Sunday, 6 November 2016
JUNE - CHRIST OPHER (AKA CHRIS BRENNAN)
1. Refused - The Shape Of Punk To Come (Liberation Frequency)
2. Radiohead - The Bends
3. The Dillinger Escape Plan - Miss Machine
4. Rage Against The Machine - The Battle Of Los Angeles
5. Meshuggah - Koloss
It's just after 10 right now, and whilst I should go to bed and get ready for the morning, I'm just after spending the last few minutes with a bottle of scotch whilst angrily beating out vague ramblings in F pentatonic. So why go to bed right now when I can stay up and bitch about people's ill chosen taste in music.
Chris seems to be a cool guy, and by all people's accounts a gifted performer and musician. I've not seen him live, but I've been told by several people it's a sensation you will never forget. I do want to make it out to one of Illenkus's gigs sometime, also in part due to the fact that my "coffee guy", Josh, is also in the ensemble. I mostly know Chris from (surprise, surprise), Streetfighter. He was, until recently, a residing member of the Fight House. He seems to be a cool guy, sets his mind to things, and then fucking does them. I have a lot of respect for that.
REFUSED - The Shape Of Punk To Come (Liberation Frequency)
This is probably the second best album I have heard thus far this year, a very close second to Phantasmagorea by D-Styles.
The subtle and not so subtle changes, even fiddling with the volume, filters and so forth, it's an incredible album that you always seem to find something new each time.
John Carberry told me that when the band finished this album they broke up, as they reckoned they could never match it. I'd well believe that feeling, writing this now a few weeks later I want to listen to it all over again.
And probably the fucking first song sets the bar too high, but everything else comes pretty damn close to meeting it!!! A seven minute song that actually justifies the playtime, how rare is that in modern music tell me?
This is music, and this is something incredible that has to be experienced for yourself. I almost genuinely don't know what song to choose, as they all complement each other so incredibly well.
This is an album I highly recommend everyone listens to, it's fucking amazing.
RADIOHEAD - The Bends
Given that another person has nominated another Radiohead album this year, I was pleasantly surprised that this turned out to be a great album.
My only knowledge of Radiohead is seeing their name carved on school desks alongside Therapy, not knowing either band, considering the people who were carving them in to the desks I was in no real desire to find out either.
None the less, it's a beautiful flowing album, just enjoyable to listen to and drift along to. Being so impressed with this album led me to choose Chris's month immediately after, being fairly sure that there would be at least one album in the list I would most likely tolerate.
This album is probably better than OK Computer. I think I may be becoming a Radiohead fan. Maybe it's the scotch talking, maybe it's the mild depression of a breakup, but guess what, I'm wallowing in scotch and depression right now and for some unforeseen reason it seems glorious and uplifting. Not something I ever thought I'd be ever saying about scotch. Or Radiohead. As I said, this guy who's singing must be a depressing motherfucker to be around, because it all comes through in his delivery. This is really beautiful stuff, I've found myself going back to this album every now and again even from last June. It flows excellently. Who would have thought semi standard chord strumming could be used to such excellent effect? I have to admit, Radiohead have really vaulted up the ladder of my appreciation this year. I guess all those knobs in school who used to listen to them actually had a pretty damned good reason to.
The Dillinger Escape Plan - Miss Machine
OK, these guys are pretty adamant about killing their vocal chords and our ear drums. I mean I'm replaying track one, and what the fuck am I listening to? It's a guy shouting as loud as he fucking can without going in to a fit, and some guy with and over driven guitar I can just imagine drooling from the mouth as he strums out his power chords as heavy as he can. I remember years ago going to a gig with my sister in Milwaukee for what she called a "math rock" band named I don't fucking know or care. I fell asleep in the middle of the performance, and woke up as if in the middle of a nightmare. It was like waking up drunk (which is worse than a hangover). Listening to this album is like that. It feels like a load of guys playing riffs that should sound good, but ultimately don't. The real problem I have is now deciding is this album worse than RATM or not. You know, I'm at the point now where I'm starting to hate all music. I've listened to other people's crap for the last 10 months, and I have never been so fucking relieved to be at the end of something in my fucking life than this stupid blog. You want to know what I'm looking forward to now? Silence, fucking silence. I don't want to hear anymore of this pollution of fucking sound waves the haunt me at night, as I go to work, and a I drive home. I'd prefer to hear to monotonous hum of my engine on the motorway at 2500 rpm than listen to someone else's crappy choices in music. Fuck you all.
Rage Against The Machine - Battle Of Los Angeles
This feels like I'm listening to a bunch of entitled upper middle class white guys complaining about societal constructs, as they never had any actual hardships in their upbringing. And I don't even bother trying to decipher what they're saying, but from the sound that's the feeling I'm getting. These guys are trying to channel the depression of blues or the racial inequality of rap, but ultimately the have none of those experiences to draw from. They feel like a slightly better version of Linkin Park (which unfortunately, seems to emanate from our gym speakers far more frequently than I'd like). I don't think I cam really recommend this album, there's far better stuff out there to listen to. But if you've decided that you're mad at society for no reason in particular, and want to have some rhetoric to back you up, this could be the album for you. I'm pouring myself another dram of scotch here and this tool of a singer is singing about the same shit he did 15 minutes ago. There's some nice riffs in here, but that's like saying there's a good looking chick in a Hollywood film, it means nothing. I can't say that I HATE this album, but it does very little for me.
Meshuggah - Koloss
OK, I think we can definitely say this is metal, but it really doesn't do much for me. It's just some randomly kinda heavy licks with the cookie monster constantly going on and on and on until we die of exhaustion, depression, psychosis, boredom, or all of the above. I mean, really, listen to the first track (which I'm listening to right now as I type this previous long drawn out sentence in it's entirety), and nothing musically of interest or note happens. I feel like I could throw five cats in a room, drop their wails down a few octaves with auto-tune and the lyrics would make about as much sense as this plonker going on and on and on and on. And might I add, at least then I'd have the enjoyable spectacle of a few cats beating each other around their heads. It sounds like bad tribal music. Things get a little better as the album progresses, but it still seems to be one phrase per song repeated over and over as fast as a human can physically play it. Which as impressive as it may be, it feels like I'm watching a video I once saw of a man giving himself a blowjob.
2. Radiohead - The Bends
3. The Dillinger Escape Plan - Miss Machine
4. Rage Against The Machine - The Battle Of Los Angeles
5. Meshuggah - Koloss
It's just after 10 right now, and whilst I should go to bed and get ready for the morning, I'm just after spending the last few minutes with a bottle of scotch whilst angrily beating out vague ramblings in F pentatonic. So why go to bed right now when I can stay up and bitch about people's ill chosen taste in music.
