First Spin Impressions

[Geoff]

One point I will add is that comparing the quality of songwriting here to Desmond Child and Jeff Paris's made me laugh quite a lot (with reason) but I will let that one go - each to their own I suppose.

I wasn't comparing these guys to Desmond Child and Jeff Paris... just pointing out that a lot of bands in the 80's had to get outside songwriters, like Desmond and Jeff, to help write songs which are as melodic/commercial/catchy as what these guys are doing on their own already.

 

You can hate Faber Drive all you want... call them pansies and Busted-clones etc. At the end of the day, whether you like the music or not, regardless of your preference, the fact of the matter is these guys are writing some insanely huge, catchy and melodic choruses... which I believe are as big and catchy as some high profile song writers.

[Geoff]

Not many stand out releases in the modern rock genre this year im afraid.

 

Certainly nothing even close to the brilliance of Papa Roach, Bulletproof or Skillet from 06!

 

Cheers

Hey Lennie, if you're more into the nu-metal side of modern rock check out ALTERED - 'Dreaming Awake' and EVANS BLUE - 'The pursuit begins when this portrayal of life ends'.

[Jez]

One point I will add is that comparing the quality of songwriting here to Desmond Child and Jeff Paris's made me laugh quite a lot (with reason) but I will let that one go - each to their own I suppose.

I wasn't comparing these guys to Desmond Child and Jeff Paris... just pointing out that a lot of bands in the 80's had to get outside songwriters, like Desmond and Jeff, to help write songs which are as melodic/commercial/catchy as what these guys are doing on their own already.

 

You can hate Faber Drive all you want... call them pansies and Busted-clones etc. At the end of the day, whether you like the music or not, regardless of your preference, the fact of the matter is these guys are writing some insanely huge, catchy and melodic choruses... which I believe are as big and catchy as some high profile song writers.

 

 

I know you weren't comparing them directly to DC or JP, but the quality side of the songwriting, but I don't see that either i'm afraid. For me some of the songs are OK, no more than that. I don't hate them, but after 5 or 6 spins I can't remember one chorus at all. They are doing absolutely NOTHING special that hasn't been done before (or will be done next week by the next kiddie rock band that comes along) and has absolutely No longevity whatsoever. OK you could say that about a lot of styles of music I suppose, but this genre really is guilty of rehash after rehash and is pretty much washed out. Quick Fix music is what I call this. I listen to a CD, I want to be listening to week it in week out, year in year out, not file it away after a week, which I will definately do with this one. So for that reason I can't see why they are so 'Excellent'. Even my wife who loves this sort of stuff said the same old same old!

[Geoff]

One point I will add is that comparing the quality of songwriting here to Desmond Child and Jeff Paris's made me laugh quite a lot (with reason) but I will let that one go - each to their own I suppose.

I wasn't comparing these guys to Desmond Child and Jeff Paris... just pointing out that a lot of bands in the 80's had to get outside songwriters, like Desmond and Jeff, to help write songs which are as melodic/commercial/catchy as what these guys are doing on their own already.

 

You can hate Faber Drive all you want... call them pansies and Busted-clones etc. At the end of the day, whether you like the music or not, regardless of your preference, the fact of the matter is these guys are writing some insanely huge, catchy and melodic choruses... which I believe are as big and catchy as some high profile song writers.

 

 

I know you weren't comparing them directly to DC or JP, but the quality side of the songwriting, but I don't see that either i'm afraid. For me some of the songs are OK, no more than that. I don't hate them, but after 5 or 6 spins I can't remember one chorus at all. They are doing absolutely NOTHING special that hasn't been done before (or will be done next week by the next kiddie rock band that comes along) and has absolutely No longevity whatsoever. OK you could say that about a lot of styles of music I suppose, but this genre really is guilty of rehash after rehash and is pretty much washed out. Quick Fix music is what I call this. I listen to a CD, I want to be listening to week it in week out, year in year out, not file it away after a week, which I will definately do with this one. So for that reason I can't see why they are so 'Excellent'. Even my wife who loves this sort of stuff said the same old same old!

