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Thread: God's Weird/Obscure Music Reviews

  1. #101
    vizi's Avatar Vicarius Provinciae
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    Default Re: God's Weird/Obscure Music Reviews

    A pox on thee!

  2. #102
    God's Avatar Shnitzled In The Negev
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    Default Re: God's Weird/Obscure Music Reviews

    Whyyy?

  3. #103
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    Default Re: God's Weird/Obscure Music Reviews

    Trivium...god I hate core bands...(it is what happens when you get stuck listening to a ton of deathcore and metalcore bands while waiting for Necrophagist...)

  4. #104
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    Default Re: God's Weird/Obscure Music Reviews

    It's not like I gave them a positive review or anything though.

  5. #105
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    Default Re: God's Weird/Obscure Music Reviews

    The mention of them made me recoil in terror.


  6. #106
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    Default Re: God's Weird/Obscure Music Reviews

    New Model Army ~ Thunder and Consolation (1989)
    post-punk/folk

    With all of the Flogging Mollys, Against Me!s and Defiance, Ohios around today, it's easy to be under the impression that the idea of mixing folk and punk music together is a modern one. However, while the folk may not be quite as upfront in the music, New Model Army were already experimenting with it in their music back in 1989's Thunder and Consolation.

    Straight from the beginning it is clear that New Model Army isn't your typical punk band. Starting with rising cymbals and synthesizer, album opener 'I Love The World' immediately focuses more on atmosphere than lively punk riffs. That's not to say that it lacks energy though; when the guitars come in they are loud and aggressive yet are still catchy and melodic. While it is not until the second song that the folk aspect of the music appears with the introduction of acoustic guitars, 'I Love the World' pretty much sums up Thunder and Consolation's overall sound well with it's experimental mixture of genres, aggressiveness and catchy melodies.

    It is the folkier tracks that work the best though. Some songs like 'Green and Gray' add more depth to the band's sound, retaining much of the energetic sound of the heavier tracks while adding some fantastic folk melodies and more variety which is much needed for an album that lasts an hour and does drag on a bit by the end.

    The real highlight is 'Vagabonds', which features the fantastic and genuinely beautiful violin playing of busker Ed Alleyne-Johnson who plays on a violin he carved with a kitchen knife. He appears in other parts of the album but this is where he makes the biggest contribution. The folk aspect of the music never gets at all cheesy or comes at all close to overpowering the music, always complimenting the punk sound but not ever acting against it.

    The only real problem is Justin Sullivan's vocals. While he is not really a 'bad' singer, and sometimes his singing can actually be very good, especially on the lighter songs, his singing can be quite inconsistent and often sounds very average. He sometimes seems to put too much emphasis on certain words, sounding quite odd. Sometimes it sounds like he is consciously trying to sing in a 'punk' or 'folk' style. However, the singing is never too off-putting and is always at least bearable. Despite any problems with the singing Sullivan has definitely come up with some very catchy vocal melodies and great choruses on all of the songs. His lyrics are consistently brilliant too. They often keep a certain 'punk attitude' yet are also poetic, complex and sometimes quite complex.

    While all of the musicianship is excellent, much of the emphasis is placed on the rhythm section with the heavy drums and excellent bass lines mixed in very loudly. Despite this however, it is the sparser tracks like 'Inheritance' which feature little more than vocals, drums and bass that are the weaker tracks of the album. Without the guitar hooks the music is much less gripping. Luckily there are only a few of these tracks though.

    Overall, Thunder and Consolation is an excellent album. Despite some slightly mediocre singing at times and an overlong running time, the quality songwriting, catchy riffs and melodies, experimentation and lyrics more than make up for it's flaws.

    / 5

    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 
    Vagabonds (sadly without the beautuful intro)


    White Coats


    Green And Grey
    Last edited by God; November 23, 2008 at 07:14 PM.

  7. #107

    Default Re: God's Weird/Obscure Music Reviews

    what happend to that Black Widow album you were going to review?

  8. #108
    God's Avatar Shnitzled In The Negev
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    Default Re: God's Weird/Obscure Music Reviews

    I said I might review it. I'll do it next

  9. #109

    Default Re: God's Weird/Obscure Music Reviews

    ah no stress dude.

  10. #110
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    Default Re: God's Weird/Obscure Music Reviews

    Hey pretty interesting and cool music God. Great review and I agree with you on the vocalist. He isn't that great but it didn't detract from the overall feel of the music. Quite enjoyable.

    Thanks

  11. #111
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    Default Re: God's Weird/Obscure Music Reviews

    Not really a new review, I wrote this ages ago and never posted it for some reason (probably forgot). Sorry for not reviewing your demo GrimSta, I've been buried in Uni work... I'll do it soon though, I promise!

