Pornography

Het voelt onderhand of we de laatste kliekjes aan het wegwerken zijn. Nog meer The Cure met vage, licht industriële jarentachtigmuziek met zo'n jammerstem. Niks dat we niet al gehoord hadden, en aangezien ik wat achter lig en toch wat tempo moet maken, is één keer luisteren wel weer genoeg.

Депресняк. Поспал под конец альбома, пойдет на любителя.

As someone who isn't really into The Cure, this just feels like a less developed version of Disintegration. Still enjoyable though.

Not for me

3.44 for Pornography. It was teetering on 3.5 but the title track sunk it for me. just random noises and weird backwards speaking ruined the whole atmosphere. Overall, this is much different than The Cure we hear later on in their career. Like you would not expect this group to go on and do a song called Friday, I'm In Love after hearing this album, but I love the early darkwave synth and guitar layers. Robert Smith's haunting voice is beautiful. A solid album but not one I'd plunk down money on the jukebox to listen to all the time.

Gražu, bet jų dainos labai vienodos.

I accidentally listened to Disintegration. This one wasn't as good.

A bit slow for my tastes, but alright Standouts - 3/5

This is what I've come to expect from The Cure. Pretty good emo 80s rock though I rarely seek them out. If you've heard Burn from Tge Crow soundtrack you know exactly how this sounds.

Невеликий фанат продакшену на цьому альбомі. Якийсь тут звук, не знаю як сказати... неакцентований, водяний... не знаю як це назвати. Ще монотонність альбому не сподобалась, особливо барабани. Ударки просто грають один і той же біт протягом піснень без змін. Мені така однорідність не подобається. Але не дивлячись на це все, мені альбом все ж сподобався. Є в нього якийсь вайб. Оцінка: низька-середня 6

Well, second The Cure album in a month, too. This is more the classic sound that I remember when listening to the The Cure. It is dark and gloomy. In retrospect it sounds almost comical in the extent of its emotionality. The Hanging Garden was one that I remember hearing in a certain clubs. It feels messy, noisy and almost ready to fall off the rails. There is a sonic beauty to it when you can immerse yourself. A younger me might find this more cathartic but an older me has been bled dry of those high emotions. Maybe dessicated me has less use for the rich loam of dramatic depression and the bloodletting of inner turmoil. For all the shade that I could throw here, it is important that I recognize that this is the soundtrack of someone hurting. It doesn't sound like parody but someone who is in a pain that doesn't feel real. And sometimes you can dance to it. It definitely affected others coming after. I guess I'll give it a three.

The looming, scary darkness of "Cold" was a real highlight.

Ooh, first track is very Cure but much more moody/gothic than their bigger hits. It's a bit rough and ready and doesn't have the shimmer or polish of more famous Cure. The Figurehead has a Depeche Mode feel to it? Still love the vocal style. Best track - A Strange Day 3 stars - I love The Cure and this album is clearly seminal for their sound, but knowing what they were capable of later and it leaves this album in the dust.

I had never heard this album before. Where Joy Division left off, it seems the Cure picked right up and then dropped the Joy Division sound again. Pornography was made when everyone in the band hated each other and there were a lot of drugs around. The music sounds like this album was made when everyone hated each other while taking a lot of drugs. This is probably not my favorite sound for the Cure. Not that I only like their pop-oriented music but this is all so dreary and the drums do not seem to differentiate on each song. My favorite songs: One Hundred Years The Hanging Garden Siamese Twins Strange Day

Very emo not really my kind of music, but it’s alright

I liked 'A Strange Day'

Not much to say. Kinda ethereal. Will revisit the text here someday.

I think I love the Cure in small doses, but this one, as an album isn't mature enough in its sound. Its very them, ans that's great but it is also quite one note abd that does get a bit tiring with time

Big Cure fan. Will admit this isn’t their best.

I prefer their other works

100 yrs - cool sort of foreboding sound in the guitar and synths, vocals are rough for me, great ending Short term - great intro and instruments throughout, feels like an acid trip in a way Hanging Garden - vocals are growing on me, very awesome chugging feeling with the drums and bass, super cool how the vocals glide through it Siamese twins - feels like a ghost movie? Figurehead - Calls back with a similar feeling as the first two songs, great middle ground. Strange day - can you tell this album was made in the 80's? Great chord progression, percussion and cool ending effect. Cold - holy shit that beginning. This is what I imagine entering a dungeon in a castle would feel like, grim, dark, chords with that driving bass note. New favorite, hard to beat Pornography - continued the foreboding sound from the rest of the album, with the ending line being something like "I need a treatment for this sickness" its kind of cool implications with the band name

A solid early record by Robert and the lads. It’s pain and suffering and lashing out and misery, and Smith screaming out his feelings. Kind of a warmup for their later, sharper albums; there aren’t really any memorable standout tracks, more of the Cure working out their sound. But it’s the Cure, so it’s never bad.

