Pusha T - DAYTONA (GOOD Music/Def Jam, 2018)

If Kanye West did one good thing this year, it was the 7-track rap album. This album clocks in at 21 minutes and it's a beaut, killers from beginning to end, book-ended by two absolute classics - "If You Know You Know" and "Infrared". The latter, of course, with its thinly-veiled jabs at Drake, set off the beef of the year. I thought at the time Drake shouldn't even bother responding - let's face it, ghostwriting jabs are nothing new, dude's gonna have to live with them his whole career, whatever, just move on. But nope. Classic cranky Drake, rushed to the studio like it was Meek Round 2, put out "Duppy Freestyle", and was promptly annihilated so hard with "The Story of Adidon" that he's spent the whole summer in damage control mode. Does anyone even remember what "Duppy Freestyle" sounds like anymore? But alas. I bring up Drake because this album also presents an interesting juxtaposition between the two - DAYTONA, ultra lean at 21 minutes and one of the best reviewed hip hop albums of the year, compared to Drake's flabby double disc that, despite setting streaming records, has earned a collective yawn critically speaking. I just find the differences interesting. Back to DAYTONA - Kanye's production is phenomenal. Sample-heavy in the classic Ye style, yes, but dark and nasty and perfectly suited for Pusha's equally venomous flow. I could've done without the Ye feature on "What Would Meek Do?" (especially the "poop scoop" reference) but I digress. A stunner otherwise. And that album art is sublime too. Whitney Houston's bathroom? Unreal. Yuuugh.

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Nachtmystium/Leviathan - In the Valley of Death, Where Black Metal is King: An Homage to the Roots (Ascension Monuments Media, 2018)

What the fuck is that title. Okay I get the first part is a Judas Iscariot tribute, but did we really need "an homage to the roots" in there? Hey wouldn't it be funny if these were actually covers of the band The Roots? Anyway. This album was supposed to come out 10 years ago, but it was blocked by the bands' respective labels. Now I guess they've figured out a way, or Blake Judd needs money for drugs so he's figured out a way, to put this out. The Bandcamp version has 8 tracks, 5 from Nachtmystium and 3 from Leviathan, but I've seen a 10-track tracklisting elsewhere. On the version I have, we have Nachtmystium covering Judas Iscariot, Ildjarn (twice), Von and Burzum. Leviathan tackles Ildjarn (twice) and Von once. I seem to be missing Leviathan's Judas Iscariot cover ("Where the Winter Beats Incessant") and one of Nachtmystium's Von covers ("Von"). Weird. Wonder if there were some licensing issues or something. All four Ildjar...

Isserley - Cutest Girls Suicide Cult (Tigersquawk, 2018)

Again - no real recollection of how this one ended up in my wishlist. I keep tabs on some witchhouse stuff and I guess I heard of Isserley somewhere...then again maybe it's the rad album title and kool art that pulled me in. Isserley is the "self proclaimed saddest girl in Australia" and these are kind of witchy beats, although more distorted and noise-y than is typical...of which I approve...but overall the album (it's more like an EP) didn't do much for me. Apparently a lot of these trax are culled from previous Isserley projects and given makeovers. Good to know! But not my bag.

Corrupted - Felicific Algorithim (Cold Spring, 2018)

For whatever it means, this is the beginning of Corrupted's "Hollow" series. Maybe the clue is in the music? Unlike Corrupted's traditional ultra-slowed down, Spanish-sung, Japanese doom metal this is instrumental harsh noise. Still filthy and angry and depressive but sans vox and also more or less sans metal. Both untitled sides are meant to be played at either speed. The result? Meh. I miss Corrupted's brand of doom, this relatively anonymous harsh noise is fine and all but if I'm listening to Corrupted...well I know what I want. Skippable.

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