Jim
User

Reviews 23
Approval 97%

Soundoffs 31
News Articles 10
Band Edits + Tags 22
Album Edits 73

Album Ratings 384
Objectivity 80%

Last Active 02-03-13 8:22 am
Joined 07-23-05

Review Comments 5,110

Average Rating: 3.40
Rating Variance: 0.60
Objectivity Score: 80%
(Well Balanced)

Chart.

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2012
The Presets Pacifica4.0
Django Django Django Django3.5

2011
Metallica Beyond Magnetic3.5
Opeth Heritage2.5
Dream Theater A Dramatic Turn of Events1.5
Delusion Twin A Damaged Machine3.0
Gotye Making Mirrors4.0
Phrase Babylon3.0
Trial Kennedy Living Undesigned3.5
Foo Fighters Wasting Light3.0
Sparkadia The Great Impression4.0
Golden Era Records Golden Era Mixtape 20113.5

2010
Over-Reactor Lose Your Delusion Too3.0
Twelve Foot Ninja Smoke Bomb4.0
Sleep Parade Mr. Identify2.5
Jericco Nice To See You3.5
Grinderman Grinderman 23.5
Engine Three Seven Atmosphere3.5
Children Collide Theory of Everything3.0
Black Devil Yard Boss Black Devil Yard Boss3.0
Bliss N Eso Running On Air4.0
Birds Of Tokyo Birds Of Tokyo3.5
Birds of Tokyo's self-titled album could well catapult them into the echelons of mainstream success, with its slick production and endearingly softcore balladeering. However, the harder edges on their previous releases will be missed by the current faithful, and some meandering filler doesn't add up to what could have been an entirely consistent effort. Solid but stolid.
Basement Birds Basement Birds3.0
Over-Reactor Lose Your Delusion: Vol. 13.0
Contrive The Internal Dialogue3.0
The latest effort from Melbourne heavy-metal act Contrive is solid but never amazing, thanks to some heavy yet uninspired production - mixed with the usual epic aplomb by Canada's metal king Devin Townsend. As a result, The Internal Dialogue is a smooth listen but longevity suffers as a result. Their debut album The Meaning Unseen is recommended for newcomers looking for a heavy-metal fix.
Eminem Recovery3.0
Dead Letter Circus This Is The Warning3.5
Tonic Tonic3.0
Parades Foreign Tapes4.0
Darwin Deez Darwin Deez4.0
Murder by Death Good Morning, Magpie3.5
John Butler Trio April Uprising3.0
Titus Andronicus The Monitor4.0
Birds Of Tokyo Broken Strings3.5
Extortion Loose Screws3.5
Atlas Weights Atlas Weights3.0

2009
Eminem Relapse: Refill2.0
Devin Townsend Project Addicted3.0
Powderfinger Golden Rule4.0
Toehider In All Honesty3.5
Robbie Williams Reality Killed the Video Star3.0
Foo Fighters Greatest Hits3.5
Toehider Metaltarsus3.0
I Heart Hiroshima The Rip3.5
Porcupine Tree The Incident3.0
Toehider How Did Counterquistle Lose His Pyjamas?2.5
Mammal Vol 2: Systematic/Automatic3.5
Catfight On A Hotdog We Have Reached A Tipping Point EP3.5
Paul Dempsey Everything Is True3.5
Grumblecunt I Piss Shit3.5
Grumblecunt's courageous revelation is a breath of fresh air in a stale genre. May I suggest a uroscopy, though?
Toehider Toehider Too!3.5
Catfight On A Hotdog Cats! Cats! Cats! EP3.0
ROOT! Surface Paradise3.5
Liam Finn Champagne in Seashells (with Eliza Jane)4.0
DevilDriver Pray for Villains4.0
Toehider Old, Old, Old4.0
Dream Theater Black Clouds and Silver Linings2.0
What an entirely unremarkable effort from a once exciting group. This may be a step up from Systematic Chaos, but the ideas on this record and execution of them by these well-known masters of "progressive" metal are tired and misguided, judging by Portnoy's constant reminders of everything being heavier and longer. I don't want longer songs or crunchier riffs - I want Images and Words pt2.
Hilltop Hoods State of the Art4.0
Mos Def The Ecstatic3.5
Karnivool Sound Awake3.0
Toehider Not Much of a Man4.0
Eskimo Joe Inshalla3.5
Eminem Relapse3.0
Perhaps Encore was just a bad dream? All I know is that this album is actually quite good. Yeah, I know, right?
Toehider Children of the Sun3.0
Phrase Clockwork4.0
Eleventh He Reaches London Hollow Be My Name4.0
Mastodon Crack the Skye3.5
Believer Gabriel2.5
The Lonely Island Incredibad3.0
(hed) p.e. New World Orphans2.0
Kalisia Cybion4.0
Approximately 10 years in the making, French metal virtuosos Kalisia have created a record that is almost as epic as the story behind it's creation. Beginning with the intention of creating an ambitious concept album comprised entirely of one whole song, Kalisia have certainly succeeded in this regard, as Cybion flows effortlessly from one part to the next for it's lengthy duration, leaving the listener little time to take a breather. More impressively, Kalisia leave few sub-genre's untouched, moving swiftly from symphonic to progressive death, industrial and even jazz metal all with a grace missing from most bands who flout so many genre boundaries. Even though Cybion lacks direction at times, it stands as an intriguing listen that has surprisingly eluded a record deal or official release even today.

