Reviews (page 6 of 11)
Edgy af
Very brooding. Very depressing. Not a bad album, but one that makes me glad that The Cure became a bit more upbeat over time.
liked it but didn’t love it. i think i kind of wasn’t it the right mood for it, will give it another shot in the future. 3.5/5
I've always enjoyed The Cure, and this album is no exception. It's not quite as good as Disintegration when it comes to their Discography, but Pornography does capture Robert Smith and company at their gloomiest, with "A Strange Day" in particular lamenting the end of the world.
Would've scored higher but found the unimaginative drumming grating across a whole album, every track has the same beat throughout with no variation. Drums sound very thin too which makes them stand out more.
moody
interesting dark sound going on. unique for sure
echo-y
Listened on 16th June 2025. Favourite song is One Hundred Years. Their other albums are better in my opinion.
Most of the songs sound like the singer's voice is being engulfed by a sea of music. I enjoyed the album very much, but I can't say that I would try to learn all the songs and lyrics in my spare time. Some of the songs made me have to pee.
Moody 80s sound
i gave this one a relisten. i’ve always liked the cure, never loved. always found their LPs to be a a bit inconsistent. although when they make a good song they make an amazing song which is why i never wrote them off. this album is considered one of their best, but id disagree. a pretty okay A side and a great B side. there are maybe two songs on here that i would consider great. also i think i prefer the cure when they write pop songs over their goth songs. i just think smith’s songwriting really shines when he’s writing pop music. moodiness and vibes can’t hide boring songs
3/5
sure they sound cool but not super interesting idk 2.5
Ein typisches Cure Album 3/5
Frekar dark og emó, en ég heyrði góða parta þarna.
The whole album, particularly the tracks: One Hundred Years, The Hanging Garden, and The Figurehead feel so ephemeral or transition-esque. One Hundred Years was a really good start. Really felt the gothic vibes in this album.
Not a perfect album, but very atmospheric
The Cure early days were just pure gothic depression and intense desolation. How not to love it?
Very atmospheric. I think I like the cures poppier stuff more, but I still enjoyed this.
Like most stuff with The Cure for me... it's eh. Not bad but not good, just kinda in the middle.
Yeah, this isn't my favourite Cure album, it's very dense and lacks immediacy. It's on my shelves. Heard before ✅️ Listened this time ✅️ Revisit ✅️ ★★★☆ (6/10) Total reviewed : 314 Already owned : 70 Purchased : 15 To buy : 4 Nope : 225
Sin más, no me ha encantado
I listened to this for the first time in earnest a year or so back, and it didn’t do a whole lot for me then. listening again now, I have more appreciation for the tones and sounds they pulled off, but still feel a sense of fatigue after hearing those minor key structures repeated for minutes longer than I’d like. Robert Smith’s voice also gets a little much after a while for me. I know people love The Cure, so I’m hoping one of their records hits for me.
A lot of drama, not enough action. Much prefer Disintegration.
Not sure when this album falls in their discography, but it’s definitely “them.” A good representation of a great band with an unmistakable sound. None of my favorite songs, but still solid.
It’s better than 17 seconds
Couldn't ask for more toms. I'm hearing Bowie and Tears for Fears in this dark chamber rock album, great contemporaries of the Cure. Parts of it were great, but as an album it felt one-noted and I got bored pretty quick. 5/10
Album is a little less my vibe than Seventeen Seconds is, but still a good album. Darker, more Goth Rock. 3.5 probably.
The drums and lyrics were great but the music of the songs felt indistinguishable.
I just did not get into this one like their others.
This album really met my needs today, given I feel like a ball of defeated anxiety. I also got to tell people I was listening to Pornography, which was itself a huge bonus. As for The Cure, there are other albums of theirs I hope come up on the list.
It was alright. Goth rock at its peak I would guess
I like The Cure. This album is good, but not my favorite of theirs. 3.5/5.
This kinda washed over me, mostly in a good way. Nothing stood out but i enjoyed the experience.
A lot of it sounded the same to me. Listened to the whole album, but no song stuck out to me.
A bit heavier than most Cure songs I know. Worth a listen but might not be something I’d listen to again.
Music from The Cure is very moody and atmospheric. And because it's moody, you're not always in the mood for it. This album is okay with some pretty brilliant bits throughout, but I'm probably not going to be listening to this one much outside of this project.
It was good but nothing crazy
i love the cure. this is not one of my favorites of theirs.
I can tell what's the appeal, I can tell what they influenced and how that includes some of my favorite artists and bands, I can tell how groundbreaking this kind of sound was at the time, but I just can't bring myself to rate this any higher. Entirely and completely competent, but not all that captivating for me personally. That being said, it piqued my curiosity for the rest of The Cure's catalog on this list, whenever that comes.
