Asklemmy

I know this is a weird choice but the Lustmord tribute album "The Others" is probably my favorite of the decade so far. The first half is pretty close to the dark ambient Lustmord is known for, but as the album goes on it has some more melodic contributions which are really spectacular.

Ethereal Shroud's "Trisagion" album is really great if you're into metal. Also with regards to metal - the song "Aggressor" by Vredehammer is crazy good, especially the first 2:20 or so, but the full album doesn't quite match it for me.

"Aether" by The Moon and the Nightspirit is wonderful folk music from Hungary, but they've had a few other albums in the past that match it for me.

• Bring Me The Horizon | POST HUMAN SURVIVAL HORROR
• YOASOBI | everything is post 2020
• Paula Hartmann | everything is post 2020
• Toe | 独演会 "DOKU-EN-KAI

It's a bit hard to find stuff that is new that I've actually listened to a lot, but it's not because there isn't new stuff just because I have no new music entering my rotation except from artists I already know, other media or friends recommendations. And music from other media often doesn't end up being on any album.

Wake Up & It's Over - Lovejoy (although the singer has had some stuff come up about him being nasty with his ex girlfriend recently)

Soul Elegy - Termina

Take Me Back To Eden - Sleep Token

Fatalism - Polaris

ANALYSIS PARALYSIS - MAY-A

Post Human: Survival Horror - Bring Me The Horizon

Euthanasia - Stray From The Path

So far, these three come to mind:

Mammoth WVH (2021 self-titled debut)

• Eddie Van Halen’s son Wolfgang’s debut album in which he wrote and recorded all instruments. It’s some fantastic hard rock about not giving a shit what other people expect of you. “Mammoth” embodies the spirit of the album, while “Stone” is one of the best low-tempo, high-energy songs I’ve ever heard.

Pawns & Kings (2022) - Alter Bridge

• A heavy, raw, intense and politically charged album about how the new generation of humanity needs to be better if we want any sort of societal continuity. I may be playing it up but the music is kickass.

Fortitude (2021) - Gojira

• Most of Gojira’s music is about the doom we’re sowing by destroying the planet. This album is a stark tonal shift for them in that almost all of it is supposed to be positive and encouraging. “The Chant” is nothing but encouraging those who suffer oppression to fight on for their rights. “Into the Storm” is an anthem for fighting for political change in a world that beats everyone down for trying to challenge the status quo. This album was exactly what I needed after COVID had already gone on for a year and showed no signs of stopping.

Just want to shout out a couple more bangers;

God's Country - Chat Pile

Hostile Architecture - Ashenspire

Some Nights I Dream of Doors - Obongjayar

Taylor Davis - Songs of the Lost Woods

I'd probably have to go with Nightwish Human :||: Nature

It's a very solid album, but to be honest I'm not sure if I've even listened to any other album in full from past couple years

My current favorite albums are:

• Allison Russel - The Returner (2023)
• Black Eyes Peas - ELEVATION (2022)
• Run The Jewels - RTJ4 (2020)
• Descartes A Kant - After Destruction (2023)
• Tommy McLain - I Ran Down Every Dream (2022)

Some new stuff I’ve been jamming on lately

Fiddlehead - Death is nothing to us Scalp - Black Tar Zulu - a new tomorrow Zulu - my people…hold on

Pressure Machine by The Killers

PetroDragonic Apocalypse by King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard

and it's not even close. This is one of my favorite albums of all time. Prog metal at its finest!

This is exactly correct. Child of the early 70s.

I heard my peers say this about the 80s and had to laugh and laugh.

For every Prince, there were 100 sucky bands.

Sleep Token - This place will become your tomb (2021) / This eden (2023)

Grim Salvo - MILDRED (2022)

Tame Impala - The Slow rush (2020)

Spiritbox - Eternal blue (2021)

Bad Omens - THE DEATH OF PEACE OF MIND (2022)

Can I include EP’s? If so, Lorna Shore - ... And I return to nothingness (2021)

Black Tiger Sex Machine - Once upon a time in cyberworld (2022)

Apashe - Renaissance (2020)

Florence + The Machine - Dance fever (2022)

Hozier - Unreal unearth (2023)

I’m sure there’s more

It’s definitely survivorship bias and likely that the barrier for entry is a lot lower now, so only ‘better’ music would be made (ie record companies doing risk assessment and deciding what would be more likely to sell) / your average person can make music now relatively easily, which I suppose technically ‘dilutes’ the overall ‘quality’ of music today - take your pick

Taylor Swift - Taylor Swift

Larkin Poe - Blood Harmony

Although my favorite KGLW albums are from 2019, there are great ones from 2020 onward as well.

I'm also liking Expert in a Dying Field by the Beths right now.

Since Google Play Music went away, I think it's been harder to find new stuff I like. Recently, I've found better new stuff on my local public radio station.