Average Rating: 3.45 Rating Variance: 0.83 Objectivity Score: 82% (Well Balanced)
Sort by: Rating | Release Date | Rating Date | Name5.0 classicA Tribe Called Quest The Low End TheoryBeastie Boys Paul's BoutiqueBrand New The Devil and God Are Raging Inside MeBurial KindredShit nigga, where's the drop? I waited thirty minutes for it. There's no fucking way my friends will get shitty to this.cLOUDDEAD cLOUDDEADDJ Shadow Endtroducing.....Eminem The Marshall Mathers LPGodspeed You! Black Emperor Slow Riot For New Zero KanadaMassive Attack MezzanineOf Montreal Hissing Fauna, Are You the Destroyer?Accidental classics come about every once in a while. of Montreal's Hissing Fauna, Are You The Destroyer is, in my book, a fine example of one. Kevin Barnes, ringleader of the theatrical Athens-based collective, penned the majority of these tracks in depression-induced exile while holed up in Norway. We're all familiar with these sad-musician fables: Bon Iver did it with For Emma, Forever Ago, yielding enormously positive results. Barnes, I think, was equally inspired to produce a document of misery, but he most certainly lost himself in doing so. Although subsequent albums reveal that Mr. Barnes' sex driven insanity may be beyond the point of remedy, there will always be Hissing Fauna - proof that the same nasty seed that spawned shit like Skeletal Lamping also gave the world a John Merrick, a misunderstood elephant man who put the words you always felt but never could articulate in your mouth for you. Pink Floyd Wish You Were HerePixies DoolittleRadiohead Kid ARadiohead OK ComputerRadiohead In RainbowsSpoon Ga Ga Ga Ga GaTalking Heads Remain in LightThe Avalanches Since I Left YouThe Beach Boys The SMiLE SessionsSMiLE: The Beach Boy's unreleased 1967 "teenage symphony to God," and one of the most forward-thinking, passionate, and ambitious collections of psychedelic pop recordings you've never heard. According to Brian Wilson, the album was never fully completed, but I'm calling his bluff, because this rivals whatever accomplished hippie music you'd smack a classic rating on. The Clash London CallingThe Dismemberment Plan Emergency & IThe Knife Silent ShoutThe National BoxerThe National Trouble Will Find MeI don't know about you, but this will be my summer loving torture party.The Weeknd ThursdayIt's the final ten minutes of Requiem for a Dream put to even drearier music. One of the bleakest, druggiest albums of the year, Thursday is the sound of summer dissolving, and you with it, into the weekend. Titus Andronicus The MonitorTAKE IT EASY, BUDDY. IT'S NOT THE END OF THE WORLD!Weezer PinkertonWeezer Pinkerton Deluxe EditionWilliam Basinski The Disintegration Loops I4.5 superbAnimal Collective FeelsAnimal Collective Merriweather Post PavilionArcade Fire FuneralAutechre Tri RepetaeBeck Midnite VulturesBelle and Sebastian If You're Feeling SinisterBoards of Canada Music Has The Right To ChildrenBrand New Deja EntenduBruce Springsteen Born To RunBurial UntrueBurial Truant/Rough SleeperCan Tago MagoColdplay Viva La VidaColdplay Mylo XylotoFever Ray Fever RayFlying Lotus CosmogrammaFlying Lotus Until the Quiet ComesGZA Liquid SwordsJustin Timberlake The 20/20 ExperienceKanye West My Beautiful Dark Twisted FantasyKanye isn't just a disser of presidents or an interrupter of pop stars. This Kanye's a cubist nightmare; he's a naked, hairy, 40-swigging monstrosity; and he has his head impaled upon a bloody sword. He doesn't care what you think of him, either. Yeah, he's a scumbag. Yeah, he's the abomination of Obama's nation. He knows it, too; more importantly, he feeds off of it.Laura Stevenson Sit ResistMount Eerie Clear MoonMr. Bungle CaliforniaNeutral Milk Hotel In the Aeroplane Over the SeaOf Montreal Paralytic