When label and reviewer both fuck up.

[Jim LotFP]

I'm sure I've done this myself. But... after seeing this, I'll never do it again:

http://www.dprp.net/reviews/200649.php#jop

In his rush to chastise the label for not allowing him to promote the band properly, he didn't promote it at all. If it was that important to him for the album to be reviewed, why is it a problem to wait and buy the album and then review it? Then you can hammer the label AND do the proper review thing.

"In reality we spend hundreds of hours every year in our own unpaid time listening to albums and writing reviews, travelling thousands of miles to review shows and to interview the bands, in order to promote the music that we love."

Yeah, I definitely used to let loose with crap like this. Doing all of this expecting to be given cookies from record labels is a path to tears...

... and of course, when complaining that he can't help publicize a new record, instead of taking steps to correct the problem and doing what he wants to do independently, he's going to go further and REFUSE to review/publicize anything on this same label. Counter-productive to his goal of being recognized by the label as useful, isn't it?

... so how did he know how long the album really is, anyway?

 

[Cheiron]

I wouldn't review it if I can't listen to the whole thing. Or I'd review what I can hear, and let the readers know that I couldn't listen to the whole thing.

This guy is a little lame. I agree the label is making a bad move with this. Yet, this is one way that albums get leaked way ahead of time.

The label could always just send promos out after the album is officially released. Heck, its often not till after its released that reviewers get around to reviewing them (or magazines to publishing reviews) anyhow.

 

[Occam's Razor]

AFM promo cds are just awful. Two songs are there in full, the others blend into one another after two minutes or so...

 

[DBB]

Makes me wonder about all those reviews full of praise for Maniacal Renderings currently floating around that do not mention that it is an incomplete album they are talking about. How can an album be full of "epic structures" when you haven't heard most of the songs in their entirety?

Just words to type to contribute to the hype instead of absorbing and mulling something over.

I imagine that this reviewer feels that if he writes a review after the pre-street date promotional tidal wave that his review suffers a drop in quality and utility as a consequence.

I have no idea, obviously, but I've seen a few reviews mentioning voiceovers and fading of late--so the practice is becoming more common it seems.

 

[Occam's Razor]

The thing in Germany at the moment is, that the death of label head Andy Allendörfer overshadows the actual music. Rock Hard even had a label cd after his lethal accident in an issue that was nothing but advertisement for the newest releases, accompanied by an interview with executives stressing the quality of the label.

I know though that the Oliva album is appreciated mostly by people who are huge Savatage-fans and who probably have bought the album anyway. I haven't heard it myself - all I know for myself is that recent Oliva material touched me because I pity the person behind. It shows in the music that he's not in his best condition, and I honestly have enough shit for myself to listen to another person exorcising his demons.