Black Mountain [Enhanced]

Amazon.com
From the first 60 seconds of the self-titled Black Mountain CD, you know that you are hearing something unique. An indie rock vocalist, deep, booming sax , and a joyful chorus is sung by a 70's sounding choir. Two tracks in, "Don't Run Our Hearts Around" is conversely dark and foreboding, with the guttural, Zeppelin-esque guitar. Black Mountain moves fluidly between very hard-to-near-psychedelic rock (with great, languid vocals courtesy of frontman/songwriter Stephen McBean and occasional lead/vocal doubling by Amber Webber, who shines especially brilliantly in the darkly emotive "Heart of Snow").

Most of the Vancouver band have been together for years under the moniker Jerk With A Bomb and later Pink Mountaintops. Though JWAB has been adored for years on Canada's West Coast it is Black Mountain's impressive debut has allowed them to truly break out, gaining substantial U.K. and U.S. press in the process. The disc is truly beautiful on the ears, filled with gorgeous dynamics, crisp, discordant playing and impressive production to boot. The music copies no one, but hearkens flashes of Pavement, Neil Young, Songs: Ohia, Nico, Jethro Tull--point being great players, fierce songwriting and unique timeless music makes this a mood-evoking lo-fi masterpiece. --Denise Sheppard

Black Mountain,Black Mountain,Jagjaguwar,Indie Rock,Pop,Rock,Rock/Pop,Stoner Metal

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Black Mountain [Enhanced]

Average customer rating: Interesting Music Best of the best The wolf is loose Album of the decade Searching for crystal...

Blood Mountain Mastodon Manufacturer: Reprise / Wea ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music Hardcore | Hardcore & Punk | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music Post Hardcore | Hardcore & Punk | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music General | Rock | Styles | Music Progressive Metal | Progressive | Rock | Styles | Music Alternative Metal | Hard Rock & Metal | Styles | Music Death Metal | Hard Rock & Metal | Styles | Music General | Hard Rock & Metal | Styles | Music Thrash & Speed Metal | Hard Rock & Metal | Styles | Music Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music Similar Items: Leviathan In the Absence of Truth The Crusade Workhorse Chronicles Remission ASIN: B000H5U65C Release Date: 2006-09-12

Tracks:

1. The Wolf Is Loose
2. Crystal Skull
3. Sleeping Giant
4. Capillarian Crest
5. Circle Of Cysquatch
6. Bladecatcher
7. Colony Of Birchmen
8. Hunters Of The Sky
9. Hand Of Stone
10. This Mortal Soil
11. Siberian Divide
12. Pendulous Skin

Amazon.com

You could have passed it off as a fluke. Remission was an awesome album, helping revitalize metal and bringing the band much deserved notice. Leviathan was a gigantic leap, perhaps the most ambitious metal album in years. But could it keep going? People were concerned--side glances were given, hand wringing began as Mastodon moved to a major. And for what? Turns out for nothing. Blood Mountain is flat-out amazing. If anything, it is another leap forward, both experimentaly and melodically. From the opening blast of "The Wolf is Loose", to the gorgeous "Sleeping Giant", on to the propulsive "Circle of Cysquatch." The King Crimson acid scratch of "Bladecatcher" gives way to the beautiful guitars on "This Mortal Soil" and the album closer. Lyrically and vocally, there are stand-outs--especially "Colony of Birchmen" with rich harmonies and a guest appearance from QOTSA's Josh Homme. Other guests on the record include Scott Kelly of Neurosis and Cedric Bixler-Zavala of The Mars Volta. This marks yet another grand progressions for a band that is quickly building up one of the best catalogs in metal. --Robert Arambel

Album Description

The sludgy, raw and fierce Mastodon blurs the line between metal, rock and prog with their major-label debut, Blood Mountain. DVD contains: -Expanded Artwork -45 Minute "The Making Of Blood Mountain" Video Documentary -Exclusive never-before-seen photogallery captured during recording of Blood Mountain -"Capillarian Crest" Video

Customer Reviews:

Interesting Music.......2007-07-16

I have only heard of these guys but never actually heard them until I bought this album. As soon as the first song started, I go "Oh crap, not another hardcore band." I just don't like that shouting singing style, at least done with such good music. There are other places the vocals are not so bad. Sometimes they kind of touch on the "alternative" vibe which I don't like either, but in other places not so much.

What I really like is the varied music. It is quite interesting with lots of twists and turns. I read another review where the guy says the band basically cut and pasted this album together in the studio. Maybe so, but they did a pretty good job of it. They are all competent musicians and if I was not mistaken, I actually heard a decent guitar solo in there! It seems many of the new bands are anti-guitar solo but these guys don't shy away from it. Kudos for that.

This is adventurous metal and I really like it, all except for the vocals. Recommended.

