Monstar1790
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Soundoffs 135
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Album Ratings 738
Objectivity 78%

Last Active 07-28-21 2:52 pm
Joined 11-05-04

Review Comments 207

Average Rating: 3.43
Rating Variance: 0.51
Objectivity Score: 78%
(Well Balanced)

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5.0 classic
A Wilhelm Scream Career Suicide
The pacing is perfect, the songs are infinitely listenable and their writing has gotten insanely tight. There are no duds on this album, no low points, and after it's over you'll want to start it from the beginning again. This is a rare album in that each song is individually fun to listen to without further context, but it reveals itself as a masterpiece when listened to as a whole. Can AWS top themselves after an epic "career suicide"? Doubtful, but I'm looking forward to seeing them try.
Bruce Springsteen Born to Run
Cynic Traced in Air
Flawless. The metal equivalent of Ernest Hemingway - strip all the excess out and what's left is dazzling musicianship, concise songwriting and incredible arrangements.
Deep Purple Machine Head
Devin Townsend Empath
The culmination of 22 albums in almost as many years. This is something special.
George Harrison All Things Must Pass
Miles Davis Kind of Blue
Pink Floyd Wish You Were Here
Stevie Wonder Songs in the Key of Life
The 1975 Sex
It's hilariously improbable how such an overhyped band managed to nail it on their second EP, a release that's been unfortunately forgotten over time. I can't recall a band blending R&B, hip-hop, electronic, rock, and punk influences as seamlessly as this EP. Re-recording "Sex" for their first full-length was as insulting as it was unnecessary.
The Beatles Abbey Road
The Flaming Lips The Soft Bulletin
Yes Close to the Edge

4.5 superb
A Wilhelm Scream Ruiner
Alien Ant Farm TruANT
Arcade Fire Funeral
Boston Boston
This would be a 5 if not for "Let Me Take You Home Tonight".
Brian Wilson Smile
Bruce Springsteen The Wild, the Innocent, and the E Street Shuffle
Bruce Springsteen Wrecking Ball
Nothing about this album should work, at least on paper. But oh god damn it totally does.
Bruce Springsteen Live 1975-1985
Bruce Springsteen Hammersmith Odeon London '75
Casualties of Cool Casualties of Cool
ffffffffffffffffffffffuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuucccccccccccckkkkkkkkkkkk
Clipse Hell Hath No Fury
Coheed and Cambria In Keeping Secrets of Silent Earth: 3
Coldplay Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends
Dave Matthews Band Crash
Dave Matthews Band Before These Crowded Streets
David Bowie Blackstar
Deftones Diamond Eyes
Phenomenal pacing, musicianship, and songwriting. Everyone is contributing equally to the incredibly dense sound. None of the songs are weak. The only possible flaw I can pick out is the tendency to repeat choruses a bit much - that gets a tad unnecessary, but when the choruses are this enjoyable it's not much of an issue. 2010's best so far.
Devin Townsend Ocean Machine: Biomech
This would be a 5 if it weren't for "The Death of Music" and a few cringeworthy moments of melisma on Dev's part. Highly recommended if you're looking for a melancholic, catchy, and atmospheric take on hard rock and metal.
Devin Townsend Project Addicted
Devin and Anneke are a match made in pop-metal heaven.
Devin Townsend Project Ghost
This album gets better and better year after year. If you're a frustrated Hevy Devy fan who just can't enjoy it, come back in half a decade.
Dream Theater Images and Words
Enter Shikari The Mindsweep
Brilliant. Brilliant brilliant brilliant brilliant brilliant. Their songwriting has never been better, their musicianship never more adventurous, their production never more satisfying. Enter Shikari continues to innovate with their first truly cohesive, fully-formed album.
Father John Misty I Love You, Honeybear
Fleet Foxes Helplessness Blues
Hostage Calm Please Remain Calm
ISIS Panopticon
Jay-Z Reasonable Doubt
Kanye West Yeezus
Just gets better and better on repeat listens. What Kanye lacks in lyricism he more than makes up for in production, aesthetic and ambition. "Black Skinhead" is the track to beat this year.
Karnivool Sound Awake
Jon Stockman and Steve Judd form the best rhythm section in heavy music, assisted by razor-
sharp production from Forrester Savell. The guitarists and vocalist are no slouches, either,
but this is a master class in groove and dynamics.
Kendrick Lamar good kid, m.A.A.d city
Kendrick Lamar To Pimp a Butterfly
Colossal. Overwhelming. Disorienting. Conflicted. Furious. Hopeful. This one's gonna take some time to sink in....and that's a very good thing.
Led Zeppelin How the West Was Won
Led Zeppelin Led Zeppelin IV
Madison Cunningham Revealer
Meshuggah I
My Bloody Valentine Loveless
Nas Illmatic
Pink Floyd The Dark Side of the Moon
Public Enemy It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back
Punch Brothers Who's Feeling Young Now?
Sure to be slept on this year. Amazing musicianship, arranging and songwriting.
Radiohead In Rainbows
Radiohead OK Computer
Ride Going Blank Again
Ride Today Forever
Sleep Token Take Me Back to Eden
Solange A Seat at the Table
Spiritbox The Fear of Fear
Strapping Young Lad Alien
I'll probably up this to a 5 at some point. One of the few examples of excessive compression and clipping
actually BENEFITTING the sound of an album. This record has atmosphere, power, instrumental chops,
brutality and shock value up the ass.
Sufjan Stevens Illinois
Tally Hall Good & Evil
They're starting to shape into the modern-day Beatles. An album that should have never been dropped by Atlantic.
The Beatles Let It Be… Naked
The Dear Hunter White
The Dear Hunter Indigo
The Dear Hunter Green
The Dear Hunter Act IV: Rebirth in Reprise
This is a solid 4.25. Damn half-point rating system.

