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General => General Music Discussion => Topic started by: Schurftkut on November 22, 2023, 01:14:46 PM
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https://twitter.com/wgdestroy/status/1727367227329089821
i figured this band would've required its own thread soon enough, so...
I hope Andre who filled in for SoA is on bass, and curious about the drummer as well!
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https://twitter.com/wgdestroy/status/1727367227329089821
i figured this band would've required its own thread soon enough, so...
I hope Andre who filled in for SoA is on bass, and curious about the drummer as well!
Andreoli
I hope WGD is better than SOA. It will be?
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at least the singer isn't worn out yet ;-)
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The singer's much better. And that clip of Bumblefoot playing sounded like it came straight from a DT song
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I'm very interested in this. Sure, SOA wasn't entirely my thing, but I always said I liked the Derek/Bumblefoot/Mike combination and that Jeff and Billy were the weak links here. Now this is basically SOA 2.0 without those two guys and Mike.
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I'm looking forward to this. I'm a big fan of Derek's solo work and Bumblefoot is just a great guitar player.
SOA wasn't bad imo but lacked that special something. Maybe this band has it.
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(https://i.imgur.com/AF0MgwS.png)
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(https://i.imgur.com/AF0MgwS.png)
Is that some old unused Magna Carta album artwork? :facepalm:
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(https://i.imgur.com/AF0MgwS.png)
"quos deus vult perdere erius dementat" - google translate - "those whom God wills to destroy, he makes more mad"
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the 90s called
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The first thing I thought of was the quote "For whom the Gods destroy they first make mad" which the incredible prog band Symphony X quotes in not one but TWO songs.
It may be beyond hope to imagine this band will be as good as Symphony X, but I will hope anyway.
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The artwork i think is pretty bad, but i'm eager to hear this one
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(https://i.imgur.com/AF0MgwS.png)
Is that some old unused Magna Carta album artwork? :facepalm:
It sure has that vibe :biggrin:
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Where this cover came from?
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the 90s
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(https://i.imgur.com/AF0MgwS.png)
Is that some old unused Magna Carta album artwork? :facepalm:
I thought the same thing lol
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the 90s
;D ;D
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Purple and teal for the win.
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so apparently Yas Nomura is the bassist.
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and they have the drummer from Angra hitting things
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Amazing choice for Bruno! Very glad that Derek and Ron are choosing new talents for their band.
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I know nothing about Yas, but other than that, this is a killer lineup :metal :metal :metal
Hopefully the end result is better than what SOA did, though. Waiting for a single release soon.
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Whom Gods Destroy Sign to InsideOutMusic; Announce debut album 'Insanium'!
https://lotsofmuzik.com/whom-gods-destroy-sign-to-insideoutmusic-announce-debut-album-insanium/
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Whom Gods Destroy Sign to InsideOutMusic; Announce debut album 'Insanium'!
https://lotsofmuzik.com/whom-gods-destroy-sign-to-insideoutmusic-announce-debut-album-insanium/
Insanium? That's crazy!!
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That's almost bordering on Psychosane.
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:D :D
I hope that they put more diversity in this album than SoA. :tup
Did you already hear the album, Ministro?
Well, Derek aswered me "Yes" to my question about more diversity. :tup
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I have not, I know of someone who did heard (at least to my knowledge) one song
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I have not, I know of someone who did heard (at least to my knowledge) one song
Cool!
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Now IO only needs to put together a festival with DT and WGD and then invite soto and she ham to rejoin SoA to open the concert
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Whom Gods Destroy Sign to InsideOutMusic; Announce debut album 'Insanium'!
https://lotsofmuzik.com/whom-gods-destroy-sign-to-insideoutmusic-announce-debut-album-insanium/
Interesting that they started writing the music in 2020. That compliments what Ron said during the interview posted not long ago when he was asked about the future of SOA; some members wanted to start writing and keep going (Ron and Derek at least) and some had no interest/desire to do so (most likely MP and Billy). And Soto is still working with Bumblefoot on Art of Anarchy, which he joined also in 2020. I find it interesting that even though all of this was taking place, they still toured as SOA last year for a few dates they already had scheduled, even though they never finished the European tour that got cancelled because of the lockdowns.
I'm excited about hearing the single, though I expected it to come later this month, not next year. I'm also happy with devieria's comment about more musical diversity in the album, that's definitely what SOA needed.
As last thought, I'm really pleased with this lineup. With SOA they went the supergroup route with many big names on paper but the results weren't that great. Here, they decided to get fresh new talent and that's already off to a better start than the last time :tup
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I'm stoked about this one. Dino is an amazing vocalist. Check out his newest album Jelusick "Follow the Blind Man"...amazing set of pipes!
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If the music is closer to Planet X, I will be interested.
If it's closer to Sons of Apollo, I will not be interested.
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Whom Gods Destroy Sign to InsideOutMusic; Announce debut album 'Insanium'!
https://lotsofmuzik.com/whom-gods-destroy-sign-to-insideoutmusic-announce-debut-album-insanium/
... about more musical diversity in the album, that's definitely what SOA needed.
As last thought, I'm really pleased with this lineup. With SOA they went the supergroup route with many big names on paper but the results weren't that great. Here, they decided to get fresh new talent and that's already off to a better start than the last time :tup
Totally those things. I really like SoA, but I think they should have covered more musical ground, like in Derek's solo work. And bring on some new blood for more musical freshness..
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https://www.loudersound.com/features/derek-sherinian-q-a
Derek doesn't like prog :rollin
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https://www.loudersound.com/features/derek-sherinian-q-a
Derek doesn't like prog :rollin
The best information he gave is that he loves The Chronic by Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Tupac, and the West Coast 90's Gangsta Rap. That to me is awesome, and shows how musicians do enjoy lots of styles of music that their fans talk shit about. I could just imagine him and Portnoy having conversations about 90's Gangsta Rap. Shit, Take The Time even has a sample from Public Enemy. Which I do find interesting as Rap does sample music from other musicians, so Portnoy sampling in the intro in a Prog song is pretty damn cool.
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I don't have a lot of use for Derek, but he was correct when he said this:
A lot of prog music is bad composition obfuscated by quirky time signatures and goofy lyrics
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I see what Derek meant to say. I don't think he said that he doesn't like prog AT ALL, just that he isn't a fan of the "classic prog" genre as a whole. But I understood that he likes a lot music that is actually very much related to prog, like fusion, or some of the more acessible/coolest prog songs, like Yes's Roundabout, as an exemple that he gave.
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As usual, the headline is misleading. If the first two guys Derek thinks of are Keith Emerson and Rick Wakeman, and "Roundabout" by Yes is the first song he thought of, then he doesn't hate prog or anything; he just doesn't revere it the way progheads do. And that's totally understandable. He's always struck me as a more straight-on rock and roll guy, with chops and patches that might lead more toward fusion than prog.
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And what if he doesn't really like prog? Steven Wilson doesn't like prog either, doesn't stop him from making great music that sometimes happens to be very proggy.
And yes, Derek's more of a rock guy in general.
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And what if he doesn't really like prog? Steven Wilson doesn't like prog either, doesn't stop him from making great music that sometimes happens to be very proggy.
And yes, Derek's more of a rock guy in general.
(https://i.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/newsfeed/000/173/576/Wat8.jpg?1315930535)
Since when? The man has worked on classic Yes albums, and didn't he also do work on some King Crimson albums too? And didn't he say that he'd only work on stuff he was interested in. He may not like all prog, but to say SW doesn't like prog is completely untrue, AFAIK.
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And what if he doesn't really like prog? Steven Wilson doesn't like prog either, doesn't stop him from making great music that sometimes happens to be very proggy.
And yes, Derek's more of a rock guy in general.
(https://i.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/newsfeed/000/173/576/Wat8.jpg?1315930535)
Since when? The man has worked on classic Yes albums, and didn't he also do work on some King Crimson albums too? And didn't he say that he'd only work on stuff he was interested in. He may not like all prog, but to say SW doesn't like prog is completely untrue, AFAIK.
