An Album A Day Keeps The Doctor Away | 365 Album Challenge

[EzExZeRo7497]

Done.

June 2nd, 2014
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一撃 by Undead Corporation
I've been putting this off for a while now. Undead Corporation is a metalcore/melodic death metal band from Japan. 一撃 is nothing new from them, but I haven't listened to them before - other than Magus Night Fever.

As you might have guessed from the album cover, all of the tracks are Touhou arranges. It's one of the harshest sounding Touhou metal albums though. The instrumentation is nothing short of brutal. The vocals are incredibly raw-sounding, far too raw-sounding really. The instrumentation is actually quite good, but the vocals really ruin it. Tracks like The Silent World and Magus Night Fever become much less of an enjoyable experience. The vocals are too overpowering, doesn't help that they aren't that good either. In fact, they're probably some of the worst metalcore vocals I've heard in a long time. The World No Hope Remains is slightly better than the rest, mainly because the vocals aren't as harsh. The female vocals are a nice touch too - but nothing too special. It's definitely a breath of fresh air compared to the subpar screaming though. The main downside? The instrumentation isn't as catchy as the other tracks.

Tracks are not very varied, Put Curse On You has some black metal influences going on. Not the type of black metal that I'd like, unfortunately. The other tracks are generally the same, maybe with different emphasis on metalcore or melodeath. The melodies are different from each other, but it's nothing special. I wouldn't really count that as variation, since they are arranges of melodies that were made to start with.

Ugh... the vocals are just asinine. Every track could be so much better if they were merely instrumentals. Fortunately, the album does have instrumentals of the same tracks. I'm not sure if it's because they're aware that not everyone would like the vocals or not, but that's neat regardless.

As I mentioned before, the instrumentation is wonderful. It's inevitable that the instrumentals are better than their vocal counterparts. So much raw energy, so catchy, it just works. The Touhou melodies aren't quite as prominent as a couple of other arrange albums. This gives it a more original sound, which is always a plus. Tracks like The Silent World and Chain Heart Girl are far more hard-hitting, and the riffs are phenomenal. It's pretty much everything that makes metalcore and melodeath so engaging for me in one package. Catchy riffs, a VERY rough and raw atmosphere... amazing. Almost disappointed that there aren't any other instrumentals like this. They're usually too soft or just not very engaging. The only problem I have with the instrumentations is that they aren't very varied. Some tracks do get a little tiring after repeated listens, but the fact that I could listen to them multiple times is good enough. My question is though... why didn't they make the instrumentals the main tracks? The instrumentation is so much better than the vocals.

I would love to elaborate more on why I love the instrumentation. Unfortunately, I can't talk too much about metal. It's not a genre I'm quite experienced with. I have listened to a lot of metal albums in the past, but not to its technical aspects.

It would be unfair to rate the overall album with instrumentals in it. I'm pretty sure the instrumentals are only meant to be bonus tracks. I'm also rating the instrumentation in the tracks with vocals to begin with. So, I'm just going to split those two components. The tracks with vocals are not very good. The growls are too abrasive, too rough. The screaming is completely senseless, with no clear rhyme or rhythm. It just feels like someone screaming to metal Touhou covers. The instrumentals are fantastic, no reason to pass them up. If you're into metalcore/melodeath, this is probably one of the best Touhou metal albums you can get. Just scrap the first 9 tracks, they're not worth your time.

With Vocals
Album Highlights: The World No Hope Remains, Chain Heart Girl
Track Average Rating: 2.44/5
Overall Rating: 4/10

Instrumentals
Album Highlights: Magus Night Fever, Chain Heart Girl, The Silent World
Track Average Rating: 4.06/5
Overall Rating: 8/10

[choof]

Originally Posted by Coolboyrulez0

on a more serious note here are some more i'd like your opinion on, really like most reviews so far.

Machinedrum - Room(s)

god yes
Youniverse and U Don't Survive best songs

[EzExZeRo7497]

Originally Posted by Crazyjayde

Also I can't wait for a Summvs or Insen review.

random.org gave me Insen. I think it's fair to review both on the same day.

June 3rd, 2014
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Insen by Alva Noto + Ryuichi Sakamoto (recommended by Crazyjayde)
Two relatively big artists with very contrasting styles working together. Alva Noto is a minimal glitch artist, comparable to Ryoji Ikeda. He is an artist that I've heard of, but I have not heard his works. On the other hand, we have Ryuichi Sakamoto. Prolific modern classical/new age/ambient artist. Not too big on his modern classical works. I made a review before this regarding 1996. It was a little promising, but brought down by its incoherent ideas and long-windedness. Together, they have made a total of three albums: Summvs, Insen and Vrioon.

Aurora is a dreamy minimal piano piece accompanied with Alva Noto's minimal glitch sound. The combination isn't quite as noisy as I expected, which was a pleasant surprise. It's a little bit odd though, seeing this juxtaposition of dreaminess and clinical atmospheres. Perhaps dreaminess isn't the best word - light is probably better. Even then, however, is still an odd combination. It's a little bit odd... but I'd say that the glitches really gave this piece more life. These glitches form tiny specks all over the landscape, like momentary small holes on a white piece of paper. Interesting combination, but not as cathartic as I expected. It's a pleasant listen, nonetheless.

I'm not quite sure what Morning is trying to portray. It's like a picture of the sky, but I couldn't conjure its details. The distortion makes it really difficult to determine even its colour. The light static almost feels like a drizzle, which is the only reason why I feel like it's raining. The melodies feel like it's looming as well, but it's only prominent towards the end. Not quite sure what to think of this, but it's an interesting sound.

This juxtaposition of warm piano melodies and callous bleeps and bloops continue. It's quite unique - there's very little I could compare it to. I can't compare it to Program Music I, as the glitches feel far warmer in that than this. It would be a completely unreasonable comparison, as the only things in common are piano melodies and boops. This album is like watching different rivers while it's raining. Ripples form as raindrops fall into the water, it's an interesting sight. Some ripples are larger than others. Some rivers react to some raindrops in a more beautiful way than others. That's really what differentiates each track from the others to me. I can't dismiss it as monotonous because these sounds are very interesting.

Each track has different emphasis on either Ryuichi or Noto's components. Take Avaol for example. The piano melodies are very distorted in this - it feels like part of the glitchiness now. It reminds me of snowflakes falling, or heavy rain, or just one thick mist. However it's pretty certain that Noto is doing most of the work in this album.

