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2 years ago |
| Content Added |
282 Ratings, 31 Artists, 165 Albums |
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http://progfreak.com/user/Lofcaudio |
| About Me |
Hobbies include distance running, board games and table
tennis.
Favorite musicians are Neal Morse, Ayreon, Gentle Giant and
Pain of Salvation. |
|
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Reviews |
Devin Townsend : Ziltoid the Omniscient2007Lofcaudio is very familiar with this album. Magnificent Prog Speed Metal!
When I first heard Ayreon’s The Human Equation album, I was
intrigued by a number of the voices that I heard on it, Devin
Townsend’s being one of them. To be honest, I was a bit
intimidated to delve into his discography because I thought his
speed metal tendencies might not be to my taste. But after
reading a couple of favorable reviews of this album with the
silly name, I thought it might be time to give the Canadian
hard rocker a try.
Surprised...Stunned...Amazed. This album left me speechless.
Are all of those voices really Devin’s? This is a fabulous
album in the prog metal genre.
Things start off with a searing speed-metal introduction to
the concept’s main character, Ziltoid. I love this start for a
number of reasons. First, the music and the concept quickly let
the listener know that this is going to be a tongue-in-cheek
musical, with quality humor and even higher quality music.
Second, the very first minute of music incorporates much of
what makes this album so nice: impressive speed metal sections
combined with richly layered vocal tracks, another fine
rendition of Townsend’s patented “wall of sound.”
I especially enjoy the more melodic parts of this album which
can be found in the tracks “Solar Winds”, “Hyperdrive”, “Color
Your World” and “The Greys” with these latter two songs being
my favorite part of the album as there is a huge build-up and a
very dynamic finish in “Color Your World” with the “Creator of
the Omniverse” screaming at a defeated Ziltoid that “WE ARE ALL
PUPPETS!”, only to fade out with the beautiful closing in “The
Greys.”
Well done Devin! Thanks for singing on The Human Equation as
it would have taken me much longer to find out about you. This
is definitely an outstanding addition to the prog metal genre
worthy of high praise.
Glass Hammer: Culture of Ascent2007Lofcaudio is very familiar with this album. Excellent Symphonic Prog Retro Rock!
This is perhaps the album we have all been waiting for from
Glass Hammer. With Culture of Ascent, the group has
shored up its previous areas of weakness–mainly vocals and
guitar. This is a huge step up from their last record,
The Inconsolable Secret. While I’m not ready to say that
this is their best album (since I have a soft spot in my heart
for Lex Rex), it is most certainly their most mature,
well-rounded effort. There is a very strong retro (dare I
say, derivative?) sound which is evident throughout, which can
be attributed to the subtle vocal sounds provided by Jon
Anderson and the opening track cover of “Southside of the
Sky”. This really does like Yes. Now don’t get me
wrong, I say this as a sincere compliment to the music that
exists on this new record.
As I said, the opening track is a cover of Yes’ “Southside of
the Sky”. This works out very well in my opinion.
Not only is that just a good song, but Glass Hammer does a
wonderful rendition of it with Susie Bogdanowicz providing the
lead vocals with Mr. Jon Anderson provided some backing
sounds. Sure, it’s not an original song, but this version
just sounds great, in my opinion. Susie continues to
shine when given the opportunity to carry the vocals for the
group.
Yes (and/or Jon Anderson) fans will also like “Life by Light”
as Anderson does the most singing on this song. Lots of
good stuff going on here as the guitars, keyboards and bass all
have nice moments.
My favorite songs though are the two big epics, “Ember Without
Name” and “Into Thin Air”, both clocking in at over 16
minutes. The first of these (Ember) is vintage Glass
Hammer and will remind some of disc 1 of The Inconsolable
Secret. “Into Thin Air” fleshes out the album’s theme
which is about a mountain climber’s quest to climb Mt.
Everest. This theme is based upon the book of the same
name: Culture of Ascent.
