Be-gone all you post-Comatorium Volta Haters
Printed From: Progarchives.com
Category: Progressive Music Lounges
Forum Name: Prog Bands, Artists and Genres Appreciation
Forum Description: Discuss specific prog bands and their members or a specific sub-genre
URL: http://www.progarchives.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=49377
Printed Date: November 28 2024 at 00:51
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Topic: Be-gone all you post-Comatorium Volta Haters
Posted By: PinkPangolin
Subject: Be-gone all you post-Comatorium Volta Haters
Date Posted: June 12 2008 at 16:43
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On reading through Mars Volta reviews - there appear to be essentially 3 different views - (1) those who love all their music (dudes!), (2) Those who simply hate all of it (I can understand that - it really is like marmite - all those falsetto vocals and exhausting music is not everyone's cup of tea and I respect that), BUT (3) Those who say they really like Deloused in the Comatorium, but hate everything after that - this I don't understand - WHY? Deloused is a really great album (a masterpiece infact). I guess I was lucky in that I acquired "Frances the Mute" first (which remains my favourite) - and so didn't end up comparing everything else to Deloused. Why do you want tMV to always sound like their first album - how are they supposed to live up to that? Aren't bands allowed to progress and experiment with new styles? - I mean other bands on this website would be hideously criticised for not moving on.... Why not try to review each album in it's own righjt - and not compare with Deloused all the time - annoyingly saying each album is never as good! I reckon a new listener should not start with Deloused - other |
Replies:
Posted By: Moatilliatta
Date Posted: June 12 2008 at 17:04
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Glad you have those views! I'm with you.
Though, I could understand why people aren't into the new material as much. It is much more difficult to digest. Prog fans are supposed to like challenges, but maybe all of that noise is just too much for them. I think the band is trying to be inaccessible these days. They still pull off some awesome tunes that everyone should enjoy (Goliath, for example), but each new album as a whole is noiser and more dissonant.
I don't see why people focus so much on the noise in Frances the Mute, though. Sure, it takes up a bit more time than we're used to, but shouldn't the high quality of the music override anything like that? I actually like the noise sections for the most part. It's a shame that those people can't adapt to or ignore the noises so they might bask in the glory of the album. ------------- www.last.fm/user/ThisCenotaph  
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Posted By: laplace
Date Posted: June 12 2008 at 17:08
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I like the first two albums most but I'm not repelled by noise. I'm repelled by the way the singing has gotten so ridiculous and the composition so self-indulgent that it parodies their early, better work.
I do still try to stay up-to-date on their music because I'm sure they'll do something else I like at some point. ------------- FREEDOM OF SPEECH GO TO HELL |
Posted By: Mikerinos
Date Posted: June 12 2008 at 17:21
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Their most recent album was a disappointment and I can't even listen to it entirely anymore. But I enjoy the first three quite a bit, never really one of my favorites but I certainly don't hate them. and I kind of like the "noise" on Frances the Mute, it is a nice break. Amputechture doesn't have as much, but it doesn't seem nearly as headache inducing as the new one for some reason. Yeah, I really don't like that one, probably one of the few CD purchases I've simply disliked, most are at least decent.  ------------- 
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Posted By: Pnoom!
Date Posted: June 12 2008 at 17:41
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well... Deloused is their best, clearly. Frances is pretty neat and a worthy followup. Amputechture sucks. It just does. It's bad. And Bedlam is a slight return to form, but it's too much noise, too little songwriting. |
Posted By: heyitsthatguy
Date Posted: June 12 2008 at 17:54
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I love all 4 albums, even though De-loused is my favorite
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Posted By: PinkPangolin
Date Posted: June 12 2008 at 17:54
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I respect and understand your views - though I'm not sure the singing is any more 'ridiculous' than it always has been. Though I do miss the Spanish used in "Frances the Mute" to be fair. What about the new drummer though - awesome isn't he? Beats the heck out of too much bass-pedalling and blast beats that are used in metal. With the new drummer they have taken a new direction that is more funky and well worth listening to. High pace funk? Never really heard that sort of sound before, quite new. As for the noise in "Frances the Mute" (thanks for your good opinion Moatilliata) - nobody ever moaned when Pink Floyd produced lots of noise! |
Posted By: heyitsthatguy
Date Posted: June 12 2008 at 17:56
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I like the new drummer, but there are parts where he needs to calm the hell down during the quieter parts
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Posted By: Pnoom!
Date Posted: June 12 2008 at 17:56
| PF never used so much noise that that you couldn't tell what the actual song is, which is a rampant problem on Bedlam. |
Posted By: PinkPangolin
Date Posted: June 12 2008 at 17:58
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I didn't really mean the crazy noise on Bedlam - I meant more the long-winded relaxed stuff on "Frances the Mute" in the comparison with PF. Fair point though. |
Posted By: Pnoom!
Date Posted: June 12 2008 at 18:48
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Well I like Frances. A bit overlong, and way self-indulgent (in the not so good way) as all their albums are, but still quite a good album. And I have to say it, they must have the worst lyrics I've ever heard. |
Posted By: Dim
Date Posted: June 12 2008 at 20:31
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A little off topic, but my friend burntme their first and last album. I've heard the bedlam enough to know that the music and compositions are really cool, but too action packed, and too much going on in order for me to listen to it even half way through. Is De Loused like this? If o I'll probably listen to it eventually, but I cant say that I'll be able to enjoy it s much as the more chilled out/layed back music I love so much. ------------- 
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Posted By: The Pessimist
Date Posted: June 12 2008 at 21:08
De-loused is a funny thing. It is just as intense or near enough as Bedlam, but it is intense in such a way that you don't have to turn the volume down throughout the whole thing. It might be something to do with the huge break in the middle of Cicatriz, but i don't know. Any volta fan will tell you this. And amputechture does not suck at all (referring to above comment). It's got two incredible songs (Tetragrammaton and DOTB) with two brilliant atmospheric pieces (Vicarious Atonement and El Ciervo Vulnerado). The rest, i agree, aren't too good, but that shouldn't bring the whole album down. I think they were just lazier on Amp than in genial work like Frances The Mute. I'm really looking forward to the next album actually, some really promising stuff there. Omar said that it was acoustic, so we can expect a mellower release. It would be nice to hear this side of the Volta  and for christ's sake, bring back the epics! The one thing i disliked on Bedlam is that no song exceeded 10 minutes, which i loved about them because they can 'alf dish out a great epic!As for post-De-loused material? Frances is fantastic, Amputechture has some utterly untoppable moments and Bedlam is nice in small doses. I think that rances is their magnum opus however, and i even prefer it to De-loused. schizoid_man77, a piece of advice: before listening to De-loused as a whole, listen to Televators, Take The Veil from about 4:30 onwards and the mellower sections of Eriatarka if you're into chilled out music  ------------- "Market value is irrelevant to intrinsic value." Arnold Schoenberg |
schizoid_man77 wrote:Posted By: heyitsthatguy
Date Posted: June 12 2008 at 21:26
I like them far more than any of Yes' lyrics -------------
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Posted By: Moatilliatta
Date Posted: June 13 2008 at 01:07
I'm not sure how you can say that about Bedlam, and not the second half of Dowsing Anemone with Copper Tongue.