Heavy man. I very much appreciate the way these songs are structured. Undergirding it all is some of the coolest post punk drumming I've evr heard, upon which is layered dense slaps of atmospheric guitar, echo-y bass and incredibly expressive vocals wailing some of the darkest lyrics I've ever heard (check out 'The Figurehead', oof it's bleak). The atmosphere is something you need to be in the mood for though, because it's fairly unrelenting. Great? Yes. Enjoyable? Ehhhhh
I love the Cure, but Disintegration has way better gothic drama, and Kiss Me Kiss Me Kiss Me has way better pop melodies
Robert Smith loves kissing and things kissing. I like the atmosphere of this release brooding and with a lot of cool synth textures. Unfortunately it’s a little boring, nothing really stood out to me on this record. Maybe some October day I’ll throw it on and it’ll click more. I enjoyed the tracks ‘A Strange Day’ and ‘The Figurehead’. Back to back tracks on the album that called for my attention the most, however the final track was the most interesting wish they had done more experimental tracks like ‘Pornography’ on the whole record
Not the kind of porn I’m in to. Generous 3.
Created a moody vibe which is good if youre in the mood for it. Which i am. Sometimes. Not today: Guitars get repetetive and samey and Smith's repeating of lines meant it was all a bit samey. Was hood for what it is.
It’s called porn because even if you found some moments of worth in the experience you mostly just feel sad afterwards Favorite Song: The Hanging Garden Least Favorite Song: Pornography
A high 3
Не поціновувач таких к'юрів.
1 stern
Man, if I hadn’t heard Disintegration first, I’d probably enjoy this a lot more. I hope Robert Smith is having a great day today.
Sounds like walking into the 80s!
Sorry cringer not bad
I love the cure, just not this album.
Kings of emo. Love the moodiness - just wasn’t in the mood for it today.
Perfectly fine album that didn't impress; there are better albums by this artist
Very goth, very Cure, very good. A 3,5
I found it started a bit weak but then built as the album continued.
Clumsy use of a drum machine, but settles into a couple spinning with echoes of Seventeen Seconds.
Eh, I'm not really feeling this one. It's low energy 80's synth rock and overall it just feels muddy and simplistic. I don't think it's bad per se, but I cannot see myself ever listening to it again - I would probably turn it off if someone put it on. It's right between a 2 and 3 for me. Might be 3 just because I didn't hate it... IDK
not my favourite cure album, but it’s the cure so i like it
I think my prime cure days are behind me. I like some of the components that make up this album. In some ways it should be a slam dunk for me as a person but as a dad pushing 40 now I can't take it as seriously as I might have before. The Cure has to be on this list in some capacity. I don't know how, I'm not a superfan but they definitely have something to their sound.
80's music for sure
Seems like one of the original indie bands. 3
ive listened to the first 4? by now, so far its ok, idk why I'm not into it, just i liked hanging garden. ok this is day 2s thoughts, listened to strange day to pornography. cold is by far my favorite track of this LP 🤓☝️, pretty tuff and I think it works much better as like a vibes song. overall album I think is a 3/5, I wish it leaned more into the instrumental soundscape vibe if that makes sense.
very bad . albums was good though
i am confusion
Its all so bleak
I’ve made it known that I’m not particularly fond of post-punk and my experience with the Cure (along with Cure-like artists) so far hasn’t moved the needle in a more positive direction. However, something about Pornography kind of works for me. It’s a bit odd because pretty much every track is fairly repetitive and sounds just like the previous – that would get really grating under normal circumstances, but I think it helps this album establish a unique, depressingly hypnotic loop. I was still considering giving this one two stars toward its end, but I started to imagine how much I’d probably enjoy these same songs if they were translated into an electronic/dance context and that made me more open to a middle-of-the-road score. I still wouldn’t call myself a fan of the Cure, but their fourth album has helped open my eyes to what post-punk can be when there’s someone at the helm with a strong vision! Highlights: One Hundred Years, The Hanging Garden, Siamese Twins, Pornography
While still a great album I’d put this about my fourth favorite album by The Cure. Everything is good but nothing is amazing, song wise. The bass player is amazing, always nice chunky tones and right in the pocket.
3,5
Interesting. Like a dark, reverb heavy British rock band. Definitely unique.
Mycket utan det instrumentala är fett men jag har svårt sångrösten. Svag trea landar jag nog på.
Jag överskattade min musikaliska kunskap. Trodde jag hade koll på the Cure men har inte hört någon låt från den här skivan tidigare. För dåligt! Hade behövt en till lyssning här, men min instinkt säger trea?
It was not my type. I respect this band; it's one of the greatest, but this disc wasn't good for me.
This is the third and final The Cure album from the 1,001 for our listening group (and the fourth I've heard myself, adding 2024's Songs of a Lost World). I've found I somewhat enjoy their sound, with everything landing in the 3-4 star range. I found Pornography to be on the weaker side (and Disintegration was their best).
me gusta la paicodelia intrinseca que tiene la musica de the cure, como que te deja un par de cables pelados y cruzados en la cabeza. igual despues de la cuarta canción se me hizo un poco repetitivo el disco, pero este no es el mejor disco de la banda, así que me lo banco. sí estuviese deprimido le doy las 5 estrellas, pero ya me terapié así que toma tu 3.
muy bueno
Its dark and deep. Instrumentally interesting. Robert Smith voice and artistry a great addition ...but then thats where it stays and sticks. An average that never really care to take off.
