#honestly wasn't a fan of the singer's voice though. but the sound of the song itself was great!

[metal-sludge]

I’ve heard of CC Knix to but he gives off more Michael Monroe vibes to me

Also have you heard of this other glam band called eyebolt

idkkkkk i still think cc knix reminds me of stevie rachelle... i realise this is stevie as an old man but i can see a lot more resemblance between these two than with michael monroe?? as for vibes,, i haven't really listened to stolen prayer so i can't comment :(

uhmm i haven't heard of eyebolt but i just listened to their single her legs and it was actually pretty good?? i'm obsessed with the song's cover art!! i'd be interested to hear what kind of music they produce in the future ^-^ they've already nailed the glam metal look <3

[tashaj4de]

A random ramble about Royal Scandal's Mermaid Theater

BEFORE READING FURTHER

If you're actually reading this- this is a comment I originally put on the official upload of Mermaid Theater on the Royal Scandal channel that I just wanted to put into my blog as well. This is more of the rambles of a fan who likes the series a lot, so I apologize to anyone reading this! You might get a little confused since I was typing off the top of my head.

Now for my ramble

Alright, time to type down the new MV impressions! First things first though, I said it in the song release but I love how Chima sounds here! Her voice really suits what I imagined Nina sounding like~ I wasn't sure it would since in her other covers, her voice felt too high, but here it sounds just right!

Now for the actual thoughts aaaaa the new story and MV were certainly worth the wait! I had a feeling the "Prince" for Nina would be Albert, and now that's confirmed… hooboi… her heartbreak… on to more of my long block of thoughts!

I was surprised to see Alam here! Which means this song takes place before Magic Ring Night, before he was taken over by the ring. And the latter half of the MV takes place during Bittersweet! So now we have a bit more of a timeline of when each song takes place in their world- or at least, the timeline we've been following so far? Which also means Beast in the Beauty takes place after Bittersweet! (And I'd say that since Bittersweet's story mentioned that Chelsea had already confessed to Lewis, thus her forlorn and "muddled" singing in the halls, I can assume Cherry Hunt is before Bittersweet! …assuming that's the song the confession is in, that is)

And since we're on the topic of characters! I already knew that Nina's story would be based on/referencing The Little Mermaid, so seeing it put out so nicely in the MV? Aaa…. but I wanted to talk about the crew aboard Albert's ship! We saw quite a few of them with visible faces/eyes this time around, so I wonder if we'll see them around again sometime? And I love how we can see how well-loved Albert is because of how his own guard outright cried with relief upon finally finding him in the village HAHAHA

Now, on to talking about the story! Since the story clarifies that Nina did not kiss the prince to resuscitate him, just sang to him instead- (Editing because maybe auto translation made me misread the story, but rereading it made me realize that she likely DID give Albert the "kiss of life" but she thought he wasn't waking up so she started singing) it makes me think… is this why Albert was attracted to Chelsea's singing? Because it reminded him of Nina's singing, which awoke him after being rescued by Nina? I'm a little sad that he didn't even catch sight of her within the village though… and I gotta love how supportive the village was of Nina ; v ; And Alam was the one who gave the dress? Honestly, it doesn't feel like Alam was a "poor" merchant at all if he was able to travel so far to a village that didn't allow anyone under 15 out of it! I love how much more this makes all the characters connected to each other though… and now, to talk about another aspect of the story!

Since Alam was specifically looking for "divas", could it be that this was Albert's way of searching for Nina, but he just ended up encountering Chelsea and heard her while searching? But for Nina's heart to be broken when she saw Albert staring at Chelsea when she was on stage… the poor girl… then she cried in the garden alone, only to encounter the same girl who attracted the one she herself loved… I don't blame her for running away, honestly. I can imagine the thoughts that ran through her head being something like "She's so pretty and kind, no wonder the prince fell for her" and being unable to stand the thought, she ran away- leaving a (broken) slipper behind. Which is interesting to me because it's just like a Cinderella reference- which again makes me think that the reason why Alam was sent out to invite Divas/Singers was to search for the one whose voice Albert heard (Nina's voice).

And with her heartbreak, seeing Albert's attraction to Chelsea and even briefly meeting the woman herself… falling into the ocean but not wanting to try to save herself despite it being an accident, wanting to just "become foam bubbles"? Definitely a Little Mermaid reference right there! After all, she must have thought that rather than see him be with anyone else, she'd rather not see it at all…

But then! Silence… and the moment where her eyes burst open and there's an intake of breath, seeing that someone was reaching out to her. And of all people it was, it was her Prince (Albert)! Could the reason she opened her eyes- and became startled- be because she heard him calling out to her, or was it instinct? Did she sense his presence and that's why she opened her eyes? She's a really good swimmer after all, and she's someone who even had dolphins help her bring Albert out of the water, so it wouldn't be surprising to me if she had that kind of senses while underwater.

Also I'd say that her being a good swimmer, someone who was able to rescue Albert amidst a storm, really emphasizes how not swimming out after she fell off the cliff really shows how much she was heartbroken and possibly wanted to die in that moment…

So! Since Albert was there to rescue her, I'd like to think that THIS moment is after Chelsea leaves with Lewis (since on Bittersweet, we also had a moment of "silence" before Lewis comes and declares he's there to pick her up). I can imagine he must have been walking around after Chelsea left with Lewis, and he saw Nina's fall- no idea if that would be within the palace, or on the beach, but either way we can see the results of that walk!

And since Albert rescued her… we see Nina, despite her heartbreak, falling in love with him all over again. So even if this is "her only chance", she took up the courage to confess to him--- and the MV ends. So we don't know how Albert responded! Whether he might've recognized her voice, or rejected her, or made her a singer in the concert halls of the palace… we won't know the answer until the next MV that continues the storyline comes out, I suppose!

And that's it for my blocks of text! Thank you Royal Scandal Team and Machita Chima for this lovely MV and song! I can't wait to see more of the Royal Scandal story, as well as what new things we might see in the Vocaloid version of the MV if/when it comes out!

Subtitles

I also would like to comment once again that I'm sad there's no English subtitles HAHAHA if only because I barely know any Japanese, though I can decipher some words (and I did see a translation of the song previously when it came out as part of one of the Royal Scandal Albums). I wonder if Royal Scandal would hire or find anyone to translate the song to add subtitles to not just this song but previous MVs (coughMagicRingNightcough) anytime soon? I'm mostly just thinking that because I like watching them on the Royal Scandal channel without trying to find other sources of translation…

[neko-loogi]

So I just watched the new Helluva Boss episode and honestly it's not the worst thing I've seen but eh I do have some complaints.

For starters I am not a huge fan of Queen Bee herself, as in her design I mean. Like, her design overall isn't bad, (although a bit cluttered with too much detail), it just doesn't suit the character she's supposed to represent. I mean, she's literally Beelzebub! But they didn't even bother to make her an actual bee, she's just a furry with bee attributes- (I believe she's a Fennec fox).

It's not a bad design to look at I guess? But I dunno, I was expecting a legit bee with a curvy body or something (not trying to be stereotypical-). *I also wanted to point out that her design feels like straight up fan service, that I'm sure Viv will make sexy merch of her soon. Just you wait.

