Nullinity

Greed's sister album, Holy Money, is the most polished and my favorite rendition of their No Wave albums. The No Wave era of Swans wasn't one I was looking forward to much, as I hadn't heard many positive things about it, but I'm finishing it off pleasantly surprised. This album, specifically, is a mix of being both incredibly concerning and mesmerizingly beautiful.

The opener, A Hanging, is as expected from Swans at this point—a horrifyingly beautiful song with some ... read more

This is quite the successor to White Light. It has a similar sound to that album but with its own twist, making it unique enough to not just be a sequel but to actually have its own identity. Songs like Love of Life and Amnesia are genuine masterpieces, and I'm upset that this album is so easily overlooked because it just seems like another White Light. The interludes are also a nice touch. I have no clue why people tend to dislike them; they really heighten the experience this album ... read more

This is such a step up from Cop. This is the first Swans album that really leans into the lyrical repetition that became synonymous with the band. Fool is a really, really good opener, and it immediately got me hooked on the album. It is harrowing — it's the exact reason I love Swans so much. However, the album doesn't really go anywhere. It sticks as close to Filth and Cop as it can, so it (to me, at least) doesn't offer much replay value beyond maybe listening to one or ... read more

I mean, it is difficult to follow up on something like the trilogy, so my expectations were rather low — and those expectations were met. This album is just more Swans with less innovation, more or less returning to their softer roots. The songs here really don't justify their length; they progress to nowhere. That is really my only issue, though. What is here is incredible — the music is shockingly eerie, as expected from Swans. Gira's storytelling keeps shining ... read more