean, I'm still in awe. Let God Sort Em Out is God-tier. What an incredible comeback project on all counts. I wish I had the time to devote a full review to this release. From the extensive backstory to the sheer influence it inevitably carries into the future, it deserves a dissertation. Clipse - Let God Sort Em Out was released July 11th, 2025 via ROC Nation Distribution. Clipse can be found here
Written by: The Administrator
If you are a purveyor of music review sites, you've undoubtedly learned to skip over the fluff that constitutes AOTY intros. The pointlessness of writing this isn't lost on me, let alone the fact that this is a list for, erm, the wrong year. In the music industry churn, an album released last year might as well be a million years old. Obsolete. Irrelevant. Forgotten. So: why 2023? Why not 2024, like unto a proper music review website? What's the rationale behind publishing this list a whole damn year late? There are two reasons. The first is that I think demonstrable longevity is an important aspect of music appreciation, and the ability of an album to outlast a narrow moment in time is a testament to its particular excellence. The second (and real) reason is that I am a profoundly lazy and frequently overwhelmed person, and compiling this list last December was a very large task that seemed, frankly, insurmountable. So here we are. These are 23 albums from 2023 that are, in significant hindsight, still very much my favorite albums of 2023. In terms of format, this list is alphabetical and purely unranked. The generally arbitrary structure of counting down to #1 simply doesn't demonstrate the way I enjoy music, nor is it an effective or accurate way to make recommendations. I'm also completely unconcerned about genre, as I listen to a lot of different stuff. If I'm writing a list, it should probably reflect the reality of listening habits instead of projecting a false image of metal exclusivity. Be prepared for eclecticism. I hope there's something lurking herein that catches your ear. A massive thank you to every artist who contributed to the releases below. And, dear reader, thank you for your readership and support of artists! You're the best. Yes, you. 
Written by: The Administrator
Each year, I inevitably spend a whole lot o' time with EPs. Is this due to my bafflingly short attention span? Yes. Is it also because EPs often feel like the perfect vehicle for a band to flaunt their strengths in a concise and well-trimmed manner? Also yes. Listening to a well-constructed EP is perhaps my favorite way to spend time with music, and so here I am, an eclectic collection of favorites gripped in outstretched grubby fingers. But first, some housekeeping! There are, assuming I counted correctly, 30 entries. I was planning on 20, but have no real interest in trimming a list of untrimmable favorites. In that spirit, hopefully you find something here that worms its way into your favorites as well. This list is not sorted by genre despite featuring a lot of different genres. I apologize for the whiplash, but sorting feels antithetical to the overall notion that listening habits should not be confined for the sake of convenient lists. And lastly, this is utterly unranked--if something appears here, please know that it comes highly, highly recommended! Anyways. Let's get into it.  Greetings, dear reader. It is once again listmas 'round these humble halls. Time, then, to look back the music that has defined our collective year. The non-exhaustive AOTY smorgasbord hath begun.
My personal EP and album lists shall follow in (less-than) good time, but before we get to that, the community speaks. This list is a collaborative effort, with ten distinct music writers, musicians, and fans lending a few words. Hopefully the variety of perspectives results in a list containing at least one or two releases that speak to you! This, of course, is far from exhaustive--indeed, every single one of ye could undoubtedly highlight a vast number of deserving albums not appearing here. A massive thank you is in order to everyone who contributed words and energy to this lil' project. As always, we couldn't have done it without ye! Please check out the writer's respective projects and links. This list constitutes the first five entries, with another five to follow. Read on!  Look, the absurdity of writing yet another intro to an Album(s) of the Year list isn't exactly lost on me. If you're a purveyor of music review sites, you've undoubtedly already skipped over a fair share in the interest of checking out the actual content. We all had a very tough year, but as a consolation prize, 2021 presented a veritable bevy of good (and indeed great) music. Etcetera, etcetera. Let's leave it at that. In terms of format, this list is purely unranked. While previous years counted down to #1, that generally arbitrary structure simply doesn't demonstrate the way I enjoy music. It's also not an effective or accurate way to make recommendations. I'm also significantly less concerned about genre as in the past--I listen to a lot of different stuff, and if I'm writing a list, it should probably reflect that reality instead of projecting a false image of metal exclusivity. So be prepared for a little eclecticism. I hope there's something herein that catches your ear. If so, please support the artists in any way you are able. And lastly, thank you for your readership! You're the best. Yes, you.  Greetings, dear reader. It's listmas 'round these parts, which can only mean one thing: a reflection on the music that has defined our collective and personal year. After the success of our collaborative mid-year list, we decided to run a similarly community-oriented extravaganza to sum up 2021 as a whole. It's a different approach, but we like it. The era of ranked tier lists is over. The era of non-exhaustive AOTY smorgasbord hath begun. This list is a collaborative effort, with ten distinct music writers, musicians, and fans lending a few words. My personal collection o' favorites will follow later this week. Hopefully the variety of perspectives results in a list containing at least one or two releases that speak to you! This, of course, is far from exhaustive--indeed, every single one of ye could undoubtedly highlight a vast number of deserving albums not appearing here. Please feel free to leave a comment with a recommendation or two. As mentioned back in June of this year, list season is a great time to show the musicians that we know and love a little well-deserved support, and if you wanna shout someone out, this is as good a time as any. And, lest it be forgot: a massive thank you is in order to everyone who contributed words to this endeavor. As always, we couldn't have done it without ye! Enough chit-chat. Let's dive in. |
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