Eluvium (Whirring Marvels In) Consensus Reality | 4.5 |
Eluvium False Readings On | 3.5 |
Eluvium Pianoworks | 4.5 |
Kublai Khan TX Nomad | 4.0 |
Bodysnatcher This Heavy Void | 4.0 |
Silent Planet Iridescent | 4.0 |
Sense Field Tonight and Forever | 4.0 |
Sunny Day Real Estate Diary | 4.5 |
Reflections Willow | 3.5 |
Dead And Divine Antimacy | 4.0 |
Spiritbox Singles Collection | 4.0 |
Villagers Fever Dreams | 3.0 |
Currents The Place I Feel Safest | 3.5 |
Currents I Let the Devil In | 4.0 |
$uicideboy$ Eternal Grey | 4.0 |
$uicideboy$ I Want To Die In New Orleans | 3.5 |
Pouya Five Five | 2.5 |
Pouya Underground Underdog | 3.5 |
LANDMVRKS Fantasy | 3.5 |
LANDMVRKS Hollow | 4.0 |
With LANDMVRKS favoring mood and atmosphere over excessive heaviness, they craft an album that is enjoyable from front to back. The clean and screamed vocals are both fantastic, and the variation that exists in songwriting allows the album to be an invigorating listen. |
Whitechapel The Valley | 4.0 |
Mac Miller Watching Movies With The Sound Off | 4.0 |
Mac Miller Swimming | 4.0 |
Mac Miller Circles | 4.5 |
Thy Art Is Murder Hate | 3.0 |
Thy Art Is Murder Dear Desolation | 4.0 |
Eluvium Pedals / Petals | 3.5 |
Olafur Arnalds Living Room Songs | 4.5 |
Loscil Plume | 3.5 |
Loscil Submers | 3.5 |
Loscil First Narrows | 4.0 |
Travis Scott Birds in the Trap Sing McKnight | 3.0 |
Jonwayne Rap Album One | 3.5 |
OutKast ATLiens | 4.5 |
Rittz Top Of The Line | 3.5 |
Drake Views | 3.5 |
ASAP Ferg Always Strive and Prosper | 3.0 |
The Psycho Realm The Psycho Realm | 4.5 |
Abigail Williams The Accuser | 4.0 |
Despised Icon Day Of Mourning | 4.0 |
Ghost (SWE) Infestissumam | 3.5 |
Ghost (SWE) Meliora | 4.0 |
Ghost (SWE) If You Have Ghost | 4.5 |
Beneath the Massacre Evidence Of Inequity | 3.5 |
The Handshake Murders Usurper | 4.0 |
Underoath Act of Depression | 3.5 |
Mac Miller Run On Sentences Vol. 1 | 3.5 |
Asking Alexandria The Black | 2.0 |
Explosions in the Sky The Wilderness | 4.0 |
Despised Icon The Healing Process | 4.0 |
Brian McBride The Effective Disconnect | 4.0 |
Eluvium The Motion Makes Me Last | 3.0 |
Eluvium Static Nocturne | 4.0 |
Eluvium Nightmare Ending | 4.0 |
Eluvium Curious Things | 4.5 |
Hammock Everything and Nothing | 4.5 |
Hammock Kenotic | 4.5 |
Hammock Raising Your Voice... Trying to Stop an Echo | 4.0 |
Jesu/Eluvium Jesu/Eluvium | 4.0 |
Municipal Waste The Fatal Feast | 3.5 |
Young Thug I'm Up | 3.5 |
Young Thug Barter 6 | 3.5 |
Young Thug Slime Season 3 | 4.0 |
Domo Genesis Genesis | 3.5 |
Oceana Clean Head | 4.0 |
Deniro Farrar Rebirth | 4.5 |
Future EVOL | 3.0 |
Flatbush Zombies 3001: A Laced Odyssey | 3.0 |
Less Than Jake Borders and Boundaries | 4.0 |
Testament The New Order | 4.5 |
Municipal Waste Hazardous Mutation | 4.0 |
Iron Maiden Powerslave | 4.5 |
Iron Maiden Piece of Mind | 4.0 |
Iron Maiden The Number of the Beast | 4.5 |
Iron Maiden Killers | 4.5 |
Dark Tranquillity The Gallery | 4.5 |
Ne Obliviscaris Citadel | 4.0 |
Enslaved RIITIIR | 4.5 |
Gorguts Considered Dead | 4.5 |
Agalloch The Mantle | 5.0 |
Cynic Focus | 4.0 |
Fennesz Venice | 4.0 |
Arsis A Celebration of Guilt | 4.0 |
A Lot Like Birds No Place | 3.0 |
Strawberry Girls French Ghetto | 4.0 |
Helios Unleft | 4.0 |
Brian McBride When The Detail Lost Its Freedom | 5.0 |
Between the Buried and Me The Great Misdirect | 4.0 |
Between the Buried and Me Coma Ecliptic | 3.5 |
Tim Hecker Haunt Me, Haunt Me Do It Again | 4.0 |
Thy Art Is Murder Holy War | 3.5 |
The Dead Texan The Dead Texan | 4.5 |
Biosphere Cirque | 4.0 |
My Dying Bride Feel the Misery | 3.5 |
Stone Sour Stone Sour | 3.5 |
Slipknot Slipknot | 4.0 |
Nick Murphy (fka Chet Faker) Built on Glass | 3.0 |
Scary Kids Scaring Kids After Dark | 3.5 |
Scary Kids Scaring Kids The City Sleeps In Flames | 3.0 |
Scary Kids Scaring Kids Scary Kids Scaring Kids | 4.0 |
Overkill The Years of Decay | 4.5 |
Heathen Victims of Deception | 4.5 |
John Murphy 28 Weeks Later Soundtrack | 4.0 |
Children of Bodom Are You Dead Yet? | 3.5 |
Children of Bodom I Worship Chaos | 3.5 |
Drake If You're Reading This It's Too Late | 4.0 |
Drake and Future What a Time to Be Alive | 3.5 |
Mac Miller GO:OD AM | 4.0 |
Ab-Soul Control System | 4.0 |
Jay Rock 90059 | 4.0 |
Mick Jenkins Wave[s] | 4.5 |
Sir Michael Rocks Populair | 3.0 |
Mortician Chainsaw Dismemberment | 4.0 |
Die Antwoord Ten$ion | 3.5 |
Frank Ocean Nostalgia, Ultra. | 4.0 |
Future DS2 | 3.5 |
Vince Staples Summertime '06 | 4.5 |
ScHoolboy Q Oxymoron | 3.5 |
Travis Scott Owl Pharaoh | 3.5 |
Sorority Noise Forgettable | 3.5 |
Beneath The Sky In Loving Memory | 3.5 |
ASAP Rocky Live.Love.A$AP. | 3.5 |
ASAP Rocky LONG.LIVE.A$AP | 3.5 |
Lakutis I'm In The Forest | 4.0 |
Lakutis 3 Seashells | 4.0 |
ASAP Rocky At.Long.Last.A$AP | 4.0 |
Lamb of God Ashes of the Wake | 4.0 |
The Uncluded Hokey Fright | 3.5 |
Hester Prynne The Goswell Divorce | 4.0 |
And Hell Followed With Domain | 3.5 |
Glassjaw Coloring Book | 4.5 |
Rae Sremmurd SremmLife | 3.5 |
State Lines For the Boats | 3.5 |
...And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead Source Tags and Codes | 4.0 |
Atheist Unquestionable Presence | 4.0 |
Caravels/Gifts From Enola Well Worn | 4.0 |
My Dying Bride A Map of All Our Failures | 4.5 |
Electric Wizard Dopethrone | 4.5 |
Atmosphere Headshots: Se7en | 3.5 |
Deep Puddle Dynamics The Taste of Rain...Why Kneel? | 4.5 |
Atmosphere Sad Clown Bad Fall 10 | 3.0 |
Themselves TheFREEhoudini | 4.0 |
cLOUDDEAD cLOUDDEAD | 4.5 |
Face Candy This Is Where We Were | 4.5 |
Neck Deep Rain in July | 3.0 |
Neck Deep A History of Bad Decisions | 3.0 |
Northaunt Istid I-II | 4.0 |
The Candlepark Stars Very Big Sky | 4.5 |
Morbid Angel Abominations of Desolation | 4.0 |
Sororicide The Entity | 4.0 |
My Dying Bride Turn Loose the Swans | 5.0 |
The Magic Lightnin' Boys The Magic Lightnin' Boys | 4.0 |
Thou Heathen | 3.5 |
Blood Gemini Snow Season | 4.5 |
Death Grips Exmilitary | 4.5 |
Death Grips Fashion Week | 4.0 |
The Damned Things Ironiclast | 3.5 |
Carcass Swansong | 3.5 |
Liturgy The Ark Work | 2.5 |
From A Second Story Window Conversations | 3.0 |
Of Machines As If Everything Was Held In Place | 4.0 |
Sleeping With Sirens With Ears to See and Eyes to Hear | 3.0 |
Senses Fail From the Depths of Dreams | 2.5 |
Senses Fail The Fire | 3.5 |
Senses Fail Life Is Not a Waiting Room | 4.0 |
