What Are You Listening To?

[Thatguy]

6 hours ago, GoatmasterGeneral said:

I'm here to inform you that there have been 164 recorded births of males named Eugene in Australia in the 75 years between 1944 and 2019.

O bloody hell. How about, ah, their parents were recent migrants from Ruritania, or were just FITH.

7 hours ago, markm said:

Nothing wrong with Cedric. It has a level of sophistication. I find name etymology interesting

All true, but naming is culturally specific and fashion related. Here Cedric is the name of your great uncle, or even great great uncle. Cedric is a little guy with a comb-over at the bowls club. Not that I go to bowls clubs.

[AlSymerz]

8 minutes ago, Thatguy said:

Not that I go to bowls clubs.

Says that but knows all about Cedric and his comb over.

 

[Thatguy]

7 hours ago, GoatmasterGeneral said:

only 4 tracks and ran just 36 minutes. 

Which, I agree, is about the perfect length for an album.

Mind you, when I was a kiddie and had very little money and there were two vinyls I wanted and one was 36 minutes and the other 28 minutes for the same price then the economic consideration would come into play.

[MarkhantonioYeatts]

OFF! - Kill To Be Heard

 

[GoatmasterGeneral]

58 minutes ago, Thatguy said:

O bloody hell. How about, ah, their parents were recent migrants from Ruritania, or were just FITH.

Well Gene is pretty common over here (with the older generations, not really with the younger people) and you do currently have in excess of 71,000 Yanks living in Australia. And really 164 Eugenes born in OZ over the course of 75 years is only about 2 per year, so in a country of 26 million it would be easy to go your whole life without ever bumping into one. 

I will say though that there are a lot of really bad names people give their kids. I hear the names of some of the kids in my son's class and I think WTF? There's a girl named Poppi and he used to have a friend in Colorado named Talon and another named Stanley. Noah is very popular atm, I believe he had 3 Noahs in his class last year and I wouln't name my kid Noah in a million years. I'd sooner name him Gene Hackman or Gene Kelly or Gene Simmons.

Now you've got me curious Doc, what are the most popular boys names in America and OZ?

Nothing I would want as my name. I do see Owen on the US list which is somehow related to Eugene. Maybe Jackson and Henry could have possibilities. Michael or Daniel wouldn't be the end of the world. I looked at the top 100 names and neither yours nor mine is on the list in either country. Looks like they've phased us out, put us out to pasture as it were. They might as well ship us off to Ruritania to live out our twilight years.

 

USA

Liam     
Noah     
Oliver     
Elijah     
William     
James     
Benjamin     
Lucas     
Henry     
Alexander     
Mason     
Michael     
Ethan     
Daniel     
Jacob     
Logan     
Jackson     
Levi     
Sebastian     
Mateo     
Jack     
Owen     
Theodore     
Aiden     
Samuel

 

AUS

Oliver
Noah
Jack
William
Leo
Lucas
Thomas
Henry
Charlie
James
Caleb
Gabriel
Jackson
Liam
Elijah
Levi
Flynn
Alexander
Sebastian
Archer
Harrison
Hudson
Xavier

[Dead1]

8 hours ago, markm said:

 which is why I'd rather listen to a new Testament or Anthrax album than MD album.

As a Megadeth fanboy, I'd agree with you.  New Testament and Anthrax are on average generally better than new Megadeth IMO.

I do find each Megadeth album enjoyable except Risk but I suspect there's a lot of bias given I love the band so much (same with Iron Maiden).

As to Dave's voice, it sounds tired on the new album.  Not sure how much that cancer kicked him around or if it's just him becoming an old man (same happened to Lemmy - he sounded so old and tired on the last several Motorhead albums).

 

 

 

5 hours ago, GoatmasterGeneral said:

 

I tried sampling some modern day Anthrax yesterday just for shits and giggles. It was right after I heard that Bungle Easter Bunny thing with Scott Ian on rythym guitar. I hadn't heard anything from Anthrax other than just a random song or two since 1993's Sound of White Noise...until yesterday. I just tried a couple of tunes off each of their 5 newer albums. I was horrified. It was so fucking bad, this Bush guy does not suit them well at all imo.

Last 2 are Joey Belladonna on vocals.  

I've liked the 2 Joey albums.  Of the Bush era I love Sound of White Noise and Volume 8 but Stomp 442  and We've Come For You All are z-grade turdburgers.

I think a bigger issue with Bush era was that they tried very hard to stay relevant commercially.  I remember reading an interview with them in late 1990s when they were lamenting how they couldn't fill even small venues anymore. 

12 hours ago, JonoBlade said:

With all due respect, that approach is insane. "Value for money" doesn't work with music. 

