Yeah... idk. I enjoyed Charli's writeup on RYM about it... was more interesting than the album itself. It was "fun" for sure. idk if I could really listen to that again though and not get overly annoyed with the sounds being made.
2. Anders Koppel- Aftenlandet & Regnbuefuglen
3. Applerill Top 100 (4 Picks Left)
3. Ode To Dawn Wiener: Embarrassing Love Songs by Nicole Dollanganger
4. Morton Feldman: String Quartet No. 2 by FLUX quartet
10. Be Not Nobody by Vanessa Carlton
11. Night Ripper by Girl Talk
12. Serene Grace by Chansey
19. Trust In Rock by "Blue" Gene Tyranny and Peter Gordon
27. Rock Slope Destroys America by Rock Slope
29. What's My Name by DJ Uncle Al
30. Prรฉlude Au Sommeil by Jean-Jacques Perrey
31. Jazeera Nights by ุนู ุฑ ุณููู ุงู [Omar Souleyman]
MercuryTurn your back on the pay-you-back last callProfile St. Louis
This is amazing stuff. I listened several times. And the first time I came to the end of the album with that absolutely incredible 10+ minute closing title track, I was shocked that I really didn't recognize it. This is an album with a distinctly harsh opening 1-2 punch at the start of the album with "Concubine" and "Fault and Fracture". I have heard those 2 dense and intense (to put it lightly) songs probably a dozen times. I have tried to focus and finish this album many many times. Like a lot. But for some reason the way the sound, the raging, intensely emotional maelstrom is recorded, the way the vocals seem to jump out of the headphones and be directed directly at you as you listen, the way the complex riffs crash into each other and are dissonant and crazy, all these factors have stopped me from progressing much past the 3rd track more than maybe 1 time. Which is a shame, because 1. I've come around on that opening salvo of intensity and think "Concubine", "Fault and Fracture" and "Distance And Meaning are each amazing and uniquely so. and 2. Because track 4, is the first changeup thrown, where the groove is well so groovy and its heavy and its heavenly. Track 4 is "Hell To Pay" and that is keeps the albums flow going while slowing down for just a second.
And after 4, with the exception of a little period just before the album closer, this album is mindboggling. Its complex and yet not at all robotic or mechanical, and its actually much more emotional than just about any emo or screamo album while being just fucking ridiculous technically. The drum sound and drummer absolutely wreck house, and I love the active, severe sound of all his myriad fills and rhythmic shifts. Unbelievably good. The guitars are great, and though maybe my least fave of the elements, the vocalist really does, once I got used to it, create one of the most emotionally brutal extreme albums I've ever heard. And that closer, with that repeated sung bit - its absurdly heavy and haunting and next-level.
After listening a few times I wanted to see why this is head and shoulders the most famous and revered Mathcore album (with all due respect to Botch's We Are The Romans as well as Dillinger's classics). I went and gave a much deserved re-listen to Dillinger Escape Plan's debut and We Are The Romans, and I can say that while I love those albums, Jane Doe is on another level in terms of severity of sound, grating noisy nasty aggressive and ugly, and its on another level when it comes to, for me, emotional power and impact. Granted I have heard those 2 albums 2 times each and I have heard Jane Doe about 6 times now, and maybe on repeated listens I will begin to feel a similar level of intensity there. But I doubt it. This seems to be to late 90s turn of the century math/metalcore what Reign In Blood was to peak Thrash - just kind of pushing it to another more intense level. Just my 2 cents and I am always interested in learning more. (I will be doing a bit more digging soon.)
So far on this new list of metal albums, you all have given me a new favorite Drone Metal, Post-Metal, Avant-garde/Death Metal, Black Metal and now Mathcore album! Not even close to a repeat of styles yet on any of these first 5 picks. Kinda mind-blowing how varied and beautiful are the many byways of metal are.
Anyway, I've gone on too long. Jane Doe is a beast!
2.
@RoundTheBend, damn it.... I guess listen to this:
Most acclaimed Metal albums (of any kind) albums since 2000 1996 per RYM I haven't heard or feel I never gave proper Time and Attention to (will cut out albums over 80 minutes in most cases. I expanded slightly the year range from last 21 to last 25 because there are a couple right before 2000 that I really need to get my shit together and listen to or newly hear. Also 25 years is a nicer number than 21.
(okay actually in order again on the RYM chart. With #1 being the highest ranked on all metal albums 1996-2021 that I have not graded.
