Lunasect's Second CD: Worth the Wait
935281
I bought this band's first record and liked it. I didn't really expect their second record, however, to be much more than a continuation of their first. Well, after two years waiting for it, I must say that I'm pleasantly surprised.
Stylistically diverse is one way to put it. Manic might be another.
At eighteen songs, plus a bonus track, this record threatens, at times, to be too long, but that's forgiveable since I love almost every track on this disc. From the almost-shoegazer opening track, to the pounding electronic madness of the second track, to the dissonant and disturbing all out psychedelia of "33 Degrees and Raining," to the beautiful Cure-esque ballad "Living Dreaming,"  and the radio-friendly tracks "All I Am is a Lie," "First Light," and "Home", all the way down to the swampy apocalyptic post-blues of "Next Exit" and everything in between.
This record works the prism in reverse: All the colors of the spectrum go in one end, and white light comes out the other side.
3834203
Cass Catbush, despite the mix CD Fire Recordings Volume 1 (collecting his now-defunct labels work) and rumors of a Global Underground Nu Breed in the pipeline, is known more for his illustrious production work, alone and with partner Slide (Pete Martin). A curious choice, perhaps, for follow up on U.S. superclub Spundaes Interpretations series, and the results are a bit head scratching.
Disc one heads for tech-house territory, but while the names are irrefutable (Mr. C, Bushwacka!, Plastikman) the sound plods rather than prods ears to attention. Inspired moments can be found in the klangy metallic rub of John Sharel and Aqua Bassinos Time Condition, aptly titled Microgroove from Space Junk, and the dash of vocals courtesy of Gus Gus.
Disc two drops the warm up for more excitable and interesting tunes. Casss own Mind Rewind bests everything here; mind-blowing acid-fried, elongated synths stretched for six minutes  incredible on a proper system. Dark Globes breaks take of Cass & Slides All the Freaks similarly rocks, while Excession, 16B and M.A.S. provide the breather tunes to stage them properly. Considerably better paced and more adventurous, this hour makes Interpretations 3 worth consideration.  Disc 1: 3 stars  Disc 2: 4 stars
774798
No, Luna will never be The Velvet Underground. For one thing, they wear their influences too lightly to really sound like the Velvets (or anybody else). Which doesn't mean they aren't capable of greatness, as their 1995 release "Penthouse" effortlessly demonstrated. "Romantica" is similarly well-crafted, with whimsical lyric touches that still make me smile after repeated spins. New bass player/singer Britta Phillips adds a pragmatic counterpoint to her duets with Dean Wearham that perfectly balances his goofy romanticism. And the guitar work is, as always, without peer in alt rock.
If it sounds like I like this record, I DO! The problem is that I can't quite love it. For one thing, it sounds exhausted at times (try "Rememories," which is lovely but sooo sloooow). And just when you expect the guitars to soar--as on the luminous "Black Champagne" (my fave cut)--somebody hits the fader! In fact, all through the disc you can hear Luna chaffing against what must have been a pretty tight recording schedule.
If you're a Luna fan, you already own "Romantica." If you're just discovering them, start with "Penthouse," but buy this one, too. Hopefully, they'll sell enough copies of both to finance more recording time on the next album! Could be a great one.
4967130
This CD gets better the more it is played.  Musical, it has much to offer.  Unfortunately I am not a fan of the Payne error, but I appreciare Geoff keeping the band going with the hopes of reunion arising as it does here with Phoenix.  In this day when the record companies have pretty much vanished, we are seeing more bands producing themselves and marketing their own material. I think this deserves recognition.  It is extreemly nice that Steve Howe participated fully and contributed material here.
43788
New release I wasn't even aware of until two days ago, glad I got to have one listen to it. As much for the fact that I've never exactly been the biggest Queensryche fan that's walked the earth, I give this eleven track all cover CD a four-star rating for effort alone. As I firmly believe the band had spent some time putting this disc together. Tunes I thought made this CD worth purchasing are Pink Floyd's "Welcome To My Machine", Buffalo Springfield's "For What it's Worth", their awesome version of Black Sabbath's steller "Neon Knights" and the Police classic "Synchronicity II". A definite should-have.
1336090
All the reviews so far have been overwhelmingly positive, so it almost seems pointless to throw my hat in the ring, but what the heck. As a long time Fates Warning fan, all the way back since The Spectre Within, this is the album I've been waiting for since their sound began to change on No Exit.

I hate to say it's a return to form, since there are excellent moments on every Fates disc, even the mediocre Inside Out disc has the amazing Monument, and the post-Arch Perfect Symmetry remains my favorite Fates disc. It is definitely a return to the more metal tone of early Fates though,  with the amazing melodies of John Arch taking it to a completely different level. I enjoy Ray's voice as well, and I think his work with Fates and also with Redemption is great, but there is just something about Arch's truly unusual melodies and method of delivery that sets his voice apart. I am so glad he returned to music after being away for so long.

