Bah! Real life interfered with my scheduled 4 p.m. post time and now I am being lazy. Had 90% of it written up last night. Only have to add (lousy) pics, proofread, and insert a few more tidbits. Will be posted before I go to sleep tonight.

Nov 5, 2019 22:21:23 GMT Emperor said:

That's all I have to say. Baker , the ball's in your court. Can you top this?

I know not whether I shall top this. Yet I will try in the only way I know how- through an onslaught of sheer verbosity.

Thumbs all the way up for Dragonforce Guy's "Macho Man" Randy Savage shirt.

You should write a Damnation Festival review as well. I doubt you will sell me on any of those bands but I would still read it.

Concert Review #2: Sabaton w/ Hammerfall

I discovered Sabaton exactly 3 years ago this week. They're my greatest musical discovery of the last 15 years, and the lone 21st Century act in my all time Top 5-10. Sunday night I finally got to see them live. This is my own fault. I could have seen them in both May 2017 and November 2018 had I paid a little more attention. Oh well. Better late than never when it comes to crossing something off one's bucket list. 

The show took place in the Washington DC suburb of Silver Spring, which is about a 45 minute drive from my house. Doors opened at 6. Show started at 8. I gave myself plenty of time by leaving at 5:30. You never can tell with DC area traffic. Plus the Ravens were playing the Patriots in Baltimore and I'd have to drive right by their stadium on I-95. Saw a big ol' AEW billboard not far from the Ravens stadium. AEW will be holding a PPV in Baltimore on November 9th. This was news to me. Should I go? Nah. I'll pass.

For once I lucked out and hit no traffic, arriving right around 6:15. Parking was a bit of a hassle as I wasn't expecting this show to be in downtown Silver Spring. Hell, I didn't even know Silver Spring had a downtown. But I soon found a nearby parking garage. And as a bonus, it was free on Sundays.

Got to the venue around 6:45. There wasn't much of a line at this point. Emperor will be happy to know they did indeed check my ticket this time around. Also snapped this quick pic on my way in. Pic is pretty crap as I only saw this at the last second and didn't want to hold up the line, small as it may have been.



If my counting is accurate, the venue is hosting 31 shows this October-November. I've even heard of many of those acts! Yet only the mighty Sabaton is marked SOLD OUT. This is particularly impressive given the fact that (power) metal is a niche genre in America (Outside of metal shows I have never met a single person in real life who has even heard of Sabaton. Hell, I have only ever known two other Iron Maiden fans in the course of my day to day existence). The Rise of Sabaton continues.....Today Silver Spring. Tomorrow the world.

Fwiw The Fillmore allegedly holds 2000 people. The main floor is standing room only. There is also a balcony with some seating. There were multiple bars and both bands had merchandise tables set up. I bought a Sabaton GREAT TOUR shirt for $20. Perhaps that will finally replace my beloved Europe shirt as the go to concert uniform....

Once inside they wouldn't let you go back out. I missed the NO RE-ENTRY signs. That honestly sucked. I had intended to walk around Silver Spring for 45 minutes before returning at 7:30. Oh well.

So I did some people watching for the next hour+. The crowd skewed younger than the Iron Maiden show I went to in July. The Maiden show was mix of old and young. The Sabaton crowd didn't have too many oldsters. Lots of college kids (University of Maryland isn't far away) and 20somethings. I'd estimate 75%-80% male.

