Pandabear
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Posts posted by Pandabear
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Al Mu'min and Mike Semesky are awesome.
The HAARP Machine - Extension To One
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Yeah, I don't really think there's a yes or no answer to the original question.
I'm of the opinion that downloads, albeit even when illegal, do more good than harm. That being said I also think there's this misconception with people that buying albums doesn't help the band and only helps these "evil" record companies lol.
Yeah, on occasion you have you're greedy corporate labels that will try and milk a band's music to death and try to pocket a large amount of their profits, but that's not really a common occurrence. If a band does sign with a label like that, than that's there fault for not going over their contract and feeling out the label beforehand. If anything, shady promoters who don't honor bands the guarantees they were promised for playing gigs is far more common and problematic than the evil record label thing. Being on label is a business and part of that is a band being loaned money to record an album, make music videos and promote themselves. In return, the label gets a share of the album sales. That's not being evil. It's called business. And let's not forget DIY bands who front their own personal money to make an album and get direct profit from every album they sell.
And even though I believe illegal downloads don't hurt bands, the belief that buying albums doesn't help the band is wrong. The band still makes profit from cd sales even if it is minuscule, but more importantly it helps them establish their name in the music scene. The most important time for this is when an album debuts. The higher it charts, the more the band can benefit from it. Not only does it get there name out there, but it establishes to the industry that their music in demand and thus the band will get more backing for bigger tours, more opportunity for tours, get in with bigger names, get endorsement offers, and help them make more profit in other various avenues. All that from buying a CD.
I don't know if that's the way the Japanese music industry works, but that's how the western music industry functions.
Personally, I don't really buy that many Japanese physical releases. It does get way too expensive. I usually buy 3-4 Japanese albums a year and that's about it. I reserve my money for only the bands I enjoy and I know won't let me down. On occasion I do buy digitally or buy a Japanese album after downloading.
I do buy a lot of western stuff though. Usually about 2 - 4 albums per month. Sometimes more. Part of that is because how cheap albums have become. I remember when they use to be like $15. Then they went down to $14-13, then $11 -10. Now most I see debut at $8.
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Devil Survivor - 2 episodes in, seems okay. Animation is great, story is so so.
Blood Lad - About a teen vampire obsessed with all things Japanese trying to revive a high school girl he liked who accidentally died so he can drink her blood. 2 episodes in and I'm really enjoying this.
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Yeah I found this release a lot more tolerable then when they go full pop-rock. It's definitely not old girugamesh, and I wouldn't call what they're doing metalcore either, but they're basically mashing up some heavy guitar playing, occasional double bass with your typical pop-rock chorus and some dubstep inspired passages. Everything actually sounds decent and not disjointed like when other bands attempt to do the electronic/rock thing.
I actually could have done without the poppy choruses in Incomplete and limit breaker. They're a bit to happy sounding for my taste, but the actual music is good. Satoshi probably is not going to do screams, but If he did, or had on these songs, they could have sounded a lot better and rounded off that upbeat chorus better IMO.
Takt is actually my favorite track. The electronic tinged mid tempo verses with double bass and the guitar chugging sound like it could be off Music and the chorus like from Reason Of Crying or like a chorus the band would do before they went downhill. They need more tracks like this.
It's not old giru, but it's a lot better then what they had been putting out.
Checking out the album when it comes out.
6.5/10
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Don't get all the negativity, perhaps using the phrase backup band was a bad idea, but it looks like they're simply looking for other musicians to work with and be part of the band. And even if they could only sing, I don't get what would be so bad about finding other people to take care of the instruments for them if they weren't capable of doing it themselves. That's like a guitarist taking flak for looking for a singer to sing vocals because they don't have the skills to do it. Not everyone can rule at every single musical aspect a band requires.
@ OP
Anyway good luck with the band.
