Album and Song Reviews

album review #04



Queens Of the Stone Age - Songs For The Deaf

The Real Song For the Deaf - 20Hz/21Hz
Millionaire - 4.5/5
No One Knows - 5/5
First It Giveth - 5/5
A Song For The Dead - 5/5
The Sky Is Fallin' - 5/5
Six Shooter - 4/5
Hangin' Tree - 5/5
Go With The Flow - 5/5
Gonna Leave You - 5/5
Do It Again - 4.5/5
God Is In The Radio - 5/5
Another Love Song - 5/5
A Song For The Deaf - 5/5
Mosquito Song - 5/5
The Lost Art Of Keeping A Secret (Live) - 5/5
Everybody's Gotta Be Happy - 5/5

Overall - 4.9/5

This album is damn near perfect, at least as far as any album I've ever listened to. None of these songs are ever boring, and there's only 3 out of 16 that weren't a perfect 5/5. Songs For The Deaf is pretty much my favourite album. Ever. It was also really hard to decide on a favourite out of Another Love Song, Mosquito Song and Everybody's Gotta be Happy. I eventually gave it to Mosquito Song, but I'll be damned if the other two ain't going red.

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xRGTMx Album Review #1



El Camino
The Black Keys

I've always liked the Black Keys, but after hearing that my high school friends were pretty much in love with this band, I decided to take a listen to this album when it was released in late 2011.

01. Lonely Boy - ★★★★½
02. Dead And Gone - ★★★½
03. Gold On the Ceiling- ★★★★½
04. Little Black Submarines - ★★★★★ (Best track on the whole album, by far)
05. Money Maker - ★★★
06. Run Right Back - ★★★½
07. Sister - ★★★★
08. Hell of a Season - ★★★★
09. Stop Stop - ★★★½
10. Nova Baby - ★★★★
11. Mind Eraser - ★★★½

Overall: ★★★★
After listening to the album, I can definitely see why so many of my friends really dig the Black Keys. Without a doubt, this is a solid album with unique mastering and sounds that are distinctive to this musical duo. My only true gripe is that most of the album tracks in El Camino do not truly match up to the level of energy or remembrance of the album's released singles, Lonely Boy, Gold on the Ceiling, and Little Black Submarines. Overall, I still recommend this album, hell, any of the Black Keys' albums if you're in for something different.

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Album Surge #012

Rize Of The Fenix / Tenacious D

Rize Of The Fenix - 5/5
Low Hangin' Fruit - 5/5
Classical Teacher - 5/5 (All those youngsters gotta lick our boot or fuck it.)
Señorita - 5/5
Deth Starr - 5/5
Roadie - 5/5
Flutes & Trombones - 5/5
The Ballad Of Hollywood Jack And The Rage Kage - 5/5
Throw Down - 5/5
Rock Is Dead - 5/5
They Fucked Our Asses - 5/5
To Be The Best - 5/5
39 - 5/5

RATING: 10 phallic phoenixes/10
The D reigns supreme, yet again. Their self-titled remains my all-time favorite album of theirs, but this one is at a close second. Every song just rocks my socks off. Cannot recommend enough.
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Album Surge #013

The Top / The Cure

Shake Dog Shake - 4.5/5 (Would've given it a 5/5 if it didn't sound ever so slightly off-key.)
Birdmad Girl - 4.5/5
Wailing Wall - 4/5
Give Me It - 5/5
Dressing Up - 5/5
The Caterpillar - 5/5
Piggy In The Mirror - 4.5/5
The Empty World - 5/5
Bananafishbones - 3.5/5
The Top - 4/5

RATING: 8 empty worlds/10
Solid release, but kinda falters after the halfway point. Thankfully, the band learned from the weaknesses present on this album and built upon them to give us some incredible albums in the future.
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Album Surge #014

Manners [re-release] / Passion Pit

Make Light - 5/5
Little Secrets - 5/5
Moth's Wings - 5/5
The Reeling - 5/5
Eyes As Candles - 5/5
Swimming In The Flood - 5/5
Folds In Your Hands - 5/5
To Kingdom Come - 5/5
Sleepyhead - 5/5
Let Your Love Grow Tall - 4.5/5
Seaweed Song - 5/5
Sleepyhead (Stripped Down Version) - 5/5
Moth's Wings (Stripped Down Version) - 4.5/5
Dreams - 5/5

RATING: 9.5 sleepyheads/10
So goddamn close to being the third album in this project with a perfect 10/10, but just barely falls short. Indie electropop at its finest and catchiest.

