Starting a new thread for lists, reviews, etc of 2020 albums.
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Band | Votes | 2020 Album | Connors' Comments |
---|---|---|---|
The Pretty Reckless | 0 | Death By Rock 'n' Roll | Feb21. Well by the time of this release, I have had a long time to get familiar with the title track which was released as a single in May 2020. I must stay it still sounds refreshing. A great tribute to rock 'n' roll! I have never really thought of this band as a grunge or Seattle-influenced band, but now I look back on previous albums and there is a little Soundgarden to them. So, Matt Cameron and Kim Thayhil join the band for 'Only Love Can Save Me Now' and it is a match made in Heaven. Holy shit, Thayhil absolutely shreds on this and Matt keeps the rhythm thumping! 'And So It Went' somehow out-riffs the preceding songs. This one has the soft-hard dynamic down pat, and once again a guest guitarist, this time none other than Tom Morello, who absolutely nails the solo. We even get a chorus of kids that sounds great. This is a bloody great 1,2,3 punch to start an album. Things finally slow down for '25' with its slow, haunting build up to an almost operatic rock/metal performance I am sure Evanesence would be proud of, but it is one of my least favourites on the album. I like the tribal drums on 'My Bones' and the shake-up half way through is a nice change. The album remains fairly slow-paced for the rest of the run. The songs are good without really standing out. 'Witches Burn' has a slow, but hard, ACDC-like thump to it. 'Turning Gold', 'Rock and Roll Heaven' and 'Harley Darling' all have classic 70s rock feels. As I gelled with the slower songs I rated this album more. It is very good, but shy of excellent. 4/5 |
Bloody Hammers | 0 | Songs of Unspeakable Terror | Dec21. Okay, a bit of goth-rock. Weird. Gothic styled subject matter without all the musical cliches - I like it. The vocals are a little Misfits sounding in a mild way. Is this the rock version of Ghost? Most songs are decent, without any really leaping out. The subject matter is obviously dark and demonic. I enjoyed the basic rock sound here. The album opens well with 'A Night to Dismember' and ends well with 'I Spit On Your Corpse'. Everything in between is not much different either. 3/5 |
Foo Fighters | 0 | Medicine at Midnight | April 20. Barring one slow song, this is an album of safe, mid-paced rock songs that would qualify for modern AOR ratings. It seems I am not going to get a return to brash, ball-tearing rockers from any of my favourite big bands any time soon. All tracks are good, the production is sublime, but there is just little to standout. Even the song lengths hardly vary. The album opens with 'Making a Fire' which sounds like it is straight from one of Powderfinger's later albums. From the moment I heard 'Shame Shame' I was worried about this album. This song just has parts that rubbed me up wrong and that has not changed. I just can't enjoy it. I was waiting for it to take off - but it doesn't. 'Cloudspotter' starts with some nice little guitar work, but is basically a pop song. At least this one takes off a bit with some cool shouted chorus vocals. I love the sentiment of 'Waiting on a War' and it is a decent slow song, that finally builds towards the end, but not quite the crescendo it could have been. The clean production just holds it back too much. Like a lot of the album, the title track could have been on a popular 70s rock album. At least 'No Son of Mine' starts with a decent riff and it is the first time you actually hear the drums. It does have layer of annoying backing vocals, but the rest of the song is good. 'Holding Poison' has a cool bounce to it, but again, seems restrained for where it could have gone. 'Chasing Birds' is a boring slow song. 'Love Dies Young' reminds me of another Aussie band, Jebediah, in parts. It might be the best song on here. So, the band have gone even further than Concrete & Gold into the pop and pop production values here. Let's hope the next one reverts back to a Wasting Light sound. Again, not that this is a bad album. It is just so middle of the road. 3/5 |