Yeah, he obviously likes some prog at least. I think his issue is he doesn't want to be labeled as strictly a prog artist. He wants to be David Bowie or Prince lol
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Yup, and he's listed Floyd as one of his favourite bands.
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Obviously my post was meant kind of tongue in cheek.
Steven Wilson does like (some) progressive rock (just like Derek Sherinian). But he's gone on record many times, that he doesn't like to be labelled progressive rock (even if he's doing it).
And he's mentioned in interviews (I'm paraphrasing here, don't remember his exact words) that bands like Flower Kings, Transatlantic and I think he mentioned Dream Theater also, are the death of progressive music, because they aren't covering new ground.
To quote from his book: "I certainly love a lot of progressive rock, but equally a lot of it means very little to me and I reamin relatively immune to the charms of bands like Genesis and Emerson, Lake and Palmer ... it's also fair to say that some of the dullest music I have heard has been nominally 'progressive rock', music that reminds me that the last thing some musicians and listeners want from progressive rock is for it to actually progess"
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Obviously my post was meant kind of tongue in cheek.
Steven Wilson does like (some) progressive rock (just like Derek Sherinian). But he's gone on record many times, that he doesn't like to be labelled progressive rock (even if he's doing it).
And he's mentioned in interviews (I'm paraphrasing here, don't remember his exact words) that bands like Flower Kings, Transatlantic and I think he mentioned Dream Theater also, are the death of progressive music, because they aren't covering new ground.
To quote from his book: "I certainly love a lot of progressive rock, but equally a lot of it means very little to me and I reamin relatively immune to the charms of bands like Genesis and Emerson, Lake and Palmer ... it's also fair to say that some of the dullest music I have heard has been nominally 'progressive rock', music that reminds me that the last thing some musicians and listeners want from progressive rock is for it to actually progess"
I'm assuming that is Wilson talking; his remix/remaster work belies that, though. I think Genesis and ELP are the only ones he DIDN'T touch in some form or fashion, no?
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Steven Wilson is nothing if not a bit hypocritical in what he says and what he does.
And for that remix work he gets paid. So while he probably doesn't want to touch records he loathes, I imagine he will remix records he can tolerate when the pay is right. So I'm not sure if that is a valid indicator of what he likes and what not.
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First song next Friday. :tup
https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=pfbid024atfi3KXHJfuE64YFqgyRyntKQbtSHxyihWV3vJeaKBU18Y3bmSQyAbwich9aTQWl&id=61553754551083&sfnsn=wiwspmo&mibextid=mMAx51
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It's just a fan art.
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I'm actually genuinely excited about this band, this could be everything SOA tried to be but didn't achieve. We'll see.
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Steven Wilson is nothing if not a bit hypocritical in what he says and what he does.
And for that remix work he gets paid. So while he probably doesn't want to touch records he loathes, I imagine he will remix records he can tolerate when the pay is right. So I'm not sure if that is a valid indicator of what he likes and what not.
It’s funny because he recently mentioned that he remixed GNR’s Use Your Illusion albums, and that he wasn’t a fan or very familiar with them before but came away with an appreciation for them afterwards.
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I'm actually genuinely excited about this band, this could be everything SOA tried to be but didn't achieve. We'll see.
Same here. :metal
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Shame they didn't call themselves Grandsons of Apollo...
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Shame they didn't call themselves Grandsons of Apollo...
Apollo's Second Cousin Twice Removed.
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(https://imgur.com/9ZRI6Yi.jpg)
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I guess this is the (much better) real cover:
https://www.facebook.com/100063305973079/posts/pfbid02wKEWiCWL8i4cudi9zu4aiWgr8h18WRkwDVJLfMwxwULf5XcJHnDrQmdey9ZpL5Gml/?mibextid=NOb6eG
First song avaible in one hour here!
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Welp... that was sludgy and remarkably mediocre.
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It's OK I guess. Fairly predictable. Certainly AMOB'ish, like I expected to take one in the face somewhere in the song. Not writing them off yet though. Let's see what song #2 sounds like.
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This song is very much in line with SoA. Sure, with a different drum feel, a stronger voice and a bit more influenced by Derek solo albums. Cool song, curious about the rest.
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Insanium? ???
Didn't Tater have a wine a few years back with the same name???
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I liked the intro and the Vai-ish guitar solo. The rest did nothing for me.
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Well, in my humble opinion, this feels like a sequel to SoA, and that's not exactly throwing a party in my ears. Given the awesome vocalist they've got, I was secretly hoping for a different vibe. But nope, it's like this dude is on a mission to channel Soto's voice, which was my second roadblock to fully embracing SoA. Derek's less-than-friendly attitude was the first hurdle, in case you were wondering.
Fingers crossed the rest of the album takes a detour to a more exciting destination!
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"A more keyboard-heavy Sons of Apollo with vocals better suited to my taste" would be my take on this. Also, with mini-Portnoy not being there, the mix isn't very drum-forward. I prefer this bass tone to Sheehan tone.
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Personally, I want more In the Name of War.*
*This is a joke. Haven't even heard the song yet.
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Just more information about the album, from InsideOutMusic:
Whom Gods Destroy, the formidable new progressive metal group formed by keyboardist Derek Sherinian, guitarist Ron 'Bumblefoot' Thal, and vocalist Dino Jelusick, along with the potent rhythm section of bassist Yas Nomura and drummer Bruno Valverde, are pleased to announce their debut album “Insanium”, to be released on March 15th, 2024 worldwide via InsideOutMusic.
The album’s pre-order in its various formats has started today here: https://whomgodsdestroy.lnk.to/Insanium
Here is the complete tracklisting for the upcoming album, which comes with artwork by Nello Dell’Omo.
Whom Gods Destroy - “Insanium” (52:56)
1. In the Name Of War (06:38)
2. Over Again (05:01)
3. The Decision (07:08)
4. Crawl (06:36)
5. Find My Way Back (05:46)
6. Crucifier (04:43)
7. Keeper of the Gate (04:54)
8. Hypernova 158 (03:24)
9. Insanium (08:37)
Check out the first single “In The Name Of War”: https://youtu.be/8Ie77apU0RA
Whom Gods Destroy’s “Insanium” album will become available as Standard CD Jewelcase, Digital Album, Ltd. 2CD Mediabook (with the bonus track “Requiem” (04:58) as well as the entire album as bonus instrumental disc) and as Gatefold 2LP & LP-Booklet on 180g. vinyl in the following variants:
- Black 2LP
- Dark Green 2LP (Ltd. 500x copies from www.insideoutshop.de & various other retailers)
- Custard Colored 2LP (Ltd. 1000x copies at all US outlets)
Further updates on Whom Gods Destroy and “Insanium” coming soon…
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This sounds like Sons of Apollo got an upgrade in the bass/vocal/drum playing department!
Not sure if this is a band i want to see live though, because i have a feeling JSS, MP and Sheehan are ahead of these new guys creating a show. I didn't go see Sons of Apollo live because i thought the music was that great, but because they kicked ass live, plus it was a small venue to see these guys play in. JSS walked right past me, and i was looking Bumblefoot in the eye from 2meters distance :metal
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Well, in my humble opinion, this feels like a sequel to SoA, and that's not exactly throwing a party in my ears. Given the awesome vocalist they've got, I was secretly hoping for a different vibe. But nope, it's like this dude is on a mission to channel Soto's voice, which was my second roadblock to fully embracing SoA. Derek's less-than-friendly attitude was the first hurdle, in case you were wondering.
Fingers crossed the rest of the album takes a detour to a more exciting destination!
Oh man, first listen and I feel the same way. This sounds very much like SOA, and that's a bad thing. (I didn't hate SOA, but their original music was just OK generally, but more importantly, I dont have interest in a band that's going to continue that sound and style and NOT be SOA)
Also, it would be smart for the video people to not focus so much on Derek's resting bitch face, especially when it's your intro to the band. Ew. Not a fan and I hate saying that because I'd love to support Bumblefoot.
Honestly the song isn't that bad, but its not making me interested in the band.
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Insanium? ???
