The Weekly Album Suggestion Thread v. One million lights are shining bright

[Scorpion]

This is one of my Top 5 albums of all time. I hope y'all dig it.

[twosuitsluke]

There really is a lot going on here (even some lounge music), don't even know where to start  I do love music that splices genres, so this is kind of up my alley. I don't hear that much in the way of black metal, other than the vocals. Love the amount of Maiden-esque galloping guitars/drums 

I'll try to revisit later this week to see what has stuck. Definitely a worthy submission for this thread though 

[Sacul]

I've gotta revisit this one, I remember it being pretty cool.

[SoundscapeMN]

I find The Great Escape to be the best Crippled Black Phoenix album since I, Vigilante.

[Crow]

I have Imaginary Soniscape but never checked out anything else from these guys, might as well

[mike099]

Late to the party and love the Crippled Black Phoenix album.  A little bit of everything on this album.  Of a Lifetime is stunning.

I tried the Sigh album, but not for me.

[Crow]

just listened to this. it feels more cohesive and less "lol random" than imaginary sonisphere and the production is definitely better. but it still feels like a bit... much, i sort of struggled to pay attention after about the halfway point because of how dense it is but at the same time it sort of feels like every song sounds a bit too similar to the rest

i know they're dropping a new album in like a few weeks so i'll probably check that one too, but this'll probably at least get a relisten if nothing else

[twosuitsluke]

Late to the party and love the Crippled Black Phoenix album.  A little bit of everything on this album.  Of a Lifetime is stunning.

Glad you liked it! It really is a gem and an album I just find myself coming back to,  again and again.

[Scorpion]

Yeah, Crippled Black Phoenix has been a great discovery. Thanks Luke!

Also I'm happy that some of you guys are digging In Somniphobia. Such a great record front-to-back. 

[twosuitsluke]

Just diving back in for my second helping of this.

[Evermind]

Just diving back in for my second helping of this.

I still haven't listened to it due to being sick the whole week. I'll spin it today.

By the way, folks, the waiting line is pretty short right now, so if you want to get your album featured, now is a good time to submit something.

[twosuitsluke]

I'll have a look at something else to submit later today.

[The Walrus]

Just sent something I really like.

[lordxizor]

The vocals in the Sigh album did nothing for me. Couldn't make it past a few tracks.

[Evermind]

To provide some contrast to the previous record, here's the next one, once again recommended to you folks by Sacul!

Beth Gibbons & Rustin Man - Out of Season (2008)

Ambient folk
Length: 43:46

1. Mysteries (4:39)
2. Tom the Model (3:41)
3. Show (4:26)
4. Romance (5:09)
5. Sand River (3:48)
6. Spider Monkey (4:10)
7. Resolve (2:51)
8. Drake (3:54)
9. Funny Time of Year (6:48)
10. Rustin Man (4:20)

Personnel: loads of people, please check out album Wikipedia page for reference

You can check this album out via:

Spotify Link
Yandex.Music link

If you don't want to blindly dive into the whole album, check out these songs from the album:

Beth Gibbons & Rustin Man - Mysteries
Beth Gibbons & Rustin Man - Tom the Model
Beth Gibbons & Rustin Man - Sand River


Sacul: This is a gem - the unpredictable yet totally reasonable collaboration of Portishead's vocalist and Talk Talk's bassist. Ambient folk, 10 ballads to comfort the heart and crush it, Beth singing in a different style on each, amidst acoustic guitars, an old piano, horn and string sections, moogs, and melancholic choirs.

It's a record for those slate grey days of Autumn, for the introspective evenings, the long lonely walks. It's not really "sad music" - there's a unique beauty and sincerity you can relate to. Plus some songs are pretty joyful .

---

According to Wikipedia, Out of Season is a studio album by Portishead frontwoman Beth Gibbons and former Talk Talk bassist Paul Webb (under the pseudonym Rustin Man). It was released on 28 October 2002 in the United Kingdom and on 7 October 2003 in the United States. Out of Season is largely a folk album with jazz leanings, with Gibbons and Webb drawing more directly on the influences of Nina Simone, Billie Holiday, and Nick Drake, at which Portishead's work in trip hop only hinted. Out of Season also features contributions from Gibbons' fellow Portishead bandmate Adrian Utley and Webb's former bandmate Lee Harris.

[Evermind]

I've listened to the Sigh album, and while musically it was pretty interesting, the growls kept turning me off somewhat. I may revisit it though.

I've also listened to this album in advance and I'll spin it this week again, I really liked what I've heard. It's fully acoustic and quite pleasant on the ears.

[Crow]

yeah i did give the sigh another spin, i kinda dig it but i've never been a fan of their vocals either
the new album they just released sucks though

[Scorpion]

I like this album, but I have to be in a very specific mood for it. Beth's voice is beautiful though

the new album they just released sucks though

I'm hoping this is just you being, well, you. I have high hopes for this album!

[Crow]

sigh hopes*

[Sacul]

Relistened to the Sigh record, and yeah I didn't really like the vocals for the most part and there was just too much black metal for my taste 

Glad you liked it Ev, hope more folks can find it enjoyable as well 

I like this album, but I have to be in a very specific mood for it. Beth's voice is beautiful though

[twosuitsluke]

Just started listening to this and it's nice so far. I'm going in as a Portishead fan, not a Talk Talk fan 

I'm listening to this with my girlfriend and this is DEFINITELY the sort of thing she likes. She always moans about how much time I spend on DTF so I'm preparing to forever remind her (if she ends up listening to this album loads) that she heard of this because of DTF 

[Sacul]

Glad you're both digging it, and that sounds like a great comeback 

[twosuitsluke]

the new album they just released sucks though

I'm hoping this is just you being, well, you. I have high hopes for this album!

