96 albums logged
Soul Glo
This album rips so hard. Abrasive hardcore, punk, and hip hop combine to make a one of a kind listen. I can't wait to see what these guys do next. Favourite Tracks: - Gold Chain Punk - Coming Correct Is Cheaper - Jump!! - John J - GODBLESSYALLREALGOOD - Spiritual Level Of Gang Shit
Avenged Sevenfold
I wore this album out in my teens, so may be nostalgia talking here, but this album is great. A bit of a mess of styles but instrumentally it's great, and and the songwriting is mostly pretty good. Some of the lyrics might be a bit tacky, but that's part of the charm. Favourite Tracks: - Critical Acclaim - Almost Easy - Afterlife - Gunslinger - Little Peice Of Heaven
Hawthorne Heights
A pop punk classic. I think it has aged fairly well, maybe not as well as some of its contemporaries but still it sounds pretty good. The songwriting doesn't deviate from standard pop punk of the time, but has some fun riffs, catchy hooks and decent breakdowns. Favourite Tracks: - Niki FM - The Transition - Silver Bullet - Ohio Is For Lovers
Dire Straits
Not my favourite from the boys. Starts off quite strong, but gets a little forgetful down the stretch. There is still plenty to like though, with Straits blending Rock n roll, Country, and blues super well. Favourite Tracks: - Tunnel Of Love - Romeo and Juliet - Sketaway - Expresso Love
The Streets
30 Albums Before Electric Avenue 2026 - Reviewing the albums of artists on the line up. (22/30) Another good album from The Streets here. Didn't grip as much as the debut album, but this thing is still loaded with character, good storytelling, and interesting beats. Favourite Tracks: - Blinded By The Lights - Wouldn't Have It Any Other Way - Fit But You Know It - Dry Your Eyes - Empty Cans
Basement Jaxx
30 Albums Before Electric Avenue 2026 - Reviewing the albums of artists on the line up. (21/30) Didn't vibe with this album as much as their previous output, unfortunately. There's still some poppy, bubbly fun to be had here, but nothing really sticks or demands a second listen for me.
Dire Straits
Dire Straits killed it with this one. Front loaded with poppier tunes and getting more progressive as the album goes on, and concluding with one of my favourite songs from their catalogue. Favourite Tracks: - So Far Away - Money For Nothing - Walk Of Life - Your Latest Trick - Why Worry - Brothers In Arms
Dire Straits
Some nice smooth tunes here, with a good country twang to them. Knopflers tasty licks and nice vocals stand out, and the way he says Heavy Fuel tickles my brain. A couple of songs towards the end I'm not a fan of but most are worth listening to. Favorite Tracks: - Calling Elvis - On Every Street - When It Comes To You * - The Bug - You And Your Friend - Iron Hand - Planet Of New Orleans
Dire Straits
An excellent debut here, that has since gone down as a classic. The licks, songwriting, and story telling are all on point here and it's groovy as hell. Favourite Tracks: - Down to the Waterline - Six Blade Knife - Sultans of Swing - Wild West End
Mazzy Star
A timeless dream pop classic. Melancholy and vibey throughout, the album maintains a consistent quality, that sounds right at home in the 2020s. Also features one of the best songs of all time. Favourite Tracks: - Fade Into You - Five String Serenade - Unreflected - Wasted
Sammy Virji
30 Albums Before Electric Avenue 2026 - Reviewing the albums of artists on the line up. (20/30) Feels a little flavourless compared to his later releases. Feels like pretty standard garage here, nice to listen to and sets a vibe, but nothing stands out all that much. Seems more made for mixing than dedicated listening. Favourite Tracks: - Spice Up My Life - Basic - Elephant
Kesha
30 Albums Before Electric Avenue 2026 - Reviewing the albums of artists on the line up. (19/30) I had heard Kesha's newer music was better than her older stuff, but never really gave it a listen. But yeah, this is pretty good. Less party-pop and more subdued and introspective. I love the production on this album, and keshas vocals and songwriting shine here. Favourite Tracks: - Eat The Acid - The Drama - Hate Me Harder - Happy
Jalen Ngonda
