Average Rating: 3.54 Rating Variance: 0.56 Objectivity Score: 75% (Fairly Balanced)
Sort by: Rating | Release Date | Rating Date | Name5.0 classicBauhaus In the Flat FieldTruly unique and still cannot be topped by the leagues of Goth imitators that this album spawned. Loaded with intense basslines, restrained, smoldering drum patterns and abrasive guitar for nervy texture. Peter Murphy's vocals are incredible, ranging from deep, David- Bowie-Sex-Vampire tones to barking like a lunatic. David Bowie "Heroes"A truly classic album. The songs on the first side are towering, massive souding and menacing. The synths lend cold, spacey atmosphere on the more guitar or sax based songs but when they come to the forefront of tracks like "Beauty and the Beast" and (my personal favorite) "Blackout" they lend frantic intensity. Bowie's vocals sound like someone is strangling emotion out of a stone. The title track "Heroes" is one of the most moving love songs I've ever heard, with Bowie's surprisingly warm, hopeful vocals escalating into a passionate, agonized wail. The second side of the album is equally satisfying, full of instrumental pieces that are utterly hypnotic. Depeche Mode Some Great RewardThis album is criminally underrated. It was one of the first albums I ever heard by Depeche Mode and remains my all time favorite. I find that it has the perfect balance of Industrial and Synthpop, balancing clanking, mechanical sounding synths and seductive 80's pop melodies. Dir En Grey UroborosSiouxsie and the Banshees HyænaSkinny Puppy Too Dark ParkThe Cure PornographyA sinister wave of emotion that can be both disturbing and beautiful. Pornography is nothing short of amazing, The Presets Apocalypso4.5 superbAmanda Palmer Who Killed Amanda Palmer?Bauhaus Burning from the InsideProbably Bauhaus' most accessible album and one of their most satisfying. While still diverse, it isn't nearly as eclectic or experimental as The Sky's Gone Out or Mask. There's a strangely badass kind of swagger to some of the tracks, whether it be the Glam stomp and driving bassline of Latgartija Nick or the jagged punk antics of Antonin Artraud. There are also some quieter, more somber moments with cold acoustic guitars and the indispensible Goth Rock classic She's in Parties.Blur 13One of the best breakup albums I've ever heard. Eclectic to the point of being confusing, with a abrasive production and songs aching with honest desperation. This album may be extremely alienating to a casual fan, as it is a huge departure from the poppier sound of Blur's previous efforts, however, it's some of their most intriguing and painfully emotional material.David Bowie The Man Who Sold the WorldDavid Bowie Aladdin SaneDavid Bowie LowDavid Bowie The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders From MarsDepeche Mode Songs of Faith and DevotionPowerful, passionate with tons of swagger. Songs of Faith and Devotion proves that D.M. can really ROCK. It's rather unlikely combination of Industrial Rock with gospel and blues influences, but it works astonishingly well. Dave Gahan also does some of his best vocal work on here, he delivers the choruses of these songs with such dramatic intensity. The only drawback to this album is the occasionally banal lyrics on tracks like "One Caress", "Get Right With Me" and "Walking in My Shoes". Usually, though, the music more than makes up for it. Depeche Mode Black CelebrationA dark masterpiece. Very intense, emotional and not without a sense of vulnerability.Dir En Grey ArcheGoblin SuspiriaIggy Pop The IdiotThis is what happens when you hang around with David Bowie for long enough. This album is cold, robotic, and sinister. Iggy himself sounds almost as mechanical as the production, a complete about-face from his howling in the Stooges, but pulls off the deadpan delivery perfectly. Songs like the menacing, sleazy "Nightclubbing" and the threatening Gothic tones of "Funtime", are both about going out and having a good time but are delivered in such a deadpan and robotic way that it changes the meaning to highlight a sense of monotony and boredom with party scene. On "China Girl", a more sincere ballad, the ice melts a bit as Iggy belts passionately before a restrained but badass guitar riff takes it away. Overall, an excellent album.Killing Joke Night TimeNew Order Power, Corruption and LiesNick Cave and The Bad Seeds Tender PreyOpeth Ghost ReveriesRoxy Music For Your PleasureSiouxsie and the Banshees TinderboxThe Birthday Party Junk YardAn exercise in dissonance. This is by far the most menacing, psychotic sounding album I've ever heard. Noisey, almost to the point of being painful, clashing drums, hellishly