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Staff
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Album Edits 2,238
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Last Active 01-01-70 12:00 am
Joined 01-01-70
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| | Best User Reviews: October 2022 | | 1 |  | Bjork
Fossora
"The last problem here is the coagulation between tracks. Having no perceivable verses or choruses is dandy, until a lack of engaging moments diminishes the potential for more fun, or standout songs. Fossora is completely stuffed with the same expected strings and Bjork used instruments, awkward beats, and infinite vocal layering. The album is of one soundscape, and gone is the variety of previous Bjork albums. From the first track you can predict how the rest of the album will sound." --pizzamachine | | 2 |  | Pixies
Doggerel
"Upon first listen, Doggerel comes across as wilfully, purposefully obtuse, a tone which it sets from the very first moment, with the midtempo bass-and-drums groove at the start of opener Nomatterday serving as a statement of intent from the band - for all of Black Francis' talk about doing something big and orchestrated, the singer and his acolytes are not interested in doing absolutely anything new on their eighth album; much to the contrary, in fact, as said album revels in all of the most immediately identifiable Pixies clichés all across its forty-two minute duration." --ReturnToRock | | 3 |  | Lambchop
The Bible
"When a band release something this well crafted it's hard to wish it to be their finale, but similarly to 'Mr. M' this not only feels like it would serve well as a farewell, it in fact feels like it would BEST serve as a farewell. Certainly it's a relief that Lambchop didn't sign off with 'Showtunes' as that would have undoubtedly left a feeling we'd been abandoned to ponder a less than definitive parting statement; that's not the case with 'The Bible', indeed this leaves the listener with the feeling the band may have effectively said everything they ever could at this point, that this album is the last 'book' of their own bible. Lambchop are nothing if not perverse so whether this does prove to be the end is of course a total mystery at this point - all we know is if it does, they did good." --DoofDoof | | 4 |  | Titus Andronicus
The Will To Live
"Ultimately, The Will To Live becomes much more enjoyable with the acceptance that Titus Andronicus are probably never going to reach for the heights of The Monitor again. And really, nor should they. The vast majority of bands would kill to have a record as indelible, as perennially vital as The Monitor or even The Airing of Grievances, and with a theme that was so thoroughly explored on the former record, any further exploration ends up redundant. While that’s at least partially true here (after all the themes here really aren’t that far removed from everything they’ve covered before), it is an older, wiser Titus Andronicus that continues to navigate their struggle through a meaningless world, all while keeping hearts firmly on sleeves." --DadKungFu | | 5 |  | Counterparts
A Eulogy for Those Still Here
"Counterparts' long winding career spanning fifteen years and seven studio albums may very well soon draw to a close: potentially making Eulogy... a befitting yet bittersweet hurrah. Full of lustrous guitar melodies and brutal candidness that cut to the bone, the Canadian quintet have rightfully earned their seat at the table for the genre's absolute greatest, rending most of their peers seemingly obsolete in the process. Counterparts may have come up short-handed on innovations throughout their tenure but if this album is their closing sentiment, then their impact will likely be felt and heard years from now as similar bands struggle to match their consistency and craft." --iChuckles | | 6 |  | Coldworld
Isolation
"“Walz” is our welcome return to black metal wails to centre us before the clean vocal harmonies return and again mood over matter envelopes us. It’s like Börner is worn down by the world and only has the strength for a brief outburst before sadness becomes overwhelming. “We Are Doomed” begins with some cold crash cymbals and strings and DSBM trems dictate more emotional melodies. The song later evokes Gaahl’s Wyrd and Wayfarer’s atmoblack territory. The album is short on direct messaging but the palpable atmosphere is suffocating, which is tangibly felt in the poor soul drowning in the interlude track “Five”." --Muzz79 | | 7 |  | Broken Bells
Into the Blue
"The vocals in general resemble the spaced out and stoic presentation from the band's first release. The tone is pensive and introspective, which is nicely complemented by a string of slow tempo tracks, which are to be taken seriously. Mercer asks big questions, and often concedes that even at his advanced age, the answers he seeks are always out of reach. It's the kind of album an adult indie fan can listen to while pretending their life is part of a movie." --MOYA | | 8 |  | Alvvays
Blue Rev
