what is the optimal length of an album?

[einride]

trying to slog my way through all of these 60+ minute albums in the tournament. and as j. pointed out there are some that are like NINETY MINUTES. you have got to be fucking shitting me. like GRIS - l'title en francais cette je ne sais remembre; i think i would enjoy that a lot more if they cut the album down to about literally half. imo if it doesn't fit on an LP you've gone too far. check your ego and realize you probably DON'T have 90 minutes of actual GOOD ideas. kill your darlings or at least save the overage for next time, let it ferment for a while.

so: what is the correct length of an album my metal brothers and sisters?

 

[J.]

for me, 40-50 min

i swear ive been listening to this cultes des ghoules all fucking night. and ive still got 30 minutes left

 

[Ellestin]

Anywhere between 30 and 50 appears within the realm of reason. Some albums under or over that range can totally nail it but they'd have to fend off the same enemy: fillers. Obviously filler shit is forbidden on a 20-25 minutes record that shoots for greatness, but concomitantly fillers also tend to stand out more the longer the album is. imhfo.

I'm in the same boat regarding Gris, an album I own and enjoy to a large extent but it is way. too. long.

 

[Ellestin]

i swear ive been listening to this cultes des ghoules all fucking night. and ive still got 30 minutes left

You might appreciate Henbane more, it's normal length and has more impactful songwriting. I have no big love for post-Henbane CdG either.

 

[Reign in Acai]

Youre lucky Dodsengel-Imperator didnt get nominated at a whopping 2hrs 30mins.

Blitzkrieging Death Metal should be kept under 45 minutes. BM/Doom 50-60, grandiose achievements of Mankind such as early Faggloch need that hour + change.

for me, 40-50 min

i swear ive been listening to this cultes des ghoules all fucking night. and ive still got 30 minutes left

This legit had me tee-heeing in the break room just now. Had to suppress it from becoming a chortle.


Aye. Some of these long albums ARE going to struggle.

 

[Ellestin]

How do we proceed for the vote anyway? ITT, pm or by registering on that challonge interface?

Sorry if the matter has been addressed already.

 

[einride]

ITT

seems like a poor choice of thread tbh.

 

[Reign in Acai]

How do we proceed for the vote anyway? ITT, pm or by registering on that challonge interface?

Sorry if the matter has been addressed already.

Going to create a thread solely for vote gathering at the end of the two week head to head listening process. Any vote sooner than that would be considered as premature as a Trylakos nut shot.

 

[NAD]

42 minute LP
17 minute EP

 

[Bloopy]

No one right answer for me. Longer is far less likely to be killer all the way through, but the world would be less interesting if no bands tried it. The longest metal album I'd say is all killer is The House of Capricorn - In the Devil's Days at 73 mins. It's doom of course. Maybe only doom-related subgenres should dare to explore such lengths? Or bands willing to change up their style in a big way in the middle.

Having said that, I kinda like Judas Priest - Nostradamus and don't really even notice that it's 103 mins. It has plenty of filler, but I suppose it's meant to feel like a stage musical with lots of interludes and shit.

 

[Krilons Resa]

45 minutes is the sweet spot if I’m gonna be honest.

 

[SonOfNun]

Anywhere from 30-60 min depending on the sub-genre and maybe some other factors I'm not really thinking of at the moment.

 

[~Neurotica]

I'm good with 50-60 min if I enjoy the album, otherwise it gets repetitive too fast.

 

[Henrik Main]

39:04

Bonus points to those who get the reference

 

[Reign in Acai]

Im over an hour into this Gris album (its beautiful dont get me wrong, I think I bought it years ago.) Now I know WHY I dont listen to it. Theres still 20 fucking minutes left!

Im over the beauty and ready to throw on some hell thrashing.

 

[Reign in Acai]

Im going to deduct a point even if the album is good musically if im not tapping my toe and noodle dancing at the conclusion of the album.

Sorry this Gris album needs to be 64 minutes MAX.

Why is that Verity kicked my face in for 75 straight minutes? If youre going to masturbate, keep my attention!

Next round needs to have some sort of soft cap to length. Not any extreme, but a cap well enough to curb these Gone with the Wind types.

60 minutes+some change (That final track better be killer)