Metal Reviews

Frankly it's been boring over the last few weeks review wise.

I think we need more archive reviews heck I just might come back and start doing those. There are a few that need to be reviewed.

Ah, good to see Zad on the opposite side of the sting.

And seriously, man, you reviewed NINE albums this week. That's generally as much as a whole e-zine does in a week. I think, if you want more comments, stop making it so overwhelming for people. Nine reviews is a ridiculous amount to do in one week.

Also, it seems like you guys are trying too hard. It's always great to review bands that don't get reviewed everywhere. That's what I loved to do, but you also have to review the more popular staples, those bands that will generate discussion.

Yeah, like Nickelback. That'll create debate.

Zad, I'm still waiting for that Korn review.

I'm guessing the new DT will be reviewed on Monday, right? Hope it gets high ratings here.

Until then, this should tide you over:

http://www.metalreviews.com/reviews/detail.php3?id=22

What a horrible review.

I've tried out a lot of the bands mentioned this week or another one of their albums not mentioned. I check out a lot of stuff and post when I can but it's usually a 'not interested' or a 'love it'. Yeah you guys also kinda drag the bottom of the barrel for stuff to review. Mind you it's good but there's a little less incentive to go out of our way for it if we've never heard of it. Mind you I do often check out your obscure stuff just not always.

This too, seeing so much stuff I've never heard of before just makes me want to zero in on the one or two things I have heard and ignore the rest... also I listen to like 3 new albums a week, vs the 20 reviews here a week.

Cannot believe that fucker shifted about 50,000 in the first week here. They're doing something right, but if baffles me how they can get heavier and more epic and progressive, yet somehow manage to get more and more popular. It defies mainstream logic in the country.

Pretty cool, though.

I check out most of the reviews, but I don't actually listen to the albums until 3-6 months down the road. I don't fork over an opinion until I've listened to the album all the way through a few times (usually).

...another thing. I listen to [color=red]a lot[/color] of power/prog, as well as some death, black, thrash, avant... I go to other sites to get recommendations for power metal, b/c this site has run thin in that area. Granted there have been a few diamonds in the rough, but for the most part it has been filled with genres I listen to occasionally. So, it is hard for me to listen to something I'm less interested in at the moment, then say a power metal band I heard about from somewhere/body else. I still read the review, but I'm less likely to respond to it if it doesn't intrigue me. Or, I could be stale in every review thread and say, "this sounds interesting, cool, appealing...." (which I tend to do anyway).

I find when I do post my thoughts on the album, I'm usually one of the last in the thread, and by then most of the posters have since moved on. I go through this process:

A) Hear the samples online
B) Buy the CD (sometimes through itunes)
C) Wait for it to arrive (for non digital purchases)
D) Get around to listening to it
E) Listen to the album enough to make a credible post
F) Get around to making a post

Buying the digital version speeds things up, but it still takes me more then 1 week to get to the point where I'm ready to make a post and say something of substance, rather then the usual "I'm checking it out", which I admittedly do, but doesn't add much to form a discussion.

Basically, I think Zad just wants us to post a bunch of unfounded opinions, having not given the stuff a proper listen. One minute it is 'no one gives music chance cause they download it and are superficial, base losers' and the next minute it is 'why aren't you guys downloading all the stuff I reviewed and posting your full, ultimate opinion on it in a week.'

The final solution is that we need more necro-ing in the reviews forum.

What Ken said, basically. I don't make many comments because a lot of the albums reviewed are from bands and of albums that don't really stimulate a lot of discussion. The only thing I can see myself saying for a lot of them is "sounds cool, I'll check it out."

I usally check the myspace songs. Based in this I take a decision, that can be Buy, Download to explore further (or waiting til I can buy it), or Forget. But buying or download, I usally have a delay of one /two months til I listen to the record... So I just usually comment on archive/classic reviews of records than I know.

So you want MR to be more populist and review more stuff that you've heard of, rather than supporting the underground? Hm. Buncha posers. You're all talking nonsense, really, I'm not asking you to check absolutely EVERYTHING out - the poll mentioned 2 or more, ffs - but a bit more interest is all. So what aren't we reviewing that we should be... apart from Power Metal, of course, which is an ongoing problem to do with the reviewers' tastes - place used to be PowerMetalReviews, now it's ExperimentalMetalReviews, suits me fine but I understand it might not be to everyone's liking.

Maybe it could be a bit more balanced. That said, there probably aren't enough major releases every week to fill the review section, but a little more emphasis on the bigwigs couldn't hurt. And maybe a thorough march through archive releases for those missing pieces of essential metal history would also be a good idea.

I knew I'd get a buncha whining, tbh, but the only criticism so far that's been at all helpful has been NESS's power metal plea. Personally, I'd have thought that focusing on stuff readers might not have heard of was a good thing, not a bad one - it's not like we miss out on major releases, is it? I love being able to write about whatever I want, whether it's some demo or the new Lacuna Coil, and the nine (ten actually, Ken, counting the Enslaved classic) reviews were more because I was ill last week and spent a day feverishly writing between vomit-runs than anything else. I'm not saying EVERYONE MUST LISTEN TO EVERYTHING, again, just one or two more would be cool.

And we appreciate that you guys are checking out new and underground stuff for us, and you're right, we should be paying more attention. But you asked for people's opinions, and sorry, but reviewing stuff that people have heard of and more popular bands will always generate more discussion than random band x which people will just drop in to say "I like" or "I don't like." And no offense, but very few of the bands I've checked out based on reviews alone are either so good that I'm willing to find their discography and write a 3 page essay about them or so bad that I want to spend a lot time making fun of them. I'm not whining about the fact that you guys are reviewing lots of underground bands; it's great, and once again, I should make more of an effort to explore new albums and bands. But a) stop whining about how people's feedback isn't what you wanted it to be when you ask them a question and they respond honestly, b) recognize that a lot of the bands reviewed here are pretty average/just good and don't exactly inspire discussion and c) Just accept the fact that icons and popular bands that lots of people have heard of and have different opinions about (MJ for example) inspire more debate than Brazilian thrash band #74494.

The reviews of bigger bands don't even get comment themselves, however. Seven comments for Obituary! Three for Isis! What big bands are you speaking of, that get so much attention when they are reviewed here?

Nope, not from last week...
And from this week, I mean to check Sonic Youth.