Face it, we must be metal nerds if this stuff bugs us.
I don't post about hardcore very often but these two releases have been strappin' my boots on lately. Noisy, grimy atmospheric noise-core on the first one, and total NYHC excellence for fans of Leeway, Cro-Mags, etc.
I'm seeing Ghost play in an arena tomorrow. I'm not in love with all of their music, but their live show looks fun as hell. I would not have guessed that they're big enough to play Barclays Center (people like Jay Z and Lorde play there), so I'm curious to see how that goes.
Speaking of arenas, I must admit it felt odd after seeing Nightwish in an arena (where they can pull out all the stops, yet still manage to make it feel remarkably intimate), to look up the tour and see that they're still playing 2,000 seaters in the USA. And according to the sales numbers, some were less than half full.
The arena in question (capacity 15,000 and change) wasn't full either, but it wasn't far off. Only a few rows empty in the nosebleeds, that's all.
The American market can still be a tough nut to crack. The audience is probably so spread out for them that more dates but smaller venues makes sense. In the UK I guess the relative size of the country makes a smaller number of shows in bigger venues a viable option; especially since they're used to putting on a big production in, say, Scandinavia (especially Finland) or the high-up/headlining slots on the big European festivals. I feel like it was maybe a bit of a gamble for them to headline Wembley Arena in 2015, but one that paid off, since this time they took in three arenas at well spaced out, strategic locations.
I'm sure making the jump to booking arenas is not a decision taken lightly for any band or their management. That's got to be a heart-in-mouth moment.
Speaking of arenas, I must admit it felt odd after seeing Nightwish in an arena (where they can pull out all the stops, yet still manage to make it feel remarkably intimate), to look up the tour and see that they're still playing 2,000 seaters in the USA. And according to the sales numbers, some were less than half full.
The arena in question (capacity 15,000 and change) wasn't full either, but it wasn't far off. Only a few rows empty in the nosebleeds, that's all.
The American market can still be a tough nut to crack. The audience is probably so spread out for them that more dates but smaller venues makes sense. In the UK I guess the relative size of the country makes a smaller number of shows in bigger venues a viable option; especially since they're used to putting on a big production in, say, Scandinavia (especially Finland) or the high-up/headlining slots on the big European festivals. I feel like it was maybe a bit of a gamble for them to headline Wembley Arena in 2015, but one that paid off, since this time they took in three arenas at well spaced out, strategic locations.
I'm sure making the jump to booking arenas is not a decision taken lightly for any band or their management. That's got to be a heart-in-mouth moment.
Paul from Chicago-based Novembers Doom often talks about how they often have a much better showing when they play in Europe. When I saw them live in Chicago one time, they were playing a club it was one of the smallest crowds I've ever seen at a metal show. The venue was probably only 1/4th full. They had a slightly better showing when I saw them open for Katatonia last year.
Speaking of arenas, I must admit it felt odd after seeing Nightwish in an arena (where they can pull out all the stops, yet still manage to make it feel remarkably intimate), to look up the tour and see that they're still playing 2,000 seaters in the USA. And according to the sales numbers, some were less than half full.
The arena in question (capacity 15,000 and change) wasn't full either, but it wasn't far off. Only a few rows empty in the nosebleeds, that's all.
The American market can still be a tough nut to crack. The audience is probably so spread out for them that more dates but smaller venues makes sense. In the UK I guess the relative size of the country makes a smaller number of shows in bigger venues a viable option; especially since they're used to putting on a big production in, say, Scandinavia (especially Finland) or the high-up/headlining slots on the big European festivals. I feel like it was maybe a bit of a gamble for them to headline Wembley Arena in 2015, but one that paid off, since this time they took in three arenas at well spaced out, strategic locations.
I'm sure making the jump to booking arenas is not a decision taken lightly for any band or their management. That's got to be a heart-in-mouth moment.
It is a little disheartening seeing some of these European bands here in the US. Kreator and U.D.O. sell out arenas all across Europe and can barely fill <1000 person clubs in the states. The worst was when I saw Primal Fear a few years ago and there were MAYBE 25 people there. I feel bad for the bands whenever that happens.
I thought that was a solid In Flames song, at least on par with some of the tunes I enjoyed on A Sense of Purpose and Reroute to Remain. Catchy chorus, half-decent riffs.
