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nppm-blog · 8 years

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2015: Year in Review (Part 2)

We’re back with Part 2 of the NPPM 2015 Year in review. Part 1 went over my 20 favorite songs and Part 2 will focus on my 10 favorite albums of this past year. Before we begin with the positive stuff however, I think we should sift through some of the negatives of this past year.

Three biggest disappointments of 2015

3. Gazpacho - Molok: Don’t get me wrong, this album is certainly not a bad one. It’s pleasant enough to listen to and it has a really cool concept. My issue with Molok honestly boils down to the fact that Gazpacho’s previous album, Demon, was so damn good. Molok is just overwhelmingly subtle, quiet, and lacking in any sort of cathartic or exciting moments. The album just sort of meanders along without anything that stands out. Again, it’s not bad in the least but Demon was so excellent that Molok just can’t compare.

2. Blind Guardian - Beyond the Red Mirror: This impenetrable wall of sound is doubly disappointing because Blind Guardian releases albums so slowly. Like Molok, listening to this album is not unpleasant but there is absolutely nothing to grab on to. No catchy melodies, nothing remotely accessible, and nothing which displays any sort of restraint. The majority of the album is so drenched with layering and orchestra that it is hard to figure out what the hell is going on half the time. I forgot about this album about 2 weeks after it came out

1. Nightwish - Endless Forms Most Beautiful: This album could’ve been incredible. Nightwish’s previous album, Imaginaerum, was excellent and featured some of Tuomas Holopainen’s most inspired songwriting. After that album, Vocalist Annette Olzon was replaced by Floor Jansen and while I liked Annette more than most Nightwish fans, Floor is in another league (as evidenced by her rendition of Ghost Love Score at Wacken Open Air, legit gives me goosebumps). If this wasn’t enough, Uilean Pipes wizard Troy Donockley was also added as a full time band member. Unfortunately in this case, Nightwish has and always will remain Tuomas’s band regardless of other personnel. Endless Forms Most Beautiful sounds oddly restrained which is not an adjective you could ever use to describe Nightwish in the past. The one song that breaks this restraint, The Greatest Show on Earth, is so bogged down with pretentious voiceovers that the song’s otherwise epic instrumentals and vocals are totally diluted. I’ll still look forward to the band’s next effort with much anticipation but this one was a big let down.

Alright, now that’s out of the way, lets get to the good stuff!

Ten Best Albums of 2015.

Honorable Mentions: Ghost - Meliora, Kingcrow - Eidos, Bruce Soord - Bruce Soord, Kamelot - Haven

10. Amorphis - Under the Red Cloud: You might be surprised to see this one on here since no songs from this album made my top 20. This album does lack one true standout track but it makes up for that with a shockingly consistent 10 songs. Past Amorphis albums were defined by some excellent tracks and then a lot of filler whereas this one was quite the opposite. If I was a bigger fan of the band’s heavier material, this album would rank much higher as it contains quite a bit of harsh vocals but regardless this is another solid album in Amorphis’s massive discography.

9. Barock Project - Skyline: I stumbled upon this album by pure chance, as I saw the album art on the sidebar of some website and thought it looked cool. After listening to the music, I was hooked by the band’s energetic and upbeat approach to classically influenced prog rock. Barock Project can do what so many prog bands fail at, and that is acknowledge the greats of the 70s prog era while still sounding new and fresh. Skyline is a great listen whenever I get bogged down the relentless melancholy of most of the music I listen to. Maybe it’s the album art, but listening to this music just makes me want to go off an adventure somewhere.

8. Kontinuum - Kyrr: Another band hailing from the shockingly prolific Icelandic metal scene, Kontinuum uses some of the same atmospherics as their outstanding countrymen Solstafir, but their approach to metal is much more melodic and structured. This album is full of catchy tunes which are just odd enough to remain interesting after multiple listens. The band is at their best when utilizing folksy and shamanistic melodies, as evidenced by Red Stream and Undir Punnu Skinni, two of Kyrr’s best tracks. I’m not sure what it is about Iceland which inspires such great music, but I’m glad for it.

7. Iron Maiden - The Book of Souls: I’ll be honest, The Book of Souls is on here mainly because of the masterful Empire of the Clouds but there is enough other good stuff on this album to warrant listening to the whole thing through. Yeah some of it certainly could’ve been cut, but when you wait 5 years for a band to release an album there are worse things than having too much music. One thing that is clear, Bruce Dickinson has overtaken Steve Harris as a songwriter as the Bruce-penned tracks Empire of the Clouds and If Eternity Should Fail are definitely the strongest two. 16 albums in and Iron Maiden is still trucking, hopefully we get number 17!

6. Archive - Restriction: A very consistent album from an inconsistent band, Restriction has some of everything. It has a couple of heavy tracks (Crushed, Ladders) some gorgeous ballads (End of Our Days, Black and Blue), and some great groovy dance tracks (Feel It, Kid Corner). This band is ambitious and capable and when they do it right, awesome albums like Restriction are the result. The fact that this one came out a mere 10 months after the formidable and dense Axiom is very impressive and gives me hope that I won’t have to wait a long time to see what’s next from this band.

5. Silversun Pickups - Better Nature: After hearing Nightlight, Better Nature’s first single are arguably weakest track, I was a bit skeptical about this album. It seemed that the band was moving into more of an accessible and indie direction which was disheartening. Luckily, the album came out and I was happily surprised. Better Nature is chock full of solid tracks which cover all of the things that Silversun Pickups do well. The album’s more electronic sound keeps everything sounding fresh but Brian Aubert’s distinct and powerful vocal style continues to be the band’s strongest asset. Another great album in what is quickly becoming an impressive discography.

4. Riverside - Love, Fear, and the Time Machine: This album did exactly what I wanted it to. It eschewed the band’s metal influences which often sounded contrived and instead focused on a more mellow and emotional approach. The results are excellent and this album is quite easily the best the band has put out. This album has a very personal and accessible style but still sounds like quintessential Riverside. Mariusz Duda gives a great performance with his both his voice and his bass and despite some questionable lyrics (#Addicted in particular), this album feels like a turning point in the band’s career.

3. Caligula’s Horse - Bloom: The last album I got in 2015, I had to keep adjusting my rankings as this beast kept rising higher and higher. I simply can’t stop listening to it. These Aussie blokes specialize in vocally driven and riffy prog metal which is chock full of hooks and cathartic moments of epicness. Vocalist Jim Grey has both great range (see Undergrowth) and great power (Marigold) and guitarist Zac Greensill is a riff demon (Marigold, Daughter of the Mountain). The band is already developing a reputation for being monsters live despite their youth and it’s easy to see why given how these songs are all just bursting with energy.

2. Leprous - The Congregation: Another album where it seems like the band was reading my mind. I love two things about Leprous: Einar Solberg’s frightening vocal talent, and the barely contained madness of the band’s songwriting. This album is the first one to really feature both of those. The Congregation is track after track of songs with powerful bombastic choruses and enough craziness to make any fan of the band happy. These guys really have a gift of wrapping complex and crazed melodies and rhythms into an accessible package and I’ve yet to hear another band which sound anything like them.

1. Steven Wilson - Hand Cannot Erase: Was there ever any doubt? Hand Cannot Erase is the best album of Wilson’s solo career and that is because of its humanity. Innovative sounds, incredible instrumental performances, and top notch production have always been staples of the Wilson experience but Hand Cannot Erase adds an intimate layer which is a step above his previous solo work. Take Wilson’s previous solo effort, The Raven That Refused to Sing. The complex behind this album was ghost stories and while this concept yielded 6 excellent tracks, each song felt a bit like a fairy tale and didn’t have the same emotional impact (except the title track, that one’s a tear jerker). Hand Cannot Erase deals with very personal subjects like loneliness, isolation, and anxiety and does so with grace and compassion (Wilson’s lyrics have really improved from his early days with Porcupine Tree). As usual, the band is absolutely top notch and the album has a musical style all its own, with electronic influences replacing the jazzy sound of the last album. Hand Cannot Erase is a work of art and Wilson is still going strong as he approaches his 50s. Here’s hoping he never stops.

Well that’s it for 2015. Looking back was fun but now it is time to turn to the future and starting getting excited for 2016′s crop which is slated to include Katatonia, The Pineapple Thief, Haken, and maybe even THE PROTOMEN. Looking forward to it

#steven wilson #riverside #Silversun Pickups #Leprous #amorphis #kontinuum #barock project #caligula's horse #Archive #iron maiden

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nppm-blog · 8 years

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2015: Year in Review (Part 1)

The end of each year is always great when you’re a fan of something. Every publication under the sun releases their lists of the best the year had to offer in their medium of choice and us fans get a great opportunity to sift through these lists and find diamonds in the rough that we may have missed throughout the busy year. I’ve found a few excellent albums this way and that is why this 2015 music review is relatively late (that, and I’m lazy as hell as the lack of activity on this blog indicates). Musically, 2015 was a year of great depth but slightly lacking on the top end. The album of the year was strong but behind that there was a large group of albums which were solid but nothing overwhelmingly spectacular. My favorite 10 albums will be discussed in the next part of this review, whereas this part will be used to look at my favorite 20 songs of the year. So without further ado, lets begin!

Honorable Mentions: Breathe - Kontinuum, Death of a King - Amorphis, Survive - Chelsea Wolfe, Ancestral - Steven Wilson, Marigold - Caligula’s Horse, Cirice - Ghost, Willow Tree - Bruce Soord

20. Circadian Rhythms (Last Dance) - Silversun Pickups (Better Nature) An accessible tune, this track is features bassist Nikki Monninger on vocals supporting the always distinctive Brian Aubert. Circadian Rhythms veers into the indie realm of the rock spectrum, but has enough of a punch to keep it from entering ‘Apple Commercial’ territory. Bust this one out when doing some summer driving

19. Turntail - Caligula’s Horse (Bloom) - Turntail is some inspiring shit. A song about rising above your fears, Turntail sounds both accessible and innovative mixing some snakelike riffing with poppy guitar licks. There are a lot of great moments in this song, but one I particularly like is when Jim Grey shouts I WILL NOT RUN! after each chorus. Good times

18. Time Travellers - Riverside (Love, Fear, and the Time Machine) - I’ve always preferred Mariusz Duda’s solo work to his work with Riverside because I’ve enjoyed his mellower side much more than his heavier stuff. It’s no surprise then that I was drawn to this beautiful acoustic ballad on Riverside’s new album. Duda has never sounded better vocally and the nostalgic feel of this track keeps it in your head long after it’s over.

17. The Longest Sigh - Barock Project (Skyline) - I have yet to listen to this song without a big goofy grin on my face. Prog music is often melancholy and depressing but The Longest Sigh is a totally different animal. This song is bursting with infectious energy and the instrumental performances are top notch.

16. Wield Lightning to Split the Sun - Primordial (Where Greater Men Have Fallen) - This beast of a song from Irish metal legends Primordial is one of the best examples of folk metal I’ve heard in a long time with an excellent mix of acoustic and electric riffing. This track yearns for a simpler time when nature was the subject of our worship. “AND WHO WOULD PRAY TO ANYTHING, BUT THE MOUNTAINS????” who indeed.

15. The Price - Leprous (The Congregation) - The Price is basically the essence of Leprous filtered through a sieve of accessibility. It features all of the odd syncopations, rhythmic patterns, and vocal lines which are inherent in the band’s work but the chorus is an earworm and the structure of the song is relatively simple. Of all the songs released in 2015, I’ve probably listened to this one the most.

14. Lonesome Clown - Amadeus Awad (Death is Just a Feeling) - This song is weird. Amadeus Awad is a relatively anonymous but amazingly talented guitarist who somehow managed to get ANNEKE FREAKING VAN GIERSBERGEN to sing on a song with goofy lyrics and a goofy name. As she usually does, Anneke kills it here and Amadeus supports her with some amazing guitar work. There is also some crazy drumming from MARCO FREAKING MINNEMAN. I don’t know how this guy assembled this ensemble but it works and works really well.

13. Routine - Steven Wilson (Hand Cannot Erase) - Routine makes me wish Steven Wilson experimented with guest singers more often, as Israeli pop star Ninet Tayeb adds a strong vocal performance not common in Wilson’s work (not to say Wilson isn’t a good singer, but he doesn’t have the pipes that Tayeb does). Routine is an excellent example of narrative songwriting, as the track slowly builds to a huge climax which is followed by a beautiful acoustic closing passage which lets the listener cool off.

