20)
Abyss by Chelsea Wolfe
Out of all the album's found on my list, Abyss is the one I've listened to the least, and it has nothing to do with the album's quality. Put simply, the album is so powerful, so noisy, so loud, that you can't help but feel the music. Chelsea Wolfe's gothic voice is beautiful yet empty, it's the only thing stopping you from being sucked into the dark, dreary production that surrounds this album in blackness. Abyss may be the heaviest album of 2015, and yet still, it manages to feel both calming and soothing.
19)
Today, I Wrote Nothing by Billy Woods
Billy Woods has been doing his thing within the underground hip-hop scene for quite some time now, but with the release of Today, I Wrote Nothing, Woods grabbed the world's attention, and put his talents on display. He still may not be the biggest, most well known hip-hop commodity, but he solidified himself as one of the most underrated talents in the game by creating his most ambitious project yet.
18)
Scar Sighted by Leviathan
For those not familiar with Leviathan, multi-instrumentalist Jef Whitehead's solo black metal project has been one of the biggest acts in American black metal for quite some time. On his latest album, Whitehead often times seems to forget he's even making a black metal album, as it sounds more like a hodgepodge of every genre he can think of, combining death and doom metal with noise rock, post metal, and just about anything else that crosses his mind. While typically such stylistic choices would lead to a project that's convoluted and ultimately too ambitious, that isn't the case on Scar Sighted, as each risk pays off, making for one of the better metal releases of the year.
17)
I Love You Honeybear by Father John Misty
I'm not quite sure what it is I like more about J. Tillman, the former Fleet Foxes drummer who has since went solo under the Father John Misty alias, is it his music or is it his humour? On his latest record I Love You Honeybear, there's no need to choose. The blend of Tillman's outrageous comedy and personality with his fantastic song compositions help make for one of the most unique indie folk experiences around.
16)
Luminiferous by High on Fire
As if Matt Pike had anything else to prove after creating Dopesmoker alongside his fellow Sleep bandmates, an album that has went on to be one of the most influential stoner metal projects of all time, he decided to form his own band High on Fire. Since their formation, High on Fire have delivered quite a few classics themselves (their 2007 album Death Is This Communion is a personnel favorite of mine.) In 2015, the band released what has to be considered one of their better albums thanks to the the blend of doom metal, sludge metal, and thrash metal found throughout the track listing. Pike's vocals are perhaps the best they've ever been, and his bandmates aren't too shabby on this one either. Luminiferous makes for a great album for any fan of metal music, to say the least.
15)
Get to Heaven by Everything Everything
If you're a fan of catchy, sing-a-long pop rock, look no further than Everything Everything's Get to Heaven. The band's third full-length studio release see's them pursue darker song-writing, but when met with the band's upbeat electronic rock style it leads to what is easily their finest release yet. It's guaranteed to get stuck in your head, and leave you wanting more. If that is the case, the band even packaged five or so extra tracks alongside the deluxe edition of this release.
14)
Every Open Eye by Chvrches
Chvrches have seemingly perfected the art of crafting synth-pop at this point. They released one of the best debut album's of 2013, and followed it up with Every Open Eye, an album that proves they haven't lost a step yet. If you're a fan of synth-pop, you've already heard Chvrches, if you aren't a fan of synth-pop, check out this album and you will be.
13)
I Don't Like Shit, I Don't Go Outside by Earl Sweatshirt
Earl Sweatshirt is one of the most talented young emcee's around, and if he didn't manage to impress you on EARL or Doris, then I Don't Like Shit should do the job. Not only has Earl refined his sound and continued to improve both his lyricism and beat selection, but he managed to do so on a project that clocks in at a mere 30 minutes. Maybe it sounds too short for you to truly be able to grasp what the Odd Future member is saying, but thanks to some superb lyrics and some fantastic features, it ends up feeling like the perfect length.
12)
The Anthropocene Extinction by Cattle Decapitation
Not only do Cattle Decap possess one of the most metal names I've ever heard, but they also have one of the premier vocalists in the current death metal scene thanks to frontman Travis Ryan. The vegan deathgrind 4-piece are frequently spreading their message against the mistreatment and eating of animals through their absolutely brutal and bone shattering music, and The Anthropocene Extinction see's the band look deeper into a dystopian future where we as humans fail to change the way we're living, and if there was ever an album to scare you into changing your ways, I'd put money on it being this one.
11)
Sometimes I Sit and Think, and Sometimes I Just Sit by Courtney Barnett
Australian singer-songwriter Courtney Barnett has been putting together solid material under the radar for a few years now, but it wasn't until last year that she released her debut full-length. The album definitely came in on the unique side of the spectrum, and was a nice change of pace to an indie rock scene that is littered with recycled sounds. Barnett's style isn't quite indie rock, but it isn't quite indie folk, to me it's a hybrid of the two. Call it what you want, perhaps the best summation of the album is simply; great.
10)
The Algiers by The Algiers
The Algiers self-titled debut full-length was easily one of the biggest, and best surprises to come from this past year. The group managed to blend gospel, post-punk and noise rock among other things with ease. They took the music industry by storm from virtually nowhere, releasing an album that's just as fun and catchy as it is skillful. The upbeat pacing mixed with some very intriguing gospel influenced vocals is seriously something to behold.