Chris seems to be a cool guy, and by all people's accounts a gifted performer and musician. I've not seen him live, but I've been told by several people it's a sensation you will never forget. I do want to make it out to one of Illenkus's gigs sometime, also in part due to the fact that my "coffee guy", Josh, is also in the ensemble. I mostly know Chris from (surprise, surprise), Streetfighter. He was, until recently, a residing member of the Fight House. He seems to be a cool guy, sets his mind to things, and then fucking does them. I have a lot of respect for that.
REFUSED - The Shape Of Punk To Come (Liberation Frequency)
This is probably the second best album I have heard thus far this year, a very close second to Phantasmagorea by D-Styles.
The subtle and not so subtle changes, even fiddling with the volume, filters and so forth, it's an incredible album that you always seem to find something new each time.
John Carberry told me that when the band finished this album they broke up, as they reckoned they could never match it. I'd well believe that feeling, writing this now a few weeks later I want to listen to it all over again.
And probably the fucking first song sets the bar too high, but everything else comes pretty damn close to meeting it!!! A seven minute song that actually justifies the playtime, how rare is that in modern music tell me?
This is music, and this is something incredible that has to be experienced for yourself. I almost genuinely don't know what song to choose, as they all complement each other so incredibly well.
This is an album I highly recommend everyone listens to, it's fucking amazing.
RADIOHEAD - The Bends
Given that another person has nominated another Radiohead album this year, I was pleasantly surprised that this turned out to be a great album.
My only knowledge of Radiohead is seeing their name carved on school desks alongside Therapy, not knowing either band, considering the people who were carving them in to the desks I was in no real desire to find out either.
None the less, it's a beautiful flowing album, just enjoyable to listen to and drift along to. Being so impressed with this album led me to choose Chris's month immediately after, being fairly sure that there would be at least one album in the list I would most likely tolerate.
This album is probably better than OK Computer. I think I may be becoming a Radiohead fan. Maybe it's the scotch talking, maybe it's the mild depression of a breakup, but guess what, I'm wallowing in scotch and depression right now and for some unforeseen reason it seems glorious and uplifting. Not something I ever thought I'd be ever saying about scotch. Or Radiohead. As I said, this guy who's singing must be a depressing motherfucker to be around, because it all comes through in his delivery. This is really beautiful stuff, I've found myself going back to this album every now and again even from last June. It flows excellently. Who would have thought semi standard chord strumming could be used to such excellent effect? I have to admit, Radiohead have really vaulted up the ladder of my appreciation this year. I guess all those knobs in school who used to listen to them actually had a pretty damned good reason to.
The Dillinger Escape Plan - Miss Machine
OK, these guys are pretty adamant about killing their vocal chords and our ear drums. I mean I'm replaying track one, and what the fuck am I listening to? It's a guy shouting as loud as he fucking can without going in to a fit, and some guy with and over driven guitar I can just imagine drooling from the mouth as he strums out his power chords as heavy as he can. I remember years ago going to a gig with my sister in Milwaukee for what she called a "math rock" band named I don't fucking know or care. I fell asleep in the middle of the performance, and woke up as if in the middle of a nightmare. It was like waking up drunk (which is worse than a hangover). Listening to this album is like that. It feels like a load of guys playing riffs that should sound good, but ultimately don't. The real problem I have is now deciding is this album worse than RATM or not. You know, I'm at the point now where I'm starting to hate all music. I've listened to other people's crap for the last 10 months, and I have never been so fucking relieved to be at the end of something in my fucking life than this stupid blog. You want to know what I'm looking forward to now? Silence, fucking silence. I don't want to hear anymore of this pollution of fucking sound waves the haunt me at night, as I go to work, and a I drive home. I'd prefer to hear to monotonous hum of my engine on the motorway at 2500 rpm than listen to someone else's crappy choices in music. Fuck you all.
Rage Against The Machine - Battle Of Los Angeles
This feels like I'm listening to a bunch of entitled upper middle class white guys complaining about societal constructs, as they never had any actual hardships in their upbringing. And I don't even bother trying to decipher what they're saying, but from the sound that's the feeling I'm getting. These guys are trying to channel the depression of blues or the racial inequality of rap, but ultimately the have none of those experiences to draw from. They feel like a slightly better version of Linkin Park (which unfortunately, seems to emanate from our gym speakers far more frequently than I'd like). I don't think I cam really recommend this album, there's far better stuff out there to listen to. But if you've decided that you're mad at society for no reason in particular, and want to have some rhetoric to back you up, this could be the album for you. I'm pouring myself another dram of scotch here and this tool of a singer is singing about the same shit he did 15 minutes ago. There's some nice riffs in here, but that's like saying there's a good looking chick in a Hollywood film, it means nothing. I can't say that I HATE this album, but it does very little for me.
Meshuggah - Koloss
OK, I think we can definitely say this is metal, but it really doesn't do much for me. It's just some randomly kinda heavy licks with the cookie monster constantly going on and on and on until we die of exhaustion, depression, psychosis, boredom, or all of the above. I mean, really, listen to the first track (which I'm listening to right now as I type this previous long drawn out sentence in it's entirety), and nothing musically of interest or note happens. I feel like I could throw five cats in a room, drop their wails down a few octaves with auto-tune and the lyrics would make about as much sense as this plonker going on and on and on and on. And might I add, at least then I'd have the enjoyable spectacle of a few cats beating each other around their heads. It sounds like bad tribal music. Things get a little better as the album progresses, but it still seems to be one phrase per song repeated over and over as fast as a human can physically play it. Which as impressive as it may be, it feels like I'm watching a video I once saw of a man giving himself a blowjob.
MAY - JOHN CARBERRY
2. Robert Glasper Experiment
3. Ghost - Opus Eponymous
4. Opeth - Blackwater Park
5. FZ Side Z
Right, so last night I made two mistakes I said I wouldn't do again this year.
For one, I went to the cinema and paid to see a Marvel film.
It was Doctor Strange, and actually to be fair, it wasn't bad, it was much better than I expected.
The second mistake I made was texted my ex (to be fair, only the second time since we've broken up. Ever have a breakup that made you take up piano? Well there ya go).
I decided to make up for later mistake by deleting all her info, so I can't hopefully make that particular mistake again.
And in order to help with the Marvel mistake, I drank the remainder of a bottle of Jameson.
Didn't make me forget it, but left me with a warm fuzzy depressed feeling.
And then I more or less wrote the blog about Kristijan's choices.
So right now I have Ghost blaring away here whilst about to crack open some Chivas Regal.