Lastly, the artwork for this album is fantastic. Dark,
majestic, eerie and awe-inspiring are the words that come to
mind when describing the visual cover art. I highly
recommend this for fans of Glass Hammer, Yes and Emerson, Lake
& Palmer. For the rest of you prog lovers, I also
would recommend Culture of Ascent as a wonderful introduction
to this talented group of musicians.
Riverside: Out of Myself2004Lofcaudio is very familiar with this album. This Polish Prog-Metal act really put a nice album together
with Out of Myself. I first purchased Second Life Syndrome due
to the high ratings that it was given on this site. I enjoyed
that album immensely; and thus, went ahead and purchased their
first complete album which I am now evaluating.
The Same River Great first song to the album.
This is a much stronger opening track than what you will find
on Second Life Syndrome ("After") as it incorporates all sorts
of progressive elements over the course of its 12 minute
length. While some may find it a bit dark and brooding, I find
this to be a stunning song and the best on the whole album, in
my opinion. It is mostly instrumental with vocals not beginning
until a good five minutes into the song.
Out of Myself The title track picks up where
The Same River left off by delivering another outstanding
arrangement, while using more vocals for additional texture to
the sound.
I Believe The third track is a strong ballad
with a nice melody and lyrics. Even though I like this song, it
is probably the weakest song on the whole album. Overall,
Riverside does a very nice job with their ballads.
Reality Dream Riverside can do ballads and
they can do instrumentals. In fact, their instrumental sections
are usually my favorite parts of their music. Please don't get
me wrong. I think Mariusz Duda has a great voice for
progressive metal. It is soothing at times and can also be a
bit violent. But this group really shines when given some time
to just jam out and that is what it sounds like they do with
this instrumental song. It is a precursor to not only
additional "dreams" to come in the future, but also provides a
very similar sound to what will be found on the title track of
their next album ("Second Life Syndrome"), which is a wonderful
treat to the ears.
Loose Heart Loose Heart is another ballad
which grows in intensity and finishes with some growling vocals
that provide a nice contrast over the course of the song. While
I typically do not care for growling, I find that it is done
here very tastefully and not enough to be annoying.
Reality Dream II While this doesn't quite live
up to the first Reality Dream, it is another well-crafted
instrumental which moves the album along quite nicely.
In Two Minds This is my favorite ballad on the
album as it incorporates a wonderful melody with some
fascinating lyrics. Duda does some exceptional vocal work as
well creating a wonderful atmosphere and making this one of my
favorite tracks on the album.
The Curtain Falls This track is another very
strong effort which is very reminiscent of vintage Pink Floyd.
In fact, there are moments where you might think you are
listening to "On the Run" from Dark Side of the Moon. But while
it does sound similar, it also sounds very good. Good music
oftentimes will sound like other good music and the
Floyd-influence is very noticeable on this great song.
OK This is probably the most difficult song
for me to evaluate on the album. While I find the ending to be
a bit anti-climactic, I think this is exactly what Riverside
wants to do with the atmosphere and mood that they have created
with this album. So while I may not particularly care for this
type of closing track, I can appreciate the artistic mood that
the band has achieved and is now bringing to an end. The song
is quite nice, just not one of the highlights on this album. Wobbler: Hinterland2005Lofcaudio is very familiar with this album. Excellent Prog Retro Rock! Norwegians know how to play prog! This enjoyable album is
upbeat and soothing with lots of nice twists and turns.
Hinterland, though very weak in the vocal department, provides
some wonderful new sounds in the classic progressive
vein.
Serenade for 1652 Okay...this is a waste
of time, in my opinion. Not only do I need to brush up on my
history (to understand the significance of 1652), but perhaps I
need to take a class in art appreciation to figure out what
Wobbler is hoping to accomplish with this short prelude which
in no way resembles any of the other music on the album nor
creates any sort of atmosphere. So as the album begins, I must
admit that I'm scratching my head at the inclusion of this
number.
