Recommend me some 2022 albums +1000th album halp

[MyNameIsNothing]

world eater by blanck mass is aoty 2017 so far
also worth checking out:::
sorority noise - you're not as ___ as you think
clap! clap! - a thousand skies
kid koala - music to draw to: sattelite

[rayword45]

Day 382: Narkopop by Gas

IT'S HERE! IT'S HERE! IT'S HERE IT'S HERE IT'S HERE!

I'll probably review the new Kendrick album next but honestly I'm realizing I seem to like each successive album less with him so I'm oddly wary. Fuck you Section.80 may be the least technically impressive album of his but goddamnit he paints a world I, and generations, can relate to with ease and that makes it my personal favorite. Also I'm raising my score of Pop to a 10 because I love tripping.

But yes I've been looking forward to this.

Narkopop 2 goes a bit more over the place than I was expecting. In fact a good chunk of these songs aren't as droney as the ones on Pop, but they're certainly less energetic (and BETTER) than the overall sound of Königsforst. Okay I really don't have much to say, it's not as amazing as Pop but very little is and this is still AMAZEBALLS. Why did I use that word? I make myself cringe.

Hooray for piracy! Go listen to this now, you twit. Stop reading my bullshit.

Best Track: Narkopop 2 or Narkopop 9
Rating: 8.5/10

[choof]

Originally Posted by rayword45

Day 382: Narkopop by Gas


Best Track: Narkopop 2 or Narkopop 9
Rating: 8.5/10

yo narkopop fuckin sucks lmao

[Trogdor!!!!]

Originally Posted by choof

yo narkopop fuckin sucks lmao

Not true you hater!!!

[rayword45]

Day 383: Damn by Kendrick Lamar

Welp, I like Section.80 more than I like Good Kid, M.A.A.D City more than I like untitled unmastered more than I like To Pimp A Butterfly so here we go. What? levitate (fuck the real title) is a better banger than anything on TPAB and Section.80 may be his least technically impressive but it beautifully paints a world I (and a generation, because I'm pretentious enough to speak for a generation) can relate to with such ease, moreso than any of his others.

Wait, there's a new Pile album. Sorry, next time guys.

Day 383: A Hairshirt of Purpose by Pile

I fucking love these guys, haven't seen em live in over a year and a half now. They better play some summer shows. Their music, at its best, represents some sort of catharsis for me, and it conjures up images of home. I'm probably biased because Boston but whatever. Songs like Prom Song (the obvious), Don't Touch Anything and Baby Boy really help me get through my pathetically angsty teen emotions whenever some bullshit happens. They're certainly not a perfect band, as they're more of a singles gig for me than an album gig.

Damn, is this a stylistic shift attempt? A subtle one? I mean, there's still that grungy post-hardcore feel to all the tracks here but goddamn the crescendos. Everywhere. Crescendos in Rope's Length, Milkshake, Leaning On A Wheel, Dogs, more but I really don't feel like listing the whole damn tracklist or what seems like it. Are they trying to turn prog or ape Godspeed You! Black Emperor or something? To be frank the difference between this and the last 3 albums is readily apparent, but I'm exaggerating for comic effect. I'm not akin to this style of Rick's songwriting but it's pretty decent, just not quite what I was looking for.

So let's just comment on a handful of tracks because I never listen to this band in a cohesive context anyways. The whiny drawl of Worms is beautiful but doesn't really start the album with an explosion as I'm used to with this band. Much more subdued than any of their other openers (I'm just ignoring everything before Magic Isn't Real because screw that) but easily a standout track immediately. They seemed to have relegated the usual explosion to the second track, Hissing For Peace, but I'm not as enamored. No Bone is another soft acoustic song, pleasant but nothing special. Texas is a great blow of punk energy akin to #1 Hit Single or #2 Hit Single as is Hairshirt. These seem to be more popular among the fanbase so although they're generally not my favorites (not to say I don't like them, they definitely fit an angry niche) I get why they chose the former as the lead single. In fact I'm inclined to call Texas the true album standout, as it starts angry and never relents but only builds up in intensity (man these crescendos sure are something) leaving it a completely fulfilling 2-minute endeavor with no filler nor wasted potential. The aforementioned Dogs seems like it's trying to be one of those 90s-harkening quiet-loud-quiet songs that Pile is best at making, but something is missing. Slippery feels similar, what could be missing?

Oh yeah, the CATHARSIS. These are pretty good rock songs but there's less of the emoting, screams and dynamic contrasts that make up the best Pile songs. Or actually, there might be an equal amount but the song structures are just too different and not arena-rocky enough. I hate to say I wanted more of the same, because a band trying new things while maintaining their unique voice should be applauded, but something is just missing here for me. The raucous punk songs are my favorites for the first time, and those haven't changed much at all.

