Ok, I'll be Mr. Disrespectful here...

[adaher]

Well, I've probably got the most objective viewpoint here. I was never attached to Conception. I only owned one album, "Flow". I thought it was okay at best, although it had moments of brilliance. I listened to their back catalogue and thought the same thing. Moments of brilliance interspersed with moments of sheer boredom.

But they definitely left their mark on the genre, so there was a certain mystique about seeing them play. Chances are, we'll never see it again. As for the performance itself, it was adequate. I enjoyed the good songs and fought to stay awake during the boring songs.

To sum up, if Conception came to my town, I'd buy a ticket.

 

[General Zod]

I'm glad you all enjoyed the show. I guess I'm just looking for a little more "level-headedness" in the review of the show and of the band.

Here's what I'd say, in reference to the band and to their PP performance, as someone who owns all of their CDs and was very psyched to see them perform live:

Khan is a much better Prog Metal vocalist than he is a Power Metal vocalist. What he does well, he does with subtly and nuance. That tends to get lost in Power Metal, especially live.

As you mentioned, Tore is a badass on guitar. I would have liked to have seen him expand on his solos last Friday, rather than perform them note for note.

The band, while I think they have "presence", is not going to draw in the non-fan, ala Tad Morose or Brainstorm, with their "presence". I doubt there was a mad rush of people who went and scooped up Conception CDs after thier performance, as I'm sure there has been in previous years with the aforementioned Tad Morose and Brainstorm, as well as Edguy, Angel Dust, etc.

As I mentioned with Khan earlier, a lot of what Conception does it does with subtlety. If you're not a fan, and you don't know where to look for it, you probably won't catch it during a live performance.

I agree with your assessment, that the claims that they're "one of the greatest bands of all-time" lean towards the absurd. I think people too often confuse how much they enjoy a band, with the band's actual place in the scene.

All that said, if you have a chance, give "Flow" a couple of spins. It's a phenomenal CD. You might see what everyone else sees. You might just go back and queue up Tyran Pace.

Zod

 

[nightwish58]

Conception's performance was "legendary"! They fuckin ruled Prog Power this year.

 

[longshot9]

Quoted for truth.

Amen.

I'm more of a power guy personally, and I love Kamelot. But I think Khan is better in studio, something about him live just doesn't cut it for me. That being said though, I do like Conception as I was into them back in the 90's. "Legends" though? Not in my book, it's like a baseball announcer talking about some guy that's been playing for 10 years and has a career .260 batting avg., and they refer to him as a "veteran". They have some great songs but overall it's just too mello for me, gimme Black Halo any day. I did think Conception was one of the better sounding bands overall, but I was frankly a bit bored. They did play the 5-6 songs I wanted to hear badly then I left.

 

[The Fiddler]

What I saw:

A vocalist who, in the metal field, is generic and quite boring at best. Are you guys really telling me that this is a vocal "legend"?? And please don't say "emotion". He's as dry as an 11 year old twat.

I think average or below average vocalists need to run all over the stage to help distract the audience from paying too much attention to their voice. I mean, how hard can you focus on your vocal lines when your trying not to run into band members, jumping over cords, balancing on monitors, and sticking the mic into the crowd? It's easy to run and scream lyrics.

As a Conception fan, I wouldn't mind seeing Kahn be more active on stage. On the other hand, I just can't see him jumping, running, and screaming to 95% of the Conception catalog. He'd look silly. It's not the way the songs are written and it's not Roy.

 

[General Zod]

I think average or below average vocalists need to run all over the stage to help distract the audience from paying too much attention to their voice. I mean, how hard can you focus on your vocal lines when your trying not to run into band members, jumping over cords, balancing on monitors, and sticking the mic into the crowd? It's easy to run and scream lyrics.

Tate was all over the place when they performed "Mindcrime" back in the day. And to my ear, Khan has always been a poor man's Geoff Tate. And Dickinson, who has more range and 1000x the power of Khan, is a ball of fire (even to this day).

I'm a big fan of Khan. I just don't think you can chalk up his lack of raw energy to the fact that he's concentrating.

Zod

 

[The Fiddler]

What I saw:

A vocalist who, in the metal field, is generic and quite boring at best. Are you guys really telling me that this is a vocal "legend"?? And please don't say "emotion". He's as dry as an 11 year old twat.

Obviously, you were LOOKING for emotion, you were not LISTENING for it. There's a big difference.

After all the posts about Roy this year and last, it's obvious that a good portion of the audience is more focused on the amount of animation from band members rather than the amount of quality in their voice or playing.

There's a place for the Tobias Sammets and Andy B. Franks just as much as there is a place for the Roy Kahns and David Readmans. Appreciate the bands for what they are and not what you want them to be.

 

[The Fiddler]

Tate was all over the place when they performed "Mindcrime" back in the day. And to my ear, Khan has always been a poor man's Geoff Tate. And Dickinson, who has more range and 1000x the power of Khan, is a ball of fire (even to this day).

I'm a big fan of Khan. I just don't think you can chalk up his lack of raw energy to the fact that he's concentrating.

Zod

Tate and Dickinson were singing about war, revolution, and assasination. It makes total sense that they are frenzied when they sing.

