Need music recommendations | 1 year challenge

[ryuyasha]

Sirenia - Nine Destinies and a Downfall
Digi Charat Ondo
Ray Lynch - Deep Breakfast
Eisenfunk - 8-bit
Excel Girls - Golden Best 20
Garbage - Absolute Garbage

Edit: Whoops, only saw you were not accepting more because I happened to scan the previous page. Might want to put that in the OP at least. Well, these are here. Listen to them or not.

[noname219]

Pulse by 7e Phalanx (recommended by choof)
That release definitely needed an attentive listen. Filled with small subtilities and interesting little moments. Chilling and cold, robotic and a spectacular ending. 13 minutes total. Might grow on me.
My rating : ★★★★★★★☆☆☆ (7)

Bringing It All Back Home by Bob Dylan
I think I'll never quite fully understand the appeal of Bob Dylan, I've tried many of his CDs (mostly his most popular) and so far he hasn't clicked with me yet. But at the same time, he's definitely interesting to listen to. Some good guitar arrangements, stellar songwriting (stating the obvious) and overall, a very honest and sincere album.
Best song : Mr. Tambourine Man
My rating : ★★★★★★★☆☆☆ (7)

Ratchet and Clank: Up Your Arsenal by David Bergeaud (recommended by GammaBlaster)
If you have already played Ratchet and Clank, this will most likely bring you memories. Otherwise, it's a decent video game soundtrack. Some electronic stuff (Big Beat, sometimes Psytrance) mixed with symphonic elements and a funk vibe. After a while, it gets a bit immersive so there's that. Pretty diverse too. Not my thing.
Best song : F-Sector
My rating : ★★★★★★☆☆☆☆ (6)

Welcome Reality by Nero
Must Be the Feeling was my introduction to this album. It's not a pure dubstep/brostep album, there's some friendly electro house thrown around which makes it, imo, far more interesting than the majority of the albums from that genre. That said, I still have difficulties with brostep. It's a very bold and in-your-face type of music.
Quite similar to Split the Atom by Noisia in many aspects, the albums has too many songs, the production is very nice and the mix of influences is well balanced.
Best song : Must Be the Feeling (Promises is pretty darn good too)
My rating : ★★★★★★★☆☆☆ (7)

Laughing Stock by Talk Talk
A beautiful post-rock album that I was a fan of since my first listen years ago. It's sparse, groundbreaking, moving and at the same time one of the pinnacle of a genre that was still developping.
Best song : New Grass
My rating : ★★★★★★★★★☆ (9)

Black Metal by Venom
Black Metal is not black metal. It's some heavy metal with thrash metal influences and punk vocals. Drumming sucked in some songs. Didn't like the vocals but they were fitting.
I can understand the appeal, but that's too nasty for me. Important release for the development of many genres.
Best song : Black Metal
My rating : ★★★★★★☆☆☆☆ (6)

[noname219]

Homogenic by Björk
I gotta say, this is my first full listen of any Bjork album. A bit more influenced by late-90s trip hop than I expected, but it's still primarly a mix of pop and electronic. The instrumentation is particularly interesting and bold, the string arrangements are beautiful and melodic. The vocals are sometimes over-the-top and offbeat and take time to get used to. If the vocals weren't so melodramatic, I could rate it much higher even if her voice is amazing. First 4 songs are great, the rest, not as much.
Best songs : Joga, Hunter or Bachelorette
My rating : ★★★★★★★☆☆☆ (7)

Tales from the Yeast Side by The Delicious Bread Collection (recommended by blindreper1179)
You know what's worse than being bad unintentionally ? Being bad on purpose. At least Eilert Pilarm put some fucking effort (and I credited him half a star for that reason - and because it was mildly funny). But this is just a lazy effort to get attention. I guess my review prove them right.
Best song : MLK
My rating : ★☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆ (1)

Terria by Devin Townsend
Already reviewed briefly Ziltoid before and I thought it was a great album. Terria is often cited as one of its best work and for a good reason. Yet, it doesn't have the humor of Ziltoid but it remains thematic and grandiose. Great choirs. In the end, I prefer this one over Ziltoid, but not by much.
Best song : Earth Day
My rating : ★★★★★★★★☆☆ (8)

Bellicose Pacific by Emotional Joystick (recommended by Trogdor!!!!)
Tries to have a "big" sound, sometimes the compositions don't work well for me (a bit awkward). But when it works, it's pretty good. (editorial note : excuse myself for the half-assed shitty review lol)
Best song : I don't remember which I liked best :/
My rating : ★★★★★★☆☆☆☆ (6)

...And the Circus Leaves Town by Kyuss
I always found the mastering in Kyuss albums both one of their weakest and best points. Vocals are barely noticeable and buried under muddy guitar distortion. It easily recognisable. Kyuss are worthwhile because of the desert atmosphere they are able to build. It's in the same vein as their previous 2 albums, but it feels inferior. The energy isn't the same : it's more laid-back. Not a bad album by any means but I prefer Welcome to Sky Valley by far.
Best song : Spaceship Landing
My rating : ★★★★★★★★☆☆ (8) - yes, I'm a fan of them

東京ユウトピア通信 (Tokyo Utopia Tsushin) by Lamp (recommended by L.B.D.D.)
My favourite discovery of the batch. A nice little gem similar to the more jazzy tracks of Katamari Damacy with some bossa nova rhythms. Very fun to listen to, the melodies are uplifting, the guitars are wonderful. I might check their other albums.
Best song : 空想夜間飛行 (track 1)
My rating : ★★★★★★★★☆☆ (8)

69 Love Songs by The Magnetic Fields (recommended by rayword45)
Oh man, this took me 3 days to finish it and I got depressed after for some reason. 69 songs over 3 cd (yes). It's feels like a mix of The National, Belle and Sebastian and Great Lake Swimmers (or whatever indie folk band you can think of). I really didn't like the electronic elements and there's waaay too many fillers. It could hold very well on one cd. At the end, it's exhausting and I don't want to listen to it completely again. Maybe a couple songs.
Best song : All My Little Worlds
My rating : ★★★★★★★☆☆☆ (7)

Hell Awaits by Slayer
The album before Reign in Blood. Thrash metal was still developping and Slayer had already established themselves as one of the top acts from this genre with their first album Show No Mercy. Hell Awaits just consolidate what we already knew, that they were one of the metal bands to follow in the years to come. And it kinda is a transitional album from a thrash metal album tinted with heavy metal passages to a genre-defining speedy thrash metal with hardcore punk influences. Some of the best guitar riffs I've heard in that genre, really. Close in quality to Reign in Blood.
Best song : Hell Awaits
My rating : ★★★★★★★★☆☆ (8)

Elephant by The White Stripes
I kinda like The White Stripes. They came with their own type of garage rock just a the right time. It's a bit more influenced by blues rock than any other garage bands I know of. A pretty diverse album. Starts off really nice and slow down around the middle but remains quite good. A good take on 60s blues/garage/folk rock.
Best song : Seven Nation Army (ofc)
My rating : ★★★★★★★★☆☆ (8)

[noname219]

Having some time today, so I should post those already :

Only the Dead See the End of the War by Acrassicauda
An Iraqi thrash metal band with an unusual backstory. A Vice documentary was made (Heavy Metal in Baghdad- haven't seen it) following them around during the Iraq War, trying to schedule shows and promote their music under threat by the government. It's a decent modern thrash metal ep. If it was only for the music itself, it would totally go unnoticed. Melodies in the slower parts are middle-eastern influenced. Singer is a bit too raspy for me. First song is reminiscent of Megadeth's The System Has Failed.
Best song : Message From Baghdad
My rating : ★★★★★★★☆☆☆ (7)

Bushcraft by Baptists
Hard hitting, relentless hardcore/crust punk with metalcore/sludge metal undertones. They're able to make us believe this is a Converge record, which is, no small feat. And then you look at the crew ... "Kurt Ballou", oh, it all makes sense. What else to say ? Production is sweet, the band sounds really tight, it's fast and intense.
Best song : In Droves
My rating : ★★★★★★★★☆☆ (8)

The Parallax: Hypersleep Dialogues by Between the Buried and Me (recommended by trumaestro)
Technical, blast beats, screaming metalcore vocals, weird funky avant-garde moments, it somehow feels pretty samey with everything they've done since Colors. It's 30 minutes, but it feels too dense and with no clear direction. I feel kinda ambivalent about their recent releases; they are hard to listen as a whole but they're still entertaining.
Best song : Specular Reflection
My rating : ★★★★★★★☆☆☆ (7)

She Said by Colour Haze
They never disappoint. And they should try new things more often, because those strings was a positive but unexpected surprise. A bit more repetitive than their other albums. But at this point, I'm pinpointing minor flaws.
Best song : Transformation
My rating : ★★★★★★★★☆☆ (8)

The Jester Race by In Flames
Their slightly rawer album (very apparent in the guitars tone and vocal delivery). Coupled with some acoustic guitar moments that are, to say-the-least, a nice fitting touch. It's basically the recipe for a ton of future melodeath bands, many of them would try to follow, very few would come close as something this consistent.
Best song : Moonshield
My rating : ★★★★★★★★☆☆ (8)

Le dôme by Jean Leloup
Jean Leloup is a weird occurence in the Quebec cultural landscape. Along with Les Colocs, he brought colour to a scene that was being assimilated by the american music industry during the 80s and was trying to separate itself, partly influenced by the independentist idea that was growing and recovering in the early 90s. Le dôme is not as festive as his 1990 output L'amour est sans pitié. More fragile and introvert. Great songwriting, excellent guitars and melodies with many diverse influences : The Stone Roses?, neo-psych bands, french lyricists, folk, hip hop, etc. Solid.
Best song : Faire des enfants
My rating : ★★★★★★★★☆☆ (8)

MTV Unplugged in New York by Nirvana
Probably the most famous live album there is (along with At Folsom Prison or Rust Never Sleeps). The quality of the band performance is undoubtly proportional to the feelings expressed by Kurt's voice : fragile, melancholic, blooming, intimate and introspective. Feelings that I could find on many Elliott Smith recordings, who, sadly met a similar fate. Interestingly, I find the covers better than their original songs.
Best song : The Man Who Sold the World
My rating : ★★★★★★★★☆☆ (8) (everything is like, 8/10 stars this week lol)

Meddle by Pink Floyd
It would be to no surprise that Pink Floyd may be one of my favourite artist of the 70s. I think their music has aged extremely well, maybe due to the quality of their compositions and the fact that there's still a strong interest towards progressive music in general. Meddle is tinted with the last remains of a declining psychedelic rock; Hendrix and Morrison are no more, Love (the band) and Jefferson Airplane are struggling, lots of bands are simply shifting genres and so was Pink Floyd. While not as cinematic as their upcoming releases, this one propose a myriad of interesting little songs that are loosely related to each other. And then, you turn the vinyl and there's Echoes.
Best song : Echoes
My rating : ★★★★★★★★☆☆ (8)

Let England Shake by PJ Harvey
Some uncommon dynamics to find here. A little exploration but it's well dosed most of the time. Guitar play in The Glorious Land is one fine moment. Diverse. The most energetic songs are better. All in all, it's pretty decent.
Best song : The Glorious Land
My rating : ★★★★★★★☆☆☆ (7)

Portishead by Portishead
Their most consistent release for me. I always found Third to be, at moments, slightly too much experimental for my tastes and Dummy, well, Dummy may be my favourite album from the 90s, but that's mainly because of Roads and Glory Box that are two of the most marvelous songs ever written. So, it's a tough thing when a band release a strong first album, the follow-up will always be compared to their past successes and a safe bet is to make it darker (see Arcade Fire). Reminiscent of those neo-noir movies. The musical equivalent of a praying mantis having sex before having his head cut off.
Best song : All Mine
My rating : ★★★★★★★★☆☆ (8)

Souvlaki by Slowdive
It would be a fun exercise to associate an album to the seven deadly sins. This one would be sloth. Souvlaki is dangerously close to being boring as hell, but it does manage to reward you with some sweet basslines, ethereal vocals and beautiful melodies. A concotion of emotions (depression, melancholy, sweetness) that ultimately ends up being rather enjoyable.
Best song : Souvlaki Space Station
My rating : ★★★★★★★★☆☆ (8)

So yeah, the rng didn't throw me a lot of ffr recs this batch. I will try something else next time.

[Crazyjayde]

Originally Posted by noname219

They're able to make us believe this is a Converge record, which is, no small feat. And then you look at the crew ... "Kurt Ballou", oh, it all makes sense.

It's candy for people who love Converge really.

Love when you throw in context. This update gets a massive ripping YEAH from my part.

[gold stinger]

how's this going by the way?

[noname219]

I'm hearing new stuff once in a while and giving my output way more slowly and thinly as I would like. I'm too preoccupied or busy with real life obligations and I can't listen to new music where I'm studying at the moment. :/

I'm making small updates every 2 months as you can see but that's the most I can do.

[noname219]

6 Months by 2methylBulbe1ol (recommended by Coolboyrulez0)
Small idm EP with ambient and video game influences - which could very well be the soundtrack of an indie game. It has its moments, particularly in the first two tracks that had contrasting atmospheres. I preferred those two over the more dynamic Tramadol or the calmer atmospheric closing track Vasodilator. Don't expect anything groundbreaking, but if you're a fan of idm/glitch/ambient mixture and looking for short listens, this one might be right in your alley.
Best track : Corticoid
My rating : ★★★★★★★☆☆☆ (7)

Wild Light by 65daysofstatic
Whenever someone mention 65daysofstatic, the whole electronic/post-rock recipe always surfaces again. The need to compare their discography by the ratio of each genres present is strong ; "Are they evolving into an pure electronic act ?", "Are they even a post-rock band anymore ?" Even if that debate often turns into expected conclusions, it is fascinating that very few bands gets the same treatment as 65daysofstatic. One of the reasons I can pinpoint for this is that post-rock and electronic are seen as totally different entities and the blending of such opposite genres has, especially in the past, been surprising. Oh yeah, I need to talk about this album...

