Rexorcist's Forum Replies

50. The Moody Blues
Genres: Prog Pop, Prog Rock, Psych Pop

This might be a ranked list based on scores, but as far as atmosphere goes, I am head-over-hells for The Moody Blues. The Moody Blues practically invented prog with their 1967 album Days of Future Passed, a major prog staple that predates In the Court of the Crimson King. The Moody Blues understood symphonics, psychedelics and knew everything about combining these dense atmospheres and melodies with some of the most beautiful lyrics you could ever find.

Days of Future Passed: 100
In Search of the Lost Chord: 100
To Our Children's Children's Children: 98.5
On the Threshold of a Dream: 95
A Question of Balance: 95

Score: 97.7 / 5

49. Sufjan Stevens
Genres: Indie Folk, Singer/Songwriter, Chamber Pop

Sufjan is one of the softest and most beautiful folk artists in the world, but he's also extraordinarily ambitious. Illinois alone is all you need to grasp both sides of the careful artistry that defines his catalogue. And the best part is that he really doesn't need a heyday. He makes more albums than he should, but every few albums he produces something brilliant. Honestly, Javelin is one of the greatest folk albums of the modern age, and even 20 years into his career I get impatient for his next album.

Illinois: 100
Carrie & Lowell: 100
Javelin: 98.5
Carrie & Lowell Live: 98
Michigan: 92

Score: 97.7 / 5

48. Tangerine Dream
Genres: Berlin School, Prog Electronic, Space Ambient

There are artists who keep putting out five albums a year in the hopes that something good will come out of it and it never does (lookin' at you, Plastic Neesound), and there are artists who can get away with it because they've proven themselves. Tangerine Dream is one of the best bands of a scene I greatly admire, the 70's German electronic scene. During the 70's they put out several amazing live and studio albums that are difficult to match.

Phaedra: 100
Ricochet (Live): 98
Poland (Live): 98
Force Majeure: 97
Rubycon: 96

Score: 97.8 / 5

47. Jerry Goldsmith
Genres: Cinematic Classical

Yes, I listen to cinematic classical. Any wide-ranging "albumist" worth his salt should. Jerry Golsmith has a deep understanding of cinematic moods, and has created many of the most iconic pieces of soundtrack music you'll ever heard, including one of my personal favorites: the Star Trek Motion Picture theme, later used as the theme to TNG.

Alien: 100
Star Trek: The Motion Picture: 99
Planet of the Apes: 97
The Omen: 97
Under Fire: 96

Score: 97.8 / 5

46. Judas Priest
Genres: Heavy Metal, Hard Rock

Back when I was exploring rock radio, I really couldn't get into them. And then when I started logging albums, my debut into their catalog was Painkiller, which changed my whole perspective of them. I'd explore them on and off until one day last year I just decided to check out a bunch of their albums at once. Now I can safely say that their singles don't do them justice. Their greatness shows a wider range of incredible songs that goes beyond "Living After Midnight" and "Breakin' the Law." Sin After Sin was an excellent bridge from the fantasy worlds of Sad Wings of Destiny to their iconic sound that they perfected on Stained Class.

Painkiller: 100
Sin After Sin: 100
Unleashed in the East: 97
Stained Class: 97
Screaming for Vengeance: 95

Score: 97.8 / 5

45. The Allman Bros. Band
Genres: Southern Rock, Blues Rock, Jam Band

The Allman Bros. Band is the only band that beats Lynyrd Skynyrd in the southern rock department. Although the "jam band" is frowned upon by a lot of albumists for whatever dumb reason, Allman Bros. were one of the absolute best jammers in the scene. They carry the full spirit of the South in spades. Simply, they are the PERFECT southern rock band to me, although Skynyrd came close. Allman are much more... homely.

At Fillmore East: 100
Eat a Peach: 100
The Allman Bros. Band: 98
Live at the Atlanta International Pop Festival: 96
Brothers and Sisters: 95

Score: 97.8 / 5

44. Black Sabbath
Genres: Heavy Metal, Hard Rock

Here we are, the band responsible for cementing metal as metal. Now I have to agree with the DM of the Metal Academy Dungeon, Daniel, when he says the debut isn't metal enough. But Paranoid is one of those few albums that cemented my ideals of what a five-star should be: diversified, consistent, perfectly flowing and completely spirited. Master of Reality does this as well with a doomier sound. And even after Ozzy left, Dio certainly provided an excellent side to their catalog.

Paranoid: 100
Master of Reality: 100
Sabbath Bloody Sabbath: 98
Black Sabbath: 96
Heaven and Hell: 95

Score: 97.8 / 5

43. Emperor
Genres: Symphonic Black Metal, Traditional Black Metal

OK, don't kill me. Seriously, I've got a Remington. Emperor is one of the very, very few bands that created an album that overtook Paranoid: Prometheus. Again, Remington. Emperor redefined black metal by committing a taboo worse than human transmutation: synthesizers in metal. And they NAAAAAILED IT 2017 Dewey Duck style. Even though their debut was a little samey by the end, it was still an incredible feet in metal. And they kept expanding their sound for four albums until they perfected it with Prometheus.

Prometheus: 100
Emperial Live Ceremony: 100
Anthems: 98
In the Nightside Eclipse: 96
IX Equilibrium: 95

Score: 97.8 / 5

42. Herbie Hancock
Genres: Jazz-Funk, Jazz-Fusion, Modal Jazz

Herbie Hancock is one of jazz's freshest and most innovative artists. He and Miles Davis were the real innovators of jazz-funk, but of the two, Herbie was better at the funky stuff. And even before that, he was rocking the bop scene with some extra-beautiful works, like Empyrean Isles. Honestly, I am 50 kinds of happy that this man is still alive. It just feels so cool that one of the golden age's classic innovators is still alive when so many of them died young.

Head Hunters: 100
Flood: 98
Empyrean Isles: 98
Sextant: 97
Death Wish: 96

Score: 97.8 / 5

41. The Rolling Stones
Genres: Blues Rock, Rock

These guys deserve to be one of the most played bands in rock radio. They released an azaming amount of hit singles back in the days when the art of the album mattered as much as the art of the single. They're hot streak ran all the way from Aftermath to Exile on Main Street; a five-album streak of magnificence. And even then, they'd have a few essential hits from albums like Some Girls and Tattoo You later on.

Exile on Main St.: 100
Let it Bleed: 99
Sticky Fingers: 98
Beggars Banquet: 97
Out of Our Heads: 95.5

Score: 97.9 / 5

In the only wise words of French Stewart as Inspector Gadget: NO.  NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO.