2008
Toehider Toe Hider4.0
Engine Three Seven E374.0
neath The Small Untruths4.0
Steven Wilson Insurgentes3.5
Dead Letter Circus Next In Line4.0
Cynic Traced in Air2.5
Rook Add Colour4.0
Sleep Station Blood of Our Fathers2.5
Jackson Jackson Tools For Survival3.5
Kings of Leon Only By The Night3.0
Metallica Death Magnetic4.0
Sometimes there's nothing more oddly enjoyable than a primitive riff or insanely catchy chorus, things both prevalent on Metallica's much anticipated new album Death Magnetic. Epic The End of the Line recalls classic tracks Master of Puppets and Ride the Lightning in both structure and authoritative style, while catchier offerings Cyanide and the brilliant All Nightmare Long present a pleasing mix of nostalgic thrash with the band's more recent foray into bluesy hard rock. Complaints of overly distorted sound quality are mostly hyperbolized, as such instances occur infrequently and have very little bearing on the album as a whole. And as a whole, Death Magnetic proves unashamedly fun, which considering the shambles that preceded it, is nothing short of triumphant.
Mammal The Majority3.5
Mammal's debut studio album The Majority is the politically fueled rap-rock effort we were all expecting, minus quite the excitement one would expect from seeing them live (or listening to their brilliant live album Vol 1: The Aural Underground). Lead singer Ox holds no punches lyrically, and the instrumentation fluctuates wildly from soulful funk to hard rock with little effort, but while Mammal offer a little more variety than expected in terms of pure excitement or pure emotion, there's something missing here that withholds The Majority from reaching the electrifying heights they rise to in their live shows. Mammal have still created a great album, but it comes a distant second to witnessing the full Mammal experience in person, and that's slightly disappointing.
Slipknot All Hope Is Gone2.0
The Living End White Noise4.0
Melodyssey The Two Windows3.0
The Two Windows is yet another alt rock offering from a promising Australian band, whose music will sound eerily familiar to fans of most alternative rock in the country at the moment. Unfortunately, while this second long playing effort from Melodyssey was born out of much passion and hard work (it took the band 2 years to finally release the finished product), it doesn't quite stand up to recent releases by such bands as Trial Kennedy or Bird's of Tokyo, to name only a couple. Opener The Constant Rain is high in standard, and acoustic wonder Fall of the Star stands out as a highlight, but the rest only amounts to above average alt rock fare that fails to knock the socks off, which is what the public has come to expect from the current herd of Australian alternative rock bands. Instrumentally, Melodyssey are more than proficient (for trivia's sake, both they and Gold Coast darlings Dead Letter Circus share the same drummer), but the songs are going to have to take some serious spit and polish if Melodyssey are to break away and stand out from a rather impressive crowd.
Birds Of Tokyo Universes4.5
The Herd Summerland4.0
The Herd stand as one of the premiere hip-hop acts in Australia at the moment, and their latest release Summerland only confirms this title, with infectious grooves, great vocals and the expected political slant contributing to what will no doubt be an even more enjoyable listen when summer actually rolls around on this side of the equator. Diva Jane Tyrrell provides soothing - almost sexy - vocals throughout, while leading men Ozi Batla and Urthboy keep the rhymes relatively fresh and smooth as ever. Catchy tracks ZUG ZUG and the stellar King is Dead add to what is already a pretty impressive album otherwise. Hip-hop has never been considered a traditional Australian musical genre, but this exciting octet nearly make you believe that it always was, or - at least - was always meant to be.
Opeth Watershed3.5
The Rex Wicked The World Could Turn Around4.0
Cog Sharing Space4.5
After almost too long, Cog make a belated return to the Australian rock scene with their much anticipated second release Sharing Space. The songwriting here is much more straightforward than their successful debut The New Normal, and I honestly believe Cog prove a far better outfit with this approach, although I acknowledge I am most probably in the minority on that front. The lengthy track times and odd time signatures prevalent on their previous release have mostly given way to sweeter melodies - such as those found in the intense Say Your Last Goodbye and the moody How Long - and shorter, catchier songs in general, such as the stellar Are You Interested? and the brilliant title track. Bitter fans who were hoping for something as entirely progressive as The New Normal aren't completely without hope however, as epic tracks No Other Way and Problem, Reaction, Solution will surely tide them over until Cog's next (much anticipated) release.
The Presets Apocalypso3.5
Dream Theater Greatest Hit2.5
Sleep Parade Things Can Always Change3.5
sleepmakeswaves In Today Already Walks Tomorrow3.0
Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds Dig, Lazarus, Dig!!!3.0
To-Mera Delusions3.0
Porcupine Tree Nil Recurring3.5
Hellsongs Hymns In The Key Of 6663.5
Protest the Hero Fortress4.0
Closed Casket Thy Blood, Thy Word3.0

