[RC Autumn Reco Madness MMXIII] : The Reports

Have you ever heard Human = Garbage?
Yes! I was recently introduced to Dystopia and they blew me away. I think I recommended them a little while ago during one of these last little games here...

Similar rage/fear of Acid Bath, I can see the connection there. Not quite the same stuff, but yes, indeed.
 
I guess this is a perfect time to make an admission of RC blasphemy. For all my years hearing "Acid Bath is the sheet" in countless threads around these halls, Ive never bothered to hit play. Until now, holy fuck this slays. :kickass:
 
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WEIRD OWL – Build Your Beast A Fire


RECOMMENDED BY: refraction

Pysche rockers from Brooklyn, and therefore likely hipsters. But, the kind you can actually have beers with.

WHAT I LIKED ABOUT THIS ALBUM: Refraction originally compared these dudes to 13th Floor Elevators, but there is little in the way of that sort of freakiness here. Instead, this is much more reminiscent of a sixties band like Small Faces -- mostly reflected in their layered harmonies, tunefulness and overall pop economy. There are fifteen tracks on this album in the space of forty-two minutes; over half the songs hover around the two-minute mark or less. Similarly, there is quite a sunny disposition going on (you'll hardly find a minor note at all herein), with a crunch in the vein of Captain Beyond and maybe even a bit of Southern twang. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised to find that refraction pulled a fast one on me and sent me a bunch of forgotten Marshall Tucker Band gems, as a joke. This, mixed with a semi-"indie" vibe and a dash of Pink Floyd, really works well in places -- "Skin Of The Dawn" and "Mountains On Top Of Buried Stars" are particular highlights. They even throw in some early Smashing Pumpkins riffing ("Up From The Root"), mid-2000s freak folk ("No Time Nor Space") and Hawkwind-esque Eastern-flavored interludes ("Space Bolero"). WEIRD OWL certainly hit upon a lot of fine notes, and keep things fresh enough to keep me occupied throughout.

WHAT I DID NOT LIKE ABOUT THIS ALBUM: The diversity is the problem. They're not (yet) gifted enough songwriters to come out with brilliant psyche-infused pop like Small Faces or their nineties counterparts, Olivia Tremor Control. Nor do they delve into anything beyond their mishmashing of related styles. The melodies are a bit too simple, and everything feels a little bit "safe." Sure, it sounds damn good, and might be something to throw on when you get home from work on a Friday. If you want to transcend, however, you'll remain mostly grounded.

BOTTOM LINE: A perfectly pleasant listen. Not essential by any means, but more like something to pull out once a year and be surprised at how much better it is than you remember it.

WILL I LISTEN TO THIS ALBUM AGAIN? Yep.

WOULD I BUY THIS ALBUM? Already have.

RATING: 7.5/10
 
Discipline - Unfolded like Staircase

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Recommended by:
Doomcifer

Short description:
Epic progressive rock with songs that unfold like a staircase to a rainbow. Like in the 70's, done in the 90's.

What I liked about this album:
Solid musicianship as you'd expect from guys who want to walk in the steps of early-Genesis, VDG Generator and the likes. They have a fantastic, slick sound that make you fast rewind back in time on the mellotron-ish, meandering parts and fast forward again when it's time for some action that deserves a more "punchy" vibe. Some parts truly make you disappear within your stereo like you'd sink in a warm bath. Sounds like it can't ever grow old, just like the classics.

What I did not like about this album:
There is a reason why 99% of albums made after In the Court of the Crimson King can't even hold a candle to it, and that's because in a style such as prog rock and derivatives, it's nearly impossible to keep the consistency of your music at a top-notch level for 70 minutes straight. Discipline are no exception, and, however hard they try, can't keep their songs from falling into distractive traps then and again. Another common shortcoming, as far as I'm concerned, is that the music is just not dark enough on the whole. Some parts are even so syrupy I want to tongue myself.

Bottom line:
This is a good record from a strong band, but, KC aside, I'd rather dedicate my almost non-existent prog rock listening time to the tried and approved Premiata Forneria Marconi, Novalis or Anyone's Daughter, with a bit of early Genesis thrown in once a year maybe.

Will I listen to this album again:
Never say never...

Will I buy this album:
No

Overall quality of recommendation:
Nice try, had a good time: 6/10
 
yeah srsly

only review i read in this thread and now im pissed off

its always the french
 
I'm not going to lie to you, I posted that off the cuff and barely remembered I posted it until I looked again now.

Serious observation: Your commentary is fair, but surely the album is deserving of more than a 6.

I should probably give these two threads a serious look, I've literally read nothing of them until now.
 

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