br3ad_man
User

Reviews 164
Approval 94%

Soundoffs 16
News Articles 6
Band Edits + Tags 39
Album Edits 34

Album Ratings 194
Objectivity 67%

Last Active 07-26-18 6:43 pm
Joined 08-09-03

Review Comments 2,126

Average Rating: 3.72
Rating Variance: 0.50
Objectivity Score: 67%
(Fairly Balanced)

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2011
White Suns Waking in the Reservoir3.5

2010
Quiet Steps Think Aloud4.5
Grinderman Grinderman 24.0
Norma Jean Meridional3.0
Rosetta A Determinism of Morality4.5
Flying Lotus Cosmogramma4.5
The Tallest Man on Earth The Wild Hunt4.5
Red Sparowes The Fear Is Excruciating, But Therein...3.0

2009
David Bazan Curse Your Branches4.5
ISIS Wavering Radiant4.0
Black Dice Repo2.5
Tim Hecker An Imaginary Country4.0

2008
Erik Truffaz and Murcof Mexico4.0
Ohana Dead Beat4.5
United Nations United Nations3.5
Carpathian Isolation3.0
Kayo Dot Blue Lambency Downward4.0
Extra Life Secular Works4.0
Grey Daturas Return to Disruption4.0
Sun Kil Moon April4.5
Fuck Buttons Street Horrrsing4.0
Son Lux At War With Walls And Mazes2.0
Evangelista Hello, Voyager3.0
The Kills Midnight Boom3.5
Valet Naked Acid3.5
My Disco Paradise4.0

2007
Sandro Perri Tiny Mirrors3.5
Hrsta Ghosts Will Come and Kiss Our Eyes3.0
Ghosts Will Come and Kiss Our Eyes is the second full-length from Godspeed You! Black Emperor side project Hrsta. Combining some of GY!BE's depressing tones and dirge-like tempos with a more subtle, almost ambient approach to songwriting. Not unlike fellow GY!BE sideproject Set Fire to Flames, Hrsta employ a very organic approach to the creation of their music and the result is a very subtle, eerie journey through soundscapes generally featuring guitar, vocals and organs as the main instruments. The album's closer, a cover of the Bee Gees' "Holiday" is an uplifting conclusion, in the creepiest possible way.
Iron And Wine The Shepherd's Dog4.0
Wolves in the Throne Room Two Hunters4.0

What is there to say about Wolves in the Throne Room's second album, except that it's the most elegant black metal release since Emperor's In the Nightside Eclipse? Each song achieves an atmosphere that is nothing short of perfect and an improvement in almost every way on the band's debut. Furious black metal sections give way to calmly dense post-metal sections with gorgeous female vocals, never once sacrificing beauty or emotion. With fantastic production, Two Hunters represents a very natural step forward for the best American band currently making black metal.
Vic Chesnutt North Star Deserter3.5
Every Time I Die The Big Dirty3.0
Liars Liars4.0
Okkervil River The Stage Names4.0
Korn Untitled2.0
Quiet Steps Quiet Steps [EP]3.5
Justice †3.0
Ryan Adams Easy Tiger4.0
Tomahawk Anonymous4.0
Parts and Labor Mapmaker4.0
The National Boxer4.5
Battles Mirrored3.5
Heavily processed vocals, super-tight drumming, crazy outbursts of technicality and furturistic effects all play a role in this highly unique New York supergroup. Featuring ex-members of Don Caballero, Helmet and Lynx, Mirrored takes the math rock template of Battles' EPs and fuses them with intensely catchy pop hooks and influence from countless other genres. If you're reading this, you've probably already heard it, but if not, do yourself a favour and check out what is surely one of the decade's most original releases.
People For Audio The New Ancients4.0
Sage Francis Human The Death Dance3.5
Blonde Redhead 233.5
Stars of the Lid And Their Refinement Of The Decline5.0
World's End Girlfriend Hurtbreak Wonderland3.0
Low Drums and Guns4.0
Arcade Fire Neon Bible4.0
Rosie Thomas These Friends of Mine3.0
Wembly Shadwell Shapeshifter EP3.5
Jesu Conqueror4.0
Do Make Say Think You, You're a History in Rust4.5
Clap Your Hands Say Yeah Some Loud Thunder2.0

