Review of new Vanden Plas release

I by NO means could be considered a dedicated VP fan, however, something about Christ-0 REALLY resonated with me. After that I went back and purchased some of the other albums. I don't have that same feel about the albums preceeding C-0. That said, I do have MAJOR respect for these guys. There is something about their songwriting and...I don't know...the "feel" of their songs that is unique. Shadow I Am is definitely in my top 25 songs of ALL time. I hope the new CD is in that vain.

Is there anyone else that felt Christ-0 was the first album they could connect with? It's a masterful album to me!
 
edgeofthorns said:
I tried and I tried to like Christ O, mainly due to the hype here on the board. It just boiled down to the fact that it simply sounded boring to me.
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Brian... have you tried any other VP releases? Assuming your issue isn't with Andy's vocals, and just with the strength of the songwriting, you may prefer some of their earlier material.
 
General Zod said:
Brian... have you tried any other VP releases? Assuming your issue isn't with Andy's vocals, and just with the strength of the songwriting, you may prefer some of their earlier material.
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I did a few years back when they were suppose to play ProgPower. Honestly, I can't remember anything about them. Do you have any suggestions?

~Brian~
 
edgeofthorns said:
I think you're both nuts! Circus Maximus are the best prog band in the business boys! :)

~Brian~
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You are all nuts! Redemption is the best prog band in the business followed by Circus Maximus / Seventh Wonder , ten other bands and then Vanden Plas.
 
Azrael LenGraden said:
I would say that is debatable...beauty is in the ear of the beholder...
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Beauty is... ability is more tangible. Although I love Andy's voice, I just don't think he can do what Mike can do. Mike's voice seems to possess far more range and power.

Azrael LenGraden said:
...but as a performer I don't think there is much comparison, Andy is far superior... but again that's just my 3 cents...
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Agreed. Andy is the better front man.
 
General Zod said:
Beauty is... ability is more tangible. Although I love Andy's voice, I just don't think he can do what Mike can do. Mike's voice seems to possess far more range and power.

Agreed. Andy is the better front man.
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Ablity is tangible as far as measuring frequency of pitch etc. I agree that Mike is a more talented vocalist than Andy in that respect, but at this point in their careers, I prefer Andy's vocals.
Style and emotion play a great deal in pleasing my ear though. Ask guitar fans what they think of David Gilmour. I bet David makes a top ten list as much as Yngwie. Is Andy the vocal equivalent of David..... not by any means. As much as I love VP and Andy, I am not going to give him those props, but I think there is a bit of a comparison there.
Andy does what he does. He doesn't make my top five vocalists, but I couldn't imagine VP with anyone else. He has been consistently kicking my ass for 13 years though.

Bryant
 
Up&Away said:
Dream Theater

/discussion
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"Images and Words" to me was the measuring stick by which prog bands were rated by me for years. Unfortunately, DT simply went into directions I didn't like after that. I respect the fact, every DT disc is different and they "progressed," but they progressed away from my tastes. I am a lightweight when it comes to how "proggy" a band can be.


Bryant
 
I'm a HUGE Circus Maximus fan and every time I listen to Vanden Plas, their stuff grows on me more n' more - Chrsit 0 blew me completely away the first time I heard it...

I'm extremely IMPATIENT for both new releases....
 
urinalcakemix said:
Maybe 10 years ago.

Between the Buried and Me gets my vote for best current Prog Metal band of the moment.
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Boring.

Sure, they're technical. That doesn't make it a prog band. Their music is SO technical that it makes it hard to remember it. To me, one of the most important things in a song is the melody. A song can't be memorable if the vocal melody doesn't stick to your mind. When it comes to Between the Buried and Me, none (and I mean ZERO) of the melodies are memorable. They're way too all over the place. I have listened to Colors many times. Musicianship is great, but I can't remember a single song, even after listening to it repeatedly.
 
Azrael LenGraden said:
A wise man once said... "A good guitar player can play fast... a great guitar player can play slow"
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That is a great quote. I actually haven't heard it before. Of course David sprinkles great guitarists on his wheaties for breakfast. He is one of those very few guys that writes his solos without picking up a guitar.
We all fiddle around with scales and stuff and accidentally stumble upon something cool and say to ourselves.... oh yeah !! I am going to work that riff into a solo. David can do more with five notes than most can do with 25.

Anyway.... to stay on topic, I didn't mean for this to end up as a Vanden Plas vs. Circus Maximus thread or VP vs. anyone thread. VP has been one of my two fave bands for 13 years. They don't get in any hurry to release stuff, so I am very itchy for this and I think it is going to knock my socks off. I hope I am right.


Bryant
 
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