Best Ever Albums

Re: 2015-2019 Round 1: Amorphis vs Beyonce

babyBlueSedan — Sat, 10 Oct 2020 16:03:18 GMT

Author: babyBlueSedan

Posted: 10/10/2020 20:03

Tell him Bey bye

Amorphis wins 11-10

Re: 2015-2019 Round 1: Amorphis vs Beyonce

RoundTheBend — Sat, 10 Oct 2020 15:15:35 GMT

Author: RoundTheBend

Posted: 10/10/2020 19:15

babyBlueSedan wrote:

Still tied. Sudden death!

Amorphis - The Golden Elk appears to have pulled ahead. Death to Freedom... hehe.

Re: 2015-2019 Round 1: Amorphis vs Beyonce

babyBlueSedan — Fri, 9 Oct 2020 23:08:31 GMT

Author: babyBlueSedan

Posted: 10/10/2020 03:08

Still tied. Sudden death!

Re: 2015-2019 Round 1: Amorphis vs Beyonce

Repo — Thu, 8 Oct 2020 13:15:22 GMT

Author: Repo

Posted: 10/08/2020 17:15

Amorphis. Really liked it! 😁

Re: 2015-2019 Round 1: Amorphis vs Beyonce

LedZep — Thu, 8 Oct 2020 11:21:49 GMT

Author: LedZep

Posted: 10/08/2020 15:21

Gowi wrote:

No, Silent Waters was.

Skyforger is their best of their progressive metal era simply because the songs are the most emotive, well written, and carefully produced. It is the album that finally realized their transition toward this era of Amorphis and everything released after it hasn't been as well designed from a prog-metal landscape perspective.

A lot of fans claim this. Eclipse < Silent Waters < Skyforger is an accepted progression I think. I don't see it that way, but maybe it's just me 🤔 Skyforger does have the best production of the bunch though. I'm still sticking with Eclipse, that one is an instant classic 'cause it's so immediate, every song is a banger from the first listen. I think I consider it the best starting point for prog Amorphis. I'm also a complete sucker for their two newest, I think they stand out from the others in terms of genres used, while all of their other work with Tomi Joutsen is pretty similar sounding. Not to mention the songwriting on Queen of Time specifically.

Gowi wrote:

Link

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There's something about their album openers... Under The Red Cloud is probably the best on that album, as is Sampo on Skyforger.

Re: 2015-2019 Round 1: Amorphis vs Beyonce

mickilennial — Wed, 7 Oct 2020 23:30:16 GMT

Author: mickilennial

Posted: 10/08/2020 03:30

no problem i used to think Skyforger was an absolute masterpiece (currently i think its excellent, but not *that* excellent) so its a good place to start

they started doing prog-folk trends a little before but Skyforger helps start someone's palate for the band pretty well

Re: 2015-2019 Round 1: Amorphis vs Beyonce

babyBlueSedan — Wed, 7 Oct 2020 22:54:13 GMT

Author: babyBlueSedan

Posted: 10/08/2020 02:54

This is tied, so like with the others I'll leave it open for two more days before entering sudden death.

Gowi wrote:

Link

I like this a lot, really dig the mix of harsh and clean vocals. I'll probably start with this era instead, thanks!

Re: 2015-2019 Round 1: Amorphis vs Beyonce

RoundTheBend — Wed, 7 Oct 2020 22:33:48 GMT

Author: RoundTheBend

Posted: 10/08/2020 02:33

LedZep wrote:

Link

Thanks that was a bit more believable... by the way it isn't about rough vocals, rather a suspension of belief that they are true. I can't name anything right now but there are metal/punk/hard rock/alternative rock (back when that term made any sense) bands that growl/scream etc. and make all kinds of scruffy sounds I LOVE... for me it's when I go to listen to about 90% of metal, I don't believe their need for it other than the style.

Somehow it gives me a laugh reflex because it seems more laughable than serious. Like a toddler throwing a fake fit. Dunno if you've seen that but it's adorable... they aren't actually mad they just want your attention. But yeah when someone is truly angry or has a reason to be singing like that other than "it's a cool style" then I kinda jam easier with it.

I guess contrived comes to mind.

I realize this isn't a fair analysis, but that's why I wish I could overcome that prejudice and just appreciate someone screaming because it sounds cool.

Maybe there's a history of metal I could watch/read or something that helps teach my ignant self the art of the growl and why everything must be growled and that there's no room for dynamics.

I'll just take a band like Nirvana for example. I felt like the emotion of the singing matched the situation. Dude's screaming is fantastic. Dave Grohl is another great screamer (well early works).

Re: 2015-2019 Round 1: Amorphis vs Beyonce

baystateoftheart — Wed, 7 Oct 2020 19:45:14 GMT

Author: baystateoftheart

Posted: 10/07/2020 23:45

Freedom is a great, cathartic song from a great, cathartic album. Like Skinny I prefer self-titled, though I don't see how Lemonade has any less personality or riskiness. Songs like XO are the opposite of risky.

Didn't really enjoy The Golden Elk. I thought it was rather cheesy.

Re: 2015-2019 Round 1: Amorphis vs Beyonce

mickilennial — Wed, 7 Oct 2020 13:12:01 GMT

Author: mickilennial

Posted: 10/07/2020 17:12

LedZep wrote:

That's pretty interesting, and also much different than mine. Was Skyforger your first Amorphis album?

Quote:

Enjoyed this Amorphis track enough to finally throw Tales From the Thousand Lakes on my to-listen list, though I guess that one might not sound much like this?

If you liked this you should listen to anything after Skyforger (and specifically Skyforger). The rest of their previous work is proggy melodeath or straight up melodeath.

For a short sampler, here's three songs from their current era that I think are masterworks in their genre.

Link

Link

Link

Re: 2015-2019 Round 1: Amorphis vs Beyonce

LedZep — Wed, 7 Oct 2020 08:44:18 GMT

Author: LedZep

Posted: 10/07/2020 12:44

Gowi wrote:

In terms of albums because that's easier:

Skyforger
Silent Waters
Tales from the Thousand Lakes
Eclipse
Elegy
The Beginning of Times
Under a Red Cloud
Queen of Time
Circle
The Karelian Isthmus
Tuonela
Far From the Sun
Am Universum

That's pretty interesting, and also much different than mine. Was Skyforger your first Amorphis album?

Out of the ones I've heard (Elegy only a few times though) I'd go with:

Tales from the Thousand Lakes
Queen of Time
Eclipse
Under a Red Cloud
Skyforger
Circle
Silent Waters
Elegy

The Karelian Isthmus - in a category for itself tbh

All of the albums are pretty damn great. I still have that trilogy of Tuonela, Am Universum and Far From The Sun as well as The Beginning Of Times to listen to.

babyBlueSedan wrote:

Enjoyed this Amorphis track enough to finally throw Tales From the Thousand Lakes on my to-listen list, though I guess that one might not sound much like this?

Yeah Tales is not even close to this sound. They had 3 distinct periods as a band, maybe even 4. The "new period" is the last 15 years, where they're producing very similarly sounding melodic folk/prog/power metal, but always well written. Tales is much heavier, doomy melodic death metal with gothic/black elements. It's also 100% excellent songs.

RoundTheBend wrote:

I need to figure out how to take metal vocals seriously, though. The musicianship and build up for metal is always fantastic (sometimes I just wish they were mostly instrumental bands) and then they start singing.

You're in luck, there's a handful of Amorphis songs which have strictly clean vocals. Under A Soil And Black Stone one has some hard rock-style vocals as well, which goes to show just how versatile of a vocalist Tomi Joutsen is.

Link

Re: 2015-2019 Round 1: Amorphis vs Beyonce

babyBlueSedan — Tue, 6 Oct 2020 22:14:30 GMT

Author: babyBlueSedan

Posted: 10/07/2020 02:14

Freedom isn't my favorite track from Lemonade (All Night!) but I still think it's pretty good. Enjoyed this Amorphis track enough to finally throw Tales From the Thousand Lakes on my to-listen list, though I guess that one might not sound much like this?

Went with Beyonce in the end.

Re: 2015-2019 Round 1: Amorphis vs Beyonce

mickilennial — Sun, 4 Oct 2020 21:23:46 GMT

Author: mickilennial

Posted: 10/05/2020 01:23

LedZep wrote:

Really curious about your Amorphis rankings, both albums and songs. Most of the people I've talked with don't care either about their early more extreme phase, or their newer prog wank phase.

It's more anti-Skinny than anti-BEA it seems.

Edit: The Golden Elk is from 2018 not 2019

Re: 2015-2019 Round 1: Amorphis vs Beyonce

LedZep — Sun, 4 Oct 2020 18:23:07 GMT

Author: LedZep

Posted: 10/04/2020 22:23

Gowi wrote:

Not prog-era Amorphis' best, but still up there. I'd put this song in their top 15 easy. I like it way more than I like the Beyonce pick.

Really curious about your Amorphis rankings, both albums and songs. Most of the people I've talked with don't care either about their early more extreme phase, or their newer prog wank phase.

Skinny wrote:

The other song has oodles of personality, but also a sound which is so far out of my comfort zone that it gives me nothing whatsoever to cling to. I'll probably abstain.

It's more anti-Skinny than anti-BEA it seems.

Edit: The Golden Elk is from 2018 not 2019

Re: 2015-2019 Round 1: Amorphis vs Beyonce

RoundTheBend — Sun, 4 Oct 2020 16:57:09 GMT

Author: RoundTheBend

Posted: 10/04/2020 20:57

There should be a funny meme for someone shitting directly on your face.

Re: 2015-2019 Round 1: Amorphis vs Beyonce

Skinny — Sun, 4 Oct 2020 14:43:26 GMT

Author: Skinny

Posted: 10/04/2020 18:43

It's not an opinion I see often, but I think Lemonade has generally aged pretty poorly, with a bit too much genre-hopping and a lot very obvious single-issue songwriting that feels very consciously and very overtly anthemic. A lot of stuff here feels like self-aware, focus group tested, blockbuster pop music made with the intention of appealing to the widest cross-section of society possible, losing some of Beyoncé's personality in the process. It's certainly less interesting to me than the two albums that preceded it, which were subtler and more creative in their songwriting and just sonically riskier, bending mainstream R'n'B to their will without making total concessions to commerciality, which sounds crazy given the protagonist, but perhaps less so when we consider how Lemonade allowed her to position herself as a flawless deity whose every move is carefully calculated not only to keep up this image but also to garner maximum attention whilst giving very little away. Her image - and, in all fairness, her deserved privacy - mean that she is now utterly risk-averse as an artist, and songs like 'Freedom', whilst admirable in terms of message, scope, ambition, and even performance, leave me with the same empty ambivalence that I get from watching another competent but ultimately formulaic Marvel film. It is great blockbuster pop music that achieves everything it sets out to, and if it can affect hearts and minds or nudge people in the right direction then its value is obvious, but as a piece of music it just feels so deeply impersonal and unspecific to me that I really struggle to connect with it. I enjoyed it massively when it came out, but have only realised over the years how much its charms have worn off, suggesting that any connection I did have with it was based on surface level thrills which haven't held up over subsequent relistens.

The other song has oodles of personality, but also a sound which is so far out of my comfort zone that it gives me nothing whatsoever to cling to. I'll probably abstain.

Re: 2015-2019 Round 1: Amorphis vs Beyonce

mickilennial — Sun, 4 Oct 2020 13:40:04 GMT

Author: mickilennial

Posted: 10/04/2020 17:40

Not prog-era Amorphis' best, but still up there. I'd put this song in their top 15 easy. I like it way more than I like the Beyonce pick.

Re: 2015-2019 Round 1: Amorphis vs Beyonce

RoundTheBend — Sun, 4 Oct 2020 10:57:03 GMT

Author: RoundTheBend

Posted: 10/04/2020 14:57

LedZep wrote:

The Golden Elk is like the ultimate anti-BEA pick. Folk/prog melodeath with high quality production, huge, almost power metal chorus and a story about a mythical being from Kalevala. It’s the catchiest song I’ve heard in the last several years.

I liked it.

I need to figure out how to take metal vocals seriously, though. The musicianship and build up for metal is always fantastic (sometimes I just wish they were mostly instrumental bands) and then they start singing.

Having said that, this singer is one of the better ones. Glad I got a listen 😎 .

Re: 2015-2019 Round 1: Amorphis vs Beyonce

LedZep — Sun, 4 Oct 2020 03:50:33 GMT

Author: LedZep

Posted: 10/04/2020 07:50

The Golden Elk is like the ultimate anti-BEA pick. Folk/prog melodeath with high quality production, huge, almost power metal chorus and a story about a mythical being from Kalevala. It’s the catchiest song I’ve heard in the last several years.

Re: 2015-2019 Round 1: Amorphis vs Beyonce

RoundTheBend — Sun, 4 Oct 2020 02:10:24 GMT

Author: RoundTheBend

Posted: 10/04/2020 06:10

Don't watch this for sound quality but the social impact.

Having said that I think it's badass she uses live musicians instead of pre-recorded stuff. I think Netflix has a live show of hers I started watching and the live band was pretty rad.

From the 1940s with Josh White crying for "democracy without the colored line" till now with stuff like this...damn... it's time to cash that check.

Link