ZombieToyDuck
Josh F.
User

Reviews 10
Approval 98%

Soundoffs 20
News Articles 12
Band Edits + Tags 41
Album Edits 77

Album Ratings 1093
Objectivity 62%

Last Active 12-17-18 3:10 pm
Joined 08-25-16

Review Comments 7,203

 Lists
01.27.20 ZombieToyDuck's Belated 201901.07.19 24 Recs to Reach 1000 *FILLED*
12.26.18 Sleep Deprivation Saviors12.20.18 ZTD's 2018 Songs of the Year
12.18.18 ZombieToyDuck's 2018 AOTY list11.08.18 My Tentative AOTY List
10.23.18 2018 Bass Grooves10.08.18 Album Listening To Do List: Part 1
10.05.18 A Star is Born Analysis10.03.18 Just ZombieCasualConversations: October ♦
09.26.18 Convince Me to Cram 201808.06.18 A Guide to Junji Ito (Links Added) ♦
07.05.18 No Expletives! A Rec Competition...FINA06.20.18 Beers of the States
06.19.18 No Expletives! A Rec Competition Round 06.14.18 Future Classic Bands You Should Check
06.06.18 No Expletives! A Rec Competition Round 05.31.18 No Expletives! A Rec Competition Round
More »

ZTD's Post Hardcore Journey

I've been sort of a post hardcore junky for some time, I figured it was time to dive headfirst into all the genre has to offer. I'll be checking an album probably every other day and doing a short writeup.
1Thrice
The Illusion of Safety

Me
2Thursday
Full Collapse

Loads of energy, incredibly creative songwriting and plenty of catchy jams. Vocals here were also a real treat whether they were harsh or clean. I just don't have a heck of a lot to complain about this honestly nor was I blown away. I will say its keeps a very consistent tone though. 4/5

MUST CHECK: Understanding in a Car Crash, A Hole In the World, Wind Up and How Long is the Night?
3Alexisonfire
Crisis

Alexisonfire carry common elements of post hardcore but do so in a tightly knit and well crafted manner. You get your clear hardcore driven drum patterns, some solid riffs with melodic passages, a combination of screamed and clean vocals and plenty of energy. What makes the formula work so well here is the way melodies are blended over screams and soaring clean vocal choruses. Not to mention we get some nice breakup drum fills and guitar licks that showcases Alexisonfire's keen ability to bring upbeat or luscious melodies that break up the standard elements of many of these tracks. There's mastery of knowing when to pull back and let melodies and crisp vocals to take the lead as well as knowing when to punch full force with riffs and accompanying screams. Honestly this was just well executed post hardcore. 4.3/5

MUST CHECK: Drunks, Lovers, Sinners and Saints, This Could Be Anywhere In the World, Boiled Frogs and Crisis
4Drive Like Jehu
Yank Crime

Me
5Cursive
The Ugly Organ

Me
(also gunna check Domestica for Drifter)
6Unwound
Leaves Turn Inside You

So yeah this was pretty killer. Some really intricate instrumentals, beautiful melodies and some tracks that really take some interesting twists and turns. My only real complaint here is that some of these tracks just go on longer than they need to or don't hit their stride quickly enough. Production is killer though and no denying this has loads of merit. 4.1/5

MUST CHECK: Look a Ghost, December, Terminus and October All Over
7Husker Du
Zen Arcade

Me
8Fugazi
Repeater

Me
9Jawbox
For Your Own Special Sweetheart

Me
10Quicksand
Slip

Me
11Cows
Cunning Stunts

Papa Universe
12Deep Turtle
There's a Vomitsprinkler in My Liverriver

Papa Universe
13Still Life
From Angry Heads With Skyward Eyes

Papa Universe
14Julia
Julia

Papa Universe
An at times spastic other times melodic Screamo/ Post Hardcore outing with some sweet riffs, punchy grooves, bright melodies and some sick vocals. It's just a really enjoyable listen throughout. 4.2/5
MUST CHECK: Wait Mom And Dad, Peripherals, Charge Versus Charge
15Unsane
Visqueen

