Reviews by h3lios

I would vibe with this more if it had more bass and if I didn't get a 2 hour orchestral metal album last week.

Never listened to Tom Petty before. This debut is short and sweet rock n' roll. The songs seem like they were made to be singles on the radio. It was a nice listen, but the execution is just not my style. (3-3.5)

Okkkk we got some classic rock. GNR definitely followed/updated the glam metal/rock template to a T. Probably a bit too much because they all sound the same. I think there's a reason why the two songs here are overplayed.

Out of all the grunge albums I've listened to so far, "Dirt" resembles more heavy metal from the decade before it. Where "Superunknown" was hard rock and "Nevermind/In Utero" were (noise)-punk, Alice in Chains went down a different path.

Probably not in the right headspace to listen to this right now. Even if I were having a bad day this wouldn't be the first thing I'd put on.

This record made me understand how soul is the "secular" form of gospel music. The songs are slower than "Lady Soul" which lets Aretha's emotive signing shine through.

Is this gonna punish me?? I've heard how boring it is by a lot of the reviewers here.

Actually, this sounds more like a musical. It cycles between relaxing and unnecessarily operatic. That last song though just solidifies this album as a bit too “much” 😭 (2.5-3).

It's not trip hop/downtempo per se but "Vanishing Point" comes close to it. First 20-30 minutes seem uninspired and lacking "kick", like paint that's dissolved in the water of alternative dance/rock. "Medication" and "Motorhead" were nice changes of pace though.

Video game boss music (complimentary).

Weirdly enough, this is my first exposure to Metallica. Don't know much other than their name and status as a legendary metal band. I've been getting a lot of "heavy" albums recently, that I'm starting to wonder if I've developed a tolerance to it. 2 hours of symphonic metal is just too much for my brain. (3.5)

Resembles a bit of Neo soul and Questlove but with that early, Kanye-style production. I'm really not sure how to further describe "Be" but in the context of the 2000s, it's like "soft" hip hop when that was picking up steam in the mainstream

Lowkey that PhD review feels like ragebait 😳

Singing is a bit weak, especially in the first half. It might just be the production aspect of it too. The schtick does tire itself with the same synth-pop sound. Nevertheless, this record foreshadows the greater 80s revival in the next decade.

Flow starts off relaxed and slow, then picks up momentum. Each song has a different yet similar vibe (i.e. samples, genres, features), which I really love. I think "Fishscale's" forte is its ability to form a cohesive message within each unique sound. It continues the trend of 90s-aughts gangsta rap but with more storytelling than just straight up boasting. (4-4.5)

This is country? It sounds like a melding of jazz and R&B, but with Charles' country drawl. I can somewhat hear it; a lot of the slow songs remind me of Patsy Cline (i.e. Crazy). I guess country back then was more orchestral-flavoured than it is now. (3.5-4)

Reminds me of the Clash in terms of proficiency and the Arctic Monkeys in vibes.

With that voice, I can't take this seriously 😭. Every time I hear those low growls I just can't help but laugh in a way that makes me enjoy the album a bit more. As with this kind of metal, I feel like I've heard this sound in some online parody, but have never intentionally listened to thrash/death metal. Even the name of the genre sounds scary.

"Arise" sounds like the broodier twin of that Megadeth record I listened to a few weeks ago. Now gaining more metal experience thanks to this generator, the guitar riffs are what I really like the most about this genre. When they match the drum beat, that's *chef's kiss*. (3.5-4)

Having a hard time describing this album without referencing the hundreds of British punk albums in this list. It’s a collection of punk and rock songs with bits of new wave. Sounds grimy. (3.5)

Johnny's beautiful swan song. It's like hearing an old friend reflecting on the long life they've had. This is made relevant with his sparse arrangements of covers, which adds to the introspective mood. "We'll Meet Again", for example, is kinda haunting, knowing that this would be Cash's last album. Personally, I enjoyed the popular covers and the simplistic production here, it really fits the mood well. Thanks for sharing your last piece of work with us, Johnny! (3.5-4)

I'm sorry this is so cheesy 😂. Just give me the instrumentals. Bro just couldn't hold it in 😭 (2.5-3).

Haven't really listened to krautrock before, and this reminds me of proto-shoegaze with its atmospheric sound and consistent rhythms. Side B tracks like "Hero", "E-Musik", and "After Eight" sound like formative punk songs. This album is best listened to with headphones on, fully paying attention to it (3.5).

Reminds me of that Funkadelic album from more than a week ago. I expected lots of synths and space-y vibes; would have loved more modern "funk" and "groove" into it like Got To Give It Up, but maybe that's just what happens when you listen to Espresso too many times to count (3.5).

Me when writing 1001 reviewer headcanon 😳

"Once upon a time there was a very nice reviewer who just loooooved to take readers on long adventures across the Kingdom of Music. During one such trip, the group came across the remains of prog rock, now housed in a mausoleum.
This was the reviewer’s favourite part of the journey, because he'd recite the legend of PR’s untimely death and how the 80s rose to power across the land. The story goes that Prog was blessed, like many others, with the power to inspire the world. It lived in a village where other sonic youths would play. Some wouldn't get along, while others came together to form new sounds. Then suddenly, the Rush kingdom and its ruler, Geddy Lee, led an invasion supported by the 80s that would ultimately shake the world of music to its core, starting in Prog's village.
While he told the story, the group walked past torn portraits of former genres that were once confiscated by the Rush-Marillion Agency, the former kingdom's police force. After the 90s saw the creation of a genre confederacy, there was renewed interest among the styles to build a memorial to honour their ancestors, the mausoleum of Prog Rock was built to commemorate its enduring legacy on the music world.
Going back to the legend, when Geddy Lee threatened PR, the reviewer would make a shrill, snarling voice like he was trying to clear his throat from mentioning the name. By the time he made the noise that killed PR, several tourists had fainted, and the group had to take an extra day. We spent the rest of it discussing music tastes and learning about the different genres that make up the confederation. At the end of our journey, we paid respects to Prog Rock. But as everyone was about to leave, one of the members who was straggling suddenly heard what seemed like Prog's voice talking to the wind. It was reported to have come from the many adventures it took: a mix of the jazzy woods to the ambient seas."

Tbh, this was my first time listening to Rush and 80s prog rock. The reviewer, whose top rating for this album I made a pastiche to, had some good insights on the contemporary sound and how it reached every genre. I literally could've listened to this album from another artist. And the lead singer's voice is a grower for sure.

P.S. Au top reviewer qui a écrit ce critique légendaire, merci de le créer. Tu m’as inspiré d’en faire mes propres!