Unfortunately I must admit I don't recall many of John's choices doing much for me, but in his defense at the time I did ask him for music that inspired him whilst he drew art, and this is what he gave me.
I've known John for a good few years, and he's a good friend who takes his art seriously. I often refer to him as the Mayor of Don't Give A Shit town, and anyone who's dealt with John will understand. He does things his way and that's the way it's gonna be. On the one side I have the height of respect for that, but I don't regard it as the ideal attitude to all situations in life. But John makes it work for him, and that's all that really matters. He also remarked that if I asked him for the albums that got him in to music, I was gonna get a lot of Earth Wind and Fire albums. I feel a little hard done by that I ended up with this list to be perfectly honest John, what was wrong with some Disco ???
Radiohead - OK Computer (Airbag)
Wow, this took my by surprise and then some!
I think my favorite track is actually the opener, and this album flows beautifully throughout. And the vocals really fit in, I feel like this guy actually believes in what he's singing here. He's got soul, see guys? James Brown ain't the only guy out there who's got soul, this guy is singing from the heart, and whilst it's not as overt as Siekiera, it's definitely there. Highly recommend this album, and was very happy that it was actually good as I have another Radiohead album to listen to this year. And I'm pretty sure this isn't just the scotch talking. If you've not listened to Radiohead, and in particular an album, I think you owe it to yourself to put this one on, sit back, relax and take it all in. It's not fancy, it's not ground breaking, but it's something that is all of it's own. It doesn't feel like it's trying to be anything or anyone else in particular, it's these guys just making beautiful music together, and doing so well.
Robert Glasper Experiment - Black Radio
I'm making this album second, as there's some nice covers on here. But that said, it's all pretty soulless. I keep going on about soul this month, and realise I can't really define it at all. I'm like one of those judges in that Larry Flynt movie "I can't define it, but I know it when I see it". It reminds me of a line in Jerry Maguire, when the babysitter gives them a tape, and has little speech about how this tape of Davis & Coltrane, in the peek of their artform before "sleazy lounge singers" dragged the medium down to the sewer. Whilst there is some nice beats on this, it doesn't really do it for me. But at the same time, I think these guys are trying to do something with the genre, and I very much respect that. I'm not particularly nuts on this jazz hip hop hybrid they've got going on, but hey, if somebody with hip hop predilections listens to this and decides to investigate jazz further, or vice versa, who am I to say this is a bad thing at all?
I think I owe it to myself to listen to this album again in the future, but I'm not 100% sure that my opinion of it will change.
Ghost - Opus Eponymous
Allegedly this album is black metal, but it doesn't sound particularly black or metal to me. Some nice chunky riffs throughout, and by no means a bad album, but doesn't really stand out to me as being heavy in any way. It's a little like Weezer, except not shit. It's not really that heavy at all, I really don't get these metal genre definitions at all.
How is this "black metal", when Guns n' Roses has heavier guitar and bass, along with heavier lyrics, and that's still only hard rock?
I have had this on while I drive around, and it seems OK. But to actually sit and listen to this album without any other distraction, I don't see it. This is just background music again to me, it doesn't really do anything particularly interesting for any substantial length of time. The most exciting bits of each track seem to be the opening thirty seconds, and then it tapers down to nothing interesting in particular at all at all.
And their Hammond organ cover of "Here Comes The Sun" is an interesting novelty, but does nothing really amazing for the song either. It sounds like the Doors. How is that metal???
But if you feel like you want a non-shit version of Weezer in your life, this could be the band for you!
Opeth - Blackwater Park
Ok, now this does sound a bit metal! We've got that driving guitar, those cookie monster vocals, and that double beat drum. Not off to a bad start at all. But of course these guys think they have to have it all in there, the whole kitchen, sink and all it's paloova. Why do we need a 10 minute opening track, which is essentially the same the way through, bar a little interruption with some Spanish wannabe acoustic guitar, polished off with some "sentimental" piano at the end? The first track kinda rubs me up the wrong way, but to be fair the following tracks do integrate the acoustic guitar a little nicer. Still doesn't do anything in particular for me. There doesn't really feel like anything unique here. This could be any random metal band with a video on MTV/Kerrang or whatever the cool kids watch nowadays. I don't really think it's got any soul or bite to it, and just doesn't really click with me at any point the way through.
FZ Side Z
Jesus, this felt like a waste of my time.
Random 8 bit tunes from a video game soundtrack, that has little or no appeal to me.
I could imagine hearing this stuff over an elevator or whilst shopping in Dunnes.
Actually, if they played this in Dunnes I may actually be disappointed.
It's not particularly bad, and that nearly offends even more.
It can coast on in the background without requiring any degree of commitment from the listener whatsoever.
And of course, being a soundtrack as opposed to an actual album, it doesn't really have any flow, and repeats things in different mixes.
Just when I thought I was done with one thing, it's on again, or a thinly disguised version of it.
I have pretty much no desire to be in the same room as this thing again, and even less to play the allegedly amazing indie game to which it is accompanied.
Saturday, 5 November 2016
APRIL - KRISTIJAN RESETIC
1. Megadeth - Youthanasia (Killing Road)
2. Metallica - Ride The Lightning
3. Motley Crue - Dr. Feelgood
4. Gorefest - Erase
5. Sentenced - The Funeral Album
6. Tiamat - Wildhoney
7. Motorhead - Orgasmatron
Kristijan is a longtime friend of mine that I made back in the bad old days of college, for the year I was studying abroad in France. Writing this now I'm realising that friendship has extended over a decade, and I'm feeling really old right now. Kristijan is, as you may guess from the list above, a metal head. He's also a librarian, so there's the old sexy wild side of the librarian in glasses confirmed for ye all.
He also could not get his list down to 5 albums. Hell, he couldn't even get it down to 7 albums, I'd heard two of the other albums and that's only way I got out of listening to those. But he did go to the extra effort of writing WHY he choose each album, how much it meant to him and his friends as they grew up, learned together and played together, so screw it, I guess I had to include them all.
Recently I've really let the blogs slide, so I'm gonna up the output a little bit to try to catch up on things. That said I'm not committing to WHEN things are going up - my album listening is now in it's final month, and that has gone according to schedule, the blogs was an afterthought, and will get that at the point whenever I feel the fuck like it. Fuck you Luke.
MEGADETH - Youthansia (Killing Road)
Fucking amazing.
This is exactly every type of metal cliche, and it is absolutely all the better for it.
Fast, aggressive, amazing, I love this fucking album.
Some tracks feel a little flat (Tout le Monde is more than a little meh), but when the highs are this high, it's really very very forgivable.
