Re: An Album A Day Keeps The Doctor Away | 365 Album Challenge
recommending
El Dorado - Prologue
El Dorado - Rêventure
recommending
El Dorado - Prologue
El Dorado - Rêventure
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Released!
Originally posted by Wayward Vagabond
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Re: An Album A Day Keeps The Doctor Away | 365 Album Challenge
One Man Army And The Undead Quartet - Grim Tales
Pathfinder - Beyond The Space, Beyond The Time
Sabaton - Carolus Rex
Omnium Gatherum - Beyond
Dirty Old Men - I and I
NOFX - Wolves In Wolves' Clothing
i'm gay.Comment
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Re: An Album A Day Keeps The Doctor Away | 365 Album Challenge
Yeah, I'll add them. Give me a sec.
July 15th, 2014
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Waking The Fallen by Avenged Sevenfold (recommended by master q60)
Everyone should know who Avenged Sevenfold is. One of the biggest metal bands of the 2000s, probably one of the first few bands many metalheads started with. They have made multiple albums, their most popular being their self-titled album and City of Evil. I've actually rarely heard people talk about Waking the Fallen - despite its popularity. Most fans have said that this is their best work - we'll see. I've listened to a couple of A7X songs before, I thought they were mediocre for the most part. Just grew out of it, I suppose.
Waking the Fallen is A7X's hardest album, so to speak. It's definitely the heaviest-sounding, though I don't think it's necessarily that heavy. Unholy Confessions is pretty catchy, though rather typical. Can't help but feel that I've heard guitar melodies like that before. Vocals are pretty poor, but I've never been a fan of Shadows' vocals by any means. While the song isn't bad overall, I definitely want something harder. It's just a little too tame for me to really enjoy.
There are some songs with considerably heavy instrumentation - like Remenissions and Chapter Four. While hard-hitting instrumentation is something I like, it is flawed in some form or another. For Remenissions' case, it's just how dormant the track is. It doesn't seem to go anywhere - it just stays there. Loud for the sake of being loud. It's definitely a nice listen every now and then, but it doesn't stick with me. It's not particularly catchy to me, generally unimpressive as well.
I don't know, none of the songs here do it for me. They don't catch my attention in any way, maybe aside from some negative moments. I'm not sure if it's because I'm not in the mood for metal (I have a flu atm), or I just grew out of music like this. Either way though, I'm not really enjoying this. Just not substantial enough for me. It's usually not catchy enough, or doesn't click with me. I don't think it's because of the members themselves though. Aside from the vocalist, the members know their stuff.
My biggest gripe with the songs are really the song-writing, more than anything else. It is very clear that these guys are quite talented. Tracks like Desecrate Through Reverence, feel quite devoid of ideas and just generic. It's dormant, it's uninspiring and quite trite. It feels as if I've heard this before, though years ago. Maybe I would've liked them years ago, but it hasn't aged well since then. There definitely are some sparks of brilliance here and there though, like some parts of Second Heartbeat and the midsection of I Won't See You Tonight Part 1. If they managed to keep up that consistency, I could imagine the album to be really solid. Not the case here at all. Doesn't quite help that's quite a long album for non prog-metal standards too. 68 minutes is a considerable amount of time - you'd expect something large to happen with that much time. A7X didn't quite accomplish that, unfortunately.
I don't really have much to talk about, regarding the album. I've never been a fan of Avenged Sevenfold. While this is definitely better than any other album I've listened to from them, it's still not great. The tracks definitely aren't as cheesy and boring as their later works, but the issues are still there. Just less so. I feel that the problem lies in the songwriting, more than anything else. Faster songs, maybe? It'd be leaning towards melodeath, but I don't think that's a bad thing by any means. Maybe just more intense instrumentation? I feel that the thrash/heavy metal component is what makes this album shine. Regardless though, I don't think these suggestions will apply anymore. Their style of music has definitely changed a lot since then. Appealed to a larger audience and became what they are today. I can't say that I like the change in style, but it is what it is. Oh well.
Album Highlights: Second Heartbeat, I Won't See You Tonight Part 1
Track Average Rating: 2.67/5
Overall Rating: 5/10
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Remains of Shapes to Come by Ruby My Dear
Ruby My Dear is a French breakcore/IDM producer. People have praised his work for having a "unique beat", but I'm not sure. I'm not familiar with his works - the only track that I remember clearly from him is Cha-Cha Moderne. While that is definitely unique, I didn't think it was that great. Remains of Shapes to Come is his first full album - clocking at 71 minutes. Far longer than most breakcore releases.
The album starts off with Maiden, an uneventful sparse yet dark track. It is rather gothic, but nowhere as gothic as say, My Love Is A Bulldozer. It's not painful to the ears, it's just pretty uneventful. Doesn't quite help that it's not atmospheric either. The album changes gear after that with Rubber's Head - a mixture of dubstep and Venetian Snares-esque breakcore. It starts off as a rather cookie-cutter subtle breakcore track, but morphs halfway through. What used to be the breaks in the breakcore component are now wubs. Quite original, but not very intriguing. It's just not experimental enough for me, not abrasive enough.
