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Reviews 123 Approval 95%
Soundoffs 238 News Articles 11 Band Edits + Tags 250 Album Edits 1,483
Album Ratings 0 Last Active 12-23-19 9:27 pm Joined 09-16-14
Review Comments 22,503
| June 2019 resumé
I was really late with the list last month, but this one is even later. I listened to an unexcusably small amount of new music in June and needed to catch up. 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 | | Jimmy Barnes My Criminal Record
In case you didn't know, this is that screaming guy from Big Enough and he's one of the most popular musicians in Australia. He's a working class Sting and that's what he sounds like too, so if that's what you're into, then hop on. 7/10
My Criminal Record, They're Shutting Down Our Town, Working Class Hero, Belvedere and Cigarettes, Stargazer | 2 | | Supernova 1006 Technical Support
I became this band's follower quite accidentally. I listened to them as a part of the research for my Unknown Post-Punk series, but then I noticed that they had a new album out then and then I accidentally stumbled upon them again and now again and because it's a name I recognise, I kept giving them a listen. And now for the actual first time can I say that their music is moving in an intriguing direction. It's a slightly acid-infused noise-pop record with beats that are sometimes so blasting, I am surprised they aren't sampled by every middle-of-the-road dubstep producer. The album is somewhat inconsistent, but it can hit hard. 6/10
Ghost Ghost, Dispute, Fever | 3 | | Lonesome Wyatt and the Holy Spooks Agonizing Love
I see what they were trying to do with the quietness and the slightly psyched-out production, but it just came off as boring to me. 5/10 | 4 | | Enthroned Cold Black Suns
It's... it's alright. It kinda drags, but it's alright... 6/10 | 5 | | Panzerfaust The Suns of Perdition - Chapter I: War, Horrid War
Now this is like that Enthroned album, but all the boring parts are cut out. 7/10 | 6 | | Skaphe and Wormlust Kosmískur Hryllingur
If that Keiji Haino and Sumac album was more black metal oriented, this is what it'd sound like. 6/10
Vaxvaengir vonar | 7 | | False Figure A Promised End
Those dirty deathrockers have done it again! It's a nasty, ugly EP, this one. 7/10
Morningstar, Cryptophasia | 8 | | Overo Overo
shoutout to Trebor.
A decent enough endeavour, but far from what Trebor. seemingly tried to pass off as a second coming of emo. Just a bunch of dread-describing tunes, often with no real song-writing distinction. They probably kill it live. 6/10 | 9 | | Baroness Gold and Grey
Pretty sure I'm the last guy to tell you that the mixing here is awful. And while it didn't annoy me on their previous records, here it just runs the whole thing to the ground. And the song-writing isn't much to show either. At 17 songs, you better make sure it's airtight, but this album just had some of the most non-distinct Baroness writing I've ever heard. By far their weakest output. 5/10 | 10 | | Black Midi Schlagenheim
One of my most anticipated records of the year turned out perhaps one of my favourites. Just read my review, okay? 8/10 | 11 | | State Faults Clairvoyant
The amount of hype surrounding this made me listen. I guess the relentlessness and the pure stream of emotions is what made people love this record, but to me, to a dilettante, this sounded somewhat forgettable. It just wasn't all that memorable. And sure, I can definitely remember the raw energy on this, I can remember exactly how every instrument and ever shout sounded, but the individual songs are barely distinguishable. But despite that, the album has a strange effect, where its forgettability actually makes you want to return to it and re-experience its harshness. 6/10
Planetary, Olive Tree, Funeral Teeth, Cemetery Lights | 12 | | Beastwars IV
Really glad Matt is back for more. As for the record, it is not exactly a grandiose comeback slap in the face, but rather a merely enjoyable stoner sludge, tight little fucker. 7/10
