[UNDA5: Day 14]

Ohhhh... I just ate too many tacos. OH NO! I'M ABOUT TO EXPLOOODDDEEE!!! *explodes into bloody, shitty gibs, summoning a low-res JPEG of Taco from Odd Future*

Taco is one of the weirdest one-hit wonders out there, with the only chart-topping hit being his synthpop cover of Irving Berlin's "Puttin' on the Ritz". Though I do remember first hearing it in "Home Alone 3", it was a pretty bad movie, I do think it's a badass cover. Unfortunately, if you've heard ... read more

[UNDA5: Day 12]

This challenge has been on a shoegaze roll lately. I wonder who's been giving these albums such great scores. *drinks tea from dirty old shoe and suffers the consequences*

So "Reflect" is another pretty shoegaze EP... more lyrically focused than a lot of others in the genre I've listened to. The first half is amazing, especially "A Flower of the Ground" and "Echo Chamber". It loses steam during the second half and it starts to get a little samey, ... read more

[UNDA5: Day 11]

I apologize if this review is messy.

I'm not lying when I say that "Climbing Mt. Zion" had a lot of potential to be in my top albums of the challenge, but I think there are some nagging flaws that truly hold it back. I really, really like the instrumentation here. The synths are all tastefully-placed and the guitar tones are really clean, fitting comfortably in an otherwise hit-or-miss mix. The lyrics are the true standout of the project, however, as they focus a lot ... read more

[UNDA5: Mall 10]

Nostalgia is a feeling that a lot of Vaporwave strive for and I think "Mall of 1974" pretty much succeeds. By using samples from vinyl of lounge music that would play in shopping malls, it creates an atmosphere that really kinda takes me back to that time period despite not even getting catapulted out of a vagina back then. The heavy reverb and the record scratching adds to the relaxing vibe this album gave me. Overall, I love this idea and, judging from the quality ... read more

[UNDA5: Day 9]

Damn. I miss listening to shit like this. "Cosodorokitsune" is a very beautiful post-rock album! It doesn't do anything too unique and there are a couple moments that don't hit quite as hard, it blends elements of Japanese shoegaze and dream pop in a way that I want so much more of in the genre. I believe the nine-and-a-half minute "Kamone" is truly special, probably one of the best post-rock/shoegaze tracks I've heard from the last decade! It's catchy, it's ... read more

[UNDA5: Day 8]

"I Think I Miss You" is a noisy, energetic and diverse shoegaze EP that's pretty much up my alley! I love the rough production along with the lyrics that do kinda get a little buried beneath them sometimes. I wish it ended on a stronger note, but I still had a lot of fun with this.

Fav Tracks: I Think I Miss You, Highwayman

Least Fav Track: She Makes Me Ill

Score:
7.8
Fat Fucking Hootdoogers

This is the third time I'm reviewing this album.

"Bad Witch" was the first Nine Inch Nails record I listened to, despite barely even being an album. Looking at this with a retrospective eye for their discography, I think this represents a healthy revision for what's to come in the future. The first couple of tracks still show that Trent and co. are still keeping their industrial rock roots intact but, as the album goes on, it goes toward an industrial dark jazz direction. Layers of ... read more

[UNDA5: Day 7]

I REALLY wanted to like this album, I really did, but "Tiger and the Duke" turned out to be a disappointment with so much potential behind it. The instrumentation and guitar work are pretty good, with plenty of riffs and off-kilter solos, and the progressive nature behind could be intriguing. Unfortunately, it falls flat in so many areas. The vocals are godawful and obnoxious on here, which forced me out of the otherwise cryptic lyrics. The experimental electronic ... read more

When I listened to "Hesitation Marks" back in 2018, I praised it for being a cool throwback with plenty of what makes Nine Inch Nails so great. It's been two years now and I think that this is their weakest LP to date Not to say that it's bad, however, because it definitely has pros. The mostly electro-industrial direction is a nice throwback to the days of "Pretty Hate Machine" and it contains a few of Trent's best tracks to date. There's also "Everything" which ... read more

"The Slip" goes for an even more alternative leaning than the rest of the catalog has, but it's still very beautifully-textured, incredibly-produced and fun! The songwriting isn't as strong as their other works, though, and the last three tracks start to lose steam despite them being interestingly composed.

