Black Wizard
Pleb Hunter
Do you have some obsessive compulsive thing where you have to complete unfinished lyrics?
365 Albums In One Year
- Thread starter Diesel 11
- Start date
The Dissident
Ancient Mariner
173/365
The Headless Children - W.A.S.P
Format: CD/Digital
The Heretic (The Lost Child) - Opening up the album is the longest track, a slow building opening before picking up the pace Blackie's vocal delivery is raspy yet clear at the same time. Guitar work throughout is nice. Fairly strong solo leads into some really strong vocals. A beautiful outro solo ensues - 9/10
The Real Me - A ripping cover of one of The Who's best tracks, easily better than the original. Absolutely brilliant - 10/10
The Headless Children - The title track, building once again for an intro before the guitar work comes in strong. The raw and heavy guitar work is great while the sound is still very commercial esc. The open vocals are fantastic. Another amazing track - 9.5/10
Thunderhead - Piano among an ominous organ sound opens the another longer track, Blackie comes in and the band picks up the pace again, I honestly thought this song was going to be a ballad at first. The interlude while fitting with the themes of the song and album feels slightly out of place, still a good track - 9/10
Mean Man - The next track gets to the point quite quickly, a direct rocker, which doesn't live up to the previous tracks but wow is it still a strong track - 8.5/10
The Neutron Bomber - The opening immediately made me think Love Gun was starting up, overall a solid rock track with a strong solo - 8.5/10
Mephisto Waltz - A short instrumental track which is pleasant but doesn't really serve much of a purpose - 7.5/10
Forever Free - The power ballad of the album, a great song throughout, amazing vocal performance so much anguish throughout it - 10/10
Maneater - A fast and heavy intro kicks off the 2nd last track of the album, another great track - 9/10
Rebel In The F.D.G - The final song opens with a scream from Blackie, a solid song overall ending a really strong album, the guitarwork from Holmes elevates this album amazingly throughout - 8.5/10
Overall 90%
The Headless Children - W.A.S.P
Format: CD/Digital
The Heretic (The Lost Child) - Opening up the album is the longest track, a slow building opening before picking up the pace Blackie's vocal delivery is raspy yet clear at the same time. Guitar work throughout is nice. Fairly strong solo leads into some really strong vocals. A beautiful outro solo ensues - 9/10
The Real Me - A ripping cover of one of The Who's best tracks, easily better than the original. Absolutely brilliant - 10/10
The Headless Children - The title track, building once again for an intro before the guitar work comes in strong. The raw and heavy guitar work is great while the sound is still very commercial esc. The open vocals are fantastic. Another amazing track - 9.5/10
Thunderhead - Piano among an ominous organ sound opens the another longer track, Blackie comes in and the band picks up the pace again, I honestly thought this song was going to be a ballad at first. The interlude while fitting with the themes of the song and album feels slightly out of place, still a good track - 9/10
Mean Man - The next track gets to the point quite quickly, a direct rocker, which doesn't live up to the previous tracks but wow is it still a strong track - 8.5/10
The Neutron Bomber - The opening immediately made me think Love Gun was starting up, overall a solid rock track with a strong solo - 8.5/10
Mephisto Waltz - A short instrumental track which is pleasant but doesn't really serve much of a purpose - 7.5/10
Forever Free - The power ballad of the album, a great song throughout, amazing vocal performance so much anguish throughout it - 10/10
Maneater - A fast and heavy intro kicks off the 2nd last track of the album, another great track - 9/10
Rebel In The F.D.G - The final song opens with a scream from Blackie, a solid song overall ending a really strong album, the guitarwork from Holmes elevates this album amazingly throughout - 8.5/10
Overall 90%
The Dissident
Ancient Mariner
174/365
Sabbath Bloody Sabbath - Black Sabbath
Format: CD/Digital
Sabbath Bloody Sabbath - Ozzy sings incredibly high over some amazing riff work from Tony and Geezer, heavy and powerful a great sabbath track, Ozzy's high notes are what prevents this from being a 10 for me. - 9/10
A National Acrobat - Another heavy track follows up, a solid track, doesn't quite grab me but the instrumentation is nice - 8/10
Fluff - An instrumental track, much better than the previous instrumentals from the last two albums which served no purpose, instead some acoustic guitar work is done from Tony with some keys and bass work. - 7.5/10
Sabbra Cadabra - This track opens up with a nice groove, Ozzy sings high as usual but this track is less grating than the title track from that perspective. Overall quite a solid track. - 8.5/10
Killing Yourself To Live - Another great groove from the start, the bass work from Geezer is really well done. A rather strong track - 9/10
Who Are You? - An incredibly sci fi sounding intro leads into a slower track with the keys in the background, Ozzy sings over it all with a rather odd track which fluctuates between going full sabbath and staying in the sci fi realm. - 7.5/10
Looking For Today - Calmer than the earlier tracks, but back to the normal sabbath sound, overall a decent track - 7.5/10
Spiral Architect - The final track on the album starts off with some acoustic guitar work, this album is the first one to feature it this much and it is a nice swap from the heavy doom onslaught of the previous albums. A nice way to close off the album - 8.5/10
Overall 82%
Sabbath Bloody Sabbath - Black Sabbath
Format: CD/Digital
Sabbath Bloody Sabbath - Ozzy sings incredibly high over some amazing riff work from Tony and Geezer, heavy and powerful a great sabbath track, Ozzy's high notes are what prevents this from being a 10 for me. - 9/10
A National Acrobat - Another heavy track follows up, a solid track, doesn't quite grab me but the instrumentation is nice - 8/10
Fluff - An instrumental track, much better than the previous instrumentals from the last two albums which served no purpose, instead some acoustic guitar work is done from Tony with some keys and bass work. - 7.5/10
Sabbra Cadabra - This track opens up with a nice groove, Ozzy sings high as usual but this track is less grating than the title track from that perspective. Overall quite a solid track. - 8.5/10
Killing Yourself To Live - Another great groove from the start, the bass work from Geezer is really well done. A rather strong track - 9/10
Who Are You? - An incredibly sci fi sounding intro leads into a slower track with the keys in the background, Ozzy sings over it all with a rather odd track which fluctuates between going full sabbath and staying in the sci fi realm. - 7.5/10
Looking For Today - Calmer than the earlier tracks, but back to the normal sabbath sound, overall a decent track - 7.5/10
Spiral Architect - The final track on the album starts off with some acoustic guitar work, this album is the first one to feature it this much and it is a nice swap from the heavy doom onslaught of the previous albums. A nice way to close off the album - 8.5/10
Overall 82%
Wogmidget
Shitpost bot
Diesel 11
As you scream into the web of silence...
