-
Why, hello and welcome, all the inhabitants of GMD board!
This thread is created because of the great idea (https://www.dreamtheaterforums.org/boards/index.php?topic=52230.0) ChuckSteak provided in the Forum Suggestions board. As there were no volunteers since April/May to do this, I thought this would be a nice thing to run.
The idea behind this thread is pretty much what ChuckSteak had in mind: we'll have an album recommended here each week. Folks who browse this board will probably notice this thread and, perhaps, check the album out, and then, possibly, comment on it in this thread. The goal is basically to empty some wallets of our fellow DTFers and to introduce people to new music. It's kinda similar to Kev's 'Song of the day' type of threads, except it's album based this time.
I'd like to offer a chance to participate in this thread to everyone, so I'm basically going to rely on people's suggestions about the albums we're going to feature every week. I will put my own suggestions in the thread once in a while, but I want this to be a thing where everyone can recommend the album or two for other fellow DTF posters. I don't have any means to magically lock or unlock the threads or actually do anything, so I'm counting on your civility to stick to the rules of this thread, which are:
+ an album will be recommended here for every DTF user to listen once a week on Sunday;
+ to avoid the confusion of different people posting different albums in the thread, send me a PM with an album which you'd like to be featured next week and a text describing the album (genre, your thoughts about it, whatever you think is your audience needs to know about the album);
+ I'll update the thread and post the suggested album every week on Sundays;
+ comment and discuss the album in this very thread, share your stories and experiences regarding the band and the particular album, basically feel free to discuss anything related to this band and album;
Please refrain from:
- posting another album on your own; I mean, I can't forbid you to do anything, but let's keep this thread on point and true to its purpose;
- openly slander and overall shit on the music that is recommended here - remember that there's a huge variety of musical tastes here on DTF;
- sending the albums which are very well-known by pretty much everyone who posts here;
A few other things:
* It doesn't matter if the album is recent or was released fifty years ago, any suggestion is welcome, be that from this very year or 70s;
* There's no length limit on albums; even if it's an EP but you happen to love it, feel free to suggest it!
* If mods will think this thread deserves to be sticked, that'll be great, but if not, I hope there's enough discussion to keep in on page 1 at least.
With that, I'm going to fire up the first album in the next post, and then, if you folks are on board for this, send me your PMs, and perhaps the next Sunday, your album will be recommended for all of DTF to listen to.
-
This week's recommended album is the one that actually prompted me to create this thread. This album has been rocking my world for the last two weeks. Here comes...
Orphaned Land - Unsung Prophets and Dead Messiahs (2018)
(https://www.nuclearblast.de/static/articles/267/267215.jpg/1000x1000.jpg)
Oriental Progressive Metal
Length: 63:31
Warning: some tracks may contain growls and censored swearing words
1. The Cave (8:10)
2. We Do Not Resist (3:24)
3. In Propaganda (3:33)
4. All Knowing Eye (4:28)
5. Yedidi (2:33)
6. Chains Fall to Gravity (9:29)
7. Like Orpheus (4:34)
8. Poets of Prophetic Messianism (2:56)
9. Left Behind (3:11)
10. My Brother's Keeper (4:42)
11. Take My Hand (6:03)
12. Only the Dead Have Seen the End of the War (5:43)
13. The Manifest - Epilogue (4:45)
Uri Zelcha - Bass
Kobi Farhi - Vocals
Matan Shmuely - Drums, Percussion
Chen Balbus - Guitars
Idan Amsalem - Guitars, Bouzouki
Guest appearances: Hansi Kursch, Steve Hackett, Tomas Lindberg
You can check this album out via:
Spotify Link (https://open.spotify.com/album/7ud8TDf12TNhUDNrlNLF4s)
Yandex.Music link (https://music.yandex.ru/album/4945014)
If you don't want to blindly dive into the whole album, check out these officially released songs from the album:
Orphaned Land - Like Orpheus (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hurWzo01FpM)
Orphaned Land ft. Steve Hackett - Chains Fall to Gravity (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ks52bFQKIDo)
I've got an Orphaned Land track in one of my roulettes and actually didn't like it at all. However, I've heard one track from this album at Nick's WPAPU show and it convinced me to check out the whole album, and I'm glad I did. The music is very Myrath-like vocally, but there are also growls on some tracks and the album's message is very poignant and political, in fact it's pretty much P/R material.
In the end, it's still a progressive metal album, but with a very apparent oriental touch (both in music and vocals) and a heavy political message. However, in my opinion, the quality of music on this album is outstanding, and this album finally made me an Orphaned Land fan. This one quickly climbed my favourite 2018 albums list and I've yet to hear anything from this year to dethrone it.
I'm not sure if this idea will even be popular, but at least I'll use it as excuse to introduce you guys to this brilliant album. :)
-
Nice idea! The first album is quite enjoyable indeed :)
-
LOVE that this thread finally happened. I'll be participating for sure. Great pick to start, as I haven't heard this one in a few months. Will share thoughts after I play it again.
-
Well, hopefully people will be interested in that!
Also, if anyone thinks "oh hey, Evermind created this thread, now it's going to be prog metal albums recommended all the time", that's not going to happen. It's going to be your suggestions most of the time. I'm just filling the first spot, after that it's yours.
Although a lot of people here like prog metal so it could end up being prog metal most of the time. Just saying. :P
-
I gave this album a listen some months ago and didn't finish it for some reason - felt like typical prog metal with some oriental flavors and a few choirs here and there.
Following this thread tho I like the idea :P
-
I gave this album a listen some months ago and didn't finish it for some reason - felt like typical prog metal with some oriental flavors and a few choirs here and there.
same tbh, i was consdering relistening to it for this thread but it's over an hour long and i'm pretty sure i'd just give up halfway again :lol
-
It's a really good album. It was the first time I ever listened to Orphaned Land and it blew me away. The inclusion of Hansi Kursch on Like Orpheus helps, too. The production is huge, it's killer, and the energy on the faster tracks is massive. I love the middle eastern vibe in the songs, everything sounds organic and gels well together. Love this album and band, though I need to hear the rest of their catalog, too. Gonna spin the CD in the car this week to keep listening.
-
This album is great, I think it's sitting at #14 on my 2018 albums list, but it's nowhere near as good as Mabool, in my opinion. That is their magnum opus.
On a side note. This thread is a great idea. I'll think of an album to PM you later.
-
sent off my first garbage fire for this thing :hat
i was half-tempted to send mithras but i don't think anyone besides puppies would even finish the album
-
we've all listened to the apologist thanks
-
haha, that's not what i sent though :tup
-
Sure... start this thread just as I'm finishing my roulette, then off to Progstock with some of the boys in 10 days. Thanks! :biggrin: I'll surely get to this one at some point, since RJ's submission of OL to me in Round 1 has been one of the highlights so far.
I'll follow the thread, and eventually drop something in here I'm sure. Hope we get lots of participation, and this will be like a reverse roulette - 1 person submits; lots of people listen.
-
I'm going to try and give this album a listen tomorrow for the thread, but whenever I've sampled OL, the middle eastern influence has been a huge turn off for me.
-
I'll follow the thread, and eventually drop something in here I'm sure. Hope we get lots of participation, and this will be like a reverse roulette - 1 person submits; lots of people listen.
i've been tossing about the idea of a "everyone submits & everyone listens" roulette-ish kind of ordeal for a while where the winner is based on aggregate scores but this kind of thread is a nice compromise
-
This is a great thread idea and I will follow .... and then never find the time to listen to the recommendations :blush
But anyway, I've always wanted to give Orphaned Land a listen, maybe this is the disc I start with.
-
Sure... start this thread just as I'm finishing my roulette, then off to Progstock with some of the boys in 10 days. Thanks! :biggrin: I'll surely get to this one at some point, since RJ's submission of OL to me in Round 1 has been one of the highlights so far.
I'll follow the thread, and eventually drop something in here I'm sure. Hope we get lots of participation, and this will be like a reverse roulette - 1 person submits; lots of people listen.
That's the idea! Also you have no right to complain about anything if you're going to this year's Progstock. :)
This is a great thread idea and I will follow .... and then never find the time to listen to the recommendations :blush
One album a week isn't that much though. Look at all the folks doing album roulettes lately, now that's a huge undertaking.
I'm going to try and give this album a listen tomorrow for the thread, but whenever I've sampled OL, the middle eastern influence has been a huge turn off for me.
Probably not going to be your thing then, it's basically on every song on this album too. Personally I like it, which is probably the reason why I also like Myrath a lot.
-
We Do Not Resist = :metal
Such a good song!!
-
I might participate in this, except I can't really promise to listen to said album every week, etc. Just based on schedule and what not. I suppose it goes back to why I don't participate in Roulettes anymore.
-
I mean, it's not mandatory to do this every week. Any participation is good and will help to keep the thread alive.
We Do Not Resist = :metal
Such a good song!!
I'm pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoy the growl-fronted songs on this record. The singer is really good.
-
Hey, nice to see this thread finally happening. I am a lazy fuck, so I didn't do it. Thanks Evermind for making it happen. :metal
-
Cool thread! I'm looking forward to checking out whatever gets posted here. I hope for lots of variety in old, new, classic, obscure, and different genres.
As for the first pick, Orphaned Land was actually on my radar pretty quickly this year because it was one of the first albums to be listed on the Prog Archives 2018 chart, which is one of my main resources for new prog music. Anyway, I gave it a few listens earlier in the year and enjoyed it, although I hadn't revisited until now for this thread. After dusting it off and giving it a couple more spins, I can say it's a solid slab of prog Metal that is mostly carried by the middle eastern influences. The middle eastern thing is a bit of a prog metal cliche, although having a group of musicians who actually grew up around those sounds makes a difference here. It seems more authentic and there's more to it than just using the Phrygian dominant scale. They write really good melodies and I enjoy the exotic instrumentation. I also really like a lot of the choir arrangements. The call and response during The Cave is awesome. The growling parts are surprisingly catchy and well placed. They aren't overdone but they also don't stick out in a bad way when they do come up.
On the other hand, a lot of the more "straightforwad" prog metal sounding stuff doesn't really resonate with me. There are some good tracks but it gets pretty samey and starts to overstay its welcome toward the end. I would've liked a bit more dynamics. The softer songs, namely Chains Fall to Gravity and All Knowing Eye, are easily the highlights for me. More songs like that would have been welcome, or maybe softer sections within the heavier tunes. I can only take so much proggy riffing and orchestral drenches before losing interest. The Dream Theater influence is also pretty obvious, especially in the lead guitar work. As I said before, the middle eastern influence makes this more interesting than it would be otherwise, but even that isn't enough to save the more forgettable moments.
Overall, an enjoyable listen although I don't see myself going back to it much. The band has an interesting style though and I might decide to dig into their back catalog at some point.
Favorite songs: The Cave, In Propaganda, All Knowing Eye, Chains Fall To Gravity, Left Behind
Rating: 6/10
-
Great idea for a thread. This album currently sits at #23 on my album rankings for this year. As it came out early in the year though most of my listens were then. I need to relisten to see how it stands up at this point, no better reason.
I personally love middle eastern influences in my metal (probably stemming from when I first heard them in some Megadeth songs) but from what little I've heard of Myrath and Orphaned Land, I'd say I prefer the former more.
I'll think of an album to submit soon. How are you ordering the submissions Ev? Is it just first come, first served? I imagine you already have quite a few submissions.
-
Great idea! Thanks for taking the time to run this EV. I might send a recommendation later. Regarding the album, I haven't given it a listen yet. I'm out of touch with prog metal in general (with a few exceptions) but I was listening to some circus maximus and pagan's mind yesterday so I might give it a spin today.
-
Great idea. I'll try to listen to as many as I can.
-
Good to see the reviews and responses!
Mosh, my intent wasn't to wow everyone with that awesome progressive metal album (I mean, I didn't go with Beyond the Bridge :biggrin:) but mostly just share the album that was heavily occupying my rotation for the last few weeks. Also we had to start with something! It is great to see a detailed review though, I'd love to see more of those in this thread. :tup
I'll think of an album to submit soon. How are you ordering the submissions Ev? Is it just first come, first served? I imagine you already have quite a few submissions.
So far I have two entries. I've thought a few ways to order the entries depending on how much interest there will be in this. I personally don't think a method solely based on "first come first serve" thing is a good one, because of the different timezones and general activity of our frequent DTF users. I think a good way to do it is to aim at the diversity of the albums on week-to-week basis, also taking into consideration when you guys sent your entry (so you won't have to wait like three months until your first entry pops up in this thread), while also maybe adding a bit of randomness into it.
However, as this thread is aimed at basically all of the GMD users, feel free to suggest your ideas about ordering the entries, and perhaps your idea is much better than mine and we'll use it instead!
To everyone who wants to PM me a recommendation: feel free to send it! I've done the unthinkable and finally cleared my PM inbox after, like, three years of neglecting it. Went from 140+ messages to 7. :lol
-
I really like this idea and I'm going to try to listen through every album that gets selected.
It's pretty tough for prog metal to impress me these days, so I'm not blown away, but I am enjoying the album so far. I do (like everyone else) particularly enjoy the Middle Eastern-sounding instrumentation and vocal melodies. I actually really dig the harsh vocals sections as well; they're done really well.
I'll think of an album to add to the list and PM it soon.
-
send Miss Machine
-
:lol I'll work up to the Dillinger.
Maybe I'll send some Devil Doll later on. Everyone will enjoy that, I'm certain.
-
:lol I'll work up to the Dillinger.
Maybe I'll send some Devil Doll later on. Everyone will enjoy that, I'm certain.
Sacrilegium or bust
-
The Girl Who Was.. Death is much better, in my opinion.
-
The Girl Who Was.. Death is much better, in my opinion.
My favorite part being the 25 minutes of silence :biggrin:
-
Killer album, a certain front runner for AOTY for me. This thing owned me up till Ostura came out, and it still gets serious playtime. Best tracks are The Cave and Chains Fall to Gravity.
-
That Ostura album is still sitting at #3 on my 2018 list.
I agree that The Cave is a brilliant track.
-
The Cave is so brilliant. Like, wow, speaking as someone whose first taste of OL was that song - what a way to open your album. To me that song defines what Orphaned Land is about, it might be my favorite tune of theirs.
What does everyone think about the censorship in one of the songs? I have the disc here ready to spin in the car tomorrow as opposed to just playing it via bluetooth, I may take some time to flip through the booklet as I listen (parked, of course!). I remember that part throwing me for a loop but now it's not so jarring.
Also, big plus to Hansi Kursch guesting on Like Orpheus. That's a home run of a song.
-
The Cave blew me away. In my opinion, the true mark of an epic classic is its ability to perfectly mix and balance elements which - examined singularly - feature a crazy high cheese/cringe risk quotient, and this songs succeeds with impressive elegance and efficacy in that regard.
. The intro is pure inner soul athmosphere. It could have been your run of the mill "desert" pic.
. The middle eastern colours aren't an overused spice here, but a rational expressive necessity true to a culture's expression. Plus, I love the way they're sparkled over the most classical among western minor progressions.
. The rythm section is a dervish in perpetual motion, yet in a strange brilliant way it brings gravitas, not chaotic speed.
. The Plato's myth reference rings desperately urgent, not easily preachy. It's not easy to talk about dark and light without sounding like bad superficial fantasy, but it is done here.
. I love high range powerful baritones. This guy thunders without losing tenderness
. The call-answer structure is how song was (re)born with plagal chants in the middle ages. The formula feels totally refreshed here, without losing a bit of its powerful long tradition.
Thanks Evermind for doing this.
-
The Cave truly is one of the best songs of the year and one of the most 'complete' songs that I can recall, for a song with such an epic feeling, it's so short (meant as a good thing since it doesn't really miss anything). Hence why I've sent it so much in roulettes :biggrin:
The album is good, but did fall out of my top 10/top 15 of the year for sure. Assuming we aren't going to do an awful lot of multiple albums by the same band especially now in the start, I wanna mention something that was mentioned before too. Mabool is the best Orphaned Land album and maybe one of the best concept albums that I know. The album flows better than pretty much any album I know, though Prophets & Messiahs probably has OL's strongest tracks ever in The Cave and Chains Fall to Gravity I'd say. The album just fails to come to a great climax like Mabool does, in my opinion.
-
So the Orphaned Land album has the same problems to me as most progressive metal these days. It's just so damn cheesy. I used to love the dramatic aspects of prog music, but now I find it to be a huge turn-off most of the time. There were a couple moments on this album that nearly made me laugh due to the cheesiness of it. I dunno... musically it's good. I get why people would like it. I wish that stuff didn't bother me so much because I know I'm missing out on some great stuff, but I just can't get over it.
Oh well... on to next week's suggestion!
-
What does everyone think about the censorship in one of the songs? I have the disc here ready to spin in the car tomorrow as opposed to just playing it via bluetooth, I may take some time to flip through the booklet as I listen (parked, of course!). I remember that part throwing me for a loop but now it's not so jarring.
I think the censorship is fine, as it was the band's decision and not something forced on them. The censorship makes sense especially given how the album is centered on political issues and themes. Also it's more than one of the songs, I totally remember some beeps in We Do Not Resist and Left Behind and possibly more songs.
Killer album, a certain front runner for AOTY for me. This thing owned me up till Ostura came out, and it still gets serious playtime. Best tracks are The Cave and Chains Fall to Gravity.
I knew you were a fan from your Facebook page. I actually thought to go see the band simply because of your posts related to their gig you saw, but I remembered not liking them in my roulette and decided to pass. :facepalm:
I guess at this point I need to listen to Mabool!
The Cave blew me away. <snip>
Did you know the album beforehand or was that your first listen? Anyway, glad to have you on board!
Oh well... on to next week's suggestion!
No worries, fairly sure it won't be your run-of-the-mill prog metal entry based on what I've got in my PM right now. ;)
Also, big plus to Hansi Kursch guesting on Like Orpheus. That's a home run of a song.
So the Orphaned Land album has the same problems to me as most progressive metal these days. It's just so damn cheesy. I used to love the dramatic aspects of prog music, but now I find it to be a huge turn-off most of the time. There were a couple moments on this album that nearly made me laugh due to the cheesiness of it.
*growly voice* AND FIGHT!
-
What about (believe the line went like this) the line in We Do No Resist: "Masters of treachery and measuring their *PEEP*s"
-
The Cave blew me away. In my opinion, the true mark of an epic classic is its ability to perfectly mix and balance elements which - examined singularly - feature a crazy high cheese/cringe risk quotient, and this songs succeeds with impressive elegance and efficacy in that regard.
. The intro is pure inner soul athmosphere. It could have been your run of the mill "desert" pic.
. The middle eastern colours aren't an overused spice here, but a rational expressive necessity true to a culture's expression. Plus, I love the way they're sparkled over the most classical among western minor progressions.
. The rythm section is a dervish in perpetual motion, yet in a strange brilliant way it brings gravitas, not chaotic speed.
. The Plato's myth reference rings desperately urgent, not easily preachy. It's not easy to talk about dark and light without sounding like bad superficial fantasy, but it is done here.
. I love high range powerful baritones. This guy thunders without losing tenderness
. The call-answer structure is how song was (re)born with plagal chants in the middle ages. The formula feels totally refreshed here, without losing a bit of its powerful long tradition.
Thanks Evermind for doing this.
This sure blows away my description of The Cave from Round 1 of my roulette!
-
Did you know the album beforehand or was that your first listen? Anyway, glad to have you on board!
Wasn't aware of their existance until lonestar's submission in Jingle's roulette.
I'd like to add that, despite generally refusing growls (they make my throat hurt via ear conduit, if it makes sense), the ones in The Cave feel right, sorta like the only particular musical instrument able to do justice to those particular notes.
This sure blows away my description of The Cave from Round 1 of my roulette!
I have the advantage of not having to make sense!
-
Kobi's voice is so freaking pleasant to hear. The growls are tolerable to me (a good thing, not in a negative way), but his clean singing is just superb, lovely voice.
-
Moving on! This week's album is recommended to you guys by Sacul.
Snarky Puppy - We Like It Here (2014)
(https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0946/3300/products/Snarky-Puppy-We-Like-It-Here1-1024x1024_1024x1024.jpg)
Instrumental Jazz Fusion
Length: 54:38
1. Shofukan (6:33)
2. What About Me? (6:42)
3. Sleeper (6:51)
4. Jambone (5:07)
5. Kite (6:12)
6. Outlier (6:45)
7. Tio Macaco (5:43)
8. Lingus (10:45)
Michael League – electric bass, Moog keybass
Bill Laurance – acoustic piano, Fender Rhodes, keyboards
Justin Stanton – Fender Rhodes, keyboards, trumpet
Cory Henry – Hammond B3 organ, keyboards
Shaun Martin – Moog talkbox, keyboards
Bob Lanzetti – electric guitar
Mark Lettieri – electric guitar
Chris McQueen – electric guitar, baritone guitar
Chris Bullock – tenor saxophone, bass clarinet, flute
Bob Reynolds – tenor saxophone
Mike "Maz" Maher – trumpet, flugelhorn
Jay Jennings – trumpet, flugelhorn
Nate Werth – percussion
Larnell Lewis – drums
Yannick Hiwat – violin
Tessel Hersbach – violin
Mara Tieles – viola
Susanne Rosmolen – cello
Julio Pimental – percussion on tracks 4 and 7
Steven Brezet – percussion on tracks 4 and 7
You can check this album out via:
Spotify Link (https://open.spotify.com/album/4GzjQ0xXRlLl78ih481BUi)
Official YouTube playlist (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kk0WRHV_vt8&list=PL850qmLJBqCsgG53TS6-kc7v-7FhaCXZL)
Yandex.Music link (https://music.yandex.ru/album/4896842)
If you don't want to blindly dive into the whole album, check out these officially released songs from the album:
Snarky Puppy - Shofukan (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kk0WRHV_vt8)
Snarky Puppy - Sleeper (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kDXnPfA_5pY)
Snarky Puppy - Lingus (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L_XJ_s5IsQc)
Sacul: This is a very comfy and fun album, by very talented people, and has some proggy moments. Lovely jazz fusion that everybody can like - it will put a smile on your face for sure.
---
According to Wikipedia, Snarky Puppy is a Brooklyn-based "...fusion-influenced jam band..." led by bassist, composer, and producer Michael League. Snarky Puppy combines jazz, rock, and funk and has won three Grammy Awards. Although the group has since included vocalists and has backed singers, League once described Snarky Puppy as "a pop band that improvises a lot, without vocals".
This album was performed and recorded live in October 2013 at the artistic compound Kytopia in Utrecht, Netherlands. It was released in February 2014, debuting at number one on the iTunes Jazz Charts.
-
Such a nice record, I think even progheads will find something to enjoy here :D
-
Actually pleasantly surprised it's not prog. I enjoyed Family Dinner Vol. 1 when Sacul sent it in my roulette, so I'm looking forward to this. Will listen later today.
-
will add this to my to-listen list (which is p. short now so i should be able to get to this quickly enough)
-
Love Snarky Puppy! More later
-
I've listened to some bits here and there and I'll admit I'm really curious about this album! I'll check it out on my commute tomorrow.
-
Actually pleasantly surprised it's not prog.
Oh don't be mistaken, this is definitely a proggy album though more jazz fusion than prog. It is so fucking good though, probably the single most fun record I've discovered in the last few years and What About Me? has become one of my recent favourite tunes. Thanks Slackul!
-
Listening now.
I've heard these guys mentioned quite a bit around here but I was obviously confusing them with the Industrial band Skinny Puppy :lol
This is really pleasant so far.
Edit: so after listening through the whole thing I was pleasantly surprised. This is the sort of album that makes me wish my Dad was still alive. He loved jazz more than I did and he definitely would've loved hearing new music in this style. For me, I enjoyed it but couldn't see myself revisiting it that often. I'd probably stick it on as background music whilst I was concentrating on other things. Jazz is just a bit to all over the place for me to really love it.
Good album though and this thread is doing its job, getting me checking out albums I may not otherwise.
I need to come up with my own submission soon.
-
Good stuff, although for the jazzy stuff I prefer stuff more like The Rippingtons or Incognito. Very pleasant album although it sometimes sounds like it meanders a bit much. Really tasty playing all around, hope it grows on me with a few more listens throughout the week.
-
I like the description of Snarky Puppy as a pop band that improvises a lot. That's surprisingly apt. I've also seen them described as "party jazz" which is kinda meant to bring up a similar connotation I guess. Their music is huge on groove, simple melodies, and is easy to dance to. They can be pretty loud and usually play in rock venues. But they still have a lot of cred with hardcore Jazz audiences. With those things in mind, they are a good "gateway" band for pop/rock fans who aren't familiar with Jazz or are put off by its denser elements. Sort of similar to Big Band music in the 30s and 40s, but with actual cultural relevance today. I wouldn't really describe them as proggy, jazz fusion depends on the definition being used (both terms can be pretty fluid).
We Like It Here is a good album and the one that really turned me on to the band. Nice diverse set of tunes. Lingus is the one that seems to get the most attention, which is deserved. The keyboard solo alone is already a classic. It's hard to listen to this album and not feel energized. There's not much more to it.
My favorite Snarky Puppy is actually Sylva. It is a more unified piece and has a bit more going on musically, in my opinion. It also has the addition of an orchestra to expand the sonic palette further. I also highly recommend the Family Dinner albums to hear them collaborating with other musicians (lots of vocalists) and doing arrangements of other people's work. Those albums also got me into the band Knower, which was another great find.
-
I've never even heard of this band, but I'm really loving them so far. A lot of instrumental stuff doesn't really work for me, but this is amazing. :metal
-
tried listening to this just now but didn't get through the last two tracks. i dunno. it's not bad but it was kinda boring to me & i started zoning out after like the third or fourth song
not my thing, basically, but i already knew that
-
I liked the Snarky Puppy album. Jazz is one of those things that in theory I like, but rarely go out of my way to listen to. It was definitely a nice change of pace from the usual rock genres I listen to.
-
Gave the album a spin. Even though I enjoyed the music, the album fails to engage me into it to a degree that I want to listen to it again.
-
I'm quite glad some of you are enjoying record :D . It can be a bit dense to listen to at first, so if you'd like something with shorter and catchier songs, with a more pop approach and vocals, I highly recommend their album Family Dinner Vol. 1 - great mix of fun and emotional pieces.
-
hey some people liking it is gonna be better than when my pick shows up here and nobody likes it
-
:lol
I listened to We Like It Here today, and I thought the music was enjoyable, but I had basically the same problem with it I have with most of the instrumental albums, I can't focus my attention on anything there and I end up not remembering anything in particular. But nothing there made me want to turn it off, it's definitely an enjoyable album. Out of the songs, I think the one I really liked was Kite.
Also, it's much more fun to watch them actually performing it via YouTube videos than just listen to the audio.
-
hey some people liking it is gonna be better than when my pick shows up here and nobody likes it
Except for maybe me.
-
You have one album of theirs rated highly but none of their others rated
I actually need to check if they're on your banlist now, hmm
Edit: yeah they are, I figured as much :P
-
You have one album of theirs rated highly but none of their others rated
I actually need to check if they're on your banlist now, hmm
Edit: yeah they are, I figured as much :P
:lol
-
:lol
I listened to We Like It Here today, and I thought the music was enjoyable, but I had basically the same problem with it I have with most of the instrumental albums, I can't focus my attention on anything there and I end up not remembering anything in particular. But nothing there made me want to turn it off, it's definitely an enjoyable album. Out of the songs, I think the one I really liked was Kite.
Also, it's much more fun to watch them actually performing it via YouTube videos than just listen to the audio.
I get you, watching their performances is fantastic, and I feel this album is better digested one song at a time, and better with the videos. Give Familiy Dinner Vol. 1 a try - most songs have vocals and are pretty catchy, very nice album.
-
Just dropping in to say I've been listening to this album all day, and it's going the list of albums to acquire. Going to check out their other stuff soon as well.
-
Finally have listened to both albums.
Orphaned Land: starts strong and is good overall, needs more listens to really appreciate it I'm sure, but I will set it on my "to buy" list. And although I really like it, it is cheesy as fuck sometimes.
Snarky Puppy: Not bad, not bad at all. But its sometimes too easy listening for my taste, too much Jazz-light and too much noodeling. I'm not sure if this has serious replay-value but I will give it some more spins nonetheless.
-
Finally have listened to both albums.
Orphaned Land: starts strong and is good overall, needs more listens to really appreciate it I'm sure, but I will set it on my "to buy" list. And although I really like it, it is cheesy as fuck sometimes.
How so?
-
Just dropping in to say I've been listening to this album all day, and it's going the list of albums to acquire. Going to check out their other stuff soon as well.
Well, that means this thread is working as intended!
Orphaned Land: starts strong and is good overall, needs more listens to really appreciate it I'm sure, but I will set it on my "to buy" list. And although I really like it, it is cheesy as fuck sometimes.
I think it's nowhere near the levels of Ayreon cheese, for example. Glad to see you participating though!
By the way, I have two entries in my inbox for the next two weeks, and I'm probably just going to toss a coin to decide which one goes first this Sunday, but after these two it's free game for anyone who wants to recommend something to the community. Send your PMs, descriptions (if you want to) and in a few weeks it'll be your album in the spotlight.
-
Ready to lose a coin toss :metal
-
Finally have listened to both albums.
Orphaned Land: starts strong and is good overall, needs more listens to really appreciate it I'm sure, but I will set it on my "to buy" list. And although I really like it, it is cheesy as fuck sometimes.
How so?
The choir, the female vocals, the keyboards/orchestra in the opener for example. Maybe cheesy is the wrong word, in german I would say it's "kitschig".
-
I just noticed this thread. Thanks, Evermind! Following and shit.
Listening to Orphaned Land now. I'll edit this post later with my thoughts.
-
Ready to lose a coin toss :metal
Just did it and :corn
I just noticed this thread. Thanks, Evermind! Following and shit.
Listening to Orphaned Land now. I'll edit this post later with my thoughts.
No problem and also don't hesitate to suggest your own stuff!
Next album is coming up tomorrow! Listened to some tracks and I'm very excited for this one.
-
Yeah if you're excited for it then it's not mine :P
-
I have stuff I want to suggest but it's not metal and I want to space them out between metal suggestions so hopefully next week's is a metal album :)
-
Personally I think most of us are cool with non metal stuff.
If the next album's mine though then it's fairly metally.
-
Time to introduce the next record! This week's album is recommended to you guys by Shadow Ninja 2.0.
The Sword - Warp Riders (2010)
(https://img.discogs.com/3agzU6nYVAgeV4mKYt8uD86Xq5U=/fit-in/600x600/filters:strip_icc():format(jpeg):mode_rgb():quality(90)/discogs-images/R-3527966-1333982019.jpeg.jpg)
Hard rock, heavy metal, stoner rock/metal
Length: 48:16
Part I: The Archer & The Orb
1. Acheron / Unearthing the Orb (3:43)
2. Tres Brujas (4:09)
3. Arrows in the Dark (4:30)
4. The Chronomancer I: Hubris (7:35)
5. Lawless Lands (5:09)
Part II: The Android & The Sword
6. Astraea's Dream (3:23)
7. The Warp Riders (3:57)
8. Night City (3:50)
9. The Chronomancer II: Nemesis (5:49)
10. (The Night the Sky Cried) Tears of Fire (6:11)
J. D. Cronise – vocals, guitars
Kyle Shutt – guitars
Bryan Richie – bass
Trivett Wingo – drums, percussion
You can check this album out via:
Spotify Link (https://open.spotify.com/album/6LEjNPMKYOG0ZZlFSHYMw3)
YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PjKI_U9ENwU)
Yandex.Music link (https://music.yandex.ru/album/3890972)
If you don't want to blindly dive into the whole album, check out these officially released songs from the album:
The Sword - Tres Brujas (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hk9uevsHvAE)
The Sword - Lawless Lands (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vr3r6Mdci6c)
The Sword - Night Cioty (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R9ZRbtmnTHA)
Shadow Ninja 2.0: I figure I'll start with a fairly safe choice and branch out to weird stuff later, so my album this time is The Sword - Warp Riders, which I haven't seen mentioned really around here so I'm assuming that some people at least haven't heard it. They're a hard rock/classic-ish metal group with a sort of laid back, stoner-rock style groove to them.
---
According to Wikipedia, The Sword is an American heavy metal band from Austin, Texas. Formed in 2003, the band is currently composed of vocalist and guitarist John D. Cronise, guitarist Kyle Shutt, bassist Bryan Richie and drummer Santiago "Jimmy" Vela III.
During its early career, The Sword was categorized primarily as a doom metal band, with the group's members citing bands including Black Sabbath and Sleep as influences. In recent years, the group's style has generally been classified as hard rock or stoner rock. The Sword has toured with a wide range of fellow rock and metal artists since its formation, including Metallica, Lamb of God and Clutch, and in recent years has also headlined its own tours.
Warp Riders is the third studio album by American heavy metal band The Sword. Recorded at Wire Recording in Austin, Texas with producer Matt Bayles, it was released by Kemado Records in August 2010. Warp Riders was written and recorded as a concept album centred on an original science fiction narrative written by vocalist and guitarist J. D. Cronise, and marks a conscious change in style from doom metal to a more hard rock-influenced sound.
-
Nice, I'll give it a listen during the week :metal
-
another one i listened to in the past and wasn't too into :P
guess i'll have to wait until next week
-
Yes, next week is definitely yours!
-
That album is amazing. :metal
-
another one i listened to in the past and wasn't too into :P
guess i'll have to wait until next week
Somehow, Parama, that does not surprise me. :P
-
Oh cool. I'll check this out today. Only Sword song I know is Freya, the one that was in Guitar Hero.
-
Ah, my favorite Sword album :tup
-
Ah, my favorite Sword album :tup
ditto
-
I'm about half way through listening to Warp Riders.
So far, this mother has a very, very strong CoC feel to it (circa Deliverance/Wiseblood era)...and I mean that in the best possible way! :2metal:
-
I'm about half way through listening to Warp Riders.
So far, this mother has a very, very strong CoC feel to it (circa Deliverance/Wiseblood era)...and I mean that in the best possible way! :2metal:
:metal
I gave this album a listen and my impression was pretty positive. I wasn't too fond of the 'stoner' aspect of the music, sometimes the vocals were a bit on the droning side; but I really liked the instrumental passages.
As with Snarky Puppy, this is something I will not likely revisit after this week passes, but it's definitely enjoyable enough to have in rotation for the rest of the week.
-
Yeah, I enjoyed the second half as well. I don't know how much I'll revisit the album, though. Unlike those CoC albums I mentioned, the lyrical content of Warp Riders isn't really my thing so that brought it down some. I had no problem with the vocal performance even if it wasn't particularly memorable.
I forgot to listen to the Snarky Puppy selection. I'll do that now.
-
I fucking loved this album!
I've been meaning to check out The Sword since their inception. I dig this sort of music where the band are going for that retro style. I especially dig the album art as well.
For anyone who is interested in this, I'd suggest you check out The Alchemist by Witchcraft :metal
-
I've been meaning to check out The Sword since their inception. I dig this sort of music where the band are going for that retro style. I especially dig the album art as well.
Don't get too excited about digging in to the rest of their discography, it's all downhill from here. The 2 albums before this were pretty good, but the albums after sound like they ran out of good ideas and got progressively more boring and more of a chore to get through. This is all just my opinion though.
-
I actually found the first albums pretty much unlistenable. :lol
Warp Riders is clearly the best. The next one, Apochryphon, is nominally the same style, but I never manage to listen to it for very long.
The ones after that pretty much drop the metal entirely and are a step down, but actually have some really good tracks once you get used to it.
-
I actually found the first albums pretty much unlistenable. :lol
What? :o The first two are very good too.
-
Gave this a listen, and the first couple tracks were pretty cool bangers, but as it kept playing, things started to blur a lot and my interest faded. Might revisit later.
-
I've been listening to Snarky Puppy We Like It Here over and over for the last couple of days. It's simply fantastic. At first, I was put off by its density but second and third listens really grabbed me. The central keyboard bit of Lingus (from about 4:20 through 8:20) is just sublime and is the best jazz fusion I've heard in years. If Frank Zappa was still alive, he'd be playing that on constant rotation in his home.
Wow.
-
Okay, finally listened to The Sword.
The album cover looks like those science fiction paperbacks from the 50s/60s/70s and obviously the storyline fits that science fiction theme. But the music doesn't sound like that at all, despite the descriptions here I somehow expected something different.
But it's not bad on first listen. I'm not blown away but might give it some more spins and see if it is a grower.
-
I have gotten into The Sword a bit over the past year or so. I think this is probably my favorite album by them.
-
I like the sound of doom metal but rarely am I in the mood for the long drawn out style that comes with it. The Sword is a nice blend of that crunchy guitar sound but with catchy songs. Kinda like Sabbath in a way but they’re still doing their own thing. Very enjoyable album although I’ll echo the sentiment that it gets a bit samey toward the end. Still some great songs and a nice throwback metal sound that doesn’t sound too stuck in the 60s.
-
And it's time for the next one! Our next prog-metal German-influenced record is introduced to you by Parama! Zer gut! (I don't know anything about German language, you're welcome!)
The Hirsch Effekt - Holon: Anamnesis (2012)
(https://f4.bcbits.com/img/a2597886705_10.jpg)
Progressive Parama-metal, mathcore
Length: 66:19
1. Anamnesis (3:01)
2. Limerent (4:25)
3. Absenz (5:55)
4. Agitation (9:18)
5. Ligaphob (9:17)
6. Mara (11:47)
7. Irrath (6:40)
8. Ira (7:35)
9. Datorie (8:21)
Nils Wittrock - vocals, guitar
Ilja John Lappin - bass, vocals
Philipp Wende - drums
You can check this album out via:
Spotify Link (https://open.spotify.com/album/72TTLfJq6UHhqpewxHiYrN)
Bandcamp (https://thehirscheffekt.bandcamp.com/album/holon-anamnesis)
Yandex.Music link (https://music.yandex.ru/album/5065036)
If you don't want to blindly dive into the whole album, check out these officially released songs from the album:
The Hirsch Effekt - Absenz (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hq0Fs_z2CWU)
The Hirsch Effekt - Mara (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Dkg-SG5czg)
Parama: Simply put, this is a heavily melodic (but still often quite aggressive) hour and change of some of the most dynamic and memorable progressive metal out there, with an emphasis on balancing technicality and catchiness alongside some powerful emotional gravitas. It's as beautiful as it is (occasionally) crushing and there's a decent number of quirkier moments mixed in alongside the more straightforward metal. I'm aware that some parts of this probably get too heavy for a lot of members of this board but I still think there's more than enough for most fans of progressive metal to like here.
Personal highlights are the grandiose Agitation in the first half, one of the most straightforward tracks the band's ever done yet one of the most potent, a long buildup to a powerful climax that stays compelling the whole way through; and the ending trinity of songs that flow together as a pseudo-suite; the emotionally charged Irrath, the chaotic and unraveling Ira, and the gentle finale Datorie, three tracks that in succession show off the best of all sides of the band.
I can't recommend this one enough and it's rare to find an album that on a fundamental level just works this well for me, and while I'm sure it's not for everyone I definitely recommend you give it a chance. Or don't, your loss. :lol
---
There is no need for me to add anything to this, just go ahead and discover this crazy progressive German-influenced growly metal for yourselves!
-
Also disclaimer if you couldn't tell, I don't know anything about German language, so I just picked the line that looks good enough and that's the thread title now. I apologize to our fellow Deutsch people. :biggrin:
edit: I also changed it because why not. :lol
-
This album is amazing.
-
it is in my top 10 of all time for sure
I doubt most people here would like it tho
Also the band member names are on RYM
https://rateyourmusic.com/artist/the_hirsch_effekt
-
"German-influenced"? :lol
Great album, I think I like Agnosie and Eskapist a bit better right now but all 3 are very good and relevant albums in the current progmetal scene!
-
yes, of course you'd like the more mathcore-y albums more :P i like all their albums but anamnesis is definitely my favorite, it's the only one that's just like, really damn good the whole way through
-
With Agnosie definitely yes but I don't think Eskapist ever really has mathcore moments? Maybe Tardigrada and a couple of moments in Lifnej, but I feel like it's more alternative metal with a bit of metalcore
But since Agnosie is probably my favourite I wouldn't doubt that my love for mathcore came into play :laugh:
-
Great album, I think I like Agnosie and Eskapist a bit better right now but all 3 are very good and relevant albums in the current progmetal scene!
Basically this. Agnosie was the first album of theirs I loved and Eskapist has grown on me a lot since it's release. It's a pretty close tie between the three albums though so this album is equally as great.
I might go listen to it now :biggrin:
-
"German-influenced"? :lol
I was pretty tired yesterday. :lol Not sure what I even meant. I think I just intended it to say "German", but I'll leave it as it is. :lol Just noticed I even wrote it twice.
-
germany was german-influenced
-
I haven't had time to listen to this week's album but I've heard of this artist enough to know this is Katt kryptonite. :lol I will give it a fair listen when I get home tomorrow though.
-
You'll hate at least 3 songs, probably more
-
Listening through it now because I forgot to earlier.
There are lots of elements that I like, but so far everything feels a bit jumbled and messy a lot of the time and I'm not sure I'm really feeling any coherent songs. The vocals also seem to wibble between pretty good and pretty bad a fair amount.
Absenz is the song I like most so far, absent the harsh vocal section which I don't think works very well.
This definitely feels like a band that I could potentially really like, if the songwriting were tightened up some. Maybe it'll grow on me.
-
I relistened.
This album still isn't quite as good as Agnosie or Eskapist but this band still sits at #13 in my top last.fm most listened to bands, so that's something!
-
Yeah if you think their songwriting feels jumbled on this one then don't listen to their newer albums haha
Personally I like how wild the songs tend to be but they still feel grounded most of the time
-
I'll listen to this paramacore later this week :corn
-
I'll listen to this paramacore later this week :corn
In other words, tomorrow? :lol
-
To think I almost missed this week. This album is probably the best one so far. A ton of great melodic content on this album and I love the way each song feels like a journey. You always end in a completely different place than where you began. I love music like that. Very rhythmic too in a way that keeps things unpredictable. It's easy for this sort of thing to turn into a mess but everything feels really tightly arranged, despite the zaniness of the music. I also like the way the album starts off energetic before taking things down for a more atmospheric middle third. Unfortunately, the album fails to deliver a satisfying conclusion. Once the energy level starts to pick back up again, the overall quality of the music takes a hit. I am pretty meh on the last three songs. They don't do justice to the momentum that was being built previously. That being said, I really enjoy everything up to Irrath. Very strong album and I will definitely be checking out more from these guys.
-
Listening to this :corn
Yeah so far the chill middle is the best part
-
I still haven't listened to this, but I will tomorrow. Just a crazy week all around.
-
Wow, I'm behind. I need to get caught back up.
-
Luckily I'm very familiar with every album that's been posted so far, otherwise I'd be way behind too. Super busy with my roulette. :lol I cant complain though, I've received some killer music so far :tup
-
Luckily I'm very familiar with every album that's been posted so far, otherwise I'd be way behind too. Super busy with my roulette. :lol I cant complain though, I've received some killer music so far :tup
I'm reasonably sure you're not familiar with the next one.
-
So you are going to throw a wrench in my Roulette listening :yeahright :facepalm: :loser: :sadpanda:
-
Forgot to comment, that was a uuhhhh... pretty mixed listen. Some really wonderful parts, mostly the ones involving choirs and ethereal vocals, and most chill sections. The more chaotic moments weren't really my cup of tea. I may revisit.
-
Forgot to comment, that was a uuhhhh... pretty mixed listen. Some really wonderful parts, mostly the ones involving choirs and ethereal vocals, and most chill sections. The more chaotic moments weren't really my cup of tea. I may revisit.
I kind of agree with that. The quiet moments were the best.
I'll post the next album in a few hours.
-
I listened to this weeks album, but only while at work. I really want to get a chance to sit down give it my full attention because I detected some cool stuff going by in the background. It's not going to happen for a few days though.
-
Time to dive into the past with the next album, recommended to you folks by bosk1!
Kick Axe - Vices (1984)
(https://market.interra.ru/media/product/pic/1467522013.77.jpg)
Hard rock, heavy metal
Length: 45:42
1. Heavy Metal Shuffle (3:15)
2. Vices (4:22)
3. Stay on Top (4:06)
4. Dreamin' About You (4:32)
5. Maneater (3:21)
6. On the Road to Rock (4:22)
7. Cause for Alarm (4:38)
8. Alive & Kickin' (3:50)
9. All the Right Moves (4:36)
10. Just Passin' Through (4:48)
George Criston - lead vocals
Larry Gillstrom - lead and rhythm guitars, backing vocals
Raymond Harvey - lead and rhythm guitars, backing vocals
Victor Langen - bass guitar, backing vocals
Brian Gillstrom - drums, backing vocals
You can check this album out via:
Spotify Link (https://open.spotify.com/album/2Nc3h0QySJ6cExy6IRTs2X)
YouTube link (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=13hLR_m58tM)
Yandex.Music link (https://music.yandex.ru/album/3577198)
If you don't want to blindly dive into the whole album, check out these songs from the album:
Kick Axe - Vices (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Swqb6Qtbqvk)
Kick Axe - Stay on Top (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=prOUtnUYQWk)
bosk1: I was driving home yesterday and listening to an album I have not listened to in its entirety for probably 3 decades, it gave me an idea from a thread that is similar to yours, but focuses on overlooked "rare diamonds" from the mid-'70s - mid-'90s or so. In other words, it is sort of a "rock rarities for fogeys" thread.
And just as an FYI, the album that sparked the idea was Vices, by Kick Axe. This band and album were not on a lot of folks' radar. But it is a pretty solid album, and one that I think a lot of the more "seasoned" members here would like.
---
For the time being, we decided to keep these in one thread, but if you guys would be interested in separating the older entries from the newer ones, let us know.
According to Wikipedia, Kick Axe is a Canadian heavy metal band from Regina, Saskatchewan. Influenced by rambunctious arena rock from the 70s and early 80s, the group is perhaps best known for their 1984 album Vices, praised by publications such as Allmusic for its "down-and-dirty guitar riffs" and notably managing to crack the American market. The band achieved moderate commercial success in the mid-1980s on the strength of the singles "Heavy Metal Shuffle", "On the Road to Rock", "With a Little Help from My Friends" and "Rock The World".
Vices is the debut album by Kick Axe. The album was released in 1984 on producer Spencer Proffer's label Pasha Records and distributed by CBS. The album was reissued in 2000 as part of the "Sony Rewind" series.
The album was produced by Spencer Proffer, who was notable for producing Quiet Riot's multi-million selling 1983 album Metal Health. Music videos were produced for the tracks "Heavy Metal Shuffle" and "On the Road to Rock", both of which received moderate airplay on MuchMusic's weekly heavy metal showcase program the Pepsi Power Hour.
The album best Billboard 200 position was #126 reached on 8th September 1984.
-
Listening now.
I totally get that if you were around at the time when this music was cutting edge, you'd love this. As it is I can listen to it no problem, and if it was playing in some bar I'd enjoy it even more. The closest thing like this I actually listen to now is Steel Panther :lol
I went through a stage, back when I first got into metal, and Metallica, of listening to a lot of metal from the 70's & and early 80's eras. I have long since come to the conclusion that the only metal from the 70's I like comes from a select few bands. 80's on the other hand, I mainly just dig 80's thrash and death metal. That's where metal begins to get interesting for me.
This is a fun listen and I'm sure this would be amazing if I'd been a fan of this at the time and forgotten it even existed. As it is, I won't revisit but I sure as hell will check out every album that gets recommend on this thread :metal
-
This album is the answer to WildRanger's latest poll :lol
-
I've listened to this album today. I'm not an expert on this kind of music, and I understand if that's not your cup of tea (not addressing anyone in particular there), but I thought it was a lot of fun. Pretty well-executed rock/metal. Very enjoyable.
-
Not a lot of attention to older metal, I see. Well, I really enjoyed it. Anyway, let's move on.
This one is recommended to you guys by Nekov.
North Atlantic Oscillation - Fog Electric (2012)
(https://www.goldflakepaint.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/noa.jpg)
Post-progressive rock, progressive pop-rock, electronic
Length: 47:40
1. Soft Coda (4:19)
2. Chirality (4:04)
3. Mirador (4:36)
4. Empire Waste (5:45)
5. Savage with Barometer (5:31)
6. Interval (4:03)
7. Expert with Altimeter (5:16)
8. The Receiver (5:56)
9. Downhill (3:54)
10. Theory of Tides (4:16)
Sam Healy - vocals, guitar, bass, keyboards, synthesizer, saxophone, percussion
Ben Martin - drums, percussion, programming
Chris Howard - bass, bass synth, backing vocals
You can check this album out via:
Spotify Link (https://open.spotify.com/album/2ZXdc8BrDhOWt0cSEjmqhn)
Yandex.Music link (https://music.yandex.ru/album/1872404)
If you don't want to blindly dive into the whole album, check out these officially released songs from the album:
North Atlantic Oscillation - Savage with Barometer (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7JDhZb67cV4)
North Atlantic Oscillation - Chirality (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jMPe7pdj6Kw)
North Atlantic Oscillation - Soft Coda (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Rgyleh2hYY)
Nekov: I was saving this to use in a roulette but I don't know if I'll be playing in the right one any time soon so I thought I could let people know about it another way. I'll even send the link to spotify because I'm nice like that :smiley: [Evermind's note: he actually did. He's indeed nice like that.]
Not sure how to describe the album. It is a mixture of atmosphere, nice melodies and electronic elements that blend in perfectly. At times it's a bit dreamy, other times it's more intense and proggy.
---
According to Wikipedia, North Atlantic Oscillation are a post-progressive rock and electronica band from Edinburgh, Scotland. They are signed to the Kscope record label and released their debut album Grappling Hooks on 22 March 2010.
The band was initially formed in 2005 by Healy, who had played in several bands previously, and Martin, who had moved from the English Midlands to Edinburgh to study. The duo later expanded to a three piece when they added Bill Walsh to the live line-up. After Walsh left at the end of 2009 he was replaced by Howard, although Walsh still appears on-stage with the band from time to time on guitars and additional keyboards, and has produced several remixes for the band. The band is named after the North Atlantic Oscillation, a fluctuating change in the atmospheric pressure differential that exists between the Icelandic Low and Azores High.
-
I sent a song from this album in Elites last roulette. Good album!
-
sounds rad, will try to fit it into my listening today
-
I think I have time to squeeze in a listen to this now. Sounds intriguing.
I'll try to get the write up of my album to you tonight Ev :tup
-
I'll try to get the write up of my album to you tonight Ev :tup
Looking forward to it!
-
Wow this is a good album so far. Will finish it later but there's a lot I love here. Going to visit this throughout the week.
-
This was dreamy. I will try and get another listen in this week when I'm not as busy so I can focus on it more.
-
I'm glad you guys are liking it. :smiley:
-
gave it a listen just now and it's pretty nice and pleasant but didn't really resonate with me emotionally. not big on the vocals either.
-
I fell behind on this thread, but I'm catching up now. Kick Axe is pretty fun, but ultimately not really my style or memorable enough that I'd see myself coming back to it.
I'll start on North Atlantic Oscillation now.
-
Is mine getting posted today? :corn
-
Yes indeed, coming right up in a couple of minutes.
-
:corn :corn :corn
-
Moving on to the next record, this one is recommended to you fine gentlemen by twosuitsluke!
Crippled Black Phoenix - I, Vigilante (2010)
(https://f4.bcbits.com/img/a3599783388_16.jpg)
Post-rock, experimental rock
Length: 48:30
1. Troublemaker (8:33)
2. We Forgotten Who We Are (10:47)
3. Fantastic Justice (7:54)
4. Bastogne Blues (12:01)
5. Of a Lifetime (6:45)
6. Burning Bridges (2:30)
Joe Volk - vocals
Justin Greaves - guitar, drums & percussion
Karl Demata - guitar, percussion, mandolin
Danny Ashberry - Hammond, synth
Daisy Chapman - synth, piano, vocals, string arrangements
Charlotte Nicholls - cello
Christian Heilmann - bass
Merijn Royaards - drums
Mark Ophidian - electronics, sampler
Liz Purnell - trombone
Emma Hooper - viola
Sue Lord - violin
You can check this album out via:
Spotify Link (https://open.spotify.com/album/5AZEeaHCvdd4OAFMT1f83F)
Yandex.Music link (https://music.yandex.ru/album/2866431)
If you don't want to blindly dive into the whole album, check out these songs from the album:
Crippled Black Phoenix - We Forgotten Who We Are (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lb3iIeh0Ruw)
Crippled Black Phoenix - Bastogne Blues (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cyIolrH4DjA)
twosuitsluke: This has quite quickly become my favourite album by Crippled Black Phoenix. It was the third album that I'd listened to of theirs, after falling in love with Bronze and then later hearing White Light Generator. I'd heard that I, Vigilante was where it's at, in terms of CBP's greatest albums and hoped I was in for something special. This album is a different beast entirely (from the previous two albums I'd heard), and one that has twists and turns, in and out of varying genres, whilst still holding together perfectly as an album. And a full album experience is exactly what you get here. For those who aren't into this sort of thing, this is a psychedelic, post-rock album. It's not about individual songs, it's about the journey that an album can take you on.
Troublemaker starts us off in good stead with a vocal sampled intro, a CBP staple, and then takes us back through time via classic rock/metal, whilst still feeling relevant. I just love the vocals during the chorus.
We Forgot Who We Are lets you drift away to it's lush piano intro and then continues to just build and build on this getting more intense and layered. It blends seamlessly into Fantastic Justice as basically one song.
But Bastogne Blues (and the final half of this album) is where this stands apart and really cements itself as one of my favourite discoveries in recent years. This song starts off with a spoken word intro by a war veteran talking about how he is haunted by a young soldier that he killed during the war. It's powerful stuff and it really makes you sit up and take notice. It did for me, I remember stopping what I was doing and just getting sucked into it fully the first time I heard it. It sets the tone for this somber affair and although it's the longest track on the album, it doesn't feel like it (at least not to me). I can't think of a song that tells a better story than this one. It evokes real emotion during its runtime and takes you on a journey (a bluesy, almost wild west one).
The penultimate track is a Journey cover (which I only just learned today), Of A Lifetime, and it's just glorious. I could just listen to this melodic guitar work over and over, the tones are to die for (damn, those guitar tones!). The female vocalist (Daisy Chapman) really shines on this track and just makes me crave a life lived in an era long gone.
Just when I didn't think I could love this album anymore it throws a complete curveball and plays us out with what is essentially a late 60's/early 70's pop song. Think a modern day Carpenters, or something similar. I just really love it and think it's the perfect way to end this masterpiece.
I understand this album won't be for everyone but I think it's one worthy of your time.
-
this is already on my list of stuff i need to revisit, so :lol
i liked the album but i was disappointed that the last two tracks were both covers & the actual album is almost 10 mins shorter than it says as a result
i wasn't too into their latest & bronze mostly bored me besides the one song you sent me in my roulette though
i might use this as an excuse to relisten to this one today
-
Bronze was my introduction to the band but it hasn't stood the test of time so well for me. This album really is far and away the one that resonates with me most, out of the albums I've heard.
-
yeah relistened to this just now, i like the meat of the album well enough though it isn't especially emotionally gripping but i could see it being a grower
the covers kinda kill it for me, of a lifetime isn't super out of place musically but the vocal style very much is, and then burning bridges is practically just a memey bonus track
-
The guitar in “of a lifetime”. Sounda thin
Compared to the original.
-
The guitar in “of a lifetime”. Sounda thin
Compared to the original.
I guess I need to listen to the original then :lol I didn't even know it was a cover until a week ago.
-
Great Escape by them is probably a top 5 album of 2018 and To You I Give is a top 5 song of the year.. so I should really check out more of their past work (I listen to Bronze occasionally and like it a lot too).
-
The guitar in “of a lifetime”. Sounda thin
Compared to the original.
I guess I need to listen to the original then :lol I didn't even know it was a cover until a week ago.
yeah like i said up above the last two songs are both covers :lol
the other one is https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qXIjE_gDw94
-
Saw the thread title change.
You mean we're not discussing Pyromania? :neverusethis:
-
Hey Evermind, could I send you an album for this? And if yes, how much do you want me to write about it?
Also, I'm definitely checking that album out. Crippled Black Phoenix have been on my radar for a while, but I've never gotten around to actually listening to their music. I guess now's as good a time as any.
-
Hey Evermind, could I send you an album for this? And if yes, how much do you want me to write about it?
Sure you can! Any album suggestions are welcome. The ideal writeup length is a few paragraphs basically. If you write less than that, I'll just dig some info on Wikipedia.
Also very curious about this album, from what I've heard it sounds interesting.
-
Finishing my first listen of the album. Not at all what I expected which is a good thing, however I find the album to be a bit bleak for my taste. Of a Lifetime is a great song.
And WTF at that last song? So out of place, yet such a perfect way to end the album
-
And WTF at that last song? So out of place, yet such a perfect way to end the album
I know right! I totally agree.
I'm itching to find out what everyone thinks of the spoken word start to Bastogne Blues.
-
i mean i almost never like spoken word sections and this is no exception
-
i mean i almost never like spoken word sections and this is no exception
Yea, I know you're not a fan. I thought this war veterans story would touch even your cold, dead heart.
-
I tend to like spoken word sections, so there's hope! I'll post my thoughts tomorrow when I listen to it on my commute.
-
I LOVE this album. Can't get into anything else they did though, sadly :/ not that I really tried that hard...
-
I LOVE this album. Can't get into anything else they did though, sadly :/ not that I really tried that hard...
I'm pretty sure when I first started posting about CBP you told me to check out this album. It took me a while to get to it but you were so right.
-
I LOVE this album. Can't get into anything else they did though, sadly :/ not that I really tried that hard...
I'm pretty sure when I first started posting about CBP you told me to check out this album. It took me a while to get to it but you were so right.
:tup
-
Continuing my catch-up, North Atlantic Oscillation is very pleasant, well performed music. It's nice to listen to but right now not much of it is really sticking with me.
On to this week's recommendation. Also I may send another album soon, Evermind, unless I forget.
-
So I'm currently listening to I, Vigilante. And it's really good! I really, really dig the dude's voice. He's a got a slightly rough timbre that's perfect for the music and it just works. Another thing I also really enjoy is the juxtaposition of some really clean piano playing with some very distorted guitar, definitely a winning formula. In general, the performances are top notch and it just sounds very... organic, I suppose would be correct word. No frills or anything, but it's all the better for its straightforwardness.
Will definitely have to check these guys out some more!
Also, I sent you a PM for an album I would like to present, Evermind. Did you receive it? I had to try to send it a couple of times because my internet's been fucky today.
-
I did, thank you! I'll read it later though, I'm currently on my commute.
Actually listened to I, Vigilante yesterday. Bastogne Blues was a definite highlight (I didn't like the spoken word though), and We Forgotten Who We Are is also great. I liked Journey cover but mostly because I like the original song, and fit atmospherically.
The last track was pretty wtf-worthy though. :lol
-
I just spun this weeks album. That. Was. Not. What. I. Expected.
Excellent listen and quite a captivating journey! I really enjoyed the slide guitar work and the old school sound of the instrumentation coupled with the modern compositions. The spoken word bit was quite effective, I thought, largely because it was short and immediately evocative...a nice stage setting. Their take on Of a Lifetime was perhaps a bit to faithful but I agree that it fit the overall mood of the album.
That piece though. :|
-
So chuffed this album is album is going over so well!
It's a Journey Of a Lifetime :neverusethis:
-
I listened to this a few years ago and it really didn't catch me at all :-\
-
Also just catched up with NAO, was a nice combination of prog, alt rock and post rock, but didn't find any melody particularly memorable :corn
-
do you actually like anything sacul
-
i like your mom
:vomitard:
-
He likes Converge
-
You don't often see anything positive coming out of Sacul's posts, but when The Astonishing dropped? Man, this guy was over the moon! Never seen someone so impressed by an album :omg:
-
I have lost so much respect for the trip-hop queen
-
Really enjoying Crippled Black Phoenix. The vocals are a bit hit or miss, but when they're good they work really well and when they're not they don't detract from the songs too much.
Also both the cover songs are fantastic, I dunno what some of you guys were talking about.
-
You don't often see anything positive coming out of Sacul's posts, but when The Astonishing dropped? Man, this guy was over the moon! Never seen someone so impressed by an album :omg:
A true return to form :metardica:
I have lost so much respect for the trip-hop queen
:sadpanda:
-
The next record is recommended to you folks by Scorpion!
Sigh - In Somniphobia (2012)
(https://f4.bcbits.com/img/a2308477513_10.jpg)
Black metal
Length: 64:39
Warning: contains growls
1. Purgatorium (4:48)
2. The Transfiguration Fear (4:51)
3. Opening Theme: Lucid Nightmare (1:58)
4. Somniphobia (7:34)
5. L'Excommunication ŕ Minuit (5:38)
6. Amnesia (8:10)
7. Far Beneath the In-Between (7:10)
8. Amongst the Phantoms of Abandoned Tumbrils (9:31)
9. Ending Theme: Continuum (1:42)
10. Fall to the Thrall (5:17)
11. Equale (8:00)
Mirai Kawashima – vocals, piano, Minimoog, Prophet-5, Clavinet D-6, organ, Roland RE-201, vocoder, ring modulator, recorder, sitar, tabla, tampura, shortwave radio, jaw harp, glockenspiel
Dr. Mikannibal – alto saxophone, vocals
Satoshi Fujinami – bass
Shinichi Ishikawa – guitar
Junichi Harashima – drums
You can check this album out via:
Spotify Link (https://open.spotify.com/album/7EMnRmm0Sb6yYMJoBHLWIh)
Yandex.Music link (https://music.yandex.ru/album/420992)
If you don't want to blindly dive into the whole album, check out these songs from the album:
Sigh - The Transfiguration Fear (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z9cSiwyU6so)
Sigh - Somniphobia (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LTetAcdsozQ)
Scorpion: Sigh are some of weirdest metal out there. On this album alone, you have soaring melodies, power metal influences, acoustic guitar passages, sprawling saxophone solos, electronic elements, blistering guitar solos and some of the coolest keyboard soundscapes around. While the band juggle a myriad of different styles and you constantly find yourself wondering what neat twist will appear next in the song you're currently listening to, they somehow manage to make the songs sound cohesive themselves as well. The middle part of the album (from Opening Theme to Ending Theme) is a basically a long suite loosely based on the lyrical theme of nightmares, and they flow surprisingly well, given the many different styles that Sigh manage to squeeze into this stretch of roughly SDOIT-length. The remaining four songs are somewhat more straightforward, but that's really only in relation to the middle part of the album, as there's still plenty of interesting stylistic shifts and musical twists and turns contained within them as well. While this album, and indeed Sigh as a whole, are firmly rooted in black metal - if you don't at least tolerate that style of music, then this album is probably not for you - they perform some of the most creative and musically diverse black metal that I know, always resulting in an engaging listen.
---
According to Wikipedia, Sigh is a Japanese extreme metal band from Tokyo, formed in 1989. They are credited as being one of the first Japanese black metal bands, producing music in the early 1990s when the majority of black metal came from Scandinavia. They gradually shifted from a traditional extreme metal sound to a more experimental, avant-garde style employing symphonic elements.
-
I'm pretty sure that I've given Sigh a listen at some point since I started listening to metal. It was a long time ago though.
I've got a day to myself as I'm off work sick so I'll queue this up and get listening :metal
-
This is one of my Top 5 albums of all time. I hope y'all dig it. :2metal:
-
There really is a lot going on here (even some lounge music), don't even know where to start :lol I do love music that splices genres, so this is kind of up my alley. I don't hear that much in the way of black metal, other than the vocals. Love the amount of Maiden-esque galloping guitars/drums :metal
I'll try to revisit later this week to see what has stuck. Definitely a worthy submission for this thread though :metal
-
I've gotta revisit this one, I remember it being pretty cool.
-
I find The Great Escape to be the best Crippled Black Phoenix album since I, Vigilante.
-
I have Imaginary Soniscape but never checked out anything else from these guys, might as well
-
Late to the party and love the Crippled Black Phoenix album. A little bit of everything on this album. Of a Lifetime is stunning.
I tried the Sigh album, but not for me.
-
just listened to this. it feels more cohesive and less "lol random" than imaginary sonisphere and the production is definitely better. but it still feels like a bit... much, i sort of struggled to pay attention after about the halfway point because of how dense it is but at the same time it sort of feels like every song sounds a bit too similar to the rest
i know they're dropping a new album in like a few weeks so i'll probably check that one too, but this'll probably at least get a relisten if nothing else
-
Late to the party and love the Crippled Black Phoenix album. A little bit of everything on this album. Of a Lifetime is stunning.
Glad you liked it! It really is a gem and an album I just find myself coming back to, again and again.
-
Yeah, Crippled Black Phoenix has been a great discovery. Thanks Luke!
Also I'm happy that some of you guys are digging In Somniphobia. Such a great record front-to-back. :metal
-
Just diving back in for my second helping of this.
-
Just diving back in for my second helping of this.
I still haven't listened to it due to being sick the whole week. I'll spin it today.
By the way, folks, the waiting line is pretty short right now, so if you want to get your album featured, now is a good time to submit something.
-
I'll have a look at something else to submit later today.
-
Just sent something I really like.
-
The vocals in the Sigh album did nothing for me. Couldn't make it past a few tracks.
-
To provide some contrast to the previous record, here's the next one, once again recommended to you folks by Sacul!
Beth Gibbons & Rustin Man - Out of Season (2008)
(https://img.discogs.com/dPO2jZgq8wz003TJEwPniR287yc=/fit-in/600x594/filters:strip_icc():format(jpeg):mode_rgb():quality(90)/discogs-images/R-11387904-1515417581-8592.jpeg.jpg)
Ambient folk
Length: 43:46
1. Mysteries (4:39)
2. Tom the Model (3:41)
3. Show (4:26)
4. Romance (5:09)
5. Sand River (3:48)
6. Spider Monkey (4:10)
7. Resolve (2:51)
8. Drake (3:54)
9. Funny Time of Year (6:48)
10. Rustin Man (4:20)
Personnel: loads of people, please check out album Wikipedia page (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Out_of_Season_(album)) for reference
You can check this album out via:
Spotify Link (https://open.spotify.com/album/6nTOCPzj8JiohYlZxW5Zl1)
Yandex.Music link (https://music.yandex.ru/album/4295)
If you don't want to blindly dive into the whole album, check out these songs from the album:
Beth Gibbons & Rustin Man - Mysteries (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x2oujWSZCcg)
Beth Gibbons & Rustin Man - Tom the Model (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yKxnkqKeYjI)
Beth Gibbons & Rustin Man - Sand River (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UA3dVUNOsMM)
Sacul: This is a gem - the unpredictable yet totally reasonable collaboration of Portishead's vocalist and Talk Talk's bassist. Ambient folk, 10 ballads to comfort the heart and crush it, Beth singing in a different style on each, amidst acoustic guitars, an old piano, horn and string sections, moogs, and melancholic choirs.
It's a record for those slate grey days of Autumn, for the introspective evenings, the long lonely walks. It's not really "sad music" - there's a unique beauty and sincerity you can relate to. Plus some songs are pretty joyful :P .
---
According to Wikipedia, Out of Season is a studio album by Portishead frontwoman Beth Gibbons and former Talk Talk bassist Paul Webb (under the pseudonym Rustin Man). It was released on 28 October 2002 in the United Kingdom and on 7 October 2003 in the United States. Out of Season is largely a folk album with jazz leanings, with Gibbons and Webb drawing more directly on the influences of Nina Simone, Billie Holiday, and Nick Drake, at which Portishead's work in trip hop only hinted. Out of Season also features contributions from Gibbons' fellow Portishead bandmate Adrian Utley and Webb's former bandmate Lee Harris.
-
I've listened to the Sigh album, and while musically it was pretty interesting, the growls kept turning me off somewhat. I may revisit it though.
I've also listened to this album in advance and I'll spin it this week again, I really liked what I've heard. It's fully acoustic and quite pleasant on the ears.
-
yeah i did give the sigh another spin, i kinda dig it but i've never been a fan of their vocals either
the new album they just released sucks though
-
I like this album, but I have to be in a very specific mood for it. Beth's voice is beautiful though :heart
the new album they just released sucks though
I'm hoping this is just you being, well, you. I have high hopes for this album! :P
-
sigh hopes*
-
Relistened to the Sigh record, and yeah I didn't really like the vocals for the most part and there was just too much black metal for my taste :-\
Glad you liked it Ev, hope more folks can find it enjoyable as well :metal
I like this album, but I have to be in a very specific mood for it. Beth's voice is beautiful though :heart
:hefdaddy
-
Just started listening to this and it's nice so far. I'm going in as a Portishead fan, not a Talk Talk fan :lol
I'm listening to this with my girlfriend and this is DEFINITELY the sort of thing she likes. She always moans about how much time I spend on DTF so I'm preparing to forever remind her (if she ends up listening to this album loads) that she heard of this because of DTF :lol
-
Glad you're both digging it, and that sounds like a great comeback :lol :metal
-
the new album they just released sucks though
I'm hoping this is just you being, well, you. I have high hopes for this album! :P
I'm listening to the new album now and I've gotta say, I'm loving it more than In Somniphobia. The riffs on this new one are just great and the weirdness level is not making it inaccessible or anything. I'm digging it :metal
-
maybe i'm the weirdo then :P
i am gonna pick up in somniphobia though, i dig it. the suite more than the stuff around it but that's like two-thirds of the album anyways and the other stuff is... fine, basically just more of imaginary sonisphere really :lol
-
Well, now that Kattelox got banned, it's time to feature an album recommended by him! Just kidding, it was scheduled to go up this week. I didn't know he would get banned. :biggrin:
The Rippingtons - Kilimanjaro (1988)
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/81BG0ak5qhL._SL1200_.jpg)
Jazz fusion
Length: 43:57
1. Morocco (4:50)
2. Northern Lights (4:41)
3. Dream of the Sirens (5:38)
4. Katrina's Dance (5:59)
5. Kilimanjaro (4:47)
6. Back Stabbers (4:08)
7. Love Notes (4:15)
8. Los Cabos! (4:09)
9. Oceansong (5:30)
Personnel: each song has different people credited, please check out album Wikipedia page (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kilimanjaro_(The_Rippingtons_album)) for reference
You can check this album out via:
Spotify Link (https://open.spotify.com/album/2TM9M2M03rvweIHlsYM0NT?si=2P1gHF8sTF-qr53dWg5czQ) (Katt gave me this link, and some songs are unavailable for me for some reason)
YouTube Playlist (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eVOzlcc167s&list=PLDk9cdfIe1Nw1bNPY0ZXycbWIW6y11iJw) (with the title track featured twice)
If you don't want to blindly dive into the whole album, check out these songs from the album:
The Rippingtons - Northern Lights (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mq_-uGfH61I)
The Rippingtons - Oceansong (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ixUNQ8-kOs)
Kattelox: The Rippingtons are an American contemporary jazz group mainly relating to the genres smooth jazz, jazz fusion, jazz pop, and crossover jazz. Formed in 1985 by guitarist and band leader Russ Freeman, their career has spanned three decades. With a revolving door of musicians, Freeman has been the only consistent member.
Many of their songs have been played during The Weather Channel's local on the 8's forecast segments. The band's mascot is a grinning, sunglasses-wearing, jazz cat which appears in the artwork of all the band's releases and on their official website.
I just think it's wonderful music, totally my kind of jams. Just some really nice, chill music that I hope people enjoy.
-
well, since Kattelox isn't here to talk about The Rippingtons I will step up to the plate.
So yeah like the description says it is totally Weather Channel smooth jazz - very relaxed and chill. I don't have this particular release, but I do have a compilation that includes the song Kilimanjaro, which actually has some distorted guitar if you listen for it and a couple of really cool solo guitar spots.
-
Is this thread dead or was the last album just now exciting enough? Let's find out with the next entry by Parama!
Spectral Lore - III
(https://f4.bcbits.com/img/a0113909350_10.jpg)
Black metal
Length: 87:30
1. Omphalos (7:28)
2. The Veiled Garden (16:32)
3. The Cold March Towards Eternal Brightness (14:42)
4. Drifting Through Moss and Ancient Stone (11:26)
5. The Spiral Fountain (10:46)
6. A Rider Through the Lands of an Infinite Dreamscape (12:45)
7. Cosmic Significance (13:51)
Warning: growls
You can check this album out via:
Spotify Link (https://open.spotify.com/album/5UetZ7EzBp3hz5Egc9D2ZB)
YouTube Link (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nq2uQHd3w_g)
If you don't want to blindly dive into the whole album, check out these songs from the album:
Spectral Lore - Omphalos (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7zAvyXESXTA)
Spectral Lore - Cosmic Significance (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f4zC975Ggxw)
Parama: so this isn't going to go over well with half the people who follow this thread but I really don't care. This album is massive, it's diverse, the production kinda sucks a little bit, but honestly all of that doesn't matter with how straight up good and creative the music on display here is.
The opener, Omphalas, can be a little offputtng as it's just as raw as black metal gets, but after that the album tones it down a notch for the sludgy The Veiled Garden, and then the more melodic The Cold March. Finishing off disc one with the folk track Drifting Through Moss. If it isn't clear by now, every single track on this album serves as its own entity, its own take on a different style of black metal, while still being unified by a similar writing style and melodic phrasing as well as general sound. That construction alone turns a near 90-minute album into a surprisingly easy and consistently compelling listen.
Disc 2 is a bit shorter than disc 1, starting off with a relatively mellow black metal track in The Spiral Fountain, followed up by the especially progressive A Rider in the Lands, and closing off with the half-ambient synth half-instrumental metal Cosmic Significance. Again each track is a pretty unique entity on the album and again each track just kills it. The last two tracks may well be my favorites on the entire album but there isn't a single bad track here and only one or two tracks not -quite- as good as everything else here.
This is well and truly a black metal masterpiece and while, yes, it will absolutely require some time and patience, it's absolutely worth if if you have any interest in black metal whatsoever. So... waiting for like two people in the thread to listen to it and nobody else :tup
-
I recognise the album cover so I know I've heard this discussed before. I'll give this a listen tomorrow, sounds like something I might dig. I guess I'm one of the two :lol
-
i don't even know how much you like black metal, honestly :corn
-
i don't even know how much you like black metal, honestly :corn
I don't really like traditional black metal. But anything that is like black-gaze or progressive metal with black metal elements, I'm way more into. Like, if this was a Darkthrone album or an Immortal album I'd likely pass, but as there are different styles of black metal in here I'd likely find something I dig.
-
fair, i'd guess that you probably won't like the first track and maybe not the second track but will probably like everything after that
-
Yea it was alright. I might revisit it at some point. It wasn't that memorable for me but I can see why you'd like it.
-
Got a song from this on my roulette and while I admire the complexity of its songwriting it really isn't my thing :corn
-
Well, we tried :corn
-
Sorry, I got behind on this thread. I tried Sigh and Beth Gibbons & Rustin Man, neither one of which really worked for me. I like the idea of Sigh and generally I enjoy fairly chaotic music, but ultimately their stuff has never really gelled for me and this album isn't an exception. BG&RM is just really not my style of folk.
Moving on to the next two which I will hopefully enjoy more.
-
As I'm pretty sure this thread is dying now, I'm going to go ahead and recommend an album of my own. At this point, why the hell not?
Temperance - The Earth Embraces Us All
(https://www.dailymetal.com.ua/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/Temperance_cover.jpg)
Symphonic metal
Length: 60:22
1. A Thousand Places (6:29)
2. At the Edge of Space (4:28)
3. Unspoken Words (4:00)
4. Empty Lines (4:26)
5. Maschere (3:25)
6. Haze (4:20)
7. Fragments of Life (3:44)
8. Revolution (4:16)
9. Advice from a Caterpillar (8:11)
10. Change the Rhyme (4:21)
11. The Restless Ride (12:42)
Warning: growls / screams
You can check this album out via:
Spotify Link (https://open.spotify.com/album/40Wx9dhb3PIUUIYrnRq6cS)
Yandex.Music link (https://music.yandex.ru/album/3700164)
YouTube Link (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8-_xOH_yQj4)
If you don't want to blindly dive into the whole album, check out these songs from the album:
Temperance - A Thousand Places (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=selk35CHgXA)
Temperance - Revolution (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mFG_mOsKUc8)
Temperance - Advice from a Caterpillar (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NdF1KvrdAck)
This is just an excellent symphonic female-fronted metal album. There's a lot of good stuff on it, and if you're a fan of this particular genre, check it out. If not, well, try the recommended tracks and see if this is something you would be into.
I, personally, think this is pretty reinvigorating when it comes to the whole symphonic metal scene. These guys will be playing on a festival in Russia in 2019, and I've bought the tickets purely because of them. I'm sure it's gonna be fun.
Will this thread live to see another day? We'll see.
-
The problem with a thread like this is that a week is a long time, and there are loads of albums to choose from. I imagine it will be months before an album shows up that I'm interested in and can talk about. And after a while, I forget to even check because it's slipped from my mind.
-
I tried to take the approach of "I'll listen to every album recommended, regardless of if I think I'll like it, to try and discover something I'd never normally hear." I have missed a few but I've listened to most and tried to post. I think if I want people to check out my submissions then I need to listen to everyone else's too.
-
I'll try to listen to this one but I'm a little busy atm & I need to finish up stuff for puppies' roulette before I leave next week so I dunno for sure if I'll have the time
Pretty sure this is another band you sent me on that one EP though right? :lol
-
While I like the idea of the threat, most of the things that have been posted don't really appeal to me. I listened to Orphaned Land, Snarky Puppy, Beth Gibbons, The Sword and Kick Axe, however black metal, paramacore and growly stuff are really not my thing to be honest. As RoeDent said, sometimes there's a batch of stuff that I don't even try so it's hard to come in and participate.
It would be great if more people send stuff, that way we can get more diversity and more people can join the fun.
-
I really like this thread, but I just don't have the time to listen to each of these records, so I can't comment on most of them. But there are some I will most definitely listen to sometime in the future.
-
I'm just sad nobody listened to The Rippingtons. Will be playing catch up...
-
I did put it on my to-listen list but I'm focusing on 2018 stuff right now
-
I'm just sad nobody listened to The Rippingtons. Will be playing catch up...
I did sample the songs Evermind shared and they weren't really up my alley, a bit too cheesy :lol