Porcupine Tree - Stupid Dream [1999]

This feels significantly more active than previous albums. A little less in the way of creativity and variation. However, the songwriting has taken a leap forward. The album is extremely catchy and the songwriting feels infinitely more mature and proficient. I still can't shake the feeling of loss because of the reduced creativity when comparing it to Signify and The Sky Moves Sideways... maybe I just need to warm up to this new direction a bit more and come to terms with the fact that PT has changed their style a bit.

Rating: 8.5

http://www.porcupinetree.com/

All ratings are out of 10. Rating may not be a whole number.

Porcupine Tree - Signify [1996]

There are times where this is a great chill album, but then there's also a fairly large amount of variation that is reminiscent of TSMS. There's some very good creativity as well. The rare vocals are a treat to listen to and the production is clear and soothing. This album makes great use of effects. Spacey, progressive, and psychedelic rock all in one album. I do believe that this is every bit as good as TSMS for all the same reasons.

Rating: 8.5

http://www.porcupinetree.com/

All ratings are out of 10. Rating may not be a whole number.

Porcupine Tree - Staircase Infinities [1995]

A good chill album. Some of the spacey feeling is still there. It's not quite as catchy as TSMS, but it definitely is a mellow album that creates good atmosphere. Very little vocals on this EP. There isn't as much creativity as TSMS, though.

Rating: 6

http://www.porcupinetree.com/

All ratings are out of 10. Rating may not be a whole number.

Porcupine Tree - The Sky Moves Sideways [1995]

Holy crap, the first track on the first CD is quite an experience. It starts off with a space-atmosphere feeling eventually giving way to a calm prog-rock section. The middle of the song is dominated by a really cool electronic beat with synth rhythm and flutes. What's truly awesome is that each style of the songs is extremely well-done and it all fits together very nicely thanks to the main melodies being carried over from one section to the next. "Dislocated Day" is a more up-tempo, straightforward, and catchy song with extremely well-written keyboards. "The Moon Touches Your Shoulder" is good, but it lacks the intensity of the first two tracks. I do love how it blends seamlessly into "Prepare Yourself", which helps to bring the intensity back. I have to say that CD1 as a whole is quite fucking awesome. Unfortunately, the extra CD is not all that great despite being aptly suited for atmospheric moods. If I had just listened to the first CD, this would've gotten a 9 for sure, but the second CD lacks the intensity in the mood that the first had.

Rating: 8.5

http://www.porcupinetree.com/

All ratings are out of 10. Rating may not be a whole number.

Porcupine Tree - Up the Downstair [1993]

The songwriting hasn't changed much at all. It's still psychedelic and progressive. The production is a little better. Still not all that catchy, either. There's also less variation between songs. Overall, I prefer OtSoL, but this is still a good, inspired, and relaxing album.

Rating: 7

http://www.porcupinetree.com/

All ratings are out of 10. Rating may not be a whole number.

Porcupine Tree - On the Sunday of Life [1991]

I can definitely hear the Psychedelic influence, but it isn't the most prevalent style. This is a very interesting and soothing Progressive Rock album. Some songs are whimsical, some are beautiful, some are catchy (i.e. "Radioactive Toy"), and some are downright creepy (i.e. "Message From A Self-Destructing Turnip"). There's not an abundance of catchiness, though, and the production is not all that great. However, it's a great "chill" album and, unlike many other albums, holds my interest until the end.

Rating: 7

http://www.porcupinetree.com/

All ratings are out of 10. Rating may not be a whole number.

Kenji Kawai - Innocence O.S.T. [2004]

Similar, yet different. There's still plenty of atmosphere and percussion, but there is also much more variation between the tracks and some tracks (like "Attack the Wakabayashi") are just downright explosive. Maybe I'm just a little crazy, but the insane vibrato choir is a bit more grating this time around. However, I can't take any points off from the album because everything else is just so much more proficient and well-written. Plus, there is more variation in the choir.

Rating: 9

http://www.kenjikawai.com/

All ratings are out of 10. Rating may not be a whole number.

Yoko Kanno - Escaflowne Original Soundtrack 3 [1996]

Crappy first track, but then things take a leap into an amazing world of perfection. If things keep going like "Arcadia" and "Epistle", this OST will easily outshine the first two. Well, the unfortunate reality is that, in the middle of this OST, the tone and style changes drastically. There are more songs that are based on more modern band-style music with some instruments added. I can almost see the animé go by as I listen. This OST is at a point in the animé when things are getting ever-more epic and the series is beginning to wrap itself up. The problem is that there is a section towards the second third of the animé when there is a last push for the status quo before all hell breaks loose, and that is reflected in the use of more pop singers and a slightly more upbeat tone in the middle of this album. Songs like "Perfect World" and "I Recommend Instincts", while not BAD, are mostly throwaways. The end of the album feels a little better, but the absolute darkness and epic feel that I loved about the beginning is predictably replaced by songs that mark the end of the animé. Overall, it's still a damn good album, but it really got my hopes up for something even more amazing in the beginning.

Rating: 8

http://www.kannoyoko.net/

All ratings are out of 10. Rating may not be a whole number.

Yoko Kanno - Escaflowne Original Soundtrack 2 [1996]

I have pretty high expectations after the first soundtrack... hope this wont disappoint. I'm halfway through and this is shaping up to be equally as good as the first soundtrack. Plenty of variation between the songs; Gregorian, fantasy, orchestra, and whimsical cuteness. I had forgotten how many great songs were in the animé that weren't included in the first OST. This one is certainly as good as the previous OST.

Rating: 8.5

http://www.kannoyoko.net/

All ratings are out of 10. Rating may not be a whole number.

Yoko Kanno - Escaflowne: Over the Sky [1996]

First impression is GREAT. I've gone from a wonderful fantasy song ("Flying Dragon") to the epic chorus-filled god-sized masterpiece of "Dance of Curse". Now, let's hope she keeps it up... it's a long way to the end of this album. God damn, she really did it; the album is fucking great all the way through. When there is a drop-off in excitement, melancholy and beauty take over. When the excitement comes back, it slams you in the face with grand writing. There are probably only two tracks that were iffy, but that's hardly a distraction. Also, the chorus in multiple songs sings the same phrase over and over again, making it feel a bit contrived by the end.

Rating: 8.5

http://www.kannoyoko.net/

All ratings are out of 10. Rating may not be a whole number.

Yoko Kanno - Sharon Apple: The Cream P-U-F [1995]

Only two new songs, with the two others being from MPOS I and II.

Rating: 6

http://www.kannoyoko.net/

All ratings are out of 10. Rating may not be a whole number.

Yoko Kanno - Macross Plus Original Soundtrack II [1995]

A bit of an abrupt change from the first one. There's a much different sound to this album. More non-classical songs and Pop. There's much more variation in this album as well. It's not quite as powerful as the first one, but still good in its own right.

Rating: 7.5

http://www.kannoyoko.net/

All ratings are out of 10. Rating may not be a whole number.

Yoko Kanno - Macross Plus Original Soundtrack [1990]

There's no point to this review. Flawless soundtrack from start to finish. So much emotion is conveyed in the arrangements that the Animé doesn't even need to exist for this to be amazing. Beautiful, energetic, tense, and extremely organic. While it may not be the most ground-breaking songwriting in the world, there are more than enough blends to satisfy me.