The band is nothing short of spectacular as well. Jarzombek, as mentioned in other reviews, puts in a stunning drum performance, while Aresti's solos add a wonderful 'shred' element that has been missing since his departure from Fates. Vera, as usual, manages to fit in perfectly, while Matheos is unquestionably one of the top prog guitarists of his generation. The man is a masterful writer and performer.

I can't say how thrilled I am that this disc exists. After so many years without Arch and Matheos working together, not to mention the return of Frank Aresti to the fold, this is more than any old Fates Warning fan could have hoped for. Is it too much to hope for that we get another disc from them soon?
4146949
I have reviewed every Circles album. There is not much more that I can say regarding the band. They have produced honest, passionate, important, stimulating and complex music from the get. At Geneva, I gave that turn in their journey a little kick because they began incorporating instruments and clips that veered in a precarious direction. I was nervous that one of my top bands was in their 3rd record loosing steam and looking to throw tried and true bells and whistles of post-metal/rock on top of the mix to make up for it. Still loving Geneva, though it did not top Station and held some (very few) trite moments of sound clips and violins, I was certainly anxious for the 4th release.

Empros came out completely under my nose. September/October of 2011 will always famously remain in my mind the month of music releases. I bought probably 10 released albums within 30-40 days of those two months, and thats ALOT of new music to get through. When I finally heard about Empros, it was only a week or two before the release and I pre-ordered on the spot. I sampled Pitchfork's early release of Mladek and was not very impressed. I've had a hard time with singles in the past anyway, so I held no stock in it. It didn't help that Pitchfork compared the budding guitar work on the track to The Edge, which made me physically sick. No issue with U2, just please never compare such a visionary experimental outfit with one of the biggest pop rock bands on earth. Ugh.

When I got the album, I immediately fell in love with 309. It felt like the precarious road they were treading in Geneva finally became firm. The heavy, heavy visions that glimmered in their previous release became apparent and striking. Mladek fell in place and I could feel the depth of that song, long standing as an anthem in my mind for weeks to come. The introduction of acoustic guitars in Schiphol and Atackla felt SO right, I drank that in with no issue immediately. Schiphol was nearly as deep and searching to me as their early You All Ready Did on Enter. I could have done with more build up and a longer soft section before the huge disruptive clash in the middle of the song, but once it starts churning up again it feels so good. Atackla proved itself to be a standout upon seeing them live at Maxwells in Hoboken NJ on 11/15/11. Live, the drums on that song are so incredible, the cd doesn't do it justice. A simpler set of beats from what Dave Turncrantz is capable of, but obviously as, if not more powerful than other tracks. Batu is probably my favorite, rivaled only by 309. Its HEAVY rhythms and rhythm changes are so natural and beautiful, led mostly by Brian Cooks devastating distorted low end. Praise Be Man is a pleasant track. Nothing worth really mentioning, except that if the other 5 tracks weren't so perfectly sturdy, I might be anxious of their vision again introducing minimalist singing on the last track.  Final Breath (Pelican) anyone? I really found no resemblance musically, except that these two bands are so similar in my mind, hail from the same city, and on their latest releases included vox on the final song? Why?

Doesn't matter. This album is beautiful. Anything that wanes in it is swooped up by the extreme consistency of quality and well thought out song writing. These 3 are geniuses, I'd like to see a group rival them in feel, song writing and instrument proficiency within the genre. I don't there is, and if you could argue bass or guitar, I'd laugh if you brought in the drumming. Dave Turncrantz is one of, if not the most innovative drummer on the scene today.

