The Chorus Music Club Society • Page 389

Hey everyone, I want to make a quick announcement regarding the upcoming session (9/10 - 9/17).

Seeing as how most of the people in here seem to have fallen behind and are working to catch up, next session will be a "catch up week" here. We'll plan on resuming normal CMCS activity the following week and I'll touch base prior to that to see who wants benched and who wants to be active.

Please use the next week and a half to get caught up!

If you are caught up and would like to use next week for "bonus" trades, feel free to post in here to see if there's anyone that can pair up with you.

I just want to remind everyone that this club isn't meant to feel like homework! There are no formal requirements on the reviews that need to be written. Just spend a bit of time with an album and take a couple minutes to type up your thoughts. One thing that has helped me over the past couple months is only taking on one album a week. Obviously that's up to each individual person, but the backlog tends to pile up fast when you're taking on 2-3 albums in a week!

 

@jorbjorb
@Bad Frequencies
@bachna84
@Kiana
@disambigujason
@broken22
@Micool1
@Larry David
@JRGComedy
@Patterns in Traffic
@broken22
@Nate_Johnson
@teebs41
@cshadows2887
@Davjs
@highfidelity203
@SamLevi11
@anonimito
@CSWAPPO
@Chase Tremaine
@edisnfg
@K0ta
@iCarly Rae Jepsen
@ryanfears
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@Jim Morgan
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@Anarchivist
@GBlades @stijn_p @Larry David @marioeatworld @Mister Lyrical @ugman_2000@Dirty Sanchez @mattfreaksmeout @ImAMetaphor @Cody @Contender @Dumblecore @navidson @Joe4th @marioeatworld @KidLightning @duritzfan13 @bree1981 @mescalineeyes @littlejohn @skogsraet @Matthewconte @EmmanuelSCastle @JoshShulkin @JM95 @Dog with a Blog @sean_rugy @ChaseTx @MikeyPaine @Sheaver10 @AelNire @elemenohpe @thenewmatthewperry @Rob Hughes @Fucking Dustin @Craig Manning @Michael Schmidt @Kennedy @ShadowTh2b @CarpetElf @sophos34 @Jdaniels @suicidesaints @Kingjohn_654 @theagentcoma @primavera @nohandstoholdonto @ComedownMachine @manoverboard365 @Wall Of Arms @shanerockey @electro haikus @dadbolt @angrycandy @DesolateEarth @LuigiPeppercorn @carrytheweird @Raditz @bradsonemanband @Drewski @Mister Lyrical @St. Nate @Zac Djamoos @Michael Schmidt @ryanfears @AlwaysEvolving21 @Mary V @iCarly Rae Jepsen @Colin Your Enthusiasm
@Mr. Serotonin
@mad


This is y’all’s chance to catch up!

 

Yeah most weeks I tend to trade only one now, it helps a lot.

Saying that I’ve still got 3 reviews to do. I should have mine for Nate up sometime this weekend (maybe Monday, as Spider-Man’s out) and then my other one will follow next week.

Anyways this catch up week will definitely help

 

I wonder if it'd be worthwhile having one week per month designated as a "catch up week"

 

Test run it in my absence and if it works I’ll keep it when I return

 

I know @Bad Frequencies has been waiting for my Starset and Alkaline Trio reviews for 3 months.

 

Keep him waiting!

He's too busy for us.

 

This is awesome news! Once my reviews are all posted, I do plan to get the spreadsheet updated, so having a catch-up week will make that worthwhile, too!

 

A couple of weeks ago I was paired with @Nate_Johnson and he decided to educate me on some post-metal starting with Isis' Oceanic. This is a 2002 album (and possibly the band's most popular release) that sees them moving away from their hardcore roots to a more post-rock/ambient sound. I could tell by looking at the tracklisting that I was in for some experimental stuff, as only two of the nine tracks on the album clock in at under 6:45. This was definitely a new sound for me, but I enjoyed my time with it and branching into new genres is always worthwhile.



