My favorite albums of 2020 part 2

I guess it is time for second part of the list. This time I have more Japanese music. I had burn out with Idol groups but I still like some of them and they have released good music. Let’s start with

YukueshirezuTsurezure - Paradox Soar

Paradox Soar was just released outside Japan. I like everything YukueshirezuTsurezure has released. Some of the earlier singles hinted they might have toned down screaming parts but it didn’t happen as you can see in this video.

Pedro - Roman

Another just released album. I didn’t like anything Pedro released before the album as much as I liked their first album Thumb Sucker but the album won me over. I am not sure if they remixed the songs for the album or made different versions but on album I like the previously released songs better than when they were released.

Kotoful - 百物語

Album was released last year in Japan but rest of the world got it this year. So it is on this list. I shared the video around new year. Then I expected the album to be on this list. I was correct. I don’t have much to tell about the band. I assume they are not that famous which is shame because they make so interesting music.

Tricot - 真っ黒

I had big problems getting this album from iTunes. I preordered it but didn’t get it for couple months. I had to tell their help desk to cancel the preorder and I bought it from elsewhere. I got two more songs but it wasn’t worth waiting couple months for one of my favorite albums of the year.

Necry Talkie - Zoo!!

Necry Talkie is one of very few bands making happy music I like. I don’t understand what they sing about. So lyrics may not be that happy but music sounds happy. I have shared this video earlier talking more about the band then.

Okinawa Electric Girl Saya - Neo Saya

If I understood it correctly this is not proper album. This was released to fund her Asian tour. But then Covid-19 happened. I almost ordered cd version of the album the get this song. I didn’t have to do it because album was released digitally little later. Okinawa Electric Girl Saya is one of the most interesting experimental artists at the moment but she seems to release too much music which makes her music bit too uneven. Every now and then she releases gems like this song. Album doesn’t have low points which is not always the case with her music.

Carpenter Brut - Blood Machines soundtrack

I want to like Carpenter Brut more than I do. I heard them first time in Tuska few years ago. They somehow fitted to metal festival. From time to time I have checked their music but it has not worked. I wouldn’t say something was missing because feeling is more like there is too much of everything. It changed with Blood Machines soundtrack. They couldn’t put too much of everything to soundtrack. It had to support the movie not to be the main thing.

Shedir - Finite Infinity

Bandcamp gave everything to artists on first friday of the month. Cyclic Law had sale on that day. I had already bought too much music. But when I listened this album I had to get her first album Falling Time too. It was on sale and everything went to artists. If you want to check her music Falling Time is probably better starting points for new comers to the genre. Both are good albums.

Alphaxone - Dystopian Gate

Time to add something from Cryo Chamber. I am running out of things to say about the label. Love what they release. I have bought almost everything they have released last few years. I could add more from them to these lists. Their releases sound the label even though artists are different. I don’t mean artists sound the same but there is something telling this is from Cryo Chamber.

Lesa Listy - Unheard of

Another album and artist from Cryo Chamber. I put it here partly to prove a point. If you listen to this and Alphaxone back to back you hear there is more common than different. But there is something different. Each artist brings their own flavor but Cryo Chamber’s mastering give albums similar tone. All albums are mastered by same guy. This comes clearer when you listen same artist’s music released by Cryo Chamber and released by someone else. Non Cryo Chamber releases are edgier and rougher. Cryo Chamber treatment makes music smoother. I might make post about this later with examples if I find good examples.

I like to keep these lists ten videos long. Now we have hit that limit. I realized it might not be clear Okinawa Electric Girl Saya was last Japanese artist. Rest of the videos don’t show artists and songs are instrumentals so it might not be clear. I am not sure if Carpenter Brut is artist or band. I have seen them been called both. That was why I used they.

I might have to keep this list three posts long. It doesn’t look like there will be enough albums for four posts. I know three upcoming albums which likely make to the list and few released ones which will be there. But it won’t make to 20. I might have fourth post of artist I found this year who didn’t release anything this year.

My favorite albums of 2020 part 1

I guess this is good time to get first part of favorite albums of 2020 list out. It is more like favorite music releases of 2020 than albums. Some of these are not full length albums. This list doesn’t contain all my favorite albums released so far and is not in any order of how much I like the release. I don’t know how much covid-19 has affected the releases. Labels I follow seems to release with normal schedule. It could be they have some delay on recording and release which makes it seem like nothing has happened. Or some artists don’t need professional studios to make albums.

Wardruna: Lyfjaberg

This song is released only as single and it won’t be on Wardruna’s next album which will be released next January. Creates high expectations for album if they can drop this good song from it.

Danheim: Skapanir

Little more viking music. Danheim has released quite a few albums and singles before. I felt his music had more quantity than quality. It changed with Skapanir. It is like he realized he shouldn’t release every song he made. Only the best ones. His best album so far.

Heldom: Myrkr

I found Heldom through Danheim. Danheim recommend checking him on his Facebook page and Heldom was on couple songs of his latest album. Don’t know much more about Heldom. Album is good if you are into this sort of music. Also like the name of the album for some reason.

Myrkur: Folkesange

If you have read my previous posts you might know I like Myrkur. She seems to be able to do anything and I will like it. This is some sort of continuation of her acoustic tour. Didn’t know it was acoustic when I went there but surely wasn’t disappointed. Folkesange doesn’t have any black metal flavors but I guess most of her fans don’t mind.

Battle Dagorath: Abyss Horizons

I mentioned black metal so here is some black metal. Battle Dagorath’s latest was positive surprise. I remembered their name from previous albums but they were one generic black metal band among other generic black metal bands. Maybe little bit more because I remembered their name. When I started to listen this it didn’t feel that special but by the end of first listening it found place on my favorite albums of 2020 list. Not sure if later songs are better or why that was. I assume this video is legally in Youtube for promotional purposes. I like to share videos from band’s or label’s Youtube but it is not always possible. I could only find this whole album video for this one.

Ursa: Mother Bear, Father Toad

This is here partly because I liked Ursa’s previous album Abyss Between the Stars so much. Mother Bear, Father Toad doesn’t have same magic. They have done more rocking album which is not bad but doesn’t work as well as the first one. But still this is Ursa with their rough lower budget charm.

Loviatar: Lightless

I found this from Ursa’s Mother Bear, Father Toad review. It was said to be one of the best doom metal albums of 2020. I am not sure about doom metal part. But it is one of the best albums of 2020. Music has aspects of doom metal but I wouldn’t call it doom metal. That said I can’t put this in correct genre. It is just good music.

Haru Nemuri: LOVETHEISM

I burnt out checking Japanese music but there are still Japanese artists and bands making my favorite albums list. Haru Nemuri is those artist who seem to be able to do what ever she wants. Don’t ask me to put her music into any genre. It is some kind of mix of punk, hip hop and her personality and it changes from song to song.

Tokyo Incidents: News

Tokyo Incidents is Sheena Ringo’s rock band. Last year her solo material made to this list. This time it is her band. Still jazz but this time with more rock flavor. Video says Incidents Tokyo but iTunes knows this as Tokyo Incidents. So I use that name here.

Tineidae: Exo

I have gotten this far without anything from Cryo Chamber. Time to fix it. Tineidae’s Exo is bit more melodic than Cryo Chamber’s usual offerings. I have bought almost everything Cryo Chamber has released during last few years. I have always wondered how their music would sound like with more melodic material. In this case it works extremely well.

I like to limit number of videos on these posts to ten. Now we hit that limit. I have about ten more to add to list, Those will be on next list some time near future.

Best Albums of 2019 - Supplementary

This list contains music I found 2019 and music by band who released only EPs or singles 2019. To qualify for this list video has to be something I haven’t shared in this blog earlier. I will start with something that probably should have been on Best Albums of 2019 list.

