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User
Reviews 48
Approval 99%
Soundoffs 4
News Articles 5
Band Edits + Tags 13
Album Edits 52
Album Ratings 5250
Objectivity 66%
Last Active 12-21-19 12:44 am
Joined 07-07-13
Review Comments 1,851
| Albums that deserve more attention.
I'm going to work through my 5's and 4.5's, pick albums that have less exposure than they should, and flesh out why fans of specific genres should listen to the albums. Some will already have small rabid followings, and a lot of these albums have already been heard by a bunch of you, but these are all albums I hold in really high esteem. | | 1 |  | Esoteric
The Pernicious Enigma
A masterpiece of doom from my favorite artists in the genre. Rather than sticking to the constant plodding and drawn out silences expected from funeral doom, these artists bury everything under an oppressive fuzz. Dull production, buzzing guitar riffs, impeccably timed samples and an absolutely phenomenal vocalist keep this monolithic double album interesting and engaging throughout, and places it head and shoulders above all contenders. It may not have the technical proficiency and pristine production of their more recent works, but it succeeds in a very different way. See also: Ea - Ea II | | 2 |  | Secede
Bye Bye Gridlock Traffic
This album has one of the most enigmatic and fascinating atmospheres I've ever heard crafted through the lens of electronic music. It's a heavy handed combination of ambient passages and upbeat electronica, but without any of the consistency of his later works; but that makes it more interesting. One moment you'll be smiling at the quirkiness of it all, and then retreat as scratchy ambience and a glitchy backdrop smother the happiness. I'm not trying to take anything away from Tryshasla here, which is also highly recommended if you'd prefer a more consistent/dreamy atmosphere, this just edges it out slightly for me. | | 3 |  | Grant Green
Idle Moments
One of my absolute favorite jazz albums, and probably the greatest jazz guitar album of all time (yeah I'd take this over Wes Montgomery in a heartbeat). The title track in particular is one of the most endearing, relaxing pieces of music ever laid to record. It's a mixture of the complex modal jazz that was popular when the album came out in the early 60's, and the more sedate stuff from times past. | | 4 |  | The Cure
Join the Dots
This 4 disc behemoth contains all B-sides and rarities built up by the band from 1978-2001. Even if you don't have the nostalgia and love for the band that I do and only like a specific era of The Cure's career, there is a disc here for everyone. Presumably, the B-sides from their weaker years wouldn't be worth listening to, but this is wrong. These B-sides are often stronger than the songs that made it to record, most notably in the case of disc 3 (1992-1996, which is stronger than both albums that were released in this time period). | | 5 |  | Yasushi Yoshida
Grateful Goodbye
Another one of those Japanese post-rock/classical artists that absolutely nails it, it's somewhere between the quirky flow of World's End Girlfriend and the restraint of Kashiwa Daisuke at his peak. I don't know how, but he manages to make horns sound beautiful. The front end of the album is loaded with songs that utilize post-rock peaks and troughs to great effect, and as the album progresses, we move towards a more minimal classical palette. See also: Matryoshka - Laideronette | | 6 |  | The Ruins Of Beverast
Rain Upon The Impure
My favorite example of raw black metal. Rather than suffocating the mix and inducing claustrophobia, we get lots of space and ambience in the mix while staying visceral. There's hints of funeral doom pacing and an incredibly diverse vocal range to push the songs in every direction. It's a long album, but a must-listen for fans of black metal. | | 7 |  | David Housden
Thomas Was Alone Original Soundtrack
This sort of quality is unreal for an indie game soundtrack. A careful synthesis of 8-bit and classical melodies provides a wonderful musical narrative that, while mirroring developments within the game itself, can act as a substitute for the literary narrative. At times giddy and excitable; at others morose and affecting, it's about as expansive as a 30 minute soundtrack can get. Highly recommend trying the first track out (Where Are You?), which is essentially a snapshot of the album. | | 8 |  | Nachtreich
Sturmgang
Keyblade approved. This is one of the most unique classical(ish) albums I've ever heard, and nothing else can fill the void when I crave this. There's often pounding drums and driving riffs that involve themselves to carry the momentum and keep the tracks rolling forward, but it's the chemistry between melancholic strings and exuberant piano that really make this worthwhile. Covers the entire spectrum of human emotion in its runtime, highly recommended for fans of good music, and if y'all don't start listening to this I might be forced to bump it up in my to-review list. | | 9 |  | mind.in.a.box
Crossroads
The one correction I would make to pizza's review is that this is THE greatest futurepop album of all time, not just one of them. Having said that, there's so much going on here it's almost a sin to pigeon-hole it to a single genre. There's aspects of bouncy electro-pop, drum'n'bass, industrial and trance amongst a whole bunch of other influences. The singer is admittedly monotonous in delivery, but lyrically sound and the band work around his relatively weak pipes with ease. See also: Lost Alone and Dreamweb, they're all 4.5's. | | 10 |  | Zuriaake
