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

I wasn't very happy with The Logic of Chance, in fact I think it's pretty safe to say that that is the most I've been disappointed by a sophomore album in my entire life. Such a great debut that caught some unnecessarily harsh critique let down by that thing...

I've been rediscovering some untouched genres so I've been shifting around choices, weighing out albums, and just generally being a lazy fuckwit, that's why there hasn't been an update in awhile. I will try and get something up by the end of the week though.
 
Hell yeah, another 100 albums thread- been wanting you to do one of these for a while mr.pete. I'm pretty sure you'll complete it too as you usually stick to your threaRAB, so I'll be checking on this every time I log on... hope I find something new. Good first choice by the way, does the list go in any order?
 
86. Sigh - Imaginary Sonicscape (2001)
Genre: Avant Garde Metal/ Black Metal/ Symphonic/ Progressive Metal

sigh-imaginarysonicscapes.jpg


Corpsecry - Angelfall
Scarlet Dream"
Nietzschean Conspiracy
A Sunset Song"
Impromptu (Allegro Maestoso)
Dreamsphere (Return to the Chaos)
Ecstatic Transformation
Slaughtergarden Suite
Bring Back the Dead
Requiem - Nostalgia

​

To most people, black metal is a product of the Scandinavian countries (Norway in particular) that has a controversial history and is esoteric to the extreme. It's a genre that is clouded in arson, anthropic/ anti religious lyrics, murders, and national socialist undertones made infamous by a small group of loud dickheaRAB. Those reasons are enough to turn off most people from the genre, but in doing so they miss out on an incredibly atmospheric and intense style of music. The next two reviews are for two albums in particular that have done the best to show just how versatile and amazing this genre can be when done properly.

First up is the 2001 epic masterpiece Imaginary Sonicscape by Japanese metal band Sigh. Japanese metal isn't very well known outside of Japan, the only other band that I can even name is Japan X and I do so with great disdain. ANYWAYS Sigh is a band that has been around for 20 years now and has been continually experimenting with their sounRAB, trying to create new styles and sounRAB. Imaginary Sonicscape was their first real success in doing so, but it wasn't their first attempt. Since 1997's Hail Horror Hail they had been experimenting with new things, moving away from their black metal roots, but Imaginary Sonicscape was where they really hit their stride.

The only thing black metal about the album is really the vocal style, and even then it sounRAB nothing like more of the "true" black metal music from places like Norway. The drumming is not particularly black metalish, meaning there's no extended blast beats or high snare pounding, yet everything is pieced together nicely. I don't know if band went in expecting the album to sound like this and just adjusted accordingly, but whatever the reason is they readjusted their sound accordingly.

With all the differing sound styles present on the album it is easy to look at it as some kind of patchwork monster, and thus it being this ugly monstrosity. This is one of the ONLY times when I think all the music shifts work better than just sticking to one style. There's only a few select artists out that I would see take on such a task and not fuck it up, and Sigh are one of them. At any moment one song could be a heavy set with the harsh vocals, then all of a sudden there's a soothing orchestral section, or some kind of weird synthesized sound, and then some kind of corny guitar solo you would expect off a Guns 'N Roses album, oh and then just for shits and giggles they'll throw in some operatic male vocals along with a folky recorder. Yeah the album is that over the place.

This is easily the best starting point for beginners to Sigh and I would even venture a great entry point for newbies to extreme metal. The vocals are harsh, but not as harsh as banRAB like Nile so they don't immediately deter neonates to extreme metal. An astonishingly amazing album from a country I would not expect such an album to come from and single handedly proves that you don't need to be Scandinavian to make good metal.

(Shamelessly stolen from gunnels): It's like a raging, sweaty disco was sucked into hell, drugged, and sent back into the world.




[YOUTUBE][/YOUTUBE]
[YOUTUBE][/YOUTUBE]
 
I tried The Tea Party's album Splendor Solis sometime last year and couldn't get into it. I thought the instrumentals were good enough, but didn't like the singer's style at all. It's like a mix of Live's singer (can't stand them) and Jim Morrison.
 
Fck yes. :love:
Imaginary Sonicscape was my first BM album, and still is the best I've heard so far. It's like a raging, sweaty disco was sucked into hell, drugged, and sent back into the world.
 
Splendor Solis was certainly one of their weaker CD's. I would recommend giving Transmission a try if you can get past Jeff Martin's voice you may just enjoy it. Again though, this isn't a "101 Best albums in the world", just "101 albums that I like and so might you".
 
Brad Sucks, you said you felt like it offered something different, where as you may assume it's just a regular Indie band because of the band name/album art, I'm afraid I have to disagree with you there. I didn't like it, I just thought it was similar to most other Indie banRAB I've heard. I've liked the majority of what you've written thus far though, I'll look forward to your next entry :thurab:
 
Yeah they were my beach music for one summer. They put out an album last year entitled 11:11 which was all original material and just as catchy as their self titled one.

I will resume this after next week when my finals are completed and I have a spare moment to write and sit down to critically analyze the albums I post.
 
It's ranked, not very well and I'm sure I'll be mixing up the list quite a bit as I move down it, but for right now consider this a "101 albums I'd like to have with me on a desert island" list.
 
