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3.13
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1970
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Metal
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UK
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Perfectionist
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5-Star Albums (5)
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Popular Reviews
Swans · 19 likes
5/5
This was a wild ride, and I may have found a new band that I love. This is probably the most experimental rock album that I've ever heard, or at least the most experimental that actually hit the target. I loved this album and will be listening to it for a long time.
Mastodon · 2 likes
4/5
I've heard a bit of Mastodon before, and it was good but never something I've really loved.
This album was surprisingly good, I've never heard anything from it, but I like it a lot. A good solid drone, and a lot of Ozzy baked in. Still not something I'd want to hear every day, but a good addition to the list and to my library.
Auri · 2 likes
2/5
I was surprised to find a Finnish Prog Folk band that I hadn't heard of on this list. I listen to a lot of Finnish, prog and folk music. Listening to this it sounded a LOT like Nightwish without the orchestration. Looking at the band, it turns out it's just Nightwish in a trenchcoat. But the more modern, overproduced Nightwish.
Honestly, this one is a miss. I think it's better than the modern Nightwish offerings, but not by much. I listened to the band's entire catalogue and it was all pretty much the same. Really strong 13 year old edgelord vibes.
Boredoms · 2 likes
3/5
So, my initial impression of this album was that it was just noise and screaming.
After sitting with it a while, I think I was right, but I also think I liked it? I'll probably listen to it again, and I don't know why.
I have no idea how to rate this, but it deserves to be here and it's probably the best listen out of the "terrible" albums on either list. Good pick.
The Lumineers · 1 likes
4/5
This was probably one of the best Indie Folk albums I've ever heard, but suffers from the same issue as the entire genre. It all sounds the same. This 4 is begrudging, it's really more of a 3.1 in a genre of 3s.
1-Star Albums (2)
All Ratings
Nightwish
3/5
I've been a fan of Night wish for years, but this is far from their best workm
Stray From The Path
4/5
This album was a tough rate. I initially opened it on a Saturday morning, looking for a good listen. I got 10s in and realized it was nu-metal and shut it down. But, going back later, I really enjoyed the album.
There was way more protest than I was expecting, a real Rage Against the Machine vibe. I could have used more RAtM and punk with less of the nu-metal sound, but overall, it's easily my favourite nu-metal album. I'll be recommending this one to friends.
Quicksand
3/5
Courtney Barnett
3/5
Bon Iver
3/5
Great Big Sea
4/5
This was a big album from my childhood, growing up on the East Coast of Canada. Great Big Sea were a staple of radio play here, so most of the tracks on this album are part of my core musical history.
I don't actually like most of the music I was raised with, but this one still hits pretty hard. I've probably got a weird bias on this one, but I really enjoy it.
CAKE
2/5
This album started on a high, but got grating really quickly. There are some hits early on, but this should have been an EP.
Swans
5/5
This was a wild ride, and I may have found a new band that I love. This is probably the most experimental rock album that I've ever heard, or at least the most experimental that actually hit the target. I loved this album and will be listening to it for a long time.
Valerie June
3/5
I'm conflicted on this one. The music was really good and I enjoy this genre, and Valerie is clearly a good singer, but I find her voice difficult to listen to, almost as if she's singing on a different genre than the music she is singing to. After the full album I was starting to get used to it, but I don't think I m going to want to seek this album out again or dove deeper into her work.
Björk
3/5
This was actually the best Björk album on the list. I would rather see this on one the main lost than all of the others. It's still not great, but Björk did have a major impact on music.
Café Tacvba
4/5
I've never heard anything quite like this before. Not something I'm really into, but it's legitimately good and I'm glad I listened to it.
2/5
This is like listening to pop radion in the 2010's. I don't think there is anything cohesive or impressive about this album. It's feels pointless to me.
Blackalicious
3/5
Honestly, this was fine, but nothing inspiring. Nothing really stood out, but there were no big flaws either. Maybe this is great if you're immersed in Hip Hop, but for me, it's just fine.
WHY?
3/5
This sounds like a cross between Beck and They Might Be Giants. I probably wouldn't listen to it again, but if someone was playing it, I'd have a pretty good time.