Afterimage of Autumn
I can't begin to describe how refreshing this album was when I first heard it. There's a distinct flavour brought to the album from their home country (China) that separates it from the herd, but these slight ethnic vibes never overpower the raw black metal that coats the album, they simply compliment each other. The best autumn black metal album (>Autumn Aurora). | | 11 |  | Buckethead
Project Little Man
2015 has been phenomenal so far for Buckethead, far more consistency across the board in his Pikes series. This is one of the strongest jams in his entire discography - consistently upbeat and funky while maintaining focus on riff progression rather than excessive guitar wankery (like many of his albums devolve into). See also: Infinity of the Spheres, a more dynamic album with a lot of calmer sections. The last minute of the title track is one of the most addictive melodies he's ever come out with. | | 12 |  | Lustmord
Carbon/Core
Terrifying dark ambient. I can't really flesh out the description on this, as it's very much a "love it or hate it" deal. If you like slow, crawling ambience and would like to empty your bowels out of fear, this is your stop. See also: The Place where the Black Stars Hang, Heresy. | | 13 |  | Midas Fall
Wilderness
Gorgeous post-rock with female vocals, what more needs to be said? I'm a sucker for this kind of thing so I've got a pretty heavy bias towards it, but the singer has an absolutely stunning voice, and the music reflects her peaks perfectly. There's a couple of inconsistent parts that hurt the albums flow, but when they get it right, it's something to behold. | | 14 |  | Thy Catafalque
Tuno Ido Tarlat
For sheer diversity, this album deserves accolades. They call it black metal, but that's a long stretch of the imagination. Calling it any one genre is a stretch, because it so seamlessly blends polarizing genres together. Experimentation to the n-th degree, and a grower in every sense of the word, this is no doubt a challenging album; but it's one worth pitting yourself against. | | 15 |  | Mekong Delta
Kaleidoscope
Out of all the thrash bands that get little attention on this site, this is the one I wish got more. They have a really consistent discography spanning nearly 30 years, and Kaleidoscope found them at their peak. Creative riff work combined with a more balanced blend of their influences. See also: everything the band have ever put out, it's all good. | | 16 |  | Armistice
Armistice
Pretty much the cutest, most endearing ep you'll ever listen to. It just immediately brightens my day when it makes it's way onto my rotation. It's indie with hints of mexican folk, flamenco, and a whole range of other things that I'm not nearly experienced enough to put into words. Sowing's review articulates its sound near perfectly. | | 17 |  | Jon Gomm
Secrets Nobody Keeps
If you have an interest in guitar and you haven't already watched the video for Passionflower, stop reading now and go look it up. You're doing yourself a disservice. Putting that track aside before I heap unreasonable amounts of praise on it, this entire album is acoustic brilliance. It's a wet dream for people with an interest in the acoustic guitar. Highly recommend you see him live if you ever have the chance. | | 18 |  | Emptyself
Emptyself
If you can't stand artists who worship at the throne of Maynard James Keenan, skip this. If A Perfect Circle and Tool are your jams, this is for you. I'm not even going to try and say this does something differently or expands on their sound, because that's all it is in a nutsheel: Maynard worship. But I don't mean that as a negative thing, and god damn they do a fine job of it. Liberated and Doll Faced Vulture are at least on par with the best songs put out under the moniker of A Perfect Circle. | | 19 |  | Ozric Tentacles
Arborescence
As long as you're clicking on my lists, expect an Ozric Tentacles album to be there. Arborescence is the perfect combination of their psychedelic and progressive work, without the extended wank jams that they resort to in their weaker albums. Every instrument carries an equal portion of the weight, creating a mesmerizing groove that pervades every track. It's as perfect as their formula can get. See also: their whole discography. They have 11 albums in a row with 4.1+ ratings, there's a reason for that. | | 20 |  | Mortuary Drape
Spiritual Independence
The black death in all its glory. Diverse riffing with thrashy leanings, tasteful lead work and some delicious audible bass make this a late 2014 highlight for me. | |
ComeToDaddy
03.09.15 | I know Armistice and Beverast have near 80 ratings, but they're at the top of their niches so I put them in anyway. Hope people who check this out find something they might be interested in (: | ComeToDaddy
03.09.15 | Hmm forgot to include Velocity:Design:Comfort, but I'll make up for that by reviewing it in a few weeks. Definitely deserves it | Let
03.09.15 | ^ Stocked that's finally getting a review, I'm looking forward to it mang. 2 is the tits btw, and 14,15,8, and 9 all look super interesting. 7 is great too, Dustforce's soundtrack is another favorite of mine https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PO2ZThUdRdk | YakNips
03.09.15 | 10 always sounds sweet but every time i try to jam it im just like nahhh | ComeToDaddy
03.09.15 | I loved the soundtrack for Dustforce, but I'm so terrible at that game hahaha. Was one of those platformers where I just couldn't get comfortable with the controls. I've got a couple reviews half-started but I'll give you a heads up when I've submitted it.
