Average Rating: 3.87 Rating Variance: 0.66 Objectivity Score: 64% (Fairly Balanced)
Sort by: Rating | Release Date | Rating Date | Name5.0 classicAphex Twin Selected Ambient Works 85-92Music that manages to relax you and grip you at the same time. It is rare for an album that breaches the hour mark to hold my interest all of the way through but on 'Selected Ambient Works 85-92' Aphex Twin manages just that.Black Sabbath ParanoidBloodbath Nightmares Made FleshFuck this is good! Has everything you could want from metal, brutal riffs, savage vocals, ripping solos and most important (and surprising for death metal) festering hooks that you can growl along to.Deftones Diamond EyesElectric Wizard DopethroneFor those that worship the riff look no further, you have found the one true God.Ghost (SWE) MelioraBy beefing up their sound and streamlining their magical brew of classic heavy metal, prog and psychedelia Ghost have finally created the perfect pop-metal album that they had been hinting at with their two (excellent) previous releases.Iron Maiden Seventh Son Of A Seventh SonKyuss Welcome To Sky ValleyWith 'Welcome to Sky Valley' Kyuss achieved Stoner Rock perfection. Save for the mildly irritating 57 seconds of 'Lick-Doo' there isn't a moment on this album that dips below sheer brilliance. If you consider yourself a fan of anything heavy, psychedelic or groovy and you haven't heard this yet do yourself a favour. Set aside an hour, partake of your favoured intoxicant (if that's your thing) and blast this out on the best set of speakers you can lay your hands on and prepare to be enlightened!Manic Street Preachers The Holy BibleOne of the most harrowing rock records ever made. If all you know of the Manic's comes from their indie stadium rock period then you will most likely be shocked and horrified by the bleak lyrical content contained within 'The Holy Bible'. Even as a listener of metal, some of which falls within the more extreme end of the spectrum I can testify that this outclasses even the most satanic and nihilistic Black Metal in its contempt for the human condition. However within this contempt there is a painful empathy as for a moment you see the world through its most wretched of eyes. Nick Drake Pink MoonPink Floyd The Dark Side Of The MoonThere are many rites of passage in life that change a person forever. Listening to 'Dark Side of the Moon' is one of them. While it may feel cliche to call this album a classic sometimes you just have to face reality and accept the truth that is this album. Essential in every sense of the word.Radiohead OK ComputerTerry Riley Shri CamelInner peace is the best way to describe the feeling of listening to this album. A mystical, psychedelic masterpiece that is criminally underrated, even among fans of Terry Riley it seems.Terry Riley A Rainbow In Curved AirNot quite as good as 'Shri Camel' in my eyes but still a classic piece of psychedelia style classical music. A must for anyone into minimalism, psychedelia or Indian music.The Beatles RevolverWhile Sgt Pepper takes most of the critical acclaim the perfect Beatles album for me has always been 'Revolver'. On this record the band achieved the greatest balance between poppy song-writing (And Your Bird Can Sing), rock n' roll attitude (Taxman) and psychedelia (She Said She Said). Every song on here (with the possible exception of 'Yellow Submarine', a song that I have yet to fully warm to within the context of the album) stands amongst the best that the band ever did. All of this is topped off with the transcendental 'Tomorrow Never Knows', a song that knows no peers even to this day.Uncle Acid and The Deadbeats Blood LustImagine a world where The Beatles, whilst watching vintage Hammer Horror films decided to form a Black Sabbath tribute band. If the idea of this fills you will glee then 'Blood Lust' is the album for you. The band steps up the production from their début including menacing layered vocals that sound like John Lennon channelling the spirit of Aleister Crowley whilst peaking on brown acid. Whats really amazing is how the band takes elements that have been done to death and manage to turn them into something that feels fresh and unique. If you like your doom traditional or your psychedelic done heavy then listen to this.4.5 superbAlice in Chains DirtDeftones White PonyGhost (SWE) Opus EponymousMegadeth Peace Sells... But Who's Buying?Misery Signals ControllerMonolord VænirThere is very little original about this album with their few influences worn proudly on their sleeve, but what they do they do exceptionally. These are some of the most addictive riffs I have heard in a long time all of which unashamedly kneel before the feet of the Dopethrone. If you wan't something innovative look elsewhere, if you just want heavy riffage that crushes you while tripping you out towards the stars come on in....Monster Magnet Spine of GodBrilliant over the top stoner rock from one of the titans of the genre. 