Indiscipline's Roulette v. The Dirty Aftermath

[ariich]

Weren't you also going to review Cockroach King?

[Indiscipline]

See? I forget stuff and need help. Many many thanks.

I'l try to give it the Scenes treatment, just to let you guys know what happens when I listen to songs.

[Destiny Of Chaos]

To make it a bit different considering that it's not an actual submission, perhaps you could indulge your senses with the music video for Cockroach King instead of the regular audio track.

[Indiscipline]

Good idea, DOC, but the only official video I could find has the edit single version.


Haken - The Cockroach King:

0:00 – 0:11: Oh, it's Cockroach Against the Machine apparently …

0:11 – 0:34: … No, it isn't. It's one of the truest-to-the-source homages to the Shulman Bros in recent memory.

0:34 – 0:51: Why are we singing like Thom Yorke here? Aren't we feeling hip-tellectual enough?

0:51 – 2:17: Lovely. There's a Supertrampish irriverence in the way they've eventually actualised the theme, and the recurring odd funky spice is the final touch for a perfectly balanced acid-sweet flavour. This is progressive, 100%.

2:17 – 2:50: Why? I rooted for that unique pace to evolve! Metalise, Trivialise.

2:50 – 3:35: Thank you very much, you just proved my point. This segment could have been a terrific organic development. Now, due to that run-of-the-mill prog metal wedge of a chorus, it's just another beautiful disjointed bit.

3:35 – 3:59: This is not a polite way to respond to the previous paragraph. On the other hand, it is possibly another wedge.

3:59 – 5:17: The fact I'm in love with this jewel of a section (really, the better ode to playful Zappa this side of Beyond This Life's break) makes this whole affair even more infuriating. But I'm sure I will have the chance to elaborate later.

5:17 – 5:43: Seriously, these guys play flawlessly. The day they get rid of that strange sense of obligation towards mainstream prog metal (and the need to show they can be unpredictable) and elevate songwriting to their musicianship's level, game is over and I become a rabid dangerous fan.

5:43 – 6:10: Not ranting here. Heavy is wonderfully appropriate here. Why? It continues a discourse changing everything as opposed to jumping topics telling the same story. I swear, the previous phrase can make sense with a bit of pity and good will …

6:10 – 7:04: ... Or it can make sense thanks to its musical explanation. I'm not unzipping my pants yet though, 'cause someway I know …

7:04 – 7:50: … This is coming back. By the way, I genuinely like the dude's voice and singing. It's unique, creamy, and endearingly sarcastic in a way. You can do a lot of kinky funny marvellous special fresh things with it. What you can't do is the sustained emphatic metal chorus.

7:50 – 8:15: Of course, there was no better way to wrap this up. Conclusions:


This is a band that can execute EVERYTHING with ease, which makes writing what to play incredibly easy and choosing what to write incredibly difficult. If they would edit the couple of songs I heard (don't I sound quite the DT fan, with visions, demands and shit?) abandoning the burden of prog metal tradition and the need to show they can be more complex than their heroes, Haken would be one of the best 3 bands I know. There, I said it.

Until then, they get sevens in my roulette.

[Destiny Of Chaos]

 

[jingle.boy]

2:50 – 3:35: Thank you very much, you just proved my point. This segment could have been a terrific organic development. Now, due to that run-of-the-mill prog metal wedge of a chorus, it's just another beautiful disjointed bit.

3:35 – 3:59: This is not a polite way to respond to the previous paragraph. On the other hand, it is possibly another wedge.

3:59 – 5:17: The fact I'm in love with this jewel of a section makes this whole affair even more infuriating.

5:17 – 5:43: Seriously, these guys play flawlessly. The day they get rid of that strange sense of obligation towards mainstream prog metal (and the need to show they can be unpredictable) and elevate songwriting to their musicianship's level, game is over and I become a rabid dangerous fan.

This is a band that can execute EVERYTHING with ease, <... if they could/would> abandon the burden of prog metal tradition and the need to show they can be more complex than their heroes, Haken would be one of the best 3 bands I know. There, I said it.

Slightly edited the final point there, but these comments perfectly encapsulate how I feel about this band as a whole.  Getting all technical and churning out wankfest after wankfest - JUST BECAUSE THEY CAN - is tiresome and unappealing.

"Beautifully disjointed".  You nailed it.

[Elite]

and that's exactly why I did not send Cockroach King, but instead opted for Atlas Stone.

"We as a collective get one chance to send Haken and you send this?" well, yeah. I figured they were a good band to send anyway and if I'm not doing it in Round 1, then somebody else is - was my reasoning. To save them for round 2 is foolish if you ask me, because even though I think Aquarius (debut album) is still to this day their crowning achievement (sue me) I know virtually no other person who thinks that and I believe the only reason I actually think that is because it was the way I was introduced to the band back in 2010. Simply put for me: Aquarius is disjointed as fuck, but the band makes it work, because of all the quirks - and there's actual continuity in the total sound - unlike them trying too hard (for my tastes) on more recent work. Prime examples are Falling Back to Earth, Crystallised and 1985; all three songs that just don't fully work for me. On top of that, even though it's only 8 years old, for progressive metal, Aquarius already sounds a bit dated. Maybe it's the recording quality (which is worse than their other albums), maybe it's the compositions style, maybe it's both. In any case, that album is hardly representative of what Haken does nowadays.

Atlas Stone was in turn the 'turning point' for Haken as a band. The adopted a more slick and modern progressive metal style and I believe The Mountain opened lots of new doors for them, where Affinity went a lot further afterwards. The funny thing is, Atlas Stone probably isn't even in my top 10 Haken songs,but with the acquired taste of both Ross Jennings' vocals and the disjointed nature of most their songs, this was a 'safe' choice - much more so than Cockroach King (which I personally think is a bad 'song' - I seriously don't get the fan hype around this one, even though live it's tons of fun) would have been.

Other songs I considered sending were Initiate (again, not in my top 10), Deathless (in my top 10, but unlike most Haken's other songs and therefore not representative of the band; something I think is quite mandatory for a song to be whenever you send them in roulettes) and Darkest Light (probably too heavy).

So, what would you have sent?

[Stadler]

I live in the wrong world if Haken is getting sevens and Cheap Trick is getting sixes.          

[Destiny Of Chaos]

So, what would you have sent?

Round 1, I would have sent, Falling Back to Earth, 1985 or The Architect.
Round 2, I would have confidently sent Aquarium, Drowning in the Flood or Celestial Elixir.

[Indiscipline]

I live in the wrong world if Haken is getting sevens and Cheap Trick is getting sixes.          

Well, classic - hence banned -  Cheap Trick have a good bunch of solid eights here, to say the least.

[Elite]

Aquarium is easily a top 5 Haken song for me and Celestial Elixir is my #1.

[Indiscipline]

So, what would you have sent?

I would have sent money!

Or at least chocolate.

[King Puppies and the Acid Guppies]

Please, someone choose Igorrr in any of the rounds for this good man to review 

I'm extremely tempted.

[Evermind]

The Mountain and Aquarius were tied as Haken's best for me, but over this year I began to lean towards Aquarius as their best album, to be honest.

[The Walrus]

LTR didn't do as well as I hoped so I'm going to try to take notes on the winners and send something this evening...

[Indiscipline]

Good morning, bedlam.

Four more songs and we are ready to hang people in bizarre positions.

[Destiny Of Chaos]

Good morning, bedlam.

Four more songs and we are ready to hang people in bizarre positions.

Are you waiting for 4 more songs to be sent in?
Are you waiting to listen to 4 of the songs?

If the former, who do I need to stab?

One of the geriatric fucks?

[Indiscipline]

The former, my friend.

Not naming names, but I've got a long bus tonight and it would be a shame to be left outside that smelly feet listening session.

[Crow]

okay i sent. i don't feel too confident because my brain is screaming at me to send the thing i like more rather than the one i know you'd like more but it is what it is

[Elite]

So, someone else sent the exact same band I wanted to send. The worst thing about it? He didn't send the best song on the album, because I did.

I'll have to resubmit, but I've been ill all week and my brain can't function enough right now to think of something else to send.

[Crow]

What song/band? 

[TAC]

So, someone else sent the exact same band I wanted to send. The worst thing about it? He didn't send the best song on the album, because I did.

You wouldn't be thinking of using someone's band against them, would you??

[Elite]

What song/band? 

Oh, it could have been you. Or ariich. Or a bunch of others in this roulette

[Crow]

Please be specific 

[jingle.boy]

What song/band? 

Oh, it could have been you. Or ariich. Or a bunch of others in this roulette

Next week's paycheque says it wasn't me.

[King Postwhore]

I so want to pull a Tim on you Chad.  Lol

[Sacul]

Pretty sure it wasn't me 

[TAC]

I so want to pull a Tim on you Chad.  Lol

Pretty sure I don't want you pulling me, and I'm damn sure I don't want you doing it on Chad!

[Aefenwelg]

Sent.

Sorry, internet's been down for 3 days.

[King Postwhore]

I so want to pull a Tim on you Chad.  Lol

Pretty sure I don't want you pulling me, and I'm damn sure I don't want you doing it on Chad!

All I wanted to say was,

"What the fuck is a paycheque?"

[TAC]

 

Oh, OK. Then carry on..

[Stadler]

I so want to pull a Tim on you Chad.  Lol

Pretty sure I don't want you pulling me, and I'm damn sure I don't want you doing it on Chad!

Haha!

[TAC]

Four more songs and we are ready to hang people in bizarre positions.

That's great, but what about this round's survey questions?

[Indiscipline]

Oh, you like them every round? Sweet! It can be arranged.

Anyway, I started listening despite the incomplete roster (last call: tonight's bus), and I'm quite tempted to call this The Big Arse Solos round. Quality playing all around.

[Elite]

You got mine in time, right?