Rate The Song Above You

Oh, I didn't mean to be pejorative, I liked the song… maybe "cookie cutter" was a bit strong. :x

Anyway… whew… the feels… ;__; The music alternates wonderfully between intense and quiet moments, and I felt like I could listen to it for 10 more minutes… very atmospheric.

Naruto Shippuden Main Theme

Solid 5/10, it's a soundtrack that is made solely for the anime and not meant to stand on its own, personally. With that being said, the flute is nice.

@djbj Also holy shit, Crimson King on yt? I better cherish that link, those guys go hard on online distribution, not even allowing their music to be streamed or purchased online, what dicks they are. In the meantime, here's some folk inspired prog rock.

Circulus-Miri It Is

I did take some effort to find a quality full version of that song. However, I think calling them dicks for not subscribing to modern music distribution practices is a bit harsh. The technological advancements that have allowed modern music distribution methods are relatively recent, and while most artists have rightfully jumped on board to reap the benefits of these methods, I dislike the idea that artists, especially older & established artists, are somehow in the wrong for wanting to stick to traditional distribution methods. IMO an artist should be able to distribute their work in the way they feel is most appropriate, and we should respect their choices, even if we don't subscribe to their viewpoint.

Anyways, 6/10 I like the sound of rock mixed with medieval folk, but this one was a bit too old-fashioned sounding for my tastes. The vocals, specifically the style of melody of harmony, are probably accurate to the genre but sound kind of annoying to my modern ears.

Blind Guardian - Skalds and Shadows

Here's an example of a medieval folk-inspired ballad with a much more modern composition style and sound.

edited 24th Aug '15 8:59:02 AM by djbj

60/100 - Blind Guardian set the gold standard for power metal ballads with "The Bard's Song" and it feels like they've been struggling ever since to come even slightly close to that same glory.

Ars Nova - "Kali - Demolition and Massacre"

Sounds kind of like King Crimson if they formed in the 80's. The level of skill is really high, and it shows in all the right places. I especially like the juxtaposition of keyboards and bass. A little too drawn-out as a composition, but then again, half the prog rock repertoire suffers from the same problem. The more Japanese music I hear, the more I am amazed at how many awesome musicians stayed out of the spotlight because of geographical isolation. (8/10)

Gazelle Twin - I Am Shell I Am Bone

8/10: Reminds me quite a lot of The Knife/Fever Ray. Obviously, they're two different aesthetics, but we can't fault Gazelle Twin for not measuring up to them. Damn solid, dark, brooding track.

Boards of Canada - In A Beautiful Place Out In The Country

That's… not unpleasant. I like the quiet atmosphere and the robotic voice isn't too instrusive (though I'm not sure it's that necessary either). There's not a whole lot of variation, but that's not what this kind of music is for anyway. It does its job, and it does it well.

Continuing with the BGMs. :þ

-45 - Tsugihagi Kimera

That's a slightly shortened version actually (I removed one minute, more or less), but if you prefer to review the full version, please do.

edited 26th Aug '15 5:21:44 AM by Lyendith

80/100 - The bouncy techno beats underneath the gothic quasi-neoclassiccal Castlevania style synth work is annoying at first but after a while it fades into the background. Honestly I don't think it even needed percussion but it works well regardless.

Voivod - Tribal Convictions

If you want a similar track without the percussion (or at least a much lighter one) you can try Kuina from the same series.

4/10: I'm not sure how much I like the massive hard rock/heavy metal thing going on here.

The Avalanches - Since I Left You

This has been overwhelmingly pleasant. I've heard a lot about about this band but never heard a track by them before. Not disappointed at all. The samples come together wonderfully, and the subtle synthesizer that goes through the whole composition punctuates the beat nicely. It feels like this mix took that soaring feeling of freedom persistent in soul music and intensified it tenfold. (9/10)

The Tea Party - Winter Solstice

edited 27th Aug '15 9:01:42 AM by Small_Mess

80/100 - A pleasant folksy number, slightly Mediterranean sounding, that wraps a a few melodic ideas up in some playful and deft-fingered rhythms. There are enough changes in tone and theme to stop it from falling into hypnotic repetition yet it feels very compact and catchy in spite of that.