StalksKevin Barnes ingests A.D.Z. i.e. the Psychosis Particle Or maybe it's just methamphetaminePanda Bear Person PitchPavement Crooked Rain, Crooked RainPhoenix Wolfgang Amadeus PhoenixPolmo Polpo Like Hearts SwellingRadiohead AmnesiacRadiohead The BendsRadiohead The King of LimbsScott Walker The DriftScott Walker Bish BoschShabazz Palaces Black UpSoundtrack Cowboy Bebop OSTSpoon Gimme FictionSpoon Kill The MoonlightSwans The SeerT. Rex Electric WarriorTalk Talk Laughing StockTalking Heads Speaking in TonguesTalking Heads Stop Making SenseThe Beach Boys Pet SoundsThe Beatles Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club BandThe Flaming Lips The Soft BulletinThe Knife Shaking the HabitualThe Mars Volta Frances the MuteThe National AlligatorThe Tallest Man on Earth The Wild HuntIt's a rare thing when a lonely little voice teams up with a lonely little instrument to create something that transcends their origins. The Tallest Man on Earth There's No Leaving NowOh man I've got the shivers. 50 characters oh man I've got them bad. Trophy Scars Never Born, Never DeadWilco Yankee Hotel FoxtrotWild Beasts SmotherWu-Tang Clan Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers)4.0 excellentAndrew Jackson Jihad Knife ManAnimal Collective Spirit They're Gone...Animal Collective Strawberry JamAnimal Collective Centipede HzJUST LYING IN A BAR WITH MY DRIP FEED ON TALKING TO MY GIRLFRIEND WAITING FOR SOMETHING TO HAPPENAphex Twin Selected Ambient Works 85-92Aphex Twin WindowlickerAtlas Sound ParallaxBeach House BloomBeck Odelay!Bjork HomogenicBoards of Canada GeogaddiBomb the Music Industry! VacationBon Iver For Emma, Forever AgoBon Iver Bon IverI deem this a solid 4, although I've only listened to the first three tracks. Will reassess later. sry4prtynBrand New DaisyBLAH BLAH BLAH I LOVE THIS ALBUMCursive The Ugly OrganForget the rest, "Staying Alive" is a musical relic. Daft Punk DiscoveryDaft Punk Alive 2007Daft Punk Random Access MemoriesDanny Brown XXXDeath Cab for Cutie TransatlanticismDeath Grips The Money StoreDeath Grips No Love Deep WebDeerhunter Halcyon DigestDestroyer KaputtDirty Projectors Swing Lo MagellanDr. Octagon Dr. OctagonecologystDrake Take CareEl-P Cancer 4 CureEric Whitacre Whitacre: CloudburstFoals Total Life ForeverFranz Ferdinand Tonight: Franz FerdinandFucked Up David Comes to LifeGang Gang Dance Eye ContactGirls Father, Son, Holy GhostGlassjaw Worship and TributeGodspeed You! Black Emperor Lift Your Skinny Fists Like Antennas...Godspeed You! Black Emperor F#A# (Infinity)Godspeed You! Black Emperor 'Allelujah! Don't Bend! Ascend!Green Day American IdiotGrouper A I AGuided By Voices Bee ThousandInterpol Turn on the Bright LightsJ Dilla DonutsJames Blake James BlakeJames Blake unveils the aural equivalent of a snuggie. Music to stroke cats to.Janelle Monae The ArchAndroid (Suites II and III of IV)Japandroids Post-NothingJoanna Newsom Have One on MeJoy Division CloserKanye West Late RegistrationLCD Soundsystem Sound of SilverLCD Soundsystem This Is HappeningThis really isn't as good as people make it out to be.Lil B I'm Gay (I'm Happy)Lil B Obama BasedGodLos Campesinos! Romance Is BoringM83 Hurry Up, We're DreamingWhen dream pop's done right, you don't just tear up, man. You fucking weep. You fucking dissolve.Madvillain MadvillainyManchester Orchestra Simple MathIt's like if Brand New had done The Blue Album, but better. Mastodon The HunterMew FrengersModest Mouse The Moon & AntarcticaMount Eerie Ocean RoarPhil Elverum's work as Mount Eerie seems to be hearkening back to the elemental song cycle tradition of really-old-man times. Not like the '50s or '40s whatever, not the '20s stuff F. Scott probably dug...we're talking a huddle of drunk bar-dwellers in a grimy fire-heated pub rasping