Encyclopaedia Metallum: The Metal Archives https://forum.metal-archives.com/ |
|
Mini-Review Game https://forum.metal-archives.com/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=85108 |
Page 6 of 72 |
Author: | CrushedRevelation [ Sun Nov 06, 2011 8:22 am ] |
Post subject: | Re: Mini-Review Game |
LegendMaker wrote: @CrushedRevelation: where was this Graveland song you've just reviewed posted? Until it's made clear I'll ignore your submission Can't explain this...could have sworn this was the track that came up in Verarc's post. Live and learn.... Tezcat wrote: Ancient Rites - Death Messiah Great track from a greatly under represented band here. Ancient Rites play a style of heavy, punishing Death/Black Metal that gives more than the occasional nod to Thrash, albeit with a much weightier cant. I personally have not heard this group in some time, and need to revisit their (especially early) works as they are an underground treasure. The vocal effect used on this particular track works well in combination with the, solid, bruising guitar work. Excellent. My go! |
Author: | grauer_mausling [ Sun Nov 06, 2011 9:40 am ] |
Post subject: | Re: Mini-Review Game |
@Tezcat:
Spoiler:
show
|
Author: | LegendMaker [ Sun Nov 06, 2011 10:16 am ] |
Post subject: | Re: Mini-Review Game |
Comments:
Spoiler:
show
Mini-review: CrushedRevelation wrote: Yep! If you want to keep the original "evil thrash" spirit alive (it occurs to me some might not know what I mean, so I'll give a clue: think 1985-86) while still bringing a little something of your own to the table; that's how you do it: you take the Witchery/Bewitched/(The) Crown (of Thorns) road, and incorporate any amount you like of modern sound, black, death, speed and power metal influences into your mix, but you keep it fucking sincere, thrashy, filthy and to the point! Beautifully gruesome melodies and vocals, crushing guitars, pounding drums, excellent sense of pacing and song structure. This is basically saying "to those who hack and thrash with foam in mouth, we salute you!". Hail right back at you, guys! My turn: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BRIZE0zEVy0 |
Author: | triggerhappy [ Sun Nov 06, 2011 11:13 am ] |
Post subject: | Re: Mini-Review Game |
Toxic Shock - Burning Down Your Life Fucking evil Teutonic thrash right there. It's basically early Kreator worship, but it's done right! The production is surprisingly crisp for that period of time, though the bass drum could use a bit more punch, as right now it just sounds like table-tapping. But hell, the snare sound is so badass it more than makes up for the bass drum. Very impressed; will check out more from this band. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RGjSLF2F6NU |
Author: | LegendMaker [ Sun Nov 06, 2011 3:19 pm ] |
Post subject: | Re: Mini-Review Game |
triggerhappy wrote: This is quite grating on the nerves; I could only withstand the first 2 minutes before I had to press the pause button, and I've endured the rest of the track only 30 seconds at a time, with long pauses to clean my ears and brains in between. I mean, what the fuck? if those wankers at abstract art expos were doing music instead of taking a shit on a canvas and turning it into edgy art by raising the price tag, this is what I imagine it'd sound like: a seemingly random series (not a single section goes well with either the one before or the one after it) of individually unbearable sounds (bip bip, random synth sounds, water drops on whatever etc.) and mentally challenged (ed, not ing) moments, ranging from jazzy chord progressions over a basic rock riff (with or without the by now infamous flushing toilet vocals effect on top), to semi-doom stock breaks, to generic Norse BM mockery, to a bastard who obviously could sing on-key but choses not to, as if he assumed the nu metal sections he sings over were potentially endangering the strict no-bearable-moment policy of the songmakers. Sorry dude, I'm not sure what you're hearing there, but rest assured it occurs outside the realm of what this pretentious bullshit actually sounds like. Very sorry for the extra length, there. Also sorry for one more negative review; I really didn't want to, but come on: don't blame the messenger, open the link and puke for yourselves. No hard feelings, I'm glad you enjoyed ToxicShock and if you like this Kekal thing, don't let me spoil it for you; just, you know, please keep it at home. There, there, now: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C81chL5Jes0 |
Author: | Amerigo [ Sun Nov 06, 2011 5:15 pm ] |
Post subject: | Re: Mini-Review Game |
Helst... I mean Distant Thunder - Beyond The Black Field Of Stars Okay so at first I didn't even realize that this was Rivera's band. And all I can say, his vocals have really soured. It's depressing listening to him now, because technically the vocals are still very good, but there's just this annoying little nasally tinge that was never present on the godly A Distant Thunder album. It's like having some amazing vintage wine that has only started going bad; you can just taste that slight tinge that spoils everything. And all this song did was make me go back and listen to Helstar's A Distant Thunder (by far their best album). Instrumentally, Distant Thunder is solid, but not anywhere near as inspiring as the album they get their moniker from. Final judgement: disappointing and nostalgia inducing. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9JSMnlko178 |
Author: | LegendMaker [ Sun Nov 06, 2011 5:54 pm ] |
Post subject: | Re: Mini-Review Game |
Amerigo wrote: Old school speed/thrash (with some hints of thrash/death) of the sloppy/in-your-face tradition, with simple riffs (and not many of them), a simple song structure, so-so musicianship and vocals, but a "never mind that, we came to thrash" attitude and plenty of energy in the performance. This is enjoyable enough, and if they had more varied and/or interesting riffage, they might come pretty close to early Sodom or say, Warrant. Not bad. Oh, I see this is a band that did one demo back in the day then gone forever... Okay, then.
Spoiler:
show
One for the road: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OLFupIgqdWY |
Author: | OnlyZeusIsFree [ Mon Nov 07, 2011 1:39 am ] |
Post subject: | Re: Mini-Review Game |
MALTEZE- BLESSED ARE THE STRONG: I didn't intend on writing a review for this song when i opened the link. I just kind wanted to see what was next, but after listening to it, well, here I am. Definitely enjoyed this song a lot. The riff was in and out and very driving. The simple drum beat in the back ground was the perfect tempo. The chick singer was gnarly. And well, yeah, I don't got much to say. I'm giving this one four out of five stars. 90% http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=89h-X-tZa_w |
Author: | hakarl [ Mon Nov 07, 2011 2:30 am ] |
Post subject: | Re: Mini-Review Game |
Heavy, vitriolic and violent doom metal the unmistakeable southern rock influences, this is unmistakeably a sludge song. The southern rock influences blend tastefully with downright heavy metal influence in the verse, a branch of catchy rocking stuff in the vein of Motörhead, as well as several American heavy metal bands of the 80s such as Jag Panzer. This is exemplar "tough guy music": heavy, fast, downtuned and with gruff Lemmyesque vocals. The verse really reminds of Jag Panzer's Licence to Kill. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UTmT6krOl1Q Turn this one up a little; Shape of Despair - Written in my Scars |
Author: | grauer_mausling [ Mon Nov 07, 2011 3:10 am ] |
Post subject: | Re: Mini-Review Game |
Shape of Despair - Written in my Scars Though this kind of doom with it's growled vocals normally isn't my cup of tea, I liked this song quite a bit. The song really is carried by the blissful keyboard "carpet" and directly takes the listener out of any stressful state of mind as it has some kind of calming down effect and is simply beautiful. This calming effect is enhanced by the slow riffing and drums. If it wasn't for the vocals and (for me) a bit of too much repitition, I would be even more pleased. Nevertheless a fine track. my new track: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zEWNZhtAcS0 |
Author: | LegendMaker [ Mon Nov 07, 2011 4:34 am ] |
Post subject: | Re: Mini-Review Game |
For the record, Ilwhyan's mini-review above was for HIGH ON FIRE - "Rumors of War" (submitted by OnlyZeusIsFree). Ilwhyan, dude, please do just the opposite of that: do mention the track you review (for clarity), but not the one you submit (so as to not spoil the surprise for the next guy). Thanks in advance.
Spoiler:
show
grauer_mausling wrote: Haha, talking about tying loose ends: I've had a vinyl copy of this very album in my hands and almost picked it up maybe 10-12 times over the past two decades; let's finally see what I've been missing out on! Not at all the Pretty Maids-ish PM with keys I half-expected from the cover: this is rocking, punkish, sloppy, dirty, joyful hard/heavy with speed tendencies instead; a mad, gruffy voice rants something about "motorcycle" over a basic yet effective speedy traditional riff (with some variation here and there), often joined by a choir of happy, light-hearted drunks, all of this backed-up by an enthusiastic D-beat rhythm section. The production is very thin (especially that keyboards-sounding bass), and the solos are careless and seemingly random, but this is all good fun. I feel better now: skipping it was not that big a deal. And now, ladies & gentlemen, I present to you: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1XNvarvP6Vo |
Author: | grauer_mausling [ Mon Nov 07, 2011 5:19 am ] |
Post subject: | Re: Mini-Review Game |
@LegendMaker:
Spoiler:
show
now to your song: Agressor - Dark Power Again (like Tiamat before) this takes me back years and years to my teen days I didn't listen to Agressor before. Not back then and not until I clicked your link. But the old-school feeling (in fact - it is old-school being from the early 90s) is just totally dominant and feelable. This thrashing song kicks quite some ass and is very much of what I listened to in my metal starting days when Sodom, Detruction and esp. early Kreator were among my fave bands. "Dark Power" surely has a very Kreator-esque (of course - early!) feel to it with some very slight (to me) nods towards early DM. Think I have to check out the whole album. This was really fun and perfect for my mood today. my turn again Here's a song which kicks me till first hearing it in the 90s (as does the whole album it is from) : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xc9rTLLFK7Q |
Author: | Veracs [ Mon Nov 07, 2011 5:22 am ] |
Post subject: | Re: Mini-Review Game |
Massacra-Madness remains Yeah. that was horrible the vocalist sounded tone deaf, the riff was a repetitive chug and chug over, and the song just failed right after that main riff. I felt like I was listening to Living Color Grave Ritual-Morbid Aura of Desolation http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ho44hHDu ... re=related |
Author: | LegendMaker [ Mon Nov 07, 2011 6:07 am ] |
Post subject: | Re: Mini-Review Game |
Ah, come on, Veracs; you too, now? A one-liner is a bit lacking, especially considering you posted your micro-review barely 3 minutes after grauer_mausling's post (and the song spans twice that time). Please try harder; if it's horrible shit to your ears, endure it to the bitter end and then unleash the vitriol in your review! It's much more fun that way. Edit (after following Veracs' link): Lol! I was going to say it'd really give much more of an incentive to click on your link if you didn't spell out what it's going to be in your post, but as you've actually disguised a fucking Linkin' Park song behind what you presented as a Grave Ritual submission... Well, I see your point, but again come on! Let's keep the thread steady. I'm not reviewing Linkin Park. Alright, I really gotta go to work right now. Here's what I propose: Let's make my comment below the actual mini-review of grauer_mausling's link, skip Veracs' pisstaking post, and I'll post a link for him (or anyone else in the right mood) to mini-review. Deal? Massacra-Madness remains Glad you liked Agressor, man! From one French thrash/death legend to another, Massacra seemed like a fine choice for the next track; but I'm afraid my sentiment towards their groove/blackalbumized period doesn't fundamentally differ from Veracs': this is essentially to Massacra what Chaos AD/Roots is to Sepultura. There's bits and pieces reminding us of the awesome death metal band it used to be, like the cool moment from 4'11 to 4'49, but other than that it's a lot like "Enter Sandman" with gruffier vocals (which, contrary to Veracs, I find pretty decent) and some funky riff thrown in for novelty. The production is okay, and the musicianship is still more than just fine, but the level of songwriting went right down the toilet compared to their stellar thrash/death era. Not for me at all, sorry. There, there, it's gonna be alright, friends: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YUkjeLVqZQc |
Author: | grauer_mausling [ Mon Nov 07, 2011 6:12 am ] |
Post subject: | Re: Mini-Review Game |
@LegendMaker:
Spoiler:
show
|
Author: | CrushedRevelation [ Mon Nov 07, 2011 6:54 am ] |
Post subject: | Re: Mini-Review Game |
Spoiler:
show
LegendMaker wrote: Well. Now I have heard (and own) a few albums which are on a similar plane as this style of Thrash - some leaning more into Death territory, and they rank as some of my favourite albums. But I have never heard these guys before, which is a shame, as this style speaks volumes. The slightly raspy production gives this a great slab of authenticity and welcome grime, and the build ups have all the hallmarks of quality (early) Thrashing mayhem, held together by the pummeling, feral drumming. Within this little gem I can see, where bands such as Mortem, Death, Pestilence and their ilk shared some common ground. Good stuff. Now something a little different... |
Author: | triggerhappy [ Mon Nov 07, 2011 11:04 am ] |
Post subject: | Re: Mini-Review Game |
Keep Of Kalessin - As A Shadow Cast OH GOD. THOSE RIFFS. I remember their newer stuff not being looked very highly upon, but this song was some amazing Mayhem (-ish) worship. Downright sinister arpeggios, slithering tremolo sections, hateful rasps, highly energetic drumming, and some rather noticeable bass action... This shit is pure fucking black metal. My only complaint would be that the first keyboard section felt somewhat punctuated; as if it was introduced prematurely. Aside from that, I love this track. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1IH98bNIKrk (pretty poor quality but well...) |
Author: | hakarl [ Mon Nov 07, 2011 11:17 am ] |
Post subject: | Re: Mini-Review Game |
Spoiler:
show
|
Author: | Veracs [ Mon Nov 07, 2011 12:28 pm ] |
Post subject: | Re: Mini-Review Game |
Burnt Offering-The dead walk the earth. Now this is something I could enjoy for a demo track (at least according to the video), the leads on this song are very well-crafted and especially melodic considering this is thrash. The pace of the song is kept relatively even a speedy mixture of those great leads leading up to a good buildup around 4:50, and the fact there is a vocalist means I can concentrate on the other instruments, especially that bass! The riff toward the end of the song around 5:24 I swear I've heard somewhere, but it was a menacing riff and it stuck through my mind for the second half of the song. Great stuff. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lI-5xiXw-Ag |
Author: | triggerhappy [ Mon Nov 07, 2011 1:28 pm ] |
Post subject: | Re: Mini-Review Game |
Spoiler:
show
|
Author: | Abominatrix [ Mon Nov 07, 2011 1:55 pm ] |
Post subject: | Re: Mini-Review Game |
Satyricon: "Walk the Path of Sorrow" Really not crazy about this band, but this has got to be one of their better/more memorable tunes for me. The intro is taken from When's Death in the Blue Lake and is very arresting and odd...I remember spending a very long time when I got the DMT album trying to figure out what was making those sounds. The Satyricon-proper music...well, it sounds more than a little like Burzum to me, or at least Satyr being inspired by Burzum but feeding his usual Darkthrone itch at the same time. Love the chilly and thin guitar sound and the simple but undeniably propulsive drumming, and the synths provide a good backdrop for all of this. I think this is probably one of Satyr's darkest compositions. The clean guitar part segues very well into the ambient section with the greatest Burzum remeniscences, and that's not always the case with this band as sections often seem rather haphazardly juxtaposed. Nice howling barely pubescent vocals, too...probably Satyr's best! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m4GZNw5tglY |
Author: | Ancient_Sorrow [ Mon Nov 07, 2011 2:18 pm ] |
Post subject: | Re: Mini-Review Game |
Chateux - "Spirit of the Chateux" I have to say, I haven't heard of this band before, but I'm enjoying the crunchy, in places rather eerie sound, and the vocals really take the sound and run with it. The production seems quite clunky, but I've never had a problem with that. The relatively simplistic bassline makes the song catchy as hell, and I like the slightly clunky drum sound, even if it is quite muffled, and sounds like it's peaking a lot. The mix of an epic, and somewhat attitudey sound gives the song an appeal which is quite rare, and is even rarer to find with a good mixture between the two. I can't help but feel that the apparent virtuosity of the guitar and vocals would be better captured with slightly better production, but it seems a good song nonetheless. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LC-1qZNTJFc |
Author: | Abominatrix [ Mon Nov 07, 2011 2:29 pm ] |
Post subject: | Re: Mini-Review Game |
Ancient Sorrow, I agree that the song is quite eerie! Not everyone would pick up on that I think, especially those who aren't used to getting thos kinds of emotions from more trad metal stuff. They definitely have better produced material, but I personally rather dig this production, too...those drums have a nice solid thunk to them. |
Author: | Amerigo [ Mon Nov 07, 2011 5:35 pm ] |
Post subject: | Re: Mini-Review Game |
Ancient_Sorrow wrote: Chateux - "Spirit of the Chateux" I have to say, I haven't heard of this band before, but I'm enjoying the crunchy, in places rather eerie sound, and the vocals really take the sound and run with it. The production seems quite clunky, but I've never had a problem with that. The relatively simplistic bassline makes the song catchy as hell, and I like the slightly clunky drum sound, even if it is quite muffled, and sounds like it's peaking a lot. The mix of an epic, and somewhat attitudey sound gives the song an appeal which is quite rare, and is even rarer to find with a good mixture between the two. I can't help but feel that the apparent virtuosity of the guitar and vocals would be better captured with slightly better production, but it seems a good song nonetheless. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LC-1qZNTJFc Kongh - Voice of the Below This is exactly why I don't like a lot of sludge. The guitar tone ends up sounding grating when the guitarist can't pull off a half-decent riff. This problem is much worse when the guitarist just goes all over the place. When the guitarist does manage to stumble on something close to a good riff, they sound too much like a poor man's High on Fire for me to get into it. That and I keep anticipating more awful jazz-induced noodling. Fortunately, the guitarist is sometimes content to chuga-chuga and let the mediocre vocals take center-stage. And that's to say nothing of the the ridiculous jazzy what-note-are-we-not-playing orgy 3 minutes into the song, which thankfully gives way to a little chill-out section that gives my poor ears a break. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zHRz7cRT1uk |
Author: | draterami [ Mon Nov 07, 2011 7:35 pm ] |
Post subject: | Re: Mini-Review Game |
Explosicum - On the Road of Death This song pulls no punches. It is straight-up, in your face thrash metal. The singer has a high pitched voice, and he's not very polished at all, which I think adds to the song. The band isn't concerned with being the tightest band around, or the most refined. They just care about writing a great metal song. That's not to say the playing is sloppy. It's quite technical at times. The song isn't particularly long, clocking in under 4 minutes, which is good. Great song. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mkZdITbEDbw |
Author: | PhilosophicalFrog [ Mon Nov 07, 2011 8:20 pm ] |
Post subject: | Re: Mini-Review Game |
Vreid - Disciplined Neato opening, loved the clean production and the dual guitars. The harmonies present are awesomely minimal and the thrashy break in the middle is pretty cool. That being said, it does get a little boring, as the song goes on, and I just ca't see myself listening to a lot of this stuff. It's just kind of tamed, especially when the clean vocals kicked in. It's one of those songs that starts off great and just loses steam. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1RfblKKYB5I |
Author: | Veracs [ Mon Nov 07, 2011 8:28 pm ] |
Post subject: | Re: Mini-Review Game |
Vreid-Disciplined That was quite a good track actually and quite a shocker to my expectations. For some reason, I had expected slower more atmospheric black metal, so I was pleasantly surprised to hear that faster opening riff evolve into the main pace of the song. Overall, the track was solid higher rasped vocals move in out and seamlessly between those razor thin tremolo riffs, the solos in the middle of the song were pleasant as well to hear. I have that album sitting somewhere in my room and I don't ever remember it being as uptempo as this. The clean vocals seemed a bit out of place, but the melodies toward the end of the song made up for that. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=90Kxg3Sdtk8 |
Author: | metroidblaster [ Mon Nov 07, 2011 8:28 pm ] |
Post subject: | Re: Mini-Review Game |
Torture Chain - The Ever Darkening Skies Over Wallachia I liked it; the slow intro was pretty cool. The production is terrible, but it's black metal, so what the hell. I feel like the drums could've been much more prevalent, although the guitars were good. There are good black metal riffs in here. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bk8N00Z7_B0 |
Author: | Ancient_Sorrow [ Mon Nov 07, 2011 8:47 pm ] |
Post subject: | Re: Mini-Review Game |
Chapel - Satan's Rock N' Roll This is exactly what I like about black n' roll, or black metal crossed with speed-metal - the dark, and harsh atmosphere, combined with a attitudey, almost fun vibe, creating an odd combination of factors, which nonetheless turns out to become very enjoyable. The production is nice, especially for a demo, and I really can't fault the song - it's bursting with energy, and mischiefous black n' roll aggression and catchiness. I hope this is what's accepted to be black n' roll, as it's certainly what I understand the sound to be. Good stuff. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gUUxwhgucuM |
Author: | ThePoop [ Mon Nov 07, 2011 11:45 pm ] |
Post subject: | Re: Mini-Review Game |
Engraved- March of the Sorrowed Pretty good thrashy Iron Maiden inspired metal. The main riff was catchy and the production was lo-fi, which suited the song well. I particularly enjoyed the singers harsh yell which was almost operatic. When he sang clean vocals, it was alright, but not as good as the shouts. This must be a fairly new band since they do not have a profile on the archives. Someone better get on that, as I enjoyed this http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mPLn3r4l ... ideo_title |
Author: | Amerigo [ Tue Nov 08, 2011 12:59 am ] |
Post subject: | Re: Mini-Review Game |
ThePoop wrote: Engraved- March of the Sorrowed Pretty good thrashy Iron Maiden inspired metal. The main riff was catchy and the production was lo-fi, which suited the song well. I particularly enjoyed the singers harsh yell which was almost operatic. When he sang clean vocals, it was alright, but not as good as the shouts. This must be a fairly new band since they do not have a profile on the archives. Someone better get on that, as I enjoyed this http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mPLn3r4l ... ideo_title Von Goat - The Gathering Interesting. Sounds like a more black metal Finntroll at their jumpiest. I kinda imagine the devil dancing a little folk jig to this. Wonderfully bizarre, especially with that little buzzing dissonant fiddle(?). Definitely a memorable track. Have to check out more of this band. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P4f3T_B0VbE |
Author: | grauer_mausling [ Tue Nov 08, 2011 3:14 am ] |
Post subject: | Re: Mini-Review Game |
Devil in the Kitchen - Coked Up Leprechaun Again seeing the description written on youtube failed me to some point. Folk Metal was the first I read and "Oh shit, another Humpaa Korpifuckingklaani thing" I thought. But this sounded not really like it. What makes this instrumental song other is first that it features a speedy (very speedy!) and, from my unknowing point of view, quite skillful played violin while in the background guitars and drums try to keep up the pace. Due to the a bit rough and unclean production (self release?) it even has a slight punky vibe. Somehow I must think of DKM or Flogging Molly on speed playing metal instead of their usual sound (and hey - Devil i.t.k. even come from Boston, too ). Overall this is nothing I would spin a second time as Folk Metal, apart from three artists/bands isn't my genre, but at least it made my smile this morning. my turn again: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qpIatcdazG0 |
Author: | LegendMaker [ Tue Nov 08, 2011 6:00 am ] |
Post subject: | Re: Mini-Review Game |
Spoiler:
show
grauer_mausling wrote: Mark The Shark has a side project I didn't know about? Okay, seriously now: what we have here is a very solid and rather epic traditional heavy/speed song, with a driving main riff, albeit all too classic (by that I mean been there, and definitely heard that Manowar riff), tight musicianship, great production and plenty of punch. Sadly, it is spoiled by its way too blatant and not (yet?) fully digested Manilla Road worship: vocals are cloned, lyrical themes are copy-paste, both the intro's and the outro's arpeggios are blatant rippoffs, with far less emotions than the originals, and I could go on. Should they find their own damn style, they might become an excellent band just yet. I'll check. Veracs, I'm reposting this on your behalf (you got unlucky with timing, and I like this selection) Here goes: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=90Kxg3Sdtk8 |
Author: | triggerhappy [ Tue Nov 08, 2011 10:44 am ] |
Post subject: | Re: Mini-Review Game |
Blut Aus Nord - Slaughterday (The Heathen Blood of Ours) I was expecting a sort of prototype of MVII, and I got exactly what I expected. None of the eerie, dissonant stuff on TWTTG, but instead, great melodies and more straightforward songwriting. Though the guitar tone was very muffled, I could still discern everything pretty clearly. The synthy part with clean vocals and the solo right after that were all amazing. Vindsval really can do no wrong. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EhBimOAaZ8Y |
Author: | Abominatrix [ Tue Nov 08, 2011 1:18 pm ] |
Post subject: | Re: Mini-Review Game |
Arghoslent: "The Nubian Archer" This song grabs me right from the start with an absolutely killer and very melodic riff. In fact, the sense of melody and consonance throughout is pretty much along the lines of a traditional metal band who spent a lot of time working out harmonies and elements by which their two guitarists could play off one another. That said, the vocals might seem a bit misplaced, being strong and forceful-sounding growls, but I guess I am just used to the Arghoslent formula and I don't find them wanting simply because they lack a clean singer. The drumming is very steady and commanding without being showy, and the production is about perfect for this kind of music. The thing that I find most arresting about this tune is the songwriting, which is just top-notch...everything fits into place, and the song seems to resolve almost where it began. I find the melodies to be very glorious, and not overly sweet and airy as some seem to suggest. Definitely not a dark song, but a proud and warlike piece of music. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=03Rfzl0cFQg |
Author: | Jonpo [ Tue Nov 08, 2011 4:37 pm ] |
Post subject: | Re: Mini-Review Game |
Enchanter - Thor Pleasantly surprised, as this is not the Enchanter I expected. This is my first time hearing these USPM barbarians from Michigan, but it feels as familiar and natural as reconnecting with a long lost friend. I like the quirky intro before they settle into that stout gallop. The vocals are incredibly striking for such a subterraneous band, sounding like some lab-spawned frankenvocalist made up of the best parts of a few different notable USPM frontmen. Those higher register parts are uniquely his own though, and he really owns them. The first two solos act as energy injections for the riffing, taking you full on into the din of battle. This song fits me like a glove and feels like something I should have been listening to for years. You can bet your ass I'm picking up that compilation Arkeyn Steel put out as soon as possible. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d_3q1ahtCHY |
Author: | Ancient_Sorrow [ Tue Nov 08, 2011 5:29 pm ] |
Post subject: | Re: Mini-Review Game |
Quicksand Dream - Road Goes Ever On Well, the first thing I notice is the guitar-tone on this one - it's interesting, and in terms of rhythm, I quite like it. I wasn't so keen on the lead, but it was tolerable. The vocals are nicely sung, and nicely captured, and they really add a distinctness to the music, as does the overall vibe of the song - It feels upbeat, and in places almost folk like in the way the lyrics are structured, and in the ways that they rhyme. Despite it's raw and muffled production, the music really has something going for it. Once again, a band I've never heard of has pleasently suprised me. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cuxtn6ixb78 |
Author: | LegendMaker [ Tue Nov 08, 2011 6:48 pm ] |
Post subject: | Re: Mini-Review Game |
Spoiler:
show
Ancient_Sorrow wrote: "Alright, bring on the 11'33'' long, repetitive BM song, then..." was my first mental note going through this; then came a good two minutes of pondering over the notion of an extreme metal band, of the ideologically evil branch no less, applying an emotional roller-coaster technique akin to the poppy tradition of SantaPM to their wannabe-dark-and-evil-and-so-sooo-deep attempt at offering "an epic"; five minutes of rather excellent atmospheric and actually sad and powerful, eerie music later, I still had no answer. Don't get me wrong: this track is thrice too long for its own good regardless (see, Manticora? beaten at your own game!); but there was potential for a truly deep, dark and beautiful 3-4 minutes song. Sadly, the grossly counterproductive happy-happy-wanna-party? Major-key vocal lines from 0'45'' to 1'34'' and from 10'00'' to the end cannot be unheard. So, no thanks, guys. Here goes (please ignore the few vinyl cracks and avoid looking at the image at all costs, it'll distract you): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vXyc8QDf6pE |
Author: | draterami [ Tue Nov 08, 2011 9:10 pm ] |
Post subject: | Re: Mini-Review Game |
Ruthless - Sign of the Cross Very promising intro. Starts off the single guitar, playing a quiet riff, with those vinyl cracks (I'm not going to ignore them, it sounds great with them), before cracking into a thrashy power metal riff. It's a very 80s sound overall. After the first chorus is finished, it seems as if the song has just returned to the start. The little quiet interlude, while slightly different from the intro, just makes it feel as if the first 2 minutes of the song were just pointless. Vocals are competent, if nothing special. They have some power to them, but like the rest of the song, they don't really stand out. That's not to say it's a bad song. It's not even below average. It's just middle of the pack sort of stuff. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lW4yPJBIOOA |
Author: | PhilosophicalFrog [ Tue Nov 08, 2011 9:36 pm ] |
Post subject: | Re: Mini-Review Game |
Satan's Host - By the Hands of the Devil Simply put: metal as fuck. Everything about this song is badass. Opening up with the clean vocals and blasting and melodic tremolo and then immediately going back into the dizzying slower riff immediately gives the song a nauseating feel, but a good nauseating.The dual vocal breakdown at 2:10? YEAAAHHHHHH. It's a great mix of melodic metal and harsher elements, almost if Nevermore made badass music instead of boring stupid crap. Take all these elements and throw them in with a completely awesome sense of pacing and you have the makings of an awesome metal song song. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JCOEgbOdCpY |
Page 6 of 72 | All times are UTC - 5 hours [ DST ] |
Powered by phpBB © 2000, 2002, 2005, 2007 phpBB Group http://www.phpbb.com/ |