Sister Machine Gun - Burn [1995]

The first track is pretty unimpressive. It's a bit boring, far too repetitive, and very hollow compared to SotF. So, all in all, there's only two decent songs on the fucking album and it's the title track and "Snake". The rest is just thin and not very catchy. I like the fact that they tried something different for "Snake", but it can't save the fucking album.

Rating: 4.5

http://www.sistermachinegun.com/

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Porcupine Tree - The Incident [2009]

Wow, I've got to admit it, I'm less than two minutes into the second track and I'm THOUROUGHLY impressed by the heavy sections. The chorus is a bit worrying, though, with it's influence heavily taken from the more popular side of alternative rock. However, there are a lot of other elements at play in this song, so I'll just wait and see how the rest of the album plays out. I'm at track 5 and I'm quite happy. The effects usage is great and the album that started off with such heaviness and an odd sound has settled down to the more contemplative and sedate style that I'm used to with PT. However, it's small sections like the chorus of track 5 that throw me off a bit. It doesn't really fit well. And then, without any warning, the next song kicks off with a cool trip-hop beat and ominous effects. Porcupine Tree is really trying to put it all under one roof with this album. Overall, it's a very conflicting feeling I get from this album. It's not very catchy through and through. There are a few songs where sections feel like they dive TOO deeply into pop and very little of the album stays with me after listening. This certainly isn't one of PT's greats, but it is a bit creative and the heavy parts don't dominate the album like on previous efforts.

Rating: 7.5

http://www.porcupinetree.com/

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Sister Machine Gun - Sins of the Flesh [1992]

Not a bad start at all. I was expecting much less. "Sins of the Flesh" is pretty catchy and it's got a solid beat with good feeling samples. Second track is a really enjoyable listen as well. I've been sort of subconsciously hoping to add an Industrial Rock band like this to my library. There's virtually nothing at all in the way of variation between the tracks, but I expected that from a band in this genre and from this time period. The songwriting is solid all the way through, even if it's based on a bit of a formula. One thing that seems to keep coming back to nag me throughout the album is that the vocals feel a bit amateur at times.

Rating: 7

http://www.sistermachinegun.com/

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Porcupine Tree - Nil Recurring [2007]

Well, this is odd... PT seem to have actually put out quite a good EP for once. The first track doesn't feel that inspired, but things immediately pick up with "Normal". It's a nice and calm EP with significant bouts of the more aggressive and heavy sections they have recently become so fond of. It's a decent length for an EP as well.

Rating: 8

http://www.porcupinetree.com/

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Incubus - Light Grenades [2006]

Trippy start with "Quicksand" and then into a much more catchy, confident, and bold "A Kiss to Send Us Off". This album is yet another step up in their careers. There's a decent amount of catchiness littered about the album along with some creative songwriting, soothing melodies and moods, exciting riffs, and the classic Incubus style and feel. Very well-polished songs. They have hit a ceiling, though. It can't get much better than this without increasing the creativity... and maybe add a few more of those hard rock sections.

Rating: 8.25

http://www.enjoyincubus.com/us/home

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Porcupine Tree - Fear of a Blank Planet [2007]

Off to a very promising start. "Fear of a Blank Planet" starts off with more psychedelia and verve than before until the heavier guitars come in. It's a little darker as well. Pretty catchy chorus. "My Ashes" is much more like a slightly more modern version of the more subdued era of PT. Time really seems to fly when listening to this album. "Anesthetize" is too large of a song to explain, but it's quite a journey. "Sentimental" REALLY feels like the PT of old. Overall, I'm much happier with this album than the previous couple. The metal influence doesn't dominate the experience, and, most importantly, the songwriting isn't as dumbed down and mainstream-oriented. This feels much more like a modern progressive rock album. The first two tracks had me a bit worried, but by the end of the album it really felt like a Porcupine Tree effort. I'll need to listen to it a few more times before I start to think that it's their best yet, but for now, it's equal to any of their other releases.

