ATROX - first BAD reviews!

[Burkhard]

To give a rough translation of the most important points: "...The music of Atrox hasn´t anything to do with metal. I haven´t heard such confusing song-structures for quite a long time. It sounds as if everyone was playing something different and then all is just mixed together. Something like circus music meeting instrumental-vocal-exercises. In addition to this a "vocalist" who constantly sings off-key. What kind of substances do you have to take to get done something like this??? In my opinion an obvious case of waste of raw materials."

Well, I wonder if this guy has never listened to bands like Watchtower, Voivod, Sieges Even or Mekong Delta. And I also wonder what his rating would have been, if he had listened to "Terrestrials", perhaps -5 out of 5???

I feel like writing a comment on that website, but it´s useless. Musical tastes are different, and at least he wrote "Meiner Meinung nach" ("In my opinion"), so you can´t argue with that! But stating that Monika constantly sings "off-key" is even from an "objective" point of view total and utter rubbish. It´s sort of funny (or maybe not?) that he starts off his review by saying "So, I always thought I was quite open-minded..." - so thanks to "Orgasm" he´s now finally realized he was wrong? (That would be at least one positive effect this album had on him!)

 

[monikaedv]

It´s sort of funny (or maybe not?) that he starts off his review by saying "So, I always thought I was quite open-minded..." - so thanks to "Orgasm" he´s now finally realized he was wrong? (That would be at least one positive effect this album had on him!)

Hehe yes, let's hope so... It was really strange to read how little he understood of the music - to me it's totally weird that someone can actually think our music is that strange and to actually believe that I sing out of key!!! I mean, these days I feel like we are almost as straight-edge metal as can be and I really can't understand what's so strange about us... Weird...

 

[tartareandesire]

Well, some people just aren't able to get into music which is more complex and experimental. It's a shame but straight-forward music with simple melodies and choruses will probably always be more popular. At least some people are lucky enough to be able to experience the greatness of more progressive bands as well.

 

[Burkhard]

Now here´s a truly "baaad" one: www.royalcarnage.com/Reviews/papajosh/atrox/orgasm_rev.htm

1,5/10 is really ridiculous, but they also gave Madder Mortem´s "Deadlands" a 1/10-rating, so what can you expect? Considering that the reviewer described Monika´s vocals as "godawful", I wonder what I would have written about "Terrestrials" or "Contentum"???
But as we all know: Beauty lies within the eye of the beholder - and so does ugliness! (If I wanted to have said something mean, I could have added: "And some people just happen to be blind!", but I guess that would have sounded a little bit arrogant.) However, this proves again: you simply can´t rely on reviews - unless you´ve written them yourself!

 

[dimensionidol]

i think that you become famous only if you are doing shit!

the more you are stupid the more you sell....

sad but true....

:Smug:

 

[monikaedv]

I think those Royal Carnage people are mostly into death metal so I guess it's hard for them to comprehend music with singing and melodies... We shouldn't judge them too hard, they don't know better :Spin:

 

[Black Winter Day]

I think those Royal Carnage people are mostly into death metal so I guess it's hard for them to comprehend music with singing and melodies... We shouldn't judge them too hard, they don't know better :Spin:

whoa now...

first of all: sure, we have a few good reviews of death metal albums, but they are not dis-proportional to every other genre we review (black, power, progressive, etc.). in fact, i am hardly a fan of death at all... you can't base all of your assumptions on one reviewer (although papa josh IS a huge death metal fan).

second: we love singing. and melodies. who doesn't?

third: i haven't heard your album. i must say that i have heard mixed reviews of it, but what i have heard interests me. and code666 is having such a strong year that it would be hard to ignore 'orgasm'. seriously... if it's good, i'll like it (regardless of the genre). usually (for me) the more original (and strange), the better.

i hope you don't have any hard feelings for us because of this review... even though i haven't heard you sing, i can already se that you are a kickass person because of your attitude and aspirations. (i.e. ignore the bad reviews... i would expect any artist that gets reviewed on our site to feel the same way).

