music reviews

these are the albums which i absolutely adored. there maybe albums which i might have already listened to in the past years, but didn't like, but overtime i started loving them. there are some new additions as well.

note : these review logs are after 2025, no previous listings. also, these aren't ranked, but in chronological order (though am not sure about how accurate the order maybe but i will try my best)

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album	information	review
	Gintonic [Francoise Hardy, 1980] 4.2/5.0	date of writing this : 20.03.25 and it's around 1 A.M listened to this for the first time during the last months of the year 2024, a great album by french actor francoise hardy.
	ExMilitary [DeathGrips, 2011] 4.7/5.0	date of writing : 31.12.24 and it's around 11:55 PM would also like to include money store here. one of the most chaotic and well produced albums i've listened to this year, it's that kind of album which transcends the boundaries of music.
	To Be Kind [Swans, 2014] 5.0/5.0	date of writing this : 20.03.25 and it's around 1 A.M one of the greatest albums i've ever listened to. it will take me more than a hour or so, just to write why i freakin love this magnificent album.
	The Inner Mounting Flame [Mahavishnu Orchestra, 1971] 4.4/5.0	date of writing this : 20.03.25 and it's around 1 A.M mahavisnu orchestra was on my 'to listen' list but i couldn't do so for a few reasons..until recently. really love the guitarist john mclaughin aka mahavishnu, the opening track is one of the best album openers. this album has that absolute prog and jazz fusion soul.
	Post [Bjork, 1995] 4.7/5.0	date of writing this : 20.03.25 and it's around 1 A.M i absolutely loved the album debut by bjork, but in the past few months i have inclined more towards her next record post. absolutely love how unique and creative the soundscape is, pretty immersive and very weird, lol.
	Red [King Crimson, 1974] 4.8/5.0	date of writing this : 20.03.25 and it's around 1 A.M lately i've started appreciating this album even more than what i used to. has some of the best album openers. i love how weirdly chaotic one more red nightmare is. starless is one of the greatest tracks ever written and performed.
	Dummy [Portishead, 1994] 4.6/5.0	date of writing this : 20.03.25 and it's around 1 A.M an absolute magnificent album. one of those few albums which hooked me from it's first spin, i absolutely love how spooky, eerily scary this album's atmosphere is. this record's album cover absolutely gives me the kind of soundscape i wanna listen to. i mean not many albums do that, idk if i'm wrong, lol. this album reminds me of those childhood spooky foggy moonsoon nights reading/watching creepypasta blog/videos. it also reminds of those noir, dark and eerily spooky films, or games like taxi driver, max payne, silent hill 2, lost highway, mulholand drive, wyes wide shut, etc. portishead will definitely be among my most fav artists this year if they have same amount of artistry in their other albums. most probably my fav album rn, my fav tracks are mysterions, sour times, biscuit etc. it's an absolute peak record. and i'm not sure where i can find it's flaws.
	Return to the Dark Side of the Moon [Peter Banks, Geoff Downes, Rick Wakeman, Kaye and Sherwood; 2006] 4.5/5.0	date of writing this : 30.03.25 and it's exactly 3AM FCK!! i can't describe how freakin phenomenonal listening to this album felt like. i mean we've got some of the best prog legends performing some of the greatest album of all time. i freakin love the instrumentation here, at first glance(before spinning the album) i thought it would be just another tribute album which 'may' touch the surface but oh boy this specific record absolutely destroyed my casual assumption. i consider this better than the original version, yea, that's the amount of appreciation i have for this record, that too with it's only first spin. the line-up here is insane, almost feels like a dream, lol. adrian belew of king crimson, i absolutely adore this guy for his contribution in the record discipline, and his masculine yet fragile voice, brouhahah. toni lewin, the bassist for king crimson during time period 1981 to 2021, he did absolutely great in this record. john wetton, the bassist of king crimson during time period 1973 till 2014 or smth, he played on larks' tongues in aspic, red, the main guy behind the track starless, one of the most well known king crimson song. i absolutely love this phase of king crimson, that dark, instrumental, hard, proto-metal phase and it's wonderful to see the person who was involved in all this perform in this tribute record, and his contributions are absolutely wonderful! rest in peace wetton. then we have rick wakemen of the band yes, and i freakin love his key playing here, him playing with the keys in this record feels soooooo surreal, there's no comparison between rick wakemen or richard wright, both are freakin gods and they won't dissappint you! now we got another legend from the band yes, steve howe, the guitarist of the band. i absolutely love his guitar play in the album fragile and close to the edge, it's sooo raw! and there even legends like rob krieger, i mean one of the literal guy behind the band doors, the same guy who wrote and co-wrote so many doors track. i felt like he was the only one maintaining the dreamy psychedelic nature of floyd, but whatever, lol. i wrote abit too much lol, i mean there are soooo many legends in just one single record, how can somebody not get overwhelmed by the prog artistic soul here? this album is definitely gonna top in topster of my fav albums. well, i guess, i shouldn't write further or this would disrupt my sleepimg schedule.