a request: "Phil, sing us a song about the water." And Phil nods but adds this: "But know that the only time you'll hear me is when I come up for breath." Then he cranks up his amps and performs Knife-like instrumentals and really clues you in to what he's really up to with Mount Eerie, what the water's like. Elverum's ocean is immersive, cerebral, loud, and can support your body for 38.6 minutes. Float for a while, and expect the fire. My Bloody Valentine LovelessNirvana NevermindNujabes Spiritual StatePanda Bear TomboyI'm pretty sure Benfica is about Charlie Sheen, guys...Pavement Slanted and EnchantedPearl Jam TenPhoenix It's Never Been Like ThatPink Floyd The Dark Side of the MoonPink Floyd AnimalsPorcupine Tree Fear of a Blank PlanetPortishead DummyPrimal Scream ScreamadelicaR.E.M. Automatic For the PeopleRadiohead Hail to the ThiefRadiohead I Might Be Wrong: Live RecordingsRadiohead TKOL RMX 1234567Refused The Shape of Punk to ComeRobyn Body TalkRun DMC Raising HellSay Anything ...Is a Real BoySigur Ros Ágætis ByrjunSonic Youth Daydream NationSpoon TransferenceSubmotion Orchestra Finest HourWeather Channel's Local on the 8's on acid.Sufjan Stevens IllinoisSystem of a Down ToxicityTalking Heads Talking Heads: 77Talking Heads Fear of MusicThe Antlers UnderseaThe Beatles RevolverThe Beatles Abbey RoadThe Beatles The BeatlesThe Flaming Lips Yoshimi Battles the Pink RobotsThe Hold Steady Boys and Girls in AmericaThe Knife Deep CutsThe National High VioletThe Smashing Pumpkins Siamese DreamThe Smiths The Queen Is DeadThe Velvet Underground LoadedThe Weakerthans Reconstruction SiteIt's kind of like Samson takes every piece of embarrassing teenage poetry you ever regret writing, takes the messages to heart, and channels it through a wise eye of rare maturity. Basically, it's your life's shadow stepping away and talking to you. Basically.The Who QuadropheniaThe Who Who's NextThe xx xxTim Hecker Ravedeath, 1972Titus Andronicus The Airing of GrievancesThe good times are here again, and again, and again...thanks, Patrick Stickles, for making soundoffs so easy. Titus Andronicus Local BusinessTom Waits Rain DogsU2 Achtung BabyWeezer The Blue AlbumWhy? Mumps, Etc.Wilco The Whole LoveWilco finally get the whole "American Radiohead" thing kinda right.Women Public StrainWU LYF Go Tell Fire to the MountainZomby Dedication3.5 greatAnimal Collective Sung TongsAnimal Collective Fall Be KindAphex Twin Richard D. James AlbumAphex Twin ...I Care Because You DoArcade Fire The SuburbsAriel Pink's Haunted Graffiti Before TodayAtlas Sound LogosAvey Tare Down Therebansheebeat GalacticsBBU bell hooksOut of left field blogdom, one-trick ponies(?) take pictures of Miley Cyrus ripping salvia, retweet Refused, namedrop Lil B. But #swag this isn't. Don't percolate. Beck Modern GuiltBeirut The Rip TideBig Boi Sir Lucious Left Footblink-182 blink-182Bob Dylan Highway 61 RevisitedBon Iver Blood BankBonnie 'Prince' Billy I See a DarknessBurial Street HaloCaptain Murphy DualityCaribou SwimCee Lo Green The Lady KillerI like Atari WAY more than XBOX...just saying, bitch.Chairlift SomethingClive Tanaka y Su Orquesta Jet Set Siempre No. 1Cymbals Eat Guitars Why There Are MountainsDanger Mouse and Daniele Luppi RomeThank goodness for brainy producer Brian Burton; by juggling both popular undertakings and lesser-known "cult" projects like Dark Night of the Soul, he has proven himself an eclectic juggernaut whose mindset is not so much an entertainer's as it is an artist's. The trajectory of his career, littered not with classics but, instead, with surprisingly good, imaginative releases, is somewhat comparable to that of actor James Franco, another twenty-first century Renaissance man. But here's the rub: Franco's heterogeneous exploits, such