GD

So, let's see if anyone's interested in continuing this for a new week...

First album from the randomizer:

Greg Brown - In the Dark With You (1985)
(Contemporary Folk, Singer/Songwriter)
https://rateyourmusic.com/release/al...dark_with_you/
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/album/71D77aTZVQUrHtzsg54jYp

Various tracks from this album are also floating around YouTube, but I won't put effort into compiling them.

Might post an album tomorrow as well

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MicShazam

Greg Brown - In the Dark With You (1985)
(Contemporary Folk, Singer/Songwriter)


I don't know if this guy is famous or a complete unknown, but I'd guess the latter.
This is folk of the somewhat country sounding variety. I can't say I appreciate this particular style of folk, so the odds are stacked against this album from the start. It's labelled as 'contemporary folk' and 'singer/songwriter' but instrumentally, I feel like it's really just some very run off the mill, old school American folk music of the most common kind. I always skip artists like this when looking for folk music, so...
There's really nothing too special about these songs when it comes to the melodies and instrumental arrangements. The only special thing here is the somewhat odd style the singer goes with at times. Can't say I'm a fan of his singing. Mostly, he's simply passable. Sometimes he choses to do some weird "uuuhuuuh"-ing or some semi-scatting or whatever you wanna call it. I found his vocals sort of annoying at times, honestly.
The guitars and accordions just play exactly what they of course would with this sort of dime a dozen folk. Not badly done I guess, but I didn't appeal to me, despite how I quite like folk music.

4/10

GD

Yeah, not really much to say about this. Pretty inoffensive Adult Contemporary-esque folk album. Not much that catches my interest, though I did kinda like "Help Me Make It Through This Funky Day". I agree with Mic's rating of 4/10

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GD

Might as well post the second album right away


Klabautamann - Merkur (2009)
(Melodic Black Metal, Progressive Metal)
https://rateyourmusic.com/release/al...tamann/merkur/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uCi3k8nuQbI
Spotify: no dice

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Trollheart

I know that one. It was recommended to me years ago and I seem to remember being really impressed by it. If I can (no promises) I may try to do this one. Maybe.

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GD

Don't gush too much about it now, you're gonna scare everyone off!

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Trollheart

Be hilarious if it turns out to be ****, huh?

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RiPS

Greg Brown - In the Dark With You

This was meh, and didn't really do much for me.

Two stars.

RiPS

Klabautamann - Merkur

This I liked much better than the last album.


It felt like a really metal album, which is good in my books.

Three stars.

GD

I really enjoyed this! The band has an interesting style mixing Black Metal with elements of Jazz and Prog, with mainly successful and interesting results; it's not everyday you hear Maj7 harmonies in a black metal song.
Most of the tracks have mellower interludes in between the harsher, more metally sections; on certain tracks, like the title track, delving into full-on Jazz Fusion. Also, in some of their proggier moments they reminded a bit of Can, which is definitely not a bad thing.
One criticism that I have is that I tend to find Black Metal vocals like the ones displayed on this album kinda cheesy, but it wasn't extremely distracting and didn't lessen my enjoyment of the album to any considerable degree.
Probably the best album to come out of this thing yet. This equates to a very high 7/10

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