The Lumineers
4/5
This was probably one of the best Indie Folk albums I've ever heard, but suffers from the same issue as the entire genre. It all sounds the same. This 4 is begrudging, it's really more of a 3.1 in a genre of 3s.
Extrechinato y Tu
5/5
This brings back a lot of memories of the late 90s and early 2000s. Whish is weird because I've never heard any of this before. A solid outing and something I'll be listening to again.
Herb Alpert & The Tijuana Brass
4/5
This was a lot of fun, I'd happily go here again.
Calibro 35
4/5
This is the best soundtrack style album I've heard on the list. It's a bit more fast paced and a bit harder than others, and has a distinct Mexican vibe. I liked it a lot.
Duncan Dhu
3/5
This really sounded like a Spanish cover album of late 20th century English pop music. It was really weird to listen to and I don't think I liked it. But I guess I didn't hate it either.
Arca
3/5
This reminds me of the music kids in my high school were producing on Fruity Loops on Windows XP. Not terrible, but its best quality is still the run time being under 30 minutes. It would have been a 2 if it were longer.
Mac Miller
3/5
Solid album, smooth and calm.
The Church
4/5
Man, these lads sound like Bowie from one of his darker periods. A really great outing and pleasant to hear music like this coming in modern times.
They Might Be Giants
2/5
This one got pretty cloying pretty quickly. When I first heard TMBG I thought they were a comedy act that did a bit of music, I was surprised to find that they were a serious musical act. I'm still surprised when I realize this.
Nothing on here was great, and to be honest neither is a lot of their older work. Every know and then they'll produce a hidden gem, but not on this album.
Guy Clark
3/5
I hated this one right out of the gate. Old, twangy county is really not my jam. But is started to grow on me as it went. A few songs in and I started to appreciate the musicianship and style.
A few more songs in and I actually started to like it. I'll almost certainly never listen to it again, and I'm not going to seek out anymore Guy Clarke music, but overall way better than I expected out of the gate.
This is probably my favourite country album now. It probably deserves more, but I can't go any higher for an album I don't want it hear again.
Pink Floyd
4/5
I've probably listened to this album end to end dozens of times. It's great, but it's probably the worst of Pink Floyd's best period.
Still solid, great concept, very thematic.
Alex Cameron
3/5
My initial impressions from the first track are that this is a pretty unique album, kind of a popy soft-rock but in an interesting way.
Going through the rest of the album, it's still occupying a soft-rock/pop niche, but feels way less innovative. This feels like it would have had a lot of radio play if it were released 25-35 years earlier, and I guess if you're into that sort of sound, it's pretty good. But from my perspective, it's just a mid-range outing.
Forgettable, but not in a bad way. Maybe like a Corey Hart revival band.
Pedro The Lion
2/5
Indie grunge. Two genres that I guess aren't very far apart, but probaly should be.
This album is very good at evoking sadness, but that is about it. I want to give it an extra star for the emotional hit. But I really don't like it, so 2 it is.
Ozzy Osbourne
4/5
Brings back a lot of memories, and to be honest, it's better that I remember. Ozzy had always been sort of like a clown to me, probably because of his reality TV work. But man, this really hits hard. I love it.
Hamilton Leithauser
3/5
So forgettable I barely remember listening to it yesterday. Just another indie record.
The Stooges
2/5
This album is terrible. The band is a mess, Iggy is drunk and the crowd is angry. Having read about it, I can see why you'd add this to the list, but even though I like Iggy and the Stooges, I'll never listen to it again.
David Allan Coe
3/5
Okay, I just don't understand country music. I don't know why people like it. I don't know what makes it good or bad, almost all of it sounds the same to me.
I genuinely don't know how to rate this and at this point, I don't really care anymore. I hope there are few country albums left.
Talking Heads
3/5
This is easily the best Talking Heads album I've ever listened to, but it's also still the cheesy new-wave pap that Talking Heads puts out.
I imagine there is a nostalgia effect going on here for older listeners, but for me, it's just fine.
David Baerwald
2/5
This feels like a pretty standard American singer-songwriter album, with nothing special on top. I imagine this has some more impact if you live in the USA, but for me, this is a pretty bland album.
I wouldn't include it on the list, but as far as music goes, I guess it's fine.
Boredoms
3/5
So, my initial impression of this album was that it was just noise and screaming.
After sitting with it a while, I think I was right, but I also think I liked it? I'll probably listen to it again, and I don't know why.
I have no idea how to rate this, but it deserves to be here and it's probably the best listen out of the "terrible" albums on either list. Good pick.
Jack Johnson
3/5
This guy is the chicken nugget of music.
Like, yeah, it's definitely music, and pretty much anyone will listen to it, but it's so bland and unadventurous. It lacks substance, depth and interest.
It's pretty much fodder for the annoying guy at parties who always brings his ukulele.
I would not include this on any list that I would compile.
It is pretty chill, though.
Daniel Bélanger
3/5
This is a pretty chill album, and it's nice to see some French Canadian representation on the list. Nothing that blows me away, but it is a nostalgic sound of my childhood.
Wussy
2/5
I forgot everything about this album immediately after listening to it. I tried again, but I wandered out of the room without realizing. This is possibly the most boring album I've ever listened to.
I didn't note anything I didn't like, it was just sort of ... there.
Ian McDonald
4/5
This one was hard to find, but I did end up finding it. I was hopeful that I'd get more of a King Crimson vibe out of this, but it was still solid. Feels like a weird include on the list though.
There are better prog albums and there are more influential prog albums. If this were a prog list I could see it, but in a general list, probably not a top include.
On the other hand, I love prog and would love to go through a prog list. So this one still gets a high rating and I'm going to keep my eye out for this one at the record shops.
Nic Jones
4/5
This was a pleasant surprise! I listen to a lot of folk music from the UK and this is probably the happiest and most upbeat folk album I've heard.
Dolly Parton
3/5
I love Dolly Parton as a human; I do not love her as a musician.
That being said, I do enjoy bluegrass over country, and this album was fine. I see why it wasn't included on the original list, though. Dolly has so much more impactful work.
Neil Cicierega
2/5
So, I'm familiar with Neil Cicierega's weird mashup albums, and, honestly, this is the worst of them. I have no idea why you would put this on here.
I DO think one of these belongs on the list. It was a cultural phenomenon in its time, and while weird (and maybe bad), there is some significance here.
It's still not very good.
Josh Ritter
3/5
Okay, this has a lot of protest music on it, which I like, but it's really country-leaning, which I don't. Solid musicianship.
Unwound
2/5
Punk always gives me the vibe that they are okay with some discord in the music, because of the power and the vibes. This feels intentionally discordant and technically proficient, which I don't think works. It mostly just comes off as blurred noise. I'm not dure if I get any of the post-punl/post-hardcore genres.
Maybe this was better on a boombox in the 90s, but it's really not doing it for me.
Pop Will Eat Itself
3/5
I gave this one a couple of rounds. I didn't think much of it on the first go, but it ended really well. Not Now James, We're Busy and Wake Up, Time to Die are both absolute bangers. The rest of the album is kinda mid.
Goign to stick with a 3 on this one, because the album as a whole didn't grab me, but there are some solid tracks on there.
Margot & The Nuclear So And So's
3/5
I guess this was an album? Could have been elevator music. I don't remember anything about it.
Type O Negative
3/5
It's got some solid gothy vibes, but more jn the 90s vampire flick goth rather than the 80s party goth that I prefer. I wouldn't listen to this again, but it was decent and probably deserved to be on the main lost as a cultural tough point.
Auri
2/5
I was surprised to find a Finnish Prog Folk band that I hadn't heard of on this list. I listen to a lot of Finnish, prog and folk music. Listening to this it sounded a LOT like Nightwish without the orchestration. Looking at the band, it turns out it's just Nightwish in a trenchcoat. But the more modern, overproduced Nightwish.
Honestly, this one is a miss. I think it's better than the modern Nightwish offerings, but not by much. I listened to the band's entire catalogue and it was all pretty much the same. Really strong 13 year old edgelord vibes.
Kaizers Orchestra
3/5
This felt like a very interesting addition; it was pretty different from other stuff on this list. But I've heard much better music in this style elsewhere. Maybe this was an interesting album lyrically, but I don't speak Norwegian.
Courteeners
3/5
I have no idea how someone could finish that list and add another generic Britpop album. It's got a really mass-produced quality to it, and as far as I can tell, no real musical or cultural influence.
It was fine, I guess.
Bo Burnham
2/5
I had to do a lot of thinking on this one. I love this "album", but it probably doesn't belong on this list. The video version belongs on some kind of list that probably doesn't exist, but not here.
Bo is closer to a stand-up comedian than he is to someone like Weird Al. It's a comedy album that happens to feature music. It's like a 3/4 on the comedy scale in current context, but an easy 5 in the context of it's release.
But musically, Bo basically produces jingle-quality music, which suits the comedy really well, with the occasional solid banger. If it wasn't for the comedy, this would be a 2, so that's where I'm leaving it.
As a "thing" easy 4 maybe a 5, as an "album" solid 2.
Ornatos Violeta
4/5
The singer on this album sings like he's having a stroke, but it kinda works? I don't think I've ever heard Portuguese music before, but it's a good language for this genre, sets a good tone.
This doesn't quite hit any mood that I'm usually looking for when listening to music, so it's not going to make it into regular rotation. Which is a shame, because it's great.
Bloc Party
3/5
This was bland, generic and inspiring. It all kind of blurred together into an electronic indie mush. The only real compliment I can give is that the drummer was off doing his own thing and fucking smashing it all the way through. I see that he later left the band, so good for him.
Despite all that, this album really captured the mood of the era and I believe absolutely deserves to be on this list.
Good pick, I'll never listen to it again.
Enter Shikari
3/5
This was fine, I guess. Feels dated and nothing really jumped out at me, good or bad.
Koritni
4/5
This is exactly what it says on the tin. Hard Rock in the style of the late 70s to the early 90s. Feels like listening to the radio when I was a kid. It was a fun ride and really consistent throughout the album.
I don't know what it brings to the list, but it was a good time.
Barenaked Ladies
3/5
BNL never really clicked with me, but growing up in Canada in the 90s they were all over the radio so it's all pretty familiar. Gets points for cultural impact, but overall not my kind of alt rock/pop.
Childish Gambino
4/5
This was a pretty standard Childish Gambino album. I'm not sure why someone picked this one, but maybe it stands out to them. I guess I don't have one I'd take over this, so it seems fine.
Probably deserved more recognition on the main list, and it was pretty good. Good pick.
Paramore
2/5
This feels like it was produced in a factory trying to extract pocket change from 13 year old edgelords. No thank you.
Shihad
3/5
This was a bit flat and bland for my tastes. A consistent level of sound all the way through with no real definition between tracks. If you're into the one sound this record had, it probably pretty good. I won't listen again.
TOOL
4/5
A lot of people say you either love TOOL or hate them. I've always been kind of indifferent. To me they feel like background music and only a few of their tracks pop.
That being said, this is pretty good background music and the tracks that pop, pop well
Les sheriff
4/5
So every track on this album was great, musically and lyrically. I'm all in. Unfortunately this was a double punk album, and it began to drag after a while. I feel like any punk album that even hits 40 minutes is pushing it. 70 is way too much.
I like punk to hit fast and hard, then get the fuck out. Keep it to EPs and 30 minute albums so I can take a break in between.
I'm definitely going to dive deeper into these guys, but this was just a bit too long.
I don't know shit about the French punk scene, but I expect I'll know a lot more on the next few days. 5/5 pick, 4/5 album.
Brand New
3/5
Is never really listened to emo before. It was the butt of a lot of jokes in my early adulthood, but I'd never really dived in.
It was better than I was expecting, but not great. The musicianship was solid, and it was a really well put together album. It hit all the right highs and lows Ann was really well paced. But the music didn't do it for me at all. This is getting a 3, most for composition. The music itself is more of a 2.
The Tragically Hip
5/5
This is a classic from my childhood growing up in Canada. Bobcaygeon just screams early summer nights hanging out with friends, or chilling in university after a hard semester. A+
Sufjan Stevens
2/5
I guess this isn't bad, but I just can't listen to music like this for a full album. It's boring at best. I don't really like any one song more than another. I could see enjoying one of these songs every now and then, but it's so milquetoast.
Carly Rae Jepsen
3/5
I've never really listened to Carly Rae Jepsen before. This album is not bad, I'm not a fan of this era of pop, but she does a decent job. The album flows well and doesn't get tired. The songs are all pretty forgettable, but they've got a nice 80's pop beat to them.
Arctic Monkeys
3/5
Honestly, probably the best album in this genre I've listened to, and easily the best Arctic Monkeys album. Hell, it would have actually been good if it was instrumental only.
Bruce Cockburn
4/5
This album is chill and reasonably complex, without being overwhelming. Probably not great for a dedicated listen, but works really well in the background with some friends.
I had high hopes for this, folk punk is a solid genre, it seems pretty leftist too. But in reality this was a bluegrass-punk album and that combo didn't land with me.
Bruce Springsteen
2/5
It took me 2 days to listen to this album and it felt endless the entire way through. I hope this album has some sort of special meaning to the person who added it to the list, because this is 2h+ of a mediocre performance from an artist who has considerably better work, already on the main list.
You could just randomly cut tracks from this album and it would be improved, regardless of what you cut.
It's getting a second star because I've heard worse. But this was a brutal listen and it's very close to one star for me.
I'd probably leave the room if someone played this for me again.
Bob Mould
2/5
Flops through a lot of 90's genres. Bob Mould has some pretty good range as a musician on this album, but his vocals are not great. Overall a forgettable listen.
I don't think I'd add Bob Mould to this list or any other.
Mastodon
4/5
I've heard a bit of Mastodon before, and it was good but never something I've really loved.
This album was surprisingly good, I've never heard anything from it, but I like it a lot. A good solid drone, and a lot of Ozzy baked in. Still not something I'd want to hear every day, but a good addition to the list and to my library.
Olivia Rodrigo
2/5
Alright. I guess for teen pop. This was pretty solid. But it's also only a couple of years old. No way to tell if this has had any impact yet. Mid album, poor choice.
Soul Coughing
3/5
This a a really weird mashup of a bunch of genres. And the singer isn't doing the album any favours. This is a 2, but I'll bump it up a point for at least being an interesting time
Modern Life Is War
2/5
Streetlight Manifesto
2/5
Another solid album ruined by the vocalist. Vocals are an important instrument, and they generally shouldn't be discordant to the rest of the band.
Talk Talk
4/5
I had high hopes from reading about his album, but it came off as a bit too ambient for my tastes. Still solid, but not a new favourite. Will listen again though.
Fall Out Boy
1/5
This is the first item on the post-list that I'm giving a 1. I spent the whole time checking to see how long was left of the playtime and watching my wife get more and more annoyed. This is an overproduced pile of mediocrity and doesn't even come close to belong here.
Gerry Cinnamon
3/5
This is probably the best Scottish indie album I've had on the list. That is a very low bar.
However, this was actually enjoyable and there was a song or two that I actually enjoyed. I probably will never listen to Gerry Cinnamon again, but if you needed a Scottish indie album on the list it should probably be this one.
Vince Guaraldi Trio
4/5
I've never understood the hype around this album. It's good, but it's never inspired me the way it does others. Solid jazz though.
No Doubt
3/5
This was fine. Ska has never been my thing, and always give me teenage boy vibes. But I guess some people like it.
The Chameleons
4/5
This was solid and chill. Will definitely be listening again.
Fontaines D.C.
3/5
Solid, with a really consistent vibe throughout.nothing really jumped out at me though.
4/5
This was surprisingly solid and consistent all the way through. Like a mellow high in music form.
Avicii
4/5
This was great, a bit more hip-hop than electronica.
