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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)

EDIT(08.03.2026) -- now that my examinations are FINALLY over, i suddenly have alot more time on my hands. over the past two months, i've been listening to quite a few records, and some of 'em really stuck with me. so, it's finally the time where i can write about these records and make a list of 'em. so here are some of the best records i've listened to in 2026 so far.

. . . .
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.
Bitches Brew
[Miles Davis, 1970]
4.8/5.0
date of writing this : 20 january 2026, 8:54pm one of the most intriguing records i've ever heard. it's the kind of record that demands constant engagement and multiple listens before its full inner-gravity begins to show itself off. i first listened to it a few days before i came down with a pretty debilitating sickness, which strangely makes the experience even more memorable in my mind. this is one of the very few records that has genuinely reshaped my perception of music and certain genres. it feels incredibly spiritual and psychedelic.. its definitely PRETTY overwhelming in its intensity. in fact, the experience lingered with me so strongly that i felt physically sick in the days that followed (not in some sort of a negative manner, but more like the music had completely taken over my senses). this record is just sooo astonishing, it has landed on my top 5 list(my top 10s are based on how it influenced my taste in music, not in a technical prowess scale).
Seychelles
[Masayoshi Takanaka, 1976]
4.2/5.0
date of writing this : 20 january 2026, 4:32pm i had been aware of masayoshi takanaka since around 2021–22. back then, i had only heard a few of his more popular tracks and never really took the time to explore his catalogue. but in 2026, when i finally listened to this record for the first time, it definitely felt like discovering something trvly special. it's an exceptional jazz fusion record, and one of those rare albums where the sound perfectly matches the cover art. the music feels incredibly tropical.. also the fact that artwork promises before you even press play is kinda amusing, lol. everything about it feels soothing, bright, and summery, with some sort of cheerful atmosphere that makes the whole listening experience feel warm and effortless.
Face Value
[Phil Collins, 1981]
4.0/5.0
date of writing this : 28 january 2026, 3:04am phil collins, one of the most popular artists of all time, especially in the 1980s. despite that, i had never explored his solo work outside of the tarzan soundtracks or a few top charting tracks.. however, since he was a fellow member of the progressive rock band genesis, i tried to listen to his debut record. the experience was surprisingly great. not because it's something exceptional in musical complexity or something like that, but how he made such an amazing debut track.. yes it sounds pretty mainstream-ish, but this guy himself was one of the folks who helped shape that mainstream-ish sound of the 1980s. it’s also intriguing to see that someone who was making some of the most jaw-dropping drum performances in 1970s transitioned into making simple pop-leaning but profound sound in 1980s, i.e, a sound which would go on to dominate the most of the decade.
Melt 3
[Peter Gabriel, 1980]
4.2/5.0
date of writing this : 28 january 2026, 4:29pm another fellow member of genesis appears on this list as well, but this time the direction is very different. while phil collins leaned toward mainstream pop in the 1980s, peter gabriel was moving into something far more experimental.. an art pop/rock oriented approach that feels muchh more strang-ier and more atmospheric. one of the most fascinating things about this record is its role in the creation of the famous gated reverb drum sound, developed with the help of phil collins and the studio engineer during the recording sessions. that sound would later become one of the defining sonic signatures of the 1980s. the record itself feels much more experimental and engaging, and i LOVE how it is constantly shifting in mood and texture. another important aspect i absolutely adore is the cover art. it feels surreal, distorted, and slightly uncanny.. almost as if it had been manipulated digitally in photoshop. what makes it even more impressive is that this is a 1980 album cover. the designers at hipgnosis were truly remarkable artists. interestingly, the subsequent record pushed this visual aesthetic even further on his 4th album, where the artwork feels even more hallucinatory and hyperaltered.. soo ahead of its time, it feels like some sort of reminiscent of the surreal visual style that would later appear in the work of artists like aphex twin.
A Handful Of Beauty
[Shakti, 1976]
4.4/5.0
date of writing this : 20 january 2026, 11:32am this record opens in such an astonishing manner that it immediately pulls you in without giving you even a second to properly settle. the opening track is just sooo good.. it’s one of those rare records where the very first track kicks off in such a manner you go like “i will HAVE to listen to this entire record”. the musicianship is absolutely insane as well, but what makes it even more fascinating is how natural and effortless everything sounds despite the complexity. the fusion of indian classical elements(north, south combined with western influences from john mclaughlin) with jazz improvisation creates something that is incredibly spontaneous, almost like the music is constantly unfolding in front of you rather than following some sort of a fixed structure.
Too Dark Park
[Skinny Puppy, 1990]
4.2/5.0
date of writing this : 7 february 2026, 2:22pm such an incredibly industrial record. i absolutely adore how mechanical and abrasive this whole thing feels.. it almost sounds like machinery grinding and malfunctioning in some sort of dystopian factory while sounding musically resonant. the textures are soo pretty dense and chaotic, but like you know that’s exactly what makes it so fascinating to listen to. it definitely feels like a post-spk, post-cabaret voltaire oriented record, leaning heavily into that punk-ish, darker and more punishing side of industrial music. on that front, it works amazingly well. the atmosphere is constantly tense and unsettling, and the sound design alone makes it one of the more memorable listens i've had this year. it also reminds me of the band dead world, but it’s more repetitive, mechanical than collusion.