Also, their lyrics are great. Even if you don't know what they mean, they contain some of the best one-liners I have ever heard. ------------- www.last.fm/user/ThisCenotaph
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Posted By: Demonoid
Date Posted: June 13 2008 at 03:10
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Actually, i can understand why some don't like bedlam...seems somewhat fine with me. More of a hit and miss band...some ppl will like it, others will dislike it strongly. I love all their stuff though. I know quite a few ppl who can't stand bedlam tbh. ------------- http://www.last.fm/user/dem0n0id/?chartstyle=LivejournalColors"> 
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Posted By: Henry Plainview
Date Posted: June 13 2008 at 03:22
When did Pink Floyd ever do noise like on Frances? I can only think of the whale song in Echoes, but that's much shorter and different from playing the sound of a screen door slamming in the wind.
I mostly like them, but they always do something to annoy me. The lyrics are ABYSMAL, which I can usually ignore except when they're too much. Usually that is when something is really stupid (The kiosk in my temporal lobe is shaped like Rosalyn Carter!) or when he mispronounces words (sep-ul-KER! tur-ni-KE!). The noise of course on FTM is something I always skip, but the rest of it is pretty good. ------------- if you own a sodastream i hate you |
Posted By: Raff
Date Posted: June 13 2008 at 03:25
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Being a TMV fan, I tend to agree with both PinkPangolin and Moatiliatta. However, I also try to be as objective as I can, so I'd also agree with those who said that TBiG is somewhat too 'action-packed' (a very fitting definition IMHO). The ideas are there, the musicianship as well, but after a while it can feel a bit relentless, if you get my meaning. As I wrote in my review of the album (I reviewed all four TMV studio releases), the band should learn some of the fine art of restraint. I think the main reason why De-loused is held up as a masterpiece doesn't just lie in its undisputedly ground-breaking value - as an album, it does have BALANCE, and achieves it perfectly. The subsequent three releases, on the other hand, give in to self-indulgence, though each in its own different way. That said, in my view TMV are still the most exciting, innovative band on the modern prog scene. Not everyone's cup of tea for sure, but an authentically progressive outfit.
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Posted By: Avantgardehead
Date Posted: June 13 2008 at 03:52
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I like everything except the new one, blech!
------------- http://www.last.fm/user/Avantgardian |
Posted By: russellk
Date Posted: June 13 2008 at 05:17
| The density of the music in 'Bedlam' is precisely why I love it so much. A thousand mad thngs happening all at once, but it all shakes down and makes sense. Not only that, the songs flow together well. Each TMV album is different in character to the last - the band is progressive in every sense of the word. I listen to Amputechture least, but still adore it. |
Posted By: GoldenSpiral
Date Posted: June 13 2008 at 08:28
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I'm definitely not a de-loused purist, but I think it and Frances are the only ones that work as cohesive albums. Amputechture was the biggest disappointment for me, as I really only like one song on it.
I think Bedlam is much better, and the first 5 songs on it are some of my favorite TMV songs. Unfortunately, the latter end of the album doesn't hold up, and after "Goliath" I find myself skipping back to track 1. It wouldve been a much better EP. ------------- http://www.myspace.com/altaic" rel="nofollow - http://www.myspace.com/altaic ALTAIC "Oceans Down You'll Lie" coming soon |
Posted By: BroSpence
Date Posted: June 13 2008 at 09:48
| I like them all. De-Loused is actually my least favorite because after that point the group (Omar) became better players. De-Loused sounds a bit too dirty for what they're going for, but its still a great album. More often than not I'm listening to the latter 3 albums though. |
Posted By: Moatilliatta
Date Posted: June 13 2008 at 13:20
I definitely think that it gets a bit shaky after "Goliath," but "Agadez" and the last three tracks make the rest of the album completely worthwhile for me. ------------- www.last.fm/user/ThisCenotaph
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Posted By: moreitsythanyou
Date Posted: June 13 2008 at 13:35
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I can't understand Amputechture hate. At all. It makes no sense. I like all of their albums really, but Amputechture is their masterpiece. -------------  <font color=white>butts, lol[/COLOR] |
Posted By: sleeper
Date Posted: June 13 2008 at 14:49
There, fixed!  I think they've got 3 very good albums and I good album, with Frances suffering from too much aimless noise making it very frustrating to listen to, becaue the music is fantastic, especially Cassandra Gemini. Amputechture is a strong album but I think they reined themsleves in a bit too much on that album, they werent at the edge of chaos that they revel in, something that they moved back to in Bedlam, which is their best album IMO. Yes, its relentless and dense, but it works from start to finish for me. Personally, I prefer Jon Theodore to Thomas Pridgen on the kit, he was a bit more sympathetic to what the others were doing than TP, though the quality inn the rhythm section hasnt gone down. ------------- Spending more than I should on Prog since 2005 
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Posted By: Padraic
Date Posted: June 13 2008 at 14:57
Other than liking Bedlam a bit more, I'm in complete agreement with your post. |
Posted By: sleeper
Date Posted: June 13 2008 at 15:01
Play De- Loused, its intense but there's more space in the music on that album than on TBiG. Take the Veil Cerpin Taxt is on the site, listen to that song first to consider whether you will like it. ------------- Spending more than I should on Prog since 2005
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Posted By: laplace
Date Posted: June 13 2008 at 15:08
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The Mars Volta (read more)
15,706,032 plays scrobbled on Last.fm lol. such haters. ;P my Mars Volta comp spans everything after the first album. It includes Asilos Magdalena. it omits Goliath. ------------- FREEDOM OF SPEECH GO TO HELL |
Posted By: Figglesnout
Date Posted: June 13 2008 at 15:28