1. Blackwater Park by Opeth (Lost touch with them after Orchid lol)
2. The Sound of Perseverance by Death (Have always put off listening to this because I haven't yet had my moment with Symbolic. If this gets picked I will probably, knowing me, listen to it and Symbolic and maybe finely have that "holy shit, I get it moment)
3. White Pony by Deftones (was on constantly as a kid/teen, yet since say 20 can't say I've given it the new spin it deserves)
4. None So Vile by Cryptopsy (listened once and remember being mildly disgusted. But those were earlier and simpler times and maybe i'll like this brand of brutal death metal now)
5. Panopticon by Isis (Atmospheric sludge and post-metal designation tend to scare me off due to not yet finding an album I really liked in or loved in that mix. Remember listening to this and being a bit bored. Will try again.)
6. Close to a World Below by Immolation (okay, now that a spot has freed up, this brand new listen of this classic DM album is now a possible Nom)
7. Crack the Skye by Mastodon (for the love of fucking god don't make me confront this album again! ๐ )
8. Those Once Loyal by Bolt Thrower (really like to near-love their early stuff, never heard this latter-career peak album)
9. At the Heart of Winter by Immortal (lets see if this classic of classic black metal album hits different now with my new self.)
10. Times of Grace by Neurosis (atmospheric and straight up sludge --- maybe earlier than silver in blood neurosis will be more to my liking. Broke my heart to get honest and include this and that Isis and Death album because these cool looking Edge of Sanity, and Deathspell Omega are temporarily unavailable. Oh well.) _________________ -Ryan
Thanks for picking this for me Mercury. I love this genre from this era. An excellently curated compilation of both obscure and well known classics from the garage and psychedelic pop and rock scene. Such a fun listen right from the start with one of my favourites in I Had Too Much to Dream (Last Night) by The Electric Prunes, and the good times just never let up so that 19 songs later I was disappointed it was over already (most of the songs are pretty short). I already knew, and liked, half a dozen of these which left a lot of great new finds for me, like Dirty Water by The Standells, Incense & Peppermints by Strawberry Alarm Clock, and a cool version of Hey Joe by The Leaves. And not a single dud or skippable song to be found. I look forward to hearing more of the "nuggets" series. I'm giving this an 8/10, although it probably deserves higher, but as a cheapskate youngster I got by on a lot of compilations and have ended up with a soft spot for them, resulting in I probably have overrated a lot of them hear at BEA over the last few years, so I'm trying to temper my scores for compilations containing material that can be found elsewhere. Still placing it at 17/63 in my 2000 chart.
Sorry it's a bit of a boring pick (my choice of album is boring - not the album itself) but I am going to give you the only one of these I've heard Mercury. White Pony.
Top 64 Music Albums of 2000 by RoundTheBend (5 picks left)
3. Designing A Nervous Breakdown by The Anniversary
4. O Brother, Where Art Thou? by Various Artists
6. All That You Can't Leave Behind by U2
7. You're The One by Paul Simon
10. The Million Dollar Hotel (Music From The Motion Picture) by Various Artists
12. Promotional Copy by Reggie And The Full Effect
14. Machina/The Machines Of God by The Smashing Pumpkins
15. The Rock Revolution Will Not Be Televised by Piebald
20. Hasta La Vista Baby! U2 Live From Mexico City by U2
22. American III: Solitary Man by Johnny Cash
MercuryTurn your back on the pay-you-back last callProfile St. Louis
Very unique album. Of all the somewhat nu-metal bands and alternative metal bands to emerge in the mid to late 90s it seems deftones have had the most longevity and critical acclaim and have aged perhaps the best. The whispery, warbly vocals are classiic and usually work super well, especially on the big hits "Digital bath" and "Change" and the closing track "Pink Maggit. The subtle and surreal electronic touches on the album sometimes take these already solid alt rock/metal songs to a different level.
The guitar sound I perhaps don't love, they sound very produced and bore me a bit. The drum sounds are these consistently cool sounding cold things. The vocals already covered but are really great. And the track list here is consistently good to great. The opening rap metal song "Back To School (mini Maggit)" and the Maynard james Keenan dominated "Passenger" are perhaps my least fave songs (I just don't think MJK's vocals are great in that track and I prefer Chino generally.)
Otherwise "Digital bath", the very heavy "Elite", "Rx Queen", "Teenager", "Korea" and the last 2 tracks "Change" and "Pink Maggit" are all fantastic.