Definitely check out the first track on Sturmgang, it'll give you a feel for the direction it goes. All of these are recommended, but that one's something else | ComeToDaddy
03.09.15 | @Arcade, the first few tracks on disc 3 are mint Cure material. If you don't set aside time for the whole thing, give them a spin.
@yak, that's a shame. If you're not big on the oriental tinting then it doesn't really do that much special I guess, but I find that adds a lot to it. | TheCrocodile
03.09.15 | Surprised at how I heard most of them... | ComeToDaddy
03.09.15 | You got good taste croc, I like you | TheCrocodile
03.09.15 | Well that comment was made rather quickly. I only heard like 8 of these, but yeah usually it's like one or two on those type of lists. Major props for including every album I heard as they're all mostly amazing that being the first three, 9, 13, 14, 15 and 19. | ComeToDaddy
03.09.15 | Yeah like I said in the description, I wasn't really going for unknown albums here. These are mostly albums that are already respected highly by those who know them, but don't have enough exposure for fans of the genres to necessarily know they exist. I don't often come across someone who knows 3, halfway through a review for it now and finding newfound appreciation for it. | ComeToDaddy
03.09.15 | Oh cool, that was a quick feature. Thanks whoever that was (: | TheCrocodile
03.09.15 | I don't even remember how I even heard of Idle Moments in the first place, it's a great album that I don't jam as often as I do which is sad cause there's some really badass guitar playing on that album. | bloc
03.09.15 | holy fuck 9 is God | Ovrot
03.09.15 | 2 is so fucking good | JasonCarne
03.09.15 | Great list, everything here (that I've heard, which is almost all) rules. | Veldin
03.09.15 | Ozric4Life | RadioSuicide
03.09.15 | need to check 11 always down for a good Buckethead album. | Hovse
03.09.15 | 3 is really good | ComeToDaddy
03.09.15 | @Radio, he's been killing it lately. I don't know what Buckethead style you enjoy most, but Passageways, Infinity of the Spheres and that one are all fantastic. | RadicalEd
03.09.15 | great list. | JokineAugustus
03.09.15 | Ya 19 rules | Ryus
03.09.15 | fuckin props for 3, its amaazing | Keyblade
03.09.15 | aww man, what a great list. so much to check out, 3 especially looks really interesting. have you heard Deep Mountains' s/t man? they're another chinese bm band very similar to Zuriaake with a really great autumnal atmosphere, i think you'd dig it hard | ComeToDaddy
03.09.15 | Nah the only bm I've heard out of China (that I know came from China at least) is Zuriaake and Asthenia. Autumn's just started here so I'll get amongst that in a few days.
Side note, been sick and writing is hard so this is a simpler alternative to reviewing. Will send the Movements writeup your way in a couple of days time | emester
03.09.15 | Was listening to 8 last night actually. I pretty much love everything about the opening track | Emyay
03.09.15 | 17 is really great. i'd never heard of this dude until now, thanks | Atari
03.09.15 | cool list. i still need to hear 8 but i enjoyed their split with spectral lore | SharkTooth
03.09.15 | 1 and 19 are the only ones I've heard and I agree with those albums needing more attention | DrGonzo1937
03.10.15 | Definitely checking out 13. | ComeToDaddy
03.10.15 | @Atari, definitely recommend checking it out. I was kicking myself for not spinning it sooner.