Mastodon | 0 | Hushed & Grim | Nov21. I don't like committing to reviews so soon after an album comes out, but we are doing the Mastodon 7 Albums run right now and I want to consider this. I have had a few play throughs (without intently listening) and the 'The Crux' and 'Teardrinker' were the early standouts (the latter being helped by an awesome video and the fact I had heard it several times already). 'Pain with an Anchor' is a very good opener that, like many Mastodon songs, has several changes of pace and style. 'The Crux' has something to excite all listeners. Full speed metal one moment, slow and melodius the next. 'Sickle & Peace' is the song that has grown on me the most over these few listens. Has a kind of ethereal feel to it, but at the same time has an accessible, driving rhythm that you can nod along to. Those little guitar moments are fantastic. After two 5-minute-plus opening songs, I thought a run of 3 songs of 6 minutes following would be too much, but this group of three have proven to be the real growers. They set a certain mood too. The second of these, 'More Than I Could Chew' mixes the heavy riffs with experimentation and spacey moments wonderfully. 'The Beast' just lulls you in with its old school, bluesy-rock feel with a touch of The Smashing Pumpkins (which doesn't last long). How is that build through the middle? But instead of heading up into a crescendo, it settles back down again, just as you were ready for the erruption. This song is such as teaser, as it does not end by going off either… I kinda liked the surprise element of it. If I had to pick a song to cut from the first half it would be 'Skeleton of Splendour'. 'Pushing the Tides' is another song released before the album, so I have heard it more. It did not grab me like 'Teardrinker' did, but man has this song grown on me, especially the chorus and what follows. It also helps when it is the only song under 4 minutes on the album ;) 'Peace & Tranquility' does what it suggests by bringing a little time to relax mid-album. 'Dagger' has thumping bass drums and a different sound overall, with doomy organ/keys and a very atmospheric feel. There are even Middle-Eastern sounds prominent in the middle section. Synthesizers take you through the void of the second half of the track. I understand the sentiment behind this album, but with 'Had it All', a run of three long slower songs did not gel with me. Thankfully the opening drums and then riff of 'Savage Lands' picks things back up. This sounds like a song that could have been on either of their last two albums. Whoah, another massive change of pace in this song just before the 3 minute mark. This one also ends in a spacey, riff journey. Keyboards and much slower drum beats guide you through the meandering 8 minute 'Gobblers of Dregs'. I do love the groove at the 6 minute mark though. Again, I ask, why do these sort of songs take so long to get to the good parts? The second half of this song is fantastic. Some of my favourite guitars on here. 'Eyes of Serpents' also starts slow, but with a sound that I could hear as the soundtrack to a Western movie. Again, kicks in halfway through into a cool, doomy riff (and strange little keyboards in the background). Then another cracking, wailing guitar solo. I thought I was going to dislike this run of long slow songs at the end, but this is cool. Final song, 'Gigantium' kicks off with a very 90s sounding alt-rock feel, so I like that. A hard song to describe - there is even some vocal harmonies and the slow vocals are very clean. Not a standout, but a pretty cool close to the album… and again, finishes with cracking guitars. I was certain that I would be marking this album back because of the length of the album and many slow tracks, but taken as a whole, this is a fantastic journey. Not one I will take in full too often, but one that was well worth the ride. I will still skip to parts of some of the longer songs, but this is an impressive piece of music of which their manager would be proud. 4/5 |
Trivium | 0 | In the Court of the Dragon | Dec21. 1st listen. First off - what a cracking album cover, even though I don't like when bands don't put their name or the title of the album on there. The title track is pretty good. Even the growled vocals are not so gutteral that that are okay. Closer to the shouted vocals that I like. A bit over the top in the second half, but the core of the song is good. 'Like a Sword of Damocles' has a cool Pantera feel to it until they hit the soaring chorus. Too many long songs on here. Unlike the Mastodon long songs where you don't know what is coming next, Trivium seem a little more formulaic. You know when the solo is coming and often I just want to skip to that part and ignore the big operatic build-up to it. I liked the heavy chugging riff in 'Feast of Fire'. Actually, several songs had good riffing on this album. This was much more listenable than their early stuff, but I wouldn't say I enjoyed it. I am sure it is just the 'over metal' phase I am going through, but nothing really grabbed me here, despite being solid all the way through. This is an album I might have to come back to in the future under better circumstances. 3/5 |