All in all maybe my least fave of the albums picked so far, but honestly that isn't saying much cuz I've liked to loved every one. This is just a really interesting and timeless album that was great to revisit with new ears. Also the 6th straight album nominated that is a whole unique sub-genre. Now we've covered Drone Metal, Post Metal, Death Metal, Black Metal, Mathcore and Alternative/Nu Metal! Nice! Sludge and Progressive Metal I guess are other genres that may keep this streak alive. We shall see.
Most acclaimed Metal albums (of any kind) albums since 2000 1996 per RYM I haven't heard or feel I never gave proper Time and Attention to (will cut out albums over 80 minutes in most cases. I expanded slightly the year range from last 21 to last 25 because there are a couple right before 2000 that I really need to get my shit together and listen to or newly hear. Also 25 years is a nicer number than 21.
(okay actually in order again on the RYM chart. With #1 being the highest ranked on all metal albums 1996-2021 that I have not graded.
1. Blackwater Park by Opeth (Lost touch with them after Orchid lol)
2. The Sound of Perseverance by Death (Have always put off listening to this because I haven't yet had my moment with Symbolic. If this gets picked I will probably, knowing me, listen to it and Symbolic and maybe finely have that "holy shit, I get it moment)
3. None So Vile by Cryptopsy (listened once and remember being mildly disgusted. But those were earlier and simpler times and maybe i'll like this brand of brutal death metal now)
4. Panopticon by Isis (Atmospheric sludge and post-metal designation tend to scare me off due to not yet finding an album I really liked in or loved in that mix. Remember listening to this and being a bit bored. Will try again.)
5. Close to a World Below by Immolation (okay, now that a spot has freed up, this brand new listen of this classic DM album is now a possible Nom)
6. Crack the Skye by Mastodon (for the love of fucking god don't make me confront this album again! ๐ )
7. Those Once Loyal by Bolt Thrower (really like to near-love their early stuff, never heard this latter-career peak album)
8. At the Heart of Winter by Immortal (lets see if this classic of classic black metal album hits different now with my new self.)
9. Times of Grace by Neurosis (atmospheric and straight up sludge --- maybe earlier than silver in blood neurosis will be more to my liking.
10. Crimson Edge of Sanity (This will be first listen. It's melodic death metal and Prog Metal, whereas Immolation is straight Death Metal and Cryptopsy is Brutal DM. Have all kinds of types here.) _________________ -Ryan
The Downward Spiral by Nine Inch Nails
I've never been too big on NiN, and now I have no idea why. Maybe they were too noisy for my teenage self. I'm sure I've played both The Fragile and The Downward Spiral before, but it is only now that I HEAR them. It's a terribly cliched phrase, but in this case it's true. It's funny that until now the only Reznor work I liked was his recent ambient stuff (Ghosts, scores etc.) But to be honest, industrial alt rock has never been a top priority for me, so I kept putting this listen off. Decidedly 90s "dirty" sound is a big plus, I'm all for that style of production and sound design. It's industrial taken to its pop and rock edges while keeping the essence. It's Terminator (the first one) but with Christopher Walken instead of Arnold. Just as good, still fitting and "robotic", but not nearly as threatening performance. And that's a movie I'd watch twice. And this is an album I'll listen to several times. 8.5/10
(2)
Let's keep the streak going with Blackwater Park. Although The Sound of Perseverance is also kinda prog I guess.
(3)
RYM overall albums I haven't rated (FL - first time listen, probably)
Stevie Wonder - Songs in the Key of Life
Can - Tago Mago
Elliott Smith - Either/Or
Prince - Purple Rain
Stevie Wonder - Innervisions (FL)
The Kinks - The Kinks Are the Village Green Preservation Society (FL)
Milton Nascimento & Lรด Borges - Clube da Esquina (FL)
Can - Ege Bamyasฤฑ
George Harrison - All Things Must Pass
Depeche Mode - Violator (FL) _________________ Overall chart Fake overall chart
Be Not Nobody by Vanessa Carlton
ok ok ok... so my wife loves you charli. BUT... regardless if you like this music or not, Be Not Nobody is the easily the worst album title ever. Wonder what it's like to have session musicians be so seasoned like on this album play with what seemingly sounds like a lucky girl. Her voice just doesn't match somehow is all I'm saying. I mean it's a great pop voice too though. Got style. But somehow that juxtaposition of musicianship and her voice seems stark to me. Anyway, this just isn't for me. I guess I take everything back about hating cock rock... hehe (kidding).
