Average Rating: 3.37 Rating Variance: 0.70 Objectivity Score: 83% (Well Balanced)
Sorted by Rating | Sort by Name5 classicAgainst Me! Reinventing Axl RoseI don't often drink, and I'm not known to engage in fist-pumping sing-a-longs, but every time I put this album on that starts to change. The album is a folk-punk masterpiece that's as raw as it is accessible, as fun as it is intriguing. Most importantly, it makes me want to grab a pint of Guinness and scream until I'm coughing up blood. Arcturus The Sham MirrorsArrested Development 3 Years, 5 Months & 2 Days...Black Sabbath Heaven and HellBurzum Hvis Lyset Tar OssConverge Jane DoeDio Holy DiverRonnie James Dio is an anomaly. While on the surface he's an elf-like Italian man struggling to push 5 feet, Dio is actually one of the most powerful voices in metal. His debut "solo" release plays off the success of his Heaven and Hell album with Black Sabbath, the most obvious indicator of this being the title tracks off both albums (Heaven and Hell and Holy Diver, for those keeping tabs). For being a proto-power metal masterpiece, one not without the perfect blend of melody and cheese, Holy Diver struggles to be anything less than essential. GZA Liquid SwordsJeff Buckley GraceKing Crimson In the Court of the Crimson KingLost Horizon Awakening The WorldMegiddo The Devil and the WhoreMr. Bungle CaliforniaOrphaned Land Mabool (The Story of the Three Sons...)Sigh Imaginary SonicscapeSolomon Burke Don't Give Up On MeStevie Wonder InnervisionsStevie Wonder Songs in the Key of LifeWeezer PinkertonWu-Tang Clan Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers)4.5 superbA Tribe Called Quest People's Instinctive Travels & The Paths of RhythmAFI The Art of DrowningAgainst Me! Crime, As Forgiven By..Agalloch Ashes Against the GrainAgalloch Pale FolkloreArghoslent Hornets of the PogromBear vs. Shark Right Now You're in the Best of HandsBen Harper Live From MarsBetween The Buried And Me The Silent CircusBlackalicious Blazing ArrowBuried Inside ChronoclastBurst Lazarus BirdButch Walker This Is Me... Justified And StrippedCryptopsy None So VileDead Kennedys Fresh Fruit For Rotting VegetablesDeath LeprosyDeltron 3030 Deltron 3030Disillusion Back To Times Of SplendorDismember The God That Never WasDismember, one of the most consistent bands in metal, released The God That Never Was this past February and added an extra dose of melody to their otherwise crunchy school death metal sound. With the God That Never Was, the band formerly known as Dismemberizer shows us their music is leagues above their English. Tied with Like An Ever Flowing Stream for their best release yet.Dismember Like an Ever Flowing StreamDJ Shadow EndtroducingElliott Smith XOElvis Costello This Year's ModelFantomas The Directors CutGorod Leading VisionIf you've ever wondered what would happen if a technical death metal band could write as well as they played, Gorod is your answer. With their sophomore release Leading Vision, Gorod proves that their blend of complex arrangements and technical execution is second to none. By adding a progressive slant to their already original sound, Gorod outdoes themselves in nearly ever respect: the lyrics are intelligible, the vocals don't come in at seemingly random intervals, and the level of technicality has been upped to a new height, all without turning the album into a total mess. One of the best technical death metal albums to ever be released.Heaven and Hell The Devil You KnowHot Cross CryonicsIntestine Baalism Ultimate InstinctJohnny Cash At Folsom PrisonKatatonia Viva EmptinessKing Crimson THRAKLost Horizon A Flame To The Ground BeneathThis album makes me feel like I can fly. Containing copious amounts of cheese, A Flame To The Ground Beneath is carried primarily by vocalist Etherial Mangnanimus, otherwise known as Daniel Heiman. Mr. Mangnanimus soars above and beyond, while the rest of the band has no trouble keeping up. Essential for fans of the genre. Manic Street Preachers The Holy BibleMaxwell BLACKsummers'nightMike Oldfield Tubular BellsMos Def Black On Both SidesNasum ShiftNeurosis Through Silver in BloodNeurosis The Eye of Every StormNeutral Milk Hotel In the Aeroplane Over the SeaNokturnal Mortum Goat HornsOperation Ivy EnergyOpeth Blackwater ParkOrganized Konfusion Stress: The Extinction AgendaOrganized Konfusion Organized KonfusionPharoahe Monch DesirePrimordial To The Nameless DeadProtest the Hero FortressRefused The Shape Of Punk To ComeExplosive. Revolutionary. And a little overrated. Either way, The Shape Of Punk To Come is a hardcore classic that defies all conventions. The Refused may be fucking dead, but they sure went out with a bang. Reverend Bizarre In