I've not listened to any other Megadeth albums, but this has definitely opened the doorway.
I have listened to this album over and over (well I've removed Tout Le Monde from the playlist to be fair), it holds up excellently.
There's so many amazing riffs spread throughout.
I listened to Metallica before this a few times, and enjoyed it, but I feel I have absolutely no reason to listen to Metallica when there's some Megadeth on offer.
Metallica - Ride The Lightning
Yep, I'd never listened to a Metallica album. To be fair, I'd not listened to as many albums when I was younger as I probably should have, everything was singles and mix cds from friends, and that's very much a part of the reason why I embarked on this album listening journey. I'd definitely heard at least half this album, and probably can't under emphasize the influence that Metallica has had on the genre (and definitely on how mainstream metal now is). I really enjoyed this album, and was very much ready to make it the choice of the month.
I can see this being like the Ramones for the punk genre, just inspiring people around the world to pick up a guitar and chuck in to some power chords. And that's what we're all about here, the music that inspired people!
Whilst Metallica in particular has had far more influence on to the popular scene than Megadeth, I just have to go with my gut and go with Megadeth. The first listen through of both I had the opposite opinion, but the relative simplicity of Metallica's album doesn't hold up to the more technical album put together by Masitaine's posse. Repeated listening definitely makes Youthanasia better and better. And if you like Metallica and have never listened to Megadeth, you should seriously make it you business to do so!
Motley Crue - Dr Feelgood
When I think of Motley Crue, I guess my mind zips back to when in the states with Kristijan to see them the states.
I'd never listened to them with any intention at all prior, and I guess this album was his way of making me listen in earnest !
I can definitely see where Guns n Roses got some of their inspiration, but it almost feels a little generic nowadays.
Some nice driving guitar, decent rock singing, everything seems good.
This may have been a massive shift in the musical landscape at the time, but now it just seems like another classic rock album.
Good, fairly enjoyable, probably goes in the category of "easy" no brain listening.
not sure I'll ever go out of my way to throw it on again, but I'd never be adverse to it beig in the background.
Gorefest - Erase
The first thing I get from this is that great thumping bass line on from the first track. This shit is old school, makes me think of the Duke Nukem soundtrack from back in the day.
Heavy, but not particularly fast, and some meaty vocals. This is definitely more my kind of metal, just a little on the slow side. Although it does get a bit representative a few tracks in. Not sure I could recommend it in earnest, compared to the other picks this week, but it's definitely above the travesty to my ears that was Motorhead.
Sentenced - The Funeral Album
This is a good fucking album, what an opening. How have I not heard of these guys before. I'm almost tempted to place this above Metallica, but they have a couple of whiny metal ballads in there (I could forgive/forget "Tout le monde" on Megadeth, but the highs here don't reach the highs of Youthanasia). To me this is kind of a soft metal album, it's not really my type of music, but I think Kristijan definitely picked one I could sit through without wanted to drive a nail through my skull. And these guys can lay down some riffs from time to time, so whilst Eagles they are not, they're not some whiny hair metal pussies either.
Tiamat - Wildhoney
You know what's great about this album?
It's only 40 odd minutes long.
That may seem a bit disingenuous, but credit where credit is due, for the style they have these guys had the sense to keep it tight. This is a little like ambient metal, and we all know at this stage my opinions on ambient music. It's probably a little closer to the sentiment "shit or get off the pot". I ain't no stoner, if I want sometime a little slower there's plenty of other genres for me to pick from than some castrated pussified metal.
It does have some heavier riffs in there, but all kind of slow and dragging, not really the thing I like from metal. But that said, for some strange reason I was able to sit through it without desire to end it all. I guess we'll add this again to Thomas's unusual elevator music selection list. Definitely wouldn't want to be stuck in a lift with this for the soundtrack to the ordeal however, that would be quite, quite hellish indeed.
Motorhead - Orgastmatron
Oh god, this was quite the let down.
It's just gravelly loud biker rock, played over and over, the same few chords and drunk shouting.
First time I listened through to this album, I remembering at the start of every track thinking "Oh, this must be the Ace Of Spades", and only realising after listening to the entire album that Ace Of Spades isn't even on this god damned album, and realizing that Motorhead can only play one song with one set of chords, and have most likely done this for the last few decades. It's like listening to Groundhog day, without any humor or Bill Murray. The repetitive nature wears quite quickly, by the third track I'm really starting to ask myself those existential questions again and coming to the horrifying realization that I have to listen to another Motorhead album this year. Definitely bottom of the heap here, and definitely don't want to listen to this again. At least not whilst sober. I'll wait till I'm drunk, depressed and looking for that final straw to make me tie up the noose and get busy.
2. Metallica - Ride The Lightning
3. Motley Crue - Dr. Feelgood
4. Gorefest - Erase
5. Sentenced - The Funeral Album
6. Tiamat - Wildhoney
7. Motorhead - Orgasmatron
Kristijan is a longtime friend of mine that I made back in the bad old days of college, for the year I was studying abroad in France. Writing this now I'm realising that friendship has extended over a decade, and I'm feeling really old right now. Kristijan is, as you may guess from the list above, a metal head. He's also a librarian, so there's the old sexy wild side of the librarian in glasses confirmed for ye all.
He also could not get his list down to 5 albums. Hell, he couldn't even get it down to 7 albums, I'd heard two of the other albums and that's only way I got out of listening to those. But he did go to the extra effort of writing WHY he choose each album, how much it meant to him and his friends as they grew up, learned together and played together, so screw it, I guess I had to include them all.
Recently I've really let the blogs slide, so I'm gonna up the output a little bit to try to catch up on things. That said I'm not committing to WHEN things are going up - my album listening is now in it's final month, and that has gone according to schedule, the blogs was an afterthought, and will get that at the point whenever I feel the fuck like it. Fuck you Luke.
MEGADETH - Youthansia (Killing Road)
This is exactly every type of metal cliche, and it is absolutely all the better for it.
Fast, aggressive, amazing, I love this fucking album.
Some tracks feel a little flat (Tout le Monde is more than a little meh), but when the highs are this high, it's really very very forgivable.
I've not listened to any other Megadeth albums, but this has definitely opened the doorway.
I have listened to this album over and over (well I've removed Tout Le Monde from the playlist to be fair), it holds up excellently.
There's so many amazing riffs spread throughout.
I listened to Metallica before this a few times, and enjoyed it, but I feel I have absolutely no reason to listen to Metallica when there's some Megadeth on offer.
