What are you currently listening to?

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o.pwuaioc
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Re: What are you currently listening to?

Post by o.pwuaioc »

To Far Away Times wrote:So I don't have a super wide range of stuff I listen too, but the grunge era has always stuck with me.

Nirvana, Soundgarden, Pearl Jam, Alice In Chains, and Stone Temple Pilots all probably make a Top 10 list for me.

Soundgarden in particular really resonates with me. I don't think people realize just how weird, yet melodic, their music is. Black Hole Sun is everything a popular song should not be. WTF weird ass scales are they using in the intro? WTF time signature is happening? Weirdest fucking timing and flow with the guitar solo, but somehow it all works and is super melodic and catchy. They break the rules and get rewarded for it in the best ways. But it's the weird timing and scales that make that song unique. No one has ever written these songs before, which is why I think they stuck around so well.
What's even like Black Hole Sun after Soundgarden? That one was way out there. The music video just made it tripper, especially in 94.

That said, I'm more partial to Alice in Chains. Everything they put out is gold, and even with all their other albums, one still had to grab Nothing Safe just to get Get Born Again. I think more than the rest, they perfectly bridged the hardness of the earlier metal scene with the rawness of grunge. Plus, you know, Staley's voice is still haunting.
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To Far Away Times
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Re: What are you currently listening to?

Post by To Far Away Times »

o.pwuaioc wrote:
To Far Away Times wrote:So I don't have a super wide range of stuff I listen too, but the grunge era has always stuck with me.

Nirvana, Soundgarden, Pearl Jam, Alice In Chains, and Stone Temple Pilots all probably make a Top 10 list for me.

Soundgarden in particular really resonates with me. I don't think people realize just how weird, yet melodic, their music is. Black Hole Sun is everything a popular song should not be. WTF weird ass scales are they using in the intro? WTF time signature is happening? Weirdest fucking timing and flow with the guitar solo, but somehow it all works and is super melodic and catchy. They break the rules and get rewarded for it in the best ways. But it's the weird timing and scales that make that song unique. No one has ever written these songs before, which is why I think they stuck around so well.
What's even like Black Hole Sun after Soundgarden? That one was way out there. The music video just made it tripper, especially in 94.

That said, I'm more partial to Alice in Chains. Everything they put out is gold, and even with all their other albums, one still had to grab Nothing Safe just to get Get Born Again. I think more than the rest, they perfectly bridged the hardness of the earlier metal scene with the rawness of grunge. Plus, you know, Staley's voice is still haunting.
Oh I love AIC. Those vocal melodies, man. Staley sings with so much power and emotion too. Totally different genre, but reminds me of like Whitney Houston or similar that's just so completely ridiculous. You can make whole songs that's are just vehicles for him to sing the shit out of.

They're super bluesy too. I don't think people realize how much they like blues music.

Much like Zeppelin, I prefer their quieter, acoustic side (I Stay Away and No Excuses being my two favorite songs of theirs), but the ability to not be pigeonholed into certain styles is super cool.
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Re: What are you currently listening to?

Post by Air Master Burst »

King's Field IV is the best Souls game.
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BurlyHeart
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Re: What are you currently listening to?

Post by BurlyHeart »

Air Master Burst wrote:I mean the only reason I went to a Fugazi show in the first place is cuz I liked their music. I'm not dismissing their artistic output, I just think they should lick my fucking taint for having a shitty message.
Everything I have researched indicates Fugazi did not have that message, though some of their fans may have propagated it. Straight Edge was a Minor Threat song, and Ian MacKaye has gone on record to say it was not his intention to create a movement.

vol.2 wrote: Wow. That sucks that happened to you, but not all of that stuff condones violence against drug users. Minor Threat certainly doesn't; it was Ian's brother Alec that spearheaded the "we'll beat you up for smoking pot" movement with his band, Faith. And that stuff really faded away in DC (where I grew up) in the mid 90s. It was a common sight to see Ian drinking a beer at a show once Fugazi started. And it honestly did help a lot of people who didn't want to drink or do drugs to have a reason not to feel pressured. I think that's one of the reasons I started going to shows so young, because I had the option to be sober and still feel included.
From what I've read, one of the reasons there was a no alcohol at Fugazi show was to allow fans of all ages to attend. That's very interesting about Ian's brother and about Ian drinking a beer at some shows! I had never heard that before.
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Re: What are you currently listening to?

