Hi guys,
I've been listening to Theocracy for a couple of years now and I absolutely love them: their music-writing skill, their style, and the individuality with each band member. The first album, although not recorded to the highest standard, I thought was brilliant; each song was unique, all having brilliant chorus' and riffs etc.
The second, in my opinion, was their best, with Matt Smith really excelling with the 22 minute Mirror of Souls single, both with the lyrics and the fantastic structure. Other ones like Laying the Demon to Rest and Martyr were also my favorites, with the sound being exceptional. This is certainly shown in Laying the Demon to Rest, where from 3:11 to 3:54, I think it is just GOLD. This the Theocracy I love
The third, I have mixed feelings and thoughts about however. I know many of you will disagree with a lot of what I will say, but I am just saying what personally feel. Firstly, I think that there is definitely a progression in terms of the producing of the music within the albums: the first being recorded with more old-style equipment, the second being a jump to the digital quality, and then the third using a lot more of this. And in my opinion, I think there is almost too much here. An example I of this would be in say, "The Gift of Music". The intro starts off with a choir, and then a full string orchestra, and then a snare drum, and then an acoustic guitar. And this is all at once. The sound here, is almost too full. Another example, would be the intro to "Altar to the Unknown God" - it's a bit too ambitious. There's a full choir, with SO many harmonies, and it's almost too much for the listener. A third overall example, would be the constant use of choir sound effects throughout the album: is this really needed? Or is it just adding to the vast quantities of layers there already are? Adding on to this, the style of writing (certainly in the studio) sounds a lot more complex, and within the vast majority of the songs, there are so many quiet lead guitar layers, and extra vocal melodies and harmonies. An example would be in The Gift of Music, where if you listen from 1:51 to 2:10, there a verse with singing, and almost a lead guitar solo in the background; is this really necessary?
What I'm saying here is that I think the balance with the producing and layering has just gone a bit too far - it sometimes loses its raw feeling to the sound (which I feel was amazingly achieved through the second album), and instead sounds like a load of effects and layers piled onto one exhausted listener's ear.
My second concern with the third album is the change in song-writing technique. In the first and second albums, and even with some in the third album, I think there was a particular way of writing a song, which I felt was especially done with songs like On Eagles Wings, Martyr, Absolution Day, and above all: Mirror of Souls. I have no idea what this method is, I just think the use of chords and harmonies in the third album has changed to it being a lot more major/happy. An example would definitely be The Gift of Music. A very uplifting song as it were, with the melodies being extremely harmonized, in an almost cheesy (sorry!) way? Another would be the overall style of Light of the World: it just doesn't seem right to me.
The overall point I'm trying to make is that some of the uses of chord progressions and melodies within the third album in my opinion just really don't suit the metal genre. In the second album, I do admit there were some similar cases, but the balanced wasn't tipped, with the style sounding unique instead of peculiar.
If I could change the way Theocracy wrote their music, I would definitely try to reinforce the success of the "Mirror of Souls" album, (certainly with the Laying the Demon to Rest extract from 3:12 to 3:54) which caught the balance just right between having a special style, whilst still holding on to the basics of most metal.
I hope this opinion I have of the third album didn't seem like a rant, and I would certainly love to hear some other opinions from people as well
Jesse
I've been listening to Theocracy for a couple of years now and I absolutely love them: their music-writing skill, their style, and the individuality with each band member. The first album, although not recorded to the highest standard, I thought was brilliant; each song was unique, all having brilliant chorus' and riffs etc.
The second, in my opinion, was their best, with Matt Smith really excelling with the 22 minute Mirror of Souls single, both with the lyrics and the fantastic structure. Other ones like Laying the Demon to Rest and Martyr were also my favorites, with the sound being exceptional. This is certainly shown in Laying the Demon to Rest, where from 3:11 to 3:54, I think it is just GOLD. This the Theocracy I love
The third, I have mixed feelings and thoughts about however. I know many of you will disagree with a lot of what I will say, but I am just saying what personally feel. Firstly, I think that there is definitely a progression in terms of the producing of the music within the albums: the first being recorded with more old-style equipment, the second being a jump to the digital quality, and then the third using a lot more of this. And in my opinion, I think there is almost too much here. An example I of this would be in say, "The Gift of Music". The intro starts off with a choir, and then a full string orchestra, and then a snare drum, and then an acoustic guitar. And this is all at once. The sound here, is almost too full. Another example, would be the intro to "Altar to the Unknown God" - it's a bit too ambitious. There's a full choir, with SO many harmonies, and it's almost too much for the listener. A third overall example, would be the constant use of choir sound effects throughout the album: is this really needed? Or is it just adding to the vast quantities of layers there already are? Adding on to this, the style of writing (certainly in the studio) sounds a lot more complex, and within the vast majority of the songs, there are so many quiet lead guitar layers, and extra vocal melodies and harmonies. An example would be in The Gift of Music, where if you listen from 1:51 to 2:10, there a verse with singing, and almost a lead guitar solo in the background; is this really necessary?
What I'm saying here is that I think the balance with the producing and layering has just gone a bit too far - it sometimes loses its raw feeling to the sound (which I feel was amazingly achieved through the second album), and instead sounds like a load of effects and layers piled onto one exhausted listener's ear.
My second concern with the third album is the change in song-writing technique. In the first and second albums, and even with some in the third album, I think there was a particular way of writing a song, which I felt was especially done with songs like On Eagles Wings, Martyr, Absolution Day, and above all: Mirror of Souls. I have no idea what this method is, I just think the use of chords and harmonies in the third album has changed to it being a lot more major/happy. An example would definitely be The Gift of Music. A very uplifting song as it were, with the melodies being extremely harmonized, in an almost cheesy (sorry!) way? Another would be the overall style of Light of the World: it just doesn't seem right to me.
The overall point I'm trying to make is that some of the uses of chord progressions and melodies within the third album in my opinion just really don't suit the metal genre. In the second album, I do admit there were some similar cases, but the balanced wasn't tipped, with the style sounding unique instead of peculiar.
If I could change the way Theocracy wrote their music, I would definitely try to reinforce the success of the "Mirror of Souls" album, (certainly with the Laying the Demon to Rest extract from 3:12 to 3:54) which caught the balance just right between having a special style, whilst still holding on to the basics of most metal.
I hope this opinion I have of the third album didn't seem like a rant, and I would certainly love to hear some other opinions from people as well
Jesse
