Amid its Hallowed Mirth any good?
- Thread starter FUBAR
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WhiteBeastofWotan
Apostitutes!
its really fuckin heavy! Easily the most "doom" of the albums. I like it a lot, but its probably the least accessible to the average ear. I'd suggest getting it.
Edit: Inspired by this thread, i put the album into the cd player, and I must say i LOVE the guitar sound.
Edit: Inspired by this thread, i put the album into the cd player, and I must say i LOVE the guitar sound.
NvmbrsDoom5
Member
This cd sounds considerably different from the rest of the catalog.
For one thing, the entire lineup, aside from Paul, is different on that cd, so there were different songwriters at the time. The tempo of the entire album is quite slow, there's little in the way of clean male vocals, it's a very crushing, heavy death/doom album. You also have to take into account that the songs on that album were written and recorded between 1992 and 1994. The next album, "Of Sculptured Ivy...", came out in mid-1999, so there was alot of time for growth and change there.
If you enjoy the slow heavy songs from the later albums, such as "Within My Flesh" from TWTF or "Last God" from The Knowing, then you can probably appreciate "Amid...". I think it's one of the best death/doom albums of the '90s, though it rarely seems to get the credit it deserves.
For one thing, the entire lineup, aside from Paul, is different on that cd, so there were different songwriters at the time. The tempo of the entire album is quite slow, there's little in the way of clean male vocals, it's a very crushing, heavy death/doom album. You also have to take into account that the songs on that album were written and recorded between 1992 and 1994. The next album, "Of Sculptured Ivy...", came out in mid-1999, so there was alot of time for growth and change there.
If you enjoy the slow heavy songs from the later albums, such as "Within My Flesh" from TWTF or "Last God" from The Knowing, then you can probably appreciate "Amid...". I think it's one of the best death/doom albums of the '90s, though it rarely seems to get the credit it deserves.
Novembers Paul
Member
It's quite painful for me to listen to it. My clean vocals are rough. Voice cracking, trying to hit notes I had no business trying to hit at the time... My first attempt at singing, so at least you can get it and hear the growth from CD to CD. I would suggest ANY other ND disc before this one.
That's just me.
That's just me.
NvmbrsDoom5
Member
We don't have any more copies of it ourselves. You can still find them on other mail-order sites or Ebay occasionally. We don't press the cds ourselves, we get a certain amount of copies from the label who presses them. We've long since run out. But like I said, if you want it, it can pretty easily be had through other outlets.
wankerness
Member
Yeah, I got it off ebay (used) for like 9 bucks including shipping. It rules, btw (besides the female vocals...they're kinda weird on this one, there was a VAST improvement on 'the knowing').
AND HEY GUYS WTF WAS WITH THAT WEIRD MIDDLE EASTERN INSTRUMENTAL? I mean like...what made you do it? I'm not complaining about it or anything, I just always wondered how it fit in with the rest.
AND HEY GUYS WTF WAS WITH THAT WEIRD MIDDLE EASTERN INSTRUMENTAL? I mean like...what made you do it? I'm not complaining about it or anything, I just always wondered how it fit in with the rest.
NvmbrsDoom5
Member
"AND HEY GUYS WTF WAS WITH THAT WEIRD MIDDLE EASTERN INSTRUMENTAL? I mean like...what made you do it? I'm not complaining about it or anything, I just always wondered how it fit in with the rest."
LMFAO
Man, I can't wait to see what Paul says about this, because believe me, that instrumental was one of the most infamous debates over anything that's ever been included on an ND album. Even though I wasn't in the band at the time it was recorded, I joined before the cd came out, and believe me, they were still arguing about it haha
Personally, I think it didn't really fit in with the rest of the album either. But it's just one of those things, you get an idea and give it a try, seems like it'll work well at the time. You notice that there isn't really anything like it on subsequent albums so, yeah, lessons were learned I'd say.
I like CJ's vocals alot, but they were very different from the female vocals we used on the following albums, I agree. CJ was a trained operatic vocalist, so her inflections and everything were unusual, which I liked. Personally, after she left the band, my feelings towards including female vocals was never really the same. I think both Sarah (The Knowing) and Nora (TWTF) did excellent jobs respectively. But I don't miss the female vocals one iota at this point. I think my bandmates agree with me on this one.
LMFAO
Man, I can't wait to see what Paul says about this, because believe me, that instrumental was one of the most infamous debates over anything that's ever been included on an ND album. Even though I wasn't in the band at the time it was recorded, I joined before the cd came out, and believe me, they were still arguing about it haha
Personally, I think it didn't really fit in with the rest of the album either. But it's just one of those things, you get an idea and give it a try, seems like it'll work well at the time. You notice that there isn't really anything like it on subsequent albums so, yeah, lessons were learned I'd say.
I like CJ's vocals alot, but they were very different from the female vocals we used on the following albums, I agree. CJ was a trained operatic vocalist, so her inflections and everything were unusual, which I liked. Personally, after she left the band, my feelings towards including female vocals was never really the same. I think both Sarah (The Knowing) and Nora (TWTF) did excellent jobs respectively. But I don't miss the female vocals one iota at this point. I think my bandmates agree with me on this one.
WhiteBeastofWotan
Apostitutes!
Novembers Paul
Member
A friend of the band wrote that instrumental as an intro for the song "For Every Leaf That Falls." I was 100% dead against using it on the CD, and was out voted. It wasn't until AFTER the CD was released, other band-mates (plural) came to me and said "Oh man, you were right."
It doesn't, didn't, don't and will never, EVER fit on that CD.
I take back what I said about Torn being the worst song to appear on a ND CD, Before the Wind takes that prize.
