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Staff
Reviews 131
Soundoffs 177
News Articles 24
Band Edits + Tags 408
Album Edits 965
Album Ratings 4751
Objectivity 87%
Last Active 01-01-70 12:00 am
Joined 01-01-70
Review Comments 18,332
| MarsBro's Court of 2022
Didn't do this last year, but it's back this year! Wooo | | 1 |  | Macho Man Randy Savage
Be A Man
These are the rules for this little list thingy:
1. Any album submitted must be from 2022.
2. I have my preferences, naturally, but all genres are welcome.
3. Each user can give up to 3 recommendations.
4. Recommendations can be either:
i. a record I haven't heard,
ii. a record not yet released but will come out in 2022, or
iii. a record I HAVE heard but you believe I should rate higher (a 3.5 to a 4, 4 to a 4.5, etc.) | | 2 | | Macho Man Randy Savage
Be A Man
With regards to ii., if it's a record I already was aware of, you may rec something else instead.
All that's over and done with; let's have ourselves some judgement! | | 3 | | Macho Man Randy Savage
Be A Man
[this space empty for interpretation] | | 4 |  | Atomic Symphony
HYBRIS
pizza's rec
VERDICT: Feel like this style is just kind of wearing on me... it's solid, don't get me wrong (a 3 isn't a negative rating!) but nothing about it strikes me as memorable. Competent, sounds good, but ultimately a passable slice of prog. 3.0 | | 5 |  | Silvana Estrada
Marchita
mkmusic's rec
VERDICT: Solid vibe, although a bit too airy and minimalistic to make a lasting impression. Was a pleasant experience, albeit a forgettable one. 3.0 | | 6 |  | Melody's Echo Chamber
Emotional Eternal
Ars' rec
VERDICT: Flows like a dream, feels like a dream, sounds like a dream. The instrumentals here are smooth as hell, with a very prominent bass being the cherry on top of compositions that show an commendable level of diversity. The vocals are more of a flavoring on top of this than a key feature--a support for the lush atmosphere--and they're able to easily glide on the colorful soundscapes concocted throughout. Very soothing experience, and a (seemingly) underrated one. 4.0 | | 7 |  | The Game
Drillmatic - Heart vs. Mind
Drifter's rec
VERDICT: TWO HOURS? That's a big ask for any genre, and The Game does not have nearly enough tricks and variety to justify it. Terrible instrumentals, woefully barebones arrangements, questionable flow patterns, awful lyrics... it's basically a how-to guide in making the worst possible rap album. Extend it over 120 minutes and holy fuck, it's a grueling trek through cliches, desperate name-dropping, and horrible beats. I love you Drifterbro, but this ain't it. No thank you, no thank you, no thank you. Automatic 'L' for a Kanye feature in 2022. 1.0 | | 8 |  | nouns
While of Unsound Mind
Sloth's rec | | 9 |  | The Long Lost Somethins
Barn
Sloth's rec
VERDICT: Feels like an album I've heard before many, many times. Emo with indie sensibilities a la Pinegrovecore, but lacking the initial charm bands like that had and not featuring songwriting that invites a revisit. One of those records that isn't bad, just pretty average and easy to forget about afterwards. 2.5 | | 10 |  | Little Heretic
Lost In The Ever Present Distance
Sloth's rec
VERDICT: I can't say that I remember much of this at all, and I'm not sure it tries to be too memorable itself. It was fine I guess, some pretty arrangements here and there, but I didn't really detect an emo vibe to it, more of just a straightforward indie affair. Solid vibe but nothing to write home about. 3.0 | | 11 |  | Disillusion
Ayam
Zac's rec | | 12 |  | Black Midi
Hellfire
Zac's rec
VERDICT: For me, Black Midi are at their best when they get silly, dark and heavy; thankfully, Hellfire features all of that in spades, as well as the group's sardonic lyricism and playful energy. This was a very fun effort, all told, and it had a commendable consistency to it that I enjoyed. Plenty of memorable jams, intriguing arrangements and powerful climaxes to return to. Hope this is the path they continue down! 4.0 | | 13 |  | Moonshield
