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Last Active 12-23-19 9:27 pm
Joined 09-16-14
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| September 2018 resumé
Score guide: ask neekafat | | 1 |  | The Skull Eclipses
The Skull Eclipses
So this came out in March, but I have to talk about this and get people to listen to it. Botany and Lushlife on one bloody damn booming, but also ethereal record. Botany alone is decent, Lushlife alone is fantastic, together they are bloody incredible. This might as well be my hip-hop record of the year (tough fight between this and Hermit). Instantly memorable, catchy beyond comprehension and smoother than baby's ass. 9/10
P.S.: Special points for Murakami and Jodorowsky shoutouts. Pleasantly surprising.
All Fall, Angels Don't Mind, Take My, Encyclopedia, Gone, Gun Glitters, Pushing Up the Hills | | 2 |  | Dead Now
Dead Now
Yeah, this went about as good as it could have been. It's a typical, placid stoner hard rock. Nothing much to it, just heaviness and exhaustion. 5/10
Bird Leaf | | 3 |  | Arabrot
Who Do You Love
Another in a long line of Arabrot's mildly off-the-wall, cocky records of simultaneous gloom and adrenaline. This may not be their best or anything close to that, but certainly a worthwhile listen, if you like Arabrot or these heavy alternative-alternative rock oddities. 6/10
Maldoror's Love, Pygmalion, Look Daggers, Uniform of a Killer | | 4 |  | Satan
Cruel Magic
A solid dump of what metal used to be like (and still is among those stubborn types). It might lose on the song-writing side, but is energetic enough that it doesn't turn irritating. 6/10 | | 5 |  | low
Double Negative
Today in "That Thing People Like That Papa Can't Figure Out", we present an array of disarray and a masterpiece in piece-by-piece mastery or nonsense album that only makes sense when the brain is on low activity, so that it can process all that "energy". Double Negative? Yes. Minus and minus points. 5/10 | | 6 |  | Sextile
3
Another project of those typical not-that-typical darkwave endeavours, except also with an element of disappointment, as their full-lengths aren't that bad, really. 5/10
Paradox, Spun | | 7 |  | Toby Driver
They Are the Shield
Oh, look at Papa missing another significant milestone in Sputnik's culture, this album did very little to me. It's a drawn-out, uninteresting plight of violins that are, admittedly, pretty and soothing, but end up grating as the overblown length of the songs forces the violins to become the only real descriptor for the whole record. Song-writing-wise, a parade of nothing noteworthy; vocally, breathy and average; instrumentally, pleasantly ethereal and calming, but stretched out and tedious. It's a mess, really. 5/10 | | 8 |  | milo
Budding Ornithologists Are Weary Of Tired Analogie
Still missing the appeal, but starting to appreciate. 6/10 | | 9 |  | Entropia (PL)
Vacuum
A bloody travesty is what this is. A clanging, clattering, striking blackened doom metal that reaches some exhausting lengths, but never tires. It's a marvel to behold, an album of beatdowns and continuous, meticulous crushing, excpet not under some redundant heaviness, but under fun and exuberance of metal, baby! 8/10
Poison, Astral, Vacuum, Endure | | 10 |  | Spiritualized
And Nothing Hurt
While the rest of us are freaking out about the world's perils, Spiritualized are here to make us comfortable. A truly overwhelmingly soothing listen, even if the tunes tend to be explosive and emotionally expressive, it still strikes as a calming experience. 8/10
A Perfect Miracle, I'm Your Man, On the Sunshine, Damaged, The Prize, Sail on Through | | 11 |  | The Joy Formidable
AAARTH
Even though I actually enjoyed their last album, I cannot deny this to still be an improvement upon that release, in song-writing, instrumental arrangement and atosphere, this wins on all fronts. So, damn, credit where the credit's due. A song, a kicker, one after another. 8/10
Y Bluen Eira, The Wrong Side, Cicada (Land on Your Back), All in All, What For, Absence, Dance of the Lotus, You Can't Give Up | | 12 |  | Richard Swift
The Hex
The man who brought so much much-needed weirdness and goofiness to other people's music finally at last allowed himself some of that off-the-wall zany attitude. Every song on here feels like it is going to be some straightforward simplicity, but a buzzing sound here or an all-over-the-place (in a good way) production suddenly turns that on its knees. A brilliantly nuts release, masquerading as completely sane. And a perfect send-off to a great late musician. 8/10
Broken Finger Blues, Selfishmath, Dirty Jim, Wendy, Sister Song, Nancy, HZLWD, Sept20 | | 13 |  | The Black Queen
Infinite Games
As much as I'd love to, this just missed my head almost entirely. Some tunes are decent and the production is mostly decent, but overall it just did absolutely nothing for me. 5/10 | | 14 |  | Horrendous
Idol
A fucking atrocity! Yes! 8/10
Soothsayer, The Idolater, Divine Anhedonia, Devotion - Blood for Ink, Obulus | | 15 |  | An Autumn For Crippled Children
The Light of September
Congratulations, AAfCC, you've successfully regained your potential and relevance. Now to bring it to its full spin and we'll be cool. Too much mellow whine on here. 6/10
New Hope, Fragility, A New Day Has Come | | 16 |  | Clutch
Book of Bad Decisions
The kings of fun and games are back with an album of fun and games. You just need to relax to some blood-pumping rock every now and then. 7/10
Gimme the Keys, Spirit of '76, How to Shake Hands, In Walks Barbarella, Weird Times, Sonic Counselor, A Good Fire, H.B. is in Control | | 17 |  | Teleman
Family of Aliens
Teleman is one of those bands that is probably insufferable to anyone who finds Modest Mouse too soft. This is softness galore, nothing but pillowy, sparkly, tender, plush, blanket-wrapped kindness and careful happy-go-lucky niceness. I also pussy-out every now and then. 7/10
Family of Aliens, Cactus, Between the Rain, Somebody's Island, Fun Destruction | | 18 |  | Forn
Rites of Despair
Oh what a solid gutload of doom and gloom and whatnot. May be a little too draggy (doom tends to be), but solid still. 6/10 | | 19 |  | This Will Destroy You
New Others Part One
An okay piece. An okay song-writing. An okay arrangement and production. It's the very definition of absolutely basic cable post-rock sameness. 5/10 | | 20 |  | Crippled Black Phoenix
Great Escape
An improvement, I guess, but it still also drags on forever with nothing to really show for or justify the excruciating runtimes. 6/10 | | 21 |  | Guerilla Toss
Twisted Crystal
All things considered, I've decided against continuing my subscription to the Forgotten Delisional Futurism Theorists Magazine. Thank you. 6/10 | | 22 |  | Mutual Benefit
Thunder Follows the Light
Absolute calm and pleasantness. 7/10
New History, Shedding Skin, Come to Pass, Waves Breaking, No Dominion, Mountain's Shadow, Thunder Follows | | 23 |  | Lupe Fiasco
DROGAS Wave
You know, I might just have a problem with albums that go on for too long... I found myself enjoying this, but also being exhausted by the runtime and the inconsistency among the tracks sometimes. 6/10
Drogas, Gold vs the Right Things to Do, WAV Files, Haile Selassie, Alan Forever, XO, Cripple, Mural Jr. | | 24 |  | Ex-Isles
Luxury Mass
thanks to anatelier
What the atrocious cover art doesn't suggest is that this is a surprisingly dark atmosphere-builder. This definitely is far from a one-off listen kind of album. It requires patience and longing mood. It's a chilling, cold and crushing, brooding, bold and bitter. What a delight! 8/10
Arrival, Run to the Porcelain Hills, Fallen, Wednesday's Child, On the Linen on the Skin, The Visitor, Eye/Exile | | 25 |  | Advance Base
Animal Companionship
thanks to anatelier
This is very similar to Ex-Isles, but more lo-fi and pop-y. All-in-all just as pleasant. I just wish it went more dissonant and loud, as it did on the first track. 7/10
