Shit In The (My) Ass

Every song is either too short or too long, no idea goes the full distance, and every song is devoid of identity. Besides that, Piss In The Wind sounds nice. I really don't have much to say. Every song blends together too much. This album sounds like a collection of demos. Man, I REALLY don't have much to say. Ummm... this album reminded me that 4batz exists. I guess that's something.

French people? In Indiana? Ok, now I've seen everything.

This album is a clusterfuck in the best way possible. The numerous thrashing sonic ideas constantly clashing against eachother creates a really unique and enjoyable palette. With that being said, URGH is at its best when it focuses its ideas. The best example for me is Life Hex. My main issue with this record is that it is rarely focused, so individual songs end up being worth less than the sum of their parts. That's not ... read more

I'll get this out of the way: There is a near-perfect album within The Fall Off. There are very few artists who can pull off an album this long and have it actually be worth the run time. I understand "oh this is his last album ever, he needs to get it all out," but that results in a project that, no matter how high quality it is, will still feel bloated. That being said, this is an excellent album, and that's coming from a guy who really doesn't like J. Cole. He ... read more

A sampling of millennial melancholy.

Joyce Manor is a band I don't really love. I listened to Never Hungover Again, and despite the objectively excellent Catalina Fight Song, I didn't find a lot to go back to. This is basically the same experience except there isn't one phenomenal song. It's all just songs about doomed nostalgia that feel more nihilistic than the compositions suggest, and ultimately, it just feels sour. If you like Joyce Manor, I'm sure you will enjoy ... read more

This is essentially just Hardstone Psycho without anything that made that album interesting. Songs move on like they never even happened, and with it being 18 tracks long, nothing stands out as a significant moment. That being said, Don Toliver has a very passable way of presenting himself; even with that scathing criticism, it can really only be so bad. Except for the last song interpolating Kid Rock. C'mon Don, do better.

Anyone calling this shit "post-rap" needs to have their keyboards exploded.

Everyone knows the story of Injury Reserve; there isn't a point in re-treading the history or providing context to try to categorize this as nothing more than a reaction. By The Time I Get To Pheonix was the reaction, By Storm represents a new chapter. And that new chapter is really good. The soundscapes on this project are tender in their appearance, but have a glitchy edge to them; Parker Corey has ... read more

I mean, what did anyone really expect? I Don't Care is funny as fuck, and nothing else even comes close to Megadeth's actual good music. The one highlight for me is The Last Note, as it is a genuinely nice send-off. But everything here is either Megadeth-by-numbers or Dave Mustaine so drained of ideas that what we have left flirts with parody. Also, again, was anyone really expecting the "real version" of Ride the Lightning to be any good?

Guys, what if, like, what if we brought the 2000s back? That would be sick I think.

This EP is best when it is abrasive, and the clean passages are used to complement that abrasiveness. I'm not a super big fan of the more predictable modern metalcore moments. But this is overall very solid, very fun, and a band I would like to hear from again.

"It was a Rocky Week, get home ASAP A$AP!"

So here we are. In a post Don't Be Dumb world. I think a lot of people are going to be disappointed in this because it didn't surpass the ludicrous expectations that were set, but I think A$AP Rocky succeeds at the ideas he sets out to accomplish. The biggest strength of this record is variety. In fact, I think the thing that truly sounds like "8 years in the making" is that it must have taken time to find these different ... read more

Sure, Mark Tremonti is a good guitarist, but he plays a PRS, so I don't respect him as a human being.

Anyway, this bloated and long "alt-metal" album is not bad because it is incompetent. Far from it, actually. The songs sound good, so that's worth at least something. But everything about this album is generic and boring. I could not for the life of me remember where one song ended and another began. And yeah, I know this album isn't going to appeal to a 20-year-old, ... read more

I must start by saying that this is a very fine album that achieves what it sets out to do.

That being said, With Heaven On Top feels like Zach Bryan's first step down. Starting with American Heartbreak, he kept improving with his self-titled and then with my personal favorite, The Great American Bar Scene. (Side-note: Oak Island is his best song by far). With Heaven On Top's biggest problem is how it doesn't change. No idea on this album is the best Zach Bryan has ever executed ... read more

My unconscious aversion to deathcore has kept me away from Paleface Swiss, "but it's a new year, so I'll go check out their newest release cause there isn't anything out yet," I said to myself. What an idiot. This EP sounds like someone open-mouthed crying through early BMTH songs. Also, as someone who likes Nu Metal, if you are a deathcore band and are asking yourself, "How many Nu Metal elements should we add?" the only correct answer is 0.

FULL DISCLOSURE: tavou is a good friend of mine. I'm going to be honest with my review, but keep that potential bias in mind.

This is the debut EP from New Jersey-based rapper and producer tavou. Not usually the music I listen to personally, but what's here is incredibly promising. I would argue that this EP is at its best when the production commits to a sense of space. Also, the piano that is prominently featured is a significant highlight. What I mean by this is best epitomised by ... read more

It took me way too long to check this out. I love clipping and adore their records (Visions of Bodies Being Burned is undeniable), and while I generally enjoyed Dead Channel Sky, I can't help but feel weird about the direction. The electronic influence is really hit (Dominator) or miss (Mirroshades Pt. 2) for me. It is definitely the most danceable clipping record, but that isn't necessarily why I listen to clipping. Daveed Diggs still sounds great, and the production is impeccable. I ... read more

Shoutout Greghall (death to false metalcore yada yada yada)

I'm always happy when bands that I've never heard of come out with their first recordings, and there is so much sheer talent within it. The guitar work is sick, there is such a great use of space and atmosphere within such fast and aggressive songs. Put simply, Fear of Sin go fucking hard. The only reason I'm not scoring then higher is just cause it's a 3 song demo, just not a lot of music. But for what it is, I ... read more

Maybe this is my complete bias for everything and anything Chat Pile puts out, but this is incredibly refreshing. It's really cliche for critics to say contradicting things and say it's good journalism (i.e., it's abrasive but tender, harsh yet soft, etc.) But Chat Pile and Hayden Pedigo's collaboration is literally that. Songs like The Matador is a phenomenal Chat Pile song, and I Got My Own Blunt to Smoke is a phenomenal Hayden Pedigo song, and Radioactive Dreams is the ... read more

Look, I've been listening to Tame Impala my entire life. I think people treating this like a betrayal of his fans are widely overreacting. Here is my take on the matter. This is the first Tame Impala album with real hype. Currents blew up after The Slow Rush had already been released, so the monumental fanbase Kevin Parker has built hadn't actually been there for a new album. So the very nature of this album being very different than his previous projects is already going to alienate ... read more

I feel like 80 is the lowest I can give this album, despite my only liking it. Look, it's a damn good record, I think that it's more important than it is good. Like, take Dancing in the Dark, it's a song that shouldn't really work. But it does, and I love it. That weird dichotomy makes appreciating this album strange to me. Am I just trying to have something new to add about an album that has been talked to death at this point? Sure. It's still really good.

Damn, is this shit smooth. While Giveon is a really talented performer, the thing that really floored me was the production. This project is loaded with some incredible soul jams that make the whole listening experience really nice. As someone who never got big into R&B, there is a lot here for someone who is a better student of the genre to take away from. Shout out Rather Be for being the best track.

It's a fun time. The highlights for me are the features (kinda a weird thing to say about a death metal album, but I digress). Todd Jones and Dylan Walker make the songs they are on a lot stronger. Other than that, it's a pretty standard death metal record. Heinous Testimony is probably my favorite solo Sanguisugabogg song (I like pinch harmonics, what can I say?), but it's nothing that really changes the game.