Rating: 9

http://www.kannoyoko.net/

All ratings are out of 10. Rating may not be a whole number.

Elliot Goldenthal - Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within [2001]

The first three tracks are pretty stock movie music. Things finally get interesting with "Code Red". Some of the songs have a distinct video game feel to them (like "The Kiss" and "A Child Recalled"). However, while this soundtrack works very well in the setting of the movie, it doesn't do much to hold it's own when taken out of context. I do like that the soundtrack has a heavy dose of fantasy elements to it. "The Dream Within" is definitely a standout track.

Rating: 6.5

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Final_Fantasy:_The_Spirits_Within_(soundtrack)

All ratings are out of 10. Rating may not be a whole number.

Myrkskog - Superior Massacre [2002]

Vocals are way cooler. It's definitely more Death Metal than DM. The production is definitely more clear, but it seems to have lost a bit of that chaotic feel. So far, I'm inclined to completely pardon that small lacking part of the production because it's so fucking brutal.

Rating: 8.5

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Myrkskog

All ratings are out of 10. Rating may not be a whole number.

Myrkskog - Deathmachine [2000]

Very nice. I'm loving it so far. It's like slamming into a wall of death and black. Cool use of industrial effects and some (rare, but) creative use of guitar effects. Death Metal sensibility in a Black Metal context and they pull it off way better than Behemoth ever did. Last song was completely unexpected but damn fucking cool. Production is great. It's not the clearest in the world, but it's fucking heavy as hell and is not lacking in brutality at all. Brutally pleasant surprise.

Rating: 8.5

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Myrkskog

All ratings are out of 10. Rating may not be a whole number.

Eminenz - Exorial [1994]

Definitely a promising intro… but it goes into a pretty weak first song. Production quality is weak overall. The guitars are low in the mix, so it doesn't feel like a heavy albums. It's a damn flat and boring album with bouts of cool keyboard parts.

Rating: 5

http://www.eminenz-germany.de/

All ratings are out of 10. Rating may not be a whole number.

Akercocke - Antichrist [2007]

Interesting production quality… I'll have to get used to it. Not a fan of the fact that the drums are much lower in the mix, but now it's a bit heavier. Definitely a stronger start to the album than WTGUDTGU had. All the elements I love are still there with slightly more refined songwriting. This is a great album from start to finish. The production could have definitely been better, though. I'm not a fan of the guitar's distortion; it sounds very weak when palm muting. Also, the drums should have really been turned up a bit.

Rating: 9

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Akercocke

All ratings are out of 10. Rating may not be a whole number.

Akercocke - Words That Go Unspoken, Deeds That Go Undone [2005]

Very weak start for Akercocke, but it eventually gets going. The first track seems to have much more pop-metal influences added in, but towards the end it complete redeems itself. The pop-metal influences are minimized and not necessarily a bad thing. Seems like they've changed their style a bit from Choronzon. It still feels like an Akercocke album, but it also feels fresh because of some more Death Metal styled riffs and structures. "Shelter from the Sand" is extremely unique for Akercocke and even ventures into the Post-Metal genre. Overall, better production and a fresh take on their own style while not compromising what makes them great leaves me with a fucking stiffy for this album (despite the fact that it started off very weak).

Rating: 9

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Akercocke

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Akercocke - Choronzon [2003]

Creativity and complexity is definitely still there. Increased production quality with the guitars. Album is louder than TGoM. Nicely varied throughout. The great songwriting and attention to detail are expanded on from TGoM.

Rating: 8

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Akercocke

All ratings are out of 10. Rating may not be a whole number.

Akercocke - The Goat of Mendes [2001]

Kind of weird production quality. It's definitely missing quite a bit of bass and heaviness. Way more Death Metal than I thought it would be. Damn cool riffs, though. Definitely has an evil vibe to it. There's certainly a lot of creativity. Each song jumps back and forth between many different styles and it all flows surprisingly well. The creative and well-put-together riffs of this album make me almost entirely forgive the weak production. Because of the huge aura of evil, the great/creative songwriting, and the smooth blending of many different styles/genres, I'll give this high marks (perhaps this will be reversed after I've listened a couple more times). If only the production were better.

Rating: 8

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Akercocke

All ratings are out of 10. Rating may not be a whole number.

Akercocke - Rape of the Bastard Nazarene [1999]

Definitely a weaker production quality than TGoM. Damn cool effects in the middle of the first track… if this carries through, it will definitely earn a favorable score. Nicely done. It's got some sparks of creativity throughout, but the production quality holds it back significantly.

Rating: 7

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Akercocke

All ratings are out of 10. Rating may not be a whole number.

Absu - Absu [2009]

Great production. Follows with the more schizo song style, but with a much more experimental feel than previous albums. At the same time, it never looses its thrashiness or brutality. This is their best… hands down.

Rating: 8.5

http://www.myspace.com/absu

All ratings are out of 10. Rating may not be a whole number.

Absu - Tara [2001]

Since this is the end of the "trilogy" that they have with a few of their albums, I can imagine that this will take on a style more in the vein of TTSoC and TSoT. We'll see. The second song really kicked in, I'm now beginning to doubt my earlier analysis. Okay, it's definitely their best album yet. Just misses an "8" rating by a hair.

Rating: 7.5

http://www.myspace.com/absu

All ratings are out of 10. Rating may not be a whole number.

Absu - In the Eyes Of Ioldánach [1998]

Wow, starts of blazing with creative percussion thrown in the mix. It's definitely got a heavier mix than any of the previous albums; much to my liking. Plus the more schizo section changes are back, yay! It's a step back in the right direction in my opinion. It never lets up until the end.

Rating: 7.5

http://www.myspace.com/absu

All ratings are out of 10. Rating may not be a whole number.

Absu - The Third Storm Of Cythraul [1997]

Much better production quality than TSoT. Hmm, it's a bit more of the same really and is beginning to feel a little stale. However, it still has good song structure. It's mostly something that I can see myself turning on in the background.

Rating: 7

http://www.myspace.com/absu

All ratings are out of 10. Rating may not be a whole number.

Absu - The Sun of Tiphareth [1995]

Definitely not what I was expecting for the beginning. The more creative drumming is back. Songwriting is a bit more experimental than before. However, the production has suffered even more with the guitars being way low in the mix. So, it's lost some heaviness. Also, the songwriting isn't as schizo as before... I can't tell if that's a good thing or not. I kind of liked their more abrupt song structures from the first album. Even so, this is certainly more refined songwriting.

Rating: 7

http://www.myspace.com/absu

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Absu - ...And Shineth Unto The Cold Cometh [1995]

Damn cool and promising beginning. The production quality of the guitars has gone down a bit. The fusion drumming has been lost, probably due to the short length of the album.

Rating: 7

http://www.myspace.com/absu

All ratings are out of 10. Rating may not be a whole number.

