Best of 2024: Lone Watie: Can You Give Me A Minute, Please?

Something at work got me thinking a little while ago about The Ant and the Grasshopper. The gist of the fable, of course, is get stuff done now or you’ll regret it later. Now look, I don’t condone laziness. It’s lame. But on the other hand? Man, fuck that ant. Well, not the ant, he’s a fictional character. Fuck Aesop, I guess. Basically, fuck the notion that there’s work and there’s laziness, nothing between.

This has been on my mind mostly not because of work exactly – I think most people today see that “work,” as a system, is a crock – but because the idea has permeated every aspect of our lives outside of work despite already knowing the system sucks.

Work. Get that bread. Save. Invest. Buy. Work more. Not too much. Work-Life balance. Take care of yourself. Exercise. 10000 steps a day. Build strength. Three sets of ten per target area. Upper body, lower body, core. Gain flexibility. Daily stretching. Yoga. Have you tried mindfulness? 8-12 minutes daily. Eat right. Veggies, three cups. Fruit, 2 cups. Whole grains, half a cup. Protein, five ounces. Dairy, three cups. Remember healthy oils. Hydrate. HYDRATE! Pay your bills on time. Don’t stress about money. Love yourself. Lose weight you fat shit. Have you paid your bills? Save. Invest. Buy. Work. Stay informed. Don’t watch the news. Relax. Are you saving enough? Hurry up. Do more for others. Get good sleep. Take your medicine. Buy. Get more done. Take care of your house. Your car. Your yard. Call a pro for that repair. Don’t let them screw you. Save money. Do more for others. Was that a donut, you piece of shit? Exercise. HYDRATE! Eat right. Shop smart. Save money. Buy organic, everything else gives you cancer. Don’t spend so much on groceries, idiot. Do that repair yourself. Call the pro to fix what you fucked up. Relax. Work. Get your steps in. HYDRATE! Slow down. Spend time on yourself. Connect with friends. Save money. See your doctor. Pay the copay. Are you saving enough? Do more for yourself. Spend time with your loved ones. Self-care. Read. Here’s a list of 100 essential books. Buy. Work. Save. Exercise. HYDRATE! Watch movies. Here’s a list of 100 essential movies. Buy. Work. Save. Do something constructive. Play games. Here’s a list of 100 essential games. Buy. Work. Save. Spend time with friends. Have a drink. Not of that, it’ll give you cancer. Learn a new skill. Save money. Relax. Go out. Here’s a list of 100 essential restaurants in your area. Eat right. Make goals. Here’s a list of 100 essential experiences for your bucket list. Live in the moment. Plan. Be spontaneous. Save. Get more done. Get good sleep. Work. Exercise. Hydrate. Invest. Be mindful. Plan. Have fun. Save. Work.

*“Fitter Happier” cycles endlessly*

Man, we just can’t do it all, can we? I don’t think anyone really thinks they can, actually, but a lot of us could do more to temper the expectation.

Germane to the conversation here (Jesus, man, it’s about time), we just can’t hear all the music. I can’t anyway. Not meaningfully. One of the unintended consequences of trying to keep up with it all, even knowing I can’t really even get close, is that my experience of it has become more shallow. And that makes me sad. Not all the time, mind you; the albums listed below are there because they had a genuine impact on me. I think it’s fair to say, though, that the overall impact of music on me this year is diminished relative to years past.

Whether it’s because of a glut of options, an insatiable yearning for what’s next, the desire to be able to talk about albums when they come up in conversation, or the simple practical truth that focused listening requires time I don’t always have, is kind of irrelevant because, either way, the answer is (hopefully) to listen more like I did when I was a young man. Mostly what I mean by that is just that I listened to a lot fewer albums at a time then, because we didn’t have the entirety of music at our fingertips. I’m remembering as I type this how bands and albums became a lot more deeply connected with people and places through repeated associations and the increased likelihood that those would be paired with meaningful experiences. I miss that. I’m certainly not going to change my life, not so that I’m living like I’m in my 20s again anyway. I guess I’m just hoping a little change in how I experience records in 2025 might bring back some of that depth. Then again, who knows? I guess we’ll see.

