Blog Archives
Album Review: Pelagial by The Ocean
Pelagial – adj. \pə̇ˈlājēəl\ : 1. of or pertaining to the open seas or oceans. 2. living at or near the surface of the open seas.
If the album title or tracks separated into suites named Epipelagic, Mesopelagic, Bathalpelagic, etc didn’t cue you off to deducing that The Ocean are really putting their namesake at the forefront on their new album, a good listen will. On the Epipelagic level (surface level) this seems like it could end up being a corny and pretentious idea. “Oh, The Ocean are writing a concept album about the ocean. How very clever. snark snark snark”. Coming off of their less than well received Anthropocentric and many fans not too happy about the bands change to a more ‘lighter’ mood, attempting to take on such a project filled with pretense is a risky and daring move that could make or break this German quintet. Would they rise above the waves into the fresh and salty air or be cast down to Hadopelagic level (deepest part of the ocean) to be crushed by the freezing waters which exert 2 tons per square inch? Well, given that I have now listened to Pelagial about 20 times over the course of a few days, the answer on whether the record is a success or not is pretty obvious. But just how good is it?
Videos of the Week: When I Lost My Bet & The Cloak
Here’s a pair of really neat videos you should feel obligated to check out because they are both awesome.
First up is “When I Lost My Bet”, the new video from Dillinger Escape Plan. If entrails and bloody gloryholes make you squeamish, you may just want to listen to the audio. For the rest of us, this is a really will directed and unique video that really captures the bat shit craziness of DEP perfectly. Check it out!
And second up we have the first video from the upcoming Leprous album Coal for the tune “The Cloak”. This video is damn great with the focus on simplicity really let the dark atmosphere drive the visuals home. I also like that it fits perfectly with the album title and the visuals meld wonderfully with the song to create a wholly engaging experience. Enjoy!! Peace Love and Metal!!!
Musings of the Heavy Metal Hippie: Bathyalpelagic II: The Wish in Dreams by The Ocean
Please excuse the few words I have for today’s entry. My ears and mind are currently in awe of this masterpiece of an album I just got my hands on. Pelagial by The Ocean, just wow, buy it, listen to it, revel in its genius. It’s like traveling to the bottom of the sea (if the song names didn’t already give that away) as each track gets heavier and more crushing.
I also have to join the choir and say that the instrumental CD that comes included is the strongest part of the package and gives quite a unique experience. I still think the vocals CD is fucking great, but the instrumental is where it’s at. Anywho, just go check this record out. Now excuse me while I go back to trying to wrap my feeble mind around what it has just heard. Mind=Blown. Enjoy! Peace Love and Metal!!!
Mik’s Top 100 Favourite Albums of All Time #86-90
A while ago, at the same time as Matt and Reggie, I posted my Top 100 All Time Favourite (Metal) Albums over at the forum The History of Metal on FB. It took a good amount of time and effort to put it together, but it was so much fun! My taste in metal is always changing, so the list will not always look the same. In fact, it’s already a bit different than it was when I first put it together and posted it on the forum seven months ago.
Album Review: Resonance Room – Untouchable Failure
Resonance Room from Italy released their second album Untouchable Failure last week. It’s an elegant mix of heavy prog and dark gothic metal with a strong influence from bands like Pain of Salvation, Katatonia and Evergrey. That sounds like a good thing, right?
Yeah, for the most part it is! I enjoy every single one of the ten tracks on the album; they are easy to listen to and follow. The melancholic atmosphere, heavy guitars, the soft passages and melodies with keyboards in the background, just like it should be. Untouchable Failure is a nice step forward from their previous release Unspoken. This time they managed to create a more diverse, warm and deep sound, even though I wish it would be a bit more consistent and dynamic. The singer’s Italian accent can clearly be heard in most of the songs and it can be a problem if you want to listen to the lyrics and hear what he’s singing. Fortunately, he has a very pleasant voice that suits this type of dark, gothic music.
Album Review: Karnya – Coverin’ Thoughts
Karnya is a 1970s influenced Progressive Rock band. The era and chosen metal style are two features that lead me to believe the album is built upon classic metal/rock elements, odd time signatures, crafty guitar solos, and comprehensive melodies. My presumption was spot on, but it has nothing to do with extra sensory perception. The band’s information sheet described their work quite accurately. Finally, someone got it right! Covern’ Thoughts is 68 minutes long with one epic beast timed in at just over 15 minutes. Initially, my experienced hear heard influences from Deep Purple, Kansas, Symphony X, and Dream Theater; not a bad combination at all.
Album Review: The Room Colored Charlatan – Between Mirrors: The Quantum Immortality
The Room Colored Charlatan is certainly a strange band name that you don’t easily forget. I don’t have an explanation as to why they choose that name, but I know they make great music. They just released a single titled ‘Nexus Point’ with Daniel Tompkins (Skyharbor, ex-TesseracT) as guest vocalist. This caught my attention, of course, since Daniel is one of the best singers out there. I wasn’t disappointed. It’s melodic and heavy, but the clean vocals in the chorus make the song a lot more varied and adds depth to it which is something I’d like to hear a little more of from this band.
Listen to their new single here:
