Now Playing Thread

[Nicky007]

Avenged Sevenfold - Nightmare

Kamelot - Poetry For The Poisoned

A7X and Kamelot are two of my pantheon groups 

Thanx for your recoms of their latest albums, Tom. Makes me even more eager to get'm 


I listened once again to the entire Nostradamus epic this forenoon and read a bit more in J. H. Brennan's "Nostradamus: Visions of the Future" - whew !

I simply don't get why you guys don't get it 

Guess Priest really have landed between two chairs with this one: Their old fans don't get Nostradamus, and progmetal fans don't (want to) know how good this stuff is 

Nicky.

[maddox]

Star One ~ Victims of the Modern Age 

[Bupie]

NP Avantasia - The Scarecrow

Second listen. I had never heard a note of Avantasia before and the first listen was really promising. Nothing really new under the German sun but catchy melodies, convincing riffs, a touch of prog (the title song) and a bunch of great vocalists.

Considering Maddox's message above, I think it should please Star One fans, for instance. Are Kamelot or Van den Plas more or less in the same vein ?

[Nicky007]

Are Kamelot or Van den Plas more or less in the same vein ?

I have The Scarecrow, Bups, and I'v played it a few times. It's well-done regular rock. Conversely Kamelot and Vanden Plas are much more ambitious with their lyrics and music, more related to DT, true progmetal groups. Depends on what one wants 

Played:

Fates Warning:  FWX

It has the classic FW sound, which is super, but I must say that I started getting bored after a few songs. FW have always been more extensive than e.g. DT, but there is something magic about albums like A Pleasant Shade Of Gray and Parallels (and therefore they'r one of my pantheon groups). On FWX it sounds like they havent really been able to raise the bar and conjure up something new, so I sorta understand why Ray Alder went off to Redemption, Jim Matheos to Office of Strategic Influence, where he together with Kevin Moore and now also Gavin Harrison does some interesting things, while Mark Zonder established Slavior, which doesnt really grip me.

Hey, I just read that Zonder is playing drums on Ten's upcoming album Stormwarning. If Ten continue on their upward trajectory, and on top of it with the great zonderbare Mark on drums, this album is something to look forward to


I needed something exciting, so I played, inspired by Tom

A7X:  Live In The LBC

Super 

Rather confusing at first, even for a live album, but man, these guys have an extraordinary contact with their home audience in Long Beach - WOW !

Nicky.

[maddox]

Considering Maddox's message above, I think it should please Star One fans, for instance. Are Kamelot or Van den Plas more or less in the same vein ?

Sorry, Bup.
But you can't compare Avantasia with Ayreon. Two different bands/projects in my book.
I have the Elected EP and it's good, but I recently saw a video of one of the songs on The Scarecrow (I believe) with Klaus Meine (Scorpions) and it did nothing to me.
Not my cup of orange juice.

[maddox]

Hey, I just read that Zonder is playing drums on Ten's upcoming album Stormwarning. If Ten continue on their upward trajectory, and on top of it with the great zonderbare Mark on drums, this album is something to look forward to

Here's a shocker: Agreed!!!

[Nicky007]

Here's a shocker: Agreed!!!

You're not entirely Mad 

Nicky.

[Nicky007]

NP  Wolverine:  Taste Of Sand  (from album Still, 2006)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DJhQYKXe6qA

Nice, a bit like Anathema 

Mad, I noticed that you have albums by them 

Nicky.

[The Butterfly Man]

NP  Wolverine:  Taste Of Sand  (from album Still, 2006)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DJhQYKXe6qA

Nice, a bit like Anathema 

Listening right now, sounds great. I'm really impressed!

Tom

[Nicky007]

Following the wolf's track, here's something else striking, very special, moody:

Ulver:  Blinded By Blood 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0rs_NRyNs4o

From their album Blood Inside (2005).

Some great illustrations by H.R. Giger on the video too 

From Wiki, Ulver:  "Ulver (Norwegian for "wolves") is a musical group from Norway. Since their first, folklore-influenced black metal release entitled Bergtatt - Et eeventyr i 5 capitler (1994), Ulver's musical style has been fluid and increasingly eclectic, blending genres such as rock, electronica, symphonic and chamber traditions, noise and experimental music into their œuvre, but with a heavy reliance on electronic recording techniques."

Enjoy !  I am iac 

Nicky.

[Manatee]

NP  Wolverine:  Taste Of Sand  (from album Still, 2006)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DJhQYKXe6qA

Nice, a bit like Anathema 

Mad, I noticed that you have albums by them 

Nicky.

Indeed it is a bit like Anathema.  And is there anyone Mad doesn't have albums by?   

NP: Gazpacho - Missa Atropos

I broke down and got the Amazon download.  CD doesn't seem to be forthcoming anytime soon as appears to be their norm here.