as his bizarre soap opera stint, have rocketed the man to pop-culture stardom, and yet Burton's are largely treated to the kiss of obscurity. I'm not at all implying that Danger Mouse merits Hollywood-scale recognition, because in relation to the California limelight, even your beloved Radioheads and Opeths are shrimpy little small fries. All I'm saying is that the skinner half of Gnarls Barkley shouldn't be forgotten in the shadow of his soulful counterpart, that experiments like Rome shouldn't be damned to the underground. Nothing I say, however, no matter how eloquently or how persuasively I word it, can save Rome from its fate, which is to be hidden in the B-list music garages of critics and fans alike, so to speak. Behind the spiderwebs and clutter of tomorrow's abandoned sound waves, there's Rome, a record that can never be accused of being overrated and whose namelessness may make it, like all lost trinkets, all the more special. David Bowie The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust...David Lynch Crazy Clown TimeColor me surprised. I really like the work of David Lynch and all, but the dude's a director by profession, not a musician. And he's old. Deerhunter MicrocastleDJ Shadow The Private PressDream Theater Images and Wordsdredg El CieloEarl Sweatshirt EARLElvis Costello My Aim Is TrueFair to Midland Arrows and AnchorsFlorrie ExperimentsFrank Ocean Nostalgia, UltraFrank Ocean Channel OrangeChannel Orange is among the most monumental R&B albums released not just in the iTunes age, but since Marvin Gaye's universally-acclaimed What's Going On, which is to say, Frank Ocean is historical. I have confirmed this, having listened to Ocean's sexy-ass new record a few times today - on my way to a dentist's appointment, on the commute home from work, and right now! - and I think this will get great reviews. It really deserves it.Fugazi The ArgumentGhost Ship Golden GirlsGirl Talk All DayI wish I was a little bit taller. I wish I was a baller. I wish I had a girl who looked good, I would call her.Girls AlbumGirls Broken Dreams ClubGlassjaw Coloring BookGold Panda Lucky ShinerGorillaz Plastic BeachListen to this album through headphones; it's the best way to go.Green Day DookieGrizzly Bear VeckatimestHow To Destroy Angels Welcome OblivionJames Blake CMYKJapandroids Celebration RockJay-Z and Kanye West Watch the ThroneWhat does a great if not excellent collaboration between two of hip-hop's most larger-than-life figures - one, a veteran entrepreneur, a Don Corleone of the rap world; the other an artsy egotist with a batshit imagination - sound like? I'll tell you: a genuine surprise, a pleasure, and an ecstatically-produced collection of A-grade mainstream jams. Get ready to hear "Monster" less and less at parties. Watch The Throne is a worthy successor. Another thing...Kanye finally offers an explanation for his odd Ye-isms (see: "put a pussy in the sarcophagus):r"No one knows what it means. But it's provocative."Jeff Buckley GraceKanye West The College DropoutKanye West GraduationKing Crimson In the Court of the Crimson KingManchester Orchestra Mean Everything To NothingMenomena MinesMines is a game-changer, an unassuming sleeper indie record that hits you more with each subsequent listen. It's the sort that pops up just when you've 'selected' your album-of-the-year and forces you to admit, "Hot damn, well...maybe this won't trump The National, but it's a healthy reminder that great music is always around the corner."Metallica Master of PuppetsMetallica S&MmewithoutYou It's All Crazy! It's All False! It's allMichael Jackson ThrillerModest Mouse The Lonesome Crowded WestMuse AbsolutionMuse Origin of SymmetryNirvana In UteroOf Montreal False Priesti got so lucky witchu, i feel ya