Porcupine

Quite fun. Nice change of pace from what I've been listening to lately.

A very good album with a dark and cold atmosphere that stays consistent from start to finish. The instrumentals are strong across the board, especially the bass and drums, which give the songs a heavy, driving foundation. Everything sounds high quality and well controlled. The band builds a bleak but compelling mood without relying on cheap theatrics. Ian McCulloch’s voice cuts through the mix with a distant, commanding presence, while the guitars add sharp texture around the rhythm section. The songs feel tightly wound and purposeful, with a cold energy that never really thaws. It has that early 80s post-punk depth that still holds up. The production is clean and powerful. The low end sits solid, the drums hit with clarity, and the overall sound has enough space to let the atmosphere breathe without becoming thin or overly polished. Heaven Up Here is a strong, focused record. Dark, well played, and built on a rhythm section that carries real weight.

Sounds like a U2 cover band. A bland U2 sounding band. I just kept thinking, "They want to be U2." I have no idea what band came first, but someone is ripping off the other here.

Awesome! Cool almost-goth new wave-y sound. Really dug this.

Echo & the Bunnymen are a good but still fairly ordinary British new wave/rock band. This combination is apparently called post-punk, even though it actually has nothing to do with punk - but of course it emerged later. With that description, however, a whole lot of other styles would also qualify for that name. Maybe the Bunnymen had funny hairstyles... Be that as it may, this is a band worth checking out at least once. Whether you need to listen to several albums is another matter entirely. If they weren’t British, Robert Dimery would surely have answered “no” to that question as well.

This one was not good

Was pretty tuned out for most of this one lol

Dark moody and pompous, where songs get lost in the overweening thickness of very-80s atmospherics. When the good ones get a chance to dig their way out of the brooding bombast, they are pretty good: I have no idea what the Cutter is, but it's edgy and appealing, and Back of Love burns, pulsating, and sugary intense.

Oh this was worse than expected, given I like some of their later songs. Nonsensical, unharmonious, not at all catchy synth pop? Why? “The Cutter” is decent, and “White Devil” gets points for name checking John Webster, but that is about all the redemption I can muster.

Okay

It’s a bit shouty and urgent for my taste.

I enjoyed this album. It's very 80s and sounds a bit like U2 but that's fine.

*1983. *I like 80s post punk, so I like (but don't love) these guys. *Every song is pretty consistently good, not great. None of them particularly stand out except the opening track, The Cutter. *This is very much Bowie meets The Cure. *The right amount of moody while being fun to sing along to. RATING - 7/10

I don't think I do enjoy this style of Cure-esque indie rock. Just never been my scene. Not much to say about this one. Inoffensive but I wouldn't listen to it again

It's fine, it's a bit aimless compared to Ocean Rain though. A much colder soundscape unfortunately results in far less memorable songs, but they're still performed well.

Feeling some early U2 vibes from this one.

A yawnfest of same old 80s techno band stuff. Did they just all use the same drum track?

Not needed to be here. Echo without the hits.

Lots of 3s lately....this was FINE

Reminds me of Talking Heads, really enjoyed it in the background, The Cutter into Back of Love was pretty nice to start, Heads Will Roll and Ripeness stood out, Gods Will be Gods cool, Fuel really cool off the bonus.

Nothing stood out to me too much about this one. They've got a cool sound but none of the tracks had me begging to come back for more.

I feel nothing for or against this album. It had fun moments and bad moments but neither very good nor very bad.

Meh. I didn't dislike it but wouldn't choose to ever revisit this.

This Gothic Rock album feels like sitting in a dark room with someone who keeps trying to create a mysterious atmosphere by lowering the lights and speaking dramatically, but after a while I'm just sitting there wondering when something is actually going to happen. The guitars are jagged and heavily treated, the bass and drums push the songs forward with a dark, steady pulse, and occasional strings and other textures make everything feel larger and more dramatic. Ian McCulloch sings in a deep, strained and often theatrical style, but for me the vocals don't add enough variation to break through the same brooding mood. The atmosphere is certainly consistent, but that consistency becomes the problem for me: instead of pulling me deeper into the darkness, it feels like I'm sitting in the same gloomy room for forty minutes waiting for the mood to change.

Fine? Can't say it made any lasting impression but I didn't dislike it.

I don't mind the general sound to this at all, although it did seem to go on for quite a long time, although it's a relatively short album and I'd taken all the extended bits out (thanks record company). But nothing really gripped me beyond the general sound. It's OK, but this is the sort of band I should like a lot more. Perhaps I need to spend a bit more time with it?