EDIT: Upped it to a 4.5. There are no weak songs here.
The Devin Townsend Band Accelerated Evolution
The Hold Steady Boys and Girls in America
The Hold Steady Separation Sunday
The Hold Steady Open Door Policy
This album improves on every listen, and lord knows I've listened to it a lot. Remarkable.
The Streets A Grand Don't Come For Free
The Wonder Years Suburbia I've Given You All and Now I'm Nothing
Thrice The Artist in the Ambulance
Thrice Vheissu
U2 The Joshua Tree
Yes The Yes Album

4.0 excellent
A Day To Remember Common Courtesy
"Sometimes You're the Hammer, Sometimes You're the Nail" is unquestionably the best song here and perhaps
ADTR's best song to date. Surprisingly enough, the rest of the album delivers as well (apart from some
sequencing issues). Worthy of applause.
A Wilhelm Scream Diver
A Wilhelm Scream Lose Your Delusion
I never expected the perennially cynical Scream to write something uplifting, but here we
are! The only weak tune is "I'm Gonna Work It Out". Meanwhile, "Be One to No One" is the
song to beat this year.
Acceptance Phantoms
Alice in Chains Black Gives Way to Blue
Alien Ant Farm Up in the Attic
Alter Bridge Blackbird
Anxious Little Green House
Arcade Fire Reflektor
Great sequencing, great production, great performances all around. The occasionally repetitive songwriting and cringeworthy lyrics don't really matter when the music is this solid throughout.
At the Gates Slaughter of the Soul
August Burns Red Sleddin' Hill
Bent Knee Shiny Eyed Babies
This is what progressive rock needs right now. Their arrangements are masterful, their hooks memorable, and Courtney Swain swings for the fences with every vocal melody, only to knock it out of the park with ease.
Big Boi Sir Lucious Left Foot
Big D and the Kids Table Good Luck
Birds Of Tokyo Universes
blink-182 Blink-182
Blur Parklive
Bomb the Music Industry! To Leave or Die in Long Island
Bomb the Music Industry! Vacation
Bon Iver For Emma, Forever Ago
Bruce Springsteen Letter to You
Bruce Springsteen Darkness on the Edge of Town
Charlie Simpson Long Road Home
Cloudkicker Beacons
Cocteau Twins Heaven or Las Vegas
Coheed and Cambria From Fear Through the Eyes of Madness
Coheed and Cambria The Afterman: Ascension
Their most diverse album, and it even feels fairly effortless after the over-calculated buzzkill that was Year of the Black Rainbow. We're happy to have you back, Claudio and co.
Coldplay A Rush of Blood to the Head
Coldplay Mylo Xyloto
I once said this wasn't as consistent or polished as Viva la Vida. That's true, but it ultimately doesn't matter. The highs are so incredibly soaring, the energy so vibrant, that this is perhaps Coldplay's crowning achievement. An album showcasing every side of the band, culminating in a surprisingly restrained closer. I'm still not sick of it. And if you don't get what the fuss is all about, blast "Charlie Brown" to high heavens in your car. You can thank me later.
Coldplay Live 2012
Coldplay Ghost Stories
An occasionally redundant release saved by gorgeous production, some really strong songs and Chris Martin's best vocal performance to date. It resembles Parachutes the most, periodically straying into the electronic overtones that colored Mylo Xyloto. "True Love", "Magic" and "Always in My Head" are essential; "Ink" is not.
Coldplay Ghost Stories Live 2014
Craig Finn A Legacy Of Rentals
Dave Matthews Band Under The Table And Dreaming
Dave Matthews Band Big Whiskey and the GrooGrux King
Death Cab for Cutie Transatlanticism
Deftones Ohms
A return to form after the sloppily-produced (but still enjoyable) Gore. I wish there were more 9-string shenanigans, though.
Dennis Wilson Pacific Ocean Blue
Devin Townsend Terria
Devin Townsend Christeen + 4 Demos
Devin Townsend Ziltoid Live at the Royal Albert Hall
Devin Townsend Order of Magnitude - Empath Live Volume 1
Devin Townsend Lightwork
This may have his best production to date, along with a pair of legitimate surprises in
"Heavy Burden" and "Vacation". The reworked "Celestial Signals" is sadly a downgrade,
however. "Equinox" contains some of the best vocals of Dev and Ché Aimee Dorval's careers,
while "Lightworker" plays host to an all-time great chorus. Another triumph from one of the
most exciting and consistent musicians alive.
Devin Townsend Project Deconstruction
This album slowly but surely revealed itself to me. Holy crap...pun entirely intended.
Devin Townsend Project Epicloud
A real grower. Not the most innovative release in his catalog, but one of the most fun. And god damn..."Angel" is a candidate for song of the year.
Devin Townsend Project By A Thread: Live in London 2011
Devin Townsend Project Z2
Sky Blue: 4.5, Dark Matters: 3. An extra quarter-point for the stellar production and performances on both.
Devin Townsend Project Contain Us
Ki (3) + Addicted (4.5) + Deconstruction (4) + Ghost (4.5) = 4 avg
Devin Townsend Project Transcendence
Some of the songs are too long, and the songwriting isn't as consistently satisfying as Sky Blue, but this is another rock-solid effort from Hevy Devy and the production is the best he's ever had. "Stormbending", "Secret Sciences", "Stars", and "Offer Your Light" are tremendous.
Devin Townsend Project Ocean Machine: Live in Plovdiv
snare too loud, some rough vocals on Ocean Machine (mainly "Hide Nowhere"), otherwise great
Disclosure Settle
Don Broco Amazing Things
While it may not reach the peaks of Technology, it's overall a better album. These guys are so adventurous.
Don Broco You Wanna Know
Dr. Dre Compton
Drake So Far Gone
Dream Theater Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence
Dream Theater Awake
Duck Sauce Quack
Empress Of Me
rock-solid pop songwriting chops + alternatively glossy and grimy production + chilling, vulnerable vocals and lyrics = a stellar debut from Lorely Rodriguez
Enter Shikari A Flash Flood of Colour
Their best album. Surprisingly restrained in moments, while still retaining their spastic sense of humor.
Enter Shikari Rat Race
Enter Shikari A Kiss For The Whole World
People seem to be really down on this album and I don't get it: the production's never been better, the runtime doesn't overstay its welcome, and other than "goldfish ~" the songwriting is pretty damn strong.
Enter Shikari Take To The Skies: Live In Moscow. May 2017
Every Time I Die From Parts Unknown
I wish there wasn't a required character minimum because my sound off would consist entirely of "Holy shit."
Fightstar Behind the Devil's Back
Don't believe the 4.5 / 5.0 scores. That's not to say this is a BAD release--hardly the case--but it's not transcendent or
innovative or anything. This is some seriously excellent hard rock / metal-esque music, nothing more, but definitely
worth your time if you dig that sort of thing.
Fireworks Higher Lonely Power
Fleet Foxes Fleet Foxes
Foster the People Supermodel
This shits on Torches (not to say that Torches was bad, because it's not) and is an extremely exciting step
forward for Foster the People. They sound like a goddamn BAND now.
Four Year Strong Enemy of the World
This would be a 4.5 if they replaced "Flannel Is the Color of My Energy" with "Cavalier".
Franz Ferdinand Franz Ferdinand
Fucked Up The Chemistry of Common Life
Gallows (UK) Grey Britain
Garbage Version 2.0
Girl Talk Feed the Animals
Girls Album
Haken The Mountain
Immortal All Shall Fall
Imogen Heap Speak For Yourself
Iron Maiden The Number of the Beast
Iron Maiden Dance of Death
Iron Maiden Somewhere in Time
Iron Maiden Powerslave
Iron Maiden Iron Maiden
ISIS Oceanic
J. Cole Friday Night Lights
Jay-Z American Gangster
Jessie Ware What's Your Pleasure?
Jessie Ware What's Your Pleasure (Platinum Pleasure)
John Mayer Heavier Things
Jon Hopkins Immunity
Kacey Musgraves Golden Hour
Were it not for the mediocre "Velvet Elvis" and "Wonder Woman" this would be a 4.5. Superb songwriting, dreamy production, and charming sincerity make Golden Hour a real treat.
Kanye West The College Dropout
Kanye West My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy
Karnivool Asymmetry
The sound of a band engaged in a knock-down, drag-out brawl with its lofty ambitions. And how thrilling it is.
Kendrick Lamar Section.80
Kendrick Lamar DAMN.
King's X Dogman
King's X King's X
Lamb of God Wrath
Lamb of God As the Palaces Burn
Lamb of God As the Palaces Burn (10th Anniversary)
Lil B Everything Based
SO. MUCH. COOKING. MUSIC. The golden age of Based God is represented here...he's slumped a bit ever since.
Living Colour Vivid
Lucius Wildewoman
What a hell of a start. Expect big things from this Brooklyn quintet. This record is jam-packed with quality
songwriting, gorgeous harmonies and quirky arrangements. The production is a bit much, though--less
reverb and clipping, please. (They sound even better live.)
M83 Saturdays=Youth
M83 Before The Dawn Heals Us
M83 Dead Cities, Red Seas and Lost Ghosts
Madeon Adventure
This rules hard. Real hard. Like the lovechild of M83 and Passion Pit you never knew you wanted.
Madison Cunningham Who Are You Now?
Mastodon Crack the Skye
Mastodon Once More 'Round the Sun
Mercury Rev Deserter's Songs
Meshuggah Nothing
Meshuggah The Ophidian Trek
this slaps
Miguel Wildheart
Modest Mouse The Moon & Antarctica
MUNA Muna
Muse Absolution
My Bloody Valentine m b v
Northlane Live at the Roundhouse
OLD Formula
Owel Owel
Owel Every Good Boy
Passion Pit Gossamer
Paul McCartney Chaos and Creation in the Backyard
Periphery Periphery II: This Time It's Personal
Phenomenal production, catchy melodies and ace performances by everyone in the band (yes, even Spencer). Every song is a winner. Unfortunately, this is a chore to listen to as a full album. It's best digested in smaller chunks.
Phoenix (FRA) Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix
Pink Floyd Animals
Pusha T My Name Is My Name
Radiohead The Bends
Radiohead Kid A
Radiohead The King of Limbs: From the Basement
Red City Radio Paradise
Rick Ross Teflon Don
Ride Nowhere
School of Seven Bells Alpinisms
Secret Machines Ten Silver Drops
Set Your Goals Mutiny!
Excellent. The Reset EP had some awesome material, but it was too short and Sharptooth was filler. Mutiny!, on the other hand, contains no weak tracks and feels like a full album, unlike most punk/punk-influenced CDs these days.
Set Your Goals This Will Be the Death of Us
Slayer Seasons in the Abyss
Slayer Reign in Blood
Spiritbox Eternal Blue
The new songs are growers for sure. Killer performances all around.
Spiritbox Spiritbox
Steve Vai The Story of Light
Steve Vai Passion and Warfare
Steven Wilson The Raven That Refused to Sing (And Other Stories)
Strapping Young Lad City
Sufjan Stevens Carrie and Lowell
Swervedriver Mezcal Head
Talk Talk Laughing Stock
Tedeschi Trucks Band Everybody's Talkin'
The 1975 Being Funny In A Foreign Language
The Dear Hunter Violet
The Dear Hunter Blue
The Dear Hunter Black
The Dear Hunter The Color Spectrum (Complete Collection)
The Dear Hunter Migrant
I feel like this is a grower. Will give it more time.