Papa Universe
16Anchoress
Anchoress is Ruining My Life

Verdant
Thank you Jack for starting this journey on the right foot! Are you new to post hardcore? Is this a genre of unfamiliarity? Well Anchoress aim to lace you up for a run through the genre while flaunting their confidence and energy in marvelous fashion. On Anchoress is Ruining My Life, we are given an expansive experience that displays all the genre has to offer. You can expect guitar riffs that are melodic, feverish, and noisy, aggressive and deep toned bass rhythms, pounding drum beats and fervent vocal displays. Anchoress tend to be chameleons, meld multiple genre influences effortlessly while maintaining unbridled vigor. Surprisingly, this is done while maintaining a high level of consistency and quality. You can find noodly emo guitar passages: Live, on the Air and Fir, noisy punk laden riffage: Closing Up Zhop and The Fuzz, some straightforward hardcore: Over/Under and A House Burning Down, and some post punk oriented bass work : Your Career is Over and All Colours.---
17Anchoress
Anchoress is Ruining My Life

---Aside from instrumental prowess, you can also expect passionate vocal performances from lead singer Rob Hoover. Rob is a chameleon, vocally speaking, and ranges from higher register clean vocals, spunky borderline spoken segments and coarse screams that pair perfectly with the punk ethos Anchoress embody. This is not walk in the shoes of Anchoress, rather a sprint headfirst through the expanse of all this genre has to offer. Expect plenty of kick from this Vancouver post hardcore outfit. 4.3/5

MUST CHECK: Fir, Over/Under and A House Burning Down
18The Jesus Lizard
Goat

butcherboy
19Killdozer
Burl

butcherboy
First off I gotta say it, what the hell are these vocals even supposed to be? It's like raspy talking that attempts to sound pissed off but unfortunately comes off more laughable then enjoyable to me. I will say the rather fragmented instrumentals were pretty unique and there are some really cool bass moments disbursed throughout the album. I found the guitar work was pretty distant sounding most of the time and really dissonant but not in a pleasant way. The drums are also sort of dismissible and barely held my attention. In general, this was a fairly grating experience and I found myself wanting it to be over with. Sorry butch just not my gig... 2.2/5

MUST CHECK: ehhh Hot n' Tot was alright maybe check that one if you're curious
20U-Men
Solid Action

butcherboy
21King Snake Roost
From Barbarism to Christian Manhood

butcherboy
It's looking like Butch is sticking to oldies with another rec from the 80's but I gotta say this one, although a little aged in production, still packs a pretty punchy and compacted sound that is pretty damn fun and sort of remind me of the Dead Kennedys if you sped them up like a winder toy and didn't stop till you couldn't stop turning it, then let it go. The vocals here are fairly wacky and the bass has a ton of kick with these shredding spastic guitar riffs that all just mash together in a messy manner over some quick albeit standard drum beats. It's sloppy in a great way this time around. I found myself enjoying it a fair bit more than I expected considering it's age. 4/5

MUST CHECK: Hey if you don't mind something that shows its age while still being pretty tight instrumentally give this a go.
22Laughing Hyenas
You Can't Pray a Lie

butcherboy
23I the Mighty
Connector

DinosaurJones
24Finch
Say Hello to Sunshine

DinosaurJones
25Silverstein
Discovering the Waterfront

DinosaurJones
A majorly infectious outing with plenty of catchy tunes, sweet melodies and plenty of energy. It's clear that many post hardcore bands followed in the vein of these guys but they definitely were one of the bands during that era who were doing it at the top of their game. There's talented vocals, fast riffs with some dashes of melody, a tight sense of songwriting and most importantly consistency. Doesn't exactly break the genre bounds but hey, it does what it needs to in order to garner plenty of attention. 4.2/5

MUST CHECK: Smile in Your Sleep, My Heroine, Three Hours Back and Call It Karma
26Funeral for a Friend
Welcome Home Armageddon

