Cd Reviews
- Thread starter Onhell
- Start date
Onhell
Infinite Dreamer
Forostar said:
They are studio versions, even the 3 extra tracks only for this release. It's titled
Tierra Santa 1997-2007
Tracklist:
CD1 CD2
1. Septima Estrella 1. Pegaso
2. Legendario 2. La Cancion del Pirata pt. 1
3. La Sombra de La Bestia 3. La Cancion del Pirata pt. 2
4. Alas de Fuego 4. Neron
5. Tierras de Leyenda 5. Una Juventud Perdida
6. El Azote de dios 6. Sangre de Reyes
7. Caballo de Troya 7. Medieval
8. Apocalipsis 8. El Corazon del Guerrero
9. El Canto de las Sirenas 9. El Baston del Diablo
10. David y el Gigante 10. Un Grito en el Aire
11. Tierra Santa 11. Rumbo a Las Estrellas
12. Naci Siendo Libre 12. Kamikaze
13. Mejor Morir en Pie 13. Hoy Vivo por Ti
14. El Amor de mi Vida 14. Hamlet
15. Dos Vidas Bonus tracks:
16. La Armada Invencible 15. Volver al Eden
17. Otelo 16. Que Nunca Acabe esta Noche
18. Indomable 17. Tu Vas al Norte y Yo al Sur
DVD
Tierras de Leyenda, Atrlantida, El Canto de las Sirenas, Hoy Vivo por Ti, Juana de Arco, Las Walkirias, Pegaso, Quien Llora hoy por Ti, La Momia, Rumbo a las Estrellas, El Laberinto del Minutauro, Dracula EXTRAS: Dossier de Prensa, Sesiones de Fotos
Forostar
Ancient Mariner
Thanks for the info!
If you ask my humble opinion, perhaps a bit too many tracks of the last 2 albums on it, for my taste. However, the DVD makes up well I suppose
BTW, My favourite track is Dracula.
And "El Azote De Dios" is on the compilation! Cool, love that intrumental mid-part!
If you ask my humble opinion, perhaps a bit too many tracks of the last 2 albums on it, for my taste. However, the DVD makes up well I suppose
BTW, My favourite track is Dracula.
And "El Azote De Dios" is on the compilation! Cool, love that intrumental mid-part!
Onhell
Infinite Dreamer
Una Juventud Perdida is by far my favorite, saddest song ever. I love how the guitar "cries".
Anywho, have slacked in the review department considering I've been buying like crazy, but not really coming around to write something. Anyway. I finally caved and bought Helloween's Chameleon and I have to say it is the crappiest metal album ever, however it is a REALLY GOOD pop album lol. I can see why metal fans HATE this particular Helloween offering, however it doesn't suck at all. I really like it, Crazy Cat, Windmill, Giants... fuck it the whole thing. I like the use of the piano, sax, etc. While lyrically it makes me cringe a bit here and there, musically I think it is brilliant.
I also went ahead and bought volume one of the Voltron collection! Though I must admit I might return it hahaha, it DOES NOT age well. I blame it on the butchering they had to do at the time for the American market. Back in the 80's they had to take off any sexual, religious, uber-violent and cultural references. Oh, and nobody could "die" except the robots of course. So it explains why in every fucking episode you have them stand around, get attacked, form Voltron, kick ass, end of episode, while the Japanese version (Go Lion) is, like all or at least most of their anime, deeper, dealing with the death of Sven rather than his "recovery" in the "hospital planet". A plus is that it includes the robot chicken skit: Voltron gets roboserved LOL. But I do feel cheated and I actually might search for the japanese version.
Anywho, have slacked in the review department considering I've been buying like crazy, but not really coming around to write something. Anyway. I finally caved and bought Helloween's Chameleon and I have to say it is the crappiest metal album ever, however it is a REALLY GOOD pop album lol. I can see why metal fans HATE this particular Helloween offering, however it doesn't suck at all. I really like it, Crazy Cat, Windmill, Giants... fuck it the whole thing. I like the use of the piano, sax, etc. While lyrically it makes me cringe a bit here and there, musically I think it is brilliant.
