Now Playing Thread

[maddox]

Blackfield ~ s/t

From Adrenaline Mob to Blackfield is just a small step.
One cd out of the player, the other one slips in.
So greatful that despite the technological breakthroughs people are still actually able to do some things.

See ya! lol

[Nicky007]

NP  Marillion:  Clutching at Straws

To my mind, the greatest Marillion album, and the last where Marillion were at the cutting edge of rock.

It's a rather uneven album, and there are parts that could've used some more development on the musical side, but there's enough magic to make it a formidable force.

I can't imagine how Marillion would've developed had Fish stayed as frontman, but I'm sure that they would have continued to be one of the major players in the 90's.

It's sad, but that's the human factor.

Instead we got two very good bands, but not the revolutionary force that Marillion once were

Aint that so, Cap ? Cap and I share cult on this matter

-Nicky

[PH]

I don't know what version of the album you have, but I have a 2 disc edition with demos. Many of these demos appeared on their next album: the masterpiece "Seasons End". Of course in the end Steve Hogarth replaced Fish on the final versions of those songs. But it gives you an idea of how it would have been with Fish on vocals.

[Bupie]

Your conversation put me in the mood for :

NP Fish - Return To Chilhood

[Nicky007]

NP Fish - Return To Childhood

Great album, Bupie

the masterpiece "Seasons End"

Even tho four of the five musicians are the same, it's a completely different fish. Seems to me that they were relieved to get rid of Fish, and when H arrived on the scene, they went for niceness. Nice music, nicely sung and played, but man, without the bite and edge that made Fish-Marillion so exciting. Middle-age music. I'm way past middle-age, but I still go for bite and edge in my music

Whenever I hear an H-Marillion album it makes me wonder ...

Well, I guess there are these musicians and those. I have to admit that the music I go for is (generally) listened to by thousands, not millions. Not much bucks and acclaim there; these guys have a different agenda.


Decided to get better into the Danish rock scene. Played:

Mercenary:  Metamorphosis

The Arcane Order:  In The Wake Of Collisions

Anubis Gate:  Self-titled

Metamorphosis is good, but rather monotonous. Lyrics are OK, reflective, but not intriguing. Bothers me that the singer has such a poor pronunciation. I couldn't even make out his "Father" and "Mother" (clean sung)

Collisions has a higher pace, better lyrics, but still too monotonous. (The pronunciation doesn't matter, as it's all growled, common with Danish metal groups )

AG are of course pantheon. Excellent album, much more varied and original than the other two, but still not one of their best albums, which are Andromeda Unchained and The Detached


We got (at least) three Danish pantheon groups (also Royal Hunt and Beyond Twilight), and they're fuckin never played in the ordinary radio and TV channels. It's all about hiphop and X-factor shit - over'n'over. Something's rotten ... (and it aint Johnny)


- Nicky

[Teunis]

Neal Morse - Songs From November

[PH]

Today I played:

OSI - "Free"
I love this album. When you look at the years of their releases (2003, 2006, 2009, 2012) we could expect another album in 2015(?). I hope so.

Opeth - "Pale Communion"
Really nice!

[Bupie]

PP Fish - Field Of Crows
JF Iron Maiden - Killers
NP Cirrus Bay - A Step Into Elsewhere

Don't search for any logic link between those three, not even a tiny one : pure "what comes in sight" random choices ...

[Teunis]

Pink Floyd - Animals

[Bupie]

NP Anasazi - 1000 Yards Stare

Edit : Wow, I am very impressed ! Dark yet light and very melodic/catchy metal. For those who like Circus Maximus, you should check these guys. And they live 80 km from my home !!!

[Teunis]

jp: Katatonia - Dead End Kings
np: Threshold - For The Journey (at the moment you can stream it here, don't know for how long. I definitely like what I hear )

[Draco chimera]

Just gave The Road of Bones its first spin. Can't say I was too thrilled. Most of it sounded like your regular IQ album, but it somehow lacked the epicness I found in albums such as Frequency, except on one or two occasions. The end part of Without Walls for example sounded very good and stood out from the rest, since it is the climax of the song, but it came after a full minute of barely musical nonsense which in my opinion could have been replaced with a melodic transition, or even an abrupt (lack of) transition like on Pendragon's Pure, which juggled with different styles and genres by simply switching from one thing to another in 0.01 seconds flat. I feel like IQ has sort of overused the "no melody, just random notes and ambient noises" transition thing (if you do not now what I mean, the transition in Life Support is a very fine example). Not as dark an album as I thought it would be, though that is totally fine with me.

Just my first take on it though, maybe a few more spins will change my mind.

[PH]

np: Threshold - For The Journey (at the moment you can stream it here, don't know for how long. I definitely like what I hear )

I've also listened to their new album and it's very nice!
It also sounds different. Threshold pretty much always stays in a certain style that they created (a style that I really like and that's unmistably the Threshold sound), but this album really sounds different. I'll get this album for sure and will listen a lot more to it!

[PH]

I'm listening to Yes' "Heaven & Earth" while sitting in the garden.
Riverside has to wait. This sunny weather asks for sunny music.

[Teunis]

Just my first take on it though, maybe a few more spins will change my mind.

I'm sure, this album is definitely a grower. I was a little bit disappointed after first listening as well, now it really blows me away .

Threshold - For The Journey (Second listening. Just wow, this album may top 'March Of Progress' .)

[Bupie]

I'm sure, this album is definitely a grower. I was a little bit disappointed after first listening as well, now it really blows me away .

Seconded. I was very disappointed after first listens and gave up on it for a few months, always finding a reason to listen to something else. Then I decided to play it again last week ... and it clicked (at least the first CD, the second is still a work in progress) 

Threshold - For The Journey (Second listening. Just wow, this album may top 'March Of Progress' .)

It will be my next listen of the day if the link is still OK.

PP Billy Joel - The Bridge I read that Billy doesn't think that this is a good album. Who am I to disagree ? Well, just a listener who enjoys what he hears. Recommended.
JF Billy Joel - Stormfront It has its good moments but I'd pick The Bridge over this one anyday. Still worth a try.

NP IQ - The Road Of Bones 

[Teunis]

pp: IQ - The Road Of Bones (Love both discs. Favourite on disc 2: Ten Million Demons ).
jp: Threshold - For The Journey (Unfortunately my record shop mailed me that the release was delayed, but link is still working ).
np: Neal Morse - Songs From November (It's growing on me, have to say it's a fine release. Not my first priority though ).

[maddox]

Agents of Mercy ~ Black Forest

Yep, Swedish.

[Teunis]

Moon Safari - Lover's End (Catchy and happy music, really nice)

[Teunis]

Star One - Victims Of The Modern Age

[maddox]

Flying Colors ~ Second Nature

Is it even better than the first chapter?
Well, don't know yet. First spin.
But it sounds promising indeed!

[Teunis]

Opeth - Pale Communion

[Bupie]

NP Billy Joel - The Stranger

[Teunis]

Gazpacho - Demon
Threshold - For The Journey
Neal Morse - Songs From November

[Bupie]

NP DeeExpus - Half Way Home