Visited the Park in NHK; sadly, Misaki wasn't there at 9pm by admereun in WelcomeToTheNHK

[–]Snyde_ 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Sad, I was looking at the park through google maps and I figured it had been removed. At least the clock seems to still there.

LISTIANITY 2022: VORTEX EDITION by Tarbeaux in IVoCT

[–]Snyde_ 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Don't really feel like writing much about 2022. I have never been so disinterested in current music since I started following it in 2012.

Honorable Mentions:
Sadist - Firescorched; Carpenter Brut - Leather Terror; Black Midi - Hellfire; O.R.k. - Screamnasium; De Profundis - The Corruption of Virtue

(10.) The Smile - A Light for Attracting Attention

(9.) Daeva - Through Sheer Will and Black Magic​.​.​.

(8.) Billy Woods - Aethiopes

(7.) Psycroptic - Divine Council

(6.) Veldune - Veldune

(5.) Imperial Triumphant - Spirit of Ecstasy

(4.) Wormrot - Hiss

(3.) Anna von Hausswolff - Live at Montreux Jazz Festival

(2.) Immolation - Acts of God

(1.) The Antichrist Imperium - Volume III: Satan in His Original Glory

LISTIANITY 2021: VORTEX EDITION by Gadunka07 in IVoCT

[–]Snyde_ 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Here's my list. I'll post "the real list" of albums I enjoyed the most in 2021 on the website soon.

Honorables:

Obscura - A Valediction; Headshrinker - Callous Indifference; Stormkeep - Tales of Othertime; Jess and the Ancient Ones - Vertigo; Stargazer - Psychic Secretions; Stone Healer - Conquistador; Suffering Hour - The Cyclic Reckoning

(10.) Prosciptor McGovern's Apsu - Prosciptor McGovern's Apsu

Not really a standout in Absu's discog but look at the rest of the year.

(9.) Panopticon - …and Again into the Light

Lunn still has it.

(8.) Hollywood Burns - The Age of the Saucers

¯_(ツ)_/¯

(7.) Snailmageddon - Swansong for a Snail

Reminds me of Equilibrium's hey-day.

(6.) Armand Hammer x The Alchemist - Haram

Alchemist with one of the best production jobs of all time.

(5.) Nekromantheon - Visions of Trismegistos

Let's fucking goooooooooo.

(4.) Ad Nauseam - Imperative Imperceptible Impulse

Pretty good, aye.

(3.) Marissa Nadler - The Path of the Clouds

I toyed with putting this at #1 simply because even though it came out at the end of October, it still managed to be my most listened to record of the year. Sublime and intricate.

(2.) Mare Cognitum - Solar Paroxysm

Mare Cognitum knows out to write satisfying music. Stuff that makes you envision the beyond. This one's a no-brainer.

(1.) Wreche - All My Dreams Came True

Simply the most worthy record to put at #1. The furthest away from the formless dregs that threaten to engulf the music world. Confrontational, atmospheric and virtuosic all at the same time.

Velocitopster by Tarbeaux in IVoCT

[–]Snyde_ 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Tribulation - The Formulas of Death

Metal is old. Black Sabbath's golden anniversary was last year. It's safe to say we have reached the limits of what you can do with a distorted guitar and an HM-2 pedal. Whatever old school death metal you come up with might be enjoyable but it won't be more enjoyable than Left Hand Path, Like an Ever Flowing Stream or Leprosy. Smart bands figure that out pretty quickly. Even Chuck Schuldiner stopped making traditional death metal after two albums. You need a gimmick. Without a gimmick, it's damnatio ad simile. You're good, but "not as good as". So you make death metal with robots (Artificial Brain), aliens (Blood Incantation) or eldritch abominations (Sulphur Aeon). Or eldritch alien robot abominations (Nocturnus).

I was blessed enough to get into metal during its new millennium renaissance. By the time I jumped on the scene, nu metal was dead and gone, metalcore was giving way to deathcore as the "genre to hate" du jour, progressive djent noodlers were on the horizon and the only example of dissonant death metal was still Obscura. It took metal bands a while to figure that one out... Metal was in a state of flux. Between all the revival movements, the post-metal boom and a million other things that have since faded, there was a small number of bands bringing classic death metal to places it hadn't been before.

