EPT
7. Untitled 07
"Love won't get you high as this"
Kicking off the list is one of two songs most people will recognize, this being "untitled 07" off of Kendrick Lamar's album-made-from-scraps, untitled unmastered. The single version and the extended version with the additional verses both fit here, as the verses are good although drag on a little long but feature enough fiery lines ("I could never end a career if it never start") to make up for it. Still, the star of the show is 'Part One' in all of its levitating, atmospheric excellence; holy shit. The instrumental is wonderful, the lyrics (while being repetitive) work well for selling a certain emotion. I interpret this song as a declaration of dissatisfaction, a statement that physical things won't ever get you as high as certain moments. For an artist that tends to play with subject matter that I don't appreciate as much as I probably could, this song works for because of how abstract it is. It's easy to find your own interpretation, and that works well! The hazy, drunken slur on the 'verses' is also easy to appreciate, as it fits perfectly with the atmosphere. It's one of my favorite songs from post-GKMC Kendrick Lamar (probably second or third favorite), and it's definitely the best from untitled, unmastered by a good amount.
6. Molecules
"You get frightened finding happiness can drive away the movement"
Aesop Motherfucking Rock. It's crazy how consistently I can find enjoyment in this guy's work, and how often he manages to gather a reaction from me; his greatest strength is in finding lines that make me think a new way about something, although his production is getting really good too. Practically every lyric has either a concept or a flow to it that I really enjoy, they fit well on the instrumental, there's quotables all over the place ("Til then he's documenting cops and watching Heaven decay) and the entire thing reeks of style and humor and cleverness in a way I really enjoy. The connecting hook works because it's memorable and it changes up enough to keep things interesting while keeping the same similar structure to make it a chorus instead of just a short verse. If there's one flaw I can pick with it, it's the second verse. It's not necessarily bad - and fuck, the ending is great - but it doesn't have as strong a concept behind it as the first or the third. However he makes up for it when the beat changes and he gets to talk about the way that sad art influences him. It's a very personal verse as someone who writes almost-entirely-depressing poetry, and a lot of the words connect sharply because of this. It's a great album, great song, and even in a really competitive year that last verse is going to stand out.
5. Lazarus
"Everybody knows me now"
It was hard to pick a lyric that really stands out from Lazarus. I imagine a lot of people will point to the opening line because of how prophetic it ended up being, but it doesn't feel as insightful as the ending to that verse. In Lazarus David Bowie makes a lot of passing observations about a career that I - sadly - didn't get the chance to see much of, and they all connect in some way. Whether it's cancer or dissatisfaction or death, there's a lot of things to like in what he says, but none of them strike me quite as hard as the concept that famous people just don't get to feel personal satisfaction because it isn't personal to them anymore. Practically every word here is on-point, set to instrumentation that would feel chaotic if it didn't manage to strike everything at the right place.. it's a very odd song in the way that it should be a lot messier than it is, but somehow it feels perfect anyway. The simplicity of that ending verse is gorgeous, especially matched against an instrumental that just gets more and more complicated. I didn't like Blackstar as much as a lot of people (maybe just because David Bowie's success was largely before my time), but Lazarus is a beautiful send off and I think fans should be happy that he got a piece of art this marvelous finished before his death.
4. Into The Vaults of Ingurgitating Obscurity
"The bone-chilling, eerie calm that surrounds you makes your body tremble in fear"
... And now we're onto something entirely different. Chthe'ilist's offering this year might've been comparable to a band like Bal-Sagoth in its otherwordly, fantasy nature but the way they actually approach the subject matter couldn't be more different. I mean, seriously! The guitar is muddied and grimy, the drums are chaotic and brutal, the vocals are the very definition of sloppy.. this is an unrelenting barrage of sound. Do I necessarily enjoy the lyrics? I find them a lot less graceful and harder to appreciate than anything else on this list - by far - but somehow they work to cement that atmosphere of stomach-churning ruggedness. The riffs change up enough to keep things interesting and there's enough breaks in the monotony to make this more than just drone metal, especially with the 'cleaner' vocal section. Honestly? I'm just kind of flabbergasted that this even exists, especially from a band so utterly unknown. That goddamn guitar solo sealed the deal for me in terms of placing it this high, because holy fuck! It's surprisingly grimy, and is definitely the best solo I've seen this year. Probably the best period since Spawn of Possession's Incurso. Expect this song to drop a lot with the year-end list because it does lack replay value, but it's a goddamn experience on first listen.
[This song was technically released in 2012 as part of a demo, but since it's from their 2016 release as well I decided to count it. Years are fucking weird.]