Another thing I found weird about the episode was that she's dating Vortex. Like, it seems a bit off in my opinion especially since she's a literal sin, just like Ozzie and somehow it's okay for her to be dating this random ass hellhound (which according to Viv, they are a lower class than Imps). They make the whole Stolas and Blitzo be this 'forbidden love' bullshit, but suddenly it's okay with some characters? I dunno that just doesn't make sense really.

I would've much preferred if Vortex was just dating a normal hellhound that likes to host parties and stuff and that Queen Bee was just a good friend of his or something. Because honestly, I legit thought that she wasn't into him and she was just using him or something.

Anyway, Blitzo was still annoying as ever (seriously I absolutely hate him as a character and his voice is just unbearable and a pain to listen to), and his relationship with Loona felt shallow, so yeah there's that. I kinda liked how Loona wasn't a total edgy bitch in this episode, except that she still is and well there's nothing I can do about it.

I honestly didn't feel anything when she was upset in the episode, plus I thought it was weird that she calls Blitzo to pick her up because she wanted to go home and then suddenly she decides to stay at the party again. Then Blitzo gets drunk in a really stupid way and yeah it's not funny at all.

Overall the episode was okay, I mean the song was decent (even though Viv doesn't have to add a damn song to every episode but oh well-), and the animation was much much better than the previous episode.

*Edit: I've seen people complain about the animation not being consistent (but honestly Helluva Boss is always like that so I'm used to it basically-), however the last episode, Western Energy was god awful to look at, this one was more tolerable.

*Edit again: I'm noticing a lot of hardcore fans talking about how Queen Bee's design is really good and complain that 'pEoPLe sHoULd sToP wHiNiNg aBoUt HoW sHe DoEsN't LoOk LiKe a bEe'. Honestly in my opinion, fuck you. If I don't like the design then that's my problem, you don't have to agree with me and that's fine, but don't go out of your way to talk shit about others just because they don't like something. Man, Viv's fans are such bootlickers istg..

I'm still surprised they hired Kesha to voice Queen Bee, (no wonder the budget keeps getting worse, especially since Viv thinks she can just hire whoever she wants for her crappy little series about demons having sex and killing people-). I also find it stupid how she only voices the character but doesn't actually sing the song. She wrote the song, but didn't actually sing it. So what's the point?? What was the purpose of Viv hiring a literal fucking famous singer to voice a crappy character from her crappy little series when she doesn't even sing!

And don't get me wrong, I like Kesha, she's got cool songs and whatever but she cannot voice act at all. Her lines felt kinda flat and awkward whenever she spoke, and she also sounded off whenever she said any curse words.

But yeah, that's all I have to say.

[roppongi-division]

Kai's Thoughts on Aomori Division

Aoi Yamamura

"Even though he's the leader, Aoi is the only one from the group that I don't fully know all that well. I've seen him in passing a few times and Zakari has brought home some toys from his workshop (what he does with them, I don't know), but other than that, I don't know much about him. Judging from the wound on his face, he's obviously seen some combat. I suppose after a lifetime of fighting in war, wanting something much quieter, like being a toy store owner, makes sense."

Hisui Meguno

"I know Hisui because I once hired him to play violin on a track I was working for. Jyushi from Nagoya and his band, ArgoξOrchestra, had asked me to produce a song for their album (which they've yet to finish, by the way). And if any of you know Jyushi, you know that his music has to have some sort of... classical feel to it, like something you'd hear in an orchestra or during the Middle Ages/Renaissance."

"Anyway, I had a good idea for how I wanted the song wanted to go, but something was missing from it. While I was walking around, I heard someone playing a violin rather well. I followed the sound and sound Hisui performing for a crowd. When he was done, I asked if he'd help me with a song I was working on, which he agreed."

"Needless to say, the song came out better than I imagined. Jyushi was very happy (I had to stop him from getting too overexcited cause he might have started crying). I thanked Hisui for his work and told him I'd keep him in mind when I needed him again."

"I haven't had too many chances to collab with him after that, but I still see him performing on the streets every now and then."

Ruka Shiina

Kai gives a slight pause at the photo of the young female radio personality before a small grin appears on his face.

"Ruka, a.k.a. 'Regulus.' What can I say about her? She's a good woman with a good ear for music. Honestly, the first time I heard her was on the radio. I think she called my radio show a few months after I had just gotten started. She was really enthusiastic. She called almost everyday after that. I'll admit, I was a bit curious to know more about her, but she was just a fan, and I'd never met her before."

"It wasn't until Zakari introduced us that I thought I'd heard her voice before. It didn't take long for me to recognize her as Ruka. I told her I was glad to meet her and she reciprocated. Lately, I've heard her name in passing, not only as a cover singer, but also as a radio personality, like me. I'll admit, when she told me she was starting her own radio show, I was surprised. But I was greatly supportive. I still listen to her when she's on."

"I'm looking forward to seeing and hearing more from her."

Howling Moon

"I like this team a lot. As stated, I may not know much about Aoi, but he seems like a good man despite his past. I do have to wonder, though: what is their reasoning for entering the tournament? Was it due to Chuohku, like many others? Or is there something else? Zakari was as surprised as me when he heard Ruka was joining. I would have asked, but... I felt it would have been invasive or rude of me, so I didn't."

"I'll be honest: a part of me is dreading facing this team, not the least because I'm on good rapport with all of them. But I can tell each member is a lot more powerful than they seem, which isn't surprising. But whichever team wins, they'll have definitely earned it. I wish them the best of luck."

[musicjam10]

For the Night to Control, Electric Century, 14. July 2017.

I think the best way to start this review is with a personal anecdote. So, when I was suggested this album, I was weirdly surprised by it. I wasn't aware of the band, even though I felt like I had heard the name before. Well, I wasn't wrong; I did hear it, and for every My Chemical Romance fan,that may be the case as well. At the time of the band's breakup, bassist Mikey Way ventured to form Electric Century. Though I'm often reluctant to go and listen to bands side projects for their suspicious nature, this may be the right chance to fix my misconceptions.

Well, to cut a long story short, I did not enjoy it as much as I hoped. I had a really hard time getting through the whole album, finding myself skipping tracks or straight up stopping it midway. It did not help that the album is more of a mush-up of synthpop or techno sounds that I personally find unpleasant.

Now what made the album so hard to listen to? It is a mix of everything, starting from the strong dominance of the synthesisers in every single song that play mostly pretty simple beats to the contrast between up-beat dance music and an echo-stlye singing that is perceived to be more serious but for some reason uses more plesant or happier sounding scales.

And all of that is found in every song on the album. The majority of them are very similar, and in a way, if you heard the first one, you heard the rest. For some people, this is great, but honestly, when I listen, I would like to have at least some kind of verity, whether it is the tempo, genre shifts, or something else.

I am aware that I'm not the target audience for this kind of music and that the band may not take it too seriously, but like other their kind, I think they should experiment more and try some new sounds, for example, in Someone Like You or Until the Light Goes out on Me that have more emphasis on rock. As well, I found that in the last mentioned song, the female voice fits much better with the overall theme of the album, and I would prefer maybe a more female singer-centred album if they wish to go these routes again.

