 | Swans Public Castration Is a Good Idea
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| | Full Review | Ratings (192) |
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| 0.0 | BMDrummer | June 13th 14 |
If you though Cop or Filth was a painful, mind numbing sensation of noise and it's power, then Public Castration will set you straight. The first time I heard this, I remember feeling physical pain and fear when the sudden first note of Money is Flesh was struck. After four minutes of call and response between the drums and bass, Michael came in with some of the most hateful vocals ever, grunting out "Money is flesh! Money is, flesh in your hand". What makes the album so truly scary is the way the band seems to suddenly quiet down, but then immediately jump back up with the absolute most crushing sense of hate and hopelessness. Now, because most of the songs are played at a crawling pace like this, the album sometimes drags. But, you will probably only notice the dragging if you're listening to it improperly. The best way to listen is with your stereo turned up all the way, with all the lights off, and just letting the wall of sound pound at you repeatedly. Maybe this soundoff was pretentious, but this is like White Light/White Heat all over again, with some of the most painfully loud noises ever made.
1 Bumps | Bump |
| 4.0 excellent | Alabaster Jones | January 1st 17 |
In a lot of ways, this ugly live album is early Swans in their purest form. The song titles may be familiar, but you can forget what you knew about the actual songs beforehand. Public Castration Is A Good Idea takes the best of both Greed and Holy Money, strips them down to nothing but the drum pattern and spots of minimal industrial "melodies", and stretches them out beyond their original length. Michael Gira sounds like a hateful, lustful monster throughout it all, showcasing in top form what makes him so vital to the sound of early Swans. I think this album is kind of funny in moments as well. I mean, after eight-plus minutes of something like "Coward", where primal rage and moral depravity reign supreme, I definitely wouldn't be in the mood to clap politely as if I were at a symphony like the people in the crowd do on this record. And yet, it's also something that adds to the experience, sort of like a reminder that humans made this and watched this rather than some hellspawns.
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| 0.0 | altertide0 | June 2nd 15 |
Listening to Public Castration Is a Good Idea is a good idea.
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| 0.0 | i want to mort. | December 6th 13 |
it's probably the most awful and frightening thing i've ever heard but also the most powerful
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| 0.0 | RYMsfullofscenesters | November 2nd 13 |
Guess I didn't need discernible instruments or notes anyway. Seriously: as music, it's amazing how close this edges to "nothing" without crossing over.
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| 0.0 | Kellerdeck | May 19th 12 |
This reminds me of another album recently released.
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| 4.5 superb | Lucman | July 24th 23 |
| 4.5 superb | Samuel | October 24th 22 |
| 5.0 classic | Yep321 | June 22nd 22 |
| 4.5 superb | Josh | May 22nd 22 |
| 4.5 superb | tekth | November 8th 21 |
| 5.0 classic | Oobaloo | September 13th 21 |
| 4.0 excellent | Gazham | August 12th 20 |
| 4.0 excellent | BeeRyan | August 8th 20 |
| 4.0 excellent | wg98 | December 25th 19 |
| 4.5 superb | Emily | December 18th 19 |
| 4.5 superb | P003htb | November 19th 19 |
| 4.0 excellent | Jake E. | November 17th 19 |
| 4.5 superb | Veldin | October 29th 19 |
| 4.0 excellent | Slowdiiv | September 13th 19 |
| 4.5 superb | Nate | April 3rd 19 |
| 4.0 excellent | VlacDrac | December 27th 18 |
| 4.5 superb | Wolfe | December 8th 18 |
| 3.5 great | Sine | July 17th 18 |
| 5.0 classic | bSmith | May 31st 18 |
| 4.0 excellent | cb123 | February 21st 18 |
| 3.0 good | Sapee | October 27th 17 |
| 4.0 excellent | orakst | October 4th 17 |
| 4.0 excellent | benn855 | July 16th 17 |
| 5.0 classic | Henry | July 2nd 17 |
| 4.0 excellent | Borbs | March 7th 17 |
| 5.0 classic | Hundt | February 27th 17 |
| 5.0 classic | Arnaud | February 25th 17 |
| 4.0 excellent | YakNips | September 1st 16 |
| 4.0 excellent | btati | August 25th 16 |
| 4.0 excellent | jsaf7 | November 23rd 15 |
| 4.0 excellent | torts | October 5th 15 |
| 1.5 very poor | Runeii | December 11th 14 |
| 4.0 excellent | tacomoon | September 28th 14 |
| 4.5 superb | hexode | July 29th 14 |
| 2.5 average | tom138 | February 10th 14 |
| 4.5 superb | Vaakum | February 5th 14 |
| 5.0 classic | Sithese | January 4th 14 |
| 4.5 superb | eboph | January 1st 14 |
| 4.5 superb | Grimsby | October 13th 13 |
| 4.0 excellent | ILJ | June 23rd 13 |
| 5.0 classic | kitsch | March 4th 13 |
| 3.5 great | Escain | February 16th 13 |
| 4.0 excellent | SAPoodle | November 15th 12 |
| 4.5 superb | Host78 | September 15th 12 |
| 4.5 superb | Lakes. | September 5th 12 |
| 5.0 classic | joyless | February 6th 12 |
| 4.0 excellent | Mikk | November 2nd 10 |
| 3.5 great | IAJP | August 14th 10 |
| 3.5 great | kount | July 31st 10 |
| 3.5 great | Evisc | May 4th 10 |
| 4.0 excellent | twenty3 | March 4th 10 |
| 4.5 superb | Wimplo | June 10th 09 |
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