What's your AOTY 2018?
 

Even though there's still a couple months to go, the year is drawing to a close, so what do you guys think the best album of the year has been so far? Personally I think it has been a bit of weak year, but despite that there's been a handful of great stuff. Honestly I think I'd say Ripped to Shreds 埋葬 is my AOTY atm. Thanks to Mondo for introducing me to this awesome old school-sounding death metal band:


I'm sure many people here may understandably say Daughters, as that's certainly an album that's been receiving a lot of praise on the site it seems.

Let me know if this thread is too similar to the 2018 Albums You're Digging thread, I just thought this might be more specific.

Definitely not a weak year for me. So many good albums! I've got about 25 CDs from 2018 so far, and ~60-70 more that I'd buy if I was made of money.

I've gotten a lot of those 2018 albums pretty recently, so I don't know yet which are the best, but it's gonna probably be some kind of songwriter or indie pop album.

Possibly the new Alela Diane album, but I really can't say yet.

https://static.metacritic.com/images...eab261f8d3.jpg

You're good.

I think that this year started off a little bit shaky but came into stride around April or May and has turned out to be pretty awesome. I don't have a clear frontrunner apart from the new Coltrane album. I'll try doing it by genre.

Metal:
Esoctrilihum - Inhüma

Hip hop:
Armand Hammer - Paraffin

Free improvisation:
Konstrukt + Keiji Haino - A Philosophy Warping, Little by Little That Way Lies a Quagmire

Pop:
Clarence Clarity - Think: Peace

(Experimental) Rock:
Mamaleek - Out of Time

Electronic:
Drew Daniel & John Wiese -Continuous Hole

Classical:
Actress x London Contemporary Orchestra - LAGEOS

Ambient:
The Caretaker - Everywhere at the End of Time: Stage 4

Folk:
Anna & Elizabeth The Invisible Comes to Us

Punk:
S.B.S.M. - Leave Your Body

I still think it's too early to call. Stuff like Yandhi, Heir to Despair and Salem 1692 have yet to drop. But if we're talking my current AOTY, it's definitely Crumbling.

Crumbling is awesome, not at all what I expected to hear out of South Korea. Check out his 2015 album, too!

I do enjoy the self titled but I think Crumbling is an overall better release. Summer Soul is just such a great addition- the male/female vocal blend works so perfectly. What's your favorite track, Zhanteimi?

Cool that you already knew about his other release. :)

Favorite track? Hard to say, since I've only listened to it twice, but the second track is pretty weird, and weird is good in my book.

Nice! I think it's called 'Ahh! These Chains' or something. Great track, second favorite after Protector (track 6). As for the self-titled, yeah I checked it out shortly after listening to Crumbling. It has a similar atmosphere and is a lot more folk-oriented but it's missing the oomph that the electronics and neo-psych/dream pop influences gave Crumbling.

I'm placing bets now though that Mid-Air Thief's next album will be better than the first two combined. :laughing:

I listened. This is really ****ing great death metal.

Dope ****. You should check this (whole series) out.