I also went ahead and bought volume one of the Voltron collection! Though I must admit I might return it hahaha, it DOES NOT age well. I blame it on the butchering they had to do at the time for the American market. Back in the 80's they had to take off any sexual, religious, uber-violent and cultural references. Oh, and nobody could "die" except the robots of course. So it explains why in every fucking episode you have them stand around, get attacked, form Voltron, kick ass, end of episode, while the Japanese version (Go Lion) is, like all or at least most of their anime, deeper, dealing with the death of Sven rather than his "recovery" in the "hospital planet". A plus is that it includes the robot chicken skit: Voltron gets roboserved LOL. But I do feel cheated and I actually might search for the japanese version.
Forostar
Ancient Mariner
Onhell said:
That's nice
My opinions are pretty radical on this album. I still haven't bought it. Perhaps I would if I see it 2nd hand for 5 euro or less.
It's imo by far the worst Helloween album, but it features the BEST SONG released in 1993. I find "Giants" truly fantastic, spellbinding! Those riffs and solos! I also like the epic track "Believe". The rest of the album is totally different kind of music.
Onhell
Infinite Dreamer
Dang, haven't posted here in a bit. I have three cds I want to talk about today.
The First has been out for a while, but I finally got around to giving it a listen this week, Dream Theater's Systematic Chaos. It is absolutely BRILLIANT and not to mention beautiful. Seriously, the atmosphere of the album is just sublime. What I really liked about it is that it's what I thought Octavarium should have been. Don't get me wrong, I love Octavarium, but I was initially disappointed considering it is radically different from Train of Thought. TT was a Metallica/Megadeth rip off while, Octavarium was a Yes/Pink Floyd rip off
. At any rate Systematic Chaos is a great balance of both, moody and atmospheric like Octavarium with the proper dosage of heaviness akin to Train of Thought. While I love the entire album, Ministry of Lost Souls is a song that I just can't get out of head. I've had it on repeat in my car all week.
Next up Amorphis' Silent Waters. This is a great follow up to eclipse. It is mellower with more prominent use of the piano it is just dark and melodic, another brilliant album without a weak track. I'm yet to get their earlier stuff, but I will eventually, hopefully soon lol. Another thing I did thanks to Amorphis was purchase the Kalevala or Finnish Epic, I might just read it with them in the background lol.
And last but not least. I actually bought this album a while ago, but recently rediscovered it. Paradise Lost's In Requiem. Paradise Lost is another band that has been around for ages (1987 to be exact) and what is amazing is that their line-up has remained intact for the exception of the drummer (who's only been replaced twice...). Though starting out as a Death metal band they've progressed more into a doom outfit. I only own Gothic (1991), Draconian Times (1995) and the one being reviewed here (2007). Gothic and in Requiem while radically different (Gothic is death) they are both SOLID, dark and satisfying. Draconian Times for some reason is lacking. While not a bad album per say it simply has failed to draw me in the way the other two have even after several listens (it was the first one I purchased about 8 years ago).
While I'm mainly a Power Metal freak I love this darker sound and mood found in the last two Amorphis releases, Systematic Chaos and Paradise Lost. Even Power Metal albums with an "attitude" l like more than the traditional "happy" ones. I think I'll start looking up a lot of bands recommended on this forum by the death/doom lovers lol, I know Forostar named off a few.