Slightly updated the formula. Will likely tamper with it more as the experiment lingers on. Expect two more Surges later today.

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xRGTMx Album Review #2



Slippery When Wet
Bon Jovi

Bon Jovi is undoubtedly one of the most successful rock bands in present time, as they produce album after album of original content that holds a formula that we love so dearly. The third studio album by the New Jersey act is the album that pretty much launched them into mainstream in the first place.

01. Let It Rock - ★★★★★ (That guitar solo by Richie tho)
02. You Give Love a Bad Name - ★★★★★
03. Livin' on a Prayer - ★★★★★
04. Social Disease - ★★★★★
05. Wanted Dead or Alive - ★★★★★
06. Raise Your Hands - ★★★★★
07. Without Love - ★★★★★
08. I'd Die for You - ★★★★★
09: Never Say Goodbye - ★★★★★
10: Wild in the Streets - ★★★★★

Overall: PERFECT
This album is legendary, and is a textbook example of what glam rock should be. At the time, when this album and its singles destroyed Billboard charts, some critics thought they were a fluke, until they released their follow-up album, New Jersey. These two albums pretty much show Bon Jovi at their prime. Slippery When Wet is one of those albums you need to hear at least multiple times in your life, it's really that good.

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album review #05



Absolution - Muse

Intro - N/A
Apocalypse Please - 5/5
Time Is Running Out - 5/5
Sing for Absolution - 4.5/5
Stockholm Syndrome - 5/5
Falling Away with You - 4.5/5
Interlude - N/A
Hysteria - 5/5
Blackout - 4.5/5
Butterflies and Hurricanes - 5/5
The Small Print - 5/5
Endlessly - 5/5
Thoughts of a Dying Atheist - 5/5
Ruled by Secrecy - 4.5/5

Overall - 4.8/5

This turned out to be much better than Black Holes and Revelations. Favourite songs include the brilliantly written Stockholm Syndrome, the haunting Apocalypse Please and my personal favourite, the underrated Endlessly. This isn't as good imo as QOTSA's Songs For the Deaf, but it's so fucking brilliant anyway.

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This thread really should get stickied.
Just saying.

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Way ahead of you.

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I second that, this is a great thread to have stickied.

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Album Surge #015

Train / Train

Meet Virginia - 5/5
I Am - 5/5
If You Leave - 4/5
Homesick - 4.5/5
Free - 5/5
Blind - 4.5/5 (Goes on for about a minute longer than it needed to. The beautiful atmosphere more than makes up for it.)
Eggplant - 5/5
Idaho - 5/5
Days - 4/5 (Uh, okay. Don't know what the hell happened at the 3 minute mark, but I don't like it.)
Rat - 4.5/5
Swaying - 4.5/5 (More than a minute of silence at the end... You know what that means! ... Aside from automatically being disregarded for a 5/5...)
Train - 5/5 (Those sexy guitars are gettin' me groovin'.)
Heavy - 4.5/5

OVERALL: 8.5 plates of eggplant & caviar/10
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Album Surge #016

Paradise Valley / John Mayer

Wildfire - 5/5
Dear Marie - 5/5
Waitin' On The Day - 4.5/5
Paper Doll - 5/5
Call Me The Breeze - 4/5
Who You Love - 5/5
I Will Be Found (Lost At Sea) - 5/5
Wildfire (Reprise) - 1/5 (Unnecessary feature, unnecessary addition to the album.)
You're No One 'Til Someone Gets You Down - 4/5
Badge And Gun - 5/5
On The Way Home - 5/5

OVERALL: 8 falling paper dolls/10

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album review #06



Home - Rudimental

Home - 5/5
Feel The Love - 4.5/5
Right Here - 5/5
Hell Could Freeze - 4/5
Spoons - 4/5
Hide - 3.5/5
Powerless - 4.5/5
More Than Anything - 5/5
Not Giving In - 4.5/5
Baby - 4.5/5
Waiting All Night - 4.5/5
Free - 5/5

Overall - 4.2/5

I quite enjoyed this album, even though there were a few songs that I feel aren't that great. The album sort of peaks at the very first song, unfortunately. But Right Here, More Than Anything and Free are also brilliant songs, and I recommend finding this album based on those alone.

