Reviews (page 2 of 2)
I used to be with ‘it’, but then they changed what ‘it’ was. Now what I’m with isn’t ‘it’ anymore and what’s ‘it’ seems weird and scary to me. -Abe Simpson
I'll admit that I went down a bit of a Poppy rabbit hole a while ago. I saw every episode of her delightfully weird "Improbably Poppy." I listened to her early Pop music. I even found an old interview where she uses her "real" voice. Whoever (or whatever) she is, it's totally fascinating. Extra half-star for her stellar feature on Knocked Loose's "Suffocate".
It automatically loses a ⭐️ for that awful screaming The bits in between that are fine even if they sound like Marilyn Manson did 25 years ago (not a compliment) I’ll be kind and say 2 but it’s a low one
I was not expecting this to go so hard.
Got bored half way through
Yes! Yes, just yes!
Ei kyllä mitään järkeä ottaa varsin keskinkertaista pop-metallilevyä samalta vuodelta (!) listalle. 2/5
Dreadful, I struggled to see the point of this to be honest. I could find nothing new or of value here, it's another nail in the coffin of the credibility of the revised edition of the book.
Headache inducing
Really strong album. It’s hard to listen to it in the context of this list as it just came out. However, I’m glad I found it as a result of this project.
Coworker metal final boss. Safe, boring, derivative with sterile production to boot . My best guess as to why this album is on this list is that Poppy and the dude from Bring Me the Horizon (fucking hell) found a near perfect ratio of pop sensibilities to inject into metalcore (or vice versa.) I don't hate this album, but it represents a trend towards the middle that has been happening in alternative music spaces for years. Interesting and challenging sound is explored then some nerds come along and wring it for cash. There's not a single motif or idea on this album that hasn't been done before by at least dozens of bands. A real shame too, because there are female fronted bands working right now that deserve more recognition than Poppy. Brat, for one.
While it’s nice to see more women on the list this one feels kind of manufactured. It appears to borrow elements from lots of sub genres and throw them together which leaves it feeling cynical and all over the place to my ears. Also, I’m never a fan of scream singing 2.5
unfortunately not really my thing. the normal metal-ish stuff when she was singing normally was fine, but i am never a fan of the growl singing, and that's what killed my interest here.
Poppy måste ha gått sängvägen för att få med detta album på listan. Det här är fan inte bra. Det är inte tufft att growla och att skrika. Och beträffande Robert Dimery så måste han ha fått en puck i huvudet för att kunna lägga till sånt här skräp. Ja just det, han har ju fått fett på sylen av Poppy.
Didn't expect that
L'année 2026 restera donc comme celle où le comité éditorial du pavé de Robert Dimery, notre sacro-saint bréviaire des 1001 albums à écouter avant de mourir, a décidé de secouer la poussière de ses étagères en opérant une saignée rituelle. Treize albums dégagés sans ménagement vers les oubliettes du recyclage, et treize nouveaux venus propulsés d'office au panthéon de l'histoire musicale. Dans la charrette des adoubés, on retrouve la cavalerie lourde de la respectabilité critique et de la hype contemporaine : The Cure venu rappeler aux corbeaux que le noir ne se démode jamais, Billie Eilish qui continue de distiller ses murmures anxiogènes dans des micros à dix mille dollars, Charli XCX et son hédonisme de rave post-internet, ou encore St. Vincent avec son art-rock mutant d'une précision maniaque. Jusque-là, rien de bien choquant, c’est le jeu habituel du compromis entre consensus critique, révisions générationnelles et caresses dans le sens du poil des algorithmes. Sauf qu'au beau milieu de ces mastodontes, un nom a fait tiquer mon regard et grincer mes certitudes : Poppy, avec un disque estampillé de l'année en cours, Empty Hands. Petit aparté concernant les dégagés, j'aurais tellement aimé voir un Led Zeppelin ou un Pink Floyd (vous connaissez mon amour inconditionné pour ces deux groupes) plutôt que voir une Little Simz, un Leonard Cohen ou un Django Django disparaitre. Bon je referme la parenthèse et je pense qu'il faut qu’on m’explique un truc car je ne comprends pas tout. Nous sommes en 2026, l'année n’est même pas encore terminée, et voilà qu'un groupe de pontifes autoproclamés décrète qu'un album sorti il y a six mois à peine constitue une étape fondamentale de la culture occidentale, un monument indispensable qu'il faut obligatoirement s'injecter dans les tympans avant d'avaler son extrait de naissance. C'est je trouve d'une précipitation grotesque, voir une décision presque comique car depuis quand canonise-t-on une œuvre dans l'urgence absolue, sans lui laisser le temps élémentaire de décanter, d'affronter l'usure des mois, de subir le test impitoyable des saisons et de voir si quelqu'un en aura encore quelque chose à carrer dans trois ans ? À l'époque, pour gagner son quart de page entre un live de James Brown, un chef-d'œuvre de Neil Young ou la démence sonique du Velvet Underground, il fallait avoir retourné une sous-culture, survécu aux overdoses, marqué une génération au fer rouge ou redéfini les règles de la production. Aujourd'hui, j'ai l'impression qu'on balance un disque au panthéon comme on valide un panier Amazon en livraison express. Mais bon, passons sur les dérives mercantiles de nos archivistes pressés et penchons-nous sur ce que ce Empty Hands a véritablement dans le ventre. Poppy, c'est ce projet caméléon piloté par Moriah Pereira, qui est passée de la posture de poupée robotique flippante débitant des vidéos absurdes sur YouTube à celle de prêtresse d'un crossover metal qui cartonne chez les gamins branchés sur TikTok et les curieux du Download Festival. Sur le papier, le projet a de la gueule et surtout il a l'audace de mélanger pop synthétique et déflagrations djent ou indus. Sauf qu'avec Empty Hands, on navigue en plein dans un revival metal alternatif qui lorgne sans la moindre honte sur la vague qu'Evanescence et toute la clique du néo-goth FM du début des années 2000 avaient propulsée sur les ondes mondiales. Car putain, c’est exactement le même recette : des riffs lourds accordés trois tons sous terre pour donner une illusion d'épaisseur, sur lesquels viennent se greffer des refrains pop calibrés pour le matraquage radiophonique et des montées mélodramatiques jouant sur le contraste classique entre la fragilité enfantine d'une voix diaphane et la brutalité feinte d'un mur de distorsion numérique. Et le constat est immédiat dès la première écoute : c’est plaisant, c’est propre, c’est foutrement bien produit, mais bon dieu que c'est prévisible. Le son de batterie claque avec la précision millimétrée d'un trigger informatique, les basses ronronnent sans jamais déborder du cadre, et chaque break semble avoir été pensé par un ingénieur du son pour maximiser la rétention d'attention de l'auditeur moyen. On est très loin de la spontanéité qui fait le sel des disques cultes du genre et c'est là tout le paradoxe d'un disque comme Empty Hands : il singe les codes de la rébellion et de la catharsis saturée, mais il le fait avec les outils de l'industrie du divertissement de masse la plus normée qui soit. Pour autant, je refuse de tomber dans la posture du vieux con blasé qui hurlerait à la trahison intégrale car ce disque n'est pas une bouse infâme, loin de là. D'ailleurs, il y a deux morceaux qui sortent nettement la tête de l'eau et qui justifient à eux seuls l'écoute de l'album. Le premier, c'est le morceau-titre « Empty Hands », son refrain accroche les neurones, le chant de Poppy trouve un juste équilibre, les guitares mordent, le morceau a une vraie dynamique dramatique qui renvoie directement aux meilleurs moments d'un rock alternatif sombre et fédérateur. C'est le genre de cartouche qu'on garde volontiers dans une playlist pour aller transpirer un bon coup ou pour rouler de nuit en poussant le volume au-delà du raisonnable. L'autre grande réussite, c'est incontestablement « Dying to Forget ». C'est sans doute le moment où l'album approche au plus près d'une véritable identité metalcore moderne sans donner l'impression de piller bêtement le grenier des années MTV. Le titre démarre sur des bases rampantes avant de basculer dans une agression