Your Top 2009 releases so far...
- Thread starter Ozzloaf
- Start date
The whole clean vocals thing is obviously fine, but I wish Katatonia would focus on guitar a little more (Anders Nystrom is such a fantastic musician after all) and focus a little less on absurd melodramatic lyrics and vocals that often make listeners cringe (I'd say Ghost of the Sun was the worst but there were plenty of examples). I downloaded their entire discography but removed Last Fair Deal and Viva Emptiness pretty quickly...it's way too far back for them to still be headed in that direction but the Tonight's Decision sound was pretty great.
Novembers Paul
Member
Well cool, so you'll go BUY everything but Last Fair Deal and Viva Emptiness then?
Didn't like LFDGD and liked TD better?
Haha, you don't hear too many people say that.
Some people prefer different "eras" of Katatonia I guess.
Have you heard The Great Cold Distance?
And did you base your entire view of Viva Emptiness on Ghost of the Sun? Because VE has some serious gems on there like Criminals, Complicity, Evidence, and contrary to popular opinion...Wealth!
Haha, you don't hear too many people say that.
Some people prefer different "eras" of Katatonia I guess.
Have you heard The Great Cold Distance?
And did you base your entire view of Viva Emptiness on Ghost of the Sun? Because VE has some serious gems on there like Criminals, Complicity, Evidence, and contrary to popular opinion...Wealth!
NvmbrsDoom5
Member
When I first heard a couple of songs from Viva Emptiness, the lyrics made me cringe too, and some of the delivery. Once I got the whole album and really delved into it full-on, it all made more sense to me. The storyline throughout that album is brilliant and I can excuse certain phrases and things more because of the context and "character" that it's supposed to be in.
I like everything they've done from Discouraged Ones and on. I like Brave Murder Day too but that's not one of my favorites. The earlier stuff is cool for what it is but rarely do I get the urge to want to hear it now.
I love the guitar work in Katatonia, I think they strike a great balance between dark and heavy, and melodic and ethereal. I don't really want to hear them start ripping out more "metallic" guitar passages or anything like that. We've got Bloodbath for that
I like everything they've done from Discouraged Ones and on. I like Brave Murder Day too but that's not one of my favorites. The earlier stuff is cool for what it is but rarely do I get the urge to want to hear it now.
I love the guitar work in Katatonia, I think they strike a great balance between dark and heavy, and melodic and ethereal. I don't really want to hear them start ripping out more "metallic" guitar passages or anything like that. We've got Bloodbath for that
It's a concept album? I didn't know that. I'll have to give it a listen and read the lyrics at the same time.
affinityband
Member
i get the whole lyrics thing with katatonia. though i never every listen to words really, frankly if i ever listen to 'metal' lyrics it always makes me cringe. theres just something about the sincerity of the words and the music in the way they are mixed that makes me chuckle every time.
NvmbrsDoom5
Member
Yeah it's a concept album I'm pretty sure, though for some reason they've denied it at various times *shrug* It's pretty clear if you read the lyrics that most of the songs seem to have something of an ongoing storyline to them.
I agree with the fact that alot of lyrics (metal or otherwise really) seem to be pretty stupid alot of times. Sometimes though I think it depends on how much you're really delving into them too. Can't tell you how many times we've been criticised for our lyrics by people who clearly didn't play close enough attention to them and only latched onto certain parts or facets of them, and basically misunderstood them totally. Like, "Yeah that one song (Not The Strong) where the guy is just singing about his mother, that's fucking gay...." Yeah man, that's it, it's a song about his mother.....fucking RETARD, lol. Can't tell you how many times we've had to deal with shit like this....hence some of Paul's inspiration and impetus behind putting out "The Wayfaring Chronicles", in hopes that maybe it can help people to get better insight into them.
Don't wanna jinx us on this one, but I'm really surprised that more artists haven't jumped on that idea yet too.....(right now Paul is like "STFU!!!!!!")
I agree with the fact that alot of lyrics (metal or otherwise really) seem to be pretty stupid alot of times. Sometimes though I think it depends on how much you're really delving into them too. Can't tell you how many times we've been criticised for our lyrics by people who clearly didn't play close enough attention to them and only latched onto certain parts or facets of them, and basically misunderstood them totally. Like, "Yeah that one song (Not The Strong) where the guy is just singing about his mother, that's fucking gay...." Yeah man, that's it, it's a song about his mother.....fucking RETARD, lol. Can't tell you how many times we've had to deal with shit like this....hence some of Paul's inspiration and impetus behind putting out "The Wayfaring Chronicles", in hopes that maybe it can help people to get better insight into them.
Don't wanna jinx us on this one, but I'm really surprised that more artists haven't jumped on that idea yet too.....(right now Paul is like "STFU!!!!!!")
great_kthulu
Greater Evil
- Apr 27, 2009
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larry, you guys get critisized for your lyrics? Ive always thought you guys had deep, powerfull lyrics. Guess people just dont pay enough atention.
affinityband
Member
the thing that gets me is not that the lyricist isnt being sincere, its the fact that that these genuine and heartfelt words are being put to metal. And it just seems alot of the time the music doesnt fit with words which always leads me to ignore what the vocalist is saying and concentrate on how hes doing it.
Jasonic
Doom On!
Interesting.
I personally find Katatonia's lyrics to be brilliant.
I can easily visualize all their lyrics, which I think is a good thing.
NvmbrsDoom5
Member
I understand what Affinityband is saying but I find that my interest is more picqued when the lyrics AREN'T so typically "metal" in a good metal band's music. I have always tended to be very disinterested in metal lyrics and mostly because they're always so cliche and typical. I think Paul's lyrics for example tend to be more poetic and introspective, while still maintaining a darkness that suits the music.
If I ever do another metal project where I'm writing lyrics, I will solve the whole subject matter problem with one solution......I'm going to sing about the Micronauts.
If I ever do another metal project where I'm writing lyrics, I will solve the whole subject matter problem with one solution......I'm going to sing about the Micronauts.
AnTz0r
Crimson King
Novembers Paul
Member
NvmbrsDoom5
Member
Yep, what he said.
And to me, typical metal lyrics are those that talk about murder, Satan, hell, violence, horror-ish themes and so on. Which, obviously I know isn't what all metal bands are about, and even some of the ones who are about that DO pull them off well. But I listen to the lyrics that Paul or Jonas or someone like that has written, and they are more in a league with the songwriters of old, the late 1960s and 1970s singer/songwriters who can still have dark themes and despair in their lyrics without them being quite so typical, and usually spoken a bit more from the heart.
And to me, typical metal lyrics are those that talk about murder, Satan, hell, violence, horror-ish themes and so on. Which, obviously I know isn't what all metal bands are about, and even some of the ones who are about that DO pull them off well. But I listen to the lyrics that Paul or Jonas or someone like that has written, and they are more in a league with the songwriters of old, the late 1960s and 1970s singer/songwriters who can still have dark themes and despair in their lyrics without them being quite so typical, and usually spoken a bit more from the heart.
Jasonic
Doom On!
Oh, I had no clue when I received a MEGO from Paul on Facebook... 
And you guys call Vito the nerd of the band!!!
And you guys call Vito the nerd of the band!!!
AnTz0r
Crimson King
well i think any true fan can agree that lyrics like paul write are much more heartfelt and to me, real anger or despair is way more metal than any satan crap.
great_kthulu
Greater Evil
- Apr 27, 2009
- 545
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Those themes have gotten really clecie. There are only a few bands I listen to that still are stuck with those themes. Basicly just canible corps and bloodbath.
Haha, but Bloodbath pull it off so well.
It's all for shock value. Beautiful beautiful shock value.
It's all personal preference in lyrics. The only real death metal bands I like are Bloodbath and umm...that's about it, but I can take their lyrics. Not to mention the instrumentation is fucking awesome.
It's all for shock value. Beautiful beautiful shock value.
It's all personal preference in lyrics. The only real death metal bands I like are Bloodbath and umm...that's about it, but I can take their lyrics. Not to mention the instrumentation is fucking awesome.
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