@Gonzo, let me know what you think man. It's a bit repetitive but it's like a melting pot of so many things I love | brainmelter
03.10.15 | thank you good sir | CalculatingInfinity
03.10.15 | Bringing the quality yet again Daddy, unfortunately only heard 14. I really should listen to some of these. | PlatonicMushroom
03.10.15 | I dl'd 1 years ago but never gave it a spin. Gotta listenz | smokinboy420
03.10.15 | i heard ozric tenacles on an youtube playlist once when me and my bud tavin were smoking the other week | CalculatingInfinity
03.10.15 | Tried 6, 10 and 15 and they did little for me and I enjoyed 16. God I'm in a music rut lately :/ | Avagantamos
03.10.15 | cool list. want to check 2 and 10. I found 12 to be pretty middle of the road dark ambient, but maybe I should try it again | bnelso55
03.10.15 | Great list. Props for including Nachtreich. Their other LP "Trugbilder" is also stellar. | Flugmorph
03.10.15 | i wanted to own 1 for some time now. very hard to find in my country | ComeToDaddy
03.10.15 | @Calculatinginfinity, that's a shame, I really love those albums. On a side note, finally got around to jamming Galeryus and it's incredible, going to work my way through the discography over the next few weeks (I'm pretty sure you mentioned them to me ages ago, I just never got on it).
@avagantamos, 12 is my favorite of his, but maybe I'm finding something in it that nobody else is. I've found there's a pretty fine line between a great or an ehhhhh dark ambient album.
@bnelso55, will check it. I loved both Sturmgang and the Spectral Lore split so I've no doubt I'll enjoy that too.
@Flug, it is very difficult to get a hold of, I've been doing the same. Just ordered The Maniacal Vale a couple of days ago though (: | Flugmorph
03.10.15 | good for you. enjoy | Gyromania
03.11.15 | lots of amazing stuff on here. midas fall doesn't get enough love. | puntugruhm
03.11.15 | 1,3,5,8,12 are superior. | CalculatingInfinity
03.11.15 | @Come: Sweet, indeed I did. Have fun :] | Lord(e)Po)))ts
03.11.15 | 2 hard | SomeGuyDude
03.12.15 | One of the best lists on the site. The fact that the comment section has different people raving about different albums shows what an excellent selection it is. Bookmarked, going through one by one. Some I know, some I don't, but I'll listen to them all again. | ComeToDaddy
03.12.15 | Damn, thanks man, I appreciate that a lot. There's a fair variety in here, I hope you find something you enjoy that you've never tried out | HBFS
03.12.15 | 2 and 16 are just brilliant. should listen to the rest i guess | TheSupernatural
03.13.15 | I've heard a bit of 13 before, it's pretty sweet | Flugmorph
03.14.15 | I was born in the wrong generation
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JcmylxQ0ma4 | zaruyache
03.14.15 | more stuff to check out wheeeeeeeee | ShadowRemains
03.14.15 | moving targets - burning water (punk)
moribund - oracular eyes (death metal)
experiment fear - assuming the godform (death metal)
aspiga - tense (punk/acoustic)
trial - are these our lives? (hardcore)
la casa fantom - ingen ny dag (hardcore)
culo - life is vile...and so are we (hardcore) | oltnabrick
03.14.15 | good list will check some of these | cryptside
03.15.15 | Need to check 17, 18, and 20; very nice list here. | ComeToDaddy
03.15.15 | If you're a guitar fan, definitely check out the video for the song Passionflower. I picked up all his music when he performed at a restaurant over here and it's all great, but that particular song just transcends. | deathschool
03.15.15 | oltna's broken again | Archelirion
03.15.15 | 6 is just one of the best things ever created. Checking out Zuriaake and it sounds pretty nice, the Oriental influence really adds something.
Never listened to 1, but the 'see also' means I'll probably like it. Like, A LOT. | CrimsonLies
03.15.15 | Good list, I need to revisit 1 | ComeToDaddy
03.15.15 | Hope you do man, that's my favorite doom album by a huge margin. | HalfManHalfAmazing
03.15.15 | for armistice by Mexican folk do you mean corrido/ ranchera type of stuff | Crysis
03.15.15 | 1 and 6 are amazing although I really didn't like 10 at all. | ComeToDaddy
03.16.15 | @HalfMan, just a really light touch of Mariachi. It's minor, but gives it a little zest that other similar artists lack.
