The Big Roar - The Joy Formidable
User Score
8.7 out of 10

Universal acclaim- based on 12 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 11 out of 12
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 12
  3. Negative: 0 out of 12

Review this album

  1. Your Score
    0 out of 10
    Rate this:
  1. Submit
  2. Check Spelling
view
per page
  1. Hackskeptic
    Mar 19, 2011
    9
    The hardened, accelerated riffs and floor thudding bass rhythms bear a resemblance to their early 90s influences, but with Ritzy Bryan's powerful melodies there's an ambitious aesthetic that encompasses Indie/pop. The amalgam of slow burning intensity and primal, explosive head numbing power is pitched just right, and is fully realized on the magnificent "Whirring". http://hackskeptic.com
  2. Twinhammers
    Apr 14, 2011
    10
    This is not a versatile album, in the sense that you won't be given a whole lot of breathing room, but The Joy Formidable succeed in out-muscling the tattooed guitar bands who undeservedly carry that reputation. And before you think them another possible product for frat-house drunkards, take note that "The Big Roar" handles its big roar with more elegance, agility and grace than we are accustomed to hearing from electric instruments. And who would be ballsy enough to start an album, let alone the sets of their current tour, with an anthem, "The Everchanging Spectrum of a Lie", that pushes nearly eight minutes? But after, there is no letdown. The Welsh trio has the energy and the smarts to continue their pulsating adrenaline rush for another forty. The loud and aggressive guitars and bass are pillowed atop such lovely ambiance that a full play-through leads to a feeling not unlike a waking dream. So it can be forgiven if, at the end of the album's closing stunner "The Greatest Light is the Greatest Shade", you choose to re-submerge into their imagined world rather than, once again, taking on your own.… Expand
  3. orphananthem86
    May 12, 2013
    10
    This band I had first heard about when they preformed on last call. After listening to "A Balloon Called Moaning" I decided to check out the Big Roar. I was very impressed with their sound and how much I liked this album. They have a very alternative rock sound. From the first track "The Ever Changing Spectrum of a Lie", the album captures you. I would strongly recommend this to any alternative rock fan as a great album. Can't wait to see what they do next!… Expand

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
77 out of 100

Generally favorable reviews - based on 24 Critics

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 20 out of 24
  2. Mixed: 4 out of 24
  3. Negative: 0 out of 24
  1. cokemachineglow
    Dec 8, 2011
    73
    It's an appealing, bombastic hybrid of '90s nostalgia, and anything less than audience ear drum obliteration is not an option.
    Read full review
  2. Under The Radar
    Jun 8, 2011
    50
    Unfortunately, The Big Roar can't sustain the love affair over 12 tracks. [May 2011, p.85]
  3. NOW Magazine
    Mar 31, 2011
    60
    It's dizzying, and you'll want off at times, but you'll likely ask to ride again.
    Read full review
See all critic reviews »