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Staff
Reviews 260
Soundoffs 177
News Articles 6
Band Edits + Tags 3,765
Album Edits 1,039
Album Ratings 7536
Objectivity 66%
Last Active 09-10-19 6:24 pm
Joined 03-11-08
Review Comments 116,209
| BEST USER REVIEWS: AUGUST 2025
Annnnnd we're back with another edition of our best user reviews for August! | | 1 |  | The Armed
The Future Is Here and Everything Needs to Be...
"A couple of years after Ultrapop, they were faced with the impossible task: the follow-up to that album. Would it surpass it in quality? Would they continue advancing and developing that sound? Sadly, the answer to both questions was no. That doesn’t mean Perfect Saviours wasn’t a competent album—it sure was. It just wasn’t what the fans wanted, and with The Future Is Here…, it seems like it wasn’t exactly what the band wanted either."
-Lasssie | | 2 |  | The Orchestra (For Now)
Plan 75
"From the very beginning of “Plan 75”, the somber pluckings of the guitar preceding the equally morose string arrangements set the tone for the entire journey into the band’s life in modern London. “Escape From New York” weaves in and out of lightly hummed and spoken vocals over tense cymbal crashes and orchestral spiccatos. As the tempo changes, singer Joseph Scarisbrick’s intensity matches as his melancholic croons and belts turn to exasperated yells by the end of the track."
-RVAHC13 | | 3 |  | Scarab (USA)
Burn After Listening
"Eight tracks, thirteen minutes which is power-violence levels of ***ery (Todd from NAILS has a feature on Ugly). SCARAB sprinkle solos, breakdowns, and riffs that would spark fist fights from drunken white kids at a house party due to their sheer insanity throughout. Mullens lyrics are a type of twisted anti-empathetic commentary on the everyday bull*** that makes you want to rage."
-BlackLlama | | 4 |  | The Ambersons
Winter Songs Act I
"Despite their stated musical influences, Winter Songs Act I skews closer to Aimee Mann’s indie-rock affections, at least based on first impressions; consistently warm in atmosphere and instrumentally dense, each of the seven songs on the record stretch their grooves and melodies rather than provide quick punches or pops, as one would expect from a project consisting of live material. Winter Songs Act I is less of a showcase of immediately arresting songs and more of a confirmation of how synergic the band is: from Midge Fairnington’s clear vocal cadences down to Rick McLaughlin’s drum work, the actual musicianship showcased here is impressive and it doesn’t take long to realize it."
-PanosChris | | 5 |  | Dreamwake
The Lost Years
"The lead guitar work is really the outstanding element here and separates Dreamwake from most of their contemporaries even if you choose to strip away the 80s synthwave motif. There are lots of progressive elements in terms of altering tempos and syncopated rhythms that can the found particularly in heavier tracks like Oasis, Supernova and Static Haze. The latter includes a tip of the hat to Invent Animate with the spacey ambience of the final breakdown."
-sspedding | | 6 |  | Amaarae
Black Star
"Lead single “S.M.O.” is the apex of everything Amaarae has set out to achieve. She glides over the futuristic production like a robotic sex siren, and both the beat and vocal melodies unfurl multiple layers over a 4 and a half-minute runtime – it’s unpredictable, provocative, and like no pop music you’ve heard before. Black Star’s overall grooviness and danceability matches its lead single, and while Amaarae’s chipmunk-like vocals might be an acquired taste, for me they perfectly compliment the iciness of the apocalyptic production."
-brandontaylor | | 7 |  | Ninajirachi
I Love My Computer
"In fact, the experience of the album feels a lot like a club set. The tracks flow so seamlessly together that they feel more like a medley than individuals, and this is also seen in how some of the same vocal motifs appear in multiple songs, as if to recall a memory or hint at something to come. Hooks and melodies are present, and are always instantly memorable, but they’re more like guideposts than centerpieces."
-cylinder | | 8 |  | Attack Attack!
Attack Attack! II
"While time has been quite forgiving to their pre-breakup albums, especially Someday Came Suddenly (although This Means War deserves just as much credit for literally being proto-Beartooth), the reaction to their material following their surprise reunion in 2020 has been...underwhelming, to say the least, with many feeling as if they were shedding the crabbiness that made them the arguable innovators of what would become electronicore in favor of the generic pop-core that seemingly every band is doing."
-Valzentia | | 9 |  | Orbit Culture
Rasen
"It took only a minute of “Sun of All” to inject a new brand of savagery in my veins, a substance I didn’t know existed. An ultra modern death metal variant, equal parts groove and precision with one hell of a breakdown and late switch up of vocal styles. Also crucial to my tastes, it sat heavy with sinister synths and was offered up with razor sharp mixing. A perfect metal song."
-Muzz79 | | 10 |  | Chevelle
Bright as Blasphemy
"Admittedly, though, the songs are laser focused in terms of songwriting and intent. The album continues the trend of having melodic hard rock songs akin to NIRATIAS, but with a heavier and grittier edge this time of around. And fortunately, this is where the band feels the strongest. "Pale Horse" kicks off the album pretty nicely, reminiscent of epic melodic heavy tunes such as "So Long, Mother Earth" or "Self Destructor". "Wolves (Love & Light)" is my personal highlight, feeling like an invigorated "Piñata" from Hats off to the Bull."
-bananatossing | | 11 |  | Panopticon
Laurentian Blue
"And now, a new chapter. Until now, Panopticon has gazed beyond metal and conversed beyond its rimed border but never fully placed both feet beyond that frontier. Laurentian Blue is the moment when Austin Lunn does exactly that. It is an album that commits wholly to the folk and Americana threads that have always been present in the Panopticon of lore, but here they are not interludes or companions—they are the tale itself."