The Void Squadron
Zac's rec
VERDICT: Who chucked Megaman soundtrack clips into this and who said it was a good idea? The general writing beyond that is very genre standard (even below, I'd contend), and the clunky interludes don't assist in any regard; their tone entirely clashes with the album surrounding them, with no effort spent trying to blend genres. Electronics and metal can make for a fun time, yet the commitment here is minimal and relegated to haphazard interruptions. As aforementioned, the rest of the record isn't much to write home about, so in the grand scheme of things, it's a wash. Not a fan of the production either. 2.0 | | 14 |  | Ode and Elegy
Ode and Elegy
Asleep's rec
VERDICT: There's a decent bit done right here, but also a lot that feels very in-line with reigning post-metal/rock cliches. There's a nauseatingly linear flow to proceedings until the last 10-ish minutes where the record finally rides it momentum. Before then, it seemed allergic to the climaxes it painstakingly strove to achieve. The journeys to those moments were ultimately much more compelling and where the band seemed most comfortable, as a lot of the 'heavier' instances felt half-baked or forced in comparison. A strong effort on the whole despite my criticisms, but it doesn't quite live up to its epic scale. 3.5 | | 15 |  | Material Girl
i85mixx21-22
Johnny's rec
VERDICT: Inventive, emotional hip-hop that dips its toes into different genres and can act as ideal background noise or a feature presentation. Underrated. 4.0 | | 16 |  | moreru
山田花子
Johnny's rec
OG RATING: 2.5
NEW VERDICT: I appreciate the fact this band can and will just be noisy to the point of being... well, just noise. There's nothing to decipher underneath the static outside of pure chaos, which is both rewarding and, at times, frustrating. It feels strangely linear after a while due to being a relative one-trick pony--it is NOISE for the sake of NOISE, and also sometimes airhorns??--and the songwriting being buried underneath copious amounts of N O I S E. Credit where credit's due, but this still didn't do too too much. Bumped up a bit. 3.0 | | 17 |  | Ethel Cain
Preacher's Daughter
Johnny's rec
OG RATING: 3.0
NEW VERDICT: I like me a good, thick, long album. But that's under the assumption there are enough engaging ideas to carry the record along, and this simply doesn't have it. I can respect the concept and lyrics, but as a musical experience, it's very flat, unexciting, and blends together too easily. It's not accomplishing anything more or less than singer-songwriters of the same ilk are doing and rarely reaches a peak that's memorable enough to cling to. Sadly, this is a snooze. Feeling I might drop this... 2.5 | | 18 |  | Sweet Pill
Where the Heart Is
Scorn's rec
OG RATING: 3.0
NEW VERDICT: My complaints for this haven't really changed: it's very much in-line with the wave of emo it hails from, not offering much else beyond maybe a bit more energy than normal. I wish it leaned more into the math aspects it hints at early on, but they dissipate quickly in favor of standard emo-pop-rock shenanigans. Gets to keep it's 3.0 rating for showing a pulse in its performances, but it just doesn't tick many boxes beyond the basics. Good, but ehhhhhh. 3.0 | | 19 |  | Mountains (UK)
Tides End
Rogue's rec
VERDICT: How much prog would a prog prog if a prog could prog prog. 2.5 | | 20 |  | Point Mort
Pointless...
Calc's rec
Placeholder for Point Mort (not in database)
VERDICT: Holy shit, this is a ripper. Why isn't in the database yet?! BRB...
OK yeah, this kicks Brutus' ass and is a thrill ride from start to finish. Heavily underrated and not talked about enough. 4.0 | | 21 |  | Fontaines D.C.