Are you saying you'd recommend this new album to a new listener wanting to discover Megadeth over Peace Sells (running time 36:12)? 

Who would ever choose Book of Souls over Number of the Beast? 

My approach of dismissing long albums can likewise be a bit shortsighted, but it has been a good yardstick based on empirical evidence. 

You might get good value going to see Return of the King at the cinema, but your kids will be clawing their eyes out with boredom praying for it to end already by the closing credits. A more adept filmmaker would have edited it to a better paced final cut. 

Same with music. A good producer will distil an album down to its strongest and most succinct assault. A weak producer will let the band have their way. 

Release extended/extra tracks in special editions for avid fans. 

The reason I harp on about this shit is because I genuinely think many albums would be stronger and enjoyed more by the listener if they were trimmed back. It even makes good business sense, because you can sell the album twice with bonus tracks at a later date. 

Nail smacked on the head.  

Personally I think 35-40 minutes running time is ideal in most cases.  Note human attention span is on average 45 minutes. 

Bands like modern Metallica or Iron Maiden or older Opeth would have been far better if they trimmed the excess.    So many albums in 1990s were full of filler because they tried to write longer albums to use up all CD storage capacity.

[MarkhantonioYeatts]

ROSE ROSE - Brutalize

D.O.N.D.O.N. - Borderline

 

[zackflag]

Inquisition - Black Mass For A Mass Grave

While we're still on the subject of album lengths, this is a textbook example of a "long" album (65 minutes) that doesn't feel long at all.

[MarkhantonioYeatts]

PAINTBOX - Singing Shouting Crying

TOMORROW - Chiedi Troppo

 

[GoatmasterGeneral]

Bastard Priest - Under the Hammer of Destruction, Sweden 2010

 

World In Ruins - In Misery, Sweden 2021

 

[MarkhantonioYeatts]

DIE ZLASKHINX - Early Years Re-Recorded

 

17 minutes ago, GoatmasterGeneral said:

Bastard Priest - Under the Hammer of Destruction, Sweden 2010

 

World In Ruins - In Misery, Sweden 2021

 

..that BASTARD PRIEST record never disappoints.....

[markm]

Sig:Ar:Tyr/Northen  (2016)-largely improves upon the issue of lack of metal vocals I noted on their 2005 album, Sailing the Seas of Fate. Steel Druhm from AMG gushed over the album which probably got my attention, don't remember exactly. Founding member, Daemonskald, formerly the sole member in this project brought in an entire band to flush out their Bathory worship Viking metal sound. The lush guitar instrumental sound is greatly improved with a decidedly Bathory meets Immortal-or more specifically Abbath's very good album I/  Between Two Worlds. It's not as good as Between Two Worlds but decent for Viking fare. 

 

[True Belief]

10 hours ago, GoatmasterGeneral said:

I'm here to inform you that there have been 164 recorded births of males named Eugene in Australia in the 75 years between 1944 and 2019. 

And every one of them would have put lemonade in their beer at some point (possibly not the little dude from 2019).

[GoatmasterGeneral]

27 minutes ago, MarkhantonioYeatts said:

..that BASTARD PRIEST record never disappoints.....

Yeah it's completely badass. I rember being happy to see another album from them the following year but then being bitterly disappointed that it just wasn't nearly as good as the debut. It's been quite awhile since I've listened to it though, guess it's about time to give it another shot and try to keep an open mind.

 

Bastard Priest - Ghouls of the Endless Night, 2011

 

28 minutes ago, markm said:

Sig:Ar:Tyr/Northen  (2016)-largely improves upon the issue of lack of metal vocals I noted on their 2005 album, Sailing the Seas of Fate. Steel Druhm from AMG gushed over the album which probably got my attention, don't remember exactly. Founding member, Daemonskald, formerly the sole member in this project brought in an entire band to flush out their Bathory worship Viking metal sound. The lush guitar instrumental sound is greatly improved with a decidedly Bathory meets Immortal-or more specifically Abbath's very good album I/  Between Two Worlds. It's not as good as Between Two Worlds but decent for Viking fare. 

Funny, I haven't heard either Northern or Sailing the Seas, but I have the two albums in the middle, Beyond the North Winds 2008 and Godsaga 2010. I always thought they were both pretty good, I just don't play them very often because of their lack of any evil killer caprine atmosphere. I'll have to check out Northern sometime to see their progression.

[GoatmasterGeneral]

31 minutes ago, True Belief said:

And every one of them would have put lemonade in their beer at some point (possibly not the little dude from 2019).

Somebody should tell them Eugenes and Cedrics it's about time to stop having a sook and harden the fuck up!