distorted rockabilly licks and Nick Cave screaming and ranting over all of it like a lunatic. For something so dissonant and truly twisted, it's remarkably infectious, especially on it's more energetic tracks. The Cure DisintegrationThe Mission God's Own MedicineThe Sisters of Mercy FloodlandA glorious Goth Rock milestone, it combines booming choirs and ominous lead vocals with hypnotic basslines and huge, mechanical percussion to create one of the best albums of the Sisters' career. The Smiths Strangeways, Here We ComeTom Waits Bone Machine4.0 excellentAural Vampire ZoltankAn excellent album forged from danceable Synthpop, a bit of Industrial aggression and Darkwave.. Full of strong tracks, but not without filler. Bauhaus The Sky's Gone OutComes off as inconsistent and bizarre, it definitely takes a few listens to really rappreciate it. This is probably their most artsy album, with sudden tempo-changes, noisey atmospherics, songs that switch genre several times within the span of 7 minutes, and three part songs about being fishy reincarnation... They also pay homage to some of their influences covering Brian Eno's "Third Uncle" (Their version being dramatically better than Eno's, in my opinion) and "Ziggy Stardust" by the original sex-vampire. The overwhelming strangeness and pretense of this album, though occasionally alienating, is part of it's charm and makes for a very interesting if disjointed listen. Blur ParklifeThis album seems to flirt with elements of every style of British rock that predated it from Punk to New Wave to Psychedelic pastiche and makes it work. It's a catchy, fun and interesting listen. I love the dry, tea-steeped social commentary that runs through this album.Blur BlurExperimenting with grittier soundscapes without compromising catchiness. Significantly gloomier and more personal at times than their previous efforts. Some of my favorite tracks are "Country Sad Ballad Man", "On your Own", "You're so Great" and, of course, the ever popular mosh-inducing "Song 2"Brian Eno Here Come the Warm JetsCrosses Initiation / ProtectionDavid Bowie Hunky DoryDavid Bowie Scary Monsters (and Super Creeps)Depeche Mode ViolatorDepeche Mode Music for the MassesDepeche Mode Sounds Of The UniverseDir En Grey Withering to DeathFall Out Boy Folie a DeuxA very ambitious album by Fall Out Boy, perhaps this is why it proved to be so unpopular and ralienated so many of their fans. This album has a huge production and sounds like it rwould be more at home in a stadium than playing on my headphones. It's kind of refreshing rto hear such boldly anthemic, arena-rock with such sardonic lyrics and a strong dose of rangst. It experiments with lush layers of instrumentation but always remains catchy and rdoesn't lose it's rock backbone in the rich production. The best track is probably r"Headfirst Slide into Cooperstown on a Bad Bet", a dark, theatrical piece that balances both rbig orchestral sounds and synth stabs and shifts suddenly from evil swaggering basslines to rsensitive piano sections. I like how the album tries for a more classic rock influenced rsound, however, I do find that some of the songs are a bit derivative. At least what they do rsteal they repurpose in such a way that it still makes for a reasonably original song.Fields of the Nephilim The NephilimJoy Division Unknown PleasuresNew Order BrotherhoodNick Cave and The Bad Seeds Let Love InNine Inch Nails The FragileOne of NIN's densest, most experimental works. More melancholic and melodic than its predecessor. While rarely ever boring, it does succumb to the Double Album curse of being bogged down with a lot of rather forgettable filler tracks. Protomartyr Under Color of Official RightBleak, introspective and raw, overall a great sophmore album. This album is clearly influenced by Post-Punk. The obvious comparison would be Joy Division if it were fronted by a Nick Cave impersonator, however, such a comparison would be too glib. What makes this especially interesting is the execution. Unlike most post-punk groups Protomartyr don't seem like the types to completely wallow in gloom. They are aggressive, biting and full of raw energy. They have more of a garage rock kind of edge and have a penchant for noisey distorted guitars overtop their rolling Post-Punk styled basslines. Also, incidentally, this has to be the coolest album cover ever.Roxy Music Roxy MusicSiouxsie and the Banshees JujuProbably my favorite Banshees album thus far. Dark, trippy, and remarkably catchy. My favorite tracks include "Spellbound", "Night Shift" and "Sin in My Heart" Skinny Puppy VIVIsectVISkinny Puppy Last RightsTalking Heads Fear of MusicExperimental, bizarre and nervy as hell full of angular riffs. I love how crazy this singer sounds, I can't think of any other vocalist who sounds quite this unstable. The best way I could describe this would be stiff, very paranoid, funk rock. Extra emphasis on the paranoia part... The melodies seem to jerk almost inhumanly around a twitchy funk bassline. Some highlights inclue the reverb-laden, brooding rocker "Memories Can Wait" and the frantic, home-searching "Cities" and the infectious and sardonic "Life During Wartime". Brian Eno's presence is definitely felt on the last track, "Drugs" which really sounds like the soundtrack to a bad trip. Tesla Boy Modern ThrillsI'm not much of a dancer, but when I listen to this album I feel immediately compelled to dance like no one's watching. This album is full of vintage analogue synths (Some of which are reminiscent of the soundtrack to Sega Genesis games), excellent production and killer hooks. It's obvious Tesla Boy are big fans of old school synthpop. Their name was even inspired by an OMD single. High energy tracks like "Synthetic Prince", "Electric Lady" and the vaugely sinister disco strut of "Thinking of You" will definitely have you on your feet and moving. Tesla Boy aren't afraid to show their dark side either: From the brooding but uptempo "Rebecca" to the seductive, bass-driven intricacy of "Dark Street" to the industrial revving in the opening of "Minsk-2". The only real flaw lies in their vocalist, who at times can sound like Andy McClusky crossed with a goose, however this is forgivable as English is not his first language and the music is excellent. The Birthday Party Mutiny/The Bad Seed EPA more restrained and tighter effort from the Birthday Party, but by no means any less twisted. This album is less of a sonic assault than their previous efforts: The guitar noise is more controlled and used more to accent the songs than define them, the deflated sounding brass instruments of their debut are entirely absent, instead favoring driving, vicious basslines and an often dirge-like atmosphere. Nick's singing is also vastly different, he sounds more brooding and seductive as opposed to the barking lunatic on "Junkyard". The Church StarfishThe Cure Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Kiss MeEclectic, experimental and full of unique tracks (Some of which try a bit too hard). One minute you're listening to intense, brooding, Gothic Rock guitars and the next up-beat New Wave synth lines. Its a little clumsy (lyrically) and awkward at times , but wonderful assortment of Robert Smith's moods. My favorite tracks include "Icing Sugar", "The Kiss", "All I Want", "Like Cockatoos" , "If Only Tonight we could Sleep", "the Snakepit" and "Shiver and Shake"The Cure FaithBeautiful, bleak and riddled uncertainty. I believe that this may be the Cure's most depressing album. My favorite tracks include "Other Voices", "The Drowning Man", "The Holy Hour" and "Faith"The Dresden Dolls Yes, Virginia...An unusual, dramatic blend of dark cabaret and punk with lyrics burning with caustic wit. The Dresden Dolls are one of those bands that hit you on a very emotional level, and serve as the perfect narrators for bitter break ups.The Mission Carved in SandThe Sisters of Mercy First and Last and AlwaysThe Smiths The Queen Is DeadAbsolutely brilliant. The Queen is Dead manages to be charming, witty and fragile at the same time. This album hosts some of the most beautiful and heartwrenching songs I've ever heard. Theatre Of Tragedy Velvet Darkness They FearTimber Timbre Creep On Creepin' OnHaunting, lonely and beautifully melancholic. This album really tugs on your heartstrings, it's brimming with sorrow and yet somehow also very romantic and atmospheric. There is a kind of cinematic feel about it as well, a David Lynch kind of vibe. This sounds like the kind of music one would hear at a 50's style drive in theatre populated entirely by heartbroken ghosts. Despite its excellent style, there are a few minor flaws, particularly in that its consistent gloom sometimes gives way to monotony and the piano in most of these songs sound very much alike.Tom Waits Rain DogsTom Waits Blood MoneyVNV Nation Matter and FormSome of the most human electronic music I've heard. Manages to be uplifting and anthemic while still acknowledging darkness and existential confusion preventing it getting too corny. It's often quite cathartic, especially with Ronan Harris' emotive voice which sounds like it would be more suited to an Alt Rock outfit than Futurepop. It maintains a balance between more aggressive, Industrial styled songs and introspective, somewhat gloomy yet optimistic anthems. Many