Skinty Fia
dedex's rec
VERDICT: AotY candidate this is not, but it is a well-constructed series of post-punk tunes that rely more on atmosphere than pure rockin' value. How the band arrange their songs makes good use of this tactic, although it does leave a choice few songs hanging out to dry without much to do or anywhere to go. The textures here are quite pleasant and lend themselves to some surprisingly deep soundscapes. A textbook 'great' kind of album. 3.5 | | 22 |  | Ezra Collective
Where I'm Meant to Be
dedex's rec: Mmm tasty jazz! Hits a home run with the opener but doesn't quite reach that same height as the album goes along. Good jam sessions that occasionally go on for too long and don't sound much different from instrumental jazz of the same kind. It's at its best with the vocal additions, I think. 3.5 | | 23 |  | Kyo Itachi
Solide
dedex's rec
VERDICT: Some nice smooth beats with a sweet delivery to pair along with it. Wish that it committed more to the subtle jazz flourishes it inserts on occasion, as it would do wonders to elevate this. As it stands, it's an enjoyable slice of international hip-hop, and a pretty chill jam. 3.5
UPDATED: This is actually a 4.0 now. Woop woop. | | 24 |  | Yawn (NOR)
Materialism
Bitter's rec
VERDICT: This was... okay? But I'm also not sure if it's memorable. It's pretty typical djent-ish instrumental shenanigans with a few intermissions tossed around to break up proceedings. The album's organized into suites, but what distinguishes one suite from another feels relatively arbitrary. It's very similar from track to track, with a shocking lack of ideas despite the short length. There are some nice passages that simply aren't developed on, too. This was worthy of an 'eh'. 2.5 | | 25 |  | Kevin Penkin
Made In Abyss OST 3
bg's rec
VERDICT: Feel like you rec'd this show's soundtrack before for an earlier season... and as was the case with the previous soundtrack, this is quite beautiful. Oddly enough, even though it's an accompaniment to a series, this plays out and feels exactly like a full album would, gently ebbing and flowing and revisiting motifs and so on and so on. I love the style Kevin brings to this and it adds a distinct personality to this world--which is impressive considering I have zero context and am not watching the show listening to this. I suppose there will be an OST 4 for next year's court, yes? 4.0 | | 26 |  | Benjamin Clementine
And I Have Been
bg's rec
VERDICT: Nice and smooth! Although a rather restrained experience, the arrangements here possessed plenty of variety, and the vocals carried some delightful melodies. Beautiful, soft textures made for a soothing atmosphere. Wish it perhaps let loose a bit more at times to help break up the somewhat-routine flow, but as it stands, it's a reliable jam to kick back to. 3.5 | | 27 |  | Little Quirks
Call to Unknowns
bg's rec
VERDICT: I'm not sure if I'd like it more if it was longer or if the length is perfect as is. This was very smooth, soothing, enjoyable poppy indie shenanigans with a slight folk bend to it. Had a gentle atmosphere and overall tone to it that made it quite pleasant, although I felt the songwriting needed some more 'oomph' to push it towards further acclaim. Cute little EP! 3.5 | | 28 |  | Birds in Row
Gris Klein
Alex's rec
VERDICT: It took them three albums, but Birds in Row finally convinced me that they are worthy of greater acclaim. Great balance of airtight screamo jams and more atmospheric numbers that allow the group to immerse the audience in their somber aura. Plenty of powerful moments and climaxes that grant this some sweet return value and a definite candidate for top dog in the 2022 screamo house. Well done! 4.0 | | 29 |  | Pensees Nocturnes
Douce Fange
Demon's rec
VERDICT: This is fucking silly and stupid and cheesy and fantastically bombastic and over-the-top and overindulgent on its carnival shtick and I fucking love it. 4.0 | | 30 |  | Natalia Lafourcade
De Todas las Flores
Demon's rec
VERDICT: Felt very similar to Silvana Estrada, although this has the additional issue of being over an hour long without ever needing to be. At a certain point, the arrangements here become nauseatingly linear. Fun, pleasant, but not something I can justify returning to. 3.0 | | 31 |  | Morrow (UK)
The Quiet Earth
Demon's rec
OG RATING: 3.0
NEW VERDICT: My main complaint was that the band really shows their hand too early; they've got one trick for creating aggression and bombast, and the songwriting proceeds to mimic it for all it's worth, with external elements like strings used to try and mine an emotional reaction. It's got energy, it's got power, but it feels static after a bit. Rating will sit. 3.0 | | 32 |  | Mamaleek
Diner Coffee
Steak's rec
VERDICT: This was strangely predictable and flat for a band that I expect more out of. Although the length was pretty short, the album quickly became a drag in its languid middle portion, what with the minimal movements and snail's pace causing quick boredom. Their jazz leanings and black metal explosions felt a bit more arbitrary in this context, and there's not enough of it to really make for a rewarding experience. Decent, but unfortunately lacking in some regards. 3.0 | | 33 |  | Torrello
Out of Office
Steak's rec
VERDICT: Chill-as-hell beats that are the ideal background for kickin' back and having a chill day. Solid stuff and progresses like a dream. 3.5 | | 34 |  | Foreign Hands
Bleed the Dream
Steak's rec
OG RATING: 3.5
NEW VERDICT: This is still pretty solid as I remembered it being, but its desire to be a throwback EP is far too transparent and holds back the overall experience. For better and for worse, it sounds as if it was ripped from the mid 2000s era of metalcore, and it tries nothing to step outside of those confines. A decently strong effort when taken as it is, but beyond that, I feel a very hard cap on my level of enjoyment for this. 3.0 | | 35 |  | Abrupt Decay
I Was Never Here
Uzu's rec
VERDICT: Golly, kindly lower the vocals in the mix, please. I'm all for shrill, nails-on-chalkboard shenanigans, but there are levels to this shit. Instrumentally, this felt very familiar in both a good and bad way; it's a standard mathcore album, although the instrumentation is perhaps a cut above average. Don't know if it's quite worth a revisit, but it's also not necessarily bad. Big ups for beefy bass breakdowns at least! 3.0 | | 36 |  | Deadbody
The Requiem
Uzu's rec | | 37 | | Macho Man Randy Savage
Be A Man
Uzu's rec
Placeholder for End it All (not in database) | | 38 |  | Mabe Fratti
Se ve desde aquí
porc's rec
VERDCIT: Pleasant, but ultimately it wanders a bit too aimlessly and doesn't do too too much. Might be worth a return trip since the overall ambiance was soothing, but it didn't really start to click and come together until its closing tracks. 3.0 | | 39 |  | Major Parkinson
Valesa - Chapter I: Velvet Prison
porc's rec | | 40 |  | Rope Sect
Metanoia Sessions
porc's rec | | 41 |  | Ghost (SWE)
Impera
Shemson's rec | |
MarsKid
12.08.22 | Ready?
Set?
2022 LAST MINUTE CRAM WOOOOOOOO
(or last minute reevaluation) | MarsKid
12.08.22 | Ah, the good ol' blank album art lol | YoYoMancuso
12.08.22 | In The Court of the Martian Kid | mkmusic1995
12.08.22 | Silvana Estrada - Marchita
| ArsMoriendi
12.08.22 | Have you heard Melody's Echo Chamber - Emotional Eternal yet?
That's my only rec but do it | MarsKid
12.08.22 | "In The Court of the Martian Kid"
Not thriller
YoYo is DEAD | Drifter
12.08.22 | the game - drillmatic heart vs mind | SlothcoreSam
12.08.22 | Here u go Marsbro
Nouns - While of unsound mind
The Long Lost Somethins - Barn
Little Heretic - Lost in the ever present Distant. | YoYoMancuso
12.08.22 | i assumed you had already heard michael jackson - thriller
if you have not heard it, what even are you? a butthole? | Zac124
12.08.22 | Disillusion - Ayam
Black Midi - Hellfire
Moonshield - The Void Squadron
| Scornfyre
12.08.22 | Well um you've kinda sorta have already heard most of the albums I'd rec for this (and you didn't care for them). | MarsKid
12.08.22 | Well that's part of the gimmick; if there's something I've heard that you think I should check again, you can recommend it for me to reevaluate! | Scornfyre
12.09.22 | Alr then. Check
Sweet Pill - Where the Heart Is
again. | BitterJalapenoJr
12.09.22 | I'll come up with something tomorrow when less inebriated but in the meantime, I'll second that Sloth's recommendation of nouns is rather good | MarsKid
12.09.22 | List is now current | RogueNine
12.09.22 | Mountains (UK) - Tides End | Drifter
12.09.22 | did you listen yet | Calc
12.09.22 | Point Mort- Pointless
mort, you listen to this too. | BitterJalapenoJr
12.09.22 | Yawn (NOR) - Materialism | bgillesp
12.09.22 | Kevin Penkin- Made In Abyss OST 3
Benjamin Clementine- And I Have Been
Little Quirks- Call to Unknowns
Gonna use this to force attention on somewhat unknown albums | AlexKzillion
12.09.22 | Birds in Row - Gris Klein
prob my aoty besides callous daoboys. i see you have their other two albums at a 3.5 (which is more or less how i view them as well), but this new one is on a whole other level | MarsKid
12.09.22 | I've heard that album, but haven't really settled on what to think of it, so I'll def revisit again. | Demon of the Fall
12.09.22 | seems like you've heard almost everything in existence, so this was tough...