Melvins | 0 | Working with God | Dec21. 1st listen. It has been a while since I have listened to a Melvins album. They lost me along the way there. Anyway, the brilliant 'Fuck Around' pisstake on the Beach Boys was a very surprising start to the album for a band I thought started taking themselves too seriously. 'Negative No No' brings back the heavy bass and dirge sounds I remember. Oh yeah, 'Bouncing Rick' takes me back to my love of 'Honey Bucket' - it even has a similar driving riff. 'Caddy Daddy' is all sorts of sludgy. 'Boy Mike' has some cool riffing but also some crappy vocals in parts. They were obviously having a lot of fun on this album. We get another pisstake cover with 'Fuck You' (riffing on Harry Nilsson's 'You're Breaking My Heart' - yes, I had to look that up). It's not as good as the opener, but a bit of fun. I enjoyed 'The Great Good Place'. Hard to describe - it just rumbles along at a catchy pace. 'Hot Fish' as a Red Fang feel to it, despite being slower than most of their material - maybe it's just the vocals. 'Hund' also has a good riff - not unusual with this band, I know. Like most Melvins stuff, you gotta take the awesome with the crap, but it is worth the ride. My favourites on this first play: 'Bouncing Rick', 'I Fuck Around' & 'Hund'. 3/5 |
The Offspring | 0 | Let the Bad Times Roll | |
Dropkick Murphys | 0 | Turn Up That Dial | |
Architects | 0 | ??? | |
Blacktop Mojo | 0 | Blacktop Mojo | Sep21. 1st listen. Oh, cool - nice start. I'm in. 'Wicked Woman' equal parts blues-based rock and Alice In Chains-like riffage. |
The Dirty Nil | 0 | Fuck Art! | Jan22. Loving this right off the bat. Doom Boy has shit tonnes I love. A great riff and many references to other bands. It also settles into a Weezer-like chorus, referencing Slayer that reminds me of Wheatus and their Iron Maiden shout-out. It then finishes on heaving riffing and growls, before a final clean refrain. What a start! Blunt Force Concussion is a brilliant piece of pop-rock, also in the style of early Weezer. Fun lyrics too. So refreshing that a band can slow down to a nice mid-paced pop-rock song without flooding it with electronics. Seems to be rare at the moment. The fun continues with Elvis '77 and Done with Drugs. I have heard the latter several times, so I did know something from this album going in - I just did not know it was these guys. Wow, Ride or Die even has an 80s sleaze-rock feel to it (L.A Guns?). That was surprising. The album finishes with a run of cool alternative-rock songs. Hello Jealousy and the slower paced, but bass-driven, One More and the Bill is a good end. I enjoyed this and there was more variety on off here than I thought I was going to get at first. With more listens, this could easily become a favourite. Jan24. Well, I was right, this has become a favourite. In fact, since discovering this band, I have come to love almost everything they have done. I certainly rate this album higher than on initial listens. The songs I liked before I love now. Blunt Force Concussion has moved into a Top10 spot on my yearly songs list. Ride or Die has become a real favourite. What a heavy riff in there. It reminds me of a cross between Unwritten Law and the band I mentioned above, L.A. Guns. Damage Control is a good slower number with a very good bass line. Possession was the song that got me on these listens. Somehow I missed this one on earlier listens and did not thumb. It is a brilliant song that does the soft-loud thing wonderfully. To the Guy Who Stole My Bike is a funny little ditty too. Definitely upping this one to a full 5/5 |
L.A Guns | 0 | Checkered Past | |
KK's Priest | 0 | Sermons of the Sinner | |
Jerry Cantrell | 0 | Brighten | |
Black Label Society | 0 | Doom Crew Inc. | |
Alice Cooper | 0 | Detroit Stories | |
Iron Maiden | 0 | Senjutsu | |
Mammoth WVH | 0 | Mammoth WVH | |
