User
Reviews 3 Approval 95%
Soundoffs 1 Album Ratings 2928 Objectivity 68%
Last Active 12-30-22 5:00 pm Joined 03-11-12
Review Comments 8,078
| Rating=year (2k milestone)
Well, I managed to hit 2000, but that's actually not the main idea behind this list, as it's not an extraordinary value by any means. So, at some point I noticed that rating 1989 was actually an album from that year, and after jamming a few newer things I wanted to hear, I decided I could try to make a theme out of this. The starting point was rating 1993. I'll list what I've heard from each year so far and will keep updating it. | 1 | | Slowdive Souvlaki
1993 - For the longest time the only shoegaze 'classic' I knew was Loveless and that had to change. I was expecting something noisier, but what I got was more than satisfying in its own way. | 2 | | Manic Street Preachers The Holy Bible
1994 - The concept behind this record and the stories about the highly troubled Richey had me quite intrigued. I loved the contrast between the pretty pleasant music and the very grim lyrics. | 3 | | Faith No More King for a Day... Fool for a Lifetime
1995 - Worthy follow-up to Angel Dust and it's always good to hear Mike Patton go crazy even on more grounded music like alternative metal. | 4 | | Type O Negative October Rust
1996 - Everyone who knows my affection for gothic music probably wonders why I only rated this now. I am not sure either, but what I am sure of is that it slays, even if Bloody Kisses has the edge right now. | 5 | | Loreena McKennitt The Book of Secrets
1997 - A beautiful, peaceful trip to various places around the world with great instrumental diversity and a wonderful vocal performance. | 6 | | Massive Attack Mezzanine
1998 - My trip-hop knowledge is probably limited to the dabbling done by Team Sleep and The Gathering during their electronic era with Anneke, but this is such a cool and understandly essential experience. Lovely sense of atmosphere, overall production and Liz Fraser features. | 7 | | Control Denied The Fragile Art of Existence
1999 - I can understand why a lot of Death fans don't jibe well with Tim Aymar, but for the most part he does the job just fine and sorta reminds me of a less refined Russell Allen from Symphony X. The bass sounds phenomenal, especially in the title track, and the guitar work is on point. R.I.P. Chuck. | 8 | | Boris Flood
2000 - Now that's how you do a hypnotic album. Every small variation is really captivating, but even so, I wasn't exactly ready for that massive moment in the third movement/track. Really good choices of guitar effects, too. I definitely need to delve deeper into their work later on. | 9 | | Fantomas The Director's Cut
2001 - Goodness gracious, what a beautiful nightmare! If you want to hear some of your favourite movie themes twisted by Mike Patton and Co., give this a try. Such a fresh album idea. | 10 | | City of Caterpillar City of Caterpillar
2002 - I used to listen to post-hardcore more often in my first years here. Maybe the site in general did... I remember seeing this record pop up in various recommendations, yet I kept avoiding it. Perhaps it was due to the lengthier tracks revealing the post-rock elements which wouldn't have done much for me then, but are integral to the album's scope and quality. | 11 | | Kayo Dot Choirs of the Eye
2003 - A seamless concoction of genres sustained by masterful songwriting. A melange of modern and classical. A clear purpose for experimentation that adds a ton of depth. A clarinet battling heavy guitars. A long overdue listen. | 12 | | Edguy Hellfire Club
2004 - As much as I love Avantasia and think that Tobias is a really cool guy, I never checked his main band. This turns down the bombast a notch and has no army of guests, while adding more heavy metal and some humour. Works well with bacon and eggs in the morning. | 13 | | Coheed and Cambria From Fear Through the Eyes of Madness
2005 - Since I've heard some Coheed tracks before, Claudio's seemingly polarising vocals don't represent an issue for me, especially considering there's plenty of modern prog with dubious singers out there. In fact their quirky and lively nature ends up making the lengthy record more engaging. I appreciate the balance between catchy and complex songs (the Willing Well suite in particular stands out) and it's safe to assume it could be a good bridge to more prog music for many people. | 14 | | Tokyo Jihen Adult
2006 - This very elegant and sometimes playful album actually made me realize I haven't given a full listen to any Shiina Ringo material despite being familiar with her for years. The great production accentuates the solid chemistry between all members, some of them being part of the backing band during the later years of the first part her solo career. | 15 | | Phideaux Doomsday Afternoon
2007 - One of the albums that's been sitting in my laptop since late 2015. The incredible bookends perfectly display Phideaux Xavier's compositional skills and the real orchestra's power, while the other tracks are no slouches either. The 70's influences are evident, but enough different ideas and twists are thrown in to give the album its own identity. Totally recommended for fans of symphonic progressive rock. | 16 | | Have a Nice Life Deathconsciousness
2008 - Drenched in atmosphere with some hectic moments in the second disc, this is likely one of the most interesting and impressive debuts out there. A daunting, monumental listen worth checking out for fans of post-punk, industrial, shoegaze, post-rock and ambient that are all so well integrated. | 17 | | Arcana Coelestia Le Mirage de L’idéal
2009 - Epic and enchanting, as far as that goes for funeral doom metal. The added layer of synths in the mix and the female vocals offer an ethereal quality, with the piano outro being a nice touch. The album also doesn't fall into the trap of overstaying its welcome or becoming too unvaried, even though certain aspects could've been slightly better emphasized by a more refined production. | 18 | | Chelsea Wolfe The Grime And The Glow
2010 - Bearing in mind I've heard everything that came after this, her voice and evolution are certainly always mesmerizing, from the dark lo-fi folk present here to the heavily layered and genre-bending music she's been doing over the past few years. The tracks with additional musicians and their placement definitely give some nuance to prevent the record from becoming too bare-bones. | 19 | | Aquilus Griseus
2011 - I initially thought the long running time would totally affect the record in a bad way, but it flowed nicely and didn't feel tiresome at all. Credit goes to the Opeth-ian dynamics, with black metal serving as the heavy counterpart in this case, and the beautiful classical arrangements akin to an epic film score. It would definitely fit the journey of a medieval fantasy series. | 20 | | Anglagard Viljans Oga
2012 - Another album on this list I downloaded in late 2015 which took me too much to finally hear. A band that hasn't lost its strengths after a hiatus of 18 years in terms of releases, delivering extremely worthwhile instrumental folk prog with complex, diverse and memorable compositions, one notable example being the bass-flute duel in the third track. I totally recommend the debut, Hybris, as well. | 21 | | Caladan Brood Echoes Of Battle
2013 - Impressive debut with a better grasp of epic black metal than a few bands with some history behind them, in the sense that it doesn't overly rely on the atmosphere conveyed and forget how to vary the music here and there, an important aspect for an album over 70 minutes long. While the drum machine and frequent synths may make one think the music's going to be too mechanical and unnatural, it has to be pointed out that the production favours some dynamics and weight instead of the overly sanitized and loud sound that plagues many releases of the genre in recent years. | 22 | | Howls of Ebb Vigils of the 3rd Eye
2014 - Yeah, yeah, my death metal slice is hating me for delaying this so much, more so because I greatly enjoyed the other two releases. It turns out they were a force to be reckoned with right from the start, excelling at their brand of bizarre and unsettling music. It's not the first nor the last act to warp the genre's common formulas through eccentric musicianship, numerous unexpected tempo shifts and gauzier tones, but in spite of all possible associations there is always a distinctiveness present. | 23 | | Kauan Sorni Nai
2015 - I recall wanting to listen to this majestic yet sorrowful album in its release year, but I kept prioritising other stuff and it sadly ended up ignored for a while. Carefully crafted, spacious soundscapes abound, and despite the tragic and mysterious events it's inspired by, the one-song story contains plenty of beautiful moments, such as sparse, delicate strings and vocals underlining the post-rock moods, which make the hard-hitting parts far more impactful, the penultimate act in particular, where the doominess is at its most violent. | 24 | | Kiryu Hyakki Yakou
2016 - I really like Kagrra, so this was a no-brainer, albeit a spastic, grittier alternative. For the uninitiated, the two groups adopt a style that coalesces traditional Japanese instruments into upbeat alternative rock with youthful vocals. It's not merely a gimmick either, in this scenario having the frantic koto offer an unique feel of unease to the title track or the interchange between the shamisen and flutes heighten the playful attitude of "Irodori". At odds with the overly brickwalled mastering even by industry standards, I'm surprised and pleased to hear a well-rounded rhythm section, especially in a sea of modern visual kei dark rock which focuses more and more on downtuned, loud guitars. | 25 | | Sukekiyo ADORATIO
2017 - What better way to end this list than with one of my most anticipated albums of the year? The side project of the ever-impressive Kyo from Dir En Grey offers through Adoratio a staggering amount of variety and unpredictability. The dominating forces would be the always delightful electronica-guitar/piano interplay, the varied drumming, ranging from smooth jazzy stylings to pummeling near-industrial percussion, and the sombre undercurrents, but to their aid come grooves of different forms, the subtle loop effects on "mannerism" akin to the acoustic passages of Opeth's 2001 opus, synth-dominated cuts that recall Buck-Tick's noisiest moments and enchanting melodies on the splendid "en" or the closer, which feels like an epic piece under the guise of a poppy tune due to the impellent violin manifesto in the centre. All is tied together by the vocalist's expectedly eclectic performance and the best production studio-wise they've had so far. | |
EvoHavok
06.07.17 | Got album ideas for all following years sorted out. I'm too lazy to write better descriptions right now lol. | SandwichBubble
06.07.17 | Tried rating special albums for rating milestones, but wind up rating some unspectacular, whatever album by accident. pretty neat idea though! | Artuma
06.07.17 | nice list idea | CalculatingInfinity
06.07.17 | And a happy 2000 ratings to you good sir :] | gordy
06.07.17 | Mezzanine is such a phenomenal album | Drifter
06.07.17 | I like this idea. | Rik VII
06.07.17 | Congratulations! :)
also, "Lovely sense of atmosphere, overall production and Liz Fraser features."
That's exactly the three things I love most about that record | EvoHavok
06.08.17 | Thanks, guys! Added one more entry. | 50iL
06.08.17 | Excellent idea, congrats! | DrGonzo1937
06.08.17 | Congrats, man.
6 is so damn good. 1998 was banging year for music. | manosg
06.08.17 | Congrats Evo and great idea for a list. 4,5,6 are awesome albums. Very interested in seeing how this list develops. | butcherboy
06.08.17 | if you fancy a noisier 1993 shoegaze album, I rec Swervedriver - Mezcal Head | TheSpaceMan
06.08.17 | ^ good rec | EvoHavok
06.08.17 | Thank you!
@manos There will be some stuff you like :).
@butcher I'll keep that in mind. | RunOfTheMill
06.08.17 | Yeah keep updating! Only one of these I've listened to is Mezzanine, but I'm getting ideas now | EvoHavok
06.08.17 | Here's a quick one :). Worth checking everything that seems appealing to you. | CalculatingInfinity
06.10.17 | Damn you finally got on 11 | EvoHavok
06.11.17 | You should too. | CalculatingInfinity
06.11.17 | Well it's produced by Zorn so that sparks interest. | Flugmorph
06.11.17 | oh this is what you're talking about lol
sry m8, gonna read now | EvoHavok
06.11.17 | Thought you were aware of it already, hah. | Flugmorph
06.11.17 | nice writeups man, guess im looking forward to more | CalculatingInfinity
06.13.17 | Wooooo hopped on the Coheed train :D | Flugmorph
06.13.17 | haken > coheed | EvoHavok
06.13.17 | The Mountain is a massive (lol) record, indeed. | CalculatingInfinity
06.13.17 | Finally some Shiina get in. | EvoHavok
06.16.17 | Now that Sput's coma has ended, at least for now, I could finally add the entry I jammed on the 14th. | Archelirion
06.17.17 | Pretty much summed up how I feel about 13 perfectly there ^ ^
Fantomas is insane. And glad to say Toyko Jihen up there, partially cos it reminds me that I still need to listen to it. Good list so far! | EvoHavok
06.18.17 | Definitely give that one a try. You'll certainly like the 2009 entry :). | Archelirion
06.18.17 | That 2009 entry m/ Absolutely love it, Tragedy & Delirium is such a beautiful one-two | Flugmorph
06.18.17 | should really rejam 17 sometime | Archelirion
06.18.17 | Yeah dude, it's gorgeous | EvoHavok
06.21.17 | I didn't update this after I finished 18. Anyway, seems I've been keeping a little trend of atmospheric music from different genres for the past few entries. | CalculatingInfinity
06.21.17 | Nice to see you enjoyed 19 more than I did | EvoHavok
06.22.17 | 20 needs more ratings :). | CalculatingInfinity
06.22.17 | 5 more until 2017 woooo | RunOfTheMill
06.22.17 | I've listened to Hybris a while ago, remember is being too synth heavy for my tastes, tho I should probs give it another go. How does Viljans Oga compare? | EvoHavok
06.23.17 | It still has plenty of synths, but I never found it too much on either release. Viljans sounds more modern and pushes the bass guitar higher in the mix. | CalculatingInfinity
06.24.17 | Ebb m/ | EvoHavok
06.25.17 | Heh, you should try one of their albums if you like what you heard from them so far.
23 was quite the experience. | CalculatingInfinity
06.25.17 | I'd like to hear 23 more ;)
I remember when it got reviewed, looks really cool. | EvoHavok
06.25.17 | Oh yes, check it out then.
After all the serious stuff in the last entries, I needed a good dose of fun with a vk band. | CalculatingInfinity
06.25.17 | Nice to see some VK in here finally. | EvoHavok
06.27.17 | Ending the list with a bang, that album did exceed by already high expectations. | CalculatingInfinity
06.27.17 | Couldn't be a better end to this fun list. | EphemeralEternity
06.27.17 | bless you evo |
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