| | Full Review | Ratings (164) |
Give your Rating |
| 5.0 classic | RedRightHand | May 30th 25 |
Gene seems like a bit of a wanker with that score...
7 Bumps | Bump |
| 4.5 superb | Comatorium. | February 26th 25 |
Gene is such a fuckin nerd lmao fifty characters suck my ass, people who fast forward through swans songs are weak.
Album is easily their best since to be kind. The fact that this man is still churning out music like this at 71 is wild to me.
The title track and red yellow are absolutely sublime and stand as the crowing jewels of the post-trilogy era of the band. I
am a tower’s second half is transcendental, the healers has the best groove they’ve written since a little god in my hands,
the merge is as weird as they’ve ever been, and the closing track is the most beautiful Swans has sounded since The
Burning World. This might be a 5 with the benefit of time.
5 Bumps | Bump |
| 2.5 average | LeakingFountain11 | May 31st 25 |
that hole on the album art is actually Michael's mighty asshole poop cannon directed right at your face buddy
what u gonna do
4 Bumps | Bump |
| 1.0 awful | Tundra (Sput Villain) | May 30th 25 |
I can enjoy some post-rock from time to time, but this from Swans, as usual, Birthing is a painfully mind-numbing experience. The lead vocals aren't that great, they have maybe a sort of charm, but it's still not quite there for my personal preference. He sounds untrained, to my ears. Yes, post-rock is known for its long and drawn-out songs, but this is just excessive, and then when the big crescendo moments happen, they are just overbearing. There is so many layers, so much dissonance, it becomes incredibly off-putting. The best post-rock will completely detach themselves from that "crescendo-core" philosophy. They will focus on making great songs, they don't focus on making it mind-numbingly long. Sometimes it can be a shorter song, but it still resonates far more than this album ever could.
2 Bumps | Bump |
| 5.0 classic | bobbydylan | May 30th 25 |
They did it again homies. They made another masterpiece. I knew they had it in em.
2 Bumps | Bump |
| 3.0 good | SaiseiTunes EMERITUS | May 30th 25 |
I don't think this sort of long droning noise rock is my thing. The explosive creepy moments are dulled by either too much repetition or just long breaks where so little happens that I start to lose focus
1 Bumps | Bump |
| 4.5 superb | Faraudo | May 30th 25 |
I'm not too big on Swans' latest albums, but this might be their best since To Be Kind.
1 Bumps | Bump |
| 2.5 average | mystagogus | May 30th 25 |
No surprises here as with all nu-Swans albums, it could've been quite great if runtime was at least halved and had pretentiousness level reduced by 90%. I like it a bit more than predecessors but you can't escape wanting to fast-forward here and there, as for the huge part it's still meaninglessly meandering and failing to justify its mammoth frame.
1 Bumps | Bump |
| 3.9 excellent | Erwann S. EMERITUS | June 3rd 25 |
Birthing is the most vital Swans have sounded since *checks the ineluctable passing of time* 9 years and Glowing Man, reconnecting with The Seer's apocalyptic hypnosis and primal weight, steeped in sprawling tension and ritualistic repetition. 71-years old Gira (yo) and co. lean into their signature sound: patient builds, towering crescendos, and a mystical intensity that still doesn't quite reach the transcendence of their "modern" holy trinity (The Seer, To Be Kind, Soundtracks), but it certainly feels like a return to that wavelength, after two more subdued and fragmented outings. That said, not all of Birthing's excess pays off - they could've trimmed a few overlong stretches that drift more than they mesmerize. Still, when it hits, it hits. As fucking expected.
Bump |
| 0.0 | someguest | May 30th 25 |
Big opportunity missed not naming this The Vaginal Void, Michael.
Bump |
| 4.5 superb | iGuter | December 4th 25 |
| 4.0 excellent | Kip | December 3rd 25 |
| 2.0 poor | tellah | November 29th 25 |
| 4.5 superb | bSmith | November 1st 25 |
| 4.0 excellent | Nash J! | September 28th 25 |
| 3.5 great | Djang0 | September 18th 25 |
| 5.0 classic | CalinD | September 11th 25 |
| 3.5 great | furpa | August 31st 25 |
| 4.0 excellent | wojodta | August 18th 25 |
| 4.0 excellent | kkarron | June 24th 25 |
| 4.0 excellent | hamid95 | June 22nd 25 |
| 4.0 excellent | Wizard | June 12th 25 |
| 4.0 excellent | Timmy | June 12th 25 |
| 3.5 great | ZIG | June 6th 25 |
| 4.0 excellent | Aeri | June 6th 25 |
| 4.0 excellent | neikos | June 5th 25 |
| 2.2 poor | A.R.O. EMERITUS | June 5th 25 |
| 4.5 superb | Lani | June 4th 25 |
| 4.0 excellent | Henry | June 4th 25 |
| 1.5 very poor | foxxxy | June 4th 25 |
| 4.0 excellent | Xhoven | June 3rd 25 |
| 4.5 superb | Piglet | June 3rd 25 |
| 4.0 excellent | Hyndez | June 2nd 25 |
| 4.0 excellent | Kruppe | June 2nd 25 |
| 4.5 superb | Lvxfra | June 2nd 25 |
| 4.2 excellent | DadKungFu EMERITUS | June 1st 25 |
| 4.5 superb | Thor | June 1st 25 |
| 5.0 classic | Juuso | May 31st 25 |
| 4.5 superb | Veldin | May 30th 25 |
| 4.0 excellent | Sowing STAFF | May 30th 25 |
| 4.5 superb | Matty CONTRIBUTOR | May 30th 25 |
| 4.0 excellent | Zakusz | May 30th 25 |
| 5.0 classic | Mser94 | May 30th 25 |
| 5.0 classic | Jekub | May 29th 25 |
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