25. Mark Ronson – Uptown Special
Though some may argue that Mark Ronson’s early-year blockbuster had already lost its steam by release day, the deep cuts, in addition to the singles previously unveiled in 2014, together made for a solid effort from the British producer.

24. Between the Buried and Me – Coma Ecliptic
The latest full-length from the popular progressive metallers is fantastic more times than not, making Coma Ecliptic a stellar release overall and earning its spot in this list. Read our review of the record here.

23. Gary Clark Jr. – The Story of Sonny Boy Slim
Gary Clark Jr. is only 31, and yet the Austin native has already cemented himself as one of the greatest guitarists of his generation. His sophomore major label effort is edgy blues rock one moment, and subdued neo-soul the next.

22. Socionic – Dividing Horizon
Socionic was one of my favorite discoveries from 2014, so when the time finally came for a new release from them (their previous release was the 2012 EP Identity), I immediately gave Dividing Horizon a listen. Needless to say, the L.A. hard rockers didn’t let me down.

21. NYVES – Anxiety
Although my #2 song of 2014 was a Low & Behold tune, the best release from Ryan Clark this year was actually not Uppers but rather his other side-project, the more synth-oriented one with Randy Torres of Project 86 fame. Ditto to my friend and fellow contributor Michael’s review of Anxiety.

20. Raury – All We Need
Just a few short months ago, I had no idea who Raury Tullis was. Fast forward to now, and his debut full-length has become one of my favorites. With All We Need ranging from rock to folk to straight-up hip-hop, there seems to be nothing that the 19-year-old can’t do.

19. Attalus – Into the Sea
To be honest, I’ve overlooked Into the Sea ever since its release back in early June, even despite having a physical copy of the album. That said, Attalus’ latest is still a fantastic rock record, and one of the best I’ve heard from Christian rock in quite some time.

18. Imagine Dragons – Smoke + Mirrors
For me Smoke + Mirrors is a bit stronger than Night Visions was overall, and I believe that’s thanks primarily to the edgier, more rocking cuts like “I’m So Sorry” and “Friction.” All of the songs from the record are still undoubtedly Imagine Dragons, but some of them have more of a bite.

17. Big Data – 2.0
With 2.0, Alan Wilkis proves that his band is not just a one-hit-wonder. In fact, the 2014 summer smash hit “Dangerous” ends up in the weaker half of the album, which boasts standouts like the soulful “Clean,” the clever play on words that is “Snowed In,” and the change-up “Big Dater,” the only song not featuring a guest vocalist.

16. Tame Impala – Currents
There’s a good reason why the latest from Tame Impala has found its way onto so many year-end lists. Much like its lead-off track “Let it Happen,” Currents is itself a musical journey that takes the listener on all kinds of cool twists and turns.

15. Jon Foreman – The Wonderlands
All four of the EP’s Jon Foreman released in 2015 are great in their own way, but since they are all a part of one greater body of work, it makes perfect sense to include them all as one awesome double-album, even though such thing doesn’t exist. Not yet anyway.

14. P.O.D. – The Awakening
With their ninth full-length effort, my long-time favorite band changed things up by releasing their very first concept album. In some ways The Awakening is as nasty as it gets, but it also has moments of intense beauty. P.O.D.’s latest may not stack up with the band’s best releases, but it does feature some of the strongest songs the band has written in their entire career with “Rise of NWO” and “I Want It All.”

13. BOOTS – AQUɅRIA
In just a few years, Jordy Asher went from virtually unknown to producing on Beyoncé’s last record, and now a full-length studio album of his own. AQUɅRIA somehow incorporates elements of industrial, soul, rock, and R&B, all at once, and rather effortlessly at that.

12. Haste the Day – Coward
Some labeled Coward as a “reunion album” for Christian metal legends Haste the Day, but for me, it felt more like a “last album.” With all nine former members from the band featured at one point or another on the record, Coward has an overwhelming sense of finality to it. I understand that it’s still technically possible for them to release more music, but that just wouldn’t feel right to me. The last time I felt this way about an album was with Black Sabbath’s 13, and that suspicion was confirmed not too long ago. Only time will tell if I’m correct here as well.

11. The Ongoing Concept – Handmade
For their sophomore full-length, The Ongoing Concept started with nothing and built the music from the ground up by crafting many of the instruments used themselves. What makes Handmade so unique is more than just the organic feel to it though; it’s also a refreshing change in pace from every other run-of-the-mill post-hardcore band. Typical? That word can’t be found anywhere in this quartet’s dictionary.

10. Joshua Powell & The Great Train Robbery – Alyosha
The more I listen to Alyosha, the more I fall in love, and somehow I think I like it even more now than I did back when I reviewed it in October. If their latest doesn’t put Joshua Powell and company on the map as a collective, I honestly don’t know what will.

9. The Weeknd – Beauty Behind the Madness
R&B enigma The Weeknd had the hit of the summer (“Can’t Feel My Face”) in addition to having the other singles from his new record chart as well (“The Hills” and “In the Night”), but even considering all of that, it’s Beauty Behind the Madness as an entire body of work that makes it so special.