Senses Fail continue to hone their craft on Life Is Not a Waiting Room. While the highlight songs don't match up to the last full length, it is a more consistent album. The screaming has matured quite a bit, and even if Buddy Nielsen isn't utilizing it as much on this album, it is incredibly effective. Ultimately, if you like Senses Fail, you will enjoy this album. If you didn't like them before this, you won't enjoy this one very much, either. |
Senses Fail Still Searching | 4.0 |
Senses Fail Let It Enfold You | 3.5 |
Funeral Diner Doors Open | 4.0 |
The Album Leaf Seal Beach | 4.0 |
T'Saatsuna/Reverend Desaad Churnmilk Peg!!/Hypatian Codex: Compendium Dub | 3.5 |
A Heartwell Ending Trust Us We Lie | 3.5 |
AFI Sing the Sorrow | 3.5 |
AFI The Art of Drowning | 4.0 |
AFI Black Sails in the Sunset | 4.5 |
The Fully Down Dont' Get Lost In A Movement | 4.5 |
The Forecast Late Night Conversations | 4.0 |
Converge Jane Doe | 3.0 |
Self Defense Family Disappear Here | 4.0 |
Enslaved In Times | 3.5 |
Psycroptic Psycroptic | 3.0 |
A Life Once Lost A Great Artist | 3.5 |
Killing The Dream In Place, Apart | 4.5 |
Texas Is the Reason Do You Know Who You Are? | 4.0 |
Texas Is the Reason Texas is the Reason | 4.5 |
Ethereal Shroud They Became the Falling Ash | 4.0 |
Circle Takes the Square As the Roots Undo | 4.5 |
AFI All Hallow's E.P. | 4.5 |
Circaic False Prophetic Roads | 3.5 |
Carissa's Wierd Songs About Leaving | 4.0 |
PVRIS White Noise | 3.5 |
Biosphere Substrata | 4.5 |
Loscil Endless Falls | 5.0 |
Crypt Sermon Out of the Garden | 4.0 |
Anesthesia An Infinite Winter, Vol. I: In Memoriam | 3.5 |
Arsis Unwelcome | 4.0 |
Thy Art Is Murder The Adversary | 3.0 |
Thy Art Is Murder Infinite Death | 4.0 |
Demilich Nespithe | 4.5 |
The Plot In You First Born | 3.0 |
Escape the Fate There's No Sympathy for the Dead | 3.5 |
Mobb Deep The Infamous | 5.0 |
Job for a Cowboy Gloom | 4.0 |
Job for a Cowboy Doom | 1.5 |
Sigur Ros Von | 3.0 |
36 Crazyfists Time and Trauma | 3.0 |
36 Crazyfists The Tide and Its Takers | 3.0 |
36 Crazyfists A Snow Capped Romance | 3.5 |
36 Crazyfists Bitterness the Star | 3.5 |
Cara Neir/Venowl Split | 4.0 |
sigh (US) batch.01 | 4.0 |
Bear//Face Beat_Tape | 3.5 |
The chilled-out beats on this are fantastic. Whether it's the amazing vocal sample in "Taste My
Sad" or the melancholic vibe on "GANGY", there is a surprising amount of variation on
Beat_Tape. "Bruh Bruh" is a more energetic electronic track but still works very well
within the context of the EP. There are a few duds here, most notably the third song entitled
"$o0oo Wavey" which is much too repetitive for its own good. Even with a few songs not really
matching up to the others, it's still a great way to spend twenty minutes if you're interested in
the genre at all. |
The Album Leaf Into The Blue Again | 4.0 |
Freddie Gibbs and Madlib Pinata | 3.0 |
Gerard Way Hesitant Alien | 3.0 |
The Amazing Picture You | 3.5 |
Feed Her to the Sharks Fortitude | 2.5 |
Abstracter Wound Empire | 3.5 |
Heiress Of Great Sorrow | 4.0 |
Job for a Cowboy Sun Eater | 4.0 |
Feed Her to the Sharks Savage Seas | 3.0 |
Drake Take Care | 4.5 |
Converge Axe to Fall | 3.5 |
Earl Sweatshirt EARL | 4.0 |
Summoning Old Mornings Dawn | 4.0 |
Midnight Static Colorwave | 3.5 |
Bloodbath Grand Morbid Funeral | 4.0 |
Matt Pond PA Winter Songs | 3.5 |
Aphelion Aonarach | 4.0 |
Red (USA) Until We Have Faces | 2.5 |
Red (USA) End of Silence | 3.0 |
Red (USA) Innocence and Instinct | 4.0 |
At the Drive-In Relationship of Command | 4.0 |
Thursday Common Existence | 4.0 |
Thursday A City By the Light Divided | 3.5 |
Thursday Full Collapse | 3.5 |
Thursday War All the Time | 4.0 |
Caina Setter of Unseen Snares | 3.5 |
Blacklisted When People Grow, People Go | 2.5 |
Dashboard Confessional So Impossible | 4.0 |
Nervous Impulse (CA) Time to Panic | 3.0 |
Mike Mictlan Snaxxx | 4.0 |
Midnight Static Daydream | 4.0 |
Red (USA) Of Beauty and Rage | 3.0 |
Cannibal Corpse Eaten Back to Life | 3.5 |
Lord Dying Poisoned Altars | 2.0 |
Supa Sortahuman & Shawn Kemp Supasonic | 3.5 |
I didn't love this at first listen, but it's really a fun release. The beats are incredibly varied (provided courtesy of Shawn Kemp) and Supa Sortahuman is a serviceable rapper. "UFO'in" boasts the catchiest beat and Lil Ugly Mane's verse on "Me & You" a capella is downright amazing. |
Radiohead OK Computer | 4.0 |
Dear Landlord Dream Homes | 4.5 |
Lucian the Wolfbearer Paradise | 4.5 |
October Falls The Plague of a Coming Age | 3.5 |
Holy Other With U | 4.5 |
Action Bronson Saaab Stories | 3.5 |
I, the Breather Life Reaper | 2.5 |
Dead in the Manger Cessation | 4.0 |
Cara Neir Portals to a Better, Dead World | 4.0 |
Caster Caster | 4.0 |
Converge All We Love We Leave Behind | 5.0 |
Pest The Crowning Horror | 3.5 |
Necrophagist Onset of Putrefaction | 4.0 |
Coffins The Fleshland | 4.0 |
Autopsy Tourniquets, Hacksaws and Graves | 4.0 |
Perturbator I Am The Night | 4.5 |
Seriously amazing stuff. Dirty, grimy, and sounds like it came straight out of an eighties horror flick. |
Hutcher Hauntpop Vol. 2 | 3.5 |
Sylosis The Supreme Oppressor | 3.5 |
Sylosis Conclusion of an Age | 3.5 |
Eye of Solitude Dear Insanity | 4.5 |
Raekwon Only Built 4 Cuban Linx... | 4.5 |
Delain The Human Contradiction | 3.5 |
iamthemorning MISCELLANY | 3.5 |
Lil Ugly Mane Mista Thug Isolation | 5.0 |
Odd Nosdam Burner | 4.5 |
The Psyke Project Daikini | 4.5 |
Krimh Krimhera | 4.0 |
Snow Tha Product Good Nights & Bad Mornings | 3.5 |
Good Nights & Bad Mornings provides the listener with an artist that possesses both
technical ability and an ear for catchy songwriting. Snow tha Product doesn't mince her words, and
it's refreshing to see a female so authentic in the genre. "Cookie Cutter Bitches" is an incisive
take on the sameness that can pervade the female MC, while "Fuck the Rent" provides a focus on
relatable monetary troubles balanced with dreams of making it big in tow. Also, the verses on
"Hola" just rip. |
Circa Survive Descensus | 4.0 |
Doctor Smoke The Witching Hour | 3.5 |
Trap Them Filth Rations | 4.5 |
Trap Them Seance Prime | 4.0 |
Trap Them Sleepwell Deconstructor | 4.0 |
The Banner Greying | 4.5 |
Horrendous Ecdysis | 3.5 |
Dead Congregation Promulgation of the Fall | 4.0 |
Vince Staples Hell Can Wait | 4.0 |
Dead Sea Apes High Evolutionary | 4.0 |
Darklands Bring Out The Dead | 4.0 |
Musk Ox Woodfall | 4.5 |
Fall to November Sky... A Little Sounds for an Empty World | 3.5 |
Structures Life Through a Window | 3.5 |
Aspherium The Fall of Therenia | 4.0 |
Joyce Manor Never Hungover Again | 4.0 |
'68 In Humor and Sadness | 4.0 |
The Grouch x Eligh x CunninLynguists The Winterfire EP | 4.0 |
Cannibal Corpse Gallery of Suicide | 4.0 |
Quarterbacks Quarterboy | 3.5 |