    Julee Cruise ~ Floating Into The Night (1989)
    dream pop/jazz

    Anyone who has seen the early 90’s TV series ‘Twin Peaks’ will know what to expect here. Set in a bleak, remote mountain town, the story followed the investigation of the murder of a popular girl. Everybody seemed perfectly ordinary, if a little quirky, on the outside but there were dark secrets lurking underneath the surface. The program was applauded for it’s eerie and surreal atmosphere.

    The Julee Cruse song ‘Falling’ (without the singing) was used for the theme tune, and she sung at different points throughout the series. With just a few hypnotic notes, simple drumbeat and synth backing, ’Falling’ fitted the mysterious atmosphere perfectly. The rest of the album follows this same formula. Often, there is nothing but a synth or piano playing simple but very haunting melodies. When the drums enter, they are quiet and subdued, playing nothing but the simplest beats. Occasionally a saxophone is played, but it never stays for long and never threatens to overpower the music, instead giving the album a subtle jazzy edge.

    ‘Floating Into The Night’ is very consistent. While the songs may not appear to be particularly memorable and all sound quite similar to each other at first, it gets better every listen when you get used to the specific songs. Some of the melodies, especially the one on ‘Falling’ will stay with you long after the album finishes.

    The production is perfect. The echoing synth, distant percussion and fluid dreamlike arrangements makes ‘Floating Into The Night’ sound like it was recorded in outer space. The title is actually extremely apt - listening to it really does give an impression of floating away into the darkness.

    Julee Cruise’s singing on the album is fantastic. Her unearthly voice soars above the music, complimenting the sparse arrangements perfectly. Unlike other ‘ethereal’ singers like Dead Can Dance’s Lisa Gerrard and The Cocteau Twins’ Elizabeth Frazer who usually sing with a lot of vibrato, Julee Cruise’s powerful ghostly singing is always completely clear and smooth. Her light and airy voice contrasts brilliantly with the dark, melancholy music. While the lyrics are very simple, the themes of loss and longing that are explored fit the dark atmosphere well.

    The only time it comes close to making a mistake is on ‘Rockin’ Back Inside My Heart’, which, while a great song by itself, is slightly too upbeat for the rest of the album. Although the song comes close to destroying the moody atmosphere, it is saved by keeping the same ethereal quality as the other songs, so doesn’t stand out as being different too much. ‘I Remember’ also stands out with it’s bizarre faster-paced beat that appears half way through, but it manages to retain the album’s creepy tone. Apart from these and a very sudden explosion of sound that comes out of nowhere on the title track, the album is much the same throughout.

    The minimalism, while providing much of the album’s melancholy feel, can also hinder it slightly though. If you’re not in the right mood to listen to it, the lack of variety may soon get boring. Plan ahead to listen to it all the way through interrupted in the night time though, and you’ll find that it is extremely easy to get lost in it’s dreamy atmosphere. If you’re in the right mood for listening to it, it will never get at all boring, no matter how many times you repeat it.

    1/2 / 5

    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 
    Falling


    Into the Night
    Last edited by God; November 23, 2008 at 08:14 PM.

  12. #112
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    Default Re: God's Weird/Obscure Music Reviews

    Never heard of them until now.
    Knowledge is a deadly friend, if no one sets the rules. The fate of all mankind I see, is in the hands of fools - King Crimson's Epitaph.
    תחי מדינת ישראל

  13. #113
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    Default Re: God's Weird/Obscure Music Reviews

    I'd never heard of her either, sometimes I couldn't hear her voice or maybe it was just me. Don't you think this could be influenced by a bit of New Order, the synths just seem to remind me of them. Her voice is good and it sounds younger than herself.
    Check out my Music reviews here now!
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  14. #114
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    Default Re: God's Weird/Obscure Music Reviews

    Hm, I think her voice is pretty clear myself. And yeah, I can see this could have been influenced by New Order. I love the synth melodies here, they're simple but still atmospheric and memorable.

  15. #115
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    Default Re: God's Weird/Obscure Music Reviews

    Hey, why don't you do your own reviews of Joy Division. I'd like see someone elses apart from others like NME, my own and others.
    Check out my Music reviews here now!
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  16. #116
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    Default Re: God's Weird/Obscure Music Reviews

    I might later, but I'm planning on doing a few other albums first.

  17. #117
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    Default Re: God's Weird/Obscure Music Reviews

    Alright in your own time.
    Check out my Music reviews here now!
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  18. #118
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    Default Re: God's Weird/Obscure Music Reviews

    Sly & The Family Stone ~ There's A Riot Goin' On (1971)
    funk/soul

    The year was 1971 and the optimistic mood of the 1960's had ended sharply, replaced with a growing sense of pessimism, especially with the recent assassination of Martin Luther King, the civil rights movements decline and continuation of the Vietnam war. This change in attitude was especially evident in Sly Stone who, becoming more dependant on drugs, was also becoming increasingly paranoid of those around him, even going as far as hiring bodyguards to keep his 'enemies' way from him, some of whom were even other members of the band. Sly's behaviour was also becoming erratic, with him missing nearly a third of his concerts in 1970.

    During the 1960's, Sly's songs had all been positive upbeat messages of peace, love and equality, with songs such as 'You Can Make It If You Try', and 'Stand!'. However, this sound would change completely in 1971's There's a Riot Goin' On.

    Unusually for funk, Riot is constantly low-key and gloomy. Never happy with the album's sound during production, Sly brought in session musicians for some songs and played most of the music himself, overdubbing the instruments and often leaving out many of the band members. Sly constantly re-recorded over and deleted what he didn't like, most notably when he recorded several female back-up vocalists, only to delete their voices manually later when he was unsatisfied with the results.

    Because of this constant overdubbing, re-recording and deleting of sounds the whole album is covered with tape hiss and has a grimy and gritty tone throughout. Even when the music should be sounding upbeat and happy, it instead sounds sludgy and gloomy, giving it a very unique sound. At any time it does manage to sound at all happy, such as the positive soulful singing of Rose Stone and melodic (though strangely melancholic sounding) trumpet of 'Runnin' Away', the music stands in stark contrast to the lyrics, which when you can hear them over the sludgy music, replace the usual Sly message of 'You can make it if you try' with lines like 'Sometimes I cry / Just like a baby / I can feel it when / You lie to me'.

    Because of this, any happiness shown ends up sounding empty, sarcastic and not at all genuine, with bleak, sorrowful undertones just below the surface. However, it does stop the music from always sounding totally depressing like the first few Leonard Cohen albums, instead usually just sounding gloomy and sad.

    The overall sound is fractured and unpredictable, with fragmented sounding slap bass lines and riffs being created by sudden, sharp and tense-sounding electric piano and guitar notes that almost seem as if they've been copied and pasted together. On the longer songs especially, such as 'Africa Talks To You "The Asphalt Jungle"', these notes seem to meander off in different directions. This more complex approach contrasts well with the more tightly structured songs such as 'Brave and Strong', giving the album some variety. While there are plenty of great and quite catchy melodies, they are often hidden, buried under the sludgy tone of the album. However, they become much more obvious on repeat listens, and because they're not too obvious, they don't get at all boring.

    As the band's previous drummer, Gregg Errico had recently left the band, most of the drums on Riot were created using a simplistic drum machine. However, this does not hinder the album, but the drums give a cold mechanical song that actually fits in well and manages to add to the mood and uniqueness of the album. Most of the singing is by Sly Stone who's singing is always strong, varying from powerful Soul singing to much more restrained calm and emotional singing, even though it is often quite difficult to hear exactly what he is saying due to the sound of the album. Riot usually works best though when he is joined by Rose Stone, who's fantastic upbeat singing style compliments Sly's voice perfectly.

    Overall, There's a Riot Goin' On is an incredible album, easily one of the best of the decade and very hard to criticise. It could be argued that it is too inaccessible due to its bleak atmosphere and fractured sound, though it sounds better on repeated listens. The relative lack of energy shown, especially when compared to earlier Sly & The Family Stone albums could also be criticised, but that lazy and slow sound is what creates the atmosphere so brilliantly. It also sounds slightly dated on some tracks like 'Runnin' Away' but it's not that noticeable really. The instrumental bonus tracks aren't nearly as good or as engaging, but as far as the original album goes, it is incredibly influential, brutally honest, emotional and genuine. One of the best albums ever.

    / 5

    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 
    Family Affair


    Runnin' Away


    Africa Talks To You "The Asphalt Jungle"
    Last edited by God; December 01, 2008 at 12:28 PM.

  19. #119
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    Default Re: God's Weird/Obscure Music Reviews

    I never knew you liked Sly and the Family Stone. Is it me or I can't hear much hiss when I listen to Africa talks to you "Asphalt Jungle".
    Check out my Music reviews here now!
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  20. #120
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    Default Re: God's Weird/Obscure Music Reviews

    I think the remastered version of the album solved muchof the problem. I think the muddyness/murkyness of the sound is more important. And yeah, I love Sly. Are you a fan at all?
    Last edited by God; December 01, 2008 at 12:59 PM.

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