fake 5-star reviews on progarchives.com

It was bound to happen someday.

For years now on Amazon, etc., you couldn't trust all product reviews because many are 'plants' - i.e. fake 5-star reviews designed to boost the product rating, etc.

Now it's happening here in our beloved community. Case in point, the review for the new album from Cryptic Vision, called 'In a World.' There are 6 reviews: 3 of them are ho-hum 2 or 3 star reviews, the other 3 are glowing 5-star reviews.

I'm not going to spell out how to discern real reviews from fakes, lest I tip off those who post fake reviews, but Cryptic Vision is especially incompetent at this form of corporate propaganda - one of the reviews is written by none other than the band's lead singer, Todd Plant! (he posted the review using his real name!!!).

Anyway, always view 5-star reviews with scepticism, unless from well-known reviewers.

Here's an excerpt from Mr. Plant's review, in which he generously praises his own singing:  The vocals exude all sorts of qualities - from Peter Gabriel to Steve Perry - it's one of the most impassioned performances you'll ever hear. On top of that, the harmony and multi-tracked vocals are finer than anything any of the aforementioned singers could come up with.

Edited by kirklott - February 03 2007 at 20:59

shame....real shame...Let's hope this is not a widespread phenomenon and that it limits itself only to reviews of cryptic vision's bandmembers (somehow I doubt it though)

Can we also question 5 star ratings for bands who, er, intake vast quantities of oxygen (I'm not sure if I can use the word "suck"). May Blitz anyone ... 2 decent songs out of what 20. I'm not questioning the reviewer, but strange that an obscure band of such merit would not have more reviews to support or rebut the review.
Add to this the multiple reviews of the "classics". Out of all the groups that compose the Prog scene, is it really possible that 10 of them (see the listing) occupy most of the top positions simply because of their quality or (take a deep breath here), because their works are much, much better known than others that may have equaled or surpassed the masters.
So for the last word on reviews & ratings, before anyone buys an album based on rating(s), compare other ratings by the same reviewer. Check out sites like Amazon.com that may have song samples. If you have a second record store, check the bins out, you might get it cheaply & if it disappoints you, no big hit budgetwise. Heck , yard sales sometimes turn up the strangest treasures.

Well, ok just for fun, here's the full review of Cryptic Visision's 2nd album, as written by the band's lead singer (who apparently thought no one figure it out, even though he posted the review under his real name)

I've bolded a few passages for fun.

CRYPTIC VISION — In A World

Review by Toddzirra (Todd Plant)

Although this album has nothing on it that makes it sound like a seventies styled prog-rock album, the fact is undeniable that those influences shine through throughout. Although this album does not sound like anything like what the more contemporary prog bands are doing, it has their influences shining through. Although this album is wholly original, it is unquestionably, successfully and pleasurably an out and out, bona-fide prog-rock classic. Everything about this album reeks of class and quality - the singing, playing, production, writing, arranging - the works. Many of the songs have you recalling Yes and Spocks Beard, while all sorts of glimpses of other influences occur along the way. Although 12 tracks are listed, this plays out as one vast seventy two minute concept epic. The breadth of vision that created this album is positively staggering - it starts out sedately and to say it builds as it goes on, would be an understatement. I don't think I've heard a prog album in recent years with as much of a perfect set of dynamics as this - slowly but surely the intensity is increased so that you get songs mid-way that are really on fire - but then they'll drop back almost organically for the next phase of the process to begin. Throughout the album there are tons of instrumental passages where the lead guitars and synths, mellotron and keys just soar into life and have the hairs on the back of your neck standing up, time after time. The vocals exude all sorts of qualities - from Peter Gabriel to Steve Perry - it's one of the most impassioned performances you'll ever hear. The lyrics are excellent - lyrics that you'll listen to as much as any other aspect of the album. On top of that, the harmony and multi-tracked vocals are finer than anything any of the aforementioned bands could come up with. Then the production - perfection, it surely is as it allows you to hear every facet of the music, crystalline and fragile when soft, then every subtlety and nuance of the passages where harmony vocals, guitars, synths and rhythm section are all piled high and wide. Arranged to perfection also, the whole thing flows so naturally, you are totally taken along with it and find yourself enjoying it so much that you're simply unaware that you're spending well over an hour listening to it - the mark of an exceptional album, for sure. This is the sound of prog-rock in the year 2006, taken to a whole new level - the benchmark by which a modern day prog-rock album should be judged.

Let´s hope I dont do the same thing ones our albums is released and gets into the archives...
Na, you can count on it, I would never do such thing...well...maybe...

If the band is so desperate they have to post fake reviews on a prog rock website, the record probably isn't that good.  

Gosh, that's sad...the band's frontman is desperately pushing his own little product...

rileydog22 wrote: The Whistler wrote: Gosh, that's sad...the band's frontman is desperately pushing his own little product...   But enough about that, let's talk about the Moody Noobs' upcoming EP! I hear it's gonna be killer! What makes you think that?

I want all the fake 5 star reviews of DSOTM deleted.Must be tons of the things.

It's impossible to separate corrupt 5 star reviews from sincere 5 star reviews case by case, but I think it would be good to remove all reviews without ratings and restrict such be given in the future. They do not bring anykind of informational extra content to the site IMO.