EDIT: Gave it more time. Yeah, it's a grower.
The Dear Hunter Act V: Hymns with the Devil in Confessional
"Mr. Usher (On His Way To Town)" and "The Haves Have Naught" are tough listens but everything else is phenomenal.
The Derek Trucks Band Already Free
The Dillinger Escape Plan One of Us Is the Killer
The Flaming Lips Clouds Taste Metallic
The Hold Steady Stay Positive
The Hold Steady Thrashing Thru the Passion
The production on this is pretty abysmal but the songs are great!
The Hush Sound Like Vines
The Wonder Years The Hum Goes on Forever
Thrice The Illusion of Safety
Thrice Major/Minor
Thrice The Artist in the Ambulance (Revisited)
While some of the fury is gone (and Dustin's screaming on "Cold Cash" is missed) this refreshing take on a genre classic adds appropriate weariness to the desperate, frustrated, and pleading lyrics that have unfortunately aged all too well.
Transit Listen and Forgive
Twin Shadow Forget
Vampire Weekend Modern Vampires of the City
Weezer The White Album
Your Old Droog Your Old Droog LP
No BS, straight-up quality hip-hop. There's a reason why people initially thought this guy was Nas.
Zwan Mary Star Of The Sea
What a criminally underrated slice of power-pop (and you can't even find it anywhere now...for shame). Sure, the lyrics rcan be pretty duff, but try and deny the impeccable intertwining of guitar and vocal harmonies all over this record. rSublime.

3.5 great
A Day To Remember Resentment
A Day To Remember What Separates Me from You
A Day To Remember For Those Who Have Heart
A Wilhelm Scream Mute Print
A Wilhelm Scream A Wilhelm Scream
A Wilhelm Scream Partycrasher
Andrew W.K. I Get Wet
Andrew W.K. You're Not Alone
Anxious Audiotree Live
Arcade Fire The Suburbs
ASAP Ferg Trap Lord
Guilty pleasure album of the year. Anything less (or more) is a lie. The production is legitimately top notch, though.
At the Gates At War with Reality
At the Gates To Drink from the Night Itself
Autre Ne Veut Anxiety
Bayside Cult
Excellent guitar work. Great vocals. Catchy hooks. If the songwriting was just a bit more diverse this would be better, but it's definitely worth a listen as is.
Beartooth Below
Does it reinvent the wheel? No. Is it a ton of fun? YES!
Between the Buried and Me Colors
Between the Buried and Me Colors_Live
Between the Buried and Me Automata I
Beyonce Beyonce
Beyonce 4
Big D and the Kids Table The Gipsy Hill LP
Big D and the Kids Table/Drexel Shot by Lammi
Black Country Communion 2
blink-182 Enema Of The State
blink-182 Take Off Your Pants And Jacket
Bomb the Music Industry! Scrambles
Bomb the Music Industry! Album Minus Band
Bon Iver 22, A Million
Boston Manor Glue
The songs manage to be simultaneously catchier and more adventurous than on Welcome to the Neighborhood. Impressive.
Brian Wilson That Lucky Old Sun
Bring Me the Horizon Amo
Bruce Springsteen Nebraska
Bruce Springsteen Born in the U.S.A.
Bruce Springsteen The Promise
Canterbury Heavy In The Day
Cee Lo Green The Lady Killer
Charlie Simpson Young Pilgrim
Charlie Simpson Little Hands
Charly Bliss Guppy
Children of Bodom Hatebreeder
CHVRCHES The Bones of What You Believe
CHVRCHES Every Open Eye
Circle of Dust Circle of Dust (Remastered)
clipping. CLPPNG
Coheed and Cambria The Second Stage Turbine Blade
Coheed and Cambria Neverender
Coldplay Prospekt's March
Coldplay LeftRightLeftRightLeft
Coldplay A Sky Full of Stars
Coldplay Everyday Life
Cynic Carbon-Based Anatomy
Cynic Ascension Codes
DaBaby KIRK
DaBaby Baby On Baby
Daft Punk Discovery
Dave Matthews Band Come Tomorrow
Dead Letter Circus Dead Letter Circus
"Disconnect and Apply" is stunning. The rest manages to hold up, too. This band has enormous potential.
Dead Letter Circus This Is The Warning
These guys blew me away when I first heard them. Everything is there: catchy hooks, beautiful guitar lines,
groovy bass, rock-solid drumming and soaring vocals. They're a phenomenal band, but this album is
ultimately let down by pacing. Some of the latter tracks are comparatively forgettable, especially when coming
after the assault that is "Here We Divide" all the way through "Cage". All in all, an exciting debut and a great
indicator of what's to come...if Kim doesn't lose his voice from all the touring.
Dead Letter Circus Next In Line
Deftones Saturday Night Wrist
Deftones Koi No Yokan
Deftones Gore
The first six songs have their ups and downs. The last five are some of the best of their career.
Demi Lovato Holy Fvck
Devin Townsend Ziltoid the Omniscient
Devin Townsend The Retinal Circus
Great performances make up for a weird setlist. This houses the definitive version of "War".
Devin Townsend Infinity
Devin Townsend Tests of Manhood
Devin Townsend Project Epiclouder
Devin Townsend Project European Tour
Devin Townsend Project Holding Patterns
Don Broco Technology
The first half is all killer. The second half is mostly filler.
Don Broco Automatic
Dr. Dre The Chronic
Drake Thank Me Later
So his one-liners are painfully corny and should have been excised. So it has the "808s and Heartbreaks"
vibe. So he uses the same flow too much. So it's not quite as good as "So Far Gone"...so what? The
production is by FAR the best I've heard all year and the songs are mostly growers. "Fancy", "Show me a
Good Time", "Shut it Down", "Find Your Love", "Thank Me Now", "Over", "Light Up" and "Unforgettable" are
straight-up bangers. Give it some time, ignore the hype, and listen with an open mind...at least it's not
"Rebirth".
Drake Take Care
The second half of this album is mostly unnecessary. Cut it off after "Lord Knows" and you have a classic.
Dream Theater Score
Dream Theater Metropolis Pt. 2: Scenes from a Memory
Dream Theater Live at the Marquee
Dream Theater A Change of Seasons
End It Unpleasant Living
Enter Shikari Common Dreads
Enter Shikari The Spark
I don't understand how anyone could call this album insincere. If anything, it's a bit TOO on the
nose, but that's sort of a necessary "evil" when considering the background behind this record:
frontman Rou Reynolds went through the breakup of a 7-year relationship, bouts of insomnia,
losing family members, drug problems, and struggling with anxiety before and throughout writing
this record. Some songs are stronger than others, sure, but The Spark is Enter Shikari's most
introspective and personal statement to date. That's gotta count for something.
Enter Shikari Nothing Is True and Everything Is Possible
Enter Shikari Slipshod
ERRA ERRA
While the songs sound a bit samey at times, the performances are remarkable.
Fall Out Boy Folie a Deux
Fall Out Boy Take This to Your Grave
FEVER 333 Made An America
Four Year Strong Go Down In History
Exactly what the doctor ordered. It's like the last album never happened!
Four Year Strong Brain Pain
Free Energy Stuck On Nothing
Girl Talk All Day
Gov't Mule By A Thread
Haste the Day Attack of the Wolf King
Hostage Calm Die On Stage
How to Dress Well What Is This Heart?
Immortal Sons of Northern Darkness
Iron Maiden Seventh Son of a Seventh Son
Iron Maiden Live After Death
Iron Maiden Killers
ISIS In the Absence of Truth
J-E-T-S Zoospa
Jay-Z The Blueprint
Jay-Z The Black Album
Jay-Z 4:44
Some much-needed humility and introspection from Hov.
Jenny Lewis The Voyager
Jessie Ware That! Feels Good!
John Carpenter Halloween (2018)
John Mayer Born and Raised
John Mayer's learning how to be a decent human being, and in the process, he produces a lovely album.
JPEGMAFIA and Danny Brown Scaring the Hoes
Kacey Musgraves Pageant Material
Kacey Musgraves Same Trailer Different Park
Kanye West Late Registration
Kanye West Graduation
Kendrick Lamar untitled unmastered.
King's X Gretchen Goes to Nebraska
King's X Three Sides of One
King's X Out of the Silent Planet
King's X Ear Candy
King's X XV
Lamb of God VII: Sturm und Drang
Lil B Blue Flame
Lil B God's Father
Give this to all the Based God non-believers. If they can't crack a smile and enjoy at least one of these tracks,
they probably don't like hip-hop.

