Now Playing Thread

[Nicky007]

Believe me Nicky, I did. I know what prog is .

I know you do, Teunis. I know that you'r a serious listener 

I wasnt referring to you in my paranthesis. However, some other Roomies seem a bit impatient to me. Like when you send'm a link to a music piece, and they don't even play it thru once, i.e. from beginning to end 

the proggiest of the most proggiest proggy prog

Wow, sooofiiistiiicaaated 

Well, guess I got a passion for music 

I do like special stuff, like I pretty much avoid the mainstream stuff, but there has to be somethin ... somethin ...well, let's just say that it has to rock 


NP  Explorers Club:  Raising the Mammoth

First listen. Well, let's just say "interesting" at this point 

Nicky.

[Manatee]

I know you do, Teunis. I know that you'r a serious listener 

I wasnt referring to you in my paranthesis. However, some other Roomies seem a bit impatient to me. Like when you send'm a link to a music piece, and they don't even play it thru once, i.e. from beginning to end 

Actually, I thought Nicky was talking to me there.  I also think I know what prog is, and I certainly do allow for the possibility of "growers."  With Spock's Beard, I have listened to the album I was talking about several times (the new live album), and I haven't quit yet.  Still, it does seem to be going the way I described.  For the record, I've never heard their ninth album, although I do notice that the song on the live one that works best for me, "On a Perfect Day," is the only one from the ninth album.

I think Nicky knows that we all know what prog is. He just wants to show us the proggy prog.
But when we tell him we know THAT one too, he claims to have found the proggiest proggy prog. And well, it might be called the proggiest of the most proggiest proggy prog, but sometimes you can hardly call it music anymore.

Man, I'm glad you're back with us, Paco.   

NP: Edison's Children - In the Last Waking Moments...

Here's another one that requires some work.  Unclear so far whether or not there's something in there worth the effort, but giving it some time.  Fourth spin or so.

[Bupie]

Why?

Dunno. Probably, because I like the album AND the artwork (and fresh bread). Or because I could look as "has-been" as Ben Stiller in the movie -I don't know the title- where he plays a middle-aged guy who, at one moment, attends a party full of youngters and choses to wear a Steve Winwood - Back In The High Life shirt. Good album by the way : dated of course,  but good 

@ Manatee : I feel the same about my only post-Morse's SB album, Octane. A hit and miss thing.

NP Touchstone - The City Sleeps
Very good indeed  Once again, our JM is involved, with the album mixing duties ... and one guitar solo on the title track. Maybe it would take less time noticing only when he is not involved. Oh, and by the way, a new It Bites album is on the verge of being released 

[bellanova]

Waterhole - Misplaced Childhood - Marillion

I forgot how good this album is. A bit of a blast from the past.

I understand the new It Bites album has been under JM's sofa for a while now so it's about time it saw light of day. Lol

[Manatee]

JP: Moon Safari - The Gettysburg Address

Swedish hippies!  This is a live album recorded at ROSfest in western Pennsylvania.  On first listen, it's quite a good performance -- some very good symphonic parts and very pretty vocal harmonies.  One gripe (as mentioned by a reviewer I read, and he's not wrong) is some of it is pretty much pop (or maybe cheerful folk?), although some of it is definitely proggy.  The epic at the end sounds a lot like Yes in places.

Also JP: Ben Craven - Two False Idols

A re-release of his debut album.  It's good music, although I would classify it as singer/songwriter style rather than prog (with maybe a few moments of prog in there).  Is his recent album similar?

[Nicky007]

Actually, I thought Nicky was talking to me there.

Actually not, Greenie 

Actually I was making a general statement. I just think that when serious musicians exert themselves to their utmost, sacrificing a lot of ordinary comfort, we owe it to'm to give the fruits of their labor a proper listen 

sometimes you can hardly call it music anymore.

