Kind of disappointing for such a great band
932643
Tool are (were? who knows if they will ever release anything again or if they are even still together?) one of the most original and talented bands of the last 15 years.  However, this package shows that even the great ones are not infallible.  What could have been a five-star release suffers from a questionable selection of material and (in the case of the DVD) extremely annoying format.

First, the CD: consisting of several live cuts and a couple of studio tracks, these songs are for the most part "B-grade" material.  Only the live cover of Led Zeppelin's "No Quarter" is truly essential.  Would it have been too much to ask for some live material from the "Aenema" album (I know "Third Eye" is on here, but how about "Stinkfist", "46 and 2" or "Aenema")?

Second, the DVD: not only is this a skimpy offering (only five videos; no live stuff, no "making of" short films), but the interface is flat-out irritating.  I have played this DVD in three different players, and each time I have the same difficulty in trying to select a video.  There are no proper title menus; instead you have to click on various symbols with no information as to which video you are selecting.  It strikes me as a deliberate attempt to make watching the videos as difficult and complicated as possible.  Bottom line: it's obnoxious and unnecessary.

Sometimes, when art is willfully obscure, the obscurity enhances the content.  Such is not the case here.  There are times when I get so annoyed trying to play a stupid video that I just give up and throw the DVD back in the box.

Tool could have given its fans a lot more with this release.  It's a shame they chose to be so self-consciously enigmatic.  The music and visual imagery are challenging enough without forcing the fan to navigate this tortuous and impractical DVD interface.
1338233
I've worn out the tape, so now I'm ordering the CD. Every song on this CD could be a stand alone hit. Their harmonies are GREAT! I was eagerly anticipating the release of their second CD, but I found Shadows and Light  disappointing. It was obvious these songs were the messages they wanted to  release. It would have been fine if a couple of the songs were personal,  but the whole thing? I think that album was their downfall and I'm  disappointed that I can't find any other releases by them. They had a great  and unique sound.
3164236
I won't retread what others have already said by writing much about Oceania. But I want to echo the other reviewer(s) who noted that while this album sounds great - meaning the instrumental mix, performance, production - the songs themselves are just not interesting. The band generates great soundscapes here, probably the most agreeable to me that the Pumpkins have put on record since Adore. However, I find the compositions lackluster. Zeitgeist at least had a few tracks that really grabbed me, even if the album was a bit limited in tone.

