Trollheart

Announcement: Deadchannel, you have two more days to prove you actually listened to Britney, otherwise Batty gets a score of 100 and you Lose. Deadline is midnight Tuesday.

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Trollheart: Signature-free since April 2018

Trollheart

Title:Plague Mass
Artiste: Diamanda Galas
Genre: Avant-Garde
Evil Bastard: The Batlord

I've heard of this wan. Batty says her voice is terrifying, and this is a live album so chances are it'll be even more scary. Better make sure I'm close to the toilet! Okay, let's do this thing! Well thanks a lot! Not available anywhere so I have to turn to YouTube. Great. Well now that we have it running, mostly talk for the first few minutes, then she lets out a blood-curdling scream which takes me by surprise, and back to talking. More screams. Very operatic. Kind of an ululating lament I guess, very high-pitched, like listening to a banshee. Meh, so far I'm more bored than scared. This thing goes on for twelve frigging minutes! Oh, it's almost over thank god. Crap! The next one is twelve minutes too! At least we're getting some doomy drums now and a bit of sort-of music. The whole high priestess of darkness thing has worn thin very quickly. Yawn. The drums do make it a little more tolerable, though not much. Sounds like she's speaking in tongues now. So bored with this. Drumbeats getting faster. Where are we now? Crap! Only five minutes in. If she says “Unclean” one more time, I swear...

At least there's a bit of a rhythm coming in to the piece now. Getting a bit more into it now. Yeah, just as it ends. Next one is only (!) six minutes long and there seems to be some sort of synth or some backing anyway. Is she vocalising with herself here? That's pretty impressive if so. Some sort of radio feedback or something. God knows what's going on here, but I bet Ned Flanders would not like it! Think we're into the fourth track now. There's another agonised scream. Neighbours will think I'm murdering someone in here! Sounds like someone revving a motorbike now. It's probably mad percussion though. Another rant. Kind of hard to separate the tracks here, as they're mostly just her going on about something or other I don't care about and the odd bit of music or drumming, but I think we're about halfway now, with the sixth track? Maybe. Getting very intense and almost messianic there. There are no more tickets to the funeral, apparently. Guess it sold out early. Bloody block-bookers, huh?

In fairness, the beat and rhythm behind this is pretty good. I don't like her talking on her own, but with some sort of musical backing she's not bad at all. Now she's singing (well, talking) about AIDS. Pretty impressive really. And I think I only have about twenty-odd minutes to go now. Some synth coming in now with that heavy drumming and I think she's speaking in tongues again, or some foreign tongue anyway. Is she vocalising with herself again? Look, she can't be, can she? This is live after all. Must be another singer, or maybe she's using a backing track of her own voice? Either way it's pretty good.

Much slower and almost funereal now; think I heard piano there for the first time. Nearing the end. Ten minutes left. Sounds like she's dying there; slow gasping breaths, music (or whatever is backing her) slowing down and now pealing bells. There's that piano again, very bassy this time. Gospel chant, kind of. She certainly has a powerful, compelling voice. That wasn't nearly as bad as I had been expecting.

Oh, and please stop asking her. There are no more tickets to the funeral. She is getting pretty pissed about it at the end!

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Trollheart: Signature-free since April 2018

Trollheart

Another announcement: Torture Level

At Frownland's suggestion, I'm asking everyone to, as they listen to an album, award it a Torture Level (TL) which will be recorded on the OP. Whether or not you finish the album (and nobody has failed to yet) this records how difficult it was to get through it, how many times perhaps you thought of chucking it in, and how little you would like to hear it again. You can use whatever rating you use but make sure it's a percentage. As a rough guide, I'm using this:

1% - 20% = Really didn't bother me. Could listen to it again if necessary
25% - 50% = Bit annoying; wish I hadn't had to listen to it but never felt like throwing in the towel.
50% - 75% = Really difficult to get through, really hated this. Thought about stopping at least once.
over 75% = Bloody nightmare. Was lucky to make it through; proud of myself that I did (assuming you did of course)

You don't have to stick to that but it's a basic idea, however I will be colour coding the TLs from Green for least annoying up to Red for nightmare. We'll later be working out a "Hall of Infamy" thing where anyone who consistently triggers high TLs will get a place. More on that later.

For now, can anyone who reviewed an album please assign a TL asap, either PM me or edit your post to include it, and in the future please record the TL so I can note them on the OP results page. Thanks.

Also, I am now out of albums so anyone who has anything to throw my way....

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Trollheart: Signature-free since April 2018

grindy

I give the Fogelberg dude 55%. Pretty annoying towards the end, but really bearable.

My next torturec for you: Hans Reichel - Yuxo.
It's neither bad, nor particularly noisy, it's just that the daxophone sounds too crazy for a whole album.
I might have to upload it for you though, not sure you'll find it on the net.

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A smell of petroleum prevails throughout.

Trollheart

Ah, one of my pet hates. Still, at least it's not a saxophone! That'd kill me!

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Trollheart: Signature-free since April 2018

grindy

It's not a spelling error.

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A smell of petroleum prevails throughout.

Frownland

*ahem*

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Studies show that when a given norm is changed in the face of the unchanging, the remaining contradictions will parallel the truth.

Thelonious Monkey

Feel free to send me torture recs.

Trollheart

Oh ****.
Wasn't sure if that was an actual rec. Will add.
As Batty would say, boom.

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Trollheart: Signature-free since April 2018

Thelonious Monkey

Alright, let's see what we have here.

"Little Ways" - Okay, I'm sorry, but this is laughable. His accent is ****ing hilarious. I mean, it's groovy, but I genuinely just can't stop laughing at his vocals. I can tell his voice is gonna grate on me after a while. But, it ain't terrible. I wouldn't consider it torture if this is what it is. This is gonna be an easy one I can tell.

"Smoke Along the Track" - This is a chill song. Nice train sounds. Not much to say really. I have a feeling it's going to be a bland album for me.

"Johnson's Love" - You know what, this ain't that bad. Maybe it's because I'm in a laid-back mood. But I can't say I hate it. I like the vibe. His voice ain't grating on me as much as I thought it would.

"Please, Please Baby" - Like the boogie vibe. Cheesy as **** but whatever. I ain't going to sugarcoat it. I can dig this. Nice little fiddle solo. Why the **** am I enjoying this?

"Readin', Rightin', Rt. 23" - Yeah, this ones cool. Nothing much to say. Catchy. Gives off that nostalgic olden day vibes. **** if I know what I'm talking about.

"Always Late with Your Kisses" - Yeah...more sexy cheesy goodness.

"1,000 Miles" - This is far from torture TH. I can handle this, no sweat. Only 34 minutes. It's not even long enough to be derivative. I feel cheated.

"Throughout All Time" - Just sounds like the rest. Don't know what to say. I mean, I enjoy the fun vibe, but there is nothing in the case of diversity. More fiddle.

"Little Sister" - An Elvis Presley cover. It's alright. Best song on the album, I'd say.

"This Drinkin' Will Kill Me" - Is this Country? It's extremely hard to tell.

TL: 1% - 20% You're going to have to do better than that TH.

Also, here is my rec to you.



We Stitch These Wounds by Black Veil Brides