Penance Soiree

Lyrics: 1/5 Music: 2/5 Production: 1/5 Cohesiveness: 2/5 Overall: 1/5 Stand out songs: The silence at the end of the album Possibly the worst thing I’ve ever had to listen to with the worst song titles on any album I’ve ever heard

Hard Listen...Noisy...Bad Soundgarden..No Thanks

More noise; more shrieking. Why? Even at barely audible, this is unlistenable.

I didn't enjoy this, couldn't finish it and fail to see how this would even remotely be considered essential listening for anyone before they die. There were some glimpses of listenable music here and there so 1.5/5.

Useless

Highlight: On The Lash In a nutshell: homogenised post-hardcore I mean, it’s fine? I like garage rock. Don't mind post-hardcore. Sounds like The Stooges meets Fugazi and The Jesus and Mary Chain. Great riffs and distortion. HOWEVER... it's not groundbreaking. The Used, Mclusky, Shellac and Refused predate The Icarus Line. None of the aforementioned are in the book and performed a hell of a lot better than these wannabes. Overall: 2/10

Disc that seams to be taken from the late 70s. Too "crispy" for me. 3/10

There were moments when it started to click, but those were outnumbered by the moments when I just wanted the noise to stop. Overall it's too unfocused. Also a pain to listen to since it wasn't on spotify for me.

1001 albums? Add a couple more zeroes between the ones and you might be getting close. Did NOT like this. Next.

Awful twaddle.

Feedback. 1/5

Ei saatavilla

Sounds reminiscent of hard 90s alternative rock, but with the noise turned up to 11. Unfortunately this made the album difficult to listen to, since many of the songs just sounded like a wave of indistinguishable sounds. Add to that the ample feedback for some songs which literally hurt my ears and you have an album I didn’t enjoy. A little pared back and I probably would’ve liked it.

This isn't even a must listen to album in this genre, let alone all albums ever.

Tedious

Are we calling just ANYTHING "culturally relevant" now?

2/10…noise rock

Basic shit

This ain’t music. Good music is produced by people who have talent, expertise and able to demonstrate this either live or on record. Any music lover should at least appreciate all forms of music even when it is not to their own personal taste. I struggle to find anything on this album which ticks the aforementioned boxes. It what circumstances and surroundings would you actually put this album on and listen to it? To sit and listen left me feeling uncomfortable and stressed. It’s not anything you could have on in the background when doing other tasks as you may as well have the sound of a pneumatic drill coming out of the speakers. The structure and constant time changes make it impossible to sing along with. Maybe this is what the Icarus boys wanted to achieve in the name of art maaan! More worryingly I wondered how the experts compiling this list came up with this choice so I consulted the entry in the book. “The perfect punk statement”. “Huge sonic step forward” lyrics of “Insightful tales of gutter living” are just some of the platitudes. Really? Anyhow why should I care? Never heard of this combo before and whilst I got a bit cross that it was ever thought good enough to go on this list I will never give them another thought and delete the tracks I played so that my streaming algorithm doesn’t get the wrong idea. 1/5 24/10/24

Did not enjoy, gave me a headache

I enjoyed nothing about this album. Even the songs that were good underneath all the garbage noise were, well, buried in garbage noise. Doesn’t deserve the slot. Good album artwork though.

The opening gave me so much hope, but I felt like I got Led Zeppelin-slammed. Did not finish.

This album was just bad. I skipped track 2, then tried to power through and by song 9 or 10 I gave up. It’s one of those where I’m just confused on how this got picked as an album you must hear before you die. Is the author so ignorant when it comes to music, he couldn’t find anything else? Just felt like I was listening to noise meant to annoy the hell out of me.

Yet another ex-1001 album!™ http://1001albumsyoumusthearbeforeyoudie.wikidot.com/album-artists-a-z-ex Wonder if this is what The White Stripes would sound like with more guitar pedals and low production values? Meh, landfill material. 1.5

Not even 1 star.

3 hours of 69 love songs was more enjoyable than this

ughhh static? no.

It was very metal, much crunchy noise. Honestly didn't like it very much.

Tämä kirpeistä äänistä tykkäävä bändi kokee, että voi jättää huomioimatta biisinteon perustavimmat edellytykset: toisto, tunnistettavuus, motiivi. VÄÄRIN.

So crap. I should not hav gone back for this

This should encourage all garage band musicians to believe they too can make a record. This should also convince some that they should not. This band disbanded in 2015 and I am grateful.

1.5

Yuck

noisy samey songs

I didn't get this at all

Actually liked the opening track. Hated the rest.

Shit garage rock that goes from "kinda shit" to "really shit" in the span of 53 minutes (why is it so long). Reading the reviews before listening to this made me think it was going to be some cool noise rock, but it's just extremely generic garage rock that sounds like Jack White's evil talentless cousin.

Kind of screamy rock that I'm not into.

Whyyyy do we get so much noise rock on here? Terrible album.

I’m at a 1.5 that I’m going to round down to a 1. That is the first, and hopefully last time I will ever have to write a sentence like that. This album fluctuated for a while in terms of where I was at with it; I thought the first track, “Up Against the Wall Motherfuckers” was fine – not super captivating, but just ultimately fine. I thought the second track, “Spit on It” was obnoxiously mixed and I quickly thought this would be a completely disastrous trainwreck. On the Lash had the worst intro ever, and started to reaffirm my fears, until it ended up actually being pretty good. Caviar was fine, but just sort of a directionless slog. Spike Island was decent – not that good, but it was enjoyable enough that I liked it. Kiss Like Lizards is the highest point of the album – I genuinely think it’s a great track with a lot of fun energy. By that point, I was probably at around a 2.5 that I could bump up to a 3. It was poorly mixed, sure, but it wasn’t so bad that I couldn’t appreciate what the album was going for, it just wasn’t gonna be fully my thing. Getting Bright at Night is one of the longest, loudest, and least substantial tracks I think we’ve gotten on any album so far. It is a never-ending 9-minute mess with a never-ending guitar that never once lets the song breathe on its own merits, and it immediately fucking dragged down the mood. The sad part is that the album gets in one last good gasp of air with Big Sleep, which I thought was pretty enjoyable. After that point, from Track 9 (White Devil) and onward, the album just… ugh. Tracks 9 and 10 are fine, but completely boring – they exist for the sake of padding. Track 11, Virgin Velcro, is decent enough but it’s not doing anything new or special. By now, every song just blended together and felt the same to me, even the better ones. At this point, I had simply grown tired of the album. Seasick is decent enough until the final 2 minutes. The final 2 minutes of Seasick broke me. It’s just noise. It’s genuinely just noise. It’s not even noise with vocals to give the appearance of music. It’s truly just noise, and it’s not even noise that’s good and relaxing in the white noise Brian Eno-esque sort of way – it’s some of the most grating and painfully awful noise ever put to tape to be commercially sold. There’s not a single positive behind it. It grows louder and louder, and then it just… transitions into “Party the Baby Off,” as I’m just supposed to accept that I had my ear to the door of a T-1000 getting tortured in a lab for the last 2 minutes like it didn’t fucking exist. Party the Baby Off has some of the worst lyrics I’ve ever heard in any album closer ever. “But motherfuckers do what they have to, beat your face black and blue” before repeating “take off all your clothes” as the album faded out was genuinely the final straw for me. It genuinely went from an album where 3 of the first 6 tracks were fine to being an utter trainwreck of an album that I simply had no respect for. Don’t get me wrong, I still think that On the Lash, Spike Island, Kiss Like Lizards, and Big Sleep are all good tracks, and I might throw those in my playlists. However, this album just soured on me to such a deeply harsh fucking degree that I simply don’t think I can even give it a 2, as much as I thought about doing so. If this had had even a decent closing track, I could’ve probably been nice and gone up to a 2, just barely, if only to reward the good tracks for actually being good. It’s just not there for me. When I gave Maxinquaye a 1, it was because I simply found the album to be deeply boring – there was no energy and it did absolutely nothing for me. I’m at a 1.5 with this one, and because of the lyrics in that last track, I simply refuse to bump it up to a 2. I do think this album has a better energy and is probably still better than Maxinquaye, but it’s the third time I’m giving an album a 1 (fuck you Kid Rock), and it’s only because it had such an extreme decline that just made me feel disappointed that I even listened to it by the end. This did not need to be on the list.

Boot this album off the list right to hell.

Not much interest in scream rock.

I think we just found the worst album on this list. A reminder of what happens when you don't hug your kids.

unbelievably generic

Too hard for me, nope.

I wasn't biting my nails waiting for this to end, but when it was over I just thought, huh. And felt nothing. Would not listen again.

Absolutely nothing compelling about this album

fucking garbage

I can’t decide it this is a mediocre example of music of its era and it aged badly or if it was bad 20 years ago. Given that there’s still music from this era that I listen to, I suspect it was always bad.

I won't stoop to calling this shoegaze, because it would do the genre injustice. Most of the album is over-distorted rock nonsense with apparently zero thought put into production or a positive listening experience. For the most part, the only discernible feature of the vocals is an American twang, and this is because everything is horribly mixed, making it impossible to appreciate the musicality of any one instrument. I listened to the YouTube playlist, and the comments were wack, as the kids say. Nearly every comment was either unintelligible gibberish, or called this "the last good rock music", "nothing even comes close", and so on. But don't get me wrong – it's not the worst on this list. At least it's coherent music with some vestige of skill. But it's still pretty bad, and these commenters can't see that. Crazy. I mean, if you have to include an anonymous garage rock album, go off, I guess. But this choice seems quota-filling more than anything else. If Penance Soiree really is one of the 1001 most important albums in (Western) musical history, as this list is meant to showcase, then I'll eat my hat. 1/5 Key tracks: Spike Island, The Icarus Line

not my kind of music

Not for me. 1/5

Nope

I like noise rock. I'm indifferent to this attempt of noise rock.