I would give it a: It's a more niche piece of music that will find its audience. Try the singles, and then decide for yourself if the rest of the album is worth it.

A big thank you to @r1talin-r4t for suggesting this album.

If you have any albums you would like me to review, feel free to suggest them as well,

If you found my review worth discussing in any way, I'm happy to do so.

Yours trully,

MJ.10.

[withered-rose-unbreakable-lotus]

About Show's voice

Honestly it's a good thing I go to Jrock one only for news, otherwise I'd be arguing every damn day. I go back to comments on A9's and Kiryu's hiatus in case sb heard sth more, cause some of those fans do live in Japan, but when I see stupidity I can't deal.

I saw people claiming that Show isn't a good vocalist, that that takes from their songs lately and that there was more passion in older songs etc etc. Let's talk music shall we? When you don't like a singer doesn't make them bad. It makes them not YOUR taste.

When A9 started their career Show's singing style wasn't "correct". There was more to his voice that couldn't be heard, cause of the way he was breathing while singing (many jrockers sing "with the nose" as you might have noticed or run out of breath easily and it takes practice to learn to sing while holding breath in the stomach and not the chest). However, at that time was also when Show's voice depth was showing better. Songs like Velvet are proof of that. All that changed later on, though. By the time songs like Gemini, Hana etc came to life, you could hear his voice was coming out smoother, it had highs and lows, nice turns etc.. PSC gave them a chance to a vocal instructor which believe it or not, not many companies in the vkei scene were willing to pay for. As long as the dudes were hot and were bringing people in, the companies didn't bother. Hell most bands never had a manager, it was usually the leader that took up all that work, while also perhaps composing or writing lyrics and designing, learning only through experience and asking around.

In recent years Show's voice seems to have changed again but in a different way (the flatness that comment I speak of, mentioned). After they left PSC, things remained the same for a few years but then it came. I notice the same change in Ryoga's voice (Razor, ex. BORN). Ryoga is one of the few vocalists that brings up what is going on in the scene regarding vocals and has been open about his troubles with his voice the last few years. Screaming fucks a voice up unless done right. Ruki's (the Gazette) screams seem to be less painful because he changed his technique. Still harmful but not as much as Ryoga's. Ryoga is one of those who goes to extremes though and has said that he will keep screaming until his voice dies. He needs a better instructor though and lots of resting cause he also deals with the second big voice killer in their scene and which applies to Show more too, since he doesn't scream much, the repeated lives. Vkei artists play way too many shows around the year, and not with breaks in between. They could be performing one afternoon, then run straight to a hotel, get their things, move to the next one and have only a few hours of sleep until the next show (I know every band in the world does that but to the extent they do it, there, is a bit too much. Also that + lacking guidance on how to deal with your voice shows us why so many vkei vocalists had to deal with vocal issues and losing their voice completely). Show has been doing that way too much, since he also belongs to a band that had many gigs and even though 2020 forced everyone sit their ass down and take a break, it already had done its damage.

It's not just a matter of passion to keep your voice healthy and tension up. Unlike other instruments like strings, drums etc, the voice is more delicate and even the things you consume can fuck it up. A guitarist won't lose his ability to play guitar if he smokes. A vocalist who smokes though will affect his breathing and vocal tone. If you want proof of why Show's voice could be sounding like that now, you can try singing one of their difficult songs. Try Gemini. The breathing in this song is crazy to me. If you like singing and know your breathing, try singing that song. Keep the highs high, no falsettos. If you aren't exhausted after that, either your diaphragm is a badass, or you do have better technique (most vocalists who've been doing this professionally can probably pull it off easily but it still is tiring). Imagine this song sang every day among other songs, for more than 1 year, shows that last 2 hours.

Show is a good vocalist, his voice simply isn't for everyone (no vocalist will ever be for everyone) and especially now that it's in a "weaker" state than what most people are probably used to.

[allthemusic]

Week ending: 29th March

Like clockwork, its one of those artists I would never have listened to if I wasn't doing this project, back for another round with the charts. And actually, both of these songs are kind of weird, in their own way.

The Poor People of Paris - Winifred Atwell (peaked at Number 1)

Yes, it's another Winifred song, though this one isn't a medley. Instead, it's a tune that I think I've maybe heard an ice cream van playing? Not that that isn't true of a few of her tunes, but this one has a particularly familiar ring to it.

Apparently The Poor People of Paris, while usually performed as an instrumental in the English-speaking world began as a French popular song called La goulante du pauvre Jean, or "The ballad of poor Jean", which was a hit for Edith Piaf and other French artists of the era. From what I can tell, it's about a man called Jean who gets rich but doesn't have anybody who loves him, so all his rich lifestyle is worth nothing. Notably, this has nothing to do with poor people - the English title is a mistranslation when somebody thought "pauvre Jean" (poor Jean) was "des pauvres gens" (poor people). Which... sloppy work, honestly. Did they never see it written down?!

Either way, it doesn't really matter, because this version doesn't have any lyrics, and the tune it has isn't particularly evocative either of poverty or of loneliness or even of Paris, particularly. I'm not a big fan of the "this song's about Paris, let's bung in an accordion and call it a day" approach, but if any artist could have gotten away with it, it's probably Winifred. But alas, no elements of Parisian colour here.

We do, however, get what I can only assume is an early theremin, which almost makes up for the lack of accordion, honestly. I love how delightfully weird it is, as it shadows the tune. It's like a ghost just decided to turn up and whistle along with the melody for a brief bit of the track. Excellent stuff.

Chain Gang - Jimmy Young (9)

Okay, I assumed going in that this might be a track from a prison film, a bit like Unchained Melody. But I was barking up the wrong tree - if there's any song this is trying to be, it's Sixteen Tons. It feels like a very deliberate attempt from the original artist, one Bobby Scott, to get that same vibe, from the blues sound and instrumentation, to the "work song" element, to the descending bass pattern on the Working on a chain gang segment.

Unfortunately, what I really liked about Sixteen Tons was its anticapitalist, barely-restrained anger. Here we do get the complaint that They put me on the chain gang, chain gang, chain gang / Workin′ on a chain gang alllll day, but rather than this being a takedown of a corrupt prison system, or anything like that, instead we get a story about a gold-digging woman who tempted Jimmy into stealing, then scarpered with the money, leaving him to take the fall. Which is kind of on Jimmy, honestly - he could have just not stolen that money. While Tennessee Ernie Ford was thus born into a situation that he was genuinely trapped in, you get the sense that Jimmy hasn't really got a leg to stand on. He got himself into this mess, and you don't feel a huge amount of sympathy for him, despite the hard labour he has to do.

Jimmy does his best with the cover, despite this, and the song is just about saved by dint of his campy delivery, along with the slappy echo and weird sound effects on all of the instruments here, the "hoo, haah" backing singers, and the odd delayed echo at the end, with Jimmy's voice doubling and tripling up over itself. It's all just... weird, in the same way that Winifred's theremin was weird. Some of it you could even imagine cropping up in a Fatboy Slim song, sampled and twisted beyond recognition. I appreciate the weirdness, even if it doesn't make for a very harmonious listening experience.

