D.O.A. the Third and Final Report of Throbbing Gristle

weeping is elite, hometime is so scary i almost screamed when someone came in while i was listening to it, swear 2F e. coil uses that exact same saw string sound you hear in the RDR2 prologue. anyways. paranoid ass album and we hate the british but we love noise!

Well before now, I’ve never been exposed to “industrial music”. Hopefully, this will be the only time I have to listen to such crap.

Uh, Nope!

La única canción que me ha gustado ha sido una que puso Deezer cuando el disco se había terminado. Bueno, y I.B.M. era graciosa. Género Industrial, avant-garde. Bueno, sí, un poco ruido de fábrica sí que parece. Eso es cierto que está muy logrado. Por eso, y por I.B.M., lo salvo del 1.

As horrible as I imagined it would be.

If your idea of what industrial music sounds like is, understandably, songs like “Join in the Chant,” “Headhunter,” and “Closer,” you may be surprised that this is a formative industrial album. What may be more surprising is that this also had a major influence on the World Serpent/neofolk sound of the 80s. While it’s not exactly accessible, it deserves some credit for its impact, but loses some for that creepy ass cover.

Oh good god dammit. I just got through listening to Duck Stab, and now this? I guess accessibility wasn't on this week's list of requirements for my 1,001 Albums. Look, I'm not adverse to experimentation or unique forms of expression. I really welcome that in music! But I do believe in a certain set of rules when writing music. Rather, I believe in one rule; when you write a song, it needs to have music. Not necessarily a melody or a beat, but...music. There's a 4-minute track here that's just people talking and shuffling? I think? in what sounds like an apartment corridor. I struggle to understand the art being expressed in so much of this. I took a look at some other reviews of this album, and while plenty of people share my sentiment, I couldn't help but look at the positive reviews and notice how many shared one word; "challenging." Now, I also like my music to be challenging sometimes, but what's the reward you receive from an album like this? What do you come away with, other than the right to say, "Yeah, I listen to challenging shit and LIKE it! Take that society!" Does anyone really enjoy this? Is it pleasurable? Maybe I'm asking the wrong questions. Maybe enjoying what you do with your limited free time time isn't a requirement for everyone. Or maybe very fact that I'm now questioning the validity of receiving enjoyment from music is the point of this album. That sounds like I'm belittling those who do enjoy this, and I don't intend to. FUCK, I'm dumb and everyone else is smart. :/ 5 stars. That said, I actually talked in depth about Hamburger Lady on a podcast a while back when tackling the subject of "scary music." It was called One Hit No Wonder. Take a listen!

A harsh symphony of automation, an early industrial opus, forcibly welcoming listeners to its uncompromising mechanical dreamscape.

Puntos por experimentar, supongo. No tiene mucho valor de repetición, salvo algunos tracks que quieras poner cada vez que te sientas solo

Seriously? The only folks that listen to this are introverted boys too smart for their own health, and men with high IQs and no ability to use it for good. Padded cells and heavy meds get them thru the day. Why remaster this shit?

3/5. Highly respectable experimental electronic music. Was it fun to listen to? Sometimes but mostly a head space of experimentation. Spacey and out there signals, as if sent from another planet to us as a collection of recordings to define their culture, just like what we send out for any response. An important record for sure. When I saw industrial, I was excited because that's been some of my favorite albums from this list. Every genre gotta start somewhere, I'll give the respect it deserves but not necessarily another listen. Best Song: I.B.M., Hamburger Lady, AB/7A

Какафония бессмысленных звуков.

1.5

In one way, delightfully weird. In multiple other ways, heinously grating. I made it through, but just barely.

What a noise

Is there some part of this that qualifies as music? If so, I missed it.

Awful. What the fuck

it's definitely music, definitely one of the albums of all time (i'm scared)

Garbage

This is a joke. Whoever added this to the list needs to do standup. Nothing worth listening to in the whole runtime.

That was certainly sounds. Not sure I ever want to listen to it again.

Ist das Kunst oder kann das weg? Auf jeden Fall nicht auf nüchternen Magen hören. Sehr anstrengend, eine Ansammlung unterschiedlicher Geräusche. Mir eschließt sich das Konzept nicht. 1/5

Well that was…..something…

Ah. Yup.

I always wonder how albums like this get made. Do they record just record it and send it out? Do they edit tracks?? and spend hours and eventually are like “hell yeah that’s it, this track is perfect”??? At least the band is appropriately named

Experimental British Industrial music isn't for everyone, and apparently I'm in that "everyone" category.

Oh my GOD. What a fascinating academic listening exercise. Did I like all of it? No. Did I respect/appreciate all of it? Yeah. Worth a listen, just to have that experience.

A very experimental album - should not be anywhere near this list

One star because i couldn't give it zero.

Experimental as fuck, I’ll give it that, but it’s just noise. Grating as fuck to my ears.

General deconstruction of what music even is to a point of balance between quirky and creepy.

is it good? not really. will i be listening to it front to back all the time? definitely not. is it more interesting and engaging than 60% of the stuff on this list? absolutely. is Hamburger Lady cool as fuck and AB/7A a banger? you know it

This is horrendous and whoever made this deserves insane torture time

3/5

Biggest pile of shit I've ever heard!!

#22 - What an interesting album; what I like about it is that it made me question what music actually is. I have no doubt that it's been fundamental for the development of certain other styles. Reminded me of some of the more contemporary / niche realms of classical music, particularly Musique Concrete. Again, the question here is whether we like the album. It's not made to be liked but to make us question and explore the reaches of expression through sound. Music for the sake of music (is it even music? Perhaps sound for the sake of sound?); in the same way that Malevich's black square painting is painting for the sake of painting. Art for it's own sake, not for critical acclaim and free from aesthetic pleasure goals. Hearing this makes me a better, more educated listener. And isn't this the goal of this exercise?