2007
Novembre The Blue3.5
Serj Tankian Elect the Dead2.5
System of a Down are a hard band to categorize, yet have entertained me and many of my peers for many years, with their unique blend of nu-metal-esque rock with the occasional polka influence and social activism thrown in for good measure.
Unfortunately, lead singer Tankian has produced an effort that is nothing more than a poor caricature of what his band does much better. It's average, at times promising, but mostly silly.
Bugdust Welcome to the City of Snakes4.0
Alchemist Tripsis4.0
Apocalyptica Worlds Collide3.5
Down Down III: Over the Under3.0
Mammal Vol 1: The Aural Underground4.0
Amorphis Silent Waters4.0
While it could be considered a little more accessible compared to earlier efforts, Silent Waters still has enough depth to compel over a period of time. The vocals are faultless, production good and the infectious melodies prove just as addictive as the aggressive highs. As a bonus, there isn't a bad song present either. A remarkable album that was understandably one of the highlights of 2007.
HORSE the band A Natural Death3.0
Template I Thought I Turned the World But It Turned On Me3.5
Urthboy The Signal3.5
Beatallica Sgt. Hetfield's Motorbreath Pub Band3.5
.hinge The Rise & Fall Of Living Great4.0
The latest album from this Melbourne based rock group only gets better with time. What may not strike as anything of note at first listen - whether it be a persistent groove or catchy melody - will surely make it's presence known when the album finally gets under the skin and works it's magic. Only the occasional filler track stops this alt-rock magnum opus from achieving truly excellent status. Still a great set of songs that comes highly recommended for fans of The Butterfly Effect or similar.
Symphony X Paradise Lost4.0
Eyefear A World Full of Grey3.0
Anterior This Age of Silence3.5
Dream Theater Systematic Chaos2.5
Powderfinger Dream Days At The Hotel Existence3.0
Akercocke Antichrist4.0
Black Rebel Motorcycle Club Baby 811.0
Caliban The Awakening2.0
Be'lakor The Frail Tide3.5
Dark Tranquillity Fiction3.5
A solid release that proves to be as consistent as it is unspectacular. A few more catchy numbers and this may have entirely lived up to the hype. As it stands, Empty Me and Focus Shift remain my personal favourite cuts, and I'll certainly look to add some more Dark Tranquility to my collection - provided it's not quite full price.
Porcupine Tree Fear of a Blank Planet4.5
Dead Letter Circus Dead Letter Circus4.5
Personally, the most exciting scene in Australian music at the moment would certainly have to be Alternative Rock, which has seen and is seeing the emergence of acts such as Butterfly Effect, Cog, Karnivool and recently Dead Letter Circus. To say this EP shows potential would simply be unfair, as it far exceeds the expectations one would have of such an early release. Every song brims with a confidence and style that makes every sweet melody and climactic high just that much more breathtaking, while also being brilliantly structured yet highly accessible.
Lines, Are We Closer? and Alien stand out, but then again so does the whole thing. Seek this out for a real treat, and also to jump on the growing bandwagon. You won't regret it.
Silverchair Young Modern3.0
Mammal Mammal4.0
Type O Negative Dead Again3.5
Trial Kennedy New Manic Art4.0
The Trial Kennedy's New Manic Art is one of the best Australian rock albums of the year. Simply catchy and amusingly whimsical in execution (the childlike vocals on single Colour Day Tours are cute and unexpected), this debut from a promising alt rock act should have flown a little higher over the radar upon release, yet unfortunately hasn't. Should we really expect such classy taste from the masses? Highly recommended for fans of catchy pop rock with an alternative twist.
neath The Spiders Sleep4.5
With The Spiders Sleep, Brisbane band 'neath have delivered a progressive death metal LP that's anonymity beggars belief. With death vocals that sound eerily similar to famed Opeth frontman Mikael Akerfeldt (and very nearly match in quality), and crunching riffs that deliver mostly on a purely primal level, 'neath have created an exciting piece of Australian metal that deserves attention. From the opening, thunderous moments of When the Birds Lie Dead to the truly epic soundscapes of closer Blank Identity Crisis, this promising act have created a highly consistent debut album that deserves to stand among the world's best in the genre.