[Nicky007]

And is there anyone Mad doesn't have albums by?

Yeah, there are more than ten of my pantheon groups that he doesnt have albums by 


NP  Ulver:  Blinded By Blood  (on repeat)

This has really gotten under my skin, very haunting 

YouTube has one great advantage over MySpace, and that is that while you on MySpace get the songs that the group wants you to listen to, on YouTube, when you type the name of the group, you get uppermost the songs that have been played most by the users, and they'r usually a better introduction to the group.

Nicky.

[Nicky007]

NP  Haken:  Streams  (on repeat)   

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xsJpy84ZiGk

There really is a lot of great prog music around - and it's amazing and sad that so few people are awake to it - but even so, occasionally a band rises above even all this excellence ... and such a band is Haken 

I think it's important for a proggie to have the ability to distinguish such extraordinary genius, even with so much other great music around, cuz this is what really fires up the community 

Nicky.

[Iggy]

A mixture of Therion as I am off to see them tonight.

[Nicky007]

A mixture of Therion as I am off to see them tonight.

Sounds great, Iggy. Tell us about it afterwards 


NP  Haken:  Celestial Elixir, Part 2

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a_iq3IUHJqI&NR=1

Unbelievable !!!

Iggy, I'm sure you'l like this band too 

And you even live in London 

Nicky.

[erik]

NP Star One - Victims of the modern age, 2-track promo sampler I got with the iO Pages mag yesterday

It was already on my shopping list, but now I'm even more determined to get it!

BP: David Gilmour - Live in Gdansk

[Nicky007]

You don't often see Arena mentioned on Amazon.com, particularly not as having created a masterpiece, but here's one of the rare occasions, and an interesting comparison with albums by other artists. It's a review of Haken's Aquarius:


Best debut album I've ever heard

By John Kugelman, September 5, 2010

What a gem this album is! I'm not really sure how I stumbled upon this album, but boy am I glad I did! It's destined to stand alongside other modern prog masterpieces like Ayreon's The Human Equation, Orphaned Land's Mabool, and Arena's Contagion. It's that good.

http://www.amazon.com/Aquarius-Haken/dp/B0036OOWR4/ref=sr_1_1?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1288530203&sr=1-1


If I were to compare Haken with other groups (as I'm doing now), it would first of all be with Dream Theater: They cover the same genres (Haken being less heavy and more jazzy), are just as adventurous, melodic, and humorous, and both are in the top-league of progmetal.

Honestly guys, apart from Petrucci's supreme guitar-playing, I consider Aquarius in league with the DT-albums

And before you freak out about this bold statement, get properly into Haken 

Nicky.

[The Butterfly Man]

Honestly guys, apart from Petrucci's supreme guitar-playing, I consider Aquarius in league with the DT-albums

And before you freak out about this bold statement, get properly into Haken 

Well, I am into Haken (as I already mentioned here quite a while ago) but isn't it a bit early to say that they're in the same league as DT? I mean, they only just released their debut-album this year while DT has already been going strong since 1985... Let's wait and see what Haken comes up with next and in which direction they will develop before we put them in any league at all.

Tom

[maddox]

Indeed it is a bit like Anathema.  And is there anyone Mad doesn't have albums by?   

Sure there is!
I must admit, I have a rather large collection but there are quite a lot holes in my proggy treasure chest.

Yeah, there are more than ten of my pantheon groups that he doesnt have albums by 

See? 

You don't often see Arena mentioned on Amazon.com, particularly not as having created a masterpiece, but here's one of the rare occasions, and an interesting comparison with albums by other artists. It's a review of Haken's Aquarius:


Best debut album I've ever heard

By John Kugelman, September 5, 2010

What a gem this album is! I'm not really sure how I stumbled upon this album, but boy am I glad I did! It's destined to stand alongside other modern prog masterpieces like Ayreon's The Human Equation, Orphaned Land's Mabool, and Arena's Contagion. It's that good.

http://www.amazon.com/Aquarius-Haken/dp/B0036OOWR4/ref=sr_1_1?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1288530203&sr=1-1

I can certainly agree with this review!!! 

Well, I am into Haken (as I already mentioned here quite a while ago) but isn't it a bit early to say that they're in the same league as DT? I mean, they only just released their debut-album this year while DT has already been going strong since 1985... Let's wait and see what Haken comes up with next and in which direction they will develop before we put them in any league at all.

Tom

But I also have to agree with Tom on this one.

Haken has delivered an tremendously good debut but I think we can only judge them properly if they have released their third album. The third one is considered to be the album where you can say if they are here to stay in proggy land or if they are just one of those bands...

But if have a good feeling about them!

And before you freak out about this bold statement, get properly into Haken 

Nicky.

[Nicky007]

isn't it a bit early to say that they're in the same league as DT?

Guys, note how I worded it:

both are in the top-league of progmetal

apart from Petrucci's supreme guitar-playing, I consider Aquarius in league with the DT-albums

I'l stand by this 

I can easily go by one ingenious album. Several of my pantheon groups have arrived there on the basis of one album. And you know what ? They have never disappointed me with their further albums ... maybe not always at their best, but always interesting in some way or other 

Yeah, I thought I remembered that Tom and Mad were into Haken. In fact, one of you - or both - introduced me to the group, for which I'm eternally grateful to you 

Honestly, I expect a lot from them, that they'l fill as big a place in my musical universe as DT 

Let's see whether they can live up to it 

If Paxi sees this, I could even imagine that he would like Haken better than DT, as Haken are less heavy and more artsy. Otoh maybe their lyrics arent yet up to DT-standards, which are exceptionally high too 

And guys, how about getting into To-Mera now ? - another of my pantheon groups. You know that Richard Henshall, who seems to be the leader of Haken, played guitar and keyboards in To-Mera before he formed Haken together "his two school friends Ross Jennings (vocals) and Matthew Marshall (guitar)," and "To-Mera guitarist Tom MacLean became the band's bassist" (both Wiki, Haken).

The two groups are very much related, To-Mera being more wild and jazzy, but also less melodic, both groups definitely a Must in a prog cd-collection 

To-Mera have a frontwoman, Julie Kiss, but you guys don't hate women, do ya ? (not like the Stieg Larsson character). In fact this could be the reason for Bups to get into To-Mera: Julie is Hungarian and hot, real hot 

But honestly (again) guys, To-Mera are not a Nightwish type saloon metal group; in To-Mera the vocals are more an instrument on par with the guitars etc, altogether very edgy music 

Nice interview with Julie Kiss (with pics):  http://www.metalfanatix.com/interviews/to-mera.html

Excerpts:


Metal Fanatix: Being in a relatively new band, in your honest opinion, what do you think about the direction that hard rock and heavy metal music has taken over the last few years?

Julie Kiss: I am quite disappointed and excited at the same time. The amount of shit copycat bands on TV is boring me to death, but on the other hand, the underground scene is getting more and more exciting, I think. Now, new bands pop up with the weirdest of influences and some of them are really special.


Metal Fanatix: If you could put a band together consisting of musicians passed and/or present who would they be and what would you call the band?

Julie Kiss: I am quite happy with the present line-up and name, I think. However, if I had the chance to create another weird band, independent of myself it would consist of the guitarists from Death and from Anathema, the drummer of Meshuggah, the keyboard player of Dream Theater, Bassist from Symphony X, and the Daniel Gildenlow [sic, nb  ] from Pain of Salvation on the vocals. That'd be weird.


Metal Fanatix: What's the one album that changed your life?

Julie Kiss: Probably Metallica's Master Of Puppets.


NP  DT:  Awake

No doubt, this is Genius 

Here I think even our French department agrees 

I must admit, I have a rather large collection but there are quite a lot holes in my proggy treasure chest.

I'l grant you that you have a very fine cd-collection, Mad, in fact for your age, exceptionally fine 

You'r only missing the Celine Dion catalog 

Nicky.

[Nicky007]

NP  DT:  Space Dye Vest

This song doesnt do much for me, but it's a nice extension of DT's already tremendous range 

I think that Jordan fits better into DT than Kevin did. Jordan is wilder, and he matches Petrucci perfectly 

Nicky.

[Nicky007]

Beardfish:  The Hunter

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FKkcN-IwxkE

A bit like Spock's Beard. Real cool 

Nicky.

[Bupie]

Sorry, Bup.
But you can't compare Avantasia with Ayreon. Two different bands/projects in my book.
I have the Elected EP and it's good, but I recently saw a video of one of the songs on The Scarecrow (I believe) with Klaus Meine (Scorpions) and it did nothing to me.
Not my cup of orange juice.

No problem Mad. And happy belated birthday 

NP Rush - Hold Your Fire

Great music, clever lyrics 

[Iggy]

Sounds great, Iggy. Tell us about it afterwards 

They were awesome. 4 singers who are all immensely talented.

NP  Haken:  Celestial Elixir, Part 2

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a_iq3IUHJqI&NR=1

Unbelievable !!!

Iggy, I'm sure you'l like this band too 

And you even live in London 

Nicky.

I have listened to them a few times but hadn't realised they were from London. I could go and see them on the 12th of November but quite frankly I'd rather be elsewhere that night.

NP Haken - Aquarius
JP Think Floyd - Hope

[Nicky007]

but quite frankly I'd rather be elsewhere that night.

Nicky.