Average Rating: 3.53 Rating Variance: 0.87 Objectivity Score: 80% (Well Balanced)
Sort by: Rating | Release Date | Rating Date | Name5.0 classicAgainst Me! Searching for a Former ClarityAt the Drive-In Relationship of CommandCircle Takes The Square As the Roots UndocLOUDDEAD cLOUDDEADConverge Jane DoeDeep Puddle Dynamics The Taste of Rain...Why KneelGodspeed You! Black Emperor Lift Your Skinny Fists Like Antennas...Massive Attack MezzanineNeurosis Times of GraceNOFX The DeclineNOFX So Long and Thanks for All the ShoesRadiohead Kid AThe Lawrence Arms The Greatest Story Ever ToldI can't help but be in awe of how far this album has come. Originally, I was quite disappointed with how the album tended to shift between the fast, Kelly-led, punk songs (which I loved) and the somber melodicism of McCaughan's tracks (which I couldn't really stand). However, in time this album has grown to not only be my favorite from the band's discography. A concept album of sorts, the tracks are split up exactly evenly between the two vocalists, and relay a collage of subtle-shifting emotions that encapsulate the spirit of youth and growing up. If ever there was a soundtrack to my adolescent years, I can safely say that nearly every song from this album would be on it. In short, it is stunning, beautiful, meticulously crafted, and a definite must-hear for anyone who yearns for the memories of youth and less complications. The Mars Volta Frances the Mute4.5 superb*shels Sea of the Dying DhowA Wilhelm Scream Career SuicideAFI Sing the SorrowAgainst Me! Reinventing Axl RoseAgainst Me! The Disco Before the BreakdownAir Moon SafariAlias The Other Side Of The Looking GlassAlkaline Trio GoddamnitAlkaline Trio/Hot Water Music Alkaline Trio/Hot Water Music SplitAmerican Steel Jagged ThoughtsAmpere / Daitro SplitAt the Drive-In In/Casino/OutBad Astronaut Houston: We Have a Drinking ProblemBad Religion The Empire Strikes FirstBad Religion GeneratorBane Give BloodBattles MirroredConverge When Forever Comes CrashingCursive DomesticaDaitro Laisser Vivre Les SquelettesDamien Rice ODeftones White PonyDeltron 3030 Deltron 3030Deltron 3030 is one of those albums that honestly took time to grow on me. But once I sat down and gave it my undivided attention, it became pretty much a classic in my book. No matter what, I highly doubt this album will ever sound tired to me. Its the best hip-hop album ever written in my book, replete with superb production, excellent lyricism, an uber concept, and some of the smoothest rhymes Ive never heard. If the song "Madness" doesnt make you pop a boner, you are a cyborgDispatch Bang BangDJ Shadow Endtroducing.....Do Make Say Think You, You're a History in RustEnvy A Dead Sinking StoryFugazi The ArgumentGlassjaw Worship and TributeGlassjaw El MarkGodspeed You! Black Emperor Slow Riot For New Zero KanadaGospel The Moon Is a Dead WorldHandsome Boy Modeling School White PeopleHot Cross Fair Trades and FarewellsJawbreaker 24 Hour Revenge TherapyJets to Brazil Perfecting LonelinessJimmy Eat World ClarityJohn Mayer ContinuumKamelot The Black HaloKid Dynamite Shorter, Faster, LouderKing Crimson In the Court of the Crimson KingWhile I obviously don't orgasm over this album as most people do, In the Court of the Crimson King is a fantastic album, and one of the few progressive albums that I can thoroughly enjoy. "21st Century Schizoid Man" is hands down one of the greatest songs ever created, blowing through seven minutes of wailing guitar and horn lines, and some of the most dynamic drumming out there, and "The Court of the Crimson King" is also a powerful closer to the album. However, it comes right after "Moonchild", which kills the momentum set by the other tracks. Regardless, ItCotCK is one of the pioneer records of a genre that would see many imitators, but few that would reach the high bar set from this album. Lagwagon TrashedLagwagon Live In A DiveLatterman No Matter Where We Go...!Leonard Cohen Songs From A RoomLifetime Jersey's Best DancersLifetime, New Jersey's very own melodic hardcore vets, album Jersey's Best Dancers shows them at their peak. Intense, heartfealt, and energetic, this album excels because of it's youthful energy. This album essentially made a bluerprint of the style that bands like New Found Glory and Set Your Goals would utilize to a great extent in their music. "Young, Loud, and Scotty" is a typical break up song lyrically (ala Jawbreaker) but rocks harder than most of the Kid Dynamite Discography, while "Theme Song for a New Brunswick Basement Show" captures the spirit of Jersey lyrically while turning down the tempo a bit