Quarterboy is just one of those releases that is nostalgia personified. When life was a little simpler, you might spend your days agonizing over girls with your friends; that was a few summers of my life quite a long time ago (longer ago than I care to remember, honestly). It's trivial looking back at it now, but what this album provides is 16 minutes of gentle, inoffensive twee pop. The quick compositions and tongue-in-cheek lyrics make this quite the listenable little gem; although to that end, it comes and goes without any real highlights. Quarterbacks crafted a full-length that left me interested enough to follow their progress to see how they mature in the coming years, because the potential is certainly there. |
Fuck the Facts Abandoned | 4.5 |
Bon Iver Blood Bank | 4.0 |
Dead Man In Reno Dead Man In Reno | 3.5 |
DMIR are one of those bands that I want to defend constantly. I want to say that they aren't like the horde of metalcore bands that aren't doing anything interesting in the world of music, but the truth is that I just enjoy what they are doing on their self-titled. The vocals are erratic, as is the songwriting, but it works in favor of the album. Meatheaded breakdowns give way to gorgeous, melodic clean guitar passages. It is simple, by-the-books metalcore, done better than most of the masses. |
Bring Me the Horizon This Is What the Edge of Your Seat Was Made For | 1.5 |
Bring Me the Horizon Suicide Season | 1.5 |
Bring Me the Horizon Count Your Blessings | 2.0 |
Mr. Muddle General's Quarters | 4.0 |
Ab-Soul These Days... | 2.5 |
Between the Buried and Me The Parallax: Hypersleep Dialogues | 4.0 |
Carcass Surgical Remission/Surplus Steel | 4.0 |
Incantation Onward to Golgotha | 5.0 |
NehruvianDOOM NehruvianDOOM | 3.0 |
Kingdom of Giants Abominable | 4.0 |
El-P I'll Sleep When You're Dead | 4.0 |
Pianos Become the Teeth Keep You | 4.0 |
With Dead Hands Rising The Horror Grows Near | 4.0 |
Envy Insomniac Doze | 4.0 |
Trophywife An Innocent Orphan In The Post-Modern World | 3.0 |
Trophywife Hold Onto Your Luck | 3.5 |
Pianos Become the Teeth Old Pride | 3.5 |
The Gaslight Anthem Get Hurt | 4.5 |
As Blood Runs Black Ground Zero | 2.0 |
Aesop Rock The Blob | 4.5 |
Jakob Sines | 4.0 |
Ulver Messe I.X-VI.X | 4.0 |
Vince Staples Shyne Coldchain Vol. 2 | 3.5 |
Run the Jewels Run the Jewels 2 | 4.5 |
Childish Gambino STN MTN | 3.5 |
Tiny Moving Parts Pleasant Living | 4.0 |
Drake Nothing Was the Same | 3.0 |
The Twilight Singers A Stitch In Time | 4.0 |
The Twilight Singers Powder Burns | 4.0 |
Black Sabbath Black Sabbath | 4.5 |
Free Throw Free Throw | 3.5 |
The Workday Release Farther From Familiar | 3.0 |
So Long Forgotten Things We Can See and Things We Cannot | 3.5 |
So Long Forgotten Beneath Our Noble Heads | 4.0 |
So Long Forgotten Baptism | 4.0 |
Origin Omnipresent | 3.5 |
The Bright Star Alliance Oceania | 3.5 |
Arctic Monkeys Who The Fuck Are Arctic Monkeys? | 4.0 |
Chevelle La Gárgola | 3.0 |
The War On Drugs Lost in the Dream | 4.5 |
The Postal Service Give Up | 4.0 |
Modest Mouse Everywhere and His Nasty Parlour Tricks | 4.0 |
Title Fight Floral Green | 4.5 |
Thrice The Alchemy Index Vol. II: Water | 4.5 |
Fireworks Gospel | 4.0 |
Cerce Teen Bible | 4.0 |
Full of Hell Roots Of Earth Are Consuming My Home | 4.0 |
Free Throw Lavender Town | 4.0 |
Legs Like Tree Trunks Future Reference | 3.5 |
American Football American Football EP | 4.0 |
American Football American Football | 4.5 |
Joyce Manor Joyce Manor | 4.5 |
Morning Effort Mourning Effort | 3.5 |
Morning Effort I heard you the first time, it just wasn't funny | 4.0 |
Cerce Cerce | 4.0 |
The Antlers Hospice | 4.0 |
Panopticon Roads to the North | 4.0 |
Strata Strata Presents The End Of The World | 4.5 |
Paths Of Possession The End of the Hour | 3.5 |
Cannibal Corpse Gore Obsessed | 3.5 |
Abigail Williams In the Absence of Light | 3.5 |
Abigail Williams Becoming | 4.0 |
Man Overboard Real Talk | 3.5 |
Glass Bones Seasons | 4.0 |
Fireworks Oh, Common Life | 5.0 |
Search The City A Fire So Big The Heavens Can See It | 4.5 |
Unearth The Oncoming Storm | 4.0 |
Essence Beyond Carnivalism | 3.0 |
Neck Deep Wishful Thinking | 3.0 |
Kevin Devine Put Your Ghost To Rest | 4.0 |
State Champs The Finer Things | 4.0 |
Kids in the Way Apparitions of Melody | 3.5 |
Upon a Burning Body The World Is My Enemy Now | 3.0 |
Deaf Havana Fools And Worthless Liars | 4.5 |
Manners Escapism | 4.0 |
Manners Apparitions | 4.5 |
Pathology Awaken to the Suffering | 2.5 |
Pathology Lords of Rephaim | 3.0 |
Pathology The Time of Great Purification | 3.0 |
Pathology Throne of Reign | 3.5 |
Darkest Hour The Human Romance | 3.0 |
Miss May I At Heart | 2.5 |
Miss May I Monument | 3.0 |
Miss May I Apologies Are for the Weak | 3.5 |
Nodes of Ranvier Nodes of Ranvier | 4.0 |
Say Hi Impeccable Blahs | 3.5 |
Antwon Heavy Hearted In Doldrums | 3.5 |
Jack's Mannequin Dear Jack | 4.0 |
Many will disagree with this, but I believe this little release to be the best thing that has come of Jack's Mannequin. All four of the tracks present on Dear Jack are keepers, and the reinterpretation of "Swim" is chilling in its perfection. If you thought Everything in Transit was a bit too pop-punk and thought that The Glass Passenger lacked the songwriting chops and hooks, this is the perfect middle ground. |
Forevermore Telos | 4.0 |
The Devil Wears Prada Zombie | 3.5 |
Aborted The Necrotic Manifesto | 4.0 |
Signal the Escape These Scars Are Just the Beginning | 3.0 |
Norma Jean Wrongdoers | 4.0 |
Wrongdoers is the sum of the parts Norma Jean have been quietly collecting throughout rtheir entire career. Barring a few setbacks over the years, the band have not stayed rstagnant in a genre renowned for recycled ideas from most of the bands. Finally the longer rtracks have a palatable experimental feel to them; "Hive Minds" is one of the band's best rofferings with eerie distortion building up to immense riffs. The album itself is a rcombination of their most frenzied aggression matched up with a strong focus on continuity. rVocalist Cory Brandan has never been more on point both vocally and lyrically; "Funeral rSinger" is certainly proof of that. Wrongdoers proves that an already-established rband can eschew self-made constrictions and put out an album that is miles above and beyond rwhat was anticipated by fans. |
Pet The Preacher The Cave and The Sunlight | 4.0 |
The Blood Brothers ...Burn, Piano Island, Burn | 4.0 |
The Blood Brothers Crimes | 4.0 |
Wovenwar Wovenwar | 3.5 |
Columns Please Explode | 4.0 |
Misery Signals Of Malice and the Magnum Heart | 4.5 |