A couple of the online-released tracks preceding Oceania, "Stitch in Time" and "The Fellowship," really caught my attention and gave me hope for this album. Unfortunately, and I hate to say it, Oceania sounds bland. This has happened to other favorite bands of mine from the 90s, such as Collective Soul on their Rabbit album. Clearly the instrumental chops are there, but the lyrics and arrangements lack the edge of the old stuff. This album is okay, but again as someone else mentioned, the Smashing Pumpkins used to be great. It's hard to deal with the change.
4867334
I think this band is great. They are proficient on their instruments, and very professional performers. They have great taste in the songs that are chosen to cover, and their originals are strong as well. This is one of the rare instances when I greatly prefer them live on the various videos I've seen (like Jools Holland, BBC Radio 6, Glastonbury) over this CD. Being produced by Chris Thomas I was expecting a better recording and better mastering. The CD is very much part of the "loudness wars", with mastering that is very fatiguing to listen to. It's a shame, The Strypes deserved better.
1168177
Can't say exactly why, but I was a bit disappointed with the album
262484
If you are a fan, you probably think differently, however i heard from a friend that this was a good group and was sadly disappointed.  I would suggest you listen to a few songs on YouTube prior to purchasing.
1440876
I love this band. I have been a fan since the beginning of their amazing run. I am not in love with this release. I would definitely rank it as one of their worst in the modern era. The title song Test For Echo is very very good. Unfortunately it goes downhill from there. Not to mention the sound quality of this cd is not as good as weve come to expect from this exceptional band. Someone starting to listen to Rush, i would recommend getting Grace Under Pressure, Counterparts and Snakes and Arrows for "modern" Rush and of course Hemispheres,2112 and Farewell to Kings for older Rush for a good mix. Again, TFE is not one of their best.
3225351
I only knew a few Freak Show songs from Silverchair's Best of Vol 1. I was excited to hear the entire album but was disappointed to find that the Best of songs were the ones I liked most. Slave was also great -- I love the the grunge Silverchair used to have. But, like I said, I was disappointed by the rest of the album. It was too similar and I wasn't in the mood for constant bass strumming and gargled singing. Needless to say, this is my favorite band and it's still a good album for anyone who loves grunge (but I don't.)
4416143
Diecast is a band that hail from Boston,MA and is a traditional five piece with two guitar players, a bassist, and a singer and drummer. I first heard these guys on the Music Choice channel when "Fire/Damage" was in constant rotation and I automatically liked this song. So I bought the album and I have to say I was a little disappointed. The clean vocals at times can be very irritating and it isn't because this guy can't sing or anything but, they are just overdone sometimes and the whole "positive vibe, lets preach to everyone so that we can change the world" thing is overdone nowadays. On the other hand, the drumming is excellent and they do prove themselves to be very versatile songwriters especially with songs like "Sacrifice" which the singing variates quite nicely and doesn't become stagnant like in other songs. The guitar is decent but, to me it seems like any jack-ass who can play three chords can come up with this stuff. It isn't necessarily a bad thing but, why do they even have two guitar players when all they really need is one. There is no harmonies, leads, or even any memorable riffs in this album. I know it sounds like I'm dogging on it but i just expect more from a band that has been around for years and still have a lot of room for improvement. The highlights for me were; "These Days" (no it isn't a Bon Jovi cover) "Seize the Day", and "Fire/Damage". In the end i guess it is all just a matter of what you like and what you don't. Just because I gave it three stars doesn't mean you won't give it five. If you like Hatebreed  you might like these guys but for me I'll just stick with God Forbid, Shadows Fall,Trivium and Avenged Sevenfold.
4193724
I'm just as cynical as anyone. While I do actually like Green and "Maladroit" (and, actually, I'm one of the few who considerably prefer "Maladroit" overall), they were, to me (just like everyone else), disappointments in comparison with Blue and "Pinkerton." The beef I had with both is similar to everyone else's: Green seemed overproduced, unattached and distant, and lacking in risk; "Maladroit" seemed too one-noted, with most of its 13 songs straight-ahead hard-rockish arena pop. I can appreciate these albums for what they are, and now consider many of the albums' songs to be Weezer classics, but I couldn't figure out why they seemed to be going out of their way to avoid the "Weezer style" of Blue and "Pinkerton."

Hey, I realize bands change and don't want to make the same music, but given the apparent strong desire Rivers has to try and figure out how to make his music connect with people in the way the old songs did and please his fans, I didn't understand the departure. I'm willing to bet that Matt Sharp's exit might've had a fair amount to do with it (he's such a strong presence and personality, and his harmonies and style are so prevalent on Blue and "Pinkerton") - ever notice how much The Rentals, at their best, sound like old-school Weezer? But, for whatever reason, Weezer's sound was changing.

I didn't know what to expect for "Make Believe," but I was hopeful. There was talk of shelving songs because Rivers felt they weren't honest and real enough, the band seemed to be taking their time in creating a sound they could be proud of, and Karl was saying good things on the website. I was fairly surprised to find out what "Make Believe," in this listener's opinion, really is: Weezer's comeback album. Rivers' lyrics are more honest and quirky than they've been since "Pinkerton," the instrumentation and song structure are the most daring and risky they've been since "Pinkerton," and the band are growing and evolving in ways other than towards the one-style arena rock they've been pushing the last few years.

