Cyhra - The Vertigo Trigger - August 2023

[DE4life]

That’s 100% the best stretch of the album, no contest. I do quite like all of the other songs on there, but DDC and Digital World are some of the best Amaranthe songs period.

Digital World is definitely my favourite from that album. Elize is so good on that one. Really nice chorus. I couldn't help but think the line "freedom is for sale if you give them control" is even more relevant nowadays with Musk, DOGE and the techbros running rampant within the US Government.

I just didn’t listen to The Catalyst. That huge wave of artists using or having to use AI for music videos really turned me off from them (Amaranthe, Within Temptation, Linkin Park with Lost, etc.), and I just refused to listen to that material, regardless of it was better or worse. Cemetery Skyline using AI for its art was super disappointing too, and I tried not to listen to or recommend anything from after I found out about it, but they’re probably the only band I respect enough to give another shot afterwards. They seem like a rather genuine band, and Mikael’s a pretty genuine person, so I do want to support them.

I did listen to it - didn't know about the AI stuff to be honest - but yeah, it didn't click with me at all. Genuinely don't remember a single song off it - and I really tried to like it as well. The theme was right for me, but the music just wasn't.

Surprised to hear about Cemetery Skyline using AI generated art. I can understand independent bands using AI to try and reduce costs, but bands signed to labels like Century Media should not need to do that. Give an actual artist a little support. There are great artists out there who would probably create something awesome for barely anything, purely through being a fan or just wanting the exposure. Not that I'd endorse paying an artist the minimum amount just because it's possible, but still.

 

[Xpyro125]

Digital World is definitely my favourite from that album. Elize is so good on that one. Really nice chorus. I couldn't help but think the line "freedom is for sale if you give them control" is even more relevant nowadays with Musk, DOGE and the techbros running rampant within the US Government.

Well, there’s some good and bad news there. I don’t want to get too into politics on a Cyhra post for obvious reasons, so I’ll keep it as simple as Musk is out of the government and is apparently panicking to sell off Tesla because he’s tanked it, but the corruption in our government otherwise is still in full force.

The little reference to Pinball Machine in Digital World feels intentional (Bullet Ride is also referenced in Fury) and always get me in a good way when I listen to the song. The entire thing is pretty perfect, but I love the sort of pacing and effects(?) in the verses.

I did listen to it - didn't know about the AI stuff to be honest - but yeah, it didn't click with me at all. Genuinely don't remember a single song off it - and I really tried to like it as well. The theme was right for me, but the music just wasn't.

I don’t even remember the theme of the album, just that the cover is robotic while the Damnation Flame(?) video was vampire-themed.

Surprised to hear about Cemetery Skyline using AI generated art. I can understand independent bands using AI to try and reduce costs, but bands signed to labels like Century Media should not need to do that. Give an actual artist a little support. There are great artists out there who would probably create something awesome for barely anything, purely through being a fan or just wanting the exposure. Not that I'd endorse paying an artist the minimum amount just because it's possible, but still.

All of the art for Cemetery Skyline, the music videos and the album’s cover art is AI generated— Save for the music videos that actually have the band in them. I don’t know about the cover art for the new cover, since I couldn’t find information on it, but Nordic Gothic’s stuff did use AI art. I didn’t realize that until the fourth(?) single came out.

I don’t see Stanne as the kind of guy to make the decision to use AI art, but I also have no idea why Century Media would do it for a band like this. Either way, shit sucks.

 

[Xpyro125]

Within Temptation was especially heartbreaking to see use AI for their music videos, since I think they were starting to regain their footing a bit once they actually got the album going. It’s even worse because the cover art for the album isn’t AI, and the person they bought the art from absolutely fucking hates AI. There have been allegations thrown around that the cover art is AI and that that artist uses AI, and that shit sucks because the artist is super talented and stylistic with their works. I don’t remember their name off the top of my head, but it was someone Finnish. I can’t imagine what it’d feel like to have to look back at a big band buying your art, just for them to use AI for their videos while you’re so staunchly against it. Couple that with Entertain You being very… Anti-authoritarian/counter-culture in theming, but like, in the poppiest of pop punk sort of a way, and it’s all the more insulting.

I don’t know of it was the band’s decision or if it was the label’s (Who I believe was something Nuclear Blast-owned, but the videos are all on WT’s own channel, so that doesn’t sound like NB) decision, but the videos for Bleed Out, Wireless, and Ritual all used AI.

 

[eochaid]

Insomnium also used AI. Are these guys, and the labels, even aware that AI works don't have a copyright?

In the end, is greediness and metal is now a business more than a genre or an attitude.

Also, fuck AI.

 

[Xpyro125]

Insomnium also used AI. Are these guys, and the labels, even aware that AI works don't have a copyright?

In the end, is greediness and metal is now a business more than a genre or an attitude.

Also, fuck AI.

Shit, I forgot Insomnium also used it for Stained in Red. I haven’t really listened to any of their stuff past Heart Like a Grave save for White Christ, so I kinda just forgot, but it’s another reason not to listen to that newer stuff. Another Century Media band too.

I kinda feel like the “metal is a business more than a genre of attitude” extends beyond just metal— It really feels like that’s just completely pervaded mainstream music. If it isn’t the old and passionless, it’s the young… and passionless. There are still some really cool, artistic bands out there, sure, we love THE, but those bands definitely feel like they’re in the minority. In a way, it’s a better time than ever to just seek out less popular or more overlooked stuff. Shit, same goes for the movie industry, TV, gaming, you name it. It’s pretty fucking depressing to think about, but I feel like that’s why art, creativity, and passion are more important than they’ve been in quite a long while.