Dibs.

Glad you liked the Frou Frou song. Her voice is one of the main attractions for me, too.

Never heard of them before.
[b]Three Second Memory - The Scorpion and the Frog[/b] - 5:46

A few seconds (three, maybe?) of near-silent build-up, and then some rather nice acoustic-y bits to lead into the song. The vocalist - or someone, anyway - is whispering in amidst this veritable miniature forest of acoustic picking (which has now been joined by occasional stabs of heavier sound, in the background). This does mean I can't quite make out what he's saying most of the time, but I've picked up his sense of urgency. I don't know what to do with it, but it's making for a great build-up so far; I like it.

A pause for some repetitive cymbal work, and then the vocalist starts his whispering again. I can hear most of what he's saying now, and it seems he is actually describing a scorpion attacking a frog. Reasonably graphically, too; the frog's screaming in pain at the moment, though thankfully that isn't aurally illustrated. The frog wants to know why he has been stung by the scorpion, "for now we will both surely die" ? I don't see why the scorpion will die. Maybe the frog is poisonous.

As the scorpion explains that it is his nature, the song explodes into the heavy rock of the genre description. The guitar is quite good; a nice full sound, and dynamic enough to get the heart pounding a bit. I can't hear what the guy's saying now; possibly it's the scorpion justifying it's nature, or maybe he's just eating the frog. I kind of want to know, anyway, as it seems a potentially interesting concept.

The whole song has something about it that I can't quite put my finger on. It just seems slightly..twisted. Nothing I can place exactly, it all just sounds kind of strange. It's not a bad thing, just worth commenting on.

The song goes quiet for a while, and then goes back to the loud bit. The vocalist seems to be saying "fee! fye! fo! fum! ..something something" now, and the song just goes out on a couple of revolutions of the guitar part.

[b]8/10[/b] Not bad at all. I kind of wish the vocals were easier to hear sometimes, but then maybe that's just my hearing that's at fault.

[b]Songs;[/b]
[url=http://www.robworks.com/mp3/Amon%20Tobin%20-%20Four%20Ton%20Mantis.mp3]Amon Tobin - Four Ton Mantis[/url] (electronica/jazz)
[url=http://anathema.rockmetal.art.pl/mp3/anathema-are_you_there.mp3]Anathema - Are You There?[/url] (ambient/progressive? rock/etc)
[url=http://www.geocities.com/sting2police/EvaCassidyFieldsOfGold.Mp3]Eva Cassidy - Fields of Gold[/url] (cover of Sting's song by the very talented songstress)
[url=http://www.foesongs.com/~wax/graphics/markee/Frou%20Frou%20-%20Let%20Go.mp3]Frou Frou - Let Go[/url] (alt pop/trip hop)

I'll work on finding more links, or, failing that, uploading something.

Bim blassa galassasa zimbrabim
Blassa glallassasa zimbrabim.

[b]Amon Tobin - Four Ton Mantis[/b]

A loop made of bass and cut up woodwind samples and some strange noises starts it off, it sounds odd, and good, a bit like The Grand Silent System gone under the remix knife. Ride cymbals start, sounds like its going down funky street. And yes, it does, a laid back drum beat appears with many reversed sounds, I like it.

Now it changes drastically after 1 minute to a stampy piano bit, which sounds very much like Rabbit In Your Headlights. I wish it had kept the original sound and built on that. The drum beat is similar, but that's all. It still sounds decent, just different.

I know what this reminds me of.. Miocene - Cellular Memory! There are so many horn loops, absolutely rampant in here, but blened into the music so well that they are hardly noticed. Mid song, a happy piano starts, it's obviously a song built on progression than rep+var. While keeping a general jazz sound to it, the progressions don't seem to fit that well.

It seems the original loop has returned, I still like this one the best. I can hear how the horn loops are the joining points, the 3 main ones are being played simultaneously over the bass loop and it sounds practically perfect. Maybe it's cleverer than I first thought.