Black Wizard
Pleb Hunter
I only counted one in the last two. 
The Dissident
Ancient Mariner
175/365
Quadrophenia - The Who
Format: Vinyl
I Am The Sea - Ocean waves open the 6th album from British rock legends The Who, a short intro track, Roger sings distantly, a fitting intro - 8/10
The Real Me - The first true track on the album, is one which screams orchestral backing, a fun track which is great it its own right definitely could be much heavier with modern production but still an early rock masterpiece - 10/10
Quadrophenia - Transitioning perfectly from the previous track the instrumental title track comes in with keys along with some nice acoustic guitar work. A pleasant instrumental which feels like a long outro to the previous track. The love reign o'er me tease is fantastic.- 8.5/10
Cut My Hair - Pete and Roger take turns on the lead vocals for this track, not quite on par with the previous two tracks, but still good in its own right - 7.5/10
The Punk And The Godfather - Side 1 closes off with a classic Who style riff, the two singers do a great job playing their roles well. Roger does a better job overall sounding fairly menacing as the Punk. Nice harmonies throughout - 8.5/10
I'm One (At Least) - Side 2 opens with some calm acoustic guitar work, Pete sings high but clearly over it. Keith Moon's drumming on this track is really nice. Quite a good song - 8.5/10
The Dirty Jobs - This is another song in the vein of The Real Me, the production of the time weakens the overall song, but Dirty Jobs does a good job delivering a dynamic rock track with some amazing backing from the band - 9/10
Helpless Dancer - Pianos open the next track, Roger sounds very different vocally on the intro of this track, overall a decent track with some nice acoustic work from Townsend. - 7.5/10
Is It In My Head? - Opening with a snippet from a previous The Who track, John and Roger take turns on lead vocals for this track, this track while fitting with the album doesn't reach out and grab me too much . - 7.5/10
I've Had Enough - Roger kicks off with track with a really strong vocal delivery, great teasers once more for the final track of the album, a really good track. Aggressive vocals when needed and Townsend's softer vocals as a contrast. Moon's drumming is fantastic as well. - 9/10
5:15 - The intro once again screams orchestra, call and answers throughout. A beautiful track, every band member delivers a brilliant performance - 10/10
Sea And Sand - The sounds of the ocean, seagulls in the air and an acoustic guitar dynamic and upbeat, Roger delivers some killer vocals throughout Pete sings the outro. A great track - 9.5/10
Drowned - Well delivered vocals with strong drum and guitar work, the band is firing on all cylinders for this track. Nice track - 8.5/10
Bell Boy - Keith shares vocals on this track, this track is labeled as his theme and is based on his contributions to the band. Another great flowing track which encompasses what made The Who great in the 70s - 8.5/10
Doctor Jimmy - The final side of the album opens up with the sounds of howling winds by the ocean side, waves crashing and thunder, quick paced the longest track of the album wastes no time getting to the point. The first section of the song talks about a side of the protagonist who only comes out while he sings. Lyrics for this track are quite aggressive in their content but Roger delivers it quite well and in a slightly less aggressive delivery probably helped with backlash. - 10/10
The Rock - The final instrumental of the album, bridging all the themes together into one extended instrumental suite, a nice mixture of previously heard material along with the necessary new additions to make it feel unique - 8.5/10
Love Reign O'er Me - The monstrous and majestic closer is easily my favourite The Who song, powerful and emotive Roger's screams have been teased for the last hour and fifteen minutes making them even more beautiful when they occur. A perfect closing to a great album - 10/10
Overall 88%
Quadrophenia - The Who
Format: Vinyl
I Am The Sea - Ocean waves open the 6th album from British rock legends The Who, a short intro track, Roger sings distantly, a fitting intro - 8/10
The Real Me - The first true track on the album, is one which screams orchestral backing, a fun track which is great it its own right definitely could be much heavier with modern production but still an early rock masterpiece - 10/10
Quadrophenia - Transitioning perfectly from the previous track the instrumental title track comes in with keys along with some nice acoustic guitar work. A pleasant instrumental which feels like a long outro to the previous track. The love reign o'er me tease is fantastic.- 8.5/10
Cut My Hair - Pete and Roger take turns on the lead vocals for this track, not quite on par with the previous two tracks, but still good in its own right - 7.5/10
