2004 Band |
Votes |
Album |
Connors' Comments |
Green Day |
9 |
American Idiot |
Oct12. I still like this. I seem to have gotten a little sick of the slower songs, but I still love the medleys and there were more upbeat ones than I remember :) Jul19. The title track blew me away when it came out. Though I felt there were too many slow songs initially, this album grew on me. Even the longer songs were good as they were made up of parts. The concept album was good, but they did not need to try and take it further on next album. I saw them live this tour too and it was a good show, but nothing on the sweaty punk show I saw in '96. Just didn't have the sound for stadium rock at the time. Anyway, finding some of these fun again, inc Holiday, St. Jimmy and She's A Rebel (a song I always liked). And Tre returns for one of his quirky moments in all this seriousness :D Anyway, loved this album and that is what I am reviewing… what comes next is for next review. Jan24. American Idiot still sits at the top of my 2004 H100 songs 20 years later, so obviously I still like this punk rock number. Jesus of Suburbia is one of my favourite long songs. I love the change-ups and pacing of this one. Such good riffs in the different parts of this song. Holiday has a great bounce to it and I love Trey's drum fills here. On the album I am listening to it is joined to Boulevard of Broken Dreams which is a pit of a pain in the arse As I would rate Holiday quite higher in my H100 list and cannot separate them. Are we the Waiting? and St. Jimmy are also joined as one track. The former is a nice slow intro into the latter and I love when the change kicks in. What a cool riff and bass to kick off St. Jimmy. The shouted back-up vocals also make this track, along with the cool fast pace. Give Me Novocaine is paired with She's a Rebel and again forms the slower intro to the other song. I love both of these tracks as 'Novocaine kicks into an excellent heavier moment for the chorus and then slides back to to mellow tones. Once again I love how the slow part kicks straight into She's a Rebel, one of my favourite tracks on the album. They channel some of the Foxboro Hottubs on Extraordinary Girl which is paired with Letterbomb. Again, the kickstart to the second track is amazing, complete with Trey's build-up on the drums. Wake Me Up When September Ends has more meaning to me these days after my mate/cousin died in this month and he loved the album. A very endearing slow song. Looking back now, part one of Homecoming has a sound representative of where they went with albums like Revolution Radio, but then later parts up the ante and infuse more phrenetic energy. There is even a bit of Alice Cooper to one part. Two of my favourite long songs right here on one album. I do not sat that often. Whatshername could easily have been a left over track from Warning. It too has a great change of pace when the main riff kicks in. Yeah, I have to up my score back to a 5/5 where I am pretty sure I started, but lowered when listening to their whole discography. Not counting here, but the bonus tracks on the deluxe version are all very good too. 5/5 |
The Killers |
6 |
Hot Fuss |
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds |
6 |
Abattoir Blues/The Lyre Of Orpheus |
Arcade Fire |
5 |
Funeral |
The John Butler Trio |
4 |
Sunrise Over Sea |
The Hives |
4 |
Tyrannosaurus Hives |
Jul20. Opening track, Abra Cadaver's lyrics are as weird as all hell, but this a great, upbeat and catchy start. I don't know this album as well as the previous one and only the opening track and Walk, Idiot, Walk are in my #2004H100 before this listen. The second song has their jangly, 60s garage vibe going, all over a disco-like drum track. It also continues the weird lyrics, which seem to be a feature here. Walk, Idiot, Walk has a little ACDC rhythm to it. No Pun Intended is a racous jam, as are the next two songs. I just keep adding more songs to my #2004H100 list. Not as immediate as the last album, but solid songs. See-Through Head maintains the vibe and odd lyrics. From there, it is a decent run to the end of the album. 4/5 |
Descendents |
4 |
Cool To Be You |
Oct19. Not sure how these guys maintain such a consistent, quality sound, when all four members write songs. Uncanny. Talking is a cool intro song and Nothing with You is also good. Both of these are Aukerman-written songs (though I would have pegged them as Stevenson)? My respect for bass player Alvarez's songwriting is further reinforced on this album. He goes from the casual and fun relationship song, She Don't Care, to the awesome 'Merican (which is along similar lines to NOFX's Franco Unamerican), and then into the cool, observational Dog and Pony Show. Blast Off has some of the best riffing, but it is the Cool to be You that shined mid-album (another Alvarez song that picks up where Dog & Pony Show left off). Stevenson only wrote 3 songs here, and they are not his usual light-hearted contributions, no doubt due the the death of his father in this time (a relationship so openly captured on One More Day), though, he does get one food song on here. ;) Mass Nerder is brilliant Descendents and plays on the nerdy/intelligent contradictions this band brought to the scene whilst also singing about flatulence. Another great juxtaposition this group gets away with due to the several writing band members, I guess. Although a song mid-album and few near end did not stand out, this album does not put a foot wrong. 4/5 |