The last 45 seconds is some fairy playing piano with jazzy bass runs and drum fills.. kind of detracts from the controlled sound the majority of the song had. Then an applause sample is the end... yeah maybe it was all sourced from one jazz recording, that could explain it. But still, the end seemed out of character place.


Not bad, it's a grower, I more or less liked it in these initial listenings, but this musical analysis is going to make things stand out to me that I wouldn't notice if passively listening, where I usually enjoy stuff more. I think I need to brush up on my FL method again, I feel as though I've inadvertently slacked off lately.
8.5/10

|||||||||||||||
[b]Anathema - Shroud Of Frost[/b] - doom/death (7:30)
[b]Decoder Ring - Music Box[/b] - soft Bjork-like... snow music
[b]Goldie Lookin' Chain - You Knows I Loves You[/b] - sexy rnb/pop parody, UH!
[b]Simon And Garfunkel - Scarborough Fair/Canticle[/b] - folk
[b]Violetine - Any Day[/b] - rock

one new [url=http://www.comcen.com.au/~caracarol/FL.html]link[/url] since last time

dibs...

[B]Simon And Garfunkel - Scarborough Fair/Canticle[/B]

Admittedly, my knowledge on non metal music is quite poor so I feel kind of awkward being exposed to an unknown style.

Well, maybe I'm not totally unfamiliar with it since I have an inadeqeate experience with folk[I]metal[/I]. However, it's much harder to hear the folk element in the guirar work, at least, of this song. While the folk metal I've been exposed to leans more towards to an epic/monumental direction, this track sounds more like an acoustic balland with an intense dimensional/dreamy feeling and a remarkable gentle touch.

This touch Im talking about is more notably delivered by the vocal harmonies, which are done in a very tasteful and catchy way and it's strengthened by the random use of keys (or synth/effects). The lyrics, which are about love, couldnt have fit better, making it even more emotional and romantic in a sense.

It's the first time I've heard of this duo - I assume - but this mellow, somehow indolent and chthonically nostalgic atmosphere heavily reminds me of some well known 60s hippie acid rock acts like Jefferson Airplane. A soothing listen in general although a bit out of time and place, if you know what I mean.

[B]8.5/10[/B]

------------------------------------------------------------------------
Recommendations

[B]ABBA - Money money money[/B] the most metal pop band to walk the planet
[B]Falkenbach - For as long as the winds will blow[/B] folk metal
[B]Slough Feg - Gene-ocide[/B] epic/traditional/doom/folk
[B]Criterion - Denial[/B] brutal tech death

ask me to send them to you if you cant find them ;)

oh no an ABBA hater :upset: with sufficient reasoning :) Anyway, I always thought they're "metal" because I believe their songs can make awesome metal covers. If you want I could send you a cover by this song, I'd love to hear your opinion on this.

Back to the thread, could you please put a description next to your recommended songs? It's really helpful for someone with no experience like me.

Abba songs do indeed make good metal cover fodder.

Since he's offline, I'll do the best I can for genres for his stuff;

Wildhearts - Girlfriend Clothes
Marvelous 3 - Katrina
Butch Walker - Maybe It's Just Me
^All rock and roll, vaguely. I haven't heard the latter two, but I've heard stuff by them before. The first one if just one of my favourite songs, so on that I can speak with confidence.

The Beatles are the Beatles. I just assume you have some kind of knowledge of what they sound like?

The Coral, or what I've heard about them, play a kind of indie-Brit-rock-pop thing.

I don't know about the Chieftains and Sting one.

Woo, was I ever wrong. Dibs.

EDIT: Actually I really don't have time at the moment. I've downloaded a song though, so I can do this tomorrow if someone else doesn't in the meantime. And f they do, I can just save it for a later one.

Un-dibs for now.

dibs...but [I]please[/I] give me 3 hours

[B]Wildhearts - Girlfriend Clothes[/B]

[I]Stoic's Opinion[/I]
What we have here is a piece of 90s alternative rock played in the way Nirvana first popularized. Particularly, it's a light, mid-paced radio friendly track, yet hard enough for its standards since it doesnt have any mellow clean parts. A thing to notice is the -ridiculus if I want to get a bit stricter- simplicity of the song structure and riffage, which gets rather repetitive during the song. Also, some certain strokes, somehow slighty remind me of Nirvana's Floyd the Barber.