DinosaurJones
27Frameworks
Loom

DinosaurJones
28Kolya
Kolya

Drifter
Kolya present a tight instrumental display of emo tinged post hardcore with two singers. The vocals of both singers tend to be more of an emotional, borderline spoken delivery. There is a restraint at times but also spastic sections where these vocalists either are given their own limelight or overlap one another. I had no qualms with these vocals for the most part, but I will say that if I were to choose an element that may divide new listeners, this would be the most likely offendor. In my opinion, the almost poetic lyricism lends well to this style of singing and is most definitely common in emo. Aside from vocals you'll find plenty of great bass grooves and rhythms, a switch between muted and bright guitar melodies and drum patterns which fit the tempo and progressions on each song. A pretty solid album 3.8/5

MUST CHECK: Robots Dream in Black and White, Somnambulism, Astronaut and Idaho
29...Who Calls So Loud
...Who Calls So Loud

Drifter
30The Receiving End of Sirens
Between the Heart and the Synapse

Drifter
31mclusky
McLusky Do Dallas

Sinternet
32Gospel
The Moon Is a Dead World

Sinternet
33The Dismemberment Plan
Emergency & I

Sinternet
An exorbitantly strange album with an eclectic blend of post hardcore. There's a futuristic and odd vibe this album presents, with it's various soundscapes. You begin to feel as if you are drifting amongst the rubble of the space on Spiders in the Snow and The Jitters. Then taken on gleeful exploration with tracks like What Do You Want Me to Say? and The City. Lastly, zipping through hyperspace with aggression and vivacity on I Love A Magician, Gyroscope and Girl O'Clock. Travis' vocals change between spastic oddity, charismatic spoken lines and mellow singing with range. You can expect funky bass lines which add much of the energy to each song structure, whether they are frenetic such as in "I Love A Magician" or groove along like in "What Do You Want Me to Say?" The off-kilter drums add some technical oddity to tracks. It all merges together seamlessly with these lovely melodic guitar riffs.
EDIT: 5/5 👍

MUST CHECK: Check it all, lots of diversity (The City is a must)
34Of Machines
As If Everything Was Held In Place

Sinternet
35HRVRD
The Inevitable And I

Sinternet
A geniusly crafted post hardcore album as their name might suggest. HRVRD did their schooling on what it takes to craft gorgeous melodies with meticulous instrumentation and plenty of punch and grooves interlaced. Vocals here also carry these tracks quite well and tend to be higher in pitch similarly to that of Anthony Green but a little less whiney by comparison. The album varies between slow burn indie tracks with hazier production to tracks that fleet with more standard post hardcore notions (sometimes a bit of both in a single song). There's a fair variety of style without ever straying too far from their core sound. 4.3/5

MUST CHECK: On With Disease, Ghost, Mister T (TH), The Earth, and What We Had
36Cloud Nothings
Attack on Memory

oisincoleman64
37Dayseeker
Origin

(also gunna check What It Means To Be Defeated)
trying to keep this condensed to one list item per band
SteakByrnes
38Sufferer
Sufferer

SteakByrnes
An album which encompasses the plagues of someone dealing with depression and anxiety with the use of three vocalists voicing the subject of the album, the anxiety of the subject and the subject's depression. Aside from having an intriguing concept there is loads of instrumental talent on display here. You can expect incredibly tight instrumental constructs at play. The riffs are powerful, with excellent drum fills, punchy bass and of course an array of passionate screamed, spoken and clean vocal passages. The dynamic here is marvelously crafted and everything just works in a near flawless fashion. This is a concept album done right folks. 4.6/5

MUST CHECK: If you dig technical/ mathy post hardcore check the whole thing
39Sianvar
Stay Lost