Bad Religion |
4 |
The Empire Strikes First |
Oct12. An underrated album? The rollicking Social Suicide is awesome, as is Los Angeles Is Burning and the title track. Several other very good songs, no poor ones and fantastic lyrics as usual. Dec18. I like this the more I hear it. I keep adding new songs to my H100. Consider it one of their strongest LPs now. Nov22. I missed this album at the time, but every time I listen, I rate it even more. What a great opening with the awesome riff and pace of Sinister Rouge into the bounce of Social Suicide. Both could easily serve as singles. Things do not let up. Atheist Peace is an underrated track and has a No Fun At All guitar sound in there and some chants for the crowd to join in. Things do not drop off either. All There Is is a cool track and then leads into the brilliant L.A. is Burning which is one of their best songs. Another song I have had rocketing up my Bad Religion list follows - Let Them Eat War is fantastic. God's Love is another I have thumbed and in my 2004 H100, meaning I have every song to this point in there (other than Overture which is just the intro to the album). Whilst not thumbed, To Another Abyss is a damn good album track and I just added The Quickening to my 2004 H100 during this listen. The title track is saved for late in the album and it really perks things back up. What a great riff. Three longer, and weaker, tracks take the album out, but this band does not do poor songs or average albums. Sticking with my rating from earlier reviews. 4.5/5 |
Franz Ferdinand |
4 |
ST |
Dec18. I was skeptical of this being here. Then I enjoyed the first half of LP, but it wore a little thin after that. Not sure of it being so high, still, I would listen to again. 3/5 |
Velvet Revolver |
4 |
Contraband |
Sum 41 |
3 |
Chuck |
Oct12. Probably my favourite of theirs. It has their heavier moments with some metal licks, but there were also several slower ones on here. Favs: No Reason, Open Your Eyes, Bitter End, I'm Not The One and bonus track Noots. Also like the slower Some Say and There's No Solution. Dec18. I love the variety on this. A lot more heaviness in the riffs. The heavier songs and the slower songs are all very good. A great mix. Jul19. Holy crap, this is a bloody great album. All the way through! Love the riffing and the slow songs are some of their best too. I just put this outside the Top10 albums for 2000-2009, but I am going to change that right now. Jan24. Another album where I have every song thumbed and consider one of the best for the decade. No Reason is the perfect song. What a cracking build into the chorus and shouted backing vocals. Every part of this song is a hook. We're All To Blame starts off with a metal riff and gang vocals, then settles into a fast-paced rhythm for the verses, before slowing right down for the chorus. Great dynamics. Angels with Dirty Faces is not the strongest track here but is still good, whereas Some Say is the sound that kep this band popular going forward. They then jump into almost thrash riffing to kick off The Bitter End. What a change of pace. There is even shredding in this one - a great track to pump up the adrenaline. And then back to the fun-paced punk rock with Open Your Eyes which could have come off Does This Look Infected. Such a good song. The short and slow Slipping Away serves more like a short interlude or mid-album intermission. I'm Not the One also has their big rock sound with some heavy riffing. Welcome to Hell is flat out, bass-driven, punk rock. Pieces sounds like The Beatles inspired pop-rock bliss. There's No Solution is straight-up, mid-paced rock with a good build into the chorus. 88 is a late underrated track that I enjoy, somewhere between their rock and punk sounds. Then Noots ends the album in style, leaving me wondering what in the hell were my favourite tracks and parts - there are just so many. The variety, the hooks, the sound and even the story behind this album is all fully engaging. Another defining album of the decade. 5+/5 |
Killswitch Engage |
3 |
The End of Heartache |
Dec18. Although no individual song leaped out at me, a solid metal album. Worth more listens. 3/5 |
The Black Keys |
3 |
Rubber Factory |
Dec18. Played through a couple of times whilst doing other things. Sounded good, but need more listens 3.5/5 |
Spiderbait |
3 |
Tonight Alright |
Oct12. I should have loved this album as it was all rockers, but it just lacked that quirky variety that I had come to love on Spiderbait albums. One of the best covers ever and a lot of very good rock songs, but little that stands out. Listening to again, I liked the slower Tonight quite a lot. Dec19. It is that hard, buzzsaw guitar that is missing from this album despite the return of the rock and the backseat of the electro of last 2 albums. It's almost there in The Dog, but it is not one of the stronger tracks here. I enjoyed some of the songs I have not paid too much attention to this time: Live in a Box, 5th Set and even Cows. I'm quite surprised at how I don't know this full album very well. Jan24. Well, I am not sure why I did not gel with Take Me Back more: it builds into a very cool rocker. I love the fuzzed out sound of Live in a Box and Janet's vocals are awesome in this track. What a cool rhythm to it too. Put it Down has a nice faster beat and has always been a favourite from the