The Identity Matrix Domain

The Identity Matrix · 12-17-2015, 03:20 PM

Hey sorry to disappoint but I will need an extra day to finish the next Coheed and Cambria review. Friday I'll do two major posts to catch up for today. Sorry again.

The Identity Matrix · 12-18-2015, 11:03 PM

Ok I should stop making promises. I'll need a break for the weekend to get caught up. I have a much longer shift coming this weekend. Plus I'm leaving for the holidays so I'm busy getting prepared for that. Will return full force come monday

The Batlord · 12-19-2015, 06:58 AM

I have the whole weekend off and will be seeing Star Wars today.

Umad?

Tristan_Geoff · 12-19-2015, 09:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by The Identity Matrix

Ok I should stop making promises. I'll need a break for the weekend to get caught up. I have a much longer shift coming this weekend. Plus I'm leaving for the holidays so I'm busy getting prepared for that. Will return full force come monday

Idk, that kinda sounds like a promise to me.

The Identity Matrix · 12-19-2015, 09:50 PM

Ok I have been overambitious lately. Setting up this so called schedule has done more stress than good. I am officially dropping the schedule and will post when convenient.

Tristan_Geoff · 12-19-2015, 10:56 PM

Sounds good. Will check in periodically in that case.

The Identity Matrix · 12-21-2015, 08:38 PM

Feeling blue? Not after this record.

Purple by Baroness

Year: 2015
Genre: Sludge/Alternative Metal
Nationality: American

The Review: I will be adopting my new format for reviews on this journal from now on. This album came out of the blue, many more color puns to follow (JK), and ended up being one of the greatest metal records of this year. I had a blast playing this record for the first time, the third, and now the fifth time. It seems that it doesn't get old. Quick disclaimer, Chlorine and Wine was my first Baroness track whenever it was released so I felt obligated to listen to the previous three records and study up on the band. What I found was a treasure of a band that definitely needed to be in my collection. Unfortunately tragedy struck the band in a terrible bus crash that left nine injured. Recovery from such an event provides many opportunities though. One of those being the creation of this album. A culmination of understanding, emotion, and new horizons creates an atmosphere in which one can connect with almost instantly. Sonically this album creates a massive wall of sound and melody. The vocals of lead singer John Baizley combined with the instrumentation form a very melodic sound on the album while still containing traces of edginess. Tracks such as the opener Morningstar and follow up single Shock Me are perfect examples of this. These tracks especially bleed emotion mixed with melody to create excellent alternative rock/metal. I cannot stop listening to these tracks in particular. The Vocals carry each track with soaring choruses and melodic verses. Try to Disappear carries the formula on with another solid melodic rocker. Kerosene however brings so much energy creating a much rawer take on the sound built up thus far. The instrumentation carries the track with excellent guitar work and fast paced percussion. Its after the instrumental track Fugue that the album transforms into something almost perfect. Chlorine and Wine one of the best tracks off of the album sets up The Iron Bell, another catchy yet energetic, melodic yet raw, rocker similar to Kerosene. Desperation Burns gets real heavy right off the bat with chugging guitar riffs and pounding drums. Melodic vocals are par for the course on this track with variety in the guitar riffing later in the song. The album finishes up with the wonderful If I Have to Wake Up (Would you Stop the Rain?). Dare I say the vocals almost reach a James Hetfield ballad style making the song truly the best that Baroness has too offer. The lyrics on most of these songs feel a little simplistic for the subject matter but I feel that is just nit picking. These guys are just firing on all cylinders for this album. It shows a lot of maturity when a band is able to create a wonderful album out of such a terrible tragedy. I cannot believe that this album released so late in the year. It makes me question why I created a top 10 list before January 1st.

Purple receives a 9.7/10

Standout Tracks: All of these tracks are wonderful but if I had to pick a few, Shock Me, Morningstar, Kerosene, Chlorine and Wine, If I Have to Wake Up (Would you Stop the Rain?)

Weaker Tracks:

Everyone should listen to this album. No matter what, it is an absolute must for any music fan I cannot even describe the emotion when I listen to this record.

