Entry 1209 - Portal - Ion

Style: Experimental death metal

Primary Emotions/Themes: I don't even know

Thoughts: I must be losing my mind. Trying to process two Portal albums in one evening is asking for disaster. Regardless of my mental state, the band is here to provide another... thing... of their creation. I truly hope that I'm up for this.

Ion is quite different than other albums in Portal's dicography. While much of the album is their typical... style, they have created an album that... does something a bit different. I am hesitating so much because it's hard to put the music that these guys create into words. They are truly unique in their approach. There is literally nothing else like this on the planet... for better or worse Portal are Portal and nothing else is like this.

If I had to attempt to put Ion into words I would say that the band is even less structured than before. Outside of a few moments here and there the band is almost more ambient in their song writing. The songs decay and distort in a way where all structure is lost... what little was there to begin with. There are minutes on end where the drums are playing random notes and the same can be said about the guitars... are they even notes? Or is it just insanity? I don't know anymore, but these guys sure seem to know what they are doing... or they are so lost in their on insanity that they will only be content when the rest of us are dragged down with them.

Entry 1208 - Portal - Swarth

Style: experimental death metal

Primary Emotions/Themes: An incomprehensible mess of guitars drums and vocals

Thoughts: Every time I listen to Portal part of my mind loses itself. Part of my sanity is lost to the void. Every album of theirs defies all logic, defies all conventions, and perhaps none more so than Swarth.

In many ways Swarth is the most "musical" album that the band has ever released. This is due to the actual presence of riffs rather than just... events... happening. There is some loose definition to the songs... if you can call them that. Some moments that sound remotely like something somewhat conventional... maybe... I'm not sure. It could just be the band playing tricks on me again.

Regardless, the insanity that is captured by the band on their third record is one that plays with my mind more than almost any other. The fact that the music sounds somewhat similar yet so completely alien is what distorts my sanity. There should be something here to grab on to, but just as I think I'm hearing some structure the band ruthlessly yanks it away into the void again. 

Entry 1207 - Jon Porras - Orilla Oscura

Style: ambient

Primary Emotions/Themes: droning ambient based on guitar chords and other atmospherics

Thoughts: Guitar driven ambient is rare. So rare that this may be the only such album in my collection. 

Jon Porras utilizes a ton of effects on his guitar resulting in simple melodies fading in and out, chords trickling in, and layer upon layer of guitar drones creating the backdrop of the music. The end result feels like the music is coming down a waterfall. Small at first but as it gains speed the notes start cascading faster, eventually creating a mighty roar.

I cane across this album in a bargain bin. The cover looked cool so I picked it up. There have been a few of those kinds of albums in my collection and I'm proud to say that this is one of them. I've always had it in my mind that I need to look up some more music from this guy but I never have done just that. Maybe this is the catalyst that I need to finally get off my butt and do it.

Entry 1206 - Phobocosm - Deprived

Style: cavernous death metal, atmospheric death metal

Primary Emotions/Themes: death metal that scours the line between intensity, atmosphere, and brutality

Thoughts: It's interesting how a band can change from one album to another. This is the debut album from Phobocosm, and it sounds like it's a completely different band than Bringer of Drought. 

There are two major differences here than the sophomore album: song length and the energy at which the songs are delivered. Firstly the songs are about half the length here than they are on the follow up. The ideas are more concise and I think that works in the bands favor. The feeling of being lost in the riffs is gone, and as a result the band has a more active approach to the riffs and as an extension the music itself.

The riffs here are the main difference maker. They are still muddy and nasty as they are on the follow up, but god damn do they keep my attention more. There are multiple parts on the album where the band will come out of no where with a massive riff that makes me stop what I'm doing and pay attention (listen to the ending of Drowned and tell me that's not killer). It's night and day to compare the two albums, with Deprived coming out the victor by a long shot.

Entry 1205 - Phobocosm - Bringer of Drought

Style: cavernous death metal

Primary Emotions/Themes: four songs that are intent on dragging my ears through the mire and muck

Thoughts: This album is a paradox for me. I usually love albums that have fewer songs. It lets the band focus on making those songs as good as they can possibly be. I also tend to like nasty death metal that has a strong atmospheric bent to it. Both of those things are present here, yet I find Bringer of Drought lacking.

