Sacred???  Damn good anyways
590525
Sacred Songs came out at a eprfect time for me, another Fripp-o-phile.  It made PERFECT intersection with Exposure, which (if no one else has mentioned it I certainly will) was just reissued in a double cd set... Exposure V.1 [original] and V.2 [2007 remix +]  The '+' of course are additional mixes Darryl did not sing in the original ("Mary" and "Chichago")

It was nice to see this re-packaged and reissued as well.
31119
This is one of those albums where every track is excellent and flows effortlessly from start to finish. I won't say this band is for everyone, but this is just solid metalcore. If you can get through the final track and NOT like it on some level, I'd be impressed. I'm a fan of much harder music generally, bands like Fleshgod Apocalypse and Allegaeon being my taste as of late, but this is a record I keep on hand at all times. Eh whatever, check it out: It's either your shit or it isnt.
2835370
Jess And The Ancient Ones, Blood Ceremony, Witch Mountain, Devil's Blood, and now Avatarium; each band quite different, but a common thread of great songwriting, 70's-worshipping occult metal and amazing female vocals.  If you dig any of those other bands, check out this album.

Update: After multiple listenings, I am torn about the vocals; Jennie is an amazing singer, so good in fact that at times her voice can almost seem out of place on a metal album (conversely, when she puts power into it, she sounds perfect for metal).  Combined with the lyrics, which can seem a tad cheesy at times, sometimes I feel like I'm listening to old Dio-era Rainbow.  But is that a bad thing?  Hell, no, but be forewarned, this album does not come across as dark or evil, 'tho I'm sure folks will be divided as to whether that is good or bad.

Speaking of Rainbow, as another reviewer said there are distinct flavors of Rainbow here, especially with some of the guitar work.  There are some fantastic solos that could have been played by Blackmore himself.

Ultimately, this album has so much good stuff on it I can only give it 5 stars, but it's hard to say if it will be on my eternal repeat playlist, or just appreciated for how unique it is.  For the perfect sense of everything this album has to offer, check out the first song on the album, 'Moonhorse'
3653107
Despite what onw could say about the questionable sound quality, production, and mixing, (It's an acquired taste.) this is undoubtedly one of the most important albums ever made in the history of commercial music, despite being obscured by a society trying to protect itself from it (ignorantly).
  True, it's not the darkest thing out there, but I don't believe it means to be. This is both an abstract autobiography in music and an important message to be carried out in the world, even subconciously. This is an apocalypse of the mind, hidden away in a less offensive carboard outer packaging, and in the distant future, (or near, depending on people as a whole)it will be seen as an important undertaking in the path of enlightenment and liberation.
  It may not be much to listen to the album by itself. It may even be a somewhat dull experience for some. Others will tremble or frozen nerve simply because of what a friend of a friend said. The ACS projet was to be in tune with the tour that followed: a ressurection of the human spirit, a magickal ritual, and a heartfelt story.
  Even if it .... in your opinion,(I hardly ever listen to it anymore)it is to the true individual mindset (satanic, if you will accept that term) as maple syrup is to pancakes. You may not like it, but that's what it's there for.
4451375
Ignore all the other reviewers' cliched mockery of hippies and patchouli, etc.  They are totally missing the point of this album.  Instead, this band really knows what they're doing musically, lyrically, and production-wise.  These tracks are some of the most beautiful, soothing, and spiritual pieces of music I've ever heard.  The musicianship is outstanding, and the recording and production is clean and crisp.  Very meditative and deep.
1702106
Okay, religiously, I'm not sure what to call myself. I believe in God, but I don't really believe in any one religion. I guess agnostic would be the best way to classify myself.