I like the Cure, but probably more their later stuff. This album is the last of their darkest gothic rock stage, before they switched to the lighter new wave genre. It's very interesting and paints a truthful picture of the bands mental state at the time, but don't listen to it if you are feeling down, this album won't help! The music is still sophisticated, but it definitely wouldn't be my pick of a Cure album.
Good but wanted more
It was an ok album, wasn’t offensive but didn’t knock my socks off
Never been a big fan of The Cure, and this album is very much what I might’ve anticipated hearing from them earlier in their career. To be sure, there are some good songs on here. The album got off to a great start with One Hundred Years, and I really liked A Strange Day. But outside of that, a lot of these songs just didn’t hit for me. That’s especially true of the title track, which was just bizarre. Overall, a three star album
I mean, its alright
I liked it for the most part.
The Cure rocks!! The best goth/early emo for miles. Their lyrics and production stand out.
0/8 bekannt 6,5/10 Beste Songs: Siamese Twins, the hanging garden, one hundred years
I like this album; it's way better in my opinion than Seventeen Seconds, but still has tons of dark and gothy gloom to it. There's elements of songs here that remind me of the song Burn from The Crow soundtrack which is probably my favorite Cure song. Not being super familiar with their catalog, I could see this as one I come back to while getting into more of their stuff. 3.25
Initially didn't care for this, but I warmed to it over the listen. It's still not 100% what I'm looking for from The Cure, but it's got some good stuff. 3.25/5
fav songs: a short term effect cold droning, repetitive, bleak 60/100
enjoyed
Just not feeling this one and I like most of what they do.
una vez le hice el amor, a un dracula con tacones
5/10
I can see why people like them but not something I would litsen to Favorite: the hanging garden Least: pornography
Heh...wasn't even that dark to me.
I sincerely hope there’s more cure albums on this list. This is an interesting album but far from their best. Great dark drum sound especially in the second half.
It's what I expected from The Cure. Meh. 2.7/5
I’m a big fan of The Cure but I didn’t really enjoy this album. They are never totally unlistenable, but the themes of this album felt too moody and weary, even by their standards.
I’d say this release should be on a list titled “1001 Albums That Will Fit A Specific Mood, Once, At A Specific Time” If it were, I’d have rated it higher. I enjoyed my casual listen nonetheless
Oh you goths. This was pretty good, actually.
Favorite Track: The Hanging Garden
Depressing goth rock. It does set and keep that mood. Another album more historically important than must listen. Not my style and too depressing lower the grade. 0 songs added to playlist
Hello darkness
woof! bleak! goth vibes!
Ok album with some okay songs, just kinda mid and a blur of slogginess
It's that standard slightly goth 80s pop as from the other albums of the cure. It had a bit more energy and I liked it for it, still not really my thing though.
Not bad at all - very cold, gothic and depressing (everything I understand The Cure to be), but I might not be in the right moment in life to fully enjoy this (it's sunny outside at the end of the day :).
⭐︎3.8 日本国内の様々なヴィジュアル系アーティストが影響を受けていると聞いた。ダークで耽美な世界観が特徴？あと、ドラママシーン。ただ、似たような曲ばかり。歌詞が分かればより世界観を楽しめるのかも。メロディで印象に残るタイプではなかった。
Good album with a few songs I really liked. Overall not my style of music though
Hmmm not this cure… Sick! Haha
Chart Performance for Pornography sure was an interesting wikipedia subtext. Also something about killing an arab, Netanyahus already on that mr the cure dont worry. The Instruments sound really cool, the british man however, does not.
3/5 Disappointing for an album called "Pornography", apparently there was a lot of depression and drug use in the band at the time of writing this album and it kind of shows in the way that addiction can make your life bland and one-note, even if that note is edgy and chaotic. After the first two songs, I found myself asking "Is this song over yet?" Yes, yes it was. This is, in fact, the fourth song in a row you've asked yourself that question. Trés blah, might add one or two to a playlist for whenever I don't want to listen to music, just have it on. Next!
it’s not what you think ! ✋🤚
Goth misery. Not my thing
Love the cure but struggled with this. Pretty dark, without much of the joy of their later stuff
no lo he escuchado todavia
Gothy.
Inte deras bästa. Jämn och spännande till och med banbrytande, men saknar den hit-förmåga visat upp på andra skivor. En stark trea.
Nothing in particular stood out to me.
Nothing offensive when listening to this one but not much stood out, just seemed like 45 minutes of the same droning guitar sound with different lyrics from time to time. I can’t tell if I don’t like The Cure as much as I thought I did, or if this album isn’t their best and may not deserve a place on this list. I’ll give it a three because I wouldn’t be opposed to giving it another go.
Good
very dreary; glad this project gives me a chance to listen to the cure, but i don't know if i'll go back to this unless i want to be depressed; 3 stars
The album was very different from what I'm used to with The Cure. The tone was much more somber, and I admin I don't know what to think of it at the moment. I do admit that it was enjoyable, at least.
Wow, this was a little depressing and a little dark. I will say that they did a fantastic job at creating an atmosphere that envelopes you, bringing you into the album's world. The guitar, bass and drums were a standout for me. I found them to be super well done and very complimentary to the dark aura.