Didn't Tater have a wine a few years back with the same name???
That was Insania, which I guess is the plural of Insanium?
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I'm loving it. Big fan of Derek and Dino. I don't hear the SOA resemblance instrumentally. This band sounds more cohesive in the song writing. Some of the songs in the SoA albums sounded very disjointed. We'll see how the rest of the album sounds.
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Checked this out and thought it was pretty good.
Sounds like a continuation to SoA, but I'm hearing some Symphony X equally. Dino Jelusick even channels a bit of Russel Allen, in certain parts during this song.
This is enough to keep me interested! Will be checking the album out.
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I'm not a fan of the voice. I don't like regular Russ Allen, and Jeff Scott Soto, I'm definitely not going to go for fake Russ Allen and fake JSS.
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Not bad at all.
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Continuation or extension of SOA? No thank you.
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I found that boring, stale and beyond generic. Dino is a great singer but he sounds really average on this.
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Check out the first single “In The Name Of War”: https://youtu.be/8Ie77apU0RA
This is how I was expecting Sons of Apollo to sound, so I enjoyed it because of this. It wasn't bad, I think it's a good first single and a great first song on their debut album. I am curiously interested in hearing this album.
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Man, that could not be any more generic. I'll keep an eye on it because I like Bumblefoot, but that first single was very underwhelming.
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I liked it! It definitely sounds like SOA 2.0, but that's what I had been expecting anyway. There was one particular transition that felt unnatural (from the guitar solo to the next vocal part), but other than that, it's a solid step up from SOA imo.
This sounds like Sons of Apollo got an upgrade in the bass/vocal/drum playing department!
This sums it up pretty well for me. Jeff and Billy were my least favorite players from SOA so I'm quite glad with the change and Bruno is one of my current favorite drummers so I didn't miss MP here either.
They're not reinventing the wheel, but it wasn't bad by any means.
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I found that boring, stale and beyond generic. Dino is a great singer but he sounds really average on this.
100% this. He is a great singer, but damn this is generic af.
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I kind of liked the song, but the singer probably isn't going to be my cup of tea.
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I liked it! It definitely sounds like SOA 2.0, but that's what I had been expecting anyway. There was one particular transition that felt unnatural (from the guitar solo to the next vocal part), but other than that, it's a solid step up from SOA imo.
This sounds like Sons of Apollo got an upgrade in the bass/vocal/drum playing department!
This sums it up pretty well for me. Jeff and Billy were my least favorite players from SOA so I'm quite glad with the change and Bruno is one of my current favorite drummers so I didn't miss MP here either.
They're not reinventing the wheel, but it wasn't bad by any means.
Basically what I think about the song and the band. :tup
But I must say that I love Billy and really like JSS. I just think they aren't right choices for this kind of band.
I get people not liking Dino's voice, but I can't see any resemblance with JSS or Russell Allen, honestly.
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I found that boring, stale and beyond generic. Dino is a great singer but he sounds really average on this.
100% this. He is a great singer, but damn this is generic af.
Jelusick solo album was a highlight of 2023 for me, and I was expecting him to deliver those vocals in WGD, but instead we got (to my ears) Soto 2.0 and I already don't like Soto so...
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I noticed DS recycled an idea for Metropolis pt 2 in the song starting here: https://youtu.be/8Ie77apU0RA?t=67
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Bruno's drum playthrough: https://youtu.be/himRY9HX1HY?si=Q_8arMI2f3b5S7Gg
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I really think he's better than MP was with SOA. Way more into playing the song and excellent dynamics.
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Well, in my humble opinion, this feels like a sequel to SoA, and that's not exactly throwing a party in my ears. Given the awesome vocalist they've got, I was secretly hoping for a different vibe. But nope, it's like this dude is on a mission to channel Soto's voice, which was my second roadblock to fully embracing SoA. Derek's less-than-friendly attitude was the first hurdle, in case you were wondering.
Fingers crossed the rest of the album takes a detour to a more exciting destination!
Oh man, first listen and I feel the same way. This sounds very much like SOA, and that's a bad thing. (I didn't hate SOA, but their original music was just OK generally, but more importantly, I dont have interest in a band that's going to continue that sound and style and NOT be SOA)
Also, it would be smart for the video people to not focus so much on Derek's resting bitch face, especially when it's your intro to the band. Ew. Not a fan and I hate saying that because I'd love to support Bumblefoot.
Honestly the song isn't that bad, but its not making me interested in the band.
Ha ha ha ha!!! :rollin
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that's his thing apparently. He was looking like that the whole show. I guess he thinks he looks cool, but it just looked like he didn't want to be there the whole time
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I really think he's better than MP was with SOA. Way more into playing the song and excellent dynamics.
Yeah! I'm really glad Ron and Derek got some young blood for the new band instead of going the supergroup route again. Bruno's work with Angra has been amazing so far and this new thing is no exception.
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Dino is a good singer, but I like Jeff Scott Soto's tone way better!
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If the music is closer to Planet X, I will be interested.
If it's closer to Sons of Apollo, I will not be interested.
I'm going with a Sons Of Apollo cover band.....which doesn't interest me much either.
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I mean I thought it was pretty good! To me it sounds a bit better than SOA. Perhaps they can have the freedom to operate more like a band rather than a 'supergroup'.
And to some calling this generic. Is it really generic? When I think of generic I think of "Abracadabra" by Steve Miller Band. This song sounds like a good bit of effort was put into it.
Of course you don't have to like it, and to each their own. But generic seems a bit harsh, no?
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And to some calling this generic. Is it really generic? When I think of generic I think of "Abracadabra" by Steve Miller Band.
That seems like a really odd choice for "generic".
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Ah yes, the classic spite band. I'm pretty sure Derek Sherinian's post-DT career has almost entirely been made up of spite bands.
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I mean I thought it was pretty good! To me it sounds a bit better than SOA. Perhaps they can have the freedom to operate more like a band rather than a 'supergroup'.
And to some calling this generic. Is it really generic? When I think of generic I think of "Abracadabra" by Steve Miller Band. This song sounds like a good bit of effort was put into it.
Of course you don't have to like it, and to each their own. But generic seems a bit harsh, no?
I felt the same way as you, and I don't really much of SoA. To me, this is the style I was expecting SoA to sound than what we got.
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Anyone here wants to interview Derek or Dino?
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New song, Over Again:
https://open.spotify.com/track/38y1KUdz8p4Z5T89HKM11r?si=PiPPZloURsOeO82njQ5rmA
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Gotta say, I'm not really feelin' either song so far. SOA was MUCH BETTER than this so far.
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New song, Over Again:
https://open.spotify.com/track/38y1KUdz8p4Z5T89HKM11r?si=PiPPZloURsOeO82njQ5rmA
Not really into the vocals. The first song was better, after one listen each, but not feeling it. This sounds less like SOA though.
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Can't really find any ear pleasing qualities within the new song. Kind of hurts my brain.
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i turned it off halfway through. i'll check back later if i missed a cool guitarsolo..
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I also turned it off partway through. Just boring as can be. To me at least. More power to the people that love it.
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I liked the first song. The second one, not so much.
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I liked the first song. The second one, not so much.
This is me so far. I didn't like the direction they went with this second song, but really liked the first one. Still very interested in checking the full album.
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ok at 3:09 there's a lick that's from Overture 1928 synthsolo :rollin
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I liked the first song. The second one, not so much.
Me too. The verses are a bit weird, though the solo section is really cool.
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Official video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c5BflG3oP0w
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ok at 3:09 there's a lick that's from Overture 1928 synthsolo :rollin
Saw that in the YouTube comment section :lol
It's most likely a coincidence, but considering Derek made a big deal (rightly so) about being left off the credits for SFAM when some of his contributions kind of made it to the final version, I wouldn't be surprised if this was intentional :P
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That was... not very good. What a chore to get through. Sorry, Dezza.
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Damn....that was even worse the 2nd listen :facepalm: those vocals are horrendous and the music goes NOWHERE! :tdwn
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Just finished up the album, and I've gotta say, my initial thoughts on that first single were way off. The album as a whole really impressed me. Those previously released tracks? They fit seamlessly into the album's vibe, and honestly, they shine even more in this context.