Portishead
3/5
I like my trip hop a bit more melodious than this. I found it a bit staccato in parts that brought me out of the flow.
Debbie Gibson
3/5
This is the most 80's album I've ever heard. But nothing in there made me think anyone would ever need to listen to it.
Harry Styles
4/5
This was surprisingly good for modern pop.
The Notwist
4/5
This was a good indie album. I'm not a fan of the genre, but something about the slow melodies and relaxing mood worked for me.
The Vaccines
2/5
This was not a good album. Most of the songs were actively irritating to listen to. Post breakup sex is particularly obnoxious.
There is so much bland indie music on the post-list, it makes me wonder how people who enjoy it got through the variety of interesting music on the main list.
4/5
There was another Eels album on the main list, and I hated it. I found every song grating and borderline unlistenable.
This, on the other hand, was quite pleasant. Should have replaced the one on the main list. Will listen again.
Dave Matthews Band
4/5
I've never listened to Dave Matthews Band before, which was kind of a surprise. I had assumed I would recognize a song or two, or at least the style.
I really enjoyed this. I heard a lot of Sting in this album, although with a looser production style that I think goes well with Dave Matthew's vocals.
It was a bit too seeped in 90s alt cheese for me to give it 5 stars, but I will probably seek out more Dave Matthews in the future.
The Breeders
3/5
Middle of the road 90's album. Nothing special, nothing terrible. Forgettable, but not in a bad way.
Hikaru Utada
2/5
Another forgettable pop entry. Japan has a lot better than this to offer.
Deafheaven
1/5
I don't know what this is, but I regret listening to it. This will be my first 1 on the post-list.
It feels weird, because I think this is exactly what the artist intended and it was well executed. But why would you want to do this?
I like metal and I hate shoegaze, but I feel like this takes the worst of both worlds.
BABYMETAL
3/5
That was a lot of fun. Probably a bit too long of an album. Trimming it down 15 minutes or so probably would have been better.
King Tubby
4/5
This was great, I can see the relationship to reggae and jazz here, almost like a stepping stone between the two. I can see why this genre gets sample into reggae and dancehall.
This is the only dub album I've ever listened to, so I have no idea how good or representative it is of the genre. But I liked it.
Garbage
3/5
This is some pretty mediocre pop/rock. Could be from a local bar band that only plays on weekends. I'm really not sure what the appeal of Garbage is. I didn't get it in the 90's and I don't get it now.
Chappell Roan
3/5
This album is too new to really know if it is staying power or cultural impact. I would not include anything from the last 5 years, at a minimum.
There were a couple of hits on here, the singles I assume, and they were good. The rest was musically kinda meh, and lyrically filled with a camp raunchiness, that I found lacking in authenticity.
I don't see this making any serious impact, but parts of it were fun, and Pink Pony Club is a solid hit.
Ani DiFranco
3/5
I don't really enjoy this era of alt rock, but this is probably the best example of it that I've heard. Like a better Alanis Morissette.
Ani DiFranco has a lovely voice and it really compliments the style.
Joe Jackson
4/5
For me, this was a pretty mid pop/rock album. But looking at when it came from, and the underlying sound, I feel like it's a good add to the list.
Alexisonfire
2/5
I guess I listened to this album.
Mansun
5/5
I think I loved this. I may come back and re-rate after a few more listens, but I'm going to err on the side of recklessness and go straight to a 5.
It was a very cohesive album and gave me soft, Dream Theater like vibes. I'm going to dig deeper into this album, and deeper into Mansun. This was a good pick.
The Postal Service
3/5
The lows of this album were pretty low, Super Mario and static are not a great combo. The highs were pretty solid, though. I enjoy that the singer wasn't breathlessly wheezing at me for 45 minutes, like I expect with most indie vocalists.
I probably will never listen again, but it seems to be culturally relevant, so I guess it's a good add.
Marillion
5/5
This was a great album, probably the most approachable prog album I've ever heard. Seems like a great way to get into prog, I'm surprised these guys aren't a lot more famous. Perhaps they're bigger in the UK than they are over here in North America.