thats-the-teen-spirit

[thats-the-teen-spirit]

I was having a shitty day but I just saw one of my best friends is now engaged

I'm so happy for him, he really did find his other half

[thats-the-teen-spirit]

Btw I made a playlist of my favorite songs this year, there are some new discoveries as well

mostly metal/metalcore but there are some pop and pop punk songs as well

[thats-the-teen-spirit]

Top 20 songs of 2024 reviewed by yours truly

As a yearly tradition I review my most liked songs when Spotify Wrapped comes out. Since this year was full of bangers, I extend the list to 20 instead of 10. Rules:

One song per artist

Can only include song when the song itself came out this year (album doesn't count)

Enjoy and thanks if you read it through.

20. Windwaker - Tabula Rasa

This song took me by surprise and I have not nearly listened to this band enough. This song basically was unskippable for me the later half of the year with the rapping, the electro beats, the super catchy chorus or the high variety of screams. Also the song's title is an item name in my favorite game of all time helped a lot to keep this one in memory. Start this list with a clean slate.

19. Bad Omens X Poppy - V. A. N.

Violence Against Nature is a really unique song in a sense that even though the Bad Omens are playing the super industrial metalcore instrumentals, the vocals are provided none other than Poppy herself only. Some people would find the monotonous vocals really unsettling and boring, I think they are very charming in a weird way. The machine gun-like drums are just the cherry on top.

18. Nothing More - House on Sand (feat. Eric V of I Prevail)

This was also a song that I got addicted to in the latter half of the year. The guitars are very modern sounding and the verses kinda remind me of a Beastie Boys/RHCP kinda groove, I don't know why. It's a strange mixture that somehow works.

17. Green Day - Suzie Chapstick

Probably my favorite love song from this year that gives me strange warmth, especially 'cause I remember it coming out during wintertime and I always listened to it on the warm bus on the way to work. Very comforting song with a nostalgic hook, I would honestly even call it Whatsername 2.

16. Alpha Wolf - Sucks 2 Suck (feat. Ice-T)

This might be way lower than it should be but hear me out. The song is great, the Ice-T feature is a little questionable but the whole vibe of this "standing up against bullies" type of hardcore song is really speaking to me. I often caught myself listening to it in home office when someone pissed me off.

15. LANDMVRKS - Creature

What's a song that begins with french rapping then turns into a metalcore anthem with a really melodic chorus and great breakdowns? This song. I really can't say anything else about this other than it's a banger.

14. Sum 41 - Waiting On A Twist of Fate

I could have picked any single from Sum 41's last album and it would have fit. I chose this one because of the punk-ish nature, fast drums, screamy vocals just in good Sum 41 fashion. I'm sad that I won't be able to hear this band live again but I'm glad they went out on their own terms (also I kinda relate to that).

13. Boi What - Funeral of an Antihero

If there was a genre called I'm not okay-core, this song would be there along with Lost by BMTH. The similarities are crazy between these songs and the pacing, the melodies and even the vocal style is very similar (though this song has the Plankton AI filter over it). I got called out by my ex-girlfriend for liking literal Spongebobcore but hey, a good song is a good song.

12. Nightwish - The Day Of...

Apparently it's an unpopular take but I loooove this song. The key change in the last chorus with the choir singing and Floor's amazing vocals had me shook since I first heard it. Though I think Yesterwynde was a little underwhelming (the later half, the first half is pretty decent in my opinion), this song is well deservingly here on this list.

11. Billie Eilish - Birds of A Feather

A really chill pop song from a really chill pop album and a really chill pop artist. It's also adorable and dreamy and to be fair just a cute lovesong that gets stuck in your head. I only put this love song ahead of the Green Day one, because even though both singers are called Billie, this one made a more unique sounding song.

10. Bilmuri - TALKIN' 2 YOUR GHOST

I know, unexpectedly low for American Motor Sports being my AOTY, but I got into the Bilmuri hype really late this year. Johnny Frank's metalcore-country hybrid band did a great job with this song despite it being less than 3 minutes long. I can also relate to the meaning behind the lyrics, I just love the whole thing to be honest.

09. Sleep Theory - Stuck In My Head

Sleep Theory is a band that I rarely listen to but when I do, I binge a lot of their songs. They're very nu-metal adjacent modern metal/metalcore band that have a very good artistic direction and good sense of melody. Also in my opinion very underrated, I love their older EP Paper Hearts, as well as this song. And of course this one got stuck in my head all year, pun intended.