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Wow, thanks guys for getting this thread so huge! It's an honor to get a sticky, and to celebrate, I'm going to dig into a bad song (and maybe a good EP or 2 soon):


This track is apparently the lead single to a new album for Spears, and...it's definitely a sign she's trying her darndest to ride the trends. Having Azalea as a costar, releasing in the same time frame as Fancy last year (which it apes both in production and title), and trying to sound like Charli XCX with bubbly, clipping autotune...really, even the first 20 seconds start the song off on the wrong foot. Britney's verse starts off extremely poorly, with a pandering claim of awesome girls "from Australia right down to L.A." that also hints that Spears didn't get Iggy in on the songwriting process until late in the production, as the rhythm is extremely forced (and this problem recurs later in the verse). In addition, the autotune goes into full squeal mode, with a couple of moments where the sustained notes twang uncomfortably. With DJ Mustard-esque beats, I don't usually take issue with the following, but especially glaring here is the fact that the beat's melodies simply do not gel well with the vocal melodies, what few there are. The second verse doesn't have as many glaring issues, but more the general problem that the vocal production just sounds near-chipmunk. This is an official paid single, and it sounds like I'm listening to a nightcore "remix". Iggy's verse is nothing to write home about; rhythms are rather sloppy and include a repeat of "Booty" and "Beg For It" with a "slim waist, thick cake" line. It's a shame, because the production finally gets good, with this trance synth that feels like it came from an early 00's soul song underlays and there are some fun harmonies. Of course, one of the biggest issues is that, despite the repetitive nature of the song, it's not even 3 minutes long to allow for more/more developed verses. To bring up "Beg For It" again, despite that song's brief nature, it at least satisfied in terms of both verse length and complexity, while "Pretty Girls" doesn't really allow for either.

Rating: 3.0/10

album #07



The Megas - Get Equipped

The Beginning of the End (Wily's Castle) - N/A
I Want To Be the One (Dr. Wily 1-2) - 5/5
A Fate Forged in Steel (Enemy Selected) - N/A
The Annihilation of Monsteropolis (Air Man) - 5/5
Metal Dance (Metal Man) - 5/5
Carved from Might Oak (Wood Man) - 5/5
Promise of Redemption (Bubble Man) - 5/5
Man on Fire (Heat Man) - 5/5
Blue Like You (Flash Man) - 5/5
The Quick & The Blue (Quick Man) - 5/5
Programmed to Fight (Crash Man) - 5/5
Lamentations of a War Machine (End Song) - 5/5

Overall - 5/5

This album is something fucking else. The Megas have my undying respect for turning a twenty-five plus year game soundtrack into one of the best albums I've ever heard, and making every single character seem like a badass in doing so. Every song in this album has a memorable factor to it, the breakdown in Air Man's song, the guitar in Metal Man, the chorus' in Wood Man and Bubble Man, the outro in Heat Man, the HAUNTING lyrics in Flash Man, and EVERYTHING about the last three songs. Quick Man's theme is surprisingly slow, and actually better for it, while Programmed to Fight has one of the catchiest bass-lines I have EVER heard and Lamentations of a War Machine leaves us questioning if any of these poor robots, led to death, were ever right or wrong at all.

I love you, Mega Man, and you will never be forgotten, even when Capcom leaves you behind. Death wears blue.

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EXID 2nd Mini Album: Ah Yeah
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1. Ah Yeah [5/5]
I found it creepy that in the beginning, the producer makes a cameo and whisper "Where do you live? Do you live alone?". Other than that, this track is pretty damn dope. The beat is funky, thanks to the big band and brass instruments. Each verse starts off with vocals, then transitions over to rap, which is the first time I ever heard that technique being used. The bridge consists of echoed vocals, which help transition the verse into a powerful chorus. The track takes sassiness, douses it in a heavy brass melody, mixed with a side of a dope Hip-Hop drum beat. It's catchy, sassy, and funky. 10/10 ;)

2. 아슬해[4/5]
아슬해 is a mellowed down ver. of Ah Yeah (In terms of melody). Instead of brass, the melody is comprised of a soft synth and a bassline. The ladies showcase their vocal talents in this track. Their vocals are powerful, but not overwhelming, which I like. Not the best track on the album, but definitely one I could jam out to.