Turnstile | 0 | Glow On | Oct22. I have had this one on several times now. The big songs are brilliant and the album as a whole is gelling. I initially did not like as much as earlier albums, as this did not seem to have the crunch of those. Maybe it is the the higher production values? But there are still some very cool, biting riffs on here. Some you would just have to pogo to. Songs I really like and have had thumbed for some time: 'Mystery', 'Blackout', 'Don't Play', 'Holiday' and 'Dance-Off'. 'Mystery' is such a great start to the album and is appropriately titled, as you have no idea where this song is going at the start. What a fantastic riff it kicks into and I love the vocals. 'Blackout' kicks in from the start with a crisp, stacatto riff. They got the vocals down so well on this too. 'Don't Play' is much the same, but the pace is very fast and punky here to start, then it too has a riff to die for. 'Underwater Boi' gives you a bit of time to catch your breath, even though the song lyrics are about anything but. The bass noodling and accompanying electronic beat intro to 'Holiday' really sets you up for the change to the hardcore-sounding main part of the song. Man, another killer, and possibly the best bouncy riff of the year. Nothing wrong with the next couple, then we get to one of the songs that I got onto late, 'Fly Again'. Has such a biting riff to accompany such slow, ethereal vocals. A weird, but interesting mix and the shift to the chorus is very cool. I understand a need for a change of pace, but 'Alien Love Call' is pretty crap. It does help highlight the jump into the heavy riff start of 'Wild Wrld' though, so probably works as an album track. After the cool 'Dance-Off' we get the almost 70s synthesizer sounds of 'New Heart Design' for another change-up. It does have a heavy chorus, so again, nice contrast. Keys start and suck you in at the start of 'T.L.C' too, then it errupts into a phrenetic hardcore burst. It has another change-up later. A lot squeezed into this song of under 2 minutes. I will let 'No Surprise' off the hook as it is more an interlude or intro into the last song here, 'Lonely Dezires'. As a last track, it is not bad. Probably the right song to finish with, but not a favourite of mine. Overall, this album seems to me to be quite original in a day and age where that is hard. I am dealing with their increased electronic moments, but the riffs and choruses of the killer songs here have to put this in contention for album of the year. May 23. This has been my go-to album far too often to not bring this up to amoung my favourites of this decade now. 5/5+ |
Iron Lizards | 0 | Hungry for Action | |
Thrice | 0 | Horizons / East | Dec21. So I liked Thrices elemental-themed collection of EPs and a song here and there, but I have not really followed their progression. I recall them being some sort of post-hardcore but they also have branched out in their sound. This is hard to peg, but simply sounds like a modern, electronic-influenced, rock record. I played through several times hoping something would grab me. It did not. The album is quite slow and brooding, sounding something like if Muse slowed down and got a little dark. That might sound good to some, but I found this totally boring to be honest. One heavier guitar part towards the end of the second last song was the only bit I found interesting. 1.5/5 |
Shame | 0 | Drunk Tank Pink | |
Driveways | 0 | Skeptic EP | |
Amyl & the Sniffers | 0 | Comfort to Me | |
Monstereo | 0 | In the Hollow of a Wave | |
Bad Waitress | 0 | No Taste | |
VOLBEAT | 0 | Servant Of The Mind | |
Deafheaven | 0 | Infinite Granite | Jan22. I have no idea who would recommend this to me. Slow, atmospheric, keys driven crap that just drags on and on. And then out of nowhere on later tracks we get some growled, black vocals coming in. I have absolutely zero interest in this. 0/5 |
Every Time I Die | 0 | Radical | |
Quicksand | 0 | Distant Populations | |
Viagra Boys | 0 | Welfare Jazz | Jan22. First impressions and I thought I was going to really dislike this album. I am so sick of electronics taking over rock. But then again, this is not really rock, so the electronic elements suit the music. I actually like a lot of this album. It is a strange mix of sounds and styles, some of which I really like, some I did not. It had me thinking of Nick Cave in parts, some of the horns reminded me of local favourites, The Fat Thing, the upbeat parts Idles, and even Bruce Springsteen. I could have sworn he was guesting on 'To the Country'. My favourite tracks seem to be at the start and end. 'I Ain't Nice' kicks things off and I love the vocals and basic beat of this one, even if the electronics are annoying by the end. The video is very cool too. This has really grown on me and I am even adding to my H100. 'Toad' is a real Nick Cave sort of jam, so if that is your thing, check this one out. Did not really interest me. 'Into the Sun' is a slow drum and bass number. Not bad. 'Creatures' is some sort of modern blend of Bowie, The Cars and 80s keyboards… and somehow I did not hate it :P There are a couple of skipable laptop jams and then we get the slow, piano-driven 'I Feel Alive'. It also evokes Nick Cave and is a cool, slow ditty. (It did not need the flute though ;)). 