Album Rank

ALBUM RANK: GARBAGE

One of the more positive things about the last couple years, especially during the height of the pandemic, was that during that time, I went on some really great catalog deep dives. There were quite a few bands I did this with and the end result was rather positive. One of the bands that I went down the rabbit hole with was Garbage. I still remember going to the store to buy their first album when it came out as well as the second one. Both of those albums were in constant rotation back in the day for me. Now after going through all their albums and then some, I have come up with a pretty solid ranking of their albums. If you’ve never delved into the Garbage catalog, I strongly suggest you do. They have some absolutely great albums and songs. Plus, their evolution throughout the years has made their music intriguing and reinvigorating to the genre.

07) Bleed Like Me: This one gets the bottom not because it’s a bad album by any means, it’s just that it’s a very front loaded album that when you get to the halfway point, a lot of the songs fall into familiar territory. The album feels like it’s trying to recapture a feeling or time but in the end it just falls a bit flat.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1YIIihW89Ac&list=OLAK5uy_mTHaqnibIxQY_BBx5-av2_8IJ9_y7vzoo

06) Beautiful Garbage: This album is a bit of a departure for the band only in that it doesn’t embrace a particular sound or style. Instead it’s a more experimental album, that finds the band looking to expand upon their sound. At times there are songs that are more “pop” than alternative, and other times you will find songs that are more aligned with an R&B style. This album for me is one of those that has to be listened to under the right circumstances. Put it this way, if you were really into the first 2 albums, this one leaves you a little bit more on the side of “it’s not bad but, it’s not what you thought it would or could be.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a-g3Eapd9Q0&list=OLAK5uy_kITr4nsYBdjTcYSVVtZttY35W1tn_6ExM

05) Not Your Kind Of People: This album was the bands first in about 7 years after Bleed Like Me. This album is a sort of return to form for the band with some new modern production elements added. It’s a very solid album though it drags a bit as there could have been a couple songs cut off. As a comeback album, this is quite good and worth a good listen. I wouldn’t be shocked that if I did an album rank revisited on Garbage in a year or so, this one could move up a notch or two.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3PDPUxm2UJY&list=OLAK5uy_mEtuFEHTkI-Ohuurftezr3OekKXpOjo6o

04) No Gods No Masters: Their most recent album is an absolute blast of a listen. It explores a lot of ground without being a nostalgic trip. The lyrical content on this album is quite thought provoking as well. You could even say that this is a very mature album both in the thematic sense as well as musically. After 7 albums together, they know what works best and doesn’t and it shows on this album very well. I really enjoyed this album and keep finding new things to like with each listen.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fG047b1uE9I&list=OLAK5uy_kONe0n9SUMEHydt2_Cxjc7oBTa1t4f3Gc


03) Strange Little Birds: The first time I heard this album all the way through, I felt like this was a sort of sequel or logical follow up to the band’s first 2 albums. There’s a really cool element of mixing the old with the new on this album. Strange Little Birds is a rather deep album lyrically and compelling. The album has some really catchy moments just like the first 2 have. There’s also an anger to this album that you can hear musically as well that really compliments every component well. Each time I listen to this album especially the final song “Amends,” I feel compelled to start it again.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PbZMYxaNTvU&list=OLAK5uy_lhRIYO6WW7WkwYpHgSZGWlx21lFo11PEY

02) Garbage: The debut and the one that started it all. What a superb debut album. It’s got all the great things that made music in the 90’s such a game changer. I love this album and think it’s one of the quintessential debut albums of all time. There is no doubt about the quality of the album from the songs, production, and performances. I also believe that this album became a blueprint for a lot of other bands/artists that have come out since.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nMqslcTBRf8&list=OLAK5uy_kBhKWqtEqoNf2WFc1RkX_PJ1xUivlzqJw

01) Version 2.0: The band’s second album and my personal favorite gets the top spot. This one adds to their superb start and goes even further into what they are capable of. The darker elements, especially the lyrical content is quite a trip. Musically, there is so much to discover on this album as the band pulled inspiration from bands from the 60’s, 70’s and 80’s. One of the things I love most about the album is the production on it. There’s a really cool Hi-Fi meets Lo-Fi compliment to the way the instruments sound as well as the vocals. This is one of those second albums, that (like myself) you might enjoy more than the first one. That’s not to say the first one isn’t the tops, it’s all a matter of preference.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-1yxXhMxe28&list=OLAK5uy_niRa7PPkLBcfu7yjgkIvwNhN4VQyTRVQY


