Easily one of the most conceptually impressive and thematically (not to mention sonically) layered Death Metal records ever made. Absolute Elsewhere is intermittently *poundingly* intense, with machine-gun drums and growling vocals as you'd expect, and also gorgeously vast and open. The Space Rock and electronic/ambient elements help make this a record that feels like a Death Metal record for certain, but also an experience that goes far beyond it. On the shortlist of best metal records of ... read more
A desolate wasteland foretelling humanity’s eventual demise- or maybe, as the title states, the ‘hidden history’? Both could be equally true- if the end *or* beginning sound this brutal, the timeline is just a circle. An improvement upon BI’s debut from a technical stand point as well as atmospherically, yet still not BI’s peak. Further proof that BI are possibly the most exciting Death Metal band working today
A hell(raiser) of a debut, with a clear conceptual theme underpinning the whole enterprise and also containing some totally killer solos. Yet, Starspawn still acts as, more than anything else, a launching pad for Blood Incantation moving forward
Credit where credit is due- this is phenomenally produced, and every track really does keep you on your toes with no foretelling of where things are headed next. I just… couldn’t interface with it essentially at all. Definitely a case where it’s a personal disconnect as opposed to a ‘flaw’ in any traditional sense. Gotta give it another shot one day
Even if a lot of the production blends together, Numan always keeps you hooked in with a *killer* chorus. One of the best early New Wave projects, and certainly more than just ‘the album with Cars and M.E.’
My pick for Shorter's best standalone work, though you could make a case for any of his mid-60s classics. Much like Night Dreamer and Juju, none of the six pieces here are anything other than totally essential in the understanding of Shorter's brilliance (as well as that of his bandmates) and Post-Bop/Modal Jazz in the 60s at large
A bit sharper and more expressive than the already vibrant Night Dreamer from Shorter previous, the shift toward a more modally-centered sound works wonders on Juju. Mahjong acts as a wonderful reflection piece of not only Shorter's sax skills but also Tyner's piano chops. All in all, a breezy yet skill-compact release
One of the essential puzzle pieces toward the conclusion that Wayne Shorter should be in every conversation with Davis & Coltrane in regards to best Post-Bop artists. All six cuts here are totally essential and paint a vivid picture that oscillates between a bustling street corner just past midnight, or a gentle lullaby deep into the wee hours of dusk. Not Shorter's best, but don't you dare skip this one in favor of his slightly more acclaimed works
A highly enigmatic and defined debut that manages to stand out amidst the psych boom of the late 2000s/early 2010s. Melody's delicate, nearly ghostly voice floats above the mesmerizing and hypnotic production like a gliding bird in a thunderstorm. The end of the record relies a bit too much on pseudo-psychedelic production (i.e. production that just sounds weird for the sake of being 'weird') to land the whole way, but nevertheless this is a pivotal piece of the Neo-psych/Psych ... read more
Without exaggeration, one of the most uncompromising records in metal’s history, even among a genre that is often known for forcing the listener into depraved places- Hatred for Mankind is utterly raw and relentless. Apart from the few brief sections of interspersed dialogue samples that open each track, not a single moment on this record lets you breathe. The mission statement here is to bury you in compacted dirt with walls of sound and demented vocals, making you feel as helpless as ... read more
A colorful rave-out of a pop record with some seriously hypnotic production at many points. I tended to enjoy the trip-hop influenced tracks here the most such as Cowboy Style as opposed to the dance-oriented moments. Still, I’d be a fool to not acknowledge this as a classic for the genre
Truly an exhausting record and not one to throw in in the background despite its inherent catchiness/relatability. That said- undoubtedly one of the most impressive Emo records of the decade so far, especially production wise. Any Twin Fantasy fan will eat this up like candy
Jam-packed for 14 minutes, Willy Rodriguez come through with several of their most energetic tunes to date, drawing from a mix of inspirations such as Her’s, Vampire Weekend, early CSH, and even some City Pop. Whets the appetite before their forthcoming opus
The imagery and general presentation call to mind Car Seat Headrest circa 2018, but the actual music here is astoundingly energetic. From the distorted guitars in the opening that sound like they'll nearly explode with excitement, this whole burst of an LP is absolutely rife with tried-and-true emo vocals and songwriting that's appropriately emo-centric to match
The weakest Rush album since Caress of Steel- granted, this is still quite a bit better than that record, and is also *quite* a bit better than every Rush record to follow from here. The production tends to be the bane of this record, though it’s not without its mega-highlights (the opener, for one)
Marginally the weakest full-prog 70s Rush moment, *but* the closer is among the best of all three records
The middle-child of Rush’s tried and true 70s prog trilogy hardly feels like any sort of slump. Of the 6 tracks here, 4- at a minimum- are absolutely essential Rush tracks. The title track, Xanadu, and the closer are all epic and towering in their own ways, while the remainder helps to fill in the gaps. Not as grand as 2112, but still excellent
Right before going on to their classic five (some would argue six or more) album run, Rush backslide and release the undoubted worst record of their classic period. It isn't *bad*, just misaimed more than anything else. The two Prog-epics here just don't do enough to warrant their lengths in the way, say the forthcoming 2122 earns every second
An improvement on Rush's debut and also the first to really incorporate the Prog elements that would go on to define the band's pathos. The title track is the only true knockout-star here, but it nevertheless shows the band headed in the right direction. Rad cover art as well
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Recent Review Comments
On Jalen Ngonda - Doctrine of Love
"@Shayden 100% agree, it’s a throwback record done right"
On 2Pac - Me Against The World
"@Cloudboy019 yeah I def get what you mean. Pac’s cadence and energy is so infectious for me I was able to look past the production being relatively ‘one-note’, even though like you said it is excellent production. That’s an excellent analogy"
On 2Pac - Me Against The World
"@Cloudboy019 that's a fair critique, I will say flow is not Pac's strongsuit, though a lot of people would probably disagree with that. The production is pretty much perfect here imo but it is definitely uniform across the record so I could see it growing stale if G-Funk adjacent stuff isn't as much your bag"
On David Bowie - David Bowie [Space Oddity]
"@usur_disc350 I’ll admit I’ve not revisited this much at all in the last couple years, but I’ll definitely stand by it having several great cuts beyond the title track"
On usur_disc350's review of McKinley Dixon - Magic, Alive!
"Honestly, really well put. I still have this rated pretty highly but I'd say I feel similarly, there's a sheen over this style of 'indie rap' that's starting to feel like the sheen that's covered a large bulk of indie rock the past decade (post-Mac if you will), it's a sheen of homogenization. Hadn't really put much thought to it until now but I think this absolutely hits the nail on the head, and is probably why despite there being so much 'good' hip-hop nowadays, the bulk of it feels like one big swirl of sameness. Excellent take"
On susquatch - Water Plant
"@Rileone it is yeah but it’s also definitely math rock too"
On Faith Evans & The Notorious B.I.G. - The King & I
"@TheTrillTrolla that’s actually very informative, thank you!"