30 Albums Before Electric Avenue 2026 - Reviewing the albums of artists on the line up. (18/30) What a voice. I'll be honest I thought it was a woman at first, but a bloke hitting these falsetto's is nuts. I have to catch this guy live. A great soul record here that throws back to the soul singers of old. The song writing here isn't revolutionary but with the sheer talent in the performance department it gets by. Favourite Tracks: - Come Around And Love Me - If You Don't Want My Live - Lost - Just Like You Used To - It Takes A Fool
The Streets
30 Albums Before Electric Avenue 2026 - Reviewing the albums of artists on the line up. (17/30) This was quite a bit better than I expected. I had only heard of few tracks from these guys, and while decent I never bothered to look much further. This is full of character, the beats are great, it's lyrically interesting. Great stuff. Favourite Tracks: - Has It Come To This? - Same Old Thing - Don't Mug Yourself - Stay Positive
Sudan Archives
30 Albums Before Electric Avenue 2026 - Reviewing the albums of artists on the line up. (16/30) A surprising album from Sudan Archives, putting out a collection of hybrid R&B, house, hyper pop, EDM tracks that works quite well. Doesn't always flow super well, but that lends a kind of chaotic element to it that I think adds to the experience. Hoping her performance plays like this album does! Favourite Tracks: - YEA YEA YEA - THE NATURE OF POWER - MY TYPE - MS PAC MAN - NOIRE
A$AP Rocky
A bit of a mash of styles and ideas that works for the most part. Honestly the last 8 years have passed so quick I didn't realise he'd been gone so long, but listening to this makes it clear he hasn't lost a step. Here's hoping this isn't a one-off and he keeps putting out new music. Favourite Tracks: - Stole Ya Flow - Stay Here 4 Life - No Trespassing - Punk Rocky - Whisky
Pendulum
30 Albums Before Electric Avenue 2026 - Reviewing the albums of artists on the line up. (15/30) It's not their best album, they would go on to release better stuff. But it's still decent, with a few bops on here. Much of it just falls a bit flat though, with the combination of DnB and rock feeling a bit sanitized and sterile. Still, though good songs go pretty hard, and I'm sure will rip live. Favourite Tracks: - Propane Nightmares - Visions - Granite
The Garden
Band I caught recommended on Insta so decided to give them a spin. Then listened to this album 4 times in a row. This is a great, grungy, chaotic alternative punk record. Will definitely seek out more from these guys. Favourite Tracks: - Puerto de Limosina - Horseshit On Route 66 - What Else Could I Be But A Jester - Squished Face Slick Pig Living In A Smokey City
Ocean Alley
30 Albums Before Electric Avenue 2026 - Reviewing the albums of artists on the line up. (14/30) Seen these guys play a few times now, and they always put on a good show. They stick to their guns here, and don't venture too far from their usual sound. Unfortunately it makes for a slightly unremarkable listen, as I feel like I've heard this all before. There are a few decent tracks on here though, and I'm sure hearing them live will help me appreciate them more. Favourite Tracks: - Tangerine - Left of the Dealer - Drenched
Basement Jaxx
30 Albums Before Electric Avenue 2026 - Reviewing the albums of artists on the line up. (13/30) I appreciate Jaxx not strictly sticking to their formula here, but this album didn't grip me as much as their previous effort. There is glimpses of great stuff scattered, but something is missing for me personally. Favourite Tracks: - Right Here's The Spot - Cish Cash - Hot 'n Cold
Mini Skirt
Saw these guys open for Viagra Boys last week and thought they were pretty good, so gave them a go. Some of the tracks struggled to stand out a bit here, but generally this is pretty decent. A pretty standard punk/post-punk effort with the occasional glimpse of further potential. Will be keeping an eye out for future releases. Favourite Tracks: - Smart Enough - Been A While - Mud
LEISURE
30 Albums Before Electric Avenue 2026 - Reviewing the albums of artists on the line up. (12/30) A vibey indie disco album here. It pretty, cruisy, and pleasant to listen too. Some tracks are a bit unseasoned and struggle to stand out but as a whole I enjoyed this. Favourite Tracks: - Missing You - The Colour of the Sound
Obongjayar
30 Albums Before Electric Avenue 2026 - Reviewing the albums of artists on the line up. (11/30) Had previously only heard Obongjayar's features with Little Simz and Fred Again. This EP is kinda as expected, a brief teaser into his unique style. Not too much stood out here, but the grooves are nice, and I enjoy his unique vocals. Favourite Tracks: - Dreaming In Transit - 10K