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I’ve been hearing good things about this release so I decided to check it out and I’m glad I did. I’m not sure what surprised me more, how good the album was or the fact that such an amazing album came from a vk band.The album is powerhouse of great powermetal. Most vk band either take the metalcore route or the happy ubeat pop-rock thing, sometimes both, but instead of going with such a out played route Jupiter chose powermetal. After listening to the album it’s seems like it’s a no brainer. The genre allows them room for complex composition, musical technicality, hefty song lengths and a sense of epicness.Instrumentally the album is great. Tight rhythms from the drums and bass, epic powermetal riffs/solos from the lead guitar and lots of atmosphere from the vocal choirs, orchestrations and keys. The vocals are strong and have that vk sound to them, but are done in way that fit the powermetal genre. The question of musicianship and composition is clear from first few songs. These guys know what they’re doing. And it proves that vk bands are capable of putting out great releases when they know what they’re doing and have the technical ability to pull it off.I don’t think there’s a bad song on this release. The only downside in my opinion is the long album duration. Although the songs themselves never really feel like they are dragged out despite some hitting the 5 and 6 minute mark. This is the best vk relase I’ve heard all year and will probably be the top vk release of 2013. I can’t really see any other band coming close to the musical technicality, composition and cohesion Classical Element offers.8.5/10 -
I was disappointed with SCUMS, and the issues I had with that release are very much present in DIZZY. Take the title track, the intro is very rockish and nighmarish as are the verses. The guitars are great and there’s enough variety and ear candy to engage in and enjoy. Then the chorus hits. This is where things went downhill for me.It’s like a complete 360 from the mood of the song. It turns very upbeat and sickingly happy complete with synth work and it just doesn’t work with the rest of the track. I wish the chorus had continued in line with the mood the rest of the track had already set up, or they could have just taken the chorus and made a different song with that it that fit it’s upbeat and happy nature.I’m high roller, I enjoyed a bit more because it was more cohesive and there were some cool drumming and guitar grooving going on in some parts, but I still feel this could have been better. Killed In Summer is probably the track I enjoyed the most. I feel like this is the only track were all the components of the songs worked well together. Great guitars, bass, vocal melodies, and synths. Everything leads naturally into each other and doesn’t feel like it was simply tacked on. Which is the major problem I had with this release and SCUMS.Killer In Summer is the only track I'm keeping. This was yet another disappointing release by the band. -
I feel like every time I read a recent Gazette review on here, I always come across the word generic. In fact, not only do I think that the word was used wrongly to describe the Gazette’s music, because no matter how disappointing their recent releases may have been I don’t feel they were generic, but that the majority of reviews on MH for any gazette release had actually become generic.And so I come here again, and find that word being used to describe fadeless, but for the first time I feel it actually applies.Fadeless is no way anything unique or original. Not even by gazette standards. Everything is way to simplistic and stripped down, from the guitar riffs to the drums. There might be a few interesting moments here and there and in the other songs, but they don’t do much and aren’t enough to save the songs. I don’t know what chord progression they used for quiet, because it really lacks progression, especially in the verses, and that’s why it seems to go nowhere. Forbidden Beaver feels like a filler track. It’s just meh. I like the title of the track and it is probably something only a band like the Gazette could pull off, but they failed to accomplish anything musically pleasing.I wouldn’t call this release bad, but it lacks any interest and creativity so it’s very stale. No one likes to listen to bad music, but nobody enjoys mediocrity either, which is what this release is. What makes this more disappointing is the fact we’re all aware the Gazette can deliver good songs when they want to.I’m at least glad they dropped the electronic rock bit. They really did not know how to do that at all. In regards to that issue, I feel like this is a step in the right direction. Now the band just needs take a dozen or few steps forward and put out something good.Fadeless is just okay.5/10 -
Atilla - Hellrasier
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Best prog band in the whole of Australia.
Karnivool - Simple Boy
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^ Thanks, but I plan on buying that album. Only 1 more day. The Discovery was a prog-tech masterpiece and I'm pumped to hear the new material. Their recent singles were missing the prog structures and technical guitar leads the discovery had, but I'm hoping they saved all that for other songs on the album.
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Almost forgot these.
Karnivool
Mastodon
Baroness
Stargazer
After The Burial - Modern prog djent type of band, but they almost strictly use growled vocals. Music is great though.
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Ones that haven't been mentioned.
The Human Abstract
Blotted Science
The Evan Brewer Project
Guthrie Govan
Tool
Coheed and Cambria
Intervals
Pomegranate Tiger
Red Seas Fire
Enslaved
These ones have more screaming and growling although they still employ clean vocals sometimes.
Born Of Osiris
The Faceless
Volumes
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^ I don't know that many Japanese instrumental bands, however if they don't have to be Japanese, I can recommend a bucket load of amazing stuff. I'm a guitar nerd so I actively listen for technical guitar artist's/bands. Here are some I enjoy.
Animals As Leaders
John 5
Pomegranate Tiger
Intervals
Guthrie Govan
Jeff Loomis
Those should get you started.
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Agree with the Born Of Osiris ones. And here are some I can think of.
Mastodon has pretty awesome covers for their albums.
Marilyn Manson's Mechanical Animals cover.
Rings of Saturn's Dingir is pretty sick.
Deftones have some nice ones.
I like Raunchy Confusion Bay, which also happens to be one of their best albums.