Album Rank: Machine Head

Machine Head Wallpapers - Wallpaper Cave

Since last week, I’ve been on a pretty intense Machine Head kick. They released 3 new songs recently and it got me wanting to go back through their catalog. The 3 song single that just came out is one hell of a mini set of songs. While going through the bands discography, I made a ranking and think it’s pretty spot on. For almost 30 years now, Machine Head have been one of the best heavy bands out there. They’ve made 2 of the best metal albums ever (Burn My Eyes and The Blackening) and have helped to inspire and influence countless bands you enjoy today!

09) Supercharger:

08) Catharsis:

07) Bloodstone and Diamonds:

06) Unto The Locust:

05) The Burning Red:

04) The More Things Change:

03) Through The Ashes Of Empires:

01) The Blackening:

01) Burn My Eyes:

Album Rank: Helmet

Helmet Metal Band Logo Vinyl Decal Car Window Guitar Laptop Sticker – Kandy  Vinyl Shop

The other day, I wound up with the Helmet song “In The Meantime” stuck in my head. As always when that happens, I am compelled to go listen to the album. While doing that, I realized it’s been a minute since I listened to Helmet. Their early albums are exquisite and highly influential. Their more recent albums, have some really cool songs on them, and do hark back to their early days at times. So, with that in mind, here’s a ranking of their albums from not their best to the best.

8) Seeing Eye Dog:



7) Dead To The World:


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-qIoIgN7UOc&list=OLAK5uy_nvwIW222A6Aw_ALXK8Mr_2di3VGsJzVz0

6) Size Matters:


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uh_ga6mEO4w&list=OLAK5uy_kmU96gUGDKzZEzU_MZkBckbEmJGID2eyY

5) Monochrome:


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b0e2q0pNAbo&list=OLAK5uy_kPtJucBh7Dy3fd4y4dMpbSg5yVNyE9S4A


4) Aftertaste:


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mtYea59Juro&list=OLAK5uy_mxV9RC30gu6OPzQx2tW0gAiJDdA-miEwg

3) Strap It On:


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2K7Tmc7wnw8&list=OLAK5uy_lIJ1sNx4JTzp3SSGcPJ3U4djFXXFP6d-Q

2) Betty:


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k3a8Ow-DoAw&list=OLAK5uy_nqDP4Skga8SWAW2_twGp4eP0XxT8WmGXI

1) Meantime:


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9346rQ1d8ik&list=OLAK5uy_k7kO962xkSQ5o-lRopWDDFLHo493kSNdo

Album Rank: Black Flag (Rollins Era)

Black Flag | Black flag logo, Black flag, Flag decal

I’ve long been fascinated by the history of Black Flag. I still remember the first time I heard them when I was a little kid. I was really getting into punk music during the mid 90’s renaissance of punk rock. I remember reading an interview with Lars and Tim from Rancid and they kept mentioning Black Flag. Naturally, I did what anyone who is curious about a band would do and went to the record store and got myself a Black Flag album (I wound up buying Damaged). From that point, I was on a path of finding out all about these other bands and fell in love with the genre even more. One of the things that always stood out to me about Black Flag was Henry Rollins. He was such a commanding force on stage and his vocals were very direct and in your face. That combined with the magnitude of the music from those in Black Flag, made for one hell of a band. So, with all that in mind, here’s my ranking of the Rollins era Black Flag albums.

In My Head:


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b65wOPuFlvo&list=OLAK5uy_kQzQDkbnkrcGAXME4LUuPJS860qKFJPNo

Family Man:


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BROmloB0_08&list=OLAK5uy_mqUUy3V3crsBhZvBao1jTZB741eqZo-Gw

Loose Nut:


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y0M-3DQB1bA&list=OLAK5uy_kf2NGFpNcKRXG7qQ8b0HmYKq9A65rDMr0

Slip It In:


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b1XqNPBA-Tk&list=OLAK5uy_mOnXe3oz272No_15UUn_PrKtQSrkfvgi0

My War:


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ga6v91ZGL1U&list=OLAK5uy_kYpp9nYw45WJ–TiUpa7Xi0eDm9vwmodc

Damaged:


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wDUYCyajDcs&list=OLAK5uy_ky7Ce5ObYR1y7vEQRdxByDB3qjYz7_fhI

Album Rank: Trivium

Trivium Logo | Logos, Band logos, Album art

For the last 20 years, Trivium has steadily been not only getting better as a band and songwriters but, they have released some pretty damn good albums. They’ve been one of the bands that has been able to evolve without losing sight of their roots. It’s pretty interesting to go back and listen and see how these guys have progressed over the years. So with that in mind here’s what I think is a pretty solid ranking of their albums from not their best to the best.

Silence In The Snow:

Vengeance Falls:

Ember To Inferno:

 

The Crusade:

 
What The Dead Men Say:

 

Shogun:

 
Ascendancy:

The Sin and The Sentence:

 

In Waves:

Album Rank: Slipknot

sk-logo

Ever since Slipknot’s new album, We Are Not Your Kind came out, I’ve been hooked on it. We Are Not Your Kind is one hell of an album. In my opinion it’s the best album they’ve released since Volume 3: The Subliminal Verses. This new one has some of the darkest/heaviest lyrics since Iowa and musically it’s got a really interesting balance of Volume 3 and the self titled debut. With all that in mind, I thought a new ranking of Slipknot’s albums would be quite fitting.

All Hope Is Gone:

 

.5 The Gray Chapter:

We Are Not Your Kind:

 

Slipknot:

Volume 3- The Subliminal Verses:


Iowa:

Album Rank: The Cult

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The Cult have long been one of the best and most consistent rock bands in the world. I’d even go as far as saying they are one of the best rock bands of all time. They’ve released some of the best rock albums and continue to make it known that they are still a force to be reckoned with. With that in mind, take a delve into their catalog and see why they are one of the best!

 
10) The Cult- The Cult:


9) The Cult- Born Into This:

 

8) The Cult- Ceremony:

 

7) The Cult- Dreamtime:

 
6) The Cult- Hidden City:

 

5) The Cult- Choice Of Weapon:

4) The Cult- Beyond Good And Evil:

 

3) The Cult- Sonic Temple:

 

2) The Cult- Love:

 

1) The Cult- Electric:

Album Rank: Beastie Boys

beastie-boys-logo

The other day I had a song in my head but, it was mainly the beat. After agonizing over where it came from, it finally dawned on me that it was a Beastie Boys song, “Root Down” to be exact. Naturally after that, I went on a binge of nothing but the Beastie Boys. And when I tend to do things like that, an album rank pops in my head. So, with that in mind, here’s the album rank of the Beastie Boys releases. Keep in mind that this is actually a really hard group to rank, and I’m not quite sure I got it right.

7) Hot Sauce Committee Part II:

6) To The 5 Boroughs:

 
5) Check Your Head:

4) Licensed To Ill:

 
3) Paul’s Boutique:

2) Hello Nasty:

 
1) Ill Communication:

Album Rank: Motley Crue

41DOcHUKXUL._SX425_.jpg

I went to bed last night with Motley Crue’s song “Live Wire” stuck in my head. Whenever something like that tends to happen, I feel compelled to follow it up with some sort of article for Audioeclectica. So, with that in mind, I thought what better thing to do than to rank all of Motley Crue’s albums from not their best to THE best.

 
Saints Of Los Angeles:

 

 
Generation Swine:

 

New Tattoo:

 

 
Theatre Of Pain:

 

 

Girls Girls Girls:

 

 
Too Fast For Love:

 

 
Dr. Feelgood:

 

 
Shout At The Devil:

Album Rank: Depeche Mode

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As a band since 1980, Depeche Mode have cemented their legacy as an influential and inspirational group. They have released albums that will forever be the soundtracks to many lives. Through the years and 14 albums now, Depeche Mode have always followed the beat of their own drummer and their catalog shows that. Some albums are better than others and then there are those albums that are quite underrated. Anyways, below is a ranking of Depeche Mode’s albums from not their best to their best.

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