is rlly lame

Album Rating: 4.5

Yep. Guy looks like a brachiosaurus straight up

Damn you aren't kidding.

Album Rating: 4.5

the first time I listened to ulcerate was on a boat at svalbard

Album Rating: 5.0

3rd best Ulcerate but still amazing

Album Rating: 5.0

cold becoming just absolutely raped live

the closing riffs are so fucking good

sounds good

1st bezt

Album Rating: 5.0

realistically its pretty far off from EIF

closer to shrines but still weaker compositionally

but while i say that its still a strong 4.5

I think it improves on EiF with the elongated songwriting in an amazing way

Probably the least-close to Shrines (aside from Fracture), this one is by faaaar their most open and spacious album, everything is given so much room to breathe, the ideas just have so much time to be explored and evolve. Shrines is too all over the place no ideas ever get explored.

For example, the opening riff on TDoA goes for over 2 minutes and 10 seconds and is explored as a composition in countless different ways within that two minutes, it's completely open ended and they all, as a band, approach that one riff from so many angles before bleeding into the next section.

The opening riff on Shrines is quite similar to the opening riff on TDoA (just with vastly different tones and production qualities, it sounds much weaker and "bonier", and doesn't really go anywhere), but they explore it for about 19 seconds before forgetting what the fuck they're doing and just randomly fluff about until about 2:24 when they kinda revisit the same idea but forget it again. It's a mess.

The more I actually think and talk about Shrines compositionally, the more I see its massive, gaping flaws. It's like the band has forgotten how to write music.

Album Rating: 5.0

I'm going to sleep but will chime in on your thoughts tomorrow since i love talking about this band

Album Rating: 4.5

Let's not get carried away lol. I definitely see what you mean about giving the compositions room to breathe. The opening sections on tracks like Beneath really accentuate the band's creativity.

I'm not getting carried away, but I fail to remember anything interesting or amazing about Shrines after listening to it like ten times now, but moments on Destroyers are so open-ended and wonderful to listen to because they're truly explored as compositional concepts. Shrines just feels like they're flexing their bullshit muscles to wank endlessly into the void.

Album Rating: 4.5

But Shrines has some incredibly well-constructed moments, especially the riffs on End of Hope

The only parts I stand by loving in Shrines are the really warm melodic moments that just stand out so much among all the other sections of nothingness

Album Rating: 5.0

Imma defend Chasm of Fire because that song is glorious. Otherwise you 5 Destroyers, you can do no wrong by me.

Album Rating: 4.5

I kinda see it as an apples to oranges type thing. I love the mood and slow-burn pacing of this album, but I also love the raw intensity of Shrines. They're both incredible records imo. I also don't see how someone can love one while hating the other.

I don't hate Shrines, I just think it's a poor direction they've headed in.