Rain City Drive Through Art We Are All Equals | 3.5 |
Through Art We Are All Equals is certainly Jonny Craig's project through and through. It ends up being a question of how much you enjoy his vocals, because instrumentally speaking there simply isn't much going on here. Most of what is going on here has a second-rate Emarosa feel to it, but the good news is the lyrics on here are much more honest and revealing than on past projects. "Starving For Friends" is certainly a highlight with Craig intoning, "I miss the days of being on fire". Vocally we haven't seen Craig this good in awhile, and this album seems the stepping stone that was necessary in order for him to release a truly impressive album in the future. Though the highlights are fantastic on this, too many of the middle songs sound similar and create a plodding tempo throughout. |
Action Bronson Dr. Lecter | 4.0 |
Set Your Goals Mutiny! | 4.0 |
Anthrax Spreading the Disease | 4.5 |
Fallujah The Flesh Prevails | 3.0 |
Deception Of A Ghost Speak Up, You're Not Alone | 3.0 |
August Burns Red Leveler | 2.5 |
A Lot Like Birds Plan B | 3.5 |
Barrow Though I'm Alone | 3.5 |
Barrow Being Without | 4.0 |
Texas in July Uncivilized | 3.0 |
Texas in July release more of the same; generic metalcore with slightly above-average musicianship. It's not inherently bad music, and if you've enjoyed their past releases, there isn't any reason for you to not pick this up. "Fight Fair" starts out with a fun riff, and then proceeds to chug for the next three minutes or so. Nothing less, nothing more than what should be expected from an outfit such as them. |
Sarcofago Rotting | 4.0 |
Swain Howl | 3.5 |
Vendetta Red Between the Never and the Now | 3.5 |
Death Spiritual Healing | 3.5 |
Death Individual Thought Patterns | 4.0 |
Death The Sound of Perseverance | 3.5 |
Death Symbolic | 4.5 |
Death Scream Bloody Gore | 4.5 |
Death Human | 4.0 |
Morbid Angel Formulas Fatal to the Flesh | 4.0 |
Morbid Angel Gateways to Annihilation | 4.0 |
Morbid Angel Covenant | 4.0 |
Morbid Angel Domination | 4.5 |
Morbid Angel Altars of Madness | 4.0 |
Darkest Hour The Eternal Return | 4.0 |
Sonic Syndicate Sonic Syndicate | 2.5 |
Craig Owens With Love | 2.5 |
Darkest Hour The Prophecy Fullfilled | 3.0 |
Darkest Hour The Mark of the Judas | 3.5 |
Darkest Hour Undoing Ruin | 3.5 |
Darkest Hour Darkest Hour | 3.0 |
Darkest Hour Hidden Hands of a Sadist Nation | 4.5 |
Darkest Hour So Sedated, so Secure | 4.0 |
War of Ages Supreme Chaos | 3.0 |
Yoma Approaching Silence | 4.0 |
Conditions Fluorescent Youth | 3.5 |
Palm Reader Palm Reader | 3.5 |
Embrace The End Counting Hallways to the Left | 3.5 |
The Black Dahlia Murder A Cold-Blooded Epitaph | 3.5 |
The Black Dahlia Murder What a Horrible Night to Have a Curse | 3.5 |
Killwhitneydead Never Good Enough For You | 2.5 |
Nights Like These The Faithless | 3.0 |
Bury Your Dead Bury Your Dead | 2.5 |
Emmure The Respect Issue | 1.5 |
Emmure Goodbye To The Gallows | 3.0 |
On Broken Wings It's All A Long Goodbye | 2.5 |
On Broken Wings Some Of Us May Never See The World | 2.0 |
On Broken Wings Going Down | 1.5 |
Betraying the Martyrs Phantom | 2.0 |
The Color Morale We All Have Demons | 2.5 |
The Color Morale My Devil In Your Eyes | 3.5 |
The Color Morale seem to have everything it takes to be a prototypical Rise Records band; endless chugging, sing/scream dynamic, and a littany of breakdowns. With that being said, there are nuances that make this record stand out among many others in the genre. Passionate, incredible clean vocals and interesting guitar leads make for a great listen. It helps that the lyrics aren't the normal drivel about lost love and devotion to God; it is in the small details here that point to a good record and an even better one in the future. |
The Color Morale Know Hope | 2.5 |
Architects The Here and Now | 3.0 |
Architects Lost Forever // Lost Together | 3.5 |
Lost Forever // Lost Together does everything that is expected of Architects at this point, but they haven't done it this well in quite some time. The renewed vigor shines through the entire album, most notably in standouts "Gravedigger" and "Broken Cross", but the album in general is a step in the right direction. |
The Amity Affliction Let the Ocean Take Me | 3.0 |
Within the Ruins Phenomena | 4.0 |
Upon repeated listens of Phenomena, it's fairly safe to say that this is the band's best work to date. There are plenty of chugs and breakdowns in this album, but I'll damned if this isn't one of the catchiest metalcore releases of the year so far. "Gods Amongst Men" starts the album off as one of WtR's best songs, and it becomes obvious after a few listens that there is zero filler on this album. Both instrumental tracks rank as some of the strongest songs, with "Enigma" boasting guitar licks very reminiscent of both Mario Bros and Inspector Gadget. The fun that Within the Ruins had making this one is translated well on the record, and the band have not sounded tighter in their playing than they do now. |
Dead Poetic New Medicines | 4.0 |
Dead Poetic Four Wall Blackmail | 3.0 |
Haste the Day Pressure the Hinges | 3.0 |
Haste the Day When Everything Falls | 3.5 |
Haste the Day Dreamer | 4.0 |
Haste the Day Burning Bridges | 3.5 |
Stutterfly And We Are Bled Of Color | 1.5 |
Secret And Whisper Great White Whale | 3.0 |
Acceptance Lost for Words | 2.5 |
Acceptance Black Lines to Battlefields | 3.5 |
Acceptance Phantoms | 3.5 |
Anberlin New Surrender | 2.0 |
Mostly throwaway tracks, and there is no excuse to re-release a track when it was on an earlier full length. Glad that they came back from this one. |
Anberlin Lost Songs | 3.5 |
Anberlin Blueprints for the Black Market | 3.0 |
Anberlin Dark Is the Way, Light Is a Place | 4.0 |
Anberlin Never Take Friendship Personal | 3.5 |
One of my go-to listens for catchiness and content. I love this one, and this rating is obviously skewed; what do you want from me?! |
Anberlin Cities | 4.5 |
Volumes No Sleep | 3.0 |
This is certainly a polarizing listen. Up until now, Volumes have been entrenched in the techy/metalcore/djent craze with bands like Structures and Within the Ruins. It's not necessarily a bad place to be; it's just difficult to progress naturally out of that sound. With some atmosphere and more clean vocals added in, Volumes certainly sounds reinvigorated. "Erased" sounds like a completely different band, favoring driving clean vocals and eschewing the usual one-dimensional songwriting. The lyrics are laughable at some points (check out "Pistol Play" for the lulz), but this is a good transition album for the band. The new influences sprinkled in this time around will certainly blossom if given enough time, and as it stands now No Sleep is a fun listen. |