The only reason it's called "metal" is because of the production style.  The riffs aren't heavy enough to reach basic metal, and only a few key bands were metal enough to count.  The day we put Poison up here is the day I blow up a nursing home.

610. Iron Maiden
Genres: Heavy Metal

Iron Maiden is one of those verty few bands responsible for giving us the metal that we know and love today. Much heavier than other influences in the scene, including Priest, Sabbath and (to an extent) Van Halen, Maiden was the leading figure in the New Wave of British Heavy Metal for the best possible reason: they kept the songs incredible and spirited while managing to blast out heavier than anyone had ever done at that time.

Seventh Son of a Seventh Son: 100
Somewhere in Time: 98
Powerslave: 97.5
Live After Death: 96
The Number of the Beast: 95

Score: 97.3 / 5

59. Sade
Genres: Smooth Soul, Sophisti-Pop

Sade stands at the top of the ladder for both genres detailed. Honestly, Sade's voice is one of my favorites in the world of soul. This group understands sexuality and mood. Sade is either perfect coffee shop music for helping you to wake up, or perfect night music for that kind of mood. I seriously suggest that you check out Lovers Live. It improves on almost every song featured.

Lovers Live: 100
Diamond Life: 98.5
Love Deluxe: 98
Promise: 95
In Concert 348: 95

Score: 97.3 / 5

58. Septicflesh
Genres: Symphonic Death Metal, Death Metal

Most believe that the symphonic side of classical is quite cheesy. Me, I say if you can nail it, you're more talented than other bands who fail to make it appropriately metal. Septicflesh do this on a consistent basis while mainting unholy levels of extremities. On top of that, they made a point of being a highly diversified band since their fantastic debut, Mystic Places of Dawn, going into gothic and even psychedelic territory.

The Great Mass: 100
Communion: 100
Mystic Places of Dawn: 98.5
Codex Omega: 96
Infernus Sinfonica MMXIX: 92

Score: 97.3 / 5

57. Therion
Genres: Symphonic Metal

How appropriate that Therion should appear immediately after I get done bragging about how great the symphonics of Septicflesh are. Therion needed some practice before reaching these heights, but they have a perfect sense of the deeper and darker worlds throughout world mythology and have a perfect idea of how to translate that aura through music. Therion's music can send you to Heaven, damn you to hell, take you through Atlantis or bury you in a tomb.

Celebrators of Becoming: 100
Theli: 98
Live Gothic: 97
Secret of the Runes: 96
Vovin: 96

Score: 97.4 / 5

56. Van Halen
Genres: Hard Rock, Arena Rock, Pop Metal

Here we go! Arena rock's ultimate rockers! Van Halen is extra special due to their lead guitarist never having learned to read music! He just picked up a guitar, played with it, made some melodies and the band became the ultimate rock staple, achieving what Zeppelin and Black Sabbath did in the past: redefining rock everywhere with incredible single after incredible single.

1984: 100
Van Halen: 100
Van Halen II: 96
5150: 96
Fair Warning: 95

Score: 97.4 / 5

55. Hawkwind
Genres: Space Rock, Psych Rock

My first Hawkwind album was their beloved live album Space Ritual, which sent me on an astral psychedelic journey no band had done for me before. Many of their heyday albums are beautifully written magnum opi to what psychedelia can do for the soul, and even if their later albums aren't reaching the same heights, I'm still really happy that they're trying. Hell, their atmospheres in this world hadn't been topped until Spiritualized came around.

Space Ritual: 100
Warrior on the Edge of Time: 99
Doremi Fasol Latido: 97
Hall of the Mountain Grill: 96
The '1999' Party: Live at The Chicago Auditorium: 95.5

Score: 97.5 / 5

54. Joy Division / New Order
Genres: Post-Punk, New Wave, Synthpop, Alt-Dance

What, you didn't know? When Joy Division formed, they made a pact to change their name if a member should leave. Their singer died, and they became New Order. But whether this changed their style or not, I'm happy that they did. They might've become a leading name in post-punk due to their two incredible albums as Joy Division, but when trhe synth era came around, they stayed relevant by expanding their horizons and even making it to the forefront of the alt-dance scene in the 90's! That's just unbelievable.

Substance: 100
Unknown Pleasures: 97
Power, Corruption & Lies: 97
The Peel Sessions (1987): 97
Closer: 95

Score: 97.6 / 5

53. Elvis Presley
Genres: Rock 'N' Roll, Pop Rock, Rockabilly, Country Soul

Do I even have to write a paragraph for this guy at this point? I mean, we all grew up with Elvis to an extent, whether your parents bought a best of compilation or you just got introduced to him through Lilo & Stitch. Elvis Preseley is synonymous with charisma, and the guy knew how to write songs for 100 different genres, and he could pull it off because his could sing either very hard and heavy unlike anything people had ever heard before, or incredible soft and soulful. This dorky rocker was a genius through and through.

Elvis: TV Special: 100
Elvis' Golden Records: 100
Elvis Presley: 98
From Elvis in Memphis: 96
Elvis Country (I'm 10,000 Years Old): 94

Score: 97.6 / 5

52. Neurosis
Genres: Atmo-Sludge Metal, Post-Metal

Neurosis wasn't cutting it as a punk band, but when they became a sludge band their incredible talents immediately shown through. From Souls at Zero to The Eye of Every Storm, Neurosis had a major hot streak of six powerful albums that each added their own two cents in reinventing the sludge genre that Melvin invented back in the 80's. And thanks to these differences, they, much like The Beatles, have a six-run stream that gets the fans arguing about the best album constantly, even though Through Silver in Blood and Times of Grace still tend to bleed through the arguments as the best of them.

Through Silver in Blood: 100
Souls at Zero: 98
A Sun That Never Sets: 97
Enemy of the Sun: 97
The Eye of Every Storm: 96

Score: 97.6 / 5

51. Fleetwood Mac
Genres: Pop Rock, Soft Rock, Blues Rock

Now these guys were already good as a blues band, but Peter Green's leaving might've been the best thing for them. Turning into a pop rock band didn't work out at first, but with the inclusion of Buckingham and Nicks, they quickly became the biggest thing in pop rock. From 1975 to 1987, Fleetwood mac was responsible for a large number of wonderful pop tunes that get stuck in your head really easily, and are still much better than all the other bands that get stuck in your head. I know they had a larger say in nostalgia for me than most bands, if not all of them.