 

[monikaedv]

oh ok hehehe. no hard feelings at all... the thing is this: one day I searched the forum for stuff about Atrox, it came up a thread on the Royal Carnage forum where Papa Josh said something negative about me and I just had a bit of fun bashing myself there... uhhh, maybe you wrote something in that thread too? Don't remember... At least I expected someone from Royal Carnage to find this thread based on a search for topics about Royal Carnage and I was right hehehe

I thought most of you were only into death metal... I was wrong then... :Spin:

What makes me think Papa Josh can't appreciate melodies and singing is that he says I have a "godawful voice". Now I can understand that I sound terrible when I mean to sound terrible (which is 5 % of the time) but to say that about a singer who has a completely normal and feminine voice is just beyond my comprehension. I'm not offended - we have had reviews that were ten times worse than that one - I'm just laughing and shaking my head, wondering if Papa Josh is stupid or if he just doesn't understand music...

But that's just my opinion, and his review is just his opinion, sorry that I thought all of you were like that. BTW, wouldn't it be smarter to let someone who actually understands and perhaps likes a bit avantgardist music review albums like that? I hate rap, so I can't review rap albums - I'd only say "This is crap" to all of them....

 

[Black Winter Day]

oh ok hehehe. no hard feelings at all...

good!


the thing is this: one day I searched the forum for stuff about Atrox, it came up a thread on the Royal Carnage forum where Papa Josh said something negative about me and I just had a bit of fun bashing myself there... uhhh, maybe you wrote something in that thread too? Don't remember... At least I expected someone from Royal Carnage to find this thread based on a search for topics about Royal Carnage and I was right hehehe

actually, i check this forum every now and then (seeing as code666 is probably the top metal label around now) and i stumbled across it (and i knew about papa's review... heh heh). about that thread... i remember it well: you getting bashed and suddenly appearing in the conversation! that was pretty damn funny...


I thought most of you were only into death metal... I was wrong then... :Spin:

heh... 'sall good


What makes me think Papa Josh can't appreciate melodies and singing is that he says I have a "godawful voice". Now I can understand that I sound terrible when I mean to sound terrible (which is 5 % of the time) but to say that about a singer who has a completely normal and feminine voice is just beyond my comprehension. I'm not offended - we have had reviews that were ten times worse than that one - I'm just laughing and shaking my head, wondering if Papa Josh is stupid or if he just doesn't understand music...

okay... that's a bit pretencious (if he doesn't like your singing, then he is "stupid")... even though i find myself thinking the same thing at times (about some opinions), but it's a rather dumb assumption. papa josh is known for voicing his opinion fully (what he actually thinks, instead of qualifying everything, which only dampens the effect of a review) and vehemently. if he doesn't like something, he will say it's shit. that's just him and the way he does things. will some dislike him for it? probably, although they shouldn't. even if i had a discrepancy with one of his reviews, i would at least be aware of the fact that this is one guy speaking his mind (which is what reviewing is all about - generating feedback and giving the readers advice on what bands to explore... and which ones to ignore). he doesn't like your singing. so what? it doesn't mean he "doesn't understand music"... he, for whatever reason, is not a fan of your vocalizations. big whoop. it happens.


But that's just my opinion, and his review is just his opinion, sorry that I thought all of you were like that. BTW, wouldn't it be smarter to let someone who actually understands and perhaps likes a bit avantgardist music review albums like that? I hate rap, so I can't review rap albums - I'd only say "This is crap" to all of them....

this could be very much possible. if you browse our site, you will see there are two reviews for goatsblood's "drull". why is that? simply: one person hated it (papa, ironically), another loved it. thus, two dissenting opinions. i will check with the rest of the guys at RC and see if we can find another perspective on the album. cool?

 

[Papa Josh]

oh ok hehehe. no hard feelings at all... the thing is this: one day I searched the forum for stuff about Atrox, it came up a thread on the Royal Carnage forum where Papa Josh said something negative about me and I just had a bit of fun bashing myself there... uhhh, maybe you wrote something in that thread too? Don't remember... At least I expected someone from Royal Carnage to find this thread based on a search for topics about Royal Carnage and I was right hehehe

I thought most of you were only into death metal... I was wrong then... :Spin:

What makes me think Papa Josh can't appreciate melodies and singing is that he says I have a "godawful voice". Now I can understand that I sound terrible when I mean to sound terrible (which is 5 % of the time) but to say that about a singer who has a completely normal and feminine voice is just beyond my comprehension. I'm not offended - we have had reviews that were ten times worse than that one - I'm just laughing and shaking my head, wondering if Papa Josh is stupid or if he just doesn't understand music...

But that's just my opinion, and his review is just his opinion, sorry that I thought all of you were like that. BTW, wouldn't it be smarter to let someone who actually understands and perhaps likes a bit avantgardist music review albums like that? I hate rap, so I can't review rap albums - I'd only say "This is crap" to all of them....