Hinterland Ah...now this is what I want
to hear. The title track offers just about a bit of everything,
with nice rhythm changes, wonderful flutes and horns,
noticeable bass line and even some vocals (which don't sound
too bad). This reminds me a bit of Anglagard and Camel, both of
whom I like the sounds of very much. This 27-minute treat is
full of atmosphere creating almost a sensation of
"easy-listening" prog. Of course, ears not used to the crazy
time signatures of classical progressive music will find this
disjointed and bouncy. But I find that it actually creates a
peaceful mood much to my liking.
Rubato Industry This third track is my
favorite on the album as it incorporates a lot of nice
elements, especially vocals. There are actually understandable
lyrics during the first half of this song which is nice to
hear. And then the music builds during the second half with
some nicely layered vocal harmonies joining in for a
wonderfully rich sound very reminiscent of Gentle Giant's song,
Three Friends. In my opinion, this is the best track on the
album.
Clair Obscur The fourth and final track
is a bit indistinguishable as it sounds very similar to the
previous track, Rubato Industry. This is entirely instrumental
with lots of keyboards highlighted by a great-sounding bass
played with some punch. Neal Morse: ?2005Lofcaudio is very familiar with this album. Magnificent Symphonic Prog Atmospheric Rock! Overall, this is a very impressive album. From start to
finish, there is no let-up in good music. What is somewhat
unique is that the whole album is really just one song, with
twelve distinct "segments." But the music flows non-stop and is
one cohesive unit, making for an outstanding conceptual piece
from Neal Morse. As has been stated in previous reviews, Morse
relies on the skills of Mike Portnoy (Dream Theater), Jordan
Rudess (Dream Theater), Alan Morse (Spock's Beard), Roine Stolt
(Flower Kings), Randy George (Ajalon) and Steve Hackett in the
making of this album.
Segment 1: The Temple of the Living God
The main theme floats in over the sounds of a wind-swept scape
and begins to build into some excellent progressive runs using
a piano/keyboard and then is joined by a nasty saxophone. The
opening lyrics tell of a necessary quest to find the temple of
the living God. Morse lays the lyrical foundation for the album
by declaring that a sacrifice is necessary in order to
successfully find the temple of the living God.
Segment 2: Another World
The music subtly changes as the quest begins by "stepping into
another world." This is the world of the Biblical Old
Testament, where the Israelites communed with God through the
Mosaic tabernacle. This is a short segment but has a wonderful
chorus with some intricate chord changes that are eyebrow
raising the first five times you hear it and are mesmerizing
after you become familiar with where the music is going. Great
stuff packed into this segment which finishes with a solitary
acoustic guitar to lead into...
Segment 3: The Outsider
Morse tells of someone looking into the world of the Mosaic
tabernacle and the priests who were responsible for making
sacrifices to appease God and to make atonement for the wrongs
of the Israelites. Lyrically, this segment paints a nice
picture of "a no one hiding outside" looking into the goings-on
of God's people. The music begins quietly and adds some
majestic bells which builds into...
Segment 4: Sweet Elation
The presence of God is sweet elation and is described as being
"a cloud of secrets fills the air as the lines are blurred
between here and there." The music continues to crescendo with
stunning acoustic guitar work and a huge emphasis on the bass.
This segment will appeal to many to the catchy pop chorus and
the lengthy solos which will put a hard-core progger in
hysterics. The solos take over to bring a close to this
segment.
Segment 5: In the Fire
Morse begins this track with some Wah-Wah "talking" guitar that
leads into an amazing vocal display as Neal layers numerous
vocal harmonies into a great sounding melody. This segment
starts off fairly innocent, but then starts building quickly
and before you know it, Morse is yelling "BURN IT DOWN!" This
scream is followed by a dizzying array of solos, first
keyboard, then some drums and bass, then a guitar (sounds like
that kooky Alan Morse cutting the solo) and then some more
keyboard and then...well, let's just say one solo leads into
another for an intense build-up of sound. Morse's sticky sweet
vocals come back in attempting to keep this song on topic,
which is the need for a sacrifice to appease a holy and
righteous God. The vocal arrangements start to trade punches
with some of the instrumental solos and the momentum keeps
building and never really slows down while leading right
into...