That's a grand statement, Paxi 

I consider all the music referred to in my pantheon quality music. Some of it just requires a bit more effort to appreciate 


NP  Godley & Creme:  Freeze Frame

Also "interesting" 

Nicky.

[Bupie]

JP: Moon Safari - The Gettysburg Address

Swedish hippies!  This is a live album recorded at ROSfest in western Pennsylvania.  On first listen, it's quite a good performance -- some very good symphonic parts and very pretty vocal harmonies.  One gripe (as mentioned by a reviewer I read, and he's not wrong) is some of it is pretty much pop (or maybe cheerful folk?), although some of it is definitely proggy. 

Well, I sure don't mind a little pop in my prog. The last Touchstone album, that I play a lot these days, is a good example of that.

NP Jadis - As Daylight Fades

Another live album with some -tiny- pop elements. This one was kindly sent to me by Gary Chandler himself 

[Manatee]

Well, I sure don't mind a little pop in my prog.

Come to think of it, neither do I. 

Giving that one another play right now.  Sure is pretty.

Also played:

Discipline. - Unfolded Like Staircase      Very proggy prog, and more "in your face" than pretty.

Delusion Squared - II       Female-fronted French prog trio.  I read that it's a concept album.   Requires further study.

[PH]

Anathema - "Falling Deeper"

I was at Mediamarkt yesterday and saw this in the shelves. I wanted to buy it, but I bought three Spock's Beard albums instead (€23,97 in total!).

Listening to this, I regret not buying the album. I've never listened to any Anathema albums, but after some rave reviews and encountering their name here in the room more than once, I wanted to hear what all the fuss was about. Their earlier albums are so different. More doom metal. Not this one. This is a really great re-imagining compilation album. I've heard a few songs of "We're Here Because We're Here" and that sounded nice too. I've also heard that there's a new album coming up. If it's anywhere near "Falling Deeper" and/or the "WHBWH" songs I heard, I might have found myself a new "one of my favourite bands" band.

Can someone tell me which albums are the more doom metal albums and which album marks the transition towards what they're doing nowadays?

[Bupie]

Well, most Roomies would me more qualified to answer but from what I know Eternity was the transitional album from doom to atmospheric metal and Alternative 4 is the first album featuring only clean voices. I only own Judgement, which is supposed to be their masterpiece along with Alternative ..., and I have to admit that so far I am not convinced. It is a classic/alternative rock album : not prog nor metal but this is not a problem at all for me. The problem is that the songs just don't impress me. But obviously I am wrong since the entire world loves this album and band. Therefore you will easily find plenty of informations on Anathema on the web. As far as I am concerned, I have to try them again.

NP Phideaux - Doomsday Afternoon

[Draco chimera]

Well, most Roomies would me more qualified to answer but from what I know Eternity was the transitional album from doom to atmospheric metal and Alternative 4 is the first album featuring only clean voices. I only own Judgement, which is supposed to be their masterpiece along with Alternative ..., and I have to admit that so far I am not convinced. It is a classic/alternative rock album : not prog nor metal but this is not a problem at all for me. The problem is that the songs just don't impress me. But obviously I am wrong since the entire world loves this album and band. Therefore you will easily find plenty of informations on Anathema on the web. As far as I am concerned, I have to try them again.

I listened to Alternative 4 a few months ago. It was okay, but I didn't find it exceptionally good. My main regret is that there are some awesome themes, such as the intro of Fragile Dreams, but the song as a whole seems to fail to exploit the theme in a rightful way in my opinion. To keep going with this song as an example, the chorus doesn't have the same strenght as the theme, which disappointed me a bit.

[Iggy]

Anathema - "Falling Deeper"

I was at Mediamarkt yesterday and saw this in the shelves. I wanted to buy it, but I bought three Spock's Beard albums instead (€23,97 in total!).

