andconham's Diary

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 ex…

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

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…

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 H…

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. Favo…

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 T…

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

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…

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 Stra…

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 -…

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

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 - Min…

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 M…

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 - Creatur…

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 - D…

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…

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…

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 - Bo…

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

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 / Bou…

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

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 Doo…

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

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…