The Rectory Of The Bizarre ReverendReverend Bizarre III: So Long SuckersRise Against Revolutions Per MinuteSigh Hangman's HymnAggressive without coming off unbearably opprobrious, all the while remaining enticingly harmonious, "Hangman's Hymn" is both the bands fastest and most insistent all the while being perhaps their most fun to listen to. It manages to blend complex ideas and themes in such a way that they can be taken, and understood, on endless levels. Sigh's interpretive use of the Requiem lends itself to analysis, yet all the same, can be glossed over in hopes of just enjoying the music. The music holds its own, with its effective blend of symphonics, black and thrash metal. Toss in the band's affinity for progression and the avant-garde and you're in for, if all else fails, an intriguing listen. But all else doesn't fail. This is an album to beat in 2007 in any genre.Slick Rick The Great Adventures of Slick RickSlough Feg Ape UprisingStephen Marley Mind ControlStreetlight Manifesto Everything Goes NumbSubterranean Masquerade Temporary Psychotic StateSubterranean Masquerade Suspended Animation DreamsSuffocation Pierced From WithinThe Clash London CallingThe Red Chord Fused Together in Revolving DoorsThe Red Chord Fed Through the Teeth MachineThe Wildhearts Earth vs. The WildheartsThrice The Artist In The AmbulanceTom Waits Rain DogsTV on the Radio Dear ScienceTwo Gallants The ThroesUlver Nattens MadrigalUlver Svidd NegerWeezer Blue Album Deluxe EditionWilliam Shatner Has BeenX Japan Art Of LifeYndi Halda Enjoy Eternal BlissYusef Lateef Eastern Sounds4 excellentA Tribe Called Quest The Low End TheoryAeon Bleeding the FalseAFI Black Sails in the SunsetAgainst Me! As the Eternal CowboyAgalloch The MantleAmon Amarth With Oden On Our SideAmy Winehouse Back To BlackAnata The Conductor's DepartureArchitects Hollow CrownArsis A Diamond for DiseaseAt the Drive-In Relationship of CommandAvail 4am FridayBad Religion SufferBad Religion The Gray RaceBen Harper Diamonds on the InsideBetween The Buried And Me AlaskaBetween The Buried And Me ColorsBetween The Buried And Me The Great MisdirectBigwig An Invitation to TragedyBlack Star Black StarBob Marley and The Wailers LegendBolt Thrower Those Once LoyalBrian Wilson SmileBrother Ali Shadows On The SunBurst OrigoCandlemass CandlemassCanvas Solaris SublimationCapharnaum FracturedCephalic Carnage AnomaliesChristina Aguilera Back to BasicsClann Zu RuaClutch Robot Hive/ExodusCommon Rider Last Wave RockersConverge No HeroesConverge Petitioning The Empty SkyCradle of Filth ThornographyCryptopsy Blasphemy Made FleshDead Congregation Graves of the ArchangelsDeath The Sound of PerseveranceDeath Individual Thought PatternsDeathchain Deathrash AssaultDevin Townsend SynchestraDevin Townsend TerriaDevin Townsend Ocean MachineDillinger Four C I V I L W A RDillinger Four Situationist ComedyDJ Danger Mouse The Grey AlbumDragonForce Valley of the DamnedDream Quest The ReleaseDream Quest CentraliaDream Theater Images and WordsEmperor Prometheus: The Discipline of Fire...Emperor In the Nightside EclipseEnslaved EldEnslaved RuunFaith No More King For A Day, Fool For A LifetimeFaith No More Angel DustFalkenbach Heralding - The FirebladeFinntroll Jaktens Tidfun. Aim and IgniteGatsbys American Dream VolcanoGenghis Tron Cloak of LoveGhost Hypnotic UnderworldGive up the Ghost We're Down Til We're UndergroundGnarls Barkley St. ElsewhereGod Forbid Gone ForeverGorod NeurotripsicksGorod Process of a New DeclineHellwitch Syzygial MiscreancyHematovore UntitledHibria Defying The RulesHot Water Music CautionHot Water Music The New What NextIntestine Baalism Banquet In The DarknessInto Eternity The Scattering of AshesInto Eternity Buried In OblivionIsis OceanicJill Scott Who Is Jill Scott? Words and Sounds Vol. 1Joe Strummer and The Mescaleros StreetcoreJohn Mayer ContinuumJustice Crossk-os Joyful Rebellionk-os ExitKing Crimson RedKing Diamond AbigailKronos Colossal Titan StrifeKyuss Blues for the Red SunLauryn Hill The Miseducation Of Lauryn HillLeftover Crack Fuсk World TradeLily Allen Alright, StillManowar Battle HymnsMastodon LeviathanMatisyahu Live At Stubb'smaudlin of the Well BathMaylene and the Sons of Disaster IIMaylene and the Sons of Disaster Maylene and the Sons of DisasterMeshuggah IMessiah J & The Expert Now This I Have To HearMobb Deep The InfamousMonstrosity Spiritual ApocalypseMonstrosity's "Spiritual Apocalypse" does a lot of things really well. It touches on brutality without entering brutal death metal territory. It makes excellent use of melody, yet it's by no means 'melodeath'. I guess what I'm trying to say is it does everything a good death metal album should. Spiritual Apocalypse will