SteakByrnes
40Dream On Dreamer
Loveless

SteakByrnes
41Blood Command
Cult Drugs

BlazinBlitzer
42Employed to Serve
The Warmth of a Dying Sun

BlazinBlitzer
43Storm{O}
Ere

BlazinBlitzer
Can you handle being encased in technical post hardcore so heavily layered to the point of claustrophobia? If not take about ten steps back as you are not ready for Storm{O}'s uncanny ability to hammer in the nails to your coffin as they bury you deeper and deeper beneath the layers of mathy guitar riffs, breakneck drums, incredibly tense yet passionate vocals and still surprisingly having a knack for creating harmony out of chaos. However, the true surprise amongst this organized chaos is the ability to create fluid transitions between belligerent performances from every facet to languid melodic transitions that fill in the cracks each track leaves in it's wake. Truly an experience...4.8/5

MUST CHECK: Hot damn, if this isn't an album worth checking I don't know what is
44Planes Mistaken for Stars
Up In Them Guts

jesterhead92
45Hot Cross
Cryonics

jesterhead92
46Kill Sadie
Experiments in Expectation

jesterhead92
47These Arms Are Snakes
Easter

jesterhead92
48Number Girl
Sappukei

jesterhead92
A tumultuous outing with loads of elements that come together in the best ways possible. There's jsut so much going on at any one time on this record. Whether it be the booming bass, the spastic guitars, the manic drum beats or the unique japanese vocals, there's an orderly sense of chaos consistently present. It's just hit after hit of relentless upbeat aggression constantly present. 4.3/5
MUST CHECK: Well worth checking it all!
49Joliette
Principia

Calc
A Mexican post hardcore outfit with uncanny spunk, melody and tight instrumentation. I'm not deterred at all by the spanish singing in any form on this, I think it honestly works really well. The crisp clean vocals glide over some great melodic moments while the rhythmic drums pummel beneath the aggressive screams. There's loads of memorable melodies and riffs and the bass takes back seat without ever being lost in the mix, rather complimenting the stellar guitar work. I wish there could have been more of the surprising instrumentation like in the opening track, that accordion worked far better than it should have. However, this is an emotional, melodic and abrasive rollercoaster of an album and I think it deserves plenty of merit regardless. 4.5/5

MUST CHECK: Todos Temen, Martina, Merlina y Dale Con Martin, California Yisus and Die Student des Kases
50Peace'd Out
Peace'd Out

Calc
51Touche Amore
...To the Beat of a Dead Horse

coldheaven
52Tidal Arms
The Sun Exploding

coldheaven
A moody and endearing record with some energetic moments that come around from time to time to keep the listen entertaining throughout. The guitar and bass tones were a nice balance of bright melodies with brooding atmospheres lying beneath them. There's a meticulous realization of the moods they are trying to achieve on each and every track. 4/5
MUST CHECK: Past Prosperity, Driftwood, Several Circles, Swarm in Five
53Shotmaker
The Complete Discography 1993-1996

Adabelle
54Down I Go
You're Lucky God, That I Cannot Reach You

Kingdok
55Exit_International
Black Junk

Kingdok
56Mongol Horde
Mongol Horde

Kingdok
Do you enjoy fun, energetic and angry post hardcore? Well here you have it folks. Mongol Horde are here to pillage the listener with commanding riffs, sharp production with plenty of punch, english accent encrusted clean vocals with crushing screams, drums with entertaining touches and even a little piano interlude. This was a raucous ride that is sure to "fuck you up." 4.1/5

MUST CHECK: Make Way, Casual Threats of the Weekend Hardmen, Winky Face of a Moron
57Million Dead
Harmony No Harmony

Kingdok
Right off the bat its clear the influence that At the Drive-In had on the sound of Million Dead. There is a very similar sense of urgency and power in their approach to songwriting and production quality. There is a bit a more rawness by comparison here, more melodic guitar riffs and the addition of harsh vocals. These additions are more than welcome and provide a bit more contrast that separates them and adds more identity. We are also not as densely packed with the at times verbose lyricism that Cedric often presented in ATDI's work. Instead are traded with storytelling passages, a sense of nostalgia and more emotionally tugging vocal displays. It's a record that changes pace from speed and aggression to tracks of restraint. However, no matter the choice of pace, there's plenty of passion to be expressed. 4.4/5

