andconham's Diary

This is pretty good pop rock. I think with time if Sombr can expand on this sound a vary it up a bit, we might have a great artist emerging. As it is, it's catchy and vibey, with easy relatable lyrics. Favourite Tracks: - 12 for 12 - i wish I knew how to quit you - back to friends - undressed

Orchestral renditions of what is pretty much Metallica's greatest hits. It works quite well for the most part, giving a lot of songs an epic feeling. I think some renditions don't quite hit the mark (Sad But True, Hero of the Day), but some really hit it, particularly on the first disc. I do find Hetfields vocals a bit wearing as the album goes on though, as he was at the peak of doing weird voice inflections at this time. Favourite Tracks: - The Call of Ktulu - Master of Puppets - No Leaf Clover - Devils Dance - Battery

I think Morrissey borders on self parody here, but it works for the most part. Instrumentally this album is great, and I do enjoy Morrissey brand of crooning. It's a bit hard to take stuff like 'Meat Is Murder' seriously though. Favourite Tracks: - The Headmaster Ritual - I Want the One I Can't Have - Nowhere Fast - Well I Wonder - Barbarianism Begins At Home

A good debut for this legendary band. There's hints of their defining sound in here, albeit with a rougher mix than later releases. There's a bit of a dip in quality during the middle section, particularly the Foxey Lady cover, but for the most part this album is a successful debut. Favourite Tracks: - 10:15 Saturday Night - Another Day - Fire In Cairo - It's Not You - Three Imaginary Boys

Chino's side project at times feels like toothless Deftones, but mostly it creates a good vibe throughout. Some great production here, that pairs well with Chino's vocals to create some great soundscapes. Favourite Tracks: - Bitches Brew - The Epilogue - Nineteen Ninety Four - Option

A7X goes big on this album, with the scope being larger than their previous album. It doesn't all land for me, with the back end of the album dragging a little. When they keep it simple, the album works much better. The singles are all great, anthemic rock tunes that were staples of my teen years. Favourite Tracks: - Beast and the Harlot - Burn It Down - Bat Country - Seize the Day

Great production throughout this album. Vince flows over these live music inspired beats well, and the lyricism is mostly good too. Score will likely go up with further listens. Favourite Tracks: - Blackberry Marmalade - White Flag - Big Bad Wolf - Cotton

Pretty good Metalcore album here, with a bit more nuance and variety than their contemporaries. The transitions between songs are seamless, and flow and pacing of the songs themselves is great. Rating mat increase with further listens. Favourite Tracks: - Nurture - The Haze - Coven - Where We Go When We Die

A pretty fun psychedelic rap album. Bronson laid back delivery flows well over these unique beats. His lyrics are goofy and charming as ever, and there's some pretty good features throughout too. Favourite Tracks: - OLYMPIC VINCE CARTER - TRICERATOPS - PEPPERS - MANDEM

Recorded in the mid 70s and kept on the bench until 2009, this Punk album was ahead of its time and completely unnoticed for too long. It's not perfect, but it's shows great potential for a band that never got a chance to reach it. Favourite Tracks : - Keep On Knocking - Rock-n-Roll Victim - You're A Prisoner - Politicians In My Eyes

Sweet and sad indie folk, that is a little overlong but easy to listen to. It's pretty minimal in it's sound, with most tracks having plenty of breathing room which is nice. First half is definitely the stronger half. Favourite Tracks: - Black Crow - For You - Big Jet Plane - Santa Monica Dream - Yellow Brick Road - I'm Not Yours

It's a relatively 'safe' offering, when compared to his previous 3 albums. It almost works as a reset after the scope of Pure Comedy, and I think it works. The album breezes by with the smooth songwriting and introspective lyricism that you expect. Favourite Tracks: - Mr. Tillman - Date Night - Please Don't Die - God's Favourite Customer - We're Only People

Some easy breezy listening throughout this duet album from Finneas and Ashe. The songwriting is great, and instrumentally it's pretty tight. Not every song clicked for me, but it's definitely worth a listen. Favourite Tracks: - The Little Mess You Made - The Hudson - Necessary Evils - Someday I'll Be Back in Hollywood

Some silly, fun Thrash/Punk that doesn't really take itself too seriously. They're all about the party here, and they don't waste any time. It's a little one-note, but brief enough so it's not really an issue. Favourite Tracks: - The Art of Partying - Mental Shock - Lunch Hall Food Brawl - Chemically Altered - Rigorous Vengeance

A decent pop punk album. Nothing you must go our of your way to hear, but if you're a fan of the genre then it's worth a listen. Some good angst, catchy in parts. Also a bit plain in parts, with some Tracks struggling to stando out. Favourite Tracks: - Missingno - For Those Who Come After - Floarama Town - Deviancy

This album was recorded in a day with no budget and it shows. Everything is a little muddy, and Lemmy's voice is a bit buried. It's almost part of the charm though, as this album still rips through its short run time. Sitting somewhere between punk and heavy metal, this album set a great foundation for future Motorhead releases. Favourite Tracks: - Motorhead - Iron Horse - White Line Fever - Keep Us on the Road - The Watcher