Structures All of the Above | 3.0 |
Protest the Hero Fortress | 4.0 |
Protest the Hero Kezia | 3.5 |
Lavinia Take Shelter | 4.5 |
Hexis Abalam | 4.0 |
Full of Hell The Inevitable Fear of Existence | 4.0 |
Trap Them Blissfucker | 3.5 |
Pianos Become the Teeth The Lack Long After | 4.5 |
Wolves in the Throne Room Celestite | 4.0 |
Entropia (PL) Vesper | 4.5 |
Chevelle Wonder What's Next | 3.5 |
Chevelle Vena Sera | 4.0 |
Chevelle Sci-Fi Crimes | 4.0 |
Chevelle Hats Off To The Bull | 3.0 |
Chevelle This Type Of Thinking (Could Do Us In) | 4.0 |
Pain (USA) Wonderful Beef | 3.0 |
Kitty D.A.I.S.Y. Rage | 3.0 |
Kitty Impatiens | 3.5 |
Black Tongue Born Hanged | 2.5 |
The Fall of Troy Phantom on the Horizon | 3.5 |
Premonitions of War Left in Kowloon | 4.0 |
Eso-Charis Eso-Charis | 3.5 |
Norma Jean Meridional | 3.5 |
Norma Jean The Anti Mother | 4.0 |
Norma Jean Redeemer | 4.0 |
Norma Jean O' God, the Aftermath | 3.5 |
Norma Jean Bless the Martyr and Kiss the Child | 2.0 |
The Chariot Long Live | 3.5 |
The Chariot The Fiancee | 3.5 |
Underoath Cries of the Past | 2.5 |
Underoath The Changing of Times | 2.5 |
Underoath They're Only Chasing Safety | 2.5 |
Underoath Lost in the Sound of Separation | 4.0 |
Underoath Define the Great Line | 4.0 |
Good Weather for an Airstrike A Home for You | 3.5 |
Hutcher Hauntpop | 4.0 |
Interesting project here. I am definitely going to review this. Reminds me of what would play in a grocery store in a post-apocalyptic world. Strange, almost alien-like, but with a forlorn familiarity that would inherently attract people to it. |
Bring Me the Horizon Sempiternal | 3.0 |
Living Sacrifice Ghost Thief | 3.5 |
August Burns Red Looks Fragile After All | 1.5 |
August Burns Red Thrill Seeker | 4.0 |
August Burns Red Messengers | 2.5 |
August Burns Red Constellations | 3.5 |
August Burns Red Rescue & Restore | 3.5 |
Lorde Pure Heroine | 3.5 |
A Slow Descent Utopias | 4.0 |
Every Time I Die From Parts Unknown | 4.0 |
Death Grips The Powers That B - Part I: Niggas on the Moon | 3.5 |
A Million Dead Birds Laughing Bloom | 4.0 |
Mastodon Once More 'Round the Sun | 4.0 |
Hour of Penance Regicide | 3.5 |
Darkest Hour Deliver Us | 5.0 |
My Dying Bride The Light at the End of the World | 4.5 |
Every Time I Die The Burial Plot Bidding War | 2.5 |
Every Time I Die Ex Lives | 3.5 |
Every Time I Die Last Night in Town | 3.5 |
Hands Like Houses Ground Dweller | 3.5 |
Black Lungs Send Flowers | 3.5 |
Heartsounds Drifter | 4.0 |
It isn't always easy to balance pop punk with technicality, all while managing to sound heartfelt and passionate. Drifter gives all of that in spades, with two of the four members coming from metal band Light This City. The fast-paced drums and incredibly varied guitars, mixed with the dual male-female vocals, help to give fans of the pop-punk reason to rejoice. One of most consistent releases in recent memory, and my personal favorites (especially for summertime listening). |
Every Time I Die New Junk Aesthetic | 4.5 |
Alexisonfire Alexisonfire | 3.5 |
Modern Baseball Sports | 4.0 |
Modern Baseball are undoubtedly a fun listen; their emo-infused pop punk style may leave some to be desired songwriting-wise; but it is immediately engaging and plenty catchy. The nasally vocals will definitely get on the nerves of listeners not used to the style, but the sarcastic and youthful attitude present in the lyrics will bring a full-on nostalgia trip to the open-minded. The songs are individually powerful enough to keep your attention, and the plaintive yearning in the vocals speak to the honesty of a band that seems to wholly represent the average twenty-something sad-sack. There are a few songs that just do not match up to the highlights, but overall Sports is much more consistent than Modern Baseball's follow-up, and is perfect for a summer listen. |
Decapitated Nihility | 4.0 |
New Found Glory Sticks and Stones | 4.0 |
New Found Glory Not Without a Fight | 3.5 |
New Found Glory Radiosurgery | 4.0 |
Invocation of Nehek Invocation of Nehek | 3.5 |
Invocation of Nehek's self-titled is very dynamic for a metalcore record, and a great early
example of why so many listeners flocked to bands like Unearth and Through the Eyes of the
Dead in the early 2000s. The vocals vary from a high-pitched shriek to a low growl and are
executed spendidly. They end up being the highlight of Invocation of Nehek, if only
for the fact that the instrumentation takes on a somewhat similar sound throughout. The
breakdowns are also surprisingly powerful, given the fact that they are (for the most part)
well-timed and groovy. There are influences outside of the norm that help this stand out as
well, such as the tranquil instrumentation present on "Drawing Blood From A Stone". The
overall execution of this album leaves quite a bit to be desired, and certainly would have
led to an even more varied and dynamic sophomore release had they continued on. |
The Knife Trade Annihilation Of Expectation (Split W/ Through The Eyes Of The Dead) | 3.5 |
Born of Osiris Tomorrow We Die Alive | 2.0 |
Veil of Maya The Common Man's Collapse | 2.5 |
Veil of Maya bring nothing new to the table to an almost remarkable extent. Despite presenting apt musicians, a vocalist with decent range, and penchant for writing an actual good song every once in a while ("It's Not Safe to Swim Today, "We Bow In Its Aura"), they too often succumb to sounding like every other -core band that Sumerian has signed. Veil of Maya has the ingredients necessary to create an unique, interesting album but will in all likelihood continue to provide angry kids with something to mosh to. |
Veil of Maya All Things Set Aside | 2.5 |
All Shall Perish This Is Where It Ends | 3.0 |
All Shall Perish Awaken the Dreamers | 3.5 |
All Shall Perish The Price of Existence | 4.0 |
All Shall Perish Hate. Malice. Revenge | 2.5 |
From Graves of Valor Famine | 3.5 |
Incantation Dirges of Elysium | 3.5 |
murk daddy flex third compilation | 3.5 |
Illsugi Catalyst | 4.0 |
clipping. Midcity | 4.0 |
Killer Be Killed Killer Be Killed | 2.5 |
Killer Be Killed did nothing for me as a listener, unfortunately. With almost no
experience with any of the past bands associated with this endeavor (besides Mastodon, of
course), I didn't have any expectations going into listening to this. First song and single