Music has been the #1 love of my life since the age of 2, ask anyone that knows me... but I guess I don't know music... and you must know a whole lot about it, because you disagree with me!

It's rather presumptious for you to assume that I only listen to death metal. In fact, if you decide to take the time and look at my best of 2003 list when it goes live, you'll see my tastes are pretty varied.

In regards to your voice, I just don't like it, and I can easily see why someone would think it sounds out of key, I felt the same way at numerous points throughout the disc. I liked the music, but the vocals... uke:

When I think beautiful female voice, I think The Gathering, Lacuna Coil, early 3rd and the Mortal, The Sundays (one of my fave non-metal bands).

And as far as appreciating melodies and singing...

Steve Perry, Jeff Lynne are two of my favorite musicians.

Garm, Warrel Dane, Ray Alder, Ronnie James Dio, Bruce Dickinson, James Rivera, Bono, Russell Allen, Eric Martin, Steve Hogarth, Keith Caputo, etc., etc., ad nauseum are all wonderful singers.

I guess if squeeley vocals over busy jazz arrangements is considered avantgarde...

That being said, better luck next time!

P.S. If any of my fellow staff members would like to take a stab at this release they are more than welcome to. Hell, I challenge 'em to!

 

[monikaedv]

okay... that's a bit pretencious (if he doesn't like your singing, then he is "stupid")...

No, that's not what I said. I'm talking about what he said about my voice, not the way I sometimes use it. You can't say that a voice in itself is bad just because it sometimes is being used in a way you don't like.

I don't like the way for instance Christina Aguilera uses her voice but I can still hear that her voice in itself is good.

@Papa Josh:

I can easily make my voice sound like the singer of The Gathering or like the girl who sang on the old 3rd & the Mortal albums (the other two I haven't really heard so I don't know) - it's just to use different techniques - so if my voice in itself is godawful, so are theirs...

And if people who aren't used to a bit different melodies believe I sing out of key, they're simply wrong, cause I don't sing out of key. I sang one or two notes out of key on our last album. I sometimes sing notes that aren't so obvious to use, but they are still within the same scales as the rest of the band play. You can compare it to when people who haven't heard for instance Persian music before believe it's out of tune because Persian music uses quarter notes and most western people aren't used to it.

My 1st post about your review wasn't all that serious. It was just my way of shaking off the feeling your review gave me. Sometimes it can feel a bit... hmmmmm.... not so good to have extremely bad reviews and then I choose to laugh at it instead... No big deal.

And "jazz arrangements"? There's no jazz in Atrox. Just because there are a few "strange" chords and rhythms here and there people say it's jazz. We don't know how to play jazz at all! :Spin: I also said "a bit avantgardist" - I didn't claim to be the saviour of the world or something hehehe. Anyway, the term avantgarde just means new and experimental so if I find out that lots of bands have done the same thing as Atrox before, I'll admit that we aren't a bit avantgarde.

"Better luck"? My intention is not to make music that every metalhead can appreciate, so it has nothing to do with luck. I know lots of people will hate it - every time. Believe me, those of the reviews for the two previous albums that were negative were far worse, and it actually hurts sometimes so I handle it by distancing myself from the reviewers taste in music. Your review didn't really hurt me, but I chose to laugh at it - as you probably laugh at me... Let's laugh together and make the world a better place! I'll make Michael Jackson write a song about us! Yeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeaaaaaahhhh!!!!

:Spin: :Spin: :Spin:

 

[monikaedv]

You are stupid and you have an ugly voice and I don't like you. You said you thought I was stupid but I think you are stupid. All my friends agree and we don't want to speak with you anymore

:Spin:

 

[monikaedv]

Heeeey why did you delete your post, daddy?

 

[Burkhard]

Was the quote in your post his entire comment? Perhaps he realized that it sounded "a bit" silly, like an offended child saying "Bah, I won´t play with you anymore!" - or he got afraid that Rødingen and his siblings and friends might take revenge!

 

[Klaair]

papa josh , go to bed and sleep

 

[monikaedv]

Hehehe, he never wrote that thing - I did, just for fun

 

[Papa Josh]

Happy New Year, Monika.

 

[monikaedv]

The same to you, Josh

 

[Black Winter Day]

hey, that was pretty funny (mainly because people thought it was real)
happy new year to all!

 

[monikaedv]

I thought it was real too :Spin: