The Diary of a Hobbyist

SCORE: 87/100 Fast hardcore punk that thrashes right passed you in an instant, Crossed Out's self-titled EP is a small punk oddity that is well worth the short amount of time it takes to listen to. The sound of this EP is instantly captivating, with fast-paced sounds and a heavy energy that feels like an incredible introduction to the powerviolence genre. It manages to get ideas and sounds across excellently well in just under eight minutes of runtime, and the songs are short without being at all underdeveloped. The overall sound of this EP is immediately established and it continues to be well-established as the runtime continues. The structure of this EP is messy in the way that you would want a hardcore punk project to be, with enough grit and raw energy to loop around itself over and over again. 'Crossed Out' is the type of project to make your head spin on impact - and it does this well. There's a clear style that the band developed for themselves, and it'll le...

SCORE: 78/100 Weezer's 'Green Album' follows the sounds that they have made themselves known for at this point into their discography - packing them into a shorter, accessible package that feels like a solid return after the 'Blue Album' was released. It doesn't quite compare to their previous albums, but it's a solid return and continuation of the band's form. There are obvious highlights of this album ('Hash Pipe' and 'Island In the Sun') that lead to some of the other tracks seeming pale in comparison, but the album is overall quite consistent and enjoyable. It's one of those albums where there isn't really a lot to say about it, as it's a familiar sound for Weezer that was done better on their previous two albums. It's a solid album compared to their first two - but it isn't quite as great as their previous bodies of work. It's a short album that has some well-developed ideas, but it's such a familiar sound...

SCORE: 95/100 Evanescence's sophomore album carries on the sounds from their debut with more of Amy Lee's stunning vocal performances alongside striking metal instrumentation. Lee is the star of the show, with her striking high vocals creating a contrast from the heavy instrumentals to create an album that is equal parts heavy and blissful. It isn't quite as gothic as their debut and it certainly isn't as memorable; but these things don't drag the album down - they make it stand out in the band's discography. This album is yet another lap of victory for the band following their incredible (and hard to top) debut album, and the sound of this album provides exactly what one would want from the band. The performances throughout this album are absolutely gorgeous, with the instruments and Amy Lee's vocals coming together into one massive heavy metal spectacle. Amy Lee having full creative control over this album led to a new, reinvented Evanescence - where her r...

SCORE: 98/100 THIS IS MY 100TH POST TO THIS BLOG! The vocal stun of Evanescence mixed with the harmonious gothic metal sounds prevalent in the late 90s-2000s, 'Enter' is a goth essential that you simply can not miss out on. It smears the line between heavy and gorgeous - making a project that manages to be both; every step of the way. I went into this album entirely blind - a random find in the gothic metal section of the site that had my attention due to the striking, bright cover art. When an album cover is this recognizable it adds an instantaneous sense of allure onto an album, and I was pleasantly surprised by Within Temptation being fronted by a female vocalist; the vocal performances are strikingly melodic and harmonized, with stunning arrangements and a sense of gothic bliss washing over the album - this is a debut that makes a name for Within Temptation. Sharon den Adel and Robert Westerholt add depth to this album vocally that you won't find anywhere else. Westerh...

SCORE: 65/100 I went into 'Bana Aitsin' expecting it to be a hidden gem of sorts, but the yellow score feels deserved due to the lackluster edge of this project. The songs are unintelligible when it comes to vocals, and the overall mixing quality of the EP is poor. The instrumentals are the saving grace of the project, keeping it afloat and enjoyable enough - but even the instrumentals sound choppy and wishy-washy. There is a very choppy, almost glitchy sound to the instrumentals that make this EP a lot less enjoyable than it could've been. There is a huge amount of room for improvement for VeXuM, and there are some moments on 'Bana Aitsin' that make it worthwhile for what it is. It isn't a bad project by any means, but it has some choppy production and the ideas don't feel fleshed out enough for this to feel all that worthwhile. The heavier guitar moments on the title track make this something I would still recommend to someone looking for a recent gothic r...

SCORE: 90/100 Plague's debut EP is a striking work of heavy punk music, with elements from different scenes coming together into one very enjoyable project. The songs are quick in pace and have very enjoyable instrumental work, with fiery vocal performances and a coherent sound, Plague is an absolute must in terms of punk hidden gems. There's an absolutely infectious energy that has to be heard to be believed on this EP, with a strikingly fast pacing that keeps up and doesn't falter, the EP makes itself known and makes Plague a band you'll be wanting more from before the project is even over. The footing of this project is clearly very strong, and the gritty sound contained within this EP is everything that a punk project should have and more. For such a short project, 'Crushing The False' does so much in such a short amount of time. It's a project that leaves an almost instantaneous impression, and everything comes together into an EP that is more than wort...

SCORE: 90/100 Fast, loud, and incredibly heavy from the moment it starts; with songs that come together into one long metal opus, blending subgenres and pushing the envelope at every turn - 'You Will Never Be One of Us' is one of the most iconic grindcore projects for a reason. I was surprised to see that this album came out in 2016 - as Nails seems like a band that goes way back due to their fine-tuned skillset, but this album is more recent than one might expect it to be. It's a striking piece of grindcore that is one of the most iconic albums in the genre, and for good reason. Running in at only 21 minutes total, 'You Will Never Be One of Us' is Nails' longest album to date. It is their third album - and the band manages to back even more of a punch than ever before with even more experimentation and trashing riffs that will throw you around without remorse for the entirety of the album. It's clear to see why Nails is such an iconic band in the grindcore ...