For ambient, I want catharsis. It's one of the main reasons why I enjoy ambient, but there isn't much catharsis here. The music is a bit confused in that aspect. With two such contrasting elements, it's hard to decipher an actual emotion. The album however, is lush with intricate soundscapes. They're so different. Its simplicity is what makes it so beautiful. There is so little going on, but at the same time the landscape is massive. The piano sets up this large but sparse landscape, while the glitches create slight modifications. The concept is simple, but it's executed quite well.

It feels odd though. It doesn't quite feel right, just feasting my eyes with marvelous landscapes. I don't really enjoy it as much as a cathartic album with some fairly vague pictures - like 88. It's probably because my perception is ultimately, less significant than my emotional being. It's appealing to a part of me that I rarely use to appreciate things. Didn't quite click with me as much as I'd want to unfortunately.

Definitely a keeper. I really like this album, but it doesn't faze me. It's impressing me in the wrong departments, so to speak. Not saying that I won't enjoy an album that's mainly very pretty, but I only get slight enjoyment at most. But hey, it's a very neat combination of sounds. Just not something that I would listen to on a regular basis. Feels like something you'd put up in a sound art museum more than anything to be honest.

Album Highlights: Moon, Iano
Track Average Rating: 3.44/5
Overall Rating: 7/10
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Summvs by Alva Noto + Ryuichi Sakamoto (recommended by choof)
Summvs, on the other hand, is more piano-driven. The glitches aren't anywhere as prominent as Insen's, but they're still there in the background. Microon I sets off an eerie mood with some slightly offkey piano with a loomy digital atmosphere. The mood is there, but it's not very effective. The melody feels very aimless, the electronic elements don't help much either.

The juxtaposition is far more prominent here. Despite the glitches being more in the background than Insen, the atmospheres they create contrast greatly. In Insen, there are a couple of moments where they complement each other well. It doesn't quite happen as often here. The landscapes aren't quite as intricate either. Most of these glitch elements become very predictable, which somewhat ruins the beauty of these pictures. They're too uniform and uninteresting at that point.

What Summvs makes up for, however, are large atmospheres. Halo is a seven minute track, with very subtle piano melodies and looming ambience. It's very beautiful, it's like watching a night sky in a forest. They complement each other just enough to make this cohesive bleak landscape. The track goes downhill at the last minute or so, when it progresses to something more sinister. It ruined the subtlety of it, so I was a little disappointed.

Other than that though... most of the album just feels aimless. Not many of the tracks create a nice atmosphere like Halo did. Summvs doesn't quite have the same charm as Insen, it's like an entirely different album. The intricate landscapes? Not there anymore. The pleasant sounds of glitch? Still there, but nowhere as much. There aren't too many redeeming elements in this album. It's just quite mundane. The sounds are usually pleasant, but that's all there is to it. By This River is the prettiest track out of the rest of these - but it's not saying much. The piano melody drove this quite well, but I'd much rather see it as a piano piece.

Probably not going to listen to this again. There's a little too much to be ambiguous, but the pictures aren't clear enough. The sound itself is alright, but I've heard much better. I did expect something more emotional, as there's more emphasis on Ryuichi. It didn't happen, unfortunately. There are some moments that I felt were warm, but not many. The rest of the album felt flat - the soundscapes are quite boring too. Not much to catch my attention overall. Can't give it too low of a rating because I don't dislike it though. I just expected a lot more, since I just heard Insen before it.

Album Highlights: Halo, Ionoscan
Track Average Rating: 2.55/5
Overall Rating: 5/10

[EzExZeRo7497]

June 4th, 2014
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Eyes Like Brontide by Lights Out Asia
Lights Out Asia is an American post-rock/ambient band.

When I listen to a lot of albums from a particular genre, it's inevitable that I'll make comparisons. A Day Towards Other Days' atmosphere is strikingly similar to Mono's, minus the crescendos. It's hazy and blurry, it sounds quite good. Shame it's a bit too short though. The next track is quite different, however. Radars Over the Ghosts of Chernobyl has some electronic elements, embedded with post-rock. It's quite cinematic overall, it feels too flashy at points. It especially shows in its sole post-rock moments. The dreamy vocals are a nice touch, but it doesn't help much. The entire track just feels aimless - there's not much going on. The music fits in most scenarios, but it doesn't have its own form. It doesn't create imagery by itself, which isn't really a good thing for post-rock.

X-33 is a simpler track and far less flashy. Despite its simplicity, It actually sounds very very pretty. It's like watching fireworks, and the stars shine after the light show. It makes me feel so free - I can feel all my thoughts just leave me. All I just want to do is sit down and gaze at the sky. It's a track that works viscerally. That's really what makes most good minimal tracks so good. Shame that it's short though.

Most of the long tracks here really don't do much. The long tracks could honestly be cut in half to have the same effect. It's too aimless, wandering off isn't necessarily a good thing in post-rock. Ironically enough, it's the shorter tracks that caught my attention. Lights Out Asia seems to be able to put a lot into short tracks, which is superb. Unfortunately I feel that they weren't able to do the same for the longer tracks. They seem to put in too little - collectively less than the shorter tracks. The only exception would be The Wrong Message Could End You, but it's because of its variation. It progresses quite a bit, changing from a post-rock ambient atmosphere to a psychedelic one. Not quite my cup of tea, but it's different.

The electronic sound is quite rich, but that's all it really provides for me. There's nothing much that I can appreciate, other than that. The ambience is nice, but not very stunning. In fact it goes by the other ear quite quickly. There are some very brief moments of genius, but that's all there is to it. The vivid skies of MIR 4 minutes in are something to be stunned by, but it ends quick. Didn't even take a minute for these beautiful colours to disappear, which is disappointing.

Not much variation to really counter its lack of inspiration. These sounds don't bring anything new to the table, but they are relaxing. Relaxing music can only get you so far though - especially with genres that aren't really relaxing. Most ambient does create a more clear and vivid soundscape than this. Most post-rock is far more interesting than this. This doesn't quite work, either way.

Six Points of Fire is the strongest track here, no doubt. An 11 minute track that just builds up more and more to create this wall of distorted instrumentation. It also has some very striking similarities to Mono. The introduction has some pretty pictures. They're a little more wonderful than the atmospheres in the shorter tracks, too. Having that sense of direction by the loud drums and all though... that's a huge plus. It makes everything just so breath-taking. The debris after the storm clears up slightly, and goes back to yet another storm. The transition isn't as fluid as the one before it, but it works. Being engulfed by this maelstrom of noise is good enough. Phenomenal closer..