album. Fucken Awesome was also an early favourite. Kram's drums drive the beat and Janet nails the vocals again. Whit's guitars approach previous levels of fuzz on 5th Set and The Dog and are my favourite parts of these songs. Great riffing. Cows gets the head nodding from the opening beat. Even the slow Tonite is appealing. Seems to channel a little of what Kram did in Hot Rollers. Nice. Alright kicks of with face melting guitar and jumps straight into the action. The fuzz is back for In This City, another track I loved from the start, then we get the strange ditty of Picky to end a fine album. This is a better album than I have often given it credit for, mainly because I compared it to their previous albums, which are among my favourite Aussie albums. It does not have that collection of absolute ball tearers, but is consitently better than very good. 4.5/5 |
Grinspoon |
3 |
Thrills, Kills and Sunday Pills |
Jan24. Such a fucking cool start with the heavy, but mid-paced rock of Hard Act to Follow. This has a good riff (which the band do so well) and has the lyric giving the album its title. I've got to admit, I don't really know this album other than the singles. Weird. Hold On Me is another good stomper. Choke is the early slow number but is nowhere near as good as songs like Chemical Heart and comes too early in the album. I have often lamented bands putting a slow song at #3 after building great momentum in first two tracks. Holy shit, they soon get it back though. That riff that starts Bleed You Dry and pumps up the chorus is awesome. What a groove. Enemy almost has a Powderfinger feel to it. It is a well crafter rock song made for radio. The fuzzed out guitars of Rising Tide are more my style and I like the slow vocal style in this one too. Better Off Alone is a much better slower song that would have been a better #3 track. Kiss It has another solid riff and a very chool chorus. There are a couple of uninspiring slower songs and then the thump of the soaring Hideaway that channels a little bit of the band they loved touring with, Unwritten Law (when they went rock after touring with Grinspoon). Another slower track takes out the album, but they could have ended with Hideaway. A few songs that did not grab me, but still a very solid album and they are still masters of the rock riff. 3.5/5 |
Slipknot |
3 |
Vol. 3: The Subliminal Verses |
Sonic Youth |
3 |
Sonic Nurse |
My Chemical Romance |
3 |
Three Cheers for Sweet Revenge |
Mark Lanegan Band |
3 |
Bubblegum |
The Libertines |
3 |
ST |
The Walkmen |
3 |
Bows & Arrows |
Les Savy Fav |
3 |
Inches |
The Hold Steady |
3 |
Almost Killed Me |
Nightwish |
2 |
Once |
Megadeth |
2 |
The System Has Failed |
Converge |
2 |
You Fail Me |
Isis |
2 |
Panopiticon |
Neurosis |
2 |
The Eye of Every Storm |
Eskimo Joe |
2 |
A Song is a City |
Dec18. Hmmm. All slow and even ponsy. I like their pop quirkiness, but nothing really stood out here. From the Sea okay. 1.5/5 |
TV on the Radio |
2 |
Desperate Youth Blood-Thirsty Babes |
Bowling for Soup |
2 |
A Hangover You Don't Deserve |
Jan24. Eighteen tracks long and I already have nine of them thumbed before this listen. I know I have always loved songs from this album, but felt it was a little too long. Let's see what I think now. Things start with the brilliant bounce of Almost that has some of their best lyrics. I have always liked Trucker Hat - given I wear band turcker hats all the time, I might be a bit biased on this one. Not many know that 1985 is actually a cover, but what a cracking song. I love songs that not only get you looking back but reference other bands. Get Happy has a nice bounce to it and Ohio (Come Back To Texas) is as catchy as herpies with a lot of cool lyrics too. I'm not real keen on the next two tracks, but the chugging riff of Last Call Casualty is neat. Next Ex-Girlfriend has a lovely melody and is easy to like. A-Hole treads the line between sappy and funny. My Hometown does the start slow and then kick in to gear well. I love it. A good shout out to hometowns and people that make them - both good and bad. Smoothie King is a funny love song, or is that an anti-love song? Sad Sad Situation continues with the humourous lyrics but also has one of the heaviest riffs on here. Overall, a fucking cool song. Down for the Count is also a catchy number that has grown on me over the years. Friends O Mine is a nice little acoustic ode to mates. This is the sort of shit that gets me through a day. Excellent album for my tastes. 4.5/5 |
Wolfmother |
2 |
ST EP |
Clutch |
2 |
Blast Tyrant |
Jan24. How cool is Mercury to kickstart an album? I have not really listened to this track before. When it kicks in it slams. I know the bluesy feel is strong on this album and it is sure on display in Profits of Doom. Such a dirty and gritty sounding song. It only gets better with Mob Goes Wild. Holy shit, the amount of awesome riffs on display here. The lyrics are just awesome too. Cypress Grove is another song I did not have thumbed from this album - I do now. Neil's vocals are top notch here too, especially on songs like Promoter. There is no let-up on this. And we have not got to the absolute brilliance of The Regulator that comes up next. You would not even think this was an anachronism if the band was playing this in a tavern in a Wild West movie. I did not have the next three tracks thumbed either and all are very good, especially Spleen Merchant. Swollen Goat is another dirty rocker and it is hard to get wrapped up in a groover like Subtle Hustle. I love the acoustic-led epic of Ghost. The last two songs are my least favourite, but they are still good, including a jam to finish the album. Is this Clutch's best album. It has to come close. 5/5 |