Segment 6: Solid As The Sun
This is probably my favorite portion of the album. The rhythm
section really drives this segment which is culminated in a
wonderful bass solo which should tickle the fancy of any
musician. Some great music here with some repeated refrains
from the previous segment. There is a musical climax as the
first half of the album comes to a close.
Segment 7: The Glory of the Lord
This segment is other-worldly in its heavenly choir sound. Many
have complained of its brevity, but Morse seems to just use
this as a quick intermission between the first half of the
album and the second half which begins with...
Segment 8: Outside Looking In
This tune is easily the most accessible song on the album and
is gut-wrenching in its sorrowful lyrics and quest for hope. It
is a slower ballad which lays the foundation for the subsequent
segments to build and to offer a solution to the lyrical
anguish expressed in this song.
Segment 9: 12
This song is a highlight reel which begins somewhat
inauspiciously with a repeated theme of the Biblical
significance of the number 12. Then when Steve Hackett's solo
hits your ears, your jaw may just drop to the floor. I hate
using the same tired clichés when described good music, but I
must succumb to the temptation and state that Hackett's solo
truly is a mind-blower.
Segment 10: Entrance
Hackett's solo kicked things into a higher gear in the last
song and things continue to build during this segment which I
consider to be my second-favorite of the album. There are lots
of wonderful things going on here with obvious bells being rung
when "the gates are being opened." This song also reaches a
stunning climax in musical intensity which will leave some
listeners out of breath (but wanting more!).
Segment 11: Inside His Presence
Entrance ended with a bang and now this song comes with a
little less emphasis but quickly grows and ends with some
powerful lyrics and wonderful music to boot.
Segment 12: The Temple of the Living God
The journey ends where it began and let me tell you, it really
was a fun and exhilarating journey.
Conclusion:
Obviously, I enjoy this album and Morse's music in general. If
you enjoyed his previous efforts, I would be very surprised if
you did not fall in love with this album. Great songwriting,
great lyrics, great performances from the all-star lineup and a
fun musical journey make this a truly great album in my
opinion. Marillion: Brave1994Lofcaudio is very familiar with this album. Magnificent Prog Neo Rock! I have just recently been introduced to Marillion and have
been pleasantly surprised with what I have heard so far. Unlike
most people who start with the earlier Fish albums, my initial
taste of this British group was with the albums Marbles, Brave
and Afraid of Sunlight (which happen to be the only three
albums I have listened to at the date of this review). I must
say, I do like the sound these guys make.
Brave is a concept album, but I'm going to spend very little
time (if any) in this review discussing the concept since I
much prefer focusing on the music itself. While the story in
the music may be worthy of some additional appreciation, it's
always the music that makes or breaks an album. Brave is
chock-full of very good music.
"Bridge"
The opening track is hauntingly beautiful and atmospheric as
the setting is appropriately set for the story that is to be
told over the course of the album. The music is soft, with the
vocals almost being whispered to convey the anguish and despair
of the situation. While the song clocks in at just under three
minutes, I always wish it would last a little longer since the
music truly is beautiful through here.
"Living with the Big Lie"
What a great song this is! Wonderful lyrical passages
combined with a hard-driving melody really make this a standout
song. Marillion may be considered a neo-prog band, yet the
sound on this song is so fresh and powerful (even 12 years
later) that I would never consider this to be even remotely
derivative.
"Runaway"
Things slow down a bit as this third song continues the
musical bliss that started from the opening sounds of the
album. Strong contributions from all members of the band meld
to make a soft, subtle sound that is pleasing to the ears and
warming to the heart. (I know that sounds cheesy, but that
describes how this song affects me.)
"Goodbye to All That"
This twelve minute track begins somewhat
inconspicuously with Hogarth singing along with steady chords
from the piano. The pace then picks up with Rothery's guitar
doing all sorts of nice things with strong vocal passages from
Hogarth. There are a number of very intense parts of this song,
creating another strong chapter to this musical journey.
"Hard As Love"
This is a fairly straightforward blues rocker, with
nice touches from the bass and hammond organ. Hogarth does
a nice job of mixing up the chorus as the song progresses,
going just a little bit higher each time the chorus is sung.