'Girls & Boys' is an oddity. It has an I Said Fred feel with the deep vocals, but contrasted with some very good vocals, all over some sort of disco beat. Weird. The slow 'To the Country' is fantastic and then the madness ends with a funny cover with Amy Taylor of Amyl & the Sniffers trading lines with the vocalist. It has a real yob-folk-country feel too it, yet I liked it. The idea behind the song reminds me of tunes like 'Wish Me Well (You Can Go to Hell)' (by The Bouncing Souls) or even 'Fairytale of New York', but the actual sound is more like something Ween would do. How the hell to I rate something like this? I have to say, I enjoyed it a lot more than I thought I would and some of the songs and sounds wormed their way in. Odd. 3.5/5 |
Tropical Fuck Storm | 0 | Deep States | |
The Chisel | 0 | Retaliation | Dec21. 1st listen. Whoah! Whoever recommended these guys to me, thank you! After sifting through stacks of metal and toned-down pop-rock this year, this is exactly the punch in the face I needed. Right from the opening, angry chords of 'Unlawful Execution', I am in! I know nothing about this band, but will have to change that. They sound like old-school, middle-finger up, angry UK punks. The title track rocks and 'Come See Me' somehow reminds me of Aussie acts like Cosmic Psychos and even Amyl & the Sniffers - there is something about that rhythm. If this is not your thing, you have probably heard enough by three songs in (except make sure you skip to the last couple of tracks for something different). At least you have not wasted much of your time. For me, I am very keen on a deeper dive. After one play through, it was hard to pick favourites, but I liked the album over all. 'Not the Only One' has a great stomp to it - a fun singalong :). 'Shit Life Syndrome' is a song that Hung Like Hanratty could have released. 'So Do I', 'Tooth and Nail' and 'Sit and Say Nothing' have great chants and are straight to the point. 'Force Fed' has that backing guitar sound like the Clowns use, so that is a good thing. 'What Was Mine' was a surprising slower song with a more modern sound, a disco-like beat and even keys - something like Frank Carter & the Rattlesnakes are doing. Then we have a mellow track in the style of Billy Bragg. Only Hung Like Hangratty have given me these vibes in recent years, but these guys are heavier. There were also The Bronx sounds - mostly in the guitars, like on 'Nation's Pride'. Woohoo, three cheers for a band making something abrassive in this overproduced age. Oi! Oi! Oi! 4.5/5 |
The Muslims | 0 | Fuck these Fucking Fascists | |
Rise Against | 0 | Nowhere Generation | Dec21. Early tracks that I loved and added straight into my H100 earlier in the year are the first three and then the last track. The album has a cool start with 'The Numbers' (a call to arms of the common people), the awesome changes of pace in 'Sudden Urge' and then the anthemic title track. 'Talking to Ourselves' is one of their more commercial-sounding tracks and would make a fine single. I really enjoy the last minute of this one. A great bass opening to 'Broken Dreams Inc' and this is the song that has really grown on me and is standing out on this listen. What a cool, thumping rhythm. 'Forfeit' slows things down before 'Monarch' picks the pace back up. Both are very good songs. In fact, the latter was also a favourite on this play. I love the heavier elements of 'Sooner or Later' too. One of the best sing-a-longs is left for last, in 'Rules of Play'. A great track that wraps up a great package. I think I have written something similar for these guys' last few albums: sure they stick to a formula, but it is a bloody good formula. They don't have a bad song, let alone album. This is the closest they have come to having absolute ball-tearer individual songs for some time though. Thoroughly enjoyable album to these ears. 4.5/5 |
A Day To Remember | 0 | You're Welcome | |
Beartooth | 0 | Below | |
Pop Evil | 0 | Versatile | |