Cool, steering 3, maybe 4
This is not their best, but i dig
One of their darker albums It’s a good album if you are in the mood for it, but you might not be in the mood for its all too often. 3.3
I like The Cure and this album is fine but I much prefer the dreamier, brighter sound they did later than the bleak gothy stuff in here.
Compelling and engaging for the first 5 or 6 songs, with "The Hanging Garden" as a high mark, but others like "Siamese Twins," "One Hundred Years," and "The Figurehead" are excellent too. I love the sound and mood of it. I didn't discover The Cure until ~1986 via the Head on the Door and Standing on a Beach, but this gothrock sound was a big part of my teenage soundtrack. Still, by the end of this it feels soo same-same, and I'm bored/exhausted. 3.5 Compare it to the Head on the Door, Kiss Me, and Disintegration: yeah, this is dull and narrow.
Always knew The Cure but this is my first time listening to an album of theirs. Its quite the experience sonically. At times it sounds like if I was on a Gothic drug trip. I found it surprisingly enjoyable despite the dark atmosphere and depressive lyrics. However as enjoyable as I thought it was it did tend to drag towards the end and become a bit one note. Still I am looking forward to the other Cure albums in this generator. 3/5
I was unfamiliar with this one and I can see why.
6/10… goth rock / dark wave / *1982
A dark, composed (mostly), almost doomy sound. Really gives meaning to the name "gothic rock". In terms of instruments, the bass is generally strong but a little quiet, and the drums and vocals are the "post-punky and uninteresting" that was standard in the early 80s. The songs are pretty slow and repetitive (excluding The Hanging Garden), but none are explicitly boring, except possibly Siamese Twins. The music would certainly be fascinating if it was experienced with drugs – and partly for that reason, the album art is on point, mood-wise. Feels like something you'd see from emo rock or a fan-fiction novel (but not pornography). Speaking of which: the title track isn't boring per se, but it's confusing as heck. I can't work out a situation where you'd ever intentionally spin that mess of garbled noise. One Hundred Years approaches this sort of "doom rock" sound, not so different from what the Beatles pioneered with I Want You (She's So Heavy), though I feel the Cure could work on the musical ideas a bit. Having those two alternating chords for most of the 400-second track length is pretty dreary – but then maybe that's exactly the point. A Short Term Effect and The Figurehead are very similar to One Hundred Years in terms of texture and overall atmosphere; the mood only really starts to shift with The Hanging Gardens, whose guitar and drums are jumpy and frantic. Very exciting to listen to, and a great pick-me-up at this point in the album. Again the bassline takes the cake, though props should also be given to the panned spacey synths that the band seems to adore. No idea how you'd capture that sound live. The track Cold absolutely nails its sound, though I do wonder if it was helped by me living in Scotland in winter while listening to this record. 3/5 Key tracks: The Hanging Garden, Cold
Even in the heyday of my obsession with The Cure this album was a bit much for me. Its relentless mood and full dedication to an aesthetic make it remarkable and one of the most thematically consistent Cure albums. However if you’re not invested by the first song, it’s unlikely that’s full listen will change your mind. Personally I like my maudlin with a dash of pop and melody.
Simile a seventeen seconds ma forse mi è piaciuto di meno
Admittedly enjoyed all of this but never went gaga. Kiss Me x3 and Disintegration more my vibe.
I appreciate the bravado and the vision but I can only listen to isolated tracks from this. It's overall too dark and oppressive.
I like the layered and gloomy sound design, but it's definetely not my style. It gets tiring pretty fast.
No es mi estilo pero no está mal. Hay alguna que otra canción que se puede disfrutar.
It's satisfyingly bleak and dark. But also gets a bit samey. Not sure if I'd return to listen again, perhaps.
I like The Cure but not so much this album.
I’m a Cure fan. I know this one is well loved by most fans, but for me it is average in their discography. Still good though.
cool
I'm only familiar with The Cure's hits. This was similar but somehow those songs weren't hits. Unclear why.
Moody. Dark. Maybe 3.5
Ci sta, molto chill in realtà.
suicidal but sexy
Meh Cure album
I listened to this several times. I don't dislike it. It has it's moments. The percussion is what I like best about these songs. They have a dark brooding mood. It's okay and could grow on me but it general, goth is just not really my cup of English Breakfast Tea.
Well this was incredibly uplifting. I don’t really have anything bad to say about it. I mean sure, it’s full of despair, but the songs were full and powerful. Not an everyday kind of album, but when the mood strikes, and I need another reminder that we’re all going to die…sure. 3.5
#2 Certainly an intriguing album, where darkness and depression just takes over and walks you through an absolutely unbearable journey. Repetitive for sure, but that fits the insanely gloomy mood, maybe even adds to it. This is something that I enjoyed discovering, and it was a good one-time listen, but I would not want to revisit. A strong 3 will have to do for this one.
This is still my least favorite Cure album I've listened to
I like their sound, but didn't care for any of the songs
I liked, but didn't love this album. Maybe too many similar sounding songs, but goddamn do I love Robert Smith's voice. Disintegratration is still their top album to me, but this was a nice album to hear their earlier sound.
