Third

I love this album. Feels lukewarm this inspired lots of mournful indie singers of today (Mitski, The Japanese House).

There is nothing like Portishead

love love love

This is album 1001, and even though it’s not the actual final album, it is an important milestone, and I am thrilled that it’s a great listen. I’m also thrilled it’s not another 70s rock album. Also, in a little bit of weirdness, I literally listened to this *last night*, so my notes will be a little bit of an amalgamation between my feelings during last night’s listen and this morning’s. First, I adore Portishead. In fact, in my review of Dummy, I called it “perfection.” That album, and their second self-titled album, were in incredibly heavy rotation for me at a certain time of my (much younger) life, and bring back so many memories. I was desperate for Trip-Hop albums, desperate to hear sounds that made me feel the things that Beth’s voice made me feel, but alas, Portishead are one of a kind. Fast forward eleven years. Since Portishead last released an album, I had joined and left the military, lived in six different states, completed a lifelong dream of living in Los Angeles, started an IT career, met my wife, had a child, left my IT career, and moved away from Los Angeles, and California, completely. To say that I am a very different person with a very different life would be an understatement. So, I think I kind of missed this release. That’s not to say I never listened to it, I’m sure I did, but it didn’t stick like the others. Whether that’s because of the change in their sound (which I’ll get to), or my place in the world, or whether it’s because the way that we consume music had drastically changed, with iTunes and streaming, who can tell? But I didn’t breathe this album like I did the other two. So onto the review. It’s excellent. But full disclosure, it took me three listens to connect to it. There are a couple of reasons, I think. The first being that I expected it to be the same Portishead as I listened to on the first two albums. But as I sit here thinking about it, I write all of that stuff above (which I wrote before listening today) about how much my life and mindset and personality and location changed in the eleven years between albums. Why wouldn’t I think that the people in Portishead had changed just as much? And why wouldn’t that be reflected in their music? The second reason dovetails into the first. This album is really different! On the previous two albums there was a haunting quality to both the music and the vocals. But throughout, both music and vocals aligned perfectly in mood and tone. On this album, there is a dissonance between the vocals and music. The downtempo, Portishead feel, the haunting quality of the music and vocals are still there, but they are not aligned. They battle each other in a way that is not necessarily immediately obvious. You notice that something is “off,” but you can’t put your fingers on it. It’s like they’re telling the same story but the perspectives are different. Why is that disconcerting? Because usually the music and vocals of a song tell a story, and the listener interprets it in a way that is meaningful to them. But on this album, the listener gets the story two different ways. So whose perspective resonates? What interpretation moves you? How do you, the listener, interpret two stories at once? It’s almost like listening to two conversations at the same time, it’s overwhelming. At the end of my second listen, on the song Threads, it clicked. I battle my thoughts I find, I can't explain I've traveled so far But somehow feel the same I'm worn, tired of my mind I'm worn out, thinking of why I'm always so unsure The journey I spoke of above. No matter where I go, I’m always there. No matter how much I change, I’m always me. No matter how much I grow, I’m always so unsure that I’m doing the right thing, being the right kind of husband, being the best parent to my boys, being the best citizen of the world possible. Incredible album.

Hef aldrei hlustað á þessa áður, en eftir að hafa hlustað á hana fjórum sinnum er mér efst í huga þakklæti fyrir það að þau ákváðu að halda áfram að gera tónlist. Djöfull er þetta frábært band.

this was amazing, some insane production, i don’t think there’s much of a drop in quality from Dummy on this, it was really good, machine gun was an insane song

Portishead is something. This album is one of the most.... What a voice....

invented an entire new sound

(10/10) A life changing album. Words do not describe what's within.

A master class in alienating your entire fanbase with a single album. And I am *here* for it.

Sou suspeito pra falar de uma das minhas bandas favoritas de todos os tempos. Esse disco foi um retorno depois de mais de 10 anos sem material inédito e é o Portishead ainda mais experimental, sem deixar o lado soturno que carimba sua característica sonora. Amo!

I wound up listening to this album across two different drives, from work to home and back. I tried finishing the album prior to that second drive, taking advantage of some extra time I had in the morning to lie down and listen with my eyes closed, but I wound up dozing off. Having now heard the rest of the album, I have no idea how I managed to fall asleep. I was all-in on this album mere seconds in, completely captivated by the disjointed conflict between the rapid percussion and the beeping electronic chirp. This song felt tonally similar to the opening track of Massive Attack's Blue Lines, but each album takes this starting point in a very different direction. Where Blue Lines moved into a kaleidoscopic collage of upbeat energy, Third moves downward into a deep ocean of melodrama and distortion: I love both of these approaches. All of the strange sound effects used for melodic lines satisfy the part of my brain which grew up on quirky EDM production, balancing these odd squeaks and chirps with haunting vocals. Speaking of the vocals, I spent the first few songs slowly recognizing the vocalist more and more, scratching my head to place exactly where I recognized her from, before it finally clicked: this is Beth Gibbons! I knew her from her feature on Kendrick Lamar's Mother I Sober, one of my favorite moments on an incredible album, but her voice sounds even more incredible in its natural soundscape here with Portishead. Her heart-achingly beautiful singing is the perfect grounding element against the constant bits of harsh industrialism that bubble up to the surface constantly throughout the album; the balance reminds me of other artists I love, such as Poe and Perfume Genius. Time and time again I realize that I have been underestimating the list, as it continues to introduce me to new bands and artists which feel tailor-made to burrow their way into my listening habits: Portishead is absolutely one such band. Highlights: Silence, Hunter, Nylon Smile, The Rip, Deep Water, Machine Gun, Small, Magic Doors, Threads

There is something magical about how they pull this style off. Dark, but utterly seductive. Full of sharp twists, yet oh so cohesive.

I’m late to Portishead but so far I love what I hear 😊

Det er ret imponerende at have 2 albums på listen når man kun har udgivet 3 albums i hele sin karriere. Hvor Portishead i 90erne var banebrydende medskabere af Trip Hop, så er de 11 år efter deres senest album tilbage med en helt anden lyd. Det er stadig elektronisk, men også post-punket, krautrocket og filmisk i sit udtryk. Væk er scratching og de klassiske Hip Hop bests. Nu er lyden intenst kuldegysende. Kun Beth Gibbons stemme trækker tråde tilbage til de tidligere albums. Denne gang lyder hun mere forpint end nogenside før.

J'avais jamais écouté cet album.

J'avoue que j'y allais à reculons... je suis pas toujours dans le mood trip-hop. Mais wow, ces musiciens là sont vraiment talentueux. Et puisent dans un répertoire extrêmement large. Il y a des parties hard rock (guits disto avec un tone plutôt le fun), des parties groovy qui vont même jusqu'à me faire penser à The Doors, de l'électro-acoustique, une toune de ukulele folk qui détonne franchement avec le ton général de l'album MAIS avec des harmonies vraiment spaces dans les fins de phrase qui fait que ça passe. La voix de la chanteuse est superbe, je me répète comme dans Dummy.

Plus glauque et dark encore que dummy? Ça me parle

Many people know Portishead, but usually they only know songs of the first two albums and not much of the third one even though the album was critically acclaimed - and rightly so! It's an album that goes away from the trip hop (a name the band didn't like anyway) into a wider mix of electronica, acoustic music, industrial and so on. Beth Gibbons haunting vocals give a good counterpoint to all of the heavy music and that's the irritating fascination in the music. The album starts great, but the last four tracks are the gems of this album. Special shout out to "Deep Water" which is a good break from all the heavy stuff by leaning into Hawaiian music.

Grim, bleak, and moody. As Beautiful as ever. I love Portishead.

Maestros de la melancolía oscura

Despite being a huge fan of Dummy, I had not (somewhat surprisingly) listened to this before. It's quite different from Dummy, but amazing in its own right. Among other highlights i really liked the moment about half way through The Rip when the arpeggiated synth comes in. I feel like I might listen to this album obsessively over the next week or so.

Pure anxiety and terror in album form. Each track is approachable, due to Beth Gibbons’ traditional torch-song vocals, and yet at the same time it is impossible to predict how any of it will go, due to the group’s complete abandonment of any sort of traditional instrumentation and arrangement. This sounds nothing like other Portishead records, and in fact nothing much like anything else. One of the best of its decade, and time will reveal it to be a classic. Best track: “Machine Gun”

cool! 5/5

Tremendo me parece poco calificativo para este álbum. Portishead tienen su hueco en la historia de la música por convertirse en los reyes del trip hop, aunque en este tercer álbum se permiten mezclar otros estilos y hacerse más versátiles. Lo que no cambia es la presencia totalmente avasalladora de Beth Gibbons, desde su aparente fragilidad, que en un momento te destroza las entrañas con l rotundidad de su quejumbrosa voz. Si los has visto en directo no te sorprenderá esa sensación. Su música es todo un viaje, a veces incómodo, pero siempre preñado de verdad y de dolor. "The Rip" te estremece hasta la médula, al igual que "Threads". Cada tema es una excursion al fondo de tu alma. Y "Machine Gun" es... hay que escucharla, porque no thay manera de describirla. Notas cada disparo en tu estómago. Un 10 de 10.

This would have been even more awesome in October, but this will do. The Rip and We Carry On are two of the most distinctive and engaging songs I've encountered on this ride. Not a definitive look into what Portishead is known for, but one that made me turn my head (9/10, 5/5 on this scale)

Beth Gibbons voice takes you to heaven, while crying. Amazing how this album turned out considering the time gap. The magic was always there.

462/1089 - This album is so creepy and cool. Songs stop abruptly, sharp and mechanical percussion contrasting with Beth Gibbon's unique legato phrase. Trading their noire/trip-hop sound for a krautrock/post-industrial sound. I really hope they have another album in them and I hope it sounds nothing like this, just like Third sounds nothing like Self-titled or Dummy.

Dark and disturbing - I love this. The album feels like it should have been the soundtrack to any of these movies from the 1920's, Metropolis, Nosferatu or The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari.

Portishead has not left much of an impression on me in my previous encounters with their music. It always seemed like something I could respect but wasn’t really for me. I might have been impatient. This album starts off interesting enough, but by the time The Rip segues into the electronic groove in its 2nd half I’m completely in. Beth Gibbons’ vocals add a beautiful fragility… sometimes matching the music, other times acting as its counterpoint. Plastic continues the strongest stretch of the album… leading to We Carry On, which might be my favorite track here. The variety of sounds throughout the record keep me interested and are particularly mesmerizing in this song. I love how the sparse ukulele track, Deep Water, leads right into the aggressive electronic bombast of Machine Gun. The sequencing of tracks on this record is such a strength, as are the sonic shifts within each song. It makes for so many memorable moments. “Third” is an album I felt needed multiple listens to even begin to rate it, and I’m sure more listens will continue to reveal more hidden treasures within. I’m looking forward to reevaluating Portishead’s other music and continuing to build my appreciation for this masterpiece too.

The strings and drum loops on Silence evoke movie soundtracks, not in a bad way. Vocals are on full display - plantive and full of emotion. The bass is so good, and when the drums come back in all the pieces fall into place. Hunter is good too, acoustic guitar now alongside the synths. The Rip is near perfect, an acoustic intro giving way to drums and a warm, thick, fuzzy bassline. Simple effective melody throughout. I love it. We Carry On goes even deeper. Now the synths are mechanical sounding, the melodies a bit dissonant. The machine is falling apart. But the bass drives us forward. Great distorted guitar riff too. It's not happy, but it's a powerful track. After an interlude, Machine Gun drives the oppression up to its limit, all harsh drums and industrial synths. It's an assault on the listener and I can't decide if I love it or hate it. Small is less aggressive at first, but still very unsettling, with a quite special layered synth melody halfway through. It sounds middle Eastern to me, or Egyptian - a pharoah marching to war. Threads is a nice mix of acoustic and intense sounds to finish, brooding and helpless. I was ready to deduct marks but I felt compelled to come back to this and more of it starts to click. There's not much filler - and where we do get quiet moments, it feels like space to breathe. I can't even tell what genre this is, but I'm here for it.

