The Metal Advisor

Re: Velvet Cacoon - Genevieve (2004) I agree. It makes great background noise, but it also makes for an interesting listen when I want to concentrate on it. Thanks for the compliment as well. I'm still searching for somewhere to grab it on vinyl. I know it was rather limited.

Re: Metal Forum Mascot Dude smoking a joint.

Another review hot off the press from TMA. This album definitely won't be for everyone. -------- Genevieve achieves its dark atmosphere by means of production and particularly sloppy instrumentation intertwined with hissed and whispered vocals that take backseat to music. It creates a certain level of dissonance that's as scary as it is addictive. Clearly, this is the perfect album to play on a dreary, overcast day. It laughs in the face of modern death metal and makes it look tame. It's hideous. Since I'm stuck at home because I can't find my wallet, now is the perfect time for me to blabber on this infamous Velvet Cacoon album. I say infamous because, from what I can gather, this band has brought up some strong controversy throughout the metal community. As this record was hitting shelves in 2004, many people criticized Velvet Cacoon for being unoriginal and described them as hoax because a number of their releases were apparently stolen from another band or actually didn't exist at all. On top of that, the two man project probably had a fake and varied history. What would Velvet Cacoon have to prove by adding false releases to their discography? Beats me. Of course, there was also the other side of the spectrum filled with people that loved the band and their minimalistic style of ambient black metal. I fall somewhere in the middle, as I don't know the whole story and don't particularly care to know because it might spoil my listening experience. As long as these guys aren't a NSBM band, I'm unlikely to care or shun them. I should warn you that Genevieve is not for the lighthearted. The production is dry, gritty, raw, and generally very dirty. It aims for an exceedingly opaque atmosphere mixed with ambiance that is repetitive, yet strangely addicting. Protip: Don't play this in the car with your friends unless you want to get cussed out or be viewed as a freak. I can't say I favor overly repetitive music, but due to the gloomy, melancholy sound of Genevieve, the tracks don't get immediately stale. The first time I spun the record, I will admit I wasn't terribly impressed. In fact, it felt as if I was listening to a shower with an extremely faint beat in the background. But there's something about it that draws you in. Maybe it's the repeating guitar riffs that give a listener something to latch on to? Maybe it's the overall attitude? I can't be certain. The most interesting aspect of the album are the ambient passages smoothly woven in and out of the more traditional drum and guitar sections. By no means is it original as I can think of countless black metal bands that blend ambiance with harshness, but for Velvet Cacoon it works better than anything else in recent memory. Take fellow USBM band Chaos Moon for example. Their ambient sections are usually keyboard-based with some pleasant, unoffensive chord patterns. Velvet Cacoon contrasts that with wind blowing, low rumbles, whispers, you name it. This could be characteristic of ambient black metal in VC's vein, but I'm no expert, so it seems relatively fresh. Heck, the last track "Bete Noir" is an epic 17-minute journey through the realms of little to no noise. Ambiance indeed. Is it filler? You decide. A thought that has crossed my mind (and apparently many others) is if the two guys were tripping out of this world when they wrote and recorded the material. I definitely think it's possible because the music is pretty out there and much of it is very poorly performed. But like I said earlier, this type of incompetence only benefits the attitude the record was likely aiming to get. Let's be clear here. This record won't make any top 40 lists. It won't ever become mainstream and it won't ever appeal to the run-of-the-mill metalhead. It isn't accessible. At all. If you're open minded and ready to search out musical qualities in something any normal music lover would call noise, put this on your list. It rewards dedicated listeners with little treats on every play. I've found something new hidden in the depths of Genevieve each time I've put it on. This isn't an album I will play daily, but will certainly keep in my stack of stuff to go back to. Overall, a good album. If only I could find a copy on vinyl, The Metal Advisor Go here for the original post, the original album art (not the solid black cover that sometimes appears in the Amazon box below), and a song: http://metaladvisor.blogspot.com/2011/08/review-velvet-cacoon-genevieve.html

Hey peeps, There's a Facebook thread, why not a Last.fm thread? It's my most frequented site on the net, so I figured I'd share. Add me if you have one. Aksel and I are already friends. I'm always playing music. http://www.last.fm/user/mkvr32 TMA

Re: new age rock and metal. ^ Nah, I think you mean a lot of mainstream music. That I can agree with. There's plenty of good music being made today. Just dig for it if you have to.