MUST CHECK: Bread & Circuses, Holloway Prison Blues, Margot Kidder and Bovine Spungiform Economics
58Emanuel
Soundtrack to a Headrush

GetLow
This is the kind of post hardcore I have always been a fan of. Will this one break the mold of post hardcore? No. However, it's clear the goal here is to showcase loads of energy and great musicianship with just the right amount of catchiness to keep you coming back. There's plenty of great choruses, well executed screams, energetic guitar riffs, amusing solos (probably the most unique element here) and punchy bass. If choosing to give this a listen, I wouldn't expect to be shown anything you haven't heard from the genre. This is streamlined, catchy and honestly just plain fun post hardcore that doesn't seek to break the mold. Emanuel know themselves and put forth a consistently enjoyable record here, what more can you ask? 4/5

MUST CHECK: The Hey Man!, Make Tonight, The Hotline, Soundtrack to A Headrush, and The New Violence
59Coheed and Cambria
The Second Stage Turbine Blade

Storm In A Teacup
60Boysetsfire
Tomorrow Come Today

Storm In A Teacup
The clean vocals here sort of held this from truly stepping out of the usual post hardcore tropes. I feel that what kept me from loving this was the fairly one dimensional singing but the screams do create a fair bit of enjoyment on the heavier tracks. I was however pleasantly surprised by the bass riffs that had this very deep melodic tone that reminded me of the tone Justin Chancellor achieves on Tool songs, ie. Bathory's Sainthood, Release the Dogs and High Wire Escape Artist. My main gripe here was that it became a little samey at times. 3.6/5

MUST CHECK : Bathory's Sainthood, Release the Dogs and High Wire Escape Artist
61Candiria
What Doesn't Kill You...

Storm In A Teacup
62The Blood Brothers
Young Machetes

Storm In A Teacup
63Astronoid
Air

Storm In A Teacup
64Black Peaks
Statues

sizeofanocean
65 Arcane Roots
Blood & Chemistry

sizeofanocean
may check Melancholia Hymns as well if this is good.
66Eleventh He Reaches London
Hollow Be My Name

CugnoBrasso
67The Plot To Blow Up The Eiffel Tower
Dissertation, Honey

CugnoBrasso
68La Quiete
La fine non è la fine

CugnoBrasso
69Chambers
La Mano Sinistra

CugnoBrasso
70NoMeansNo
Wrong

CugnoBrasso
An absolutely relentless punk/ post hardcore release that is ABSOLUTELY essential. There isn't a weak track to be found here and the instrumentals are unforgivingly nasty with tons of energy. My only comment is that I wish I found out about this a lottttt sooner. 5/5
MUST CHECK : THE WHOLE DAMN THING!
71Minor Threat
Minor Threat

Papa Universe
72The Nation of Ulysses
Plays Pretty for Baby

Papa Universe
73Rites of Spring
Rites of Spring

Papa Universe
74Moss Icon
Lyburnum Wits End Liberation Fly

Papa Universe
75Reuben
Racecar Is Racecar Backwards

Papa Universe
76Lungfish
Talking Songs for Walking

Papa Universe
77Shiner
Lula Divinia

Papa Universe
78Indian Summer
Science 1994

Papa Universe
Man when this thing hits, it hits like a ton of bricks. This album masters the art of switching between melodic brooding atmosphere to aggressive riffs with crushing blood curdling emo screams. The contrast gives the heavier elements of these tracks a ton more edge and the melodic moments are a nice breath of fresh air to recoop. This is honestly a flawless blend of emo and post hardcore. 5/5

MUST CHECK: ummm you know how 5's work here... but Angry Son is something special I tell ya
79Embrace
Embrace