frontale, alternant des couplets presque spectraux et un refrain absolument massif, blindé d'une rage qui sonne enfin authentique. Quand Poppy pousse ses cordes vocales dans leurs derniers retranchements et que les guitares cessent de faire semblant pour asséner un vrai martèlement rythmique, on se dit qu'il y a un réel talent d'interprète et une énergie brute qui ne demandent qu'à exploser. Putain si tout le disque avait été bâti sur cette intensité et cette volonté d'en découdre sans filet de sécurité, mon discours aurait été radicalement différent. Mais le problème, c’est que le reste du tracklisting ne tient absolument pas la distance fixée par ce doublé de tête. Dès que Poppy et ses producteurs relâchent l'étreinte, on retombe instantanément dans la routine du metal alternatif pour ados en quête de frissons sécurisés. Les morceaux défilent sans déplaire, mais sans jamais laisser la moindre empreinte durable. On reconnaît instantanément les trucs, comme le petit riff en staccato pompé sur le nu-metal de papa, la nappe électro un peu sombre pour faire moderne et la respiration susurrée avant l'explosion du refrain. On a continuellement l'impression d'écouter une compilation d'influences digérées trop vite. C’est typiquement le genre d'album qui s'écoute d'un bout à l'autre sans provoquer de rejet, mais qui s'évapore de la mémoire dix minutes après l'arrêt de la lecture. À aucun moment je n'ai ressenti ce vertige, cette secousse intime qui fait qu'un grand disque s'installe définitivement dans ton existence pour ne plus jamais la quitter. Et c'est là tout le problème qui fait que l'inclusion de cet album dans une anthologie historique vire à la farce institutionnelle. Quand on feuillette les pages de la fameuse liste des 1001 albums, on cherche des disques qui ont inventé un langage ou qui ont capté l'essence d'une époque, on cherche des œuvres qui ont résisté à des décennies d'oubli et d'usure. Et Empty Hands n'est rien de tout cela, c'est un travail d'artisanat pop-metal compétent, opportuniste, parfaitement dans l'air du temps, mais totalement anecdotique à l'échelle de l'histoire du rock. Ce disque ne changera pas ma vie, il ne changera pas la vôtre, et il ne changera certainement pas la face de la musique lourde. Il permet à Poppy d'occuper le terrain médiatique et d'offrir deux hymnes solides pour ses prochaines tournées mondiales, ce qui est déjà pas mal, mais ce n'est certainement pas suffisant pour lui dresser une statue à côté de Black Sabbath, de Joy Division ou de Metallica. Au bout du compte, en faisant abstraction des délires promotionnels et des choix incompréhensibles des comités de sélection, Empty Hands reste un disque divertissant, une bande son énervé avec deux fulgurances qui plairont aux amateurs du genre. C'est un 3 sur 5, la note exacte pour un album moyennement supérieur, mais surtout oubliable. Un album qui surfe sur les vagues du passé à défaut de révolutionner le genre.
It's not a 5-star album if I rate it objectively, but I'll give it for being a competent breath of fresh air in an (already) tired world of nu-metal.
That was rather energetic for sure.
Weird choice. Sound is clearly reminiscent of Evanescence, who would be a better inclusion on this list. Trying to use the same gimmick as Babymetal, which would be a better inclusion on this list. Overall, this is a fairly pedestrian metal album that is massively overproduced. Poor girl is wrecking her voice trying to "metal" scream.
I'm a little conflicted about this album. On one hand, I love that this genre is finally trending again after two decades. On the other hand, I didn't find anything "new" that wasn't already in those albums from the early 2000s, like Korn, Evanescence, Killswitch Engage and so on. Did they really have to remove De-loused in the Comatorium for this?
crap
I like the juxtaposition of her sweet voice plus the harder rock, though that stops at enjoying screaming in music. It's just not my vibe. Also not my vibe is high-pitched voices but somehow this doesn't quite bother me like it can. A totally interesting listen. But still not for me. Hahaha
These chicks are pretty solid for Metal.
If you loved her heavy, aggressive output on Negative Spaces or EAT, Empty Hands is a solid, high-energy continuation. If you prefer her surrealist art-pop (Zig, Am I a Girl?) or raw grunge phase (Flux), it might feel a bit too dominated by standard modern metalcore tropes.
This is a good album for Poppy. Glad to see she’s still going strong, but why is it on the list. I don’t even object to Poppy being on this list, highlighting female black metal artists is important, but why this record from her? Her previous album Negative Spaces was so mucb better, not that I listened. This one plays it too safe. I didn’t mind, but an odd choice. 3/5
I didn’t fuck with this kind of music in the early 2000’s and turns out I still don’t. The production was nice and she can sing/scream like a mother fucker but this was an exhausting unfun listen. Just put Evacenescence on here or something damn
Clean vocals and harsh vocals are simultaneously the best gimmick and the worst gimmick of nu metal.
I quite liked this. You don't get a lot of metal on here, so it's nice to see something like this represented. As a modern record, it's interesting to hear the various influences in it. The production is really solid. There's lots of big, grungy guitars with good grooves and hooks, and the choruses land. Like others have said though, this album came out THIS year. With the greatest of respect, how on earth can you add this when it's not had any time to make any kind of musical or cultural impact? Maybe it does last long and they have a decent career, but this could just as easily be largely forgotten about in 5-10 years time. It's a strange addition, but I'm glad alternative kids these days still have someone flying the existential angst flag for them. 3.5 rounded down.
Track één begint al niet verkeerd met die hele vieze drum 'n bass-achtige reese-bass die af en toe z'n koppie even goed om het hoekje komt steken. Een lekker industriële bak gitaarherrie die enerzijds overgeproduceerd is, anderzijds toch ook wel heel lekker is. Dat overgeproduceerde hoor je bij meer bands die dit soort muziek maken viel me al een paar jaar op. Ik vind het soms heel vet, maar het kan ook doorslaan naar kitcherig. Ik vraag me ook af hoe dit over 20 jaar klinkt, al moet ik zeggen dat je van Linkin Park hetzelfde kunt zeggen en die vind ik ook nog steeds vet. Ik vind het heel vet dat ik dit album leer kennen via deze lijst. Tegelijkertijd vind ik het heel raar dat dit 2026 album in 2026 al aan deze lijst wordt toegevoegd. Ik vind dat eigenlijk nergens op slaan, durf ik zelfs te stellen. Maargoed, ik mag nu dus wel een album luisteren wat ik normaal niet aan zou zetten, maar waar ik wel blij mee ben dat ik het nu hoor. Het is niet helemaal het type gitaarherrie wat ik zelf uit zou zoeken, maar ik vind dit wel vet. En ons Poppy doet het meer dan prima. Ik vermoed dat dit een album is wat nog wat bij me kan groeien als ik het vaker aanzet. Ik geef gewoon alvast 5 sterren, want zo aan het einde van deze lijst mogen we ook wel een beetje lol hebben met onze snobhoofden.
Didn’t care for this
dang bro this shit goes hard. Constantly Nowhere is like lost Charli track. Then Dying To Forget is a banger metalcore song. Time Will Tell is probably the best blending of all the elements on this album. Super cool.
I don't want to dunk on this band too much but it's going to be hard. Like others have said how the fuck did they make it on the list with this only coming out in 2026. I don't understand are they supposed to be on the list because of 'female metal vocals' or the mix of synth and metal, or maybe the author just wants to fuck her. Some songs were good and those were the ones that were more metalcore but boy not enough, for me, to say that this is an example of metalcore. I mean fuck in just this year you've got 2 albums by Converge that are way fucking better than this trite, you also have Jane by Converge. As others have said there are plenty of other great metal bands fronted by the ladies, if you're interested I would suggest getting into Made Out Of Babies or Julie Christmas. You could also really give Sabbath Assembly a shot.
Two stars, music for teenagers who wants to annoy their parents. Some parts ok but a lot of unpleasant screamo.