Even though I have grown to like this song, I still consider it
one of the weaker tracks on this album.
"The Hollow Man"
The melancholic feel is back as in some of the earlier
songs. While some may consider it to be filler, it does fit in
nicely and fills an important role in developing the album's
concept.
"Alone Again in the Lap of Luxury"
This is perhaps my favorite song on the album. The melody is
just so compelling and the lyrics are so...so...(thinking of
the right word)...good (that's all I got). Rothery's guitar is
silky smooth and leads the charge during the song's transition
which adds a lot of intensity. This is just a wonderful rock
song.
"Paper Lies"
Just as "Hard as Love", this song leaves me a bit
cold. It's another blues rocker with not much depth, in my
opinion.
"Brave"
What a change of pace occurs from the last song to
this one! It's like being time-warped from Memphis, Tennessee
to Dublin, Ireland. One minute: Springsteen, the next: Iona.
This song sounds very Celtic, with some Scottish
Highlands-flavor thrown in for good measure. This song begins a
very beautiful passage that continues pretty much for the rest
of the album.
"The Great Escape"
This track begins quietly with dampened quarter note chords
from the keyboard and Hogarth's single voice. Then the music
begins to build as the bass is added and Hogarth's vocals
become more intense. At the 1:45 mark, this song just freakin'
takes off! Hogarth lets out a spine-tingling scream which is
accompanied by some powerful sounds from the band which create
90 seconds of musical perfection. Rothery's guitar finishes off
the passage leaving the listener in a state of complete awe.
This song quiets back down and incorporates some other nice
transitions as the conclusion draws near.
"Made Again"
The album concludes with another nice tune which wraps up
the album quite nicely.
Marillion has truly captured my attention with this album and I
would recommend for any music lovers and especially for lovers
of good progressive music. While some of the tunes on this
album are typical rock 'n roll ("Hard as Love" and "Paper
Lies"), I still consider this to be a masterpiece. I look
forward to hearing more from these guys. Who is Fish? Camel: The Snow Goose1975Lofcaudio is very familiar with this album. Great Atmospheric Prog Rock! The first time I sat down to listen to this album in its entirety, I had Paul Gallico’s short story, The Snow Goose, to read while the music played. I must admit, the atmosphere created by the music is special. “The Great Marsh” is a fantastic opening to this story/album. As I read the story and allowed the music to enhance the story, my thoughts were transported from the comfort of my home in suburban America to that marsh in England where man is a stranger and the ecological chain is alive and on full display. Well..there is one man there – the hermit-like painter named Rhayader. Rhayader’s theme as interpreted by Camel can be listened to on this site and is an interesting tune with a couple of moods, which actually foreshadow the type of character Rhayader will turn out to be in this story. I actually found this to be an enjoyable experience and found myself enjoying both the story and Camel’s “soundtrack” of the story. Believe it or not, I actually finished reading the story before the music ended.
Camel is a unique group that certainly creates a strong mood with their music, whether it be with the sound of the flute or one of the see-saw sounds that emanate from Andrew Latimer’s guitar. I enjoy this album, but only listen to it when I want to listen to the whole thing. The songs individually do not stand well on their own, in my opinion. That fact along with the absence of vocals/lyrics keep me from giving this album a higher rating. I love the music, but I’m also a sucker for one of the most fascinating musical instruments: the human voice. Other than those two criticisms, I think this is a strong album and one that I enthusiastically recommend. Rush: Grace Under Pressure1984Lofcaudio has listened to this a couple of times. My introduction to Rush was a rather odd one in that I fell in love with them with the Counterparts album and then just as quickly fell out of love with them with the albums that followed: Test for Echo and Vapor Trails. But then as I developed a taste for prog, I went back and looked at their older material and found that I really enjoyed 2112, A Farewell to Kings and Hemispheres. Now I am delving into the ‘80s.
Rush certainly creates an atmosphere with this album, with the spacey keyboards providing a good fit along with the overwhelming lyrical theme. The problem I have with this album is that it sounds very "dated." Twenty-three years after release, so many of these songs sound...well, 23 years old. That’s not necessarily always a bad thing, but I find that in this case it really detracts from the quality of the music.