Last note: don't forget to check on Russian Circles tour dates. When they headline, their shows are NOT to be missed. If you can't scrounge up 10-20$ to see them headline a small club, you need to get your priorities straight or a new job. Outstanding, seen them 3 times and each time is better than the last. Thank you RC for another killer record, you have my trust looking forward!
3858310
This came in the mail at last Saturday, and I was glad that I got it, and it's more intriguing than the last one, though that brought them back everywhere but here (God forbid).  This should be released domestically before the end of the year.  Even Canada have their own.  Until then, it's worth the extra money.  The bonus tracks aren't on mine, 'cos I have the German one like last time (their contract is based there and not directly in Norway.  I've been following them since day one).
You won't be disappointed.  Just hope it's out here before bootleggers hit paydirt.  Not me, or that would be hypocrisy (see the last CD's review for why), and it's the biggest problem in the business.  They need to use their Lifelines.
3413050
If there's one thing that Trent Reznor does more consistently than 99.9% of the bands, its that he makes phenomenal sounding, original CD's.  Sure, we have to wait 5 years after each one, but the case with most bands is  that we have to wait their whole career before we get one that deserves  half the merit such sprawling, ambitious works such as this and The Fragile  should have and have received.  This is truly remarkable craftsmanship at  work here, with songs such as Mr. Self Destruct and the instrumental A Warm  Place that would be completely awful if a merely decent musician had  composed them.  This album is original and exciting from track 1 to track  14, varying to synth-pop, speed metal, ambient and Doom-style metal.  You  should really check this one out, its a classic
3749982
Just a few statements:
This is the one that's in my CD player most often.
Symphony-X is the best progressive metal band in existence.
Russ Allen is the best and most veratile metal vocalist in existence.
Mike Romeo is the scariest guitarist in existence.
Now, to talk about DWoT: This album has great production, and the vocals are well displayed in the mix, unlike Symphony-X's "V".  Although "V" has songs that are more ambitious, DWoT is a better listen for me due to the superior, heavier production.
The only other album that I listen to NEARLY as much is the latest Vanden-Plas, "Beyond Daylight".  Both DWoT and "Beyond Daylight" are, to my mind, almost perfect albums in their own ways.  Again, "V" WOULD be in my CD player constantly as well, if it weren't for the poor showing of the vocals in the mix.
Vanden-Plas' "Beyond Daylight" is a fantastic alternative to Dream Theater fans who might be tired of the pretentious BS and the shrill shrieking that LaBrie sometimes succumbs to.
In comparison, Symphony-X's DWoT is more of an "Yngwie on steroids meets Kansas meets Queen meets Metallica"  kind of CD.  Allen is the kind of metal singer that everyone WISHES they could be.  Take all the best metal and rock singers, roll them into one, and you're on your way to creating Russ Allen.  His influences seem to include, but aren't limited to, Dio, Dickenson, Steve Walsh, Queen, a little Joe Lynn Turner, and strangely enough, he reminds me of the late Carl Albert from Vicious Rumors.
The songwriting on this album is SUPERB, and you'll find yourself singing along in no time.  However, I deliberately said "almost perfect" earlier because of a glaring weak spot.  Namely, I REALLY don't like the keyboard-based orchestral instrumental section during the intro to the title track.  There is an amazing and haunting choral vocal section at the very beginning, but that high is pretty much shattered by the artificial sounding samples of the Holst-Mars ...that immediately follows.  The horns in particular sound like [junk].  Once past this point, however, things improve drastically, and we're back to hearing something magical again.
This band and this CD is like no other, and any comparisons to bands like "Blind Guardian" or other such ilk is misleading and a tragic injustice.  Once you hear Symphony-X, you will be ruined, because almost every other prog-metal band in existence sounds weak in comparison.
See you at the San Fran and Hollywood shows!!!
2913855
When this was first released and I listened to it, I wasn't that into it. Later, when The Parallax II came out, it was so amazing that it kind of overshadowed this completely for me. Still, as a huge fan of BtBaM, I eventually came back to this and got my hands on a physical copy. Listening to it again now, I feel that it's right up there with the rest of the band's material in terms of aggression, technicality, and brilliant writing. I feel like this EP has been elevated a bit by the album that follows it, and they are excellent companions to each other. I very frequently listen to both back to back, and it's quite an experience. Definitely worth purchasing if you liked The Parallax II album (or anything by BtBaM for that matter;) there's 30 extra minutes of material here!
3440919
It's been a long time since I first heard Rammstein.  I was listening to The Lost Highway soundtrack and absolutly loved their music.  It wasn't until a little while later did I buy the first album Sehnsucht, which was very shortly after I heard Engel on the Mortal Kombat Annihalation soundtrack.  I feel head over heals for the German Industrial Rock group known as Rammstein.  I became a huge fan and looked them up online to find out if more album's had been produced.  Unfortuanatly I found none.  Later in the next year their second album was released and I was more than happy to lay down the cash to buy it.  At first I was afraid the second cd wouldn't be anywhere near as grand as the first.  I was thrilled to find out my fears were incorrect.  Their second album wasn't as dark as the first, but the overall style of the music stayed the same, and the words were enchanting to listen to.
It's been a long time since I bought that last album.  I've waited and waited for a new cd to come out.  And it has.  Mutter is highly anticiapated by many more than just myself.  It holds the same basic style of music that Rammstein has always had.  The songs are filled with destruction and rage that would make any mosher slam into the nearest guy with glasses.  Mutter goes back to sound a lot like Sehnsucht did, dark and heavy.  There is a hint of punkish type sounds in this album.  This cd is a must even if you aren't German.  I highly suggest buying it, and to all the Rammstein fans out there, guys this is what we've been waiting for.
4544475
This release not only compiles the original World In Your Eyes collection (Which compiled the 16 Dreams and Spinning EPs) and the Dual/Eternal compilations (Which compiled the Black Sun and Collision EPs), but it also compiles the Arc-Lite Single, the promo-only Prisma Uber Europa live EP, and some previously uncompiled material.

