is this seriously a review for an album?

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Kaganator
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Post by Kaganator » Tue September 11th, 2012, 10:07 am

I think we already have a thread about this.

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Post by stewvee » Tue September 11th, 2012, 10:36 am

Matt wrote:theres no description as to the quality of the album, the structure of the songs, production, guitar tone, vocals, etc

i dont understand, thats why im asking.....
WARNING, Watching from a Distance = Teen Angst. Again, this is a forest for the trees incident. People are allowed to make art about art. End of story.
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Post by ratanda » Tue September 11th, 2012, 1:30 pm

This review: "ME ME ME ME ME ME ME ME. Album sounds like this."

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Post by Metalfreak » Tue September 11th, 2012, 3:21 pm

ratanda wrote:This review: "ME ME ME ME ME ME ME ME. Album sounds like this."
:lol:

Yeah, that told me absolutely nothing about the album. Whoever wrote that seriously needs to go out and enjoy life though and possibly change his perspective on how he views most other people.
They had you do a drug test and the forgot to test for drugs???

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Post by BlackRoija » Tue September 11th, 2012, 3:24 pm

ratanda wrote:This review: "ME ME ME ME ME ME ME ME. Album sounds like this."
That would be because I wrote it. You need to stop dehumanizing art of any kind, be it writing, music, film, whatever. This is not a piece of writing assembled carefully by some computer program to serve as a three-course meal providing you everything you need to understand every facet of this album. It was written by a human being with his own perspective and way of conveying it.

Stop calling it a review then. Call it a response. It's painting a picture of how the album makes me feel, and it's my way of sharing those feelings with anyone who cares to know about them. You must not. I didn't write it FOR you or anyone else. I just wrote it. If you want a review that strictly adheres to a predetermined "album review" format with a simplistic breakdown of technical features that the nearest third grader could digest like applesauce, go to fucking Kerrang or something. I didn't write it with the intention that it affects your decision to buy the cd or whatever. I frankly couldn't give a shit what you do. Yeah, it's fucking about me. It's my feelings. It's my response. Whether you all have such things as normal human emotional responses to music, I don't know, since I wouldn't expect too much in that realm from the baseline Whitey McBusboy \m/METAL\m/ fans of the world, but you need to realize that regardless of what the internet has done to the medium, music is not a product. It's not a Coke-branded t-shirt...or, at least the bands I prefer to listen to aren't, from my perspective at this point in my life. That could definitely change as it has in the past. But music is art; it's, ideally, an honest expression of the people who made it. There's emotion that goes into it, and true appreciation comes from having an emotional feedback to it. Maybe you don't share the same response as I do. Cool, whatever, you're you and you're different. But it's very unnecessary to voice your disagreement as people on this board have by channeling the one emotion they seem to have in spades (hate), which I can see since metal makes a point of celebrating it, onto me as a personal attack, calling me a "bitch", whatever your choice of action may be. I get it seemingly every time I post on here no matter what it is. The same few Joe PBR Metalheads slamming their thick skulls on their keyboard in a struggle to piece together coherent sentences drenched in misplaced anger. Doesn't exactly ruin my day, but when I'm trying to find someplace just to do things like talk about music in an honest and levelheaded way, stuff like this just drives me further and further away from the metal scene. It's been going on for years and years. I don't go to nearly the same number of shows as I used to, mostly finding myself drawn to non-metal scenes purely because of this caveman culture that spreads around like raw Atlanta sewage. I don't know most of you personally, but I haven't gotten so much hateful language from anyone else in my life, and all for doing things like writing how an album makes me feel sad because it doesn't conform to your razorblade-thin concept of what an "album review" should be.

If you like it, that's cool. I know people here who can relate to it, and it's good to know that I'm not just some crazy kid with ideas that make no sense. It'd actually be really embarrassing for me personally if I didn't get some backlash, because that'd say a lot about my writing quality. I'm sure it's not fantastic, but heartless agreeable writing is far worse. I'd rather not appeal to everyone. But yeah, if you don't like it, that's cool too. But for the love of Ronnie James Dio, just cool out about it.

