Metal Reviews

Has anybody else heard A Line Of Deathless Kings yet?

I really think they delivered a very very beautiful album this time. One of their best, for sure. Musically, I'd say it's in the manner of the last two, but with a bit more melody infused in songs, without some of the more indiferent moments that sometimes creep up on MDB albums and without any growls (except for a weird little Benediction-like fragment at the end of the last song). Top 10 material for me.

I've had one of their albums for ages now, and never get past the first few songs. It's like I've just lost the will to live. That piano one off Set Free The Flamingos is pretty good, though.

Gotta get this presto!

ZOMG how can anyone not like MDB? Seriously now I have to fight Zad.

I haven't heard the new one. TLATEOTW is their best, in my opinion. It has some really stunning tracks on it.

I think that's what I've got. I don't know, I just find actual drone more interesting, for some reason. I shall force myself to listen to it all the way through whilst I'm washing up or something, and shall return with ammunition.

My initial impression is that it starts off strong for the first couple tracks, and then becomes very hit and miss after that. I miss the growls still, particularly when it tries to get a little more aggressive (and the very few growls that are present just aren't very convincing), and it just fails to keep me captivated the way their older stuff did. Many times, it seems like it could have been really good, but it just isn't.

Still, I probably like this more than their last couple of albums, at least initially, but then again, I never liked those enough to listen to them more than a handful of times...

-Tyrion


BTW, these new emoticons suck.

Well I guess I'll have to check this out. I would have much preferred an all- growls to nearly no growls album.

They're such a "mood" band. They can sound like the worst shit ever sometimes exactly the opposite other times.

I feel this is a much weaker effort than their last two albums, particularly The Dreadful Hours. The first two tracks are strong though. More double bass and growls were needed.

Oddly enough, the single's b-side (bought it yesterday), Child of Eternity, has plenty of double bass drumming and harsh vocals.
The new track (an edited down version of Deeper Down) isn't bad, I miss the gradiose keyboard parts from the previous album, though.
The live version of A Kiss to Remember doesn't differ that much from the studio counterpart; still a great song, though, with a remarkably good recording quality (most live b-sides/bonus tracks I've heard sound like shitty bootlegs).

Wierd. Would you say Child of Eternity was a good track then?

I don't know why I have ignored My dying bride for so long, but I just can't any more. This album is wonderful and I hope their others are too.
The singers voice really fits with the music.

Wow. If you love this you are in for some great music. I started with one of their weaker albums too (Like Gods of the Sun) and that made Turn Loose the Swans and the Angel in the Dark River all the better.

Heh, scratch what I just wrote in the Tooooool-thread.

That's fine. I don't know why I bothered fighting over Tool to begin with, I usually don't care.

Anyhow, how important is production to you? I feel the aformentioned Turn Loose the Swans and The Angel and the Dark River are some of their best albums, but the production is far from perfect. If you prefer clean production I'd recommend The Dreadful Hours if you favor their aggressive side, or if you prefer the slightly softer moments either The Light at the End of the World or Words of Darkness, Songs of Light will work.

I'm not so picky about production. If it fits the music and the spirit of the album then I'm okay with most of it.
So I guess I'll have to hear all of em, while probably starting with The Dreadful Hours

Excellent, my favorite of the newer albums. Bump this thread with your opinion on the album.

I definitely like it, aye

Turn Loose the Swans and The Angel And the Dark River are the only two albums I've really been able to get into by this band. I do somewhat like As the Flower Withers, or at least parts of it, but the production is just dismal on that one and doesn't convey the power and dynamics that their music really demands / expresses. I've never had a problem with the production of the other two, however, though I'm not one to generally have problems with productions because of "low quality".

That being said, those two albums are two of my favorite albums ever produced by any band. If you like metal at all, you probably owe it to yourself to hear them at least once, even if you don't end up liking them.

I'll also take this opportunity to praise Rick Miah's drumming and recommend the For Darkest Eyes DVD which has a lot of early concert footage and great setlists of their early material.

-Tyrion

Rick Miah was a excellent drummer for that material.

The production on Turn Loose and Angel is perfect for the music, some people just have trouble with anything that doesn't sound pristine. While I strongly enjoyed the new MDB albums, I'm aware that some older fans didn't, and I can't fault them for it.