best of 2013 - part one.

crafting end of the year lists is frustrating, especially because there are always a few critics and bloggers who decry the given year as one of the worst ever for new music.

but incredible music comes out every year, and if you don't believe that, you're just not looking hard enough.

here are my favorite splits, cassettes, and non-extreme albums that came out this year.

each list is in no particular order.

my top twenty metal and noise releases will follow tomorrow.


top ten splits.
1. ames sanglantes / alberich
2. akitsa / ash pool
3. aylwin / stellar descent
4. a pregnant light / deeper wells
5. the rita / caligula031
6. sun worship / unru
7. vestiges / panopticon
8. torturing nurse / the rita / safe / vomir
9. botanist / palace of worms
10. mare cognitum / spectral lore


top ten cassettes.
1. cremation lily - it's ok to say no
2. the rita - retrospective two
3. werewolf jerusalem - curse of the crimson altar
4. paysage d'hiver - das tor
5. vomir - en dehors, en rien
6. dressed in streams - the search for blood
7. various artists - svn okklt
8. blodvite - falskt spektrum
9. various artists - frozen in time
10. a pregnant light - domination harmony


top ten non-extreme releases.
1. the uncluded - hokey fright
2. queens of the stone age - ...like clockwork
3. autechre - exai
4. man's gin - rebellion hymns
5. vatican shadow - remember your black day
6. boards of canada - tomorrow's harvest
7. run the jewels - run the jewels
8. shane carruth - upstream color original soundtrack
9. lux interna - there is light in the body, there is blood in the sun
10. croatian amor - the world