Reviews Archives - Page 22 of 41

Mark’s Quick Reviews: Sonic Sight – Anthropology

by Mark Monforti | Dec 23, 2017 | News, Reviews

If you have never read the key for my ratings below please do so one time. I feel my ratings are tougher than my peers. Also Check my last.fm link to see how compatible our music tasts are.

Norway’s FINN ARILD is a mutli-instrumentalist and has put together a new band called Sonic Sight.

This debut album has some moments on there but I think I have to give a pass on this album. The vocals are modulated so it sounds like a 45 minute version of Genesis’ Cuckoo Cocoon.

The end of the album redeems this for me and I look forward to hearing more from this band even though I can’t recommend this album. I wouldn’t mind checking out his other work but links on his page to testament are broken, the flash player is blocked from modern browsers and the last blog post was 2011.

PREVIOUS BAND RATING:	(0.0 / 5)
ACCESSIBILITY:	(2.0 / 5)
HEAVINESS:	(2.0 / 5)
MELODIC:	(3.0 / 5)
ARTWORK:	(4.0 / 5)
DRAMA:	(2.5 / 5)
OVERALL RATING:	(2.0 / 5)

ALBUM HIGHLIGHTS: Request Doldrums Here

Click Below to purchase at Amazon US or Amazon UK and we’ll get a little referral bonus on your whole order. Even if you don’t order this album

Key:
These ratings are just attributes and may not have correlation to the most important: OVERALL RATING

PREVIOUS BAND RATING
0: Never heard of them or debut album.
1: Someone recommended. I give them another shot.
2: Some good moments in the past but never put together an album I really liked.
3: Some 4 or 5 star songs but albums can be hit or miss for me.
4: I like 80% of their songs and probably went to see them live.
5: I would, and probably have gone on a plane to see them live.

ACCESSIBILITY EXAMPLES
1: Weather Report
2: Zappa
3: Genesis – Selling England by the Pound,
4: Marillion – F.E.A.R
5: Kino – Picture

HEAVINESS EXAMPLES
1: IQ – Seventh House
2: Discipline – Unfold Like a Staircase
3: Porcupine Tree – In Abstentia, Shadow Gallery – Tyranny
4: Vanden Plas – Chirst 0, Dream Theater – Scenes From a Memory
5: Opeth – Black Water Park

MELODIC EXAMPLES:
1: Opeth – Black Water Park
2: Vanden Plas – Chirst 0, Dream Theater – Scenes From a Memory
3: Porcupine Tree – In Abstentia, Shadow Gallery – Tyranny
4: Discipline – Unfold Like a Staircase
5: IQ – Seventh House

OVERALL RATING:
1: Will Never listen to again and deleted under no circumstances should you buy this
2: Not my thing maybe one redeeming song.
3: I like parts of this and I would check them out if they were near me.
4: I would get in the car and road trip to see this album live
5: I would get on a plane to see this performed live

See if our likes are similar See my Last.fm Page

https://www.last.fm/user/mon40/library/artists

Mark’s Quick Reviews: Penna’s – Sublevels

by Mark Monforti | Dec 22, 2017 | News, Reviews

If you have never read the key for my ratings below please do so one time. I feel my ratings are tougher than my peers. Also Check my last.fm link to see how compatible our music tasts are.

This is New York multi-instrumentalist David Penna’s second release of his progressive hard rock project PENNA.

This EP was written and performed entirely by David Penna.

The first album is not as progressive and is less dark than PENNA’s 2016 debut Chemical God.
The 20 minutes of music here is decent and would appeal to anyone that likes heavier yet at the same time mellow progressive rock. This is like a heavier OSI. Give this Moody and heavy album a shot or request us to play a song from the EP below.

PREVIOUS BAND RATING:	(0.0 / 5)
ACCESSIBILITY:	(3.0 / 5)
HEAVINESS:	(3.5 / 5)
MELODIC:	(3.5 / 5)
DRAMA:	(2.5 / 5)
OVERALL RATING:	(3.0 / 5)

ALBUM HIGHLIGHTS: Request Here

Click Below to purchase at Amazon US or Amazon UK and we’ll get a little referral bonus on your whole order. Even if you don’t order this album

Key:
These ratings are just attributes and may not have correlation to the most important: OVERALL RATING

PREVIOUS BAND RATING
0: Never heard of them or debut album.
1: Someone recommended. I give them another shot.
2: Some good moments in the past but never put together an album I really liked.
3: Some 4 or 5 star songs but albums can be hit or miss for me.
4: I like 80% of their songs and probably went to see them live.
5: I would, and probably have gone on a plane to see them live.