Listening to this, I regret not buying the album. I've never listened to any Anathema albums, but after some rave reviews and encountering their name here in the room more than once, I wanted to hear what all the fuss was about. Their earlier albums are so different. More doom metal. Not this one. This is a really great re-imagining compilation album. I've heard a few songs of "We're Here Because We're Here" and that sounded nice too. I've also heard that there's a new album coming up. If it's anywhere near "Falling Deeper" and/or the "WHBWH" songs I heard, I might have found myself a new "one of my favourite bands" band.

Can someone tell me which albums are the more doom metal albums and which album marks the transition towards what they're doing nowadays?

We're here because we're here is an exceptional cd. Also A fine day to exit, Judgement and A natural Disaster are all post doom.

Well worth seeing live if you get the chance.

NP: Edison's Children - In the Last Waking Moments...

Here's another one that requires some work.  Unclear so far whether or not there's something in there worth the effort, but giving it some time.  Fourth spin or so.

Allegedly it is best listened via Headphones.

I have been listening to this as well and am quite enjoying it.

Delusion Squared - II       Female-fronted French prog trio.  I read that it's a concept album.   Requires further study.

I just bought this but haven't heard it yet.


NP March of Ghosts - Gazpacho.

[Manatee]

JP: The Mars Volta - Live at Lowlands 2003

Maybe I don't know what prog is after all.      This is the dictionary definition of "challenging" music.  My best try at a description of this would be if Rage Against the Machine and The Flower Kings both crammed into the same Volkswagen, and everyone including the sound technician took acid.

NP: Phideaux - Snowtorch

We're here because we're here is an exceptional cd. Also A fine day to exit, Judgement and A natural Disaster are all post doom.

Well worth seeing live if you get the chance.

re: Anathema -- I'd say Eternity is post-doom too, although it is a little rougher sounding than what follows.  I've come to like the album, but I'd agree that it probably isn't the best choice as your first purchase from them.  Can't really say for sure whether that's the transitional album away from doom since I haven't heard the earlier stuff yet.  Personally, I love Judgement (it's been in heavy rotation in my car for several months).  I also have A Natural Disaster and WHBWH, and you can't go wrong with any of those.

[Nicky007]

My best try at a description of this would be if Rage Against the Machine and The Flower Kings both crammed into the same Volkswagen, and everyone including the sound technician took acid.

Well, yeah    But it's great music nonetheless 

post doom.

Can someone tell me which albums are the more doom metal albums and which album marks the transition towards what they're doing nowadays?

All the albums from Eternity on are great, Paxi 

It's true, their first two albums are not for everyone, not me e.g.


Great to see all this activity in the Room, guys 


Going home to listen to:

Ulver:  Wars of the Roses

Quite excited, don't know this group so well yet ..... 

Nicky.

[Bupie]

JP: The Mars Volta - Live at Lowlands 2003

Maybe I don't know what prog is after all.      This is the dictionary definition of "challenging" music.  My best try at a description of this would be if Rage Against the Machine and The Flower Kings both crammed into the same Volkswagen, and everyone including the sound technician took acid.

Great description  I think our missed Steve Jones would have loved to read it.

Personally, I love Judgement (it's been in heavy rotation in my car for several months).  I also have A Natural Disaster and WHBWH, and you can't go wrong with any of those.

JP Anathema -Judgement
Actually I listened to it three times in a row, in order to see if I can trust my own judgement on Judgement (Ok, it's admittedly the worst pun in ages in the Room  ).  I won't say it's bad because it is not. It is as often described : simple, betting on emotion rather than on pyrotechnics, complex structures or outstanding melodies. That is fine with me except that so far I am not moved that much  I'll try again with headphones on a peaceful evening. Still, it's strange that most websites label it a as metal album, on the basis of previous albums, when it's not metal at all. Oh, and I think it should appeal big time to PT fans.

NP Cosmograf - When Age Has Done Its Duty
As the title suggest, this one is not particularly funny either 

[Manatee]

Great description  I think our missed Steve Jones would have loved to read it.

Thanks, high praise indeed.  We should send an agent over to the Marillion board and leave him an anonymous message that if he doesn't come back to the Room, all his biscuits will mysteriously disappear. 

