History Music / Spiderland

* LyricalDissonance: "Breadcrumb Trail", despite being as dark as the rest of this album instrumentally, pretty much revolves around making a new friend at a carnival. Brian's anguished screaming of "creeping up into the sky"? It's about a rollercoaster. The song still fits in with the general dreamlike ambience of the rest of the record, even lyrically, and there's arguably a {{subtext}} that something traumatic has happened to one of the characters, but [[NothingIsScarier what exactly that trauma is has been left out]] - the song [[NoEnding simply ends]] before we can find out.

* ConceptAlbum: The lyrics all tell tales of alienation. There are also EpilepticTrees that all the songs also have themes of sleep, dreaming, and death.

* NothingIsScarier: Many of the songs have undercurrents of horror to their lyrics, but the actual horrors themselves are never actually described, so what they are is left to the listener's imagination.

*FaceOnTheCover: The band floating in the Utica Quarry, an abandoned quarry in their native Louisville.
* GainaxEnding: "Good Morning, Captain." Is it real? Is the captain hallucinating? Is the captain dead? No one knows.

* ConceptAlbum: The lyrics all tell tales of alienation.

* LyricalDissonance: "Breadcrumb Trail", despite being as dark as the rest of this album instrumentally, pretty much revolves around making a new friend at a carnival. Brian's anguished screaming of "creeping up into the sky"? It's about a rollercoaster.

* PerishingAltRockVoice: So perishing Brian didn't so much sing as mumble spoken word narration most of the time, and fell ill due to the strain of yelling the climax of "Good Morning, Captain.

* AlbumIntroTrack: "Breadcrumb Trail".

* DrivenToSuicide: "Washer".

* PerishingAltRockVoice: So perishing Brian didn't so much sing as mumble spoken word narration most of the time, and fell ill due to the strain of yelling the climax of "Good Morning, Captain".

->"''My instincts tell me the dry spell will continue for a while -- possibly until the bands Music/{{Slint}} will inspire reach maturity. Until then, play this record and kick yourself if you never got to see them live. In ten years, you'll lie like the cocksucker you are and say you did anyway.''

In March 1991, a record with a black and white photo of four men -- no band name, no album name -- floating in an abandoned quarry, staring and [[TheUnsmile smiling]] right at the camera, began to appear in music stores. Those pulled in by the cover would find themselves [[ShroudedInMyth enwrapped in a world of mystique]] -- the band had broken up before the album's release, the music on the album was dark and depressing with lyrics emphasising isolation, and one of the members supposedly had to be institutionalised during / after the recording; it was as if it was cursed. Despite being largely ignored on its release, the few that did hear it bore witness to something different, giving birth to a [[PostRock new genre.]] Over twenty years on, it's now considered one of the most influential releases of all time.

* BuffySpeak: "Breadcrumb Trail" with: "I pulled back the drape thing on the tent."
** This was how ''Spiderland'' got its name: [=Mc=]Mahan's younger brother, upon hearing the album, said that it sounded "spidery."

* DrivenToSuicide: "Washer."
* EpicRocking: "Don, Aman" (6:28), "Washer" (8:50), and "Good Morning, Captain" (7:39)

* {{Instrumental}}: "For Dinner..."
* LyricalColdOpen: "Don, Aman:" "Don stepped outside."

* PerishingAltRockVoice: So perishing Brian didn't so much sing as mumble spoken word narration most of the time, and fell ill due to the strain of yelling the climax of "Good Morning, Captain."

* StepUpToTheMicrophone: "Don, Aman" has vocals and guitar by their drummer Britt Walford.

[[caption-width-right:350:[[CarefulWithThatAxe I MISS YOU]]]]

->"''My instincts tell me the dry spell will continue for a while - possibly until the bands Slint will inspire reach maturity. Until then, play this record and kick yourself if you never got to see them live. In ten years, you’ll lie like the cocksucker you are and say you did anyway.''

In March 1991, a record with a black and white photo of four men - no band name, no album name - floating in an abandoned quarry, staring and [[TheUnsmile smiling]] right at the camera, began to appear in music stores. Those pulled in by the cover would find themselves [[ShroudedInMyth enwrapped in a world of mystique]] - the band had broken up before the album's release, the music on the album was dark and depressing with lyrics emphasising isolation, and one of the members supposedly had to be institutionalised during/after the recording; it was as if it was cursed. Despite being largely ignored on its release, the few that did hear it bore witness to something different, giving birth to a [[PostRock new genre]]. Over twenty years on, it's now considered one of the most influential releases of all time.

'''''Spiderland''''' is the sophomore and final album by American PostHardcore[=/=]MathRock band Music/{{Slint}}, released through Touch and Go Records on March 27, 1991. [[NewSoundAlbum A very marked departure from]] ''Tweez'', ''Spiderland'' set itself apart by removing itself of traditional hardcore structures, instead focusing on usage of long crescendos and sudden diminuendos (today, the term "Slint dynamics" is used for dynamics similar to the ones featured on this album) and narrative lyrics delivered in [[SpokenWordInMusic spoken word]]. Fueling the mysteriousness around the album was the TroubledProduction: the entire thing was stressfully recorded over four nights, and singer Brian [=McMahan=] threw his voice and became physically ill after recording the LP's final track, "Good Morning, Captain".

Notable for, along with ''Music/LaughingStock'' by Music/TalkTalk, [[TropeMaker pioneering the genre]] known as PostRock, which would in turn bring about artists such as Music/{{Swans}} and Music/GodspeedYouBlackEmperor to help [[TropeCodifier define what post-rock could be]]. Also brought profound influence on MathRock and underground music in general. The band has since reunited, are touring and are rumoured to be working on new material. ''Breadcrumb Trail'', a {{Rockumentary}} about the album's recording, was released in 2015.

!!Tracklist

!!Principal members
* Brian [=McMahan=] - Vocals, guitar

!!I shouted and searched the tropes for a friend:
* AllLowercaseLetters: The liner notes
* BrownNote: Was this for the band
* BuffySpeak: "Breadcrumb Trail", with 'I pulled back the drape-thing on the tent'
** This was how ''Spiderland'' got its name: [=McMahan=]'s younger brother, upon hearing the album, said that it sounded 'spidery'
* CarefulWithThatAxe: The chorus of "Nosferatu Man" and the ending to "Good Morning, Captain", the latter of which made Brian ''vomit'' right after.

* CreepyMonotone: Brian [=McMahan=] and Britt Walford's spoken word parts. As creepy as Brian's is, "Don, Aman" shows that Britt can make it even creepier.
* DarkerAndEdgier: Compared to ''Tweez''
** Can also be seen as this trope when compared to ''Music/LaughingStock''. Both are the TropeMakers for PostRock with six tracks and at roughly the same runtime (''Laughing Stock'' is about three minutes longer) that reflect [[NewSoundAlbum a change in sound their earlier works had no hint towards]] with a more serious tone, released in 1991 after the bands had broken up[[labelnote:Note]]Technically, Talk Talk were still active, but Webb had left and the band was essentially Mark Hollis at this point[[/labelnote]]. The differences are that ''Laughing Stock'' borrows influence from art rock and jazz, while ''Spiderland'' comes from a PostHardcore background and feels more disjointed and jarring compared to ''Laughing Stock'''s more atmospheric sound.
* DrivenToSuicide: "Washer"

*FaceOnTheCover: The band floating in Utica Quarry, an abandoned quarry in their native Louisville.
* GainaxEnding: "Good Morning, Captain". Is it real? Is the captain hallucinating? Is the captain dead? No one knows.

* ILoveTheDead: "Nosferatu Man". [[MindScrew Maybe]].

* LyricalColdOpen: "Don, Aman": "Don stepped outside"
* NewSoundAlbum: One common observation is just how jarring the difference is between ''Tweez'' and ''Spiderland''; it was like a new band just appeared out of thin air.

* PerishingAltRockVoice: So perishing Brian didn't so much sing as mumble spoken-word narration most of the time, and fell ill due to the strain of yelling the climax of "Good Morning, Captain".
* ShroudedInMyth: Due to the band's semi-reclusive nature, creepy sound, nearly limited information, and their reputation as ShortLivedBigImpact, ''Spiderland'' sounds all the more mysterious.