12. End of Our Days - Archive (Restriction) - Archive tends to rotate between a cast of four or five singers but Holly Martin should really just sing every track because she kicks a ton of ass in every song she sings. This song is basically just Martin and a moody synth backdrop but it manages to be really powerful. Archive does some progressive and weird stuff, but their simple ballads are often their strongest work and this song is perhaps the best example of this.

11. Moon - Leprous (The Congregation) - Our first repeat offender, Moon is sort of the opposite of The Price as it is much more progressive and weird. Leprous is always about Einar Solberg and his titanic vocal talent but the rest of the band gets to shine on this track, especially during the long instrumental section at the end. This track took a few listens to stick, but it packs a pretty serious punch.

10. Red Stream - Kontinuum (Kyrr) - This song, with its odd rhythmic patterns and didgeridoo section, is all kinds of weird but this weirdness is compelling and makes the track worthy of binge listening sessions. The whole song is good, but the ending is spectacular. What begins a low shamanic choir slowly grows in strength while the drums go crazy resulting in an adrenaline soaked conclusion.

9. If Only - Kingcrow (Eidos) - One thing post-progressive music is known for is its build ups. Songs often are about the destination rather than the journey and it is not uncommon for ten minute track to be defined by its awesome two minute conclusion. If Only is a different sort of track, where the journey is just as awesome as the destination. This track has pleasant and fulfilling build up and you never feel like your time is being wasted. Then the epic ending hits and ‘holy shit’ becomes the only proper response. This track rules.

8. Discard Your Fear - Riverside (Love, Fear, and the Time Machine) - This song has all the hallmarks of a Riverside single: It’s bass driven, emotional, and is relatively simple in its structure. While the lyrics about overcoming the fear of the unknown are pretty typical, I find them to be particularly effective in this track because of Mariusz Duda’s honest and passionate delivery. This song is pretty easy to get, but the genuine emotion behind it (and the kickass bass) makes it worthy of multiple listens

7. Lower - Leprous (The Congregation) - Lower is quite a departure from typical Leprous fare. The band is capable of a lot of things, but atmospherics has never been a big part of their sound. Lower changes all that with its moody verses underpinned by some gorgeous and subtle keyboard work. The dynamics change quickly in the chorus, as Solberg treats us with some of his most passionate work yet. A great track.

6. Ragamuffin - Silversun Pickups (Better Nature) - Silversun Pickups are able to wear a lot of hats, but they are at their best when they go darker, as they do on Ragamuffin. This song has an absolutely killer chorus and Brian Aubert nails those aggressive vocals which have been the band’s signature element for years. This song is probably the best track the band has put out since Panic Switch

5. He Is - Ghost (Meliora) - A total departure from what this band typically does, He Is is a gorgeous proggy ballad which is probably the most beautiful song about the devil I’ve ever heard. The song is deceptively simple but every note and chord just feels right and the sound on the acoustic guitar is awesome. This album certainly isn’t bad, but I’d really like to see what would happen if Ghost put out more softer stuff because this one is a classic.

4. Hand Cannot Erase - Steven Wilson (Hand Cannot Erase) - This track, which evokes the best of Blackfield’s melancholy pop, really tugs on the ol’ heartstrings. While the song is relatively upbeat and up-tempo, the lyrics tell a story of isolation and relationships and how “trust means we don’t have to be together every day”. Sometimes we all need to be alone and that doesn’t mean we don’t still value our friends and family.

3. Firelight - Caligula’s Horse (Bloom) - This song came to attention after seeing this video of a Caligula’s Horse show in Paris just days after the terrorist bombings. Vocalist Jim Grey gives a speech before this song, which while articulate and heartfelt, is probably not unlike some of the other speeches Parisians heard in the weeks following the attacks. Something about the song got to me though. Firelight just bleeds optimism and hope and I fell in love with it instantly. Grey goes all over the map in this one in an awesome vocal performance and everything about the song is just so damn emotional. Maybe the speech beforehand conditioned me to digest the song in this way, but I still can’t stop listening to it.

2. 3 Years Older - Steven Wilson (Hand Cannot Erase) - Bursting with energy, 3 Years Older is a runaway train of proggy goodness. Much more upbeat than the rest of this often gloomy album, 3 Years Older feels like a guilty pleasure because of all the sweet spots it hits. The acoustic opening just gives me a goofy ass grin every time, which the instrumental performances turn into a look of abject shock. In particular, this track has some juicy bass and drums, especially in the YYZ-esque session about halfway through. The band is in top form here and so is Wilson, whose lyrics and vocals give some emotional weight to the awesome music. Prog really doesn’t get any better than this.

1. Empire of the Clouds - Iron Maiden (The Book of Souls) - As a casual fan, it would be easy to think that Iron Maiden was washed up. The vast majority of their most popular tracks were released in the 80s and they have been releasing music for 35 FREAKING YEARS. It would be easy to think this way, but you’d be wrong. The Empire of the Clouds is a kick in the balls to anybody who doubts the still-titanic talents of this band and in particular, Bruce Dickinson. This 18 minute epic, penned by Dickinson, works on every single level. The track tells the story of the R101, a British airship which crashed in 1930. As usual when writing about history, Bruce’s lyrics take on a literary tone but the humanity of the story is never lost thanks to the music. Each riff and melody does its job perfectly, whether it’s the gorgeous piano motif which opens the song or the panicked riff which signifies the crashing of the airship. Empire of the Clouds takes the listener on an epic journey which makes full use of every second of its 18 minute play time. Everybody should check this one out, regardless of how you feel about the band or about metal.

Part 2 coming soon, you can probably guess some of my top 10 albums of the year but there will be some surprises too!

#progressive rock #Progressive Metal

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nppm-blog · 9 years

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Rock Band 4 - A Final Surprise!

Well, it wasn’t over yet. With a little over a week until the game’s release, Harmonix surprised everyone with a reveal that two songs from U2 would be on the setlist!

U2 is one of those bands that Rock Band and their rivals at Guitar Hero have sought for a long time but they just weren’t interesting. At the height of the first wave of music games, they were holding out for a “U2: Rock Band” game a la The Beatles but Harmonix (correctly) didn’t see a best-seller in that scenario. I suspect with the genre relegated to niche territory, U2 realized that a band-centric game wasn’t going to happen, although it looks like they still drove a hard bargain.

The first song is I Will Follow, a track from their 80s golden age. It’s solid stuff, with that cool otherworldly feeling they used to do so well. It’s very busy on all the instruments and should be fun to play, however I’m surprised they didn’t go for something more recognizable, like “In the Name of Love” or “New Year’s Day” (NPPM’s setlist pick). 4/5

Listening to the other song, Cedarwood Drive, really confirms the conventional wisdom about U2 - great in the 80s, not very interesting anymore. This song just kind of plods along and I’m not sure what advantage there is to picking it for Rock Band over something more exciting. This is a track from their most recent album and I suspect the band told Harmonix they would have to put something new on if they wanted a classic. Can’t blame HMX for taking the deal, but this song is a bore. 2/5

The announcement also said DLC would be on the way, so that should make for some fine cherry-picking. Since our last post, a couple of the missing songs have become accessible, if briefly in one case.

Slydigs - Light the Fuse is slated to be released in November, well after RB4 comes out. However, live footage from a Portland concert briefly went up on YouTube that included the song. It was hard to judge the playability from such rough audio, but it seemed like a straight-forward modern rock song that’s good and catchy. 3/5

Johnny Blazes and the Pretty Boys - Cold Clear Light: I’m not sure how to describe this band’s sound, it’s like a mix of gospel, jazz and blues? It’s fun, though, and it sounds like one of those bands with like 12 members. Really interesting choice to say the least. 3/5

Nothing yet on Dark Wheels by V-Bomb or Recession by Jeff Allen. I’m not sure why these bands don’t want to capitalize on the interest in these songs but oh well. We’ll know soon enough.

#rb4 #rock band #u2 #video games

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nppm-blog · 9 years

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Rock Band 4 Finishes Weak

The last 13 songs on the Rock Band 4 setlist were announced and it’s a pretty underwhelming last batch. Then again, perhaps I shouldn’t pass judgement yet because I still haven’t been able to listen to “Light the Fuse” by Slydigs. Not just that one, either, this new group has a whopping three songs that I just can’t find. It’s not only me, I’ve looked on the Rock Band forums and they’re at a loss too. The songs are “V-Bomb” by Dark Wheels, “Recession” by Jack Allen, and “Cold Clear Light” by Johnny Blazes and the Pretty Boys.

Throughout this series, I’ve been very patient with Harmonix and all the whacked-out female-fronted post-pop indie stuff they like to put in these games. But when things get so obscure that I can’t even listen to them, that annoys me. I’m a singer, I like to know the songs before these games come out so I’m not mumbling along like a dumbass when I have to play them. It’s also a little embarrassing to be grading the entire setlist and have to leave out four of the songs! Oh well, let’s work with what we have.

Gin Blossoms - Follow You Down: Harmonix digs up more 90s nostalgia with a band I haven’t thought about for many years. It’s a pleasant little song with deceptively good drums. “Hey Jealousy” was their biggest hit and that one might have been more fun, but I recognized this one too. 3/5

Brad Paisley and Keith Urban - Start A Band: Jesus fucking Christ, Harmonix. When Little White Church was announced, I was happy that they were avoiding the lamer side of country music but it looks like there was a place for that too! Why do I get the feeling that this is only in here because the Rock Band tagline is “Start a Band, Rock the World?” Anyway, this is as boring and pedestrian as you probably think it is. There are some moments where it sounds like the guitar might be fun and...oh, who am I kidding. Nobody I know is going to want to play this one and I’ll have to learn it because I want to gold star everything. Curse my score-chasing ways. 1/5

Lynyrd Skynyrd - That Smell: I thought HMX had gotten all the big stuff from this band, but I forgot about this gem despite hearing it on the radio often back in the day. The guitar is fantastic and the vocals are damn catchy too. Overall a great track for the game and a pleasant surprise. 5/5

Brandi Carlile - Mainstream Kid: Hey, you spelled Belinda Carlisle wrong. Nah, just kidding. Believe it or not, this is another country song. Kinda weird that there’s more country in this game than punk, but maybe all the missing songs are punk. Well, it sounds like goddamn Led Zeppelin compared to Brad Paisley. Nice fast rhythms, should be fun enough, I guess. 3/5

Gary Clark, Jr - Ain’t Messin ‘Round: Jazzy-sounding rock that sounds like a good deal of fun. I guess this dude’s an up and coming guitarist who some people are calling “the next Hendrix.” I don’t think I would go that far just yet, but I did like this song. Some really wicked solos. 4/5

Grouplove - Tongue Tied: The keyboard’s so prominent I think this one would have been better off on Rock Band 3. Nice bass and there are two vocalists, so that should be interesting. Still, it’s a little bit too hipsterish for my tastes. 2/5

Imagine Dragons - I Bet My Life: Speaking of hipster, here comes the motherlode. This sounds like it could be the trailer for a Spike Jonze movie. Still, the drums actually sound pretty fun and different and it’s kind of charming in spite of itself. This band’s been a big deal for the last few years, so you can’t really blame HMX for bringing them in. 3/5

Mumford & Sons - The Wolf: This isn’t the type of music I typically gravitate to, but I once heard a song by them called “The Cave” that I really liked. If that were the one going into the game, I’d be pretty happy. This one sounds very chordy and not that fun to play. The band’s known for having a folk-influenced song but you can’t really hear any of that with this song. I don’t think it will get played too often. 2/5

The Warning - Free Falling: Not a cover of the Tom Petty song, that one was on Lego Rock Band. This is apparently a band full of teenage girls. I guess we should be grateful they’re playing a decent rock and roll song and not running around in tape and M&Ms or whatever Miley Cyrus is wearing these days. I actually like this song pretty well, cool mid-tempo drumming in particular. Girl power and all that good shit. 3/5

R.E.M. - The One I Love: Classic REM. Will make a nice low-tier song. Guitar and vocals should be highlights. 4/5

Setlist Score (with 4 songs missing): 206/295

That’s an average score of 3.4, somewhere between “acceptable” and “good.” That sounds about right. Even though I haven’t listened to everything, four songs are unlikely to swing the score much at this point, so let’s talk about the setlist as a whole.

