So I just discovered this new band . . . Hammers of Misfortune!

[JayKeeley]

hm... i'm usually not to keen on the more obscure progressive (or whatever, you know what i mean ) recomendations flying around here on the RC forum

I have no idea what you're talking about...

but strange as it may seem i'm enjoying this (the four clips from "the bastard"). a lot. thanks for the tip

Yeah, that happens a lot when you hear a great album, heh. There must be a thousand riffs in The Bastard - no filler. Lyrics are out of this world, almost as good as The August Engine lyrics.

Get this and Empyrium's Songs of Moors and Misty Mountain Hopping Fields and life will lead to good health and fortune.

 

[spaffe]

yes the lyrics seems to be muchly good from what i heard when listening to it, guess there'll be a vinyl version of the bastard flying my way as soon as it's released.

august engine on the other hand did not impress me at all that much. the folky vibe which i liked a lot on the bastard seems to be missing, and judging by the cover the lyrics/story seems to be more contemporary = not at all as interesting
will give it (the clips hehe) some more time though

 

[JayKeeley]

august engine on the other hand did not impress me at all that much. the folky vibe which i liked a lot on the bastard seems to be missing, and judging by the cover the lyrics/story seems to be more contemporary = not at all as interesting
will give it (the clips hehe) some more time though

Correct. The medieval/folk/celtic/fantasy elements were dropped on The August Engine in favour for something akin to 70's retro/doom/prog/metal or something like that. The lyrics are indeed very abstract. It is very good, but start with The Bastard for sure.

In fact, if you like The Bastard, you might want to check out The Lord Weird Slough Feg. Same bunch of guys (more or less) doing lots of good celtic/folk'ish metal, but it is much more straight ahead metal.

I once said that most people on this forum would probably prefer The Bastard. It tends to get a lot of respect from the black metal / doom metal crowd having originally been released on tUMULt records, and I would hope Profound Lore records have the utmost respect for it if they're releasing the vinyl alongside Leviathan, Melechesh, Xasthur, etc.

 

[NAD]

The August Engine > The Bastard

 

[spaffe]

Correct. The medieval/folk/celtic/fantasy elements were dropped on The August Engine in favour for something akin to 70's retro/doom/prog/metal or something like that. The lyrics are indeed very abstract. It is very good, but start with The Bastard for sure.

In fact, if you like The Bastard, you might want to check out The Lord Weird Slough Feg. Same bunch of guys (more or less) doing lots of good celtic/folk'ish metal, but it is much more straight ahead metal.

I once said that most people on this forum would probably prefer The Bastard. It tends to get a lot of respect from the black metal / doom metal crowd having originally been released on tUMULt records, and I would hope Profound Lore records have the utmost respect for it if they're releasing the vinyl alongside Leviathan, Melechesh, Xasthur, etc.

mmm yes, seems the bastard is more up my ally, will order a copy from ancient winds as soon as it's released

hehe i never thoght i'd even consider checking out a band with a name like The Lord Weird Slough Feg, musical horizons expansion trauma will likely be the result seriously though, i'll keep my eyes somewhat open in case i enjoy the entire bastard

 

[Demonspell]

As Jay implied earlier, they're more accessible than either of the Hammers albums, but still aren't easily categorized...

 

[NAD]

spaffe, if you like the folk elements of The Bastard, you MUST hear The Lord Weird Slough Feg, or at least Twilight of the Idols (or whatever it's called).

 

[Krilons Resa]

The Bastard is very well executed and EXTREMELY catchy. Gooood stuuf.

 

[MajestikMøøse]

will order a copy from ancient winds as soon as it's released

its nice to have loyal customers before I have made my first sale.

 

[JayKeeley]

hehe i never thoght i'd even consider checking out a band with a name like The Lord Weird Slough Feg

Heh, I felt the same way for a couple of years when I first heard of them, yeah. I thought, wtf kind of band is this? I only got round to them because of their connection to the Hammers.

And then of course the Slough Feg theme begins to tie itself in with bands like Skyclad, Thin Lizzy, and Sabbat, etc, except it's the American counterpart. It's all good pub metal basically. It's a thinking drinking man's music with excessive riffs and vocals abound.