2. Depeche Mode - Violator (cool you got to NIN... also not a HUGE fan, but that album is worth listening to, and I do like it, although chuckled at the Christopher Walkin joke).
You can keep torturing me, that's fine, but put ones I'm a little more interested in in bold.
3. Applerill Top 100 (3 Picks Left)
3. Ode To Dawn Wiener: Embarrassing Love Songs by Nicole Dollanganger
4. Morton Feldman: String Quartet No. 2 by FLUX quartet
11. Night Ripper by Girl Talk
12. Serene Grace by Chansey
19. Trust In Rock by "Blue" Gene Tyranny and Peter Gordon
27. Rock Slope Destroys America by Rock Slope
29. What's My Name by DJ Uncle Al
30. Prรฉlude Au Sommeil by Jean-Jacques Perrey
31. Jazeera Nights by ุนู ุฑ ุณููู ุงู [Omar Souleyman]
32. Dormant Mirrors / Drum by DJ Yo-Yo Dieting
MercuryTurn your back on the pay-you-back last callProfile St. Louis
So this was pretty good. Seems like too revered and epic an album to say just that about it, so I will add my thoughts in brief.
I think this is good and very professional and impressive in almost every way. Especially when the band really flexes its heavy riffing prowess, or when they come in with some stellar, classic, beautiful, old school metal solos - I am all ears and I am engrossed. I like the growled vocals well enough, the time signature switch ups are generally really refreshing and expertly pulled off - right between being telegraphed and overly jarring. And there is a short instrumental toward the back end of the album that was stellar, let me look at what it's called...one sec... ahh here it is "Patterns in the Ivy". Tracks like the majority of "The Leper Affinity", the entirety of "The Funeral Portrait" and almost all of the closing title track were just absolutely brilliant in every way. Also "Harvest", don't want to forget about it, its great (The acoustic guitar is amazing and that is the only non metal song or bit that blew me away and that solo is so damn great and even the vocals were sung nicely...sounds like something Steven Wilson would record.) A huge portion of this album is just really excellent...technically. Large chunks, especially when they incorporate folk and prog ROCK and clean-toned and bloody earnest singing, rubbed me the wrong way. Or, rather, they rubbed me in a way I don't want a metal album of any kind to rub me. Too clean and not really what I like listening to in metal.
Now I'm listening for a second time now and I may be coming around a bit. It seems the highs are just as high but more familiar to me and the lows like the clean and earnest singing aren't as eye roll inducing. But I digress. I believe these points will still be at least 80% accurate by the end of this comment otherwise what a bloody waste of time lol.
I legitimately forgot the factoid that Steven Wilson of Porcupine Tree fame produced this. And without remembering that datum, about halfway through I was thinking that this sounded so much like a Porcupine Tree album just with more growls and some heavier bits than you'll ever hear on Porcupine's stuff. Then i remembered and it call made sense. Even at this albums most metal and most heavy it still at its core is a prog rock album or at least it feels like one. Maybe this is just what the Genre of Progressive Metal is and I need to get over it and the sooner I do the sooner I will learn to love Opeth and Crack the Skye etc etc. But anyway, I'm not quite there yet.
Still, my initial 2 paragraphs applies, there are some stellar bits here and it's good. Juist so happens to be the least interesting of this recent batch of nominated metal albums. The fact that its the least extreme or the least niche and most all-encompassing and most likely to be a gateway drug for people into metal may not be a coincidence. I guess i just like ugly and gnarly sounding stuff.
2.
@RtB, okay okay fine. Please note if I saw another torturous turd (in my opinion) album there I would ignore your bolded entries and 100% pick the bad thing, but because I've never heard of any of those albums (not to mention heard them) I'll nominate this one...
actually i think i may have actually heard of this one now that i look at it. but never heard it. enjoy
------------------------
3.
Most acclaimed Metal albums (of any kind) albums since 2000 1996 per RYM I haven't heard or feel I never gave proper Time and Attention to (will cut out albums over 80 minutes in most cases. I expanded slightly the year range from last 21 to last 25 because there are a couple right before 2000 that I really need to get my shit together and listen to or newly hear. Also 25 years is a nicer number than 21.
(another 2 (TWO!) Opeth albums would be next and are waiting in line if I wasn't putting them in time out for a few rounds. This fact of their time out frees up another spot. Lets see what is next... (Man, RYM loves Opeth like a lot.)