2006
The Beatles Love4.0
Wow. This is simply amazing. They changed enough without destroying what made the material great in the first place. Too many favourite tracks to mention, but I will urge you to listen to the renewed Within You, Without You with the added percussion from Tomorrow Never Knows. Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds is a little bolder, and Get Back is oddly groovier than before aswell.
Overall, the best Beatles mix tape ever!
Andrew Morris Valleys4.0
The Killers Sam's Town3.0
Mastodon Blood Mountain2.5
Audioslave Revelations3.5
Iron Maiden A Matter of Life and Death2.5
Muse Black Holes & Revelations3.5
Strapping Young Lad The New Black3.0
Eskimo Joe Black Fingernails, Red Wine4.0
Anarion Unbroken1.5
After hearing opening track New Eyes, Old Lies on the radio, I was fairly impressed and sought out the record. A lot of metal doesn't blow me away, and this CD's much the same. As album's go, this truly is nothing spectacular.
The drumming's great, and some of the riffs are quite nice, but the unimaginative solos and frequently awful lyrics makes this CD rather forgettable. And the less said about bonus track Over The Wall, the better.
Red Hot Chili Peppers Stadium Arcadium2.5
The Herd Sun Never Sets3.5
David Gilmour On An Island3.0
The Living End State Of Emergency4.0
DragonForce Inhuman Rampage2.0

2005
Ko Otani Shadow of the Colossus: Roar of the Earth3.5
Eleventh He Reaches London The Good Fight For Harmony4.0
System of a Down Hypnotize2.5
Grinspoon Best in show3.0
Robbie Williams Intensive Care3.0
Wolfmother Wolfmother3.0
Bernard Fanning Tea & Sympathy4.5
Contrive The Meaning Unseen4.0
Lano & Woodley Sing Songs4.0
Soundtrack (Film) Rent4.0
The Presets Beams2.0
Protest the Hero Kezia4.0
Opeth Ghost Reveries3.0
Nevermore This Godless Endeavor4.0
Pendulum Hold Your Colour3.0
Full Scale Revolution Full Scale3.0
Drag The Way Out3.0
A Life Once Lost Hunter2.0
Coldplay X&Y3.5
Dream Theater Octavarium3.0
Audioslave Out of Exile1.5
System of a Down Mezmerize3.5
Porcupine Tree Deadwing4.5
Cog The New Normal3.0
Strapping Young Lad Alien3.0
Kamelot The Black Halo4.0
Powderfinger Fingerprints: Best of 1994-20004.5

2004
Eminem Encore1.5
Nightwish Once3.5
Powderfinger These Days: Live in Concert4.0
Eskimo Joe A Song Is A City3.0
The Dissociatives The Dissociatives4.0
Franz Ferdinand Franz Ferdinand4.0
Incubus (USA-CA) A Crow Left of the Murder...1.5
Beatallica Beatallica4.0