Meh prefiero disintegration

Vuige opzwepende rock muziek. Op eerste geluid niet helemaal mijn ding, maar na 3 luisterbeurten toch wel lekker. Duister. Album begint heel sterk

Yeah, this is fine

Nice, dark pop. Just what I wanted from this album.

One Hundred Years The Hanging Garden A Strange Day Cold

As with Disintegration this is predictably what I expected from another album from The Cure.

The Platonic example of Gothic rock. Slow, minor-key songs drenched in chorus effects, with Robert Smith droning angsty lyrics that belong in a Vampire: The Masquerade character's backstory. It's not bad, mind you; it's a perfect example of what it sets out to be. But it's not a style that interests me.

me gusta, no es algo que escucharia en mi dia a dia, pero me gusta, tiene un tono sombrio y un poco aterrador que se siente raro pero no de una forma negativa

Dark and foreboding. I had to give it a second listen to do it justice. Good, but it isn't going to feature on my playlist.

So I just realized that, in the two other lists I've done, I rated Pornography 4 stars the first time I listened to it in Sept 2025, and 2 stars the second time I listened to it in January 2026. The first time was just after listening to In Rainbows which I just don't like (sorry), and I said this kicks ass. The second time was after hearing Maggot Brain which I gave 5 stars. I'm ashamed and fascinated. But perhaps a lesson in framing? Also I was much less happy in September than I was in January so chew on that. In any case I'm not listening to this for a third time in a year and I shall split the difference.

I don't come back to this album as much as some of the others, but it's still great. "Cold" stands out for me. I wish I had been listening to this when it came out, but I wasn't cool enough.

This is a gloomy listen, and it sounds like the making of it was fraught to say the least. I missed this one during my peak Cure-listening years, so I appreciated the history lesson, even if it's not something I'd put on for funsies.

I don’t know if it’s because I had this playing whilst I did my shopping, but this album didn’t particularly stand out to me. It kind of faded into the background, only occasionally drawing my attention. I think it was The Hanging Garden which was the most interesting to me. None of it was bad! But nothing really stood out as amazing either.

This is not my favourite work by the cure. But it’s so moody and goth-y and certainly stands out.

3/5

It's solid. I thought The Hanging Garden was the best song here, but to be totally honest I had trouble telling when one song ended and another began because they mostly all sounded the exact same. Not bad, but not really anything I was super into or made me feel strongly.

yes i’ve listened before i luv the cure

Early Cure surely has its allure but you’re gonna infer i prefer the later stuff!

hmmm

On Pornography, The Cure retreat fully into the shadows, emerging with an album so drenched in early-Eighties studio murk that you can practically see the dry ice pouring out of the speakers. Processed drums thud like distant artillery, guitars shimmer in endless echo, and keyboards hover over everything like storm clouds threatening never to break. Robert Smith spends much of the record sounding less like a singer than a man broadcasting from the bottom of a well — all frantic howls, muttered dread and theatrical despair. The atmosphere is undeniably committed, and there are moments where the band’s bleak vision locks into place with hypnotic force, but the album’s towering reputation can feel a little oversized compared to what’s actually here. When it works, though, Pornography is fascinating in its own frostbitten way. “The Hanging Garden” stomps forward on tribal drums and a nervy keyboard figure that gives the song real momentum, while “Siamese Twins” twists itself around an off-kilter rhythm that feels genuinely unsettling. “The Figurehead” finds the group at its strongest, anchored by a brooding bassline that cuts through the fog and gives the song a pulse beneath all the gloom. Elsewhere, the band leans hard into gothic excess: “Cold” practically defines the term “goth af,” all frozen synths and emotional paralysis, and the title track closes the album with ominous samples, pounding percussion and industrial-noise textures that seem to predict an entire genre waiting around the corner. The Cure deserve credit for going all-in on their nightmare aesthetic — even if the nightmare occasionally feels repetitive by the time the lights come up.

Edgy af

Very brooding. Very depressing. Not a bad album, but one that makes me glad that The Cure became a bit more upbeat over time.

liked it but didn’t love it. i think i kind of wasn’t it the right mood for it, will give it another shot in the future. 3.5/5

I've always enjoyed The Cure, and this album is no exception. It's not quite as good as Disintegration when it comes to their Discography, but Pornography does capture Robert Smith and company at their gloomiest, with "A Strange Day" in particular lamenting the end of the world.

Would've scored higher but found the unimaginative drumming grating across a whole album, every track has the same beat throughout with no variation. Drums sound very thin too which makes them stand out more.

moody

interesting dark sound going on. unique for sure

echo-y

Listened on 16th June 2025. Favourite song is One Hundred Years. Their other albums are better in my opinion.

Most of the songs sound like the singer's voice is being engulfed by a sea of music. I enjoyed the album very much, but I can't say that I would try to learn all the songs and lyrics in my spare time. Some of the songs made me have to pee.