I admit there is a lot of samey stuff, to the point where there are usually only 10-20 excellent, top quality modern rock releases per year and a heap of pretenders. Fair enough, I agree. BUT...

 

Is the melodic rock scene any different? Are there not just as many, if not more pretenders and average CDs per year?

 

It's easy to lump music you don't like all together as samey... but to think we support a guilt-free genre here would be most incorrect. I'm sure modern rock enthusiasts think the same as you about the music on this site.

[Jez]

One point I will add is that comparing the quality of songwriting here to Desmond Child and Jeff Paris's made me laugh quite a lot (with reason) but I will let that one go - each to their own I suppose.

I wasn't comparing these guys to Desmond Child and Jeff Paris... just pointing out that a lot of bands in the 80's had to get outside songwriters, like Desmond and Jeff, to help write songs which are as melodic/commercial/catchy as what these guys are doing on their own already.

 

You can hate Faber Drive all you want... call them pansies and Busted-clones etc. At the end of the day, whether you like the music or not, regardless of your preference, the fact of the matter is these guys are writing some insanely huge, catchy and melodic choruses... which I believe are as big and catchy as some high profile song writers.

 

 

I know you weren't comparing them directly to DC or JP, but the quality side of the songwriting, but I don't see that either i'm afraid. For me some of the songs are OK, no more than that. I don't hate them, but after 5 or 6 spins I can't remember one chorus at all. They are doing absolutely NOTHING special that hasn't been done before (or will be done next week by the next kiddie rock band that comes along) and has absolutely No longevity whatsoever. OK you could say that about a lot of styles of music I suppose, but this genre really is guilty of rehash after rehash and is pretty much washed out. Quick Fix music is what I call this. I listen to a CD, I want to be listening to week it in week out, year in year out, not file it away after a week, which I will definately do with this one. So for that reason I can't see why they are so 'Excellent'. Even my wife who loves this sort of stuff said the same old same old!

I admit there is a lot of samey stuff, to the point where there are usually only 10-20 excellent, top quality modern rock releases per year and a heap of pretenders. Fair enough, I agree. BUT...

 

Is the melodic rock scene any different? Are there not just as many, if not more pretenders and average CDs per year?

 

It's easy to lump music you don't like all together as samey... but to think we support a guilt-free genre here would be most incorrect. I'm sure modern rock enthusiasts think the same as you about the music on this site.

 

 

Backed on the Melodic Rock/AOR side of things to a point, but I wouldn't say as many as the awful bands that appear on the TV every 5 minutes, and are gone again by the last chord of their overhyped, badly written debut album. AOR especially is guilty as well I agree - To much product (production line stuff as I call it) not enough quality, which is why you haven't really seen that much AOR in my end of year lists over the last few years and why I bang on all the time about the older stuff (not necessarily going back that far either), which for the most part, was a whole lot better than the stuff that is released today and I think a lot of old school AOR/Melodic Rock fans would agree with me. I listen to a lot of different genres and I like a bit of variation to what I listen to and listening to a lot of the Modern Melodic bands especially (or to a lesser extent recent AOR/Melodic Rock), I don't get a buzz whatsoever from a lot of it and find it repetetive, badly played, badly written, badly produced and generally completely lifeless.

[Geoff]

We can definitely agree that the best music there will ever be has come and gone. You'd probably say the best was a bit earlier than I would, but for me there will never be another 1988-1992.

 

Either way, I still think there is a lot of good music being recorded these days. I also don't get the buzz I used to from a lot of new AOR/Melodic/Glam bands either, but there are some great exceptions every year.

 

There are a lot of bad modern bands, yes, but I'm not so sure you're getting introduced to the best ones out there. Trust me, no one out there hates this type of music more than me: "repetetive, badly played, badly written, badly produced and generally completely lifeless" and if I hear a band like that I will dismiss it immediately. Which is actually why I have developed a much bigger interest in modern rock recently. Because I'm getting that vibe from a lot of melodic/AOR bands (fine musicianship, but poorly written tired songs with weak production), but NOT from the better modern rock bands, which feature some amazing talented song writers, solid/great players (albiet without the fancy solos) and top-notch production jobs.

