 | Tracklist:
1. Wizard of the Black Hundreds
2. Woe Unto Us
3. Parhelic Circle
4. The Icon and the Axe
Release Date: 02/28/2010 | |
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On 8 Lists
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| Summary: Deathconsciousness cliff notes |
So, how much did you like Deathconsciousness?
This is pretty much the essential question going into Time of Land. I mean, it’s not like you’re going to listen to it if you haven’t already listened to Deathconsciousness (and if you were thinking about pulling that bullshit, you can just stop it right now), and Time of Land more or less captures the essence of Deathconsciousness without the stand back holy fuck moments that made that album a vital discovery in 2008.
So, how much did you like Deathconsciousness?
Did you not mind the extensive ambient exercises that repeatedly sedated an already sedate album? Because those are here on Time of Land. Or that one drum beat, the one where the bass hits sound like grinding gears in a machine and the snare hits the exhaust pipe? Because those are here too. If these aspects of Deathconsciousness didn’t appeal to you, turn back now, because on a surface level, Have A Nice Life’s aesthetic isn’t really all that drastically altered here; in fact it’s very much intact. The slow burning, reverb drenched loneliness that defines Deathconsciousness also defines Time of Land. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Also carried over from Deathconsciousness is a great sense of unity, a feeling that these four songs are meant to go together to create something greater than their parts, though it’s hard to see if that’s anything but a Deathconsciousness cliff notes. Still musically ambitious, Have a Nice Life make Time of Land a sprawling teaser of their identity, covering in about 20 minutes everything that Deathconsciousness covered in about an hour and a half.
Being so conceptually and sonically linked to Deathconsciousness puts Time of Land inescapably centered its predecessor’s massive shadow, thus its impact upon you the listener is directly linked to how you felt about what Have a Nice Life did on Deathconsciousness. It’s a simple critique, but an unavoidable one. I mean, how can you not recall “Hunter” while submersing yourself in the mire of “Wizard of the Black Hundreds” or hear that groggy bass in “Woe Untos Us” and not think of “Waiting for Black Metal Records to Come in the Mail?” Those apathetic, reverb drenched vocals again appear to soak the EP in despair, still airily playing off one another to create dissonances and gorgeous harmonies as if by accident, and those droning bass lines and teasingly post rock chord changes are as droning and teasingly post rock as ever. This isn’t a forward movement, or necessarily a lateral one for Have a Nice Life, but rather an entire lack of movement in any direction whatsoever. They’re standing still, content to settle in the aesthetic they created for Deathconsciousness, which is wonderful for their fans, but will do little to win over any skeptics.
So, how much did you like Deathconsciousness?
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| Recent reviews by this author | | | |
Album Rating: 3
shit EC it's like you're not even trying
Digging: 90 Day Men - To Everybody | | |
Not very much.
Not very much.
Not very much.
Won't listen.
Digging: One Last Wish - 1986
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I wanted to like it.
Not much really.
What Prophet said.
Won't listen (mostly because the art on this isn't as cool).
Digging: Trespassers William - Different Stars
| | | Album Rating: 3
about as much as you like rhetorical questions and repitition
Digging: The Roots - How I Got Over | | | Album Rating: 3.5
Good review.
Digging: Okkultokrati - Knarkskog | | | Album Rating: 2.5
Deathconsciousness is a classic to me and this just seemed like pointless b-sides of that album. Voids are all left overs but they were great, this is nothing more than average.
still cant wait for that new album though..
Digging: Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds - Let Love In | | | Album Rating: 3.5
ugh
you're reviewing this like there was supposed to be some huge progression when it's just a compilation of b-sides
Digging: Titus Andronicus - The Monitor | | | Album Rating: 3
it's not they said it's something they "kind of fell into" when they were recording their next full length so it's not b-sides, just an ep they put together.
| | | Album Rating: 3.5
see definition of "b-side":
# a song not considered good enough for the album
# a song that was stylistically unsuitable for the album
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although i don't have very high hopes for this.
Digging: Big Boi - Sir Lucious Left Foot: The Son of Chico Dusty
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negged the shit outta this one
Digging: The Beatles - Revolver
| | | Album Rating: 2.5
I hope that new album has some progression. I liked those samples on Voids so I hope thats something to look foward to.
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eyeswideshut talk about the review jesus it's only the first page stop spamming
Actually, if there's heaps and heaps of ambiance maybe I won't even bother. I didn't like a few of their more ambient tracks on deathconsciousness so...hm.
edit: awesome
| | | Album Rating: 3.5
ambiance? more like ambivalence
| | | Album Rating: 3.5
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this is pretty good though i'd maybe say 3.5
Digging: Ghastly City Sleep - Moondrifts
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First album was very good, but I really want to see progression from this band. They have the ability and the potential to be really great. Hope they don't blow it.
Digging: Say Anything - Say Anything
| | | Album Rating: 3.5 | Sound Off
Icon and the Axe is one of the best songs they've done. People expected too much from this, EP is actually pretty good. But then again...I LOVED Deathconsciousness ;)
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this review is like something i would do only not as good, like the first question shouldn't have "So" at the beginning, and the last one shouldn't be there at all
you'll get there downer
Digging: Circa Survive - Blue Sky Noise
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edit: just realized that this is pretty similar to what you said, though i do think the last one fits pretty fine.
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