Makes me a bit sad that Sons of Apollo didn't sound like this. Seriously, it would've been a game-changer.
And let me tell you, "The Decision" is an absolute beast of a track, while "Find My Way Back" is just a hypnotic anthem that I know I'll be belting out for days to come.
Hypernova 158 is their take at the Dance of Eternity
:metal
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I respect your judgement and will defer to the point I can hear the album, but based on the two singles, there's nothing "game changing" about what I heard. Those vocals are the very definition of "generic" to me. Some decent playing in the background, but as songs... I was not impressed.
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Those vocals ruin it for me. Yuck.
And yeah that quote from Overture 1928 was so blatant.
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Just finished up the album, and I've gotta say, my initial thoughts on that first single were way off. The album as a whole really impressed me. Those previously released tracks? They fit seamlessly into the album's vibe, and honestly, they shine even more in this context.
Makes me a bit sad that Sons of Apollo didn't sound like this. Seriously, it would've been a game-changer.
And let me tell you, "The Decision" is an absolute beast of a track, while "Find My Way Back" is just a hypnotic anthem that I know I'll be belting out for days to come.
Hypernova 158 is their take at the Dance of Eternity
:metal
:metal :metal :metal :metal
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They had socks at the merch stand of Sons of Apollo (socks of Apollo - get it?). I think this band should release a rum and call it Rum Gods Destroy.
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I am really not hearing the Overture 1928 thing. I've listened to both back several times and I'm totally missing it. Is it literally just 2 notes in the guitar solo we're hearing? Cos that could be anything.
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last few notes of the guitarsolo
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I am really not hearing the Overture 1928 thing. I've listened to both back several times and I'm totally missing it. Is it literally just 2 notes in the guitar solo we're hearing? Cos that could be anything.
3:08 in Over Again
And, funny enough, 3:08 in Overture 1928
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I am really not hearing the Overture 1928 thing. I've listened to both back several times and I'm totally missing it. Is it literally just 2 notes in the guitar solo we're hearing? Cos that could be anything.
3:08 in Over Again
And, funny enough, 3:08 in Overture 1928
Is that right? :lol
It's definitely there, don't know if intentional, but there's a sequence of notes in the guitar solo that's exactly the same.
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Aaaaah okay, that's very clear. Cheers guys.
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I am really not hearing the Overture 1928 thing. I've listened to both back several times and I'm totally missing it. Is it literally just 2 notes in the guitar solo we're hearing? Cos that could be anything.
3:08 in Over Again
And, funny enough, 3:08 in Overture 1928
That just has to be intentional then? :lol
I respect your judgement and will defer to the point I can hear the album, but based on the two singles, there's nothing "game changing" about what I heard. Those vocals are the very definition of "generic" to me. Some decent playing in the background, but as songs... I was not impressed.
I may not be impressed either but people on social media seem to like it, so I can see that some people may enjoy this and I also give some benefit to the doubt that the singles aren't the best songs on any given album.... but the vocals just haven't clicked at all for me which makes me wanting to listen to the full album very unlikely to happen now.
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The only solace I'm taking so far is that I didn't think much of TEMIC when the singles came out and that was my favorite album of last year... perhaps of the 20s so far! So we'll see. Love Sherinian's keyboard sounds and really hope he might've found a solid long-term project here.
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I'm a HUGE fan of Derek's music but so far, it's 0-2 with WGD! Still looking forward to hearing the album though.
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I'll check out the album. Based off of these two released songs, I am interested in hearing how the others sound.
Makes me a bit sad that Sons of Apollo didn't sound like this. Seriously, it would've been a game-changer.
This is what I thought Sons of Apollo was going to sound like. I quite enjoy it and it's got me interested in hearing the rest of the album.
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I have the album, but my routine has been so hectic that I haven't had time for a full listen yet. I will say these things about my experience with this album so far:
1) I agree with MinistroRaven that the two singles work WAY better in the context of the album than as isolated tracks;
2) Overall, I would describe their sound as a darker, grittier Sons of Apollo;
3) I love Dino, but on the tracks I heard so far, he's using A LOT of drive...not sure if he'll be able to sustain this on a 90 minute set.
4) Bruno Valverde adds a whole different dynamic to this band's sound.
5) I wouldn't call the instrumental track "a response to Dance of Eternity", but it sure is complex...I'd be more inclined to call it a modern-day Planet X track.
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They had socks at the merch stand of Sons of Apollo (socks of Apollo - get it?). I think this band should release a rum and call it Rum Gods Destroy.
Nah - they should go the Kiss route and sell caskets: Tomb Gods Destroy
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at least when you look at the views their videos are generating, the consensus is that the 2nd single isn't as appealing.
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They had socks at the merch stand of Sons of Apollo (socks of Apollo - get it?). I think this band should release a rum and call it Rum Gods Destroy.
Nah - they should go the Kiss route and sell caskets: Tomb Gods Destroy
Maybe their own brand of extra large condoms, "womb gods destroy". Ok, I went too far now. Carry on...
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I am really not hearing the Overture 1928 thing. I've listened to both back several times and I'm totally missing it. Is it literally just 2 notes in the guitar solo we're hearing? Cos that could be anything.
3:08 in Over Again
And, funny enough, 3:08 in Overture 1928
That just has to be intentional then? :lol
I respect your judgement and will defer to the point I can hear the album, but based on the two singles, there's nothing "game changing" about what I heard. Those vocals are the very definition of "generic" to me. Some decent playing in the background, but as songs... I was not impressed.
I may not be impressed either but people on social media seem to like it, so I can see that some people may enjoy this and I also give some benefit to the doubt that the singles aren't the best songs on any given album.... but the vocals just haven't clicked at all for me which makes me wanting to listen to the full album very unlikely to happen now.
Yeah, I've long ago resigned myself to the fact that - vocally, though it extends beyond that - I'm not exactly in step with the mainstream, but with certain exceptions, I just don't go for that generic, gravelly rock voice. You hear Ozzy, you KNOW it's Ozzy and NO ONE sounds like him. Love Ozzy. You hear James, or Bruce Dickinson, and you KNOW it's James or Bruce and NO ONE sounds like them. I can't abide those singers that sound like it could be Russell Allen, or Jeff Scott Soto or Dino whatever his name is... it's just... I don't know, not appealing to me.
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I'm not exactly in step with the mainstream
I'll take "Great Moments in Understatement" for $500, Alex.
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I have the album, but my routine has been so hectic that I haven't had time for a full listen yet. I will say these things about my experience with this album so far:
1) I agree with MinistroRaven that the two singles work WAY better in the context of the album than as isolated tracks;
2) Overall, I would describe their sound as a darker, grittier Sons of Apollo;
3) I love Dino, but on the tracks I heard so far, he's using A LOT of drive...not sure if he'll be able to sustain this on a 90 minute set.
4) Bruno Valverde adds a whole different dynamic to this band's sound.
5) I wouldn't call the instrumental track "a response to Dance of Eternity", but it sure is complex...I'd be more inclined to call it a modern-day Planet X track.
Having heard the album a few times now, i agree 100% with Rordrigo. I really like the drumming, and i feel Dino's delivery at some songs is a bit exaggerated.
Overall, the description "darker, grittier Sons of Apollo" sounds about right. Nothing groundbreaking, but solid and enjoyable overall.
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Just finished up the album, and I've gotta say, my initial thoughts on that first single were way off. The album as a whole really impressed me. Those previously released tracks? They fit seamlessly into the album's vibe, and honestly, they shine even more in this context.
Makes me a bit sad that Sons of Apollo didn't sound like this. Seriously, it would've been a game-changer.
And let me tell you, "The Decision" is an absolute beast of a track, while "Find My Way Back" is just a hypnotic anthem that I know I'll be belting out for days to come.