Moody 80s sound

i gave this one a relisten. i’ve always liked the cure, never loved. always found their LPs to be a a bit inconsistent. although when they make a good song they make an amazing song which is why i never wrote them off. this album is considered one of their best, but id disagree. a pretty okay A side and a great B side. there are maybe two songs on here that i would consider great. also i think i prefer the cure when they write pop songs over their goth songs. i just think smith’s songwriting really shines when he’s writing pop music. moodiness and vibes can’t hide boring songs

3/5

sure they sound cool but not super interesting idk 2.5

Ein typisches Cure Album 3/5

Frekar dark og emó, en ég heyrði góða parta þarna.

The whole album, particularly the tracks: One Hundred Years, The Hanging Garden, and The Figurehead feel so ephemeral or transition-esque. One Hundred Years was a really good start. Really felt the gothic vibes in this album.

Not a perfect album, but very atmospheric

The Cure early days were just pure gothic depression and intense desolation. How not to love it?

Very atmospheric. I think I like the cures poppier stuff more, but I still enjoyed this.

Like most stuff with The Cure for me... it's eh. Not bad but not good, just kinda in the middle.

Yeah, this isn't my favourite Cure album, it's very dense and lacks immediacy. It's on my shelves. Heard before ✅️ Listened this time ✅️ Revisit ✅️ ★★★☆ (6/10) Total reviewed : 314 Already owned : 70 Purchased : 15 To buy : 4 Nope : 225

Sin más, no me ha encantado

I listened to this for the first time in earnest a year or so back, and it didn’t do a whole lot for me then. listening again now, I have more appreciation for the tones and sounds they pulled off, but still feel a sense of fatigue after hearing those minor key structures repeated for minutes longer than I’d like. Robert Smith’s voice also gets a little much after a while for me. I know people love The Cure, so I’m hoping one of their records hits for me.

A lot of drama, not enough action. Much prefer Disintegration.

Not sure when this album falls in their discography, but it’s definitely “them.” A good representation of a great band with an unmistakable sound. None of my favorite songs, but still solid.

It’s better than 17 seconds

Couldn't ask for more toms. I'm hearing Bowie and Tears for Fears in this dark chamber rock album, great contemporaries of the Cure. Parts of it were great, but as an album it felt one-noted and I got bored pretty quick. 5/10

Album is a little less my vibe than Seventeen Seconds is, but still a good album. Darker, more Goth Rock. 3.5 probably.

The drums and lyrics were great but the music of the songs felt indistinguishable.

I just did not get into this one like their others.

This album really met my needs today, given I feel like a ball of defeated anxiety. I also got to tell people I was listening to Pornography, which was itself a huge bonus. As for The Cure, there are other albums of theirs I hope come up on the list.

It was alright. Goth rock at its peak I would guess

I like The Cure. This album is good, but not my favorite of theirs. 3.5/5.

This kinda washed over me, mostly in a good way. Nothing stood out but i enjoyed the experience.

A lot of it sounded the same to me. Listened to the whole album, but no song stuck out to me.

A bit heavier than most Cure songs I know. Worth a listen but might not be something I’d listen to again.

Music from The Cure is very moody and atmospheric. And because it's moody, you're not always in the mood for it. This album is okay with some pretty brilliant bits throughout, but I'm probably not going to be listening to this one much outside of this project.

It was good but nothing crazy

i love the cure. this is not one of my favorites of theirs.

I can tell what's the appeal, I can tell what they influenced and how that includes some of my favorite artists and bands, I can tell how groundbreaking this kind of sound was at the time, but I just can't bring myself to rate this any higher. Entirely and completely competent, but not all that captivating for me personally. That being said, it piqued my curiosity for the rest of The Cure's catalog on this list, whenever that comes.

Heavy man. I very much appreciate the way these songs are structured. Undergirding it all is some of the coolest post punk drumming I've evr heard, upon which is layered dense slaps of atmospheric guitar, echo-y bass and incredibly expressive vocals wailing some of the darkest lyrics I've ever heard (check out 'The Figurehead', oof it's bleak). The atmosphere is something you need to be in the mood for though, because it's fairly unrelenting. Great? Yes. Enjoyable? Ehhhhh

I love the Cure, but Disintegration has way better gothic drama, and Kiss Me Kiss Me Kiss Me has way better pop melodies

Robert Smith loves kissing and things kissing. I like the atmosphere of this release brooding and with a lot of cool synth textures. Unfortunately it’s a little boring, nothing really stood out to me on this record. Maybe some October day I’ll throw it on and it’ll click more. I enjoyed the tracks ‘A Strange Day’ and ‘The Figurehead’. Back to back tracks on the album that called for my attention the most, however the final track was the most interesting wish they had done more experimental tracks like ‘Pornography’ on the whole record

Not the kind of porn I’m in to. Generous 3.

