Soon to be thwarted ambitions

Track of the day: On The Breath of Poseidon (Live) by Symphony X. This is from their album Live At The Edge of Forever. As far as live albums go, in a two disc, it's pretty good. For those of you who haven't heard of Symphony X, they're basically a more neo-classical, mythology based version of Dream Theater. While DT's lyrics are rooted somewhat in commonplace existence and ideology, Symphony X is sort of the same thing, only also about legends and dragons and existentialist jibber-jab. It's astounding that throughout all my time keeping an eye on Progessive music, I'd heard of them but never really given a listen - There's no overwhelming rush to listen to them, as they're basically just another voice of Dream Theater-esque kind of thing - maybe I've become too accustomed to the amazing musicianship in DT. They are good though, and I'm hoping to give more of their discography a listen in hopes that I can like more progressive stuff than the 'mainstream' would push at me. As for the track - I understand that this song was originally a bridge piece without much consequence - as is the case with live shows (often, anyway), it has mutated herein into someting beautiful, and I'm a big fan of it - there's a ripping guitar solo that demonstrates pretty good talent at the latter half of the song. As far as 'tracks of the day' have gone, it's not the most stand-out-ish piece, but I wanted to try something different, and here it is. Megaupload link (as so far unvisited, I'm thinking) is here.

For something a little different, I thought I'd relate a scope of my musical life at the moment. Normally, self-indulgence isn't important, (unless it is Mindless), but I had a jam session today I'd like to reflect upon.

Basically, I feel it went well - I seemed to get along a lot better with the guitar player this time than usual (His name is Django - an interesting monocre, eh?), at least as a person. Musically, I feel our directions are quite a bit different - and he's certainly the least talented of any of the guitar players I've jammed with so far, but for the fact that he decently knows how to actually jam. He can just pick a key and play in it, and I'll lay a back-beat kind of thing. Sadly, however, everything we played was standard metal fair, maybe with kind of a punk twist. It sounded familiar, though I had never heard it before.

As with everyone I jam, with, we got in talks of starting a band. Right now, focus is on finding a vocalist, bass player, and rhythm/lead guitarist. I can't imagine it would be overly difficult - but I'll see what happens, I guess. I usually don't put much stock in projects like this after my first band fiascos, especially when the subjects involved are unmotivated teenagers - myself included.

Basically, I am finding it hard to develop a progressive direction of music internally. I can play to Portnoy decently, so I have a feel to his drums - and the same with Peart - but right now my own, internal style is too... bland Metal. I want to develop a progressive edge, and it's hard to develop that right now. I need to work on it. It's hard when the only riffs I get sound like Metallica though.

I'm thinking that when decent album comes out, I'll write a couple reviews and send them to some papers, see if I can get published. I mean, I write about music all the time for free, I may as well see if I can get paid for doing it - there aren't a lot of things I like doing better.

Now, at the risk of making this a faux-Livejournal entry, I'll end things here. Tomorrow, we have album and track of the week. Be excited!

Bands and unlikely genres

This is sapped from another of my crazy music profiles. I love it so much though, I felt it needed posting.

" Ranting about crazy original genre conceptions. Original subject line: "Reindub Stoben Reigs". That subject line is genius. Now I know how Venetian Snares comes up with his song names. I chopped it because people might have thought this entry was in Swedish or something... >.<

Peerless Octane
Circuity Wheel
Linear Subconscious
Caustic Culture
Jagged Asylum
Anthem of the Jagged Rhyme
Minimal Plant and the Sanctity
Static Shower
Toxic Meditation
Massive Damage
The Great Green Silence
The Way It Sounds
Intestinal Psychology
Misguided Quasar
The Ethereal Dynamic
Undercover Worship
Act Hunger and the Deconstructed T(r)ail
Hide Behind Pole (And Look At Girl)


Ludicrous genre experiments:

Black Thrash-pop-core
Ambient Indie Powernoize
Post Post Progressive-death-metal-core
Post Jazz-trance-core
Psychedelic Acoustic Industrial

And of course...

Post Prog-post-hardcore-core

That one I think is my favorite. The hardcore musical movement after the 'progressive' branch of post-hardcore. What would it sound like? Take The Fall of troy, make them more hardcore, then double the profiency of all the instrumentalists involved, and then make the song length longer, make the lyrics about epic space ballads and psuedo-psychological issues, and voila! I had some other ideas for those genres too.

Black Thrash-pop-core: Britney Spears singing for a band that is a cross between Megadeth and Katatonia. (Note that Britney is not bolded because she is not a band. Lol.)

Ambient Indie Powernoize: This one is so hillarious it makes me want to die. Basically, 30 year old moog synthesizers and chip-tune generators (think The Postal Service) played in a plinky, melodic, soft fashion at over 250 BMP with abrasive snares somehow made to sound soothing. I don't even know who the fuck would ever come up with this, but I would listen to it for sheer novelty.

Post Post Progressive-death-metal-core: This one is a little boring. Basically, it is the punk laden vocals of a band influenced by a band that is influenced by Opeth and Dream Theater. This one is just a matter of time, I think.

Post Jazz-trance-core: I think Jazz and Trance need a fusion, as I haven't seen one yet. It's ridiculous, as every metal band (as well as IDM artist) claim Jazz as a 'major influence'. Why do people think this is trendy? Squarepusher is not Jazz. The Dillinger Escape Plan is not Jazz. Seriously. Why not other electronic musicians? When Paul Oakenfold or DJ Tiësto start fusing their music with Jazz, the transition will begin. Then it just needs some hardcore punk vocals, and that is this genre right here.

Psychedelic Acoustic Industrial: I can barely even think of a way to come up with this one. Okay, let me think... Militaristic drum beats, in an 'unplugged' fashion... with trippy, um, dark guitar and lyrics reminiscient of Jim Morrison poetry? Fuck, I have no idea. This one is the height of unlikely genres.

I am not in the process of trying to come up with band-names for these genres, but I think it might be fun. I eagerly await the day when all these genres become real tags on last.fm. "

I personally think those genres are awesome. I would love to see any of them exist, with the possible exception of Psychedelic Acoustic Industrial. I don't like psychedelic stuff, for some reason. I heard someone prophesize the existence of Acousticore - breakcore performed with real-time synths and like, three drummers. That would be sweet - I would be an acousticore drummer so fast. Heck, a quarter of my drumming influence at least is Aaron Funk (Venetian Snares, rabble). I'd have to put Portnoy and Peart in for the rest of that, a quarter each, with the last quarter being filled by 'miscellaneous'. Yeah!

Oh yeah. One of those band names is the real life name of my budding music project. Guess which one!