The rest of the album... just doesn't click with me. It's too unmemorable and unspectacular. It's just your typical post-rock with ambience. There isn't anything new, nor is this any better than albums of the same genre. Not as bland as Lowercase Noises, but this isn't too much of an improvement. Only recommended for fans of post-rock, particularly 65daysofstatic or God Is An Astronaut.

Album Highlights: Six Points of Fire, X-33
Track Average Rating: 2.75/5
Overall Rating: 5.5/10

[t-rogdor]

you might like their more recent album more, eyes like brontide is GOOD but it's less "complete" compared to in the days of jupiter or w/e it is

[L.B.D.D]

litezout

[Crazyjayde]

FUCK YE EZ, you know how to please somebody rofl.

More seriously, even if Vrioon is the definite contender in composition and atmosphere, it's probably Insen who struck home the hardest for me. I've always considered both to be counterparts, with the following Summvs to be the relief. The parallel somebody made about them being night and day is actually very defining, and it actually gives a sense as to why Insen seems to be less stimulative or dynamic. The cover art also remind me of some color perception theories, and I think they've made good usage of these hues as indicative of the desired imagery. But, anyways, Insen is definitely a grower, but I think its strength relies so much on the actual sonic experience.

Which leads me to this important point about it being my entry point at the time into more meditative and leftfield music. I think the most fascinating part of this collaboration is how two absolutely distinctive and quite seemingly antagonistic instruments start to weave through similar timbres or nuances and become one. After a while in this slightly fuzzy and immersive bubble, you might come to a particular contemplative area, not quite divergent from catharsis, but a derivative of it nonetheless. The majesty of it, at least from a personal level, mind you, is that the outcome of this confounding phenomenon can be translated through different senses, whereas, if I'd look at a scenery, I'll start to perceive synesthetic vibrations and feel as though this artifical sounding soundscape meddles with some of my most acquainted sounds. For example, sometimes, it's about how the more minimalistic side of it creates a rhythmic pattern in the myriad of actions constituting my environment, and just links them in a surprising collage. It's fucking great. Although not an essential step, it still made me realize that music can also be enjoyed as a way to orchestrate my perceptions, as those are the ultimate filters of enjoyment. Sometimes it's more about the experiment, then there's the whole background around it. So yeah, next time you know I was enjoying a lot of lowercase.

[EzExZeRo7497]

I did reach that grey area of contemplation, but I didn't quite recognise it as a deviation of catharsis. I personally don't feel too attached to Insen, but I see where you're coming from. How you explained your love for the album is really neat too. My perceptions are usually a bit more animated and natural - so it's hard to elaborate on Insen. Your perceptions seem to be more mechanical and artificial. Not saying that it's bad, but it's really really neat.

Speaking of experimentation...

June 5th, 2014
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Confield by Autechre
Autechre is hailed as one of the masters of minimal electronic music. With albums like Tri Repetae and LP5 under their belt, it's hard to disagree. Their subtle sound has been quite interesting to some, cathartic to others. I don't quite have the same reactions, but some of them work. Tankakern (from Quarastice), Gantz Graf, C/Pach, Rae are all great tracks from them. Confield is one of their more experimental albums.

VI Score Poise is the only track here that is similar to their older works. It's quite minimal, but doesn't quite appeal to me. The glitches are alright, but nothing engaging to me. It feels like a bunch of incoherent sounds, altogether. It feels very mechanical in its approach, which is Ae's signature atmosphere. Most of their work are considered cold and clinical, and I don't disagree.

Cfern's hard kickdrum is almost disorienting. It starts off somewhat predictable at first, but it becomes harder to focus later on. When you think you found a particular rhythm, it does something different to throw you off. I almost feel like I'm getting a headache from this, actually. Not a good thing, but wow. I didn't expect any track to make me feel dizzy. I could just fall off my chair at any moment... this is nuts. It doesn't quite cause any claustrophobia or anything to me - but I could see it. I just think that the disorientation effect is far more prominent here. Quite frankly, I can't listen to this without getting a headache...

Pen Expers is like an explosion in comparison to the first two tracks. Though not as noisy as Gantz Graf, it is relentless in its approach. The track is aggressive, but at the same time a little subtle. The sounds are soft, but it's just... intimidating. At the same time though, it almost feels like Rae with thicker skin. It's more callous, but the core is still there. You can see that it's still emotional inside. It just doesn't want to show its weak side, it's too enjoyable being chaotic after all. Doesn't quite hit me on an emotional level, but the sound is pretty, albeit a little rough at points.

Sim Gishel is just looming terror in its most minimal form. The ambience is actually terrifying and uncomfortable. The other intricate sounds just serve as a chant for the danger to appear. I have no idea what's coming... but it doesn't look good at all. I could almost hear distorted growling halfway through. I'm starting to feel a little paranoid... I'm running out of space to hide. What... what even is going on.. I ca-q͏̨̧̛e̴̷҉f͏̢͟q̸̧̕͜͝ę̸̢̕͘u̶f̸̨͢q̷̀e̸͏̶̡ì͏̨͠f̶̶h҉̵̀ęq͞͏͟f̡̡̢͝͡ŗ̶͘͢͟ȩ̷̧̕͠j̷̡̀o̡͡r̴̵q̷̡͜
j̸̡̡͟͟ǫ̀͝ŕk̀̕ȩ̢̕͢y̷͡҉u̢̡͠͠i̵̡͘͢͜ ̷́͘͘q̶̴ứ̴͟͢e̵̛̛̕͢q̡̕͜͢͠ ̡͜͏͜͠q͢͏̴̸̨e̴͢͜q͝͏͏ ̡̛҉̶̕9̶̸̕8͟͠3͏͞0̵̛҉͠2҉́̕1̷͘͜͞ ̵́̕҉͟8̵̵̶͠2҉̧̢̨͢0́̕é͞é̵͜u̸̷̡͞j̵͠d̷̵̸̀̕ò̵̡į͢͟͝w̷͠͠ ̨͠҉̡d̡̡ę̸́̕͢q̴̴̛i̛͘h̷̡͝j̴͘e̶̕ǫ̷̢͜͝q͘͘h͞҉̀ ̶̀͘e̷q͘͘͡ ̷́̕͝è̵̛͝͝3͡q̷͏͠u̡̧ì4͏g̴̷e͏̴̧͟͝i̸̡ư͟ ̡̕̕͜h̶͝é́͘q̨̧̢̕͡ẃ͠h͡ ͡͏̸͢e̶͏͏͡q̕͏̶w̨̡͜ǫ̛͢͢͡e͟͝