But hey there's some more faggy bitch "feelings" for you.
Last edited by BlackRoija on Tue September 11th, 2012, 3:30 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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BlackRoija
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Post by BlackRoija » Tue September 11th, 2012, 3:27 pm

Metalfreak wrote:
ratanda wrote:This review: "ME ME ME ME ME ME ME ME. Album sounds like this."
:lol:

Yeah, that told me absolutely nothing about the album. Whoever wrote that seriously needs to go out and enjoy life though and possibly change his perspective on how he views most other people.
But it tells you EVERYTHING ABOUT THE ALBUM. You've got it, but you don't realize it.

"Whoever wrote that seriously needs to go out and enjoy life though and possibly change his perspective on how he views most other people."

THIS IS THE ALBUM. Just think of "that", as in "whoever wrote that...", to refer to Warning - Watching from a Distance.
Last edited by BlackRoija on Tue September 11th, 2012, 3:32 pm, edited 2 times in total.

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Post by Brian » Tue September 11th, 2012, 3:31 pm

RIFFS NOT WORDS

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nocommands
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Post by nocommands » Tue September 11th, 2012, 3:50 pm

BlackRoija wrote:http://forum.atlantametal.net/viewtopic.php?t=6989

read, if you still don't get it, whatever. anything short of blunt, dry exposition must not be for you.
I see you've somehow managed to get a hold of my rough draft of "Rectum:Window to the Soul" and are now trying to pass it off as your own in this "review." Classy move you fag

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Post by log^Anarchy » Tue September 11th, 2012, 4:08 pm

I much prefer these kinds of reviews to the ones that say stuff like "Track 1 is brutal as fuck with a sick guitar solo, track 2 has a doomy sequence that sends my mind into heady oblivion, etc." or "This band sounds like if I put venom and motorhead in a blender lol". Dude, I can listen to the album and hear what it sounds like for myself. Maybe give a line or two briefly describing the sound, but anything more is pointless.

What I like about this sort of review is that it gives me a reason to want to listen to it. The fact that this album inspired you to write so extensively about angst, depression, and indifference must mean that it had a huge emotional impact on you. Those are the best kinds of albums, the ones that you where you can really feel the emotion. Sure, mindless thrash or grind is fun too, but ultimately I don't think they have that much substance. But emotion is subjective after all, so to [insert random Atlantametal member here] death metal may be the most substantial music out there. If so, the more power to ya.

Anyway, I liked this review a lot. I do think it lost clarity/focus in a couple places, though, and you probably could've cut down the length a bit - you know, get to the point a bit faster. Sadly, most people aren't gonna spare the time to read an "essay," y'know?

p.s. I am going through basically the same shit as you.

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Post by Holiday Rambler » Tue September 11th, 2012, 4:13 pm

log^Anarchy wrote:Dude, I can listen to the album and hear what it sounds like for myself.
This. And this also illustrates why "normal" reviews are largely meaningless when used for anything beyond promotion.

I haven't read the review yet, but I'm in favor of anything that pisses off music fans and their traditional sensibilities this much. I applaud you for turning a tired medium on its head.

Good job Roija...I will never forget your original barrel-guy signature gif.

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BlackRoija
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Post by BlackRoija » Tue September 11th, 2012, 4:21 pm

log^Anarchy wrote:I do think it lost clarity/focus in a couple places, though, and you probably could've cut down the length a bit - you know, get to the point a bit faster. Sadly, most people aren't gonna spare the time to read an "essay," y'know?
I definitely could have cut it down. But this is another case of the "review" fitting the material in question: it is slow. it drags. getting to the point isn't so much moving in a linear path to some hook, or "bottom line" musical phrase. the point is the slogging, the very clearly weary soul of whoever Patrick Walker's character is. you ever had a really depressing day? never seems to end, never seems to be any meaning in anything.

aka, this album, but in the best way possible.

