The Year the Sun Died - 9.5/10

[lorinc]

Exitium is a 10/10 song.

The rest of the album is mostly damn boring. Sounds like a second rate Nevermore at times. Boring thrash and wanky solos. Sorry Warrel, you are still one of my personal heros, I'm just being honest. That's why I hoped this would be a new solo album, since that was more focused on songwriting instead of musicianship.

Second rate Nevermore, seriously? I didn't expected I would say this one day, but it's seriously above anything Nevermore has done since DNB.

I just can't stop listening to it, it's mesmerizing. This album is a trip: When you arrive to the last song of TYTSD, it's the end of a journey exactly like DNB was a journey. I love this aspect of musical voyage in albums and TYTSD is exactly that. Something that has not been done for far too long.

 

[Talking Backwards]

Second rate Nevermore, seriously? I didn't expected I would say this one day, but it's seriously above anything Nevermore has done since DNB.

Opinions and such, but it's kind of ridiculous how dismissive some are around here in regards to TGE. It's just as ridiculous comparing this album to that. This isn't a bad album, but I'd only put it above three Nevermore albums (maybe four) and his solo album. It's just easier to listen to casually.

Exitium is a 10/10 song.

It's definitely one of the best songs on the album.

 

[Det Som Engang Var]

Second rate Nevermore, seriously? I didn't expected I would say this one day, but it's seriously above anything Nevermore has done since DNB.

I just can't stop listening to it, it's mesmerizing. This album is a trip: When you arrive to the last song of TYTSD, it's the end of a journey exactly like DNB was a journey. I love this aspect of musical voyage in albums and TYTSD is exactly that. Something that has not been done for far too long.

Just because it's a concept album doesn't make the content good.

 

[~Lynn~]

Just because you don't like it doesn't mean it's not good.

 

[buzz21]

The rest of the album is mostly damn boring. Sounds like a second rate Nevermore at times. Boring thrash and wanky solos. Sorry Warrel, you are still one of my personal heros, I'm just being honest. That's why I hoped this would be a new solo album, since that was more focused on songwriting instead of musicianship.

Couldn't disagree more!!! Also on the other side about songwriting/musicianship - I think this new one is definitely more song-oriented and not full of a lot of technical super-shred. The more I listen, the more I get into all of the different riffs and melodies which is exactly what happens with all good albums. Bummer you aren't getting the enjoyment out of it that others are but "second rate NM" is just plain off-base.

 

[Det Som Engang Var]

Just because you don't like it doesn't mean it's not good.

Just because you like it, doesn't mean it is. See how that works?

I'm obviously not biased. I said Exitium is a perfect 10/10 song, better than anything on the last two Nevermore albums.

At the risk of sounding argumentative, I think at least half of you are caught in "New Album Hype." I thought I loved The Obsidian Conspiracy, and it aged like milk. Maybe this one will grow on me, but right now, I'm not hearing emotion from Warrel. I'm not hearing innovation from the guitarist. I'm hearing thrash fan service for old people.

 

[Pitiless Wanderer]

This is a great record but it is not close to Nevermore. Not in any way, shape or form. Better than EOR and TGE? Seriously? No, definitely not. Better than TOC? Yea maybe, but that's as far as it should go and I'd even say that might be a stretch...

And again, it sounds nothing like Nevermore. The guitars sound nothing like Loomis's playing.

 

[Pitiless Wanderer]

If I recall, you like the brutal shit. Have you heard these guys? Album of the year for me.

I have not heard this album but iit doesn't sound like my cup of tea. Thank you for the suggestion, though.

People are complaining, but 2014 really has been an amazing year for metal. I mean just look at what's been released:

Sanctuary
Anubis gate
Insomnium
At the Gates
Decapitated
Malpractice
Rigor Mortis
Xerath
Cannibal Corpse
Hammerfall
Hadel Maw
Sargeist
Devin Townsend
Exodus
Yob
Paul Bearer
Teramaze
Sabaton
Dark Horizon
Accept
Mayhem
Conquering Dystopia
Enthroned
Gamma Ray
Katatonia (EP)
Arch Enemy
Anathema
Alchemist Hans Bloomberg
DTB/Casualties of Cool/Z2 (3 amazing albums in one year? ridiculous)
Opeth
Entombed
Dragonforce
Obituary
November's Doom
Maat
Freedom Call
Darkspace
Lantlos
Carcass (EP)
While Heaven Wept
Anaal Nathrakh
Sonata Arctica reissue of Ecliptica
Winterstorm
Solstafir
Beyond Creation
Vader
Mayhem

I mean I could go on a lot longer. All of the above releases vary in quality. Some are exceptional while others are decent but still good. The point is that every genre is covered and has seen quality output. The only thing missing for me is Nokturnal Mortum, which is most likely pushed back to 2015.