A very important and influential industrial album that just does nothing for me

Anti Music… Do not get why it is important to listen to this before I die. Wast of time really

Maybe we should stick to 1,000 albums to hear before you die from now on.

This is just sound effects and background noise.

This isn't even music. It is literally just random noises. Completely talentless and worthless "album" and deserves to be among the lowest rated garbage on this list. 0/10.

Not a fan, too much noise said the old man lol

Interesting

It’s hard to listen to this one and not wax nostalgic. My son was conceived to “United”.

Noise!

The timing of the albums you get on here has a big influence. This one came up not long after I watched The Zone of Influence, and I can't help wonder if Throbbing Gristle were a big influence on Mica Levi's work. It has a lot more in common with ambient than a lot of the industrial music that followed. I love the northern voices, the repetitive rhythms, and pretty much everything about it. Best listened to with headphones walking around a city.

I found this to be an interesting Album. An interesting juxtaposition of music, noise and spoken word, albeit unsettling and confronting at times. I probably won't listen to it again, but I am glad that the generator drops these oddities into the mix as they all influence another artist down the line and move music forward in new ways. Doa

Sehr experimentell, Collagen, Geräusche, Klangteppich.

Sometimes I feel like I'm not "cool" enough to appreciate some of the albums on this list. In this case, it appears to not only be me. Made it all the way through, but only just.

Throbbing Gristle is such a gross name. The music on this album felt very understated, too light and quiet for my taste.

I wasn’t too keen on this

Horrible, zero stars

You guys are insane, this shit made my gristle throb like crazy!

Meh.

Half of this album was plain awful. The rest is either dull or slightly interesting. I can appreciate some of the synth parts. Those sound like one of my favourite groups, Boards of Canada. It's just about better than the Birthday Party. 2 stars for this confused album.

I'm way more confused than I was before listening to this album.

Previous reviewer in 2022 said it was the lowest rated album on the list. I checked and in May 2024 it had climbed to second lowest. So here is my 1 in hope it drops to its rightful place. (I did try to listen but I’m on holiday and it was spoiling it) 1/5 21/5/24

This album caught me in the right mood. I was all ready to join the pile on, but then I discovered it was a fascinating listen. I found myself groping for images to accompany each track in a way few, if any, albums on this list have made me do. I loved the garbled voices on Hometime and Valley of the Shadow of Death - so evocative of 1970s Britain - which may be lost on many listeners. It's not an album I'll return to frequently, but I'm amazed to say I'll be back. In a list of 1000 albums there should be at least one the goes down this path to explore the limits of the medium.

I love this, and I wonder why I've never dived more deeply into their catalog before. Easy peasy 5 stars!!

I don’t know what it is, but it’s not music, it’s a collection of random sounds from horror films, this shouldn’t happen

one of the worst albums i have ever heard, how this is considered a influential album is beyond me, i would give it a score of ZERO if i could

Ok - I don’t like experimental and noise albums much - but I liked the mood this one created. I’d very much doubt I’d pick it up to give it another spin but I’m glad I listened to it.

weird but quite interesting 3

Wtf is this

AB/A7 is a nice track. It sounds like the a proto-Boards of Canada or other chill electronica track. The rest is a curio of random machine noise and clips.

The only time while listening that I thought, wait, maybe this isn’t all mindless nonsense, turned out to be during the first song from another band that Apple chose for me after this album had finished.

I just listened to my forty-somethingth late-90s british sophistipop album with a breakbeat under klezmer music for this list, so Throbbing Gristle was downright refreshing. This may be pure noise, and I may never put it on for casual listening (or even formal listening), but at least it has a place in music history and formalistically goes somewhere different. There are many much worse albums on this list with scads of high ratings which boil down to "my mates and I loved to hear this in the pub!" This album gets points for being challenging, different, and not britpop or triphop from the 90s.

Uncompromising. Can appreciate the craft, not one I'd return to

Hmmm. This is what it is

This album is notorious for being very low rated on this site. The day has finally come where I am tasked to listen to it. This record is certainly not an easy listen, but it really wasn't intended to be. Not only was the music crafted to be unsettling (especially on the more ambient tracks like E-Coli or the nightmarish storytelling of Hamburger Lady), but even the album cover and the corresponding record sleeve contained very strange and suggestive photos of a child. Apparently this group originated from some performance art collective so I'd imagine they're just art school kids doing a lot of this for shock value and reactions. A lot of it seemed edgy with no real direction. There's no doubt that this would be later seen as influential to many industrial and noise acts. I was even able to draw parallels to some post-rock groups (tell me "E-Coli" wouldn't sound out of place on an early GYBE! album). Overall, I'm glad I listened to it and I might dig further into their discography out of pure intrigue.

Nr. 168/1001 I.B.M. 1/5 Hit by a Rock 1/5 United NR Valley of the Shadow of the Death 1/5 Dead on Arrival 1/5 Weeping 1/5 Hamburger Lady 1/5 AB/7A 2/5 E-Coli 1/5 Death Threats NR Walls of Sound 1/5 Blood on the Floor 1/5 Average: 1,1 That was unlistenable to me. I wouldn't call this music. Just random sounds.

Can defo see its influence. It’s a unique experience for sure but I don’t know how often I’d go back to it

Weird and experimental which makes it worth listening to. I can't say its very musical or enjoyable, but from a creativity of sound standpoint it's an interesting artifact to hear at least once. This is cool in the same way much of early electronic music is cool, as a historical artifact.

Nope, couldn't do it. I couldn't get through the 1st song.

I like challenging music, although sections of this doesn't seem very musical. Weeping was my favorite track. Might work on those oddball dreamscape playlists that I tend to make.