I do appreciate the kind words; whether or not you agree with my perspective doesn't matter, but getting some respect as any decent human being would find valuable is refreshing. thanks.

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Post by Metalfreak » Tue September 11th, 2012, 4:25 pm

BlackRoija wrote:
Metalfreak wrote:
ratanda wrote:This review: "ME ME ME ME ME ME ME ME. Album sounds like this."
:lol:

Yeah, that told me absolutely nothing about the album. Whoever wrote that seriously needs to go out and enjoy life though and possibly change his perspective on how he views most other people.
But it tells you EVERYTHING ABOUT THE ALBUM. You've got it, but you don't realize it.

"Whoever wrote that seriously needs to go out and enjoy life though and possibly change his perspective on how he views most other people."

THIS IS THE ALBUM. Just think of "that" referring to Warning - Watching from a Distance.
fair enough.
They had you do a drug test and the forgot to test for drugs???

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Post by SlashAndThrash » Tue September 11th, 2012, 4:28 pm

Yeah man the common "review" was really stagnating. Thank god the useless shit I left behind on livejournal in high school is making a comeback. If you want to write about how music makes you feel, open your own pretentious artfag blog. Dont post it in a review section. Waste of space. But what do me know me just discovered fire and you college real person durrr durrrrrrr
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Post by Metalfreak » Tue September 11th, 2012, 4:32 pm

log^Anarchy wrote:
p.s. I am going through basically the same shit as you.
this was intended for BlackRoija but goes for both of you:

it kinda sucks that you feel like that though. I mean, I know you're not exactly suffering but you're definitely not satisfied either. How you wrote it reminds me of something a much older person (who didn't do much with his life) would write. You're young. Enjoy yourself. It's not too late. I can relate to how you want instant success though. I felt that way when I was 20. Just like you I have older friends and obviously, they're more successful than me. It took them time to get to where they are though. A few of them had to tell me that success doesn't come over night. I had to realize that it takes time, dedication and hard work. You're at Tech so I know you'll be fine.

I'm not much older than you and I can't say I have any huge regrets, yet. Hopefully I won't have any either. Maybe it's because I just put myself out there and take it day by day and embrace what ever is thrown at me even if it sucks. Eventually, it will suck less and less and then it won't suck at all. From what I gather, you don't really have any regrets either...it just seems like you do because you haven't "done" anything yet. You're still in college, focus on graduating, maintaining the relationship you have with your girlfriend and getting a good/ fun job. In your spare time, do things you normally wouldn't do on a day to day basis to keep things interesting (these things don't necessarily require alot of money either).

You kind of remind me of me when I went to GSU. While in college, I just DJed, had a good relationship, went to school obviously, and worked whatever part time job I had time for. At that point, in your terms, I hadn't done much either but I never saw it like that. My parents never went to college and they struggle like mad. Just the thought of being able to attend college was a huge deal to me. Also, I thought that being able to DJ was really fuckin cool. Just find what lights a fire under your ass and go for it. If you fail, don't let that stop you. Try again and you will succeed.

Best advice I can give you: enjoy yourself and don't live in the past. :)
They had you do a drug test and the forgot to test for drugs???

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Post by nocommands » Tue September 11th, 2012, 4:41 pm

BlackRoija wrote:
log^Anarchy wrote:I do think it lost clarity/focus in a couple places, though, and you probably could've cut down the length a bit - you know, get to the point a bit faster. Sadly, most people aren't gonna spare the time to read an "essay," y'know?
I definitely could have cut it down. But this is another case of the "review" fitting the material in question: it is slow. it drags. getting to the point isn't so much moving in a linear path to some hook, or "bottom line" musical phrase. the point is the slogging, the very clearly weary soul of whoever Patrick Walker's character is. you ever had a really depressing day? never seems to end, never seems to be any meaning in anything.

aka, this album, but in the best way possible.

I do appreciate the kind words; whether or not you agree with my perspective doesn't matter, but getting some respect as any decent human being would find valuable is refreshing. thanks.
I still have no idea what this band sounds like.

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