ACCESSIBILITY EXAMPLES
1: Weather Report
2: Zappa
3: Genesis – Selling England by the Pound,
4: Marillion – F.E.A.R
5: Kino – Picture

HEAVINESS EXAMPLES
1: IQ – Seventh House
2: Discipline – Unfold Like a Staircase
3: Porcupine Tree – In Abstentia, Shadow Gallery – Tyranny
4: Vanden Plas – Chirst 0, Dream Theater – Scenes From a Memory
5: Opeth – Black Water Park

MELODIC EXAMPLES:
1: Opeth – Black Water Park
2: Vanden Plas – Chirst 0, Dream Theater – Scenes From a Memory
3: Porcupine Tree – In Abstentia, Shadow Gallery – Tyranny
4: Discipline – Unfold Like a Staircase
5: IQ – Seventh House

OVERALL RATING:
1: Will Never listen to again and deleted under no circumstances should you buy this
2: Not my thing maybe one redeeming song.
3: I like parts of this and I would check them out if they were near me.
4: I would get in the car and road trip to see this album live
5: I would get on a plane to see this performed live

See if our likes are similar See my Last.fm Page

https://www.last.fm/user/mon40/library/artists

Mark’s Quick Reviews: Ghostly Breard’s – Infinite

by Mark Monforti | Dec 21, 2017 | News, Reviews

If you have never read the key for my ratings below please do so one time. I feel my ratings are tougher than my peers. Also Check my last.fm link to see how compatible our music tasts are.

Patrick Talbot’s brain child, Ghostly Beard’s third album, is close but no cigar. I found some passages interesting enough to me to want to hear the next album but I am afraid I have to give this album a pass.

I think the first and last song pass as average, but the middle….well lets just say this is no Oreo of an album.

PREVIOUS BAND RATING:	(0.0 / 5)
ACCESSIBILITY:	(2.0 / 5)
HEAVINESS:	(2.0 / 5)
MELODIC:	(3.0 / 5)
ARTWORK:	(4.0 / 5)
DRAMA:	(2.0 / 5)
OVERALL RATING:	(2.0 / 5)

Key:
These ratings are just attributes and may not have correlation to the most important: OVERALL RATING

PREVIOUS BAND RATING
0: Never heard of them or debut album.
1: Someone recommended. I give them another shot.
2: Some good moments in the past but never put together an album I really liked.
3: Some 4 or 5 star songs but albums can be hit or miss for me.
4: I like 80% of their songs and probably went to see them live.
5: I would, and probably have gone on a plane to see them live.

ACCESSIBILITY EXAMPLES
1: Weather Report
2: Zappa
3: Genesis – Selling England by the Pound,
4: Marillion – F.E.A.R
5: Kino – Picture

HEAVINESS EXAMPLES
1: IQ – Seventh House
2: Discipline – Unfold Like a Staircase
3: Porcupine Tree – In Abstentia, Shadow Gallery – Tyranny
4: Vanden Plas – Chirst 0, Dream Theater – Scenes From a Memory
5: Opeth – Black Water Park

MELODIC EXAMPLES:
1: Opeth – Black Water Park
2: Vanden Plas – Chirst 0, Dream Theater – Scenes From a Memory
3: Porcupine Tree – In Abstentia, Shadow Gallery – Tyranny
4: Discipline – Unfold Like a Staircase
5: IQ – Seventh House

OVERALL RATING:
1: Will Never listen to again and deleted under no circumstances should you buy this
2: Not my thing maybe one redeeming song.
3: I like parts of this and I would check them out if they were near me.
4: I would get in the car and road trip to see this album live
5: I would get on a plane to see this performed live

See if our likes are similar See my Last.fm Page

https://www.last.fm/user/mon40/library/artists

Mark’s Quick Reviews: Knight Area’s – Heaven and Beyond

by Mark Monforti | Dec 20, 2017 | News, Reviews

If you have never read the key for my ratings below please do so one time. I feel my ratings are tougher than my peers. Also Check my last.fm link to see how compatible our music tasts are.

This is the first album I have reviewed in a while where I knew the band before reviewing. This is one of the three bands that I have not seen live that I really need to see live. I like most of their catalog maybe I do like the older stuff better than the last few albums but this album is really great.

I think it begins and ends wonderfully the middle maybe it lost its way but maybe I just need a few more listens to like the middle as much as the beginning and end.

This is a buy but just don’t take my word request a song below. I picked two of my favs.

