I am listening to this album right now... and here are some of my favorite moments...
"The Towers of Avarice"
1:38-1:49 (The bass guitar!!!! It sounds like it's swirling around in dystopian darkness)
3:35-4:05 ("In their midnight!!!! It is saviour!!!!" Erik sounds so pissed off there! Awesome guitar during that part too...)
"The Subterranean"
0:00-0:37 (HEAVY! Great pounding drums and fierce guitar!)
2:38-3:16 ("He's the moon, it is the sun" Erik sounds so evil! I love it! Great GROOVE during this part too!)
"The Subterranean"
0:00-2:18 (Awesome bass intro followed by a number of brutal riffs that make my head spin... and then there's the jaw-dropping short guitar solo that fits so perfectly!)
2:41-4:15 ("Breathing silence"... love how the bass and drums lock here... and Erik's calm stanzas that end with a fierce scream)
4:24-4:50 (That guitar part builds so much tension)
5:19-6:16 (One of my favorite Zero Hour moments. "Drop drop down and liquify". Erik sounds amazing... his voice is so warm and expressive. Then enters possibly my favorite riff ever.)
"Reflections"
0:00-3:56 (Pretty much this whole song is an Erik highlight. Sure, there's no brutal heaviness, lightning quick riffs, locking bass/drum grooves or technical madness... but this gorgeous ballad is the perfect respite and a great way to rejuvenate the ears, the mind and the soul. The stark minimalism is a jarring contrast to the rest of the album. Erik really proves why he's one of my favorite vocalists on this song... I almost begin to cry when he sings "It's killing me... it's killing meeeeee...")
"Demise and Vestige"
1:35-6:00 (The hypnotic bass pattern, the crisp hi-hat and Erik's smooth vocals. You can feel the tension building and the anger brewing. Then at about the 3 minute mark, the guitar dive-bombs into the scene and Erik explodes in fury. At 4:43 Erik croons "Relieve us now of misery"... I can go on and on about his vocals... but he really sounds amazing during this part... and I love Mike's drum pattern during that part.)
6:13-7:15 ("It is starting There's no stopping." Then Erik sounds totally evil and vicious when he sings, "Cries to screams, screams to cries to moans. Flesh to steel. Steel to flesh concrete to bone. Water bled blue to red. Blood to water. led here led to where? Led to slaughter.")
7:15-8:40 ("Thought I could lose the thought that rules brought me to the thought that brought me here to this demise." The vocal melodies are just so damn catchy! I just love the way this part builds and explodes into a furious guitar solo.
13:20-13:52 ("We will comfort you. We will bring you peace." This part just gives me chills. Those awesome layered vocals and the hypnotic cadence of the bass and drums.)
14:42-15:45 (Love that bass part... and the weird "robotic" vocals... "from within and from without... revenge is ours, there is no doubt... and in between that and this... our oppressor will taste the serpent's kiss)
"Ghosts of Dawn"
2:39-2:55 ("Feverish laughter breaks upon their lips" I love the way the music just drops out there leaving nothing but Erik's voice.)
4:05-4:45 (Such despair in Erik's voice during this part. "How could I lead them on to something they'd never find? Oh why did I lead them on to something that was only in mind?")
Ok, I know this was rather ridiculous as it's just me rambling... and highlights implies that there are some sort of "low-lights" on the album... the the whole album is really just highlight after highlight. It's an album that I love very much and listen to constantly.
"The Towers of Avarice"
1:38-1:49 (The bass guitar!!!! It sounds like it's swirling around in dystopian darkness)
3:35-4:05 ("In their midnight!!!! It is saviour!!!!" Erik sounds so pissed off there! Awesome guitar during that part too...)
"The Subterranean"
0:00-0:37 (HEAVY! Great pounding drums and fierce guitar!)
2:38-3:16 ("He's the moon, it is the sun" Erik sounds so evil! I love it! Great GROOVE during this part too!)
"The Subterranean"
0:00-2:18 (Awesome bass intro followed by a number of brutal riffs that make my head spin... and then there's the jaw-dropping short guitar solo that fits so perfectly!)
2:41-4:15 ("Breathing silence"... love how the bass and drums lock here... and Erik's calm stanzas that end with a fierce scream)
4:24-4:50 (That guitar part builds so much tension)
5:19-6:16 (One of my favorite Zero Hour moments. "Drop drop down and liquify". Erik sounds amazing... his voice is so warm and expressive. Then enters possibly my favorite riff ever.)
"Reflections"
0:00-3:56 (Pretty much this whole song is an Erik highlight. Sure, there's no brutal heaviness, lightning quick riffs, locking bass/drum grooves or technical madness... but this gorgeous ballad is the perfect respite and a great way to rejuvenate the ears, the mind and the soul. The stark minimalism is a jarring contrast to the rest of the album. Erik really proves why he's one of my favorite vocalists on this song... I almost begin to cry when he sings "It's killing me... it's killing meeeeee...")
"Demise and Vestige"
1:35-6:00 (The hypnotic bass pattern, the crisp hi-hat and Erik's smooth vocals. You can feel the tension building and the anger brewing. Then at about the 3 minute mark, the guitar dive-bombs into the scene and Erik explodes in fury. At 4:43 Erik croons "Relieve us now of misery"... I can go on and on about his vocals... but he really sounds amazing during this part... and I love Mike's drum pattern during that part.)
6:13-7:15 ("It is starting There's no stopping." Then Erik sounds totally evil and vicious when he sings, "Cries to screams, screams to cries to moans. Flesh to steel. Steel to flesh concrete to bone. Water bled blue to red. Blood to water. led here led to where? Led to slaughter.")
7:15-8:40 ("Thought I could lose the thought that rules brought me to the thought that brought me here to this demise." The vocal melodies are just so damn catchy! I just love the way this part builds and explodes into a furious guitar solo.
13:20-13:52 ("We will comfort you. We will bring you peace." This part just gives me chills. Those awesome layered vocals and the hypnotic cadence of the bass and drums.)
14:42-15:45 (Love that bass part... and the weird "robotic" vocals... "from within and from without... revenge is ours, there is no doubt... and in between that and this... our oppressor will taste the serpent's kiss)
"Ghosts of Dawn"
2:39-2:55 ("Feverish laughter breaks upon their lips" I love the way the music just drops out there leaving nothing but Erik's voice.)
4:05-4:45 (Such despair in Erik's voice during this part. "How could I lead them on to something they'd never find? Oh why did I lead them on to something that was only in mind?")
Ok, I know this was rather ridiculous as it's just me rambling... and highlights implies that there are some sort of "low-lights" on the album... the the whole album is really just highlight after highlight. It's an album that I love very much and listen to constantly.
) This album is such an incredible musical work. So intricate and beautiful and powerful and brutal.