Best of the best.......2007-07-08

I've listened to this album hundreds of times and still get excited when it comes up in the CD changer. I can't imagine taking it out anytime soon. It's probably their most solid effort top to bottom and that's saying a lot after their previous release established them among metal's elite.

One of the most noticeable differences between this and Leviathan is the improved production quality. Brann's drumming sounds absolutely fantastic and the vocals are leaps and bounds beyond previous efforts. Though they may have signed with a big name label, the composition is just as intricate and interesting as you'd expect.

They again take the concept album approach and execute it flawlessly. This time instead of being at sea, we're climbing up blood mountain, trying to bring the crystal skull to the top at the gods' request. The lyrics as well as the music lay out the story in grand Greek myth style fashion. It's much more linear in nature then Leviathan's attempt to retell Moby Dick. There's a definite beginning, middle, climax, and conclusion (the breathtaking Pendulous Skin). Our hero - who's a werewolf - begins his journey by searching in a cave for the crystal skull, then continues up the mountain-side facing ogres, avalanches, starvation, and his own personal fears, only to reach the top and head back home. A truly epic journey that I think warrants a visual representation as well.

I highly recommend this to those who appreciate fine musicianship.

The wolf is loose.......2007-05-31

Mastodon is the rarest kind of metal band -- a really brilliant, creative one. No posing or nu-metal appeals for radioplay here.

And after their previous brilliant albums, they reached a new apex in "Blood Mountain." The Atlanta band spins songs about a beautiful, icy land -- played in a sonic eruption of kinetic instruments and some brilliantly mythic lyrics. It's a fiery, breathtaking ride.

It opens with rapid-fire drums and a squealing guitar, with a hoarse voice shouting, "The hero of the gods/The crossing of the threshold!" But the music soon uncoils into a fast-moving hard-rocker, full of blistering riffs and surreal lyrics about gods, shapeshifters, tyrants, heroes and "hulder folk and fairies."

Then we break into the tribal drums and blazing, sludgy riffs of "Crystal Skull," which is just begging to be air-guitared. And they don't let up in the songs that follow: the darkly epic "Sleeping Giant," metal with nimbly catchy melodies, sludgy hard-rock that blazes with muscular basslines, and expanses of roaring prog-metal that races by at light speed.

No ballads. No interludes. Sure, some of these songs open with some electronic squiggling, or maybe a mellow guitar melody, but they don't take long to explode into something totally different. The only exception is "Pendelous Skin," the very last song on the album -- it's an atmospheric blend of slow-burning rock played in a more alt-rocky style.

But up until then, it's nothing but rapid-fire, headbanging proggy-rocky metal. Sludgy and/or muscular riffs, smashing bass, and blindingly rapid drums that have to be heard to be believed -- and the whole thing is tightly woven out of different styles. And this is all to make story-songs with complex, intense melodies that can change in midsong -- from epic metal to chaos, and back again -- to reflect whatever is happening.

And the world Mastodon is exploring in this just reeks of fantasy and old legends -- nature gods, wilderness, icy lands, skulls, tree people, ivory towers, one-eyed monsters, more skulls, and ancient elms. I have no idea what they're trying to communicate, but their songwriting is definitely atmospheric ("A vast calm wilderness/The call to adventure comes/Lead and land atop this rock/Infinite path carved with unrivaled skill...")

Mastodon's "Blood "Mountain" is a devastatingly, frighteningly mythic experience, like wandering through an ancient legend. Here's hoping this band only gets better with time.

Album of the decade.......2007-03-30

I listen to everything from jazz to metal, and Blood Mountain is the most interesting and original music that I have bought in 15 years. It has been in my CD player for months. Every time I listen to it, I hear something new in the music that I didn't notice before. Mastodon truly has produced a masterpiece with Blood Mountain. he songs are brutal, sublime, sprawling, and psychedelic. Nobody sounds like Mastodon. I have no doubt that Mastodon will be the biggest Metal band on the planet in the near future. Buy this work of Art, and see Mastodon live. You will be blown away

