Penance Soiree

4/10 Just not very interesting? I assume that there was some kind of familial relation that resulted in them being included?? Although 1,475 Spotify listeners can't be wrong. It's a bit too much at the heavy end of Indie guitar for me, but I quite liked the last track. I just don't see anything special.

I think this albums worst crime is being mixed poorly. The highs were so piercing. Otherwise this is a pretty straightforward alt rock album from the mid 2000s.

some good sounds from a band I knew not of. For heavy rockers only

Day1002 - this band had no chance. stupid band name and nothing original about their songs

There is no files in spotify or soundcloud for this album but i heard it on youtube. Its ok i think not that interesting but an ok album. But i liked the guitars!

Listened before?: nope. i haven't seen a whole lot of praise for this album so i'm bracing myself for a potentially bad listening experience Up Against the Wall, Motherfuckers - 3/5 Spit on It - 1/5 On the Lash - 3/5 Caviar - 1/5 Spike Island - 3/5 Kiss Like Lizards - 2/5 Getting Bright at Night - 2/5 Big Sleep - 2/5 White Devil - 2/5 Meatmaker - 1/5 Virgin Velcro - 1/5 Seasick - 1/5 Party the Baby Off - 2/5 Average score: 1.8/5 ⭐️⭐️ this is just so fucking noisy in my opinion. i hate to say it since it feels like a lazy critique to make about an album, but i don't really know how else to describe this sound. i don't know if it's the mixing or what, i just didn't like this very much. the tracks weren't all that interesting to me either. it's just not very enjoyable considering the fact that my ears weren't in terrible pain listening to this, i suppose i'll spare this album of receiving 1 star (i'd give it between 1.5 and 2 stars elsewhere)

fine album. it’s not on spotify anymore and nothing to write home about. You can hear the influence of the stooges and the ramones and i’d rather listen to them.

Never heard of this, though it seems to take a lot of shit in the reviews. It doesn't actually deserve most of the flak it gets, as it's just a fun, loud 2000s rock album. It's not afraid to experiment with noise or get in your face, but for the most part it's pretty simple garage rock. It's not nearly as extreme as some reviews would leave you to believe, but it's not always a clean, neat rock album. It's not the best thing I've ever heard, but it's not as bad as many people seem to think it is.

Loud and in your face but that’s about it

US noise merchants eh? Didn’t mind On the Lash / Caviar / Seasick. Preferred Pulp’s Spike Island. It’s mostly not terrible and more than ok in places ( the ones where they sound like JAMC) Not enough for a 4.

Penance Soiree by The Icarus Line...never heard of them, could the title be more pretentious? The music feels like it could turn into something good at points but is mostly ruined by screeching 'rock' vocals or guitar wanking. I'm sure the various members are now happily working for Amazon or serving in a coffee shop......and rightly so

The 9-minuter, particularly the transition into it, won me over a bit and I was somewhat into it from there on.

I don’t quite know what a wheel house is, but this genre of US noise rock is a long way from being in mine. Spike Island the best of a bad bunch but not a patch patch on Pulp’s song.

Irreedeemable dreck from a bunch of no-names that you will never hear from again.

Неочікувано сильно сподобався альбом. Прямолійнійний гаражний рок, який мені здається могла б грати гурт з будь-якої країни і збирати на концерт 200 людей. Але щось для мене є в цих піснях. Подобається, як бас вивели наперед, непогані гітарні партії, вокал такий мені подобається. Залетів альбом.

Дуже нудний гітарний альбом, який мені нагадав місцями гіршу версію Джека Вайта і навіть простігосподі гурт ДЖЕТ. Нецікаві гітарні партії, вокаліст який старається, але виходить все якось дуже посередньо. Здивувало в тегах десь побачити пост-хардкор і нойз, бо я тут почув просто радіоформатний рок. Є певні цікаві моменти, але їх ДУЖЕ мало.