Chevelle | 0 | NIRATIAS | Jan22. I have had the single, 'Self Destructor', in my list for most of the year, so obviously I like that one. 'Peaches' was also a single and I remember hearing it and liking it. Let's rip through the whole album. I played this one many times in the background. Like their other albums, sonically it is very good. They get such great sound. But it does take a lot of time for me to find tracks of theirs I love. It makes it even harded when the whole album is good to very good. 'Self Destructor' is still the standout here for me. The instrumental opener is well done with a TOOL-like bass and rhythm. 'So Long Mother Earth' sounds like a continuation of their last album. It has lots of cool dynamics and vocal effects. 'Mars Simula' continues with that heavy, down-tuned sound and riffs that hit like Helmet. The guitars in 'Piistol Star (Gravity Heals)' sound like TOOL. The real grower for me was the slow and brooding 'Endlessly'. I really love that thumping bass build-up part. 'Remember When' brings in some Deftones sounding guitars which they have done in the past. The guitars are mixed so well in this track. 'Ghost and Razor' is a down and dirty alt-rock that brings more TOOL but also Seether vibes. Then as if we are floating off into the universe, the album finishes with a slow keys and voice number, before fading and coming back with some ethereal guitars. Interesting. There is a sci-fi, futuristic theme to the album, so I guess it qualifies as a concept album. The interludes work to break up the heavier and longer tracks and reinforce the sci-fi theme. Obviously, I have made some TOOL references and coule make more, like 'Peaches', another heavy track here. So if you like those guys, then check this out too. Like most of their stuff, I really rate it, without it being my go-to favourite. I think I have marked almost all of their albums this way. 4/5 |
Spiritbox | 0 | Eternal Blue | |
Kenny Hoopla | 0 | Survivor’s Guilt | |
The Bronx | 0 | The Bronx VI | |
Herzschlager | 0 | All the Nights Are Done EP | |
Frank Carter & the Rattlesnakes | 0 | Sticky | |
The Copyrights | 0 | Alone in a Dome | Nov23. Overall, I really like this album and it has only gotten better with time. I probably cannot put it on the same level as North Sentinel Island, the album that got me into these guys, but there is a chance the songs are even better. They certainly bring the nostalgia, from the dying town of Part of the Landscape to the empty store fronts of On Division. There is also some sense of growing older as a listener and like the narrator of Part of the Landscape whose hair goes from rust to ash grey. This song opens the album with a cracking riff and thumping beat. It is one of my favourites songs by the band and of 2021. I loved those emphasised chords that highlight the vocals. Even the short lead break is awesome. Halos is straight up punk rock fun with a bass-driven chorus that you have to sing along to. Stuck in the Winter has some great builds in it and also has lyrics about growing older. Pretender is a driving song about unrequited love with another fun chorus. No Dissertation brings a different sound with rapid guitars and beat but slow-delivered vocals over the top. Wow. Tell Molly has grown to be a favourite. It uses a relationship as a metaphor for life growing stale and being happy with contentment, I think. Before Midnight is an ode to the good ol' night life. Looking back to other times comes out in the lyrics here too, with the brilliant lines: 'Looks like they used to make things here, Now it doesn't even make sense.' A very cool guitar hook kicking in at the end of the chorus makes this song even better. 'No Such Thing as Grownups' is a cool title for a song and this one thumps along with cool sounds in there too - especially the second half. A very interesting vibe about denying and 'cleaning-up' history too. The melody of The One Week is fantastic. The sound of this one reminds me of another band that I cannot put my finger on at this moment: Face to Face maybe? There is something in the rhythm and vocal delivery in Brush Off that reminds me of Letters to Cleo's version of I Want You to Want Me. Enimies has a fast punk energy to it and was one of my first songs thumbed. Then comes album closer, On Division which brings all the feels of the album all wrapped up in one song. Fantastic finish. I assume they are singing about Division Street and I wonder if it is the same Division Street Banner Pilot sang about. (I am taking a guess and thinking it is a main street of Chicago?). This may just be their best album and songwriting for sure. I think I am going to have to let go of the nostalgia myself and rate this up there with North Sentinel Island. A cracking punk album and right up my alley. 5+/5 |
The Wildhearts | 0 | 21st Century Love Songs | |
NOFX | 0 | Single Album | |
Face to Face | 0 | No Way Out But Through | |
Skegss | 0 | Rehearsal | |
Seether | 0 | Wasteland EP | |
Teenage Bottlerocket | 0 | Sick Sesh! | |
Dead Ending | 0 | American Virus EP | |
