Average Rating: 3.50 Rating Variance: 0.20 Objectivity Score: 71% (Fairly Balanced)
Sort by: Rating | Release Date | Rating Date | Name2017 Kendrick Lamar DAMN.4.52014 Tetema Geocidal4.0iamamiwhoami Blue3.0Thurston Moore The Best Day3.5Adult Jazz Gist Is4.0Step Brothers Lord Steppington3.02013 Sophie Bipp/Elle3.52006 Clipse Hell Hath No Fury3.5I kind of feel bad about rating this so low because while this album takes a sound to its qualitative extreme, it's just not a sound I'm interested in. Every song here could've been a radio hit, and any of those songs would've been the best thing on your local hip hop station circa-'06, but that's exactly the problem: this album is a collection of great singles pressed into a slightly monotonous whole. The production is always banging (save the closer Nightmares, which provided some much-needed variation), there are clever bars throughout ("get all of her twisting like Dickens"), but it never quite transcends the "guns, drugs and money" stereotype until the last track, which by then is too late. Shad When This Is Over3.5There's no question that Shad is a talented MC. His flow hits a comfortable balance between relaxed and energetic, his rhyme schemes can be complex to the point of attention-grabbing, and his voice is generally easy on the ears. Only problem is that he doesn't do much to distinguish himself from other above-average "conscious" rappers. The production ranges from '90s throwback to more sleek and modern (at least for '06), and while none of the beats here are bad, few are exceptional. As a whole, this album doesn't have any sub-par tracks, but only 1 or 2 rise above the rest. Standout: I Get Down1997 Bjork Homogenic4.0Elliott Smith Either/Or4.5Built to Spill Perfect from Now On3.5Emperor Anthems to the Welkin at Dusk3.5I was worried that the symphonic elements would be more prominent in this album than the last, but honestly, they helped improve the sound a bit. Better production, more variety, even a dash of well-executed clean vocals, this is a step up from its predecessor. It was also somehow a tad less memorable, but I'd still consider this an improvement. Rating: Mid-High 3.5. Favorite track: Ye Entrancemperium1996 Belle and Sebastian If You're Feeling Sinister3.0Tool Ænima3.0Neurosis Through Silver in Blood3.0DJ Shadow Endtroducing.....4.0Burzum Filosofem3.0Damn it, Varg. Everything was going just fine until you threw a 10-minute ambient interlude in there and stretched it to almost half the fucking album. Something I thought was interesting was that while I felt this had more songwriting variety than "Hvis Lyset...," it didn't captivate me as much, possibly because of a change in atmosphere.. Good riffing, good drumming, liked the distortion on the vocals, but by the end of the whole thing, I was just kind of tired. If the 25-minute track wasn't on here, this would be an easy 3.5, but the shit dragged for so long that it kind of tainted the whole experience. Rating: Strong 3-Low 3.5. Favorite track: Gebrechlichkeit I1995 Ulver Bergtatt - Et eeventyr i 5 capitler3.5Not sure if I prefer this or "Hvis Lyset..." because I like them both for different resons: while that album had a trancelike sense of repetition, this jumps between gorgeous folk and pummeling black metal with finesse. Not a single track felt weak, and it kept my attention fairly easily. Liked the mix between clean and harsh vocals, and the samples of nature sounds did wonders for the atmosphere. Actually, fuck it, I liked this a tad more, though I still prefer this band's later, more experimental work. Rating: high 3.5. Favorite track: Capitel V: BergtattDissection Storm of the Light's Bane3.5I picked the right album to work out to because holy fuck, this thing just radiates energy. Instead of focusing on atmosphere, these guys just focus on jam-packing these songs with crazy riffs, and it works. Drumming, vocals, everything is pretty on point here. While I think Bergtatt trumps it in sophistication and class, this ups the "fun" value to 10 and doesn't let up. Rating: High 3.5. Favorite track: Night's Blood.1994 Darkthrone Transilvanian Hunger3.0Honestly, this is my least favorite of the classic bm albums so far. It has all the essential elements, the atmosphere is there, but the whole thing feels so basic from a songwriting standpoint that aside from a few riffs scattered here and there, nothing caught my attention. Blaze was better. Score: low-mid 3.0. Favorite track: As Flittermice as Satans SpysEmperor In the Nightside Eclipse3.5This is my first taste of symphonic black metal, and it's pretty solid. Contrary to the last two bm records I listened to, the drumming actually caught my attention more than anything; this guy doesn't mess around. Vocals aren't too bad either, and the symphonic elements are used tastefully. Biggest gripe was a perceived lack of variety. Rating: Low 3.5. Favorite track: I Am the Black WizardsBurzum Hvis Lyset Tar Oss3.5Coming off "A Blaze in the Northern Sky," this is definitely more up my alley. I like the ambient textures, and the repitition (bar the last track, which could've been trimmed down a bit imo) never became overbearing. Plenty of good riffs, I dug the vocals, not many nitpicks here other than the opener being the clear highlight (one of the few tracks to make 14 minutes feel brisk). Mid-Strong 3.5. Best track: Det Som En Gang VarMayhem De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas3.5Probably has the most badass riffs out of the few bm albums I've listened to, but seriously, this album is punk as fuck. The drumming is fantastic (Buried by Time and Dust especially), and the album keeps the energy throughout. I can see why the vocals are divisive, and I'm a bit on the negative side, but they grew on me throughout the duration of the record. Not bad, but I've yet to find a bm record that stops me in my tracks. Rating: Mid-3.5. Favorite track: Buried by Time and Dust.1992 Darkthrone A Blaze in the Northern Sky3.0The first of my attempts to run through all the established black metal classics, and it's definitely solid, but ultimately kind of forgettable. It did exemplify the occult, foresty atmosphere really well, and there were nice riffs scattered throughout (with a little old-school dm influence), but there wasn't much here for me to sink my teeth into. I can definitely see the replay value in it though, so I may have to give this a few more listens. Strong 3.0. Favorite track: A Blaze in the Northern Sky
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