I’m too young for Echo & the Bunnymen and never discovered them in later life like I did the Smiths and Orange Juice. And to be honest I don’t think I’d have got it even in my twenties. This is dense and gloomy, topped off with Ian McCullochs doomy barotone. Typical 80’s post punk guitar with swirling eastern strings and synths. Nothing you’d whistle but plenty that lodged in your head

meh

Enjoyment: 7/10 Replayability: 6/10 Cohesion: 6/10 Flow/Pacing: 5/10 Artistic Merit: 6/10 Weighted Average: 6.25/10 Review: This rock-punk-pop (?) has piqued my interest. I've never heard of Echo & The Bunnymen, but if the rest of their discography is like this album, I'll have to check it out. Liked Song(s): The Cutter, My White Devil, Heads Will Roll Disliked Song(s): Higher Hell, Fuel Recommend? Yes Heard Before? No

Nice but not that great.

Today’s listen is Porcupine by one of my favourite bands, Echo & the Bunnymen. I’ve always thought Ocean Rain was their best work, so let’s see how this compares. I absolutely love the Bunnymen sound. They’re one of those bands that are instantly recognisable. The guitars have their own distinctive style, Ian McCulloch’s vocals are superb and the lyrics are often strange and difficult to work out, but somehow that just adds to the appeal. Porcupine definitely feels like a darker and more psychedelic side of the band. There’s still that brilliant post-punk sound, but it’s more experimental in places, with some unusual influences and sounds running through it. At times you can even hear elements of what would later become shoegaze. Most importantly, though, there are some brilliant songs. “The Cutter”, “The Back of Love” and “Heads Will Roll” are all superb, and the whole album has this urgent, slightly aggressive energy that I really enjoy. It’s strange and atmospheric without forgetting to actually have great tunes underneath it all. Favourite tracks: What a great song “The Cutter” is. I have absolutely no idea what it’s about, like most Bunnymen songs, but it’s brilliant. “Porcupine” is also superb, although there are so many songs I could pick from this album. Least favourite track: Every song is worth a listen, although I admit I’m very biased when it comes to Echo & the Bunnymen. Album artwork: Brilliant album cover. One of those covers that perfectly fits the sound and mood of the record.

It's 3.5

Like a slightly less miserable Joy Division album. Which is a good thing!

I’m a fan and this might be their best album.

idk den epsaksa meaning alla den tha trelenomoun ama to ksana akouga mb

RATING: 6.5/10 HIGHLIGHT: The Cutter LOWLIGHT: Higher Hell

The Cutter - 86 The Back Of Love - 88 My White Devil - 83 Clay - 84 Porcupine - 86 Heads Will Roll - 87 Ripeness - 86 Higher Hell - 85 Gods Will Be Gods - 84 In Bluer Skies - 90 Porcupine - 87

Rein und wieder raus

ik ben fan van deze mensen. dit is echt goede leuke interessante rock

This band is not without talent, but the album is very much of its time. Most tracks sound the same, at least on a first listen

Solid across the board, with some standout tracks, and a great production sound. I can see why this was and continues to be popular but, to be honest, I didn’t really connect with it much and despite being solid, it didn’t seem to be superior in anyway shape or form when compared to other British bands of the time. So, it’s just a 3 for now.