@Crysis that surprises me, I'd have pegged you for someone that'd love it. If you've got any recs I'd really love some, pretty dry on metal recently outside of that new Leviathan | Crysis
03.16.15 | Not sure if you've heard Deep Mountains but if you like Zuriaake they are worth a shot. | TheCrocodile
03.16.15 | Jammed 6, it's pretty cool. Obviously I'll need more listens to put a rating on it because the songs are so long but yeah it's all good. | ComeToDaddy
03.16.15 | Nice choice, 6 is one of my 5's on here. His other albums are great too, but very different, idk if you prefer that raw bm or the defined production from his later works, but it's worth a shot either way | LilLioness
03.18.15 | There is quite of few things I would add to this list. I really like The Ruins of Beverast so I shall check that one in the future. | ComeToDaddy
03.18.15 | Oh yeah, there's a pile of albums that aren't exposed as much as they should be, but there's an awful lot of music out there too. I'll probably make another one of these down the track, just didn't want to overload people who are legitimately interested in checking these out. As much as I appreciate the effort put into 100 album lists, they're hard to sort through sometimes | ComeToDaddy
03.18.15 | But yeah, if you dig Ruins and haven't checked that one out yet, I highly recommend it. It's head and shoulders above his other works | LilLioness
03.18.15 | Idk, the most recent one had some fantastic stuff.
I think my hard limit with lists is 50. | DoctorDoom
03.21.15 | Heavily agree with six. | ScuroFantasma
03.22.15 | I'll work through this at some point, 17 intrigues me. Just realised how many ratings you have, insane. | ComeToDaddy
03.22.15 | 17 does things with an acoustic guitar I'd never even considered before, you wont regret it. Especially if you're an acoustic guitarist yourself, it's given me something to work towards for more than a year now.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nY7GnAq6Znw | parksungjoon
03.22.15 | List is fucking sweet man.
1, 2, 3, 6, 7, 13, 14, 15, 19 and 20 are dope.
Checked out 10 and it ruled.
I had heard 9 before but wasn't too impressed to be honest. | ScuroFantasma
03.22.15 | Sweet, I'll check it out for sure. Yeah I play a bit of acoustic, although I mostly concentrate on electric, but lately the acoustics been my go to. Too lazy to get the amp set up haha. | ScuroFantasma
03.22.15 | Well, I'm impressed by his creativity and insane multi-tasking at the same time, I notice he's also sanded back parts of the soundboard to get that scratching sound too. Crazy genius. | emester
03.22.15 | 20 seems like something id like | ComeToDaddy
03.22.15 | @Scuro, "Too lazy to get the amp set up" you and me both friend, that's at least 50% of my motivation for picking it up hahaha.
@Park, glad you dug 10 dude. Seems like we've got pretty similar taste if you feel so many of these, will hit you up for recs if I need some. | parksungjoon
03.22.15 | Yeah man totally. Btw loved your reviews for Carbon Based Lifeforms and Solar Fields, those guys deserve 1000x the love they get over here. | ComeToDaddy
03.22.15 | Cheers man, appreciate that a lot. I'd have put them on here but there's already 4 I've reviewed so I didn't want to whore out my own work too much :p | CrimsonLies
03.22.15 | Ironically I started listening to 9 instead of 1 (I'll get round to it!) and I love it. I definitely need more electro-pop/futurepop | parksungjoon
03.22.15 | 1 is definitely a behemoth of an album, but it's also Esoteric's best and pretty much essential doom metal (especially funeral doom). | Linx
03.26.15 | 7 is amazing! its probably my favorite game sountrack | ComeToDaddy
03.26.15 | I can't even begin to put into words how much I adore 7. If I ignore the nostalgia factor I have with a lot of other soundtracks, it'd probably be mine too | Frippertronics
03.26.15 | merzbob > | MassiveAttack
03.26.15 | Armistice no, Lustmord yes. | SgtShock
03.27.15 | Emptyself has some strong tracks | AmbivalentGoat
03.31.15 | I just made a list just like this but with much different bands (more modern too) but I can say I haven't heard most of these albums (or bands) so will definitely have to check them out at some point | pizzamachine
03.31.15 | yup 9 is boss you're too right :) |
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