Besides the entirely conventional guitar playing, the song isn't too bad and has some certain strong points. It's quite tight, framed by an amazingly clean, yet typical for the genre, production and features a vocalist who can sound pretty strong when he decides to do his harsher vocals (like once or two in the verses).

The first verse ends with a very nice sounding line - I hear ageing lines abound, try the lost and found - which unfortunately isn't used again in the song. The chorus ends with a nice as well, slightly melancholic, line on which they could have worked more. In the end there's an expected surprise in the middle of the bridge, a very familiar sounding break from a certain style I'm unable to name at the moment.

In overall, although I can hear the elements that make this song very good for its style, it does not touch me or impress me at all. I dont even find it catchy since it hasnt stuck to my head even after several listens...

[B]6.5/10[/B]

--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Recommendations

[B]Sabaton - Primo Victoria[/B] [I]heavy/power metal[/I]
[B]Pica Fierce - Into Oblivion[/B] [I]technical death metal[/I]
[B]Falkenbach - For as long as the winds will blow[/B] [I]folk/viking metal[/I]
[B]Moonspell - Alma Mater[/B] [I]black/folk metal[/I]
[B]Requiem - Revival[/B] [I]neoclassical power/prog metal[/I]

First too songs can be found in the official sites of the bands. For the rest you can ask me ;)

[QUOTE=Spat Out Plath]Stoic, I've listened to the cover you sent a couple of times and I see exactly what you meant. I was thinking thrash metal rather than power metal, but now I agree with you. The vocals are typical power metal vocals, but I think they sound a lot better than ABBA's vocals. [B]I think it works so well because ABBA have that theatrical/operatic flair that power metal embraces[/B]. Thanks for the song. :)[/QUOTE]

Couldnt have said it better myself, it's an expression I will start using from now on :)

/notes the verb to embrace

Now that an ABBA hater has recognized that their songs make good metal covers I shall keep whoring them with no hesitation! :D

still doing this one?

ok then

btw, was it Revival that you wanted?

It was the first one I looked for. I don't know why I asked really, just trying to guess I suppose.

[b]Pica Fierce - Into Oblivion[/b]

I don't know why I like only some tech death.. maybe I'll find an answer here.

Maybe it's the definition level, if I can make out the music easily, it seems so much nicer to me, no matter how heavy it is.

So far it's been all heavy riffing, fast, but not too fast, and I can hear everything that's going on, which is good. There is some odd-time lead guitar at the start, somehow I reckon I could play that without too much trouble, it doesn't sound that technical really.

Growly vocals start up, I could probably figure these lyrics out too if I listened hard enough. The guitar work reminds me a bit of Opeth, there really isn't as much lead guitar in here as I would hope for, and I find it a little bland (for the style of music). Maybe because Athiest was my first tech-death listen, I have my expectations set very high.

In the middle is an instrumental break, there's some slow lead, I thought it would burst into a guitar solo here.. but it goes back to some low riffs.. after quite a while there is a guitar solo which sounds suitably good, it shows the lead guitarists ability, which I was doubting for a bit until now.

Back to the lead from the start, I think it's not the first time something has been repeated. The ending is approcahing now, and again, its another bit from before, I'm afraid it's not a terribly exciting ending either, it just stops.


I came into this worried if it would be too intense for me. It made good a first impression with the way it was easy to hear things clearly. But in the end the songcraft just didn't impress me enough and I even found a fair bit of it wasn't that exciting.
Obviouly, Atheist set my expectations very high, and I'll stand by that. This band has the ability, they just have some growing to do.
6/10

_____________________
[b]Five Star Prison Cell - Ballad Of The Cheated[/b] - avant gardecore
[b]Violetine - Any Day[/b] - rock
[b]The National - Daughters Of The Soho Riots[/b] - soft indie

[b]Anathema - Shroud Of Frost[/b] - doom/death (7:30)
[b]Decoder Ring - Music Box[/b] - soft Bjork-like... snow music
[b]Goldie Lookin' Chain - You Knows I Loves You[/b] - sexy rnb/pop parody, UH!