Personally this is not music I wanna listen to but I’m really glad I found out about them - they are legends for making this kind of music in ‘78

Yeah no fucking thanks

cant say I’m feeling this one. It feels more in the realm of disturbed ambience, rather than industrial (with some exceptions like Walls of Sound). A bunch of it is just noise that isn’t necessarily irritating, but it’s also not interesting. It didn’t get much reaction from me other than boredom. A couple of the actually “songs” remind my of Chrome…but again, not really interesting. Do people like this for the challenging and subversive nature, or do people genuinely enjoy the way these sounds are arranged? I’m pretty open minded, but this ain’t it. AB/7A is a pretty rad track though.

Yuck

It was upsetting and hard to listen to. I don’t think I have any interest in industrial after thid

sehr experimentell, und 70er. schon beim ersten Track der Gedanke „ist das überhaupt Musik?“. Nach dem Lesen der Band-Bio auf Spotify ist klar: das war nicht als Musik gedacht. Dann aber mittendrin mit AB/7A doch noch einen tollen Track gefunden.

Sorry, da fehlt mir das Verständnis. Kann mir nicht vorstellen, wie jemand das herstellen und verkaufen kann. Respektive kaufen...

habe ich nicht verstanden

...what did I just listen to? Apparently this was the beginning of the Industrial genre of music, which I actually really like. However, this was definitely very weird. I didn't like it but I didn't hate it. Listens: 1 Fave Track: AB/7A Rating: 2

Throbbing Gristle were one of the pioneers of industrial music, and this album is interesting, from harsh experimental music, to tracks that reminded me of Tangerine Dream and Brian Eno.

I do not like the space noises

TOO STRESSED

I tried

Get ekki hlustað á þetta í gegn. Ofboðslega mikið vont áreiti í þessum hljóðheimi. Nema mögulega í laginu AB/7A. Úff.

Utter trash

This album tries to be hard to listen to and they nailed it

Mostly just noise. Every once in a while a song appears for a brief moment and it's back to noise. Can hear some sounds that eventually make their way into industrial rock, only other bands actually make music out of it by putting them into melodies or some sort of rhythm. Most of the tracks remind me of noises a kid would assemble and call it music, and a parent would say "oh yeah, great job buddy" and hope they never have to hear it again.

An incredible work of art given the nature of their music and when it was released. That being said, the record does have long stretches of navel gazing with entire tracks dedicated to replaying recordings with some synth and sampler notes underneath.

It wasn't that bad. I could go a lifetime without ever hearing the band name again (just wanting to be hated out of the gate), but the actual "music" was definitely not the worst "noise album" I've heard.

Sounds like static on a badly tuned radio

Worst album I have ever heard but I suppose it was from the late 70s which was unique

Absolutely trash. > Throbbing Gristle's confrontational live performances and use of often disturbing imagery, including pornography and photographs of Nazi concentration camps, earned the group a notorious reputation, but they maintained that their mission was to challenge and explore the darker and obsessive sides of the human condition rather than to make attractive music. If this was a person it wouldn’t be allowed within 5 miles of a school, and it shouldn’t be within 500 miles of this list.

Dank.

This is garbage - wish we had a 0 star option

Cool, I guess? Industrial doesn't do it for me. Maybe for a horror videogame soundtrack but not for casual listening.

4/10 Well at least it was interesting. The first tracks were really difficult but after that it became marginally more listenable. As background music it works surprisingly well (sometimes).

I think there’s probably an interesting debate about if this is even music out there, but I don’t want to hear it or this

#trash

So so strange but strangely captivating. Interesting at least.

Look, noise, dissonance, distortion, horrible grating unlistenable garbage, can all be an effective tools in the right context, but they can't be the entire album.

tfw you're listening to a Throbbing Gristle track but then you realize that actually someone just sent a fax to your voicemail inbox by mistake

Nah.

Couldn't get through it

The moment has come (742nd out of 1089) Actually, my curiosity in the overall worst-rated albums led me to 20 Jazz Funk Greats a while ago. The cover/album title remains one of my favourite musical jokes, the beatific smiles belying the horrors of songs like “Beachy Head”. I wasn't a big fan however, thus I wasn't in a huge rush to listen to D.O.A.. I noticed that while many artists on this list jump between genres and have jarring segues to the next track, TG almost weaponize that feature, giving the end of a track suspense as you wonder what disturbing sounds you’re in for next. On that note: “AB/7A”, maybe the most suspenseful moment on the album as it’s unexpectedly pleasant on the ears. Something I never considered before starting this challenge is the value of music that *disturbs*. On one hand, it's no surprise Throbbing Gristle is as unpopular as they are on this website. On the other, I've ended up liking a whole swath of albums on this list that are disturbing in some way or another. Neither The Young Gods, nor Skip Spence, nor Suicide nor Nine Inch Nails have easy listens on this list, yet they've also have some quality that made them worth it. Furthermore, recent works outside this list that have inspired me include Leland Kirby's Everywhere at the End of Time (which hits the listener with lengthy passages of unsettling noise), Scott Walker's The Drift*** (which also deals with graphic subject matter), heck even the very industrial Chernobyl: Music from the Original TV Series by Guðnadóttir (partly composed with noise from actual nuclear power plants). So why was this listen (at least somewhat) worth it? The most abrasive moments IMO come very early on in the album, with the worst offender, funny enough, being their single "United" sped up to a high pitched screech. (If you listen to the original version, it is funny that they'd destroy their own song like that). A reprise of "I.B.M." in the 2nd half might have killed this album for me. It's the quieter moments that made a stronger impression, with "Hometime", "Weeping", and "E-Coli" being dark, ambient moments that got under my skin much more than "IBM" or "Walls of Sound" did. A lot of bands were focused on how synthesizers could effectively substitute for orchestras, choirs or drum tracks, whereas T.G. were instead seemingly using them to transcribe their nightmares. Maybe this is too many words to spend talking about T.G., but it definitely tickled my imagination more than a lot of albums. I wish the album cover was almost anything else, though HL: “Hit by a Rock”, “Weeping”, “AB/7A”, "Hometime" April 15, 2024 ***I say inspired, yet I'd probably give that a 2/5 if going by my metric on this website. The palpable horror has diminishing returns after the halfway point

