The most insane release in a while - a completely disorienting blend of industrial and black metal which feels like an utter descent into madness. There's a lo-fi blend of guitar, intense bass, mechanical drums and guttural vocals which twists and turns with seemingly no reason, making the entire project feel hallucinatory in its structure. So many creative ideas that it feels like a fever dream. The album cover is an extremely powerful image, really caught my eye.

PLEASE LISTEN TO THIS MAN ... read more

The guitar tones in this album are harsh in a way that is difficult on the ears, and there is no emotional connection between the vocalist and the listener (mostly because the lyrics don't clue us into much, and aren't particularly powerful in any case). The vocal delivery is well done and the electronics are competently produced, but it never really immerses me - the most interested I am at any point is thinking "that melody is kinda good". There is potential but it seems far from ... read more

Uses the format of noise rock to create an overpowering universal force, a cosmic entity with endless layers of texture - infinite small elements to look out for in every moment. There is always something new to be discovered. The Ascension truly established the format of post-rock in a way that will continually influence countless generations of musicians.

Artsy, jazz influenced ambient guitar work. A strong vibe all the way through, with excellent playing and fascinating musical choices. Utterly tranquil, completely unconcerned by societal worries.

Sometimes if youtube recommends you a song, you should listen to it. That song for me was 'Lions', which instantly pulled me in to this album's grimy atmosphere. Only a few moments reach the heights of that track, but the entire project maintains high quality riffs and vocal performances, and rarely loses steam. RIYL Converge's sludgier moments.

We are perpetually at the end of time, never ceasing to be. Nothing seems to know or care. We are in purgatory with no way in or out, no key to the lock, no driver at the wheel. All that is left to do is fall in. We mechanically sink and cascade further and further, endlessly down and down and down, at the mercy of a cold nothingness. Is this the end, or just the beginning?

This might be their heaviest song yet, it's concerning how brutal and hopeless this is - like are they okay?? I expect this to be one of the band's most polarizing releases to date, but I think it's brilliantly executed. It keeps me disturbed and on edge for its entire duration. I'm seriously intrigued as to how their next album will shape up, and how this song will fit into it. If it's as good as this, we're about to dodge the sophomore slump spectacularly.

In the realm of progressive metal I'm always slightly skeptical, mostly because the theatre of it all often detracts from the serious, heavy image metal bands will try to create for themselves. While some bands will vainly use progressive metal to make their image more impressive, Horrendous uses progressive conventions as a more elegant vessel for their vicious death metal sound. The result is an extremely immersive experience that is far from being ostentatious. Although the highlights are ... read more

The breakthrough album from this underground experimental group is the hot topic taking over the internet right now. I know it, you know it, everyone is talking about it. But is it worthy of the hype? I'd argue yes, although some may disagree.

The greatest supporters of Luigi From Behind have praised its risk taking, its boundary pushing ideas and the way it challenges the way we view art as a whole. I mean seriously, for all the debate this LP has conjured, has anyone truly come to a ... read more

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This isn't a bad album by any means, but it basically has no identity of its own. It's a messy combination of their acoustic rock, sludge metal and grunge sounds, which although well-paced feels like it has no cohesion whatsoever. It just leaves me asking what the point of the entire 67 minutes was, even from a contextual standpoint. There's basically no cohesion between any of the songs topically, and many songs are frustratingly vague in their lyrics. As well as this, every song drags on by ... read more

It took me a while to fully connect with this album, but once I did I was all in and never looked back. The Turning Wheel feels like its own world that becomes more vivid and enchanting with every listen - the melodies are amazing and give every track its own special essence, and the pacing between the enchanting tracks and darker tracks is perfectly executed. Never has an album left me completely entranced by the beauty of its world, and by the magic of its host. Tia is amazingly expressive ... read more

I wouldn't say that this album quite manages to feel entirely cosmic, but it certainly gets a lot closer to that mark than The Piper at the Gates of Dawn does. There are a couple less solid moments for sure, but the highlights feel blissfully extraterrestrial. The title track is a disconcerting view into the world of LSD from a less than romanticised perspective, and despite its lyrics being utter nonsense, See-Saw manages to soar beautifully. Jugband Blues is a fantastic, self-aware sendoff ... read more

Black Thought is the most consistent rapper of all time at this point, so a collaboration album with a backing band as respected as El Michels Affair could have only gone well. Thought is on point as always and the production is chill and easy to listen to. I only wish anything stood out on here at all, other than how annoying the chorus of the title track is. KIRBY needs to shut the fuck up. Why did they even do the stupid reprise???

If you enjoyed Cheat Codes then I'd recommend this as it's ... read more

It Was Written is kinda disappointing even if it's still really solid, it just completely pales in comparison to Illmatic. Not that anyone should have expected anything as good as that album for a follow-up, but the direction taken here makes it a worse album than it would be otherwise.

I simply do not buy Nas doing the whole "Nas Escobar" thing at all. I want the good kid mad city Nas, not the Puff Daddy Nas! Anyway, the rapping is really solid as expected, even if the lyricism ... read more

This album feels like being lured in and devoured by an inconceivable cosmic being (see: Red Velvet Corridor), and as you are being consumed it allows you to experience life in its entirety one last time, before you are inevitably eradicated from the universe (see: Surrogate Drone). Not just the memories which you immediately remember, but every single emotion and experience within the deepest crevasses of your psyche. This indeterminate celestial god has extracted everything your brain holds, ... read more

Nonagon Infinity is a genuine contender for being the most fun album ever made. Throughout its runtime it never loses steam at all, and never stops feeling of a bunch o' boys getting together and making some sick ass rock music. It's not music that makes you think, it's music that gets your heartrate going, gets your blood pumping, and never leaves you tired; which is pretty much why this album concept works so well. If any other artist tried this, it would likely feel somewhat forced. After ... read more

I'm obviously not gonna pretend like this is a huge step up from the sound of SOUR, but it's a really solid continuation. The production sounds excellent, I love the way the track develops itself. The writing could definitely be improved but it's interesting to see her discussing how this person used the success of SOUR to develop his own career. I hope the album has some more topical variety though. Looking forward to it in any case.

This is the Friday Night Funkin' soundtrack for people who fuck. This album is literal ear candy, the musical embodiment of ADHD. It's sporadic as hell, but somehow structured meticulously. At times it borders on Digital Hardcore, but without the brutality and with far more playfulness in its place. Really interesting electronica.

For a long while I’ve tried to grapple with my thoughts on this album. What makes this album so far and away the best Death Grips project, even blowing Bottomless Pit (which is in all expressible terms a perfect album) completely out of the water? And honestly, the ultimate answer is surprisingly simple - it doesn’t feel like a Death Grips album.

Which may seem confusing, but hear me out. For every other project the group has ever made, I hear it in terms of where the band was at ... read more