I like Metal and I like when it's a woman doing the singing, screaming and growling. I've seen some people suggesting Evanescence and that makes sense, speacially considering this album came out in... wait, 2026? Ain't no way. There's gotta be a typo. Yeah, that's a big no from me. Let it simmer a little bit, ok? Give it a couple of years perhaps?
Completely unremarkable
Evanescence meets Slipknot meets Avril Lavigne. I loved it!
I’m sorry, I just didn’t like this one. I don’t want my music to scream back at me.
I am happy for Poppy making the music she loves which she does very well - and I am sure she has a massive audience -but nothing here struck me as groundbreaking or novel. I also hope she has a good vocal coach because if she keeps screaming like that she will damage her voice!
Shit pop metal anyone? Fuck off Dimery. Best Tracks: Bruised Sky; Unravel; Time Will Tell
Cool to see Poppy's esoteric blend of heavy metal and electronica on the list, though I would have opted for 'Negative Spaces' more proven rep than an LP still hot off the presses. There's a tad more dead space and throwaway tracks on this release, but it still wallops with Poppy's characteristic chaos. Love the mix of near-metal guitar and synths, which makes for a potent mix when coupled to the unpredictable structure of each track. On the meta side, this is the last of the new 2026 albums for my project and I'm left scratching my head. Great to see more electronic and women-driven bands get on the list, but given how some of these releases are only months old (as of writing) it really makes me question how much care was taken in adding new selections. Really feels like the editors phoned it in this time, which is a disservice to the artists who were removed, are still left unsung, or who had random LPs from their discography thrown on the list in what feels like some sort of weird tokenism. The 1001 has never been a definitive canon to me (music is incredibly subjective, after all), but loving something means knowing it can be better, and I definitely think there's room for improvement.
'Isn't it peculiar how the chatter fails to offer any solace in the light of the truth?' I don't know if Empty Hands is poppy metal or just pop that goes real fucking hard. As if Avril Lavigne & Slipknot had a child, Poppy is certainly poppy, but she's also unafraid of the dark & lays it all out. 'When all the gods lose faith / The city's laid to waste.' This is a well-produced record. It's also a pretty fun album. It's yet not my kind of pop. I'm not being at all controversial when I say that the best pop record of 2026 is You Seem Pretty Sad for a Girl so in Love. It's simply the truth. & it makes Empty Hands seem like an interesting experiment & nothing else. I actually liked it more than I expected, but (big surprise here) nu metal has its limitations.
Es ist ein klar produziertes, direktes Poppy‑Album: elektronisch, kantig, mit gewohnt präziser Vocal‑Performance. Die Songs funktionieren, wirken aber oft formelhaft und weniger experimentierfreudig als frühere Arbeiten. welcome Gen Z.
Not her best, but cool to see her here I guess.
I like this album, it’s one of my favourites of the year. Does it belong on this list? I need more than 10 months of listening to decide…
2.4 2x not great but not horrible. reminds me of evanescense
the pop like voice combined with heavy metal backing is very refreshing and it lacks a true hit song but its not boring
What a unique album! Based on the cover, I wasn't expecting Empty Hands to be so metal but instead electronic dream-pop. But there is a touch of that electronic pop included! In between the guttural, vengeful screams, Poppy incorporates soft electronic moments. And the album slaps pretty good. I found myself impressed with the seamless combination.
Bland pop singing over modern metal with occasional bursts of cookie monster voice. Cookie monster voice isn't better with a woman singer. Not sure what they took off the list for this, but it wasn't worth it.
Surprised that I didn't hate this. I didn't like it much, though, either.
I kinda like Poppy but this wasn't my fave album I've heard. Everyone saying Evanescence but I hear more Flyleaf (& dislike it)
Really cool surprise. Was hardly familiar with Poppy but somehow she's actually quite popular within said niche. It's somewhat typical Metalcore but Poppy does bring it's own flair. There's this sort of weird conflicting vibe from her artist name and aesthetic and the music itself that I really dig. Vocals are pretty unique for the vibe it's in and give it something to stand out over the other 10.000 harder Punk and Metal bands that every major city has.
This was way better than I had expected, good enough for three stars. I particularly like the cough near the end of the album, very amusing. The harsh vocals were good, but I did feel like I was listening to a B-grade version of one of half a dozen better artists in the same genre.
[For context of this review, please note that I have a young child and so I watch a lot of children's movies.] You know that scene in Trolls: World Tour when Queen Barb of the Rock Trolls plays the ultimate power chord to turn Poppy, Queen of the Pop Trolls, into a rock n roll zombie? But she still kind of looks like a pop troll? That's who I kept thinking of while listening to this album. Obviously, they share a name, but it's also because there are a lot of little poppy moments throughout a mostly rock/metal album. I'm not knocking it, it works well enough. Babymetal do it a bit better by taking it to the extremes, but this album succeeds in being a more serious version of that. Stylistically, the album is a collection of various kinds of metal (including nu metal and industrial) with a sprinkling of electronic pop and occasionally brighter than expected vocals (in between the screaming). At points, it's very similar to Evanescence. Overall, it's not bad, but I'm surprised to see it on the main list. It's the kind of thing I wouldn't have been surprised to see on the user-submitted list.
"Hi, I’m Poppy!" The YouTube channel was neat- creepy, but neat. I wonder what she's up to these days... Oh, metalcore. What are we even doing here? The only metal albums added in updates were Slipknot's All Hope Is Gone (2008) and this, released a few months ago. That's it. Poppy, and the journey she took from bubblegum to metal, are both fascinating, but this gray, processed album isn't. Take this with a grain of salt; I can't compare Empty Hands to *good* metalcore because I don't think there's any metalcore I enjoy. Killswitch Engage? Spiritbox? Enter Shikari? Fuck me... Maybe the element won't burn me if I touch it THIS time. HL: "Public Domain", "Unravel", "Ribs" October 24, 2026
I liked it. In this anime, cyberpunk, video game universe, this is the current evolution of metal
I like some metal, but not this. Just growling and yelling
Poppy is an enigmatic character. YouTuber turned popstar turned numetal/metalcore idol, her career has had an interesting trajectory. Unfortunately, since I Disagree in 2020, I'd argue her musical style has plateaued significantly and that she's lost the interesting pop/metal fusion that made Am I a Girl? her best project. AIaG was a critical tipping point where the online android persona of poppy moved from a pop star to a metal head and questioned gender norms while doing it. Empty Hands is just... fine. 3/5
This isn’t really for me. My ears pricked up at the electro a Cappella introduction of Constantly Nowhere, but that was about it. Dying To Forget went beyond my enjoyment tolerance. I recognize she’s a talent in today’s metal age but I prefer Hackney Diamonds.
Not for me
The production seems good on this. It's not my cup of tea, but I'm glad the list has some more modern takes on the genre. It's not that strong of am album though...
When pop tries to go metal. No thanks. Favourite songs: Guardian, Bruised Sky, Dying to Forget, Unravel, Time Will Tell Least favourite songs: Eat the Hate, The Wait 2/5
I think it's fair for this to make the list. Metal is a pretty boring genre these days so it at least feels like Poppy is trying something unique. I like the glitchy hyper-pop adjacent sound palette, but the lyrics were so goofy and in general this wasn't really my cup of tea from the start. 5/10
Unexpected hardcore album
A totally fine album ruined by random bouts of distorted screaming.
Un métal pop efficace. Entendre cette voix féminine m’a plu et fait du bien.
I'm not sure what to think of this. I kinda like it, but then I don't know what to make of it. Its pop metal, heavy in spots, very clean and soft in others. My only real complaint is how sterile a lot of modern metal production can be. This sonically doesn't differentiate itself from other modern metal.
Erm, it's fine. Was it better than the Nova Twins effort from yesterday? Unclear. Once I got the vibe after two tracks, my brain switched off and that was that. Many reviews mention Guardian, but that did not stand out to me in any way. Unremarkable, really. There are no actual bangers here. Bangers required. I wanted it to end after 7 songs.
