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As usual, the rules are pretty simple: you can list what releases you thought were the best, and explain why in a few sentences. You can even pick just 1 album if that's all you've got, and keep it to a maximum of 5 items. Feel free to add or remove any albums later if you feel like your taste has changed, etc. Oh, and try to include a sample or two so that others could peep those sweet tunes more easily! LINK to songs you think tells us a bit about the band/album, don't embed them. We don't need a million youtube videos. Anyway, the more people the merrier. So please join us! I have more than 5 great releases this month so I'll come back with my choices later. It's a hard pick.

Some pretty cool releases here and there for August, I was mostly content with what I heard. As usual, the rules are pretty simple: you can list what releases you thought were the best, and explain why in a few sentences. You can even pick just 1 album if that's all you've got, and try to keep it to a maximum of 5 items. Feel free to add or remove any albums later if you feel like your taste has changed, etc. Oh, and try to include a sample or two so that others could peep those sweet tunes more easily! Aaand here we go~ 黒百合と影 -「臓器のノゾキ穴。」/ Kuroyuri to kage are a pretty decent band, but they really stepped up their game with this new mini album. The whole thing is just bursting with dirty, crunchy dark sounds and moods, encased in powerful little tunes. The inclusion of the re-worked single tracks was a good choice too, they sound much much better than before. One of the near-perfect indies vk releases of the year for me so far, for sure. 雅-MIYAVI- - Fire Bird / Who knew I'd enjoy a MIYAVI album again after the boring disappointment that was THE OTHERS? I sure as hell didn't! I was even skeptical listening to the previews, but song by song the new album won me over big time. I don't know which producers MIYAVI worked with this time, but kudos to the whole team for forging this badass sound. Partly electronic dance music, partly garage-y distorted guitar jammin', and lots of catchy songs. Perfect party album. Ritual Howls - Into the Water / Immensely bleak-sounding goth rock with minimalistic synths and a biting industrial edge. To be honest, I don't remember much of the actual songs now that I think back, but it's just one of those albums that you put on when you're in a certain mood and it washes over you. Great night-time listening. Honorable mentions UNDER FALL JUSTICE - 醜い拒絶 / This almost made my top list. Chaotic, quirky, overdramatic indies vk that's too ridiculous at times, but somehow still works. Hellbringer - Awakened from the Abyss / Old-school thrash/black/speed metal. Tbh it's pretty interchangeable with a dozen other bands, but it gets the job done.

Meh. July was pretty eventless for me, music-wise. I checked out some cool albums, but those were actually released earlier this year (or they were old as hell), so yeahhh... xD I only have one candidate for this month, sadly. As usual, the rules are pretty simple: you can list what releases you thought were the best, and explain why in a few sentences. You can even pick just 1 album if that's all you've got, and try to keep it to a maximum of 5 items. Feel free to add or remove any albums later if you feel like your taste has changed, etc. Oh, and try to include a sample or two so that others could peep those sweet tunes more easily! Aaand so here's the one July album I actually really enjoyed: Asphalt Graves - The New Primitive / I'm always kinda suspicious when it comes to so-called 'super groups' cuz usually they leave me disappointed, but it seems the less mainstream the band members, the better their efforts are, lol. Featuring musicians of such bands as Gwar, Dying Fetus or The Black Dahlia Murder, the project called Asphalt Graves plays a mean as hell mixture of pulverizing death metal and grindcore. There are enough mildly catchy and absolutely headbang-worthy moments here to keep you company for many spins if you enjoy this type of aggression. Great 'letting out the steam' album. Sorry, no honorable mentions either for me this month. The album above was literally the only thing I noted for myself on my month-to-month list.

June was pretty much dry season for me all around: I haven't heard that many new releases, and what I've heard didn't impress me that much for the most part, however there were some exceptional gems hidden in there. As usual, the rules are pretty simple: you can list what releases you thought were the best, and explain why in a few sentences. You can even pick just 1 album if that's all you've got, and try to keep it to a maximum of 5 items. Feel free to add or remove any albums later if you feel like your taste has changed, etc. Oh, and try to include a sample or two so that others could peep those sweet tunes more easily! Let's see now~ Denner/Shermann - Masters of Evil / I've always been a big fan of Mercyful Fate, so when I heard their ex-axemen are preparing a new project I was delighted. Their first EP, however, found me in a weird spot and just didn't click (I blamed the vocals at the time). Listening more closely tho, I was able to appreciate it, and welcomed the first full album of the dynamic duo with open arms. As expected, Masters of Evil is chock-full of menacing but catchy heavy metal riffs, memorable solos and rockin' hooks. There is a good deal of grandiose ferocity here that makes an awesome metal record. Strongly recommended for old-school enthusiasts, or just heavy metal fans in general! Nails - You Will Never Be One of Us / The grinding powerviolence masters are at it again, and deliver a new full-length that is easily among the most vicious and heaviest recorded material of the year so far. As usual, they're not fumbling about: 21 minutes with 10 songs, the closing track being 8 minutes long, and some of the most crushing stuff I've heard with a cool dose of sludge-y brutality. If you're ever in a bad mood, just pop in this album, close your eyes and let the anger flow (just try and don't break anything in the process). All in all, another killer release in the Nails catalogue! Swans - The Glowing Man / It's hard not to feel sentimental as the curtain closes on the current post-reunion incarnation of Swans, especially since they serve up a final gigantic double-disc 2-hour album. The Glowing Man sees Swans doing it a bit too comfortable and easy, basically giving us what we've come to expect over these past few years: huge sprawling post-rock jammathons that slowly mutate and rise to satisfying crescendos (if ever), all the while retaining a certain sinister groove. The second half of this beast might be a bit more memorable, but ultimately it's an awe-inspiring experience that must be listened to in one sitting. Can't wait to hear what the future holds for Mr. Gira! Honorable mentions Bat - Wings of Chains / Old-school black-thrash in a Venom-esque vein, perfect for this kind of kick-in-your-face sound. Garbage - Strange Little Birds / Solid new offering from the gloomy alt-pop-rockers, they've still got that special touch! 水曜日のカンパネラ - UMA / New Suiyoubi no Campanella is moderately pleasing; some fun electro tunes in there for sure.

Hooo boy, May sure was a cool month! At least for me, I found lots of awesome stuff to listen to. What were some of your favorites? As usual, the rules are pretty simple: you can list what releases you thought were the best, and explain why in a few sentences. You can even pick just 1 album if that's all you've got, and try to keep it to a maximum of 5 items. Feel free to add or remove any albums later if you feel like your taste has changed, etc. Oh, and try to include a sample or two so that others could peep those sweet tunes more easily! Here we go~ Gustave Tiger - Chaste and Mystic Tribadry / This album completely blew me away. I've already been a casual fan of this artsy Hungarian punk group, but they've really upped their game for their 2nd full-length! They deliver sizzling and bubbling guitar melodies, catchy vocal hooks and an all around pleasantly weird atmosphere (those lyrics, bruh!) in spades. The horn section on some of the tracks is a nice touch too. Highly recommended if you enjoy melodic punk-rock with an eccentric twist. Radiohead - A Moon Shaped Pool / It's been a long time since I've actually really sat down and listened to Radiohead, but when they released their new album I just had to check it out, of course... and what can I say? It's a completely immersive listening experience, very intimate yet grandiose. They show their weird side now and then too, which is always fun. However, it's not a 'fun' album, if you get my drift. Very melancholic and moody, with some pleasant orchestral arrangements to elevate the atmosphere. Strong release. Vektor - Terminal Redux / What a beast of an album this is! Clocking in at over 70 minutes, it's Vektor's most ambitious project to date. We're dealing with a sci-fi concept album here that doesn't miss the mark, not even once. Raspy thrash metal collides with truly progressive elements making for an unforgettable listen. Some of the more gargantuan tracks might seem intimidating at first, but they're all packed with cool riffs and themes, so you won't get bored easily. Killer stuff! Honorable mentions Death Grips - Bottomless Pit / Another new DG album, another victory for them. Not much else to say. Heart Attack Kids - No Future / Ass-kicking noise rock with just enough catchy bits to keep you hooked. Perturbator - The Uncanny Valley / Almost made my top-top list. Excellent synth-stravaganza, just like last time!

May has started and you know what this means: time to look back on all the cool stuff that was released in April! What were some of your favorites? I think April was a pretty strong month (at least for me), some really nice and diverse musical gems popped up. Again, here are the usual rules via @Bear And so it goes~ Occult Burial - Hideous Obscure / I'm a newcomer to this band, and I'm bummed I didn't hear about them before! They deliver a perfect mixture of old-school '80s style evil and aggressive metal, somewhere between black and thrash. Sweet vocal delivery, catchy riffs and mean songs, all in all a kickass debut album that you can spin countless times. Rob Zombie - The Electric Warlock Acid Witch Satanic Orgy Celebration Dispenser / This album sure wins the "longest 'Zombie album title" award but definitely not the one for the longest runtime. I mean, I'm not a fan of drawn-out releases but come on... 31 minutes?! Some of these songs are just so awesome but they don't last long enough. On the bright side, you'll want to replay this album as soon as it's finished. Groovy stuff! Uada - Devoid of Light - All around awesome debut record from a surprisingly young band. High on atmosphere, the chilling black metal riffs and the awesome vocals will draw you in. At times heavy and riffin', other times quite epic, it's a pretty well-rounded album not afraid to showcase some cool melodies. Nothing fancy but really really fine. Honorable mentions Parquet Courts - Human Performance / Post-punk with a nostalgic indie/garage tint and many catchy tracks. Tacocat - Lost Time / Melodic poppy punk rawk with amazing infectuous singalong moments. Youth Code - Commitment to Complications / They've done it again: if you like your EBM heavy & raw, you came to the right place.

I hope more people will participate than last time (thank you, @beni XD), since this was a pretty cool/busy month imo. The 'rules', in case anyone forgot: Let's get started! MUNIMUNI - A KILLS A / You can't believe how much I waited for this release (well, any new release by them xD), and it sure delivered. Maybe I'm just biased, but this definitely touches AOTY territory for me, even if it's just a short EP of sorts. MUNIMUNI continue on the path of blurring early '80s goth rock and post-punk tendencies with a dark and obscure visual kei flair, wearing their influences on their sleeves. Great tunes, awesome atmosphere. Cobalt - Slow Forever / One of my friends turned me onto these guys at the beginning of the year, so my hype for the new album wasn't all that huge, but I guess it would be similar for an old listener like me with MUNIMUNI: this new (double) album dropped after 7 years of silence! What a gargantuan, monolithic beast! Mixing black metal, progessive traits and just general extreme aggression, Cobalt forge some ungodly aural behemoths. Not an easy record. Domo Genesis - Genesis / First full-length from the Odd Future dude, after a handful of mixtapes that didn't really grab my attention. I stumbled upon the music video totally by accident, but it dragged me in HARD. What a delicious funky tune! The rest of the album isn't too far behind in terms of grooviness, nor quality. Top-notch productions, some cool raps, and overall nice chillin' feeling. Perfect accompaniment to warm spring/summer afternoons and nights. Honorable mentions ギャロ (THE GALLO) - DIAVOLO / Typical gallo kei, only this time it's even better! Can't complain. Guerrilla Toss - Eraser Stargazer / Totally crazy and funky noise-pop that fans of Melt-Banana and Afrirampo would dig. Church of Misery - And Then There Were None... / Not as remarkable as their last effort, but solid nevertheless. Doom on!

You know the drill. ;< February was a pretty uneventful and lax month for me musically. There were some nice releases tho. MeteoroiD - BULLETBOX / A pretty cool album, even if it's just a best of. I've listened to these guys on-and-off after they made a transition from boring pop-rock to kvlt kei-ish territory, and this release is pretty much a perfect treasure trove of that latter era. So it's essentially a darker-coloured affair but also quite melodic and catchy, with nice guitar play and some clever (albeit standard-ish) compositions. A nice surprise. Gehennah - Too Loud to Live, Too Drunk to Die / With a title like that, this record already wins some bonus points! Thankfully the music is kickass too, with a dirty booze-filled punch to the ears. Gehennah do their usual brand of hellish, Motörhead-influenced black-thrash attack with even a bit more rock'n'roll flair than before, making the whole thing sound pleasantly groovy and also powerful as fvck. Hell yeah! Venetian Snares - Traditional Synthesizer Music / Apparently Mr. Funk recorded the entirety of this album 'live' in his studio, which seems like quite a feat considering the towering mass of old-school equipment he has on hand. This album showcases a less chaotic and neurotic side of Venetian Snares, with awesome vintage-sounding synths coupled with some tasty breakbeats (but not overdone to insanity). A pleasant listen. Honorable mentions Fuath - I / A one-man black metal project sounding like a one-man black metal project. Awesome wintery atmosphere. Seth Bogart - Seth Bogart / Quirky & queer pop with a nostalgic neon-glazed sound. Some real hooks in there! Barren - Void / A progressive mixture of various aggressive metal and hardcore stylings. Not bad.