Sabaton shirts were by far the most popular form of clothing. They outnumbered Hammerfall shirts by *ahem* 40:1. There were also a fair amount of Iron Maiden tees in the house. Shirt popularity went Sabaton-Maiden-Hammerfall. Also popped for the 2 or 3 Manowar shirts I saw. Rush was represented as well. A few people had glorious, old school, patch-covered jean jackets. I wore my go to concert shirt- a Europe tee I got at a show in 2005. Not many long hairs. I guess the long haired metal fan stereotype is no longer a thing? I overheard multiple people saying this was their first metal show, and Sabaton was their favorite band. I stood with a few of these people during the bulk of the show. The kids are alright. Gives me hope for the future. The guys (and one gal) I ended up standing with had an in depth conversation discussing the intricacies of 17th & 18th Century European history. Definitely not something I ever expected to hear at a heavy metal show. Reminds me of the time back in 2000 where I solidified a new friendship with a timely King Philip of Macedonia reference. This guy Bryan (a Raven & Undertaker fan once I got him into wrestling) would be one of my best friends from 2000-2006. He did not have great music taste though, being all about the Korn. Ugh.
------------------------------------------
Hammerfall began their set around 8:05. I had listened to them a little bit here and there since first becoming aware of them around a decade ago when I read something like "they were carrying the flag for traditional heavy metal during a time when everybody else was going down the extreme metal route." They're one of those bands I felt like I should enjoy, yet they had never really clicked with me. They were also in a tough spot here. While they've never really been able to get over in America, I know they're pretty big in abroad, and have surely drawn some big crowds on their own as a headline act. Hell, their Youtube view counts aren't too far off from Sabaton's. Yet here they're basically unknowns opening for a band whose frontman considers them an influence. It's a case of the student surpassing the teacher.

Yet if they were angry or humbled about being reduced to opening act status after 20+ years in the game as headliners abroad, it did not show. They quickly won over a hitherto indifferent crowd. Of the people around me, only one seemed to be a pre-existing fan of the band. The others, including myself, were clearly here for Sabaton. Early on there was no fist pumping, headbanging, or singalongs in my general vicinity. Just some respectful golf claps when a song was complete. Yet the crowd (myself included) got more and more into it as their set progressed. The frontman had good banter with one exception*. The guitarist who looked liked Ricky Morton was a good showman. Tommy from Sabaton (who bears some resemblance to the mighty Meat Loaf) joined them for a few songs. Before long, everybody was rocking out, singing along to the catchy, anthemic choruses few of us knew an hour ago, and headbanging along to their fine playing. Their best songs were By Any Means Necessary, Hearts On Fire, and the masterful Hammer High. They made a new fan in me last night. I've been listening to them interspersed with Sabaton all day long.

*Where the frontman tried way too hard to get the song Let The Hammer Fall over. "When I say HAMMER, you say FALL." It felt terribly forced, and neither the song, nor his prodding worked for me live (though I've since come around on it a little since then).

Historically I've been pretty tough on opening acts, though more in a YAWN rather than BOO sort of way. I have never once went to a show to see the opener. I skipped the opening act entirely when I saw Maiden in July. I do not remember who opened at most of the shows I've been to. But I will remember HammerFall. They're right up there with Emp's favorite band, Symphony X, as the best non-headlining act I've seen. 

They also just seemed like cool, down to earth dudes. The lead singer invited everybody to hang out with them at the bar after the show. Sadly, I did not take him up on this offer, as I remained sober all night long, and left immediately after Sabaton concluded their set.

Hammerfall announced they will be returning to the venue in October 2020 alongside another band whose name escapes me. I will consider going.



*Since I wrote this last night I have learned HammerFall covered a Europe song and saw a Youtube commenter call them "the Meat Loaf of heavy metal." No further endorsement is necessary.
---------------------------------
Main Event Time. About a 15-20 minute delay to change the set. The crowd got more and more hyped as this was going on.....

Until.....

Ghost Division! Oh. My. God. Sabaton is so over. I honestly felt like a Sabaton rube for the first third of this show due to not knowing every single word to every single song like everybody else around me did. Sabaton fans are hardcore, man. Then they went into a bunch of songs off their latest album, The Great War. I listened to this album a bunch when it first came out a few months ago. I liked, but did not love it. A lot of 6/10 songs on a 6/10 album. Thought it was a step down from Carolus Rex, Heroes, and The Last Stand. Turns out I was wrong. Very, very wrong. Now I love every single song from this album.

Joakim provided his trademark silly banter in between most of these songs. I feel like I don't like this stuff as much as most Sabaton fans. Hope I don't get kicked out of the club! Oh, this was the last night of the tour so they may have been even goofier than usual. 

After a bunch of now-awesome songs from The Great War they went into the killer trifecta of Bismarck-Lion From The North-CAROLUS REX!!! Dead. The latter two were the first Sabaton songs I ever heard, and the ones that first got me into the band. Had it ended there (and I thought it was ending due to stupidly not seeing/clicking the "see more" option on setlist.fm during a quick check on my phone) I'd have felt like I got my money's worth. But they went on at least 45 more minutes with 9(!) more songs including such classics as Shiroyama, The Lost Battalion, and The Last Stand. Then we got the live debut of The Seven Pillars of Wisdom before they closed the set with the iconic To Hell and Back.



I also took some videos. Maybe I will share a few of those tomorrow. 

I had been hyped to see Sabaton for months and this show honestly exceeded my expectations. They played every song I wanted to hear with the exception of Winged Hussars and Wolfpack. Even better, they got me to love songs I had previously been indifferent to. Because of this, I have devised a new theory....

Sabaton only puts out 10/10 songs. It's just in some cases I have yet to recognize the greatness of these songs. It's not them. It's me.

This is apparently not a rare condition even among Sabaton's biggest fans. I see a lot of Youtube comments echoing my thoughts. It's practically a meme at this point....

First Listen: Meh. This song is ok but far from their best.
A few days later: TYPES CHORUS IN ALL CAPS

Can relate!

Verdict- 9.5/10. Will see again....and again....and again. Lack of Winged Hussars (and Wolfpack to a lesser extent) is the only thing preventing perfection. The band was on point throughout. This was on par with the Maiden show I went to in July and vying with that show for the 2nd best concert I ever attended. Actually, I'll give it the nod over Maiden since HammerFall was pretty great, too.
-----------------------------------
It wouldn't be a concert if I didn't get horribly lost looking for my vehicle. Sure enough, it happened again. I even took precautions this time! I took a pic AND sent myself a message- "Cameron Street parking garage spot 1213" Well, I searched the Cameron Street parking garage for a good 45 minutes. Multiple times I came across parking spot 1213. My car was not there! First I stupidly thought "Well, maybe there is another parking spot in this garage marked 1213." Then I had to admit the brutal truth. Somebody stole my car. Good grief! Pissed off beyond belief, and not really knowing what to do, I wandered down Cameron Street.....

Where I found another parking garage looking identical to the one I had just been walking around in for 45 minutes. D'oh! Within mere minutes I found my car safely in spot 1213 where it was supposed to be, and always had been. I drove home accompanied by the triumphant sounds of Sabaton & HammerFall.

The 2 friends who know about my back to back concert parking dilemmas find it hilarious. I am much less amused.

Today is a Dokken day. Thank you, NWA Powerrr.

Nov 6, 2019 1:41:14 GMT Baker said:

You should write a Damnation Festival review as well. I doubt you will sell me on any of those bands but I would still read it.

To be honest, I only went to see one band: Opeth. I've become quite obsessed with them and couldn't make any of their other UK your dates and I've never seen them before. I researched a few of the other bands that were playing, but they are all unlistenable garbage. Except for one band. Icelandic retro rockers Vintage Caravan, who are supporting Opeth on their tour. Vintage Caravan and Opeth were by far the least heavy bands in the entire festival, and Vintage Caravan probably only made it on the bill because of Opeth.

Nevertheless, Vintage Caravan drew a small but enthusiastic crowd and played a really high energy hard rock bonanza. The vocals were pretty forgettable but everything else was amazing. I even chatted to the bassist and drummer after their set. Really friendly guys, which is no surprise because I've been to Iceland and everyone there is super friendly. I'm going to share one of the songs they played without actually watching the video. Enjoy, or don't, because the video might suck.