Stargazer - Black Gammon

4/10 I found that more digestible compared to most black(?) metal, probably because it takes a lot of cues from traditional 80s speed/thrash metal, which I am more familiar with. Still, even as I've learned to appreciate heavier forms of metal, there's something about the cold and austere nature of black metal that just doesn't sit well with me.

Dio - Dream Evil

It's been removed. I listened to a live version instead. It's very bland, generic '80s metal. It sounds like any number of other '80s metal songs. 2/5.

The Pipettes - We Are the Pipettes

edited 31st Aug '15 9:13:36 PM by Tiamatty

Light 7/10, well I like it, unexpectedly, since initially I thought that's going to be some cheesy showtunes but the singer's vocals and lyrics are rather interesting, complement it with some bouncy surf rock-esque riffs and we got ourselves a a nice song.

Slint-Good Morning Captain

10/10: A masterpiece of atmosphere and tension. Pitch dark, eerie, and (at the end) terrifying. "I MISS YOOOOOUUUAAAAGH!"

Nick Drake - Hazey Jane II

Hum. It's simple but I like it. The contrast between the soft, quiet voice and the rather dynamic pace of the song is strangely nice. "Now you're lifting your feet off the ground"… that's kind of the feeling it gives, yeah, especially with thos mini trumpet crescendos (or whatever you call that).

Speaking of something simple:

Noir Désir - Le vent nous portera (there's a music video, but the sound quality isn't as good).

If you don't get the lyrics, don't worry, neither do I.

4/10 Something feels off about the lead guitar part. It's hard to explain, but I feel that it doesn't really gel with the rest of the song. Otherwise, for a mellow 90s-style alt rock song it's decent, but nothing about it really grabs me.

Stan Bush - The Touch

78/100 - Really shouldn't have to say anything about this.

Mekong Delta - A Question of Trust

6/10. I'm a sucker for the more dynamic gritty sound of older metal, it was a bit more complex than I thought it might be, a pretty decent track, though not much stuck with me personally.

Swans - A Little God in My Hands

Now, anybody that knows what Swans is, well, it's not for everyone. Experimental is putting it mildly, and they have long songs, but I feel this is their most accessible, providing you can dig noise.

9/10: Like you said, the song that eased me into Swans. The burst of synths and horns gets me every time.

Aphex Twin - Windowlicker

That's the song that awoke my interest in IDM and started my obsession with unconventional music. I especially like the haunting distorted voice samples that sound like a bunch of aroused ghosts. The general structure of the track is also one of my favourite patterns: the track starts out relatively normal, but then glitches start slowly growing on it until it just breaks down and goes into a climax. (9/10)

You might want to turn the volume down a bit for this one.

Venetian Snares - Pressure Torture

The title is well found, indeed… But I'm affraid I can't quite enjoy it. =[ It just sounds like a horrible noise all the way through, and I don't quite get what it's trying to express. Maybe the constant bustling of a city and a life where you're constantly under pressure, and the relief when it stops and you can finally relax. Still not pleasant to listen.

Steve Vai - I know you're here

(yeah, I was just intrigued by the three-neck guitar…)

HARD 9/10, thanks m8, now I have ear seizures.

For real, tho, this is some hard shit. Aggressive, abrasive, random, violent and yet varied and nice production, this is something to bang your heads, and for an electronica song, it's rather interesting.

EDIT: AHHHH FUCK!

Solid 7/10, I remembered that I watch this video back when I was around 16, also curious at the fact that he is playing 3 necked guitars. I remember that's it's good and it is still good today.

FKA Twigs-Glass And Patron

edited 3rd Sep '15 6:37:46 AM by sgtpendulum

edit: woops, I have my answer. X) Those completely opposite reviews on the previous song though.

edited 3rd Sep '15 6:39:48 AM by Lyendith