I remembered reading about this person when they were mainly known for YouTube performance art. It didn't interest me much then and this didn't interest me all that much either. Solid enough late stage metal, a little stunt-y.
Not sure what's happening but it did grow on me, or at least became bearable after the first few songs. Still too new for the list
When I pulled this album I wasn't expecting much being a recent release (less than a year!), and I've never heard of the artist. Then reading the wiki I wasn't excited about another metal album and tried to wrap my head around the various elements mentioned in the article. Then I listened. First track I thought, "This isn't metal". Then, on the second track, "Oh, there it is" and I ended up really liking the album.
This was a ride. Angry teenage lady metal pop. It seemed fine and diverse and well done but i am neither angry, nor teenage, nor lady, nor metal, nor pop. But im glad they are represented
4/5
1. Public - 1 2. Sky - 2 3. Guardian - 1 4. Nowhere - 1 5. Unravel - 1 6. Dying - 2 7. Time - 2 8. Eat - 0 9. Wait - 1 10. Light - 2 11. Blink - 1 12. Ribs - 1 13. Hands - 1
Really wanted to like this but it feels like so much of it is just riffing on (or straight up reheating) older metalcore and Imogen Heap. The resulting style is super inconsistent and doesn’t really bring anything new to the table, which is basically my judging criteria for these newly added albums. That being said, I think it does stand on its own as a decent album, just not necessarily a list-worthy one.
I bet Captain Sully would love this.
There's a massive Mick Gordon vibe going with the guitar tracks, which I obviously love. Poppy's transition into metal is one of the most welcome rebrandings in music. This album is varied enough, well produced, and full of good melodies and switch-ups amidst the balls-to-the-wall heavy sections. Great fun.
I really liked her crazy music theatre pop, but had heart one of her metal tracks and wasn't sure... But I ended up really enjoying this. She can growl with the best of them and it works!!!
ej, kom nu lidt
Endnu et absolut essentielt album (????????????????????)
Wait... I watched a random mini-doc once about an act called Mars Argo and the guy being insane and controlling and changed the girl out when she realized he was nuts and left, and then he did effectively the same act with another girl doing the same bit and it went into lawsuits and stuff, and then with time the new girl realized the same and distanced herself from him too. What would you know, this is the second girl in that story. She sounds angry, makes sense. Decently done. Nice to hear a new generation hitting things like this but nothing sounds that new. Strong 2, weak 3. Limitation is how almost generic some of this comes off but the release year being 2026 is noteworthy when most music like this is 20 years old now.
I remember hearing about her way back in the old version, checking it out and deciding it wasn't for me. This is also not really for me. Tho it has it's moments. I was waiting for it to surprise me with some new sound. It didn't. A pure throwback sound, not really elevating the things it takes inspiration from, but doing a fine job.
My first thought was whether this website had been hacked during yesterday's PHP vulnerability crisis (October 2026). Never heard of Poppy before, but from the Wikipedia page, I guess she's as much a YouTube thing as a music artist. Probably why her existence passed me by. The album was only released 9 months ago, I'm not convinced it should be on the list. Sound like someone really trying to be more interesting than they really are. Trivial, superficial.
There is nothing wrong with this album, but adding it to the list this early on is insane. I lived through the Nu Metal craze of the early 2000s. This is nothing new or note worthy. It follows the same worn out patterns and structure that a thousand other bands have followed. I am still pissed the Mars Volta was removed to make way for a bunch of overly produced mediocre albums with an ounce of the musical talent the Mars Volta possesses.
Another baffling inclusion. I swear to god Dimery is so out of touch with music. Why this? It's not bad and sounds like a modern Evanescence. I learnt while looking up Poppy (who I'd never heard of) that she opened for them recently in Berlin. And guess who else opened? Nova Twins. Still this album is from this year and if we're including albums from this year, there are so many better choices over this. I didn't need to hear this and neither did you. My personal rating: 2.5/5 My rating relative to the list: 3/5 Should this have been included on the original list? No.
All the Metal, with all the downtuning, and ALL of the screaming. It's the Chuck Norris of Metal albums. 2.5/5
gritty, screamy, with some melodies as well as interesting noises
I didn't hate it, but not really my jam. 3 stars.
It's fine. Some of it is good.
OK poppy nu-metal/metalcore/easycore album. I don't hate it. If there's a next edition of the book after 2026, I don't think this will be in it. It shouldn't have been in the 2026 edition either.
Suddenly i’m fifteen again listening to metalcore. Would’ve prolly liked this as a teen but now…
Нормально, но вторично
What I love most about this is how she goes back and forth between rage and beauty. It feels so indictive of the female experience and the need to be the prim proper woman and yet we rage and have a right to be angry at some many things. The music behind it is so beautiful and deep at times really bringing this softness and realness to the music. Sometimes male rage feels so put on and like its all an act, but this just feels raw, real and indictive of a lot of the female experience.
This was surprisingly badass and angry and had great hooks too. Rage music hits a little different when it comes from a woman. I enjoyed this a lot!
i liked the glitchy electronic production, i did not like anything about the vocals, or the metalcore aspects. 1.5
I like Poppy, I like some Poppy songs, I did not like listening to this entire Poppy album in one sitting.
The epitome of barely keeping a lid on it.
Almost a carbon copy of Evanescence, who have not aged well (imo). Don't expect this will be any different. Add that on to everyone else's criticisms about putting albums on this list that are less than a year old.
I'm not sure why I have this opinion, but this album isn't very good. I like industrial music, like Nine Inch Nails, and have no problems at all with angsty or angry vocals or screaming or distortion. I like electronic music, like Daft Punk, New Order, that sort of thing. This record just feels very derivative. I don't regularly listen to Pink, but I suspect some of her stuff is a lot like this, for one example. I think if the vocalist was male, this would be entirely forgettable, or already done, like Marilyn Manson.
Guardian // Unravel // Dying To Forget // Empty Hands 3.5/5
I'm sure this will come off the list in the next edition. Pop Metal is an interesting concept, especially in this format. Feels more like a gimmick than a serios attempt at something interesting.
I mostly know Poppy from her hyperpop era, so it was a surprise to see her on the bill at a metal festival in Melbourne two years ago. On Empty Hands she has the full metal credentials, and "Dying to Forget" is the song that settles it. She can scream, which I wasn't expecting, and it's actually quite decent. The album opens with "Public Domain", which sounds a bit like Marilyn Manson, and "Bruised Sky" follows with a lot of good pop sensibilities that are really pleasant to listen to. Some songs lean a bit too far into straightforward metalcore for my taste, but in others her pop inclinations are still clearly there. The crossover of nu metal, metalcore and hyperpop is what keeps it interesting. I'm not the biggest metalcore fan, but there's enough here to hold my attention over repeat listens. This will put off a lot of purists, whether they're into metal, pop or something else, and I count that as a bonus point. I think it's a really good album. I don't know if people will still be listening to it in a decade, but I'm happy the new edition of the book gives it an extra chance and an extra listen.
Somebody chill that bitch out! Tell that fuckin bitch to chill!!
Some weird mix between Pop-Rock and Thrash Metal. But o.k. (Listened to it on Apple Music)
JFC NO. Just no.
I let someone else rate this as a metal head, and they said 3.5 stars!
Just alright
A rollicking good time. But again, did we really need to
Dammit this was a ton of fun. Evanescence, as others have mentioned, but also Alexisonfire and ALSO, like, Imogen Heap. A potent mix! I’m prepared to go full five but it is silly that this album is barely 6 months old
Robert Dimery is back at it again, ruining a whole new slate of perfectly fine albums by including it in one of his silly books.
Not in my edition of the book! 2026. 2 stars. Generated for my listening enjoyment in October 2026... the same year the album was released. IMHO no album should be considered for inclusion on the list until 5 years after it's release. If no-one is talking about an album after 5 years, you don't need to listen to it, so points immediately deducted for that. Shouty Evanescence clone, but without the tunes. She's got a great voice, so why waste it on screeching like a drunken Stoke slapper on a Saturday night? Well done of its kind, but there is zero reason for this to be on the list.