Great band, not a great album. Didn't feel much listening to it, nothing that really stood out. Pretty forgetable for a band that usually feels so unique.
Didn't really listen, come back to someday, did half of it,
Solid album, happy to have seen the cure in here. I don’t think this is their best album! But a good listen through and I should purchase the record!
pretty good, nothing really stood out though.
Sonntag, 01.02.2026/ Mittwoch 04.02.2026 ~ Nachmittags ~ In der S1 auf dem Weg in die Magnet-Bar am Rosenthaler Platz/ in der Philologischen Bibliothek der Freien Universität.
Not as strong as their others but ahead of its time
New wave is a great subgenre
Years since I heard this album. Not as strong as it seemed years ago. The hallmarks are there but only a few songs are very strong.
Didn't like the first half but really like the second half
Not my thing
Another album that I think I could grow to love over time. The songs definitely feel like they’re blending together at times, but I love the instruments.
cured
Okay, not me
It was alright. Robert Smith's voice is an acquired taste. Not mine.
Not bad pretty decent
3.5 Front loaded, became quite repetitive in the 2nd half but last track was different.
Mediocre album, nothing great nothing bad 5/10 3/5
This is ok I much prefer some of the stuff that the cure went on to do
Appreciate that it’s one of many acclaimed albums by The Cure, but there wasn’t much here that blew me away. Probably because I know Disintegration exists
the backing tracks are very halloween-y…very creepy and it fills me with a sense of existential dread. final track intro is so scary genuinely… i think those things work for what they’re going for though. the message of the album and that. i wouldn’t choose to listen to these songs outside of listening to the full album for a story though. like it would be completely out of place in a playlist. the poor soul that wrote this :(
its got some good ones
Nothing to write home about 3 ⭐️
Not a fan
The birth of goth rock and Robert Smith's messy look.
I think it got me on the wrong day. Just kinda whiny.
Nice slab of cold dark goth rock. Rhythm section is killer. Dense and atmospheric. Robert Smith's depressing lyrics and limited vocals add to tensions. One or two tracks need a bit of extra something though, bit flat in parts, but good overall
i like some stuff by the cute but this one was just too depressing for me overall. some more upbeat ones like hanging garden but just wasn’t my vibe in general. i still think it’s cool for anyone who enjoyed it, that just wasn’t me personally
not their best, too sad :(
I got bored, but I liked the vibes.
I understand better now why people like them, the music has a unique vibe. it didn't get me yet, but I do get it.
i dig it?
This is a rough listen mostly because I’m not of the right mindset to properly appreciate their point of view…, but I give them credit as we know what was to come.
The Cure’s sound is unmistakable, they seem to have a sound that’s just them and rarely do other visit. My favourite tracks are; A Strange Day, and the Hanging Garden.
scary movie music
Chill vibes to get through the weekend, not my favorite cute, but also not the most easily accessible
Milestone for gothic rock which admittedly is not a genre I am overly familiar with. This album came after Seventeen Seconds. I found the songs running into each other, making a continuous listen which was depressing and beautiful. Robert Smith's voice is haunting in its familiarity. Special mention to The Hanging Garden and Siamese Twins. However glad that I am that I have listened to this album, I doubt I would seek it out again
I like some of The Cure's hits, but there wasn't anything on this one that grabbed me. It was OK, but not something I'd return to.
So gloomy. Hanging gardens is great, rest is ok 3.3
Didn’t hate it, might love it after more listens
Really like Disintegration era Cure, but my listens beyond that have left me cold and, even after a couple of listens here, that still remains. Just think they lack the artistic side that Siouxsie in particular brings to the Goth table and this feels/sounds a little monotone/monolithic as a result.
Struggled with this. I found it very monotone and one paced. It’s not a bad album, it’s just not in any way interesting to me. I guess I’m an “Best of The Cure” kind of guy.
Not very impressive, some very simple parts and almost monotone 5/1/26
This was fine; didn't love it, didn't hate it. There were a few good surprises on the album for me; The Hanging Garden specifically was very enjoyable.
Great early album. Love the cure.
LOVED the hanging garden
Somewhere out there, there's a universe where I don't hate Robert Smith's voice, and am a huge fan of The Cure.
very The Cure vibes
Decent, a definite turning point, but not my favourite. Even fat bob says he struggles with it these days.
Not bad. ★★★
very silent hill background sound a bit eerie, sometimes can feel like it has a repetitive sound
Typisch The Cure
Echo, reverb, synths, lots of toms in the drums. Has a distinct 80s sound, which is not a bad thing, but gets a bit much over 40 minutes. The Hanging Garden is the highlight.
70
I mean it's alright
It's good but sometimes his voice kinda irks me. Like the vibe but it doesn't do enough for me to want to continue listening to it.
Still love the Cure but this is background goth music. 5/10
love love the cure!! not my favorite album of theirs but will always love what they do.
it was alright not really my cup of tea though
Not a huge Cure fan, but it was fine. Kelly and I listened together on separate headphones like silent disco lol so that was fun.