The riffs, while intense don't really go anywhere. They don't grab me... they just sound like a whirlwind of... nothingness. What should be massive riffs end up feeling flat and directionless. The four songs each feel too long for what they are. While the riffs are well constructed, I feel like the album doesn't really warrant the extended run time from the longer songs. 

Phobocosm can write good music, and there are points in here that are cool as hell - the massive ending to Tidal Scourge being first and foremost amongst those. But overall the album leaves me... empty? It leaves me like I've listened to nothing, silence gives me an equivalent emotional response. I feel like I'm missing something fundamental with this album, but at the same time I have so much other stuff to listen to that I don't really feel like I'm missing out.

Entry 1204 - Don Philippe - Between Now and Now

Style: instrumental hip hop

Primary Emotions/Themes: A jazzy excursion into instrumental hip hop, complete with improvised sections

Thoughts: So much of the instrumental hip hop I've been listening to of late has been the chill variety. I needed something to switch up. That's where Between Now and Now comes in.

This album takes the ideas present in jazz and adopts them to an instrumental hip hop framework. Instead of the music being a peaceful and chilled out as possible, there are some actually musically challenging moments in the album. Points where the music feels a little bit off... or makes me wonder "why would they do that?"

There's a deep connection with the jazz staple of creating music for the sake of art, not necessarily for the ears of a the listener. There's a lot of choices in here that I find fascinating, and are not immediately likable... but they keep me coming back. It stimulates my mind and makes me wonder exactly what happened for the music to be composed in this manner. A great break from the norm with this genre.

Entry 1203 - Philanthrope & Flitz & Suppe & Omarue - Todai moto Kurashi

Style: hip hop

Primary Emotions/Themes: a trippy and relaxing foray into the realm of the unknown

Thoughts: I'm truly loving my journey through hip hop as I continue through my collection. These last few Philanthrope albums in particular have really rekindled my love for the genre. 

I've been sitting here vibing to this album for well over an hour now. This thing is so chilled and relaxed I feel like I'm on a natural high. All I want to do is to melt into my chair and become one with everything around me. This music melts my brain in the best possible way. Maybe it's just the mood I'm in or maybe it's the music that put me in this mood, either way it got me into this state where I don't give a flying care about anything anymore. It's glorious.

Normally I would try to write a bit on how the music sounds, but this is instrumental hip hop. I know what this sounds like... what's different tho is how this makes me feel. Somehow this one got into the deepest part of my heart and anxiety and was able to chill me out. Not sure if I have another album that's been able to do that recently. A keeper for sure.

Entry 1202 - Philanthrope - Clockwork

Style: instrumental hip hop

Primary Emotions/Themes: Short and sweet suites to celebrate the joy that is instrumental hip hop

Thoughts: Going through my collection piece by piece has reminded me of plenty of albums that I completely forgot I had. I remember picking this up from Juno records years ago and then promptly forgetting about it after listening a few times.

Philanthrope has to be one of the better producers in the instrumental hip hop - and lofi - sphere. I always find his music interesting and well composed. I'm not sure how much of it is sampled vs how much of it is generated for the album, but regardless the end result is excellent.

Like all good instrumental music this album knows when to ebb and when to flow. It pulls back when its needed, be it a trumpet solo without a beat or some nice atmospherics it's always welcome when the music becomes just a little bit less. The album also knows when to layer it on. This doesn't happen very often, prefering the more subtle approach throughout the record... but when it does happen the moments are memorable. 

Clockwork balances the line between typical instrumental hip hop and a bit of jazz thrown in there. It's a great album to throw on at the end of a long week with a nice glass of scotch to wind down to before bed. 

Entry 1201 - Phelios - At the Mountains of Madness

Style: dark ambient

Primary Emotions/Themes: a slow descent into the mountains and with every step my sanity is more forfeit 

Thoughts: Fear. Fear of the unknown. Fear of that what we cannot understand. Fear is the great equalizer. Fear is the little death that brings total obliteration. Fear is the mind-killer.

What is fear? What causes us to fear? These are questions that I'm not sure I have the answers to. These questions are questions I'm not sure I want the answers to. What I do know is that Phelios has managed to tap into exactly these emotions that cause fear and bring them to the surface with At the Mountains of Madness. 

With a title like that this is obviously a tribute to H.P. Lovecraft's writings. In the spirit of his writings the music has little definition or form. Rather it morphs and contorts in ways that it's hard to wrap my brain around. A rhythm here, a soundscape there... all of them should be easy to follow... yet somehow they manage to elude my conscious thought. They leave fear in their wake, and I am left with a sense of unease unlike any that I have felt in a long time. 

Fear. What is fear? Fear is what lies in the mountains... these mountains.

Entry 1200 - Pertubator - New Model

Style: Darksynth

Primary Emotions/Themes: Pertubator sheds the synthwave and ends up fully embracing the darksynth side of his sound

Thoughts: My god. What an EP this is. Something like this I never thought would happen, even from the likes of Pertubator. 

This album fully embraces the dark side of synthwave... darksynth as it were. It throws away almost all melody, embraces rhythm and pulses in it's place. The more it progresses the darker the music becomes. The darker the music becomes the more it draws me in to the depths of Pertubators mind. 

Previous albums had threatened the takeover of machine from men... the album shows that transition completing... both visually and musically. What was only shown in moments before is now on full display throughout the album. This is violent. This is searching for prey. This is the New Model.

Unfortunately this is where my love affair with Pertubator stops though. After this he would go more goth rock, which in itself is not a bad thing... but for whatever reason Pertubator's take on the genre did not work for me. That said, this is one hell of a way to say farewell to the style that defined the first part of your career. 

Entry 1199 - Pertubator - The Uncanny Valley - Bonus

Style: Synthwave, darksynth

Primary Emotions/Themes: a continuation of the insanity that was The Uncanny Valley

Thoughts: Sometimes life is kind to you. Sometimes when you want more of something, it provides just that... more. 

The Uncanny Valley is one of the best pieces of synthwave/darksynth that I have in my collection... no scratch that. It's one of the best albums I have in my collection. I wanted more... and fortunately for me, here we are. 

The music contained in the bonus section of the album is essentially the B-Sides of the album. The music that didn't quite make the cut for the album proper but still was good enough to be released. We are very fortunate that this came to pass, because this music - even though it's not as high quality as the album proper - still is of immaculate quality. It's exactly what I needed to reset my brain. Everything that can be said about the main album is also applicable here... more is not always better, but here it most certainly is.

Entry 1198 - Pertubator - The Uncanny Valley

Style: Synthwave, synthwave

Primary Emotions/Themes: Humans are being integrated more and more with machines, the fusion is inevitable

Thoughts: Whoa... that intro. A crazy sound is coming out of my speakers. What are these synths? they sound c r a z y. My mind is warping as these thing wreck havoc on my brain. 

The Uncanny Valley is probably one of the best designed albums I've ever heard. In terms of the instruments, the sounds, the production... everything sounds so alien and yet so intensely familiar. It's as if the sound design is living up to the title of the album... the music has entered The Uncanny Valley along with humans and machines.

The overall quality of the album matches the sound design. Intense. Immediate. Insane. I can't stress enough how well made this is. There is so much going on in the music that my brain short circuits more than once. This is the full realization of the synthwave that Pertubator set out to create when he started this project. Absolutely essential album.

Entry 1197 - Pertubator - I am the Night

Style: synthwave, darksynth

Primary Emotions/Themes: Hard driving synthwave that strikes a resonant tone with the way the world is right now

Thoughts: "Things are bad. People know they are bad." What a way to start an album, a line that resonates through every bone in my body. Things are bad, and are only getting worse with every passing moment. It's this reality that Pertubator is showing with I am the Night.

Dystopian music can come in many forms. This iteration comes in the form of synthwave... and oh boy does this album kick ass. There are very few people out there who could create synthwave as good as Pertubator did in his hayday. These melodies and instruments are among the best I've heard in the genre. They make me feel like a terminator is chasing me down a closing hallway, life will soon come to an end if no action is taken.

This is the first album of Pertubator that I really took to. The debut album was not as good as this and a few of the EP's were ok, but not consistently good. However I am the Night realizes the potential of the artist and puts him on a set of albums that would define the genre for me.

Entry 1196 - Persona 4 - The Golden

Style: video game music

Primary Emotions/Themes: an extension of the main games soundtrack, it's Persona music

Thoughts: "It's Persona music, it all sounds the same" was a comment that one of my friends made a few weeks ago and now I can't get that thought out of my head.... I don't think there's been a truer statement uttered to me in recent memory.

It was a bit of a revelation to me. I love Persona music... but I also felt burnt out on it. How could this be? Well it's because all of the music sounds so similar that it's essentially the same thing over and over again. I think that's what my problem with this release is as well. I can't get into it. I enjoyed the hell out of the base game but alas The Golden is not something I find myself getting into.

There is such a thing as too much of a good thing.  The Persona music is a shining (golden) example of that. I think I'll just stick with the base game for both Persona 3 and Persona 4 and call it a day. Anything more is overkill. 

Entry 1195 - Persona 3 - Portable

Style: video game music 

Primary Emotions/Themes: a lackluster extension of the main game's excellent soundtrack

Thoughts: Persona 3's soundtrack is outstanding. It set the standard in video game music when it came out and it remains a fantastic listen decades later. The additional songs that the PSP version brought in tho were not as strong as the base game.

I don't remember much of this record, pretty much as soon as I finish listening the music is gone from my head. It's not the kind where I remember what I felt either during this time... it's simply... there. It's like listening to a blank tape.. I recall nothing. I don't see myself coming back to this record very often.. if ever.

Entry 1194 - Paysage d'Hiver - Winterkalte

Style: black metal, ambient

Primary Emotions/Themes: the depth of winter is held within these grooves 

Thoughts: Paysage d'Hiver has a deceptive discography. It's incredibly easy to write everything off as raw black metal and be done with it. This couldn't be further from the truth. 

The variety of the entire Paysage discography can be found within Winterkalte. The ambience, the harsh black metal, the acoustic work, the field recordings... everything is here. This is perhaps the most diverse work in the entire discography of Wintherr. 

These past few days I've been listening to a lot of Paysage, and this is a fitting end to that journey. There are so many albums and each one brings their own flavor to the table. With Winterkalte all of these things are summed up in to one record and it bookends one of the greatest black metal projects that is still active today.

Entry 1193 - Paysage d'Hiver - Das Tor

Style: Black metal

Primary Emotions/Themes: a cold wall of sound that reflects a blizzard in the heart of winter

Thoughts: Sometimes I struggle to explain why I like one album over another. I feel like no matter how many words I use to describe Das Tor it will sound like any other black metal album, but it is so much more than that.

Somehow these four epic songs have managed to create the near perfect atmosphere. The music conforms to everything you would expect from black metal: constant blast beats, repeating riffs, unintelligible vocals, production so raw that it bleeds... the works. But this is an instance where the music is greater than the sum of its parts.

The individual components do not do much on their own, but as they get combined they create this harsh and unforgiving atmosphere. It's cold, ruthless and completely desolate. For 80 minutes I'm transported to a realm where life ceases to exist and only the ghosts of those who have attempted to traverse this frozen tundra exist. It is a ruthless landscape... and it is the very essence of Das Tor.

Entry 1192 - Paysave d'Hiver

Style: Raw black metal

Primary Emotions/Themes: quality through obscurity

Thoughts: I think my perception of black metal has been tainted. I'm so acclimated to the style that albums that once sounded obscure and raw no longer do so. This is a prime example. The first time I heard this album is sounded like pure static coming out of my speakers. I could tell something was going on, but I could not begin to tell you what it was.

After listening to this and other raw black metal albums I can definitively make out the guitars, vocals, drums and violin on all the tracks. This is exactly the kind of album that rewards the listener for their patience. The riffs are fantastic, the inclusion of the violin is a beautiful and subtle touch, and beneath the wall of noise is some truly beautiful music.

Raw black metal is not for everyone. There is some truly wonderful music to be had in the style, but there is also some real junk. This is one of the albums that make the acclimation process worth it. If someone were to ask me where to start to try and get into the style, this would be that album.

Entry 1191 - Paysage d'Hiver - Einsamkeit

Style: Ambient, dungeon synth

Primary Emotions/Themes: Behold the glory of the night sky, see how it is untainted by the light of man

Thoughts: If there is one thing I love in this world it's a good ambient album. Especially when that album comes from someone who normally makes black metal. Not sure what it is about these two genres, but black metal folks know how to create some absolutely superb ambient.

Einsamkelt is a slow, deliberate exploration of winter through keyboards. Winds and nature sounds start the album before the keyboards slowly take over. The keys only play whole notes over long periods of time, acting more like a fresh blanket of snow rather than any type of conventional melody. This goes on for some time only for the wind to take over once again.

This process repeats three times over the course of the albums three tracks. All of them have the same high quality to them. So much so that this is one of the most listened to albums from Paysage d'Hiver from me. It's the prefect album to put on as the moon takes over for the sun at night.