2006
Brand New The Devil and God Are Raging Inside Me3.0
Tom Waits Orphans: Brawlers, Bawlers and Bastards4.5
Split into three discs; Brawlers (gritty blues), Bawlers (ballads) and Bastards (experimental tracks), Orphans represents some of the very best work of Tom Waits' career. Orphans combines Waits' cigarette-stained voice, his brilliant and astoundingly delightful songwriting and the diversity that has defined his career over the years. Somehow managing to be an entirely consistent release over the course of 56 tracks, Orphans cements Tom Waits' status as one of the greatest songwriters and creative artists of all time.
Joanna Newsom Ys4.5
Joanna Newsom is truly an artist like no other. Existing in the realm of "freak folk" alongside artists like Devendra Banhart, Newsom's choice to use the harp as her main instrument (not to mention her unique vocal style) sets her apart completely. Ys is the follow-up to 2004's The Milk Eyed Mender and shows an enormous leap in terms of songwriting and arrangement. While her first record consisted of short folk songs, Ys' songs all approach (and sometimes exceed) the 10 minute mark. Featuring orchestration by Van Dyke Parks on 4 of its 5 songs, Ys shows enormous progression that even Newsom's most loyal fans could never have anticipated.
Converge No Heroes4.0
Sarah Blasko What the Sea Wants, the Sea Will Have4.5
These Arms Are Snakes Easter3.5
On their second full-length, These Arms Are Snakes combine the abrasive post-hardcore of bands such as Drive Like Jehu with stop/start post-punk grooves and cold, moody synth sounds. Featuring ex-members of Botch and Kill Sadie, These Arms Are Snakes are a talented bunch, capable of more than your average post-hardcore group. Vicious, noisy and occasionally epic, Easter is full of angry shouting, complex riffing, electronic textures and varied dynamics. Highly recommended for fans of Fugazi, Scratch Acid and The Blood Brothers.
Damien Jurado And Now That I'm In Your Shadow3.5
mewithoutYou Brother, Sister4.0
Stripped down acoustic passages, poetic lyrics, atmospherics and intense post-hardcore all play a part in mewithoutYou's third full-length, Brother, Sister. Though the band manage to play some very interesting music with this release, it is all for the purpose of backing Aaron Weiss' passionate half-sung, half-spoken vocal attack. Titled in reference to the work of St. Francis of Assisi, Brother, Sister is a religious album, but if that isn't a turn-off for you, you owe it to yourself to check out one of the best and more original post-hardcore albums of 2006.
My Disco Cancer4.0
Norma Jean Redeemer3.5
Envy Insomniac Doze4.0
Where the majority of post-rock bands can make dramatic dynamic changes and standard major keys sound old and stale, post-hardcore band Envy fuse post-rock with hardcore/screamo to create a sound that lies somewhere in between Mogwai and Saetia. While the result isn't anything wildly original, it's fresh and the listener can't help but feel that no one has ever implemented the cliches of the genre quite as well as Envy manage to on Insomniac Doze.
The Mint Chicks Crazy? Yes! Dumb? No!3.5
While they probably haven't made the album of their career just yet, there's very little complain about with The Mint Chicks' performance on Crazy? Yes! Dumb? No!. Unlike the Minties' previous full-length, CYDN is a much more well-rounded effort that harnesses their punk attitude into tastefully aggressive tunes like "Ockham's Razor" rather than outright spasms like "Nothing is a Switch". There are plenty of lighter moments also to be had, such as the relentlessly catchy "Sleeping During the Day" and the love song title track. In short, Crazy? Yes! Dumb? No! is a pop album with plenty of great songs, fantastic hooks and badass attitude.
Laura Radio Swan is Down4.0
M. Ward Post-War4.0
Agalloch Ashes Against the Grain4.0
Youth Group Casino Twilight Dogs3.0
I Heart Hiroshima Cut in Colour4.0
Muse Black Holes & Revelations3.5
Black Holes and Revelations is the fourth and latest offering from U.K. trio Muse. Following the success of 2004’s Absolution, Black Holes… sees Muse incorporating a wider range of influences to create a more accessible and eclectic record. Most of the record retains the epic feel and heavy sound that made previous efforts successful but includes elements of dance/electronica and straight-up pop. Opener “Take A Bow” uses the classical infused rock template of previous releases and adds electronic textures and falsetto harmonies to create an upbeat feel. Album highlight “Starlight” takes a piano riff that could come from a Coldplay or Keane song and adds heavily distorted bass riffs and dramatic vocals to become an intense, epic rock song. Other highlights include the super-heavy “Assassin”, the brilliant guitar solo of “Invincible” and epic closer “Knights of Cydonia”. Though not Muse’s strongest effort, Black Holes… is a solid and logical step forward.
Johnny Cash American V: A Hundred Highways4.5
Underoath Define the Great Line4.0
Sonic Youth Rather Ripped4.0
This Will Destroy You Young Mountain3.0
Tilly and the Wall Bottoms of Barrels2.5
The Grates Gravity Won't Get You High3.5
Mogwai Mr. Beast4.0
Daitro Laisser Vivre Les Squelettes4.5
Liars Drum's Not Dead4.0
Belle and Sebastian The Life Pursuit3.5
Kayo Dot Dowsing Anemone With Copper Tongue4.5

