Tea Time

GENRE: math rock, jazz I thank Reddit for this suggestion. They seem to have the most eclectic tastes. Rather, it's the people most outspoken about their music tastes that are eclectic. Today I find myself listening to a combination of jazz, math rock, metal, and progressive. I mean, how did they even make this blend of genres work. Although some genres are present more so than others, it's clear that they make creative decisions beyond the conventional. I can be pretty picky about voices like these, but this is quite something else. It's not so edgy as to make me cringe. The cleans are just grounded enough, due to their support from decent lyrics, and an even greater backing track. I think my favorite part about it is the mode that they work in. Of course, it being influenced by jazz, you got to have some gnarly transitions and modal interchanges here and there, and you definitely get hints of that here. I'm a fan. Rating: 8/10

GENRE: progressive, metal All right, I just had to do it. With TOOL 's latest album, there's no reason not to talk about what is probably the best song on the album. It's 15 minutes of classic TOOL  goodness. I was trying to figure out why the first letter is a 7. And honestly, I don't really have the time to. It could either be time signature, the lyrical content, or something else I'm not getting entirely (which wouldn't be so far-fetched for a band like them). They take such simple, irregular riffs, and really milk good quality stuff out of it. It's just so damn catchy. I know I'm gushing over this song, but this is the type of stuff that keeps this genre alive. Rating: 9/10

GENRE: metal, rock They are such a fun band to listen to. They've really tapped into their potential market and ran away with it. Satirizing 80's hair metal and doing such a good job at it that you could almost say that they've become the thing they've mocked. Their first album was undeniably their best album. It's been a while since I've listened to a song as good Asian Hooker , so let's see if their most recent release holds a candle to that. I think their most amazing feature is their lyrical prowess. Combining comedy and blunt, vulgar phrases makes for a really catchy and memorable song. I mean, the title says it all. This is one of those songs that gets played to a large concert audience. I can just see it. If it weren't for a lyrics, it could easily by a Bon Jovi song, don't you think? Maybe Steel Panther  is just that good. And truly, they are. Time to go see them live! Rating: 7/10

GENRE: metal Put on a blindfold, and all you hear is Iron Maiden fully fledged and back to form. Take off the blindfold, it looks even more obvious given the album cover. Doppelganger as they are, they do a really good job of adapting the classic metal sound of Iron Maiden to a more modern audience. High quality, clean shredding, high-pitched vocals supported by skin-tight jeans, and a rampaging yet not overbearing drum part. I can really get behind those vocals; they remind me a little of Judas Priest too, one of my favorite metal bands. This song has got it all. A wicked bridge section, banshee-like screams, and varying meters that make it easy to head-bang and thrash all within the same song. I may be exaggerating, but this stands close to Holy Wars... The Punishment Due by Megadeth. Rating: 8.5/10

GENRE: progressive metal And here we have it, the first TOOL song in what seems like more than a decade (and it is). They do not stray from the beaten path in this song, because it could not be none other than TOOL that makes song with this particular style. Sharp drums, an angry Maynard, a distorted and precise guitar riff, a wide spectrum of percussion instruments, droning sounds phasing in and out, a sick bass riff, and an exceedingly long playtime, it's TOOL. All fans of music rejoice today. Now my opinion? Funny that you ask. Personally, it's not the best TOOL song out there (maybe not even top 5), but it's refreshing to hear something new. However, maybe it's the years of wait that inflate expectations, but I was hoping that TOOL would try something new. Granted, the album isn't coming out until the end of the month, so we'll have to wait and see. I just hope this isn't the best of their album yet. Hopefully, it's just a teaser. My only pet peev...

GENRE: metal You may have heard Chop Suey!,  but have you heard Sugar ? System of a Down is known for their unique style and approach to metal music. Serj Tankian has just a visceral, untamed personality when he performs his music. That's especially prevalent in Sugar; you get all types of ranges and voices that go into the song. You can have your manic rambling, yelling, rapping, singing, all in one package! The instrumentation changes so much in this piece too. The choruses give you a thrashing, while the verses give you the same harmonic riff but minimized to give a sort of dancing section. I personally like the dynamic changes, as it only contributes the jerking feeling you get when listening to System of a Down. You get pulled every which way when it comes to the energy and momentum of the song. And as always, you get a very politically charged message, a little cherry on top. Rating: 7/10