I find that I really like Distant Early Warning and Red Sector A (the two songs from this album which also made it onto the excellent compilation album Chronicles). I also enjoy the final song on the album, Between the Wheels. Everything else is forgettable, as far as I’m concerned. In fact, I find a couple of the songs just downright bad (The Enemy Within and Kid Gloves).
As much as I’d like to give this talented trio a higher grade with this effort, I can only recommend it for completionists. Neal Morse: Sola Scriptura2007Lofcaudio is very familiar with this album. Overall, I think Sola Scriptura is an outstanding album. It has great music which is performed amazingly well by Mike Portnoy, Randy George, Paul Gilbert and Mr. Morse himself. It also has stunning cover art which provides a wonderful backdrop for the album’s concept. Fans of Spock’s Beard, Dream Theater, Transatlantic and Morse’s other albums will enjoy this release.
I have listened to this album over 40 times now. As much as I like it, I don’t think it’s quite up to the level of Neal’s last two albums (One and ?, which I both gave 5 stars without reservation). My main criticism with this new album is that it borrows too much from what Neal has already recorded. This has been pointed out in many of the previous reviews and is very obvious, in my opinion. There are sections which sound just like Snow, V, One and Testimony. Even though I like the music in all of these places, I have heard it before.
Even though I’ve never had a problem with Morse’s lyrics, I know there are those who do not appreciate the Christian message that is typically at the forefront of his music. This album actually has a fairly dark atmosphere and the words are more cryptic than what you will normally find from Morse.
The opening track is The Door and is certainly one of the finest tunes that Morse has ever written. It is a 29-minute epic which has all sorts of moods, twisting and turning to the final climax highlighted by a wonderful guitar solo by Paul Gilbert.
Another epic (The Conflict) follows and is a very dark song with a strong metal vibe to it. Morse’s vocals are surprisingly good throughout this song and another catchy guitar solo by Gilbert steals the show (this one is acoustic).
This album is structured identically to that of Transatlantic’s Bridge Across Forever with four songs, three of them being epics with a more poppish tune inserted into the third position on the album. Heaven in my Heart is the third song and while many prog fans seem to be bored by it, I actually like it quite a bit even though it is the least progressive music on the album.
The fourth and final song is The Conclusion. This song seems to lack the firepower that was so evident in the first two tracks. I find that it has some very good parts, but also has what I would consider to be a bit of aimless fluff. I do think the climax is very nice though with choir-like voices coming in to accentuate what Morse is singing. Ayreon: The Human Equation2004Lofcaudio is very familiar with this album. I am stunned. For whatever reason, I’ve heard very little about Ayreon and The Human Equation. I took a chance and recently purchased this because someone told me that I might like it. Well, I think it is outstanding. This album grabbed me in the very first listen (not always a good thing) and has continued to thrill my ears on subsequent listens (definitely a good thing).
Unlike a lot of listeners, I have a softspot for double album rock operas such as this. When I consider albums that I consider to be prog masterpieces: The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway (Genesis) and Snow (Spock’s Beard) are two albums that immediately come to mind. The Human Equation may be just as good (if not better) due to the amazing vocalists who all contribute to make this such a special listen.
Eric Clayton, Heather Findlay, Mikael Akerfeldt and Magnus Ekwall are the most noticeable in their performances, while the rest of the vocalists provide wonderful textures to this musical landscape. If I could change anything regarding the vocalists, I would have a little less LaBrie and a little more Clayton and Lucassen.
The entire two-disc album consists of 20 tracks called “days” which comprise the conceptual story. Each vocalist plays a part of either an individual in the story or of an emotion (fear, passion, love, rage, etc.) that grips the protoganist. Arjen Lucassen pulls this whole thing off superbly with each song often becoming a dueling duet as two varying emotions oftentimes pull at the central character. And with every song being loaded with numerous vocalists, there is never a dull moment despite the length of the entire album.
I enthusiastically give this album a rating of Magnificent, but feel that I should point out two minor criticisms. The concept is very unoriginal as it has been done many times before. While the story does have a bit of a twist, the whole man-in-a-hospital-bed thing sure is cliché. The second criticism is almost not worth mentioning, but it is a shameless copy of the James Bond theme used in one of the first couple of tracks. While it sounds good, it is the James Bond theme exactly. Both of these criticisms are really very minor in comparison to the musical smorgasbord that will treat your ears. I highly recommend this piece of art. It has left me stunned. Genesis: The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway1974Lofcaudio is very familiar with this album. Like all good prog, the first time I listened to this album, I scratched my head and thought "What the heck is this crap?!?" And though I still haven't figured out what all the crap on this album is, I have grown to appreciate the music enough to give The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway a very high rating.
It seems that most hardcore Genesis fans have a hard time liking The Lamb compared to Foxtrot, Selling England, etc. However, I much prefer this album. I am a sucker for concept albums (even if I don't always understand exactly what the concept is). There are so many unforgettable passages in this two-disc experience beginning with the opening piano solo.
While I do recognize that the album isn't perfect due to some "less than musical" moments ("The Waiting Room" and "Silent Sorrow in Empty Boats"), there are so many great tunes packaged in The Lamb that it would be wrong for me to give this anything less than an Excellent rating. Songs such as "The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway", "In the Cage", "The Carpet Crawlers", "Lilywhite Lilith", "Anyway", "The Lamia", "The Colony of Slippermen" and "It" are all great songs. Some of them are haunting in their solemn melodies and some are thought-provoking with their anguished lyrics, but all are great music, in my opinion.
I highly recommend this album. Spock's Beard: Snow2002Lofcaudio is very familiar with this album. This is one of my favorite albums and I sincerely believe it to be one of the very best prog albums.
I am a sucker for two-disc concept albums. And even though the Snow concept is a bit weak, I enjoy it nonetheless. It lacks the eerieness of The Lamb, but it does have a certain haunting aspect to it. Ultimately, it comes down to the music, which Spock's Beard delivers in heaping quantities and which given time, will soak right into your brain.
The initial overture gently grabs your hand and pulls you in to witness the birth of Snow and the world which ostracizes him because of his unique appearance. While some may complain of the opening songs ("Stranger in a Strange Land" and "Long Time Suffering") being more AOR than prog, there is no denying the emotionally charged lyrics and catchy hooks which are present in these songs. Neal Morse gives a passionate turn at lead vocals in this passage and presents the listener with the anguish that Snow lives with in his formative years.
New York is the setting (which does annoy me a bit as it seems too much like The Lamb) where Snow hopes to rise above the bigotry and bring hope to others who have been rejected by society. "Love Beyond Words" is a short ballad sandwhiched in between the hardest music that exists on the album. When I say "hard", I mean metal. "Welcome to NYC", "The 39th Street Blues" and "Devil's Got My Throat" are melodic, but hard and I'm not sure I've heard Neal Morse sing like this before. The effect is at first startling and then very gratifying, in my humble opinion.
The next portion is one of the best sections of the album with the songs "Open Wide the Flood Gates" and "Open the Gates Part 2". Great melodies and musical shifts take place in this passage which flows into the haunting ballad, "Solitary Soul". The first disc ends with the outstanding tune, "Wind at my Back". While this song does have AOR tendencies, the catchy tune and beautiful lyrics make this a stand-out track regardless of what genre label you want to attach to it.
Disc 2 begins with the second overture which is a great progressive tune with lots of edge to it. Morse adds some crunchy vocals on the next two tunes, "4th of July" and "I'm the Guy". Morse then gives the mic to Nick D'Virgilio for the next two songs, "Carie" and "Looking for Answers". D'Virgilio does a great job and shows that he has the vocal chops to get the job done (and will soon pull a Phil Collins in response to Morse pulling a Peter Gabriel). "Freak Boy", "All is Vanity" and "I'm Dying" are outstanding tracks which don't seem to add much to the concept, but are great songs in their own right.
Just like The Lamb, the second half of Disc 2 meanders a little bit before it gets back on course with the final two songs being "I Will Go" and the second version of "Wind at my Back". Since I liked "Wind at my Back" so much on Disc 1, I was delighted to hear this again, with even more emotion and build-up as the album reaches its climax at the end. I just love listening to this album.
By the way, the artwork and disc booklet gets a huge THUMBS UP as well. I apologize for all the Lamb/Genesis references, but in this case it was unavoidable. This is by far my favorite Spock's Beard album (just like The Lamb is my favorite Genesis recording), so I will not hesitate in giving this the highest recommendation possible. Pain of Salvation: Remedy Lane2002Lofcaudio is very familiar with this album. I am somewhat new to this creative prog metal group from Sweden, Pain of Salvation. So far, I have found their music very enjoyable to listen to. This particular album is outstanding from start to finish. Daniel Gildenlöw’s impressive vocal talents are in full display accompanied by some very well-crafted songs. For purposes of this review, I will ignore the overriding theme (concept) of the album and focus instead on what really moves me: the music.
“Beginnings” is the first song and really gets the listener ready for what is to come. The music fades in with mellow acoustic sounds providing a solid foundation before the guitars come roaring in to remind us that Pain of Salvation plays some mighty nice metal. The stage has been set for Remedy Lane.
The album is divided into three chapters with “Beginnings” being treated as an introduction. Chapter 1 begins with “Ending Theme”, a fabulous tune with a very memorable melody line highlighted by crunchy guitars and Daniel’s layered vocals covering numerous octaves (as he is frequent to do in many of the band’s songs).
“Fandango” is next and is probably the least accessible song on the album with its crazy time signature changes and syncopation. Though I really like this song, it took me a while to be able to digest it and enjoy it to its fullest.
“A Trace of Blood” follows and provides a truly amazing dichotomy in that the music is so very very good and the lyrics are so very very gut-wrenching. I get excited with the catchy melody and emotive vocals, yet the words are so painful that it makes me feel guilty for enjoying this music so much. Daniel and his wife suffered greatly (and still do) so that we could be blessed with such a fascinating song. “A Trace of Blood” is a huge highlight on this album.
“This Heart of Mine” immediately follows and is a soft ballad with wonderful vocals and a beautiful acoustic guitar. This song provides a refreshing change of pace as all of the songs up until this point have been at a torrid pace. The band slows it down and the effect is very nice, in my opinion. Chapter 1 comes to a close.
Chapter 2 begins with “Undertow” which I think is another brilliant rocker. This chapter of the album flows so well that it is easy to forget where one song ends and the next begins. “Rope Ends” is next and like “Fandango”, utilizes some pretty wild time signature changes. But the chorus is fantastic and is another true highlight of this album. “Chain Sling” follows and is another good installment though I don’t find anything remarkable about the music. Chapter 2 closes with “Dryad of the Woods”, a beautiful acoustic instrumental that is mesmerizing and haunting at the same time.
“Remedy Lane” eases the listener into Chapter 3 with a short instrumental, setting up “Waking Every God” in which Daniel really belts out the words with a lot of force and high pitch. Things slow down considerably in “Second Love”, a true ballad with wonderfully layered vocals. I can get bored with ballads but I love this track. “Beyond the Pale” is the concluding song and let me tell you, it just explodes. Great vocals, spine-tingling guitar solos, building momentum all come together in this, the grand finale.
In summary, this album is worthy of a very high rating for this reason: there is not a bad track to be found on the album. If you like music that rocks, I think you will agree with me that Remedy Lane is fabulous prog metal. Opeth: Deliverance2002Lofcaudio has listened to this several times. This is perhaps Opeth's heaviest album. And while I much prefer Opeth's more mellow moments (such as those on the Damnation album), I do enjoy this album when in the right mood. Akerfeldt's growls do wear on me after a while though, so this isn't an album that I'll probably ever listen to back-to-back. "For Absent Friends" is a beautiful instrumental and gives the listener a pleasant intermission from the rest of the speedy Death Metal. |
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