The first disc is probably the most unique sounding of Loop's releases in that it sounds more akin to what Spacemen 3 and The Jesus and Mary Chain were doing, but with a more krautrock-like streak to it. The next two discs are more indicative of Loop's sound and include the classics Collision, Crawling Heart, Arc-Lite and a great cover of Can's Mother Sky. The sound quality is much improved from the previous compilations. My only complaint is that Robert couldn't properly remaster the Sniffin Rock version of Pulse, so that track is still left uncompiled.
1502350
First off I should mention that this CD set justifies its already low price tag with the 2nd CD alone.  The 2nd CD, whose tracks have not been listed, is a live set from the Starland Ballroom.  As I said, this CD alone was worth the price.  The track list is great, reminding people that while God Forbid's sound has changed a bit over the years, its been a matter of progression & evolution, not selling out or losing creativity.  Far from it.  The sound quality is excellent, and most importantly, the songs sound incredible live, possibly better than the studio versions in some ways.  (raw energy, etc)

That being said, the new material is excellent.  It took a little time to get into one or two songs, but that's neither a complaint or a criticism.  I was hoping for some songs along the lines of Broken Promise and Crucify Your Beliefs (though The New Clear comes very close)

On a side note, the album art is great.  A little too much Photoshop in the liner notes, but the cover itself is great.

This is DEFINITELY worth an immediate purchase.  Don't download it unless you're getting the live set as well.  If the live set isn't included then just buy the CD set.  Its a few bucks more, but well worth the investment.
162910
Not content to wait for Rammstein, guitarist Richard slings out another molten batch on his latest release and establishes, again, that he is force to be reckoned with, both inside the band and out. Very cool industrial vibe here, as probably expected and while maybe not the equal of Till vocally, he does a passable to more than passable job on the majority of tracks. Very cool disc.
2601944
Cannot believe this - an all-new Brainticket release. When I saw the advertisement / notice for this title at first, I assumed it was going to be a 2-CD but it is, in fact of seventy-five minutes duration + available on a 2-vinyl album. Tracks here that I happen to favor (the most) are "Dancing On The Volcano - Part 1" and the out-standing twenty-one minute "Dancing On The Volcano - Part 2", the awesome "Singularity", the stunning "Egyptian Gods Of The Sky" (true progressive art rock gem, to say the least) and "Brainticket Blues" which in all honestly (to me) sounds as though it could actually be maybe a lost track from the 'Cottonwood' or 'Psychonaut' sessions. Those five cuts that I just mention tally up to a total of 48 minutes - and quite easily -could have- been the entire disc. Also enjoyed "Riding The Comet" which has a cosmic vibe to it. Noticed that vocalist Kyrsten Bean (Hedersleben) sounds incredibly like Carole Muriel. Rest of this CD's stellar line-up: Joel Vandroogenbroeck - organ, synthesizer, sitar, piano & flute, Nick Garrett (UK Subs) - guitar, Bryce Shelton (Hollow Mirrors) - bass and Jason Willer (UK Subs) - drums. Guaranteed to bring the bearer many wonderfully galactic spins in their CD players for some time to come. This is true aural pleasure. Highly recommended.
3702270
Thank goodness "You're Never Lost Until You Panic" has arrived. I've almost worn out the first two Nomad Planets CDs. News that the band's long awaited third CD was finally out opened a mixed bag of anxiety and excitement for me.  Could it possibly be as good as the first two?  Would it have the same wonderful, eclectic mix of musical styles and substantive lyrics that I love so well?

Yes, definitely yes. This CD delivers on the promise of the band's previous work.  I've already caught myself humming some of the songs as I work. "The Liberty Trail" and "So Far So Good" are the ones that stick in my head.  The lyrics to "Centerpiece", "Underground" and "The Modern Ones" keep me pondering the state of personal relationships in the new millennium.  However, my favorite tune(so far)is "Wherever the Wind Blows" for the shear fun of its awesome, rocking beat.

For those of you who haven't heard of Nomad Planets before,  I urge you to take a chance and get a copy of "You're Never Lost Until You Panic."  The good news is, once you get hooked you'll still have two more CDs with plenty of great songs to discover and enjoy.  I, however, have a new problem. Simply put: when will the fourth CD come out?

I can hear Mark, Phil, John and Drew groaning at the prompt to get back to work on more new songs. But, hey guys, those are the breaks. Can't get enough of a good thing. And this album is a very good thing indeed.