Sons of Apollo (feat. Portnoy & Sherinian)

[bill1971]

I didn't care for the 1st album too much and I wasn't going to buy especially after MP's comments towards Labrie BUT after that teaser, how can I resist?? An instant first day buy!

[MinistroRaven]

Burning Shed pre order link: https://burningshed.com/tag/Sons+Of+Apollo?utm_source=Newsletter+14+11+2019&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Newsletter+14+11+2019

[MinistroRaven]

Burning Shed pre order link: https://burningshed.com/tag/Sons+Of+Apollo?utm_source=Newsletter+14+11+2019&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Newsletter+14+11+2019

One of the CD options include the following info:

CD1
1 Goodbye Divinity 00:07:15
2 Wither To Black 00:04:44
3 Asphyxiation 00:05:07
4 Desolate July 00:05:58
5 King Of Delusion 00:08:48
6 Fall To Ascend 00:05:06
7 Resurrection Day 00:05:51
8 New World Today 00:15:50
 
CD2
1. Goodbye Divinity (Instrumental Mix) 00:07:19
2. Wither To Black (Instrumental Mix) 00:04:46
3. Asphyxiation (Instrumental Mix) 00:05:06
4. Desolate July (Instrumental Mix) 00:06:09
5. King Of Delusion (Instrumental Mix) 00:08:47
6. Fall To Ascend (Instrumental Mix) 00:05:06
7. Resurrection Day (Instrumental Mix) 00:05:49
8. New World Today (Instrumental Mix 00:12:56
9. Goodbye Divinity (A cappella excerpts) 00:02:40
10. Wither To Black (A cappella excerpts) 00:02:55
11. Asphyxiation (A cappella excerpts) 00:02:26
12. Desolate July (A cappella excerpts) 00:02:53
13. King Of Delusion (A cappella excerpts) 00:03:29
14. Fall To Ascend (A cappella excerpts) 00:02:02
15. Resurrection Day (A cappella excerpts) 00:02:08
16. New World Today (A cappella excerpts) 00:04:14

[ReaperKK]

Thank god we get an instrumental mix without the annoying vocals

[MinistroRaven]

Thank god we get an instrumental mix without the annoying vocals

 

[jadiggerdt]

OMG so dull and uninspired the new single was. Ok the guys ran in the studio and produce something fast but this was a little disappointing stuff

[IDontNotDoThings]

New single out: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=cAY8rA_4YMg

I thought it was alright. I liked the song itself, but the guitars are tuned so low that their note definition is muddy, the solo was grooveless shredding, & the keyboard patches sound like shit.

Still though, when I can ignore all that, it's a good song.

[MirrorMask]

Nice and solid song, it's groovy. For the punch and the heaviness it had, I expected a more bombastic chorus, which isn't bad but isn't either the standout part of the song.

It's completely in line with the debut, is the whole album is at this level or better, we'll have a nice and solid offering. I also like how the solo section is not a complete "Stop, jam and come back into the song" thing but stays in tune with the rest of the song, let's hope it's the same for all the other songs.

[nikatapi]

Good intro, the song fell a bit meh afterwards.

Also i find it weird that i can predict MP's playing without having heard the song first.

[Architeuthis]

Sounds pretty good to me!   

[devieira73]

I liked it a lot! It sounds like a cross between FII and Soto’s Origami. The instrumental sections are really good!

[MoraWintersoul]

Nice tune, I like it.

[Grappler]

I dig it - groovy and heavy.  Pretty much what I expected, given the style of the debut record.  I do agree that the chorus could have been bigger, but whatever....these guys are a fun band to listen to.

[MinistroRaven]

https://www.sonicperspectives.com/news/watch-sons-of-apollo-first-single-goodbye-divinity

[Adami]

It was okay. Intro was nice. Rest was pretty generic/by the numbers, but nothing really bad about it. Just bland. Though I might just feel this way about the SoA sound in general.

[Trav86]

Good intro, the song fell a bit meh afterwards.

Also i find it weird that i can predict MP's playing without having heard the song first.

He’s been like that since Train of Thought.

[cramx3]

Not bad, but not memorable either

[New World Rushman]

Lyrics:
"A single star behind me"

Oh wait...

[MinistroRaven]

Here's the musical video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wZlyaCqqZ0A

(the other link was only audio)

[ErHaO]

I enjoyed the song quite a bit!

[bill1971]

Good intro, the song fell a bit meh afterwards.

Also i find it weird that i can predict MP's playing without having heard the song first.

Yes, I also noticed that in the last few DT albums he played on. While listening to it, I realize that the ONLY reason I am listening to it is because it has 2 EX DT members. The only thing that sticks out on the song that I enjoyed is Ron Thal's playing, the drums are predictable, not bad he is a very good drummer, the singing is generic the song is general has a very been there done that feel to it so for those reasons I am out.

[bosk1]

First listen didn't do much for me.  I am warming up to it a bit the second time through.  I feel like it's a step down from the previous album.  But I am still very much open to giving this time to marinate and hearing the rest.

[Madman Shepherd]

Good intro, the song fell a bit meh afterwards.

Also i find it weird that i can predict MP's playing without having heard the song first.

Yes, I also noticed that in the last few DT albums he played on. While listening to it, I realize that the ONLY reason I am listening to it is because it has 2 EX DT members.

Same here. I guess I also find Bumblefoot's inclusion a little interesting. Unlike you, my Achilles heel is being a completist mixed with at least a moderate interest in the product, so that means I'll be buying this.

The intro was pretty cool. Perfect use of the fretless guitar which I feel a lot of times is there more for a gimmicky, albeit sometimes cool purpose. Rest of the song was average but definitely listenable. I'd say overall it would have been an above average tune on a very average to below average debut album. Much better than their first single from Psychotic Symphony so I don't know if that's a good sign or not.

[Podaar]

Here's the musical video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wZlyaCqqZ0A

(the other link was only audio)

Watching them play was way better than just listening. I appreciated the song more the second time.

[gmillerdrake]

Also i find it weird that i can predict MP's playing without having heard the song first.

Yeah. We've beat this to death but his "repertoire" of fills.....ghost notes.....etc etc is pretty predictable. Especially given the amount of projects he has it's just over-saturation of his playing.

I know it's almost a 'pride' thing for him when he says he doesn't practice and you can tell at this point.  Opposed to MM who religiously practices and tries to improve and his music speaks for itself.   

[Anxiety35]

Derek and Bubmbleboot seem more cohesive in the middle/solo section. I liked that part. Felt a little Planet X in there.

The song itself is pretty good. Nothing "groundbreaking" but it's solid. It's an improvement in the aspect of writing a song.

I wish Soto would let loose with his vocals. Seems he stays in a restricted place with SOA except for his "yeah!" here and there.

[bosk1]

Yeah. We've beat this to death but his "repertoire" of fills.....ghost notes.....etc etc is pretty predictable.

And I will go back to beating to death the point that I fail to see how this matters at all.  Of all the things to criticize about MP, this isn't one of them.

[bill1971]

Yeah. We've beat this to death but his "repertoire" of fills.....ghost notes.....etc etc is pretty predictable.

And I will go back to beating to death the point that I fail to see how this matters at all.  Of all the things to criticize about MP, this isn't one of them.

Speaking only for myself it matters to me because drums are my favorite instrument so I listen to it most closely. Ironically, it was one of the major things that got me into DT back in 1994. Mangini and Peart works on improving their craft and it showed. It's nothing personal against him, it works for him, he has a very successful career.

[gmillerdrake]

Yeah. We've beat this to death but his "repertoire" of fills.....ghost notes.....etc etc is pretty predictable.

And I will go back to beating to death the point that I fail to see how this matters at all.  Of all the things to criticize about MP, this isn't one of them.

With all due respect, I think it kind of is. If he's interested in gearing up excitement about his new band or a new release.....yet.....I and a ton of other people more or less 'know' what we're going to hear from him.....then it's really not that appealing. Literally the first fill in that new SOA song is a fill that he's played hundreds of times.

I think it's a fair criticism. I'm not trying to rip on him just to rip on him....it's just pointing out that he's done little to 'improve' his product.

[The Walrus]

I think it's a valid criticism. Mike's playing stagnated quite some time ago and it's the same bag of tricks each time, partially because he himself admits to not practicing, or not practicing much (30 minutes is apparently a 'long time' to practice one part, even though... it really isn't). Not like he's a bad drummer or anything, but he's predictable by now. Whether or not that's a big deal depends on how much that matters to the individual. But I think it's a valid critique if you word it properly.

[TAC]

Especially when voicing an opinion on something new and recent.

[Stadler]

Yeah. We've beat this to death but his "repertoire" of fills.....ghost notes.....etc etc is pretty predictable.

And I will go back to beating to death the point that I fail to see how this matters at all.  Of all the things to criticize about MP, this isn't one of them.

I'm with Bosk on this, if it matters.  I'm not sure using Mangini is necessarily an objective standard.  There are FAR more times I listen to Mangini and think, "dude, just fuckin' PLAY" than there are times I listen to Portnoy and thing, "dude, kick it up a notch".   I've said this before:  Mangini has a way of making 4/4 sound like 27/15, and Portnoy has a way of making 27/15 sound like 4/4, and it's all personal preference which you like (I prefer the latter). 

I'm in a conundrum with the song though; I liked some of it (the intro, Mike, the solos) and didn't like others (the E-string chug that comes in at about 1:50 is about as cliched as it gets), and as much as he's a nice guy, as much as he's a team player, as much as I recognize his technical ability... Jeff singing in that middle register just does less than nothing for me.  It's so generic, that it doesn't even deserve to be labelled as "generic".   I say that to be funny not mean, but it's just not giving me shivers. 

[TAC]

I think calling JSS generic is beating to death the point at this point.

[The Walrus]

I'm listening to it now and Soto sounds 100% like a lite A-Mob Russell Allen. It's weird

[Stadler]

I'm listening to it now and Soto sounds 100% like a lite A-Mob Russell Allen. It's weird

Haha, buddy!     I literally thought that same thing during the first verse!