The First has been out for a while, but I finally got around to giving it a listen this week, Dream Theater's Systematic Chaos. It is absolutely BRILLIANT and not to mention beautiful. Seriously, the atmosphere of the album is just sublime. What I really liked about it is that it's what I thought Octavarium should have been. Don't get me wrong, I love Octavarium, but I was initially disappointed considering it is radically different from Train of Thought. TT was a Metallica/Megadeth rip off while, Octavarium was a Yes/Pink Floyd rip off
. At any rate Systematic Chaos is a great balance of both, moody and atmospheric like Octavarium with the proper dosage of heaviness akin to Train of Thought. While I love the entire album, Ministry of Lost Souls is a song that I just can't get out of head. I've had it on repeat in my car all week.Next up Amorphis' Silent Waters. This is a great follow up to eclipse. It is mellower with more prominent use of the piano it is just dark and melodic, another brilliant album without a weak track. I'm yet to get their earlier stuff, but I will eventually, hopefully soon lol. Another thing I did thanks to Amorphis was purchase the Kalevala or Finnish Epic, I might just read it with them in the background lol.
And last but not least. I actually bought this album a while ago, but recently rediscovered it. Paradise Lost's In Requiem. Paradise Lost is another band that has been around for ages (1987 to be exact) and what is amazing is that their line-up has remained intact for the exception of the drummer (who's only been replaced twice...). Though starting out as a Death metal band they've progressed more into a doom outfit. I only own Gothic (1991), Draconian Times (1995) and the one being reviewed here (2007). Gothic and in Requiem while radically different (Gothic is death) they are both SOLID, dark and satisfying. Draconian Times for some reason is lacking. While not a bad album per say it simply has failed to draw me in the way the other two have even after several listens (it was the first one I purchased about 8 years ago).
While I'm mainly a Power Metal freak I love this darker sound and mood found in the last two Amorphis releases, Systematic Chaos and Paradise Lost. Even Power Metal albums with an "attitude" l like more than the traditional "happy" ones. I think I'll start looking up a lot of bands recommended on this forum by the death/doom lovers lol, I know Forostar named off a few.
Indigo Shift
Prowler
Onhell said:
Icarus Witch is great stuff. I dig the hell out of their cover of "Mirror Mirror". I started listening to them about 2 weeks before I finally started listening to Maiden, though, so they kinda fell by the wayside for me--at least for now.
Two other bands that are worth a listen if you dig IW are Caveat and Devil To Pay.
Onhell
Infinite Dreamer
They are indeed, shame they only put out one album 
I went out yesterday and got three cds. The first was Avantasia's "The Scarecrow".
I have both "metal operas" by Avantasia and I like them both quite a lot. I like part one more because it is much more consistent as far as good tracks go and it is more metal and less artsy fartsy. My biggest gripe with it is the calling it an "opera" when all the guest vocalist are power metal singers with the same range. It would have been better to get vocalists from other sub-genres or at least deeper and/or more distinct voices.
Well, The Scarecrow addresses all those problems! More of a straight-forward metal album it drops the fantasy and over the top orchestrations of the Metal Operas. Here it has 7 guest vocalists and instead of giving a "part" to each one in all or some of the songs instead he gives each singer at least one song where they are lead vocals and they appear as "additional vocals" in others. Of course Tobias Sammet is in every song, but he is no longer the center of attention... well at least as far as the singing goes, because as it turns out "The Scarecrow" is his semi-autobiographical faustian tale of a 19th century composer that slowly goes insane... Very similar to TSO's Beethoven's Last Night. Granted both are, as Sammet stated, based on Faust. What I also LOVE about this album are the guest vocalists which are Alice Cooper, Roy Kahn (Kamelot), Michael Kiske (ex-Helloween), Jorn Lande (ex-Masterplan), Bob Catley, Oliver Hartmann (both of which I haven't heard of before, but they do a great job) and then this amazing American singer/songwriter Amanda Somerville who has done work with Epica, Kamelot, Rhapsody and released her own cd with a metal "supergroup" back in 2003. My favorite performances are Kiske's and Lande's, but they are very biased as I am a HUGE fan of both. Really good album and worth picking up if nothing else, because of the musicians involved (Gamma Ray's Henjo Richter and Kai Hansen are involved again, Hansen only does guitar here.)
