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User
Reviews 123
Approval 95%
Soundoffs 238
News Articles 11
Band Edits + Tags 250
Album Edits 1,484
Album Ratings 0
Last Active 12-23-19 9:27 pm
Joined 09-16-14
Review Comments 22,503
| November 2017 resumé
It's another month, it's another batch of listenings. I was not as lazy this time around as I was the two or three months preceeding this one, but this is still a rather small amount of finished records... eh | | 30 |  | Greta Van Fleet
From the Fires
This band's instrumental finesse is impeccable. Their songwriting skills still need to get better. 6/10
A Change Is Gonna Come, Highway Tune | | 29 |  | Утро
Третий альбом
Rostovian Ruskies with a magnetic sound. I really enjoyed their debut, because it was one of the few modern albums that really got that Goth/Post-Punk of the early 80s right. But this album continues the tendency I noticed on their second album already. It cleans the sound just a little bit each time and draws the music nearer to the usual Joy Divisionisms... or in this case more like Nautilus Pompiliusisms. It's a shame, but the album still has a lot of tricks up its sleeve, like the sudden instrumental additions you really won't expect, or the sound shifts. It's quite impressive still. 7/10
Лечу, Мне снилось, что я спал, Царь | | 28 |  | Zao
Pyrrhic Victory
I really wanted to like this as much as their latest album, but the sound on this EP is just a little too compressed for me. It's a shame, but I just can't get into it as much. 6/10
Girld of Flowers and Stone, Feed It Pain | | 27 |  | Intervals
The Way Forward
My enjoyment of a randomly seen cover art misled me again. This time into depths of instrumentally mesmersing, structurally disorganised and songwritingly excruciating album of your typical wavy, tangling tiring Prog. Ugh. 5/10 (but points for the cover) | | 26 |  | Gatecreeper
Sweltering Madness
Nice duo of tracks. Nice instrumentation. NIce everything. It's nice. What else did you want me to tell you about two tracks? 7/10 | | 25 |  | Taake
Kong Vinter
BNM
This reaches from the most off-putting underproduced trash from the 80s or the 90s to the most off-putting underproduced treasure from today. I'm somewhat conflicted, but the sound is massive, engulfing and freezingly decapitating. God I love it. 8/10
Sverdets Vei, Inntrenger, Huset i Havet, Jernhaand, Fra Bjoergegrend mot Glemselen | | 24 |  | Stereophonics
Scream Above the Sounds
*possible review on the way*
Who would have guessed that Stereophonics will realease a solid album in 2017? There's a healthy portion of cheesy songwriting and lightweight catchiness on here. It doesn't try to be the band's magnum opus or even pretends to be a larger-than-life exploit. It's just that, fun new album from a fun old band. 7/10
Taken a Tumble, What's All the Fuss About?, Chances Are | | 23 |  | Shed Seven
Instant Pleasures
*possible review on the way*
Similar to Stereophonics in how surprising and surprisingly solid it was, but Shed Seven actually go out of their way to actually proclaim loudly and proudly that this album is more than just a fun endeavour. They managed to sound simultaneously similar to their usual early stuff and also triumphant and explosive. The tunes and choruses maybe aren't as catchy or memorable as they build up to be or even sound like they probably should be, but in spite of that this album was certainly an entertaining ride of tuneful sounds and playful instrumentation. Shed Seven are actually solid. Strangeness is all around us. 7/10
Room in My House, Victoria, Butterfly on a Wheel, People Will Talk | | 22 |  | The Corrs
Jupiter Calling
Jesus, if Dexys Midnight Runners make a return as well this year, we'll have a full package... 6/10 | | 21 |  | Teen Daze
Themes for a New Earth
I fairly certainly hated their previous exploration into tedious dreamy ambiance and this follow-up does equal amount of nothing to change my stance on this. I don't like this. 5/10 | | 20 |  | Ulver
Sic Transit Gloria Mundi
I mean, this EP gets points from me just for having Francis Bacon on the cover. The music's fine as well, I guess. 6/10
The Power of Love | | 19 |  | Causa Sui
Vibraciones Doradas
Causa Sui already established themselves as one of the most solid, cohesive and consistent instrumental Psych project out there. This is just another great offering in their catalogue. Nothing more to say here, it's just great. 7/10 | | 18 |  | Krallice
Go Be Forgotten
It's been a while that I've enjoyed a Krallice record. I have deemed their sound to turn rather stale as of late, but here it seemed like they were going back to basics. And while that is true, their songwriting got much dimmer and exhausting. This is a tough record to sit through and while I admire the band's dedication to experiment, I find this to be maybe even more unbearable than the rest of their recent material. Sorry. 5/10 | | 17 |  | Ghost Atlas
All Is In Sync, and There's Nothing Left to Sing
Surprisingly enough, I did not hate this, although was absolutely prepared to. I usually stay away from this kind of whiny Post-Hardcore as if it were a plague. But the ambient cover and what I can only assume is my own morbid curiosity, because I couldn't have been rational thinking, made me listen to this. It is not off-putting, but just as I suspected, there is barely a resemblence of outstanding musicianship. It just rehashes the usual sound and tries to engross with the bombastic music, but in the end comes off mostly just overblown, repetative and somewhat obnoxious. It's a rather dreary experience, but still not one to leave wounds. 6/10
Legs, Badlands | | 16 |  | Moonspell
1755
Wannabe epic, but really just overblown and obnoxious. 5/10 | | 15 |  | Quicksand
Interiors
Not really worth the hype. I felt like this is a standard Hard-ish Rockisms with really bad guitar solos and riffs. Boring all throughout. But the cover is nice. 5/10
Cosmonauts | | 14 |  | Baths
Romaplasm
What I learnt listening to this is that, first, I don't like it, and second, I have a tic in my head because of the fucking beats on this. 4/10 | | 13 |  | Dan Terminus
Automated Refrains
Full disclosure, I only listened to this because of the album. I actually do it a lot, picking up albums based on their cover and then realising they're shit... or prog. This is a decent, if exhausting, Electronica. It overstays its welcome and is somewhat tiring, but also has a handful of decent moments. 6/10 | | 12 |  | Walk the Moon
What If Nothing
Overcompressed, bloated, but sirprisingly easy to get through. It is annoying and I had to make rather large leaps of time between the two listens I made, but I can't say I hated it. It's just drab at best. 5/10 | | 11 |  | Bjork
Utopia
I'm really sorry, I just can't get into this. Her weirdness is this time rather boring than bewildering. Song after song I naively expect it to pick up, but it just goes on in its usual off-colour tempo and naturally odd beat. But never any excitement. I know that I should be more patient with it, but listen after listen it just does nothing for me. Sorry. 6/10
The Gate, Claimstaker, Paradisa, Saint | | 10 |  | In Flames
Down, Wicked and No Good
From the moment I saw the negative reaction I knew I was going to enjoy this at least a little bit. And I did. Either the world is filled with idiots that idolise a worthless band and detest them when they get better, or the problem is in me. Statistics don't lie, so I'll go now subject myself to a mental instirution. It's been nice knowing you, lads. 6/10 | | 9 |  | Audn
Farvegir Fyrndar
When Audn's first record came out, it caught my interest for two reasons: first, I just like Black Metal; second, a source recommending them to me mistakenly called them Faroese. But I don't regret listening to them. Their debut was a longing, brooding endeavour with nice vocals and a lot of personality and originality to it. And their sophomore album now delivers pretty much just about the same. It's really well executed and fun all throughout. No complains, except maybe that it felt a little dragging at times. 7/10
Veröld Hulin, Ljösaslaedur, Eilífar Naetur | | 8 |  | Taylor Swift
Reputation
This is godawful. I'm serious. I never liked Taylor to begin with, but this is simply unbearably produced, idiotically written and boringly executed. There is not a single highlight on here... focken' el, mate. 3/10 | | 7 |  | Converge
The Dusk in Us
BNM
Converge is not a simple band, or an easy to listen to. Their natural sense of gloom and despair is riveting and their musical talent undeniable. At this point, I just grew accustomed to expect a monolithic release and The Dusk in Us doesn't disappoint. It may not have as big an emotional impact as All We Love We Leave Behind, musical transcendancy as Jane Doe or an energetic blast as You Fail Me, but it is just as solid as one could expect, mixing the magnetic, shredding shorter tunes with the prolonged hellish eargasms. It's a damn good record, don't you doubt it. 8/10
A Single Tear, Eye of the Quarrel, Under Duress, Reptilian | | 6 |  | King Gizzard and The Lizard Wizard
Polygondwanaland
King Gizzard released their mildest, most temperamental, calmest and smoothest album to date. Polygondwanaland is not particularly twisted like Flying Microtonal Banana, adventurous like Murder of the Universe or blissful like Sketches of Brunswick East (yeah, I'm trying to remember only the good stuff about those albums), but it is one of the most consistent and straightforward album they've made. The songwriting on this album is one of the most heavenly and skincrawling of all the Gizzard's discography. On the other hand, this unconventional for the band straightforwardness does end up a little tiring in the end, sounding a tad samey all the time and barely ever evoking anything near adventurous. Nevertheless, I do believe this to be the strongest of their 2017 albums. 7/10