2005
Boris Pink4.0
Perhaps Boris' most accessible album to date, Pink takes the band in a much more melodic direction than their previous records. Despite opening with a dense but beautiful track ("Farewell") akin to Mogwai or Jesu, the majority of the songs on offer are fast, fuzzed out stoner rock tracks. Featuring bluesy solos, intense vocals and ridiculously heavy production, fans of Queens of the Stone Age, The Bronx or the Melvins would do well to give Pink a try. Fans of the post-metal sound would also find a number of songs to enjoy with the aforementioned "Farewell", as well as "Blackout", the gorgeous ambient track "My Machine" and the album's enormously epic closer "Just Abandoned Myself". Whatever your preference, Pink's crushing heaviness will make a worthwhile addition to your collection.
Sun Kil Moon Tiny Cities4.0
Sed Non Satiata Le Ciel De Notre Enfance4.5
Deerhoof The Runners Four4.0
Dirty Three Cinder4.5
Luxury Health and Sport4.5
Devendra Banhart Cripple Crow3.5
Having released six albums in the space of four years, Devendra Banhart has established himself as one of the most prolific songwriters in the indie folk genre in a very short amount of time. Cripple Crow is his most recent full-length LP and it comes after 2004's release of companion albums Rejoicing in the Hands and Ni?ojo. Though not an overwhelmingly consistant record, Cripple Crow's 22 tracks are an eclectic, warm and soothing listen.
Death Cab for Cutie Plans3.5
Ulver Blood Inside3.0
Sufjan Stevens Illinois3.5
The Magic Numbers The Magic Numbers4.0
Coldplay X&Y3.0
Cloud Cult Advice from the Happy Hippopotamus3.5
While some of its instrumentals and interludes between the 'actual songs' can prove to be difficult (in the same way as Sufjan Stevens' Illinois), Advice From the Happy Hippopotamus contains some of the most catchy, upbeat, thoughtful and downright happy indie-pop tunes released this decade. Case in point, the album's ninth track "Transistor Radio", which is centred around a simple but gorgeous acoustic guitar melody and vocal line and is augmented by some of the most lush string arrangements this side of the Flaming Lips. The song often sounds like it is going to explode into an epic climax, but (to its eternal credit) has enough restraint to stay subtile. While the album may too twee or sugary for some and too overwhelming for others, those who are willing to sift through the album's 25 tracks will be seriously rewarded.
Pelican The Fire in Our Throats Will Beckon...4.0
Infidel?/Castro! Bioentropic Damage Fractal4.5
Jaga Jazzist What We Must4.0
The National Alligator4.5
Like all of the greatest albums, Alligator is one of those records that works beautifully as a unit, yet still has 4 or 5 near-perfect standout tracks. The third full-length from New York band The National, Alligator is 13 tracks of varied, clever and emotional indie-rock. Highlights include the melodic opener "Secret Meeting", the anthemic "Lit Up", the soft and subtle "Daughters of the Soho Riots", the furious uptempo track "Abel" and the gorgeous "The Geese of Beverly Road", which features orchestral arrangements. Quite possibly the best album of 2005, Alligator comes painfully close to perfection.
Fire in the Attic Crush/Rebuild3.5
Fantomas Suspended Animation4.0
Architecture In Helsinki In Case We Die4.0
Bloc Party Silent Alarm3.5
Bright Eyes Digital Ash in a Digital Urn1.5
Low The Great Destroyer3.5
Clap Your Hands Say Yeah Clap Your Hands Say Yeah3.0
The Jolly Rogers The Jolly Rogers4.0