"What then, does Blue Rev achieve by sacrificing the immediacy of its preceding albums? ‘Those paths have grown in now’, sings Rankin at the midpoint of ‘Pharmacist’, and this is an apt descriptor of the stylistic change. The anthemic summer tunes have been tainted by time, and to convey the uncertainty and confusion of facing the world and our own passage through it, Blue Rev embraces this fear and chaos into its songwriting. Melodies change themselves line to line, choruses reveal themselves only partially, and whiplash changes in texture mark the climaxes of many tracks. This isn’t to say that the melodies or song structures are poorly thought out - instead, just like the world they describe, secret patterns and moments of beauty reveal themselves over time." --TheGreatEscaper | | 9 | | Counterparts
A Eulogy for Those Still Here
"While its themes may often be morbid and depressing, "A Eulogy for Those Still Here" feels like a celebration of everything this band has achieved. Few albums feel so sincere, like such a pure expression of feeling. Its cynicism is tempered with a genuine will to live and persevere; a sorrowful yet hopeful celebration of existence. It is these dualities that make "A Eulogy for Those Still Here" feel like such a faithful representation of the human condition, and that cement it as Counterparts best album so far." --Invariance67 | | 10 |  | Queensryche
Digital Noise Alliance
"Length aside, Queensryche brings in yet another solid late era entry with Digital Noise Alliance. The band’s commitment to sonic stability in the face of personnel shifts is certainly commendable, especially with memories of those late 2000s ventures still lingering, but it also sees them right on the line between solid and safe. There are enough great songs to keep diehards happy, but concerns of potential stagnancy may be tricky for it to stand out amidst their larger body of work. It’s a satisfying listen and might’ve even been the best comeback-era record had it been ten-fifteen minutes shorter, but I still find myself more curious as to whether La Torre has another solo album left in him." --PsychicChris | | 11 |  | The Orielles
Tableau
"Tableau feels so much more fractured when compared to the sharpened pop of Disco Volador, which is almost certainly intentional. In the band’s own words, the album was built on improvisations and sampling, motifs rather than structured songs. And, for the most part, these risks paid off. It’s an album that sounds exactly how it was conceived: out of daydreaming and inspiration. With their heads stuck in the clouds. But I cannot help but feel that the record could’ve benefited from some cuts. However, I doubt the Orielles would even pay such criticism any mind. Like I said before, this band hates stagnation. If their current release pattern is anything to go by, they’ll have switched up their sound by the next album anyway. I hope they don’t listen to me. They should keep doing their own thing. Cause despite my criticisms, I’m still eager to see where they’ll go next." --SandwichBubble | | 12 |  | Courting
Guitar Music
"Overall, Guitar Music is an incredibly strong debut, even amongst the sea of new wave post-punk groups. They managed to carve out their own niche in the experimental genre with their electronic touches, making them a refreshing listen. The songs here are great, with their infectious hooks and unmatched energy. The short runtime allows the album to never feel like it overstays its welcome but still makes the listener want more with ideas that feel like they can be fleshed out even more on later releases. Despite a couple minor flaws, this is an album that I can recommend easily because of its general accessibility and catchiness." --Zac124 | | 13 |  | King Gizzard and The Lizard Wizard
Ice, Death, Planets, Lungs, Mushrooms and Lava
"The closing track “Gliese 710” is the only track I’m not super fond of in terms of structure and instrumentation with its eight-minute runtime feeling like it unlike many of the other songs on this record that match that length. While certainly not a bad track, it doesn’t wrap the album up as nicely as a track like “Iron Lung” or “Magma” would in my opinion. This record certainly is an improvement over the previous couple of outings with much of the material feeling very complete and well-fleshed out in comparison. The lyrics continue their signature kookiness and the vocal performances by Stu and Ambrose are nuanced and fun as they normally are. While I’m looking forward to the other three records being released this month, I find it hard to believe that KG can top the quality of this release." --mkmusic1995 | | 14 |  | Gilla Band
Most Normal
"In its entirety, "Most Normal" is the most accessible record released by the Irish group, crafting a mixture of distortion-based styles. Like any good album, its appreciation grows with time, resisting multiple listens because of its musical complexity that compensates for the lyrical inconsistence. Despite several unnecessary deviations that affect the music’s direction (and I’m referring to the instrumental interludes), "Most Normal" feels like a memorable experience of dissonance and musical disturbance, the noise and industrial rock knowing a fulfilled incarnation in one album that classes among the most powerful releases of 2022." --SpiridonOrlovschi | | 15 |  | Parthian
Desolation of a Ceaseless Dawn
"Compliments to the rhythm section are also needed. Jacky Patrick’s bass does not just replicate the rhythm guitar, and it proficiently aids the music’s “umph”. Segments where the lead guitar mellows into passive acoustics are where the drum and bass shine more. It’s not that they are necessarily better in those sections, but those are when their value is clearer to the listener. The drums from DJ Dixon employ an excellent variety of tempos, extreme techniques (double-bass kicks, blast beats, etc.), and prog fills when need be. Both instruments in the rhythm section spring the album’s dark energy forward in its dissonant climaxes; these segments contrast significantly well with the smoother and melodic passages that make this album balanced." --WattPheasant | | 16 |  | Osees
A Foul Form
"Speaking of, the production is perhaps one of the album's greatest boons - gritty, abrasive and noisy, it really lends itself to the style of music and enhances the aggression in both the instrumentation and vocals (Dwyer allegedly had Covid when recording them and credits this with the harshness of his voice). The mixing is also very well done, as the bass is nice and loud and the drums are punchy, both of which add to the intensity. The guitars could maybe be a bit heftier, but this is a minor complaint as it doesn't detract from anything. Overall, the sound complements the style very well." --Gannoncannon | | 17 |  | Charlie Puth
Charlie
"Ironically, this album has all the makings of what should be Charlie Puth’s most open, personal, and sincere outing to date and it really does sound like he’s trying. The contradiction, however, between Puth’s efforts and the result in my headphones is, aside from being nearly palpable, pretty disappointing. So while it will likely satisfy the masses of Charlie Puth fans who don’t know any better, it certainly isn’t as good as it should be, and is really just two backward steps for an artist who is probably capable of far more." --Manatea | | 18 |  | Boston Manor
Datura
"‘Datura’ is a step in the right direction for the band following their most recent EP, but for all of its borderline pretentious ambition, it struggles to live up to the high points of the band’s past. Boston Manor is at their best when they hone in on crafting shadowy atmospheres with an emphasis on incendiary instrumentation. ‘Datura’ excels on the former better than ever before, but it’s lacking the intense instrumentation that drew me to the band in the first place. Overall, It’s a commendable release from one of alternative rock’s most tumultuous and constantly evolving artists, even if it isn’t their strongest piece as a whole." --Crxmateo | | 19 |  | Lorna Shore
Pain Remains
"While there are people who will no doubt hate the formula that Lorna Shore have crafted, it’s nice to see the guys in the band being comfortable in their skin and creating an album that they, their fans, and even the people on the outside of the genre looking in will enjoy. Nay-sayers will tell you that they “sold out” or “they’re a one trick pony” but ”Pain Remains” is here to silence them not only with expert musicianship, but with Deathcore that unapologetically, unabashedly, and beautifully wears its heart on its sleeve." --Edgehog61 | | 20 |  | Birds in Row
Gris Klein
"I feel the energy burning. I am ready to enter the scenes of fights that dance into my mind. I draw my sword and the dissonant swing mid-track sends me in another universe. I am ready. I know the dance. I survived it once, twice, each day of my life. I know how it goes. I swing and sinfully move my own body to the beating of the most dissonant recording Birds in Row have ever released. The track ends. I feel catharsis. Art personified. Thank you." --LunaticSoul | | 21 |  | Nothing More
Spirits
"There is nothing on this album that is as deep or meaningful as the band thinks it is, and their insistence that they are a progressive rock band really muddies the definition of progressive music; they haven’t done much since the self-titled album to transform their sound, and the song structures are as conventional as always. Take away the Watts ramblings and it’s just a really heavy Papa Roach album. It may be more creative than most comparable bands and draw influences from other styles of music, but this is, at the end of the day, just really heavy, rock radio friendly alternative rock, and you can do better with their other albums." --JonWedge91 | | 22 | | Lorna Shore
Pain Remains
"At this point, it feels as though they have taken their sound as far as it can go. While Ramos is arguably the most talented growler in the genre, it seems as though they may be using it as a crutch. With the dynamism that they appear to be aiming for, they could end up holding themselves back by not breaking out of the deathcore formula entirely. This isn’t exactly a condemnation, because truth be told, I love this album. However, Lorna Shore has more than enough talent across all of its members to make a modern classic. This is something that I truly believe. All that is missing is the courage to step outside the reliable, but often repetitive deathcore structure. Pain Remains, despite my criticisms, is an impressive and exceptional album, but clearly displays that they are capable of much more than what they’re showing us." --Maniac! | | 23 |  | Poppy
Stagger
