Now you're just asking me to be someone that I'm not. I gave it an honest try (nearly 10 minutes), but then I had to kill it. No repetition of anything means there's basically zero musical themes here. Nothing wrong with that, but you know me. I like my recognizable musical themes and their development. This is more a game of getting into the sheer vibe of it or waiting for all those little moments where something that sounds like an idea happens for a second.

I think Frown and OH post a lot in a thread with this sort of thing somewhere, and I never visit it. I'm just no fun like that.

For as different as the band looks, I thought the music was pretty cookie cutter. Reminded me a lot of Grip Inc., only not as good.

Nothing wrong with those guitar grooves though. Fairly headbanging worthy, but the singer got on my nerves. Is it just me or was he mixed way too LOUD?

Each song on that record has at least one theme.

Soundcloud link didn't work for me. Kept playing just the first few seconds, then jumping to a track by another artist. Found it on Youtube instead:


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PlLLXchYuD4

Yeah... You're starting to figure me out, at least as far as hip hop goes :laughing:

This dude has got a really good singing/rapping voice and I like the way he sings and raps in this really fluid way where it all just melds together. This track is mellow and moody, but not boring. It's expressive, colourful and oh man do I love the way it plays those deep, beautiful bass notes. Some really great, subtle things going on in the backing track as well.

Top marks.

This album opens with LaBrie of Dream Theater fame and some pretty Lord of the Rings flutes. Says it all, really.

Cheesy music and vocal performances and I hate prog and yadda yadda yadda. I'm gonna try to say something new, so I'll stick to observations about anything I haven't said about Ayreon before.

* The album is mixed in a way that sounds relatively punchy and full bodied. Reminds me a bit of how all sorts of European prog metal and symphonic metal albums sounded though. Not sure what parts it comes down to, but it does remind me of the sound of Epica albums and various other things in that vague direction. Also partially because of guitar tones.

* Lucassen has a penchant for hiring just the metal vocalists that I don't like. Put them all on the same album and something interesting might just happen! All that's missing is Matt Barlow.

* I feel like all albums I like have some kind of atmosphere/vibe going on that I get into. Pretty much without exception. This album has none. It feels somehow squeaky clean. Like surgical equipment.

* Some fat bass guitar going on now and then, of which I approve.

* Why is it that, when prog metal bands do folk music, it's so bad that I feel offended as a folk music fan? There's some celtic type stuff going on here in certain spots and it's a super shallow interpretation of the style. It's like every time Nightwish does it. It turns into this really lame spa/relaxation CD version of folk music.

* One and a half hours long. ONE AND A HALF HOURS LONG! AAAAAAHHH!!

Sorry, I tried :(

If I listened to it again a bunch of times, I might even find a few. But I don't wanna!

I mean it's fine if you don't dig it (didn't expect you to tbh. For Brotzmann I would've recommended The Fat Is Gone to you), but the themes are pretty distinct and start off most of the pieces.

For example:


Not to mention that the solos are pretty clear cut and each player has their own voice more or less. The latter takes an ear to spot, but it's certainly there.

I'm gonna give it an honest try at some point.

:finger:

Nothing but respect for you for slogging through that shit. Wow!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0VZOiIz-wtg