Myles Kennedy | 0 | The Ides of March | Jun22. After two songs I am getting the impression this is Myles 'positive' album. It has me thinking of Neil Young at moments, but there is also a vibe that reminds me of Jon Bon Jovi's solo album. 'In Stride' is the song I already had thumbed. It combines a steel or slide guitar with a very cool stomp. Aparrently it is about preparing for a zombie apocalypse. I did not get that from the song - I read it on Wikipedia. 'Wake Me When It's Over' is a fun song that we can all relate too. Myles captures the frustration of being cooped up during the pandemic very well. 'Tell It Like It Is' is all kinds of The Black Crowes fun. 'Wanderlust Begins' reminds me of Eddie Vedder's work on the 'Into the Wild' soundtrack. I love the message of trying to find truth in the media in 'Sifting Through the Fire'. Once again, some variance of song length would have help. Not sure what Myles has against 3 minute songs :D. On a positive note, he does not rely on doing those soaring theatrics in every chorus here. He really mixes his vocals with the different sounds here. This is actually a pretty good album and I like its overall positive vibe. A very decent solo album. 3.5/5 |
Thunder | 0 | All the Right Noises | |
Dead Sara | 0 | Ain't it Tragic | |
Red Fang | 0 | Arrows | Dec21. For me, these guys have failed to hit the heights of their first couple of albums. Not only that, they don't have the few standout songs of those early albums. The case continues with Arrows. It took several listens for me to like some tracks. Tracks I added to my H100 (but well down the list) earlier this year were 'Arrows', 'My Disaster' and 'Why'. And listening now, the first couple listed there were again the first to grab me after two lacklustre opening tracks. 'Two High' has a bass-heavy riff that is pretty good. 'Interop-Mod' was a minute of feedback that was not really needed. 'Fonzi Scheme' has a cool riff, with a slightly different tone. 'Days Collide' is a slow, dour, slugdy dirge that just doesn't go anywhere. 'Rabbits in Hives' is a short blast of fun with The Bronx-like vocals to kick it off and nice, faster, change of pace. 'Why' has a cool, lo-fi build up with just vocals over slow, quiet guitars before bashing you with the heavy chorus. A much better change of dynamics and goes well with the preceeding faster jam to inject some venom near the end of the album. I was going to say that the album could have ended there, as the last two tracks add little, but the final track has a cool Hellacopters-like opening guitar riff before settling into familiar territory, though it also has a The Sword feel too. A bit more straight up rock to it. However, most of this album just blurs into one long fuzzed out riff. A good riff for sure, but lacks variety or songs that I instantly want to put at the top of a playlist (like 'Prehistoric Dog' from their debut). 3/5 |
Incisions | 0 | Bliss | |
Haggard Cat | 0 | Cheer Up | |
Solence | 0 | Deafening | |
Dee Snider | 0 | Leave a Scar | |
Billy Idol | 0 | The Roadside EP | Jan22. Okay, so I have probably not listened to new stuff from Billy Idol since that 90s Cyberpunk album. This came to my attention when the slow, brooding 'Bittertaste' was played on the radio station 91X's 2021 countdown. It is a cool acoustic song somewhere between Chris Isaac and Bruce Springsteen with modern production. The song is apparenty about his 1990 motorbike crash (where he nearly lost a leg). 'Rita Hayworth' opens the EP and it is a damn good song too. Long time guitarist, Steve Stevens, gets to show off a bit of his virtuoso too, but in a good way - not overdone at all. There are some keys and electronics on here, but these sound more like what he did on his older stuff, rather than modern ones. Such sounds are all over the sugary 'U Don't Have to Kiss Me Like That'. With the shared female vocals and almost dance beat, this one was written to be a hit, and in another time (like the 80s) it would have been. The last song also sounds like it was written by a hit factory. I found it a bit bland for the most part, but the chorus is noteworthy. This is a surprise and a very good EP. The production is just a little too crisp, as the drums do not sound real/raw (and probably aren't), but there's no denying the quality of songs here. Had this one more rocker, I'd have up the score. 3.5/5 |
Camp Trash | 0 | Downtiming EP | |
