Average Rating: 3.39 Rating Variance: 0.52 Objectivity Score: 79% (Well Balanced)
Sort by: Rating | Release Date | Rating Date | Name5.0 classicGiacomo Puccini La bohèmeBefore there was COVID-19, there was tuberculosis. If you can make it past the time and language barrier, there is nothing I've heard in music as tragic as the finale in this one. Pink Floyd The WallOh, the sweet sounds of a man and his madness. Probably caused by this 50 character requirement to sound off. The Smashing Pumpkins Siamese DreamThere's no greater therapy than knowing someone is having a shittier day than you are. Type O Negative Bloody KissesDespite my tendency to eschew metal that uses romance as subject material, the flow and obvious passion of this album showcases TON at their apex. I miss your voice, Peter. 4.5 superbAFI Sing the SorrowI consider myself lucky to have listened to this, my first AFI album, without any knowledge of their punk roots, allowing me to enjoy this album simply for what it is: beautifully written goth poetry set to music. Anterior This Age of SilenceGreen Day DookieGreen Day's only honest salute to teenage angst. You don't see many albums transition as smoothly as this one from song to song and not sound contrived like a really shitty acronym. Even today, it's still a fun listen. Heaven Shall Burn Of Truth and SacrificeI love a good saga whether it's metal, opera, or rock as long as it's done well. I'd never heard of this band before when I spun this one up and didn't even know it was a double album. Make sure you play it in its original order to get the full impact. Plenty of brutal tracks like "Eradicate", "Protector" and "Critical Mass" with songs punctuated in between to make you think about what this album is about. Love the cinematic scope of "Weakness Leaving My Heart" as a terrific conclusion. I liked this album far better than the also highly regarded "Antigone." Hector Berlioz Symphonie FantastiqueBerlioz might have been the progenitor of emo goth: Boy likes girl. Girl rejects boy. Boy trips out on hallucinogens, imagining that she's now a witch and she's conducting an orgy and black sabbath that culminates in his death. To clinch it, it's one of the main themes in "The Shining." In Flames The Jester RacePretty much the last IF album I was able to push "play" without feeling dread apprehension. Indigo Girls Nomads Indians SaintsIndigo Girls Rites Of PassageMetallica Master Of PuppetsMetallica Ride The LightningSylosis Edge of the EarthDon't give a fuck about whether or not these guys conform with a "type." They're Sylosis and this album makes me happy. Tracks 2 - 3 are kind of filler for me. Really dig the dreamy sound of "A Serpent's Tongue", "Where the Sky Ends" and "From the Edge of the Earth" which only serve to emphasis the harder tracks like "Dystopia", "Apparitions" (hello Metallica), and "Eclipsed." Like this album much more than higher rated "Conclusion of an Age." You can definitely recognize influences in the different sounds of many of their tracks, but they make them their own. 4.0 excellentBob Mould BeasterFace to Face Don't Turn AwayIn Flames WhoracleIndigo Girls Indigo GirlsIndigo Girls Swamp OpheliaLush SplitMegadeth Rust in PeaceMegadeth bugs me, even with a solid guitarist like Mustaine. However, I will concede they outdid themselves with just this one album. Just about every track was ferocious and laden with excellent guitar work. Only "Dawn Patrol" and "Hangar 18" kind of dragged for me. The rest: amazing. My Chemical Romance Three Cheers for Sweet RevengeMy Chemical Romance The Black ParadeThere's not only a lot of hate for this band and emo overall, but someday, maybe when more people get some fucking self-esteem, I'll still be saying that I enjoy emo done well and guys that look better than I do in makeup. Way understands great showmanship and no other MCR album demonstrates that better than The Black Parade. Scar Symmetry Holographic UniverseSergei Prokofiev Alexander Nevsky, Op. 78Well, of course it's a product of gross nationalism but that doesn't mean it's not a little grotto of musical paradise. Political agenda aside, it's a glorious listen and, after all, a hero is still a hero. Turn "Entry into Pskov" up to maximum volume. Shiny Toy Guns We Are PilotsI miss this band. It haunts me that they are still listed as active on Wikipedia but haven't heard a whisper from them or about them since 2012 when they released the also amazing III. Their WTF did that come from lyrics are what impress me the most but they nailed it on almost every track on this album. I still reach for songs from it 14 years later. Sometimes I can even forget they come from L.A. Slipknot We Are Not Your KindDespite all the filler material they are apparently known for (I haven't listened to whole albums, just songs here and there), this one grows on me the more I listen to it. It's gratifying knowing they still got it in them. Soilwork The Living InfiniteDefinitely new to Soilwork and 7 years late discovering this album. Read some of the reviews here and once again do not hold the popular opinion. "Tongue" and "Leech" are my two faves. Dig both "Living Infinite", "Rise Above the Sentiment" and "Parasite Blues." "Spectrum of Eternity" and "Vesta" are solid but not as good for me as they are for others. The rest of the tracks are just ok, boring or can't stand the lyrics. But based on the quality of the tracks I really did enjoy, this album still stands at a 4 in my book. Sugar BeasterFor those of us who missed out on Bob's speed-fueled days as Hüsker Dü, there's Beaster. It's one of a kind in the Sugar line-up. Nothing else is like it. Superchunk No Pocky For KittyMy one and only mentor in life turned me onto Superchunk and I haven't looked back. This is Mac at his angry and creative best. There aren't any really bad tracks on their second album, but they all serve to provide buildup into their distortion masterpiece "Throwing Things." Plus, how many album names fit a love of Pocky into the title? Here's to you, Rick. Superchunk Here's Where The Strings Come InTestament Signs of ChaosThe Smashing Pumpkins Mellon Collie and the Infinite SadnessType O Negative October RustFor me, TON had a very sort prime in the 90's with "Bloody Kisses" as the glittering black crown. For me, "October Rust" was their swan song. I especially enjoyed "Wolf Moon" and, of course, there's the epic "Green Man." "Love You to Death", "Be My Druidess", "My Girlfriend's Girlfriend" are all solid tracks. I don't like covers usually but "Cinnamon Girl" is all the right kind of dark and catchy. Within Temptation The Silent ForceWithin Temptation The Heart of EverythingWithin Temptation The UnforgivingWolfgang Amadeus Mozart Die Zauberflote, 'The Magic Flute', K. 620Mozart must have been a pretty silly man to come up with the libretta behind this opera. But sooooo many of the arias and duets are incomparably beautiful or just fucking amazing. The man KNEW music. I practically know this one by heart because it never gets old.... even though it's old. 3.5 greatAlice in Chains Jar of FliesArchitects Holy HellTragedy imbues an ineffable quality to art (e.g. "The Crow") and this album is clearly another great example. While I smirk and tend to agree with those that say this group has been releasing the same album for years, I beg exception to this one. The lyrics to "Death is not Defeat" save it from mediocrity for me. The title track isn't bad and found myself banging my head to "Royal Beggars" as well. Bob Mould Black Sheets of RainDarkest Hour Deliver UsI'm not climbing on any roofs to declare a thing about this album, but for "Doomsayer", "An Ethereal Drain", "Stand and Receive Your Judgment" and especially "Tunguska" I declare it every bit worth 3.5 - 3.7. I may have totaled a car for the first time (and under sketchy circumstances I might add) in Fairfax County, but Darkest Hour definitely goes far in redeeming it from my resentment. Delain Apocalypse & ChillDevil Sold His Soul Belong/BetrayEvanescence FallenHIM Love MetalHIM Razorblade RomanceImperative Reaction As We FallMetallica ...And Justice For AllMetallica MetallicaNightwish OnceNightwish Dark Passion PlayNoise Unit DrillChalk up another one for Bill. Brooding, dark and driving. Prostitute is a sonic boxing of my eardrums. Would have fit in very well into the se7en soundtrack. Pantera Vulgar Display of PowerPolaris The Death of MeI thought this was Northlane when I first heard the vocals and bass. Thankfully they're not exploring their electronic side yet. It's not a deep album. They talk about issues you talk about when you're brooding through your 20's. Still tracks like "Masochist" and "Vagabond" are really damn catchy. I found myself understanding the appeal of this album on the third go-round. Worth a listen! Scar Symmetry Symmetric in DesignScar Symmetry The Unseen EmpireScar Symmetry The Singularity - Phase I: NeohumanityShiny Toy Guns IIISugar Copper BlueSuperchunk SuperchunkSuperchunk On the MouthSuperchunk FoolishTestament Souls of BlackThe Birthday Massacre VioletThe Birthday Massacre Walking With StrangersThe Birthday Massacre Pins and NeedlesThe Offspring SmashThey Might Be Giants FloodThis Morn' Omina Le serpent blanc ~ Le serpent rougeTool LateralusTool ÆnimaTool UndertowTool SalivalTool 10,000 Days3.0 goodAlice in Chains DirtAlice in Chains SapAlice in Chains FaceliftAlice in Chains Black Gives Way to BlueAlice in Chains Rainier FogAllegaeon FormshifterNothing wrong with the style or the technical proficiency on this album. It's just lacking anything distinctive to help it stand on its own. Boring. As I Lay Dying AwakenedA listenable album with highlights being "Overcome" and "Defender." I know others disagree, but that's my opinion. As I Lay Dying Shaped by FireMost people who have listened to this album and know what event preceded it, have all decried the lyrics as trite and question the integrity of the angst-filled apologies. My regrets? I wish they hadn't ripped off Blinded to create Parallels and that the vocals didn't make me think of YES when I listen to the title track. I decided to ignore the lyrics and I'm finding that for the most part, I'm enjoying it, which I wasn't able to say for the higher rated FWC or SaS. Bob Mould WorkbookBury Tomorrow The Union of CrownsBury Tomorrow Black FlameDelain April RainDelain MoonbathersDevil Sold His