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Stars indicate the most critically-acclaimed albums.

Hail To The Thief

EMAILPRINTby Radiohead

Radiohead reviews
85
8.8 User Score:

Album Info

Label: Capitol

Release Date: 10 June 2003

Discs: 1 disc

Genre(s): Alternative, Rock

Summary

Not quite the return to the "rock" side of Radiohead as originally believed (although pretty close), the band's sixth album (produced again by Nigel Godrich) retains some of the experimental electronica elements of its predecessors Kid A and Amnesiac. Note that each of the tracks on the album has an alternate title, as does the album itself (aka 'The Gloaming').

What The Critics Said

All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...

100

Alternative Press

There's something for everyone here. [Jul 2003, p.120]

100

Spin

It feels more like a band playingto a multitude of strengths than the formal wrestling of Kid A. [Jul 2003, p.103]

93

Filter

From a technical standpoint, it's astounding.... But from a purely aesthetic standpoint, it's just downright unmusical. [#5, p.86]

93

Pitchfork

For its moments of gravity and excellence, Hail to the Thief is an arrow pointing toward the clearly darker, more frenetic territory the band have up to now only poked at curiously.

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91

E! Online

If you haven't already pledged your allegiance to Radiohead, this isn't gonna turn you.

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90

Urb

The band seems more comfortable in the studio than ever. [Aug 2003, p.88]

90

The Onion (A.V. Club)

Radiohead effectively split the difference between its best-known incarnations on Hail To The Thief, which brings the group's Consecutive Great Albums total to a remarkable five.

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90

Uncut

For all its muddied textures and sideways lurches, it is a magnificently engaging and expansive work. [Jul 2003, p.112]

90

ShakingThrough.net

Hail lacks the overriding musical, thematic or experimental coherence of the band's post-Pablo Honey work. But it is a strong collection of discrete tracks, like an unreleased B-sides collection finally seeing the light of day.

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90

Dot Music

It's startling that a commercial rock band could sound this blood-and-oxygen vital, this meaningful and mighty six albums into their career.

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90

New York Magazine

Hail to the Thief is overloaded with miraculous sounds.

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90

PopMatters

An incredible album from a band that continues to redefine its boundaries.

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80

Delusions of Adequacy

This is truly an album that will stay with you once you’ve let it work its way in.

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80

Flak Magazine

Of course it's political, and of course it continues to merge electronic experimentation with more familiar rock structures; but it employs all those debate-igniting props simply to further the band's more pressing agenda: to tirelessly explore beauty's terrible fragility.

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80

Amazon.com

Like all of the band’s best work, Thief requires more than a few listens to fully appreciate, but those who stick around will be richly rewarded.

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80

Rolling Stone

Despite the anger and bitterness, Hail to the Thief is more musically inviting than Radiohead's last two outings.

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80

All Music Guide

Despite the fact that it seems more like a bunch of songs on a disc than a singular body, its impact is substantial.

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80

Drawer B

The biggest problem with Hail to The Thief is its lack of surprise.

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80

Mojo

Coheres as well as anything else in their canon. [Jun 2003, p.90]

79

Stylus Magazine

While it’s unrealistic to expect another Kid A-like transformation, by pulling all those familiar elements together, Hail to the Thief sounds, well, a little familiar. [Note: Score listed is an average of two separate reviews: a 68 and a 90.]

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70

New Musical Express

That's not to say there's not some exceptional music on this record, it's just once again the impact of the best moments is dulled by the inclusion of some indifferent electronic compositions.

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70

Q Magazine

As admirable as Radiohead's quest ongoing quest to ignore expectations, tear up the manual and proudly rebel against the limitations of 4/4 time seems, some of Hail To The Thief comes dangerously close to being all experimentalism and precious little substance. [Jul 2003, p.98]

60

The Guardian

Hail to the Thief's big drawback has less to do with its similarity to its predecessor than the sense that Radiohead's famed gloominess is becoming self-parodic.

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60

Blender

The album seems resigned, defeated, passive -- like an hour-long sigh. [#17, p.130]

60

Neumu.net

Sprawling, overwrought, unkempt rock music.

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50

Austin Chronicle

The new songs have attitude, but they sound like outtakes from 2000's classic Kid A and 2001's lesser Amnesiac.

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What Our Users Said

The average user rating for this album is 8.8 (out of 10) based on 238 User Votes

Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.

Reid M gave it a10:
This album has it all. The most versatile, poetic, beautiful, ugly, gritty, engaging, sick, ass-kicking piece of intelligent, thought-provoking rock-n-roll I've heard in a long time.

DexStud gave it a9:
Not for everyone, including pop fans. But those who do give this album a try will be greatly rewarded with an awesome, original sounding album.

leigh m gave it a10:
Underrated. this album is a collection of so many different genres. it is a prime example of Radiohead's versatility. Its superb.

Tim B gave it a10:
This album doesn't get the credit it deserves. It is one of Radiohead's best!!!

Seb H gave it a6:
I've been listening to this on and off for 5 years and yet I still see it as their worst since Pablo Honey. Amnesiac was much better because it at least had Pyramid Song and Knives Out (two of their best ever). You might say that it's still a great album compared with everything else that's being churned out these days, but I can't agree with that either. It's not rousing, falls into large lapses of self-parody and is far too long to get through. Sonically, it's not textured to the same beautiful level of OK Computer or The Bends and is even at times unlistenable and overly experimental. There are a few great songs I have to admit - There There, 2+2=5, Where I End And You Begin and, of course, Go To Sleep. But otherwise it's passable at best. In Rainbows, OK Computer, Kid A and The Bends all kick this one's ass.

Ozz L gave it a9:
A inventive and radical album. Sometimes the crazy prouction and sounds pay off, on occasions they do not, but on the whole it's another great album.

richard gave it an8:
Radiohead sets the bar so high for themselves that it is difficult to rate their music. for most groups this would be considered their tour de force but for Radiohead, it comes off as just another fantastic album. With it they cement their place in history alongside Zeppelin and The Beatles. They past The Rolling Stones a long time ago.

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