Gentlemen

I remember being disappointed in this record initially because it wasn't as tough as Congregation which itself wasn't as gritty as Up in It. I had so desperately wanted a "return to form" and did not get it. All the biases of youth and wanting a band or recording artist to regularly deliver the thing I first picked them up for. I didn't want growth back then, I didn't want experimentation. Just give me the loud and the fast and never take our foot of the gas. It didn't take too long for this album to grow on me just like Congregation had. It's not my favorite AW but it turns out this is a pretty good record.

Big like, wild shortly listen again.

Another entry for vocalists ho can't carry a tune. The reviews are bad on this and I'm shocked to see the artist on this list...but you know what? I loved it.

What a find! Only heard of them before but never listened. It's not perfect but good album.

A decent grunge / post-hardcore album from an artist I wasn't particularly familiar with. I felt positively about the first half, but ended up let down as the rest of the album trailed off. Excellent writing and instrumentation throughout gives this one some interesting tones.

Familiarity: 1/10 I know of this band but can't recall every hearing any of their music. Reminds me of a mix of Hardcore and early Emo. I'd listen to it again.

Not something I'd heard before, but right up my street.

Parts of this album (particularly lyrically) haven’t aged well, but for the most part this is an exceptionally great record. Fantastic guitar lines and tone, as well as full commitment by the vocalist. Ideas flow smoothly from track to track, and I feel it all comes to a very satisfying climax at the end with some fantastic instrumentals. Again, parts are certainly very of-the-time, but nothing dealbreaking. To me this feels in the spirit of when Emo and Grunge were melding together with bands like Sunny Day Real Estate, and that’s a sound that very much gels with me.

Beaucoup aimé /Fountain and Fairfax/, /My Curse/ et /Brother Woodrow/. Les 5 premières sont un peu faiblardes mais le reste de l'album est sympa.

Pas mal ma came, encore un truc que je ne connaissais pas, mais que je garde pour plus tard.

I enjoyed the overall vibe of the album. I've even added When We Parted and Brother Woodrow/Closing Prayers to one of my playlists.

Lyrically some what questionable, its slight off putting and I'm not a huge lover of his vocals, but overall I think I did enjoy this,

There are plenty of bands that sound like this but the Whigs do it with a bit more oomph than most

Tough and cool and kinetic. Ragged and a little punky and a little surfy, too, but a bit more expansive, with a classic indie rock vibe. And it seems only a coin flip or luck that they are less known than Dinosaur. In a more just world, Aerosmith would have opened for them.

Just as good as, if not better than The Screaming Trees. Neither band I listened to at all in the 90's and I still have never listened to the Afghan Whigs until now, though I read an interesting article on them a dew months ago. They were grunge but not quite; a little more melody? Still angsty, still flawed vocals. But I really like the compositions and the way the guitars, bass, and drums come together on this album. And it's a solid bit of dark lyrics; the theme runs through it well even if there are hiccups along the way (Be Sweet - a little too forward, even if it was meant to capture a narrator's view). Best tracks were If I Were Going (minus the bees to open and close), title track (crunchy), Debonair, (minus the clap stuff to open; the guitar sound is what does it), Fountain and Fairfax (again, the pitchy guitar), Now You Know (though I get it if others feel like they're repeating that guitar sound), and I Keep Coming Back (droning sound gave this a much different but still cool feel than other songs). I definitely will go check out more of their stuff.

This is grower - couldn’t make up my mind after two listens but as you scratch the surface you start seeing some of the gold shine through. Haven’t had time to figure out how deep the precious metal vein goes but it’s deep enough so far to warrant a place on the rotation list.

actually pretty cool

I rock with this album. Maybe I’m just an alt-rock guy. Also see a lot of people complain about the lyrics but I didn’t notice them so ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

It took me a couple listens, but I love this album. Fits perfectly in my alternative wheelhouse. Favorite track: Brother Woodrow. An epic finisher

Some nice music here. Didn't particularly listen to lyrics tbh Saved songs: Debonair, Fountain and Fairfax, My Curse, I Keep Coming Back, Brother Woodrow/Closing Prayer

This rocked

In glad I found this!

Aika perus hyvää rockia, mutta tykkäsin kyllä kappaleista

отличный альбом. до 5 мне не хватило качества записи (прозрачность гитар, вокала). по эмоциональным ощущениям околовеликолепный альбом. очень наполненная на ритмические рисунки музыка, классные тексты. я переслушал раза 3 подряд, ну уж очень нравится

Les perruques afghanes étaient très urticantes, ce qui m'a valu de me gratter le cuir chevelu pendant toute la durée de l'album. Malgré cela, j'ai trouvé l'album excellent.

Tonight I go to hell For what I've done to you This ain't about regret It's when I tell the truth And once again The monster speaks Reveals his face and searches for relief A little boy is tied to you Attracted only 'til it comes unglued Great album. Tells a story in a way that most dont. 4/5

I never really got into The Afghan Whigs when I was younger, and that was a mistake. This album is a masterpiece of the breakup genre (if such a thing exists). It hits all of the right notes for me: brooding, self-deprecating, wallowing in despair.

Never heard of these guys before so had no preconceptions. Not the kind of thing I’m into but this seems really solid - interesting rhythms and liking the amount of swears in there. Will try and listen to some more of their stuff.

This album was cool, and I'd like to listen to it more. 4/5

this is a good 90s rock album. like real good. the right guitar tones. a little fuzzier, but still clean and present. nice meandering solo work and riffs. big songs, big sounds. theres a misstep with a eric clapton-esque riff and a different singer? “my curse” its not a bad song it just feels out of place. other than that this is the kind of indie turned giant label rock you need. could sit with archers of lof, built to spill, pavement of the time. so much went wrong for music in the 90s. this shit kicks.

Good when driving at night

Teenage angsty straightforward lyrics on music that was the bridge between grunge and alternative rock. With dark over and undertones, superb guitarriffs. A classic from the 90's

Pretty cool rock

Buen disco de rock, con buena voz, melodías y ritmos.

Decent grunge era entry. I wasn't familiar with this band or any of the songs. I'll need to give another listen to properly place it. I liked "My Curse" with guest vocalist Marcy Mays the best or at least most interesting to my ears at first listen. I can see enjoying this record but don't feel like I missed out on it back in the '90s.

Getting some notes of Flaming Lips - good hard rock vibes.

I didn’t always love listening to this but I found it really compelling. I found it a fairly effective take on the concept album, creating complex, troubled characters on a fucked up journey.

Wow this was a ride… I have never heard of the Afghan Whigs even though I listened to my share of 90s grunge. It has a lot of the characteristics of its generation of music, but Gentlemen isn’t exactly the 90s grunge formula. The album is crafted like a movie exploring a very complicated and troubled relationship. The album ends with “Closing Prayer” - an instrumental piece that evokes the rolling of credits. So while the grinding guitars feel very 90s, this album stands out from a lot of that era’s music. The first time through I wasn’t sure I loved this, but after a second pass I really was drawn in to the story and the music. I wish I had discovered this when it was released because there sure is a lot to explore here. I’m not sure I have the energy now for this much drama often, but this album is definitely worthy of this list with a lot of depth to explore.

Dunno how I've never heard these guys before... v. good album

Never heard of this band or any of their songs before but I was pleasantly surprised. I was expecting more of a strictly 90s style vibe, but the album had some pretty diverse sounds. I saved My Curse and Now You Know to my Spotify.

Pretty good had never heard of them before

bem bom, sonzao imponente

very fun to listen to

Had never heard of this band. Pretty good album.

Alternative rock, 1993. Gentlemen starts with incredible music since the first moments of the record and that feeling gets better going through this album. Every song portrait a different vibe to enjoy and the voice matches perfectly with the instruments in all the project. Definitely in the top 20 records of the 90s and in the top 10 of its genre.

Loved it.

Is it a 4 or is it a 5? I had to give it a fourth listen this morning to make sure. It definitely improves with each listen. The album depicts the anger, hurt and frustration of a couple going through a break up and it tells the story very well. It's a great album to get lost in and I love the idea that this is a contemporary version of a song cycle. It's not as good as Winterreise though! A very high 4 for me.

Brilliant rock album full angst and a intoxiticating relationship story 👍

Emotional and raw

Probably deserves another listen

This must be my week of 1993. Along with Grant Lee Buffalo, I get The Afghan Whigs, both not falling in the grunge category, amazingly. This is The Afghan Whigs' 4th album. Besides the last song, every song is about breaking up or some aspect a toxic relationship. The music and lyrics are high drama. There does not appear to be an overarching story; each song is its own story of relationship misery. Greg Dulli (lead singer) used Van Morrison's "Astral Weeks" as inspiration with each song on its own within an overall motif. I definitely see that. The lyrics are very descriptive and can be pretty vicious. Some of the Afghan Whigs' music has a soulful influence but this album, besides one song, is straight forward drama and rock. It is one of the best albums that I've heard where the lyrics and music are trying to match each other. The album is great listening to as a whole capturing the overall tone but also has great individual tunes. "Debonair" is the one sort of funky song on the album with a great, unique groove, has tremendous and vicious lyrics about being in a poisonous relationship "Cause it don't bleed, And it don't breathe, It's locked its jaws, And now it's swallowing," and is one of my favorite songs of the 90's. "Gentlemen" has a intense dramatic intro and maintains that throughout the song. "What Jail Is Like" builds the drama using the soft-loud-soft dynamic and compares the relationship to being in jail. The Afghan Whigs broke up in 2001 and reformed in 2012 and are still absolutely amazing seeing live. They have 7 studio albums all worth checking out with this probably being their best.

p709. 1993. 4 stars Accessible indy rock with distinct hints of Nirvana. Came cold to this and was pleasantly surprised. On the replay list.

Echt een te gekke plaat. Rock maar toch soulvol.

Un disc del seu moment. Emparentat amb el grunge per l'època, però no pel seu so, rock alternatiu amb certs aires de soul. Molt del seu temps, que en el seu moment em va passar desapercebut. La fama de clàssic perdut la té ben merescuda

Four stars. I don't really know what to say about it, though, that hasn't already been said about how nasty it is (particularly by Greg Dulli); good thing the tunes are so good or else it might be a bit *too* bracing.

This is one of those instances where the sunmative album is greater than any one individual song.

I always like a concept album, and hats off to the delicious guitar riffs and engaging vocal performance. I wish the production was a little less muddy and the sounds the played had a little more variety, but this had enough going for it to just barely scrape out a fourth star.

Unrelenting grit and grunginess like this can only come from Ohio.

I really liked this. Admittedly right up my street as it sounds like the Replacements but the songs were very strong and well put together

This one is good too very 90s

A good listen

deze vond ik ook leuk my curse neem ik mee

Zbog ovakvih stvari sam unišao u ovu kolotečinu albuma. Da mi se isprsi nekad neki album od nekog nekad izvođača za kojeg nikad nisam čuo, i bude ono materijal za daljnji nastavak egzistencijalnog života - Ovo će biti na nekoj repeticiji, osjećam.

Pa onak površinski se čini dost običan "već sam to čuo x y puta" album, al kad se malo poprati i zagrebe ispod ima tu dosta dobrih stvari i ekšli umjetničke vrijednosti, def nastavljam slušat kada budem u moodu za tak nešt. Poticajna četvorka.

Had a few listens now as it's very much an 'album' rather than collection of a few standout tracks. Did enjoy - constantly revising who they remind me (Ooh just like - Verve, ooh U2, ooh Muse etc). Looking forward to hearing more of them

I enjoyed the raw, alternative rock on this album. Some great guitar work, a very charismatic lead singer, and some bitter feelings about relationships are all over this thing. He's got a Jim Morrison thing going in "Fountain and Fairfax," and I think that he must have been influenced by The Doors. I admit I got kind of lost in this one. There's substance, cool riffs, and passion.

Will need to listen again to get the full lyrical story. Musically was great though.

De ver la portada esperaba más rock alternativo noventero hacia el grunge estandar pero, aunque en cierto modo lo es, es mucho más que eso. Me llamo mucho que siento una línea completa dentro del disco en su temática hacia temas sobre la ansiedad y hacia sentir como si fuera un album concepto que en partes fuera una confesión de alguien que realizó algún crimen grave. Esa mezcla fue bastante interesante y creo que las canciones están muy bien logradas. Musicalmente el inicio agarra de sorpresa, excelente, desolador y pone el ambiente correcto. El disco es mucho más pesado de lo que esperaba, no es que sea Slayer pero de verdad tiene un sonido único y no suena simplemente a "otra banda de esas" Variado, interesante, inteligente... Sonando a ratos a una mezcla de RHCP, Bowie y composiciones de Peter Gabriel en una licuadora sobre una base de grunge. Muy muy interesante

Sonido crudo pero original, me hubiera gustado conocer esta banda más joven. Hoy no me volaron los sesos como quizá lo hubieran hecho hace veinte años. 3.5 estrellas que suben a 4 porque sí los pienso escuchar de nuevo. Songs: Now you know, Debonair

Rock Alternativo noventero mucho más agradable de lo que esperaba. Entre el nombre y la portada me imaginé que vendría una cosa Nirvanesca pero sin siquiera llegarle y fue grata sorpresa escuchar otra cosa. De esos discos que en aquella época quizá tuvieron para hacer que despegara la banda y solo les faltó vivir en Seattle en vez de Cincinatti.

Was listening to local radio last night, and I thought to myself “I’m not familiar with this Replacements song…” it was these Afghan Whigs. That Replacements influence is pretty strong. Very Good album - the breakup theme was disconcerting; probably because it seemed so sincere. Listworthy = 👍

This was cooler and more raw than I expected. I thought of the Afghan Whigs as an overrated indie darling band, but there's some solid stuff here.

Potente

Up The Talilads

Really liked the first half of the album, the latter half wasn't as good.

Strong musicianship, interesting vibes and very listenable.

Very solid album. His voice is pretty grating but I enjoyed it nonetheless. Enjoyed the switch-up to the female lead singer as well. Might need to start doing a favorite bar for these albums - "You think I'm scared of girls/Well maybe/But I'm not afraid of you" is pretty fire Saved: Debonair*, What Jail Is Like

Excelente. Algunos sonidos grungeros tipo pearl jam pero también tranqui al final. Rock

Great album

This isn’t really my style but it definitely had a lot of strong moments, in terms of both music and themes. There were moments that felt really self-indulgent , but overall it’s decent. 7/10

O sea chido, como cualquier rock alternativo. Auqnue sí hubo canciones que me dieron hueva y di varios skips. Favs: debpnair y my curse

Interesting, with metal vibes, a bit out of tune but I liked it. Maybe a bit grunge

Consistent quality throughout, though it’s mostly just moody alternative rock. I think if I cared more about the lyrics or if there were more musical highs I would like this album better. 7

Pre-Grunge 90s Alt! There were definitely some good songs on here. I think it would be a pretty great break-up album, but hopefully I won't have to test that theory haha

Interesting....

Bändin nimi oli tuttu jonkinlaisena indierockin edelläkävijänä mutta musiikki oli ihan vierasta. Jotenkin tämä oli jäänyt täysin paitsioon vaikka saman aikakauden ja genren bändejä olen fanittanut. Tykkäsin todella kovasti ja tätä tulee varmasti kuunneltua tulevaisuudessakin.

Angry, early 90s music. Will have to listen to this more. Liked the opener, but then it faded out a bit.

Didn't know what to expect but damn, I really liked this album. Good rock, good lyrics, and just overall a good album. Could get into my feels with this one but also just say fuck it to the world at the same time typa vibe.

Enjoyed for the most part. Songs didn't really stand out from one another, but they sounded good.

I like a lot of the music on this album. The dynamics, the pumping bass and the interplay between the guitars. I can’t, for some reason, stand the vocals, and they ruin what could be a perfectly good album

i mean its just rock? I typically don't get swayed by an albums lyricism so that might be why it's up here, but sonically it was ok

3.5

Another example of how vocals can really let down an album. Really liked the music on this but christ alive, this guy's voice... Shocking

Meget nice dark alt-rock/post hardcore album. Har ikke hørt det så meget, men kan forstå at det er et meget mørkt koncept-break-up album. Det handler om enden på et usundt forhold med aggression (måske vold) og stodmisbrug. Had og selvhad er kernen i albummet. Skal have hørt det igen, men synes det virker meget nice

90s alt rock.

A more poppy grunge band. Decent light album overall with nothing too impressive.

Liked the instrumental but not the vocals as much. Not my least favorite but the guitar was great

Good album.

Really liked the music but couldn’t get past the vocals. Something about the style and sound of the singing wasn’t clicking with me.

The sound is pretty generic. Sounds like most other early 90’s alt rock bands.

I had not heard of this band until today’s listening. Not bad. First time through via headphones and second time via speakers. I enjoyed the album more through speakers. I found the band had a good mix of instruments and interesting lyrics.

Despite liking a lot of what the band was doing, I found a lot of the vocal lines pretty meh and didn’t like the singing (I found it consistently too pitchy and a bit affected more than raw). With the earnest / often uncomfortable lyrics too, I was pretty happy to get to the end of this. Final track a highlight for the above reasons.

Liked the instrumentals

музыка хорошая, но вокал местами все очень сильно портит

Wow did not expect the hate on this album. I've never heard of this band before but really dug the whole album. Felt interesting and unique and I enjoyed listening to the whole thing. Tempted to give a 4 but maybe closer to a 3.5.

Ihan kohtalaisen mielenkiintonen levy, voi olla että vaatii lisää kuuntelua. Vähän grungen tyyppistä, hyviä ja huonoja hetkiä. Tarvinnee ehkä makustella toisen kuuntelun merkeissä.

This album is as good as it has some bad aspects to consider. I mean, it has some pretty nice ideas, some good songs, but it is also a very grunge record at times in the sense that it does not develop much some ideas and becomes pretty cliché into the genre. And, to be honest, I'm not much of a grunge person, it's not a genre that I usually like. And it's not that the genre cannot impress me, but the music has to be actually outstanding or interesting enough to catch me. And, at the beginning, I thought this album would be of my like. However, half of it is the same kind of paused, depressive and shouty music. Not that it's a bad thing, but sure it becomes very bland when several songs have the same kind of sound. On the other hand, some tracks really are highlights. So, overall, this is an album I've enjoyed listening to, but it's not close to being one I would consider to listen much.

I think I was pleasantly surprised with this album in part to the fact that I misjudged the cover. When I saw it I just immediately assumed it’d be like a artsy fartsy poetic album akin to something like “I am a bird now” by Antony and the Johnsons. And to some extent that was accurate, but what I definitely didn’t anticipate, and was a very pleasant surprise, is that this album is mildly grunge-esque. It has a real attitude about it, and the songs that I liked the most just sounded like a straight up grunge song while also being more original than a typical angsty grunge song. My favorite songs are “Gentlemen”, “debonair” “fountain and Fairfax” and “now you know”. The instrumentals were also very original and inspired. I know I kept comparing it to grunge, but it has a much more diverse and original sound than that. My only issue with the album is it had a few songs that didn’t do anything for me. But as a whole it’s a quality album, and it’s definitely something I’m gunna recommend to the next person that tells me they like grunge.

Agree with the consensus here, cool riffs and music but the singer and his creepy voice and incel lyrics bring it down. Best song is my curse

honestly pretty good. def got a few corny moments tho. i like it but i dont see myself recommending it, let alone remembering it the next day

Ook weer, simpel, prima album

2.5

It's no Blood on the Tracks, but who doesn't love a good breakup album?

It was cool, not a huge impression beyond that

Can’t believe how much Dulli sounds like Tony Parks from Luxury Bucket.

Один з тих гуртів, в яких камбек період мені подобається більше ніж рання "класична" творчість. Втім Gentlemen це гарний приклад альтернативного року 90х, Грег Дулі звісно ж легенда. 3.5

Gear: Focalman Cleardara Artwork: 😒👧🛌 Production (2014 Remaster): 👌😲✊ Music: 🌪️💔🔪 Rating: 🎩🎩🎩(🎩)/5

Listenable.

Heard of these guys (apparently already subbed to them too) but don't think I've listened to much before. So far, tracks 1-3 have all sort of bled into each. It's not terrible by any means, but there's also nothing memorable here. Even as far as "When We Two Parted", it seems like the story is the same. Nothing in this is grabbing me at all. That said, I quite like the scrappy reverbed noise of the repeating guitar riff in "Now You Know", with seemingly improved efforts in the vocals (though this may be due to my biases and the track leaning more towards grunge). Overall, a fine album with nothing to hate, but also nothing to love. Upon reading the reviews, it seems the lyrics themselves totally passed me by. Reading over some of them... yikes.

Nothing special really. Didn't need to listen before I died, but didn't find it boring.

Not sure why I haven't really listened to this band before. They were around and in the same circles as a lot of the things I was into in the early 90s, I don't think they made much of an impact here in the UK though. I almost like it, some of the music is great, but then I'll accidentally hear what they're singing about and it keeps making me laugh how tacky the lyrics are.

If I were going - 3 Gentlemen - 3 Be sweet - 3 Debonair - 3 When we two parted - 2 Fountain and fairfax - 3 What jail is like - 2 My curse - 3 Now you know - 3 I keep coming back - 2 Brother woodrow / closing prayer - 3

I felt like this album started with confidence and an interesting, broody vibe. However, the 2nd half moved into a much more dark and angry space that was disturbing. I wasn't tracking the lyrics 100%, but when I was able to discern them, it was't good. Constraint, in art, can often be a good thing.

Contrasting tensions of gentle to destructive in this album make it alluring

I enjoyed this. Pretty good album.

First exposure to the Whigs. A nice blend of grit and melody. Vocals were ok, but did fit the vibe nicely. Feel like I need to give this a closer listen and really pay attention to the lyrics. 3.4/5.

Enjoyed it

La escuché enfermo y de malhumor, ni me pregunten qué me pareció.

Never heard of them, enjoyed listening to this. Solid album.

No strong feelings, had it playing in the background while I worked on some reports. Nothing prompted me to look up which song was on or take notice of anything.

solid

Sounds way ahead of its time, surprised I missed this the first time around

*Very 90's grunge feel *Liked some of the piano backing some of the songs

Hadn't heard this before, some really good music here, but, as others have said, the lyrics don't sit too well nowadays. Honest though, I guess.

Ik was wel benieuwd naar dit album, voornamelijk door de cover die intrigerend is. The afghan whigs is een band waar ik nog nooit iets van gehoord had. Zelfs de naam had ik nog nooit gehoord. Ik moest wel even over mijn teleurstelling heen stappen toen die man begon te zingen. Het is een breakup album en dat mag best een beetje emotioneel zijn maar je wenst niemand een ex toe als deze zanger. Als je wat beter de teksten leest zit het vol met "red flags" hoe je dat tegenwoordig noemt en blijkbaar was deze term in de jaren 90 nog niet bekend. Aan de andere kant is het ook wel weer interessant wat er gebeurt na deze breakup. Het is toxic, destructief, manipulerend en dominant. Iedereen heeft wel wat recht op verongelukt zijn na een break up maar de vraag is of je hierin zo lang mag blijven hangen en of je er nog steeds zo over denkt. Het nummer my curse wat gezongen is door een vrouw bied misschien wat perspectief maar het blijft wel ongemakkelijk. Toch als je er langer naar luistert en minder op de zanger focust is het best wel goed. Je zou bij dit soort types verwachten dat ze huilend alle basis akkoorden rammen maar dit is totaal niet zo. Met gitaargeluid word er wel een spanning en wrijving opgebouwd wat het een zwaarmoedige sfeer geeft terwijl er ook weer een maffe groove in zit. Het is niet een technisch hoogstandje maar ze creëren wel een interessante sfeer. Ben er niet over uit of de zanger hier nou iets aan toevoegt of er juist afbreuk aan doet. Het is misschien een album waar je bij had moeten zijn toen het uit kwam en nostalgisch op terug kan kijken. Ik kan niet zeggen dat ik er echt van genoten heb maar het heeft mij wel bezig gehouden. Ik denk dat het voor luisteraars vandaag de dag minder relevant is en niet in dezelfde emo sfeer kan komen van de jaren 90.

3.5 Very representative of 90s college rock. I hear Superchunk, I hear Knapsack. I generally dig it all but nothing really stands out to me, and it starts to all muddle together, which is the vibe of a lot of these bands. It’s not bad - it’s just not exemplary.

I found this really hard to rate. Pretty sure I've heard of them but never heard anything by them. I like the sound, and I like downbeat themes usually, but this was kinda angrily or aggressively miserable, self destructive, and I didn't need it currently. I listened twice to this and I agree with my initial impression, although Wikipedia tells me this was not autobiographical, he still wrote it. I think I preferred the latter half of the album. The first was too angry and aggressive. I think "what jail is like" might've been my favourite 3 for now

Some good tracks, 3rd listen and the tail end of the album lags and suffers.

Musically exactly my jam. Unfortunately the unimpressive or even sometimes annoying vocals on most of the songs cost it the four stars for me. 3,5

Overall this is a pretty solid alt rock album with pretty good vocals. Some songs lack memorable hooks and song progressions. However, oftentimes pretty, and consistently enjoyable rock album.

Good but unexeceptional

Aside from the stupid name I quite enjoyed this though like a lot of albums on this list I ask myself will I listen to it again? The answer is no!

Interesting sound, switching between grunge and hard rock. Emotionally driven with an interesting delivery. The relentless guitar and drumming add to that heaviness of topic. Definitely of its time.

eh, ima okej momenata, ali dosta neujednačeno, neke pjesme su jako slabe, neke okej, neke dobre

Good

Favorite Track: Debonair

I’ve gotta revisit this one. Didn’t love it, but I also didn’t hate it. There were lots of musical moments that perked my ears up.

I went into this album blind having never heard heard of the band. Overall the album wasn't amazing. There were some good songs but I can't see why this was an album I needed to hear

Solid album and concept. Just no wow factor for me personally. Feel like some of the songs drag on a little. Maybe that's intentional to for with the majority of the musical themes, of wallowing and lingering on?

Ok

I was unfamiliar with this band but I feel like they are the type of band that would play at Tric in One Tree Hill

Not bad, not so special. I enjoyed the slow ones more

I dunno about this one. I don't really have anything to say about it. 5/10

A few good tracks. I can see why people call this the breakup album

Rien de spécial

Fine ig

C’est sympa ça pourrait limite être un 4 mais ça manque d’un son qui sort du lot

It’s listening to bands like this that I understand why I sing flat most of the time

as a precursor to a lot of the emo music I listened to in high school, this is cool to discover. i really like the songwriting, and the guitar is great, but this dude’s voice just stinks. what’s special about Billy Corgan, or even Brendan Boyd, is clear in what’s lacking here.

Bought this album in my youth - not sure if I still like it because it is familiar or if it is just good. Either way I was happy to listen to it again.

2.5 Sounded a bit generic on one listen, I should try again when Im not in a foul monday morning mood. cool cover though

dope album cover

I’ve never heard of this band. They are pretty good. I like the last song a lot.

Flashback to the 90s. Wasn't never a real fan of this sound, but listened to this style ad nauseam in highschool because of friends who loved it. Always really liked single Gentlemen. And had no idea the theme of the album. Ok listen.

Decent Fave track: Debonair

It’s always quite exciting when you come across an Artist and Album you’ve never heard of. Then you listen to it and you sort of realise why. 2.5/5

This was alright

If you asked an AI to whip up 90's alternative rock, it would be based off this album.

6/10

It feels like forever since I made a mental note to listen to Afghan Whigs. Well, today I did and I thought it was ok. Honestly thought I’d enjoy them a bit more. Had me thinking of Dinosaur Jr. at times and there were moments I was getting into what the band was doing, I thought from the title track to Debonair was a good run for the album but they just didn’t do anything special enough to fully hook me. Mostly, this album had me feeling uncomfortable and kinda sad. They are from Ohio so the feelings do make sense. Cool album art though. 3 stars

I've never heard of them before. I expected the usual Alternative/Grunge stuff and was positively surprised—a concept album, interesting lyrics, well-written songs, and a good production.

I can never remember what these guys sound like. Not my thing which is weird because they probably should be. Anyway I'm gonna listen to Jawbox now

*1993. American Indie (from Ohio). *This band vaguely rings a bell, but I don't think I had ever heard them, and certainly couldn't name a single song. *This style is right in my wheelhouse. I love this vocal style - very 90s. *The first song is a long slow build, then segues nicely into the second song ("Gentleman"), which is a little grungy. *I can see why they didn't break through as a major player - there are a lot of bands that do the same thing, only better. RATING - 6/10

Ok but wouldn’t listen again

Grunge essential. Not for me.

I've heard the name Afghan Whigs but that's about it. I don't remember ever listening to any of their songs and don't have any songs "liked" by them. Not sure how I completely missed them, I was actively listening alternative rock radio in 1993 and discovering lots of new bands then - I'm guessing they just didn't play them a lot -and maybe they played some of the "popular" songs that I ended up not liking once I heard them today. Observations... Lyrically, a lot of this album seems to be about what a shit person the lyricist (or main character?) is - does crappy things and doesn't regret it at all, and how that behavior is destroying his relationship. So it's kind of interesting to see what it's like inside that mind, but it's also very off-putting because of that. I guess good on him for admitting/recognizing it - or shining light on people like that. Occasionally, this sounded a bit like Dinosaur Jr to me, and 1 or 2 times I thought I heard a little U2 influence. 1st song ("If I Were Going") - pretty cool. The "big"/most streamed song on this album "Debonair" seems to repeat/reuse some of the lyrics from this one -> "It don't bleed and it don't breathe, It's locked its jaws and now it's swallowing" "When We Two Parted" - good "What Jail is Like" - I liked the piano on this one, it seemed more prominent here than on most of the other songs. The song "My Curse" with guest singer Marcy Mays might be the 2nd best song on the album. Her voice is much better than the main guy. They should have done more with her. "I Keep Coming Back" - dig the mellower vibe of this. Probably the best version of his voice on this album. Has kind of a soul singer feel - having just listened to the Sam Cooke live album on this list, I can see the connection. The last song ("Brother Woodrow/Closing Prayer") is an instrumental and is the best song on this one because it has no singing. I don't really like the lead singers voice that much. I like his voice better when he's not shrieking/whining. SIDE NOTE: This is starting to be a pattern with me through this 1001 albums experience - I realize how picky I am about voices. For some reason I didn't really like the 3 most streamed songs "Gentlemen", "Be Sweet", and "Debonair". I think it was the voice thing again and he comes across as the biggest whiny asshole on these I think. Liked songs on Spotify: 6/11 Rating: 3/5

Not my favorite Afghan Whigs album. But solid.

Review - I'd heard of but never listened to this band. I think I'd confused them with the (very different) Arab Strap. This album is ok. Some of it's better moments are quite good, it's worse moments are straight bad, most of it is sort of fine. I don't think the singer has a very good voice, and not in a "this isn't a generally accepted good singer but there's something about their style that just works with the music", but rather he just isn't very good. Overall this is mid. Not as good as the better indie/alt rock of it's era. Probably not the worst that was made. It's a shame I can't give 2.5 stars. I have to err on the side of 3 because I've given some clearly worse albums a 2. Rating - 5/10 Need to listen? NO

Music was pretty good, lyrics and themes less so.

I like the overall musical style of this and feel like their catalog might be worth checking out. This album felt a little too angsty and sour. I know that is the point of a breakup concept album but I feel like this one might be somewhat of a "had to be there".

suck riffs but 90s alt band voice

I did really like this about 10 years ago, and still enjoyed it. Some of the incel lyrics that washed over me before were more noticeable. Be sweet, debonair great songs.

It's as if REM wanted to be Nirvana

I try to love this album, but always end up just liking a few songs and not listening to it again for years. The instrumentation is excellent, but I get tired of Greg Dulli's vocals. Favorite song: My Curse

Kuuntelin tämän kahdesti pitkällä automatkalla. Ihan hyvää ysärin altsu rockia Pearl Jamin ja Pixiesin hengessä. Varmaan kuuntelen tämän uusiksi vielä joskus, mutta ei tämän albumin välttämättä tarvisi tältä listalta löytyä.

Breakthrouh alternative album. Propper Rock music.

Quintessential 90's: Gritty, sometimes messy, sometimes angyy sometimes soulful.

For some reason The Afghan Whigs were never on my radar when they were coming on to the music scene. I expected to be familiar to some of their songs, but they were all new to me. I enjoyed the listen. 3.5 stars

ever really a fan. I scanned my entire collection of favorite songs by year and found only one track from them and it just so happens that it is from this album. It's "My Curse" but the title is not ringing any bells, will see how I like it this time around. | During: I'm not a big fan of this genre but I don't dislike it either. The album cover is interesting but the music is not. It's OK as background music. By the time I'm half way through I decide to start skipping through a little. Now at "My Curse" which is number 56 of 57 on my 1993 favorite songs list. I have to say I don't recognize it but do like it a little. It's the only song on the album with a female vocalist, BTW. | After: I'll give it three stars. I don't dislike the music but I don't really like it either. |

5.8

I enjoyed some of this, but it dragged at parts.

I liked the grungy, post punk sound right away. It has a dark, moody vibe that works and feels very much of its time. The attitude is there, and the album definitely commits to that bleak tone. That said, nothing really stuck with me once it was over. No song jumped out that made me want to immediately go back and replay it. It was a solid listen while it was on, just not especially memorable.

5.5/10

I don't know what I'd call this, but I think I like it. A wide variety of styles here, from the experimental ambient instrumentals of "Brother Woodrow/Closing Prayer" to the slow sinister blues of "I Keep Coming Back" to the almost folky "Fountain and Fairfax". It's interesting and engaging, and though some of the tracks go on long enough to outstay their welcome, it's overall a very pleasant surprise. Favorites: "Gentlemen", "Debonair"

Be Sweet // When We Two Parted // My Curse // Now You Know //

Do not know this band, quite like their sound. I felt I drifted in parts, proof it did not completely hold my attention.

This was pretty typical to what I would have been listening to on release, although nothing sounded too familiar today. This definitely gets a little bump from my previous 2 days’ albums being bad.. overall fairly average for me today

there were quite a few moments that sounded so close to going into something I would really like but it didn’t get there

Delivering fresh energy and new ideas to alt rock music, without fundamentally altering the form, is an undervalued contribution. Barring some slight grunge leanings The Afghan Whigs feel to me to be a straight up rock band who deliver all their points of interest through snappy and dramatic songwriting. The album gives good insight into men's failings, this being most effective in the first half though I enjoyed the inclusion of Marcy Mays on vocals in the last third, which has made me want to check out her band Scrawl. I have to admit though that it did bring into focus that I slightly preferred her as a vocalist…!

There was potential but didn’t really connect 2.5/5

Some tracks had interesting melodies; others not so much.

Some excellent, bitter stuff here. I'll need to check it again

I really enjoyed the instrumentals on this album and enjoyed most the last song, Brother Woodrow / Closing Prayer. I do agree with some other comments that the lyrics are a little, crude beyond crude for many of the songs. Overall, I enjoyed the album.

Never heard of these guys - or at least don;t remember. Epitome of 90's rock...which apparently according to my rankings is my wheelhouse.

I was leaning toward 4, so im settling on 3.5

Anybody else think Gentlemen was going to turn into I Miss You?

Pretty good

Afghan Whigs have never really come to my attention and I'm not sure why. I quite liked the music here, the lyrics less so.

You have to give credit for how well this concept lands. It digs deep into self-sabotage and being terrible at being a partner. It can be a lot to take in at once. Spins: 1 Playlist Additions - Gentlemen - Debonair - My Curse

Never heard of this band but they sounded ok. Typical 90s music with some grunge leanings.

A lot of pleasant songs

relatively decent album, starts to sound same-y after a while, but luckily doesn't outstay its welcome

Fun, not super memorable.

Just fine really. The end track was kinda cool but sounded a bit rushed. Literally no reason to be on this list, that I can see.

The cover is one of the most intense pieces of art that I've seen in a long time. The album itself, however, doesn't live up. Having spent a fair amount of time in Cincinnati, the Whigs were pretty popular scene, but I can't remember anyone saying that they actually *enjoyed* them. And that's how I felt about this album. A lot of proto-incel "woe is me" sort of wallowing, a lot of anger, and some pretty damned good musicianship. In my twenties, sure -- but I've outgrown 'em.

I haven’t listened yet but I will

I like the 90s alt/grunge sound this album has, but something about Dulli's vocal delivery and lyrics just do not work for me, leaving me somewhat unsatisfied. 6/10

I’m a bit torn by this. There’s so much about it I like. It’s rawness and emotion create a real story throughout. But there’s a question mark over the vocalist and some of his lyrics. Decent listen though.

Ah Greg Dulli and his band. I used to love the way they would murder a classic soul song - he may have the padsion, but not the voice for it.. I loved Congregation. But I had moved on to other things by the time this had come out. I should have stuck with them as this is great stuff. Its certainly a darker album to their earlier stuff. It will get another listen soon.

Raw rock album with emotional moments.

"Be Sweet" is a pretty good song. The rest were okay to listen to....one at a time. But this is not an album to listen straight through. There wasn't anything that really made these songs memorable. 3 stars for not sucking.

Another alternative rock band from the early 90s that I've never heard of. So how good can they be? Let's take a closer look: After the boring first track comes “Gentlemen,” which has a good main groove for its time. Greg Dulli also has a great voice, which comes into its own here. This is followed by a series of nice songs, but each of them has all the characteristics of the 90s that I've heard too many times before: that rhythm pattern that never really grooves, abrupt but pointless shifts between whispering and screaming, accompanied by guitars that aren't really clean and guitars that aren't really distorted, uninspired drums, and a bass that's so muddy you can barely hear it. Back then, most rock bands avoided the clarity and sharp contrasts of the 80s, but that's exactly what made many talented bands annoying after the fifth song—then and now.

First time listening to this band. I like this style of music, and this era, but the lyrics leave something to be desired, and I’m not a fan of the dude’s voice. Pretty decent post punk though. And the song arrangements were cool.

un peu banal

aggressiv gespielter mainstream-rock mit end-of-eighties-touch. teilweise packend, teilweise einfach nur langweilig.

Erinnert an U2 und dann doch wieder nicht.

Generic 90’s alt/rock. Not bad but certainly not mindblowing either.

Greg Dulli seems to be running the J Mascis playbook, only with more text as opposed to subtext. He can't play quite as well as J and he sings about as well (which isn't exactly a compliment), but I can live with that. I'm less sold on the less subtext, more text thing, and not just because Mascis's inability to articulate his feelings is part of what makes him signify. Dulli doesn't have that problem but here it feels like he's trying to guard himself against accusations of misogyny by accusing himself first. Thing is, self-awareness about your cad-ness doesn't make you any less of a cad (see, e.g., a long tradition of scuzzballs dating back at least to Byron and Shelley). Yelling at your ex for her not getting off, as Dulli does on "When We Two Parted," is downright ugly, ironic distance or not (which is a shame, because the Allmanesque lead on that song really works). And if he's going to be more articulate then he needs to at least be poetic - there are lots of good riffs here but too many clunker lines. He isn't an idiot but this is nonetheless full of sound and fury that I'm not sure signifies.

fucking twisted

Ok

Meh

So-so.

Really liked the music, which reminded me of a mix of Creed and Radiohead. Lyrics were horrible, though - If an album could be a red flag, this is it.

Pretty good

Very much from early 90s.

decent

Ah been wanting to listen to these properly for a while. Let’s have it:.. Yeh, nice groove and backing so far. Not as put off by the vocals as many people are. But if a soundgarden/audioslave feel. Pleasantly surprised by this and think I’ll be exploring the catalogue a bit more. Nearly 4 but probably closer to 3.5

Would not buy.

Fun blend of grunge and indie/alt. Like superchunk meets the pixies. A good example of 1990s experimental music within the confines of popular genres.

3-4

Triple J music. Listenable.

It's ok. Nothing special, but not horrible. A 3/5, very in the middle.

There's 1 or 2 songs I don't see myself going back to. The rest of the album was pretty good. Very chilled

Not bad.

Interesting bass and drum work. Greg Dulli's vocals don't do it for me. Some of his growls feel put-on, his deviation from pitch sounds lazy rather than natural and his timing and lyrics just seem to go on like bad beat poetry. Wo-man. Woooooah, man! The title track feels downright bloated, despite a very interesting and tense-feeling guitar texture. The band is tight and interesting. Their timbral and harmonic choices are compelling, with a snappy active bass tone (that's gotta be a StingRay) and a kind of Johnny Marr/The Edge guitar chime.'Fountain and Fairfax' works better than most because it's more instrumental than others; when Dulli caterwauls through the climax, it works despite him rather than because of him. But the songs ultimately drag and that's down to Dulli's inability to hold my attention. Instead of the loose, relaxed feel of Dylan or Jeff Tweedy, he sounds like someone who thinks it's cooler not to try. It's cool if you don't have to try but you succeed anyway, Greg. Sprezzatura. Coming up short because you obviously didn't try is just apathy. Which is very Gen X! 3/5 for the band; Dulli almost drags it to a 2.

I feel like I should have liked this more. Nothing here is bad, but nothing here really stood out. It all just sounds like generic 90's rock (this is coming from someone who loves 90's rock). High 3.

Absolutely my vibe. A good listen

Blind album and artist. I like the way its mixed in some ways and the variety of rhythms and the strings were cool too. But the vocalist felt a bit in the uncanny valley between okay and good, and it had a worse effect i feel.

Butt rock in the streets, shoegaze in the sheets I wanted to like this so much more than I actually do. It makes me want to dive deeper but I’m just not finding what I want here. It’s solid stuff. It feels like Silversun Pickups meets Lit which should make me squeal but not quite there. It’s like Built to Spill with all the levity of Alice In Chains. Ok so I LOVE the last track. This is fuckin brilliant.

One of those bands that I know the name but never really given them a go. I looked at the rating and the reviews and prepared myself for the worst, but in reality it was not that bad. A couple of songs caught my attention. Lots of the album was a bit heavy for my liking though. I cannot see myself listening to this again, but it was not terrible. an Ok listen and I am glad that this project has given me the opportunity to listen to them. I am not sure why this band exactly made the list when the 90s was choc a block full of bands just like this, but I question that often with this project. 3 stars

Like if Smashing Pumpkins sucked

Have tried this before following a friend's recommendation. I'm not quite sure what it is...indie rock/grunge/rock... Some of it is quite good but nothing smacked me round the ears.

Had never even heard of this band before. As a late 90's baby I listen to a lot of music from this time period and genre, so I was suprised to not know them. Saw some reviews comment on the singer and specifically the lyrics being 'incel-y'. It is kinda just a product of its time, was grunge ever really praised for its lyricism? . Some pretty good rock music all-in-all, I'll probably give it another spin in the future, but in the end its a 3 star album.

not bad, not so good

The vocals on If I Were Going are very reminiscent of J Masics so I’m immediately onboard for that. The swirling atmospheric track offers intrigue into what awaits, melting into the drums and then guitars of Gentlemen. The Guitars really are the star of Be Sweet acting as a counterpoint to the laid back drool of the vocals with an occasional burst of life. My curse introduces female vocals very much in the same style but at the same time producing a very different feel

For the second day in a row, I wish I could do half stars on this project. This album confused me. I assumed I’d really dislike it, yet found myself quite enjoying the first half (the second half not so much). It’s a bit better than the 2* albums I’ve given, but I have given 3* to albums I liked more, so that half option would’ve really come in handy. Alas, I’m feeling generous.

Always love the slow groove.

This guy loves sex. To the point where he doesn't care about anything else. Thats what I get out of these lyrics. The music itself is pretty awesome. But fuck man! Get someone else to write the lyrics.

It’s fine. Feels like they’re aware it could’ve been better.

Muito bom e diversificado

Liked it overall! Really need to listen to it again but just didn't quite have time

A solid rock album more challenging than the music suggests

No le ponia fichas y no estaba mal. Aprobo

It’s fine. Definitely stretched my boundaries for rock.

I can only stand a small amount of raspy vocals and angsty lyrics, and this album overdid it for me. The first few tracks were quite good though

2.5

I remember hearing of this band, but not sure I really heard any songs before now. Probably a bit too harsh sounding vocals for my tastes, but the music side is good.

Pretty good, probably wouldn't listen to it again though.

- lembra o estilo midwest americano misturado com nu metal, prog e afins - tem altos e baixos, parece que eles não seguiram uma direção bem definida - apesar disso, consigo ver como muito influente pros estilos que foram surgindo

I'd read about the Afghan Whigs and the soulfulness of Greg Dulli, so I was looking forward to this, but it didn't really stick with me. Maybe it has a depth that reveals itself over several listens, but it was pleasant 90s rock that didn't really draw me in. I'm guessing this was added in one edition and subsequently removed. 3, but only just.

Alternative rock is my most familiar and listened to genre, so it is surprising I had never listened to this. I did like it, but seemed very middle of the road overall, either way a few standout tracks.

A tight band but with mediocre vocals. I think this one will grow on me over time.

This kept threatening to turn into something pretty good but in the end it hasn’t left much of an impression. I swear half the panel for this thing are NME journalists from the 90s/2000s

3,5

Selvdestruktive tekster om hvad det vil sige at være mand. Det er jo grunget lyd men blander soul ind i det også og skiller sig ud fra resten af grunge/alternativ rock bands i 90'erne. Nu er jeg jo rigtig vild med lyden af grunge og de tunge guitarer, men teksterne thrower mig en smule off. Det er jo ikke en kommerciel succes, men det er åbenbart anerkendt som deres bedste album de har lavet. Jeg ved ikke heeeeelt hvorfor det er på listen stadigvæk?

The music is good, pretty typical 90s rock. Lyrically not into it.

This was an excellent indie rock album and I really enjoyed it! Added to the list to buy, and I checked out a bit more of their stuff afterwards too! Very, very good!

Solid album, and one I enjoyed listening to. The only reason it's getting three stars is that when I went back to review it two days after listening, I had to look it back up to remember what it was. Good album, but a little forgettable.

Oddly enough, I have heard these guys a lot but never really truly heard them. I don't even know if I have an idea of what they could sound like. I did not know they sounded like this, I actually thought they were a little more electronic not so live-band sound. The couple songs I heard were pretty good.

hallo wie is er nog?

I feel conflicted about this album. Gentlemen by the Afghan Whigs (I thought it was Afghan Wings for the longest time) definitely has a case for inclusion on this list. It's seen a fair amount of praise over the decades and it's not the most redundant inclusion on the list, but that's the general consensus. My thoughts don't always align with general consensus though. How do I feel about Gentlemen. Well, I'll start with the positives. I actually really like this album's sound. The guitars and such are actually really cool and the production is solid. I thoroughly enjoy the instrumental sounds that I'm hearing. "Debonair" especially is a banger of a track. However, while the instrumental elements of the album speak to me, the actual vocal parts do not. This pertains to two fundamental elements of the album; the singing and the lyrics. I'm not huge on Greg Dulli's singing. It's hard to explain why I'm not a fan of it, but I feel like most people could kind of see why that is. It isn't particularly enjoyable for me, but it's not the worst thing I've heard. The writing is my other big issue. This album isn't the most comfortable listen in the lyrical department. This is a breakup album, which is obviously not a bad thing. It's valuable to have music that fits this serious life experience. However, I have the feeling that the relationship that must've ended to inspire these songs wasn't exactly the healthiest. The writing here does not paint a flattering picture of our narrator. Songs like "Be Sweet" just don't feel good to listen to aside from the great instrumentals. I don't want to say that the vocals and lyrics ruin the album. I'm sure this album appeals to certain kinds of people who may have gone through rough relationships. However, they just don't appeal to me very much. The songwriting isn't bad, but I'm not a fan myself. Overall, Gentlemen has some elements going for it that I really like, but the overall vibe of the album leaves a taste in my mouth that I don't look for very often. Good album, but not for me. 3/5.

You know for this being a genre a usually don't like, they do a good job. I liked a few of the songs! I think I would like to see them in a grungey hole-in-the-wall bar. Well done for what it is. But the singing voices are a major turn off for me. I just couldn't get into it beyond that.

It’s not terrible but it’s a long way from noteworthy

3.5/5

Pretty bog-standard 90's alternative. Good thing I'm into that style.

Umm

I feel like if I listened to this when it was first released, I would have been way more into it than I am now.

This was a good album. The singing and song compositions reminded me of groups like Bush, Deftones, Linkin Park, and others I can't bring to my memory.

Instrumentally this is cool. I'm not very into the vocals though. The best song was Brother Woodrow/Closing Prayer.

Favorite songs: Now You Know, When We Two Parted, Fountain and Fairfax, Debonair Least favorite songs: My Curse 3/5

I like this. Never heard this album before. It sounds 90s. But also not overly 90s. Bit rough around the edges in a good way.

One of these “not really a must listen”. 3/5

Afghan Whigs...a band I have always felt like I should like more. Maybe it is because I didn't get in to them at the time? It is ok, but nothing that seems it would have even worked with me back in the mid-90s. 3.5/5

Really wanted to love this - listened a few times over the last several years, it has its moments, but nothing groundbreaking for my ears.

A not too bad indie alternative rock album. Nothing really stands out in terms of the sound but I like the general songwriting/all the playing is good.

I’ve had to give this a second listen as it passed me by initially; this is the sort of album that probably needs more time to get to know, it’s fine but it’s not really grabbed me. They are a band that’s always been on the periphery of my musical sphere, a band I know by name but little else. I did listen to one of their more recent albums which I enjoyed (but only once or twice) so I’m holding on to the idea that there is something more for me here.

Kinda passed me by. Nothing much to say really. run of the mill grungy sound. grand

Great guitar on this album. Other than that it's just kinda ok.

A good friend of mine likes the Afghan Whigs - and Gentleman in particular - very much, so I have tried listening to it a number of times and never heard what he finds so compelling about it. Listening to it today, and reading the lyrics, I think the reviewers who describe this as “incel rock” and songs about being an abuser are missing the point somewhat. I think this is more a concept album (or song cycle) about a co-dependent, abusive relationship. But I think it’s about the relationship as a whole, not just the male half. “My Curse” is what convinced me of that, but I think you can hear it throughout the record. I think this is an album about two people in a trap of their own making. They are both torturing their partner and being tortured. It could apply as much to drug addiction as a dysfunctional relationship. I think this is an album worth hearing but I wouldn’t listen to it for pleasure. I don’t think it’s bad, it’s just not really for me.

The what now? Will says I'll like these guys. Listening: They have a sound that has many intriguing elements to me, the opening song almost felt like Trent Reznor singing, especially having just listened to Downward Spiral. So far I'm not immediately hooked, but maybe there is a stand out song in here. This could be a band that has a handful of songs I like in their entire catalogue. Album snap shots are tricky to gauge.