Warrel, your record is very good

[stefan86]

Excellent. Feel free to elaborate as much as you like. Your honest and insightful opinions are appreciated. This sort of information is akin to the kind of opinion poll stuff the corporate pig marketing firms pay big bucks to attain. Seriously though, you don't come across as a whiner (imo). I neglected to mention earlier that I'm not a musician so you may lose me on the A - B, or 4/4 stuff. However, as a listener I do enjoy honest discussions about how other people perceive music and how genre lines are drawn.

In the instrument/equipment scenario alluded to earlier, I wasn't sure if it was a case where some cult group of rock purists existed believing that rock guitar should only be played on an old, properly tuned Fender or Gibson through an old tube amp - or some such. Whereas metal purists would prefer a downtuned, distorted Jackson or Ibanez. Based on your input I'm gathering that it's more of an instrument setting thing as well as a playing style thing. Am I on the right path to understanding this?

Regarding playing style, you mention 'groovy' and 'start and stop patterns'. Before you mentioned this I wasn't sure if it meant that wanky solos vs the chugga chugga rhythm style should be more prominent, or vice versa. Or if 2 (or more) guitarist vs single guitarists situations had any effect on the equation. I enjoy both wank and chugga rhythms. Some people seem to hate wank. I don't. I love it, especially reeealllly good wank, whether it's performed by a really great single player (Hendrix, Gilmour, Lifeson, Petrucci, Fruit of the Loomis, etc.), or good dual wankfests ala Priest, Maiden, Trouble, Gothenburg bands, etc. I can also appreciate and enjoy certain chugga chugga-based playing, e.g., Fear Factory. What's truly eargasmic is a combo of both. That's where I suppose having 2 or more guitarists is beneficial for live situations. However, some of the single players who can pull off both have reached godlike status in my personal echelon of preferred guitar musicianship.

But enough about guitars, this is the vocalist's solo album thread. I trust your opinion when you say it's pretty much perfect. I haven't been disappointed so far, on recordings anyway. There've been a couple distant past instances of less than stellar live performances, but extenuating circumstances may have been the cause. Still, from a wide range of experiences I think it's safe to say that one of Mr. Dane's off days is better than some vocalists' good days.

His vocals does save the thing though. Choruses on "Let You Down", "When We Pray" and "Messenger" are total ear bliss.

 

[Det Som Engang Var]

HA!

Don't get me wrong, Hendrix was an amazing songwriter and I love his guitar work, but his improvisation was usually nothing more THAN wank, especially live.

Quite, you.

 

[Lunar Still]

Quite, you.

The misspelling is delish.

 

[Captain Beard]

Quite, you.

 

[Det Som Engang Var]

Oh hell I did fuck that up.

Oh well thats Det Som for ya.

 

[WhiteBeastofWotan]

Oh well thats Det Som for ya.

*Cue laugh track*

 

[Captain Beard]

Laugh track broke, the tape jammed from too much "You know you want me, baby!" /letsseehowmanygetthatreference

 

[wildfyr]

"Watch it go"

His vocals does save the thing though. Choruses on "Let You Down", "When We Pray" and "Messenger" are total ear bliss.

You're seriously not giving the music high marks are you? Hmmm. I like Soilwork so I'm not sure I can extend the trust for this opinion until I've heard the thing for myself. Thanks for your further input though.

 

[stefan86]

Well the record is growing on me, but there's some overt groove/nü riffs that I just can't listen to. I'll guarantee you that there's at least four songs that are true ownage. What these great choruses mostly are giving me is an overwhelming urge for a new Nevermore CD

 

[buzz21]

I heard "Your Chosen Misery" over the weekend and I was blown away. It's great to see this side of Warrel coming out - it felt like a Queensryche style ballad, but his vocals are great and the melodies feel very personal and honest. I'm not expecting "metal" from this cd, and part of me is glad to hear something different like this. I have metal in my cd player/ipod all the time, and it is nice to be able to give it a break and hear something else for a change. Warrel just has a great talent for writing and singing brilliant melodies - regardless of the style and the amount of distortion behind it. Can't wait to hear the rest!

 

[NicholasDWolfwood]

I'm really liking The Day the Rats Went to War, especially the lyrical aspect of it. Brilliant song, along with Your Chosen Misery imo. Right now those are my top two on the album.

 

[Jace_Mereel]

Old Man made me want to hug my dad.

 

[-Syl-]

that's how music speaks