Trollheart Listens to Every Album on Wiki's List for 2017

Trollheart · 10-20-2017, 09:50 AM

Album title: 16 Wives
Artist: Jovi
Genre: Mboko
Nationality: Cameroonian
Release date: February 16
Position in Discography: Third
Fear Factor: High
Familiar with this artist? No
Familiar with the genre or subgenre? Again, I didn't even know it existed before now
Average RYM Score: N/A
Now I'm not one to prejudge an album STOP LAUGHING ALL OF YOU! As I was saying, I don't like to form an opinion before (I can still hear that sniggering you know) I've had a chance to listen to an album, but this one has me worried before I hear a note. Firstly – and this may just be me – the cover reminds me uncomfortably of those girls kidnapped last year by Boko Haram, and secondly, someone in a review says that “looking for tenderness in Jovi's music is like looking for a needle in a haystack.” Coupled with the title, this sounds like it could be a terribly misogynistic record, and given that the language is not strictly English, I guess I won't know, but it sort of worries me that I might be giving airtime to someone who is of the idea that women are just objects. Not that a lot of the rappers in the hip-hop albums I've listened to so far may not also have that idea, but I think in general they're a little less open about it. Of course, I could be totally wrong about our man Jovi, but again, given that I won't be able to understand, likely, a word he sings or says, I'm never really going to know, and it's probably going to hang over this review like a dark cloud.

Hmm. That's certainly English on the opener. There may be a problem here though: first, it's not on Spotify and second, though it's on YouTube the only two links I find is one that isn't it but leads to a Bandcamp page where, it seems only about five of the songs are available, and another one, which says it's the full album but only gives me seven tracks instead of sixteen. Hmm again: sixteen wives/ sixteen tracks? Well it's not bad, got some good atmosphere to it. I like the African tribal rhythm that characterises "Ou Même" but the next one's a little boring and not a little wearing. Yeah, I'm getting bored now. Okay I see now this isn't even just seven tracks, it's seven tracks taken at random off the album so, you know, **** this. I wasn't enjoying it anyway. I'll give him that, insofar as I could understand the English (which mostly I could) there didn't seem to be any particularly overt misogynistic lyrical material here, so maybe I was doing him a disservice. Still, as one reviewer is quoted as saying on the Wiki page the experimental sound "poses the danger of narrowing his audience to only a small group of connoisseurs and people who have a rich musical culture like himself."[17] I'm obviously not one of those people.

Check out more from this artist? No
Check out more from this genre or subgenre? No, unless I have to

Expectation Index: 0

Trollheart · 10-20-2017, 09:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by The Batlord

Yeah you were definitely getting ****ed in the ass on the downlow. It's okay, it's the 2010's. Nobody will judge you.

These guys will.

Quote:

Originally Posted by The Batlord

You're right. Friends is a cool man. Especially Chandler. That man was cool af.

Quote:

Originally Posted by The Batlord

Soap operas are a cool man.

Did you suddenly become Italian?

The Batlord · 10-20-2017, 10:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Trollheart

These guys will.

I want to hate you for this. And BTW The Cursed Earth saga is amazing. I feel like I mentioned this but I just wanted to reiterate it.

Quote:

Did you suddenly become Italian?

wut

Trollheart · 10-20-2017, 10:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by The Batlord

I want to hate you for this. And BTW The Cursed Earth saga is amazing. I feel like I mentioned this but I just wanted to reiterate it.

Yes TCE is fantastic and as I mentioned the other sagas are just tremendous. Check out Unamerican Graffiti too for a great laugh. Did you finish the Apocalypse War? Let me know when you do. Such a *spoiler* ending!

Quote:

wut

You're putting "a" in front of "cool" as in "that's a-cool, man!" Why?