Atmospheric, desolate and glacial. While I don't particularly enjoy Robert Smith's vocals, I have to admit they do work very well drenched in reverb over these brooding, slow, booming songs. I couldn't give this more than an 8, but appreciate why this may be some people's favourite of the list. Best Tracks: - Cold - The Hanging Garden - The Figurehead Worst Tracks: - Siamese Twins Rating: 7.5/10
3.5 pretty good.
I like the dense atmospheric sound and the dirge-like quality, but mostly it's the vocals that put me off.
I enjoyed it overall, not my usual cup of tea but I could get into it if I'm in the right mood. Otherwise, bit too dark and dreary.
A mood album as with a lot of Cure. The tone is set right off the bat with a killer opening track. Unfortunately the rest of the album doesn’t match the greatness of One Hundred Years, but there are other good songs throughout.
12/19/25: I know they came before The Killers but since I listened to The Killers first, that's mostly what I hear in terms of vocals. I may have not been in the right headspace to experience this album. Only listened once. Meh? 5/10
Ooh, scary.
5.0/10 Very depressive.. all songs were similar.
This album was good but not my favorite Cure album.
Liked it way more than I thought I would--really strong second half. Hanging Tree, Siamese Twins were my favorite.
It's not the kind of music I would usually listen to, but I could see how if I was in a depresso mood, I could put it on and brood. Extra star because I could hear the Bowie influence in the songs which helped me experience the album in a more meaningful way.
dark and interesting, but I don't think I would revisit anytime soon
Despite my love for the recognisable sound of this band, I have impression that this record is quite bland. I gave 2nd chance to 3 songs (2,5&6)
Weird
This was the first time I had ever heard of gothic rock, but I totally understood why these songs were considered by that term. They all seemed to have dark themes, with a resounding and implacable drum beat with the exception of the last song. Oddly enough, I didn't hate the album; however, after I was through listening to it, I had to go and find some more upbeat music to get over the feeling of depression I experience after listening to it. Best song: "A Short Term Effect" and worst song: "Pornography". Not an album I would normally listen to and not an album I plan on listening to again.
It's fine
It's fine. Doesn't move the needle high or low for me. If you want The Cure, it'll do.
it was okay, good instrumentals nice vocals
Robert Smith has a great voice , very distinctive, I just thought this album didn’t give it a great workout. Bit dull
It’s fine? I like the atmosphere but that’s all it really offers. I get it’s sad but I wouldn’t say it enveloped me in that feeling as much as it could
The soundtrack for every pasty faced, eye liner having, black trench coat wearing kid in your early eighties high school yearbook. Very much a meh album.
Gothy beauty. ONE HUNDRED YEARS and THE FIGUREHEAD really leans into their strengths. Songs can bleed into one another.
Better than the rest of the 80s slop but not by a lot
Rather repeatable from the other Cure examples from the list
3 out of 5. Third Cure album so far on this list, and while good it doesn't stand with Disintegration.
Pretty decent album, this genre isn’t my thing tho. 3 stars, would listen again
fire album
Goth boys dun good.
This was ok.
I want to stay inside all day and wear dark leather and make up whenever i listen to this album.
If this was an instrumental or perhaps a different non-mopey singer, this album would have been great.
Struggling to get through an album of this. I think it's good, but man it's bleak. Second Cure album in a week and struggling with both. Finally back to it - it's good but too bleak for me. I prefer a bit of pop to take the edge off my Cure
Haunting, but to be expected with the Cure. The production goes a long way an achieving this mood. The guitar distortion, the tempo in which the drums are played, Robert Smith just generally being depressed. This...generally isn't something that I would want to listen to for 40+ minutes at a time, but I've come to appreciate the craft more.
Um ótimo exemplar do Rock gótico. 3 estrelas
Proto-Deftones. I don't hate The Cure as much as I always thought I did.
80/90s punk rock type Siamese twins is pretty solid A bit aggressive lyrics for my taste but enjoyed at the same time
Voix manque de variété
Good
So 80’s pop
Robert Smith has a great voice. Very repetitive album. Drums
Not as good as some of their albums. Disintegration and Faith are more interesting.
Helt OK
never been a huge Cure fan, but they're a legendary band for a reason. there's quality here - Siamese Twins is good so far
Good. A great example of having to walk before you can run as this came before their GREAT Disintegration album.
in one ear out the other
Dark and depressing, pretty much what I expected from The Cure. The musics not bad, but it's not exactly my style.
