The official Redemption thread v. I Am the Storm - March 17th 2023

[WardySI]

Agreed with a lot of the comments about the bonus tracks and the covers.  But thought I'd respond to this: 

And will never understand why bands continue to put these covers iwhere they do and not at albums end?

Tracklisting just seems a little messy but maybe it's just me!?

I think it depends on a lot of things.  Some bands just don't care about track order, and it can be kind of random.  We know bands like this.  For bands that DO care about track order and include cover songs, I can see the decision of where to put the covers being influenced by a lot of factors.  Maybe the album proper has a certain flow, and they want to feel like the album ends on a certain note, so they put the cover somewhere in the middle to preserve their proper ending with the band's chosen closing song.  Or maybe they want to preserve a certain overall album flow and have the cover song tacked on at the end to feel more like "OK, the main album is over.  But here's a little bonus encore for the fans."  I don't see either as being a problem.  As with other tracklisting decisions, it's just another aspect of the band's creative visions.  Sometimes the fans think it works; sometimes we don't.

Cheers!

I have no doubt whatsoever it's my narrow minded opinion regards cover songs that factors into my frustration regards where bands place cover songs on albums.  Never was a fan of cover songs as such and I'm even less a fan when a bands notoriety and/or success is launched by releasing a cover song.  But that said I don't dislike them, think I own maybe 2 covers albums, just feel they have their place.

One of my all time favorite albums has a cover song on it however, and smack in the middle at that.  The Angels (from Australia) 1986 album Howling saw a lot of success with We Gotta Get Out Of This Place by The Animals.  Considering it was my introduction to both the band and song I forgive myself as at the age of 15 not knowing at the time it was a cover, and to be fair by that time The Angels had several original albums under their belt and huge success in their own county by then so whatever...

But generally speaking (particularly now having a more expansive knowledge of songs), while I don't mind and can enjoy a good cover, would much rather they leave that stuff for cover 'albums' or bonus tracks, or as was the case back in the day, a good cover always made for a perfect B-Side.

Maybe it's a rotten opinion I dunno, but is what it it is

(Sorry for the edits using my crummy phone)

[bosk1]

I think I was 12 when I got Van Halen I.  I had no idea You Really Got Me was a cover either. 

[T-ski]

I love Tom in Evergrey and I gave him a chance with Redemption, but it just doesn’t work for me, especially on the last two songs that were released.

[abydos]

It's hit or miss for me, some moments are good, the others are not so much. I think the problem remains with Nick or whoever is writing the melodies, they seem to be still writing for something Ray would sing, imo.

[wolfking]

I really like this new song but Tom is very limited in the vocal melodies.  You can almost hear him purposely trying to restrain himself.  These songs sound way more restrained again than anything on the last album.

[nicmos]

I've been listening to the 3 songs available on Spotify.  I have to say I'm impressed and really looking forward to the rest of the tracks.  Honestly, Remember the Dawn might be my favorite thing they've ever done, and that's a high bar, not a low bar.  The title track is good, but not that memorable to me, but Seven Minutes from Sunset is top quality as well.  I don't know how Nick van Dyk does it, but I consistently enjoy listening to him riff more than just about anyone else out there.  Anyone get their hands on the whole thing yet?

[goo-goo]

I've been listening to the 3 songs available on Spotify.  I have to say I'm impressed and really looking forward to the rest of the tracks.  Honestly, Remember the Dawn might be my favorite thing they've ever done, and that's a high bar, not a low bar.  The title track is good, but not that memorable to me, but Seven Minutes from Sunset is top quality as well.  I don't know how Nick van Dyk does it, but I consistently enjoy listening to him riff more than just about anyone else out there.  Anyone get their hands on the whole thing yet?

I'm waiting Friday's release so I can see what I will get. Looks like the vinyl and CD have different tracks.

[WardySI]

Tbh I haven't been impressed with the pre-release tracks so far particularly disappointing considering I loved  Long Night's Journey.  But with the album dropped onto Spotify in Aus already checked it out by first playing something not heard yet, the song being Remember The Dawn and it's pretty bloody killer 

So ok then, let's go...

Editing to add The Emotional Depiction Of Light is a huge surprise.  A heap of modern pop elements in there but damn how it works so well.  Those guitars and vocals, sublime.

 

[wolfking]

Tbh I haven't been impressed with the pre-release tracks so far particularly disappointing considering I loved  Long Night's Journey.  But with the album dropped onto Spotify in Aus already checked it out by first playing something not heard yet, the song being Remember The Dawn and it's pretty bloody killer 

So ok then, let's go...

Pretty sure it was that one they released a video for a couple weeks ago.  I enjoyed it.

[WardySI]

Tbh I haven't been impressed with the pre-release tracks so far particularly disappointing considering I loved  Long Night's Journey.  But with the album dropped onto Spotify in Aus already checked it out by first playing something not heard yet, the song being Remember The Dawn and it's pretty bloody killer 

So ok then, let's go...

Pretty sure it was that one they released a video for a couple weeks ago.  I enjoyed it.

It was?

Think gave that 3rd single a cursory listen thought it was meh and decided to wait for the album so I clearly don't remember much about it LOL

And if so we'll guess could argue made the right decision because it's certainly impressing me now \m/

[obelix5150]

Hey guys, this is Vikram Shankar, keyboardist of Redemption, here - just wanted to give a quick shout and thank those who have checked out I Am The Storm, which drops today. It's my first full album with the band and an honor to be working with a band with such a noble and storied history. 

If anybody has any questions about the making of the album, etc., I'd be happy to try to answer them.

Editing to add The Emotional Depiction Of Light is a huge surprise.  A heap of modern pop elements in there but damn how it works so well.  Those guitars and vocals, sublime.

Thank you! That song is my baby so this is really gratifying to hear (read?).

[ronnibran]

Loving the new Redemption album!!!!  Been a fan for a long time and admittedly didn't "love" the last album.

But this one really brings it.  Too early to rate amongst all their albums, but first impression is that I like it better than previous couple of albums (even Art of Loss that had Ray on it).  The new album really works with Tom Englund on it.

[jingle.boy]

I'm four tracks into this at the moment, and on that alone, it's my favorite album of the year so far.  This slays.

[Grappler]

Editing to add The Emotional Depiction Of Light is a huge surprise.  A heap of modern pop elements in there but damn how it works so well.  Those guitars and vocals, sublime.

Thank you! That song is my baby so this is really gratifying to hear (read?).

That song really stood out to me as well.  I had the album on with the volume kind of low as background music and when I heard it, I had to go back and look at what song it was because it was such a different style for Redemption, but it caught my ear quickly.  I'm looking forward to diving into the album much more. 

Edit - forgot to add that when I heard The Emotional Depiction of Light, my eyes actually started tearing up.  My mom has Alzheimer's and the last few months of seeing her change from the woman that raised me has been hard.  Tom's vocals and the vocal melodies just caught me at a time when I was thinking of her and it was like he and the band were speaking to me.  I haven't looked for the lyrics of that song yet, but there were some lines that felt like they were written just for me. 

It's not too often that metal music catches me like that where it mirrors my life and hits me as hard as it did that moment. 

[goo-goo]

Has anyone heard the bonus tracks on the vinyl? Probably too early to ask. Trying to decide if I should pull the trigger on the vinyl. Loving the album so far. Enjoying it better than the last one. Instrumentally, this album is sick!

[Evermind]

I listened to the album early morning during my commute and from my first listen I thought it was alright but nothing special. however The Emotional Depiction of Light grabbed me from the get-go. That particular track is amazing and on the level with Black and White World for me. I think I'll revisit this album a few more times when it's not 5:40 AM and I'm not grumpy as hell.

Also the title track inevitably reminded me of this glorious Breaking Bad-related video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WzhW20hLp6M

[ronnibran]

I like the album so much that i ordered the vinyl. Even though i don’t have a record player lol. Hopefully someday I’ll get to play the bonus songs.  If not it looks cool as hell at least (clear blue and white marbled).

[devieira73]

Loving the new album! Indeed The Emotional Depiction of Light is an amazing highlight, as well as Remember the Dawn and Resilience is a totally killer track. Anyway the album is very very strong as a whole. I'm still digesting the two bigger epics, but they are great, with middle orchestral/keyboard sections that caught my attention at first listening. My only complain (besides the 2 bonus tracks only in vinyl... why?!) is the Turn It On Again version, since the instrumentation is a bit messy and Tom isn't fitting with the rest of the band in the verses, sounding a bit chaotic, not in a interesting way. The Red Rain cover is in the vein of Queensrÿche's which is really nice.

PS: Nowadays I think anyone who actually buy music in any format (digital, CD, LP etc) should be rewarded with the same bonus content and those bonus shouldn't be available for streaming IMO.

[Zook]

Remember the Dawn is a sequel to Keep Breathing right?

[gzarruk]

Haven't been able to check the album yet, but I'm a bit bummed that the two original bonus tracks are vinyl only, yet we get two covers on the main album . Other than that, I'm excited to listen to it

[me7]

I'm very intrigued by the album, more challenging to digest than I anticipated.

[hefdaddy42]

I liked the album a lot!  My first taste of Redemption in many a year.

The covers were not great, and I would rather they not have been included.  But all of the original stuff was quite tasty.

[Grappler]

I liked the album a lot!  My first taste of Redemption in many a year.

The covers were not great, and I would rather they not have been included.  But all of the original stuff was quite tasty.

I love the Red Rain cover, but the other one could go.  Tom's vocals on Red Rain are wonderful, and I think it sounds a lot better than the version Queensryche once did. 

[devieira73]

It's similiar to Queensryche's version in the arrangements, but it's ideed better. Tom did an amazing job on it, specially at the very end.

[hefdaddy42]

I liked the album a lot!  My first taste of Redemption in many a year.

The covers were not great, and I would rather they not have been included.  But all of the original stuff was quite tasty.

I love the Red Rain cover, but the other one could go.  Tom's vocals on Red Rain are wonderful, and I think it sounds a lot better than the version Queensryche once did.

Red Rain definitely worked better for me than the other, but I would rather that be something done live, and get another original song on the album.

[nicmos]

After listening to the whole album many times, I continue to think that Remember the Dawn is the single best track they've ever done.  The big riff from the middle that gets passed from the guitar to the keys just won't leave my head.

Actually not a huge fan of Emotional Depiction of Light.   It's ok I guess.  I don't think it's in the band's wheelhouse though.  I don't think the emotional tone of the song matches the instrumentation.

Action at a Distance, I'm going to put that up there with their best epics, if not the best.  The way the themes weave through, and with that breakdown section in the middle building back up, is so fulfilling.

All This Time (And not Enough) is a really good track, although I don't know how I feel about the funky bass towards the end.

Like others, I don't think their version of Turn it on Again works that well, and I'm a big fan of the original.  I did like the Red Rain cover though.

All this is to say, this is a great album.  I don't know if it surpasses Snowfall on Judgment Day (it might), but it's up there for sure.

[bosk1]

Hey guys, this is Vikram Shankar, keyboardist of Redemption, here - just wanted to give a quick shout and thank those who have checked out I Am The Storm, which drops today. It's my first full album with the band and an honor to be working with a band with such a noble and storied history. 

If anybody has any questions about the making of the album, etc., I'd be happy to try to answer them.

Editing to add The Emotional Depiction Of Light is a huge surprise.  A heap of modern pop elements in there but damn how it works so well.  Those guitars and vocals, sublime.

Thank you! That song is my baby so this is really gratifying to hear (read?).

Welcome, Vikram!  Thanks for dropping in.  Anything you can share would be awesome.  I'm sure we'll have lots of questions once we've had more chances to hear more of the music.  And tell Nick we have always enjoyed his posts in the past and would love to have him post here as well.

EDIT:  Wait, you dropped a couple of posts here as far back as 2013??   

[obelix5150]

Hey guys, this is Vikram Shankar, keyboardist of Redemption, here - just wanted to give a quick shout and thank those who have checked out I Am The Storm, which drops today. It's my first full album with the band and an honor to be working with a band with such a noble and storied history. 

If anybody has any questions about the making of the album, etc., I'd be happy to try to answer them.

Editing to add The Emotional Depiction Of Light is a huge surprise.  A heap of modern pop elements in there but damn how it works so well.  Those guitars and vocals, sublime.

Thank you! That song is my baby so this is really gratifying to hear (read?).

Welcome, Vikram!  Thanks for dropping in.  Anything you can share would be awesome.  I'm sure we'll have lots of questions once we've had more chances to hear more of the music.  And tell Nick we have always enjoyed his posts in the past and would love to have him post here as well.

EDIT:  Wait, you dropped a couple of posts here as far back as 2013??   

Cheers! Yeah, I guess I've been a member here for ages but have no recollection of it. Definitely should change that!

[Ben_Jamin]

Hey guys, this is Vikram Shankar, keyboardist of Redemption, here - just wanted to give a quick shout and thank those who have checked out I Am The Storm, which drops today. It's my first full album with the band and an honor to be working with a band with such a noble and storied history. 

If anybody has any questions about the making of the album, etc., I'd be happy to try to answer them.

Editing to add The Emotional Depiction Of Light is a huge surprise.  A heap of modern pop elements in there but damn how it works so well.  Those guitars and vocals, sublime.

Thank you! That song is my baby so this is really gratifying to hear (read?).

Welcome, Vikram!  Thanks for dropping in.  Anything you can share would be awesome.  I'm sure we'll have lots of questions once we've had more chances to hear more of the music.  And tell Nick we have always enjoyed his posts in the past and would love to have him post here as well.

EDIT:  Wait, you dropped a couple of posts here as far back as 2013??   

Cheers! Yeah, I guess I've been a member here for ages but have no recollection of it. Definitely should change that!

After seeing your post history. I do remember some of them from The Astonishing threads. Glad your one of us that does enjoy The Astonishing.

Does that album have an influence to your approach to the more epic songs on I Am The Storm?

[obelix5150]

Hey guys, this is Vikram Shankar, keyboardist of Redemption, here - just wanted to give a quick shout and thank those who have checked out I Am The Storm, which drops today. It's my first full album with the band and an honor to be working with a band with such a noble and storied history. 

If anybody has any questions about the making of the album, etc., I'd be happy to try to answer them.

Editing to add The Emotional Depiction Of Light is a huge surprise.  A heap of modern pop elements in there but damn how it works so well.  Those guitars and vocals, sublime.

Thank you! That song is my baby so this is really gratifying to hear (read?).

Welcome, Vikram!  Thanks for dropping in.  Anything you can share would be awesome.  I'm sure we'll have lots of questions once we've had more chances to hear more of the music.  And tell Nick we have always enjoyed his posts in the past and would love to have him post here as well.

EDIT:  Wait, you dropped a couple of posts here as far back as 2013??   

Cheers! Yeah, I guess I've been a member here for ages but have no recollection of it. Definitely should change that!

After seeing your post history. I do remember some of them from The Astonishing threads. Glad your one of us that does enjoy The Astonishing.

Does that album have an influence to your approach to the more epic songs on I Am The Storm?

Oh man, I love The Astonishing. I saw that tour twice, and each time I expected to be skeptical, but I was moved to tears. Amazing album, and it really does grind my gears when people say DT only wants to make the same album ad nauseam, when they made that and so many fans hated it 

I wouldn't say The Astonishing is an influence on how I approach long songs, per se. My favorite "long prog song" is Octavarium, probably my favorite prog rock/metal song ever, and in that case I particularly love their use of motivic development, the fact that it's supposedly "five songs in one" but the transitions are just exquisite and the way themes are developed and referred to is really crafty and organic. I tend to not enjoy long songs that feel like multiple tracks stapled together, so if the song can have some sort of organic "through-line" logic, I appreciate that a lot. Action at a Distance is an example of that on the new album, where the orchestral section cello melody is referential to the synth melody in the very intro, the chords and piano sequences in the orchestral section are referred to later, and the "Rush moment" of drums and bass right after the orchestral section is based on the part after the first chorus. This kind of development of existing material (while keeping it fresh and engaging) is what makes a long song "work" for me.
The ultimate example is classical music, and how themes can be developed and modified over the course of many minutes. Something to strive for, I guess

[wolfking]

That's exactly why I think Octavarium should go down as a prog masterpiece with anything that came before it, it's one of the most amazing well written epics of all time.  Well said there Vikram.

I can't wait to check the new album too mate.  I'll post my thoughts when I do.  Oh and....

and it really does grind my gears when people say DT only wants to make the same album ad nauseam, when they made that and so many fans hated it 

[Nick]

Eh, I think that's over simplifying things a bit.

At that point in their career, something like Train of Thought was far heavier throughout and a different approach, but is one of my favorites.

The Astonishing was also "something different", but easily my least favorite Dream Theater album, and about the only one I actively dislike. I appreciate that they tried something different, I just don't think it was done well.

And while I still need to get the new Redemption, while Vikram is around I think it should be noted that everyone should *really* be excited for whenever we get another Lux Terminus album.

[wolfking]

The Astonishing was also "something different", but easily my least favorite Dream Theater album, and about the only one I actively dislike. I appreciate that they tried something different, I just don't think it was done well.

Pretty much my thoughts also.

[obelix5150]

Incidentally, the first time I meaningfully hung out with the guys in Redemption was in 2017 when I flew to LA to see the DT Images and Words tour with Nick. So for me DT and Redemption are intertwined in my head even more than they may be for most.

[obelix5150]

And while I still need to get the new Redemption, while Vikram is around I think it should be noted that everyone should *really* be excited for whenever we get another Lux Terminus album.

We're getting there!! I have pretty much the whole album written, we just need to track it "for real" and put the finishing touches on it. I know it's been far too long...