Rating: 8.5

http://www.porcupinetree.com/

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Porcupine Tree - Deadwing [2005]

Starts off even deeper into the more Metal territory until the verse starts. It's a much more active side of PT that I'm not used to hearing. If the whole album is in this new style, then it may take some getting used to. The production definitely feels a bit more "in-your-face" than previous albums. "Shallow" feels more like a straight forward Hard Rock song. "Lazarus" feels much more like the classic PT that I know. "Halo" continues on with the more calm and sedate songwriting. It's still a significant departure from the older style, but I'm slowly warming up to it. In the end, I do enjoy the new style, but I also pine for the days where the focus was more on the Progressive and Psychedelic moods. None of the songs really fall flat, but there is a certain quality and depth that seems to have gone missing from them overall.

Rating: 8

http://www.porcupinetree.com/

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ミドリ - あらためまして、はじめまして、ミドリです。 [2008]

Great news after listening to track 2: this may be the breakthrough that I have been looking for from these guys. Track 4 is a re-recording from the first album, but it actually feels better than most re-recordings. This is, indeed, a large step up from the previous material. The production is great. The songwriting has much more of the punky and screamy feel, but the cute parts are still adorable and the jazz is just as prevalent as ever. There isn't one song that falls flat on this album and there is quite a bit of variation between the songs so that boredom is impossible.

Rating: 8.5

http://midori072.com/

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ミドリ - 清水 [2007]

First up is a fairly adorable and entertaining intro track. Track 2 comes in poised and strong. I like the fact that the piano isn't relegated to the right speaker like it was in the previous album. The production is louder and more forward with noticeable distortion during the more chaotic sections (especially noticeable with the drum toms). Track 3 shows off the newer production quality of the guitars... they are audible and fairly clean, if a tiny bit buried in the mix. Track 4 takes the noise element to a new level with a few massively distorted and lasting explosions followed closely by a very catchy chorus section. Track 5 is the same as track 5 on the first album but with a few slight differences and dirtier playing... and it isn't as compelling as the original. Track 6 is a nice, cute, and calmer changeup from the rest of the chaos. I'm happy about the production and the songwriting isn't bad, either. Even so, it's only marginally better than their previous material. I'm still left waiting for the album that will break through their established writing and take everything to the next level.

Rating: 7.75

http://midori072.com/

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ミドリ - セカンド♥ [2007]

Production quality has taken a bit of a hit for everything except the piano. The guitar is especially woefully produced with it often times being completely buried and inaudible. First track introduces the new style and sports much more mature songwriting, but it's not as energetic as the beginning of the first album. Second track is more energetic. Overall, this isn't the most compelling songwriting I've heard. There is certainly more good tracks on this one than the first album, and the jazz punk fusion works even better here. The repetition on this album isn't nearly as annoying as it was on the first one as well. And while the more biting punky sections are more evenly spread out on this album, there isn't enough to be satisfying. The production is really lacking and impenetrable at times (especially with the guitars).

Rating: 7.5

http://midori072.com/

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ミドリ - ファースト [2005]

YAAAAAAY!!! First track and I love it!!! Cool piano combined with punky guitars, thrashy beat, and the most out of place and kawaii vocals I've ever heard! The jazzy piano is here throughout most of the album. The appeal of the amelodic vocals is starting to wear thin by the third track. The longer piano interludes in "A.N.A" help, but the song is hurt by the repetition of the same phrase to the point that I get a bit angry. Track 5 brings back the spastic punk feel. Overall, I like the idea, but wish that they had used some more normal vocals to break things up a bit. Even so, I don't mind much because this album is so short that it doesn't wear me out. Props for something fresh and different.

Rating:7.5

http://midori072.com/

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Porcupine Tree - Futile [2003]

Skipping the edited version of "Strip the Soul", Orchidia is a much more Hard Rock inspired song with no vocals. It's a little repetitive, but certainly catchy. "Futile" continues with the heaviness, but with more of the progressive rock elements from days of old. I have to bare in mind that this is a PT EP, which usually doesn't fair well with me. I like that they use their EPs to experiment and play around with new directions, but they usually lose my interest because they are such a departure from the classic PT sound of progressive/psychedelic/experimental rock.

