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The Top Albums of 2019 (According to AQ’s Staff)

Arts Weekly
Buzz

Dan Alleva—AQ Managing Editor

  1. Life of Agony—The Sound of Scars (Napalm Records)
  2. Starcrawler—Devour You (Rough Trade Records)
  3. Bad Religion—Age of Unreason (Epitaph)
  4. Sleater-Kinney—The Center Won’t Hold (Mom+Pop)
  5. Oh Sees—Face Stabber (Castle Face)
  6. Dark Blue—Victory Is Rated (12XU)
  7. Trey Anastasio—Ghosts of the Forrest (Rubber Jungle Records)
  8. The Allman-Betts Band—Down to the River (BMG)
  9. Cass McCombs—Tip of the Sphere (ANTI-)
  10. Devendra Banhart—Ma (Nonesuch)

Debra Kate Schafer—AQ Editorial Assistant

  1. Benee— FIRE ON MARZZ (Republic Records)
  2. The Driver Era—X (BMG)
  3. SWMRS— Berkeley’s on Fire (Fueled by Ramen/WEA)
  4. Yungblud— The Underrated Youth (Locomotion Records)
  5. Harry Styles— Fine Line (Erskine Records)
  6. G Flip—About Us (Future Classic)
  7. Jonas Brothers— Happiness Begins (Republic/UMG)
  8. MARINA— Love & Fear (Atlantic)
  9. The Regrettes—How Do You Love?  (Warner Records)
  10. Joy Crookes— Perception (Speakerbox Recordings)

Vinny Cecolini—Contributing Writer

  1. Opeth—In Cauda Venenum (Nuclear Blast)
  2. Alter Bridge—Walk The Sky (Napalm)
  3. Amon Amarth—Berzerker (Sony Music)
  4. Rival Sons—Feral Roots (Atlantic/L.C.S.)
  5. Steel Panther—Heavy Metal Rules (Steel Panther)
  6. The Darkness—Easter is Cancelled (Cooking Vinyl)
  7. Soundgarden—Live From The Artists’ Den (Universal)
  8. Bad Religion—Age of Unreason (Epitaph)
  9. Weezer—Weezer (Black Album) (Crush/Atlantic)
  10. Dream Theater—Distance Over Time (Inside Out Music)

Sonny Wheldon—Contributing Writer

  1. King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard—Infest the Rats’ Nest (ATO Records)
  2. Mannequin Pussy—Patience (Epitaph)
  3. Mudhoney—Morning in America (EP) (Sub Pop)
  4. The Budos Band—V (Daptone Records)
  5. Tacocat—This Mess Is a Place (Sub Pop)
  6. White Denim—Side Effects (City Slang)
  7. Ian Brown—Ripples (Black Koi)
  8. Ex Hex—It’s Real (Merge)
  9. Duff McKagan—Tenderness (UMG)
  10. Saint Vitus—Saint Vitus (Season of Mist)

Bob Makin—Makin’ Waves columnist

  1. Experiment 34—What Dying Feels Like (self-released)
  2. Baron Praxis—Precursor (self-released)
  3. The Anderson Council—Worlds Collide (JEM Recordings)
  4. Stella Mrowicki—S/T (self-released)
  5. Solace—The Brink (Blues Funeral Recordings)
  6. Frank Lombardi—Predawn (AirPlay Records)
  7. The Vansaders—Standstill (self-released)
  8. Cyclone Static—From Scratch (Mint 400 Records)
  9. Pyrenesia—Off-Beat Symphony (self-released)
  10. From Good Homes—Time and the River (GRRRrrr Records)

Bryan Reesman—Queued Up columnist

  1. Bat for Lashes—Lost Girls (AWAL Recordings Limited)
  2. Ladytron—Ladytron (Ladytron Music)
  3. Ollie Wride—Thanks In Advance (NRW Records)
  4. Drab Majesty—Modern Mirror (Dias Records)
  5. Turbo Knight—Navigators (706386 Records DK)
  6. Anthony Jones & Monica Richards—Aestuarium (self-released)
  7. Lindemann—F&M (Universal Music GmbH)
  8. The Hu—The Gereg (Eleven Seven Music)
  9. Polly Fae—Phantom Gardens (Projekt Records)
  10. Azam Ali—Phantoms (Terrestrial Lane Productions) 

Acacia Pyle—Contributing Writer

  1. Mannequin Pussy—Patience (Epitaph)
  2. Mal Blum—Pity Boy (Don Giovanni Records)
  3. Petite League—Rattler (Zap World Records)
  4. WAAX—Big Grief (Dew Process)
  5. King Princess—Cheap Queen (Zelig Records)
  6. Summer Cannibals—Can’t Tell Me No (Tiny Engines)
  7. PUP—Morbid Stuff (Rise Records/BMG)
  8. FKA twigs—Magdalene (Young Turks Recordings)
  9. Billie Eilish—When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go? (Darkroom/Interscope)
  10. Insignificant Other—I’m So Glad I Feel This Way About You (Counter Intuitive Records)

Mike Greenblatt—Rant ‘n’ Roll columnist

  1. Various Artists—Send I A Lion: A Nighthawk Reggae Joint (Omnivore Recordings)
  2. Rickie Lee Jones—Kicks (Thirty Tigers)
  3. Wynton Marsalis—Bolden:  Music From The Original Soundtrack (Blue Engine)
  4. Noah Preminge—Zigsaw: Music Of Steve Lampert (self-released)
  5. John Coltrane—Coltrane ’58: The Prestige Recordings (Craft)
  6. Eric Dolphy—Musical Prophet: The Expanded 1963 New York Studio Sessions (Resonance)
  7. Willie Nelson—Ride Me Back Home (Legacy Recordings)
  8. Art Pepper—Promise Kept: The Complete Artists House Recordings (Omnivore Recordings)
  9. Ben Levin—Before Me (VizzTone)
  10. Keb Mo—Oklahoma (Concord)

Nick Perkel—Contributing Writer

  1. Possessed—Revelations of Oblivion (Nuclear Blast)
  2. Abbath—Outstrider (Season of Mist)
  3. Children of Bodom—Hexed (Nuclear Blast)
  4. Destruction—Born to Perish (Nuclear Blast)
  5. Idle Hands—Mana (Eisenwald)
  6. Horrendous—Idol (Season of Mist)
  7. Xoth—Interdimensional Invocations (Creature of the Northwest)
  8. Witch Vomit—Buried Deep in a Bottomless Grave (20 Buck Spin)
  9. Bewitcher—Under the Witching Cross (Shadow Kingdom)
  10. Indian Nightmare—By Ancient Force (High Roller)

Veronica Rajadnya—Contributing Writer

  1. Lana Del Rey—Norman Fucking Rockwell! (Polydor/Interscope)
  2. Madeon—Good Faith (Columbia Records)
  3. The National—I Am Easy to Find (4AD)
  4. Big Thief—U.F.O.F. (4AD)
  5. Big Thief—Two Hands (4AD)