Angel Witch: Angel of Light

This is bit embarrassing. I really liked the album when I checked it first place. I liked it so much I went to check everything else they have released. Angel Witch is not the most versatile band there is. Listening too much of them in short time made me burn out to their music. It happened before I bought this album. So I don’t have this yet. I have listened it enough to know it should be on the list. If I needed one more album to list I would have added this one even though I don’t have it yet. I will get it soon.

Yukueshirezutsurezure: BrightDark

If I made another Japanese or Asian edition this would have been on it but that would have been cheating. BrightDark is YukueshirezuTsurezure’s re-recording album of their old song with current members. It even has re-recordings of songs from last year’s exFallen album. It being cheap and kind of best of album it is good introductory album for anyone new. This song is on album but not this version. They haven’t released any videos of new versions. So I used this original video from 2017.

Necronomidol: Scions of the Blasted Heath

Necronomidol didn’t release full lenght album this year. They released Scions of the Blasted Heath ep and came to Finland. I never thought I will see them live. Now I have seen them and there is change to see them again next year if they are still willing to come back next year. I feared Sari couldn’t be replaced but Michelle has been excellent as weird one of the group. Not trying to be like Sari but being her own kind of weird. This would have been part of first idol edition if video was released when I wrote the post. Video was released quite long after the ep.

DreamSpirit: Warriors of Heaven's Descend

I found DreamSpirit this year. Got all their releases. They didn’t release full length album this year. Only Warriors of Heaven’s Descend EP. DreamSpirit is big reason why I made this post. They were one of the bands who blew my mind this year and they deserve to be brought up. I am not fan of power metal but this works.

Suld: The Memory of Nomadism

After I found The Hu I wanted to find more similar music. Suld is one of the bands I found. DreamSpirit was another but Suld is Mongolian Folk Metal like The Hu. The Memory of Nomadism wasn’t released 2019. Suld was band I found this year.

Nine Treasures: Wisdom Eyes

I am probably telling too much about my music buying habits. I tend to check lot of bands. If I get really excited I buy albums right away. If I have just bought something I add albums to very long wish list and get back to them later. I was pretty sure I had bought Nine Treasure’s albums already. I was shocked to see they are still on my wish list. I corrected the mistake. Listening the album now I don’t understand why I didn’t buy it when I found it.

Heathen Apostles: Bloodgrass Vol. I & II

Heathen Apostles released Dust to Dust this year. I don’t have it and they haven’t released any videos for it. I have last year’s Bloodgrass Vol. I & II. Album is named like that because both parts were relased as EPs first. Heathen Apostles was this year’s findings. I will buy their albums every now and then. Haven’t got to Dust to Dust yet.

Rykarda Parasol: Against the Sun

Rykadra Parasol was this year’s findings. She didn’t release anything this year and there is good change she won’t be releasing anything any more. I bought all here albums in quick phase after I found her. My favorite song of her is “Atheists Have Songs Too”. After hearing it I had to get her albums. It is second track of Against the Sun. Cloak of Comedy is the first.

Chubby Wolf: Turkey Decoy

I am not sure if Rykadra Parasol will release anything anymore. I am sure Chubby Wolf won’t be releasing. It makes you sad to find talented artist who has died so young. In Chubby Wolf’s case she managed to make lot of interesting music before she went away. I found her music ten years after her death.

I can’t put video for last artist I want to mention. I can’t find any videos from Youtube which would even remotely look like it is legally there. You can find tons of his music from Youtube but if there is anything legally uploaded there it is hard to find. Some of the music is also hard to find if you want to buy it and it won’t be cheap. I know because I spent too much money for it earlier this year. When there is no digital releases and physical releases are rare prices tend to go up. Artist’s name is Akira Yamaoka. If that doesn’t ring any bells name Silent Hill might ring some bells. Akira Yamaoka made music for first seven Silent Hill games. You can find soundtracks for last three in iTunes. But for first four I had to buy as cds and those were released in limited quantities long time ago. It wasn’t cheap but now I got all seven soundtracks. This made Akira Yamaoka my most played artist of 2019.

