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Blue Cathedral
by
  • Record Label:
  • Release Date:
Blue Cathedral Image
Metascore
84

Universal acclaim - based on 17 Critic Reviews What's this?

User Score
7.1

Generally favorable reviews- based on 28 Ratings

  • Summary: The psychedelic indie-rockers from Santa Cruz, Calif. make their Sub Pop debut with this third disc. Guitarist Ben Chasny has been added to the lineup, supplementing the original quartet led by vocalist/guitarist Ethan Miller.

Critic Reviews

Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 16 out of 17
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 17
  3. Negative: 0 out of 17
  1. Tiny Mix Tapes
    100
    A masterwork that music fans will be listening to for some time in the future.
  2. Delusions of Adequacy
    90
    Blue Cathedral's shifting textures and long, sub-orbital freak-outs signify no lull in purpose for the Comets on Fire. It does signify a step towards a maturation of sound for a band now with three releases under its belt - specifically, a perfect place to be.
  3. Pitchfork
    85
    Sometimes bludgeoning, always regal, Blue Cathedral is a calcified, hippified holy place.
  4. Junkmedia
    80
    Comets on Fire have also learned to harness their dynamic range, an important step for a band that pummels the listener with a seemingly unending freakout.
  5. Stylus Magazine
    80
    Uninhibited and hushed in all the right places, it’s safe to say that Comets on Fire have hit their stride.
  6. Village Voice
    80
    The trick to their aural freak-out is not too different from those in the past; it hides in the arcane black box manned by Noel Harmonson. The echoplex, with its Möbius strip of tape loop, warps the guitars and yowls like parallel sheets of Mylar and sheets of acid, focusing the entire band into ray-gun pulses that match the pounding of Utrillo Belcher.
  7. Under The Radar
    60
    To hear this album is to feel like things are falling down on you, and although that can be wearing after a while, there's not much to complain about. [#7]
    All this publication's reviews

See all 17 Critic Reviews

User Reviews

Write a Review
Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 14 out of 21
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 21
  3. Negative: 6 out of 21
  1. XianB
    Feb 13, 2006
    10
    Comets On Fire is the greatest rock'n'roll band on earth! And Jaki is jus right, even if it's not him.
  2. CraigL
    Aug 18, 2004
    10
    Less straightforward than their speedfreak self-titled album; way more sprawling. Possibly their best, and definitely the mega awesomeness.
  4. Asbjorn
    Aug 29, 2004
    10
    Great music! They mixed some of the best music from the 60s and 70s to an unbelievable daring and cool sound.
  5. rickg
    Aug 17, 2004
    8
    Yeah, right Greg P. And I bet you've never heard My Bloody Valentine Loveless or any of german krautrock CAN's early stellar Yeah, right Greg P. And I bet you've never heard My Bloody Valentine Loveless or any of german krautrock CAN's early stellar releases (1969-1974 in particular). You're the clueless one.… Expand
  6. ChrisC
    Feb 15, 2005
    8
    This is good instrumental music that I hated at first but has grown on me immensely. As judging by some of the other reviews, it's the This is good instrumental music that I hated at first but has grown on me immensely. As judging by some of the other reviews, it's the kind of album that takes time and scares off casual listeners -- and that's never a bad thing.… Collapse
  7. BrianC
    Aug 24, 2004
    6
    This is probably the most unintentionally funny CD I've heard all year. There's more than a few "This Is Spinal Tap" moments to be This is probably the most unintentionally funny CD I've heard all year. There's more than a few "This Is Spinal Tap" moments to be heard, but what do you expect from a CD with a song titled "The Antlers Of The Midnight Sun." Still, you've got to admire their sincerity and for a sludge-rock band, they hammer you over the head out pretty good.… Expand
  8. GregP
    Aug 10, 2004
    0
    It's amazing how all these no name bands with no fans get great reviews. The critic's are pretty clueless when it comes to music.

See all 21 User Reviews

Awards & Rankings

31
#31 Best Album of 2004
90
#90 Most Discussed Album of 2004

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