Love or Hate?

Trollheart · 08-25-2015, 01:39 PM

Title: The eternal beauty of the trees
Artiste: Uaral
Genre: Folk Metal
Taken from: Sounds of Pain, 2005
Familiarity: Zero
Suggested by: mythsofmetal

Expectations: I like a lot of Folk Metal, and the title sounds like it might be a sort of ambient thing, so expectations are in fact quite high.

Nice dark sort of piano to start with, very ethereal, then the guitar bursts through and it's dramatic and stirring. The vocal comes like a wolf or some sort of monster jumping out from behind the trees, spattering the pristine snow with the blood of an unwary traveller, while a sort of moaning chorus carries on behind it. The voice is growling now like a dark echoey demon; not the foggiest what he's saying, but a big wounded roar and he fades out, to be replaced by organ on its own, slow and morose, which takes us to about the midway point of the song. Guitar then kicks back in, powerful and melodic, with what could be flute or maybe some ethnic instrument (this is a two-piece, and again one of them is credited with “all instruments”, so I have no idea how many are used, or what they are). Back comes the snarly vocal, second round as he hunts down his prey and the guitar gets more urgent and insistent, then breaks off into a perhaps mandolin with that softer chanting vocal. Back to the soft piano now to finish as we began, with some nice keyboard work there too.

Conclusion: Yeah, really enjoyed that. As usual, could do without the growled vocal but it kind of added to the sense of being alone in the wilderness and pursued by something horrible that I got, which contrasted nicely with most of the music.

So, Love or Hate? This would be a Love.

Possibility of looking into the album: 75%

Title: Zold zivitar
Artiste: Gire
Genre: Avant-Garde Metal
Taken from: Gire, 2007
Familiarity: Zero
Suggested by: mythsofmetal

Expectations: Not sure; avant-garde is a very sweeping generalisation and can cover a whole lot of different music, both good and bad in my eyes. However I'm going to trust myths and assume he's picked something he knows or believes I should like.

A whole lot different, with a fast, guitar-driven melody and another scowling vocal, very rapid-fire in the delivery. I suppose the keys are what make it seem more than just straightforward metal; they add a kind of almost new-wave feel to the music. Sort of like if Steve Strange or Phil Oakey suddenly decided to explore metal. Can't say I love it but I don't actually hate it. Yet. It's another six-minuter, so plenty of time for changes as it's only getting into the second minute as yet. Nice keyboard solo. Hate the vocals of course, but when it just goes instrumental it's not half bad. Hitting into a kind of faster, boogie rhythm now, the vocal lower and more understandable, though I'm sure he's singing in his native language so I'd have no chance of making out any words. Four minutes in now. Something like a sitar solo (!) and some nice peppy guitar with what sounds very like violin and we're into minute five. Sort of a celtic flavour coming into it now.

Conclusion: Not really my sort of thing, but I could certainly see some merit in it.

So, Love or Hate? I'd cautiously give this a Love too.

Possibility of looking into the album: 10%

Title: Sovereigns unknown
Artiste: Augury
Genre: Progressive Death Metal
Taken from: Fragmentary Evidence, 2009
Familiarity: Zero
Suggested by: mythsofmetal

Expectations: The progressive part sounds fine, but I've heard some progressive death metal and it has never chimed with me. I think I'm expecting not to like this.

Starts with a rolling drum and guitar intro, turns into something of a march, then I'm glad to at least hear vocals I can not only make out but that are in English. There are some death vocals, but they seem to be only incidental, at least in this song. The basic melody is very good, and for some reason reminds me of the likes of Alestorm. I'm sure this isn't pirate metal but it seems to have a few elements of it within its structure. Great work on the guitar. Pretty good song.

Conclusion: Yeah that was okay. Quite good actually.

So, Love or Hate? That makes it three for three Loves.

Possibility of looking into the album: 20%

The Batlord · 08-25-2015, 01:52 PM

So, is ambient black metal dad rock now, or has it just always been?

Machine · 08-25-2015, 02:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by The Batlord

So, is ambient black metal dad rock now, or has it just always been?

Who gives a **** it's good either way. I like some atmospherics in my metal music.

Trollheart · 08-25-2015, 02:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by The Batlord

So, is ambient black metal dad rock now, or has it just always been?

So anything I like is dad rock by definition, huh?

Justthefacts · 08-25-2015, 02:29 PM

Mines next! Interested in the Elliott Smith one too. You'll love both

The Batlord · 08-25-2015, 02:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Justthefacts

Mines next! Interested in the Elliott Smith one too. You'll love both

Why are there mines next? Are we about to go into a mine? That doesn't sound very safe.