The Punk And The Godfather - Side 1 closes off with a classic Who style riff, the two singers do a great job playing their roles well. Roger does a better job overall sounding fairly menacing as the Punk. Nice harmonies throughout - 8.5/10
I'm One (At Least) - Side 2 opens with some calm acoustic guitar work, Pete sings high but clearly over it. Keith Moon's drumming on this track is really nice. Quite a good song - 8.5/10
The Dirty Jobs - This is another song in the vein of The Real Me, the production of the time weakens the overall song, but Dirty Jobs does a good job delivering a dynamic rock track with some amazing backing from the band - 9/10
Helpless Dancer - Pianos open the next track, Roger sounds very different vocally on the intro of this track, overall a decent track with some nice acoustic work from Townsend. - 7.5/10
Is It In My Head? - Opening with a snippet from a previous The Who track, John and Roger take turns on lead vocals for this track, this track while fitting with the album doesn't reach out and grab me too much . - 7.5/10
I've Had Enough - Roger kicks off with track with a really strong vocal delivery, great teasers once more for the final track of the album, a really good track. Aggressive vocals when needed and Townsend's softer vocals as a contrast. Moon's drumming is fantastic as well. - 9/10
5:15 - The intro once again screams orchestra, call and answers throughout. A beautiful track, every band member delivers a brilliant performance - 10/10
Sea And Sand - The sounds of the ocean, seagulls in the air and an acoustic guitar dynamic and upbeat, Roger delivers some killer vocals throughout Pete sings the outro. A great track - 9.5/10
Drowned - Well delivered vocals with strong drum and guitar work, the band is firing on all cylinders for this track. Nice track - 8.5/10
Bell Boy - Keith shares vocals on this track, this track is labeled as his theme and is based on his contributions to the band. Another great flowing track which encompasses what made The Who great in the 70s - 8.5/10
Doctor Jimmy - The final side of the album opens up with the sounds of howling winds by the ocean side, waves crashing and thunder, quick paced the longest track of the album wastes no time getting to the point. The first section of the song talks about a side of the protagonist who only comes out while he sings. Lyrics for this track are quite aggressive in their content but Roger delivers it quite well and in a slightly less aggressive delivery probably helped with backlash. - 10/10
The Rock - The final instrumental of the album, bridging all the themes together into one extended instrumental suite, a nice mixture of previously heard material along with the necessary new additions to make it feel unique - 8.5/10
Love Reign O'er Me - The monstrous and majestic closer is easily my favourite The Who song, powerful and emotive Roger's screams have been teased for the last hour and fifteen minutes making them even more beautiful when they occur. A perfect closing to a great album - 10/10
Overall 88%
172/365
Year Of The Tiger - Myles Kennedy
Format: CD/Digital
Year Of The Tiger - The title track opens the album with a very large shift from the music that Myles is known for singing to. His vocals are amazing and the instrumentation is really solid. A nice change of pace. - 8.5/10
The Great Beyond - Any doubts that this album will not be completely different from the rest of Myles discography are shattered on this second track. A beautiful introduction leads into a haunting track, the high notes from Myles are fantastic and the musicality is amazing - 10/10
Blind Faith - The first song where Myles sounds instantly recognizable from the start, a calm track which warns against blindly believing, a solid track - 7.5/10
Devil On The Wall - An upbeat track, stipped down but with some great vocals and lyrics from Myles. Musically a fun track, I quite enjoy the stripped down but still very upbeat style of the song. - 9.5/10
Ghost Of Shangri La - Another slower track, stronger off the start than Blind Faith, a solid track throughout - 8/10
Turning Stones - Harmonies open up the next track, some nice softer vocals, a pleasant track but nothing amazing - 7.5/10
Haunted By Design - An acoustic twang opens up the album, upbeat with dark lyrics, a solid track throughout - 8.5/10
Mother - An upbeat track from the perspective of Myles Mother, another really solid track throughout. - 8.5/10
Nothing But A Name - A solid lengthier track, overall not my favourite one from the album - 7.5/10
Love Can Only Heal - A majestic ballad, beautiful throughout, Myles sings so solemnly and it is amazing - 10/10
Songbird - The only song Myles didn't sing when I saw him on the tour for the album, a kind of uplifting song. Overall quite decent - 7.5/10
One Fine Day - The album closes off on a solid track. - 8/10
Overall 85%
Can we say it's a solid album?
The Dissident
Ancient Mariner
Yes, quite enjoyable but definitely an album that requires a calmer listening experience.
The Dissident
Ancient Mariner
176/365
World On Fire - Slash Featuring Myles Kennedy And The Conspirators
Format: CD/Digital
World On Fire - The blistering title track opens up the album, Slash delivers some amazing riffs and Myles sings brilliantly over the whole thing. A fantastic opener to the album - 10/10
Shadow Life - Beginning with Myles singing over a really nice calm guitar work. I feel like the chorus on this track is slightly weaker than it should be. Overall still a really enjoyable song remaining at a mid tempo throughout. - 8.5/10
Automatic Overdrive - Kicking off immediately from the previous track and picking up the pace is a nice track which has some solid rocking riffs throughout but the song sort of blends together. Myles sings better on the chorus on this track than the previous one but it isn't nearly as strong as a whole - 7.5/10
Wicked Stone - Slash's current solo vehicle on the current tour comes in next, a hard rocking track with unrelenting riffs and Myles sings amazingly over it all. The band hit it right with this track. The slower midsection is a nice reprieve for the coming rocking once again. - 10/10
30 Years To Life - Opening with group vocals before Slash and crew bring in a faster song, the speed of Myles vocals makes it a little less enjoyable of a listen, musically fairly strong. - 8/10
Bent To Fly - A ballad of sorts, a soaring chorus, makes this track another rather strong one. Slash's guitar work behind Myles naturally high voice, the bridge is great - 9/10
Stone Blind - Deep vocals introduce the track before Myles brings it back up to his normal register, a rather different chorus to those which came before. The ending is a good way to close the song off- 8/10
Too Far Gone - A heavier drum based intro Myles vocals are high as always but the song feels a little disjointed from the heavier intro, really nice solo - 8/10
Beneath The Savage Sun - A slow heavy and stomping intro leads into a track about poaching. Picking up the pace for the chorus, the post chorus and verses are slower but still remain heavy. - 9.5/10
Withered Delilah - An upbeat track with a decent chorus. A nice solo by Slash making the song quite enjoyable - 8.5/10
Battleground - Starting slow and calm, the track elevates for the chorus but remains subdued overall. A majestic epic track, quite strong. I just wish it had a little more of an explosive moment at some point - 9/10
Dirty Girl - Heavy drums open the next track, a much more direct rock track, maintaining a mid tempo vibe to it while having an easy chorus. - 8.5/10
Iris Of The Storm - A nice solo esc riff opens the song and Myles comes in, the riff remains in the background during the chorus, another ballad like song. Heavier than battleground and shorter but the song doesn't lose anything by its shorter length - 9/10
Avalon - The shortest rocker on the album follows up, kicking into high gear injecting a lot of energy into the lengthy album. Nice vocals from Myles and the band. Great guitar work as usual - 9/10
The Dissident - Todd opens up the album singing in a high female like voice which when I found out it was him surprised me greatly. Super poppy but Slash's guitar work is amazing on this track and Myles sings so high - 10/10
Safari Inn - A rare instrumental from Slash, nice soloing, a really strong instrumental enjoyable throughout - 9/10
The Unholy - A brutal epic track closes off the album, only downside is the lacking of a true Slash solo but this monster doesn't need one to earn a perfect score. Myles sings high, the drums and bass exemplify slash's guitar beautifully. - 10/10
Overall - 89%
World On Fire - Slash Featuring Myles Kennedy And The Conspirators
Format: CD/Digital
World On Fire - The blistering title track opens up the album, Slash delivers some amazing riffs and Myles sings brilliantly over the whole thing. A fantastic opener to the album - 10/10
Shadow Life - Beginning with Myles singing over a really nice calm guitar work. I feel like the chorus on this track is slightly weaker than it should be. Overall still a really enjoyable song remaining at a mid tempo throughout. - 8.5/10
Automatic Overdrive - Kicking off immediately from the previous track and picking up the pace is a nice track which has some solid rocking riffs throughout but the song sort of blends together. Myles sings better on the chorus on this track than the previous one but it isn't nearly as strong as a whole - 7.5/10
Wicked Stone - Slash's current solo vehicle on the current tour comes in next, a hard rocking track with unrelenting riffs and Myles sings amazingly over it all. The band hit it right with this track. The slower midsection is a nice reprieve for the coming rocking once again. - 10/10
30 Years To Life - Opening with group vocals before Slash and crew bring in a faster song, the speed of Myles vocals makes it a little less enjoyable of a listen, musically fairly strong. - 8/10
Bent To Fly - A ballad of sorts, a soaring chorus, makes this track another rather strong one. Slash's guitar work behind Myles naturally high voice, the bridge is great - 9/10
Stone Blind - Deep vocals introduce the track before Myles brings it back up to his normal register, a rather different chorus to those which came before. The ending is a good way to close the song off- 8/10
Too Far Gone - A heavier drum based intro Myles vocals are high as always but the song feels a little disjointed from the heavier intro, really nice solo - 8/10
Beneath The Savage Sun - A slow heavy and stomping intro leads into a track about poaching. Picking up the pace for the chorus, the post chorus and verses are slower but still remain heavy. - 9.5/10
Withered Delilah - An upbeat track with a decent chorus. A nice solo by Slash making the song quite enjoyable - 8.5/10
Battleground - Starting slow and calm, the track elevates for the chorus but remains subdued overall. A majestic epic track, quite strong. I just wish it had a little more of an explosive moment at some point - 9/10
Dirty Girl - Heavy drums open the next track, a much more direct rock track, maintaining a mid tempo vibe to it while having an easy chorus. - 8.5/10
Iris Of The Storm - A nice solo esc riff opens the song and Myles comes in, the riff remains in the background during the chorus, another ballad like song. Heavier than battleground and shorter but the song doesn't lose anything by its shorter length - 9/10
Avalon - The shortest rocker on the album follows up, kicking into high gear injecting a lot of energy into the lengthy album. Nice vocals from Myles and the band. Great guitar work as usual - 9/10
The Dissident - Todd opens up the album singing in a high female like voice which when I found out it was him surprised me greatly. Super poppy but Slash's guitar work is amazing on this track and Myles sings so high - 10/10
Safari Inn - A rare instrumental from Slash, nice soloing, a really strong instrumental enjoyable throughout - 9/10
The Unholy - A brutal epic track closes off the album, only downside is the lacking of a true Slash solo but this monster doesn't need one to earn a perfect score. Myles sings high, the drums and bass exemplify slash's guitar beautifully. - 10/10
Overall - 89%
Diesel 11
As you scream into the web of silence...
