Trollheart Listens to Every Album on Wiki's List for 2017

The Batlord · 02-22-2018, 03:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Trollheart

Album title: One More Light
Artist: Linkin Park

If you want to know why everyone hates them then look no further than their first single. Latter era Linkin Park was at least not as embarrassing. It's like the late-90s threw up all over your shoes.

Trollheart · 02-22-2018, 03:51 PM

Album title: Goths
Artist: The Mountain Goats
Genre: Indie Rock/Indie Folk/Gothic Rock*
Nationality: American
Release date: May 19
Position in Discography: Seventeenth
Estimated Rating:

Have I heard of this artist? Yes
Have I heard anything by this artist? No
Average RYM Score: 3.37
A very good start. Apparently they based this album on music by The Cure, Siouxsie, Bauhaus and Joy Division, and I can hear at least some of The Cure in the opener, but I'm really hearing more Sisters of Mercy. Interestingly, I wrote that before I saw the title of the second track, which is “Andrew Eldritch is Moving Back to Leeds”.

Kind of more a psych/folk feel to that one though, perhaps ironically? I really like the third track, has that real breezy, laid back thing going on and “We Do it Different on the West Coast” is brilliant. Nothing here I don't love so far. I hear a lot of Beautiful South in “Stench of the Unburied”, and the superbly smoky sax in “Rage of Travers” just washes over you like morning mist or something. Probably something else. But damn it is sweet. “Shelved” is another masterpiece, and I just can't get over how (and I hate to use this word but it's apt) awesome this album is. I don't know what I had been expecting, but I was not expecting this. Absolutely first rate, not a bad song on it, not even one that is less than great. A new fan, right here.

Check out more from this artist? Oh good holy ****, yes!
Check out more from this genre or subgenre? Yes

Actual Rating:

* Got to take issue with this tag. Gothic Rock? Not even close, not one single track; at least, not as I understand gothic rock.

**Frownland** · 02-22-2018, 03:58 PM

They sound like Sisters of Mercy but don't sound like gothic rock? Hmm...

Trollheart · 02-22-2018, 06:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Frownland

They sound like Sisters of Mercy but don't sound like gothic rock? Hmm...

Just on one song. If you listen to the rest of it I doubt you'd consider it gothic rock. Or (and this is always a possibility) I could be wrong. Sue me if so: the average settlement is forty thousand dollars.

Ol’ Qwerty Bastard · 02-23-2018, 05:27 AM

yeah great album, not mountain goats best tho imo but still, solid.

Trollheart · 02-23-2018, 06:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ol’ Qwerty Bastard

yeah great album, not mountain goats best tho imo but still, solid.

You mean they have better???

Ol’ Qwerty Bastard · 02-23-2018, 06:16 AM

beat the champ is my personal fav, definitely check it out. by far their catchiest.

Trollheart · 02-23-2018, 08:16 AM

Album title: Amber Galactic
Artist: The Night Flight Orchestra
Genre: Progressive Rock*
Nationality: Swedish
Release date: May 19
Position in Discography: Third
Estimated Rating:

Have I heard of this artist? Yes
Have I heard anything by this artist? No; I think I have this album but have yet to listen to it
Average RYM Score: 3.48
The first time I saw this band's name it evoked memories, as (as he gets misty-eyed for his long vanished youth) once upon a time I used to have a radio show on the local community radio. It was a late night show (9pm to 11pm I believe) and I called it “Night Flight Towards Midnight” (Shut up, Batty)

. Later they allowed me to extend it (I said, shut up Batty!) and I used to broadcast till 1 am, so the title changed to “Night Flight Beyond Midnight” (I'm nothing if not adaptable!) so this name, nearly thirty years later, struck a special chord with me. Yeah, you really needed to know that, didn't you? All part of the service. That said, however...

I don't think I'd consider this prog rock, more like AOR or even hard rock, at least going by the first two tracks. Not that that means I don't like it – I do, very much – but given the sources of most of the ratings on the Wiki page (Rock Hard, Power Metal, Metal Hammer etc) it seems unlikely this could be considered anywhere close to prog rock, not even prog metal. It is, however, extremely enjoyable if more than a little derivative. Well after all, nobody, not even me, is going to accuse AOR (and let's be clear here: this is AOR, pure and simple. Prog rock my arse!) of being experimental or taking any path other than the one of least resistance, and most AOR bands consequently sound pretty interchangeable. But if you can get past that – I personally see it as part of its charm, kind of like you pretty much always know what you're going to get with power metal – then there's a lot to be enjoyed here.

Sweden is fast becoming the centre for exciting emerging AOR acts, and I'd put these guys up there with Work of Art, Houston and Care of Night, if not quite on that level yet. One thing that does stand out is the guy's voice: instead of the usual West Coast American smooth style we get a rough, gravelly set of pipes more suited to southern boogie or perhaps even melodic metal. I'd pick out “Space Whisperer” and “Gemini” as highlights here, though everything is really good. And oddly enough for a band of this stripe, not a single ballad. But a hell of an album, and great fun. Not, in any way shape or form though, progressive rock. AOR all the way. Keeps me happy either way though.

Check out more from this artist? I think I have all their albums but have yet to listen to any
Check out more from this genre or subgenre? Yes indeedy

Actual Rating:

* Who writes these things? This is about as close to prog rock as Europe or Journey!

Trollheart · 02-23-2018, 08:37 AM

Album title: Revelation
Artist: Oceano
Genre: Deathcore
Nationality: American
Release date: May 19
Position in Discography: Fifth
Estimated Rating:

Have I heard of this artist? No
Average RYM Score: 2.62
Never going to be a fan of deathcore, and never going to give any points for vocals which sound like they're being sung by a stuck pig, but some of the music here is quite okay. But that's really about it: it's okay. Nothing special, nothing stands out, nothing to latch onto. Not, I'm forced to make the obvious pun, any sort of a revelation. And these vocals suck, to me, so that's always going to be hard for me to get past. In general, much of the music (when I can hear it/make it out over the roaring and growling) sounds kind of prog metal to me, but it's hard to tell really.

When the vocals stop and the music takes over it's not bad, as in the short instrumental “Final Form”, where the band can show what they're about. But such gems are few and far between (there's actually only one) so that doesn't factor enough into my rating here sadly. “The Event” has some nice musical ideas too, but they again get drowned out by the aggressive vocal, which ruins it for me. In the end, I guess the only thing I can say about this is that, well, it's deathcore. To paraphrase Kryten in Red Dwarf, that is its crime; it is also its punishment.

Check out more from this artist? No fricking way
Check out more from this genre or subgenre? Very unlikely

Actual Rating:

The Batlord · 02-23-2018, 11:33 AM

Oceano are another band embarrassed to be deathcore so they throw in a bunch of wannabe prog bull**** to give themselves cred.

02-22-2018, 03:51 PM	#1942 (permalink)
Trollheart Born to be mild Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: 404 Not Found Posts: 26,996	Album title: Goths Artist: The Mountain Goats Genre: Indie Rock/Indie Folk/Gothic Rock* Nationality: American Release date: May 19 Position in Discography: Seventeenth Estimated Rating: Have I heard of this artist? Yes Have I heard anything by this artist? No Average RYM Score: 3.37 A very good start. Apparently they based this album on music by The Cure, Siouxsie, Bauhaus and Joy Division, and I can hear at least some of The Cure in the opener, but I'm really hearing more Sisters of Mercy. Interestingly, I wrote that before I saw the title of the second track, which is “Andrew Eldritch is Moving Back to Leeds”. Kind of more a psych/folk feel to that one though, perhaps ironically? I really like the third track, has that real breezy, laid back thing going on and “We Do it Different on the West Coast” is brilliant. Nothing here I don't love so far. I hear a lot of Beautiful South in “Stench of the Unburied”, and the superbly smoky sax in “Rage of Travers” just washes over you like morning mist or something. Probably something else. But damn it is sweet. “Shelved” is another masterpiece, and I just can't get over how (and I hate to use this word but it's apt) awesome this album is. I don't know what I had been expecting, but I was not expecting this. Absolutely first rate, not a bad song on it, not even one that is less than great. A new fan, right here. Check out more from this artist? Oh good holy **, yes! Check out more from this genre or subgenre? Yes Actual Rating:** * Got to take issue with this tag. Gothic Rock? Not even close, not one single track; at least, not as I understand gothic rock. __________________ Trollheart: Signature-free since April 2018

02-22-2018, 03:58 PM	#1943 (permalink)
Frownland SOPHIE FOREVER Join Date: Aug 2011 Location: East of the Southern North American West Posts: 35,541	They sound like Sisters of Mercy but don't sound like gothic rock? Hmm... __________________ Studies show that when a given norm is changed in the face of the unchanging, the remaining contradictions will parallel the truth. d e a f b o x

02-23-2018, 08:16 AM	#1948 (permalink)
Trollheart Born to be mild Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: 404 Not Found Posts: 26,996	Album title: Amber Galactic Artist: The Night Flight Orchestra Genre: Progressive Rock* Nationality: Swedish Release date: May 19 Position in Discography: Third Estimated Rating: Have I heard of this artist? Yes Have I heard anything by this artist? No; I think I have this album but have yet to listen to it Average RYM Score: 3.48 The first time I saw this band's name it evoked memories, as (as he gets misty-eyed for his long vanished youth) once upon a time I used to have a radio show on the local community radio. It was a late night show (9pm to 11pm I believe) and I called it “Night Flight Towards Midnight” (Shut up, Batty) . Later they allowed me to extend it (I said, shut up Batty!) and I used to broadcast till 1 am, so the title changed to “Night Flight Beyond Midnight” (I'm nothing if not adaptable!) so this name, nearly thirty years later, struck a special chord with me. Yeah, you really needed to know that, didn't you? All part of the service. That said, however... I don't think I'd consider this prog rock, more like AOR or even hard rock, at least going by the first two tracks. Not that that means I don't like it – I do, very much – but given the sources of most of the ratings on the Wiki page (Rock Hard, Power Metal, Metal Hammer etc) it seems unlikely this could be considered anywhere close to prog rock, not even prog metal. It is, however, extremely enjoyable if more than a little derivative. Well after all, nobody, not even me, is going to accuse AOR (and let's be clear here: this is AOR, pure and simple. Prog rock my arse!) of being experimental or taking any path other than the one of least resistance, and most AOR bands consequently sound pretty interchangeable. But if you can get past that – I personally see it as part of its charm, kind of like you pretty much always know what you're going to get with power metal – then there's a lot to be enjoyed here. Sweden is fast becoming the centre for exciting emerging AOR acts, and I'd put these guys up there with Work of Art, Houston and Care of Night, if not quite on that level yet. One thing that does stand out is the guy's voice: instead of the usual West Coast American smooth style we get a rough, gravelly set of pipes more suited to southern boogie or perhaps even melodic metal. I'd pick out “Space Whisperer” and “Gemini” as highlights here, though everything is really good. And oddly enough for a band of this stripe, not a single ballad. But a hell of an album, and great fun. Not, in any way shape or form though, progressive rock. AOR all the way. Keeps me happy either way though. Check out more from this artist? I think I have all their albums but have yet to listen to any Check out more from this genre or subgenre? Yes indeedy Actual Rating: * Who writes these things? This is about as close to prog rock as Europe or Journey! __________________ Trollheart: Signature-free since April 2018

02-23-2018, 08:37 AM	#1949 (permalink)
Trollheart Born to be mild Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: 404 Not Found Posts: 26,996	Album title: Revelation Artist: Oceano Genre: Deathcore Nationality: American Release date: May 19 Position in Discography: Fifth Estimated Rating: Have I heard of this artist? No Average RYM Score: 2.62 Never going to be a fan of deathcore, and never going to give any points for vocals which sound like they're being sung by a stuck pig, but some of the music here is quite okay. But that's really about it: it's okay. Nothing special, nothing stands out, nothing to latch onto. Not, I'm forced to make the obvious pun, any sort of a revelation. And these vocals suck, to me, so that's always going to be hard for me to get past. In general, much of the music (when I can hear it/make it out over the roaring and growling) sounds kind of prog metal to me, but it's hard to tell really. When the vocals stop and the music takes over it's not bad, as in the short instrumental “Final Form”, where the band can show what they're about. But such gems are few and far between (there's actually only one) so that doesn't factor enough into my rating here sadly. “The Event” has some nice musical ideas too, but they again get drowned out by the aggressive vocal, which ruins it for me. In the end, I guess the only thing I can say about this is that, well, it's deathcore. To paraphrase Kryten in Red Dwarf, that is its crime; it is also its punishment. Check out more from this artist? No fricking way Check out more from this genre or subgenre? Very unlikely Actual Rating: __________________ Trollheart: Signature-free since April 2018