True Love Death Dream, Your Dog, You and Me and the Moon, Care | | 26 |  | UN
Sentiment
Should have known this was a trap the moment I saw that Bell Witch was in the recommended artists on their Bandcamp page. 6/10 | | 27 |  | Pig Destroyer
Head Cage
A beatdown like no other. No, wait, I was mistaken. It's a beatdown pretty much just like any other. 6/10 | | 28 |  | Mothers
Render Another Ugly Method
I have to admit, I fear I'll stop giving this band a chance, because there's just nothing about this album that grips me particularly. Their last one was kind of alright, but now I am just sort of discouraged from continuing on with them. 5/10 | | 29 |  | Paul McCartney
Egypt Station
...also someone I should have stopped caring about a long time ago. 5/10 | | 30 |  | St. Paul and The Broken Bones
Young Sick Camellia
Easily their strongest, funkiest, poppiest and most memorable effort yet. Its fingersnapping attitude might get a little cheeky and obnoxious sometimes, but the smoothness ofitall eventually prevails and the record ends up sounding incredibly fun and body-moving. 7/10
Convex, GotItBad, Apollo, LivWithoutU, Bruised Fruit | | 31 |  | Suede
The Blue Hour
Suede get slightly spooky and that goes perfectly in combination with their usual brand of britpop-ian alt-rock. It's refreshing to hear an actual quality radio rock record these days. It really is. It's catchy, fun and the flow is impeccable. No complaints and no regrets, when it comes to this record. 8/10
As One, Wastelands, Beyond the Outskirts, Cold Hands, Life in Golden, Tides, Don't Be Afraif If Nobody Loves You, Flytipping | | 32 |  | Yves Tumor
Safe in the Hands of Love
Tumour, indeed. 5/10 | | 33 |  | The Story So Far
Proper Dose
This might grow on me. I might eventually love it, but I tried it again and again and ended up in the same spot: I like it, but it can be much better, but it feels like something I will start loving in near future. 6/10 | | 34 |  | Metric
Art of Doubt
For a band universally either hated or loved, this album is kind of middle of the road, possibly the uniter of all sides into one: It's just fine. 6/10
Dark Saturday, Underline the Black, Risk, Holding Out | | 35 |  | Brockhampton
Iridescence
For a band universally either hated or loved, this album is kind of middle of the road, possibly the uniter of all sides into one: It's just fine. 6/10 [2]
Thug Life, Weight, San Marcos, Tonya | | 36 |  | Gazelle Twin
Pastoral
Sometimes I'm just not built for these weirdnesses. 6/10 | | 37 |  | Mudhoney
Digital Garbage
A somewhat disappointing release, mostly due to the song-writing forgettability, but since it is so deep into their career, I am glad it at least doesn't suck. 6/10 | | 38 |  | Vulcain
Vinyle
This, on the other hand, sucks. 4/10 | | 39 |  | Vreid
Lifehunger
A foresty Scandinavian black metal like we used to have, except with better production. Clashing guitars, murderous drumming, infectious satanic atmosphere. What's not to love? It's metal as it should be. 8/10
One Hundred Years, Lifehunger, Black Rites in the Black Nights, Sokrates Must Die, Heimatt | | 40 |  | All Them Witches
ATW
An exhausting, tiring, exhilarating and dizzying experience. Psych as it should be. Fucking headspins! 7/10 | | 41 |  | Marissa Nadler
For My Crimes
It is an odd thing that I should love this by all logical means, but there is just something that pushes me off of it. It might be the slight sameness, but then again, I've heard more samey albums that I loved. It may be her slightly whiny voice, but I also liked or tolerated it before. It might be the forgettable song-writing, but that is not entirely the focus of the record. I don't know. I just feel slighty sleepy listening to this. 6/10 | | 42 |  | Cypress Hill
Elephants On Acid
This was predictible. 5/10 | | 43 |  | Riverside
Wasteland
