It's that time of the year again! I ran a poll years ago, but it was a big ol' mixed salad with only borderline bands like Converge getting multiple votes. So just use this thread to discuss your 10 or 20 favourite non-archived releases of the year.

I've been holding out on making mine until the new White Lung record was released today. Gonna sit with this for a couple weeks before deciding on my list.

So far its 40 Watt Sun's "Perfect Light" and Ruine's "Révolte et Crânerie Paysanne." 40 Watt Sun in particular surprised me given that Warning never really clicked with me some 10 years back and I never bothered to look into his side project expecting more of the same but its been one of my most played albums the last few months since I found it.

I'll hold off to the end of the year, but this year I've upped my volume of non metal listening immensely and I reckon I'll actually have a top 10 that I like the whole way through.

01. Miranda Lambert - Palomino (country)
Easily my favourite album of any genre this year. She's pretty much the best thing in music right now in my opinion.

02. Nickelback - Get Rollin' (rock)
They obviously have a lot of detractors, but I like this band a lot. Really solid album. A nice mix of heavy rockers, ballads, and poppier songs.

03. Orianthi - Rock Candy (rock)
Nice little rock album with some bluesy / pop leanings and some cool guitar work.

04. H.e.a.t - Force Majeure (AOR)
Losing Erik Gronwall to Skid Row was a big blow, but original singer Kenny Leckremo is no slouch. Really catchy 80s styled AOR, with a few heavier moments.

05. Aaron Lewis - Frayed at Both Ends (country)
He's a massive twat, but I love his music and his voice. "Someone" is such a great song.

06. First Aid Kit - Palomino (folk / Americana / indie)
Another album called Palomino? Really strong songwriting and two voices that blend together beautifully.

07. Magnum - The Monster Roars (rock)
They've been pretty consistent since they reformed, and this is another good album in their catalogue. Bob Catley ages like a fine wine, and Tony Clarkin is a seriously overlooked songwriter.

08. Korn - Requiem (nu metal)
Heavy and to the point. I like that they've trimmed the fat recently - just 9 songs in a little over 32 minutes here.

09. Maren Morris - Humble Quest (pop / country)
Catchy, pop infused country.

10. Alice Cooper - Live from the Astroturf (rock)
Are you counting live albums? I've stuck it at no. 10 in case. This is the Alice Cooper group playing a surprise set at Dennis Dunaway's book signing a few years ago (with Ryan Roxie filling in for the late Glen Buxton). Not perfect, but still awesome. These songs are just timeless.

Titan to Tachyons's Vonals. No idea why is this not allowed here

Top 10:

1. Marillion-An Hour Before It’s Dark
2. Brutus-Unison Life
3. Porcupine Tree-Closure/Continuation
4. Tears For Fears-The Tipping Point
5. Alvvays-Blue Rev
6. The Gathering-Beautiful Distortion
7. Yeah Yeah Yeahs-Cool It Down
8. Preoccupations-Arrangements
9. Miranda Lambert-Palomimo
10. OddZoo-Overdriven Monsoon

Honorable mentions to:

Envy Of None-Envy Of None
SRSQ-Ever Crashing
Taipei Houston-Once Bit Never Bored
Tim Bowness-Butterfly Mind

Notes:

-It’s amazing Marillion can still make impactful music 40+ years and 20+ albums into it.

-The Brutus album is so emotionally cathartic.

-Excellent comebacks by Porcupine Tree, Tears For Fears, and the Yeah Yeah Yeahs.

-Speaking of comebacks, Flickerstick’s comeback single “Shine On” is fucking incredible, but I could not possibly rate a single (literally one song) as a top 10 release for the year. Hopefully we get a full length next year.

-I know they are archived, but I cannot in good faith rate The Gathering as a metal band. I know the rules, too bad

-“Waxahatchee” by Miranda Lambert may be the best single song from this year.

-The OddZoo is a step towards pretty weird territory, but lacks the songsmithing of their 2018 debut.

-SRSQ, check this one out if you are looking for a female fronted post-punk/shoegaze record. Super well done, and I believe she plays all the instruments as well.

-Taipei Houston has a wild take on the DFA79/Royal Blood format.

-I don’t know why people have beef with Envy Of None. Well, I do, but it’s absurd-why would anyone expect Rush-like music just because of Lifeson’s involvement (which is said to be limited anyhow)? Take it for its own merits. It’s a damn fine alterna/synth-pop record.

-Disappointed, but not surprised by Robert Smith’s inability to get Songs For A Lost World out this year. I guess we’ll see for 2023.

-Damn solid year for non-metal music, way better than metal’s 2022.

My most played song this year. It's amazing.

Been a fan of their since the first record, but I finally got to see them live (at Red Rocks!) just before the new record came out and they played a few of the songs. Really great.

These would be my favourite non-archived albums of the year so far:

1. The Hu - Rumble of Thunder (folk rock)
2. Billy Talent - Crisis of Faith (alternative rock)
3. Girish and the Chronicles - Hail to the Heroes (hard rock)
4. Rammstein - Zeit (Neue Deutsche Härte)
5. Placebo - Never Let Me Go (alternative rock)
6. Cocco - Prom (pop)
7. Muse - Will of the People (alternative rock)
8. Red Hot Chili Peppers - Unlimited Love (crossover)
9. Weezer - SZNZ: Spring (alternative rock)
10. Tangerine Dream - Raum (electronic)
11. Disturbed - Divisive (alternative rock)
12. Steckbeckenzecken - Königreich der Emotionen (Schlager punk)
13. Weezer - SZNZ: Summer (alternative rock)
14. Soft Cell - Happiness Not Included (electro pop)
15. Red Hot Chili Peppers - Return of the Dream Canteen (crossover)
16. Weezer - SZNZ: Autumn (alternative rock)
17. Gothminister - Pandemonium (gothic rock)
18. Nickelback - Get Rollin' (pop rock)
19. Stephan Eicher - Ode (pop)
20. Les Trois Accords - Présence d'esprit (alternative rock)

Overall, there have been more interesting non-metal releases than metal releases this year and I believe that this is the first time I would state this since 2004.

I like the Sarah Shook and Jack White albums this year better than any of the metal ones even. Heartfelt, lyrical, fun rootsy rock/folk.

Here's my top 10

Audrey Horne - Devil's Bell
Clutch - Sunrise on Slaughter Beach
The Dear Hunter - Antimai
First Aid Kit - Palomino
King's X - Three Sides of One
King Gizzard and The Lizard Wizard - Ice, Death, Planets, Lungs, Mushrooms and Lava
The Mars Volta - The Mars Volta
Porcupine Tree - Closure / Continuation
Pure Reason Revolution - Above Cirrus
The Smile - A Light for Attracting Attention

This was my favourite Placebo record in almost 20 years, as well.

In no order (yet):

The Birthday Massacre - Fascination
The Chats - Get Fucked
A Wilhelm Scream - Lose Your Delusion
PUP - The Unraveling of PUPTHEBAND
Screeching Weasel - The Awful Disclosures of Screeching Weasel
Soul Glo - Diaspora Problems
Mom Jeans - Sweet Tooth
Hot Water Music - Feel the Void
Comeback Kid - Heavy Steps
Ignite - s/t
OFF! - Free LSD
The Wonder Years - The Hum Goes On Forever
The Interrupters - In the Wild
Superchunk - Wild Loneliness
Joyce Manor - 40 Oz. to Fresno

Agreed on Marillion (phenomenal record) as well as PTree and Tears. Both were excellent comebacks.
Bowness never disappoints, either.

I don't like it as much as I liked the self titled from 2014, but there's something about her voice and the music they make that's hypnotic to me.

Some good picks here. I haven't heard some of the others in your post, but considering your taste, it seems like I really should.

01. Bird in Row - Gris Klein
Probably the best screamo/post hardcore album I've heard in years. Noah + Cathedrals are the best two songs of the year, fucking incredible. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cPQ_iCwCuT0

02. Menace Ruine - Nekyia
Magical drone/folk/darkwave. Their best so far, just an amazing record from start to finish. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xI84JZAGJEA

This thread has made me go check out that Miranda Lambert track a couple people namedropped as the best track of the year.