3. Dorks
"The songs are echolocation up in impregnable fog"
Aesop Rock deserves a second song on this list. Hell, there's way more than just the two- I could've stuck "Defender" or "Get Out of the Car" or "Water Tower" or "Shrunk" up here without any problems, but "Dorks" got the nod instead. That's not for a lack of lows, as the first verse ends pretty badly and the sample is kind of a miss in my book.. but when the song gets good, it gets ridiculous. The start of that first verse is fantastic and flows wonderfully over a great bassline, and the second verse is a frontrunner for Verse of the Year alongside the third from Molecules. Much like the rest of the album, Aesop Rock talks about artistry in a surprisingly introspective and refreshing manner with a lot of observations that make me think. What makes Dorks different is how utterly cool he sounds while doing it. Maybe it's the bassline, maybe it's the effortless way he flows over the beat, but he flaunts himself a lot more than he usually does. It's a really goddamn great song, and instead of just complaining about a disfunctional scene he tries to prove himself as superior. Which is interesting in it's own right. That stretch from "I think we're all a bunch of weirdos on a quest to belong" to "Ascend a pedestal to patronize the rest of the cogs" is going down in the history books, by the way. Goddamn.
2. An Ember's Arc
"It began, as these things do"
There's a lot of albums I'm excited for in Summer. There's "THC" from Mick Jenkins, there's "Run the Jewels 3", there's "The Mountain Will Fall" and "Magma" and "King Push" and presumably at least one of Lupe Fiasco's three albums of the year, but sitting at the very top of my hype list is Be'lakor's "Vessels". This is largely because of An Ember's Arc, a single which took me by goddamn storm and is one of my favorites from them behind things such as Countless Skies and the fucking-stunning In Parting. Once more they take the intensity of Death Metal and swap out the traditional relentless brutality for something more melodic and gorgeous that I just cannot stop loving. All of the guitar bits that interrupt verses and bridge the gap between drum-heavy fast parts or slower sections are beautiful beyond words, and once again the lyrics back it up. While it's hard to speak about a definite subject matter as they are fairly vague, it helps reinforce the grandoise nature of the song and they're delivered with a flow that fits perfectly in some places. The "cascade of embers" verse fits the imagery of an igniting star against climaxing instrumentation, and the muttered vocals that follow are enjoyable in their own right. As always Be'lakor have a masterful command of song structure and display wonderful knowledge of the highs and lows to create a masterpiece that rises into glorious crescendos that feel earned instead of forced. This is a goddamn amazing song, and is probably the most summer-like metal song I've ever heard. Is "Vessels" gonna have anything better? Well, if it does, expect a whole lot more Be'lakor love in the year-end list. Yet despite this being one of the best songs from one of the best metal bands of the past decade, it still doesn't get the #1. Why? Because this year is ridiculous.
1. Recharging the Void
"In darkness we will remain"
This is the most ambitious thrash metal song ever made.
Vektor have always had a patent on over-the-top insanity, but with this song they've really reached an entirely new level with it. They just never stop! The first few minutes would work as a damn good thrash song in and of themselves, a flurry of ridiculously sharp riffs with some sweet guitar-work and some nice vocals climaxing with a guitar solo. A good, nice structure for a damn solid song; fast part, slow part, fast part, guitar solo, end... but, no, Vektor have to be ambitious. Throughout the first part they tend to use gallop-y riffs twisted into some proper sci-fi sounding insanity, but that's not their only card! After the guitar solo comes some more really nice riff work before getting into one of the best slow sections I've heard in metal period, and probably the best I've heard from a thrash song. Have you ever heard a thrash metal song break into a Pink Floyd interpretation? It's a shockingly calming section, a breather placed after a flurry of head-banging craziness with some well-chosen lyrics and some really sweet imagery. It's the moment of calm in the middle of the hurricane. And then they keep going! There's a lot of favorite moments in the back end of the track. For one, that scream and the first riff; it's rough and dense, but it still has that lovely serenading nature to it that makes it something more than just madness. There's a beauty in the chaos, and that's what "Recharging the Void" really encaptures. All of the interludes through the song are entirely different to most I've heard from the genre and the way they flow into differing riffs blows my mind. But, at the end of the day, not a single moment could come close to the vocal harmonies at around ~11 minutes. That's something beyond riff insanity, beyond technical mastery, and into poignant emotion; it tugs at my heart strings and gives me genuine goosebumps. If you've listened to the album? You can enjoy the story too, although it's not even factored into this song's perfection. And for good measure, the song ends exactly how Vektor's last album began.
Goddamn.
There's still "Vessels" and "Run the Jewels III" left in the year - both of which are likely to be riddled with amazing songs - and a lot of wildcards too, plus three songs from Lupe Fiasco who's one of my three favorite rappers; alongside El-P and Aesop Rock who both also drop albums this year. Despite that, if "Recharging the Void" isn't #1 at the end of the year, you know this year is fucking ridiculous.