2003
Red Hot Chili Peppers Greatest Hits4.0
Dream Theater Train of Thought5.0
R.E.M. In Time: The Best of R.E.M. 1988-20033.0
The Cat Empire The Cat Empire3.5
Jet Get Born2.0
Obie Trice Cheers4.0
Hilltop Hoods The Calling3.5
The Mars Volta De-Loused in the Comatorium3.0
Alchemist Austral Alien3.0
Metallica St. Anger3.0
Electric Six Fire3.0
Ezekiel Ox Winter In Suburbia3.5
Opeth Damnation4.0
Katatonia Viva Emptiness4.0
50 Cent Get Rich or Die Tryin'3.0
Powderfinger Vulture Street5.0
Spineshank Self Destructive Pattern4.0
Bugdust Set To Snap4.0
Live Birds Of Pray1.0
The Dandy Warhols Welcome To The Monkey House2.5

2002
System of a Down Steal This Album!3.5
Robbie Williams Escapology2.0
Opeth Deliverance4.0
Various Artists (Hip Hop) 8 Mile OST2.0
Tonic Head On Straight3.5
Porcupine Tree In Absentia4.0
Coldplay A Rush of Blood to the Head4.5
Linkin Park Reanimation3.0
The Flaming Lips Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots2.5
Red Hot Chili Peppers By the Way4.0
Grinspoon New Detention2.0
Eminem The Eminem Show4.0
Millencolin Home From Home3.5
Led Zeppelin Early Days/Latter Days4.0
dredg El Cielo3.0
Silverchair Diorama4.5
I've had a Silverchair surge recently. I've always been partially into them, and am a long-time fan of Neon Ballroom, but it's only recently that I've decided to fully delve into the rest of their collection.
Needless to say, Daniel Johns is an amazing song-writing talent, and this album perfectly represents his prowess in the studio. I think all of their albums have something to offer, but I find Diorama to be something really special if you want a musical experience a little different, but still hard-rock at heart.
Favourite tracks are probably Across the Night, The Greatest View and The Lever. It's solid throughout though, and I'd recommend it entirely.
Dream Theater Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence3.5
U2 The Best Of 1990-20003.0

2001
Pink Floyd Echoes3.0
System of a Down Toxicity4.0
Nobuo Uematsu Final Fantasy X: Original Soundtrack3.0
Soundtrack (Film) Moulin Rouge! - Music From Baz Luhrmann's Film3.5
Eskimo Joe Girl3.0
Spineshank The Height of Callousness3.0
maudlin of the Well Bath2.0
Powderfinger Odyssey Number Five5.0
Staind Break The Cycle3.0
Sepultura Nation2.0
Opeth Blackwater Park4.0
Full Scale Revolution Symptoms of Chaos2.0

2000
Nobuo Uematsu FINAL FANTASY IX Original Soundtrack Plus4.0
Roger Waters In The Flesh4.0
Soundtrack (Film) O Brother, Where Art Thou?4.0
Breed 77 Breed 773.5
Linkin Park Hybrid Theory2.0
Apocalyptica Cult3.0
Nobuo Uematsu Final Fantasy IX: Original Soundtrack4.0
Robbie Williams Sing When You're Winning4.5
Coldplay Parachutes4.0
Deftones White Pony2.5
Iron Maiden Brave New World3.5
Eminem The Marshall Mathers LP4.0
Phoenix Down Under a Wild Sky1.5
Limp Bizkit Chocolate Starfish and the Hot Dog Flavored Water1.5

1999
Metallica S&M4.5
Dr. Dre 20012.0
Tonic Sugar2.5
Compared to the rather successful Lemon Parade which preceded it, Sugar is a truly unspectacular effort. Whereas their near-perfect debut delivered big rock anthems with sweet melodies and no filler, this is watered down commercial rock which fluctuates from mediocre to alright throughout.
To verify it's banality, one of the songs featured on the soundtrack for American Pie. Now you have an idea.
Foo Fighters There Is Nothing Left to Lose3.0
Dream Theater Metropolis Pt. 2: Scenes from a Memory4.5
Genesis Turn It On Again: The Hits3.5
Opeth Still Life4.5
Something For Kate Beautiful Sharks3.5
Red Hot Chili Peppers Californication3.5
Silverchair Neon Ballroom4.5
Eminem The Slim Shady LP4.5
Collective Soul Dosage1.5
Nevermore Dreaming Neon Black4.0
Rage Against the Machine The Battle of Los Angeles1.5
Porcupine Tree Stupid Dream4.0