	Selling England by the Pound [Genesis, 1973] 4.6/5.0	date of writing this : 27.04.25 and it's around 4 P.M woah- this is definitely some of the greatest albums i've heard this year. the soul here is crazy, it's some of the greatest i've heard. the last time i got this special estus flask was when i listened to mahavishnu orchestra's album inner mountain flame, it's better than that. yup, i'm saying this and am absolut about it. the initial few minutes of the album felt pretty boring to me, but it grabbed me in the second half, firmly. and the track firth of fifth, oh my gawd, the second half of it is like when that joint hits you and you start floating and.. i cant express it, lol. it'ss most probably some of the greatest prog tracks out there.
	Collusion [Dead World, 1992] 4.5/5.0	date of writing this : 10.05.25 and it's around 10:30 P.M a pretty great industrial metal album from 1993. the ones who've watched the traces of death trilogy know what i'm talking about. btw, i don't like that thing, but i won't deny the fact that it had some of the most coolest soundtrack listings. really loved tracks like neurosis quagmire, portae inferni, etc.
	The Machine [Dead World, 1993] 4.4/5.0	date of writing this : 10.05.25 and it's around 10:30 P.M about the album machine, its more polished than collusion, its great, tho collusion got me more like "YEA!!" really loved the self titled track and orgy of self mutilation.
	Blood Fire Death [Bathory, 1988] 4.1/5.0	date of writing this : 10.05.25 and it's around 10:30 P.M a pretty GREAT black/viking metal album, i think people like the acoustic + metal or whatever 'thingy' here, but i didn’t enjoy that much. i really emjoyed this album.
	Into The Grave [Grave, 1991] 4.2/5.0	date of writing this : 10.05.25 and it's around 10:30 P.M love how the album starts, i mean, it hooked me up from the beginning. One of the best death metal albums i’ve listened to till now, gotta keep exploring.
	Young Team [Mogwai, 1997] 4.6/5.0	date of writing this : 21.05.25 and it's around 11:20 P.M this album was on my "to listen" list for a long time, i just randomly spinned one of the tracks(katrien) and i absolutely adored its soothing atmosphere. definitely gave me that yk that godspeed you black emperor vibes.. "yes im long way from home" can definitely take that "some of the best album openers" spot for me. the track "like herod", i thought it would be pleasing like the other previous tracks.. only to get surprised at around the 3 minute mark. the track summer has a pretty great beginning, really loved that bass and the roughness at build ups. "with portfolio" is quite weird therefore i kinda like it, hahah. really loved the track "r u still in 2 it", such a relaxing banger. the ending track, "mogwai fear satan" is definitely the strongest track in the album, it flows pretty great, so great that i didn't feel like i've been listening to this piece for around 16 minutes.. it's just soooo great! i will most probly need multiple spins to fully absorb or grasp this album. but it's definitely some of the best records i've listen to this year. it's a solid debut album, imo.
	Filosofem [Burzum, 1996] 4.7/5.0	date of writing this : 30.05.25 and it's around 3 A.M metal music doesn't usually clicks inside me just from its first listen, but dunkelheit pulled my ass straight thru the beginning. dunkelheit is some of the best album openenrs, literally love that part when the synths drops. btw, i pretty much loved that 25 minutes track, the one which had a long ass german name, it was like listening to some sort ambient, eerie-ly haunting 90s-00s soundtrack and its.. idk how to express it, but its like roaming in a forest during the 1990s, where you can hear droplets of condensed water falling thru the leaves, and you're kind of lost in it. this album is strangely 'hypnotically' immersive. i don't usually like metal albums until and unless they have a story attached to it, maybe it was because i already knew the lore of mayhem and varg, so yea. but it feels abit 'off' to me, considering i’m listening to a project made by varg vikernes, a convicted murderer, racist, bigot, neo-n@zi.
	Strid [Strid, 1993-94] 4.6/5.0	date of writing this : 25.06.25 and it's around 10:00 P.M pretty dope album. i was absolutely amazed when the initial drums go like dhu-dhu-ku-dhu-dhu-dhu-dhuu, and then the riff drops. definitely some of my most favourite album openers. the atmosphere in the last track is just smth just SOOOO peak! i mean despite being such a small album, just 25 minutes long and it left a long lasting impression on me.