1. The Sound of Perseverance by Death/1998 (Have always put off listening to this because I haven't yet had my moment with Symbolic. If this gets picked I will probably, knowing me, listen to it and Symbolic and maybe finely have that "holy shit, I get it moment)
2. None So Vile by Cryptopsy/1996 (listened once and remember being mildly disgusted. But those were earlier and simpler times and maybe i'll like this brand of brutal death metal now)
3. Panopticon by Isis/2004 (Atmospheric sludge and post-metal designation tend to scare me off due to not yet finding an album I really liked in or loved in that mix. Remember listening to this and being a bit bored. Will try again.)
4. Close to a World Below by Immolation/2000 (okay, now that a spot has freed up, this brand new listen of this classic DM album is now a possible Nom)
5. Crack the Skye by Mastodon/2009 (for the love of fucking god don't make me confront this album again! ๐ )
6. Those Once Loyal by Bolt Thrower/2005 (really like to near-love their early stuff, never heard this latter-career peak album)
7. At the Heart of Winter by Immortal/1999 (lets see if this classic of classic black metal album hits different now with my new self.)
8. Times of Grace by Neurosis/1999 (atmospheric and straight up sludge --- maybe earlier than silver in blood neurosis will be more to my liking.)
9. From Mars to Sirius by Gojira/2005 (I honestly don't know shit about this band or what to expect. It's labeled primarily Progressive and Death Metal with a side of Groove. I suspect this will be a different style of prog metal/Death Metal mix than what I heard from Opeth.)
10. Crimson Edge of Sanity/1996 (This will be first listen. It's melodic death metal and Prog Metal, whereas Immolation is straight Death Metal and Cryptopsy is Brutal DM. Have all kinds of types here.) _________________ -Ryan
Even at this albums most metal and most heavy it still at its core is a prog rock album or at least it feels like one. Maybe this is just what the Genre of Progressive Metal is and I need to get over it and the sooner I do the sooner I will learn to love Opeth and Crack the Skye etc etc. But anyway, I'm not quite there yet.
Prog metal comes in different shapes and sizes, this is just one of them. Perhaps the closest to people coming from non-extreme metal background since it sounds a lot like prog rock, just with death metal elements (as you've correctly stated). There's a whole lot of weird, noisy and brutal prog metal out there. In fact, apart from a few bands (including Opeth), I prefer when prog metal is more an ingredient than a primary genre. Like on Ashes Against the Grain.
(1)
Thumbnail. Click to enlarge.
Violator by Depeche Mode
I've never heard a Depeche Mode album, and their most popular one is a very good introduction. I know all of their hits (had a greatest hits album when I was a kid), so Personal Jesus and Enjoy the Silence didn't blow me away although they're both excellent songs. Both were slightly longer than the versions I know, must be radio edit or something. But the rest of Violator was very, very good. And that's coming from a person who's generally lukewarm on synthpop. In fact, just like with prog metal, I like it more when synthpop is combined with art pop, darkwave or at least modern production. It's weird that I enjoy more 2010s synthpop than 80s. That might change though, there are some darkwave elements to Depeche Mode's music, but the majority is good ol' synthpop bangers. Very consistent, actually the album cuts were the best songs. Halo, Waiting for the Night, Clean... All around wonderful and a good introduction to Depeche Mode. 8/10
(2)
Let's break the different genres streak with Edge of Sanity. Dan Swanรถ and Mikael ร kerfeldt often get compared since they're the pioneers of prog/death metal fusion, so listening to their best known releases back to back makes sense.
(3)
RYM overall albums I haven't rated (FL - first time listen, probably)
Stevie Wonder - Songs in the Key of Life
Can - Tago Mago
Elliott Smith - Either/Or
Prince - Purple Rain
Stevie Wonder - Innervisions (FL)
The Kinks - The Kinks Are the Village Green Preservation Society (FL)
Milton Nascimento & Lรด Borges - Clube da Esquina (FL)
Can - Ege Bamyasฤฑ
George Harrison - All Things Must Pass
Creedence Clearwater Revival - Cosmo's Factory (FL) _________________ Overall chart Fake overall chart
You cannot post new topics in this forum You cannot reply to topics in this forum You cannot edit your posts in this forum You cannot delete your posts in this forum You cannot vote in polls in this forum
baystateoftheart
Tha1ChiefRocka
RoundTheBend
Mercury
Purplepash
LedZep
