Endlessly charming and full of life. Beautiful, expertly made, electronic music. Use of panning is creative, vocal production is unique and engaging. Feels personal and organic. I feel like there were some high-leverage moments in these tracks that I wished hit a bit harder, but overall I really like this and am so happy it exists

Despite this album being the band's mainstream breakout, it feels like a step down from the first two albums in about every way imaginable.

The mix is worse, the lyrics are worse, the instrumentals are less interesting. The trap beats suck. Do not less this British guy rap.

However there are good songs here. The Summoning is good, and that change up at the end is now iconic. Acensionism (as well as the title track) is good besides the rapping. Euclid works really well, and the callback ... read more

Sleep Token feels like a band that's run out of tricks.

The audaciousness of the genre combinations is no longer bold or surprising, but now comes across as a bit trite and predictable. I really fell like this band has lost some of it's songwriting quality over the last 2 albums. They've never made cover-to-cover great albums for me, but there did seem to used to be some genuine mystery, depth and subtlety, on their first 2 albums especially (Even in Arcadia certainly contains ... read more

1000 Needles brings some more refined production compared to their debut, and it's clear the duo have learned some new tricks between their first and second albums. While I think this album is good and enjoyable to listen to, It still lacks the hard-hitting heights I wish it got to. I also miss the vocals actually done by Misha and Jake from the first album, which are all but gone on this record. Overall, Four Seconds Ago have clearly gotten better at their craft, but it hasn't ... read more

Very good album. It doesn't blow your mind or reinvent the wheel (obligatory Deftones mention), but few bands have a better knack for groove and consistent catchiness than Thornhill. It is less expansive than their first two albums, but also more refined and focused. The killer/filler ratio is high. It's a great piece of music, but I honestly hope Thornhill's next record gets a little more experimental.

This is legit heat. Masterful, creative production that flows for the full length of the album. Some truly jaw-dropping moments on this one. Feels like a full maturation and realization of the Skrillex sound.
The radio show bit works well and is entertaining, though I kinda wish there was a version without it lol)

This is by no means prime ADTR. It's a better version of Your Welcome. Some tracks are pretty damn good, and others are very much not. Lyrics are simple, and this album is mostly dumb fun with some more heartfelt/genuine moments. This album is most-certainly "overproduced" but it's felt differently on different tracks.

Track by track:

Make it Make Sense: (8/10) Numetal-ish banger with a great chorus. It works shockingly well
Feedback: (5/10) I don't hate this track ... read more

While they're never a band that's been overwhelmingly great to me, this feels like Spiritbox at their best. The best songwriting and production so far. Chugs with atmosphere, a well-mixed wall of sound that washes through you. The riffs are not quite consistently inventive or engaging enough for my taste, but they serve the songs well. I wish it felt like there were a few more chances taken, but it's quite good at being what it is: being a cohesive work of alt-djentcore that will ... read more

This album is pretty damn good at what it does. It's pretty standard modern djentcore, with industrial/breakcore/trap metal touches, screamed verses and clean choruses. These songs are great when seen live. But I do feel like it can be a little basic, and the chorus/songwriting isn't quite good enough to push it over the top to being a truly great album. Very enjoyable but unspectacular

This kinda rocks. It's not perfect, but it's inventive, balls-to-the-wall genre-fusion of metalcore, hyperpop and electronic. I think the experiments largely work. It is "Over-produced", but that's the point. Lyrical content balances a sci-fi story concept, cutting personal emotions, and a bit of sarcasm, in an overall entertaining tone. Unlike many "metal" bands, I think BMTH totally pulls off the most pop-oriented tracks on this record.

There are some songs that are pretty damn good mainstream metalcore. But none that are really amazing. And if you're gonna predictable, you gotta be great. "Evil Eyes" and "Braindead" are the two best tracks on this album, and they're the ones which stray the most from this formula. "Elegy" is a good intro with some real dynamism.
Elephant in the room, this kinda just seems like a Jordan Fish album with Sam Carter singing. Which is cool, but I've ... read more

This album should be something I love but it just doesn't quite work for me. The production feels overly compressed while somehow not feeling impactful. The breakdowns barely feel like breakdowns because everything is loud in all frequencies all the time. Beyond the overstuffed production, I also wish this album took some more variation with the riffs and forms it played with. I do think that overall, it's a pretty good modern deathcore album, and I appreciate the ambition of making ... read more

Slimy, gross, harsh, and angsty. This is the ultimate dog-days-of-summer nu-metal banger

While not quite as impressive as its immediate predecessor Diamond Eyes, Koi No Yokan continues Deftones second-act resurgence in a very strong fashion. Some more truly great songwriting

Faves:
Rosemary
Entombed
Leathers

Least faves:
Goon squad
Gauze

Considering this album is over 15 years into Deftones career, the palpable energy and inspiration is pretty remarkable. Deftones expand on both their knack for chunky and jagged odd-time grooves, as well as their ability to make vibrant shoegaze-y expanses.

Faves:
You've seen the butcher
Sextape

Least fave:
This place is death

Haunting and disturbing stories, presented with a perfect blend of blind vicious rage and eerie tenderness. A combination of accessibility and experimentation that creates a dynamic arc throughout the album

Irredeemable, exploitative, and offensively awful. Lazy trash

Not much of this lands as hard as it should. Some beautiful harmonies, as one would expect, but honestly the production is largely subpar. Does a bunch of different genres in a way that usually comes across as shallow. Disney soundtrack vibes. Some tracks are almost great, but never really stick the landing

This album is very, very good. Periphery crafts a sophomore effort that is adventurous, bold, and fun, one that feels bursting with creativity and life. A melodic/lyrical motif that is used in the beginning, middle, and ending tracks creates an engaging through-line for a long album. While there are some less standout songs, it still feels difficult to actually "cut" anything from this album.

Faves:
Luck as a Constant
Ragnarok
Masamune

Least Faves (all relative lol):
Facepalm ... read more

Incredibly dark, yet beautiful atmosphere. This album is a grim piece of cinematic storytelling that pulls you in a dreamworld of decay and despair, yet there is some piece of hope within it that creates an emotional through-line that pulls the listener through the whole experience