Not an all-time classic, and doubt it will be, but since it's surprisingly here, and a really love it in the moment, i dub thees excellent
This album was really cool. I thought initially that it was going to be another recent pop album, but that is not what this is. Solid metal music with excellent music to fuel them. I feel like it gets a bit samey after a while. I waffled a bit on a 3 or a 4, but ultimately it didn't hold my interest too well, and it started to feel like a 2005 album with a fresh coat of paint on it. Good, and definitely with some great moments, but it didn't quite do it for me 3/5
Putting the robot voice effect on her vocals makes this sound dated in 2026. I feel it splits the difference between metal and shiny pop too much. I think I would have a better reaction if individual songs leaned into the pop production more while others did the electronic thing and the rest stuck closer to the metal ideal. All that being said the punk number "Eat the Hate" was easily my favorite. I think a 100 gecs album might have deserved this spot more than Empty Hands. It's fine music but is it a must-listen-before-you-die title? Probably not. I'm giving this one a generous FOUR STARS just for the neo-crab-core of it all.
It's like 2026 version of Evanescence
At first I thought this would be another album in the Nova Twins bracket of heavy rock with genre-bending contemporary pop and electronic flourishes. It was a bit I guess, but the results mostly sounded like straight-up melodic metal to me (in the Evanescence mould). Apparently Poppy has a reputation for being experimental, so it's a shame that wasn't more evident on this album. It was fine, but I got a bit bored, and none of the tracks stuck with me. 2.5
I only knew her from the "I'm Poppy" memes, this is not what I expected!
With the name and the album cover I could have never guessed that this was a heavy metal album. On first listen I would give it a 3.5 but I would be interested in listening again to see if I enjoy it even more.
Surprisingly good
Poppy is poppy
Not her best
Rating: 7/10 Best songs: Bruised Sky, Guardian, Dying to forget
Loud percussion is up my music choice alley. Her anger speaks to me. “God will throw an uppercut…” I’m not as much into her poppish, softer side.
I got one of the brand spanking new 2026 additions to the 1001 today, bringing the actual number of albums to over 1100 as of this writing. I'm sure there will be some that look at Poppy's Empty Hands as a questionable addition to the list, especially with the scarcity of modern metal within the ranks. Why does Poppy deserve to be there? I think her career trajectory alone is worth stopping and exploring. She started as a self made internet pop star that has slowly transitioned into one of the strongest female metal vocalists in the business. Even those that were skeptical have had to acknowledge she's got the chops, especially after landing one of the best screams ever recorded in the Grammy nominated Knocked Loose collab, "Suffocate." For me she really took off when she partnered with Jordan Fish (ex-Bring Me the Horizon) to co-write and produce. It made Negative Spaces and now Empty Hands landmark releases. The manage to blend saccharine sweet pop, nu-metalcore, and metalcore into something that has become a signature sound for Poppy, adding in touches of absolute brutality for some truly memorable breakdowns. It may not be for you, but she's currently headlining a 56 date international tour in a genre dominated by men. So yeah, she deserves to be in the 1001.
A little too much screaming but still good. I immediately recommended it to the wife.
Having really hated the Nova Twins record a couple of days ago, I was surprised to find myself really vibing with this one. Such is the fickle nature of humankind I guess. It's quite industrial metal and a female singer alternating between pretty sugary sweet vocals and absolutely ripping her tonsils out in the metal style. I wouldn't say it's always my cup of tea, but in the car, on this morning, stuck in traffic? Yeah, I'll wind myself up into a fury with this.
I’ve heard of Poppy, but I can’t say I’ve heard any of her music before. In fact, I don’t think I’ve listened to any other female led metal music other than the one Babymetal album I reviewed on the user list. I didn’t particularly care for that album though, but I have faith that Poppy will put forward something quite a bit better. Hmm, sorry Poppy, but you’ve been relegated to the Babymetal shelf. I think Poppy has a good singing voice, but on half the songs on the album, she’s singing in a guttural scream, that while impressive, pales in comparison to her normal singing voice. For an album that seemed to lean into the more melodic side of hard rock, there weren’t any memorable melodies or fun riffs on this album. The instrumentation is competent, but nothing really stood out to me as particularly noteworthy. This wasn’t a terrible album, but it failed to have anything that made me want more of it.
3.5
Poppy again - I liked the heavy metal phase. I Disagree. My first introduction to POPPY was the PewDiePie video on her and that will never leave my mind. 3 Ok, I see a return to the Metal days - 4 Kind of generic - 3
Got half a song in, went to the next. Got 30 seconds into that, gave it one more chance. This was real bad.
I'm glad this exists. I think teen-age me would listen to it again. Now me probably will not.
Well I am glad to hear some screamy metal not performed by a deep-voiced Grover impersonator. Some of the time this started to sound good to me, but some of the time I was anxious for it to be over. That last song made me glad the album was ending.
Dang, this is an awesome album. A bit all over the place, but the volume button was put very high during this
An angry little elf with excellent hooks. Sometimes too screechy for my ears, but I will never tone police a woman with something to say.
The vocals on the metal part really sounded harsh -- too many takes in a short time. Instrumental was fine.
Weird pick for this list. Kind of sounds good but also kind of just sounds like 2000s rock/metal repackaged in 2026 (sprinkle a little hyperpop on it). Way better candidates from the last few years than this one
My lawd
Well - at least the 1001 is trying something new. But not sure what this offers - run of the mill nu metal that was a dead genre years ago. Surely there are better things released in 2026
Variado. Con algunos temas muy bestias. Otros, más estilo Evanescence. Estilos diferentes dentro del álbum.
Didn't enjoy it.
Ok pop metal.
Not very good. Essentially just BABYMETAL but in a different font. The same kind of fake, plastic, obnoxiously overproduced dross that makes listening to it feel like I'm overdosing on preservatives. All the while the album desperately tries to convince you it's to be taken seriously. What you're left with is a confused uncanny valley concoction that sounds - as advertised - pretty Empty. Really, really exhausting listen and it's barely over 30 minutes long.
I feel like 2026 is the year of metalcore for me. I can't think of a single exposure in the last 5 preceding years and this year alone, we've had 3-5 albums between here and spinshare and I was went to a Bring Me The Horizon show with a friend who had free tickets. I'm not saying that I outright hate it, but I don't think its really for me... This one is "unique" in that it features a female lead vocalist. But as with all the rest it splits between metal riffs, dance-electro, and bitchy/shrieky vocal spurts intermixed with screaming. Lead riff on Time Will Tell is a straight rip of a Korn song. Other parts kind of remind of Evanescence. I'll say that as far as metalcore goes this is among the more enjoyable. I'd go high 3, which is about the cap for this genre in my personal opinion.
ehhh this feels like generic modern metal that some of my friends enjoy but I have never really understood. Feels like new-age angsty music that is probably more suitable for teens.