kick your ass. The album's pace is relentless, yet never grows stale. The vocals are absolutely bloodthirsty, and Kelly Shaefer of Atheist even makes a brief appearance. The musicianship is ridiculously tight, and when you pair that with the previous points, this really is the death metal album to beat in 07. Take into consideration that this year sees releases from genre giants Behemoth, as well as hybrid heroes Akercocke and well, that's saying something. Some will say they were better with Corpsegrinder on vocals, and to them I simply say "have fun listening to gore metal". Some say Rise to Power was more effective, and to them I say "then listen to 'Rise to Power'". I, personally, am indifferent when it comes to Corpsegrinder, and I've listened to this dozens more than I ever did "Rise to Power". Mos Def The EcstaticMunicipal Waste Massive AggressiveMuse Origin of SymmetryNachtmystium Instinct: DecayNecrophagist Onset of PutrefactionNegura Bunget OMNeurosis Given to the RisingNOFX Punk In DrublicNOFX So Long and Thanks for All the ShoesNokturnal Mortum WeltanschauungOpeth DamnationOpeth Still LifeOpeth My Arms, Your HearseOrdo Draconis Camera Obscura Pt. 1 [The Star Chamber..Pearl Jam Vs.Pearl Jam YieldPelican City Rhode IslandPeste Noire La Sanie des siecles - Panegyrique de laPeste Noire Ballade cuntre lo Anemi francorPorcupine Tree In AbsentiaPortishead DummyPrimordial The Gathering WildernessPrince 3121Prince Sign O' The TimesPrince Purple RainPropagandhi Today's Empires, Tomorrow's AshesProtest the Hero KeziaProtest the Hero A Calculated Use of SoundPsycroptic The Scepter of the AncientsQueensryche Operation: MindcrimeQuo Vadis Defiant ImaginationReverend Bizarre II: Crush The InsectsRhapsody of Fire Symphony Of Enchanted LandsSay Anything ...Is A Real Boy (re-release)Say Anything ...Is A Real BoySepultura Beneath the RemainsSigh Gallows GallerySigh has managed to do the unthinkable. Once known strictly as a Black Metal act, Sigh has continually evolved, testing the boundaries and limits of music. With Gallows Gallery, Sigh finally abandons harsh vocals all-together. The album, their 6th full length, has finally pushed them to the top of the avant-garde pack. With a sound that could be simplistically described is extremely Japanese, Gallows Gallery proves that there is definitely a difference between genre-obfuscation and bastardization. The album retains much of their heavy 80s influence, as there's still a prominent Mercyful Fate influence to be found, but amidst the groups trademark riffage rests vocal melodies that sound like an Asian take on Brian Wilson that somehow sound right at home atop ultra psychedelic rock. Proving that they can seemingly never release a bad album, Sigh has yet again shocked fans with their unique creativity and compositional prowess. Surely one of the best releases to come out in 2005.Sombres Forets Royaume De GlaceSonata Arctica EclipticaStrapping Young Lad AlienSymphony X V: The New Mythology SuiteSystem of a Down System of a DownTextures Drawing CirclesThe Chasm Farseeing the Paranormal AbysmThe Dillinger Escape Plan Miss MachineThe Dillinger Escape Plan Calculating InfinityThe End ElementaryThe End is a band that, throughout their relatively short career, has been plagued by comparisons. Always compared to fellow tech-giants Dillinger Escape Plan, it seems like these guys never had a shot. With Elementary, The End proves that it's now or never. Having fully evolved beyond their grindcore roots, Elementary is what you get when "math metal" grows up. While they still retain many elements of chaos, dissonance and time-shifting, the focus on this album is tension and how it builds. By exploring post- structures and finally toying with clean vocals, The End have put out an extremely strong album that's both lyrically and musically interesting. While it will certainly piss a lot of their fans off, it ultimately proves the sceptics wrong. You have no reason not to give this album a shot.The Flaming Lips Yoshimi Battles the Pink RobotsThe Flaming Lips The Soft BulletinThe Mars Volta De-Loused in the ComatoriumThe Mars Volta The Bedlam In GoliathThe Red Chord Prey for EyesThe Roots Rising DownThe Vandals Hitler Bad, Vandals GoodThrough the Eyes of the Dead The Scars of AgesTV on the Radio Desperate Youth, Blood Thirsty BabesTV on the Radio Young Liars EPTwo Gallants What the Toll TellsUlver BergtattUnderoath Cries of the PastUnearth III: In the Eyes of FireUnexpect In a Flesh AquariumUnited Nations United NationsWeezer The Blue AlbumWeird Al Yankovic Dare To Be StupidWeird Al Yankovic Running With ScissorsWinds The Imaginary Direction of TimeWolves in the Throne Room Diadem of 12 StarsWolves in the Throne Room are a US Black Metal band that lives in a house somewhere in the forests of Olympia, Washington. If you're still reading, please carry on; this album is definitely a lot better than you're probably thinking. The album builds off traditional Black Metal sounds and applies them to the lush structures of Post-Rock, all the while retaining a fairly ferocious folk/black sound. Never too raw for it's own good, never too ambitious for it's own good, Diadem of 12 Stars is an album that takes just the right amount of risks to make it work within a fairly standardized genre. Worship DooomYusuf Islam An Other CupZao The Fear Is What Keeps Us Here3.5 great3 Inches of Blood Fire Up The BladesA Wilhelm Scream Mute PrintAbsu AbsuAFI Sing the SorrowAfter Forever After ForeverAgainst Me! The Acoustic EPAgainst Me! Searching for a Former ClarityAgainst Me! New WaveAghora FormlessAlanis Morissette Jagged Little PillAlexisonfire CrisisAlexisonfire Old Crows / Young CardinalsAlice Smith For Lovers, Dreamers & MeAll That Remains The Fall of IdealsAmon Amarth Twilight of the Thunder GodAmorphis Silent WatersAntigua y Barbuda Try FutureTry Future is a highly unique and somewhat paradoxical album. While vocalist Germen's nasally, tweaked out Cedric Bixler-lite delivery can be at times grating (and frequently polarizing, I predict), his vocals never fringe too close to plagiarism. This reigns true for much of the album, as Try Future succeeds because of its near seamless blend of influences without actually sounding a lot like any of them. This is post-At the Drive-In played by the Melvins using Krallice's sense of tonality with Gospel's drummer behind the kit. And what a drummer he is. Guile is like Damon Che on steroids; the man is relentless and quite possibly an octopus. The rest of the band are no slouches, either. Try Future is a remarkable success, but what holds it back from being truly special is that its sometimes relentless nature can be a little overbearing, though to it's credit it clocks in at a modest 41 minutes. If you're curious, be sure to check out the pummelling title track and the Krallice-like, tremolo-heavy "Embers", both of which can be found on their official MySpace. myspace.com/antiguaybarbudaArcturus La Masquerade InfernaleArcturus Sideshow SymphoniesArcturus Aspera Hiems SymfoniaAsmegin Hin Vordende Sod & SøAtheist Unquestionable PresenceAtmosphere Seven's TravelsAtmosphere God Loves UglyAvail Front Porch StoriesAvenged Sevenfold Waking the FallenAvenged Sevenfold Sounding the Seventh TrumpetAxis Powers Marching Towards DestructionBad Religion Stranger Than FictionBad Religion The Empire Strikes FirstBattles MirroredBecoming the Archetype Terminate DamnationBecoming the Archetype The Physics Of FireBehemoth The ApostasyBehemoth EvangelionBen Harper Both Sides of the GunBigwig ReclamationBlacktusk Passage Through Purgatoryblink-182 Dude RanchBone Thugs-N-Harmony Strength And LoyaltyBorknagar EmpiricismBoySetsFire The Misery Index: Notes from the plague yearsBrother Ali The Undisputed TruthButch Walker The Rise And Fall Of Butch Walker...Cannibal Corpse KillCeleste Nihiliste(s)Cephalic Carnage XenosapienClutch From Beale Street to OblivionConverge You Fail MeDaath The HinderersDangerDoom The Mouse & The MaskDarkthrone Transilvanian HungerDarkthrone Soulside JourneyDeath Scream Bloody GoreDeath SymbolicDeath HumanDecrepit Birth Diminishing Between WorldsDeicide DeicideDeicide The Stench of RedemptionDestroyer 666 Unchain The WolvesDesultory Into EternityDevin Townsend Accelerated EvolutionDevin Townsend InfinityDevin Townsend Project KiDismember DismemberDivineFire Into A New DimensionDr. Dre 2001Dream Theater Metropolis Part 2: Scenes From a Memorydredg El CieloEminem The Marshall Mathers LPExplosions In The Sky How Strange, InnocenceFaith No More Album Of The YearFaith No More The Real ThingFalconer Among Beggars And ThievesFantomas Suspended AnimationFinntroll NattfddFlying Lotus Los AngelesForest Silence Philosophy Of WinterFrank Zappa Jazz From HellFrank Zappa Apostrophe(')Genghis Tron Board Up The HouseGhostface Killah FishscaleGhostlimb GhostlimbGlass Casket Desperate Man's DiaryGlass Casket We Are Gathered Here Today...Gogol Bordello Super TarantaGwynbleidd AmaranthineEven if it is a little too close to their influences for comfort, Gwynbleidd manages to craft an excellent 40 minute EP that flows between Folk, Death and even Black Metal with apparent ease.Handsome Boy Modeling School White PeopleHieronymus Bosch Artificial EmotionsHORSE The Band R. BorlaxIgnite Our Darkest DaysIhsahn The AdversaryImmortal Technique Revolutionary Volume 2Into Eternity Dead or DreamingJedi Mind Tricks Visions of GandhiJens Lekman Night Falls Over KortedalaJoe Strummer and The Mescaleros Rock Art And The X-Ray StyleJustin Timberlake FutureSex/LoveSoundsk-os Atlantis: Hymns For DiscoKanye West The College DropoutKanye West 808s And HeartbreakKidcrash JokesKiss Kiss Reality Vs. The OptimistKiuas The Spirit of UkkoKreator Enemy of GodLagwagon Let\'s Talk About LeftoversLeftover Crack Mediocre GenericaLight Pupil Dilate Snake WineLily Allen It's Not Me, It's YouManowar Kings of MetalMaroon When Worlds CollideMarvelous 3 Hey! AlbumMirrorthrone Carriers of DustThe latest addition to the ever-increasing Sputnikmusic league of super-fandom, Mirrorthrone is a band (or a dude) who manages to somehow live up to the hype. Sort of. Carriers of Dust is such a ridiculous improvement from Vladimir Cochet's last album under the Mirrorthrone moniker that it's resulted in nearly everyone in this community taking this as something it's not. Vladimir is not a genius, nor is he a prodigy, but fuck, he is talented. Vlad is responsible for everything, and nearly all of it is well executed. The vocals vary between death and black while the guitars display excellent prowess without being overly flashy. The symphonics, while perhaps being a little "just because" at times, are mostly tasteful and they barely sound like toys, which is nice. The bass is well, this is Black Metal so just don't expect much. But still, Vlad struggles with the drums. While the programmed drums definitely sound much more realistic this time around, much of the drum programming is well, completely over-the-top. When you excuse the hype and ignore the minor faults, you sit back and realize this guy did this entire album in his bedroom. Sit back and be amazed at an unrelentingly creative album. Carriers of Dust is definitely worthy of praise, as it's easily one of the best albums to come out in 2006, but sadly as we've been known to do, us MXicans may be giving this guy a little too much credit. It's a Black Metal album that actually has some crossover appeal, so I guess that's saying something. For fans of the Emperor brand of Black Metal.Mudvayne L.D. 50Mumakil Behold The FailureMushroomhead XXNas IllmaticThere's nothing classic about Illmatic. From the sometimes stale beats to the hilariously terrible choruses (which are essentially just the track title being repeated or yelled over and over), Illmatic just screams "good". And it is good. Pretty good, in fact. But last time I checked, pretty good wasn't good enough to put it at the top of a genre.Natasha Bedingfield N.B.Necrophagist EpitaphNOFX White Trash, Two Heebs, And A BeanNokturnal Mortum Lunar PoetryObscura CosmogenesisOdious Mortem Cryptic ImplosionOpeth Lamentations (Live at Shepherd's Bush EmOpeth WatershedOutkast StankoniaPantera Cowboys From HellPearl Jam Pearl JamPearl Jam VitalogyPeste Noire Lorraine Rehearsal LPPorcupine Tree DeadwingPrayer for Cleansing Rain In Endless FallPrince Planet EarthPsycroptic Symbols of FailureRaphael Saadiq The Way I See ItRise Against The Sufferer and the WitnessRush Vapor TrailsRussell Allen Atomic SoulSculptured EmbodimentSikTh Death Of A Dead DaySilversun Pickups SwoonSlayer Reign in BloodSoundgarden BadmotorfingerSpawn of Possession NoctambulantStrapping Young Lad The New BlackStrapping Young Lad Strapping Young LadStrapping Young Lad CityStrung Out Exile In OblivionSummoning Oath BoundSymbyosis On the Wings of PhoenixSymphony X The Divine Wings of TragedySymphony X Paradise LostSystem of a Down ToxicityThe Dillinger Escape Plan Irony Is A Dead SceneThe End Within DividiaThe End Transfer Trachea Reverberations From Point: FalseThe Faceless Planetary DualityThe Mars Volta Frances the MuteThe Pax Cecilia Blessed Are The BondsThe Tallest Man on Earth Shallow GraveThe White Stripes Icky ThumpThrice The Alchemy Index: Vols. I and II...Tiger Army Music From Regions BeyondTool LateralusTV on the Radio Return to Cookie MountainUlver Blood InsideUlver Perdition CItyUnderoath Define the Great LineUNKLE Never, Never, LandUnleashed MidvinterblotVirgin Black Requiem - FortissimoVital Remains DechristianizeWeird Al Yankovic Bad Hair DayWeird Al Yankovic Off the Deep EndWeird Al Yankovic UHF SoundtrackWeird Al Yankovic Straight Outta LynwoodWintersun WintersunWolves in the Throne Room Black CascadeWoods of Ypres Pursuit Of The Sun & Allure Of the EarthYakuza Transmutations3 good30 Seconds to Mars A Beautiful LieA Tribe Called Quest Beats, Rhymes And LifeAesop Rock None Shall PassAFI All Hallow's EPAhab Call Of The Wretched SeaAkitsa La Grande InfamieAlcest Souvenirs d'un autre MondeAlexisonfire AlexisonfireAll Shall Perish The Price Of ExistenceAmon Amarth Versus the worldAnimosity EmpiresArchitects NightmaresArcturus Disguised MastersArsis A Celebration of GuiltArsis We Are The NightmareAssaulter Salvation Like DestructionBad Religion New AmericaBad Religion New Maps Of HellBear vs. Shark TerrorhawkBedouin Soundclash Sounding A MosaicBehemoth DemigodBetween The Buried And Me Between the Buried and MeBilly Idol Devil's PlaygroundBiomechanical The Empires of the WorldsBlackalicious The Craftblink-182 Cheshire CatBloodbath Resurrection Through CarnageButch Walker Leavin' The Game On Luckie StreetCancer Bats Birthing The GiantCauldron Chained To The NiteCircle II Circle Burden Of TruthCoheed and Cambria In Keeping Secrets of Silent Earth: 3Commit Suicide SyntheticsControl Denied The Fragile Art of ExistenceCryptopsy Once Was NotCryptopsy Whisper SupremacyD12 Devil's NightDeath Spiritual HealingDeath From Above 1979 Heads UpDemilich NespitheDemoniac The Fire And The WindDemons and Wizards Demons & WizardsDevin Townsend PhysicistDio Killing The DragonDivineFire HeroDivineFire Glory Thy NameDOOM MM ... FoodDragonForce Sonic FirestormEluveitie SpiritEminem The Slim Shady LPEvergreen Terrace Burned Alive By TimeFall Out Boy Infinity On HighFantomas Delirium CordiaFantomas FantomasGenghis Tron Dead Mountain MouthGirl Talk Night RipperGrand Belial's Key Judeobeast AssassinationGreg Graffin Cold as the ClayHarlots BetrayerI Killed The Prom Queen Music for the Recently DeceasedIced Earth Burnt OfferingsIkuinen Kaamos The FolornThis is fairly run of the mill "progressive extreme" metal. I mean, it's not to say it isn't enjoyable, and I can certainly say it was far better executed and produced than I envisioned, but in the end I can't help but notice the palpable superficiality that really dominates this album. It feels too exact, and ultimately it brings very little to the table in terms of surprises and originality. Case in point, I spaced out for a good 15 minutes and didn't feel like I missed a thing. Immortal Sons of Northern DarknessImmortal At the Heart of WinterImmortal Technique Revolutionary Volume 1Into Eternity Into EternityIsis In the Absence of TruthJason Mraz We Sing, We Dance, We Steal ThingsJob for a Cowboy Doom EPJohnny Cash American V: A Hundred HighwaysJohnny Cash American IV: The Man Comes AroundJustin Nozuka HollyKanye West Late RegistrationKanye West Late OrchestrationKataklysm Shadows And DustKayo Dot Blue Lambency DownwardLamb of God SacramentLupe Fiasco Food & LiquorLupe Fiasco The CoolLykathea Aflame ElvenefrisMachinae Supremacy Redeemer (Underground Edition)Machine Head The BlackeningMadvillain MadvillainyManowar The Sons of OdinManowar Gods of WarMastodon Blood MountainMastodon Crack the SkyeMatisyahu Shake Off the Dust...AriseMetallica Master of PuppetsMetallica MetallicaMetallica ...And Justice for AllMika Life in Cartoon MotionMika is kind of annoying, but he's also kind of talented, and he's more aware of this than anyone. Therein lies the crux of the album. He has the striking ability to write a charming, bubbly dance-pop song and then ruin it by showing us how high his voice can go. Employing a sort of "look what I can do!" way of thinking, Mika grabs my interest then seems to see how quickly he can lose it. I want to like this, and I think I do. But it's tracks like Grace Kelley that keep me guessing. While it's arguably the catchiest and most well rounded song on the album, it's also one of the worst. And that's the thing with the album. I have such a difficult time thinking about whether I enjoy it or not that it distracts from the music itself. When I really sit down and listen, I realize this is an all around good album. Sure, it's not without camp, and that spawns from his past writing jingles. Life in Cartoon Motion bottles down to a strong pop album with some good songs and some shitty ones. It has it's moments, but I can't see myself listening to this all that often.Mirrorthrone GangreneMy Chemical Romance The Black ParadeNOFX Wolves in Wolves' ClothingNOFX Pump Up The ValuumOm Conference of the BirdsOpeth Ghost ReveriesOpeth DeliveranceOpeth MorningriseOpeth OrchidOrphaned Land El Norra AliliaPearl Jam TenPrince LOtUSFLOW3RRadiohead OK ComputerRhapsody of Fire Triumph or AgonyRise Against Siren Song Of The Counter CultureRush Moving PicturesSaul Williams Saul WilliamsScar Symmetry Holographic UniverseSoundtrack Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet StreetStolen Babies There Be Squabbles AheadStrapping Young Lad No Sleep Till BedtimeStrapping Young Lad Heavy as a Really Heavy ThingSum 41 All Killer No FillerSystem of a Down MezmerizeSystem of a Down HypnotizeThe Beatles Sgt. Peppers Lonely Hearts Club BandThe Cure DisintegrationThe Faceless AkeldamaThe Fall Of Troy Ghostship DemosThe Game LAXThe Locust Plague SoundscapesThe Mars Volta AmputechtureThe Streets A Grand Don't Come For FreeThe Streets Original Pirate MaterialThe Syncope Threshold Tale of the Complex CircuitThe Vandals Look What I Almost Stepped InThreshold HypotheticalThrice The Alchemy Index Vols. III and IV...Thrice BeggarsThrough the Eyes of the Dead BloodlustTimbaland Shock ValueTool 10,000 DaysTriskele Les Murmures de la ForetUlver KveldssangerUnderoath The Changing Of TimesUnderoath Act of DepressionUnearth The Oncoming StormVan Halen 1984Vornagar The Bleeding HolocaustWeakling Dead as DreamsWeezer Green AlbumWeird Al Yankovic The Food AlbumWolfmother WolfmotherYakuza Samsara2.5 average1349 HellfireAFI DecemberundergroundAFI Behind The TimesAll That Remains OvercomeArctic Monkeys Whatever People Say I Am....As I Lay Dying An Ocean Between UsAt the Gates Slaughter of the SoulAtreyu A Death-Grip On YesterdayAvenged Sevenfold City of EvilBecoming the Archetype DichotomySo far so bland. On one listen this comes off as a Christian blend between God Forbid at their best and In Flames at their worst. And you can't ignore the often goofy synth work that typically leads to the same formulaic song structure, e.g: goofy keyboard riff....pause...chugga chugga version of prior goofy keyboard riff. Beneath the Massacre Evidence Of Inequity [EP]Beneath the Massacre Mechanics of DysfunctionBetween The Buried And Me The Anatomy OfBilly Talent Billy TalentBleeding Through The TruthBurzum HliðskjálfCannibal Corpse The Wretched SpawnChildren Of Bodom HatebreederCommon Finding ForeverCryptopsy And Then You'll BegDarkspace Dark Space IIIDarkthrone The Cult Is AliveDefault The FalloutDespised Icon The Healing ProcessDiabolical Masquerade Death's DesignDisarmonia Mundi Mind TricksDissection Storm of the Light's BaneDragonForce Inhuman RampageDream Theater Train of ThoughtEagles Of Death Metal Death By Sexy...Godsmack AwakeIhsahn angLInto Eternity The Incurable TragedyJay-Z Kingdom ComeJustin Timberlake JustifiedKamelot Ghost OperaKataklysm In The Arms Of DevastationLimp Bizkit Three Dolla Bill Y'allLinkin Park Hybrid TheoryM.I.A. ArularMatisyahu YouthMegadeth United AbominationsMetallica Kill Em AllMichael Angelo Batio Hands Without ShadowsMike Patton Adult Themes For VoiceMy Dying Bride Songs of Darkness, Words of LightNile Annihilation of the WickedNirvana In UteroNOFX War On ErrorismNOFX S&M AirlinesOrigin Echoes of DecimationOutworld OutworldPennywise From The AshesPitbulls in the Nursery LunaticPrimus The Brown AlbumRed Hot Chili Peppers Stadium ArcadiumSevendust HomeSlipknot All Hope is GoneIn keeping with Shawn Crahan's repertoire of goofy, Bungle-esque clown masks, All Hope is Gone is a veritable loot bag of metal stylings. But as it so typically goes with loot bags, there is something for everyone but it's ultimately just a bunch of random shit thrown together. Stick your hand in and you're first greeted with the nu-thrash stylings of "Gematria (The Killing Name)". Go in for seconds and you end up with the rhythmic shape-shifting "Butcher's Hook". So it goes. There's definitely some strong material on here it's just way too all over the place. It's so varied and stylistically self-conflicted that it ends up being mixtape fodder more than anything. Soulfly PrimitiveSystem of a Down Steal This Album!The Dillinger Escape Plan Ire WorksThe Fall Of Troy The Fall Of TroyThe Human Abstract NocturneThe Human Abstract is a mixed bag. From a technical standpoint, the band is quite impressive. But once you really listen you notice that the massive amount of shred on this album more or less serves as a mask to lacklustre songwriting. Plus, I'd trade in a few arpeggios here and there for a semi-decent singer. It's a good album, no doubt about it, it's just not all it could be.The Mars Volta TremulantThe Red Chord ClientsThe Streets The Hardest Way To Make An Easy LivingThe Tragically Hip World ContainerThrough the Eyes of the Dead MaliceWeird Al Yankovic Poodle HatXzibit Man vs. Machine2 poorAngelcorpse Of Lucifer and LightningArsis United in RegretWith A Diamond For Disease Arsis managed to do the unthinkable. The title track off said EP was essentially a fifteen minute guitar solo, and in short, the best thing they've ever done. So honestly, I don't know what to tell you about United in Regret other than it's more or less completely average in every way. This is clearly evidence that the Virginia two-piece over-exerted themselves on their previous EP, but I digress. United in Regret isn't necessarily a bad album, it's just not very good. To be totally frank, I was bored by the third track. Sure, the album isn't without it's highlights; it's got some shred, as the kids say, but it's mostly pretty forgettable. Plus the way these guys produce their music is just infuriating, its way too layered. It was forgivable on their other releases but something about this album just totally irks me. Buy their EP, its leagues ahead of this. It's ironic that a band I can only take in small doses impressed me the most with a fifteen minute EP. Well, ironic or sad. And for the record, lead guitar tomfoolery does not make this a "technical" release. The majority of the leads on this album do nothing but distract the listener from the otherwise boring (and repetitive) songs.As Blood Runs Black AllegianceAshlee Simpson AutobiographyAyumi Hamasaki SecretBad Religion Into the UnknownBilly Talent Billy Talent IIblink-182 Take Off Your Pants and Jacketblink-182 blink-182blink-182 The Mark, Tom, And Travis Showcar bomb CentraliaDeeds of Flesh Reduced To AshesDefault ElocationDimmu Borgir In Sorte DiaboliDon Caballero PunkgasmDream Theater Live Scenes From New YorkDream Theater Systematic ChaosEphel Duath Through My Dog's EyesGorguts ObscuraGuns N' Roses Appetite For DestructionGwen Stefani The Sweet EscapeHate Eternal I, MonarchHinder Extreme BehaviorJames Blunt Back To BedlamNachtmystium Assassins: Black Meddle Pt.1Neglected Fields SpleneticNile IthyphallicObituary Darkest DayOmar Rodriguez-Lopez A Manual Dexterity: Soundtrack Vol. 1Peste Noire Folkfuck FoliePsyOpus Our Puzzling Encounters ConsideredSlayer God Hates Us AllThe Autumn Offering Revelations of the Unsung [Reissue]U2 How to Dismantle an Atomic BombUnderoath They're Only Chasing SafetyVeil Of Maya The Common Man's CollapseVital Remains Icons of Evil1.5 very poor1349 Revelations Of the Black Flame50 Cent The MassacreAshlee Simpson I Am MeAtreyu Suicide Notes And Butterfly KissesBehold... The Arctopus Arctopocalypse NowBehold... The Arctopus Nano-Nucleonic Cyborg Summoning EPblink-182 Enema Of The StateBrain Drill Apocalyptic FeastingOne of the only albums you can describe exclusively using onomatopoeias. Burzum Dauði BaldrsI just...I don't know what to say to this. This album proves that Varg Vikernes is either certifiably insane or far too sure of himself, and either way, it makes for a laughably horrible album. Sure there are some decent melodies, but no the whole it drags on like an imprisoned lunatic playing a toy piano. Actually, it basically is an imprisoned lunatic playing a toy piano.City And Colour SometimesCommon Universal Mind ControlDeathchain Cult of DeathGreen Day American IdiotLimp Bizkit Significant OtherLimp Bizkit Chocolate Starfish...Low Level Flight UrgencyMetallica St. AngerNirvana NevermindProzzak Saturday PeopleSleep Terror Probing TranquillityThe Human Abstract MidheavenThe Mars Volta Scab Dates [Live]Three Days Grace Three Days GraceThree Days Grace One-XTim McGraw Set This Circus DownTrivium Ascendancy1 awfulAtreyu The CurseBrenoritvrezorkre NevgzeryaHawthorne Heights The Silence In Black And WhiteHedley HedleyMacho Man Randy Savage Be A ManHe's snapped into Slim-Jim's, wrestled Spider Man and won countless World Wrestling Championships. And then for some reason he decided to become a rapper. Though it has no redeeming features from a musical standpoint, Randy "Macho Man" Savage's debut album serves many purposes, most of which can all relate back to the word "coaster". Either way, it's so bad that it�s actually pretty hilarious. I mean, there's the angry "diss" track aimed at Hollywood Hulk Hogan (Be A Man), and he even slows the pace down for a tribute to the deceased Kurt Henning, otherwise known as Mr. Perfect. Probably one of the funniest albums in the last 6 years. A must download, but for the love of God, don't spend more than 5 dollars on this.Mutiilation Remains Of A Ruined, Dead, Cursed SoulRemains Of A Ruined, Dead, Cursed Soul is cool from the raw and primal side of things, but from a logical view point it's atrocious. The slower parts are decent, and the vocals are effectively horrific, but honestly this is just completely ridiculous. The first track is what it would sound like if you were to try and teach a 3 year old to play guitar leads, and the drumming is hilariously out of time. While only the first track seems to be plagued by horrifically bad guitar lines, the out of time drumming continues for the rest of the album. Sure it's rare, and therefore sought after and horribly overrated, but I'd like to put emphasis on the horrible. One of the dumbest, and shittiest albums I've ever heard. The perfect example of raw Black Metal done wrong.Ricky Martin Ricky MartinSleep Terror ParaphileSoulja Boy Souljaboytellem.com
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