* TextlessAlbumCover: [[NightmareFuel Look at the damn thing]]
* TropeMaker: Of PostRock (along with Music/TalkTalk) and MathRock
* UncommonTime: Comes with being a MathRock band
* TheUnsmile: ''Spiderland'''s iconically creepy cover shows the band treading water in a lake in an abandoned quarry near their hometown Louisville with deranged barely-smiling facial expressions.
* WholePlotReference: "Good Morning, Captain" is based on ''Literature/TheRimeOfTheAncientMariner''.

->"''My instincts tell me the dry spell will continue for a while - possibly until the bands Slint will inspire reach maturity. Until then, play this record and kick yourself if you never got to see them live. In ten years, you’ll lie like the cocksucker you are and say you did anyway.''\\
\\
"''Ten fucking stars.''"
-->-'''Steve Albini'''

*FaceOnTheCover: The band floating in Utica Quarry, and abandoned quarry in their native Louisville.

->"''My instincts tell me the dry spell will continue for a while - possibly until the bands Slint will inspire reach maturity. Until then, play this record and kick yourself if you never got to see them live. In ten years, you’ll lie like the cocksucker you are and say you did anyway.''"\\

Notable for, along with ''Laughing Stock'' by Music/TalkTalk, [[TropeMaker pioneering the genre]] known as PostRock, which would in turn bring about artists such as Music/{{Swans}} and Music/GodspeedYouBlackEmperor to help [[TropeCodifier define what post-rock could be]]. Also brought profound influence on MathRock and underground music in general. The band has since reunited, are touring and are rumoured to be working on new material. ''Breadcrumb Trail'', a {{Rockumentary}} about the album's recording, was released in 2015.

** Can also be seen as this trope when compared to ''[[Music/TalkTalk Laughing Stock]]''. Both are the TropeMakers for PostRock with six tracks and at roughly the same runtime (''Laughing Stock'' is about three minutes longer) that reflect [[NewSoundAlbum a change in sound their earlier works had no hint towards]] with a more serious tone, released in 1991 after the bands had broken up[[labelnote:Note]]Technically, Talk Talk were still active, but Webb had left and the band was essentially Mark Hollis at this point[[/labelnote]]. The differences are that ''Laughing Stock'' borrows influence from art rock and jazz, while ''Spiderland'' comes from a PostHardcore background and feels more disjointed and jarring compared to ''Laughing Stock'''s more atmospheric sound.

->''There was a sound at the window then''\\
''The captain started, his breath was still''\\

->''Now my queen is fine''\\
''In her early grave''\\
''After that girl I'll keep her warm''\\
''There's nothing left to save''
-->-'''"Nosferatu Man"'''

->''I stepped out onto the midway.''\\
''I was looking for the pirate ship, and saw this small, old tent at one end.''\\
''It was blue, and had white lights hanging all around it.''\\
''I decided to check out the tent, it seemed like I could hear music coming from inside.''\\
''As I walked toward it, I passed a crowd of people at the sideshow.''\\
''Couldn't figure out why they would want to wait in line.''
-->-'''"Breadcrumb Trail"'''

* TextlessAlbumCover

''Spiderland'' is the sophomore and final album by American PostHardcore[=/=]MathRock band Music/{{Slint}}, released through Touch and Go Records on March 27, 1991. [[NewSoundAlbum A very marked departure from]] ''Tweez'', ''Spiderland'' set itself apart by removing itself of traditional hardcore structures, instead focusing on usage of long crescendos and sudden diminuendos (today, the term "Slint dynamics" is used for dynamics similar to the ones featured on this album) and narrative lyrics delivered in [[SpokenWordInMusic spoken word]]. Fueling the mysteriousness around the album was the TroubledProduction: the entire thing was stressfully recorded over four nights, and singer Brian [=McMahan=] threw his voice and became physically ill after recording the LP's final track, "Good Morning, Captain".

* BuffySpeak: "Breadcrumb Trail", with 'the drape-thing' seen in the above quote.

* CreatorBreakdown: This album did this to the band.

* NewSoundAlbum

* TheUnsmile: ''Spiderland'''s iconically creepy cover◊ shows the band treading water in a lake in an abandoned quarry near their hometown Louisville with deranged barely-smiling facial expressions.
* WholePlotReference: "Good Morning, Captain" is based on Literature/TheRimeOfTheAncientMariner.