""Shapes" is probably the most frustrating song to be found here - it has the potential to be the best song on the EP but the "ooo's" that repeat throughout the song, particularly in the chorus, are particularly grating and make the song feel like it was written for one of those mid-2000's iPod commercials with the dancing silhouettes. Lastly, the EP's title track ends the EP with a whimper, rather than a bang. It's the token slow song of the EP, but unfortunately doesn't do anything to stand out from any other slow song Poppy has ever done. The chorus feels particularly lazy, with Poppy repeating the line "stagger through life backwards" in a few different ways." --JoyfulPlaypus | | 24 |  | Architects
The Classic Symptoms of a Broken Spirit
"'Classic Symptoms Of A Broken Spirit' has proven that Architects are still flourishing in their prime. I was initially disheartened by the repetitious and monotonous meta-structure found in their so-far released singles, but even the generic songs on this album belong as part of a coherent whole. This album is more than the sum of its parts; you would be doing yourself a disservice to ignore the front-to-back listening order. For those that see Architects as a kind of spiritual companion, their segue into the 21st century apocalypse, this journey is not diminished by a few concessions to relative structural simplicity which wastes no time in driving home the punch of doomsaying and armageddon." --Permafrost | | 25 |  | Origami Angel
DEPART
"This is a surprise, but it's safe to say a lot of us want to hear more of this. Is Origami Angel the Converge of Gen Z? It's too early to say, but do they have the creative capacity, the musical depth to pull it off? There should be no doubt, but hopefully the softer, goofier side we all have come to know is still around in some form. We should never forget that, no matter how angry, how violent, how trve cvlt hardcore, music can still be a lot of fun, few get this on the level of bands like OA." --Naomi Lores | | 26 |  | The 1975
Being Funny In A Foreign Language
"It’s understandable really, we do live in an era where the playlist rules supreme and people can easily pick and chose their favourite songs from a project and listen to them in any order. In fact that’s probably what ‘Notes’ was intended to be. But for the first time since their debut, the 1975 have made an ALBUM, not just a collection of very good songs strung together by a related theme and sound. Sure, the dense production work, witty (though naturally somewhat cringeworthy) lyrics and unified, retro inspired sound that has been the group’s staple since the beginning is still present, but for once it feels like they’ve taken a breather and let the music speak for itself, rather than being caught between a massive number of other tracks all fighting for attention." --Drbebop | | 27 |  | Arctic Monkeys
The Car
"This album is mature and warm. It’s not partying to the AM like we used to from the debut to AM, it’s comfortably catching up with an old friend over a good bottle and enjoying the PM, because we don’t need to try so hard anymore to enjoy ourselves and we couldn’t pull it off gracefully even if we wanted to." --shemson | | 28 |  | Taylor Swift
Midnights
"It’s difficult to reconcile that this is the same woman who penned the effortless poetry of “Delicate” or the stratospheric “Style” when many of these songs reek of effort and pushing against brick walls. Midnights is ostensibly about thirteen different sleepless nights that she has had, but many of the tracks come across as more anonymous or fictitious than the actually fictitious tales she elegantly penned on her last two folksy efforts. Normally I would take the easy route and suggest that this collection sounds like outtakes and discarded material, but puzzling enough the songs on offer in the special 3AM edition sound far more interesting and mature than what’s on offer in the main attraction suggesting that maybe the time was correct, but maybe the execution was in a different timezone." --Odal | | 29 |  | Avantasia
A Paranormal Evening With the Moonflower Society
"What is there to take away from Avantasia’s newest outing? Fans of the supergroup will find something to enjoy, most will. Whether from the familiarity of the hooks, production, or voices that have defined Tobias Sammet for over two decades. The album still has these shining moments, more than enough to make for an enjoyable listen. The moments where the album strays from the formula hits the mark on the head, but typically shelters itself back into the same familiar groove of melodically decent hooks before too long. It appears that for once the great Avantasia machine has stalled in place, spinning its wheels hoping to break out into something truly fresh. Maybe next time." --GoldenGuy444 | | 30 |  | Brutus (BE)
Unison Life
"Although you can notice the improvements from previous works when up close and personal with the songs, it’s at a distance where you can truly appreciate the sheer potential that Brutus has harnessed and how deserving they are of it. Few bands are able to do what Brutus does and those that attempt to replicate the sound in some way fall short of a lack of individuality. At this point, Brutus is past the title of ‘best upcoming band’ given how much they’ve already achieved. Instead, “Unison Life” will oversee Brutus becoming one of the most beloved bands to break out of the scene. Life isn’t so bad after all." --Chamberbelain | | 31 |  | Tankard
Pavlov's Dawgs
