Here is the first batch of results for round 8, I apologize again for the delays and I will have the rest up tomorrow evening. There are 2 albums in this round that brought back all kinds of memories, both good and bad, and both old and more recent. One is in this batch. The next will be tomorrow.
Round 8 Results Part 1 (unintentionally drudging up painful memories)Eyefear - The UnseenLethean
Progressive Metal
AustraliaFirst Impression - The vocalists vibrato is about as ridiculous as his hair...So the vocals.....the vocals. While not technically bad, I can't stand that constant use of vibrato like this guy does at the end of every phrase. I mean just land on a note for crying out loud. Every single drawn out note is drowning in vibrato!!!1!! WHY!?!?? Maybe his voice is broken.......Maybe he doesn't even realize he is doing it.......I mean seriously, how many ears did this album pass through during the making of the album and no one told him that maybe he should tone down the vibrato a tad....
Anyway, this album would be pretty enjoyable if it was instrumental only. The riffs are super heavy and make me want to band my head. Oh, and speaking of banging your head, can you imagine the vocalist of this band windmilling his hair during a show. He would blow the entire audience out of the venue! I digress.....Back on topic. The riffs? Awesome! The solos? Great! The drumming isn't particularly ground breaking, but they are tastefully done with enough variety. I like that galloping rhythm in Bridge to the Past. The keyboards fill in the cheese factor that is necessary for a power/prog album, but not annoyingly so. Well maybe a little over the top occasionally. At times they remind me of the keyboards on Andromeda albums, or any number of other power/prog albums
Fortunately this album is on the shorter side. I don't think I could stand the vibrato for much longer than this. I mean, I think he could have a great voice if he didn't use so much vibrato. Overall it isn't a bad album, but a lot of the instrumentation becomes a bit tedious and derivative by the end, couple that with the problems I have with the vocalist and you get this score....
7/10
Deathwhite - For a Black TomorrowElite
Gothic/Doom Metal
United StatesFirst Impression - Holy Katatonia Batman!Like my first impression indicates, the Katatonia is strong with this band. This is a good thing, because we haven't had a new Katatonia album in over 2 years (and as of now, we may not get another Katatonia album), so this scratches that itch pretty well. There's also some fairly obvious mid era Anathema similarities as well. So a band that is comparable to two bands that I thoroughly enjoy, you would think I dig this. And I do, quite a lot.
Now it isn't perfect by any stretch of the imagination. For example the vocals leave a little to be desired in a few places, even though he is doing his best Jonas Renkse with a bit of Myles Kennedy impression throughout a good portion of the album. He neither has the vocal range (not that Jonas has an incredible range, but I digress) nor quite the right tone for this style of music, but it isn't bad. The guitars are a tad on the.....non edgy side? I'm not sure how to describe it. They don't pack any kind of real punch or any super cool riffs or acrobatics, but at the same time they work for the album. The drummer does his best to spice up the 4/4 time signature that is used throughout the majority of this album (honestly you can do a lot in 4/4). Kind of reminds me a bit of the way the drummer from Moonsorrow navigates 4/4. I do like the way most of the songs are just long enough to get the point across and then give way to the next. Nothing sticking around for too long, overstaying it's welcome. Some of the coolest parts are the little acoustic passages used here and there. They are very atmospheric and work well within their respective songs.
Every song here ends up being in the slower to mid paced tempo, combine that with the lack of guitar or vocal acrobatics (or any acrobatics really), constant use of 4/4 time signature, and a slightly lackluster vocal performance, it would seem like a recipe for a disastrous album, but it really isn't. I suppose the same could be said of most of Katatonia's albums or bands like Paradise Lost and My Dying Bride, but the great atmosphere and mood keeps the music engaging and, I don't want to say fun to listen to (the lyrical content is all fairly depressing), but you get the idea.
8/10
MindMaze - ResolveJingle
Progressive Power Metal
United StatesFirst Impression - The drum production is........oddI want to get something out of the way really quick here. The drum production is the only thing holding this album back. The bass drum is mixed way too loud and the rest of the drums sound like they were recording with a potato (this is a slight exaggeration). The drummer is definitely talented and what he does works well with the music.
So having gotten the bad out of the way, lets talk about all the good this album does. Right off the bat the guitarist (whose last name is Teets (hehehehe)) makes himself known with some fantastic Iron Maiden on speed riffs and solos, mixed with jazzy solos on crack, intermingled with some heavy as balls metal riffs, and some early Queensryche riffage. This is continued throughout the album. This guy is going places. The next thing that is very apparent is the vocals. Not only are they employing a female vocalist, but she isn't the typical female metal vocalist. She isn't an over the top operatic singer. She doesn't have an especially feminine tone (not that she doesn't sound like a woman). She is an anomaly when it comes to female vocalists in metal. I like it. I also don't think she is being used to the extent of her abilities. I think she has way more range that she is displaying here. She just seems to be singing for the song, not trying to outdo anything. The bass also stands out, mostly because you can hear it (which in and of itself is an anomaly in any type of power metal) and because it is well played. I noticed that Mike Lepond was part of this band at one point, but not on this album, and I like his bass chops. This guy here, though, is really good too. I also like the way the keyboards are used here. More of an accompanying instrument to give the music more depth instead of trying to take over the music.
I like what this band is doing. They sound modern and classic at the same time. Kind of a timelessness to their sound. This album was really just a joy to listen to, top to bottom. It's too bad about the drums, but I won't let that impede my enjoyment too much.
9.3/10
The Reticent - On the Eve of a GoodbyeTAC
Progressive Death Metal
United StatesFirst Impression - This is a bizarre mashup of Kalisia, Opeth, Soen, Chevelle, Dark Suns, and, of all things, All Shall Perish. Weird.Here's another album that I have no idea how it isn't getting much more attention. A more accurate statement to the first impression would be a mashup of Opeth, Arcane, and Perihelion Ship. The music is pretty great. The vocals are also really good and display a ton of raw emotion. But I don't really want to talk about any of that.
So this album is a concept album. It's about the lead up to and suicide of someone. Now, there is no way you (TAC) could have known this before sending this album, but I had a very close friend who committed suicide just a few years ago. Long story short, I struggled for a long time to make sense of it. I just couldn't process why anyone would do that. He left behind his sister, and parents and countless friends that all loved him. It was a horrible and life altering experience. Anyway, I could sort of tell the direction this album was going in through the first half. I knew someone was going to die in the end, but wasn't sure if it was going to be from a sickness (which if we are being honest here, depression is a sickness) or something else. By the time the song The Postscript came on I knew exactly where it was going. When The Decision started all the memories of my dear friend came back again and I almost couldn't finish the album. Funeral for a Firefly is where it really hit home for me, I actually cried during this song. These were all the same thoughts I had when my friend took his life. It's a tough thing losing anyone like that. This album is heartbreaking, but I'm glad you sent it. One of the biggest reasons I listen to music is to be moved emotionally in some way. Whether that's happiness or sadness or any other emotion, as long as it's done in a way that feels genuine and makes me feel something.
This really is a fantastic album, although because of how hard this hits me emotionally I cant see me listening to it very often. The music is both technical (but not overly so) and done in a way that fits each and every song. The vocals really elevate this to the next level. Is he the most technical or gifted vocalist? No, but he delivers each line with such raw and honest emotion that it's easy to feel the sense behind the lyrics. Again thanks for sending this, but screw you for making me cry...................just kidding...
9.9/10
Topic: Puppies Crazy Album Roulette (Jingle & Kat Bonus Round...spoiler...Jingle wins) (Read 113025 times)