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So is this something that should be listened to if one is not really keen on Hip-Hop?

Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds - Chasing Yesterday

I really don't like Oasis so I have no idea why I even took on this one. It turned out to be a GREAT rock album. The Dying of the Light and 'Right Stuff' in particular show a different side to this guy. Singles are damn catchy too.

8,5/10

anguyen92 wrote:So is this something that should be listened to if one is not really keen on Hip-Hop?

I'm not gonna make statements like that. A lot of people are saying this is the best hip-hop album of the decade, so I think it kinda deserves a listen just because of that.

You'll still need an open mind, but considering that you like artists like Justin Timberlake I think you might like it. Try listening to i, These Walls and The Blacker The Berry seperately on Youtube to get a bit of a feeling. They're better in context though, and there's a lot more going on on this album.

Killswitch Engage - As Daylight Dies

I bought this out of the 5 dollar bin in walmart. I've always liked a few of their songs. This one kind of struck a chord with me as I hear their former singer Howard Jones in a Christian, and it's prevalent in many of the song lyrics (especially Eye of the Storm).

I like the album, but I wish there were some solos on there. Not sure if KE solo much or not (guessing not) but they should as they have awesome guitars and power chords. I did feel like most of the songs were a little short, which isn't always a bad thing. But some of them could have been fleshed out more. When every song is the same length, then you've hit a formula, and there isn't much creative structure going on in your music. Overall I'd give it a 6.5 or 7/10.

Been a while since I posted a rating on an album, but here we are.



Switchfoot - Vice Verses. 8/10.

As most people here have read, probably, I've been on a huge Switchfoot buzz since I saw a live stream of them back in November that helped me give their latest album, Fading West, a better appreciation and understand how much of an impact that their best-selling album, The Beautiful Letdown, made in terms of growing their fanbase.

That said, even though I listened the Vice Verses album for the 1st time, it felt like it gravitated to me so easily than the albums I listened above. For one thing, it's interesting that the lyrics "I still believe we could live forever. You and I we begin forever now. Forever now. Forever. I still believe in us together. You and I we're here together now. Forever now," was utilized in the intro song, Afterlife, and the closing song, Where I Belong which kinda sets the tone of the themes that they want to talk about, which I think is about reflection of how life can be polarizing, in general. Another thing, the lyrics in the song, "Souvenirs," has this interesting vibe that kinda makes me want to go back in time and relive the most enjoyable parts of life and makes me want to enjoy the best parts of certain relationships, especially with a certain someone.

The other songs are all right. It has some good high-energy rock radio stuff and anthemic stuff.

Overall, for me, after listening to like four Switchfoot albums, thus far, Vice Verses may be the most enjoyable one so far. Favorites songs are Afterlife, Dark Horses, Rise Above It, Souvenirs, and Where I Belong.

Flyleaf- Memento Mori
I really like the style of this album, yet the last third is way too balladesque and lacks some more pace. Still Lacey's voice saves the album from being bland average. 7/10

Gojira - Magma

8/10. Solid stuff.

Gotye - Making Mirrors

9/10. Everyone knows this album for the song "Somebody That I Used to Know" but the rest of it is some damn great music. Almost every song on the album crosses some sort of genre boundary and "State of the Art" is an amazing commentary on the state of music right now (not so much the industry, but the music itself). I can't remember one track that felt like filler and there's a song for almost any moment of the day. Great stuff.

Nickel Creek- A Dotted Line
Holy crap...10/10. Couldn't recommend this album enough...bluegrass/folk on steroids. Incredibly unique melodies and plenty of different vibes infused into a bluegrass framework. Chris Thile is a virtuoso musician. Didn't think i'd like this group as much as his Punch Brothers band, but i was way wrong

Paul Gilbert - I Can Destroy

9.5/10

Paul is back and just as good, if not better, than ever. This album is very bluesy but still features the lightheartedness you'd expect from him. Every song on here has its own identity and could be an instant classic. My favorites are "Everybody Use Your Goddamn Turn Signal", "Adventure And Trouble", "Gonna Make You Love Me", "One Woman Too Many", "Blues Just Saved Me Life", and "I Will Be Remembered", but there's really no weak song on here. There's even a Ted Nugent cover at the end. I HIGHLY recommend grabbing this album if you're a fan of blues/hard rock with amazing guitar!

Periphery - Select Difficulty

11/10 Best album of 2016 so far. Sorry Tremonti!

We'll see if AB can top it but goood luck

Jk, not saying they cant;)

Actually is perfect in my eyes. There isnt a single song that I would say sounds to similar to another, its so diverse and vast in terms of styles that have been explored. I love it.

austinjhnsn wrote:We'll see if AB can top it but goood luck

Jk, not saying they cant;)

Actually is perfect in my eyes. There isnt a single song that I would say sounds to similar to another, its so diverse and vast in terms of styles that have been explored. I love it.

Of course they can; They're AB FFS! fanboy activate.

Meytal - Alchemy

Great freaking album. Named for drummer and founder Meytal Cohen (it's an Israeli name) who became pretty well known on YouTube for her library of impressive drum covers (and probably her smile, too). This band blends a lot of Dream Theater, some Nevermore, some NuMetal influences, and some modern rock like AB and Shinedown to create a really heavy/melodic/listenable/intelligent/progressive sound. I'd say they borrowed from Karnivool but Meytal noted she just discovered them recently and the album was recorded in 2014. Great vocals, really tasty guitars with some nice shred, and very live ripping drums.

I saw them open for Queensrÿche recently and they have a great live sound - though a couple of the band still look a bit new as stage performers, which should improve with time and bigger stages - and got me really interested in hearing more from them - and I was really glad I dug into them further.

The band was listed on Billboard as the best new metal band for their debut year. This is definitely a band worth checking out because I think the AB crowd here will really like them.

Plus, Meytal included a lollipop inside my Alchemy Live special order. That's cool.

8+/10

Letters From The Fire - Worth The Pain

6/10

Lots of good riffage and music, the melodies are nice, the lead singers voice is one I like for females which is not very often. But I think in time, there would be lots of tracks I'd skip like ballads/softer songs.

Stand Outs: One Foot In The Grave (That Intro Riff! ), Perfect Life (Great energy, riffage, and nice solo), Live A Lie.

A Day To Remember - Bad Vibrations

7.5/10

I was enjoying myself some punk/metalcore in the good European weather the last few weeks. Seemed to fit my mood very well and they have a good mixture of more heavy metalcore and some pop-punk stuff.

My favs: Exposed (pure metalcore goodness), Bullfight (punky with a great heavy bridge) and Paranoia (punk all the way).

The Wall - Pink Floyd

8.5/10

Never listened to the wall aside from the two songs everyone knows. I quite enjoyed the first half of the album the 2nd half while brilliant wasnt entirely my style. I feel like it is a masterpiece record but I'm not a huge Pink Floyd fan to begin with so their style isn't always what I am drawn to. That being said brilliant album. All 3 parts of Another brick in the wall were great, In the flesh? was great and of course comfortably numb was the perfect way to end off the first half of the record.

Nearly 2 years since the last post.

He Is Legend - White Bat
7.5/10

We Are Not Your Kind - Slipknot
8.5/10

fix wrote:We Are Not Your Kind - Slipknot
8.5/10

Ehh, I don't know. The album clearly lacks uptempo songs. Furthermore I'm missing the aggressivity of the older records.