BRUH YOU LYIN'...no, I'm fo'realla
Lil Wayne Tha Carter II
Linkin Park A Thousand Suns
Lostprophets Start Something
Louis Cole Time
Mastodon Leviathan
Meshuggah Koloss
Meshuggah Chaosphere
Metallica Death Magnetic
Metallica Master of Puppets
Metallica Ride the Lightning
Miguel Kaleidoscope Dream
Mumford and Sons Sigh No More
Muse Black Holes & Revelations
Muse Origin of Symmetry
No Doubt Tragic Kingdom
Northlane Obsidian
Northlane Alien
Of Monsters and Men My Head is an Animal
Pelican The Fire in Our Throats Will Beckon...
Propagandhi Supporting Caste
Protest the Hero Palimpsest
Public Enemy Fear of a Black Planet
Punch Brothers Antifogmatic
Pusha T DAYTONA
Pusha T King Push – Darkest Before Dawn: The Prelude
Radiohead Hail to the Thief
Radiohead A Moon Shaped Pool
Radiohead Supercollider/The Butcher
Rae Sremmurd SremmLife 2
What an infectiously stupid record. Rae Sremmurd sure as hell know how to start a party...
Rick Ross Deeper Than Rap
Rick Ross Black Dollar
Rick Ross Black Market
Run the Jewels Run the Jewels
School of Seven Bells Ghostory
School of Seven Bells SVIIB
School of Seven Bells Put Your Sad Down
Secret Machines Now Here is Nowhere
Sleep Token Sundowning
Soundtrack (Film) Black Panther The Album
Spiritbox Singles Collection
Save for "Trust Fall" this doesn't quite reach the highs of the band's 2017 self-titled EP, but it's an impressive collection nevertheless.
Spiritbox Rotoscope
Steve Vai Real Illusions: Reflections
Sufjan Stevens The Age of Adz
...and sure enough, seeing him in concert DID change my opinion of this. As an album it's still too long and could have used a bit of editing, but the melodies and ideas here are fantastic.
Sufjan Stevens All Delighted People
Swervedriver I Wasn't Born to Lose You
Tally Hall Marvin's Marvelous Mechanical Museum
This album could have been perfect if they had spent more time writing songs and cutting some of the more forgettable material, like "Two Wuv" and "Just Apathy". If they get enough time to figure it out, Tally Hall's next album could be this generation's "Sgt. Pepper's", and I'm not kidding when I say that. Just listen to future classics like "Good Day", "Taken for a Ride" and "Spring and a Storm". This band's extremely talented, they just need to learn how to channel that talent into more brilliant songs and less half-baked ideas like "Haiku".
Tedeschi Trucks Band Let Me Get By
TesseracT Concealing Fate
The 1975 Music For Cars
The 1975 A Brief Inquiry into Online Relationships
The Beatles Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band
The Carters Everything Is Love
The Dear Hunter Yellow
The Dear Hunter The Color Spectrum
This score is for the 11 songs on the standard release. The full collection averages out to a 4.
The Dear Hunter Act III: Life and Death
The Derek Trucks Band Roadsongs
The Derek Trucks Band Joyful Noise
The Devin Townsend Band Synchestra
The Dillinger Escape Plan Option Paralysis
The Dillinger Escape Plan Miss Machine
The Dillinger Escape Plan Dissociation
The Fireman Electric Arguments
More inconsistent than Chaos and Creation in the Backyard, but the highs are absolutely stunning. Paul's experiencing a creative comeback like few others.
The Flaming Lips Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots
The Flaming Lips Embryonic
The Hold Steady Almost Killed Me
The Hold Steady A Positive Rage
The B-sides (three of which were on some releases of Stay Positive) make this. "Two Handed Handshake", "Ask Her For Adderall" and "Spectres" are among the band's best songs.
As for the main attraction...it's a great set, but BigHans is right about the production. It makes more sense if you watch a video of the band - Craig Finn usually steps away from the mic to scream lines out to the audience, or forgets to run back to it in time in the middle of a part.
The Hold Steady Heaven Is Whenever
The Hold Steady The Price Of Progress
"City at Eleven" might just be The Hold Steady's worst song, but everything else is good to great. The devastating "Carlos is Crying" is an instant classic, while "Perdido" and "Distortions of Faith" are two of the prettiest songs in their oeuvre. Closing with "Flyover Halftime" was a baffling choice, though.
The Smashing Pumpkins Monuments to an Elegy
The Smithereens Especially For You
The Smithereens 2011
The Streets Original Pirate Material
The Streets Cyberspace and Reds
What's this? Mike Skinner is...having FUN??! All jokes aside, Cyberspace and Reds is a refreshingly visceral release from an artist who seems tired of his routine. There are some cringeworthy moments, as expected, but this goes hard enough to forgive the slip-ups.
The Wonder Years The Greatest Generation
The Wonder Years The Upsides
Thrice The Alchemy Index Vols. I & II
Thrice Beggars
Thrice To Be Everywhere Is to Be Nowhere
Thrice Horizons/East
Tinashe Aquarius
Toothgrinder Nocturnal Masquerade
Transit Joyride
A winning return to form after the fiasco that was Young New England. The production is a bit
over-the-top, but the songwriting is solid as ever.
Turnstile Glow On
U2 Songs of Innocence
Uneven, sure, but to call this a weak album would discount some of the best melodies and songcraft U2's offered in years. "California" soars, "The Troubles" haunts, "Iris" entrances, "Raised by Wolves" thrills, and "Song for Someone" will be ubiquitous in no time.
Vampire Weekend Vampire Weekend
We Are KING We Are KING
Sounds like Stevie Wonder has him some worthy successors. Gorgeous, ethereal, heavenly R&B.
Yes Fragile
Yes Going for the One
Yes The Ladder

