Human Animal
by Wolf Eyes
  • Record Label: Sub Pop
  • Release Date: Sep 26, 2006
Metascore
78

Generally favorable reviews - based on 18 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 14 out of 18
  2. Mixed: 4 out of 18
  3. Negative: 0 out of 18
  1. Stylus Magazine
    91
    Human Animal comes off as a less directly brutal assault than its predecessor. It sounds a hell of a lot better cranked to ten, though, its contours more explicit, the sounds sharpened to a steely point.
  2. Delusions of Adequacy
    90
    This is a punishing record that manages to be both incredibly dense and yet highly listenable.
  3. Urb
    90
    At the same time you contort, squirm and surge toward the non-music, your spirit somehow gets the message. [Oct 2006, p.132]
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  5. Neumu.net
    90
    For Human Animal, Wolf Eyes have stepped back from pure violence, bringing in some of the old cinematic features while retaining pieces of the vicious nature that has served them well.
  6. Pitchfork
    82
    When these scientists hit on the right formula of slow-burning anticipation, the bombast that follows has the profundity of a drug-induced epiphany. Previous Wolf Eyes records have struck that magic balance during individual songs or sides, but none have stretched it over an album's length like Human Animal.
  7. Tiny Mix Tapes
    80
    As close to perfect as a noise album can be.
  8. Alternative Press
    80
    Shows signs of nuance and restraint--relatively speaking. [Oct 2006, p.214]
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  9. Dusted Magazine
    80
    Human Animal is the most textured and abstract of the band’s “official” releases in years, and while perhaps their methods aren’t new, the results aren’t simply the same old Wolf Eyes.
  10. Playlouder
    80
    This is a densely structured journey through intense pummelling and dervishes of electronic noise.
  11. Uncut
    80
    A near-perfect balance of industrial threat, hardcore power and black comedy. [Oct 2006, p.134]
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  12. Mojo
    80
    Meticulously constructed. [Nov 2006, p.114]
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  13. Filter
    74
    The word "unnerving" doesn't account for the range of senses that get pulled down into this abyss. [#22, p.98]
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  14. Almost Cool
    65
    Human Animal certainly isn't something I'd want to pull out on a regular basis, but there's some beautiful evil I can appreciate on this one.
  15. cokemachineglow
    62
    An album at once tighter and more terrifying than anything they’ve yet released.

User Reviews

All reviews »
User Score
6.3

Generally favorable reviews- based on 15 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 10 out of 15
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 15
  3. Negative: 5 out of 15
  1. RussellK
    Dec 27, 2006
    10
    People need to just take this for what it is, NOISE.
  2. Sommy
    Dec 21, 2006
    7
    Human Animal plays very similarly to a number of Wolf Eyes' moodier releases on Bulb, particularly Dread and Slicer. Despite the Human Animal plays very similarly to a number of Wolf Eyes' moodier releases on Bulb, particularly Dread and Slicer. Despite the instability of the current lineup, the tightness of their compositions (with respect to dynamics, as there is no apparent thematic melody driving the pieces, obviously) has become staggering, particularly on the opening track (which bears some vague resemblence to "Desert of Glue, Wretched Hog" from Dread). Anyone who buys a Wolf Eyes album knows what he/she is getting into, so there is really no sense to take stock in the criticisms of naysayers who have no real appreciation of this group's ability to transcend a number of "noise" styles with fluidity. To appreciate this band is to piss on hundreds of years of normative musical precedent for the sake of establishing their own rules -- just the way I like it. Highly recommended.… Full Review »
  3. !
    Dec 17, 2006
    10
    one of the best noise albums recently if you don't like this try with madonna, or artic monkeys, or village people....
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