JP Anathema -Judgement
Actually I listened to it three times in a row, in order to see if I can trust my own judgement on Judgement (Ok, it's admittedly the worst pun in ages in the Room  ).  I won't say it's bad because it is not. It is as often described : simple, betting on emotion rather than on pyrotechnics, complex structures or outstanding melodies. That is fine with me except that so far I am not moved that much  I'll try again with headphones on a peaceful evening. Still, it's strange that most websites label it a as metal album, on the basis of previous albums, when it's not metal at all. Oh, and I think it should appeal big time to PT fans.

Interesting.  I actually like the music (instruments) as much as the emotion of it.  Never really though of it as extremely simple -- granted they aren't Dream Theater.  Oh, well.  No music is for everyone.  I agree it's not really metal -- I think a lot of bands that have done metal get classified as metal even when they move in other directions.  A lot of bands are hard to classify or are just badly misclassified.  For some strange reason iTunes has both my Discipline. albums marked as punk.  They're about as much punk as the Ramones were symphonic prog.   

NP: Arena - Songs From the Lions Cage

I got the first two Arena albums last since they were extremely hard to find here for anything close to a reasonable price (by which I mean less than about triple a typical CD price).  At the time, I felt more or less like I was just completing my collection and didn't give them too many spins.  I've since revisited them, and they've really clicked.  The "stone on stone" part of "Valley of the Kings" is particularly nifty.   

[Teunis]

Arena - The Seventh Degree Of Separation
Gazpacho - March Of Ghosts

[Bupie]

Steve Thorne - Into The Ether

Another recent purchase, another first listen. A lot of famous -in the little world of neo-prog, that is- contributors : Orford, Mitchell, Chandler, Trewavas, D'Virgilio, Harrison, Levin, Beck ...

[Iggy]

JJJP Rpwl - Beyond Man and Time
JJP Psychotic Waltz - Bleeding
JP Delusion Squared - II
NP Psychotic Waltz - Into the Everflow

Well they certainly don't qualify as doom now.   

Plus I thought that was how they were described in the early days.

[Manatee]

NP: Spock's Beard - The X Tour Live

I've decided I like some of it.  I'm tempted to do something with SB that I never do: buy downloads of individual songs.  Some of the songs are nifty, but I find a lot of them dull (or rather, they have some good pieces, but they have long dull parts in them).  They could probably patch together an awesome album by just recording the intros to all their songs.    Actually, I own "Snow," but the only song I really got excited about is Long Time Suffering, which is fantastic.  No doubt I should revisit the album.

[Bupie]

Maybe you could operate a simple division to try V -I mean the SP V instead of the X, not the Symphony X V instead of the symphonic SP X, do you follow me ? - since the first song At The End Of The Day is IMHO a great one and lasts 16 and a half minutes. Since you could like some of the other songs too, that would make the whole thing almost look like a bargain 

NP Martin Orford - Classical Music And Popular Songs

[Iggy]

Maybe you could operate a simple division to try V -I mean the SP V instead of the X, not the Symphony X V instead of the symphonic SP X, do you follow me ? - since the first song At The End Of The Day is IMHO a great one and lasts 16 and a half minutes. Since you could like some of the other songs too, that would make the whole thing almost look like a bargain 

LOL

JP Gazpacho - March of Ghosts
NP RPWL Beyond Man and Time

Next up is
Getting Some Food by Going to the Supermarket 

[Teunis]

Wolverine - Communication Lost
Gazpacho - March of Ghosts
Sylvan - Presets

[Teunis]

Just read the news that the (awesome) guitarist of Knight Area, Mark Vermeule, leaves Knight Area. Shocked  .

http://www.knightarea.com/news/id/48/mark-vermeule-leaves-knight-area/

So now playing:
Knight Area - Nine Paths

[maddox]

Adrenaline Mob ~ Omerta

Eat this!!!