Searching for crystal..........2007-03-28

I gave it 4 stars the first few listens. But just like all of their albums, after 4 or 5 listens, that's when all the greatness really seeps into my pores. Okay, flat-out, the vocals are the worst thing about the album, with an over-abundance of arbitrarily pitched clean singing. But then again, it stopped bothering me, since Mastodon has never had very great vocals. But they do compliment the storm of music.
The music is a bit more straight-forward and rock oriented in parts. But never fear, they break into some exceptional technical tid-bits that are redeeming. Some of the most impressive work I think, was the acoustic guitar playing (which isn't in the foreground). The intitial impression is a bit watered down compared to prior recordings, but so much is wrapped deep within the recording, that so much more comes to fruition with each listen. My only real big problem (not even the vocals), is sub-par recording sound thanks to Matt Bayles (Minus The Bear). He does a great job producing the band and capturing their absolute proficiency. But he does a piss-poor job of capturing that huge brilliant sound that Mastodon has live, and should be kept to engineering emo bands and not metal bands (since he seems to be tone-deaf). The guitar is dull. The drums are felty and toneless, unlike the live sound. The ripping bass lines are almost inaudible. For a huge raging, yet not overly refined sound, Matt Bayles should have simply produced this, and the engineering should have been conducted by Kurt Ballou.
The song writing is some of the most intricate that Mastodon has ever created, with raging tempos, shredding crazy riffs, and soothing mellow tracks amidst the chaos.
Mastodon are one of the most unique and talented metal bands alive. A crisper recording sound, and less clean vocals would have made this record a perfect 5.

Average customer rating: They should be renamed MAS TE DAN Awesome CD "the call to adventure comes..." The wolf is loose The first and best metal music of my life!

Blood Mountain Mastodon Manufacturer: Reprise / Wea ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music Hardcore | Hardcore & Punk | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music Post Hardcore | Hardcore & Punk | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music General | Rock | Styles | Music Progressive Metal | Progressive | Rock | Styles | Music Alternative Metal | Hard Rock & Metal | Styles | Music Death Metal | Hard Rock & Metal | Styles | Music General | Hard Rock & Metal | Styles | Music Thrash & Speed Metal | Hard Rock & Metal | Styles | Music Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music Similar Items: Leviathan Sacrament In the Absence of Truth Remission Christ Illusion ASIN: B000GPI2EK Release Date: 2006-09-12

Tracks:

1. The Wolf Is Loose
2. Crystal Skull
3. Sleeping Giant
4. Capillarian Crest
5. Circle Of Cysquatch
6. Bladecatcher
7. Colony Of Birchmen
8. Hunters Of The Sky
9. Hand Of Stone
10. This Mortal Soil
11. Siberian Divide
12. Pendulous Skin

Amazon.com

You could have passed it off as a fluke. Remission was an awesome album, helping revitalize metal and bringing the band much deserved notice. Leviathan was a gigantic leap, perhaps the most ambitious metal album in years. But could it keep going? People were concerned--side glances were given, hand wringing began as Mastodon moved to a major. And for what? Turns out for nothing. Blood Mountain is flat-out amazing. If anything, it is another leap forward, both experimentaly and melodically. From the opening blast of "The Wolf is Loose", to the gorgeous "Sleeping Giant", on to the propulsive "Circle of Cysquatch." The King Crimson acid scratch of "Bladecatcher" gives way to the beautiful guitars on "This Mortal Soil" and the album closer. Lyrically and vocally, there are stand-outs--especially "Colony of Birchmen" with rich harmonies and a guest appearance from QOTSA's Josh Homme. Other guests on the record include Scott Kelly of Neurosis and Cedric Bixler-Zavala of The Mars Volta. This marks yet another grand progressions for a band that is quickly building up one of the best catalogs in metal. --Robert Arambel

Album Description

The sludgy, raw and fierce Mastodon blurs the line between metal, rock and prog with their major-label debut, Blood Mountain.

Customer Reviews:

They should be renamed MAS TE DAN.......2007-07-19

Seriously because their albums are the gift that keeps on giving. They get better with every subsequent listen. The first time this music comes through your speakers you become dizzy because of the intensity and constant shifts in tempo but if you let go of the reins and abandon yourself to the rythm you can perceive its true beauty.

Awesome CD.......2007-06-22

original technical brutal noise
this cd just plain rocks
buy it right now

"the call to adventure comes..." .......2007-06-21

With all the prosaic 'metalcore' bands clogging the arteries of America's "new wave" of metal, Mastodon is like a quadruple bypass of pure awesomeness. Their sound is unique and their songwriting skills have reached sheer perfection with _Blood Mountain_. If you are even vaguely "into" intelligent, heavy music, but have not heard this band, please pick up this album posthaste. For all the enjoyment I continue to Mastodon's outstanding previous releases _remission_ and _Leviathan_, I would trade them both for _Blood Mountain_ if I had to.

Mastodon still possesses its brutish, nasty aesthetic that unforgettably scars you, but _Blood Mountain_ is a more ambitious album than the band's previous ones and vastly more diverse. "The Wolf Is Loose" launches the album with no intro-riff, no part where "everything kicks in", no effects to generate atmosphere, just a quick deft drum roll and then the muscular onslaught of riffs and drums, at high and higher speeds. This is the only song so straight-up. Beyond the breathless introduction, tracks grow more complex and progressively structured, and the dynamics informed by so much more instrumental imagination. And there's a lot of different vocals on this album, from the Mastodon standard to a whole range of strange other vocalizations, like high-pitched (the finale of "Siberian Divide"), drunken gibberish ("Pendulous Skin") and rather badazz clean singing ("This Mortal Soil").

"Crystal Skull" follows the opener with its blend of triumphant leads, chugging crunch and sections of riffs that sound like classic 70s rock distorted to hell. "Sleeping Giant" is possibly the album's greatest moment. I get goosebumps during the intro that uses a remarkable slow-build of multitracked guitars, groaning bass, and percussion with string accompaniment (violins and cello). The sense of texture and progression is perfect. The main theme of the track is a haunting, echoic guitar lead and its appearances are separated by the crooked riffs and cool vox like "infinite path carved with unrivaled skill". "Capillarian Crest" clomps through mid-tempo before accelerating to a dazzling prog-metal-like instrumental bridge. "Colony of Birchmen" is the catchiest Mastodon song so far. "Circle of Cysquatch" is a menacing, frantic and heavy track with a strange interlude of vocoder.
The music is incredibly evocative, as on "Siberian Divide", where the band toggles between shifting prog-metal measures, and brutal slabs of and tense quiet parts (and an ending that kills). The lyrics, in fragmentary sentences, are wicked -- "ice god shakes the earth | destruction of the path | sinking deeper in the snow | eating bark with blackened hand". you need to hear it to get the idea. But there is far more. the instrumental "Pendulous Skin", with its electro-acoustic mix and organ tones, is beautiful in a rough way so it does not at all sound `pretty'. The unintelligible `singing' it sounds very emotional to me. The guitar solo is intuitive and wrenching. Also highly atmospheric are of the mini-epic "Sleeping Giant" and the stern, adventurous electric melody stroked by strummed acoustic guitar that opens "This Mortal Soil" (this kicks into one of the awesomest Mastodon breakdowns ever, and rhythmic tricks that would explode the brain of any caveman). "bladecatcher" is beyond frantic, a superfast thrash-n-burn piece with bursts of scratching noises, punctuated by super melodically charged guitar harmonies. this instrumental stands out as the most surprising track on the album.


If you have the opportunity to pick up the limited edition, please do. It features a very impressive, colorful sleeve (way better than just the booklet cover, but basically the same pic) with makes for a physically nicer item in the collection. Also it has a good dvd with the "capillarian crest" video and very entertaining "making of" documentary. I think there's some other stuff on it too.

Overall, _Blood Mountain_ is different and shows an evolution, but the band has not lost any of its fire or the intuitive metal sense of attack. Absolutely a must-have.

The wolf is loose.......2007-05-23

Mastodon is the rarest kind of metal band -- a really brilliant, creative one. No posing or nu-metal appeals for radioplay here.

And after their previous brilliant albums, they reached a new apex in "Blood Mountain." The Atlanta band spins songs about a beautiful, icy land -- played in a sonic eruption of kinetic instruments and some brilliantly mythic lyrics. It's a fiery, breathtaking ride.

It opens with rapid-fire drums and a squealing guitar, with a hoarse voice shouting, "The hero of the gods/The crossing of the threshold!" But the music soon uncoils into a fast-moving hard-rocker, full of blistering riffs and surreal lyrics about gods, shapeshifters, tyrants, heroes and "hulder folk and fairies."

Then we break into the tribal drums and blazing, sludgy riffs of "Crystal Skull," which is just begging to be air-guitared. And they don't let up in the songs that follow: the darkly epic "Sleeping Giant," metal with nimbly catchy melodies, sludgy hard-rock that blazes with muscular basslines, and expanses of roaring prog-metal that races by at light speed.

No ballads. No interludes. Sure, some of these songs open with some electronic squiggling, or maybe a mellow guitar melody, but they don't take long to explode into something totally different. The only exception is "Pendelous Skin," the very last song on the album -- it's an atmospheric blend of slow-burning rock played in a more alt-rocky style.

But up until then, it's nothing but rapid-fire, headbanging proggy-rocky metal. Sludgy and/or muscular riffs, smashing bass, and blindingly rapid drums that have to be heard to be believed -- and the whole thing is tightly woven out of different styles. And this is all to make story-songs with complex, intense melodies that can change in midsong -- from epic metal to chaos, and back again -- to reflect whatever is happening.

And the world Mastodon is exploring in this just reeks of fantasy and old legends -- nature gods, wilderness, icy lands, skulls, tree people, ivory towers, one-eyed monsters, more skulls, and ancient elms. I have no idea what they're trying to communicate, but their songwriting is definitely atmospheric ("A vast calm wilderness/The call to adventure comes/Lead and land atop this rock/Infinite path carved with unrivaled skill...")

Mastodon's "Blood "Mountain" is a devastatingly, frighteningly mythic experience, like wandering through an ancient legend. Here's hoping this band only gets better with time.