Post by OmegaFlareX »

To Far Away Times wrote:So I don't have a super wide range of stuff I listen too, but the grunge era has always stuck with me.

Nirvana, Soundgarden, Pearl Jam, Alice In Chains, and Stone Temple Pilots all probably make a Top 10 list for me.
STP's debut album (Core) turns 30 on Thursday. Great stuff, I listened to it (and Purple) near-daily my freshman year of HS, via a mixtape my friend gave to me. Core was side 1, Purple side 2. Minus a couple tracks so they could fit. Both albums were among my first pickups on CD when I finally got a CD player xmas of '95. I'd consider myself an enthusiastic fan of STP. Those first 2 albums, anyway. I've never listened to Tiny Music in its entirety, and I only just acquired No. 4 in recent years so I'm not yet familiar with it, but there's some cool stuff on there.

That said, I'm more inclined to the other side of 90's alt rock: Hum, Failure, Foo Fighters, Smashing Pumpkins, Weezer, Filter, NIN, Deftones, Stabbing Westward, and bunch of British stuff like OG Shoegaze, Oasis, Radiohead, The Cure (Wish was '92 and one of their best albums), etc. Actually, I'd lump STP in with those bands instead of the grungers. I've always loved Nirvana, too, and I'm fond of AIC, but it has taken me many years to warm up to Pearl Jam, and I've never liked Soundgarden. I've not explored the rest of the grunge movement either - Melvins, Green River, Mudhoney, etc.

Have you seen the "Hype!" documentary? I caught it on YouTube a while back, it was pretty interesting. You'd probably like it. My main takeaway was that "I should probably listen to Melvins", based on the live footage shown.
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Re: What are you currently listening to?

Post by To Far Away Times »

No, I need to check that out.
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Re: What are you currently listening to?

Post by vol.2 »

BurlyHeart wrote:
Air Master Burst wrote:I mean the only reason I went to a Fugazi show in the first place is cuz I liked their music. I'm not dismissing their artistic output, I just think they should lick my fucking taint for having a shitty message.
Everything I have researched indicates Fugazi did not have that message, though some of their fans may have propagated it. Straight Edge was a Minor Threat song, and Ian MacKaye has gone on record to say it was not his intention to create a movement.
Fugazi wasn't focused on a straight edge message at all. They had branched out lyrically and were writing sparse, almost existential musings on friendship and the difficulties surrounding racial identity in DC. Ian actively distanced Minor Threat and his music from the straight edge movement.
From what I've read, one of the reasons there was a no alcohol at Fugazi show was to allow fans of all ages to attend. That's very interesting about Ian's brother and about Ian drinking a beer at some shows! I had never heard that before.
Fugazi almost always played public shows, usually for free either down on the mall or at Fort Reno Park in Tentlytown. Those were some of the very best post hardcore shows I ever saw. They played for free once on the mall with Bikini Kill right before they released Kill, Kill, Kill and that was amazing. If they were playing in a venue, they wouldn't have had much control over the sale of alcohol.
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MOSQUITO FIGHTER
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Re: What are you currently listening to?

Post by MOSQUITO FIGHTER »

Been playing this drum & bass playlist a lot

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/55UgB ... yywAiWJsVw
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Re: What are you currently listening to?

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You just can't keep them cocks away from ya, can ya...? The To Catch A Predator fandom produces some fuckin bangers, I tell thee. Making the scum of society into something of value! Image Read that as you like. :cool:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=91HGDArtEOs
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Re: What are you currently listening to?

Post by MOSQUITO FIGHTER »

Been listening to a whole lotta Prince. Guy has got some music for your ass for sure. Bringing it.
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Re: What are you currently listening to?

Post by Stevens »

I don't listen to a lot of metal anymore (once or twice a year), but tonight I am going to see the band that got me into it. Going with me are three of my closest friends totaling 85 years of friendship.

IRON FUCKING MAIDEN

I'm ready.
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Re: What are you currently listening to?

Post by BIL »

Nice. :cool:
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Re: What are you currently listening to?

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Stevens wrote:I don't listen to a lot of metal anymore (once or twice a year), but tonight I am going to see the band that got me into it. Going with me are three of my closest friends totaling 85 years of friendship.

IRON FUCKING MAIDEN

I'm ready.
Hells yeah! I saw them in 2017 and it fukken ruled!

Were there any standout performances?
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Stevens
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Re: What are you currently listening to?

Post by Stevens »

Sweet fucking Jesus where do I even begin?

I started listening to Maiden in 7th grade (1990). I listened to them religiously until around 2007. I was hyped when Adrian and Bruce came back in 2000 and bought everything they released (even Virtual XI) up to and including A Matter of Life and Death. For the record I happen to think AMOLAD is brilliant and my favorite album. Mind you of course I have yet to dive into Final Frontier and Senjutsu.

And while I skipped Final Frontier and Book of Souls I would still go back a few times a year and listen to a few tracks from them here and there. I always enjoyed it. It was like seeing an old friend again.

Last night I was totally blown away. The show surpassed any and all expectations I had. It was simply incredible.

I was pretty subdued in the days leading up to it. As soon as we arrived that started going out the window and once we were inside I was all like THIS IS GOING TO BE DOPE AS FUCK. We watched the opener (Within Temptation - pretty good) and then waited. As soon as they took the stage it was like being 13 again.

Stand out tracks? Everything played after Doctor Doctor (I learned what it meant last night) until final call. They just fucking killed it on all fronts. They're in their 60's and their isn't a band alive that can touch their stage presence. Simply masterful.
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Re: What are you currently listening to?

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Stevens wrote: Stand out tracks? Everything played after Doctor Doctor (I learned what it meant last night) until final call. They just fucking killed it on all fronts. They're in their 60's and their isn't a band alive that can touch their stage presence. Simply masterful.
Holy fuck man. They totally rule!!! I don't even know what the standout tracks could even be, but I remember they played The Prisoner from Number of the Beast and I was rolling on the floor!!!!!
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Re: What are you currently listening to?

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Maiden. SO MUCH MAIDEN. I really missed them and didn't even know it.

I've given Senjutsu three or four spins, it's really good. Like in my top three good. It's not shiny new toy syndrome either. I remember when A Matter of Life and Death came out and thought the same thing. AMOLAD is also in my top three.

Everything is just fucking on point. They're making the best music of their careers and Nicko is 70.

Anyone have an album tier list they would like to share? Maiden fans tend to have different favorites.
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BIL
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Re: What are you currently listening to?

Post by BIL »

S/T and Killers became my current-day favourites, as my tastes shifted slightly from technical metal to punk-informed rock ala Motorhead/Ramones; they're the most sustained examples of Maiden's hybrid metal grandeur and punk explosiveness. It's not something they ever lost, but it's at its most blazingly apparent there.

Of Bruce's run, I rate Seventh Son as a near-perfect album; I'm not always in the mood for its power/melodic style, but when I do spin it, it's unfailingly from end to end. Remembering the final rush of Only The Good Die Young is giving me goosebumps just typing this! Absolutely blazing power and finesse, a masterful five-piece firing hard on all cylinders.

I love bits and bobs of his other 80s records nearly as much, but it'd read more like a mixtape than an albums list. Somewhere In Time has the most - the title track and "Deja Vu" are scintillating blasts from that OG metal/punk machine, "Sea of Madness" is simultaneously one of their oddest, most melodic, yet hardest-hitting tunes; and "Stranger In A Strange Land" is supremely panoramic and moody, with the interplay of Bruce's yearning choruses and Harris's soldiering bass clank.

No Prayer and FOTD don't score as highly with me, though the latter has scattered gems in "Judas Be My Guide" and the title track, which deservedly became a legendary live track. "Be Quick Or Be Dead..." for all its detonating album-opening power, I've always thought Bruce's Bon Scott impersonation poisoned it a bit. A good if rough listen. Fond memories of moving to England ca 2000, going into a random Subway, and sitting there eating a tuna sammich with it blasting over the in-store radio; absolutely surreal, having grown up in a place that legally couldn't play Maiden by religious decree. :lol:

I dig quite a bit of The X-Factor's heavier tunes, particularly "Blood On The World's Hands" - absolutely crushing riffs. Just as much of it and its followup though, I've no interest in. Not a Blaze hater, he came in at a rough time for them. Of their collective 90s output, I'll rep Bruce's The Chemical Wedding (with Adrian Smith and the criminally under-loved axeman/producer Roy Z) as the greatest by far. I enjoy quite a bit of the post-reunion stuff, particularly AMOLAD ("Lord of Light" is on my top 10, such dark intensity), but TCW's incendiary shot of Baroque majesty and roaring horsepower gives any Maiden record a hard run.

"ARISE! AWAKE!"

That guttural opening riff, man... like being hit with a ton of chocolate bricks. Image Its bookends Accident of Birth and Tyranny of Souls feature much of the same personnel, and comparable quality, but TCW's the essential by far.

TDLR: S/T, Killers, Seventh Son, and a whole lot of regret for stopping at three, also sub in TCW if that's allowed. :mrgreen:
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Re: What are you currently listening to?

Post by null1024 »

Buddy of mine was considering heading out to Tampa to go see Maiden [sadly, a combination of coof, distance, and a lack of cash money at this immediate moment make it somewhat unlikely that we'll go] and reminded me that Senjutsu existed.
He was wondering why it sounded a bit off, and I gave it a listen -- I think it's a fairly cool album, but the mixing is REALLY muddy. Spent a lot of time wondering if it was just me, but no, we started throwing on other albums and it was just Senjutsu.

I ended up tossing the songs into an audio editor and ran a bit of EQ [cut the lows and mids a bit] and an exciter/sharpener plugin on it.
Fixed the worst of the issue, but literally nothing else in my music library needs this apart from actual bootleg recordings.
The vocals are still mixed a bit too low, and you can't EQ them louder since they're largely centered in the same range as everything else, bleh.

The first three songs on the album are the worst about it. It's almost like the mixing in the album gets cleaner every song, and I wondered if this was a deliberate decision for some reason, bleh.
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Re: What are you currently listening to?

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null1024 wrote: The first three songs on the album are the worst about it. It's almost like the mixing in the album gets cleaner every song, and I wondered if this was a deliberate decision for some reason, bleh.
It sat on a shelf for two years before it got released, so there's every possibility that they didn't get as involved with production as usual. Also, the guitar style/tone of the songs early on the album is a lot more classic rock/heavy metal than I'm used to hearing from them, so maybe they were trying to give it a smoky retro sound, idk.
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Re: What are you currently listening to?

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Cause no one asked for it! My Iron Maiden album tier list:

S+ Their three concept albums. Not an accident.

Seventh Son - A Matter of Life and Death - Senjutsu

S Almost as good as the above. I never skip a track.

Number of the Beast - Piece of Mind - Powerslave - Somewhere In Time - Brave New World

A Sometimes less is more. First track is weak and the last two could have been cut. That said the highs are really high. EDIT - Final Frontier is great but could do without tracks two and three.

Dance Of Death - Final Frontier

B First two were raw sounding but a sign of what was to come. X Factor was fighting uphill but has some strong tracks on it.

Iron Maiden - Killers - X Factor

C These are just average. Some good tracks on both, but after a run of 82 - 87 there was bound to be a little drop off at some point.

No Prayer For the Dying - Fear of the Dark

Virtual XI Every band has a worst album. This is Maidens. The Clansman isn't enough to save it. By this point it was obvious how much Bruce and the boys needed each other.

Virtual XI

-------------------------
When a Matter of Life and Death was released I remember thinking along the lines of "This is really good - it might be there best album". 16 years later I stand by that. AMOLAD is a fucking masterpiece. Why did I say this? Cause I feel the same way about Senjutsu now that I've given it a few more spins since my last post.

I still maintain:
Stevens wrote:Everything is just fucking on point. They're making the best music of their careers and Nicko is 70.
Missing - Book of Souls. Released in the middle of my Maiden hiatus so I haven't had a real listen just yet.
Last edited by Stevens on Tue Oct 25, 2022 8:08 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: What are you currently listening to?

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Just Northern Boys on repeat
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Re: What are you currently listening to?

Post by BIL »

Stevens wrote:Missing - Final Frontier and Book of Souls. Released in the middle of my Maiden hiatus so I haven't given either a real listen just yet. The Talisman off of FF is a pretty banging tune though.
Book of Souls is really good imo, my favourite since AMOLAD; the title track in particular is excellent, a full-throttle epic whose rugged gallops and soaring coda would fit right in on Powerslave.