Pensees Nocturnes - Docue Fange
Natalia Lafourcade - De todas las flores
Morrow - The Quiet Earth (3.0) check again | gschwen
12.09.22 | I feel guilty for feeling the same way about Ethel Cain, when everyone around me seems to think it's the best record of the decade | Demon of the Fall
12.09.22 | after I saw the Diner Coffee rec, I lamented the fact it escaped my mind, potentially good pick for Marsboro
Ethel Cain is extremely mid, so yeah | ArsMoriendi
12.09.22 | Mars likes Emotional Eternal yay | MarsKid
12.09.22 | I've been meaning to revisit Mamaleek so this is a solid reminder | Uzumaki
12.09.22 | Abrupt Decay - “I Was Never Here”
Deadbody - “The Requiem”
End It All - “Put Here To Suffer”
I dunno, I’m just spitballin’. Haven’t heard a single one of these | SlothcoreSam
12.09.22 | The Long Lost Somethins album is such a grower! I loved the first 2 tracks initially, and it took another few listens to get invested in the rest. | Drifter
12.09.22 | Bossolo - Boss Status | MarsKid
12.09.22 | This is already off to a pretty solid start I think. | porcupinetheater
12.10.22 | Mars, dear, please check:
1. Mabe Fratti - Se Ve Desde Aqui
2. Major Parkinson - Valesa - Chapter 1: Velvet Prison
3. Rope Sect - Metanoia Sessions | Calc
12.10.22 | I see how it is... | Demon of the Fall
12.10.22 | Nice nocturnal penises rating, thought it might fall somewhere within your bizarro disso-metal etc. cannon, although it’s hard to tell with those guys! | MarsKid
12.11.22 | If it's supremely weird metal, 9/10 times I will probably be 100% cool with | bgillesp
12.12.22 | @Johnny neither have I yet but I still jam the soundtrack anyway | MarsKid
12.12.22 | @dedex Since making that review, I actually listened to it again and bumped it to a 4, had to give credit to the great flows throughout. | MarsKid
12.13.22 | Updated | MarsKid
12.13.22 | Patience = "so this album does nothing and tries nothing and ruins its pacing but don't worry there's a baby payoff coming up!"
Run the narrative, honey | MarsKid
12.13.22 | I am getting on my twitter dot com you monster | MarsKid
12.13.22 | I believe in you, feed my objectivity bb | KnickFurey
12.15.22 | Check the new Heaving Earth | Demon of the Fall
12.15.22 | I think we can all confirm what was already apparent...
Mars simply doesn't do sparse elegant 'simplicity' (or repetition in Morrow's case). I should've known.
'Felt very similar to Silvana Estrada, although this has the additional issue of being over an hour long without ever needing to be.'
