this band is so ass but it’s pointless hating on them now lol respect

Album Rating: 3.0

they are an [twirls mustache] acquired taste

Album Rating: 1.0

Indeed [swirls wine]

all of their post-reunion work is basically 3.0-tier to me

basically all of their pre-reunion stuff is great tho

Album Rating: 3.0

I cherish all three* Swans eras for entirely different reasons, and think they all scratch distinctive itches and capture very specific moods that no other albums can really muster. It's tough to say which of these eras I prefer over the other because imo they all set out to achieve something incomparable. That said, I understand why people have a very love/hate relationship with this band; a discography so diverse lends itself to this sort of alienation. But each of the eras has at least one masterpiece (FILTH, SOUNDTRACKS, TO BE KIND) and I can't really identify a truly "bad" album among any of them (closest would be THE BURNING WORLD, only because I think it's the least inspired overall).



*Early era (Filth - Holy Money)

*Mid era (Children of God - Soundtracks for the Blind)

*Reunion era (My Father - The Beggar)

They call it the mid era cuz it’s lowkey kinda mid

Album Rating: 3.0

I'll admit that the four-album run from THE BURNING WORLD through THE GREAT ANNIHILATOR might be my least favorite four-album run in their discog, which would imply that the mid-ear is an easy pick for least favorite era. But CHILDREN OF GOD, SOUNDTRACKS, and SWANS ARE DEAD are so good that those other four albums could be absolute dogshit (they're not) and mid-era would still have a leg in the race on the strength of those three alone.

Album Rating: 4.0

I actually prefer the 3 LP run from White Light… to The Great Annihilator (as a whole) to Soundtracks… from their mid-era. If I want to listen to gems from Soundtracks, I spin Swans Are Dead.

Album Rating: 4.0

Speaking of this period, one should not forget about Drainland, which is also amazing.

I've listened to this album 7 or 8 times all the way through.

I like this album more than Leaving Meaning but am still disappointed. On both The Beggar and Leaving Meaning, I find myself missing the explosiveness and the tension that leads to resolution. Even though earlier albums like To Be Kind and The Seer have really long songs, they feel like they're working toward some kind of crescendo. Lots of the songs on The Beggar feel more plodding and bloated, and unnecessarily long. Maybe it'll grow on me.

I like: The Beggar Lover, Michael Is Done, The Memorious, The Beggar
I'm indifferent to: Paradise Is Mine, Los Angeles, Ebbing, Why Can't I Have What I Want
I dislike: The Parasite, Unforming, No More of This

Album Rating: 1.0

this music is for 70 yr olds

honestly my two favorite releases by them might both be live work. "swans are dead" and "public castration" both rule hard

I want to meet a 70 yr old that jams Swans

id like to meet michael gira too

Album Rating: 3.7

Excuse me this is actually music for 69 year olds

Swans Are Dead and Public Castration are indeed goated. Hate for White Light is unacceptable

Album Rating: 3.0

I don't think with my current preferences and knowledge of music that I can comprehend or appreciate this album to it's fullest point. It's very dense and I honestly I can't imagine spending that much time listening to it over and over again because it's truthfully, not a very fun listen whatsoever. Still some good songs and interesting ideas but goddamn, two hours...that's just a bit overkill.

Album Rating: 3.0

Very unnecessary album

Seer - Glowing Man trilogy is a hard thing to follow but damn, I'm not vibing at all with the two latest LP's.

Album Rating: 4.0

The Glowing Man is extremely hard to top agreed

Album Rating: 3.0

I *ADORED* MFWGMUARTTS and The Seer when they came out but every album since has just felt like diminishing returns on the same sound. Sure, leaving meaning and this are slightly less abrasive than the four preceding, but every album since the Glowing Man has been harder and harder to get through. Every time I ask myself: “does the album need to be this long to say what it wants to say?” And the answer is invariably “no”.