Absu - Barathrum: V.I.T.R.I.O.L. [1993]

Definitely ahead of its time. It's got a bit of Death Metal influence in the song structure and the way that it jumps violently from riff to riff. However, there are elements of jazz and operatic vocals as well. The production quality is far superior to what you'd expect from a Black Metal band in 1993; especially one from the U.S. The drumming is incredible. The keys and effects are used sparingly, but very well. Serious props for a damn-good debut album and being ahead of their time.

Rating: 7.5

http://www.myspace.com/absu

All ratings are out of 10. Rating may not be a whole number.

Skinlab - Nerve Damage [2004]

More of a droning album than RR. It started off feeling very weak, but halfway through I'm beginning to understand what they're going for. It's more of a really gothic doom metal album. Meh, I'm really not feeling it with this one, but then, I've never really been a fan of remixes and extra demo versions and shit like that.

Rating: 5

http://www.myspace.com/skinlab

All ratings are out of 10. Rating may not be a whole number.

Jealkb - Metronome [2006]

Yup, pretty stock J-Rock beginning to it. Although, "Love Balance" has a bit of an American Blues-Rock feel to the main verse riff. It's even got some punk influence with the vox. Quite catchy stuff even if it's derivative.

Rating: 7

http://jealkb.jp/

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Jun - Atomic Smile [2007]

Interesting. Pretty catchy J-Rock. Kinda surprising that there aren't any vox on the first track. There's a significant amount of techno / industrial effects, and I'm almost certain that most of the instruments are actually programmed (certainly the drums and maybe even the guitars). Very catchy solos, but bit stock. Actually, it's a bit stock overall. However, it's pretty well done, catchy, and good production.

Rating: 7



All ratings are out of 10. Rating may not be a whole number.

Kenji Kawai - Ghost in the Shell Original Soundtrack [1995]

Ambient. Percussive. Erie. Perfectly crafted. Even the nutty vibrato that the chorus performs has grown on me and adds to the creepy effect of the music. "M04 Virtual Crime" throws some cool guitars into the mix towards the end. "M05 Chant II - Ghost City" throws more of the normal tonal effects and keys behind the same chant that was in "M01". Normally, this sort of ambient music bores me, but this is so precisely crafted that everything feels like it has its purpose instead of just being a bunch of effects that are thrown together. I am, however, not a fan of the recycled chants in some of the songs. Even though the music behind them is different, I would have preferred to hear new chant rhythms and notes. The mixture of mostly ambient tracks with more beautiful tonal tracks really suits the soundtrack and the mood well; it also creates some small sense of variety throughout the album. Finally, as far as I'm concerned, this soundtrack only has 10 tracks. "See You Everyday" is an abomination that has nothing to do with anything about the OVA or the music contained therein.

Rating: 9

http://www.kenjikawai.com/

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Spiral Architect - A Sceptic's Universe [1999]

Very interesting song writing. It definitely blends Jazz and Metal in a progressive sandwich much better than most bands that make the attempt. The vocals are odd enough for this genre to be enjoyable. Normally, this vocal style would be better suited for Progressive Rock/Metal in a similar vein as Dream Theater. The music skips back and forth between Progressive Metal and Jazz. The music is extremely technical most of the time. The vocals are very accurate and bursting with talent. The production reminds me of 90s underground metal like Atheist. The creativity is quite excellent at times (i.e. "Moving Spirit" and "Occam's Razor") and plenty of riffs have a dark spin to them much to my liking.

Rating: 8.5

http://www.spiralarchitect.com/

All ratings are out of 10. Rating may not be a whole number.

ジュリィー - イノチノ衝動 [2007.04]

After a very odd intro track, track 2 starts off with a riff that could easily be used in Atmospheric Black Metal, which is enjoyable in this context. The riffs are catchy and much more somber than previously, but the vocals are less fitting and catchy than the music. It creates an interesting contrast, but I wish the vocals fit better. The third track is a bit more punky and up-lifting. Track 4 has much more catchy vocals that fit with the music better. Track 5 is definitely on one of their previous singles... which is a bit depressing. This album, overall, is a bit average. There are some standouts like track 9, but most of it is somewhat lacking and average-feeling. I do like the production, especially of the drums.

Rating: 7

http://www.jully-web.com/

All ratings are out of 10. Rating may not be a whole number.

Dimmu Borgir - Abrahadabra [2010]

AWESOME intro track, if the rest of the album doesn't live up to this, I'll be pissed. And we're off to a really shitty start in "Born Treacherous". The production isn't very heavy at all, pretty disappointing; the guitars are much more buried than previously and they also fell a bit unbalanced. "Gateways" starts out much more promising, but then takes the opposite route of "Born Treacherous" and gets a bit crappy and the melodic harmonized guitars can go right into a closet and fuck themselves. It gets really catchy and beautiful towards the end, though; shame it wasn't that good all the way through. Finally, a decent song can be found in "Ritualist". I suppose I should be a little more forgiving since this is a very different style for Dimmu. The reduced guitars are the price they pay for trying to make the orchestra stand out more. I like the addition of the choir, though, and the orchestra is much more heavily integrated into the songs than previously. Dimmu was never a band that would put out a grind-fest album, but this is even less so than normal. Much of the excitement in this album comes in short spurts and it feels like there are way too many filler riffs thrown in the mix. This is definitely a step away from the Black Metal that I would expect Dimmu to put out. All the songs have the same problem of having very unexciting riffs that drag the listener down in between really good and catchy sections. "Dimmu Borgir" sounds identical to Nightwish's style of writing. So, the bite of Black Metal is completely gone, it's not brutal in the slightest, the guitars are too wussy, and there are way too many crappy riffs. Even so, props for trying to change things up, the orchestra and choir are extremely effective, and the riffs that are good are great. If I can approach this album as if it didn't come from Dimmu and as a Gothic Metal album with no pretentions to Black Metal, this would be a decent album (probably get a score of 7). However, I just can't ignore the fact that this is a large disappointment coming from Dimmu.

Rating: 6

http://www.dimmu-borgir.com/

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Agalloch - Ashes Against the Grain [2006]

Much like Agalloch's previous full-length efforts, this album is solid all the way through. Not much has changed in the style, but there is more heaviness in many of the riffs. The atmosphere is still as solid as ever. The production is solid and heavy. The songs are catchy and contemplative. Overall a very good album.

Rating: 8

http://www.agalloch.org/

All ratings are out of 10. Rating may not be a whole number.

Juliadoll - Departure [2006]

The first two tracks have a great dark and heavy quality to the music. However, the vocals are in typical J-Rock style and it feels a bit out of place and cliché. "Departure" is more of a J-Rock song all around. I like the heaviness and the darkness, but I'm not too much a fan of the vocals. Especially in "Departure", the vocals are quite distracting and choppy. The pitch control is ok, but there are notes that are noticeably out of tune. It's good and catchy music, but the vox should have been adjusted to fit the mood of the music.

Rating: 7



All ratings are out of 10. Rating may not be a whole number.

Keep of Kalessin - Through Times of War [1997]

Way better production quality than the following album, Agnen. This is really just a straight-forward Black Metal album. There isn't the level of creativity that is found on the following albums. However, it is competent Black Metal and the production is good.

Rating: 7

http://www.keepofkalessin.no/

All ratings are out of 10. Rating may not be a whole number.