Entry 1190 - Paysage d'Hiver - Nacht

Style: black metal, ambient

Primary Emotions/Themes: A frigid and desolate landscape in audio form

Thoughts: This album contains four tracks. Two of which are ambient/dungeon synth and the other two being black metal. Each other songs is well over 15 minutes long and it speaks to the type of music contained in Nacht.

The two ambient tracks encapsulate the cold weather of a winters night. Snow all around you, your body heat quickly dissipating... hope is fading. The keyboards used have an icy cold touch to them, and they are paired with field recordings of wind. The combination is enough to make a warm summer's night freeze over.

The black metal is more straight forward in it's approach. For a Paysage d'Hiver album the production is impeccable. All the instruments are able to be heard clearly, the drums are muted but still discernable as are the vocals. It's a whirlwind of riffs that slowly progress over the songs length. It's not so much a song as it is a journey from the starting riffs to the ending riffs. Each one transitions slowly into the next and before you know it you're in a completely different place.

There are a lot of Paysage demo's. Nacht was one of the first ones that I heard years ago. Compared to some of his other albums this one is very easy to get into, and offers a great starting point for the project. A great balance between the cold ambience and the harsh black metal.

Entry 1189 - Pauldron - Under a Reptilian Moon

Style: dungeon synth

Primary Emotions/Themes: a soundtrack to a game that was never made

Thoughts: Dungeon synth strikes again. Another entry into this amazing genre that has a very distinct feel from any of the others in my collection. Pauldron has created for all intents and purposes a video game soundtrack... only the game was never released. 

Every track on here has a distinct feel, like it is meant to paint a picture of a specific place. Sleepy Fishing Village sounds exactly like that with the incoming waves and simple melodies. A Magic Seal in the Tangled Forest sounds exactly like you would expect it to... picture a foggy forest in a 16 bit RPG. Enter the Temple has a Zelda-esque feel to it with a bit of ominous overtones. Guarded Hallways is tense as if expecting a battle. The track list goes on and on.

I haven't heard anything else from this project. To my knowledge they have released two other albums that I am very curious to check out soon. Hopefully they live up to the standard set by Under a Reptilian Moon.

Entry 1188 - Paradiese Lost - Obsidian

Style: Doom metal, gothic metal

Primary Emotions/Themes: A celebration of all the things that the band has done across their storied career

Thoughts: I wondered where Paradise Lost was going to go after Medusa. It completed their journey back to their roots by nearly completely eliminating the clean vocals and fully embracing the doom/death of their first two albums. Obsidian does the next logical thing and does a retrospective on all of their discography, giving the listener a glimpse of all the things that came before.

There are two songs I want to focus on. The first being the opener Darker Thoughts. This song shows the entirety of Paradise Lost's discography in one song. Starting with acoustic work and Nicks fragile clean vocals, the song bursts open with a string quartet, growls, and the full band playing their signature doom/death style. The balance between the acoustic portion, stringed section, and metal sections is the perfect analogy for the bands discography. Varied, well executed, and consistently excellent. 

The second song is Ghosts. This song harkens back to One Second/Host and shows the bands love for 80's goth rock... specifically Sisters of Mercy. The opening riff could have been lifted directly from any of the three Sister's albums. The song sounds more like Paradise Lost once the chorus hits, but man that tribute to goth rock is amazing. 

Paradise Lost is again at a crossroads. Where do they go from here? A new direction that no one thought possible? Do they continue to explore everything they've written? Who knows, but I'm curious to find out.

Entry 1187 - Paradise Lost - Host

Style: Electronic pop/rock, atmospheric rock

Primary Emotions/Themes: Personal struggles, moving on from the past, loss of meaning

Thoughts: This album released nine years after Lost Paradise... nine years. Outside of Ulver I can't think of a more drastic change in style than Paradise Lost had in the 90's. After creating the doom/death genre with their debut album, each subsequent album became less heavy and more gothic until we got to Host.

The shocking change aside, Host is a great album. Sounding more like Depeche Mode than anything they had done in the past, the album demonstrates that the band is capable of writing in a myriad of styles and still creating a fantastic album. The focus here is less on guitar riffs and more on electronics and a string quartet along with Nicks clean vocals. 

The shift away from guitar music is one that works well for the band here. The guitar is still present but it has so much processing on it that it feels more like a synth than a guitar. To the long term fans of the band this album was kind of on the horizon after Draconian Times and One Second. It seems that this was a one and done though, as after this the band started making their way back to their roots. 