Split Enz
30 Albums Before Electric Avenue 2026 - Reviewing the albums of artists on the line up. (10/30) Pretty good new wave album here. Not entirely my flavour but there is some good tunes scattered through here, and there is a nice eccentric sound throughout. Favourite Tracks: - Shark Attack - I Got You - Nobody Takes Me Seriously - Poor Boy
Pendulum
30 Albums Before Electric Avenue 2026 - Reviewing the albums of artists on the line up. (9/30) Pendulum shows that they still have the juice, 15 years on from their previous album. Mixing stadium DnB with metal in a way that gets the blood pumping, and I imagine will sound incredible in a live atmosphere. There's some great features here as well that keep the energy up. Favourite Tracks: - Come Alive - Save The Cat - Cannibal - Halo - Silent Spinner
Basement Jaxx
30 Albums Before Electric Avenue 2026 - Reviewing the albums of artists on the line up. (8/30) Not as high on this one as I was with their following album. At times feels a little derivative of other artists of the era, and lacks the character of their second album. Still there is some bops on here for sure, and you could do worse as far as dance albums go. Favourite Tracks: - Rendez-Vu - Jump 'N Shout - Red Alert - Bingo Bango
Sammy Virji
30 Albums Before Electric Avenue 2026 - Reviewing the albums of artists on the line up. (7/30) Pretty good UK Garage album here, with plenty of grime features helping to create a few bangers throughout. There's also some more vibey tracks on here that go down pretty well. Maybe lacks some real stand out moments but pretty solid all around. Favourite Tracks: - One For The Books - Cops & Robbers - 925 - Dis Badman - Match My Mood - Roads Roulette
Sudan Archives
30 Albums Before Electric Avenue 2026 - Reviewing the albums of artists on the line up. (6/30) A unique blend of genres results in a R&B album with a distinct sound that works very well and stands out from her contemporaries. Will definitely seek out more from Sudan Archives going forward! Favourite Tracks: - Confessions - Iceland Moss - Coming Up - Limitless
Fazerdaze
30 Albums Before Electric Avenue 2026 - Reviewing the albums of artists on the line up. (5/30) Another soft dream pop release from Fazerdaze here, with this one going into even dreamier territory. This is a great follow up to her debut with a nostalgiac sound that maintains a solid vibe throughout it brief runtime. Favourite Tracks: - So Easy - Dancing Years - In Blue - Distorted Dreams - Cherry Pie
Flamingo Pier
30 Albums Before Electric Avenue 2026 - Reviewing the albums of artists on the line up. (4/30) The second EP by these guys is another brief one, containing a handful of groovy tunes. Great retro inspired house here, with great production and sound design. Definitely a vibe I can get into, will definitely I'm to check these guys out at EA 2026.
Flamingo Pier
30 Albums Before Electric Avenue 2026 - Reviewing the albums of artists on the line up. (3/30) A short one here, this only being a 5 track EP. Some nice vibey, cruisy house music here. Retro inspired, and even with some hints of acid house in there, I could see this going down well at the early stages of the festival. The dub remix is the only song I wasn't super high on, but it was fine. Favourite Tracks: - Tell Me How - Hold It - Find Your Way - The Deepest
Basement Jaxx
30 Albums Before Electric Avenue 2026 - Reviewing the albums of artists on the line up. (2/30) Great production on this one that has stood the test of time. Parts funky, parts grimy, parts groovy. The tounge-in-cheek vocals elevate the music well (for the most part), and make for a fun listen. Favourite Tracks: - Romeo - Breakaway - Get Me Off - Where's Your Head At
Fazerdaze
30 Albums Before Electric Avenue 2026 - Reviewing the albums of artists on the line up. (1/30) This album surprised me. A nice, cruisy, comfy shoegaze/dream pop album. The tone is pretty consistent throughout and the brief run time prevents filler. Great start to this series! Favourite Tracks: -Last to Sleep - Lucky Girl - Misread - Jennifer - Shoulders
The Strokes