This seems way more album-formatted than previous Pile works. The lack of centerpieces is interesting. I Don't Want To Do This Anymore is a straight interlude. A bunch of these tracks seem like throwaway interludes.

...Okay I'm full of shit I googled this album to read some reviews and that's what people said. An album-oriented Pile album? Weird. But if you actually cared, rest easy knowing that those reviews do not affect my score at all. Because I've listened to this album 3 times now and I still haven't been able to enjoy it more as a cohesive piece. Maybe at some point it'll click, who knows?

Best Track: Texas
Rating: 6/10

[rayword45]

Day 384: DAMN. by Kendrick Lamar

*insert intro paragraph from previous review here*

On a seperate note, what the fuck was he thinking with this title scheme? The album title is bad enough (Lil B made whatever kinda statement you're trying to make irrelevant) but then EVERY GODDAMN SONG IS TITLED LIKE THIS. IN CAPS. ENDING WITH A PERIOD. And it's just fucking stupid.

Humble (seriously screw these titles) freaking sucks. Can we just get that out of the way? I dunno why this was chosen as the lead single because it's a goddamn snoozer. And outside of that, overall I put this in the same caliber as the rest of his post-good kid releases. Most of these songs seem to feature either a look into the way Kendrick's brain works or a commentary on the anti-black culture of the United States. Everything from a technical standpoint is on point, but I much prefer his more world-building albums.

Whatever. Might be my least favorite yet.

Best Track: DUCKWORTH. (ugh the caps)
Rating: 7/10

[Wayward Vagabond]

wow how DARE you

[rayword45]

Day 385: Metaphysics by Duncan Avoid (Album Choice: choof)

I always go to choofboy when I need some bleep bloops. And I need them BAD right now because fuck finals. I wish I could live life as a potato sack. Except I'm doing that in college right now pretty much, out here in bumfuck nowhere farmtown. Man, it's boring here, but when I was in Boston it was basically nothing but nonstop bullshit drama or truly heinous injustice which clearly took a toll on my emotional health. I don't know how to live without drama, and as a result of living in flames for years I do not know how to function as anything other than an emotionally repressed stoner. But it's not totally me! I mean, all anyone does out here is smoke weed and watch television and go to the trashiest, lamest parties I've ever seen. This was one of the top party schools? Are you effing kidding me? There's nothing but a bunch of beer pong, bad music and barbituate-laced drinks inside a stuffy room. Where are the wild house parties that create stories? And the parties here end at like 1AM, what the hell is this haven't you people watched How I Met Your Mother? Well, I didn't, only the first two seasons. That's actually a pretty decent show with the laugh track removed. Good shit doesn't happen until 2AM, bad shit starts at 4:30.

Okay, enough rambling for now. Back to the study. Again, fuck finals.

Attention Deficit Disorder... Heh heh, it's funny that this song seems to fit me to a tee. Or is it T? I can never remember. Longest track on the album, and not a total bore! For a genre made up entirely of robotic seizure noises that's amazing. There's a lot of time signature and structural fun to be found in here against the aural assault, making this rewarding even when listened to passively. And some of these songs (S.H.I.F.I, Auditory Arms) are even catchy or groovy in their own weird ways, that or good rhythms pop up throughout the splatterpaint mess by chance. Either way, this is a pretty good release, but like half of the things I review it suffers from being too long. That, or it's too tonally homogenous. One or the other. I can get down to a colder atmosphere, but it can get boring for a full hour (this is coming from someone who's dream wedding song is Boy/Girl Song). Will return, because fuck finals.

Best Track: Attention Deficit Disorder
Rating: 7/10

[rayword45]

Day 387 (Why do I still keep calling these "days" considering if these were marking consecutive calendar days my sense of time would be completely fucked): Facade by Natriums (Album Choice: egypt89)

So... Someone requested I review THEIR album. Last time I did this, I'm pretty sure I was 15. It's been almost 4 years! God damn... No wait, MarioNintendo told me to review his piano shit but I never got around to it, sorry bro.

This is referred to as IDM and downtempo but it reminds me of an acid Motorbass more than anything. The first four tracks here are easily the best. Afterwards, things get kinda samey though never unpleasant. The last track and bonus track bring back some of that earlier magic, the latter especially since it goes a lot of places over the course of its 9 minute runtime, a very nighttime-esque, danceable track.

