The Official Flying Colors Thread

[senecadawg2]

Yeah Muse was the first thing that came to mind for me. Good thing

[ariich]

Can't find it on Spotify. Might be US only.

[Skeever]

Can't really say I like it much. There's a decent tune, but it's buried under way to many embellishments and harmonies. Sounds like a big mess to me.

It reminds me a lot of Prophets of War, only better (but not by much).

[SoundscapeMN]

not everyone uses Spotify (nor Rhapsody, or even iTunes)

a clip is up on Amazon at least
https://www.amazon.com/Mask-Machine/dp/B00MASONRQ

[Nekov]

not everyone uses Spotify (nor Rhapsody, or even iTunes)

a clip is up on Amazon at least
https://www.amazon.com/Mask-Machine/dp/B00MASONRQ

Sounds interesting though I hope the quality of the album is better than that snippet.

[FlyingBIZKIT]

Nothing really great, but not bad.

[RoeDent]

Wiki has the album length at 65:58. 9 tracks totalling that length means there's bound to be one or two 10-minute-plus songs in there! *insert "shaking with excitement" smiley here*

[Ben_Jamin]

Masked Machine has a lot of energy. The guitar solo and after made me smile. It reminds me of Muse, pink floyd, and queen, mixed with a pop rock style like Imagine Dragons. The keys have a nice atmosphere to them. The quality is iffy, but I know it'll be better on the album,  I hope.

[rumborak]

@RoeDent:
These days I'm kinda over the epics. And on the first album, the epic song was really just left-over Neal Morse song. That's why I'm also cautious about the "proggier than the first album" comment.

[Nekov]

Wiki has the album length at 65:58. 9 tracks totalling that length means there's bound to be one or two 10-minute-plus songs in there! *insert "shaking with excitement" smiley here*

Track list

Open Up Your Eyes - 12:24
Mask Machine - 6:06
Bombs Away - 5:03
The Fury of My Love - 5:10
A Place in Your World - 6:31
Lost Without You - 4:40
One Lost Forever - 7:21
Peaceful Harbor - 7:14
Cosmic Symphony - 11:53

[ronnibran]

Pre-ordered...  I was going to wait and try and find an MP3 deal (I think I got their first album from amazon for around $5 at some point)... But I fell for the mascot deal.  Cd, bonus dvd (not even sure what's on it), poster (don't really care about that), 2 bonus mp3 tracks, all for a price that doesn't seem over the top.  I wasn't a huge fan of the first, hoping this second disc is pretty good.  I don't mind making a blind purchase with Neal and Mike involved, it's gotta at least be okay.

[PROGdrummer]

Mask Machine seriously disappointing me.

I've had bad feelings about this album since the start tho

[Mosh]

@RoeDent:
These days I'm kinda over the epics. And on the first album, the epic song was really just left-over Neal Morse song. That's why I'm also cautious about the "proggier than the first album" comment.

Infinite Fire was much more inventive and exciting than anything Neal Morse has done in recent years.

[KevShmev]

@RoeDent:
These days I'm kinda over the epics. And on the first album, the epic song was really just left-over Neal Morse song. That's why I'm also cautious about the "proggier than the first album" comment.

  (not worth commenting any further)

[FlyingBIZKIT]

Well, the one thing I worry about is I hope this album doesn't get close to the Transatlantic proggy kind of sound. The first FC album was spectacular and when they say it will be more proggy it kinda concerns me.

[nobloodyname]

@RoeDent:
These days I'm kinda over the epics. And on the first album, the epic song was really just left-over Neal Morse song. That's why I'm also cautious about the "proggier than the first album" comment.

Have to agree. Infinite Fire was easily the weakest track on their debut for me and that was because of its prog sensibilities. It's also why I am cautious regarding the new, improved, more progressive  brand of Flying Colors. What made the first album great, in among the slices of rock driven pop, was the overall lack of progressive rock. Flying Colors doesn't need to morph into Transatlantic.

I think it comes down to the perceived Morse effect. I don't mean the religiosity - although that's certainly not an aspect I can identify with - more his overall songwriting style. It's as if everything he touches sounds the same. That's not to say I don't think he's talented. He is - very.

That said, I am sure LaRue's bass and Morse's guitar work will be outstanding once again and I'll buy the album for those reasons.

[Dark Castle]

@RoeDent:
These days I'm kinda over the epics. And on the first album, the epic song was really just left-over Neal Morse song. That's why I'm also cautious about the "proggier than the first album" comment.

  (not worth commenting any further)

Wow, great comment Kev. 