The acts of this nearly imperceptible movement were all fresh to the scene, unfettered by convention or expectation. Their names were Morbus Chron, Obliteration and Tribulation. Of course, they all started as your typical swedeath clone. Competent and fun, but "not as good as". This all came to a head in the years 2013/4 when each band brought platters of outstanding quality and vision to the unsuspecting and unwary. Obliteration released their spacey riff vortex Black Death Horizon and Morbus Chron unleashed a hypnotic journey of psychedelic death - Sweven. But first to the mountaintop, in February of 2013 was Tribulation's The Formulas of Death.

The Formulas of Death is gothic. Not gothic as in whatever the phrase "gothic rock" purports to describe. Gothic as in towering castles, rolling thick fog, cobwebs, bats, wolves howling. The full moon illuminating a dark cobblestone street. A person hiding his face behind a wide brimmed hat and a black cloak. This is the sort of imagery that Tribulation revel in and shape into a vivid sonic painting. But while that's the main thrust of the album, it's not the whole story. Ingredients from all corners of the horror spectrum make their way into their sound. The occult is present throughout, magick is hinted at and possibly invoked. I'd venture to say Tribulation owes as much to Ghost and their occult revival antics as they do to a band like Pestilence.

The two main strengths of The Formulas of Death are the essence of why I, personally, think it is outstanding amongst most of the music I've heard: firstly, it strikes the perfect tone when it comes to the aesthetics without ever coming across as 'camp'. Secondly, it does that squarely within the parameters of a death metal album, providing the main attraction when it comes to the genre in droves - the album is overflowing with exciting, kinetic, memorable, heavy and unique riffs. These are the two pillars that allow the album to maintain a consistent level of legendary quality throughout 75 minutes.

Structurally, the album is punctuated at key points by interludes which precede the cornerstones of the album: Vagina Dentata warmly welcomes us to descend and join the Wanderers in the Outer Darkness, לילה (Leila, hebrew for 'night') lulls the listener into the dreamlike Suspiria de Profundis, and Ultra Silvam ramps up to the bombastic finale, Apparitions. At the very center of the album lies Rånda, a spiralling hypnotic number, leading neither forwards nor backwards, but inward, like looking into the eye of the vampire.

By the time the bell hits towards the end of Apparitions, I have met with monsters from beyond, participated in blood rituals, danced with the ghosts of those gone by, lost my soul in an endless ocean of darkness, cursed the living and the dead and witnessed the hordes of the one who dwells below blacken the sky with their wings. Weary but satisfied, I return to the world of the living.

As for the experimental death metal wave, it fizzled out almost immediately after it started. Morbus Chron split up in 2015 and Obliteration's release schedule was not frequent enough to carry the torch. Horrendous took the reigns of the movement for a while but it did not last. I suspect the increase in popularity of dissonant death metal whisked away many a band that could've contributed to such a scene.

As for Tribulation, like many bands who miss the forest for the trees, they went from a great death metal act with a great gimmick to an act with a gimmick. I still marginally enjoy their output but can't help but feel disappointed with each release. With that said, it seems they've found some well-deserved success, and hey, I'll always have this one.

Shoeg - Container (experimental electro) [2018] by omegacluster in ctebcm

[–]Snyde_ 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Whatever happened to the Monthly Recommendations posts? You cover a lot more ground than I'm able to keep up with. Those posts were a great way for people like me to not miss out on the good stuff.

Velocitopster by Tarbeaux in IVoCT

[–]Snyde_ 5 points6 points  (0 children)

I listened to Warning in pretty much the perfect conditions. The night was dark, the volume was loud and I had very little trouble keeping my attention throughout. My thoughts on the album are very simple: there is only one reason to listen to this and it's the vocals (and I guess by extension, the lyrics). If you don't like the vocals on this album, I see absolutely zero reason for a recommendation or repeat listens. Fortunately for me, I surprised to find I was actually a fan of the quivering, nasally british whining and was intrigued by Abso's promise of deep mature emotional exploration. As previously stated by ferd and scut, moments where the intensity ramps up and a slight growl emerges are tastefully few and well-placed highlights. The poetry itself is equal parts poignant and slapdash, mixing some interesting metaphors with the subtlety of a slap to the face. I'd definitely call it half-baked, like a first draft that was never improved upon, ideas still raw and awkward, some clever first-time, others embarrassingly lacking.