Jebediah |
2 |
Braxton Hicks |
Jan24. I can't believe, for a band I love, that this album basically passed my by. It came at a very busy time of my life and I have just never gone back to it. Seems odd doing so now. More Alone is a nice start with its sweet melodies |
Hot Snakes |
2 |
Audit in Progress |
Rise Against |
2 |
Siren Song for the Counter Culture |
Oct12. Discovered this band too late. Listening to this now makes it hard to not include in my Top7 for the year. Whilst this album isn't quite my favourite Rise Against album, it has cool tracks in Life Less Frightening, Paper Wings and the slow Swing Life Away, and it also has probably my second favourite song of theirs; Give It All. After another listen, I would have to add Anywhere But Here to the top tracks (with one of the best 'Whoahs' in a punk song ;)). Well, like other albums, Rise Against simply don't write a poor song. Nov19. State of the Union and Blood To Bleed are both heavier tracks worthy of attention too. I still find myself singing Life Less Frightening from time to time. To Them These Streets Belong is a pretty well crafted punk song too. All these years later and Give It All still sits at #2 on my 2004 Hotterest100. The songs towards the back end got my attention this time through. How I failed to mention the brilliance of Rumours of My Demise are Greatly Exaggerated in previous comments, I don't know. Jan24. Not much to add to the above as I still agree with all, other than to mention other tracks that are also very good, such as Tip the Scales. Still a very enjoyable alble with many standout tracks. 5/5 |
Lamb of God |
2 |
Ashes of the Wake |
Eagles of Death Metal |
2 |
Peace Love Death Metal |
Kings of Leon |
2 |
Aha Shake Heartbreak |
Probot |
2 |
ST |
Motörhead |
2 |
Inferno |
Wilco |
2 |
A Ghost is Born |
Modest Mouse |
2 |
Good News for People That Like Bad News |
The Vines |
2 |
Winning Days |
The Explosion |
2 |
Black Tape |
Oct12. Yep, still love this album. This album just gets the blood pumping :) Jan24. I can't believe I have not written my CCs for this album. As it stands, this is my #1 2004 album and sits at #2 for the 2000s decade albums. So, basically, I love the sound and every song on this album. It just suits my style so well. Deliver Us serves as a short intro into the album and then Filthy & Insane melts your face. One of my favourite punk songs ever. So a great stomp and shout of the chorus that clearly references the past. Here I Am is the catchiest moment on the album and what a cool, inspiring song. I Know has a cool guitar hook intro and then just the vocals. You know this is going to build into something cool and it certainly does. What a great chant of "I know, somethin' 'bout you". We All Fall Down could easily have been a radio hit. A great ode to friends. Same with Mothers Cry. Atrocity is the anti-war song you wish would not still be relevant 20 years later, but is. Then we get back the punkt rock fury of Go Blank. Such a cool, fast track. No Revolution is a track rerecorded from their previous record and fits in well here. Another chart-topper if there were lists for my type of music. I am sure anyone who likes rock could find something to like in a song like Heavyweight. It even has a few rock cliches with backing vocals and Choir Boys-like drums and beat. Grace has a great riff, driving rhythm and a fantastic chorus. When listening to the album, you wonder when the lesser moments will arrive, but they do not. The album is perfect and finishes with the brilliant Hollywood Sign with its great chant of "What are we getting out of this?" and then jumps into one of the best riffs on the album. Still contender for album of the decade. Definitely album of 2004. 5+/5 |
Gyroscope |
1 |
Sound Shattering Sound |
Interpol |
1 |
Antics |
The Polyphonic Spree |
1 |
Together We're Happy |
Ash |
1 |
Meltdown |
Edguy |
1 |
Hellfire Club |
Iced Earth |
1 |
The Glorious Burden |
Damageplan |
1 |
New Found Power |
Flogging Molly |
1 |
Within a Mile of Home |
Jul19. I love this album. Some of the best celtic/folk/punk going around. Tobacco Island & Seven Deadly Sins are top10 songs for 2004. So many other interesting stories/songs. Jan24. Well, this album deserves a deeper look. It has definitely become one of my favourites lingering around the Top10 albums of the decade. Screaming at the Wailing Wall kicks things off with a fast beat and great sing-a-long. Things get even better with the pirate song, Seven Deadly Sins. Fucking brilliant. If this song does not get you out of your chair you have two peg-legs. The slow bass and drum beat of Factory Girls is awesome and this is a great duet (with Lucinda Williama). The pace picks up again for the upbeat ode to young love of To Youth (My Sweet Roisin Dubh). Whistles the Wind arrives at the right time to give you a rest. Such as nice slow song that seems to go out to friends not doing so well. Light of a Fading Star has that fantastic build to it, and what a chorus! Then comes quite possibly my favourite Flogging Molly song in Tobacco Island. One of the best story and historical songs. Tomorrow Comes a Day Too Soon