March was a bit of a doozy this year. A lot of music got released, though maybe not much that I loved. The good news is, there’s still a lot to like here. The better news is that April is already shaping up to be an absolute beast. But don’t let me ruin your excitement about any of the albums on this list. They didn’t make it here for lack of competition, and many of them are sure to be making an appearance on the year end list.
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Metal Albums
vein.fm - This World is Going to Ruin You
The new style of metalcore being spearheaded by groups like Knocked Loose and vein.fm is decidedly more aggressive than previous iterations, but no one pushes the boundaries of the genre like vein.fm does. Where Knocked Loose began as all breakdowns and has since pivoted to a melange of black metal, death metal and metalcore, vein.fm has chosen to push for maximum dissonance wherever possible. This World is Going to Ruin You has fewer electronic influences than its predecessor, Errorzone, which ultimately works in its favor. The album is more cohesive as a result, though occasional ventures into softer spaces do dampen it a bit in parts. But despite these infrequent drags, the album represents an impressive leap forward into the future for both metalcore and vein.fm.
Ho99o9 - SKIN
Ho99o9 has been breaking genre boundaries from the jump, and SKIN is their most convincing project yet. You could readily like Ho99o9 to a group like Death Grips, but that feels like a disservice to the originality present in their work. They are simultaneously more interested in across the plate hip-hop and punk-tinged noise-rock than Death Grips. It gives them a genuine appeal to fans of both genres while still enabling them to take a truly original spin on fusion. Also the song “Bite My Face” contains the lyric “name one president who ain’t do crack” which is perfect.
Soul Glo - Diaspora Problems
Hardcore punk can sometimes elude me without the traditions of metal to turn it into metalcore. But sometimes even I can’t deny the wonder of certain projects in the space. Soul Glo’s Diaspora Problems is one of those albums. The sound is just as unrelenting as the most aggressive extreme metal bands, and their original perspective on current events and race is a refreshing addition to a genre that has always taken aim at those in power.
Animals as Leaders - Parrhesia
You know how there are some movies that are so bad they wrap back around to being masterpieces? That’s a bit like what Parrhesia feels like. To clarify, Parrhesia is not bad, and neither are the musicians in Animals as Leaders. Instead, Animals as Leaders is so absurdly and (at times) needlessly technical that it can feel like homework rather than enjoyable listening. Or rather, it would feel like homework if it weren’t for the fact that Animals as Leaders pulls off this technicality with such aplomb and ease that it feels natural. So instead of it becoming a self-aggrandizing experiment in how many weird time signatures, off-kilter tempos and ludicrous instrumental techniques one band can accomplish, it becomes something of a revelatory psychedelic experience. It’s probably best summed up like this, the one time I saw Animals as Leaders live, I turned to my friends, who all play instruments, and all we could do is laugh at the impossibility of what the band in front of us was doing.
MWWB - The Harvest
It’s difficult to think of a sillier band to follow up the technical wizardry of Animals as Leaders, but here we are with MWWB, formerly Mammoth Weed Wizard Bastard. Like all stoner metal, the album is bursting with huge, chunky riffs that are drawn out for as long as humanly possible. In order to shake up the formula, MWWB does throw in an impressive helping of guitar soloing and has a greater emphasis on vocals than many contemporaries. It’s less like Sleep and more like Frayle. At the end of the day though, it’s perfectly lovely stoner metal, and if that scratches an itch for you like it does for me, then you’re gonna have a great time.
Non-Metal Albums
Nilüfer Yanya - PAINLESS
Honestly, Nilüfer Yanya’s amazing voice is 90% of why this album is on the list this month. So if you’re as much of a sucker for great vocals as I am then you’re likely to enjoy this one. But even if you need a little bit more than just that you’ll probably still end up happy. The instrumentals, while not revolutionary, are exceptionally well-deployed and produced. Tracks like “the mystic” feature propulsive drums, airy guitar and just enough flair on the production that the track feels distinct from something one of Yanya’s contemporaries might release.
Jenny Hval - Classic Objects
Jenny Hval really knocked it out of the park with Classic Objects, her previous records often bordered a bit too much on the experimental pop and background noise side of things for me, but this seems to perfectly balance all the best elements of what she does with someone much more approachable. Her excellent vocals anchor the album through moments of exciting instrumentals that manage to intrigue just as easily as they relax. This is a triumph of an album and I’m thrilled that Hval has managed to create something that can click with a wider audience.
Wednesday - Mowing the Leaves Instead of Piling ‘em Up
Normally I’m not one for cover albums, but the delightfully dour emo approach to country classics (among other types of music) that Wedensday provides on Mowing the Leaves Instead of Piling ‘em Up is undeniably fun and affecting in equal measure. It’s wild that a cover of “She’s Actin’ Single (I’m Drinkin’ Double)” is this good. It doesn’t make any sense.
Rosalía - Motomami
Motomami sees Rosalía make an interesting pivot toward a reggaeton sound, and it fits her impressively. Of course, she still deploys her one of a kind voice in order to elevate songs that would otherwise get lost in the shuffle of other great reggaeton being released these days. And the pivot doesn’t mean there aren’t balladic moments that allow Rosalía to really let loose on the vocals. This is the full package when it comes to a pop album, but it’s unlikely that many will be able to follow in Rosalía’s footsteps nearly so effectively.
Destroyer - LABYRINTHITIS
It’s hard to say whether Destroyer started making music that sounds different from his old stuff or if I’m just finally getting old enough to appreciate Destroyer’s sound. Whatever the case, LABYRINTHITIS is one of his best efforts yet. Destroyer still has his signature, indescribable voice, and is infusing the instrumentals on the record with even more funk and rock influence than usual. Does it sound a bit like something my parents would have had playing on the radio while driving me to school in the mid-90s? Yes. Do I love that? Also yes.
Blanck Mass - Ted K (Original Soundtrack)
One of these days I’ll take the time to write about why I think film soundtracks and scores get massively overrated on platforms like RateYourMusic, but whenever I do, Blanck Mass’s soundtrack for Ted K will not be mentioned. Ever since I first heard Fuck Buttons, and subsequently Blanck Mass, I’ve wanted to have a film score that fit that sound profile. On the Ted K soundtrack, Blanck Mass appropriately deploys his penchant for abrasive, powerful production to create an all-encompassing soundscape that swallows the viewer directly into the film. Best of all, the fact that this is a soundtrack does nothing to scrub away the attention to detail that Blanck Mass always brings to his work. It’s a phenomenal soundtrack, but more importantly, it’s a phenomenal work all on its own. A rare feat indeed.
Jacob Dwyer - The Devil Museum
This album is a strange one to recommend. It’s more podcast or audio drama than anything else, and the moments of actual music are fleeting. But I found it both compelling from a narrative perspective and from an experimentation perspective, as this is just the kind of thing that wouldn’t end up being an album these days. For now, that exciting combination is enough to keep my interest piqued, and the engaging nature of the narrative is worth giving this a shot.