Sneer's Emporium of Sound
 

Everybody else worth their weight in gold has done this, and its genuinely quite intriguing seeing these lists unfold. Which is why im going to give it a crack. I'll stick to a top 25 and try (being the operative word) to unfurl a new entry every day

Get cracking then son :D

For the sake of it being vaguely interesting im not going to include any albums from Radiohead or The Beatles, im sure people have had enough of hearing others wax lyrical about them

I approve of this thread.

25


One of the loudest bands ive ever heard, and that is no overstatement. With all instruments turned up to the absolute optimum, this is an album which aurally attacks you, but in a good way.

It begins with Bakhatsu, a barrage of distortion and feedback.

Before your brain can reacclimatize itself to its surroundings the driving opening riff to War Machine grabs hold of it will not let go - that is until the song explodes into a cacophony of drums, distorted bass and feral guitar work - by which point theres nothing left to hold. The quiet-loud dynamic is used to powerful effect here, offering brief resbites in the verse as Tim Cedar screams I WAS BORN IN A WITCHES CAULDRON, before the song again comes crashing in around your ears.

The next song, Hello Bastards, is built upon one of the heaviest riffs you are ever likely to hear. It literally explodes out of the speakers, engulfing you in haze of noise which is strangely soothing.

This is an album which to some may sound like an endurance exercise. It really is an acquired taste. The sheer loudness and level of distortion is, at times, uncomfortable. Yet the band arrange their songs in simple structures that manage to attain a sense of accessibility. They implement quiet-loud dynamics to great effect, one minute the album will literally recede to a tiny, barely heard pluck of guitar strings before exploding into an onslaught of noise.

It is also an album set out perfectly. When you think its becoming too intense and relentlessly loud, suddenly a quiet intro or interlude will intersect, before again crunching into chaos.

Regardless of the sheer ferocity of this album, it is laden with riffs and hooks that will bring a big smile to your face, or perhaps more accurately, incite the biggest erection of your life. It is a masterful piece in evoking mood and tension, the imperious Do You Believe In Waiting To Die slowly building in intensity as Tim Cedar questions life and his fear of death - before it literally rips your face off with its ending. Fasto, equally, is 3.50 minutes of insurmountable agression.

There are of course, weaknesses, the end song for one is unlistenable, distortion taken to the absolute extreme, whilst there isnt too much variation or diversity present on the album at all.

Yet if you're looking for an album that will melt your brain, get the heart racing but also leave you feeling strangely calm afterwards, this is it.

Sounds intriguing and nice to see an album in these sort of lists that I have'nt heard of. Looking forward to the rest.

24


It’s a shame they’re associated with Noel Fielding, Kate Moss and the rest of the tabloid chimps these days because I feel it somewhat detracts attention away from their music. Keep on Your Mean Side is, in my opinion, their best album. At times infectiously aggressive, at other times poignantly introspective, its simplicity is its strength. The paradox though lies in the fact that the pair manage to cram in a myriad of influences and styles. From primal, blues-driven garage punk circa Cramps and early White Stripes to psychedelia, folk and velvet underground-esque noise pop. Hotel’s guitar sounds like it’s just been put through a cheese grater, whilst Alison Mosshart’s vocals imbue a sexiness which just draws you in.

Songs such as Pull A U, Fried My Little Brains, Superstition, Hitched and Cat Claw rattle along with a pulsating urgency, whilst the dark, psychedelic Kissy Kissy succeeds in taking the listener to another place. The last track, Gypsy Death & You is a folky gem, highlighting the lyrical prowess of the band.

At times they can come off as pretentious, the pointless interlude in the middle only succeeds in spoiling the flow of the album – but overall it’s a wonderfully dirty and lo-fi effort that chugs along at an exuberant, satisfying pace.

Do you have an up for Part chimp perchance?

Unfortunately the album is only on my ipod, i cant for the life of my figure out how to transfer music from ze pod onto ze comp

iTunes doesn't allow you to do it but if you're on a Mac you can try downloading the free program Senuti. I'm sure there are similar programs for Windows but I don't know the names.