Obey
[Brainbombs, 1996]
4.6/5.0
date of writing this : 12 february 2026, 2:02pm an absolutely astonishing record in certain aspects, and one that i strangely find myself coming back to despite some pretty serious reservations. musically speaking, i absolutely adore parts of this record. however, the lyrical content is another story entirely.. it’s pretty viscerally rancid. if you were to somehow strip away the lyrics completely, the record would actually stand out as something remarkably powerful for its time(in the noise rock genre). sonically, it feels like a very nihilistic noise rock record. the whole thing sits somewhere in that lineage of post-industrial noise, and it definitely feels like they were influenced by acts like whitehouse, though brainbombs sound far more musically structured and resonant rather than just pure harsh noise. the riffs are extremely distorted, untuned, and the songs often revolve around a single repetitive figure or a topic. sometimes it works incredibly well, sometimes.. it becomes a bit of a slog after the initial impact fades. the band is known for their very art-house form of nihilism, where the goal seems to be pushing shock value as far as possible. the lyrics are mostly violent, misogynistic, and heavily freudian in tone, often narrated from the perspective of perpetrator. they were apparently influenced by the writings of peter sotos, which should already give you an idea of the thematic direction here. many of the lyrics are vividly descriptive about acts of rape, murder, and torture, particularly toward women and children. i genuinely can’t fathom why the record leans so heavily into that territory. sometimes it feels like someone could easily disguise predatory impulses behind the excuse of “perplexingly abstruse exploration of darker aspects of humanity” and we would never really know. to my knowledge, none of the members were actually offenders or anything like that, so it seems like the whole thing was written purely for shock value(though there was a time when one of the member was caught by an officer and he asked them if the person liked doing filthy things to children). if that was their intention, then.. ok..?? despite how disturbing the subject matter can be, there’s also this strange sliver of dark humor(lipstick on my dihh is kinda funny though) in just how far they push the grotesque imagery. they even used a photograph of ed gein for the album cover, which probably acts as some sort of warning sign for what you’re about to hear. the vocals themselves are more spoken than sung or screamed, which ironically makes the lyrics even more audible. the singer has a pretty thick swedish accent, and his delivery is oddly deadpan. i’ve watched a few of their live performances and it’s almost surreal how calmly he delivers some of the most vile lines imaginable. it becomes even more intriguing when you realize that the vocalist and the trumpeter are actually blood related brothers. speaking of the trumpet, there are moments where the instrumentation gets surprisingly psychedelic. that trumpet part on the fifth track in particular sounds sooo freakin’ strange and hypnotic at times, almost like it wandered in from a completely different record. those little unexpected elements are part of what keeps the album interesting. at the same time though, the songwriting can feel pretty repetitive. most songs revolve around a single riff and a handful of repeated phrases, and many tracks honestly feel about two minutes longer than they need to be. once the initial shock wears off, the record can turn into a bit of a grind to sit through. bands like swans(swans is WAYY better and i don’t think my cutie patotie michael gira is a predator or something) also rely on repetition, but their songs usually build toward something larger or introduce new elements along the way. here, it often just stays locked in the same loop. still, as uncomfortable as the experience can be, there’s something oddly compelling about it. the record sits in this strange space between disturbing artistic provocation and genuinely interesting noise rock experimentation. whether that balance works or not probably depends entirely on how much one is willing to tolerate the lyrical content.
Second Edition
[Public Image, 1979]
4.1/5.0
date of writing this : 14 february 2026, 9:56pm i absolutely adore the bass here, it’s just sooo repetitive, dissonant, hollow and dystopian. the vocals are amazing nonetheless. and you know here repetition isn’t boring at all.. it slowly pulls you into its kind of dystopian atmosphere until you’re completely immersed.
Sierść Sierść Sierść
[Sierść, 2015]
3.8/5.0
date of writing this : 19 february 2026, 5:57pm okay, so this record is honestly quite absurd. the track listing uses sanskrit/indo words, the songs are noise rock, and somewhere i even saw someone call it “french indie” as a genre… the band’s based in warsaw, poland.. just, WOAH!! musically, all of the tracks are extremely repetitive, distorted ASF, and everything is untuned in this chaotic way. after the first few tracks, there’s this feminine squeaking voice that tries to cut through the noise but subtly fades in and out, and i have no idea why, but i really like that. it’s nowhere near an exceptional record, but the weird arse absurdity of it.. especially the use of sanskrit words in the track listing.. just leaves me completely confused and kind of fascinated at the same time.