08. Spiritbox - Soft Spine

YOU ALL DESERVE EACH OTHER. This callout is probably the hardest of the year for me, the song is pure breakdowns and screams, being very faithful to Spiritbox' sound. I'm really looking forward to their new album. Similar to their song Cellar Door from last year, this one doesn't need any huge melodies or choruses either as long as the heaviness is there.

07. Ice Nine Kills - A Work of Art (feat. SHAVO)

Despite hating horror and gore, INK is one of my favorite bands right now. The melodic sensibilities of Spencer Charnas. musical genius of of the whole band, and the corny horror vibe that does not take itself very seriously always brings me to a good mood. For some reason the band got a lot of hate online for being "boring and cheesy" by most metalcore listeners and reviewers but I honestly cannot give less fucks about it. The breakdown with the clown noise just always makes me smile. A Work of Art is a banger (and the key change at the end is just perfect).

06. Knocked Loose - Suffocate (feat. Poppy)

I kind of lied at the beginning. Poppy is featured in multiple instances on this list, bringing her to my favorite artist for this year. Knocked Loose knocked it out of the park this year with their album, You Won't Go Before You're Supposed To, and even though I wasn't very keen on Bryan's vocals first, the pissed of vibe of the whole band got me through my worst days of this year. Her PR team must do a great job because wherever I looked this year I saw this girl who started out as a creepy internet sensation, making it to Jimmy Kimmel by screaming her lungs out and then releasing one of the biggest albums of 2024. Also the reggaeton breakdown got me jamming even though I absolutely despite the original genre. Great job, KL.

05. Poppy - they're all around us

Yeah... I know. I'm a liar. So the album of this unexpected banger came out on the same day as another anticipated album of mine, yet this song was still on repeat more times than that record as a whole. 2024 was undoubtedly Poppy's year for sure. Oh and about the song, well it's very angry, brutal at times, but still has a Britney chorus, do you want any more information?

04. twenty one pilots - Routines In The Night

A bit of a mood change as we get to my favorite pop song of the year, which is unexpected a little because all the singles from Clancy, the 2024 album of the band were very competitive. Routines In The Night got stuck in my head for days, and while I was trying to figure out why, I noticed that the melodies just like in the Billie Eilish song, were very comforting, but in a different way. It was more like meeting an old friend late at night because neither of you can sleep. Brought me back to the good old days.

03. Electric Callboy X BABYMETAL - RATATATA

Some unhinged commenters said that this collab is similar to WWII, since the germans and the japanese have united and dropped a bomb. While this might be a very dark joke, I think it's absolutely correct. Two of the most fun modern metal bands unite in this beautifully chaotic mess of a metalcore mixed with J-metal, I love this song so much and it always brings me to good mood.

02. Linkin Park - Two Faced

Welp. Linkin Park are back alright. Two Faced brought me back to the first time I listened to Hybrid Theory and Meteora in full. The breakdown, the rap parts, the screams, everything is perfect and I can honestly say I'm always fully immersed in nostalgia when playing this song. Sidenote: this was the only song this year that I always had to listen to twice because one time was never enough.

01. Bring Me The Horizon - n/A

Might be an unlikely pick but n/A was my most relatable song this year. Oli dealing with substance abuse and telling the story of his relapse, how he feels guilt over relapsing made me think of how much I fucked up this year. I could write a bunch of personal stuff here why I chose this as my song of the year but let me just say that the subject matter always hit very close to home, especially describing the intrusiveness of Oli's thoughts. I literally never skipped it, ever.

So these are all my favorite songs this year but of course the list could be even longer than this by at least 10-15 songs.

[thats-the-teen-spirit]

I already got a new year's resolution

I'm gonna listen to more music, I won't be ashamed of what I'm listening to, and will do more activities that involves listening to music

[thats-the-teen-spirit]

Welp, this year's Wrapped is so underwhelming, I'm not even gonna share mine...

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She just left for the last time

I'm all alone again

Well I guess I always fuck up by the end of the year

Another winter, another breakup

[thats-the-teen-spirit]

Well I guess I always fuck up by the end of the year

Another winter, another breakup

[thats-the-teen-spirit]

Unpopular opinion: VANA is the artist Scene Queen wants to be

[thats-the-teen-spirit]

My Top 10 Albums of 2024

In this year i'm going to do something new, I'm not gonna rank the albums. This will include honorable mentions and EPs by the end so prepare for a long post

Green Day - Saviors

The year started with one of my favorite punk rock bands of all time dropping an album that I already consider a classic. It seems like every time the American political landscape is looking grim, Bille Joe, Mike and Tré release something cool to make our life a little bit more bearable. This album however is not perfect, there are some hits and misses here and there but nevertheless it's a really solid Green Day record.

