Adios…for now

Today in just a few hours I’ll be leaving for a three week camp. I’ll have very little access to internet so I most likely won’t be posting on this blog at all. Though summer has so far been very busy for me, I have nothing planned between when I get back and when I go back to school, so I should have a ton of time to work on music stuff and write reviews. Camp won’t be a complete drop to zero productivity though, since I will be bringing my guitar to practice on when I have a chance. I also plan to write a lot of lyrics.

Next month sees the release of the new Phish album which I’m uber-psyched about, and I can’t wait to check it out when it’s released at the end of the month. Besides from that, I don’t think there’s too much coming out next month since the Slayer album was pushed back, so I don’t think I’ll be missing too many new releases.

So…see you in three weeks

Review: Black Clouds & Silver Linings (Dream Theater)

After the 2002 release of Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence, a noticeable downward trend started to appear in Dream Theater’s releases. By the time Systematic Chaos was released in 2007, the fan base had grown very polarized with the band and felt that by attempting to be more “metal” and appeal to a larger audience, they had lost what had made them so special in the first place. Sure, they’re much more popular now than they were 10  years ago, but was it worth the cost of losing the fans that had gotten them so far in the first place? Understandably, Dream Theater was under a lot of pressure to release a great album, and for the first time in a while, they needed to prove something to their audience – that they could still write incredible compositions.

Enter Black Clouds & Silver Linings. As soon as the tracklist was announced, one could tell that Dream Theater were changing things up, with an album of only 6 tracks (and only 2 of them under 10 minutes). But as the fans know, quantity doesn’t always equal quality, so this in itself didn’t say much about the music. However it did say that perhaps Dream Theater would stop caring so much about writing radio friendly singles (like “Forsaken” and “Constant Motion” on Systematic Chaos) and more about writing progressive songs they are known for.

The album has a bit of a rocky start. The first minute or so contains some sound effects and some cheesy sounding keyboard from Rudess, but once the full band comes in “A Nightmare to Remember” really starts, and the song takes a sharp turn for the better. The song both contains some heavy parts (among the heaviest DT has recorded), and some nice mellower parts as well. The song really gets better as it goes, and unlike their previous three albums it doesn’t sound like the song just exists as a platform for solos, but instead it seems like the focus has shifted back towards composition (which most fans will agree is for the better). Not to say that there isn’t any soloing going on at all, but for the most part it feels more concise and fits well into the confines of the song. The only real annoyances are Mike Portnoy’s singing/growling (please, just stop trying) and some corny keyboard parts. Overall, “A Nightmare to Remember” is nowhere near the best song Dream Theater has recorded, but it does start the album off on the right foot.

The next track is the first single from the album, “A Rite of Passage”, the only song I had listened to before the album came out. It’s certainly much better than the singles from Systematic Chaos and has a very infections main riff, along with memorable singing from LaBrie.  At times it sound a little silly, but it makes up for it with a sense of fun that’s not common in their music. If you didn’t find yourself at least bobbing your head to this song, you should probably just stop listening now.

Now “Wither” is the first real surprise of the album. This sounds direct from Falling Into Infinity (with a modern touch), which is a real treat for me since I consider it their most underrated album. It’s not at all what I would expect from a Dream Theater song – which is exactly why I’m liking it so much. Lately they’ve become a bit predictable, but I definitely didn’t see this coming. It’s basically a power ballad with Dream Theater’s signature touch – a real stadium rock song. I could see this song turning off both metalheads and people listening for their virtuosity (and combined that makes up pretty much their whole fanbase), but I really enjoyed the change of pace.

…and just like as if Dream Theater knew their last song might turn some people off, “The Shattered Fortress” comes roaring in with a lot of crunch and some great metal riffs. For those who don’t know, it’s the last song in Portnoy’s AA suite, which chronicles his struggle to give up alcohol after realizing he was an alcoholic, with one song from the suite appearing on each of their last albums dating back to Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence. I’ve heard some people complaining that this song reuses some riffs from previous songs in the series, but all I have to say is, “duh!”. It’s a suite – the music is all interconnected as if it was one piece of work. Not only that, but it’s the finale, so I fully would have expected them to bring back a lot of themes from the earlier songs. While listening to the song, it doesn’t sound like they just “copy-pasted” the parts together, but instead it flows together rather seamlessly. I can understand why people are a bit disappointed that over half the song is familiar, but I can’t say it honestly bothered me too much as it’s all in a different context and hearing it in a new light made the material feel new.

