I think we all can say that for ourselves in general. But I always did find it odd how eager you were to attribute a perfect (or exceptionally high score) but I didn't know the proper way to open a dialogue about it without sounding like a bit of an ass.
It's fine man, I understand it. There's two ways I'll answer. First, I'll just be honest, I'm really easy to please. I approach every album really really wanting to like it, and maybe because of that, I often do like albums.
Secondly, here's my logic for my rating system:
5/5 - Flawless, excellent in absolutely every single way, not a single weak track.
4.5/5. - Nearly perfect. Perhaps it didn't floor me like a 5/5 would, but it was pretty close.
4/5. - A solid album. It's definitely good, I enjoyed it, there are some things about it that I wasn't huge on, but I definitely liked the album.
3.5/5. - An above average album. Relatively enjoyable, maybe a track or two that I really enjoy, but overall just above average.
3/5. - Purely average. Not a bad album, but not a good album either. It evokes very little from me, though I don't hate it.
2/5 - A bad album. There might be one or two redeeming qualities that save it from being totally terrible, but a generally bad album
I also want to say that I desperately need to go through my older (like 2013 and back) ratings and re-do them, because that's where a LOT of my 5/5s are and after further listening, I'm sure a lot of them would change. I give out a lot less 5/5s than I used to. _________________ Progressive Rock
Zachary Cole Smith sure does love his guitar. It's very much the main featured instrument on this album and on most DIIV albums. It's heavy, fuzzy, shoegaze-style guitar over reverby vocals, it's a sound that wraps around you and fills in all the cracks of the background. The guitars create some interesting textures and harmonies throughout this album, and even if the album gets a little self-indulgent at times (though not overly), it's not enough to take away too much from the album, and it's overall a pretty solid effort. _________________ Progressive Rock
This album covers a little bit of everything. At its heart, it's very minimal electronic dance music, though I hesitate to say dance because I think that carries with it the connotation of being extremely upbeat and fun, and while this album is good, I wouldn't call it "fun". It's more ominous, it's dark, the reverb used in some of the tracks (most notably in "Gutsy") sounds like something being broadcast through a dark, empty warehouse. It is relatively upbeat though, with one ambient track in the middle that feels a little out of place (though it's a good track) with the flow of the album. The beats have a strong acid house feel, and there's even a bit of guitar thrown in here and there. The album ends with a quick monologue from Oliver Sacks on the futility of spiritual belief. It's the only spoken word on the album, but it acts as sort of a period to the whole album, it sums up the entire feel all in one monologue. It's a cool album, very listenable for what it is, and overall solid. _________________ Progressive Rock
Thick, heavy, slow, and foreboding. That's what this album is. Lycus play funeral doom like it's supposed to be played. Big, powerful, mournful, dark, Lycus take the basic pieces of funeral doom and make it their own. This album will hit you hard, it comes at you like a giant storm, slowly approaching on the horizon. The album ranges from black metal to Neurosis-style metal, with each minute of each song doing something different. They prescribe themselves to a specific genre, but they don't confine themselves within it, and that's what makes this album interesting. It's got some slower moments, some valleys, but there are some peaks that make the album worth it. _________________ Progressive Rock
Nigel Chapman's voice is somewhere in between Lou Reed and Stephen Malkmus, and I think that pretty accurately describes Nap Eyes' music too. It's very laid back, simple, lyric-heavy, self-aware music. Chapman's lyrics are very obviously the focus of this album, and he's a very good songwriter. The lyrics come across as very honest, and I think his voice plays a part in that, it's very simple and straightforward, it's all very pleasant. The album doesn't exactly move from that formula, which is perhaps its only weakness, but for what it does, it's pretty solid. Chapman's dry tone as he weaves poetry through light guitar makes for an enjoyable experience. _________________ Progressive Rock
Iceland really knows how to produce some really good black metal. Naðra have created a really immersive atmosphere with heavy walls of guitars and blasting drums, as you would expect from a black metal album, however they're not afraid to go melodic. Not every song is just a wall of guitar, it's much more than that, the guitars will have little melodic lines here and there that give each song its own identity (the closer track is perhaps the best example of that, and the best track on the album). The guttural screams from the lead singer sound so tortured and painful that whatever he's singing about (the lyrics are all in Icelandic) sounds like it comes from a truly tortured soul. It's harsh and aggressive, but simultaneously beautiful, and that's how black metal can really shine. _________________ Progressive Rock
Tobi Sammet knows how to write some power metal. This album is the sequel to 2013's fantastic "The Mystery Of Time" and continues along a similar story line. If you liked "The Mystery Of Time" (and how could you not?) you'll likely enjoy this, though it's not as good as its predecessor, it's still quite good. One of the most noticeable differences, to me, between this and "The Mystery Of Time" is that "Ghostlights" feels a bit darker musically. It's heavy, it's powerful, and it just keeps driving. It also helps that Avantasia features the incredible guitar playing of Sascha Paeth, who just flat-out shreds, as he usually does. But with Paeth, it's not all about speed and shredding, everything is done with purpose, and that's what makes him so good. From a composition perspective, this album is really well done, the progressions, the different lead parts, they're all interesting and not easily predictable. Overall, it's a really solid power metal album. _________________ Progressive Rock
Since Ghostlights is the sequel to this album, I figured I'd revisit this, and man is it fantastic. Tobi Sammet has to be one of the best power metal songwriters out there right now, and Sascha Paeth is one of the best guitarists active right now too. I'm a big fan of Sammet's use of guest vocals on this, from Joe Lynn Turner to Michael Kiske, there's a bunch of guests, and they all fit, none of them feel out of place. The whole album feels very cohesive and there really isn't a noticeably weak track on the album. I swear "When Clock Hands Freeze" might be one of my favorite power metal songs ever, and maybe that just has something to do with my undying love for Michael Kiske, I don't know, but it's an incredible song, and a great album. _________________ Progressive Rock
Ugh. This is Elton John and Bernie Taupin on complete autopilot. I mean, I can't say that I'm surprised, but this is just about as uninteresting and bland as a record can be. The whole album feels uninspired, the lyrics, the music, all of it just feels like Elton and Bernie were like "Eh, I guess we'll just pump out an album real quick or something, whatever." Don't bother. I've basically forgotten this album already. _________________ Progressive Rock
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RockyRaccoon