 

And this is also why I've all but washed my hands clean of nu-metal, even if even that genre has exceptions. But the modern rock I enjoy most is in all honesty the opposite of each feature you mentioned there.

[Jez]

1978 - 1990 would be my time which covers quite a lot of stuff. You really should go back a few years though mate as I am convinced you would find something there to like if you only gave it a chance. Anyways - yes there is still a lot of good music for sure, but I still find it is the older bands that are releasing it. My tastes and your differ somewhat (although we meet in the middle on a few things) so you will probably disagree, dislike (or never heard) most of the bands that I talk about in others topics, but looking at this years releases for example (and the last few years come to that), all my favourite ones are still from bands/Artists from years ago and not many that are recent - Saga, Kim Mitchell, Robby Valentine being three examples of quality releases in every department and artists that can be relied upon year after year to produce the goods and have done for upwards of 30 years in some cases. You certainly won't be saying that about the majority of newer acts around today. Probably my age and being spoilt on the quality of music around me when I was growing up that makes me so fussy, but that is me I suppose.

[Geoff]

I have tried to go back further... but as noted before, I am happy to end at 1984. 1984-1993 and 2000-present are pretty much where my tastes lie. There are exceptions in all those absent years, but not many. I just have no interest in the total sound of music as a whole before a certain time - 1982 minimum, regardless of other factors. And I struggle to hear all I love now, so I'm really not interested in looking into stuff I need to try to like when I'm trying to find room for stuff I know I love.

 

As for todays artists disappearing in 20-30 years, you're probably right. But who knows? They may prove us wrong. There's some guys out there who really deserve a lot more credit than they get.

[phaffas]

Teargas - a dark obsession

Awful.

[melodicrockoz]

Teargas - a dark obsession

Awful.

you actually bought it when the funds could be better put towards buying the more worthy the deadthings cds?

[phaffas]

Teargas - a dark obsession

Awful.

you actually bought it when the funds could be better put towards buying the more worthy the deadthings cds?

 

no chance! Geoff the little Emo sent me a cdr of this to check in an attempt to get me like this. Sorry Geoff!

Id go as far as saying The Deadthings are better then this by a long way!.

O how the potentially decent fall, before they even get a chance to rise...

[Fat Freddy]

Halford - METAL GOD ESSENTIALS VOL. I

 

A sweet compilation of the best of Rob's non-Priest material. The good news: there is nothing from the TWO release on here! The bad news: the studio version of "Light Comes Out Of Black" (Rob's first foray as a solo artist, backed by the members of Pantera, which appeared on 1992's "Buffy The Vampire Slayer" movie soundtrack) is NOT on here. (I refuse to buy the "Buffy" soundtrack for the sake of that one song dammit! Rob, put it on ESSENTIALS VOL. 2 please!) The majority of the album is made up of goodies from the RESURRECTION album (2000) and the overlooked CRUCIBLE (2002), but collectors will be interested in the 1999 demo version of "Silent Screams" (later re-recorded for RESURRECTION), the song which signaled Rob's return to metal after his little trip through the techno-NIN daisy patch, and the demo versions of Fight's "Into The Pit," "Nailed To The Gun," and "War Of Words." (those Fight demos, by the way, are being released in their entirety as a separate CD, which supposedly contains some non-album tracks... sweet!) Two "new" Halford songs (available earlier this year as iTunes exclusive MP3s), "Forgotten Generation" and "Drop Out," also make this one a must-have for the Halford completist. The only song that's really unnecessary is the final track, "Hypocrisy US Mix," which is just a remix of "Forgotten Generation" ... someone please tell Rob to quit dabbling in remixes, it is sooooo 1993, haha.

 

The album also comes with a bonus DVD, which I haven't had time to watch yet, but I hope to ASAP!

