November 2018 resumé
Score guide: 10/9 - 5; 8 - 4.5; 7 - 4; 6 - 3.5/3; 5 - 2.5; 4 - 2; 3 - 1.5; 2/1 - 1 |
| 1 |  | J.I.D
DiCaprio 2
About his previous album I said that it had all the technical finesse needed for a great record, but is rather substanceless, lyrically uninnovative and overall somewhat forgettable. I am so glad to report that J.I.D grew up. This is a really good and mature hip-hop album, melodically, lyrically and technically. Some songs may not stick out that much, but I can see this to be a big breakthrough. 7/10
Slick Talk, Off Deez, Workin Out, Tiiied, Hot Box, Just Da Other Day |
| 2 |  | Poppy
Am I a Girl?
You're a talentless microbe. 1/10 |
| 3 |  | Selvans
Faunalia
reviewed it |
| 4 |  | The Ocean
Phanerozoic I: Palaeozoic
BNM
Never have David Attenborough documentaries been this epic. But seriously, the sheer grandosity of this record was so explosive that I forgive it any cheesiness and unoriginality, it just was oh so bludgeoning. 8/10
Cambrian II: Eternal Recurrence, Ordovicium: The Glaciation of Gondwana, The Carboniferous Rainforest Collapse, Permin: The Great |
| 5 |  | Dead Can Dance
Dionysus
On this album we find out that the dead truly can dance. Look at 'em go! 6/10 |
| 6 |  | Drug Church
CHEER
In a short timespan, this record is a punk atrocity. I can forgive the slight corniness, because the album was just oh too catchy and wild. Cheerfully angry and melodic. 7/10 |
| 7 |  | Dan Mangan
More or Less
I cannot say that Dan Mangan is at some point in his career, when one cannot expect an underwhelming album from him. He's not that long around and his albums have always held high level of quality, but the only one that was truly outstanding and incredible was Very Nice. Everything else has always been a stable 'excellent'. So what I feared was not a letdown, but sameness. I wanted an album of Dan's to either explode with newfound innovation and energy and overshadow everything else with its greatness, or the opposite, but still in the spirit of change. This album isn't that. I'm disappointed to say that it is just another Dan Mangan album that I just enjoy, but cannot truly call fantastic. 7/10
Lynchpin, Just Fear, Cold in the Summer, Troubled Mind, Fool for Waiting, Never Quiet |
| 8 |  | Mother Feather
Constellation Baby
I will probably be in a minority, but this album is stupid fun. Mostly stupid, but fun nonetheless. 7/10
Man I Wish You Were Here, Desert Island, Totally Awesome, I Blow a Kiss |
| 9 |  | Rosalia
El Mal Querer
Is this r'n'b? What is this? No idea. But if I ever hear that fucking clap sound again, I will go on a murder spree. 5/10 |
| 10 |  | Nürnberg
Skryvaj
This just sounds like boring Kino. 5/10 |
| 11 |  | He Was Eaten By Owls
Inchoate With The Light Go I
The strings and frets are damn impressive, I have to say, but all that really left an impression on me after listening is the instrumentation and atmosphere. This works beautifully as an album, but only collectively. 6/10 |
| 12 |  | Charles Bradley
Black Velvet
A fucking stoic has died, but not without his final say. 7/10
Luv Jones, I Feel a Change, Black Velvet, Fly Little Girl |
| 13 |  | Ulthar
Cosmovore
This is one of those records that you listen to and go "I liked it, it was the fun kind of insane heaviness." But you really don't get much more out of it. Then again, you don't necessarily need to. 7/10 |
| 14 |  | Pësh
Too Many Universes But Mine
A decent radio rock, if you believe in that. 7/10 |
| 15 |  | Architects
Holy Hell
I shall not be swayed by the cheese. 6/10 |
| 16 |  | Cult Leader
A Patient Man
Okay, so none of the songs here I could take out and listen to on their own. There are no highlights and no standout moments. It is not the songs themselves that make this album, it is the songs together as a whole. The thing is crushing and dystopian as an abum, but take it apart. Nothing really holds up. 6/10 |
| 17 |  | Public Memory
Demolition
Cool, they're full-on electro-darkwave project now. 7/10
Red Rainbow, Falsetto, Aegis, Redeemer |
| 18 |  | Emery
Eve
I mean, it's fine, but too many cuts here are expendable. 6/10
Jesus Wept, See You on the Other Side |
| 19 |  | Greenleaf
Hear The Rivers
For whatever reason, all that energy, all that overwhelming fun this band used to display is suddenly as if turned down. Everything sounds a little tired, even the vocals just sound like the guy is trying to get through it as quickly as possible. Kinds sad, but not without its moments. 6/10 |
| 20 |  | Hanson
String Theory
Turns out the MMMBop kids are actually somewhat decent nowadays. 6/10 |
| 21 |  | Imagine Dragons
Origins
C'mon, prequels are always shitty. 3/10 |
| 22 |  | Muse
Simulation Theory
One of two things is possible: Either I am too drunk on our modern-day obsession with the 80s jerk-offs and so I found this disco spit bearable, OR I am dumb. 6/10
Algorithm, The Dark Side, Pressure, Thought Contagion, Blockades |
| 23 |  | Psycroptic
As The Kingdom Drowns
Let the gnarly sounds of tech death paralyse your body. 7/10 |
| 24 |  | Rata Negra
Justicia Cosmica
It might be a little samey, but quality punk shouldn't be ignored these days. 6/10 |
| 25 |  | Your End
Your End
They got a little faster, but it is still the same abhorrent dissonant death metal with growls from the underworld as before. Nothing new to really be too excited about, just a lot of decent music for anyone interested. 6/10 |
| 26 |  | Ain
Stance I
Blackened death metal just the way I like 'em. 7/10 |
| 27 |  | Frozen Moon
Legend of East Dan
The vocals could use some work, but the music is overall a decent pagan metal. 6/10 |
| 28 |  | Can't Swim
This Too Won't Pass
For one thing, I really like the drums and some of the songs I will actually keep on spinning in the future, but together the album feels a little too, I don't know, cheesy and forgettable, I guess. 6/10
My Queen, Malicious 444 |
| 29 |  | Esben and the Witch
Nowhere
This band again manages to concoct a great atmosphere and blow it on the song-writing. It is just boring. 5/10 |
| 30 |  | Mumford and Sons
Delta
fuck no, this shit has 14 tracks? bye |
| 31 |  | Portrayal of Guilt
Let Pain Be Your Guide
BNM
No shame in this. This is a sonic insanity. 8/10 |
| 32 |  | Unreqvited
Mosaic I: l'amour et l'ardeur
A cosmic fairy tale distantly reminiscent of black metal. 7/10 |
| 33 |  | Cattle Decapitation
Medium Rarities
Cannibal Corpse much? 5/10 |
| 34 |  | Poison Point
Bestiensäule
I'll be honest, this EP had tags like coldwave and post-punk. I completely glanced over the fact that it was supposed to be power electronics. I shouldn't have. It's power electronics, folks. 5/10 |
| 35 |  | The 1975
A Brief Inquiry into Online Relationships
I get that this is sort of 'going with times' and I accept it as such, it's just that that is far from anything I am remotely interested in. On the other hand, I appreciate the band trying all sorts of experiments like ome glitchy minimalistic techno production was a really nice touch. Overall, I appreciate the effort (it certainly isn't as excrutiatingly lifeless as the band has a tendency to be), it just is definitely not for me. 5/10 |
| 36 |  | Clean Bandit
What Is Love?
Actually not that obnoxious as many modern-day pop records are. Some songs are making even my old bones move. I mean, it does overstay its welcome on some cuts, meny features overshadow the band itself and many features just make no sense, but bloody damn hell this is fun. 6/10
Baby, Should've Known Better, Last Goodbye, I Miss You |
| 37 |  | Emigrate
A Million Degrees
What has all the appeal of Rammstein records, all the song-writing of a Rammstein record, but none of the personality, none of the lyrical style and none of the recognition? Hell, they even blew Till Lindemann and Cardinal Copia features. 6/10
War, A Million Degrees, Hide And Seek |
| 38 |  | Earl Sweatshirt
Some Rap Songs
This album goes from peaceful tranquility to sleepy boredom in no time. 6/10 |
| 39 |  | Cantique Lepreux
Paysages polaires
BNM
Every now and then I need to relax to some lo-fi atmospheric black metal. 8/10 |
| 40 |  | In the Woods...
Cease the Day
The album overstays its welcome ever so slightly, but makes up for that in fantastic song-writing. 7/10 |
| 41 |  | Chapel of Disease
...and as We Have Seen the Storm, We Have Embraced
Technically masterful and memorable like a gutpunch, but still not entirely up there. 7/10 |
| 42 |  | Silent Planet
When the End Began
Much to my surprise, this is much more tolerable than many similar prog metalcore artists, some songs I even dare say are engrossing and moving. Congrats, Silent Planet, you dod good. 7/10
The New Eternity, Afterdusk, In Absence, Depths III |
| 43 |  | Sun Kil Moon
This Is My Dinner
I really like the dusty wintery atmosphere, but FOR THE LOVE OF GOD WHY IS THIS SHIT SO LONG, YOU SELF-INDULGENT CUNT?! 4/10 |
| 44 |  | Two Medicine
Astropsychosis
Too dreamy. 6/10 |
| 45 |  | Sigh
Heir to Despair
Too dreary. 4/10 |
| 46 |  | Andrew McMahon in the Wilderness
Upside Down Flowers
Uplifting and pleasant, but occasionally all too overbearing and bloated. Andrew McMahon certainly can write a great tune, but the glittery innocence of it all has a tendency to annoy. 6/10 |
| 47 |  | The Good, The Bad and The Queen
Merrie Land
Get Well Soon and The Divine Comedy have been releasing this exact album for the last 10 to 20 years, no one bat an eye. 6/10 |
| 48 |  | Zapruder
Zapruder
Oh, this actually slaps hard. Sure, at the expense of memorable song-writing, but it is really blasting. 6/10 |
| 49 |  | I DON'T KNOW HOW BUT THEY FOUND ME
1981 Extended Play
This is what happens, when your band's frontman becomes an overbearing douchebag, who turns band electonic and minimises your decisionmaking in the creative process, so you unite with someone from another band in the exact same situation and together you make an actually decent project. 6/10 |
| 50 |  | The Underachievers
After The Rain
A fucking ride that is both catchy fun and thoughtful and soulful. 7/10
Nightmares and Dreams, Location Nowhere, Seven Letters, War Inside |
| 51 |  | Obliteration
Cenotaph Obscure
Well, I certainly don't think of this as highly as many local death metal fans do, but it'd be foolish of me to pretend this isn't a quality release. 7/10 |
| 52 |  | Failure
In The Future Your Body Will Be The Furthest Thing
At 16 songs you better bring your A-game. This isn't entirely a failure (wink wink), but with that long of an album it kind of just drags on sometimes. A fine album it is, but somewhat dull at times. 7/10
Paralytic Flow, Pennies, No One Left, Distorted Fields, Heavy and Blind, Force Fed Rainbow |
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