Bokassa | 0 | Molotov Rocktail | Jan24. Holy shit - these guys are good. I remember coming across their EP a few years ago. From what I remember, they had brilliant riffs, but this album is so much more. It changes style often and one song can remind me of three different bands. If you like the blues-metal of Clutch, the quirkiness of Faith No More, the raspy vocals of Dropkick Murphys or the riffs of any stoner bands, well, they have you covered. After a doom-laden intro, the riff kicks into the brilliant So Long, Idiots!. What a great song to kickstart proceedings - it alone has enough going on to tell you whether you will find something here you like. Oh man, when the vocals kick in to Pitchforks'R'Us this song just grabs you. Then the soaring chorus popular rock bands of the 80s would kill for. But from that it jumps into a 90s-alt-rock riff and then we get the homage to Faith No More's Be Aggressive with kids spelling out 'punishment'. Two songs in and I am all in. I have to mention the cool lyrics in these opening tracks too - especially, as I would assume English is a second language to this Norwegian outfit. Then the lyrics get even better in the awesomely-titled Hereticules - a song that truly expresses my current thoughts on religion. How can a song showing such contempt burst into such a catchy chorus. I am thinking they might have some The Wildhearts influence too? Low (And Behold) is the slower, riff-based rocker I am sure Danko Jones would open an album with. Then a trumpet and female backing vocals join in, and the pace changes several times. This one was not thumbed by me at this point - it is now. Godless opens with a dirty riff that could be right off a Phil Campbell & the Bastard Sons album, but then totally different vocals come in, like Dave Grohl singing a slow song. The song soon builds into another bombastic chorus. I am having trouble pegging this band but perhaps they get it right in the opening lyrics of the title track: "I'm renowned, the king of stoner punk." That might be what this is. I hear some similarities with fellow Norwegians Kvelertak in parts. Burn It All certainly reminds me of what I have heard of bands like The Wildhearts. Holy shit - another fucking irrresitible chorus wedged in amongst doomy, stoner riffs. Could the lyrics get any cooler? I think they have me pegged me in Careless (In the Age of Altruism): "I'm a burnt out slacker who loves Fat Wreck compilations." :D Code Red channels some Fu Manchu in that fuzzed-out riffing then settles into a rocker that could be straight off a The Almighty album. The vocals on here often remind of Ricky Warwick actually. They then finish with the traditional, doomy, long song at almost 8 minutes with over two minutes of riffing to introduce the track. This is certanly influenced by black metal with its atmospherics and changes of pace. Not my favourite, but I can see it being others people's favourite, especially those into Opeth and such. (I am not versed enough in this genre to make accurate comparisons, so ignore these if I am way off :D). They do not put a foot wrong on this album. I enjoyed just about every moment on here, but may have skipped it if someone described it too me. This just has to be heard. 5/5 |
Baby Strange | 0 | Land of Nothing EP | |
Slothrust | 0 | Parallel Timeline | |
Flangipanis | 0 | Fuckin' Woo | |
Black Spiders | 0 | Black Spiders | |
monsterpop | 0 | Undaunted | |
IDLES | 0 | Crawler | |
Nine Pound Hammer | 0 | When the Shit Goes Down | |
The Cold Stares | 0 | Heavy Shoes | |
Pist Idiots | 0 | Idiocracy | |
Spacelord | 0 | False Dawn | |
Whispering Sons | 0 | Several Others | |
Single Mothers | 0 | Pig EP | |
Single Mothers | 0 | Pubble | |
Danko Jones | 0 | Power Trio | Apr23. Listening to a few whole Danko Jones albums together has been a bit of a chore. Things get off to a good start here though, with 'I Want Out'. It is not long until we are back to chick-songs though. Second song 'Good Lookin'' is about what you expect. I do love the guitars in this one though, especially the second half. Same goes for 'Saturday'. 'Ship of Lies' is a good, mid-paced rocker that thankfully varies the lyrical content and I quite like 'Raise Some Hell' for similar reasons. And just as I was warming to this one, it takes a dive. I just can't gel with songs like 'Blue Jean Denim Jumpsuit'. 'Get to You' and 'Let's Rock Together' thankfully return things to a solid level, but are hardly inspiring. 'Flaunt It' picks up the pace and the lyrics did not go where I thought they would, so that was good. 'Start the Show' is a cool, ACDC-driven number to finish the album. This did not reach any great heights, but I liked it more than the last couple of Danko Jones albums I listened to whilst completing his discography. 3/5 |
“It is amazing what you can accomplish if you do not care who gets the credit.” – Harry S. Truman