Brand New has some interesting covers too. They might not have a lot going on visually, but they are intriguing
And of course Iron Maiden has all the covers with Eddie.
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Hell yes, on the guest vocals by Howard Jones on this.
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Finished Catcher In The Rye, by J.D Salinger. Should have read this sooner.
Starting on Fydor Dostoevsky's The Idiot.
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If people enjoy something stupid it doesn't make it less stupid. I'm not trying to claim superiority or anything but shit is shit regardless of who likes it ( I like some shit and some would say I like a lot of it ).
It's not a crime, but a crying shame if people decide to not to explore the treasures humanity has created over the years, and I think that it speaks volumes of those who settle for less while being fully aware what is out there. Fuck all this about "taste", when it's more like a comfort zone and an excuse to avoid effort.
I agree with this, but I'd say part of the problem has to do with trends, age and environment. I mean if someone listen to lousy or questionable music all the time, they'll have a hard time figuring out what they're listening is bad, if they've never actually heard good music. I think this is also when age comes into play. I think as most people mature, their music tastes do as well. They discover new genres, new sounds, new bands, old bands, etc and it starts to reflect the quality of the music they listen to. Which is why sometimes people have that moment when they go " I can't believe I used to like XX band or song, they suck."
Luckily for me, I never had something like that happen. I stand by everything I listen to, but as I matured over the years, I did start to appreciate and enjoy other genres that I would have not when I was younger.
Then the other important factor is how a person discovers new music. They either have to be active in listening to new or different music, or be exposed to new and different sounds through their environment or another person. But if neither of those things ever happens, then I guess they're stuck listening to "crap" music.
I also agree with sai, about not being a dick to people because they like something you don't.
Oh man, I'm not even gonna get into this. I'm not talking about the legitimacy of VK being metal or djent or any of that. For the most part I do agree with your post but that's not what I was really talking about. My initial post is mostly tongue-in-cheek, while I still don't agree that BABYMETAL is a metal band I'm also not being all BLARG METAL RAWR and slamming my face in my keyboard over it either.
Actually, that part and the following ensuing rant wasn't directed at you, but was just me venting to no one in particular about some of the frustrating things I see in the metal scene. But I do see you're point about the members of BABYMETAL.
On to another topic.
I actually have no problem with pop artists having other people write their music for them. Back when I first discovered this, it sickened me and I was even disappointed in some pop artists I enjoyed. Now I really don't mind it as much. In fact some pop groups and artists I Immensely enjoy practice this, but at least they make good music. I see no harm in a artist who can sing, but may lack the skills in composing msuic hiring someone to do it for them, or having a songwriter, producer or whatever seeking out someone who wants to perform their music. The pop stuff I really can't stand is the soulless bland stuff that's usually on the radio. I think I despise those songs twice as much because it's just bad music and it wasn't even made by the artist pushing it.
I do have tons of respects for pop artist who don't do this and actually write/compose their music or at the very least collaborate with a producer and make some sort of musical contribution.
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Haven't really played that many games in this genre, but one of the few titles I recently finished playing that I loved was Alan. Wake. I wouldn't call it survival horror, but it does have of those elements along with thriller, action, and shooting components. The gameplay and plot keep you interested at all times and the mood and atmospheres in this game are really spooky. It's really fun to play at night with the volume turned up. I wouldn't just recommend this game to horror/thriller fans but to any gamer out there. It launched on the xbox but it's available on pc and steam too now I believe.
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Need a new album by them soon.
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I'm buy this either way. Death Throne was amazing and I expect 8:18 to be as well. According to the band it's suppose to darker than Dead Throne and the guitar parts are even more aggressive.
Split forum into; more parts
in Suggestions
Posted
Yeah personally I don't see the need for the creation of all these other categories. We already had them before and it was condensed. I think things work better the way they are now. Talking specifically about the DL section, tt gets people to try out new genres and bands they wouldn't otherwise try out and if you're looking for specific genres or bands, you can use the search function. It's a win win for everyone. For those who want variety/are looking for different music and those who want to specifically listen to one type of genre.
I haven't seen that many people interested in jdrama/kdrama, so I'm not sure how active those threads would be and for anime/manga you can just start threads for that in the entertainment section.
And I don't see the need for a specific K-pop section either. If you want to download k-kop, you can go to the asian section where it's posted along with other asian music that's non-japanese. Actually, most of the posts in that section recently have become Korean releases. For the global music, simply start a thread for whatever korean band/group you want to discuss. I believe there's already Korean thread in there too. I don't understand why it's so important to have a category specifically dedicated to K-pop, when want you want can already be served with what the forum offers.