has such a stomp, you could see a band in an old tavern playing this with people dancing around and smoke covering the ceiling. We take to the seas again on the Queen Anne's Revenge - what an absolute toe-thumper. Even when they slow down a little, they are so engaging. Wanderlust starts slowly but quickly builds into a great Celtic stomp. The title track continues the fun then we slow right down to The Spoken Wheel. Oddly, the last three tracks are the only ones I did not have thumbed. I have no idea how I did not have With a Wonder and a Wild Desire in my H100. It starts all slow with an acousitc guitar and vocals and then leaps into a racous, must-poggo jig. Don't Let Me Die is probably an approapriate mournful tune to end with, but it does overshadow the sheer fun of most of the album. Great story-telling and song writing on display here. Yep, upping the score to the best possible, as I can come back to this album at any time and it puts me in a great mood. I still have two songs here in my Top5 of 2004 too. 5+/5 |
Dragonforce |
1 |
Sonic Firestorm |
Ayreon |
1 |
The Human Equation |
Europe |
1 |
Start from the Dark |
Mastodon |
1 |
Leviathan |
Oct19. Already a much better start on this album; I like the vocals in the opening track, Blood & Thunder - maybe it has something to do with having Clutch singer (Neil Fallon) on board. The driving riff behind it is awesome. The song is a cracking opening. The sounds that finish Seabeast are very cool. I liked Iron Tusk and Megalodon though the latter's lyrics are odd. I like the aquatic/nautical/water theme here, but the album did drag on a bit towards end. Drumming is crazy good again, as is a lot of the playing, it's just not all my thing and again, I did not like some of the vocals (though much more varied than first album). Oct21. Hmmm, so this album won all sorts of metal accolades and failed to poll more than one vote in our 7ROck #2004Albums run, when 24 albums made the collcection and Arcade Fire and The Killers made Top4. :/ What the Hell? I am not even a metalhead and know that this should have been up there. The drumming captured me again on this listen - this time from the very opening beats of the first song. The first three tracks have now been 'thumbed'. The same songs stood out again, but I liked some others, like the brooding 'Naked Burn' - it has some interesting dynamics for sure. I didn't even feel the drag in the 2nd half until the 13 minute 'Hearts Alive'. I am happy with my score for this one, mainly because I know how much more I enjoy later albums (and am going to have trouble ranking them) 3.5/5 |
Threshold |
1 |
Subsurface |
TISM |
1 |
The White Album |
Nattfödd |
1 |
Finntroll |
Avril Lavigne |
1 |
Under My Skin |
Dec18. Actually quite enjoyed this. As worthy as Franz Ferdinand being here. Not likely to add songs to H100, but consistently pretty good. 3/5 |
Reigning Sound |
1 |
Too Much Guitar |
Goatsnake |
1 |
Trampled Under Hoof |
The Tea Party |
1 |
Severn Circles |
Helmet |
1 |
Size Matters |
International Noise Conspiracy |
1 |
Armed Love |
Jello Biafra & The Melvins |
1 |
Never Breathe What You Can't See |
John Frusciante |
1 |
Will to Death |
Ministry |
1 |
Houses of the Mole |
The Exies |
1 |
Head For The Door |
Breaking Benjamin |
1 |
We Are Not Alone |
Edgewater |
1 |
South of Sideways |
Chevelle |
1 |
This Type of Thinking (Could Do Us In) |
May17. A couple of listens in and I am liking many songs on this. No out-and-out killers, but consistently very good. I am sure with repeated listens I will develop some favorites. Jul19. A few favourites emerging now, inc: Still Running, Another Know It All, Vitamin R, The Clincher, Get Some and Emotional Drought. Yeah, more Tool-like, and a pretty good album. 4/5 |
The Tragically Hip |
1 |
In Between Evolution |
The Living End |
1 |
Modern ARTillery |
Everlast |
1 |
White Trash Beautiful |
The Von Bondies |
1 |
Pawn Shoppe Heart |
Death From Above 1979 |
1 |
You're A Woman, I'm a Machine |
They Might Be Giants |
1 |
The Spine |
Terrifyer |
1 |
Pig Destroyer |
Cannibal Corpse |
1 |
Wretched Spawn |
Behemoth |
1 |
Demigod |
Deicide |
1 |
Scars Of The Crucifix |
Monster Magnet |
1 |
Monolithic Baby |
PJ Harvey |
1 |
Uh Huh Her |
! ! ! |
1 |
Louden Up Now |
The Datsuns |
1 |
Outta Sight, Outta Mind |
Guttermouth |
1 |
Eat Your Face |
The Voodoo Glow Skulls |
1 |
Adiccion, Tradicion, Revolucia |
Toy Dolls |
1 |
Our Last Album? |
The Used |
1 |
In Love & Death |
The Matches |
1 |
E. Von Killed the Locals |
Blue Cathedral |
1 |
Comets on Fire |
Brides of Destruction |
1 |
Here Come the Brides |
Oct12. A decent album, but not likely to make the cut (for my Top7 2004 albums). Natural Born Killers, I Don't Care and Revolution are stand outs. Only the last track seemed weak. |
Tesla |
1 |
Into the Now |
Dokken |
1 |
Hell to Pay |
WASP |
1 |
The Neon God Part One |
Kasabian |
1 |
ST |
R.E.M |
1 |
Around the Sun |
1208 |
0 |
Turn of the Screw |
Mar19. Consistently good. I enjoyed a lot of these songs. A fair bit of Pulley in here which is a good thing. Can't believe I did not listen to these guys more in the day. Loved The Next Big Thing from an Epitaph sampler in day, but there are so many other good songs here. 4/5 |
The Haunted |
0 |
rEVOLVEr |