PREVIOUS BAND RATING:	(4.0 / 5)
ACCESSIBILITY:	(4.0 / 5)
HEAVINESS:	(2.0 / 5)
MELODIC:	(3.5 / 5)
ARTWORK & PACKAGING:	(4.5 / 5)
DRAMA:	(4.0 / 5)
OVERALL RATING:	(4.0 / 5)

ALBUM HIGHLIGHTS: Request Unbroken Here Request Tree Of Life Here

Click Below to purchase at Amazon US or Amazon UK and we’ll get a little referral bonus on your whole order. Even if you don’t order this album

Key:
These ratings are just attributes and may not have correlation to the most important: OVERALL RATING

PREVIOUS BAND RATING
0: Never heard of them or debut album.
1: Someone recommended. I give them another shot.
2: Some good moments in the past but never put together an album I really liked.
3: Some 4 or 5 star songs but albums can be hit or miss for me.
4: I like 80% of their songs and probably went to see them live.
5: I would, and probably have gone on a plane to see them live.

ACCESSIBILITY EXAMPLES
1: Weather Report
2: Zappa
3: Genesis – Selling England by the Pound,
4: Marillion – F.E.A.R
5: Kino – Picture

HEAVINESS EXAMPLES
1: IQ – Seventh House
2: Discipline – Unfold Like a Staircase
3: Porcupine Tree – In Abstentia, Shadow Gallery – Tyranny
4: Vanden Plas – Chirst 0, Dream Theater – Scenes From a Memory
5: Opeth – Black Water Park

MELODIC EXAMPLES:
1: Opeth – Black Water Park
2: Vanden Plas – Chirst 0, Dream Theater – Scenes From a Memory
3: Porcupine Tree – In Abstentia, Shadow Gallery – Tyranny
4: Discipline – Unfold Like a Staircase
5: IQ – Seventh House

OVERALL RATING:
1: Will Never listen to again and deleted under no circumstances should you buy this
2: Not my thing maybe one redeeming song.
3: I like parts of this and I would check them out if they were near me.
4: I would get in the car and road trip to see this album live
5: I would get on a plane to see this performed live

See if our likes are similar See my Last.fm Page

https://www.last.fm/user/mon40/library/artists

Mark’s Quick Reviews: Gregorian Rock’s – Fire

by Mark Monforti | Dec 19, 2017 | News, Reviews

If you have never read the key for my ratings below please do so one time. I feel my ratings are tougher than my peers. Also Check my last.fm link to see how compatible our music tasts are.

Well, here is a band that is what it says it is. Yes, it’s rock with Gregorian chants. Most of my brain says wow why hasn’t this been done before, but I think most times this album misses the mark. And I would say that maybe this is one of the worst mixing jobs I have heard in a while. Every song seems like there is a different instrument dominating the song to the determent of every other instrument. Maybe the chants are too low in the mix instead, but I think that maybe they mixed their own album.

Chances are I will be willing to listen to their next album but I think I have to say as much as I wanted to like this album I have to give it a pass for now.

But if you don’t want to take my word for it, please request a song and check for yourself. Its certainly good enough for our rotation here at progrock.com

PREVIOUS BAND RATING:	(0.0 / 5)
ACCESSIBILITY:	(2.0 / 5)
HEAVINESS:	(2.0 / 5)
MELODIC:	(3.5 / 5)
ARTWORK:	(2.0 / 5)
DRAMA:	(3.5 / 5)
OVERALL RATING:	(2.0 / 5)

ALBUM HIGHLIGHTS: Request Consuming%20Fire Request In Terra Fire

Click Below to purchase at Amazon US or Amazon UK and we’ll get a little referral bonus on your whole order. Even if you don’t order this album

Key:
These ratings are just attributes and may not have correlation to the most important: OVERALL RATING

PREVIOUS BAND RATING
0: Never heard of them or debut album.
1: Someone recommended. I give them another shot.
2: Some good moments in the past but never put together an album I really liked.
3: Some 4 or 5 star songs but albums can be hit or miss for me.
4: I like 80% of their songs and probably went to see them live.
5: I would, and probably have gone on a plane to see them live.

ACCESSIBILITY EXAMPLES
1: Weather Report
2: Zappa
3: Genesis – Selling England by the Pound,
4: Marillion – F.E.A.R
5: Kino – Picture

HEAVINESS EXAMPLES
1: IQ – Seventh House
2: Discipline – Unfold Like a Staircase
3: Porcupine Tree – In Abstentia, Shadow Gallery – Tyranny
4: Vanden Plas – Chirst 0, Dream Theater – Scenes From a Memory
5: Opeth – Black Water Park

MELODIC EXAMPLES:
1: Opeth – Black Water Park
2: Vanden Plas – Chirst 0, Dream Theater – Scenes From a Memory
3: Porcupine Tree – In Abstentia, Shadow Gallery – Tyranny
4: Discipline – Unfold Like a Staircase
5: IQ – Seventh House

OVERALL RATING:
1: Will Never listen to again and deleted under no circumstances should you buy this
2: Not my thing maybe one redeeming song.
3: I like parts of this and I would check them out if they were near me.
4: I would get in the car and road trip to see this album live
5: I would get on a plane to see this performed live

See if our likes are similar See my Last.fm Page

https://www.last.fm/user/mon40/library/artists

Mark’s Quick Reviews: Evanescence’s – Lost Whispers

by Mark Monforti | Dec 18, 2017 | News, Reviews

If you have never read the key for my ratings below please do so one time. I feel my ratings are tougher than my peers. Also Check my last.fm link to see how compatible our music tasts are.

So, when I listened to this I did not realize that it was an album of collections of various tunes not slated for any given Evanescence album, except in some cases as bonus track.

I personally feel like these songs didn’t make the album that they were slated to go with because they were not quite up to par with the songs that did make it.

“A new way to Bleed” I feel like is an exceptional song and the others I personally feel are ok. When I was getting the link to amazon for this review I was shocked at all the 5 star reviews for this album. I think they were rating it 5 stars and graded on a curve because the comments were such that they were expecting less from this album.

If you were pleasantly surprised by how much you liked Steven Wilson’s 4.5 like I was. I don’t think you have quite the same experience here. Where Steven Wilson’s songs didn’t make the album because of continuity, these leftover songs I think are by-and-large do to the quality of the songs which are not up-to-par with the rest of their catalog.

We have included a link to the aforementioned, “A New Way to Believe”. Request it and enjoy that track. We’ll enjoy queuing it up for you.

PREVIOUS BAND RATING:	(4.5 / 5)
ACCESSIBILITY:	(3.0 / 5)
HEAVINESS:	(4.0 / 5)
MELODIC:	(3.0 / 5)
DRAMA:	(3.5 / 5)
OVERALL RATING:	(3.0 / 5)

ALBUM HIGHLIGHTS: Request A New Way To Bleed Here

Click Below to purchase at Amazon US or Amazon UK and we’ll get a little referral bonus on your whole order. Even if you don’t order this album

Key:
These ratings are just attributes and may not have correlation to the most important: OVERALL RATING

PREVIOUS BAND RATING
0: Never heard of them or debut album.
1: Someone recommended. I give them another shot.
2: Some good moments in the past but never put together an album I really liked.
3: Some 4 or 5 star songs but albums can be hit or miss for me.
4: I like 80% of their songs and probably went to see them live.
5: I would, and probably have gone on a plane to see them live.

ACCESSIBILITY EXAMPLES
1: Weather Report
2: Zappa
3: Genesis – Selling England by the Pound,
4: Marillion – F.E.A.R
5: Kino – Picture

HEAVINESS EXAMPLES
1: IQ – Seventh House
2: Discipline – Unfold Like a Staircase
3: Porcupine Tree – In Abstentia, Shadow Gallery – Tyranny
4: Vanden Plas – Chirst 0, Dream Theater – Scenes From a Memory
5: Opeth – Black Water Park

MELODIC EXAMPLES:
1: Opeth – Black Water Park
2: Vanden Plas – Chirst 0, Dream Theater – Scenes From a Memory
3: Porcupine Tree – In Abstentia, Shadow Gallery – Tyranny
4: Discipline – Unfold Like a Staircase
5: IQ – Seventh House

OVERALL RATING:
1: Will Never listen to again and deleted under no circumstances should you buy this
2: Not my thing maybe one redeeming song.
3: I like parts of this and I would check them out if they were near me.
4: I would get in the car and road trip to see this album live
5: I would get on a plane to see this performed live

See if our likes are similar See my Last.fm Page

https://www.last.fm/user/mon40/library/artists

Mark’s Quick Reviews: Sonic Sight – Anthropology

Mark’s Quick Reviews: Penna’s – Sublevels

Mark’s Quick Reviews: Ghostly Breard’s – Infinite

Mark’s Quick Reviews: Knight Area’s – Heaven and Beyond

Mark’s Quick Reviews: Gregorian Rock’s – Fire

Mark’s Quick Reviews: Evanescence’s – Lost Whispers

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