'Spine of God' isn't as heavy as many of the other classics (e.g. Kyuss, Electric Wizard, Sleep...) but it makes up for it in sheer fuzzed out psychedelia taking its inspiration from bands like Cream and Syd Barrett era Pink Floyd rather than stoner rock's more orthodox Black Sabbath worship.Nirvana In UteroPig Destroyer TerrifyerA deeply disturbing and passionate grindcore album filled with manic drumming, savage grooves and psychotic vocals. If you are a fan of grind or heavy music in general you owe it to yourself to listen to this.Pink Floyd Wish You Were HerePink Floyd The WallYes this album is an overblown and pretentious exploration of Roger Water's battle with his own ego but hell is it a captivating one!Porcupine Tree Fear of a Blank PlanetPrimal Scream ScreamadelicaQueens of the Stone Age ...Like ClockworkRage Against the Machine Rage Against the MachineA potent brew of left-wing extremism wrapped in a delicious package of riffs, funk and hip-hop. Where this album differs from the rest of the 90's alternative metal explosion is in its sense of dynamics with songs like 'Killing In The Name' and 'Settle For Nothing' playing creeping tension against incendiary metallic onslaughts to great effect. The politically informed lyrics are a nice change from standard rap-metal themes and give the music a punk-like conviction that is rarely found in metal. Breakthrough song 'Killing In The Name' has lost some of its power through overexposure and you have to be in the right mood to enjoy this music but these are minor niggles that prevent this album reaching perfection.Sepultura Beneath The Remains'Arise' seems to get most of the praise but I find 'Beneath the Remains' to be a much better album that combines the propulsive accelerating feel of thrash with the darkness and brutality of death metal. Musically this album borders on perfection for its genre with godlike drumming, incredible riffs and the occasional melodic interlude to break things up. The vocals are also excellent, dripping with venom and indignant rage against nameless oppressive governments. Lyrically this album isn't amazing but to be honest you aren't going to be paying too much attention to what is being said here. Aside from the melodic interludes mentioned before this album is somewhat repetitive and while the vocals work well with the music I feel a more extreme vocal style would have worked better with the music. These are minor blemishes that prevent the album from reaching perfection but don't let them put you off listening to an essential piece of thrash.Stoned Jesus Seven Thunders RoarAn insane improvement over the Sabbath worshipping 'First Communion' as Stoned Jesus carve out their niche in the stoner/doom landscape. 'Seven Thunders Roar' is much cleaner than 'First Communion', something that would normally spell 'doom' for this kind of music but when combined with Stoned Jesus' new-found ear for song-writing it allows for a greater appreciation of the individual performances. At the end of the day though this is stoner/doom and where would it be without the riffs to back it up? Fortunately Stoned Jesus more than deliver in this department from the crushingly heavy 'Electric Mistress' to the brilliant moment in 'I'm the Mountain' where the electric guitar finally enters. Essential listening for fans of stoner/doom or good heavy riffage in general.Tame Impala InnerspeakerWhile calling Tame Impala a fuzzed out modern day version of The Beatles wouldn't be entirely inaccurate it would do the music contained on 'Innerspeak' a disservice to call it a throwback to a time when acid drenched rock ruled the airwaves. Superficially this album appears to be a fun romp through psychedelia but a closer inspection of Kevin Parker's lyrics reveal a tortured soul drowning in apathy who is slowly disconnecting from the world through a mix of drugs and self deception. While this may seem like a good album to listen to while toking up one would do so with the risk of invoking a sense of existential despair.The Cure Seventeen SecondsAn underrated gem in The Cure's discography that perfectly captures the feeling of being isolated in a forest, all alone....Trials This Ruined WorldA Molotov cocktail of thrash, groove and progressive metal that perfectly treads the line between old school and modern sounds. This concoction is topped off by stellar, impassioned song-writing. Essential listening for fans of fast, aggressive, riffy metal with feel.Vildhjarta MÃ¥sstadenA Djent album that manages to stand apart in a genre full of generic Meshuggah worshippers. Blending haunting ambience with dissonant grooves and psychopathic dual vocals 'Masstaden' treads through darker waters than most Djent and is all the better for it. Even if you are put off by the idea of Djent this is still an album worth listening to.4.0 excellentAgoraphobic Nosebleed Arc'Not a Daughter' and 'Deathbed' are spectacular pieces of sludged up doom metal reminding me of a more tormented, but less psychotic Acid Bath. However 'Gnaw' kills the momentum by indulging in dronier territory that lacks the contrasts of the firsts two tracks. Its only other weakness is that it is far too short! I personally would have loved an albums worth of this material or at least a couple more songs!Alice in Chains Black Gives Way to BlueAlice in Chains The Devil Put Dinosaurs HereAnthrax Among The LivingAphex Twin Richard D. James AlbumA strange combination of angelic ambience and punishing, off kilter rhythms that somehow manages to work. Trying to follow the drums in this album is a fun game to play and guarantees some mindfuckery.At the Gates Slaughter of the SoulMy first few listens to 'Slaughter of the Soul' were disappointing and for a while I dismissed the album as a monotonous bore. However, a few more listens down the line and it all starts to click. Excellent song-writing started to emerge with music that finds an excellent balance between pleasing melody and in your face aggression. It isn't a perfect album, save for one brief and beautiful acoustic interlude on 'Into the Dead Sky' there is very little variation which could potentially induce listeners fatigue. Fortunately the album is just over half an hour in length making this a short but sweet shot of awesome heavy metal.Beastmilk ClimaxThe main 'criticism' that can be levelled against this album is that the first three songs set an impossibly high standard for the rest to follow. 'Death Reflects Us', 'The Wind Blows Through Their Skulls' and 'Genocidal Crush' are some of the most infectious songs I have heard in years!Black Moth Super Rainbow Dandelion GumA strange combination of 'Magical Mystery Tour's' bizarre psychedelic excursions and Board's of Canada style electronica that nonetheless manages to maintain its own identity. If you are looking for an aural representation of what it feels like to trip balls you've come to the right place.Black Sabbath Master of RealityDavid Bowie The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders From MarsDeftones Around the FurDeftones DeftonesDeftones GoreMy initial impression of this album was disappointing, particularly as I am a big fan of Deftones (especially their last two albums) and had been building 'Gore' up in my mind for months prior to its release. Initially I found it to be an extremely bottom heavy album with only the singles 'Prayer/Triangle', 'Doomed User' and the final three songs standing out as excellent Deftones material. However, a few more listens in and the album is revealing its true colours as an excellent effort from the band. It doesn't have the immediacy of 'Diamond Eyes' or the sonic weight of 'Koi No Yokan' but makes up for it with subtle melodies and an otherworldly atmospheres which serves as an excellent backdrop for Chino's impressionistic lyrics. 'Phantom Bride' is a particular highlight with Jerry Cantrell from Alice In Chains turning up to add his distinctive guitar sound to the music. All in all an excellent release by Deftones that may climb up the ratings as time goes on.Doves (UK) The Last BroadcastGhost (SWE) InfestissumamGoldie TimelessWhile bordering on pretentiousness with its length and grandiosity 'Timeless' nonetheless manages to be excellent throughout its 2 hour length. Goldie's insistent rhythms are given room to breath in the dreamy ambience that bathes this record, the end result being a drum & bass album that relaxes as much as it energises.Helmet MeantimeIron Maiden Iron MaidenIron Maiden The Number Of The BeastKillswitch Engage Alive or Just BreathingKing Crimson In the Court of the Crimson KingInstrumentally this album is spectacular (just listen to the mindfuck that is '21st Century Schizoid Man') combining the power of rock with the elegant complexity of jazz into a form of music that had, at the point of its release never existed before. King Crimson also manage to bring emotion to their technically brilliant music (something often forgotten in progressive rock), particularly on the cathartic 'Epitaph'. The bizarre ambient segment of 'Moonchild' does push it at points and in my eyes breaks up the otherwise excellent flow of the album.Megadeth Rust In PeaceMetallica Ride The LightningMetallica Master Of PuppetsMonster Magnet SuperjudgeNot quiet as manically tripped out as 'Spine Of God' but displaying a thicker, heavier sound that the band would build on with the next albums. This heavier metallic rock isn't a million miles away from what Soundgarden were doing around this time on 'Badmotorfinger' but this is simpler and arguably more fun than that record. The best songs are still the psychedelic voyagers (e.g. the epic title track) but the album as a whole is strong and an excellent follow up to their masterful début.Nile Annihilation Of The WickedOasis Definitely MaybeOrange Goblin Frequencies From Planet Ten'Frequencies from Planet 10' is not the heaviest stoner album, nor is it the most inventive but it is one of the most fun and a welcome relief from the Lovecraftian misanthropy that the genre all to often mires itself in.Porcupine Tree Stupid DreamQueens of the Stone Age Rated RRadiohead The BendsSoundgarden SuperunknownThe Beatles Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club BandThe Beatles Magical Mystery TourWhile 'Magical Mystery Tour' is no doubt one of the least cohesive album by The Beatles it makes up for it with pure strangeness. Sure, weaker tracks like 'Your Mother Should Know' and 'Baby, You're a Rich Man' prevent it from reaching perfection but the high points, including the tripped out 'Strawberry Fields Forever' and definitive flower power anthem 'All You Need Is Love' more than make up for this records shortcomings. There are even a few underrated gems amongst the albums lysergic haze such as 'Blue Jay Way', a song that drips with the paranoid menace of a acid trip gone awry.The Doors The DoorsThe Prodigy Music For The Jilted GenerationThe Stooges Fun House'Fun House' is a sinister album that takes the twisting atmospheres of psychedelic rock and filters it through a raw garage rock sensibility. Towards the end of the album free jazz saxophones are thrown into the mix creating a truly hellish atmosphere.Watchtower (AUS) Radiant MoonWhores. CleanCrushingly heavy noise rock with a strong sludge metal influence and excellent production. Looking forward to a full length from this band.3.5 greatAgoraphobic Nosebleed Altered States of AmericaSounds like taking bad LSD laced with crystal meth. It is night on impossible to pick out individual songs but Scott Hull's distinguished guitar-work is instantly recognisable as is the schizophrenic drum machine that utterly rapes any opening of accessibility that this album may have.Black Sabbath Black SabbathBlack Sabbath Vol. 4Conan RevengeanceDavid Bowie LowIron Maiden Brave New WorldIron Maiden PowerslaveIron Monkey McDonald's Corporation, doing business aUltra-heavy Sabbath riffs with some of the most demented vocals in extreme metal make Iron Monkey's self-titled début an essential listen for fans of all things vile and sludgy. While I personally find the vocals to be a bit one dimensional and would have preferred a bit more variation it is impossible to deny the power of the grooves underlying this beast.Killswitch Engage Disarm the DescentNebula To The CenterNirvana NevermindOasis (What's the Story) Morning Glory?Queens of the Stone Age Songs for the DeafWhile 'No One Knows' has been overplayed into oblivion the album as a whole is a solid effort from QOTSA. It would be higher if it didn't have those damn radio commercials! I get the concept but the joke wears off very quickly.Slayer Reign In Blood'Reign in Blood' is excellent as a short sharp shot of thrash flavoured aggression bookended by two of the finest songs that have ever crawled out of the festering mire that is extreme metal. I do find that the middle of the album doesn't hold up quite as well with too many forgettable (although enjoyable in the moment) thrashers padding out the space. A great album but not a classic in my books.Sleep Sleep's Holy MountainA stoner rock classic that takes the basic Black Sabbath blueprint of doomed out, groovy riffage and force feeds it mushrooms of the magical variety adding a tripped out psychedelic haze to the heaviness. The production is shocking but for the most part it complements this album giving it a raw and spontaneous feel like you are hearing these songs being played for the first time ever. From 'Dragonaut' to 'Holy Mountain' there is only stoner rock perfection but for me the album dips in quality with the last three songs hurting it as a whole. Nevertheless still an essential listen for fans of all thing stoner and psychedelic.Soundgarden BadmotorfingerThe Prodigy The Fat Of The Land3.0 goodBorn of Osiris The New ReignEnjoyed this quite a bit more than I expected to. Simplistic and derivative in the riff department but the keyboards and semi-catchy song-writing make this an above average album.Deftones AdrenalineIntegrity To Die ForIron Maiden KillersKillswitch Engage The End of HeartacheMetallica Kill 'Em AllNirvana BleachPig Destroyer Book BurnerAn enjoyable listen but pretty average by the standards of Pig Destroyer sounding more like a slowed down Agoraphobic Nosebleed than the band that released 'Terrifyer'. The grooves are still there as is the unrelenting aggression but the nightmarish feeling of being locked inside the head of a serial killer is missing from this release.Radiohead Pablo HoneyOk, this is definitely not Radiohead's greatest moment with most of the music sounding as if it has been poached from numerous bands that did their sound better (e.g. Dinosaur Jr, Smashing Pumpkins, Nirvana and even to an extent Oasis). That said this is a solid collection of refreshingly unpretentious and occasionally sunny alternative rock tunes that show a youthful, almost fun side to Radiohead. If you are a Radiohead fan who has avoided this album due to its reputation as their worst I recommend at least trying this out, you may be surprised.Sepultura Arise'Arise' shows Sepultura experimenting with their trademark death/thrash sound by adding in tribal rhythms (Altered State) and short industrial soundscapes (Arise and Dead Embryonic Cells) along with a subtle sense of groove that would be a foreshadowing of things to come. Unfortunately though the metal that surrounds this new-found sense of exploration is fairly generic when compared to 'Beneath The Remains' with few truly memorable riffs and songs that blend together a bit too often. Not a bad album by any means but not quite as good as its reputation would have you believe.Stoned Jesus First CommunionTame Impala Lonerism'Lonerism' has some great songs on it. 