Karoshi starts with a sombre (and slightly sinister) atmosphere, with oriental string instrumentation. Intro strongly reminds me of clonepa, actually. After the intro however, it turns to a typical breakcore track. Very strong Venetian Snares vibes for the first two minutes, which isn't really a good thing. Fortunately the structure does become a little uncommon halfway through, which makes it a little more interesting. Its stealthy approach is pretty neat. Doesn't do too much, but a pleasant listen.
There's a lot of variation in this album. Not in terms of genre, but there definitely are many ideas thrown around. Uken for example, is raggacore. While not particularly unique by any means, it's a nice change. Hawa is a dark and subtle breakcore track. Rather slow as well - nowhere as stealthy/piercing as Plunging Hornets by VSnares. It's probably one of the few times where I can say that there's too much variation. While Ruby My Dear clearly shows his proficiency in most styles of breakcore - he lacks quality. With this many ideas, you'd expect one or two tracks to click wonderfully. While a few do, most of the tracks don't do it for me. They're generally cookie-cutter with a twist here and there. It's not really groundbreaking by any means. Ruby My Dear jumps around with multiple ideas, but fails to put any consideration to one idea. He just worked on one idea for a couple of minutes, and jumps to another. Not a very good way to make a strong album. The Flashbulb has this problem, and Ruby My Dear's nowhere as good as a musician as Benn is. Ruby's not very engaging, rather uninteresting when you dig deeper into his works. Other than a slight deviation of style, it's generally the same.
With many ideas in place, many tracks are needed. There are thirteen tracks here - which is a little more than the typical breakcore release. However... its length. Seventy one minutes long. I do have a gripe against most non-ambient albums that are longer than an hour. You do need something exciting to really catch my attention. Some albums managed to do it well. Palmless Prayer/Mass Murder Refrain, Kirlian Selections, Flood are just a few that floored me, despite its length - around 80 minutes long. This album however, doesn't quite do it. It becomes long-winded, instead of a captivating experience. I honestly felt like shutting off the album after the eleventh track. I didn't think that there was much to enjoy, I'm probably going to be unfazed for the most part. Surely enough, the last two tracks didn't help either.
Just a mish-mash of ideas that really would've been better with more consideration. While there are many tracks here, there is little to no substance. Ruby My Dear definitely knows how to make his tracks sound unique, but the atmosphere is generally the same. He just needs to be a little bit more experimental, more bold. Either that, or he could concentrate on 4 or 5 ideas instead of thirteen. I could imagine these sounds to be far more engaging if Ruby didn't have to juggle with so many ideas. Maybe his next album would be better?
Album Highlights: Pannonica, Chazz
Track Average Rating: 2.62/5
Overall Rating: 5/10Comment
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Re: An Album A Day Keeps The Doctor Away | 365 Album Challenge
I don't know, I felt that You Made Me Realise and Body Riddle had parts that were grating - moreso than Waking The Fallen. While WtF (which is a pretty low 5) is just bland for the most part - I'd rather listen to that than say, Body Riddle.
Last edited by EzExZeRo7497; 07-15-2014, 06:57 PM.Comment
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Re: An Album A Day Keeps The Doctor Away | 365 Album Challenge
July 16th, 2014
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Ravedeath, 1972 by Tim Hecker
I've already talked about Tim Hecker, so I won't go into too much detail. Canadian drone artist - a pretty experimental one at that. His signature mixture of noise and drone is quite unique. No one is quite able to sound like him - they're either too dormant or unengaging. Tim Hecker somehow manages to create structured soundscapes with his mixture - which is very intriguing to say the least. Harmony in Ultraviolet, Virgins and Fantasma Parastasie are all albums that I've enjoyed from him. Ravedeath, 1972 is his sixth studio album. I've heard that this album is pretty different from his other works, but we'll see.
Quite interesting. The album starts off with The Piano Drop, a melodic shoegazy drone filled with noise - almost like October Language. It's probably the only track Tim Hecker has made that really screamed Belong to me. It's pretty good, though it does feel pretty hollow.
Tim Hecker goes back to his typical sound with In The Fog I, a spacious drone that reminds me of a more crystalline Whitecaps of White Noise I. It's not nowhere as noisy as most of Hecker's works, like Radio Spiricom, but the sentiment is still there. I feel that it's magnified moreso in this track, actually. Its purity is really makes it shine here. While not the most engaging of tracks, it is a very nice listen throughout. A fantastic track I could put in the background and just work all night.
The next track, In The Fog II, is a little more layered than the previous one. It's no longer a crystalline clear track. It's considerably noisier than the first track - especially in the latter half. I'm honestly not too sure what to think of that. The oscillating drones create this claustrophobic atmosphere for me - I feel trapped. I'm assuming that it's supposed to create fear or anxiety, but man. It's such a odd transition from the pure and innocent In The Fog I. It's most definitely not bad, but it's rather displaced.
The next track (In The Fog III) is a step up the noise scale - but not quite as intimidating. In fact, I think the additional noise made the track a lot more majestic. The wall of noise is now large in scale, but the humanity of The Fog I is still there. Inside the gargantuan monster that is In The Fog III, there really is something pristine here. Something... sombre. Maybe even depressing. It just feels so human, despite sounding so inhuman. The piano really does it here, it really gives the track a heart. Really really interesting.
Tim Hecker doesn't quite bring anything new to the table. This album gave me some really strong Harmony in Ultraviolet vibes, in terms of sound. That's not necessarily a bad thing though. What differentiates this from Harmony in Ultraviolet however, is that Ravedeath feels a lot more human. It's not quite as synthetic and clinical as Harmony in Ultraviolet, at least from my experience. It feels considerably warmer, I could really feel the atmospheres. The sadness and purity of No Drums, the melancholic Hatred of Music II, these are all experiences I've never felt from Harmony in Ultraviolet. Virgins might've did that, but nowhere as impactful as this album.
I don't quite get as many soundscapes from this album as I did from Harmony in Ultraviolet, if any. That's really the biggest difference between Harmony and this. Harmony in Ultraviolet is based on soundscapes, this is based more on viscerality. As I'm a bigger sucker for catharsis more than soundscapes (see Insen), I'm more captivated by this album. While it is substantially lighter than Harmony, it is still a very enjoyable experience. Perhaps, even more so. It does take considerable skill to have a visceral effect throughout the album, but Hecker did it well here.
The only problem I have with this album is that I can't quite get into a mood to enjoy this album fully. In some days, I will fully enjoy noisy tracks like In The Air I and In The Fog II. In some other days, I'll enjoy No Drums and Hatred of Music II more. I can't be in a particular mood to enjoy the album in its entirety. Of course, this is merely a personal gripe. Most of the tracks are fantastic, though my enjoyment does vary based on how I feel for the most part. The deviation isn't too significant though, so it's not a big deal. I'll probably enjoy most of the album on a typical day.
Flaws aside, this is an excellent album. This is the more visceral counterpart of Harmony in Ultraviolet to me. It has everything that a noise-drone hybrid sound so great, but with a twist. Hecker brings in emotions that you get from great ambient music, and throws it into the mixture that is Ravedeath. It's a wonderful experience - my favourite type of drone, with catharsis to boot. If you want to start with noisy ambient/drone music, start with this album. It is truly, a unique and beautiful experience.
Tim Hecker is slowly becoming one of my favourite artists - probably a good thing.
Album Highlights: No Drums, Hatred of Music II, In The Air III
Track Average Rating: 3.96/5
Overall Rating: 8/10Last edited by EzExZeRo7497; 07-16-2014, 09:49 AM.Comment
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Re: An Album A Day Keeps The Doctor Away | 365 Album Challenge
July 18th, 2014
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Kyuusai no Gihou by Susumu Hirasawa
Susumu Hirasawa is a Japanese electronic synth pop/art pop artist and soundtrack composer. He was in bands such as Mandrake (prog rock) and P-Model (new wave), the latter band being quite successful. He's also responsible for the soundtracks of two of the most popular anime movies - Paranoia Agent and Paprika. Kyuusai no Gihou, or Technique of Relief, is his eighth solo studio album. I haven't heard too much from Susumu, but most of his tracks have blown me away. The epic addictive march Parade, the over-the-top energetic Forces... all so catchy. I don't know if this album will reach that level of enjoyment, but we'll see.
The album starts off with the infectiously catchy electropop Town-0 Phase-5. Incredibly fast-paced and upbeat, very addicting vocals as well. Not necessarily my cup of tea, feels a little weak outside the chorus. I can't help but feel my head bob when I listen to this though, it's so catchy. This is probably a grower, will have to relisten to this track in the future. Pretty good nonetheless.
The album takes a turn for the darker with Moon Time, significantly less energy than the fun-loving Town-0 Phase-5. The instrumentation here is decent, it captures the essence of a deep night quite well. There are some instruments (I think drums?) that are a little too loud though - it ruins the atmosphere a little bit. The vocals are okay, nothing too great. Just not something that I'd like, I guess. Just not very good, there are some clashing elements here. Doesn't quite help that it's pretty long too - 6 minutes long. Track does get promising towards the end though, which is neat.
The music picks up again with Gardener King, a pop song with grandiose elements, almost orchestral. Despite its orchestral instrumentation, it does feel pretty weak at first. It's really missing that "epic" atmosphere that some of his best tracks like Parade has. It does pick up towards the midsection with catchier vocals, but only momentarily. Oh well, the recurring techno sequencer is pretty neat though.
The slower tracks, such as Moon Time and Ghost Bridge, are mainly decent. Their strongest aspect is just how crystal clear the pictures they create are. They have incredibly meticulate textures, very deep colours as well. They don't create anything else though, I didn't feel too much while listening to this. It feels like they're just there the entire time. Not very engaging, just quite pretty. The only one that stands out is the The Man From Narcissus Space, an incredibly subtle and spatial track. While it is rather subtle in its approach, it just feels extremely large. It has such a grand scope, it really fascinates me. The vocals here are stunning, it pulls my heartstrings sometimes because it's so sombre.
The more energetic tracks range from decent to solid. While there's the infectiously catchy Town-0 Phase-5, there is also the tribal new age Strange Night of the Omnificence. It's quite difficult to classify his work into one concrete genre, however. His mixtures of genres tend to be hit or miss, not so much in between. Take Mother, for example. An electropop track with lots of cinematic and dancey elements. While I can see how it would appeal to other people, I just can't enjoy it. While I respect it for what it is, but it feels like it's missing something. Perhaps Susumu wasn't being too assertive with the catchiness? I don't know. I just don't think it's that great.
While I can respect this album as an intricate and grandiose progressive electropop album, it just leaves a lot more to be desired. There are many tracks that would've so much better if they were far more engaging. The self-titled track for example is essentially an extravagant orchestra filled with power. However, it just doesn't resonate with me. I feel someone who's listening to it at a distance, it doesn't really provide me. It just has a large sound, but nothing else to it. Most of the tracks have the same issue - just too distant. That's the only gripe I have, but it's a very big one.
Maybe I came in with overly high expectations, but I was pretty underwhelmed by this album. This album is definitely not bad, but it could have been so much better. Maybe Susumu Hirasawa is better at making striking singles more than cohesive stories, since this doesn't quite faze me as an album. There are some good tracks here, but there are more average ones than good ones. I think it'd be fine to call this album "decent", at most. Just an album that I'd loop one or two tracks over and over more than anything else.
YIN YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA
Album Highlights: Town-0 Phase-5, The Man From Narcissus Space
Track Average Rating: 3.2/5
Overall Rating: 6/10
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Shining by IneartheD (recommended by Hateandhatred)
IneartheD is a Finnish melodic death metal band, though fairly unheard of. However, most people would know the band under a different name - Children of Bodom. IneartheD is the band CoB formed before they were CoB, back in 1993. I'm not too familiar with Children of Bodom, although I've heard some of their works. I thought they were decent. Their sound seems to be more melodeath instead of melodic power metal though, so it should be an interesting listen. Shining is their last EP before forming Children of Bodom.
Wow, talk about horrible audio quality. I mean eighteen years ago audio quality isn't the best, but it's not that bad. Anyway, Talking of the Trees is pretty harsh. Lots of blast beats, many growling sections, just aggressive overall. It is metal being metal. The female vocals here are a neat touch, it keeps the track fresh. In its harsher moments though, I could really feel its energy - despite its lo-fi sound. The lo-fi sound does detract from my enjoyment significantly - it's not like Burzum's Filosofem. While both albums have poor production, Filosofem actually benefits from its raw quality.
I could say the same for Vision of Eternal Sorrow. While the recording quality is ever so slightly better, it's still rather poor. Very intense energy as a whole - significantly more than your typical melodeath release. Maybe that's where the poor recording quality benefits? Most good melodeath releases to me are insanely catchy, but never overly aggressive. Shining isn't necessarily catchy, but it definitely is a very raw sound. It's quite unique, I usually get similar energy from something like black metal, instead of melodic death. Interesting.
Homeland is probably the track that I'm most familiar with. It's the track that reminds me of melodic death metal the most. While the energy and atmosphere still reminds me of black metal, it's definitely the catchiest track in the album. Fast paced keyboard, harsh vocals/blast beats/guitar, insanely fast atmosphere, it's nuts. Again though, the recording does reduce the atmosphere significantly. The energy however, is stronger than ever. It does lead me to believe that the track's main appeal is the energy, rather than the catchiness. Perfectly understandable, but there are some other metal tracks that are more overwhelming. Erblicket die Töchter des Firmaments for example, is just absolutely insane. It's dark, overwhelmingly disturbing and just all in all fantastic.
The self-titled track is a cute acoustic ballad. The energy level does rise every now and then, but it's not much to talk about. It's nice sounding though, if not just a little bit bland. Anyway, I see this album as sincere, more than anything else. Despite the horrible recording quality, IneartheD tried their best to emulate an overwhelming and powerful atmosphere. The conditions might not be flawless, but I could tell that they put their heart and soul into it. The asinine recording quality further proves it. I'd say that they have been successful, but the recording quality is incredibly detrimental to it overall. While I do agree with its sincerity, it doesn't really mean that I'd like it. If anything, I would just respect it for what it is. Just not something I'd listen to again.
It's a shame that the quality is really what bogs down the album so much, though. While I could see how it could be a plus for some, it really isn't for me. I do like some lo-fi recordings, like Natural Snow Buildings. This though... doesn't quite do it for me. It's TOO lo-fi. I don't really need overly pristine production, something like Burzum's Filosofem would do. This is just... too poor. Aside from that though, it's not bad. The tracks aren't overly fantastic, but they are good for what they are. The songwriting and all is great, better than most melodeath I've heard. Even with horrid sound quality, they still managed to convey their energy in their songs. Always a good thing. Little disheartened by the fact that Children of Bodom doesn't make tracks similar to this anymore (to my knowledge), this is quite promising. A mixture of melodic death metal and black metal sounds like a wonderful idea.
Album Highlights: Homeland
Track Average Rating: 3/5
Overall Rating: 6/10
Wanted to watch Paprika today, but I don't have time for that anymore. Goddammit.
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Re: An Album A Day Keeps The Doctor Away | 365 Album Challenge
Prepare for some serious wtf-ery.Wanted to watch Paprika today, but I don't have time for that anymore. Goddammit.Comment
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Re: An Album A Day Keeps The Doctor Away | 365 Album Challenge
Paprika was okay. I expected more though.
July 19th, 2014
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$ Vol. 10 by Kid606 / Xanopticon (recommended by xVaLoRx)
The $ series is a series of collaboration EPs/singles, though I'm not too sure which label came up with the idea. This is the last album of the series. The artists involved in the $ series include (and are not limited to) Cex, Electric Company, kid606 and Xanopticon. Kid606 seems to be the main collaborator, as he has appeared in 9 out of 10 splits. The other collaborator, Xanopticon, is one of the biggest breakcore acts out there. His intricately structured and extreme style of breakcore is very unique - it's breakcore at its hardest. I love most of his works - he's one of my favourite breakcore artists. I feel that for genres like breakcore, it's best to go all the way to make it as loud as possible. The overwhelming effect is what I want from breakcore, and Xano does this wonderfully.
Anyway, there's only two tracks here. The first track is Flip Da' Bird, by Kid606. Starts off quite minimal, then a predominant sample takes the spotlight. The intricate melodies/breaks are now in the background. The melody is rather pretty in the first half, it does remind me of Autechre a little. The track then progresses to a predominantly glitch hop track. Not too fond of it, but it's not really bad. Never been a fan of glitch hop in the first place, so I'm not really surprised that I didn't like this.
The second track is Bizarre, by Xanopticon. It's pretty different from Xanopticon's works, mainly because there's actually a hip-hop sample going on. The breakcore component of the track however, is one of the hardest he has made. It's not necessarily intricately structured a la Liminal Space, but it's really loud. While it doesn't quite sound like a chaotic wall of noise at first, it becomes far more aggressive in the second half. Normally I'd find it fantastic, but the hip-hop sample really gets to me. It's just so intrusive, intrusive to the point that it even brings down the intensity of the track. The only time the sample actually complements the track is at the last minute, where the voice is incredibly distorted. It's just annoying otherwise - hip-hop and breakcore doesn't create the best of mixtures. I don't think I could call it hip-hop even, it's just someone rapping over an intense breakcore track. Almost always a bad thing.
I know that I'll like this way more if it weren't for the hip-hop component. It just feels completely unnecessary. It doesn't improve the tracks by any means, in fact it makes them significantly worse. Bizarre would've been a monster of a track, while Flip Da' Bird would've been decent at least. As it is, there's a prominent clash between elements that doesn't allow me to enjoy this as much as I really should be. Maybe it's just showing my apathy towards hip-hop in general, but I just don't see how this could appeal to many people. Maybe the rapping would take some time to get used to, but I don't think it's quite worth the time to get used to. Would much rather listen to other Xanopticon/Kid606 tracks instead.
Album Highlights: -
Track Average Rating: -
Overall Rating: 5/10
I've rated three albums 5.0 consecutively (Paprika OST + some other Celer album before this), that's not good. Probably not in the best of moods.Comment
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Re: An Album A Day Keeps The Doctor Away | 365 Album Challenge
July 20th, 2014
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Rogue Cho Pa + Bedroom Joints by Star Slinger
So I wanted to review some instrumental hip-hop today, but I only have EPs that were 10-15 minutes long from the same artist. So, I think it'd be better to count these two mini-reviews as one review. Darren Williams, better known as Star Slinger, is an instrumental hip-hop/chillwave artist from the UK. Fairly well-known in the mainstream, but I don't know that many people who listen to him. Anyway though, his work is pretty hit or miss. His collaboration with Teams is one of my favourite chillwave albums, but most of his other tracks didn't quite do it for me. Rogue Cho Pa and Bedroom Joints are his first two EPs - a combined time of around 25 minutes.
Let's start off with Rogue Cho Pa. Like I Do is pretty trippy but at the same time compelling, with its hypnotic beat and surreal vocal sample. It's pretty nice overall - it's nothing like Star Slinger has made. It's fun, it's catchy, it's chill. Solid track, though it was a little weak in the middle.
Hot Potato has an incredibly catchy instrumental, can't help but bob my head while I listen to this. However, the flaw comes from the vocal sample. I'm not quite sure what the vocal is, but it's a deep soul-esque one. Not too fond of that, especially in the latter half. It intrudes a bit too much, I wasn't quite sure what to focus on. Could only listen to one part of the track or the other, basically. Track's not bad, but some more consideration with the sample would've made it a lot better.
Do It Myself is a very relaxing instrumental, pictures almost reminiscent of the album cover. The vocal sample is dreamy enough to keep the track engaging throughout, which is great. It does get substantially worse though... there's actually samples from a pornographic video in the track. It appears halfway through the track and takes the spotlight for the rest of the track. Not that bad at first... then it's solely that one sample. Not sure why Star Slinger did that. It's not really funny, just kinda awkward more than anything else. It ruined such an excellent track too, really disappointed me. Oh well.
The rest of the EP is your typical chillwave with RnB/soul vocals. Some of the tracks work and become a slight hypnotising experience, like Rene Storm. However, there are some tracks that do miss the mark. They're not bad at all though, definitely has some better chillwave tracks than others. The only problem I have with this EP is that there's too little substance here. In addition to only having six tracks, there really isn't anything overly stunning here. None of the tracks here are bad sure, but they aren't stellar. Star Slinger has made far better tracks that are similar, like May I Walk With You. Mellow and jovial beat, amazing sample usage, just a thrill throughout its three minute lifespan. It helps that the original sample is great too - Life Without Buildings' The Leanover (recommended for anyone who's into indie rock). I can't quite say that any of the tracks in Rogue Cho Pa have really reached that level of enjoyment that May I Walk With You has achieved.
Overall, it's a decent EP. Definitely not one of Star Slinger's best, but he's rather hit or miss to begin with. Not quite varied, but the general sound works. I could just sit back and relax, riding the chillwave. Don't miss out on this work if you're into chillwave, I could imagine this appealing more to you than me. Maybe except for Do It Myself, that's pretty gross.
Album Highlights: Like I Do, Rene Storm
Track Average Rating: 3/5
Overall Rating: 6/10
As for Bedroom Joints, it is more varied than Rogue Cho Pa. Casanova's Jump Off has an instrumental is definitely a tinge bit more complex than Rogue Cho Pa, but not too different. I do feel that some of the trippy feeling is lost though - there's too much going on. Can't help but make sense of what's going on more than anything else. Vocal sample is a lot more grating too, nowhere as dreamy or catchy.
Slow 'N' Wet is a very atmospheric, almost house-esque track. There are no vocal samples, just the same melody throughout. While it's very simple, it's quite the engaging little track. Very relaxing, almost in an ambient techno way. The picture it creates is really pretty too, with colours like deep blue and black. It does get a little annoying towards the end by panning the sound multiple times, but it's not bad at all.
While it is Star Slinger's most ambitious work, I can't say that I really like it. He does lose that catchy/trippy sound that most of his works create. At some points, some of his works become grating. I couldn't stand Baby Mama at all, it was just too slapstick for me to like. The dubstep-influenced beat doesn't quite help either, it becomes really annoying to listen to after a while. When there's only three tracks in an EP, I do expect at least two of them to be good. There's only one good track here, and it's not really that great to begin with. Just pretty disappointed overall.
Don't have much else to talk about - it's just very underwhelming. While experimentation is fine, that doesn't mean that it has to be bad. Avoid this EP, listen to his other chillwave works instead. They create a far more coherent and engaging experience than this.
Album Highlights: Slow 'N' Wet
Track Average Rating: 2.33/5
Overall Rating: 4/10Comment
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Re: An Album A Day Keeps The Doctor Away | 365 Album Challenge
July 22nd, 2014
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Metanoia by Yousei Teikoku
Yousei Teikoku is a symphonic metal/j-pop band from the land of the rising run. They catapulted to the mainstream Japanese metal spotlight through Mirai Nikki by performing the OP for the main series - Kuusou Mesorogii. They're fairly prolific, with a total of thirteen albums under their belt. Outside the Gothic Lolita album series, Metanoia has been said to be the best album from Yousei Teikoku. I'm quite familiar with Teikoku's works - they're quite a difficult band to get into. The vocalist is what mainly differentiates it from other metal bands - a female j-pop vocalist. It's an acquired taste - some people loathe it, some people love it. I'm personally a little indifferent to it, but it works for the most part. I thought the band is generally good, but nothing too stunning. This is actually one of the last few albums from them that I haven't listened to yet. Should be interesting.
The album starts off with Wahrheit - pretty gothic (lolita-esque) intro at first. Doesn't provide much other than a pretty sight, but it progresses to an industrial-symphonic metal song. It's okay, but fairly generic. It's a far less refined sound compared to say, Gothic Lolita Agitator's songs. Doesn't help that it's not really catchy either, which is usually the selling point for Teikoku's songs.
Fortunately the album does get substantially better with Hades: The Rise, a fast-paced industrial metal track. Instrumentation is sick, it grabs your attention with its aggression and catchiness. The vocalist's poppy feminine voice really complements the song nicely, especially in the section three minutes in. Really gives the track this additional sinister layer which makes the track a little more magical. I like it, it's one of the better tracks Yousei Teikoku has made.
Eternal Waltz is a ballad filled with glitches and distortion. Instead of being sombre a la Viscum Album, it's quite playful. It's interesting how Yui's vocals manage to complement these tracks well, as if they're made for her to complement. The vocals really bring out the playfulness of the instrumentation, which is great. Just not something that I'd usually like, unfortunately. Regardless, I could respect it for what it is.
I'll stop elaborating on the tracks. Metanoia's metal tracks aren't too different from most of Yousei Teikoku's works. Not very varied as well, it's generally symphonic/industrial metal with j-pop vocals. There are some standouts like Haitoku no Hana, which is a slow and magical metal track, but they aren't too different from what Yousei would normally do. The main reason why Haitoku stood out for me is because Yousei actually hasn't done a slow metal track - just slow ballads. It's nothing new, especially for the greater scheme of metal bands. That's not a bad thing though, their general formula works. They're very good songwriters - the fact that they are able to emphasise so many atmospheres with child-like vocals is pretty impressive.
What really stood out for me is that Yousei Teikoku decided to fiddle with slower tracks in this album. It's rather uncharted territory for them, but I think they explored the territory quite well with this album. Normally they only had depressing slow songs, like Viscum Album. In this album however, there's more than just that. For example, Hidden Truth is like a playful yet sinister ballad - quite intriguing. In addition to having interesting atmospheres however, they're also compelling listens. I couldn't do much else when I listen to them, they are quite attention-grabbing. Probably a plus.
Interesting album overall. It's not stunning in any shape or form, but it's a good listen every now and then. There are some weak tracks, but there are more good than bad here. One of their best outside the Gothic Lolita series, but the Gothic Lolita series are the best albums from them, so it's not saying much. King of the manlets tier, whatever that means. I'd personally just get the three Gothic Lolita albums instead of this, but this is still a decent album. If you're a metal purist, avoid this. The vocals will more than likely get to you. If you're into metal with a j-pop flare (see: Babymetal but nowhere as flashy and more gothic), get this album and Teikoku's discography in general. You'll definitely love this more than I do.
Album Highlights: Hades: The Rise, Haitoku no Hana
Track Average Rating: 3.29/5
Overall Rating: 6.5/10
Haven't been in the mood for music lately... I think it's been showing through my ratings this month. Only 4 albums with 7 or higher out of 24... really not good. I'll keep on reviewing albums I guess, but I don't know how much longer I can keep going without burning out. I feel as if I'm forcing myself for the past month, and it sucks.Comment
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Re: An Album A Day Keeps The Doctor Away | 365 Album Challenge
July 23rd, 2014
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Endtroducing..... by DJ Shadow (recommended by noname219)
Joshua Paul Davis, better known as DJ Shadow, is one of the most influential instrumental hip-hop artists of all time. His debut album Endtroducing..... has been hailed as one of the best instrumental hip-hop albums of all time, if not THE best album of all time. That's what I'm going to review today, although it's getting pretty late here. I'm uncertain why it's so popular, but I've never heard it before. Perhaps it's incredibly original for its time? Who knows.
The album starts off with Best Foot Forward, a rather interesting collage of samples which really don't do much due to its short length. The real fun starts at Building Steam With A Grain of Salt, a sombre yet engaging sound completely made of sampling. It almost feels retro to me, especially with the melody three minutes in. Reminds me of gangsters walking down the streets in movies actually. Unlike most instrumental hip-hop tracks, this is really long - clocking at almost seven minutes. Despite that though, it manages to stay compelling and solid the entire track through. Very unique, always a plus. Excellent track overall.
The Number Song is a more aggressive but infectiously catchy track. While it is really heavy and crowded (cymbal crashes, drums, etc.), it feels playful as well. The playfulness turns into insane catchiness, especially in the first half. I just can't help but just bounce around while I listen to this. It's just so goddamn catchy. It does get a little bland for a bit in the middle, but it's far more than tolerable. This is really good so far.
Changeling is a dark but very relaxing track. It doesn't particularly faze me in any way, but it's a very pleasant listen. I could just sit here and jam to this for an hour or so, really soothing. Now that I think about it, I don't think many instrumental hip-hop tracks come off as atmospheric to me. This is just really breath-taking, though the landscape is rather bleak. I'm just sitting here... riding the chillwave. Whatever that means. But yeah, sick track. Not necessarily groundbreaking, but it's definitely a keeper.
Stem/Long Stem's first half is probably one of the most emotionally captivating sections I've heard in a long time. Its adrenaline and its energy is simply unbelievable - gives me goosebumps. The recurring violin melody, the hard-hitting kicks, just.... wow. I just want to loop that part forever, it's so goddamn good. Even when the track dies down though, it manages to be tense and engaging. Definitely worse than the first half, but still a nice listen nonetheless.
This album is... incredibly varied. In addition to having relaxing tracks - which is pretty typical for instrumental hip-hop, this has pretty much everything else. Sombre tracks like Building Steam With A Grain of Salt, catchy beats like The Number Song, cathartic tracks like Stem/Long Stem, all that. It helps that the tracks here are solid too. I've never quite expected instrumental hip-hop to do that - the most emotionally varied album I've heard before this would be Since I Left You by The Avalanches. The rest of the instrumental hip-hop albums I like are because of intriguing sound, more than anything else. Always great for an album to challenge what I think of the selling point of the genres are.
The album isn't flawless though. The first five tracks (not counting interludes) are mainly phenomenal, but it doesn't hold up. The last five tracks, while certainly not unlistenable, just aren't comparable to the first five. There are some respectable attempts though, like the second half of Napalm Brain/Scatter Brain. Just nowhere as impressive as the first five tracks for me, really. Maybe it's because I'm getting used to the intriguing sound, but it's probably more of a combination of both.
That's really the only notable flaw I can think of, though. Most of the tracks here are great, though not all of them are stunners. This album creates multiple soundscapes, varying in different emotions. In addition, the ones that don't create soundscapes have sick beats for the most part. It's definitely one of the most interesting albums I've listened to, mainly because of the combination of diversity and actual genres. I do feel that the album would be better if some of the weaker tracks were just a little more atmospheric or captivating. They're just dormant as they are at the moment, not very attention-grabbing. Just a minor complaint, though. There really isn't much room for improvement now. This just might be a grower - wouldn't be surprised if I give this an 8/10 in the future. But for now, I think a 7.5/10 should suffice. It's a very intriguing album, but I just don't feel comfortable praising as much as others do at the moment.
Best album recommended so far. Also my highest rated album for any album in the RYM top 100. There should be more albums like this in the RYM top 100. Too much rock at the moment.
Album Highlights: Building Steam With A Grain of Salt, The Number Song, Stem/Long Stem
Track Average Rating: 3.85/5
Overall Rating: 7.5/10Comment
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Re: An Album A Day Keeps The Doctor Away | 365 Album Challenge
July 24th, 2014
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Shelter by Alcest
Alcest is a shoegaze/blackgaze band from France. They are the creators of two of the arguably most successful blackgaze albums - Ecailles de Lune and Souvenirs d'un autre monde. While I'm not too fond of the latter (I still liked it), the former album is excellent. It's just so dreamy yet so dark, the night sky is a nice complement too. Lots of memorable tracks there, though there are some that are weaker than others. Highly recommended regardless, it's definitely a keeper for anyone who's into shoegaze. Black metal, not so much - especially if you're a purist. Anyway, Shelter is their most recent album. From what I've heard from RYM, the black metal element is no longer included. We'll see how much it'll change the output of the band, both in quality and sound.
Well, the metal elements in this album are definitely gone. No more heavy abrasive instrumentation - it's post-rock at most. The fusion of black metal and shoegaze isn't what appealed me to Alcest, however. It was the dreamy atmospheres Neige managed to create - he especially did this in Ecailles de Lune. Take the second track of this album for example - Opale. It's definitely dreamy, despite it being mainly post-rock and shoegaze. It's not a sombre type of dreaminess though, it's like dreaminess in the sunlight. A happy type of dreaminess - quite unique.
But are these dreamy atmospheres just as engaging if not more than Ecailles de Lune? I'd honestly be hard-pressed to say yes. While the dreaminess is most definitely there, it just isn't as much as I'd like to be. It just floats away too easily, mainly due to how light the tracks are. This is Alcest's lightest work so far - both in brightness and weight. While that isn't necessarily a bad thing, it does require more effort to be more captivating. I don't think Neige managed to catch my attention as well as he did with Ecailles. Away for example, while definitely dreamy, doesn't do much for me.
I don't think I can deny that this album is really pretty though. There are multiple moments of beauty sprinkled all over the album, which is nice. The moments include are not limited to: The intro of L'eveil Des Muses, the second half of Voix Sereines and a lot more. It's a little difficult to produce a pretty atmosphere via blackgaze, compared to dream pop-shoegaze. Unsurprisingly, this album has tracks that shine far brighter than most of their blackgaze works. Given - the beauty is mainly superficial, but that's not necessarily a bad thing. It's always nice to see some pretty pictures every now and then. This album is quite frankly, an album of pretty pictures.
Of course, prettiness alone doesn't get the album anywhere. Unfortunately this is where the album begins to crumble - there isn't much variation here. It's pretty typical shoegaze-dream pop, with clear post-rock elements. Normally this wouldn't be too bad, as the general formula works for the most part. When it doesn't work though, like for the self-titled track, it just becomes an absolute train wreck. It becomes sloppy or overly pompous, which are very undesirable traits - especially for shoegaze. Fortunately, it only falters for two tracks or so. There's still more good than bad.
Even then however, the good tracks aren't really as good as the average tracks from Ecailles and good tracks from Souvenirs. It just goes back to my point on the album being unengaging as a whole. While I can imagine that there was some effort put in, I feel that Neige put in too much effort into making the album pretty more than anything else. Speaking of Neige, his vocals seem worse than he did in Ecailles and Souvenirs. Usually not a bad thing, but I feel that one of the best parts of the two albums I mentioned were the vocals. Without that one component, it just doesn't feel complete. The only part of the album I can really appreciate is the instrumentation, which isn't really that great to begin with.
Just a very different album from Alcest. Its difference from other albums is the main reason why I can completely understand how anyone would be disappointed with this album. There's no trace of metal anywhere, whereas every other album Alcest has made does. It's mainly shoegaze, post-rock and dream pop. Anyone who's expecting the old Alcest sound would be underwhelmed. While I can't speak overly highly of the direction Neige is going, I don't really think it's that bad. It's less unique sure, but that's not necessarily a bad thing. I digress though, moving back to Shelter. Despite its flaws, it's still a decent album. Definitely not Alcest's best by any means, but it's interesting. Definitely a unique sound, just not as intriguing as I'd like it to be. Just some more polishing up would make future works phenomenal - there's a lot of potential for shoegaze-post-rock. Hopefully this is a sign for something more promising in the future.
Album Highlights: L'éveil des muses, Opale
Track Average Rating: 3.06/5
Overall Rating: 6/10Comment
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