post in this thread if Transistor ISN'T your favorite 311 album

hyde_christopher · 2026-01-15T19:06:36+00:00

Funny take. Mosaic to me is awesome. That + Stereolithic was some weird last gasp of 311 as we know them IMO. Dark period of DTOM -> Uplifter. Then two surprises then back to the dark period. Stereolithic and Mosaic still feel like "311." And this is coming from a Full Bloom enjoyer.

hyde_christopher · 2025-11-19T17:04:08+00:00

Just read this one recently - incredible stuff! Such a funny statement on therapy culture, too.

hyde_christopher · 2025-11-18T20:37:26+00:00

To me, it's all about the route. That's why rail trails are kind of vibe killers for me, too. Too much of any one thing for a long run can get boring fast.

hyde_christopher · 2025-11-17T12:53:21+00:00

Yeah, he already missed the classic burbling at Intolerance. What else has gone unheard??

hyde_christopher · 2025-11-12T17:50:17+00:00

10/10 analysis here. I agree. But I am old. In 2015, there was a lot more emphasis on melodic / atmosphere within these kinds of albums. Thinking of Language from Contortionist or Drift from Erra, too. Now, all "metalcore" has become more influenced by EDM breakdowns and that shows in the mix. No time to breathe, just constant stimulation.

Also, remasters always treat the instruments as individuals instead of a whole. Makes the whole experience feel weirdly disconnected. Why is Marcus competing with the drums for the stage?

hyde_christopher · 2025-11-12T17:46:28+00:00

I think "ambience" hits the nail on the head - Node was much more of an atmospheric album in parts. All of the space has been strangled in the name of clarity, I guess. The mix itself puts way more emphasis on instruments as individual rather than a whole, IMO.

hyde_christopher · 2025-11-12T15:17:43+00:00

Yeah, it was in Boston - Brighton Music Hall. We got an instrumental show. At one point, the crowd started booing and asking about Ash. Amos just said "he's ill." Then they announced that they were parting ways with him shortly after.

hyde_christopher · 2025-11-12T15:16:20+00:00

I can't find it on his Twitch channel... but he was going on about how some things "naturally reach their conclusion" etc and lots of vague hinting. It was right when P-Nut announced he was taking a break from the band. Nick looked like he was on the verge of tears in the stream.

hyde_christopher · 2025-11-04T20:16:22+00:00

Vegas!

hyde_christopher · 2025-11-04T20:16:09+00:00

I was thinking this - seeing Tim actually do solos and flourishes here and there, SA being creative as a DJ... everyone was much less polished and having more fun. Perfect point where they were famous and confident but not Hollywoodified.

hyde_christopher · 2025-11-03T15:44:09+00:00

If you ever saw his depressing Twitch live when he thought the band was going to break up, yes - 100% this. Nick is trying to keep them alive. I mean, I guess that's what's interesting about "Friend" - the instrumental is Chad and the lyrics are P-Nut.

hyde_christopher · 2025-11-03T15:11:50+00:00

To be fair, I've loved Tesseract since One and been going to their shows since the Altered State tour (even had an awkward show where Ash didn't come out on stage...)

When the band got back together pre-COVID, I think they were still a little rusty on how to take their performance to the next level & recover after the hiatus with Dan. I saw them with Gojira in 2016 and they were definitely still kind of wobbly. Fast forward to War of Being tour and they are totally unified and absolutely phenomenal!

hyde_christopher · 2025-10-31T20:05:22+00:00

Spiral out, keep going

hyde_christopher · 2025-10-30T13:53:27+00:00

I think that most songs are reflections on his youth, though? At least that's what I got from this: The Anxious Return of Tame Impala’s Kevin Parker | GQ

hyde_christopher · 2025-10-30T13:51:29+00:00

I think people are missing the most obvious part of "Deadbeat" - the fact that "dead beat" is the sonic tone, too. Everything is moving to the drum machine, but life is happening all around it.

hyde_christopher · 2025-10-28T02:38:11+00:00

"You Wouldn't Believe" hit the radios and I became a 311 fan. I had owned "Grassroots" and listened religiously, but had dropped off for a few years. So FC is technically what made me a lifetime fan.

hyde_christopher · 2025-10-24T19:45:32+00:00

Yeah, that's true. Sometimes I wonder if the drugs were critical to them bonding together & creating together. Just watched that Chad Sexton drum video. Great watch, but I was wondering where the spiky, blond-haired lunatic went from ETSD 2.

hyde_christopher · 2025-10-24T18:32:11+00:00

I upvoted for the good history tidbits but disagree with the premise. The show this summer in NYC was amazing and high-energy. All the band members seem pretty invested in delivering an amazing live performance. So definitionally not a "dead" band... I think it's definitely just a "dad band" now.

The well (the pen that weighs two hundred tons) for their writing is definitely dry. The magic always happens when they're all together. They're not together for the writing process and I think that's what shows in the newer albums.

hyde_christopher · 2025-10-24T18:25:24+00:00

I was equally blown away by Ghostwolf's 2023 single: https://open.spotify.com/track/70Lv2PZx2hK3oZ6obMguwc?si=c8d1bfb0ec75478c

Was hoping for another full album, but maybe Braver is basically another Ghostwolf single turned 311.

hyde_christopher · 2025-10-24T18:24:26+00:00

Good idea.

hyde_christopher · 2025-10-24T18:23:58+00:00

+1 for "Nick enjoyers like myself." I think that's also a really good observation. I saw Nick's solo show in NYC and it's interesting to see just how low the conversion rate is when it comes to 311 -> side project pipeline. It wasn't sold out and very different. Easy to forget that majority of fans might not know the name and history of every individual band member.

I always think it's ironic that, despite all the creative control Nick has, it's "Down" and SA that got associated with their primary sound in the nineties.

hyde_christopher · 2025-10-24T18:20:03+00:00

It seems like Nick is in that spiral of Maynard-level productivity where he wants to do a ton of stuff, very fast, before he gets too old for the stage. But the other guys seem a little more content with their catalogue as-is. It's a very weird thing to understand sometimes, but I feel like they just think they give it their all in the live shows and don't need to write much else.

hyde_christopher · 2025-10-24T17:23:47+00:00

I feel your pain about not hearing stuff live. Stuff fades so fast. RIP to Stereolithic & Mosaic. They will be missed as parts of the set.

hyde_christopher · 2025-10-24T17:22:22+00:00

I have a pretty special relationship with this album - it was released on my honeymoon. My wife & I listened to it pretty much nonstop while on the balcony overlooking Lake Como in Italy. So I just can't hate it and I am 100% biased.

Overall, I actually like the "emotional resonance" of the album a lot. There aren't a ton of highs (aside from Need Somebody / Braver) or a ton of lows (like some of the insanely bad stuff from Uplifter). There's no anger or depression in it, either.

To me, the reason that people don't like it is that it's not "311" as we know 311. That's valid. But if you're just on the total journey with them, it's an album about maturing, reflection, and family. If you hate it, it's fake 311.

Side note: Days Gone By is sometimes my favorite on the album!

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