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User
Reviews 25
Approval 97%
Soundoffs 7
News Articles 1
Band Edits + Tags 6
Album Edits 2
Album Ratings 638
Objectivity 63%
Last Active 08-03-18 1:18 am
Joined 07-11-16
Review Comments 3,317
| | Rec your fav albums (JULY) | | 1 |  | Mobb Deep
The Infamous
You know the drill! Continuing the series into July, think I’ll go a little lax on the rules now. Please rec one album among your favorites, with at least a 3.8 overall average rating and at least 20 user ratings. One album per day and per user, though the latter will be to my discretion. Go go go! | | 2 |  | Katatonia
The Great Cold Distance
JULY 1 - arthropod
Ah, yes, the Swedes. I have heard about half of this, and remember being really impressed. There’s something really neat about technical bands becoming more accessible as they go on in their career, and records like this are a testament. Some songs here are infuriatingly good (Deliberation, Soil’s Song, July), but for some reason this is a little tedious to hear from start to finish. It might be because of the overtly depressing atmosphere, though that shouldn’t be considered a flaw. It’s just a bit too homogenous. The musicianship and songwriting here is great, and the vocalist’s voice, as I’ve mentioned before, is fantastic. Love the heavy riffs and pretty tones soaring over these dynamic, powerful rhythm sections. But it’s an album I’d rather hear select songs off of rather than the whole thing. Just a tad inconsistent.
3.7/5 | | 3 |  | His Hero Is Gone
Fifteen Counts of Arson
JULY 2 - jrlikestodance
Crust is a really cool sound, I like the melding of sludge and punk here. I do wish this was on streaming, as I hate hearing albums on YouTube, and am not sure if that’s painting my reaction unconsciously - but I don’t know how to feel about the structure of this album. There’s lots of starts and stops, and it feels like the shorter songs are more-so unfinished ideas, which I’m not too keen on. The production works for the most part, but can get a bit too muddy in places. Certain songs here do kick ass, and there’s some mean, mean riffs. It can sound a tad homogeneous even though it’s a shorter record - I thought I’d heard 25 minutes but it had only been around 13. 24 tracks of this is a bit of a gamble. It feels a little grating to listen to after a bit. If there were fewer songs but with more full-fledged songwriting, I’d be a bigger fan. Still a cool album, it’s like sonic ADHD.
3.4/5 | | 4 |  | Alcest
Écailles De Lune
JULY 3 - Futures
Definitely heard of these guys, but never fully checked an album out for whatever reason. Lots to like here, the lushness and heaviness work quite well in conjunction here. The production fits well, though I was a bit iffy about the drum mix - it feels a bit sterile. However, the songwriting and moods displayed by the soaring guitars and vocals here definitely create a compelling sound. Great album to read to. The self-titled two parter is the clear standout, though I really love the spacey 90s throwback, aptly titled “Solar Song”. A good mix of lushness and aggression, with a lot to return to. Blackgaze is a thing of beauty when executed well. *currently stoned writing this, and I just muttered several expletives while shoving my earbuds in deeper at several points (Pt. 2 is a masterpiece).
3.9/5 | | 5 |  | Quasimoto
The Unseen
JULY 4 - mryrtmrnfoxxxy
This is a very strange mixed bag to me. I’ve heard a bit of Quas, but was so turned off by his voice that I didn’t return until now. His voice is still kinda grating, it’s like Eminem at his most annoying swallowing helium and rapping braggadocious bars - it’s like hearing an annoying child brag like he’s Avon Barksdale. This works in the capacity of being a “fun” album since the bars ARE humorous, but to an extent - the voice is just too annoying. The production is where this album really shines, Madlib is definitely one of the best hip-hop producers of our time and has produced some of my very favorite songs. He does a solid job here, I like the stream-of-consciousness style of production and the integration of different old-school genres. But as a rapper and songwriter… meh. It’s like Madvillainy-lite. This works as a nice chill record reminiscent of Adult Swim, but damn that voice.