A bit more scattershot than their previous albums, with The Strokes playing with their sound a bit here. The result is a bit of a mixed bag, though mostly good. Even with the sonic changes, it still sounds undeniably like a Strokes record. Favourite Tracks: - Under The Cover Of Darkness - Two Kinds of Happiness - Taken For A Fool - Games - Metabolism
The Strokes
An excellent follow up to their debut. Strokes continue with their timeless brand of indie rock. Short, snappy catchy tunes carry the album along. A brief, but never outstanding it's welcome. Favourite Tracks: - Reptilia - Automatic Stop - 12:51 - You Talk Way Too Much - Meet Me In The Bathroom - Under Control - The End Has No End - I Can't Win
The Strokes
Excellent debut here from The Strokes. Short and to the point, with a great nostalgic sound. Not much more can be said that a 1000 other reviewers haven't already said, just a classic album. Favorite Tracks: - Is This It - Soma - Someday - Alone, Together - Last Nite - Hard To Explain - New York City Cops - Trying Your Luck
Knocked Loose
It's heavy, it's aggressive, it's raw, and it kicks ass. KL put together another great set of tracks that pummel you for it's brief runtime. There's also some fun features on here which is a surprise, especially that from Poppy. Favorite Tracks: - Piece By Piece - Suffocate - Don't Reach For Me - The Calm That Keeps You Awake - Blinding Faith
Lamb of God
I'm surprised this isn't looked on more fondly, as this album is better than I remembered. A bludgeoning set of tacks that never really let up the pace all that much. The drums, riff, and vocals all sound great and are mixed well. The songwriting is groovy and catchy. Honestly I think this is some of LOGs best works. Favourite Tracks: - In Your Words - Set To Fail - Contractor - Fake Messiah - Grace - Broken Hands - Dead Seeds - Reclamation - Condemn The Hive
Linkin Park
All killer no filler (almost). LP picks up where they left off with another set of killer tracks, providing another short sprint of an album featuring clean, heavy nu-metal at its best. The scream/rap combo sounds as good as it did previously over some tasty riffs and sweet breakdowns. Favourite Tracks: - Don't Stay - Somewhere I Belong - Lying From You - Faint - Figure.09 - Breaking The Habit - From The Inside
Deftones
I remember not being very invested in this album when it came out. I preferred it this time around. A solid but slightly unmemorable effort from Deftones. There's some good peaks here, but a lot of it feels a bit safe and stripped of character. Favourite Tracks: - Acid Hologram - Doomed User - Hearts / Wires - Gore
Alice In Chains
A brief, dark, sad collection of acoustic alternative rock songs. The first half of this album is stacked. Unfortunately the last few songs don't hit as well for me. Instrumentally it's darkly soothing, and the harmonies are haunting. Favourite Tracks: - Rotten Apple - Nutshell - I Stay Away - No Excuses
Ty Myers
Solid contemporary country debut here from Ty Myers. It's bloated, like many other country albums these days, so for every good track there's also a bland track. If the fat was trimmed, this would be a pretty great album imo. Still, I will be keeping an eye Myers going forward. Favourite Tracks: - Ends Of The Earth - Let 'Em Talk - Somewhere Over You - Drunk Love - Drinkin' Alone
Arctic Monkeys
Great follow up to their debut. They keep up the energy with another collection of catchy tunes with lots of character. Doesn't quite reach the highs of their debut but it's pretty damn close. Favourite Tracks: - Brianstorm - Teddy Picker - Fluorescent Adolescent - Do Me A Favor - Old Yellow Bricks - 505
Arctic Monkeys
I forgot how much I enjoy this album. I must say I much prefer this sound here to their more modern sound. Timeless indie rock with heaps of personality, and super catchy. No skips on this one. Favorite Tracks - All of them tbh but if I had to choose.. - Fake Tales of San Francisco - Still Take You Home - Mardy Bum - When The Sun Goes Down
Arctic Monkeys
A great groovy album that evolves on their earlier sound. It's not my favourite album from them, but it's pretty close. Filled with groovy instrumentals, cheeky songwriting, and catchy hooks it's pop-rock done right. Favourite Tracks: - Do I Wanna Know - R U Mine? - One For The Road - Arabella - No. 1 Party Anthem - Why'd You Only Call Me When You're High - Snap Out Of It - Knee Socks - I Wanna Be Yours
Cypress Hill
Fun catchy bops all over this album. A little front loaded but the back half is still solid. B Reals goofy voice over Muggs' beats just works and makes for an engaging listen throughout. Favourite Tracks: - I Wanna Get High - We Ain't Goin Out Like That - Insane In The Brain - When The Shit Goes Down - Cocktail The Hammer - Hits From the Bong
Key Glock
This album works as a vibe, but nothing really stands out all that much. Glock has his style and he sticks to it, which is fair, but it means there isn't much variety to his albums. It does mean that it satisfies when I'm in a particular mood though, so there's that. Favourite Tracks: - Glockaveli - Sunny Dayz - Don Dada
Bleached Cross, True Faith
An album of two halves here, featuring a handful of songs by Bleached Cross to start and True Faith to finish. The BC songs shine here, with an almost industrial goth rock sound that echoes Health at times. The True Faith songs are decent but nothing really stood out, still I will keep an eye out for future releases from both bands. Favourite Tracks: - Griefs Eternal Wound - Rain of Tears - The Weeping
Slayer
A thrash classic. A brief, pummeling, heavy album with punk influence all over it. May have the strongest end of any metal album I have heard with Postmortem/Raining Blood. Favourite Tracks: - Angel Of Death - Piece By Piece - Necrophobic - Criminally Insane - Epidemic - Postmortem - Raining Blood
Deftones
How can a metal album be so dreamy? Deftones strip their sound to basics, and stick to what works. What could've ended up sounding phoned in, instead sounds focused and vibrant. Great album here. Favourite Tracks: - Swerve City - Leathers - Poltergeist - Tempest - Gauze - Rosemary
Pusha T
Pusha T might be the most consistent rapper in recent memory. Tight, blunt, no frills rap album here, and its great. Fill with his usual bravado, great beat selection, and decent features. Favourite Tracks: - Brambleton - Let the Smokers Shine the Coupes - Just So You Remember - Call My Bluff - Hear Me Clearly
Oklou
A breezy peice of spacey alt-pop that never quite connected with me. Never bad, but I felt most of the tracks struggled to stand out. It's vibes for sure though, so others will likely get more out of it than I did. Favourite Tracks: - blade bird
Her's
Impossible not to hear this album without feeling the weight of what would happen to these guys not long after. Quite a melancholy listen but for me it's more if a 'celebration of life' feeling rather than full on depressing. Really it's a brief collection of catchy indie-pop tunes that serve as a teaser for great career that we never really got to see. Favourite Tracks: - Dorothy - Cool With You - Marcel - Medievil - What Once Was
The Wytches
Not their strongest output for me. Still, their unique gothic surf rock sound makes for a pretty breezy listen. There just isn't too much that stands out and will draw me back. Favourite Tracks: - Black Ice - Coffin Nails - Nothing To See - Don't Make It For Me
IDLES
Very on-the-nose, but subtext is for cowards anyway. Idles continue their hot streak with this album, which is somehow more in-your-face and filled with character than their previous albums. It doesn't all land, but most of it does. Favourite Tracks: - War - Kill Them With Kindness - Model Village - Carcinogenic - Reigns - The Lover - A Hymn
Black Sabbath
While I shouldn't fault bands for experimenting and changing up their sound, this album just hasn't connected with me like their previous albums did. Gone are the raw grooves, making way for more anthemic and dare i day 'poppier' tunes. Not bad by any stretch, just not my flavour. Favourite Tracks; - Sabbath Bloody Sabbath - A National Acrobat - Killing Yourself to Live
Limp Bizkit
Too long with too much filler. The songs you already know are great, they go hard. The rest just isn't very good. Decent instrumentals are brought down by Dursts ramblings and seemingly at times ad ribbed vocals. I will always have time for those hits though. Favourite Tracks: - Nookie - Break Stuff - Re-Arranged - N 2 Gether Now
Linkin Park
First time listening to this in full since my teen years. Forgot that literally every song on here is a heater. The hits are great, but I had forgotten about all the in-between songs that also hold their own. The dual vocals, catchy hooks, chunky breakdowns, angst filled lyrics. It's all so good. No skips. Favourite Tracks: - All of them.