On Doofy's review of The The - Infected
"I prefer Soul Mining a shade, but I’ll agree that this record should be considered as far closer in quality than most. Nearly everything that makes Soul Mining so excellent is found here too, excellent production and songwriting especially"
On Clifford Brown & Max Roach - Clifford Brown & Max Roach
"@HomeSession3 holy shit what a story! Thank you for sharing, that certainly sounds like one of those life-defining moments, for you and Roach. Live Jazz may be the definitive form of live performing for the reasons you said- it makes the frail jolt to life"
On My New Band Believe - My New Band Believe
"@Trazyn I hate saying ‘annoying’ bc that’s reductive, there are def moments where the lyricism along with the vocal style felt really contrived and grating to me though. Overall it’s certainly not an ‘annoying’ album, just nothing particularly new for Windmill. I would say I’m annoyed with the windmill scene in general nowadays"
On Tangerine Dream - Rubycon
"@Litebill931 thank you much! I have to stop myself from over-writing a lot of the time lol"
On π©πππππππΆππ's review of Slayyyter - WOR$T GIRL IN AMERICA
"First review of this project that’s really made me want to check it out- seriously excellent write-up"
On XTC - Drums and Wires
"@sher12308 you’re totally right! Major goof on my part, I’ll edit that, appreciate the call-out"
On King Krule - 6 Feet Beneath the Moon
"@yusukeYYH thank you so much! His music is this really intriguing blend of abstract and extremely vivid"
On Weezer - Weezer (Blue Album)
"@ScaredDog6163 yeah for sure! I appreciate the compliment! Jeff Buckley is a perfect example of why 90s rock really shouldn’t be funneled into those two ‘categories’ I listed because he blends so many styles and sounds (a major reason why Grace is one of the most majestic albums of all time). I’m the same as you in that there’s very little I truly dislike that I listen to- it makes it a lot easier to be encouraged to check out more stuff! Let me know when you’ve got those reviews typed out, I’d love to check em out!"
On Weezer - Weezer (Blue Album)
"Sorry for the long winded answer, hope that helps! If you need help finding some specific bands lmk too and I can try and throw you some based on what you currently rock with π€"
On Weezer - Weezer (Blue Album)
"The other main strain in my mind is Slacker Rock (the kind I tend to prefer a bit). This is your Pavements, Built to Spills, Weezers, etc. This style of rock tended to ‘look forward’ whereas grunge took influence from a lot of its contemporaries in many ways.
In terms of what I’d do for a deep dive now- honestly, I’d determine which strain you like more and start with the big bands before digging deeper, maybe even trying out some of the influences/ similar bands. For instance, if you really fw Weezer I’d recommend other Geek/Wacky Rock bands like Cake or Grandaddy. Same goes for, say, AIC- you could check out other alternative metal bands for instance."
On Weezer - Weezer (Blue Album)
"@ScaredDog6163 for sure! I went on a pretty big 90s rock binge a couple years back and it’s definitely a vast canyon. This is a wildly simplified answer, but imo there are two *main* streams of 90s rock. The first is what most people think of , being Grunge. These are your Nirvanas and Pearl Jams and basically what the average person will probably think of when they think of ‘90s rock’- and it’s great! Grunge pulls a lot from heavier influences depending on the band, such as Punk and Noise Rock for Nirvana or even Metal with bands like Alice In Chains."
On The Radio Dept. - Clinging to a Scheme
"@Zubb autism + long commutes to work goes a long way lmao"
On Silk Sonic - An Evening With Silk Sonic
"@Iam_AKne thank you so much! It’s become something of a passion of mine for sure. The kind words go a long way, I’d love to have my own site or something one day"
On Silk Sonic - An Evening With Silk Sonic
"@Iam_AKne no I’m not, it’s funny you ask because in high school I had plans to maybe become a writer but it never panned out"
On Johnny Blue Skies - Mutiny After Midnight
"Unless you find a rip somewhere or dish out thirty bucks it’s impossible for the time being unfortunately, it is an absolute blast of a record though no doubt, one of his best easily"
On Silk Sonic - An Evening With Silk Sonic
"@Iam_AKne thank you much! I have fun with them lol"
On Frank Zappa - Joe's Garage Acts II & III
"@ScottShelby that does look interesting, I’ll try and get to it later today, thanks again for all the recs! You’re the Zappa guy so it’s been helpful as a total Zappa novice"
On Frank Zappa - Joe's Garage Acts II & III
"@ScottShelby honestly, having sampled a handful of tracks from his studio records to follow from here I think I’m going to bow out for the time being on his discography, I’d prefer to end it on a high note. Someday I’ll eventually go the whole distance but I think I’d honestly just get burned out going through a series of just messy subpar records tbh"
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