Aug19. Given the amount of heavy artists in this list and Killswitch Engage making the final mix for #2004Albums, I am very surprised this did not receive a single vote. With the Slayer-like opening No Compromise I was hooked, even though I don't listen to a lot of this stuff. Huge, fat chunky riffs on display - check out Sabotage - that has just a bit of Pantera to it. Abysmal has a rather clean/catchy introduction before it too turns to good mayhem. It sounded a bit similar through latter part, but that happens when you don't really know songs. This is a cool, heavy album that I will listen to more when I am in the mood for such stuff. 3.5/5 |
New Mexican Disaster Squad & Western Addiction |
0 |
Split EP |
Oct19. NMDS kick off the EP with two good, frenetic punk, bordering on hardcore, songs. Porcelain End, which follows, has a pretty catchy riff once you get into the song. I came here for Western Addiction, but I enjoyed the other guys just as much. The first 2 songs are probably my favourites here, but whole EP is solid and with repeated listens I am sure more will stand out. 3/5 |
Strung Out |
0 |
Exile In Oblivion |
Nov19. Analog is a decent first track, but second track, Blueprint for the Fall is excellent. Katatonia was enjoyable and stood out to me on each listen. Angeldust is catchy as hell and has a Rise Against kind of vibe to it. Lucifermotorcade brings in the heaviness before Vampires returns with the catchiness and even has a part where I was singing Toto's Africa - very similar vocal harmony there :P. No Voice of Mine reminded me of Refused, especially the opening guitars. Anna Lee is the poppiest they get and this could have been on a New Found Glory album and Swan Dive or The Misanthropic Principle could have topped the charts if they were released at another time (and probably by another band). Holy crap, rating these guys' albums is so hard. They are just consistently so good but with few standout tracks. Though I did feel there was a bit more variety here than previous albums. Jan24. This band has certainly grown on me and after listening to this one again, I thumbed a couple more tracks and moved most others up my 2004 H100, so I am upping my score slightly. 4.5/5 |
Seether |
0 |
Disclaimer II |
Oct12. Several fantastic songs and some of my favourites: Gasoline, Fuck It, Fine Again and the slower Broken. |
The Methadones |
0 |
Not Economically Viable |
Oct12. Favs from this album when I first heard it: Bored With Television, Hit A Nerve and Straight Up Pop Song. Having listened through it again, my opinion remains the same. 3 awesome songs and the rest pretty standard pop-punk fare. Not likely to make top 7 on three killers. Jan24. Time for a deeper dive into this one. I just read that it is sort of a concept album based on the movie Faling Down. I am not usually into concept albums, and listened to this many times without knowing this, but if you were going to do a concept album on a movie - what a choice. Bored with Television is a fantastic start to the album. My favourite song here and could well be the song that got me into this band many years ago. Mess We Made is a simply pop-punk number and has grown on me, so thumbing this one. I love the guitar work in What Went Wrong? and the chugging guitars in Annie. I have not paid enough attention to other album tracks before. There are a lot more here than the initial three standout tracks. Million Miles has the ringing guitars and awesome rhythm of a Teenage Bottlerocket song. Turning Inside Out is a more upbeat, straight up punk song. Nine songs in and they drop Hit a Nerve that brings The Hives-like energy. I have always loved this song and I am enjoying it even more now. I love the slow-paced Straight Up Pop Song. It does the slow song thing but still with electric guitar (reminding me a little of Good Riddance). Good stuff. 4/5 |
McLusky |
0 |
The Difference Between You and Me Is that I'm Not On Fire. |
Oct12. Has all the quirky twists and feel of the type of album I would love, like older Spiderbait albums, but still lacks any real standout tracks that make me want to elevate this above other albums from this year. It would certainly win album name of the year (if not century ;)). |
Orange Goblin |
0 |
Thieving from the House of God |
Mar20. Kicks off with the cool riffing of Some You Win, Some You Lose. I liked the rest, it's just this song stood out slightly more than the rest. It's really hard to distinguish albums with these guys. They write consistently good songs but vary little in style. That does not bother me; they do what they do well, and I like it. It just takes a lot more listens than the time I have right now to truly distinguish songs from one another. I do know, I can come back and listen to this album at any time and I will enjoy it. 3.5/5 |
Project 86 |
0 |
Songs to Burn Bridges By |
Jun20. I have been listening to the opening track The Spy Hunter and liked it enough to check out the album. Second song, Oblivion, is a good riffer too - finishes with spacey sound like Monster Magnet might use. A Shadow of Me channels sounds more like Linkin Park. Safe Haven has some good pace changes and channels a little of everyone from Korn to Incubus. Some vocal delivery even sounds like Trent Reznor. This stuff mixes up so much, much like Faith No More did. Now I am hearing sounds like Bare Bones in The Great Golden Gate Disaster - a cool rumbling and heavy on the riffs song. There is also a lot of Limp Bizkit to the overall sound on this album. It is a pretty good album, but a bit long. I tuned out a little after a while, as this is not my favourite sound, but I really liked this. Easier to take a few songs from than to listen to as a whole for me. 3/5 |
Therapy? |
0 |
Never Apologise, Never Explain |
Feb22. I did not know this album at all going into this, other than having heard 'Die Like a MF' somewhere. It seems to be a bit of a return to their early, phrenetic sound. 'Rise Up' is a decent opener, but just lacks that distinct drum sound of their early stuff. 'Perish the Thought' has a very cool groove to it. 'Rock Your Monkey' has a very cool vibe to it and even reminds me a bit of Supergrass. 'Dead' opens with a guitar sound similar to one of my current favourite bands, The Story So Far. It doesn't last long before jumping to a heavy riff. This is a very cool song too. 'Long Distance' isn't a bad mid-paced rocker. 'Last One to Heaven's a Loser' is a fun, upbeat finish to the album. I like the back-to-basics feel of this album and whilst few songs stood out on initial listens, with repeated listens I am just like the album as a whole. 4/5 |
Senses Fail |
0 |
Let It Enfold You |
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Floor |
0 |
Dove |
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The Caburetors |
0 |
Pain is Temporary, Glory is Forever |
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Hundred Reasons |
0 |
Shatterproof is Not a Challenge |
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Fu Manchu |
0 |
Start The Machine |
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Alter Bridge |
0 |
One Day Remains |
Jun22. I have listened to most other Alter Bridge albums before coming back to this one. Form the opening track I am enjoying it. The sound on later albums seems too produced or compressed. I am not getting that here. I am finding their albums consistently very good too, but with little blowing me away either. 'Find the Real' is a great start to the album (and their career). Tremonti showing his chops early on. He shines on this and second track 'One Day Remains'. I thought I was getting a bit over listening to these guys this month (as I try and get through Myles' whole discography), but this one really has got my attention at this early stage of the album. I am not a fan of going for a slow track at third song in but 'Open Your Eyes' reminds me of Myles good Mayfield Four stuff. I probably would not have backed that up with the slow-to-mid-paced, six minute, 'Burn It Down' though. 'Metalingus' is a premtive strike of the that heavy riffing that only seems to get more prominent on albums. It has a very cool bridge and one of my favourite Alter Bridge choruses, as Myles does not drag out the last sound of each line. Then we go back into two more very slow songs, the ballad 'Broken Wings' and the sentimental 'In Loving Memory' (dedicated to Tremonti's mother who passed away). 'Down to My Last' has a very cool riff that complements Myles' vocals more than the down-tuned riffing on later albums. The song also does the soft verses and loud chorus thing that I am a sucker for. We end with some more slower tracks. Whilst I think there are too many slow tracks on here, the sound is overall warmer than on later albums that seem to just be constant riffing without the songs standing out from the overall sound. Here, I enjoyed several individual tracks on my very first listen. That might mean later albums are 'builders' that require more listens, but right now, I have more songs from this debut than I chose from the later albums. I am putting this above other Alter Bridge albums for the variety and standout tunes. It is also closer in sound to Mayfield Four's 'Second Skin'. 4/5 |
Pulley |
0 |
Matters |
Jan24. Probably the album I know least by this band. It starts with a couple of cool sounding songs that almost have a live sound. I like that raw mix. The build at the rearend of Blindfold is especially cool, Huber Breeze is okay, but Insects Destroy is where it is at. What a great song comparing humans to insects. Immune was the only other song I had in my 2004 H100 songs list before this listen. It has a cool rhythm to it and is a decent mid-paced rock/punk song. YSC picks up the pace with a standard punk beat. There are some good songs on the way to the end where they finish with a slow acoustic number. That was a surprise. I always love the vocals in Pulley but I did not connect with several of the lyrics on this album. There is nothing bad here, but this album lacks standouts too. It seems a little one-dimensional, even to me. The second half was better than I expected though as I did not really know any of the songs after Immune. 3.5/5 |
Taking Back Sunday |
0 |
Where You Want to Be |
Jan24. I have had 2 songs from this album in my 2004 H100, but have never really listened to the album. I like the first track Set Phasers to Stun and it contains the lyric that game the album its name. It is a mid-paced rocker with a bit of screamo at the end and is a good start to proceedings. Second song did not do a lot for me but A Decade Under the Influence is sheer brilliance. This sits in my Top10 songs for 2004 and has so many good sing-a-long lines such as "I've got a bad feeling about this" and "To Hell with you and all your friends." This Photograph is Proof does the slow/quiet, loud verse thing wonderfully. This was the second song I already had in my song list for 2004. I like the riff in The Union and it has a good scream, but overall not a standout. Then we get a slow acoustic number then they return to their formula on I am Fred Astaire. Number Five with a Bullet was the next song I thumbed. I quite liked this one. Little Devotional is good too, but like the rest here is a good song without really grabbing you. Ina ll i liked this sound, but the album suffers from repetition, not just in sound and song structure, but in actual repetition of lines within songs. This works a few times, but wore me down a little by the end. A killer song, an excellent song and a couple of very good ones. There is nothing bad here either. 3.5/5 |