Wow. I cannot believe me, as a huge country music fan, did not hear this. It really is an all-timer.

I had no idea FAK had a new album out, I'll have to check this out. Loved all the previous ones.

The Schizophonics - Hoof It

If I bought one non-metal album this year it was always gonna be this one. Brilliant album that'll put a smile on your dial and make you wanna dance your ass off.
I first saw them play under a harbour bridge and it was one of the coolest high energy rock performances I've ever seen. They got a fan for life from that one show and I've seen them three times since and they're coming back to NZ early next year, can't wait.

I don't know if you're familiar with her catalogue, but if not, make it a priority. Especially The Weight of These Wings and Wildcard.

As with the main thread, even though I've listened to over 200 new albums this year I haven't had many 9+/10 cases.

For non-metal albums, these are the ones that stand out:

Al-Qasar - Who Are We?
Arabian fuzz/psychedelic rock

Black Angels - Wilderness of Mirrors
BA still got it. Excellent psychedelic garage rock

Yambag - Strength in Nightmares
Excellent hardcore punk

Lifesick - Misanthropy
Making waves in Denmark, but really solid HM2-hardcore

Hällas - Isle of Wisdom
Proggy 70s hard rock, possibly their best album yet

The Sure Fire Soul Ensemble - Step Down
Jazzy, psych-rock inspired afrobeat

Sequestered Keep - Sorcerous Steel
I'm not as much into dungeon synth as I used to be, but SK are masters.

I decided against assigning any specific order and rank this year. My album of the year is Ashenspire's Hostile Architecture and everything else can really just fall into whatever place. Here's the rest of what I enjoyed this year.

Diamanda Galás - Broken Gargoyles

Harrowing in every sense of the word, she's no stranger to making fierce, overpowering, horrific, confrontational stuff...and just like The Masque of the Red Death trilogy she made at the height of the AIDS pandemic, Broken Gargoyles is another haunting trip down some wretched memory lane.



Black Thought & Danger Mouse - Cheat Codes

The production here is a living thing that informs these songs as you experience them. A flawless hip hop record with a limitless sound palate and Black Thought's superior rap pen underlining it all.



Orochen - Anthroposcenic

They manage to distill the best values out of all the many laborious and overlong post-metal stuff to craft these lilting heavy as hell tunes.



black midi - Hellfire

Immersive prog that is unlike any other band at the moment. Hellfire is up there with everything they've done at this point quality-wise.



Quelle Chris - DEATHFAME

While I enjoy QC's wry humor and hazy vibes, his more dour introspection this time round is a welcome change. The production is as involving as always though.



Backxwash - HIS HAPPINESS SHALL COME FIRST EVEN THOUGH WE ARE SUFFERING

Trans rapper Backxwash makes searing auto-biographical albums that confront weighty and uncomfortable topics around growing up with Xtian zealots in her native Zimbabwe while struggling with collective trauma and personal battles. This album is the last of a trilogy and is as dark and engaging as the first two.



Crippled Black Phoenix - Banefyre

Great songs wrapped up in their usually admirable concepts. It's a bit long and disempowering but it is all so well delivered that I kept coming back to the songs I'd not cared for earlier.



Beyoncé - Renaissance

Greatly formed, flows seamlessly; endless homages to gay ballroom culture, disco, Prince etc. Thoroughly enjoyable, her best and most complete album.



Binker & Moses - Feeding the Machine

Saxophonist Binker Golding and drummer Moses Boyd deliver effusive ambient tracks with layers and loops to spare over inventive rhythms. Great stuff to get lost in.



Crows - Beware Believers

This kind of familiar post-punk is easy to get into but having a full album be this enjoyable is no mean feat. An album I overplayed and still enjoy greatly.



Sunrise Patriot Motion - Black Fellflower Stream

Gothic rock in the skilled hands of the Yellow Eyes guys. Catch these vibes....



