is it weird that I'd take the opener if I only had one pick from this?
Hunter, Bloodhail, I Don't Love, Earthmover and HFS (probs in that order) are also viable af though

Maybe a little strange out of context. Opener works perfectly as an introduction to this album in particular, though I'd be hard-pressed to say I loved it as a standalone track. The rest of the tracks you mention are great even in a total vacuum.
The fact that they also cohere into a big, thematic bombshell (thronged together by some of the loftier tracks like 'Son' and 'The Future' etc.) is what makes this album spectacular.

Album Rating: 5.0

Everyone sleeping on Hunter smh.

Album Rating: 4.5

Eh, one of my least favs on this easily. The drum loop starts to really wear on me after a couple minutes.

But even the worst songs on this are good.

Album Rating: 5.0

deep deep has always been my favorite which feels like a hot take

Album Rating: 4.5

Jesus Christ why is love so lonely

Album Rating: 3.5

deep deep is one of the best here for sure

Album Rating: 5.0

it has that good ole industrial vibe

Deep Deep is huge and Hunter is probably the best song here

I rarely see Deep Deep cited as someone's favorite, but I don't necessarily a hot take, either. As Johnny/Artuma said, it's a massive song, the most industrial-influenced one here, and if that's your vibe then it could easily be a contender for the best.
It's top half for me, for sure.

Album Rating: 4.0

Deep Deep has got to have one of the gnarliest bass tones ever (at least that my soft boi ears have ever head)

Some early Swans albums have filthy (heh) bass tones, to the extent that they almost don't even sound like bass guitars at all. But the one in Deep Deep is pretty gnarly, yeah.

Album Rating: 4.5

deep deep is one of a couple "song" songs in a sense that it could have been an 80s post-punk industrial track structure-wise, whereas many other tracks on this don't really have a conventional flow to them.



it's probably my most played off of this though, as i find it has more immediacy to it than others. dunno if i'd call it my fav but maybe



and yeah i find a lot of the bass i record for myself has that similar Big Black crunchy tone to it but it rarely contextually works as well as what Tim pulls off in that song

Album Rating: 4.5

this album sounds like 2020

Album Rating: 5.0

it sounds like forever, man

Album Rating: 5.0

The Big Gloom is 2020's theme song for sure.

Album Rating: 5.0

THE HUNTER DOES US ALL A GREAT SERVICE

Album Rating: 4.5

need to listen to this whole thing again soon now that i’m all black wing’d out

Album Rating: 5.0

gonna check the new one tonight when the sun's down and I have my headphones on and I'm fully prepared to a) be underwhelmed or b) taking to the edge of my emotional and rational understanding of the entire world by Dan fucking Barrett again

Album Rating: 4.5

New one has a couple bops