Trolls scare a band from PA

UMUR wrote: ^Caio! The point is that Scott is not giving 1 star ratings to artists that he knows beforehand that he won´t like. And yeah I question his reasons for not liking artists like that, but that was more a provocation on my part because I felt provoked by his description of an artist that I greatly respect.

That's silly Ivan.  A band can be objective enough to make a good album without "having to believe" it is a 5-star masterpiece, right up there with Revolver and Dark Side (or whatever one thinks is masterpiece).  Given our definition of 5-stars (that it be used sparingly, so as to have some meaning), the vast majority of releases are not 1s and 5s.   Bands needn't give their own album 5 stars automatically, but only if they feel it is right up there with the greatest albums of all time.  If they believe that, then fine.   

Whistler wrote: [QUOTE=Battlestations]Hi all, Since we were directly mentioned in the first post, we'd like to specify that we didn't have anything to do with the ratings abuse and manipulation that took place over the last week or so. Just so that's clear. Cheers That's funny, I noticed your name among the one-star-raters, in fact as the first one! I wondered why, and checked out your name and it appeared that you are also on ProgArchives with albums - I checked out the music and there was not one single similarity with the music of Life Line Project. In fact, I thought your music a bit boring! So I wondered why you should rate an album of a band like Life Line Project.   I also noticed that you had given yourself a five star rating. Always nice when a person loves his own music.   Whistler.

Whistler wrote: [QUOTE=Battlestations]Hi all, Since we were directly mentioned in the first post, we'd like to specify that we didn't have anything to do with the ratings abuse and manipulation that took place over the last week or so. Just so that's clear. Cheers That's funny, I noticed your name among the one-star-raters, in fact as the first one! I wondered why, and checked out your name and it appeared that you are also on ProgArchives with albums - I checked out the music and there was not one single similarity with the music of Life Line Project. In fact, I thought your music a bit boring! So I wondered why you should rate an album of a band like Life Line Project.   I also noticed that you had given yourself a five star rating. Always nice when a person loves his own music.   Whistler.

Hmm. So:

-You've got to help yourself. Simple as that. (your comment on our own self-rating).

-As for our rating of your music, let us specify what is going on when we rate anything in here: it is never a judgement on the music quality itself. The only criteria we have (those who come here anyway) is, whether it touches us or not. Nothing more, but also nothing less. It just happens that your music does not invoke a specific emotional connection, as far as we're concerned. It's not a veiled comment on your musicianship quality, or compositional skill. It's simply whether we can relate to it or not. In this case, not.

There were two albums this year that we rated at 1 star: yours, and Anglagard's. So you were in good company

More seriously, since then we read the guidelines more carefully, and would not rate 1 star again. Simply because, even if we don't feel anything for it, any album IS hard work, and for that only deserves more than 1 star.
Mea culpas.

And no hard feelings


Edited by Battlestations - November 13 2012 at 11:03

[QUOTE=Battlestations]Hi all,

That's funny, I noticed your name among the one-star-raters, in fact as the first one! I wondered why, and checked out your name and it appeared that you are also on ProgArchives with albums - I checked out the music and there was not one single similarity with the music of Life Line Project.

^Caio! The point is that Scott is not giving 1 star ratings to artists that he knows beforehand that he won´t like. And yeah I question his reasons for not liking artists like that, but that was more a provocation on my part because I felt provoked by his description of an artist that I greatly respect.

^It´s Gnaw Their Tongues...and you are right, it´s dark and evil stuff alright. What you forgot to mention is how brilliantly well composed it is. But thanks for not giving 1 star ratings to something you obviously despise for all the wrong reasons.

Eetu Pellonpää wrote: thellama73 wrote: Epignosis wrote: I would abolish ratings only. Simples(er). Second! Thirded from my part, I hope this possibly futile and here off-topic issue would have it's own discussion. Separation could be the first stage of eliminating the ratings, and later introducing capability to do a over 200 word review without rating. I understand why M@x could have opinion for reviews, as they give faster some sort of uncohesion for the albums (hey this is a masterpiece, uh this one with neat covers is only for fans duh), but I personally think a well written essay about the record gives more credit to both the album and and the page promoting it. However this is a fine place even as it is, but wihtout force majeur demands I hope it is ok to toss around ideas of people's personal future enhancement ideas possibly never happening? Great that the thread also served it's purpose and the person left is coming back

Epignosis wrote: Ivan_Melgar_M wrote: Epignosis wrote: Seriously, eliminate ratings only. The "I can't speak English" facilitation argument has always been weak to me. If this were a Spanish prog rock site, I would do my best to translate my reviews.  I wouldn't waste my time with a rating when a review counts as ten or twenty times. I'm a Spanish speaker, it's hard for me to write in English, I have to use dictionary and synonym dictionary, plus wrrite it in word to avoid typos as possible, Yet here you are, a special collaborator. If a person has something to say about an album, 100 words in English isn't hard to put together.

timothy leary wrote: Not really an answer but you do write good reviews. Just wondering, some weighted reviews are hardly worth the extra points. Yours at least are worth the extra weight.

Your question was an honest one though.

I write reviews because I like music and I like writing.  But if there is a collective "number" applied to an album, I would want to have as much "clout" as possible.