So, what would THIRD's Metacritic score be -without- that incredibly harsh (30!) BLENDER review? Because even with the 30, that's pretty damn impressive (as I write, it's at 84, with 28 reviews), especially for the first day of release. (Has it been available in the U.K. already? Sorry if this has been covered before.)

It's a fantastic album. Sounds oddly primative for a band that was all about the modern. I'd say it's easily the second best thing these ears have touched this year.

Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds are #1, But this isnt far behind.

Random thought. DAVID LYNCH should soundtrack a film og his to this amazing album

It took a lot of Western Eyes to foresee their
3-ALBUM-MASTERPLAN, but now I do...

1st step: (Dummy): Cover them in
2nd step: (Portishead): Suck them down
3rd step: (3rd): and now... skrew them

and darkness IS cosy. luckily laid...
Punker Idiotisch (fka nj)

Rubbish album if you ask me. I agree with Blender. The singer bores me to tears.

WHO are you?!

I am me. Me does not like the new Portishead album. Me thinks it sucks balls.

The real question is "what are you?"

Orangebreack : (Digs deep into his subconcious and reveals)I AM THE GREAT AND POWERFUL WIZARD OF OZ.

Decoding : I dont like music, I just pretend I know what im talking about!

but tHAT definitely IS greatness meant for mankind. just tell me how many institutions ACTUALLY rePEATEDLY do suck your balls? don't tell me, you haven't gave in?
Do.. you... prefer... maybe... jolly copper mountain goats... or silk woven pantomimes.? all terrain money belts with tarpaulin canvassed stars underneath their skin... I mean, they said "join the Darkness." not:
"enjoy her"

---of course the new Portishead sucks (anything). but it's simply great fun to pretend to have been coughed in. see... )?)

i like this guy!

I prefer to have a really big shit.

oh Hell, and how I do. Reminds me of my childhood when I was shooing bats out of a cave in southern france... waaahhh.... (echo: you suck)... waaaaaaah (echo: definitely: you suck). atlantic curls..... honestly, pre-meth born losers like me dO PERMANently fall in love with such folks... shoooooshhh!!!))

ps:
actually, orangebeaker Is Greg. Awesome hoax, still working...

why you gotta blow my cover, nj?!

gettin' a moth naked surely takes some decency . and some decent name.... ((many_apologies, real (uncloned) Greg... ;I))

aaand a light bulb made of Monica Vitti plus world peace

which finally means: Mr. Crabs or Tiny Tim or Jeff Beck or the Relic Hunter... DEEEEAAAAAATTTTHHHHHH

I hate Blender.

Off-topic thread is off-topic.

Only hearing "Machine Gun" and "Hunter", I can't wait until my local record store gets it in.

This is clearly one of the best albums of the year and I've felt that way since about the third time I heard it a few months back and had no delay paying the 40 quid for the boxset.

Blender is an awful waste of time, I'm glad they don't like it. It reads like Mark Beaumont's review of Kid A in Melody Maker.

"Clearly".

Yes, clearly. With the proviso that you already like Portishead or the type of music. If you don't really like the sound they have made then you probably won't like it.

Considering you said it 'sucks balls' as an opening critic I'm not particularly bothered what you think anyway.

I'm going to give it a shot but I've never been a fan of Portishead or that style of music. But, people are saying it's a huge departure so I'm definitely going to listen to it.

Damn it. This was the only music message board on the web *without* obnoxious people who make hostile comments using graphic bathroom language to decry any music they don't like.

Portishead jumped to #1 on the compare-based list after five more reviews got added, even ahead of Nick Cave. I've only heard it once, but it sounds awesome. I'm not saying it's as good as Dummy, but I think after I've had time to absorb it there's a small chance I might think so.

At least the two guys calling each other names aren't "regulars"

How do you know.

Anyway, I'm only firing nbames at portishead. i think it's a poor album, and this is a case of the emperor's new clothes. Best albums of this year so far imo:

Avishai Cohen - Gently Disturbed
Supergrass - Diamond Hoo Ha
The Fall - Imperial Wax Solvent
The Hellacopters - Head Off