Created a moody vibe which is good if youre in the mood for it. Which i am. Sometimes. Not today: Guitars get repetetive and samey and Smith's repeating of lines meant it was all a bit samey. Was hood for what it is.

It’s called pornography because even if you found some moments of worth in the experience you mostly just feel sad afterwards

A high 3

Не поціновувач таких к'юрів.

1 stern

Man, if I hadn’t heard Disintegration first, I’d probably enjoy this a lot more. I hope Robert Smith is having a great day today.

Sounds like walking into the 80s!

Sorry cringer not bad

I love the cure, just not this album.

Kings of emo. Love the moodiness - just wasn’t in the mood for it today.

Perfectly fine album that didn't impress; there are better albums by this artist

Very goth, very Cure, very good. A 3,5

I found it started a bit weak but then built as the album continued.

Clumsy use of a drum machine, but settles into a couple spinning with echoes of Seventeen Seconds.

Eh, I'm not really feeling this one. It's low energy 80's synth rock and overall it just feels muddy and simplistic. I don't think it's bad per se, but I cannot see myself ever listening to it again - I would probably turn it off if someone put it on. It's right between a 2 and 3 for me. Might be 3 just because I didn't hate it... IDK

not my favourite cure album, but it’s the cure so i like it

I think my prime cure days are behind me. I like some of the components that make up this album. In some ways it should be a slam dunk for me as a person but as a dad pushing 40 now I can't take it as seriously as I might have before. The Cure has to be on this list in some capacity. I don't know how, I'm not a superfan but they definitely have something to their sound.

80's music for sure

Seems like one of the original indie bands. 3

ive listened to the first 4? by now, so far its ok, idk why I'm not into it, just i liked hanging garden. ok this is day 2s thoughts, listened to strange day to pornography. cold is by far my favorite track of this LP 🤓☝️, pretty tuff and I think it works much better as like a vibes song. overall album I think is a 3/5, I wish it leaned more into the instrumental soundscape vibe if that makes sense.

very bad . albums was good though

i am confusion

Its all so bleak

I’ve made it known that I’m not particularly fond of post-punk and my experience with the Cure (along with Cure-like artists) so far hasn’t moved the needle in a more positive direction. However, something about Pornography kind of works for me. It’s a bit odd because pretty much every track is fairly repetitive and sounds just like the previous – that would get really grating under normal circumstances, but I think it helps this album establish a unique, depressingly hypnotic loop. I was still considering giving this one two stars toward its end, but I started to imagine how much I’d probably enjoy these same songs if they were translated into an electronic/dance context and that made me more open to a middle-of-the-road score. I still wouldn’t call myself a fan of the Cure, but their fourth album has helped open my eyes to what post-punk can be when there’s someone at the helm with a strong vision! Highlights: One Hundred Years, The Hanging Garden, Siamese Twins, Pornography

While still a great album I’d put this about my fourth favorite album by The Cure. Everything is good but nothing is amazing, song wise. The bass player is amazing, always nice chunky tones and right in the pocket.

3,5

Interesting. Like a dark, reverb heavy British rock band. Definitely unique.

Mycket utan det instrumentala är fett men jag har svårt sångrösten. Svag trea landar jag nog på.

Jag överskattade min musikaliska kunskap. Trodde jag hade koll på the Cure men har inte hört någon låt från den här skivan tidigare. För dåligt! Hade behövt en till lyssning här, men min instinkt säger trea?

It was not my type. I respect this band; it's one of the greatest, but this disc wasn't good for me.

This is the third and final The Cure album from the 1,001 for our listening group (and the fourth I've heard myself, adding 2024's Songs of a Lost World). I've found I somewhat enjoy their sound, with everything landing in the 3-4 star range. I found Pornography to be on the weaker side (and Disintegration was their best).

me gusta la paicodelia intrinseca que tiene la musica de the cure, como que te deja un par de cables pelados y cruzados en la cabeza. igual despues de la cuarta canción se me hizo un poco repetitivo el disco, pero este no es el mejor disco de la banda, así que me lo banco. sí estuviese deprimido le doy las 5 estrellas, pero ya me terapié así que toma tu 3.

muy bueno

Its dark and deep. Instrumentally interesting. Robert Smith voice and artistry a great addition ...but then thats where it stays and sticks. An average that never really care to take off.

I like the Cure, but probably more their later stuff. This album is the last of their darkest gothic rock stage, before they switched to the lighter new wave genre. It's very interesting and paints a truthful picture of the bands mental state at the time, but don't listen to it if you are feeling down, this album won't help! The music is still sophisticated, but it definitely wouldn't be my pick of a Cure album.