Soul Blessed & CursedDevil Sold His Soul Empire of LightEvanescence The Open DoorEvanescence EvanescenceGoo Goo Dolls Dizzy Up The GirlGorillaz GorillazGorillaz Demon DaysImperative Reaction Imperative ReactionKillswitch Engage As Daylight DiesMetallica Kill 'Em AllFlashback to Metallica as kids playing out of their garage. When it was all about metal and not about politics and money. Unfortunately, this was their only unspoiled album but lacks the maturity and XP to make it great. I don't like listening to music that sounds like it was recorded on a child's tape recorder either because I'm not a black metalhead. If it ever was remastered, I just don't care. Metallica LoadMetallica Garage Inc.My Chemical Romance Danger Days: The True Lives of the Fabulous KilljoysScar Symmetry Dark Matter DimensionsSoilwork VerklighetenDon't know why but this album flowed for me much more than the higher rated "The Living Infinite." "The Nurturing Glance" struck me as uncomfortably close to glam metal, but otherwise great head banging all the way through. Testament Practice What You PreachThe Birthday Massacre SuperstitionThe Birthday Massacre Under Your SpellThird Eye Blind Third Eye BlindThis Morn' Omina L'Unification Des Forces OpposantesThis Morn' Omina KundaliniI only really enjoyed one track on this album but liked it so much it's been on my playlist for a year. How do you rate an album based on that? U2 Achtung Baby2.5 averageAs I Lay Dying The Powerless RiseBury Tomorrow RunesBury Tomorrow CannibalBury Tomorrow is a young person's guide to metalcore. BT were one of my initiate bands into this genre so while the first album I listened to excited me, I found this album could have been a second disc for Runes or Earthbound. They did little to distinguish one song from another. Better Below and Voice & Truth were the only standouts. Cast In Blood Consumed to AshesI initially liked this album on first listen but grew disenchanted after a few listens. The only song I really like is Eyes of Anubis. It's too bad. I really like their vocalist, but the songs themselves don't really do much for me. Delain We Are The OthersClassic testament as to why music bands shouldn't get tied up in politics. Meant to be a vehicle of outrage against the Lancaster murder, if you read the survivor's testament it was all just dumb luck, not a goth attack. Soured me on this album and has stigmatized me towards this band. Delain The Human ContradictionFoundation TurncoatIn Flames A Sense of PurposeSome people say that mediocrity is worse than failure. What happens when you can't tell the difference? Metallica The $5.98 E.P.: Garage Days Re-RevisitedI was never one to enjoy cover bands and, sadly, no amount of technical brilliance can save this one from mediocrity. A cheap thrill to see Metallica play a Misfits song. Tell me. Was it worth it?Skycamefalling 10.21Either black metalcore is really not my jam or this is a boring album. Can't get past these types of vocals either. I'm not in Hell yet. The Birthday Massacre Hide and SeekNormally TBM has their formula down: got goth, got electricity, got twisted and terrific pop. Not this time. I kind of liked "In This Moment" but found the rest of the album trite and uninteresting. Undying The Whispered Lies of AngelsInstrumentally, I can see why people dig this album, but the vocals just kill it for me. Can't deal. Gotta headache now, gotta go. Vektor Black FutureNot keen on this style of vocals. I'm more of a screamo girl. The sound is too contained and like thrashing to coffee percolating while I fix toast in the morning when I'd rather have a cup of tea. Where's the depth of sound? Volumes ViaSubjectively saying, this is not my box of Cheerios. A lot of Polaris without the charisma or the wisdom. 2.0 poorAs I Lay Dying Frail Words CollapseIt's very likely that my perception of Lambesis as an entitled douchebag is affecting how I hear their music, but I gave a few of their albums a listen out of respect for the roots of metalcore. The songs on this album with maybe 1 or 2 standouts are far too repetitive and mediocre. Bury Tomorrow EarthboundIn Flames Soundtrack to Your EscapeOthers were surprisingly generous with this one. The only enjoyment I got out of it was the ever popular My Sweet Shadow which is actually more pop to me than metal. I don't listen to this band for pop. Sugar File Under: Easy ListeningThis album, unfortunately, lives up to its name. A real let down after Beaster and Copper Blue. Within Temptation ResistIt sounds like den Adel hasn't quite recovered from her writer's block because biting into it felt like finding out there was nothing but dough inside. First warning flag: they kept pushing the release date and sent out the only good track as a teaser. They should have just released the one song and then canceled the rest of the album. I think I'm done with WT. 1.5 very poorThis Morn' Omina TaiuNot a single song on here that I enjoyed. I want those 70+ minutes of my life back. Also, why is the best album TMO released not on Sputnik? 1.0 awfulIn Flames BattlesIF descends to the lowest possible rating. It makes me sad. Really sad.
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