'Apocalypse Dreams', 'Why Won't They Talk To Me?' and 'Feels Like We Only Go Backwards' make this journey worth undertaking even for the casual fan. The vibe of the record is strong as well as Kevin Parker comes face to face with the loneliness that was heavily hinted at on 'Innerspeak' but something seems to be missing and the album, as a whole is far less memorable than the debut.The Lion's Daughter Existence Is HorrorUncle Acid and The Deadbeats Vol. 1Uncle Acid's debut album contains some deliciously sinister psychedelic rock marred by atrocious production values that hurt the overall listening experience. Here's hoping a reissue and remaster are in the works.2.5 averageCursed IIIt has occurred to me that perhaps I just don't appreciate hardcore. While this is certainly not a bad album the insane praise that comes its way seems to elude me.Hyperion (SWE) Seraphical EuphonyNot quite sure I get the hype for this album. It has some excellent peaks (particularly in its keyboard parts) and the guitar leads are top notch. As a whole though I find it difficult to distinguish between songs and the best moments are bridged by what I find to be fairly standard black metal fare. Also the vocals, while pretty decent are nothing special and become monotonous for me around the halfway point. Perhaps this will grow on me given half a chance but can't really see myself returning to this one much. If you follow this melodic black metal religiously though I suspect you will find a lot to enjoy in this. Also 'Blood of the Ancients' is spectacular and highlights for me how more varied vocals could potentially have transformed this album.Kyuss ...And The Circus Leaves TownOn this album Kyuss strip their songs down to the bare bones and in doing so loose much of what made them such a fantastic band. Gone are the long tripped out instrumental explorations and multi-song journeys that took you to the stars and back. Instead we have short, self contained songs that while being more immediate than the music on 'Blues For The Red Sun' and 'Welcome To Sky Valley' are plagued by limp riffs and performances that suggest the band would rather be elsewhere.The Jesus and Mary Chain PsychocandyI've spent years trying to like this album and while I have an appreciation for the influence that it has had I just can't get into the music itself. 'Just Like Honey' is a good song that sticks in the mind but the rest of the album is composed of average and forgettable fuzz rock that seems like its trying too hard to be cool.2.0 poorAborted Termination ReduxI can definitely see the appeal in this music, the performances are tight and the grooves are infectious. However for me it all blends into on overproduced mess of mind-numbing brutality (not in the good sense). That said 'The Holocaust Re-Incarnate' has a spectacular groovy breakdown and is definitely worth checking out. Swans CopCan see why people like it and is certainly an experience. However I find it too monotonous to warrant repeated visits and the drumming irritated me. If I want crushing rhythms and dissonant, heavy guitar riffs I would prefer to listen to Godflesh but if you are into abrasive white noise drones and crushing, primeval rhythms then by all means give this a listen.The Contortionist LanguageThe Alan Watt's quote at the end really makes me want to like this album more than I do. Half of 'Language' gets it right, at many points it has a beautifully ethereal progressive rock sound that is outright blissful ('Language I: Intuition' is a perfect example of this style of song-writing). However, just as you find yourself falling into a peaceful void beyond this world you are hit with monotonous, disjointed djent riffs that pull you down to a place where bland Meshuggah worship is king. These two elements feel poorly integrated and uneven killing an album that had a lot of potential.1.0 awfulFlipper Album – Generic FlipperCan't help but feel like this is a record of style over substance and as a statement of not giving a fuck it works perfectly. As an album with actual songs though it really doesn't work at all for me coming off like a really bad tribute to sonic youth filtered through low-fi and hardcore.Glenn Branca Symphony No. 6 (Devil Choirs at the Gates of Heave
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