Rumours: 100
The Dance: 100
Fleetwood Mac 1975: 97
Live at the Boston Tea Party: Part One: 96
Tango in the Night: 95

Score: 97.6 / 5

The Future Sound of London - From the Archives, Vol. 9 (2018)

Genres: Ambient Techno, IBM, Chillout

This is a bit like a combination of what we got during the early era and some influence from Klaus Schulze, getting better as it goes along.  if they keep this up, they'll become my new favorite EDM act.

Howdy.  We definitely need more metalheads here.

Welcome, David! I would recommend the Iced Earth album The Dark Saga. It's a thrashy heavy/power metal concept album based on Spawn.

And I second this.

70. Death / Control Denied
Genres: Death Metal, Tech Death Metal, Prog Metal

Yes, I'm counting them as one band. Fight me, bite me. Death is the first death metal band I checked out thanks to RYM. If you don't know the story, they invented death metal's sound, and the genre was quickly named after them. But their more complex and instrospective works from the later stages flat-out own their earlier works, even if the heaviness ended up being sacrificed a little. Honestly, their technical work is difficult to beat even after thousands of emulators.

Symbolic: 100
The Sound of Perseverance: 98
Human: 98
Individual Thought Patterns: 98
The Fragile Art of Existence: 91.5

Score: 91.5

69. Otis Redding
Genres: Deep Soul, Southern Soul

Redding wasn't just another soul artist looking to pass out some singles. His attention to detail and proper vocal delivery drove his albums as the bandmates were barely able to keep up with him. It seems to me that Redding has a deeper passion for soul music that many other soul artists who will appear on this list.

Otis Blue: 100
Live in Europe: 99
Complete & Unbelievable: 97.5
The Soul Album: 96
The Immortal Otis Redding: 93

Score: 97.1 / 5

68. Morbid Angel
Genres: Death Metal

If you're going to continue into death metal after checking out the genre's namesake, one of your FIRST stops should be Morbid Angel. Their ability to shred is even greater than that of Death's, and despite having very few prog elements, they never run out of ideas. Though it helps that every albums sounds a little different, giving the fans a lot to talk about.

Formulas Fatal to the Flesh: 100
Covenant: 98
Altars of Madness: 97
Gateways to Annihilation: 96
Domination: 94.5

Score: 97.1 / 5

67. Bob Dylan
Genres: Folk, Folk Rock, Singer/Songwriter

When I still (trusted) Spotify, I challenged myself to get through ALL of the Bob Dylan studio albums. I managed that, and now I'll be waiting eagerly for the next one. He manages to overcome his voice with some of the deepest, most incredible lyrics you'll ever hear. Dylan might be limited vocally, but otherwise he's a pure genius.

Highway 61 Revisited: 100
Blonde on Blonde: 99
The basement Tapes: 97
Desire: 96
The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan: 95

Score: 97.2 / 5

66. Death Grips
Genres: Industrial Hip Hop, Exp. Hip Hop, Abstract Hip Hop, Hardcore Hip Hop

You know what Death Grips sounds like, and they are probably not for the faint-hearted. But these powerful industrial dynamics and rancid noise are key parts of the Death Grips personality. They're metal without being metal, punk without being punk, flat-out evil without being demonic, and perfectly balanced between intruging and RAW.

Exmilitary: 100
The Money Store: 100
Bottomless Pit: 97
Jenny Death: 96
Year of the Snitch: 93

Score: 97.2 / 5

65. Lynyrd Snynyrd
Genres: Southern Rock, Hard Rock

Don't JUST play Free Bird. Play all of their other fantastic hits (although you might wanna hold off on Sweet Home Alabama as it's a bit overplayed). Snynyrd is one of two bands I can think of that capture everything that makes southern rock so incredible. Many of their sing-along songs are both deep and poppy at the same time, and their riffs are some of the best in the genre.

(pronounced 'lĕh-'nérd 'skin-'nérd): 100
One More From the Road: 100
Second Helping: 98
Southern by the Grace of God: 95
Street Survivors: 93

Score: 97.2 / 5

64. Outkast
Genres: Southern Hip Hop

I really hate that they broke up after five albums. They're basically hip hop's Simon and Garfunkel. Andre's high-pitched and soulful voice made the perfect yin to Big Boi's yang: his deeper and more powerful voice. They rocked five legendary albums in a row that maximized the potential of southern hip hop, making it one of my favorite hip hop genres.

Aquemini: 100
ATLiens: 100
Stankonia: 96
Speakerboxxx / The Love Below: 95
Southernplayalisticadillacmuzik: 95

Score: 97.2 / 5

63. Portishead
Genres: Trip Hop, Exp. Rock, Electronic

Portishead is at the front of the trip hop scene, and is a bit of an acquired taste. But once you acquire it, you just might fall in love with them. They combined electronic with soul and jazz in ways nobody thought were possible, and still amazed the world when they became and experimental rock band.

Dummy: 100
Roseland NYC Live: 100
In Concert - 652: 98
Third: 96
Portishead: 92

Score: 92.7 / 5

62. Talking Heads
Genres: New Wave, Post-Punk, Art Punk

It took me a while to build this appreciation for Talking Heads. Their punk stuff took a couple tried for me to really "get," and even then they're more 9/10. But then they went further into the disco and funk influences, and their talents were maximized. Byrne' wacky-ass personality is the perfect thing for new wave music.

Remain in Light: 100
Speaking in Tongues: 100
Stop Making Sense: 98
Fear of Music: 97
Talking Heads 77: 91

Score: 92.3 / 5

61. Funkadelic / Parliament
Genres: P-Funk, Funk Rock

I grew up with the film Good Burger, and to this day, Knee Deep is a spiritual song for me. Funk was a difficult genre to get right on an album since many of the songs sounded the same, but George Clinton and his band had an uncanny ability to draw out their funk songs to fifteen minutes and keep them funky fresh. They did this several times on full length albums, making them the perfect band for getting into the funk atmos.

Maggot Brain: 100
Mothership Connection: 98
One Nation Under a Groove: 97.5
Funkadelic: 96
Standing on the Verge of Getting It On: 95

Score: 97.3 / 5

80. Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers
Genres: Hard Bop

I'm not typically a hard bop guy, and I never go back and listen to it on a regular basis. But if I'm ever in the mood for it, then I feel pressured by myself to go check out more Art Blakey. This guy has some of the absolute best hard bop you're going to find. Its structures are beyond catchy and its moods are some of the best that hard jazz has to offer.