of the numerous instrumentals work well and do not feel like hold-music waiting for the next track.3.5 greatAdam and the Ants Kings of the Wild FrontierAdam and the Ants have a very unique sound in my opinion. Tribal percussion heavy New Wave l rwith badass guitar riffs, yelping vocals spouting Ant's lyrical preoccupations with outlaws, reponymous insects and fashion. Its kind of hard not to have fun while listening to this ralbum.Alien Sex Fiend Maximum securityAural Vampire Kerguelen VortexA great follow up to Zoltank, that actually manages to be more substantial and satisfying than the predecessor. This album is loaded with blistering drum beats and synths and is a step in a heavier direction for Aural Vampire. Every song sounds like it could be the last with the length and power.Bauhaus MaskCrosses CrossesDreamy, darkly captivating and very sexy electro-rock with a pop core underneath its haunting atmosphere. This album is incredibly well crafted, with interestingly layered tracks, heart-rending passionate vocals and explosive, catchy choruses. While the sound is quite impressive, it's weighed down by a lot of unnecessary tracks that never seem to go anywhere. Crosses permanent.radiantDavid Bowie Diamond DogsDavid Bowie Station to StationDavid Bowie HeathenEcho and The Bunnymen PorcupineEcho and The Bunnymen CrocodilesFront Line Assembly Hard WiredLike a catchier, Cyberpunk version of Skinny Puppy. I like the haywire, dramatic feel of this album, however there is a difference between consistency and a lack of diversity. I found that many of the tracks sounded too much alike, especially for the first part of the album.Joy Division CloserKilling Joke Killing JokeLady Besery's Garden PerceptionsMassive Attack MezzanineNew Order Low-LifeNick Cave and The Bad Seeds The Firstborn Is DeadNick Cave and The Bad Seeds Murder BalladsOpeth Blackwater ParkPanic! at the Disco A Fever You Can't Sweat OutMore ambitious than your average pop-punk band. "Fever" is infectious, theatrical, often very clever and tongue-in-cheek, and filled with literary references (to Chuck Palahniuk and Douglas Coupland particularly) that probably go over the heads of their target audience. The music itself is stylistically split between the two sides, one half dealing with synths and drum machines and the other with orchestral elements and more traditional instruments. While I applaud the effort to create a more interesting and diverse album, all of the superficial eccentricities and eclecticism it seems like they're consciously trying to draw attention away from the fact that several of these songs are based around very similar guitar riffs.Panic! at the Disco Too Weird to Live, Too Rare to Die!The closest to mainstream electropop Panic has ever gotten: Autotuned vocals, the hip-hop pastiche of "Miss Jackson", the burping dubstep-esque synths on "Casual Affair", the wordless hooks that consist of mere syllables all scream Top 40... But despite all of these seemingly conventional pop elements Panic makes it work and adds their unique touch to it. The autotune is used tastefully, and does not detract from Brandon's vocals. There is a strong 80's synthpop influence that is apparent through the whole album, lots of cool old school synth effects. The addition of strings, weird Sesame Street samples and strutting New Wavey basslines adds a unique touch. The lyrics rarely succumb to the same corniness that mired their last release and seem to have partially returned to that smirking, sardonic wit of their first album. Samsas Traum Tineoidea Oder: Die Folgen Einer NachtSamsas Traum take the idea of a Rock Opera to new levels, the sheer theatricality and blending of musical styles makes this worth a listen.Samsas Traum A. Ura Und Das Schnecken.HausSiouxsie and the Banshees The ScreamGrim, nervy, very dramatic music! A very good album despite some jagged singing on Siouxsie's part.Siouxsie and the Banshees A Kiss in the DreamhouseSiouxsie and the Banshees PeepshowSkinny Puppy Mind: The Perpetual IntercourseSkinny Puppy RemissionSoft Cell Non-Stop Erotic CabaretA truly underrated group, sadly ignored due to the monumental success of their admittedly excellent hit single "Tainted Love". I was one of the people who wrote them off as another New Wave one hit wonder, until I listened to this album. I was surprised to find that it was a very tongue-in-cheek, sleazy and brash brand singing about late-night encounters with strangers in porno theatres and... Um... Sex Dwarves corrupting dancing queens at the disco. There are even some more introspective moments lamenting the monotony of the party-life and the fickleness of live audiences