Been enjoying Bill McClintock's seemingly bottomless repertoire of Metal x Other mashups, lately. Guy's a true artist and craftsman, comes out with the craziest shit! The best stuff frequently sounds like neither component, just killer new music. Here's The MotorWailers with Killed By Exodus.

Image

And Judas Brown's Electric Sex Machine!

Image
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Re: What are you currently listening to?

Post by To Far Away Times »

New Chili Peppers is cool.

As with Stadium Arcadium, it should have been a strong single album instead of a double album or two albums.

It's not the best work they've ever put out, but it wipes the floor with 99.9% of modern radio. And for guys approaching 60 years old, that's pretty damn good.
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Re: What are you currently listening to?

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To Far Away Times wrote:And for guys approaching 60 years old, that's pretty damn good.
Hey, at least they survived, right?
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Re: What are you currently listening to?

Post by Stevens »

Finally gave Final Frontier a proper listen.

Satellite 15...The Final Frontier is a great opener. Starts off really experimental before exploding into classic Maiden. A haunting tune about a man adrift in space.

El Dorado is OK. Could live without it.

Mother of Mercy I skipped after two minutes. Not a fan.

The album recovers nicely after that.

Coming Home feels like it was mistakenly left off of Fear of the Dark. Great tune. Not much else to say. Sort of caught me off guard after the previous two tracks.

The Alchemist feels the similar, like Harris wrote it in 1980 and shelved it for 30 years. It sounds much better than it would have then. Great song, especially if you dig Di'Anno era Maiden.

Isle of Avalon is what Maiden playing a Rush song would sound like. Pretty good. While not my fav the album is better for having it included.

Starblind is excellent. Would have fit snugly after Alexander The Great on Somewhere In Time. Top notch Maiden song.

The Talisman. If 50 years from now you wanted to show a person what Maiden's entire body of work was like with one, and only one song this would be it. Slow acoustic opening? Check. Doomed seafaring adventurer? Yup. Slow build up as Bruce sings ever so slightly faster? Uh Huh. And then what happens as they lose sight of land? BAM your smacked in the face with Maiden at their best. As the song builds the situation becomes more precarious. From 4:57 on - It's Maiden and there is no doubt.

The Man Who Would Be King is solid if a tad underwhelming after the previous track.

When The Wild Wind Blows. Great way to end it. Another one that could have been on Dance of Death or BNW.

Kinda sorry I waited 12 years to give it a spin, but I will make up for lost time.

Top 3

Starblind
The Alchemist
The Talisman

A Tier with Dance of Death. Not perfect, but some really high highs. The lows are contained to two songs.
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Re: What are you currently listening to?

Post by BIL »

Satellite 15 is such a killer startup... the guttural bass and eerie guitars, the building death-drums, and that wicked intense narrative from Bruce.

"I AM HERE!"

Book of Souls has a similarly evocative opening, as does his solo Tyranny of Souls, with spoken word interludes in Accident of Birth and The Chemical Wedding; apparently Souls' opening was meant for a solo record he never got around to. Guy's always had a gift for theatre.

Mankind returns to the Stars!
But sometimes...
The Stars...

RETURN TO MANKIND
...didn't you come this way before, a million years ago? ("Abduction;" Bloodborne AF. Rip me up / Leave me behind...)

Starblind, Talisman and Wild Wind are the album's standout trifecta imo. First is wonderfully eccentric, latter two are bullseye returns to their 80s and 00s style of epic, respectively.
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Re: What are you currently listening to?

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Unwound - Leaves Turn Inside You

I only discovered Unwound this year, somehow overlooking them during my youth. I've had an enjoyable journey through their catalog, having listened to nearly all their previous albums, and rather liked their blend of noise-rock, post-hardcore punk.

Nothing prepared me for this album. I had read it was their best and is viewed favorably among critics and fans alike. It completly floored me to be honest. Not because I think it's an amazing album (it might be - right now I think it's really good, but I do need more time), but because it's so different to their earlier stuff. To be honest, it's hard to articulate my feelings on it, but I can't remember ever being so intrigued and perplexed by an album I liked.
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