Black Sabbath
Some great groovy metal tracks here, as Sabbath pump out great tunes without the album ever dragging. Great highlights but a couple of skips hold it back. Favorite Tracks: - Sweet Leaf - After Forever - Children Of The Grave - Lord Of This World - Into The Void
Conway the Machine
Starts and ends quite strong, but the middle section is a bit samey for my taste. It all still goes pretty hard, but some of it is just a bit unmemorable. The highlights are good though. I like Conways cadence and fairly nonchalant flows, paired with his dgaf attitude. Not big on a few of the features though. Favourite Tracks: - 1000 Corpses - Blakk Tape - Air Holez - Salute Me
Conway the Machine
Consistent, but missing the edge of his earlier records. It's a good listen through but there isn't too much that stands out and demands a relisten. Still, he keeps the bars coming and the beat selection is good. I think the fat could've been trimmed here to make a more succinct album. Favourite Tracks: - Nu Devils - Otis Driftwood - Attached
Deftones
Better Than I Remember. My first time listening to this, probably since my early 20s. This album rules. The heavy riffs, the ethereal vocals, the screaming, it all goes together so well. This album also hosts one of my favorite songs of all time in Sextape, which I really think should have been the closer. Favourite Tracks: - Diamond Eyes - Royal - CMND/CTRL - You've Seen The Butcher - Beauty School - Rocket Skates - Sextape*
Deftones
More good stuff from Deftones here. A bit more of a mixed bag here but the continue honing their signature shoegaze/metal sound. But my god, pink cellphone really is as bad as they say! Favourite Tracks: - Hole In The Earth - Rapture - Cherry Waves - Xerces - Riviére
Conway the Machine
Worth a 10/10 for the Booker T sample alone. Conway maintains his streak of solid albums, with another swagger filled collection of raps over cold beats. Some welcome features on this track list as well. Favourite Tracks: - Slapbox - Piper - Land O' Lakes - Sigel In State Prop
Conway the Machine
A good follow up to Reject 2, Conway keeps consistent with this release. Keeping it brief and relitively simple, Conway narrates his way through a small solid collection of dark grimey tunes. The only dud being the unnecessary Randy Savage DA skit. Favourite Tracks: - Devils Work - 8 Birds - Pavement
Linkin Park
A very frontloaded album here, with all the 'singles' coming one after the other to start. The back half of this album is forgettable and not really worth revisiting. The hits do hit hard though and are worth replaying over and over. Favourite Tracks: - Given Up - Leave Out All The Rest - Bleed It Out - Shadow Of The Day - What I've Done - No More Sorrow
Linkin Park
Better than expected. New vocalist is pretty damn good, and I can image her covering the classics quite well. There's a few bangers throughout this brief runtime as well. It's hard to escape the shadow ast over this band, but on its own merits it's not half bad. Favourite Tracks: - Heavy Is The Crown - Two Faced - IGYEIH
Slayer
Decent thrash / nu metal combination here. Loses steam towards the back end, and doesn't match their earlier output but there's still a lot to like here. Favourite Tracks: - Disciple - God Send Death - New Faith - Bloodline - Here Comes the Pain
Biohazard
Decent but over-long HC album here. The some heaters on here for sure, but not enough variety to warrant a near hour long album for me. Still, the Hardcore/hip hop blend works well and there's some groovy riffs throughout. Favourite Tracks: - Chamber Spins Three - Punishment - Shades of Gray - Tears of Blood
IDLES, Rob Simonsen, Caught Stealing Movie
Hard to rate this once, as it's mostly a compilation of instrumentals and ambient tracks. There are some more traditional Idles style bops on here though and they are enjoyable. Still, it's rad to see Idles curating a soundtrack for what ended up being one of my top movies of the year in 'Caught Stealing'. Favourite Tracks: - Doom - Cheerleader - Police & Thieves - Rabbit Run - Rabbit Run (Nick Zinner Remix)
Opeth
Great album here. Smooth instrumentals, with a subdued Akerfeldt on vocals this time around. Album breezes by, with a shorter run time than usual. The songs are still long but nothing outstays it's welcome, only wish the album ended a bit stronger. Favourite Tracks: - Windowpane - In My Time Of Need - Hope Leaves - To Rid The Disease
