Wow, it really has been a while since I’ve visited this column, huh?  Things got really busy really fast over here, and it’s kinda hard to sit and write two articles a week when life is finally starting to pick up.  However, the tunes did not stop this year, and some of my favorite and most anticipated releases this year were from more than just the metal world.  It’s my pleasure to bring you another year of the best of all things metal-adjacent and non-metal.  Any of these albums can stand up to the world of buzzsaw guitars, blast beats and screamed vocals.  Maybe not in terms of sheer force, but in terms of emotional depth and good times, absolutely.  Without further ado, here we go: