Jimmy NaNa – Jimmy NaNa: Obligatory mention of my latest, self-titled, album. The album presents 4 new tracks plus 7 new & old tracks recorded with live vocals & guitar, done in a single take. In addition, I’ve recently added 7 bonus tracks to the bandcamp release.

Velositor – Reimagined (and more): Another obligatory mention of my band’s releases from last year. We put out an EP with reimagined versions of 3 of our songs, as well as covers of the 90s pop classic “Missing” and the modern metal-core hit “Animals.” Check them out!

Unprocessed – …and everything in between: I mention this first because this is most intriguing album I’ve heard in a long time. Unprocessed is a band from Germany that has been around for awhile, but has only recently come to my attention. Their music is hard to describe as it contains elements of many genres but if you like virtuoso 8 string guitar, impeccable drumming, vocals that shift from pop to metal and some real punchy bass guitar, then I suggest checking these guys out. Their album “Gold” is also a noteworthy release. I only wish I knew about them sooner so I could’ve caught their last tour.

Sleep Token – Take Me Back to Eden: A truly magnificent album and the culmination of a sound they’ve been building for the last two albums. Every song on here is a journey. I’m glad I was able to see them on their last tour in a smaller venue because it may be awhile before they play small venues again, if ever.

Tash Sultana – SUGAR EP: I’ve never heard of Tash until this year when I was visiting Texas and said that no matter who is playing, I’m going to a show at Stubbs BBQ while I’m here. That happened to Be Tash. And I’m glad I did as it was a remarkable experience. I’ve seen artists that play guitar and sing with a loop station. But I’ve never seen an artist that does all of that, but also loops and plays bass, drums, drum pads, saxophone, flute and trumpet all at an extremely high level of competence. Essentially building a song from scratch, singularly. Bringing in the full band members for many songs throughout the set sounded phenomenal. SUGAR EP, while not my favorite album by Tash Sultana (that would be Flow State), is a solid Pop release that sets itself apart by the great musicianship going on behind the catchy hooks and shimmering production.

Story of the Year – Tear Me to Pieces: Admittedly, I’m not the biggest SotY fan, but “Page Avenue” was excellent and I listened to that many times over. This comeback for them was unexpected for me. I gave it listen because, why not? But I didn’t expect to be playing it over and over. It has all the elements the band is known for but with a modern update. Solid riffs, catchy choruses, the album is downright infectious.

The Callous Daoboys – God Smiles Upon The Callous Daoboys: I’d heard this band name bounced around for awhile but it just never sounded like something I’d like. I finally decided to give it a shot when this new EP came out and I’m glad I did. It’s something that’s hard to describe with words. It’s certainly heavy, but also it can morph into anything at any second, like a lounge music-esque break in between two punishing breakdowns. It’s sort of like Every Time I Die, Dillinger Escape Plan and Horse the Band decided to join each other and jump genres at any given moment.

Ed Sheeran – Subtract: I was lucky enough to have the opportunity to see this album performed live by the 12 piece band that recorded, before it was released. At the show, Ed provided intimate stories about the meanings behind each song and it was a very powerful experience. I’ve never been introduced to an album in this manner and I thought it made a very strong connection with me for this reason as well as the strong and thoughtful songwriting. While it is a very sad themed album, I find it comforting to listen to at certain times, as it’s a good example that of the fact that we’re all human and sometimes bad things happen but we get through them.

Post Malone – Austin: Post Malone continues to evolve his sound and put out memorable songs. I enjoyed this album. Not quite as much as all the previous albums, but certainly a good listen with more than a few stand out songs.

Sevendust – Truth Killer: Yet again, Sevendust still putting out solid albums after all these years. They don’t change the formula much, but they don’t sound stale by any means. It’s not often a band puts out some of their best albums this deep into their career.

Johnny Booth – Moments Elsewhere: Somehow these guys stayed under the radar for me until now. Another band that has a great back catalog I got to hear all at once. This new album is my favorite from them though. Their take on hardcore and metalcore sounds freshly brutal. They seamlessly mix in melodic and electronic elements and never drop the energy level. I was able to see one of the album release shows they did for this and it did not disappoint.

Invent, Animate – Heavener: I’ve liked IA’s past releases but they were never albums I listened to very often. However, this time they put out something I really connected with and I’ve been jamming this one a lot. The refined sound and song structure sits well with my tastes and I found myself humming some of the parts hours later. I’m looking forward to listening to this more and seeing what they come up with next go round. Here’s to hoping they headline a show somewhere near me this year.

Beartooth – The Surface: Other than “Aggressive” I’ve always jammed the latest Beartooth front to back. This is time is no different except these songs are even more memorable than ever. The formula hasn’t changed much, but the little tweaks here and there keep it sounding new and interesting.

Taproot – SC\SSRS: Like everyone that’s been a Taproot fan since the 90s, I was surprised that there was a new album coming out. I was a bit apprehensive when I heard that it was essentially a solo project of the singer. I had no need to be. This album is great. Not only does it sound like a fresh Taproot album it also is reminiscent of all the albums that have come before in different ways. I hear elements that were front and center on Welcome, Gift and Blue Sky Research and the more recent Episodes. Taproot is not done yet and they are a band I hope comes nearby to play a show.

Currents – The Death We Seek: I really enjoyed The Place I Feel Safest from 2017, but was less into the stuff they put out in between that and this album. This is a fresh take though. The heavy parts hit hard and the melodic parts sit nicely and stick in your head.

Berried Alive – Berried Treasure: Possibly the oddest band I’ve come across lately, Berried Alive are somehow able to mix electronic pop, hip-hop and metal in a way I haven’t quite heard before. Insane solos, crazy beats and vocals that bounce around styles, this album has produced many songs that had me going “whaaaaaaa.” There’s also a healthy dose of humor that goes into these songs.

Fall Out Boy – So Much (For) Stardust: I don’t really expect a whole lot from FoB at this point because I feel like they’ve done as much as they can. Everything since Save Rock and Roll has been par for the course to me. The new album doesn’t dispute that, but it shows they are still able to come up with good songs and not sound like a band that’s overstayed its welcome.

Joey Valence & Brae – Punk Tactics: I’d heard some stuff by these guys before, but it felt a little off the mark to me. Too derivative or contrived. That being said, I gave this album a chance anyway and I was surprised to enjoy it. It’s fun and the production is very well done. My only gripe is the lyrics could use work. Not that every song needs to have some life changing message. But even with lyrics that are meant to be funny, it falls short more than once.

Gideon – MORE POWER, MORE PAIN: I’ve never listened to Gideon before, although I’ve heard the name. This is just a brutal album. There’s even some nu-metal influences going on underneath the metalcore/hardcore sound. Every track slams, nothing fancy but it doesn’t need it.

ten56. – Downer: A brutal release from a band I discovered on the top sellers page of Bandcamp. These guys are from France and are relentless. Mixing a nu-core sound with EDM and Trap components made this one stand out for me.

Honorable Mentions

• Silent Planet – SUPERBLOOM
• Somewhere To Call Home – Burden
• Teeth – A Biblical Worship of Violence
• Polaris – Fatalism
• Ed Sheeran – Autumn Variations
• Spiritbox – The Fear of Fear
• Veil of Maya – [m]other