Portishead on itself it's a legendary band in the Trip-hop space. They are easily one of the most recognizable faces, and they have a decent discography that's interesting in how they only released music when they wanted. That's remarkable due to the high quality of all of their albums and the strong aura and energy that contains their music. It's dark. That's the best word, but more than that, the nocturnal, dreamy, loopy, sad and nostalgic vibes that Trip-hop usually has, is something that's well represented in their 3 albums. The interesting part to me, is how these 3 albums (and their perfect live) despite being trip-hop adjacent albums, are different and unique in its own ways. In short, the first is a quasi-perfect definition of what is a trip-hop album. The second, is most grimey, noisy, obscure and, I must say, alien in some way. While the first was very cohesive, this second one feels expansive and an exploration contained to what you could expect from them. And there's the third. I must confess that the first time I heard it, I didn't like it. Its such a big departure from everything that was done until this point that felt jarring and uncomfortable listening to it. But that's the crux of it: while the first two albums were quite sad and nostalgic, this one is another level. In a second listen, with a better pair of headphones and more concentration I realized that this album is the logical conclusion of what they were doing before. It's a sad, intense, discordant and heavy album. But at the same time, is based on loops, samples, minimalistic in some parts and has the haunting voice of Beth Gibbons, similarly to the previous 2. In some way, if someone asked what could Portishead say after more than 10 years, this is the logical answer: nothing gets better. The pain, the longing, the nostalgia, all of that remains. And some of it gets worse. I do not think this album is something accessible and its totally understandable if someone outright dislikes and hates it. It has such a dark vibe, that at some point i feel it has somewhat of a spiritually negative connotation. But, I think, that it's an honest and compelling artistic work, and that I don't see how the repetition of the same style and thoughts of the first 2 albums would be artistically good. And even if I don't like it that much for casual listening, I find it essentially, without flaw. That's why Portishead is so well regarded, I think.

This album is so good So tasty So clever It's one of the best release of the 2000! They stepped away from the classic styling of the Bristol sound because they done that already and yet it really still sounds like the same direction, a push foward. Maybe this is experimental rock, but it's a Portishead album nonetheless and it's great!

Another banger from Portishead. First few songs feint in a different direction from their earlier trip-hop sound, but it eventually gets there anyway. The beat on Machine Gun actually sounding like a machine gun is cool as hell

😎🎶🎶🎶

I only liked Machine Gun when I was young, but this whole album is excellent. Bristol is the world's greatest city for music.

This feels like the first time you go to a swanky speakeasy in another country. They seem to always begin with a trip down a dimly lit alley, looking for an entrance that seems slightly off from the rest. Hmm, this one has several security cameras around it - must be the spot. Knock, knock, knock met with silence. Listening for life, you are finally asked for the password by a faceless silhouette behind the door. Heading down a long corridor, downstairs, through a secret passage to another door. Behind this next one, you are immediately met with music, candles, the sweet aroma of drinks, and a room full of secrets.

Wow. That was a lot to take in. This is Portishead's third and, as of right now, final album, fittingly titled Third. Of course, I've already listened to Portishead's legendary 1994 debut album Dummy and I still really love it to this day. Easily one of the top 50 best albums of this list at minimum. It's probably top 40, maybe even top 30. It's just that good. So, as one might expect, I was rather excited to listen to another album of the band's given my love of the material that I had heard prior to today. Did Third disappoint? Not at all. Third is a very different album from Dummy though. That album was a land-mark release for the trip-hop scene, and was defined by its more atmospheric and enchanting production. Ambient and enchanting are not words that I would use to describe the production on Third. I'd probably use words like anxious and cold. Third is a very stressful album to listen to and I love it. You see this, Throbbing Gristle? This is how you make stressful music that's actually still enjoyable to listen to! Of course, that's not to say that there's no overlap between Dummy and Third in any capacity. "Plastic" is basically a trip-hop song and Beth Gibbons delivers just as amazing of a vocal performance throughout the album in 2008 as she did in 1994. The album's other songs all change things up considerably and it pays off so well. The krautrock-esque opener "Silence" sets up the album's tone very effectively before abruptly cutting to the fairly beautiful "Hunter." "The Rip" is just wonderful. I really love the bass and drum groove in the latter half of the song. "Machine Gun" is probably the album's most unique song and it exemplifies the anxiety of the album perfectly with this repetitive mechanical drum beat playing throughout the song that's expanded on with the other instruments. It's pretty great. And then the album closes with the 1-2 punch of "Magic Doors" and "Threads" that tie up the album's loose ends perfectly. The instrumental talent behind the band is just as strong as it was on Dummy, but seeing it used in such different ways is super cool. The writing might be even more introspective and somber than Dummy's writing, and that's saying something. I don't think I could call Third a better album than Dummy. As stated earlier, the number of albums that I could call better than Dummy is very slim. However, Third is not trying to be Dummy. This is an album that shows a band willing to take risks, try new things, and see an artistic vision all the way through, and I have so much respect for that. It sees the band leaning into an energy that I'm sure is hard for a lot of people to stomach, but if you're in the right headspace, I'm sure this album will do wonders for you. Fortunately, or unfortunately depending on how you look at it, I think I am very much so in the headspace to appreciate this album's more stressful elements. I don't know how, but despite switching things up as much as they did, Portishead made another masterpiece. Decent 5/5.

Different from the first two records of one of the most influential bands of 90's Britain. More electronic, les jazz influenced but a pleasure to listen.

4.5 - Essential late night listening for a haunting evening. An amazing album with some great songs (see the Rip). I searched for this album once before when looking for albums with songs that flow into each other.

Years ago when I listened to this for the first time I was kind of disappointed, because it didn't sound much like Dummy, but over the years I have grown to really love this album. It has such a unique sound, and so many great songs, and Beth Gibbons is just a phenomenal singer. I still don't think it is as good as Dummy, but it is still a great record on its own. Mid 5!

brooding and ominous, but restrained. atmospheric without drifting off, oppressive without crushing.

Hell yeah let’s go

According to last.fm, I've listened to this album all the way through about forty times. 18 years after its release, I still put it on when I stumble across it in my library and it still feels fresh and exciting. Every Portishead album is a perfect five for me, but this one still somehow stands apart from the others. Coming a full decade after their sophomore album, it feels like a true evolution in their sound, moving from trip hop to more diverse range of electronic influences. Much of it sounds harder and more driving than their other works, but at the same time it's still unmistakably and inimitably Portishead. Who knows if we ever get another album from this group. But it's hard to imagine a better swan song than this

After "Dummy" was released by Portishead, they had the hard job of making an album that could compete with it. Portishead succeeded 14 years later with "Third". It's not trip-hop like "Dummy", one of my favourite albums, but "Third" is absolutely brilliant. I did not think for a second that this album would be any good at all. Most bands fail terribly after a genre change. 5 stars for "Third".

I missed this one back in 2008... wowza this is dark and fab. Much much cooler than Dummy.

I think I’m higher than a 5. I might be at a 10 on another re-listen or two. “Vespertine” is about the carnal feelings of love. “The Downward Spiral” is about the carnal feelings of depression. This album is about the carnal feelings of anxiety, panic & paranoia. This album feels like it’s tackling the self-doubt that consumed the band over the course of their 11-year hiatus, and applying it to a more human condition. It feels like every track here is loosely connected; whether it’s in a plot-driven framework or not, I can’t say, but the general thematics of tension, the inability to love one’s self, and yet the desire to persevere despite the anxiety causing deep internal struggles… it’s all very human, in a way that only a few albums so far have captured. You'll need headphones in to capture it, but it's there. I will say though; it’s not really in the lyricism. It’s definitely there, and it’s very well written, but it’s more so to set up the mood that the instrumentals deliver on, as well as Beth Gibbons’ more Bjork-inspired vocals. The lyricism is sparse, letting the pulse of the synths & percussion & reverb/effect heavy guitar / other instruments sell the anxiety of the album more. I think it fully exposes itself & its intentionality around the 4 minute mark of “We Carry On” – there’s a natural panic that emerges, and while I do think it’s a little hard to focus on her vocals & lyrics because of it, that oddly enhances the song further. Her vocals carry a determination to keep pushing forward, but it’s counteracted by the sort of machine gun percussion & militaristic tone sort of forcing her to push forward, whether she had the determination or not. It makes the struggle of the track feel more real. That balance between emotion & intention, where desire & the circumstances surrounding you might not line up, is something this album captures really nicely, and it’s where all of the anxiety stems from. Ironically, the top review on this site nails the tone of the album correctly, but they gave the album a 1. I don’t know whether it’s because they didn’t like the music, or if it was too close of a reflection to want to give it a higher number out of… I dunno, some other circumstance. I think this album being the soundtrack to anxiety is its perfect strength, and that’s why I’m currently at something higher than a 5. I love albums that can capture specific moods so well, or capture the human spirit in a way that feels deeper past the music. Obviously, I won’t blame anyone for dismissing this as trite electronica that it thinks it’s bigger than itself in a super artsy sense, but for my tastes, I just happened to really fucking dig it. Between this and “Dummy”, consider me a fan. Really, really good stuff.

онестлі - фаєр

Absolutely perfect in every way. This album is a journey, and you can tell that every single note and word is placed perfectly. The production value takes it to another level, transcending genre. The Rip is probably one of the best songs of all time, and I loved all of them that I hadn’t heard before. Portishead can do no wrong. Top Songs: The Rip, Hunter, We Carry On, Machine Gun, Magic Doors

Absolutely excellent. A soundtrack for the turn of the millenium industrial blues.

I'm a big fan of Portishead. When Third came out, I was surprised it sounded so different than the previous albums, no turntable stuff, stark sounds that started and stopped. But once I got used to it I fell in love. The only thing that throws me off still is how much Machine Gun sounds like the Terminator theme at the end. I assume it was subconscious accidently copying it, but still, lol.

There are moments anchored in the familiar — a Hammond B3 organ here, guitar squalls there, some programmed industrial percussive sounds — but what stands out about this album is just how unlike anything else it sounds, like Portishead had no interest whatsoever in returning to trip-hop as its template. Its genius is how is mashes up old-sounding 60s-influenced studio productions with simple guitar and keyboard runs, then interrupting it with unexpected and sometimes ugly-sounding textures that add depth while taking the songs to new, unexpected and exciting places. Even the more conventional elements, like those mentioned above, aren’t deployed in usual ways; industrial stomp isn’t in service of a dance track, but rather to reinforce the starkness. Beth Gibbons’ melancholy voice connects it all, somehow. On another level.

