Amplifier

jackhammer · 03-31-2011, 04:39 PM

Amplifier are a 3 piece from Manchester U.K who I first heard in 2004 with their excellent self titled album. A follow on was released a couple of years later but proved to be the perennial 'difficult second album'. However they have recently released their third album The Octopus which is a sprawling double album that does over reach itself at times but is a definite grower and gets better with each play.

Kind of hard how to describe them. Maybe a less heavy and pretentious Tool who rely on atmosphere and not conventional riffs or typical bridge/chorus tracks.

Here they are:
From the debut album

From the new album:

More tunes on their website and a band well worth a little more investigation.
The official AMPLIFIER website.

Inuzuka Skysword · 04-03-2011, 11:25 AM

I just gave The Octopus a first listen. I liked it as much as you can on a first listen. In the beginning there were a few songs that reminded me a lot of Killing Joke, but with a spacy edge. Parts of the album reminded me of Blood Inside era Ulver, but that could just be because of their vocals and William Blake reference. I really want to get the digipack of the album, but I live in the U.S. and don't feel like paying 60 dollars for and album that I am not sure I am in love with. I might just by the retail version, which looks like it still comes in a nice package.

Some of this New Prog is really good, and it is a shame that I have such a bias against it. Every time I listen to any New Prog band I have a huge fear that I will get something Muse/Radiohead-esque, which I am bored of anyways.

jackhammer · 04-09-2011, 06:14 PM

No one else willing to check out a band that delivers and still stays under the radar for whatever reason?

Damn shame. It pisses all over The Incident by Porcupine Tree if that helps and I love PT.

Zer0 · 04-11-2011, 04:00 PM

The Octopus is a pretty good album. I haven't quite taken it in properly yet as I haven't been listening to it that much even though I downloaded it just before Christmas, but I'll probably grow to love it eventually. Their s/t debut is an incredible album and the production is top-notch, it takes you on a nice spaced-out journey with lots of different moods, textures and some killer riffs. One of the big problems with releasing such a great debut is that their following releases are always going to be compared to it, which is probably why Insider was written off despite being a good album. I think with The Octopus they've done something a bit different and it's strong enough to stand up on it's own.

ONGO · 04-12-2011, 12:55 PM

Downloading The Octopus... Thanks!

Chumley · 04-26-2011, 07:53 PM

One of the best releases of 2010 IMO. Prog/psych/space/grunge/post rock would be some of the labels I would give thier sound. An experimental ambitious endeavor clocking in about two hours that keeps me engaged for the whole trip. An album that needs more than one listen. Patience is a virtue.

PavementRunner · 02-01-2016, 10:16 PM

Just got done listening to their self-titled debut and I gotta say...it was pretty darn good. New-prog/space rock is not normally in my wheelhouse so I am surprised at how much I like it. Very atmospheric. A really big and ambitious record, but they pull it off. "Motorhead", "Airborne" and "UFOs" were highlights for me. Will be checking out their other stuff as well as giving this one a few more listens including one with some headphones.

CoNtrivedNiHilism · 02-02-2016, 09:42 PM

Hey not bad at all. I preferred the song from their debut so I'm confident the first album will showcase the bulk of the bands better material. Honestly I didn't exactly pick up on where the comparison to Tool is drawn, definitely more geared in the Porcupine Tree universe but I also hear a tiny bit of MUSE here as well.

Just purchased the self titled, The Octopus, and their most recent from 2014. They got 8 albums according to their Facebook page. I might download the others.

03-31-2011, 04:39 PM	#1 (permalink)
jackhammer Ba and Be. Join Date: May 2007 Location: This Is England Posts: 17,331	Amplifier Amplifier are a 3 piece from Manchester U.K who I first heard in 2004 with their excellent self titled album. A follow on was released a couple of years later but proved to be the perennial 'difficult second album'. However they have recently released their third album The Octopus which is a sprawling double album that does over reach itself at times but is a definite grower and gets better with each play. Kind of hard how to describe them. Maybe a less heavy and pretentious Tool who rely on atmosphere and not conventional riffs or typical bridge/chorus tracks. Here they are: From the debut album From the new album: More tunes on their website and a band well worth a little more investigation. The official AMPLIFIER website. __________________ It be my music and film collection. “A cynic by experience, a romantic by inclination and now a hero by necessity.”

04-09-2011, 06:14 PM	#3 (permalink)
jackhammer Ba and Be. Join Date: May 2007 Location: This Is England Posts: 17,331	No one else willing to check out a band that delivers and still stays under the radar for whatever reason? Damn shame. It pisses all over The Incident by Porcupine Tree if that helps and I love PT. __________________ It be my music and film collection. “A cynic by experience, a romantic by inclination and now a hero by necessity.”

04-11-2011, 04:00 PM	#4 (permalink)
Zer0 ∞ Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Ireland Posts: 3,792	The Octopus is a pretty good album. I haven't quite taken it in properly yet as I haven't been listening to it that much even though I downloaded it just before Christmas, but I'll probably grow to love it eventually. Their s/t debut is an incredible album and the production is top-notch, it takes you on a nice spaced-out journey with lots of different moods, textures and some killer riffs. One of the big problems with releasing such a great debut is that their following releases are always going to be compared to it, which is probably why Insider was written off despite being a good album. I think with The Octopus they've done something a bit different and it's strong enough to stand up on it's own. __________________ Last FM \| RYM \| The Final Sound

02-02-2016, 09:42 PM	#8 (permalink)
CoNtrivedNiHilism Because I Am, I Can! Join Date: Aug 2014 Posts: 1,128	Hey not bad at all. I preferred the song from their debut so I'm confident the first album will showcase the bulk of the bands better material. Honestly I didn't exactly pick up on where the comparison to Tool is drawn, definitely more geared in the Porcupine Tree universe but I also hear a tiny bit of MUSE here as well. Just purchased the self titled, The Octopus, and their most recent from 2014. They got 8 albums according to their Facebook page. I might download the others. __________________ Last edited by CoNtrivedNiHilism; 02-02-2016 at 09:50 PM.

04-03-2011, 11:25 AM	#2 (permalink)
Inuzuka Skysword Existential Egoist Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Pennsylvania Posts: 1,468	I just gave The Octopus a first listen. I liked it as much as you can on a first listen. In the beginning there were a few songs that reminded me a lot of Killing Joke, but with a spacy edge. Parts of the album reminded me of Blood Inside era Ulver, but that could just be because of their vocals and William Blake reference. I really want to get the digipack of the album, but I live in the U.S. and don't feel like paying 60 dollars for and album that I am not sure I am in love with. I might just by the retail version, which looks like it still comes in a nice package. Some of this New Prog is really good, and it is a shame that I have such a bias against it. Every time I listen to any New Prog band I have a huge fear that I will get something Muse/Radiohead-esque, which I am bored of anyways.

04-12-2011, 12:55 PM	#5 (permalink)
ONGO Groupie Join Date: Apr 2011 Posts: 13	Downloading The Octopus... Thanks!

04-26-2011, 07:53 PM	#6 (permalink)
Chumley Music Addict Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: Pacific Northwest Posts: 69	One of the best releases of 2010 IMO. Prog/psych/space/grunge/post rock would be some of the labels I would give thier sound. An experimental ambitious endeavor clocking in about two hours that keeps me engaged for the whole trip. An album that needs more than one listen. Patience is a virtue.

02-01-2016, 10:16 PM	#7 (permalink)
PavementRunner Groupie Join Date: Jan 2016 Location: Safety Harbor, FL Posts: 21	Just got done listening to their self-titled debut and I gotta say...it was pretty darn good. New-prog/space rock is not normally in my wheelhouse so I am surprised at how much I like it. Very atmospheric. A really big and ambitious record, but they pull it off. "Motorhead", "Airborne" and "UFOs" were highlights for me. Will be checking out their other stuff as well as giving this one a few more listens including one with some headphones.