I enjoyed Opeth, but their performance was rather dry, and their overly long songs don't always work so well in a live setting. Such is the way with most progressive bands. To be honest I got a little bored, partially because of the song choices, but also because I wasn't feeling so good physically. Honestly, seeing DragonForce two nights after made Opeth look like shit in comparison. Still, I don't regret my decision to see Opeth. There really isn't a band even close to them stylistically, so it was a once in a lifetime experience, and they played really fucking well. I'd definitely see them again.

Nov 6, 2019 3:15:16 GMT Baker said:

I read something like "they were carrying the flag for traditional heavy metal during a time when everybody else was going down the extreme metal route."

Accurate. They started in the mid 90s, right at the same time as the European power metal boom kicked off, the underground alternative to the grunge and nu metal that had taken over. However, as you say, Hammerfall had much more of a traditional metal spirit, channelling Dio and Manowar and NWOBHM. This made them stand out, because all of their contemporaries (e.g. Nightwish, Rhapsody, Angra) were pioneering new variations of power metal. Hammerfall are a throwback, but also have a clear identity and are not blatantly ripping off anyone, except maybe themselves in their later years :lol:

Nov 6, 2019 3:15:16 GMT Baker said:

Sabaton only puts out 10/10 songs. It's just in some cases I have yet to recognize the greatness of these songs. It's not them. It's me.

This is a good take. I always have a "meh" reaction to new albums, and more often than not come to love them. It's happening with DragonForce right now. So I agree. DragonForce only make 10/10 songs. So do Symphony X.

Nov 6, 2019 3:15:16 GMT Baker said:

This is apparently not a rare condition even among Sabaton's biggest fans. I see a lot of Youtube comments echoing my thoughts. It's practically a meme at this point....

First Listen: Meh. This song is ok but far from their best.
A few days later: TYPES CHORUS IN ALL CAPS

Go on any metal band's music video, no matter how obscure and/or generic, and you'll see a ton of comments claiming they are the greatest band ever.

I'm overjoyed that you are finally a fan of Hammerfall, but a little disappointed that you had to see them live before you were convinced of their power.

Let's see...

Aqua Dementia- Mastodon
C.R.E.A.M.- Wu Tang Clan
Surrender- U2
The Mirror- Dream Theater
When We Was Fab- George Harrison
Scars- Rush
The Mother People- The Mothers Of Invention
Terrible Lie- Nine Inch Nails
Rusty Cage- Soundgarden
Anything Anything- Dramarama

Music I've been listening to lately.

Baroness- Gold & Grey: Their most recent album. It retains the Dynamics and elements their sound has always had, but expands a bit by adding Gina Gleason on guitar to the band.

Hüsker Dü- Warehouse: Songs and Stories: Some bands, in moments of turmoil and chaos, find a way to have a great creative out put. This is one of those cases. Many great songs on the album, from "Standing in the Rain", "Ice Cold Ice", "She Floated Away", "Actual Condition" and so on. The final two songs on the album done like Bob and Grant's parting shots at each other (Bob's being "Up In The Air" and Grant's being "You Can Live at Home").

Captain Beefheart- Trout Mask Replica: the first song I heard off the album was "Frownland". It was so awkward and off the wall, it piqued my interest to see how awkward the whole album would sound. Some would call the album great in an experimental way, some would call it pure shit, but I just love how off everything sounds on it.

Earlier today I listened to both of Nick Aldis' glorious NWA themes and a symphonic metal band called Xandria whom I discovered through their actually good cover of Meatloaf's I'd Do Anything For Love. It takes balls to cover that classic, and this band did a good job.

Then the tragic Neil Peart news broke and it's been a lot of Rush ever since.

Yeah. I popped in the Exit, Stage Left DVD tonight. Top notch.

Put on the Rush playlist

Tom Sawyer(early version)- Allentown, PA 9/30/80
Garden Road- Cleveland, OH 8/26/74
Not Fade Away
Animate
Jacob's Ladder
The Analog Kid
Circumstances- Tuscon, Arizona 11/20/78
Headlong Flight
The Enemy Within- Toronto, Ont. 9/21/84

...and I forced myself to listen to Afterimage as a fitting closer, so haunting. Now that he's gone Neil's lyrics I feel will have a much more profound impact than his drumming.

Lately I've been listening to the latest Grimes and Poppy records. On the surface they're both extremely similar pop artists and their darker music seems to go hand in hand but personality wise they couldn't be any different. Grimes is incredibly outspoken to the point where she constantly lands herself into trouble. Poppy on the other hand maybe the best gimmick on the internet and nobody has been able to crack her. I've mostly written her off as a novelty act, but her latest album 'I Disagree' has been a really interesting listen since it melds so many genres and seems like such a big departure for the character.

It's largely been compared to nu-metal acts, but I hear a lot of stadium rock in there and it appears to have a lot of theatrics you'd find in pop rock like Queen. Concrete at one point breaks down into a Brian May solo and I Disagree has a big hook that reminds me of a lot of music Baker brought up earlier. Anything Like Me sounds like a Marilyn Manson cover while Fill the Crown has this hard rock industrial sound of Rammenstein's Du Heist before melding into a sombre pop song.

Since I'm a sap, I really dug the kick back song of the record Nothing I Need. It's a departure from all the other songs and doesn't reflect the record at all, but it just captures that bittersweet feeling of climbing that hill getting everything you wanted and still not being satisfied.

However it's a really fun record and I like that it wears it's inspirations on it's sleeves.

Like a million of others, Grimes came onto my radar following the release of Visions. Her alternative take on pop and her intricate production gave her a distinct presence in music and there is just something so down to earth about her. Her song Oblivion blew up and remains one of the signature songs of the past decade for me. I didn't get into her follow up as much as I should have, but from memory it was a more energetic record with some great dance tracks or what I call 'alarm' songs that just help wake you up in the morning. Realiti which predated the record was my alarm for a fair portion of 2015.

Her latest album is supposedly something of a concept album about these gods who see the current state of the world and are just filled with gutteral rage. This is best captured in My Name Is Dark, currently my favourite Grimes song of all-time that instantly conjures up the demon from Fantasia. It's already a strong contender for song of the year and Grimes recently did an interview on lyrical genius to break the song down which is well worth checking out.

The rest of the album is really solid as well. 4am has this Bollywood type sound to it before it dives into a frenetic chorus we've come to expect. Darkseid and New Gods are really intense songs, especially when PAN starts hitting her verses in Darkseid. I have no idea what she's saying, but there's a rush to it that sounds other worldly. One other track I wanted to highlight was Delete Forever which sounds like a commercial rock song of the late 90s. I can't quite put my finger on it, but it's a departure from the electronic sound we're used to from Grimes and it appears to have a lot of strings involved - I can hear a violin and a banjo which I never expected to hear from Grimes.

Billy Ray Cyrus covering Neil f'n Diamond seems more like a glorious dream than a real thing. But it exists!



Needless to say
This has been a Billy Ray
And Neil day

In Tori Amos mode today, such a captivating performer.

Cornflake Girl

Crucify- Montreaux 1991

Live To Tell (Madonna cover)

Muhammad My Friend (with Maynard James Keenan)

Smells Like Teen Spirit- Montreaux 1991

Doughnut Song

Hey Jupiter- VH1 Storytellers

I got floor tickets to Rage Against The Machine in Calgary.

I'm fucking psyched.

Some back in the day shit....

Not your Sopranos finale revival Journey.

I was hyped about going to a Kansas/Foreigner/EUROPE(!!!) super concert in Virginia on August 26th but that's obviously all up in the air now.

The past week or so I've been listening to a lot of Monster Ballads and the rabbit holes it leads me down, Coronavirus casualty Joe Diffie (early 90s country singer), and a badass fanmade tribute song to Stannis Baratheon on Youtube called Straight Outta Dragonstone. Now Pete has me hooked on Lacey Evans theme, which I had initially dismissed.

Besides Chicago, Heart and Cheap Trick due to the ballads countdown a lot of Pat Metheny. His brand of uplifting jazz fusion hits the spot for me in these strange times.

Spamming with a ballad playlist, ones that deserve recognition but (probably) didn't make the tournament. Some are also not "rock" enough anyway, probably why Springsteen didn't make it for me.

Prodigal Son- Bruce Springsteen
Winter Song- Bruce Springsteen
Stolen Car- Bruce Springsteen
Wreck On The Highway- Bruce Springsteen
Drive All Night- Bruce Springsteen
New York City Serenade- Bruce Springsteen
Incident On 57th Street- Bruce Springsteen
This Woman's Work- Kate Bush
And So Is Love- Kate Bush (so good, plus it has Clapton too!)
Telegraph Road- Dire Straits (should have just submitted it, words can't describe how great this is)
Somethin' To Hide- Journey (forgot how good this is, right up there with Faithfully and leaves Open Arms in the dust)
Winter- Tori Amos (floors me every time, so beautiful)
Resist- Rush
The Pass- Rush
Good Enough- Sarah McLachlan
Fields Of Gold- Sting

This was always one of my favorite threads and it deserves to be bumped.


I just finished watching Special on Netflix and I had to track down the first song of the series because it was so catchy. I'm delving deep now into Dent May, he's like a cross between The Beach Boys and Tame Impala. So far I'm enjoying what I've heard. I've always been a big fan of psychedelic pop as it stands already. Guy has an awesome voice, and apparently plays the ukulele which I haven't heard yet...

Other than that, I haven't listened to much of anything new recently, just rehashing some favorites like The Beatles, Elliott Smith, Mac DeMarco, etc. etc.

Ever get stuck on a phase of loving a couple of songs to death?
These are a couple of my frequent rotations songs at the moment:









My taste in music is eclectic, mostly this week it's Iggy Pop.

I can't get enough of this synthwave masterpiece:


Plus a Neal Morse extravaganza, such a talent:

Band: Bury Tomorrow
Album: Cannibal
Release Date: 7-3-2020[/u]

Got my long awaited workout music coming in the form of UK Metalcore decade long running Bury Tomorrow's Cannibal which got released today. Having gotten to listen to each of the tracks on this album with the months leading up to the long awaited release from this band, I am very eager on where they go with this. This album got pushed back months from it's once destined early 2020 release due to COVID-19 so you can imagine as someone who has been listening hard to this band since "Man on Fire" years ago that I was all over this album. A lot of themes such as mental health and depression were discussed as main pieces upon the album's creation and the great thing about this band is they do the perfect mix of melody and screaming/hard vocals where neither really triumphs over the other. Songs I can recommended of this group in the past are "1603", "More than Mortal", "Royal Blood" and "Black Flame" but they have a heck of a catalog if you are at all into Metalcore, which happens to be one of my favorite genres of music. I'm a sucker for clean vocals in a metal band so these guys have one of the better clean vocalists in Jason Cameron and they're an all around fun band to listen to.

Probably will go through each track and give a quick opinion on each one. Only 4 of the 11 songs have I listened enough times to get a vibe off of it or not so these are pure first listens and as with a lot of songs from the bands I like, they take some tries to finally grow on me. Not really lyric dissecting here on first listens mainly.

1) Choke- The 3rd release months ago, it's a good song that is really led by the chorus with solid enough screams. Of the 4 singles, this is probably 2nd place for me. Good catchy opening track that is intense and sort of dictates the pace of this album altogether. The one thing with these guys is they don't have any tediously long track and some of their music goes at a certain rhythm and while none of it truly sounds the same, they have their own style and you know what your getting with this band. No real truly risk taking which is absolutely fine for me.

2) Cannibal- Self titled track, probably the 3rd best singles track. More on the scream side with the hint of cleans in there. Guitar work instantly jumps out at you, good song to keep the pace going that was dictated by 'Choke'. In comparison to their last album, "Black Flame" which a lot of people can attest to that it wasn't the best production value album, this seems much better and seems more upped with the volume and it hits you pretty hard.

3) The Grey (VIXI)- My favorite singles track off the album and for good reason, the first single they went with late last year when announcing this album. Cleans are more evident here and the screams are more so 2nd fiddle here which is fine by me. The video is really weird but the music is great, this is a very good track and was a constant playback song earlier this year for me which is something I cannot say for the other tracks which got some mileage but not as much here. Song hits more on home with being stuck in the void. Lone song I can say I know the words of which isn't hard since there aren't too many different lines, just a really good track overall.

4) Imposter- First new song that isn't a single. Def. follows a certain rhythm as I mentioned before, the blend of screams and cleans are done well here. Intense song which is pretty much the word to define this band. Guitar solo midway is really good, wish it was longer in fact! An alright song for me.

5) Better Below- 4th single that was released and it was the worst and didn't necessarily resonate with me. Just no real standout part here although the guitar solo in the middle is the top part here.

6) The Agonist- Can't help but bop your head to the screams here. Cleans sound like one of the their songs off their last album that I can't wrap my finger on, this song really feels like it fits the theme of 'Black Flame'. Thinking this song will get better and better for me, absolute adrenaline fuel and a song to have a good ass jog on. For me, Metalcore and Synthwave are the two genres I jam with when doing work out sessions. Outro is the lone downfall here, doesn't really fit in here but given how intense the tracks have been, they are allowed a little cooldown

7) Quake: Ah now the outro of the previous tracks makes total sense, this is a far less aggressive track with the cleans leading the path here though the 2nd half Daniel Winter-Bates the lead vocalists takes command here. Solid track and it's appreciated they changed up the pace a little bit past the halfway point here, sort of a slower version of Grey. Don't know how I feel about this track on later listens.

8) Gods & Machines: Supposedly this is the 5th and final single which was released a week before the drop of the album. Saw a few people hyping this track up but I kept myself on blackout intentionally with the album so close and figure it makes sense to go from 1-11 in order to get the best experience. Song structure seems far more complex with the lyric base where it isn't the same chorus said 3 or so times in the song which is good. Can't say enough how good the cleans are in this band, they are what help separate this band from the pack. The band Architects is another one that absolutely bring it in this category. It's a very good track, IDK if it will stand the test of time as an all time fav by this group but it was certainly an interesting one for a 1st time through.

9) Voice & Truth- I read the reviews leading up to this raving about the guitar work and I can see why as this song has some random moments of good riffs. Song goes out way too soon for me to really feel it but of the 9 tracks thus far, the guitars is put most right here. I am all for letting the other band members get a little shine too, it's cool.

10) Cold Sleep- Vocals of clean and the screaming are excellent here especially in the chorus, think this has potential of growing more on me with future listens. It sort of tickles what drew me to these guys with a fair pace and led by the good vocals while not letdown by the screams which bands of this genre often fall victim to.

11) Dark, Infinite- Track really didn't do too much for me, chorus wasn't even all that great. Think this might be a track more appreciated by others though just seemingly forgettable to me. Last song on the album kinda goes out on a dud here for me IMO.

Overall it's solid. I hate putting scores on these because it sort of cheapens my feelings of an album or video game or movie. I can't possibly say this album is poor or a massive letdown but not sure if my favorite tracks by these guys are knocked off by anything in this album. I think I know how these guys roll enough to know I am getting what I want out of this band and know they aren't necessarily experimenting or doing anything out of their ballpark....which again is OKAY because if I want that, there are other bands who offer that where I can go to. I get intense screams and pace, solid if not great cleans and nothing too complex. Was not really blown away by the album on first listen admittedly and not sure how it compares to Black Flame or Union of Crowns for me. Was kinda hoping for more but then again more than 1/3 of the album I already listened the heck out of in all fairness so to say this album would be a surprise would be a lie.

Blindy being a metalhead is the shock of the century. Where did that come from?

Jul 3, 2020 16:52:54 GMT Emperor said:

Blindy being a metalhead is the shock of the century. Where did that come from?

What music did you think I liked?!?!

Metalcore/Synthwave/Prog Rock are probably the 3 most consistent plays I have right now. Some rap and pop here and there and video game OST of course too.

I don't know. But as a rule, the average person does not like metal. Had you down as maybe a rap/hip hop kinda guy.

Do you listen to metal outside of metalcore?

Jul 3, 2020 17:56:45 GMT Blindy said:

Jul 3, 2020 16:52:54 GMT Emperor said:

Blindy being a metalhead is the shock of the century. Where did that come from?

What music did you think I liked?!?!

For some reason, I always thought you were super into stuff like Bruce Springsteen and Tom Petty, but I think I was getting you mixed up with someone else!

Jul 3, 2020 19:31:39 GMT Emperor said:

I don't know. But as a rule, the average person does not like metal. Had you down as maybe a rap/hip hop kinda guy.

Do you listen to metal outside of metalcore?

Mainly metal/metalcore. Maybe a little heavy metal. No death metal or thrash :lol: 

I like many genres besides R&B and country and mainstream hip hop and pop! 

So Crystal Lake, one of the better Metalcore bands out today and most certainly out of Japan dropped 2 bombs this past week, both of which are great! Their lead singer Ryo Kinoshita appeared as a guest vocal for Fit for a King's new single, God of Fire. If you haven't heard anything from Crystal Lake, man they are really heavy and super groovy. Their video/song for "Aeon" is crazy, absolute madness. "Devilcry" which I think was the 2nd or 3rd single off their last album was catchy as hell too. Altogether, a really good band that I have been listening to over the past couple of years.



Sounds like some throwback Nine Inch Nails industrial melody with the ruthless voals of Ryu. So damn good wow!





I don't think this is as good as some of their previous tracks but man if this band is dropping another album after the one done like 1 1/2 years ago, I am so for it! "Disobey" is the more heavier track, I am all for this metal creation/god theme they had over their last album(Check out "Aeon" for the ultimate video of all of that!).

Boards of Canada -- Geogaddi

I'll preface by saying I'm not even a big fan of ambient/electronica/trance, but this album blew me away; probably the closest I've ever felt to being on acid while not actually on acid. Simultaneously nightmarish and dreamy, at one second you'll want to rip your eyes out and then the next you just wanna tip-toe through the tulips and a whole mess of other emotions are felt in-between. There's this general sense of unease I have listening to this... I don't mean to come off like an edge-lord here, but it honestly personifies the very essence of trying to overcome a bad trip on psychedelics, at least from my own experience. If anyone ever asked me how it feels, I'd tell them to just listen to this record because it paints a better picture than I ever could. Like, you're experiencing bits of beauty but there's a darkness you don't want to confront but can't escape.

This is one of the few records I've ever listened to where I felt like immediately I wanted to hear it all over again after it was over to find anything I might have missed.

You should really listen to it in full, but the highlight songs for me:

00:00--00:57, "Ready Lets Go"//"Music Is Math" -- I'm crash-landing on an alien planet apparently....

06:58, "Gyroscope" -- Absolutely fucking terrifying. 

11:46, "Sunshine Recorder" -- Warm, fuzzy feelings abound. Applies for the following song as well...

19:23, "Julie and Candy" -- One of the coolest rhythms I've ever heard.

26:11, "1969" -- An amalgamation of every emotion present in the album wrapped up in a single song.

44:09, "The Devil is in the Details" -- I think someone's trying to sacrifice me....

50:50, "Dawn Chorus" -- Might just be my favorite song on the album. Hard to describe in words...

1:01:31, "Corsair" -- The end of the world.