Metallica - Ride The Lightning
Yep, I'd never listened to a Metallica album. To be fair, I'd not listened to as many albums when I was younger as I probably should have, everything was singles and mix cds from friends, and that's very much a part of the reason why I embarked on this album listening journey. I'd definitely heard at least half this album, and probably can't under emphasize the influence that Metallica has had on the genre (and definitely on how mainstream metal now is). I really enjoyed this album, and was very much ready to make it the choice of the month.
I can see this being like the Ramones for the punk genre, just inspiring people around the world to pick up a guitar and chuck in to some power chords. And that's what we're all about here, the music that inspired people!
Whilst Metallica in particular has had far more influence on to the popular scene than Megadeth, I just have to go with my gut and go with Megadeth. The first listen through of both I had the opposite opinion, but the relative simplicity of Metallica's album doesn't hold up to the more technical album put together by Masitaine's posse. Repeated listening definitely makes Youthanasia better and better. And if you like Metallica and have never listened to Megadeth, you should seriously make it you business to do so!
Motley Crue - Dr Feelgood
When I think of Motley Crue, I guess my mind zips back to when in the states with Kristijan to see them the states.
I'd never listened to them with any intention at all prior, and I guess this album was his way of making me listen in earnest !
I can definitely see where Guns n Roses got some of their inspiration, but it almost feels a little generic nowadays.
Some nice driving guitar, decent rock singing, everything seems good.
This may have been a massive shift in the musical landscape at the time, but now it just seems like another classic rock album.
Good, fairly enjoyable, probably goes in the category of "easy" no brain listening.
not sure I'll ever go out of my way to throw it on again, but I'd never be adverse to it beig in the background.
Gorefest - Erase
The first thing I get from this is that great thumping bass line on from the first track. This shit is old school, makes me think of the Duke Nukem soundtrack from back in the day.
Heavy, but not particularly fast, and some meaty vocals. This is definitely more my kind of metal, just a little on the slow side. Although it does get a bit representative a few tracks in. Not sure I could recommend it in earnest, compared to the other picks this week, but it's definitely above the travesty to my ears that was Motorhead.
Sentenced - The Funeral Album
This is a good fucking album, what an opening. How have I not heard of these guys before. I'm almost tempted to place this above Metallica, but they have a couple of whiny metal ballads in there (I could forgive/forget "Tout le monde" on Megadeth, but the highs here don't reach the highs of Youthanasia). To me this is kind of a soft metal album, it's not really my type of music, but I think Kristijan definitely picked one I could sit through without wanted to drive a nail through my skull. And these guys can lay down some riffs from time to time, so whilst Eagles they are not, they're not some whiny hair metal pussies either.
Tiamat - Wildhoney
You know what's great about this album?
It's only 40 odd minutes long.
That may seem a bit disingenuous, but credit where credit is due, for the style they have these guys had the sense to keep it tight. This is a little like ambient metal, and we all know at this stage my opinions on ambient music. It's probably a little closer to the sentiment "shit or get off the pot". I ain't no stoner, if I want sometime a little slower there's plenty of other genres for me to pick from than some castrated pussified metal.
It does have some heavier riffs in there, but all kind of slow and dragging, not really the thing I like from metal. But that said, for some strange reason I was able to sit through it without desire to end it all. I guess we'll add this again to Thomas's unusual elevator music selection list. Definitely wouldn't want to be stuck in a lift with this for the soundtrack to the ordeal however, that would be quite, quite hellish indeed.
Motorhead - Orgastmatron
Oh god, this was quite the let down.
It's just gravelly loud biker rock, played over and over, the same few chords and drunk shouting.
First time I listened through to this album, I remembering at the start of every track thinking "Oh, this must be the Ace Of Spades", and only realising after listening to the entire album that Ace Of Spades isn't even on this god damned album, and realizing that Motorhead can only play one song with one set of chords, and have most likely done this for the last few decades. It's like listening to Groundhog day, without any humor or Bill Murray. The repetitive nature wears quite quickly, by the third track I'm really starting to ask myself those existential questions again and coming to the horrifying realization that I have to listen to another Motorhead album this year. Definitely bottom of the heap here, and definitely don't want to listen to this again. At least not whilst sober. I'll wait till I'm drunk, depressed and looking for that final straw to make me tie up the noose and get busy.
Sunday, 17 April 2016
MARCH - MIKE PENTZIN
1. Soundgarden - Superunknown (My Wave)
2. TWRP - Believe In Your Dreams
3. Rise Against - The Sufferer & The Witness
4. Pearl Jam - Ten
5. Stevie Ray Vaughan - Texas Flood
Mike is another buddy of mine from the streetfighter circles (a pattern is starting to emerge here...)
Mike is also German, but I try not to hold that against him.
We found out last week that he is an expert at spotting ze Germanz, and correctly confirmed I look nothing like a German.
Good call Mike, several bonus points for you on that front.
Mike has been studying his little heart out whilst enjoying the fruits that Ireland has to offer, streetfighter and tennis.
But he also plays guitar, which I found out quite by accident, and was surprised for not apparent good reason.
I haven't asked but it would not surprise me in the slightest if that started with Guitar Hero or Band Camp, or whatever thing those guys play with plastic instruments.
I could be wrong.
But hey, anything that inspires people to pickup real instruments and challenge themselves can't be bad, so hurray for Band Camp.
I'm pretty sure those games didn't inspire Les Claypool to sing, so at least they've got that going for them.
Again there was nothing in particular that stirred me this month, I'm starting to think Jimmy set the bar too high and gave me unrealistic expectiations, and more than a few people may be unhappy with me shitting over their cherished musical memories, but hey, here we are.
To be honest I found this month quite hard to write, as I just don't really feel anything for anything here.
The opposite of love is not hate people, it's indifference.
Soundgarden - Superunknown
There was a little bit of meat to this one, flowed rather well without being too whiney.
On the other hand, on my first listen through the albums, when the list flowed in to Pearl Jam I didn't realise until a few tracks in.
So I guess there's a definite negative there, it kind of sounds like every Seattle grunge act I've heard all the "cool kids" listening to when I was at school.
I was never nuts on Nirvana, Alice in Chains have a few tracks that tickle me, but as far as grunge goes that's usually where I'm at.
Tin Machine is alright, but a little too little too late in the Bowie chronology.
The album flows pretty well, probably everyone has heard Black Hole Sun too many times in their life at this stage, but to be fair I don't feel the need to lobotomize myself now as I once would have upon hearing it.
To be fair it's a solid album, and it has an interesting mix of sound, not everything is in the same tuning, which makes it a good listen.
At the same time, it's still "Soundgarden" all the way through.
I think I could easily say this is the best grunge album I've heard (all two of them in my lifetime!)
