Album Rating: 3.5 | Sound Off

Paralytic Stalks is the pinnacle. I don't understand why Hissing Fauna seems to be unanimously considered his best.

@veldin Hissing Fauna is great but definitely overrated––I've always seen it as a product of hype/the indie-press trends of the time(coming after other well-received pseudo-breakthroughs) and it being a cathartic break-up album(interestingly, Aureate is a repeat of the same concept, they just broke up again...somehow I don't think this one will be as well-received). Although I disagree on Paralytic being the definite pinnacle of OMM2--I'd have Skeletal tied with it, if not coming out on top

Also, this rules. It's great to see him returning to the adventurous attitude of PS, even if explored in a conventional "rock" setting. I saw most of this performed live last month and it translates amazingly. I'll have to give it a few more months before I can get a good idea of how this fares with the rest of their discog. Every oM album grows on me more with time

Album Rating: 3.5 | Sound Off

Top Five: Paralytic Stalks>Skeletal Lamping>Gay Parade>Coquelicot>Hissing Fauna

now that's a ranking I can back!
I guess mine would be SL=PS>Hissing>The Gay Parade>Cherry Peel. Satanic Panic is probably 6th for me. I'm so conflicted by Coquelicot. Musically, it might be the best of old-school of Montreal, but there's just so much rambling filler to wait through, and normally I'm pretty accepting of fluff. If it were edited down, or at least had its filler evenly distributed throughout the album, it would have a good chance at top 5

Album Rating: 3.5 | Sound Off

I've grown to love each and every little weird sample and noise of Coquelicot. When listened to all the way through, I feel like I'm projecting into the astral planes...or something. I dream of him releasing a Gay Parade/Coquelicot double vinyl.

Album Rating: 2.6

see i think this record would translate GREAT live. the songs just seem more amenable to that setting. if i'd have to rate OM records Skeletal Lamping would for sure be near the bottom for me. Satanic Panic is my favorite OM.

Fuck Skeletal Lamping

skeletal lamping is okay

Paralytic Stalks is the pinnacle [2]

Album Rating: 3.5 | Sound Off

Skeletal Lamping is one of the most progressive pop albums ever recorded. Literally dozens of dozens of brilliantly coherent movements. I hated it at first and gave it a 2.5, but now it's one of my favorite albums.

Album Rating: 3.5 | Sound Off

besides a few 'cute' lyrics, Skeletal Lamping, is forgettable. Which is a shame because funky over-the-top oM sounded like a good idea.

Album Rating: 3.5

Grows on you, but probably the weakest of Montreal record, just because at least in their previous records, chaos seemed to make sense.

Album Rating: 4.5 | Sound Off

Skeletal Lamping and Paralytic Stalks are far and beyond Kevin's best work. Which is funny because they are the two albums that get the most disrespect. Music criticism at its best.



Anyone who dislikes SL simply hasn't given it enough spins.

Album Rating: 5.0

ABSOLUTELY agree

of montreal's LPs all DEMAND multiple listens; you tear away layer after layer of wildly insightful lyrics and unravel a sonic web of instrumentation with every run-through

^ yeah i don't get that with this one. this, skeletal lamping, and hissing fauna are their weakest albums, and i've tried

Skeletal Lamping has the lyric "bitch, I'm a mother fuckin' headliner and you don't even know it." That pretty much explains my disdain for the record as painlessly as possible.

his arrogance is legendary

i mean i'm pretty sure he was being 100% ironic with that line

but that is also kind of the problem. i much prefer the introspective lyrics of his last few albums. legitimate thoughts i can connect to

as opposed to Words Written By White Georgian Dude, Portraying Role As Black She-Male

Not to make this thread more about Skeletal Lamping rather than Aureate Gloom, but I think if you're judging SL by Georgie Fruit-isms and lines like you listed above, you're kind of missing the point. There's still plenty of introspective and personal lyrics, it's just that they're alternated with the type of hypersexual lyrics you mentioned. Just look at tracks like "Touched something's Hollow/An Eulardian Instance", among several others. I've always seen it as being about contrast and radical emotional/musical juxtaposition, going from the highest highs to the lowest lows on a whim--reflected in both the lyrics and cut-up musical style. Just look at how "Plastis Wafer" hinges on the line "they say you're just my crutch--I know you're not/you're the only good thing I've got," completely flipping the song.

But I've pretty much given up trying to defend it...some people just hate it