Iconoclast: News/Info Thread

[PurpleDink]

I love Russells new vocal style, wait what? /listens to live on the edge of forever

He always sang like this, just not in the studio. I love the "ridaz" part and similar examples. It sounds so manly.

 

[Chainrider]

End Of Innocence - Best Verse.
Prometheus - Best Chorus.
Dehumanized - Best Solo.

Side note: Hey, Mega Man, the boss will see you now.

 

[Marwen]

New interview with MJR:

 

[_Gentleman of_the Snow_]

Not liking Gildenlow (PoS vocalist) is one thing, and I understand why some wouldn't, but denying that he has any vocal talent is just plain ridiculous.
It'd be like saying Michael Romeo cannot play guitar very well because you don't like his music.

I am definitely liking the special edition artwork better. I cannot wait to pick it up! Two discs of SX music

 

[The Stormbringer]

I can't stand it either. It's like on Paradise Lost's The Walls of Babylon Russ says "Riders" like "Ridaz". It's one small example but I think that since Paradise Lost his singing style as well as vocal melodies AND lyrics have lost a kind of intelligence and sensitivity.

People, let's get off those high horses. SX are a HEAVY METAL band and little else and their intelligence and/or sensitivity does not suffer from Russ deviating from standard English. Jeez.

 

[Detective Clarence Beauregard]

Thanks for the interview, Marwen! "Metallic clanking sounds," huh? I guess I can dig that. It sure is different...

Not liking Gildenlow (PoS vocalist) is one thing, and I understand why some wouldn't, but denying that he has any vocal talent is just plain ridiculous. It'd be like saying Michael Romeo cannot play guitar very well because you don't like his music.

I agree to a degree, but to me it's always seemed that vocal talent is something that is far more subjective than any other instrument. Why? Because the timbre of the voice is just far more unique than it is between other instruments. For example, take MJR and John Petrucci and have them play the same riff - would you be able to tell which one was which? Maybe, but it would be a lot more difficult than if Russ and LaBrie sang the same vocal line (I only use Dream Theater as an example since I know nothing about PoS). I think LaBrie sounds like a dying bird, but he can hit the notes and obviously has vocal talent; I just don't want to listen to him. Never heard Gildenlow, so can't comment.

 

[_Gentleman of_the Snow_]

I also agree with what you've just said

There are definitely key elements to look for in grading whether a person is a talented singer or not. Tone can only be altered slightly (at best), but things like note-choice, phrasing/rhythm, pitch, emotion, range (though also out of user's control), are things to look for. Some of those are opinion-based, sure, but some aren't.

 

[Prismatic Sphere]

It is my favourite of the three. I thought End of Innocence would be because it is the one that's closer to their old stuff, I feel. But I've always liked the groovy songs, and the chorus is definitely full of groove. Wicked is one of my favourites, for example, and I know a lot of people think that's one of the weakest songs on the album. Same reason why I love Atomic Soul (in spite of the terrible album name). In the past I have often felt that their groovy songs had better verses than choruses (again, Wicked as example), but this time it's the other way around. In other words, I agree about Russel's singing in the first verse, but it's not just his singing, it's the entire first part. Too fast and furious for the rest of the song imo. Still, the song is, well...damn sexy, to put it plainly.

Totally agreed with you about Wicked. That was my favorite song off of The Odyssey immediately. That is, until the title track no longer continued to overwhelm me with its monstrous scope and scale.

 

[Detective Clarence Beauregard]

Totally agreed with you about Wicked. That was my favorite song off of The Odyssey immediately. That is, until the title track no longer continued to overwhelm me with its monstrous scope and scale.

I love Wicked, too, although it takes 5th or 6th place on the original 8-song release for me. Amazing groove, haunting vocals, and odd-time chorus with sweet dissonant harmonies make it for me. The interlude section is cool, too, as is the bass line during the bridge.

 

[Prismatic Sphere]

There are definitely key elements to look for in grading whether a person is a talented singer or not. Tone can only be altered slightly (at best), but things like note-choice, phrasing/rhythm, pitch, emotion, range (though also out of user's control), are things to look for. Some of those are opinion-based, sure, but some aren't.

Let's not forget though(and I've said this before) that what makes Russell the greatest vocalist in the world isn't even mainly the technical prowess stuff; it is his uncanny penchant for the unbelievable vocal melodies that he comes up with.
Some of that was lacking on Paradise Lost; let us hope there are more on Iconoclast.

 

[Krowsnest]

Let's not forget though(and I've said this before) that what makes Russell the greatest vocalist in the world isn't even mainly the technical prowess stuff; it is his uncanny penchant for the unbelievable vocal melodies that he comes up with.
Some of that was lacking on Paradise Lost; let us hope there are more on Iconoclast.

These words, I like.

 

[_Gentleman of_the Snow_]

IMO, the verse to Wicked is a perfect example of great vocal melody and phrasing creation. If anybody else had the shell of that song, they would never have come up with the vocal lines SX did.

 

[SymphonyXV]

Dear god, MJR can't hardly remember anything! Imagine how bad it will be when he is 60.

 

[_Gentleman of_the Snow_]

^ Did I miss something?

 

[J-Dubya 777]

Dear god, MJR can't hardly remember anything! Imagine how bad it will be when he is 60.

Hey, armchair band leader, lyricist, band manager -

Lets see how well you remember stuff when you're living out of a bus, in a foreign country, and people ask you questions you may not have thought about, especially after developing the album story line for a period of years.


Seriously, do you NOT whine about anything?

 

[Marwen]

^ Did I miss something?

the interview I posted in the previous page, the part where he seemed like he totally forgot how Iconoclast came about.

It's no big deal and MJR is my favorite guy in the band, but Russel does interviews better to be honest.

Anyway, I'm interested in the "mechanical" stuff he spoke about. I'm into film music and I think I know what he's getting at. One little example is this thing Hans Zimmer uses sometimes, it's like this 'pulsating' sound texture with (for example) the string section. He calls it the "motor effect". Pretty cool stuff actually.

 

[Krowsnest]

It's no big deal and MJR is my favorite guy in the band, but Russel does interviews better to be honest

and he seems to enjoy doing them more too.

Anyway, I'm interested in the "mechanical" stuff he spoke about. I'm into film music and I think I know what he's getting at. One little example is this thing Hans Zimmer uses sometimes, it's like this 'pulsating' sound texture with (for example) the string section. He calls it the "motor effect"

I love the little nuances in music, those that cannot be heard in live concerts but only with some good headphones and the studio version of the song. The wait for this album is getting harder and harder to stand lol

 

[Prog is King]

I agree to a degree, but to me it's always seemed that vocal talent is something that is far more subjective than any other instrument. Why? Because the timbre of the voice is just far more unique than it is between other instruments. For example, take MJR and John Petrucci and have them play the same riff - would you be able to tell which one was which? Maybe, but it would be a lot more difficult than if Russ and LaBrie sang the same vocal line (I only use Dream Theater as an example since I know nothing about PoS). I think LaBrie sounds like a dying bird, but he can hit the notes and obviously has vocal talent; I just don't want to listen to him. Never heard Gildenlow, so can't comment.

I've said the same thing about a voice. It's something one is born with. You can study music theory and learn an instrument and go as far as you want/can but if you don't possess a good voice to start with, forget it. Russell's voice is unique and exquisite. LaBrie's is adequate. Russell is a showman.
LaBrie seems like he wants to be anywhere but there on stage, like he's not having any fun. They do not compare. If MJR and Petrucci played the same riff on either of their respective guitars and equipment, you might not be able to tell them apart. But if they each played the same riff with their own gear, you would definitely tell the difference. Their tones are way different, at least to me.

 

[LittleTortillaBoy]

Dear god, MJR can't hardly remember anything! Imagine how bad it will be when he is 60.

Russ also hardly remembered from which album is "Out of the Ashes"

 

[_Gentleman of_the Snow_]

I feel that 99% of people out there have the ability to learn how to sing decently through study and practise.
To become a true master, it takes these things, combined with natural ability.