GENRE: progressive, metal Plini is another artist that has flown under my radar for awhile, but not today. His touch and approach to creating music aligns so well with what envision to be my choice and taste in music. Selenium Forest is a clinic  on how to write and perform articulate, harmonic, emotional music with masks of metal and instrumental styles. The introduction is particularly mesmerizing, but the song only picks up from there. Odd time signatures are the norm here, but nothing too mind-bending on the level of Meshuggah. You almost never really notice anymore considering how persistent it is throughout the song, which is the sign of an artist that composes through the music, instead of filling some kind of imaginary quota for progressive rock. Aside from the technical prowess, the structure of the song kind of all blends, and seems more like one big solo. That's not in of itself a bad thing, but it's hard to pick out particularly memorable parts of the song as a...

genre: post-hardcore, metalcore Hey, what a surprise. I swear Our Last Night  must have released this song today, because I haven't heard anything from them in a long time, let alone originals. As far as I know, it's an original.  I tend to dislike this genre, owing to the men who sound like angsty boys in their tight af jeans. Our Last Night  is a weird exception; their talent is evident. Their singing prowess is twofold, and their drummer is a monster. Unfortunately, I am most fond of their work when it concerns covers of popular pop songs. They add such a distinct attitude and aggressive passion into the song that might not otherwise have been explored. Their originals don't seem to do it for me though. The lyrics kind of just fall flat, verging on the edge of cheesy. The instrumental work is impressive though, and the singing itself is stellar as usual. I just wish their lyrics had a better cadence or complexity to them. Rating: 6/10

genre : metal snack: pistachio nuts Meshuggah pushes the boundaries of its genre by twisting our conventions and perceptions of musical structure. Layered on a foundation of guttural, beastly guitars and vocals, they strike at a primal urge within us. The musician in me fervently seeks to unlock the structure of their music. More often than not, their time signatures are in a common and easily understood metric. Where they get wild is their interpretation of the spaces between those sensible bars. I think this is where Meshuggah shines. That technique is on full display in "Born Into Dissonance", where the grounded beat for the main riff never seems to stay in place. Thank god for the drums for holding it together for us listeners. As always, they build upon their songs quite a bit compared to most, adding new developing sections, callbacks to the main themes, and even new rhythm sections. It's just classic Meshuggah. Rating: 7.5/10

genre: metal, deathcore In another addition to the repertoire of one of the funniest bands, I present to you Tuff Love. Honestly, I don't know enough about the idiosyncrasies of this type of music, but the lyrics make it all worthwhile. The sheer juxtaposition between the implied content, and the actual lyrics is whimsical and quirky. They are at the same time a serious deathcore band, and a comedy group. Unfortunately, I can't really listen to this type of music on repeat. Even then, I need a video to haphazardly understand the muddled vocals, but it comes with the trade. Give them a try. Rating: 7/10

genre: melodic death metal drink: water This song checks the boxes for what I think are my favorite features in a metal song. The melodic guitar, the guttural voices, the somewhat understandable and catchy, gripping lyrics, the distinct drumming style, and just the right amount of range. I don't particularly enjoy songs with a lower range that lends itself to muddy distortion, but this song hits the middle ground for me.  The intro riff is just so catchy. The chord progression, simple and empowering. For lack of a better description, I can definitely power frown to this. There's really not much more to this song except the fact that it excels at what it seeks to do. Plus, it's about Thor!  Rating: 9/10

genre: death metal drink: strawberry banana smoothie This band is weird af. BUT, I like a little bit of quirky every now and then. Disclaimer: you kind of have  to watch the music video that accompanies this song. It doesn't mean the song itself is bad, but the context makes so much more sense.  I haven't listened to metal like this in a long time. Closest band I can recall is 3 Inches of Blood. Nonetheless, Nekrogoblikon takes those concepts and adds a twist. The story takes place in a modern world (excluding the goblin of course), and speaks of deeper, personal struggles. The jarring juxtaposition is hilarious to me. It's relatable, yet ludicrous. And I love the song so much for it. Rating: 8.5/10

genre: heavy metal drink:   nuoc mat Now you're in for a real treat. I was curious trying to find songs similar to what my dad used to play (still plays I guess). And one my question had me pegged--do Vietnamese people have some kind of metal band out there? This what I stumbled upon. So apparently, the scene for Vietnamese metal (prog metal that is) is incredibly small, understandably. And so I kept digging, and I found a few songs that I actually enjoyed. They're pretty decent, and not totally foreign on the ears. And by foreign, I mean to say that their musical tastes are far different from mine. Their music tends to be overproduced, completely synthetic in their instrumentation, and downright cheesy. However, I will give them a plus on their vocals. Vietnamese singing usually pleases me.  Enough ranting, here comes a near addictive song that I couldn't stop listening to. With their lack of exposure on more mainstream platforms, I don't even know if this is...