	Mezzanine [Massive Attack, 1998] 4.6/5.0	date of writing this : 26.06.25 and it's around 04:00 P.M after numerous spins, this is definitely in the list of my top 50 fav albums. it's on par with dummy by portishead, but imo, dummy was pretty much more grim gritty and eerie-ly haunting and scary album, but this album isn't any less either. the album opener is one of the best, if not the best.. the bass, the vocals and everything is just sooo peak! every single vocal artist who were involved in the this album did fabulous job! and you definitely can't undermine the creativity of instrumental artists who set up that atmosphere. i mean- it's crazy to put this kind of atmosphere, that too around or more than 30 years ago. also, loved track such as teardrops, dissolved girl, black milk, man next door and the album as a whole. its definitely one of the pioneers of the trip hop genre.
	Wanderings [I Shalt Become, 1998] 4.4/5.0	date of writing this : 30.06.25 and it's around 10:30 P.M absolutely loved its atmosphere, i mean it feels like i'm in middle of a cold ahh forest, during the morning time period, and my surrounding is JUST fog..
	Hvis lyset tar oss [Burzum, 1992] 4.3/5.0	date of writing this : 30.06.25 and it's around 10:30 P.M the album opener is fabulous! absolutely loved this album..
	Empress Rising [Monolord, 2014] 4.1/5.0	date of writing this : 30.06.25 and it's around 10:30 P.M pretty dope stoner album, reminded me of dopesmoker by sleep..
	As the Wolves Gather [Forgotten Woods, 1994] 4.4/5.0	date of writing this : 30.06.25 and it's around 10:30 P.M the opening track is great, the subsequent tracks are even better. the atmosphere of the album mirrors what the cover portrays.
	Motherfucker, I am Both: "Amen" and "Hallelujah"... [Shearling, 2025] 4.7/5.0	date of writing this : 30.08.25 and it's around 02:00 P.M shoutout to my aussie friend as he was the one who introduced me to this album. he said that it's like "if old swans and new swans had an incest baby and abused the shit out of it." and guess what? this was an absolut real ass statement. really loved this album, especially the start of it, it just starts sooo well..! right from the start, it's just disgustingly filthy. it's beautiful. but also, it's violent. i didn't expect much from this album considering it was released just a few months ago, and i've always been like "music back in the days was much better", for example.. still to this day, i prefer to listen to an original black metal track from the 90s rather than a new band which was made in 2010s or later. it's not only limited to black metal tho, i mean i've felt this way about alot of genres. anyways, back to the album, this album is anything but dead. in fact, it's one of the most alive, visceral experiences i've had with music in a while. the vocals feels like they're gonna strip the soul out of you just like how those darkwraiths steals the humanity out of you in dark souls. the album is kind of an abyss. really loved the fact that shearling isnt just trying to copy what's come before. they've taken all that old, visceral energy and twisted it into smth that feels UNIQUELY modern, even while it taps into the primal. i couldn't believe this album was literally created a few months back, i mean, my assumption that music is dead these days isn't really true.. you just have to dig a bit..!!
	Selected Ambient Works 85-92 [Aphex Twin, 1992] 4.5/5.0	date of writing this : 30.08.25 and it's around 02:00 P.M absolutely phenomenal album!! i'm still listening to this album while writing this and pretty much fell in love with this. i mean how freakin ambient, ethereal, eerie-ly haunting this album is just sooo cool. it really gave me the vibes of kraftwerk, maybe even better? who knows? regardless, it's crazy someone recorded this kind of stuff back in 85-92, i mean it's just soo ahead of its time. the textures of this album feels like floating in some sort of cyber dream or smth. EVERY track feels like a memory you never actually had, but somehow miss it.. what is it called? anemoia or smth.
	Darksol II [Dark Sol, 2019] 3.4/5.0	date of writing this : 01.09.25 and it's around 06:30 P.M good dungeon synth album, not THAT good to be on my favourite list, but whatever.
	Stellary Wisdom [Old Tower, 2018] 4.1/5.0	date of writing this : 01.09.25 and it's around 06:30 P.M this is an actual GREAT dungeon synth album, hahah.
	All Lights Fcked On The Hairy Amp Drooling [Godspeed You Black Emperor, 1994] 4.4/5.0	date of writing this : 20.09.25 and it's around 02:30 A.M this bootleg record was recorded back in 1994. it was regarded fully as a “holy grail of post-rock” and fans thought they’ll get to hear this masterpiece. segments of the tape were leaked online in 2013 and the full recording came in 2022. it’s 2am, and i’m still listening to this, it is VERY different from records such as lift you skinny fists, f sharp a sharp, or yanqui.. but it is a privilege to listen to the early sounds of godspeed you black emperor, we can hear the early influences of gybe, and they’re absolutely amazing. you definitely hear some elements of their signature sound such as those tape loops, droning ambiance, submerged vocals, and moments that flirt with post-punk, lo-fi folk, and even bedroom industrial. i would say it’s a pretty intriguing album to hear if you’re interested to understand their history or evolution..! it’s not perfect, but shows imperfection beginnings of smth revolutionary!