My Uncle had a Dream Theater CD that changed my life forever, and to this day, they are still my favorite band of all time. Dream Theater are friends with, and have toured, with many other bands, Spock's Beard being one of them. When I listened to them enough, I got to a point where I loved their music so much, I just had to buy all of it. I was distraught to find that Neal left the Beard, and it's quite clear to me that with the music that the Beard is making today, although still good, they are missing a very prominent piece of their music and that piece is a person named Neal Morse.
I have many people scattered about within my family who are hardcore fanatical Christians, so when I found out that Neal was a born again, I was very iffy about even giving him a chance. I decided to put my biased views aside, and I am SOOOO EFFING HAPPY that I did because I would've missed out on all of the great music that this man has made if I decided to be ignorant, biased, and hard headed like I almost was. Aside from the fantastic musicianship and powerful heartfelt message, he is also insanely diverse, going from metal to epic to soulful to bluegrass to hard rock to jazz all in one man's mind.
If there is anyone in this world that would make a Christian out of me, it would be Neal Morse. His studio albums are extremely fantastic, the question mark album is probably the one that resonates best with me. So much incredible music, not to mention the lyrics and vocals are incredible as well. But, what Neal has accomplished on this DVD is beyond words. He is one of the very few people who can record a live concert and make you feel like you're there. All of the heart, soul, and passion he puts into his music is completely unleashed when he plays. The band he plays with are also all very good musicians and I feel like I would get a good vibe from all of them if I met them.
What I'm trying to say overall, is that it's not only about his music, it's about his attitude toward the music. There are so many points within this live show that I feel as though I'm on the verge of tears because I feel the message he's trying to get across. Whether I fully agree with him or not is irrelevant, because his message is a positive one, and that's all that matters. I am not going to be able to put this away and not watch it for at least a couple months. I know I'm gonna be popping this baby in at least 2-3 days a week for a couple months to come. Utterly fantastic DVD and it definitely gives DT's live DVD's (Score, Live at Budokan) a run for their money. I hope he keeps making music for a long time, because he has ever so easily and suddenly become one of my favorite composers of all time.
4408748
Sacred Treasures is one of the most beautiful discs I have listened to in a long time. The music evokes a heavenly choir. My personal favorite is track 12, Cherubim by Tchaikovsky. It moves me to a different place. A place I'd like to stay.
2337338
Jai has given us lovers of sacred music and of sacred mantra chanting aka Kirtan, a gift of exquisite excellence. If you are a fan of classic Jai such as "Beggars and Saints" or the original "Shiva Station" album, you will fall in love with "Retun To Shiva Station" as it offers some of Jai's most heart opening and heart affecting singing. The production is elegant and creative, leaving space for Jai's voice to soar in beautiful new arrangements of his beloved "Shiva Station" album. His performance here delivers profound authencity and communicates true love for this practice of sacred chant. Absolutely this album is a modern chant masterpiece and is a must have for lovers of sacred music.  This album is a rare jewel. Thank you Jai for taking us back to Shiva Station and helping us discover NEW treasure along the path!
3616055
This album is a great mixture of the sacred and the profane a la Will Oldham. Beautiful alter hymns and down in the earth blues - another definite LP to have and vinyl is the only way to hear this...
2115418
Pretty much everyone has said what's needed to be said about the latest Tomahawk record.  I was hesitant to buy it reading some of the first intitial reviews.  Many of the postive ones were from blind Patton nuts and the critical ones mentioning aspects of it being "silly", especially with the chanting, well, I was able to envison at the time as how this could be potentially very cheesy.  However, I purchased it anyway and glad I did.

Art of any sort (good art) is about taking chances and exploring different directions, if you don't, then you don't grow. The guys decided to go with a particular theme here, personally, I think it works.  I'm by no means an expert on Native American music, but I think they pulled it off and didn't feel at any moments that it come across as "silly" or benign; personally, I dig it.  However, with that said, I strongly reccommened that you listen to the album or several tracks before you buy it. As this album does have a concept and a particular style, they don't deviate from it (for the most part); you're either going to like it or you're not.  It's really that simple.  If you like it, you'll have a great new album to add to your collection with a unique sound, if you don't, well, it's just not for you.
2448258
So what if there is no artwork.  The Chariot is not a bunch of visual artists, they are musicians, and darn good ones.  You won't find hardcore that is more raw than this, they have perfected the art.  I love waking up to this in the morning, it gets me energized.
410619
Pretty damn good, not epic, but pretty damn good.
1968054
not that anyone will probably read this, as it will get shuved to the bottom of the review list and i probably don't have anything to say that hasn't been said...but anyway.  i've had this downloaded for awhile now, but have sooo many other albums i never really gave this one it's proper listening experience until yesterday on my way to work and i have to say this album is awesome in it's own right.  i agree with other reviewers who state that there shouldn't be any comparisons made based on the previous work of Hurt.  Judging the crux by the weight of sheer awesomeness that was vol I and vol II would be unfair to say the least, because in my humble opinion Hurt set the bar very high with those two masterpieces.  if you already love this band, i honestly believe you'll not have any regrets adding this disc to your collection.  you obviously know the power of Hurt and the lyrical prowess they possess.  i couldn't really find one track that i didn't like.  i found quiet a few that i would go back and listen to multiple times, but none that i would really skip over or count as weak, filler, etc.  I have lots of Hurt live recordings, acoustic recordings, basically anything i could find and this album would be my close third after the two previously mentioned albums.  heck, there haven't been any really negative reviews that just bash this album, because there really isn't much that people can trash talk about it.  several people stated they felt it didn't really compare to the first couple of Hurt albums, and that's fine, everyone is entitled to their opinion.  but really, listen to the Crux for what it is, it's own individual entity.  the album flows really well from track to track and is a more than enjoyable listening experience.  again, if you're a fan, you'll own it.  if you're new to Hurt, go ahead and get this one and vol I and II, and goodbye to the machine as well.  Goodbye to the machine is probably the one Hurt album it took me longer to get into even though i finally did, it just took some time.  to those who haven't really got into this one yet, give it some time. it will probably be like a fine wine one day and just get better with time.  anyway, hope you find the time to enjoy this album as i have, and it will definantly be getting more spins in my cd player.  i can't really break each track down one by one, but i'm sure someone else has already, so what would be the point.  i just know as a whole, i find this album very solid. this latest Hurt installment  isn't  really meant to be described in words anyway it's made to be listened to and appreciated for what it is, one more great album by a great band.
4436769
This really is the total package.  I'm not a fan of Southern Gospel music... I was raised on the stuff and I honestly can't stand it anymore.  I heard David was a member of the Gaither vocal band, I dismissed him immediately.  Then I saw the cover of this album, noted that it looked almost sort of idie-folkish.  I thought, oh... this guy is changing his image and his sound.  Give it a shot.  So I did.  Let me just say... Phelps didn't abandon his sound.  What he has here, is not indie-folk... it's still in the gospel (not Southern) genre, but it's so unique.  I think Gospel usually focuses more on the big picture stuff... God conquering all, faith after all, giving him your all.  And there is a bit of that.  But what intrigued and won me was the songs like "Life is a Church," "Something's Gotta Change," and "Legacy of Love."  Introspective, reflective songs that show transparency of a single person while also being very good musically.  "Behold the Lamb" will keep his Gaither listeners happy... but honestly, I could listen through the whole album.  Such a great balance.  Such a fantastic voice.  I'm not won to Gospel in general, but more albums like this one will certainly have me doing more exploring.
3405442
Listen, I love MMF. The vocals sound great; Matty's one of the best in the genre and has been for a while now. The instrumentals are good. Nothing revolutionary, but solid (they really hyped the instrumentals before the record came out, so maybe my expectations were just too high).