Harmonix always cites diversity as the main goal with these setlists and in that regard, they’ve certainly succeeded. We’ve got country, melodic black metal, pop-rock and of course all that indie weirdness. The name recognition factor might not be high, but once you start listening to these songs one by one, a lot of them are pretty good. Some of the ones I’ve been unenthusiastic about could also redeem themselves somewhat in terms of playability once we get our hands on the game.

However, it’s still probably the weakest setlist they’ve put out (although still not bad). The reason for this is the lack of “anchors,” those hard-rocking classics that most people know. This series was conceived as a party game accessible to people who might know much about music. Those people are going to want Van Halen and The Scorpions, not Benjamin Booker and Soul Remnants. The only songs I would really call “anchors” are Panama and No One Like You. You could make a case for That Smell too, I suppose, and possibly Suspicious Minds and Brown-Eyed Girl, although they’re softer than what I’m talking about here. In a better world, Light up the Night would be popular enough to assume this role.

Part of the problem was that when it came to the bigger acts, Harmonix made some odd choices. It was understandable with Ozzy and Judas Priest, since most of their most famous stuff is already in the game (and “Halls of Valhalla” is totally badass, I’ve really grown to love that one). But if they had gotten The Chain and Crazy On You from Fleetwood Mac and Heart, that would made an enormous difference. I know you guys might be sick of me harping on that, but they really screwed the pooch with those two bands.

Rock Band 3 had its share of weirdness too (Outer Space might be the single most grating song in the history of the franchise) but it had a great line up of anchors - Smoke on the Water, Free Bird, I Love Rock and Roll, 25 or 6 to 4, Break on Through and more. I suppose at this point, Harmonix is relying on their enormous library of DLC (most of which will be available in RB4) to help individuals fill in the gaps and it’s hard to fault them for that. Depending on how much is available on day one, I could spend the whole day just re-downloading my songs if I’m not careful.

Still greatly looking forward to the game and its new features. October 6 is coming soon. Here’s the entire setlist for the sake of convenience.

Avenged Sevenfold - Hail to the King: 3/5 Fleetwood Mac - You Make Loving Fun: 2/5 Spin Doctors - Little Miss Can’t Be Wrong: 3/5 The Killers - Somebody Told Me: 4/5 The Who - The Seeker: 3/5 Jack White - Lazaretto: 4/5 Benjamin Booker - Violent Shiver: 4/5 Queens of the Stone Age - My God is the Sun: 4/5 Mark Ronson (feat. Bruno Mars) - Uptown Funk: 1/5 Elvis Presley - Suspicious Minds: 5/5 Scandal - The Warrior: 4/5 The Outfield - Your Love: 5/5 Ozzy Osbourne - Miracle Man: 4/5 Aerosmith - Toys in the Attic: 3/5 Live - All Over You: 4/5 Van Morrison - Brown Eyed Girl: 4/5 Paramore - Still Into You: 2/5 Judas Priest - Halls of Valhalla - 4/5 Foo Fighters - The Feast and the Famine - 3/5 The Cure - Friday I’m in Love - 2/5 St. Vincent - Birth in Reverse - 2/5 Dream Theater - Metropolis, Part One: The Miracle and the Sleeper - 5/5 4 Non Blondes - What’s Up? - 4/5 The Black Keys - Fever - 3/5 Disturbed - Prayer - 1/5 Duck & Cover - Knock ‘Em Down - 3/5 Eddie Japan - Albert - 4/5 Fall Out Boy - Centuries - 2/5 Halestorm - I Miss the Misery - 3/5 Heart - Kick It Out - 2/5 Heaven’s Basement - I Am Electric: 3/5 Lightning Bolt - Dream Genie: 4/5 Rick Derringer - Rock and Roll, Hootchie Koo - 4/5 Rush - A Passage to Bangkok - 4/5 Scorpions - No One Like You - 5/5 Soul Remnants - Dead Black (Heart of Ice) - 3/5 System of a Down - Spiders - 5/5 White Denim - At Night in Dreams - 3/5 Slydigs - Light the Fuse - N/A The Protomen - Light up the Night - 5/5 38 Special - Caught up in You - 4/5 Arctic Monkeys - Arabella - 4/5 The Both - Milwaukee - 2/5 Cake - Short Skirt, Long Jacket - 3/5 Little Big Town - Little White Church - 3/5 Lucius - Turn it Around - 3/5 Mighty Mighty Bosstones - The Impression That I Get - 3/5 Soundgarden - Superunknown - 4/5 Tijuana Sweetheart - Pistol Whipped - 3/5 Van Halen - Panama - 5/5 Gin Blossoms - Follow You Down - 3/5 Brad Paisley and Keith Urban - Start A Band - 1/5 Lynyrd Skynyrd - That Smell - 5/5 Brandi Carlile - Mainstream Kid - 3/5 Dark Wheels - V-Bomb - N/A Gary Clark, Jr. - Ain’t Messin’ ‘Round - 4/5 Grouplove - Tongue Tied - 2/5 Jack Allen - Recession - N/A Imagine Dragons - I Bet My Life - 3/5 Johnny Blazes and the Pretty Boys - Cold Clear Light - N/A Mumford & Sons - The Wolf - 2/5 The Warning - Free Falling - 3/5 R.E.M. - The One I Love - 4/5

#rock band #rb4 #video games

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nppm-blog · 9 years

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Iron Maiden - The Book of Souls Review

Posted by Volrath

With a band that has been making music as long as Iron Maiden has (35 years and counting), you can’t help wondering with each new album if this will be the last. I certainly hope that isn’t the case, but if the massive two-disc The Book of Souls did turn out to be the last Iron Maiden record, it would be one hell of an impressive way to go out. This is a grand collection of meaty songs, and while not a concept album, most of the songs are about death and the whole concept of the “soul.” This was an important part of ancient Mayan philosophy, hence the cover art of Eddie the ‘Ead in full Mayan body paint.

In the past, bassist and band leader Steve Harris has exerted tight control over Iron Maiden’s output. While most of the music is good, over the years this created tension (especially with singer Bruce Dickinson) and created missed opportunities, as when he failed to make the most of Blaze Bayley’s baritone during his brief tenure as vocalist. Harris seems to have softened in his old age, however, and The Book of Souls is greatly enhanced by having nearly equal songwriting contributions from all the band members (except drummer Nicko McBrain, he’s not really into writing songs).

This is evident right away with If Eternity Should Fail, a rollicking song that is far more adventurous than what you usually see on an Iron Maiden album. Written by Dickinson (anyone who knows his solo work will recognize his quirks immediately), this 8-minute song opens with synth and brass, transitions with a fantastic drum roll and bass riff, and ends with the same creepy distorted voice Bruce used on his Accident of Birth album. It takes some getting used to, but it has a killer chorus and starts this album on an exciting note.

Speed of Light is the designated single and boasts a charming YouTube video where Eddie plays various classic video games for no clear reason other than to get social media attention. There are some nice riffs and Bruce sounds excellent, but it’s not one of the more interesting songs on the album. Like “Different World” on A Matter of Life and Death, it feels out of step tonally with the rest of the material, but I don’t mean to be too harsh. It’s fun and the cowbell is a nice touch.

The Great Unknown reminds me quite a bit of “Isle of Avalon” from The Final Frontier, it has that same moody quality and the same quiet percussion driving it forward. It’s a little bit plodding, but just when you’re ready to write it off, out comes possibly the best solo on the album (starts at about 4:35). Oh, how I’ve missed that Iron Maiden rhythm guitar.

The Red and the Black is the only solo Harris contribution to this album and one that really suffered from a lack of editing. The first half of the 13 minute song is top-notch, opening with a cool acoustic bass intro and packed with great riffs and those awesome sing-along vocal chants that the band sometimes uses (think “Heaven Can Wait” or “The Wicker Man”). But Harris just wastes the entire second half of the song with the same pattern of repeated riff, solo, repeated riff until the very end. It’s about as long as “Rime of the Ancient Mariner” but you’re not getting the same bang for your buck. If the band had chopped this tedious section and cut the song to about 7 or 8 minutes, it would have been one of the best tracks. It’s current state doesn’t justify the huge length, but damn I love that first half.

Out of all the album’s faster tracks, When the River Runs Deep fares the best. The riffing is excellent, Nicko’s drumming is masterful and the chorus is arguably the album’s best. There are times when this sounds like something off the really old Paul Di’Anno albums only with modern Maiden touches like light keyboard and the triple guitar assault from Dave Murray, Adrian Smith and Janick Gers. This one gets better with each listen.

The Book of Souls is a very progressive, ten-minute epic that fully engages with the album’s Mayan motif. Like “Seventh Son of a Seventh Son” (the song), it has two distinct halves. The first is a spooky mid-tempo march with zig-zagging guitar and bass and soaked in atmosphere. Bruce just kills the majestic chorus and not long afterwards, the song is off and running into its faster second half. Unlike on The “Red and the Black,” the instrumental section is paced tightly and balanced with Bruce’s singing.

After this, we have a couple of weaker songs. Death or Glory is a fast-paced tale of aerial warfare, this time circa World War I. The band loves stuff like this, but the problem is that all their songs on this topic are always in the shadow of “Aces High,” their masterpiece from Powerslave. The comparison hurts this song, which already feels formulaic and repetitive. Shadows of the Valley opens with the famous riff from “Wasted Years” for no discernible reason. The song “Sea of Madness” from the same album (Somewhere in Time) is also named early on. They must have known the fans would recognize this, but to what end? I honestly have no idea and the draggy song itself isn’t making me overly eager to keep looking.

Things begin to pick up with Tears of a Clown, a song memorializing the late Robin Williams. While the name is not exactly original (seriously, is that the only phrase anyone ever uses to describe a suffering comedian?) the song itself has a true understanding of depression and the chorus tugs at the heartstrings. “Tomorrow comes, tomorrow goes, but the cloud remains the same” will hit home for anyone who has suffered from depression. Harris (who wrote this one with Smith) doesn’t try to force any kind of uplift or hope for the future into this song, which won’t sit well with some listeners but is truer to its subject matter.

The Man of Sorrows (not to be confused with Bruce’s solo track “Man of Sorrows”) is an emotional dirge that would been right at home on The X-Factor. The despairing lyrics are some of the album’s most memorable - it wouldn’t be a post-reunion album without at least one track lamenting the sad state of the world today and this dense but dynamic song does it better than most.

Finally, we have Empire of the Clouds. A lot of songs on this album are good, but this 18-minute masterpiece is on a whole different level. Another Dickinson contribution, this larger than life epic (now the band’s longest song) recounts the tragic tale of the doomed English R101 airship. At the time, it was the largest flying vehicle in the world, but it crashed and burned in France on its maiden voyage, killing almost everyone on board. Longtime fans of Iron Maiden will be taken aback by the prominent piano and strings, something the band never would have done in its heyday. The gamble pays off big time. Like “Paschendale” or “The Talisman,” the lyrics only do half of the job telling the story. The spectacular instrumentation brings history to vivid and dramatic life, evoking both the thrill of flight and the horrors that followed. Everyone in the band gives it their best and this instant classic deserves to muscle its way into future Maiden top 10 lists.

If this was Maiden’s last song, it would be a perfect grand finale. But like I said, I hope there are more albums to come.

Recommended Tracks If Eternity Should Fail When the River Runs Deep The Book of Souls Empire of the Clouds

#iron maiden #the book of souls #metal #review

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Rock Band 4 Lights Up the Night! (11 New Songs)

A very strong batch of new Rock Band 4 tracks was released today, including a BIG surprise. Remember, 5 - excellent, 4 - good, 3 - acceptable, 2 - disappointing, 1 - awful.

The Protomen - Light Up the Night: I felt like I was dreaming when I moved this song to my RB4 playlist on Itunes. I guess on one level, it shouldn’t be too surprising since they are indie act with a big internet following that was probably pretty cheap to license compared to the likes of Elvis Presley and The Who. Still, when we were putting out dream setlist together, this was not one of the ones I expected to cross over. As a RB song, it’s got everything - epic vocals and harmonies, rumbling bass and drums and a beautiful 80s-inspired guitar solo. Mark my words, this will become a fan favorite in the RB community. 5/5

38 Special - Caught Up in You: A mainstay on classic rock radio, this straightforward pop-rock song is super catchy and should translate fairly well to the game. It should be an “oh, THAT song” moment for a lot of people. 4/5

Arctic Monkeys - Arabella: This one really surprised me. I had never listened to this band before and didn’t know what to expect, but it wasn’t this. At several points, it sounds like old Black Sabbath. Actually looking forward to it! 4/5

The Both - Milwaukee: Harmless little indie song that feels kinda bland. A lot of the under-the-radar stuff on this setlist has been surprisingly good but this one feels like filler. No particular instrument sounds like it will stand out. 2/5

Cake - Short Skirt/Long Jacket: Cake is a huge deal for the Rock Band forums and one of the most requested bands there. So it’s good that HMX listened to them, but I’m not really digging this. Vocals will get old really quick and there’s a lot of brass instruments that will go to waste. At least it’s got a super smooth bassline going for it. 3/5

Little Big Town - Little White Church: It’s country, so the fact that it’s not obnoxious macho bullshit is worth a few points already. Seriously, though, this is an agreeable bit of female-driven country and the guitar should be entertaining. Not as good as the country songs on our setlist, obviously. :P 3/5

Lucius - Turn It Around: Another weird little indie song (seriously, where does HMX find all these bands?) but I like the vibe on this one. It’s catchy and the drums seem pretty cool. 3/5

Mighty Mighty Bosstones - The Impression That I Get: Time warp to the 90s here, Buzzfeed would be proud. Seriously, this song was everywhere back then and anyone who grew up then will probably recognize it instantly. Should be fun to sing but I’m skeptical of putting ska, which relies so much on brass instruments, in a keyboard-less Rock Band game. Not sure how fun the guitar will be. 3/5

Soundgarden - Superunknown: Spoonman from RB2 holds a place in my heart - the damn song was so hard it basically pushed me to become a Rock Band vocals Super Saiyan. This one sounds pretty challenging too and not just for singers. Should be one of the more high-tiered songs. 4/5

Tijuana Sweetheart - Pistol Whipped: Formerly known as Vagiant, this band was last seen in Rock Band with their punky love song “Seven.” I didn’t know this until I heard it, there is no mistaking that voice. This sounds much more challenging than that song, with some really fast guitar and drums. 3/5

Van Halen - Panama: Harmonix continues to cut into Guitar Hero’s former territory, snagging this biggie from a band that has yet to be seen in the RB franchise. Is Metallica returning soon? I hope so. As for this song, what can I say? It’s a stone cold classic that will be a wild ride on all the instruments. 5/5

Still can’t find any way to listen to the Slydigs song announced last time. I hope I manage that before this game comes out so I can finish this series. For now, that brings the song count up to 50 and Harmonix has said the game will have “over 60″ songs. I’m guessing 63, since that is divisible by 7 (the number of difficulty tiers). Not much longer till the game is out, we should be getting the rest of the songs soon enough.

Current Score: 176/245

#rock band #rb4 #video games #the protomen

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17 New Songs for Rock Band 4!

In the largest reveal we’ve had so far, Harmonix announced 17 songs for the game. We’re about two months from release now and there’s about a third left to be unveiled. Let’s get into the new stuff. Remember, 5 - excellent, 4 - good, 3 - acceptable, 2 - disappointing, 1 - awful.

4 Non Blondes - What’s Up?: Anyone who grew up in the 90s will remember this ubiquitous one-hit wonder. It’s goofy as hell and people love to rag on it, but it’s going to be a major guilty pleasure. The wailing in the chorus is a vocalist’s dream. Bonus points if you make a singer character who looks like He-Man. 4/5

The Black Keys - Fever: Harmonix loves their hipster indie groups and as far as that stuff goes, this isn’t bad. I’m diggin’ it. Oddly enough, I hear a lot of keys although we won’t have a keyboard this time around. Probably will be a lot of keys charted to guitar or else there’s not much left to work with. The highlight of this one is the bass, which sounds pretty slick. It’s nice that they remember the bassists sometimes. 3/5

Disturbed - Prayer: I was hoping we had filled our bro-metal quotient with Avenged Sevenfold, but no such luck. So we’ve got this cookie-cutter song with boring bro-metal riffs and irritating vocals. Is this less intense retread of Down With the Sickness really the kind of stuff that the fans want? I’m not sure I want to know the answer. 1/5

Duck & Cover - Knock ‘Em Down: This is a very under the radar Boston-area band that Harmonix has given a huge opportunity to, which I have to admit is pretty cool of them. It’s a fast, genial bit of punk-rock with both a guitar and bass solo. Drums sound nice too. 3/5

Eddie Japan - Albert: Sounds like something off the Pulp Fiction soundtrack. With its quality harmonies, busy bass line and what sounds like a fierce drum solo, this band is another good find by Harmonix. Occasionally you can hear a trumpet, which will go to waste without a keyboard. I get the feeling these lesser-known songs are being chosen mostly for playability and they may wind up being the stars of the overall setlist, especially when the song picks for the larger acts have been very strange. 4/5

Fall Out Boy - Centuries: Curse you Harmonix for making me learn another Fall Out Boy song. To be fair, this song is not nearly as bad as that awful Dead on Arrival from the first Rock Band, but I still find this band annoying. 2/5

Halestorm - I Miss the Misery: Dinky title aside, this is a catchy piece of female-driven rock. I also remember seeing a lot of requests for this band on the Rock Band forums over the years, so it’s good that HMX responded. Could have been worse, could have been Amaranthe. 3/5

Heart - Kick It Out: Excuse me? WHERE is Crazy on You?! How are we at the fourth game in this series, our third Heart song overall, and still no Crazy on You? Look, Heart’s a good band, this is a good song, it will be fun, but come on! They are smoking something weird over at the Harmonix office, I think. 2/5

Heaven’s Basement - I Am Electric: A distinctly British sounding hard rock song with some seriously intense drums. Vocals don’t do much for me, but it should be reasonably fun on the other instruments,. 3/5

Lightning Bolt - Dream Genie: This is some intense avant-garde rock that’s surely going to be one of the toughest songs in the game. Looks like Dream Theater’s got some competition when it comes to insane drumming. The guitar sounds vicious too. Pretty interesting stuff, although I don’t like how low the vocals are in the mix. This is a pretty risky pick, I’ll be curious to see how the fans react to a wild song like this. 4/5

Rick Derringer - Rock and Roll, Hootchie Koo: This 70s rock song was a popular request from the Guitar Hero 2 setlist and it sounds like it will be decent all-around when it comes to the instruments. Hope we get some more classic rock with a similar vibe. 4/5

Rush - A Passage to Bangkok: It was obvious Rush was coming eventually, but I would have put money on the song being Freewill. Good thing I didn’t, because instead we got this one, which drops that stereotype “oriental riff” at a few cringe-inducing points but is otherwise pretty solid. This is from their earlier stuff, before they got so into synth. Rush is one of those bands that has been consistently great in Rock Band so I’m going to give this weird song choice a break. 4/5

Scorpions - No One Like You: The second song from our RB wishlist to make it on! Some folks likely would prefer Rock You Like A Hurricane, but this choice is just as credible. It’s a guitarist’s dream with super catchy vocals to boot. Plus I’m just stoked that Scorpions is in the game now. Hopefully Harmonix is putting together a nice big DLC pack for the post-RB4 era. 5/5

Slydigs - Light the Fuse: Here’s the thing....I can’t actually find this song. Not on Itunes, not on YouTube, nothing. It may be on Spotify but I don’t use that. Now that’s it revealed to be in the game, I suspect it will show up on YouTube eventually. I’ll score it in the next update hopefully.

Soul Remnants - Dead Black (Heart of Ice): The first minute and 15 seconds of this song was excellent. Then the growling started. It’s not as intolerable as the infamous Visions from Rock Band 2, indeed the instruments are far more interesting...but the vocals will be a major slog. Did I mention it’s eight minutes long? Hard to grade because I’m just so biased against growling vocals, but this song really does have some compelling sections like a fantastic acoustic solo in the middle. Oh, let’s just call it a 3/5

System of a Down - Spiders: This is an early track from the band and is a good example of that moody, haunting quality that characterizes their best stuff. Some fans lump this in with the likes of Disturbed and Avenged Sevenfold because there are a lot of shared fans between the three groups, but SOAD is a cut above that stuff. Very cool song that I took to immediately and I think it will be great on the instruments too. 5/5

White Denim - At Night in Dreams: This Texas-based band is kind of hard to characterize. Is it progressive rock? Indie rock? Southern rock? A weird combination of all three? Whatever it is, it’s got a nice bouncy feel and some fine riffing. Could definitely see it as a grower. 3/5

This is turning out to be a strange setlist in that a lot of good stuff is coming from lesser known acts whereas a lot of the big marquee stuff has been disappointing. I hope the last third of the setlist doesn’t have any more “right band, wrong song” situations, RB4 really needs some anchors to strengthen the overall package.

#rock band #rb4 #video games

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nppm-blog · 9 years

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Album of the Year: A 10-Year Retrospective

I’ve been in a bit of a nostalgic mood these days. I’ve lived very far away from my home and family for a few years now and I’m really starting to miss them. As I often do when I’m feeling various strong emotions, I’ve turned to music as a way to sort through everything in my head. Lately I’ve been finding myself listening to some old albums which have had a significant impact on my ‘musical journey’ (excuse the corny phrase) and I began thinking about how some of these old albums stack up to each other. I decided it would be a fun exercise to look at the albums I have which were made in the last 10 years (since 2004) and award a retrospective ‘album of the year’ for each year. I’ve awarded two ‘album of the years’ on this blog and those years will be discussed again.

2004: Nightwish – Once

The album that prompted this whole idea was Once, Nightwish’s magnificent magnum opus. The band’s last album with legendary vocalist Tarja Turunen, Once represents the absolute best of Nightwish and remains one of my favorite albums 10 years after I first listened to it. In fact, listening to it again has brought on fresh pangs of disappointment in Nightwish’s comparatively toothless newest album, but that is a conversation for another day. Looking at the rest of my albums from 2004, I’ve realized that this year was a particularly strong one. Once was always going to be the winner, but it beat out some stiff competition. Sonata Arctica’s Reckoning Night, featuring the masterful White Pearl Black Oceans, was one of the albums which barely lost to Once. The other two were Blackfield’s endlessly listenable self-titled debut and Within Temptation’s symphonic powerhouse The Silent Force.

2005: Kamelot – The Black Halo

While 2005 was a slightly weaker year than 2004, Kamelot’s The Black Halo is a worthy winner. This album features Kamelot firing on all cylinders. Kamelot’s recent albums have been solid and consistent efforts, but they lacked standout timeless tracks. This album is much different, as songs such as The Black Halo, Memento Mori, Moonlight, and The Haunting (Somewhere in Time) are regulars on my playlists. The Black Halo beat out Porcupine Tree’s Deadwing, The Pineapple Thief’s 10 Stories Down, and Lullabies to Paralyze by Queens of the Stone Age.

2006: The Pineapple Thief – Little Man

In what looks like a comparatively average year, Blind Guardian’s underrated A Twist in the Myth, The Gathering’s bleak and moody Home, and Muse’s adventurous Black Holes and Revelations fell short of the heartwrenching Little Man. Written after the passing of frontman Bruce Soord’s son, every note on this album bleeds emotion and sometimes it can be hard to listen to. Songs like Snowdrops, November, and Wilting Violet carry a different weight than anything else the band has done, which is not a surprise given the tragic story behind the album.

2007: Porcupine Tree – Fear of a Blank Planet

It wouldn't be an NPPM post without some Steven Wilson ballwashing! Fear of a Blank Planet is only 6 tracks, but each one is very strong and three are absolute classics (Anesthetize, Way Out of Here, Sentimental). The album is essentially about technology and youth, which is a topic Wilson has struggled to lyricize in the past but mostly nails here. There was stiff competition this year from Nightwish’s controversial but excellent Dark Passion Play (it was only controversial because people couldn’t fathom the idea of the band continuing without Tarja). My favorite Radiohead album In Rainbows was also considered and Within Temptation’s unexpectedly timeless the Heart of Everything got a long look.

2008: Steven Wilson – Insurgentes

2008 was a pretty weak year. Insurgentes is a great album and still gets better with each listen, but it does not stack up with the other albums which have won. The only other two albums I even considered were Ayreon’s dark and industrial 01011001 and Anathema’s acoustic Hindsight, which is npt even a ‘real’ album in the classic sense since it is mostly just acoustic remixes of old tracks.