Billy Woods - Aethiopes
Weyes Blood - And in the Darkness, Hearts Aglow
J.I.D - The Forever Story
Pusha T - It's Almost Dry
Westside Gunn - 10
OG Keemo - Mann Beisst Hund
Beach House - Once Twice Melody
Without Waves - Comedian
EarthGang - Ghetto Gods
$ilkmoney - I Don’t Give a Fuck About This Rap Shit, Imma Just Drop Until I Don’t Feel Like It Anymore
Ka - Languish Arts
Moor Mother - Jazz Codes
IDK - Simple
50 Foot Wave - Black Pearl
Ho99o9 - Skin
Aldous Harding - Warm Chris
Angel Olsen - Big Time
Benny the Butcher - Tana Talk 4
Nas - King's Disease III
Kendrick Lamar - Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers
Leikeli47 - Shape Up
Soul Glo - Diaspora Problems
Heriot - Profound Morality
Black Dresses - Forget Your Own Face
Larry June - Spaceships on the Blade
The Comet Is Coming - Hyper-Dimensional Expansion Beam
Cremation Lily - Dreams Drenched In Static
King Hannah - I'm Not Sorry, I Was Just Being Me
Viagara Boys - Cave World
Nicholas Craven & Boldy James - Fair Exchange No Robbery
King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard - Changes

Some really good picks here. "Alive Ain't Always Living" from the new Quelle Chris album is one of my favourite songs of the year.

Here’s my 10 favourite non-metal records of the year:

1. Black Country, New Road - Ants From Up There (experimental rock/post-punk/art rock)
2. Kokoroko - Could We Be More (jazz/afrobeat)
3. Working Men’s Club - Fear Fear (synthpop/post-punk/acid house)
4. Wet Leg - Wet Leg (indie rock/pop)
5. Ezra Collective - Where I’m Meant to Be (jazz)
6. Beach House - Once Twice Melody (dream pop/neo-psychedelia)
7. Dry Cleaning - Stumpwork (post-punk)
8. Fontaines D.C. - Skinty Fia (post-punk)
9. Jack White - Fear Of The Dawn (garage rock)
10. Black Midi - Hellfire (experimental rock/post-punk/jazz fusion)

I think the above reflects my taste in music outside metal pretty accurately.

Kiss the Ring by Rome Streetz and it isn't even close. A perfect rap record curated by Wes and Griselda. If you love grimy violent raps over dusty beats you need to tap in.

01. Beach House - Once Twice Melody
02. The Orielles - Tableau
03. Emily Jane White - Alluvion
04. Suede - Autofiction
05. Gaye Su Akyol - Anadolu Ejderi
06. Klaus Schulze - Deus Arrakis
07. Darkher - The Buried Storm
08. Wet Leg - Wet Leg
09. Metatron Omega - ISIH
10. The Afghan Whigs - How Do You Burn

Once Twice Melody is a thing of beauty, and Beach House are on another level if we're talking about dream pop, like Cocteau Twins were back in the day. Once Twice melody is their magnum opus, 18 songs and not a one dud there, it's sublime... Try The Orielles if you enjoy Stereolab; Metatron Omega if dark ambient with some nice choirs is your thing; Gaye Su Akyol for a kick-ass mix of turkish folk, jazz and pop; Emily Jane White for one of the best female singer/songwriter at the moment... Oh, and RIP to great Klaus Schulze, Deus Arrakis is sadly his last album...

The Earthless and Zeal & Ardor albums are good.

Also Beleth's Nephilim. Beleth is death metal, but they're not in the archives.

I have been enjoying rock that is just not quite metal, classical and a the sequel to Friday Night in San Francisco that was just released this year.

A-Z - A-Z
Talas - 1985
Dead Daisies - Radiance
Il Giardino Armonica - Musica Barocca
Akademie Fur Alte Musik - George Phillip Telemann Violin Concertos
Doric String Quartet - Mendelssohn: The String Quintets
Al Di Meola, John McLaughlin, Paco De Lucia - Saturday Night in San Francisco
Smith/Kotzen - Better Days and Nights Live ep
Jan Vogler - The Dvorak Album
Giovanni Antonini - Haydn 2032 Vol 12

My Non-archived list:

01. Pusha T - It's Almost Dry
My absolute favourite rapper releases another classic album with no filler. In a world where most hip-hop albums have WAY too many tracks, Pusha T always keeps it trim and neat. Best tracks: Lets The Smokers Shine The Coupes, Scrape It Off.

02. Social Animals - Social Animals
Indie/pop-rock with huge hooks. What can I say? I like songs about nostalgia with a lot of desperation in them. Best tracks: Adults, Together

03. Craig Finn - A Legacy Of Rentals
So envious of how Craig can tell an entire story in 4 minutes - a story that would take me 80 pages to write. Every single song on this record could be its own film. Best tracks: The Amarillo Kid, Due To Depart

04. Spanish Love Songs - Brave Faces, Etc.
Maybe only Spanish Love Songs could have an album I already adore, re-arrange and re-record it and still have it turn out almost as incredible as the original. Brave Faces Everyone was my favourite record of 2020. Oddly enough, my favourite tracks on this version are the opposite of the original version. Best tracks: Dolores, Kick

05. Rina Sawayama - Hold The Girl
Somewhere right between a legit popstar and Björk. These songs all rage, but are just weird enough to breakthrough to someone who isn't into the modern pop sound. Still gutted she played in Brixton the same night i was in London and couldn't get in. There was literally NO ONE selling a ticket to the sold out show. Best tracks: Holy Till You let Me Go, This Hell

06. Nick Cave - Seven Psalms
Not truly an album, per se. More of an EP. You either like Nick Cave's experimental stuff, or you don't. I tend to love it, but I understand why some people don't. I can't really list "best tracks", since it's basically one piece with Nick reading his psalms over the ambient soundscapes.

07. October Drift - I Don't Belong Anywhere
Total 90's alternative throwback sound. All these songs sound familiar without clearly ripping any one artist off. If you grew up in Canada in the 1990's, you'll get the reference that - every song on this thing sounds like it could have been on Big Shiny Tunes. Best tracks: Feels Like I'm Home, Old And Distant Memory

08. Baby Strange - World Below
Frantic, goth-y punks from Glasgow. Might be more in the post-punk genre than goth, but probably for fans of either. Best tracks: Midnight, World Below

09. Nick Earle - No More Hiding
Do you like Tom Petty and guitars and summer time? Then you'll probably love this. Best songs: Have My Heart, Downtown

10. Orville Peck - Bronco
I love Elvis Presley, and I love sad cowboys, and I love a little bit of mystery, too. Best songs: Daytona Sand, Let Me Drown

Honourable mentions
11. Bruce Springsteen - Only The Strong Survive [Rock/Soul]
12. Honey Harper - Honey Harper & The Infinite Sky [Country]
13. Anthony Da Costa - I Should Call My Mother [Indie rock]
14. Björk - Fossora [Experimental]
15. Augustana - Yourself Yesterday [Indie Pop Rock]
16. Absent In Body - Plague God [Industrial Sludge - should be on M-A in my opinion]
17. Andrew Combs - Sundays [Alt-Country]
18. Father John Misty - Chloë and The Next 20th Century [Indie folk]
19. Locrian - New Catastrophism [Drone/Experimental]
20. Freddie Gibbs - $oul $old $eparately [Hip-Hop]

My favourite album of the year is the debut self-titled full-length from The Mary Wallopers, who're like a rowdy Pogues-esque Irish trad group. Also the best show I saw this year was when I caught them in Galway city while visiting my brother in Ireland. Absolute madness!

Carpenter Brut - Leather Terror

It might end up on my top 10 this year (obviously not the one I'll be submitting here though). It's just so unreasonably good. I flew up to MD to see them as well and that concert was just mind blowing.

Four excellent releases. All stellar.

It was really hard to complete this list, couldn't imagine that I'm such a metalhead and that I've listened to so few non-metal albums this year!
But there they are!

1) Arena - The Theory of Molecular Inheritance
2) Marillion - An Hour Before It's Dark
3) A-Z - A-Z
4) Earthrise - Until We Rest Beneath the Winter Way
5) The Cult - Under the Midnight Sun
6) Heilung - Drif
7) Yesterdays - Saint-Exupéry álma
8) Journey - Freedom
9) Jethro Tull - The Zealot Gene
10) Porcupine Tree - Closure / Continuation

There're even some that didn't entered the list!

Antimatter - A Profusion Of Thought
The Mars Volta - The Mars Volta
Halestorm - Back From the Dead
Praying Mantis - Katharsis
A Wake in Providence - Eternity
Animals as Leaders - Parrhesia

As you can see, those are mostly veterans of progressive rock, like Marillion, Jethro Tull, Journey, Arena and so on who still rocks with a great new albums, even after 30, 40, and in case of Jethro Tull, unbelieveable 50 years!
In some cases those are (relatively) new prog-rock acts, like Earthrise and Yesterdays, quite unknown on english-speaking territories, which have unique sound and offer to casual listener (even a metalhead!) something new and original.
And in some cases those are hard-rock acts, like Halestorm, The Cult, Praying Mantis, which still rocks (especially Halestorm with it's comeback album) after all those years.
And there's Heilung. What to say? They were presented to me as a more raw version of Wardruna, but when I listened to them for a first time... What to say? My mind was completely blown! What's that? What I've just listened to? Some growling, throat singing, chanting, cacophony of some reconstructed antediluvian instruments, in one word... There's no word to describe them. If you didn't listen to them already, do it. Especially older albums, but even this newest one is good for a start. I thought I listened to all, and then there was Heilung...

1. Liraz - Roya (Persian folk pop)
2. Gnod - Hexen Valley (noise rock)
3. Petrol Girls - Baby (post-hardcore / riot grrrl)
4. Lalalar - Bi Cinnete Bakar (Turkish electronica funk? idk this is brand new territory)
5. Al-Qasar - Who Are We? (Arab fuzz rock)
6. Širom - Utekočinjeni Prestol Preprostih (avant-folk)
7. Buñuel - Killers Like Us (noise rock)
8. Birds in Row - Gris Klein (post-hardcore / skramz)
9. Avalanche Kaito - Avalanche Kaito (griot / experimental rock)
10. Girlsperm - The Muse Ascends (noise punk / riot grrrl)

Actually pretty much what I mentally imagined my list would be before I started putting it together early December. It is cool to see some quite innovative stuff happening traditional music wise as well as some good takes on classic styles.

I was already looking forward to the new Liraz album as soon as it got announced, her older work was good but had untapped potential which I feel they completely unleashed with this one. She's the true heir of Googoosh now.
Gnod continues to do their thing and do it very well. One of the most influential bands on whats currently going on noise rock wise and they show why.
I have to single out Lalalar. Bi Cinnete Bakar is the most innovative record I've heard all year and got some really killer songs but they shouldn't have tacked on every single they released the last couple years. Yeah those singles are great but the run time is just too long for the style.

I was gonna do relistens to get these more well sorted out, but that means I wouldn't get it out til Feb so here's my 10 based off where I ranked them mostly off the first listen at various times of the year:

1) Honningbarna - Animorphs: One of these Norweigan take fairly noisy hardcore punk and turning into into dancing toetappers bands. Like a mix of Queens of the Stoneage, Turbonegro and Kvelertak or something.
2) Lalalar - Bi Cinnete Bakar: Bit long but yeah, weird dance made out of turkish folk tunes and stuff.
3) KEN mode - Null: Sludgey noise rock. Very listenable and enjoyable.
4) µ-Ziq - Magic Pony Ride: It's not Lunatic Harness, but this has u-ziq bringing back a lot more of the breakbeat abuse into their playful and cheery electronic good times.
5) Mdou Moctar - Niger EP Vol 2: All these African shred rock bands sound the same, and as such I think the EP format suits it since it doesn't wear itself out too hard.
6) Wolfbrigade - Anti-Tank Dogs EP: Wolfbrigade just doing Wolfbrigade things. D-beats, melodic good time hooks, aggression.
7) Petrol Girls - Baby: These girls need to get the fuck off twitter, but this is some really energized and fun stuff which isn't as obnoxious as things this riot grrrl adjacent tend to be.
8) Porcupine Tree - Closure / Continuation: Not remotely ambitious but hey, it sounds like PT.
9) uSSSy - Naghma: It's African shred rock. It sounds like all the other African shred rock.
10) Wovenhand - Silver Sash: Not the best thing he's done by any means, but I vibe hard with the apocalyptic country rock preacher.

Worst sounding album i've heard all year.

sorry for bending the rules and having a couple metal albums on here. this is my overall list. Most of it is not metal.

top picks:
Control - Torment (industrial power-electronics)
Flower - Hardly a Dream *Nausea NYC **bandcamp 2022, vinyl 2023
GEFYR - s/t (D-beat)
Jim Haynes - Turbulence (experimental/ambient)
Jim Haynes - Insomnia (experimental/ambient)
Negative Plane - The Pact #&
Nightfeeder - Cut All of Your Face Off (post-Disrupt, D-beat)
Piercing - Luxurious Ephemera (noise)
Sorrow - Black Crow *Polish crust somewhere between Lost and Filth of Mankind **bandcamp 2022, vinyl 2023?
Terminal Filth - Death Driven (crust)
Traume - Obled demo (Polish post-punk)
Verdict - Time to Resign (D-beat)
Wound Man - Human Outline Live Session (power-violence)
Yield to None - demo (NYHC)

reissues:
Left Hand Right Hand - Hidden Hands collection (80's experimental)
Man is the Bastard/Man is the Bastard Noise - Nazi Drunks Fuck Off
Merzbow 90's reissues
Zoviet France - Chasse 3 *includes an unreleased album and another collection of comp tracks

label:
Satatuhatta (Finnish noise/industrial)

considerations:
Brain Tourniquet - II (power-violence)
Desecresy - Unveil in the Abyss
Disaffect - Blood Red Seas, studio session benefit (anarcho punk)
Disease - To Hell with This Life (Dis-)
Detesto - self-titled EP (Spanish D-beat)
End It - Unpleasant Living (NYHC)
Exploator - Blind Elit (D-beat)
Extortion - Seething (hardcore)
Innocent - Architects of Despair (punk)
Kaleidobolt - This One Simple Trick (prog something) *had I had more time with this, I think it would have been in the top list
K.O.S. (Kinetic Orbital Strike) - demo (D-beat)
Mogao - Finger Pointing To The Moon *glassy and broken electronics
OFF! - Free LSD (punk)
Klaus Schulze - Deus Arrakis (electronic)
Triac - Pure Joy - Numb Grief-Stricken Animals (grind)
Unsanitary Napkin - All Billionaires are Bastards (anarcho punk) *if the live videos are any indicator, it took some takes to get the album to sound this good
Utsatt - from the split with Varoitus (Swedish HC) *3-Way Cum
Violin - s/t (hardcore) https://lavidaesunmus.bandcamp.com/album/violin
Warfare State - Aggressive Regression *Finnish, but has a 90s Swedish HC feel

disappointments:
Slugathor - Crypt of the Ancient Fire *didn't provide my Bolt Thrower fix

need to hear:
Am Not - Cold + Disloyal (power-electronics)
Contrastate – 35 Project (experimental)
Corral Shut - Ramshackle (industrial noise)
Instinct Of Survival – In Conspiracy With Crust, The Stenchcore Sessions (2004 demo reissue)
Outback - s/t cs (industrial noise)
Pain Appendix - Toward Infinity (industrial noise)
Umpio - Marisko (industrial noise)

#& I should have been listening to Negative Plane around Halloween; thick, hazy, gloomy atmosphere. Technical, but the songwriting is so interesting and captivating that it doesn't get in the way of the freeing vibe. There's a tone in the guitar that I've heard somewhere else in classic metal or prog or something. As usual, I can't instantly put a finger on it, but it makes it very familiar and warm, like at 2:15 of "Poison and the Crucifix". Almost every track has something like that though. I going back to my usual Mighty Sphincter - Ghost Walking Double lead and melody guitar tones ("Three Turns to the West").

Which albums?

you can see what he released/re-released in an advanced search on discogs. some classics with bonus tracks.

https://www.discogs.com/search/?type=al ... &year=2022