Actually, I wonder what people thought about the sound of this song - because it feels jarring, even today. Whatever they did to the percussion is straight-up bizarre, and honestly kind of fascinating to me, but also quite an unpleasant sound.

Well, both of those songs were, as mentioned, weird. I didn't love either of them as songs to listen to, but they both feel like they're pointing towards future music's use of studio effects. They're not electronic music, by any stretch of the imagination, but they're a tiny baby step closer. My favourite here's going to come down to which song's weirdness I find more appealing, and while tape echo is fun, my love of theremins may have to win out here.

Favourite song of the bunch: The Poor People of Paris

[cloudberry-ado]

Right I do this everytime I make a long af post so please as a dire warning if you feel your eyeslids droop and your head hit the back of your chair out of boredom- then excuse me that is my fault there so please think twice before you torture yourself reading this post because I yap until the cows come home (or you might get permanent brain damage probably)

Well to be fair, I don't know a lot of Roxers irl or on the internet so I talk to my mom about Roxette every day lol (funny how she was a fan right from the 80s but i know more songs and stuff in general about marie and per than she does JSJSJ) It IS very hard to find roxette fans which i honestly do not understand why sometimes because roxette is probably the best bands out there for me- no scrap that THE BEST BAND EVER and theyre so criminally underrated and oh my word SO DYNAMIC- (Marie really took my breath away when I saw her especially live) this is just my opinion tho mainly because i am shocked they arent as thought about as other artists are because honestly? Nobody I know can hype me up, headbang for hours and make me go "A banger as always" everytime I hear them and pers songs in general (Här kommer alla känslorna (på en och samma gång) I absolutely loved this one i don't know why it sounds so wholesome and cute despite it being a sad song). Never ever can get sick of Roxette Ive been listening to them every day for years straight and everytime it feels like I'm listening to them for the first time AAA- Now I'll try my best stop rambling now because I will bore you (don't bore us get to the chorus- or the point I should say) sorry sorry I'm just someone who is so much in love with roxette that the fact I can talk like this to someone who knows them properly ah man I always wished that honestly but never got the chance to- ANYWAY ILL STOP NOW AHAJSHJSJS I CANT SHUT UP SOMETIMES

AHEM- Now about GT ehehe (I was actually hoping you'd reblog and give me some recommendations or some juicy info since I actually need to look more into Gyllene Tider (jeez call myself a Per Gessle fangirl when I haven't even listened to GT properly be ashamed of yourself cloudberry)) BUT EEE YOU ACTUALLY DID THANK YOUU- HAH WELL JOKES ON YOU I AM INTO THIS VERY MUCH SO LOLS I feel very privileged recieving GT stuff from you so HEH- INTO IT HERE I GO

Yes I think when I researched about GT on yt it came up before roxette was formed (before 1986 obviously) and I listened to some songs for a while since for some reason young per made me wish I was born during that time period LOL honestly I was incredibly impressed because even back then Per was amazing and he still sounds the same until now! His voice honestly ages like wine lol and he's an incredible singer songwriter and guitarist even way back before roxette- I do know that they have reunited from time and time again (I'm not so sure if this is true but perhaps because of Roxette being slightly inactive for a few years because of maries cancer) and I have heard a bit! Not much but just a little bit and I think they sound really good though I'll have to give them more of a listen XD (and oh come on, per has SO MANY PEOPLE when it comes to people crushing on him, 1970s-now (including me jeez) which i do not judge at all since i can definitely see why JSJJS though my personal favourite look of him was when he did Pearls Of Passion especially in Neverending Love (he looked amazing in that black outfit). So anyways yes! I will definitely check them out and all the suggestions you have given me here and well me personally I actually tend to dig deeper initially when it comes to music so I'll give a good bunch of their songs a listen XD

OKAY OKAY- I HAVEN'T WATCHED THESE YET BUT I HAVE SAVED IT TO MY PLAYLIST SO I DEFINITELY WILL GIVE THEM A WATCH AND LISTEN OFC- But THANK YOU and on regards of how big GT was in Sweden I have heard they were quite successful! It said under one of Marie's biography that her band Strul wasn't as successful as Gyllene Tider (im not sure if this part is true however) so she left and joined gyllene tider for backing vocals yeah? BUT ACK- GOING OFF TOPIC AGAIN YES THANK YOU I WILL LISTEN TO ALL OF THESE AND I WILL UPDATE YOU WHEN I WILL JSJSJJS

But hey no! I love long posts and messages especially anything related to Per! I CANNOT say anything obviously I mean look at the state of this post I've rambled so much I'm sure you're yawning openly while reading this 😭 sorry about that haha but ay I feel you, ive already have a good liking to GT from my own experience so im sure I'll enjoy them as much as I do with roxette! But hey no thats okay either because I don't answer very well either sometimes (enjoying summer rn but school will hit me like a truck lol) and tbh Tumblr hates giving me notifs so sorry if I miss anything! But thank youu I'm so happy I found a roxette fan as well as a GT fan!

Thank you so much again for taking your time out for me like this!

Hi, first of all thanks for all your likes, reblogs and comments! Always feels nice to find another Roxer out there :3

I noticed you're kinda Per's fan, so let me ask just in case: have you listened to Gyllene Tider, his Swedish band? 👀

Hey!! Jsjsj i didn't think you'd actually say something to me lols but awk no problemo it's just, god I love Per so much ive been a huge fan of him since i was...9? First time I heard him was when my mom gave me Roxette! Look Sharp! album and I instantly fell in love with it (along with Per!) but yep I'm a BIG roxette fan and I cannot live without them (I actually cried for months straight when Marie died she was the whole reason why I started singing and making music).

But yes! I know Gyllene Tider, I know Per formed the band and worked in it before he formed roxette with Marie right? I don't know much songs since I'm still focusing on collecting Roxettes albums (Pearls Of Passion, Look Sharp!, Joyride, Tourism, Crash! Boom! Bang!, Dont Bore Us! Get To The Chorus (Roxettes Greatest Hits), Have A Nice Day, Room Service and Charm School. I lost my album cover for Look Sharp and I'm depressed now 😭) but damn I'm rambling now (sorry nobody else knows roxette except me and my mom so knowing you do it makes me so excited because I'm actually obsessed with roxette atp smh) but as I said yep! I did hear a bit of Gyllene Tider and I've watched Per perform with them in the early 80s though I don't actually know much of their songs. I WILL listen to them however since if it's related to Mr Gessle then hell yes this is my music JSJJS I have listened to Marie's band before she came to roxette however (Strul) and I quite liked Ensamt XD other than that please keep talking to me since roxette means the world to me and i never shut up about Per to my mom (she regrets introducing me to roxette now LOLS)

(I'm so happy you dropped and gave me an ask so imma just dance away now

OH-OH-OH)

[incorrecttwoset]

Lesson time with Dani:

I think the lesson we all learned here today is that I probably shouldn't look down on kpop too much. But then, I have listened to a lot of vocaloid and read along with the lyrics which get pretty intense sometimes. I would give examples but Prof. Nic has gone through many a phase and I cannot remember all of them. (And some i dont want to remember)

So, lets get on with the... songs? Pieces? Lyrics? Shall we?