Album 105/365
1. 6:00 - I love the drum opening to this one. Portnoy is a very good drummer, I gotta say. This song as a whole has a lot of groove and grips a lot more than much of Images And Words did. LaBrie sounds a bit raspier than he did on that previous album, and I honestly like that. This is a very strong way to open the album, and while it doesn't have quite enough to push it up to the top I really dig it anyway. 9/10
2. Caught In A Web - Ooh, I like this opening. It's heavy, but there are aspects to it that almost remind me of Revolver-era Beatles. But then the chorus feels more reminiscent of Queensryche. Yeah this song is awesome. I guess I didn't have many expectations after the poppy previous album but this is really good so far. I'm just bopping along to every moment of this song. 10/10
3. Innocence Faded - Another great opening, this one feels a bit more tinged in emotion. LaBrie does a great job with the higher notes here. I dig this one too. It's a bit cheesier but there's a lot of good music flowing throughout that I like. 9/10
4. Erotomania - Oh, this opening is for sure a throwback to classic prog rock. Even when the guitar comes in it still gives off a bit of that vibe, although this stuff is beefed up more with metallic leanings being the guides of the show. I really like that guitar solo that came in. Yeah, I've got no real complaints about this song. It's a little long but there's nothing I dislike within it. 9/10
5. Voices - Holy shit, this opening is amazing. Quieter stuff for the verse. Interesting. I like these heavier parts to, the chorus is quite strong. After that, the song kinda loses me. LaBrie seems to ramble on a bit and it runs a little long. Don't get me wrong, it's a good song and there's a lot of parts I like, but it's not as good as the previous songs. 8/10
6. The Silent Man - One of the things that caught me off guard with Images And Words was how many ballads it had, not too far removed from the sort of stuff Disney seems to put in their films. This song gives me those exact same vibes. It's not a bad song, but it's definitely the lowest point here so far. I get what they were going for, just don't think it's as interesting as some of the other stuff on here. 7/10
7. The Mirror - Whoa, that's heavy. Way heavier than I expected. Hmm, this keyboard piece feels highly reminiscent of church-y stuff. I like it. Feels like a stroll through a cathedral and its surrounding grounds with something sinister lurking beyond you. LaBrie sounds pretty strong here in the verse. There's nothing bad about this one at all. It's nice, it's heavy, it's pretty great. 9/10
8. Lie - Damn, this one's heavy too. I love this opening verse, it's feels slightly frantic and LaBrie does a great job with it. It's interesting, a lot of this album reminds me of Tool's debut EP. Interesting. Kinda like with "Voices", this one starts off great but kinda runs a bit long. Only this one becomes less interesting with every stride forward. Good, but not really great. 7/10
9. Lifting Shadows Off A Dream - Another cool opening. I dig the bass here with the rising orchestral stuff. I don't really have much else to say about this song, other than that it is awesome through and through. Right up there with "Caught In A Web". 10/10
10. Scarred - Some interesting build-up here. Feels like we're rising out of a lake in a dreamstate. And other than that, this one just drags for me. I like the music and the instrumental section but there's nothing much else that really grips me. Sort of the same thing as "Lie". 7/10
11. Space-Dye Vest - Okay, this was awesome. What a perfect way to end the album. Space-y, rich, vibrant, epic. Love this one. 10/10
As a whole I definitely liked this one more than Images And Words. There's a lot of great stuff throughout, the band has melded their music together better than previous, and LaBrie sounds stronger than he was prior. A lot to like. It is a long album though, and it feels quite weighty, but I definitely enjoyed much of it and there's nothing really bad within.
Rating: 86%
KidInTheDark666
What's yours is mine and what's mine is mine too
And somehow, yet again, you managed to give my two favorites the lowest ratings.
KidInTheDark666
What's yours is mine and what's mine is mine too
Do you have more DT coming up?
Album 105/365
1. 6:00 - I love the drum opening to this one. Portnoy is a very good drummer, I gotta say. This song as a whole has a lot of groove and grips a lot more than much of Images And Words did. LaBrie sounds a bit raspier than he did on that previous album, and I honestly like that. This is a very strong way to open the album, and while it doesn't have quite enough to push it up to the top I really dig it anyway. 9/10
2. Caught In A Web - Ooh, I like this opening. It's heavy, but there are aspects to it that almost remind me of Revolver-era Beatles. But then the chorus feels more reminiscent of Queensryche. Yeah this song is awesome. I guess I didn't have many expectations after the poppy previous album but this is really good so far. I'm just bopping along to every moment of this song. 10/10
3. Innocence Faded - Another great opening, this one feels a bit more tinged in emotion. LaBrie does a great job with the higher notes here. I dig this one too. It's a bit cheesier but there's a lot of good music flowing throughout that I like. 9/10
4. Erotomania - Oh, this opening is for sure a throwback to classic prog rock. Even when the guitar comes in it still gives off a bit of that vibe, although this stuff is beefed up more with metallic leanings being the guides of the show. I really like that guitar solo that came in. Yeah, I've got no real complaints about this song. It's a little long but there's nothing I dislike within it. 9/10
5. Voices - Holy shit, this opening is amazing. Quieter stuff for the verse. Interesting. I like these heavier parts to, the chorus is quite strong. After that, the song kinda loses me. LaBrie seems to ramble on a bit and it runs a little long. Don't get me wrong, it's a good song and there's a lot of parts I like, but it's not as good as the previous songs. 8/10
6. The Silent Man - One of the things that caught me off guard with Images And Words was how many ballads it had, not too far removed from the sort of stuff Disney seems to put in their films. This song gives me those exact same vibes. It's not a bad song, but it's definitely the lowest point here so far. I get what they were going for, just don't think it's as interesting as some of the other stuff on here. 7/10
7. The Mirror - Whoa, that's heavy. Way heavier than I expected. Hmm, this keyboard piece feels highly reminiscent of church-y stuff. I like it. Feels like a stroll through a cathedral and its surrounding grounds with something sinister lurking beyond you. LaBrie sounds pretty strong here in the verse. There's nothing bad about this one at all. It's nice, it's heavy, it's pretty great. 9/10
8. Lie - Damn, this one's heavy too. I love this opening verse, it's feels slightly frantic and LaBrie does a great job with it. It's interesting, a lot of this album reminds me of Tool's debut EP. Interesting. Kinda like with "Voices", this one starts off great but kinda runs a bit long. Only this one becomes less interesting with every stride forward. Good, but not really great. 7/10
9. Lifting Shadows Off A Dream - Another cool opening. I dig the bass here with the rising orchestral stuff. I don't really have much else to say about this song, other than that it is awesome through and through. Right up there with "Caught In A Web". 10/10
10. Scarred - Some interesting build-up here. Feels like we're rising out of a lake in a dreamstate. And other than that, this one just drags for me. I like the music and the instrumental section but there's nothing much else that really grips me. Sort of the same thing as "Lie". 7/10
11. Space-Dye Vest - Okay, this was awesome. What a perfect way to end the album. Space-y, rich, vibrant, epic. Love this one. 10/10
As a whole I definitely liked this one more than Images And Words. There's a lot of great stuff throughout, the band has melded their music together better than previous, and LaBrie sounds stronger than he was prior. A lot to like. It is a long album though, and it feels quite weighty, but I definitely enjoyed much of it and there's nothing really bad within.
Rating: 86%
Diesel 11
As you scream into the web of silence...
Maybe, maybe not, we shall see....
Diesel 11
As you scream into the web of silence...
Album 106/365
1. It's Hot Tonight - I can dig this. It's an easy listening sort of song, although not really up there with some of the monsters we've had before now. 8/10
2. Lace And Whiskey - Kind of a boppy tune but it isn't a masterwork from the Coop's career. Fun at times, not outstanding. 7/10
3. Road Rats - Cool-ish hard rock tune about roadies, but similar to the previous song, nothing groundbreaking. It also goes on for too long so... that's not too good. 6/10
4. Damned If You Do - Alice tries to write a showtune and it's just... um... yeah. Very average. 5/10
5. You And Me - Not one of Alice's better ballads, but it's a solid song. 7/10
6. King Of The Silver Screen - This one started out great, but the "Glory, Glory Hallelujah" bits aren't great and Alice coming out as... trans? Well, it feels forced. 6/10
7. Ubangi Stomp - Thank god it's short because I really don't need Alice doing a rockabilly song in my life. 5/10
8. (No More) Love At Your Convenience - This stab at a disco pop anthem is alright, but it's nothing groundbreaking, like most of the album has been. 7/10
9. I Never Wrote Those Songs - One of the better songs on here, but again... just nothing really gripping. It's kind of a joke, I think, and he plays it straight, I think, but I think that what I think of as Alice Cooper has not been as well thought out here as he's thought it out on other albums, I think. Oh well. 7/10
10. My God - And with the final song here we finally have one that I think isn't so bad. It's on the same level as the opener, I think. The style Alice was going for on this album finally seems to work, even if it, again, can't really rival the monsters we've seen previously. But it's a good song for sure. 8/10
Well that was boring, bland, and really uninspired. I am disappointed in Alice. He--I'm sorry, she has taken a step down with this release. Disgraceful! Disgusting! Despicable! Only slightly better than the band's debut.
Rating: 66%
Collin
Chasing Ponce De Leon's Phantoms
This review is certified as Collin-Approved.
Album 105/365
1. 6:00 - I love the drum opening to this one. Portnoy is a very good drummer, I gotta say. This song as a whole has a lot of groove and grips a lot more than much of Images And Words did. LaBrie sounds a bit raspier than he did on that previous album, and I honestly like that. This is a very strong way to open the album, and while it doesn't have quite enough to push it up to the top I really dig it anyway. 9/10
2. Caught In A Web - Ooh, I like this opening. It's heavy, but there are aspects to it that almost remind me of Revolver-era Beatles. But then the chorus feels more reminiscent of Queensryche. Yeah this song is awesome. I guess I didn't have many expectations after the poppy previous album but this is really good so far. I'm just bopping along to every moment of this song. 10/10
3. Innocence Faded - Another great opening, this one feels a bit more tinged in emotion. LaBrie does a great job with the higher notes here. I dig this one too. It's a bit cheesier but there's a lot of good music flowing throughout that I like. 9/10
4. Erotomania - Oh, this opening is for sure a throwback to classic prog rock. Even when the guitar comes in it still gives off a bit of that vibe, although this stuff is beefed up more with metallic leanings being the guides of the show. I really like that guitar solo that came in. Yeah, I've got no real complaints about this song. It's a little long but there's nothing I dislike within it. 9/10
5. Voices - Holy shit, this opening is amazing. Quieter stuff for the verse. Interesting. I like these heavier parts to, the chorus is quite strong. After that, the song kinda loses me. LaBrie seems to ramble on a bit and it runs a little long. Don't get me wrong, it's a good song and there's a lot of parts I like, but it's not as good as the previous songs. 8/10
6. The Silent Man - One of the things that caught me off guard with Images And Words was how many ballads it had, not too far removed from the sort of stuff Disney seems to put in their films. This song gives me those exact same vibes. It's not a bad song, but it's definitely the lowest point here so far. I get what they were going for, just don't think it's as interesting as some of the other stuff on here. 7/10
7. The Mirror - Whoa, that's heavy. Way heavier than I expected. Hmm, this keyboard piece feels highly reminiscent of church-y stuff. I like it. Feels like a stroll through a cathedral and its surrounding grounds with something sinister lurking beyond you. LaBrie sounds pretty strong here in the verse. There's nothing bad about this one at all. It's nice, it's heavy, it's pretty great. 9/10
8. Lie - Damn, this one's heavy too. I love this opening verse, it's feels slightly frantic and LaBrie does a great job with it. It's interesting, a lot of this album reminds me of Tool's debut EP. Interesting. Kinda like with "Voices", this one starts off great but kinda runs a bit long. Only this one becomes less interesting with every stride forward. Good, but not really great. 7/10
9. Lifting Shadows Off A Dream - Another cool opening. I dig the bass here with the rising orchestral stuff. I don't really have much else to say about this song, other than that it is awesome through and through. Right up there with "Caught In A Web". 10/10
10. Scarred - Some interesting build-up here. Feels like we're rising out of a lake in a dreamstate. And other than that, this one just drags for me. I like the music and the instrumental section but there's nothing much else that really grips me. Sort of the same thing as "Lie". 7/10
11. Space-Dye Vest - Okay, this was awesome. What a perfect way to end the album. Space-y, rich, vibrant, epic. Love this one. 10/10
As a whole I definitely liked this one more than Images And Words. There's a lot of great stuff throughout, the band has melded their music together better than previous, and LaBrie sounds stronger than he was prior. A lot to like. It is a long album though, and it feels quite weighty, but I definitely enjoyed much of it and there's nothing really bad within.
Rating: 86%
Diesel 11
As you scream into the web of silence...
Album 107/365
Cycle I: The Heirophant
1. Irresponsible Hate Anthem - Oh boy, this one is pure Marilyn. The lyrics ("I wasn't born with enough middle fingers!"), the style, and the audacity here. Definitely a great way to start the album. 9/10
2. The Beautiful People - It's the immortal classic, the song that almost everyone knows from Manson. I don't quite think it's amazing, but it's very strong. I particularly love the pre-chorus music and the bridge repetition. 9/10
3. Dried Up, Tied And Dead To The World - Okay but this song is awesome. That chorus is one of the best I've heard from him, that slow descent in pitch through it is so good. Great song. 10/10
4. Tourniquet - A slower song, and not really as up-in-your face as the previous three. This one puts melody ahead of beating the message into your skull, and actually, I like it less than the previous three. But still a good song. 8/10
Cycle II: Inauguration Of The Worm
5. Little Horn - Not really feeling this one as much. It's back to being skull-bludgeoning but misses out slightly on what made the previous ones work so well. 7/10
6. Cryptorchid - This one is kinda creepy, but it has a build-up that doesn't really end up anywhere. Artistically it works on the album, as a song it isn't quite there. 7/10
7. Deformography - Much of this song is quite solid, but the chorus never manages to knock it out of the park, always staying stuck in first gear, and it makes the song a bit disappointing. It definitely follows the trend of the previous two. 7/10
8. Wormboy - This one is almost more of the same, but it's a step above the previous three by being a very catchy sort of song. It feels like Manson trying to create a showtune, which makes sort of sense given that this is a concept album. It fits. 8/10
9. Mister Superstar - This one is much more interesting than most of Cycle II has been. The lyrics are about the relationship between a rock star and his fans, and it builds and rises to maximum conclusion. I think I can round up for this. 9/10
10. Angel With The Scabbed Wings - A pretty beefy, riff-heavy song, this one. It's definitely a heavy song from Marilyn, with a lot of drive and punch to it. I like it. 9/10
11. Kinderfeld - A very, very sinister song. It's trudges forward slowly but surely and it's quite good. I like the chorus in particular. It's just not quite as good as some of the songs prior. 8/10
Cycle III: Disintegrator Rising
12. Antichrist Superstar - This one fits in quite well as a part of the album's concept, as the rise of the titular Antichrist Superstar is rising to take control of all. It just doesn't quite knock it out of the park as far as songs and specifically title tracks go. 7/10
13. 1996 - And now said Antichrist Superstar has finally thrown himself into the public consciousness for good. A wild sort of song but also a very good one. Manson just rips away with the lyrics here. 9/10
14. Minute Of Decay - I like this one, but it doesn't quite blow me away. Manson is very strong here, very emotional (apparently he started to cry during the recording), but it doesn't hit the same impact as some of these have... although it's definitely better than some of the others. 8/10
15. The Reflecting God - Feels like the album's climax. Is the anti-hero of the tale asking for someone to execute him? Sure sounds like it. It's a long but ultimately rewarding song and one of the best on here. 9/10
16. Man That You Fear - A more emotional way to wind down the album, and this time Marilyn finally knocks it out of the park again. A great, great song. Great lyrics, great performance, great all around. 10/10
17 - 18 - 19 - 20 - 21 - 22 - 23 - 24 - 25 - 26 - 27 - 28 - 29 - 30 - 31 - 32 - 33 - 34 - 35 - 36 - 37 - 38 - 39 - 40 - 41 - 42 - 43 - 44 - 45 - 46 - 47 - 48 - 49 - 50 - 51 - 52 - 53 - 54 - 55 - 56 - 57 - 58 - 59 - 60 - 61 - 62 - 63 - 64 - 65 - 66 - 67 - 68 - 69 - 70 - 71 - 72 - 73 - 74 - 75 - 76 - 77 - 78 - 79 - 80 - 81 - 82 - 83 - 84 - 85 - 86 - 87 - 88 - 89 - 90 - 91 - 92 - 93 - 94 - 95 - 96 - 97 - 98
99. Untitled - A creepy way to the end the album on a high note. We were all meant to be saved, yet salvation never came. R.I.P.
Is it as good as Holy Wood? No, but Antichrist Superstar is quite enjoyable in its own way. It's sinister, it's rotten to the core, and it's pure Marilyn Manson, the kind that would scar all of the authority figures sworn to protect their children from this filth. It's not perfect, some songs are better than others, but it's a good album all the same. I can dig it.
Cycle I: 90%
Cycle II: 79%
Cycle III: 86%
Rating: 84%
Diesel 11
As you scream into the web of silence...
Album 108/365
1. Mr. Self Destruct - Not a bad way to open the album. In fact it's pretty great. It's noisy, it's industrial, it's creepy, it's the sort of thing that I was expecting going in. I dig it. 9/10
2. Piggy - I get what they were going for with this song, but it's got a lot, and I mean a lot of repetition, which kinda diminishes it a bit for me. It never truly breaks into the epicness I'd like to see it reach. Solid enough song though. 7/10
3. Heresy - I like this one more, it's got a lot more electronic stuff going on, building up like a stormfront on the listener. My one issue is that it plods a bit too much for my liking, but it's definitely a good song. Digging the lyrics especially. 8/10
4. March Of The Pigs - Okay, this one is awesome. The relentless beat in the verses, the calmer chorus, and that piano creeping in where you least expect it. Great song. 10/10
5. Closer - It's probably NIN's most popular song, certainly most people have heard of it, radio loves it, and it's iconic for all the right reasons. Sexually explicit lyrics, creepy, building instrumental, it's an awesome song. 10/10
6. Ruiner - I like the music to this one a lot. It's very dark, and at some points it makes me think of this album as the "Industrial White Album". I get a lot of the same vibes that I get from that Beatles record. Dunno why exactly, maybe the attempt at experimentation? Anyways... 9/10
7. The Becoming - Another very sinister song, with a few metallic leanings towards the end of it. It plods along a bit, but I like it. Just not quite as much as the three prior songs. 8/10
8. I Do Not Want This - I like the beginning of this song (the guitars sound great), but the ending kinda drags on. It's not a bad song, but it does get brought down a bit in the end. 7/10
9. Big Man With A Gun - "I'm gonna cum all over you." Whoa man, we just met, can't we do this after, I dunno, the second date? Erm... I actually think this isn't so bad. It's short and concise, but not quite as good as the really good songs on here. 8/10
10. A Warm Place - Not a bad instrumental. I like how it fits in on the album. Definitely a very solid song. 8/10
11. Eraser - A simple sort of song, certainly lyrically, but it does drag. I like what it's going for, but it's a bit on the boring side in execution and takes too long to really get going, and by that time it's already over. 6/10
12. Reptile - Yeah, this one really drags as well. Boring song. 5/10
13. The Downward Spiral - This one's better. Very creepy suicidal writ. Doesn't quite feel like a "real" song though. 7/10
14. Hurt - Talk about ending on a high note though. This song is so good. Having hit rock bottom, the narrator commits suicide after some final reflections on his life. I like the Johnny Cash cover a bit more (one of my favorite songs ever) but the original is amazing as well. Great, great song. 10/10
It's for sure a good album. I like the concept, I like the way it plays out, but I think they could've done a little more with making the transitions flow better, as a few of these songs are a bit spotty. But there's great stuff here all the same, and it's well worth a listen. Not perfect, but a good album.
Rating: 80%