Niente di che

Gar nicht schlecht

7/10 Echo and The Bunnymen is one of those names that I’ve heard countless times over the years, but don’t really know much of their music. Straight from the off, the tone is set with the punchy rhythms and heavy reverbs that impart a tone that is part goth and part Joy Division. The production (by Ian Broudie of The Lightning Seeds) definitely harks back to Martin Hannett’s work with that band, but there’s also a slightly more forward looking 80s tone and gothic rock sheen to it too. What that all does is create a very thick and interesting textural blend that’s part grit and part thick atmosphere for the songwriting to inhabit. Interestingly, the actual songwriting then leans almost into a new-wave pop approach, with clear lead guitar hooks and powerful, legato vocals. It’s a very cool blend and one that marries up the two different aspects in a fairly unique and interesting way. What also really helps this album to chug along is the blend of rhythms that span the record, and I found myself bobbing along enthusiastically quite regularly. It’s not just the base rhythms from the drums that create that groove, however, as they often build much more engaging and complex grooves by structuring the different instrumental parts to layer over one another to, creating a rhythmic core that bounces around the different parts in a really effective way. What was also pretty nice was that the band allowed the focus of songs to shift between different band members, with the vocal not always being the main focal point of the tune. Sometimes we got prominent lead guitar, sometimes bass, and sometimes piano, but they all brought a touch of pop melodic sensibility that helped to rein in the weirder and more dissonant edges of the music into a rounder and more comprehensible package. It is sometimes the case that a band has a vocalist who, standing alone, is fairly unremarkable, but as part of a specific project, marries up almost perfectly with the aesthetic and the composition, and it feels to me like Ian McCulloch is one of those. Not technically brilliant, but he perfectly suits the vibe and aesthetic of this record, offering a floaty new-wave tinged delivery that still has a slight edge of darkness to it. So all in all, a pretty interesting and engaging record. I do feel like it probably could have had a touch more range and that it started to lose a bit of energy towards the end, but it was certainly an interesting listen and one that I’ll probably pop back to again to see if it grows on me even more. The Cutter - Interesting. This is very much reminiscent of the work of Joy Division, but with a slightly poppy goth twist. There’s a brooding undercurrent to it, but they also have a more up-beat side that they ease in and out of quite nicely. There are some strong rhythms here and the depth of the production is very nice. It’s a pretty promising start. Back Of Love - The band take a more forward approach to the rhythms now and add a bit of pace. The sharp and staccato textures are cool, especially when they alternate with the more smeared sound with nice legato strings. It’s almost frantic in places, and there’s some very cool sound design in there too. I like, but don’t love the melodic choices, but the vibe is very strong. My White Devil - There are some cool riffs that rub up against the chord structures in an interesting way. Again, the sonic textures here are great, and there’s plenty of movement and development as the band transitions through the different sections of the song. It maintains an edge of goth to the vibe, but is more forward rhythmically. Later on there’s some elements of dissonance from the lead vocal which doesn’t completely gel with me, but they’re creating a solid aesthetic and the production is full and interesting. Clay - This is darker and more distorted, but still has a very compelling groove. The depth of the reverbs gives it a bit more of that goth adjacent texture. The bass and drum combination is excellent and somehow they summon an element of indie-pop to the work while also making something that’s very atmospheric and a bit weird. It’s a pretty cool combination actually, and I really liked this one. Porcupine - The distant reverb on the opening drums calls back very much to that Joy Division sound, but then the guitar comes in and flips that completely. It’s almost like a goth take on the soundtrack from a western movie. The juxtaposition of the drawling, slow vocal and the persistent guitar strumming is very cool, and there’s a lot of interesting sound design and production that builds and incredibly thick and broad sound palette. There are some great rhythms in here too. This is possibly the most goth song on the record now, and it’s another good one. Heads Will Roll - Again, I think the grooves here are great, as are the sound blends. This has a more pop music approach to melody, with some pretty hooky choices from both the vocal and the guitar work. But it’s all still presented with that depth of atmosphere and edge of dark weirdness to it. It’s not overly weird, but it’s enough to make it an interesting and engaging listen. I’m getting into the swing of this record now. Ripeness - There’s something about the rhythms on this album that are catching me just right. I think it’s the way each of the different parts contribute to the overall groove in their own way. This still has a slightly twisted pop music edge to it, but it’s also very post-punk and frenetic in places. It kind of feels like, with different production choices, this could have been fairly mainstream 80s pop-rock, but it’s a fun house mirror version of it, twisted out of shape and overlayed with a significant depth and weight. Like it. Higher Hell - The guitar lines here float between poppy and creepy in a really interesting way. Again, we’re back more towards Joy Division, with that edge of discomfort to the sound that sets you on edge. The rhythms and production continue to be strong and there’s still elements of pop to it, though there’s a bit more grime and distortion from the sound design that takes it away from that. It’s a slower and more considered track, and perhaps not the strongest on the album, but it’s still decent. Gods Will Be Gods - This starts a bit thinner and doesn’t feel quite as strong during the opening sections. Perhaps I’m hankering for a bit more range by this point of the record? I still like it, but it doesn’t feel as adventurous or like it’s had as much time and energy put into the sound design and sprawling development of the song’s overarching story. It’s just a bit repetitive and plain by comparison. They do a bit more as the song progresses, but not really enough to push it up to the heights of the best tracks. In Bluer Skies - This is way more sparse and forward in terms of production, at least in the opening. It continues the theme of having compelling rhythmic blends and a slightly weird and uncomfortable edge that makes for an engaging vibe. It’s another in which the development is perhaps not as strong as on other tracks, but the sound design and vibe are still both solid. It’s a lighter and more airy ending to the record, but still has moments of darkness that ease their way in and out. Not bad.

8/10 - I had every intention of liking this and I did. It’s a style I generally like. The biggest knock (and it doesn’t feel much of a knock) is that they could very easily be viewed as a “wannabe The Cure”.

A solid album but it's hard not to compare against their other albums. 7/10

Tiene una mezcla de joy division, u2 y the smiths. Me gusta una parte y dos no. Pero lo peor es la monotonía. Puse el disco mientras me preparaba por la mañana y pasaron 2 cosas. Primero no sé diferenciar en qué momento terminó el primer tema o el disco en sí. Y segundo es que me había levantado óptimo y ahora todo es triste.

Good post punk. I enjoyed this more than I thought I would. I actually liked some of the alternate versions of these songs more than the actual album tracks though. Production is of its time and not always good. I feel like the alternate takes pop more. 4/5

After Ocean Rain, which I found a bit hit and miss I was expecting more of the same here. But this surprised me. The album starts strong with The Cutter which is a banger. The music is catchy, the lyrics are great and understandable and really gets me head banging. The great songs continue until Higher Hell. Where the album drops in quality for me. Great album and I’ll be re listening to this straight away

It was one of the better 80s rock albums I’ve heard

It is what you would expect from Echo and the Bunnymen

Started off strong and was a vibe, but turns into a bit dreary

Prickly

did not like this

Post punk new wave goth classic

Capable, well made and not for me.

I love Echo and the Bunnymen but this is median Echo and the Bunnymen: everything's good but nothing stands out. This album is perfect except it's missing melodies.

not as good as Joni Mitchell’s Blue

"Back of Love" was very good, the rest was just passable.

These jangle guitar bands just sound like background noise by the second song. When they hit it's good, but there is a lot of static on between it

Have been getting more into this band in the past few years. Really liked this one. I need to give it more listens.

I like songs by an empty broken guy who wishes to be made whole but these were not very memorable

2.6 there were some songs with cool parts but it wasnt all interesting

I'm just not a fan of Echo and The Bunnymen. They're a less good Talking Heads. Ok, maybe I unfairly judged them off the previous albums and the first song on this album. Back of Love and My White Devil (is that a euphemism for his penis?) are better. Maybe I like this album. Arcade Fire heard the title track and their band was born. Gods Will Be Gods is the best song on the album. I like this better than their other albums on this list.

Echo & The Bunnymen are definitely an interesting band. I used to think they were overrated, and I think what made them hard for me to grasp at first was the expanded atmosphere they layer on top of their dark post punk foundation. It’s like the core of their sound is firmly post punk, but the added psychedelic elements introduce an atmosphere that didn’t always feel like it aligned with those darker undertones. Over time, though, I’ve definitely warmed up to them. I started discovering random tracks here and there that I genuinely enjoyed, and those slowly eased me into their music. This was my first time listening to this album from beginning to end, and while I wasn’t fully on board at first, by the second song it already had me hooked. Eventually, I’m planning to work my way through their entire discography.

The Cure are one of my all time favourite bands, generally because of my old man’s 40 year love of them. However, I have seldom ventured beyond the most well known bands in the British alternative 80s scene - whilst familiar with EATB I have mostly heard that they are a poor man’s Cure. Thus it was a massively pleasant surprise when I heard this album and it was absolutely brilliant. Dark, brooding yet catchy, this is brilliant gothic post-punk. One of the best albums I’ve discovered doing this list so far

We have the Smiths and the cure at home

Kind of a drag but a few hidden gems

Great album by a great bamd

I love you, Echo & the Bunnymen !!!

Den Nachfolger hatten wir ja schon in der Liste und dem hab ich die Höchstwertung gegeben, aber irgendwie hatte ich diese Platte deutlich hitlastiger in Erinnerung. Bei dieser Platte sind klassische Hits weitestgehend abwesend. Das Ganze ist für mich wesentlich mehr im Post-Punk und weniger im 80s-Pop verankert. Ich hab mich teilweise schwer getan, hier vernünftig reinzukommen. Gut die Hälfte hat mich letztendlich doch bekommen, wobei mich dann mehr der Vibe überzeugt hat als irgendwelche konkreten Melodien oder Gitarrenriffs. Daher gesundes Mittelmaß.

Hat mir an sich gut gefallen, aber irgendwas fehlt mir doch irgendwie, dass ich an einen weiteren Durchgang Interesse hätte.

Post Punk hatte ich mir anders vorgestellt.

Das hat mir überraschend gut gefallen, dafür dass ich dachte, dass es sich um eine Band aus den 00ern handelt war ich allerdings doch überrascht wie alt das Album schon ist. Gutes Ding

I like Echo and the Bunnymen. They have a good vibe, and a distinct sound that I haven’t heard other bands come close to, so they have their own little niche. But man, sometimes you can just have too much Echo and the Bunnymen. I like the album, but even without the alternate versions of the tracks I’m like, “alright this is going on for too long.” Shorter album, or more variety… throw us a bone here

01/09/2026 I got nothing from this album, nothing stood out and I won't be listening again. Spotify listeners: 2.4 million

I really do think there could be a better album in here if it was remixed and remastered. Like why do the vocals sit so high up in the mix while also having reverb applied at a different proportion than everything else? At first I thought it was just my crappy car stereo but then I listened with headphones and had the same complaints. They really got done dirty in the studio here. I'll have to track down good live recordings just to see what that was like. I do personally find the vocals to be the most grating part of their whole act and I can see why the rest of the band tried to continue after he quit because they really had something without him popping a squat all over the mix.

If you love that nostalgic 80s sound, then you'll love this. It's meh for me, though.

Raw and spikey and awesome. I haven't at all figured out what to think of echo and the bunnymen so far! This is my third record of theirs from a fresh start. I'm pretty sure this is my favourite. It's kind of punky and I like that more, I remember finding some of the other records a little jangly indie in parts and I'm pleased that's not so present here

This album is before my time as I was born 98. I’d heard of the band in passing but never listened. I have to be honest, I wouldn’t have picked this album for myself, I really have to be in the mood for punk and I wasn’t today. Nearly DNL but decided to put it on. Immediately really enjoyed The Cutter. Really enjoyed The Back of Love. Really enjoyed My White Devil. Really enjoyed Clay. Thought I wasn’t overly keen on Porcupine, got half way through, really enjoyed it. Really enjoyed Heads Will Roll. Really enjoyed Ripeness. Higher Hell grew on me. Really enjoyed Gods Will Be Gods. In Bluer Skies also grew on me. Enjoyed Fuel! Each track was a great length for me and the overall album was just a really fun time. It didn’t feel samey like some punk does to me. It was emotional but optimistic. I’m so glad I decided to give it a listen, I’ll be replaying this. Now listening to all the alternate versions on the album.

94

Like the worst of U2 meets the worst of The Smiths. RYM: N Saved a song: N

Ärsyttävä ääni laulajalla ja kolkot sounditkaan eivät iske ainakaan tänä aamuna.

This one might take a couple more listens to appreciate. On first listen, this was a cold, off-kilter post-punk record with disillusioned lyrics to the point of depression. The vocal performances are great, but lyrically the album is very negative. This would probably sound amazing during times of hardship. For now, 6/10.

i mean i see some good bones here

its ok

Good vibes

i just think this music is fun and good!! you can dance, and feel and boogie and cry!!

like it

Ehh? It was fine.

There is nothing impressive about this group, and this album is no different. It's just the same dreary beats, and strums the album, and I wasn't upset when the album ended. Favorite Track: "The Back Of Love".

Awful droning WOAHHH WAOOOH WOAAAAHs. Feels like i'm listening to u2.

Good album. However, this suffers from the overexposure of british post-punk bands in this project. In any case, this album is in the range of 3,5 stars for me. Most songs have a second half change that is really interesting. Some songs I enjoyed: "The Cutter" (probably my favourite; I like the epic second half), "Back Of Love", "Porcupine", "Heads Will Roll" (nice bass line, as in most tracks), "Higher Hell", or "In Bluer Skies". I also think that "Never Stop" (only in the extended version) is pretty good. So, overall, a very solid 3 star album with upward potential.

more meh

Nice album, love the Cutter my favourite Echo song, some other great tunes too

Not spikey enough for me

1983

++: The Cutter, The Back of Love, My White Devil, Clay, Ripeness +: Heads Will Roll, Higher Hell, Gods Will Be Gods, In Bluer Skies +-: Porcupine 7,6/10

I always hear about Echo and the Bunnymen as being one of the most underrated post-punk groups, but I just can't hear it myself. They end up in an unhappy middle zone where they feel too slight as a band to compete with the Joy Divisions or Wires of the world, but they also can't embrace pop enough to really stand up with someone like Duran Duran or ABC.

This album was kind of a bummer to me, because I had really enjoyed their other album Ocean Rain on this list. It was not necessary bad, but it all felt very similar and I felt like there was nothing standout.