Good but wanted more

It was an ok album, wasn’t offensive but didn’t knock my socks off

Never been a big fan of The Cure, and this album is very much what I might’ve anticipated hearing from them earlier in their career. To be sure, there are some good songs on here. The album got off to a great start with One Hundred Years, and I really liked A Strange Day. But outside of that, a lot of these songs just didn’t hit for me. That’s especially true of the title track, which was just bizarre. Overall, a three star album

I mean, its alright

I liked it for the most part.

The Cure rocks!! The best goth/early emo for miles. Their lyrics and production stand out.

0/8 bekannt 6,5/10 Beste Songs: Siamese Twins, the hanging garden, one hundred years

I like this album; it's way better in my opinion than Seventeen Seconds, but still has tons of dark and gothy gloom to it. There's elements of songs here that remind me of the song Burn from The Crow soundtrack which is probably my favorite Cure song. Not being super familiar with their catalog, I could see this as one I come back to while getting into more of their stuff. 3.25

Initially didn't care for this, but I warmed to it over the listen. It's still not 100% what I'm looking for from The Cure, but it's got some good stuff. 3.25/5

fav songs: a short term effect cold droning, repetitive, bleak 60/100

enjoyed

Just not feeling this one and I like most of what they do.

una vez le hice el amor, a un dracula con tacones

5/10

I can see why people like them but not something I would litsen to Favorite: the hanging garden Least: pornography

Heh...wasn't even that dark to me.

I sincerely hope there’s more cure albums on this list. This is an interesting album but far from their best. Great dark drum sound especially in the second half.

It's what I expected from The Cure. Meh. 2.7/5

I’m a big fan of The Cure but I didn’t really enjoy this album. They are never totally unlistenable, but the themes of this album felt too moody and weary, even by their standards.

I’d say this release should be on a list titled “1001 Albums That Will Fit A Specific Mood, Once, At A Specific Time” If it were, I’d have rated it higher. I enjoyed my casual listen nonetheless

Creo q con este álbum descubrí q la música goth no es lo mio xd A strange day debo decir hasta ahora la única q he disfrutado, el resto se me han hecho medio aburridillas Ya, cold tmb bkn con esos tonitos tipo ghost of the opera

Oh you goths. This was pretty good, actually.

Favorite Track: The Hanging Garden

Depressing goth rock. It does set and keep that mood. Another album more historically important than must listen. Not my style and too depressing lower the grade. 0 songs added to playlist

Hello darkness

woof! bleak! goth vibes!

Ok album with some okay songs, just kinda mid and a blur of slogginess

It's that standard slightly goth 80s pop as from the other albums of the cure. It had a bit more energy and I liked it for it, still not really my thing though.

Not bad at all - very cold, gothic and depressing (everything I understand The Cure to be), but I might not be in the right moment in life to fully enjoy this (it's sunny outside at the end of the day :).

⭐︎3.8 日本国内の様々なヴィジュアル系アーティストが影響を受けていると聞いた。ダークで耽美な世界観が特徴？あと、ドラママシーン。ただ、似たような曲ばかり。歌詞が分かればより世界観を楽しめるのかも。メロディで印象に残るタイプではなかった。

Good album with a few songs I really liked. Overall not my style of music though

Hmmm not this cure… Sick! Haha

Chart Performance for Pornography sure was an interesting wikipedia subtext. Also something about killing an arab, Netanyahus already on that mr the cure dont worry. The Instruments sound really cool, the british man however, does not.

3/5 Disappointing for an album called "Pornography", apparently there was a lot of depression and drug use in the band at the time of writing this album and it kind of shows in the way that addiction can make your life bland and one-note, even if that note is edgy and chaotic. After the first two songs, I found myself asking "Is this song over yet?" Yes, yes it was. This is, in fact, the fourth song in a row you've asked yourself that question. Trés blah, might add one or two to a playlist for whenever I don't want to listen to music, just have it on. Next!

it’s not what you think ! ✋🤚

Goth misery. Not my thing

Love the cure but struggled with this. Pretty dark, without much of the joy of their later stuff

no lo he escuchado todavia

Gothy.

Inte deras bästa. Jämn och spännande till och med banbrytande, men saknar den hit-förmåga visat upp på andra skivor. En stark trea.

Nothing in particular stood out to me.

Nothing offensive when listening to this one but not much stood out, just seemed like 45 minutes of the same droning guitar sound with different lyrics from time to time. I can’t tell if I don’t like The Cure as much as I thought I did, or if this album isn’t their best and may not deserve a place on this list. I’ll give it a three because I wouldn’t be opposed to giving it another go.

Good

very dreary; glad this project gives me a chance to listen to the cure, but i don't know if i'll go back to this unless i want to be depressed; 3 stars

The album was very different from what I'm used to with The Cure. The tone was much more somber, and I admin I don't know what to think of it at the moment. I do admit that it was enjoyable, at least.