5 stars just for the album cover. I adore this one. Beth sounds great on here. Not nearly as trip-hoppy as their previous works (for better or worse). Wikipedia trivia: "Deep Water" was inspired by Steve Martin's performance of "Tonight You Belong to Me" in the 1979 film The Jerk.

wow deze vond ik echt een bangerrrrrr

i'm no stranger to Portishead, i've listened to all 3 albums long before starting this list. admittedly, i listen to this a lot less than I do the first album Dummy (which is widely considered their best release), so it'll be nice to listen to this and give it a proper rating Silence - 5/5 Hunter - 5/5 Nylon Smile - 4/5 The Rip - 5/5 Plastic - 4/5 We Carry On - 5/5 Deep Water - 3/5 Machine Gun - 5/5 Small - 4/5 Magic Doors - 5/5 Threads - 5/5 Average score: 4.5/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ personally, i still don't think this beats Dummy, but it's a great listen overall. it leans more industrial than their previous releases (maybe even a little psychedelic), yet it doesn't distract too much from the soft and haunting vocals from Beth Gibbons. similar vibes to some of Massive Attack's work, which doesn't surprise me at all considering they're both under the trip hop umbrella since i can't give it a 4.5 star rating, I'll round up my rating. i think it's well deserved

90

Holy shit I love Beth gibbons so much this album slaps so hard. The rip is a 10/10 song and the run of we carry on -> deep water -> machine gun is perfect

This album captures a tense feeling of dread about something you can’t quite define, like fearing something you don’t fully understand. It sits in that space the whole time and does it incredibly well. The instrumentals are unique and genuinely cool, with a lot of tempo shifts and strange textures. “Plastic” sounds like it’s glitching out with error-like effects, and at times it feels like something hovering over you, always present and unsettling. The drums are great too, with unpredictable tempos that make every track feel unstable in the best way. The vocals are fantastic, but that’s expected from Beth Gibbons at this point. And the guitar on “We Carry On” is dirty in the best possible way, adding to the album’s anxious edge. Overall, it’s a dark, moody record that I’ll definitely come back to. 9/10.

Portishead goes 3/3

Don't ask me why, but this particular Portishead album took way longer to click than their other two. Well, I guess I should try to explain why. To me, it feels more scattered, experimental, rough, and rigid when compared to the '90s albums. It's maybe the least consistent as well, and their most challenging listen, given it's their most nuanced and detailed album yet, and not as sample-oriented as say 'Dummy'. I'm usually fine with albums like that, but I don't know, something about this one always threw me for a loop. Either way, though, I find that this album grows on me with every subsequent listen, and this one was no different. The songs that I've always adored, like 'Magic Doors' and especially 'The Rip', were just as great this time around, but many of the other one-off moments here resonated with me even more this time. For example, it's never registered how relentlessly dark and gothic 'We Carry On' is, in a sort of industrial way, and I've never heard Gibbons sound so distraught and tense in her vocal delivery. Also, shoutout to that incredible outro, one of the best on the album. And there are A LOT of great outros here, I'd say they're the highlights of this album. Like with 'Machine Gun', which never ceases to amaze me with how grainy and overdriven those drums sound against this glorious detuned analog synth line. The outro on 'Small' is another incredible outro, bringing out this post-rocky, delayed, and overdriven guitar tone that I just love so much. This entire song's progression is mind-blowing as well, just building up to that one cathartic moment. 'Deep Water', for as out of character as it is, seems intentionally placed to break the tension at one of the most precarious moments in the album. I've mentioned 'Magic Doors' already, but it's lyrically one of the most bleak songs here, which is saying a lot. There's so much defeat in Gibbons' words and melody, a sadness only rivaled by a song like 'Roads'. I don't think I fully understand this album *yet*. It lacks an identity, and I'd even say it lacks a direction for me at least. But there are far too many incredible moments here for that to even begin to hinder my enjoyment of it. I'd say this time around, this album really clicked. Really Really clicked...

A work of genius. I loved their first two albums and was excited for this. Combining the early vibes with Motorik Krautrock repetition and loops and a Broadcast folk horror feel...it took a few listens to sink in, but this is an almost perfect album for me. 5 stars every time. Dark, haunting, melodic, glorious

They go to some very dark places on this album and it works beautifully. Moving from trip-hop to a more experimental art rock approach, these songs often sound like a cry for help. There are echoes of Brian Eno here and there and Beth Gibbon's voice is plaintive and haunting. It's a shame that this was their last album since, to me, this was their pinnacle. I love the way the songs morph and change halfway through such as on "The Rip." A highlight is "Deep Water" with just the ukulele accompaniment and those creepy backing vocals. A dark masterpiece of an album that lingers in its sonic intensity.

Absolute genius. The sounds are expertly picked, especially on "Machine Gun". My ears love picking this album apart and my brain loves getting lost in it

9.5 / 10

Her voice is mesmerizing. I really enjoyed how We Carry on built up- very rhythmic. I am starting to understand what Trip Hop is... Some of it is a bit TOO experimental for me, but overall, I really enjoyed it.

Their first two albums were dark but also had some warmth and sensuality. This one is just bleak, experimental and hopeless. It’s also their best

It's for album like this one that I started this whole adventure. Mesmerizing.

I can hardly think of a better album in the genre. So cold, sombre and atmospheric... Listening to this in November is dangerous.

Thought about giving this a 4, but really it’s a 5. Definitely picking this up on vinyl. It’s a masterpiece.

Really like Portishead, feeling 5 stars

Not like the other two, but just as good if not better if you give it a chance. A bit more industrial than trip hop, but her voice carries the entire thing anyway.

A brave move away from their classic Trip Hop, but still excellent.

Awesome - brittle voice fighting the great sounding noise. Already classic.

It might be an unpopular opinion, but i prefer this to Dummy, hands down - heavy duty beats, mournful lyrics, everything you could want and more. Not too fussed about having a random ukulele track in the middle, but it's not enough for me to take a star off!

Released after an 11-year hiatus, Third is a radical reinvention of Portishead’s sound. It abandons the trip-hop blueprint that defined their 1990s classics Dummy and Portishead, replacing it with a bleak, experimental vision that draws from krautrock, industrial, psychedelia, and early electronic music. The result is a record that is as unsettling as it is masterful. Lyrics & Themes Beth Gibbons’ lyrics are more fragmented and cryptic than ever, often evoking isolation, dread, and emotional exhaustion. Rather than storytelling, the lyrics function as emotional textures, reinforcing the album’s themes of alienation, trauma, and existential collapse. On “Silence”, Gibbons opens with: “Wounded and afraid / Inside my head / Falling through changes” — setting the tone for a record that feels like a psychological unraveling. “We Carry On” repeats the mantra-like line: “We carry on / Even when it’s wrong”, suggesting a kind of doomed perseverance. “Threads” ends the album with: “I’m always so unsure / I’m always so unsure”, leaving the listener in a state of unresolved anxiety. The lyrics are not confessional in a traditional sense, but they are deeply affecting, often impressionistic and morose, matching the sonic desolation around them. Music & Production Musically, Third is a complete departure from the smoky, sample-based trip-hop of their earlier work. The band banned themselves from using any instruments or techniques they had used before, leading to a raw, analog, and often abrasive sound. “Silence” opens with a propulsive, off-kilter drum loop and Morse-code-like guitar stabs, immediately signaling the shift. “Machine Gun” is built around a mechanical, industrial beat that sounds like a weapon being loaded and fired, with Gibbons’ voice floating above like a ghost. “The Rip” begins as a fragile folk ballad, then morphs into a shimmering arpeggiated synth sequence, evoking a psychedelic out-of-body experience. “Deep Water” is a ukulele doo-wop interlude that feels absurdly out of place, yet somehow essential to the album’s surreal tone. “We Carry On” is a krautrock-inspired monolith, with a relentless two-note riff and claustrophobic production. The production is lo-fi and hi-fi at once, using vintage analog synths (ARP 2600, EMS VCS3, Minimoog), tape saturation, and deliberate imperfections to create a cold, cinematic dread. The band avoided quantizing, left errors intact, and refused to sync delays to tempo, resulting in a haunting asymmetry. Influence & Legacy Third was not immediately accessible, but its influence has grown exponentially over time. It is now widely regarded as a landmark in experimental pop and electronic rock. Critics initially divided, but retrospective praise has been near-universal. It redefined what a comeback album could be — not a nostalgia trip, but a total artistic rebirth. Artists like Radiohead, Nine Inch Nails, FKA twigs, and Arca have cited Third as a key influence on their approach to texture, tension, and emotional abstraction. In 2013, NME ranked it #330 on its list of the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time. Pros & Cons Table Copy Pros Cons Fearlessly original — abandons past success for new sonic territory Not listener-friendly — abrasive, dissonant, and emotionally draining Production is a masterclass — analog, raw, and immersive Lacks melodic hooks — many tracks are rhythm-driven or atmospheric rather than catchy Lyrics are haunting and evocative — abstract but emotionally resonant Pacing is uneven — tracks like Deep Water or Magic Doors can feel jarringly out of place Influential and ahead of its time — now seen as a classic Initial reception was polarizing — some fans of Dummy found it too alienating Conclusion Third is not a comfortable listen, and it was never meant to be. It is a bleak, beautiful, and brutal record that rejects nostalgia and embraces decay. It doesn’t ask to be loved — it demands to be reckoned with. Over time, it has revealed itself as a masterpiece, not just of Portishead’s catalog, but of 21st-century experimental music.

Didn't really know this band before hearing them on this list. I've listened to all their albums now. Probably one of the best parts of doing this list.

Dark, sludgy. Felt like prog-industrial. The droning on "We Carry On" just about drove me spare. Really good album.

2025-10-07: What I felt as a lack of musical density and simplicity made me question whether I was misguided about giving this a high score, but damn if that wasn't just the kind of soothingly stimulating music that I needed. Having had a calming shower before and starting the listening session in front of a scrumptious dinner probably helped the the experience. I am looking forward to see if it can bring me other nice trances like today's.

I hadn't heard this album before. I liked it. The ambiance kind of draws you in. There's a menacing quality to it. It still feels relevant as a soundtrack for the news in 2025

Portishead with a dash of Slint/Early Mohawk/Interpol. Brilliant

A massive change in sound from Portishead, from their chilled, melanchonic trip-hop in the 90s to this, a dark, weird, experimental masterpiece. Probably not one to listen to if you like your music upbeat, but this is absolutely dripping with atmosphere and a sense of dread. Diverse songs, from the folktronica of The Trip to the heavy industrial drumming of Machine Gun, to the distorted pulsing bass of We Carry On. Love everthing here, easy 5!

Rad

So this is only the second Portishead album I’ve listened to, and while it’s not as perfect and flawless as Dummy is/was, this album still delivered their insane technical skills and songwriting as well as the insane vocal performance by the lead singer. This album wa so close to being as good as the original that I ended up just listening to their whole discography. The greatest positive to come out of this “1001 album” list is that Portishead is now apart of my life, making it statistically better. So yah I’d say I enjoyed this album.

-i adore this album. soo fascinating. something about the contrast of the super intense electronic rock paired with Beth Gibbons’ pleasant yet very scared-sounding vocals? it makes me feel emotions that don’t exist, and there is this underlying sense of anxiety and hopelessness that gives it a very emotional feel -honestly Portishead’s best work imho. unforgettable and impossible to replicate -Favorites are Silence, Hunter, The Rip, We Carry On, and Machine Gun

I was already a big Portishead fan after Dummy, since I consider this album to be the pinnacle of trip-hop. When they reformed in 2008, I feared the worst – band reunions are often a disaster, especially after a 10 years hiatus. But I was wrong – instead, they gave us both their swansong and their most original album. Portishead have shed the gimmicks and comfy vibes of trip-hop to venture into new, more disturbing territories – somewhere between depressive synth-pop, industrial music and minimalist electronica. It’s a bleak and tortured emotional landscape, criss-crossed by fleeting moments of hope like faint rays of sun filtering through dark clouds. Beth Gibbons’ voice is more mesmerizing than ever, and balances perfectly the oppressive and quasi-industrial beats that pulse through most of the songs. It’s cold and uncompromising, making for a demanding album. It’s not something you can listen as background music - complete attention is required to appreciate the constantly evolving structures and textures of this hallucinatory trip, and it’s clearly conceived to be listened as a complete album, not just a collection of songs. A masterpiece in my opinion – even if I completely understand how some people could find it asphyxiating. Everytime I put on this album, I end up listening it two or three times in a row.