Conception songs primarily deal with inner termoil, conflict, love lost, and self-reflection. Tell me how Roy would look running all over stage while singing songs like In Your Multitude, Hold On, Silent Crying, Cry, And I Close My Eyes, Flow, etc.?

 

[The Fiddler]

And please don't say "emotion". He's as dry as an 11 year old twat.

How do you know about the twats of 11 year old girls? I can't speak from experience like you, but I'm assuming an 80 year old twat would be a lot more dry than a 11 year old twat. You should try something in the 25-35 year old range, that is, unless you are an 11 year old girl. In that case, wait until you're 18 years old to try prime twat.

 

[General Zod]

Tate and Dickinson were singing about war, revolution, and assasination. It makes total sense that they are frenzied when they sing.

I don't think subject matter makes a great deal of difference in stage energy. And Franck would be a beast on stage if he was singing about tax reform.

Tell me how Roy would look running all over stage while singing songs like In Your Multitude, Hold On, Silent Crying, Cry, And I Close My Eyes, Flow, etc.?

No one was suggesting Khan do backflips during Conception's ballads.

Zod

 

[Thonolan]

I feel myself extremely lucky cause I love Conception so much. No other band in the world is able to make me feel such wonderful sensations while listening to their music. Not even by far. Conception's music is unique and special, that's why not everybody is able to catch their magic. Ok, the guys are pretty technical, especially Ostby, one of the best guitarists in the history of melodic metal without a single doubt, and also one of the most versatile ones, but also Ingar Amlien (listen to those amazing bass lines on "Flow") and Arve Heimdal (very original drumming). Roy Khan has the best "melodic" voice in metal, imo. He sings with huge emotion, his vocal timbre is wonderful and his vocal melodies are really unique (this is one of the things most of the listeners don't get about Conception). But it's not the technical skills what makes Conception magical. It's the songwriting, and especially the atmosphere of their songs. You can feel something really deep, touching and almost supernatural while listening to them. I can't really describe this feeling with words, but believe me, it's something wonderful. There's no other band out there which sounds like them. And the lyrics... if somebody is able to find a non-english native speaking band with better lyrics, I'll hardly believe it.

Conception is a cult band, and this means they have a great fanbase but also a number of people who just don't get them. But that's the magic of the true geniouses. If everybody would be able to get them, it'd be pretty boring...

CONCEPTION RULES

 

[AngraRULES]

It's like Pain of Salvation. You either LOVE THEM or HATE THEM.

And before I die, I will convert ZOD into one of the LOVE THEM ones... LOL

 

[Thonolan]

It's like Pain of Salvation. You either LOVE THEM or HATE THEM.

Exactly. I was going to write this on my previous post.

 

[General Zod]

It's like Pain of Salvation. You either LOVE THEM or HATE THEM.

And before I die, I will convert ZOD into one of the LOVE THEM ones... LOL

LOL. There are two chances of that happening; slim and none.

Zod

 

[Hajeka]

I like Kamelot better, but agreed, Tore is a great guitar player. But if people want to call them legends, it's all a matter of opinion after all.

 

[Metaldrumz]

All a matter of personal taste. They did absolutely nothing for me, and I been into this music genre since the late 80s (everything from hair metal, hard rock, traditional metal, thrash metal, USA power metal, prog rock/metal, and so on).

Tore is a smokin guitar player, but his songs dont suck me in.

Alot of people love the CD Flow.......I had it and the only song that really stuck with me (even love it to this day) is "would it be the same". The rest of the CD was filler for my tastes.

I think it was cool to have a band like this featured at the festival. It really gives it, something unique. Id like to see more reunions bands in the future regardless if Im a huge fan or not. If anyone can work magic, its definately Glenn!

 

[AngraRULES]

LOL. There are two chances of that happening; slim and none.

Zod

Believe me, I'm working on those... lol

 

[woosta]

I wasn't expecting a Toby Sammett style performance from Khan. You know who was one of the most emotive singers I've ever seen? Jack Russell from Great White. He's not a runner or a goof or anything. He just did the songs with emotion. I wasn't "looking" for it with Kahn, I was reacting to the lack of it after the show. I had no expectations beforehand except that I haven't liked any of Conception's songs on their cds really. That being said, I've seen lots of bands that have won me over in a live setting and that's what it's all about, I think. Evergrey, for instance, is similar in some ways to Conception and they win me over every time.

 

[MeTuLHeD]

Drumming was average.

Wrong. Just dead wrong.

 

[Cardinal Sin]

Probably the best show i PP history, IMO...


I love conception... Their sound is SO unique, without being weird.. I mean, they are pretty straight foward, for the most part, and have so much personality.. They sound like Conception and that's it...

There you go, something that makes sense....EXACTLY how it is!!

i cant believe people even say that Tore is a mediocre guitarist...he IS by far better than anyone. he's a virtuoso and his major influences were Al DiMeola (noticeable in A Million Gods and bunch of others) and David Gilmour (noticeable in his AMAZING bending techniques)....I haven't seen anyone at progpower pulling things off like he does.

And i can't help it that i'm a huge fan, but since i'm into so many different music, i would have recognized tore to be one of the best even if i wasn't into his playing.