Wolves and Prey, Storms of Mars, Omens, Sound of the Grave, The Traveller | 13 | | 1800HaightStreet Confess
shoutout to Sniff
I guess I am beyond hope, when it comes to this kind of music. 5/10 | 14 | | Hapax Monade
nah. 5/10 | 15 | | Plague Vendor By Night
Plague Vendor and their blend of electronic production and harder rock-ish punk-ish mixture is back strong, but unfortunately their lust for loudness led them to drop any memorability in song-writing. The tunes are rather forgettable and afte hearing all ten cuts you realise that you can't quite tell one from the other. Unfortunately, this one is more-or-less a miss. 6/10 | 16 | | Yellow Eyes Rare Field Ceiling
Absolute noisy insanity and a must-listen to anyone even vaguely interested in this kind of disgusting, heavy, doomy, deathy, sludgy mud of metal music. I just wish the vocals were layered a little better, cause they sometimes served more as a background distraction. 7/10
No Dust, Light Delusion Curtain, Nutrient Painting | 17 | | This Gift Is A Curse A Throne of Ash
Yellow Eyes blurb: Ctrl+A Ctrl+C
TGisC blurb: Ctrl+V and say the same thing about the vocals, but this time ake it sound positive
8/10
Blood is My Harvest, Thresholds, Monuments for Dead Gods, Wolvking, In Your Black Halo (Mass 317) | 18 | | Abyssal A Beacon In The Husk
I don't like Bell Witch and I don't like this either. 5/10 | 19 | | Prince Daddy and The Hyena Cosmic Thrill Seekers
They mixed the vocals, the absolutely weakest part of this band, louder into the mix and cleaned the production, which took away from the rowdiness and disorientation the first had. Now it's just annoying. 5/10 | 20 | | Horse Jumper of Love So Divine
I appreciate the melancholic approach and I like the way they build up the songs, but the album is largely underwhelming anyway. Most of the songs feel like a drag before the band finally picks it up for the final moments of the song, that is if it comes at all anyway. 6/10
Volcano, Ur Real Life | 21 | | Freddie Gibbs and Madlib Bandana
Leave it to Freddie and Madlib to come through with the chillest and still one of the more serious hip-hop albums of the year. 7/10
Crime Pays, Palmolive, Fake Names, Situations, Giannis, Cataracts, Education | 22 | | Heilung Futha
I'mma wait for LIFA 2: Futha now, okay? 6/10 | 23 | | Thom Yorke Anima
I still am not too much into electronica, but like a proper electro-noob, this I like. 7/10
Last I Heard, Twist, Not the News, Impossible Knots | 24 | | Ashbringer Absolution
I wish they didn't go so much into the pit of post-rock so many of their contemporaries have fallen into. They make it sound like emo-black metal. Not that emo-bm is necessarily bad (I actually like it a lot), but here it comes off as sappy in an inadequate and misplaced way. 6/10 | 25 | | Andavald Undir Skyggðarhaldi
I don't care for writing up blurbs for BM I like anymore. 7/10 | 26 | | Fuming Mouth The Grand Descent
While it is undeniably brutal in a fascinating fashion, it does suffer the same problem as many of its contemporaries. It is samey. 6/10 | 27 | | Holy Ghost! Work
A pleasant enough electropop, but I guess I can only accept this band in short format, because on a full length, at 12-songs long tracklist, they just do not keep my interest. 6/10
Anxious, Do This, Escape from Los Angeles | 28 | | Hot Chip A Bath Full of Ecstasy
Hot Chip still don't know how to make a song of bearable length, but at least they are all likeable enough to make you not that mad that they are repetitive. 6/10 | 29 | | The Odious Vesica Piscis
Quite an all-over-the-place record, but not without its moments. At least they don't got over-the-top in every style they throw into the mix and become some sort of tech-death Dance Gavin Dance. It's all still within the reach of acceptable, but also very, very bloated. 6/10 | 30 | | Mannequin Pussy Patience
As boring as they were before, this record is surprisingly catchy and danceable. 7/10
Drunk II, Cream, Drunk I, Who You Are, F.U.C.A.W. | 31 | | The Devil and The Universe : ENDGAME 69:
A strange, strange occult pseudo-folk musical-concept album. For fans of Father Murphy or Bjornson/Selvik. 6/10 | 32 | | The Raconteurs Help Us Stranger
Pretty much an album I'd expect form a band that didn't release new music in over a decade. It would be odd for them to try to come through with some larger-than-life triumphant release, because they're not that kind of a band and it'd be weird for them to suddenly experiment. So they just play into their strengths and deliver an air-tight dozen of head-banging tunes. 6/10
Only Child, Don't Bother Me, Hey Gyp, What's Yours Is Mine | 33 | | Bastille Doom Days
nah. 4/10 | 34 | | Thank You Scientist Terraformer
This band I've had a rollercoaster of opinions on. I hated them, loved them, was indifferent and now I am afraid that the cycle continues, because at first listen I was underwhelmed, but now I am certainly enjoying myself with it, even if ever so tired. It's anything but a band for people to listen to a whole album in one sitting. 6/10 | 35 | | Dr Sure's Unusual Practice The West
Quirky, oddball and a little obnoxious. It's cute, but too difficult to describe for its own good. 6/10
(Doof might enjoy) | 36 | | Bad Books III
Manchester Orchestra have always been a hit-or-miss band for me and I don't really see the difference between this album and anything any of the parts of Bad Books do separately, MO or Kevin Devine. It's just a run-of-the-mill bunch of singer-songwriter songs, even if it has that warm and fuzzy vibe to it. 5/10 | 37 | | Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds Black Star Dancing
When you go full pop, while only really knowing how to make bloated arena songs and your production is still stuck on that undercooked pseudo-psych experiment you did on a whim. 4/10 | 38 | | Silversun Pickups Widow's Weeds
The band that is the epitomy of faceless 2000s indie scene somehow managed to stay half-relevant and came through with another record of songs ranging in quality from bored to boring. 5/10 | 39 | | Lust For Youth Lust For Youth
Their most non-descript and middle-of-the-road record. At least we don't have to fear it'll come anymore. 5/10 | 40 | | Fetid Steeping Corporeal Mess
Fart-vocals have never sounded this juicy. 6/10 | 41 | | Aurora A Different Kind of Human - Step 2
Lookie-loo who doesn't want to have any originality anymore and be just like those faceless pop-underdogs we have an excess of. Don't go Lykke Li on us like this (or don't go Marina... or don't go St. Vincent... or don't go someone esle like that. you get the idea). 3/10 | 42 | | Firespawn Abominate
It's repetitive and forgettable, but at least it's fun while it lasts. 6/10 | 43 | | Myles Oliver World Step... Shibuya Acid Test
shoutout to AnimalsAsSummit
I tried, AAS, I really tried, but you will probably have to bark another tree with this. 5/10 | 44 | | Kaleidoscope (NY) After The Futures...
Punk as fuck. 7/10 | 45 | | Chernaa Empyrean Fire
It's another bm release. Where's the automatic 8/10? | |
Papa Universe
07.08.19 | updates a-coming | DungeonBoy
07.08.19 | cheers dude! crazy Enthroned is still making music, haven't jammed them since the 90's | DungeonBoy
07.08.19 | also dang, new Ashbringer? Gotta check that, I dug Yugen and felt they had some promise, but your description is a bit worrying. | Papa Universe
07.08.19 | I don't think anyone has jammed them since then | DoofDoof
07.08.19 | Only one rating over a 7? Sad times - I didn't think you were too harsh a rate'r? | Papa Universe
07.08.19 | and if you liked Yugen, you'll like this too. it's just that it kinda sounds like post-hardcore and post-rock played together at once as black metal, while the production got confused as to what genre is actually the lead here and started sounding like folk | DungeonBoy
07.08.19 | dude, the production on that new Ashbringer is horribly compressed and very hard to enjoy on headphones. It doesn't need to sound like Falls of Rauros level of dynamic, but it doesn't work for this style unfortunately. | Papa Universe
07.08.19 | Doof, you still haven't seen the rest of the list. | Papa Universe
07.08.19 | the problem is that you're right tho | DoofDoof
07.08.19 | ah ok, I was thinking 'crikey, even I of the miserable ratings have five things from June rated 8+' | Papa Universe
07.08.19 | oh hey, you also gave Aurora 1.5? | MarsKid
07.08.19 | Didn't know you were as in to black metal as you are, seems like you've become quite a sucker for that genre. | Papa Universe
07.08.19 | only recently actually. I've always enjoyed it, but it's been maybe two or three years now that I more or less rediscovered it for myself and found out just how much I actually like it. | MarsKid
07.08.19 | It's getting to that point in the year where it's no longer possible to keep with the release cycle. So much music, so little time. Sometimes I fear I get too selective, but in my defense one almost has to be choose-y in order to get through the mountain of material. | Papa Universe
07.08.19 | I mostly just listen to whatever people tell me to. I have more time than ever now, so I think I might actually have about all the main released of the year listened to. | MarsKid
07.08.19 | Yeah I've been following the yearly chart and I've got a lot of the big stuff covered. It's the underground that captivates me though--high-risk to search since it's full of duds but there is a high-reward potential--yet it's hard to keep up because it churns out albums at an unfathomable pace. | Papa Universe
07.08.19 | not having a life is a cool life-hack for this | AnimalsAsSummit
07.08.19 | i appreciate you giving it a listen papa. i didn't figure this to be in line with stuff I've seen you rate high so i figured you might not get into it. all good. if you have time, try my last LP The Train Beyond Home. I had a lot of session musicians help with the instrumentals and it's not electronica, it's organic instrumentation, think sophisti-pop/ progressive pop | DungeonBoy
07.08.19 | oof buy one of the last 3 gold vinyl copies of 17, or buy more bitcoin :/ | Sniff
07.08.19 | i've been waiting | Papa Universe
07.08.19 | i've been trying | anat
07.08.19 | Try Sebastian Field - Picture Stone (cut from the same cloth as Thom Yorke/Ex-Isles)
Metro Crowd - Planning: (noisy experimental)
Florida Man - Tropical Depression (fun post-hardcore)
Mattiel - Satis Factory (good old rock n roll) | Papa Universe
07.08.19 | Metro Crowd it is. | DungeonBoy
07.08.19 | dude.. 25 man, unholy crap this is good. | Papa Universe
07.08.19 | bruv | Egarran
07.11.19 | This was impressive, thanks.
What did you think of the first Aurora? | Papa Universe
07.11.19 | I liked it well, but this one is just so bland. | Egarran
07.11.19 | Damn I liked it a lot. Hoped she would do something awesome for the 2. | Papa Universe
07.11.19 | You might enjoy it. It just sounds to me like a Bjork rip-off giving up on being a Bjork rip-off to pursue a career as 00s Katy Perry rip-off. | Papa Universe
07.11.19 | Don't know if those comparisons are accurate, not exactly familiar with Katy Perry. | Egarran
07.11.19 | Yeah that sounds slightly repulsive. Never been a Björk fan either. | DDDeftoneDDD
07.11.19 | you're crazy fucked up
awesome list | DDDeftoneDDD
07.11.19 | Really curious about This Gift Is A Curse X) prob today | Egarran
07.11.19 | >You might enjoy it.
Damn she released Part 1 a year ago. I completely missed that.
Anyway, yeah, not too exciting. With Demons I could hear there was some magic afoot, but I don't get that here. | DDDeftoneDDD
07.11.19 | >You might enjoy it.
Well, I do "enjoy" Plebeian Grandstand... | Minushuman24
07.29.19 | I really need to get onto Kaleidoscope | Dewinged
07.29.19 | Great list, Paps, I don't know how you can keep up with all of these.
I mean, I know, though. | Gnocchi
07.29.19 | props for 45
eclectic list as per the usual Papp | Egarran
07.29.19 | Heads up, we are currently worrying about Papa.
Include him in your healing prayers, please. | Papa Universe
07.29.19 | hey bubs, cheers to y'all | Egarran
07.30.19 | What's going down, old man? | Papa Universe
07.30.19 | A lot of things. None of them too sunny or nice. |
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