I recently found out another project that Nick and Greg called Host that continues this goth rock style. Very interested to check that out. In the mean time I have the original album which remains one of my favorites from the band regardless of how far they strayed from metal. Quality is quality regardless of the genre.

Entry 1186 - Pa Vesh En - Pyrefication

Style: Raw black metal

Primary Emotions/Themes: this music encapsulates dread

Thoughts: Out of all the black metal band's I've found within the past five years I think Pa Vesh En may be one of the best. The way their music is written taps into a primal fear that I have not heard in much other music, certainly not much black metal. It's raw, it's primitive, and it's immediate in it's delivery. 

Raw black metal is the perfect medium for Pa Vesh En and the message the music sends. The poor production obscures the music, making the individual parts much harder to discern. This way the riffs, screaming, effects and drums all blend together to create this distorted mess that sometimes resembles music. The resultant atmosphere is more based on raw emotions such as fear, paranoia, and helplessness. 

Pyrefication is a bit less intense than Maniac Manifest, but still retains that murderous atmosphere... the entire reason I got into the band in the first place. The more I get into this project the more I enjoy it. I'm tempted to pick up the rest of their albums, in fact I'm going to make a point of it.

Entry 1185 - Parfaxitas - Weaver of the Black Moon

Style: Black metal

Primary Emotions/Themes: A truly sinister foray into the black metal realm

Thoughts: I picked this one up without hearing it. It came highly recommended from the guys over at Meteor Gem and they have excellent taste so I went for it. Needless to say their streak of excellent recommendations remains in tact.

The brand of black metal that Parfaxitas has on hand is rather intense. The riffs have a razor sharp edge to them that pierce the air without mercy... and they never let up. Even when the music slows down the music doesn't get less intense, it merely gets more ominous. 

All six tracks have this quality, and it translates to an incredible album. The members of this group are all experienced veterans in the black metal field and the end result here shows. Each of the tracks are so meticulously crafted that this album had to take quite some time to write. The balance of harmony and dissonance is also to be commended, it's a rare balance that Parfaxitas strikes here. 

I don't think I've spent nearly enough time with Weaver of the Black Moon. Even after spinning it multiple times I still feel like there is more to look into and digest from these six songs. This is easily an album that could grow into one of the best of the year, I just need to spend some more time with it so that I can truly relish in it's riches.

Entry 1184 - Panopticon - ...And Again Into the Light

Style: Folk inspired black metal

Primary Emotions/Themes: Take a deep breath before listening, this one hits heavy

Thoughts: Every time I listen to this album I have to prepare myself emotionally. There is so much sorrow, so much helplessness here that it's soul crushing. 

The title track is all acoustic and starts the album off with the notion that hope is present but fleeting. It sets the tone for the album, and lets me know that this is not going to be an easy listen. Even sitting here now writing about it tears are welling up. 

I don't want to go into exquisite detail on how Panopticon accomplishes the emotional devastation that he does here. I want this to be something that I can experience again and again without remembering the fine details. Some albums deserve that kind of respect, and this most certainly is one of them.

Entry 1183 - Pain of Salvation - The Perfect Element Part I

Style: Progressive metal

Primary Emotions/Themes: One of the most diverse yet consistent releases within the progressive metal genre

Thoughts: A powerful riff opens the album, complete with double bass drums and a keyboard backing. It's a wall of sound approach that smacks me in the face almost every time. Without hesitation Used shifts over to a near Korn sounding verse, complete with rapping and strange pinch harmonics. The alternative metal comparisons continue into the bridge where start stop riffing takes over from the nu metal... and then the chorus happens. 

Layer upon layer of soaring vocals, angelic keyboards, clean guitars, jazzy drums... it's almost like its a different song. We went from Korn to Queensryche in 2 seconds flat. It's not a different song though, it's still the same one. This is Pain of Salvation on The Perfect Element.

The first track is a great introduction to what the listener can expect during the duration of the album. Crazy transitions that somehow work, insane musicianship, a vocal range that seems nearly impossible for a human to hit (there were talks a while back that Daniel was a counter tenor). The album is a tour de force of technical and artistic prowess. One of the single best albums to ever come out of the progressive genre.

Entry 1182 - Pabzzz - After the Rain

Style: instrumental hip hop, jazzy hip hop

Primary Emotions/Themes: Small moments in time captured in audio form

Thoughts: Instrumental hip hop is always such a trip for me. More often than not the songs are short and to the point, trying to explore small packets of emotions for a minute or two at a time. Pabzzz takes this concept and runs with it.

