Reviews by nevele

An interesting surprise to see Revolution on the list, and fun to revisit. Q65 were one of the big Nederbeat bands from The Hague in the 60s, right at the heart of that scene. Listening now, it’s still a good, enjoyable album, clearly inspired by the British and American rock of the time.

It doesn’t really stand out from its international peers, but as far as 60s rock goes, it’s a solid, well-made record. Just a good, fun listen and a nice reminder of that Dutch rock era. Wondering if I'll now also will see the Golden Earring, Shocking Blue or Cuby + the Blizzards on this list.

This album ended up in my Top 10 of last year. Amazing to see a band only getting better by the album. I don't think we've reached the ceiling yet

I originally, in the early 90's, dismissed this in the ’90s as “grunge lite,” but now I hear it completely differently. I didn’t expect to connect this much with Diary, but revisiting it turned into a small revelation. The moment I heard the opening tones, I realised how much this sound had seeped into my own playing back in the late ’90s. My old band ended up sounding surprisingly close to this, with the same loose drumming style, the same emotional grit, and I had no idea how deep that influence had gone.

The album feels well structured. The tension between looseness and control gives the record its edge.

This album is ridiculous, funny, and completely serious at the same time. It’s parody, but it’s also a real metal record. The balance is what makes it work.

There’s just something about Babymetal that does it for me. The J-pop sweetness on top of those heavy riffs shouldn’t make sense, but it does. The band clearly cram every metal style into one album: death metal, nu-metal, power metal, electro-metal, goth, and speed metal. It’s all here, and it’s fun, though not always evenly balanced.

Not every song hits. Do・Ki・Do・Ki☆Morning and 4 no Uta are already skippable on a second listen. The heavier, more rhythm-driven tracks are where the album shines for me. Megitsune and Ijime, Dame, Zettai absolutely deliver, and Onedari Daisakusen (straight out of the Linkin Park playbook) is way more fun than it has any right to be. Headbanger!! is the clear standout. A tongue-in-cheek rite of passage for young metalheads, about a girl getting her first neck brace from too much headbanging, it’s completely on point for this album.

I know this band started from an idol concept, but the music is professional, tight, and smartly composed. Suzuka Nakamoto’s voice is genuinely strong, full of energy, and perfect for this wild mix.

It’s a guilty pleasure for sure, but a guilty pleasure that earns its place.

This was everywhere when it came out, and re-listening now reminds me why. It’s full of rousing rhythms, wild shifts, and songs that still hit hard. “Forest,” “Needles,” and “Toxicity” remain incredible, while tracks like “X” and “Jet Pilot” unfortunately don't.

I’ve always liked the balance between the political edge on one side and the pure madness of something like “Bounce” on the other. It’s absurd, but it works, and those Dead Kennedys-style influences still come through clearly.

After all these years it isn’t really nostalgic or emotional for me, the album is physical. The frantic pace pulls me along, and I move faster while listening. I even typed this review faster.
The slower “ATWA” and closer “Aerials” hit harder than in the 2000's.

A strong four-star album that has aged remarkably well.

I don’t really know what to say about this one, other than that it doesn’t belong on a list like this. It's a consistent and fun pop album for sure, full of 80s inspiration but updated with sleek modern production. You can clearly hear the influence of Cyndi Lauper, Robyn, and even 80s Madonna. It's also why it brings absolutely nothing new.

The record tries to bridge the gap between bright 80s pop, late-90s and early-00s European electropop, and contemporary chart pop. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t. The hooks are catchy, but the lyrics and melodies often veer into childish territory. Playing “I Really Like You” and “Gimmie Love” back-to-back starts to grate pretty quickly.

That said, Run Away With Me is a real highlight

I wasn't expecting to dislike this album as much as I did. I found this album close to insufferable. It tries too hard to be clever and ends up sounding fake and overworked. The mix of styles doesn’t blend; they sit awkwardly next to each other without any real connection. Everything feels calculated rather than genuine.

The endless vocal filters are unbearable. “I Like America & America Likes Me” almost made me give up on the album completely. I skipped it after a minute and a half. “Inside Your Mind” buries weak songwriting under fake violins, and “It’s Not Living” is another disaster. Even when a song like “I Couldn’t Be More in Love” shows a glimmer of soul, it’s lost in overproduction and artifice.

For fans, that curated artificiality is probably clever commentary on how digital life blurs real feelings.

But for me, the result is empty

This is not music meant to make you feel comfortable, and that’s exactly why it’s worth hearing. On the surface, or maybe at a first listen, it can sound like one unbroken wall of sound, but it’s anything but. The album is built from carefully dark and heavy layered textures that only started to reveal themselves on my second listen. I guess I was a lot more susceptible to the album today than I was yesterday.

Because despite my initial thought, it’s surprisingly accessible. The melodies are clear enough to follow, even through all the distortion, and when I gave it my full attention, it really connected.

I found this to be a majestic, challenging and adventurous record. Thanks to submitter!

It’s hard to fault Pulse on technical grounds. The band is in perfect form, the mix pristine, and the sound among the best ever captured on a live rock album. It’s a showcase how well Pink Floyd know their legacy. The Dark Side of the Moon performed in full, “Comfortably Numb” given stadium-scale treatment, and Gilmours songwriting on full display.

And yet, that same perfection is its weakness. Pulse is immaculate to the point of sterility. Every note feels planned, every silence filled, every emotion calibrated. I've heard most of these songs in the exact same version already on the regular albums (which I really enjoy if I might add)
But even when the band finally stretches out (for the first time, after a whole hour, with “Another Brick in the Wall”) it still sounds rehearsed.

It’s less a live concert than an exhibition of Pink Floyd’s best moments, missing danger and spontaneity.
Many of these songs are among the greatest ever written, but this album doesn’t belong on a list of essential recordings.