A great debut here from Cypress Hill. The Cypress formula still hasn't really been matched, and they still sound one-of-one to this day. They would improve on this in their next album, but this was a good starter and sign of things to come. Favourite Tracks: - How I Could Just Kill a Man - Hand on the Pump - Real Estate - Latin Lingo

I'll be honest, I didn't expect much out of a Social Distortion album in 2026. But this is pretty good! They still have the energy, and this album fits right in with their 90s releases for me. Doesn't really have anything new to say, but it invokes nostalgiac feeling from their heyday. Favourite Tracks: - Born to Kill - Tonight - Wicked Game - Walk Away

Fun pop rock, that forces a good mood while listening. It's all groovy, danceable, and a good time. Debbie Harry is an incredible front woman, and its easy to see how Blondie have endured so long. May grow to appreciate this one more over time. Favourite Tracks: - Hanging on the Telephone - One Way or Another - Fade Away and Radiate - 11:59 - Heart of Glass - Just Go Away - Bang a Gong (remastered album)

Unfortunately peaks with the very first song, but there's still plenty to like about the rest of the album. It's a bit of a mash of styles ranging from Thrash and Nu Metal, to more South American traditional sounding music that I'm too uncultured to name. It works well for the most part, the the final 3 songs feel like they belong to a different album. Favourite Tracks: - Prophecy - Living Sacrifice - Mars - In The Meantime

Fun, tongue-in-cheek punk rock that is made to be enjoyed live. Saw them open for Tuenstile a couple of years ago and they were great! Here we have a quick collection of tunes with good energy, and pretty funny lyricism. Favourite Tracks: - 40 Riddiford Street - Bathsalts - 1 Outs Captain Cook - Pray for Prey

Another fun punk album from Rancid here. The Ska influence keeps this bouncy, and there's some pretty catchy tunes. Some filler is present, but nothing outright bad. Favourite Tracks: - Fall Back Down - Red Hit Moon - Out of Control - Back Up Against the Wall

Had no idea these guys had been around since 2010. This is a good taster of things to come for Kublai Khan, with the signature slamming riffs and raw vocal stull pummeling for it's short run time. Favourite Tracks: - Colour Code - Teeth - Retention

Great punk album that hits a little closer tho the Gardore end of the spectrum. Instrumentally it's raw, and the in-your-face vocals are great. Easy add to my rotation. Favourite Tracks: - Fuck The Border - Back To The Motor League - Ladies Nite In Loserville - Purina Hall Of Fame

Starts quite strong, but fizzles a little towards the end. Still, pretty good 2000s pop punk here if that's what you're in the mood for. Nothing groundbreaking, but follows the formula quite well. Favourite Tracks: - Understatement - My Friends Over You - Head On Collision - It's Been A Summer - Forget My Name

A pretty good return from Killswitch. Howard leaving likely would have killed any other band, but the boys persevered with original vocalist Jesse Leech. The riffs are strong as ever, and get the head bobbing throughout. Some of the lyrics are a bit melodramatic and cliche, but the delivery is strong. Favourite Tracks: - The New Awakening - In Due Time - Turning Point - No End In Sight

A great singer-songwriter effort from Zach here, that is a bit more stripped back than much of his later albums. This album is all about the song writing, with most of these songs being relatable stories played out with minimal frills. Favourite Tracks: - Come As You Are - Heading South - Mine - Loom - Revival

Not my favourite Smiths album, even so this is still a great album and I understand the classic status. There's a couple tracks I'm not fond of, (Vicar, and Some Girls) but for the most part this is The Smiths operating ahead of their time and mostly delivering the croony, depressing goods. Favourite Tracks: - I Know It's Over - Bigmouth Strikes Again - The Boy With The Thorn In His Side - There Is A Light That Never Goes Out

Solid pop punk throwback. This album feels like a bit of a time capsule, with a good sound and vibe. All songs here are at least decent, with a few standouts. Favorite Tracks: - You Know How I Do - Cute Without The 'E - There's No 'I' In Team - Ghost Man On Third - You're So Last Summer*

Hits every pop punk cliche, but it's still catchy and enjoyable. Would put it in the upper tier of modern pop punk releases I have heard so far. Poppy guitars, melodramatic vocals, and catchy hooks throughout keep this humming along. Favourite Tracks: - The Grand Delusion - In Bloom - Wish You Were Here - Heavy Lies

Another set of great tracks from Hot Mulligan here. Sways between Pop Punk and Hardcore so effortlessly and results in an album that's both catchy and abrasive. These guys are gast becoming my favourite modern emo band. Favourite Tracks: - It's a Family Movie She Hates Her Dad - This Song Is Called It's Called What It's Called - Christ Alive my Toe Dammit Hurts - Shhh Golf Is On - Smahccked My Head Awf

Great dark, cold rap performances here over great production. The grimy feel comes across well, and there's great features throughout. Only gripe is a lack of variety between songs, as it does begin to blend together a bit. Favourite Tracks: - Trump - Die on Xmas - Xxxtras - Bullet Club