delivered in the most mocking blase tone possible. What makes this album especially fun is the fact that it doesn't really take itself seriously. It is at times a bit gratingly simplistic and tinny, but still a fun ride nonetheless. The Cars The CarsThe Chameleons Script of the BridgeA very promising, but somewhat overrated album. Script of the Bridge is full of melancholy and atmospheric music defined by melodic, spiraling guitar riffs. The instrumentation is well-layered, while the songs are mostly carried by very simple but effective, guitar riffs and almost militaristic drum patterns. The synths are used in a distant, impressionistic way to create a foggy, dreamlike quality. The only major flaw with this album is how homogenous it feels sometimes. The band clearly really likes the main riff from "Don't Fall" and builds several songs around it, albeit with different backing instrumentation. This band has some excellent ideas, but I don't believe that rthis is the best showcase of them.The Cramps Songs the Lord Taught UsBadass, noisey, rockabilly with horror punk attitude that doesn't take itself too seriously. It's a fun energetic listen, even if a few of the songs sound sort of the same. The Cure The Head on the DoorA lighter, more commercial effort by the Cure that is musically adventurous and diverse enough to keep the listener interested. Despite the hooky guitar riffs and more slick sound, this album never falls into complete commercial glossiness.The Jesus and Mary Chain DarklandsA murky, bittersweet exercise in alternative pop. Significantly more mellow than its predecessor, Darklands manages to be both reflective and gloomy while also being very uplifting. Musically, it's not especially innovative, and at times the melodies are almost indistinguishable from one track to another but lyrically it is beautiful. There is a prevailing sense of existential loneliness, wistful nostalgia and romance throughout the album. The lyrics alone are enough to give this album a spin. The Killers Hot FussThe Killers basically took the post-punk and new wave sounds of the 80's and added a dash of hooky modern pop-rock, which much to my surprise is pretty damn good. The Mission ChildrenThe Sisters of Mercy Some Girls Wander By MistakeTheatre Of Tragedy A Rose for the DeadTom Waits Mule VariationsI love Tom Waits' growly, gravely "I've been smoking since I was a baby" vocals. This is some of the most interesting music I've listened to in a while, experimental and dirty sounding in the best way possible. This is the kind of music you feel like taking a shower after listening to.Tones on Tail PopEnjoyably weird, often psychedellic sounding songs dominated by chilly synthesizers and doomy atmosphere. It's definitely a great album. The sound of Bauhaus still lingers on a couple tracks, especially "Real Life". The only issues I have with it is that for all of it's strangeness, it is pretty derivative at times: "War" sounds like a cross between "Lowrider" and "Tainted Love" (The title of which is probably meant to lampshade said influence) and "Happiness" sounds like a less sunny version of "The Lovecats" by the Cure. 3.0 goodAdam and the Ants Dirk Wears White SoxA fine, if a bit forgettable, album full of jerky, angular guitar riffs and yelping, cockney vocals. All through this album I get this forced feeling, like these musicians are trying TOO hard to be innovative and unique. Alien Sex Fiend Acid BathAural Vampire Vampire EcstasyBastille Bad BloodBauhaus Go Away WhiteAs a friend of mine would put it, more "rockin'" than their earlier work, but lacking the same amount of charm.Blur The Great EscapeMore theatrical, with more character songs than its predecessor but less memorable. Although the lyrics deal with the same sort of social commentary and satire Blur is known for, I find the delivery on certain songs too clunky and the rhymes forced. The album does contain some of their best singles and, what I consider to be their funniest song "Mr. Robinson's Quango" which makes me crack up every time I hear that bridge ("Oh, I'm a naughty naughty boy!") Creature Feature The Greatest Show UnearthedCatchy, full of organ-like synthesizers and other spooky sounds. A pretty decent album despite some very redundant and somewhat childish lyrics. It's a fun album... The kind of thing you might put on at a Halloween party.Depeche Mode Playing The AngelNoisy, dark, distorted, incredibly catchy and absolutely brilliant. A vast imrpovement after that huge disappointment "Exciter". Depeche Mode certainly haven't lost their touch. Depeche Mode UltraDirty-sounding, gritty and confessional, you can definitely hear the 90's on