DEMONSPELLS SONGS TO WATCH
Listen when the prophet speaks to you
Issue 68 written November 20-21, 2003
[url]www.mp3.com/stations/songstowatch[/url]: recent additions: None, nor will there be any more updates. In case you didnt hear this elsewhere, my stations host will be closing forever in December, taking it and countless artist pages with it. As annoying as mp3.com could get, it still remained a great source of promotion and I, along with many others, discovered numerous amounts of great music through it. And for that, Vivendi Universal and CNET can rot. Resist corporate control! Rant over, for now
Greetings, devoted readers. Once again, I apologize for not delivering an update sooner. This will be another album review and concert report issue. Another in the normal format will follow shortly.
Dream Theater Train Of Thought summary
Prologue: As with just about every DT release, opinion has been sharply divided on this album, especially concerning the addition of heavier elements throughout along with some nods towards nu-metal, which work both in and against their favor on this disc but mostly against. But this album is not a complete disaster, especially since John Myung has a greater presence here while Jordan Rudess has curtailed his excesses for the most part. Then there is the eternal question of whether DT is progressive at all. That, as far as I am concerned, is up to the listener to decide.
Prologue: Read this carefully, especially if you have yet to purchase this album. Anathema has always tended to change from album to album, but this marks the most drastic change since they left doom behind following The Silent Enigma. Indeed, parts of this album sound nothing like the previous albums. Perhaps the one thing that had remained constant on the last four albums were Vincent Cavanaghs expressive vocals, along with the emotive guitar work. Both are de-emphasized on the new album: Here Anathema experiments with vocal arrangements and the guitar work is used more as a background instrument, in favor of a moody and atmospheric approach, with the keyboards becoming more prominent.
Kayo Dot Choirs Of The Eye summary
Prologue: Two years ago, the Boston-based collective Maudlin Of The Well released two simultaneous albums, Bath and Leaving Your Body Map, that were among the most inventive and progressive, in the true sense of the word, albums this listener has had the pleasure of hearing. While released on a metal label (Dark Symphonies) and possessing clear influence from doom metal, the albums quickly attracted attention from other sources, and the band was invited to perform at a progressive music festival last year. Seeking greater artistic freedom, the core of the band renamed themselves Kayo Dot and signed to the experimental label Tzadik this album is the first result of the move. It is also one of the most adventurous albums I have heard, and is even more epic, ambitious, and wide ranging than MOTW was. I can remember guitarist Greg Massi telling me that one composition had 96 tracks on it, and that only hints at the depth and diversity of instrumentation here. As such, it is one of those albums that becomes imposing to the reviewer attempting to capture it in words.
Concert review: Symphony X featuring The Devin Townsend Band
The Downtown: Farmingdale, NY November 12, 2003
As with most shows in small venues, this one began with that most tedious of rituals, the local openers. One was a horrible nu-metal act, while the other, Dividing Light, was a moderately interesting hardcore act, and I was surprised by how much their vocalists clean voice sounded like Vintersorg, of all people. The concert proper, of which this was the first stop on the current tour, got off to a delayed start when Devin Townsend and his band took the stage only to loudly express dissatisfaction with their setup, a delay that lasted for approximately 15-20 minutes. But after launching into Seventh Wave, they never looked back. The band proved to be a great fit for Devin, as guitarist Brian Waddell and bassist Mike Young provided backing vocals (often replacing the multitracked vox on the albums) in addition to their instruments, and drummer Ryan Van Pooderoyen (sp?) provided steady work throughout. And Devy himself was in top form, both vocally as he ably went between his extremes and nailed nearly all of his screams, and instrumentally, especially on his showcase as a guitarist, a medley of Away and the second half of Deep Peace. Surprisingly, the band focused on older material, with only Storm and a stripped down but still powerful Earth Day the only other songs from the last two (perhaps understandably, as most of Terria would be difficult to replicate live.) Other highlights included a devastating Regulator and the raucous closer Bad Devil.