Going into this album, I was expecting something loud and brash, judging by the metal descriptor. However, I was surprised to find that this album was, for the most part, a pretty calming listen. Yes, there are low, heavy, chugging guitars, and yes, there are gruff, yelling vocals, but Isis excels at finding a groove and making the listener comfortable there. Rather than high-energy catharsis, I much more frequently found myself bobbing my head smoothly along with the rhythm of the music. The tracks here flow so smoothly despite the aggression within the vocal and instrumental performances. A big part of that is the length of the songs, which sometimes border on drone with how long they repeat one passage or stay within one chord progression. However, while I sometimes don't care for long songs like this, I think these tracks benefit across the board from their length. A three- or four-minute track with this kind of heavy feel might be easily forgettable, but after spending seven or eight minutes within the atmosphere that Isis creates, it becomes truly captivating. And while the tracks repeat musical motifs, I never found them repetitive in a negative sense. There is enough variation in the beats and instrumentation to keep the listener engaged throughout.

The vocal style on this album is not one that I would say I generally care for in my music listening. Singer and guitarist Aaron Turner utilizes a rough, growling kind of yell, which is well-suited for this style of music, but doesn't make it easy to pick out specific lyrics. However, despite the absence of standard hooks, which as most probably know are usually my main draw to music, I found myself enjoying this album for entirely different reasons. I do enjoy lyrics and melody, but in the case of Oceanic I appreciated the album as if it was instrumental. As I said before, Turner's voice really does complement the instrumental aspect of the band perfectly, and whenever his vocals are present (probably only around 25% of the album, as much of it truly is instrumental) it acts like an additional instrument added to the landscape. During my research on the album, I did see that it has an overarching story, and is a concept album of sorts. Pardon my ineloquent summary, but this is an album about a man who commits suicide by drowning after finding out his lover has engaged in a long-term incestuous relationship with her brother. I read through the lyrics and they are sufficiently vague to not spell out this story directly, but once you've read Turner's description of the themes of the album you can see the connections in the lyricism.

Tracks five and six, "Untitled" and "Maritime," clock in at two and three minutes, respectively, and though these runtimes seem more in line with popular song structure, these are actually short instrumental songs which serve as an interlude of sorts. "Untitled" is more of a soundscape with water noises flowing throughout, while "Maritime" features a nice clean fingerpicked guitar part. The following track "Weight" is almost 11 minutes in length and picks up from the quietness of "Maritime" until slowly building into the most climactic part of the album (though this is arguably rivaled by closer "Hym"). This is another instrumental track with the exception of some female vocals that show up briefly in the middle of the track and again at the end as several vocal parts are layered during the apex of the song.

Overall, this is a great album and I can easily see why it is the most celebrated in Isis' discography. From someone who normally is not a huge fan of metal, instrumental music, or long songs, this album won me over despite featuring all three. It is a really impressive piece of art that is hard not to enjoy because it just sounds great, and the atmosphere, riffs, and rhythms throughout are undeniable. I haven't done much singling out or reviewing of individual tracks here, because for the most part they do not stand out as single songs (I don't mean this is a negative thing at all). Most tracks flow seamlessly into each other, and this album is best experienced as one complete piece. I should definitely dive a bit more into this genre, and this album has me thinking I should finally take the time to listen to some more instrumental music, which I've never made a huge effort to get into before. Thankfully, @Nate_Johnson gave me another similar album to review! I should be posting that one shortly.

Favorite tracks: The Beginning and the End, False Light, Maritime, Weight

 

fack i'm so behind. I don't even know who i'm partnered up with. If I can start fresh with a new partner that would be great. .Summers over now so I should have more time.

 

Fantastic review and you nailed it on the head! It really is more about atmosphere and creating a mood than really traditional song structures. Unfortunately the band broke up but Aaron continues on in various projects, most notably, Sumac, who should have an album out this year.

 

@Kiana and I have finalized our trade for this past week
She will be listening to:
Thin Lips: Chosen Family

I will be listening to:
Soccer Mommy: Clean

 

Awesome review of a superb album, I wholeheartedly agree that albums like this are best enjoyed in full and create such a great atmosphere, I’m glad you enjoyed it.

Personally I prefer their next album Panopticon so if you’re looking for more of this def try that album.

If you want an album like this with more melodic vocals maybe give Mahumodo’s album Waves ago.