Wow, this was a little depressing and a little dark. I will say that they did a fantastic job at creating an atmosphere that envelopes you, bringing you into the album's world. The guitar, bass and drums were a standout for me. I found them to be super well done and very complimentary to the dark aura.

Cool, steering 3, maybe 4

This is not their best, but i dig

One of their darker albums It’s a good album if you are in the mood for it, but you might not be in the mood for its all too often. 3.3

I like The Cure and this album is fine but I much prefer the dreamier, brighter sound they did later than the bleak gothy stuff in here.

Compelling and engaging for the first 5 or 6 songs, with "The Hanging Garden" as a high mark, but others like "Siamese Twins," "One Hundred Years," and "The Figurehead" are excellent too. I love the sound and mood of it. I didn't discover The Cure until ~1986 via the Head on the Door and Standing on a Beach, but this gothrock sound was a big part of my teenage soundtrack. Still, by the end of this it feels soo same-same, and I'm bored/exhausted. 3.5 Compare it to the Head on the Door, Kiss Me, and Disintegration: yeah, this is dull and narrow.

Always knew The Cure but this is my first time listening to an album of theirs. Its quite the experience sonically. At times it sounds like if I was on a Gothic drug trip. I found it surprisingly enjoyable despite the dark atmosphere and depressive lyrics. However as enjoyable as I thought it was it did tend to drag towards the end and become a bit one note. Still I am looking forward to the other Cure albums in this generator. 3/5

I was unfamiliar with this one and I can see why.

6/10… goth rock / dark wave / *1982

A dark, composed (mostly), almost doomy sound. Really gives meaning to the name "gothic rock". In terms of instruments, the bass is generally strong but a little quiet, and the drums and vocals are the "post-punky and uninteresting" that was standard in the early 80s. The songs are pretty slow and repetitive (excluding The Hanging Garden), but none are explicitly boring, except possibly Siamese Twins. The music would certainly be fascinating if it was experienced with drugs – and partly for that reason, the album art is on point, mood-wise. Feels like something you'd see from emo rock or a fan-fiction novel (but not pornography). Speaking of which: the title track isn't boring per se, but it's confusing as heck. I can't work out a situation where you'd ever intentionally spin that mess of garbled noise. One Hundred Years approaches this sort of "doom rock" sound, not so different from what the Beatles pioneered with I Want You (She's So Heavy), though I feel the Cure could work on the musical ideas a bit. Having those two alternating chords for most of the 400-second track length is pretty dreary – but then maybe that's exactly the point. A Short Term Effect and The Figurehead are very similar to One Hundred Years in terms of texture and overall atmosphere; the mood only really starts to shift with The Hanging Gardens, whose guitar and drums are jumpy and frantic. Very exciting to listen to, and a great pick-me-up at this point in the album. Again the bassline takes the cake, though props should also be given to the panned spacey synths that the band seems to adore. No idea how you'd capture that sound live. The track Cold absolutely nails its sound, though I do wonder if it was helped by me living in Scotland in winter while listening to this record. 3/5 Key tracks: The Hanging Garden, Cold

Even in the heyday of my obsession with The Cure this album was a bit much for me. Its relentless mood and full dedication to an aesthetic make it remarkable and one of the most thematically consistent Cure albums. However if you’re not invested by the first song, it’s unlikely that’s full listen will change your mind. Personally I like my maudlin with a dash of pop and melody.

Simile a seventeen seconds ma forse mi è piaciuto di meno

Admittedly enjoyed all of this but never went gaga. Kiss Me x3 and Disintegration more my vibe.

I appreciate the bravado and the vision but I can only listen to isolated tracks from this. It's overall too dark and oppressive.

I like the layered and gloomy sound design, but it's definetely not my style. It gets tiring pretty fast.

No es mi estilo pero no está mal. Hay alguna que otra canción que se puede disfrutar.

It's satisfyingly bleak and dark. But also gets a bit samey. Not sure if I'd return to listen again, perhaps.

I like The Cure but not so much this album.

I’m a Cure fan. I know this one is well loved by most fans, but for me it is average in their discography. Still good though.

cool

I'm only familiar with The Cure's hits. This was similar but somehow those songs weren't hits. Unclear why.

Moody. Dark. Maybe 3.5

Ci sta, molto chill in realtà.

suicidal but sexy

Meh Cure album

I listened to this several times. I don't dislike it. It has it's moments. The percussion is what I like best about these songs. They have a dark brooding mood. It's okay and could grow on me but it general, goth is just not really my cup of English Breakfast Tea.

Well this was incredibly uplifting. I don’t really have anything bad to say about it. I mean sure, it’s full of despair, but the songs were full and powerful. Not an everyday kind of album, but when the mood strikes, and I need another reminder that we’re all going to die…sure. 3.5

#2 Certainly an intriguing album, where darkness and depression just takes over and walks you through an absolutely unbearable journey. Repetitive for sure, but that fits the insanely gloomy mood, maybe even adds to it. This is something that I enjoyed discovering, and it was a good one-time listen, but I would not want to revisit. A strong 3 will have to do for this one.

