When an album finally "clicks"

[Nico]

There are just those albums that don't appeal at all on first listen, and the more you listen, the more you get it until one day it finally "clicks". You should know what I'm talking about.

So I'm curious, what does it take to make albums click for you? Repeated listens? Listening under the right circumstances? Something different? Some things never click for me, such as Katharsis or Dark Tribe. But obviously there are those bands or albums whom are worthy of the persistence, like The Chasm and Gospel of the Horns was for me.

So... discuss.

 

[no country for old wainds]

Most of my favourite albums had to "click" with me, for example:
Beherit - Drawing Down the Moon
Burzum - Hvis Lyset Tar Oss (last 3 tracks)
The Chasm - Deathcult for Eternity: The Triumph
Demilich - Nespithe
Gorguts - Obscura
Graveland - Thousand Swords

If I bought them all now I would probably appreciate them a lot quicker, though. What makes them click is sometimes just being in the right mood, or concentrating properly, or trying to rid yourself of any expectation and just listen to what's there.

Some are the opposite too, in that they sound great at first listen but then lose their appeal.

 

[Birkenau]

I've had a ton of them, these are ones I can think of at the moment.

Burzum - Hvis Lyset Tar Oss
Cynic - Focus
Drudkh - Autumn Aurora
Emperor - Anthems To The Welkin At Dusk
Mayhem - De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas
Meshuggah - Destroy Erase Improve
Napalm Death - Scum
Sigh - Imaginary Sonicscape
Taake - Nattestid ser porten vid
Tool - Lateralus

 

[AsModEe]

SYL - Alien
Blood Red Throne - Affiliated with the Suffering
Decapitated - Nihility
Old Man's Child - In Defiance of Existence
Necrophagist - Onset of Putrefaction

There are probably more, but these are the first that came to my mind. By listening to these albums many times, I started to see their strong points and stuff.

 

[Demilich]

I haven't really had this "click" feeling with an album since way back... whichever Opeth album it was that finally "made sense" and got me into extreme metal. I'm sure it's happened since, but I guess I just never noticed it... maybe I don't give things enough of a chance anymore!

 

[Christie_fell]

With certain albums, the expectation could be way too high, or low for that matter. To rid oneself of these expectations and retain an ideal mood for the music could help an album "click," I suppose. However, to force myself to listen to music I don't particularly like after the first few listens is not something I have the patience for, thus it doesn't happen much unless recommended by a trustworthy person.

Still don't like Blut Aus Nord's The Work Which Transforms God. One of the few black metal albums I don't agree with.

 

[Nico]

Still don't like Blut Aus Nord's The Work Which Transforms God. One of the few black metal albums I don't agree with.

I'm supprised that's the only one. There's a lot of stuff in black metal that just doesn't manage to live up to it's name, or do anything for me that it does for others.

Albums/bands that still haven't clicked:

Dark Tribe - both
Funeral Mist - Salvation
Katharsis - both
Moonblood - Blut und Krieg (no really, what is the big fucking deal here?)
Krieg - The Black House/Patrick Bateman (haven't heard any others)
Burzum - Burzum/Aske
Graveland

 

[no country for old wainds]

I'm supprised that's the only one. There's a lot of stuff in black metal that just doesn't manage to live up to it's name, or do anything for me that it does for others.

Albums/bands that still haven't clicked:

Dark Tribe - both
Funeral Mist - Salvation
Katharsis - both
Moonblood - Blut und Krieg (no really, what is the big fucking deal here?)
Krieg - The Black House/Patrick Bateman (haven't heard any others)
Burzum - Burzum/Aske
Graveland

The Dark Tribe is an acquired taste, for sure. Funeral Mist... meh, not that great. Not heard Katharsis. My review at M-A of Blut und Krieg says why I like it, though I can't bear to listen to it anymore thanks to overplayage. Krieg, again, aren't easy to get into. The s/t Burzum isn't that good except for the big three or four tracks (My Journey to the Stars in particular). Graveland... well, it depends what you've heard I guess, but I can't really understand you not liking at least something by them.

 

[Edgecrusher]

Gorguts - Obscura

Luc Lemay's (sp?) tortured/anguished/demented screams on this album still send chills down my spine to this day.

 

[Scourge of Malice]

I wish I knew what it was... I guess all of a sudden I'll just start to "notice" whats going on and appreciate it

 

[milkman]

I like Death but for some reason Human isn't clicking for me. Maybe it's because - as stated above - my expectations may be too high.

 

[andrew_plamondon]

Gorguts' Obscura is probably the best exemple of how you can be smashed by what you've missed so far.

 

[Life Sucks]

An album clicks with me once I get past the production or vocals. That is, if the production or vocals take some getting used to for me. The Chasm - Deathcult took me a while to get into because of the production, but now it is one of my top three favorite albums. The band Primordial took me a while to get into before the vocals clicked with me, but now they are one of my favorite bands.

 

[sonofhendrix13]

When I first bought Emperor - In the Nightside Eclipse I thought I had wasted my money but now its one of my favorite albums.

 

[Christie_fell]

I'm supprised that's the only one. There's a lot of stuff in black metal that just doesn't manage to live up to it's name, or do anything for me that it does for others.

Not the ONLY one, just one of the few. Possibly because I'm really picky about what I listen to in the first place? Who the fuck knows, I sure don't.

Moonblood - Blut und Krieg (no really, what is the big fucking deal here?)

As for this, it's the production that is odd for me, but I'm not too choosy about production in the first place.

 

[Slayed Necros]

I don't think Katharsis are the kind of band that click - there's absolutely nothing special about them. Kruzifixxion is decent, but it doesn't get particularly better after dozens of listens.

Something that still hasn't properly clicked with me is Golem - Eternity: The Weeping Horizons. I enjoy it, but I know it harbours so much more than a mere entertaining 40 minutes or so. Perhaps my expectations were too high.

 

[CF87]

Opeth-My Arms, Your Hearse.

I came across it used at a cd store. Since I've heard great things I decided to buy it. You do not know how pissed I was for buying it. I gave it a listen about one,two weeks later fucking loving it.

Immolation, ALL

It took me many listens to get into the band. Now they are one of my favorite bands of all time.

I think any person should give bands more than one chance. Space out the chances and listen with different moods. You'd be surprised what you do not notice on first listenings.

 

[Nico]

I don't think Katharsis are the kind of band that click - there's absolutely nothing special about them. Kruzifixxion is decent, but it doesn't get particularly better after dozens of listens.

I thought the same, but then a mate of mine suddenly became fixated by Kruzifixxion, so I'm convinced there's probably something to it that I'm not seeing. Or maybe he's crazy.

Graveland... well, it depends what you've heard I guess, but I can't really understand you not liking at least something by them.

Yeah, okay, I enjoyed Carpathian Wolves both times I heard it, so if I can track down a copy I'll see how that goes. I still think Thousand Swords is overrated as hell though

An album clicks with me once I get past the production or vocals.

Yeah, I've noticed that too. Primordial was an issue for a little while, and I'm still struggling with Demilich.

 

[Nocturnal Silence]

Burzum - s/t
The Chasm - Deathcult For Eternity: The Triumph
Carbonized - For the Security...
Creepmime - Shadows
Demilich - Nespithe
Gorguts - Considered Dead
Sacramentum - Far Away From the Sun
others...

 

[Perdition's Light]

my first thought when i read the topic was "funeral mist" and i see it's been mentioned already.

one of the first black metal albums i ever heard was battles in the north. holy shit. i fucking hated it. i even downloaded another copy to make sure i didn't just get a horribly shitty rip. now that i've grown accustomed to the black metal sound i still don't think that album is anything special. pure holocaust is another story, though.

i really didn't like the extremely brutal kind of death metal the first time i heard it, such as decapitated. now i enjoy it every now and then but it's not something i can tolerate listening to constantly. immolation is about as death metal as it gets for me. unless it's extremely melodic as well, like kronos.

dISEMBOWELMENT, that band is about as inaccesible as they come. i would listen to it, turn it off, play it a few days later, repeat. i'm sure one day i was bored and listening to it for the tenth or so time and it just clicked. now i love it.

most funeral doom or otherwise extremely slow death/doom took me a while to get my head around, but i'm not really sure when or what particular album i clicked with

that's about all i can think of.