Yeah, I don't have much else to say. A very respectable effort for a 16 year old without any real clunkers, hey I resorted to ageism. Damn it's been three motherfucking weeks.

Best Track: For You
Rating: 6.5/10

[rayword45]

Day 388: The Black Black by Solace (Album Choice: cultjake)

This shit was damn near impossible to find. Better be fuckin good.

Man I haven't smoked weed in nearly two weeks now. Thank god for oral swab drug tests. It really is too bad, though, because I feel I'd appreciate this a lot more after a toke. Except the vocalist, even if I was high my opinion of him would remain the same. When he does quieter low-end melodic singing, it fits the music well, reminiscent of Acid Bath. Unfortunately, that vocal style comes out almost never. Most of the time he uses a glammy high-pitched tone which both feels off against the instrumentation and personally annoys me. Hey, I've shit on Bon Jovi many times here so you should be able to guess why (not that this singer is anywhere near as grating as Jon Bon Jovi). The last style used is traditional screams and squeals, which does fit well so I have little else to say about that.

Outside of the singer, this is pretty average stoner metal. Locking riffs, slow drums and fuzzy bass, everything you expected. I honestly find some of the more rhythmic, groovy attempts to be annoying, particularly the first track. Plus, three out of four songs here exceed 7 minutes and only The Devil's Clock justifies its mega long running time with its wonderful ending solo. The first two cuts could have could've easily been 4 or so minutes and all the better for it. Thankfully, the last track runs a normal duration, and thus leaves everything on a more positive note.

Yeah, not the best stoner stuff I've listened to. It was obnoxious trying to find this, so I may be being extra judgemental. Whatever.

Best Track: The Devil's Cock (yeah I made a typo and I'm leaving it in because I have the humor of a 5 year old)
Rating: 5/10 (the cock song is a strong 8)

[rayword45]

Day 389: Death Peak by Clark (Album Choice: Wayward Vagabond and some other peoples)

Gonna kill some albums waiting for this delayed-ass plane. This I enjoy a lot more than Totems Flare. They're obviously nearly identical in terms of style but the songs here seem a lot more epic, for lack of a better term. Maybe theatrical? Or more emotionally resonant? Either way, this is good stuff with nary a boring moment, though the vocal samples in Catastrophe Anthem come off as a bit corny.

Fun fact, I listened to half of this album awaiting jury duty. Wait, that wasn't fun. Jury duty fucking sucks.

Best Track: Toss-up between Butterfly Prowler and Peak Magnetic (I keep typing Death Magnetic in random places and I think Lars is a Nazi)
Rating: 8.5/10

[rayword45]

Day 390: Remote Control by Beat Therapy

This is the soundtrack to the obscure DSiWare game Pop+ Solo. I used to get lost into that game, back when I was 12. All you did was pop bubbles, but it was really immersive and actually fun for scoring. Nobody has bought this soundtrack, which is a travesty because it's damn fine chillout music and it fit the water theme of the game.

Best Track: Splash Screen
Rating: 7/10

[rayword45]

Day 391: Harry Styles by Harry Styles (Album Choice: szafira)

I love to rash on One Direction because they suck, they're blandly sugary and they're corporately soulless. However, I've heard a stupid amount about how surprisingly good and "mature" this album is.

I don't know what these people meant by "mature" but I hope they weren't talking about the lyrics. Garbage all across the board, horrible horrible horrible. The variance in arrangements here is nice though, as the grab-bag approach made for a few enjoyable tracks here and there, scattered throughout a bunch of bullshit. The "pretty" ballads mostly suck out of how bland they are, especially lyrically, whereas the more arena-esque songs seem to be taking on a glammy, sexual approach and mostly make you cringe, especially the deplorable Woman.

Not to harp only on the bad, I thoroughly enjoyed Carolina and Only Angel as dumb fun, and both Ever Since New York and the last track are actually enjoyable as pussyboy tracks. They're not fantastic, but they're definitely listenable. I also don't wanna deny that the man can sing and sing well. However, regarding songwriting, the rest of this album can go fuck itself. Better than One Direction, but that's like saying a yeast infection is better than late-stage syphilis. Great fucking job.

Best Track: Ever Since New York
Rating: 4/10

[rayword45]

Day 392: A Crow Looked At Me by Mount Eerie

I recently revised my RYM to bump The Glow Pt. 2 down from a 5, because I practically never listen to it nowadays. It's still a 4.5, but I never cared for most of what this dude put out as Mount Eerie. And if you don't know the backstory to this album, go google it.