This is me. The vocal effects Cedric lavishes on post Frances albums are just ridiculous, and the compositions on Amputechture are very flimsy. Bedlam was better, but not by too much, as it was overlong and clunky, with awful lyrics, a silly concept, and over-the-top, self-indulgent distortions on real sounds, just for the quirk appeal... This band used to literally be my favorite band (notice my name...), but that long since changed, thanks to Amputechture. I don't hate them or anything, I just think they have gone overboard. ------------- I'm a reasonable man, get off my case |
Posted By: Padraic
Date Posted: June 13 2008 at 15:30
| Wow, I thought I was in a minority about Amputechture - when it came out it was getting praised up and down around here. To be honest, it almost put me off the band for good. Their latest, at the least, managed to cross the threshold of maintaining my interest. |
Posted By: Moatilliatta
Date Posted: June 13 2008 at 16:22
Well, I'll be honest, when me and my best friend got home from buying the album, we listened to it together, and we were both so unbelievably disappointed. Aside from the second half of Viscera Eyes and Day of the Baphomets, we just didn't get it. The intro was cool, but it means nothing if the rest of the songs aren't good. After several listens it clicked, with the exception of Meccamuptecture and El Ciervo Vulnerado which seemed too repetitve, long and boring. Seeing the songs live really brought them to life (including Meccamputecture) as well. It's definitely my least favorite overall, but I still think it's a fantastic album. ------------- www.last.fm/user/ThisCenotaph
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Posted By: PinkPangolin
Date Posted: June 13 2008 at 18:37
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Wow - tremendous thoughts everybody - fascinating reading. I think I respect all your views, as TMV are such an intrigue of a band - some love it, some hate it. But I'm really glad there are some of you out there that like all 4 albums. I admit Amputechture is a hard listen (and I was disappointed that they didn't include a Hypgnosis sleeve again - anyone know why? or how to see a copy of the Hypgnosis sleeve they rejected??) However, the song Meccamputechture remains one of my favourites - awesome sax on it! But the greatest for me is surely Cassandra Gemini in part 2 when the song really lifts off into an amazing wall of guitar sound and vocals combined - I don't think they'll ever beat that! Lyrics? Come on - they're amazing - but who understands them (or does anyone care?) |
Posted By: Pnoom!
Date Posted: June 13 2008 at 18:37
Because the latter is actually composed music, not terrible producing.
No. Just no. Just absolutely not. We cannot be friends now.  |
Posted By: Moatilliatta
Date Posted: June 13 2008 at 19:01
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^Haha. Shoot, I really wanted it to work out, too! I'm just biased. Some of the lyrics seem really silly, it's true. I just don't care that much. I know you place more value on lyrics than I do. I'm sure if I didn't love the music so much, I wouldn't find the lyrics any good (especially when he mispronounces the words).
I only think 3-4 of the songs on Bedlam suffer from "too much noise, too little songwriting" and they happen to be my least favorite songs. At least they keep my attention, though. ------------- www.last.fm/user/ThisCenotaph
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Posted By: Pnoom!
Date Posted: June 13 2008 at 19:13
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Try reading the lyrics out of context without gagging. Part of my problem with the noise isn't just that it's way overdone, it's that it tries to obscure their weaker songwriting (coughcavelettascough), and the result is a bad song made even worse by terrible producing. |
Posted By: explodingjosh
Date Posted: June 13 2008 at 19:20
I was waiting for you to say something, as you have in past threads! Amputechture is awesome. The vocals test the listener's patience more than any other album, for sure, but I think that the music is the best they've done. ------------- 
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Posted By: PinkPangolin
Date Posted: June 13 2008 at 19:24
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Interesting thought from Golden Spiral (kind of backed up by Moatilliata) - about the first 5 tracks being the best (I think that these are some of TMV's greatest - esp Goliath - the one song that everyone at least seems to like). I admit that the album takes a bit of a nose-dive after Goliath, only just beginning to recover in the latter half of Agadez. Then there are 3 more truly great tracks in Aspekios, Ouroborous and Conjugal Burns. I'm not sure about Soothsayer - other than the amazing dissonant solo in the middle - this track actually scares me a little. Maybe the album could be shortened to the 1st 5 tracks with the 3 I mention above would cause people to like it more?? As for King Volta - a bit sad to have that name and not be so keen anymore.... I mean surely you liked the powerfulness in Deloused and Frances. Don't you think that has returned in TBiG? |
Posted By: Moatilliatta
Date Posted: June 13 2008 at 23:51
Haha, maybe I'll try again soon, but right now I'm not taking that chance. I've just consumed a large, delicious meal from Olive Garden, and the slightest gag might make me eject the contents of my stomach. I fear I might spiral back into bulemia!
I agree about that other statement, though. "Tourniquet Man" and "Cavalettas" were not ready to be recorded. They had potential, but it seems like instead of working with it to make a good, cohesive piece, they decided to give Tourniquet Man a premature "Asilos Magdalena" treatment by making it get all grotesque at the end (extra grotesque I suppose, that first half arguably is as well) and Cavalettas is just a mess of passages. I think "Askepios" has that problem to a lesser extent, and its strong points are stronger than the aforementioned. ------------- www.last.fm/user/ThisCenotaph
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Posted By: Moatilliatta
Date Posted: June 13 2008 at 23:54
The power in TBiG is, in general, not the same power as the first to albums. It's a lot more chaotic and dissonant. There are some parts that remind me of those times, but the sound is still quite different. ------------- www.last.fm/user/ThisCenotaph
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Posted By: Pnoom!
Date Posted: June 13 2008 at 23:59
| King Volta, if you want to change your name, just drop (sl)easy livin a PM. |
Posted By: Pnoom!
