Top Reviewed Albums of 2019

I am a personal fan of end-of-the-year reviews and round-ups. These little retrospective articles allow me to focus on and criticize myself for what I did right and wrong throughout the previous year; they give myself a renewed vigor to do better the following year. 2019 was not one of the best for Brutal; with a full time swing shift job and school constantly hammering down on me, I was drowning in work and work and more work. However, with a new job that has a set schedule, I find myself hopeful that I can fix what went wrong in 2019 and focus on banging out reviews and features just like before (and possibly get a Patreon-backed podcast started very soon). 

Nonetheless, disappointments and missed opportunities aside I am here with our top 15 reviewed albums of 2019. Each block of reviews are in no set order. For example, the albums ranked 8.5 out of 10 could easily be switched up with one another. This is just a fun little article showing what both I and our team thought were the best of the best. Each one of the reviews written were of individual opinion. Just because I enjoyed one album does not mean another writer on the site did. We also understand (as indicated above) that there are a plethora of albums we did not get to review this year that would have made the list. Alas, here's what we did. Enjoy! 

15. "Synthmonster" by Neontenic

This was quite a shocking release to me when it came out. Upon first listen I thought it would be just another synthwave album and tossed it to the side. However, I kept coming back to it day after day until I fell in love with it. It's a well crafted, well built, and story driven synthwave release with quality production and fun songs. A lot of artists in the scene attempt to create story and character in their releases but so few have done as good a job as Neontnic on "Synthmonster". 



14. "INSHROUDSS" by Bestial Mouths

This is a band that is known and loved by many and it's not shocking to see that Bestial Mouths have landed on our year-end list with their most recent EP  "INSHROUDSS". Giving us more of what we all love while cramming in new ideas and experiments, this personal and haunting EP is also the first to come off record label Rune & Ruin. Definitely worth your time if you've yet to explore this one. 



13. "Signs of Life" by Quieter Than Spiders

Luke found a lot of love for Synthpop group Quieter Than Spiders "Signs of Life". A massive album that I have not had the chance to check out fully myself, Luke said about the album, "Musically, this is a well planned dreamy journey into the unknown demonstrating the artists and their commitment to the perfect sound. Quieter Than Spiders drifts around the synthpop realm mostly, but they are very creative and find ways to showcase some chiptune and minimal influences."



12. "Night Hunt" by VHS Glitch

Being a fan of both Halloween and horror, VHS Glitch's electronic output has been a staple in my playlists since I first read their interview on the site conducted by Luke. "Night Hunt" is an incredibly crafted album from the synthetic maestro and occult loving music maker behind VHS Glitch. Perfect for the Halloween season and well worth the listen. 




11. "Memory 417" by In Quantum

The best works of dark ambient music are the ones that are able to take you from your current world and put you into a new one. This is exactly what In Quantum did on their album "Memory 417". This ambient, cyberpunk soundtrack took me from my desk and placed me within a technologically advanced and cybernetic future. It's gorgeous and understandable why Cryo Chamber put this on their output for 2019. 



10. "Exorcise of Lechery" by Nilbog

This album simply exploded my aural senses upon first listen; the intro and title track were enough to make me wanna get up and shout, but seeing as how that's frowned upon I decided against it. "Exorcise of Lechery" is a grand eight track electro-industrial showdown perfect for lifting weights at your gym or stomping your boots at your nearest club. 




09. "UNF!" by daddybear

Matt Fanale has no shortage of creativity; his main output of Caustic tears down walls while the proper EBM output of Klack has modular synth fanatics weeping in their sleep from the sheer beauty of it. Then there is daddybear, which, in Joseph's own words, "explores a lot of the sounds of the late 80s and early 90s, whether it's the pure old-school EBM vibes of 'so nasty', the damn-near techno of 'disco balls' or the acid bass infused sounds of 'like a butterfly'".



08. "K" by Kitka

I never was one to dive heavily into electropop but the sweet and sincere bouncy beats and dreamy vocals had me hooked. I followed this project after Frida Madeleine left Red Mecca. Though I had my reservations at first, Kitka did not disappoint with their debut EP "K". I even bought the cassette because I wanted it. It looks great next to the other ones in my collection and I'm proud to own it. 



07. "The Crypt Injection II (Non Serviam)" by Dawn of Ashes

Dawn of Ashes got their start in the dark electro / harsh EBM / aggrotech world when they first began, but they have been slowly becoming more of a industrial and black metal as of late. However, listening to their fans they went back to roots and created a sequel to their fan-favorite album "The Crypt Injection". And, boy, was it worth the wait. 




06. "New Moscow Undergroud" by Neon Insect

It's funny taking a look back at Neon Insect's career and seeing how far they've come since then. The project was a video game composer and electronic junkie for some time, but I'm glad the project saw that they had enough talent to create their own concept album. "New Moscow Underground" embraces all the funky elements of a quasi-Escape From New York setting whilst adding in an industrial vibe. Take it for what it's worth; I love it. 



05. "You May Feel Some Pressure" by Spit Mask

Spit Mask has been making the rounds all year with their first full-length album "You May Feel Some Pressure" released via aufnahme und wiedergabe. If you enjoyed their EP "SWALLOW" than "You May Feel Some Pressure" is going to blow your mind; it simply razes what they've already done with better production and quality whilst still maintaining that lo-fi vibe. Excellent industrial release for 2019 that will be heavily rotated in my playlist. 



04. "Swarm of Voices" by Krate

This is yet another surprise hit for me in 2019. "Swarm of Voices" is not so much an album done by one person or group but an impressive international collaboration crafted by a bunch of fine talents within the industrial scene. With too many names to list within the credits to be placed here, understand that the base of this building is controlled by Krate and allowed reformation from other musicians and builders. 



03. "Chroma + Chromatic" by IIOIOIOII

IIOIOIOII must have one of the more confusing names on this list, but you can simply call the project IO pronounced "eye-oh". Christopher Gurney has crafted yet another wonderful blend of synthpop though tending to be a bit on the darker side this time around. No complaints there, though, right? This album also comes with an excellent second CD filled with remixes. It's a well made album with plenty of bonuses.



02. "Resume" by Empirion

The industrial and techno rhythms of Empirion had long been at halt for nearly twenty-three years. During that time a lot of people missed what they were and what they produced; that thought made their 2019 all the more sweet as fans danced and partied in joy when "Resume" hit shelves. Anni stated that the album "has proven itself to be absolutely worth the wait and a fitting tribute their unforgotten partner in crime."



01. "Gore / Mirrorshade" by Mvtant

What's left to say about this magnificent piece of industrial music that I have not already stated in the original review? "Gore / Mirrorshade" is a double-EP remastered and reworked for a cassette release and digital output via Somatic. It was breathtaking the first time I heard it and still makes my skin crawl each time I hear it. This is my personal favorite album of 2019 and it certainly deserves this spot.