-Celestinaught | | 12 |  | Scalp
Not Worthy Of Human Compassion
"Scalp’s sound is raw and filthy. Guitars are drenched in distortion, and the vocals are spat out with throat-ripping intensity, mostly mid-range shouts similar to Nails, mixed with growls reminiscent of Cannibal Corpse. It’s not theatrical, not polished, just hostile and real. The record also makes use of samples here and there, adding a bit of breathing space or tension between all the violence, but never slowing things down too much or feeling forced."
-Viraemias | | 13 |  | Stand Atlantic
Was Here (Deluxe Edition)
"Starting with the production; it’s slightly too compressed but generally satisfactory, especially the bass’ audibility. Expect a multitude of glitch effects. The music itself? Decent guitars, bouncy beats, big choruses, a pleasant synth lead every once in a while. That’s about it. WAS HERE won't blow your mind, it’s a record that does just enough to get by. A good thing is that each song does it a bit differently."
-arthropod | | 14 |  | Kal-El
Astral Voyager Vol.1
"The production is dirty on purpose: tactile fuzz, roomy drums, and just enough headroom for those celestial leads to breathe. It suits the material and lets the dynamics between propulsion and drift speak. The band sound locked-in and muscular throughout. Ståle Captain Rodvelt delivers soaring but gritty vocals; Kristoffer Doffy Ranaweera and Azul Josh Bisama shape the album with wide, effect-laced guitars; Bjørn O. Knutsen’s bass is thick and expressive, crucial to the heaviest moments; and Bjørn Bjudas Stornes anchors everything with unshowy, powerful drums."
-TheCrow | | 15 |  | Signs Of The Swarm
To Rid Myself Of Truth
"To Rid Myself of Truth is a notable example of "songs-in-context-of-the-album" being better than in isolation. "HELL..." and "Scars..." represent the giddy pummeling of Amongst The Low and Empty, or the ominous, cavernous pleading of Absolvere, respectively. In that sense, in a vacuum, these songs seem uninspired. In the context of ...Truth, "Chariot", "Sarkazein", and those aforementioned tracks skew towards "business-as-usual" as opposed to "highly experimental" or "boundary-pushing"; but these tracks also skew towards "fun", "bouncy", and "groovy" rather than "tedious" or "taxing"."
-murphA | | 16 |  | Helloween
Giants & Monsters
"The fresh approach and explosive start set you up pleasantly for what’s to come—though, unfortunately, the rest soon brings you back down. Saviour of the World by the Weikath–Kiske team isn’t bad, but it’s relatively easy to skip. Your mind goes back to the Keeper era, yes, but without the element that would truly impress you. And before you have time to digest it, Deris comes in like a sweet cocktail, intoxicating you with one of his trademark catchy choruses in A Little is a Little Too Much, bringing a carefree Tenerife breeze into your speakers!"
-piroga84 | | 17 |  | Dengue Fever
Escape From Dragon House
"The reason why their updated 60s Cambodian music works so well is that it’s so well-written and performed. They are the masters of the earworm, like on the songs I’ve already mentioned, but also on the title track and its wonderful, immediately catchy verses. Even the songs I don’t like as much are catchy. Opener “We Were Gonna” is a relatively simple bluesy, retro rock song, not as interesting as some other tracks, and yet, something about its chorus sticks with you."
-Malen | |
Hawks
08.31.25 | Lots of good ones this past month! | arthropod
08.31.25 | Def yes. My personal favourites would be Val's Inertia, junkie's Leviathan, Shamus' Love Is Like and yer Finis Bonorum reviews, of these in the list prob 9 (didn't think I could be interested in getting into Orbit Culture but here we are).
also thanks for including mine, I have a weird relationship with it but still | Hawks
08.31.25 | Hell yeah buddy! Well deserved. | PanosChris
08.31.25 | Wow, Hawks, massive thanks for the mention among these cool people!
While that review was a very quick write-up to talk about my excitement about a UK band I discovered, I am quite happy with how it turned out.
Thank you once again for including me in this awesome list -- having the work of us users being recognized is very cool :) | Hawks
08.31.25 | No problem buddy!
Well deserved. [2] | JoyfulPlatypus
08.31.25 | Great job everyone! | Hawks
08.31.25 | [2] | brickhed
08.31.25 | honestly 16 is a pretty damn good review
i probably should get back into reviewing a little in my free time | Futures
08.31.25 | 8 was a very enjoyable read | Hawks
08.31.25 | Agreed bros. | jrlikestodance
08.31.25 | Nice seeing 3 get shouted out. Maybe my favorite straight hardcore album of the year so far | Valzentia
08.31.25 | ayyyy i'm here :D | Hawks
08.31.25 | M//////EN | cylinder
08.31.25 | Thanks for the feature buddy :) | Hawks
08.31.25 | Of course brother! | Muzz79
09.01.25 | Cheers hawks. Grats on staff | Hawks
09.01.25 | Thanks buddy!! :] | brickhed
09.01.25 | yeah hawks and staff kind of feels right, glad he gots it back | Hawks
09.01.25 | Thanks bro! | RVAHC13
09.02.25 | Thanks for the mention Hawks! Good work everyone for keeping the site alive, let’s do our best in September! | Hawks
09.02.25 | Hell yeah! | sspedding
09.08.25 | Just noticed this. Thanks for the mention Hawks. It's been a long time since I did one. | mkmusic1995
09.08.25 | Nice work everyone! | bananatossing
09.08.25 | "Thanks for the mention Hawks! Good work everyone for keeping the site alive, let’s do our best in September!" x2 | Hawks
09.08.25 | M//// |
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