Violetine is on [url=http://www.comcen.com.au/~caracarol/FL.html]here[/url]

dibs...but give me a few hours ;)

EDIT

:upset: I'm terribly sorry, I couldnt make it. No need for shameless bumps though, unless someone else takes this, I'll do it tomorrow sometime (and I mean it!), I want the irish thing...

[B]Chieftains & Sting - Mo Ghile Mear[/B]

[I]Stoic's Opinion[/I]
So, this is supposed to be traditional irish. I'm familiar and I actually enjoy metal bands who incorporate irish/folk elements to their music but it seems they always bring out an intense epic feeling in the monumental metal way. However, this listen can be compared with at least one metal band and this is certainly Cruachan, which happen to be Irish as well.

This track starts with a plain odd - yet somehow familiar - vocal line, which sounded kind of irritating at first but certainly grew on me in the second listen. After this, the song, which is mistly based on the vocals and has a rather simple structure, is being gradually built and flows in a very natural and effortless way.

Particularly, the lead vocalist has a strong and crystal at the same time voice which along with his heavy accent ideally fits to the music. The verse vocal line, somehow sounds [I]a bit[/I] country-ish to me, but I guess this is normal since country is folk music as well. The back up vocals are used very tastefully and slightly varying from the main line, they really add to the chorus.

The guitar, which is kind of low in the mix, follows a simple rhythm pattern, gently accompanying the flute and at some point pipes, which along with the drumming actually very succefully embrace the folk/brotherhood feeling.

A very sweet and enjoyable song in overall. I'd like to know what the chorus lyrics mean and what Sting has to do with the overall thing (I'll be embarrassed if he's a guest lead vocalist :p)

[B]9/10[/B]

--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Recommendations:

[B]Sabaton - Primo Victoria [/B] [I]heavy/power metal[/I]
[B]Falkenbach - For as long as the winds will blow[/B] [I]folk/viking metal[/I]
[B]Diabolical Masquerade - Rider on the Bonez [/B] [I]avant-garde atmospheric black metal[/I]
[B]Gory Blister - Cognitive Sinergy[/B] [I]technical death metal[/I]

The first song can be found in the official site of the band, if you cannot find the rest e-mail me ;)

Shameless BUMP!

come on, dont let it die now that I've started posting! :angry:

Sabaton-Primo Victoria
The first thing I noticed was how the vocals were different from most power metal bands I've heard. A little bit rougher, more of a "warrior's voice" :) . The guitar is catchy if not all that original. It also has some rather typical "choir keyboard" backing. During the chorus there is some weird electronic harmonica type sound following the vocal line, though it is a quite catchy chorus. The guitar solo is mostly midpaced and fairly melodic. The bridge comes in with some backing "aaahhs." Another interesting note is that the song is about D-Day apparently, which is a topic I havn't seen in a metal song before.
A nice song though nothing mindblowing [B]B[/B]

[B]My list[/B]
Atheist-An Incarnation's Dream (Proggressive Death Metal)
Download at [url]http://shop.relapse.com/content/downloads.aspx?MediaTypeID=2[/url]

Chalice-Child of the Matador (Doomy Gothic Metal)

[url]http://www.chalice.mu/child_of_the_matador.mp3[/url]

Melechesh-Annunaki's Golden Thrones (Black Metal)

dibs...unless someone else wants it, it will be done until tonight

:eek:

[SIZE=1]owned by Uni[/SIZE] :upset:

Melechesh is such an awesome band.

:lol: This is the weirdest Atheist description I've ever read but I suppose each one describes a piece of music according to his background. I'll send you a couple of Atheist songs if you give me your e-mail :)

He always reminded me more of Dave Mustaine (Megadeth).

Anyway, dibs.