More like Ick-arus amiright

I can't say that I liked this very much...

Noise/ Garage rock is not a genre I enjoy, especially when done as boring and forgettable as this.

Never even heard of this. Too bad about their shitty record label. Let’s go! This may not be the album for me. Whoever made this list really likes British bands Spike island the first listenable track Virgin Velcro is intriguing. Best so far

What is this shit? (Mark - bonus point if you get the reference; two if you explore that path instead of this fetid turd) Did a high school band hear The Stooges 30 years too late? Why should I suffer the consequences?

Noise rock, indeed. Did not finish.

It was just noise

Little too coarse for my liking

Heyrðu, já, þetta er leiðinlegt. Misleiðinlegt svo sem, en alltaf leiðinlegt.

The opening track tells me this could be hard to get through. I got through 3 tracks and couldn't take it anymore. I partially listened to the tracks after that. I'm sorry, I couldn't handle it. I found nothing redeemable.

14-year-old me would have loved this. On track 2... This sucks :) I'm all about noise and rock 'n' roll, but this isn't hitting the mark - it's just kinda boring! Haven't they ever heard of dynamic range? The lyrics are so cliche and faux-edgy! I hate his voice! Ahh!

At first, I thought it was a passable early 2000s garage rock album with a noisy punk rock edge, but the vocals aren't great, and the songs aren't very memorable. However, what made me truly dislike this album was the awful production. Every track is cranked up and drenched in distortion so thick that every element of every song fights for dominance in the mix. I gave up halfway through because it was giving me a headache; it was simply unlistenable.

Sounded like a Jet rip-off but somehow worse? Just not into it, like at all.

I honestly tried to listen to this but couldn’t do it!

blecch

Album 323 of 1001 The Icarus Line - Penance Soiree Rating : 1 / 5 Haven't rated any other rock album this low. Just nothing really there, for me I saw a review on the album that stated, "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." That fits.

Really couldn’t get into it. Didn’t even finish.

Garbage

Who cares about neuroplasticity - I can't listen any more.

Hipster bullshit. Emperor's new clothes. Fuck these guys.

No.

nah

Not my thing. To quote my parents, "this is just noise and screeching- not music". Probably useful for psychological torture....

Absolutely mid... just Soundgarden wannabes

Not a single memorable track on the album. Only thing I’ll remember is how awful this album was.

Sucks

I’m sure if you were there at the time it made sense. I wasn’t there.

A tuneless facsimile of some much better bands. Sounds very pretty dated in 2024. Has no place on the 1001 list.

Some rock but nothing special

its okay rock, not my type of metal.

Unrelenting

I generally think that rock singers should get a pass or at least far more latitude on the quality of their singing, but dear god does this guy suck at it. It's like the guy from the Hives was asked to do vocal tracking while wearing ear plugs. Nothing memorable here, just another attempt to jump on the "The Nouns" bandwagon.

No disponible en Spotify

What the hell is this?

1.5/5

Did not like

not good

Not my style

If the Hives, Soundgarden, NIN, and Smashing Pumpkins has a love child. Not my fave genre but some cool production elements. Spit on It awesomely jagged; really liked drum and bass on Caviar. Otherwise prob won’t revisit

Too much grunch

My first listen was last night as I crawled into bed. I’m not saying that the album caused a headache, I’m just saying that I didn’t have a headache before I started the album, but I sure did when it was over. I did give it a second chance in the light of a new day. The best compliment that I have for it is that there was no headache today.

Noise. Occasionally a tune breaks through, but not often. Rating: 1.5/5 Playlist track: Spike Island Date listened: 01/09/23

Noise, just noise And not very good noise at that

I really like this genre of music but this is such a completely unremarkable album. It has nothing stand out, nothing original and no songs that would justify it being here. It's in that list of albums that wouldn't have made it on this list if it was not from America. Sometimes things don't become hits because they are just not very interesting.

This wasn't for me. Some songs were ok, some were trash, most were forgettable.

Oh really? This sounds like a willfully obscure post-hardcore band much like any other. Alan Moulder mix helps it sound a little better than many. But, I mean, really, this album was barely released, and is not even on spotify at present. How is this a "must hear" album? I mean, they rock. And I'm sure they are heap of sweaty fun live... but this is really a stretch. All attitude and no songs (exception: Kiss Like Lizards). An absolutely inessential record, with nothing to recommend it.

Generic noise.

Ferme ta gueule

They’re trying too hard No thanks

1.75

Very heavy

Fy helvete, vilken skit!

Seems derivative and repetitive. I doubt I'd pull this up again. Preemptive 1/5

Very loud and raw. I can pick out things to like here; nice riffs, nice rhythms, good stretches; but overall the vibe here is just not for me at all. Some songs/sections of songs (Meatmaker, most of Kiss Like Lizards, the ending of Seasick) are straight up unlistenable. Wouldn't ever put this on again. Best song: Spike Island

Hot garbage

não gostei do álbum, mais um de rock e um que não me interessou ou cativou.

Uhh, no thanks

Did not enjoy.

Terrible from start to finish. No redeeming qualities whatsoever.

Very ugly music indeed.

Jesus Christ enough already with the noise I feel deeply personally offended by this album and if I could give it a 0 I would

Noise

thus far, one of the least enjoyable albums in this list. i couldn't find much remarkable about this album. it was an exercise in patience when there was mindless screaming or feedback noises. i can't tell if i found it boring when i actively disliked it? but i can say it was unimpressive.

The worst parts of The White Stripes (which are rare) combined with the whiney-ness and "not knowing when to stop a song"-isms of Marilyn Manson to create an album that started out already at a two star and just got worse and worse. I had decided one star by the time we got to the nine minute song that was just a combination of the song before and after it for a twenty minute "epic" that just was repetitive and boring. Perhaps this should be a two because none of this was awful, per se, but as my partner taught me: if you find yourself turning the music DOWN as it goes on, it probably isn't your thing.

Oh god this is just tiring

Just awful.

Perfectly dreadful – these clowns clearly love their axes, but why then keep doing the same thing with them over and over again? No surprise they've been banished from the book.

Absolute shite

Bad

Ça casse la tête j'ai pas écouté en entier

tout le mode l'avait oublié celui là et à juste titre

Siwang.

Horrible!

this album was insulting i could not bare to listen to it at any volume higher than the lowest possible one… just no.

abrasive and terrible vocals? check. noisy and distorted music without any logical direction? check. rotten low-fi production? check. unmemorable and poorly-constructed songs? check. overall painful to literally listen to let alone get through? check. 1 star rating? checkmate. 1/10 1 star.

No Bueno

Doet me niks, en staat niet op Spotify.

Hmm. Not sure about this one. Not enough of any one thing to leave an impression. Yeah, it's dark and edgy and distorted, but it's like an easy listening version of metal? Is that what garage/noise rock is? I don't really care for or about this one. In one ear and out the other. Put something from Pharmakon on this list instead, preferably Bestial Burden. Favorite tracks: Getting Bright at Night. Album art: Kinda cool, kinda gross? Not sure what I'm looking at, aside from it being someone's side profile. 1.5/5

Really not that great. Couldn't wait for it to end. 1/5

TERRIBLE 😵‍💫

The chances that they pull themselves out of whatever hole they're in without some grippier tunes: low. The chances that they accidentally bury themselves under their own despairing noise muck: worryingly high. In need of a hook and a new outlook.

Noise metal? No, it’s just noise.

Not on my watch.

This is grim.

Noisy, boring

ya ni me acuerdo creo q era re fome

Another new album - and artist - on me. Seems to have a lot of rock tropes within its tracks - Spike Island feels like a US take on U2/JAMC. I don’t mind the overall sound in small doses, but on first listen the lyrics didn’t really grab me and the voice seemed to fit well without having much individuality. The Suicide-inspired Meatmaker is the most interesting track but also the most different from the rest of the album. Overall, the sort of thing I want to like more than I actually do.

Up Against the Wall Motherfucker as the opening track suggests that this isn't an easy listening album. I rather wish it was. I HATE rock music and all the macho posturing that goes with it. I put the kettle on before I made it t the end of Motherfucker. I had a much more enjoyable experience drinking my hot tea in silence.

Unlistenable

2000 Generic

Oh really? this sounds like a willfully obscure post-hardcore band much like any other. Alan Moulder mix helps it sound a little better than many. But, I mean, really, this album was barely released, and is not even on spotify at present. How is this a "must hear" album? I mean, they rock. And I'm sure they are heap of sweaty fun live... but this is really a stretch. All attitude and no songs (exception: Kiss Like Lizards)..

Pretty monotonous. Trying too hard to be the Stooges, so I'll just listen to the Stooges.

More noise than anything. Would not listen again

The fact I had to check to make sure there wasn't something wrong with the car while listening to this says it all I feel

cant stand one star.

1/5 not my cup of tea at all...

Crap - Unlistenable shite.

Garbage. Alternative rock but boring, screaming, noisy, etc. 2/10.

Not for me

Llegué a la rola #4 y adiós.

i don't get it

Too heavy for me... Didn't get past the 1st song

Not into it