Hypernova 158 is their take at the Dance of Eternity
:metal
:metal :metal :metal :metal
Hey bud, we published your review today:
https://lotsofmuzik.com/whom-gods-destroy-insanium-album-review-by-gabriel-zarruck/
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Spoiler: I enjoyed it a lot :tup
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I just don't go for that generic, gravelly rock voice.
I hear ya. The thing is, this is Dino doing his "tough guy" vocals, sounding like Coverdale. But there's been a couple of covers that he's done posted online (can't remember which songs) where he sings clean and he sounds really good. So if he took that approach rather than the tough guy bit, I'd be more interested in what he has to offer.
Hey bud, we published your review today:
https://lotsofmuzik.com/whom-gods-destroy-insanium-album-review-by-gabriel-zarruck/
Might wanna check that link. All I get is:
The page can’t be found.
It looks like nothing was found at this location.
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weird, i've read it but it's gone now
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Link doesn't work for me either
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Take the 'c' out of garruck in the link and it'll work.
https://lotsofmuzik.com/whom-gods-destroy-insanium-album-review-by-gabriel-zarruk/
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Take the 'c' out of garruck in the link and it'll work.
https://lotsofmuzik.com/whom-gods-destroy-insanium-album-review-by-gabriel-zarruk/
No, I added the C back for now.
The original link must work
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Sure. But I posted a way for people to get to the review before you changed it again. I was being helpful :lol
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Always make sure your site redirects when you change URLs. Wordpress usually does that automatically these days.
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Always make sure your site redirects when you change URLs. Wordpress usually does that automatically these days.
Note taken, thanks
Derek posted a teaser of tomorrow new single:
https://x.com/DerekSherinian/status/1762427518500684008?s=20
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Now, THIS ONE I really like!
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I dunno. Just sounds super generic to me. Like Temic, Icefish and a whole host of others.
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I dunno. Just sounds super generic to me. Like Temic, Icefish and a whole host of others.
Just listened to the track. I agree. It feels like I have heard this song multiple times before.
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Now, THIS ONE I really like!
Agreed, although I already liked the first two singles. A bit more Planet X influenced and I found Dino's vocals more on point on this one.
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New single out:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ARvSEzdqxnE
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Been following since the first single, but haven't had much chance to chime in. 3 singles in, I mean, yeah, you could nitpick and criticize. But let's focus on the positive. So I'll start with my positive observations about the band:
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Been following since the first single, but haven't had much chance to chime in. 3 singles in, I mean, yeah, you could nitpick and criticize. But let's focus on the positive. So I'll start with my positive observations about the band:
Did you mean to type something after band? or is the blank space your observations? lol ;D
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Been following since the first single, but haven't had much chance to chime in. 3 singles in, I mean, yeah, you could nitpick and criticize. But let's focus on the positive. So I'll start with my positive observations about the band:
Did you mean to type something after band? or is the blank space your observations? lol ;D
You don't know Bosk very well, do you? :lol
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I do agree with Bosk, especially with
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New single out:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ARvSEzdqxnE
I like it! Pretty awesome overall.. :coolio
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I am really not hearing the Overture 1928 thing. I've listened to both back several times and I'm totally missing it. Is it literally just 2 notes in the guitar solo we're hearing? Cos that could be anything.
3:08 in Over Again
And, funny enough, 3:08 in Overture 1928
This is fantastic haha. Just trying these singles out, kind of waiting for the full release after reading reviews. Not boring, but hoping there’s at least one track that I can point to when sharing their music
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https://youtu.be/jD_kuiyKEpQ?si=grFDbSfQm_Kt1KJl
Good interview, interesting information about the band's name, the other WGD, even about Derek's perception when MP begun to head back to DT.
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so Bumble is suggesting that MP was busy getting back into DT during corona already
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I understood that he suggested at least that DS knew that MP was already trying more effectively to return to DT, hence, MP already lost interest on continuing with SoA. Well, I guess you meant busy in this sense.
BTW, the name of the band came from the old Star Trek episode. :tup
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Bumblefoot was acting a little butt hurt. He wouldn't mention MP by name where all he had to say was that MP had plans to go back to DT and leave it at that. He wasn't horrible and I think he's an amazing talent and a good guy but................
I like the new release but I have a hard time getting on board with DS. Amazing talent but he just looks like a jerk when he's playing.
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Bumblefoot was acting a little butt hurt. He wouldn't mention MP by name where all he had to say was that MP had plans to go back to DT and leave it at that. He wasn't horrible and I think he's an amazing talent and a good guy but................
I felt exactly the same way as you did, watching that.
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I think it's natural for them to feel a little betrayed since MP wasn't as invested in SoA as they were, because he was apparently trying to get back to DT. I don't blame them for feeling this way. It's not the same situation, but see Sepultura's harsh statement regarding Eloy's departure.
But those somewhat passive-aggressive comments that don't mention who it is, letting everyone knows who it is, are always ridiculous. A lot of people do this when they're upset with someonelse, unfortunately. Better say anything.
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But MP did it also with Amob…he called it “planting seeds and see what grows”. It wouldn’t be the first time MP pulls something like this. I don’t believe MP was trying to get back in the band during the pandemic though.
Momentum is a very important thing in bands and they lost it when the pandemic hit. While I don’t blame MP for the SoA situation, bumblefoot at some point was also reducing his touring activities becuase it was taking a toll on him physically and mentally. He said it, IIRC, a bit before Sons of Apollo, while he was doing a lot of solo shows.
In my opinion, Sons of Apollo wasn’t interesting for me musically. I prefer what I’ve heard so far from WGD.
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so Bumble is suggesting that MP was busy getting back into DT during corona already
MM had a similar, no name mentioning comment in the vein of: "He had been trying to get back in for a while."
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so Bumble is suggesting that MP was busy getting back into DT during corona already
MM had a similar, no name mentioning comment in the vein of: "He had been trying to get back in for a while."
I don't recall him actually saying that. Not doubting you but can you provide the link where he did?
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But MP did it also with Amob…he called it “planting seeds and see what grows”. It wouldn’t be the first time MP pulls something like this. I don’t believe MP was trying to get back in the band during the pandemic though.
Momentum is a very important thing in bands and they lost it when the pandemic hit. While I don’t blame MP for the SoA situation, bumblefoot at some point was also reducing his touring activities becuase it was taking a toll on him physically and mentally. He said it, IIRC, a bit before Sons of Apollo, while he was doing a lot of solo shows.
In my opinion, Sons of Apollo wasn’t interesting for me musically. I prefer what I’ve heard so far from WGD.
I think the root of the problem here is the way MP tends to promote bands when he first gets into them. With AMob, he wanted to replicate the arena rock/metal thing that he experienced with Avenged Sevenfold, but it did not end up happening. At the time, when he was hyping the band up, as with any other project of his, he talked about the brotherhood, how it feels like the early days of Dream Theater. MP tends to be better at fan engagement and marketing, compared to other members of his "projects", and from my personal experience in the music industry, I have a feeling that most musicians just tend to speak their mind and fan engagement forward characters like MP are actually a minority, so his words, while for marketing and hype purposes, hold value for the other members of his "projects".
Same thing holds true for SoA. MP presented it as a "real band", "focus for all of them", again, the brotherhood. Professional music making, in a band setting, is a job. They're not doing this for fun. For some, it's an incredibly hard process. So, when someone talks like this but ends up jumping ship, it's gotta hurt a little.
Also, my guess is that MP expects full commitment, from everyone who is involved, to the thing that he is committed to at any given time. John Sykes thing ended up getting canned because he and Sheehan were ready to go, but Sykes was not etc. It seems to me that he has no trouble letting go when others are ready to go all in. When he's invested in it, it's a brotherhood, but when he isn't, he has other commitments. I remember this interview of his, during the infancy of SoA. He had said something along the lines of "I have been taking a backseat with all my other bands, but I need something that I can lead now and with SoA, Derek and I are the leaders." He just expected others to go along with it. Similar to how he expected the DT guys to follow him to a hiatus.
I understand why the rest of SoA might be bitter, barring Sheehan. He's too old to give a crap about his kind of thing, IMO.