this album! there are plenty of gems here, yet it remains one of D.M.'s most overlooked albums, understandably so because these gems are swimming in a sea of filler. There are tons of pointless, unmemorable tracks on here detract from the overall product.Dir En Grey Dum Spiro SperoE Nomine FinsternisEmilie Autumn Laced/UnlacedThere is no denying Emilie Autumn's talent or ability to truly "shred" on an electric violin, however this album strikes a bit of a sour note with me, perhaps its because of how close it sounds to Power Metal at times.Fall Out Boy Infinity on HighWhiny, hook-laden, self-important, arrogant, and immature... And somehow endearing for those exact reasons. For all of it's obvious flaws the band manages to hit the sweet spot of my leftover teen angst and cynical sense of humor on more than one occasion. Infinity on High paints the picture of a band reeling from sudden commercal success and and the sheer absurdity of the scene that they've become the forefront of. A running theme throughout this album is that misery has become a fashion statement through their influence. Musically, this is a very confused album. The band clearly wants to experiment with a big production, but they never let themselves go too far in one direction. They flirt with synths, horn sections, orchestral elements and choirs. There is definitely a big R&B, Funk-rock influence here as well. They play it too safe, much to their detriment. Kanon Wakeshima Shinshoku DolceKilling Joke RevelationsLady Besery's Garden Experiment, Experience, ExplosionHaunting music so dense that the sound seems tangible. Lady Besery's Garden is one of the best, yet one of the most overlooked, second-wave Gothic groups.London After Midnight Psycho MagnetMusically a much better, and more abrasive sounding effort than their previous work, but their trite, meaningless lyrics haven't changed.Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds From Her To EternityNine Inch Nails Pretty Hate MachineA flawed but enjoyable debut. Having been introduced to NIN through their Industrial Metal classics like the Downward Spiral and the Fragile, I was surprised to find that their debut sounded more like evil Depeche Mode. The synths sound harsh and dirty, if a bit dated. They clang and squeal shrilly, but are layered with precision. Trent's voice does not suit this music well, though. He has a tendency to whine his way through songs and sing through his nose. It does not help that he's singing some very silly, cringeworthy lyrics that often sound terribly immature. Still, this immaturity adds a sense of honesty and charm in a way. Panic! at the Disco Vices & VirtuesHuge, bright, flamboyant and often epic pop-rock full of explosive choruses and interesting rinstrumentation. On this album Panic throws everything but the kitchen sink at you: big rdramatic string sections, disco basslines, 80's style synthesizers, children's choirs, rstomping percussion etc. While musically excellent, the lyrics prevent it from being a truly rgreat album. The lyrics are full of saccharine sentimentality and sickeningly sweet rromanticism, and sound often like Urie is trying way too hard to be poetic and ends up being rverbose to a fault. One misses the cynical witticisms and literary references of Fever You rCan't Sweat Out. Prick PrickProzzak Hot ShowA fun, rhythmic, delightfully Poppy guilty pleasure. Sex Gang Children Song and LegendStrange, energetic and chaotic, riddled with sudden tempo changes. Andi Sexgang has a very... unique voice, which is somewhere between wonderfully psychotic and bloody annoying. Siouxsie and the Banshees KaleidoscopeA much quieter and electronic based work by the Banshees, but laden with pointless tracks that don't seem to go anywhere, making it one of the group's weaker albums.Skinny Puppy RabiesThough home to some classic Skinny Puppy tracks, this album is jumbled and very out of place compared to their other albums. Skinny Puppy BitesSkinny Puppy The ProcessSkinny Puppy hanDoverLike noisier, twitchy EBM sometimes, at others creepy and slightly depressing. It may not be the Skinny Puppy I fell in love with but its good enough to preserve my faith in the group after the series of disappointments that followed after Dwayne Goettel's death. Skinny Puppy Cleanse Fold and ManipulateSwitchblade Symphony The Three CalamitiesTheir most mature album... A definite cut above "Bread and Jam for Frances", that's for sure.The Birthday Party Prayers on FireThe Cure Seventeen SecondsVaguely unsettling, understated and sparse. The music is very minimalistic and spacious, creating a distant, empty sort of atmosphere. There are a lot of instrumentals