9)
Meliora by Ghost
If there's one thing Ghost proved in 2015, it was that you don't have to be the heaviest to be one of the best. Not only did the band put out one of their best albums yet and one of the best albums of the year, they managed to do so while creating a sound unlike what any other band is currently producing. The band gives you your hard hitting heavy metal on cuts like From the Pinnacle to the Pit and Mummy Dust, but they also toy with elements of classic rock, psychedelia and a plethora of other genres throughout the album. Hell, He Is is much closer to being a folk song than it is metal, and yet still, on Meliora it makes sense.
8)
The Powers That B by Death Grips
What can really be said about Death Grips that hasn't already been said? Their impressive discography continues to grow, and they manage to continue producing their signature sound without ever quite sounding the same, especially on the double LP The Powers That B. We get some of the noise rap group's most abrasive and angry cuts, and we also get some of their most lyrical and timid. Sure, it may not be The Money Store, but it's pretty damn close in my mind.
7)
E•MO•TION by Carly Rae Jepsen
If you haven't heard Carly Rae Jepsen's latest album, you need to as soon as possible. I Really Like You may not be the most impressive single, but if you take the time to dig deeper into the album, you'll find a hidden gem. An ode to mid 80's synthpop with just a touch of Jepsen's own style makes this album one of the most impressive mainstream commercial pop releases in quite some time. It's fun, it's laid back, and it's straight forward without being watered or dumbed down like most commercial pop tends to be.
6)
So The Flies Don't Come by Milo
I was late on this project, way too late. I regret every minute not spent listening to this album, and I've been making up for it even since I got around to hearing it by playing it on a daily basis. This is a hip-hop record that goes down the list and checks off every single thing I look for with an album within the genre. Milo's lyrics border from being clever to being so complex I need to use google to understand, and that's something that shouldn't be taken for granted. Combine that with some very enjoyable production and great features, and you have So The Flies Don't Come, one of the best rap projects of 2015.
5)
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Currents by Tame Impala
Currents, Tame Impala's third full-length studio album was definitely a grower. After my first listen, or my first four or five for that matter, I wasn't impressed. That's not to say that I didn't like it, but maybe I just didn't quite understand it. Kevin Parker had switched up the formula that made his first two projects so enjoyable, almost completely throwing away his guitar and instead focused primarily on the synthesizers. As the album has aged, it has continued to grow on me, and has become my favorite in the band's discography by quite a large margin. Changing up the formula is always a big risk to take, but in the case of Tame Impala and Currents, it's a risk that paid off.
4)
Carrie & Lowell by Sufjan Stevens
One of the most hauntingly beautiful albums I've heard this year, Sufjan Stevens' Carrie & Lowell is not only one of the best of the year, it's one of the best in Sufjan's discography. He returned to his folk roots after experimenting with more electronic elements on his previous release The Age of Adz, which is a fantastic album in it's own right. Carrie & Lowell was made in memory of Stevens' late mother Carrie who passed away back in 2012. The lyrics are often times very personal, inspired by his childhood and family. If you enjoy sparse, atmospheric, indie folk music, Carrie & Lowell is a must hear.
3)
Purple by Baroness
Because of it's release coming in late December, Purple was unfairly left off of many best of 2015 lists. Not only is the album a return to form for the sludge metal band Baroness after the release of the somewhat disappointing double LP Yellow & Green, but it's also perhaps their best release to date. The band once again manages to take their sludge metal roots and blend it with alternative metal crafting catchy, often time chorus driven tracks. If you feared that Baroness were going to fall off after their last album, give Purple a spin, if it proves one thing it's that not only are they back, but they're one of Savannah's premier metal acts.
2)
To Pimp A Butterfly by Kendrick Lamar
When it came down to declaring my favorite album of 2015, I really struggled making a decision. Kendrick Lamar dropped what has become immediately one of the most important hip-hop album's of the decade. The subject matter is important, Kendrick is talking about things that matter and that we need to pay attention to, in a time where no mainstream artists chose to do so in their music. Important doesn't necessarily always lead to quality though, and the Compton native did an impeccable job of ensuring his album was just as enjoyable as it was anything else. Tracks like King Kunta, Alright, and You Ain't Gotta Lie will keep those looking for hits satisfied, while still managing to incorporate such a bold message under the surface as well. Kendrick Lamar is declaring he's proud of his heritage, as should everyone else, while also discussing the stereotypes still perpetuated against minorities to this day. For those of you claiming that hip-hop is dead, we'll see about that twenty odd years from now when To Pimp A Butterfly is still as relevant and important as it right now.
1)
New Bermuda by Deafheaven
Until sitting down to write this list, I had TPAB and Deafheaven's latest release sitting both in my number one spot. Two albums, so different, yet so similar. One is a hip-hop album with a crucial message that everyone needs to hear, the other is a black metal masterpiece, blending the extreme genre with elements of post-metal and shoegaze among other things. The atmospheric soundscape of this album, the tremolo picked guitars and epic blast beats that make way for post-rock passages only to once again build into a wonderful crescendo, New Bermuda has everything. The groundwork was laid with the band's second studio album Sunbather, but what they did in 2015 was take it to a grander scheme, they took the 10+ minute black metal onslaughts, and the beautifully intricate interludes that separated them, and found a way to combine the two into single tracks. It's an album that screams work of art, each sound layered precisely onto one another, with the ugliness of the wretched vocals floating somewhere beneath the surface. The beauty that lays in Deafheaven's New Bermuda is simply too strong to ignore, and that's what makes it worthy of the title of my favorite album of 2015.
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