Best Albums of 2019 - Fourth Edition

This is last edition of albums. I will post one more list with other noteworthy music of 2019 which might or might not include artists I found this year but who didn’t release anything this year. It will come soon. This was supposed to come next week but I made this already. So I won’t estimate when next should come. It comes when it is ready.

Visions : Temples

After previous list I went to check Cyclic Law’s Bandcamp. I found few albums more to buy and this one to add this list. I had bought more than those two on previous list but had forgotten they were from Cyclic Law. If I am not mistaken Visions is label’s owner’s own project. He doesn’t seem to has such a tight grip on what is released than one other ambient label’s owner who masters albums he releases making all albums have unified sound. I will check Cyclic Law’s catalogue more carefully.

Babymetal: Metal Galaxy

I honestly don’t know which I found first Babymetal or Necronomidol. I saw Necronomidol live first. I will see Babymetal next year. Bands are reason why I am so much into Japanese music at the moment. Metal Galaxy is Babymetal’s third album. I started to lose faith after singles released after last album but Metal Galaxy was better than I expected. They didn’t change style like I feared.

Broken by the Scream: Noisy Night Fever

I am more excited by Broken by the Scream than I am about Babymetal. They are probably too extreme to become as popular. Noisy Night Fever was released earlier in Japan. Rest of the world had to wait until December. Album sample video was released shortly before album was released in Japan. We had to wait for few months knowing what was coming.

Maison Book Girl: Umi to Uchu no Kodomotachi

Don’t expect me to say anything deep about the album. It was released less than week ago. This time they have dropped weird intros between songs they had on Yume. This is Maison Book Girl’s album. Unless something strange happens their albums will be among my favorite albums of the year.

The Hu: The Gereg

The Hu was my gateway to Mongolian Folk Metal. I found other bands but they haven’t released anything this year. Anything I have bought yet at least. Someone has made ten hour version of their song Wolf Totem. It was how I found the band. I call this folk metal even though they don’t have electric guitars. Everything else is folk metal.

Church of the Cosmic Skull: Everybody’s Going to Die

Everybody’s Going to Die wasn’t released December. Only couple days before December. I already wrote post talking about their other video. Everybody’s Going to Die is the album where Church of the Cosmic Skull realizes they don’t have to put every idea to one song. This streamlining makes band work better.

Thanatonaut: Interstellar

If you like Dark Space you probably like Thanatonaut. Dark Space likes Thanatonaut. I found Thanatonaut from Dark Space’s Facebook post. Both bands have same crushing style. When you surrender to onslaught you start to see nuances in music. Thanatonaut is more melodic of the two but it has lot of similarities to Dark Space. Thanatonaus’ sister band Cold Womb Descent released album Futurism same day 7th of December. Don’t know if there are any deeper meanings on releasing albums on same day.

Inter Arma: Sulphur English

I assume Sulphur English is one of those albums where producer has molded band into something amazing. I have checked Inter Arma’s older material but it doesn’t sound as good. It could also be the band have found their own style on this album. I hope it is the latter because it means I could hear more of this goodness.

Profetus: The Sadness of Time Passing

I could say here almost everything I said about The Howling Void’s Bleak and Everlasting in previous post. Style is funeral doom. I don’t listen it all the time but good funeral doom is really good. Bonus points for band being from Finland.If I had to put two albums on order I would probably put this first. Both are really good albums.

Rammstein: Rammstein

Mutter is one of my all time favorite albums but I haven’t liked their other albums as much. Sure they have good songs but albums as a whole are not good enough for buying the whole album. Until this album. It is not on level of Mutter but good enough to buy and to be on this list. I went to check their other albums but still don’t feel like buying them.

That was it for best albums. I will make another post about music I found this year. Not sure what the name will be.