Confield, to me, is one of Autechre's more cathartic albums. LP5 fits this criteria for me. Tri Repetae doesn't quite do that, it's just a nice collection of sounds. I know there are some people who feel dread, confusion and hatred through Autechre, though. I just can't quite reach that level of understanding just yet. But, I do feel some emotion here. As I said before, Sim Gishel is very terrifying. In fact, the entire album is just a schizophrenic, claustrophobic and anxious journey. Some tracks are significantly weaker both in quality and atmosphere, like Parhelic Triangle, but a couple of them work. It's a little interesting how two significantly different tracks evoke the same feeling though. Bine evokes the same emotion that Sim Gishel did. However, Bine is far more structured and aggressive. It's quite soft, but it's so fast you can barely comprehend what's going on. The sounds of machines moving at breakneck speeds... definitely something to write back home.

I don't really have anything overly negative to say about this album. While I do respect this album as a piece of art, I don't like it that much. They're a tad too minimal for me to embrace. Even some of the louder tracks don't do it for me. Pen Expers is indeed loud, but not memorable. A good majority of the album doesn't quite inflict enough trauma to be remembered. With tracks this minimal, you do need something large to capture my attention. Confield doesn't quite do it for me. I wouldn't say that this album is clinical, but rather too subtle. I especially can't call this inhuman because of one particular track, Lentic Cathachresis. I'm really not sure how to explain it. It just feels the most humane out of all of the other tracks. While it gets incredibly chaotic towards the end, I can feel a sense of human confusion. It's very complex, but at the same time there's this huge level of familiarity. I can't quite pinpoint what... but it's one of the most engaging works Autechre has done in a while.

I still have that headache from Cfern, by the way. Autechre is not really an artist I can fully appreciate, because of this. I haven't really gotten used to their sound, even after six albums. While I understand that Autechre changes quite considerably after each album - they tend to barely miss the mark. Confield is not an exception, unfortunately. It doesn't quite click with me, or at least as much as I'd like it to. I just want something more emotionally engaging, more warm. I don't think I'm necessarily asking the right artist, because Ae doesn't do that at all. I could be wrong though, I've heard Amber was quite a warm experience. I should check that out some other time. Oversteps and Amber are the last two Autechre albums that I'm interested in.

I'd rank this as the third best album I've heard from them. Tri Repetae and LP5 are better. This album is better than Exai, Quarastice and Draft 7.30 for me. Gantz Graf is on another level though.

Album Highlights: Bine, Lentic Catachresis
Track Average Rating: 3.11/5
Overall Rating: 6/10

Confield exhausted me out, but I'll do an EP anyway.
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You Made Me Realise by My Bloody Valentine
My Bloody Valentine is one of the biggest shoegaze acts ever. They're especially known for albums like Isn't Anything and Loveless - particularly the latter. They are known as THE seminal shoegaze band. Loveless has been praised as one of the best, if not the best shoegaze album. I personally disagree, though. I'm not really a big fan of Loveless, and the band in general. I'll explain why at the end. You Make Me Realise is a very short EP from MBV, only 15 minutes long.

You Made Me Realise starts off with decent distorted instrumentation, albeit a little trite. Bonus points for the overwhelming instrumentation occasionally. The vocals do ruin it slightly for me, but it's not that bad. It's just the delivery/the tone that bothers me more. It just reminds me of post-punk, which really isn't my thing. It's really the only reason why I don't like MBV as much as I should. I didn't like Loveless as much as I should because of the same reason. The instrumentation gets a little too corny for me at points, too.

Slow is what you expect, slow. Vocals are a little more tolerable, but the instrumentation isn't as engaging. Nowhere as catchy, but it's a heavy sound. You can't go too wrong with heavy sound, but it's just a bit too aimless here. Lovesliescrushing does it better than My Bloody Valentine in the dense department, in my opinion. The track's alright, just nothing too much to talk about.

Cigarette in Your Bed is a lot better. The female dreamy vocals work far better than male vocals here. The instrumentation is good, but again, nothing too special. It's very catchy, too. My favourite track from the EP, it has the elements of a shoegaze track that appeals to me. It's dreamy, it's hazy, it's shoegazer. I think MBV does well when they try to create ethereal atmospheres - this track does show it. Drive It All Over Me is alright, but nothing much to talk about. The second half is much better than the first. I really don't like Thorn.

I think I have a problem with MBV's general sound more than anything else. I understand that My Bloody Valentine is one of the innovators of shoegaze, but that's it. I don't quite like Loveless as much as many others do - it's too tame and not hazy enough. There are some tracks in Loveless that are quite ethereal, but it's a rarity for me. There's something about the album that I just don't like about. I think it's just the overall atmosphere. Tracks like What You Want and When You Sleep just doesn't appeal to me at all. It just feels corny, for the lack of a better word. I would like people to tell me the appeal of MBV, and Loveless in general. I just don't get the album and the band as a whole. I feel that there are many other shoegaze bands that are better as well. You Make Me Realise is pretty different from Loveless, but it still doesn't click with me. Just doesn't work, I guess. Very unpopular opinion, but...

Album Highlights: Cigarette in Your Bed
Track Average Rating: 2.4/5
Overall Rating: 4/10

[L.B.D.D]

bloody valentine album cover makes me hornyY

[Gradiant]

Imogen Heap - Speak For Yourself

[GammaBlaster]

[7:21:32 PM] Eze Ho Ee Jie: fucking SHIT
[7:21:35 PM] Eze Ho Ee Jie: RNG'd Pantera

new recommendation: YZYX - ALTERNATE.DIMENSION

[EzExZeRo7497]

Originally Posted by GammaBlaster

[7:21:32 PM] Eze Ho Ee Jie: fucking SHIT
[7:21:35 PM] Eze Ho Ee Jie: RNG'd Pantera

new recommendation: YZYX - ALTERNATE.DIMENSION

I'm really really torn on posting this. I'll just spoiler it, I guess.