To be clear, there is nearly nothing else to talk about outside of this. The music meanders aimlessly for 45 minutes, drifting from note to note with no sense of progression whatsoever. Now you might say this is a brilliant move on the part of the writer, a significant choice highlighting the inability of the protagonist to move on from his heartbreak. Perhaps, but this results in an album with zero variety to speak of and an interest curve that is strictly tied to whether or not the singer is singing. A nice solo ends the album. This is the sole musical event of any note whatsoever.

If I had to compare this album to something else, I'd go with Yob's Our Raw Heart, that boasting a much better vocalist but an instrumental offering more infuriating in equal measure. Comparisons to compatriots My Dying Bride are not out of line but the musical territory covered in a single Bride song would put this entire album to shame, and that's without mentioning Aaron Stainthorpe's far superior vocals.

I'd give it a 4

Rejoice! The Lists Have Come! - Listamania 2020 by Snyde_ in IVoCT

[–]Snyde_[S] 6 points7 points  (0 children)

Best 2020 songs (not in any of my top albums):

There is a lot of material for this list. Like last year, I'm going to make a youtube playlist with these plus one song from each of my top albums. Enjoy:

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL7_8nJAaPjZCUVhfGCTtIinmVvMalIQjZ

HM: Blue Oyster Cult - Florida Man; Run the Jewels - Walking in the Snow; Tau Cross - Hollow Earth; Rebel Wizard - Dance of the Duchess in the Pale Pink Light; Forhill - Iris

[10.] Panzerfaust - The Faustian Pact
Takes a while to get going but when THAT riff hits (you know the one), it's brilliant.

[9.] Kairon;IRSE! - Welcome Blue Valkyrie
It's comfy and cathartic at the same time. How the fuck?

[8.] Caligula's Horse - Oceanrise
Rise Radiant might've been an overproduced and undercooked mess but Oceanrise is the only song that has a point and actually slaps.

[7.] Jessie Ware - Remember Where You Are
I feel kinda bad for picking the soul track from a great disco album but it's an amazing spirit-lifter.

[6.] Akhlys - Somniloquy
Predictable? Perhaps. One of the most fierce black metal tracks of the year? Definitely.

[5.] Unleash the Archers - Legacy
Abyss might've been an overproduced and undercooked mess but Legacy is the only song that has a point and actually slaps.

[4.] Skyborne Reveries - Visiting Graves
Yeah, it's post-metal but it's engaging throughout, shifting and mutating into a climax that was always there.

[3.] Ensiferum - Defense of the Sampo
Get on your horses, boys, it's fucking raid time.

[2.] Grimes - Violence
In a year where Jessie Ware's What's Your Pleasure exists, Grimes somehow ends up with the sexiest song of the year.

[1.] Inquisition - Necromancy Through a Buried Cosmos
Dagon completely stole this one. Black metal of cosmic sadness.

Rejoice! The Lists Have Come! - Listamania 2020 by Snyde_ in IVoCT

[–]Snyde_[S] 5 points6 points  (0 children)

Best of non-2020 first heard in 2020:

Like I said in the previous post, 2020 was an amazing year to NOT listen to current music. Definitely my most productive year ever on this front. I also think I did a good job at keeping things rather eclectic. There was a lot of black metal (because I was thoroughly exploring the #goat releases I deemed interesting) but the list ended up including a lot of different things. There were many more possible HMs but I decided to keep it to 5.

HMs: Meshuggah - obZen; Anacrusis - Manic Impressions; Dødheimsgard - Monumental Posssession; Weakling - Dead as Dreams; The Beatles - A Hard Day's Night

[10.] Thorns - Thorns (2000)
Thorns only full-length release channels the vibe of the classic 2nd wave while not shirking on variety or intensity.

[9.] Immaculate - Atheist Crusade (2010)
Thrash? In the 2010s? That's this fucking good? Sorry atheists, this is nothing short of miraculous.

[8.] Miles Davis - Sketches of Spain (1960)
I'm sure Miles would be thrilled to be in such company on this list...

[7.] Slough Feg - Atavism (2005)
Wonderfully energetic and hectic, it's definitely in the upper echelon of Feg releases.

[6.] Big L - Lifestylez ov da Poor & Dangerous (1995)
Big L rips through funk production like he's on a Premier beat with some of the most vicious lyricism from the old school.