"Wings of Feather and Wax" is a melodic masterpiece, employing one of the catchiest choruses
of the year and an extremely listenable solo. The biggest downfall of that song in
particular also points to the overarching problem in general; Max Cavalera's involvement
drags the album down considerably. His vocals are laughable and pale in comparison to the
contribution made by Troy Sanders and Greg Puciato. However, the best performance on this
album goes to drummer Dave Elitch, who provides fast-paced and enjoyable fills. There simply
aren't any highlights on Killer Be Killed; it is essentially an album filled with
great moments that aren't fleshed out in any way. It's good for a few listens here and
there, but mostly this album is a wasted opportunity from a talented group of musicians. |
bansheebeat Spiral Power | 4.0 |
Alexisonfire Crisis | 3.5 |
Alexisonfire Watch Out! | 5.0 |
Oxford Drama Oxford Drama | 3.5 |
Blue Sky Black Death and Nacho Picasso Lord of the Fly | 4.0 |
"All the drugs I abuse and I'm still not amused." This rules, probably going to be my next review. |
Kool A.D. Not O.K. | 2.5 |
Snowmine Laminate Pet Animal | 4.0 |
Crying Get Olde | 3.5 |
Best Wishes Best Wishes | 4.0 |
Prof King Gampo | 3.5 |
Athletics Who You Are Is Not Enough | 4.5 |
Helios Eingya | 4.5 |
Funeral for a Friend Casually Dressed & Deep in Conversation | 3.5 |
Funeral for a Friend Welcome Home Armageddon | 4.0 |
FFaF come through on all of the promises they made on past albums. This is their most complete to me. |
Born of Osiris The Discovery | 4.0 |
Kool A.D. WORD O.K. | 3.5 |
Straight Reads The Line The Author | 4.0 |
Modern Life Is War Witness | 5.0 |
Manners Pale Blue Light | 5.0 |
The Number Twelve Looks Like You Worse Than Alone | 4.5 |
Counterparts The Difference Between Hell and Home | 4.0 |
Duck Duck Goose Noise, Noise and More Noise | 4.0 |
There is undeniable groove present in this record for how spastic and unpredictable the song structures can be. The vocals range from impressive clean passages to ear-splitting high screams to visceral lows. The drumwork is absolutely thunderous, DDG are able to carve out their own path in this unique release. |
Miss May I Rise of the Lion | 2.0 |
Daughters Daughters | 4.0 |
lovechild In Heaven, Everything is Fine | 4.0 |
Trap Them Darker Handcraft | 4.0 |
Daughters Canada Songs | 3.5 |
Daughters Hell Songs | 4.5 |
Screams of Erida The Red Testament | 3.0 |
Thrice The Alchemy Index Vols. I & II | 4.0 |
Thrice The Alchemy Index Vols. III & IV | 4.5 |
Thrice The Artist in the Ambulance | 3.5 |
Hawkboy Hawkboy | 3.5 |
As Cities Burn's frontman Cody Bonnette makes few missteps on Hawkboy's first EP. His passionate vocals overshadow the songwriting here, but this much is sure; if you enjoyed his last band, there is alot to love here. |
mewithoutYou Brother, Sister | 4.0 |
mewithoutYou Catch For Us the Foxes | 4.5 |
As Cities Burn Son, I Loved You at Your Darkest | 3.0 |
As Cities Burn Hell or High Water | 4.0 |
As Cities Burn Come Now Sleep | 4.5 |
Emery The Question | 3.0 |
Emery We Do What We Want | 3.5 |
Emery ...In Shallow Seas We Sail | 4.5 |
Emery I'm Only A Man | 4.0 |
Isles and Glaciers The Hearts of Lonely People | 2.5 |
Jonny Craig A Dream Is A Question You Don't Know How To Answer | 3.0 |
Emarosa Relativity | 2.5 |
Dance Gavin Dance Whatever I Say Is Royal Ocean | 4.0 |
The foundation is placed for what's to come in future albums, but Whatever I Say Is Royal Ocean is still very raw. I love the melodies, and Craig's less imposing appearance on this release makes it much more palatable for me. |
The Fall of Troy In the Unlikely Event | 2.0 |
The Fall of Troy The Fall of Troy | 4.0 |
The Fall of Troy Doppelganger | 3.5 |
The Fall of Troy Manipulator | 3.5 |
Fearless Leader Half Dead | 4.0 |
Incubus (USA-CA) A Crow Left of the Murder... | 4.0 |
Incubus (USA-CA) Morning View | 4.5 |
Incubus (USA-CA) S.C.I.E.N.C.E. | 4.0 |
Incubus (USA-CA) Make Yourself | 4.0 |
Something Corporate North | 4.5 |
Jimmy Eat World Futures | 4.0 |
Jimmy Eat World Bleed American | 4.5 |
Nocturnal Witch Summoning Hell | 3.5 |
Mac Miller DELUSIONAL THOMAS | 4.5 |
I actually like this better than anything that Mac Miller has put out; the pitched-up voice
is hard to get used to, but the lyrics are surprisingly very good and the flow is more than
serviceable. The murky and off-kilter beats are some of the best that Mac has created, and
his choice of guest spots on this are impeccable. Recommended songs: "Halo", "Bill", and
"Grandpa Used To Carry a Flask" |
Mac Miller Faces | 4.0 |
Mac Miller has been progressing at an impressive level. His lyricism is getting better but
still needs some work; however, that doesn't stop Faces from being startlingly honest
at times. It's interesting to watch Mac work backwards from most hip-hop stars, in that the
shitty mainstream aspect of his music came first and he has progressively gotten weirder (in
a good way). The production and attention to detail on some of these beats are astounding,
and he sets himself up with some very impressive features spanning from Rick Ross to Vince
Staples. Obviously 24 tracks is too much of anyone for one release, but the majority
of material here is stronger than anything that has preceded it. rRecommended Tracks:
Diablo, Apparition, Rain, Angel Dust, New Faces, and Insomniak |
Second Thief Brainwashed | 3.5 |
Behemoth The Satanist | 4.0 |
Sunn O))) and Ulver Terrestrials | 4.0 |
Carnifex Die Without Hope | 3.0 |
In Hearts Wake Divination | 3.0 |
Whitechapel Our Endless War | 3.0 |
Dead And Divine What Really Happened at Lover's Lane | 3.5 |
Dead And Divine The Machines We Are | 4.0 |
Every Time I Die Gutter Phenomenon | 4.0 |
Spitalfield Remember Right Now | 3.0 |
Lower Than Atlantis Bretton | 3.5 |
Boys Night Out TrainWreck | 3.5 |
Boys Night Out Make Yourself Sick | 3.0 |
Finch What It Is to Burn | 3.0 |
Finch Say Hello to Sunshine | 4.5 |
Finch Finch | 4.0 |
Glassjaw Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Silence | 3.5 |
Glassjaw Our Color Green (The Singles) | 4.5 |
dredg Live at The Fillmore | 4.0 |
Within the Ruins Elite | 3.5 |
Whitechapel A New Era of Corruption | 3.0 |
Whitechapel Whitechapel | 3.5 |
Whereas most self-titled releases signify a band on the decline, Whitechapel show the
band at their strongest thus far. The biggest difference between this and previous albums is
the variation; each and every song has its own easily discernible identity, which is
especially a feat given the fact that they are still firmly rooted in the deathcore genre.
