The Monthly Music Trading Post (album, review, 1979, Computer)

Freebase Dali · 05-22-2010, 08:40 PM

Abdullah424 and I agreed to send each other 2 albums after some indecision on what to send, and this is what he sent me:

Battle Of Mice - A Day Of Nights (Post Rock/Sludge/Metal)

This group/album reminded me a lot of a more modern version of some of the Goth Rock an ex-girlfriend used to listen to a long while back. While I never got into it actively, I dig the tone of the music, and this album--for the way it bears some of the same characteristics--seemed familiar in that regard.
Without comparing this to anything else, there's a good flow throughout the album between gritty intensity and melancholic innocence that sort of intertwines in unusual but effective ways. In places, the female vocalist's emotion is palatable and lends a lot to the music, and in others seems to focus more on just fitting with the music, which... is a success in context with the album. I was a little turned off by some of the lyrics, but it was minor.
Overall, I think the best description I can possibly come up with for this album is that it would be a perfect soundtrack to a The Crow movie.

The Ocean - Precambrian (Post-Metal/Progressive Metal)

This was a 2-disc release, the first disc being:

Hadean/Archaean:

Although there were only 5 tracks on the first disk, they contained a lot of good riffs. I normally don't dig 100% screaming in anything, but it fit with the music well enough. I was more interested in the guitars throughout the first disc. Overall, I didn't really care for the first disc as much as the second:

Proterozoic

This disc opened up the atmosphere and provided a stark contrast to the first disk in terms of composition and flow. The juxtaposition between both the first and second discs was made apparent here, along with the flow of the second disc alone being broken up into moments that complimented each other nicely. I liked the exploratory melancholy feel of the softer parts and how emotion was added to it in a way that built them up instead of tearing them down. I loved the gypsy-sounding fiddles and the atmosphere it creates along side the distorted riffs chugging along nowhere near precariously, like traveling with more urgency but still toward the same destination. The vocals were where they needed to be and when they were needed there. Overall, compared to the first disc, the second disc could easily stand on its own and after listening to it I honestly can't figure out why the first disc was even included.

I liked it. I would recommend the second disc to anyone.

05-22-2010, 08:40 PM	#11 (permalink)
Freebase Dali Partying on the inside Join Date: Mar 2009 Posts: 5,584	Abdullah424 and I agreed to send each other 2 albums after some indecision on what to send, and this is what he sent me: Battle Of Mice - A Day Of Nights (Post Rock/Sludge/Metal) This group/album reminded me a lot of a more modern version of some of the Goth Rock an ex-girlfriend used to listen to a long while back. While I never got into it actively, I dig the tone of the music, and this album--for the way it bears some of the same characteristics--seemed familiar in that regard. Without comparing this to anything else, there's a good flow throughout the album between gritty intensity and melancholic innocence that sort of intertwines in unusual but effective ways. In places, the female vocalist's emotion is palatable and lends a lot to the music, and in others seems to focus more on just fitting with the music, which... is a success in context with the album. I was a little turned off by some of the lyrics, but it was minor. Overall, I think the best description I can possibly come up with for this album is that it would be a perfect soundtrack to a The Crow movie. The Ocean - Precambrian (Post-Metal/Progressive Metal) This was a 2-disc release, the first disc being: Hadean/Archaean: Although there were only 5 tracks on the first disk, they contained a lot of good riffs. I normally don't dig 100% screaming in anything, but it fit with the music well enough. I was more interested in the guitars throughout the first disc. Overall, I didn't really care for the first disc as much as the second: Proterozoic This disc opened up the atmosphere and provided a stark contrast to the first disk in terms of composition and flow. The juxtaposition between both the first and second discs was made apparent here, along with the flow of the second disc alone being broken up into moments that complimented each other nicely. I liked the exploratory melancholy feel of the softer parts and how emotion was added to it in a way that built them up instead of tearing them down. I loved the gypsy-sounding fiddles and the atmosphere it creates along side the distorted riffs chugging along nowhere near precariously, like traveling with more urgency but still toward the same destination. The vocals were where they needed to be and when they were needed there. Overall, compared to the first disc, the second disc could easily stand on its own and after listening to it I honestly can't figure out why the first disc was even included. I liked it. I would recommend the second disc to anyone.