- this is just noise. this is literally just noise - i kind of like the actual one Dead on Arrival but I think that’s just because there was a backbeat and it was a relief from the noise - a song with words???? what a surprise - excellent soundtrack for going insane. or maybe doing insane art. scheming in a dark room. VERY ianthecore - this is so not my vibe. am nowhere near cool enough to enjoy this - oh i like hometime. reminds me of home movie in dreamland, wonder if that’s referencing this. - ok i like AB/7A but it is genuinely hurting my easrs. i get that this is cool and foundational for industrial music but.. I don’t like industrial music. i like patterns and i like the parts of this with patterns, but some of the patterns are made of feedback noises and vaguely bagpipe quality machine sounds. - walls of sound sounds like industrialist futuristic hellscape to me. the gears are grinding you into paste - 2/5. added one song to my lyricless playlist but will never listen to this again

I have a pretty wide palate, but it's difficult to imagine this being in a rotation of music I would listen to for any kind of traditional enjoyment. There just aren't many contexts in which this music is appropriate or exciting.

I already had a headache going into this one and it didn't help. I had to bail at track 4. I get what they are doing though, definitely an art project.

When I was in the deep end emotionally and musically this was the kind of music I was drawn to. Times are not the same anymore. I still like some noise from time to time but this does not have enough substance for me. Best song is dead on arrival. Not giving it one star because I did not hate it 100%

Interesting but not much fun to listen to. Glad it exists.

It's the incredibly difficult but also incredible boy enjoyable if you can get past it's intention to push away the squares who just want to hear a white man doing plodding songs about love or rawk and roll. This is the balance I needed after being forced to listen to Clapton and U2.

Not the worst album on the list, like reviews would suggest,but I do not think my family is going to let me choose the road trip playlist anymore

I understand that this band led the way for industrial music, but it's a terrible album

I want to like Throbbing Gristle, but on this album they get so weird that they borderline turn into the Residents. I say I want to like them because their music is so strange, and also because their first album is called The Second Annual Report and their third album of experimental industrial music is called 20 Jazz Funk Greats. Really only one song was bearable and the rest was hard to even call music. I mean… “United” is a new version of an earlier song they made which they considered too accessible so they sped it up so it’s shortened from 4 minutes to 16 seconds, and it’s totally incomprehensible. But the one bearable song was “AB/7A” which I actually really liked.

So weird, electronic music? 2 stars

This was one of the most unpleasant experiences I’ve had on this list but it was still at least interesting unpleasant. To me it was like a more sophisticated kollaps but without the fun gimmick of using power tools which made it both more interesting and less fun. It’s also hard for me to judge this since the band is clearly musically talented just based off ab/7a, which managed to be actually good, but I think they just decided to make one of the most grating albums possible. Probably getting a 1 based off personal enjoyment but at least it’s still worth talking about at some length.

Hull! I’m from Hull and I kind of get why you’d end up making something like this… I didn’t hate it as much as I was expecting, but it’s still pretty unlistenable.

Very good for what it is. I don't know if I will ever listen to it again. But it was interesting to listen to. It reminded me a lot of Revolution 9

I really enjoyed the experimental instrumental parts of this album. It was almost like listening to a piece of art instead of music. I didn't care much for the vocals of the lead singer, but most of the tracks used this type of vocal work sparingly or not at all. Overall, an interesting album from a genre I'm curious to learn more about.

Uncompromising

no bueno

First album by an artist I don't recognize even by name. Interesting. Funnily enough I think I've seen the album cover somewhere. This is way too artsy (To call it some way) for me. I feel like watching analogue horror or some early 2010s creepypasta on youtube and I don't like that because it makes me feel uneasy. Art's main focus supposedly is to make you feel emotions and this album made me feel terrified, so it delivers on that and I'm giving it 2 stars because despite having worked it wasn't an enjoyable listen AT ALL. This is a pretty unique entrance I'm assuming, and therefore I won't say anything about the best and worst songs in this (Mainly because there are quite a few tracks that I don't know if they count as songs, and I mean it in an unpretentious not snobbish way). I guess either AB/7A or dead on arrival werethe most enjoyable song and the ones I'd say were the best (Probably first and only time I'll call songs that sound like a broken NES game the best). Worst one was wall of sounds and in this case I mean scariest. I really hope next album is something different (I'm not even asking for specifics, just something that doesn't sound anything like this, for fucks sake my favourite genre is probably pop rock this is like the absolute opposite) and it'll benefit from being the album after this one.

Deeply unpleasant, but at least a little creative. I'd give it 1.5 stars if possible, but that isn't an option, so I'll probably give it 1 star out of 5.

I tried to listen to this, but only heard sounds similar to a fax noise, then some faint notes... more silence... some children? It must have been a bad internet connection or something. Eventually, some music came through, but it too was disrupted by a poor internet connection. Oddly, no other music I listened to this day was similarly impacted by my spotty connection. I suppose it would be funny to learn the artist intended this. But I joke.

Dieses Album wurde in die Liste der 1001 Alben aufgenommen. Weil es anders ist? Ganz anders. Weil es Leute gibt die Disharmonien und Geräusche lieben, die nicht so leicht ins Ohr gehen? War ein Song darauf mit Melodie? Vielleicht Weeping oder AB/7A? Ich habe es nicht geschafft das Album in einem Zug durch zu hören. Musste einfach eine Pause zu machen. Die Ohren und meine Seele wollten es. Über die Produktion kann ich nur lobende Worte sprechen. Klarer Sound, tolle Stereoeffekte. Das war es dann auch schon.

What in all hell is this?! Worst album so far by a comfortable margin. Makes me miss the weird duck thing.

There's some interesting moments, but a lot of it is pure excrement. I could have happily died without hearing this.