The Tea Party sounded like they might be worth a download, wasn't too fussed on your first choice. Still, pretty stoked to see the rest of your list, i've quite enjoyed a lot of the music you've recommended on this site and the blogs in your sig... assuming they're your blogs.
 
85. Dimmu Borgir - Death Cult Armageddon (2003)
Genre: Symphonic Black Metal

Dimmuborgir_deathcultarmageddon.jpg


01. Allegiance
02. Progenies of the Great Apocalypse
03. Lepers Among Us
04. Vredesbyrd
05. For the Word To Dictate Our Death
06. Blood Hunger Doctrine
07. Allehelgens D​
 
I can't tell you how much I appreciated the Rodrigo y Gabriela review. I watched the youtube video of them playing "Tamacun" and I immediately downloaded the album. After listening to it today, I'm just completely amazed with the talent they have and how their music never really has any dull or uninteresting moments. You mentioned their album 11:11, is there anything else you recommend from them?
 
**** yeah i love Future Perfect! The album flows so well, it's an album that i can listen to all the way through with joy. My favourite track is probably the last track Capital Kind Of Strain, i love the mellow, sleepy sound to it and when it stops and punches in loud at the end. The perfect way to end the album.

It's a pity their new album is being delayed due to label problems, it's been a real long time coming. But hopefully it'll be worth the wait.
 
84. Death From Above 1979 - You're A Woman, I'm a Machine (2004)
Genre: Dance Punk

yourea300.jpg


Turn It Out
Romantic Rights
Going Steady
Go Home, Get Down
Blood on Our HanRAB
Black History Month
Little Girl
Cold War
You're a Woman, I'm a Machine
Pull Out
Sexy Results

​

Well I think it's time to depart the metal train to painsville for a little bit and explore the other genres I've learned to accept and to some extent actually enjoy over the years. Punk and I have always had a turbulent relationship, on some days it treats me right with warm and loving coos while gently massaging my temples and on other days it takes a steak tenderizer to my ass. While I've never had much of a problem with the music, the fanbase it has spawned has always annoyed me to some extent because they remind me of metalheaRAB, yet they haven't come to terms with their inherent geekiness, and continue to try best each other. Not only that but the hypocrisy I found in their ideals was more than enough to turn me off, however unwilling to turn my back on an entire genre because of a bunch of cu*ts I secretly went back... under the cloak of darkness.

Death From Above 1979 was a band I got into solely for a girl at high school I fancied during my sophomore year. She was one of those rare hot punk girls that everyone drooled over. Punks, emos, jocks, nerRAB, metalheaRAB, it didn't matter whether you were lawful good or chaotic evil, she was the girl you wanted to fu*k. Unfortunately she knew this and played us all, however in my time being played I did learn a few good banRAB, and DFA1979 was one of those banRAB. I saw she was wearing a pin of their only album and immediately went out and bought it, listened to it, and memorized as much trivia as I could for talking points the next time I would be her little ego boost amusement toy. Normally I'd never say or think this, but this was one of those rare occasions where peer pressure may have actually been a good thing.

You're A Woman, I'm A Machine is very different from any of the other punk albums I ever listened to. By the time I got it I was well versed with The Clash, Sex Pistols, Richard Hell, and Stiff Little Fingers, but nothing could prepare me for the kind of fuzzy electro sounding garage punk that made me want to shake my booty. Coupled with the aggressive and often intelligible vocal delivery of punk, You're A Woman, I'm A Machine surpassed all previous expectations of punk music.

The music unique aspect of the band was that they scoffed the traditional aspects of punk in favor of simplicity through using only two instruments, drum and bass (with the odd synthesizer). Not only that but drummer Sebastien Grainger took up vocal duties, one of the few drummers I can name that has actually done both drums and vocals. The exclusion of more spotlight stealing instruments (ahem, guitars) allowed the band to focus on creating a fast and fun rhythm, which made the sound fun to manipulate. I use to remeraber going to a school dance and trying to get the local DJ to play "Romantic Rights" to no avail.

That said though the album isn't perfect (if it was it would be nuraber 1 wouldn't it?) and as innovating and unique the sound is, problems are present on the album. Minus a few really good songs, the rest just feel like filler or unfinished. Specifically "Cold War" and "Pull Out" which just end a little abruptly for my liking. The titular song "You're A Woman, I'm a Machine" and "Little Girl" just kind of meander around, going nowhere and really adding anything to the album as a whole. I use to always skip over the fourth track "Get Home, Get Down" because it just sound bad, even now I cringe slightly when it comes on. After you take away those songs all you're left with is 6 songs from an 11 song album, which makes me feel like the album would be stronger as an EP. Even though there's a lack of songs that really grabbed me, none of the songs are bad enough to really skip (except "Get Home, Get Down") and most of them are short so they feel more like a minor inconvenience than an actual nuisance.

All in all You're a Woman, I'm a Machine opened up my eyes to the fact that there can be more than the traditional style to punk music. That punk can be more than talking about societies ills (often poorly) and can be turned into a rhythm based fun music that can get your body swaying. It's just a shame the band pretty much folded a year after the album was released because I feel like they could have added more to this style of music. So if you're after something different, yet slightly familiar then I would highly recommend this album.

[YOUTUBE][/YOUTUBE]
[YOUTUBE][/YOUTUBE]
 
Back
Top