Überraschendes Album mit Trouvaillen welche gefallen

Can’t believe I missed this one. Loved Dummy and Portishead when they came out in the 90s. I think this might be better. Very different musical styles and every song is quite different but all held together by that voice. The ‘Krautrock’ songs were particularly good!

Portishead’s discography is perfect. This album is no exception, no bad song at all. This is especially impressive as it came over 10 years after their last album. This feels like a departure from their previous trip hop work but it’s refreshing. 1. THE RIP 2. MACHINE GUN 3. WE CARRY ON 4. SILENCE 5. THREADS 6. MAGIC DOORS 7. HUNTER 8. SMALL 9. PLASTIC 10. NYLON SMILE 11. DEEP WATER

Нет блять второй 9/10

Haunting, unique, groovy. I had never listened properly listened to Portishead beyond their hits (Roads etc.) and this showed me how much I was missing out.

Fucking amazing plug it directly into your soul

Way, WAY better than any other electronic album I've heard on this list. I know Portishead, but was unaware of this album. I really love this album.

I thoroughly enjoyed this album 5/5

Wonderful.

Every song on here is just full of emotion and feels like such a dark yet bittersweet send off for this group. Absolutely breathtaking. "Silence", "The Rip" and "Machine Gun" are great songs off an album that has no bad songs. 10/10 Favourite: Machine Gun Least Favourite: None

Portishead is one of the first bands that my now-wife introduced me to when we first started dating. I love the airy weirdness of them and their mixture of traditional instruments with well-integrated electronic music.

This is one of my all-time favorite albums. I listened to it for a year when it came out. It's Portishead's best album even though Dummy was a huge, landmark album. It is always an interesting read about how they put their songs together. The band is a bunch of mad scientists. I love the ending of the album/Threads. It sounds like you're on a foggy shore looking out waiting for Cthulhu arrive any second. Good stuff.

Any excuse to revisit a Portishead album and I’ll take it. I remember being pretty excited when this album came out since I had been waiting for 10 years for a new Portishead album and I was not let down. If you haven’t watched or listened to the live Roseland ballroom performance, check out the closer “Strangers”. Also singer Beth Gibbons’ newest album “Lives Outgrown”made my top albums of the year for 2024 and is definitely worth your time. Anyway this album gets an easy 5 for me as does their other two studio albums.

Maybe I’m just burned out on Dummy and the self-titled album, but I’d take this album over those any day of the week. It has a cold, haunting, almost post apocalyptic sound that really hits me. The album leans heavily into a dark atmosphere, with mechanical, lifeless sounding beats that add to the bleakness. Beth Gibbons’s vocals are absolutely incredible, and I love how well balanced they are with the music. It’s never overpowering, just perfectly woven into the mood.

I have no explanation as to why I've never listened to this before, seeing as 'Dummy' is one of my favourite albums. I can't even say I wasn't aware of it, as I remember liking the flyer single 'Machine Gun' when it came out. All I can say is I was REALLY busy at the time. This is several shades darker than Dummy, more gothic. It's like the difference between Mezzanine and Blue Lines. And it's brilliant.

this is what the cool girls listen to

Probably the best Portishead album. Underrated.

Portishead took 10 years between their last release and this and there's always a fear that a prolonged hiatus would ruin the bands chemistry.... but no, this is a swirling, brooding, bleak, anxiety ridden masterpiece.

My parents were big Portishead fans during the 90's when I was a child, and I remember very well when this album came out and I did a deep dive on the band's discography and became a huge fan as well. We then went to see them live, it was the first show of the tour and also the first 'big' show I went to. All of it a very formative experience for me. I also remember when "Machine Gun" first came out and how abrasive and strange it sounded. This was certainly not the Portishead of the 90's. It's as though the band were dismantling their own sound and building it back up in a jagged and disfigured manner. The whole album is like that, each song introduces different stylistic approaches. This very much differs from the previous records, which worked more like unified mood pieces. Here, we jump from brooding to mysterious to unsettling to calm and back to unsettling in true disorienting fashion. With this album, Portishead showed it was possible for a Trip-Hop act to make vital music long after the genre's time has passed, even though not many others, or even themselves, has followed in the footsteps. Key tracks: Silence Hunter The Rip We Carry On Machine Gun Magic Doors Threads

5* What am I, fucking stupid?

A new a few songs into this album is was probably going to be a 10. I thought Dummy by Portishead was phenomenal and enjoyed just about every song. But unfortunately as time has gone on its faded into the recesses of my mind without a strong compulsion to return. This was different, Geek the Girl by Lisa Germano is a Masterpiece and one of my favourite albums of all time. This album operates in the same realm and is better in nearly every way, somehow. It feels like the forgotten sound track to a Lynch film, the B-sides to a silent hill sound track. It's original, creative and brilliant. I cannot wait to listen again. 10/10

Loved it!

This is such a classic album. I miss Portishead so much. No skips, all bangers.

Fav artist Portishead at their prime. Too good.

17 år siden den her plade udkom og resten af verden er stadig ikke halet ind på Portishead. Forstår godt de aldrig har udgivet flere, det ville ikke rigtig være fair mod andre musikere!

Never really listened to Portishead. Futuristic, vibey music if you're stoned.

3 is aggressive and subtle in the same breath. Beth Gibbon's voice is so haunting, ethereal, filled with despair and sorrow. So good. It is such a great album The distortion of the album adds to a sense of urgency that there is some unknown terror lurking, waiting. No time to waste, make haste.

Definetly the darkest album.

Born as I was in the late 80s, this was the first Portishead album that came out when I was of an age where I could appreciate it. As you might imagine, I came to their discography in reverse order, which might actually be the best order? Anyway, the point of all this is that Third holds a special spot in the development of my musical taste, and I still love it, nearly 20 years on.

Portishead may be one of my favorite bands relative to how little they’ve actually done. Maybe that’s their secret weapon, maybe it isn’t. Beth Gibbons seems content these days to relive the past for 3 minutes a night while otherwise jamming out to increasingly elaborate folk rock arrangements, while Geoff Barrow seems content these days to bitch and moan constantly on Twitter. But for a few cosmically perfect moments, they created some truly impossibly perfect music. Dummy and s/t will get the (rightful) credit for defining a singular sound that, perhaps tellingly, no 90s nostalgist has really tried to revive since, but Third may still be my favorite Portishead album: a group so hellbent on doing something new they threw so much sonic spaghetti against the wall and basically all of it stuck. Please listen to “Machine Gun” again, maybe one of the most conceptually insane recordings of our era that should not work but does anyway, and the listen to how it’s followed up by “Small”, which sounds like 90s Portishead reduced to its most simplest terms: a simple guitar figure without any notable effects followed up by what I assume that’s a synth that sounds like a violin before bursting into a 60s keyboard/drums arrangement that sounds like ‘traditional’ Portishead but with the melody all wrong.I could play this game forever. It’s so easy just to describe how unique and wild every arranagement on this album is. But then what’s point? That’s the more interesting part: for all the despondency of the first albums, maybe nobody has ever come together to sound more alone than these three people on this album. Let me revel in the darkness again.

Moody as hell and expertly brings you along with some fun along the way

While not particularly engaging in each moment, Porto’s head has mastered the buildup and combination of strange sounds. Very unique and eye opening.

This may secretly be the best album on this entire list, but I’ll never say that.

I never really listened to Portishead. I knew them from Glory Box which is a tune, but I never felt the need to explore their other work And wow, turns out I've been missing out big time! This was proper experimental, I actually went 'what the heck' out loud at one time. But it's not so experimental that I disengaged (which I tend to do). Lots of stuff going on, plenty of variety. I enjoyed this start to finish.

It's rare an album this experimental is also this listenable. Reminds me of Kid A in ways, but in some ways it's very unique. I was kind of annoyed at a late-career album like this making the list when so many from the 21st century are ignored, but this one is genuinely great.

It's certainly different from their first two albums. Doesn't have the same trip-hop beat nor as much of the strings / jazz / etc sounds. But it's still awesome. I recall having the same reaction to this album (especially songs like Machine Gun) that I did to Radiohead's Kid A (with songs like Idioteque). Initial reaction is "wait, what's this, what happened to that old sound?" but then I grow to love it.

Wow, missed this first time round. Breathtaking in places.

Wonderful soundtrack vibe, moving away from their trip hop sound

In my opinion this is genuinely one of the greatest albums of all time. The group comes back after a decade of inactivity to create a weirdo art-rock masterpiece with influences from all over the place. Beth's voiced aged into something so haunting and fragile it sounds like it's on the verge of completely breaking, especially on the final track. Part of me still wants them to release another album in the future, but how do you improve on near perfection?

This record is so good. Oddly the love record from New York captures some of the songs better. But this mood is so pronounced.

really not a fan of the whole trip-hop thing so the other portishead album i encountered on this journey really did not do anything for me. i groaned when i got this album because i was expecting the same. boy was i wrong. i really dig this one! it definitely has electronic aspects to it for sure, but what i really love is the dissonant, ethereal feel to this one, mixed with a lot of the indie-retro sound. in a lot of respects, it sounds like it was made in 2008, but a lot of spots on the record, you might think it was made in a different era. one of the highlights for me was how the track 'the rip' built into a cacophony of electronic noise. really cool, really interesting, really glad i listened to this one and gave it a shot!

Very fun mellow jams. Otherworldly sounds

It's hard to catch lightning in a bottle and so I don't expect this to be the same band that released the stellar 'Dummy' album, fourteen years prior to this. However, 'Third' is an album entirely unexpected. Expectedly, Third is cautious to retain the band's original sound, but also intent to show their evolution over elapsed time. Something most bands struggle with. Third is able to effortlessly integrate real instrumentation with the drum machines and sampled bits they're famous for. And the arrangements on Third have become more diverse, complex and sharper than anything on Dummy. Beth Gibbons' voice has become less the haunting echos and more overt Stockholm Syndrome while retaining a feeling of soft-immediacy. Third's expanse of darker themes has grown wider, weirder and unapologetic. Some of these tracks play most of the way through like beautiful performance art pieces only to be awkwardly interrupted without notice, just like you'd expect performance art to be. The album plays closer to a Blonde Redhead album of the same era than a Basement Jaxx or UNKLE album of yesteryear. Third is an album that defies category and shows Portishead is not afraid to change on their own terms and challenge the idea of confined maturity. Though awkward at times and seemingly disjointed on the surface, Third is worth exploring deeper and is an excellent evolution for the band that may overshadow their original release, Dummy.

Livid I hadnt listened to this before. Total masterpiece, and more up my street these days than their Massive Attack buddies. I always assumed they wouldnt be as good, but this is absolutely class. Love how it goes from subtle to mad. Can hear HEALTH / Low / Kim Gordon in a few of these tracks. Then other times they sound nothing like any of them. I’ll be listening to this a lot going forward!

This was a fun time with a lot of wacky sounds, exactly what I want from these guys, a little more beach housy than their earlier work which is very cool

Creepysexycool

Not quite as perfect as “Dummy”, but re-listening this time there’s so many tracks I love that I hadn’t really noticed before! So good, so good.

