Boris - No

NO is the most kick-ass Boris has sounded in over a decade.

Big Sean - Dark Sky Paradise

NO NO NO NO NO NO NO

EPIC YUNOREVIEW OF SADNESS!

This is the longest YUNOREVIEW I've ever done. Not sure I'll ever wanna do something like this again, ha! Well, anyway, if a particular artist who released an album, EP, or mixtape earlier this year somehow did not make this list, then you might as well give up hope. I can't review everything--even if the new Taylor Swift album ain't bad. I'll leave it to you to form your own opinions on any releases I have missed. Speaking of opinions, I wouldn't take mine in this video all that seriously. I'm pretty indifferent toward most of the albums on this list. Some are very good, and I regret missing them, but others just needed to be avoided to maintain a "normal" mental state. However, I'm not implying that music reviewing is driving me to the brink! I assure you I had very little sanity to begin with.

Thank you for watching! I love you! I wish you the best. I hope your holidays are great, too. Here are the artists that get mentioned in this video:

Royal Headache Nathan Fake Riff Raff Spector Two Door Cinema Club DMX Bob Mould Nile Ash Borer Yeasayer Meek Mill Machine Gun Kelly Lightning Bolt Periphery Birds In Row XV Patti Smith The Walkmen Cat Power Menomena Kreayshawn Big Sean Evitan Thee Oh Sees Kishi Bashi Ulver The Chariot Ufomammut Blut Aus Nord Katatonia Ben Folds Five Breakbot The Fresh & Onlys The Music Tapes Teengirl Fantasy Isahn John Cale Meridian Brothers Neneh Cherry & The Thing Ceremony Freddie Gibbs Traxman Anaal Nathrakh Dysrhythmia Behold The Arctopus Roc Marciano Minus The Bear Two Fingers Circa Survive Father John Misty Slightly Stoopid Mono Brother Ali A Place To Bury Strangers The Babies Coheed and Cambria The Killers Vinnie Paz Amenra Ty Segall Trash Talk Neil Young & Crazy Horse Bob Dylan Gary Clark Jr. WHY? The Souljazz Orchestra Flume The UV Race Larry Lovestein & The Velvet Revival The Darkness Diamond Rings Susanne Sundfor Sean Price Barker & Baumecker Flatbush Zombies Guided By Voices The Man With The Iron Fists OST Soundgarden Propagandhi Carter Tutti Void Raime Shackleton

I actually meant to get Bigg Jus and Giles Corey on this list as well. Such is life!

WATCH THE SADNESS

NO- "What's Your Name"

Absolutely gargantuan is the best term to describe NO’s sound on “What’s Your Name,” the A-side to their latest single. Almost every element of the song, from the drums to the guitars, feel burly and monolithic, culminating to form a song that the listener physically (as well as emotional) feels. The only element of the song that doesn’t feel like a metric ton monster are the vocals that harbor a profound sense of world weariness that really humanizes the song. Structurally, the track alternates from the aforementioned heaviness to explosive choruses where the previously ominous drums and guitar perform a sort of melodic sprint. A nice bridge where whistling replaces the fatigued vocals provides the perfect segue to the climactic conclusion where the enervated vocals are joined by the vocals of the other band members to great effect. Dramatic, melodic and with a great sense of dynamics, I’m very curious to hear what NO has to offer in the future.

The single is currently on sale via White Iris Records with the song “Eleven Elven” on the B-side.

Old Man Gloom- NO

While Old Man Gloom brings an interesting blend of ambient music and sludge metal, one side of the sound ends up feeling more interesting than the other.

WATCH THE REVIEW

Stream the New Old Man Gloom Album

If you've been following the posts on this blog closely, you already know Old Man Gloom has a new album coming out this week. Via the widget above, you can stream the whole album in full. Take in the bone-crushing riffs and Kurt Ballou-produced heaviness!

Old Man Gloom- "To Carry the Flame"

Boston's Old Man Gloom is dropping their new album, titled NO, next week via Hydra Head records. A group like this has a considerable hurdle to jump over with this new record. Not only is NO the first Old Man Gloom album to come out in years, but the group's lineup has strong connections to some real heavy hitters: Isis, Cave In, Converge, Agoraphobic Nosebleed. This new album has even been recorded with Converge's Kurt Ballou.

But on "To Carry the Flame," it doesn't feel like these guys are just gonna jump this hurdle. Instead, they'll be rolling over it with a tank. The riffs on this track are massive. Too massive for any sort of scale. Just turn it up and feel the rumble.

Of course, the band hits a great groove on the song, too. Despite the long span of time with no new material or live shows, none of that chemistry seems to be lost in their playing. There's even a pretty harmonious and epic bridge to the track, too. Heavy and pretty. I like it, I like it, I like it.