3.2/5 | | 6 |  | Stereolab
Transient Random-Noise Bursts with Announcements
JULY 5 - gabba
Man, Stereolab is like a musical institution. The amount of genres and vibes they’re able to integrate into their music is staggering. I’ve only really dove into Dots and Loops, but this one is a great second impression. It feels a lot more alt. rock and shoegaze inspired, particularly bringing to mind Loveless. I love how airy their music is, without jettisoning the knack for interesting songwriting and experimental structures. I dig the production here, it truly feels like space rock, and I adore Laetitia’s vocals. They complement the music like sonic PB&J. Jenny Ondioline, what a song that is! Gotta dive into more of their albums; I love how trance-inducing and sensual their sound is, especially when under the influence (which I was).
3.7/5 | | 7 |  | T.S.O.L.
Dance With Me
JULY 6 - budgie
This is some pretty great, off-the-wall punk that sounds like it’s from the 80s British heyday, and it grew on me quite a bit. I’ll be honest, the necrophilia song really put me off, but once I stopped clutching my pearls like a grandmother, I had a lot of fun with this one. I really love the smooth production here reminiscent of the era - everything’s clear and banging. The songs are tight and catchy, and the musicianship and chemistry are quite apparent across these brisk 25 minutes. Great bass and guitar tones, and the singer does a fine job too. It’s not the most magnetic sound in the world, but it’s a good time.
3.6/5 | | 8 |  | Cursive
Domestica
JULY 7 - Drifter
I’ve been through many relationships and they’ve never really devastated me after ending, so sappy breakup records irk me. This is very well done, however. The melding of indie + post-hardcore with the honest delivery and finesse displayed on this record is very compelling - it’s like a mix of Weezer and Unwound that I think works very well. Very neat guitar-work and solid rhythm sections here, and I dig the vocals too. I particularly love how, through all the issues the couple this record alludes to has, they stay together. I’ve been on the receiving and giving end of some toxic relationships, so maybe that’s why this record hits a little close to home. But it’s not overly sappy; it’s more objective, which gives the catchy music much more credence. It felt like a nice 2000s throwback therapy session, after which I concluded that I need to stop going out with hot psycho girls. Thanks, Cursive!
3.7/5 | | 9 |  | Rush
A Farewell To Kings
JULY 8 - Zac124
Ah yes, my favorite nerds. I probably hollered and hooted ten times during the first two songs alone. When it comes to musicianship + songwriting in prog, these guys have virtually no equal. The worlds they’re able to paint with their music and words are just incredible - this is how you make technical music genuinely entertaining. Geddy, Neil, and Alex are all absolute masters at their craft, though that doesn’t need to be stated at this point. Xanadu… man, even mentioning that song brings a tear to my eye, but everything here is pretty much unimpeachable. Fantastic melodies and progressions, and each member has moments to show off their talents in spades. Love these guys, need to do a proper dive into their overwhelming discography one day.
4.3/5 | | 10 |  | Hooded Menace
Fulfill the Curse
JULY 9 - Hawks
Well, damn, this is some really good nightmare metal; flavors of death, doom, gothic + growls from a seemingly undead vocalist recounting some of the most bizarre and grisly horror tales. I had a feeling this kind of thing might be a bit outside of my wheelhouse. But the guitar-work here, sweet Lord - is that a glorious muff pedal I hear?! Yeah, this fucking owns. It’s heavy, it’s dark, it’s mean, it’s downright terrifying, and the musicianship and production here are virtually faultless. The growls work here too, and thankfully, I couldn’t really discern the campy lyrics, through the mind-melting sludgy dirge of these riffs. This is like discovering a great new flavor of ice cream. I would commit crimes for that guitar tone.
4.0/5 | | 11 |  | Death (USA-MI)
...For the Whole World to See
JULY 10 - Uzumaki
What the hell, dude - a proto-punk band of black brothers in the 70s?! And it wasn’t released until over three decades later?! AND it kicks ass?!? Man, from the pristine production to the infectious energy and great songwriting, this is such a fun ride. It infuriates me that this wasn’t released shortly after it was recorded. Sure, there’s tropes of familiarity here, but these guys were clearly trailblazers, so the finesse they do this with is impeccable. I’m getting a mix of Led Zeppelin and Bad Brains here, which is such a great formula, but these guys are also their own thing. The earnest lyricism and vocals combine with the excellent musical chemistry to monstrous effect, and the entire thing is over in less than 30 minutes. Definitely gonna be a fixture for my road playlist. I really pray these guys get the enormous flowers they’re due. Fan-fucking-tastic!
4.3/5 | | 12 |  | Cult of Luna
Salvation
JULY 11 - Chippe
My second exposure to CoL after Mariner, which was a decent record. I do like post-metal, but it’s a genre that skirts a fine line between incredible and aimless. I like what I’m hearing here; the progressions from the mellow electronic ambient sections to the uproarious climaxes are decent, and the textures and melodies are easy on the ears. I will say, I find the vocalist to be the weak link here, similar to Mariner. He seems to be operating on one note throughout this record, and it’s a bit off-putting - whatever the antonym of versatile is, the vocalist embodies it. The production is decent for the most part, but still feels a little over-compressed like in Mariner. Still an alright record, keeping in mind the aforementioned flaws.
3.3/5 | | 13 |  | Fiona Apple
When the Pawn...
JULY 12 - PanosChris
I don’t know what it is about Ms. Apple, but I’ve never quite been crazy about her music. Her delivery always seemed condescending and uncharismatic to me. She’s clearly a savant, I mean, even attempting to start a discography at such a young age, especially one this musically sophisticated - I have to give her props. And that’s not to say I didn’t enjoy this, because there were moments here I liked. I can appreciate the eclectic mix of jazz rock, lounge, and trip-hop displayed here under the guise of pop. The musicianship is solid, and so are her performances. Yet, I just don’t connect with it all too well, and got pretty bored towards the end.
3.1/5 | | 14 |  | This Heat
This Heat
JULY 13 - Demon of the Fall
This Heat are definitely an attention-demanding group. Deceit was a record that really surprised me, and though it had some missteps, I really enjoyed how they conveyed the scariness of nuclear warfare with their avant-garde explorations into post-punk. They do seem to primarily make mood music, which is even more so the case on this record. The formlessness and dread that permeates this album definitely lends itself into more ambient territory, and while I did like some musical images portrayed here, I couldn’t help feeling a little miffed. Like I’d rather be hearing anything else, any actual songs. There’s a very lonely, cynical vibe here, which seems to be the intent, and it’s nailed. Does that make it super interesting or worth returning to? Meh. Their follow-up definitely expands upon the strengths here. Unnerving, but boring. And I hate that fucking kazoo.
2.8/5 | | 15 |  | Propagandhi
Supporting Caste
JULY 14 - Dedes | | 16 |  | BATS
The Sleep of Reason
JULY 15 - FearThyEvil | | 17 |  | Whirr
Raw Blue
JULY 16 - efp123 | | 18 |  | Fates Warning
Awaken the Guardian
JULY 17 - DaveyMonsoon | | 19 |  | Pan Sonic
Kesto (234:48:4)
JULY 18 - JohnnyoftheWell | | 20 |  | Nujabes
Metaphorical Music
JULY 19 - Rowhaus | | 21 |  | Floating Points, Pharoah Sanders & The LSO
Promises
JULY 20 - mkmusic1995 | | 22 |  | Billy Woods
History Will Absolve Me
JULY 21 - Squiggly | | 23 |  | Gigi Masin
Wind
JULY 22 - bach | |
Flashmobba
06.22.25 | go go go! please check my ratings and see what I’ll enjoy, take it easy on genres like metalcore/grind something that I won’t enjoy | arthropod
06.22.25 | maaan I saw you in a katatonia thread
the great cold distance
planned to rec dead end kings but recalled one song on tgcd is titled july, much thematic | Flashmobba
06.22.25 | ive heard a good bit of that but not all of it so I think it works, thanks | jrlikestodance
06.22.25 | His Hero is Gone - Fifteen Counts of Arson. At the intersection of crust and sludge | Futures
06.22.25 | dealers choice here pick whatever interests you more
alcest- ecailles de lune (went gazey dreamy in the indie rock direction with silversun last time, here's that vibe in a bm album)
as cities burn- come now sleep (new favorite, emotional dark indie/post hardcore that is maybe the closest sound i've heard to brand new) | Flashmobba
06.22.25 | dope, will keep the other one in stock if there’s space left | mryrtmrnfoxxxy
06.22.25 | i just heard 3 the other day. it rules
i rec Quasimoto - the unseen | gabba
06.22.25 | I see you dig Dots and Loops, wonder what you think of this one:
Stereolab - Transient Random-Noise Burts with Announcements | Flashmobba
