Are they're any records out there that you have a deep respect for (either you like the artist, the genre, or the themes/message of the release) but for whatever reason you didn't enjoy listening to it? This isn't as hypocritical as it might sound, let me use Quality Time by Whitehouse as an example...



I brought this a few weeks ago on an impulse buy at the Supersonic Festival market. I had purchased Asteticists by the same band a couple years ago before and I really liked the unrelenting brutality and ineventiveness of that album, accompanied by Whitehouse's ranting and thoroughly sadistic vocals/lyrics. I have to admit the Trevor Brown artwork on the cover also influenced the decision, any group that has to balls to endorse that artists work in my book is worth looking into to.

However there are several things about it I found highly disappointing. The vocals on this one are no where near as manipulated or extreme on this (admittedly earlier) record than on Asteticists. There are moments when the artist imitates a womans voice which you might think could of been suitably creepy or skincrawling, but I can't help but cringe and feel almost embarassed by them. As a way of experimentally expressing themselves I genuinely respect the attempt, but on this occasion it comes across, at best, really funny.

But then Whitehouse aren't supposed to be a comfortable band to listen to, and somebody who can push artistic limits and tolerance deserves some discussion. There is one geninely disturbing track on it called 'Baby' that lasts only a minute or two. It sounds like a flooded cellar bound infantile mutant crying and writhing, not at all in the least bit amusing. Gurgling and only party-human vocalizations that shift between child and adult echo out from a darkened place. I'm not easily shocked when it comes to art and music but this piece gave me something to have nightmares about.

Unfortunately side B on the vinyl version has nothing noteworthy to speak of, just 15 minutes of aimless brown noise. Whilst its unlikely that i'll listen to Quality Time again I can still commend the band for experimenting with whats deemed acceptable in music. Some might call it a failed experiment but actually that wouldn't be entirely accurate. Whitehouse aim to provoke and outrage and in this case they have done something that even I had trouble swallowing. I like to have my notions and boundries pushed and Quality Time did so in abundance.

~

So, do you have any records you don't particularly enjoy listening to but otherwise (for whatever reason) still respect and admire?

Thanks for reading

Tarantula Hawk's self-titled album is unfortunately boring. I'm a big fan of progressive music like Miasma & TCOHH, Guapo, Harmonia, etc so I assumed this band would do me up a treat. Sadly I barely registered it at all upon listening for the first and quite possibly last time.


Also Gnaw's This Face record was something I found really disappointing. Nowhere near as extreme or atmospheric as the bandmembers previous work in Khanate and Burning Witch, it quite frankly seemed half-arsed and thrown together. I really wanted to like this album (its doubly a shame because I really really REALLY like the album art)

Everything by Opeth apparently!

I like Tarantula Hawk yet i'm the opposite to you and Guapo bore the tits of me.

Mayhem's De Mysteriis Dom Satanhas is a bloody awful racket with hilariously bad lyrics, to me.
Everything Xasthur has done.
Every Megadeth album.

Conversely, I think Grand Declaration of War and Chimera are "ok" and Ordo Ad Chao is, IMO, an essential BM album.

Man, I love it.

The entire works of Machine Head, Marilyn Manson, Job For A Cowboy, Meshuggah, Anaal Nathrakh, every single Nu Metal band I can think of & many other bands of different genres... I get it, I just don't like it. Love everything ever recorded by Mayhem on the other hand...

Never been into Machine Head.
Love Manson's second, third and fourth albums.
Can't stand Job For A Cowboy.
Don't like pre- Nothing Meshuggah. Adore Nothing and everything after.

I fucking LOVE Anaal Nathrakh, haha

And my nu-metal collection is shameful!

The new Shadows Fall apparently...

On a serious note, Slayer, other than Raining Blood, they bore me, as do almost all Thrash bands with a few notable exceptions.

Behemoth, boring records and boring live.

Funeral Mist's Maranatha. Camp hollowness, loads of people bum it though.

Cobalt's Gin. Fucking hate this album, everything that preceded it was so good, then releasing a shitty lazy and easy pop album. Wankers.

Many others, but theese are the ones I'm most often told I should like or people can't understand that I don't.