2004
A Perfect Circle eMOTIVe1.0
Kings of Leon Aha Shake Heartbreak2.5
Aspects of Physics Marginalized Information Forms One: Ping3.5
William Shatner Has Been4.5
Interpol Antics3.0
Converge You Fail Me4.5
Jakob Dominion4.0
Mastodon Leviathan3.0
Razorlight Up All Night2.5
Unearth The Oncoming Storm2.5
Purplene Purplene4.5

2003
blink-182 Blink-1824.5
Sun Kil Moon Ghosts of the Great Highway5.0
The Strokes Room on Fire3.0
The Unicorns Who Will Cut Our Hair When We're Gone?3.5
Kayo Dot Choirs of the Eye4.5
The Dresden Dolls The Dresden Dolls3.0
Mogwai Happy Songs for Happy People4.0
The Postal Service Give Up3.5
Supersilent 64.0
Jane's Addiction Strays2.0
Switchfoot The Beautiful Letdown3.0
Anaal Nathrakh When Fire Rains Down From the Sky...3.5
Lightning Bolt Wonderful Rainbow3.5
The Blood Brothers ...Burn, Piano Island, Burn4.0
Pink and Brown Shame Fantasy II4.0

2002
Beck Sea Change3.5
The Music The Music3.0
Interpol Turn on the Bright Lights4.0
Maroon 5 Songs About Jane3.0
City of Caterpillar City of Caterpillar4.5
The Streets Original Pirate Material4.0

2001
Joy Electric The White Songbook - Legacy, Vol. 13.5
Stars of the Lid The Tired Sounds of Stars of the Lid4.0
Converge Jane Doe5.0
Relient K The Anatomy of Tongue In Cheek2.5
The Appleseed Cast Low Level Owl, Volume I3.5
maudlin of the Well Bath5.0
pg.99 Document #84.5
Tool Lateralus2.5
Saetia A Retrospective4.5
Since their implosion in 1999, Saetia have become somewhat of a legend for many hardcore and emo fans worldwide. Their members have gone on to participate in such projects as Off Minor, Hot Cross and even Interpol. A Retrospective documents all of the material Saetia recorded in their time together as a band. The songs are short and fast and generally trade between heavy, aggressive parts and soft, clean passages. Vocalist Billy Werner screams, howls, sings and speaks over the top of this and ultimately delivers some incredibly powerful music. At 74 minutes, A Retrospective is raw emo at its most pure. A great starting point for those new to the genre and an essential release for fans.
The Smashing Pumpkins Rotten Apples4.0

2000
Shotmaker The Complete Discography 1993-19964.0
Deftones White Pony4.0
Shellac 1000 Hurts4.0

1999
Botch We Are the Romans4.5
Limp Bizkit Significant Other3.0
Stars of the Lid Avec Laudenum4.5

1998
Stars of the Lid Per Aspera Ad Astra4.0
Refused The Shape Of Punk To Come4.5
Fatboy Slim You've Come a Long Way, Baby3.0
Cat Power Moon Pix4.0
Beastie Boys Hello Nasty3.5
Joan of Arc How Memory Works4.0

1997
Oasis Be Here Now2.0
Arcturus La Masquerade Infernale3.5
Mogwai Young Team4.0

1996
Weezer Pinkerton4.5
Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds Murder Ballads4.0

1995
Alice in Chains Alice in Chains3.0
The Smashing Pumpkins Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness4.0
Low Long Division4.5
1994
Guided by Voices Bee Thousand5.0
Nine Inch Nails The Downward Spiral3.5
Mayhem De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas3.0
Sunny Day Real Estate Diary4.0
Shellac At Action Park4.0

1993
X Japan Art of Life3.5
The Smashing Pumpkins Siamese Dream4.0
Fugazi In on the Kill Taker4.5

1992
Darkthrone A Blaze in the Northern Sky3.0

1990
Steve Vai Passion and Warfare2.5
Pantera Cowboys from Hell3.0
1988
Joy Division Substance5.0
Pixies Surfer Rosa5.0

1987
New Order Substance4.5
Napalm Death Scum3.0

1982
Bruce Springsteen Nebraska4.5

1980
Joy Division Closer3.5

1979
Gang of Four Entertainment!3.5

1976
Stevie Wonder Songs in the Key of Life4.5

1975
Bruce Springsteen Born to Run4.0

1968
Silver Apples Silver Apples3.5
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