WinterStrain

[PH]

I tried to get back to the root of this topic...

[Appelmoes??]

Oh, yeah...

Wonderfill full music!

[keyboardistmatt]

I tried to get back to the root of this topic...

Unfortunately, that may prove to be difficult...

[Deenfan]

Ok, I won't sabotage my own thread anymore. Seriously. But I just can't help myself when I have it served on a platter like that!!! Freakin' wonderful chance can't be thrown away, you know!;D

Thank you for kind words about the music. I don't know why you're having trouble downloading. Heard it before, but never had trouble myself when checking. Did you try "Save target as..."?

I'm constructing a new site, and this one will be down for a while, but there is a fan site which provides all the sound clips and the video clip, too, and it's here:

http://cradle1scot.tripod.com/

This site has the clips on a different server. Maybe that helps?

[Deenfan]

I see he hasn't got the medley on there... Don't know if he has the space for it. It's kinda long, about 8 minutes...

But the download from the official site works like a charm. Try again!!

[Deenfan]

Just in to tell you that the new site is half up, so you could try again that medley download.

[Deenfan]

Hi and jump! Well, that looked stupid in English...

The album is out today, and people have confirmed that they've been able to order it!!!

I need a dancing banana smiley, but it's no such thing here...

I've completed a brand new site for the occasion, and at midnight, at the very beginning of the 21st of November, I launched our new forum, too. It looks suspiciously like this one...

Hope you will bother to check the site out!

www.winterstrain.com

It's still music there, and stuff...

[Deenfan]

  Can't you see I live only for the appreciation of the shattered roomers? Throw me a bone, here...

[Appelmoes??]

*Throws... Hits Deenfan on the head... Deenfan still isn't happy...*


Seriously:
The albumcover looks great! The singer reminds me of the one from Kamelot (that a big compliment!). Overall it sounds great imo (the drums sounds a little to crisp, but I bet that's just the mp3 quality).

I would buy an album.

Now, how is that for a bone?

[Deenfan]

That's really REALLY a great bone. Which, ironically, is a pity since it hit me in the head...

*Groggy*

Since I'm the producer AND the drummer, of course the drums are a bit louder than on some other albums. I sincerely believe that they are unnecessarily low in the mix on many albums. You cannot actually HEAR a bass drum, you just assume it's there. Very common. So there's no punch. When you go to a live gig, the bass drums punch you in the gut. Some of that fist clenching drive must be allowed on the album, too. Well, that's my philosophy, at least. Really, I've gone to great lengths so that every instrument can be loud in the mix. But someone must be low for most else to be loud, so we hired a guy that plays the triangle, and we turned him way down, so he can't be heard. Genius or what?

The most important thing is that you can hear what's going on. Unless you can drown it all completely in keyboards. Because that's the ultimate dream! No sensory organ of the body able to receive anything but keyboards, keyboards, keyboards... Aahhhhh... heaven....

Uh, where was I?

Yeah, I had one guy getting back to me about the terrible sound, so I sent him a wav. file instead. He was QUITE happy then!!

[PH]

Ah so you're mr. R.E. Nyland?

I REALLY like the Winterstrain logo.
And the website is really great. It's all professional stuff.
I downloaded some samples and listened to it. It sounded OK. But I hadn't made my mind about it really. I'll listen to it (and the medley which I downloaded ) today (or maybe tomorrow, it's late now). I'll say what I like about it.

But I can say this: GREAT job on the lyrics! Well done! I think it's hard to write such lyrics.
I'll get back later on the music itself.

[Peter]

Nice work of yours and your mates, Mr. Nyland. Keep it up!

[Appelmoes??]

Nice work of yours and your mates, Mr. Nyland. Keep it up!

Nyland... Nylan... Nolan... I'm getting groggy too 

[Deenfan]

Yeah, I'm the viking embodiment of Clive!

Thanks, guys! This is picking up!!!

And PH, I appreciate that someone doesn't take off on the music immediately. It's supposed to grow on you over time, this half progish kinda sympho metalized melodic rock thaaang, ya kno'...

The logo and the booklet is made by the guitarist's brother. He's a painter, amongst much else. He's done covers for spv and... well, the World Idol Kurt Nielsen (don't know if I've mentioned this already...). He IS a professional, by definition.

The lyrics, well, I do absolutely care a lot about them. I've been drawn to them for as long as I've been listening to music. To me, they're actually the point of the song. The reason why all those sounds are made. Aware that other might feel differently.

The album is supposed to be as good as much anything else out there. It's a first timer, and it's recorded in my basement where I built a studio for the purpose. I've never been inside another studio in my life, so there you go. Had to trust my ears and some common sense. Fates Warning - Perfect symmetry, Rush - Hold your fire, Magnum - On a storyteller's night... The inspiration from these albums and other albums... The way I loved to bring home a new album and really dig into it, deeply... That's my guiding star. The dedicated music fan, who appreciates a booklet with a lot to read and look at. (Although maybe not so much in the actual looks department, according to Peter!!!!!)

What other reference point do one have? I believe we've made an album that I would love to pieces. I can only hope there are someone out there with a set of strings tuned similarly. There should be, 'cause others love the albums I love.

What I've said here is one of the things that makes me feel so strongly about Arena. The albums are worth buying, on every possible level. It's a solid package. Great songs, great sound, rewarding to listen to from lots of different perspectives, great booklet... Great CARE has been put into the making. In that, I can promise you, WS is a bit like Arena. (And we use Korg synths!)

[keyboardistmatt]

...(And we use Korg synths!)

Noted.  Thanx!    

[Deenfan]

Of course...

[gelert]

Just in to tell you that the new site is half up, so you could try again that medley download.

That's exactly what she says! How did you guess???

Fnarr, Fnarr...

[Deenfan]

ah, the fnarr fnarr attack!!

Have you people noticed there's a free track up for grabs at our site? Meant as a christmas present for my fellow forumers.

It's still there.

And on the Ayreon forum, there's a poll going on for what other song should be published in full. It's a tie between the opening and the closing track...

[maddox]

ah, the fnarr fnarr attack!!

Have you people noticed there's a free track up for grabs at our site? Meant as a christmas present for my fellow forumers.

It's still there.

And on the Ayreon forum, there's a poll going on for what other song should be published in full. It's a tie between the opening and the closing track...

Well, it was a great christmas pressent, deenfan. Thanx for that.
As for the poll, i voted for the closing track. 

MAD.

[Deenfan]

I hoped you wouldn't. It's the longest one, and I'm feeling kinda cheap right after christmas...

[maddox]

I hoped you wouldn't. It's the longest one, and I'm feeling kinda cheap right after christmas...

Well, than you shouldn't had to ask it to an epic-fan. 

MAD.

[Deenfan]

How stupid of me...

I'm looking forward to the comments from an Epic fan on that one, though!

[Appelmoes??]

Hey Deen, as some-one that doesn't have a creditcard (and really doesn't want one) how can get hands on this winterstrain-album? (Pay/Send cash or something?)

(Perhaps I allready asked you this, but I don't remember...)

[Deenfan]

Hmmm.... Go to our site and find my email address, and we'll take it from there.

Silly? Well, of course! Silly is my middle name. Along with Rice-Stealer, Cheep-Killer, Beerhound and a varying collection of others... But if you send me a mail on that address, I will know you've been on the site, so it's a treasure hunt!!

Or a treasure hut, I'm not sure. Or Shure. That's the singer. I use triggers...

[Appelmoes??]

Mail is send...