DTB setlist: seventh wave / storm / earth day / life / truth / regulator / away & deep peace / bad devil
Up next was Symphony X, always a dependable live act, and they proceeded to claim temporary ownership of the place. Despite his occasionally cheesy banter (I have a hard time taking anyone who uses the phrase are you ready to rock? seriously), Russell Allen is among the most energetic frontmen around, and he has a huge stage presence. This was apparent right from the opener, a roaring version of Inferno. As it does on the album, Wicked followed, and this song is at least ten times better in a live setting. The mood was lightened a bit by the band interaction bit towards the end, in this case a small tribute to Led Zeppelin. A pair of highlights from V were next, including an excellent Communion and the Oracle, featuring one of Michael Romeos best solos played to perfection. Another highlight was a brief duel between Romeo and bassist Mike LePond that ended with the latter playing the intro to what would prove to be a stunning Sea Of Lies. Their usual closer followed, and as such I dont think I have anything left to remark upon except for the sole encore, The Odysseys epic title track performed in its entirety. And a remarkable performance it was, with the suite being replicated on stage expertly, and Russell delivered a tour de force on vocals. The heavy parts crushed, the closing section was indeed triumphant, and most impressively the heavily orchestrated instrumental sections were done flawlessly and sounded better here than on the album. A fitting end to a great night of music.
SX setlist: inferno / wicked / evolution / communion and the oracle / king of terrors / accolade II / smoke and mirrors / sea of lies / of sins and shadows / encore: the odyssey
Listen when the prophet speaks to you
Issue 68 written November 20-21, 2003
[url]www.mp3.com/stations/songstowatch[/url]: recent additions: None, nor will there be any more updates. In case you didnt hear this elsewhere, my stations host will be closing forever in December, taking it and countless artist pages with it. As annoying as mp3.com could get, it still remained a great source of promotion and I, along with many others, discovered numerous amounts of great music through it. And for that, Vivendi Universal and CNET can rot. Resist corporate control! Rant over, for now
Greetings, devoted readers. Once again, I apologize for not delivering an update sooner. This will be another album review and concert report issue. Another in the normal format will follow shortly.
Dream Theater Train Of Thought summary
Prologue: As with just about every DT release, opinion has been sharply divided on this album, especially concerning the addition of heavier elements throughout along with some nods towards nu-metal, which work both in and against their favor on this disc but mostly against. But this album is not a complete disaster, especially since John Myung has a greater presence here while Jordan Rudess has curtailed his excesses for the most part. Then there is the eternal question of whether DT is progressive at all. That, as far as I am concerned, is up to the listener to decide.
- As I Am: The single being marketed for radio airplay, but I dont think youll be hearing it on your local modern rock station (especially since I imagine my readers have better taste!). And much like the crap Clear Channel insists on spewing 24/7, this has little in the way of substance (except the catchy but generic-sounding chorus), as it is one of the more nondescript songs DT has done. Rant over.
- This Dying Soul: A sequel to The Glass Prison, and much like that song it incorporates metallic elements in a rather disjointed fashion (and it borrows shamefully from a Metallica classic at one point), and James sounds ill-equipped to handle the angrier parts. Some good sections though, especially the instrumental parts.
- Endless Sacrifice: Despite the out of place chorus with that ugly squealing note, this is the first really successful and well-structured composition, building from the understated (by DT standards) opening verses to a climactic finish, on this flawed but occasionally provocative album. Once again, the instrumental sections, with solid work from both Petrucci and Rudess, are the highlight.
- Honor Thy Father: The first two tracks were disappointments, but here I cant think of a single positive thing to say. This one suffers from just about everything wrong with the heavy approach: bad riffs which give the impression that DT merely wants to copy their newfound influences, an absence of creativity, James sounding inadequate, and Portnoys utterly juvenile lyrics. The instrumental break with the movie samples adds nothing to the song, and the much-ridiculed rapping section (listen to me, you ungrateful fool!) is truly embarrassing.
- Vacant: The lone ballad on the album, its piano and cello-led arrangement comes as a welcome relief after the atrocity that precedes it. But its brevity indicates that they may have included this as a filler between the (often unnecessarily) long tracks that make up the bulk of the album.
- Stream Of Consciousness: The instrumental track that was the subject of a prerelease songwriting contest on Portnoys website. Although it probably is a few minutes too long and not as manic as the composition chart led me to believe, this can stand with their previous instrumentals, and those melodic guitar lines and variations on the main theme dont bore me for a second.
- In The Name Of God: No need to worry about the title, the lyrics are clearly anti-religious. The longest track here at slightly over 14 minutes, and the most interesting musically. John Myung contributes a masterful bassline that reoccurs at various sections in the song, and the instrumental break here, which reminds me of Home at times with its Eastern feel, is the best on the album. And the chorus and the closing section approach the majesty (pun intended) of Images and Words. Of course, not everythings perfect here, but this is the closest DT gets here.
Prologue: Read this carefully, especially if you have yet to purchase this album. Anathema has always tended to change from album to album, but this marks the most drastic change since they left doom behind following The Silent Enigma. Indeed, parts of this album sound nothing like the previous albums. Perhaps the one thing that had remained constant on the last four albums were Vincent Cavanaghs expressive vocals, along with the emotive guitar work. Both are de-emphasized on the new album: Here Anathema experiments with vocal arrangements and the guitar work is used more as a background instrument, in favor of a moody and atmospheric approach, with the keyboards becoming more prominent.
- Harmonium: This track opens sparely and builds upon its repeated refrain (its too real ), and the vocal harmonies here add to the songs beauty. It increases in volume halfway through, but retains the same relaxed but ominous feel.
- Balance: Like the previous track, it opens slowly only to break into a heavier section, but here the arrangement is different, as they elevate the tension rather than expand on a theme. One of the more dynamic tracks on the album. The song ends abruptly and immediately fades into
- Closer: Here Anathema throws the first major curveball, as this track relies on computer-treated vocals to a great extent. On first listen this came across as being repetitive, but it did reveal itself to be hypnotic and the songs atmosphere eventually becomes more threatening towards its conclusion.
- Are You There?: The pre-release mp3 from this album, which marks Danny Cavanaghs debut as a lead vocalist. His voice isnt as strong as that of his brother, but it is just as capable of expressing emotion, as this is a delicate ballad of great yearning, with some beautiful and plaintive instrumentation.
- Childhood Dream: A brief instrumental piece, which reminds me of the interludes on Judgement a bit. The use of the playground noises in the background adds to the feeling here, which matches the title nicely.
- Pulled Under At 2000 Metres A Second: This one serves the same function that Judgement and Panic did, the obligatory fast and energetic track, with a little of this albums ethereal approach thrown in. The song has quickly become a fan favorite, thanks to its reverberating guitar lines, smart lyrics, and desperate sounding vocals.
- A Natural Disaster: This one features Lee Douglas, who contributed excellent backing vocals on the last two albums, taking the lead. This one reminds me of Antimatter a bit with its minimal backing and the female vocals, and the refrain is as catchy as anything on this occasionally frustrating but rewarding album. The song ends with Danny and Lee trading counterpoint.
- Flying: The lone track here that sounds like classic Anathema, as all of the elements that made Judgement such an engaging album are here: Vinces powerful vocals, the acoustic work, a gigantic and resonant chorus, and a soaring guitar solo. But it also aligns perfectly with this albums feel as well.
- Electricity: Again sung by Danny, this is another piano-led ballad in which the band eventually joins in. While it does convey a feeling of sadness as well as anything on the album, its arguably the least interesting musically.
- Violence: Anathema continues to confound the listener over the course of the album, ending with a nearly eleven-minute instrumental. It begins with some beautiful piano work, then breaks into an unbelievably tense section featuring menacing guitar lines and frantic drumming by John Douglas. This drops out and an ambient soundscape fills the remainder of the song, serving as both contrast to the preceding section and the exact opposite of the songs title.
Kayo Dot Choirs Of The Eye summary
Prologue: Two years ago, the Boston-based collective Maudlin Of The Well released two simultaneous albums, Bath and Leaving Your Body Map, that were among the most inventive and progressive, in the true sense of the word, albums this listener has had the pleasure of hearing. While released on a metal label (Dark Symphonies) and possessing clear influence from doom metal, the albums quickly attracted attention from other sources, and the band was invited to perform at a progressive music festival last year. Seeking greater artistic freedom, the core of the band renamed themselves Kayo Dot and signed to the experimental label Tzadik this album is the first result of the move. It is also one of the most adventurous albums I have heard, and is even more epic, ambitious, and wide ranging than MOTW was. I can remember guitarist Greg Massi telling me that one composition had 96 tracks on it, and that only hints at the depth and diversity of instrumentation here. As such, it is one of those albums that becomes imposing to the reviewer attempting to capture it in words.
- Marathon: From the foreboding opening notes that are quickly followed by a brass solo, one can discard all notions of conventional song structure. The songs here have far more in common with classical compositions, especially those of a dissonant nature, than anything falling in the framework of metal or progressive rock. Not that the former has been completely purged, as the song erupts into a nightmarish doom section early on. The second half of the song goes in a more ambient direction, with great use of vintage keys (Hammond M-3, Rhodes). It ends with a reading of a poem by lyricist Jason Byron, who contributes some fascinating prose, although the vocals are rarely the focus here.
- A Pitcher Of Summer: This is the only song under ten minutes, and much like Geography and Sleep Is A Curse on Bath/LYBM, emphasizes the more delicate side of the band, with fragile but yearning vocals from primary composer Toby Driver and acoustic backing. The song does get heavier later on leading to a forceful ending, and the arrangement is still very inventive.
- The Manifold Curiosity: This is arguably the single most avant-garde (or fucked up, depending on your tolerance for such audaciously weird music) composition here. It opens mournfully, only to settle into a section in which strummed acoustics, static-sounding electronics, and barely audible vocals somehow coalesce into a single entity. After going through a few more stages that further the bands debt to modern classical composition, the music gradually escalates into a cacophonous maelstrom, and bloodcurdling screams are introduced. Everything culminates in an absolutely explosive riff that ends the track.
- Wayfarer: This track, while still being extremely progressive and just as unpredictable and hard to grasp thanks to the frequent shifts and pauses, stands in contrast to the violent ending of the last track and the discordance still to come. This one contains the most vocals (a highlight being the rapidly swelling lead-in to Tobys cry of Wayfarer! Upon they journey ), with the high-pitched intonations adding impact to some vivid poetic lyrics, and the song is full of fragile beauty. Greg contributes a brief but energetic solo, and violinist Mia Matsuyima adds some excellent violin work in both the initial and final sections of the song.
- The Antique: If the third track represents the bands willingness to create epic compositions from disparate parts, this one is the peak (at least among this album) of their skills as songwriters. A composition chart for this song appears in the liner notes, and while it does help in following the songs progress and reveals some details of the writing process, it in no way prepares you for the listening experience itself. The opening movement, which takes up the first six minutes, is one of the most masterful examples of building tension I have heard. It begins with a series of sustained guitar notes, and gradually becomes more dense until the track becomes positively monstrous, seething with pressure. A crushing doom section follows, and eventually the theme being expanded on at the beginning gives way to furious blast beats. Then the third movement begins, and while it bears no resemblance to what preceded it, it is equally impressive. Classical piano and trumpet set the tone, and then we hear some bizarrely manipulated vocals that change the mood to one of perverse beauty, before ending on long notes from the horns.
Concert review: Symphony X featuring The Devin Townsend Band
The Downtown: Farmingdale, NY November 12, 2003
As with most shows in small venues, this one began with that most tedious of rituals, the local openers. One was a horrible nu-metal act, while the other, Dividing Light, was a moderately interesting hardcore act, and I was surprised by how much their vocalists clean voice sounded like Vintersorg, of all people. The concert proper, of which this was the first stop on the current tour, got off to a delayed start when Devin Townsend and his band took the stage only to loudly express dissatisfaction with their setup, a delay that lasted for approximately 15-20 minutes. But after launching into Seventh Wave, they never looked back. The band proved to be a great fit for Devin, as guitarist Brian Waddell and bassist Mike Young provided backing vocals (often replacing the multitracked vox on the albums) in addition to their instruments, and drummer Ryan Van Pooderoyen (sp?) provided steady work throughout. And Devy himself was in top form, both vocally as he ably went between his extremes and nailed nearly all of his screams, and instrumentally, especially on his showcase as a guitarist, a medley of Away and the second half of Deep Peace. Surprisingly, the band focused on older material, with only Storm and a stripped down but still powerful Earth Day the only other songs from the last two (perhaps understandably, as most of Terria would be difficult to replicate live.) Other highlights included a devastating Regulator and the raucous closer Bad Devil.
DTB setlist: seventh wave / storm / earth day / life / truth / regulator / away & deep peace / bad devil
Up next was Symphony X, always a dependable live act, and they proceeded to claim temporary ownership of the place. Despite his occasionally cheesy banter (I have a hard time taking anyone who uses the phrase are you ready to rock? seriously), Russell Allen is among the most energetic frontmen around, and he has a huge stage presence. This was apparent right from the opener, a roaring version of Inferno. As it does on the album, Wicked followed, and this song is at least ten times better in a live setting. The mood was lightened a bit by the band interaction bit towards the end, in this case a small tribute to Led Zeppelin. A pair of highlights from V were next, including an excellent Communion and the Oracle, featuring one of Michael Romeos best solos played to perfection. Another highlight was a brief duel between Romeo and bassist Mike LePond that ended with the latter playing the intro to what would prove to be a stunning Sea Of Lies. Their usual closer followed, and as such I dont think I have anything left to remark upon except for the sole encore, The Odysseys epic title track performed in its entirety. And a remarkable performance it was, with the suite being replicated on stage expertly, and Russell delivered a tour de force on vocals. The heavy parts crushed, the closing section was indeed triumphant, and most impressively the heavily orchestrated instrumental sections were done flawlessly and sounded better here than on the album. A fitting end to a great night of music.
SX setlist: inferno / wicked / evolution / communion and the oracle / king of terrors / accolade II / smoke and mirrors / sea of lies / of sins and shadows / encore: the odyssey