No need to yell it a little samey and screamy ya know i like the vibe but I didnt hear anything special

This is just average early 2000s rock. 2.5

Glad I tracked this one down. Really enjoyed this album. All tracks were solid and enjoyable.

Неожиданно классный альбом 8/10

Mudhoney light. Not that there is anything wrong with it just didn’t hit as hard

Not anywhere near my favorite, but it's not that bad. The music sounds reminiscent of a lot of the British punk/rock bands I've been getting from the list, and the vocals sound distinctly American. This album isn't my preferred sound of grunge rock, so it's not high on the replay list, but it was decent. If I could give half stars, this would land at 2 1/2. But since I can't, I'll round up.

1.7/5

ok

Shouty fun when you listen to it. Forgettable after

Sounds like one of those bands you saw as a support act once then instantly forgot about.

3.5 love the energy here

Okay

Boring and made my ears bleed at the same time. Quite a feat

blends into the white stripes side of indie

expectations too high because of the sick ass album cover

It’s not all bad but it’s nothing special to me.

Too much going on. It feels like everything is competing tp be heard. This could have been ok with a few better mixing choices.

didn't care for it, kinda screechy

Good but I stopped after the third track

Never listened. Expectations: None - Verdict: Good - The opening couple of tracks are decent and give me a bit of an idea of the sort of album this is. On The Lash is very rocking and I like it a lot. Caviar has a cool sound although I'm not blown away by the vocals. Spike Island doesn't do much for me. Kiss Like Lizards has a very cool and creative main riff and I enjoy the more expansive approach on Getting Bright At Night. Big Sleep is ok but the next few tracks can't reach the level of the earlier ones. Sea Sick is a late highlight but overall this album was enjoyable but not amazing.

awesome album cover but otherwise mid

Favourite Songs: Spike Island Getting Bright At Night

I know I'm probably going to be in the minority but I really liked this. It's right in my wheelhouse. Probably not as "good" but give me a Mid 00's garage-y rock album and I'll eat it up every time. 9/10, expect this to be one where for once I'm a lot higher than the average rating.

Not at all pleasant to me.

Nope I didn’t like this. A bit too obnoxious and heavy for my liking. Next.

Some interesting stuff but on the more generic and boring side of garage/noise/post-hardcore

production was good but the songs weren't there. low 2 or a high 1

I won't say that I hated this - there were definitely some cool parts here and there, and some solid garage rock energy. The whole thing did feel a bit put on to me for reasons that I couldn't quite pin down, and I think they should have cut this one down to like 35-40 minutes.

Pretty solid album, will definitely revisit outside of this list and also check out some of their stuff.

“Mom, I want At The Drive In.” “We have At The Drive In at home.”

Sleaze punk? I liked it, felt like an updated Hanoi Rocks with one foot in glam, one foot in punk

Yes - my cuppa tea

Pretty generic and boring

2.7

Liked this more than I thought. Couple weird tunes in there but overall it was enjoyable!

Meh.

This was an awesome album. Punky, hardcore rock sort of sound. Reminded me of the stooges, QOTSA and other similar bands. Devo’d the only album I could find on YouTube had 3 songs missing but I still got a pretty good taste of this one

quedé nerviosita.

This album sounds like Axe body spray

Temu Soundgarden. The mix on this record is terribly muddy which makes almost all the tracks sound like a sludgy, undifferentiated mess. Just sounds like hollow angry noise.

Hi, I'm trash.

After Rolling Stones and Zeppelin… this felt like the little leagues. Driving rock… but nothing grabbing me. 2.5

Just noticed this is marked as Indie Rock. What? Noisy, but I enjoyed it more than I expected when I first put it on. 5/10 Acceptable

Boring, derivative, & labored, Penance Soiree is an album that doesn't have it all, & what it does have is forgettable & superfluous. The Icarus Line are essentially a punkier White Stripes, which isn't a bad idea in principle, but they can't pull it off b/c, well, they're a bad band. What's a bad band? A bad band is a band that makes bad music. Could I imagine seeing them live at a sooty, seamy venue in LA? Sure, & I may have a good time in the process. But that doesn't mean they're a good band b/c, well, I wouldn't want to go see them again. Staying power is mysterious but we generally know which groups have it. These windbags clearly don't. There's a nine-min song on this thing, a shitty excuse for a VU epic like 'Heroin.' Stupid.

