1.
Cassandra Jenkins - An Overview On Phenomenal Nature
When I saw that I was assigned this one, I was like “oh boy, here we go again”. Of course there’s no one to blame other than myself for including it into the list of possible picks, but no need to complain anyway, the way I perceive this game is that it motivates you to listen to stuff you otherwise wouldn’t and this comfortably falls under that category. So, all this nonsense just to say that I knew how in all likelihood I wouldn’t like it, but that was the plan to begin with, go figure. Ok, moving on to the real deal, it seems that this is her second album, but I have no idea at all what her debut was about, meaning this is completely uncharted territory for me. First of all, the vocals are a total let down. No charm at all and why is she mumbling? At some points I was wondering if that’s English. There’s a good chance her lyrics are great, but how could I possibly tell? I didn’t like her attitude either, from what I understood she tackles some personal themes, but she is too distant to relate, it’s as if she doesn’t feel it, I’d expect her to wallow in mud so to speak. To compare it with another album I was recently assigned in this game, Julien Baker is sooo much better at speaking to your heart, every word coming out of her mouth is an uphill struggle, the pain is so thick you could cut it with a knife - this game will slowly make me an expert into singer/songwriter stuff, who would have thought, lol. The instrumentation is also a victim of the same issue, there’s an argument to be made in favor of going for a more organic sound, there were some synthetic touches that went against the confessional and tranquil mood it was trying to establish. Ok, I start feeling bad, so let’s turn it around by noting some positive aspects of it. One good thing is that it doesn’t overstay its welcome, I can easily picture this being an absolute snoozefest had they gone for two or three extra tracks. Another positive is it sounded kinda fresh, I didn’t spot any blatantly obvious influences, but then again would I be able to do so if there were any, not sure about that, it’s not exactly my area. Furthermore, the drummer does a fine job and I would say is my favorite part of it, even though he stays away from the spotlight, his gentle touch fits with the overall theme, but at the same time he tries his best to keep the spark alive. Finally, The Ramble is a gorgeous closing track, I can’t deny that, actually it was worth listening to this album just for that closer, it elevated the whole listening experience to a higher level.
3. This was the last pick of the "top 2021 albums based on BEA rankings". I was wondering what should I do next - actually, that's the reason it took me so long to post, I listened to this like a week ago, but couldn't make up my mind. So, I decided to keep 2021 going- I am already doing 1960 for the purposes of my diary, so I wouldn't want to add another year here. Instead of the overall 2021 chart, I ll focus on a chart from a fellow user and I will pick the one that posted right above me, so that's LedZep - which is a great coincidence, as I think you'll have one of the most challenging charts for my taste, though for starters the majority of my picks lie on the safe end of the spectrum. Also, the short comment below each pick helped tremendously, now I know what to expect.
1. Imperative Imperceptible Impulse - Ad Nauseam
2. Paradigmes - La Femme
3. Bob's Son: R.A.P. Ferreira In The Garden Level Cafe Of The Scallops Hotel - R.A.P. Ferreira
4. A Common Turn - Anna B Savage
5. Entertainment, Death - The Spirit Of The Beehive
6. For Those I Love (2021) - For Those I Love
7. Death & The Magician - DJ Muggs & Rome Streetz
8. Mirrors - Pupil Slicer
9. As Days Get Dark - Arab Strap
10. Great Spans Of Muddy Time - William Doyle
3. This was the last pick of the "top 2021 albums based on BEA rankings". I was wondering what should I do next - actually, that's the reason it took me so long to post, I listened to this like a week ago, but couldn't make up my mind. So, I decided to keep 2021 going- I am already doing 1960 for the purposes of my diary, so I wouldn't want to add another year here. Instead of the overall 2021 chart, I ll focus on a chart from a fellow user and I will pick the one that posted right above me, so that's LedZep - which is a great coincidence, as I think you'll have one of the most challenging charts for my taste, though for starters the majority of my picks lie on the safe end of the spectrum. Also, the short comment below each pick helped tremendously, now I know what to expect.
1. Imperative Imperceptible Impulse - Ad Nauseam
2. Paradigmes - La Femme
3. Bob's Son: R.A.P. Ferreira In The Garden Level Cafe Of The Scallops Hotel - R.A.P. Ferreira
4. A Common Turn - Anna B Savage
5. Entertainment, Death - The Spirit Of The Beehive
6. For Those I Love (2021) - For Those I Love
7. Death & The Magician - DJ Muggs & Rome Streetz
8. Mirrors - Pupil Slicer
9. As Days Get Dark - Arab Strap
10. Great Spans Of Muddy Time - William Doyle
I'm really glad the comments helped, that's mostly why I make them! Also looking forward to the reviews, even more so because you and I have fairly different interests (although they do overlap sometimes). _________________ Overall chart Fake overall chart
Interesting controlled bursts for a long time. Read somewhere the sheet music is supposed to be exactly 100 minutes, but this performance was longer. Anyway, nothing to write home about, but interesting concept for sure. Unique work that plays with a unique idea in a not too annoying way.
2. Bob's Son was pretty good imo
3. Applerill Top 100 (2 Picks Left)
3. Ode To Dawn Wiener: Embarrassing Love Songs by Nicole Dollanganger
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. Prélude Au Sommeil by Jean-Jacques Perrey
31. Jazeera Nights by عمر سليمان [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 is one long, epic, story-driven song that is 40 minutes long. Apple music can't have that so seperated it into 8 parts. Just wanted to point that out and say I think its stupid. Fuck you, corporate overlord!!!!
Now onto the music, yeah a lot of the positives I have for Blackwater Park apply here and some of the negatives as well. There are some seriously killer melodies here that I love, and the riffing is cool and the album flows relatively nicely. I will say the transitions and the general arc of the album seems a bit idk maybe flat for me. I didn't feel like the album musically went to a specific place or a specific crescendo i guess. There were certain melodic motifs that reappeared and that was nice and their were (random observation) riffs that reminded me of Rancid's 1995 song off And Out Come The Wolves "Junkie Man", and yeah there were a lot of pluses to this album. But the main gripe I have is that it didn't feel like it built to or lead to a destination of note. I guess If i paid more attention to the epic story of kingdoms in the lyrics maybe I would hear where the story arc went, but musically not so much.
Musicianship is top notch, there was enough death metal elements and a certain grittiness to make me enjoy this more as a metal record (especially compared to Blackwater Park, this felt like a metal album and not like a heavier Prog Rock album). Some solos and guitar parts were stellar. The vocals were alright - both when clean and sincere and when growled - but weren't anything amazing.
Overall good listen. About the same level of enjoyment as Opeth's album last post, but this was shorter and more compact which is a plus in comparison and also it didn't have the same highs or the same high amount of brilliant huge moments either which is a minus compared to Opeth's album. So its basically a tie.
8 albums in to this new list for You Must Listen To... thread and I would rank the albums (all at least quite good) Obscura=Anthems to the Welkin at Dusk>Jane Doe>Boris At last Feedbacker>Ashes Agaisnt the Grain>White Pony>Blackwater Park=Crimson. That one-two right in a row of Gorguts and Emperor were SO GOOD that it cast a bit of a shadow on everything else. And to a lesser extent Jane Doe also does that. Love those 3 to a much higher degree than the other 5.
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! 😉 )
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. Dead as Dreams by Weakling/2000 (Will be a first listen. Looks dark and very very black metal-y. Nice!) _________________ -Ryan
So this is my second visit for this. And I enjoy this even more than the first visit. Thought it was excellent. And feel this is one of those records that might continue to glow whenever I decide to give this more listens. I could somewhat understand if some find it cheesy, but I feel like Billy at least owes up to it and is being quite sincere. Compare to his last album where that factor doesn't hold up as well compared to his prime. Maybe it is a musical palette thing? But speaking about a musical palette, this album has it in spades. Even when it is a very welcoming album, I just enjoy that it can be fun, sometimes "bad ass" referring to the second track, adventurous with how Billy Joel can tell a story or with the sound. Scenes from an Italian Restaurant. So yeah, the enjoyment went higher than I thought. Grade:95
(2)
Mercury, listen to Dead as Dreams
(3)
BEA's Top 100 of 1977
(16) Iggy Pop-Lust For Life
(19) Meatloaf-Bat Out Of Hell (R)
(20) Iggy Pop-The Idiot
(24) Queen-News Of The World
(26) AC/DC-Let There Be Rock
(27) Ramones-Leave Home
28 Yes-Going For The One
(29) Peter Gabriel-Self Titled "Car"
(30) Supertramp-Even In The Quietist Moments...
(31) Saturday Night Fever-Various Artists
RoundTheBendI miss the comfort in being sadProfile Ground Control
3. Applerill Top 100 (Last Pick)
3. Ode To Dawn Wiener: Embarrassing Love Songs by Nicole Dollanganger
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. Prélude Au Sommeil by Jean-Jacques Perrey
32. Dormant Mirrors / Drum by DJ Yo-Yo Dieting
35. I'm Not A Fan, But The Kids Like It! by Brokencyde
Last edited by RoundTheBend on 05/06/2021 05:03; edited 1 time in total
MercuryTurn your back on the pay-you-back last callProfile St. Louis
Okay, okay, okay, hold on just one minute. What is THIS? WHAT is this? is IS is? Huh? So, this album is by a band with a great name called Weakling. The name of the album is cool as shit, Dead As Dreams. The front cover is impressionistic nightmare-fuel and both deeply unnerving as well as quite beautiful. The story of the creation of the album and the general mystery around the band is the most perfectly enticing of any black metal band and album I've yet run across. Maybe not even limited to BM or Metal in general. In other words, just at first glance this album has CLASSIC MASTERPIECE written all over it and yet somehow (because I am blind or because I wasn't paying attention, or because it just hasn't gotten quite as popular as Burzum and other black metal artists) this album isn't talked about around here a lot. It almost feels like this album is a mirage or isn't real.
So, just in brief the story of the band, the strange mystery of the original idea of how the band wanted to release this, their only album, to only one European fan and all that cool stuff, was apparently made up and disseminated by the record label. Still, they were fun myths and it is still quite strange and 1-in-a-million that a few young people in San Fran would come together to make one Black Metal classic and then disappear (disappear as a band, with a few members going and having moderate success in other bands). Certainly one of the cooler "One Album Wonders" in history if I can believe what my ears are hearing.
What my ears are hearing is just blissful. Its Black Metal, quite gorgeously dynamic and growing across across each of the long songs. They sound like Scandinavian Black Metal greats like Burzum, all eerie and breathtaking and noisy yet a bit mesmerizingly beautiful, and they also have a slightly different and unique take on the sound. The songs are loooong, only 5 tracks across 76 minutes, they have multiple parts and have some slight prog metal influences felt if only in the way they have these big sweeping tracks coming through in 2 to 3 main phases. The vocalist has a harshness to him. He sounds a bit like the Slint vocalist at the most screamed and pained parts of Spiderland. He sounds like he is both quite angry and also quite fearful and paranoid and slipping into some abstract state of sad lostness, drowning in the oppressive world surrounding him. That oppressive world is the incessant black metal drums, beating out rhythms at great galloping speeds. The guitars are awesome. The sound of them, the tortured solos, the picked black metal staccato riffs, the whole nightmarish swirling mucky blood and guts-filled whirlpool atmosphere of the 2(?) guitars is to die for. The bassist is quite melodic at times, but mostly provides a gorgeous bottom end to help you get completely fucking lost in the sonic world you have entered once you push play on this gorgeous beast of an album. And, not going to lie, when I read a little about this band before pushing play and I saw they had one album and weren't big and saw that its only available (for me) on youtube, I thought it would be an old school dirty and badly produced mess. And I was okay with that, kinda looking forward to it to be honest (I know know its silly because this is a recognized classic, but I'm very new and unlearned in black metal things). But instead this album is excellently produced. It has the right amount of BM gritty ugliness, but also a really cool dynamic sound, where there is always some textures happening all together and blending into a thick, soupy sound.
Yeah I'm listening again, and the opening track is stellar and is a great intro to what you can expect the whole way through. The 21 minute second track is the title track and it. fucking. kicks. ass! It is amazingly beautiful, and it builds and shifts in surprising and creative ways, and the introduction is so melancholy and emotional. Track 3, "The Entire Fucking battlefield", has this thick low end melody happening almost throughout the whole thing that just gives the sadness and anguish of the vocals and the guitars that much more power somehow. Its just how the keyboard or maybe its an effect on the bass, blends with the guitars, it is mindblowing. Then mid way through that track a riff comes in so stellar, so emotional and so powerful it legit took my breathe away. Then the most brutally heartbreaking vocal screams come in and then die away in sad moans as a solo somewhere far off plays. Track 3 is god tier stuff all the way through.
