The Batlord

Trollheart, is that you?

__________________

TechnicLePanther

Metal Survivor Mania

Back once more for Drone Metal!

Jesu - Jesu


Immediate points taken because of that autotuned vocal. However, because the vocals don't play a very prominent role, it will only lower my opinion a proportional amount. There are a bunch of synths here as well, but no shame in that. Experimenting with new tech is a good thing for Broadrick. Other than that, sort of like The Angelic Process, but less death and more doom, and a pronounced decrease in the prettiness factor due to the abundant synths. A hint of indutrial here and there as well. I think Jesu isn't extremely exciting, but it's not as boring as Earth or the extreme ones. Earth is a bit more prolific than Jesu though, so I'll put Earth slightly above it.

Nadja - Touched


This is some heavy stuff. Reminds me a bit of Angelic Process, but with a lot of Earth mixed in. I think I like this more than Angelic Process actually.

Teeth of Lions Rule the Divine


This reminds me a bit more of Earth. In fact, this album and Earth 2 are extremely comparable. This album definitely goes farther than Earth, though, so props for taking the original ideas from Earth and expanding on them a bit. Some pretty interesting lyrics are added in as well, so I like it a bit more than Khanate even. Not as much as Naked City though.

Melvins - Lysol


There are a couple of straight-forward rock tracks on this one. Even the rock isn't too superb. I don't really even think I like this as much as Jesu. The songwriting just isn't good enough, and I'm sort of questioning the validity of its drone status.

Therefore, my final list is:

Nadja
The Angelic Process
Naked City
Khanate
Teeth of Lions Rule the Divine
Earth
Jesu
Melvins
Sunn O)))
Boris

__________________
Many have tried to destroy it... but... true evil never dies. It is only... REBORN

SUGGEST ME AN ALBUM - I'm probably not going to listen to it but I will if you bother me enough.

TechnicLePanther

The Collective Works

Another new segment! I'll give you a hint what it's about, there's a hint in the title.

Animal Collective - Merriweather Post Pavilion


Yes, the cover is an optical illusion. And also, yes, I will be going over the work of Animal Collective. Besides one single song, I have never heard ANY Animal Collective. And I figure it's probably time I check out this hip new band. I'm not going to give a comprehensive history (because I'm just now hearing this band for the first time), and I'm not going to go in chronological order, instead basing my next choice on a flowchart on the 4chan /mu wiki.

Anyways, let's dive right in. "In The Flowers" starts off the album. It starts off quiet and subdued, sort of indie folk-like. But a pounding drum soon comes in the background, and a lot of psychedelic synth and piano lines enter the fold as well. Vocals are pretty generic indie fare, so nothing uber spectacular there. But boy, is this music crazy. And the music video is downright scary. Looks like a snuff film.

The next song, "My Girls" has a similarly screwed up music video, but is also similarly good, and in similar ways, with Psychedelic Pop vibes shining through the myriad rhythms. "Also Frightened" pretty much continues in the same strange trend. "Summertime Clothes" also contains similar elements to the other two, but is perhaps a bit more bass-y. "Daily Routine" starts out by introducing a synth bit which appears in bits throughout the song. Perhaps there's a slightly more synth-pop feel to that one as well. And the looping vocals remind me of some Gentle Giant. Then it becomes more dreamy like the other songs by the end. Really good one, that.

Next is "Bluish", another really good Pop/Dance track, with a hint of Beach Boys in the vocal arrangement. And straight after that, another obviously Beach Boys influenced song, with multiple vocal lines laying the groundwork for a rhythmic track featuring a ton of piano, moreso than any other track before, I think. I haven't mentioned it before, but each track seamlessly transitions into the next. The next track, "Taste", sort of feels like a bit of chiptune, purely based on the synth sounds. But it also has some vocals weaving in and out, as well as the light drums that appear on the rest of the songs.

"Lion in a Coma" marks the point at which I'm beginning to express doubt about this album. I sort of feel like this album is the band attempting to streamline their sound, but at the expense of some of their honesty. Nevertheless, "No More Runnin" comes up, and it's more strange underwater sounds and rainy stuff. I'm really not hearing many of the lyrics here. Yeah, this song isn't doing it for me. It's just boring, honestly. It's probably the repetitiveness, as it's a problem that also plagues "Brother Sport", the next song. It's too repetitive, and the songwriting isn't good enough to warrant it.

I think the problem I have with this album is that it's too damn proud of itself to have any depth. It's like a potato during the Irish famine. Looks good on the outside, but as soon as you dig a little deeper, it's pretty much rotten to the core. I'm not saying it's all bad, there are a few great ideas on here, but I just think the execution falls flat. The synths are downright annoying, and while the melodies are usually on-par, the vocals can also be pretty annoying. You definitely have some brilliant people behind this, but when it comes to putting everything together, they don't seem to be the best. Might be the producer's fault, honestly.