1998
Metallica Garage Inc.3.0
Alanis Morissette Supposed Former Infatuation Junkie1.5
Phil Collins Hits4.0
Spineshank Strictly Diesel2.0
Didn't dig this that much. Best tracks are probably Detached and the surprisingly impressive cover of George Harrison's sacred While My Guitar Gently Weeps. Much prefer the following two albums, which kick some serious bee-hind.
Powderfinger Internationalist4.5
System of a Down System of a Down4.5
Massive Attack Mezzanine2.5
Econoline Crush The Devil You Know3.0
Neutral Milk Hotel In the Aeroplane Over the Sea4.0
The Living End The Living End4.5
U2 The Best Of 1980-19904.0

1997
Eminem The Slim Shady EP3.0
Metallica Reload3.0
Midnight Oil 20,000 Watt R.S.L4.5
Dream Theater Falling into Infinity2.0
Devin Townsend Ocean Machine: Biomech4.0
Third Eye Blind Third Eye Blind2.5
Live Secret Samadhi3.0
Strapping Young Lad City4.5
Regurgitator Unit3.0
Silverchair Freak Show2.5

1996
Eminem Infinite2.0
Tool Ænima4.0
Matchbox Twenty Yourself or Someone Like You4.0
Type O Negative October Rust4.0
Tonic Lemon Parade4.5
Crowded House Recurring Dream4.5
Powderfinger Double Allergic4.0
Metallica Load3.0
Amorphis Elegy4.0
Richard Wright Broken China2.0
Katatonia Brave Murder Day4.0

1995
Down NOLA4.0
Red Hot Chili Peppers One Hot Minute2.0
Blind Melon Soup4.0
Ben Folds Five Ben Folds Five4.0
Powderfinger Mr Kneebone3.0
This third EP by Australian rock veterans Powderfinger was the straw that broke the camel's back, as far as their management was concerned. After slow sales for their debut album Parables for Wooden Ears - which was let down by convoluted and ultimately poor songwriting - Mr. Kneebone was released and did little to deviate from what the LP had to offer. The stuttering song structures and sludgy production found here was enough for the band's management to sit them down and tell them to write shorter, catchier songs. A year later they released the Alt Rock masterpiece Double Allergic, which effectively launched Powderfinger into the echelons of Australian rock royalty for the next decade. Thank goodness for that.
Silverchair Frogstomp3.0
Pink Floyd Pulse — The Film4.5
Pink Floyd Pulse4.0
Alanis Morissette Jagged Little Pill4.0

1994
Powderfinger Parables for Wooden Ears3.5
Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds Let Love In4.0
Nas Illmatic4.0
Pink Floyd The Division Bell4.5
Soundgarden Superunknown2.5
Katatonia For Funerals to Come...3.0

1993
Wu-Tang Clan Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers)3.5
Powderfinger Transfusion4.0
Prior to the release of their debut album Parables for Wooden Ears, Australian rock veterans Powderfinger
created two EP's steeped heavily in the swampish style their influences also shared. Transfusion walks a fine line
between bluegrass and grunge, and rarely falters providing the two. Killer opening track Reap What You Sow
sounds like a strange melding of Neil Young and Soundgarden, while the soulful epic Blind to Reason
highlights Fanning's striking, raspy voice that would soon mature into one of the most recognizable the country
would ever produce. The grunge in their sound mostly dominates on the eventual LP, which is a real shame
considering the awesome combination of styles here.
Dream Theater Live at the Marquee3.0