Moanin': 100
Mosaic: 98
Indestructible: 97
Free for All: 97
Paris Jam Session: 92

Score: 96.8 / 5

79. Scorpions
Genres: Hard Rock, Arena Rock, Heavy Metal

Scorpions was the first metal band I got deeply invested in, thanks to teen MP3 nostalgia. Whenever there's a Scorpions album I haven't heard, I'm one of the first to look for it online. As Scorpions kept evolving over the course of their first few albums, they eventually became one of the dominant examples of heavy metal energy on the radio, belting out excellent album after excellent album that oftentimes showed them making a case of keeping the filler nearly as good as the singles.

Taken By Force: 100
Lovedrive: 97
Blackout: 96
World Wide Live: 96
Love at First Sting: 95

Score: 96.8 / 5

78. McCoy Tyner
Genres: Post-Bop, Spiritual Jazz, Avant-Garde Jazz

What I love about McCoy Tyner is that he keeps things original thanks to a grand range, easily flowing between multiple genres one at a time or all. Because of his versatility, he rarely ran out of ideas during his heyday. He was both catchy and mysterious at the same time, and many of his albums could serve as excellent intreoductions for anyone looking to get into jazz, poppy or experimental.

The Real McCoy: 100
Sama Layuca: 98
Enlightenment: 96
Asante: 96
Sahara: 94

Score: 96.8 / 5

77. Siouxsie and the Banshees
Genres: Post-Punk, Goth Rock, Art Pop, Art Rock

Siouxsie and the Banshees is more than just a goth rock band. Their glittery sound isn't made of cheap silver confetti: it's the pixie dust that lets you fly. Their excellent melodies and instrumentation can bring the lister deep into ancient tombs just so you can dance with the dead. And of course, Siouxsie's voice is one of the greatest female voices in rock, on par with Ann and Nancy Wilson and Jarboe.

Peepshow: 100
Juju: 97
Tinderbox: 96
Kiss in the Dreamhouse: 96
Kaleidoscope: 95

Score: 96.8 / 5

76. John Mayall
Genres: Blues Rock, British Blues

And now into the pub walks one of the coolest acts in this entire list. Before the blues died out, John Mayall was one of the kings of this scene, whether with his band, solo, or teamed up with Eric Clapton and John McVie. Unlike a lot of blues acts that kept writing the same songs over and over again, Mayall was all about taking British Blues and flowing into every territory that the genre would allow.

Blues Breakers: 100
The Turning Point: 97
Blues from Laurel Canyon: 97
Crusade: 96
A Hard Road: 95

Score: 97 / 5

75. B.B. King
Genres: Electric Blues, Soul Blues, Blues Rock

Speaking of kings of blues, there's one edge that B.B. King has on John Mayall: the soul music influence was a bit stronger, and there was a slightly stronger spirit to his music IMO than Mayall's. Seriously, these two are extremely close, but I have to give the edge to B.B. King.

Live at the Regal: 100
Completely Well: 100
Live in Cook County Jail: 97
Indianola Mississippi Seed: 96
B.B. King Wails: 92

Score: 97 / 5

74. Converge
Genres: Metalcore, Mathcore

Converge is the first metalcore band I checked out, and to this day they remain the best. They're much heavier and more surprising than any metalcore band I can think of, including all the deathcore ones, becuase these guyds are all about raw punk spirit and dense metal textures.

Jane Doe: 100
All We Love We Leave Behind: 100
Jane Live: 97
You Fail Me: 96
The Dusk in Us: 92

Score: 97 / 5

73. Full of Hell
Genres: Grindcore, Powerviolence, Noise, Industrial

Now THESE guys are completely understated. Whether they're performing grindcore or noise, they are aural geniuses whose music reaches terifying levels of darkness. And the best part is that they like to mix up the albums themselves and then try for a completely different album afterwards, always staying fresh. And they're one of the better Merzbow collaborators as well.

Coagulated Bliss: 100
Sister Fawn: 100
Rediments of Mutilation: 97
Full of Hell & Merzbow: 96
One Day You Will Ache Like I Ache: 92

Score: 97 / 5

72. Charly Garcia
Genres: Art Rock, Art Pop, Pop Rock, New Wave

Charly Garcia is one of the more recent discoveries I've made since putting together this top 100. I wish I discovered him sooner, because Garcia is a pop rock artist whose creativity rivals that of Talking Heads. I originally explored him for new wave education, but as a pop rocker and art rocker he's even more relevant.

Parte de la Religion: 100
Filosofía barata y zapatos de goma: 98
Modern Clix: 97
Piano Bar: 96
Yendo de la cama al living: 94

Score: 97 / 5

71. Ween
Genres: Alt-Rock, Neo-Psych, Art Rock

Wanna learn how to tie your shoes? Or would you rather learn that the infectiously catchy 30-second song from Spongebob is certainly not the best they can do. In fact, no matter how obnoxious they get, they can do some amazing things. Personality is at the forefront of this extremely talented band who can tell a good joke while performing a great song at the same time.

The Mollusk: 100
Quebec: 99
White Pepper: 97
At The Cat's Cradle, 1992: 95
Chocolate and Cheese: 94

Score: 97 / 5

I published a second novel, but only one person has bought it.

90. Deep Purple
Genres: Hard Rock, Proto-Metal

Deep Purple started out as a good prog band, but when hard rock took over, their abilities greatly improved. There are very few bands out there, even 50 years later, who understand the art and energy it takes to be a real hard rock band, and that's why we have heavy metal these days, even if they only occasionally ambled into metal.

Made in Japan: 100

Deep Purple in Rock: 100

Machine Head: 98

Deep Purple: 94

Perfect Strangers: 91

Score: 96.6 / 5

89. My Dying Bride

Genres: Goth Doom Metal, Death Doom Metal, Goth Metal

Bet you didn't expect this, did you? I have a bit of a guilty pleasure for Gothic vibes, and My Dying Bride represents everything that's great about it. With a little practice, their first few albums produced some of the darkest, most heartwrenching Gothic rhythms and lyrics you've ever heard, but the craft was perfected on one of the few albums that reepresents metal at its core: The Dreadful Hours.

The Dreadful Hours: 100

Turn Loose the Swans: 98

The Angel and the Dark River: 97

Songs of Darkness, Words of Light: 95

The Light at the End of the World: 93

Score: 96.6 / 5

88. Animal Collective

Genres: Neo-Psych, Psych Pop

I didn't used to be a fan of these guys. It took a little effort and some dedication to examining and exploring neo-psych as a whole first. Now I'm the kind of guy who can't wait for their next album, because there's as good of a chance of it being great as their is of being bad. Mastering atmosphere on their first go, before the name came around, they're a perfect band for just chilling out with headphone music, while still being challenged at the same time.

Strawberry Jam: 100

Spirit They've Gone, Spirit They've Vanished: 99

Merriweather Post Pavilion: 97

Live at The Ritz April 13, 2016: 96

Feels: 91

Score: 96.6 / 5

87. The Prodigy

Genres: Breakbeat

Yes, this must be a huge surprise for you. The biggest reason is because I actually hold a couple of their lesser-beloved albums in high regard. The Prodigy isn't just about catchy rhythms in the club. They've got real attitude and personality. They knew who they wanted to be from the moment they formed to the moment they sold out, and they kept going strong. If you want my pick for the best EDM album I've ever heard, it's their sophomore: Music for the Jilted Generation.

Music for the Jilted Generation: 100

Invaders Must Die: 99

The Fat of the Land: 97

World's On Fire: 96

Experience: 91

Score: 96.6 / 5

86. Kanye West

Genres: Pop Rap, Exp. Hip Hop

In the midst of an entire army of pop rap artists who write cheap club stuff to make a few bucks, we have a man focused on the art of the album itself, slaying every one of those Philistines without a jawbone. Kanye West might be pop rap, but that doesn't halt his obsessive need to experiment. Controversial though he may be, he is one of hip hop's best examples of proof that hip hop is just as musical as classical.

My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy: 100

Late Orchestration: 98

The College Dropout: 96

Late Registration: 96

The Life of Pablo: 93e

Score: 96.6

85. Godspeed You Black Emperor

Genres: Post-Rock, Exp. Rock

The radio might've been plagued by alt-rock during the mid-90's, but you still had those who wanted to reinvent rock and turn it into something more intriguing. For their first two studio albums, Godspeed You Black Emperor completely mastered that thought process. I have never heard rock that was more beautiful and intriguing at the same time. They might be on a bit of a downward turn this day and age, but they still let their music ferment so that you can still enjoy it.

Lift Yr. Skinny Fists: 100

F♯A♯∞: 100

Yanqui U.X.O.: 96

Slow Riot for New Zerø Kanada: 96

'Allelujah! Don't Bend! Ascend!: 91

Score: 96.6 / 5

84. Kate Bush

Genres: Art Pop, Prog Pop, Exp. Pop

Kate Bush never really stopped being a revolution, did she? She certainly started out as one with her single Wuthering Heights. All of her albums, different though they may be from each other, have incredible levels of creativity that challenge your whole idea of pop. Hounds of Love might be the big winner for its more conventional outlook, but if you want the best example of what Bush can do, check out The Dreaming.

The Dreaming: 100

Before the Dawn: 100

The Kick Inside: 96

Hounds of Love: 96

Never for Ever: 91

Score: 96.6 / 5

83. The Velvet Underground

Genres: Art Rock, Pop Rock, Exp. Rock

Speaking of re0inventing rock, here were some guys that took a few cues from The Beatles and said "screw radio conventions. We're gonna do whatever we want, and make sure it sounds damn good." All four of the TVU studio albums, not counting Squeeze, are masterful works of art that take on some very strange subjects and turn them into poems, all the while the group shows mastery in soft and cutesy stuff or heavy, raw and experimental noise.

The Velvet Underground & Nico: 99

The Velvet Underground: 97.5

White Light / White Heat: 97

Loaded: 95

The Complete Matrix Tapes: 95

Score: 96.7 / 5

82. The Band

Genres: Roots Rock, Folk Rock

The Band is one of the best examples of the heart and soul of 60's rock. The roots rock scene was built on the works of blues, country, folk, pop and soul, and The Band knew how to write and perform every single one. Evn their live album The Last Waltz, as well as the documentary, stand as the best testament to the capabilities of rock radio of the 70;s.

The Last Waltz: 100

Music from Big Pink: 98.5

The Basement Tapes: 97

The Band: 97

Stage Fright: 91

Score: 96.7 / 5

81. Jorge Ben

Genres: MPB, Samba-Rock, Samba;Soul

Jorge Ben is the definition of range. I've heard a decent amount of MPB out of utter curiosity, and one of my favorite to go to was Jorge Ben because his voice is just so wonderful and his ability to write and perform songs from a plethora of genres matches that of The Band's, if not tops it. If you're going to introduce youself to MPB, then I seriously suggest checking out Jorge Ben first.

A Tábua de Esmeralda: 100

África Brasil: 98

Jorge Ben: 96

Fôrça bruta: 96

Negro é lindo: 95

Score: 96.8 / 5

Might as well post my top 10 ambient albums.  Won't include ambient pop.  Most of these are quite diverse, but still have ambient as a primary.

1. Vangelis - Blade Runner

2. The Future Sound of London - Lifeforms

3. Angelo Badalamenti - Soundtrack From Twin Peaks

4. William Basinski - The Disintegration Loops

5. Tim Hecker - Ravedeath, 1972

6. Uboa - Impossible Light

7. Vangelis - Oceanic

8. Daniel Lopatin (Oneohtrix Point Never) - Replica

9. Vangelis - Albedo 0.39

10. Geinoh Yamashirogumi - Symphonic Suite AKIRA

Fuck Brian Eno.

That's a pretty extreme statement. I'd take a number of Eno releases over "In den Gärten Pharaos" personally. He's thoroughly deserving of his status as a god in ambient music circles as far as I'm concerned.

That was really just general snarkiness to illustrate my amazement upon hearing PV for the first time.  Eno ain't bad.  But truthfully, while I acknowledge Eno's talent, I never really "got into him.' I prefer him as a rock artist rather than an ambient artist, and even then I find some of his albums overrated.  whereas Popol Vuh is reversed.  For me, his innovations paved the way for others to dethrone him.

Still, neither hold a candle to Vangelis IMO.

I guess a few dystopian novels such as 1984, Brave New World, Fahrenheit 451, Slaughterhouse 5 and I, Robot have been quite influential on metal themes too.

I've actually been on a Kurt Vonnegut binge.  Slaughterhouse Five feels a bit more prog rock to me than metal.  But 1984 has had a huge say in dystopianism in concept albums.

Popol Vuh - "In den Gärten Pharaos" (1971)

The sophomore album from these German experimentalists is an early classic of the ambient genre. I've been a big fan of it for decades now & bought the CD re-release with bonus tracks around twenty years ago. Unlike most people, I find it hard to split the first two Popol Vuh records but the two bonus tracks included give this one a slight edge due their proto-techno leanings. Where "Affenstunde" (i.e. their debut album from earlier the same year) is more of a conventional ambient record, "In den Gärten Pharaos" sits somewhere between tribal ambient & drone with both of the lengthy tracks creating a wonderful transcendental tension.

For fans of Fripp & Eno, Klaus Schulze & Cluster.

4/5

YES.  This is one of the first ambient albums I grew a strong appreciation for, strong enough to say "fuck Brian Eno."  Absolutely genius, and the reason we have acts like Gas.  German experimental music from the 70's is platinum.

Not sure what you mean Rex. Do you mean novels related to actual metal music or novels that cover the themes and spirit that metal thrives on, such as fantasy for power and heavy metal, horror for death metal and the occult for black metal?

If it's the latter then I have always thought of William Gibson's seminal cyberpunk novel Neuromancer as thematically quite metal. Any of Michael Moorcock's Elric series are definitely metal fodder - Cirith Ungol often use Elric cover paintings as their album covers.

I was going for the spiritual definition, but I'm also allowing for some subjectivity i.e. the clan system.  Neuromancer is a good example based on what I've heard.  I would even include Stephen King's Gunslinger.  I haven't read the other books in the series yet.

This really does suck, but you have to do what you need for your health.  That's obviously more important.

Jurassic metal.  Sounds like a doom sludge hybrid with apocalyptic classical undertones and deep reptilian growls.  I like the idea.

I think the only major change is how much power metal played into writing my debut.  My second book had nothing to do with power metal, but as I was proofreading the final stages, I played Type O Negative's Paranoid a lot.

I think in little ways, the clan system got me interested in exploring other areas for conversational purposes, which is likely why I like TON so much now, as well as Septicflesh.

Lots of Christmas work stuff going on at Dunkin.  DND tonight.  Trying to diversify my year lists so that metal isn't plaguing them.  1988's been a pain in the ass because I had six metal albums in the top 10, and they're all 98-100.  It really WAS an incredible year for metal.  I got so done with taking the risk of imperfection that I would shut off an album if it shows any blemish.  But with When In Rome by Penguin Cafe Orchestra flat out taking me into the deepest depths of the forests and back into the sunlight on a Popol Vuh-style whirlwind of springtime imagination, looks like I'm finally able to get the top ten down to four metal albums. Didn't expect those little bits of folksy country instrumentation.

Choose whichever albums best suit your needs as a music buff and sort them out from there.

I didn't really think the compositions themselves matched the heaviness, but it was a perfectly operable sludge album that was always fun and powerful.  I gave it an 8.5.

Toiday I got through some "albums" by a powerviolence band called Sidetracked.  They're always writing the same two-minute album full of five-fifteen second bursts of powerviolence, and there's rarely any creativity, but the EP's have made excellent fodder to balance he ratings on my log.

I also went through a couple albums in the "new romantic" scene, two by Icehouse and Flesh + Blood by Roxy Music.  Now I'm on the soundtrack to Millennium Actress.  I went on a Susumu Hirasawa binge a while back, so if I had known he had done the soundtrack to Millennium Actress, I'd have gotten on that during the binge.  I got through six of his albums, all impressive, a couple near-genius.  His biggest flaw seems to be drawing out his songs at times, and this often effects his albums.  otherwise, he's an atmospheric genius with impressive range.

Their albums have mostly landed around 9/10 rather than 10 with a couple exceptions.  Currently I'd say this is the best out of the 9/10's, so fourth.

Back on soundtracks.  Yesterday it was the first Land Before Time (gorgeous work), and right now it's Star Trek: The Motion Picture.

I'm not the only one checking out the new Opeth today, right?  I'm happy that they're going for a more conventional sound while still mixing it up.  They were never the kind of band who'd just keep rerecording their best works.  But while the album is constantly interesting, I'm not really sure I'm amazed as much as I am constantly impressed.

This only half-surprises me.  From what I understand from my old days there, RYMer's on the forums were generally disdained with the amount of metal albums throughout each modern yearly chart.  But this also means the raters are generally metalheads themselves.  Taking a look now, the new Blood Incantation is number 5 for 2024 at this time, and the charts have been like this for years.

Going on a John Cale marathon right now.

1. Vintage Violence - Very cute and charming, as well as diversified and atmospheric.  9/10

2. Church of Anthrax - Skipping until I've got more of Cale's solo stuff out of the way.

3. The Academy in peril - There are some good classical tracks here and about three boring ones.  7/10

4. Paris 1919: Extraordinarily clever.  Halfway through right now and I'm currently on cloud nine.  10/10 so far.

A couple points:

A: I'll forgive this 73 minute album for its various flavors.  If it was just goth and doom the whole time, chances are I'd get bored.  I firmly believe the greatest artists should have mutliple talents rather than boasting about their target sound on and on with no end.  I've gone on and on about my preferences for eclectic albums before (although I do need some balance).  The personality was a key component helped to balance anything outlandish out, especially since the flow didn't really break anymore than your average Pixies or Nirvana album.  It told you that you weren't just listening to a creepy goth band; you were listening to a bunch of guys having fun.  This album might not be for those who want a singular longlasting genre experience, especially if you're the slow-moving metal type, but it's an impressively bold one that goes above and beyond the call of duty.

B: Maybe their humor is a bit juvenile at times, but it's also another impressive risk considering that metal is all about seriousness.  Maybe it's not like adding synths to black metal, but it's still something you don't easily implement and remain a serious act at the same time.  And I didn't sense anything offensive from the intro, as there's really no way to take that kind of concept as a serious message.  Think about so many cheesy concepts that plague metal, from the satanism in early black metal to the LOTR fantasy of power metal.  Then we've got the sci-fi concept albums.  I think a few jokes on the side are fine.

I look at it like this:

Technical = Consciously complex & hard to play.

Progressive = Utilizes a more expansive palate of thematic, structural & melodic ideas which gives the music a more sophisticated (& sometimes spacey) feel. It can often be quite technical but not always.

Most technical releases could easily fit under the progressive tag in my opinion but I don't feel that the same can't be said in reverse.

That's what I've been thinking, but you phrased it way better.

To me, the "technical" sound is less about weird time signatures and trying to break the genre's standards and more about a less melodic and more robotic, showoff aesthetic.  At least this is the best way I can phrase it.  Prog metal has to have awkward but organized time signatures where as tech metal needs to be able to create awkward, repetitive but technically proficiant riffs and aesthetics without pushing too far into prog territory.

Symphony X: Divine Wings, Twilight in Olympus, V (98, 100, 100)

Metallica: Ride the Lightning, Master of Puppets, And Justice for All (100, 97, 100)

Happy 40th to Ride the Lightning!!!

... but it's not listen in the anniversaries page.  I just checked the date.

I just watched my 3000th movie.  I'll post a review here tomorrow out of excitement.

That reminds me, I submitted my 1,000th Metal Academy review a week ago. That seems almost impossible on paper but apparently I’ve managed to accomplish it somehow. I wonder how many of them were actually helpful or have even been read?

You've been running this site for a while now.  I'm personally surprised it's ONLY 1000.  Although I typically only read reviews for albums and movies I've already seen, so I've read quite a few of yours.

Del Toro's Pinocchio (2022)

Let's take a look at the countless Resident Evil adaptations that took over since the early 2000's. There was the live-action movie series, the CGI series, the reboot with Kaya Scodelario and finally: the Netflix series which nobody asked for. Eventually everyone was fed up. And now we have a few Pinocchio movies within just the last few years. There's the 2019 live-action film, the CGI film "A True Story," the DIsney one and this. Did we really need so many in such a short time? No. But thankfully, one of those movies is an instant classic for all the right reasons. I watched the CGI one yesterday for number 2,999, and decided I'd get through this one for 3000.

In this version of Pinocchio, he is created by a depressed Geppetto after losing his son to the Fascist war. This Pinocchio is very curios but a bit bratty, and wants to learn as much as he can. Overtime, he is caught and accidents and learns from the spirit world about life and death, and uses it in his interactions with the various friends and enemies he makes.

DAMN THIS KID CAN ACT AND SING. Did they go through ten years of searching to find this kid? Despite all of Pinocchio's realistic shortcomings as an overeager brat, his cheerfulness is and energy are adorable. Watching him learn about good and evil throughout all these circumstances, natural and supernatural, is exactly what this film needed. This performance alone makes the movie enjoyable. Everything else could be halfassed like the live-action 101 Dalmatians and I'd probably watch this twice.

And let's take a look at many of the other performances. Filch himself, David Bradley, delivers a perfectly realistc performance as a self-pitying Geppetto who's definitely prone to alcohol. Just watching him complain his its own burning charm. Ewan MacGregor plays Sebastian the Cricket, and while his performance is fine, I don't feel like he's being challenged here. But he has some of the best dialogue in the movie as Sebastian's excellent at explaining reason. Tilda Swinton plays two sisters: the Wood Sprite who brings Pinocchio to life, and Death herself, living in her own world and explaining the rules of life and death to Pinocchio. We have Ron Perlman issuing a perfect performance as a Facsist Podesta and Finn Wolfhard with an accent playing his son, Candlewick. And get this, a monkey speaks through grunts and speaks perfect English through various puppets. That's Cate Blanchett. It's Cate Blanchett. Let that soak in. First, Patrick Stewart gets excited to play a poop emoji and now Blanchett plays Mel Blanc with a tail.

Oh, and the famous ****wipe Mussolini is played by SpongeBob.

It starts off dark, as I expected it to. And we stick with the darker themes throughout the whole film while we also get some balance in the plot relevance of multiple villains. This is a movie that recalls the true intentions of fairy tales and even the subject matter of classic fairy tale movies. This creates a level of excitement which may require parental guidance but adds another layer to the morality, especially considering that Del Toro changed the time period to Fascist Italy where the war is going on. War themes put Pinocchio through other realistic horrors that the more famous adaptations are unfamiliar with. This can also help recreate certain levels of excitement that the Zemeckis remake failed to recapture, like the dogfish scene. While the role of the giant fish essentially stays the same, turning the Coachman into the Podesta and turning boys into soldiers was a perfect choice, as it helps develop the brotherly relationship between Candlewick and Pinocchio. Excellent choice, Del Toro. While the fox and the cat were turned into Volpe and the monkey, their effect of the plot is maxed out to the point of perfection.

On top of which, every reinvention of a trope or story element taken from the book MAKES PERFECT SENSE. Every bit of dialogue is thought out to make sure the plot progresses naturally with the themes, which is more than I can ask from most nonsensical and random fairy tale adaptations. This is especially impressive considering that Del Toro has a bad habit of favoring theme over magic, as shown in the lacking ghostly horror of The Devil's Backbone and the slim and occasional ventures into the fantasy world of Pan's Labyrinth. Here, we have a perfect balance between magic and theme, which as far as I've gathered hasn't been so perfectly balanced in Del Toro's works since Hellboy.

Now let's talk about the puppet animation: it's the perfect combination of charming, grotesque, cute, cartoony and realistic. Some serious research must've been put into these designs because everyone of them works. Such designs like this are beautifully ugly and rare to come across. It's one thing to create old men with cartoon features that still bear the realism of grumpy old men, but even the design of the giant dogfish and Volpe's red hair bear the kind of ugliness that's fun to watch.

After ranking this in my chart I found that this had become the highest rated fairy tale movie on that chart. And I might find myself watching it many times. This is currently my favorite Del Toro as well. All of the imagination of Del Toro's past movies and the love of thematic exploration is in the best harmony his movies have ever had, and there isn't a soul in this world I would not recommend this movie to. This truth to the source material molded with Del Toro's choice of Fascist Italian subject matter makes for a perfect example of a "faithful artistic rendition," and it only makes me ten times as impatient to see Del Toro's upcoming Frankenstein film. I am perfectly happy that this is my 3,000th film.

I just watched my 3000th movie.  I'll post a review here tomorrow out of excitement.

Hey, there's no SPOSTMANSHIP in wrestling.  Quit it!

Do I need to referee the mods?

Just got through Civerous's debut, Decrepit Flesh Relic.  Totally basic death metal with some perfect production.  58.

Now I'm getting through Maze Envy.  I like it well enough, but despite the advancements, everything here is still stuff I've heard before.  Less than 80.

Based on the mess RYM have made of their genre-tagging in recent years, I wouldn't worry too much about what their members think Rex as there's not a lot of genuine understanding there. More importantly, we need a few more The Guardians members to vote on this release in the Hall of Judgement so that we can achieve a clear position.

I know.  I'm just expressing my pleasure that it's at least staying there for a while.  I don't have an RYM account as the staff isn't making the best decisions, but I wanted a place to express the pleasure anyway.

Oh please last.

https://rateyourmusic.com/release/album/deep-purple/deep-purple-in-rock/

Disillusion - Gloria (2006)

Genres: Prog Metal, Industrial Metal

From what I understand, Disillusion's sophomore album Gloria represents a dramatic change in sound from their debut, which was more straightforward prog but amped up.  Having recently gotten through the first three Shadow Gallery albums, I'm perfectly used to this.  I didn't expect a great album when I came into this, but I theorized I would like it more than many others because IMO the last thing the world needs is more "standard" albums, and we're already gonna get them every week anyway, so I might as well enjoy what I can from their new industrial sound.

I don't know about you, but that super-dark raw and rough atmosphere took me by complete surprise.  It's noisy while still maintaining a sense of melody.  It was also made clear early on that the vocalist Andy Schmidt was taking a few cues from The Sisters of Mercy's own Andrew Eldritch.  He also takes many times to go for spoken word segments rather than singing, which means the band has a clear urban vision for the album.  I'll say this, the urban factor definitely works for the album.  Like I said, I appreciate new sounds, and it's safe to say that this album is pretty unique to the prog metal scene.  There are some very interesting decisions you'd never get on the previous album, such as the choral synths on the title track being combined with spoken word.  Another great example is Avalanche's black metal intro.  That was COMPLETELY unexpected.  The tremelo-picking is tuned down to allow for a funkier rock guitar to take its place, which means there is still some room for evolution in these tracks.

There's a big problem with switching their sound to an industrial one, though.  Their new sound is partially built on the repetition of singular notes heard often in industrial metal, and is contradictory to the melodic prowess that made their first album so good, which means instead of merely switching styles, they also forgot one of their signature skills at times.  The melodies here aren't generally bad, but some are much better than others to the point where another strong comparison to the debut keeps this album from reaching the same heights.  Another little problem is that Schmidt easily had more room for his more melodic vocals, and he largely abandoned them in favor of darker urban vocals that don't have the same effect.

This is one of those cases where a band's ambition creates something good but also alienates the fans.  Not every idea present is a good one, but the band works with what they're doing here pretty well.  I'm not sure why they decided to take such a drastic turn in their sound, but with some more fleshing out, they could've had something brilliant.  Instead, we get something enjoyable and diverse, but uneven and lacking spirit.

77

Disillusion - Back to Times of Splendor (2004)

Genres: Prog Metal

Subgenres: Melodeath Metal

I paid very little attention to Disillusion because people only really talk about the one album, their debut Back to Times of Splendor.  That's a bit of a disappointment to me considering I like to explore plenty of an act's catalog before moving onto the next.  But it's necessary for me to check them out considering that debut album's reputation, my desire to be a professional critic and the list challenge here.  I didn't have any prior knowledge of them, and had no idea what to expect, but was hoping it wouldn't just be another standard prog album like a few of the albums on this same list challenge.

I'll admit, I haven't been extremely impressed with many of the choices on Metal Academy's 2nd-era prog metal challenge list.  So when I started the album, and this vaguely Egyptian prog-death opener assaulted me with a complex rhythm that was extremely easy to get to and heavier than a granite boulder, my attention was at full.  I was especially happy with this considering that I'm just coming off the back of Dan Swano's solo piece, Moontower, which was standard prog metal but could've been a little heavier at times without relying on so many 70's German prog synths.  Instead they rely on a perfect melodic / complexity balance as a focal point, as if they knew they were showing off.  But the thing is, this album never once feels like guitar wankery.  The rhythms are always easy to work with, and the band is in perfect harmony.  Due to how focused everything it, it's obvious that Disillusion is trying less to be "musicians" and more to be a "band."  Even when it switches things around a little, like the death metal middle section of Alone I Stand in Fires, nothing really feels out of place.  It's so consistent that sometimes the cool surprises might go over your head.

Due to the fact that the singer and the guitar tone are pretty standard for 2000's prog, I was more impressed than amazed, as if this was just an upgraded version of standard prog albums like Shadow Gallery's Tyranny.  Think of this whole album as a much more clever (and somewhat heavier) collection of many things that give standard prog its own name, from the guitar tones to the softer acoustic moments to being inches away from death metal to an occasional power metal segment to a romantic adventure story.  So while I didn't get the unique album I was hoping for, suffice it to say, I still got a great one that has a lot of clever technicality and never once loses its grip.  I would easily recommend this, although I wouldn't put it in my top 500 metal albums.  Maybe it'll be the in the lower end of my top 100 prog metal albums, but it might get kicked off soon.

90/100

So German power metal legends Blind Guardian appear to be releasing a re-recorded version of their classic 1992 fourth full-length "Somewhere Far Beyond" next month, a record that I quite like so I may check this out.

Super eager to see where this goes.  They don't need to re-record such a legendary album, but maybe they'll spice it up somehow.

Totally respect that. Crunkcore is among my least favorite genres of all time, but I'd be totally open to hearing an album in the genre that is actually enjoyable. Maybe I'll give it a shot just for fun.

I actually love it when one of my least favorite genres features an album I find amazing.  Nadja helped me explore some more of my least favorite metal genre: drone.

Blind Girls - An Exit Exists

Genres: Emoviolence

Apparently, I've heard multiple Blind Girls albums before a while back and completely forgot about them.  After checking my ratings, I realize that at the time of exploring them I found them overhyped.  I've heard a decent deal of screamo, and I'm on a pretty desperate search for a band that is both unique and creative.  These days, the best I can ask for is the great (but not brilliant) Foxtails, who I'll be closely following.  Having heard most of this group's catalog, I decided to get this apparent "modern screamo essential" out of the way, as RYM seems to be treating it.

Now this is a 20 minute album of a single genre, so I'll keep this review appropriately brief.  As soon as the opener Dissonance finished, I was certain I was in for just another screamo album.  Don't get me wrong, the atmosphere was perfectly fine.  The opener's title really tells you what to expect, but the actual screamo choices are ones I've heard across an entire genre's spectrum already.  The percussions add to the unpredictable and even chaotic nature as they go into jazzy areas explored by hyperactive bands like Deathspell Omega.  So while it's typical, it's entertaining.  Around the time of the 3rd to last track, there are some disturbing ambient sounds which made me wish there was much more of that scattered throughout this album.

I can easily see a screamo fan enjoying this work.  An Exit Exists is pretty typical for a screamo album, but it's still wild and chaotic.  It's one of those situations where you take all the overused ingredients and just keep switching betwene them, keeping it interesting during its tropiness.

74/100

Thankfully, among all the typical choices is a level of unpredictability that completely justifies the album's existence.

Crunkcore

No hate, but I'm am very curious to hear you explain what you like about this haha

I was hoping someone would say that.

I normally really hate crunkcore.  This particular album, however, gave me a feeling that was completely alien to the nearly 1000 hip hop albums I've explored, especially outside crunkcore.  It used industrial influences, noisy production during screams and ambiance to create a feeling that I can only describe as this: the many emotions of a robot seriously questioning if it has a soul.  That was some accidental brilliance for this guy.  I mean, he NORMALLY does better crunkcore than everyone else, but it's usually just OK.

This is why we need clan-central combo genres.

Little of both for me.