Best albums of 2019 - third edition

I decided not to have another Japanese or even Asian edition. That would have been too short and another one would have been too long. There will one more post of albums and another one with EPs and rerecordings and so on. Let’s start this with my biggest finding this year.

Ningen Isu: Shin Seinen

I found Ningen Isu from Youtube recommendations. Sometimes those don’t lead to alt-right videos. I checked their other videos and felt in love with the band. Decided to get everything they have released until I found how much they have released. I got the latest album and collection first. I will pick rest every now and then. Band is among my favorite bands now.

Sheena Ringo: Apple of Universal Gravity

Sheena Ringo is another Youtube recommendation finding. I get recommended lot of Japanese music there. Somehow this Japanese Jazz works. I might not like it as much in English or Finnish. Language makes it exotic and interesting. She released another album this year too. I think it is collection of rarer material. This has music for two normal albums.

Billie EIlish: WHEN WE ALL FALL ASLEEP, WHERE DO WE GO?

I am not sure should I have this album on the list. Liked it when I got it but now I have hard time remembering why I liked this first place. More I hear about her music less I care. This is on the list because of how exited I was when I heard the album first time.

Dahlia's Tear: Across the Shifting Abyss

This is from Cryo Chamber. Do I need to say more? I buy almost everything they release and this is one of their best albums this year. If you don’t know the label this album is good starting point. It is more melodic than their releases generally and more beginner friendly.

Amanda Palmer: There Will Be No Intermission

If you go Amanda Palmer’s Bandcamp you find dozens of releases. It can be intimidating if you want to get into her music. Most of those releases are demos or one off collaborations with varying quality. Her serious albums are good but she seems to have need to release something all the time. This is her second solo album. First was Who Killed Amanda Palmer. Those are good starting points to her music. Then you can continue to Dresden Dolls, 8in8 and Amanda Palmer & Grand Theft Orchestra: Theater Is Evil. If you want more then you can check rest of what is there.

Hildur Guðnadóttir: Chernobyl TV Series Soundtrack

I told previous part I like female cellists’ music. Hildur Guðnadóttir is one of those cellists. She is one who hasn’t played in Rasputina. She has become soundtrack artist since her cello albums. Chernobyl soundtrack is made of sounds recorded at power plant. It creates interesting soundscapes. I haven’t seen the series yet but like the soundtrack.

The Howling Void: Bleak and Everlasting

I don’t want to link whole albums here but sometimes Youtube only has whole albums and this seems to be legally there. Underground bands may not always release music videos. Albums like Bleak and Everlasting keep me Avangarde Music subscriber. Can’t say if this is best funeral doom album of the year. I don’t want to listen the genre that much. I like it and it is good enough to fulfill my funeral doom needs.

KADAVAR: For The Dead Travel Fast

This is interesting song. I almost got bored and stopped watching the video first time. But something kept me going and song got more interesting as it went on. It is good song but maybe not the best for the first video you see from the band. Why I have it here? It is best song from the album and you might endure the beginning because I told you it gets better.

Neraterræ: The Substance of Perception

Neraterræ isn’t from Cryo Chamber but they swim on same waters. Partly because this album has collaborations from artists whose albums Cryo Chamber has released.

Monocube: Substratum

Another album released by Cyclic Law. After I found Monocube and Neraterræ I thought Cyclic Law could become label I need to buy almost everything they release. But so far their other releases haven’t opened as well as these two albums. It could be their other releases are more towards industrial noise or whatever it is called. I will keep my eye on the label in case they release something I like.

I guess this was enough for this time. Next part will come next week and have few albums released December. I think I have mentioned at least three of them on this blog already.

Best Albums of 2019 (First non-Japanese edition)

If you have read my blog before you might know I have praised Japanese music lately. This is first non-Japanese list best albums of 2019. These are in no specific order.

Orville Peck: Pony

It is small miracle I found Orville Peck. It was one random Facebook status mentioning mask wearing country artist. Post didn’t mention he is openly gay. Well as openly as masked man can be. But that isn’t important. Music is. It is said this is country but it does remind lot of Roy Orbison. When I found Orville Peck he was most amazing thing ever. Good music and whole weird world of Orville Peck. You should check him even if you don’t like country.

Heilung: Futha

First time I heard about Heilung was at Tuska Open Air festival. When I read their introduction on Tuska’s site they sounded interesting band. I went see them without listening anything before. I thought I made big mistake going to near front row during first ten to fifteen minutes. Then it just started to work and I loved rest of the show. Video is from older show but song is from Futha. I wanted to show this video because it shows what Heilung’s live shows look like.

Protou: Anomalies

I guess it is time to add Cryo Chamber records here. I have bought almost everything they have released last few years. My relationship with the label is I trust everything they release will be something I like. Those few albums I haven’t bought are collaboration albums with hour long song. That long songs would mess up my playlists. Protou is one of my favorite artists on the label. Anomalies is her 2019 album.

Sur Austru. Meteahna Timpurilor

I have Avangarde Music subscription. They are not as reliable as Cryo Chamber. But when ever I think should I cancel my subscription they release something like Sur Austru’s Meteahna Timpurilor. Never heard of the band before but when I listened them I was completely blown away. Black metal is most interesting genre at the moment thanks to bands like Sur Austru.

Lana Del Rey: Norman F***ing Rockwell

I guess this is good point to have Lana Del Rey if I want to show I like all kinds of music. I was bit disappointed of her previous record but started to like it more as time has gone on. I didn’t have same problem with this one. Maybe all the time they took to make it paid off. I remember checking for ages when this come to preorder on iTunes.

Tool: Fear Inoculum

There was running joke “Tool releases new album before X happens”. Now we have that album. And it sold more than Taylor Swift which Swift’s fans didn’t like. I really hate the cover but I don’t have to watch it unless I am searching for video to add to this list. Music wise it was like they didn’t have the break. I don’t say it was worth the wait. There aren’t many bands who can make this kind of weird music work. I hope we don’t have to wait for next one this long.

Council of Nine: Davidian

I am running out of things to say about Cryo Chamber artists. All music they release aim to get you to similar mental state. Artists have differences. But if you play them back to back you have hard time telling which song is from which album unless it is one of those few albums which have something special on them or you don’t listen anything else than this genre. This similarity is not a bad thing. It is more of mark of quality and high standard label has. Council of Nine’s Davidian is one of the better Cryo Chamber releases.

Ghaal’s Wyrd: GastiR – Ghosts Invited

I waited for ages second God Seed album. It will never come. Ghaal’s Wyrd is Ghaal’s new band. I hope it releases more than God Seed. But you never know with Norwegian black metal projects. Artists make all-star bands which release one album and then go to next band. Ghaal’s Wyrd have same feeling I liked in God Seed and more really good songs. Not sure if this is all-star band, real band or Ghaal’s solo project.

Danko Jones: A Rock Supreme

Danko Jones released new album this year. Of course it is one of my favorite albums. I am not too much into basic rock n roll. Danko Jones is one of few artists in the genre I like and he has interesting podcast I have listened since the beginning. This either works or doesn’t. I guess it works for me since I have all his albums.

Julia Kent: Temporal

I might be little biased. Julia Kent liked one of my Instagram post. But I had her albums before that happened. I have soft spot for cellists’ solo albums. Should I say female cellists’. Or maybe I should say female cellists’ who are former members of Rasputina. Maybe not that last one. I like other cellists than Julia Kent and Zoe Keating too. Cello’s sound has something which makes it work as only instrument on a song or the main instrument. And cellist ladies make interesting cinematic music with it.

Ï guess this is good place to end this post. There will be at least two more best albums of 2019 posts coming. Current plan is one will be Asian edition and another Western edition. I might split the western edition two because there is probably more than enough good albums for it. Both are waiting albums to be released. I might not separate them by geography. Not sure yet.