"No, Tankard definitely strikes me as a more social variety of thrash, and when I perused this album I thought how cool it would be to hang out with Tankard at a kegger, just stand around and talk about music and get totally ***faced. This is not to say that hanging out and getting drunk is by any means preferable to slam-dancing to Necrophobic; moshing can be as rewarding an experience as life has to offer, as long as you don't come away too battered. But it’s necessary to have SOME party music to balance the musical universe, isn’t it?" --kildare | | 32 |  | Slapp Happy and Henry Cow
Desperate Straights
" “Desperate Straights” is a surprisingly melodic album, light on the art-school angst and heavy on the playfulness. “Desperate Straights” hits a sweet spot between weird and nostalgic. “Desperate Straights” is a very strange album. It reminds me the operas of Kurt Weil with his collaborations with Bertolt Brecht. By the other hand, and for what I can remember, this is more a Slapp Happy album than a Henry Cow album. Despite the collaboration of Henry Cow, I think this is an album more in the krautrock vein. Slapp Happy took a very simplistic and innocence mind set into the studio, crafting a primitive pop album complimented by the beautiful Degmar Krause’s pure German tainted voice. In contrast to the sometimes quite similar aligned Art Bears’ albums, additionally holds some humor and warmth. So, “Desperate Straights” is a very original and beautiful album, one of the most original and bizarre album I’ve ever heard." --e210013 | | 33 |  | Carly Rae Jepsen
The Loneliest Time
"Leading up to The Loneliest Time's release, I was sure that this project would be her most cohesive, but to my surprise it turned out to be the opposite. Yet, the more I listen, the more I see how Jepsen's eschewed a clear narrative for a series of individual stories that each serve as a slightly different manifestation of what we do when we're lonely. We'll try dating apps (Beach House), make poor decisions (Bad Thing Twice), put on an air of confidence (Joshua Tree, Sideways), think about how our ex must miss us (Talking To Yourself), and then maybe fail to keep that ex away and run right back to them (Keep Away, The Loneliest Time)." --TheGlowingWeen | | 34 | | Taylor Swift
Midnights
"Midnights sounds like an aggressive attempt to return back to pop. Taylor had really lost her songwriting magic on this one, and this is probably one of the worst albums in terms of its narrative styles and production quality. It was a bad idea for her to shift her musical direction without thinking through what should have made the album creative on most parts. The album would have been better with the inclusion of some tracks in the 3am edition and exclusion of some of the standard tracks. However, the flames have been washed out and we can’t keep it lit anymore." --HstroX | | 35 |  | Goat
Oh Death
"Upon hearing the record, it’s evident that it’s not because there was a thorough process of choosing the best cuts or because of some magnificent concept album about death that had all its pieces meticulously scored, but rather just a blatant lack of ideas. The last four tracks, which take up over a third of the album, are unapologetic filler -with either weak hooks or just a spacey barren atmosphere. “Chukua Pesa,” on the other hand, is quite on the nose with its African influence yet incorporates hardly any rock elements beyond a boring occasional guitar fuzz note. It’s a bit jarring to hear white Swedish people take such strong influence from African music while barely attempting to give any purposeful identity to it. “Just throw some Swahili singing in there, that’ll be fine. Is that Indian tabla? Sure throw that in too.” Even when lively, the weaker tracks sound sparse and uninspired." --ArsMoriendi | |
Koris
10.31.22 | Many excellent reviews here, good job everyone | ArsMoriendi
10.31.22 | Dang I made one of these?
Nice | Zac124
10.31.22 | Thanks for including my review this month. Lots of amazing reviews all round this month too. | Manatea
11.01.22 | Wow such a huge list! Lots of awesome writing on here in October. Congrats to all. | Shemson
11.01.22 | Wow thanks man, I don’t have time to do many reviews and they’re normally pretty quickly covered by a staff one if it’s a mainstream album so I appreciate you taking the time to read it! | mkmusic1995
11.01.22 | Thanks for the shout! Always so many awesome reviews by folks on here. Love reading through them in my spare time. :D | mkmusic1995
11.01.22 | Special note, really loved the Brutus review by Chamberbelain. Really awesome writing! | JoyfulPlatypus
11.01.22 | Aye! First review in years, thank you so much for the shout! I was starting to feel like review writing just might not be for me, but maybe I'll try to practice it more consistently from now on. | Minortimbo12
11.01.22 | Havent had a review in a month dang | kildare
11.02.22 | Man, you can bet that I'll be checking this list every month now that I made it on one. I could probably get looked over twenty times and STILL get a kick out of it. Honestly. I mean, I know it's totally Pavlovian and all, but I like dawgs, and anyway my soul is all Labrador (of course it would cooler if I was all Rottweiler, but let's be realistic). | DoofDoof
11.02.22 | Thanks Sowing |
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