struttah i got so lucky witchuOpeth Blackwater ParkPantha Du Prince Black NoisePearl Jam Vs.Phoenix Bankrupt!Pianos Become the Teeth The Lack Long AfterPink Floyd The WallPixies Surfer RosaR.E.M. ReckoningRadiohead Pablo HoneyScHoolboy Q Habits and ContradictionsSex Pistols Never Mind The BollocksSigur Ros ( )Sleigh Bells Reign of TerrorSufjan Stevens The Age of AdzConsider for a moment art as a piece of electronic equipment - say, a laptop. Imagine immersing the computer in water, just for a split second, and then observing its slow failure step by step. Perhaps at first there are no distinguishable differences. Soon, though, the laptop undoubtedly exhibits malfunctions. Within half an hour all hell breaks loose as the screen becomes a breeding ground for glitches. There is no control. All hope for control vanished the very second water entered the picture. With The Age of Adz Sufjan has gone for a swim...a long, long swim in who knows what, and the result of such contact can only lead to a spiraling death. Super Furry Animals GuerillaSurfer Blood Astro CoastTalking Heads More Songs About Buildings and FoodTalking Heads The Name of this Band is Talking HeadsThe Antlers HospiceThe Antlers Burst ApartA minor masterpiece in dark, glowing colors, Burst Apart is The Antlers' Viva La Vida (Hospice remix). The Beatles Rubber SoulThe Beatles Magical Mystery TourThe Decemberists The King Is DeadThe Jezabels PrisonerThe Knife Tomorrow, In a YearThis is ridiculous.The Mars Volta NoctourniquetThe Olivia Tremor Control Dusk at Cubist CastleThe Roots Things Fall ApartThe Roots How I Got OverThe Smashing Pumpkins Mellon Collie and the Infinite SadnessThe Velvet Underground The Velvet Underground & NicoThe Who TommyTool LateralusTool AenimaToro Y Moi Underneath The PineTV on the Radio Dear ScienceTwin Shadow ForgetU2 ZooropaVampire Weekend ContraWilco SummerteethWilco Wilco (The Album)Many tags have been applied to this Wilco band, the most frequent being that they are a watered down American version of Radiohead and that they're no more than a lousy group of dad-rockers. Flippancy aside, Wilco (The Album)'s opening track Wilco (The Song) has Tweedy announcing: "Wilco will love you, baby." It's not narcissism, it's honesty. Here's the definitive Wilco, compacted into forty-two minutes of fun music - - not life changing, mind you, just fun. "Bull Black Nova" is the strangest thing the band's ever done: a paranoid, bloody, schizophrenic tale of murder a la The Velvet Underground. It's frightening when a guy accused of dad-rockin'-it-out moans, "There's blood in the sink" as convincingly as Tweedy does here...in fact, ALL of his vocals on the album are a great improvement over both Sky Blue Sky and A Ghost is Born. All in all, there's not much to hate here. The only major pitfall is that the first half is so much better than the second half, which is unfortunate; Wilco could have had another masterpiece on their hands. So relax and enjoy this great record. Besides, Wilco loves you. 3.0 goodArcade Fire Neon BibleBattles MirroredBattles Gloss DropBeach House Teen DreamTeen Dream: an album that could've been excellent but was only good. My reasoning: the first half of the album gorgeous and memorable, and the second half is a boring retread of the first half. It's like Beach House just ran out of ideas. Beastie Boys Check Your HeadBeastie Boys Hot Sauce Committee Part TwoBeck Sea ChangeBibio Mind BokehBrian Eno Another Green WorldCan Ege BamyasiCirca Survive Blue Sky NoiseCircle Takes The Square As the Roots UndoCoheed and Cambria The Second Stage Turbine BladeColdplay A Rush of Blood to the HeadDan Deacon BromstDr. Dre The ChronicDream Theater Train of ThoughtDream Theater Falling into InfinityDream Theater AwakeEagles