Before I begin the review, I just wanna say how corny this site is when it comes to Drake. It’s kind of an issue in all music communities, but I’m here, so I’ll say this about the site. As soon as Drake drops an album, no one here is able to think for themselves. It’s become a hivemind of people trying to one-up each other with Drake quips and none of them are funny. Drake has a good amount of shit albums, so I would not say I am a glazer, but this is not a 28/100. ... read more
One of the rare cases where an album sounds superb but is brought down by the actual material. The production here is fantastic. I am absolutely not sold by any of the singing nor am I sold by much of the instrumentation here. Even for a very short runtime, both long songs felt like filler. I don’t really understand the rave reviews for this thing. I’m not saying he doesn’t have potential (clearly all the black midi guys do), I just don’t know if it’s in chamber ... read more
This is a great example where generally good and even some great songs don’t make a good album experience. I’m not trying to be contrarian because this is a universally loved debut, but this really lacks the charm of his later work. It just seems constantly miserable to the point it also seems the same. Granted, the first song was pretty amazing. All-in-all, this is a pretty one note album, though you can clearly see the potential laid out here.
Dream Theater hater listens to Dream Theater discography 17/?
(WDDU: 38, IaW: 67, Awake: 71, ACoS: 54, FiF: 30, Metro: 67, SDoIT: 65, ToT: 77, Octavarium: 39, SC: 61, BCaSL: 19, ADToE: 25, DT: 53, Astonishing: 8, DOT: 67, AVftTotW: 19):
This is it. After listening to sixteen albums of this band, this was the last one on the list. And, fittingly, it is the only one I had never heard. I listened to everything up to Distance Over Time when I was a fan of this band, and I had listened to A View ... read more
Dream Theater hater listens to Dream Theater discography 16/?
(WDDU: 38, IaW: 67, Awake: 71, ACoS: 54, FiF: 30, Metro: 67, SDoIT: 65, ToT: 77, Octavarium: 39, SC: 61, BCaSL: 19, ADToE: 25, DT: 53, Astonishing: 8, DOT: 67)
I had already rated this album on this website. I originally gave it a 19. I think it was kinda obvious I was over the band by the point this album came out. It was in between Distance Over Time and this that I stopped caring.
“The Alien” is extremely ... read more
Dream Theater hater listens to Dream Theater discography 15/?
(WDDU: 38, IaW: 67, Awake: 71, ACoS: 54, FiF: 30, Metro: 67, SDoIT: 65, ToT: 77, Octavarium: 39, SC: 61, BCaSL: 19, ADToE: 25, DT: 53, Astonishing: 8)
The band had hit rock bottom when they released The Astonishing. It was not only me who hated it. It is one of the lowest rated albums of 2016 on this site. Even the most hardcore Dream Theater fans don’t talk about it. But you know what they say when you’re at rock ... read more
Dream Theater hater listens to Dream Theater discography 14/?
(WDDU: 38, IaW: 67, Awake: 71, ACoS: 54, FiF: 30, Metro: 67, SDoIT: 65, ToT: 77, Octavarium: 39, SC: 61, BCaSL: 19, ADToE: 25, DT: 53)
So, I was actually wrong about one thing. I thought I had always detested this album. Even when I was a fan of this band, I was sure I didn’t like it. But apparently I did, going back to an old review. And wow, has that changed. I think I was always more so enamored by this album. By all means, ... read more
Dream Theater hater listens to Dream Theater discography 13/?
(WDDU: 38, IaW: 67, Awake: 71, ACoS: 54, FiF: 30, Metro: 67, SDoIT: 65, ToT: 77, Octavarium: 39, SC: 61, BCaSL: 19, ADToE: 25)
It’s usually agreed that Mike Portnoy leaving the band was the end of this band’s run of “quality work”, but I think that’s somehow an understatement. Obviously, I did not like Black Clouds & Silver Linings, but the band certainly did not seem to get back on the right ... read more
Dream Theater hater listens to Dream Theater discography 12/?
(WDDU: 38, IaW: 67, Awake: 71, ACoS: 54, FiF: 30, Metro: 67, SDoIT: 65, ToT: 77, Octavarium: 39, SC: 61, BCaSL: 19)
This was probably my most disliked Dream Theater album when I was a fan of this band. The Astonishing is obviously way worse in quality, but that has a so-bad-it’s-good quality. This was just painful.