After the rain is a collection of seventeen songs in just under forty minutes. In the brief time that we spend together we get a whole assortment of styles and beats. Each one of these songs lures me in and takes me hold hook line and sinker, one moment at a time. 

One minute I'm jamming to some jazz, another some rain dropping down on my windows, the next a recollection of what life was like years ago. At this point in my collection I've weeded out a lot of the bad apples from most genres. Instrumental hip hop went through a similar purge as most other genres in my collection, and I'm very glad that After the Rain made the cut several times. It's an outstanding album.

Entry 1181 - Overcooked - Kingdom Tour

Style: video game music

Primary Emotions/Themes: A soundtrack that is every bit as lively as the conversations had while playing the game

Thoughts: I don't know if there is a more stressful game in my collection than Overcooked. Trying to play/coordinate this with friends/family is a quick way to start arguments and or end up sleeping on the couch for the night. 

Listening to the soundtrack... it brings back a lot of suppressed memories. Shouting requests back and fourth as the kitchen is sliding from side to side. Wondering who is going to do the dishes. Meanwhile the music hums so cheerfully to itself in the background without a care in the world.

This is the perfect soundtrack for the game. It doesn't draw attention to itself, nor does it distract from the task at hand. I just don't know if it works well as an album unto itself. 

Entry 1180 - Ossuarium - Living Tomb

Style: Doom/death metal

Primary Emotions/Themes: Doom/death that really hammers on the heaviness

Thoughts: Slow riffs, deep growls, bursts of speed, crushing atmosphere... yep this is doom/death. Ossuarium plays a generic yet highly competent version of doom/death that really doesn't bring anything new to the table. What they do bring to the table though is some nasty ass death metal with a healthy helping of doom. 

A lot of bands don't know how to balance the two styles. They either have janky transitions or stay in one style too long. That is not the case here. These guys know how to create riffs and how to manipulate them through the two genres effectively. There is more than one instance where the band will have a riff going at death metal speeds then take that same riff straight into doom territory. When the band does this... chef's kiss.

Not all bands need to be innovative. Not all bands need to bring something new to the table. Some just need to know what the hell they are doing and do it so well that its impossible to ignore. Living Tomb is one of those albums.

Entry 1179 - Orphaned Land - Unsung Prophets and False Messiahs

Style: Progressive metal

Primary Emotions/Themes: A huge return to form, the band welcomes back some extreme elements to the mix after spending several albums exploring the lighter side of progressive rock/metal

Thoughts: It's rare that I listen to an album and I feel like I'm welcoming back an old friend. Orphaned Land released one of the finest albums in the progressive metal field over 20 years ago with Mabool. Ever since then they have not released anything anywhere near that caliber. Every album I listened to was lacking in one way or another... that is until this album. 

Finally, finally the band has created an album that is a worthy successor to Mabool. The variety that I expected from the band is here. The highly emotional melodies and guitar leads are back, the massive choirs are once again utilized in excellent fashion, and Kobi is growling again. On top of all of this the band has ramped up the folk elements even more than I would have expected. It's all wonderful. 

Dead Prophets and False Messiahs' may be the most diverse album the band has created. It's as aggressive as the debut at points, it's as mellow and atmospheric as Pink Floyd in a lot of places. It's exactly what it needs to be at any given moment, and it's glorious. If this is the last album that the band releases then I'm content with it. It's a beautiful album that deserves more recognition than it's received. 

Entry 1178 - Orax - Cometa

Style: Synthwave

Primary Emotions/Themes: Simple yet effective synthwave

Thoughts: This was one of the first synthwave albums I bought when I was getting into the style. I didn't know it at the time but it would also end up being one of the best ones in my collection. 

This is about as basic as it gets when it comes to synthwave. Drums, a main melody and some backing instruments. The main instrument throughout most of the album is the piano; one that has a lot of reverb and a pension for knowing what notes to play at exactly the right time. The backing instruments also will know exactly the correct notes, what order to play them in, and when to stop. The drums are the same thing... everything knows what it is and when to engage and when to stop. A rare quality in music these days.

The tracks on Cometa are elegant in their simplicity. Regardless of what the melody or instrument is, it always seems like it's the correct choice for the music. It's deceptively simple, yet so damn effective. Something that most albums miss.