Date Posted: June 14 2008 at 00:00
I could write better lyrics than TMV just by sticking my finger into a dictionary randomly and fitting some sentence structure around the words I pick. |
Posted By: jammun
Date Posted: June 14 2008 at 00:12
| Maybe I'm too old. My son was a big fan of At The Drive In. I didn't care for them really. Said son is not a big fan of Mars Volta. I at minimum appreciate their stance, their willingness to take the risk. Not sure that any of their albums are masterpieces, but they do make some challenging and beautiful music, even to the ears of a guy who grew up back in the day. That I appreciate. So no I won't be amongst those dismissing this or that album by MV, as I'm still trying to digest all four albums. Yeah, Frances is probably my favorite at this point (it's the first one I heard), but I do not immediately dismiss the later albums. It seems I'm in a learning mode or process with MV, which works fine for me. |
Posted By: stonebeard
Date Posted: June 14 2008 at 00:30
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Comatorium = really good Frances = pretty good everything else = bad Why? They never let any silence in. Everything is the same in a very bad, constantly loud, jarring, smack your face with annoying dissonance and random don't care rhythms and notes. Also, the lyrics are laughable. Beat poetry my ass. Random sh*t. ------------- http://soundcloud.com/drewagler" rel="nofollow - My soundcloud. Please give feedback if you want! |
Posted By: PinkPangolin
Date Posted: June 14 2008 at 03:08
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No other band plays with such wild abandon, and with such enormous skill. Such energy and pace - there are no others like it. Nobody else would dare! It works for me, and I do feel there is structure and there is so much life in it. I really do respect that others don't like it - that's bound to happen simply because they are the most different band of all. When other people think "wild" they think you have to be really heavy with lots of high pace double bass-peddling. There's nothing new in that, and TMV have taken an entirely different route which no other band have comprehended or dared try - and its far more wild than the heaviest death metal. I'm sorry, but TBiG IS awesome. So is Deloused in the Comatorium, but I don't see the difference in the albums in what they are trying to do. Sure there's a few random bits in it, but TMV kind of stand for that, but there's a lot more structure than you think - and the musicianship skill overrides most modern bands. As for the dictionary idea from Phoon - not a bad idea - might try that Thanks once more for all your good thoughts - respect them all ! |
Posted By: Pnoom!
Date Posted: June 14 2008 at 03:27
fail |
Posted By: PinkPangolin
Date Posted: June 14 2008 at 03:41
OK - you win Sorry - I spelt your name wrong, Pnoon - must have been looking in the wrong dictionary! |
Posted By: Pnoom!
Date Posted: June 14 2008 at 03:46
Your aptitude for continued failure boggles the mind  Or should I say... phailure, to go along with phoon |
Posted By: Harry Hood
Date Posted: June 14 2008 at 05:34
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I loved Deloused and Frances The Mute. Before I'd even heard of prog, I heard these guys and thought "this is what modern rock should sound like!". what bugs me about their new material is that they've assembled an excellent group of musicians, and there's certainly a lot of good material there, but it's all lost in the overblown and directionless production. The songs still come across well enough live (especially "Day Of The Bahpomets", which I feel is their best song yet), but studio wise they would definitely benefit from an outside producer. At this point though, I don't think Omar would allow it. ------------- 
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Posted By: Figglesnout
Date Posted: June 14 2008 at 11:29
To Pnoom! -- Yes I've thought about changing it, just never gone through with it. Perhaps I will soon. I can't think of anything good to change it to other than my forum default (threefingeredben), but perhaps something will come with time... and to PinkPangolin -- I think the energy in tBig is stale and overdone. Both De-loused and Frances had much better balancing, while tBiG seems very keen on trying to punch you in the face with its music and never stop. I think tBiG has a few great songs, but most of these are overshadowed by the mediocre content throughout the center-songs and the whole album just comes across as one big huge mess. It is, however, much better than Amputechture which, if it didn't have Tetragrammaton and Day of the Baphomets, would be possibly one of the worst albums I've ever heard. Especially to follow up Frances, which I loved (and love still). I think the energy on tBiG is used more as a gimmick than as a musical tool. It does not feel organic, like on De-Loused and Frances, but rather it feels tacked on for what the Volta boys probably thought was crazy good measure. I'm not a fan, really. That's not to say I hate tBig--I certainly don't--it's just not the greatest ever by any means. I still appreciate the Volta though, because they are pretty much the band that jaded me musically; now I don't get so disappointed when an album by a band I like kinda sucks. I just go with it, and listen to something else, including their older albums. I can thank them for this ------------- I'm a reasonable man, get off my case |
Posted By: PinkPangolin
Date Posted: June 14 2008 at 11:43
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To King Volta - I understand that they are working on a much quieter more relaxed "acoustic" album (hope its more like Televators and Miranda that Ghost, and not the awful Tourniquet Man). Maybe they are just trying lots of different directions - trying to map out their future as it were. I guess this is what Pink floyd did - and eventually came up with Dark Side of the Moon. Maybe when they've worked out the formula, they'll piece together one of the most majestic albums of all time (let's hope). Dark Side was the Floyd's 8th album - if TMV do the same then I'm looking forward to their 8th album!!! - So, don't give up hope! To Pnoon - OK I'm a fail - accepted - I'm cool with that, but at least I like Prog and that counts for something, right?  pp |
Posted By: heyitsthatguy
Date Posted: June 14 2008 at 12:44
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their next album is supposedly being nicknamed by them as their "acoustic album", so that should a) be interesting and b) allow for some breathing room edit: hivemind pinky -------------
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Posted By: WinterLight
Date Posted: June 14 2008 at 13:23
| I can't quite digest "Deloused", mainly because I find it a bit noisy. Odd, perhaps, since I have no problems listening to extreme metal. |
Posted By: Pnoom!
Date Posted: June 14 2008 at 14:01
King Dot? King Kayo? |
Posted By: Figglesnout
Date Posted: June 14 2008 at 15:24
Interesting suggestions...I think you've sparked an idea within me. Thanks! ------------- I'm a reasonable man, get off my case |
Posted By: mecca
Date Posted: June 15 2008 at 01:46
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None of their releases have shown the focus of De-Loused. Really, I have no idea why they feel the need to "change" their sound every single album - that's precisely why they've lost their punch. They should have progressed from their sound they had in De-Loused in a comfortable manner so they could expand on the sound as they released more and more albums. Instead they chose to play "quantum-jump" across all the different energy levels showing little to no consistency.
The thing is, when De-Loused was released, they were a reputable and original band. Then after that, they started sounding like a heterogenous mixture of other bands and styles. And then the cheesy prog. And still the cheesy prog.
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Posted By: PinkPangolin
Date Posted: June 15 2008 at 05:37
| The one thing that the Mars Volta are NOT - is cheesy (whether you love or hate their music). Infact, they are one of the few American Prog bands that are not cheesy (apologies to my American friends) |
Posted By: Rocktopus
Date Posted: June 15 2008 at 06:10
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That's a genre thing that's got very little to do with nationality, PP. Very little american Avant/RIO (or folk, jazz etc related prog) is cheesy. The
cheese just applies to all those pompous/moronic progmetal-bands.
------------- Over land and under ashes In the sunlight, see - it flashes Find a fly and eat his eye But don't believe in me Don't believe in me Don't believe in me |
Posted By: Visitor13
Date Posted: June 15 2008 at 10:28
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What's all the fuss about? I thought it was quite obvious TMV had been created in the first place to make a lot of noise to a good groove and the occasional hook. And this would explain the lyrics, most likely taken at random from a dictionary, as pointed out by Phoon. Not that you have to like TMV because of this, but come now, it's not like the first two and the last two albums are separated by a leap in noisiness or anything. |
Posted By: Pnoom!
Date Posted: June 15 2008 at 11:07
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I hope you die a slow, painful death for that. second line of the sig, people |
Posted By: PinkPangolin
Date Posted: June 15 2008 at 12:02
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In this case, I actually agree with you Rocktopus - Prog-metal is cheesy. So much so, it's well funny! I think you've hit the nail on the head - the American stuff in particular (take Symphony X for example) Pnoon - you are getting scary now - glad I don't know where you live. Anyway, I must admit to you that I did use random selection from a dictionary to come up with the name for my imaginary band 25 years ago "Edacious Pangolins" - hence the Pangolin in my name. It was a fascination to me that someone else had an imaginary band with a very similar animal in it (ie. Porcupine Tree) - except in his case, it became real. That was not a Phail, eh? I still think all 4 MV albums are awesome - including the lyrics, so there! |
Posted By: heyitsthatguy
Date Posted: June 15 2008 at 12:11
because people would complain about a 'lack of progression', which is still actually some other people's complaints with them -------------
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Posted By: mecca
Date Posted: June 15 2008 at 13:14
| I mean: They should progress their sound, not completely alter it each album, because after a while, their sound will generally regress and become what it is now, a parody of their older material. De-Loused was a very unique album, they should have kept that sound because it was their own, albeit, they could make small alterations every album, they should still base those off the original sound. After De-Loused, they became much more "rehash-from-the-70's" - they actually had something new and original, but they threw it away. It mixed punk, heavy atmospherics, salsa, funk, and jazz in one whole, coherent sound. Frances separated all those to their own songs, a kind of watering-down effect. |
Posted By: heyitsthatguy
Date Posted: June 15 2008 at 15:10
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Cassandra Gemini and Cygnus...Vismund Cygnus, to me, all still have those elements
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Posted By: Norbert
Date Posted: June 16 2008 at 13:37
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Frances the Mute(or Francis the Brute?) is the album I don't have by them, but I really like their other 3, i would not say, that they are flawless, but certainly worth having.
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Posted By: debrewguy
Date Posted: June 16 2008 at 20:23
Or to those who apply overgeneralized and opinionated labels to music they don't get/like ? ------------- "Here I am talking to some of the smartest people in the world and I didn't even notice,” Lieutenant Columbo, episode The Bye-Bye Sky-High I.Q. Murder Case. |
Posted By: catdog12
Date Posted: June 17 2008 at 14:11
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I do not understand TMV nay sayers. To just abondoned a group that is putting out some of the most energetic and original music today. I think some people loved the first 3 albums because they were a bit more accesible. I love all there albums and claim Amputechture as my favorite and until the last album was released this album has gotten the worst reviews. I can only suggest to listen to it again and then again and then again. In other words it has what seems like and endless layering of melodies that provide endless replay value. I haven't listened to Bedlam enough to really compare it, but it seems to provide the same complexities without sacrificing melodic music. I think they may be getting better with age. ------------- GenGabera |
Posted By: Rocktopus
Date Posted: June 17 2008 at 15:09
You sound like you think my overgeneralized opinionated label is wrong. Why? ------------- Over land and under ashes In the sunlight, see - it flashes Find a fly and eat his eye But don't believe in me Don't believe in me Don't believe in me |
Posted By: el böthy
Date Posted: June 17 2008 at 17:30
Yeah, lets kill those b*****ds!!!
------------- "You want me to play what, Robert?" 
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Posted By: debrewguy
Date Posted: June 18 2008 at 20:47
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Pity they started with a classic, followed up with an overly atmospheric album ( I once thought I had pressed the track repeat button the first time I played), came back with 2 good albums that have kept up most of their fans hope. ------------- "Here I am talking to some of the smartest people in the world and I didn't even notice,” Lieutenant Columbo, episode The Bye-Bye Sky-High I.Q. Murder Case. |
Posted By: Henry_Hamilton_Smyth
Date Posted: June 19 2008 at 19:55
I just want to toss in that I agree with you 100% rocktopus, prog-metal irritates the hell out of me and the only band from that genre I actually like is Dream Theater. But you are not in any way wrong. Ok, now for the topic... De-loused is genius, Frances is great, I haven't heard enough songs from Amputechture to make a decision on this album but the tracks I have heard already seem great. I think TBiG is a bit of a disappointment but it's nothing to hate the band for. They took a big step at experimenting with something new and they just failed at it, which has a big chance of happening when experimenting. There are some enjoyable tracks on this album like Goliath, Conjugal Burns, Ilyena, and maybe some others I can't remember at the moment. But there are songs that either completely disgust me (Ouroborous) and songs that just don't interest me.But I'm not giving up hope with this band since all they are doing is experimenting, and odds are that they'll probably experiment with some other sounds and end up turning out a great masterpiece that could actually shadow De-louased. PP made a great point with Pink Floyd with how Dark Side of The Moon being their treasure AND their 8th album, so why not TMV? |
Posted By: PinkPangolin
Date Posted: June 20 2008 at 16:13
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Thanks Henry - anyone willing to make a bet on their 8th album being a "giant" They're working on it - building from the best elements of the past - and adding new - more of this building will come I guess from their forecast "acoustic" album And they are doing a soundtrack - doesn't this remind you of the Floyd ? - Obscured by Clouds was the one before Dark SIde, remember? Never heard a band play like this band before.....  |
Posted By: Henry_Hamilton_Smyth
Date Posted: June 20 2008 at 21:03
Don't get me wrong, it's a possibility but I won't get my hopes up with that. Who knows if they'll even last that long. I mean, with all the people dying around them and going suicidal and sh*t, luck should never be a topic of any song they write because it doesn't seem they are familiar with it. |
Posted By: Henry_Hamilton_Smyth
Date Posted: June 20 2008 at 21:04
| That's some juicy hair they have by the way, makes me jealous. |
Posted By: Zitro
Date Posted: June 20 2008 at 23:04
I actually want progression. I find the debut very interesting (if a bit uneasy at some spots) with lots of potential. Frances The Mute for me was a failed experiment, with unnecessary amounts of non-music (tho I don't mind the dissonant organ in the poppy track) and an almost unlistenable epic. I think the third album is where they made some of their best songs and created a quite varied effort, tho the singer and the guitar soloing was getting a bit more annoying than usual. It's the last album that is unlistenable. I just can't believe that they would do something like that and that many people would really call it a masterpiece. There are parts in that album that are among the worst, most irritating things I've ever heard. It sounds like they went so much into being 'out there' that they exaggerated most of their elements and as LaPlace put it, it sounds almost like a parody. It doesn't have what makes Telemagratton (spelling?) or eriatarka fantastic pieces of music. |
Posted By: russellk
Date Posted: June 21 2008 at 01:33
| ^ Believe it, Zitro. There are plenty of reasons why people might call 'Bedlam' a masterpiece. Experiments dovetail with stunning hooks. Remember, those who find the sound overwhelming: all new sound is irritating 'noise' until you become familiar with it (growling vocals, for example). I'm surprised that reviewers who would give VDGG 5 stars don't have the patience for this TMV release. |
Posted By: PinkPangolin
Date Posted: June 21 2008 at 05:41
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I've just played "Bedlam" to one of my sons, who surprised me by saying (although sounding completely crazy) is some of the most structured music he's ever heard!!!! Good comment from russellk - with you all the way... Jealous of this too????....  |
Posted By: sleeper
Date Posted: June 21 2008 at 07:00
Because it is. ------------- Spending more than I should on Prog since 2005
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Posted By: Henry_Hamilton_Smyth
Date Posted: June 21 2008 at 19:27
I would be but because of my ethnicity that hair is impossible for me to achieve no matter what I do. TMV's hair isn't THAT different from mine, with me having Hispanic origins. I can almost pull off something at least similar but I can't have the actual thing due to my Caucasian heritage. But I am still please with what I have, my hair is pretty juicy also. :) edit: I should add in case there is any confusion I'm half Mexican and half German with some other random ethnicities tossed in there. I think I'm possibly Black Foot. |
Posted By: Rocktopus
Date Posted: June 22 2008 at 04:47
You too think being cheesy has more to do with nationality than the style of music the band plays? That's a little controversial. What I wrote is just common knowledge. ------------- Over land and under ashes In the sunlight, see - it flashes Find a fly and eat his eye But don't believe in me Don't believe in me Don't believe in me |
Posted By: ProgBagel
Date Posted: June 30 2008 at 21:08
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I don't think people are giving them enough credit for 'Bedlam...'.
Remember that they had a lot of material for that album that got because of studio flooding, stolen and missing tapes. Pretty impressive to still put something like that out in my opinion, considering all the hardships. It's like a band putting out on album when the tensions are rising between members or artistic differences are present. |
Posted By: Equality 7-2521
Date Posted: June 30 2008 at 22:20
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I like all TMV's albums, but I do think they've suffered a decline in quality since FTM. I think it would serve Omar well to take some time off. I respect his trying to be very prolific, but it doesn't seem to be working all to well for him. Putting out 80 mins of music every year is hard even for the best. (Unless you're John Zorn) ------------- "One had to be a Newton to notice that the moon is falling, when everyone sees that it doesn't fall. " |
Posted By: Moatilliatta
Date Posted: June 30 2008 at 22:42
I agree to a certain extent. Omar needs to quit doing solo projects. They are wasting his and our time. Writing an amazing 70-80 minute album each year would probably not be a problem for the guy if he focused more on getting things done with/for the Volta. Some glory nuggets turn up on his solo works, but for the most part Omar's solo albums consist of The Mars Volta's abortions, long jams, or experiments with how many ways he can make the same boring music. He can take a break during the time he would be working on those projects, or he can work on Volta music. ------------- www.last.fm/user/ThisCenotaph
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Posted By: Figglesnout
Date Posted: July 01 2008 at 01:26
I agree with all of this. While De-Loused and FTM were "fresh" releases in my book, both Amp and Bedlam sound very stale to me...which is why I've kinda gotten over the band and their output as a whole. Bedlam has a few good songs on it, but I'm really an album person, and TMV is really an album band, so a few good songs is not going to cut it for me... I need a few good albums, and in order for them to win me back they'd have to really start focusing on their music and really tone down the over-production (and just plain awful production if we're talking Amputechture). Trim the fat. There's nothing wrong with 60 minute albums. Or even 50. Or even 40... Bedlam feels bloated, I think some of the Bedlam songs SHOULD'VE been aborted to Omar's basement where he could later turn them into guitar-w**kery factories. They might've been better for it, and I think the album wouldn't suffer as much from it's fundemental flaw: it is very overlong, and there's just too much substance with too little variation to keep that substance fresh; thus -- stale. Amp was stale simply because it pretty much sucked, but Bedlam, truthfully is stale in a much mroe disappointing way for me, because the production is back (it's pretty good when it's not bloated with 50 unnecessary sounds), there are a number of good to great songs, and the compositional differences (namely: energy) from Amputechture are mostly good ones; but there's too much fat, not enough meat, and the fat is always running for the hills with an AK in hand and a torched bank in the background--in short, the album is too energetic for its own good. And then there's the drumming. It's over-the-top, which is good yes? That's what the Volta is all about is over the top. But the druming is just...silly. He seems heedless to the music around him, but more focused on shredding quicker than Omar and trying to break every drumhead he's using. He's Mike Portnoy II. Which, to me, is not a good thing. (No offense meant to DT fans, as I think that other than singer boy I think drummer boy is the weakest link in DT) I have a number of problems with Bedlam, and many more with Amp, but most of these problems are justified according to my tasstes and musical opinion, which, obviously doesn't match that of many others. I just thought I'd give a clearer, lengthy rant about why exactly I think the latest two TMV albums are sub-par when compared to the first two. And because I didn't say too much about Amp, here's a link to my review: http://www.progarchives.com/Review.asp?id=170907 - Click dis Amputechture suffers from one of the same fundemental flaws that Bedlam suffers from: it is entirely too long for its own good. There's too much content there, and not enough of it is good enough to warrant an entire album. Wha would've been great is an album with THIS tracklisting, released in mid-07, and called something quirky: 1. Vicarious Atonement (shortened to about 5 mins) 2. Metatron 3. Ilyena (with that silly end cut out) 4. Wax Simularcra 5. Goliath 6. Asilos Magdelena (without a shortened intro-noise section, about 4 mins without as much noise and looping stuff at the end) 7. Tetragrammaton (shortened, without the overly-repetetive ending section where the track begins to dwindle from its awesomeness, so it'd settle somewhere around 12 minutes) 8. Agadez 9. Ouroboros (with the last bit/4th chorus edited out, as the song gets really repettive around that point, so this one'd settle around 5 minutes or so) 10. Soothsayer 11. Day of the Baphomets 12. Conugal Burns (edited a short bit, about :20 out of it) This totals around 84 minutes, but if a bit of some songs were cut out, or Conjugal taken out entirely (maybe Agadez could be edited a bit, as the ending bit is the best part anyway--or the Soothsayer beginning ambience, though atmospheric and good, could be edited or taken out), and with production on the Amp songs tweaked to match the standard of production on the Bedlam songs, I think this would've been a winner, mayhaps. If some of the goofy vocal effects were taken out entirely, that is. And some lyrical augmentations. Anyway, no one ever reads all of my longer, ranty posts, so I'll stop now. ------------- I'm a reasonable man, get off my case |
Posted By: Moatilliatta
Date Posted: July 01 2008 at 01:39
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^Well, it seems like we almost entirely agree about what the best songs are between the two records.
However, Mike Portnoy does not overplay and everything you will say about Dream Theater I will probably disagree with. However, I would like to leave the Dream Theater debate out of this. ------------- www.last.fm/user/ThisCenotaph
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Posted By: Figglesnout
Date Posted: July 01 2008 at 01:42
Dream Theater is out of the discussion, as you wish
No reason to discuss them here anyway, as offense is ALWAYS taken whenever they are brought up. But I'm listening to the playlist I mentioned, and may even edit the songs when I get back home from vacation, because the pacing is really good so far, with the softer opening in place of Aberinkula, and then crazy energy for a few tracks...then Asilos, which I'm on just now. Not too bad. You said almost entirely regarding your favorite tracks...what others would you have? ------------- I'm a reasonable man, get off my case |
Posted By: Moatilliatta
Date Posted: July 01 2008 at 02:11
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^I am partial to Viscera Eyes, especially the ending few minutes. That's probably my favorite section of the whole album. ------------- www.last.fm/user/ThisCenotaph
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Posted By: russellk
Date Posted: July 01 2008 at 06:22
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^ I don't agree with virtually anything Mr Volta said about Amputechture and Bedlam - isn't life funny! I thought everyone agreed with me! Mecchamputechture is my favourite TMV track. I don't think TMV songs or albums are overlong. The length makes them a little less accessible, and the album as a whole takes longer to get used to, but I don't see even a single ounce of flab on Bedlam. Amputechture was a different beast, a looser, jammier album, and eliminating that changes the character of the album. Not sure I agree with that. But what I DO agree with is the clear and succinct way you've summarised your concerns with those two albums. I hope TMV get feedback like this. I wished I got more of it for my books. |
Posted By: Moatilliatta
Date Posted: July 01 2008 at 13:14
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^I should also clarify that I don't dislike the songs that I wouldn't consider the best, and I also think the albums are fine as they are, even though I will admit I think they have some flaws. ------------- www.last.fm/user/ThisCenotaph
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Posted By: Figglesnout
Date Posted: July 01 2008 at 13:22
Haha, well thanks for the compliment, besides our disagreements. One question though: I know you enjoy the full of both albums, according to yourself, but can you deny or refute that the production on Amputechture is very weak? Or that the lyrics on Bedlam are pretty awful? Here's a lyrical comparison between the two; this segment is from Vicarious Atonement, track 1 of Amputechture: Maybe I will always haunt you Mark the somnolence with truth Better hang your dead practice Than have a living home to choose In the river Ganges God damns my name not too shabby, though admittedly not the best either (I think that, lyrically TMV were ast their highest on De-Loused without a doubt, or even moreso when Cedric was writing for At The Drive-In, a band I enjoy possibly more than TMV as of late--Relationship of Command is an amazing album) And now from Aberinkula, the 1st track from Bedlam: Have you seen the living? Tired of their own shells All the nonbelievers Torso in the well Am I the one you're after? The novice made to find Stray abhoration stalking Plans that forgot me 99 times The only thing to alter Stands in the way of you I want your cramps to fit the fillings of my teeth Maybe it's just me, but these lyrics are putrid. They seem formless, line after line just chosen at random with little to no correlation between them. Amp was supposedly lyrical nonsense, according to Cedric, and yet I see much more subconscious form to them than to Bedlam's lyrics, which seem like pile after pile of amputated lines spliced into one disjointed whole. Just my opinion, but Bedlam lyrics are almost consistantly weak, while Amp has weaker lyrics as well, just not nearly as bad as Bedlam--again, in my opinion. My question to you was, if you've forgotten, whether or not you agreed that the Amputechture production was weak, and that the Amp/Bedlam lyrics were weaker than those on De-Loused/FTM. Just curious what you think. EDIT: Also, after your referring to me as "Mr Volta" I think it's officially time for a name change King Crimson and TMV are nowhere NEAR my favorite bands anymore...I think I'll probably be "The Antique", unless it's taken, so look forward to it. ------------- I'm a reasonable man, get off my case |
Posted By: Moatilliatta
Date Posted: July 01 2008 at 13:46
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^I don't think the production was weak on Amputecture; it was just different. Not as thick, and I would say it's got the worst production of any Volta album, but it isn't that bad. It made them sound pretty different, and I had to come to terms with the new sound when I first bought. Some of it sounds really great. It kinda brings out a lot of their dissonance, though and I don't entirely like that.
I know that question wasn't directed at me, but I thought I'd share anyway.
I would also agree that Amputecture has better lyrics, but the man's lyrics are all bizarre so it's not that big of a deal to me. ------------- www.last.fm/user/ThisCenotaph
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Posted By: Figglesnout
Date Posted: July 01 2008 at 14:39
Actually, the more I think about it, it's not so much a production problem as a plain mixing problem I hear. Too loud guitars and vocals throughout Amputechture, and not quite enough bass (which is why you can hardly hear the 2nd half of the bass solo in Day of the Baphomets, which is comprised of mostly low-end notes, which are buried in the mix throughout most of the album), and the biggest problem: the TOO SOFT rhythm section. Drums should've been lifted and producted a bit more (much like on De-loused, where drums and percussion were very foreground), and the bass/keys always seem at odds for me on the album--they are never consistantly mixed. It's not god-awful by any means, just pretty bad when compared to the production of all 3 of the other albums, although FTM had some minor mixing problems as well (mostly noting the absence of bass and key presence). One thing I do like about Bedlam is that the guitars are not asprominent as they were on former albums. Omar seemed to learn a slight bit of conservatism in both playing/writing and in production, and I think the album does benefit from that...or it would, but then there're the drums, which are entirely too loud on the whole in my opinion... ------------- I'm a reasonable man, get off my case |
Posted By: russellk
Date Posted: July 02 2008 at 01:56
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Agreed, The Antique , I don't think Omar is anything like the producer Rick Rubin is, but I suspect the trade-off is weaker production against the freedom Omar gained to do exactly what he wanted. One of the difficult things about the mixing in 'Bedlam' is the much fuller drum patterns. There's barely a moment when Pridgen isn't hammering the skins, which rather overwhelms the sound. To counteract that, he's been set back further in the mix. In 'Amp' Cedric's voice is strongly features, and much of the production gloss seems to have been stripped from it, leaving it raw and sharp-edged - much closer to his live sound. It's an acquired taste. This is all part of why I don't understand people who argue that TMV are simply trying and failing to reproduce their first album. As for the lyrics, I find Belam's more satisfying as they adhere (loosely) to a concept, while Amputechture's were far looser. The nearest I could work out was that Amputechture used occult imagery to structure a rant against orthodox religions, but I may be wrong. Probably am. |
Posted By: heyitsthatguy
Date Posted: July 02 2008 at 02:01
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I love the drum sound on Bedlam its just the drum parts themselves are a bit much at times...and I do hope they have a few more quieter bits on the next one (and not like Tourniquet Man) concerning Amputechture, I don't think it had one specific concept (Cedric I think compared it to Twin Peaks: "several different stories but told in the same voice") but a semi concept was that of disjointedness: the songs don't connect at all and end abruptly -------------
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Posted By: Figglesnout
Date Posted: July 02 2008 at 11:40
Well see I do not think that the Volta are just trying to reproduce their first album. It seems much more like they are trying to distinguish themselves as an entirely different entity than the one which made De-loused. This is good in my opinion, I just feel like with every album they drift a little in directions that seems kind of wasteful, and when they drift, they drift to the extremes of whatever polar direction they drift in; thus Amputechture's intentional disjointedness, Bedlam's intentional in-your-face energy level, FTM's over-the-top ambience (which I don't agree was over-the-top at all, but then again I LOVE ambience), and etc. It seems as if they are experimenting with all possible mediums of their sound (and thus the planned "acoustic" album they are working on). Unless they quit once they've explored all of these venues, I think their best albums will come when they begin combining all of these sounds, much like was done on De-loused, and using their obvious talent in all of these areas to create a more cohesive whole as albums rather than albums practiced in extremities. This is why I still listen to this band, and will still greatly anticipate every album they release. No single album of their has been awful, but every album they release is seems to be either fundementally flawed or flawed in practice, whether or not this practice is intentional or not. I look forward to every release they might put out, because they are indeed an exciting band, despite the fact that I have been relatively disappointed by their last two releases. This doesn't mean they've lost it. They seem to be experimenting, and likely one of these experiments will float my fancy perfectly, or at least I can hope. One thing I'd like to point out that kind of bothers me about Amp and Bedlam (moreso, again, Amp) is the vocals, or rather, how they are treated. Cedric's best vocal moments, to me, all seem to be contained on FTM--where the vocals are hardly ever dubbed with effects, but are mostly raw (at least in how they sound, though they are likely treated in some mannor) and emotionally driven. The vocal arrangements on Cygnus.... and Cassandra Gemini are astoundingly good in my opinion, and are a huge contributor towards the tone and emotion of those songs as well. On Amp and Bedlam (though less a problem here as the music calls for it more than the music on Amp does) the vocals got a seemingly permenant push into the foreground of the mix, and Cedric seemed to grow self-conscious, and thus began hiding behind layer after layer after variation after variation of vocal effect, distortion, or other augmentation. This startled me, and still--to this day, annoys me a bit. Most of my favorite tracks on the two albums, I've noticed, are those that are not overly-treated in the vocal department (although I think the vocal effects are used to good effect on Metatron, some in Tetragrammaton, and in Agadez). I hope in the future--an acoustic album mayhaps...--the vocals are both less prominent in the mix and less lathered with effects, as I think this alone is one of the biggest differences between the band's first two albums and their latest two. Well, that and the guitar tone. Anyways, until my next TMV rant-post, The Antique (a.k.a. King Volta if you failed to make the connection )------------- I'm a reasonable man, get off my case |
Posted By: Moatilliatta
Date Posted: July 02 2008 at 11:56
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^I totally forgot to mention the vocals! I'm totally with you there. One of the major things that made De-Loused and Frances so great was that everything just felt so natural, vocally and musically. They seem to be doing a lot of trying these days. Trying to be more challenging, trying to break free from their past, etc. Sometimes the crazy effects work, but sometimes they overdo it. ------------- www.last.fm/user/ThisCenotaph
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Posted By: Equality 7-2521
Date Posted: July 02 2008 at 12:01
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I have the agree with the vocal point too. They come so effortlessly on the first two album, on FTM they even have sort of a soulful feel to me.
They sound strained, forced, unnatural on the latest two. ------------- "One had to be a Newton to notice that the moon is falling, when everyone sees that it doesn't fall. " |
Posted By: Figglesnout
Date Posted: July 02 2008 at 13:21
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^^Cedric seems to use harsher singing styles on the latest two than on the first two. The singing particuarly in his lower register (verses of Aberinkula, verses of Vermicide, etc) which I particuarly don't like.
He was one of my favorite vocalists on De-loused and FTM, when most of his performances were in the higher register and emotionally charged. Now...not so much, although I still like him and think that moments like the end of Agadez ("What if we find the sunlight draws a circle?") are completely great. It just. Rather than just one or two styles I like, Cedric added more variation to the later two albums. I guess the variations just don't suit my fancy... ------------- I'm a reasonable man, get off my case |
Posted By: NurseryCryme89
Date Posted: July 02 2008 at 13:41
yeahhhhhhhhhh! but change "like" to LOVE.... |
Posted By: heyitsthatguy
Date Posted: July 02 2008 at 13:42
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its the stupid octaves he uses that get so grating, although I've noticed his vocals have gotten more aggressive on Bedlam.....perhaps to suit the music as it seems to be their "aggressive" album. The effects on Bedlam are somewhat ridiculous at points too- not that them using effects is bad (its the norm) or even the amount, but just the choice. There was some effects choices I enjoyed too- the subtly ringmodded guitar (I think) in the buildup in Cavallettas helps add a really abrasive edge to it
-------------
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Posted By: Figglesnout
Date Posted: July 02 2008 at 13:55
I think the word "production" to Omar is synonomous with "layered effects" perhaps, or it would seem at least... ------------- I'm a reasonable man, get off my case |