Papa Universe
80Kaddish
Thick Letters To Friends

Papa Universe
81Iselia
Life From Dead Limbs

Papa Universe
82Ling Tosite Sigure
Inspiration Is DEAD

Papa Universe
83Funeral Diner
The Underdark

Papa Universe
On The Underdark, post rock structures resonate with a sense of isolation creating stirring soundscapes which lead to a surfacing of stark and stirring screamo segments. There is a hatred, a bitterness that begins with the Decline's desolate extended emo guitar notes broken up with equally drawn out bass playing that tends to remain high in the mixing during these atmospheric post rock moments partitioning the heavy moments of the record sometimes accompanied by the strained screams. The screams display a strong vigor, although they remain fairly the same in delivery throughout the entirety of the record. There's no denying the screamo enthusiast and post hardcore listener alike will enjoy the tight instrumental melodies which blend in a clustered but driven synchronization. Overall, I was fairly impress with this 4.2/5

MUST CHECK: Honestly, if you're into screamo this is pretty essential.
84Raein
Sulla linea d'orizzonte tra questa mia vita e que

Papa Universe
After a few listens I definitely enjoy the melodic nature of the instrumentals presented here, it's almost as if you could slide this in with the wave of bands that include Pianos Become the Teeth, La Dispute, Touche Amore and Make Do and Mend. You can see the sentimentalities included in each of these acts sort of blended together to create a melodic, emotional and harsh tone. I will have to listen to this more for sure but for now I'm sitting at a very solid 3.9/5
85The Dream The Chase
Found Again

SteakByrnes
Have you caught on to the fact that you have to win me over vocally to enjoy an album? Well steak sure has. The screams on here are solid and although not diverse they only come in short bursts anyhow. Also, the clean vocal melodies here are entrancing and brush so gracefully over the melodic emo tinged guitar melodies that stay sort of layered behind the hazy production with the occasional metalcore breakdown thrown in for good measure. I could see that one might not enjoy this production style yet I found it pretty successful as it keeps the vocal melodies in focus and at the forefront of the album considering they are usually highest in the mixing. I genuinely enjoyed this unique take on some standard post hardcore. The technicality in the guitar melodies in the background added a lot of appeal for me. 4.1/5

MUST CHECK: Honestly with its fairly short in length so this is worth a check in full. I'd recommend listening the first track and seeing if it's your gig or not.
86Ghost Atlas
Gold Soul Coma

SteakByrnes
also All Is In Sync
87Coletta
Mind and Time

SteakByrnes
88Hands Like Houses
Ground Dweller

SteakByrnes
89Saviour
First Light To My Death Bed

SteakByrnes
90Scary Kids Scaring Kids
Scary Kids Scaring Kids

SteakByrnes
Here we have typical 2000's post hardcore album that although long in length has literally no filler, killer songwriting, incredible vocals, sick riffs and some excellent melodies. Although no track is a throw away, there are a few tracks that aren't quite as strong as the rest in the lot. Favorites: Faces, Star Crossed, Snake Devil, Blood Runs Forever
91The Pax Cecilia
Blessed Are The Bonds

Sinternet
92Frodus
And We Washed Our Weapons In The Sea

Sinternet
93As Cities Burn
Come Now Sleep

Sinternet
94Q and Not U
No Kill No Beep Beep

Sinternet
95The Paper Chase
Now You Are One of Us

Sinternet
96Bear vs. Shark
Right Now You're in the Best of Hands

Sinternet
97Hail the Sun
Wake

Sinternet
I jammed this awhile back and forgot to write up for this one... but man this was spectacular. This was an perfect blend of some of my favorite things in the genre. You get some stellar vocals, rapid fire instrumentals yet a fair bit of melodic moments intertwined, and the consistency here is unreal. I mean if you haven't given this a listen do yourself a favor and do so now! 5/5

MUST CHECK: all of it guys, come on
98I Would Set Myself On Fire For You
Believes In Patterns

Sinternet
99Merchant Ships
For Cameron

Sinternet
100Viva Belgrado
Ulises

Papa Universe
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