3.0 good
A Day To Remember Bad Vibrations
This album starts off with two of A Day to Remember's best songs to date...and then comes "Naivety". The rest is solid enough, at least.
A Day To Remember Homesick
A Wilhelm Scream Benefits of Thinking Out Loud
Alien Ant Farm ANThology
Alien Ant Farm Always and Forever
Andrew W.K. Close Calls with Brick Walls
Arcade Fire Neon Bible
Arctic Monkeys Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not
ASAP Rocky LONG.LIVE.A$AP
I thought "Wild for the Night" would be a train wreck. Man, I was SO wrong. Overall a fun (if unremarkable)
release with some awe-inspiring production as well as a few duds; "Hell" and "Pain" nearly bring the album to
a grinding halt. Luckily we have plenty of enjoyable tracks to make up for those.
Bea5t Empathy Is a Gift
Between the Buried and Me Alaska
Big D and the Kids Table How it Goes
Birds Of Tokyo March Fires
Black Country Communion Black Country
blink-182 Neighborhoods
Bomb the Music Industry! Get Warmer
Bon Iver Bon Iver, Bon Iver
Boston Manor Welcome to the Neighbourhood
Boston Manor Be Nothing.
Bruce Springsteen The River
Chance the Rapper Coloring Book
Children of Bodom Hate Crew Deathroll
Cloudkicker Let Yourself Be Huge
Coheed and Cambria No World for Tomorrow
Coheed and Cambria The Afterman: Descension
Four great songs. Five underwhelming ones...and yes, I like the back-end better than the front. So sue me.
Coheed and Cambria Live at the Starland Ballroom
Coheed and Cambria The Color Before The Sun
Coldplay X&Y
Coldplay Parachutes
Coldplay Every Teardrop Is a Waterfall
Colouring Bn
Daft Punk Homework
Dave Matthews Band Busted Stuff
Dave Matthews Band Away From The World
It's an enjoyable listen, but it's really lacking the energy of Big Whiskey. I'm all for Dave writing mellower material, but some of these songs don't really...go anywhere, and when the heavier songs get cooking (like "The Riff"), somehow Carter's drums get buried in the mix. Beauford's playing is the heart of the band, and he's always driven their best material. One would think Lillywhite would understand that...anyhow, "Broken Things", "Drunken Soldier" and "If Only" are the obvious highlights.
Dead Letter Circus The Catalyst Fire
Demi Lovato Revamped
Devin Townsend Snuggles
Devin Townsend Nightwork
Devin Townsend Project Ki
Don Broco Priorities
"Priorities", "Yeah Man", "Whole Truth", "In My World", "Actors", and especially "Fancy Dress" are excellent. Meanwhile, the misogynistic "Hold On" and "Here's the Thing" are cringe-inducing if not outright detestable.
Drake Comeback Season
Drake If You're Reading This It's Too Late
Dream Theater Dark Side of the Moon
The band recreates the instrumental compositions amazingly well, and Theresa Thomason outdoes Clare Torry on "Great Gig", but LaBrie just sounds like he's forcing it.
Dustin Kensrue Please Come Home
Enter Shikari Take to the Skies
Enter Shikari Hoodwinker
Enter Shikari Tribalism
Fall Out Boy From Under the Cork Tree
Fall Out Boy Save Rock and Roll
Fall Out Boy Lake Effect Kid
First two tracks are excellent. Third track is a disaster.
Fall Out Boy PAX AM Days
First of October Ten Hours
Foster the People Torches
Starts strong with some great singles but loses steam towards the end. "Warrant" is easily the worst song on here and a poor choice to end the album.
Foster the People Sacred Hearts Club
Four Year Strong Rise Or Die Trying
Four Year Strong Demo
Go Long Dad is amazing, Not To Toot My Own Horn is amazing, So Hot You Sweat On It is forgettable, Your Song is amazing, and Beatdown is amazing.
The production is sloppy, but it's a demo. I honestly think this is more listenable than Rise or Die Trying.
Four Year Strong Enemy Of The World (Re-Recorded)
I get why they did this and have sympathy for the situation, but the fire isn't quite there.
Four Year Strong Four Year Strong
Fucked Up David Comes to Life
Fucked Up Glass Boys
Gucci Mane Trap Back
Harm's Way (USA-IL) Rust
He Is Legend I Am Hollywood
Imogen Heap Ellipse
Iron Maiden Piece of Mind
ISIS Wavering Radiant
Jay-Z In My Lifetime, Vol. 1
Jay-Z Magna Carta... Holy Grail
"Don't be good, my nigga, be great." Seems like Jay should take his own advice.
Jeff Buckley Grace (Legacy Edition)
Jon Hopkins Insides
Justin Timberlake FutureSex/LoveSounds
Justin Timberlake The 20/20 Experience
Kanye West The Life of Pablo
A rambling, occasionally inspiring, ultimately disappointing 60-minute ode to self-destructive ambition--a monument of a career in freefall.
Karnivool Themata
Kendrick Lamar Mr. Morale and the Big Steppers
There are masterful moments here (particularly on the second half) mixed with half-baked
hooks, new age musings, questionable takes, Kodak Black, and the nigh-unlistenable "We Cry
Together". This is the album Kendrick needed to make for himself, entertainment value and
cohesion be damned.
Kids See Ghosts Kids See Ghosts
King Crimson In the Court of the Crimson King
King's X Faith, Hope, Love
King's X Ogre Tones
Lamb of God Ashes of the Wake
Lamb of God Sacrament
Led Zeppelin Houses of the Holy
Led Zeppelin Led Zeppelin II
Lil B Illusions of Grandeur
Lil B Angels Exodus
Lil B I'm Gay (I'm Happy)
Another serious effort from the Based God. The thoughtful subject matter and tasteful production are a welcome reprieve from what's flooding the rap scene as of late. If you aren't taking Brandon McCartney at least somewhat seriously yet, you should probably start here.
Lil B Task Force
TASK FORCE, I DUNNO IF I'MMA MAKE IT. I NEED YOUR HELP. TASK FORCE, TAKE MY PINK BANDANA, WRAP IT
AROUND MY HEAD, AND LET ME DIE. LET LIL B MUSIC LIVE FOREVER
Linkin Park The Hunting Party
Linkin Park Living Things
Linkin Park Hybrid Theory
Lostprophets The Fake Sound Of Progress
Lostprophets The Betrayed
Mastodon The Hunter
Mastodon Blood Mountain
Mastodon Remission
Meet Me @ The Altar Model Citizen
Meet Me @ The Altar Bigger Than Me
Meshuggah Catch Thirtythree
Meshuggah obZen
Meshuggah Destroy Erase Improve
Metallica ...And Justice for All
Modest Mouse Good News for People Who Love Bad News
Mumford and Sons Babel
My Bloody Valentine Isn't Anything
Nas Untitled
Northlane Mirror's Edge
Paul McCartney Memory Almost Full
Pelican City of Echoes
Periphery Periphery
Spencer oversings like WHOA!
Band's great. Songs are good but repetitive...they've got room to grow. In an ideal world Casey Sabol would still be destroying it in this band, but hopefully Spencer matures with the rest of the guys.
Periphery Clear
Same ol' Periphery, occasionally different songwriters. Read my full take at Pop-Break: http://pop-break.com/2014/01/29/album-review-periphery-clear/
Periphery Juggernaut: Alpha
Periphery Juggernaut: Omega
Protest the Hero Fortress
Radiohead Amnesiac
Radiohead The King of Limbs
Radiohead In Rainbows Disk 2
Rick Ross Rich Forever
Rick Ross Mastermind
This would be pretty great if you got rid of "BLK & WHT", "In Vein", "What a Shame", and replaced the offkey
warbling parts of "Mafia Music III" with something less annoying. If only.
Ride Carnival of Light
Rush 2112
Saosin Translating the Name
School of Seven Bells Disconnect From Desire
Secret Machines September 000
Set Your Goals Reset EP
First three tracks are great, Sharptooth's filler, and Latch Key's pretty good. Mutiny! is the proper step up from this starting point.
Slayer World Painted Blood
Sleep Token This Place Will Become Your Tomb
Steve Vai Fire Garden
Strapping Young Lad The New Black
Strapping Young Lad Strapping Young Lad
Godawful production hinders any real enjoyment of this record. Not Devin's strongest songwriting effort, either, but there are some cool tracks here.
Swervedriver Raise
Swervedriver Ejector Seat Reservation
Tedeschi Trucks Band Revelator
The 1975 IV
The 1975 The 1975
The 1975's full-length debut boasts some of 2013's strongest singles but ultimately fails as an album. "Heart
Out", "Settle Down" and "She Way Out" are forgettable and redundant in such close proximity to one another,
while "Robbers" piles on the melodrama and "Is There Somebody Who Can Watch You" feels entirely out of
place given the rest of the subject matter here. Worse yet, the mostly superfluous interludes feel misplaced:
"The 1975" would likely fit better with "Settle Down", and "An Encounter" seems destined to play before
"Robbers". Although nothing here is outright BAD, it's pretty disappointing to see a band with such a knack for
great EPs miss the mark in a longer format.
The 1975 I Like It When You Sleep, For You Are So Beautiful Yet So Unaware of It
The Beatles Revolver
The Dear Hunter Orange
The Dear Hunter Red
The Dear Hunter Act II: The Meaning of, & All Things Regarding Ms. Leading
The Dear Hunter Act I: The Lake South, the River North
The Dear Hunter All Is As All Should Be
The Dillinger Escape Plan Ire Works
The Flaming Lips At War with the Mystics
The Flaming Lips Transmissions From the Satellite Heart
The Flaming Lips Christmas On Mars
The Hold Steady Teeth Dreams
A solid release from a band capable of much, much more. "Spinners", "The Only Thing" and "On With the
Business" are the highlights. Also, Craig Finn is the last vocalist on Earth whose voice should be slathered in
reverb and echo effects. "Oaks" did not need to be nine fucking minutes long.
The Reign of Kindo Play With Fire
The songs range from OK to amazing, but this doesn't really flow well as a whole. In particular, the placement of "Help It" as the second track nearly destroys the momentum of the entire album.
The Smithereens Green Thoughts
The Smithereens 11
The Wonder Years Get Stoked on It!
The Wonder Years Won't Be Pathetic Forever
The Wonder Years No Closer to Heaven
Thrice The Alchemy Index Vols. III & IV
Thrice Deeper Wells
Yes Time and a Word
Yes 90125
Yes Relayer
Yes Drama
Yes Fly from Here
YG My Krazy Life

2.5 average
Alice in Chains Alice in Chains
Andrew W.K. The Wolf
ASAP Ferg Ferg Forever
Between the Buried and Me The Silent Circus
Between the Buried and Me The Great Misdirect
Bomb the Music Industry! Goodbye Cool World!
Bruce Springsteen Tunnel of Love
Children of Bodom Follow the Reaper
Children of Bodom Something Wild
Coldplay A Head Full of Dreams
Coldplay Kaleidoscope
Take "All I Can Think About Is You", leave the rest.
Cynic Traced In Air Remixed
Completely unnecessary. The original is a masterpiece, growls and all.
Dead Letter Circus Aesthesis
Devin Townsend Physicist
Drake Nothing Was the Same
Drake has never released this much mediocrity on one album before. Even Take Care, with its latter half of R&B doldrums, was balanced out by a superb Side A.
Drake More Life
Drake Scorpion
Dream Theater Octavarium
Dream Theater Falling into Infinity
Dream Theater When Dream and Day Unite
Dream Theater Live Scenes From New York
Dream Theater Black Clouds and Silver Linings
Enter Shikari The Zone
Fall Out Boy Infinity on High
Franz Ferdinand You Could Have It So Much Better
Iron Maiden Brave New World
Iron Maiden A Matter of Life and Death
Kanye West Donda
Lamb of God Resolution
Lamb of God New American Gospel
Led Zeppelin Physical Graffiti
Lil B I Forgive You
Lil B Red Flame (Devil Music Edition)
Lil B 6 Kiss
Linkin Park Minutes to Midnight
Linkin Park Meteora
Lostprophets Liberation Transmission
Lucius Good Grief
Save for "Born Again Teen" and "Madness", the songs just aren't here, and the production deprives Lucius most of the winning, ebullient personality they showed on Wildewoman.
M83 Junk
This gives The Life of Pablo a run for its money as the most obnoxious album of the year, but it's not terrible. There are moments of solid songwriting but the lactose overdose threatens to derail the album.
Metallica Kill 'Em All
Modest Mouse The Lonesome Crowded West
Modest Mouse This Is a Long Drive for Someone with Nothing to Think About
Muse Showbiz
Muse The Resistance
Periphery Periphery III: Select Difficulty
The music is okay, but the lyrics are abysmal. How many egregious swears and variations on "misery" do we have to sit through before giving up on this band?
Pink Floyd The Wall
Rae Sremmurd SremmLife
Rick Ross God Forgives, I Don't
Scale the Summit Carving Desert Canyons
Secret Machines Secret Machines
Solange When I Get Home
Steve Vai Sex and Religion
Strapping Young Lad Heavy as a Really Heavy Thing
Talib Kweli Quality
The 1975 Facedown
The 1975 Notes on a Conditional Form
"Me & You Together Song" through "If You're Too Shy (Let Me Know)" is a phenomenal sequence. "People", "Frail State of Mind", and "Guys" are solid as well. Everything else is forgettable and these dudes need to drop the country stuff.
The Mars Volta De-Loused in the Comatorium
The Streets Everything is Borrowed
The White Stripes Elephant
Thrice Palms
Completely forgettable. What happened to Thrice in two years' time?
Wolfmother Wolfmother
Yes Magnification
Yes Talk
Yes Heaven and Earth
The first four songs are surprisingly good. The next four are unsurprisingly bad.