 

[lorinc]

I'm hearing thrash fan service for old people.

Ok, I got it, I'm old now. but damn I'm loving it.

I've always had a special interest in concept albums. When they're bad, they're probably the worst thing on earth, but when they're good, they're so much above regular albums. And this one is a good one.

 

[Talking Backwards]

At the risk of sounding argumentative, I think at least half of you are caught in "New Album Hype." I thought I loved The Obsidian Conspiracy, and it aged like milk. Maybe this one will grow on me, but right now, I'm not hearing emotion from Warrel. I'm not hearing innovation from the guitarist. I'm hearing thrash fan service for old people.

I had to listen to TOC about twenty times, trying to see if my initial nineteen listens were just a fluke in that aside from two or three songs, it was one of their weakest albums. It never grew on me, and was simply an "ok" metal album. This album didn't blow me away like Politics, TGE and even DHIADW, upon first listen, and it still doesn't compared to those albums. It did however open up more after each listen, and while I still have a few favorites, I honestly don't see there being any weak tracks. In that regard, it is very much like DNB for me at least, since I had to listen to that album a hell of a lot to "get it". This album is very catchy and extremely easy to listen to.

 

[AsylumAnomaly]

I picked up this album in Best Buy the day it came out in the states. I just got off from a long day at work and I had to wait a good 45 minutes for 5 emplyees to dig around boxes in the warehouse to find a copy for me! But I can totally say it was worth it. It's constantly playing in our car and home stereo.

WD, this is more than just music to me. You've given me a whole new world to explore through this album and I keep drifting back into it everytime I listen. This world is chaotic, doomed and seriously dark with that little ray of hope and humanity. I love it.

In short, fucking awesome. Thank you. Sanctuary did great.

 

[Det Som Engang Var]

This album is very catchy and extremely easy to listen to.

My point exactly. It's fast food music. The music that makes you work last longer. Easy to listen to is not a good thing. DNB and POE are not easy to listen to, and that's why we remember them so fondly.

That's all from me guys, I'll shut up now. I know Max agrees with me completely, I wish he was in this thread.

 

[prman]

The new album is different: production, songwriting, musicianship, Warrel´s singing (compared to IMB) etc. But it´s couple of decades since the last album. Who can honestly expect that nothing would change? All I can say, that I expected a lot less (sorry WD + gang) and this album surprised me positively. Thumbs up for this release and I hope it won´t be the last.

And if you don´t dig it, listen to something else. It´s pretty easy nowadays.

 

[Det Som Engang Var]

And if you don´t dig it, listen to something else. It´s pretty easy nowadays.

Considering I bought the god damn thing along with every other album Warrel has been a part of, I'll complain if I want to.

 

[Pitiless Wanderer]

Take your own advice and shut up.

 

[Det Som Engang Var]

Take your own advice and shut up.

I'll do you one better and just block you.

 

[nckissfan]

 

[WhiteBeastofWotan]

lolol

 

[Traxan]

Second rate Nevermore, seriously? I didn't expected I would say this one day, but it's seriously above anything Nevermore has done since DNB.

I just can't stop listening to it, it's mesmerizing. This album is a trip: When you arrive to the last song of TYTSD, it's the end of a journey exactly like DNB was a journey. I love this aspect of musical voyage in albums and TYTSD is exactly that. Something that has not been done for far too long.

Above EOR and TGE? You're trolling or nuts.

 

[lorinc]

Above EOR and TGE? You're trolling or nuts.

EOR is short of good material and its production is crap. I'll give you it has some seriously good songs in it though. TGE is a good one, but it lacks soul. It's more a demo of musicianship than anything else. Apart from Sentient 6 and the 3 last songs, the others lack depth. Det spoke of fast food music, a good part of TGE is exactly that: over-engineered drums, wanky soloing and catchy choruses.

That being said, they are both very good albums. It's just they don't have a specific atmosphere (EOR a bit better than TGE). Sometimes I feel I'm in the mood of listening to DNB or to TPE because of a thousand details in the environment that make me feel this is the perfect soundtrack to this particular moment of space and time. I never get that feeling with TGE (apart from the last 3 songs). It feels like TYTSD is an album that has it.

We'll see in 5 years from now on. I'll bet some people will up some threads saying this is the perfect time to listen to this album, just like it happens with DNB every fall or so.

Now, of course, all of this is very personal.