Rock Sound's Scores

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For 497 reviews, this publication has graded:
  • 67% higher than the average critic
  • 3% same as the average critic
  • 30% lower than the average critic
On average, this publication grades 2.4 points higher than other critics. (0-100 point scale)
Average Music review score: 75
Highest review score: 100 That's the Spirit
Lowest review score: 20 Bright Black Heaven
Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 435 out of 497
  2. Mixed: 60 out of 497
  3. Negative: 2 out of 497
497 music reviews
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    • 78 Metascore
    • 70 Critic Score
    Fail You Again
    If they can combine the desperate urgency demonstrated on that first EP (which is a little diminished here) with the more finely-crafted songwriting they’re moving towards, they will be swimming onward, rather than sinking, for a long while to come.
    • 75 Metascore
    • 70 Critic Score
    Wired
    These songs might not be the complete, finished product yet, but as signals of intent go, they’re a crystal clear demonstration that Mallory have what it takes to break through the glass ceiling--to make truly exceptional music of soul-stirring quality.
    • 78 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Emperor of Sand
    Few bands out there twist metal into such bewildering, bewitching shapes, and--somehow--there’s little sign of their well running dry.
    • 89 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Eternity, In Your Arms
    The songs soar in unison with the band’s grand vision. Those songs are a riot, too.
    • 72 Metascore
    • 70 Critic Score
    I'm Only Dreaming
    The Texas crew have created a piece of art that probes into what it means to love and be loved with real intent and passion. If you’ve slept on this band up until now, it’s time to change that.
    • 81 Metascore
    • 70 Critic Score
    Impressions
    An honest & emotional record.
    • 86 Metascore
    • 70 Critic Score
    Nightmare Logic
    This eight-song effort serves as a breathless, panic-inducing assault on the senses; delivering A-grade riffs, punch-in-the-throat immediacy and more ass-kicking per second than many will be able to withstand.
    • 86 Metascore
    • 70 Critic Score
    Colliding by Design
    Skillfully sketched melodies are their calling card and, while it has virtually no bite or cutting edge to speak of, there is enough craft and subtle depth here to warrant repeat listens.
    • 74 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Safe in Sound
    Safe In Sound’ is clearly engineered for the airwaves; almost every song produced and polished to within an inch of its life. ... That’s not to say that Safe In Sound is without its triumphs – there’s still an abundance of riches to enjoy here.
    • 77 Metascore
    • 70 Critic Score
    Bury Me In Philly
    It adds up to another deft, mature and utterly addictive release.
    • 73 Metascore
    • 90 Critic Score
    All These Countless Nights
    It’s an album dripping with class, craft, heart and soul and Deaf Havana’s most accomplished to date--a step out of their comfort zone and a step up in every regard.
    • 79 Metascore
    • 70 Critic Score
    Near to the Wild Heart of Life
    While none quite make it all the way, they do end up nestling rather nicely among the planets.
    • 74 Metascore
    • 70 Critic Score
    Modern Ruin
    More than a decade on from ‘Orchestra Of Wolves’, Frank is still singing from a different hymn sheet to everyone else, and that’s well worth celebrating.
    • 79 Metascore
    • 70 Critic Score
    Life Without Sound
    While they’ve ramped up the production values on this follow-up, its nine tracks retain the reckless zest for life that have defined their creators’ output.
    • 87 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Forever
    Whether opting for the sledgehammer (check out the riffs on ‘The New Reality’) or an icy scalpel (the warped post-punk of ‘Ugly’), the Pittsburgh four-piece rain down a hail of killer blows. Welcome to Hell.
    • 77 Metascore
    • 70 Critic Score
    AFI (The Blood Album)
    This is the sound of a band re-discovering the aggression that made them so great in the first place, and applying it ably to their new template.
    • 67 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Night People
    Crammed with skyscraping melodies and moments of spine-tingling poignancy, it stands them in the best possible stead for packing out stadiums and headlining festivals in the near future. They’ve fulfilled their side of the bargain with these 10 songs.
    • 76 Metascore
    • 70 Critic Score
    11 Short Stories Of Pain & Glory
    Replete with ramshackle tales of bar brawls (‘I Had A Hat’) and barely scraping by (‘Sandlot’), this ninth album feels warm and familiar--but there’s more beneath the surface.
    • 82 Metascore
    • 70 Critic Score
    Valuables
    Though riff addicts may find this slightly wanting, for the patient listener, Enemies have left a fitting swansong.
    • 73 Metascore
    • 70 Critic Score
    Hardwired...To Self-Destruct
    At times the results are exhilarating, as on the superb ‘Moth Into Flame’ and doomy death-march of ‘Confusion’--written from the perspective of a soldier with post-traumatic stress disorder--but there’s a smattering of filler, too. Too many tracks outstay their welcome by a matter of minutes.
    • 86 Metascore
    • 70 Critic Score
    Parachutes
    Packed with ragged, neurotic and enjoyably volatile punk rock, Parachutes picks up the baton from 2014’s ‘.STOMACHACHES.’ and runs it into new territory.
    • 82 Metascore
    • 70 Critic Score
    Star Treatment
    Tracks can bleed into one another, but their ideas are finally finding focus. This is Wovenwar, but a whole lot meaner, louder and more driven.
    • 67 Metascore
    • 70 Critic Score
    The Serenity of Suffering
    Admittedly, some riffs do feel like re-runs of Korn classics, holding the album back from true greatness. That’s charming in itself, though: reminding us how deeply important this band once were and continue to be.
    • 87 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Chemical Miracle
    The Australian punks tone down the fury on album two, and manage to achieve so much without it.
    • 66 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Only Ghosts
    It’s the driving energy and urgency of hook-filled bangers like ‘Flies’ and ‘Not For You’ that makes this memorable.
    • 86 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Dissociation
    While Dillinger might have become more melodic over their years, they have categorically never softened. There are songs on here that will strip paint at 500 yards, curdle fresh milk and happily go toe-to-toe with the best of their back catalogue. That’s no small accolade.
    • 78 Metascore
    • 70 Critic Score
    Mothership
    The band’s mad formula is familiar now, but there’s still enough experimentation here to keep things interesting.
    • 64 Metascore
    • 70 Critic Score
    Light We Made
    Eschewing their hard-edged, rockier side, the Pennsylvania five-piece have cultivated 40-plus minutes of intense but dreamy atmosphere on Light We Made.
    • 78 Metascore
    • 70 Critic Score
    First Ditch Effort
    While some of these songs may not be up to the standard of their world-beating best, it’s clear they’re still having a lot of fun.
    • 80 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Transit Blues
    Frantic opener ‘Praise Poison’ feels like the heaviest song they’ve penned in years, while elsewhere the slow, heavy-hitting riff of ‘Lock & Load’ and the desperate, raking soar of ‘Flyover States’ make this a versatile, and interesting album that manages to combine everything that’s great about this band’s rich back catalogue.
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