I voted for Over by default. Listening to both albums for the first time this morning, my first impressions were these: while Over is not as good as other Hammill releases (most notably Enter K), it's still OK; on the other hand, that Sigh LP is too seldom attractive to me to make any positive impression, past the originality - originality mostly due to the fact that I never ever listen to prog metal anyway. Lots of ideas in that record, but most of them are just not for me.
Hail Horror Hail is one of the most entertaining albums for me. How many bands pull off something like "12 Souls", which jumps from slow menacing riffs, to a mock jazzy keyboard interlude, to a disorienting sound-collage section, to ornate orchestration? The whole album moves from moments of punkish energy, to slow burning surreal epics, to hilarious sections that sound like lounge music with harsh vocals. The murky production and cheap synth orchestration over time become endearing and an essential part of the album's twisted atmosphere.
Sometimes metal bands get criticized for pulling this sort of schizophrenic genre hopping thing, but Hail Horror Hail I think is one case where it works perfectly. It retains a sense of rawness and ugliness, sounds natural instead of forced, and in its own eccentric way is just really fun to listen to. The prog elements are more Frank Zappa-esque humour than neo-prog cheese.
oh and the somewhat broken-english japanese occult lyrics are great; beyond all morality, into insanity, I plunge my knife into you again again again!, or I refuse to follow the path of the righteous, for I believe in the power of Inzanagi!
meccaleccaVoice of ReasonProfile The Land of Enchantment
Hail Horror Hail just isn't my thing. The technical ability on display is unquestionable, but I definitely enjoy Peter Hammill far more. _________________ http://jonnyleather.com
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Defago
Norman Bates
meccalecca