"Hold Me" is the favorite track here, and would fit in well on the Blue Album, with its slow and soft, quirky buildup to a big, kind of sad, sing-along chorus complete with soaring Weezer guitars. "Perfect Situation" is likewise a bit of a throwback to old-school Weez, with another catchy, sing-along chorus, but with a bigger, expanded sound than previously explored. "This is Such a Pity" builds on moog synth riffs, a staple of mid-nineties nerd rock. "Pardon Me" and "The Other Way" both dwell in the I'm-an-outsider-seeking-forgiveness-for-my-outsider-ways tone of Blue and "Pinkerton." Weezer goes for a new, different sound than we've heard before on "My Best Friend," "Freak Me Out," and "Haunt You Every Day," and doesn't do so in a boring, cookie-cutter way. Sure, the melodies and lyrics on "Beverly Hills" and "We Are All on Drugs" are simple in a way that's almost frustrating, but it's not like Weezer hasn't taken this approach before, and in the past, they've all grown on me. "Peace" and "The Damage in Your Heart," to me, would fit in on the Green Album, and while they're pleasant and catchy enough, don't pack the wallop that many of the other tracks on "Make Believe."

Reactions have been mixed, but most of us who dig "Make Believe" are pretty much saying the same thing: this is the best we've heard from Weezer in many years, and it's pretty awesome.
318554
Doug Aldrich is my absolute favorite guitar player in the world. I love his work in Whitesnake, Bad Moon Rising, and Lion. However, I was a little disappointed in this album to be quite honest. This sounds almost exactly like a band trying to rip off Whitesnake, and not in a good way either. I love Whitesnake as much as the next guy, but this was a little uninspired to me.

The positive things about this album are production, song writing, and Doug's guitar playing. The problem for me is with the execution of the album. I was expecting something a little more hard rock sounding; I wasn't expecting Doug and co. to release an album of Whitesnake B-sides. To be fair though, the record is decent enough throughout. Some songs are really strong and carry the album along nicely; however, some other songs are such blatant filler, it's almost painful to listen to. The songs I liked were "My Lust Your Fate," "Heaven Gets Me By" and "Ride the Monkey," and a couple others were solid as well.

I guess I may be too tough on this album because of what I expect from Doug Aldrich. I may listen to this again in a little while and decide it's better than I gave it credit for being. Who knows?
2910104
Casting Crowns is still one of my favorite groups along with David Crowder Band, Third Day and NeedToBreathe. They always put on a great and humble live show. It is so hard to review Casting Crowns as much of their music inspires people and gives them hope. Musically, I was disappointed with their last album, UNTIL THE WHOLE WORLD HEARS, because the songs were just so slow and dull compared to last efforts. While a song can be slow and touching (Praise You In This Storm), an entire album of mostly slow tempo songs is hard to be drawn into. COME TO THE WELL is yet another disappointing effort.

The opening song, as with all of their albums, is a strong, challenging song and it draws you in. But as with the last album, they go into a string of slow tempo songs that, despite the good lyrics, fail to draw me in. When they do have a more up tempo song (MY OWN WORST ENEMY), then the lyrics are not inspiring.

Again, as with the last album, we are really lacking on The Crowns trademark of "challenging" songs. We have COURAGEOUS, but after that, we don't have the others that sneak up on you like SLOW FADE and the like. This may be the new Casting Crowns: slow tempo worship and praise music.

There is nice stuff on this album. I like JUST ANOTHER BIRTHDAY, THE WELL, JESUS, FRIEND OF SINNERS and the opening track. But it is almost like anyone can write these songs...what drew me into Casting Crowns were songs that challenged us mixed with praise songs and often with upbeat music. Musically, I just feel that they are meandering around. I don't think they should always sound like the first album but they've been unable to match the eclectic sound of the first album and hitting is hard with challenging themes like in WHAT IF HIS PEOPLE PRAYED, IF WE ARE THE BODY, AMERICAN DREAM, WHILE YOU WERE SLEEPING, SLOW FADE, THE ALTAR AND THE DOOR and the other songs that would often shake us out of our comfort zone and challenge us. The new album tries to do that on a few songs but really lack the power of these past songs. I just wish and hope they return to keeping us on our toes.