I do wonder if your Silvana submission was here before I added my recs, because having (now) read it, I may have gone in a different direction! Having said that, they do have similar elements to my untrained ear, but it certainly doesn't feel like I couldn't necessarily replace one with the other and be satisfied (their voices are distinct for a start). Perhaps the fact I have listened to both a decent amount by this point helped with separation, as I can see how a fleeting rendezvous would lead to such a conclusion. | Drifter
12.15.22 | hey you missed my second rec haha haha | MarsKid
12.15.22 | I just don't find anything about either of those albums that really snags my attention. They're certainly pleasant, but never in a manner that feels particularly interesting or exciting, very much just some pretty movements that drift in and out.
I'm all for songs and albums that reward patience, but I couldn't really discover anything other than v i b e, which is all fine and dandy in of itself, but not something that demands attention and really ventures anywhere. Songs blend and the experience eventually feels rather flat.
I can admit I'm usually not a fan of records that are more purely ambient or minimalistic on their presentation precisely because there's not much meat to them. They just aren't very appealing, usually; they start and end without altering course or providing any sort of moment to distinguish itself, just a slow, gentle breeze. Which can be fine (a 3.0 is not a negative rating!) but ultimately not memorable. | Demon of the Fall
12.15.22 | yeah, that's all I meant Mars, you don't really strike me as a 'vibes' sort of guy, whereas sometimes it can be a huge piece of the puzzle for me (with certain styles anyway). Maybe I should think before I rec in future, lol.
with Morrow, I do actually get what you're saying, the album does peak with that monumental 2nd track and by that point, all the cards were on the table. From there it feels like an exercise in quiet consistency and atmosphere, rather than anything earth-shatteringly creative. I do believe it's well executed though. | MarsKid
12.15.22 | Glower on from the tower, Cersei
w/r/t Morrow, that's less of an atmosphere issue and more of linearity; it doesn't have much in the way of songwriting, and even though they've got this BIG BOI CLIMAXES, they feel v predictable and similar to each other. Falls into that post-rock/post-metal pitfall of cliches. | MarsKid
12.15.22 | am stuck listening to radio country and conservative talk radio because my coworker sucks, requesting evac | Uzumaki
12.15.22 | Buckle up, lads; we’re going right into the belly of the beast… | Zac124
12.16.22 | Glad you enjoyed Hellfire. It is easily my album of the year. | MarsKid
12.16.22 | Oh for sure, there were doing an awesome job at creating a journey and really building up a sense of anticipation, but they never really applied the same level of care to their climaxes, and when they hit them, they'd promptly recede when I think they could have expanded much more on it.
They're definitely a cut above though since I actually *cared* about the journey to each pinnacle. | MarsKid
12.21.22 | Slow progress... | bgillesp
12.21.22 | Lol yes I did rec his soundtracks before. I spend more time with the soundtracks than the show tbh | MarsKid
12.21.22 | Is the show good? I'm definitely intrigued lol | MarsKid
12.21.22 | I was having a sleepy day at work and it wasn't helping lol, wanted to lie back in bed and snooze. | Shemson
12.21.22 | You gave vexes a 2.5??? It’s at least a 3.5! | MarsKid
12.21.22 | Are you about to rec me that my man
I love ya but it's too long and too Deftones-y to really have an identity of its own. | Shemson
12.21.22 | I tell you what, I’m NOT going to rec it because it’s the kind of album that needs five or six listens and it’s long af and you’re a busy man
I’ll think about what to rec you properly after work | MarsKid
12.21.22 | Please do, this list is nearing its end unless someone adds some more to it lol | Shemson
12.22.22 | I’m very sleepy so maybe I missed it but I didn’t see a ranking for Ghost - Impera
You gave Opus and Meliora 3.5s and I think Impera is better than both. | MarsKid
12.22.22 | I have not heard it, I shall add it. | Shemson
12.22.22 | Make sure you’re in the mood for some cheesy fun and I reckon it’s a 4+ | SlothcoreSam
12.25.22 | Don't forget nouns.
It's an experience, best listened to in one listen. All over the shop. | AnusNballs
12.25.22 | Alexisonfire-Otherness | AnusNballs
12.25.22 | Gonna check Pensees Nocturnes. Sounds interesting | bgillesp
12.25.22 | @Mars yeah show is awesome if you like anime |
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