The over-reliance on breakdowns has been replaced by interesting leads and the emergence of
piano on a few songs, most notably on the penultimate track "Make It Bleed". The brief solo
in "Section 8" is just one more example of quite a few that point to Whitechapel
incorporating subtle influences to stand out from the pack. Unfortunately, there are also
some sophomoric lyrics that make this seem much more juvenile than the actual songwriting
would suggest. As it stands, this is a heavy dose of deathcore done correctly, with a
sprinkling of different influences and balls-out heaviness. |
Sigur Ros ( ) | 5.0 |
Skeletonwitch Serpents Unleashed | 3.5 |
Run the Jewels Run the Jewels | 4.5 |
Cannibal Corpse Butchered at Birth | 4.0 |
Cannibal Corpse Tomb of the Mutilated | 4.0 |
City and Colour Sometimes | 3.5 |
City and Colour The Hurry and the Harm | 3.0 |
City and Colour Bring Me Your Love | 3.5 |
City and Colour Little Hell | 4.5 |
Cloudkicker The Discovery | 3.5 |
Buried in Verona Faceless | 3.5 |
Noisem Agony Defined | 4.0 |
Modest Mouse No One's First, and You're Next | 3.5 |
Modest Mouse Good News for People Who Love Bad News | 3.5 |
Modest Mouse This Is a Long Drive for Someone with Nothing to Think About | 4.5 |
Modest Mouse The Lonesome Crowded West | 4.5 |
Brand New Your Favorite Weapon | 3.5 |
Brand New Deja Entendu | 3.5 |
Brand New The Devil and God Are Raging Inside Me | 3.0 |
Brand New Daisy | 3.5 |
I Exist From Darkness | 4.0 |
Comeback Kid Die Knowing | 4.0 |
The Black Dahlia Murder Unhallowed | 3.0 |
The Black Dahlia Murder Miasma | 3.0 |
The Black Dahlia Murder Ritual | 3.0 |
The Black Dahlia Murder Deflorate | 3.5 |
The Black Dahlia Murder Everblack | 4.0 |
The Black Dahlia Murder Nocturnal | 4.5 |
Funeral Fornication Pandemic Transgression | 2.0 |
Rotten Sound Species At War | 4.0 |
Goonies Never Say Die No Words To Voice Our Hopes And Fears | 3.0 |
Latterman No Matter Where We Go...! | 4.5 |
Wolves Like Us Black Soul Choir | 3.5 |
Ringworm Hammer of the Witch | 3.5 |
Trapped Under Ice Big Kiss Goodnight | 3.5 |
Closure in Moscow The Penance and the Patience | 4.0 |
Closure in Moscow First Temple | 4.5 |
Closure in Moscow have created a near-perfect album here. Catchiness is not sacrificed for technicality, and there is a strong sense of experimentation that exists in song structures that still have an appearance of conventional. The album is a dichotomy in itself of a band that is unabashedly catchy and unafraid to chase different influences at the same time. |
The Matches Decomposer | 4.0 |
Underoath Ø (Disambiguation) | 4.0 |
Modest Mouse Building Nothing Out of Something | 4.5 |
Modest Mouse The Moon & Antarctica | 5.0 |
Manchester Orchestra Live at Park Ave. | 3.5 |
Noah Gundersen Ledges | 4.0 |
This or the Apocalypse Dead Years | 3.5 |
Jeff Martin and Steven Padin The First Joke & Other Matters | 3.5 |
Jarrod Gorbel Ten Years Older | 3.5 |
Jarrod Gorbel Devil's Made A New Friend | 3.5 |
Decapitated Winds of Creation | 4.5 |
Morbid Angel Blessed Are the Sick | 5.0 |
Less Than Jake Anthem | 4.0 |
Less Than Jake Losing Streak | 3.5 |
Less Than Jake Hello Rockview | 4.0 |
Shattered Skies Reanimation | 3.0 |
Scale the Summit The Migration | 4.0 |
The Smashing Pumpkins Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness | 4.5 |
The Smashing Pumpkins Pisces Iscariot | 4.0 |
The Smashing Pumpkins Rotten Apples | 4.0 |
Burns Out Bright Distance and Darkness | 3.0 |
Bayside Killing Time | 3.5 |
Lights and Motion Reanimation | 3.5 |
Athletics Why Aren't I Home? | 4.5 |
Rancid Rancid (2000) | 4.0 |
Aborted Goremageddon: The Saw and the Carnage... | 4.0 |
Grave Endless Procession of Souls | 3.5 |
Funeral Diner The Underdark | 4.5 |
Funeral Diner The Wicked | 4.0 |
The Hotelier Home, Like NoPlace Is There | 3.5 |
It's strange; this album took a very long time to grow on me, and I really don't know why I listened to it so much when I didn't care for it initially. It's passionate and gritty, honest and revelatory. It possesses an identity amongst a gluttony of bands that don't dare to be so strikingly personal. The lyricism paints a picture that is easy to understand, and it almost seems like you're just listening to a friend recount a difficult time in his life where nothing made sense and everything was an uphill battle. Musically speaking, it is almost painfully average. The bland instrumentation and predictable songwriting is what stops this from getting a higher rating. With that being said, this is an album that will mean quite a bit to so many music lovers out there, and that cannot be taken away no matter what. I would advise anyone who is into pop punk and emo to check this one out, as it is incredibly affecting. |
Midas Fall Wilderness | 3.5 |
Stomach Earth Stomach Earth | 4.0 |
Wolverine Still | 3.5 |
The Dangerous Summer Reach for the Sun | 3.5 |
The Dangerous Summer If You Could Only Keep Me Alive | 4.0 |
The Receiving End of Sirens The Earth Sings Mi Fa Mi | 4.5 |
From A Second Story Window Not One Word Has Been Omitted | 4.0 |
The Receiving End of Sirens The Receiving End of Sirens | 3.0 |
The Receiving End of Sirens Between the Heart and the Synapse | 3.5 |
Saosin Saosin | 3.5 |
Saosin Saosin EP | 2.0 |
Saosin Translating the Name | 4.5 |
Circa Survive Juturna | 3.5 |
As Tall As Lions Into The Flood | 3.5 |
As Tall As Lions As Tall As Lions | 4.0 |
Copeland Know Nothing Stays The Same | 3.5 |
Copeland In Motion | 2.5 |
Copeland Beneath Medicine Tree | 3.0 |
Copeland Eat, Sleep, Repeat | 3.5 |
Deas Vail White Lights | 3.5 |
Deas Vail For Shepherds & Kings - EP | 3.5 |
Deas Vail succeed greatly in creating dreamy, gorgeous pop music that has more substance than most acts out there. With this EP, Deas Vail cover Christmas songs, and do it much better than the myriad out there butchering them. Wes Blaylock's angelic voice soars on this release. |
Deas Vail Collapse | 4.5 |
Collapse is beautiful; its ethereal and dream-like quality naturally draws the listener in. The beautiful falsetto of vocalist Wes Blaylock and the tasteful use of keys punctuated by the the percussive talents of Wes Saunders allows Deas Vail to stand out among the glut of indie rock bands currently in existence. The soothing beginning to "Follow Sound" sounds otherworldly with its use of synthesizers and a simple clean guitar line complementing Blaylock's best vocal performance of the album. This band is unabashedly a Christian band in its message, but the lyrics are vague enough (and good enough) to be taken in a more personal manner. "Light As Air" demonstrates the band's songwriting capability perfectly; propulsive drumming meshes perfect with catchy melodies and memorable lyrics. The skeletons of all six songs present here would end up being used for their first LP All The Houses Look The Same, but what is presented here is the perfect time capsule for Deas Vail. Indie rock does not get more authentic than this, and the passion exuded here has not been replicated in the genre since for me. Highly recommended for listeners who want to feel something. |
Deas Vail All The Houses Look The Same | 4.0 |
Deas Vail Birds & Cages | 3.0 |
Deas Vail Deas Vail | 4.0 |
Abigail Williams Legend | 3.0 |
Make Them Suffer Neverbloom | 3.5 |
Modern Baseball You’re Gonna Miss It All | 3.5 |
A Perfect Circle Thirteenth Step | 4.5 |
Arsis A Diamond for Disease | 4.0 |
Cryptopsy None So Vile | 4.5 |
Manchester Orchestra Let My Pride Be What's Left Behind EP/DVD | 3.5 |
Manchester Orchestra I'm Like a Virgin Losing a Child | 4.0 |
Manchester Orchestra Mean Everything to Nothing | 3.5 |
Bad Books Bad Books | 3.0 |
Kevin Devine Split the Country, Split the Street | 4.0 |
Kevin Devine Brother's Blood | 4.0 |
Poison the Well Tear From the Red | 3.5 |
Poison the Well The Opposite of December | 3.5 |
Poison the Well You Come Before You | 4.5 |
Fear Before Odd How People Shake | 3.5 |
A Slow Descent On Ganymede | 4.0 |
Fear Before Art Damage | 3.5 |
Fear Before The Always Open Mouth | 4.5 |