To their credit, the new songs play much better live than they do on this album. And when listening to a random play of Casting Crowns, these songs may mix well. But as one entire album, it is a slow snooze fest.
821601
Firewind is a band that I discovered sometime a year ago & they were one of the bands that got me to get into power metal more than ever in recent years. Most of their albums are great ('Burning Earth' was OK) & their last one 'Allegiance' was AWESOME, but unfortunately after coming off an excellent album such as the latter, they didn't come through this time like I hoped that they would. 'The Premonition' definitely has the sound & excellent production of 'Allegiance' but the songs are not as good. I would say there are a few cool ones but that's about it. Maybe after a few listens I will appreciate it more but it definitely could have been better. Stand out tracks are "Mercenary Man," "Angels Forgive Me," "My Loneliness," & "Life Foreclosed."
1097055
Inhale Exhale's first album was pretty awesome; it contained a handful of songs that helped it stand out among the homogeneity of sound in the current hardcore scene.  I find this album disappointing to say the least.  While I do appreciate the singer's solid attempt at using a wider range of vocal sounds, I feel the vocals took a hit in terms of the stylistic manner in which they are woven into the music. The screaming isn't very funky, mostly just blanketing over the guitar work in a semi-rythmic fashion. And the music . . . while some songs do have some pretty clever riffs, I don't really see a step forward with the guitar work or song writing.  Instead there has been an incorporation of the type of spacy echoed clean notations that are characteristic of bands like Cave-In, etc.  I can appreciate when bands expand horizontally, by incorporating new stylistic components, but I don't really see any vertical expansion in quality here--that is, expansion in the crafting of song structures, innovation of guitar, drum, and bass work, etc.  Taken by itself, the album is great compared to commercial sounds or most other immitative stupid-core bands out there.  All in all, I am disappointed, but only because my expectations were paved by prior work. For those of you who loved the songs "dance all night" and "Call to the faithful" and "Redemption," this album may be a bit of a disappointment for you as well.  I'm still glad I bought the album though, because it does my part in affording the band the opportunity to make it up to me with their third album.  The highlights of the album are pretty much the songs they currently have posted on their myspace page.
4373931
I'd been listening to the band on last.fm for quite a while before I finally decided to buy one of their albums.  The songs that I heard from this album on last.fm were the far and away best songs on the album.  The rest just didn't compare.  Those few songs I'd heard are quite good indeed, but I wouldn't suggest buying the whole album.
68875
This was a desperate attempt 2 repeat live& learn. You really can't blame them though(Why fix, if it's not broken?).The fact of the matter is every group or singer makes an album that tanks. In the early years you were given a chance 2 get over the hump, but in these times one bad album usually means you get dropped. I guess that's what happened 2 these guys and it's a shame because these guys actually sang and played their own instruments something you hardly ever see these days. Respect 2 Joe Public aka "Atension".
3909067
I picked up this albums after reading some positive reviews and realizing that Devin Townsend took over production duties on this disc (both his music and his skills as a producer are excellent). After listening to it a couple of times, I still find it lacking.

The problem I have with this band is a certain lack of stylistic cohesion. I listen to a lot of metal, and I have been a metal guitarist and fan for years. Some bands can pull off the whole "we borrow from several genres" thing very well and make it convincing. Darkest are not one of those bands. I'm told that most people consider this band an "At The Gates" or "In Flames" style euro-metal band from the United States, which is all well and good, but I just found myself confused by the lack of coherency on this album. Is it punk? Death metal? Old-school thrash metal? Metalcore? Hardcore? Talented players, with songs that just don't engage the listener or seem to go anywhere. With so much great metal out there these days, there really isn't any reason to pick this up. Meh.