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[funkster]

Amon Amarth - deceiver of the gods

Very metal indeed 

[Bupie]

That's maybe where I differ from most others: I like to be challenged thoroughly by music and have to work with it in order to be on par.

Yes, I know, you told it many times and I can understand this.

NP Iron Maiden - Brave New World

It starts rather well, the production is crystal clear (thanks to Kevin Shirley, you know, the guy that produced DT's FII, amongst many, many other albums)  but it's long, so long and so unchallenging. Cut off some meat, don't repeat the choruses over and over, throw in a few less generic soli and you could get a good album. As it is, it is just ... tiring 

[Nicky007]

it's long, so long and so unchallenging. Cut off some meat, don't repeat the choruses over and over, throw in a few less generic soli and you could get a good album. As it is, it is just ... tiring 

You guys are constantly complaining about Maiden. Tell ya what: Take Priest's Nostradamus, Jugulator, Demolition, Angel of Retribution, or one of their live albums from the 90's and 00's (even heavier). There you have the real McBritishmetal. Maiden are just a mediocre Priest clone (and therefore more accessible to the general public).

See, Bupie, that's a prime example of: Why should one listen to lesser music when there's sooo much great music around.

- Nicky

[Nicky007]

Epysode:  Obsessions

www.youtube.com/watch?v=3INsDZbs-Z0

www.youtube.com/watch?v=CHGmmUDoPlM

A "Supernatural Thriller Metal Concept" by Belgian Samuel Arkan, recorded in 2011, with Kelly Carpenter (that's how I got here) and Lilo Hegt (Marshie) on vocals, Kristoffer Gildenlöw on bass, Christophe Godin (Frenchie) on lead, and several other excellent musicians.

Like Ayreon, but heavier.

Super 

Anyone else into this album ?

- Nicky

[Bupie]

You guys are constantly complaining about Maiden. Tell ya what: Take Priest's Nostradamus, Jugulator, Demolition, Angel of Retribution, or one of their live albums from the 90's and 00's (even heavier). There you have the real McBritishmetal. Maiden are just a mediocre Priest clone (and therefore more accessible to the general public).

I tried Nostradamus many times. It's now on my "for sale" list and I can't find a buyer  Sorry.

NP Vanden Plas - Far Off Grace

I really liked Beyond Daylight, subtile an melodic. After many listens, I don't find the same qualities here, save a couple of songs (and especially Into The Sun). I would compare it to Threshold : a wall of sound, crushing guitars, a rather linear mood all the way through. When the melodies are there, it works and can be brilliant, when they are not, it can become very tiresome ... which is the case here for me, unfortunately. A major difference with Threshold, though, is Andy Kuntz's voice. When he sings in a moderate range, I appreciate it,  when he raises his voice, I am in trouble. Not recommended to people who can't stand Labrie's voice on early DT albums.

[Teunis]

jp: Fischer Z - Red Skies Over Paradise
np: Comedy Of Errors - Fanfare & Fantasy

[maddox]

You guys are constantly complaining about Maiden. Tell ya what: Take Priest's Nostradamus, Jugulator, Demolition, Angel of Retribution, or one of their live albums from the 90's and 00's (even heavier). There you have the real McBritishmetal. Maiden are just a mediocre Priest clone (and therefore more accessible to the general public).

I still don't get why you are bashing on IM.
Both bands are heavy metal bands, and although Priest began their career way before Maiden and the fact that they belong in the same category, they have nothing in common, so the statement that Maiden is a Priest-clone is gibberish, for as I'm concerned.

Lyric wise, the bands travel a different road, maybe with the exception of Nostradamus, music wise they are very different as well.
Both bands earned their credits in music, both of them are top of their class, but you really can't compare the two, with the exception that they play heavy metal.

Robbie Williams and Michael Jackson play pop, but the difference is like day and night. 

[maddox]

Oh and eh...

NP> Shadow Gallery ~ Carved in Stone

[Teunis]

Neal Morse - One

[maddox]

Echolyn ~ s/t

The first track Island is definitely the best song I've heard last year.

[Nicky007]

I still don't get why you are bashing on IM.

It seems that only Jonesey and I know how prog Priest are.

They took off from Zep, and for many years, before the Bay Area Scene became strong, Priest were the flagship of metal.

Then in 1990, they again took the lead, creating Painkiller, a groundbreaking album.

Jugulator, Demolition, and Nostradamus are all groundbreaking too, Angel of Retribution a bit more of a return to earlier forms.

What's most prog about Maiden is their mythology. Musically they'r hardly prog.

I tried Nostradamus many times. It's now on my "for sale" list and I can't find a buyer  Sorry.

I'm surprised, Bupie, as we share DT, SW, CM, VP and a lot more 

The lyrics are a major part of Nostra for me, but I also find the music great 

And anything Glenn Tipton puts his hands on is pantheon to me 

NP Vanden Plas - Far Off Grace

VP are pantheon with me, mainly cuz of Christ 0 

I don't know their other albums well enuff to characterise them ..... 

I'm quite stoked on their forthcoming "Chronicles of the Immortals - Netherworld" - wonder what they get outta that topic 


NP  Outworld I

Probably the furthest that progmetal has ever been taken (so far) 

Simply incredible !!!

I'm wondering why you guys are wavering 

What's happened to the b**s in the Room 

- Nicky

[Bupie]

What's happened to the b**s in the Room 

I guess I am getting too old to still have the use of mine ...

Speaking of which :
PP King's X - Gretchen Goes To Nebraska
JF Evergrey - In Search Of Thruth

As shown by rather weird recent playlists, these days I am revisiting albums that are taking dust on my shelves for years, in order to see if they are worth keeping (worth for me, it's not an universal judgment  ). Because the Empress asks for clearance. It leads to a few good surprises and to many abandons. After half a dozen complete listens, the two aformentioned won't make the cut. So I am getting rid of (or at least will try to) my last Evergrey album and my only King's X's.

NP Blue Öyster Cult - Agents Of Fortune

Now it's time to test my BÖC collection, apart from Fire Of Unknown Origin that I love and I am pretty sure to keep until my last breath.

[Nicky007]

I guess I am getting too old to still have the use of mine ...

You know, Bupie, that's what's good about prog: You don't have to actually physically use'm - neither lose'm 

PP King's X - Gretchen Goes To Nebraska

Never really understood the deal with them. Seems a bit like with AC/DC: More of a mood than a progression 

- Nicky

[Teunis]

Today:
Airbag - Identity
Mystery - The World Is A Game
Toto - Fahrenheit

np: Days Between Stations - In Extremis 

[Nicky007]

NP  Lordi:  Hard Rock Halleluja 

www.youtube.com/watch?v=gAh9NRGNhUU

Actually surprising that they won, considering the audience 

Could indicate that people are yearning for more than syrup and show 


This one reveals quite some talent, and more - whew, badass 

Lordi: The Riff    www.youtube.com/watch?v=jFwbrHAyuaw

- Nicky

[maddox]

It seems that only Jonesey and I know how prog Priest are.

That's an opinion.
Which I don't share, but each to his own opinion is my credo.
Though Maiden have some prog influences from time to time, they're still a heavy metal band, the same goes for Priest.

They took off from Zep, and for many years, before the Bay Area Scene became strong, Priest were the flagship of metal.

True!
Very true.
Albums like Sad Wings of Destiny, Sin after Sin, Stained Glass and Brittish Steel are the pinnacle of metal if you ask me.
I don't, however, get the link with Zep.
To me they are two very different kind of bands...
Maybe you could explain that to me.

Then in 1990, they again took the lead, creating Painkiller, a groundbreaking album.

And before Painkiller, indeed a very fine album, the first album with Scot Travis holding the sticks, was Ram it Down.
Some mediocre tracks on that one, but overall a good album!

Jugulator, Demolition, and Nostradamus are all groundbreaking too, Angel of Retribution a bit more of a return to earlier forms.

And there they lost me...
After Painkiller, and the leaving of Rob, the band lost its touch but that could easily be my mistake as well, since my music taste began to change in the early nineties.

What's most prog about Maiden is their mythology. Musically they'r hardly prog.

... true, to some extend.
What makes them stunning, besides their class albums (not all of them, I admit!!) are the shows and the setup of the stages.
If you cut that part away then the majority of the metal fans would probably define them as 'plain heavy metal' but they build their legacy way before they began upsizing their stage setups, though a lesser version of Eddy was always a part of their show. It became their trademark, like leather and bikes were the trademarks of Priest.
Their fame began with Killers and The Number of the Beast and from there on the band grew bigger and bigger with each album.

And beside that they do have some proggish influences in their music.
They always have since Steve Harris is a big fan of acts like Jethro Tull.
Especially on their last few albums you can hear lots of proggish things on the album but as I said before...

They are still a heavy metal band.

[maddox]

Anathema ~ Weather Systems

[PH]

Flying Colors - "Flying Colors"

Rick Altizer - "Scripture Memory: Pop Symphonies"

Both albums really good. Both in their own way and totally not comparable.

[Nicky007]

Albums like Sad Wings of Destiny, Sin after Sin, Stained Glass and Brittish Steel are the pinnacle of metal if you ask me.

OK, Mad, I can see that you'v listened a lot more to Priest than I thought 

I don't, however, get the link with Zep. Maybe you could explain that to me.

I think that songs like Whole Lotta Love and Living Loving Maid have a lot of what would become the classic Priest sound:

Whole Lotta Love    www.youtube.com/watch?v=6TM2QxqnJLQ

Living Loving Maid   www.youtube.com/watch?v=OKI1k7LSAIE

but that could easily be my mistake as well, since my music taste began to change in the early nineties.

I would think that for a proggie today, Nostra, Jugulator, Demolition, and Angel of Retribution are far more interesting than the earlier Priest albums 

What makes them [Maiden, nb] stunning, besides their class albums (not all of them, I admit!!) are the shows and the setup of the stages.

I can follow that, Mad 

- Nicky

[Nicky007]

NP  A wonderful recording of Dream Theater playing their Another Day

www.youtube.com/watch?v=LYtiDCXLAcQ

They seem so young and fresh 

Man, lotta rain's fallen since then ... but they'r just as great today 

- Nicky

[Teunis]

Peter Gee - The Spiritual World
Wolverine - Communication Lost

[Teunis]

Ayreon - The Dream Sequencer

Track: And The Druids Turn To Stone 

[PH]

Ayreon - The Dream Sequencer

Track: And The Druids Turn To Stone 

A beautiful track!

Today I played:
Frost* - "Milliontown"

and

It Bites - "Once Around The World"


Perhaps I have asked this before, but is there anyone else who thinks this is a wonderful album?

[Nicky007]

NP  Alter Bridge:  Blackbird 

Back to my program 

- Nicky

[Nicky007]

JP  Meshuggah:  Koloss

Quite a challenge !

As they'r the talk of metaltown ..... 


NP  Martin Orford  YouTube Mix

www.youtube.com/watch?v=wxSIiqZSh3o&list=PLwaMbtJgPWSOG_-MObjTQH8hP-vAQTzv8

Hm, really very nice ... 

I could quite well end up buying The Old Road. 

Ray of Hope made it to my Classic list 

Thanx, Bupie 

- Nicky