This is still my least favorite Cure album I've listened to

I like their sound, but didn't care for any of the songs

I liked, but didn't love this album. Maybe too many similar sounding songs, but goddamn do I love Robert Smith's voice. Disintegratration is still their top album to me, but this was a nice album to hear their earlier sound.

Great band, not a great album. Didn't feel much listening to it, nothing that really stood out. Pretty forgetable for a band that usually feels so unique.

Didn't really listen, come back to someday, did half of it,

Solid album, happy to have seen the cure in here. I don’t think this is their best album! But a good listen through and I should purchase the record!

pretty good, nothing really stood out though.

Sonntag, 01.02.2026/ Mittwoch 04.02.2026 ~ Nachmittags ~ In der S1 auf dem Weg in die Magnet-Bar am Rosenthaler Platz/ in der Philologischen Bibliothek der Freien Universität.

Not as strong as their others but ahead of its time

New wave is a great subgenre

Years since I heard this album. Not as strong as it seemed years ago. The hallmarks are there but only a few songs are very strong.

Didn't like the first half but really like the second half

Not my thing

Another album that I think I could grow to love over time. The songs definitely feel like they’re blending together at times, but I love the instruments.

cured

Okay, not me

It was alright. Robert Smith's voice is an acquired taste. Not mine.

Not bad pretty decent

3.5 Front loaded, became quite repetitive in the 2nd half but last track was different.

Mediocre album, nothing great nothing bad 5/10 3/5

This is ok I much prefer some of the stuff that the cure went on to do

Appreciate that it’s one of many acclaimed albums by The Cure, but there wasn’t much here that blew me away. Probably because I know Disintegration exists

the backing tracks are very halloween-y…very creepy and it fills me with a sense of existential dread. final track intro is so scary genuinely… i think those things work for what they’re going for though. the message of the album and that. i wouldn’t choose to listen to these songs outside of listening to the full album for a story though. like it would be completely out of place in a playlist. the poor soul that wrote this :(

its got some good ones

Nothing to write home about 3 ⭐️

Not a fan

The birth of goth rock and Robert Smith's messy look.

I think it got me on the wrong day. Just kinda whiny.

Nice slab of cold dark goth rock. Rhythm section is killer. Dense and atmospheric. Robert Smith's depressing lyrics and limited vocals add to tensions. One or two tracks need a bit of extra something though, bit flat in parts, but good overall

i like some stuff by the cute but this one was just too depressing for me overall. some more upbeat ones like hanging garden but just wasn’t my vibe in general. i still think it’s cool for anyone who enjoyed it, that just wasn’t me personally

not their best, too sad :(

I got bored, but I liked the vibes.

I understand better now why people like them, the music has a unique vibe. it didn't get me yet, but I do get it.

i dig it?

This is a rough listen mostly because I’m not of the right mindset to properly appreciate their point of view…, but I give them credit as we know what was to come.

The Cure’s sound is unmistakable, they seem to have a sound that’s just them and rarely do other visit. My favourite tracks are; A Strange Day, and the Hanging Garden.

scary movie music

Chill vibes to get through the weekend, not my favorite cute, but also not the most easily accessible

Milestone for gothic rock which admittedly is not a genre I am overly familiar with. This album came after Seventeen Seconds. I found the songs running into each other, making a continuous listen which was depressing and beautiful. Robert Smith's voice is haunting in its familiarity. Special mention to The Hanging Garden and Siamese Twins. However glad that I am that I have listened to this album, I doubt I would seek it out again

I like some of The Cure's hits, but there wasn't anything on this one that grabbed me. It was OK, but not something I'd return to.

So gloomy. Hanging gardens is great, rest is ok 3.3

Didn’t hate it, might love it after more listens

Really like Disintegration era Cure, but my listens beyond that have left me cold and, even after a couple of listens here, that still remains. Just think they lack the artistic side that Siouxsie in particular brings to the Goth table and this feels/sounds a little monotone/monolithic as a result.

Struggled with this. I found it very monotone and one paced. It’s not a bad album, it’s just not in any way interesting to me. I guess I’m an “Best of The Cure” kind of guy.

Not very impressive, some very simple parts and almost monotone 5/1/26

This was fine; didn't love it, didn't hate it. There were a few good surprises on the album for me; The Hanging Garden specifically was very enjoyable.

Great early album. Love the cure.

LOVED the hanging garden

Somewhere out there, there's a universe where I don't hate Robert Smith's voice, and am a huge fan of The Cure.

very The Cure vibes

Decent, a definite turning point, but not my favourite. Even fat bob says he struggles with it these days.

