Average Rating: 3.40 Rating Variance: 1.58 Objectivity Score: 77% (Well Balanced)
Sort by: Rating | Release Date | Rating Date | Name5.0 classicAnathema We're Here Because We're HereAnathema Weather SystemsChanged my mind. This album is amazing. Seems to take a few listens to sink in for some people.Devin Townsend Ocean Machine: BiomechJohn Coltrane Giant StepsOpeth DamnationPorcupine Tree In AbsentiaQueensryche Operation: MindcrimeRush Power WindowsRush's flirtation with synthesizers reached its peak on the slightly dated sounding Power Windows. The album finds pop melodies and snappy songwriting buried under dense layers of keyboards, jangly guitars, and reverb-soaked drums. Geddy Lee's byzantine bass playing still works it way onto tracks like The Big Money and Marathon. This is a divisive album, but a fantastic one for rock fans who are not averse to electronic elements.Steven Wilson Grace for DrowningStevie Wonder Songs in the Key of LifeThe Cure Join the DotsThis is a must own for any Cure fan, especially the third disk. I'm not even going to elaborate. Just get it.4.5 superbAl Di Meola Elegant GypsyAllan Holdsworth Metal FatigueAnathema A Natural DisasterAnathema Alternative 4Bon Iver Bon Iver, Bon IverI usually don't enjoy this kind of stomped into the ground redundant pseudo-folk music but I found myself really enjoying this. Towers and Perth are really cool.Devin Townsend InfinityDevin Townsend Project EpicloudDream Theater A Dramatic Turn of EventsGenesis FoxtrotKing Crimson In the Court of the Crimson KingI have to deduct half a star because Moonchild is a wankfest. It starts out great, but the last 10 minutes are insufferably boring.Mahavishnu Orchestra Birds of FireMiles Davis Jack JohnsonPink Floyd MeddleRadiohead In RainbowsRainbow Long Live Rock 'n' RollRush Test for EchoThis album, not the sterile, overproduced Counterparts, seems to herald Rush's return to their rock roots. The whole band is playing with balls again, particularly Alex Lifeson. Test For Echo seems colored by the alternative rock/grunge sound that was popular at the time. Understandably, it's a polarizing album due to its more straightforward nature.4.0 excellentAlcest Les Voyages De L'ÂmeArch/Matheos Sympathetic ResonanceDeath The Sound of PerseveranceFlying Colors Flying ColorsJaco Pastorius Jaco PastoriusKurt Rosenwinkel The Next StepMeshuggah KolossThis album kicks ass and I'm not even a big Meshuggah fan. It seems fresher than anything they've done since Chaosphere.Radiohead The King of LimbsIt's taken me a while to realize why I love this album, and today it dawned on me: it's actually the most rhythmically interesting album Radiohead has done. The grooves on Bloom, Morning Mr. Magpie, Lotus Flower, Separator, and b-side Staircase are unparalleled in the Radiohead catalog.Slayer World Painted BloodStorm Corrosion Storm Corrosion3.5 greatAn Endless Sporadic An Endless SporadicAnathema JudgementDeath in June All Pigs Must DieDevin Townsend PhysicistNe Obliviscaris Portal of IThere's just a little too much going on. While the ideas are fantastic, very few of them are presented in a subtle way.Nurse With Wound Thunder Perfect MindRatt InfestationThis is another one of those neo-cock rock albums that's surprisingly good. But it's got some of the worst lyrics ever: "You kinda like me and I like that. You got me grinning like a Cheshire cat." "What do you get when you've got the best The best woman in this wild, wild west She's got me smiling from coast to coast A year from now we're still goin' for broke."3.0 goodArcade Fire FuneralCharlie Hunter Natty DreadA reinterpretation of the classic Bob Marley album from a mind-blowing 8 string guitar player.Iron Maiden The Final FrontierJeff Loomis Zero Order PhaseMichael Jackson DangerousSome moments of brilliance, but most songs overstay their welcome. This bloated release was a death knell for The King Of Pop.The Cure 4:13 DreamRobert Smith is one of the greatest songwriters in the history of music, and also one of the worst decision makers. Per usual, many great b-sides were left off this album. The production is overcompressed, overprocessed. The keyboards, an essential pillar of The Cure sound, were canned for no reason. It makes me want to scrEEEEEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAM!!!2.5 averageAC/DC Back In BlackAdrenaline Mob OmertaBlaze Bayley The King Of MetalOK, so there's a lot of baggage attached to this album. Blaze went through some hardships recently, including loss of his wife and some medical problems. He fired his old band due to money issues, and it's evident from the muddy production that this wasn't a high budget affair. Plus, you've got the pretentious title. It's meant to refer to metal fans, but the cover was a bad idea. The songwriting is OK, with some interesting piano and classical guitar interludes."One More Step" has a very endearing vocal performance from Blaze. "The Black Country" has some neat guitar playing. But the bulk of the album is Maiden-esque riffing with very raw production. This is an unintentionally depressing album that I want very little to do with. James Blake James BlakeLed Zeppelin PresenceThis is easily the stalest thing Led Zeppelin ever did. It's sort of a weird regression in that it returned to the sound of Led Zeppelin I while ditching the acoustic/folk influences. Robert Plant's voice is rather strained sounding because he was recovering from a car accident. Achilles Last Stand and Nobody's Fault But Mine are great. I also have a soft spot for Candy Store Rock. But everything else is mediocre, especially Tea For One which is a blatant rehash of Since I've Been Loving You.Meshuggah obZenMumford and Sons Sigh No MoreThe Smiths Strangeways, Here We Come2.0 poorBlackfield Welcome To My DNADevin Townsend Project DeconstructionDream Theater Systematic ChaosLana Del Rey Born to DieMahavishnu Orchestra Inner WorldsThis incarnation of the Mahavishnu Orchestra flat out sucks compared to the original lineup. A lot of lightweight funk/disco noodling, coupled with dated effects and cringeworthy vocals. Inner Worlds did yield one classic that would become a staple of McLaughlin's repertoire: Lotus Feet. Unfortunately, the version on this album is ruined by one of the worst keyboard sounds imaginable. There was a light at the end of the tunnel: McLaughlin would dissolve Mahavishnu and form his beautiful, forward-thinking band Shakti in the same year.Opeth HeritageQueensryche Dedicated to ChaosRush Caress of SteelAn underrated gem? No. As bad as most critics claim it is. The long tracks are bloated, the short tracks silly, and the production crude and unpolished. Slightly redeemed by Lifeson's Page-influenced solos, however.1.5 very poorA Day To Remember What Separates Me from YouSomeone told me to check this out. I never spoke to him again.Megadeth Th1rt3enMuse Origin of SymmetryThis band's constant attempts at grandiosity become tiresome, as does their processed production. Space Dementia is the only song that reaches out and grabs me.Periphery PeripheryPeriphery Periphery II: This Time It's Personal1.0 awfulBruno Mars Doo-Wops & HooligansDesign the Skyline NevaehLou Reed and Metallica LuluNicki Minaj Pink Friday: Roman ReloadedPat Metheny Zero Tolerance For Silence
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