In the meantime, I don’t mean to suggest I didn’t find albums to love this year, because I sure did. It’s a pretty eclectic mix with more Goth and death than I would have guessed, but also plenty of what I have most often been drawn to, including prog, power, and traditional heavy metal. There’s a variety of styles here, for sure, but what these have in common is a strong emotional impact of one sort or another. If there’s one or a few you expect to see but don’t, it’s likely because I didn’t have or take sufficient time with it. Opeth, Oranssi Pazuzu, and Aluk Todolo come to mind.

Thanks for reading.

Heavy Metal EPs, a Split, & a Demo

Pantheist – Kings Must Die

Fantastic EP featuring one new 14-minute track and three live tracks from a very interesting show performed in 2023 with a real pipe organ. I think this new Pantheïst appeals to me so much because, while it definitely checks those old boxes (slow, heavy, etc), it’s written with a subtle panache that, for me, was unexpected. Progressive and atmospheric, with wonderfully complementary clean, guttural, and soprano vocals, “Kings Must Die” builds to its climactic reward in what seems like no time at all.

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Archagathus / Whoresnation – 7″ Split

Sometimes I just need music that sounds like its album cover, in this case, a sentient pile of bone and offal rendered in super lo-fi black and white. Basically 11 songs in 7 minutes 30 seconds. Grind. The Archagathus side: a whirlwind of splintered bone and the dust of guts powdered by time. As for Whoresnation: comparatively pristinely produced, burlier, just as caustic and pissed as ever at… *gestures broadly at everything*

• Bandcamp

Lovebites – Lovebites II

Lovebites, if you don’t know, plays Euro-styled power metal. Their prime directive is to rock your block off. And they do it every single time. It continues to amaze me, release after release, what a consistently kickass band this is. The Lovebites II EP, in particular, is 25 minutes of pure adrenaline-infused sunshine, the kind of songs that get me so pumped on the morning commute, so far out of my mind, I could just careen off the river bridge at any moment, absolutely unconcerned with my impending demise. At least I’ll have time for that sweet air guitar solo on my way down.

• Last Rites We Have The Power EPs
• Official

Acero Letal – Legiones

Acero Letal makes the kind of heavy metal that feels underground as much as it sounds like it was recorded in 1984. One dude, JAG, does everything but drum (and bass? Not entirely clear on this EP) and it is clearly a labor of love. The output has been pretty minimal over the years but always high quality and Legiones is, too; a bright reflection of classic heavy metal’s rebellious youth from a band that stays true to itself.

• Bandcamp

Kiuas – Samooja: Pyhiinvaellus

I’ve been a Kiuas fan since about 2004 or 05 when I heard “Winter In June” while following band and artist associations in search of amazing new heavy metal. Mission accomplished. They made four albums of uniquely heavy and inventive power metal and then disappeared for about 13 years, going out with a bit of a whimper. So this EP was a huge surprise. And, oh boy what a winner. Well, there may be a touch of nostalgia bias there, but this is definitely a reinvigorated band and, with close to 20 minutes of epic, burly, affective, darkly fantastical power metal providing the light, Samooja surely bodes well for what’s coming next.

• Last Rites We Have The Power EPs
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Writhen Hilt – Ancient Sword Cult & The Iron Sparrow

First off, Writhen Hilt is a fantastic band name, especially an epic metal band. Of course, there’s a lot of those these days, but who’s complaining, I think it’s great. The ones I like best echo the once-underground-now-classic bands of yore, like Manilla Road, Pagan Altar, Dark Quarterer, and Warlord, and Writhen Hilt feels special among them, because they do it with a voice all their own, like a band descended from the old ones, as opposed to worshipping them. With two EPs this year (the second a demo, I guess?), it seems likely we’ll get a full length in 2025. Here’s to hoping they stay true to that voice; it is their strength.