“On the Backs of Angels” was not good, but surprisingly not awful. There are good and bad. First ... read more
Bob Dylan 20/?
I was extremely scared going into this album, but honestly, I kind of liked it. Bob Dylan had such a bad energy on Slow Train Coming. He felt so righteous, nationalistic, and just not like himself at all. But here, he just seems happy. And honestly, I like that he can show off his religion in such a way. I'm obviously just describing gospel music, but Bob Dylan is not a gospel artist, so I'm more so just talking about him in comparison to his previous works. ... read more
Bob Dylan 19/?
Nononono. I did not like this at all. I own this album on vinyl and have had that particular vinyl for a few years now, so there's some sentimental value from me, but I probably just put it on in the background like once or twice. Actually sitting down to actively listen to it, this is SUCH a weird album. Unfortunately, it's not weird in some kind of experimental way, but weird in a gross way. Here, Bob Dylan seems to rile against the "Godless" culture, and ... read more
I think this mixtape is maybe a little overrated? Per this website's ratings, this is J Cole's best project, but I just don't know if I can agree. I think J Cole's sampling has always been kind of weird, with him sometimes tending to over-rely on these samples to make the song. While I think this works for "Too Deep for the Intro", I just find it personally grating as the track list goes down. There is of course nothing wrong with sampling, just to reiterate, it is ... read more
Bob Dylan 18/?
This might be one of Dylan's most mediocre albums yet. This is extremely overproduced, and even though the production sounds technically good, it just makes it goofy, to be honest. The first song was amazing but it seemed that's where almost all of the effort went. There wasn't a bad song on here, but there were really barely any great ones outside the aforementioned first one. Glancing at his discography, it's pretty disheartening the fall off in quality ... read more
Bob Dylan 17/?
Bob Dylan makes one thing clear with the intro track, and that is that he is back. He sounds angry and righteous. I think a lot of this album he really does sound like his older self. It's a lot more of a reflective work than his previous album, which was a jam band release. Asides from that though, the layering Bob and producer Don DeVito do on this record, with instruments such as the violin, is fantastic. This really seems like Dylan at his most mature. It never quite ... read more
This mixtape lost so much steam by the end it's not even funny. But overall, a very solid sophomore project. In almost all aspects besides maybe peaks, it is better than The Come Up. The production is better, J Cole has a better performance here, and the lows are less low. I just wish the second half was more refined, and some tracks were either cut or tooled more.
The lows on this thing, which make up most of this mixtape, are not very low. There's a lot of tracks that have succumb to age, so they just sound like boring and uninspired hip hop songs from the earlier internet era. But the highs here are extremely good. "Dolla and a Dream", "Throw It Up", "The Come Up", "Lil Ghetto..." are all phenomenal. I think this thing is too aged to be considered a truly good mixtape, but as a debut, it is solid.
Dream Theater hater listens to Dream Theater discography 11/?
(WDDU: 38, IaW: 67, Awake: 71, ACoS: 54, FiF: 30, Metro: 67, SDoIT: 65, ToT: 77, Octavarium: 39, SC: 61)
And here is where, for me, the downfall started. I’ve already written about it to death, but this was where I stopped liking the albums when I was a fan. While Dream Theater was always melodramatic and corny, this is when their self awareness flew completely out of the window.
“A Nightmare To Remember” I feel ... read more
Dream Theater hater listens to Dream Theater discography 10/?
(WDDU: 38, IaW: 67, Awake: 71, ACoS: 54, FiF: 30, Metro: 67, SDoIT: 65, ToT: 77, Octavarium: 39)
If you ask most people, this is where they usually say Dream Theater “fell off”. The exact reason, I’m not so sure. I always had a soft spot for this album. It has some really solid songs.
“In the Presence of Enemies, Pt. 1” has a phenomenal first half. That was hard. I think LaBrie still sounds pretty ... read more
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Recent Review Comments
On Bonny2saucy's review of PARTYNEXTDOOR - $ome $exy $ongs 4 U
"Greedy is a really good song tho check that one out"
On maryfreegirl's review of Arcturus - Aspera Hiems Symfonia
"Honestly, fair. It should be a must hear."
On Led Zeppelin - Led Zeppelin
"in this era. Not specifically blues rock bands like Led Zeppelin, but more folk/progressive classic bands of the era.
4. The Led Zeppelin III review was extremely harsh but that’s always been an album I hated. Even when I was young. It was just always so bizarre.
5. So in conclusion, a lot of the contradictions and moments of over-hating in this review were really just a consequence of me being younger and being new to this site. I am able to articulate my opinion way better now. But I am very thankful and flattered that you would revisit each one of my reviews now. I don’t think I could I feel like it would be pretty embarrassing lol. [done]"
On Led Zeppelin - Led Zeppelin
"3. So you aren’t aware of my series. And that’s fine. I’m not a celebrity lol. This was the first “hate listen” I did on this site. I did “hate listens” for Led Zeppelin, R.E.M, AC/DC, and am now doing one for Dream Theater. My goals with all of these series was to hopefully get over my hatred of these bands. R.E.M. i exited actually liking. AC/DC i exited still disliking but realizing that not ALL of their stuff is bad. I’m not done with Dream Theater, but they had good earlier albums, and were a better band when they were more atmospheric, sparring, and less corny. As Led Zeppelin was the first series, and also I was just younger, I was a lot more uncharitable. But my intention was always to have them grow on me. I love plenty of bands 3/"
On Led Zeppelin - Led Zeppelin
"other white artists took that as inspiration. i still stand by what i said even if i haven’t listened to it in a while. when led zeppelin took more soul/reggae sounds, it often flat out didn’t work. also, not to play this card, but like, i am polish. i’m not saying i can’t have opinions prejudiced against whites, but questioning a band which already has a controversial modern reputation for taking from black art, i don’t think is really that. they just try to do sounds that black artist do but don’t have the soul to do so really. just feels like a mcdonald’s burger versus a burger from a local bbq diner in the deep south. big difference. 2/?"
On Led Zeppelin - Led Zeppelin
"@LemmyDjonsson
alright so a lot to un pack here.
1. kashmir is the band’s most overrated, not whole lotta love. i’ll cover why there’s that confusion. more in 5
2. regarding d’yer mak’er, my point still kind of stands. i’m not saying white people can’t make reggae, but reggae is an art form that comes from black areas. it comes from jamaica and the caribbean. led zeppelin made this in the early 1970s, before the internet was a thing. because of this, i was kinda worried how they treated the reggae sound. because it’s a lot easier to be aware of the history and to listen to smaller jamaican and jamaican diaspora artists nowadays, but at the time, let’s face it, a lot of white artists took black art, succeeded commercially, and then 1/?"
On Led Zeppelin - Led Zeppelin
"@LemmyDjonsson lol i agree. this was also a few years back. i feel like i still hold the same view but i could phrase it a lot more eloquently today. cool you like it tho!!"
On Svg's review of Dream Theater - Octavarium
"@Svg that’s okay lol. what made you come around to the album"
On Bill Evans - Everybody Digs Bill Evans
"@dandelionpillow that is a fantastic point. thank you"
On DoubleZ's review of Chicago - Chicago Transit Authority
"the lebron james of this website was gone just like that💔"
On R.E.M. - New Adventures in Hi-Fi
"@BikerSK it’s okay lol. sorry my comment was kinda harsh too. i just get that complaint a lot and always get annoyed because people omit context but maybe i should just provide more context so soon i’ll probably add a disclaimer to all those reviews. i do like monster a lot! again, i came out of this series kind of liking r.e.m. even tho they have some stinkers."
On R.E.M. - New Adventures in Hi-Fi
"@BikerSK such a weird comment lol. you have no clue what you’re talking about so i’m not that shocked. i have a series on aoty where i “hate listen” to discographies, but it’s all done with the concept of an open mind. the first band i listened to was led zeppelin, who i came out still not liking. the second band was r.e.m, who ironically i actually ended up liking. one of my favorite songs of all time is airportman, which is on one of their weirder later albums. the third band was ac/dc who i also ended not liking. this is NOT to just pile on music, but instead a brutally honest effort to evaluate why i might not like the band. so if you don’t know what you’re talking about don’t comment. i’m not gonna tolerate your drivel."
On AC/DC - Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap
"@BennyBob autocorrect i think 😭😭😭"
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