Listen with Trollheart

The Batlord · 06-27-2018, 04:25 PM

Why do we need to know if you own the album?

Trollheart · 06-27-2018, 06:20 PM

Not A Good Sign – Not A Good Sign (2013)
Genre: Progressive Rock

I'm giving this one a second (well, third really) listen, because when I spun it the first time recently I started off thinking “damn this is boring”, then it seemed to improve a lot, but I wasn't really concentrating on it, and there did seem like maybe there was something there, so I'm now giving it my full attention. It does kick off with some fairly standard proggy keyboard-led instrumental tracks, which did bore me a little, but we're more than halfway through and I have to say I still, at this moment, retain the original impression I had of the album, that it's pretty boring. Maybe things will change over the next few tracks; I'm sure I remember them doing so.

Right, this was where it began: a female vocal (not the first vocal track I think but certainly the first/only female one) which makes me take interest, though to be honest after this it goes back to being quite annoyingly boring again. I think there are three tracks left; can they save this slab of prog rock tedium? Answer is pretty much no. I'm not sure where I got the idea from. This is hella boring. I mean, it's not terrible or anything, and there are the odd good moments, but basically it's just an okay prog album, verging slightly even towards the mediocre. Why did I bother giving it a second chance? I would have been happier listening to the Uriah Heep album again. Hey, that'not a bad idea...

Trollheart · 06-27-2018, 06:27 PM

Dead River - 19 A.D.D - 2009
Genre: Experimental/Post-Metal
Okay, this will be an interesting one. I remember some years ago reviewing this, hating it, and hating it so much that I later made it the subject of a section in my journal called “The Plague Ship”, where I featured albums that had what I considered nothing at all to offer, ones that could not even be said to have anything to recommend them, no redeeming features at all. That was a long time ago, so I wonder if my attitude has changed now? No. It's still ****. It's just boring **** now. I mean, it's pretty much all guitar music, something like prog metal or maybe djent, I don't know, with some spoken samples thrown in here and there, but it makes no impression on me. Still hate it, but kind of in a more passive way than I used to. I just don't care about it now.

For anyone interested, here's my original review from 2012
http://www.musicbanter.com/members-j...ml#post1240275

Key · 06-28-2018, 08:48 PM

So...how does this thread differ from your recent thread of posting about music you listen to i.e. the music nobody likes thread?

Trollheart · 06-28-2018, 09:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kiiii

So...how does this thread differ from your recent thread of posting about music you listen to i.e. the music nobody likes thread?

This thread has the albums chosen at random, many of which will be new even to me, and others may like them. In the other one, I'm specifically choosing albums by bands I like but that most of the opinion here is against, or that people have never heard of. Journey, Bon Jovi, Nanci Griffith, Threshold etc. Also the format is far different: in the other thread I go individually through each album track by track commenting on each song and then rate the album overall. Here the review, as such, is really short, very vague and hardly touches on any of the songs at all. Also, this one has cool icons.

Otherwise, yeah, it's exactly the same.

Key · 06-28-2018, 09:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Trollheart

This thread has the albums chosen at random, many of which will be new even to me, and others may like them. In the other one, I'm specifically choosing albums by bands I like but that most of the opinion here is against, or that people have never heard of. Journey, Bon Jovi, Nanci Griffith, Threshold etc. Also the format is far different: in the other thread I go individually through each album track by track commenting on each song and then rate the album overall. Here the review, as such, is really short, very vague and hardly touches on any of the songs at all. Also, this one has cool icons.

Otherwise, yeah, it's exactly the same.

Fair enough. I hope I didn't come off as rude. It just looked similar but I know you have little quirks thrown into your threads so yeah.

Trollheart · 06-29-2018, 11:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kiiii

Fair enough. I hope I didn't come off as rude. It just looked similar but I know you have little quirks thrown into your threads so yeah.

Not a problem, and no you didn't. I appreciate the two threads look similar on the surface, but I am handling them very differently.

Trollheart · 07-07-2018, 03:15 PM

Using a new icon here. The sailing ship represents a real discovery, a real find, some album or artist which I am going to end up totally getting into.

Act V: Hymns With the Devil in Confessional – The Dear Hunter
Genre: Prog Rock/Symphonic Rock

Never heard these guys before, but once this album started I knew I dug it. I'm a lot behind the curve here, as this is the fifth instalment of six concept albums all telling one long story, so I can't get the plot, but there's plenty to enjoy in this album on its own merits, though I expect after this I will end up listening to not only the last four albums in this series, but the rest of The Dear Hunter's discography too. Quite varied, with some jazz and indie rock in here as well as prog, even forties swing or big band or whatever the hell they played back then (“Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy” - whatever that is). Highly impressed. I think if/when it's possible for me to follow the storyline through the six albums I'll be even moreso. Just became a fan through this album anyway.

Note: since writing this I've been listening to this album almost constantly. Definitely a fan now.

Trollheart · 07-10-2018, 11:32 AM

Symphonic Rock/Wiener Symphoniker Spielen Klassiker Der Rockmusik – VSOP – 1987
Genre: Orchestral Rock

Yeah, I like rock tunes played by orchestras in general, but it can be very hit and miss. Good ones are Tribute to Iron Maiden by the Vitamin String Quartet, as well as Us and Them - The Symphonic Pink Floyd by the London Philharmonic, and the music of Genesis in We Know What We Like by the London Symphony Orchestra. This one is okay, up to a point. The Queen medley that kicks it off is good (though I really hate it when “orchestral” music features singing – I mean, what's the point?) and Supertramp's “Dreamer” gets a decent outing, but their version of “Satisfaction” should be registered as a crime against the ears. Just terrible. Overall, I'd say very much okay but nothing more than that. Good background music, but even then, I wouldn't be listening to this more than once a year, if even that.