The Identity Matrix · 12-22-2015, 11:28 AM

No World For Tomorrow - (2007)
Album by Coheed and Cambria

The Review: Number four for Coheed and Cambria is not the most loved, the most talked about, or the highest rated. Well that is all for good reason. The story here is actually the second half of the last album in which Claudio confronts the antagonist of the whole story. I have a love hate relationship with this record. It is so frustrating to listen to it because my expectations for this record were sky high after two excellent releases. The trend of pop over prog unfortunately continues in this record and the edge found on Good Apollo I is fading fast. The two singles off of this album The Running Free and Feathers have great ideas. Both choruses are fun to listen to but in the case of The Running Free "You're in hell" ruins it for me. It sounds cheesy and wrecks the emotional high that the song was running on. It makes me mad because of how much I was enjoying everything else about this track. Feathers just tends to fall into a generic trap with its upbeat verse chorus strategy. The rest of the tracks on here just lose you fast. The Hound (Of Blood and Rank) and the title track are good tracks but nothing standout worthy. Mother Superior feels boring and cheesy as all hell. Gravemakers and Gunslingers is the definition of Cock Rock. It makes me laugh listening to Claudio spout out profanity with no point. The F*** are not given here, I cannot get into it. Justice in Murder is an interesting track that I got into pretty quickly. It had some catchy guitar play and vocal delivery. Then there is The End Complete series. Five tracks of a mixture of pop rock (Radio Bye Bye, The Road and the Damned) to some actual Prog (The End Complete and On the Brink). This set of tracks are actually well paced and interesting to listen to. I enjoyed the whole set. It feels like there is a real goal with this set of tracks and it makes up for the boring and wasteful first two thirds of the album. I am left with a good taste in my mouth and not a terrible one. I cannot forgive Coheed though for trying to be over confident in thinking that unconventional lyrics mixed with boring guitar play and instrumentation can create exceptional prog. They got real lazy with this album it feels like. Not in the play it safe kind of lazy but the I do not need to try kind of lazy. Most people find the album ok, I found it average. Never have I been so sorely disappointed by an album of this magnitude. But it isn't all bad, their are great moments and great ideas, if only they could have been executed in a better way.

No World For Tomorrow receives a 6.1/10

Standout Tracks: The End Complete Series (I, II, III, IV, V), Justice in Murder

Weaker Tracks: Gravemakers and Gunslingers, Mother Superior, Feathers

Yeah this is the lowest point in their discography by far. Execution is everything and it wasn't done well on this album.

Tristan_Geoff · 12-22-2015, 04:23 PM

First impressions are important...

I always thought prog covers like this were a little pretentious and disorganized. Too many obscured details...

Hipgnosis' covers on the other hand, were always top notch. Simple and to the point.

I can't speak for the music as I still have yet to experience a full Coheed and Cambria album.

The Identity Matrix · 12-23-2015, 05:12 PM

One step forward twenty steps back...

Tell Me I'm Pretty by Cage the Elephant

Year: 2015
Genre: Garage/Psychedelic/Blues Rock
Nationality: American

The Review: After a wonderful album with 2013's Melophobia, I was awaiting this record. When it was announced I was super excited, then I heard that Dan Aurebach, of Black Keys fame, was going to produce it. Excitement left the building and dread creeped in uninvited. After listening to the discography of the Black Keys, his solo work, and his new band the Arcs, I figured out that Dan couldn't do something different if his life depended on it. While his work is solid, he writes the same thing with every record. I was worried that this fate would befall one of my most anticipated releases of the year. Unfortunately it did. Cage the Elephant have created an album that lacks originality. I have three major issues with this record. First, Matt Schulz, lead vocalist, has just dumped every ounce of energy he ever had in his voice into a bucket and threw it out the window. Tracks like Cry Baby got me excited because it was a change of pace from the other tracks the band has written in the past, less energy a little slower. However, I quickly found that in every song, his voice sounds the exact same. Some of that is due to the production I get that. But come on, its like no one gave this guy a chance to really sing, if that makes sense. Secondly the song writing is very repetitive. From the first single, Mess Around, to Portuguese Knife Fight I hear the same song. The songs are not bad, don't get me wrong, its just the lack of variety is killing me. In fact I do enjoy some tracks like Cry Baby and Mess Around. Its just the rest of the album doesn't stand out on its own. Finally I cannot stand the fact that these guys, or Dan that piece of ****, decided to shove every type of garage/psychedelia/Blues/Classic Rock influence they could find into not one, not two, not three but all ten tracks on this album. Why?!?!?!?!?!? I just don't get it. This band created the most frustrating release of the year for me. Disappointment follows with every single listen, I am sad that I am even writing this about Cage the Elephant. I am going to use my new found blind hatred of Dan Aurebach as a way to forgive this band. I hope they can clean up their act and get back on track for the next release.

Tell Me I'm Pretty receives a 4.9/10

Standout Tracks: Cry Baby, Mess Around

Weaker Tracks: Everything Else

Dan Aurebach, if this is his fault he gets the biggest **** of the year award from me. But If its not then he still gets it because I need someone to focus my anger and disappointment on.