One of my favorite bands, and their best release. A tad more structured than previous releases, it blends the manic cacophony that defined past albums and combined it with a more mature sound. They experiment, but not to the point where the songwriting suffers. They utilize everything from monstrous riffs to eerie keyboards, and it works better for them than most bands attempting to do the same. Atmosphere coincides with heaviness in the spirit of a truly experimental band. Recommended Songs: "Drowning the Old Hag", "Mouth", and "...As a Result of Signals Being Crossed" |
Childish Gambino Royalty | 3.5 |
Childish Gambino Because the Internet | 4.0 |
Manners Apparitions/Escapism | 4.5 |
Dorena Nuet | 4.0 |
Clipse Til the Casket Drops | 2.5 |
Clipse Hell Hath No Fury | 4.5 |
Pusha T Fear of God II: Let Us Pray | 3.5 |
Pusha T Wrath Of Caine | 3.5 |
Pusha T My Name Is My Name | 4.0 |
Minus the Bear This is What I Know About Being Gigantic | 4.0 |
Sharks Keep Moving Pause And Clause | 4.0 |
Between the Buried and Me Alaska | 4.0 |
Between the Buried and Me The Silent Circus | 3.5 |
Our Lost Infantry The New Art History | 3.5 |
The Taste Of Blood Predator | 3.5 |
A Breath Before Surfacing Death Is Swallowed In Victory | 3.0 |
Biosphere Dropsonde | 5.0 |
Brian Eno Ambient 1: Music For Airports | 5.0 |
Arsis We Are the Nightmare | 4.0 |
Obscura Cosmogenesis | 4.0 |
Necrophagist Epitaph | 3.5 |
The Faceless Akeldama | 4.0 |
The Faceless Planetary Duality | 2.0 |
Hiroshima Will Burn To The Weight Of All Things | 3.5 |
Viraemia Viraemia | 3.0 |
Brain Drill Apocalyptic Feasting | 2.5 |
Job for a Cowboy Genesis | 2.5 |
Job for a Cowboy Ruination | 3.0 |
Job for a Cowboy Demonocracy | 3.5 |
The Knife Trade/Through the Eyes of the Dead The Annihilation of Expectation | 4.0 |
Through the Eyes of the Dead Skepsis | 3.0 |
Nostalgia is forcing me to give this an average rating; all my history with this band haha. That should tell you something. Stay far away. |
Through the Eyes of the Dead Malice | 3.0 |
The Damascus Intervention Carefully Built, Carelessly Destroyed | 3.0 |
Through the Eyes of the Dead The Scars of Ages | 4.0 |
This EP was one of my first loves in terms of extreme music, and still represents one of the
best examples of metalcore with a pinch of melodic death metal. The short length of the
release, along with interesting tempo changes and varied vocals help to keep this much more
original-sounding than many bands that have similar influences. The breakdowns don't disrupt
the songs in any noticeable way, and I find myself seeking out bands that adopt the model of
songwriting that Through the Eyes of the Dead have perfected here.rStandout Tracks: Beneath
Dying Skies, To Take Comfort (In Yesterday's Scars) |
Through the Eyes of the Dead Bloodlust | 4.0 |
Lower Definition The Greatest of All Lost Arts | 3.0 |
Emarosa Emarosa | 3.5 |
Dance Gavin Dance Happiness | 3.5 |
Dance Gavin Dance Dance Gavin Dance | 3.0 |
Dance Gavin Dance Downtown Battle Mountain | 3.5 |
A Lot Like Birds Conversation Piece | 4.5 |
Windmills By the Ocean Windmills By the Ocean | 4.0 |
Russian Circles Geneva | 3.5 |
Aesop Rock Fast Cars, Danger, Fire and Knives | 4.0 |
Aesop Rock Skelethon | 4.0 |
Aesop Rock None Shall Pass | 4.5 |
Big K.R.I.T. ReturnOf4eva | 4.0 |
Domo Genesis Under The Influence | 3.0 |
Mike G The Award Tour EP | 3.5 |
MellowHype Numbers | 3.0 |
MellowHype BLACKENEDWHITE | 3.5 |
Hodgy Untitled 2 | 2.5 |
Tyler, the Creator Goblin | 3.0 |
Tyler, the Creator Wolf | 2.5 |
Earl Sweatshirt Doris | 4.5 |
Vince Staples Stolen Youth | 4.0 |
Kendrick Lamar good kid, m.A.A.d city | 2.0 |
dredg El Cielo | 4.0 |
dredg Catch Without Arms | 4.5 |
dredg The Pariah, The Parrot, The Delusion | 3.5 |
dredg Chuckles and Mr. Squeezy | 1.5 |
Noah Gundersen Saints & Liars | 4.0 |
Noah Gundersen Brand New World | 3.5 |
Noah Gundersen Family | 4.0 |
Burial Rival Dealer | 4.0 |
Pelican The Fire in Our Throats Will Beckon... | 4.0 |
Hands (US-ND) Give Me Rest | 3.5 |
Trenches The Tide Will Swallow Us Whole | 4.0 |
Deafheaven Sunbather | 4.5 |
Danny Brown XXX | 4.0 |
ASAP Mob Lord$ Never Worry | 3.5 |
Metallica Ride the Lightning | 3.5 |
Metallica Kill 'Em All | 3.5 |
Death Leprosy | 5.0 |
Autopsy The Headless Ritual | 3.5 |
Autopsy Mental Funeral | 4.0 |
Obliteration Nekropsalms | 4.0 |
Obliteration Black Death Horizon | 4.0 |
The Weeknd Trilogy | 4.0 |
Frank Ocean channel ORANGE | 4.5 |
Frank Ocean created something that transcended my disdain for the genre, which I didn't think possible. The variety in beats, guest appearances, and tone will appeal to most listeners. There are a few missteps here, as some songs are brilliant but awkwardly placed, with a few songs that should not have made the cut. This is dangerously close to an absolute masterpiece, and for the time that Ocean has been in the game, it has become obvious from this release that he will be a staple for critics and mainstream listeners alike. |
Grieves Together/Apart | 3.5 |
Atmosphere Sad Clown Bad Summer 9 | 3.5 |
Atmosphere Sad Clown Bad Spring 12 | 4.0 |
Atmosphere Seven's Travels | 4.0 |
Atmosphere You Can't Imagine How Much Fun... | 3.5 |
Atmosphere The Family Sign | 3.0 |
Some good songs, but overall it doesn't really grab my attention. Atmosphere have strayed far from their comfort zone, and it seems to detract more than reward. Slug's lyrics and perspective on things keeps it interesting for me, as he is still a masterful storyteller. |
Atmosphere God Loves Ugly | 4.5 |
Sage Francis The Known Unsoldier "Sick Of Waging War..." | 4.0 |
Sage Francis Personal Journals | 4.0 |
Sage Francis A Healthy Distrust | 3.5 |
Sage Francis Human The Death Dance | 3.0 |
Sage Francis Li(f)e | 2.5 |
His worst in my opinion, but still relatively good. A few stellar songs. |
Followed By Ghosts Dear Monsters, Be Patient | 3.5 |
Followed By Ghosts The Entire City Was Silent | 4.0 |
Joy Wants Eternity You Who Pretend to Sleep | 4.5 |
Gifts From Enola From Fathoms | 3.5 |
Gifts From Enola Loyal Eyes Betrayed The Mind | 4.0 |
Explosions in the Sky All of a Sudden, I Miss Everyone | 4.0 |
Explosions in the Sky Those Who Tell the Truth Shall Die... | 4.0 |
Explosions in the Sky The Earth Is Not a Cold Dead Place | 3.5 |
Explosions in the Sky How Strange, Innocence | 3.0 |
...Of Sinking Ships ...Of Sinking Ships | 4.0 |
Flatbush Zombies D.R.U.G.S. | 3.5 |
Flatbush Zombies BetterOffDEAD | 4.0 |
The Dear Hunter Act III: Life and Death | 3.5 |
The Dear Hunter Act II: The Meaning of, & All Things Regarding Ms. Leading | 4.5 |
Coheed and Cambria Kerrang! / XFM UK Acoustic Sessions | 3.0 |
Coheed and Cambria The Second Stage Turbine Blade | 4.0 |
Coheed and Cambria Year of the Black Rainbow | 3.0 |
Coheed and Cambria No World for Tomorrow | 3.5 |
Coheed and Cambria In Keeping Secrets of Silent Earth: 3 | 4.5 |
Coheed and Cambria From Fear Through the Eyes of Madness | 4.0 |
Team Sleep Team Sleep | 4.5 |
Crosses Crosses | 3.0 |
Deftones Saturday Night Wrist | 5.0 |
Devics If You Forget Me... | 4.0 |
Dustin O'Halloran Piano Solos Vol. 2 | 5.0 |
Piano Solos Vol. 2 is my perfect album. O'Halloran provides the perfect amount of melancholy with his compositions, subtly hinting at it in some tracks and absolutely drowning in it on others. It's understated and beautiful, but best of all, it takes me to a place that is completely separate from all of the chaos around me. I could never be even somewhat objective about this album, but I hope that more people give it the light of day it most certainly deserves. |
A Winged Victory for the Sullen A Winged Victory for the Sullen | 5.0 |
Stars of the Lid The Tired Sounds of Stars of the Lid | 4.5 |
Stars of the Lid And Their Refinement Of The Decline | 5.0 |
Eluvium Lambent Material | 5.0 |
Matthew Robert Cooper Miniatures | 4.5 |
Eluvium When I Live by the Garden and the Sea | 4.5 |
Eluvium An Accidental Memory in the Case of Death | 4.0 |
Eluvium Similes | 3.5 |
Eluvium Talk Amongst the Trees | 4.5 |
Eluvium Copia | 5.0 |
Dream Theater Metropolis Pt. 2: Scenes from a Memory | 3.5 |
Dream Theater Train of Thought | 4.0 |
My Dying Bride The Dreadful Hours | 5.0 |