I really want to like this album. I really do. Pain of Salvation have been one of my favorite bands as of late and their discography is pretty damn good but Scarsick is not very good. The songs aren't very good. The title track is whatever, Spitfall has some good ideas but it's bogged down by some pretty terrible lyrics, Cribcaged is ehhhhh but it's got some of the worst lyrics on the record (seriously, what did a million dollar kitchen ever do to you?), America is so poppy to the point of ... read more

Christ, a 30 from Sputnik? That's cutting this album extremely short. I find Darkness Descends to be one of the most enjoyable and most fun records to put on. It's a record with top notch riffs, great drumming and memorable tracks. The record also has one of my favorite songs period, the almighty Black Prophecies. God, this song is incredible. Something about it just pulls me right in and the rhythm really drives home the song. All in all, what the hell was Sputnik on?

Favorite Tracks: The ... read more

The Astonishing is (pardon the pun) astonishingly boring. Dream Theater is a band I really enjoy but their 2016 output is just boring, slow and lacking on any substance. Only two songs out of the thirty four stand out to me whatsoever, A Better Life and The Path That Divides. These songs are fffffffffffffine but nothing great. Everything else is really boring and monotonous. The story the record follows is also bloated and boring. I don't remember one plot beat from it, it's that unmemorable. ... read more

Upon revisiting Black Holes and Revelations, I was pleasantly surprised with how strong the material is on this record. Every track holds its own as a song (well, maybe not the two minute basically-an-interlude Soldier's Poem but you get what I mean). The record also has a lot of staying power and every track is both catchy and memorable. Definitely check out the record if you haven't, it's got a bit of something for everyone.

Favorite Tracks: Take a Bow, Map of the Problematique, Assassin, ... read more

Wow, this caught me by complete surprise the first go-around. King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard is quite the oddball in the music world. Infest the Rats' Nest being no exception. Going into it, wasn't sure to expect from it (especially for a band with a name like King Gizzard). I was subjected to a great record! This record is extremely fun to listen to. Every track (minus Superbug) is high energy and jam packed with great riffs. The drumming on the record is great. Pretty much everything on ... read more

Tool! Tool, Tool, Toooool. Used to be in love with this band but now I find them kinda boring. I do find myself coming back to their material fairly often and Lateralus (while not my favorite) stands out the most as their best. It's their most consistent record by a kinda large margin and it shows. The interlude-y tracks don't bother me as much as other Tool records but they do waste time. The songs themselves are good as well. However, some tracks do really drag and that bothers me. If the ... read more

The record is subpar, I suppose. The biggest issue I have with the record is that I get little to no enjoyment from the album. I find it to one of the least interesting outputs from Radiohead and, besides a few tracks, there's nothing that's keeping me coming back. However, The National Anthem and Idioteque are pretty good. The former is a real standout on a record that's a sea of nothingness. Good on you, National Anthem. Overall, it's probably not my cup of tea but I find so little making me ... read more

Genuinely a perfect record. Even the weakest song on here (Adoration for None) is a great track. I don't have anything to nitpick with the records, it's genuinely flawless. Every track is chock full of fantastic riffing, interesting ideas and great lyrics (except, y'know, the instrumental). If you're a fan of metal in any sense of the term, this record is a must-listen.

Favorites: Pretty much every song is great but if I had to choose: Oroborus, Toxic Garbage Island, Yama's Messengers, Art of ... read more

This is a contender for the most batshit insane record I've heard in recent memory. It's an unbelievably tight record where every track hits the mark but does have some moments that bring it down some. The first two tracks (Praise the Lowered and Stand) are good but they don't hold a candle to the later tracks. Everything onwards from those two is the cream of the crop. Just to gloss over a few great tracks, Juular is really high energy and just a fun track to listen to, The Mighty Masturbator ... read more