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Meduusa – Demo 2023

Meduusa is Oskari Räsänen of Iron Griffin (he does everything but drums). This demo, originally planned for 2023 (hence the name), is just under 20 minutes of what he calls epic doom folk. That’s a clumsy set of tags there but, taken at the face value of each it suits. These are epic songs made (mostly) heavy and slow like doom in the melodic style of olden folk music. The recording is barebones and real. Instruments are handled deftly but tastefully, including guitar solos and some fantastic spotlight moments for bass guitar. The defining element, though, is Räsänen’s singing voice, which is extraordinarily raw and emotive and the main reason I am absolutely fascinated with this record. To me, he sounds like a warrior wizard chanting runes over a flaming altar in pre-battle ritual, seeking favor from the gods. I’ve listened to these songs countless times since the summer and they’ve held every bit of that rough magic. Cannot wait for the full length.

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Heavy Metal Albums

20. Convulsing – Perdurance

I don’t spend a ton of time in the dissonant death metal world. Besides just really needing those notes to come together, it’s often an exhausting exercise to process not only the dissonance but also the discord, complex time, and oddball structure that contains it. I appreciate it, surely. It’s just… a lot, so I don’t go there often. Convulsing, aka Brendan Sloan on literally everything, uses the dissonance so effectively, though. He lays off the technicality, relatively speaking, and allows the dissonance to function as an emotional lens. The result is a moderately uncomfortable record that is still inviting in its relatability, especially with the lyrics.

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19. Abyssal – Glacial

43 minutes of existential weight and burden across two crushing waves of pristine funeral doom. Looking on the bright side surely lightens the load, but losing oneself in the darkness can bring a whole different kind of peace, grounded in acceptance and realized through surrender. Abyssal makes every note meaningful, every second crucial to the Glacial experience. There may be hope in this music but it’ll be provided by the listener and come as a function of the darkness having passed.

• Last Rites Missing Pieces Blurb
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18. Pyrrhon – Exhaust

Whereas Convulsing hooked me with relative restraint, Pyrrhon fucks me up by getting all the way up in it. I’m not even sure what it is that really appeals to me about Exhaust except that it feels uncomfortably relatable. It’s a whole lot of noise that ranges in texture from grind to Swans and Azagthoth to Zeni Geva and of course more. The trouble with noise, for me, and any ugly art is that it often feels disingenuous. The beauty of Exhaust might be that, sure, it wants to get us looking at what we hate to look at, but it does so honestly. Feels that way, anyway. The songs are at the forefront, of course, but considering the artwork, too, the lyrics, and production, Exhaust sure seems to reflect a sincere interpretation of the shittiness of the current state of things, from the implications of a new gilded age to the occasional horrors of basic human behavior.

• Last Rites Review
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17. Noxis – Violence Inherent in the System

Noxis cover every square inch of death metal ground on their first long player, from the brutal to the technical and the old school to the new. Full frontal attack, for sure, but more than, as songwriting is varied and dynamic so that every moment is engaging. The only thing more fun than Dave Kirsch’s five-star bassplay is the band’s unbridled enthusiasm for finding clever ways to bash your skull in (horns!). Somebody call the Destination Cleveland crew and tell them we have the soundtrack for a new tourism video.

• Last Rites Review
• Bandcamp

16. Moisson Livide – Sent Empèri Gascont

Sent Empèri Gascon is one of those albums that, if you like what’s on offer, will be rewarding from the gate, which is nice, but then it gets better as it goes. There’s black metal and melodic death metal in lines and arcs here, for sure, but the full form comes through in a shared reverence for heavy metal and the band’s regional folk music, that of the Gascony province of old France. Sent Empèri Gascon wonders, “What if Gascony conquered the world?!” and has so much fun answering it the listener can’t help feeling part of the fantastic tale.

• Last Rites Review
• Bandcamp

15. At Night I Fly – collision/fusion/division

Hungarian prog metal act, At Night I Fly, celebrate their influences and inspirations, allowing them to shine through their unique perspective to create an album in collision/fusion/division that alludes to bands you know so well and still sounds fresh. The list of references in this music is long and varied, from Pink Floyd to Dream Theater and Saga to Savatage. The hookiest hook for me comes down to the combination of compelling songwriting that emphasizes the song over its parts and an overall sound, especially in the melody and harmonies, that suggests what Pagan’s Mind might be if they gave themselves fully to prog.