2.0 poor
A Day To Remember You're Welcome
I'll take "Mindreader", "Last Chance to Dance (Bad Friend)", "Resentment", "Degenerates",
"Permanent", and "Re-Entry". Leave the rest.
Between the Buried and Me Between the Buried and Me
Children of Bodom Are You Dead Yet?
Clipse Til the Casket Drops
Coheed and Cambria Year of the Black Rainbow
Production sucks, songwriting's not as strong as it was, Claudio's redefined "overdoing your vocal takes" - HE'S EVEN PITCHY! WTF?
But somehow, "Here We Are Juggernaut" still lies among the band's best songs.
Cynic Kindly Bent to Free Us
Drake Views
Dream Theater Systematic Chaos
Four Year Strong In Some Way, Shape, or Form.
Iron Maiden Fear of the Dark
Iron Maiden No Prayer for the Dying
Kanye West 808s and Heartbreak
Kanye West ye
Stop using mental illness as an excuse for poor craft. We all know you can do better.
Lil B Black Flame
Lil Wayne Tha Carter IV
Lil Wayne I Am Not a Human Being
Metallica Metallica
Phoenix (FRA) Bankrupt!
Rick Ross Hood Billionaire
ScHoolboy Q Oxymoron
Set Your Goals Burning At Both Ends
What a change in quality. There's no soul to this album, despite what the band may argue. Not digging the songwriting, the production or the lyrics. "Certain" and "Exit Summer" are the standouts, and they'd be lesser songs on Mutiny! or TWBTDOU
The Flaming Lips Zaireeka
The Mars Volta Frances the Mute
The Streets The Hardest Way To Make An Easy Living
The production's pretty damn great, but he lost what made him a unique and winning artist. No soul, just lots of coke and cringeworthy writing.
Thrice Identity Crisis
Trinidad James Don't Be S.A.F.E.
Yes Tales from Topographic Oceans
Keep "The Revealing Science of God (Dance of the Dawn)". Junk the rest.

1.5 very poor
ASAP Ferg Always Strive and Prosper
Bruno Mars Doo-Wops & Hooligans
Could have been good, but utterly laughable lyricism and lazy songwriting hides Mars' true potential. "Just the Way You Are" is really the only highlight.
Chief Keef Finally Rich
The only reason this exists is so Interscope can make money off of tracks like "I Don't Like" and "3Hunna" that were given away for free on mixtapes. This is a tedious listen.
Dave Matthews Band Stand Up
Dream Theater Train of Thought
Dream Theater Live at Budokan
Fall Out Boy M A N I A
Into Eternity The Scattering of Ashes
Jay-Z The Blueprint 3
Kanye West Jesus Is King
Lil B Bitch Mob Respect Da Bitch Vol.1
The swag tracks on this (nearly the entire mixtape) aren't even memorable. Beat selection is disappointing. Most of Lil B's mixtapes sound really fun, while this is just joyless. "Still Cooking" is insane, though.
Lil B Trapped In Basedworld
Not-serious rating is, of course, a 5. Ad-lib game on a whole 'nother level here. Mmmmmmmmmmmm damnnnnnn ahhhhhhhhhhh BASED GOD
The Streets Computers And Blues

1.0 awful
Lil B Choices and Flowers
Lil Wayne I Am Not a Human Being II
From GOAT to WOAT in just five years time!
Metallica St. Anger
Yes Big Generator
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