Holy shit. That’s all I have to say about “The Best of Times”.  The first couple minutes are a tad too melodramatic, but as the electric guitar comes in the song morphs into something that would not be out of place on Images & Words or Awake (though with a more modern-DT sound). The melodramtic-ness I mentioned in the beginning does come back into the song in a few parts, but for the most part it’s a great Dream Theater song and a fitting tribute to Mike Portnoy’s late father.

As awesome as “The Best of Times” is, “The Count of Tuscany” rivals it in quality. Yes, the lyrics are laughable, but musically this is very impressive. The first couple minutes and the last ~8 minutes are the best because they show, as I’ve mentioned before, a great sense of composition instead of just pure shredding. I read a review comparing it to Rush, and I definitely feel that influence here.

Black Clouds & Silver Linings is interesting because it’s not an attempt to go back to the sound of the Images & Words era that fans so cherish, but instead it tries to take what was so great about those albums and fuse it with their modern metal-ish sound. Does it always work? Well there are certainly moments on here that I could have done without, but as a whole I would say it’s a step in the right direction and definitely a reversal of the downward trend they were recently on. Dream Theater’s firing on all cylinders here – and while I know I’ve been comparing this album to past releases the whole time my final words are just to take this album for what it is. Dream Theater is never releasing another Images & Words, or another Awake, or even another Metropolis, Pt. 2, so just listen to this album expecting something different and you should find yourself enjoying it.

Rating: 4/5

Tracklist:

1. A Nightmare to Remember   [16:11]
2. A Rite of Passage   [8:36]
3. Wither   [5:26]
4. The Shattered Fortress   [12:49]
5. The Best of Times   [13:09]
6. The Count of Tuscany   [19:16]

Awesome Week Ahead

Ever feel left in the dark about something but have no idea why? Yeah, I feel that way about something right now and it’s been messing with my head for the last few days but I have such an awesome week ahead that I could really care less. And besides, the emotions will just make it easier to put a lot of energy into song writing and recording.

Firstly, as I wrote about before, I have regained my motivation to work on my solo album, so I plan to spend a ton of time this week working on it as much as possible. A good chunk of the album has been completely finished but the rest needs a lot of help, so I have my work cut out for me.

Second, I plan to practice with my band at least a couple times this week so that hopefully by the end of the summer we’ll be ready to play a couple shows. I’ll be practicing with a new member of Lifting Shadows for the first time, which should be interesting and fun. I can’t really talk about what he plays or whether or not he’s replacing someone until later on in the week.

Thirdly, this week is INSANE when it comes to new releases. The new Mars Volta album AND the new Dream Theater album coming out on the same day? I thought I was dreaming when I saw it but it’s true. I’ll definitely try to review both of them and I’m very excited about both of them. There’s quite a few other albums coming out too, which I hope to be able to listen to as well.

And last, since I’ll be leaving for camp next Sunday for three weeks, I’ll be doing a lot of catching up. I’ve already planned to meet up with a few friends this week and hopefully I’ll be able to hang out with even more as plans come into focus.

So even though I’m confused about some shit, as I mentioned at the top, I have enough going to keep myself from worrying about it too much.

Lyrics, Part IV

So I seem to recall making a post last year while I was on vacation of lyrics I had finished. A quick search through my posts confirmed this. So I decided to do a similar post today. The difference is these are lyrics I am actually using in a song with Lifting Shadows. The guitar parts and bass parts are both completely done for this song (as well as obviously, the lyrics). My style of writing is both deeply personal and somewhat stream of consciousness, which means they are probably both impossible to interpret and not that good. That being said, I’m in the mood to share, so try to enjoy!

“Only As Strong…”

It’s okay to feel betrayed, wasting life away

It doesn’t matter how I feel, but what I say

You are nothing anymore

I lost my control

How did it come to this?

I slept dreaming of your kiss

Before you stabbed me for the

Lies you told yourself

And when did you say?

When did you ask?

You forget that the farther you go

The darker it gets

And that your reach only is

As strong as those who submit

I’m never coming back

And I may be the loser

But not the whore

You did that to yourself

And who the fuck are you?

I’m drowning in sound

Trying to recall the last time

I can say I cared

The farther you go

The darker it gets

Your reach only is as strong

As those who submit

Solo Album

I’m on vacation this week, so music (or blogging) hasn’t been at the foreground of my thoughts. However I did decide it would probably be prudent to post an update on the solo album I’m working on, under the name of Static Light, that I am hoping to release sometime this summer.

To be quite honest, about midway through April I started to get frustrated with the project as my initial deadline of April 18th passed by. I had been reworking the songs to no end and I just couldn’t get them to sound exactly how I wanted them to. So I shelved the project for a while and instead focused my efforts on my band, Lifting Shadows, and my as-of-now-unnamed black metal project.

Last last week I listened through the first four tracks of the album with fresh ears as I hadn’t listened to them for almost two months. I was pleasantly surprised. They sounded much better then I had remembered! My excitement for the project instantaneously jumped quite a few notches. The reason for my frustration a couple months ago is because I was to focused on getting them to sound exactly like I pictured it in my mind, and now that I was just listening to it for pleasure, I realized they were fine the way they are.

With the exception of one little guitar line, the first 10-12 minutes are completely done (recording, mixing, etc.) The rest of the album isn’t in such as good shape, and I still have some hard work to do, but I”m 100% completely positively sure that I will have the album done and released by the time I go back to school in early September. That’s a promise, and I intend to keep it!

I have realistic expectations. Outside of friends and family, I don’t expect more than a couple people to listen to anything I put out on the internet. Simply put, I have zero advertising. Nil. I’m uploading it to last.fm and some torrent sites, but outside of that, it’s nothing but pure luck if someone listens to it. Among those who do end up listening to it, I don’t expect a very positive reaction either. But I’m totally cool with that. I’m recording this mostly for me. I’m experimenting with both composition and recording, and just finishing this is all the satisfaction I will need. If someone else enjoys it, well, that’s just an added bonus. That being said I do believe the music is accessible enough that someone will be able to at least draw some pleasure from it. Here is the probably final tracklisting.

1. Dawn, Pt. I: A Sample of Passing Wind
2. Watching Leaves Fall
3. I Lost the Sky (Pt. I)
4. I Lost the Sky (Pt. II)
5. Dawn, Pt. II: Awakening
6. Dusk
7. Flash of Colors
8. First Turn
9. Dawn, Pt. III: Last Memory
10. Like Tears
11. Bottom, Flat, Dead
12. Pale Dreams
13. Dawn, Pt. IV: Free

Review: Morningrise (Opeth)

Opeth’s first album, Orchid, was a mixed bag. It certainly provided interesting ideas and a fresh take on death metal, but ultimately the songs lacked cohesion and drifted for too long. Morningrise sees Opeth starting to move away from their early sound towards the more familiar sound of their modern work. It still has some of the same problems as their debut, but as a whole it’s a much better album.

The album starts with “Advent”, which works as a strong opener. It features a lot of their now well known transitions between heavy and soft sections, and it uses them very well. The dual guitar leads that occupy this album provide a layer of complexity that their later albums would lack. The soft, melodic sections of this song feel almost medieval in their sound, and help to establish an engrossing atmosphere. Overall the songs works well, but its long length works against it as it doesn’t stay interesting throughout it’s entire length.

“The Night and the Silent Water” is by far the best song of the album, and is a highlight of their live show even to this day. It has some great dual guitar riffs, and the massive buildup and climax in the latter half of the song is one of the most memorable moments in Opeth’s catalogue. This song stands as the pinnacle of Opeth’s early years. For the third track, “Nectar”, I’m going to use a strange analogy. It’s a bit like a summer blockbuster – entertaining while you’re listening to it yet very forgettable once it’s over. There’s certainly nothing wrong with it and has some very fun headbanging moments in it yet I never think about it when the song’s over. Due to the forgettable nature of the song, I would consider it the filler of the album.

“Black Rose Immortal” is notable for being both the longest Opeth song released so far and the only one to reach past 20 minutes. As such, it often feels like a suite of songs instead of a cohesive whole, with occasional silence between different sections. As a single track, it lacks a sense of direction. Despite that, however, I often feel that it receives some undeserved flack from both the fans and the band itself (I’ve heard them diss the song on numerous occasions). It has some very strong heavy and soft parts and while it does stumble a bit under its own weight, it’s certainly worth listening to.

The last track is “To Bid You Farewell”, which is the softest song on the album featuring no harsh vocals and acoustic guitars almost the entire song. It’s a very relaxing song that has some touching lyrics and memorable guitar parts. Unfortunately its length works against it, as 11 minutes is just too long for this sort of thing, and if it had been half the length it is it would have been much more effective. That being said it’s still a great song and a good way to end the album.

Morningrise is a step above what Opeth accomplished with Orchid but is still miles behind the masterpiece of My Arms, Your Hearse. While Morningrise is definitely the sound of a band in transition, it’s still essential listening for any Opeth fan. It has some very impressive moments that are only hampered by the album’s sometimes lack of direction. If you’re trying to get into the band, start with the aforementioned My Arms, Your Hearse or Still Life.

