Hi bats! This is the first review of this page. I hope you enjoy and
want to discuss these albums with me!

DISCLAIMER: I’m not a
professional musical critic (because I also still have to start my
classes in february). This is a project to compare my critical skills
before and after classes, so first as a passionate music listener and
then as an “academical expert”. 

If you see a lack of
opinions or repetitions, you will know why.

@saucyyjos

Portishead – Dummy

Rating: 10/10

When you think of
ambient music I’m sure 1994 british band Portishead’s ‘’Dummy’’
tracks had popped up in your mind at least once in your life,
especially ‘’Glory Box’’, the most famous track of this
album.

Beth’s ghostly and
soothing voice is gently dancing with the ‘’Nancy Sinatra type
of’’ delayed and kinda coarse guitar sounds and the chill-out
drums, making it the perfect album for an early morning or a relaxing
bath.

When I listened to
some tracks I immediately thought ‘’wow, this it’s like a
rearranged Colma by Buckethead if there were vocals in it’’ which
is my favorite album, so enough to me to give this album a full 10. I
also found some similarities with Bjork and thought her voice would
perfectly suit some tracks.

I found this album’s
jazz like ‘’dissonances’’ a kind of dystopian element. It’s
like the sound is traveling into different emotions and levels of
consciousness and changing them constantly, which gives a full
immersive experience, the basic element for a good piece of music.

My favorite tracks
were Mysterions and It Could Be So Sweet. They’re opposites of each
other let’s say: the first one gives a more ‘’goth damsel in
distress’’ vibe, instead of the second one which makes you feel
like you’re on the highest floor of a building with a big window
facing on New York at 6AM.

I really loved this
album. I listened to it 3 times already, and I can say it
successfully entered in my top 10 favorite albums.

@JJQ

Nirvana – Bleach

Rating: 10/10

This is one of my
all time favorites, and as a proud Nirvana listener from 8 years how
couldn’t it review the big classic “Bleach” of this historical
band, dating back to 1989?

The raw sound of
“Bleach” fills your veins with pure energy, pure origins of
grunge and the 90s urge to whip your hair everywhere. The loud
basslines and the sometimes punk-ish rythms are the best when you
want a good dose of adrenaline to start your day or either break
someone’s face (don’t do it, kids! Patience and calm can make the
revolution when you have strong beliefs by your side >:P).

Like I always say,
this album doesn’t exactly describe the later sounds of Nirvana. It
describes their roots, the rawest and youngest voice of Cobain and
his punk influence, the least commercial side of the band.

My favorite songs
are Blew and Downer (the intro and the outro, lolz). Downer always
filled my mornings with energy (and need to fuck the system) when I
still went to school, so I store it in my “heart-shaped box”
everywhere I go.

@oliolioxenfree

Candlemass –
Candlemass

Tired of sunlight?
Find the darkest cove you know, light up your candles and turn on
some doom metal: Candlemass’ 2005 self-titled album is what you
need!!!!!!!

But don’t expect
the “Type O Negative Type O” druidic rythms: there is a little
word before “doom metal” which is “EPIC”. So you can plan to
kill dragons and save princesses in your pretty little cove (or maybe
play some Skyrim? Or Castelvania even? Whatever, do your thing kid,
I’m only reviewing albums here).

The lunatic rythms
can remind somehow the groove metal ones. It’s not always “RUN,
RUN MOTHAFUCKA!!!!!!!!” but also “man I’m so sad my domestic
mosquito died. I will now do a ritualistic funeral for him”.

The voice kinda
reminded me of Iron Maiden’s Bruce Dickinson, which is fantastic.
It was like Iron Maiden suddenly became goth fellas with heavy makeup
and vaporous clothing, and it was so funny in my head.

The fact it is from
2005 was what shocked me the most. It’s strange, but yeah,
sometimes you say: “this music is SO *insert a year*”. I legit
forgot this album wasn’t from the early 90s.

My fav song is “The
Man Who Fell From The Sky”. Don’t get me wrong: I love Messiah’s
voice. It’s just I really love the limping rythms of the song.

@astrid *.*

War – Why Can’t We Be Friends?

Rating: 10/10

Wow. Just wow.

The genre is quite
different from the album we saw a moment ago. We’re in the 1975s,
baby. War just dropped “Why Can’t We Be Friends” while you were
driving your Ford Thunderbird and smoking cigarettes on the highway
last night.

Then you went back
to your apt, decorated with big ass psychedelic-patterned tapestry
and carpets, and just fell asleep on your couch with your vinyl
player on. You immediately get hugged by beautiful harmonized voices
and a mix of well layered and whimsical musical instruments and sound
effects.

And then Leroy’s
Latin Lament starts playin: you jump out of your couch and your body
dances. You’re so tired and relaxed, but won’t stop moving.

Okay, maybe let’s
get to the less cinematic part right now.

Do you remember the
iconic song Low Rider? Yes dude, it belongs to this album. I was
stunned when I saw that. (I STRICTLY RECOMMEND THE KORN VERSION OF
THIS TUNE BY THE WAY) What was that? Did you hear that? Chile,
anyways soo-

I didn’t hear a
good album like this in years. I kinda stopped my research on 70s
soul music after focusing my life on the 90s music and culture, but
I can’t refuse an offer like this sometimes, of course. So I tell
you: fellow goth kid, just stop and listen to this album and embrace
the flight of your soul in the dream realm (fall asleep to it!).

Anonymous

Pierce The Veil –
Collide With The Sky

Rating: 7/10

All these albums are
so different from eachother dayum. But I’m not only your net goth:
I’m your POLYHEDRAL net goth. So we now dive in posthardcore and go
back to 2012, the golden years of emo. In this case, the dramatic
vocals and the type of scream used take you back to your teenage
years when those sounds really understood you.

I'm not a fan
of overly clean sounds, but I can say that in this case I didn't mind
because there is a great balance between melodic and not-so-melodic.
But this album is for sure more melodic in comparison with "A
Flair For The Dramatic”

The thing I really
love about the little bits of Pierce The Veil I listened to is the
scale used in their songs: like Fuentes said, they try to incorporate
some Latin influence in every song, which I think is great with metal
subgenres (for example: System Of A Down, that incorporate Middle
Eastern sounds in nu-metal and it fits SO SO good).

My favorite song is
I’m Low On Gas And You Need A Jacket, because it somehow reminds me
of My Chemical Romance which I love love love.

Anonymous

Ethel Cain –
Preacher's Daughter

Rating: 7/10

This album from last
year is very interesting to me. At first I thought it was indie, but
going deeper in listening I actually thought it’s very sperimental.
I guess you’re asking yourself why.

Well, in Ethel
Cain’s “Preachers Daughter” from 2022 I found a heavy reference
on Christian themes and in the song “Sun Bleached Flies” I even
smelled an 80s fragrance in drums: this could be an interesting
project in so called “gothic” music. (Don’t get me wrong once
again duhh: I’m not referring to post punk and new wave at all).

Along with the
gothic themes we find references to American youth, which could be
relatable to the sounds of Lana Del Rey, the album becomes a perfect
blend of ancient and contemporary, coquettish and gothic, embracing
your dark feminine/masculine/androgynous side.

I’m not very
surprised by the voice, tho. I really like the effects that emphasize
it, but I find it way too flat and simple, which makes a good album
but not a great album in my opinion. Otherwise, I really like the
ethereal instrumental.

That's all for this
week! I hope you were satisfied. I await your feedback (or rotten
tomatoes on me).

Be on the lookout for the next newsletter and
remember to read the rules if you want me to review your album!

Liza – Your
(POLYHEDRIC) Net Goth of Trust!