1. Opera: Verdi - La Travita, Aria: Sempre Libera (Always Free), Character: Violetta. Lol i seriously thought that this was a pop song I havent heard of. But when i realized how this game was gonna go, aka when they revealed that it was opera and a translation thing, i stepped up my guessing game. But like SERIOUSLY THOOOOO. Who could've known? (Probably the singer or a person who actually understands the language) But damn son. Quiz-sama ain't playin aROUND.

2. Pop: Arianna Grande - Imagine. When i read the lyrics, i knew iMMEDIATELY. Why wouldn't I when I live with a sister who blared this fucking sing day in and out. (No offense sis, no offense Arianna) But like, when i saw that Twoset thought this was an opera? Oh bOI. Thank goodness I'm great at controlling my reactions. Because fam, I would've laughed my ass off in disbelief like what the fuck. I'd understand Brett's ignorance but Eddy too? Damn. (Brett's lofi intensifies)

3. Pop: Billie Eilish - . I honestly thought that this was like- okay, my thought process had phases. First sentence I thought "okay this sounds like that one Arianna Grande song." When I got to the "set fire" part, I thought "adele?" And then when i read "burn", i thought "is this that really old song? The "and im gonna let it burn burn burn" thing?" As you can see, all my song guesses were wrong. At least I got the genre. And like me, the bois were learning. (Cue that bear grylls meme)

4. Opera: Tchaikovsky- Eugene Onegin, Aria: Ya lyublyu vas, Olga (I love you, Olga), Character: Lensky. Like what Eddy said, this one's pretty obvious. Also, "I can see why people like opera now. I'm getting old." "Why yes, I do love opera as well." I say, a not legally an adult person. But like, seriously tho. Opera is good. Granted, I havent listened to a lot and to be frank the only opera I've listened to all the way is the Magic Flute but like- its good stuff. Only thing I want is to be able to appreciate it better. (Also check out Patricia Janeckova's recording of the Doll Song. I love it, its wonderful)

5. Opera: Donizetti - Lucia di Lammermoor, Aria: Il Dolce Suono (The Sweet Sound), Character: Lucia. I'll admit that Eddy's singing threw me off a lil but I guessed opera. With... not a lot of conviction. Sounded like something Lana del Rey would write okay.

6. Opera: Mozart - Don Giovanni, Aria: Madamina, il catalogo e questo (Dear lady, this is the list), Character: Leporello. I thought that this was either some really obscure rap, or weird opera. I couldn't decide so I just let it play out. When I saw it was opera, I was confused. Then, I wasn't because I saw that Mozart wrote it. I swear, Mozart would make a killing as a rapper or some kind of foulmouthed idol if he was born in modern times. Also, small Edwina and Brettany cameo!!!!!

7. Opera: Bizet - Carmen, Aria: Tout Doux, Moniseur (Softly, Sir), Character: Carmen. Honestly, by this point of the video (when I watched it for the first time) I was just straight guessing opera. Although, if the lyrics were rephrased, this line could fit in perfectly somewhere in a pop song. And also, I did not expect the dRAMATICNESS of the singing when they played that excerpt. Like, wOW OKAY. I mean it makes sense for Carmen as a character... and the language they used it in... and the style of opera... okay I really can't say anything about the extraness can I?

8. Pop: Billie Eilish - No time to die. I knew it was pop. (Rhyme scheme and lyric pattern and subject matter too predictable babey) But the fact that it was by Billie Eilish was what confused me. Idky, but them lyrics givin me Taylor Swift vibes. Or Lana del Rey vibes if you slow it down and make it "dreamy".

9. KPOP: Blackpink - Kill this love. This one was sUUUUUPER ambiguous to me. It was very eloquent and poetic in a sense. But then it also gave out pop vibes. I couldn't answer though I leaned more towards opera. But when i saw that it was Blackpink's Kill this love? My brain melted out my ears. I mEAN ITS IN KOREAN ITS A TRANSLATION THING. That still doesn't excuse the fact that im very- aSDFGHJKL about it.

10. Opera: Dvorak - Rusalka, Aria: Mesicku na nebi hublokem (Song to the moon), Character: Rusalka. This one was very obviously opera to me. But dem kpop lyrics threw me for a loop man! I went opera but yall, I was dOUBTING.

11. Pop: Charlie Puth - Attention. Was there really any need to guess this one? Although, if you've never been exposed to pop music and are hearing them for the first time then thats okay. We're all learning.

12. Opera: Mozart - Cosi Fan Tutte (All Women Do It), Aria: In Uomini in Soldati (In men, in soldiers), Character - Despina. I sincerely thought that this was a really obscure rap. And I wasn't surprised when it said that Mozart wrote this opera. (His creepy smiling face tho...)

13. Pop: Justin Bieber - Sorry. Like I said in number 11, was there really any need to guess. And Brett's (albeit braindead) singing of Super Junior's Sorry Sorry is- aUGHCK MY STAN HEART. I WAS ALREADY SLAUGHTERED BY HIM WEARING THE VIOLIN BUTTON UP AND HIS ADORABLENESS AND HIS DADDYNESS OTHER NON ADORABLE QUALITIES. Ughhhhh. Jesus christ i really have to simp for Brett in each of these posts huh?

14. Pop: Taylor Swift - Delicate. I thought that this was fOR SURE an Arianna Grande song. Because of that one song with the sleep thing. But ugh, Eddy's assumption of the song was just too good not to be mentioned. (And also because i need to fill these paragraphs but like- dat voice dow) And oh gOD SEEING THEM LAUGH TOGETHER AND VIBE LIKE THAT? IM- wow look I just died of blood loss.

15. KPOP: BTS - On. Brett picking opera and falling off his chair is me. Quiz-sama. Mercy. Mercy pLEASE. Dude, translated kpop is intense.

Also editor-san was on fIRE TONIGHT. The sass was very string today. Fuck, i LOVE IT. Wait. Holy shit I just realized something. Editor-san, subtitler-san, and quiz-sama. The holy trinity of subtle twoset humor and behind the screen action. The cast is huge and i am a simp for all of them.

[gracie-p8-officialblog]

Spilling Tea On Phantom of the Opera 2004

DISCLAIMER: I just want to say from the start that it is not my intention to offendanyone, you're entitled to your opinions and I'm allowed to have mine...

Ok, so, I just watched this movie a few days ago on my laptop and it was pretty much my first time sitting through the movie. I watched a few clips of the movie on YouTube but... Then, I decided to watch the whole movie. And this was my reaction.

Don't get me wrong! There WERE parts I liked but... That was just half of the movie... But overall... Um... It was meh. Ahem. Down to business!

My opinion on Gerard Butler as the Phantom? Um, wow. And not in a good way. I feel like this was a case of a talented performer being grossly miscast as the Phantom. I think this Tumblr post best describes on what I thought of his singing.

"He's supposed to have the voice of an angel, but it sounds like he's been gargling vinegar" ~Quoted by @faded-florals

Don't get me wrong. His voice is quite good for an untrained singer but... The Phantom is one of the biggest musical theatre roles of all time! It's right up there with Jean Valjean. It's really not a role that could go a competent singer, someone who's never sang professionally before but could be good once they've been trained up a bit. The role demands a truly great singer... And he wasn't right for the part.

His voice felt too strainy, growly and rock-ish for the Phantom. I didn't like how Joel Schumacher bought into the whole "sexy Phantom" thing and cast a hunky heart-throb, who was nowhere near disfigured enough. It's meant to be a gothic thriller novel with a small romantic subplot, not a B-grade vampire romance movie!

As for Emmy Rossum as Miss Christine Daae... it's true, her voice is good. She should know though, should she wish to excel, she has MUCH still to learn (Heeeeehee. Sorry. Couldn't resist.)

Emmy's Christine had little-to-no character growth and personality but I don't think it reflects her as an actress, but reflects more on the director and casting director because of how young she was (but more on that later)

Not only that, her Christine was SIGNIFICANTLY dumbed down and oversexualized. I mean, the entire point of the story is that Christine grows strong enough to overcome the trauma of an abusive relationship and make sure that her abuser never hurts anyone ever again but still shows the Phantom compassion and sympathy. I mean, her story arc is her becoming strong-willed enough to overcome the Phantom's pull/spell/enchantment/hypnosis or whatever you percieve it as on her! And don't get me started on her costumes because of the SEVERE lack of modesty.

The chemistry was a little flat because she was underage and her two male love interests were both in their 30s (which totally isn't HER fault, of course, but the directors could easily have cast someone else older)

Her voice, too, strikes me as being much too young and undeveloped. She has a very pretty, sweet-sounding quality to her singing but she doesn't sound rich and operatic enough to be a convincing Christine. Rebecca Caine and Amy Manford do the best job of singing the way I think Christine ought to sound- a maturing opera voice! Though POTO is NOT an opera (you wouldn't believe how many people actually think it is...), it does revolve around opera, and Christine is an opera singer, not a pop star.

And now onto... Everyone's favourite vicomte!!!!!!

C'mon people, put your bottles down. It is a truth universally acknowledged (or at least in the wee Raoul Defense Squad Circle) that Raoul is one of the greatest and most underrated boyfriends to ever exist in musical theatre and it's almost impossible to hate him because of how relatable he is.

Ladies, puh-leeze. He's much more relatable than you admit and face it, we all have a little bit of Raoul in us. Failure to see things staring us in the face, saying or doing the wrong thing at the wrong time, having a 'see it to believe it' attitude when we have little-to-no evidence on something... yeah, don't pretend you don't see a trend. Raoul is relatable whether we want him to be or not.

My thoughts on Patrick Wilson as Raoul, he was one of the few redeeming qualities of this not so great movie. Yeah, the swordfight and Tarzan leaps were a little too much but can you blame him?! And though I feel like that foppish wig made him look more like a magic elf prince than a vicomte, he couldn't control that!

His Raoul was so gentle and caring! Yeah, his acting was a bit stiff but at least his voice wasn't a chore to listen to, it has this warm, tender, comforting quality to it which suits Raoul. I really loved the way he sang "Don't throw away your life for my sake" and "I fought so hard to free you" in the Final Lair (😭😭😭) It feels like Raoul is genuinely apologising to Christine.

I know, I know... The Hadley Fraser fans are approaching with menacing expressions as we speak but let me clarify. I still think Hadley is amazing but... His Raoul kinda felt a little too shouty for me and his Raoul was closer to the LND-canon than POTO-canon (not his fault though).

Miranda Richardson (aka. Rita Skeeter) as Madame Giry is kind of weird. I mean, I know Madame Giry's supposed to be a little Strange and Mysterious. But this Mme. wasn't really Strange or Mysterious at all, or even slightly Spooky at all. She was just kind of an oddball. Popping up in random places to give warnings about the Phantom and looking at people as if she were questioning their life choices or something. As for her daughter... well, Jennifer Ellison's Meg was so-so. She's got a sweet-sounding voice and that added scene where she looked for Christine in the lair was a nice touch... But... Her Meg was kinda forgettable and uninteresting. Meg is supposed to prance around shrieking that the Phantom of the Opera is here, not whisper it in a blase manner that you half expect to be followed up with, "by the way, what's for lunch?" Not to mention, she rivaled Christine as far as low-necked costumes went.

Minnie Driver as Carlotta was spot on! Yes, I know she didn't sing the score but her acting was alright. She was very over-the-top and self-centered, which is great for Carlotta, but I felt her portrayal was a little too childish to be accurate. Carlotta is a successful middle-aged diva who's willing to scream and storm when she doesn't get her way, but she isn't a two-year-old pouting and throwing tantrums. (Yes, there's a difference.)

Ciaran Hinds and Simon Callow played Firmin and Andre, respectively. Their managers kinda felt like twits and nothing more. Also, Firmin's masquerade costume was ridiculous. The stupid kind, not the funny kind. ...Well, okay, it was a little funny.

I'm not going to touch on every song here, but I will say that "Hannibal" was beyond awful (if you thought the costumes in the stage version were a bit risque, you should see the movie ones- no, actually you shouldn't) and that "Think of Me," while very nice, was not particularly memorable. Christine's dress, however (despite its less-than-ideal neckline) was GORGEOUS, even though it looks completely out of place in a musical that supposedly takes place in ancient Alexandria.

"Little Lotte" kinda lost its charm by being spoken instead of sung. And Gerard Butler's voice in "The Mirror" was too rough and raspy for my ears and made me cringe in sympathetic shame. The title song was like a cheesy, campy B-grade horror movie tbh, trying way too hard to be spooky and chilling ("ooh, look, Phantom's Lair! It's DARK and SCARY down here!") and succeeding only in being cringeworthy. Not that I've actually ever seen a bad horror movie- or any horror movie at all, for that matter. Unless you count this one.

Christine's costume, too, annoyed me no end. She was basically wearing a corset and drawers under the dressing gown. *facepalm* The dressing gown is supposed to go OVER your COSTUME to keep it CLEAN, peeps. It's not a BATHROBE. And the amount of eye makeup she had on would terrify a raccoon. Yikes.

Though I liked the random horse because of its nod to the Leroux novel.

"Music of the Night" was so blah-slash-touchy-feely that it made me summarily uncomfortable.

I'd like to be able to say something nice about "I remember/Stranger than you dreamt it" but I have none. One thing that bugged me to no end was how Christine is no longer wearing stockings, like dude, that gives some GROSS implications. Anyways, let's skip to Il Muto!

Oh, but first I should say that "Notes" was rather a flop and that "Prima Donna" is unmemorable and indeed should probably be fast-forwarded as there's a rather unsavory bit involving a crew member showing the audience what he thinks of Carlotta's behaviour.

"Il Muto," I must say, was pretty doggone funny. Carlotta's "Your part is silent. Leetle toad," cracked me up into a bunch of giggling little pieces, and the little vignette of the Phantom tinkering with Carlotta's throat spray made her croaking later on a lot more believable.

Now for "All I Ask Of You", SQUEEEEEE!!!!!!!!! I honestly can't understand how anyone could listen to this song and still maintain that Christine and Raoul don't belong together. He represents everything she needs- stability, protection, a guiding hand and affirmed affection. She represents everything he needs, in turn- someone to show affection to and his childhood friend.

One thing I definitely think could have been left out was the scene in which Erik kills Buquet- we totally did not need to see him being chased, terrified, through the rafters and finally strangled. Gross.

And the Phantom and his rose crouching behind that statue... I think this was supposed to be sad, but there was too much snot mixed with tears for it to be sad. It was, again, gross. So was Gerard Butler's pathetic attempt at the "all that the Phantom asked of you" line. And the lack of a chandelier crash in that scene made the song anticlimactic.

And "Masquerade" was so-so but... The Phantom's entrance is anticlimactic somehow, and his Red Death costume (if indeed it's supposed to even BE the Red Death) is unimpressive. I don't like how Raoul just runs off to desert Christine as soon as things start looking ugly (yes, I realize he was going to get his sword, but still... something could have happened to her while he was gone. Duh, did this guy learn anything from "Little Lotte/The Mirror"? Just sayin)

As for Madame Giry's flashback immediately following, I like how it gives us some of the Phantom's backstory, but it seems really abrupt. You don't even realize until she's done that she was talking to Raoul the whole time- it sounds like she's just randomly reminiscing about Stuff, and if you didn't know the story you might be sitting there thinking, "who is this strange woman again?"

Also, Christine leaving wherever-it-is at, like, five in the morning to go to who-knows-where, completely oblivious to the fact that the Phantom is driving her. Whaaaaaaaaa? How'd he know she was planning to go for a graveyard stroll? Was he watching her through the mirror again? THAT'S JUST CREEPY.

"Wishing You Were Somehow Here Again" was rather mediocre and dulled down the fact that it is a Christine Empowerment™ song. Why, exactly, does Christine's father have the biggest monument in the cemetery? If he were a rich and famous violinist as his crypt seems to suggest, why on earth was his daughter struggling along as a chorus girl taking free music lessons?

The swordfight... Well... I had mixed feelings about it. Sword fights are all well and good, but... The swordfight takes away the element of mysterious danger to the Phantom. Okay, fine, Christine getting Raoul to spare the Phantom's life is a nice touch, I guess, but did it strike no one else that his "now let it be war upon you BOTH" makes absolutely NO sense after that? If she just saved his life, why would he suddenly be all, "thanks, but no thanks, I'M GOING TO MURDER YOUUUUUUUUUU"?

And "Twisted Every Way" was after "Wishing" which made ZERO sense. Plus, I didn't like how they cut most of it because in the musical, it gave Christine a spine!

"Point of No Return"? Hooooooo boy....... There are so many things wrong with this number. Let's just a list a few.

*HOW did no one recognise the Phantom through his "disguise"?! At least in the stage play, it made more sense because of how he was wearing a cloak that obscured most of his body.

*Christine's sleeves falling down over and over again were REALLY annoying.

*It was just too touchy-feely for my taste.

*The fact that Emmy Rossum was a teenager during filming made this scene gross because of the way they oversexualized Christine in this scene.

*Gerard Butler's voice in that scene made me cringe and shake my head in sympathetic shame.

*In the stage play, Christine ran from him, showing her own agenda and resistance to his pull! While in the movie, she didn't resist him!

*Now for the one that took the cake... The disfigurement! Or it would be a disfigurement if it actually made him look, y'know, deformed. Instead, as several people have put it, he looks like he got a bad sunburn or something. It's really rather pathetic. It makes him look more like a drama queen than he already is! Yeah.... I really don't like this movie.

On to... Final Lair!!!!!!!! It was a flop. From Raoul's whining and flailing around and his stringy hair flopping about (shallow complaint, I know, but it's so ugly) to Christine's sappy melodramatic "don't make me choooooooose" faces to the Phantom's prancing around with his ropes and maniacal laughter that somehow wasn't really scary at all... yeah, it was a flop. A major, major flop. And though The Kiss wasn't all that bad, all I could think of was, "She's SIXTEEN! SIX! TEEN! THIS IS CREEPY, DISTURBING AND GROSS!"

Which is why it's so difficult for me to admit that, um, I... cried at the end.

I COULDN'T HELP IT GUYS HE WAS ALL ALONE THERE IN HIS LAKE WITH HIS MONKEY AND HIS SMASHED MIRRORS AND HE WAS CRYING AND IT WAS SAD.

And then that rose on the gravestone? That single red rose? And the look on Old Raoul's face (still Patrick Wilson, by the way, under all that makeup) when he saw it and realized he wasn't the only one visiting Christine's grave? Yup, I lost it again there, too. And I really didn't want to. Because I tend to cry over movies I love, y'know? And I didn't love this movie. At all

Yet I still cried at the end. I'm not really sure why. I think perhaps it had something to do with the way the story still "got" me, deep down inside, despite the lousy casting and less-than-perfect singing and ridiculously unnecessary elements that totally didn't need to be there. It's still a tragically beautiful romance, and even a bad film can't kill that.

In conclusion, I think Mary Poppins can best express what I thought of POTO 2004.

In conclusion, I rate it a 2.7/5

[happymetalgirl]

Albums I Missed in 2018

Alright, already halfway through the year, and the time has come (as I said I would last year) to acknowledge the albums from 2018 that I didn't last year before getting onto the second half of 2019. Yeah, that's it, no need for more intro. Here are my thoughts on some albums from 2018 that I didn't talk about.

Yob - Our Raw Heart

I heard so much hype over this album last year and saw it ending on so many year end lists, yet for some reason I just didn’t have the time or energy to give it a worthy try so it slipped by me. And honestly, after finally hearing it, I can’t say I’m all too heartbroken about missing out on it. It's honestly some of the most derivative modern doom/sludge metal that I've ever heard hyped up to this degree. When the album isn't meandering through the types of thick soundscapes that hearken a bit too much to early Pallbearer, it's "resting" amid cheap drones that sound like unaltered Sunn O))). The band are closer to achieving their goal on the more dirging doom songs on here like the title track, but when they try to get heavier like on the unbelievably annoyingly repetitive "The Screen", they sound very out of their capacity. I don't know what so many saw in this album last year beyond its occasionally convincing imitations of Bell Witch or Pallbearer.

Craft - White Noise and Black Metal

I don't know why I didn't talk about Craft's 2018 album, maybe because it wasn't all that different from the band's previous releases, but either way, the Swedisg crew came through with a strong fifth offering of straight-up modern black metal. That band has always had a knack for the grim and sardonic, and they carry that energy well onto White Noise and Black Metal. Again, it's hardly the most unique black metal I've ever heard and it's really not all to different from Fuck the Universe or Void, but for what the band are doing, there's really not much else to complain about. Sure, it could be a little more varied or come with a few more memorable grooves or something, but for nasty, snarling black metal with nothing else in mind, Craft continue to be on of the genre's steadfast pillars.

Convulsing - Grievous

I stumbled across this album earlier this year because I recognized the visual handiwork of Leviathan's Jef Whitehead gracing the cover art. Convulsing is apparently somewhat of a one-man solo project that seems to have started out pretty recently (around 2016 or so) and the music is as harrowing and demonic as I would expect from a Jef Whitehead endorsement. The low-tuned guitar work on Grievous is pretty in line with the type of playing that made Scar Sighted so powerful, and the bellowing death growls give it a furiously cavernous atmosphere. And it is indeed an atmospheric type of listen despite being so thick in its death metal elements, but the gravitation pull of those elements are well-harness to really suck one into the deep dark it provides.

Hoth - Astral Necromancy

On no other album last year did I hear quite the smooth and well-balanced overlap of technical death metal speed, blackened death metal menace, and thrash. Hoth really has it all and is not afraid to show it; this album really has everything: a variety of melodic guitar leads, sinister growls, and intricately hyperactive drumming. It’s this impressive juggling act that makes Astral Necromancy such a unique listen, and one that I wish I had talked about and dissected more thoroughly the intricacies of last year.

Bad Wolves - Disobey

Despite actually not totally disliking the band’s alt metal power ballad cover of The Cranberries’ “Zombie” (which goes over much better than their original balladry), the combination of the band coming up largely by way of a cover song and their close association with Five Finger Death Punch unfortunately kept me at bay from the very label-propped band’s debut album. After having heard the rather familiar djent-influenced groove metal style that the band has to offer, I can't really say the channeling of what Whitechapel and Upon a Burning Body have tended toward into formulas that Shinedown would work with is really all too offensive or inoffensive either. Sure, some of the fence-sitting political commentary, while well-intentioned, is a bit beyond the band's lyrical capacities at best and ham-fisted at worst. But really there isn't really anything the band are doing or saying that's at all new. They're simply one of the newest voices contributing to servicing the Five Finger Death Punch fan demographic, and it really does sound like if Shinedown decided to go djent-groovy in an attempt to bring back their old fans, which I will say does sound better than what Five Finger Death Punch are offering these days.

Hyperdontia - Nexus of Teeth

This one only really caught my attention because of this dental theme, which I think needs to be a theme more prevalent in metal music. More bands need to create musical horror stories that push for encouraging better dental health. But really, this album isn’t exactly the most ground-breaking of modern death metal releases, but if it’s an itch that needs scratching and the usual helping hands like Morbid Angel, The Black Dahlia Murder, or Bloodbath seem worn out for the time being, Nexus of Teeth will get the spot just fine.

Sarah Longfield - Disparity

Brilliant YouTube-based guitar shredder Sarah Longfield had been putting out albums before this one, but I didn’t hear about Disparity until the year was over, and while it’s certainly not a terrible project, I’m not really all too upset about missing it. Longfield takes the album as an opportunity to dive into smooth, semi-jazzy atmospherics that don’t always highlight her technical talents the way they needed to to make the album more engaging. Again, it’s not awful and it’s not like she’s stuck playing back-up the whole time, but Longfield seems subdued on her own album, and it’s disappointing given how magnificent it could have probably sounded if her guitar playing got more time at center stage, which was quite possibly her intent being that she already makes so much content focused on her guitar technicality.

The Black Queen - Infinite Games

Though not quite as overtly raucous as the now retired The Dillinger Escape Plan, Greg Puciato’s second album with this new electronic rock-focused project does generate its own kind of energy that could arguably bear a thread connected to Puciato’s former band. But the appeal of The Black Queen and Infinite Games is rooted more in the textures that the band bring to the table and the more fully opened expression of this calmer side of Puciato’s voice over new-wave-inspired electronic ambient pieces, which, to be clear, bear no resemblance to anything metallic. What’s clear about this album though is that it’s something that Puciato has wanted to do for a while and has genuine passion for rather than a ploy for the “metal singer doing no-metal project” novelty. I didn’t hear about it until earlier this year, but I will definitely be keeping an ear out now for any upcoming The Black Queen releases.

Violet Cold - Sommermorgen (Parts I, II, & III)

I came upon Violet Cold through a friend of mine turing me onto their Magic Night album around the time Deafheaven's brand of bright, cathartic blackgaze and post-metal was sweeping the black metal landscape. While I had kind of forgotten about the album for awhile, I really liked the main opening song to that album, and I was hoping to maybe hear a little more from the band along those lines with their three-part album. Sommermorgen's three parts, while not offering what I was hoping for, fall nicely in line with the occasionally metallic post-rock ambient music of Hammock, If These Trees Could Talk, and Explosions in the Sky, providing at least a sufficiently soothing atmosphere with enough compositional dynamic to keep it from being a total bore.

Slugdge - Esoteric Malacology

How I missed Slugdge’s fourth album and transformation into a fully fledged performing band last year is beyond me. I promise this has a point and that I’ll get to it, but since its inception, one of the most baffling things about Slugdge is how upset some people seem to get about something about either their theme or their puns or their aesthetic. It baffles me because this is so clearly an innocuous side project (or at least it began that way) for its founders to just put out some death-y sludge metal without the kind of self-imposed rubric that often comes with a main project. Slugdge’s music is also so accessible (free if you choose) that complaints about it kind of bear that whiny quality that often underlies complaining about free content. And for fuck’s sake, it’s music about a celestial slug deity; could there be a more obvious signal to not take this too seriously? Because that’s clearly exactly the point of this project. I bring this up because it has clearly been this apparent liberation from needing to create in a super serious context that has become the compositional strength and the appeal of Slugdge. And sometimes freedom from expectations for a band’s music to fall within a certain framework can really unlock artists’ full potentials, which has definitely been the case for Slugdge. Even to some of the band’s fans, Esoteric Malacology felt like a bit of a loss of this non-serious charm the band had operated under, which I think was just inevitable as the members continued to see such success from Slugdge. But any sense of lost charm hardly comes through in the actual compositional content of the album, so either I’m missing something or others are reading too much into contextual aspects of the bands rise to death metal’s upper echelons and applying them to the enjoyment of this album. Personally, I find Esoteric Malacology to be a fine continuation of the refined combination of sludgy and deathly styles that characterized Gastronomicon and were expanded upon on Dim & Slimeridden Kingdoms and one I wish I hadn’t arrived to so late.

Lingua Ignota - All Bitches Die

This did technically come out in 2017, but I will take it's re-release through Profound Lore last year as an excuse to talk about it here because goddamn! Along with her visceral live performances that truly earn that descriptor, Kristen Hayter has seen quite the outpouring of deserved support and respect for her work on Lingua Ignota's Let the Evil of His Lips Cover Him and All Bitches Die. On both these albums (both released in 2017 orginally) Hayter channels her personal experiences as a survivor of domestic and sexual abuse into both classically sung, mournfully gorgeous lamentations and venomous shrieks of anguish, rage, and vengeance. It's hard to say I enjoy this album in the traditional sense, and knowing how real it all is to its creator and performer, I honestly don't feel right just putting either of these albums on in the background while I do other things without giving them my attentiveness. But what Hayter does so powerfully through Lingua Ignota absolutely deserves to be appreciated not just for her musical capacity and artistic uniqueness, but for how it expresses the voice and emotions of the victims of such abuse that aren't heard too much in this field.