James LaBrie Solo

[SeRoX]

Bump! His album is on the way, my only hope it doesn't sound like SI or Trivium-ish! Ok, I really really love SI but EOP's atmosphere something different. I don't want another EOP, for sure but close to it.

[Ben_Jamin]

Haha...I think it's Lace, but it's off of Mullmuzzler 2. the beginning is reminiscent of Never Enough. I really enjoy what he did with those albums more than EoP and SI.

[countoftuscany42]

i love SI, but havent rele listened to any of the others.  any word on the new album? release date, singles, etc..

[LCArenas]

I'm expecting something a la EoP with less Wildoer growls and more Wildoer amazing drum skills. Make them more noticeable!

[cramx3]

Whether it sounds more SI or EoP I'm sure it will be good.

[TL]

So I was flipping through a Best Buy flyer that came with the paper this morning, when I came across this;


I already knew Sony was putting it on some of their Walkmans, but it's still cool seeing it in this sort of context.

[Orbert]

I always thought that that was a clever type of promotion.  Instead of seeing some "popular" album that everyone in the world has already heard of, JLB's label or marketing department struck a deal with Sony to have Static Impulse in the picture.

[Cool Chris]

What exactly is it about that product that warrants a $299 price tag?

[Orbert]

Android smart phones cost you $200 anyway.  I can see the Sony label and the 16GB mp3 player costing another $99.  That's just buying them outright, though.  If you upgrade to this phone on a plan, it's probably less.

[cramx3]

That's pretty awesome but yea that seems like the DROID version of an iPod touch.

[Orbert]

iPhone, actually.  And since people will pay $299 for an iPhone, they'll pay $299 for a Droid.

[cramx3]

iPhone, actually.  And since people will pay $299 for an iPhone, they'll pay $299 for a Droid.

But its not a phone

[Orbert]

I thought Droid was a kind of mobile phone.

[countoftuscany42]

Android is just the operating system for many phones, this add clearly specifies walkman/mp3 player.  i wasnt aware it existed, but there is a distinction

[Orbert]

So it really is equivalent to an iPod Touch?  Apps, mp3 playback, touch screen, basically everything a smart phone has except the phone itself?

[cramx3]

So it really is equivalent to an iPod Touch?  Apps, mp3 playback, touch screen, basically everything a smart phone has except the phone itself?

That's what i thought. I've never seen/heard of this before, but based on "android Walkman" I figured "iPod touch"

[hefdaddy42]

It's not a phone.  It's an mp3 player.

Android is just an OS.   There is a phone called a Droid that runs on Android, but so do lots of other phones (and tablets now, I think).

[Orbert]

I guess it depends on your priorities.  My iPod has 10 times the capacity and cost the same.  If it's not a phone also, then I'm not sure what the point is.  Is it really worth $300 to be able to play Angry Birds 24/7?

Wait, I think I just answered my own question.

[TL]

As far as I can tell, it is something roughly equivalent to an iPod touch. I mainly just thought it was neat that they were using JLB's album in the display picture.
They're using it in the listing on the site too;

https://www.bestbuy.ca/en-CA/product/sony-sony-walkman-16gb-mp3-player-nwz-z1050b-black-nwz-z1050b/10196055.aspx?path=0e1e4b3487f5a6c1c6e68f5b3a112f11en02

[Beowulf]

Right now, I just can't get enough of "Over the Edge".  Just an amazing song!  When it comes on my iPod, I end up listening to it a couple of times over, each time getting progressively louder until my ears are ringing a bit!!  What the hell, I figure.  I'm already going deaf from my music.

[r0cken]

Static Impulse is great, despite the horrid backing vocals. Can't stand that core-ish barking. Good thing the songs are catchy enough to make up for it.

[wolfking]

Static Impulse is great, despite the horrid backing vocals. Can't stand that core-ish barking. Good thing the songs are catchy enough to make up for it.

Are you referring to Matt's clean backing vocals, or Peter's lead growls?  Either way IMO, on songs like I Need You, the 3 voices together create an incredible dynamic.

[r0cken]

I'm referring to the growls.

[MoraWintersoul]

He said "core-ish barking" so I'm guessing he meant Peter.

I don't want to be one of those "annoying death metal people" who sneer at anyone who doesn't "get" growls, but they predate melodic metalcore and deathcore that you're referring to, and take a lot of talent - just as much as James' clean singing.

Peter is one of the best thing about Static Impulse for me. And I love the fact that JLB and MG went bravely into a new direction, and that JLB confirmed what he has been saying for years - that it's not just his solo outlet and his battleground, so to speak, but a band, his AND Matt's "thing" - by thinking about the songs first, recognizing how cool Matt's voice is and encouraging Matt to put his backing vocals on the record instead of doing them himself, and accepting the idea of having a second singer on board. Not having second thoughts about sharing the spotlight and what have you. And that's one of the reasons why it feels like such a tight band effort.

It's nice that this time James won't be on tour so they'll be able to record everything at once. Kind of hoping for a studio docu.

[r0cken]

I would actually liked it more if they used regular/old-school growls, or any kind of harsh vocals, rather than the modern variation that's used nowadays in the 'core sub-genres. They just make me cringe.
Oh, and I'm a "she". 

[MoraWintersoul]

I would actually liked it more if they used regular/old-school growls, or any kind of harsh vocals, rather than the modern variation that's used nowadays in the 'core sub-genres. They just make me cringe.
Oh, and I'm a "she". 

Peter's growling technique is pretty commonplace in melodeath, I would think. I dig it, no matter who else uses it. Imagine Static Impulse with deep, guttural growls, it just wouldn't work

I am SO USED TO never checking the gender, ever, because this is a male dominated forum. Sincere apologies

[r0cken]

Would definitely be funny with gutturals.

I'm always looking for good harsh vocals that aren't growls. I feel there's a lack of really good, mid-to-low, aggressive vocals in metal. They tend to go either really high or really low (where they start to sound monotonous). Very little can be found in between (one good example is Tom Araya).

[Dark Castle]

Check out Kvelertak and Black Tusk right meow

[MoraWintersoul]

Mmmm, I second Kvelertak.

[r0cken]

Will look into it, thanks.

[philmcson]

Peter is one of the best thing about Static Impulse for me. And I love the fact that JLB and MG went bravely into a new direction, and that JLB confirmed what he has been saying for years - that it's not just his solo outlet and his battleground, so to speak, but a band, his AND Matt's "thing".....

Yup 

Compared to Static impulse, the Mullmuzzler records are (just in my own opinion) too boring 

[BlobVanDam]

Static Impulse is great, despite the horrid backing vocals. Can't stand that core-ish barking. Good thing the songs are catchy enough to make up for it.

I can't stand those pig screams either. Despite having a couple of good songs, I just can't listen to that album.
And I like growls, at least good growls. But much like any other vocals, I'm selective, and they have to be good. It has nothing to do with the technique itself.

[ZKX-2099]

I loved most of SI, but the 3 chorus structure on pretty much every song got old.

[cramx3]

I've never been a fan of the growls in general, but they really work on this album. To me, it makes James sound amazing when he comes in after a verse of growls. I've really come to love the "beauty and the beast" type of sound similar to Epica although Pete is way better with his growls.

[Ben_Jamin]

Peter is one of the best thing about Static Impulse for me. And I love the fact that JLB and MG went bravely into a new direction, and that JLB confirmed what he has been saying for years - that it's not just his solo outlet and his battleground, so to speak, but a band, his AND Matt's "thing".....

Yup 

Compared to Static impulse, the Mullmuzzler records are (just in my own opinion) too boring 

Oh to hear those songs with JLBs current vocals would be grand.