05) Pupil Slicer, Blossoms (Prosthetic)

If the sophomore slump is a real thing, Pupil Slicer have never heard of it. Martyrs was my 2021 AOTY, so I jumped on this album as soon as it came out. The band doesn’t try to recreate their debut, and they don’t go far off the beaten path either. There’s more cleans this time around and some welcome longer, slower songs (“The Song at Creation’s End”) that show off the band’s versatility. You know when a song closes with a slow, nasty riff that makes you do a stinkface? “No Temple” has the best one of the year, hands down.
Key Track: “No Temple”

04) Mutoid Man, Mutants (Sargent House)

Six years is far too long to go without a new Mutoid Man album, but somehow I managed. It ticks all the boxes only Mutoid Man can tick: tasty riffs, great hooks, and an all killer no filler tracklist. And it’s still just so much fun. I can’t stress enough how few bands manage to pull off being heavy, technically efficient, and fun at the same time.
Key Track: “Memory Hole”

03) Sunrot, The Unfailing Rope (Prosthetic)

You know when someone hypes up a band so much you’re worried that when you finally sit down and listen, you’re not gonna like it? That is not the case with Sunrot. As soon as I heard that fat, fuzzy bass that kicks off “Trepanation,” I was sold. This album is a pissed-off waterfall of heavy noise. There’s so much fury packed into every corner of this album, and it’s the perfect emotional release on the drive home from work.
Key Track: “Patricide”

02) Periphery, Periphery V: Djent Is Not A Genre (3DOT)

Periphery knocks it out of the park once again. Every time they put an album out, each release has such a strong personality, and there’s a song that scratches each itch. Something brutal? “Zagreus”. Something catchy? “Wax Wings”. Something epic? “Thanks Nobuo.” Seven albums in and Periphery just gets better and better.
Key Track: “Wax Wings”