 

[MarkhantonioYeatts]

SNAKES DON'T BELONG IN ALASKA - Interstellar Psychedelic

....trippy......

[AlSymerz]

Hellbringer - Dominion Of Darkness

 

[Thatguy]

8 hours ago, GoatmasterGeneral said:

Looks like they've phased us out, put us out to pasture as it were. They might as well ship us off to Ruritania to live out our twilight years.

Yep. It's all fashion and our names are now well and truly out of fashion. There are some terrible names on those lists though.

I do like the old girls names that only grannies had but which are now back -  Iris, May, Rose etc

[BLAMO]

 

SILENCER- I SHALL LEAD YOU SHALL FOLLOW

[markm]

Bathory/Hammerheart -Accept no substitutes!

Ramones/Rocket to Russia-Accept no substitutes! 

[MarkhantonioYeatts]

ARMOURED FLU UNIT - The Mighty Roar

GRAVE BATHERS - Rock N Roll Fetish

 

[navybsn]

Was on a post-punk train this morning. Newer stuff. There's been quite a few good releases this year.

Vandal Moon - Queen of the Night - probably my favorite at the moment

Casket Cassette - s/t - also in the running for favorite rights

Lords of the Northern Sky - Empty Rooms Denied Light

Night Sins - Violent Age

Executioner's Mask - Winterlong

Pleasure Policy - Is Your Heart Still Unmoved Towards Us

Several good EP's  out this year too, but I'll save those for later today.

[JonoBlade]

13 hours ago, Dead1 said:

As to Dave's voice, it sounds tired on the new album.  Not sure how much that cancer kicked him around or if it's just him becoming an old man (same happened to Lemmy - he sounded so old and tired on the last several Motorhead albums).

I've liked the 2 Joey albums.  Of the Bush era I love Sound of White Noise and Volume 8 but Stomp 442  and We've Come For You All are z-grade turdburgers.

I think a bigger issue with Bush era was that they tried very hard to stay relevant commercially.  I remember reading an interview with them in late 1990s when they were lamenting how they couldn't fill even small venues anymore. 

Bands like modern Metallica or Iron Maiden or older Opeth would have been far better if they trimmed the excess.    So many albums in 1990s were full of filler because they tried to write longer albums to use up all CD storage capacity.

The Dave vocals I heard on the new singles weren't terrible; still distinctive Dave, but live he really has to pace himself because there is nothing left of his voice. Just no power and barely opens his mouth like he's a casualty of Botox. It is unclear to me how anyone cannot be disappointed or, more accurately saddened, by a Megadeth live show.

I am an obvious outlier but We've Come For You All got me interested in Anthrax again after a long indifference. Ironically, I  did later find I had Volume 8 and Stomp 442 CDs in a box, but don't recall ever listening to them. And then they dumped Bush. I actually saw one of the first reunions in 2005 (I am guessing) at a Metal Hammer awards I managed to get comped into. Anthrax were voted best live band, despite not having actually started their tour yet. Dan Spitz was playing that night.

Anyway, there is some Bush era material that is decent, but if you listen closely his voice is not actually that stable. Joey's voice is more powerful, even though I thought his tone didn't really suit the music on everything up until Persistence of Time when it just seemed to sit better in the mix. Of all the Big Four vocalists, he was most out of place.

The greatest band that never was would have been circa 1984 Dave Mustaine on lead guitar, James Hetfield on rhythm, both trading lead vocals (Dave snarls while Hetfield could shriek).

[FatherAlabaster]

20 minutes ago, navybsn said:

Was on a post-punk train this morning. Newer stuff. There's been quite a few good releases this year.

Vandal Moon - Queen of the Night - probably my favorite at the moment

Casket Cassette - s/t - also in the running for favorite rights

Lords of the Northern Sky - Empty Rooms Denied Light

Night Sins - Violent Age

Executioner's Mask - Winterlong

Pleasure Policy - Is Your Heart Still Unmoved Towards Us

Several good EP's  out this year too, but I'll save those for later today.

Thanks for this. I've been listening to old favorites nonstop lately but I haven't kept up with any newer stuff along these lines. Vandal Moon is exactly what I want to hear right now.

[navybsn]

3 hours ago, FatherAlabaster said:

Thanks for this. I've been listening to old favorites nonstop lately but I haven't kept up with any newer stuff along these lines. Vandal Moon is exactly what I want to hear right now.

Is pretty damn good. That Casket Cassette is not as polished but equally good. Read someone describe it as if Morrissey fronted Joy Division.

A touch more on the punk side than the above, but this is actually my favorite for the year. I was thinking this morning that it came out in 21, but it is a 22 release. This tie of year I always start to lose perspective on what was release in the earlier part of the year.

Crime of Passing - s/t