1992
Rage Against the Machine Rage Against the Machine4.0
R.E.M. Automatic for the People3.0
Blind Melon Blind Melon2.5
Roger Waters Amused to Death4.0
Powderfinger Powderfinger (The Blue EP)4.0
Powderfinger's first ever release proves to be predictably dark, yet ultimately charming. The melodies are sweet, the chord progressions are familiar, and everything is presented in a tight, youthful presentation that will move you on either end of the emotional spectrum. Opener Take a Light immediately seems grunge, yet there's a subtle southern influence certainly playing it's hand here and throughout the record. Perhaps it's the playful harmonica and ramshackle piano in the gorgeous Freedom? Perhaps it's the almost hymn-like vocals and acoustic guitars of highlight Save Your Skin? Or maybe it's just Fanning's slight southern-American drawl, which he thankfully drops entirely on later releases? All I know is that Powderfinger were obviously capable of producing simple gold before they're much gloomier grunge-oriented releases.
Dream Theater Images and Words5.0
Tool Opiate3.5

1991
Jimmy Barnes Soul Deep4.0
Red Hot Chili Peppers Blood Sugar Sex Magik3.5
Nirvana Nevermind2.5
Metallica Metallica4.0
Crowded House Woodface3.5
Cold Chisel Chisel4.5

1990
Jimmy Barnes Two Fires3.5

1989
Ian Moss Matchbook2.5

1988
Pink Floyd Delicate Sound of Thunder3.5
Metallica ...And Justice for All4.5
Living Colour Vivid3.5

1987
INXS Kick4.0
Pink Floyd A Momentary Lapse of Reason3.0
Roger Waters Radio K.A.O.S.3.5
Roger Waters' second solo effort is flawed conceptually and hard to swallow occasionally, due to its overuse of now tired eighties production and corny synths. However, as usual his wonderful lyrics and songwriting talents save Radio K.A.O.S from falling through the cracks that so many dodgy solo albums have fallen through before.
Hunters and Collectors Living Daylight3.5

1986
John Farnham Whispering Jack3.0
The production on John Farnham's most famous album has aged badly, but there's no denying its wealth of singles and - of course - the great voice himself. A number of fillers spoil proceedings but Whispering Jack still stands as a pure, archetypal product of the mid-eighties Australian pop scene.
The Smiths The Queen Is Dead3.5
Hunters and Collectors Human Frailty4.0
Metallica Master of Puppets4.0

1985
Jimmy Barnes For the Working Class Man2.5
INXS Listen Like Thieves3.0
Talking Heads Little Creatures3.5
Strawberry Switchblade Strawberry Switchblade3.0

1984
Iron Maiden Powerslave4.5
Metallica Ride the Lightning4.5
Cold Chisel Twentieth Century3.0
Echo and The Bunnymen Ocean Rain3.5

1983
Metallica Kill 'Em All3.5
New Order Power, Corruption and Lies3.0
Pink Floyd The Final Cut4.5

1982
Icehouse Primitive Man2.5
Iron Maiden The Number of the Beast4.0
Midnight Oil 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 13.5

1981
Pink Floyd A Collection of Great Dance Songs2.5
King Crimson Discipline3.0

1980
Talking Heads Remain in Light4.5
Cold Chisel East4.5
1979
Pink Floyd The Wall5.0
Gary Numan The Pleasure Principle3.5

1977
Fleetwood Mac Rumours4.0
Pink Floyd Animals5.0

1976
Creedence Clearwater Revival Chronicle, Vol. 14.0

1975
Brian Eno Discreet Music4.0
Pink Floyd Wish You Were Here4.5

1973
Black Sabbath Sabbath Bloody Sabbath3.0
Led Zeppelin Houses of the Holy3.5
Pink Floyd The Dark Side of the Moon4.5

1972
Pink Floyd Obscured by Clouds2.5
Neil Young Harvest3.5

1971
Pink Floyd Meddle4.0
What you get with this record, is two diametrically opposed styles of Pink Floyd's sound. At one end, we have the simplistc blues and swagger of the likes of Fearless, Seamus and Roger's delightful San Tropez. The other sees the band move into the more atmospheric style they would stick with until the late 70's, with epic Echoes and brilliant opener One Of These Days giving hints at what was to come.
This meshing of styles shouldn't work, but with a little patience it eventually does.
Pink Floyd Relics3.0

1970
Syd Barrett Barrett4.0
Syd Barrett The Madcap Laughs4.0
1969
The Beatles Abbey Road5.0

1968
Pink Floyd A Saucerful of Secrets2.0

1967
Pink Floyd The Piper at the Gates of Dawn3.5
The Beatles Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band4.0

1966
The Beatles Revolver3.5

1725
Antonio Vivaldi The Four Seasons2.0
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