2013 - new and upcoming albums

[Sauna]

http://www.blabbermouth.net/news/fates-warning-new-song-firefly-available-for-streaming/

Another new Fates Warning track that sounds good but not great.

 

[intergalactic]

I heatd on youtube fates warning's "Firefly"and it sounds good to me as single,better than "Another perfect day". Why you guys don't like Haken ? they'll come in september in Italy for a free festival,and I'm very anxious to seeing them

 

[Kenneth R.]

Gonna have to go with the gentleman on this one. I understand the complaints about them sounding generic, at least regarding the last two albums, but they're really good at what they do nevertheless.

So is Rihanna. If I even spelled that right. It's not exactly praise, except maybe for the business managers in charge of the 'product'.

What makes the Voices EP so fucking good is that it does NOT try to be the greatest prog album since Close to the Edge. It's just a few relaxing, melancholic songs with killer melody and flawless execution. The harmonic fade out at the end of the solo in Acronym Love is unforgettably perfect. Riverside aimed to capture a mood and nailed it. This was why their debut was wildly successful. It didn't try to be a circus of spectacle and complexity. Like the debut, it just tried to do a good job painting a particular kind of picture.

Rave reviews for the debut, when it came out, were prolific. Rave reviews for newer albums... harder to find. They've faded into the background noise of "generic prog rock/metal band". Dream Theater has been in that noise for far longer, and may in fact make up a significant spectrum of it.

 

[_Gentleman of_the Snow_]

Shrine is simply good music, though. I can't see how anybody can knock it.
It doesn't try too hard... to me, it sounds pretty genuine.

 

[Sauna]

^---Agreed.

The point I was trying to make was that you don't always have to reinvent everything in order to make good music. It just has to be good.

 

[Postulate]

NEW FW AOTY CALLING IT NOW

 

[Phanto]

'Firefly' sounds a little weak to me. On the other hand, Fates Warning (with the NOTABLE exception of Awaken the Guardian and Shades - both albums are near flawless) usually do 1 turboawzome song + 2-3 great tracks per album with the rest of the songs being pretty average. Monument being the stand-out from Inside Out, One from Disconnect, River Wide from FWX.

Vallendusk could be the album of the year for me so far, dropping both SWilson and Witherscape. Don't know why I'm hyping it so much but I guess awesome Indonesian metal out of fucking nowhere does that to you.

EDIT: eh, disregard the AOTY discussion. I realize I have barely listened to some of the potential top contenders like Omnium Gatherum, Summoning and Enshine.

 

[prman]

I know that you´re only allowed to like progbands that nobody´s heard of (+ that unreleased SymX demo from year X) but here are the pre-released songs of the new Haken album.

"Pareidolia"
"Atlas Stone"

Some of you might also hate Witherscape´s "The Inheritance " album. It´s more metal than prog but still very hateable.

"Astrid Falls"
"Dead For A Day"

And before you say it sounds like Opeth, check the background of the band members...

 

[The Stormbringer]

most of the first disc is pretty terrible/unoriginal IMO, with Misunderstood being the worst song they've ever written.

I'm the polar opposite. In my opinion, disc 1 is the best material they have written ever since, while disc 2 ranges from good to hilariously bad.
"Misunderstood" in particular has really grown on me over the years. James actually sounds great (!!) and overall, it's one of their most unique songs, even if it's really reminiscent of King Crimson in the second half.

 

[_Gentleman of_the Snow_]

What is hilariously bad about disc 2?
Lyrics during Goodnight Kiss? I can't think of anything else.

 

[Liampie]

SDoIT is never hilariously bad, in my opinion. The crying samples during Goodnight Kiss' solo come close to hilariously bad, but the guitar solo is actually great nonetheless so it's just hilarious and not bad. Strings sound plastic from time to time and the lyrics aren't amazing, but nothing to drag the whole disc down to 'hilariously bad'. Personally, I love it as a whole. Disc 1 is good too, I'd say it's very varied and original music compared to what they did before that album. It was a new direction.

 

[Postulate]

SDoIT is never hilariously bad, in my opinion. The crying samples during Goodnight Kiss' solo come close to hilariously bad, but the guitar solo is actually great nonetheless so it's just hilarious and not bad. Strings sound plastic from time to time and the lyrics aren't amazing, but nothing to drag the whole disc down to 'hilariously bad'. Personally, I love it as a whole. Disc 1 is good too, I'd say it's very varied and original music compared to what they did before that album. It was a new direction.

Hmm, what about the Overture? IMO that's pretty awful.

 

[Kenneth R.]

^ It's the one where they stole an entire section from Kansas. I almost wrote riff, but it's way more than that.

 

[Kenneth R.]

Witherscape is fantastic.

 

[Kenneth R.]

Also, Enshine is pretty good, and Vallendusk is fucking amazing. They're from Indonesia?! Fooled me.

 

[donKyle]

EDIT: eh, disregard the AOTY discussion. I realize I have barely listened to some of the potential top contenders like Omnium Gatherum, Summoning and Enshine.

Omnium Gatherum's Beyond is alright. There are a few standout tracks, but I don't think it's near as good as NWS.

I'm really liking that Vallendusk album

Also, this is the first single for Tuomas Saukkonen's new band thing. It's not bad, but seems a little generic I guess.

 

[Phanto]

Never heard of Tuomas Saukkonen before. It does seem a little generic.

The new Blackfield sounds a little disappointing to me. But, I only ever liked a couple of their songs so I wasn't expecting to love it.

The new Carcass is very good. Fans of Heartwork should check it out.

Katatonia's Dethroned & Uncrowned is a mellow/"acoustic" take on their latest album. Can't really say if it's better or worse, but I like those songs.

Tribulation, some Swedes I never heard of before, released a new album. Mix of DM/BM I guess, and reminds me at times of early Opeth. Album cover of the year? http://tribulation.se/onewebmedia/Cover.jpg

 

[Postulate]

^ It's the one where they stole an entire section from Kansas. I almost wrote riff, but it's way more than that.

Well let's be honest here...if you took away

Kansas' Leftoverture
Fates Warning's Perfect Symmetry
and Metallica's Master of Puppets

There wouldn't be any Dream Theater left, ha!

 

[_Gentleman of_the Snow_]

Well let's be honest here...if you took away

Kansas' Leftoverture
Fates Warning's Perfect Symmetry
and Metallica's Master of Puppets

There wouldn't be any Dream Theater left, ha!

In DT's defense, there have been about 1712 bands that have copied them.

 

[Kenneth R.]

Well let's be honest here...if you took away

Kansas' Leftoverture
Fates Warning's Perfect Symmetry
and Metallica's Master of Puppets

There wouldn't be any Dream Theater left, ha!

pretty much. and it's not a defense to say "other bands also copied these bands".

fewer, but still other bands - did something original and are being copied. that's a more admirable position