So, as far as we've gotten so far, I really don't understand the hype surrounding Animal Collective, they're just sort of mediocre as far as I've gotten. There are a couple really good songs, but a lot of lifeless ditherings. Hopefully they've something more to offer on our next adventure.

OVERALL RATING: 6/10

__________________
Many have tried to destroy it... but... true evil never dies. It is only... REBORN

SUGGEST ME AN ALBUM - I'm probably not going to listen to it but I will if you bother me enough.

TechnicLePanther

Rock Survivor Mania

In case you missed it, the first Rock Album Survivor battle is finally up! This time it's Post-Rock. As with Metal Album Survivor, I will be making a section where I give some brief opinions on the quality of the albums in the battle, and then rank them accordingly. So without further ado, let's get to the first battle!

Post-Rock

1. Sigur Rós - Ágætis byrjun
2. Godspeed You! Black Emperor - Lift Your Skinny Fists Like Antennas to Heaven
3. Explosions in the Sky - The Earth Is Not a Cold Dead Place
4. Mogwai - Happy Songs for Happy People
5. Bark Psychosis - Hex
6. Do Make Say Think - & Yet & Yet
7. Tortoise - Millions Now Living Will Never Die
8. Talk Talk - Spirit of Eden
9. Slint - Spiderland
10. A Silver Mt. Zion - He Has Left Us Alone but Shafts of Light Sometimes Grace the Corner of Our Rooms...

1. Sigur Ros - Ágætis byrjun


Sigur Ros utilizes lots of strings and lots of drones to create very happy, lighthearted music. Sometimes, as in the title track, the piano and guitars take a central role. And the drums keep the beat throughout. The vocals are pretty good as well. Some of the tracks are not as good as the rest, displaying some overall uninspired writing. But there are a lot of great ideas here as well.

2. Godspeed You! Black Emperor - Lift Your Skinny Fists Like Antennas to Heaven


Another album that uses plenty of strings. This album has many more guitars than Sigur Ros, and uses them in a much less rock-y fashion. Mainly they are plucked as they would be in a classical piece. A prominent use of drones and piano should also be noted, however a bit of sampling can also be heard on this one. The most notable differences are the lack of vocals on this album, as well as the completely different use of drums, as an ornament rather than a base. Lots of various instruments are uitilized here, often over long periods of buildup, as would appear in a prog rock track. I think while the songwriting here is a bit superior, Sigur Ros just has catchier tracks.

3. Explosions in the Sky - The Earth is Not a Cold Dead Place


Lots of guitar stuff, and lots of drums. Mostly not as interesting as the other two though.

4. Mogwai - Happy Songs for Happy People


This one is pretty cool. A lot like Sigur Ros, except maybe a bit mellower. I really like the vocals on this one better than Sigur Ros though, and the songwriting is superb. The song Golden Porsche reminds me of a Pink Floyd song from the Ummagumma era which I really enjoy. Therefore, I think I can confidently say this is my favorite so far.

Here's my current list:

Mogwai
Sigur Ros
Godspeed You! Black Emperor
Explosions in the Sky

__________________
Many have tried to destroy it... but... true evil never dies. It is only... REBORN

SUGGEST ME AN ALBUM - I'm probably not going to listen to it but I will if you bother me enough.

TechnicLePanther

Rock Survivor Mania

Post-Rock (Cont.)



5. Bark Psychosis - Hex


A bit jazzier, a bit more classical as well. I like a lot of the ideas here, but some of the execution is lackluster. Therefore, I like it more than Explosions in the Sky certainly, but I'm not sure that it's better than Godspeed You! per say.

6. Do Make Say Think - & Yet & Yet



Very low-key, but also more active than many of the other albums. In some places, a bit more electronic and modern as well. Less drone, and more ambient. Almost Neu-ish stuff. Fast-paced drumming, repetitive guitars and bass lines, and various more drony instruments (piano, horns, etc.). Pretty cool, sort of indie. I think I like Godspeed's wildness slightly more than Do Make Say Think's low-keyness. Therefore, Do Make Say Think will be just below Godspeed.

7. Tortoise - Millions Now Living Will Never Die


There is a lot of electronic rock in this one, as well as the regular post-rock fare. Some of the tracks even border on total ambience. However, there is also a great deal of traditional jazzier post-rock stuff. It's really soothing and nice, in my opinion. Similarly to Do Make Say Think, I believe their compositional merit is greater than on Lift Your Skinny Fists. However, I do think Tortoise's overall vibe has a tiny advantage, personally, over Do Make Say Think, although I do love both very much. I just wish the title track of TNT was on this one. It's so good.

8. Talk Talk - Spirit of Eden


In general, my opinion of Spirit of Eden is that the first half is an absolute masterpiece, and the second half is a bit of a cool down, but still pretty good. The whole album reminds me of post-Gabriel Genesis, especially the vocals. The organ is the overall mood-setter. Without the ever-hovering chords, this album would not be the same at all. Especially on that final track. The vocal melodies are excellent, the guitar bits are excellent, and the keys, of course, are absolutely spectacular. So how does it compare? Well, in the process of placing it, I've made some revelations. First off, Sigur Ros is not as good as Godspeed, or Tortoise. I will put it above Do Make Say Think, though, I feel like that's just where it belongs. Second, I like Talk Talk's jazz more than Tortoise, but not more than Godspeed. There.

9. Slint - Spiderland


Before I began listening to these albums again, Spiderland was my absolute favorite, hands down. However... Okay, it's still my favorite, hands down. How can you resist that mellow guitar, juxtaposed against the wild grunge-y sections? And topped with the softly spoken vocals, you can have a truly amazing album. This one is pure early 90s gold, straight to the top of the list. For all of the complexity of the others, nothing can beat Slint's raw emotion.

10. A Silver Mt. Zion - He Has Left Us Alone but Shafts of Light Sometimes Grace the Corner of Our Rooms...


Probably the most modern classical of the bunch, as many string compositions and droning piano lines take center stage. This is definitely not a classic rock structure, I'll tell you that. For what Zion is, it's quite alright. But when compared even to Explosions in the Sky, it's just not that great.

Here's my final list:

Slint
Mogwai
Godspeed You! Black Emperor
Talk Talk
Tortoise
Sigur Ros
Do Make Say Think
Bark Psychosis
Explosions in the Sky
A Silver Mt. Zion

__________________
Many have tried to destroy it... but... true evil never dies. It is only... REBORN

SUGGEST ME AN ALBUM - I'm probably not going to listen to it but I will if you bother me enough.

TechnicLePanther

The Patton Parade

I'm back! Patton isn't! Frankly, not much really happened between the release of We Care a Lot and Introduce Yourself, besides a move from Mordam Records to Los Angeles label Slash Records popular for the punk rock of the early 80s.

Faith No More - Introduce Yourself


This was really Faith No More's breakthrough effort. They wouldn't be topping the charts yet, but this was the album that made them recognizable. If you asked somebody following music in the 80s, they would probably know who Faith No More were even if they hadn't achieved such great success with their next release. And this is definitely a more accomplished record than We Care a Lot.

If I had to describe this album with just one word, it would be contradictory. Nothing about this album really fits together. And often times these songs combine multiple genres of the 80s into one. Probably the biggest unifying theme in this album is funk metal. Every album features funk in one way or another, usually with the rhythm section of Billy Gould on bass and Mike Bordin on drums. Besides being funk metal, the album always has a new wave or glam metal feel , sometimes both at the same time.

All of the members of the band have improved stylistically since their debut. As mentioned above Gould and Bordin have got the funky rhythms down to a science, as demonstrated on songs like the revamped version of "We Care a Lot", and the stumbling rhythm of "R N' R". Bottum's keys add a distinct flavor to many of the songs, simmering in the background of each and every song, and Martin's guitar licks often set the tone for the song, whether epic, hardcore, or downright silly.

I suppose now is the best time to talk more in depth about Chuck Mosley, due to be replaced by Patton by the next record. Within the Faith No More fanbase, there tends to be a line clearly dividing older fans from newer fans. In many cases that line can be represented by whether they prefer Patton's vocals or Mosley's. In terms of mechanics, Patton definitely has an edge. However, many fans appreciate Mosley more for his shouted rallies, usually accompanied by the rest of the band, and his spoken word parts, which added a lot of sentimental value to a lot of the band's early songs. His singing voice was definitely tainted a bit with his Californian accent, but that could be seen as a novelty as well. Really, it's up to the individual to decide which they prefer, and I won't clutter that up with any preconceived notions of my own.

Anyways, in conclusion, Introduce Yourself was a sophomore effort which solidified Faith No More's impact on the music industry. Now the band was truly building on a solid foundation. The record was not an epitome, but it clearly demonstrated a band with potential. That potential would be capitalized on with their next record.

__________________
Many have tried to destroy it... but... true evil never dies. It is only... REBORN

SUGGEST ME AN ALBUM - I'm probably not going to listen to it but I will if you bother me enough.