3. 토닥토닥[4/5]
토닥토닥 sounds like a variation of their track 'Every Night'. 토닥토닥 offers a dream-like melody comprised of a synth variations (Deep Pad, Clavi, etc.). The key changes in the end, which I find common in many K-Pop songs. Sexy R&B songs are something I can definitely get behind.

4. With Out U [3.5/5]
EXID brings back their sass with 'With Out U'. The track sounds a little bit like 'Lips Are Moving' by Meghan Trainor, which doesn't really surprise me. "I'm freaking good without you". Another thing that wouldn't surprise me is if they made an explicit version of this song. This track also uses the same plug-ins as 아슬해. The track itself is lackluster, but it's catchy none the less.

5. 1M [4/5]
Ah yes, I was expecting a ballad track (Just like every K-Pop album out there). The track is completely stripped down. It showcases the ladies' vocal talents, while accompanying that with an emotional piano melody. There's not much to say. Soft vocals, emotional piano melody, and guitar chords in the background.

6. Up & Down [3.5/5]
I'm going to be honest, the first time I heard this, I thought they were just pronouncing 'We Are' like 'Weee A-Rae'. I later found out that they were saying 'Up and Down'. Just like 'Ah Yeah', it follows the repetitive hook formula, and uses brass instruments. The main thing that separates Up & Down from Ah Yeah is that Up & Down is just a bit more upbeat.

7. Every Night [5/5]
Every Night is the song that got me into EXID. The track's melody is comprised of synths, an acoustic guitar and a simple jazz style drum beat. Simple melody with a mature sound - I find beauty in songs like that.

Final Verdict = 83%
EXID takes on a mature sound in 'Ah Yeah'. Sexy melodies, catchy hooks and powerful vocals will have you listening to this album for days. Would I recommend this album? Only if you like K-Pop and or stripped down music.

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album review #08



Muse - Drones

Dead Inside - 5/5
Drill Sergeant + Psycho - 4.5/5
Mercy - 5/5
Reapers - 5/5
The Handler - 5/5
JFK + Defector - 4.5/5
Revolt - 5/5
Aftermath - 4.5/5
The Globalist - 5/5
Drones - 4.5/5

Overall - 4.7/5

I feel as if this is a personal apology from Muse after their previous album, The 2nd Law. And it's a damn good apology, which is one of the best albums they've made (behind Absolution, and maybe Origin of Symmetry) which does anything but 'go back to basics', and it's honestly better for it. I mean, listen to Dead Inside and tell me that's the Muse of 2003...

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So, yeah. Long time no see. Gonna re-rate some songs from the first Album Surge I posted on this thread after giving the songs another well-deserved run through.



Congratulations / MGMT
It's Working - 5/5
Originally rated criminally lower than it ever should've been. Nothing further to report.
Song For Dan Treacy - 4.5/5
Someone's Missing - 5/5
Flash Delirium - 5/5
The most accessible piece on this album, even if it's still a complex creation. The melodies are top notch, and the instrumentation is intricate and calculated to perfection. Second favorite song on the album.
I Found A Whistle - 5/5
Siberian Breaks - 4.5/5
So many different styles and vibes and atmospheres all crammed into one ~12 minute tune. Makes you wonder what these little fragments would sound like if they were fully fleshed out instead of being intricately woven together. The first half or so, however, is slightly less interesting than the second half. If we just got the second half, it'd definitely be a 5/5. Still worth a listen.
Brian Eno - 4.5/5
Nice piece of surf rock with a delicious psychedelic twist to it. Nothing more to report at this time.
Lady Dada's Nightmare - 4/5
Originally rated a 3.5, and to be honest, I feel as though I was a bit too harsh. This song eventually grew on me the more I listened to it. The haunting piano work, the perfectly mixed screams, the intricately dark and beautiful atmosphere. All neglected to be mentioned or dwelled on in the original listening. However, even with having said this, it is still the weakest piece on the album. The song is complex, and it's definitely a hard pill to swallow. But the pill can be swallowed. And it doesn't taste as bitter as I once thought.
Congratulations - 5/5
The best song on the album, hands down. Also the sweetest and prettiest thing the band has ever laid to an album. Has a nice indie folk feel to it, something you could see fit right into Begin Again (which is a wonderful movie and you should totally see it) while refusing to lose a modicum of that wonderful MGMT atmosphere the band is known for. Swirly, soothing sedation at its best. Wonderful way to close this album.

Overall: Light 9.5
Lots of great material on this album that just didn't grab me on the first run through. And the original 5/5s from the first surging (or whatever you wanna call it) still held up tremendously. Definitely going to include songs from this album into my daily rotation, and you should too.

I might re-rate some surges later down the road. Still using only my phone though (gotta love having no internet), and I make no promises. More conventional reviews are definitely coming, though.

Gonna do something a bit unorthodox and review a compilation I made of b-sides & misc. material from Weezer's Green Album era.

1. I Do - 4.5/5
Found on the Hash Pipe Int. CD single. Vocal melody reminiscent of the piano line to Leningrad by Billy Joel which pegs it down some. But what a melody it is.
2. Brightening Day - 5/5
Found on Island In The Sun UK CD single #2. Was considered for inclusion on Green. One of my favorite songs from the band, despite its simplicity. Check the melodies, fools.
3. Everybody Go Away - 5/5
Found on Fresh Cuts Vol.4, a free sampler given away at Guitar Center in 2009 (nine years after it was recorded!). Song was only demoed before album sessions and was never attempted in studio. The hookage is killer. Underrated gem.
4. Starlight - 5/5
Found on the Hash Pipe Int. CD single/Island In The Sun JP CD single. Song was covered by Ash for some flop Rob Schneider movie. Instant classic. A fully mastered early version appeared on some Argentinian CD promo in 2011 which is rare as fuck (the unmastered version, however, is not).
5. Sugar Booger - 4/5
Found on Island In The Sun UK CD single #2. Interesting song, to say the least. Certainly can understand why it was relegated to B-Side status. With a little polish, it could've been a classic, though. The only song that contains the word "booger" that I will willingly listen to.
6. Christmas Celebration - 4/5
7. Oh Lisa - 3.5/5
Found on Island In The Sun UK CD single #1. Very questionable lyricism from Mr. Cuomo. Better lyric job/vocal melody would've made this song so much better. Thank the Gods that it was never seriously considered for Green. Song is not related to the song "Lisa" that was worked on during the Pinkerton era (found on Alone III: The Pinkerton Years).
8. Teenage Victory Song - 5/5
Found on Island In The Sun JP CD single/Hash Pipe UK 7" single. Very rare tune, but it's a very fun one. Song was considered for inclusion on Green. Honest shame it never made it.
9. The Christmas Song - 4/5
10. Always [Full Version] - 5/5
Found on Always French CD single (has a funky name that I don't wanna bother looking up lmfao). Original B-Side version of the song is an incorrect edit, this version restores the song to its original length. Absolutely beautiful from start to finish. A real tearjerker.

Not gonna give an overall rating, seeing as how this is a fan-made compilation of material from various sources. I cannot say that you should listen to the 5/5s enough, however.

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So, I run a chart called the Equestrian Trot 100, which objectively ranks the most popular songs of the week. To prove that qualifier, I'll review this week's top 10, and needless to say I don't like all of them.

#10. Dueling DAWs / SlyphStorm v.s. Forest Rain

So this concept isn't new. Basically, two artists send each other a couple of measures of composition and challenge the other to respond. This track is one of the results, and honestly, it's got a handful of issues. Because the two artists use rather different styles, with Slyph focusing on synth-based production and Forest having more organic guitar and drum elements, the transitions can be a bit jarring at times. Several of the segments individually are rather fun, but the piece as a whole feels a bit messy. In addition, some melodies do seem a bit half-baked, though when there's a lot of layering they get more love. When the two artists play together in the final third, however, the track really kicks in, and I daresay it feels like a BEMANI collab in terms of quality and cohesiveness.

Rating: 7.5/10

#9. My Past is Not Today (Vylet Pony Remix) / Strigidae

This is a remix of a cover of a short produced by show staff. The actual lyrical elements are somewhat isolated compared to the remix elements, but at least Strigidae delivers a decent, if not exceptional, performance. His voice is very compatible with the production, at least. The beat simultaneously feels heavy and light, which makes for a fun experience. A track like this and this long would have the potential to drag, but Vylet adds enough elements every few measures to keep one interested.

Rating: 7.5/10

#8. Fly Like You / Wasteland Wailers feat. Brittany Church

This song ties in to the spinoff videogame project to Fallout: Equestria, and thus has a '50's big band sound to it. The mixing in general does bother me. It's supposed to feel like a big bar or something, but instead it feels like the band and singer just happen to be performing in-sync by coincidence. The brass being synthetic always never seemed to work for me; hopefully someday they get the budget for an organic performer. Brittany does have great inflection, but her voice does lack a bit of power. The lyrics have some nice bite to them, though there are a few noticeable grammatical issues.

Rating 7.0/10

Fly Like You (Remix) / Wasteland Wailers feat. Brittany Church & Nowacking

Now, there's also a remix produced in-house, designed to evoke the late 70's/early 80's. Here, the mixing really helps, and a rerecord for the vocals makes the change in tempo a non-issue. In addition, the second verse has been replaced by a guest feature with Nowacking, known for voicing Pon-3 in multiple fanworks. Here, her lines essentially retread that replaced verse, but with more crassness. Regardless, this track feels more suited towards synthetics, and the energy keeps strong.

Rating: 8.0/10

#7. Your Own Sky / Prince Whateverer

Metal has never been my cup of tea, and I don't feel qualified to rate it. Oh well?

Rating: Sorry, not the guy to give one

#6. Fighting Back / BLACKGRYPH0N & Baasik

With IMmortal, the very first album I reviewed in this thread, the duo had an interesting mix of pure pop, hard tracks, and other miscellania. Well, if this new single for the unannounced sophomore album is any sign, it looks like they might be going for more gravitas in this upcoming release. The lyrics are fast as ever, and various elements bring a sense of urgency to this anthem. With its themes of teaming up to take on massive threats to the civilization, I practically could see it be on the soundtrack to the Avengers sequel when it launched! There are still tropes of the duo in the song, but they don't feel out of place and are appropriately toned down.

Rating: 8.5/10

#5. We Dreamt Our Dream / OhPonyBoy

No, not a Les Miz cover. This is new track from OhPonyBoy, and boy is it peculiar. The beginning is a building angelic choir pitched up singers, and this part will either turn you off right away or slowly ease you in as more parts join. As the singer is french, his verses may sound a bit accented, but ultimately I think it helps add to the song's charm. Once the chorus kicks in with its twinkling synth, the track gets a sense of power and weight to it. However, I can't help but emphasize how much your enjoyment of this track will hinge on whether you can handle the voicework.

Rating: 6.5/10

THIS POST WILL CONTINUE

Quickie Album Review #09 - Return Of the Queens



Queens Of the Stone Age - Era Vulgaris

Turnin' on the Screw - 5/5
Sick, Sick, Sick - 5/5
I'm Designer - 4/5
Into the Hollow - 5/5
Misfit Love - 4.5/5
Battery Acid - 4/5
Make It wit Chu - 5/5
3's & 7's - 5/5
Suture Up Your Future - 5/5
River in the Road - 5/5
Run, Pig, Run - 4.5/5

OVERALL - 4.6/5

I'm back with review number 10 - THE GREATEST ALBUM EVER MADE



Muse - Origin Of Symmetry

New Born - 5/5 (A banger of an opening, and a BITCH of a guitar solo sets the tone for the rest of the album. New Born is a classic.)
Bliss - 5/5 (A more upbeat song that still retains the quality of New Born. Also, arpeggios straight out of the SNES Top Gear game.)
Space Dementia - 5/5 (Rock or classical? Who needs to decide?)
Hyper Music - 5/5 (Returning to what Showbiz sounded like, this track is pumped full of energy and THAT BASSLINE.)
Plug In Baby - 5/5 (Plug In Baby ranks up against Supermassive Black Hole as the most popular Muse song of all time. While it's a banger, it's actually one of the weaker songs on the album, which is weird.)
Citizen Erased - 5/5 (I speak no lie when saying this is the most rocking seven minutes ever. Listen to it and try not to headbang.)
Micro Cuts - 5/5(Citizen Erased leads right into Micro Cuts. And FUCK ME, these two songs are the best Muse songs ever written. No joke. I can't actually decide between the two.)
Screenager - 5/5 (This song is haunting. Fun fact, Dom actually used animal bones for percussion in this track.)
Darkshines - 5/5 (My pick for most underrated song on the album. While many consider to be Citizen Erased the cult Muse song, this song often goes unnoticed by even die-hard Muse fans. Somehow. DAAAAAARKSHIIIIIIIINES!!)
Feeling Good - 5/5 (Often regarded as the greatest cover of any song ever with good reason.)
Megalomania - 5/5 (A great outro to the album, with increasingly disturbing lyrics each second.)

OVERALL - 5/5, 10/10, 100/100, best album, best album

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1.22.03.Acoustic / Maroon 5


This Love: 4/5
Sunday Morning: 4.5/5
She Will Be Loved: 5/5
Harder To Breathe: 4/5
The Sun: 5/5
If I Fell: 3.5/5
Highway To Hell: 4/5

Overall: 8 falsetto notes/10

This acoustic EP is a nice little treat for anyone used to their usual pop fare. 5 acoustic versions of songs from their debut, Songs About Jane, a cover of a Beatles classic, and a not-very-acoustic cover of an AC/DC track (of all things!). To start things off, we get a pretty nice sounding version of This Love. The band is tight in their playing, and Levine's vocals sound wonderful. Not 100% sure that the stripped back instrumentation helped the song any, but it's a nice and inoffensive listen. Following up, we get an even better sounding performance of Sunday Morning, the original being a personal favorite of mine. I really like some of the alterations Levine made to the vocal melody, while others seemed a bit off to my ear. One of the things that stuck out was how noticeably into the track the piano player seems and it's always nice to hear that kind of thing. The performance of She Will Be Loved that follows it is, dare I say it, better than the original song. The stripped down instrumentation actually helps add a dash more emotion and intricacy into the track, something I felt was kinda lacking in the semi-claustrophobic pop sheen of the original. More variations on the vocal melody also stand out, only this time they work every attempt.
Next, we get a decent performance of Harder To Breathe. In my opinion, the song doesn't really work without that rocking, edgy even, vibe you get from the original. However, the band managed to pull off a version that doesn't sound much too bad. An interesting take on a song I'm not familiar with, The Sun, is next up and I've gotta tell you that I was digging it from the first note to the last. If the album version is anywhere near as nice as this version is, I think I just might consider it one of my favorites (I haven't actually listened to Songs About Jane in its entirety, but... we'll get to that eventually). Levine decides to go semi-solo on a rendition of The Beatles' If I Fell, with the piano player coming in halfway through the track for a bit. Not going to lie, I wasn't really digging this performance in the first half. Levine's voice was clearly starting to go by this point and it shows with a couple dead notes being hit and some slight straining going on with a few higher notes. However, the second half (after the piano kicks in) manages to save it from being a 3 or lower, with Levine getting more into the swing of things.
Last up, from an entirely different bit of show, we get an electric and rockin' rendition of an AC/DC classic, Highway To Hell. This time, Levine isn't singing lead; Ryan Dusick, the drummer, is shredding the pipes this time around. It's a bit of a deadpan performance; goofy under the surface, but the instrumentation notably straight-faced. Interesting way to end the EP. Interesting EP.
NEXT UP: Galvanize / The Chemical Brothers

Galvanize [CD ASW 76599] / The Chemical Brothers


Galvanize: 5/5
Rize Up: 4/5
Electronic Battle Weapon 7: 5/5

Overall: 9 buttons to push/10

A short single picked up at a flea market on a whim. I was familiar with the title track and a few other Chemical Brothers tracks, so I figured it'd be worth the $1 I paid for it. Was it? Well, yeah. Very much so. The title track is chock full of energy and drive and it's no wonder it was used in sports advertisement as well as for a Need For Speed advert. The song jams its hook into your head and it never lets up until around the halfway mark. The subdued section doesn't last more than 2 minutes before coming back and hitting you with that major hook. Similar to how Electronic Battle Weapon 7 plays out. Very repetitive, but it works so very well in its repetition. The hook catches and doesn't relent often. A basic song, but quite the banger. The only song that kinda faultered here was Rize Up, but the song is still pretty damn great. It also works with major repetition as well as kicking the distortion up a notch. While it doesn't work as nicely as the other two tracks, it still works well enough. According to last.fm, this song has a genre of "scatter funk". No idea if that's an actual thing, but if songs in this genre sound like this, I think I might want to check it out some more. Three songs for $1, all songs a pleasure to listen to.
NEXT UP: Tremolo EP / My Bloody Valentine

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ohhhhh where can I get this

A quick Google search brings up their Bandcamp. https://themegas.bandcamp.com/album/get-equipped