I don't want to compare with their other albums because I haven't listened to Wild Light as much as... say, One Time for All Time or The Fall of Math, but I had mixed feelings on my first listen. There's no track here that really stood out from the others. Which is kind of the opposite of what I was expecting from them. For me, they are one of the most bombastic post-rock bands there is and they usually rely on cathartic passages to evoke emotions. This time, it's a bit more subdued and repetitive. It will therefore, get a few more listens to really give out a fair rating on this. But since I have no choice, this is getting a temporary 6.
Best track : Unmake the Wild Light
My rating : ★★★★★★☆☆☆☆ (6)

Free All Angels by Ash
Their album 1977 was a strong effort and most of their singles are tight. They didn't broke barriers or anything, but I find them pleasant enough. That was part of the reason why I had to listen to their third album Free All Angels plus it has Shining Light and Burn Baby Burn, what do I want more ?
It's exactly what I was expecting. That sounds boring but it's a damn good thing. I like my Ash ultra-safe with catchy power chords and summer candy melodies. Just like how you go bicycle for the first time since last year. Uplifting listen.
Best track : Burn Baby Burn
My rating : ★★★★★★★☆☆☆ (7)

Maggot Brain by Funkadelic
Transitional album between the psychedelic era and the funk movement of the early 70s. Solid right at the start with "Maggot Brain" with probably one of the most iconic guitar solos of the 20th century. "Super Stupid" is probably the embodiment of the career of The Mooney Suzuki btw.
Best song : Maggot Brain
My rating : ★★★★★★★★☆☆ (8)

Obscura by Gorguts
It's all over the place, a beautiful disjointed mess. Demented, mathematical and convulated, one really tough son of a bitch to get all the way through. I really recommend people to listen to Colored Sands before Obscura honestly, same intensity but the whole thing makes more sense. And to think that I was this close to getting their permission for FFR, woops.
Best song : Earthly Love
My rating : ★★★★★★★★☆☆ (8)

Samurai Soul by JIM (recommended by Xayphon)
Instrumental hip hop beats with Japanese music as a recurrent theme. There's not much flow between the beats and on their own, they feel way too repetitive. Other than that, it's a pretty nice mix of different ideas thrown around. I feel like he was awaiting for some rapper to drop lines over his beats, which in the end, never happen.
Best song : Open Your Mind
My rating : ★★★★★☆☆☆☆☆ (5)

Hybrid Theory by Linkin Park (recommended by L.B.D.D.)
I may be the only person of my generation to have listened Meteora 100x times and Hybrid Theory not even once. And they don't have a really strong nostalgic value anymore, maybe because their sound is stuck in this weird early 2000s nu-metal era which I find a bit silly in retrospective.
That aside, the arrangements are... straightforward ? Sure, there's some tiny experimental bits hidden here and there, but most of the time, it's rap verses following pop-y clean vocals choruses over dumbed-down rock riffs. What really differentiates Linkin Park from other nu metal bands is the use of turntables and a stronger emphasis of rapping sections which help define their "urban" or slightly "gritty" rock image. And yes, vocals are really their low-point.
Best track : In the End
My rating : ★★★★★☆☆☆☆☆ (4)

The Dance of the Moon and the Sun by Natural Snow Buildings (recommended by EzExZeRo7497)
I was in the perfect mood for this, feeling depressed and doing nighttime work.
Gave me a post-apocalyptic vibe, feelings of solitude and despair. And a little bit of hope, but that kind of hope when you're really feeling shitty and you know it's only temporary. It's not the perfect cure for depression but it's the kind of album that can give you a meaning to those life passages that you wish were shorter.
People complain about the length. Those poor weak souls. I mean, those who do, proves that they forced themselves all the way through. I should avoid doing that in the future.
Best song : Wisconsin
My rating : ★★★★★★★★☆☆ (8)

[Trogdor!!!!]

Originally Posted by noname219

The Dance of the Moon and the Sun by Natural Snow Buildings (recommended by EzExZeRo7497)
Best song : Wisconsin
My rating : ★★★★★★★★☆☆ (8)

A man after my own heart