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so Bumble is suggesting that MP was busy getting back into DT during corona already
MM had a similar, no name mentioning comment in the vein of: "He had been trying to get back in for a while."
I don't recall him actually saying that. Not doubting you but can you provide the link where he did?
https://karkpost.com/mike-mangini-reveals-a-very-easy-way-to-deal-with-being-replaced-by-mike-portnoy/
Edit: I misremembered the interview. It was this one instead. Sorry.
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so Bumble is suggesting that MP was busy getting back into DT during corona already
MM had a similar, no name mentioning comment in the vein of: "He had been trying to get back in for a while."
I don't recall him actually saying that. Not doubting you but can you provide the link where he did?
https://karkpost.com/mike-mangini-reveals-a-very-easy-way-to-deal-with-being-replaced-by-mike-portnoy/
Edit: I misremembered the interview. It was this one instead. Sorry.
Ah yeah - I recall that interview. Wasn't very specific and no timetable was even suggested, but yeah, he does hint that he had sensed something might have been in the works for a while.
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so Bumble is suggesting that MP was busy getting back into DT during corona already.
Bumble has the right to feel slighted. I completely get it. BUT I saw the situation as this. Bumble and Derek wanted to do the 3rd SOA album DURING LOCKDOWN, but MP HAS STATED vehemently that he had no intention of ever recording any album for ANY band like that. Recording through file sharing is not Mike' thing. He just doesn't like it. Now, I doubt seeds of re-entering DT were starting to really grow AT THAT POINT, but Derek's "feeling" that SOA was over had more to do with MP' not wanting to record SOA 3 at that point. Derek probably felt, Mike' bailing on me again. I could be totally off base here, but the fact that MP had no issue in fulfilling SOA's touring commitment (which at that point, the seeds of DT were probably blooming) shows me that Derek may have misread the situation EVEN THOUGH he turned out to be right!
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That makes more sense really, and is kinda how I saw it as well. To be honest, I hadn't actually given it that much thought, but I totally get not wanting to record an album remotely. Some folks are fine with collaborating via file sharing, but not Mike. At least the initial jamming out of the tunes should be done in real time.
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so Bumble is suggesting that MP was busy getting back into DT during corona already.
Bumble has the right to feel slighted. I completely get it. BUT I saw the situation as this. Bumble and Derek wanted to do the 3rd SOA album DURING LOCKDOWN, but MP HAS STATED vehemently that he had no intention of ever recording any album for ANY band like that. Recording through file sharing is not Mike' thing. He just doesn't like it. Now, I doubt seeds of re-entering DT were starting to really grow AT THAT POINT, but Derek's "feeling" that SOA was over had more to do with MP' not wanting to record SOA 3 at that point. Derek probably felt, Mike' bailing on me again. I could be totally off base here, but the fact that MP had no issue in fulfilling SOA's touring commitment (which at that point, the seeds of DT were probably blooming) shows me that Derek may have misread the situation EVEN THOUGH he turned out to be right!
This was true up until the mid-2010's, but, right now, MP does have a full on home studio and a number of his appearances on albums were recorded in this studio, including the Metal Allegiance albums. He has stated a preference for writing in the studio in the past, but, since the mid-2010's, he does record at home and write through file sharing occasionally. And he uses one of Max Portnoy's ex-bandmates as an engineer, I believe.
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so Bumble is suggesting that MP was busy getting back into DT during corona already.
Bumble has the right to feel slighted. I completely get it. BUT I saw the situation as this. Bumble and Derek wanted to do the 3rd SOA album DURING LOCKDOWN, but MP HAS STATED vehemently that he had no intention of ever recording any album for ANY band like that. Recording through file sharing is not Mike' thing. He just doesn't like it. Now, I doubt seeds of re-entering DT were starting to really grow AT THAT POINT, but Derek's "feeling" that SOA was over had more to do with MP' not wanting to record SOA 3 at that point. Derek probably felt, Mike' bailing on me again. I could be totally off base here, but the fact that MP had no issue in fulfilling SOA's touring commitment (which at that point, the seeds of DT were probably blooming) shows me that Derek may have misread the situation EVEN THOUGH he turned out to be right!
This was true up until the mid-2010's, but, right now, MP does have a full on home studio and a number of his appearances on albums were recorded in this studio, including the Metal Allegiance albums. He has stated a preference for writing in the studio in the past, but, since the mid-2010's, he does record at home and write through file sharing occasionally. And he uses one of Max Portnoy's ex-bandmates as an engineer, I believe.
Edit: Adding a home studio recording of MP: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xjxpMCiUI7Q
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I think people here are distinguishing composing and recording from distance. I understand that Mike doesn't like at all to compose from distance (at least in its initial stages), but doesn't mind to record. So, considering this, now I also think maybe Derek misinterpreted Mike refusing to make a SOA3 during the Covid as a sign of him already working on returnig to DT. I also think, although surely his return to DT didn't happen all of a sudden on October 2023, 2020 was too early for that.
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There are a couple undeniable aspects to the SOA situation from my perspective. Turning that band into a profitable, viable venture was going to take some years AND a strong possibility exists that, even then, it may not work. They were playing shows to tiny crowds. Given MP's status and his history, those shows had to be difficult and even depressing. You take into account MP's age and say, maybe in 10 years SOA starts paying the bills...well, you've got a couple years left before you're nearly 70? I think he saw the writing on the wall and it was a primary deciding factor.
WGD is never going to be drawing big crowds or making good money either. Period. And all of us have obligations to pay our bills and support our families. You can go into any venture and be fully committed but then reality sets in, variables change - like Covid - and then you have to reassess and make new plans. That's life 101.
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so Bumble is suggesting that MP was busy getting back into DT during corona already
MM had a similar, no name mentioning comment in the vein of: "He had been trying to get back in for a while."
I think a lot of this is the fallacy that hindsight is actually 20/20 and people looking for patterns. By this standard, "Shattered Fortress" is him "trying to get back in for a while". LTE is him "trying to get back in for a while". Working with John in the studio is him "trying to get back in for a while". Touring with John is him "trying to get back in for a while". I mean, we're never going to know, at least not until the autobiographies start coming.
Why not let it just be? He's not in SOA, and hasn't been for a while (it surprised NO ONE when they said it was done, and Mike was very careful not to commit to ANYTHING other than the immediate dates when that South American "tour" was announced.
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There are a couple undeniable aspects to the SOA situation from my perspective. Turning that band into a profitable, viable venture was going to take some years AND a strong possibility exists that, even then, it may not work. They were playing shows to tiny crowds. Given MP's status and his history, those shows had to be difficult and even depressing. You take into account MP's age and say, maybe in 10 years SOA starts paying the bills...well, you've got a couple years left before you're nearly 70? I think he saw the writing on the wall and it was a primary deciding factor.
WGD is never going to be drawing big crowds or making good money either. Period. And all of us have obligations to pay our bills and support our families. You can go into any venture and be fully committed but then reality sets in, variables change - like Covid - and then you have to reassess and make new plans. That's life 101.
What bands has MP been playing in that were doing bigger venues than SOA? From my perspective, MP's been playing the similar venues in NYC regardless of what band since he left DT (not including Avenged Sevenfold). I don't think SOA or WGD are going to be "big" but they could both be career bands, as in, a band they can be in full time to have a livable income. ANother example, Mr Big is playing similar sized venues in the US.
I think the issue is for any of these bands to get "big" is they need to hit a market of new fans. The prog metal market is pretty small. It's harder for this type of music to play bigger venues than SOA had been playing. So both of these bands need or will need to grasp an audience beyond their already established reach. Sadly for SOA, they alienated some people before even releasing their first album and then couldn't put their money where their mouth is with making consistent good music.
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What bands has MP been playing in that were doing bigger venues than SOA?
Agreed. As a matter of fact, in the NY/NJ market, at least, I felt SOA was doing VERY WELL for a prog metal band.
Sadly for SOA, they alienated some people before even releasing their first album....
Agreed, thanks, Derek! :loser: :facepalm:
...and then couldn't put their money where their mouth is with making consistent good music.
This is where we disagree. I REALLY LIKED BOTH SOA albums. ;)
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Got my copy of the album and something I noticed in the liner notes, Bumblefoot thanks JSS and lots of other people but no mention of Billy or MP. Seems like a good friendship might have been fractured with the falling apart of that band.
Could be reading too much into it, but there seems to be a rift there now.
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First run through complete, and while it's a bit brutal for my tastes, I kind of liked it. :mehlin
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Bumblefoot is in another band with Soto (Art of Anarchy), so I doubt he was included merely because of their joint past with SoA. So no need to read more into the other two guys being absent.
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Got my copy of the album and something I noticed in the liner notes, Bumblefoot thanks JSS and lots of other people but no mention of Billy or MP. Seems like a good friendship might have been fractured with the falling apart of that band.
Could be reading too much into it, but there seems to be a rift there now.
Yeah, there's little doubt in my mind there's a rift between them. It's not hard to imagine either. Someone like MP is well established and has multiple projects that bring in income. Ron, who I like a lot, doesn't really have any of that. At least not close to the scale that MP does. So when they start a new band thats claimed to be everyone's main band, and it folds after two albums due to no fault of Ron's, I can see why he'd be mad. His livelihood likely took a bigger hit from that change and shit gets very personal very quick when you feel like someone's decision impacts your bottom line. Just my thoughts.
I'm curious, has DS hinted at any hostility towards MP since SOA disbanded?
Bumblefoot is in another band with Soto (Art of Anarchy), so I doubt he was included merely because of their joint past with SoA. So no need to read more into the other two guys being absent.
Art of Anarchy are playing a show in NJ in a couple weeks. Maybe I should check it out. I didn't love the single they released recently though.
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Art of Anarchy are playing a show in NJ in a couple weeks. Maybe I should check it out. I didn't love the single they released recently though.
I can get you a photo pass, if you want?
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I like the non-single tracks so far. Find my way back is great. Also, I feel that this album is a lot more guitar-forward than I expected it to be.
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Art of Anarchy are playing a show in NJ in a couple weeks. Maybe I should check it out. I didn't love the single they released recently though.
I can get you a photo pass, if you want?
I can hit you up if I decide to go. I'm not sure on going. Also seeing Avenged Sevenfold the day after.
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Yeah, there's little doubt in my mind there's a rift between them. It's not hard to imagine either. Someone like MP is well established and has multiple projects that bring in income. Ron, who I like a lot, doesn't really have any of that. At least not close to the scale that MP does. So when they start a new band thats claimed to be everyone's main band, and it folds after two albums due to no fault of Ron's, I can see why he'd be mad. His livelihood likely took a bigger hit from that change and shit gets very personal very quick when you feel like someone's decision impacts your bottom line. Just my thoughts.
I had a similar take to this:
I think the root of the problem here is the way MP tends to promote bands when he first gets into them. With AMob, he wanted to replicate the arena rock/metal thing that he experienced with Avenged Sevenfold, but it did not end up happening. At the time, when he was hyping the band up, as with any other project of his, he talked about the brotherhood, how it feels like the early days of Dream Theater. MP tends to be better at fan engagement and marketing, compared to other members of his "projects", and from my personal experience in the music industry, I have a feeling that most musicians just tend to speak their mind and fan engagement forward characters like MP are actually a minority, so his words, while for marketing and hype purposes, hold value for the other members of his "projects".
Same thing holds true for SoA. MP presented it as a "real band", "focus for all of them", again, the brotherhood. Professional music making, in a band setting, is a job. They're not doing this for fun. For some, it's an incredibly hard process. So, when someone talks like this but ends up jumping ship, it's gotta hurt a little.
Also, my guess is that MP expects full commitment, from everyone who is involved, to the thing that he is committed to at any given time. John Sykes thing ended up getting canned because he and Sheehan were ready to go, but Sykes was not etc. It seems to me that he has no trouble letting go when others are ready to go all in. When he's invested in it, it's a brotherhood, but when he isn't, he has other commitments. I remember this interview of his, during the infancy of SoA. He had said something along the lines of "I have been taking a backseat with all my other bands, but I need something that I can lead now and with SoA, Derek and I are the leaders." He just expected others to go along with it. Similar to how he expected the DT guys to follow him to a hiatus.
I understand why the rest of SoA might be bitter, barring Sheehan. He's too old to give a crap about his kind of thing, IMO.
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Yeah, i think you stated that earlier and I agree with your thoughts. The life impact of SOA disbanding is different for all involved.
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Liking the album a lot so far! Sure it sounds a bit of a continuation of SoA, but it has lot more more modern prog metal influences than SoA, making it a clearly different band. Also a more concise approach, still very prog. My only complain is that Dino uses a bit too much drive in his vocals in some parts. The instrumental track Hypernova should be compared to Haken's Nil By Mouth since it's very much driven by the (excellent) rhythm section. BTW I loved the mix, the bass sounds great on it.
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Listened to Requiem on Bandcamp, it's a great closer! It should have in the regular album.
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I'm checking out the instrumental mixes and just like the last SoA album, these work incredibly well this way. I actually haven't listened to any of the actual vocal tracks yet. I love Dino so I have no worries. I just wanted to see if these held up as instrumentals and they really do. I think Derek's keys really help them stand up in that way.
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Requien (bonus track) is such a beautiful tune. :hefdaddy
https://insideoutmusic.bandcamp.com/album/insanium-24-bit-hd-audio
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I like the non-single tracks so far. Find my way back is great. Also, I feel that this album is a lot more guitar-forward than I expected it to be.
Ron said in an interview that he was very intentional in trying to make this band heavier because that's what he wanted to do with SOA but not everybody wanted to take that direction. This band is similar but also heavier and more modern.
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I'm checking out the instrumental mixes and just like the last SoA album, these work incredibly well this way. I actually haven't listened to any of the actual vocal tracks yet. I love Dino so I have no worries. I just wanted to see if these held up as instrumentals and they really do. I think Derek's keys really help them stand up in that way.
Where are you hearing these mixes?
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The Decision is maybe my favorite at this point.
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I'm checking out the instrumental mixes and just like the last SoA album, these work incredibly well this way. I actually haven't listened to any of the actual vocal tracks yet. I love Dino so I have no worries. I just wanted to see if these held up as instrumentals and they really do. I think Derek's keys really help them stand up in that way.
Where are you hearing these mixes?
They are on the Deluxe version.
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I'm checking out the instrumental mixes and just like the last SoA album, these work incredibly well this way. I actually haven't listened to any of the actual vocal tracks yet. I love Dino so I have no worries. I just wanted to see if these held up as instrumentals and they really do. I think Derek's keys really help them stand up in that way.
Where are you hearing these mixes?
They are on the Deluxe version.
Yep. I ordered the 2 CD Mediabook from Laser CD.
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I'm checking out the instrumental mixes and just like the last SoA album, these work incredibly well this way. I actually haven't listened to any of the actual vocal tracks yet. I love Dino so I have no worries. I just wanted to see if these held up as instrumentals and they really do. I think Derek's keys really help them stand up in that way.
Where are you hearing these mixes?
They are on the Deluxe version.
Yep. I ordered the 2 CD Mediabook from Laser CD.
Had no idea there was one. Shit.
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This album is skull crushingly mediocre for me. The Angry Man Vocals (tm) don't help. Seriously fatiguing on my ears.
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This album is skull crushingly mediocre for me. The Angry Man Vocals (tm) don't help. Seriously fatiguing on my ears.
I agree with this assessment. I listened to it three times, I liked the non-single tracks initially but the further listens didn't do much. This album does not offer anything exciting.
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Interesting about Kocak and nobodyblame's posts. I'm enjoying the heck out of this album. More melodical and heavy than SoA (which to me, sounded disjointed and quickly written and I'm not a fan of JSS vocals/melodies). The rhythm section for this lineup is fantastic.
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Man. Opinions are all over the map on this one. I still have not listened to a single second of it. Going to go in blind when my copy comes Monday but I'm getting kind of excited.