Re: new age rock and metal. Sometimes you have to go underground to find something you like. This is no different.

Re: new age rock and metal. Screamo? That ain't metal. I don't like any of the bands you listed.

Re: What Are You Listening To? Of the Wand and the Moon - "Follow Thy Fair Sunne Unhappy Shaddowe"

Re: New Guitar Help The LTD Eclipse guitars are very, very good. The build quality is great, and they take pretty much everything you throw at them. I second the Schecter recommendation too, but I'd put the LTD Eclipses one step ahead. Even better if you get an actual ESP. Now those are ace.

Re: Traditional vs. Symphonic Power Metal ^ I actually like Divinefire. I never considered Firewind symphonic either. Their older material is very good, the modern is hit or miss. I generally prefer stuff like Liege Lord or Omen.

Re: Traditional vs. Symphonic Power Metal Double post... whoops.

Re: Traditional vs. Symphonic Power Metal Sure, I can do that. Like I said before, I prefer the harder hitting power metal the USPM bands were known for. I started my metal journey with largely traditional heavy metal bands like Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, Dio, and the like, so it shouldn't be any surprise that I favor regular power metal over the other. I tend to find some symphonic power metal bands rather fruity and others relatively cheesy, but, of course, this isn't the case for all of them. There are more than a few that I dig and have welcomed with open arms.

Re: Traditional vs. Symphonic Power Metal ^ It just seemed like you were approaching this debate from your point of view without consideration to the other side. That's all.

Re: New Guitar Help Avoid Gibson like the plague. Both of mine have caused me nothing but trouble because Gibson doesn't give a crap about how their guitars leave the factory. They know people will buy them regardless. What ESPs are you looking at? Out of what you listed, ESP is what I will heartily recommend.

Re: Traditional vs. Symphonic Power Metal Have you considered that some people actually prefer other sounds, rather than being "old and crotchety?" It's all a matter of taste. Not everyone is stuck in an era or style.

Re: Traditional vs. Symphonic Power Metal I wouldn't call Iron Maiden power metal. They've certainly had power metalish moments, but their core sound is plain Jane heavy metal. Some of the others you listed overlap in sound as well with a heavy/power metal combo (Manowar, Jag Panzer, and Lord). Anyway, I don't particularly care for many symphonic power metal bands. I prefer the harder hitting power metal bands (in the UPSM vein) that were heavily influenced by speed and thrash metal. What they offered keeps me interested far longer than anything the bands with symphonic elements ever have. Still, there are some power metal bands with symphonic elements that I enjoy like Heavenly, etc.

Re: TMA Discussions Part II: Physical Copies vs. Digital Fil ^ And that, my friend, is why digital files are so darn appealing.

Re: metallica? I don't like the term "sell out," so I won't be using that. I don't really agree that they matured in sound either. It was totally different sound, not an evolution of what they had been doing before.

Re: TMA Discussions Part II: Physical Copies vs. Digital Fil They do. Edit: You can see my thoughts on digital vs. analog here if you'd like. http://metaladvisor.blogspot.com/2011/06/analog-vs-digital.html and a bit here: http://metaladvisor.blogspot.com/2011/0 ... vinyl.html TMA

Re: 334 members and where is everyone??? You have to entice the people in some way.

Re: Shoutbox & Facebook Connect This should help spread the forum at least...

Re: Records, CDs, or MP3s? Hm, well I purchase a good chunk of my albums on Amazon both new and used, and I never have to pay that much for a CD. Only in very rares cases such as an older pressing or an import. Everyone already knows my thoughts on MP3s vs. other digital files...

Re: Jazz Some of it certainly is an acquired taste if you're used to faster music.

Re: What Are You Listening To? Overkill - "Give a Little"

Re: Records, CDs, or MP3s? Where the heck are you buying CDs, dude? I rarely ever pay $20 or more for a CD unless it's long out of print and I must have it (or for a particular pressing that isn't remaster and such...).