	The Eternal Melancholy of the Wampyre [Wampyric Rites, 2021] 4.1/5.0	date of writing this : 22.09.25 and it's around 02:30 A.M it’s a great black metal album, the atmosphere is pretty dope i would say. i love its raw, second wave, dungeon synth influences, and its wampyre themed yk soundscape. it’s one of those albums that doesn’t just sound like black metal, it FEELS like black metal.. cold, mysterious, and full of ritualistic energy. if you’re into raw, atmospheric black metal with a strong thematic backbone, this is definitely worth diving into. the starting track really hit that perfect balance between aggression and eerie-ly haunting beauty. overall, a solid entry into the genre that stands out because of its mood and creativity. glad i finally gave it a full spin.
	Группа крови [Kino, 1988] 4.0/5.0	date of writing this : 21.09.25 and it's around 06:30 P.M such a great album by the soviet rock band kino, i mean one of the tracks spokaya noch, it was used by socialist/communist editors on tiktok and i wasn’t aware of that. but yea, this album really stands out. it’s raw, emotional, and has that gritty, honest vibe that makes you feel like you’re stepping into a different era when gorbachev was the general secretary of the union of soviet socialist republics. viktor tsoi’s voice carries so much weight and soul.. i kinda love his deep raspy voice, lol. the production is simple but effective, and the melodies stick with you long after you’ve stopped listening. there’s a certain timelessness to it.. you can feel the cold winters, the restless youth, the underground spirit, all wrapped into these tracks. great album nonetheless, rest in peace viktor tsoi.
	Morning Light [Locust, 1997] 4.7/5.0	date of writing this : 27.09.25 and it's around 03:40 A.M i was kinda in a boredom since i hadn’t listened to smth like portishead, bjork or massive attack so i decided to give this album a spin. i’ve listened to certain tracks from this artist but i never gave this entire album a proper listen, but i did it now at around 3am. and man.. idk if it was the late hour or the absolute mental fog i was in, but this album felt like it cracked open a weird hallway in my brain i didnt know existed. like it’s kind of trippy yk? somewhere beneath all that chaos, there’s like.. this strange sense of purpose? like, the band knew exactly what they were doing even if it feels like your ears are being chewed up by static and broken machines. it reminded me of some weird fever dream(more like some salvia trip i never experienced) where you’re stuck in an abandoned mall, and everything’s glitching and there’s insects the size of dogs crawling in the distance, and your face starts melting.. the pacing is relentless.. some tracks barely give you 30 seconds to breathe before you’re launched into the next track. and somehow.. it works. idk how to explain it but it’s like audio anxiety, but in a way that makes you wanna replay it, lol. definitely not for everyone, and not smth you “vibe” to in a conventional/traditional sense. but if you’re into aggressive, experimental soundscapes that feel like you’re being dragged through an industrial nightmare.. this is it. the drums feel so psychotic. the synths feel like they’re your skin, which is melting. and the vocals are just raw, soothing, shrieking.. they kinda haunt you even after the album ends. it’s not beautiful in a traditional way, so it is definitely beautiful for meh, BWAHAH. reminds me of those moments in horror games when everything's silent except for your own breathing and you know smth’s behind the wall.. weirdly addictive, hahah. i’m glad i gave it a proper listen finally. gonna keep spinning it during those 2-4 am mental spiral hours.
	A World Through Dead Eyes [Krohm, 2005] 4.4/5.0	date of writing this : 04.10.25 and it's around 02:30 A.M such a phenomenal album dudee!! it's one of those few rare metal albums which had me hooked right from the first spin. the atmosphere is just SOOO cold, bleak, and depressive in a beautiful wayy. it's quite depressive, but in some sort of forced way.. it genuinely feels mournful, like you're walking thru the ruins of some forgotten world where everything is gray and the atmosphere is foggy, smth like silent hill maybe.. what really stands out is how immersive this album is.. everything feels like you're drowned in fog, or maybe sinking slowly into a void/abyss, and you're NOT fighting or resisting. next time, if i ever decided to consume some "stuff", i would definitely play this. the "stuff" will definitely transport me into some other realm and crank up that immersive atmospheric feeling. probably some kind of melancholic dream-like realm or smth. definitely some of my top favorite black metal albums. this album slowly seeps into your skin, one track after another gets you, and that's the kind of melancholy i would want, smth that lingers on my brain and not scream. glad i listened to this.
	The Black Saint and the Sinner Lady [Charles Mingus, 1963] 4.8/5.0	date of writing this : 15.11.25 and it's around 02:15 P.M ABSOLUTELY PHENOMENAL RECORD, DUDE!! the moment i hit play, the first two minutes didnt just grab my attention.. they straight up hijacked my nervous system. almost felt like as if i had been drugged through my headphones. goosebumps, skin tingling, some kinda auditory hallucination happening.. like mingus reached out of the speakers and slapped my soul awake. this isnt just "one of the greatest jazz albums ever". that's underselling it. this is one of the greatest albums ever recorded by any human being in any genre, period. the arrangements here are just.. unbelievably dense, but not in that annoying "look at me im complex" way. it's the type of complexity that feels like it's happening naturally. every instrument sounds like it's arguing with the others, but in some cosmic, pre destined harmony. some sort of controlled chaos.. like elegant disaster. jazz that feels like it's pacing around the room trying to decide whether to scream, cry, or ascend. and mingus himself? bro plays the bass like it's a divine souls weapon. every pluck is like a pulse from some giant creature underwater. the way he drives it.. you can hear the man sweating through the music, dragging everyone forward into this absolutely wild emotional spiral. it's one of those records that hits your nervous system before your brain can even figure out what's happening. pure limbic system stimulation. art that bypasses logic and just goes straight into the bloodstream. honestly, calling this a "jazz record" feels wrong. this is a 40 minute mental breakdown choreographed by an absolut genius. full of joy, despair, ecstasy, panic, catharsis, and WHATEEVER the hell else mingus was exorcising that day. absolutely monumental shit. peak arse record. something every human should listen to at least once before dying.
	Discipline [King Crimson, 1981] 4.7/5.0	date of writing this : 18.11.25 and it's around 12:15 P.M Not a new edition, but i wanted to write something about this record - discipline is literally the magnum opus of king crimson, period. & robert frip, adrian belew, tony levin, bill bruford line-up was the best line-up in king crimson's history. the thing is, when i first got into king crimson and progressive rock, i loved ITCOTCK, when my ears weren't yet fully "mature" when it came to spinning progressive rock records. after a while, i fell in love with Red because of how progressive, heavy, raw, and chaotic it was. but eventually, i grew to adore Discipline. seeing their live performances and watching how they play.. how intricate, precise, and profound their musicianship became.. made me realize just how truly great of a record Discipline is. ITCOTCK only sounds appealing when you get into classical progressive rock for the first time, i.e, when your ears are still in its infant stage of listening to prog rock. and even after all that there are tons of albums which are much more progressive, intricate, and profound than ITCOTCK. lake wasn't even giving his best with king crimson, it was only when he founded ELP, where he made phenomenal records. regardless, the topic here is why discipline era line-up is better than original line-up.. first of all, the soundscape of king crimson absolutely changed, and became MUCH more intricate, profound, mathematical. we had frip's interlocking guitar systems, a new guitarist adrian belew who played angular with almost synthetic phrasing, a new bassist tony levin who was a phenomenal chapman stick & bass player who also influenced les claypool of primus, and bill bruford's shift into tuned percussion and polyrhythms created a sound that wasnt just "progressive rock".. it was practically mathematical art rock. the recursive patterns, rhythmic phasing, frippertronics and metric modulation that are MILES beyond the romantic symphonic structures of '69. belew brought emotion through texture instead of melody. levin redefined what the low end could even be. bruford reinvented the role of the drummer entirely. this line-up wasnt just an evolution.. it was a complete re invention. i love the similarity between this – how michael gira literally re-incarnated swans back in 2010, when the band was long defunct since '97, it's soo identical to how robert frip shut KC in '74 or '75 and then came back in '81 with an absolutely different sound.