Some good singer-songrwriter country tunes here. As with his previous album, I still think he needs to trim the fat and make these albums a bit leaner. As it is, there is some filler still. There is plenty to like here though, and he remains a rising artist to look out for. Favourite Tracks: - Morning Comes - Me Neither - Message To You - Come On Over, Baby - Good Morning Paris

Pretty good debut RnB album here. He's released plenty of singles before this, but it's his first full length so technically a debut. I think he still hasn't quite found his groove yet but the potential is there. Definitely worth a listen if you enjoy RnB or neo soul. Favourite Tracks: - Again - My Loss - Higher

A fun mash up of genres, with songwriting that seems to give a snapshot into the lives of these guys. The lyrics alternate between cheeky and earnest, but always seem sincere. Pretty fun album, with a unique sound. Favourite Tracks: - Proper Stuff - The Drive - Waiting - Kiss The Sky

A great collaborative effort that was a teaser of better things to come from Killer Mike and El-P. The production is great throughout, with banging beats that were pretty forward thinking at the time. Mike's southern flow over these beats hits hard as ever. Favourite Tracks: - Run The Jewels - Banana Clipper - Job Well Done - A Christmas Fucking Miracle

Didn't quite click on first listen, but grew on me the second time around. The production is top notch as always, but the song writing isn't 100% there for me. Still, Blake's voice is nice as ever, there's a couple of decent features here, and the spacey futuristic beats sound great. Favourite Tracks: - Trying Times - Make Something Up - Doesn't Just Happen

Great prog death metal here. For the most part it's an assault of riffs and breakdowns, and this helps the moments of levity stand out. It manages to be catchy in places, despite how heavy and raw it is. The songwriting and lyricism is great here as well. Not sure it needed to be as long as it is, as some moments linger a bit too long though. Favourite Tracks: - Ocean Planet - From The Sky - Heaviest Matter of the Universe - Flying Whales - In The Wilderness

Some nice chill music for a Friday morning. I enjoyed this one though it could stand to be trimmed a bit, for a less meandering listen at times. Favorite Tracks: - The Great American Bar Scene - 28* - Oak Island - Like Ida - Better Days - Pink Skies

Zack and co look and sound like they're having a blast on here, and that feeling translates to a fun listen. It's not an essential live album for me personally, but if you're at all a fan of Bryan's music it is definitely worth a listen.

A good collection of New Wave influenced Industrial Techno. Gesaffelstein retains his dark brand of techno, but tightens everything up and gets to the point with shorter, catchier tunes. As a full album it does feel a bit undercooked though, will have to see how it sounds within the context of the live album. Favourite Tracks: - Hard Dreams - Your Share of the Night - The Urge - The Perfect

A great genre clash here combining country, bluegrass, rock, and Rick Ruben's signature production for a more adventurous take on southern music. A lot of it is tounge-in-cheek but there's sincerity here too, and Childers continues to pull out in front of his contemporaries. Favourite Tracks: - Oneida - Nose on the Grindstone - Poachers - Tirtha Yatra

Some pretty good posse cuts here from denzel and the gang. A short run of bangers that mostly leaves me wanting more. There's a good list of features here from some familiar faces, and others I had never heard before. I do wish there was some more back and forth between artists though. I also found most of the hooks to be pretty weak. But for the most part these are all bops and enjoyable to listen too, just not sure of the staying power. Favourite Tracks: - Lit Effect - Phony - Up

My first dip into Charli's discography here. Not sure how it fits within the context of the film, or how it compares to her official releases. Alone it is decent though, with good vocals, catchy songs, and great production with quality sound design. There's some good peaks here, but not every song manages to stand out. The brief runtime prevents anything outstaying it's welcome though. Favourite Tracks: - Dying For You - Chains Of Love - Alters - My Reminder

Proto-modern metalcore here, these guys come through with a sound that must've been an influence for many modern metalcore bands today. The glitchy riffs are great, and the breakdowns kick ass. The lyrics are a bit too edgy for my taste, but the delivery is great. Favourite Tracks: - Hypocrisy - Dead Soul - A Song for the Nameless - Snake Eyes - Three Cheers - Death

Classic hardcore here. By today's standards it is a bit by-the-numbers, but the simplicity isn't necessarily a bad thing. It's a short barrage of great, straightforward punk tunes, and sometimes that's all you need. Favourite Tracks: - Wrecking Crew - LA Girl - Kids of the Black Hole - Amoeba - Rip It Up - Welcome To Reality

30 Albums Before Electric Avenue 2026 - Reviewing the albums of artists on the line up. (28/30) Another solid DnB offering from Pendulum here, with plenty of highlights throughout its slightly overlong run time. Most tracks are worth a listen and the peaks are great. Can't wait to hear them pump some of these tracks out live with the full band! Favourite Tracks: - Through The Loop - Tarantula - Hold Your Colour - The Terminal - Blood Sugar