Mick's Töp 15 Albums of 2022

In terms of my output to this blog, this past year felt like a 2021 redux. Not only did I devote an embarrassing amount of time digging through my video game backlog (Elden Ring is 100% deserving of all the praise it’s received) but I also traveled quite a bit more than usual to play more dodgeball while my body can still handle it. Yes…dodgeball. No…it’s (mostly) not like the movie. This double whammy left me with virtually no energy to write reviews. I can’t promise 2023 will see any fewer video games or less dodgeball but I’ll do my damndest to prioritize throwing together some more writing for around these parts. That all being said, 2022 had plenty of gems that are worth checking out!

 

Best of 2021 Playlist on Spotify

How much of a bummer is it that our first post of 2022 is still about 2021?  We swear we're working on it. Anyways, here's the boilerplate message about our 2021 Spotify playlist:

Still catching up on the unholy goodness that 2021 had to offer? We're here to help. If you have yet to view any of our year-end lists, and have no intention of doing so, we've compiled our favorite tracks from each of the albums that made the cut onto a Spotify playlist.

You can get to that playlist using this link.

If you want to know the playlist but for some reason don't want to follow that link above, then read on after the break!

Best of 2020 Playlist on Spotify

Still catching up on the unholy goodness that 2020 had to offer? We're here to help. If you have yet to view any of our year-end lists, and have no intention of doing so, we've compiled our favorite tracks from each of the albums that made the cut onto a Spotify playlist.

You can get to that playlist using this link.

If you want to know the playlist but for some reason don't want to follow that link above, then read on after the break! 

 

Mick's Töp 15 Albums of 2020

With 2020 taking Game 1, we need to hone the resilience of MJ

Oh 2020, where do we even begin? You were a year that kept devouring more and more for itself, but if you were good for anything it was making obvious the value of music. In a year where the world is on pause, escapism becomes a hot commodity. Movies and video games will always offer that to an extent, but there's something completely unique to letting music take you on its own journey. From desolate forests to the American Wild West, my favorites from this year took me to some pretty sublime places. Hopefully, they can bring you a little comfort as well.

Check out my favorites from this abysmal year after the break!

Best of 2019 Playlist on Spotify

Still catching up on the unholy goodness that 2019 had to offer? We're here to help. If you have yet to view any of our year-end lists, and have no intention of doing so, we've compiled our favorite tracks from each of the albums that made the cut onto a Spotify playlist.

You can get to that playlist using this link.

If you want to know the playlist but for some reason don't want to follow that link above, then read on after the break!

Mick's Top 15 Albums of 2016

Well, another year has come and gone. Given the events that happened this year, it seems like 2016 is a year that most of us are wanting to end sooner rather than later. It's not all doom and gloom, however. We here at Brutalitopia experienced a record year in terms of readership and for that we will be forever grateful to you and all the other fine folk who give our site a gander every now and then. We promise to keep up with what we can in 2017 and beyond.

But now for the good stuff. Read on after the break to see what some of my favorite albums of the year were!

Mick's Top 15 Albums of 2015

Writing a year-end list is serious business. Constant power-naps on couches  I couldn't afford were necessary. 

Here we are again, friends. Another year has nearly come to its end and with it another year-end list from yours truly. Let's hop to it!

Mick's Top 15 Albums of 2014

Extreme sunburn is the new corpse paint.

Another year has come and gone, as they tend to do.  I’m sure that my fellow comrades here at Brutalitopia would agree that each year since our inception has gotten better and better, with 2014 certainly being no exception.  MDF was unquestionably the highlight of our year and one we won’t soon forget (read Durf’s remembrance of it here). But aside from making new friends at MDF, attending more concerts, and interviewing some of our favorite artists, 2014 brought a plethora of releases that were more than impressive, to say the least.

Check out my personal top 15 albums after the break and make sure to tell me how wrong I am in the comments!

Mick's Top 15 Albums Of 2011

And so it is that one of the greatest years in metal, good ole 2011, has sadly come to a close.  If I had only one thing to say to 2011, it would be a sincere "Thank You."  Whether it was Jack writing an article for our friend Islander at No Clean Singing ( which ended up being mentioned by MetalSucks ), or us having interviews with some of our biggest inspirations, it would be a gross understatement to say that 2011 has been fantastic for us here at Brutalitopia.  I'd personally like to thank everyone out there who has made all of this possible for us.  We are truly grateful.

If 2011 has shown us anything, it's that the metal community is alive and well (another gross understatement).  Don't listen to the likes of Disturbed's David Draiman who said earlier this year that metal "is on the verge of collapse."  In all fairness to him, he corrected that statement shortly after.  But the fact that those words even formulated in his head still astound me.  You know that the metal is alive and well when you're at a Dream Theater concert and someone yells out "SLAAAAAYERRRR" during one of the transitions between songs. Yes, Jack and I actually witnessed that.

As for the releases of 2011, they were pretty darn awesome.  We all could've easily done a top 25, but you have to have a cutoff somewhere.  While the albums in my list below are my definitive top 15, there were a plethora of other albums that I really really liked.

So with all that in mind, let's take a look at my favorite albums of 2011. . .after the break.