Burning Brides |
0 |
Leave No Ashes |
Jan21. Now here is a band I need to hear more of. I came across the song Heart Full of Black (which opens the album) and immediately fell in love with it. Such a full-throttle rocker. It went straight into my Top10 songs of 2004. The band should be well known - they are a husband and wife affair and sadly the band ended after four albums when the marriage did. Both Dmitri and Melanie contributed songs to a Mark Lanegan album and Dmitri played with Chris Cornell and was a founding member of OFF! (with Keith Morris). Second song, Come Alive is almost Brit-pop/rock and reminds me a lot of Aussie band Even. Alternative Teenage Suicide is a swinging rocker that brings to mind similarly named Brides of Destruction, but starts just like another song I can't recall at the moment (but it is bugging me). I love the howl in King of the Demimonde. It is a slow chugging song and showcases the different styles of rock they embrace on here. Century Song is another one I had previously thumbed and it too reminds me of Even as it swaggers along. Dance with the Devil takes the Aussie comparisons further as this one reminds me more of Jet. The title track was another I previously liked and the fuzzed out riff is mammoth. Weird this is an American band because on To Kill a Swan they remind me of The Vines. It might be mostly the vocals, but I dig the solid riff too. The acoustics and slight country twang come out for Pleasure in the Pain, a song I thought I would not like, but this has a very cool vibe going on - almost channeling some ZZ Top. Two tracks near the end even verge on classic rock. Then they finish with a song you'd expect from a band playing in a sweaty, seedy bar somewhere with the slowish Vampire Waltz. An odd song indeed. They certainly cover more ground here than I remember when I first heard this album. Most of it is very good, but some moments don't gel with me. Definitely worth delving further into their discography though. 4/5 |
Thornley |
0 |
Come Again |
Jan24. This album also came to my attention when I had a chance hearing of one song and loved it. That song was Easy Comes and it still sits in the Top20 of my 2004 songs depsite being different to the mostly punk songs making up the rest. This band formed when Ian Thornley's other band broke up. This band was Big Wreck which many may be familiar with but I was not. There is no denying Ian sounds a lot like Chris Cornell and although a little more riff-based, the music is not a world away from Soundgarden. It is certainly more rock and less metal for the most part. Come Again has an ethereal feel to it, especially in the chorus. Like many songs here it is based on a fat riff. Third and fourth songs in and we get accoustic intros, but the big riffs soon kick in. I found these two a little cliche and very much in the style of Nickelback. The next song Keep a Good Man Down goes for the exact same dynamic. Then the face-melting start of Easy Comes has me nodding straight away. I love the strained vocals, the awesoem drum beat and of course the riffs in this one. And what a fucking chorus. This rocks! This is followed by the a-little-too-saccharine Beautiful. Still, not a bad song and reminds me of The Mayfield Four. Brightside does not do it for me at all, but the riff opening Clever perks me up again. This one certainly brings Soundgarden vibes and Found Another Way even more so. I thought I was not going to enjoy All Comes Out in the Wash but it has a great chorus and that is enough for me. Then the last song really goes for the corny and I kinda wish they had cut the album a song short. But is has some bluesy and shredding guitar later in the song that some people would enjoy. Some real cornball stuff here, but some grat riffs and cool choruses too. 3.5/5 |
After the Fall |
0 |
After the Fall |
Jan24. I really liked these guys in the day. They toured with a lot of other Aussie acts I liked but were just different enough to stand out. They had a little bit of the 2000s emo sound, but also enough Aussie rock and some punk influences to be more interesting. In that way they remind me of bands like Gyroscope. Sunshine Showers is an okay start, but Room for One More is even better. Then the single Mirror, Mirror kicks in. Not as good as later singles, but an early song that got attention. Here they remind more of acts like The Hot Lies. Absentee Without Leave and Raise the Dust are a bit Grinspoon. A good start so far, but then we get to my favourite here: Me + You = Breakdown. Such an emo title, and the song is a little that too, but what a great song. I love the driving guitars that then almost stop for the slower verses. The following songs are all good with the heavier Vacant Black Stare the best pick for me. Last song The Longest Hour is also pretty cool. A solid album in all. 3.5/5 |