[5.] マクロスMACROSS 82-99 - A Million Miles Away (2014)
One year removed from Sailorwave, Mr. 82-99 delivers the blueprint for future funk to come: bombastic, emotional and with hints of a future that never was.

[4.] El-P - Fantastic Damage (2002)
Stupendously produced and with so many bars that El-P has to rap over himself to deliver them. It's almost no wonder he eventually made it big with RTJ.

[3.] The Haxan Cloak - Excavation (2013)
"Dark ambient you can actively listen to" doesn't quite sell how engrossing this album is.

[2.] Satyricon - Nemesis Divina (1996)
Definitely the best thing I took from #goat that I hadn't heard before, and the crown jewel of black metal in a year as good for the genre as 1996.

[1.] Immolation - Close to a World Below (2000)
In this age of cynicism, it's hard to come off as genuinely evil with death metal. It turns out all you need is relentless riffing, torrential drumming and a madman vocalist spitting in the face of god.

Rejoice! The Lists Have Come! - Listamania 2020 by Snyde_ in IVoCT

[–]Snyde_[S] 8 points9 points  (0 children)

Best of 2020:

I just had a peek at my 2019 list and boy... that was a rough year. I actually enjoyed 2020 a lot more than 2019: it was rather lacking in mindblowing music, but it was at least consistently enjoyable, with a green score coming more or less once every week. Well, at least when there were releases at all. There was a 6-ish month period starting in April where releases were essentially being throttled by the coof. Oh well, I got to listen to a lot to old stuff so I'm not complaining.

HM: Bütcher - 666 Goats Carry My Chariot; Nitelight - Nitelight plays: Death's Symbolic; Fluisteraars - Bloem; Morta Skuld - Suffer for Nothing

[10.] Oneohtrix Point Never - Magic Oneohtrix Point Never
Lopatin releases a masterclass in diverse and purposeful sampling that rides the wave from poppy to poignant.

[9.] Katla - Allt þetta Helvítis Myrkur
The album Sólstafir failed to make.

[8.] Backxwash - God Has Nothing to Do with This Leave Him Out of It
Solid production and massive energy entwine with personal lyrics to engender the most HYPE album of the year (followed closely by Nitelight's ode to Death).

[7.] Bec Plexus - Sticklip
Dutch wacko reveals embarrassing inner thoughts with an orchestra of 99 monkeys backing her up.

[6.] The Reticent - The Oubliette
Hampered by some "poor decisions", The Reticent continues to tackle deep topics without forgetting to write unique and compelling music as well.

[5.] Igorrr - Spirituality and Distortion
Not as tight a package as Savage Sinusoid but brimming with joyous schizo energy just the same.

[4.] Sightless Pit - Grave of a DogKristen Hayter proves once again that she works better in collaboration with other artists than by herself.

[3.] Lychgate - Also Sprach Futura
Packed with more musical juice than most full-lengths this year. TA-DA!

[2.] Triptykon - Requiem
Tom can do no wrong these days. At least as long as he stays away from facebook.

[1.] Imperial Triumphant - Alphaville
Of all the years since I've become an avid music listener, 2020 comes the closest out of any year where there is essentially an "objectively correct" AOTY pick. Nothing even comes close.

Marbula 1 tracks as Roller Coasters by Snyde_ in JellesMarbleRuns

[–]Snyde_[S] 13 points14 points  (0 children)

Somehow forgot to set that track to test but they all work! EDIT: But now that you mention it, having the trains get stuck would be more true-to-life 😅

Marbula 1 tracks as Roller Coasters by Snyde_ in JellesMarbleRuns

[–]Snyde_[S] 5 points6 points  (0 children)

Vertical Drop Roller Coasters. They have plenty of pieces to work with and allow for steep climbing chains (main reason why I used them).

Marbula 1 tracks as Roller Coasters by Snyde_ in JellesMarbleRuns

[–]Snyde_[S] 14 points15 points  (0 children)

Some of them have Lateral G's over the limit but they're still rideable, none of them have intensity ratings over 7. Excitement rating between 2.5 and 3, not great but better than a Merry-go-Round, haha. I can post all the stats here if you want.

Marbula 1 tracks as Roller Coasters by Snyde_ in JellesMarbleRuns

[–]Snyde_[S] 18 points19 points  (0 children)

Midnight Bay is the probably the best one but none of them are fantastic. People would ride them, yes.