The first and best metal music of my life!.......2007-05-06

I will be frank, this album blew me away. The attraction? The cover. Mastodon's "Blood Mountain" album is the first metal album I've listened to and have not stopped listening at all. Unlike other bands who scream death and grotesque remarks, Mastodon keeps it going with rhythms of power and melodies unlike before, filled with fantastical references. "Pendulous Skin" is the one track that changed the way I perceived metal, and other such tracks in this album simply are unforgettable.

Average customer rating: Loving it Great CD! AWESOME AWESOME Breathtaking Yolanda "Opens Her Heart" on this album!!!

Mountain High...Valley Low Yolanda Adams Manufacturer: Elektra / Wea ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Christian & Gospel | Styles | Music Gospel | Christian & Gospel | Styles | Music Christian Contemporary Music | Christian & Gospel | Styles | Music General | Pop | Styles | Music Contemporary R&B | R&B | Styles | Music General | R&B | Styles | Music General | Rap & Hip-Hop | Styles | Music Pop Rap | Rap & Hip-Hop | Styles | Music Trueists | Warner Brothers Records | Stores | Music Similar Items: Believe Day by Day The Best of Yolanda Adams Christmas with Yolanda Adams The Experience ASIN: B00001QEMB Release Date: 1999-09-21

Tracks:

1. Time To Change
2. Yeah
3. Fragile Heart
4. That Name
5. In The Midst Of It All
6. The Things We Do
7. Open My Heart
8. Wherever You Are
9. He'll Arrive (Coming Back)
10. Continual Praise
11. Already Alright

Amazon.com's Best of 1999

On her major-label debut, accomplished singer Yolanda Adams effortlessly mixes the sounds of deep gospel soul and smooth R&B with contemporary jazz and rap. Not just updating black gospel music, she fearlessly revives it with contemporary music--and not in any hokey way, mind you--and a timeless, unassailably intense spirituality. --Mike McGonigal

Amazon.com

Recognized in the last decade as one of modern gospel's seminal voices, Yolanda Adams is clearly poised to take up the torch from foremothers such as Mavis Staples and Aretha Franklin with her Elektra debut, Mountain High... Valley Low. Adams brings her music to a wider audience not by watering down her message, but by making a record of supreme power, conviction, and glorious beauty, incorporating elements of traditional gospel, hip-hop, jazz, and R&B into daring arrangements. "The Things We Do" is a gorgeous ballad with samples of JFK and MLK speaking some of their most famous words of commitment. And "Yeah," easily one of 1999's best R&B singles, is a masterfully ebullient song of praise and dedication marrying thick, funky beats with divinely soulful vocals. A bright and shining testament to faith in a higher power, Adams uses her extraordinary vocal prowess to uplift her listeners and to elucidate the pure joy of spiritual and musical flight. She not just crosses but banishes lines of separation. --Paige La Grone

Customer Reviews:

Loving it.......2006-11-03

Somebody gave me a tape some years ago and I fell in love with it. I ordered a CD to add to my collections, I love all the songs so this gets 5 stars from me.

Great CD!.......2006-03-09

This CD has a wonderful array of worship and contemporary gospel songs. My favorite song is 'In the Midst of it all'. Therefore, if it were the only song on the CD I would be thrilled.

Buy it, it's worth your investment!

AWESOME AWESOME .......2005-10-20

THIS IS JUST AWESOME. ALL OF THE SONGS ARE GOOD AND FILL WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT. THIS NEEDS TO BE IN EVERYONES GOSPEL COLLECTION. THIS IS ONE OF THE BEST CD THAT I HAVE. THIS CD IS AWESOME. YOLANDA ADAMS DID AN EXCELLENT JOB ON THIS CD. THIS IS GREAT. EVERY SONG ON THIS SONG IS NICE HAVE NICE BEAT AND YOU GET A BLESSING EVERYTIME YOU HEAR IT.

Breathtaking.......2005-08-06

This is Yolanda Adams at her very best! "Open My Heart" is breathtaking, but just as stellar is "The Things We Do", with audio footage of Martin Luther King, Jr. in the background. This song lets you know that it's the little everyday things we do for the people we love that matter. Yolanda, the things YOU do and the things YOU say are the greatest gifts you'll ever give away!!!

Yolanda "Opens Her Heart" on this album!!!.......2004-12-16

Yolanda is one of the great gospel artists of our time. Her voice is amazing. Which makes this album one of her best. This album fills you with joy, love, and the praise for God. The album opens with the song "Time To Change" which explains "It's been too long it's time to change, you can't get away with everything. Which is a true message, I really love that song. Another song "In The Midst Of It All" says that throughout your storm Jesus will be with you in the midst of it all. The lord will never leave you. Her amazing song "Open My Heart" is a great song that says when you open your heart to Jesus and let him in he will heal you of your problems. I really love that amazing song from Yolanda. Following this song is "Whever you Are" which is saying wherever Jesus is where I wanna be. I love the beat on that song and the message is a strong one. Well that's my review on the album. I really think this album is one that's worth buying. Yolanda really opened her heart in this inspirational gospel project.

Average customer rating: Who is this, it's not the Live I know Unsuccessfully Revisiting Themes Of The Past! Brilliant! good but different Not great, but still satisfying.

Songs From Black Mountain Live Manufacturer: Epic / Red Ink ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music General | Rock | Alternative Styles | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music Post Grunge | American Alternative | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music General | Rock | Styles | Music Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music Adult Alternative | Pop | Styles | Music Similar Items: Awake: The Best of Live Awake: The Best of Live (Deluxe Version - CD/DVD) Mental Jewelry The Distance to Here Secret Samadhi ASIN: B000ELJAZG Release Date: 2006-06-06

Tracks:

1. The River
2. Mystery
3. Get Ready
4. Show
5. Wings
6. Sofia
7. Love Shines (A Song For My Daughters About God)
8. Where Do We Go From Here?
9. Home
10. All I Need
11. You Are Not Alone
12. Night of Nights

Amazon.com

Live is continuing to grow into their ambitions, as "Love Shines (A Song for My Daughters About God)" indicates, but they remain invigorated on their seventh studio recording. They deserve some credit for that as they've been at this rock thing for awhile now, forming in 1988 and releasing debut Mental Jewelry in 1991. Although there's nothing as epic here as 1994's fist-pumping anthem "I Alone," Songs from the Black Mountain still reaches for the skies--or at least the back row of the arena. Frequently taken to task for their idealism and "preachiness," the Pennsylvania quartet isn't likely to convert any non-believers this time around. Then again, the very qualities that some find precious and silly, like brow-crinkling seriousness, strike others as passionate and spiritual. Live aren't taking any risks on this outing, unless the pro-soldier "Home" is considered a risk, but nor are they phoning it in. Well, not exactly. As always, Ed Kowalczyk sings it like he means it, but his songwriting relies too heavily on clichés and the occasional space-filling "Ooo baby" ("the River") and "Oh, yeah" ("Where Do We Go from Here?"). Rather, Live has produced a solid, respectable effort, which neither advances nor jeopardizes their cause. Can you say "holding pattern"? --Kathleen C. Fennessy

Customer Reviews:

Who is this, it's not the Live I know.......2007-06-27

When I saw this album on Amazon I wondered why I hadn't heard it on any of the radio stations that usually play Live. So I bought it and found out why. This album is crap. About 4 years ago Ed found God. I personally think that's great but it's had a horrible impact on his music. This album is some wierd cross between adult contemporary and christian rock. Both are fine, they just aren't my thing. It's really sad because Live really used to bring it. Now, well...I'd tell you to see for yourself but don't bother.

Unsuccessfully Revisiting Themes Of The Past!.......2007-06-24

15 years after their debut and 10 years after the peak of their popularity, Live's seventh studio album entitled "Songs From Black Mountain" was released on June 6, 2006. The quartet changed their label and abandoned the formula that earned them popularity for a more quiet and less ambitious approach. Though songwriter Ed Kowalczyk revisits themes such as the futility of war, spiritual pursuits and the love of his daughters, this time around, he is unsucessful in his attempt in creating anything substantial. Although it is only natural for a band such as Live to mature and adopt a low-key approach, "Songs From Black Mountain" is a stale release both lyrically and musically. This has resulted in the weakest U.S. sales in Live's career. For a true representation of Live's potential, please see the following albums: "Throwing Copper," "Secret Samadhi," "The Distance To Here" and "Birds Of Pray." Below, please find the rating for each song individually:

The River - 8/10

Mystery - 7/10

Get Ready - 5/10

Show - 5/10

Wings - 5/10

Sofia - 2/10

Love Shines (A Song For My Daughters About God) - 7/10

Where Do We Go From Here? - 5/10

Home - 6/10

All I Need - 5/10

You Are Not Alone - 5/10

Night Of Nights - 7/10

Brilliant!.......2007-05-04

I live in Europe and cannot always keep up with bands that are primarily popular in the United States, but this time I heard "The River" on an Internet radio station, loved it, and started to look into the band. "Live" is a really sucky name for a group which anyone wants to find on Google, but that's beside the point. The music is phenomenal, and I particularly enjoy the voice of lead singer Ed Kowalczyk. To me he sounds a lot like another one of my all-time favorite singers, the country singer Chris Cagle. The songs on this album are poppish, yes, but they tell stories and are beautifully orchestrated. Love it, love it, loooooooooooove it!

good but different.......2007-03-28

different from previous stuff. not as much rock but still good if you like LIVE.

Not great, but still satisfying........2007-03-07

I've loved Live ever since "Throwing Copper" came out, and although their best days are obviously well behind them, they're still putting out decent material on the whole. This, their newest album, continues in the more straight-ahead pop rock fashion of "Birds of Pray", and doesn't really offer anything new, but still manages to be pretty enjoyable for what it is.

The two singles, "Mystery" and "The River", are both rousing anthemic tunes, and "Get Ready" and "All I Need" are excellent melodic rock. "Love Shines" is kind of cheesy, but still very catchy, and although writing a song for your children (and about God, no less) is totally un-rock and roll, it's still a nice gesture. The rest of the album, for the most part, is just kinda there, but luckily it ends strong with "Night of Nights", which I think is easily one of the best songs they've done in years. With its haunting melodies, tasty time changes, and killer drumming, it's just a great ending to a mostly so-so album. It even sort of sounds like it could be an outtake from "Secret Samadhi".

So anyway, this album probably won't win over too many new fans (go with the older stuff instead), but for those who've already loved the band for years, it probably won't disappoint. Roughly half the album is pretty solid material, so that's not bad (and "Night of Nights" is almost worth the purchase by itself). Also, while the band's studio material may not be what it used to be, in concert they're still as great as ever. I saw them for the third time a few months ago, and they were absolutely amazing. So definitely go see them at all costs, if you get the chance. They don't call them "Live" for nothing. Plus, hearing some of this material live really increased my appreciation for this album (although unfortunately, they didn't do "Night of Nights").

So yeah, in conclusion, this isn't so bad. Just don't expect "Throwing Copper", and you're bound to find some worth.

Average customer rating: Awesome Doc & Merle Watson Outstanding bluegrass Doc Watson Is a Musical Treasure An excellent cd overall

Black Mountain Rag Doc Watson , and Merle Watson Manufacturer: Rounder / Umgd ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Traditional Blues | Blues | Styles | Music Acoustic Blues | Blues | Styles | Music Alt-Country & Americana | Country | Styles | Music General | Country | Styles | Music Old-Time Country | Traditional Country | Country | Styles | Music General | Traditional Country | Country | Styles | Music General | Bluegrass | Country | Styles | Music General | Folk | Styles | Music Traditional Folk | Folk | Styles | Music Appalachian | North America | International | Styles | Music Rounder Records | Specialty Stores | Music Similar Items: Sittin' Here Pickin' the Blues Trouble in Mind: Doc Watson Country Blues Collection Doc Watson on Stage (Featuring Merle Watson) Southbound The Best Of Doc Watson 1964-1968 ASIN: B000H5VF2A Release Date: 2006-09-19

Tracks:

1. Black Mountain Rag
2. Smoke, Smoke, Smoke
3. Black Pine Waltz
4. Red Rocking Chair
5. Twinkle, Twinkle
6. Below Freezing
7. Mole In The Ground
8. Liza/Lady Be Good
9. Down Yonder
10. Cotton Row
11. Sadie
12. Leaving London
13. Guitar Polka
14. Fisher's Hornpipe/Devil's Dream
15. Along The Road
16. Bye Bye Bluebelle/Smiles
17. Sheeps In The Meadow/Stony Fork
18. Take Me Out To The Ballgame
19. Blackberry Blossom
20. Gonna Lay Down My Old Guitar

Customer Reviews:

Awesome Doc & Merle Watson.......2007-03-08

This repackaging of classic cuts just before Merle's death has excellent sound quality, with Doc at his musical peak. Mark O'Connor fiddle backup is awesome. Some of the most important Doc songs, a great example of an American legend.

Outstanding bluegrass.......2007-01-04

This is an excellent CD of music by a phenomenal bluegrass musician and his equally good son. Great CD for any bluegrass lover's library.

Doc Watson Is a Musical Treasure.......2006-10-31

This is the companion album to 2004's SITTIN' HERE PICKIN' THE BLUES. That album expanded 1985's PICKIN' THE BLUES by adding a handful of tracks from RED ROCKING CHAIR (1981) and DOC AND MERLE WATSON'S GUITAR ALBUM (1983). All three of those albums were from Doc's association with the Flying Fish Label.

Now, two years later, Rounder puts out BLACK MOUNTAIN RAG, which includes the remaining eight tracks from RED ROCKING CHAIR and the remaining 9 tracks from GUITAR ALBUM. In addition, there are two tracks ("Leaving London" and "Bye Bye Bluebelle/Smiles") from the 1996 compilation WATSON COUNTRY, as well as "Blackberry Blossom" from 1990's NORMAN BLAKE & TONY RICE 2.

