Maidenfans Album Club: Purest of Pain - Solipsis

LooseCannon said:
Are we feeling like this discussion is reaching an end?
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Yeah, I think the answer to the whole "why USPM failed while EUPM dominated in the 90's" can be explained by how US music market trends were going in the 90's (which this has already been discussed to death).
 
Cool, so unless discussion starts back up, I'll post the next album this weekend. More nominations for 2019 to date are welcome!
 
BandAlbumNominator
Amon AmarthBerserkerLooseCannon
RammsteinUntitledDiesel 11
Dream TheaterDistance Over Timephantomoftheicarus
BucketheadSigil SoundtrackDityn DJ James
Arch / MatheosWinter EtherealNight Prowler
Grand MagusWolf GodPerun
ManegarmFornaldarsagorNiall Kielt
EvergreyThe AtlanticBlack Wizard
In FlamesI, The MaskKidintheDark666
BloodboundRise of the Dragon EmpireKalata
 
So what is it about Barlow’s vocals that a lot of people really seems to love here? I get the melodrama, I can like that depending on the singer, but I don’t enjoy it from Barlow. Is there anything else that really makes him the master he’s been claimed to be?
 
Diesel 11 said:
So what is it about Barlow’s vocals that a lot of people really seems to love here? I get the melodrama, I can like that depending on the singer, but I don’t enjoy it from Barlow. Is there anything else that really makes him the master he’s been claimed to be?
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Barlow is a real singer. He conveys emotions in a way you actually believe he is feeling them through the way he sings alone. His voice can effortlessly move from frail to strong, sometimes in one and the same song (e.g. A Question of Heaven). He is not a slave to vocal technique but lets the one or other imperfection add to the edge and charisma to his voice (e.g. Diary). Yet he has full control over his voice. He doesn't just sing along to a lyrics sheet or a melody, but he takes over the song when he is singing. He reaches the high notes through natural use of his voice instead of resorting to shrieking. He has a tremendous underlying vocal power that gives his presence a dimension that few singers could ever hope to achieve. Just listen to the recording of him coming onstage during Watching Over Me from the last tour. It must have really, really sucked to be Stu Block in that moment.

I can't get any more specific because I am not a musician or vocal coach, so I don't know the terminology, but that's how I feel when I listen to him.
 
Probably the best performance I’ve heard from him but he still doesn’t draw me in. Like I think I said, I don’t like his melodrama and while I admit that he’s powerful and does a good job when it comes to staying on the notes and delivering... he’s just really unremarkable. Sorry. Not my sort of thing.
 
So with that, we will say adieu to Something Wicked This Way Comes. I expected to see more praise for this album than I got, but in the end I think that's a good thing - it would be boring if we all just went around the table and agreed it was a great album. General consensus was that this album starts out strong, has some slower tracks in the middle, and then picks up for the Something Wicked Trilogy that ends the album. Having seen this trilogy live (admittedly with Stu, not Matt), I think the songs haven't lost anything in the 20 years since they've been released. Killer way to end the album.

What we did end up with was an interesting singer controversy. I personally long assumed that Matt Barlow was one of metal's most underrated singers, limited only by his exposure in a middle-of-the-road band. But whereas Barlow has subsided, Iced Earth continues, so perhaps there's something to what his detractors say. Just kidding, Barlow fucking rocks and if you don't get Barlow, you probably aren't one for this band in general. As always, thanks to everyone who participated and I hope to see you on the next album.

Speaking of the next album:

Arch/Matheos - Winter Ethereal (2019)
Arch-Matheos-Winter-Ethereal.jpg


I don't know much about this project, so let's go to Wiki, which says that it is a project by John Arch and Jim Matheos (ah, the name makes sense), formerly of Fates Warning. They then teamed up with several other ex-Fates Warning members to put this band together. This album is laden with guest music and all sorts of stuff, so I am looking forward to the listen.

As you ponder this album, please also ponder this question:

Some years are bigger than others for metal. What is the most recent year you consider to be a landmark metal year?

The next theme is: That album you love that you wish everyone else did.

My nomination: Unleash the Archers - Apex.

@Perun's nomination: Atlantean Kodex - The White Goddess
 
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