for maximum resonance. The album's only issue? It's a touch formulaic and can tend to blend together a bit at times. Other than that, it is certainly a worth addition to anyone's collection. Machinae Supremacy Redeemer (Underground Edition)maudlin of the Well BathMinor Threat Out of StepModern Life Is War WitnessMr. Bungle CaliforniaNeurosis Given to the RisingNOFX 45 or 46 Songs That Weren't Good EnoughNOFX Punk in DrublicNOFX The Greatest Songs Ever Written (By Us)NOFX 7" Of The Month Club (February - July)NOFX/Rancid BYO Split Series Vol. 3NoMeansNo Wrongpg.lost It's Not Me, It's You!Pixies Surfer RosaPropagandhi Potemkin City LimitsRefused The Shape of Punk to ComeRegina Spektor Soviet KitschRise Against Revolutions Per MinuteRites of Spring End on EndRx Bandits ...And the Battle BegunSo the latest record from former third wave ska posterboys RX Bandits is quite a departure from their earliest works and continues in the vein of Progress and The Resignation. Filled to the brim with smooth and mellow vocals, sugary three part harmonies, and asskicking guitar riffs, while using their horn section only sparingly, the RX Bandits have put out one of the biggest surprise records of the year in ...And the Battle Begun. From the Police-esque title track to the nearly free form opus of Epoxi-Lips to the Mars Volta-esque 1980, this album offers something for everyone to enjoy. Say Anything In Defense of the GenreSick of It All Yours TrulySick of It All Live In A DiveSmall Brown Bike Our Own WarsSmall Brown Bike Dead ReckoningSol Invictus In the RainSoundtrack Ocean's 12 OSTStreetlight Manifesto Somewhere in the BetweenStrike Anywhere Exit EnglishStrung Out An American ParadoxStrung Out The Element of Sonic DefianceSubtle ExitingARMSun Kil Moon AprilSundowner Four One Five TwoI can only attribute liking this album as much as I do to one thing: I am the resident sputnikmusic.com Lawrence Arms fanboy. Yes, that band is easily my second favorite of all time, if only because of how much I can relate to the band on a personal level. Anywho, this album is pretty rocking for being all acoustic. Like the other TLA related side-project, The Falcon, I was expecting sort of a fun record that was alright to pull out on occassion, but was otherwise fairly lackluster. However, I was greeted with a strong acoustic effort rooted in folk and indie with some of the most honest and heartfelt songwriting from McCaughan that I've heard in quite a while. Songs like "Steal Your Words", "This War is Noise", "Midsummer Classic", and "Endless Miles" are all song of the year contenders for me, while only one song really disappoints in the sea of them ("The Sea of Lights"). 4.5 personally, but a 4 for anyone else who listens to it if you are not completely engrossed with the Lawrence Arms as I am. System of a Down System of a DownSystem of a Down Steal This Album!The Clash London CallingThe Decemberists The Crane WifeThe Fall of Troy GhostshipThe Gaslight Anthem The 59 SoundThe Lawrence Arms Oh! Calcutta!Oh! Calcutta! is quite frankly a fantastic album. All of the songs teem with an undeniable energy and are played with so much passion, its hard not to be swept up by them. For having only three members, the Lawrence Arms put on a great musical performance here, sticking to their roots in gritty pop-punk, but also throwing in some fantastic dynamics and time changes. Having two vocalists (Bassist Brendan Kelly and Guitarist Chris McCaughan) with two distinctly different styles (Kelly with a more brash, raspy, and urgent; McCaughan with a more mellow singing voice) and having them both switch up roles mid song proves to be one of the albums greatest strengths. The lyricism is honest and heartfelt, while not falling into any pitfalls or cliches. In fact, I'd go so far as to say if "Beyond the Embarassing Style" were replaced with "The Rabbit and the Rooster" (a bside from the album), this album would be a classic, at least on a personal level. The Locust New ErectionsThe Swellers My EverestThrice The Illusion Of SafetyThrice VheissuIt's sweeping. It's epic. It's got replayability like few other albums. It's not hard to find something to like about this album. Certainly a more artistically mature effort compared to their previous works, sacrificing that wall of guitar noise and Iron Maiden-esque riffage for mellow passages, light electronic works, pianos, and sweeping organs. For those who prefer more aggressive music, "The Earth Will Shake" and "Hold Fast Hope" are just two of the albums finest cuts in that category. Prefer epic tracks? Look no further than "Red Sky" and "Stand