 

[heaven&hell]

Halford - METAL GOD ESSENTIALS VOL. I

 

A sweet compilation of the best of Rob's non-Priest material. The good news: there is nothing from the TWO release on here! The bad news: the studio version of "Light Comes Out Of Black" (Rob's first foray as a solo artist, backed by the members of Pantera, which appeared on 1992's "Buffy The Vampire Slayer" movie soundtrack) is NOT on here. (I refuse to buy the "Buffy" soundtrack for the sake of that one song dammit! Rob, put it on ESSENTIALS VOL. 2 please!) The majority of the album is made up of goodies from the RESURRECTION album (2000) and the overlooked CRUCIBLE (2002), but collectors will be interested in the 1999 demo version of "Silent Screams" (later re-recorded for RESURRECTION), the song which signaled Rob's return to metal after his little trip through the techno-NIN daisy patch, and the demo versions of Fight's "Into The Pit," "Nailed To The Gun," and "War Of Words." (those Fight demos, by the way, are being released in their entirety as a separate CD, which supposedly contains some non-album tracks... sweet!) Two "new" Halford songs (available earlier this year as iTunes exclusive MP3s), "Forgotten Generation" and "Drop Out," also make this one a must-have for the Halford completist. The only song that's really unnecessary is the final track, "Hypocrisy US Mix," which is just a remix of "Forgotten Generation" ... someone please tell Rob to quit dabbling in remixes, it is sooooo 1993, haha.

 

The album also comes with a bonus DVD, which I haven't had time to watch yet, but I hope to ASAP!

 

 

 

 

It sounds awesome. My wife was supposed to pick it up at Best Buy for me but forgot about it.

She was cool enought to remember to grab the Sebastian Bach 'Angel Down' cd though.

[Fat Freddy]

Halford - METAL GOD ESSENTIALS VOL. I

 

A sweet compilation of the best of Rob's non-Priest material. The good news: there is nothing from the TWO release on here! The bad news: the studio version of "Light Comes Out Of Black" (Rob's first foray as a solo artist, backed by the members of Pantera, which appeared on 1992's "Buffy The Vampire Slayer" movie soundtrack) is NOT on here. (I refuse to buy the "Buffy" soundtrack for the sake of that one song dammit! Rob, put it on ESSENTIALS VOL. 2 please!) The majority of the album is made up of goodies from the RESURRECTION album (2000) and the overlooked CRUCIBLE (2002), but collectors will be interested in the 1999 demo version of "Silent Screams" (later re-recorded for RESURRECTION), the song which signaled Rob's return to metal after his little trip through the techno-NIN daisy patch, and the demo versions of Fight's "Into The Pit," "Nailed To The Gun," and "War Of Words." (those Fight demos, by the way, are being released in their entirety as a separate CD, which supposedly contains some non-album tracks... sweet!) Two "new" Halford songs (available earlier this year as iTunes exclusive MP3s), "Forgotten Generation" and "Drop Out," also make this one a must-have for the Halford completist. The only song that's really unnecessary is the final track, "Hypocrisy US Mix," which is just a remix of "Forgotten Generation" ... someone please tell Rob to quit dabbling in remixes, it is sooooo 1993, haha.

 

The album also comes with a bonus DVD, which I haven't had time to watch yet, but I hope to ASAP!

 

 

 

 

It sounds awesome. My wife was supposed to pick it up at Best Buy for me but forgot about it.

She was cool enought to remember to grab the Sebastian Bach 'Angel Down' cd though.

 

Maybe if you write a letter to Santa and tell him you need the Halford disc he'll put it in your stocking.

