As much as I loathe Pitchfork and most posh pop-culture review outlets, a 9.2 from them is a pretty high score for an album.
Personally it's a 10/10, but by no means is that album that would fit the tastes of most listeners (even in metal).
Reviewing an album like that at this point just seems a bit like reviewing.... I don't know, the sun.
8.2/10 this glowing orb provides the light and heat to sustain all life on Earth but it also causes cancer and ultimately its bloated form will swallow the remnants of the charred husk we used to call home.
As much as I loathe Pitchfork and most posh pop-culture review outlets, a 9.2 from them is a pretty high score for an album.
Personally it's a 10/10, but by no means is that album that would fit the tastes of most listeners (even in metal).
Reviewing an album like that at this point just seems a bit like reviewing.... I don't know, the sun.
8.2/10 this glowing orb provides the light and heat to sustain all life on Earth but it also causes cancer and ultimately its bloated form will swallow the remnants of the charred husk we used to call home.
It is part of their Sunday review series, where they take a look at a classic album each week.
In addition to the usual 10 CDs for $50 and other deals, Hells Headbangers has a small pile of CDs available for $1 each right now. Not a lot of great stuff, but I managed to get We of Scorn by Shed the Shin and Vanik IIDark Season in with another order I made.
So now there's another 'TRUE' Batushka called Batyushka but from Russia...?:!?! This is hilarious, probably a parody of the whole situation but they've got a few albums out too.
That video kind of gives a glimpse into his current thought processes. It's really interesting. I almost get the sense he dislikes his own musical legacy and wishes he lived in a different musical era.
I've kind of come to the conclusion that they should have disbanded after Watershed and reformed under a new name or something.
New Leprous out too. I'm really looking forward to this album, even though they've dropped a lot of their heavier aspects, there's still a uniquely 'Leprous' feel around their new stuff.
Which isn't a bad fate to have, but I'd have been okay with Leprous keeping the heaviness, I think the way they're headed people are going to stop being excited for their stuff.
After Bilateral, Coal and The Congregation I can't really ask anything more of them though.
surrealitychecklonely, but not unloveddreaming of faulty keys and latchesRegistered Userregular
something i was thinking about recently is like... where did the "fear factory" style heavy bands go
theres still tonnes of straight forward nonsense lo fi stuff and conventional growling stuff but the kind of obnoxiously loud production big synths wall of sound stuff (strapping to an extent) seems to not really exist any more which is... weird? y people not tryna rip off fear factory and strapping
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KakodaimonosCode fondlerHelping the 1% get richerRegistered Userregular
Come over to the slam metal/deathcore side of things.
There’s more in the thread but yeah, that’s rough. I thought he had largely moved passed that since the St. Anger days but I guess addiction doesn’t work that way.
SteevLWhat can I do for you?Registered Userregular
edited September 2019
My wife and I went to a library's used book sale and ended up walking out with Nevermore's self-titled and In Memory, Lacuna Coil's In A Reverie, Comalies, and Karmacode, Cathedral's Hopkins: The Witchfinder General, and Living Coulour's Vivid. An interesting mix. Most of these were $1.
Apparently Karmacode is a divisive album? We don't really know anything about Lacuna Coil, but figured we'd pick them up.
Meanwhile, the new Borknagar seems pretty solid! I've listened to the new Opeth in Swedish and English and I'm surprised to find that I prefer the English one. Not by much, but I guess I do want to understand what is being sung sometimes.
BlackDragon480Bluster KerfuffleMaster of Windy ImportRegistered Userregular
edited September 2019
IME Karmacode is a divisive album, only to that rabid contingent which demanded a complete retread of Comalies to be acceptable. They reached out more compositionaly with a lot of Arabic and Eastern influences, Cristina was arguably at the height of her powers, and the band lineup may be the tightest they've ever had
It also didn't go over well that Closer and Our Truth were both featured in video games, ensuring those that weren't sufficiently kvlt might be exposed to them and want to learn more.
BlackDragon480 on
No matter where you go...there you are. ~ Buckaroo Banzai
Meanwhile, the new Borknagar seems pretty solid! I've listened to the new Opeth in Swedish and English and I'm surprised to find that I prefer the English one. Not by much, but I guess I do want to understand what is being sung sometimes.
I've been splitting my listens of the new Opeth between the two languages, whenever I'm not listening to the Borknagar.
Haven't been listening to much the last few weeks. My dog was hit and killed by a car two weeks past and we've been kind of too bummed out to listen to new stuff. But I'm catching up and it's been a pretty good few weeks musically.
Spent some quality time with In Cauda Venenum. It's the best Opeth album I've heard in like a decade. Spoilered for long.
I quite enjoy it, but at the same time retain some disappointment. This album though really helped me recognize what it is about new Opeth that disappoints me, and it's not the lack of growls. In fact, until this album I don't think there was a natural point on Pale Communion, Heritage, or Sorcerer where growls would have even made sense. There are spots on this album where I did think growls would have been an awesome punctuation to some of the passages, but I didn't necessarily miss them.
I've realized that the problem I have with new-Opeth is that they created a legacy which is still lasting, and which new bands are still being compared to. When people say 'this band sounds like Opeth' I don't think anyone's talking about 2010-2019 Opeth. But now they've become this band that is being compared to other bands. So when I listen to newpeth, I hear King Crimson, Porcupine Tree, Riverside, Pink Floyd, etc. I feel like I stopped hearing Opeth, I was hearing other bands run through an Opeth snapchat filter or something. So I'm sad that Opeth has transitioned from a band that other bands were compared to, into a band that is compared to other bands.
I think I like In Cauda Venenum so much more because there are a lot of moments on this album that FEEL like Opeth to me. My biggest complaint about this album is the synth/keyboards. They sound terrible to me. Too often they're way too loud in the mix and sound like they were sampled from that 70s Sesame Street thing (1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10...11-12!). And they often obscure otherwise solid riffs. Overall though, very good album, and the only Opeth they've released since Ghost Reveries that I could see myself going back to again.
Also released recently was Car Bomb's Mordial. This is a very challenging album. I don't think I like it as much as Meta, but it's still really cool. There's a song called Blackened Battery which is really cool, and you'll immediately understand the inspiration once you hear it:
And I actually agree, the new Car Bomb is not quite as good as Meta.
I'll go even further when I say that I continue to love the new Opeth, I haven't read a single complaint about it yet that holds true for me when I listen through the album. I think it's probably my favorite since Blackwater Park.
Anyway, checking out the new Disastrous Murmur album next.
I'll go even further when I say that I continue to love the new Opeth, I haven't read a single complaint about it yet that holds true for me when I listen through the album. I think it's probably my favorite since Blackwater Park.
I think if I were to listen to it in a vacuum, without the burden of their previous catalog, it would be one of my favourite albums of the year. But that legacy is so strong to me, and was such an important part of my development into a fan of metal.
SteevLWhat can I do for you?Registered Userregular
New Opeth is definitely stronger than the last album. I'd actually rank Sorceress lowest among the last four albums, albeit it has some of my favorite songs by them on it. I think Pale Communion still has them all beat when taken as a full album experience for me, but we'll see how things are in time. It took a long time for PC to really grab me and I found the initial song or two kind of boring.
Pale Communion is excellent, no doubt. I might like the new one just a wee bit more though. Only time will tell.
I think Heritage is the worst of the last four, it felt like they were undergoing some growing pains, although it's not a total bust at all, there are some good moments on there.
I really wish I could get into Opeth. I've tried a whole bunch of times, and seeing all of you speak of them with such reverence is making me feel like I'm missing out.
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Personally it's a 10/10, but by no means is that album one that would fit the tastes of most listeners (even in metal).
Reviewing an album like that at this point just seems a bit like reviewing.... I don't know, the sun.
8.2/10 this glowing orb provides the light and heat to sustain all life on Earth but it also causes cancer and ultimately its bloated form will swallow the remnants of the charred husk we used to call home.
It is part of their Sunday review series, where they take a look at a classic album each week.
Sadly, today will be one of those times. Good thing I've got new Borknagar for my headphones.
Edit: wait, is Bells of Awakening just a stand-alone EP? Guess so. Still incredible.
https://www.metal-archives.com/bands/Batyushka/3540458107#band_tab_discography
I'm a fan of pretty much all his selections, although The Elder by KISS would be my cellar dweller.
~ Buckaroo Banzai
I've kind of come to the conclusion that they should have disbanded after Watershed and reformed under a new name or something.
a bit late on this but it does seem the inevitable fate of leprous is to, er, become karnivool
After Bilateral, Coal and The Congregation I can't really ask anything more of them though.
theres still tonnes of straight forward nonsense lo fi stuff and conventional growling stuff but the kind of obnoxiously loud production big synths wall of sound stuff (strapping to an extent) seems to not really exist any more which is... weird? y people not tryna rip off fear factory and strapping
http://rattenfanger.bandcamp.com/album/geisslerlieder
Steam | XBL
That vid seems borked, for me anyway. Here's the official vid Naplam put up this morning:
Me likely, and only 19 days till I see them and Amorphis.
~ Buckaroo Banzai
Steam | XBL
Insomnium continues to do what they do
2:10 is wonderful.
I don't like it quite as much as the first one, but I still like it.
There’s more in the thread but yeah, that’s rough. I thought he had largely moved passed that since the St. Anger days but I guess addiction doesn’t work that way.
Apparently Karmacode is a divisive album? We don't really know anything about Lacuna Coil, but figured we'd pick them up.
Meanwhile, the new Borknagar seems pretty solid! I've listened to the new Opeth in Swedish and English and I'm surprised to find that I prefer the English one. Not by much, but I guess I do want to understand what is being sung sometimes.
My Backloggery
It also didn't go over well that Closer and Our Truth were both featured in video games, ensuring those that weren't sufficiently kvlt might be exposed to them and want to learn more.
~ Buckaroo Banzai
I've been splitting my listens of the new Opeth between the two languages, whenever I'm not listening to the Borknagar.
Spent some quality time with In Cauda Venenum. It's the best Opeth album I've heard in like a decade. Spoilered for long.
I've realized that the problem I have with new-Opeth is that they created a legacy which is still lasting, and which new bands are still being compared to. When people say 'this band sounds like Opeth' I don't think anyone's talking about 2010-2019 Opeth. But now they've become this band that is being compared to other bands. So when I listen to newpeth, I hear King Crimson, Porcupine Tree, Riverside, Pink Floyd, etc. I feel like I stopped hearing Opeth, I was hearing other bands run through an Opeth snapchat filter or something. So I'm sad that Opeth has transitioned from a band that other bands were compared to, into a band that is compared to other bands.
I think I like In Cauda Venenum so much more because there are a lot of moments on this album that FEEL like Opeth to me. My biggest complaint about this album is the synth/keyboards. They sound terrible to me. Too often they're way too loud in the mix and sound like they were sampled from that 70s Sesame Street thing (1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10...11-12!). And they often obscure otherwise solid riffs. Overall though, very good album, and the only Opeth they've released since Ghost Reveries that I could see myself going back to again.
Also released recently was Car Bomb's Mordial. This is a very challenging album. I don't think I like it as much as Meta, but it's still really cool. There's a song called Blackened Battery which is really cool, and you'll immediately understand the inspiration once you hear it:
Speaking of Opeth-alikes, Vinsta has a new single, it's really good although I find German a challenging language to listen to in my music.
The new Blut Aus Nord is fucking fantastic, but has already been discussed I think.
Counterparts has a new single which is great if you like melodic metalcore:
Cranial has some more post-metal for you. If you're a fan of Cult of Luna and enjoyed their latest release you might like this too:
Anyways, that's what I've been listening to!
Steam | XBL
And I actually agree, the new Car Bomb is not quite as good as Meta.
I'll go even further when I say that I continue to love the new Opeth, I haven't read a single complaint about it yet that holds true for me when I listen through the album. I think it's probably my favorite since Blackwater Park.
Anyway, checking out the new Disastrous Murmur album next.
I think if I were to listen to it in a vacuum, without the burden of their previous catalog, it would be one of my favourite albums of the year. But that legacy is so strong to me, and was such an important part of my development into a fan of metal.
North of a 9, for sure.
I haven't heard a 10/10 yet for the current year.
My Backloggery
I think Heritage is the worst of the last four, it felt like they were undergoing some growing pains, although it's not a total bust at all, there are some good moments on there.
I got an email about this today: https://vendetta-records.bandcamp.com/album/mmxvii-mmxviii
I didn't know Abyssal Vacuum before, but Vendetta has been on fire lately, and I'm digging this. Getting some Negative Plane vibes.