Favorites: The American Dream is Killing Me, Dilemma, Suzie Chapstick, Strange Days are Here to Stay

Twenty One Pilots - Clancy

As someone who completely missed the SAI era of Twenty One Pilots, I was very pleasantly surprised when I listened to the singles for the first time. I mentally checked out from them after COVID happened but when Overcompensate dropped I felt like I need to check out the rest, and damn right I did. This record is more or less an homage to Trench, their most well-loved album by far. Many lovable singles and non-singles from two lovable dudes.

Favorites: Overcompensate, Next Semester, Routines in the Night, The Craving

Knocked Loose - You Won't Go Before You're Supposed To

Yeah I know, I used to hate on this band. Or I mean, hate is not the best word, more like I was indifferent when it comes to their music. But this year undoubtedly was one of their best and most successful one. This record is the definition of being pissed off. It's angry, pissed off at society, people, own thoughts, everything. The eery clean guitars, the hardcore breakdowns and the most pissed vocals ever recorded by man are all the reasons why this band is an acquired taste, but I finally found them like I would've found a religion.

Favorites: Don't Reach For Me, Suffocate, Slaughterhouse pt2, Blinding Faith

Imminence - The Black

The best metalcore record of the year, straight up. It's pissed but it's very artistic and mellow at the same time making this whole album sound like a mix between European death metal and symphonic metal at times and American modern metalcore. The Black is amazing, I can only talk about it in superlatives, it's so good. The range from the sad and melancholic songs to the most heavy blast beats is insane and once again the swedish boys (especially Eddie) proved to be one of the most innovative bands of the scene right now.

Favorites: Come Hell or High Water, Heaven Shall Burn, Desolation, Death by A Thousand Cuts

Sum 41 - Heaven :x: Hell

This is gonna be probably the most unpopular opinion on this list but I love this record. I love both the Heaven and the Hell side equally, they both sound nostalgic but not too obviously ripping off old songs, Deryck still got it when it comes to the vocal performances, in some songs he still sounds like he did when they recorded All Killer, No Filler. I'm glad they are able to go out on their own terms, without backstabbing and cancellations, after almost 30 years of putting out bangers, they absolutely deserve the retirement.

Favorites: Waiting On A Twist Of Faith, Landmines, Dopamine, How the End Begins

Bring Me The Horizon: POST HUMAN - NeX GEn

Well, at the start of the year I didn't expect to have it but in May after a surprise drop, we got one of the most anticipated records of the past few years. After the end of the last year when the band announced Jordan's departure I was really bummed out and thought the album will never be ready. Multiple delays, preorder cancellations, and a fuckton of singles later, it was here. Oli clearly had a vision by involving all of the band again just like in the old days and the result was this j-metal inspired concoction that uncovers mental health issues unapologetically uncensored. Probably my favorite record of the year.

Favorites: Top 10 Statues That Cried Blood, n/A, LosT, Dig It

Billie Eilish - HIT ME HARD AND SOFT

My go-to chill record of the year. It has immaculate vibes, chill production and the usual soft vocals by Billie. She (and her brother, Finneas) brought the chillest pop album of this year for me. I caught myself turning it up during home office and getting Birds Of A Feather stuck in my head for days. Especially the theremin part at the end that sounds like MGMT's Time To Pretend.

Favorites: Lunch, L'amour de ma vie, Birds Of A Feather, Chihiro

Bilmuri - American Motor Sports (420CC Edition)

Time to go crank the hog. Bilmuri (Johnny Frank's post-Attack Attack solo band) has put themselves out by mixing metalcore and country the most random yet still fitting ways, It's the catchiest and most fun record I've heard this year and honestly I cannot even bring up any band that do it the same way as Johnny and the boys do (maybe with the exception of Electric Callboy).

Favorites: The End, Better Hell (Thicc Boi), Boutta Cachew, Blindsided

Poppy - Negative Spaces

I've been loosely following Poppy since her unhinged youtube video days when I thought, maybe she was gonna end up being a basic e-girl and give up this super uncomfortable persona. Well, years later I got what was completely unexpected back then: an album that is completely herself, no persona, no hiding just her and her band making music she likes. Poppy is one of those artists that can do anything from bubblegum girlie pop (crystallized), to borderline black metal blastbeats (they're all around us) and Knocked Loose-like beatdown hardcore (the center's falling out). Amazingly creative work produced by the one and only Jordan Fish, whose work is obvious on the record.