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I'm enjoying the heck out of this album. More melodical and heavy than SoA (which to me, sounded disjointed and quickly written and I'm not a fan of JSS vocals/melodies). The rhythm section for this lineup is fantastic.
This is me as well. Much better than what SOA ever was.
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Man. Opinions are all over the map on this one. I still have not listened to a single second of it. Going to go in blind when my copy comes Monday but I'm getting kind of excited.
When the band formed my expectations were high. When I heard the single I thought it was generic. I took off my "prog snob" hat and listened to the album with arms unfolded and thoroughly enjoyed it.
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I'm enjoying the heck out of this album. More melodical and heavy than SoA (which to me, sounded disjointed and quickly written and I'm not a fan of JSS vocals/melodies). The rhythm section for this lineup is fantastic.
This is me as well. Much better than what SOA ever was.
I never thought Sons of Apollo was all that, either. But I'd probably rate their albums a hair ahead of this release.
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Do we have an Art of Anarchy thread? I haven't heard a single second of that either but my copy just arrived in the mail. Wondering what people's views are of that
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Crucifier, Find My Way Back, and Hypernova 158 are exactly what I was expecting SoA to sound like. Which is proggy, rocking metal.
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Do we have an Art of Anarchy thread? I haven't heard a single second of that either but my copy just arrived in the mail. Wondering what people's views are of that
I don't think there is an Art of Anarchy thread given that I don't think former members like Scott Weiland, Scott Stapp, John Moyer (of Disturbed) would be on people's radar to look out for here. Bumblefoot has been with that band the entire time though. If you like or tolerate stuff from the Active Rock radio format, you may get into this. Just don't expect greatness.
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Do we have an Art of Anarchy thread? I haven't heard a single second of that either but my copy just arrived in the mail. Wondering what people's views are of that
I really like the new album. Heard it at the gym the other day.
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The AOA album is not bad at all.
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For some reason, AOA reminds me a bit of Adrenaline Mob, and that's not necessarily a good thing. Stapp was their best singer, IMO.
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meh
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Probably a WGD 2 album next year. :tup
https://blabbermouth.net/features/derek-sherinian-starts-fresh-post-sons-of-apollo-with-whom-gods-destroy-everyone-is-blown-away-by-it?fbclid=IwAR0YtC3n_IPLu58hG0heAggYAv-8SmsPMDgxUBpLVX-JYlSywITcl6IGRP8
Cool interview, good to see that Derek stayed classy about SoA.
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Made it about halfway through the album before moving on out of boredom. None of it was terrible but it was pretty boring to me. Dinos voice just really annoys me though he sounded a lot better on The Decision.
But Bumblefoot just isn’t an interesting guitarist. Seems super talented and a nice guy but I can’t connect to almost any of his riffs or solos. Just nothing catchy or hooky going on. Super technical at times but nothing that catches your attention. At least not mine.
I’m sure I’ll listen to the rest of it eventually but this ain’t for me so far.
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I also think The Decision is Dino's best performance in the album. The use of drive in his voice is perfect in this song IMO, he still pushes it a bit, but still sounding cool. Maybe an adjustment to be made for the next album.
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I also think The Decision is Dino's best performance in the album. The use of drive in his voice is perfect in this song IMO, he still pushes it a bit, but still sounding cool. Maybe an adjustment to be made for the next album.
I dunno. From what I’ve heard of him (admittedly not a ton) this might just be his thing. Though I can’t imagine he’s going to be able to sustain it for too long.
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On Michael Romeo's War of the Worlds, Pt. 2 he's singing more or less like that the entire album and his voice is really good there. Ok, maybe Michael was producing him to not exaggerate on the drives, still...
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Gave this another listen this morning. There's just nothing of substance. I agree with Adami about Bumblefoot's playing, too, although I do really like and admire the chap*. Perhaps with a different style of singing it'd be a bit better but as it stands? 1/5. On the plus side, that's half a point more than I'd give Icefish's album. Although one less than I'd give Temic's debut.
*Bumblefoot, not Adami**
**Although I am sure Adami's equally nice :biggrin:
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1/5. On the plus side, that's half a point more than I'd give Icefish's album. Although one less than I'd give Temic's debut.
Interesting that you compare all these bands here. I like that Icefish record, but for whatever reason it feels very dense/tiring and that's weird considering it's a 45 minute album. I think they over-produced/layered it a bit. Temic I liked too, but I definitely expected more considering the guys involved. WGD, surprisingly, is my favorite of the bunch.
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They all just feel a bit similar stylistically to me, hence the comparison. Plus they're sort-of supergroups.
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I agree with Adami. My biggest problem with Sons of Apollo was I didn’t find anything interesting with Bumblefoot. In a guitar-based band, that just doesn’t fly. I tried the Art of Anarchy album with him and JSS, snooze. Then this one, snooze. He seems like a nice guy, but I just don’t get it.
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He really needs to be the 2nd guitarist in two guitarist band where the other dude/dudette does the main writing. He can add a ton, I'm sure, but writing is just not his thing. Which is fine. Plenty of great musicians who aren't great song writers. Just gotta make sure they're not one of the primary song writers.
Edit: Just looked, out of curiosity. Looks like he is credited on playing on every song on Chinese Democracy, but 0 writing credits.
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Edit: Just looked, out of curiosity. Looks like he is credited on playing on every song on Chinese Democracy, but 0 writing credits.
That may be a good thing :lol
I have no comment about the album, I didn't like the singles and haven't listened further. I really didn't connect with Dino's vocals. Don't currently plan on giving it a full try either. Just doesn't feel worth my time compared to the other music out there at this point.
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Not for noting, when I saw Guns in... 2014, maybe it was, in the club in Philly, he was on stage for only about half the show. No reason given, but he would just walk on and walk off. DJ Ashba did a good amount of the heavy (guitar) lifting, including most of the iconic solos.
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1/5. On the plus side, that's half a point more than I'd give Icefish's album. Although one less than I'd give Temic's debut.
Interesting that you compare all these bands here. I like that Icefish record, but for whatever reason it feels very dense/tiring and that's weird considering it's a 45 minute album. I think they over-produced/layered it a bit. Temic I liked too, but I definitely expected more considering the guys involved. WGD, surprisingly, is my favorite of the bunch.
The Icefish album is easily the weakest of the three for me. Ages since I listened to it, but I don't really remember finding any of it interesting. WGD has a bit more that I enjoy, though the rest of the album hasn't really lived up to the first single which I really liked.
Temic on the other hand, I absolutely loved. Probably one of my favourites of last year.
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I listened to this a couple of times and I like it, it's definitely a grower. But I'm not really sold on the vocals, they seem to forced, even if the singer isn't using that gritty voice.
And it's definitely not Sons Of Apollo with a different singer and rhythm section. While SoA drew heavily from classic rock and traditional (prog-)metal, this one is much more modern metal. Some riffing remindes me of Meshuggah or even Pantera.
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What I find funny is that this band has a much better and tighter rhythm section compared to SOA... which is funny considering SOA had Portnoy and Sheehan, two of the "biggest" names in the genere.
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I have had this album on non-stop in my car for the last week, so that's 4-5 run-throughs, with the instrumental disc as well.
I have to say, it's my favourite aklbum of the year so far. Lots of these tracks are 'growers', and the vocal style, once you acclimate to it, is awesome. Really strong, just different. Reminded me of Apollo from Firewind, initially.
The Bumblefoot thing. I get it. The leads don't slam you with melody, initially, but there's treasure in the playing. Terrific stuff.
And the rhythm section is completely on point.
Sherinian's my favourite DT keys guy, even if he is a bit comical in how he presents himself, with all the attitude etc.
TL;DR
There's a lot to love about this debut.
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Chiming back in, I have this record still in rotation. Didn't expect this but this is my album of the year so far. I even came to terms with the vocals which I didn't really like initially. I still think they sound too forced sometimes but it really doesn't bother mean anymore.
Absolute tight rhythm section and Bumblefoot is just a great player. For sure very technical but still very interesting.
And Sherinian is Sherinian, always liked his playing and couldn't care less about his attitude.