Penance Soiree

Somehow manages to be both headache inducing and boring

Ick. I’d say forgettable but I remembered feeling pleased when the album ended.

why in the world is this on this list? totally dated. i'm sure NME claimed this band was Here to Save Rock and Roll at some point. spare me.

Noise, a lot of very similar noise. I liked maybe the one song but the album is very repetitive and discordant.

The album is just kind of a lot of noise. It sounds like any other garage rock / 2000's White Stripes copy. Unfortunately, this album doesn't bring anything new or interesting to the table. It's weird that anyone would put this on a list of quintessential albums.

You got good noise (Sonic Youth, Blonde Redhead, Unwound, Jesus Lizard, mclusky, Royal Trux, Swans etc etc) and you got bad noise made by copycat bands that have no sound on their own, like this band. It is just noise with a bit of garage rock, or the other way around.. it does not matter.

Very noisy, but solid tunes in there somewhere too. Clear influence on royal blood and the white stripes, hints of the strokes, queens of the stone age, and plenty of grunge. Not one of the best 1001 albums, but an interesting one I would never otherwise have heard

Not good; this is what you'd hear on a network tv show when they need some "edgy" rock music, like in CSI when they go to a seedy club to question someone, or when a main character spins out

I did not expect to enjoy this as much, a seamless intersection of garage rock, alternative rock and post-hardcore with a garnish of noise.

Slightly embarrassing rock ... when it went "fuckk youuuuu" at the end of one song in that cringe american rock singing style I think I actually lolled quite a lot. I did not find this engaging, it all just passed me by really with little impact

I reviewed music for Buddyhead just before they signed The Icarus Line. (None of my online write-ups survived over the past 20 years, I looked). Travis was an intense dude and poured everything he had into Buddyhead. He rejected substantial offers to maintain legitimacy and be able to write whatever the hell he wanted to. He carved out and occupied a special space in the LA / Hollywood music scene. I listened to this Penance Soiree back when it was new. On a fleeting superficial level, I thought there was something to like contained in the album. For example, the way that the first song starts (Up Against the Wall Motherfuckers) is great, the distortion and long pauses open to heavy bass-y basics against a subdued tempo and decent vocals. Spike Island retains a little bit of this but as the album progresses, it sounds kind of like a self-absorbed Soundgarden / Chris Cornell revival. I hated Soundgarden and the album was forgettable. Reading up on TIL, I found out that Mark Trombino, of Drive Live Jehu (and a bunch of other productions) was set to produce an album, but dropped out for some reason. DLJs Yank Crime still stands as one of my favorite albums of all time and I listened to it again with new ears. And today, some of makes me think of The Dirty Nil, who I really like. They've got great energy and power, but even still, there's just not enough that is interesting to continue listening. Great memories, meh music.

The band is so loud, yet they make no real noise. The singer is doing so much, yet saying so little. There are so many notes, yet no actual melodies. So much effort for such little payoff. Complete anonymity. Example #36 of “why *must* I hear this before I die?” 2/5

Post-hardcore elevator music. 6.6/10

Scary album cover. I felt like I was so dialed in to music (maybe just to emo!) back in 2004, when this album came out, but I've never heard of this band as far as I can remember. And I hope to never remember them, either.

The filthy bass sound had me right From the start. I listened on iphone speakers, so the tinny vocals and guitar fuzz got a bit old by the end. It was also quite repetitive by the end. A good album though and will definitely be listening again soon

I WANTED to like this a lot. It's some really groovy bottled napalm. But it's just a little too edgy for me. Several times I thought a track was going to be a big highlight, but by the time it reached its full crescendo it just wasn't enjoyable any more. I actually suspect this is a problem exacerbated on the first-impression. If I knew where each song was going I think I wouldn't find it as annoying..... but Oh well! on to the next day!

A fun noisy racket but not much more. When you think this came out 35 years after The Stooges, you'd think more evolution would have occurred.

