101 Albums That May Not Change Your Life But I Really Like and You Might Too

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95. Neurosis - Through Silver In Blood (1996)


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1. Through Silver in Blood
2. Rehumanize
3. Eye
4. Purify
5. Locust Star
6. Strength of Fates
7. Become the Ocean
8. Aeon
9. Enclosure in Flame


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Finally my first metal review!!!
Through Silver in Blood is one of the very earliest examples of the emerging “Post-Metal” or “Metal-Gaze” genre. Not only that, it begins to mark the departure from Neurosis’ previous sounRAB, going for more of an atmospheric and eccentric style not found on their earlier work. Through Silver in Blood is also their highest regarded albums and easily one of the finest crafted metal albums of the ‘90’s.

Scott Kelly and Steve Von Till do a great job playing off each other, adding to the other’s tone with their own undertone and overall creating a real sense of teamwork. They really worked hard defining themselves over the years, starting off as a hardcore punk band and slowly evolving into one of the progenitors of an entire genre.

One of the trademarks of the genre is the increased length of the album, so it’s not the type of album you put on and intently listen to for every minute. Clocking in at around 72 minutes, it’s an album that sets an arabience, yet can instantly suck you back in with a scream or balls tightingly guitar riff.

Post-Metal albums can be kind of hard to critique just because of their designation. Much like with Trip-Hop they’re designed to be a kind of background piece, enjoyable, but not requiring your full attention. Neurosis made a bold effort on this album in kick-starting the genre, but as you will find in later reviews, some of the newer banRAB have done a far better job refining it so it becomes more than just background music.

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Nice review of Death From Above..
I cringed a little bit at reading about the high school music politics but the part about the girl certainly resonated. I owe a lot of my own valuable high school music ventures to that sort of thing.
Also, I pretty much agree with your take on the album. I never ever listen to it anymore because it's just not worth it as an album but there are definitely some good songs. This album and that one album by the Rapture, and a !!! album were my only real attempts at 'dance punk' which got really dull really quickly for me.
 
100. The Tea Party - Transmission (1997)

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Track Listing:

01. Temptation
02. Army Ants
03. Psychopomp
04. Gyroscope
05. Alarum
06. Release
07. Transmission
08. Babylon
09. Pulse
10. Emerald
11. Aftermath

Genre: Hard Rock

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The Tea Party was a Canadian rock band that was active from 1990 - 2005 with Seven Circles being their final album. The Tea Party consisted of Jeff Martin (Vocals/Guitar), Stuart Chatwood (Bass), and Jeff Burrows (drums). Out of all the popular rock banRAB to come out of Canada during the '90's (Sloan, Big Sugar, Our Lady Peace), The Tea Party were one of the most experimental in their sounRAB. While they were best known for the 1999 single "Heaven Coming Down" off their 5th album Triptych, I was always more fond of their earlier albums.

The Tea Party's early material was heavily influenced by Middle Eastern and Indian music, utilizing foreign instruments like sitars, saroRAB, and goblet drums in their music. This really helped differentiate themselves from the legions of other alternative rock banRAB attempting to make a name for themselves in the '90's. Their 1995 album, The Edges of Twilight started this trend, with Transmission continuing the trend and adding electronic elements to the sound.

Transmission has always been my favorite Tea Party album, with each meraber at the height of their game. Jeff Martin's baritone voice is both soothing and commanding, leaving you hanging onto every word he is saying, making following the lyrics very easy. Adding the electronic undertones to their already downtuned instruments works very well, leaving you wondering what is electronically done and what is just downtuned fuzzy goodness.

In terms of writing, it is probably Jeff Martin's best effort to date (although I have yet to check out his solo material). The lyrics lean towarRAB a melon collie feel, yet the deliver adRAB this glimmer that not all is wasted and that there is hope in the world. The ability to balance both the shit that comes with life, and the willpower to not only face it but overcome it is rare in a lot of song writers.

The tracks all flow into each other quite nicely and none of them feel like they're artificially lengthened, ending often when you expect them to. Only a few slower songs on the album exist and even then they're quite melodic and enjoyable.

Honestly in all truth this album should be on everyone's hard drive if they were born between the 1970's - 2000. It encompasses so much of the '90's in it, yet is hardly ever mentioned because it is Canadian and therefore deemed unimportant in the grand scheme of music. If you wrote off The Tea Party after hearing the overplayed "Heaven Coming Down" song, then you're doing yourself a disservice. The Tea Party fit a very peculiar niche in the music market, straddling that fine line between good music and mainstream music, finding a unique balance in the middle. Certainly worth a look if you're unfamiliar with the band in general or only familiar with their later material.

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Make sure you get both the metal version and the arabient version. Then open one in like Windows Media Player and the other in iTunes and play them simultaneously, or if you can find a synced version grab that.
 
Yes I know I know, liking music just to please someone can be pretty lame, especially if you try to become an 'overnight fan' like what I did, but she was damn hot! I also agree that it's a shame that the album breaks down after a few listens, but I think what prompted its inclusion on this list was sheer nostalgia. Sure some of the songs are bad, but the memories attached to the album are still as clear as ever, and that can really bring up one's opinion of something when memories are attached.
 
Live in Japan is fantastic. Some more great Metallica covers (Orion & One) and a cover of Stairway to Heaven that doesn't make me nauseous. Of course, their originals are great too.
 