And Feel Your Worth". More of a mellow person? "Atlantic" and "Between the End and Where We Lie" should suit your tastes just fine. If it only wasn't for the flop of "Music Box", this album might be a classic. I highly reccomend this album to just about everyone, unless you are a member of the nazi party. Then you might kinda sorta not enjoy it. Thrice Red SkyTom Petty and the Heartbreakers Greatest HitsTom Waits Rain DogsUlver BergtattYndi Halda Enjoy Eternal BlissSo as much as I hate to like some cliche post-rock, I end up doing it all the same on occasion. I could really drone on about how the album is filled with all of the qualities that make post-rock great, but read any Godspeed review to figure out what those are. Basically, this album carries an atmosphere of hopefulness and peaceful serenity that a lot of post-rock neglects. Granted, the generally upbeat atmosphere throughout the album makes for a short loss of dynamics, but its just so empowering that it's hard not to listen to this album with a smile plastered on your face. If nothing else though, check out "We Flood Empty Lakes"; it is arguably one of the best songs ever, with one of the most emotional crescendos I've ever heard at around the 9:45 mark. 4.0 excellentA Wilhelm Scream RuinerAdolescents AdolescentsAereogramme My Heart Has a Wish That You Would Not GoAFI All Hallow's EPAgainst Me! As the Eternal CowboyAgainst Me! Crime as Forgiven ByAgainst Me! New WaveAlkaline Trio Alkaline TrioAlkaline Trio RemainsALL ProblematicAll the Empires of the World ...Will Be Laid To WasteAmanda Woodward La Decadence de la DecadenceAmerican Steel Rogue's MarchAmerican Steel Destroy Their FutureAmon Amarth Versus the WorldAmon Amarth With Oden On Our SideMelodic guitar harmonies and leads, punishing blast beats, and some of the most accessible growling in modern death metal all make With Oden On Our Side a must-have for anyone who is even semi-interested in getting into the genre. While it isn't the most technically impressive death I've heard (Cryptopsy), nor is it the most melodic (In Flames), it is definitely the most accessible and easily enjoyable. With only one really subpar track ("Hermod's Ride to Hel"), and a slew of excellent compositions ("Valhall Awaits Me" and "Under the Northern Star" come to mind quickest), With Oden On Our Side is an excellent,albeit repetitive, effort from these Viking Death legends, and possibly their strongest work to date. Ampere All Our Tomorrows End TodayArcade Fire Neon BibleAtmosphere God Loves UglyAvail Over the JamesBad Astronaut AcrophobeBad Astronaut Twelve Small Steps, One Giant DisappointmentBad Brains I Against IBad Religion SufferBad Religion No ControlBad Religion Stranger Than FictionBad Religion Live at the Palladium (DVD)Bad Religion Against the GrainBandits of the Acoustic Revolution A Call To ArmsBane The NoteBedouin Soundclash Sounding A MosaicBeirut Gulag OrkestarBelle Epoque A La DeriveBig D and the Kids Table Good LuckBlacklisted Peace On Earth, War On StageBlacklisted Heavier Than Heaven, Lonelier Than GodBlind Guardian Nightfall in Middle-EarthBlind Guardian A Night at the OperaBlind Guardian A Twist in the MythBob Marley and The Wailers LegendBrand New Deja EntenduBrand New The Devil and God Are Raging Inside MeBurzum Hvis Lyset Tar OssChamillionaire Ultimate VictoryChildren of Bodom Follow the ReaperChuck Ragan Feast or FamineCircle Takes The Square Circle Takes the SquareCoheed and Cambria The Second Stage Turbine BladeConverge You Fail MeConverge Petitioning the Empty SkyConverge No HeroesCryptopsy None So VileCursive The Ugly OrganCynic FocusDangerDoom The Mouse And The MaskDaughters Hell SongsDeath Individual Thought PatternsDel tha Funkee Homosapien Both Sides of the BrainDescendents 'Merican EPDescendents Cool To Be YouDescendents SomeryDillinger Four Situationist ComedyDon Caballero American DonDr. Octagon Dr. OctagonecologystEluvium CopiaEmbrace EmbraceEminem The Marshall Mathers LPEminem The Slim Shady LPEminem The Eminem ShowEnvy All the Footprints You've Ever Left...Explosions in the Sky The Earth is Not a Cold Dead PlaceFlyleaf FlyleafFrodus And We Washed Our Weapons In The SeaFugazi In on the Kill TakerFugazi 13 SongsFugazi RepeaterFuneral Diner The UnderdarkGhastly City Sleep Ghastly City SleepGood Riddance Symptoms of a Leveling SpiritGorillaz Demon DaysGZA Liquid SwordsHandsome Boy Modeling School So ... How's Your Girl?Hot Cross CryonicsHot Cross Risk RevivalHot Water Music A Flight and a CrashIn Mourning Shrouded DivineIndian Summer DiscographyIron Maiden PowerslaveIron Maiden Somewhere in TimeIron Maiden