44In The Court Of The Crimson KingKing CrimsonMy face when listening to progThe beginning of prog - it was glorious. I'm not a fan of 60s music in general, yet this one rocks. Except for
Talk to the Wind, which is just nice, but sadly drags an otherwise fascinating record that was fucking ahead of it's time. Nothing more to say, really. On a side note, Steven Wilson's remix of it is fantastic, go get it.
Recommended song: The Court of the Crimson King43The SeerSwansA monster...Oh boy, Swans. Upon listening to this album for the first time (and even today at times) I thought it was either a brilliant work of art, or some pretentious piece of hipster horseshit. At least I thought the last while trying to get into To Be Kind, but couldn't. Still my curiosity was strong - I must get into this band somehow!, I thought. Thus, a friend recommended me giving
The Seer a chance, as it was their most accessible record to date (unlike the impenetrable
Soundtracks for the Blind). You know, it goes against common sense to describe a experimental double-disc album that features centerpieces of 32, 19, and 22 minutes, respectively, as a friendly starting point, but then again, nothing about Swans is really conventional. So I dived into it.
The Seer it's a violent, brutal, even terrifying album. And one of immense repetition, but with slight changes so that the music keeps evolving, sometimes becoming heavier, louder, rawer, transforming into a beast that threatens to devour the brave listener. For 2 fucking hours. I'll admit sitting through its entirety is definitely a challenge, one I'm gonna do just once every year - it's just too much insanity. I'm definitely looking forwards to getting into the rest of their discography - it should be fun.
Recommended song: Lunacy42AnastasisDead Can DanceI used to think those were heads, not sunflowers..."This is just Dead Can Dance, being Dead Can Dance", I've read. And while I've tried checking the rest of their discography, nothing has really gripped me like Anastasis, their comeback after 16 fucking years. It is them picking up where they left off in the mid 90s. They could of returned and just went through the motions, doing some nice yet unimpressive songs, like it happens in these cases. Some say they sound as good as they ever did - I think they are at their top here, and love them the most this way.
DCD were a group that never really challenged the mainstream, so a return was quite easy for Lisa Gerrard and Brendan Perry. Of course they kept some traditions: Perry sings the "normal" songs, like he always did, in English, while Gerrard performs on the "weirder", more medieval tunes, like she always did, in that strange language she invented - in a style reminiscing of traditional middle eastern chantings. Although they're both old, middle aged people, their voices are as powerful as ever. I love how they use music from all over the world, throughout the ages. There's some medieval stuff here, greek music and even some hints of arabic flavours, among other styles.
And yes, this is a very atmospheric record. Not exactly a dark effort, but definitely not a bright one. Recommended for those seeking for something outside their comfort zone.
Recommended song: Children of the Sun