Hotel CaliforniaElton John Goodbye Yellow Brick RoadEric Whitacre Light and GoldFlorrie IntroductionFour Tet There is Love in YouFranz Ferdinand Franz FerdinandGOOD Music Cruel SummerSpiritual successor to Fantasy, retaining Throne's aesthetic, the product: the dark little mixtape that couldn't ever be the album it wanted to be.Iron & Wine Kiss Each Other CleanJacques Greene Concealerjj jj n° 2jj KillsKanye West 808s & HeartbreakLady Gaga The Fame MonsterLana Del Rey Born to DieMetallica Ride the LightningMetallica ...And Justice for AllMetallica MetallicaModest Mouse Good News For People Who Love Bad NewsMotion City Soundtrack My Dinosaur LifeMuse Black Holes and RevelationsNine Inch Nails The Downward SpiralOwen Pallett HeartlandPast Lives Strange SymmetryPavement Brighten the CornersPink Floyd MeddlePrimus Pork SodaR.E.M. Lifes Rich PageantR.E.M. New Adventures In Hi - FiRobyn Body Talk Pt. 1Robyn Body Talk Pt. 2Rush Moving PicturesShe and Him Volume TwoShugo Tokumaru ExitSigur Ros med sud i eyrum vio spilum endalaustSondre Lerche Sondre LercheSufjan Stevens All Delighted PeopleTalking Heads Little CreaturesThe Beatles Let It BeThe Flashbulb Soundtrack to a Vacant LifeThe Mars Volta OctahedronThe Smashing Pumpkins AdoreThe Velvet Underground White Light/White HeatThe White Stripes ElephantThe World/Inferno Friendship Society Addicted to Bad IdeasTool 10,000 DaysTrophy Scars Darkness, Oh HellU2 The Joshua TreeVampire Weekend Vampire WeekendWavves King of the BeachWeezer RaditudeWeezer HurleyI am in disbelief...I am utterly shocked. What the fuck?Yeasayer Odd BloodOne thing Odd Blood's got going for it is a fantastically fitting title for the songs it advertises. Yes, it's weird. In fact, it's nearly grotesque. Opening track "The Children" is a clumpy, gurgly, woozy number that reminds me of how it feels to vomit. Great. After "The Children," though, Yeasayer pretty much does a 180 and delves into the soul of bad 80's music. I have heard the record described as "a gay sex soundtrack." Admittedly, that's a harsh label to give any record, but I will testify that Yeasayer's Odd Blood comes ridiculously close to deserving that label. Listening to Odd Blood is like watching Top Gun (or any other "bad" 80's movie). It's enticing - it has hooks and is rather exciting at points - but it's not good by any means. This is just the kind of album that you wouldn't want to have your parents or friends walk in on you listening to. They'd think you were gay. If you are gay, you probably still won't find much in this album. Just saying...Zammuto Idiom Wind2.5 average...And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead Source Tags & CodesAC/DC Back In BlackAndrew Bird Noble BeastAphex Twin Come To DaddyAtlas Sound Let the Blind Lead Those Who Can See...Bing Crosby Merry ChristmasBjork VoltaBoston BostonBrad Paisley This Is Country MusicDas Racist Sit Down, ManDr. Dog FateDream Theater Metropolis Pt. 2: Scenes from a MemoryDream Theater OctavariumFennesz Endless SummerField Music Field Music (Measure)Foals AntidotesFranz Ferdinand You Could Have It So Much BetterGorillaz GorillazGorillaz Demon DaysGorillaz The FallOh man, more wanky synths. Lady Gaga The FameMaps & Atlases You and Me and the MountainMetallica LoadMetallica Death MagneticMGMT Oracular SpectacularModest Mouse We Were Dead Before the Ship Even SankMuse ShowbizNeu! Neu!Neutral Milk Hotel On Avery IslandNine Inch Nails Ghosts I-IVNine Inch Nails The SlipOf Montreal Skeletal LampingParamore Brand New EyesPink Floyd Atom Heart MotherPink Floyd The Final CutQueensryche Operation: MindcrimeR.E.M. AccelerateRadiohead My Iron LungRadiohead Airbag/How Am I Driving?Red Hot Chili Peppers Stadium ArcadiumRush 2112Rush Snakes & ArrowsSleigh Bells TreatsSmith