It’s December, which means that, for the most part, the year in music is over. Almost everything that’s going to come out has already, as the music industry focuses on the holiday shopping rush by pushing everything that’s come out in the first 11 months of the year. It’s also a good time to take stock of what has come out so far this year, and while you’ll be getting our picks in due time, we wanted to first turn things over to some of the people making that music. To that end, Vattnet Viskar’s Nick Thornbury, Casey Aylward, Seamus Menihane and Chris Alfierie  have shared their favorite music of the year. Stay tuned throughout the week as we continue to bring you more artists’ picks for the year.

Nick Thornbury of Vattnet Viskar

1) Mastodon, Once More ‘Round The Sun
2) Pallbearer, Foundations of Burden
3) Killer Be Killed, Killer Be Killed
4) Boyfrndz, Breeder
5) Godflesh, A World Lit Only by Fire
6) Crosses, Crosses
7) Behemoth, The Satanist
8) Pianos Become The Teeth, Keep You
9) Swans, To Be Kind
10) He Is Legend, Heavy Fruit

Casey Aylward of Vattnet Viskar

1) Mastodon, Once More ‘Round the Sun
Pianos Become The Teeth, Keep You
Lagwagon, Hang
Antemasque, S/T
Trash Talk, No Peace
Morrissey, World Peace is None of Your Business
Bane, Don’t Wait Up
Joyce Manor, Never Hungover Again
Tigers Jaw, Charmer
Weezer, Everything Will Be Alright In The End
Pallbearer, Foundations of Burden
**Number one is number one and everything else is just random. These albums made me feel something, perhaps taught me something about myself.

Seamus Menihane of Vattnet Viskar

1) Mastodon, Once More ‘Round the Sun 

2) Code Orange, I Am King 

3) Ryan Adams, Ryan Adams

4 )Schoolboy Q, Oxymoron 

5) Aviator, Head in The Clouds, Hands in The Dirt

6) PVRIS, White Noise 

7) Pallbearer, Foundations of Burden

8) Rick Ross, Mastermind 

9) EYEHATEGOD, EYEHATEGOD

10 )Godflesh, A World lit Only By Fire

Chris Alfieri (Vattnet Viskar)

1.) allbearer, Foundations of Burd

Thou, Haethan

Mastodon, Once More ‘Round the Sun

Panopticon, Roads to the North

Code Orange, I Am King

Nightbringer,  Ego Dominus Tuus

Wiz Khalifa, Blacc Hollywood

Solstafir, Otta

El-P & Killer Mike, Run the Jewels 2

Rick Ross, Mastermind

**No order, but Pallbearer reigns supreme.