Favorite track would be "My Wave", which almost sounds like a Zepplin track to my ears (and by no means a negative thing I assure you)
TWRP - Believe In Your Dreams
Only five tracks on this puppy, giving it an instant plus, and probably the best track from the month is Pale Blue Dot, which I feel has kind of an ELO feel to it.
It lacks all seriousness and doesn't do an insane amount for me, but I can bop along to it without major frustration, so there's that.
I can' explain it, but I feel there's no real soul to it, it's sounds crazy but it feels like fan service music, as opposed to music from the heart.
Like a Marvel movie, it's popcorn. There's nothing deep here, but some nice riffs.
When I started writing this I actually had it at number one, but the more I write I think I may have to demote it.
Technically there's a nice amount going on here, which kind of elevates it in that regard, but none the less it feels lacking in substance.
Rise Against - The Sufferer & The Witness
I like the occasional bit of metal, and as such, this does very little for me.
It feels like pop metal. I'm told it's called "Hardcore", and it falls short of that definition for me.
There's a couple of catchy riffs, but overall it feels like guys who listened to guys who listened to metal, like if Weezer tried their hand at being heavy.
It's like if preachy vegans made metal, or their version of it.
I have no ideas if these guys are hippies or not, all I can see is those guys in "How To Make It In America" being all hipster in their vintage clothes riding bicycles.
There's no meat in this sandwich I guess is how we could put it.
It's a vegatarian metal sandwich.
I can't really decide do I dislike this more or Pearl Jam, but this feels less generic (but more pop), so I guess I'll give this the higher spot.
Pearl Jam - Ten
I honestly don't know what to write here.
It all sounds the same, and doesn't offend me enough to have an opinion either way.
It could be on the in the background and it wouldn't bother me too much if it wasn't too loud.
It feels like generic grunge.
At least Soundgarden had some soul, at least for a grunge record.
This just feels like the same, same vaguely clean grungey chords over and over with a moany singing voice on top of it.
At least Nirvana had a bit of bite, I actually just put it playing as I write this now in the hope of jogging some opinion.
All I'm hearing is "blah blah blah, I'm still alive", followed by one of the most generic guitar solos I can imagine.
Some tracks are slightly less moaney, some are more, none inspire any kind of interest.
Stevie Ray Vaughan - Texas Flood
I can hear in my head just about everyone (I'm counting three people here, so expectations are suitably low I think) who reads this going "WHAT? Stevie Ray Vaughan is LAST???".
Yes, Stevie Ray is last on this list.
Why?
Because, this music grates my ears.
Yes, he is without doubt one of the most talented guitarists of the last few years.
Yes, many took up an axe from his inspiration.
But quite frankly, white man's blues is something I dislike, generally quite intensely.
It's TOO clean a sound, there's no grit or rawness to it.
Technically it's great, but it's a sound that I've heard over and over in the last few years.
All I can hear when this is on is every crappy cover band I've ever heard, doing their version of this kind of blues.
The blues is like metal, I feel there has to be a little grit behind it.
I just don't get any vibe from this, I found it difficult to listen through this album in one sitting.
When you listen to the Rolling Stones and Clapton, they were able to take heavy blues influences and tweak it enough to make it something new.
Stevies just seems to be trying to distill old blues further to make a cleaner sound, wheras that brutality of the blues is what makes it so.
I can't really convey this in words, and it's quite a disapointment as I was really thinking this would be the best album of the month, but in reality it just leaves me cold.
Sunday, 13 March 2016
FEBRUARY - LUKE LONGARMS (AKA LUKE LYNCH)
1. TOOL - Lateralus (Parabola)
2. Godspeed You Black Emperor - Raise Your Skinny Fists Like Antenna To Heaven
3. Naive Ted - The Inevitable Heel Turn
4. Gogol Bordello - Gypsy Underworld Strike
5. Primus - Frizzle Fry
To be absolutely fair, I don't think I was in the mood for some new music this month, and not too much grabbed me in the way the top two did the month previous.
Luke, in a nutshell, is a hippy.
Not the rabid vegan type of hippy, the sound sort.
He does eat meat (good!), and doesn't try to push political beliefs down your throat as fact off the basis of some random survey that appeared on a site of dubious nature that week.
He eats good food, enjoys the bounty that nature has to offer, loves music and revolves his life around that. And streetfighter. At least it appears. Well it seems like it to me.
Laid back is probably not an adequate description, he's as a cool as a cucumber lying on it's back in the snow.
When I first met him he was trying to get off the ground building guitars, and he has made one or two esquisite instruments of which I'm in awe, but I guess that particular venture didn't work out in his favor.
I expected some ecletic technical music, and that's pretty much what I got.
Some of this stuff I think I may have to be stoned, drunk, or both to appreciate, but none the less the month was soldiered through and everything got a reasonable amount of playtime.
TOOL - Lateralus
This is growing on me, it's like jazz. Metal jazz. And prog rock. That is a good thing, quite a good thing.
Favorite track is probably Parabola.
Awful lot of "I can't hear anything, is the thing playing" at the beginning of tracks, I guess it's all about creating that contrast.
I just saw one of their music videos on YouTube, and it's making me think twice about heaping any further praise, but that aside I can definitely see myself listening to this album again.
I get the bad feeling there's some big political or philosphical meaning behind the lyrics, but they were sufficently quiet and mumbly (pretty sure that's not a word but I couldn't be bothered to think of another) that I could quite easily ignore and appreciate the techincality of the music.
Almost like the opposite of Primus.
I suppose this month summed up would be "Thomas didn't like Primus".
Godspeed You Black Emperor - Raise Your Skinny Fists Like Antenna To Heaven
Someone got 10 guys high in a room with a Pink Floyd record for company, and anyone else who dropped by was free to contribute as they saw fit.
Same phrase played over and over for 20 minutes.
It feels like I'm listening to a jam session, sometimes I could be in the mood for that, but I think all good songs should have a structure, one of those components is an ending.
If you're playing the same thing over and over for 20 minutes it can get a wee bit old.
However, in certain scenarios I've found it to work for me.
It excels as background music, as they're playing the same phrase for so long I feel no need to give it full attention, maybe we've found the elevator music of the future?
More than once I found myself driving and getting a little drawn in.
Not all music is going to blow you away the first time you hear it, and Godspeed Yada Yada is definitely in the category of requiring more than one listen to get the feel for it.
That, or a large amount of pot.
It feels like if Pink Floyd decided "Hey, instead of making this really sweet tight 5 minute track and moving into something totally different, let's grind on it for 20 minutes, put in some random old guy talking about ye good old days, and then do a second track. Sure we'll be down the pub for lunch!"