Track 4 is maybe the most intensely heavy, brutal and badass metal track here. But every time I felt this urge to smile and nod my head along with filthy riffing, I'd hear the utterly perfectly performed (or truly felt?) vocal gargles and screams and I would have a second thought. This, vocally, sounds like death overtaking someone and in those last few conscious moments the person is just screaming in anguish and hate at the cold sky above. Fantastic. And goddamn the drum groove and the screeching sexy guitar riff that comes in with last change up or second to last change up of track 4, is mind-blowing. This band has some seriously creative, 70s prog-style or prog metal style transitions and a nice ability to create massive multi-parted beasts while maintaining a certain Black Metal immersion. I'm not sure how they do it cuz when even all time great prog rock or metal bands introduce transitions and major change ups I often times feel a bit of a jolt out of my in-there-feeling of immersion. Not here.
Track 5 is another great one. Like, lol, its "Great" says ryan. Yeah like no shit. Its not great, its transcendent, heartbreaking, powerful, pure intensity. The peak and maybe best song on a perfect album. There I said it. The vocals. The damn vocals are some of the best i've ever heard. On this track and on all the tracks. The delivery here on this last track just makes sense and it feels like the final writhing moments it sounds exactly how they should sound on an album such as this. I like other famous bm vocla performances, but if I'm being honest sometimes (just sometimes) the classic characteristic of black metal singing - that screeching insanely high pitched hellish wail - comes across as a bit of a put on and doesn't actually truly conjure a sense of pain and anguish at all. These vocals here aren't really typcial one bit. They are the exact right sounds to drive home the bleakness and dread and terror of the music.
Track by Track grades, (cuz its easy ink and takes up space):
Track 1 "Cut Their Grain and Place Fire Therein - 94/100
Track 2 "Dead As Dreams" - 9.7/10
Track 3 "This Entire Fucking Battlefield" 9.8/10
Track 4 " No One Can Be Called as a Man While He'll Die" 9.7/10
Track 5 "Desasters in the Sun" 9.8
stupid arbitrary grades, they should all get 10/10s honestly. Like why the decimal point, lol.
This legit became almost instantly one of my favorite albums. Its just stunning. Will be listening a few more times immediately and probably returning to the tube many times over the next little while to listen more and I can see myself putting this on my overall chart soon. (note just finishing second play through of it and yeah this is 100% on my chart starting now and you'll see it when I un-private my mess of a chart soon-ish) It's everything I would want from Black Metal with nothing often found in black metal that gets on my nerves at times. another 5/5. I gave the Gorguts album a 5 on RYM and then changed to a 4.5 with possibility of becoming a Ryan 5 on revisit. Did the same for Anthems to the Welkin at Dusk, and it now sits at a 4.5. I will probably make the same mistake thrice in one week and give this also a 5 but I honestly think this has a better chance of keeping that score. Its astoundingly great, simple as that.
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! 😉 )
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. Verisäkeet by Moonsorrow/2005 (Pagan Black Metal, Bleck Metal, Folk Metal - these are the genres attached. Never heard it, but based off my recent love and adoration of that Weakling album and that Emperor album, I am always up for a new taste and style and side of Black Metal.) _________________ -Ryan
It's just so nice. The singing is nice, the music is nice, the songwriting is nice, and the lyrics are nice - well mostly, except for Pigs, Sheep and Wolves, and the breakup song (or is it?) Darling Lorraine - but even then it's one of the nicest breakup songs I've heard, especially with the sad ending. Maybe that's whty they were the two most interesting songs on the album, even if Pigs... is a bit contradictory with it's surface silliness over the serious subject matter. The album is just too nice to be interesting, apart from the aforementioned two songs. 7/10 and 53/64 for 2000.
I've heard good things about Gojira Mercury. I'm interested in checking them out.
Top 64 Music Albums of 2000 by RoundTheBend (4 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
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
25. The Best Of Black Sabbath by Black Sabbath
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RoundTheBend
Mercury
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