I figured it would be more fun to look at my top 25 releases, so I’ll post about my top five (plus one!) Japanese releases here and post a longer write-up in the global thread.
As a man of science, “top” releases are determined strictly by scrobbles. If it wasn’t scrobbled, it didn’t happen.
1. cali≠gari - 18
What do you mean they’ve released three original albums in three consecutive years? Surely they’re running out of steam at this point!
Hot off the heels of their 30th anniversary retake album, our eclectic boys have somehow continued their streak of making number go up three years in a row. Hardly are they running out of steam, with 18 being my favorite of their albums in a long while.
16 and 17 came out in May and June respectively, and both sounded appropriately like summer albums. With its September release, 18 was a return to a darker sound the band hadn’t taken in some time, fused with a healthy serving of 80s beat rock.
2. Asunojokei - Think of You
This is a band that’s generated quite a buzz over the past few year, especially with their 2022 album Island reaching quite a broad audience. Not me though, I ignored it entirely. Once again my stubborn contrarianism got in the way. Oh well. It wasn’t until I finally checked out Island that I realized the first time I actually came across this band was their contribution to the Nier Replicant special arrangement album.
Anyway, Asunojokei has been constantly evolving and perfecting their sound with each release, and I think they landed on a style that really suits them here. Though often described as blackgaze, this album is basically a blackgaze LaCroix. They’ve brought an overall screamo sound (especially the vocals!) to the forefront with an almost poppy sensibility informing their melodies and song structures.
3. cali≠gari - 30
Is it cheating when a band releases two albums in one year? Considering this is a band that knows so much about numbers, I would argue it is not.
At first impression you might think, “oh great, they’ve revisited some of their pre-hiatus hits!” but that is… not quite the case. You see, this album is 30, and what is 30 if not 6+7+8+9?
They clearly had fun making this, as these tracks bring a fresh energy as they reinterpret these classic songs in their current sound. These sorts of releases always run the risk of being a 1:1 carbon copy, but several songs have been transmogrified (despite the band having apparently lost the permit for their laboratory many years ago), the songwriting expanded or redirected, and even a detour to the bowling alley.
Though unfortunately for some, this band remains too hirsute in this millennium’s incarnation.
4. betcover!! - 勇気
This band is actually new to me as of this past year. Their album covers caught my attention on one of Mr. @CAT5’s charts and they’ve quickly risen to the top of my own charts.
betcover!! seems to have had a really cool story, growing into their sound as twenty-something Jiro himself grew up, starting with bedroom indie and taking us into a very tangibly smokey jazz club. That was my first impression of this album and remains the first thing I tell people when recommending it.
This album is cool, man. The band is jazzier and more locked in than ever before and the result is quite impressive.
5. kein - delusional inflammation
I’m not sure who to blame for this, but post-revival kein and deadman have kind of merged into the same thing, dissolving into a sort of musical primordial soup that fills aie’s hat. On that note, it’s probably him.
That said, I’m going to eat it up every time they put out something new. And clearly it happened this past year with delusional inflammation. Ensemble wise, kein maintains a classic 90s five piece lineup with twin guitars and these guys are rock solid playing together. aie and Reo were a perfect pair 25 years ago and they still are today.
Musically it’s a tour de force of their current sound, bringing hallmarks such as darkness and moodiness characteristic of bands from the Detroit of Japan, with powerful maco choruses that feel like the sun beaming through the clouds. It’s good. I listened to it a lot.
(I had to keep double-checking myself here because deadman released an EP too. You goofballs.)
Honorable Mention: 八十八ヶ所巡礼 - 八＋九
These guys are equally parts fun and bewildering. I’ve been chipping away at their discography over the past couple of years, so a new album gave me a timely foothold to hang out and contemplate. I’m still not sure how I’d describe the music, but I clearly enjoy it.
).
. Honestly them removing that annoying autotuning part in the original gave the track air to breathe. I feel like thats all this track needed, oh and Mao having re-recording of the vocals helped as well. I welcome all changes to that track 100%.
Now thats def a subject ill save for a different topic O_o. I guess for now this is the best spot i can put this album at for this year anyway 