Rating: 3.5/5

Tracklist:

1. Advent   [13:44]
2. The Night and the Silent Water   [10:59]
3. Nectar   [10:09]
4. Black Rose Immortal   [20:14]
5. To Bid You Farewell   [10:54]

Concert: Nine Inch Nails (6/6)

As many know, this is Nine Inch Nails’ last tour for an indefinite period of time, which adds a bit to the importance of this show, a well as the others on this tour. Technically it’s a co-headlining tour with Jane’s Addiction, but I’ll explain later why I didn’t include them in the post title. This concert was at PNC Banks Arts Center in Holmdel New Jersey. The venue was a large outdoor amphitheater, and thankfully the seats I had were not bad at all, a bit high but centered enough that it was easy to see the entire stage.

Since Patrick and I had prerelease tickets we were able to enter the venue (but not the seating area) early. Due to this, we were able to hear the Nine Inch Nails sound checks, which were a bit cool to hear, but ultimately getting in early wasn’t that big of a deal. Finally, after about an hour of waiting around the main plaza we were able to enter the amphitheater and take our seats. After about another half hour, the opening act Street Sweeper Social Club took the stage, and their show was quite entertaining. Despite not often listening to hip-hop/rap, I quite enjoyed the rapping of vocalist Boots Riley. I used to consider Tom Morello to be an overrated guitarist, but he completely rocked the house. The highlight was his shredding solo that ended with him playing his guitar with his tongue (yeah, it was epic). At the end of the show he also threw his guitar backstage for a crew member to catch, which was also pretty awesome. All in all their show was very entertaining and I will definitely be checking out their CD that comes out this month.

Pretty soon after Street Sweeper left the stage, the NIN song “Pinion” began to play over the PA and the crowd went wild as Reznor and co. took the stage. At this point, the sun had begun to set, meaning that the high production values of a Nine Inch Nails show were in full effect (their light shows are simply breathtaking). The next hour and a half was an incredible cathartic experience. Fan favorites such as “March of the Pigs”, “Hurt”, “Head Like a Hole”, “Discipline”, and “1,000,000″ were all played, but quite a lot of lesser played songs such as “Reptile” and “Meet Your Master” were played, keeping the set list exciting and fun. “Mr. Self Destruct” might have been the emotional high point of the show. I sang along to all the songs, like many others, and lost myself in the experience.

So to put it short, Nine Inch Nails was incredible. Too bad Jane’s Addiction is nowhere good enough to follow up such an experience. I had never really heard anything by the band before so I had an open mind going in to their show, but to be honest I didn’t enjoy it at all. To me, all the songs sounded the same and the singer’s voice irritated me. Patrick and I left a little over halfway through their set, which I felt was more than enough time to give them a fair chance.

Nevertheless, Nine Inch Nails alone was more than worth the price of admission. Their show was simply breathtaking, and I’m glad I’ve had the opportunity to see them live before the project is put on hold in a just a few months. If you have the chance, definitely try and see them. I’ll post links to pictures soon if I find any.

Setlist:

1. Pinion (over the PA)
2. Wish
3. Last
4. Discipline
5. March of the Pigs
6. Reptile
7. Meet Your Master
8. Gave Up
9. La Mer
10. Non-Entity
11. The Way Out Is Through
12. Mr. Self Destruct
13. 1,000,000
14. Echoplex
15. Survivalism
16. The Good Soldier
17. The Hand That Feeds
18. Head Like A Hole
19. Hurt (Encore)

School’s Out…

Well today is the last day of school, if you can even call it that, since it’s essentially just a two hour assembly. I started this blog on the last day of school last year, marking this as the one year anniversary of this blog. Since then I’ve written 27 reviews, attended 3 concerts, written 121 posts, and drawn over 4,100 hits, as well as release a few songs by my solo project and post updates about my band.

The next year is certainly to be even more exciting. My writing skills have certainly improved over the last year, and I hope that my reviews only become more useful as I continue to improve. My band has made a lot of progress over the last year and despite problems with both figuring out who the drummer would be and how to find the time to practice, the dream of playing shows is becoming dangerously close to reality. In addition, my solo album should be coming out sometime over the summer and the black metal project I’ve started to work on is pretty damn awesome.

I will definitely be focusing on music over summer vacation. I plan to practice over 2 hours of guitar a day and close to an hour of piano. I will also be attending both a Nine Inch Nails concert this Saturday (review on Sunday) as well as a Phish concert in August, and I wouldn’t be surprised if I went to at least one other show as well.

So enough recapping and nostalgia, I’ll post a review of the Nine Inch Nails show this Sunday as well as hopefully at least one album review during the week. And of course, a big thanks to anyone who has read this blog