genre: folk metal, progressive, experimental drink:   water Here's to song three of Agalloch's The Mantle .  The tone of the guitar is completely different this time around. It's got a bright and clean sound to it, offset with the bellowing, beating drum in the background. Whatever that drum is, it sounds huge,  maybe a concert bass? I wouldn't be surprised.  Picking up at about 2:30, the guitar starts to build up. The march of the snare drum complements the newly distorted guitar chords. This build up actually dies out, which is disappointing to me, as I thought it would lead to a new section. However, it's more of what the intro was like, with variations of the guitar riffs. Around 5:30, the section descrescendos into near nothingness as a bright piano solos. It fills the surrounding silence with melancholic chord progressions. The delay and reverb on the piano enhances the sheer loneliness of the piece. And then, carried out by the wind below us, what sou...

genre: folk metal, progressive metal, drink:   strawberry and banana smoothie Moving on with the album, here is a song that's a real kicker. Listening to this is like taking a big bite out of the album. With this particular song, you can definitely see the similarities with Godspeed You! Black Emperor. And as such, really best way to listen to this song is to divert attention away from other distractions and experience it.  Nonetheless, it has its own place. Firstly, the timpani's back! Good ol' timpani. I wonder if that'll be a continuing theme throughout the album. Moreover, melodic lines throughout the song build upon and vary the phrase from the timpani.  Two minutes into the song, I was pretty caught off-guard, because until now I haven't heard a single word from the band. I hate to say it, but I'm not a fan of a majority of screamo. I understand it's place, but for me it has to have a particular flair to it. Luckily for Agalloch, I find it pretty...

genre: folk metal, progressive metal, drink:   strawberry and banana smoothie Agalloch is a new band that I've come across, and it made sense to me to listen to every song on one of their albums ( The Mantle, 2002) and document each one. In other words, it's a special series! Starting off with the album opener: A Celebration For The Death Of Man. Right off the bat, a timpani roars and introduces a rich acoustic guitar. The melody (if you can even call it that) in the guitar creates a slight dissonance as it moves through the chord progression. With the timpani leading the march, a low, droning, distorted guitar adds color and build up the song.  Being only two minutes long, this piece establishes a mood for the remaining album. In the far off distance, you can almost hear tribal instruments decorating the canvas. Over time, they only become more and more prominent, inciting a sort of mellow march. I don't know if I can really consider this a whole song, as it's m...

genre: experimental rock, metal drink: nuoc mat  Upon further investigation of the mesmerizing Dir En Grey, I came upon a side project of Kyo's, SUKEKIYO. I was so drawn to Macabre (from a previous post) that I found a liking to this song by SUKEKIYO that's somewhat on the same spectrum. Kyo enlists his haunting vocal range to add color and emotion.  Here's a funny connection. From a personal perspective, the beginning reminds me of something a middle-aged Asian band would play at a wedding-from the distorted guitar arpeggios to the timbre of the distinct drum beat. It really reminds me of my dad. The vocal range used for this beginning section matches really well too. No doubt about it.  As for the rest of the song, the enthralling build-up, lead guitar work, and Kyo's stunning vocals of course, work together harmoniously to bring about an astounding experience. Although the material isn't as thought-provoking (especially when Kyo doesn't get into i...

Macabre by DIR EN GREY genre: heavy metal, progressive metal Whenever a piece seems to transcend its medium, I can't help but describing it as an "experience" rather than music. This is one of those times. For a first listen, you really should devote a majority of your attention to this song. Experience  it.  This piece is just filled to the brim with all sorts of unusual instruments. The guitars range from bluesy rock, to your classic heavy metal. The midsection brings in dissonant organs, pianos, and other avant garde sound effects. Within 16 minutes, DIR EN GREY delivers a soul-crushing, all-consuming journey that I can only imagine would be unbelievable to see in person.  One of my favorite characteristics of this song is the vocals. Color me biased, but I want to praise this song more than you probably think it deserves. Reason being, it closely borrows my favorite elements of power metal. Emphasis on elements.*  Power metal is one of my fav...

One by Metallica genre: metal YouTube Apologies for the formatting, I'm writing this out on my phone because my laptop died today. Pour one out for my trusty laptop :(. Moving forward, of the things that I actually have control over, this blog is one of them. It's been a really long time since I've listened to Metallica. Personally, my favorites are "The Unforgiven" and "For Whom the Bell Tolls". Someone recommended this to me, and although I recognize this song, I don't recall very much since it's been such a long time.  Paired with the music video, the song is a sobering recollection of the horrors of war. How fitting that I recently sat down to watch Schindler's List for the first time with my girlfriend. For a majority of the song, the rhythms and harmonies reflect that, before descending into madness as the song concludes with a thrashing solo. I'm not going to say much else due to my incompetent phone making it a p...