Let's go

This is what this list was made for. Obviously I've heard of Portishead, and know a few track (Only You is a banger), but I didn't even know they were still going in 2008. This record is superb all the way through. Favourite tracks: Silence (that abrupt ending is so jarring in a good way), The Rip (damn, what a song), Plastic, Magic Doors (damn, what a song).

Omg so good

Incroyable album, je pense que je l'ai vraiment préféré à Dummy (qui lui a été un tantinet sur-évalué de ma part). Définitivement à réécouter, un magnifique album. 9.5/10

Великий альбом великой группы, который, мне кажется, повлиял на миллиард артистов. Очень трудно выбрать любимую песню здесь. Лучшая песня - Machine Gun.

Brilliantly cohesive album. Couples ethereal atmosphere with insistent rhythms, sometimes throwing very 80s dark synth energy. Always great vocals and interesting lyrics.

Another classic from Portishead. I love the darker vibe on this album. It's a great spooky season listen.

Portishead is perhaps the best known group that made trip-hop, a term that the band helped define, even as the band was not crazy about being associated with the label. The band's work is a unique mix: Beth Gibbon's haunting vocals, atmospheric electronics, and slow-tempo, hip-hop rhythms. The result is haunting, lovely, and dark. Third is the band's third, and perhaps last, studio album. Like their other albums, it was very well received critically, and found some commercial success. Portishead isn't a band that had hit singles; while popular - to an extent - this is not "pop." This album seems to be better with repeated listens, but of challenging enough that many may not get to the second listen.

Overall: 10/10 I am incredibly hungover today (not a big drinker but I went to a halloween party) and I found this to be the perfect music for today. This is a very chill album with gorgeous, haunting vocals and interesting uses of different instruments. I've also been a big fan of Geoff Barrow's collaborations with Ben Salisbury on the films of Alex Garland so it was cool to see a different side of him! Update: For the first time since I've started doing this I've not only relistened to an album in the same day but I've now listened to this 4 times today and I'm blown away by it. I love finding a new favourite and this is easily the best discovery I've had with this list! Beth Gibbons may be an all-timer vocalist for me now. Fav Song: The Rip Least Fav Song: Deep Water (only because it's too short)

Great album.

Awesome, I'd forgotten how good this album is.

I loved this album. The Rip is a 5/5 song. I listen to plenty of portishead but this one came to me in later years and it was a gift. One morning I was in Seattle for work and my son, then 14, made me a playlist and sent it over with that song on it. I’ll never forget hearing it that way too. I just love this album.

Rating scale: 3 = Liked, won't listen again 4 = Liked, listened again for pleasure 5 = Liked, downloaded Might be benefiting from being good background music while working.

I wasn't so sure about this album at first based on the very first song, but it really ended up being a great album to listen to! Has a sort of melancholic and eerie vibe, but it all flows nicely from song to song. It's totally one of my favorite kinds of sounds in an album. My favorite songs are "Hunter", and "The Rip".

AYO really great stuff here. Gonna get back on this stuff now as callbacks are winding down but wow awesome stuff.

Atmospherice, dramatic, trippy, all up my alley. Big Portishead fan for a long time and this album is fantastic.

Portishead's ethereal trip-hop with an added splash of krautrock and industrial? Don't mind if I do! Fave tracks - "Silence" is a monster, "The Rip" is cinematic as hell, "We Carry On" is a beast, "Machine Gun" has long been a favorite. Awesomeness all round, really.

Easily (and surprisingly) the best Portishead album and one of the biggest revelations on the list. Even though the best songs are from first album, this one is extremely solid and enjoyable. Different style than last two records, we have a more chilled, more trip, less hop. Basically electronica with few additional genres as a soundtrack to a trippy movie. Amazing album, will listen to again. And again.

Sepulchral, ominous, pessimistic, hopeless, down-in-the-mouth, overwhelming, daunting, charcoal-painted, tormented, fragile, layered with so many levels of darkness, haunted and haunting... How many adjectives can I pile up to express how much I love this record? Portishead was already a project worthy of this list by the mid-nineties, thanks to the immense success of their first two seminal albums, triggering a whole genre Beth Gibbons, Geoff Barrow, and Adrian Utley had actually not much interest in. Then, moving far away from "trip-hop", and after a somewhat long period where they felt creatively drained, Barrow and Utley joined their forces with the ever-moody and melancholic Gibbons again, and the result is this masterpiece. One that is to this day often misunderstood, sadly. *Subtly* ripping off rather obscure vintage acts such as The United States Of America or Silver Apples ("We Carry On" basically shares the same premise as "Oscillations" for its rhythmical pattern, for instance), Barrow offers Gibbons perfect jewellery cases for her rough diamond of a frail voice, her genius vocal lines, and her despondent lyrics. Drawing from a lot more of Krautrock influences this time around, Portishead thus manages to outdo its already iconic legacy. They might have lost some "casual" fans in the process, but to hell with them. *Third* is the one album in the Bristol band's discography that proves that trends and lucky strikes are not all that there is to make you fall in love with a band (again). The ever-cinematic soundscapes are various, but also uncompromising. The arrangements offer a treasure trove of unforgettable melodies for listeners unafraid of dark subject matters. Adrian Utley's electric guitar moans and winces like an injured animal licking its wounds. And the emotions expressed are so intense that *Dummy* and *Portishead* sound like The Verve or Spiritualized in comparison. Those albums are still perfect gems in their ephemeral genre, yes. But *Third* is the moment where the project reaches a whole other level for fans of all the styles used here. And as such, it is truly timeless, contrary to the band's other LPs. And the songs, goddamnit! Sure, some of them are impressionistic, so to speak, in keeping with narrators too crushed by life and failed love relationships to shake a leg again. But honestly, there are a vast majority of highlights. And they start with the long-winded-yet-fully rewarding opener "Silence" and its curiously lively rhythms, preceding the devastating entrance of Gibbons on the scene, soon backed by a sinuous string section. Yet the song is just an appetizer here. "Hunter" and its frantic, worried beeps ensues, then "Nylon Smile" and its echoey, chiaroscuro guitar lines. Stretching its delicate wings like a butterfly soon engulfed by the twilight, "The Rip" builds a carousel of emotions over its core melancholic arpeggios, leaving a moving imprint in your soul forever. A couple of tracks later, relentless "We Carry On" gnaws you just like life and old age do. After a sweet interlude, comes the other centerpiece, minimalistic "Machine Gun", where Gibbons' cries of wonder, pain and worry into the night contrast with a merciless electronic beat blasting your ears into oblivion. And when a suddenly luminous, John Carpenter-inspired synth line suddenly surges, it's as if frail sun rays pierced into the black clouds and the overcast sky at last. Not long after, surprise, "Magic Doors" actually *grooves*, thanks to its cowbell-addled drums and bouncy bassline. The song manages to make an accordion of sorts sound *good*, its chorus is an emotional rollercoaster, and the whole offers one glimmer of hope, barely dirtied by a short off-kilter free-jazz sax. Yet that ephemeral light soon gets covered by "Threads", probably the darkest composition ever penned by Portishead, WHICH SPEAKS VOLUMES. Beth's anguished cries towards its conclusion... I don't even have the words to describe such a hellish closer. *Third* is hands down Portishead's best LP, and the fact that a lot of people aware of its existence fail to see it (pussies!) only adds to its dark legacy. Here Gibbons, Barrow and Utley explored black pits where even The Cure, Bauhaus or Sisters Of Mercy feared to tread. A black diamond indeed. Number of albums left to review: 69 Number of albums from the list I find relevant enough to be mandatory listens: 402 (including this one) Albums from the list I *might* include in mine later on: 231 Albums from the list I won't include in mine: 299

I liked this one a lot! I might have to rate it a 5 just bc anything i listen to twice in one day gets a bonus star.

This album is so impressive on so many levels. It's a great album, and even though I love their first two, this one feels more modern to what music became after the initial trip-hop days. And, after 11 years since their second album, for them to make such an incredible follow-up is so impressive.

Very unique sounding album, We Carry On was amazing.

THIS IS WHY I LOVE THIS APP!!! Wow!!! This isn't going to be for everyone, but I loved it!!! I'd heard of the band, but hadn't 'listened" to them before. There is very much a bjork style to the band, and I love the haunting vocals and almost cinematic music.

Je savais que ça finirait par arriver. Tôt ou tard, le projet "1001 Albums" allait me forcer à me pencher sur un disque qui m'avait complètement échappé à sa sortie. Pire, un disque d'un groupe que j'avais adulé, puis un peu perdu de vue, noyé dans le tourbillon de la vie et des milliers d'autres galettes à écouter. En 2008, quand Portishead a sorti Third et le trip-hop, le son de Bristol, semblait appartenir à une autre époque, une douce nostalgie des années 90. Car il aura fallu, 10 ans soit une décennie entière, pour que le trio de Bristol accouche de ce troisième opus au nom si sobrement adéquat. Une attente interminable, quasi biblique, qui aurait pu signer l'arrêt de mort de n'importe quel autre groupe. On les avait laissés en 1997, au sommet de leur art, avec un deuxième album éponyme qui confirmait la claque monumentale de "Dummy". Et puis, le silence. Un silence assourdissant, à peine troublé par l'échappée belle de Beth Gibbons avec Rustin Man. On les pensait perdus, dissous dans les limbes de la gloire passée, devenus une simple ligne dans les encyclopédies musicales, les inventeurs d'un genre, le trip-hop, qu'ils avaient eux-mêmes contribué à rendre obsolète. Alors, quand "Third" a débarqué, ce fut un choc. Un putain de choc. Un de ces uppercuts qui vous laisse groggy, le souffle court et les oreilles en sang. Oubliez les ambiances feutrées, les scratches langoureux, la mélancolie cotonneuse qui faisait le charme vénéneux de leurs débuts. "Third" est un album malade, un disque taillé dans le granit de l'angoisse, une oeuvre d'une noirceur abyssale. On est loin, très loin de la musique de salon pour dîners branchés que certains avaient voulu voir dans leurs précédents travaux. Ici, la musique ne vous caresse plus, elle vous lacère. Dès le premier morceau, "Silence", le ton est donné. Une rythmique métronomique, froide comme l'acier, presque industrielle, sur laquelle vient se poser, ou plutôt se briser, la voix éthérée de Beth Gibbons. Ce contraste, cette dissonance fondamentale, est la clé de voûte de l'album. C'est le combat permanent entre la machine et l'humain, entre une pulsation inhumaine et une fragilité à fleur de peau. La voix de Gibbons, plus spectrale que jamais, semble lutter pour ne pas être engloutie par les textures sonores rêches, les guitares torturées et les synthétiseurs agressifs. On est à des années-lumière du trip-hop. Le groupe a dynamité sa propre formule, refusant la facilité d'une redite. Ils ont exploré des territoires bien plus arides, lorgnant vers le krautrock, le rock expérimental, et même des sonorités rappelant les moments les plus sombres de Joy Division. "Machine Gun", avec son beat martial et ses déflagrations sonores, est une pure descente aux enfers, un morceau d'une violence inouïe qui vous prend à la gorge et ne vous lâche plus. On se sent oppressé, suffoquant dans cette atmosphère de fin du monde. Et pourtant, au milieu de ce chaos organisé, la poésie subsiste. Car "Third" est avant tout un album d'une cohérence et d'une inspiration rares. Malgré un enregistrement étalé sur trois ans, par des musiciens qui ne jouaient plus ensemble depuis six ans, le disque est d'une homogénéité remarquable. Chaque morceau semble être une pièce indispensable d'un puzzle macabre et fascinant. La production est d'une intelligence redoutable, ne cherchant jamais l'esbroufe mais laissant toute la place à la musique et à l'émotion brute. Comment des gens qui ont pris de si longues vacances peuvent-ils encore écrire une musique aussi angoissante ? C'est la question que je me suis posée, comme tout le monde. La réponse se trouve peut-être dans les épreuves personnelles traversées par les membres du groupe, les divorces, les maladies, cette fatigue du succès qui ronge les âmes. Le son de "Third", c'est le son de la douleur, du désespoir, de l'anxiété. C'est un disque qui ne triche pas, qui ne cherche pas à plaire. Il est ce qu'il est, âpre, puissant, dérangeant. Je suis passé complètement à côté en 2008, et c'est impardonnable. Cet album n'est pas juste un bon disque, c'est un chef-d'oeuvre. Un de ces disques qui vous marquent au fer rouge, qui vous hantent longtemps après la dernière note. Un disque qui, malgré sa noirceur, est une expérience cathartique. C'est le son de la résilience, la beauté trouvée dans les ténèbres. Aujourd'hui, alors que j'attends, comme beaucoup, un hypothétique quatrième album, je me dis que l'attente en vaudra la peine. Portishead a prouvé qu'ils étaient de ceux qui ne reviennent que lorsqu'ils ont quelque chose d'essentiel à dire. Et avec "Third", ils ont hurlé à la face du monde que même après dix ans de silence, leur voix était plus pertinente et plus nécessaire que jamais. Un 5 sur 5, sans l'ombre d'une hésitation. Un 5 sur 5 pour ce disque qui, je l'espère, ne sera pas le dernier. Mais avec eux, on ne sait jamais. Et c'est peut-être ça, aussi, qui fait leur grandeur.

Grabs my attention at the very outset. V. strong start. Yeah, that's an absolute cracker of an opener. And then - BANG - into track 2. Jolted me out of my groove. Track 2: totally different mood, with jarring breaks, but those breaks serve to complement the "main" theme, and to return to it is very welcome. Another great beat to kick off track 3, after a gentler finish to track 2. Gentler groove here, too. The vocals here are almost just an ornament - but a very welcome one. Nice and easy start to track 4 leads into a lovely mellow groove, with somewhat more prominent vocals. Another cracker. We're going slightly up tempo here (in spots!) for track 5 - with some unsettling drum fills. Are they played backwards? Wonderful vocals again. Somewhat more hypnotic here in track 6. Track 7: What an odd mood here. What odd instrumentation. The first track on which Gibbons's voice gets the prominence it deserves. Back to a somewhat more electronic sound on track 8. And the name of the track makes perfect sense. Low point of the album so far. Softer intro again here on track 9, with those wonderful vocals shining again, in ultra-soft mode. Shame they couldn't maintain that mood all the way through. Another very abrupt finish. Very experimental sound here on track 10. Nice laid back start here to the closer, but I'm not fooled. This could go anywhere. Hmmm... It didn't. It dipped somewhat in the middle, became rather generic - but it saved itself at at the end.

Amazing

Dystopische, intense, alternatieve rock met triphop invloeden. Een combinatie van geluiden die je zowel in slaap hypnotiseren als weer bij kennis beuken. Geluidjes en/of patronen die vaak net even te lang doorgaan, waardoor ze vroeg of laat indruk gaan maken. Bij "Deep Water" krijg je heel even rust om vervolgens bij de track "Machine Gun" weer industrieel gedreun op je hersenpan te krijgen. Die track is qua klankkleur misschien wel één van de donkerste, koude tracks uit deze lijst. Aan het einde wordt het album met "Threads" op een perfecte manier afgerond met die soort scheepshoorns die je na een uitgebreid saluut alleen achterlaten in het donker. Geen album om elke dag te luisteren en ook op feestjes zet je deze niet op, maar wel een dijk van een album. Wat een dikke, gelaagde productie waarbij elk geluid tot in de perfectie gemasterd is. Doe jezelf een plezier en luister deze op een goed geluidssysteem of enigszins degelijke koptelefoon. Ik ben echt bizar enthousiast hierover. Ik heb het album inmiddels al 2 keer geluisterd en sommige tracks los nog een paar keer. Niveautje Mezzanine, oftwel 5 sterren.

Still great

After an 11-year hiatus, Portishead re-emerged triumphantly with Third. Although triphop had been dead and buried for many years, the group succeeded in bringing it back to life with influences from musical trends in the 00s - the record is decidedly indie at times with plenty of elements from noise and industrial. It seems Beth Gibbons also spent the previous decade listening to Björk, and the added complexity to her incredible voice fits the album perfectly. 'The Rip' and 'Magic Doors' are just unreal.

drifting into HEALTH territory

Never listened to Portishead before and I greatly enjoyed it. I went back through their discography after listening because I liked it so much. After listening to their first 2 albums as well, I don’t really hear this as a departure of their sound. Still great stuff though.

Always been meaning to check more of Portishead out. This did not disappoint really liked this one.

This is also one of my favorite albums. Machine Gun is my most beloved song on here.

I will trip hop all day.

Imagine a band making two albums that defined a genre, disappearing for 11 years and then coming back with a completely different sound. Few bands could pull that off quite as well as Portishead. 'Third' is a haunting Krautrock and soundtrack inspired record that throws their trip hop roots to the winds. And it works, largely with the help of the flawlessly beautiful voice of Beth Gibbons. She sounds equally strong and vulnerable and it compliments the nervous droning of the music, as well as providing relief from it. If only Portishead would ever give us a fourth one.

Great comeback album - strange, industrial and yet true to Portishead

god please don’t let it be their last…

Really imteresting!

After being very enthusiastic about Dummy and Portishead, I was very pleased to hear that there was to be a new album, Third by Portishead. I quickly bought the album. However, I was disappointed when I heard it. The trip-hop I was expecting was not played. Yes, I thought, not bad, but I prefer the previous stuff. And so I put the album aside and didn't listen to it again. As part of this project, I listened to it again and have to admit that I did the album an injustice. It is great. In fact, it's no longer trip-hop. It's different, more experimental. In the first track in particular, I like the disharmony and arythmia at the beginning, which then dissolves. I also really enjoyed the surprising endings. A nice contrast to the multiple fade-outs. Really great.

Dreamy and melancholic, this one hit all the right spots. I like the atmospheric instrumentation and the overall vibe

Two albums in a row called Third

Great!!!!!

Favorite YET!

Trip hop classic

Maybe the apex of trip-hop. Solid songwriting and exquisite production from beginning to end. The weakest songs on here are still really good.

I think I liked the previous Portishead album better, but this was still really good 5*. sounds like St Vincent

I didn't realize that: A. This is only Portishead's 3rd album. B. They only had 3 proper album releases. C: Third was released 11 years after their last proper album. Off-hand I knew of "The Rip" which is an awesome, sad depressing Portishead song through and through, but is a bit of an outlier from the rest of the material on this album. I don't think I heard this album when I knew what Krautrock was, but I can absolutely hear the influence on the sound in terms of rhythm and repetition. It's interesting that this album isn't trip-hop at all, and yet still sounds completely like Portishead. Portishead holistically just works so well, especially in this context: harsh electronica in contrast with the sultry delicate vocals of Beth Gibbons is dynamite. There really isn't a miss on this album, I haven't heard much of this in almost 10 years so I'm glad to rediscover this one.

The Rip.

Dreamy but haunting, chill but anxious. It's not a particularly energetic one but it's certainly interesting - It's like Björk meets Radiohead, with a really nice blend of electronic and acoustic going on throughout. Might seek this out on vinyl some time, it's certainly the kind of record I'd play on a gloomy and melancholic day like this. Favourite: Small

YOOOOOO easy 5 koszos eklektika többször elgondolkoztam, hogy fül ingerlése vezethet-e orgazmushoz

This album deserves 4* for The Rip alone. And then it gets an extra star for all the rest. I remember when this came out that I was unjustifiably unhappy that it didn't breathe the same atmosphere as 'Dummy.' Dummy was triphop and this felt more like an electronic rock-album. But after so many years, this album has slowly taken its place next to Dummy and I think both albums are about on par with one another. For different reasons. Where Dummy had that ominous and bleak sound; this album is intense, confusing and intriguing and might in 20/20 glasses be seen as one of the better comeback albums I know. A fascinating and compelling 5* album.

The Rip.

first album that's come up that i've heard before wooo! haven't listened to this one in a whiiile and it's even better than i remember it-- so foreboding and anxious and yet such a satisfying listen. the sequencing and transitions are flawless and the overall dark atmosphere makes the lighter moments like the rip even more transcendent. prooob my fave album that's come up so far! standout- the rip

Loved this. Gibbons' vocals astonishing as ever and the move away from the trip hop leads to big, epic, sinister sounding tracks which just bellow from the speaker. Fascinating soundscapes, really impressive.

I'm glad I didn't skip this, which I was tempted to do after hearing their earlier stuff. Fuck I hate trip hop. But this is magnificent: slow, moody, muscular, weird. I swear that it sounds like Kate Bush at times.

Dark. Brilliant. An album that is showing a band ready to transcend Trip Hop.

I listened to this a couple of years ago and wasn't too impressed. I guess I was expecting the pioneers of hip-hop to stick to their sound. But I suppose that sound was 14 years in their year view mirror by the time of this release. This time, I like their new sound, a little edgier, lots of acoustic guitar, and it's generally hard to groove to. The songs are well written, and Beth still has a very special voice.

When this came out - it was over a decade from the previous Portishead release - so the thirst for it was massive. I remember thinking to myself I love this, but is it because I've been waiting for this so long or is it because it's actually good? And now, approaching TWO decades later, it stands in its haunting intensity with a reply to my now, in hindsight, rhetorical question, brushing it aside with it's brilliance. The music of the band in its trip hop heyday had its slickness ported to 2008, and even if their records have always stood the test of time, at least to me, this sounds considerably more modern. I had the opportunity to see the band live, and old Portishead, middle Portishead and 'new' Portishead are a seamless beautiful stunning experience of silence, space, and intensity. With Beth Gibbon's haunting singing on top, which is probably the immediate actual draw, this band is magical.

Such an amazing album not as good as Dummy but still brilliant

Big fan of Portishead.

Not a huge fan of Portishead's 90s albums, but this blew my socks off. You can feel the influence of Radiohead and Goldfrapp (both of whom were probably influenced by Portishead), as well as the beginnings of Geoff Barrow's work with Beak > and his soundtracks. I admire the way it doesn't sound like other music of this era, too.

Spectacular album. I was thinking about this band & album the other day. Most of the songs were already marked as my favorite, so it was an anticipated listend. I ended up enjoying this album four times in one day - it's that good. Trip hop with gorgeous vocals...it almost veers into industrial/Goth territory. 100% up my alley. Love love love this album. 5 outta 5.

This is the kind of music you can put on for like 12 hours and sort of just forget about. I mean that in the best possible way. I couldn't remotely hum any of the songs, and I can't imagine being like "let's go to a Portishead concert"... But I loved it!

i've already listened to this album twice this week anyway so that makes this the..... 3rd. but for reals i listen to this regularly.

They had an amazing debut album, the samples, the voice, the atmosphere, the drama. Live they were even more brilliant. Two albums and they stopped. When this comeback album came out, I was fearing disappointment. More of the same, like Morrissey became a true disappointment? But Three was louder (Machine Gun), weirder (Deep Water) and even more moving (the Rip) than what they did before. And live Beth sang even better than ever. Easily my favorite Portishead album and definitely 5 stars

So, so close to being perfect. It is distinct from their previous two studio records in that this is not quite a trip hop LP, but rather a unique experimental, claustrophobic monster of its own. Beth Gibbons gives a showstopping performance on vocals as usual, but the way this whole album was produced and put together is so ominously but greatly arranged, it's truly beautiful and haunting. Not one of my all timer records, yet it is very deserving on this list. I'd give this 4.5 stars if the site had the option.

Totally weird. Songs cut out unexpectedly. Droning jams are contrasted with ukulele. It's awesome.

Dun, diverse, sobering, sultry, ominous, and always interesting.

Meandering and brooding. A very strong return from Portishead and a fabulous album with a slightly weak intro. Overall a low 5 for me.

Love love loved this

Liked the previous two albums of Portishead as well, but Third is of a completely different level, less trip hop and more electronic pop music. One of these rare albums that sound experimental and accessible at the same time. Especially like the way it is influenced by electronic music from the 70s as in Machine Gun. And The Rip must be one of the best songs ever - great built up.

I was not overly enthusiastic about this album at the time, but after a few listens today I was very impressed. Machine Gun is still my favourite song.

This album is unclassifiable. The music is driving, repetitive in parts, industrial, claustrophobic, and punctuated by beautiful moments of reprieve before plunging back into the darkness. The use of analog synths lends a sense of familiarity to some sounds, I certainly heard tinges of Pink Floyd's Richard Wright in parts, but this also contributes to the albums disorienting nature. Beth Gibbons' vocals are delicate and sail above the churning music below. It feels fragile, dangerous, and absurdly beautiful.

Very good third album, perhaps slight less accessible than their fist two albums, which have owned, but just as good. 4.5.

So good

This album, with the plainest name and plainest covert art, is packed with interesting sounds and grooves. It's been a while since I head their debut, "Dummy". While the elegance of that is still evident here, the soulful samples and the chill, seductive atmosphere are stripped down. Making this a dark and anxious album. The messiness and the overly loud drums made it more ominous and uncomfortable. And I freaking love it. For me, the antidote for the robotic genre of electronica is to make it portray the mess of human emotions, dark or otherwise. Portishead's music is such a wildly adventurous one.

Already one of my favourite albums and one of my favourite bands so this is going to be easy. When you've listened to something so many times you find it easy to envelope yourself in the mood and I can understand why some find the music an overly intense wall to immerse yourself in. It's worth the plunge though.

Imam jedan veliki problem, a to je što mislim da bih u nekim trenutcima stavio ovaj album ispred njihovog inače najboljeg albuma Dummy. Jednostavno ti instrumentali su bogom dani + Bethin glas, dakle, svršaona. Stvarno. Morat ću opet Dummy nakon ovog albuma poslušat jer ovo je baš onako udaranje žestoko and I fucking love it. Sitnica koja mi smeta je ta što su dvije pjesme ako se ne varam prekinute, nemaju taj prijelaz s pjesme na pjesmu i to zna bit iritantno, ovo ostalo je top.

Glad to have a chance to delve into this one a bit more. I'm a bit fan of Dummy but don't know their other albums as well. I really enjoy the experimentation on this one! It is a bit jarring in places, but in a good way! Beth Gibbons is an iconic vocalist, one of the all time greats. This album really sets a mood and sticks to it.

My favourite Portishead album, the drums on Machine Gun are great. Love The Rip as well, such a beautiful voice

Another band I'd heard the name of but never listened to. I loved it. I think today I realised that I absolutely love trip hop. Looking at the list on wikipedia a bunch of artists on there that I love: Moloko, Everything but the Girl, Goldfrapp, Gorillaz and now Portishead. I absolutely adored this and it will be added into my regular rotation. I will definitely be checking out their other albums.

Love this, my favourite Portishead album - so many thrilling tracks with just the right level of experimentalism

Just amazing

Perfect 90’s pop alternative, all the 90’s musical tropes

Albumazazazazo

vds

Very chill and listenable.

Third... a beautiful nightmare. I don't know that I'd ever come back to this except for the purpose of gradually inducing some kind of anxiety disorder. Every song, individually, is good at minimum. And as a complete 50-minute piece of art, it's extremely cohesive. It also gives me the heebie-jeebies. Pretty high tension created with seemingly few instruments in the opener, Silence. Lots of contrasting pitches, from the low, rumbling bass and lead guitar to the high, hovering, omnipresent strings. For over two minutes, we're starved of a vocalist (excluding the guy talking in Portuguese at the beginning – translation: "Be mindful of the Rule of Three / What you give will return to you / This lesson you must learn / You only get what you deserve). Though the lead singer's voice follows a strange, off-kilter melody, you can clearly tell she's singing every note carefully and deliberately. A fantastic start to an album that, at this point, is a complete mystery to me. Hunter continues that same unnerving mood that made Silence so great. But add timpani and a bell tree to the mix and you have a pretty distinctive atmosphere. The mood really gets switched up a couple songs later, in The Rip. Turns out backing vocals make a ton of difference. And now the music is making me feel (vaguely) hopeful instead of depressed. Nice. That slow build-up to include melodic synths, light percussion... it's, well, fantastic. Radiohead-esque, too. Plastic continues the synth-heavy portion of the album with a tune that, frankly, has nothing to do with plastic. Unless the helicoptery noise is supposed to be the lead singer waving a floppy sheet of plastic around in front of the mic. The song's outro reads like doom-electronic (if such a genre exists). We Carry On is a little texturally and melodically repetitive considering its hefty length (6:27 calls for some level of progression, I think), but man, Portishead just do not let up on that strange, indescribably weird mood. Although as I type that, Deep Water – a singer-songwriter tune featuring just vocals and a ukulele – plays. Out of context, a neutral (even happy) little tune about positivity and perseverance. But context is key – particularly as it's followed by the ultra-harsh Machine Gun, where the entire intro section consists of that angelic lead-slash-backing vocal coupled with a brutalist-sounding low synth/percussion thing. A gorgeous high synth joins the mix in the outro, completely selling the song for me. The track Small stresses me out. Like the rest of the album, I guess. A sort of extended instrumental, with the vocals playing a more background-ish role. I love sudden song transitions (or anything that isn't a board fade, for that matter), and hence approve of Small -> Magic Doors. Speaking of Magic Doors, that song remains pretty standard (including solid but unassuming piano chords) until whatever nonsense happens at the 2:20 mark. Like a cross between an orchestra tuning up and a frightened baby elephant. Yet another good transition brings us to the dark, sombre closer, Threads. Doomier than any of the others thus far, and that synth outro gives me chills. 4/5 Key tracks: Silence, The Rip, Machine Gun

Super rhythmic, interesting timbres. I have no idea what any lyrics are!

I'd not heard this Portishead album before. It's very different to the two I have heard and feels like more of a grower. I really enjoyed listening to it though

Darkly disconcerting. Going into the listen-again heap.

really surprising album. really liked it and would recommend to others if they like depressed and weird trip pop.

Entrancing, dark, enigmatic. What a cool sound. Loved the vocals in particular. 4/5

começa com uma frase dum CAPOEIRISTA que dá aula em bristol. que porra é essa. graças a deus largaram o triphop, hein. esse eh mais puxado prum krautrock, um negócio mais experimental, sem perder a linha. tem umas guitarrinha bem massa, btw. eu gostei bastante!

I enjoyed this a lot. The latter half of the album is the best part beginning a few songs before Machine Gun and continuing the rest of the way. I am rating this a 4 but will come back before I finish the list.

Masters of moody, murky minor key gloom. I mostly only know their first album. This album is from 14 years later, and is very much of a piece - which is not a criticism: this is (still) very good stuff. In fact, I'd have to actually go back and listen to the 1st album to be sure, but I wouldn't be surprised if I'd actually end up rating this one slightly higher than the first one. As I make my way through this album, it does gradually start to feel (as I seem to recall experiencing the 1st album) a bit oppressive; a little of this stuff goes a long way, and a whole album of it is a bit much (for me, anyway). Tempting to say, then, that, in that sense, the whole is less than the sum of its parts; best consumed in small doses? Or maybe I'm just not moody enough (or, conversely, perhaps I'm too susceptible to the moodiness - a gloom lightweight)? (Kind of like my consumption of beer -- one and done.) Anyway, this is an easy one for me to grade: 4 stars.

I was quite impressed with this album. I normally find Triphop boring, but they didn't limit themselves to that style. My interest was held throughout, thanks to interesting textures and moods. I appreciate that this album has a darker mood which is achieved not just through lyrics, but also with sound design and arrangement (as opposed to Nick Cave or Leonard Cohen). The drums are very nicely produced and so much more than a typical drum set. I'll take this style of percussion over the best drummer on a traditional drum set any day. They make good use of a wide variety of sounds through sampling and synthesizers too. I think the reason I can't give 5 stars is that rhythmically and harmonically these songs aren't very complex or exciting. In terms of texture and ambience it's a 5 for me

Beth Gibbons voice remains very impressive. Besides the Rip I didn't know this album, but I like the new direction they went on.

8/10

Portishead’s Third is one of the best examples of a reunion album breaking expectations. Beth Gibbons & co. are back in full force. Tracks like Machine Gun and Deep Water harken back to the heyday for the group.

Based on the album art, I thought it would be jazz. I was wrong. This was cool.

Electronic/Experimental Rock Favorite Songs: The Rip, We Carry On, Deep Water, Machine Gun, Small, Magic Doors Least Favorite Song: Silence (But that’s only because the song was intentionally cut off at the end, to which I wasn’t a fan of) I was planning on listening to Portishead’s first album before listening to this one, and if this is generally the style that they’re going for with this album, then I should be even more excited when I listened to the first one. I really loved the synths that had that 60’s vibe to it, as it adds a layer of what I might best describe as dread into the tracks. This album’s a keeper for me. 8/10

No words. Just wow

After helping develop the trip hop genre on their excellent debut Dummy and self-titled second album, Portishead take a left turn on their third release. On those prior albums, Portishead created a dense film-noir like atmosphere, combining elements of jazz, film soundtracks and hip hop beats, all held together by Beth Gibbons' soulful and sometimes haunting vocals. On this album, this is replaced by a more stark and minimalist, post-punk-influenced sound, but one that turns out to be just as fitting for Gibbons' vocals. Standouts are the opener 'Silence' 'The Rip' and the especially stark-sounding 'Machine Gun.'

Coming back from a long hiatus, Portishead took their music in a quite different direction for their first album in eleven years. The atmosphere is still dark and haunting on most tracks, but rather than trip-hop, the music here is much more influenced by post-punk, electronic and experimental rock, with a folky element to some tracks too. Both ‘The Rip’ and ‘Small’, for example, start off rather folky before becoming rockier halfway through. Those tracks are both album highlights, along with the opener ‘Silence’, ‘Hunter’, ‘Plastic’, and the incredibly cold/stark ‘Machine Gun’. Consistently high-quality without any clear standout tracks.

This is not quite what I expected.. feels like they wanted to move away from the Dummy days and try something more challenging z I hear Massive Attack at times which makes sense. Some of it feels like half-baked ideas though. Always interesting. 3.5

I’ve heard this before and I own it. It’s been ages since I’ve listened to it to the point that I barely remember any of the songs. A number of songs are more uptempo than anything from their earlier work and feature guitar up front, but still manage to sound like Portishead. The ambience is still there on every song so it’s like they picked up where they left off ten years earlier.