Keep of Kalessin - Agnen: A Journey Through the Dark [1999]

Let's get the bad over with first: The production is extremely crappy and the panning is purely retarded. However, it definitely has an underground recording feel. The music itself is very much Black Metal, but one can see the definite beginnings of taking the riffs into an interesting and unique area. There are some nifty effects and keys that come in here and there; they help keep things fresh. The songwriting is very good, not really creative, but certainly effective. If I'm looking for a solid, powerful, underground Black Metal album, this one will scratch that itch quite nicely.

Rating: 7.5

http://www.keepofkalessin.no/

All ratings are out of 10. Rating may not be a whole number.

Nightwish - Once [2004]

For the most part, this album could not be more different from Century Child. Epic songwriting and the best of their entire career (including Dark Passion Play). This is the proper way to integrate Orchestra and Metal to create a masterpiece. There is much less of the gimmicky songwriting that I hated from CC. The writing of the orchestra parts has finally become respectable on a Classical level as well. However, it's quite a long album with a decent amount of fillers in between the amazing songs.

Rating: 8.5

http://www.nightwish.com/

All ratings are out of 10. Rating may not be a whole number.

Nightwish - Century Child [2002]

It's fairly catchy stuff. The production quality is mediocre, but the bass-drum sound is pretty much crap. My biggest problem with the album is that they use gimmicky song writing techniques rather than the respectable complexity that can be found on later albums. The songwriting is not really up to par for a Nightwish album. Mostly uninspired, campy, and fairly boring. The catchiness can only make up for so much.

Rating: 5

http://www.nightwish.com/

All ratings are out of 10. Rating may not be a whole number.

1349 - Demonoir [2010]

Interesting production quality. It's more clear than Hellfire and I like that the vocals aren't so heavily distorted. The bass-drum is extremely powerful, but that's because it's now triggered. Not over compressed either. However, I feel like the guitars could have been a little higher in the mix. I like the use of odd instruments and style in the middle of "Atomic Chapel" and the song is certainly up to speed with what I prefer in my Black Metal. "When I Was Flesh" starts off just how I like it... fast and with no fucking mercy. There are some very interesting riffs in the song as well. It is at this point that I am beginning to realize just what a great album this is shaping up to be. If they can continue this song-writing quality through until the end of the album, it will be one of my favorite Black Metal albums. The intro tracks between songs are interesting and break up the action nicely. However, they are placed after every song on the album, making it a little too predictable for my taste, but I'm really just nitpicking now. They really have managed to keep the energy and song-writing quality up through the entire album. It's every bit as good as Hellfire, maybe a little less artistic in its form, but the production is a large step up. It may not be the most experimental or creative Black Metal album in my library, far from it, but Demonoir is fast, brutal, dark, catchy, and very enjoyable. Multiple listens are a must.

Rating: 8

http://www.legion1349.com/

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1349 - Revelations of the Black Flame [2009]

Extremely slow start to the album. Things finally pick up towards the end of "Serpentine Sibilance". However, I fear that this is going to be a mostly Doom-inspired album. The production is punchy, but over-compressed when the bass drum kicks in. "Maggot Fetus..." starts off with more of an old-school 1349 feel to it with the thrash drumming and catchy power chord riffs before it jumps into a nice blast. Overall, there are moments where things get good, but this album is mostly too slow, boring, and repetitive for my tastes.

Rating: 6

http://www.legion1349.com/

All ratings are out of 10. Rating may not be a whole number.

Sigh - The Curse of Izanagi [2010]

Wow, straight-forward old school Black Metal start for this album... of course, it doesn't last long. The production is pretty shitty; sounds like it was recorded on old tape tracks and then left in the sun for too long. However, it does have the charm of the Black Metal of old, plus, it definitely sounds like they recorded it live instead of recording each instrument separately... probably a money/time issue. I like the change of pace that this album has to offer versus previous efforts, but I don't like how it gets me into the mood for some solid Black Metal and then leaves the genre tied up in the trunk of a car until the last song, which is a cover.

Rating: 7

http://www.myspace.com/sighjapan

All ratings are out of 10. Rating may not be a whole number.

Sigh - Scenes From Hell [2010]

The production has taken a hit since Hangman's Hymn. It's not nearly as heavy. However, it is much more creative, harkening back to the days of Scenario IV but with more thrash influence and much more active songwriting. The drums are probably the worst produced instrument on the entire album, which is a shame. Fuck, the songwriting is definitely their best yet. I'm three tracks in and if they keep this shit up through the entire album, I may be willing to entirely forgive the really shitty production. End of album: WOW... they actually fucking kept the wonderfully spastic creativity all the way through the album. Every song is excellent. By the end, I had completely forgotten about the shitty production. However, I am left to wonder what could have been if the production were up to modern standards.

Rating: 9

http://www.myspace.com/sighjapan

All ratings are out of 10. Rating may not be a whole number.

Cephalic Carnage - Misled by Certainty [2010]

Ugh, off to a really disappointing start. Things finally get interesting around 2min in to "The Incorrigible Flame", but it doesn't last long at all. "Abraxas of Filth" FINALLY shows a little creativity and carefully crafted songwriting. God damn, this album really drags on. It truly feels like time is moving slower as a result of listening to this album. There's very little creativity at all and I'm still missing the dichotomy of the older albums a lot. This album has declined in quite a few ways from Xenosapien. There are some catchy parts, but most of it feels bland to me. Production quality is ok, but the overall bass seems to have been cut a bit.

Rating: 7.5

http://www.myspace.com/cephaliccarnage

All ratings are out of 10. Rating may not be a whole number.

Septic Flesh - Sumerian Daemons [2003]

Jesus fuck, "unbeliever" starts the album off as a completely different animal than I had gotten used to on Revolution DNA; so fucking powerful it's scary. "Virtues of the Beast" puts all of my fears to rest by returning to the more sedate Gothic feel that they effectively captured on RDNA... and then "Faust" switches things back to the more brutal feel that "Unbeliever" had. Well, in the end, this album managed to come damn close to fixing one of the main issues I had with previous albums: the feeling of repetitiveness by the end of the album. There are a few songs in the middle that feel fairly similar, but the nearly constant switching back and forth between brutality and sedatives in between songs really kept the album interesting for me. The keyboard parts deserve special mention as they are flawlessly written and executed. The addition of choir really adds depth to the music as well. Overall, this album is a great step forward from RDNA.

Rating: 8

http://www.myspace.com/septicfleshband

All ratings are out of 10. Rating may not be a whole number.

Septic Flesh - A Fallen Temple [1998]

Still has a dark tone to it. Production isn't as polished as RDNA and the songs aren't as catchy. Still, good and unique Gothic Metal.

Rating: 7

http://www.myspace.com/septicfleshband

All ratings are out of 10. Rating may not be a whole number.

The Haunted - The Haunted Made Me Do It [2000]

Nice new production; it's a bit heavier and more clear. After the really cool intro track and "Bury Your Dead", things begin to deteriorate. The songwriting isn't as catchy or spirited as the previous album was.

Rating: 6

http://www.the-haunted.com/site/

All ratings are out of 10. Rating may not be a whole number.

The Haunted - The Haunted [1998]

As stock as this style has become over the years, I truly miss the melodic thrash from this era because it had an energy and soul that the new shit just doesn't fucking have anymore. Sure, it's nothing new, but it's catchy and has some kick. There are only a couple fillers throughout the album. The rest are all well-written, energetic, catchy, and heavy. However, there's very little variation between the songs. So, towards the end it feels a bit repetitive.

Rating: 7

http://www.the-haunted.com/site/

All ratings are out of 10. Rating may not be a whole number.

DELUHI - JAGANNATH [2008.12.31]

Starts off with a breakdown riff, the pain of which is eased by the nifty keys and effects. It's pretty obvious now that DELUHI have been taking a few pages from the chapter of one of Soilwork's "books" for most of the last few albums. However, even that can't really make me feel better about the first song after the fourth time a breakdown is played. It's really holding the song back a lot. "RebelSicks, ShadowSix" is quite flat. Looks like their running out of new ways to write the same song.

Rating: 6

http://www.deluhi.com/index_pc.html

All ratings are out of 10. Rating may not be a whole number.

DELUHI - Mahadeva [2008.11.26]

This one has the most American quality to it to date. The guitaring is much more furious than previous albums. "Hybrid Truth" is a cross between the Melodic Thrash and Hardcore genres while "Ivory and Irony" brings the Japanese Rock into the mix. However, unlike many of their previous singles, the second track is actually good enough to listen to multiple times. Once again, it's mostly stock stuff from an American perspective, and like before, the songwriting is very well-done, catchy, and mature.

Rating: 7.5

http://www.deluhi.com/index_pc.html

All ratings are out of 10. Rating may not be a whole number.

Cephalic Carnage - Xenosapien [2007]

The brutality is still there in spades. In fact, this is a much more brutal album than Anomalies. Even farther than that, this album is better in every way. The songs are catchy, brutal, heavy, and creative. However, while they are using pretty creative riffs throughout the songs, I am missing the other kind of creativity that came in the form of the more "stoner-music" and druggy-atmospheric feel that was crammed to great effect in the earlier albums. There's hardly any of that anymore in the music. The production is the heaviest and best yet. Because of the lack of the extreme creativity that was in the older albums, I'm inclined to give it lower marks, but thanks to the increase in song quality I think it's better than Anomalies.

Rating: 8

http://www.myspace.com/cephaliccarnage

All ratings are out of 10. Rating may not be a whole number.

Juliadoll - Eternity [2007]

Heh, I've forgotten how sick of the generic Japanese rock vocals I am. However, once the first verse of "Eternity" kicks in, it's pretty catchy and almost even enjoyable despite the quite stock nature of the music. Overall, I'm happy that it's got some heavy songwriting and it's definitely catchy. They keys are well-done. However, I'm not happy about the stock nature of the vox and songwriting.

Rating: 6.5



All ratings are out of 10. Rating may not be a whole number.

Yasuharu Takanashi - Naruto Shippuuden Original Soundtrack II [2009]

The start to this sequel is much stronger than the previous one, and understandably so since the events take place in a more turbulent time in the series. Though, "Critical" makes me think of 80's Synthpop until the shakuhachi kicks in. There's two realities with this album: First, it's a direct continuation from the first OST; and second, I like the heavier songs more because they're darker and more often associated with fight scenes. The writing does feel like it's gotten a bit more aggressive than it was in the first one. There's a slightly more epic feel to the heavy songs as well. However, I have noticed a slight decrease in the emotional weight of the slow and beautiful songs. So, there is some kind of trade-off, but I still think this OST eeks out it's predecessor.

Rating: 8.5

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Naruto#Naruto:_Shippuden

All ratings are out of 10. Rating may not be a whole number.

Soulfly - Omen [2010]

Whoa, style change. "Bloodbath & Beyond" kicks the album off to a much quicker thrashy start than previous albums, and with no sign of the tribal influence at all. "Rise of the Fallen" is a creatively interesting song. There are some progressive elements that manifest in a really cool guitar part towards the beginning and later riffs bring in a large Black Metal influence much to my surprise. "Great Depression" brings back the thrash and heaviness. The middle songs are filled with heavy romps and bouts of thrashing. This is even more of a return to the thrash/heavy metal roots of Sepultura. However, I'm missing the creativity that I loved in Soulfly. "Rise of the Fallen" was pretty creative, but that's the last of it besides "Soulfly VII" and the ending of "Off With Their Heads". There's no more tribal influence at all. Some of the material is pretty catchy (mostly the beginning and ending songs of the album). I'm a bit disappointed in the lack of creativity.

Rating: 7

http://www.soulfly.com/

All ratings are out of 10. Rating may not be a whole number.

Tristania - Rubicon [2010]

"Year of the rat" is an extremely unimpressive beginning to the album. This album doesn't feel at all like a Tristania album. Perhaps it is the lineup changes. I definitely don't like the new female vocalist. I don't much care for her stock voice, nor do I care for her phrasing and (assumed) writing of the vocal parts. There are very few parts that feel like Tristania to me. On top of which, the songwriting feels like it's by the numbers. The songs aren't catchy. There's very little of the clean guitar parts that used to be all over the place. I just don't like the new style at all, and not only because it's different from the high standard that I'm used to with this band. This album wouldn't stand up alone if it weren't a Tristania album, so I don't see why it should stand up at all.

Rating: 3.5

http://www.tristania.com/

All ratings are out of 10. Rating may not be a whole number.

Sigh - Gallows Gallery [2005]

New production quality. It's a bit more punchy and over compressed. This album is fairly uncharacteristic for Sigh with a more up-tempo and thrashy speed. It doesn't quite have the overtones of darkness that the previous albums had. The song writing has certainly taken advantage of the new tempo, though, and to great effect. However, this album doesn't really do much for me. The darkness is only displayed on two tracks, and the rest lacks the creativity of the previous albums.

Rating: 7

http://www.myspace.com/sighjapan

All ratings are out of 10. Rating may not be a whole number.

Yasuharu Takanashi - Naruto Shippuuden Original Soundtrack [2007]

Naturally, this being a soundtrack, the mood is all over the place throughout the album. After getting passed the first offering of more upbeat and validating rock/ethnic Japanese fusion songs, I get a taste of the absolute beauty and melancholy that Will be spread throughout this album. The upbeat songs are a bit too happy for my taste, but they blend the rock very well with the ethnic elements. The more ominous songs go from slightly underpowered to spine-chilling and downright scary. The solemn songs are fucking incredible... absolute perfection that brings tears to my eyes. Unfortunately, the ominous songs are sparse. As the soundtrack goes on, the more upbeat and happy feeling dwindles to darkness and despair much to my liking.

Rating: 8

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Naruto#Naruto:_Shippuden

All ratings are out of 10. Rating may not be a whole number.

Sigh - Imaginary Sonicscape [2001]

"Corpsecry - Angelfall" starts the album off more in the vein of Melodic Metal much to my dismay. The keys focus more on the electronic side of things now. I'm not really feeling the mood from this album until "Nietzschean Conspiracy" where the album finally gets quite dark and very good. "A Sunset Song" utilizes some of the creativity I was expecting and hoping for in the first two songs, but it has lost all of the darkness that Sigh had. As much as I feel that this is a weaker album than the last couple, I have to admit that the style certainly reflects and effectively captures the feel of the album's title.

Rating: 7.5

http://www.myspace.com/sighjapan

All ratings are out of 10. Rating may not be a whole number.

Tristania - Illumination [2007]

The classical elements of the keys have been mostly replaced with Gothic Rock keys and I must admit, I really like how it sounds. This definitely feels a lot more like "classic" Gothic Metal, but with more catchiness and more of an edge to it. The songs are beautiful and dark all the way through. The production has taken a very large step up and is now much more punchy and clear. Unlike previous albums, the heavy parts with distorted guitars actually have weight to them and really feel powerful. The album is, however, slightly over-compressed. It's equally as good as WoG, but for different reasons.

Rating: 8.5

http://www.tristania.com/

All ratings are out of 10. Rating may not be a whole number.

Sugar - letter [2009]

Unexpectedly calm first track. The second track is much more catchy. Much of the jazz elements and quirkiness is gone, though; making it feel more like a normal Rock single than previous efforts.

Rating: 7

http://www.last.fm/music/Sugar/

All ratings are out of 10. Rating may not be a whole number.

Sugar - 【Re：261156】 addere [2008.11.05]

First track is bland and completely stock compared to the second track. Holy shit! Two fucking drum tracks at the same time on t3!!! Overall, it's a pretty damn good album if you ignore T1.

Rating: 7.5

http://www.last.fm/music/Sugar/

All ratings are out of 10. Rating may not be a whole number.

Sugar - ruddy afterglow [2008.07.16]

Continues on from Sweetest with the addition of more jazz elements.

Rating: 7.5

http://www.last.fm/music/Sugar/

All ratings are out of 10. Rating may not be a whole number.

Sugar - Sweetest [2008.03.05]

Unexpected. First track was a bit more on the atmospheric side of things. Cool. There's a huge amount of jazz influence, almost to the point that I want to call this J-Jazz instead of J-Rock. It's catchy stuff and has some pretty unique sections within each song. Certainly a pleasant surprise. There's not a poor song on the album. Sparks of creativity and experimentation are strewn throughout the album. Vocals are pretty good, not stellar, but not bad either. Admittedly, I'm kind of annoyed that a band that looks as gothic as Sugar do is so non-goth… this is certainly a frustrating part of the J-music scene.

Rating: 7.5

http://www.last.fm/music/Sugar/

All ratings are out of 10. Rating may not be a whole number.

ジュリィー - 碧空 [2006.09]

There's only one song on here that's not on 空が堕ちた日, and it's track 1. It's a good song, though a little more straight-forward in feel. Very catchy song overall. However, it's really annoying that two of the three songs would go on to be on the next single.

Rating: 7

http://www.jully-web.com/

All ratings are out of 10. Rating may not be a whole number.

ジュリィー - 心叫 [2006.03]

It's not quite as catchy as サクラ心中, but it's competent in its song writing. It's one of those albums where the chorus parts are nice and catchy, but the verses really aren't anything special.

Rating: 6

http://www.jully-web.com/

All ratings are out of 10. Rating may not be a whole number.

Textures - Drawing Circles [2006]

Much less thrash influence. Hardcore vox are more like Silhouettes' and so is the style in general. However, there is a bit more of the experimental clean style in this than on both Polars and Silhouettes. Heavier production and more catchy than Polars.

Rating: 8

http://www.texturesband.com/

All ratings are out of 10. Rating may not be a whole number.

Textures - Polars [2004]

Damn good beginning. Not a fan of the hardcore vox compared to Silhouettes, but the clean vox are equally as good. Wow, the title track is fuckin' insane. Avant-Garde doesn't even describe it correctly. There are some parts that are leagues more experimental than anything on Silhouettes. At the same time, it has way more thrash metal influence.

Rating: 7.5

http://www.texturesband.com/

All ratings are out of 10. Rating may not be a whole number.

Textures - Silhouettes [2008]

Cool and interesting album. It's fairly unique in it's song structure. Melodic vocals come in often enough to give the songs dynamics and these sections are well-done with the vocals sounding serious and non-emo. It's very energetic and has lots of groove. There's some pretty unique guitar work as well. Production is great. The album is full of talent (mostly the drumming). Unique, catchy, and well-written even amongst a genre that's known for having unique ideas.

Rating: 9

http://www.texturesband.com/

All ratings are out of 10. Rating may not be a whole number.

Soulfly - Conquer [2008]

Wow, really didn't expect that intro to the first track at all. Continues on with the more thrash feel of TDA, but it's definitely less catchy and uses even less of the creative tribal stuff. Props for deviating from their own style, though. Plus, the good songs are really good. The MM cover is just fucking hilarious.

Rating: 8

http://www.soulfly.com/

All ratings are out of 10. Rating may not be a whole number.

Soulfly - The Dark Ages [2005]

More of what I'd expect from Soulfly. It feels like a return to Max's thrash roots, but it doesn't sacrifice too much of the unique ethnic instruments and tribal feel. That said, it's definitely not as creative as previous efforts. However, it's really cool to hear Max go back to a thrashier style.

Rating: 8.5

http://www.soulfly.com/

All ratings are out of 10. Rating may not be a whole number.

Soulfly - Prophecy [2004]

Continues on with the heavier song writing of 3. Slightly better production quality than 3. However, the real difference is in the individual riffs, they're much more catchy overall and less of the album feels like filler.

Rating: 8.5

http://www.soulfly.com/

All ratings are out of 10. Rating may not be a whole number.

Soulfly - 3 [2002]

Much heavier songs and production. The tribal stuff isn't quite as prevalent throughout this album, but there's much more thrash influence. However, some of the catchiness falls off sharply in between the good songs.

Rating: 8

http://www.soulfly.com/

All ratings are out of 10. Rating may not be a whole number.

Soulfly - Primitive [2000]

Here's the heavier production that I was looking for. As with the previous album, there's plenty of tribal elements incorporated into the music. However, these elements seem to be more closely blended into the actual metal parts than before. There is also a significant amount of reggae influence usually found in sections that break up the action and drop into a really calming and beautiful section. There's a myriad of guest stars on this album (Tom Araya, Corey Taylor, etc). Strangely, it helps to keep things fresh on a vocal level. Overall, the creativity is actually a bit lower on this one than on Soulfly. One unwelcome addition is the rap influence. It's usually unobtrusive and even decent, but "In Memory Of" takes it to very intrusive levels. Admittedly, if rap were as creative as that song, I'd probably be much kinder to it. So there are a few trade-offs.

Rating: 8

http://www.soulfly.com/

All ratings are out of 10. Rating may not be a whole number.

Soulfly - Soulfly [1998]

I remember when I first got this album. At the time, it was the most unique thing I had every heard. After going back to this album many years later, I can still attest to it's uniqueness. This is certainly one of the most creative bands around. Extremely high amounts of creativity and awesome blending of tribal rhythmic beats into metal. The self-titled song is beautiful. This is a great album with lots of variation ensuring that boredom is impossible. The production could stand to be a bit heavier (mostly in the heavy parts when guitar distortion kicks in). There are also a lot of drop-offs in the energy, but this is almost always due to creative exploration… so it's really not a negative.

Rating: 8.5

http://www.soulfly.com/

All ratings are out of 10. Rating may not be a whole number.

ジュリィー - 空が堕ちた日 [2006]

Cool. Definitely continuing on with their unpredictable songwriting style from the first album. Very well-written and catchy album. It's not a huge step up from the first album, but it's definitely more polished. Different than what I'm used to, and still very good, so I'm inclined to give it high marks.

Rating: 7.5

http://www.jully-web.com/

All ratings are out of 10. Rating may not be a whole number.

ジュリィー - サクラ心中 [2005]

Interesting beginning. Cool when it kicks in, too. Nifty guitar lead right off the bat. Cool and subliminal usage of techno leads. Other than that, it's a fairly stock style, but I'm really enjoying it. It's different enough in the song structure that it keeps you guessing. It's almost got this J-Pop quality to it. The vox are a bit strange and off in some parts, but it's not very noticeable. More like a strange stylistic choice than a mistake.

Rating: 7

http://www.jully-web.com/

All ratings are out of 10. Rating may not be a whole number.

Kai Rosenkranz - Risen [2009]

Three tracks in and I'm very impressed. There's no recycling from the Gothic 3 soundtrack at all, but it still creates flawless atmosphere. Beautiful, epic, extremely well-crafted, perfectly produced, and (at times) haunting. The soundtrack looses a bit of its appeal after the halfway point and starts to sound a little more generic than previous tracks. If the soundtrack kept its strength through the entire album, this would've blown Gothic 3's soundtrack straight out of the water, but as it is, Risen comes out equal to G3.

Rating: 8.5

http://www.last.fm/music/Kai+Rosenkranz

All ratings are out of 10. Rating may not be a whole number.

Kai Rosenkranz - Gothic 3 [2006]

Fuckin' flawless songwriting. Always has the feel of an epic fantasy movie. Perfectly sets the mood. There's not much creativity, but it's so flawlessly executed that there's no way I can bash it.

Rating: 8.5.

http://www.last.fm/music/Kai+Rosenkranz

All ratings are out of 10. Rating may not be a whole number.

X3: Reunion

This sound track is great. Very atmospheric. The massive reverb on all of the instruments and the echo on the techno effects really makes you feel like you're floating through space. Makes me want to play the game really bad. It's very slow moving, but it's such a serene listen that I don't mind at all. However, the "inner station" tracks can fuck right off. They're great in the game, but fuck do they clogg up the soundtrack. It's not their fault, of course, since I was the one that ripped the tracks straight from the install directory.

Rating: 8

http://www.egosoft.com/games/x3/info_en.php

All ratings are out of 10. Rating may not be a whole number.

Regurgitate - Sickening Bliss [2006]

Continuing on from Deviant with clearer production.

Rating: 8

http://www.regurgitate.net/

All ratings are out of 10. Rating may not be a whole number.

Regurgitate - Deviant [2003]

Fuck yeah. Good production, heavy, fucking brutal, and loud. There's even some creative riffs for the Grindcore/Goregrind genre. Definitely their best one yet.

Rating: 8

http://www.regurgitate.net/

All ratings are out of 10. Rating may not be a whole number.

Regurgitate - Hatefilled Vengeance [2002]

Production is stepped up a notch. The volume isn't soft and the heaviness is still there.

Rating: 7.5

http://www.regurgitate.net/

All ratings are out of 10. Rating may not be a whole number.

Regurgitate - Carnivorous Erection [2000]

The heaviness is ramped up. The vox are more gurgle style. My one complaint is that the album is a bit quiet. Much better production overall.

Rating: 7.5

http://www.regurgitate.net/

All ratings are out of 10. Rating may not be a whole number.

Regurgitate - Concrete Human Torture [1994]

Sounds very much like ERoBRR.

Rating: 7

http://www.regurgitate.net/

All ratings are out of 10. Rating may not be a whole number.

Regurgitate - Effortless Regurgitation of Bright Red Blood [1994]

FUCKING DISGUSTING intro track. The rest of the cd is exactly what you'd expect from a grindcore/goregrind band. However, this sort of shit never really gets old for me. More importantly, it's pretty obvious that these guys were on the cutting edge of the genre's creation back in '94. I can hear a lot of influence for Inhume. There's also quite a bit of catchy riffs in the mix. I'm not even sure it's worth talking about the production quality for a Grindcore band, but here it is anyway. It's not good, but it's actually damn fucking impressive given the time period and the production quality of other similar artists. Definitely has a more natural and unrefined sound to it.

Rating: 7

http://www.regurgitate.net/

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Faith No More - The Real Thing [1989]

Whoa. "From Out Of Nowhere" really is a descriptive title. Way heavier guitaring. The heavy-section vocals have changed in sound drastically. Extremely focused on catchiness, but without compromising the integrity of the music. The writing is still just as kooky as ever. There's a wonderful amount of variation between the songs with some dropping into creative and beautiful ballads while others like "Surprise! You're Dead!" are more like metal songs. There's a bit more proficiency with the vocals on this one, too, with Mike performing some almost Death Metal/Black Metal vocals on one track. This is the first album that I can really get behind and enjoy over and over again. I should complain a bit about the production, but it really has a charming Hard Rock quality to it that I can live with.

Rating: 8

http://www.fnm.com/

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Faith No More - Introduce Yourself [1987]

The production quality is a direct copy of We Care A Lot. "Faster Disco" seems to slide more into the harder rock area. "Anne's Song" is one of their comical songs. Admittedly, the lyrics are quite hilarious, not edgy, but fucking funny and satirical. Whoa, IN "Chinese Arithmetic" I can hear elements of Post Rock. It also ventures more into Heavy Metal than their previous stuff. "Rn'R" definitely has a modern metal feel to it, just without the production quality and vocals. It seems like this album really starts to display the band's growth at track 4. The inclusion of a re-recorded version of "We Care A Lot" seems pointless to me. There are a few songs that flop for me, but overall it's another creative album with better songwriting.

Rating: 7

http://www.fnm.com/

All ratings are out of 10. Rating may not be a whole number.

Arkhon Infaustus - Orthodoxyn [2007]

Another production change-up. The guitars feel less scooped than before and the bass drum has less low-end punch to it. The drums are a little lower in the mix as well. There's even more Doom Metal influence on this album than on "Perdition Insanabilis" and the transition between the two is very sensible and flows very well. "Magnificant Satanas" is fucking brutally awesome. The song structures are more refined. I just wish that they spent less time in the Doom style during the first half of many songs.

Rating: 8.5

http://www.myspace.com/arkhoninfaustusofficial

All ratings are out of 10. Rating may not be a whole number.

Arkhon Infaustus - Perdition Insanabilis [2004]

Continues on from FC but with better production quality. This album has less grinding than previous ones. It also pushes the music further into the Black Metal realm.

Rating: 8

http://www.myspace.com/arkhoninfaustusofficial

All ratings are out of 10. Rating may not be a whole number.

Arkhon Infaustus - Filth Catalyst [2003]

WHOA. Awesome grind in the first track. It's a little over-compressed, but that really adds to the power of the production. Awesome mix of blasphemous/evil riffs with the Death Metal riffs. This is great, I love it. My only nit-picking complaint is that there isn't much variation throughout the album. It also doesn't have much lasting appeal. Even so, this is a massive step up from HI.