Derivative but fun
Well, a new edition of "1,001 Albums to Listen Before You Die" has come out so there are 13 new albums to listen to. Album #1090 (1,001 challenge): "Empty Hands" by Poppy (2026) "Empty Hands" is the seventh studio album by American singer Poppy (Moriah Rose Pereira). Metalcore, alternative and industrial are the Wiki-listed genres. Poppy solely wrote the lyrics and sang all the vocals. Jordan Fish was the producer and also played the guitar and keyboards. Other musicians on the album included Ralph Alexander (drums), Julian Gargiulo (guitar, bass), Isaac Hale (guitar), Stephen Harrison (guitar) and Johnuel Hasney (guitar, bass). Commercially, the album reached #137 in the US and #82 in the UK. It also had critical acclaim especially for its production and Poppy's vocal performance. "Public Domain" opens the album. Pounding drums and various mechanical synth noises. Oh, this is very industrial. Poppy alternating between screaming vocals and a softer, normal singing voice carrying the melody. That plays out throughout the album. A loud, dramatic ending. "Bruised Sky" has a bouncy synth and a chugging guitar. A similar back and forth between the screaming and melodic. Poppy has an even softer singing voice in "Guardian." Guitar slashes and fast, very fast. Poppy will carry them through. This song is very similar to Evanescence. The first single was "Unravel." Another soft start with softer vocals and an underlying synth. Busy drum beats in a song that builds. The soft-loud-soft dynamic in a nice modern-day pop song. "Dying to Forget" doesn't mess around with any dynamic. This song is just punk fast with a machine gun-like guitar and screaming vocals. She's there to erase someone. Metalcore ranks right up there with nu metal as my least favorite musical genre. And, this is metalcore with the intense, in-your face music and screaming vocals mixed with the melodic and poppy vocal choruses. The difference here is the vocalist Poppy; she shows a wider range of vocals from the soft, softer, softest and then the guttural screaming rivaling Lingua Ignota as the most intense and best that I've heard. For the most part, the production works shifting between the loud/screaming and the melodic choruses and also incorporating various synths, synth noises, guitars, electronic and normal beats. This may be the only metalcore album that I have liked enough to give a recommendation, especially if your an Evanescence, Ministry or Lingua Ignota fan. 3.5 out of 5
I'm a casual Poppy fan but I haven't listened to this new album. I thought it was pretty solid and continued the style I've known her for. I do think it's really weird to include an album that's so recent here though. Personally if I was going to include her I'd pick one of her older, more established albums.
Moderne metal, kvindelig forsanger, ikke lige mig
It felt like a cross between metalcore and Evanescence. I know there is at least one track where she duets with Amy Lee, which kinda makes sense. The tracks did have a bit of a range, so she wasn't full on screaming every single song. The vocal processing / autotune wasn't too bad, and some of it was used as an effect as opposed to "fixing" her voice. So it wasn't full on metalcore, which does get a bit tiring for me, but I can see the uniqueness of her stuff, so I guess there's a case for making it onto the list. I do have to wonder what was bumped off to make room for this. Top tracks: "Public Domain," "Unravel," "Dying To Forget"
decent sound, a bit harder for me with some of screaming. Good metal vocals with female voice.
Pfffffffffff... Sommige mensen verzamelen postzegels, anderen gaan breien of haken, of bouwen modelspoorbanen. En sommige mensen hebben 'schreeuwen' als hobby. Critici loofden haar 'vocal performance', en je kunt niet zeggen dat ze er niet heel veel energie in heeft gestoken. Maar mij kost het luisteren hiernaar energie. Die stem, nagels op een schoolbord! Het album kwam in januari 2026 uit, dus kennelijk heeft het befaamde boek dit jaar een update gekregen om de nieuwste baggerherrie op te nemen?
Als het album begint, denk ik even aan De Staat. Maar al snel komen er dubstep-achtige geluiden en horen we een een dame het geheel begeleiden. Dat zal Poppy dan wel zijn. Dit eerste nummer doet me wat denken aan een Noisia productie van Korn en door de dame ook een beetje aan Krewella. Dat laatste ook, omdat het, mede door de stembewerking, wat pretentieloos voelt, als de punk van deze tijd. De associatie met Korn wordt aan het begin van het tweede nummer sterker door het gitaargeweld. Dan volgt een stuk geschreeuw, waar ik maar moeilijk doorheen luister, waarna met het derde nummer de associatie met Krewella weer sterker wordt. Langzaam merk ik wel dat dat pretentieloze, maar schijn is. Zoals sommige punkplaten uit deze lijst je ook wat op het verkeerde been willen zetten. Het zit allemaal verrassend goed in elkaar en er wordt zowel voor eenheid als voor variatie gezorgd. Uiteindelijk komt het geschreeuw mij te vaak terug voor 5 sterren, maar heeft de nieuwe editie van het boek mij toch weer een leuke artiest laten ontdekken.
Een album uit 2026, van een of ander hijgzangeresje dat worstelt met haar genderidentiteit? Man man man, mag ik hier bij voorbaat al een 1 voor uitdelen? Of, he? Wat krijgen we nou? Metalcore meets emo en nu-metal? Haha, wat vet! Dikke grommende gitaren, snoeiharde drums, moddervette bass en Poppy die er af en toe een grunt uitgooit. Het mixt emocore a la Bullet for my Valentine met snoeiharde metalcore als Knocked Loose (die ook meedoet op Dying to Forget). Holy shit. Niet dat ik dit nog nooit eerder heb gehoord, maar dit was wel het laatste dat ik had verwacht in deze snoblijst. Ik ga een 5 geven, omdat ik het tof vind dat dit in de lijst wordt gezet. Ik ben een oude rocker, dus het is niet per se mijn meest favoriete genre in de harde gitaarhoek. Het is ook niet zo dat Poppy nu iets doet dat nieuw is, want er zijn al hordes bands die deze muziek maken. En het is ook niet zo dat ze een absolute headliner is op festivals (Rock am Ring 2027 bijv staat wel Turnstile, Parkway Drive, Falling in Reverse en Bring me the Horizon als headliner, maar Poppy moet het toch echt met een treetje lager doen). Maar dat dit er uberhaupt in staat, vind ik wel een bonuspuntje waard.
Yeah pretty damn biri g most of the time, maybe like 2 or 3 songs were kinda enjoyable and the rest was a snooze, this might just not be for me
Poppy’s *Empty Hands* is a decisive, aggressive step forward—her heaviest and most emotionally raw record to date, but one that occasionally sacrifices clarity for maximalist intensity. Released January 23, 2026, via Sumerian Records, the album reunites Poppy with producer Jordan Fish (ex-Bring Me the Horizon), who also helmed 2024’s *Negative Spaces* . The result is a 13-track, 38-minute collision of metalcore, industrial, and pop instincts that mostly coheres, even when its ambition outstrips its editing. ### Lyrics and Themes: Rage, Disillusionment, and Bodily Awareness The lyrical core of *Empty Hands* is anger—specifically, a cold, targeted resentment toward those who take without consequence. Poppy has described the record as fueled by observing people who “take and hoard and pile their trophies up with little regard for its impact” . This manifests most bluntly on **“Eat the Hate,”** where she sneers, *“Eat the hate ’cause I’m the judge / God will throw an uppercut / You’re celibate ’cause no-one wants to fuck”* . It’s abrasive and deliberately juvenile, but it lands as catharsis rather than shock for its own sake. A recurring lyrical motif is the body—ribs, lungs, eyes, hands—which Poppy has said stems from a fascination with how the body registers external stress, viewing herself “from across the room” . **“Dying to Forget”** carries the line *“My idle hands will let you drown,”* a moment of passive complicity that complicates the album’s otherwise outward-facing rage . The title track closes the record with a full embrace of extremity: deathcore blastbeats, pig squeals, and zero clean vocals, serving as a kind of terminal statement . The weakness here is occasional opacity. When Poppy leans into abstract body horror or generalized venom, the specificity that makes the best moments sting can blur. But when she sharpens the focus—betrayal, self-preservation, the exhaustion of performing—the writing cuts. ### Music and Production: Fish and Poppy Find a Better Balance Jordan Fish’s production was a strength on *Negative Spaces*, but here the collaboration feels more symbiotic. Kerrang! notes that “their palettes coalesce better,” with Fish’s glossy metalcore instincts no longer crowding out Poppy’s idiosyncrasies . The album swings hard between extremes: **“Public Domain”** opens with juddering industrial percussion and robotic vocals before opening into something theatrical; **“Guardian”** is a soaring, anthemic metalcore cut with a chorus built for arenas; **“Unravel”** layers electronic textures over a slow-building rock climax . Pitchfork’s assessment is fair: Fish is excellent at making metalcore sound “ultra-modern without neutering the primal impact,” but less skilled at building songs outside a conventional structure . The clutter that asphyxiates **“Ribs”**—viscous synths and chattering drum breaks piled atop one another—is a real low point. The synth-pop levity of **“Time Will Tell”** also feels slightly displaced, a nod to Poppy’s pop past that doesn’t quite earn its place in the tracklist . The heaviest cuts are genuinely heavy. **“Empty Hands”** is a deathcore rager with blastbeats and “brees” that stands as one of Poppy’s most extreme recordings . But the album’s strength is that it doesn’t rely solely on extremity. Poppy’s clean singing remains an underrated weapon—pleasant, agile, and capable of delivering a hook with real force. ### Influence and Context *Empty Hands* arrives at a moment when metalcore is enjoying a commercial resurgence, and Poppy is positioned near its center. Her 2024 collaboration with Knocked Loose on “Suffocate” earned a Grammy nomination, and she became the first female solo artist nominated in the Best Metal Performance category for “Bloodmoney” . *Empty Hands* cements her as a bridge figure: an artist with pop-star instincts and genuine extreme-metal credibility, operating in a lane that few others occupy with the same fluency. The album’s influence is less about inventing a new sound than about consolidating a template—the “big-budget pop star with a metalcore band” model—and executing it at a high level. Comparisons to Rina Sawayama and Ashnikko are apt in terms of genre-blurring, but Poppy’s commitment to actual heaviness (not just metallic aesthetics) distinguishes her . ### Pros and Cons **Pros:** - **Poppy’s vocal range** is the album’s consistent highlight—she moves between fanged shrieks, clean melodic hooks, and robotic detachment with ease . - **The heaviest tracks deliver.** “Dying to Forget,” “Bruised Sky,” and the title track are among the most aggressive and satisfying music Poppy has made . - **Improved artist-producer chemistry.** Fish’s production serves Poppy’s vision more effectively than on *Negative Spaces*, balancing gloss with grit . - **Cohesive flow despite variety.** At 13 tracks, the album doesn’t sag, with interludes and tempo shifts that keep momentum . **Cons:** - **Maximalist clutter.** Tracks like “Ribs” and “Public Domain” overstuff their arrangements, smothering the hooks beneath layers of synths and percussion . - **Tonal inconsistency.** “Time Will Tell” feels like a leftover from a different project, breaking the album’s otherwise unified intensity . - **Lyrical bluntness occasionally tips into crudeness** on “Eat the Hate,” which may alienate listeners who prefer Poppy’s more oblique writing . - **The album’s heaviest moments, while impressive, don’t always translate to memorable songs**—the title track is a visceral experience but not one you’ll hum afterward. ### Verdict *Empty Hands* is Poppy’s most fully realized metal record—a confident, often thrilling statement that proves her pivot from internet provocateur to legitimate heavy-music force is complete. It is not flawless: the production occasionally mistakes density for depth, and a few tracks blur together under the weight of their own ambition. But when it connects—the scream on the title track, the chorus of “Guardian,” the slow burn of “Unravel”—it sounds like an artist operating at the peak of her powers.
Good energy, pretty fun
Inventive, with some great breakdowns, but I didn’t love it. Interesting to see Poppy pushing the genre in different directions, but not sure it deserves a place on this list when it’s so new. Time will tell if it has any lasting impact.
Liked it more than I expected. It’s a bit too heavy at times but the rest is very melodic for metal. I saw critics say it was a bit safe which it also feels that way for me, but that also makes it more accessible so it’s probably a decent selection for the list, as not everyone would be so open to a experimental metal album. 7/10
I needed a cigarette and a white monster after this.
Favorite Track: Dying To Forget
There's bits of this but it's light and shade.
Y’on vraiment pris Nue Metal au pied de la lettre
Metalcore, alternative metal, industrial metal. Ni fu ni fa.
Not a fan of this genre in general, but this was far better than the male-fronted equivalents; for starters, she actually sings for a good portion of the album, and when she's screaming, it's more bearable for some reason.
I like the idea girl vocals with screamy hard metal going in and out but not really for me the whoooaaarrr is impressive but musically its not really my bag. Some nice Linkin Park style areas allows me give this a two for effort.
Okay, first and foremost, it is nice to see a newer metal release included in the 2026 edition of the 1001 Albums book. It’s been over a decade and a half since the last metal inclusion with Slipknot’s All Hope Is Gone. It’s also nice to see some representation of metalcore, a subgenre that was neglected by the book for decades since its inception, even with the mainstream success seen in the 2000s. Plus, if an artist had to be picked to represent the current swath of metal artists, I’d say Poppy would be a reasonably solid choice. She started out making performance art videos on YouTube that hit the uncanny valley while deconstructing Internet culture and pop celebrity, and her early high-concept art pop music operated in that same vein. But along the way, she started dipping into heavier genres, and after breaking ties with some emotionally abusive people who were involved in her early work, she dove headfirst into the genre swerving, across pop metal, alternative rock, hardcore, and faux-industrial pop, before settling on metalcore and alternative metal with the release of Negative Spaces in 2024. Now, this is where it gets tricky, because the album chosen to represent Poppy in the 1001 Albums book was Empty Hands. It feels weird to see it included in the book and subsequently added to the album generator here, because A) this came out in January of this year, B) I already listened to it when it came out, and C) its inclusion in the newest edition of 1001 Albums is because, according to editor Brian MacDonald, it “sticks with the winning formula” from Negative Spaces. C is probably the most damning because it invites unwarranted comparisons to that prior album, when really I do hear some steps Poppy has been taking to push her sound. She is trying to simultaneously balance the metalcore crossover with more pop-accessible textures, even some chunkier sides of deathcore; the closing title track might be the heaviest thing she’s made to date, and I’m here for it. She’s also pushing herself further as a vocalist with some truly visceral screams and growls alongside that pop sensibility in the song structures. Plus, there are some songs with good anthemic hooks to be found, like “Guardian”, “Unravel” and “Time Will Tell”. That all said, there are some glaring issues here carried over from Negative Spaces. Once again, we have production handled by Jordan Fish, formerly of Bring Me the Horizon. It's clear that Jordan's production style tends to be very overcompressing and oversaturating, between the chugging yet oddly clean-sounding guitar riffs, airless drums, weedy synths, contorted glitching, and occasional gratuitous pitch-correction on the vocals. These elements wind up suffocating the melodies and Poppy's vocal performance in the mix, which feels like a cruel sense of irony; if it's to be accepted that her greatest strengths are her compositional chops and genre-bending, then why make any of the pop elements beyond the programmed percussion sound like pulling teeth? Of course, this could be partially redeemed by the songwriting and lyrics... except this is where I ran into the second issue, because I'm admittedly conflicted here. I do feel that there was a lot of pent-up frustration Poppy had built up over the years from dealing with the aforementioned emotionally abusive people in her life, and there can be something righteous in aiming at those who had controlled and constrained her within an industry framework and avoided consequences or flourished in ignorance; she's completely justified in her anger. I just wish she didn't lean into alternative metal and metalcore clichés of malaise, angst, and conflict, and when those are paired with the limited dynamics and less melodic support, it starts running together. It sucks to say, because I do like Poppy as an artist and I hope she continues to evolve her sound. But I can't in good conscience say that this album is the best introduction to her music. I might not be left empty-handed, pun intended, but I am left wanting more.
Shocked to see a 2026 album on here. And loving it. Never heard of this artist before and I love this. I’m also thrilled that it’s 39 minutes. In the 90s albums got longer and longer thanks to CDs. It was great on a car trip. Now I’m not a fan. I’d rather a 40 minute album that gets to the point. The closing track “empty hands” is so insane I thought my auto play served me up Dillinger Escape Plan. This is a great album.
Oh yes, I get to be one of the first that can not understand this choice as a new addition to the book, claim how Dimery is an ass, how it is a travesty that LUX was not added instead, that he could rather take away a Costello or Morrissey album + complain about the absence of the Blue Album. What a day! 🤙
Very screamy and not in an Evanescence way
This might be the biggest Delta between what I was expecting and what I got throughout my time listening to these albums. I wasn’t expecting metal, but I didn’t hate it either.
I listened to this one twice today. I like a lot of the metal and industrial elements to it, even though the songs firmly rooted in pop don't always do a lot for me. Dying to Forget and Empty Hands both go extremely hard, and overall the album is fun. Even though the entire album isn't for me, it's got enough good stuff that I can see coming back to it from time to time and listening start to finish. 4
Weird album. I've listened to the one before this (2024's album, don't remember the name) and liked some songs and didn't care for others. I think this feels about the same. The highs are pretty high, but I also bounce off a good number of them. Fun album overall though. 3.33/5
Voldsom start på 2026, at tilføje et Metalcore album.😅 Gwen Stefani med høje trummer. Evenessenc men uden at være kedeligt. - Okay lukkeren er fed, men det er også der den peaker. Jeg bliver faktisk lidt sur over at et album fra i år får status som "must hear" når der er så mange stærke albums som har bevist at de kunne klare årene uden at virke daterede. Men jeg var dog mindst lige så godt underholdt af det her som af Iron Maiden.
Det er interessant at Metal ikke længere er forbeholdt langhårede bebumsede teenagere. Nu kan man gå fra Pop-lærke til Metal Queen hvis man lyster det, eller hvis man tænker det er den niche man kan finde fans, anerkendelse og karriere i. Metal for Jeg syntes egentlig det er interessant når Metal blandes med andre genre. Men Det her er hverken my kind of Metal eller det pop jeg kan lide. Det bliver sådan lidt Evanescence, Bring Me The Horizon, Babymetal, Avril Lavigne mash-up. Det er overproduceret Metal til Tik-Tok generationen
Its mid metalcore
I disagree.
Poppy's I Disagree is a masterpiece. This one sounds like a bit of a retread. still some nice moments.
Not my bag
First album back in over six months and wow, I forgot what it’s like to put a random album on with no expectations haha. This really caught me by surprise. Intense, thrashy metal with soaring, dramatic melodies, and more than a few songs that lean towards pop. It’s an interesting album to include on this list since it’s heavily indebted to groups from the 2000s like Linkin Park and Evanescence. It’s mostly a throwback in terms of its influences. For the right person, this album is gonna scratch a specific itch. It’s very well made and got me head-banging, but it’s generally not my cup of tea. Damn, this chick can really scream though! She’s awesome.
Poppy...more like Poopy. We updated the list to include THIS album? 1/5
Moriah Rose Pereira (Boston, Massachusetts; 1 de enero de 1995), conocida profesionalmente como Poppy, es una cantante, cantautora y youtuber estadounidense con ascendencia portuguesa y mexicana. En 2014, alcanzó notoriedad en YouTube al protagonizar varios videos virales en los que comentaba y satirizaba la sociedad moderna y la cibercultura bajo una performance como un androide «inquietante»... Mezcal pop, metal, industrial, J-pop, K-pop...lo que le da la gana. Prefiero a Arca, pero tiene su mérito. Aquí 7 disco y nada menos que 5 sencillos: "Unravel", "Bruised Sky", "Guardian", "Time Will Tell" y "Dying to Forget".
I tried to give Empty Hands the benefit of the doubt, and honestly, it just didn't do it for me. I usually like how she blends catchy pop hooks with aggressive, heavy riffs, but this one felt like she was just going through the motions. The whole quiet-verse to loud-chorus shift felt totally painting by numbers instead of delivering that sudden punch she usually goes for. The guitars and beats get lost in a muddy wall of sound, and just didn't stick with me at all. It tries hard to sell this moody, chaotic energy, but by the time it wrapped up, I was already forgetting how it went.
Much like Lana, Poppy has reinvented herself over and over in trying to find an audience and success. I like this sound for her, the album is fine I guess. Metal is underrepresented on the list, but I really don't know if Poppy is the right admission.
So after a list of 1001 albums and more that includes Limp Bizkit and Linkin Park (but not Evanescence - for good, if you ask me) we have now a 2026 entry of an artist doing exactly that kind of 2000s music just being 20 years too late. To bring some salt and pepper into this there is your obligatory quieter autotune track... There are few albums on this list which I aborted and rated 1 star - this is one of them.
Was expecting some sort of bubblegum pop - was deeply surprised and intrigued by this. I doubt it's going into my rotation, but if you're looking for some heavy riffs and crunchy guitar work, you could do much worse.
01) Public Domain - 7,0 02) Bruised Sky - 5,5 03) Guardian - 6,5 04) Constantly Nowhere - / 05) Unravel - 5,5 06) Dying to Forget - 4,0 07) Time Will Tell - 5,0 08) Eat the Hate - 5,5 09) The Wait - 5,5 10) If We're Following the Light - 5,5 11) Blink - / 12) Ribs - 5,5 13) Empty Hands - 1,0 TOTAL: 5,14 (51/100) Current ranking: 978/1064 I’m trying to understand why, but I just can’t. Choosing this as one of the best albums of the last 5 years? Even her previous album has better ratings on Metacritic than this one—not to mention the work of other artists (Fontaines DC anyone?). And there are only 13 new albums in total! Yet, we end up with this Linkin Park wannabe screamfest. P.S. When not screaming, it sounds to me like the type of music that Romania, Cyprus or Georgia would send to the Eurovision Song Contest only to get stuck in the semi-finals.
Probably not going to be a popular addition but I liked it. I think the direction Poppy and Babymetal are leading this new wave of metal is really interesting and a breathe of fresh air from most modern death metal that all sounds the same.
Genuinely pretty good!
She's angry but I like it
Bewildered, to say the least, by this specific choice of Poppy album. I mean, surely I Disagree, Flux or Negative Spaces would be the more obvious choices? And I'm not even a huge fan - especially not of Empty Hands, where Poppy leans way too hard into the early 00s industrial/nu elements for my tastes.
Poppy is incredibly talented, there's no denying it. Empty Hands just isn't her best piece of work - which makes this an even weirder inclusion, given there are no other Poppy-albums on this list. Is it really just because it's the newest? I fear that it is. I feel like Poppy tries to find the right balance between catering to new fans of her pop-oriented metal universe and the harder, more industrial-oriented side. The balance on Empty Hands is just a bit - I'm not really sure Poppy herself actually knows exactly where she's supposed to be heading from here. That being said, I really enjoyed a lot of the songs - even some of the really polished ones like "Guardian", which was an absolute highlight for me.
Not at all my thing did not enjoy in fact skipped ahead on a few tracks. Surely some better metal then this could have been included from the last 5 years
A very recent album - added to the Generator today (after release of latest edition of the book). I listened to it earlier this year and liked it a lot - having been hooked by the taster single Bruised Sky (which attracted me before I knew anything at all about Poppy's previous work, which is still a bit of a head-spin mystery to me). When I first listened to this album I thought I should label it alt metal - I can now see it is very 'poppy' (lol) so I'll comfortably call it nu metal. But I am still very much here for the hooks, the histrionics, the vocal styles, all the guitars and keys, all the flourishes. The sound strikes me as quite professional - and I am okay with it as such. (Carefully produced, by Jordan Fish of Bring Me The Horizon, but to good effect.) Importantly, the variety of dynamics within songs and styles between songs is good. The album as a whole is consistently listenable and engaging, I will listen again, it's Pretty Wonderful, 9/10.
Public domain - 3 Bruised sky - 3 Guardian - 3 Constantly nowhere - na Unravel - 2 Dying to forget - 4 Time will tell - 2 Eat the hate - 3 The wait - 2 If we're following the light - 3 Blink - na Ribs - 3 Empty hands - 2
The jarring noise right at the start was pretty cool. 19 year old me, who was obsessed with Flyleaf, and thought she could be into metal would have been all over this. 42 year old me takes a less angry approach to most music I listen to, but this wasn't Hall bad.
I liked most of it. Is it book worthy? Not really.
Argh! Doesn't Robert Dimery listen or remember music 10, 15 or 20 years ago? This is good in places but it's so formulaic - how many albums are there with the same formula of drums, guitars, bass and screaming? Is it because she's a pretty girl that makes the difference?
Lucky first (new) album, I don't even need to listen to it. I love Poppy but I don't think she's in her prime. I Disagree and Choke are among my favourite albums of all time
I'm very impressed that the book curation team like pop metal! This album rocks so hard, barely a dull moment.