YorkeDaddy · 08-25-2015, 02:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Justthefacts

Mines next! Interested in the Elliott Smith one too. You'll love both

He listened to XO and didn't like it that much (to my dismay)

So I wouldn't be so sure

Plankton · 08-25-2015, 03:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by The Batlord

Why are there mines next? Are we about to go into a mine? That doesn't sound very safe.

Your game. I think I saw it hitchhiking down I64 a while ago.

Justthefacts · 08-25-2015, 03:19 PM

Anyone who doesn't appreciate Elliott Smith (& D'Angelo) should be thrown into the Sarlac pit

YorkeDaddy · 08-25-2015, 04:55 PM

I was on board until the D'Angelo aside

08-25-2015, 01:39 PM	#1741 (permalink)
Trollheart Born to be mild Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: 404 Not Found Posts: 26,994	Title: The eternal beauty of the trees Artiste: Uaral Genre: Folk Metal Taken from: Sounds of Pain, 2005 Familiarity: Zero Suggested by: mythsofmetal Expectations: I like a lot of Folk Metal, and the title sounds like it might be a sort of ambient thing, so expectations are in fact quite high. Nice dark sort of piano to start with, very ethereal, then the guitar bursts through and it's dramatic and stirring. The vocal comes like a wolf or some sort of monster jumping out from behind the trees, spattering the pristine snow with the blood of an unwary traveller, while a sort of moaning chorus carries on behind it. The voice is growling now like a dark echoey demon; not the foggiest what he's saying, but a big wounded roar and he fades out, to be replaced by organ on its own, slow and morose, which takes us to about the midway point of the song. Guitar then kicks back in, powerful and melodic, with what could be flute or maybe some ethnic instrument (this is a two-piece, and again one of them is credited with “all instruments”, so I have no idea how many are used, or what they are). Back comes the snarly vocal, second round as he hunts down his prey and the guitar gets more urgent and insistent, then breaks off into a perhaps mandolin with that softer chanting vocal. Back to the soft piano now to finish as we began, with some nice keyboard work there too. Conclusion: Yeah, really enjoyed that. As usual, could do without the growled vocal but it kind of added to the sense of being alone in the wilderness and pursued by something horrible that I got, which contrasted nicely with most of the music. So, Love or Hate? This would be a Love. Possibility of looking into the album: 75% Title: Zold zivitar Artiste: Gire Genre: Avant-Garde Metal Taken from: Gire, 2007 Familiarity: Zero Suggested by: mythsofmetal Expectations: Not sure; avant-garde is a very sweeping generalisation and can cover a whole lot of different music, both good and bad in my eyes. However I'm going to trust myths and assume he's picked something he knows or believes I should like. A whole lot different, with a fast, guitar-driven melody and another scowling vocal, very rapid-fire in the delivery. I suppose the keys are what make it seem more than just straightforward metal; they add a kind of almost new-wave feel to the music. Sort of like if Steve Strange or Phil Oakey suddenly decided to explore metal. Can't say I love it but I don't actually hate it. Yet. It's another six-minuter, so plenty of time for changes as it's only getting into the second minute as yet. Nice keyboard solo. Hate the vocals of course, but when it just goes instrumental it's not half bad. Hitting into a kind of faster, boogie rhythm now, the vocal lower and more understandable, though I'm sure he's singing in his native language so I'd have no chance of making out any words. Four minutes in now. Something like a sitar solo (!) and some nice peppy guitar with what sounds very like violin and we're into minute five. Sort of a celtic flavour coming into it now. Conclusion: Not really my sort of thing, but I could certainly see some merit in it. So, Love or Hate? I'd cautiously give this a Love too. Possibility of looking into the album: 10% Title: Sovereigns unknown Artiste: Augury Genre: Progressive Death Metal Taken from: Fragmentary Evidence, 2009 Familiarity: Zero Suggested by: mythsofmetal Expectations: The progressive part sounds fine, but I've heard some progressive death metal and it has never chimed with me. I think I'm expecting not to like this. Starts with a rolling drum and guitar intro, turns into something of a march, then I'm glad to at least hear vocals I can not only make out but that are in English. There are some death vocals, but they seem to be only incidental, at least in this song. The basic melody is very good, and for some reason reminds me of the likes of Alestorm. I'm sure this isn't pirate metal but it seems to have a few elements of it within its structure. Great work on the guitar. Pretty good song. Conclusion: Yeah that was okay. Quite good actually. So, Love or Hate? That makes it three for three Loves. Possibility of looking into the album: 20% __________________ Trollheart: Signature-free since April 2018