Trollheart · 07-11-2018, 10:59 AM

Silk and Steel – Giuffria (1986)
Genre: Hard Rock/AOR

Think I've heard of these guys before. Like I said about AOR, it is as it does. This does nicely. Some good tracks, so far no really bad ones. “Girl” is a particular standout, even if the title is less than original. Singer sounds very Steve Perryesque. “Dirty Secrets” is a bit below par, but the rest is pretty all right, which is mostly all you can say about AOR I think. Would listen to more.

06-27-2018, 06:20 PM	#82 (permalink)
Trollheart Born to be mild Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: 404 Not Found Posts: 26,994	Not A Good Sign – Not A Good Sign (2013) Genre: Progressive Rock I'm giving this one a second (well, third really) listen, because when I spun it the first time recently I started off thinking “damn this is boring”, then it seemed to improve a lot, but I wasn't really concentrating on it, and there did seem like maybe there was something there, so I'm now giving it my full attention. It does kick off with some fairly standard proggy keyboard-led instrumental tracks, which did bore me a little, but we're more than halfway through and I have to say I still, at this moment, retain the original impression I had of the album, that it's pretty boring. Maybe things will change over the next few tracks; I'm sure I remember them doing so. Right, this was where it began: a female vocal (not the first vocal track I think but certainly the first/only female one) which makes me take interest, though to be honest after this it goes back to being quite annoyingly boring again. I think there are three tracks left; can they save this slab of prog rock tedium? Answer is pretty much no. I'm not sure where I got the idea from. This is hella boring. I mean, it's not terrible or anything, and there are the odd good moments, but basically it's just an okay prog album, verging slightly even towards the mediocre. Why did I bother giving it a second chance? I would have been happier listening to the Uriah Heep album again. Hey, that'not a bad idea... __________________ Trollheart: Signature-free since April 2018

06-27-2018, 06:27 PM	#83 (permalink)
Trollheart Born to be mild Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: 404 Not Found Posts: 26,994	Dead River - 19 A.D.D - 2009 Genre: Experimental/Post-Metal Okay, this will be an interesting one. I remember some years ago reviewing this, hating it, and hating it so much that I later made it the subject of a section in my journal called “The Plague Ship”, where I featured albums that had what I considered nothing at all to offer, ones that could not even be said to have anything to recommend them, no redeeming features at all. That was a long time ago, so I wonder if my attitude has changed now? No. It's still **. It's just boring ** now. I mean, it's pretty much all guitar music, something like prog metal or maybe djent, I don't know, with some spoken samples thrown in here and there, but it makes no impression on me. Still hate it, but kind of in a more passive way than I used to. I just don't care about it now. For anyone interested, here's my original review from 2012 http://www.musicbanter.com/members-j...ml#post1240275 __________________ Trollheart: Signature-free since April 2018

07-07-2018, 03:15 PM	#88 (permalink)
Trollheart Born to be mild Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: 404 Not Found Posts: 26,994	*Using a new icon here. The sailing ship represents a real discovery, a real find, some album or artist which I am going to end up totally getting into.* Act V: Hymns With the Devil in Confessional – The Dear Hunter Genre: Prog Rock/Symphonic Rock Never heard these guys before, but once this album started I knew I dug it. I'm a lot behind the curve here, as this is the fifth instalment of six concept albums all telling one long story, so I can't get the plot, but there's plenty to enjoy in this album on its own merits, though I expect after this I will end up listening to not only the last four albums in this series, but the rest of The Dear Hunter's discography too. Quite varied, with some jazz and indie rock in here as well as prog, even forties swing or big band or whatever the hell they played back then (“Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy” - whatever that is). Highly impressed. I think if/when it's possible for me to follow the storyline through the six albums I'll be even moreso. Just became a fan through this album anyway. Note: since writing this I've been listening to this album almost constantly. Definitely a fan now. __________________ Trollheart: Signature-free since April 2018

07-10-2018, 11:32 AM	#89 (permalink)
Trollheart Born to be mild Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: 404 Not Found Posts: 26,994	Symphonic Rock/Wiener Symphoniker Spielen Klassiker Der Rockmusik – VSOP – 1987 Genre: Orchestral Rock Yeah, I like rock tunes played by orchestras in general, but it can be very hit and miss. Good ones are Tribute to Iron Maiden by the Vitamin String Quartet, as well as Us and Them - The Symphonic Pink Floyd by the London Philharmonic, and the music of Genesis in We Know What We Like by the London Symphony Orchestra. This one is okay, up to a point. The Queen medley that kicks it off is good (though I really hate it when “orchestral” music features singing – I mean, what's the point?) and Supertramp's “Dreamer” gets a decent outing, but their version of “Satisfaction” should be registered as a crime against the ears. Just terrible. Overall, I'd say very much okay but nothing more than that. Good background music, but even then, I wouldn't be listening to this more than once a year, if even that. __________________ Trollheart: Signature-free since April 2018

07-11-2018, 10:59 AM	#90 (permalink)
Trollheart Born to be mild Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: 404 Not Found Posts: 26,994	Silk and Steel – Giuffria (1986) Genre: Hard Rock/AOR Think I've heard of these guys before. Like I said about AOR, it is as it does. This does nicely. Some good tracks, so far no really bad ones. “Girl” is a particular standout, even if the title is less than original. Singer sounds very Steve Perryesque. “Dirty Secrets” is a bit below par, but the rest is pretty all right, which is mostly all you can say about AOR I think. Would listen to more. __________________ Trollheart: Signature-free since April 2018

06-28-2018, 08:48 PM	#84 (permalink)
Key . Join Date: Dec 2010 Posts: 13,153	So...how does this thread differ from your recent thread of posting about music you listen to i.e. the music nobody likes thread?