To me, CJ was the only female vocalist for this band. Anyone else, to me was just trying to have someone sing on the disc, just because we did it before. CJ fit the music at the time. Nothing wring with the only ladies who have helped us out, but they were never part of the band like she was.
It doesn't, didn't, don't and will never, EVER fit on that CD.
I take back what I said about Torn being the worst song to appear on a ND CD, Before the Wind takes that prize.
To me, CJ was the only female vocalist for this band. Anyone else, to me was just trying to have someone sing on the disc, just because we did it before. CJ fit the music at the time. Nothing wring with the only ladies who have helped us out, but they were never part of the band like she was.
Sadguru
In my dream...
wankerness
Member
No, Nora was on TWTF. And Paul apparently hates the song she was on (Torn)?! 
! That's actually possibly my FAVORITE SONG by novembers doom hahaha I guess I get the terrible fan award. It has the lushest guitars in metal history and I think the vocals are great.
! That's actually possibly my FAVORITE SONG by novembers doom hahaha I guess I get the terrible fan award. It has the lushest guitars in metal history and I think the vocals are great.
Novembers Paul
Member
Sadguru said:
Nope. The vocalist on TWTF was Nora OConnor. She was in Andrew Bird's Bowel of Fire, and also a solo artist. You can check her out at www.noraoconnor.com.
Eric was a fan of her voice at the time we were recording, and asked her to sing for us on the CD. I like her voice a lot, and she's a sweet gal, but I'm not 100% sure her voice was "right" for us. But then again, for me, no one could have replaced CJ in that department. We ALMOST had CJ sing on The Pale Haunt Departure CD. We talked with her about it, and she was going to do it, but after completing the writing for the CD, we realized fitting her into the songs might prove to be difficult, and sadly her health was deteriorating, and she needed help fast, so we all decided it was best to drop the female vocals all together. Besides, we did it before it was trendy.
Novembers Paul
Member
wankerness said:No, Nora was on TWTF. And Paul apparently hates the song she was on (Torn)?!
Honestly, I'm happy people like Torn. It's just the one song in the history of the band that I never quite grasped. Not bad, considering how many songs we have. I think Nora is fine on it actually. It was a studio song, meaning we didn't flesh it out as a full band before the studio. Eric had the vision for this one, and recorded all the guitars if I remember correctly, i'm not even sure Larry played on it... I may be wrong. For some reason, I had a very hard time hearing where the riffs would begin and end, and did all my vocals in a very choppy way, line by line, counting on Mr. Kernon to help me phrase it all out. I think the song would be served better without the harsh vocals, and as a B side or bonus track. It just feels very out of place for me. I don't think it's BAD song, I just think it was a wrong song for a ND album.
I was one of Erics biggest fans when it came to his writing, but this one just wasn't my cup of tea. It is what it is, other people like it, and that's all that matters!
VIVA LA TORN!
Dragon_Unearthed
Tattooed by darkness
Yeah, I think CJ's voice is absolutely amazing! The first song i ever heard by ND was "Amour of the Harp", and I was blown away....and my favorite 2 songs by ND are "My Agony, My Escstasy" and "With Rue & Fire"...probably not a coincendence that CJ is heard on both songs....
Paul, you said her health deteriorating? How so? She doing ok now? sad to hear....
Paul, you said her health deteriorating? How so? She doing ok now? sad to hear....
Sadguru
In my dream...
Novembers Paul said:
Yes, I think Nora O'Connor complements the music of TWTF perfectly. I think Having CJ on TPHD would have been great, but I gues you guys are in a better position to make the "right" move.
NvmbrsDoom5
Member
It wasn't completely our choice to not have CJ on TPHD, she quit in 1999 and though we tried to coax her back into the band several times, it just never worked out. We had discussed the idea of having her included on TPHD, and even got together with her to discuss it, but it just didn't happen for personal reasons. Ultimately in the end, we're more than happy with the fact that there's no female vocals on that album because honestly, I don't think it was needed. Others may disagree. Oh well.
Yknow basically, "Torn" is just one of those songs, where people either seem to love it or dismiss it. I've met fans of both minds. I'm glad people like it. I actually argued on it's behalf when deciding if it should be included on TWTF, because as you can see Paul wasn't sold on it. Do I think it's one of our best songs, or contains the lushest guitars Eric and I ever did? No, I don't agree on that, but everyone hears things in their own way, that's fine.
I did play some guitars on that song, on the heavier parts, but not much. I left like 95% of it to Eric since it was his baby. I honestly think we'd all feel much differently towards that song if we'd had more time to really absorb it and work on it prior to the recording of it. At this stage of the game, the whole style of that song is just not our cup of tea anymore. Like I said, if people really like that song and its style, thats great, but that's not where we're at anymore, and if that means people don't care as much for our newer material, then so be it.
A song that I do really like that Eric wrote, and features female vocals throughout, would be "All The Beauty Twice Again". I think that song is underrated.
Yknow basically, "Torn" is just one of those songs, where people either seem to love it or dismiss it. I've met fans of both minds. I'm glad people like it. I actually argued on it's behalf when deciding if it should be included on TWTF, because as you can see Paul wasn't sold on it. Do I think it's one of our best songs, or contains the lushest guitars Eric and I ever did? No, I don't agree on that, but everyone hears things in their own way, that's fine.
I did play some guitars on that song, on the heavier parts, but not much. I left like 95% of it to Eric since it was his baby. I honestly think we'd all feel much differently towards that song if we'd had more time to really absorb it and work on it prior to the recording of it. At this stage of the game, the whole style of that song is just not our cup of tea anymore. Like I said, if people really like that song and its style, thats great, but that's not where we're at anymore, and if that means people don't care as much for our newer material, then so be it.
A song that I do really like that Eric wrote, and features female vocals throughout, would be "All The Beauty Twice Again". I think that song is underrated.
wankerness
Member
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