Such a unique album, really enjoyed it. I will definitely come back for this one. Favorite track(s) Hunter The Rip

Álbum bien potente, sonidos profundos, sensoriales, adelantados al sonido de aquel entonces incluso A la vez con la suavidad de la voz de la vocalista que es un toque muy elegante y balanceado Varias favoritas, pero We Carry On, Small y Machine Gun me parecen puntos fuertes del álbum La canción con ukulele baja revoluciones por un momento para luego seguir con incluso más ímpetu Me parece un excelente Comeback de parte del grupo después de 11 años de su último disco, un resultado muy interesante que entiendo (ya que tengo pendiente escuchar los dos álbumes anteriores), que dista mucho de lo que habían hecho antes y eso también se vale la verdad Muy contento de haber escuchado esta obra brillante, recomendada y reescuchable

I like this album. It’s not Dummy. But Dummy is a desert island album for me. I even like the crazy ends of songs they do a couple of times where it feels like things just got cut off. The whole album is a bit like being on a tilt a whirl. But it’s a fun ride. 4 Boolean: true

I like this. It’s brooding and joyful, dark and lightish. Trippy and alt popish. Best to listen to while on drugs

V. Good. Very blur/blur Essex dogs. Strange news.

esse aqui é top, bem experimental

Beth Gibbons!!! Oh em gee, get freaking pumped!!! Trip hop is a genre I would expect myself to like more than I actually do. On most other albums in the genre I find that the singers tend to be the largest fault, doing not much more than trying to sound ethereal. I would point to Thom Yorke as an example of this, he’s a great singer, one of my favs, but on most of the band’s attempts at trip hop he comes off as entirely uninterested, a stylistic choice for sure. Beth Gibbons is not that, she’s fucking fantastic. She has this folksy voice that simultaneously sells the sorrow of her lyrics while riding the fuck out of the beat. Instrumentally I find a lot of trip hop too close to IDM that it kinda breaks my heart when it’s not that. I think Portishead escapes from this really well by going for some more post-rock influences. 4/5 da album has great vibes :)

less complex than their earlier albums, with fewer sonic components but each one carefully crafted for maximum impact and spookiness

awesome - also listened to dummy per ford's recommendation

I don't know why I like Portishead, but I do. Not as good as Dummy, but still pretty good.

Strange feeling, but in a compelling way. Don't always love the vocals, but I enjoy the complex and unusual instrumentation. I heard Machine Gun and realized that "You Belong To The World" sampled it.

Det var ret fedt! Stemnings mættet, tungt, og ømt på den fede måde.

Judging by the reviews here, I'm not the only person who didn't really keep up with Portishead post-Dummy. This was my first time listening to Third, but I don't think it will be my last.

Interested in listening to this group for some time now as its usually grouped with a lot of other similar artists I've already heard. Unfortunate I've listened to their final album before the first two but it was still nice. Might have skipped a few songs around the end but oh well, I'll listen to it again probably. I liked the elements of prog in this one on some of the songs.

Excited to finally listen to this band - I've heard of them but never actually listened to their music. I liked a lot of this. We Carry On was creepy and amazing, but I felt like the songs afterward weren't as strong until the album closer, which I also liked. I need to listen to more from this band.

Man are they good at towing the line between creepy and sexy

A change in sound for Portishead that I thought was great. Not every track hits, but those that do are so good. Although, this was the first listen in quite a while and I liked it less than I used to! 3.5 rounded up Heard before? Yes Owned: Yes. 79/310 (25%) Will I get: Already have

Quite interesting

Not really listened to this before and wasn’t sure as it started but about half way through I really got it. One to listen to a few times I reckon

ta chivo

Darn it. Gave this a good writeup in the wrong place... essentially I find the weird lounge smoky underground club vibe fascinating and have pretty much always liked Portishead. I figure they are going to be too weird for a lot of people, but I am not one of them!

Very different from Dummy but still a great album. I struggled on some of the tracks but others are great and pretty sure I will listen again.

This album has always struggled in their legacy that ‘it’s just not Dummy’. Which let’s face it was impossible to follow. I was guilty of that, and listening again now, this really is a great album. While keeping that Portishead sinister beauty, it did deliberately go in a different direction, ditching the trip hop for a kinda folky kinda krautrocky industrial thing. Very brave, and it rather heralds the direction which Geoff Barrow went off in with the excellent Beak>.

This was an interesting album with some unusual soundscapes and electronic instrumentation. I like the lead singers vocals and tone quality. Diverse and modern with some psychedelics.

You know what, at least this has some balls about it and tries to do something a bit different. I'll take that any day. Obviously I quite enjoy the general style a lot of the time, although Portishead isn't a band I've ever really sat down and listened to. But I stuck this on twice, and it's quite long. I'd take this over fucking Rumours any day of the week.

Portishead has been on my radar for what feels like forever. I am already a huge Massive Attack and Sneaker Pimps fan, so the genre is not unfamiliar to me. I find that while Massive Attack is very layered and complex, Portishead takes one a more obtuse and yet direct approach to their sampling and composition. There is nonetheless a pervasive darkness to this work, and it fit well as it was raining and gloomy outside while I was listening to it. All the tracks worked, particularly Magic Doors for reasons that are simply beyond me. Very interesting album and I can’t wait for the next Portishead album to show up on the list.

Ojoj, alltid gillat portishead men brukar hamna i de där klassiska albumen. Detta var en riktig banger dock

Felt like a place between places

it’s been years since i listened to dummy. that one is a certified hood classic and third completely dont sound like this. one top review considered as this the most anxiety inducing album ever but as someone with anxiety i just feel a tiny bit anxious listening to this. but this is indeed some real shit 4/5

portishead's third and presumedly final album release. definitely an album that's big on the experimental side of this, an oddity that you want to let play to the end even if you don't like the sound as much... with a lone vocalist with strange guitars and strums just surrounding you all over the place... this album kinda feels like you're being choked in a weird way.

This was way better than unexpected it to be. The other Portishead record here is super boring but this was nice.

I had a bit of a controversial opinion on this one a while back, leaving the noir-style triphop sound and going more in the direction of electronic seemed strange to me, it was good, i just couldn’t see the hype, and i say this as an otherwise massive fan of Portishead, i love Self-Titled and i rate both Dummy and Roseland as some of my favourite albums ever, but Third just never clicked for me… and it still hasn’t completely, i still love Beth Gibbons lyrics and vocals but some of the instrumental choices are a bit bizarre (looking at We Carry On’s intro), and i get that its meant to be weird to symbolise a mental state in chaos, but some of it just isn’t pleasant on the ears, and music is meant to be enjoyed dammit. To be clear i still like this album, but i’m giving this a 4 star whereas each of their other 3 releases would all be 5 stars. Standouts are Hunter, The Rip, Magic Doors and Threads.

a bit creepy, but i like experimental

Noisy, anxious, moody, atmospheric, sometimes claustrophobic. I felt like I was lying in my bed at dusk, headachey and slightly dissociating after an emotional meltdown earlier in the day. But I'm known to enjoy music I resonate with / that makes me feel anxiety in new and fascinating ways compared to what I typically do. So I enjoyed this.

Turns out I love trip hop

My favorite Portishead. Delightfully moody and sombre. Got a great variety of sounds going on, works really well.

I thought this could be a hard listen but the more I listened the more I enjoyed it

Third is definitely a really interesting album. This album seemed to move away from the trip-hop that Portishead is known for and included quite a lot of other genres including krautrock, doo wop, surf rock and John Carpenter film scores. I definitely think its an interesting change which was handled pretty well. Granted, the album didn't quite find it's footing for a while but when it did, it really did. The part i enjoyed most about the album is that these songs added in so much that i was always curious to see what would come next. I still think i like Dummy more due to me having more of an affinity for that album's sound but this was still a really good one. Best Song: We Carry On Worst Song: Plastic

I have not listened to any Portishead albums further to Dummy, so this was always going to an interesting listen. Really enjoyed this. A lovely mix of their familiar sound along with special effects pedals, fuzz and electronic tweaks. I preferred the more serene slower songs and small was the definite standout. it does end beautifully with the almost doomsday repeated sample on Threads which is another excellent song. 4 stars

I want to be on Mars to this album ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5 Highlights: "Plastic," "We Carry On"

es muy coolll, te lleva a otra dimensión, pero no a una muy lejana.

On every listen I liked this album more and more. Its eerie, industrial, and very well made; I can hear the influence it's had for similarly sounding projects today (like FKA Twigs). 8/10 Fav Track - Machine Gun. Love the driving punchy beat

lovv it

Buen disco, pero lejos de la excelencia de su primer long play.

"you think you know me?" "I mean. I hope so. We've spent a lot of time together. I've invested a lot in this relationship". "This is not a relationship" "Then what is it?" "A ralrionsh An album that pushes and pulls and continues to fight to the bitter end. No one will ever accuse PH of putting filler on an album. Every second of every moment is meticulously chosen - every sample, every drum sound, every moment of silence, every jagged guitar. Every stuttering bass. Every keyboard wash. Every instrument left unplayed. There is a baseline of bleakness that gets interrupted eruptions by things that are - uh - less bleak. It's impossible not to feel something from this album - whether those feelings are good is another question entirely. Perfect background music for your next post apocalyptic dinner party.

A soup of magic. My sister told me she was at a concert of an artist or band (I can't remember) when she was micro-dosing on mushrooms and they were playing the last three songs of this album on the PA system before the show, she was very weirded out but then she grew to like that album. I just find that to be a wild way of discovering Portishead. I like this album just as much as Dummy.

I liked this, but it's nowhere as catchy as their earlier stuff. It feels like it might reward repeated listens, but from a first listen it's good but hard to see how it could justify a place in the list

Really cool and unique album. Good amount of variety, yet it’s still consistently great. But although I liked all the songs here, none of them did particularly stand out. For me to be impressed by an album, I feel like it needs to have at least a couple of 10/10 songs, and here all the songs are 8/10 or close to that but none are 10/10. Still a very fun listen, though.

I think along with ‘Glory Box’, this one took me a few tracks to get in to and begin to properly enjoy. Once that moment hit everything clicked.

Avant Garde is the best word to define this album. Every song has its oddities that rarely are for the worst.

I find some of it very irritating, but most of it very enjoyable. I guess that's the trade-off with something experimental.

A genuinely challenging bit of arty electronic alt rock. Struggled with it on a first listen but found it really exciting, unpredictable and unlike anything else on a re-listen.

This album holds up very well. The sound is at once wholly Portishead and completely different from the sound they pioneered in their first 2 albums. Their sense of mood and longing and payoff are unparalleled. I think Adrian Utley’s approach to guitar might be in my top five personal influences.

Pretty good album with fantastic sounds, creative beats, and interesting songs. I found the vocal style to be a bit repetitive, but that’s not a big deal. I enjoyed this album much more than I thought I would. Will definitely listen again.

I get it, this is not the trip hop, scratchy vinyl record self-sampling Portishead from the first two records. Beloved as they were before, this is vehemently diametrical. No less excruciatingly earnest, this is more like experimental tonal wailing into the void praying for some sense of reason for existing. That's just a pleasant way of saying this record is aimless, meandering, and lonesome. And it feels like home. "We Carry On" sounds like being inside an MRI scan - don't ask me why. "Deep Water' ought to have been on the 'O Brother Where Art Though' soundtrack. Beloved.

New to me!

Third by Portishead is an album that takes the word experimental to another level. This album's ambiance and dark psychedelic sounds mixed with Beth Gibbons' amazing vocals make it an incredible listening experience. 4.6/5

This won't be everyone's thing. They basically said fuck our old sound and fuck modern equipment. Which fair.

Liked it better than Dummy. Plastic was a standout for me

lots of interesting sounds here. i like

If you ever feel sad or moody, you know what to listen :)