Trollheart · 10-20-2017, 11:51 AM

Album title: Under Stars
Artist: Amy MacDonald
Genre: Pop Rock/Soft Rock
Nationality: Scottish
Release date: February 17
Position in Discography: Fourth
Fear Factor: Low
Familiar with this artist? No
Familiar with the genre or subgenre? Yes
Average RYM Score: 2.89
I like the way this kicks off, with power and energy, good rhythm, nice melody. I'd have to say in honesty there's nothing terribly new or different about her music, but I am enjoying it. “Never Too Late” is a great ballad and it's followed by another great track, this time uptempo, in “The Rise & Fall”. I don't see this being on anyone's AOTY list, but it's a perfectly competent album by a good singer, and I don't see any bad tracks, so that's got to count for something.

Check out more from this artist? Yes
Check out more from this genre or subgenre? Yes

Expectation Index: 0

Trollheart · 10-20-2017, 12:08 PM

Album title: The Painters
Artist: Animal Collective
Genre: Experimental Pop
Nationality: American
Release date: February 17
Position in Discography: Eighth EP, eighteenth overall
Fear Factor: High
Familiar with this artist? I have heard one album. I did not like it.
Familiar with the genre or subgenre? No
Average RYM Score: 2.98
Here we go with the band that seems to split this forum. Some love Animal Collective, some hate them. Me, I go on the side of the latter. I guess I wouldn't say I hate them, but I just don't get the big fuss about them. This at least is only a four-track EP, so we should be through it fairly quickly and on to the next. Well, “Bonkers” is pretty much what it sounds like: guys making “quirky” music for the sake of the quirks. Not even particularly funny or inventive, to me. And the next three tracks are ****ing blocked! Well, **** it, it's only three: let's break the rules and go looking for them individually. Oh Trollheart! You devil! Well, despite my attempt to be all anarachic, I can still only find one track on its own, this being “Jimmy Mack”, which has a nice shimmery keyboard line but then devolves into like an eighties upbeat pop tune. No, I can't in fairness comment on AC based on this, as it's only half the EP, but what I've heard hasn't changed my mind about them yet.

Check out more from this artist? No
Check out more from this genre or subgenre? No

Expectation Index: 0

Trollheart · 10-20-2017, 04:46 PM

Album title: Bringer of Pain
Artist: Battle Beast
Genre: Heavy Metal/Power Metal
Nationality: Finnish
Release date: February 17
Position in Discography: Fourth
Fear Factor: Low
Familiar with this artist? No
Familiar with the genre or subgenre? Yes
Average RYM Score: 3.18
I've said it before, and I'll say it again: you have to admire the sheer numbskullery of metal bands. I mean, both the band name and the title of the album, come on! And look at the song titles! I mean, how can you hate a band who pens a song called “Bastard Son of Odin”?

Okay but **** it, once it starts that's one heck of a rockin' album, and the fact that they have a female singer, who really has superb pipes, is interesting. She's just on the edge of being male, but never crossing over. I guess think Lita Ford or a raunchier, tougher Ann Wilson and you're halfway there. Cool. Great opener. Think I may like this. Okay, the chorus on “King For a Day” is a little embarrassing, trying too hard to be, well, hard, but it's a fun song with an almost proggy feel to it. Yeah I said proggy. Listen to the keys in the midsection and tell me that's not prog of some sort. They even have a voiceover on it. Prog 101.

Well this album is full of great hooks, and it's probably cheesy, but when have I ever cared about that? “Beyond the Burning Skies” gives herself a chance to tone done her vocals, not to operatic level or anything, but somewhat softer, more feminine if you will. Just a touch. The hook in “Familiar Hell” is familiar indeed: think they ripped it off from somewhere, though I can't place it. The, um, rant she goes on here though is really cheesy and I don't see the point of it. Oh well. “Bastard Son of Odin/ Born to kick your ass!” Oh, that song has lived up to its promise, without question! I'd put this nearly more in the AOR arena than power metal - I mean, “Dancing With the Beast” (I'm not kidding!) is more like, I don't know, Disco Metal? Dance Metal? Weird - but a damn good album for sure.

Check out more from this artist? Yes
Check out more from this genre or subgenre? Yes

Expectation Index: 0

Holy ****: In checking this band on RYM I come across a list on the side: "Cheese in Metal" made by ... Qwerty100! Surely not?