Fav Tracks: 1,000,000; Letting You; Discipline; Head Down; Lights in the Sky

Least Fav Track: Corona Radiata (oh boy)

Score:
7.6
Very Good

[UNDA5: Day 5]

Wow... I'm in love with this record.

Never would I have ever thought I would find such top quality releases during the challenge but here we are! Núria Graham has released a beautiful record that focuses on the ups, downs and frustrations of romantic and intimate relationships. It's a running theme that has been done so many times before but it always ends up timeless no matter the record, and Núria's introspective songwriting is a testament to that. The ... read more

[UNDA5: Day 4]

I think I've mentioned this many times before, but metal is definitely a genre I'm DYING to sink my teeth into! Going into a genre-blend as weird as this, even weirder than the new Oranssi Pazuzu album, could've been overkill for me but it surprisingly wasn't. I legitimately enjoyed "Diaji Al Joor". It's an interesting blend of black metal and Arabic folk music and it definitely doesn't let up in that department. There are a lot of elements of traditional Arabic ... read more

[UNDA5: Day 3]

Noise rock flows through my bloodstream. I shit noise rock out of my ass. I am noise rock.

"Supernova" is such a weird, angry, harsh album that's definitely right up my alley! The anger is it's strong suit, with all the lo-fi, sludgy metal instrumentation along with the screamed vocals... it's all so raw! It drags a little bit, there's not a whole lot of variation and the sample interludes don't really add much, but I still had some fun with this record and it gives ... read more

[UNDA5: Day 2]

I thought this was great EP! The vocals from Nat Puff are genuinely great across the board and the lyrics aren't afraid to go into really personal territory, with topics about death and dealing with loss. There are some odd production choices in the last track, but "💜" is a wholesome and passionate indie album overall.

Fav Tracks: I-Thought-You-Said, Les Funérailles (Prologue), My Eyes Are Going Anyway

Least Fav Track: STAAR

Score:
8.7
Exceptional

[UNDA5: Day 1]

This is a continuation of the Album of the Day Challenge where we rate/review albums that were originally under 5 ratings. I'm a bit more excited for this one because I feel like it's gonna pan out better than the last challenge.

While it doesn't break any new ground for the genre and there are a few forgettable tracks, I still found "Grippe" to be a solid post-hardcore release. There's a great amount of heart, energy and great instrumentation for ... read more

Judging from the singles and the disturbing as fuck cover art, I was hoping for another great time. Unfortunately, the feature-packed "Tearless" doesn't have the same excitement and abrasive ear candy as "Another Life". It's not that I didn't enjoy the more atmospheric cuts off of that album, it's just that it doesn't carry over the harsh textures which is a shame. The features are mostly solid and there's still some fun to be had with the singles. There's also "Too ... read more

"Year Zero" is a very politically-centered album... and it couldn't be more fucking relevant. It tells a post-apocalyptic story that addresses the corruption of our government and society that has aged like some top-quality wine 13 years later. Musically, it's not a huge step forward for Nine Inch Nails but it's a lot more experimental compared to "With Teeth" with a lot of glitchy, dissonant soundscapes provided by future member Atticus Ross. A lot of the great writing, big ... read more

It's been six years since "The Fragile". Trent has finally won against drug addiction and went to the gym, and he has been rewriting the usual Nine Inch Nails formula to fit in with his new lifestyle. While this results in a much more accessible and traditional album than pretty much anything he's done (yes, even "Pretty Hate Machine"), "With Teeth" doesn't feel like it panders to its audience as it still retains what makes NIN so damn enjoyable! This is a ... read more

[Album of the Day Challenge: Day 30]

This album has a very interesting historical context to it that could definitely work within the confines of the genre. The big problem is that the potential is left absolutely squandered in the first half. "Dharmic" and "1995" resort to really amateurish, stretched-out soundplay that sound like they barely had effort into creating an atmosphere, rather it's composed of sloppily-improvised synthesizers that obnoxiously change in volume. ... read more

Looking back at "Pretty Hate Machine" after listening to the entire Nine Inch Nails discography multiple times, I guess it's pretty safe to say that it's pretty dated by today's standards. The mixing, mastering and vocals don't quite match up to the standards of, well, pretty much any NIN record that came out later and there's barely a concept at play here. This is totally okay, however, as the quality of these tracks still hold up amazingly well! These are industrial BANGERS with ... read more