8. Puscifer – Money Shot
Maynard James Keenan may be well-known as the frontman for Tool, but he is no stranger to the obscure. His third studio album with his side-project Puscifer continues this journey, and the result is Money Shot, a quirky blend of alternative rock and industrial avant-garde with really no lows.

7. Refused – Freedom
From the high-octane opener “Elektra” all the way through the bass-driven closer “Useless Europeans,” the once-defunct hardcore punk veterans pick up right where they left off in 1998. With all ten tracks from the record possessing some sort of staying power, the Swedes don’t miss a single beat with their long-awaited fourth full-length.

6. Mini Mansions – The Great Pretenders
Psych-pop? Synth rock? What does one classify The Great Pretenders as? I would venture to say that the sophomore effort from this L.A. trio is all of the above, and then some. It’s all executed so well that guest features from both the legendary Brian Wilson and the indie rock superstar Alex Turner are simply “icing on the cake,” something the band and I both agree on.

5. Ghost – Meliora
2015 was a big year for occultist metallers Ghost. First the Swedish collective was able to reclaim the rights to the Ghost moniker, thus eliminating the egregious “B.C.” at the end. Additionally, upon finding Papa Emeritus III, the Nameless Ghouls and their third frontman went into the studio to record, and eventually release, you guessed it, their third full-length. Meliora is a phenomenal heavy metal album from start to finish, and it’s proof that the band can hold their own musically too, not just theatrically.

4. twenty one pilots – BLURRYFACE
After intensive touring on the Vessel cycle, twenty one pilots have outdone themselves yet again with Blurryface, a well-layered record that can be fun and carefree at times. More times than not, however, the Columbus duo’s latest is darker than their previous material, even to the point of being brooding for a few brief moments – I’m looking at you, “Goner.”

3. MUTEMATH – Vitals
The synth-pop vibes from MUTEMATH’s latest is a fun change of pace. Even if it’s not quite the same as the bluesy rock ‘n’ roll of Odd Soul or the futuristic feel from the New Orleans natives’ debut, Vitals is a different kind of MUTEMATH record – a brighter and happier one.

2. Kendrick Lamar – To Pimp a Butterfly
Musically, To Pimp a Butterfly is at the crossroads of funk, soul, rock, and hip-hop, all at once. Lyrically, the latest from the Compton emcee is the perfect narrative for our society today. Looking back on it, the record encapsulates 2015 as a single moment in time, and does so flawlessly.

1. Royale – …As Long as the Money Lasted
2015’s best album was released on the very first day of the year. To date, I’ve never given a release a perfect score in a review, with the lone exception being …As Long as the Money Lasted. Dubbed “yacht metal,” Royale plays a brand of heavy music that anyone can enjoy, even the non-metalheads.

Honorable Mentions (in order of release)

D’Angelo – Black Messiah
One of my absolute favorite releases of the last year was the masterpiece that is D’Angelo’s return to music. Black Messiah came at the most inconvenient time for me though, as it released at the end of 2014, after I had already composed my “best of” for that year. Similarly, it wouldn’t make sense to include a 2014 release on a 2015 list, right? Do you see my dilemma?

Justin Bieber – Purpose
The biggest surprise of my 2015 was listening to (and thoroughly enjoying) the latest from Justin Bieber. If you told me a year ago that both of these things would have come true, I would have called you crazy. It just goes to show what difference a year makes. As much as I wanted to include this R&B album in my top 25, there were other releases that I believe edged it out, and this one also dropped rather late in the year.

Adele – 25
The iconic British hit-maker is back after years of silence, with the world taking notice right away and continuing to do so. As I type this, Adele’s latest is still #1 on the charts, over a month after its release, and I don’t see anyone dethroning her anytime soon.

Coldplay – A Head Full of Dreams
What has been speculated as “perhaps the final Coldplay album,” A Head Full of Dreams sounds like the most fun the band has had in years. Its December release once again prevents the record from being in my top 25, but a year from now, I see it having more in common with D’Angelo than Justin Bieber. I’ll have to listen to it some more in 2016 to know for sure though.

Troye Sivan – Blue Neighbourhood
Troye Sivan’s Wild EP from earlier on in the year mildly impressed me, but I guess I had never really given it a shot, because those tracks blew me away when hearing them in the context of the full album. The best (or perhaps most conflicting) part? Half of the cuts from Wild are only found on the deluxe edition of Blue Neighbourhood. Go figure.

Cage the Elephant – Tell Me I’m Pretty
Admittedly, I haven’t actually listened to Cage the Elephant’s fourth full-length in full, despite hearing the three singles they released beforehand. I plan on doing so soon, but at the time of writing this, I’m sure many are calling into question the validity of my “fandom” of the Bowling Green alt.-rockers.

Top 3 EP’s of 2015

Big Grams – Big Grams
Foo Fighters – Saint Cecilia
Brick + Mortar – Dropped