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Staff
Reviews 647
Soundoffs 102
News Articles 98
Band Edits + Tags 345
Album Edits 2,238
Album Ratings 3167
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Last Active 01-01-70 12:00 am
Joined 01-01-70
Review Comments 43,944
| | Best User Reviews: April 2023 | | 1 |  | The WAEVE
The WAEVE
"All the peculiarity and thoughtfulness behind the work done on mixing said genres can be easily appreciated on the opening Can I Call You. The rippling rhythm section and the ringing of the cymbals are cut with keyboard strikes followed by soulful and ethereal vocals of Dougall. Then nervous weeping of the electric guitar forces its way into the song to be later interrupted by the wail of saxophone (an instrument Coxon is classically trained in). Male vocals join in, and two voices sing in unison as if chanting an incantation." --Batareziz | | 2 |  | Boygenius
the record
"The other moment of refreshing connectedness comes on “Not Strong Enough”, a catchy, thoughtful, and low-key subversive bit of throwback adult contemporary. It seems beamed in from an alternate universe where Boygenius is not a totem of modern indie or the power of female friendship nor an amalgam of public personas and misplaced “sad girl” signifiers but instead just a good band. It’s probably not fair to wish for all of those other things to be stripped away. We are still in the midst of an imperfect but worthwhile critical and cultural project—one working to ensure that artists are discussed on the same terms regardless of gender and affirm that any given person is equally capable of producing transcendent art. But once that conclusion is reached, they must also be free to make stuff that’s just okay." --notkanyewest | | 3 |  | The New Pornographers
Continue as a Guest
"Perhaps with more time and attempts at refining their new sound, they will actually manage to turn raw and grungy. There is potential there, but they’d first have to get the production settled, trim down the instrumental palette, and/or learn to adjust their vulnerable song writing to fit this new sound. As it stands, Continue as a Guest may prove a transitionary record or a mild detour leaving no mark on the band’s musical progression." --someone | | 4 |  | Poh Hock
Gallimaufry
"One of the standout aspects of "Gallimaufry" is the sheer technical proficiency on display. Hock's guitar work is both intricate and nuanced, with each note and chord carefully placed to create a sense of depth and complexity. The EP is rife with challenging time signatures and complex rhythms, though some sections can feel overbearing at times." --Tundra | | 5 |  | Ellie Goulding
Higher Than Heaven
"The tagline here could be that Ellie continues to make unmemorable albums. Even in her better albums, there’s usually one or two standout singles I’ll return to, and that’s the extent. Ellie Goulding may be a big name, but she needs to do more to impress me. Catchy choruses are great, as is her lovely singing voice, but I’d like to hear passion coming from her. Instead, all I hear is a soulless, auto-tuned pop star drone. I know Ellie can do better, I heard soul in her previous album, so I’m not sure how it came to this. Her sound is of the industry, yet is not industrious." --pizzamachine | | 6 |  | Depeche Mode
Memento Mori
"Ultimately, «Memento Mori» is not a rumination on legacy of one of the world’s most successful acts against a backdrop of tragedy: it’s just another solid album by a veteran band that happened to come out in very grim circumstances. And maybe, after all, that is all it has to be. Time is fleeting and life is fragile. You might as well dance a bit while it lasts." --CaptainAaarrrggghhh | | 7 |  | Acid King
Beyond Vision
"In addition to successfully maneuvering a new take on their established doom style, Beyond Vision just might be Acid King’s best album to date. A move to more atmospheric songwriting works very well in their favor, putting in broad enough influences to keep from feeling cliche. The arrangements have a great deal of care put into them with every sound counting in its placement, the pace never getting dull, and the individual tracks flowing smoothly across the board. It’s a full sonic adventure with extra appeal for fans of groups like Boris or Earth." --PsychicChris | | 8 |  | Wednesday
Rat Saw God
"Wednesday's ability to relate those feelings of tragedy and being distant from life itself is truly impressive in "Bull Believer" to say the least. Rather than just tell a good ol' story through a country tune, it excels into making you feel empathy and relate to Hartzman's words. This track doesn't just tell you how it feels...it grabs you and mind-melds you into feeling every internal scream that cuts deep into you like a knife to the heart. It's ultimately surreal and honestly...brilliant." --KillingMoon | | 9 |  | Covet
catharsis
"Like a guitar hero strumming her way through the fires and flames of true yearning, Yvette Young transforms the guitar into a vehicle for emotional expression, with each note imbued with a sense of passion and intensity. Covet's music is more than just technical proficiency. It is a celebration of the beauty and power of music itself." --Celestinaught | | 10 |  | Periphery