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14. Metal de Facto – Land of the Rising Sun, Part 1

Land of the Rising Sun’s first track, “Rise Amaterasu,” opens with a bright keyboard flourish and exultant high vocals held for nearly 15 seconds, a statement of intent to paint a smile across the listener’s face. And then it does so for 8 songs and 45 minutes. Now it is kind of true that Metal De Facto sounds like if Stratovarius and Helloween took turns covering each other’s songs but, frankly, who gives a flippin rip because, maaaaaaan, that’s two great tastes that taste great together and who doesn’t love great tasting things. From triumphant riffs and solos to choruses so rousing a person forgets they’re singing along in the condiments aisle, there is no other album this year that left me smiling as often or as long.

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13. Savage Oath – Divine Battle

Divine Battle sounds like its cover art looks: epic, triumphant, gorgeous, evocative, pensive, and tragic in turns. Brendan Radigan’s vocals are the highlight without doubt, stunningly powerful and expressive, probably the strongest of the year. Thing is, every other aspect of this album also kicks ass. The bass is as strong and active as the guitars and the drums do as much driving as they serve to anchor. Most crucially, the songs are written so well that they’re just as easy to get lost in as they are to get you singing along.

• Last Rites Missing Pieces Blurb
• Bandcamp

12. Kontact – Full Contact

Listening to Kontact is a little bit like hanging out with the weird kid in school that everybody thought was kind of spooky but you kind of liked, because, man, they’re just vibin’. Full Contact is the subliminal communication of full contact, total alien invasion and abduction, soundwaves emanating from another time and place. The best part for me is that, as young as these cats are, there is absolutely no denying they were born too late. I don’t know how you make such unique heavy metal that sounds so very much like it was forged in the acid-washed fires of The 80s unless you were literally there blasting Dimension Hatröss from a boombox. 

• Last Rites Review
• Bandcamp

11. Funeral – Gospel Of Bones

Easily the biggest surprise for me on this list. Funeral has undergone tremendous change since 1995’s seminal Tragedies, including all players except for drummer and principle songwriter, Anders Eek, and several vocalists of varying timbre and style, but nothing had prepared me for new vocalist, baritone opera singer, Eirik P. Krokfjord. He is tremendous, perfect for a modern Funeral sound centered on Gothic sentiment, forlorn and longing. With supporting vocals, including soprano complement, and beautiful string arrangements to adorn the crush of doom metal, these songs are immersive and evocative. It’s a lot at 9 songs in 66 minutes but, shoowee, if you have the time and patience to give it, it hits so hard.

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10. DEFEATED SANITY – CHRONICLES OF LUNACY

There’s just no way to adequately describe Defeated Sanity, is there? Beyond the basics of death metal, brutal, technical and slam I guess, there’s a few more nuanced, like jazzy, chaotic, progressive. And all of that gets only a little closer than none of it to actually getting it. That said, those who know really fucking love this band and Chronicles Of Lunacy has not only amplified that love but swollen the apparent tide of new fans. For me, it’s the ability to be both brutal and so smart that flips the ol bip. I’m sure I’m not alone. And this new one does it at least as good as ever. Comic book-level overpowered. Death metal’s One-Punch Man.

• Last Rites Review
• Bandcamp

9. DGM – ENDLESS

What an amazing band DGM is. Despite being basically a Ship of Theseus case study of band identity with zero remaining founding members, they have been reliably cohesive since 2007 and have released seven good-to-great albums in the ensuing years. 2024’s offering, Endless, though, takes the DGM imprint to astounding new heights. The addition of complementary instrumentation like flute, violin, and a wider array of keyboards than ever before surely would have been enough, but these were just elements of what turned out to be an expansive new approach to songwriting that incorporates the tasteful complexity of Opeth and impossibly bright energy of Transatlantic, occasionally alluding to both and others and always coming back to their own dynamic style. Just an incredible progressive metal album that makes you feel things, mostly great, and leaves you knowing you’ll be back again soon.

