35th anniversary to one of the heaviest albums to this day. Even in 2024 this thing is so sonically massive it crushes skulls to paste, I can't even imagine what listening to this must've been like in the 80s. Put one of those satanic panic moms freaking out over Slayer and make them listen to this, their head will probably explode.

The guitars are tuned down as low as they possibly can while still able to produce notes and riffs that make sense, and it makes it all the more ... read more

I'll be honest, it's very rare for me to not know how to feel about an album in some way shape or form, but this is one of those instances. It happens a lot with Phil's music honestly, with Microphones in 2020 and Wind's Poem eliciting similar reactions. I feel like a huge part of it for me is just how noisy the record is, which normally I like, but for some reason this time around it feels weird. Phil's no stranger to noise, but usually it's a lot more raw and ... read more

My first Hirasawa album, of which he has many of, not counting his work on Berserk. More than likely anyone who knows who Susumu Hirasawa is comes from his work on the Berserk soundtrack, from the beloved electro-orchestral bulldozer of an OP with Forces to his darkly medieval yet electronic-industrial soundtrack work throughout the anime. While it's easy to see Hirasawa's unique musical voice from his soundtrack work, nothing will prepare you for this album - Technique of Relief. ... read more

Screamo is the kind of genre that often isn't seen in the best light, even for myself it's not exactly a genre I often gravitate toward. It's emotionally aggressive and a lot of the times that it's only appeal, as there isn't much else to latch onto besides the emotions they try to portray. With that in mind, not only is The Moon is a Dead World the best screamo record I've ever heard, the recent revisit and subsequent listens since then has locked this in as one ... read more

EDIT [90 -> 78] Unlike Turq's previous project, I haven't been going back to this one outside of some highlights and while I still really like it, it's not a 90. The experience of listening to it early probably helped my excitement a lot. Don't get me wrong though, still great album!

Pre-ordered off of Bandcamp and absolutely worth it. Initial thoughts, while it's gonna take a while to fully grow on me upon repeated listens much like Se Bueno did (an album I have ... read more

Kind of a dual review here, one of the original album and the changes in the expanded edition. Aphex Twin's sophomore album and follow-up to his classic Ambient Works 85-92 is a stark contrast to that album. It's still groundbreaking but in a very different way, as the sounds on Vol II are a lot more in line with Eno style ambience except much darker in tone. There wasn't any hint of IDM, which was picking up steam after 85-92 released, instead it was firmly electronic ambient, ... read more

Fitting that the EP cover is AI generated because the music sounds like an AI Mötley Crüe three song test run, with one of those songs written by Tom MacDonald. Dogs of War is the closest track out of the three to alright, but the production kills it. Cancelled and the cover of Beastie Boys' Fight for Your Right (which those two songs do NOT go together by the way) are both unlistenable.

For the most part I find it difficult to care enough to get annoyed at old acts not ... read more

I want to preface this review by saying the reactionary response to this album dropping has been very weird. SOPHIE's been one of my favorite artists since her producing work on Vroom Vroom and especially with her OIL OF EVERY PEARL'S UN-INSIDES project, which is one of my all-time favorite albums. When she passed away far too early it was potentially the most heartbroken I've ever been of an artist passing I've ever been. Seeing someone with so much potential and with a lot ... read more

Gonna keep this one relatively on the shorter end, especially as the popularity of this album has already skyrocketed and a lot of people have considered this current AOTY. I don't agree with that necessarily, but also this shit rules.

While I haven't listened to the first album from this duo, I'm definitely going to if it's anything like this, as this is some of the most infectuous, well-produced, and conceptual synthpop to exist in the past 15 years. Special shoutout to ... read more

Album of the year. Unless something manages to dethrone it at some point down the line, maybe the new GY!BE record, but either way this is my current aoty. Definitely one I wasn't expecting, as this is a far from accessible record - even if it's arguably the most approachable in Uboa's catalogue. Uboa's a name that most wouldn't know unless they're familiar with the modern-day noise scene, as she's one of the newest faces of such - using harsh noise combined ... read more

I will continue to stand by Drown as one of the best pop rock tracks ever made. My only issue with it is how inconsistent it is for the record of the album because it is WAY too good to be standing by the rest of these tracks. Doomed is great, Follow You has some pretty moments, the rest is just not for me or I flat-out don't like it. Drown is still incredible though - perfect hook, production is leaps and bounds above anything else on this album, same with instrumentation, vocals (Doomed ... read more

While I don't love this album quite as much as other people do, and find it WAY more inconsistent in quality from memory, Unknown Pleasures is still a dark and heavy 70s album. Not only the genesis of post-punk but some of the best that exists to this day, especially the best cuts of the record. Disorder and Shadowplay are wildly different tracks but they're both perfect - Disorder being a track that needs no introduction as one of the most legendary openers of all time. Shadowplay is ... read more

Still a headbanging classic, melodically energetic and engaging in some of the best ways metal can possibly be. For the longest time I actually considered this to be the best Metallica album. While I've dipped into being a Master of Puppets normie since then, Ride the Lightning continues to be incredible.

Ride the Lightning is an album all about death in various ways, and explored through various means in song form. A horrific execution by electric chair in the title track, Trapped Under ... read more

One of the samples VERY AUDIBLY clips and pops every 10 seconds because of it being in the wrong time. Would at least be kind of funny in being so ridiculous if it didn't actively hurt to listen to.

Right out of the gate, for a debut album this is great - especially for an independent artist under a small label. With that context this album's killer, I wish my first album would sound this good. Not to mention, Basement Popstar has a very strong start with Ascended (All I Need) as the opener. EASILY the best track on the entire album, it is a dense atmodnb track with a lot going on yet layered and mixed in a way that's not overwhelming for the ears. It's shimmering, banging, ... read more

After all this time Beth Gibbons is such a commanding musical presence and a large part of that is from her voice alone. With the sound being more stripped back compared to Portishead (while still not shying away from fantastic instrumentation), Beth Gibbons' magical vocals and haunting songwriting takes center stage and it's a chilling feast for the ears. It's one of those albums where the dark themes and heavy tone make it difficult to throw on all the time, but it's so ... read more

As someone who's been following Sewerslvt ever since Draining Love Story and has listened to every project, even the rough early stuff, I hate to say I'm disappointed with this latest Cynthoni project. While I gave the first EP the benefit of the doubt as an introduction/merger with her old sound now morphing into a new entity, this EP is just... the same thing we've already heard before? Multiple times?

It's well-produced and refined, especially compared to some of the ... read more

Potentially one of the most hyped up albums of recent memory among internet circles, at least when it comes to the kind of album that BRAT is - quite literally defining the summer season of music. I distinctly remember saying music like this would start dominating pop music years before it really took off, and yeah I'm CALLING IT LESGOOO. Even still, I was very skeptical with this release in particular. I've liked some Charli XCX stuff but never loved it, especially without SOPHIE ... read more