	King Crimson live at Kani Hoken Hall Tokyo [King Crimson, 1984] 4.6/5.0	date of writing this : 21.11.25 and it's around 1:30 A.M this concert dvd i've been watching repeatedly since past few days - King Crimson live at Kani Hoken Hall Tokyo 30th of April 1984 (Third Night) the setlist here is just AMAZING!! No Warning Lark`s Tongues In Aspic (Part III) Thela Hun Ginjeet Backstage Footage Frame By Frame Matte Kudasai Industry Dig Me Three Of A Perfect Pair Indiscipline Street Szene Tokyo Sartori In Tangier Man With An Open Heart Waiting Man Sleepless Lark`s Tongues In Aspic (Part II) Discipline Elephant Talk Heartbeat my most favourite ones here were Larks' tongues in aspic pt. iii, thela hun ginjeet, frame by frame, matte kudasai, industry, three of a perfect pair, indiscipline, sartori in tangier, man with an open heart, sleepless, larks' tongues in aspic pt. ii, discipline, elephant talk... i love how it starts with no warning then goes to larks' tongues in aspic pt. iii, i will always love that 2nd part of.. i mean- here you see a shift in the structure of the track, the tempo changes, the mood shifts.. fripp goes from this almost menacing, mechanical precision to a soaring, expressive guitar line that feels like it’s breaking apart the universe.i absolutely love how animated he becomes here, like never before!! at the around 08:11 mark.. I LOVE THIS PART SOOOOOOOOO MUCH, DUDE!!! the way the camcorder first shows robert fripp playing his part, and then suddenly in a slow intentional way, adrian belew adds his parts and suddenly the shot is on adrian belew.. holy shit. that "thrang thrang" part he plays, the way the camcorder does that slow and subtle tracking shot, and him making those playful, mischievous expressions.. it's sooo expressive and childlike, lmfao. and again, props the the cameraman for that tracking shot, lol. i love the cinematography for the entire live show, it's minimalistic, feels super raw 1980s, and makes me super anemoia-ic. here we see an interchange of personalities between belew and fripp - fripp who's usually silent and reserved becomes expressive and belew who's usually the energetic one gets a bit silent.. i also love the fact that tony levin in the 2nd part is playing bass with his left hand and synthesizers with his right hand simultaneously.. i can’t even imagine how much experience, musical understanding, and confidence (to play in front of so many people) it takes to pull that off.. the tension builds and builds, bruford and levin lockin' in everything while still letting themselves breathe. and the ending.. it doesn’t just finish, it erupts. the guitars and bass and drums all collide, but it's controlled chaos. every note feels intentional. and just when you think they’ve finished going through all that chaos, they hit you with thela hun ginjeet - heat in the jungle. the groove locks in instantly, fripp’s serious face while playing some crazy ahh guitar part, tony levin holding it all together with his chapman stick & bass guitar, and bruford.. man, bruford is everywhere at once, driving the track forward with insane precision. then out of nowhere, it cuts to some backstage footage.. totally random, handheld looking, like you’re sneaking a peek behind the curtain. there’s this short clip of adrian, acting like he’s in some cheesy horror flick, all wide eyed like a spirit’s about to jump out at him, idk it's like a blair witch project scene with a vhs camera in the backrooms(that mid 80s vhs camera's not a late 90s digital8/mini dv home camcorder). it’s so unpolished, sooo real. and just when you’re laughing at that little moment, it snaps back into the music with frame by frame. instantly, the energy flips.. the initial interlocking guitar parts of adrian belew & robert fripp are just sooo profound, bruford’s druming, levin’s wondrous chapman stick playing. it's just soo tight and precise, but still carrying that live, sweaty, just rolled off stage feeling that makes it all hit harder. alright, after the intensity of frame by frame, the set takes this beautiful turn with matte kudasai. the shift is subtle but striking.. fripp’s guitar tone softens, clean and melodic, letting the space between all those crazy tight notes breathe. adrian’s voice floats effortlessly over it, warm but precise, carrying this melancholic, masculine yet fragile voice, yearning vibe that cuts through the technical complexity of the previous tracks. levin holds it all together, his bass patient and melodic, perfectly complementing bruford’s understated drumming, which now focuses more on texture than power. it’s almost like the band collectively exhales here.. a serene, reflective moment that feels intimate even in a big hall, showing that king crimson isn’t just about chaos and precision; they know how to make the silence between the notes speak as loudly as the notes themselves. i mean- i love this track SOOO MUCH!! it's so melancholic, yearning and just soo amazing!! and then we crash into industry, where the energy pivots completely. tony levin is back at his dual setup.. left hand on the bass, right hand on the synth.. and the soundscape instantly transforms. the track feels like a bridge between worlds: like it's some sort of post-rock song or better say pre-rock, part industrial experimentation. it’s polished enough that every note, every rhythm hits with intention, yet unpolished enough to retain this raw, like a niche, underground post rock band capturing lightning in a bottle. bruford’s drums cut jagged, mechanical patterns, adrian belew’s guitar adds metallic, industrial and eerie sounds, and fripp’s guitar makes ambient sounds... i'm gonna skip dig me and talk about three of a perfect pair - the energy shifts again. the interplay between fripp and belew is razor sharp, tony levin’s grooves hold everything together... it’s angular, it’s jagged then it goes into indiscipline.. and i absolutely love how they play it so differently than the studio version. they literally reinvent it every time with every single concert/live performance, but this performance adds its own flavor. bill bruford goes full experimental, throwing in all sorts of textures and sounds, and for a brief moment, adrian even jumps in on the drum part. meanwhile, tony levin is holding everything together with those intitial 2-3 notes before the chaos of indiscipline unfolds completely. the tension just keeps building until the entire band erupts into organized madness. i absolutely love this track, also the lyrics - I do remember one thing. It took hours and hours but.. by the time I was done with it, I was so involved, I didn't know what to think. I carried it around with me for days and days.. playing little games like not looking at it for a whole day and then.. looking at it. to see if I still liked it. I did. I repeat myself when under stress. I repeat myself when under stress. I repeat myself when under stress. I repeat myself when under stress. I repeat.. The more I look at it, the more I like it. I do think it's good. The fact is.. no matter how closely I study it, no matter how I take it apart, no matter how I break it down, It remains consistant. I wish you were here to see it. I like it. after indiscipline, it moves into street szene tokyo. here, the track three of a perfect pair plays in the background while the band members just hang out.. laughing, having fun, meeting fans, small chaotic gestures.. and it’s all captured in that candid, mid 80s magic. the footage was shot on early ccd sensors, probably 1/2" or 2/3" vidicon style chips, which were interlaced at 50 fields per second, i guess🤔. compared to later formats like mini-dv (which appeared around '95 and used smaller 1/6" or 1/4" ccd sensors with higher resolution and less noise), these early ccds had lower resolution and more limited dynamic range. the highlights bloom softly, shadows compress, and you get this slight glow with subtle color bleeding. these "limitations" are exactly what give the footage that nostalgic, eerie warmth. the mid 80s sensor characteristics.. soft edges, light smearing, a little video noise.. combine with the band just being themselves to make it feel authentic and humane. after the playful chaos of street szene tokyo, we’re back on stage with sartori in tangier. the band is tight but loose, hitting those jagged rhythms that only king crimson can pull off live. bruford's drumming's crisp, fripp playing those interlocking patterns, and adrian is riding around the sonic space with his guitar. it’s raw, it’s precise.. it feels like it’s breathing. next up, man with an open heart. the tension here is cinematic. fripp’s guitar subtly builds layers, adrian adds his haunting vocal lines and occasional guitar squawks and those weird ahh noises.. i’m gonna skip waiting man and hop straight into sleepless. oh man, this track is a treat.. tony levin’s bass in the opening riff is absolutely wild. that weird, looping, almost hypnotic line gives the track its push, and his phrasing and timing make it feel simultaneously complex and effortless. the rest of the band rides on top of it perfectly, giving sleepless this dynamic tension that pulls you in. then it jumps into larks’ tongues in aspic pt. ii. it’s pre-discipline material, but you can already hear the seeds of what’s coming. it’s both aggressive and meticulous. but what i really love is when the track ends, adrian addresses the audience, and the fans start handing the band little gifts and stuff. adrian gets a couple of balls, and he just starts juggling 'em. everyone is sooo surprised, lol.. honestly, me too, hahah!! after that, we move into discipline. this track is interlocking perfection. the polyrhythms, the counterpoint between instruments.. it’s staggering how cohesive it all is. the influence of this track is massive: you can hear echoes of it in math rock and even mainstream acts like tool. every time they play it live, it feels like a masterclass in rhythmic precision. then comes elephant talk. tony levin’s iconic opening riff on the chapman stick is just SOOOO iconic!! it practically defines the track. the way it grooves while remaining angular is insane, and it’s impossible not to hear its influence on later players, like jerry was a racecar driver by primus. adrian’s vocals and guitar interject with that perfect mix of surreal absurdity and precision, while bruford drives the rhythm forward in a way that’s chaotic but still locked in. and finally, the show winds down with heartbeat. idk if it’s the perfect closer but whatever. anyways the real thing is, when the final parts of the show.. after heartbeat ends and the last notes die down, the band finally steps forward to bid adieu. and the japanese audience, man.. they start clapping in this perfect rhythm, like 1-2, 1-2, 1-2, just steady and unwavering, almost as if the whole hall itself is breathing in sync with the band. it’s not just applause, it’s a pulse. the camera finally pans over the crowd, and you can see the 80s embedded all over their faces.. the haircuts, the clothing, the expressions, the sheer amazement and joy frozen in time. there's this almost tangible energy like everyone is sharing a single moment of collective amazement. and i swear, i would FREAKIN' die to just experience this in real life. like, being there back in '84, listening to odd time