No song in this collection batters you, scares you, melts you down to your core like “Limo Wreck” does at track nine. It’s Sabbathy, it’s glimmering and full of fiery rage, it’s the boiling over point for Cornell’s vocals - as the band climbs toward a higher peak of intensity and stakes, making you feel a sense of uneasiness and impending doom unlike any other. This is the great middle point in Soundgarden’s catalog for me. It feels like looking God in the face and being terrified by a force so immaculately powerful - its mere existence rewires your brain.

When you shake off the bar set by the band’s previous three outings, you can look at The Lash for what it is. It’s The Dirty Nil retaining their footing, recalibrating, and staying committed to the bit - but not sacrificing their authenticity shown by the state of mind they’re in during any given recording period, and it comes through honestly in the music.

If Varsity Blues succeeds in anything, it’s the accurate depiction of in the ins-and-outs of youth football programs across the U.S., and the fun [and turmoil] that can occur when navigating that time as a late teen. Parties, Pain Killers, Concussions, and Big-Plays, it’s ALL there throughout this watch.

“Shine” isn’t just the foundation in which Collective Soul built its entire existence ontop of, its an underdog of ‘90’s grunge in that it commands you to shake off the weight of the times, and choose happiness. It’s Rocky Balboa taking shots from Ivan Drago, unphased to if it may be his last day alive.

Without wasting a minute, a beat, or a bass-line, the power-duo figured out [yet again] how to make a small runtime [31min] feel roomy and gigantic. A track like “Tell Me When It’s Too Late” practically shakes the foundation of whatever room it enters.

In the series’ first box office outing - ‘Reze Arc’ succeeds in most categories one might be looking for in an anime flick to get you out of the house. Thrilling action sequences, compelling characters, and excellent animation. Where Chainsaw Man - The Movie begins to lose its deeper grasp, is its failure to secure the overhead “Why?” - this story might be told in the first place, and how it is [or isn’t] intended to feed the bigger-picture storyline.

It’s a raging bull, it’s a goddamn hurricane, it’s Godzilla towering over a city skyline..! “Celebration” is a perfect tune, and one of the heaviest to do it in only 3mins.

The beautiful thing about giving Mayhem (2025) the flowers it deserves regardless of what the online haters have to say, is that it’s especially fulfilling after trekking through all of Gaga’s catalog and re-affirming that it’s definitely the most solid piece of work she’s ever put out.

This film’s strength lies in its characters, particularly the distinct manner in which they exist. Rick Dalton is the most believable screen-puppet to wear a Leonardo Dicaprio mask i’ve ever seen, while Bratt Pitt practically disapears entirely the second you hear Cliff Booth utter his first word.

Written by drummer Jimmy “The Rev” Sullivan, it is the ninth song from Avenged Sevenfold’s self-titled fourth album, and garnered vast popularity among fans even without being released as a single.

His sixth record is lock-tight in form, focus, and lyricism. Tillman’s vocals sound like they were recorded in an anechoic chamber sitting alone on mars.

One Battle After Another (2025) is a hilarious glimpse into yet again, another Paul Thomas Anderson universe in which the characters feel so real and so believeable, it is sometimes easy to forget there are actors beneath ‘Bob Ferguson’ and ‘Sergio St. Carlos’, or the psychotic magnetism of ‘Col. Steve Lockjaw’.

Written by Noel Gallagher, released on July 7th 1997 as the first single from their third album “Be Here Now” and reached number one on the UK Singles Chart.

This feels like an album you could live in, or drive across the country experiencing. There is so much to offer, even while Kacey largely plays it safe for most of the album.

‘Overcompensate’ carries a great vibe that feels like it sets itself apart from previous releases, while also personifying a bit of ‘Scaled & Icy’ energy.

A quick Top 5 list containing my favorite pick-me-up albums of all time. Originally published to social media in 2022. Foo Fighters, Metallica, and More.