Favorites: they're all around us, the cost of giving up, vital, push go

Linkin Park - From Zero

If you want a longer review of this record, check it out from one of my latest posts. To make it short: LINKIN PARK ARE BACK. Emily, the new singer is a really talented vocalist who gave new life to the band. The band made conscious decisions to feel like it's still Linkin Park we're talking about and not some Dead Sara-copy. Mike's production on the whole album screams older eras of LP, and proves that you can come back From Zero even after decades of carrier and following a tragedy.

Favorites: Two Faced, Heavy Is The Crown, Good Things Go, Over Each Other

Honorable mentions:

Ankor - Shoganai

Nightwish - Yesterwynde

AWS - Innen Szép Nyerni

Boundaries - Death is A Little More

Darko US- Starfire

thrown - EXCESSIVE GUILT

Kublai Khan - Exhibition of Prowess

Like Moths To Flames - The Cycles of Trying to Cope

Favorite EPs:

Counterparts - Heaven Let Them Die

Bad Omens - CONCRETE JUNGLE [THE OST] (technically not an EP but still)

The Plot In You - Vol 1. - Vol. 4

Nik Nocturnal - PANIK

[thats-the-teen-spirit]

What are your albums of the year? I'm making my list soon but the FOMO is too strong.

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PoE2 is almost here, I soon will have a reason to live again

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I like the new LP album but the new Poppy record might even be a little better... I only heard the first 4 songs but I liked the non-singles more on Poppy's album

[thats-the-teen-spirit]

Linkin Park - From Zero - Album Review

Well, a few months ago I didn't think that I would write such a review but here we go. So Linkin Park announced their return in September followed by a tour and an album, to everyone's surprise. The new singer after the great Chester Bennington's passing was announced to be the former Dead Sara vocalist, Emily Armstrong. The announcement was followed by many controversies which I'm not gonna touch on in this review, I'm just here, purely for the music, so take all my opinions with a grain of salt.

From Zero (Intro)

A very short, barely even 20 seconds intro is a Queen-like gang vocal/choir harmony followed by Emily asking about the name of the album. It sounds like they recorded her first reaction to Mike's idea for the album name, which is - as Mike mentioned many times throughout the promotion of the album - a double entendre. From Zero means from the ground up, a new beginning which is definitely true for the band after losing a beloved former member and a friend, but also From Xero which was the first name of the predecessor band of Linkin Park. It's genius if you think about it, and by the short and cut end of the intro Emily realizes this as well.

2. The Emptiness Machine

The first single and the song that started the return. The video and the song are both great, though it left a sour taste in some fans' mouth, expecting either a Chester-imitation or someone completely different (rumors were Amy Lee and Deryck Whibley). The Emptiness Machine opens up with a modern beat and Mike's rapping, he even sings the first chorus hinting at something new to come. The second verse starts with Emily singing and while at first I thought she lacks the power Chester had, by the end of the second chorus she proves her place is right among the boys. The lyrics are about an abusive relationship to someone or something which left people thinking about Emily's past (imo the lyrics definitely fit into Linkin Park's past catalogue as well). The passion of the last chorus and the "I only wanted to be part of something" bridge will leave you wondering though: how would this song sound with Chester?

3. Cut the Bridge

Already a non-single with a choppy hard rock riff and octaves, Mike starts rapping and you realize this is definitely a Linkin Park song. In my personal opinion this sound would have fit into The Hunting Party as well as this album. I'm not the biggest fan of the chorus but it's a fun song that might get a few headbangs at concerts. Emily definitely carries this song, the bridge melody by Mike is... not the best, a little jarring and does not fit his vocal style and range. We'll hear a few moments like that in the coming songs.

4. Heavy Is The Crown

Heavy Is The Crown was the second single and the anthem of this year's League of Legends championship which gave to already one of the biggest bands of the planet some extra boost of publicity. If I had to describe this song with old Linkin Park songs I would say this is a renewed version of Faint with the breakdown of Given Up. The beat and the melody throughout the song is very Meteora-era and the "THIS IS WHAT YOU ASKED FOR" breakdown pretty much calls out the fans who wanted a nu-metal banger. It's like they knew their return was controversial and they have to do the maximum nostalgia factor to appeal to the same audience that once loved them. Emily shows her real power in this one, letting out the beast and hinting at what's coming.