The Number of the BeastIron Maiden Piece of MindIron Maiden Brave New WorldIron Maiden A Matter of Life and DeathIslands Arm's WayJawbreaker BivouacJeromes Dream CompletedJoshua Fit For Battle To Bring Our Own EndJustin Timberlake FutureSex/LoveSoundsKayo Dot Choirs of the EyeKing Crimson RedKing Crimson LizardLacuna Coil Unleashed MemoriesLadytron Witching HourLagwagon ResolveLagwagon BlazeLagwagon Let's Talk About FeelingsLagwagon HossWell, I have to say, what Lagwagon concievably lacks in originality, they more than make up for in just overall kick assery. This is considered by many fans to be their best album, and with songs like "Move the Car", "Violins", "Razor Burn", and my personal favorite "Name Dropping", its not hard to imagine why. This album is perfectly constructed from start to finish, and while not varying much stylistically, it reminds us that the best thing about most melodic punk bands like NOFX and No Use For A Name is consistency. Last Laugh No RegretsLatterman ...We Are Still AliveLemon Jelly Lost HorizonsLupe Fiasco Food & LiquorMaps & Atlases You and Me and the MountainMe First and the Gimme Gimmes Love Their CountryMelt Banana Cell-ScapeMinor Threat Complete DiscographyMinus the Bear Planet of IceModern Life Is War Midnight in AmericaMono Walking Cloud And Deep Red Sky, Flag Fluttered....Moss Icon LyburnumMuch the Same SurviveMurder by Death Who Will Survive and What Will Be Left of Them?Nada Surf LuckyNavio Forge As We Quietly Burn A Hole Into...Neurosis The Eye of Every StormNeurosis Through Silver in BloodNeutral Milk Hotel In the Aeroplane Over the SeaNo Use for a Name !Leche Con Carne!NOFX The War on ErrorismNOFX RibbedNOFX Pump Up the ValuumNOFX 10 Years Of Fuckin' UpNOFX White Trash, Two Heebs and a BeanNOFX Never Trust a Hippy NOFX Wolves in Wolves ClothingNOFX They've Actually Gotten Worse LiveNone More Black This Is SatireNWA Straight Outta ComptonOnly Crime To The NinesOutkast Speakerboxxx/The Love BelowPanda Bear Person PitchPanic! At the Disco A Fever You Can't Sweat OutParamore Riot!Pavement Slanted and EnchantedPennywise PennywisePg. 99 Document #8Propagandhi Today's Empires, Tomorrow's AshesProtest the Hero KeziaRadiohead OK ComputerRadiohead Hail to the ThiefRadiohead In RainbowsRage Against the Machine The Battle of Los AngelesRancid Rancid [2000]Rancid RancidRefused Songs to Fan the Flames of DiscontentRegina Spektor Begin To HopeRehasher Off Key MelodiesSantana SupernaturalSatyricon Nemesis DivinaSay Anything ...Is a Real BoySay Anything ...Is A Real Boy (re-release)Seaweed FourSet Your Goals Reset EPSick of It All Built to LastSigh Hangman's HymnSleater-Kinney The WoodsSneaker Pimps BloodsportSon Lux At War With Walls And MazesSonata Arctica For the Sake of RevengeSoundtrack Team America: World PoliceStratovarius EpisodeStreetlight Manifesto Everything Goes NumbStrung Out Live in a DiveStrung Out Twisted By DesignStrung Out Exile In OblivionStrung Out Crossroads and IllusionsStrung Out Suburban Teenage Wasteland BluesSwing Kids DiscographySystem of a Down HypnotizeTed Leo And The Pharmacists Shake The SheetsTed Leo And The Pharmacists Hearts of OakTexas Is the Reason Do You Know Who You Are?The Bouncing Souls Anchors AweighThe Bouncing Souls How I Spent My Summer VacationThe Bouncing Souls The Gold RecordThe Decemberists Castaways and CutoutsThe Gaslight Anthem Señor and the QueenThe Hold Steady Stay PositiveThe Kodan Armada Ohio Killed the Grey GhostThe Lawrence Arms Apathy and ExhaustionOn the Lawrence Arms' third full length album, even more growth is exhibited from their urgent and brash early works. Guitarist Chris McCaughan and Bassist Brendan Kelly split the tracks just about evenly, with Kelly taking the more brash punk tracks, and McCaughan leading the more mid-paced and melodic tracks. However, it is the juxtaposition of the two which makes the album as special as it is. Musically, it's no frills pop-punk in the vein of Jawbreaker, with a midwestern tinge not unlike Cap'n Jazz. And while sometimes being lyrically trite (although rarely), and musically repetitive, Apathy and Exhaustion is still a great and unique pop-punk record with enough emotion to appease just about everyone. The Lawrence Arms Ghost StoriesYeah, the production on this album basically sucks ass. But in this case, it's really a non-issue; the songs themselves are so awesome that it is easy to see past the fact that this album sounds like it was recorded on an iPod while all of the guys were hung over. Though the re-recorded versions of "Turnstyles" and "The Old Timer's 2x4" are infinitely better than these versions, the album still has several stand-out tracks in "Ghost Stories", "Sixteen Hours", "Light Breathing", "106 South" and "Minute". This was where the Lawrence Arms crafted the template for the albums to follow, with Kelly and McCaughan trading off lead vocal duties between songs. While not nearly as polished as their later work, Ghost Stories offers plenty for fans of the band, and maybe fans of the more raw sound prevalent on Guided Tour of Chicago. The Lawrence Arms Cocktails and DreamsCocktails and Dreams is the typical stop-gap rarities release from Chicago punk trio the Lawrence Arms. Songs from rare splits, compilations, and even a few re-recorded songs from their second full length, Ghost Stories. Thankfully, unlike many b-sides collections out there, Cocktails and Dreams is on par with the majority of the Lawrence Arms' full length releases. Containing some of the band's most classic cuts such as "100 Resolutions", "Quintcentuple Your Money", and "Nebraska". While hitting some tremendous heights, some songs just pale in comparison to others, particularly through the middle of the album. However, for someone who is a seasoned veteran fan of the band, or for someone just looking to get a glance at what the band is all about, this is an excellent addition to anyone's collection, if only for the breathtakingly emotional remake of the classic "Turnstiles".The Locust Safety Second, Body LastThe Mars Volta De-Loused in the ComatoriumThe Mars Volta The Bedlam in GoliathThe Matches DecomposerThe Number Twelve Looks Like You Nuclear, Sad, NuclearThe Number Twelve Looks Like You MongrelThe Swellers Beginning Of The End AgainThe Thirty Years War Martyrs Among the CasualtiesThee Silver Mount Zion Born Into Trouble As the Sparks Fly...Thrice The Artist In The AmbulanceThrice The Alchemy Index Vols. I & IIThrice The Alchemy Index Vols. III & IVTom Waits OrphansTransistor Transistor Erase All Name and LikenessUnderoath Define the Great LineWarped Tour 2003 CompilationWu-Tang Clan Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers)Yellowcard Lights and SoundsYou and I The Curtain FallsYou and I Discography3.5 greatA Day In Black And White My Heroes Have Always Killed CowboysA Wilhelm Scream Mute PrintAFI Black Sails in the SunsetAFI AFIAgainst Me! Against Me!Against Me! Americans Abroad! Against Me! Live In London!Alkaline Trio Good MourningAmon Amarth Fate of NornsAmplive Rainydayz RemixesAtmosphere Seven's TravelsAutopilot Off Make A SoundAvenged Sevenfold City of EvilBad Religion New Maps Of HellBig D and the Kids Table How it GoesBleeding Kansas Dead Under DecorBoysetsfire The Misery Index: Notes From The PlagueBroadway Calls Broadway CallsBurial UntrueBurton Wagner 21Cap'n Jazz AnalphabetapolothologyChuck Ragan Los FelizCircle Jerks Group SexClipse Hell Hath No FuryCoheed and Cambria From Fear Through the Eyes of MadnessCursed III: Architects of Troubled SleepCursive Happy HollowD12 D12 WorldDaft Punk Human After AllDavid Bowie Let's DanceDeath By Stereo Into the Valley of DeathDispatch Silent SteeplesDizzy Gillespie AfroDo Make Say Think Winter Hymn Country Hymn Secret HymnEnvy Insomniac DozeEvery Time I Die Gutter PhenomenonExplosions in the Sky All of a Sudden, I Miss EveryoneFort Minor The Rising TiedGallows Orchestra Of WolvesGlassjaw Everything You Ever Wanted To Know AboutGodspeed You! Black Emperor F#A# (Infinity)So basically, everyone jizzes over this album like it is the defining example of post-rock. Is it really a 5 though? Nah, not by a long shot. Really, it's pretty standard fare for the post-rock genre. Yeah, it's dark and has wicked atmosphere, which is what makes it so great, but it's also fairly boring, even for post-rock. The guitar-lines are basically standard, while at times the string section seems almost out of place and instead of creating an atmosphere, tries to work as its own entity and fails. Also, I'll be damned if the last two tracks don't sound eerily similar in their build-ups. Oh well, the album is good, but overshadowed by all of their other releases except for Yanqui. Hopesfall Magnetic NorthI Would Set Myself On Fire For You I Would Set Myself On Fire For YouIn/Humanity Violent Resignation: The Great American Teenage SuIron Maiden Dance Of DeathIsis PanopticonIsis In the Absence of TruthJawbreaker Dear YouJawbreaker UnfunJimmy Eat World Bleed AmericanJohn Mayer Heavier ThingsJulia [USA] JuliaKalmah They Will ReturnKidcrash JokesLagwagon Double PlaidinumLess Than Jake AnthemLess Than Jake Hello RockviewLess Than Jake GNV FLALife at These Speeds Life at These SpeedsLL Cool J Mama Said Knock You OutMad Caddies Rock the PlankMad Caddies Keep It GoingMaps & Atlases Tree, Swallows, HousesMastodon RemissionMastodon LeviathanMillencolin Life On A PlateMillencolin Machine 15Misfits Walk Among UsMogwai Come On Die YoungMunicipal Waste The Art of PartyingMurder by Death Red Of Tooth And ClawMy Chemical Romance The Black ParadeNo Trigger CanyoneerNo Use for a Name Making FriendsNo Use for a Name The Feel Good Record of the YearOff Minor Problematic CourtshipOff Minor The Heat Death of the UniverseOff Minor Some BloodOnelinedrawing Sketchy EP #1Only Crime VirulenceOrchid GatefoldOur Brother The Native Make Amends, For We Are Merely VesselsPeeping Tom Peeping TomPolar Bear Club Sometimes Things Just DisappearProtest the Hero FortressRadiohead AmnesiacRadiohead The BendsRancid ...And Out Come the WolvesRancid Let's GoRancid IndestructibleRancid Life Won't WaitRise Against Siren Song of the Counter CultureRise Against The Sufferer and the WitnessSaetia A RetrospectiveScott Walker The DriftSick of It All Death to TyrantsSick of It All Scratch the SurfaceSlayer Christ IllusionOkay, so this was basically my first full length foray into Slayer, and it wasn't really bad. I mean, the band is pretty skilled at their instruments; the guitarists sure do know their scales well and the drummer is pretty fast with a lot of double bass work. The bass is, well non-existent because it's thrash and they are basically just there for appearance. Regardless, the album falters quite a bit when it comes to the vocals and lyrics, both of which are really laughable. It's basically 40 some odd minutes of "Ohhhh look how evil we are rawr" which is pretty lame and shitty in both concept and execution. The album also tends to be quite repetitive, but not to the point of being unlistenable. Overall, the album is pretty good, but marred by several issues which keep it from getting more play from me. Smoke Or Fire Above The CitySmoke Or Fire This Sinking ShipSonata Arctica Reckoning NightStreetlight Manifesto Keasbey NightsStrike Anywhere To Live in DiscontentStrike Anywhere Dead FMStrung Out Blackhawks Over Los AngelesSystem of a Down ToxicityTaking Back Sunday Louder NowTexas Is the Reason Texas is the ReasonThe Black Maria Lead Us To ReasonThe Decemberists PicaresqueThe Dillinger Escape Plan Miss MachineThe Falcon UnicornographyThe Fall of Troy DoppelgangerThe Flaming Tsunamis Fear EverythingThe Gaslight Anthem Sink or SwimThe Locust The LocustThe Mars Volta TremulantThe Mars Volta AmputechtureSo Amputechture. Its probably been the most anticipated release of the year for not only me, but many others. Following in the footsteps of the sprawling epic, 2005's Frances the Mute, Amputechture really finds the band at a crossroad in terms of where to take their sound to keep it fresh. They do a relatively good job adding bits of variety into their sound (see the flamenco guitar driven spanish ballad of "Asilos Magdelena"). While still trying to go for an epic feel, something Frances excelled at, they discard almost all ambience on this album in favor of just an instrumental wankfest. At times, it works brilliantly (see "Day of the Baphomets" for probably the best TMV song ever), while at others, it just feels tired and like they are rehashing old ground ("Meccamputechture"). All in all, Amputechture contains some of The Mars Volta's finest cuts and is all around an amazing album. But when some parts of an album are that good, the flaws of it seem just that much more apparent. The Matches A Band In HopeThe National BoxerThe String Quartet Strung Out on Panic! At the DiscoThee Silver Mount Zion He Has Left Us Alone...These Arms Are Snakes EasterThis Is Hell SundowningThis Runs Through Until Forever Finds MeWarped Tour 2004 CompilationYellowcard Paper Walls3.0 goodA Day In Black And White NotesA Wilhelm Scream Benefits of Thinking Out LoudA Wilhelm Scream DiverAFI The Art of DrowningAlkaline Trio CrimsonAlucard After DarkAmerican Steel American SteelAt the Drive-In Hell PasoAVAST! FaultlinesBad Religion 80-85Black Flag Loose Nutblink-182 Dude Ranchblink-182 The Mark, Tom, and Travis ShowCatch 22 Keasbey NightsCatch 22 Permanent RevolutionChildren of Bodom Are You Dead Yet?City of Caterpillar City of CaterpillarCoheed and Cambria In Keeping Secrets of Silent Earth: 3Converge Caring and KillingD.R.I. Dirty Rotten LPDragonForce Valley Of The DamnedDragonForce Sonic FirestormDragonForce Inhuman RampageEvery Time I Die Hot Damn!HORSE the band R. BorlaxHORSE the band PizzaI really think the only way to sum up this album is the way Alternative Press did. Album get's a 5 for the concept, but a 1 for the execution. That averages to a three. The end. Hot Cross A New Set of LungsIron Maiden Seventh Son of a Seventh SonLenny Kravitz Greatest HitsNerf Herder My EP + 4 SongsNine Inch Nails The Downward SpiralMaybe I just don't get it; maybe it is just because this is textbook industrial, but I just don't get what is so special and classic about this album. Yeah, it's dark, and tortured, and some of the songwriting is really great, but musically, this album is just really frustrating. The production is just god-awful, even for being industrial, and the music is just sort of average all over and really not fun to listen to. Granted, Renzor sure does know how to pen some awesome lyrics, but thats about all this album has going for it. Except for Hurt. Hurt is the best song I've ever heard. Ever. Nine Inch Nails The SlipNOFX Fat Club 7 (7")P!nk I'm Not DeadPropagandhi How to Clean EverythingRise Against The Unraveling (Re-Issue)Rufio MCMLXXXVSome Girls Heaven's Pregnant TeensSonata Arctica EclipticaStretch Arm Strong Free At LastStrung Out Another Day In ParadiseSystem of a Down MezmerizeTaking Back Sunday Tell All Your FriendsThe Bouncing Souls Hopeless RomanticThe Dillinger Escape Plan PlagiarismThe Lawrence Arms A Guided Tour of ChicagoThe Locust Plague SoundscapesThe Number Twelve Looks Like You Put On Your Rosy Red GlassesThe Pax Cecilia Blessed Are The BondsThee Silver Mount Zion This Is Our Punk-Rock, Thee Rusted Satellites Gather and SingWarped Tour 2006 CompilationWelcome the Plague Year Welcome the Plague YearWelcome the Plague Year is a bit of a polarizing effort. On one hand, it is epic screamo, which by definition is a great genre known for its intense build ups, emotional breakdowns, and fantastic interludes which emanate such an intense mood throughout. On the other hand however, WtPY is pretty much standard fare for the genre. Instead of offering electronic interludes and soudscapes like Circle Takes the Square, or beautiful violin passages such as I Would Set Myself on Fire for You, they stick to basic post-rock guitar lines, reminscent of Mogwai or Godspeed You! Black Emperor. And while the album is all around solid and in no way really bad, it doesn't do much to distinguish itself from its contemporaries and push the boundries of modern screamo. With Honor This is Our Revenge2.5 averageBotch We Are the RomansBright Eyes CassadagaDeftones Saturday Night WristDimmu Borgir Death Cult ArmageddonDrive Like Jehu Yank CrimeFall Out Boy Take This To Your GraveGood Riddance My RepublicHit the Switch Domestic Tranquility & Social JusticeJudas Priest Angel of RetributionMastodon Blood MountainSome of the heavy songs on hear kick a lot of ass. Hell, even one of the proggier songs, Sleeping Giant, is the best on the album. However, most of this album is straight garbage, and for every The Wolf is Loose, Sleeping Giant, Circle of Cysquatch, or Pendulous Skin on the album, there is the pseudo progressive noodling of This Mortal Soil or Siberian Divide, which both sound horribly rehashed from tracks on Levithan and Remission such as Seabeast or Ole Nessie. Regardless, even some of the harder hitting tracks like Hand of Stone and Capillarian Crest just sound really contrived and uninspired. Also, this album is one of the most lyrically pretentious albums ever, especially with it's inane concept revolving around crystals and mountains. It's almost like a bad joke; the band won a grammy with a song about people who live in trees. Well, little did they realize that the joke was on them. No Doubt Rock SteadyNo Use for a Name Keep Them ConfusedOpeth Blackwater ParkSilverstein 18 Candles: The Early YearsThe Early November The Mother, The Mechanic, and The PathThe Killers Sam's TownWarped Tour 2005 CompilationWhole Wheat Bread Minority RulesZao The Funeral of God2.0 poorAnberlin Never Take Friendship PersonalAnti-Flag The Terror StateArsis United in Regretblink-182 Take Off Your Pants and Jacketblink-182 Enema of the StateBruce Springsteen The RisingCartel ChromaCave In Until Your Heart StopsCoheed and Cambria No World for TomorrowComeback Kid BroadcastingCrime In Stereo Crime In Stereo Is DeadOkay so I was never huge on Crime in Stereo before this release. Yeah, they played melodic hardcore with a lot of heart and a political edge and what not, but I had never really gotten the hype. This album just leaves me further baffled. It honestly sounds like Crime in Stereo decided to go "hey, hardcore isn't getting us popular, let's try this post-hardcore nonsense that everyone is trying and getting popular on". I'm sure it wasn't their train of though, but man is this a huge step back. This album lacks intensity on nearly every level. It almost sounds like Armor For Sleep+lots of distortion and better lyrics. Honestly, "XXXX (The First Thousand Years of Solitude)" is the only truly great song, and although there are a couple of other decent cuts in there, most of it is outweighed by a shit-ton of crap tracks, most notably "Unfortunate Tourists". Overall, highly disappointing. D.R.I. LiveD.R.I. Full Speed AheadDeath By Stereo Death for LifeEighteen Visions Eighteen VisionsFall Out Boy Infinity On HighFear Before The Always Open MouthGo Betty Go Worst Enemy EPKanye West Late RegistrationKillswitch Engage As Daylight DiesLove Equals Death NightmericaMatchbook Romance VoicesMy Chemical Romance Three Cheers For Sweet RevengeSaosin SaosinSex Pistols Never Mind The BollocksSparta ThreesThe Aquabats The Fury of the Aquabats!The Fall of Troy ManipulatorThe Incredible String Band The Hangman's Beautiful DaughterThe Mars Volta Scab DatesThe Shins Wincing the Night AwayThursday War All the TimeThursday A City By the Light DividedYouth Group Skeleton Jar1.5 very poorAFI DecemberundergroundAngels and Airwaves We Don't Need to WhisperAngels and Airwaves I-EmpireAs I Lay Dying Frail Words CollapseAs I Lay Dying Shadows Are SecurityAvenged Sevenfold Waking the FallenBig D and the Kids Table Strictly RudeChiodos All's Well That Ends WellCirca Survive JuturnaD.R.I. DefinitionEscape the Fate Dying Is Your Latest FashionEvergreen Terrace Sincerity is an Easy Disguise in this BusinessFall Out Boy From Under The Cork TreeFrom First To Last Dear Diary, My Teen Angst Has a Body...Guttermouth Eat Your FaceHatebreed SupremacyHeavy Heavy Low Low Everything's Watched, Everyone's WatchinKings of Leon Because Of The Timesmc chris Life's A Bitch And I'm Her PimpMindless Self Indulgence You'll Rebel To AnythingPennywise From The AshesPrimus Pork SodaReel Big Fish Cheer Up!Taking Back Sunday Where You Want To BeThe Ataris Welcome the NightThe Bled Found In The FloodThe Sound of Animals Fighting Tiger and the DukeThis Providence Our Worlds DivorceUnderoath Act of Depression1.0 awfulAgnostic Front Another VoiceAiden Nightmare AnatomyAiden Rain In HellAvenged Sevenfold Sounding the Seventh TrumpetBowling for Soup Drunk Enough To DanceCracker Kerosene HatFear Before Art DamageFour Letter Lie Let Your Body Take OverOn a weekly basis, I always end up changing my mind when it comes to the question of the worst band ever. More often than not, I settle on Underoath for an easy target, specifically because They're Only Chasing Safety is just that bad. Well, the only way that album could possibly be any worse, is when Four Letter Lie released what I can only describe fairly as a TOCS remix in Let Your Body Take Over. Honestly, this is the most derivative trash Ive ever bothered to give a chance. Im not even slightly exaggerating when I say that every line the screamer screams sounds exactly like Spencer Chamberlain from Underoath, except I enjoy it even less (shocking considering Spencer is my least favorite vocalist this side of Bjork and Lord Worm). Even the little wails at the end of lines. I really never thought I would find something that could be possible less entertaining than Kidz Bop, but this has made me strongly reconsider that position. Guttermouth Shave The PlanetGym Class Heroes The Papercut ChroniclesHawthorne Heights The Silence In Black And WhiteHawthorne Heights If Only You Were LonelyNew Found Glory CatalystNorma Jean Bless the Martyr and Kiss the ChildPortugal. The Man Waiter: ''You Vultures!''The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus Don't You Fake ItThe Sound of Animals Fighting Lover, the Lord Has Left Us...Underoath They're Only Chasing SafetyThis album is literally how AIDS was created. Some Ethiopian randomly picked up a copy of this in the United Nations aide package for the day, and instead of stale saltines, was stuck listening to this generic shitheap of a record. The screaming is atrocious, the singing is mediocre and generic, and the band is just so uninspired and cliche that it's hard to find a single redeemable quality about this album. Don't let anyone fool you; this is easily one of the worst albums ever. The lyrics sound like they were carbon-copied from Linkin Park with a few Biblical references thrown in just to up the pretentiousness. Fans of new Underoath should stay far away from this, fans of old Underoath should stay far away from this, and fans of this record should put a bullet in their skull. Wolfmother Wolfmother
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