I may revisit this again in the future however, it's just weird that I can't seem to come up with anything to actually recommend it, but I would not dissuade anyone from listening to it and would (probably) not think any less of them for liking it.
Naive Ted - The Inevitable Heel Turn
I'm not sure what to make of this album, there seems to be some decent tracks on it,ut somethings leaves me a little cold, it's almost a bit souless?
I'm not sure that's a fair critque, I think the combination of electronic beats with traditional instruments is throwing me off something wierd.
But hey, it's got the Bullet Club theme, and that single track is possibly the best track of the month.
I'm probably not been sufficiently versed in the subleties of the electronic scene, as everyone I've met who's heard of this album (and I'm pretty sure it was more than two) loves it, and says it was great live.
I would not be adverse to giving Niave Ted a shot if he was playing live, not sure this album captured me to the point of listening again though.
Gogol Bordello - Gypsy Underworld Strike
I said sounds like the Pogues.
Mike said it sounds like Ramones.
Neither of those things are a neccessarily a negative vibe at all.
It does also remind me a lot of what I dislike in Irish folk music - it's like five guys in a pub all fighting with each other for sound.
Yes it's refreshing for a few minutes, but then it just all starts to become noise in slightly different arrangements.
The vocals are pretty much just shouting, which is fine if it's what you're in to, but even the Ramones had a few slow ones in between.
I could really see listening to some tracks in between something else, but an entire album is a little bit much of the same shouty loud acoustic battling between the performers.
On the whole it doesn't feel like anything particularly unique, I've been exposed to a lot of folk rock for geographical reasons and it really all sounds the same, these guys are little different.
Primus - Frizzle Fry
Some people shouldn't sing in public. I think Les Claypool is one of them.
Not matter how much I listen to it, his voices grates on me like few I've experienced before.
There'll be a thundering bass line and intro to a song, my head starts nodding in appreciation, and then he starts to sing.
The example I always think of is "Too Many Puppies".
Dear Lord, there cannot surely be anyone else in that band who could not make a better attempt at vocals, what dirt does he have on them?
I actually really wanted to like this album, and listened to it far too much for my sanity in the hope I could drown out those lyrical attempts.
And understanding English as a mother tongue only worsens the effect, at least if it was in Spanish I'd have little idea as to the gibberish he's spouting.
He's got nothing useful or interesting to say, he doesn't have the tools to do it in a way that doesn't make me want to puncture my eardrums, but by god, that's not gonna stop him trying.
The instrumentation is fantastic, some great rippling riffs between the group, but those sounds that are called vocals....
2. Godspeed You Black Emperor - Raise Your Skinny Fists Like Antenna To Heaven
3. Naive Ted - The Inevitable Heel Turn
4. Gogol Bordello - Gypsy Underworld Strike
5. Primus - Frizzle Fry
To be absolutely fair, I don't think I was in the mood for some new music this month, and not too much grabbed me in the way the top two did the month previous.
Luke, in a nutshell, is a hippy.
Not the rabid vegan type of hippy, the sound sort.
He does eat meat (good!), and doesn't try to push political beliefs down your throat as fact off the basis of some random survey that appeared on a site of dubious nature that week.
He eats good food, enjoys the bounty that nature has to offer, loves music and revolves his life around that. And streetfighter. At least it appears. Well it seems like it to me.
Laid back is probably not an adequate description, he's as a cool as a cucumber lying on it's back in the snow.
When I first met him he was trying to get off the ground building guitars, and he has made one or two esquisite instruments of which I'm in awe, but I guess that particular venture didn't work out in his favor.
I expected some ecletic technical music, and that's pretty much what I got.
Some of this stuff I think I may have to be stoned, drunk, or both to appreciate, but none the less the month was soldiered through and everything got a reasonable amount of playtime.
TOOL - Lateralus
This is growing on me, it's like jazz. Metal jazz. And prog rock. That is a good thing, quite a good thing.
Favorite track is probably Parabola.
Awful lot of "I can't hear anything, is the thing playing" at the beginning of tracks, I guess it's all about creating that contrast.
I just saw one of their music videos on YouTube, and it's making me think twice about heaping any further praise, but that aside I can definitely see myself listening to this album again.
I get the bad feeling there's some big political or philosphical meaning behind the lyrics, but they were sufficently quiet and mumbly (pretty sure that's not a word but I couldn't be bothered to think of another) that I could quite easily ignore and appreciate the techincality of the music.
Almost like the opposite of Primus.
I suppose this month summed up would be "Thomas didn't like Primus".
Godspeed You Black Emperor - Raise Your Skinny Fists Like Antenna To Heaven
Someone got 10 guys high in a room with a Pink Floyd record for company, and anyone else who dropped by was free to contribute as they saw fit.
Same phrase played over and over for 20 minutes.
It feels like I'm listening to a jam session, sometimes I could be in the mood for that, but I think all good songs should have a structure, one of those components is an ending.
If you're playing the same thing over and over for 20 minutes it can get a wee bit old.
However, in certain scenarios I've found it to work for me.
It excels as background music, as they're playing the same phrase for so long I feel no need to give it full attention, maybe we've found the elevator music of the future?
More than once I found myself driving and getting a little drawn in.
Not all music is going to blow you away the first time you hear it, and Godspeed Yada Yada is definitely in the category of requiring more than one listen to get the feel for it.
That, or a large amount of pot.
It feels like if Pink Floyd decided "Hey, instead of making this really sweet tight 5 minute track and moving into something totally different, let's grind on it for 20 minutes, put in some random old guy talking about ye good old days, and then do a second track. Sure we'll be down the pub for lunch!"
I may revisit this again in the future however, it's just weird that I can't seem to come up with anything to actually recommend it, but I would not dissuade anyone from listening to it and would (probably) not think any less of them for liking it.
Naive Ted - The Inevitable Heel Turn
I'm not sure what to make of this album, there seems to be some decent tracks on it,ut somethings leaves me a little cold, it's almost a bit souless?
I'm not sure that's a fair critque, I think the combination of electronic beats with traditional instruments is throwing me off something wierd.
But hey, it's got the Bullet Club theme, and that single track is possibly the best track of the month.
I'm probably not been sufficiently versed in the subleties of the electronic scene, as everyone I've met who's heard of this album (and I'm pretty sure it was more than two) loves it, and says it was great live.
I would not be adverse to giving Niave Ted a shot if he was playing live, not sure this album captured me to the point of listening again though.
Gogol Bordello - Gypsy Underworld Strike
I said sounds like the Pogues.