Westerns Dye It BlondeLet the dumb blonde jokes ensue. Or not. Dye It Blonde doesn't deserve the hard-earned children of your wit.The Beatles A Hard Day's NightThe Decemberists The Hazards Of LoveThe Devin Townsend Project DeconstructionThe Raconteurs Consolers of the LonelyThe Smashing Pumpkins Machina II - Friends and Enemies of Modern MusicTool UndertowTV on the Radio Return to Cookie MountainU2 All That You Can't Leave BehindWeezer The Green Album2.0 poorBeck Mellow GoldBetween the Buried and Me ColorsCoheed and Cambria From Fear Through the Eyes of MadnessCoheed and Cambria Year of the Black RainbowColdplay LeftRightLeftRightLeftDream Theater Six Degrees of Inner TurbulenceDream Theater A Dramatic Turn of EventsEl Ten Eleven Ten ElevenEl Ten Eleven Every Direction is NorthFall Out Boy Infinity On HighFlight of the Conchords Flight of the ConchordsFrost* MilliontownInterpol AnticsKaty Perry Teenage DreamLady Gaga Born This WayMax Tannone JaydioheadThere's nothing minty fresh about this - it's merely a mash-up novelty release, no more interesting or exciting than any Happy Meal toy. Listen to it once, enjoy it once, and then forget it. You're bound to.Metallica ReLoadMuse H.A.A.R.PMutemath Mute MathPink Floyd Obscured by CloudsPrimus Sailing the Seas of CheeseThe Flaming Lips ZaireekaThe Mars Volta AmputechtureThree Days Grace Three Days GraceU2 How to Dismantle an Atomic BombU2 No Line on the HorizonWeezer The Red Album Deluxe1.5 very poorColdplay X & YDie Antwoord $O$El Ten Eleven These Promises Are Being VideotapedGreen Day 21st Century Breakdownjj jj n° 3Julian Lynch MareKaty Perry One of the BoysKing Crimson In the Wake of PoseidonLou Reed and Metallica LuluTom Green: YOU CAN'T HURT ME, NOT WITH MY CHEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEESEEEEEEEEEE HEEEEEEEEELLLLLMEEEEEEETTTTTTTTTM.I.A. MayaMassive Attack HeligolandMGMT CongratulationsMy Chemical Romance The Black ParadeThe Flaming Lips Dark Side of the MoonThe Smashing Pumpkins ZeitgeistWeezer Make Believe1.0 awfulDream Theater Systematic ChaosDream Theater Black Clouds & Silver LiningsLook no further for the inner clockwork of the colossal machine known as Dream Theater. Here it is in its most representative state: churning, sprawling, epic music that's so expertly crafted that its ultimately contrived nature drains any joy or emotion from its core. With "Black Clouds and Silver Linings" the band dropped the godawful sci-fi lyrics found in "Systematic Chaos" in favor lyrics recounting personal experiences...and the failure here is incalculable. LaBrie never sounds like he really cares. And when the music is already a plug on the musical bathtub, a half-assed singer can really kill the mood. "Wither" is the only truly bearable cut here, as it is never bogged down by senseless, thoughtless wankery. Tellingly, however, "Wither" is about writers' block - or a lack of inspiration - revealing that Dream Theater is at its best when it admits its blatant flaws head on. Speaking of admission, Mike Portnoy's final movement in his mega-pretentious Alcoholics Anonymous suite, "The Shattered Fortress" is simply a bogged-down rehashing of riffs from past albums...and sadly, these riffs are the best in the album. And they're not original at all. All I can say is that halfway through this record, I asked myself: "How can any music be good?" I don't think this is a good thing, if it seems that a band is single-handedly killing music one formulaic album at a time. Liquid Tension Experiment Liquid Tension ExperimentLiquid Tension Experiment Liquid Tension Experiment 2Metallica St. AngerMuse The ResistanceScars on Broadway Scars On BroadwaySpock's Beard VThe Mars Volta The Bedlam in Goliath
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