Before today, I'd never heard of The Icarus Line. After listening to "Penance Soiree", that makes total sense. I can't recall ever hearing electric guitars sound so unpleasant. These guys may be skilled musicians, but their overindulgence on effects pedals is awful. It sounds like white noise. It's torturous. If you don't believe me, listen to "Spit On It". The one decent song on here is called "Getting Bright at Night". However, they decide to drag this track out for over 9 minutes. Fucking hell, lads, ever hear the phrase, "Don't outstay your welcome"? You can hear their musical influences throughout the album. There's hints of Soundgarden, The Jesus and Mary Chain, NIN, Violent Femmes, and Iggy Pop. So these lads clearly have great taste in music. The problem is, they don't have the creativity to produce that same level of magic. There's nothing catchy or interesting or enjoyable on this album. Give it a miss. 👎👎

this was actually dope, I liked the energy and the tone of vocals. reminded me of a more melodic dfa 1979

Goddamn, I was completely blown away by this! At the beginning of my first listen, I had to get a bit into it, but when 'On The Lash' came on, it was like the combination of brutality and catchiness clicked with me. On 'Spike Island' Joe Cardamone's desperate but lazy vocals is easily compared to fellow rock-revivor Julian Casablancas. And what an insanely great sound on the bass and guitar! The brutality seeps through the record - on the vicious 'Kiss Like Lizards' or on 'Getting Bright at Night' where an intense cacophony explodes into energetic riffs. On top of that you have innovative changes in dynamics on the post-punky 'Big Sleep' as well as a jazz-inspired polyrhythmic sequence on 'White Devil'. The record truly keeps you on your toes. Industrial of course also makes a guest appearance on 'Meatmaker' (a 00's fad that I am not a fan of), and psychedelia is given a whirl as well on 'Sea Sick' (this I approve of). But then... For some inexplicable reason, they decided to end the album with 'Party the Baby Off'. What an insufferable, empty-headed tune sounding like it belongs on an Aerosmith album - and not one of the tolerable ones. So much fun. So disappointed. What a rollercoaster.

Vocals are reminiscent of Iggy Pop and Lou Reed with jangly guitars. Songs feel at once modern and from another time. 4/5 stars

Really enjoyed it, didn't expect some of trumpet and piano riffs

Thrashy but good, very heavy and angry bass in each song

4.5. Really blew me away. Wasn't expecting much but this album was great

This has aged very well for the 2004 Hot Topic scene.

Penance Soiree Never heard of this or The Icarus Line before. Resisted looking them up, and wasn’t quite sure what to expect from the cover or band name. Maybe something Metal or some generic American Alt Rock? Up Against The Wall Motherfucker - kind Alt Rock riffing with a garage punkishness and a bit of RHCP or RATM bass groove. It does sound quite early 2000s-ish and its fine I suppose. Spit on it is less successful and is thankfully pretty brief. On the Lash, has a bit of BRMC to it, but not as good and without the more ominous feel of their songs. Annnnd….I can’t be bothered to go through the rest of it. It’s fine for what it is as some noisy garage rock, but it’s also quite tedious, with very little of interest to differentiate it from anyone else. There were many more better bands with better melodies and better ideas at that time, so why would you choose to listen to this? Listening twice through is enough. Not wretched, just boring. 2 🤷‍♂️🤷‍♂️ Playlist submission: Up Against The Wall Motherfucker

Nr. 34/1001 Up Against The Wall Motherfucker 3/5 Spit On It 2/5 On The Lash 2/5 Caviar 2/5 Spike Island 2/5 Kiss Like Lizards 1/5 Getting Bright At Night 2/5 Big Sleep 2/5 White Devil 2/5 Meatmaker 1/5 Virgin Velcro 2/5 Sea Sick 2/5 Party The Baby Off 2/5 Average: 1,92 Plain, boring and repetitve

Felt really repetitive.

Better than I expected but not as good as it could have been.

It just feels loud and brash for the sake of being loud and brash. It lacks spirit or soul, or an intelligent spark, behind the chaos. The internet tells me they are post-hardcore. Though it seems that genre is pretty broad. And filled with bands I like better. (And some I don't.) Naming themselves The Icarus Line feels like it wound up being ironic. Maybe they were worried about flying too close to the sun, but in truth they never really approached that line, stalling out on their journey to rock fame and the bright lights. (https://pitchfork.com/thepitch/the-icarus-line-must-die-shows-the-dark-purgatory-of-a-cult-rock-band-that-never-gave-up/)

Messy, sprawling, meandering. There's a good album in here somewhere but it's buried underneath a band that feels like it's not sure what it's trying to be.

Listening to it is - quote - "That's the last thing I want to do" I seriously don't need to hear it before I die. There're tons of bands like this.

This is adjacent to music I quite like - Hot Snakes and Bitch Magnet examples in mind - but remain ambivalent about as a concept. This kind of twisty, angular, declarative rock mostly eschews tunes while staying clear of pure timbre, freeform wanderings, so needs killer riffs and dynamics to work for me. My conception of the form is of records composed almost entirely of the instrumental, interstitial/linking bits of Led Zep records. Maybe some Black Sab intros and outros are in the mix too, or ZZ Top if you’re Shellac. Thé riffs and dynamics on this are just workmanlike, while the record is far too long and the singing starts sounding more yap-yap-yap than manifesto-making as it goes on: the creepiness of the final repeated lines feel like an inevitability. The songs containing Suicide-esque synth pulses pleased my ears, but are more like postures of allegiance than musical decisions.

The best part was when it ended.

Feels like they had aspirations of Sonic Youth, The Jesus and the Mary Chain, and My Bloody Valentine without the compelling hooks or song arrangements. Just endless amounts of feedback noise masturbation with little to no differentiation between songs. Lyrics don't matter, as you can't possible discern what is said without reading them, so who cares? Perhaps one of the most pointless albums I have ever heard. Favorite "songs": none Definitely does not belong on this list. Just keeps proving my hunch that the Naughties were the worst decade of popular music ever.

When I saw this genre was "post-hardcore" I was pretty sure this wouldn't be for me. To my surprise I really love it! Edgy and cool in all the right ways, I didn't realize that I had room for a new post-hardcore band in my life. This is great rock and roll! The 1001 list disabuses me of yet another preconceived notion.

loved!

First album in over 740 that I haven't been able to find any where. A pretty incredible feat all things considered. The fact that I've had immediate access to almost 750 albums spanning all the way back to the 1950s in my pocket is something we take way for granted. Undertaking a project like this even 15 years ago would have been a very different experience. For all it's short comings, Spotify is the one of the most important advancements in consumerism we've ever experienced

This is exactly why I’m doing this list. So happy to discover this kickass record.

4.5/5. Right up my mf alley. Bruh it’s got NiN AND Ink + Dagger members. Post hardcore rules

Ihana albumi aijaijai vitutti kiiressä pyörällä junaan mutta plääni cois totas lekurille 1v kroonista limaa sieltä heh keuhk 1v...

So this is my 1001st album. Although there was never really a time that I seriously considered quitting this list it’s still somewhat mind blowing to actually be at the 1001st album. There’s still about 80 albums left so I’ll save all the reminiscing and reflecting and highlighting for the real end but even now I’m starting to get that bittersweet, college graduation feeling about something that’s been a part of my life for years coming to an end. As for the actual album, the more I listened to it, the more I enjoyed it. Thought it was going to be annoying nu metal at first but it turned out to be a really fun mish mash of rock subgenres. Rage against the machine and the whole grunge movement were the biggest influences but I also got early 00s alternative vibes. Big sleep, virgin Velcro, and party the baby off were all standouts but none of the tracks really stood above the rest; was more of a full album experience type thing.

An actually good album with couple great songs, like "Getting Bright at Night" and "Big Sleep". Interesting style, a bit watered down hardcore with a pleasant sounding vocalist. I like their sound, there are few really good riffs hidden on the tracks. Pretty good atmosphere of the record as well. Ah, why not, 5 stars, it's been a long time since I was so positively surprised.

5/5 - fun album

Hell yeah, this is sick! It sucks so bad about the label issues because I never heard of this (presumably due to that) and I love it. I would've 100% been a huge fan of this album when it dropped. Regardless, I'm glad to have found it now at least. Noisy garage rock is my jam.

Very cool noise rock. Worth a listen.

Another first. Good times. The sort of rock I used to love but don't listen to anymore.

Not really my thing but I can tell it’s good if it’s your thing

It grew on me as I listened. Brings me back to high school for sure.

Noise/garage rock the brings up tastes of Black Flag and Iggy. Hooky, noise and all around enjoyable.

Beast

Just not my vibe. Great for someone that likes this genre.

Angst factor 11 and rising. This is ultimate screamo from a band that can play. A whole album becomes repetitive. Will still listen again, however.

Thought this was really quite good! Rock on!

Another band I'd never heard of before that I enjoyed. This was a tiny bit too derivative in places, but overall I liked it very much. Definitely on my list to relisten now, as there were a few stand out parts here and there. Nothing too grating and no weak tracks that I noticed on one play through, although there were a few "this is too angst" moments maybe. Will get 4 stars for not being perfection, but good enough for another spin. Bonus points for Spotify playing The Fall "Green Eyed Loco Man" after the album completed, which I took as a good sign, helped me place when this album first came out, and did indeed have some similarities.

Dit bleek dus echt een pareltje te zijn. Helaas niet op spotify, maar ik ga hier zeker meer van luisteren.

surprisingly good , punky and shouty. will listen to more of their stuff

Well that was a nice surprise, never heard of them before. This is my kind of rock music, the kind that prefers being loud and aggressive and maybe a little sloppy, instead of sounding pristine and perfect. Love the singer's energy, fits it perfectly. Good entry. (Just looked and of course it has a 2.5 rating, you people suck)

This was a hard one to find. I resorted to a youtube playlist that a fan had created in the end. At the start I was excited to what appeared to be a post hardcore band in the same vein as At The Drive In. Its not though. There's flashes of brilliance in here, but the album meanders around a bit, seemingly trying to find a direction. I wouldn't call it exceptional, but there's enough to get me to go check out what else they have done. On subsequent listens it gets better and I find myself liking it quite a lot.

Unexpectedly enjoyable. It's on the right side of noise for me. A good wall of sound with melody still coming through. Very good album.

Tasty.

4.5 stars. This album gets after it. A little muddled and overly distorted at times, but for the most part it's just really good rowdy post-hardcore. Starting with "Spike Island" it takes off, and the standout is "Getting Bright At Night".

Aaron North makes every note chaos in the best way here. As he always does. This album is sloppy and it is barely holding together. And that is the genius of it. Not many hooks or traditional riffs. Just wild punk rock played with the energy of the sun.

really appreciated this album. nice. punchy. punky. low-fi. goodness.

These are the albums that make this whole project worth it for me - had never heard of this band before, but love this absolutely thrashing, nasty, guitar-whirlwind of an LP. The runtime may be a bit long for how many melodic ideas it has to offer, but what it lacks in creativity this album more than makes up for in energy. While it has a solid blues-rock basis, there are a few left-turn zigzags into weird chords or rhythms that keep the listener on their toes and make this an exciting trainwreck-in-motion of a listen.

Franchement cool, j'ai bien aimé caviar et spike island il me semble !

Ik kende dit niet maar wat ik ervan mee heb gekregen op YouTube klonk toch wel erg tof! Irritant dat het niet op Spotify te vinden is want ik zou dit nog wel eens in goede kwaliteit willen horen.

Really liked this, I assumed with the album cover and song names this would be very heavy metal, but it was actually pretty chill.

Lots of aggressive noise on this album but the band excels at controlled chaos. Unlike a lot of noise rock or hardcore bands, where a certain amount of guitar feedback and sloppiness feels improvised, these guys sound like they’re very deliberate behind the boards. They deploy the screeches and feedback right where they want them. That feeling of being carefully put together is probably a result of the songwriting too. A lot of this music is dense and layered. I hear a Rolling Stones influence on a bunch of songs. Joe Cardamone’s vocals often sound like Mick Jagger. The band even sounds a little like Zeppelin on “Virgin Velcro.” It’s a potent combination: ‘fuck you’ hardcore noise + smart songwriting and musicianship + rockstar showmanship. Excellent album.

In general, I’m not a fan of noise rock, but this wasn’t bad! Garage rock? Liked the vocals and catchy riffs. 4

This album took me until about halfway through to really start to get it, and at that point I started it again and listened with fresh ears. I think this one is easy to miss, since it sounds generic at first, like a less poppy version of The Strokes. However, there's a lot more progression in these songs than in Strokes songs (also, these songs are not blatantly ripped off of very famous songs the way most of the Stokes big hits were). 4/5 This album definitely sounds like it was made in the mid 00s, but there's a lot more depth to the music than I initially perceived. Sort of a hidden gem in an incredibly bleak period for rock

Kind of close to what I normally listen to, and I think I heard their name before, but first time checking them out. Another really solid record, gotta listen to it more.

Enjoyed much more than expected for mid-2000s. This is more like a high 3-low 4 but still. Pretty cool.

This isn’t bad at all… heard their name but never knowingly heard their music. Enjoyed it!

I had my doubts in the beginning but i ended up reallly enjoying this album!

Much better than I thought it would be, sounds like a classic rock band

Surprised Iv never come across this band or album before. This is right up my street. Straight into my rotation.

Never heard of these guys before but they did great guitary post-rock

This band reminded me of an amalgamation of a bunch if different bands. This album was very good, I really enjoyed it!

8/10 really good stuff here very enjoyable

Noisy rock, but fun to listen to. I had not heard this one before, but I will make sure it gets on my rotation.

Better than I expected. Reminds me of Filter put in a blender with Zeppelin

Never heard of this band. I liked it!

Loved it. Super dark and gritty. Never heard of this band before!

Literally never heard of The Icarus Line outside of this project, which is a bit weird. Yeah, I dig it - very chaotic garagey post-hardcore. Enjoyed it enough for three listens, and would happily go back for more! Fave track - "Getting Bright at Night" is a banger - especially the last third. "Meatmaker" is slavish Suicide worship, and I'm on board for it!

I've always wondered how did punk evolved into post-punk. Now, I know. This 2000's garage rock bit topped with layers of noise seems to answer my questions. It's harsh and angsty, like punk, and wooshy, like post-punk. Too much noise and too loud, but I enjoyed it nonetheless.

Rating: 7/10 Best songs: Caviar, Big sleep

This was pretty cool. Never heard of this band before and I'm really glad they were on this list. Not sure if they'd make my list of top 1001 albums, but was glad to be introduced to an interesting sound.

Had never heard of this group but this was a great listen. May relisten to decide whether to add to the usual rotation.

Ja kunde int lyssna hela albumet för de fanns typ ingenstans!! Så ja missa två sånger!! Men de som ja hörde va banger🥶

sounds a bit like a lot of bands i like and it works. heavy, noisy and messy, i bet these were good live.

I like noisy, but it's a bit too under-produced here. Real chunky riffs and jams tho.

I was prepared for some more underwhelming 2000s picks from Bob but this is pretty gnarly. Nice one :)

Bra oväsen! Gillar produktionen

Yes, very repetitive, but, a very enjoyable album as well.

Rock garaje alternativa. Interesante

I didn’t know anything about this band. I haven’t heard their name before. It was an interesting experience listening to this album. It is abrasive, energetic, passionate, with a compelling production and lots of ideas floating around. I think I need to go back a give it another listenings to better understand it. It seems to have more layers for me to discover, but I am no there yet.

I'd never heard of this band before, but was pleasantly surprised - in turns grungy, rock, metal, melodic, noisy... I could really see myself finding more and more to like about this album if I give it a few more listens.

This is pretty much exactly what I want rock music to sound like

i wish i’d heard this when it was released because it would’ve really rung my bell