14-01-2025, 12:55
Perverts - Ethel Cain - Mellope Album Review
OVERVIEW:
This is spectacular, the whole album takes you on a mental journey and feels VERY well made. There was only a single track I didn’t like (Pulldrone), which felt like it stopped the album’s cycle, and the segments were irritating and lasted too long (explained more in my track-by-track review). Without it, this would’ve been a 90+ rating, but this doesn’t put me off the whole thing. It covers topics that many feel scared to talk about, with the dark ambient sound gripping you in from anything you’re doing... I truly cannot put into words how this album made me feel at times—you need to listen to this!
TRACK BY TRACK REVIEW:
1. Perverts (9/10)
Wow, this is more than a song, this IS art. It talks about the struggles of guilt, often through masturbation, and mentions that "No one you know is a good person," which I believe is a reference to the idea that you never know what someone’s doing behind the scenes. The album starts with a rendition of a 19th-century Christian hymn before turning into an eerie piece that takes you into a thoughtful state. This took me on such a journey and felt slightly unsettling while balanced well for you to enjoy. Extraordinary.
2. Punish (8/10)
This feels pretty different from track one but maintained the album’s state. It feels like it grips you into the mood, and it does it powerfully. The only part I wasn’t so keen on was near the end when a louder sound came in. It sounded like a signal breaking up, and I don’t think that was a good transition at all. I still think this is a work of art, though.
3. Housofpsychoticwomn (9/10)
A near 14-minute dark ambient song that takes you on a journey the whole way through. Not a single part was bad; every second felt like no other. This is by far one of the best things I’ve heard in a while. It’s on-the-edge music that leaves you slightly unsettled but not too unsettled to listen—it’s that balanced mix. Masterpiece.
Added:
Came back and realized that you hear something in the song and you don’t know what it is, sounding like "help." It’s genius since the title involves the word Psychotic, which literally means that.
4. Vacillator (7/10)
With the key message of keeping it to yourself if you love someone, Vacillator—the slow darkness really sets into you on this, and I think it’s a great track.
5. Onanist (8/10)
Another track concerned with masturbation, the title refers to this, and it goes on to talk about a religious view that masturbators won’t be allowed into heaven—the struggle with God and addiction. This is so powerful that she talks about these things, and I really have to applaud her for it. As she says, "It’s happening to everyone," we need to help each other and recognize problems instead of hiding them.
6. Pulldrone (2/10)
What in the downfall was this song! It started with minutes of muffled talking, which you can’t hear that well or even understand a lot of the posh words she uses. Then it goes into over 10 minutes of a chainsaw-like noise getting high and going low, and I endured every second until the end. This was a pain for the ears and, frankly, just a really bad move by Ethel Cain. I was liking the album.
7. Etienne (9/10)
A slow, gentle piano track that goes for a softer route while maintaining the album’s style. This is beautiful and was perfect to put you in a deep thinking state.
8. Thatorchia (8/10)
It makes you feel good but sad at the same time. It’s a really magical thing only a few artists can do, and Ethel does it perfectly.
9. Amber Waves (8/10)
It continues the end of the album, going into more of a lo-fi route, which puts a nice feel from the merging of the songs. I was fully into this, and it felt like there was a huge message and thought put into everything.
BEST - Perverts and Housofpsychoticwomn (It’s hard to decide).
WORST - Pulldrone
Album rating - 8.3/10
OVERVIEW:
This is spectacular, the whole album takes you on a mental journey and feels VERY well made. There was only a single track I didn’t like (Pulldrone), which felt like it stopped the album’s cycle, and the segments were irritating and lasted too long (explained more in my track-by-track review). Without it, this would’ve been a 90+ rating, but this doesn’t put me off the whole thing. It covers topics that many feel scared to talk about, with the dark ambient sound gripping you in from anything you’re doing... I truly cannot put into words how this album made me feel at times—you need to listen to this!
TRACK BY TRACK REVIEW:
1. Perverts (9/10)
Wow, this is more than a song, this IS art. It talks about the struggles of guilt, often through masturbation, and mentions that "No one you know is a good person," which I believe is a reference to the idea that you never know what someone’s doing behind the scenes. The album starts with a rendition of a 19th-century Christian hymn before turning into an eerie piece that takes you into a thoughtful state. This took me on such a journey and felt slightly unsettling while balanced well for you to enjoy. Extraordinary.
2. Punish (8/10)
This feels pretty different from track one but maintained the album’s state. It feels like it grips you into the mood, and it does it powerfully. The only part I wasn’t so keen on was near the end when a louder sound came in. It sounded like a signal breaking up, and I don’t think that was a good transition at all. I still think this is a work of art, though.
3. Housofpsychoticwomn (9/10)
A near 14-minute dark ambient song that takes you on a journey the whole way through. Not a single part was bad; every second felt like no other. This is by far one of the best things I’ve heard in a while. It’s on-the-edge music that leaves you slightly unsettled but not too unsettled to listen—it’s that balanced mix. Masterpiece.
Added:
Came back and realized that you hear something in the song and you don’t know what it is, sounding like "help." It’s genius since the title involves the word Psychotic, which literally means that.
4. Vacillator (7/10)
With the key message of keeping it to yourself if you love someone, Vacillator—the slow darkness really sets into you on this, and I think it’s a great track.
5. Onanist (8/10)
Another track concerned with masturbation, the title refers to this, and it goes on to talk about a religious view that masturbators won’t be allowed into heaven—the struggle with God and addiction. This is so powerful that she talks about these things, and I really have to applaud her for it. As she says, "It’s happening to everyone," we need to help each other and recognize problems instead of hiding them.
6. Pulldrone (2/10)
What in the downfall was this song! It started with minutes of muffled talking, which you can’t hear that well or even understand a lot of the posh words she uses. Then it goes into over 10 minutes of a chainsaw-like noise getting high and going low, and I endured every second until the end. This was a pain for the ears and, frankly, just a really bad move by Ethel Cain. I was liking the album.
7. Etienne (9/10)
A slow, gentle piano track that goes for a softer route while maintaining the album’s style. This is beautiful and was perfect to put you in a deep thinking state.
8. Thatorchia (8/10)
It makes you feel good but sad at the same time. It’s a really magical thing only a few artists can do, and Ethel does it perfectly.
9. Amber Waves (8/10)
It continues the end of the album, going into more of a lo-fi route, which puts a nice feel from the merging of the songs. I was fully into this, and it felt like there was a huge message and thought put into everything.
BEST - Perverts and Housofpsychoticwomn (It’s hard to decide).
WORST - Pulldrone
Album rating - 8.3/10