June 7th, 2014
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Cowboys From Hell by Pantera (recommended by GammaBlaster)

Me: "...And he's like, man you don't even understand End of Evangelion."
2: "Hah, what a hipster. Oh, speaking of hipster music, have you listened to any new albums recently?"
Me: "Ah shit, I haven't listened to any new albums in the past 2 days. I'll check the album recommendations for an album."
...
Me: "Oh jesus christ I don't want to review this."
2: "What did you get?"
Me: "Cowboys From Hell by Pantera."
Some laughter is heard in the distance.
2: "HAHAHA HOLY SHIT. Dude, I know that you've been complaining about that album so much. Looks like you have to do it now."
Me: "I really really don't want to, I've had some bad experiences with Pantera."
2: "Really? Why don't you just skip this album and pretend it was never chosen then?"
Me: "I might as well get rid of it."
2: "Dude..."
Me: "Look, I already skipped a day. I already feel bad enough."
2: "I think you'd feel worse if you listen through the entire thing."
Me: "You do have a point."
2: "So why are you reviewing this then?"
Me: "I'm not going to review it."
2: "What?"
Me: "I'm just going to write some random bullshit about the album."
2: "I mean sure, you did that for a while. Gamma did recommend it as a joke."
Me: "He listened to it and kinda liked it though."
2: "Does that really matter? He likes EDM unironically."
Me: "...Right."
2: "So you're not going to review it?"
Me: "I suppose. I really don't want to listen to this anyway."
2: "Good on you. I hope you're creative enough. Talk to you later, I have to go."
Me: "Alright, later bae."

I really wanted to make something really stupid. Too bad my mind was crammed with so much exam preparatory work I couldn't write anything. When I thought I had a funny idea, I couldn't elaborate much on it. All of the ideas that I could elaborate on were full of memes, backwards meme arrows and green text. Not the best things to include in a review. I eventually gave in at that point. I don't really have the best imagination to begin with. Looks like I have to actually review the album...

I typed on my keyboard for a download link for Pantera's Cowboys from Hell.

"Sigh."

My bad experiences with Pantera weren't really made up. My dad used to blast Pantera all the time. It was kinda catchy at first, but it got kinda boring eventually. He really liked Pantera, Red Hot Chilli Peppers, Pink Floyd, all that jazz. You know, dad rock. He played guitar a lot too, so he plays covers of those artists often. Especially Pantera. I really didn't like that. I kinda liked RHCP and Pink Floyd, but definitely not Pantera. Not sure what didn't appeal to me, but it just felt too silly. The fact that he was trying to be like the vocalist of Pantera didn't help either. He's such a bad singer, but no one really told him.

That's not really the worst part though. There was this one time Pantera came to Singapore for a live concert. Needless to say, my father was STOKED. He along with his friends bought a couple of tickets to the concert. Turns out they had one extra, but none of his other friends are willing to join. They were either too busy with work, or just not interested. My mother really doesn't like rock and my brother is a little too young for live concerts. Inevitably he chose me. I did refuse at first, but he said that it's a first-time experience. What's the worst thing that could happen?

So I went to the live concert, we were in the middle of a fucking mosh pit. I was on my dad's shoulder, so I could see Pantera quite easily. I could also see everyone else, my dad's a tall guy. Pantera was playing and everyone was singing in such off keys it almost hurt. Everyone was headbanging and everything, except for my dad and I. Out of nowhere my friend just hit my dad on the shoulder, and I fell to the ground face down. Everyone was moving and all, there were people occasionally stepping on me. They didn't even care. My dad couldn't find me, it was really dark at the time. Once Pantera reached their occasional solos, everyone was at an uproar. They were headbanging, moshing, whatever. I couldn't even tell anymore, all I could feel is just people stomping on me.

It's been eight years. I've changed a lot since then. I still don't like Pantera, though. The fact that GammaBlaster recommended me is like a punch in the throat. I didn't really want to talk about this because it didn't really matter to anyone. Hating a band's music based on a particular incident just sounds silly, too. Whatever though, maybe my opinion has changed.
My download's done anyway.

The self-titled track reminds me of the live concert immediately. Although it does sound a little nice, it gets so grating after 30 seconds. It's actually not that bad, I wonder why I hated it so... oh. That's right. The vocals. They're just... unbearable for me. They're so unnecessary, it's so corny. Doesn't help that the instrumentation hasn't aged well, either.
And then the solo. Oh god... I just see everyone just headbanging to it. It's just... traumatising to me. I feel like the album is mocking me with these trite instrumentations. Goddamn.

The other tracks just create more and more paranoia for me. I feel like I'm eight again, just in the middle of a mosh pit. On the ground. Being hit in the face. My arms. Everywhere. I could just hear the screaming of everyone else. The horrendous sound just renders all of my scarce enjoyment moot. Aurally unbearable.

15 minutes has passed. I slammed my keyboard out of anger. I closed my music player. I took deep breaths. Man... that was bad. I like some of my old memories... but this is not one of them. Doesn't really help that the music is bad too. Can't really rate this impartially, sorry Gamma.

Fuck you Pantera.

The above review isn't true at all. I just really don't like Pantera. I have listened to this album - and I just don't like it as a whole. Just metal that hasn't aged well. Vocals are asinine, instrumentation is generally mediocre. There are some moments that are decent, but they're rare and really not worth looking for. Not recommended.

Album Highlights: -
Track Average Rating: -
Overall Rating: 3/10

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Night Falls by Hecq
Hecq is the IDM/ambient techno project of Ben Lukas Boysen, a German musician. Night Falls is an ambient album, which I was somewhat baffled by. Most ambient works are usually under his birth name, but Night Falls isn't one of them.

Night Falls is very atmospheric. The melodies almost remind me of Stars of the Lid, but far less brighter. The self-titled track is quite vast, creating landscapes similar to forests. The feeling of isolation is quite prominent here, but it's a neutral isolation. I don't really feel scared or free, it's just there. Not sure what to think of that - I've listened to albums like these but never conjured a feeling towards them. Probably indifferent.

Never Leave creates a considerable amount of tension. The landscape is getting smaller - every speck of light is dimming. While everything is getting darker though, you're trying to run away. You hear that the forest is moving, it feels like it's weeping. At least, I think it's weeping. There's little to no way out here, the sound of the forest further exemplifies your anxiety. You run and run, but to no avail. The light is almost gone, you're stuck in this really dense forest.

