Originally Posted by Sneer

A host of bands sounded - or at least attempted to sound - like Loveless after its release, but very few sounded like it before. It was doing something new, yes the likes of S3, Sonic Youth and even Dinosaur Jr were experimenting with feedback and distortion, but Shields managed to do something with guitar music that hadn't been done before. His 'glide guitar' technique, pitch-bending, digital reverb, use of samples and studio manipulation resulted in a sound that, when released, had peers stumped. It expanded sonic possibilities, transforming the relationship between noise and melody.

People can undermine the artistic merit of Loveless all they want, and it's inevitable that there will be a backlash against something that has generated such reverence, but for me, it is one of the finest albums ever released - and there's nothing hyperbolic about that statement.