5. Over Each Other

A pure Emily song and the third single. Mike is not singing nor rapping in this one, and in the video we see Emily being in a relationship, breaking up and fighting with her girlfriend until the story takes a dark turn when she fakes her own death to get away from her now ex-girlfriend. It's a very honest and upbeat song that really arrives by the second half. The lyrics show a burnt-out relationship that seems to be over soon. This one I cannot even imagine with Chester's vocals, which is the first and the last time this happened during this album. The instrumentals in the second half are (in my personal opinion) very much Minutes to Midnight-like, almost as if Rick Rubin produced this one as well.

6. Casualty

Undoubtedly the heaviest one on the record, there's barely any clean vocals, (even Mike is shouting for most of the song) and there's even a hardcore punk beat in it. This is basically like their song Victimized was on The Hunting Party instead of Living Things. The guitars and drums are filled with rage and in the bridge we hear a new sound from Emily which is very In This Moment/Maria Brink. I didn't expect a hardcore song by Linkin Park but in 2024 even that could happen.

7. Overflow

After a very lengthy intro the song arrives to a space-y, flowy verse which is reminiscent of Deftones and I.O.U, the song Mike recorded with Chino Moreno off his solo record, Post Traumatic. The chorus keeps up the same slow pace and by the bridge I figured that this song would be very fitting to A Thousand Suns. Which is possibly the only song on this record that I can say this about. Like a more modern version of a medley of that album, strange sound and it's not gonna be my most listened song but I think it will find its audience.

8. Two-Faced

Ever wanted to hear a Meteora/Hybrid Theory song sung by a female singer? Well, here you go. Imagine if Figure.09, A Place for My Head and One Step Closer got together on a drunk night and had a lovechild. The verses are also very much like Nobody's Listening, another song from Meteora. The breakdown is so much fanservice to the HT fans that it's almost exactly the One Step Closer riff (even the turntables are there). This will be one of my favorites for sure, it gives me that Cure for The Itch for a old-new HT sound. The fans who can get over to be ready for the new era of the band and only love the first album will be happy to hear this one.

9. Stained

Another song that is hard carried by Emily's vocals, I swear it's like they're doing this on purpose. Mike is one of my favorite songwriters and musicians but man, is he boring in this song. This is the first song where I felt like it's a filler. Chorus melody is alright especially in the last one where it's much more epic, but the verses, the instrumental and the overall vibe of this song is very forgettable. If I wanted to be really harsh I would say, this one is a more pop-ish song of One More Light got rerecorded with a different vocalist and distorted guitars.

10. IGYEIH

IGYEIH or I Gave You Everything I Had is another heavy banger. The riff is very nu metal, reminding me of Burn by Three Days Grace. It's another one that Emily is carrying on her back, her performance is 110% again. Mike's "the clock keeps tickiiiiing" call-ins are very much forced, and in my opinion lack chemistry with the rest of the song. The yea-yea-yea-s by Emily are also somewhat forced before the chorus, the buildup and the breakdown are great though. It's not as mid as Stained but I honestly expected better from the riff.

11. Good Things Go

Probably my favorite song of the album, straight up. The modern rap beat and Mike's work on the rapping and the wonderful vocals by Emily make this composition a pleasure to listen to. Some people I saw online compared it to Leave Out All The Rest, I don't think that is true. While this is a ballad of some sort having very emotional lyrics, it's an unfair comparison to LOATR. The delivery by both Mike and Emily is amazing though and the buildup is one of my favorites of this year, it's both relieving and cathartic. This is this album's take on Good Goodbye and this one undoubtedly wins both the message and the delivery battle.

Overall I'm not gonna lie, I expected more. Upon the second listen I realized that I lost recency bias already. Some moments turned out to be probably the worst in their catalogue while others were highlights of this year's musical journey for me. The singles are definitely the stand-out songs, though Good Things Go and Two-Faced are up among them. Emily carried most of the songs as I mentioned many times before and it's clear that the band's intention was to make the audience love her as much as they loved working with her, even if this effort cast a dark shadow on the rest of the bands' performance.

7/10

[thats-the-teen-spirit]

spotify has music videos now so my tv officially became an MTV machine that pretends to "live" in 2007

[thats-the-teen-spirit]

i finished probably the oldest game in my backlog

i started playing tomb raider legend when i was around the age of 12-13 on the ps2, today i finished it using an emulator

i'm 27 now

[thats-the-teen-spirit]

i'm officially 27

if i was a musician i would be scared shitless rn

[thats-the-teen-spirit]

the new INK song is a fucking bop, perfect for the spoopy season, the video is way too much for me though

i like the punk and SOAD sound and the breakdown