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Stars indicate the most critically-acclaimed albums.

Life...The Best Game In Town

EMAILPRINTby Harvey Milk

Harvey Milk reviews
85
7.0 User Score:

Album Info

Label: Hydra Head

Release Date: 03 June 2008

Discs: 1 disc

Genre(s): Rock, Experimental

Summary

This is the fifth album for the experimental rock band from Athens, Georgia.

What The Critics Said

All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...

100

The Onion (A.V. Club)

Life… isn't easy listening (the anvil-heavy ballad 'Roses' alone could drive the clinically depressed to suicide), but the improved contrast between upbeat and harrowing makes Harvey Milk's extremes that much easier to appreciate.

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90

Sputnikmusic

There’s not much else to say that you shouldn’t already know: thick, melodic and endearing, Life...The Best Game in Town is essential listening.

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90

PopMatters

It’s a grim journey, and often creepy as hell, but it’s by no means depressing. Mediocre music is depressing. This stuff is exhilarating.

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86

Pitchfork

The best executed Harvey Milk album to date, and one of the most accomplished metal records you'll hear this year.

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80

Mojo

The 10 songs here complements mainman Creston Spiers' whisper-to-howl vocals with startling dynamic shifts. [Sep 2008, p.106]

80

All Music Guide

Life... showcases a band that has carefully refined its sound, creating an album that is daring and experimental enough for longtime fans, but accessible enough for anyone looking to discover one of Athen's heaviest bands.

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80

Drowned In Sound

Here, all percussion devastates; it pounds away at the insides of Life… The Best Game In Town like a beast caged, packed ready for shipping. Let it loose and all hell’s coming your way.

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80

Dusted Magazine

Life has a wholly predictable uniqueness.

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60

Tiny Mix Tapes

All jokings aside, this record is downright GNARLY despite its hang-ups, impossible to wash from the soul and probably the thickest, grittiest substance you ever did see.

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60

Uncut

While they are at their most comfortable when laying down the ZZ Top meets Black Flag hardcore boogie of 'Skull Socks and Rope Shoes,' it's difficult not to be charmed by their wit, style and salute to Southern rock. [Sep 2008, p.89]

What Our Users Said

The average user rating for this album is 7.0 (out of 10) based on 12 User Votes

Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.

Eric L gave it an8:
I can understand how some listeners missed it, because it does require patience, but this is definitely a keeper. To call this a hipster-cred album (as some of these user-reviewers implied) makes absolutely no sense, because this is pretty unhip. It's 70's southern rock with a major Melvins sludge kick. Plus, I think some of the reason I particularly dig this CD is because some of Harvey Milk's older material is unlistenably boring, and Life has got a big splash of melody where there didn't used to be any.

Jason M gave it a10:
This album from beginning to end, is a masterpiece. I have been a long time Harvey Milk fan, and this album truly justifies why. Sheer brilliance through and through.

Marlise G gave it an8:
Good album, really good.

Jyotirmaya d gave it a7:
I only like this one coz Pitchfork tells me to... but, ah, I dig it when I am tired of listening to all of the indie stuff out there now. Good on you guys! You rock!!! Jyo.

Bocce F. gave it an8:
I'm an old gut and I henerally have not been a metal fan for most of my music listening life. However, I tend to give it a try when I read a good review, or two, or six. And I must sy, I like this.

Carl A. gave it a10:
It's like having fun and not having fun at the same time. It's like being punched really hard in the stomach, and then realizing something fantastic in the moment while you're struggling to breathe. Come on. It's really good.

Joe Q gave it a5:
These are the kinds of ratings that make music critics lose their credibility. I've desperately searched this recording to find something the least bit interesting. Shrugs.

Read more user comments >

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