Favorite song on A Sceptic's Universe?

[karpsmom]

I'm curious what everyone's favorite song is on this wonderful album? Mine is definitely Insect. What a great song, and I love the use of acoustic guitars in that song. Such great riffs and everything!

Edit: I made a mistake and put "Moving Spirit" twice! Sorry!

 

[noble savage]

I love the guitar solo in excessit alot so its got my vote.

 

[nicosanchez]

I like Spinning, Excessit, Insect and Conjuring Collapse the same amount, but Insect is the one that I loved first.

 

[Mottley.]

The whole album is incredible!
The solo in Conjurer Collapse is just awesome!

But I voted for Fountainhead. Just love that song.

 

[Rick Pierpont]

I have to say that I am so pleasantly surprised to see that Spiral Architect has a forum!!!!! Unfortunately, things didn't work out and I missed PP2 and didn't get to see them. Going to that was the whole reason I bought to CD to try them out. I love porg but I usually don't like the super extreme stuff like this, but there is something unique and very special about SA and I almost instantly loved Skeptics. Great playing, great production, and an odd sort of cohesion that creates a song out of mayhem.

I am also very encouraged to hear that a new album is on the way. I had once heard that they weren't going to do any more albums, so this is great news. I hope nothing happens to the guitarist if he's innocent; he probably is -- when is the last time a musician had to stoop to rape when it is practically the other way around. Especially a successful band on tour! Its not a laughing matter but I actually find humor in that thought. However if they need anyone to fill in then Ron Jarzombek would clearly be the best to fill in those HUGE shoes!

ON TO THE TOPIC:
That is really wild! I can't believe that Insect (whcih is what I voted for) is coming out ahead! Its not like this stuff gets played on the radio so there aren't "singles" here. But I know so many of my friends who also like SA, love Insect! All the riffs are amazing and strangely tasteful -- I, too love the use of acoustics in one of the main riffs, but I think my favorite starts around 4:41. Heavy, but fun at the same time!

 

[fragility]

There is abasolutely no way I can pick a favourite, the whole album is just pure perfection

I a so excited about the prospect of a new album

 

[Occam's Razor]

Insect and Cloud Constructor - the build-up of the latter song is goosebump-inducing...

 

[SupersonicRobotic]

i dig the whole album but the songs with my favorite parts and melodies in them are: tracks one, two and eight are my favorites.

im not sure why people are so into insect so much. its a good song but i just dont find anything catchy in it. this album also is 100% related to me going fishing almost every single day 2 years ago cause its all i listened to on the way there and back.

1. great opener
2. love the vocal harmonization switch at 2:18 and the riff under it with the little cynic run.
8. love the first riff (grooves hard), vocal melodies (sounds like steve perry in some parts from journey haha), lyrics, love the middle guitar/vocal breakdown, love the leads that come out of that part... then i love the little micro-frown bass part at 3:26-3:34 that heads into the total cynic melodic riff. this is probably my favorite overall song on the album. sure everyone loves the heavy parts and techy parts in insect but whatever.

 

[sava]

My favourite is definetly Cloud Constructer. It has a great opening.

 

[fading]

Now that its brought up, I had to throw it in. It is just an incredible disc. It really is hard to pin point a fav. song. But, since the questions is set I will go with "FountainHead" That is just a mass of caoticness in the beginning, that makes since.

 

[IOfTheStorm]

Cloud Constructor

 

[Dark Lord]

Although it's a little too late to give in my response considering that the poll has already closed, i will tell you my 3 personal best spiral architect songs in order of last to 1st, but taking in mind that i consider all their songs as out-of-this-world-AMAZING.... except for Moving Spirit which i don't really care for...
In my opinion, their 3rd best song on "A Sceptic's Universe"... an amazing & massive song... is "Conjuring Collapse"... Love the chorus.... if it can be considered a chorus!! Especially the part where the guitar leads intertwine with the vocals.... not to mention an amazing lightning speed solo, and best of all... a spine-busting guitar-bass-drum interlude @3:10 till 3:30 that blows my mind everytime .... and what makes this song even more impressive is the fact that it is solely written by Vocalist/Keyboardist Øyvind Hægeland... if you're reading this Mr. Hægeland, ... Thank you for this amazing and inspiring piece of ART/MUSIC !!!

Their 2nd best song, thanks to Lars Norberg, obviously is "Insect". mindboggling acoustic/solo parts... a grande opening of keyboards. Then the second heaviest riffing on this album kicks in... (Adaptability has the heaviest riffs by far in my opinion). The intro riffing of "Insect" with the follow up shredding into the vocals part is considered elite in my book... not to mention a great all-around song... my only objection is possibly the excessive repetition of the last riff for more than a minute to end the song... but non-the-less, a timeless masterpiece.

...And their best song... for the lack of a better word, is by far in this writers opinion, "Excessit". My God... I've listened to alot of great songs... i've even listened to alot of excellent/outstanding songs... but never have I ever listened to something so perfect... i mean if i want to try and put some great songs from other bands in its league, it isn't possible in my opinion... the high levels of cohesion and perfection on this masterpiece are unattainable even by the most skilled of musicians... Not even the best music of Symphony X, Spastic Ink, Shadow Gallery, or Zero Hour can match the towering levels of this song. I will not explain why exactly i love this song... it will take me forever to finish writing it ... so it's enough for you readers to just know that i love this song(LOL). My mortal gratitude goes to Mr. Gunderson and Mr. Norberg.

 

[Dark Lord]

However if they need anyone to fill in then Ron Jarzombek would clearly be the best to fill in those HUGE shoes!

We can't deny the fact that Ron Jarzombek is a brilliant musician and definately a highly skilled and technical guitarist..... very creative too... but that doesn't mean he can fill in Steinar Gundersen's shoes... and that, I believe, is for one good reason... eventhough Mr. Jarzombek is great as i already mentioned, he lacks something very necessary that Spiral Architect is all about.... and that is "Agressive Progressive Metal"... and my emphesis here is on AGRESSIVE !!! most of Ron's playing, eventhough extremely technical and unbelievably fast, is all happy and mellow... it's almost all to funny... you can't listen to spastic ink's music and not laugh... if you appreciate and understand the music ofcourse... plus his playing on Gordian Knot is amazing, yet never aggressive like Steinar's in Spiral Architect. I can't say much about Watchtower cause i never got the chance to listen to any of there music yet... so if it's really aggressive and technical, then my assumptions about Ron would be entirely wrong and i'd have to agree that he'd fit the role of lead guitarist in Spiral Architect nicely... if, and only if (God forbid), Steiner had to leave ofcourse... i hope he never does because he's top-notch. Now putting all that aside, in my opinion if Mr. Gundersen had to be replaced... the best option in my opinion would be my all-time favorite guitarist: James Murphy. First class solo guitarist... ex-member of Testament & Death ...among many others. Those of you who know Mr. Murphy know how aggressive and progressive he can be... not to mention that his solos are out-of-this-world spectacular in my book. let me know what you think guys... atleast those of you who know James Murphy well

 

[IOfTheStorm]

Your assumptions about Ron Jarzombek are totally wrong, since as you say you never heard Watchtower (who are far from "happy and mellow").

 

[batmura]

Ron Jarzombek in Spiral Architect. Please give me a fucking break. He's a great player, but he'd be damn out of place on a Spiral Architect disc. Let him do his own thing, be it solo albums, Spastic Ink or Watchtower.

James Murphy, well he certainly is a killer, and I mean it literally, guitarist. But I'd much rather the guys in Spiral Architect stick to their guns and find their own replacement if the situation calls for it.

No one knew how fucking talented the musicians of Spiral Architect were until ASU came out. They didn't believe black metallers could kick ANYONE's ass into eternity. So stop bringing Ron's name up as if he's the only shredder out there. Just because some musicians aren't displaying how choppy they are doesn't mean they can outshred your favourite tech guitar hero.

Also, in my 10+ year experience of talking to Watchtower fans, most of them will claim that Ron and Bob are the bestEST guitarist and drummer in the universe. Sorry, but their arguments have proved laughable more than once. They sure are excellent players, but proclaiming them the best is pathetic at best.

Spiral Architect is on a much different level, not only technically, but also MUSICALLY. Nuff said.

 

[Dark Lord]

Spiral Architect is on a much different level, not only technically, but also MUSICALLY. Nuff said.

That's right. You said it batmura...AMEN !!!

 

[sava]

I don't think Ron would fit SA's style, because they both have different approaches. James Murphy wouldn't fit the band either IMO.

By the way, Ron has very little writing credits in Watchtower. The first album is mostly written by Doug Keyser and Billy White. And Ron has writing credits in 3-4 songs.

 

[IOfTheStorm]

I normally wouldnt want to compare Watchtower with Spiral Architect, but implying that Spiral Architect are on a higher level both musically and technically is ridiculus. First of all because Watchtower were the FIRST playing that kind of music (they were the first progressive METAL band, dont forget that), then because Spiral Architect (who, for God's shake, i incredibly admire) were based on what Watchtower created. My opinion is that they probably wouldnt even sound the way the sound now if Watchtower didnt exist. Watchtower's rythms, melodies and riffs (even stage presence) were milleniums ahead of their time, you cant just compare them with a band that released one album (no matter how great that album is) and is heavily influenced by them. Its unfair for that band too.
About the thing on who is more technical or not (like if that matters): I dont play the guitar so i cant tell, but guitar players i know just told me that the first Spastic Ink album has the most difficult guitar parts they ever listened to.

 

[fragility]

Not sure how this topic got to this point, but really, it isn't about who is better, or comparing the two, it's pointelss, insulting to both bands (who are better than all of us put together) and really, we should appreciate all these musicians

 

[karpsmom]

Yeah! If you want to argue about which band is better, make a poll about it!