15-11
15) The Dillinger Escape Plan -
Dissociation
Leave it to Dillinger of all bands to go out of the game with their most complete and awe inspiring release. They have been a long time favourite of mine and on Dissociation they say farewell in such a fashion that I don't think any fan could be disappointed. There is plenty of risks taken all over the project, and yet they still manage to combine some of their most melodic work with some of their heaviest and most chaotic. From the spastic opener Limerent Death to the electronic Fugue, there is no shortage of variety on the band's latest release. I truly believe DEP were a band that improved with nearly every project they released, and they capped it off with a mesmerizing finale.
14) Modern Baseball -
Holy Ghost
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The little emo kid inside of me will always enjoy newly released poppy tunes like you find on Holy Ghost. Modern Baseball seem to specialize in that. Much like their last album, Holy Ghost is filled with well crafted pop punk tracks that embrace every emo cliche around while remaining oh so self-aware. The smooth transitions between tracks and the sub-30 minute run time make this album one of the easiest listens of 2016, while still remaining catchy and fun. I will Paypal $100 to anyone that can make it through Mass without singing along to what is easily the catchiest track of the year.
13) Oranssi Pazuzu -
Värähtelijä
If I was rating these albums on unique listening experiences, Oranssi Pazuzu would certainly have cracked the top 5. Psychedelic rock, atmo-black metal, space rock, what doesn't this album have? To be quite honest, not much. This thing takes you on a true voyage from start to finish and makes the most of its 70 minute run-time. There isn't much justice that be done to this album by simply talking about it. If you're a fan of adventurous and unique extreme metal then I would highly recommend picking this up.
12) Vektor -
Terminal Redux
As far as I'm concerned, Vektor are one of, if not the most talented modern thrash acts. They blend break neck speed riffs, alien-esque ugly wretched vocals, and some very progressive and technical instrumentation in a way that I've never quite heard before. On Terminal Redux, they return after a 5 year absence and deliver a sci-fi adventure that might just be my new favourite release of theirs. The use of guest performers who provide soulful, choir-like vocals on the opening and closing tracks as well as the slower paced, cleaner passages both work perfectly when contrasting the brazing guitar shredding and ruthless drum beats. If you needed an album to show you how alive and well thrash metal currently is, you can find it here.
11) Zao -
The Well-Intentioned Virus
As I said earlier, properly constructed metalcore is just the bees' knees, as shown by one of the genres most talented groups, Zao. Despite their ever-evolving line-up and 7 year hiatus, the American metal act shot back this year with one of their best releases so far. The sludgy production, the hammering intensity, and the perfectly executed melodic moments all lead to this being one of the best metal albums of the year and yet another fantastic addition to the band's discography. Regardless of whether you're a Converge fan, a Trivium fan, or a Pierce the Veil fan (pussy), you need to hear this album for the track Observed/Observer alone.