Not bad. ★★★

very silent hill background sound a bit eerie, sometimes can feel like it has a repetitive sound

Typisch The Cure

Echo, reverb, synths, lots of toms in the drums. Has a distinct 80s sound, which is not a bad thing, but gets a bit much over 40 minutes. The Hanging Garden is the highlight.

70

I mean it's alright

It's good but sometimes his voice kinda irks me. Like the vibe but it doesn't do enough for me to want to continue listening to it.

Still love the Cure but this is background goth music. 5/10

love love the cure!! not my favorite album of theirs but will always love what they do.

it was alright not really my cup of tea though

Not a huge Cure fan, but it was fine. Kelly and I listened together on separate headphones like silent disco lol so that was fun.

Atmospheric, desolate and glacial. While I don't particularly enjoy Robert Smith's vocals, I have to admit they do work very well drenched in reverb over these brooding, slow, booming songs. I couldn't give this more than an 8, but appreciate why this may be some people's favourite of the list. Best Tracks: - Cold - The Hanging Garden - The Figurehead Worst Tracks: - Siamese Twins Rating: 7.5/10

3.5 pretty good.

I like the dense atmospheric sound and the dirge-like quality, but mostly it's the vocals that put me off.

I enjoyed it overall, not my usual cup of tea but I could get into it if I'm in the right mood. Otherwise, bit too dark and dreary.

A mood album as with a lot of Cure. The tone is set right off the bat with a killer opening track. Unfortunately the rest of the album doesn’t match the greatness of One Hundred Years, but there are other good songs throughout.

12/19/25: I know they came before The Killers but since I listened to The Killers first, that's mostly what I hear in terms of vocals. I may have not been in the right headspace to experience this album. Only listened once. Meh? 5/10

Ooh, scary.

5.0/10 Very depressive.. all songs were similar.

This album was good but not my favorite Cure album.

Liked it way more than I thought I would--really strong second half. Hanging Tree, Siamese Twins were my favorite.

It's not the kind of music I would usually listen to, but I could see how if I was in a depresso mood, I could put it on and brood. Extra star because I could hear the Bowie influence in the songs which helped me experience the album in a more meaningful way.

dark and interesting, but I don't think I would revisit anytime soon

Despite my love for the recognisable sound of this band, I have impression that this record is quite bland. I gave 2nd chance to 3 songs (2,5&6)

Weird

This was the first time I had ever heard of gothic rock, but I totally understood why these songs were considered by that term. They all seemed to have dark themes, with a resounding and implacable drum beat with the exception of the last song. Oddly enough, I didn't hate the album; however, after I was through listening to it, I had to go and find some more upbeat music to get over the feeling of depression I experience after listening to it. Best song: "A Short Term Effect" and worst song: "Pornography". Not an album I would normally listen to and not an album I plan on listening to again.

It's fine

It's fine. Doesn't move the needle high or low for me. If you want The Cure, it'll do.

it was okay, good instrumentals nice vocals

Robert Smith has a great voice , very distinctive, I just thought this album didn’t give it a great workout. Bit dull

It’s fine? I like the atmosphere but that’s all it really offers. I get it’s sad but I wouldn’t say it enveloped me in that feeling as much as it could

The soundtrack for every pasty faced, eye liner having, black trench coat wearing kid in your early eighties high school yearbook. Very much a meh album.

Gothy beauty. ONE HUNDRED YEARS and THE FIGUREHEAD really leans into their strengths. Songs can bleed into one another.

Better than the rest of the 80s slop but not by a lot

Rather repeatable from the other Cure examples from the list

3 out of 5. Third Cure album so far on this list, and while good it doesn't stand with Disintegration.

Pretty decent album, this genre isn’t my thing tho. 3 stars, would listen again

fire album

Goth boys dun good.

This was ok.

I want to stay inside all day and wear dark leather and make up whenever i listen to this album.

If this was an instrumental or perhaps a different non-mopey singer, this album would have been great.

Struggling to get through an album of this. I think it's good, but man it's bleak. Second Cure album in a week and struggling with both. Finally back to it - it's good but too bleak for me. I prefer a bit of pop to take the edge off my Cure

Haunting, but to be expected with the Cure. The production goes a long way an achieving this mood. The guitar distortion, the tempo in which the drums are played, Robert Smith just generally being depressed. This...generally isn't something that I would want to listen to for 40+ minutes at a time, but I've come to appreciate the craft more.

Um ótimo exemplar do Rock gótico. 3 estrelas

Proto-Deftones. I don't hate The Cure as much as I always thought I did.

80/90s punk rock type Siamese twins is pretty solid A bit aggressive lyrics for my taste but enjoyed at the same time

Voix manque de variété

Good

So 80’s pop

Robert Smith has a great voice. Very repetitive album. Drums

Not as good as some of their albums. Disintegration and Faith are more interesting.

Helt OK

never been a huge Cure fan, but they're a legendary band for a reason. there's quality here - Siamese Twins is good so far