I'm not depressed or Gen X enough to like this
Robert Smith's voice is urgent and dramatic. The music is atmospheric and tense. It all sounds like it's recorded in an echo-y concrete basement. There's no emotional payoff, no resolution. Why, oh why do people enjoy The Cure? 'Hanging Garden' is pretty cool (nice work on bass, Simon Gallup). Smith's use if a flanger is pretty cool and Lol Tolhurst's drumming is insistent. Still sounds like you're listening from the far end of an unfurnished bunker. I have an admitted axe to grind against 80's music production and there's no exception, here. Everyone was using waaaaay too much reverb and it drowned the songs like cereal gone mushy in too much milk. It ruined a lot of albums. Phil Thornalley, Mike Nocito, Robert Smith's depression and a lot of drugs are to blame, here. Look, I'm a depressive. I'm alright these days, thank you, but I'm touched by music that comes from that place. Sometimes it's just mope, though: 'Siamese Twins' is a perfect example. The song sounds as if the whole band entered a hypnotic trance (or just took a bunch of heroin, or ketamine or something) and droned away while Smith did a stream-of-consciousness rant set to their music. The impression is interminable. On the other hand, the whole album is suffused with an atmosphere that is wholly of that depressive feeling ('Is it always like this?', Smith cries at the end of that track). If you value the effectiveness of mood creation, this is, as the kids say, peak. On the other hand, if you don't want to feel the anhedonia of depression -- the endless numbness, the interminable sense that the outside world's cold sunlight feels warmer to other people but freezing to your skin; that the dead taste in your mouth will last forever -- this'll feel like a slog. Which is just two ways to colour the same line drawing. In the end, it's the sound of a depressed, drug-addicted goth man breaking up with his band in realtime, but recorded from the opposite end of a dank fucking cave. I prefer a delicate, tragic beauty to my depressive music. I think people who like The Cure should like Matthew Good Band instead -- Good is slightly angrier and, for my money, much more poetic about his bipolar disorder. Everything from Last of the Ghetto Astronauts through his first solo release (Avalanche) is rife with angst and sadness, both personal and political. But he's Canadian and from the 90's, so nobody remembers him. The most frustrating thing is that I think there are good bones in here. Smith's guitar almost sounds good underneath the suffocating blanket of synthetic echoes (or maybe the did record this in a goddamn geologic feature). The rhythms are propulsive and precise -- even interesting, sometimes -- but they're usually at about half of a compelling speed. A little less opiates and a different decade might've made this excellent. Instead, it's just a chore. Anyway, if you want to listen to a sad heroin addict melt down in a cave with a rhythm section that hates him, you'll like this. If not, go try listening to Beautiful Midnight instead. 3/5 because it's marginally better than The Smiths.
Angular, gloomy, heavy synth, industrial style-beats. I can't say I've ever dove too deeply into The Cure, and from what I gather the later stuff is a little more upbeat, but this stuff is a bit of a struggle. I have a certain respect for it, but this album doesn't really speak to me. I can't see myself putting it on to listen to, but also feel that maybe I should some more time with, just to let is weirdness and difficulties soak in a little. They're doing something here which is quite cool, but also isn't my speed. I'm happy to have encountered this, but this is roughly the way I feel about The Smiths or heck, even Joy Division. There's songs and moments I really enjoy ("A Strange Day" was a real highlight for me), but listening to 45 minutes consecutively often feels like a lot of gloom.
It's a pleasant enough collection
I'm a big Cure fan, but my love for them essentially begins with 1985's The Head on the Door (a few songs here or there excluded). The earlier, more goth-tinged albums are missing the melodies and emotional heft that led to their wonderful blend of radio-ready hits and hypnotic, swirling gloom. Pornography at least has the building blocks of the latter category, but it's slogged down by layers of murky production and Robert Smith in his most self-serious form. There are gorgeous moments ("Cold" being a personal favorite), but it's missing the playfulness and clarity that's coming.
Nice
Really good propulsive beat to the music, love Robert Smiths vocal stylings, very dark and foreboding, missing the art pop love tracks of later albums
Interesting, but not really my thing.
I find the vocals a little too emo to really like the album.
I dig the music and vibes, just not a huge fan of Robert Smith's singing. "One Hundred Years" and "One Strange Day" were faves on here
Drums were a highlight. Seventeen Seconds did a lot more for me, but there are some nice tiddlywinks here and there.
I like it but not as much as some of the other Cure songs I have heard. It's a more somber affair, it sounds like, and it doesn't really click with me at this time. Maybe a reevaluation later will make my opinion more favorable. For now though, it's alright.
I really enjoy The Cure. But I guess its a 'coming late to the game' kind of situation for me. This is another band that I have wanted to explore their discography. I am more versed with their late 80s stuff, especially what was in heavy rotation on MTV. As much as I have seen this album cover, this was a first listen for me, and I had not heard a single song from it. At least nothing sparked for me. Its a good album but very moody. I have stressed earlier in this list, that I feel I am just too old for moody music. I can see how this would have appealed to younger people in the early 80s or even younger people today, who all seem to emulate the past. But for me it doesn't do a lot. It is The Cure so I cannot give any less that three stars for it.
