Best albums
– Venezuelan guitarist Felix Martin delivers a dizzying prog-metal fusion via his self-designed 14-string guitar.
– On its 7th LP, Ireland’s God Is an Astronaut upends its writing process and adds vocals with a sort of “Mogwai treatment.”
– Swedish post-metal band Cult of Luna offers an addendum to its masterful January LP, Vertikal.
– Windhand drops a Relapse debut that’s an absolute monolith of stoner doom metal.
– Sludge-doom trio A Storm of Light confirms that the end is nigh with a chuggy yet “poppy” new full-length.
– For the end of his trilogy, former Ponytail guitarist Dustin Wong presents more beautiful possibilities of what can be done with looping and effects.
Honorable mentions
Clark: Feast/Beast (Warp)
Elvis Costello & The Roots: Wise Up Ghost (Blue Note)
Mark Lanegan: Imitations (Vagrant)
MGMT: s/t (Columbia)
Múm: Smilewound (Morr)
Nightmares on Wax: Feelin’ Good (Warp)
Pillars & Tongues: End-Dances (Empty Cellar)
Pinkish Black: Razed to the Ground (Century Media)
Royal Bangs: Brass (Modern Art)
San Fermin: s/t (Downtown)
Sebadoh: Defend Yourself (Joyful Noise)
Susanna & Ensemble Neon: The Forester (SusannaSonata)
Týr: Valkyrja (Metal Blade)
Ulcerate: Vermis (Relapse)
Why?: Golden Tickets EP (Joyful Noise)
Wolvserpent: Perigaea Antahkarana (Relapse)