signatures, interlocking guitars, chapman stick, weird industrial animal noises straight up from guitar, a new version of progressive rock that has been diluted with a mix of mathematical art rock.. and then you don't have mobile phones or social media, and you won't have the urge to record this shit and post it on your story or whatever for the scout. it must have been SOO much better than today like living in the moment. reminds me of guy debord's society of spectacles, lol. regardless, you would feel every ounce of human, raw, unfiltered prog magic. it’s that kind of moment that makes time stop, where you’re not just watching a show, you’re inside it, part of it, and every little detail.. from the sweat on their brows to the faint rustle of the audience shifting.. hits you like a tidal wave. i would just freakin' lose myself, utterly, completely, in that one living, breathing moment. human. i would like to daydream thinking about being in a king crimson concert back in '84, and entering the arena while geek-ed - best way of listening to these kind of artists. slowly everything numbs and all you can think about is the music, not the problems, not the future, not the past... i mean- just imagine, dude!! your chest is buzzing, your brain’s already mapping out every track, every riff, every time signature, pattern before you even hit your seat. you can feel the energy of the place before the band even plays a note. as the lights dim, you in your geeked state start spiraling - not in a negative way but in a positive and profound manner. you’re not thinking about the future, the past, or anything outside the arena anymore.. you are the music in that moment. you can literally feel the interlocking layers of fripp, belew, levin, bruford building in real time. you notice everything.. how tony Levin’s fingers on bass and synth, how adrian’s riffs twist and loop like some insane shi, how bruford experiments and gets surprised at his own stuff. but it’s not just noticing, it’s feeling, it’s being fully immersed and the crazy part is that being geeked doesnt make you detached. it makes you hyper alive. your senses are on fire. you’re completely present, completely in it, riding the chaos and beauty of the band’s sound like it’s the most natural, most essential thing in the universe.. it would be just SOOOO euphoric!! it’s why being geeked at a king crimson show in '84 wouldnt just be fun.. it would be transcendence.
	The Waste Lands [Rectified Spirit, 2015] 4.7/5.0	date of writing this : 29.11.25 and it's around 03:00 A.M i swear to god, i didn't expect the indian metal scene to hit this hard. this record is one of the albums that just blindsides you.. like it's just soo surreal to think about the fact that this band was formed in guwahati 20 years ago, literally a few kilometres away. and yk what's the crazy part? this record absolutely holds up next to anything coming out of europe or the us!! i love that this band has some sort of concept of "liberto metal".. not chaining themselves to one sound, they're letting the music evolve however the hell it wants. and you can definitely hear their words come into play when you spin the record. there's a lot of heavy progressive riffing, bleak powerfull atmosphere, sometimes acoustic emotional moments you don't expect from a band this heavy. what surprised me the most is how cinematic the whole thing feels. some tracks sound like wandering through the ruins, some feel like sailing through a thunderstorm. when they go dark, it's quite dark. when they go heavy, it's quite heavy. i ABSOLUTELY loved these two tracks - afterthought and the final self titled track waste land. also, look, the indian metal scene isn't "massive" like how it is in 1st world countries. but seeing these kind of artists like this come out just feels soo surreal. i really love this age, it may not be upto the mark, but atleast it's way better than past when most of the folks didn't even knew metal meant something outside of being a material and not a music genre.
	Inception of textured audio violence [formidable hate machine, 2021] 4.3/5.0	date of writing this : 29.11.25 and it's around 04:00 A.M ever since i started diving into industrial music through throbbing gristle, neubauten, coil, spk, swans, dead world etc. i've been chasing that mechanical atmosphere. i never thought i would find something this close to home that hits the same nerve. from the first track, the album almost immediately or slowly asserts its mechanical sound. you can hear very clear influences of godflesh here. what really blew me away, tho was that the use of indian samples throughout. unlike most western, japanese, industrial metal i've listened to, which tends to sample their own tv broadcasts or abstract noises. fhm incorporates news channels, voices, podcasts, film and stuff i've actually heard myself. it's soo uncanny and surreal hearing voices i can recognize, the ones i'm critical of, the ones i resonate with.. this aspect of the record makes it feel both personal and political. absolutely loved the last track, their reindition of jayanta harazika's xurat mogon boyal rati hits me in a way almost NO industrial metal has before. hearing a familiar, local folk melody twisted through industrial metal bleak-y framework is just soooo crazy. unlike listening to some distant ukrainian or eastern european band talking about right wing rhetoric i can't even relate to. i think indian metal is diversifying in exciting ways. this band isn't only making a certain genre, but also adapting the genre to our surroundings, sampling their reality, and incorporating local culture into something extreme, experimental.