nematanthus

[nematanthus]

literally every music genre has at least one album that will absolutely change your life if you give it a shot

[nematanthus]

what was the first song you listened to in 2025?

[nematanthus]

CD Collection update:

Number of CDs collected in 2024: 46

Listed in release order from left to right:

Back in Black- AC/DC

Kill 'Em All- Metallica

Bleach- Nirvana

Nevermind- Nirvana

Siamese Dream- The Smashing Pumpkins

Dookie- Green Day

Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness- The Smashing Pumpkins

The Color and the Shape- Foo Fighters

Self Titled-System Of A Down

Warning- Green Day

Toxicity- System Of A Down

Songs for the Deaf- Queens of the Stone Age

Self Titled- Deftones

Hot Fuss- The Killers

City of Evil- Avenged Sevenfold

From Mars To Sirius- Gojira

The Black Parade- My Chemical Romance

Day & Age- The Killers

Folie à Deux- Fall Out Boy

There Is a Hell Believe Me I've Seen It There Is a Heaven Let's Keep It a Secret- Bring Me The Horizon

Self Titled- Hozier

Tell Me I'm Pretty- Cage The Elephant

Waymaker- American Arson

How did we get so dark?- Royal Blood

Wonderful, Wonderful- The Killers

Future me Hates me- The Beths

Amo- Bring Me The Horizon

Bank on the Funeral- Matt Maeson

Alien- Northlane

The World is in your way- Dragged Under

I let it in and it took everything- Loathe

A line in the Sand- American Arson

Self Titled- Bad Nerves

A Tear in the fabric of life- Knocked Loose

The Silver Scream 2: Welcome to Horrorwood- Ice Nine Kills

Impera- Ghost

Upright Animals- Dragged Under

So much (for) stardust- Fall Out Boy

The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess- Chappell Roan

Sand & Cinder//Tide & Timber- American Arson

The Fear of fear- Spiritbox

Saviors- Green Day

Gloom Division- I DON'T KNOW HOW BUT THEY FOUND ME

These Nuts- Ninja Sex Party

Post Human: NeX GEn- Bring Me The Horizon

From Zero- Linkin Park

[nematanthus]

Tracklist:

Going Backwards • Where's the Revolution • The Worst Crime • Scum • You Move • Cover Me • Eternal • Poison Heart • So Much Love • Poorman • No More (This is the Last Time) • Fail

Spotify ♪ YouTube

[nematanthus]

Tracklist:

My Cosmos Is Mine • Wagging Tongue • Ghosts Again • Don't Say You Love Me • My Favourite Stranger • Soul With Me • Caroline's Monkey • Before We Drown • People Are Good • Always You • Never Let Me Go • Speak To Me

Spotify ♪ YouTube

[nematanthus]

no i am not immune to early 2000s pop-punk music that fucks a little harder than everyone likes to admit

[nematanthus]

First Impression: From Zero- Linkin Park

Guide:

Interlude

Favorite so far

Least favorite so far

Single

Tracklist:

From Zero (intro)

The Emptiness Machine

Cut the Bridge

Heavy Is the Crown

Over Each Other

Casualty

Overflow

Two Faced

Stained

IGYEIH

Good Things Go

First Thoughts:

Disclaimer: I am only reviewing the music, my opinions of the band or the members will not be considered in this review.

This sounds like a spiritual successor to all of Linkin Parks' previous works, with a distinctly modern twist. With overt references to several past works, including the album name itself being a reference to the bands original name, it's clear this album is intended to be a fresh start without forgetting the roots that built it. The production is clean, the instrumentals have that classic balance between the hip hop bounce and the heavier elements, the lyrics trade between the two vocalists effortlessly, with no momentum lost between the two. There are some nice harmonies here as well, something that we haven't seen a lot from the band in the past. Thematically, the album follows much of the same subject matter as other records. Ultimately, this album is as Linkin Park as it gets, every aspect of the record fits in with all that's come before, the only real noticeable difference is slight style changes and the obvious addition of a new vocalist. It's a nice touch that the final track leads into the first again, creating a loop making the tracks a metaphorical Zero, once again referencing the title.

[nematanthus]

Tracklist:

Turnin' On The Screw • Sick, Sick, Sick • I'm Designer • Into The Hollow • Misfit Love • Battery Acid • Make It Wit Chu • 3's & 7's • Suture Up Your Future • River In The Road • Run, Pig, Run

Spotify ♪ YouTube

[nematanthus]

[nematanthus]

music is pretty cool I think

[nematanthus]

Album Ranking: Muse

9. Will of the People

8. Showbiz

7. Simulation Theory

6. The Resistance

5. Drones

4. Black Holes and Revelations

3. Origin of Symmetry

2. The 2nd Law

1. Absolution

[nematanthus]

Album Review: Will Of The People- Muse

Release Date:

August 26 2022

Tracklist:

Will of the People

Compliance

Liberation

Won't Stand Down

Ghosts (How Can I Move On)

You Make Me Feel Like It's Halloween

Kill or Be Killed

Verona

Euphoria

We Are Fucking Fucked

Favorite Track:

You Make Me Feel Like It's Halloween

Least favorite track:

We Are Fucking Fucked

Album art opinions:

The album art depicts the band members as stone statues, broken and graffitied on a dusty orange background with small humanize figures around them, seemingly sowing chaos. These immediately bring to mind monuments like Mount Rushmore, and considering the albums title, this was likely intentional. The album cover quite literally depicts revolution, tearing down monuments of the past and "taking back" your life and country, as is the theme of the album.

Color: 7/10

Recognizability: 5/10

Vibes: 5/10

Total: 6/10

Music opinions/notes:

If Simulation Theory was disjointed, this was a collage. It's hard to pick out a singular influence or really even a vibe for the album, as everything is all over the place. There's some metal inspired tracks, some more of that 80s style synth from the previous album, and even a piano ballad. The order of the track listing doesn't help this feeling either, jumping wildly from style to style between tracks, making this album a difficult listen as you're being whiplash every 3-4 minutes. Something is also wrong with the mixing on some of these tracks, where Matt's vocals seem way too loud, to the point where some tracks that would have been otherwise awesome are made grating and uncomfortable to listen to. There's also the issue of repetitiveness within the songs as well, with the overbearing choir in the title track and the intro of Compliance. Then there is the track "We Are Fucking Fucked" which seems confused in and of itself as to what it's trying to be.

Mix: 5/10

Lyrics: 4/10

Instruments: 6/10

Vibes: 3/10

Total: 4/10

Total Score: 5/10

[nematanthus]

Album Review: Simulation Theory- Muse

Release Date:

November 9 2018

Tracklist:

Algorithm

The Dark Side

Pressure

Propaganda

Break It to Me

Something Human

Thought Contagion

Get up and Fight

Blockades

Dig Down

The Void

(With Alternate Reality, Remixed, Acoustic, and/or Live versions available on streaming and deluxe editions for almost all tracks)

Favorite Track:

Pressure

Least favorite track:

Break It to Me

Album art opinions:

The album cover depicts the band as a hologram, with various 80s futurism elements, all of which references to pop culture of the time such as Back to the Future, and Michael Jacksons "Thriller". Stylistically, this makes sense with the overall 80s synth sound found throughout the album, though it does seem to be lacking the symbolism we've grown to expect from Muse.

Color: 7/10

Recognizability: 8/10

Vibes: 6/10

Total: 7/10

Music opinions/notes:

While there are a few great tracks here, whether it be the heartfelt track about missing home when you're on the road in Something Human or power pop track Pressure, the rest of the album drags down these high points significantly. The worst of the tracks are so unlistenable that I physically dread the thought of hearing them. The rest of the album sits at a comfortable alright but forgettable. Some of the instrumentals are uncomfortable, and the lyric work is tacky. This album feels as disjointed as its recording process.

I wish that the band had gone further in the whole "Alternate Reality" idea and had released a double album, rather than the two alternate reality versions of only Algorithm and The Dark Side (plus it's alternate reality instrumental), and not only this but truly made the two versions of the songs feel incredibly different. There are a lot of influences that make up the main set of tracks, and I feel the whole album could have benefitted from maybe breaking apart some of those more contrasting influences and making two tracks that were both well thought out and different yet similar, and truly deliver on the "Alternate Reality" idea of Simulation Theory.

Wishes aside, the album is overall, Meh. While the good tracks are really good, the bad tracks are a terror, and the half done concept of the Alternate Reality tracks are a letdown.

Mix: 6/10

Lyrics: 5/10

Instruments: 6/10

Vibes: 4/10

Total: 5/10

Total Score:6/10

[nematanthus]

Album Review: Drones-Muse

Release Date:

June 5 2015

Tracklist:

Dead Inside

Drill Sergeant

Psycho

Mercy

Reapers

The Handler

JFK

Detector

Revolt

Aftermath

The Globalist

Drones

Favorite Track:

Revolt

Least favorite track:

Drones

Album art opinions:

The album cover features a character in front of a screen wearing a white collared shirt holding in one hand a red joystick. The screen in front of the character has an image of many humanoid figures in a march. The characters head is also a red joystick, and an arm wearing a suit has ahold on the characters head/joystick, implying that the character is being controlled just as it is controlling the figures on the screen. This album covers concepts such as corruption and brainwashing, so the cover is very fitting, showing that even those "in charge" are typically also being controlled by something bigger/more powerful than them.

Color: 5/10

Recognizability: 7/10

Vibes: 7/10

Total: 6/10

Music opinions/notes:

This is a concept album where we follow a characters' journey through being indoctrinated into the military, losing all sense of self, and then their eventual defection and the fallout from that decision. This is an album that is straightforward and unashamedly political, anti-war, and anti-military. The two interludes this album has are both emotionally charged and rather intense. the first, "Drill Sergeant," is a clip of the soldier character we follow being yelled at by a superior, showing the stakes of what this character has gotten themself into, which leads right into the song "Psycho" which is from the drill Sergeants perspective, showing his plan to make this character, and the others like them "killing machines". The second, "JFK," is a clip from former US President John F. Kennedy, speaking on the Cold War, which leads into "Defector," which is when our main character decides to leave the military post they signed up for. Defector is followed by Revolt, probably the closest thing to happy this album touches, wherein our character realizes that all hope is not lost and you can rebel against the powers that be and fight for what matters. Overall, this album was well made and tells a captivating story with a simple rock sound, while still having interesting instrumental moments.

Mix: 8/10

Lyrics: 8/10

Instruments: 7/10

Vibes: 6/10

Total: 7/10

Total Score: 7/10

[nematanthus]