[B]Butch Walker- Maybe its just me[/B]

Starts off with some percussion and then some happy chords come in. It reminds me of summer a lot. His voice is nice, reminds me a bit of Crowded House. Some intresting slidy effect comes in here, before the chorus. His head voice usage is excellent.

The chorus is catchy. I could imagine this being a hit on the radio. It slows down again after the chorus. It's a very feel good song. The slidy bit keeps intriguing me? What is it?

His voice is very powerful- when did he start singing/when was this released. It sounds almost like a happy Jeff Buckley in parts.

The breakdown kicks in, and there is a very electric guitar fills, before the pounding drums kick in and lead in to the chorus again. He's hitting some really interesting notes. I'm really digging this song a lot by this stage.

A bit of electric piano/organ comes in for a mini-solo. Interesting, good note choice. Ends on a long sustained note before fadeing out. I'm impressed, haven't heard anything by him before, but I really enjoyed this- 8.5/10. Can you reccomend some more songs by him for me?

My first review, sorry if it's not that good.

Mine are:

Hanoi Rocks- A day late, a dollar short or Don't you ever leave me- you should be able to find one. (80's rock, influential to glam metal, you could probably call them glam rock. Guns n Roses are very influenced by these guys)

Rolling Stones- You can't always get what you want (Blues-rock maybe?)

Boney M- Rasputin (awesome pop)

Hopefully those song descriptions will do, sorry about the genres, not too good with them.

Contact me on msn/email me at [email]silly_bert@hotmail.com[/email] and I'll send them to you.

[QUOTE=Bartender]He always reminded me more of Dave Mustaine (Megadeth).

Anyway, dibs.[/QUOTE]

Sorry- I didn't call dibs first, and didn't see your post because I writing mine. Want me to delete the review?

No, it's fine. I hadn't started yet.

Ahh, sorry. Next time I'll call dibs before I post my review.

[b]Rolling Stones - You Can't Always Get What You Want[/b]

I heard some Rolling Stones at my cousin's house and I thought it sounded a bit like Modest Mouse.. so I'll probably like it. For this song, there were so many versions to choose from, and I got the 7:33 one.

Theres a choir, very melodic sound with high pitched voices signing and everyone else with lower voices just going "ahhhh". I can hear the title being sung in there sometimes, and there's a lot that I can't figure out just now.

About a minute in, it fades into an acoustic guitar playing the same chords as the choir sung, and Mick Jagger (I assume) singing... I do like his kind of carefree way of singing. After a bit of this acoustic session, it burst's into a more upbeat piece of music, a fair bit of blues influence is in the guitar leads and organ that comes in sometimes. I'm not really taking notice of the lyrics.. the music alone is enough to keeping me happy.

The chorus is even better.. despite the title being sung, it sounds quite happy. Every instrument seems more alive in the chorus. It's got a really good feeling about it. Back to the verse again, some more bluesy lead parts keeping things in check.

Hm, it seems to be just alternating between the verses and chorus for the rest of the song.. but theres lots of lead breaks to keep it interesting. Every time the chorus hits.. it seems like everything just gets better, and you don't notice the feeling drop off when the chorus ends either. The choir comes back in the end of the song before it fades out, a nice touch to show that it had more of a purpose than just being the intro.


Despite it being older music (older than what I usually listen to), it doesn't sound too dated. They don't sound much like Modest Mouse this time, maybe I was just imagining it. This song was easy to listen to, foot tapping music, the chorus was the best part for me. It was a good song. 8.7/10


________________________

[b]Broken Social Scene - Cranley's Gonna Make It[/b] - feel-good instrumental indie
[b]Alchemist - Worlds Within Worlds[/b] - really weird metal. (~8 mins)
[b]Goldie Lookin' Chain - Soap Bar[/b] - rap/comedy
[b]Five Star Prison Cell - Ballad Of The Cheated[/b] - avant gardecore
[b]The Grand Silent System - Transmutation[/b] - post-jazz
[b]Custard - Monkey[/b] - experimental indie-pop

dibs on bluey's