Dis is like watching a horror movie of someone's experience in an isolated area. They notice some things and things happen. Some are looming, some aren't. It just feels like a mish-mash of ideas that really don't follow well at all. It's really bad, and only does nothing but have shock value here and there. The scenery is nice and all, but it's music that only looks pretty. There are better tracks for fear, like Trembling Frost Spires by Birchville Cat Motel. That doesn't do much for me, the shock value is too cheap.

Maybe I'm no longer in the mood for music because of Cowboys From Hell, but I can't get into this album. There are some nice sounds here and there, but they don't create anything special. Bending Time has occasional piano which is nice, but it doesn't help much. It deepens the mood of melancholy, but not very noticeably. I'm just sitting here completely unfazed and unengaged.

I think the main gripe is this album is that it's too cinematic. What I mean is that he made all the videos and all pretty, but that's it. Hecq put too much emphasis on making this sound like a movie. The music just feels uninspiring and overall not very good. The fact that it's night time doesn't quite help either. The pictures are too dark for me to see properly. All I could see are silhouettes, which don't really portray much of anything. These sounds just feel aimless, often unnecessary. I'd much rather just have solely drones, the additional sounds are too inconsistent in quality. Even then though, there are other albums that are more impressive. Thomas Koner, Lustmord and Black Swan has done much better than this. There's really no reason to listen to this, even as a starter.

Not a good ambient album. Maybe it's because I've listened to so much ambient so I have high standards for them, but this is just bad. It leaves so much to be desired, since there isn't much of value here. I Am You is a nice little cinematic ambient track, but that's all. The other tracks are replaceable and just unspectacular. They don't appeal to me in a cathartic way. In addition, it doesn't quite interest me enough to listen attentively. Can't see it being good for sleep either, it's too intrusive. This album just doesn't appeal to me, and I see no reason to keep it either. Oh well, we all can't be winners.

Album Highlights: I Am You, Night Falls
Track Average Rating: 2.21/5
Overall Rating: 4/10

[Trogdor!!!!]

Fuck you Pantera

[noname219]

Pantera...
At least you didn't listen to Metal Magic.

Imo, Down's NOLA >>> Down's other albums >>>>> 90's Pantera >>>>>>>>> 80's Pantera

[r]

Originally Posted by EzExZeRo7497

I have no idea what's coming... but it doesn't look good at all. I could almost hear distorted growling halfway through. I'm starting to feel a little paranoid... I'm running out of space to hide. What... what even is going on.. I ca-q͏̨̧̛e̴̷҉f͏̢͟q̸̧̕͜͝ę̸̢̕͘u̶f̸̨͢q̷̀e̸͏̶̡ì͏̨͠f̶̶h҉̵̀ęq͞͏͟f̡̡̢͝͡ŗ̶͘͢͟ȩ̷̧̕͠j̷̡̀o̡͡r̴̵q̷̡͜
j̸̡̡͟͟ǫ̀͝ŕk̀̕ȩ̢̕͢y̷͡҉u̢̡͠͠i̵̡͘͢͜ ̷́͘͘q̶̴ứ̴͟͢e̵̛̛̕͢q̡̕͜͢͠ ̡͜͏͜͠q͢͏̴̸̨e̴͢͜q͝͏͏ ̡̛҉̶̕9̶̸̕8͟͠3͏͞0̵̛҉͠2҉́̕1̷͘͜͞ ̵́̕҉͟8̵̵̶͠2҉̧̢̨͢0́̕é͞é̵͜u̸̷̡͞j̵͠d̷̵̸̀̕ò̵̡į͢͟͝w̷͠͠ ̨͠҉̡d̡̡ę̸́̕͢q̴̴̛i̛͘h̷̡͝j̴͘e̶̕ǫ̷̢͜͝q͘͘h͞҉̀ ̶̀͘e̷q͘͘͡ ̷́̕͝è̵̛͝͝3͡q̷͏͠u̡̧ì4͏g̴̷e͏̴̧͟͝i̸̡ư͟ ̡̕̕͜h̶͝é́͘q̨̧̢̕͡ẃ͠h͡ ͡͏̸͢e̶͏͏͡q̕͏̶w̨̡͜ǫ̛͢͢͡e͟͝

You are amazing.

[EzExZeRo7497]

June 8th, 2014
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Husking Bee Tribute Album by Various Artists (recommended by James May)

Husking Bee Tribute Album is a tribute album for well, Husking Bee. Husking Bee is a Japanese pop rock/power pop band that disbanded in 2005. From what I've read, the label (Toy's Factory) makes tribute albums for bands, so this is one of them. This is an compilation of tracks covering some of Husking Bee's tracks - total of 17.

With so many artists, you'd expect the styles of music to be different. Surprisingly though, it isn't quite varied.. Low IQ 01's contribute HB Early Tracks is mainly hardcore punk - similar to Maximum the Hormone. Not my cup of tea, but it's okay. Anchor by Mars Eurythmics is power pop, almost like an anime ED actually. I could see some action anime series using this as an ED, it's pretty similar to some EDs. It's pretty good, though it feels like you've heard it before. 8.6 is an indie J-pop track. 8.6 is a bit of an outsider, the rest is generally power pop/pop rock/hardcore punk.

8.6 is probably my favourite track in this album, it's a nice jazzy and poppy track. It feels so smooth and clean, Toki Asako's vocal delivery is quite mellow. The instrumentation just complements her voice so well. It does feel like I've heard it before, but at the same time it still feels fresh. It's one of those tracks which just click, I guess. I can't really find a good reason why I really like it.

Generally upbeat - I haven't listened to Husking Bee's works before though. I like the tracks in general quite a bit. Most of the tracks have parts that I don't like though, like the vocals. A Single Word by Fine Lines has really neat instrumentation, but the vocals feel off. It's too energetic, it counters against the mellow instruments. There are some tracks that I didn't like too much, like Asian Kung-fu Generation's track.

Probably a little bit too long, too. I understand that it's a tribute album, so it's just a compilation of tracks. 17 tracks though? That might be ever so slightly too much. The fact that there isn't much variation doesn't help it. Most of these tracks are decent, but it's a bit of a draining listen. There isn't too much that keeps this album fresh. Even then, the tracks that are different are usually too cheery and bright for me.

Commendable effort I guess, but it's too tiring of a listen. Some tracks do stand out, but they're pretty far and wide. Most of the album feels like filler, honestly. The album could be cut down to 10 tracks and it'd be much better of an experience. A tad bit too long at the moment. The tracks aren't necessarily bad, they just don't stand out. Other than a select few, of course. Overall though, it's decent. Not something I'd revisit, but I wouldn't mind listening to it again.

Album Highlights: 8.6, Anchor, 雲のいびき
Track Average Rating: 3.09/5
Overall Rating: 6/10
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Dream's End Come True by World's End Girlfriend
World's End Girlfriend is the project of Katsuhiko Maeda. Founder of Virgin Babylon Records, with artists like Kashiwa Daisuke and Mutyumu under the label. He is a very successful Japanese musician - with his eclectic blend of post-rock and modern classical. He's responsible for albums like Enchanted Landscape Escape, The Lie Lay Land and Hurtbreak Wonderland. Though fairly large, I didn't find him too interesting. He has some great albums for sure, but not quite an album that I gave an 8 or more. Other than his collaboration with Mono (which I gave a 9), Enchanted Landscape Escape was close. Anyway, Dream's End Come True is one of his shorter albums, only 4 tracks long. However, one of the tracks here has been constantly compared to Stella from Program Music I. I highly doubt it'll top it, but we'll see.

Singing Under The Rainbow is a really twinkly and dreamy track. It's filled with breaks and glitches, accompanied with violin. The melodies are however, quite different. They feel depressed, but have this lick of happiness as well. It's really hard to describe what pictures it gives me, but the album cover does it best. The violins cry halfway through, further deepening the details of the starry sky. It's quite a wonderful sight, although it does feel unfocused. It's a bit too playful at points, admittedly. It doesn't particularly move me, but it's a good track. Not bad at all.

Caroling Hellwalker is hard to describe. I want to say that it has elements of IDM, chiptune, modern classical and some other genres I can't think of. These genres really shouldn't combine to create something great, but it does. But that's the magic of World's End Girlfriend. He throws in so many genres into the mix, but for some reason it just clicks. There are many moments of beauty here, but Katsuhiko is too playful here. It feels like a blur, incredibly chaotic. But at the same time, it's a mess that looks pretty. It has the same problem as the first track I guess, just more so. Still, quite good.

And there it is. All Imperfect Love Song. A 25 minute track - intro similar to Stella. Simple piano melody, along with glitches. It feels a little more crowded here, the glitches are more prominent. Actually, it feels like a cross between Palmless Prayer and Program Music I. The intro, anyway. The vocal samples (although it's more prominent here), the violins, they all sound familiar. They complement each other very well. By the fourth minute however, that's where it departs from Program Music I. Horns are introduced, which I personally feel are too intrusive. It's too powerful of an instrument, I don't think it'd be used well here. The melody is too intricate and emotional.

How I see this track is a tragic love story between the two. The vocal samples represent their sadness - as they will never meet. The glitches represent these too - they're abnormalities that shouldn't be there. Unfortunately, they are. The voice samples mourn more and more, as the glitches and drum hits just further ruin their bond. All it's left now, is just their melancholy for each other. Their relationship. Their happiness. Eventually one of them plows through and decides to chase after his significant other. They're never meant to meet, the glitches arose once again. It blocked the male's point of view, only to hear the bitter tears of his lover. It further spirals him to a deeper depression - which is signified by a more depressing violin tune. While the tune is playing though, there's this level of energy. It almost feels like that incident gave him an adrenaline rush. He stopped sulking in his own sadness and decided to chase after her, once again. He ran and ran and ran, but the glitches continue their rampage. Every little thing is against him - traffic, barricades.. you get the idea. He doesn't care though - he just wants to meet her again. He would never let anyone or anything take away whatever meant dearly to him again. It was a very long section, but he managed to catch up with her anyway.

There are some parts that I dislike about it though. The chase section is far too long and the reunion section feels... weird. It feels too absurd and not quite as emotional as I'd expect it to be. The last minute is a very very good closer, but the rest of the track. It just doesn't click with me so much. Some moments are really really good, but the rest of the track doesn't quite work. A little bit disappointed, but it's better than the first two tracks. Not by much though.

There's one track after. Wonderland Falling Tomorrow is the most depressing out of the four tracks. The title is a reference to one of his aliases - Wonderland Falling Yesterday. He made Enchanted Landscape Escape under that alias, which is his most depressing work. This track is essentially a farewell. Sounds of waves crushing all of the work the previous tracks have done... kinda hurts. The dark loomy sky further enhances this mood - it's the end of the day. It's time to clear up everything that has been done today. Everyone's giving their goodbyes. Quite literally, there are many samples of people saying "goodbye" at the end of the track. It's probably my favourite track, it's just very bleak and concentrated. Unlike his other tracks - I can see this large atmosphere and just take in everything that's given to me.

I'm a little bit torn on what to give this. All of the tracks here are quite good, but I can't imagine myself listening to them often. Other than Wonderland Falling Tomorrow, they didn't affect me as much as I'd like - especially All Imperfect Love Song. It leaves a lot more to be desired, but it is a very very beautiful experience. Unfortunately just pretty sights don't help much - though there is some emotional value here. It just doesn't quite meet my expectations I guess, as it's been compared to one of my favourite albums. Oh well, it's World's End Girlfriend. Can't really go wrong with him, there's nothing inherently bad about this album. Probably 4th in my list of best WEGF albums for me. Hurtbreak Wonderland, Enchanted Landscape Escape and Palmless Prayer / Mass Murder Refrain are better.

Album Highlights: All Imperfect Love Song, Wonderland Falling Tomorrow
Track Average Rating: 3.62/5
Overall Rating: 7.5/10

[EzExZeRo7497]

June 9th, 2014
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Muse by Piana
Finally got this album. Piana is an ambient/dream pop artist hailing from the land of the rising sun. I've listened to Piana before and I really like her work. Ephemeral is a wonderful combination of warmth and ethereality, especially with his child-like dreamy voice. It is innocent, but also motherly. It is nothing short of lovely, but it is ultimately not very memorable. It's probably because albums like these aren't my cup of tea, but it is still a great album. Snow Bird is also a good album, but not as good as Ephemeral. Muse is her first album after 7 years of inactivity.

The album starts off with I Think..., a sombre little track with the Piana sound fans all know and love. It's bright and mellow, but with a tinge of sadness. It's a wonderful sound, though her vocals seem a little too disruptive at points. It feels like her work is all grown up now, no longer a little child. I think a change is warranted though, it's been a very long time.

