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Staff
Reviews 647
Soundoffs 102
News Articles 98
Band Edits + Tags 345
Album Edits 2,238
Album Ratings 3166
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Last Active 01-01-70 12:00 am
Joined 01-01-70
Review Comments 43,943
| | Best User Reviews: July 2023 | | 1 |  | The River
A Hollow Full of Hope
"It’s certainly splendid to see The River present their best full-length to date with such a major style contrast on A Hollow Full of Hope. A shift to slowcore plays well to their natural strengths as their atmospheric crawls have a little more pathos behind them along with stellar dynamics. It may not channel Patrick Walker levels of heartbreak but this sort of lullaby doom is a beautiful meeting point between Low and Blackwater Holylight." --PsychicChris | | 2 |  | Sleep Token
Take Me Back to Eden
"Music is inherent to human nature, but music is irrevocably shaped by culture that is just as unavoidable. Different cultural elements are transformed from a shared affinity to the point where they become unintelligible to a variety of others, just like languages- up to a point. The main differing factor in acquiring language and a musical system is the universality that remains in the rough structuring of sound that may be misinterpreted, but rarely evokes a lack of response altogether. This trait is specific to art and its forms. Insisting on short sighted purity of elements takes away one of the most interesting lanes of recombination and expansion that our globalising culture has to offer. Acts like Sleep Token seem to be making steps in a direction that, by its very nature, will be both divisive and interesting. I am quite excited to see where that may still lead." --inevitabilitas | | 3 |  | Blackbraid
Blackbraid II
"The band’s overarching musical construction is fantastic, and has the potential to reach ears beyond extreme metal. Yet, I feel we’re now standing at a critical crossroads with a hidden lurking danger for Blackbraid to become too much of the same, again and again. The mastermind behind it, Sgah'gahsowáh, is clearly charismatic, skilled, ambitious, and willing to put in the work that’s needed to make a “successful” black metal brand. With such a great follow-up release, it made me very curious about how the next Blackbraid album will sound, or more accurately, how far from what we already know it will be. Until then, don’t listen to me, the crazy man of the village seeing demons where they’re not. You’ll enjoy this with your hearts." --NightOnDrunkMountain | | 4 |  | Bob Dylan
Shadow Kingdom
""Shadow Kingdom" remains a musical wasteland without any stable creative pillar, which is conducted by an almost unbearable self-indulgence. Without any trace of sensitiveness or emotion, the release remains inferior even to Sinatra-inspired efforts "Shadows In The Night", "Fallen Angel," and "Triplicate," which are essentially uninspired albums touched by a saving interpretative feel. "Shadow Kingdom" ultimately proves to be the most inessential Bob Dylan album, a later-day release that will probably be infrequently mentioned just as an insignificant soundtrack to a Netflix movie." --SpiridonOrlovschi | | 5 |  | Anohni and the Johnsons
My Back Was a Bridge for You to Cross
"As ever with Anohni the subject matter is dark and profound, with the focus once again on devastation, both personal and environmental; tracks like ‘Scapegoat’, ‘Rest’ and ‘Why Am I Alive Now?’ really cut to the core lyrically and are also afforded the three best compositions here. Most of the remaining songs wouldn’t stand apart or function too well outside of the context of this album, but that’s fine as their role is to provide the flow and texture to tell this story in one perfectly curated sitting." --DoofDoof | | 6 |  | 408
Generational
"The different vocal styles of the three voices gives the band a natural variation that is always welcome. ‘againagainagain’ lyrically talks about heartache and that’s a topic that is as pop-punk as pizza and skating. ‘’you said that he’s just your best friend, I’m not buying it, liar-liar, just a heart for hire’’ Lyrical themes explored on this include first love, loss, memories of first shows, college and coming of age. Nothing new for the genre but it doesn’t distract from the music as a whole." --joshieboy | | 7 |  | Nessa Barrett
hell is a teenage girl
"Nessa’s whispery, breathy vocals lead the way over romantic lyrics that feel vulnerable. There’s a fragility about her music, amongst delicate piano notes and background strings. Indeed, her trademark moody music is back, and can often sound cinematic. The second track, for example, has a sudden, climactic burst of gorgeous strings to break an otherwise quiet tone. Comparisons to Billie Eilish may be inescapable due to Nessa’s whisper vocals, but Nessa’s music is packed with blossoming musical flora that Billie often can’t touch. Then again, there’s equally tepid moments. Young forever had - objectively - more bangers than this slow, methodical EP. " --pizzamachine | | 8 |  | Lauren Spencer-Smith
Mirror
"Throughout the album, Lauren showcases an ear for smarter pop tendencies. On the star-studded "Fantasy" (GAYLE and Em Beihold), she trades the simplistic guitar pop that makes up the album's chassis for electronic beats and jaded dark pop affectations. All three women provide strong vocals, but I wouldn't say the track is an all-out event. On "Love is an Understatement", she exploits solid production, vocal layering and calculated, if minimalist, song structures and brings the affair to life with earnest vocals that take charge, particularly on the outro." --Shamus248 | | 9 | | Sleep Token
Take Me Back to Eden
"It’s where songs feature an amalgamation of everything that Sleep Token shines: Ascenionism and the title track each break the 7 minute mark, and feature a roller coaster of emotions and sonic landscapes, transitioning from pop to R&B to metal throughout the life of the track, sometimes abruptly shifting listeners out of their comfort zone before plopping them right back in. It’s nothing fancy, sometimes the transitions are even jarring, but Sleep Token manages to make it feel so natural, so organic, that even getting shifted over to a different musical genre isn’t enough to scare away even the most jaded and narrow minded music listener. " --Muse1748 | | 10 |  | Saturdays at Your Place
always cloudy
"Saturdays at Your Place boasts a couple of musical ingredients that make this project stand out and impress. A tight rhythm section propels each song with a sincere sense of fun, while the guitarist adopts the Tiny Moving Parts brand of noodly and technical guitarwork. All three members of the band take on major solo singing roles - an eternally welcome bit of DIY in the genre - and while their pipes aren’t anything to write home about, their voices fit the material very well. It’s a beautiful marriage of exciting and electric performances with a dash of that Modern Baseball sad-boy emo energy that will bring you right back to high school." --AugustAir | | 11 |  | Perfumed Saturnine Angels
Saccharine Curses Exhaled in the Wind
"What's different about this album than other blackened skramz that I've heard is the sheer, raw emotion that is felt here. Every riff is like a punch to the stomach, the technically sound drums will beat you into submission and the tortured screams from beyond the grave make you feel as if you're suffocating, just looking for that precious breath to come back to you. This album is a 34 minute long emotional roller coaster and the back story that follows it makes it all the more devastating." --Hawks | | 12 |  | Butcher Babies
Eye For An Eye...
"These rubbery leftovers taste as if BB heated them in a microwave running at half capacity. The gals’ approach is too hesitant, siphoning out potential flavor. In theory, "Bottom of a Bottle" and "Yorktown" are hedonistic, rock-n-roll odes to sex and substances. In practice, these songs fail to make the grade. They drip inconsistency, a meal patchwork with cold, hot, and lukewarm spots. The intros and verses of the pertinent tracks—boasting big riffs and cheerleader chants—liven the proceedings. The sugary, melodic choruses halt the momentum and tarnish the dish." --cycosynner | | 13 |  | Before The Dawn
Stormbringers
"New album “Stormbringers” is the product of this new collaboration and my word there’s some quality here. Suspense builds and the platform is suitably set by “The Dawn” before “Destroyer” rumbles into gear with twin guitars that quickly dissipate with the first spotlight on Laapotti. The moment is taken with aplomb and a procession of strong clean singing builds momentum into the song, a catchy mid tempo entree. Laapotti provides both cleans and growls which is often layered to provide depth, a necessary edge. “Reveries” is classic Saukkonen, an opening riff that his other current project Wolfheart could employ but is smartly reserved for this record and the lungs of Laapotti. Saukkonen fulfills drumming duties for this recording and being a proficient multi-instrumentalist, nails this assignment in addition to guitars, keyboards and secondary harsh vocals." --Muzz79 | | 14 |  | The Dirty Nil
Free Rein to Passions
"Overall, Free Rein to Passions largely feels uninspired. The riffs aren’t always there, the choruses land flat, and the lyrics lack both thought and character. Even when a song does not have one of these problems, the void that the other two create is glaring, and it is hard to overlook it. Regardless, not the whole album is dull, and the occasional blast of energy is as good as some of their strongest material." --Zac124 | | 15 |  | Plastika
Plastika
"Hardcore punk is probably one of my favorite genres, because it has all of the things that I like. And Croatian band Plastika’s debut record has all of the things I like. It feeds and thrives off of pissed-off energy and speed. Music with a message that’s blunter than a baseball bat. Justified, righteous anger that gives you contact-anger just by listening to it. Lyrics (even when I have to translate it from a language I don’t speak) that cut like a knife. A vocalist whose yells and screams work with the subject matter, instead of against it. Without a solid musical backing, hardcore punk can be a frustrating listen; feeling more like listening to a sermon than music. But Plastika avoids that pitfall by being damn good musicians first and foremost. Amateurish and simple at times, yes. But all great punk should be at least a little messy." --SandwichBubble | | 16 |  | Evoking Winds
Bald Mountain
"Among the highlights of the album I’d name the Bald Mountain itself – with its rich instrumentation, fantasy motives and uncompromising black metal approach (that drumming at the second minute mark is almost incomparable), the colossal closing riff with lower vocals leaves no stone unturned. The Oath is a slower number with more groove and clean singing, and the strings after 03 45 are just superb. Cannot miss In The Whispers of The Stars Far Away – almost eight minutes of a developing prog metal slab, that offers anything you might probably think of (acoustic parts, clean singing, cosmic black, keyboard bridge in the middle, and a fairytale outro)." --gbongzilla | | 17 |  | Fall Out Boy
So Much (For) Stardust
"My favorite moment on the record comes at the end where the band creates this yin-yang effect where tracks, “What A Time to Be Alive” and “So Much (For) Stardust” come together in harmonious duality. The former establishes itself as a very fun and flashy, triumphant standard that basks in the band’s journey through the years and hopeful look to the future. The latter is sorrowful in timbre with more somber strings backed by a darker hip-hop style drum beat and accentuated horn pops. There is nice instrumental space here that has room to breathe between Stump’s vocal delivery and a striking chorus that hits to the record’s thematic core." --Kyle1221 | | 18 |  | Blur
The Ballad of Darren
"It’s worth noting right from the start that this is a sad album and there’s rarely a light of hope breaking through the darkness across the LP’s runtime. It’s their second breakup album coming after 1999’s ‘13’, though more so in lyrical content than sound, and as such it can be a particularly draining listen. However, what is most interesting is how the band (or Damon more accurately) are handling this pain. ‘13’ was a lot of things. An explosion of torment and anguish, full of self loathing, bitterness and confusion but ‘The Ballad of Darren’ looks to handle these emotions differently. It’s a numb feeling release." --Drbebop | | 19 |  | Signs Of The Swarm
Amongst The Low and Empty
"Amongst... seems segmented between the “heavier, brutal-er, bouncier” first portion of the record, while the second half feels “progressive, thoughtful, experimental” (relative to their previous output). In the first half, exceptional riff writing is displayed on tracks like “Pray for Death”, which harkens back to “Totem” – a bouncy, head-nod-inducing riff that really catches your ear, even on a passive listen. In contrast, songs in the second half, including “Shackles Like Talons”, “DREAMKILLER”, and “Faces Without Names”, showcase some of the most diverse, dynamic, and complete songwriting that we’ve seen from Signs." --murphA | | 20 |  | From Ashes To New
Blackout
"The anthemic alt-metal takes more of a center stage here than in previous albums; “Hate Me Too” has an infectious chorus that’s an easy earworm, for instance. It gets said a lot about many albums, but Blackout feels like it was tailor-made for live-shows. The hooks are so catchy that it wouldn’t feel out of place for thousands of fans at an arena to scream out every last word. Danny’s vocals are at their peak, Matt’s rapping is improved, and the instrumentation complements them very well. Many tracks feel like they could fit as a pay-per-view theme for a professional wrestling program as well. It’s essentially WWEcore at its core, but it’s played so convincingly and with enough energy that one can just turn their brain off, not go in expecting OK Computer or some immensely innovative piece of music and have a plenty good time." --Halez | | 21 |  | TURQUOISEDEATH
Se Bueno
""Crawl Space" is a much less shoegazey cut, featuring Boards of Canada-esque drums and a progressive song progression, splitting very naturally into different sections with different drum styles, which at one point go bat*** in one of the best breakbeat breakdowns ever made. To close off with the angsty, glistening climax is the right move to make this song as memorable as it is. There's no getting past this track, and it leaves you wanting more of its hollow, liquid samples and beautiful melodies. But before you can blink, 5 minutes feels like 10 seconds and you are passed onto "Sinking Into You" with an amazingly natural transition. The birdsong helps welcome in a lovely strumming of guitar, which builds up with a nice drum beat, albeit maybe a bit to simple, but once we reach the first drop, the cascade of noise, guitar and angsty vocals make for a beautifully noisy and romantic moment, one which you will remember for a long time." --afterthenight | |
Sowing
08.01.23 | Congrats to July's inclusions | pizzamachine
08.01.23 | Nice revs | mkmusic1995
08.01.23 | Great writing by all, thanks for always putting these together Sowing! :D | NightOnDrunkMountain
08.02.23 | Well done everyone! Good job | Hawks
08.03.23 | Thanks for the recognition Sowing bro! | Shamus248
08.07.23 | Thanks for the love on #8 kind sir! |
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