It's been a while since I've heard Throbbing Gristle's "20 Jazz Funk Greats", but from my recollection, I don't remember it being nearly as mind-altering and proto-industrial and noisy as this album is. Aside from that, I'm familiar with TG member Peter Christopherson's later endeavors with the great post-industrial band Coil but that's about the extent of my knowledge of TG. If I had to say anything about this album, it's that I think the most mind-blowing thing about it is its release date. I think a lot of the songs on the album blend to form one large directionless void. It's all unsettling, there's not a single earwormy or straightforward track here. The electronic, glitch, distortion effects, and sheer power electronic vibe of this album may not sound so impressive today in the era of post-industrial electronic giants, but it's not hard to pinpoint just how many artists this record could've influenced. When paired with the technological limitations of the time, this album's existence alone is quite a feat and makes it worthy of praise. As for the individual songs, they're still pretty enjoyable and distinct. Again the drones and walls of noise are all there, most notably on "Hamburger Lady" which has these vocals drenched in bizarre vocal effects paired with these strange piercing and high-pitched shots of noise. "Dead on Arrival" may be one of the most direct tracks here, it has several facets and phases and has an electronic groove that sounds so modern it's uncanny. "Wall of Sound" is probably the most haunting and bone-chilling track here, you can probably infer why purely based on its title. The thing I love about this album is how it's influential yes, but it's not "watered-down influential"; that is, the music it inspired doesn't outshine or overshadow it, and its potency is still prevalent even in retrospect. Too many times with influential albums, you can tell that they're very much "prototypes", that's not the case here. It's not clunk or aged in any way. The more "serene" and less noisy tracks with hazy, detuned blushes of noise like "Weeping" and "Hometime" are just as enjoyable as the noisy songs. Many of these songs are paired with either bizarre singing or interesting and uncanny field recording snippets or tapes that are seemingly random, but also tell a story. The tapes on "E. Coli" are probably the most unsettling, it feels like you're listening in on some forbidden memo about some super-mutant bacteria over these uneasy string-sounding synths. "AB/7A" may be the easiest song on the ears here, with a gorgeous ambient proto-EDM groove driving the entire thing, it's a gorgeous moment on the album. While not perfect by any means, this album's existence alone I think is worthy of praise. It's not music for everyone and I understand hating every second of this, but for my ears, I think it's a very cohesive and enjoyable electronic experience.

Hmm... für mich ist es eine Geräuschsammlung und keine Musik.

Not entirely sure I would call all of this music. However some of it wasn't quite as bad as I was expecting - the more ambient tracks were somewhat passable.

honestly gave it a try but even as open minded as I am this is not what music is for me.

I remember throbbing gristle being one of those joke bands people mentioned in highschool. Needless to say they've stood up to their reputation. All in all a unique listen. 3/5.

No. -5 stars.

Just noise

"Industrial", lots of noise but not much music

Eeehm, tsja, nou, lastig luisterbaar, weinig echte nummers, maar je hoort duidelijk de invloed op latere artiesten

turbo uber psychodeliczne creepy do sluchania na kwasie

This really begs the question "what is music?" Then immediately answers "not this." This was terrible and I didn't even get halfway through the album. Just pure noise to me. 0.5/5

its all noises? I can respect the boundary pushing but its just not even listenable as an album. Also using nazi imagery to be provocative and edgy is gross.

what the fuck

Genuinely interesting. Creepy.

To paraphrase Walter Sobchek "Say what you will about the more obscure 80s Britpop, at least it's music". I don't know what the hell this is and certainly have no idea why I should have heard it before I die.

At least it aint boring

This is like steps beyond “Revolution #9.” It took me years to appreciate that track. Maybe one day I’ll enjoy this album but for now it’s uncomfortable noise, almost like a fever dream. But that’s probably the point.

Meet een artsy sound compilation dan muziek voor mij. Vanuit dat oogpunt meh. Maybe cool onder een museum expo ofzo haha

Dit vond ik gewoon te oncomfortabel om af te luisteren

Did not understand

What did I just listen to? People think this is more than random noise?

Throbbing Gristle is a strong band name. Just reading it makes me feel nauseous. I’m expecting maybe punk or some obscure type of metal? Once again, Apple Music simply says alternative which could mean anything! Let’s listen! Songs I already knew: none Favourites: none It feels like I’m being trolled today. Each track here is either ambient droning and noise, or otherwise literally the background sounds of being sat in a bar. It is ridiculous how this can even be considered music, never mind essential music. This might be one of the worst things I’ve ever heard. If this was the first album I’d ever listened to, I’d probably never listen to another. I’d rather shit in my hands and clap than listen to this again.

oh come off it

Not music?

NO

Just noise.

veit ekki með þetta. grauturinn reyndist ógeðfelldur. 3,5. á mögulega eitthvað inni.

La única canción que me ha gustado ha sido una que puso Deezer cuando el disco se había terminado. Bueno, y I.B.M. era graciosa. Género Industrial, avant-garde. Bueno, sí, un poco ruido de fábrica sí que parece. Eso es cierto que está muy logrado. Por eso, y por I.B.M., lo salvo del 1.

Weirdest

First of all, WHAT? I get that this is industrial, artistic music, and I know it’s not for everyone (if it’s for anyone at all), but I just don’t find any intrinsic enjoyment or value in this album. It feels like an abstract artistic piece that has to be accepted as such, but as pure music, it’s almost impossible to listen to. It’s like a total destruction of music itself, and I feel like that was probably the point. Honestly, it sounds like if Aphex Twin were deaf, handicapped, and had no sense of music whatsoever. As art, you could rank it higher, but as music, this is pure malakia.

This is the worst thing I’ve ever listened to. Why is it here? Why does it exist? It made me want to drive into a ditch hearing it. This album should not be allowed to exist.

Not my proudest fap.

Super interesting and different album, felt almost scary at times. Definitely an arty album but I enjoyed the uniqueness of it.

The sound combos are interesting, but this album made me think of obscure 70's B films.

Avant garde was invented for this concept of an album. I’m still think ‘wot’ after listening. Sound engineering is amazing 7/10

вот это нойз)) ну не ужасно, но слушать мне тут нечего

Bit of an ‘Emporers new coat’ record for me this. I just don’t understand how it is so well respected. I’m a fan of avante garde / noise / experimental but this is just a bit pointless. It hasnt even pushed boundaries, it’s just pointless. They must be laughing at the idea its even on this list. Was tempted to give them an extra star for being described in parliament as the ‘wreckers of civilisation’, and for AB7A resembling a decent song, but it really doesnt justify it

Wasn't great background music. Not a huge fan of songs that are intentionally unlistenable, and I'd say Gristle mostly achieved this by recording random conversations and sounds. I feel anyone with the intention to put out something like this could do it by recording the first things that came into their head. Much prefer Laibach who I think put a lot more effort into sounding unsettling.

What was all that about then?

1 star is far too generous for this random noise album.

There were tiny bits and pieces which were tolerable, massive a bit kraut rock? However, far too much of it was so jarring and grating. Just noises!

This isn't music. It's just sound effects. Completely pointless.

Dirt bikes & chain saws.

Wow. This is garbage! I genuinely don't see the value in this at all. Most of the songs aren't songs. In order for me to call something a song, you have to have some sense of rhythm, melody, or ideally, both. There's only like two songs on here that fit that and they both suck. The rest of the album is just pure noise. Sometimes it's just talking, other times it is literally just random noise. One songs on here was originally an actual song, but for whatever reason why sped up to become 16 seconds of sped-up garbage. I hate this. This infuriates me. This might be my least favorite album of all time. Everything here is stupid. I can't even call this music. Fuck this album. 1/5.

Salem does not approve. I don't understand what the appeal is for this type of music. Sure, maybe what they were tinkering with could eventually evolve into something meaningful, but this is just a million monkeys banging on a million typewriters until something meaningful is accidentally produced.

Literally unlistenable.

Ya, didn't get this one.

Wow that sucked. I could have died happily without listening to this.

This album is just super grimy, I don't really know how to describe it better. It's got this harsh industrial sound, lots of like jarring background noises and vocals and things. I feel like more experimental stuff like this either really works for me or really doesn't. I had a few moments where I felt like I could hear some good stuff underneath, but overall it just was too much for me. The sound is just too abrasive, it's got an unsettling sound in a not good way. The cover art is also highly questionable. This sounds like something that was meant for a small modern art museum, or maybe a haunted house. It's not one of the 1000 best albums of all time though. Favorite song: AB/7A Other: Hamburger Lady 2/23/24

Big yikes.

I did listen to all of it! Which possibly means it deserves a higher rating than several other albums that I've given 3s. Unfortunately I did not enjoy this, though to be fair the first song was a lot worse than many of the rest of them

I'm sure if I made it past the first couple of songs I could have rated it better

Oddly fascinating. Definitely influential. Not my thing though. Not the worst thing I've heard since starting this project but I can hear why it's one of the lowest rated albums on the list.

I don’t know what this was but it wasn’t music. 1/10

Awful. 0/10

This shit's ass 1/10

This is not music. Why the fuck is this on here? 1/10

Its a small but important distinction to note that it’s called 1001 Albums To Listen To Before You Die, not 1001 Albums To Enjoy Before You Die. Three stars.

I knew I would be in for some pearl-clutching reviews when this album was generated this morning and, 1001 albums generator users, god bless ya, you didn’t disappoint. I won’t pretend that this is an easy listen. It’s challenging and it’s not an album I see myself revisiting often, even though there are songs here that I did enjoy and I am currently on my second listen of D.o.A. It boils down to this: on a personal level, I’m not the type to shut down or shy away when faced with sounds, music or ideas that do not comport with generally accepted norms. Doing so is effectively placing yourself inside a box, limiting what music can be. There were undoubtedly purists who wrote off the electric guitar as an abomination or nothing but “noise” at its inception, just like many here write off Throbbing Gristle’s electronic experimentation as noise or unlistenable garbage. …and you know what? It’s not really your fault, your brain has been conditioned since birth to be wary of unknown and unconventional sounds. It’s not surprising that many shut down and want nothing to do with music like this in any way: it is the appropriate response based on your conditioning. Your body and mind are reacting as they are “supposed to”. These are sounds that you do not encounter in day to day life, so it makes perfect sense that they would make people uncomfortable. But it might be worth asking, “Why?”. After all, it is just sound on a disc. These sounds do not come from anything that represents an existential or harmful threat to us: they were made by machines we control and they literally only exist in the sonic ether, which you have chosen to temporarily engage with. When you stop engaging with them, they are gone, with no meaningful harm done to your person. It’s only sound.

Would I listen to this or reach for it regularly? No - is it completely fascinating and an essential listen? Absolutely yes. Hamburger Lady for example is great. The abba one is a fun piece of krautrock. Some of the soundscapes created here elsewhere are just fantastic. I love that they stuck actual death threats from their answer machine onto the record, and effectively respond to them with a wall of noise.

Loved it!!

I think this is great. Fuck it -- five stars.

Nope.

This wasn't as bad as Linkin Park. Some songs even began resembling music.

Oh dear. *shakes head slowly* Oh deary deary dear.

If I could give this negative stars I would. One thing I learned is that if an album is labelled as 'avant garde' it's going to be a steaming pile of crap. I tried to listen to each track and realised I could make music just be recording my neighbour mowing the lawn.

This is just noise. Did not finish. 1/5

Awful

A nauseating masterpiece? I didn't realize the album cover was a live look at the person making this album. Correct me if I'm wrong, but making sounds is very different from making music. Throbbing Gristle...this album did not throb (beyond the natural throbbing sound of static) but it did remind me of Gristle in some ways. Actually, that's it's essentially the physical reaction my brain had, throbbing to gristle, as this music started playing. It's almost become a bit because I also admire them thinking they could just record some sounds like this and get away with it. And get on this list. Brilliant. Also is this the first picture of FaceTime? with that little rectangle in the bottom right.

Oh baby, here comes controversy. I'd never heard of this group or album before, at least not until constantly seeing it on the global "worst rated albums" list on this site, it's either the absolute worst or close to it. I was expecting some putrid filth, but...well, it's an electronic noise type of album, and I actually really like it. Granted, I enjoy some heavy noise stuff here and there (Pharmakon's Bestial Burden is a favorite album of mine that belongs on a list like this), and this one is probably very early in that genre. 1978, can you imagine? Hearing this in an era still dominated by, like, Van Halen? Truly groundbreaking, and I don't even think this was their first album (title suggests otherwise). I really dig it though, it's cacophanous and unsettling, but it's also really cool. I understand why many people would rate it low--I have to remember how many people participating in this 1001 album project are probably just somebody's friend or relative. Most people have never heard anything like this, and in the absence of this list, most would never be FORCED to listen to something like this either. But hell yeah to Throbbing Gristle, this is tight. Favorite tracks: IBM, Valley of the Shadow, Dead on Arrival, Weeping, Hamburger Lady, E-Coli. Album art: Just a kid sitting by some shelves full of musical equipment. It's a nice photo, very unassuming and in no way suggestive of the visceral audio hell that this album subjects people to. 4.5/5

I liked that song where the modems were talking about rising up against humanity, and the one where the little girl got run over by the garbage truck. The one where the scientists were conducting lab experiments about the effects of white noise and radio waves on rats with cancer was interesting, but didn't quite connect with me. 1 star.

This is the worst album I heard Gi berish! An insult to my ears. It is below O

As far as experimental noise goes, I guess this wasn't too bad. Just not my bag. Also, super not a fan of that album cover. Super ick. I assure the site mod that it will not affect their numbers if they were to use the alternate cover that omits the inset image.

2-is this an album I’ll ever listen to again, probably not. But I did feel like this album had a vision and executed it. It took me on a journey through an analog horror film

Meh

Experimental for experiments sake. Probably have a time it could be interesting but, man, for the whole thing, that would have to be very specific.

Disappointed in the lack of a zero star option. Not so much music as a series of unpleasant noises. I didn't find any of it challenging or interesting, just unpleasant and I hope I never hear it again. I tried to think of something positive to say. All I could come up with was that I didn't hate AB/7A. It wasn't good, but it wasn't painful to listen to.

not for me

not my kind of music

This is utter garbage.

Es muy interesante el concepto, y a pesar de lo extravagante el resultado es bueno. Me llevo a reflexionar distintos temas mientras escuchaba el trabajo.

Veo esta portada y pienso que es un disco reciente. Que es una captura de alguien haciendo videoconferencia y se ve su propia imagen en formato vertical en la esquina inferior por ser con un smartphone. En las estanterías postureo de tecnología vintage. Qué equivocado toda mi precepción. El disco es música experimental-electrónica-ambient-ruido no creo qu tenga mucha aceptación pero a mí estas cosas suelen gustarme. El inicio con el sonido de un MODEM debió ser curioso para la gente en 1978, ahora supongo que vuelve a haber mucha gente que no sabe lo que es.

Música experimental con demasiados sonidos ajenos a instrumentos musicales. El álbum que indicáis no está en tidal, así que escuché otro de 1986.

Man if only I were smart enough to release the sounds of my modem from the 90s. I'd be a genius! As always open mind but this is utter shit. Reading about this group I see why it is included and then you learn about the horrible piece of shit one of the members was. Real absolute trash of a person. Should be relegated to the museum as a historical curiosity but otherwise it's garbage music by a band with a garbage person in it (the other people seem okay and dealt had to live with the abuse)

What the fuck am I listening to? Also, this is not an album by D.O.A. as I originally thought, it's by Throbbing Gristle. Weird, experimental, \"art\" I guess? I'm sure this has a place in music history but it's not what I would call \"music.\"

Rating: 4/10

schrecklich

What is this shit and why am I listening to it? Delete it from the universe.

2/10

To call this album bad would be giving it to much credit. It's a shame there isn't a way to give it 0 starts.

Þetta hefur verið eitthvað áhugavert á sínum tíma en þetta þótti mér afskaplega leiðinlegt. Var afskaplega feginn þegar platan kláraðist.

No.

Brutal.

I think I'm being punked

Reminds me yet again, that what people like and how they rate music is objective. How anybody could like this music is beyond me. An absolute waste of time.

I normally defend "weird" music, but this genuinely just sounds like random noises

Unsettling

I generally give the benefit of the doubt to this list for pioneering albums ahead of their time. I guess this was one of the pioneering "Industrial" albums, but Jesus Christ, it is hard to get through. It is experimental in the most aggravating sense.

FFS, this isn't even music. I would give it zero stars if I could.

How is this album a contender for being an album to listen to? This sucks No top tracks

WTF

Art record. Industrial flow along with captured conversations.

Meh

This was terrible. Why did I need to listen to it before I died??

Hmmm. Horror Movie/Mental Illness Soundtrack… Glad I only have to listen to that once in my lifetime!

I would give it a negative 5 if possible

Strange and evocative, more a loose collection of tones, voices, and thoughts than an album per se. Enjoyed my time with it but it's hard to say if anything stuck for longer than it took to listen to it.

No le veo sentido

Ambitious and interesting, but definitely also dated and pretentious.

sounds like found audio from a junkyard being re processed and regurgitated

Fucking. Garbage. Avante Garde my balls. Can't even give it a rating.

Took some time to get into this one. Not a big ambient noise type person in my music but I turned around on it and can see myself listening in the future.

Boooooooo I don’t know anything about this artist, but I am super disappointed that this is one of the top 1000 albums of all time. This was the equivalent of some one just recording random noises. Do not listen to this

It’s different which is cool but at the end of the day it’s just a bunch of random sounds

This is bad. I’m not sure how this is even considered music.

Nope

kinda ... throbby... 3 stars.

basta por favor. 1/10

... What the hell was that?

It's in what you don't hear.

It definitely consists of sounds.

This was awful. The mere presence of this album calls into question the sanity of the person making this list, and thus the value of the entire list.

Feels like soundscapes. It feels like it influenced Radiohead, Thom York.

This is just noise. No good.

moraš biti u elementu za ovo, definitivno

What the actual hell have I just listened to

a bit weird but i like industrial music so i can potentially see myself listening to this 💀

DNF

I don't get it. Just noise, but not in the nice way. I didn't find any music in it, so i don't know, how this could be an album you have to listen to. On the plus side, there is no PJ Harvey whining. Actually no singing at all.

I honestly can't get over the entirely unnecessary imagery of the young sleeping girl on the album cover. Add to that the deliberate inaccessibility of the music, and I'm not conflicted at all with giving this 1 star.

It is interesting to listen to!

It may have been ground breaking from a production stand point, but’s to much of an art project to enjoy

This is such a good album..

Ce n’est pas harmonieux, c’est à peine mélodieux, ce sont des sons assemblés, des voix monotones, mais une exploration cohérente qui brosse un portrait de nos environnements sonores

Weird soundscape vibes. Interesting but hard to get into.

I can see the vision I guess, and actually appreciate a few tracks (AB/7A is legitimately good and Walls of Sound is true to its name). Overall though I did not like how this sounded at all

Very experimental in my “eyes”

It’s really pretty good when you put on the right lenses. For the definitive album of the genre it works well.

Are they trying to break my speakers and make me hate life? Because that's where this is heading.

They seem like a band who has garnered attention in part through doing deliberately controversial imagery (Nazi stuff, porn...) a tactic I don't find appealing. I do appreciate some of the sounds on this album, and the ever present experimentation. Not wholly convinced of its greatness after the first couple listens.

I'd much rather listen to 20 Jazz Funk Greats.

A name I knew of but didn't really pay attention to. Controversial artwork aside, some of these tracks could be tracks done by bands like Kraftwerk and other Krautrock groups. Surprisingly some of the more aleatoric tracks still are a cohesive listening experience. I'm curious to listen to more, but I always associate industrial music to be a bit more heavy sounding and some of this was downright pleasant, although I'm a weirdo.

it’s just noise, is this music or is it just noise experimentation that could of possibly influenced? To me it’s not music

noiseeee

Not my style and can't hear a ton that's noteworthy besides a general tone that sounds like opening credits music on an edgy movie or game.

There are some cool tracks here like Valley of the Shadow of Death, AB/7A and E-coli. No reason to re listen or recommend.

It was boxing day and I couldn't find a moment that seemed appropriate to put this on with the in laws around. I'm sorry. I'll come back to it I promise.

Awful. Random noise. Just no.

noise!! no

Pota panget

Nice find

An atrocious piece of shit. 0 stars.

I was in a turbulent airplane when I listened, and as Pitchfork suggested about this album, it was indeed nauseating. While some of the sounds and ideas were interesting, I simply can’t say I liked it—and I struggle to imagine anyone choosing to listen to this except to induce vomiting. P.S. — I highly advise against listening to the track “Dead on Arrival” while your airplane is bumping about through a storm. P.P.S. — Also, the child’s voice on “Hometime” is a jump scare. Which is weird, because they honestly seem like a nice kid. P.P.P.S. — I liked track 9, “AB/7A.” So that’s nice.

i didnt get on with the child porn cover

the album cover is just wrong...who allows this to be publicly done to little kids? you sick fucks!

I had never heard of this band or this album before it popped up on my list generator today, and my life would have been blissfully complete if it had stayed that way. I will admit there is something in Weeping, but it's the stuff of nightmares. I feel like I need to cover my eyes as I listen to it because it sounds like the climax of a horror movie. Or maybe I should be running, because I'm not watching a horror movie and I'm about to be mauled by a one-eyed axe-wielding psychopath. I will not be sleeping well tonight.

in 1978!!!! some respect deserved

People need to stop calling sound experiment "music".

Crap. Or, what I meant to say, is “I’m sure there’s artistic value in there somewhere, but I was unable to find it”

I know it's hip to like these really out-there experimental records but right from the start this one doesn't do anything for me musically. I'm glad there is some variation as far as the tracks becoming a little more musical at times and not only piercing noises but in general I wouldn't define this as a music album, with 4 minute tracks of mostly inaudible dialogue. I don't generally enjoy albums or art that are seemingly just created to challenge the audience. You might as well just take a piss on stage, it would be a lot less work. I legitimately can't imagine anyone putting this on in a group of people and not having someone say, "what the fuck is this?" and not in a good way. I'm all for experimentation but I do expect an ounce of musicality if you're going to call yourself a band and release an album. This was a pretty exhausting listen. Standout Track: AB/7A

Awful

Sigh. Not my thing. Really hard to listen to, giving it three stars because I’m not sure if it was actually bad, just not music I would ever listen too and just didn’t understand. But shoutout to all the art students who make weird experimental music. I might not like it but it’s definitely original

Abrasive and aggressive, this album really resonated with me. This is industrial noise, mechanical dissonance, loops that grind on your metal. In some ways, it's anti-musical in nature, but that's what I find so captivating about it as a whole. I can't say that I enjoyed listening to the whole album, but I am glad to have heard what it has to say.

dear god no

Dafuq is this?

Do they use this to torture during an interrogation? My ears are bleeding

Not the Sunday morning album over coffee I was hoping for.

Nope.

Worst album I’ve literally ever heard