How the fuck am I supposed to review this album? Sheesh, this is an incredibly tough listen, in the... best way possible I suppose? What the hell is this? What are emotions? I'm a numb motherfucker man, and I just feel extra socially retarded trying to talk about this album. It's sad, which is obviously what Elverum was going for... What the hell how are you supposed to critique a release like this? Am I suppose to praise it because I enjoy his pain? Can I criticize the lack of rhymes or does that make me a callous asshole? I don't actually care about the lack of rhymes at times since it doesn't detract from the point of the music, I'm just trying to make a point. This is blatantly the most artist-personal contemporary release I've reviewed, and talking about this album just feels incredibly uncomfortable. I mean, the dude put this out for the masses to consume, clearly he wanted people to interpret it their own way.

...Fuck this I can't talk about this one at all. Based on that, you know it's good! Know that this is a good album, an incredibly painful one and a very sincere sounding one. And it's easily the best thing this guy has released since the aforementioned The Glow Pt. 2. Nobody should go through what this man has, but people will, and this is a good result of that... Wow that makes me sound like an asshole. I'm 3 fuckin months late.

...What am I doing with my life?

Best Track: My Chasm, maybe? Crow, maybe? Why the fuck does my personal favorite matter?
Rating: 8.5/10 (I'm assigning a rating to this? How can I do that? Why is this review almost completely questions?)

[choof]

Originally Posted by rayword45

Day 392: A Crow Looked At Me by Mount Eerie

I really wanted to listen to this in it's entirety, I really did. but I had dealt with two deaths close to me and the intimacy of the album just fucking ruins me

I would like to recommend Divine Punishment by Diamanda Galas. fucking insane

[rayword45]

Day 393: The Word From Pluto by Ho-Ag (Album Choice: _pipes)

I've bumped Tempel, Becoming X and Prom King all to 10s due to the sheer number of times I've played them, so congrats to noname219 and MixMasterLar.

Ever fall in love with an album within 30 seconds? This is definitely a case of that. As a Brainiac megafan, this is the exact kinda shit I like to hear. They're not quite as unhinged or creative as Tim Taylor was, but they do what they do, acidic noise rock, very very well. It can get samey, but in this case hearing more of the same is only a very good thing and it's a pretty short album anyways.

Highly, highly recommended. I haven't smoked weed in 32 days now.

Best Track: Stay Home Tonight
Rating: 9/10

[rayword45]

Day 394: Neanderthals Were Master Butchers by Neoandertals (Album Choice: MiseryBusiness)

I saw Big Business live yesterday and they fucking rocked. That's a good example of how to do metal as a drums-and-bass duo.

This is not. This is just repetitive and sorely lacking in melody.

Best Track: THESE ALL SOUND THE FUCKING SAME
Rating: 1.5/10

[rayword45]

Day 395: Pregnant Babies Pregnant With Pregnant Babies by Fat Worm of Error

These guys are from my college town, yet I doubt more than 50 people in my college know who they are and that's being generous.

I like a lot of experimental, free improvisation stuff like... uhh... okay I'm actually not that well-versed in this genre. But regardless, I enjoy some weird stuff and that means I'm more likely to enjoy this than the vast majority of the world population. Also, I'm sober right now. The first band to compare to this in my head is not Captain Beefheart like most of the internet says but instead Five Starcle Men, maybe because nobody else knows who those dudes are. However, Gomba Reject Ward Japan is now an all-time favorite of mine and this is far less enjoyable, maybe because at least FSM had some sense of rhythm and even occasionally melody to their songs. Also, their voices were nowhere near as annoying as this guy's.

For sure, a few tracks here have enjoyable, rhythmic bits or hilarious bits, but most of the time is simply too unstructured for my tastes. Oh well, I'll probably come back to it while high.

Best Track: 20' X 20' and Hand Of God
Rating: 5/10

[rayword45]

Day 396: GT ULTRA by Guerilla Toss

Kassie Carlson is SINGING. What is this? And there's no dissonance to speak of. What is this?

It's a pretty good record I'd say is what it is.

Best Track: Crystal Run
Rating: 7.5/10

[rayword45]

Day 397: Slowdive by Slowdive (Album Choice: NinjaSM)

This is another one of those bands that is supposedly right up my alley but I've never bothered listening to. Perhaps I should start with their more acclaimed early albums instead? Eh, fuck it.

This is a pretty album, but it's too samey for the most part, and I'm not fond of the dude's vocals (even Isn't Anything-era Kevin Shields sounded more pleasurable). They're too deep to be dreamy, especially on the unnecessarily drawn out closer Falling Ashes. The riffs and guitar tone are on point for the most part, though. All in all, a pretty middling album.

Best Track: Everyone Knows
Rating: 6/10