[Mladen]

Honestly, even though Infinite fire was my favorite on their debut, I was kinda hoping the new album would have more straightforward, poppy tracks in the vein of Kayla, Love is what I'm waiting for, Forever in a daze or even Can't find a way. Now that I see the lengths, that doesn't seem likely.

[Skeever]

Infinite Fire definitely sounded like a Neal song.

[bobs23]

Honestly, even though Infinite fire was my favorite on their debut, I was kinda hoping the new album would have more straightforward, poppy tracks in the vein of Kayla, Love is what I'm waiting for, Forever in a daze or even Can't find a way. Now that I see the lengths, that doesn't seem likely.

There are more like these on the new album.

[hefdaddy42]

Not sure why anybody would blame any "progginess" solely on Neal.  Steve Morse has a vast prog background of his own, as does LaRue, and MP goes without saying.

[King Postwhore]

Not sure why anybody would blame any "progginess" solely on Neal.  Steve Morse has a vast prog background of his own, as does LaRue, and MP goes without saying.

It's such a real shock when 4 members from other prog outfits do something proggy.

[Ben_Jamin]

I was gonna say the proggyness might be Dave and Steve's  prog style, which I don't mind at all, like dixie dregs style.

[rumborak]

I mean, they can obviously do whatever they want with their project, but I kinda understood FC to be the direct antithesis of the "bulk" of prog. That is, make concise, good pop rock songs by prog veterans who got the chops. That worked marvelously on the first album, and what made it special for me.

[nobloodyname]

I mean, they can obviously do whatever they want with their project, but I kinda understood FC to be the direct antithesis of the "bulk" of prog.

I think it could be a case of reverting to type with the new album.

Regarding the recent Neal Morse comments, it's because, for me, Infinite Fire sounded like it could have come from any one of his albums.

[Ben_Jamin]

the first album has good songs, although I don't care for Love Is What I'm Waiting For, Infinite Fire I just couldn't get into much. The album's a good debut, but I expect them to kick up a notch on both the pop and prog mix.

[RoeDent]

Wiki has the album length at 65:58. 9 tracks totalling that length means there's bound to be one or two 10-minute-plus songs in there! *insert "shaking with excitement" smiley here*

Track list

Open Up Your Eyes - 12:24
Mask Machine - 6:06
Bombs Away - 5:03
The Fury of My Love - 5:10
A Place in Your World - 6:31
Lost Without You - 4:40
One Lost Forever - 7:21
Peaceful Harbor - 7:14
Cosmic Symphony - 11:53

Cool! I genuinely thought Cosmic Symphony would be the longest, especially as it has three titled movements. Still, all good! Can't wait for it!

[goo-goo]

I bit the bullet and got the single from Itunes. I am kind of disappointed. A little too much of Muse in the song.

[ronnibran]

I guess I'm in the minority (which is ok), but I like Mask Machine better than anything off of the first Flying Colors disc.  It's on spotify, that's how I've listened to it.  I think the only song I really go back to and listen to from the first album is Everything Changes.  Love that song.

[rumborak]

I think it's a pretty good song too. The chorus is the weakest part, but other than that I quite like the verse and the long bridge. MP's drumming is a bit phoned-in, but it doesn't bother me too much.

[theseoafs]

Don't know what you guys are on about, the song's pretty awesome.  Liked it from the first listen, it's got a really good groove.  Luckily I'm not quite cynical enough to hate a song just because it sounds a bit like Muse.

[KevShmev]

Sounds pretty bland, especially that limp chorus.  Given the similarity in lack of quality plus the obvious Muse vocal effect, this will probably be this album's Shoulda Coulda Woulda, which was also forgettably bland. 

I'm sure most of the rest of the album will be good, fortunately.

[RoeDent]

Luckily I'm not quite cynical enough to hate a song just because it sounds a bit like Muse.

I agree. It's a silly reason to hate a song just because it sounds like something else. Everything's already been done before; there's nothing 100% completely new in the world anymore, so appreciate each bit of art on its own terms.

[rumborak]

Ugh, I hate the "everything has been done before" argument. No, it hasn't. Every year there are bands who innovate. While it personally doesn't bother me too much in this case, FC clearly went into the song with a "Muse approach". Distorted bass + arpeggiated chords + falsetto is the hallmark of Muse.

[PROGdrummer]

Sounds pretty bland, especially that limp chorus.  Given the similarity in lack of quality plus the obvious Muse vocal effect, this will probably be this album's Shoulda Coulda Woulda, which was also forgettably bland. 

I'm sure most of the rest of the album will be good, fortunately.

Hm, that actually restores a bit of my faith in this album. There were a few duds on the first Flying Colors, but the record overall was still really awesome. So maybe this will just be one of the duds on another really great album.
8 out of 9 ain't bad.