which are at best, mildly intriguing experiments that add to the atmosphere and at worst are utterly pointless padding. Still, the album makes for good mood music best enjoyed on a long winter walk late at night. The Cure BloodflowersThe Cure The TopThe Cure has never sounded quite this trippy. This is the only Cure album in which Robert Smith's vocals annoy me (Robert Smith has never been a perfect singer, but in much of their other work it adds to the broken/adorable quality of the music) almost as if he was deliberately trying to sound like drunk karaoke... I must admit that "The Caterpillar" is one of the most annoying songs this band has ever done . However, the eccentricity and utter craziness of this album make it worth a listen.The Dresden Dolls No, Virginia...Some of the tracks on here may seem a little boring, but songs like "Boston", "Night Reconaissance", "The Sheep Song", "Dear Jenny" and a better-than-the original cover of "Pretty in Pink" make it worth while.The Killers Sam's TownThe Killers are caught someplace in between the soaring synths of the 80's and Bruce Springsteen, this album just feels like they're trying way too hard and it gets by on sheer flair and bombast. The lyrics are cheesy, brimming with optimism, and they lay on that whole "We're American" thing a little too heavy. I may not like it as much as Hot Fuss, but the sheer enormity and flair that it has keeps me from completely disliking it.The Smiths The SmithsThe Smiths Meat Is MurderVNV Nation Of Faith, Power and Glory2.5 averageAlien Sex Fiend Who's Been Sleeping in My Brain?Depeche Mode Construction Time AgainDepeche Mode ExciterThere is very little exciting about this album... In fact it's the most boring, relaxed album D.M. have ever put out, bordering occasionally on adult contemporary. There is very little of the bite I have come to expect from D.M. on Exciter. Highlights include Dream On, Dead of Night, I Feel Loved and Freelove is tolerable.Depeche Mode Delta MachineThough I am a huge fan of Depeche Mode, I am not overly fond of this album. The sound and overall production is impressive, I love how they've gone with a more abrasive, hard edged sound but the songs themselves disappoint. Despite the stunning production the songs tend to be more dull than captivating. The lyrics are especially weak on this album; they all strike me as terribly contrived, corny and melodramatic (even by Depeche Mode's standards). Don't get me wrong, there are some excellent tracks on here such as the epic, swaggering "Angel" on which Dave Gahan evily snarls his way through like Nick Cave. "My Little Universe" is subdued and introspective, and has probably the most depth you'll find on this album. "Soft Touch/Raw Nerve" with it's relentless pounding and killer hook, while incredibly repetitive, is a great pop song. Joy Division StillLondon After Midnight Selected Scenes from the End of the WorldAlong the same lines as Switchblade Symphony, in that they try too hard to reach their target audience (I don't care how much Sean Brennan denies it) to the point that they become stereotypical and trite.London After Midnight Violent Acts of BeautySean Brennan stopped making cheesy, half baked Gothic Rock and decided to start making Industrial of the same caliber. The lyrics in a few of these songs, however, seem to have improved. New Order RepublicProzzak Cruel Cruel WorldProzzak is better when they don't take themselves seriously. Although I do like the lonely, more Rock-oriented sound, the cliche overly-universal lyrics rob the album of any personality that their previous releases had.Skinny Puppy MythmakerSkinny Puppy The Greater Wrong of the RightSwitchblade Symphony Serpentine GallerySwitchblade Symphony is one of those bands that know exactly what their target market is and try desperately to appeal to them at the expense of any real musical substance. All-in-all catchy darkwave, but musical junk food none the less.Tesla Boy The Universe Made of DarknessTesla Boy's second album suffers from classic sophmore slump syndrome. It seems that they have exhausted all of their best material on their debut and have presented us with an album full of B-Sides. The hooks all sound very uninspired and the tracks lack energy. While Modern Thrills did have it's lusty energetic songs, it had a brooding dark side to it. "Universe Made of Darkness" isn't as dark as the name would suggest and most of the tracks come off as banal "girl" jams. The highlights such as the insanely catchy "M.C.H.T.E", the spacious but accessible "Fantasy", "Split" and "Paraffin" redeem it and make it worth a spin.The Jesus and Mary Chain PsychocandyWhile this album