Mike said it sounds like Ramones.
Neither of those things are a neccessarily a negative vibe at all.
It does also remind me a lot of what I dislike in Irish folk music - it's like five guys in a pub all fighting with each other for sound.
Yes it's refreshing for a few minutes, but then it just all starts to become noise in slightly different arrangements.
The vocals are pretty much just shouting, which is fine if it's what you're in to, but even the Ramones had a few slow ones in between.
I could really see listening to some tracks in between something else, but an entire album is a little bit much of the same shouty loud acoustic battling between the performers.
On the whole it doesn't feel like anything particularly unique, I've been exposed to a lot of folk rock for geographical reasons and it really all sounds the same, these guys are little different.
Primus - Frizzle Fry
Some people shouldn't sing in public. I think Les Claypool is one of them.
Not matter how much I listen to it, his voices grates on me like few I've experienced before.
There'll be a thundering bass line and intro to a song, my head starts nodding in appreciation, and then he starts to sing.
The example I always think of is "Too Many Puppies".
Dear Lord, there cannot surely be anyone else in that band who could not make a better attempt at vocals, what dirt does he have on them?
I actually really wanted to like this album, and listened to it far too much for my sanity in the hope I could drown out those lyrical attempts.
And understanding English as a mother tongue only worsens the effect, at least if it was in Spanish I'd have little idea as to the gibberish he's spouting.
He's got nothing useful or interesting to say, he doesn't have the tools to do it in a way that doesn't make me want to puncture my eardrums, but by god, that's not gonna stop him trying.
The instrumentation is fantastic, some great rippling riffs between the group, but those sounds that are called vocals....
Thursday, 4 February 2016
JANUARY - JIMMY THE HIDEOUS PENGUIN (AKA THE DRAMA IN PYJAMAS)
1 D-Styles - Phantazmagorea (Won't You Be My Neighbor)
2 Siekiera - Nowa Aleksandria
3 DJ Shadow - Entroducing
4 Aphex Twin - Selected Ambient Works Vol.1
5 System Of A Down - Hypnotize
Jimmy is a friend of mine I only made in recent years, but I have a tremendous degree of respect for him that built up so fast I can't quite believe it.
We don't see each other as often as I'd please, but he's one of the few people I know I feel I can relate to on such a basic level, really surprising considering our polar opposite lifestyles !
He's one of the most intelligent, questioning and dedicated guys I know, dependable, and will always do what he can to help a friend in ways that always amazes me.
I've always felt that we clicked in some way, he has great respect for everyone who tries their best at anything, regardless of what it is, more so than I ever could.
I feel I can speak to him about anything, and there's very few people I can say that about in my life.
As you may get from the list above, Jimmy is a skratch DJ.
A pretty damn good one from all accounts I've been given, having beaten World Champion scratchers in competitions, that must surely make him world class I'd guess?
And true to form, he provided me with a tour de force of DJ music others have since informed me.
So, let's rattle through in my approximate order of preference.....
Top of the list has to be D-Styles - Phantazmagorea.
My first comments were "little wacky and inconsistent".
After listening through this album, I've come to the opinion that a better description is "fucking epic"
The flow of this album in incredible, dark, moody and menacing.
Reminds me a lot of the recent stuff I've heard from Carpenter Brut.
But it's so much more, it flows the whole way through, tracks do have distinct seperations but merge together in to one long musical journey.
I think the first half of the album is stronger than the second, and I take a little offence at the 2 minutes of silence on the last track (if I want silence for 2 minutes I will turn off my radio dammit), but it is an incredible album that has soared up the list of the best albums I've ever listened to.
I had a girl break it off with me and this album has been listened to at least 10 times in the last week of January alone.
I've come back to this one in the gym several times on extremely high volume, and that only makes it all the sweeter.
This one album alone makes the entire month worthwhile, if not the entire year, but thankfully is not the only jewel in Jimmy's musical selection.
Siekiera - Nowa Aleksandria
Polish punk from the eighties. I'm gonna have to get the answer where he even picked this one out of, but this really is something special.
I have no idea what these guys are saying, but I'm sure they have something to say.
And to be fair, when you've had to deal with communisim, you probably have something to say.
The drumming in this album is incredible, driving, rhytmnic and forceful.
I love jazz myself, Art Blakey in particular, so whenever people mention drums in modern music I generally ignore them and hum Evidence to myself.
But this stuff in amazing - if someone wants a lesson in what drumming in rock and punk needs to sound like, THIS is the album you need to hear.
Raw, driving, with force, feeling and message.
DJ Shadow - Entroducing
I heard this album before Phantazmagorea, and it was what I expected a scratch DJ album to sound like.
It's great in that respect, but it by no means blew me away.
Having listened to it several times, I'm just after realising I can't remember much about it right now.
It flows great though, real steady all the way through, not entirely sure I'd ever come back to it ?
I blame D-Styles, he just totally overshadowed Entroducing.
Aphex Twin - Selected Ambient Works 85 - 92
I will openly admit, I hated this album the first time I heard it through.
It felt all over the place, and I guess one of my failings in music of recent years is my inability to appreciate sublety.
Jimmy told me this was one of the defining musicians of his youth, inspired him to pick up decks, and was totally unlike anyone else in that era.
However, about the forth time through I started to appreciate this one.
I can leave this on in the background whilst I'm doing other things now, I guess that's an improvement to me saying "Jesus Christ, this ambient shit sucks".
That probably sounds harsh, it's possible I'm not mellow or relaxed enough to appreciate it, but despite that it did grow on me a little.
We can't all like the same things, otherwise we'd all drive Toyotas.
System Of A Down - Hypnotize
I'll be straight, I'm not sure SOAD got a fair shot in this month.
It was a last week substitution, and I only got to listen to it 3 times, but it didn't really resonate with me.
I'm not a lyrical person when it comes to music.
The voice just sounds like an instrument to me, I find it extremely difficult to pick out the words as they go along, and even when I get to the point where I know words, I rarely pay any attention to the MEANING behind those.
The drive, the rhytmn, timbre, these are all things I pick up on in the voice, I love a good singing voice.
In that respect, I'm probably not a great person to listen to bands such as SOAD.
I greatly appreciate that they have a relatively "unique" sound, I can't quite pick out another band that sounds like them.
I really enjoyed the song "Lonely Day" in particular, which is quite amusing as a SOAD fan (Luke, who is February's pick) commented that Hypnotise is usually the most hated SOAD album, and Lonely Day the most despised song on it !
Using that particular nugget of information, I may not be a SOAD fan.
I also have this feeling that at 33, I'm about 15 years too late to hear this music for the first time.
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