Trollheart · 10-20-2017, 05:22 PM

Album title: All Your Fault Pt 1
Artist: Bebe Rexha
Genre: Pop
Nationality: American
Release date: February 17
Position in Discography: Second
Fear Factor: High
Familiar with this artist? Heard of her
Familiar with the genre or subgenre? A little
Average RYM Score: 2.63
Ah, another EP. All helps keep the Trollheart wagon rolling along nicely. First track is a bit of a surprise, slow and moody and actually quite good. She's a decent singer and doesn't seem to use Autotune that I can hear so that's always a plus. Also she writes her material it would appear, another positive point. This is a lot better than I had expected, frankly. Could do without the addition of G-Eazy, whom I assume is a well-known rapper but unknown to me, and doesn't really, to me, add much to “F.F.F”, and similarly Ty Dolla Sign (what?) on “Bad Bitch”, but overall, pretty much a big surprise.

Check out more from this artist? Yes
Check out more from this genre or subgenre? Yes

Expectation Index: 9

Trollheart · 10-21-2017, 09:43 AM

Album title: Leitbild
Artist: Blutengel
Genre: Futurepop/Darkwave
Nationality: German
Release date: February 17
Position in Discography: Tenth
Fear Factor: Moderate
Familiar with this artist? No
Familiar with the genre or subgenre? No
Average RYM Score: 2.88
I have no idea what futurepop is (though I suppose it's not too hard to guess) but I have heard of darkwave, and I certainly like the gothic, dramatic feel of this so far. Nice that they sing in English, too; I hadn't quite expected that, given that the title of the album is in German. Kind of reminds me of The Sisters of Mercy. I would say it's good certainly, but after sixteen tracks it really wears thin, and I'm not sure I would want to hear any more if it's all like this.

Check out more from this artist? Probably not
Check out more from this genre or subgenre? Might

Expectation Index: 3

Lucem Ferre · 10-21-2017, 03:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Trollheart

Album title: Leitbild
Artist: Blutengel
Genre: Futurepop/Darkwave
Nationality: German
Release date: February 17
Position in Discography: Tenth
Fear Factor: Moderate
Familiar with this artist? No
Familiar with the genre or subgenre? No
Average RYM Score: 2.88
I have no idea what futurepop is (though I suppose it's not too hard to guess) but I have heard of darkwave, and I certainly like the gothic, dramatic feel of this so far. Nice that they sing in English, too; I hadn't quite expected that, given that the title of the album is in German. Kind of reminds me of The Sisters of Mercy. I would say it's good certainly, but after sixteen tracks it really wears thin, and I'm not sure I would want to hear any more if it's all like this.

Check out more from this artist? Probably not
Check out more from this genre or subgenre? Might

Expectation Index: 3

This is the type of stuff my friend and his wife listen to. This, industrial agrotech and older 80s goth music.

10-20-2017, 09:50 AM	#1 (permalink)
Trollheart Born to be mild Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: 404 Not Found Posts: 26,996	Album title: 16 Wives Artist: Jovi Genre: Mboko Nationality: Cameroonian Release date: February 16 Position in Discography: Third Fear Factor: High Familiar with this artist? No Familiar with the genre or subgenre? Again, I didn't even know it existed before now Average RYM Score: N/A Now I'm not one to prejudge an album STOP LAUGHING ALL OF YOU! As I was saying, I don't like to form an opinion before (I can still hear that sniggering you know) I've had a chance to listen to an album, but this one has me worried before I hear a note. Firstly – and this may just be me – the cover reminds me uncomfortably of those girls kidnapped last year by Boko Haram, and secondly, someone in a review says that “looking for tenderness in Jovi's music is like looking for a needle in a haystack.” Coupled with the title, this sounds like it could be a terribly misogynistic record, and given that the language is not strictly English, I guess I won't know, but it sort of worries me that I might be giving airtime to someone who is of the idea that women are just objects. Not that a lot of the rappers in the hip-hop albums I've listened to so far may not also have that idea, but I think in general they're a little less open about it. Of course, I could be totally wrong about our man Jovi, but again, given that I won't be able to understand, likely, a word he sings or says, I'm never really going to know, and it's probably going to hang over this review like a dark cloud. Hmm. That's certainly English on the opener. There may be a problem here though: first, it's not on Spotify and second, though it's on YouTube the only two links I find is one that isn't it but leads to a Bandcamp page where, it seems only about five of the songs are available, and another one, which says it's the full album but only gives me seven tracks instead of sixteen. Hmm again: sixteen wives/ sixteen tracks? Well it's not bad, got some good atmosphere to it. I like the African tribal rhythm that characterises "Ou Même" but the next one's a little boring and not a little wearing. Yeah, I'm getting bored now. Okay I see now this isn't even just seven tracks, it's seven tracks taken at random off the album so, you know, **** this. I wasn't enjoying it anyway. I'll give him that, insofar as I could understand the English (which mostly I could) there didn't seem to be any particularly overt misogynistic lyrical material here, so maybe I was doing him a disservice. Still, as one reviewer is quoted as saying on the Wiki page the experimental sound "poses the danger of narrowing his audience to only a small group of connoisseurs and people who have a rich musical culture like himself."[17] I'm obviously not one of those people. Check out more from this artist? No Check out more from this genre or subgenre? No, unless I have to Expectation Index: 0 __________________ Trollheart: Signature-free since April 2018

