Official Off Topic Thread

[Kenneth R.]

There was a second Star One album? zzzzzzzz

The first one was one of the best things Arjen ever did. It still has cheeze but it's at least got far fewer "talking, Musical theater" tracks on it. If you're going to get people to read dialog, get people who are actual actors, make the dialog not suck, and have a good plot. Arjen is not the guy for this. I'm going to give Time I a listen if I can find some clips while I'm at work since it seems so heated a debate.

EDIT:

Okay, I don't know what metalized symphonics is. It sounds like some kind of thing you'd do in acoustic physics. My opinion on Time I is that it is very well orchestrated. For my tastes, I wish that it had more variety, but I understand that this brand of metal doesn't subscribe to that notion so I can forgive that for what it is. Regarding the "intro" and how "Asian" it sounds ... it is a great piece, and not calling it a "song" is absurd. I don't think it sounds Asian. It doesn't have the interval metrics of Asian music or the play of dynamics/tempo. I think overall, the album is a good one, but I can't judge the production based on a stream off their website. I'd rather listen to this than Ayreon any day. Time I, while being heavily orchestrated, does not have that wall-of-noise problem that some Ayreon does.

 

[Phanto]

Not even I know what I meant with metalized symphonics. Please ignore that

I never meant it had a wall of sound problem. I meant it had too much orchestration. It's "over-epic"?
Vocals and bass are pretty badly mixed, regardless. Or maybe I downloaded a shit rip, I'll have to listen to other sources.

 

[donKyle]

Well, I enjoy orchestrated stuff, so I'm hoping it'll be good. Weather Systems is the frontrunner for album of the year for me, and I think it'll take a lot for another album to overtake it.

 

[Phanto]

Weather Systems is one of my top albums of all time, so yeah it's my best for the year as well. Runner-ups are
2. Marillion - Sounds that can't be made
3. Katatonia - Dead End Kings
4. In Mourning - Weight of the Oceans (which is weird because I only really super-like the first song)
5. Atoma - Skylight (took a long time to grow but some of the stuff on this album is brilliant)
And then recently I've started to like Enslaved - RIITIIR, Dethklok - Dethalbum III (best American DM this year by far -- unique sound), Wilderun - Olden Tales & Deathly Trails (American Turisas-clone), Be'lakor - Of Breath and Bone (grown a little tired of it though).

My 1-3 will be the same at the end of the year, I'm pretty sure. I haven't made my mind up about 4-5->10.
Time I will probably land somewhere 6-10.

 

[Wander]

I've listened to about 70 albums this year so it'll take me a while to organize them into some sort of order, hahah. I'll post a top 20 or something once I have.

 

[Kenneth R.]

Weather Systems, Portal of I, Bending The Dark.

 

[Sauna]

3. Katatonia - Dead End Kings

I heard it was merely a less good variation of The Great Cold Distance and Night is the New Day, but maybe I just heard wrong. Will have to give it a chance at some point.

Portal of I

That good, huh? I really should be getting around to that, as daunting as the task seems.

Weather Systems is definitely awesome, but as far as album of the year-candidates go, my boner for Storm Corrosion still hasn't relented.

 

[Kenneth R.]

What you heard about Dead End Kings sounds like my impression.

 

[Phanto]

I've never really liked any Katatonia album, initially, except Brave Murder Day.
They take a lot of time to grow.

I think Night is the New Day is better. If it was released this year it would easily have been #2

 

[Marwen]

I've listened to about 70 albums this year

Christ, that's a lot of music. I should probably stop being lazy about listening to new stuff.

They take a lot of time to grow.

lol I always laugh when I read that for whatever stupid reason.

I've never really liked any Katatonia album, initially

I never really liked any Katatonia album. They sound too butthurt for my taste.

Then again I never gave their stuff time to grow. lol Maybe that's why.

 

[Phanto]

I suppose "grow on me" is the proper idiom. Having some familiarity with the music to better appreciate it.

 

[Kenneth R.]

You all know my thoughts on growing music.

Katatonia is kind of emo. You have to be in a certain mood to be into it, and I find I don't have that mood anymore.

 

[Phanto]

Katatonia is kind of emo.

They're pretty depressive, yeah.

You have to be in a certain mood to be into it, and I find I don't have that mood anymore.

That's not the case for me. They have plenty of very good, beautiful melodies that appeal to me regardless of the state I'm in.
That said, I have a "musical mood" but that goes for every single band.

 

[donKyle]

Well, I finally listened to Time I. I'm not too sure what to say. There definitely is a LOT going on, and I do think the first track doesn't need to be as long as it is, but whatever. I do like it, but it isn't as good as I was hoping it would be. I really like the transition into the song Time, and the beginning of that song is probably my favorite part on the album. My biggest issue is that there isn't really anything that sticks out and really takes your breath away.

 

[Wander]

My main problem with Katatonia is that they are so much all dark and depressive that I always find myself missing proper contrasts. It's funny, cause there is absolutely nothing in the new album that I listen to and think "oh, this is just bad", it is in fact all cool and moody with nice vocals and melodies and production, but it just gets a bit predictable I suppose. it's like OH MY GOD I GET IT YOU ARE FUCKING MISERABLE HOW MANY ALBUMS DO YOU HAVE TO GO ON JESUS. Anathema's Weather Systems, for example, is a superior album simply because of covering more different moods and thus staying more interesting.

Portal of I is good.

Also 2012 albums I've liked lately:
Devin Townsend Project - Epicloud
Gazpacho - March of Ghosts
Bethany Weimers - Harpsichord Row
Dominique A - Vers Les Lueurs
Wilsen - Sirens
Wild Nothing - Nocturne
Anneke Van Giersbergen - Everything is Changing
Enslaved - RIITIR


But listening to 70 albums, it is pretty hard to keep track of what is the best stuff and what is merely alright, especially if you're like me and you don't really keep anything organized, so I now remember that there was pretty cool stuff I listened to at the start of the year, but right now I wouldn't be able to really tell how good it is in comparison to the good stuff I'm listening to now... If you get what I mean. The only way you know for sure that you like something enough is when you keep returning to it, I guess.

But even that doesn't work! Cause I kinda think that Scott Walker - The Drift is one of the best albums ever, and I listen to it once a year, hahah. IT MAKES SENSE.

Right now I'm listening to the new Godspeed You! Black Emperor and I think I like it.

 

[Kenneth R.]

Weather Systems, Portal of I, Bending The Dark.

Forgot to add, Animal Joy.

 

[Postulate]

Gazpacho's album this year was great, totally agree.

 

[Kenneth R.]

http://wallstreetpr.com/avid-investors-begin-their-selloff-of-multimedia-giant-avid-3730

I always said ProTools was horseshit.

 

[Sabin17]

Has there been any word on how the hurricane has affected the band? They're from New Jersey so hopefully The Dungeon was spared from the floods.

 

[Marwen]

http://wallstreetpr.com/avid-investors-begin-their-selloff-of-multimedia-giant-avid-3730

I always said ProTools was horseshit.

lol good riddance.