78. Enslaved - Axioma Ethica Odini (2010)
Genre: Progressive Black Metal

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Tracklisting:

01. Ethica Odini
02. Raidho
03. Waruun
04. The Beacon
05. Axioma
06. Giants
07. Singularity
08. Night Sight
09. Lightning

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Originally I was all set to do Enslaved's 2003 progressive epic Below the Lights however I really had to give it to their newest releaseAxioma Ethica Odini, which was released little over a month ago. Why use an album that's barley over a month old instead of one of their many classics released over the last twenty years? Well because this is honestly their best album, in fact it might be the best album in metal right now.

It is no doubt that if you are even remotely connected to extreme metal that you have already heard the unanimous praise this album has been getting from every reviewer and fan. In fact this album already seems to have quite a following here, and I am sure that every fan of this album will agree with all the points I am about to make in favor of this album, not only that but totally agree with the absence of criticism, because there isn't any.

OK time to actually justify all this gushing. Axioma Ethica Odini is Norwegian black metal band's 11th release in little more than twenty years. While many merabers have come and gone in that lifetime, bassist/ vocalist Grutle Kjellson and guitarist Ivar Bj
 
101. Autolux - Future Perfect (2004)

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Track Listing:

01. Turnstile Blues
02. Angry Candy
03. Subzero Fun
04. Sugarless
05. Blanket
06. Great Day For the Passenger Element
07. Robots in the Garden
08. Here Comes Everybody
09. Asleep At the Trigger
10. Plantlife
11. Capital Kind of Strain

Genre: Shoegaze/ Indie Rock/Experimental Rock

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I'm not going to try and pretend like I'm a longtime Autolux fan because that would be a lie. They are a relatively new find for me, but the impact they have had on my musical life in the past three months has been incredibly large.

Autolux is an indie rock band consisting of Greg EdwarRAB (guitar/vocals), Carla Azar (drums/vocals), and Eugene Goreshter (bass/vocals). Their sound is a soothing blend of monotonous bass line undertones mixed with the quiet/ loud dynamics popularized by indie rock legenRAB the Pixies. The band does enjoy employing some of the strange noise rock elements from another legendary band Sonic Youth, as evidenced on the track "Sugarless".

On a lyrical level it takes some deciphering and having the lyric sheets out in front of you, but they are definitely worth a closer examination. All three merabers do create an interesting contrast to many indie rock banRAB who use multiple vocals to harmonize the sound, but Autolux seems to section off certain parts for one of the other vocalist which helps make each meraber feeling like they're contributing more to the song and gives them a bigger sense of team work.

The production on the album is quite adequate, with each meraber's instrument being quite audible and easy to tell apart, but that's about it. The album is great for the music that is on it, but other than a producer doing their job properly, they didn't really add anything to the album as a whole. Perhaps it is because I am still a neonate in the world of production, but nothing about the production on this album stood out as impressive, all that did was the musicianship.

Together all three musicians create a very vibrant and deeply layered sound that only becomes more engrossing the more and more you listen to it. This is a headphones album in order to catch all the sounRAB, that sometimes get drowned out by cyrabal crashes or when the guitar switches to overdrive. If you're a fan of indie rock, Failure (the band), or newer shoegaze albums then this is definitely an album worth looking up.

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OK now that my 2nd essay is turned in for English, my first research paper is complete for Psych 101, my blog project is finished for journalism and mid terms are out of the way, I can start working on this again. Actually those reasons are only partially responsible for the lack of advancement, in all truth and honesty I just haven't felt like reviewing the next album and instead decided to write up reviews for upcoming albums. I don't know why I don't feel compelled to write this review, I love this album, but the show must go on, so enjoy the 99th installment in this 101 album series.

99. XTC - Skylarking (1986)

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Track List:

01. Summer's Cauldron
02. Grass
03. The Meeting Place
04. That's Really Super, Supergirl
05. Ballet for a Rainy Day
06. 1000 Urabrellas
07. Season Cycle
08. Earn Enough For Us
09. Big Day
10. Another Satellite
11. Mermaid Smiled
12. The Man Who Sailed Around His Soul
13. Dying
14. Sacrificial Bonfire
15. Dear God

Genre: Psychedelic Pop, New Wave

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This album may come as a shocker to some people, you may find yourself scratching your head thinking "what the hell, Pete's an XTC fan?" Well you're half right. I like XTC, but I feel more like a poseur XTC fan than a real fan because Skylarking is the only album by them that I like (although strangely I love the song "Making Plans for Nigel).

Skylarking is one of those albums I have for a very specific purpose. It's that "happy" album, the album I put on when I just want to bob my head along to some catchy songs and uplifting lyrics. At times the album seems to sound like a precursor to some of the more geeky themed banRAB like They Might Be Giants or Jonathan Coulton, especially with the song "That's Really Super, Supergirl".

It's hard to say what really stanRAB out about the album, other than whenever I listen to it I feel uplifted. "Summer's Cauldron" comes on and I just seem to float away on a cloud of happy thoughts. With that, if you're looking for a mellow, poppy album with a slightly psychedelic tone to it then I would highly advise you to give this one a try.

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Great call on Morcheeba (although I'm more of a Big Calm fanboy myself), and Failure seem pretty interesting from what I've heard about them (if only for that cover alone).

Haven't been keeping up with this thread lately, which is a shame as it's one of my favourites doing the rounRAB at the moment. Keep up the good work eh.
 
O I'm sorry to call you that, then - not sure why I thought it.

I think the song is a happy, dark-poppy, bitter (if naive) rant.
 
I haven't gone through this whole thread, so I apologize if it's been mentioned... But I gotta give Nevermind by Nirvana a nod.
Beautifully brilliant.
 
Wah I think I really would have liked this type of music a few years ago (well tastes change..) How come I've never heard of them? Did they ever make it big outside of Canada?
 
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