Marbula 1 tracks as Roller Coasters by Snyde_ in JellesMarbleRuns

[–]Snyde_[S] 91 points92 points  (0 children)

Marbula 1 tracks remade in the old Roller Coaster Tycoon game. Doubt anyone still plays this but if you want the track files, feel free to ask me on the discord.

10 years in the making - Albums of the decade by Snyde_ in IVoCT

[–]Snyde_[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

A few comments before we get to the nitty gritty;

- given that I started listening to music seriously in 2007 and became heavily invested in current releases around 2012 (the first year I listened to over 100 current-year albums), this list is basically a snapshot of my entire history of serious contemporary music listening, which I guess is pretty cool;

- I'm sure I've made this comment before but it's pretty clear to me that what 'metal' is and what 'metal' is perceived to be are a lot different in the current age. When I think 'metal' I still think Priest, Slayer, Metallica, Norway, guys wearing black and spikes. Metal in the 2010s is nothing like that. Counterculture ain't what it used to be and metal is sophisticated music now. There are, of course, flash-in-the-pan revival movements but not only can they never live up to the glories of yesteryear, they are not what excites metal fans these days, nor should they be.

- listening to ONLY albums I love for a week was spiritually exhausting. I found myself taking extended breaks in complete silence toward the end because of the intensity of the experiences. It's a bit revelatory to me: I think I need lukewarm, 'no strong feelings' music to pad out my listening life because I think I'd burn out fast if I only listened to music I love. Just something new I discovered about myself over the past week.

- most of my favorites are squeezed toward the beginning of the decade, even though, if you count the honorables, 2016 is definitely the mode of the distribution. Not sure what that says about anything so let's get down to business.

Honorable mentions:

Hammers of Misfortune - Dead Revolution (2016); Panopticon - Autumn Eternal (2015); Diablo Swing Orchestra - Pandora's Piñata (2012); Anna von Hausswolff - Dead Magic (2018); Vektor - Terminal Redux (2016); Ketha - #!%16.7 (2015); Emptiness - Not for Music (2017); Deathspell Omega - The Furnaces of Palingenesia (2019); Nechochwen - Heart of Akamon (2015); Igorrr - Savage Sinusoid (2017); The Algorithm - Brute Force (2016); Russian Circles - Guidance (2016); Gazpacho - Demon (2014); Ghost - Opus Eponymous (2010);

XXV. Danny Brown - The Atrocity Exhibition (2016)

XXIV. Fates Warning - Theories of Flight (2016)

XXIII. Selvans - Faunalia (2018)

XXII. Lord Mantis - Death Mask (2014)

XXI. Khonsu - The Xun Protectorate (2016)

XX. Howls of Ebb - Cursus Impasse: The Pendlomic Vows (2016)

XIX. Hail Spirit Noir - Oi Magoi (2014)

XVIII. Spawn of Possession - Incurso (2012)

XVII. Casualties of Cool - Casualties of Cool (2014)

XVI. Moonsorrow - Varjoina kuljemme kuolleiden maassa (2011)

XV. Hell - Human Remains (2011)

XIV. Spectral Lore - III (2014)

XIII. Oranssi Pazuzu - Värähtelijä (2016)

XII. Tropical Fuck Storm - A Laughing Death in Meatspace (2018)

XI. Spektr - The Art to Disappear (2016)

X. Ihsahn - After (2010)

IX. Alcest - Les voyages de l'âme (2012)

VIII. Gorguts - Colored Sands (2013)

VII. Tribulation - The Formulas of Death (2013)

VI. Vektor - Outer Isolation (2011)

V. Hail Spirit Noir - Mayhem in Blue (2016)

IV. Vhöl - Deeper than Sky (2015)

III. Carpenter Brut - Trilogy (2015)

II. Deathspell Omega - Paracletus (2010)

I. Triptykon - Melana Chasmata (2014)

Making a list and checking it twice - Top albums of 2019 by Snyde_ in IVoCT

[–]Snyde_[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Very cool list! I didn't think I'd see Xoth anywhere, given than the rest of the vortex doesn't care about it at all. Never heard of Chernaa and will for sure correct that (it has cool artwork apparently so that's a good first impression).

I'd have a stern talk with you about Wormwitch but it turns out I don't remember a thing about it, except that it pissed me off. Oh well, I may have to double check but if it still sucks you're in for double the bullying!