This is hardest I've ever been hit by not being in the target demographic for something.

So this takes the few parts of FOBs Mania that actually worked, and then expanded upon it. A beautiful fusion of soul, pop-punk, and electronica. Patrick Stump's vocal talent is on full display here. If we could have old FOB and Patrick kept making stuff like this on his own, I would straight up be in heaven, dawg.

My favorite rock opera that isn't by My Chemical Romance. Wow. WOW. This is such a BOLD album. I've heard folks say it's the first fully realized, studio-length rock opera ever. If that's the case, they make one hell of an act to follow. Imagine if The Beatles had done The Who's Tommy. This album kind of works as an auditory fidget spinner. If you're anxious, put it on and pick apart what you're hearing - you'll never run out of puzzles to listen through, and I mean that in the best possible ... read more

Oh uh...apparently I'm in the minority here. I don't know, maybe I didn't grow up and everyone else did - I just always get a little sad when I see a band I LOVED go through the pop-punk to bubblegum pop pipeline. Maybe I'll like it better once I've finished licking my wounds. It just felt like such a betrayal after their self-titled album, which is one of my all time favorite albums.

But hey, screw me - as long as Hayley's happy and fulfilled, I'm happy for her. I'll give it another listen ... read more

You know how in every music biopic there's a moment where the big shot record producer hears the scrawny kids with big dreams play and they sound like just that but the producer goes "oh my god, this is the next big thing"? That's this album. It's considerably weaker than their other 3 studio albums (for now - how unreal that we can say that again!). If you're expecting anything as gracious and balanced as The Black Parade, you won't find it here - this is *hardcore* emo/screamo. You ... read more

I was never really into Miley after middle school. Didn't dislike her, just kind of didn't keep up with her. However! I was surprised by how much I liked this album. It seems she's starting to embrace the new rock and roll sound her voice has and it just WORKS. I don't feel like this comes through on every single track, which is why I don't have it rated higher, but Bad Karma is an absolute standout - we love to see two rebel queens on the same track. The fusion of pop and rock here is really ... read more

My friend described this album as "pop punk as done by theater kids" and I can't think of any better way to put it (and personally, there's nothing I love more than a little theatrical rock, as a former theater kid). Lake Pontchartrain is your new favorite Halloween bop, I promise. The Horror of Our Love is the real hidden gem though - tender and haunting at the same time. But also....I can't believe it was never on the Twilight soundrack...

I'm making it sound really obnoxious, ... read more

This is THE Led Zeppelin album - or maybe I'm just a sucker for Lord of the Rings and feel seen by it. Whatever. It's one of the best albums of all time either way.

God this band was so far ahead of their time. Hallowed Be Thy Name is an entire JOURNEY, and no matter how many times I revisit, it feels like a *different* journey every time. 22 Acacia Avenue really drags it down a bit for me, but I may need to revisit it on its own - it has the unfortunate burden of immediately following The Prisoner, which Is definitely one of my highest rated classic rock tracks.

Forget Dance With the Devil for just a minute (I know, it's hard for me, too) - The Poverty of Philosophy is such a powerful manifesto, and I think between IT's lyricism and the heavy dystopian-sounding piano, this is a timeless anthem for the working class. Beef & Broccoli also goes pretty hard - feels almost lighthearted alongside the rest of the album, but trust me, kid, you'll appreciate it.

The album that got me through 2020

It was a ritual for me to listen to this album before every debate tournament to get myself hyped. It was the first full album of his I listened to, and while my taste has changed, I still like to put it on now and then when I need a little boost of courage. Full disclosure, I'm probably incapable of ever viewing this album objectively because it meant that much to me as a high schooler.

I'm sure at least one million of the streams for Venom came from me just trying to get through 2019. I revisited the album as a whole recently, though and came away disappointed. There are some tracks on here I would jump of the car to avoid - Nice Guy, for example. It's probably unreasonable to expect EVERY track of a man's nearly 30 year career to be a banger though.

There isn't a single track on this album that I'd be upset to hear on shuffle. This is peak Bowie, and Rock 'n' Roll Suicide became my favorite song the moment that chorus hit. His theatricality is what really pulls this together as a rock opera - he IS Ziggy Stardust, and you should give a damn. Personally I'd like a little more cohesion to the story, which is how this album narrowly misses a 90% bracket, but if you've been looking to get into more classic rock, this should absolutely be next ... read more

Ugly indeed - and it WORKS. Not my favorite in the concept album and/or rock opera camp, but Cursive has a really strong grasp of how to use musicianship to tell a story rather than simply relying on the lyrics. Modern rock operas tend to try and make every track appealing enough to hit top lists. This album feels more like Pink Floyd's The Wall, where some tracks are intentionally ugly and it elevates the album as a whole to another level.

I will say, I almost shut this one off - barely made it through the second track - but everything after that is pretty solid. The Last Fight in particular has one of the sickest guitar solos I've ever heard in my life.

The rightful heir to the throne of riot grrrl stood up and announced herself with this album.