[heaven&hell]

Halford - METAL GOD ESSENTIALS VOL. I

 

A sweet compilation of the best of Rob's non-Priest material. The good news: there is nothing from the TWO release on here! The bad news: the studio version of "Light Comes Out Of Black" (Rob's first foray as a solo artist, backed by the members of Pantera, which appeared on 1992's "Buffy The Vampire Slayer" movie soundtrack) is NOT on here. (I refuse to buy the "Buffy" soundtrack for the sake of that one song dammit! Rob, put it on ESSENTIALS VOL. 2 please!) The majority of the album is made up of goodies from the RESURRECTION album (2000) and the overlooked CRUCIBLE (2002), but collectors will be interested in the 1999 demo version of "Silent Screams" (later re-recorded for RESURRECTION), the song which signaled Rob's return to metal after his little trip through the techno-NIN daisy patch, and the demo versions of Fight's "Into The Pit," "Nailed To The Gun," and "War Of Words." (those Fight demos, by the way, are being released in their entirety as a separate CD, which supposedly contains some non-album tracks... sweet!) Two "new" Halford songs (available earlier this year as iTunes exclusive MP3s), "Forgotten Generation" and "Drop Out," also make this one a must-have for the Halford completist. The only song that's really unnecessary is the final track, "Hypocrisy US Mix," which is just a remix of "Forgotten Generation" ... someone please tell Rob to quit dabbling in remixes, it is sooooo 1993, haha.

 

The album also comes with a bonus DVD, which I haven't had time to watch yet, but I hope to ASAP!

 

 

 

 

It sounds awesome. My wife was supposed to pick it up at Best Buy for me but forgot about it.

She was cool enought to remember to grab the Sebastian Bach 'Angel Down' cd though.

 

Maybe if you write a letter to Satan and tell him you need the Halford disc he'll put it in your stocking.

 

 

Do you happen to have his address?

[Fat Freddy]

Halford - METAL GOD ESSENTIALS VOL. I

 

A sweet compilation of the best of Rob's non-Priest material. The good news: there is nothing from the TWO release on here! The bad news: the studio version of "Light Comes Out Of Black" (Rob's first foray as a solo artist, backed by the members of Pantera, which appeared on 1992's "Buffy The Vampire Slayer" movie soundtrack) is NOT on here. (I refuse to buy the "Buffy" soundtrack for the sake of that one song dammit! Rob, put it on ESSENTIALS VOL. 2 please!) The majority of the album is made up of goodies from the RESURRECTION album (2000) and the overlooked CRUCIBLE (2002), but collectors will be interested in the 1999 demo version of "Silent Screams" (later re-recorded for RESURRECTION), the song which signaled Rob's return to metal after his little trip through the techno-NIN daisy patch, and the demo versions of Fight's "Into The Pit," "Nailed To The Gun," and "War Of Words." (those Fight demos, by the way, are being released in their entirety as a separate CD, which supposedly contains some non-album tracks... sweet!) Two "new" Halford songs (available earlier this year as iTunes exclusive MP3s), "Forgotten Generation" and "Drop Out," also make this one a must-have for the Halford completist. The only song that's really unnecessary is the final track, "Hypocrisy US Mix," which is just a remix of "Forgotten Generation" ... someone please tell Rob to quit dabbling in remixes, it is sooooo 1993, haha.

 

The album also comes with a bonus DVD, which I haven't had time to watch yet, but I hope to ASAP!

 

 

 

 

It sounds awesome. My wife was supposed to pick it up at Best Buy for me but forgot about it.

She was cool enought to remember to grab the Sebastian Bach 'Angel Down' cd though.

 

Maybe if you write a letter to Satan and tell him you need the Halford disc he'll put it in your stocking.

 

 

Do you happen to have his address?

 

He's from Hell, California... population four.

[heaven&hell]

Halford - METAL GOD ESSENTIALS VOL. I

 

A sweet compilation of the best of Rob's non-Priest material. The good news: there is nothing from the TWO release on here! The bad news: the studio version of "Light Comes Out Of Black" (Rob's first foray as a solo artist, backed by the members of Pantera, which appeared on 1992's "Buffy The Vampire Slayer" movie soundtrack) is NOT on here. (I refuse to buy the "Buffy" soundtrack for the sake of that one song dammit! Rob, put it on ESSENTIALS VOL. 2 please!) The majority of the album is made up of goodies from the RESURRECTION album (2000) and the overlooked CRUCIBLE (2002), but collectors will be interested in the 1999 demo version of "Silent Screams" (later re-recorded for RESURRECTION), the song which signaled Rob's return to metal after his little trip through the techno-NIN daisy patch, and the demo versions of Fight's "Into The Pit," "Nailed To The Gun," and "War Of Words." (those Fight demos, by the way, are being released in their entirety as a separate CD, which supposedly contains some non-album tracks... sweet!) Two "new" Halford songs (available earlier this year as iTunes exclusive MP3s), "Forgotten Generation" and "Drop Out," also make this one a must-have for the Halford completist. The only song that's really unnecessary is the final track, "Hypocrisy US Mix," which is just a remix of "Forgotten Generation" ... someone please tell Rob to quit dabbling in remixes, it is sooooo 1993, haha.

 

The album also comes with a bonus DVD, which I haven't had time to watch yet, but I hope to ASAP!

 

 

 

 

It sounds awesome. My wife was supposed to pick it up at Best Buy for me but forgot about it.

She was cool enought to remember to grab the Sebastian Bach 'Angel Down' cd though.

 

Maybe if you write a letter to Satan and tell him you need the Halford disc he'll put it in your stocking.

 

 

Do you happen to have his address?

 

He's from Hell, California... population four.

 

 

Would you believe that I have a Love/Hate releationship with him?

[Fat Freddy]

Oh, we're on a roll tonite, Wes...

[heaven&hell]

Oh, we're on a roll tonite, Wes...

 

 

[Fat Freddy]

Oh, we're on a roll tonite, Wes...

 

 

 

THIS IS OUR SECOND THREAD HIJACKING TONIGHT! AND I'M NOT EVEN DRUNK! HIGH FIVE!

 

PLEASE REPLY NOW!

[heaven&hell]

Oh, we're on a roll tonite, Wes...

 

 

 

THIS IS OUR SECOND THREAD HIJACKING TONIGHT! AND I'M NOT EVEN DRUNK! HIGH FIVE!

 

PLEASE REPLY NOW!

 

 

Here's a high five for you:

[Bubbasmama]

Seether ~ Karma & Effect

 

Blech. 'Nuff said.

[heaven&hell]

Oh, we're on a roll tonite, Wes...

 

 

 

THIS IS OUR SECOND THREAD HIJACKING TONIGHT! AND I'M NOT EVEN DRUNK! HIGH FIVE!

 

PLEASE REPLY NOW!

 

 

Here's a high five for you:

 

[Geoff]

Teargas - a dark obsession

Awful.

you actually bought it when the funds could be better put towards buying the more worthy the deadthings cds?

 

no chance! Geoff the little Emo sent me a cdr of this to check in an attempt to get me like this. Sorry Geoff!

Id go as far as saying The Deadthings are better then this by a long way!.

O how the potentially decent fall, before they even get a chance to rise...

Have you guys seen some Jean Claude Vann Gay movie where, in his most homosexual voice, he says, 'Why those guys they try to hurt me?'

 

Well, I just thought of that then. The Teargas EP kicks ass. The sooner y'all realise the sooner we can pat each other's backs in awkward attempts at consolation.

 

Seriously, Matt... is that the first time you've spun it just now?

[Fat Freddy]

Prong, POWER OF THE DAMAGER - sounds OK so far, even with a new lineup behind him, Tommy Victor still sounds like the same ol' Prong. Nothing jumps out at me as the next "Snap Your Fingers, Snap Your Neck," but this is pretty cool.

 

Moonspell, UNDER SATANAE - sorta sounds like a black metalish Lacuna Coil, without the chick singer

 

Wolfpack Unleashed, ANTHEMS OF RESISTANCE - pretty cool thrash CD, very CLAYMAN-era In Flames-ish

 

Sodom, THE FINAL SIGN OF EVIL - Lo-fi, satanic thrash just like they played it back in the day. Cartoonish as hell, but fun in a dumb sort of way.

 

The Vision Bleak, THE WOLVES GO HUNT THEIR PREY - self described "Gothic Horror Metal," i.e. they sound kinda like a somewhat thrashy Type O Negative with an even stiffer, more robotic singer. Sounded OK at first but now it feels like it should've ended three songs ago.