January is drawing to a close, so I thought I'd make this. Picking up the torch this year too, I hope we can make 12 threads for the 12 months of this year (I'll try to be more prescient/proactive this time around). The thread title is pretty self-explanatory, but here are the rules (well, more like guidelines) as said by @Bear last year: This year started out in a pretty good way musically for me, especially considering the latter half of January. Many anticipated releases, good times, some disappointments, but mostly cool vibes all around. Here are three albums that had a bigger impact on me than others: David Bowie - Blackstar / What a strange and monumental work of art! Mr. Bowie's passing makes listening to it all the more strange and surreal. Exciting, thought-provoking and full of adventure, especially considering how far into his career he made this record. He will always be one of the very best! Ty Segall - Emotional Mugger / This dude just can't seem to stop releasing music all over the place, and I sure as hell don't mind. His latest album has everything that makes his style so cozy to listen to: warm fuzzy guitars, trippy vocals and an almost glam-like garage-rock atmosphere. Chthe'ilist - Le Dernier Crépuscule / These guys don't play around: this is probably the most twisted and deliciously morbidly groovin' death metal release I listened to in a long time. It has the technical chops, the appropriate powerful sound and the sick atmosphere to elevate it into perfection. Honorable mentions DEZERT -「最高の食卓」/ Even better than their first album. These guys keep doing their own twisted thing, and it's excellent. Savages - Adore Life / Their debut album was a bit more to my taste, but the mood is still there. More of a 'thinker's album.' Spektr - The Art to Disappear / Pulverizing black metal mixed with industrial wastelands and fever-dream jazz? YES, COUNT ME IN.

In the eternal words of the @Bear: There weren't many standout albums for me in May but anyway, here are my top picks: METZ - II / Dirty, noisy alternative rock with a biting acidic edge. There's nothing more to say really. If you liked this, check out their first album too, also good. Perfect to let off some steam. High-Functioning Flesh - Definite Structures / Sounds and feels like a kickass synthy industrial/EBM record from the early '90s that you can just dance to and feel good/bad/sad/whatever you like. Just great. She Past Away - Narin Yalnızlık / The Turkish princes of goth are back! Floaty synths, twinkly guitars, minimalistic arrangements and deep deep vocals make this a record just as good as their debut. I approve.

I'll just do like Pretzels and quote myself: I will post my list later, when I find out if I've even checked out three albums for april.

Derp to quote Bear's previous February topic (I hope you won't mind this one, eh?) : Go go! (will post mine later)

February is over and it's time to reveal your favourite albums of the month. The thread for january wasn't exactly a success, but I'll give it a new try anyway. The concept is simple: pick 3 releases (albums, EPs, singles or compilations), write why you like the album/why people should check it out and be cool. As you hear new albums of the month feel free to quote yourself, remove one and add the newest one instead of it. At the end of the month I'll make a new thread for the previous month. That's all. Rules: Post three albums each Add a linke to your favourite track of the album. Do NOT embed youtube videos. Just link to the best song. Not everyone have decent computers to handle all the videos. And that is basically it. Ask if there's something you're curious about. Go on, guys!

I really liked the concept that Cat and the lot made up and posted here and thought that we should have something similar for us mortals as well, but I will go with albums. I think it is a nice and easy way to discover albums released the previous month, so I think it sounds cool. The concept is simple: pick 3 releases (albums, EPs, singles or compilations), write why you like the album/why people should check it out and be cool. As you hear new albums of the month feel free to quote yourself, remove one and add the newest one instead of it. At the end of the month I'll make a new thread for the previous month. That's all. Rules: Post three albums each Add a linke to your favourite track of the album. Do NOT embed youtube videos. Just link to the best song. Not everyone have decent computers to handle all the videos. And that is basically it. Ask if there's something you're curious about.