I just can't listen to this album much because of the lyrics. I am not a religious person. They are. This has never been a problem before, since their other albums have been at least a bit secular, and I can accept awesome music even if the lyrics are not something I particularly believe in. But this is 100% a Christian rock record. If you're into that, great! This is the perfect album for a deeply religious post-hardcore fan. For everyone who isn't religious and wants songs they can relate to, this is not the best album.

Also, they wrote a song from the point of view of a girl suffering from body issues. It's a nice sentiment, but it's also kind of problematic that a bunch of men feel that they are the best people to bring light to this subject (especially considering their song "Jezebel," which is just straight up slut-shaming).

All in all, this album sounds great but is only relatable if you're religious.
4499449
So I bought Tempatation Come My Way by The Showdown yesterday. I had heard the title track which is great, but was I still unprepared for how awesome this disc is. One indication of how much I liked it is that this band, which two weeks ago wasn't on my friends list on MySpace,  is now sitting pretty at #3. I had actually seen them open for Flyleaf at Zydeco last year and really liked the music, but hated the significant amount of growly death metal vocals. That's one of the few things I can't seem to tolerate from a band. Well this CD has some amazing music, especially some of the screaming guitar work, and some really cool lyrics too.

The album starts off with "Fanatics and Whores" and "Head Down", which is my favorite of the two. Then we really hit full throttle with "Six Feet Under" and "We Die Young", which are both fantastic. "Breath of the Swamp" rocks seriously and has a full-on drum assault. "It Drinks From Me" is a...can I say ballad? It's a cool song about the effects of alcoholism on a family. The title track is totally sharp, especially the twangy Southern intro. The lyrics are also good, a testimony to the consequences of a life of constantly giving in to temptation. Next are "Forget My Name", "Spitting In The Wind", and "I Victim(Here's To The Year)", which are all good. But they saved the best for last, finishing with a crunchy and scorching cover of the Kansas classic "Carry On Wayward Son", and the last song, "Death Finds Us Breathing". That song rules. I listened to it so many times last night I went to bed with the chorus running through my head... "Ungrateful, the lifeless, the ocean held in sway, Torrential, A creature but for faith, As we breathe in and lash out, a juggernaut of days, Release us unto Death, Oh release us this age." This is one the most killer songs I've ever heard. If you like some heavy, crunchy metal with plenty of Southern flair pick this one up immediately. After having it for 6 days I've lost count of the number of times I've listened to it. Some will say sell-out and lament the lack of growling vocals but I welcome the change...and maybe welcome this band to the big time.
3861453
TWELVE TRIBES - The Rebirth of Tragedy
-
Well title just about sums it up.... "Good Nu-Metal" - Twelve Tribes adds some serious Talentand musicianship, Song writing skills and a Refreshing Vibe to a desperately dying scene.  The Rebirth of Tragedy is a solid CD from start to finish.  At first I felt ashamed to like something so blatantly Nu-Metal... But there is so much talent and so many great songs on this CD it is undeniable.  Music is Music.  Forget Titles and enjoy anything that pleases the ears....  Twelve Tribes do just that.  Can't wait for anew album!
Favorite Songs:  Baboon Music, Venus Complex, Chroma, and Luna
-3.75 STARS

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