The other two albums are Dark Tranquility's "Character" and "The Gallery." I picked both up for 7 dollars each and The Gallery includes covers of 22 Acacia Avenue and My Friend of Misery among other awesome covers as bonus tracks. I already owned "Damage Done" and I have to say DT puts In Flames to shame. In Flames' early works were really good, but DT's are faster, much more intricate and honestly better writing... well I think so anyway. I picked up those two not only because they were on sale, but I remembered someone on this board, I forget if Raven or Blackie, talking them up a lot and I have to say they were right.
I went out yesterday and got three cds. The first was Avantasia's "The Scarecrow".
I have both "metal operas" by Avantasia and I like them both quite a lot. I like part one more because it is much more consistent as far as good tracks go and it is more metal and less artsy fartsy. My biggest gripe with it is the calling it an "opera" when all the guest vocalist are power metal singers with the same range. It would have been better to get vocalists from other sub-genres or at least deeper and/or more distinct voices.
Well, The Scarecrow addresses all those problems! More of a straight-forward metal album it drops the fantasy and over the top orchestrations of the Metal Operas. Here it has 7 guest vocalists and instead of giving a "part" to each one in all or some of the songs instead he gives each singer at least one song where they are lead vocals and they appear as "additional vocals" in others. Of course Tobias Sammet is in every song, but he is no longer the center of attention... well at least as far as the singing goes, because as it turns out "The Scarecrow" is his semi-autobiographical faustian tale of a 19th century composer that slowly goes insane... Very similar to TSO's Beethoven's Last Night. Granted both are, as Sammet stated, based on Faust. What I also LOVE about this album are the guest vocalists which are Alice Cooper, Roy Kahn (Kamelot), Michael Kiske (ex-Helloween), Jorn Lande (ex-Masterplan), Bob Catley, Oliver Hartmann (both of which I haven't heard of before, but they do a great job) and then this amazing American singer/songwriter Amanda Somerville who has done work with Epica, Kamelot, Rhapsody and released her own cd with a metal "supergroup" back in 2003. My favorite performances are Kiske's and Lande's, but they are very biased as I am a HUGE fan of both. Really good album and worth picking up if nothing else, because of the musicians involved (Gamma Ray's Henjo Richter and Kai Hansen are involved again, Hansen only does guitar here.)
The other two albums are Dark Tranquility's "Character" and "The Gallery." I picked both up for 7 dollars each and The Gallery includes covers of 22 Acacia Avenue and My Friend of Misery among other awesome covers as bonus tracks. I already owned "Damage Done" and I have to say DT puts In Flames to shame. In Flames' early works were really good, but DT's are faster, much more intricate and honestly better writing... well I think so anyway. I picked up those two not only because they were on sale, but I remembered someone on this board, I forget if Raven or Blackie, talking them up a lot and I have to say they were right.
Onhell said:The First has been out for a while, but I finally got around to giving it a listen this week, Dream Theater's Systematic Chaos. It is absolutely BRILLIANT and not to mention beautiful. Seriously, the atmosphere of the album is just sublime. What I really liked about it is that it's what I thought Octavarium should have been. Don't get me wrong, I love Octavarium, but I was initially disappointed considering it is radically different from Train of Thought. TT was a Metallica/Megadeth rip off while, Octavarium was a Yes/Pink Floyd rip off
I just recently, in the last 6 -12 months, have started listening to Dream Theater again, picked up Scenes from a Memory, Systematic Chaos, and Awake-- love them all!!
Onhell, I'm wondering which DT album you like best? I really like Scenes, but wondered what your take was.
Raven
Ancient Mariner
Onhell said:
It was probably Shadow or myself. I've lost much of my fascination for DT, although the three albums you've mentioned are the ones I still listen to and love. The Gallery is, quite simply, fantastic, to these ears. Very intricate guitar lines, great bass lines, superb lyrics, and a real sense of direction, while making great use of variety, at the same time. Character and Damage Done are different beasts, altogether, but you could try The Mind's I, as well, as a good appendix to The Gallery.
Onhell
Infinite Dreamer
Raven said:
That is the impressin I got from The Gallery. I'll look the other one up.
wasted155 said:
I think Scenes From a Memory is quite possibly their best album. My favorite is Awake, but choosing a favorite Dream Theater album is like choosing a favorite Maiden album. They have produced very good consistent work through the years.
____no5
Free Man
TINARIWEN -The Radio Tisdas Sessions, 2002
Tinariwen exist since '82 and for 2 decades they were recording their songs in cassette tapes
They are Tuareg and they sing exclusively in their native language in this album
the album is produced by Justin Adams (---> guitarist of Strange Sensation) and this is the reason for Plant's guest appearance in their concert in Paris last years
general description : is a kind of African Blues (in their case blues blues touareg,),
so if you like Ali Farka Toure, you gonna love this . the enorchestrations are very simple and authendic.
one electric guitar, sometimes with an acoustic, some percussion, nomadic chants... that's all !
Superbe result though
I give it a 9.5 /10
the order of the songs is very well chosen, the songs go alternatively from more rhythmic to more mesmerising
like "Imidiwaren" who is followed from the more heavy number of the album "Zin Es Gourmeden"
"Kheddou Keddou" prepares us for the first highlight of the album "Mataraden Anexan" with that cyclic rhythm that take my mind away
is the first time in the album that we have a complete quitar solo in the album (although we have some solo-like
bridges here and there in the album)
#9, "Bismillah" consists just from voice and acoustic guitar, and is the last studio track
in the end we have an ENORMOUS number live from the (holy) festival of the dessert
1. Le Chant des fauves
2. Nar Djenetbouba
3. Imidiwaren
4. Zin Es Gourmeden
5. Afours Afours
6. Tessalit
7. Kheddou Keddou
8. Mataraden Anexan*
9. Bismillah
10. Tin-Essako (live)
-------
[*]Tinariwen & Carlos Santana playing that song in the (holy) festival of Montreux
Tinariwen exist since '82 and for 2 decades they were recording their songs in cassette tapes
They are Tuareg and they sing exclusively in their native language in this album
the album is produced by Justin Adams (---> guitarist of Strange Sensation) and this is the reason for Plant's guest appearance in their concert in Paris last years
general description : is a kind of African Blues (in their case blues blues touareg,),
so if you like Ali Farka Toure, you gonna love this . the enorchestrations are very simple and authendic.
one electric guitar, sometimes with an acoustic, some percussion, nomadic chants... that's all !
Superbe result though
I give it a 9.5 /10
the order of the songs is very well chosen, the songs go alternatively from more rhythmic to more mesmerising
like "Imidiwaren" who is followed from the more heavy number of the album "Zin Es Gourmeden"
"Kheddou Keddou" prepares us for the first highlight of the album "Mataraden Anexan" with that cyclic rhythm that take my mind away
is the first time in the album that we have a complete quitar solo in the album (although we have some solo-like
bridges here and there in the album)
#9, "Bismillah" consists just from voice and acoustic guitar, and is the last studio track
in the end we have an ENORMOUS number live from the (holy) festival of the dessert
1. Le Chant des fauves
2. Nar Djenetbouba
3. Imidiwaren
4. Zin Es Gourmeden
5. Afours Afours
6. Tessalit
7. Kheddou Keddou
8. Mataraden Anexan*
9. Bismillah
10. Tin-Essako (live)
-------
[*]Tinariwen & Carlos Santana playing that song in the (holy) festival of Montreux
Onhell said:
Thats what I was wondering. I think Scenes From a Memory is my favorite, also-- I could listen to 'Home' once an hour, on the hour! But from what I have heard of the rest, I haven't found one I didn't like.
____no5
Free Man
This is my best live album -after Live At The Fillmore East (Hendrix) and Live And Dangerous
1) Cradle Rock - 7:38
2) I Wonder Who - 7:52
3) Tattoo'd Lady - 5:04
4) Too Much Alcohol - 8:30
5) As The Crow Flies - 6:02
6) A Million Miles Away - 9:29
7) Walk On Hot Coals - 11:13
8) Who's That Coming? - 10:05
9) Back On My Stompin' Ground - 5:18
10) Maritime" - 0:33
It contains some classic Gallagher numbers
like Cradle Rock, Tattoo'd Lady, A Million Miles Away & Who's That Coming?
but yet the mix/ instrumentations are much more intense than in studio albums
For example the electric piano is more high here the guitar riffs more wild and raw
and the performance take-no-prisoners
The three covers #2, #4, #5 is where Gallagher shows us his huge abilities in "Too Much Alcohol"
takes us off to the space in a solo that you just can't believe, while in "As The Crow Flies" we proves
that he can be an acoustic magician too
"A Million Miles Away" is much more raw here than in studio version and in "Walk On Hot Coals" his hard bluesy improvisations extent the length of the song 4 minutes
Same thing for "Who's That Coming"
These two songs, over 10 minutes each, are the milestones of that live,
which is very exciting as in their original place in studio albums
there not so special and interesting
the studio album corresponding to '74 Tour
1) Cradle Rock - 7:38
2) I Wonder Who - 7:52
3) Tattoo'd Lady - 5:04
4) Too Much Alcohol - 8:30
5) As The Crow Flies - 6:02
6) A Million Miles Away - 9:29
7) Walk On Hot Coals - 11:13
8) Who's That Coming? - 10:05
9) Back On My Stompin' Ground - 5:18
10) Maritime" - 0:33
It contains some classic Gallagher numbers
like Cradle Rock, Tattoo'd Lady, A Million Miles Away & Who's That Coming?
but yet the mix/ instrumentations are much more intense than in studio albums
For example the electric piano is more high here the guitar riffs more wild and raw
and the performance take-no-prisoners
The three covers #2, #4, #5 is where Gallagher shows us his huge abilities in "Too Much Alcohol"
takes us off to the space in a solo that you just can't believe, while in "As The Crow Flies" we proves
that he can be an acoustic magician too
"A Million Miles Away" is much more raw here than in studio version and in "Walk On Hot Coals" his hard bluesy improvisations extent the length of the song 4 minutes
Same thing for "Who's That Coming"
These two songs, over 10 minutes each, are the milestones of that live,
which is very exciting as in their original place in studio albums
there not so special and interesting
the studio album corresponding to '74 Tour
Onhell
Infinite Dreamer
Ok, so I got a few cds I'll review Symphony X's Paradise Lost first.
This album is brilliant and boring all at once. Listening to this album I understood people's complaints about Dream Theater. The music, like DT's Systematic Chaos, is fucking heavy (odd how bands tend to follow certain "creative" trends), but it sounds exactly like all their other cds. Their guitars always sound the same, so does their piano and the rhythm section seems to be the same in every album, every track. Ok I'm exaggerating, but seriously. I love it and hate it. Great songs, but more of the same. I guess that makes me happy and disappointed. so confused... Still worth picking up though.
This album is brilliant and boring all at once. Listening to this album I understood people's complaints about Dream Theater. The music, like DT's Systematic Chaos, is fucking heavy (odd how bands tend to follow certain "creative" trends), but it sounds exactly like all their other cds. Their guitars always sound the same, so does their piano and the rhythm section seems to be the same in every album, every track. Ok I'm exaggerating, but seriously. I love it and hate it. Great songs, but more of the same. I guess that makes me happy and disappointed. so confused... Still worth picking up though.
Wow, I'm having a hard time believing you were confused.
Hozz
Invader
I loved that album, but then again, I haven't listened to that much SX in the past. I only got into them after listening to the two glorious Allen/Lande albums. I guess I could compare this to my experience with the new Rage album "Carved in Stone". It's a solid release, with everything you'd expect from a Rage album, but I'm still missing that special something, that "new" sound, some sort of surprise. There's not much to criticize on the album, but I still feel a bit disappointed. It's still better than 90% of the crap that gets put out these days anyhow.Onhell said: