The End Records 2004 Fall Sampler

[J.]

Crisis - Blood Burden (The End)
What is this? Some kind of metalcore/death metal hybrid? It stinks, whatever it is. There are many more bands out there that can do it better.

Lilitu - Follow Through (The End)
Ugh. Kind of operatic semi-Opeth metal? Not a fan of the vocals, clean or otherwise. Cheesy at times. Just....no.

Winds - The Fireworks of Genesis (The End)
Oh Gawd. Wankfest classical bullshit with awful vocals. This is the kind of shit people listen to so they can say, "yeah, I like classical music."

Age of Silence - The Concept of Haste (The End)
Another fucking supergroup with Winds members and a Solefald singer. Pointless really, since it's simply a faster Winds song with Lazare's clean vocals. Still, not as bad as Winds.

Peccatum - In the Bodiless Heart (The End)
Stupid ass operatic crap. Do people actually buy this?

Karmakanic - Alex in Paradise (The End)
70's prog? Yeah, this sucks.

Subterranean Masquerade - Observation Through Metamorphosis (The End)
Not too bad. Not fantastic, but it's the best thing so far.

Novembers Doom - Within My Flesh (The End, originally Dark Symphonies)
Tis good. But of course, this was originally released on Dark Symphonies.

UDO - Thunderball (AFM)
Da fuck? Sounds like Donald Duck trying to be a thrash vocalist.

Jorn - Out to Every Nation (AFM)
This is actually pretty good. Typically not my thing, but something about it catches my attention.

Annihilator - All For You (AFM)
Not great. Not horrible. The vocalist sounds metalcore-ish.

Exciter - The Dark Command (Osmose)
BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! Speedy power metal. Not near as good as Gothic Power Metal.

Aina - Beast Within (Transmission)
More of the same.

After Forever - Beautiful Emptiness (Transmission)
More of the same, except with operatic choirs.

Asrai - Pale Light (Transmission)
Female vocal metal. Were they signed during the Lacuna Coil craze?

Epica - The Phantom Agony (Transmission)
Big choir opera shits. Sounds like Therion or something, which is not a good thing.


I hate to be over critical, but what happened to The End? Did they get so involved with promoting Agalloch, running The Omega, and signing distribution deals, that they forgot how to find and sign a halfway decent band? Just 5 years ago they had Agalloch, Nokturnal Mortum, Epoch of Unlight, Love History, Scholomance, Mistigo Varggoth Darkestra, Sculptured, and Mental Home. Some amazing bands, and some a bit above average, but from what I've heard, none of those bands were downright atrocious like many of The End's bands today.

Granted, this sampler only offers the newer signees to the label (and only one song), but c'mon. They've got Darkthrone, Agalloch, The Gathering, Ulver, Arcturus and Green Carnation. Each of those bands offer something special, even if I'm only a fan of a few of them. This newer stuff they're signing is just so dull and irrelevant. I also recognize that all these band's are not on The End's roster.

Comments?

 

[Reign in Acai]

Half of those bands mentioned are as good as fuck. If you don't like winds and AoS you need to get the wax cleaned from your ears my friend.

 

[J.]

Winds is just boring shit for people who don't know where to find the good stuff.

Age of Silence sounds like a 10th tier Solefald.

 

[Reign in Acai]

Winds is just boring shit for people who don't know where to find the good stuff.

Age of Silence sounds like a 10th tier Solefald.

Listen again. If you listen to an album once and dismiss it. You're going to be missing out on all the good shit. "Acceleration" would be a prime example of an album that takes a handful of spins.

 

[speed]

Im going to agree with J on the winds. they are merely another bombastic symphony metal group, who have dialed the bombast down to tasteful. They are excellent musicians.


But the other bands I have heard I would say you are right on the money. Although, I do have to say, the winds with the Solefald singer might be interesting.

 

[JayKeeley]

I also recognize that all these band's are not on The End's roster.

That's the key part right there.

Note that most are just being distributed in the US, but if you look at the bands that are 'true' The End signees, the trend remains pretty constant with what they've always gone for. e.g. Crisis, Winds, Novembers Doom, Peccatum.

I have to admit, AoS and Lilitu are odd ball bands for The End considering they're not really offering anything new that Solefald, Borknagar, or Arcturus have already delivered in spades (at least compared to AoS who I dislike), and Lilitu sound like a hybrid between Faith No More and Dark Tranquility (and I do like them to be honest).

Subterranean Masquerade is Tomer's band so that explains that. Karmakanic on The End? Are you sure? I think they're on reingold music, and The End are just distributing.

It may also be a reflection of the stagnance in the scene - how many bands are bringing something new to the table? Oh I guess there is Frantic Bleep, and they've been signed by The End. Plus there's Yrkoon -- some death/prog/black metal band that I've yet to listen to properly.

I'm really surprised The End haven't gone after Woods of Ypres with all their might. That band just screams to be on The End.

 

[MajestikMøøse]

I'm really surprised The End haven't gone after Woods of Ypres with all their might. That band just screams to be on The End.

I've often wondered if WoY just wants to remain an independent artist.

 

[matt99_crew]

The new Frantic Bleep album is out on The End, and it's awesome.

 

[Demonspell]

I liked the Age of Silence more than (whom I believe are on The End because they share personnel with) Winds, but it's merely average compared to the Solefald albums, and both sound a bit forced since other bands have reveled in the same bombast which turns off a lot of people first. As for the state of the End's roster, as Jay points out it's more a question of building a niche (at which they have been highly successful) than stagnating.

Tomer, keep up the good work. Now sign Hammers of Misfortune.

 

[J.]

Karmakanic is on Regain. My bad.

I don't know. I just look at their '99 roster, and then today's roster and I just shake my head in disgust.

Don't know, I'm just tired of these "trying to be different" bands, because bands like Solefald, Arcturus and the like have pretty much covered the bases. Nowadays, all band's are doing is combining two different genres and calling it avant garde. Bleh, I say.....

And this art metal/rock bullshit is boring to no end.