Got mine today.
After reading the Aurora interview, I guess I'm gonna have to check out Katatonia and Anathema. I didn't like the vox on Katatonia when I first heard 'em, but they get so much repsect I must be missin' somethin'. I dunno why I never got anything from Anathema... the few MP3s I have are middle-of-the-road Alterna Rock with a bit more guitar oomph... which I kinda dig.
Oddly enough, the sample track on Aurora's site reminded me of pretty much every melodic Death thing I've heard over the past few years. It's well done an' all that, has alla the bits and pieces ya need for melodic harsh-but-purty shit, it's played real nice, the vocalist is decent with his Lindbergian venom spitting... but... golly... I ain't hearing anything ground breaking or original. Must be on the other tracks... or, people who live in glass houses...
The Hagen guys were pretty amusing, and it's always nice to read an interview with people who have a sense of humor (regardless of how juvenile it is - mebbe bonus points for that, actually).
Their music is somewhat freaky... I doubt I'd buy it, but it has its moments. I ain't likin' the vox.
Jim, I'm worried about you, man. You're saying the same shit I was saying back in '91, right before I bailed on the scene for 8 years. Alla those cardboard encased CDs are prematurely burnin' ya out. My perscription is no more Power Metal promos for you for 2 months, and no more gurglin' brutality promos for 6 weeks.
It's a good thing you were so negative - mebbe the labels will send you less to get yer blood boilin'.
"Lure your victim to Norway" was funny cuz it's so true. The U.S. is prolly the only place more lenient on violent criminals (God forbid ya get caught with an ounce of pot, though).
Haven't heard Abscess, don't care enough about that style anymore to bother. 10 years ago I woulda been all over it.
Everything you said about Avantasia is true - especially the vocalist bit (unfortunately the vast majority of the Euro guys who are both well known and tour together do sound the same - it's the Kiske Konspiracy - say, mebbe I'll make a Metal Opera based on that concept!).
Kiske was always an acquired taste, lads - plenty of people hated him back in the day. But I still like Tobias' bastard project, cuz I think it's fun. Me like fun.
By the by, dunno if you're aware, but Tolkien hisself said that the LotR was not a metaphor for anything. Sometimes things are just meant to be what they are... and I think Avantasia is just a bunch of friends hanging out and having a good time... they're not trying to make The Power Metal Album of the Millennium. At least that's the vibe I get. I can see not liking it, but I got my $10 of entertainment out of it. Mebbe if you use yours as a Frisbee you will too.
And I don't think there's very many records I can sing a chorus from that have been released in the past 3 years - just cuz I buy too much shit and don't give anything time to inbed itself into my thick and sievelike skull.
Centurion and Hate Eternal have never interested me, for no particular reason.
I was mildly curious about Heimdall cuz I was always into Thundarr and the Lords of Light... but I'm currently weary of the Rhapsody thang. The bit about the "soft touching song only a Metal band would make" is classic.
I prolly won't be buying the new Steel Prophet, as I only like "Messiah," the rest of their stuff is more miss than hit. I am glad they've lost Mythsiasin (the major misser in the band) - only cool thing about him was his surname. Steve's a cool guy, hopefully he can pull the shit together and make a killer album some day - I know he's got it in him.
Thy Majestie is prolly more second rate Rhapsody than Heimdall, based on what I heard on their first.
Glad to see you at least liked the new Thyrfing - I haven't got it yet, but I do agree that they've been getting the shaft on the Viking Metal scene, as "urkraft" is every bit as good as Enslaved's past two, which were hyped to high Valhalla.
Good to see the columns have begun, but I fear the "hello, my name is" theme is gonna run in all of 'em, so by the time mine sees print, I'm gonna look like a trendy follower (which is true, but one never likes having his foibles pointed out in public - mebbe not in private either, for that matter).
Anyways, I'm off to hunt down some Psychotic Waltz soundfiles... you go back to hating everything, you mean ol' bastard.