06.22.25 | bet, been meaning to dive into a lot of these fully, yall rlly know me | budgie
06.22.25 | T.S.O.L. dance with me | Drifter
06.22.25 | Cursive - Domestica
The Van Pelt - Sultans of Sentiment | Zac124
06.22.25 | Rush - A Farewell to Kings | Flashmobba
06.22.25 | oh I shoulda rated that by now, thanks | jrlikestodance
06.22.25 | That Rush album rules. Saw Primus cover it in 2021 | Zac124
06.22.25 | Yeah, its their best imo. Just insane prog that somehow never goes overboard with it. | jrlikestodance
06.22.25 | Not to derail this rec list but what else by Rush comes close? I'm always overwhelmed by their vast discog | Zac124
06.22.25 | If you like AFtK, the best place to go next is definitely Hemispheres. 2112, Permanent Waves and Moving Pictures are also musts. But anything from them in the 70s and the first half of the 80s is a good shout. | Futures
06.22.25 | one of these days i will do a 70s prog deep dive, seems essential | Hawks
06.22.25 | Hooded Menace - Fulfill the Curse | budgie
06.23.25 | hawks whats ur fav sandwich | Uzumaki
06.23.25 | Death (US-MI) - For the Whole World To See | Flashmobba
06.23.25 | pacers are gonna lose guys I need your best recs ): | loulou
06.23.25 | Talk Talk - Laughing Stock | Flashmobba
06.23.25 | already rated n love that, please check my ratings for reference! (: | jrlikestodance
06.23.25 | Bad Religion - No Control | Chippe
06.23.25 | Cult of Luna-Salvation | Flashmobba
06.23.25 | dang this’ll be a great month
jr u gotta let the others go too fam | jrlikestodance
06.23.25 | My bad | PanosChris
06.24.25 | Fiona Apple — When The Pawn... | Demon of the Fall
06.24.25 | This Heat - This Heat
I see you have Deceit rated but not this one. It's quite different, so hopefully okay to rec? | JohnnyoftheWell
06.24.25 | Rechenzentrum - Director's Cut | Flashmobba
06.24.25 | rules Johnathan | Dedes
06.24.25 | Propaghandi-Supporting Caste
Apex summer high octane punk vibes
| FearThyEvil
06.24.25 | Bats-The Sleep of Reason Brings Forth Monsters | efp123
06.24.25 | whirr - raw blue | DaveyMonsoon
06.24.25 | Fates Warning - Awaken the Guardian | JohnnyoftheWell
06.24.25 | Pan Sonic - Kesto
"and at least 20 user ratings"
you self-filtering feeble bitch | budgie
06.24.25 | watch ur lamguage | JohnnyoftheWell
06.24.25 | say it in french you shit bird i da | budgie
06.25.25 | IM NOT A SHIT BIRD | Flashmobba
06.25.25 | no fighting ladies please | Rowhaus
06.25.25 | Nujabes - Metaphorical Music | Flashmobba
06.26.25 | aw shi sorry suzyc accidentally deleted ur comment wit my stoned fingers, jus recommend any album you’ve 4.5d or 5d that I havent rated | Flashmobba
07.01.25 | AND IT BEGINS | mkmusic1995
07.01.25 | Floating Points, Pharoah Sanders & The LSO - Promises | arthropod
07.01.25 | 🎵from my view, I can see you
giving a correct rating🎵
DEK is also stellar for me and has a fair stylistic diversity but, like I said, the record with July keeps the theme now. | Flashmobba
07.01.25 | @mk been meaning to get into that properly
@arth yea this one was very solid, but I remember DEK having an atrocious drum sound and weird mix so I didn’t hear it fully lol | jrlikestodance
07.01.25 | Ngl you might hate mine but my new goal is to get you to enjoy a hardcore record lol | Flashmobba
07.02.25 | id say u succeeded jr (: but i would’ve appreciated the one on streaming being recommended more lol | Chippe
07.02.25 | Ah, the first time i heard Alcest-Ecailles..., one of my better moments the last two decades | Flashmobba
07.03.25 | indeed chippe, a really great record, gotta do more alcest | Squiggly
07.05.25 | Ok how bout Billy Woods - History Will Absolve Me | budgie
07.05.25 | the drumming on alcest's kodama & l'envol is fantastic if you want to hear their sound improved | Flashmobba
07.05.25 | yea I remember my friend playing Kodama for me n it was sick, will check | bach
07.05.25 | Burial - Untrue
Don't know if you've heard/did this one previously | bach
07.05.25 | Edit: nevermind you already rated it
Gigi Masin - wind | Flashmobba
07.05.25 | lol yes untrues one of my favorites, ty! | Valzentia
07.05.25 | Get Scared - The Dead Days | Flashmobba
07.05.25 | pls read rules, must at least be 3.8 w >=20 ratings | Futures
07.05.25 | 2/2 here with recs nice!
glad you dug man, had a feeling you would. sur l'ocean is one of my fav songs of all time. special album, nothing like it. | Flashmobba
07.05.25 | shiii you just get me brobro
yeah, I was off an edible going into another world when that song was on | budgie
07.07.25 | "I’ll be honest, the necrophilia song really put me off
ಠ_ಠ | arthropod
07.07.25 | u know what they say
dead cannot refuse | budgie
07.07.25 | middle of the night
so siiileeentlyyyy
I CREEEEP ON OOOOOOOVA TO THA MOOOORTUAAAAAAAAAAARYY | budgie
07.07.25 | also dunno if i misread your blurb but they are not british they are from socal
def got some of their sound from like the adicts and the damned though for sure | Flashmobba
07.07.25 | budge i like the necrophilia song now
oh snap there’s a Mandela effect, they sounded extremely British to me lol will fix | budgie
07.07.25 | his voice does have an accent on the album but pretty sure it was just because he was imitating the damned lol. he's from long beach | Flashmobba
07.07.25 | i remember one of the guys looks strikingly like tom brady in the band photo on spotify | Flashmobba
07.08.25 | yeeeaaa they just don’t miss, home run zac
| Zac124
07.08.25 | Nice! Rush does certainly rule. | mryrtmrnfoxxxy
07.08.25 | hell yeah | Uzumaki
07.09.25 | That Rush album has my fave song of theirs, “Closer to the Heart”. | budgie
07.09.25 | hooded menace is sick | Flashmobba
07.09.25 | hmm is it really | budgie
07.09.25 | yeah their album never cross the dead is one of the best metal albums fuckin ever | Flashmobba
07.09.25 | sheeeeit you weren’t lying, s/o hawky | Hawks
07.09.25 | Yeah their whole discog is amazing. | gabba
07.09.25 | Nice take on the Stereolab album, it has the best neo-kraut jams I can think of. Check their Refried Ectoplam compilation if you’re looking for more of that sound. | Flashmobba
07.10.25 | fookin BANGER, s/o uzumaki san
keep em comin guys! | PanosChris
07.13.25 | Thank you for listening to my recommendation (Apple's 'When The Pawn...')! It breaks my little heart that you didn't feel the connection I personally have to this record, but super glad that you still gave it a whirl and had a positive-leaning impression of it. Cheers + you've convinced me through your writing to give some of these records a spin myself — huge thank you nonetheless, keep rocking— | Dedes
07.13.25 | Alcest fucking RULE
Personal fav is Kodama but Ecailles is really good if you still prefer a small element of fuzzy abrasive BM energy. Kodama in truth is basically just post-rock/post-metal with the same mood as previous records | Dedes
07.13.25 | Also ty for reminding me I gotta deep dive more Hooded Menace, love The Tritonus Bell for all it's fun cornball doom influences and I did kinda dig Darkness Drips Forth years ago when I jammed it | Flashmobba
07.13.25 | thanks for the kind words, pan, always glad to discover new music and put others on to some myself! |
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