Album Rating: 4.0

Because I find all the discussion about themes and all that stuff really interesting but at the end of the day I can't fathom where these ideas are coming from because when I listen to the music, I'm doing it just for the sake of listening. Sure lyrical themes are easy, but these guys seem to the pull concepts about what just the music may mean out of nowhere and it's just like.... where did that come from?

Album Rating: 4.5

Well maybe you should pay attention to the concept then.

Album Rating: 4.0

I don't think you're getting what I'm trying to say.

Whether you know the recipe or not, pizzas will always be fucking awesome anyway, so no it's not that
big of a deal I suppose. It's just extra satisfaction for some people if they know what makes it
delicious.

Album Rating: 4.0

Good answer I'll eat a slice to that

Album Rating: 4.5

I haven't been paying to the concept either even though what I've heard about it sounds interesting. The music is what really matters at the core of it. If you're so interested and concerned about the concept like you seem to be, then perhaps you should learn more about it instead of simply asking people if you should.

Album Rating: 4.0

I don't feel like learning about it, I don't care much for analyzing it like that, when I listen to music, i do it so I don't have to think anymore. I was just curious about possibly where the ideas came from in other people. Like I said it's interesting to read but I personally have no interest in being that critical.

Tho on second thought, there are few albums that rely heavily on their artistic concepts to make them awesome - a bit like food decoration I suppose. Boards of Canada's Geogaddi comes to mind (although thats electonica not metal).

Album Rating: 1.5

"Is that bad though? I just like to listen. I don't feel like analyzing everything."

It sure can be. There can be enormous differences between appearance and reality. If someone gave you a slice of delicious pizza (or cake, whatever) but told you that it was actually a styrofoam-petroleum paste, it wouldn't be a good idea to eat it regardless of how delicious it might be.



That is what critical analysis is for. If you don't want to engage in it, you don't have to - but, and I don't meant to sound curt here, if your only qualitative measurement for good music is how good it feels to you, then your opinion isn't going to hold much weight with others. Because they aren't you.



"So for DSO to have voluntarily adopted a certain artistic demarche of chaotic simplicity to better convey this theme is, well, not lazy, as you've pointed out yourself 'which is fine, if that's what they want to do'. Other than that, to each his own, I suppose. "

Just because I admit they have the freedom to make crappy music doesn't mean they aren't lazy for doing it. It's fine if all you want to do is sit on your couch and play Xbox 360 for the rest of your life - still lazy.



It is true that the structural concepts around which they've built the music on this album require fewer gimmicks than those on their previous albums to meet full expression - that's because they chose lazy concepts to start with.



"Sure lyrical themes are easy, but these guys seem to the pull concepts about what just the music may mean out of nowhere and it's just like.... where did that come from?"

"I haven't been paying to the concept either even though what I've heard about it sounds interesting. The music is what really matters at the core of it."

"...there are few albums that rely heavily on their artistic concepts to make them awesome - a bit like food decoration I suppose."

Concept creates music, music is an expression of concept. I'm not talking about the term in the sense of DSO sitting down and actively thinking "ok so THIS riff is an expression of [for example] an angel having a forced abortion." In saying musical concept I'm referring to the melodic/harmonic/rhythmic ideas around which the music is formed - i.e. composition. This is the baseline of all music. The musical concept is not food decoration(that would be more like production), it is the main ingredient.

whoa

It is true that the structural concepts around which they've built the music on this album require fewer gimmicks than those on their previous albums to meet full expression - that's because they chose lazy concepts to start with.

wouldn't this make minimalistic/ambient artists also 'lazy' for having fewer gimmicks to push forth their concept?

Album Rating: 1.5

Uh, no... ambient music is (generally) focused on deep exploration, as opposed to wide. Besides, even if that were the case, it wouldn't excuse this album's laziness.

Well certainly if that was the case, you would just be practicing double standards giving a 4.5 rating to Brian Eno's ambient 1 (nice rating btw, I fucking love that album), and then giving this a 1.5 for being 'lazy'.

Album Rating: 1.5

Yeah, I know that, which is why I pointed out *it doesn't make this any better.* When the pot calls

the kettle black, that does not make the kettle any less black. Pointing out the double standard

fallacy in that scenario does not make things any better for the kettle - the argument is an appeal to

emotion, not reason.



And like I also pointed out, it's not a double standard because ambient and metal have very different

objectives(obvious exceptions like Ildjarn excluded). THIS, is not an ambient album... at all...

yeah this isn't really gonna go anywhere - i think we can stop here since you've so aptly put it as such:
the argument is an appeal to emotion, not reason.

The interesting thing about this album is that it actually makes the songs sound better and more coherent if you listen to it as a whole.

yeah ae. but its pretty common with many bm

Album Rating: 1.5

If you ask me, *every* album should be judged based on listening to it as a whole. Otherwise you're not really listening to the ALBUM at all.

Album Rating: 3.5

I agree hyper. hell, I almost never just listen to one song anymore. I almost always put an album on.

Album Rating: 4.5

"If you ask me, *every* album should be judged based on listening to it as a whole. Otherwise you're not really listening to the ALBUM at all."



I agree with you wholeheartedly, it seems with the internet age that people seem to be less interested in the whole piece (album art, lyrical theme, song progressions, placement of songs, etc.) It is sad really, but it is good to know some people still exist that love the whole pie.



I still disagree with you about this album, but that is why we have opinions. Anyway, i am sure we like similar music.