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Staff
Reviews 647
Soundoffs 102
News Articles 98
Band Edits + Tags 345
Album Edits 2,238
Album Ratings 3166
Objectivity 73%
Last Active 01-01-70 12:00 am
Joined 01-01-70
Review Comments 43,943
| | Best User Reviews: October 2023 | | 1 |  | Animal Collective
Isn’t It Now?
"Their most recent foray sees them take bits and pieces of their last 25 years together and blends them together into this soupy mid-tempo psych/ambient/dub pop mush. Opener “Soul Capturer” has everything an AnCo fan could ever want. It has layers upon layers of lush instrumentation and vocal harmonizing. It has acoustic guitars strumming along. It even has some distorted vocal shenanigans. It’s an overall pleasant listen. But as an opener, I could not ask for a weaker first impression. The whole album seems to wade in this more laid-back malaise, which I understand is the point. But there is so little to grasp onto on this album." --SandwichBubble | | 2 |  | Laurel Halo
Atlas
" The minor key composition of most tracks on paper gives little indication of the album’s inherent uplifting nature. See, the plethora of instrumental layers combine together into a distorted sound of a dream. Like hearing glimpses of different songs from distant opposing directions, while you dwell underwater. Their muffled, directionless mix works counter to the general creepiness on the surface, creating an inexplicably soothing comfortable atmosphere. Almost like a disappearing memory summoned in fever’s dream." --someone | | 3 |  | Lady Luna and the Devil
Vampiric Visions Vol. I: Living Blood
"Vampiric Visions Vol. I: Living Blood is the third full-length album from these blood sucking ghouls and was my introduction to the band and lets just say, it was a hell of an introduction. This album is like a doom metal opera, featuring epic riffs ov the dark lord, absolutely soaring and melancholic female vocals courtesy of Lady Luna herself and a dreadful atmosphere of your impending capture by none other than Count Dracula himself. Lady Luna and the Devil give you an experience, not just an album." --Hawks | | 4 |  | Code Orange
The Above
"But that's what brings me to what makes and breaks the album…. Its total lack of restraint, compared to their earlier work. They unapologetically try to do everything, and many of them fall flat just because of that. The dreamy passages on the verses of Theater of Cruelty don't properly develop it into anything but another metalcore song, which renders them useless. The choruses on songs like I Fly or Take Shape almost feel like a dishonest form of release, crafted for whoever can't go all the way to their heavier work that lies on the same album. The almost jumpy attitude of Circle Through and the title track's anthemic closing just totally contrast the mood that the rest of the album tries to develop, the former also being completely forgettable, on top of that." --PTRKoulou | | 5 |  | Red (USA)
Rated R
"Rated R quickly molds itself into a blur of choruses. Red can still write great guitar riffs, and a couple breakdowns are straight out of their old chapter (especially Still Bleeding’s breakdown). An overarching problem turns its head: the riffs and growls often feel like obligations rather than actually heart felt. Likewise, symphonic elements are added as extra bluster to attempt to intensify tracks, but they’re generally too quiet and simply played. There’s also a noticeable absence of piano playing. In short, the album pales in comparison to the emotive End of Silence." --pizzamachine | | 6 |  | Empire State Bastard
Rivers Of Heresy
"After a few spins though, the record unveils itself as a compelling amalgamation of insert-genre-here metal song-writing and Biffy Clyro’s more melodic approach. Take aforementioned lumbering doom cut, 'Moi?'. The stoner riffs that run through the song hit harder because it opens with so many sticky earworm melodies that build tension, leading to a wonderful catharsis every time the distortion pedal kicks in. Or how about the albums longest and best song, the doom-meets-disco-slow-jam groove of closer ‘The Looming’? This soupy cocktail of high-end screams, low-end growls and droning guitars mixed with lilting singing and sparkling synth notes shouldn't work and yet it ends up being the highlight of the whole damn thing." --Beej977 | | 7 |  | Juzo
DYSTOPIA 02
"Juzo’s delivery, however - while consistently strong - becomes somewhat predictable by the time the end of the EP rolls around. Perhaps an unfortunate consequence of the liberal use of pitch correction, but nonetheless, a noticeable same-yness pervades the duration of the EP with the exception of “Monster” with shxrda’s feature, which is also rendered with pitch correction. Yet, in spite of it, shxrda’s voice also manages to shine through the engineering just as Juzo’s does, offering a more enticing front end. Seeing more diverse features such as on their prior effort, ANIMA 01, would almost certainly benefit the overall listening experience." --ImmortalPaper | | 8 |  | Cultus Black
Cultus Black
"Speaking of sound & fury, this band is f*cking pissed, and, by Satan’s scrotum, they want you to know it. Like Iowa before it, this project’s animosity feels contemporary. “Devour”—which sounds like Brand of Sacrifice if they debuted in ’98—vomits the burden of mental illness out like a hungover college student after their first all-night rager. “Cells” rejects the “nihilists and Nazis” of online discourse in favor of radical self-determination, while “Killing The Beautiful” mourns society’s tendencies to alienate and eradicate those who stray from the "norm". The perpetual frustration isn’t aimless, nor pointless. Cultus Black directs their righteous poison—mostly—towards abusers, authoritarians, and anxieties. If societal ails are the nail, these folks embody the hammer." --cycosynner | | 9 |  | The Arcane Order
Distortions from Cosmogony
"he heavily pounding blast beats don't feel in any way softened or diminished because fo the spacious production - yet they're made palatable and in consequence the music is enjoyable no matter how slowly it unfolds. While The Arcane Order were never ones to meander between buildups and climaxes and instead always opted for a constantly highly-charged assault - this was yet another reason that in the past made listening to them tiresome. It's a pitfall many great bands are held back by, especially in the melodeath/thrash thereabouts. Even extreme metal works better with moments of respite, but the addition of atmospheric elements makes the constantly elevated assault dissolve into more of an ambienty/droney experience, which makes the usually high intensity of the music much more forgiving." --XfingTheSullen | | 10 |  | Sulphur Aeon
Seven Crowns and Seven Seals
"In the latter aforementioned track, Sulphur Aeon showcase how easily they can switch from these epic elements to the more ominous, fast-paced heaviness that they owe their success on, and back. An absolute highlight is the sixth and self-titled track, which features Laurent Teubl (Chapel of Disease) and Michael Zech (ex-Secrets of the Moon), no strangers in the Sulphur Aeon ranks. One of the most flamboyant and grandiose pieces the band has ever written, with a clean vocal chorus that’s meant for big stadium audiences, it somehow instantly brings Iron Maiden’s “Moonchild” in mind and closes in an almost heavy / power metal fashion that, I did not expect Sulphur Aeon to execute so well." --NightOnDrunkMountain | | 11 |  | Blood Incantation
Luminescent Bridge
"When the band slowly build themselves back into the music, though, the guitar leads and plodding drums actually remind more of Wolves in the Throne Room’s Celestial Lineage (somehow with even less rhythm guitar in the mix) than they do anything in the same galaxy as Starspawn*. The slightly longer second track “Luminescent Bridge” is about what you’d expect from a full-band space ambient track where all members are actually allowed to contribute (I am talking about Timewave Zero). As in the previous track, the band also slowly build themselves into the music as the piece progresses: first a humming synth, then a brief guitar melody, a sparse piano accompaniment, then finally drums to complete the ensemble. It unsurprisingly fizzles away into ambience afterward." --zaruyache | | 12 |  | The Keening
Little Bird
"Overall, The Keening presents a world of beautiful doom-folk with Little Bird. As expected by a project with the SubRosa connection, the gorgeous musicianship and enveloping atmosphere make it easy to linger while the songwriting takes its time to grow on the listener. Even if one missed SubRosa and The Otolith, fans of artists like Chelsea Wolfe and Darkher are sure to find it appealing. With such pronounced identities already taking place, it’ll be exciting to see the sort of stories The Keening will tell in the future." --PsychicChris | | 13 |  | Beartooth
The Surface
"For reasons that might not immediately be obvious, The Surface marks an important stepping in stone in Beartooth's – and by definition – Caleb Shomo's musical and spiritual journey. On the surface (haha) and judged by its own merits, Beartooth's fifth album is easy to write off as a disposable, pop-ridden. rock and metal offering that at that times flirts just a little too hard with SiriusXM Octane-listeners. But the reality is that going from hearing the absolutely gut-wrenching outro to "Sick and Disgusting" from nearly a decade ago, where Caleb breaks down into tears in the vocal booth. that is preceded by his sentiments of "I just wanna feel loved" to the feel-good anthem of this year's "Might Love Myself", is indeed powerful." --iChuckles | | 14 |  | Spencer Krug
I Just Drew This Knife
"These songs still ramble as has been the man's wont since the very beginning ,but this time the production remains sparkly clean and inviting, plus there's usually a steady driving beat attempting to apply some form of forward progression. Krug's vocals are as strong (and divisive) as they ever were, though he's doomed to remain a more 'marmite' vocalist than say, even Dan Bejar. The varied and sometime experimental guitar work is often the biggest draw here, splashing colour over even the most skeletal or confounding of Krug's backdrops; through all the ups and downs of his career his work has always kept this sense of daring at the very least." --DoofDoof | | 15 |  | Leon III
Something Is Trying To Change My Mind
"In that respect, ‘Something Is Trying To Change My Mind’ is masterful: its swelling guitars, surging strings, and dreamlike vocal harmonies are built to such a massive stature that it threatens to envelop the listener entirely. This album threatens the critic with their greatest adversary: missing the trees for the forest. One can dissect a record’s compositional merits all day – especially when going in with high expectations – and in the process lose hold of the precious moments of wonder a work of art can inspire. And if the psychedelic movement has taught anybody anything it is that one must appreciate the individual moments. Because those are, after all, all we have and all we are." --SublimeSound | | 16 |  | Reverend Kristin Michael Hayter
SAVED!
"There are moments of triumph here - SAVED!’s centrepiece, Hayter’s rendition of the traditional Wayfaring Stranger is affecting and gorgeously arranged, and it’s prologue May This Comfort And Protect You is euphoric and transcendent. Hayter has every right to make the art she wants to, and has been clear on her intention to overlay historical constraints and avant-garde technique atop accessible frameworks. On that level, SAVED! succeeds unreservedly. It just so happens that, unfortunately, the insistence on exploring such techniques and constraints, along with the relative position of her tongue and cheek on some of these cuts may come at the expense of enjoyment for those looking forward to an exploration of the more stripped down, minimalist sound Hayter began to delve into on her previous release." --Butkuiss | | 17 |  | Goo Goo Dolls
Live at the Academy
"What’s most revealing and rewarding about this collection is that it highlights the ever-present, almost nagging battle between where the Goo Goo Dolls had been pre-1995 and where their career would ultimately head. Summed up in one moment: when Takac questions the crowd after their cover of INXS’ “Don’t Change,” asking if the audience wants to hear more electric songs or acoustic guitar driven songs for a second encore. The crowd response is split down the middle, to which Takac opines that “nobody’s making up my mind.” Given the choice, and ultimately foreshadowing the future, the band decides to go acoustic." --ZackSh33 | | 18 |  | Simon Farintosh
Aphex Twin for Guitar
"These are good choices, all giving themselves well to acoustic interpretations; they’re sparse tracks that recall the slow sad timelessness of Erik Satie and sound like they could have been originally written for acoustic guitar (with perhaps the exception of Alberto Balsalm which retains an echo of its robotic beat). However, this timelessness exists in a tentative form. The cover, the cornish titles and sparse guitar work all lead one to think this is a reproduction of cornish folk music. But that's not the case. These are Aphex Twin interpretations for guitar and Aphex Twin is very firmly settled in modernity (and it's hard to forget that). But the very natural way these tracks sound illustrate the deceptive talent in Aphex Twins songwriting (a very human robot) and Simon Farintosh’s interpretive abilities." --Mort. | | 19 |  | The National
First Two Pages of Frankenstein
"Overall this is a vast improvement over, 'I am Easy to Find,' however it seems appropriate that it mentions only the first 'Two Pages' in the title. This is because while the majority of the songs sound complete, others give the impression that in effect, only two pages of music sheets were made and were wrapped up prematurely for some songs. Despite this, I still recommend a listen." --FatheringhamDrive | | 20 |  | The Callous Daoboys
God Smiles Upon The Callous Daoboys
"Despite the fact that it is unfair to compare a three track EP to the band's current greatest achievement, it is hard not to, or at least until LP3 is released. There is nothing downright terrible here; it just falls a little short on almost all aspects the band proved they were extremely proficient in. The darker tone is gone, the transitions are noticeably weaker, and there is a noticeable focus on more hook-laden yet generic choruses. Overall, God Smiles Upon the Callous Daoboys is a good EP, but after Celebrity Therapist, it is hard to deny that it is at least a little disappointing." --Zac124 | | 21 |  | Fallen Letters
Remain a Memory
"It’s a bit dark, melancholic, and even depressed, as the topic of the song relates to the haunting feeling when love is lost but not forgotten. Overall what makes Fallen Letters so innovative is the highest-quality production and zero accent vocals – I really couldn’t tell where the band came from until I read it. I’d put it like that, that’s some top-shelf amateur rocking madness with a ton of potential." --gbongzilla | | 22 |  | Sampha
LAHAI
"On a purely musical level, it's thrilling how many elements LAHAI filters through Sampha's idiosyncratic style. His piano still features most prominently, such as on opener Stereo Colour Cloud, where it's modulated into a beautiful, and incredibly catchy, dance with rippling synths and clattering drums. It acts as anchor on the subtly eerie Satellite Business, surrounded by sci-fi synth burbles and disembodied vocalisations, grounding the alienesque interlude. On closer Rose Tint it's an accent under a layer of heartbeat thumps and delirious off-kilter keyboards. Suspended features it everywhere in so many ways it's like Sampha doing a Bubba Gump spiel for his instrument of choice: gorgeous choral melodies, complimentary jabs of jumping keys, and rapid arpeggios buttressing jazzy percussion." --Slex | |
Sowing
11.07.23 | Congrats to everyone on the list! | Slex
11.07.23 | Thank you! Gotta check that new Leon album | NightOnDrunkMountain
11.07.23 | For one more time, thanks a lot for featuring my text.
Cheers to all the writers too! | AnimalForce1
11.07.23 | Always awesome to see the reviews on this list! Congrats to the writers who got featured here! | mkmusic1995
11.07.23 | Great reviews as always! Killer work from Slex and someone, really enjoyed reading those respective write ups! | bananatossing
11.07.23 | Congrats, everyone! | DoofDoof
11.07.23 | thanks Sowing and well done fellow reviewers | Butkuiss
11.08.23 | Honoured and flattered by my inclusion; thanks Sowing! | Zac124
11.08.23 | As always, thanks for the inclusion of my reviews, Sowing! | pizzamachine
11.08.23 | More like based user reviews | Beej977
11.09.23 | Thanks Sowing! Nice surprise. Well done to everyone else featured! | someone
11.13.23 | " Killer work from Slex and someone"
cheers bb |
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