Geese
Not really my flavour unfortunately. Some of the instrumentals are nice, and everything has a quirky Talking Heads vibe to it. But I just found the vocals quite grating. Not something I see myself coming back to. Favourite Tracks: - Taxes
SOFT PLAY
Slaves 'comeback' album after rebranding themselves as Soft Play. Whatever you think about the name change, you can't deny this album holds up well within their catalogue. Yes some of the lyrics are a bit corny but the track list here plays out largely tongue-in-cheek and full of character as you expect from these guys. Great energy, heavy riffs, great stuff. Favourite Tracks: - Punk's Dead - Isaac Is Typing - John Wick - Mirror Muscles - Everything and Nothing
Social Distortion
An okay punk album, that gets a little samey down the stretch. Still, it contains 'Story of my Life' which is an all timer for me so there's that. Favourite Tracks: - Story of my Life - Ball and Chain
Turnstile
Solid Hardcore album. Turnstile again keeps it brief with some rapid-fire tunes, churning out some groovy riffs and energetic vocals. Not as experimental as later releases of theirs, with this one keeping it relatively simple and rockin'. Favourite Tracks: - Gravity - Fazed Out - Bad Wave - Out Of Rage - Stress
Incendiary
Incredible hardcore punk album. Riffs and breakdowns kick ass throughout this album. The RATM inspired vocals sound great over these crushing instrumentals as well. Fairly standard 'call to arms' lyrics, but with great energy and some anthemic, catchy hooks. No skips. Favourite Tracks: - Bite The Hook - Echo Of Nothing - Lie Of Liberty - Rats In The Cellar - Change The Way You Think About Pain
Turnstile
Short and sweet. Turnstile keeps it brief with this album, with most songs clocking under 2 and a half minutes. They pack in some good tunes with the classic fun riffs you expect from turnstile. They would go on to do better, but this is still a fun album with some bangers littered throughout. Favourite Tracks: - Real Thing - Big Smile - Generator - I Don't Wanna Be Blind - Lost Another Peice of My World - Can't Get Away - Come Back For More - Time + Space
Deftones
Feels a little directionless and toothless when compared to their previous efforts. But even a lesser Deftones album is still a great album, just not one I will return to as often as White Pony, Diamond Eyes or Around The Fur. Favourite Tracks: - Hexagram - Needles and Pins - Minerva - When Girls Telephone Boys - Battle-axe - Bloody Cape
Killswitch Engage
Excellent metalcore album here. Great riffs that force you to bob your head along, great range on the vocals, and generally good straight-forward songwriting. Great stuff. Favourite Tracks: - Daylight Dies - This Is Absolution - My Curse - For You - Still Beats Your Name - Eye Of The Storm
Lamb of God
A slight step down from their previous album, with a few songs sounding a bit samey. The riffs still crush, with good solos, sick drum work and some catchy vocals as well. Solid stuff. Favourite Tracks: - Walk With Me In Hell - Again We Rise - Redneck - Pathetic - Blacken the Cursed Sun - Forgotten (Lost Angels)
Black Sabbath
In my opinion, a noticeable step down from their previous 3 albums. Lyrics and instrumentals are less memorable and/or hard-hitting, and the album as a whole feels fairly unfocused. Not bad by any stretch, but definitely not my go-to Sabbath album. Favourite Tracks: - Wheels of Confusion / The Straightener - Changes - Snowblind - Cornucopia - Under the Sun / Every Day Comes and Goes
Deftones
This seems to be the moment everyone realized Deftones were the real deal. As a whole I think this album is a (very) slight step back from Around The fur, but the peaks are higher. A few songs here remain Deftones best, and continue to be timeless. Favorite Tracks: - Back to School - Digital Bath - Elite - Rx Queen - Teenager - Knife Prty - Korea - Passenger - Change (In The House of Flies)
Deftones
Incredible album, one of their best. Improves on everything from the first album, with improved song writing, chubbier riffs, improved vocals and a more focused sound. Favourite Tracks: - My Own Summer - Lhabia - Mascara - Rick's - Be Quiet and Drive - Lotion - Headup
Deftones
A solid debut, and a good hint of things to come. Deftones come out the gate here with a raw, low fi, aggressive alternative/nu metal album that hits more than it misses. Obviously not their best work, but very good for a debut from a band still finding their sound. Favourite Tracks: - Bored - Minus Blindfold - Nosebleed - Root - 7 Words - Birthmark - Engine No. 9 - Fireal
My Chemical Romance
Rough around the edges, but I like the energy and angst in this album. This album has a much more manic, raw feel than their subsequent albums and it works to varying degrees. Favourite Tracks: - Honey, This Mirror Isn't Big Enough for the Two of Us - Skylines and Turnstiles - Early Sunsets Over Monroeville - Demolition Lovers
Viagra Boys
Not my favourite VB album, but even at their 'worst' the boys show more creativity and character than most others in the rock world at the moment. Electronic/disco infused post-punk with great rolling grooves and the usual brand of slurring, crooning vocals. Favourite Tracks: - Ain't Nice - Creatures - 6 Shooter - Secret Canine Agent - I Feel Alive
Green Day
This is okay. They combine their pop punk sound with shades of folk, and hints of the rock opera sound they would go all the way with in American Idiot. The result is a bit of a mixed bag. Some bouncy, catchy tunes but nothing that really stands out for me. Favorite Tracks: - Warning - Castaway - Deadbeat Holiday - Minority
Kendrick Lamar
Great album that has aged well since the dust has settled from Kendricks big year last year. Full with great lyricism, catchy hooks, quotable one-liners and great beats. I also loved the relatively unknown (to me) features on here. Banger album. Favourite Tracks: - wacced out murals - squabble up - luther - hey now - tv off - peekaboo - heart pt. 6 - gnx - gloria
Clipse, Pusha T, Malice
Great album here. Great beats, great bars, great features, doesn't overstay its welcome. The only thing holding this back from 5 stars are the frequent Pharrell verses/hooks, I could've let one slide but there's like 3 songs here with his average vocals on them. Push is creat as always, I've always enjoyed his cadence. Malice is new to me but he pulled his weight as well. Great stuff. Favourite Tracks: - Chains & Whips - P.O.V. - Ace Trumpets - M.T.B.T.T.F. - F.I.C.O. - Inglorious Bastards
Taking Back Sunday
Good enough album here, but is noticeably front loaded. The first half goes pretty hard, but then is brought down by a bit of filler towards the end. The hits here are pop punk classics though, and even average TBS songs are better than most in the genre. Favorite Tracks: - Set Phasers to Stun - Bonus Mosh Pt II - A Decade Under The Influence - This Photograph Is Proof - The Union - Slowdance On The Inside
Iggy Pop
An okay album, that is missing the raw punk sound of Pop's earlier releases. Also a few too many references to young girls littered throughout. Favourite Tracks: - Lust For Life - The Passenger - Neighborhood Threat - Fall In Love With Me
Green Day
A pop punk classic, but looking back this album is very front-loaded. The hits are great as are some of the b-sides, but there is some forgettable moments on the back half of this. Still, a fun listen and likely Green Days peak. Favourite Tracks: - American Idiot - Jesus of Suburbia - Holiday / Boulevard of Broken Dreams - Give Me Novacaine / She's A Rebel - Letterbomb - Wake Me Up When September Ends
Sepultura
Killer album with some great thrash/groove tunes on here. Sepulturas best sound is on this album in my opinion, with Max sounding better than ever, great riffs and crushing breakdowns. Favourite Tracks: - Refuse/Resist - Territory - Slave New World - Propaganda - Nomad - Manifest - Clenched Fist
Black Sabbath
Another collection of stellar songs here, as Sabbath fine tune their sound a bit and adds some polish. The result is some of their most popular songs, and some of my personal favorites. Great stuff. Favourite Tracks: - War Pigs - Paranoid - Planet Caravan - Iron Man - Electric Funeral - Hand Of Doom
Black Sabbath
This album rips, may end up becoming a 10/10 for me in retrospect. Heavy, groovy and I'm sure groundbreaking at the time. Favourite Tracks: - Black Sabbath - The Wizard - Behind The Wall Of Sleep - N.I.B - Evil Woman, Don't Play Your Games With Me - Warning
JAY-Z
Never been the biggest Jay-Z fan, but this one was pretty good. Sill some corny and awkward lines scattered throughout ("what's better than one billionaire? Two" 🤮), but there's also some great introspective songs on here that makes it worth a listen. Favourite Tracks: - Kill Jay Z - The Story of O.J. - Caught Their Eyes - 4:44 - Legacy