Rating: 7.5

http://www.myspace.com/arkhoninfaustusofficial

All ratings are out of 10. Rating may not be a whole number.

Arkhon Infaustus - Hell Injection [2001]

NICE. Chaotic beginning! I really, honestly, didn't see it coming. Cool combination of Death Metal vox with Black Metal. Well, in the end it's not all that insanely written. Not very catchy at all. Definitely kind of bland production. However, the blasphemy definitely shines through like a lighthouse beacon. It's a good album to put on in the background.

Rating: 6.5

http://www.myspace.com/arkhoninfaustusofficial

All ratings are out of 10. Rating may not be a whole number.

Dragonlord - Black Wings of Destiny [2005]

I still have a hard time believing that this is the guitarist from Testament. Fucking phenomenal Black Metal album. It's easy to say that they're ripping off Dimmu a bit with the orchestra arrangements and all, but I think that they actually pull it off much better than Dimmu has. Also, the guitar work is awesome (much unlike Dimmu). Production quality is amazing… heavy, clear, and atmospheric. Perfectly suites the musical style. The clean vox are really well done on the rare occasions that they're actually used. My only complaint is that a few of the songs feel like filler. It's a goddamn shame that there hasn't been another release since this album...

Rating: 8.5

http://www.enterthedragonlord.com/

All ratings are out of 10. Rating may not be a whole number.

Juliadoll - hate [2006]

All of the "oi"s are more funny than they are serious… the vocalist sounds like he's trying to be a street punk and it's fucking adorable (though, I doubt this was the intended response). This is probably appropriate since the music is pretty much straight-forward punk. The vox are a bit grating and there's really nothing much to this song… it's the same chords over and over again with boorish production.

Rating: 5



All ratings are out of 10. Rating may not be a whole number.

Juliadoll - Rusty Rain [2006]

Live, huh? Nifty. Decent song. Nothing new, but good.

Rating: 6.5



All ratings are out of 10. Rating may not be a whole number.

Juliadoll - U20inu ~ Holiday Shinjuku Vol.2 [2006]

Cool. Not what I was expecting with the industrial-type beginning. Good singing, catchy songwriting, good dynamics within the song, and good production.

Rating: 7



All ratings are out of 10. Rating may not be a whole number.

Juka - Saint Croix [2007]

Interesting. At the very beginning I was extremely cynical, but then it gets very dynamic with a whole shitload of things happening at the same time. It's actually pretty good. However, it still feels like a Moi dix Mois song at it's heart. It's almost like he just took that formula and improved upon it. I guess that's not really a bad thing... I'm sure I'll get used to it. T2 drops down into a typical piano / vox soloist feel. The production quality is definitely punchy and forwardly aggressive. Accurate vox, if a bit stock. But, I dunno, for some reason I just feel like it's missing emotion and heart. Maybe I'll warm up to it, but for now, it get's a lower mark.

Rating: 6.5

http://www.artist-society.com/juka/pc.html

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Sigh - Scenario IV: Dread Dreams [1999]

This carries on the wild, mid to slow-paced, creative, and often off-kilter songwriting values of the previous albums. They have even briefly experimented with country on this one. The riffs and speed of the album certainly live up to the subtitle, "Dread Dreams". There are some really cool sections that make use of cute female japanese vocals (i.e. second half of "In the Mind of a Lunatic"). I wish it was used more often, though, since it blends so well. This is a bit more of a depressed album than Hail Horror Hail with a more sedated speed. I wish the production quality had gone up a bit instead of staying exactly where it was on HHH. Still, great creative effort and wonderful atmosphere.

Rating: 8

http://www.myspace.com/sighjapan

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Faith No More - We Care A Lot [1985]

"We Care A Lot" has an enjoyably cynical feel to it, not so sure about the actual music. "The Jungle" starts strange but then goes into what could almost be considered a Black Metal feel, turning extremely dark all of a sudden. The album finally seems to have settled into some sort of groove with "Why Do You Bother". It's got a good atmosphere to it, even though the songs aren't doing a whole lot to give me a stiffy. Even so, I can honestly say that this album doesn't sound like anything else I've heard. Props for being unique, but I hope that the later albums will have songwriting more suited to my tastes.

Rating: 6

http://www.fnm.com/

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Rotting Christ - AEALO [2010]

Very promising start. I really like the addition of the chorus. I'm not so much a fan of the new Folk influence, but it's not cliché or poorly done so I'm fine with it. It's unfortunate that much of the darkness that I loved from Sanctus Diavolus is gone because it would've been a perfect combination with the new chorus being used throughout this album. "Nekron Lahes..." is just plain annoying, though. Overall, it's good and has some cool additions, but it's lacking the power and darkness of Sanctus Diavolus.

Rating: 7.5

http://www.rotting-christ.com/

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L'eprica - florence/3rd blood & pain [2008]

Much better production than some of the other albums. More to the standards of ST. Addition of keys is welcome. Intro riff sounds like a bit of a sell-out move, but after the first verse it definitely makes sense. Second track hearkens back to ST a bit in the verses.

Rating: 8

http://www.myspace.com/leprica

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L'eprica - Ideal Taste [2008]

Whoa, not what I was expecting at all. It's basically progressive thrash metal. Definitely catchy when it get's going. The production seems to be going a bit downhill, though. The vox are a bit overpowering at some parts. It's a different style for them, but it's a nice change-up from the previous stuff… just as long as they don't stray too long.

Rating: 7.5

http://www.myspace.com/leprica

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L'eprica - rubble [2007]

Good beginning. Nice and calm. Drums are heavily equalized to sound like they're in the background (sounds like a drum machine, though). Pretty good overall, but definitely not their best. It lacks the catchiness of the previous stuff, but gains some atmosphere.

Rating: 7

http://www.myspace.com/leprica

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L'eprica - Agnus Dei [2006]

Nice, starts off kinda doom-metal-ish. Decent production quality. Good songwriting, though the first track is a bit predictable and cliché. Definitely has a few elements of Doom mixed with post-rock, progressive, and jazz. Damn cool stuff, but not as cool as ST.

Rating: 7.5

http://www.myspace.com/leprica

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L'eprica - Sephirothic Tree [2008]

I'm very impressed by the restraint from the beginning. It's as if they don't feel the need to kick in to something heavy really quickly… kinda like saying "fuck you" to everyone expecting the opposite. When it does get heavy, it still stays nice and melancholy. This single isn't going to change the earth's rotational direction or anything, but it's definitely got it's own writing style to it that really goes against convention. I can even hear some Mexican musical influence in the second track along with progressive elements. Very well written and good production. My one complaint: this CD is criminally short. I would love to hear a full-length of this. Very high marks for the masterful writing.

Rating: 8

http://www.myspace.com/leprica

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DELUHI - Surveillance [2008.03.26]

Not what I was expecting for an intro. Definitely more Metal than their later stuff. Production isn't as good, though (to be expected). Certainly more creative than their later stuff as well.

Rating: 7

http://www.myspace.com/deluhi

All ratings are out of 10. Rating may not be a whole number.