Are we all going to pretend this never happened?

[General Zod]

In my opinion, Jorn had an opportunity to build a musical legacy for himself with Ark, but opted for blander pastures. Nothing he's done since is even on the same planet as those Ark records and some of the stuff he's done is flat out silly. It seems he'll sing for whoever is willing to pay for his services and in doing so he's devalued his brand.

 

[Mardoch]

Damned shame, too, because Ark was (still is) legitimately awesome. What a fantastic collection of musicians that was.

 

[Palabra de Dios]

I dig the song, and I think Jorn's voice does it justice...however, the video is pretty damn terrible. But let's face it, most metal videos are pretty damn terrible. Unless Behemoth is putting out another slab of grotesque blasphemy, metal videos are either "hey look at me making faces for the camera with vaguely relevant b-roll" or "here were are rocking out in a warehouse."

 

[Comic Book Dude]

In my opinion, Jorn had an opportunity to build a musical legacy for himself with Ark, but opted for blander pastures. Nothing he's done since is even on the same planet as those Ark records and some of the stuff he's done is flat out silly. It seems he'll sing for whoever is willing to pay for his services and in doing so he's devalued his brand.

Meh...whatever... Jorn is a "rock" singer, pure and simple, and a damned fine one at that. Ark was good if you wanted noodly musicianship and odd song structures, but it's obvious that's not where Jorn's heart is. I listen to Jorn's solo stuff and Millenium's "Hourglass" infinitely more than his Ark stuff. Not that the Ark stuff is bad.....it is excellent work....but I need to be in a certain mood to listen to it. As far as a musical legacy, I think Jorn has already built it....that's why we're talking about him the way we do.

 

[General Zod]

Ark was good if you wanted noodly musicianship and odd song structures...

There are a thousand bands doing odd song structures and noodly musicianship. The reason those Ark records have stood the test of time is because contained an energy and approach that few in prog metal will ever match.

...but it's obvious that's not where Jorn's heart is.

That's probably true and I don't blame a musician for doing what he or she wants to do. I just wish he aspired to something more.

As far as a musical legacy, I think Jorn has already built it....that's why we're talking about him the way we do.

We can agree to disagree on this. To my ear, Jorn's post-Ark material has been of collection of lackluster power metal and generic hard rock that's largely indistinguishable from everything else in those genres.

 

[Comic Book Dude]

We can agree to disagree on this. To my ear, Jorn's post-Ark material has been of collection of lackluster power metal and generic hard rock that's largely indistinguishable from everything else in those genres.

True or not, Jorn's voice is what separates the material from most, and that's what I think his ultimate legacy will be....his voice. It doesn't really matter what he's singing, his vocal alone will stand out. When I listen to Brazen Abbott, Avantasia, Ayreon or any other ensemble pieces that Jorn has sung on, his voice tends to rise above the others.
As much as people here on the boards may love Ark, toiling in obscurity usually doesn't pay the bills. Besides, the man wants to be the next Dio/David Coverdale....let the man sing his rock!

 

[General Zod]

Besides, the man wants to be the next Dio/David Coverdale....let the man sing his rock!

That's precisely the reason I find what he does doesn't stand on its own; his voice is just too similar to that of past greats. When he sings generic rock and his voice is front and center it's impossible not to notice the presence of his powerful influences. However, when he's part of a greater whole, and when that "whole" (in this case, Ark) forces him outside the tried and true melodies of his predecessors does he rise above. Again, just my $0.02.

 

[Sumeet]

I'd never heard the original song, so when I first saw the Jorn video a few days ago, I thought it was just a typical "decent but nothing special" hard rock song, like many others on many of his solo albums.

As for the video specifically... the Jorn video manages to be even cheesier than the original video from 1982, with all its inherent early 80s music video cheesiness... so I'm pretty sure Jorn's intentions here were rather tongue-in-cheek.

 

[Purveyor Of Evil]

I am in the minority I guess. I love all of his solo albums, especially The Duke. I love what he does. Meat and potatoes metal that I can just relax and enjoy. Sounds great cruising around in the summer with the windows down.

 

[eppst1]

I still want a second Mundanus Imperium disc.

 

[Sumeet]

I still want a second Mundanus Imperium disc.

LOL!

 

[VenomGA]

I still want a second Mundanus Imperium disc.

you've got a better chance of the original Slayer lineup getting back together.

 

[KaptainKrude]

The song's fine enough. Video is pretty awful.

Worldchanger is my favorite of his solo works, but I more or less stopped paying attention after The Duke.

 

[labrekk]

Meh...whatever... Jorn is a "rock" singer, pure and simple, and a damned fine one at that. Ark was good if you wanted noodly musicianship and odd song structures, but it's obvious that's not where Jorn's heart is. I listen to Jorn's solo stuff and Millenium's "Hourglass" infinitely more than his Ark stuff. Not that the Ark stuff is bad.....it is excellent work....but I need to be in a certain mood to listen to it. As far as a musical legacy, I think Jorn has already built it....that's why we're talking about him the way we do.

This!

 

[NorseBlood]

80s pop cover song..

 

[TheLongshot]

In my opinion, Jorn had an opportunity to build a musical legacy for himself with Ark, but opted for blander pastures. Nothing he's done since is even on the same planet as those Ark records and some of the stuff he's done is flat out silly. It seems he'll sing for whoever is willing to pay for his services and in doing so he's devalued his brand.

I never got the big deal about Ark. Being a fan of Conception, I had some high expectations going in, but it just never really gelled for me, and seeing them live at ProgPower didn't change it. To be honest, I think Jorn has been better off doing his own thing. I can understand if you are disappointed in that, but I'd rather people do what is true to them, whether it is great or not.

 

[korruption]

Worldchanger is my favorite of his solo works, but I more or less stopped paying attention after The Duke.

I feel the same way (also I think the title track on that album is way too underrated), except I lost interest after Out to Every Nation.

I think Jorn was at his ultimate all-time best on Beyond Twilight's The Devil's Hall of Fame. In my opinion, nothing he did before or after came close to his performance on that album.

 

[Oblivion Ocean]

Well either way you slice it, at least this thread brought some life to this board again

 

[TribunalRecords]

This new covers album is so boring. I was just saying to some people he shouldn't be allowed to record covers of Dio, Black Sabbath or Whitesnake anymore. I mean talk about beating a dead horse. The man has a great voice, but when just about every other album is a covers album it just says cash grab to me. plus I read he had 40 songs picked out to do, so none of those other ones on his list weren't a Sabbath, Dio or Whitesnake song?

 

[General Zod]

Being a fan of Conception, I had some high expectations going in, but it just never really gelled for me, and seeing them live at ProgPower didn't change it.

Ironically, I came at it the other way around. I didn't even know Conception existed until discovering Ark. Then I had a "HOLY SHIT!!!" moment when I learned that Tore and Khan had been in a band together earlier in their careers.

As for his solo work, I too agree Worldchanger is his best. I would attribute this to the fact that it was written at the same time as Burn the Sun and was likely influenced by his headspace still being in Ark-mode.