Crumbling Castle, Polygondwanaland, Inner Cell, Tetrachromacy | | 5 |  | Count to Altek
She Will Fly With You Forever
https://www.sputnikmusic.com/review/75510/Count-to-Altek-She-Will-Fly-With-You-Forever/
This caught me by surprise, especially considering how constantly disappointing was Count to Altek's (and Millicent Waffles, really) previous material. This is no saving grace, but it is a damn unexpectedly bewildering release of free jazz extravaganza. Kudos. 6/10
Love for Galileo, Atop the Ceremony, Aeolus | | 4 |  | Husker Du
Savage Young Dü
*review on the way*
A collection of disorganised, badly recorded, shitty shit versions of all sorts of known and unknown songs from live shows, rehearsals, demo sessions and just recorded on a whim with no intent at the end... good fucking lord, I miss this band. 7/10 | | 3 |  | The The
Radio Cineola: Trilogy
https://www.sputnikmusic.com/review/75259/The-The-Radio-Cineola-Trilogy/
First off, THE THE ARE BACK!!!! Second, I'll wait for the actual album Matt Johnson is no doubt brewing up... 5/10 | | 2 |  | Trisomie 21
Elegance Never Dies
https://www.sputnikmusic.com/review/75349/Trisomie-21-Elegance-Never-Dies/
The unsung legends of Coldwave are back with an alum that perfectly encapsulates their stylistic transitions and changes over the decades they've been around. The music is justa as the title suggests, elegant. And it reaches the states such as engulfing, engrossing, gentle, subtle, grandiose, explosive, building, patient, caressing, longing, dismal, dizzying and cosmic. It's a journey. It's a must, just because of the band's status at this point. 7/10
Where Men Sit, No Man Can Imagine, Is Anybody Home? (Pt. 5), Over the Noisy Keys, Tender Now, Alice | | 1 |  | Death of Lovers
The Acrobat
https://www.sputnikmusic.com/review/75418/Death-of-Lovers-The-Acrobat/
Death of Lovers changed up the promising darkness of their debut EP to a washed out tenderness on The Acrobat. It's somewhat disappointing and unexciting. It is short, but feels like it is going on forever. There is little to no cohesion between the tracks and even individually they are rather drab. Still, the band pulls a few punches and has a handful of nice surprises up their sleeve. But this is an off-grower. 6/10
Ursula in B Major, Quai d'Orsay, The Absolute | |
Papa Universe
12.01.17 | godfuckingdammit i deleted the whole fucking thing and now i'll have to start over sonofacuntingbitch fuck!
hang on, i've got other shit to do now, finishing this list'll have to wait
bloody hell | Relinquished
12.01.17 | lol | TheWrenKing
12.01.17 | the corrs lmao | DoofusWainwright
12.01.17 | Pretty much in agreement on the King Gizz, I’d rate it an 8 though, it’s not so overlong it outstays it’s welcome for me, find it tight enough | Papa Universe
12.01.17 | It's my fav of theirs this year and it does become an 8/10 sometimes.. depends on my mood, really. | DoofusWainwright
12.01.17 | Easily my fave of theirs this year, early on I even entertained a 9/10 or 4.5 Sput Rating...but it settled on the 8/10, maybe a low 8/10 (find out its placing among my 8/10 ratings on my AOTY list in two weeks time I guess).
I’ve listened to the album over fifteen times I think and always enjoyed it, that’s not bad going in a few weeks, though it’s dropped out of rotation now | Papa Universe
12.01.17 | I'm foreseeing a 20-25th place in your top. And 8/10 is 4.5 for me. And I do admit that tracks like Crumbling Castle or Inner Cell I've put on a playlist of Gizzard tracks that is playing on repeat (it's like a compilation of two to three best from each record). | Papa Universe
12.01.17 | funny thing, I rated that In Flames EP and raised its average... sorry, please don't kill me | Papa Universe
12.01.17 | all done | DoofusWainwright
12.01.17 | Over scoring Bjork based on your comments? Also...Shed Seven...Stereophonics...The Corrs? 6+ scores? Really? I consider you a harsh rater. | Papa Universe
12.01.17 | I have my tastes... I think my psychologist also told me I have ADHD and other mental disorder that limits my ability to accept reality, but I can't be sure, I wasn't really listening. | DoofusWainwright
12.01.17 | I trust you Unique - I might even check one of those three | Papa Universe
12.01.17 | iiiiii don't think that's a good idea... not for you anyway.. but do check 2 and 30 | Dewinged
12.01.17 | Nice list and picks Uni. The Corrs rule [: | Papa Universe
12.01.17 | no, you are nice | Dewinged
12.01.17 | No, I insist. | Papa Universe
12.01.17 | No, you rule |
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