10-20-2017, 11:51 AM	#5 (permalink)
Trollheart Born to be mild Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: 404 Not Found Posts: 26,996	Album title: Under Stars Artist: Amy MacDonald Genre: Pop Rock/Soft Rock Nationality: Scottish Release date: February 17 Position in Discography: Fourth Fear Factor: Low Familiar with this artist? No Familiar with the genre or subgenre? Yes Average RYM Score: 2.89 I like the way this kicks off, with power and energy, good rhythm, nice melody. I'd have to say in honesty there's nothing terribly new or different about her music, but I am enjoying it. “Never Too Late” is a great ballad and it's followed by another great track, this time uptempo, in “The Rise & Fall”. I don't see this being on anyone's AOTY list, but it's a perfectly competent album by a good singer, and I don't see any bad tracks, so that's got to count for something. Check out more from this artist? Yes Check out more from this genre or subgenre? Yes Expectation Index: 0 __________________ Trollheart: Signature-free since April 2018

10-20-2017, 12:08 PM	#6 (permalink)
Trollheart Born to be mild Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: 404 Not Found Posts: 26,996	Album title: The Painters Artist: Animal Collective Genre: Experimental Pop Nationality: American Release date: February 17 Position in Discography: Eighth EP, eighteenth overall Fear Factor: High Familiar with this artist? I have heard one album. I did not like it. Familiar with the genre or subgenre? No Average RYM Score: 2.98 Here we go with the band that seems to split this forum. Some love Animal Collective, some hate them. Me, I go on the side of the latter. I guess I wouldn't say I hate them, but I just don't get the big fuss about them. This at least is only a four-track EP, so we should be through it fairly quickly and on to the next. Well, “Bonkers” is pretty much what it sounds like: guys making “quirky” music for the sake of the quirks. Not even particularly funny or inventive, to me. And the next three tracks are **ing blocked! Well, it, it's only three: let's break the rules and go looking for them individually. Oh Trollheart! You devil! Well, despite my attempt to be all anarachic, I can still only find one track on its own, this being “Jimmy Mack”, which has a nice shimmery keyboard line but then devolves into like an eighties upbeat pop tune. No, I can't in fairness comment on AC based on this, as it's only half the EP, but what I've heard hasn't changed my mind about them yet. Check out more from this artist? No Check out more from this genre or subgenre? No Expectation Index: 0** __________________ Trollheart: Signature-free since April 2018

10-20-2017, 04:46 PM	#7 (permalink)
Trollheart Born to be mild Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: 404 Not Found Posts: 26,996	Album title: Bringer of Pain Artist: Battle Beast Genre: Heavy Metal/Power Metal Nationality: Finnish Release date: February 17 Position in Discography: Fourth Fear Factor: Low Familiar with this artist? No Familiar with the genre or subgenre? Yes Average RYM Score: 3.18 I've said it before, and I'll say it again: you have to admire the sheer numbskullery of metal bands. I mean, both the band name and the title of the album, come on! And look at the song titles! I mean, how can you hate a band who pens a song called “Bastard Son of Odin”? Okay but ** it, once it starts that's one heck of a rockin' album, and the fact that they have a female singer, who really has superb pipes, is interesting. She's just on the edge of being male, but never crossing over. I guess think Lita Ford or a raunchier, tougher Ann Wilson and you're halfway there. Cool. Great opener. Think I may like this. Okay, the chorus on “King For a Day” is a little embarrassing, trying too hard to be, well, hard, but it's a fun song with an almost proggy feel to it. Yeah I said proggy. Listen to the keys in the midsection and tell me that's not prog of some sort. They even have a voiceover on it. Prog 101. Well this album is full of great hooks, and it's probably cheesy, but when have I ever cared about that? “Beyond the Burning Skies” gives herself a chance to tone done her vocals, not to operatic level or anything, but somewhat softer, more feminine if you will. Just a touch. The hook in “Familiar Hell” is familiar indeed: think they ripped it off from somewhere, though I can't place it. The, um, rant she goes on here though is really cheesy and I don't see the point of it. Oh well. “Bastard Son of Odin/ Born to kick your ass!” Oh, that song has lived up to its promise, without question! I'd put this nearly more in the AOR arena than power metal - I mean, “Dancing With the Beast” (I'm not kidding!) is more like, I don't know, Disco Metal? Dance Metal? Weird - but a damn good album for sure. Check out more from this artist? Yes Check out more from this genre or subgenre? Yes Expectation Index: 0 Holy *: In checking this band on RYM I come across a list on the side: "Cheese in Metal" made by ... Qwerty100! Surely not? __________________ Trollheart: Signature-free since April 2018*

10-20-2017, 05:22 PM	#8 (permalink)
Trollheart Born to be mild Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: 404 Not Found Posts: 26,996	Album title: All Your Fault Pt 1 Artist: Bebe Rexha Genre: Pop Nationality: American Release date: February 17 Position in Discography: Second Fear Factor: High Familiar with this artist? Heard of her Familiar with the genre or subgenre? A little Average RYM Score: 2.63 Ah, another EP. All helps keep the Trollheart wagon rolling along nicely. First track is a bit of a surprise, slow and moody and actually quite good. She's a decent singer and doesn't seem to use Autotune that I can hear so that's always a plus. Also she writes her material it would appear, another positive point. This is a lot better than I had expected, frankly. Could do without the addition of G-Eazy, whom I assume is a well-known rapper but unknown to me, and doesn't really, to me, add much to “F.F.F”, and similarly Ty Dolla Sign (what?) on “Bad Bitch”, but overall, pretty much a big surprise. Check out more from this artist? Yes Check out more from this genre or subgenre? Yes Expectation Index: 9 __________________ Trollheart: Signature-free since April 2018

10-21-2017, 09:43 AM	#9 (permalink)
Trollheart Born to be mild Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: 404 Not Found Posts: 26,996	Album title: Leitbild Artist: Blutengel Genre: Futurepop/Darkwave Nationality: German Release date: February 17 Position in Discography: Tenth Fear Factor: Moderate Familiar with this artist? No Familiar with the genre or subgenre? No Average RYM Score: 2.88 I have no idea what futurepop is (though I suppose it's not too hard to guess) but I have heard of darkwave, and I certainly like the gothic, dramatic feel of this so far. Nice that they sing in English, too; I hadn't quite expected that, given that the title of the album is in German. Kind of reminds me of The Sisters of Mercy. I would say it's good certainly, but after sixteen tracks it really wears thin, and I'm not sure I would want to hear any more if it's all like this. Check out more from this artist? Probably not Check out more from this genre or subgenre? Might Expectation Index: 3 __________________ Trollheart: Signature-free since April 2018

Thread Tools
Show Printable Version Email this Page
Display Modes
Switch to Linear Mode Hybrid Mode Switch to Threaded Mode