TDP thrive in chaos, but on their debut it comes across as grating more often than frenetically enjoyable

Sharper than the prior Leatherette for sure. The cover has you expecting some hyper-sleek sophisti-pop as opposed to ‘funk from Venus’- unexpected for me, but perhaps that’s a failure of my own expectations

Grace Jones’ impact on fashion and even culture *cannot* be overstated- that should be said up front. A hodgepodge of styles here make for a record with plenty of highs, but also moments I found surprisingly disjointed. Still an earned classic just one I expected to enjoy a bit more than I did in lieu of Jones’ genuinely legendary status as a cultural cornerstone

The moment Metallica strips things back to the *basics*- it should be a total disaster, yet it results in what feels almost like the emblematic Metallica moment. Not best- but perhaps the record where Metallica truly entered a level of stardom no metal band before (certainly since) has reached in the public consciousness, far beyond the realms of metal forums and music nerd spheres

It speaks to the sheer integrity and firepower of these cuts that And Justice For All stands as an essential Thrash classic despite Lars Ulrich making every attempt to utterly torpedo the mixing here (including pulling a Doors and having.. no bass!). The mixing issues are apparent to those within this context (and even without for sharper ears), yet so many all-time classic Metallica moments are here, the obvious One, Frayed Ends of Sanity, a personal favorite in Shortest Straw… it ... read more

On one hand, AdP exposing so many experimental and off-kilter rock sub-genres to a broader audience is seriously impressive and an objectively important part of ‘keeping rock music alive’ as it’s been chanted the last twenty-five odd years or so.

On the other hand, the actual grooves here grow painfully stale amidst the grandstanding nearly immediately for me. Neat aesthetic and I appreciate this group no doubt- just not my lane

Up front, it’s abundantly clear Picton and co approached this project with an overwhelming spring of passion and care, and it really is evident throughout the record. Even with the production being as impressive as it is at many points, I’d say this palpable passion is the beating heart of the record.

That said, there’s many points where this record dips into tried and true ‘Windmillisms’ that I’ve grown utterly tired of at this point. Many times the ... read more

Though I’m of the opinion Ride The Lightning is Metallica’s opus (by a *thin* margin), it’s easy to see why Master of Puppets is many’s pick for their best- the performances are absolutely top notch across the board. In many ways, the purest Thrash record ever released

In comparison to their other 80s efforts, Kill 'Em All certainly sounds a lot more cobbled together, though this scrappiness serves to give the record its own identity in a sense. The Four Horseman + Seek & Destroy show early Thrash-mastery from Metallica, but there's a lot of great shredding & riffage to be found here if you can sift through the slightly odd mixing

Sheer bliss. Nujabes + social media have given The Lamp Is Low its flowers many times over (for good reason), but there's not a moment here that isn't spent crafting a sheerly striking serenade. Potently relaxing and a tentpole of Lounge + Latin Jazz

Does a pretty good job of really feeling like a mix of Clanton’s spacey, hyper-chill sheen and TV Girl’s rhythmic sample-looping. Of course, the trade off is neither are working at full-mast

The best crop of TV Girl record since French Exit, which speaks to the firepower they operated with starting out

Continues the trend of every (non-collab, core LP) TV Girl release being worse than the last, though in truth there isn’t too steep of a decline from Who Really Cares. If you dig their first two records, you’ll inevitably enjoy this for the same reasons, even if the production this time around is noticeably weaker

Much of French Exit’s charm finds its way to Who Really Cares, the sample work this time taking a decidedly hip-hop centric approach. It grows tiresome by the end in a way that French Exit did only in short spurts, but I’d say I’ve warmed up to this one a good deal, mainly on account of the production just being so snappy

Even amidst monotonous vocals and lyrics that range from cheesy to outright problematic at points, TV Girl’s debut rides a sound of futurist-nostalgia so strongly it’s undeniable. Lovers Rock sticks with you permanently upon hearing it, but a lot of the tracks here are impeccably produced. Something of an anomaly

No sophomore slump for Vektor. Shifting things thematically toward the cosmic as opposed to the apocalyptic suits the band’s inherent grandiosity perfectly. Tetrastructural Minds, and I acknowledge the scale of this statement, likely the best Thrash track of at least the last fifteen years- truly a definitive anthem for Vektor

What should be considered one of the most impressive & essential thrash debuts of the century thus far. Vektor's no-holds barred approach to tech-thrash requires no incubation period, with Black Future sounding like the colliding of several planets at once. There's near-nothing in the way of 'lows' here- wall to wall, phenomenal performances, and it's still not Vektor’s best

Doesn't have as many 'wow' moments as Phaedra, aiming for a more cohesive textural experience above all else. It's a natural glove for Tangerine Dream to wear, even if it ever so slightly compromises their sound

Opens with one of the unabashed monoliths of 70s Electronic, nothing short of a portal to a future that’s distant even to us now. The other pieces here carry a similarly resonant and reverent despondence to them- it’s all layers of bitter ice, a million times over

Laser-focused, and sharp, to the point. If it weren’t for The Woods, The Hot Rock would be an easy candidate for SK’s best project