I'm listening to the new album now and I've gotta say, I'm loving it more than In Somniphobia. The riffs on this new one are just great and the weirdness level is not making it inaccessible or anything. I'm digging it 

[Crow]

maybe i'm the weirdo then 
i am gonna pick up in somniphobia though, i dig it. the suite more than the stuff around it but that's like two-thirds of the album anyways and the other stuff is... fine, basically just more of imaginary sonisphere really 

[Evermind]

Well, now that Kattelox got banned, it's time to feature an album recommended by him! Just kidding, it was scheduled to go up this week. I didn't know he would get banned.

The Rippingtons - Kilimanjaro (1988)

Jazz fusion
Length: 43:57

1. Morocco (4:50)
2. Northern Lights (4:41)
3. Dream of the Sirens (5:38)
4. Katrina's Dance (5:59)
5. Kilimanjaro (4:47)
6. Back Stabbers (4:08)
7. Love Notes (4:15)
8. Los Cabos! (4:09)
9. Oceansong (5:30)

Personnel: each song has different people credited, please check out album Wikipedia page for reference

You can check this album out via:

Spotify Link (Katt gave me this link, and some songs are unavailable for me for some reason)
YouTube Playlist (with the title track featured twice)

If you don't want to blindly dive into the whole album, check out these songs from the album:

The Rippingtons - Northern Lights
The Rippingtons - Oceansong


Kattelox: The Rippingtons are an American contemporary jazz group mainly relating to the genres smooth jazz, jazz fusion, jazz pop, and crossover jazz. Formed in 1985 by guitarist and band leader Russ Freeman, their career has spanned three decades. With a revolving door of musicians, Freeman has been the only consistent member.

Many of their songs have been played during The Weather Channel's local on the 8's forecast segments. The band's mascot is a grinning, sunglasses-wearing, jazz cat which appears in the artwork of all the band's releases and on their official website.

I just think it's wonderful music, totally my kind of jams. Just some really nice, chill music that I hope people enjoy.

[Big Hath]

well, since Kattelox isn't here to talk about The Rippingtons I will step up to the plate.

So yeah like the description says it is totally Weather Channel smooth jazz - very relaxed and chill.  I don't have this particular release, but I do have a compilation that includes the song Kilimanjaro, which actually has some distorted guitar if you listen for it and a couple of really cool solo guitar spots.

[Evermind]

Is this thread dead or was the last album just now exciting enough? Let's find out with the next entry by Parama!

Spectral Lore - III

Black metal
Length: 87:30

1. Omphalos (7:28)
2. The Veiled Garden   (16:32)
3. The Cold March Towards Eternal Brightness (14:42)
4. Drifting Through Moss and Ancient Stone (11:26)
5. The Spiral Fountain (10:46)
6. A Rider Through the Lands of an Infinite Dreamscape (12:45)
7. Cosmic Significance (13:51)

Warning: growls

You can check this album out via:

Spotify Link
YouTube Link

If you don't want to blindly dive into the whole album, check out these songs from the album:

Spectral Lore - Omphalos
Spectral Lore - Cosmic Significance


Parama: so this isn't going to go over well with half the people who follow this thread but I really don't care. This album is massive, it's diverse, the production kinda sucks a little bit, but honestly all of that doesn't matter with how straight up good and creative the music on display here is.

The opener, Omphalas, can be a little offputtng as it's just as raw as black metal gets, but after that the album tones it down a notch for the sludgy The Veiled Garden, and then the more melodic The Cold March. Finishing off disc one with the folk track Drifting Through Moss. If it isn't clear by now, every single track on this album serves as its own entity, its own take on a different style of black metal, while still being unified by a similar writing style and melodic phrasing as well as general sound. That construction alone turns a near 90-minute album into a surprisingly easy and consistently compelling listen.

Disc 2 is a bit shorter than disc 1, starting off with a relatively mellow black metal track in The Spiral Fountain, followed up by the especially progressive A Rider in the Lands, and closing off with the half-ambient synth half-instrumental metal Cosmic Significance. Again each track is a pretty unique entity on the album and again each track just kills it. The last two tracks may well be my favorites on the entire album but there isn't a single bad track here and only one or two tracks not -quite- as good as everything else here.

This is well and truly a black metal masterpiece and while, yes, it will absolutely require some time and patience, it's absolutely worth if if you have any interest in black metal whatsoever. So... waiting for like two people in the thread to listen to it and nobody else

[twosuitsluke]

I recognise the album cover so I know I've heard this discussed before. I'll give this a listen tomorrow, sounds like something I might dig. I guess I'm one of the two 

[Crow]

i don't even know how much you like black metal, honestly 

[twosuitsluke]

i don't even know how much you like black metal, honestly 

I don't really like traditional black metal. But anything that is like black-gaze or progressive metal with black metal elements,  I'm way more into. Like, if this was a Darkthrone album or an Immortal album I'd likely pass, but as there are different styles of black metal in here I'd likely find something I dig.

[Crow]

fair, i'd guess that you probably won't like the first track and maybe not the second track but will probably like everything after that

[twosuitsluke]

Yea it was alright. I might revisit it at some point. It wasn't that memorable for me but I can see why you'd like it.

[Sacul]

Got a song from this on my roulette and while I admire the complexity of its songwriting it really isn't my thing 

[Crow]

Well, we tried 

[Shadow Ninja 2.0]

Sorry, I got behind on this thread. I tried Sigh and Beth Gibbons & Rustin Man, neither one of which really worked for me. I like the idea of Sigh and generally I enjoy fairly chaotic music, but ultimately their stuff has never really gelled for me and this album isn't an exception. BG&RM is just really not my style of folk.

Moving on to the next two which I will hopefully enjoy more.