I didn’t know what to expect going in, but Control completely grabbed me. It’s dark and sad, yet not hopeless. The music feels to envelop the message: slow, heavy, and deliberate, with that fuzzy 90s sound that lands somewhere between Death Cab for Cutie and Pearl Jam.

The first four songs are just superb. They capture the heart of the record, guilt and small tragedies, told through distortion and restraint. The grungy guitars and minimal drumming bring a sort of hypnotic buzz while David Bazan’s lyrics cut deep. His voice sounds tired but it fits the stories on this album well. It’s sad, but not empty. I feel it's about facing failure, not surrendering to it. Even if he has to tell his partner their infidelity was 'just so unoriginal' in a song like Rehearsal.

A beautiful, heavy record that earns every word it says.

Even though I thought I didn’t know it, once The Mantle started playing I realised I’d already liked several of these songs before. The album already had 5 green Spotify hearts in the playlist. No surprise, really. It’s absolutely stunning. It might technically fall under “metal,” but it’s far more than that. This feels like post-rock with black metal undertones and touches of pagan folk and doom.

“In the Shadow of Our Pale Companion” shows just how much range Agalloch has. The vocals move from clean, Tiamat-like tones to black metal growls and whispers that sit deep in the mix, thus adding to the atmosphere rather than overwhelming it. The music stays calm and deliberate, building its power through mood instead of aggression.

You could call this anything (prog, folk, doom, neofolk, post-rock, whatever box you like) and it would all fit. The album’s real strength is how naturally those sounds coexist.

The style shift here was the thing I liked most. I appreciate when artists take a new direction, and Arctic Monkeys certainly did that. But Tranquility Base Hotel + Casino feels more like an Alex Turner solo project than an Arctic Monkeys album.

I really tried with this album on several occasions since 2018 and I appreciate the ambition and the inventive arrangements. There are beautiful melodies and clever moments, but it never really connects for me. The charm of the opening line “I just wanted to be one of The Strokes. Now look at the mess you made me make.” starts to feel too true by the end.

It all sounds too forced. I like laid-back albums, but this style has been done better by others.

A unique and emotional record. Singing hood tragedies in folk form is an unexpected approach, and I respect the courage behind it. For me, it’s a mixed bag. It includes plenty of things I wouldn’t normally be drawn to, yet it’s so well-crafted that I still found it enjoyable enough. Sweet and modern, even a bit too polished at times, but undeniably heartfelt. It sometimes lacks punch, but there’s real sincerity here.

Back-porch folk is the perfect description for this one. It’s warm, loose, and easy to listen to, but not something that really does more than that. I can see how Michael Hurley’s charm would shine on a small stage somewhere in the grass, but as an album it drifts by without leaving much behind. Nice to have on, but not something I’d come back to.

I was skeptical going in, because the only song I knew of the album (Dancing On My Own) was not something I ever enjoyed. But that skepticism vanished quickly. Body Talk is simple, easy on the ears, and infectiously produced. I really enjoy that clear Scandinavian minimalism to the production: clean synths, precise beats, no clutter.
I'm not aware if this is seen as a pop-classic, but it might have to be?

I’ve always had a fondness for overly political albums, and this one doesn’t disappoint. The politics are front and centre. Even when the lyrics are a bit mediocre, they work because they’re delivered with conviction.

The album doesn’t open strong, but Loudest in the Room and Goodnight Alt-Right both rip. That “If you preach hate then expect hate” attitude still makes me want to punch a Nazi.

There’s a bit of Pantera-like groove in the mix, and Plead the Fifth wears its Rage Against the Machine influence openly, but I don’t mind it. The middle of the album loses momentum for me, yet the final two tracks, The House Always Wins and Death Is Real, pull it back hard.

Not every song lands, but the energy and message keep it alive. It’s angry in all the right ways, and I’ll always love a band that spits politics with purpose.

This was the second album of the eccentric combo of Ween in a week. But for some reason, this album stuck with me a lot less than the other

I wasn’t expecting much going in since hardcore isn’t usually my genre, but this floored me. Witness avoids the standard breakdown clichés and instead goes for something slower, heavier, and more melodic. That restraint makes the brutality hit harder.

The vocals can be a grind and I can see how they’d put people off, but I got used to them quickly. What matters is how much emotion they carry. The lyrics add another dimension. Songs like Marshalltown capture small-town frustration, anger, and restraint in a way that feels raw but thoughtful. It's personal and political.

D.E.A.D.R.A.M.O.N.E.S. is more upbeat and immediate, showing they could step outside the gloom without losing power.

At 27 minutes it’s the perfect runtime: intense, emotional, and over before the weight of it wears off. I ended up loving this far more than I expected.

4,5*

Yes, this was New York Punk

What an incredible LP. I already knew Winning well, it's one of those songs that shows up on any “best of new wave” list, but this entire album is on that level. Tracks like Skeletons and Fatal Flaw go just as deep, and Silent Air is quietly stunning.

What I love most here is the forward bass. Michael Bailey doesn’t just underpin the songs, he often drives them, his plectrum-bright tone giving the music that unmistakable wave signature. Pair that with Adrian Borland’s lyrics. Lines like “There’s a Devil in me trying to show his face / There’s a God in me wants to put me in my place” create an ominous atmosphere that hangs over the whole record. Few albums capture personal struggle and fractured identity this powerfully. Pretty sure this guy has "voices".

A lot of people here compare The Sound to Joy Division, but I don’t hear it. Musically they remind me more of The Cure, especially in the interplay of bass and guitar, while Borland’s voice has more in common with The Gun Club than Ian Curtis. This is melodic, very British, and lyrically some of the strongest work of the post-punk era.

From the Lions Mouth is heavily underappreciated, but a class album.