Of course, the Hammers on the other hand are in a class of their own. I'm glad you're starting with The Bastard.

 

[spaffe]

spaffe, if you like the folk elements of The Bastard, you MUST hear The Lord Weird Slough Feg, or at least Twilight of the Idols (or whatever it's called).

yeah i'll check that one out in case i like the whole of "the bastard"

its nice to have loyal customers before I have made my first sale.

hehe if you get paypal that is

 

[Krilons Resa]

OMFG. I absolutely must see em live. I STILL cannot believe that I learned of it the 1 fucking day late. Everytime I listen to these guys n' gals I get all giddy like a godamn schoolgirl.

 

[JayKeeley]

Ahhhh, "Insect":

“Insect” is the greatest song on the album. Alongside a Spanish flamenco intro, the interwoven vocals work perfectly where Scalzi and Tanaka harmonize like a two-person church choir. We then fall back into the main riff originally heard on track one, “The August Engine pt.1”. This eventually gets tweaked to sound even more like MEGADETH – right down to mimicking the “Wake Up Dead” mid-song riff from Peace Sells…but who’s Buying? (“The August Engine pt. 1” was originally named “Overture” for the exact reason that it highlighted key moments from across the entire album, but was then re-titled when certain corresponding songs never made the final album cut). The song fades to silence…

 

[Krilons Resa]

*tingles*


ha!

 

[NAD]

Room and a Riddle and The Trial and the Grave have been my favorites as of late, but it's one of those albums that switches back and forth all the time.

 

[Krilons Resa]

exactly, i agree with ya

 

[JayKeeley]

Some comments regarding The Bastard and a question if you please:

Note end of track #3 "On Wings of Vengeance" where Scalzi sings "I am the rightful heir to the throne, you left your son forsaken HERE!", where the emphasis on the word 'HERE' actually kicks off track #4, "The Hunting Tyrant". A highlight of the album I'm sure you'll agree...

...well, other than that moment being spectacular leading into that god-like riff throughout track #4, at the 0:48m mark, an instrument comes in to play the melody up until 1:20m, just before the death vocals start. Anyway, what is that instrument? Is it a flute or what?

Go check and let me know!

Also, on track#8, "Tyrant Dies", at the 1:55m mark though to the end of the song, it commences with the recurring theme throughout the album, previously heard on track#5, "You should have slain me" at 2:15m and fully throughout track #11, "The New King's Lament" which probably contains the best example of Mike Scalzi's vocal harmonies EVAR!

I'd just like to say that those are some of the greatest moments in music history for me. And when I saw it live, for those few moments, life seemed perfectly complete as the crowd around me practically fell to their knees in tears. It was quite a surreal night as you saw from Lurch's pics, heh.

 

[NAD]

My favorite moment of the Bastard is the first minute, which was also the highlight of seeing them live. Just thinking about those vocals with the beauty and the severity at the same time is sending goosebumps all over me... *drools*

track #4, at the 0:48m mark, an instrument comes in to play the melody up until 1:20m, just before the death vocals start. Anyway, what is that instrument? Is it a flute or what?

Two flutes? Sounds like one of those carved flute-things with like 4 holes in it, it sounds too low to be a traditional flute.

 

[JayKeeley]

Yes, I thought they were flutes. That rules!! Ahh, must pull out my Jethro Tull Songs from the Wood....which believe it or not I'm enjoying more than Aqualung these days. Just because it's so earthy. Aqualung does rule though, I've probably heard all those songs on separate occasions on the radio or at college.

Anyway, this will be me if I ever interview Cobbet:

"Man, you know that song "The Hunting Tyrant?"
"Yeah"
"The way you used those two flutes was awesome man!!!"
"Thanks"

One day I will do an entire interview with some band in the style of Chris Farley. I will even dress as a Beverly Hills Ninja whilst asking questions on the telephone.

 

[NAD]

You gotta video tape that or at least post an .mp3 if you do!

Mom likes Songs from the Wood best, and made fun of her friends for liking Thick as a Brick back then (it is uber-proggy). I say you can't beat the main riff of Aqualung, because well, you can't!