Rating: 6.5

http://www.porcupinetree.com/

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Porcupine Tree - In Absentia [2002]

First thing I notice in "Blackest Eyes" is that there is a much more forward and brazen element of heaviness. It's actually properly heavy at parts. The songwriting is pretty catchy all the way through. The heavy parts are quite exciting and have a lot of punch. I especially like the fact that they didn't rely on the newfound heaviness, instead keeping it to a minimum and usually balanced them out with very introspective sections. It's not as off-the-wall quirky as TSMS, but it has a similar feel of creativity. That said, this is quite a two-faced album... quiet and serene one moment, active and energetic the next. I quite like it. This is what "Lightbulb Sun" should have been.

Rating: 8.5

http://www.porcupinetree.com/

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Incubus - A Crow Left of the Murder... [2004]

Happily, this is even more of a mature album than Morning View. The heavy parts, while not all that aggressive, are crisp and satisfying. The album is quite well produced. The songwriting is their best yet. There are some songs that are a bit dull and don't do much for me, but this album is definitely continuing the move of Incubus in the right direction.

Rating: 8

http://www.enjoyincubus.com/us/home

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

Incubus - Morning View [2001]

"Nice to Know You" is a good start. Though, oddly enough, the one part of the song that lets me down is the chorus. The rest of it boasts more mature song writing. "Circles" has some interesting parts, but mostly goes by unnoticed. "Wish You Were Here" is a bit more catchy. Despite the obnoxious acoustic guitar doodle that pops up mostly in the beginning of "Just A Phase", this song has much more feeling to it. Overall, this is more of a tranquil album in the same vein as "Make Yourself", but with less fillers. The songwriting has improved a bit making more of the songs enjoyable to listen to. Even so, it's not a massive improvement, the only creative parts are done during the slow sections, and the heavy parts fail to thrill and lack punch in contrast to what the intention was.

Rating: 7.5

http://www.enjoyincubus.com/us/home

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Incubus - Make Yourself [1999]

This is a much more significant change in songwriting style. I really like the addition of the light atmospheric rock elements. It makes the songs much more listenable and deep. The songwriting quality and proficiency has definitely leapt forward. It's more catchy. There's little to no rap elements left. However, my favorite change is that some of the songs take on an appealingly dark and depressing atmosphere. The major blemish on this album is that there are plenty of fillers despite their creative contributions.

Rating: 7

http://www.enjoyincubus.com/us/home

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Incubus - S.C.I.E.N.C.E [1997]

The songwriting has taken a more energetic turn. There's a bit more finesse as well. However, there's still way too many fillers on the album and the few real standouts can't cover for the lacking writing of the rest of the album. There is still plenty of the Funk influence carried over from FA. It's odd, because this album is both quite creative but also by the numbers. The creativity is found in the non-heavy sections of songs. Once they get to the Heavy ideas, it's as if they don't know what to do with the Heaviness, so it comes out weak and generic.

Rating: 6

http://www.enjoyincubus.com/us/home

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Incubus - Fungus Amongus [1995]

There's a shit-ton of Funk influence in this album interestingly combined with Alternative Metal. It's an extremely interesting album and fairly creative in the blending of styles. However, the songwriting is a bit weak, and very little of the album is actually memorable. There's virtually no catchiness at all on the album, either. The production is pretty good for being so early in their career.

Rating: 5

http://www.enjoyincubus.com/us/home

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

The Mars Volta - Frances the Mute [2005]

Very strong start. However, after the half-way point, the energy and enjoyment slides down quite a bit. It's good stuff, though. Well-written and fairly creative with a good blend of styles and keeps you guessing for a bit. There is enough catchiness on this album to fill a C-17 Globemaster III cargo jet. Even so, I'm not a fan of their more atmospheric and psychedelic sections as I feel they drag on a bit and don't have much purpose to them. The production is quite good.

Rating: 8

http://www.themarsvolta.com/

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The Mars Volta - De-Loused in the Comatorium [2003]

Right from the start, I can tell this will be a much more polished album. It's hard to say that the music is unique because many progressive bands play around with different instruments and sounds. Even so, this album definitely has its own identity. It's very well put together. Excellent songwriting all around. The album has flow and feels like it tells a story. The production is quite a leap forward from Tremulant, too. There are only a few parts that feel like they drag a bit.

Rating: 8

http://www.themarsvolta.com/

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