My goodness, what a dreadful record. Vocals that do not fit at all, forgettable song-writing, awkward production and all-over-the-place atmosphere. I am left wondering, what is it that appeals to people. I suppose, it's the actually occasionally impressive instrumentation. But all that is trampled by the insufferably flat, boring production that - especially on drums - makes the thing sound like some drum machine synthesiser pre-set tune. What a boring, excruciating release. Wasteland indeed. 3/10 | | 44 |  | Tim Hecker
Konoyo
In doing two things at once, trying to understand ambient music and Tim Hecker, I found myself failing at both. Ambient music, I am already convinced, can be quite charging and moving. Tim Hecker's ambient music can be tiring and overbearing. Even as a background music, I found it distracting. 5/10 | | 45 |  | Pinegrove
Skylight
oh look, that band I don't like. yeah, they're still vapid and timid. 4/10 | | 46 |  | Emma Ruth Rundle
On Dark Horses
thanks to Dewinged
Somehow I did not find this all that pleasurable. She felt half-present and awkward and I found myself forgetting the sound and melodies very quickly. It was a good time to a certain extent while it lasted, but barely to justify repeat listens. 6/10 | | 47 |  | mewithoutYou
[Untitled]
So this is the Sputnik collective hard-on 2018, huh? And you know what? I liked it. It's a harsher and more consistent Jeff Rosenstock, it's ballsier Foxing and it is also one of the few post-hardcore releases this year that were not insufferable. A testament that you can do it too, literally-everyone-else. It has its low moments, it goes a tad whiny every now and then, but the overwhelming energy and blood-pumping song-writing just keeps your mind away from that. 7/10
9:27a.m. 7/29, Another Head for Hydra, Winter Solstice, 2459 Miles, Wendy and Betsy | |
Papa Universe
10.01.18 | the rest in a bit | BlazinBlitzer
10.01.18 | Yeah, I even really like Toby Driver but I guess I'm just not hearing what others are hearing in his new album. It's much better than Madonnabore, sure, but the only song on here I truly enjoy is "Scaffold of Digital Snow". It's another one out of, like, ten albums I've missed the Sputnik hype train for this year. | Lucman
10.01.18 | Uni, you awesome fella, 11 is so, so good. I'm trying to get more people on it because I think it's a potential sput hit. | Papa Universe
10.01.18 | I was one of the only ones who actually enjoyed their previous album. | anat
10.01.18 | i wrote a scathing review of joy formidable's last but will give this new one a good listen.
try: advance base - animal companionship
ex-isles - luxury mass | Papa Universe
10.01.18 | will do | Sniff
10.02.18 | New Entropia :O | Dewinged
10.02.18 | Oh my man 20 is so good. Emma Ruth Rundle incoming? | Papa Universe
10.02.18 | Aight | Dewinged
10.02.18 | Nice! | Papa Universe
10.02.18 | coming up with things to write is really hard, folks | Papa Universe
10.02.18 | all finished | BlazinBlitzer
10.03.18 | The negative reviews are hilarious. I have some pretty good expectations for that mewithoutyou record so hopefully it's good. | ZombieToyDuck
10.03.18 | does that mean you will FINALLY listen to ten stories?? | Papa Universe
10.03.18 | to what? | Papa Universe
10.03.18 | oh, right, yeah | Papa Universe
10.03.18 | might as well listen later today | SandwichBubble
10.03.18 | New low album is garbage, agreed | Papa Universe
10.03.18 | can't say it's garbage, but I wouldn't grace my dinner (turn)table with it either | anat
10.04.18 | saving the best til last papi? | Papa Universe
10.04.18 | oh yeah, forgot about that.
gimme like two or so days | Papa Universe
10.05.18 | just a reminder that St. Paul's Apollo is one of the best songs of the year | anat
10.09.18 | got round to mine yet? | Papa Universe
10.09.18 | Need more listens on Ex-Isles, but yes. | anat
10.09.18 | looking forward to your verdicts | Papa Universe
10.11.18 | here ya hav'em | anat
10.11.18 | oh you’ve warmed me to the core! | Papa Universe
10.11.18 | you've warmed me (or froze... not really sure) |
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