What Are You Listening To Now? 6.0

[Blind_Justice]

Scar Symmetry - Pitch Black Progress

For a time, these guys rivalled Soilwork in their ability to mix Swedish Death Metal with highly melodic parts and clean vocals. On "Pitch Black Progress", I'd even go so far and say they outclassed Soilwork's contemporary output by going further in each direction. The Death Metal parts sounded more pissed-off (thanks to the really guttural growls) and the melodic passages were absolute earworms. One of my favourite albums of this particular subgenre. Later records highly varied in quality, from "pretty good" to "meh". A wildly revolving line-up and the loss of Christian Älvestam didn't do them any favors.

 

[litfan10]

I haven't listened to BBT for a long time. I appreciated their earlier releases, but never found myself wanting to spin them again. I have 3 of their recent albums and haven't even spun them yet.

Should I? Have they progressed much..?



Here's what I wrote about one of their earlier releases:

That’s a Spitfire on the cover – see the shape of the wings? So it’s no surprise that Gathering Speed is a concept album about a World War II fighter pilot in the Battle Of Britain.

In their earlier days Big Big Train had a reputation as an also-ran Brit neo band lurking in the shadows of Jadis and IQ. That may have been true of their first few albums, but with Bard the band had a really strong neo progressive rock release which was well received by reviewers and the buying public. Well – here are two surprises:

Firstly, after their previous album Bard, the train nearly derailed itself with announcements of the band’s dissolution due to low sales volumes and other woes. But it completed its journey despite that glitch and thankfully the Big Big Train has arrived at the station modified but essentially unscathed.

Secondly, the train has changed tracks! The new album clearly builds on the band’s past releases and you’ll even hear some of Bard’s themes reprised here, but Gathering Speed is not really what I’d call neo. It shares many of the characteristics of neo progressive rock: a focus on vocals, standard rock band lineup, a strong keyboard presence, big walls of sound and a noticeable Genesis influence. But rather than neo, the sound here is much more symphonic than on Big Big Train’s prior releases. (Symphonic neo?) No I’m not hung up on labels, but in this case they help to describe the ambience of the music.

At first listen the music may sound rather simple – but it is bristling with complexities and interesting progressive elements that will reward repeated listening. The time signatures change continually, there are breaks and reprised themes and solid song structures, and the whole album has a classic progressive sound. You’ll hear multi-layered instrumental passages with nine- and ten-minute song lengths, big two- and three-part vocal harmonies, a blues harp (a kind of harmonica) mellotron, twelve string guitars and dual keyboards. A signature sound on the album is the 12-string guitar, strummed or picked, which yields a pleasing melodic sound.

The long instrumental passages are strong, and are particularly important to this CD because Big Big Train’s new vocalist Sean Filkins uses a sort of whisper-soft voice, that falls below the standard of the instrumentals. You can’t help thinking that a stronger, more spirited delivery would have significantly enhanced the album. The occasional inclusion of Laura Murch’s singing add an important dimension to the music. Listen to track 2, “Fighter Command”, for the Floyd “Gig In The Sky” style female vocals. It’s a pity Murch wasn’t used a lot more.

The song structures and the melodic sounds will keep your interest and it stands the test of multiple replays. But Gathering Speed doesn’t work as a concept album. There isn’t enough passion or variety or storytelling to support the concept. Big Big Train would benefit from a more rebellious nature – they need stop playing it safe, and Filkins needs to put more emotion into it and belt a few songs out at full steam.

As a WW-II concept album it won’t move you in the way albums like The Snow Goose did. But if you separate the music from the concept, it is a very good listen. Not with the doomed pilot’s story driving the songs – but rather with it adding one more layer to the already rich textures of the music.

Rating: 3.75 / 5​

I like Big Big Train a lot. I think the newer singer (since Gathering Speed) David Langdon is very good and fits very well with the music's feel. One thing about the newer BBT is the excellent musicians with Nick D'Virglio, Rikard Sjoblom, and Dave Gregory (but he recently left) in the band. A lot of talent which shows in the music.

granted the music is more pastoral, but yeah, I am a big fan.

 

[Haulover]

I like Big Big Train a lot. I think the newer singer (since Gathering Speed) David Langdon is very good and fits very well with the music's feel. One thing about the newer BBT is the excellent musicians with Nick D'Virglio, Rikard Sjoblom, and Dave Gregory (but he recently left) in the band. A lot of talent which shows in the music.

granted the music is more pastoral, but yeah, I am a big fan.

Thanks - I'll dust off the last few albums I got from them, and will look up a few of the more recent releases. They sent me (gratis ) English Electric - parts 1 and 2. I'll try those first...

 

[Blind_Justice]

Waltari - Yeah! Yeah! Die! Die! Death Metal Symphony in Deep C.

25 years old and still breathtaking.

 

[litfan10]

1000 Hands

Jon Anderson

 

[AMYJB1972]

The Passage of Time - Liquid Tension Experiment

 

[AMYJB1972]

Hooks in You - Marillion

 

[Handley_Page]

Jet Harris & tony Meham. Diamonds.

 

[ecorche]

Brian Eno - Ambient #4 On Land (vinyl)

 

[MsNatalie99]

Alexander Anderson T4S

 

[Haulover]

The Passage of Time - Liquid Tension Experiment

Good one

Hooks in You - Marillion

again - good one

 

[litfan10]

Canvas Two

Inner Prospekt

Happy Sunday (at least here) sweet musical litsters. Peace, love, happiness and good health to you all

 

[Blind_Justice]

Judas Priest - Breaking The Law
Deep Purple - Highway Star
Rush - Red Barchetta
Golden Earring - Radar Love

Just some good ol' classics.

 

[Handley_Page]

The Beatles: Revolver

 

[Haulover]

Völur : Death Cult


https://volur.bandcamp.com/album/death-cult


Litfan / BJ - it's worth a listen.

Different.

 

[Blind_Justice]

Völur : Death Cult


https://volur.bandcamp.com/album/death-cult


Litfan / BJ - it's worth a listen.

Different.

Already marked for purchase. That's stuff I can get behind. Death/Doom vith violins instead of guitars. Yes, please!

Now playing: Rush - Roll The Bones

 

[Bramblethorn]

And One - Sometimes

Not a cover of the Depeche Mode song of that name, but very DM-ish.

 

[Handley_Page]

Petula Clark: "I KNOW A PLACE"

 

[ElectricBlue]

Sarah Blasko - Eternal Return (released 2015)

Ethereal Oz songstress.

 

[litfan10]

Hybris

Anglagard

 

[EyeCanSeeYou]

Blind Faith. Their one album.

 

[Haulover]

Ske : 1001 Autunni

 

[Haulover]

Ske : 1001 Autunni

Not my cuppa char

 

[Haulover]

The Eden House : Songs For The Broken Ones

 

[Blind_Justice]

The Eden House : Songs For The Broken Ones

Did you manage to get your paws on their earlier stuff yet?

Now playing: Judas Priest - Painkiller

One of the quintessential metal albums, IMHO. The perfect mix of aggression, power, melody and musicianship. Not to mention the fourth or so re-invention of a band many had already written off as toothless has-beens.

For those interested, please avoid the live versions of the title track, ESPECIALLY those from 2010 onwards. Rob Halford sadly has lost a lot of his voice and Painkiller was his peak - in 1990. The version with Tim "I sing literally anywhere" Owens from 1998 is freaking amazing though.