Here's the other advance song for comparison. They really seem to be pushing their mascot/icon thing lately.
surrealitychecklonely, but not unloveddreaming of faulty keys and latchesRegistered Userregular
edited December 2018
ive always been sympathetic to cheesy clean vocals but i have always found something kind of reedy and offputting about his cleans - if they just got a guest vocalist it would be a lot better. the other problem is that in flames were never good at the harder less straightforwardly harmonic chuggy stuff - all the good tracks on eg clayman/colony were straight cheese albeit with that particular ghetto 90s melodeath vibe and no clean vox to help cover it up and stop their fans dying of shame, and it sometimes feels like they need to stop pretending and just lean into making ridiculous tracks with less of an attempt to be "metal"
Clayman has "Swim" on it, if I'm not mistaken, which is one of their best songs by far.
The In Flames albums I don't get much out of are Soundtrack to Your Escape, Come Clarity, Sounds of a Playground Fading, Siren Charms and Battles. But I think I should probably revisit a couple of those.
Yeah the only one after Reroute that I listen to is A Sense of Purpose, which I get mocked relentlessly for, but I think it's super catchy, emotionally charged and probably 9-10 songs deep before there are any I'd consider filler.
I still listen to about half of Come Clarity. I enjoy "Take This Life" immensely.
Yeah, there were a couple of songs on each subsequent album that I liked ("Take This Life" being one), but that was down from liking all or almost all of them. I have a framed Come Clarity poster autographed by all of them (thankfully, before Jesper left) since that was the last tour I caught them on.
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SteevLWhat can I do for you?Registered Userregular
edited December 2018
Almost nothing I've heard by In Flames has appealed to me after Clayman. For me, their golden era was from The Jester Race - Colony, and I also really love "Stand Ablaze" off the Subterranean EP.
That being said, "The End" off their previous album is an absolute earworm and I usually have to listen to it 2 or 3 times to get it out of my system.
I'm on the train home from the Ghost show. The show was great, and I'm so happy they finally played "Majesty", as it was the only song from Meliora that I hadn't heard live.
Next year for me is so far all big name acts. KISS in March, JP in May and then Maiden in August. I'm also considering flying out to Netherlands Deathfest to see Intestine Baalism and all the other bands.
I've got a ticket to see Mortiis headline the Northeast Dungeon Siege festival, three days of dungeon synth bands and tabletop gaming. I'm going on Saturday, because I've already got a ticket to PAXEast for Sunday.
Apart from that, the Morbid Angel/Immolation/Necrot and Blood Incantation gig, and my friend is putting on a matinee before that gig (in the same city) headlined by Outer Heaven. So I'll make a day out of it in good old Woostah Mass.
All of these aren't until March, though, so I'll probably hit up a show or two before then.
I'm on the train home from the Ghost show. The show was great, and I'm so happy they finally played "Majesty", as it was the only song from Meliora that I hadn't heard live.
at Barclays Center? I think we were at the same show! Seeing Ghost live really gave me more of an appreciation for their music. Yes they are cheese metal, yes it's "evil cosplay", but they lean so hard into the camp factor and commit 100% to the shtick that I can't help but get swept up in the spectacle of it all. Tobias is also a lot chattier on stage than I expected. I expected them to play up the "shrouded in mystery" angle, but now that the cat's out of the bag anyway, he's up there cracking corny jokes about butts and stuff. I loved it.
So far I have seen Ghost in a tiny club (what?) and a medium sized theater. I would really love them to come back to Seattle and play like Key Arena or something. Really surprised that they aren't hitting Seattle this go around. I suspect it has something to do with the availability of an appropriate venue though.
I'm still trigger shy on these dudes because, despite having a string of consistently improving singles, most of their albums are chock full of some truly awful Linkin Park/Limp Bizkit shit. If they could put out a full release with stuff like this and "Apollo" or even "The Circle" I'd be all about them.
But as for now their singles are their real strength and about as far as I'll dive into them unless I hear otherwise.
Posts
Evoken's latest is great.
The newest albums from King Witch, Lucifer, Alastor (Sweden) and Black Wizard all rock, a few of those will be very high up on my year's end list.
Also, the Cosmic Atrophy art finally got added @autothrall
Very cool. Only missing the art for Striker Play to Win and Vanik II: Dark Season.
I don't post about hardcore very often but these two releases have been strappin' my boots on lately. Noisy, grimy atmospheric noise-core on the first one, and total NYHC excellence for fans of Leeway, Cro-Mags, etc.
It's pretty good blackened death/doom or something like that.
Nah, I just wanted to like acknowledge the suggestions as I’ve been going straight through the list listening on band camp
Some choice guitar tones going on
The arena in question (capacity 15,000 and change) wasn't full either, but it wasn't far off. Only a few rows empty in the nosebleeds, that's all.
The American market can still be a tough nut to crack. The audience is probably so spread out for them that more dates but smaller venues makes sense. In the UK I guess the relative size of the country makes a smaller number of shows in bigger venues a viable option; especially since they're used to putting on a big production in, say, Scandinavia (especially Finland) or the high-up/headlining slots on the big European festivals. I feel like it was maybe a bit of a gamble for them to headline Wembley Arena in 2015, but one that paid off, since this time they took in three arenas at well spaced out, strategic locations.
I'm sure making the jump to booking arenas is not a decision taken lightly for any band or their management. That's got to be a heart-in-mouth moment.
Steam | XBL
Paul from Chicago-based Novembers Doom often talks about how they often have a much better showing when they play in Europe. When I saw them live in Chicago one time, they were playing a club it was one of the smallest crowds I've ever seen at a metal show. The venue was probably only 1/4th full. They had a slightly better showing when I saw them open for Katatonia last year.
My Backloggery
It is a little disheartening seeing some of these European bands here in the US. Kreator and U.D.O. sell out arenas all across Europe and can barely fill <1000 person clubs in the states. The worst was when I saw Primal Fear a few years ago and there were MAYBE 25 people there. I feel bad for the bands whenever that happens.
Still not really my thing.
My Backloggery
Here's the other advance song for comparison. They really seem to be pushing their mascot/icon thing lately.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=20&v=ZoUgqwMX9oo
eg
in fact the whole of clayman is deeply stupid at a core level which is why it was... fun
The In Flames albums I don't get much out of are Soundtrack to Your Escape, Come Clarity, Sounds of a Playground Fading, Siren Charms and Battles. But I think I should probably revisit a couple of those.
Yeah, there were a couple of songs on each subsequent album that I liked ("Take This Life" being one), but that was down from liking all or almost all of them. I have a framed Come Clarity poster autographed by all of them (thankfully, before Jesper left) since that was the last tour I caught them on.
That being said, "The End" off their previous album is an absolute earworm and I usually have to listen to it 2 or 3 times to get it out of my system.
My Backloggery
hang on reporting this post
Got tickets for Delain w/ Amorphis, then a week later Kamelot, Sonata Arctica and Battle Beast, and 4 days after that a stop on the Avantasia US tour.
Report me for my love of cheesy, power metal cleans if you must, but I'll probably need surgery to make my smile go away by Thanksgiving next year.
~ Buckaroo Banzai
My Backloggery
Apart from that, the Morbid Angel/Immolation/Necrot and Blood Incantation gig, and my friend is putting on a matinee before that gig (in the same city) headlined by Outer Heaven. So I'll make a day out of it in good old Woostah Mass.
All of these aren't until March, though, so I'll probably hit up a show or two before then.
at Barclays Center? I think we were at the same show! Seeing Ghost live really gave me more of an appreciation for their music. Yes they are cheese metal, yes it's "evil cosplay", but they lean so hard into the camp factor and commit 100% to the shtick that I can't help but get swept up in the spectacle of it all. Tobias is also a lot chattier on stage than I expected. I expected them to play up the "shrouded in mystery" angle, but now that the cat's out of the bag anyway, he's up there cracking corny jokes about butts and stuff. I loved it.
https://ironboneheadproductions.bandcamp.com/album/eosphoros-s-t
I missed this one back in August — Pacific Northwest occult deathened Black
I like it, it has that American vibe where you’re reading the necronomicon but you’re feeling emotions at the same time
🤘🏼
This is some straight cyberdeath.
I'm still trigger shy on these dudes because, despite having a string of consistently improving singles, most of their albums are chock full of some truly awful Linkin Park/Limp Bizkit shit. If they could put out a full release with stuff like this and "Apollo" or even "The Circle" I'd be all about them.
But as for now their singles are their real strength and about as far as I'll dive into them unless I hear otherwise.