Periphery V: Djent is Not a Genre
"Spencer Sotello’s (vocals) direct involvement in melody and songwriting has been cause for both celebration and admonishment this go-around. The album’s most infectious choruses are made of Spencer’s unexpected intervals, like the call-and-response choral elements of Wildfire dancing playfully somewhere between rhythmic and leading. Neither Periphery nor Sotello is adopting trendy scales for a highlight-worthy segment (see Polyphia’s G.O.A.T. or Erra’s Gungrave). The band is wringing rhythms (the background chug of Zagreus, showing up in a dozen different scenes) and melodic themes (the rich instrumentation and key change of Silhouettes) for every drop of energy they might offer. And they damn well succeeded, seeing as many songs with these shape-changing rhythms extend well into the 10+ minute runtime without overstaying their welcome." --libraryofsalt | | 11 |  | Wumpscut
Giftkeks
"Wumpscut’s compositional paradigm -- of building music around tone-colors -- led in past albums to some extremely minimalist, experimental, slow, and occasionally boring music, especially for fans of the ass-kicking industrial found on earlier albums like, say, Bunkertor 7 or Music for a Slaughtering Tribe. On Giftkeks he has returned to a faster if less abrasive style. And that’s great for me because, though I enjoy many of his slower tracks, my heart belongs to the more aggressive style of early Nine Inch Nails and Front Line Assembly that defined Electro-Industrial in the early days of the genre." --kildare | | 12 |  | Paramore
This Is Why
"The band’s latest release features well-polished production that is consistent with natural reverb, great room sound, punchy drums, distinct bass, and passionate vocal clarity. Listening to This Is Why replicates a live performance from top to bottom as the band performs well composed songs supported by natural-feeling studio production filled with variety, and yet nothing feels out of place." --Kyle1221 | | 13 |  | Metallica
72 Seasons
"Despite its highs and lows, there isn’t too much to say about 72 Seasons. It is certainly a good enough album, and it is certainly a move in the right direction. Whether for better or for worse, that move is to pay homage to music from 50 years ago and write songs that are palatable, but not groundbreaking. Most of the album lies comfortably in the realm of “pretty good”, which can be a huge sigh of relief or a huge disappointment. There is nothing shamefully putrid on 72 Seasons in the same way there is nothing mind-blowing or prodigious." --TheSonomaDude | | 14 | | Metallica
72 Seasons
"I’m aware it’s likely so they can keep touring and not run only old material, but I wouldn’t have been angry if Death Magnetic closed off their career, because sonically, lyrically, and musically it felt like a more worthy send-off. Maybe this is more consistent than Hardwired, but it lacks any of the high points like “Spit Out the Bone” and replaces it with uninspired, mid-tempo, flat sounding heavy metal that does nothing new. They don’t need to reinvent the wheel, but it legitimately just sounds like Metallica doesn’t care anymore, and that’s the biggest crime this album commits." --veninblazer | | 15 |  | Aara
Triade III: Nyx
"The feelings of despair, present in many tracks, combined with more melodic moments makes this a very interesting release. There are many riffs that sound uplifting yet also quite melancholic. Like a memory that you have realized you have lost, and yet you remember you lost it. All in all, great release. If you are a fan of black metal you will like this, for the atmo-black buffs, you will find this to be excellent." --GrimDawn | | 16 |  | Telos
Delude
"While Delude may be overflowing with superb and creative riffs, visceral vocals, and intense drumming, it is certainly lacking in variety. Yes, the odd track does play around with the quiet/loud dynamic a little bit, but that is just it. I feel like the album does need something else to really make it as impactful as it could be because it is already quite close. But despite that, Delude is an incredibly strong album with pretty much everything you would want from a mathcore release, and the inclusion of black metal elements feels so effortless and natural in tandem with the mathy riffs. The album is fairly unique in this regard, making it an easy recommendation to those who are fans of the genre." --Zac124 | | 17 | | Metallica
72 Seasons
"Even despite these shortcomings, however, checks and balances for Metallica's eleventh studio album are overall positive, with the record leaning towards the high side of average as a standalone release (if not within the band's discography) and lining up with similar albums from acts at the same stage of their careers, like Pixies, Def Leppard, Ozzy Osbourne or the aforementioned AC/DC and Iron Maiden, most of which struggled (or outright failed) to clear this level of quality on their most recent releases." --ReturnToRock | | 18 |  | The Mars Volta
Que Dios Te Maldiga Mi Corazon
"It's tough pinning highlights on this thing, because it's all so consistent and a pleasure to listen to, but I would definitely say that "Palm Full of Crux", a song written about the death of founding Volta member Jeremy Michael Ward, is even more emotionally investing with Cedric so close to the mic and the instruments being as quiet as they are. It almost feels like we're hovering above him singing this song at his grave." --ShadowOfTheCitadel | | 19 |  | Enter Shikari
A Kiss For The Whole World
"There is absolutely some quality in here: the title track and Bloodshot could easily fit on the albums I loved as a teenager. But the majority of this latest effort is, in a word, forgettable. It feels as if the intangible spark that made Enter Shikari so appealing to me in the past has gone. Is that me growing up, or is that just down to how A Kiss for the Whole World was written? I don’t think I know the answer." --YadMot | | 20 |  | Bell Witch
Future's Shadow I: The Clandestine Gate
"The textures and melodies of The Clandestine Gate are characterized by heart-wrenching beauty, the vocals are excellent and these snare drums feel like pummeling through the core of the earth, constituting to an overly immersive record with heavy emotional charge and exquisite musicianship. It is generally more well-directed and focused than Mirror Reaper, revealing how Bell Witch probably took the time and by now actually managed to release a masterpiece of this size. Lay down your souls to the gods doom metal." --NightOnDrunkMountain | | 21 |  | Kaufmann Frust
Im Blau
"If they could somehow merge their past spontaneity with this more catchy sound, I really think they could make a breakthrough. As it stands, this is still a very solid outing for a band that seems to still be trying to find their footing even a decade into their career. So don’t let the nebulous “indie rock” label scare you off. There’s still a few rough cobalt gems to uncover." --SandwichBubble | | 22 |  | Fire! Orchestra
Echoes
"A group that can hone their prowess and symphonic efficiency while continuing to nudge and blur the boundaries of genre and classification without walking straight off the plank and devolving into an unwieldy, disheveled mess is a miraculous thing; one that manages to somehow do so with twice the length and triple the participants is downright unfathomable. But fear not! Whether stranger or sourdough, the Orchestra’s latest is a feast for any palate." --tectactoe | | 23 |  | Atreyu
The Hope Of A Spark
"These songs sound like every other song on the rock station. I would not be able to tell if this was Atreyu if I didn't have the information beforehand, the EP is incredibly short but it feels so much shorter because it's designed to blend into itself. In the annals of time, as more and more music is made available, endless streams of sound, the children will hear the sound of the Spark of a Hope and then look away." --ConcubinaryCode | | 24 |  | Maruja
Knocknarea
"Truth be told, it’s taking me a lot not to just say *** it and declare this one of the best debut releases in years, and the major thing that’s stopping me is my belief that this band can, and hopefully will, impress me even more as they blossom like the first saplings after a forest fire. So for now, I will preemptively call this your chance to get on the hype train before it really takes off. Because whatever is next for Maruja, you sure as hell don’t want to miss the journey." --Sinternet | |
Sowing
05.05.23 | Congrats to April's writers! | Koris
05.05.23 | Nice job everyone, good stuff :] | pizzamachine
05.05.23 | “User Reviews”
No wait that can’t be right | Sinternet
05.05.23 | thanks very much | Tundra
05.05.23 | I thought my recent reviews sucked, that's why I stopped writing stuff | pizzamachine
05.05.23 | Never surrender mate | Zac124
05.05.23 | Thanks for including my review Sowing! | mkmusic1995
05.06.23 | Awesome reviews! The Bell Witch and Wednesday reviews were especially tight! | bighubbabuddha
05.06.23 | agree w Memento Mori review. very solid considering circumstances. peace | Voivod
05.06.23 | Great list, I lament not having much time nowadays spotting well written stuff in the site.
That said, Batareziz is a great writer indeed, almost ghost-contrib-ready. | NightOnDrunkMountain
05.06.23 | Cool stuff here, thanks for including my text on Bell Witch | Batareziz
05.06.23 | Thank you for including my review, Sowing, appreciate it. And appreciate the good word there, Voivod! | BitterJalapenoJr
05.06.23 | Congratulations all. Nice job. | kildare
05.07.23 | @Sowing: Thanks for doing these lists, not just for putting me on it. (But thanks for that too). Man, this looks like a shit-load of work. But it pays off for ME at least: I look forward to reading the highlights of these reviews because I rarely get through ten or so a month, and I know I’m missing some good writing. | tectactoe
05.08.23 | Oh wow, sweet! Thanks for the recognition =] |
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