has an interesting gimmick, namely 60's pop under a layer of white hot guitar noise, it's far too repetitive and abrasive for me to give it a pass. The noise is not used artfully; it is piercing and messy making the treble of the songs almost unlistenably harsh. The noise doesn't seem to serve any purpose except to detract from how painfully unoriginal the songs are. The more mellow pop oriented moments almost save this album, but they all seem to recycle the same drum pattern to the point that it just gets boring. There are a handful of classic songs on here, but they are all buried among repetitive nonsense. The Sisters of Mercy Vision ThingVNV Nation AutomaticThis album manages keeps your attention until the 5th track, after which point it becomes tedious. While it does succeed often in being anthemic and uplifting and features some very interesting keyboard work, all of the songs seem to be based around the same unimaginative percussion which seems to do nothing but mindnumbingly keep the time. Rather than feeling inspired (the reaction the band seems to be going for), I found myself growing more and more annoyed with each passing song. 2.0 poorEmilie Autumn OpheliacWhile Emilie Autumn's music is pretty interesting her lyrics are truly cringe-worthy, sounding like something an angst ridden, teenage feminist might post in their Livejournal. They're either unbearably immature or too clunky to work with the music. I used to be rather fond of Emilie Autumn at one point, this album in particular, but now I find that not even a sense of nostalgia and finding my inner hormonal 13 year old can save me from how truly grating this woman's songwriting is. She Wants Revenge She Wants RevengeThis is a pop band that has laid on as many superficial similarities to Goth Rock and Post-rPunk as they could to sound dark and edgy without attempting anything remotely original. rResulting in 13 tracks of redundant, cliche lyrics about lost love, night clubs and teen rsex wedged. I believe that a more accurate name for this band would be "He Wants rRevenge", considering that the vocalist spends almost all 13 tracks whining about and rcontemplating all the things he could do to this woman who cut him deep. Admittedly, I do rrather like the vocals and feel that they could be put to better use. The Birthday Massacre Nothing and NowhereI must admit that The Birthday Massacre have an interesting style: Dream-like atmosphere, EBM synths combined with heavy guitars but unfortunately this album is a poor showcase of what would be great musical ideas. I found that all of the tracks sound suspiciously alike, and that the vocalist really has no passion or power to her voice. The lyrics sound like the poetry of a Goth high school student with overwhelming, and overstated, contempt for the "popular kids" and who's been listening to a little too much Switchblade Symphony.The Cure 4:13 DreamI really did not enjoy this album. I love the Cure, but this particular release rubs me the wrong way. Possibly because it sounds like the Cure is trying to appeal to a younger audience and the song writing is a bit too light for my tastes. Its funny, the only song I wholeheartedly enjoy from the album is "Sleep when I'm Dead" which is actually an older song that was meant to be released on Head on the Door! 1.5 very poorFall Out Boy American Beauty/American PsychoThis is absolutely dreadful. I realize that Fall Out Boy has always been more on the Pop side of Pop Punk, but this is what I'd call hardcore selling out. Fall Out Boy are trying DESPERATELY to stay relevant and it really shows, now that they have become some kind of clone-hybrid of Imagine Dragons and Maroon 5. Any rock edge that they once possessed is now buried under a hissing electronic production. It sounds almost as if they are terrified of sounding like a rock band and are trying to hide everything but their singer. Even their lyrics, which had once been their saving grace, are far from the witty Morrisseyisms of their past and instead just sound arrogant and unintelligible. Some tracks are tolerable: "Uma Thurman" is infectious and just bizarre enough with its sampling of The Munster's theme that it's okay. "Novocaine" is probably the best song on here, transitioning from a sludgey guitar riff to a soaring chorus. But overall... If this is what it takes for a "rock" band to get played on the radio these days, I'd rather hear Lady Gaga or Katy Perry because at least they aren't so ashamed of their respective genre they try to bury it. London After Midnight OdditiesSwitchblade Symphony Bread and Jam for Frances
Bands: A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