On paper I should enjoy this album, I enjoy this era, I enjoy the genre's and styles used here but... this is just not it. For lack of a better review thesis, this feels way too "local band who somehow signed and got access to any musical gadget and gizmo they wanted" without building up the skills and repertoire to actually have an idea how to use them. The songs are not cohesive, melodic or centered. I don't think I heard a single chorus during the album. It's also really dated; I've never heard of the band or the album despite my social media algorithms putting me in this scene and constantly thrusting me in discussions regarding this era and style of guitar led music. On a similar point, there's also opportunity cost; you're telling me this can have a spot on albums you MUST listen to over My Chemical Romance, Evanescence, AFI, Billy Talent, Sunny Day Real Estate, Deftones, or many others that actually left a lasting legacy? I'd say no, spend your limited and valuable time wisely and go listen to Three Cheers for Sweet Revenge which came out a month after Penance Soiree and blows it out of the water.

Even if I got over how annoying this album is, all the songs just kind of sound the same too. I don't understand why this is so highly rated. It's just noise.

Noisy, almost a little sloppy, garage-y, kinda post-hardcore? I'd never heard of this band before but this is right up my alley. Felt like it would have fit in most action sports 2000's videogames. Will have to listen to this group more.

It's an interesting album, an experience I wasn't ready for. Noisy songs and great amount of felling, encompassed in a record I wasn't going to find on my own. My only gripe is the length, but other than that, a great surprise.

I'm going to give this noise rock a slight amount of credit because it generally still sounded like music instead of the screaming and banging of scrap metal.

Not a fan. Glam rock power pop metal.

lowk im scared of the intros they all sound like a summoning ritual 😭

Angry Young Men, I don't know what they're angry about but they're making a hell of a racket about it, whatever it is. I might have enjoyed this when I was fifteen, but it's doing my bonce in now.

OK rock

Lite stökigt men inte så illa.

Det här var riktigt nice! Synd att det inte finns på Spotify.

It was okay but I didn’t really find it anything special or new.

Up Against the Wall Motherfuckers 3.6 Spit on It 3 On the Lash 3.4 Caviar 3.3 Spike Island 3.2 Kiss Like Lizards 3.4 Getting Bright at Night 3.3 Big Sleep 3.2 White Devil 3.5 Meatmaker 3 Virgin Velcro 3.4 Seasick 3.3 Party the Baby Off 3.3 Score: 3.3

I did not love this.

To be honest, I tried to finish this album but I just couldn’t. I wanted to enjoy it but I just couldn’t

I'm giving it a 3, because I would have liked it when I was 14 and into music like this. But I'm old now, and this isn't really for me.

“angular”

Not for me

Horrible

This has everything you want from a hardcore punk/noise rock record. It's loud, edgy and chaotic. I guess it overstays it's welcome a little bit but there were definitely moments I enjoyed. 7/10

Didn’t like any of it.

Started off terrible but improved. Slightly. Another questionable pick. 2.5

I don’t hear anything that merited this being heralded as required listening before one dies. Not unlistenable, but not necessarily enjoyable. Could have skipped it and slept just fine for the rest of my days.

#90 I actually kinda like the vibe this has. A bit too much noise at some parts, but it has a lot of good hard grooves. Highlights: Up Against The Wall Motherfucker, Spike Island, Seasick

not terrible but not great. I didn't hate it but did one of the songs use the phrase "flesh trombone?????

Just noise with some yelling over the top

Penance Soiree The Icarus Line 2004 Genres: Rock Styles: Indie Rock 1. Up Against the Wall Motherfuckers (★★★★☆) -Contexto: habla de adicción y de una relación tóxica y obsesiva. El narrador mezcla imágenes de drogas, mentiras y vigilancia (sentirse espiado, "escuchado en la oscuridad") con un deseo posesivo y hasta violento hacia una mujer. Hay una sensación constante de persecución y culpa religiosa ("me van a crucificar"), como si el personaje supiera que va a pagar por lo que hace pero no puede parar. 2. Spit on It (★★⯨☆☆) -Contexto: es una bajada de línea contra la industria (musical y corporativa en general). Enumera, casi como una lista de quejas, todo lo que mantiene a la gente encerrada en el miedo y la ignorancia: ejecutivos que no se hacen cargo de sus errores, empresas que solo buscan plata, "esclavos de la industria" que matan el arte por un sueldo. El estribillo "Prevent awareness" funciona como grito irónico contra el conformismo. 3. On the Lash (★★★★☆) -Contexto: trata sobre la sensación de que algo siempre estuvo mal en la vida propia, y la necesidad de escapar a través de la noche, el alcohol y el movimiento constante ("hay que salir de este pueblo ya"). Hay una idea fatalista de perderse a uno mismo de vez en cuando como parte inevitable de vivir, pero también un pedido de sanación al final ("empecemos a curarnos"). 4. Caviar (★★★★☆) -Contexto: describe, desde una mirada fría y cínica, a una mujer que busca drogas y algo parecido al amor para escapar de su realidad, y a un narrador que se aprovecha de eso vendiéndole "protección" y drogas. Es una escena de explotación y desesperación nocturna, con un trato transaccional disfrazado de intimidad. 5. Spike Island (★★★★☆) -Contexto: retrata el consumo pesado de drogas (heroína explícitamente) como una forma de anestesiar el dolor. Aparece una pareja que se dice "estar juntos" pero en realidad está cada uno perdido en su propia adicción ("estamos solos, vivimos juntos, fashionably numb"), mostrando codependencia y aislamiento emocional pese a la cercanía física. 6. Kiss Like Lizards (★★⯨☆☆) -Contexto: habla de la autodestrucción y el desapego emocional. El narrador quema puentes y relaciones a propósito, se muestra incapaz de sentir empatía real ("quiero sentir lástima por vos pero los dos sabemos..."), y cuestiona el sentido de la vida y de morir sin dejar huella. El título alude a un afecto frío, "de sangre fría", como los lagartos. -Comentario: más ruido que música; mal uso de la distorsión a mi gusto. 7. Getting Bright at Night (★★★☆☆) -Contexto: funciona casi como una canción de amor invertida o de resignación amorosa. El personaje jura que no se va a volver a enamorar mientras describe noches sin dormir, drogas y autodestrucción, pero al mismo tiempo admite que no puede evitar sentir algo y le pide a la otra persona que no lo abandone. Es un tema de nueve minutos que la banda describió como algo intencionalmente ambiguo entre el amor y el hartazgo del propio Cardamone. 8. Big Sleep (★★★★⯨) -Contexto: describe un estado de disociación y fuga de la realidad producido por las drogas, donde la línea entre pesadilla y vida despierta se borra. Hay una búsqueda existencial de sentido ("mostrame algo, mostrame la vida") mezclada con la sensación de estar fuera del propio cuerpo, y un cierre que roza la autodestrucción como forma de pasar el tiempo. 9. White Devil (★★★★☆) -Contexto: es una declaración de independencia y desprecio por el status, la plata y las escenas musicales "de moda" (menciona directamente no querer saber nada de Nueva York ni de quién tiene más guita). El narrador se planta como alguien que no le debe nada a nadie, que no tiene amigos reales ni busca atención, y que prefiere pelear su propia guerra antes que aceptar su lugar dado. 10. Meatmaker (★★★★⯨) -Contexto: cuenta la historia de alguien atrapado en un ciclo de consumo, arrestos y encierro ("se droga, lo encierran de nuevo"), que no tiene amigos reales y al que ni su propia familia quiere cerca de sus hijos. Hay un tono amenazante hacia el final (habla de asfixiar a alguien mientras duerme), reforzando la idea de una persona ya consumida por la adicción y la violencia. 11. Virgin Velcro (★★★★☆) -Contexto: retrata encuentros sexuales atravesados por las drogas (menciona el éxtasis) en un ambiente de fiesta callejera. Los personajes buscan pertenencia y placer inmediato en cuerpos ajenos como forma de escapar del vacío, mezclando vulnerabilidad, autodesprecio ("solo me amo a mí mismo") y una crítica velada a esa cultura de excesos de la ciudad. 12. Sea Sick (★★⯨☆☆) -Contexto: es una canción de arrepentimiento y culpa dentro de una relación que se rompió. El narrador reconoce que "la cagó" y se plantea el dolor de haber lastimado a la otra persona, con imágenes bastante oscuras de autocastigo antes que hacerle daño a ella. Es el tema más melancólico y confesional del disco, marcado por la resignación ("ya fue, olvidate"). 13. Party the Baby Off (★★★⯨☆) -Contexto: cierra el álbum con una escena caótica y perturbadora de vida doméstica atravesada por drogas y violencia (se menciona golpear a alguien, pastillas, una madre que "vive en el infierno"). Funciona como un cierre descontrolado y casi punk, mezclando imágenes de fiesta ("sacate toda la ropa") con un trasfondo de abuso y descontrol familiar. -TOTAL = ★★★⯨☆ (3,62)

Some songs are tolerable and some really grind on you. Between 1 and 2 and I see no reason to fight for a 2 but let it play and stopped having the urge to skip so will toss it a 2. Very unclear why this album is on here. Radio that played after was really not bad.

Ehhhh, something I probably would have enjoyed more if I had heard it in highschool. Made me want to listen to Thursday.

Solid but unspectacular version of something I generally like. Noisy guitar rock with a punk/metal edge to it. Bass player is good which is critical. Guitar player is also solid. Vocals are fine but a little lacking.

This seems to be pretty good of its kind, but it is not for me.

ick. either the singer sucks and the production is mixed to drown him out or the production sucks.... or both.

Our group chat seemed to have settled on the thought that this album was a great example of whatever it is. I don't know about that. I struggled to listen to it. Wikipedia says its possible genres are alternative rock, post-hardcore, garage rock, and noise rock. I would've said I liked three of those genres but I guess maybe I'm wrong? I did not like this.

Is it good? Yes. Do I like this kind of gritty early 2000s alt rock? Yes! However, this doesn’t sound so substantially different from the stuff that the hives, the strokes, the killers, etc. we’re putting out at the same time, so how does this merit inclusion in that context? Idk. It was fun either way.

If the satanic panic of the 80’s had a house band, this would be it.

Lots of energy but not for me.

I like the fact it was something a bit noisier and venturing where this list doesn’t often go. Unfortunately, the album itself lacked anything really memorable: no standout tracks, meandering riffs that never really hit; and a lack of vocal hooks. A shame.

Falls into the pile of crap that seemed to emerge during the indie rock revival as a second wave after the initial ‘the strokes are the new hot thing’ from NME. This felt somewhat soulless, with some aggression coming through but with seemingly very little to say. I’m Not averse to post-hardcore but this is too tame in comparison to some of its peers and not melodically refined enough to bear repeated listens. Not sure what the fuss is about really as there are many more in a similar vein that would benefit from being on this list over this album.

Solid

I was poised, ready to give my first 1-star review until I started to just get into this a little. The noise rock of The Icarus Line made me think of At The Drive In, a band I haven’t given two hoots about for 20 years. An assault on the ears, yes, but there were some tunes in there. I can’t say I wasn’t glad when it finished though. 2/5.