As I had commented in the purchases thread, I am giving contemporary release a listen. On my first play of this particular recording, I did take a whole lot from it, though, I knew it was a release with a wealth of musical value. I think the album could have benefited from more textures, layers, and more built up. But then again, those are my natural inclinations in music. On its own merit the recording is outstanding with an abundance of emotive gentle strokes of minor notes, but perhaps a bit too thin for me to entirely taking a great love to it.
And given the fact that I do not listen to a lot of music from the past few years, I would say this was a good purchase and I liked the music quite a bit. We can listen to music only on the musician's personal orientations and talents, and certainly not how we would like it to sound. The necessity of certain sounds only comes from the musical attitude of the designated artist, and not any more than that. "Must" and "should" does not exist in taste and certainly an artist should never comply with a fanbases' and their personal opinions of what musical direction to take and how their music should sound.
I definitely liked this recording quite a bit too, as the song-writer is the same as the above recording. Perhaps a little too much blast beasts for my liking, but the riffage is very well executed and the basslines are very supportive indeed. The cover of the album is very telling of what is to be heard in the music. Occult and darkly mystical atmosphere and the relentlessly incoming of riff after riff.
A band I have known for many years but I have not heard their releases at least for the two or three previous releases. I liked it a lot, though I would have liked a bit a variety in tempo and paste, and more contrast of coloration and hues from the riff department. Nevertheless, a strong release if not entirely up par with releases earlier in their career. But musicians move on, drift away, and hopefully return to their prime, with some token of good sensibility.