• Last Rites We Have The Power #7
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8. OU – II: Frailty

From my review: Despite being categorically Prog, Frailty relies very little on the stereotypical flashy instrumental acrobatics that have come to define and ultimately hamstring so much prog metal. Rather the songwriting emphasis is very much on building a rhythmic and atmospheric framework in support of vocalist Lynn Wu. Guitars, synthesizers, bass, and drums are fashioned into a lattice of sound, texture, complex time and syncopation that sometimes can take a bit to absorb but still feels cohesive and fundamental to Wu’s extraordinary vocals. For her part, Wu has a thing or two to say about complexity, as she boasts great range and versatility through layers sometimes 4 or even 5 strata deep and wields her voice like an intricate instrument in its own right (notice her wordless droning in “Purge”). Wu’s ability to sing to the strength of the song is key, which surely also reflects thoughtful songwriting, but the point is that they flow so well together as to imply a oneness.

• Last Rites Review
• Bandcamp

7. WAR DOGS – ONLY THE STARS ARE LEFT

War Dogs proudly fly the banner of Traditional Heavy Metal, which is to say their music features a very strong vein of US Power Metal, which is to say it feels epic as the horizon is wide, strong like a mountain, and brave beyond reason. There’s a difficulty in discerning sometimes just what separates the Greats from the also-rans among the current embarrassment of riches that some have called the second golden age of true heavy metal. For me, it really comes down to spirit. How well does the band assemble all the requisite pieces, including tone, riffs, driving rhythm and concomitant heft, evocative vocals and solos, to generate a feeling for the listener that they are right there with the band, on the battlefield, in the sky, alongside tried and proven friends, singing passionately of the champion’s glory, and their tragedies. Man, if you can do that you’ve got yourself a winner and War Dogs do it on Only The Stars Are Left with the power and grace of warrior nobility.

• Last Rites We Have The Power #3
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6. BEATEN TO DEATH – SUNRISE OVER RIGOR MORTIS

From my review: Beaten To Death isn’t just grind any more than Gary Oldman is just Commissioner Gordon. They’re kind of known for it, actually, lacing face-value grind with riffs and chords and pedal settings you might otherwise expect from songs comprising the soundtracks to movies like Garden State and 500 Days of Summer. It’s a tricky thing getting all that fun and silliness across without losing your edge, but these guys have been doing it reliably for nearly a decade and half and keep it up on album number six. Sunrise is savage to its bones, despite its penchant for sunny positive vibes. The riffs, as frequently as they shine, are just as often caustic; always righteous either way. The drums and bass are absolutely devastating all the way through. And all of it together, blasted at top volume, highlights a wonderful production job that puts the listener right there in the tiny space where they recorded the album live, all hot and, bumping slippery shoulders with the band. Gross.

• Last Rites Review
• Bandcamp

5. JUDAS PRIEST – INVINCIBLE SHIELD

Good lord, I’m not sure what I’d need to say to justify the inclusion of Invincible Shield. I suppose it’s enough to acknowledge that isn’t necessary anyway. After all, I think, if you’ve ever loved Heavy Metal and you’ve heard this album, you understand that it’s a triumph. The strongest critique I’ve heard from anybody I respect is that it might be a song or two too long. I understand, I guess, even if I disagree. The band has been pretty open about acknowledging how close they were to hanging it up before Richie Faulkner came along and how much he’s contributed to the resurgence since Redeemer. Reading and hearing them talk about the energy he’s brought to the band, both on the road and in the studio, just underscores how remarkable an album like Invincible Shield is, focusing all that newfound vitality into a record and supporting tour that has dudes doing this for nearly their entire lives laying it down like it was 1978. That they do it in a way that connects with a modern audience? Amazing. That this is the second time they’ve done it? Unbelievable.

• Last Rites Missing Pieces Blurb
• Official

4. THE VISION BLEAK – WEIRD TALES

Weird Tales was a surprise this year, for sure, but for everybody, including the band, not just me. It had been seven years since The Vision Bleak had released The Unknown and the band, Konstanz and Schwadorf, found themselves burnt out, bereft of creativity. Rather than force it, they waited patiently for inspiration and it struck finally in the form of this album, a 41-minute, single-track epic composed of twelve chapters, each telling a different weird tale. These guys have been making great Goth metal for nearly a quarter century and nail it here again with big, dark, heavy riffs and chilling atmosphere to support the telling of these strange stories in both clean baritone vocals and deep growls. My favorite thing about them is their absolute embrace of the theatrics of this kind of art. They clearly love it and it comes through stronger than ever on Weird Tales. There’s nothing like a single here, as the album is truly composed as a whole piece. That’ll be a problem for some, but for those who enjoy sitting for a dedicated listen, it’s a remarkably rewarding experience. I suggest the vinyl version with its wonderful artwork and lyrics, at night, by candlelight, with a nice glass of red.

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3. SGÀILE – TRAVERSE THE BEALACH

I’m so happy to be seeing this album show up on a few year-end lists, usually at or near the top. It seems people who’ve heard it love it, so here’s to getting the word out so more people hear it! 

From my mid-year Missing Pieces blurb: Sgàile draws from many pools, including heavy metal, progressive-, folk- (Celtic and Gaelic), power-, and post-metal and -rock. The astute listener will notice black metal in Sgàile’s bones, though it comes through as a lingering sense more than a sound. Think Woods Of Ypres, Dawnbringer, and Darkest Era for similar spirit. 

The music of Sgàile is epic, first and foremost, a notion foreshadowed by the title of the project’s second album. A bealach is a mountain pass and the act of traversing one serves as the songs’ subject matter, both literal, as Dunn is an avid hiker of Scotland’s wonderous Highlands, and metaphorical, as he navigates the same post-Covid wilderness we all have. Dunn’s clean-sung melodies radiate through the silver-grey sky, interweaving with somber harmonies and warily optimistic lead guitar, rising and falling, uncertain yet undaunted, aching deeply yet always onward to the horizon.

• Last Rites Missing Pieces Blurb
• Bandcamp

2. CEMETERY SKYLINE – NORDIC GOTHIC

Second biggest surprise for me on this list. I hadn’t actually heard anything about this project that gathers a bunch of melodeath musicians together with Mikael Stanne singing in a clean, Gothic style. Then, at ProgPower USA, they were announced for 2025 and the crowd went absolutely apeshit. I checked them out and fell instantly in love. It’s definitely Goth, riding the line between metal and rock, reminiscent at times of Sisters of Mercy and Type O Negative (both mentioned explicitly by the band), and generating a very interesting emotional air composed of equal parts melancholy and light. Its greatest strength is surely the songwriting as it strikes a keen balance between big, cinematic atmosphere and the efficient power of the hook. I’ve probably spent more time with this album than any other since it came out in October, often while driving alone at night which just feels like a perfect setting, and it never fails to connect.

• Bandcamp

1. THY CATAFALQUE – XII: A GY​Ö​NY​Ö​RÜ ÁLMOK EZUT​Á​N J​Ö​NNEK

Every time Tamás Kátai drops a new Thy Catafalque album, I think he’s finally going to have exhausted his stores and I’ll finally be bored with it. And then I inevitably end up realizing with a big ol smile, “Nope. Still fucking awesome.” There’s just no stopping him at this point.

From my review: These are ten wonderful songs that span just over 48 minutes, but they comprise a much better album, thanks in large part to one well-honed practice and one unexpected change. First, as simple as it sounds, albums are what Tamás Kátai makes. A look at runtimes, sounds, themes, and dynamics of the songs across the album suggests it was conceived and constructed with much the same thoughtfulness and ingenuity as the songs themselves. Second, Kátai recruited an outsider for the first time to help with production. Gábor Vári, who also plays guitar on Thy Catafalque’s 2022 live album, Mezolit, helped imbue A Gy​ö​ny​ö​rü Álmok Ezut​á​n J​ö​nnek with fresh energy to celebrate the project’s past even as it maintains its forward focus. A Gy​ö​ny​ö​rü Álmok Ezut​á​n J​ö​nnek is heavy, progressive, catchy, eclectic, energetic, and fun. Ultimately, it’s simply a Thy Catafalque album, which is to say it is a uniquely wonderful album that sounds like other Thy Catafalque albums, but not just, and otherwise like nothing else at all.

• Last Rites Review
• Bandcamp

I really don’t have the time or energy to hash out a full 20 item list of non-metal and another for jazz on top of the main one, but there are a few albums I’d like to share whose impact was deep and lasting.

Damian Wilson – Can We Leave The Lights On Longer?

The most intimate album experience of the year for me, just Damian singing and plucking acoustic guitar, and Adam playing piano and Hammond, guitars and drums. The songs are lighter fare, gentle, and deferential to stories about life, love, and loss. This record reminds me so much of the singer-songwriters on 70s era evening FM radio. Wilson’s singing is magnificent, as usual, and Wakeman has a real talent for songs that highlight his delicate beauty.

• Bandcamp

The Tangent – To Follow Polaris (as The Tangent for One)

This is The Tangent for One because Andy Tillison, faced with band members scattered across the globe on other commitments, did everything himself. The result is a marginally different record from what the band has done but, truth be told, I don’t think most people would guess this was not the full band without being told. It’s eclectic prog, which is to say, it’s prog that runs the gamut from Canterbury to neo and everything between and around, with a touch of jazz that makes you wonder what Steely Dan might have done with prog. Tillison’s storytelling is the centerpiece, as always, sharing his experiences of modern life and taking the odd jab at our complicity in its shittiness. Top-tier prog that is somehow eminently relatable.

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Viima – Väistyy Mielen Yö

Viima’s first album in fifteen years is absolutely brilliant, yet another triumph for Finnish prog and what seems to be an inexhaustible well of prog greatness in Scandinavia more broadly. Väistyy Mielen Yö is gentle and pastoral folk on a prog rock frame, reflecting a spiritual kinship with classic prog bands like Harmonium and Museo Rosenbach, but also contemporaries like The Chronicles of Father Robin and especially Malady. That means the melodies will absolutely win you over but so will the amazing drumming and guitar solos and ultimately the songs that grab hold so tight and just won’t let go.

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Jahari Massamba Unit – YHWH Is Love

Jahari Massamba Unit is Madlib on all instruments but drums, which are handled by Karriem Riggins, and YHWH Is Love is an instrumental jazz fusion record built on hip-hop beats. That means it sounds and feels thoroughly modern as it remembers the breezy summer evenings of 70s funk and soul. At the same time, these are supremely laid back songs, hypnotic even, hazy and lazy like the smoke finding its way out the open door of a fanless jazz club.

• Bandcamp

Vijay Iyer Trio – Compassion

Easily my most frequently spun jazz album of the year, partially because it came out early, but mostly because it is wonderful. Compassion is quietly, gently joyful. It feels both safe and adventurous, controlled and free, grounded and invigorating. Perfect for Sunday morning coffee as dust motes dance in window-framed sunlight. Perfect, too, for any other time and place.

• ECM Records

Nubya Garcia – Odyssey

Odyssey is a stunning album. It feels monumental. Garcia’s tenor sax is brilliant and beautiful, but it’s her orchestration that steals the show. There’s so much happening here that I can’t begin to explicate, but my sense of Odyssey is that it’s respectful, grounded in tradition, even as it pushes boundaries. Allusions abound to outside musical styles from around the world, the Chineke! Orchestra adds depth and breadth, and drums and piano seem at once to function as both anchor and sail. This is a record that turns ostensible dichotomies into a coherent whole. My favorite thing about Odyssey is that Garcia makes me feel like I get it even though I’ve no idea how.

• Bandcamp

Thanks for being here, buddy. You’re the best.

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