 

The other album recommended by @Nate_Johnson was the self-titled 2013 album by Palms. Palms consists of three-fifths of Isis, the band I reviewed earlier today, along with the great vocalist Chino Moreno of Deftones fame. This is another album of long tracks, clocking in at 47 minutes despite consisting of only six songs. I expected this to sound like Isis with some more melodic vocals and Chino's distinctive voice, but to my surprise the instrumental aspect of this album is pretty far removed from Oceanic as well.


(as an aside, this is some sweet ass cover art)

From the beginning of opening track "Future Warrior," it is clear that Palms is an entirely different beast than Isis. There is a bright and airy tone that presents itself immediately and contrasts with anything heard on Oceanic. I don't know if Isis' post-Oceanic work hinted at this, but listening to the two back-to-back reveals an obvious stylistic shift. It is almost as though the band purposefully wanted to squash comparisons to their previous work by starting on this atmospheric note. The production is brighter, the guitars soar a few octaves higher, and the sound is more reminiscent of alt-rock than hardcore. Moreno's vocals even sound quite a bit different than Deftones. It is still unmistakably his unique voice, but the heavy reverb that is utilized on most Deftones tracks is sometimes absent here, leaving his performances more raw and live sounding.

Despite the long songs, these tracks are more pop-leaning than anything on Oceanic. Though most of the tracks still don't feature main choruses or hooks in the traditional sense, Moreno has a great ear for melody and fills the songs with memorable lines, some of which are repeated to great effect. Moreno's vocals are featured much more heavily than Turner's vocals were throughout Oceanic, and while Turner's voice is hoarse and not very melodic, the presence of Moreno's melodies adds an entirely different element to the music, to say nothing of the change in the characteristics of the instrumentation.

"Mission Sunset" is a slow builder that Moreno gracefully guides from the soft fuzzy guitars at the beginning of the track to the full-bodied rock that kicks in at around the three-minute mark, even featuring some screaming. This ten-minute track is an amazing centerpiece for this album. The last minute of this song is some great catharsis.

"Shortwave Radio" kicks off the two poppiest tracks on this album. Unsurprisingly, these are probably my two personal favorites. This track has a lot of tasteful guitar riffs, and somewhat of a traditional chorus with Moreno belting "goodbye" over a repeated riff. These two parts complement each other excellently and had me wanting to hear the passage over again almost immediately. "Tropics" is an aptly-named track as the music and vocal performance really evoke a tropical feel, with soft electronic drums, gentle guitar picking, and even some slide guitar to add atmosphere. This one really does have a pop structure, with a repeated chorus that is surprisingly catchy. Low in his register, in almost a chanting or speaking tone, Moreno sings "Over the sand, into the light / Over the sea the waves go by / Under the sun, back to the land / Into the night, between your hands." The rhythmic and flowing nature of these lines fit perfectly with the instrumentation and create a surprisingly sugary hook. It was a very pleasant surprise to hear this near the end of the album.

Final track "Antarctic Handshake" is more of an atmospheric track, and it features the heaviest use of electronic elements on the album. There are shimmering synths, electronic drums, and more computerized-sounding keys that pepper the instrumentation. After fading out halfway through, some more natural-sounding guitars bring in the second half of the song, which feature live, pounding drums and a droning note that almost sounds like Moreno softly howling in the background. A clean start-and-stop guitar riff brings the album to a close over a bed of fuzz.

It was awesome getting acquainted with this album after hearing Isis, and I'm glad I listened to these in that order. It really gave me an appreciation for how these musicians have grown and evolved over the years (with 11 years between these albums it's not surprising, but still a joy to hear). I hope that another album from this project materializes at some point. I would be really excited to hear that! Thanks a lot for the recs as always @Nate_Johnson!

Favorite tracks: Future Warrior, Mission Sunset, Shortwave Radio, Tropics

 

I don't even remember what I need to catch up on. That's how busy I was.

 

Mike Shinoda

 

Yes, that. Btw I'm ready to rejoin after these catch ups.

 

I saw Palms and just thought of Thrice. Only one week to go!

 

There are other things besides Thrice!!!

 

Nothing as important though

 

Now, now, let’s leave all the hot takes for the other threads!

 

I gave @Patterns in Traffic Melodrama by Lorde and he gave me Violence by Editors

 

I thought it was a universally accepted fact.

 

Melodrama is such a great album, I’ll look forward to that review.