100. Wapddi - More Shameful Song to Show Others
Whilst Wapddi came up through the same Digital Dawn movement as Parannoul and Asian Glow, his joyous, pop-punk-leaning sound stands out from the rest. From the opening na-na-nas to the, well, closing na-na-nas, More Shameful Song to Show Others is an impossibly fun, if somewhat ironically detached, album.
99. Dogstar - Ghetto Bounce On
One of the most challenging and noisy albums on our list, Dogstar were a three-piece noise-rock band from Daegu. The abrasively dark riffs, crashing drums and subdued art-rock vocals saw Dogstar compared to the likes of Sonic Youth.
98. Deadbuttons - 1
Oh, Deadbuttons, how we miss you so. Despite the title of this album, it's actually technically the band's second full-length (though it was the first with that particular line-up). Featuring some reworked versions of earlier songs and a bunch of new stuff too, 1 is an unsettling garage psych album that's both raw and uncompromising.
97. Desert Flower - Embrace
Desert Flower's Embrace is one of those albums that unfortunately flew a bit under the radar. Which is a shame, because it's brilliant. By their own soaring standards, Embrace is a less epic effort than Desert Flower usually produce. Whilst there are still moments of sweeping post-rock here, the album draws slightly more from the band's interest in psychedelia with a clearer, more direct sound.
96. Galaxy Express - Noise on Fire
Releasing a double album as your first full-length is a suitably audacious move from a band known for riotous performances and hard rock-inspired garage indie. The Seoul trio announced themselves with a bang on this dizzying, riff-heavy album that does a great job of capturing the band’s live energy.
95. Asian Chairshot - Ignite
Asian Chairshot's explosive album, Ignite, is a blistering mix of psychedelia, garage rock and a small slice of hard rock. Smashing Pumpkins guitarist Jeff Schroeder once described the band as "Black Sabbath playing Radiohead" - we can't say it any better than that.
94. Cacophony - Dipuc
Dipuc kind of represents the final evolution of Cacophony's exploration of trauma and sadness that had shaped her music up to the writing of this album. On Dipuc, the art-pop singer goes further than only exploring trauma; she owns it. She devours it. It's a luxurious and empowering listen from one of Korea's most captivating voices.
93. Kim Sawol - Romance
Another difficult call. We could have easily gone for 2016's Suzanne, but the brighter and more dynamic sound of Romance means it gets picked here. On Romance, Kim Sawol builds on her much-loved brand of smoky folk-pop, drawing inspiration from the worlds of rock, indie, and pop. It's on this album that Kim Sawol spreads her creative wings and shows what a force she is.
92. ADG7 - Ak Dang Gwan Chil
ADG7's debut Ak Dan Gwang Chil reimagines Korea's shamanic and folk traditions as vibrant pop theatre. Traditional instrumentation and dazzling vocals meet psychedelic energy and spiritual fervour.
91. Bigbet - bbdTRIO
bbdTRIO is the sole album from Bigbet (short for Big Baby Driver Trio, which the band is also known as), the side project of folk musician and critical darling, Big Baby Driver. Here, she brings the same whispered warmth that her solo stuff has, but with a rockier, Yo La Tengo-esque indie rock sound. Backed by a band of well-known local musicians (some of whom appear on this list), bbdTRIO is a maturely chill alt-rock gem.
90. HEO - Structure
HEO's multi-award-winning Structure doesn't just defy genre, but launches from opposite ends of the musical spectrum. From techno to indie rock, to folktronica, to industrial, the jump between these many genres could be jarring if it wasn't so damn well made.
89. hathaw9y - Essential
The first and only album from Busan-based R&B-inspired indie band, hathaw9y, is one with a strange contradiction at its heart. The album is both bright, sun-soaked, yet also has a feeling of melancholy over everything. It shows the band's insane talent for crafting comforting, classic-sounding pop songs.
88. Surl - of us
Surl's stylish, highly polished brand of indie pop might not be everyone's cup of tea. On their full-length debut (released four years after their first EP), though, they showed that they create music with real heart and weight, too.
87. Dajung - Jay Knife
The astonishing fact about Dajung's Jay Knife is that it was mostly written and recorded back in 2017 when Dajung was only 14 and living in China. She later expanded it into her debut full-length, named after her high school nickname. It's an unbelievably mature album in which Dajung explores her struggles with mental health, identity, and spending her formative years away from home.
86. Hammering - Libera Me
Whilst there are a couple of releases on this list that lean metal, Libera Me is the only out-and-out metal album we've included. Libera Me is a tour de force of controlled chaos — a melodic death metal opus that balances precision with sheer ferocity. Hammering deliver an album of sharp technical skill and emotional urgency, where hard-hitting beats meet soaring guitar lines.