2009: Sonata Arctica – The Days of Grays

Unlike the previous year, 2009 has proven to be a banner year for my library. The Days of Grays is arguably Sonata’s greatest work and at the very least is easily the best album of the band’s progressive and experimental phase This album maintains interest from the beginning to end and features some absolute classics as well (The Truth is Out There, Everything Fades to Gray, and the thrilling Flag in the Ground). The Days of Grays is phenomenal and won quite easily, but that speaks more to its strength than the competition which was pretty solid. Other albums that were considered were The Protomen’s Act II: The Father of Death, Porcupine Tree’s The Incident and my most recent love affair, Guilt Machine’s On This Perfect Day.

2010: Anathema – We’re Here Because We’re Here

Anathema had a 7 year break between full length albums, and without doing any research I’d imagine their 2003 effort A Natural Disaster would’ve won that year. The seven year break yielded an identity shift which resulted in We’re Here Because We’re Here, an incredibly positive and energetic album. While this album is very good, the year 2010 was relatively weak. The strongest competition for the top spot came from the chilly dread of Agalloch’s Marrow of the Spirit, Blind Guardian’s epic At the Edge of Time, and the poppy prog of Pineapple Thief’s Someone Here is Missing.

2011: Within Temptation – The Unforgiven

2011 had three elite albums and not much else. The Unforgiven is a fantastic album which manages to sound fresh, exciting, and retro at the same time (even incorporating some dance influences on Sinead!). Steven Wilson’s brooding and experimental Grace for Drowning provided some tough competition, as did Nightwish’s ambitious (even for them) Imaginaerum. The Unforgiven took home the prize though, as it’s just way too much fun

2012: Anathema – Weather Systems

Weather Systems has received a lot of attention from me and I don’t have much more to say about it other than it remains absolutely fabulous 3 years later. 2012 was a fabulous year in general and there was some other great stuff which would’ve stood more of a chance in other years. Silversun Pickups’ Neck of the Woods is easily their best album and features no bad tracks. The Gathering’s Disclosure is often achingly beautiful, and features their best song in Paper Waves. Archive’s With Us Until You’re Dead effortlessly mixes rock, electronica, prog and hints of other genres in a unique and addicting mix. A great year topped by an even greater album.

2013: Queens of the Stone Age – Like Clockwork

Another album I’ve written about in this blog, Like Clockwork injected a heaping helping of emotion into QOTSA’s tried and true desert rock formula. I Appear Missing remains one of the best songs I’ve heard in years and one of a few songs deserving of an A+ grade (that solo….hnnnnnngh). The Raven That Refused to Sing by Steven Wilson was an extremely close second, as was Haken’s riveting The Mountain, an album I always listen to when I need some inspiration. The last album to receive consideration was Sigur Ros’s Kveikur, which I like quite a bit more than their other material since things actually happen in the songs other than 8 minutes of ambient sounds and high pitched crooning.

2014: Solstafir – Otta

2014 was an incredibly strong year in general, but especially for the Kscope label. Lunatic Soul’s Walking on a Flashlight Beam is clearly the best thing Mariusz Duda has released under his solo project, as the songs are much more cohesive and structured than usual. Gazpacho’s Demon is a terrifying and totally unique experience which reveals new things with each listen. And finally, Anathema’s Distant Satellites was another excellent effort and was just short of making Anathema the champion for 3 out of the last 5 years. Unfortunately for these excellent Kscope albums, they had to go against the stunning and enrapturing Otta, which still makes the hairs on my neck stand up with each listen. I’ve never heard anything like Otta and honestly, I don’t think I ever will. This album is totally enchanting and can be listened to in almost any setting and emotional state (except parties I suppose, but you could probably guess that I don’t choose music based on its party potential). If you like any of the music mentioned in this post but have not heard Otta, give it a chance. You won’t regret it

That’s it! A fun and totally subjective exercise finished.

#anathema #steven wilson #nightwish #porcupine tree #Pineapple Thief #Solstafir #kamelot #Queens Of The Stone Age #sonata arctica #within temptation

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nppm-blog · 9 years

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Rock Band 4 - 11 New Songs Announced

We’ve got a nice big batch of new songs to get into, but first I wanted to go over how the scoring works for this since I never really made it clear. On the scale of 5, it breaks down like this: 5 - excellent, 4 - good, 3 - acceptable, 2 - disappointing, 1 - awful.

Each song is evaluated using a number of factors - personal taste, compatibility with the Rock Band gameplay, fan demand, and the overall credibility the song brings to the game. These aren’t necessarily given equal weight for every song, strength in one can make up for a deficit in another. Suspicious Minds got a 5 mostly because of the intense fan demand for Elvis and the huge props RB4 gets for being the first music game to include the King of Rock and Roll. Uptown Funk gets a 1 because there was very little demand, it’s not suited for the RB four-instrument format and the sad attempt to appeal to the mainstream costs the game some credibility.

Let’s get to it!

The Outfield - Your Love: This wonderful bit of 80s pop is the first track that was also on NPPM’s own dream setlist! I’m stoked for this one. Vocals will be exceptional and the other instruments look to be strong as well. 5/5

Ozzy Osbourne - Miracle Man: This is a good demonstration of how well Rock Band has done grabbing up the classic Ozzy songs. With all the essentials already part of the library, we’re in major deep cut territory. I would have preferred something with Randy Rhoads on guitar but Zakk Wylde is no slouch. That solo is really going to be a challenge. 4/5

Aerosmith - Toys in the Attic: Aerosmith was exclusive to Activision and the Guitar Hero games for most of Rock Band’s original run. It’s encouraging to see them show up here, but I’m slightly baffled by this song choice. I’m not the biggest devotee of the band, but I would have gone with something more dynamic like Jamie’s Got a Gun or Cryin’. Still, this song has some nice riffing and should be fun enough. 3/5

Live - All Over You: I didn’t know this song by name but once I fired it up, I recognized it immediately. Live’s a pretty underrated band and even though my pick would have been The Dolphin’s Cry, this is good stuff that sounds fun on drums and bass in particular. 4/5

Van Morrison - Brown Eyed Girl: A stone cold classic that just about everyone knows. The vocals are legend even if I’m not sure how fun it will be on the other instruments. Still, between this and Elvis, this game’s doing well on the golden oldies front. 4/5

Paramore - Still Into You: Typically, Paramore songs have translated well to Rock Band but I have to admit some disappointment in this one. Songs like That’s What You Get or Misery Business sounded like pop-rock that hadn’t forgotten the “rock” part of the name. This one, with its dinky main riff and Hayley Williams’s odd staccato vocals during the verses, just sounds more generic and uninteresting. 2/5

Judas Priest - Halls of Valhalla: Believe it or not, this JP song is only a year old and taken from the most recent album. Like their contemporaries Iron Maiden (I really hope they make RB4 too), the band hasn’t let age slow them down. For a group of guys well into their 60s, this is pretty impressive and this style of metal almost always translates well to the game. I would have gone with something much older like Beyond the Realms of Death, but this is still going to be a monster. It might even be the endgame song. 4/5

Foo Fighters - The Feast and the Famine: Rock Band and Dave Grohl are BFFs so it’s never a surprise to see his band pop up in the games. Typically, the songs are full of energy and fun to play. This is a perfectly acceptable, if not especially remarkable, slice of mainline rock. 3/5

The Cure - Friday I’m In Love: It’s a boring pick, but I suspect this one got a lot of requests so you can’t really blame Harmonix in that regard. Unlike Uptown Funk, this at least will fit comfortably within the game’s format and depending on the charting, might even boast some fun guitar. 2/5

St. Vincent - Birth in Reverse: Harmonix really likes these really moody indie bands with female vocalists. Sometimes they dig up gems like Outside or Something Bigger, Something Brighter, but this...I don’t really know what to make of this. It’s really weird and seems to have a lot of synth for a game without a keyboard. I’m not very into it right now, but I could also see it being a sleeper. Hard to rate but for now I’ll go with a 2/5

Dream Theater - Metropolis, Part One: The Miracle and the Sleeper: Is that title prog enough for you? A ten-minute epic with some wild instrumentation is certainly going to get the hardcore portion of the fanbase very excited. Maybe this is the endgame song, it would certainly be more epic than Llama. Mike Portnoy’s drumming in particular is going to break quite a few of those plastic foot pedals unless Harmonix makes them more durable. Not everyone will enjoy this one, but I’ve found that songs with this kind of sweep and atmosphere make for very good Rock Band experiences. 5/5

Let’s bring in the others so we can get the new score: Avenged Sevenfold - Hail to the King: 3/5 Fleetwood Mac - You Make Loving Fun: 2/5 Spin Doctors - Little Miss Can’t Be Wrong: 3/5 The Killers - Somebody Told Me: 4/5 The Who - The Seeker: 3/5 Jack White - Lazaretto: 4/5 Benjamin Booker - Violent Shiver: 4/5 Queens of the Stone Age - My God is the Sun: 4/5 Mark Ronson (feat. Bruno Mars) - Uptown Funk: 1/5 Elvis Presley - Suspicious Minds: 5/5 Scandal - The Warrior: 4/5

Current Score: 75/110

#rb4 #rock band #video games

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Rock Band 4 - E3 Song announcements!

As fans expected, Harmonix revealed a new batch of songs to coincide with their appearance at this year’s E3 conference. Let’s have a look!

Benjamin Booker - Violent Shiver: I had never heard of this before, so I checked it out and found it to be pretty agreeable. It’s got a blues-rock vibe similar to White Stripes. Vocals aren’t the best, but the guitar and drums sound solid. 4/5

Queens of the Stone Age - My God is the Sun: Nice to see one of the webmaster’s favored bands make an appearance. Seems like Harmonix is playing it safe by going with the big single from Like Clockwork, but hopefully our pick, I Appear Missing, gets to be DLC eventually. Still, this song is satisfyingly heavy and should play well. 4/5

Mark Ronson (feat. Bruno Mars) - Uptown Funk: The first full-on dud in the setlist, this represents one of Harmonix’s bad habits: making a play for the mainstream with a song that’s ubiquitous on the radio but not suited for the gameplay. A lot of keys in this song...shame there’s no keyboard in Rock Band 4. Honestly, they gotta just accept that these games are niche now and it’s unlikely anyone who’s not interested would suddenly be swayed by Uptown Funk. 1/5

Elvis Presley - Suspicious Minds: On the total opposite end of the spectrum: Elvis! He’s never been in one of these games before and this is a huge deal. Excellent song choice too. 5/5

Scandal - The Warrior: I don’t know why 80s rock translates so well to Rock Band, but boy it does. This song shouldn’t be any different, even if it wouldn’t be the first one that came to my mind (there’s just so much!) Vocals in particular sound great. 4/5

Solid group overall. Let’s bring in the previously announced song and calculate the new score.

Current Score: 37/55

#rock band #rb4 #video games

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Leprous: The Congregation Review

After discovering Leprous in the early stages of 2014, I’ve been finding myself increasingly fascinated with them. One does not have to listen to the band for a long time to realize the amount of talent that they have, and when they are at their best they have a sound unlike any group I’ve heard. Songs like The Cloak, Echo, and Painful Detour demonstrate the band at their peak and these tracks have never been far from my song rotation. However, both albums which I have spent significant time with (Bilateral and Coal) lack consistentcy and are flawed in different ways. Bilateral is full of crazy ideas and wild energy, but the album often misuses the absolutely prodigious talent of vocalist Einar Solberg. Solberg has both incredible range and power and using him for harsh rather than clean vocals is a crime as far as I’m concerned. I often whine on this blog about harsh vocals. Don’t get me wrong, they work very well at times (Agalloch is a band I’ve been listening to a lot lately which utilizes them perfectly) but when you have a vocal weapon like Solberg, you need to use him accordingly. Coal was better about this, but the songs lacked the same manic energy and were often too repetitive. Despite these flaws, I’ve still been finding myself drawn to this band and their unique style of super technical yet wild approach to progressive metal. Luckily for me, Leprous’s new album The Congregation has given me exactly what I wanted.

Opening track The Price is the perfect single. The song has the capacity to both satisfy the band’s existing fans as well as potentially attract new ones. It contains just enough of Leprous’s classic odd and syncopated rhythms and complements those with an epic, crushing chorus which exhibits Solberg’s unique talents. Next up is Third Law, which is a bit zanier than The Price. Like the previous track however, Third Law has an infectious chorus. I challenge any listener to give this track a few spins without finding themselves shouting “SOMEWHERE, SOMEONE MUST BOW!!!!”. Rewind turns the clock back to the days of Bilateral as it features some harsh screaming from Solberg. However, despite my previous complaints about how the band often misuses their gifted vocalist, the screams here fit very well as an engine to release some of the tension built up by the rest of the track. Side note: this song has some epic bass in it. Next up is The Flood, which is a masterful example of dynamics. The verses slowly build on a simple two note bass line and some softer vocals until the massive chorus rips in out of nowhere. The last instance of this is particularly successful, as Solberg lulls the listener to sleep with some quiet angelic harmonies before the freight train of a final chorus arrives. The Flood, both deceptively simple and demanding of multiple listens, is arguably the strongest track on the album.

The album weakens a bit towards the middle, with Triumphant being too repetitive and lacking any real payoff. The track sounds like one that would’ve been on Coal. Within My Fence is quite crazy and just simmers with that barely contained insanity which defines Leprous’s sound. However, it is too short to really build any momentum and does not reach the same highs as some of the tracks before it. Red improves things, featuring a fantastic opening verse which transitions perfectly into a rousing chorus. This song is much more restrained than many of the other tracks on The Congregation but is very enjoyable, if not particularly memorable. The next track, Slave, plods along in a crushing doom-esque manner until a sudden tempo change rips the rug out from under you. This track is another one with some harsh vocals, and these ones aren’t as well executed as the ones in Rewind. However, Slave’s operatic choruses and excellent manipulation of rhythm make it yet another strong track on a strong album.

Moon is a track which puts the progressive in the band’s progressive metal label. It seamlessly moves from different moods and emotions until it ends on a fantastic instrumental outro. While Leprous is absolutely about Solberg, the rest of the band steps up in this track big time. Down makes liberal use of slightly off kilter rhythms and odd transitions to make it a slightly unsettling experience. These rhythms are straightened out in the chorus, which is much more straightforward. This makes for an interesting dynamic which keeps the listener unsure of what to expect. I’ve spent a lot of time fawning over the extremely obvious talent of Einar Solberg in this review. The man has a massive range, can shift styles effortlessly, and can belt it out with the best of them. Lower is the perfect example of Solberg’s many capabilities. He is soft and delicate in the verses and kicks a requisite amount of the ass in the choruses. He also provides some absolutely beautiful ambient keyboard throughout the track. This song, both atmospheric and exhilarating, is best listened outside during a cool and windy night.

I mentioned earlier that The Congregation is exactly the album I wanted Leprous to make and I meant it. Like Coal, it features almost exclusively clean vocals but like Bilateral, the songs are often unpredictable and zany. Other than Hand. Cannot. Erase, I don’t think I’ve heard a better album this year and I hope that The Congregation endears Leprous and their unique sound to new fans, because I've never heard anything quite like them

Grade: A-

Standout Tracks:

The Price

The Flood

Moon

Lower

#Leprous #the congregation #Progressive Metal

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Rock Band 4 - First Six Songs

We’ve gotten our first peek at the RB4 song library! No matches yet with our wishlist, but there’s still plenty of time. We’re going to continue our Rock Band 4 coverage by evaluating the songs as we come out. Each will be rated from 1 to 5, with the rating based on a combination of personal appeal and potential as a good RB track.

Avenged Sevenfold - Hail to the King: According to Harmonix, ever since they reintroduced the song request page, this song has gotten the most requests. With that in mind, it’s quite a good choice for the game although I’m personally lukewarm on A7X. Even though the wild solo will be enough to get this a flame tier on guitar, I don’t think it will be as crazy as the requesters are expecting. Most of the shredding is going on in the rhythm guitar, most of which won’t be charted. At least the vocals sound decent, unlike the downright hazardous Beast and the Harlot from RB3, which decided that breathing wasn’t necessary for singing. 3/5

Fleetwood Mac - You Make Loving Fun: So far, the only major letdown. I can’t really understand why this unremarkable track was picked over something like The Chain. You could cite things like a smooth bassline or nice harmonies, but The Chain offers better examples of that stuff. I just don’t get it. 2/5

Spin Doctors - Little Miss Can’t Be Wrong: Consider me surprised to find out there were any other notable Spin Doctors other than “Two Princes,” which was in Lego Rock Band. Someone at HMX must really like this band. Still, this song sounds vaguely familiar, the lyrics are funny and the guitar sounds like a good deal of fun. 3/5

The Killers - Somebody Told Me: This is one I’m surprised we didn’t get a long time ago. Not sure how fun the guitar will be, but The Killers typically sport strong drums and the vocals will be a hoot. Excited to give this one a spin. 4/5

The Who - The Seeker: A bit of trivia here: with this pick, The Who becomes the only band to have a song on each one of the main Rock Band games. This Guitar Hero 3 alumnus should be fun enough, although you would think the big Who fans over at HMX might be a little more creative. 3/5

Jack White - Lazaretto: The nice surprise of this first batch. I had never heard this song before, but I immediately found its weird groove to be striking. It’s kinda like a good version of Give It Away and I think it will be a great deal of fun in the game. One final question: How are they going to chart that crazy strings outro? 4/5

Current Score: 19/30

#rockband #rb4 #video games

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Kamelot Haven Review

The news of Kamelot’s new album Haven was a pleasant surprise for me. Generally, I am well aware when one of my favorite bands have a new album in the works but for some reason this one slipped through the cracks. I quite liked Kamelot’s previous effort, Silverthorn, an album with the herculean task of proving the band could go forward without the epic talents of previous vocalist Roy Khan. Silverthorn succeeded in that regard, and that brings us to Haven, Karevik’s second album. Haven is a slight letdown (not at all due to Karevik) in that the album lacks ambition. The album certainly maintains the signature baroque and classy metal tone that the band has made a career of utilizing, but it lacks any real high or low points. Haven is not a bad album, not even close, but none of the tracks elicit the same kind of emotional reaction as say, Prodigal Son or The Black Halo.

Opener Fallen Star is a perfect representation of the album has a whole. Karevik kills the vocal parts with his now signature silky yet powerful delivery and the chorus is an ear worm. The song is not particularly memorable but is enjoyable to listen to nonetheless. Insomnia is a bit of a step backwards. This track has a bit more of an electronic sound and the verses have some good riffing but the chorus fails to deliver the needed punch. Citizen Zero is next and it is one of Haven’s better tracks. The chorus kicks major ass in this one and while Karevik sounds awesome throughout, he shows some major power in the track’s bridge section. Additionally, let’s take a moment to recognize how good of a drummer Casey Grillo is. As usual, his tone on this album is fantastic and his double bass sounds as clean as any drummer I’ve heard. I bring this up now because Grillo sounds excellent on the album’s next track, Veil of Elysium. This one is pure Karma-era Kamelot power metal. I’d imagine that with its anthemic chorus, fast pace, and ripping guitar solo that Veil of Elysium will quickly become a favorite live (Kamelot live is awesome by the way, see them if you can).

Because Kamelot has always been a band defined by the prodigious talents of their vocalists, they have generally excelled at performing ballads. Tracks like House on the Hill, Song of Jolee, Abandoned, and On The Coldest Winter Night are all evidence of this. This trend continues on Haven, with Under Grey Skies offering fantastic vocal performances from both Karevik as well as guest vocalist Charlotte Wessels (from the band Delain). Next we have My Therapy. This track would be terrible if it wasn’t so damn catchy. The lyrics are unbelievably cheesy and wouldn’t look out of place on a Hot Topic shirt (“come and take me off my daily dose of pain”…yikes). I can’t totally hate on the song though because it has a certain infectious energy which almost sells the awful lyrics. The album continues with short interlude Ecclesia and then moves to End of Innocence, which I have forgotten about in the time it took me to write this sentence. In all seriousness though, this track certainly sounds fine but just isn’t interesting. Beautiful Apocalypse is a bit better and Wessels returns again with some strong harmonies. However, once again the track fails to make a lasting impression.

This is not a problem for Liar Liar (Wasteland Monarchy) which despite its weird name kicks a lot of ass. The reliably effective Thomas Youngblood provides some great riffing on this one and both Wessels and additional guest vocalist Alissa White-Gluz of Arch Enemy have a strong impact. Liar Liar’s chorus has a sense of urgency which sets apart from the rest of the album and its 6 minute length situates it as Haven’s de-facto epic. Another strong ballad follows in Here’s To The Fall. This track is notable for yet another dynamic Karevik performance as well as an extremely well done symphonic backdrop. The last chorus is excellent as Karevik provides his own harmonies. Revolution is next and it’s possibly the heaviest song Kamelot has ever written. Between the ominous industrial sounds and the liberal use of White-Gluz’s shrieks, Revolution is quite memorable. I’ve never been a huge fan of Slayer-esque screaming metal which keeps me from enjoying this song too much. Some people will probably love it though because it is heavy as hell. The album finishes with Haven, an extremely cinematic but brief instrumental outro.

Haven, while far from the band’s best work, is further affirmation that Kamelot is in safe hands with Karevik at the helm. While this album lacks a true signature moment, it is enjoyable listening throughout and should satisfy most of the band’s fanbase.

Grade: B

Best Tracks:

Citizen Zero

Under Grey Skies

Liar Liar (Wasteland Monarchy)

Here’s To The Fall

#kamelot #haven #Power Metal

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A Very Late Review of Tuomas Holopainen’s Music Inspired by The Life and Times of Scrooge McDuck

As you may have read in our recent review, Nightwish’s newest album Endless Forms Most Beautiful was disappointing to me. I enjoyed parts of it and the album is certainly not a bad one, but it almost sounds restrained and safe which is the opposite of what makes Nightwish appealing to me (with the exception of the 24 minute long final track, which has its own issues). However, critical praise for the album was high so I decided to go out and try to find out what other fans of the band thought of this new album. The reaction was mostly positive, but there were a few others who like me, were underwhelmed. During this search, I stumbled onto one review which was shockingly negative and while I disagreed with the author’s take I couldn’t help but heartily laugh when the writer referred to keyboardist and songwriter Tuomas Holopainen as “Uncle McFuck”. Upon seeing this harsh yet funny title, I was reminded that Tuomas had recently released a solo album which was titled Music Inspired by the Life and Times of Scrooge. As you might have guessed (or not), this album is based upon a series of graphic novels detailing the exploits of one Scrooge McDuck, a character whom I never considered to have any sort of depth or mythology. I never gave this album a chance initially because I couldn’t get past the ridiculous premise. An album about a duck? How could this possibly be compelling? My prediction was that Tuomas, who has made a career out of bombast, would write similarily epic music to Nightwish about a damn duck and it would end up being laughable. However, once the new Nightwish album failed to satiate my need for, well, Nightwish, I decided to give Music Inspired by the Life and Times of Scrooge a shot. I’m glad I did.

One of my fears going into this album was that the stubborn Tuomas would not adjust his style to fit his subject, I should’ve had more faith. This album is at times playful, peaceful, exhilarating, and inspiring (the premise still makes this sentence feel weird to write, how can Scrooge McDuck be inspiring!?). Tuomas has mixed his symphonic chops with a new palette of sounds unique from Nightwish. There are banjos, didgeridoos, and other surprises throughout the album. The tracks are mostly instrumental but there are guest vocals from Alan Reid and Johanna Kurkela, who sang on Sonata Arctica’s excellent The Days of Grays album. Speaking of Sonata, the always superb Tony Kakko lends his talents to one of the tracks as well. Kurkela gets most of the work though, and she sounds excellent in the album’s opening track Glasgow 1877. After a brief spoken introduction, Kurkela sings in Welsh while supported by frequent Tuomas contributors the London Philharmonic and Troy Donockley’s distinctive Uilean Pipes. The track is beautiful and gets the album off to a great start. Into the West is next, which brings to mind images of a wooden cart careening down a railroad track. The aforementioned banjo stars in this one. The album takes a slightly ominous turn with Duels & Cloudscapes which makes me picture an army of ducks going through a training montage. These are the types of things that pop into your head while listening to this album. About halfway through, a very Disney-esque section temporarily relieves the tension until an epic symphonic build-up brings the track to a thrilling conclusion.

Dreamtime is simply awesome. The song is built upon a tribal drum rhythm, the primal sound of the didgeridoo, and a steadily intensifying piano melody. One thing we know about Tuomas is that he absolutely excels at long sequences where he adds layer after layer of different sounds. Songs like Ever Dream and Rest Calm are examples of this. While not as intense as those tracks, the ending of Dreamtime further showcases one of Tuomas’s greatest talents. NPPM hero Tony Kakko appears on Cold Heart of the Klondike, one of two tracks on the album that follows any sort of traditional song structure. The song has a bit of Nightwish to it and Tony absolutely nails the final chorus as only he can. The lyrics at the beginning of The Last Sled are a bit cheesy, but Johanna Kurkela’s soothing vocals quickly wash this feeling away. This song really plays with the imagination. I could imagine myself sledding through some Finnish forest on a moonlit night while this one plays. Goodbye Papa keeps things going with some Celtic flair and nimble piano but it doesn’t quite stand out the way other tracks do. Kurkela brings the heat on To Be Rich as her strained and passionate vocals rip through the delicate symphonic backing. This one never gets too intense, but it builds nicely into the albums next track. A Lifetime of Adventure just IS Nightwish. This track would not have sounded out of place on any of the band’s albums and it is an absolute earworm. We even get to hear a guitar solo in this one! The song sounds slightly out of place within the album but on a standalone basis it is very good and reminds the listener that yes, this album was composed by the same guy behind Nightwish. Things wind down with Go Slowly Now, Sands of Time which features some beautiful acoustic guitar work. This track is quite demure in comparison with the rest of the album but does a good job ending things on a hopeful and nostalgic note.

I still honestly can’t believe I like this album as much as I do. Tuomas has managed to create a soundtrack so compelling that I actually want to read the comics. These songs both soothe and stimulate my imagination. I love Nightwish and I want them to continue as long as possible, even with the relative disappointment of Endless Forms Most Beautiful. However, if Tuomas decides to do anymore solo work, I will have more faith in him and give whatever he produces a listen, regardless of the premise.

I won’t pick any recommended tracks since the album flows so well together, but Dreamtime is probably my favorite

Grade: B+/A-

#nightwish #scrooge mcduck #tuomas holopainen

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NPPM’s Rock Band 4 Setlist: Finale

Posted by Volrath

Now that we’ve picked all 84 songs, here is the full setlist!

Alice in Chains – “Angry Chair” (Grunge, 1992) Anathema – “Flying” (Prog, 2003) The Animals – “House of the Rising Sun” (Blues, 1964) Audioslave – “Like A Stone” (Rock, 2002) Bachman-Turner Overdrive – “Takin’ Care of Business” (Classic Rock, 1973) Bad Religion – “Let Them Eat War” (Punk, 2004) Billy Talent – “Devil on My Shoulder” (Alternative, 2009) Black Sabbath – “Sabbath Bloody Sabbath” (Metal, 1973) Blaze Bayley – “Stare at the Sun” (Metal, 2000) Blind Guardian – “Time Stands Still (At the Iron Hill)” (Metal, 1998) Blue Oyster Cult – “Burnin’ For You” (Rock, 1981) Bob Seger – “Take A Chance” (Rock, 1990) Bruce Dickinson – “Darkside of Aquarius�� (Metal, 1998) Bruce Springsteen – “Born to Run” (Classic Rock, 1975) Chuck Berry – “Johnny B. Goode” (Classic Rock, 1958) The Church – “Under the Milky Way” (Alternative, 1988) Counting Crows – “Mr. Jones” (Rock, 1993) The Cranberries – “Zombie” (Alternative, 1994) Cream – “Crossroads” (Blues, 1968) The Cult – “Sweet Soul Sister” (Rock, 1989) The Damned – “Nasty” (Punk, 1984 David Bowie – “Starman” (Glam, 1972) David Gilmour – “On an Island” (Prog, 2006) Deep Purple – “Burn” (Classic Rock, 1974) Depeche Mode – “Dream On” (New Wave, 2001) Dire Straits – “Sultans of Swing” (Classic Rock, 1978) Dolly Parton – “Jolene” (Country, 1973) Duran Duran – “A View to A Kill” (Pop-Rock, 1985) The Eagles – “Hotel California” (Classic Rock, 1976) Eddie Vedder – “Hard Sun” (Rock, 2007) Elvis Presley – “Jailhouse Rock” (Blues, 1957) Fastball – “The Way” (Alternative, 1998) Fleetwood Mac – “The Chain” (Classic Rock, 1977) Fuel – “Hemorrhage (In My Hands)” (Grunge, 2000) Gary Moore – “Out in the Fields” (Rock, 1985) The Gaslight Anthem – “Wherefore Art Thou, Elvis?” (Punk, 2008) Gazpacho – “Desert Flight” (Prog, 2009) Golden Earring – “Twilight Zone” (Rock, 1982) Goldfinger – “99 Red Balloons” (Punk, 2000) Greg Kihn – “Breakup Song (They Don’t Write Em)” (Rock, 1981) The Handsome Family – “Far From Any Road” (Country, 2003) Heart – “Crazy on You” (Classic Rock, 1976) Helloween – “Eagle Fly Free” (Metal, 1988) Incubus – “Megalomaniac” (Alternative, 2003) Iron Maiden – “Purgatory” (Metal, 1981) James – “Ring the Bells” (New Wave, 1992) Johnny Cash – “I’ve Been Everywhere” (Country, 1996) Journey – “Wheel in the Sky” (Classic Rock, 1978) Kenny Loggins – “Highway to the Danger Zone” (Rock, 1986) Led Zeppelin – “The Song Remains the Same” (Classic Rock, 1973) Los Lobos – “La Bamba” (Rock, 1988) Marillion – “Don’t Hurt Yourself” (Prog, 2004) Mastodon – “The Sparrow” (Metal, 2011) Metallica – “Fade to Black” (Metal, 1984) Mr. Mister – “Broken Wings” (New Wave, 1985) Muse – “Knights of Cydonia” (Alternative, 2006) Nirvana – “Heart-Shaped Box” (Grunge, 1993) The Offspring – “Gotta Get Away” (Punk, 1994) Opeth – “Cusp of Eternity” (Metal, 2014) The Outfield – “Your Love” (Pop-Rock, 1986) The Pineapple Thief – “Prey For Me” (Prog, 2005) Porcupine Tree – “Trains” (Prog, 2002) Prince & The Revolution – “When Doves Cry” (R&B/Soul/Funk, 1984) The Protomen – “Light Up the Night” (Indie Rock, 2009) Queens of the Stone Age – “I Appear Missing” (Alternative, 2013) Queensryche – “The Mission” (Metal, 1988) Radiohead – “Weird Fishes/Arpeggi” (Alternative, 2007) The Ramones – “Pet Sematary” (Punk, 1989) Rolling Stones – “Paint It Black” (Classic Rock, 1966) Scorpions – “No One Like You” (Rock, 1982) Silversun Pickups – “Mean Spirits” (Indie Rock, 2012) Simon & Garfunkel – “Mrs. Robinson” (Classic Rock, 1968) The Smashing Pumpkins – “The End is the Beginning is the End” (Alternative, 1997) Sonata Arctica – “My Land” (Metal, 1998) Ten Years After – “I’d Love to Change the World” (Classic Rock, 1971) Thin Lizzy – “Roisin Dubh (Black Rose): A Rock Legend” (Classic Rock, 1979) Tool – “Schism” (Metal, 2001) Toto – “Hold The Line” (Classic Rock, 1978) Twisted Sister – “I Wanna Rock” (Metal, 1984) Tyr – “Northern Gate” (Metal, 2009) U2 – “New Year’s Day” (Rock, 1983) Weird Al Yankovic – “Hardware Store” (Novelty, 2003) The Who – “Love Reign O’er Me” (Classic Rock, 1973) ZZ Top – “Tush” (Classic Rock, 1975)

We’ve also got a few fun trivia bits about our list:

Breakdown by Era 1950s - 2 songs 1960s - 4 songs 1970s - 17 songs 1980s - 21 songs 1990s - 13 songs 2000s - 23 songs 2010s - 4 songs

Breakdown by Genre

Classic Rock: 16 Rock: 14

Metal: 12 Alternative: 9

Prog: 6 Punk: 6

Blues: 3 New Wave: 3

Grunge: 3 Country: 3

Pop-Rock: 2 Indie Rock: 2

Novelty: 1 R&B/Soul/Funk: 1

Glam: 1

Hardest Song on Vocals: When Doves Cry Hardest Song on Guitar: The Song Remains The Same Hardest Song on Drums: Time Stands Still (At the Iron Hill) Hardest Song on Bass: Eagle Fly Free Hardest Song in the Game: Eagle Fly Free

Hope you guys enjoyed this exercise because we had a lot of fun doing it. Once we know what songs make it onto Rock Band 4, we’ll be back to revisit our picks and evaluate the setlist. Till then, keep ROCKIN.

#rb4 #rock band #video games #ultimate setlist

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NPPM’s Rock Band 4 Setlist: Part 4

Back to our regularly scheduled programming, I present the final 21 songs of our Rock Band 4 setlist.

The Cranberries – “Zombie” (Alternative, 1994)

Band: 1/6 Guitar: 0/6 Bass: 1/6 Drums: 2/6 Vocals: 5/6

This depressing track would be quite rewarding on vocals while providing the rest of the band with some nice mid tempo action. The vocals go down two tiers if you are Irish! (just kidding, kind of)

David Gilmour – “On an Island” (Prog, 2006)

Band: 0/6 Guitar: 1/6 Bass: 2/6 Drums: 0/6 Vocals: 0/6 (H)

This track from prog mastermind David Gilmour would be quite a breeze as far as this genre goes. I think it would be quite entertaining regardless and there are some great times to be had for harmonizing vocalists

Depeche Mode – “Dream On” (New Wave, 2001)

Band: 0/6 Guitar: 0/6 Bass: 2/6 Drums: 2/6 Vocals: 0/6 (H)

I really wanted to include this band somehow and when I remembered that this song actually had guitar I was very excited. Another simple tune, Depeche Mode also works to diversify our setlist.

Dolly Parton – “Jolene” (Country, 1973)

Band: 3/6 Guitar: 4/6 Bass: 1/6 Drums: 1/6 Vocals: 4/6 (H)

I’ve only come across this song recently and I really like it. The vocals would be excellent and being able to include more country music is a great thing

Eddie Vedder – “Hard Sun” (Rock, 2007)

Band: 0/6 Guitar: 0/6 Bass: 0/6 Drums: 0/6 Vocals: 4/6 (H)

Pearl Jam has received a great deal of attention in Rock Band so I decided to go with a solo track from the band’s frontman instead. This song would be very easy and repetitive, but it has a really great melody and would give any first time players a nice introduction to the game

Goldfinger – “99 Red Balloons” (Punk, 2000)

Band: 4/6 Guitar: 2/6 Bass: 4/6 Drums: 5/6 Vocals: 2/6 (H)

This classic cover song is tons of fun and would be very satisfying on all instruments. I’d imagine the German vocal section in the middle would be quite a fun exercise for vocalists

Incubus – “Megalomaniac” (Alternative, 2003)

Band: 3/6 Guitar: 1/6 Bass: 1/6 Drums: 3/6 Vocals: 5/6 (H)

Incubus has always been hit or miss with me and this song is one of the hits. The vocals are quite odd and would be pretty challenging.

Marillion – “Don’t Hurt Yourself” (Prog, 2004)

Band: 2/6 Guitar: 0/6 Bass: 4/6 Drums: 3/6 Vocals: 2/6 (H)

Another relatively simple prog song. Don’t Hurt Yourself has a really cool bass part and while the guitar never gets technical of complicated, it would be great fun to play because it has a lot of variances and little riffs.

Mastodon – “The Sparrow” (Metal, 2011)

Band: 4/6 Guitar: 3/6 Bass: 3/6 Drums: 5/6 Vocals: 0/6 (H)

Probably the easiest vocal song in our proposed setlist (Volrath would be to answer that more accurately), this moody epic from Mastodon is slightly repetitive but the powerful heavy sections would be fun as hell to play. Also, this song just kicks ass in general

Metallica – “Fade to Black” (Metal, 1984)

Band: 6/6 Guitar: 6/6 Bass: 5/6 Drums: 6/6 Vocals: 0/6

One of the great guitar songs I’ve ever heard, Fade to Black would be an extremely enjoyable and challenging experience for axemen like myself. This is another song where the vocalist gets a bit of a break while the rest of the band steps into the limelight. This has nothing to do with rock band but damn that riff at 1:44 always gets me. This song is so good

Mr. Mister – “Broken Wings” (New Wave, 1985)

Band: 2/6 Guitar: 2/6 Bass: 3/6 Drums: 1/6 Vocals: 3/6

One of a few cheesy yet awesome 80s track to make our setlist. Like most 80s songs, the vocalist would have a blast with this one.

The Pineapple Thief – “Prey For Me” (Prog, 2005)

Band: 3/6 Guitar: 2/6 Bass: 3/6 Drums: 4/6 Vocals: 2/6 (H)

I doubt too many rock band players would see this song and have any sort of reaction to it, but I couldn’t bring myself to not include something by the Pineapple Thief. I chose this particular track because it is relatively simple and I’d hope the song’s infectious energy, passionate vocals, and epic ending would win the band new fans

The Ramones – “Pet Sematary” (Punk, 1989)

Band: 0/6 Guitar: 0/6 Bass: 0/6 Drums: 1/6 Vocals: 0/6 (H)

This song is just a great time. It is goofy as hell and you would barely break a sweat playing it but I think it would be a hit just because it is so ridiculous. Volrath and I always loved Cool For Cats on Rock Band 2 for this reason.

Scorpions – “No One Like You” (Rock, 1982)

Band: 1/6 Guitar: 5/6 Bass: 1/6 Drums: 0/6 Vocals: 1/6 (H)

We never got SHIT for Scorpions on Rock Band so I felt obliged to include this one. This song would be an absolute blast on guitar and while it wouldn’t be too difficult for vocalists, I think it would be quite fun for them too.

Silversun Pickups – “Mean Spirits” (Indie Rock, 2012)

Band: 4/6 Guitar: 3/6 Bass: 5/6 Drums: 4/6 Vocals: 3/6 (H)

Silversun Pickups are very well suited for these games since all the instruments are generally very active in their songs. Mean Spirits is a great example of that as it would be a great time on all the instruments, especially the occasionally ignored bass.

Simon & Garfunkel – “Mrs. Robinson” (Classic Rock, 1968)

Band: 0/6 Guitar: 1/6 Bass: 2/6 Drums: 0/6 Vocals: 2/6 (H)

Everyone knows this song. Mrs. Robinson would be a great track to bust out at parties if people weren’t totally comfortable with the game yet. It would also be a good marketing tool

The Smashing Pumpkins – “The End is the Beginning is the End” (Alternative, 1997)

Band: 4/6 Guitar: 2/6 Bass: 5/6 Drums: 3/6 Vocals: 5/6 (H)

This track is quite distinct from the rest of The Smashing Pumpkin’s discography but I’ve always been drawn to its lyrics and its intense and ominous rhythms. This is one that would be great fun for the bassist and drummer.

Tool – “Schism” (Metal, 2001)

Band: 5/6 Guitar: 4/6 Bass: 4/6 Drums: 6/6 Vocals: 1/6 (H)

Tool is a bit too inconsistent for my tastes but when they are at their best, there is nothing like them. This song was really fun on Guitar Hero and would be a welcome addition to rock band (although the drummer may disagree)

Tyr – “Northern Gate” (Metal, 2009)

Band: 6/6 Guitar: 6/6 Bass: 6/6 Drums: 6/6 Vocals: 2/6 (H)

I was going to include a Foo Fighters song but then I learned Harmonix has basically licensed every Foo Fighters track in existence so that means MORE METAL. Tyr represents the best of Viking metal and this song offers the awesome anthemic vocals which make that genre so awesome.

Weird Al Yankovic – “Hardware Store” (Novelty, 2003)

Band: 2/6 Guitar: 0/6 Bass: 0/6 Drums: 4/6 Vocals: 6/6 (H)

This…unique track would offer Rock Band veterans something a little different. Hardware Store is lots of fun and it wouldn’t be too difficult with the exception of the vocals which are quite crazy. The section in the middle (you know the one) would be a blast.

The Who – “Love Reign O’er Me” (Classic Rock, 1973)

Band: 4/6 Guitar: 2/6 Bass: 3/6 Drums: 5/6 Vocals: 6/6

While beautiful, we’d have to leave the long keyboard introduction out of this one. Regardless, The Who have always been great on Rock Band and Love Reign O’er Me is no exception. The vocals in particular are out of this world on this song.

Alright! That’s all 84 done. Volrath will return shortly with a summary post.

#rock band #rb4 #video games #ultimate setlist

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nppm-blog · 9 years

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Nightwish: Endless Forms Most Beautiful Review

Fans of our Rock Band setlist, I apologize but I am going to have to interrupt that series to bring you a review of Nightwish’s much anticipated new album, Endless Forms Most Beautiful. This is the band’s firstalbum featuring Floor Jansen and Troy Donockley in full time roles and it is their eighth full-length release. Normally, I talk a bit about the album then review the tracks but this time I’m going to flip the order around.

The album begins with Shudder Before the Beautiful and opens with a brief voiceover done by famed biologist Richard Dawkins which then leads into a heavy orchestral riff. I was a bit sour on this song at first, as it isn’t particularly inventive and the transitions are pretty awkward. However, I’ve since come around to enjoy the tracks energetic chorus and ripping guitar/keyboard solos. Next up is Weak Fantasy, a heavy track which is undone by its unimaginative chorus. I really love the verses in this song, which are built upon spirited acoustic guitar passages and some vocal work by Floor which really shows off her versatility. However, the chorus is just a real let down and for me it doesn’t carry any weight. The bridge is really cool, with guitarist Emppu Vuorinen letting the acoustic guitar rip and Marco Hietala getting his turn on vocals. I’ve always been a sucker for Nightwish’s cheesy and poppy singles. I still love Amaranth and Storytime and I think Nemo is one of the strongest tracks the band has ever produced. Elan is no exception. With its fairy tale imagery and endlessly singable chorus, I fell in love with this track right away. Donockley is especially good here with his trusty uilean pipes adding playful folk melodies throughout. The song is certainly not ambitious, but I can’t stop listening to it. Yours is an Empty Hope reminds me of Master Passion Greed, and this is not a good thing. Nightwish keyboardist, songwriter, and leader Tuomas Holopainen is a brilliant composer, but sometimes his heavier stuff leaves something to be desired. The metal section of Nightwish’s fanbase will probably like this one, but as far as Nightwish’s heavier material goes, Yours is an Empty Hope lacks the power of tracks like Romanticide and Slaying the Dreamer.

Our Decades in the Sun is remarkably unremarkable. I listen to this song and find myself enjoying it but it doesn’t offer anything that makes it particularly memorable. Floor sounds great during the last chorus but I can’t help but feel she is restraining herself a bit on this one. Things start looking up with the next track. My Walden features Donockley at his finest as he provides a heaping helping of uilean pipes and even adds some vocals to the mix. This song is a ton of fun and its infectious energy reminds me of the rollicking I Want My Tears Back from Imaginaerum. Emppu provides another session of awesome acoustic guitar in the song’s epic folky solo section. This track is a winner. Another song which grew on me, Endless Forms Most Beautiful (the song) has one of the album’s best choruses. This track also features some great heavy riffing from Emppu (who really kills it this album) in the bridge. If I get to see Nightwish live again, I hope they play this track. I’m not actually sure what Edema Ruh is about (something about a wandering group of musicians), but this song is quite enjoyable. It has some great playful keyboard melodies which remind me a bit of Oceanborn. This track is relatively mellow for Nightwish but that is not necessarily a bad thing given how heavy some of the other songs on this album are. Donockley once again lends his vocal talents to the bridge of this track, which gives it a unique and folky dimension. Alpenglow is another track, like Our Decades in the Sun, which lacks a defining and memorable feature. There is nothing outwardly wrong with it but it never reaches the sort of thrilling heights you hope for in a Nightwish track. I really like the transition into the last chorus though as it totally catches you off guard. The Eyes of Sharbat Gula, which is based off of this photo is one of the most interesting and innovative tracks Nightwish as ever released. Completely instrumental aside from some well-placed vocal harmonies, this song really takes the listener on a journey. Tuomas brings the back the children’s choir which he utilized so well on Ghost River and once again uses them to great effect on this song. This song may be the best instrumental the band’s ever put out (Last of the Wilds provides stiff competition though).

Finally, we arrive at the 24 minute finale to Endless Forms Most Beautiful, The Greatest Show on Earth. Instead of writing a summary of the track, I’m going to do a timestamped play-by-play of my reactions to it.

0:01 – this is is a really beautiful piano melody, Tuomas isn’t messing around here

1:30 – oh shit things are getting intense, the orchestra is in full swin

2:57 – that same piano melody is back again, this time with some orchestral backing. Damn this is good

3:43 – wow, these are some Tarja-esque operatic vocals from Floor. This is impressive

5:06 – this is a great uilean pipes melody here

5:23 – Dawkins is back, these voiceovers are a bit tedious

5:46 – HOLY SHIT, this is epic as hell.

6:30 – these distorted vocal parts aren’t that effective, let Floor strut her stuff!

7:15 – This is what I mean, how great does Floor sound here? This refrain is awesome

8:15 – damn this melody is rousing, I could never get tired of this

8:45 – some orchestral wizardry here, sounds great

9:54 – again, this melody is killer, Tuomas really struck gold here and Floor KILLS it

10:50 – a lot of good orchestral build up…wait what are these animal noises, what is this nonsense? Even for a guy like Tuomas, this is too much

11:53 – pretty good riff here, nice break from that weird animal shit

12:19 – Hell yeah, Marco sounds great. He’s been underused in this album

13:22 – This is another really great refrain, pretty powerful stuff.

14:18 – some recognizable melodies in this section, including Dies Irae

14:40 – what is this banjo? What are these electric drums? Tuomas is going off the rails! (but its great)

15:40 – epic harmonizing from Floor and Marco

16:27 – what a great way to end the track! Damn, the disappointment of Song of Myself has been washed away, what a good song

16:55 – wait, it’s still going? This piano is nice

18:05 – Dawkins is back…uh oh

19:15 – this cinematic orchestration is fantastic…but damn these voiceovers need to stop. That monologue was not effective at all. There just isn’t a lot of emotional resonance in pointing out how much potential our DNA has. Let the music do the talking! This shit didn’t work in Song of Myself and it doesn’t work here

21:02 – this is kind of ambient and cool, I’m always a fan of ocean noises

21:34 – shit, Dawkins is back….

21:55 – how could you end the album on that note? How could you end this song on that note???? This track could’ve been incredible from start to finish but there is so much time wasted on these pretentious and ineffective voiceovers. Remember Ghost Love Score, one of the Nightwish’s most beloved songs? None of this BULLSHIT was in that track, just straight epic musicianship from start to finish.

23:58 – it’s over, not with a bang but with a whimper…

As you can see, the longest track of Nightwish’s career is quite a rollercoaster ride. Overall, it is a big improvement over the endlessly disappointing Song of Myself from Imaginaerum as the first 16 minutes are rousing and epic. The ending just kills the momentum though and feels totally unnecessary.

As a whole, this is another good album from the Finnish masters of symphonic metal. However, while it only has one song which I’d say is below average (Yours is an Empty Hope), it doesn’t have any tracks which reach the heights of classics like Ghost Love Score, The Islander, or Ever Dream. A few years back, Volrath and I created a list of our top 20 Nightwish songs and I don’t think any of these tracks would be total locks to make that list. Elan and My Walden would be in the mix and maybe The Eyes of Sharbat Gula as well. Also, if The Greatest Show on Earth was relieved of its last seven minutes, it would be welcomed with open arms. So while this album is definitely enjoyable, to me it is a bit of a disappointment given the colossal expectations I have for the band. Just to be clear, I’m not placing any of the blame at the feet of the new singer, Floor Jansen. I’ve heard the Wacken rendition she did of Ghost Love Score, where she literally moves me to tears during the last section. Nightwish has always and will always be Tuomas’s band and this time he just didn’t deliver an album which matches the quality of the rest of Nightwish’s catalogue.

Grade: B

Best Tracks:

Elan

My Walden

The Eyes of Sharbat Gula

The first 16 minutes of The Greatest Show on Earth

#nightwish #endless forms most beautiful #review #symphonic metal

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