Imaginary Window shows the drastic change in style. Her music is no longer just pure and bright - it feels a lot more sombre now. The beat and everything is wonderful, creating this beautiful garden at the distance. It feels as if Piana is walking through this lush garden filled with life, singing to the plants. The garden is welcoming her back, it's been a long time. The flowers are dancing along to her ethereal voice, it just feels wonderful. This makes me feel relaxed, it's so beautiful. Piana's voice hasn't lost its beauty. In fact, it's more beautiful than it ever was.

In Silence... oh man. I've heard this track before getting this album, and I thought it was absolutely fantastic. The melancholic instrumentation, her dreamy voice... these elements really create something pristine. The progression in this is just wonderful, starting off with something quite small. At the halfway point, the small area just flourishes to a bright garden filled with snow and crystals. Hard to describe how I feel about it - just the section halfway through just tugs on my heartstrings. Her voice buries so much melancholy, but at the same time she feels so happy. Really really odd, but at the same time exquisite.

While Piana always has some glitch/electronic elements in her albums, it's more prominent here. This is her most electronic-driven work - filled with glitches and kickdrums. Seven to ten years ago, there will not be tracks like Ruins or Borderless.

Ruins is accompanied with heavy distorted instrumentation, almost post-rock-esque. It's a very odd combination, but it works wonderfully. I think a similar song would be Kashiwa Daisuke's Something Is Lost, albeit this is less dreamy. It does however, feel far more visceral. It picks up what the previous track Nostalgia, left off. After reminiscing on her past memories, she realises that she has to move on. The sound feels very confident, almost triumphant. It just hits me really hard, because I've never heard dream pop this powerful before. Sure, it's accompanied by the instrumentation, but her voice exemplifies the atmosphere. It's really really nice-sounding, too.

I think I have to admit, I'm a sucker for ethereal atmospheres. Piana makes these atmospheres very often - very good ones as well. Most of the album is like that, though it takes more than pretty atmospheres to appeal to me. It further impresses me by its astounding variation. Nostalgia is very depressing, Imaginary Window is heartwarming, Phosphorescence is unbridled joy, and so on. I really really like the variation here, it keeps the album extremely fresh. The best part is that most of these tracks are consistently good too. The weakest track here might be Prosphorescence, but it's still not bad. There's also some one-off tracks as well. Borderless is very trancey/glitchy and Piana's vocals are probably as catchy as it could get in this album.

Is there anything I could complain about? Hmm... perhaps it's how aimless it is at points. While the first 6 tracks follow this thematic, I can't quite follow the last three tracks. Surely enough, two of the last three tracks are the weakest out of the nine tracks. They're still not bad though, in fact I still liked them considerably. The rest of the album is very strong, some of the best Piana has made. Actually, it might be some of the best dream pop-ambient hybrids I've heard. The only one that might top this would be Ferri's A Broken Carousel, but they're uncomparable.

After seven long years, Naoko Sasaki released what I think is her most refined and mature work yet. It is definitely different from any other album she has done, but the change is almost always positive. It stuns me that Piana's beautiful and fragile voice fits wonderfully since the album is so varied. This is a soundtrack that lifts you up from bed to gives you the sleep you've wanted by the end of the day. I'm nothing short of impressed, and I think I'll be listening to this a lot more frequently. It is most definitely not perfect, but there really isn't much room for improvement now. Simply phenomenal.

Album Highlights: Nostalgia, In Silence, Ruins
Track Average Rating: 4.11/5
Overall Rating: 8/10
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Bersarin Quartett by Bersarin Quartett (recommended by _.Spitfire._)
Bersarin Quartett's debut album is an ambient album filled with modern classical and chamber music elements.

Oktober starts off with sweeping sounds of violins to set off quite the mood. It's quite bleak and melodramatic, almost too melodramatic. The trip-hop-esque beat startles me a bit, it just feels off. The beat is quite playful, but it is juxtaposed by the violin sweeps I mentioned earlier. It's a really odd combination, it doesn't quite click with me. It's too odd of a combination for me to feel comfortable in.

It's hard for me to really talk about any of these tracks. I don't really see much, nor do I feel anything too strongly in this album. Geschichten Von Interesse reminds me of some tracks from Black Earth - particularly the jazzy ones. It's a gothic classy sound, which is quite nice. It doesn't quite make me think of anything else, though.

Inversion is an odd one for me. The energy level is like something building up and just popping back to its original level. The buildup is nice, but nothing too special. The buildup is very spectral, especially at its climax. Almost haunting, I'd say. It doesn't last too long though, it's back to the original bleak atmosphere after.

The album overall for me, is a bit hard to get into. The sound is a little bit too subtle, nothing that really stands out for me. There are some highs and lows, but they're a little bit too unclear for me to distinguish. This does detract from my enjoyment of the album unfortunately. The album as a whole just doesn't do anything to me. It's a nice sound, but that's all it provides. It's an album that I would much rather put in the background than to examine intricately.

At some points however, I feel that the ambience is disrupted. Tiny blips here and there startle me too much for me to relax in, like the blips 3.5-4 and 8 minutes into Und Die Wett Steht Still. In addition I think some tracks would be better if they were more spacious, removing the trip-hop element in Oktober for example. Tracks like October have ideas that contrast way too much to really take in for me.

I've honestly felt the same response when I first listened to Black Earth. It's a bit too secondary for me, doesn't do too much. While the last track was a very nice change of pace, the rest just seems quite immobile. It's a bit too mundane for me, the abrupt blips don't quite help my cause. I can't say that I disliked the album - because most of the atmospheres are quite nice. It's just that there isn't much going on for me to really embrace anything.

Album Highlights: Geschichten von Interesse, Inversion, Mehr als alles andere
Track Average Rating: 2.95/5
Overall Rating: 6/10

[Nullifidian]

Really? I thought the beat in "Oktober" worked quite well, didn't think of it as playful but moody and gloomy which fit the rest of the track imo. I can understand the blips in "Und die Welt steht still" though, not sure what their intention was with that but I think that's the only track with really out of the blue blips. "Mehr als alles andere" is probably the best track on the album though, and it's what got me into Bersarin Quartett in the first place.

[choof]

Kyoka - Is (Is Superpowered)

new release on Raster-Noton

[EzExZeRo7497]

Putting this on hold until the end of the exam period. Would mean that I'll continue reviewing on Friday or Saturday.