Heartbeat
[Chris & Cosey, 1981]
4.2/5.0
date of writing this : 25 february 2026, 4:39pm this album is just sooo astonishing. it’s hypnotic, synth-ish, and strangely immersive.. i absolutely LOVE this record in that regard. that dark oddly soothing electronic atmosphere that just pulls you in like the more you listen to it. chris & cosey is the project of chris carter and cosey fanni tutti, who were both founding members of the pioneering industrial group TG. after that band disbanded in 1981, they continued working together and eventually formed this project. heartbeat ended up being their first release, and it came out the same year. what makes the album really interesting is how it sort of bridges two worlds. on one hand, you can still hear the colder industrial experimentation that came from their earlier work, but at the same time the record leans heavily toward the synth driven sounds that were becoming big around the early 1980s. in that sense, it could honestly be considered a synthpop masterpiece.. though one with a slightly darker heart than most records in that style. the opening track immediately gives you the sensation of what’s about to come, it also feels suuuper industrial!! it begins with this swelling slowly building synth before the snare hits and everything locks in. there are analogue drum machines, strange voice samples, and this eerie-ly haunting atmosphere. for me, it’s an amazing opening track, i love how it shifts things real asap. a lot of the tracks follow relatively simple fabrications. but then you also get tracks like which lean much more toward dark ambient territory. i would say the record is full of surprisingly strong hooks. also this track voodoo or something,has this weird percussive experiment that honestly sounds like something that could have appeared decades later on an autechre record. one thing i really like about the album is how hypnotic the electronics are. the analogue drum machines, the looping synth patterns, and the weird ahh vocal parts all create this really immersive atmosphere. you can also hear how records like this probably influenced later industrial acts such as skinny puppy, especially with those eerie electronic vocal manipulations.
D.o.A The Second Report
[Throbbing Gristle, 1977]
4.4/5.0
date of writing this : 26 february 2026, 1:22am ABSOLUTELY ASTONISHING RECORD!!! i just absolutely adore industrial music from that late-1970s period, especially around 1975 to 1979. there’s just something about the sound from that era that feels sooo uncanny, surreal, and viscerally rancid in the best possible way. this record really captures that atmosphere PERFECTLYYY. the textures are harsh, mechanical, and strangely hypnotic at the same time. everything feels slightly disturbing and alien, like the music is coming from some sort of abandoned factory or strange underground laboratory. i’ve literally NEVER come across ANYYY artist from that 1975-78 period who truly resembles the sonic texture and atmosphere of TG. they were just doing something completely different from everyone else around them. the way they combined noise, electronics, disturbing imagery, and experimental structures created something that still feels incredibly unique even today. they’re just sooo freakin’ special. the fact that they sound sooo out of box, absolutely nothing like the 1970s fascinates me sooo much. their next record 3rd and final report is even more astounding.. something which will reside in my top 10 fav records.
Pyewackit
[Soulwhirlingsomewhere, 1997]
4.0/5.0
date of writing this : 28 february 6:29am i was listening to this record early in the morning of 28 feb, right around that strange moment when winter slowly starts leaving and spring begins to set in. the atmosphere of the record somehow matched that feeling perfectly(even shoegaze is more associated with autumb). i honestly can’t fully explain how soothing it is.. the whole thing just flows in such a calm, gentle way. there’s also this really strong sense of nostalgia running through it, even if you’ve never heard it before.. anemoia or something.
Musick to Play in the Dark, Vol. 1
[Coil, 1999]
4.4/5.0
date of writing this : 26 february 2026, 10:34pm absolutely fascinating record by coil. throbbing gristle were just sooo amazing, every band member made EVEN better work after disbanding the TG project. coil's music always feels like stepping into some sort of strange nocturnal world.. mysterious, hypnotic, and PRETYY uncanny. trvly musick to play in the dark!! one thing i’ve oddly noticed is how much i tend to adore the 2nd track on coil records. for some reason, almost every single second track they’ve made feels unique and amazing in its own way. the one on this record is no exception. i actually liked it so much that i ended up making a small edit in after effects using the track, along with some pictures of john balance and peter christopherson. coil itself was essentially the work of balance and christopherson, who were also partners in real life(YAOI BWAHAHDFHADSFHAHFAH). their collaboration is honestly one of the most fascinating partnerships in experimental music. before forming coil, christopherson had already been involved with TG, while balance came from a background of zines, occult interests, and experimental ideas. i think balance had approached christopherson as a fan. when the two of them came together, they created something incredibly strange and beautiful. their music constantly shifts many styles and like it also resembles the roots of industrial music yk musique concrète, ambient, industrial, drone, and even elements of techno or cabaret at times. this album in particular feels like some sort of moonlit ambient ritual. the sounds are soft but eerie-ly haunting. the opening track is pretty astounding i would say. it kicks off with this huge roaring sound before slowly dissolving into tiny shimmery shimmery noises and synths. i really like balance's voice(even more in ape of naples). the whole thing feels very ritualistic and intimate. the second track “red birds will fly out of the east and destroy paris in a night” which is kind of a weird name, it's something which only pops up in a single person's mind and can be interpreted by the respective person ONLY.. i don't know if y'all getting me. regardless, it is the one i mentioned earlier that i adore so much. it slowly builds through these spiraling synth arpeggios and buzzing analog textures, expanding outward until it collapses into this strange electronic noise-y hazee. it's very amazing, and i don't know how to explain it.. really loved editing with this track though. the closing track is probably one of the most gentle moments on the entire record. balance’s voice sounds incredibly soft here. easily one of the most beautiful and haunting things coil ever created. rest in peace balance & christopherson ♥