This album started out SO strong. Feels like a record that was meant to be played at high volume on a nice soundsystem. It’s sooo very 80s in its production. The energy started to drag and get repetitive by the time I hit The Figurehead. Everything started to feel a little one-note. The title track was a nice treat and change of pace but a bonkers choice as an album ender. The one thing I know about The Cure is their dreamy, catchy hooks that beg to be in coming-of-age films, and there isn’t much of that in this record. It’s very cold and dark, and feels a little more like how Robert Smith looks tbh. It’s piqued my interest enough to dive further into the band but I don’t see myself casually throwing this record on again any time soon. Standout track: One Hundred Years
Writing these notes from memory the day after: Damn those drums/evrything on One Hundred Years is so sick. Perfect. By the time I got to track 4 my thought was "ok I get it", started to feel a one note.. Closer track was wild. But the spaces created throughout are so so good, the crazy drum sounds, Robert Smiths vocal delivery is so emotional (if a little repetitive). There were some genuinely scary moments. I liked it! 7/10
I read that this album was fuelled by LSD and alcohol — that tracks. Essential goth rock. Not something I’m too privy to but I do like the general feel/space/sound of the record throughout. Wall of sound but depressing. Standout track for me is ‘Siamese Twins’. Interesting that it’s definitely the most dry (least wet) song. Sounds like a lot of post-punk I love. The jangly guitar melody and the harmonics are so cool. Also the two tambourine hits at the end of every bar make the song. I’ll be listening to this song a lot.
One Hundred Years is pretty scary tbh I like it Some really cool effects on A Short Term Effect, the diving vocal delays and reverse guitar stuff is dope Drum machine city Such a cool atmosphere The vocals were always going to be the challenge on this record for me, I love pretty much everything else. Everything lives in the same range (dynamically and melodically) and I just can’t hang on to it. A Hanging Garden 2010s indie rock band floor toms Cold intro cello is sick Wow, Pornography is a crazy track. The tape loops, the tension, synths in the right ear and toms in the left. This would be absolutely massive live. The most standout feature of this record for me is the atmosphere. The songs aren’t exactly memorable, but they’ve really crafted an interesting world. It feels very dire. I’m not really into the vocals for the most part, but on the closing track they are perfect. There’s an urgency and desperation to them. A lot of really cool 80s production moves, some of it pretty trope-y at this point with 40 years of context, but I can imagine in 1982 this record sounded absolutely nuts blasting out of some teenagers bedroom speakers.
Bit too much for me but quite enjoyed it still, some tracks like Pornography wasnt my thing but The Hanging Garden was great.
Good music... But in measure
Was ok but kinda backgroundy to me
It was alright.
I'm quite familiar with the Cure's more popular material, so this album came as an interesting surprise. This album's release was an important step in the development of the Goth movement, as well as a turning point in the style of the band's music. If you want to wallow in navel-gazing misery, this album is a great way to do it. In some phases of my life this has been an important activity. I'm not there right now, but will give this another listen next time I need it.
Really great album, it's not my favorite of the Cure, btu from what I've listened too it seems like one of their more difficult to grasp and amorphous album. I like it, but didn't super connect on this listen.
Ret råt i lyden, men et udmærket album.
I never heard anything off of this album. The rhythmic riffs and darks tone (even for them) was quite appealing.
The Cure conjure up an effectively gloomy, nightmarish atmosphere of despair, even if the songs aren’t always the most memorable. You could probably just listen to One Hundred Years and get the whole vibe immediately without going through the whole thing.
The Cure has always felt like 80s British My Chemical Romance to me. Its great. Its dark, its sexy, its desperate, its lonely. Its like OG emo. I can definitely jam with this record, but admittedly, its not my favorite by The Cure. I do tend to gravitate towards more of their pop rock stuff. My caught my attention with this one was the percussion. This does feel like a "foundational" album for The Cure. Not quite to full tilt, but really cool. All the elements are there. I'm also kind of picking up some Marilyn Manson, Rob Zombie and Depeche Mode in this record. Its a lot darker than some of their later work.
If half stars were possible, this would be a solid 3.5 for me. It’s moody and good, but doesn’t quite have a wow factor. Enjoyable once through, but no really stand-out tracks
It was a Dark and Stormy night - err album. I like the later Cure albums better but this was a good listen.
An album that didnt gave any goosebumps but actually enjoyed.
it's ok
This was alright. I like The Cure but it wasn't my favourite.
No me ha encantado en la primera escucha aunque me ha resultado interesante. El tipo de disco que me irá gustando más cuanto más lo escuche.
diluted dread, i guess kinda what I expected for a Cure album, might be worth a revisit
I may be the worst music reviewer of all time as something has to really suck for me to talk poorly about it.
Pre Thoughts: - I've heard 100000 good things about this album, I hope they are true. - I think Robert Smith is cool and this band has tracks I like, I even thought their newest release was decent. During Thoughts: - Immediate right energy for me today. - Production is decidedly rough, but fitting for the aesthetic - Guitars are cool and sharp sounding Post Thoughts: - Nothing super jumped, but def think it was enjoyable. - Specific for a certain headspace and time, but services its environment extremely well. Standout Tracks: Hanging Garden, Figurehead, Cold,
Captivating! Weird time shifts, key changes. I can feel the rebellion inside of what you could describe as pop songs met with punk. Not a huge fan of his voice but it’s interesting. Drummer stood out the most. I actually liked this and might check out their other stuff
Reminds me of Depeche Mode!
Some decent songs but it gets samey after a while.
The Cure's appeal is clear -- technically adept music and highfalutin lyrics -- but I cannot muster enough interests in their nothingness.