New album is the "human feces". Was a bit skeptical about the changing the drummer part (that's bit of an understatement ) but the swede is doing rather well. Played through it twice this evening and it's a grower. Guess i'll have to give it another spin before bedtime.
Hey, man. You are waaaaay behind the schedule. WAAAAAAAAY. Any thoughts other than fecal matters and Swedish concerns?
I know. Didn't get the album earlier so I blame the world. But hey, i got it on release day so I'm not complaining. It's a lot to take in. That is always a good thing when the overall feeling is good. Andbelive me it.is.gooooood maaaaaaan. Snah's guitarplaying is insane. The riffs man. And there is so much there. Even a hint of some evil Monster Magnet-kinda guitarsound. Hope they stretch that bit out in the shows coming up.
Eh, yeah you are, buddy. And this albums is really some sort of twisted cornucopia (as I once again tried to tell those old farts in the Un-Grateful Thread) of the best kind. Lots and lots of stuff going on all the time and the guitar playing is outta this world. And even with all the fireworks disposable at his fingertips Snah is still such a humble dude that you could almost picture him giving a couple of jerks he figured out as fans a friendly nod on his way down to Rockheim. Well, perhaps not really, but you get the picture.
Totally. Do we know each other? That happened to me in Trondheim as well. And speaking of the man. That riff in the beginning of A.S.F.E, Iommi should be proud
Do you like homemade kiwi wine, cassettes and poetry? If so, not at all Yeah, that should make him slightly paranoid, now that you mention it. And the first seconds of the 'acoustic' one is ripped from Captain Beyond. Magpies!
Availability and good pricing of MP albums is a challenge in North America. I usually order directly from Stickman. Even with shipping and rate conversion, I am able to at worst match local prices. You can also try importcds.com a few weeks after the release date. They usually have better prices than others.
Have only heard it one and a half time, but it's another good one. Exactly how good is too soon to tell for me - it's just so big and varied and complex so I'll have to see how it sits after a few more rounds. Sounds impressive on first listen, but does it stand up to repated scrutiny? Doubt it'll crack my top 5, but by any measure it's a phenomenal record for being 28 years into their career.
What would local price be? There is a seller on ebay called rarewaves that sells it for 29,38 USD. 4 dollar shipping. Cheaper than what I paid for it over here.
Single LPs for new releases usually range $15 - 25. That eBay seller is quite a bit cheaper than anything I've seen, thanks! Really liking The Tower, it has some of that heavier Crimson crunch.
That stretch from Bartok of the Universe through Intrepid Explorer is really something! I was lukewarm about A.S.F.E. at first listen, but in the context of the album and with better sound it really works.
After several more listening rounds, I can safely say; this is a f-ing GREAT album! Probably the best in close to 20 years. Anyone even remotely interested in checking them out can safely start with this album - it is fresh, inspired and relevant and rocks like mad at its best. This could well turn out to be album of the year.
Anyone else listened to The Tower via TIDAL? If so, did you get a ton of glitches too? I thought it may have been internet or PC issues the first time, but the glitches are in the same place each time.
Downloaded the flac version included with the vinyl (from Bandcamp). One small small glitch between each song so far... Just sound like someone forgot to remove the song 'markers' from a sound editing app!
Interesting. I will have to shut everything down, and just launch TIDAL and see if the glitches re-occur (I did hear issues between tracks too).
1st impression after listening to the download is wow! A lot has changed since Here Be Monsters. It really sounds like a new departure for the band. Exit Kenneth, time to reinvent ouselves! The new time base, Tomas, brings a new dimension (and dementia) to the trio. Drums sounds deeper and heavier than before. It's a bit odd to hear him at first but you get used to his style after a few songs. Power drummer à la Bonzo, Barriemore Barlow and whoever you know fitting this style. The songs still have the usual MP signature (if such thing exists) and all are bringing fresher musical ideas not played in the same manner on past albums. New guitar sound, new vocal harmonies, a lot of variety of musical styles, etc. At times, I felt going back to Trust Us and Love Cult eras. The overall mix is a bit dark in comparison the the recent albums. Did I heard some mellotron somewhere in there? And what about the trippy Pacific Sonata? As this was a first run through, I didn't care too much for the song titles, lyrics and album cover. It's too early for me to state or rank this album among the other MP albums but one thing for sure it's an hell of a good album.
My files are not streamed, they are downmloaded. I am quite sure about the editing markers from the sound app that someone forgot to remove prior to split the album into 10 tracks.
I must have listened to the whole thing for close to twenty times now and it is still getting better with each spin. The depth and width of this thing is unprecedented in the oeuvre. Which is saying more than a little for those lucky few of us in the know. As I wrote in an earlier post, it seems that whatever they have learnt from dabbling in artsier styles, finally has taken root for real and flowered into something purely magical. Let me correct that last statement: something even more magical. The magic and the wonder have always been there, of course, from day 1. But this time around it is like they've taken at least one giant step forward and upwards. As TOTALLY absurd as something like that is when you are talking about a band that has been a going concern for almost three decades and who in addition are absolute Masters at what they do. This may not only be the album of the year, but also of the deacade. I considered writing a review, but what is the point? It would only destract from the only point there is. The music.
Other than Lobotomizer and Let Them Eat Cake, there is mellotron on every major MP album. No problem at all and thanks a lot, fellas.
