15. Passepied- Shabaraba
Passepied's latest release rocks harder than any previous release. It's quite an exhilarating listen from start to end, even if it is slightly plagued by its mastering choices (putting the vocals EVEN HIGHER in the mix probably wasn't the best idea). However, these are easily forgiven when the songwriting is as strong as it is. All the songs flow well and it's a nice, tight, concise package. It's also the heaviest, "darkest" and has some of the most memorable instrumental segments of all the Passepied releases so far. It also happens to have one of the strongest, most unforgettable singles of the year:
Well worth your time. Clicked immediately with me, unlike other Passepied albums that needed a few spins to get into. It does get a little fatiguing if you listen to it too much, so that's why it didn't land higher, but it's still one of the biggest Japanese rock albums this year, without a doubt.