Quite simply, Doc Watson is one of the best flat-pick guitarists--period. And his son Merle (who tragically died in 1985) is an equally talented guitarist, especially his slide guitar playing. I was first introduced to Doc Watson on the Dirt Band's WILL THE CIRCLE BE UNBROKEN and have been a fan ever since. Doc is incapable of putting out a bad album, and his albums for the Flying Fish label in the early Eighties are all excellent. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

An excellent cd overall.......2006-10-19

"Smoke, smoke, smoke that cigarette. Puff, puff, puff, but if you smoke yourself to death tell St. Peter at the golden gate that you hates to make him wait, but you just gotta have another cigarette."
- Smoke, Smoke, Smoke, Track 2

Just recently got this album, and am only just beginning to appreciate it. The guitars are all very crisp, and the other instruments compliment the simple old-time and bluegrass tunes nicely. An extremely wide variety of tunes, all of which are masterfully played by the contributing musicians. Particular tracks to look for are "Smoke, Smoke, Smoke", "Below Freezing", and "Gonna Lay Down My Old Guitar", the last of which has a particularly interesting chord progression, making interesting use of a diminished chord to make for a curious but well-chosen closer. Black Mountain Rag deserves my stars for having strong performances all around and moreover, for being a well-mixed final product.

Average customer rating: One of the best Xmas CDs out there - unless you don't like good music This one's going to be a classic A bluesy gospel Christmas album with special guests Shout It From The Rooftops! Overproduced by WAY too many not so special guests...

Go Tell It on the Mountain Blind Boys of Alabama Manufacturer: Real World ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Christian & Gospel | Styles | Music Gospel | Christian & Gospel | Styles | Music General | Vocal Pop | Pop | Styles | Music Opera & Vocal | Holiday | Miscellaneous | Styles | Music Novelty Music | Comedic Music | Comedy | Miscellaneous | Styles | Music Similar Items: Amazing Grace Spirit of the Century Higher Ground Atom Bomb There Will Be a Light ASIN: B0002W4TQC Release Date: 2004-09-21

Tracks:

1. Last Month Of The Year
2. I Pray On Christmas
3. Go Tell It On The Mountain
4. Little Drummer Boy
5. In The Bleak Midwinter
6. Joy To The World
7. Born In Bethlehem
8. The Christmas Song
9. Away In A Manger
10. Oh Come All Ye Faithful
11. White Christmas
12. Silent Night
13. My Lord What A Morning

Amazon.com

Exceptional in every way, the Blind Boys of Alabama's Christmas record is a must have for Christmas music fans of all ages and musical persuasions. Go Tell It on the Mountain features the legendary gospel group singing with some of the most renowned artists in the music world who share gospel, R&B and folk roots. Thirteen tracks deep, every song is a gift, offering such compelling new arrangements and dynamic vocal performances of traditional hymns, carols and mistletoe pop standards that some will seem like you're hearing them for the first time. With guest stars such as Solomon Burke, Tom Waits, Shelby Lynne, Chrissie Hynde, Aaron Neville, Me'Shell Ndegeocello, the immortal jazz man Les McCann and others, it's impossible to list all the highlights. Suffice to say, the blistering blues-funk rendering of "Away in a Manger" with George Clinton, Robert Randolph and the Blind Boys, along with a smoldering duet of "The Christmas Song" by Shelby Lynne and Clarence Fountain from the group, will have you shoutin' from the mountaintop again and again. --Martin Keller

Customer Reviews:

One of the best Xmas CDs out there - unless you don't like good music.......2006-12-12

This CD is heartfelt and unique, with great instrumentation and good production and has a nice sampling of guest artists. But overall the Blind Boys voices are what makes it shine. They really make the songs thier own - even the ones you've heard a thousand times before - and THIER versions will stick in your head all season long.
The GREAT majority of reviewers give this CD 5 stars and many others give it 4 stars. But there are 3 or 4 people bringing the overall rating down by giving the CD 1 or 2 stars. Please ignore those reviews. One of those reviewers said the CD was overproduced and too polished, yet another reviewer said they must have used the first take on every track implying the recordings are sloppy? Contradictory and unfounded. Just click on the track samples right here on Amazon and listen - is it what you expected?
Folks, if you love the Blind Boys and/or love Christmas music with an original R&B twist (R&B in the true old-school sense of the word, not the way the phrase "R&B" is used today), then this CD is for you. If you have any idea what you're buying before you purchase (and these days it's hard not to), then buy it and enjoy.

This one's going to be a classic.......2005-12-21

Let me add my voice to the praise for this album. I've heard numerous versions of most of these songs and "Blind Boys" have just reset my ultimate covers for both "Go Tell it on the Mountain" and "In the Bleak Midwinter" just to name a few. Admittedly, this review is posted too late for you to get this CD for this Christmas, but trust me you will very much be enjoying the songs on this album throughout the year.

A bluesy gospel Christmas album with special guests.......2005-11-14

I had not heard any music by this group prior to borrowing a copy of this album - however, this is an excellent Christmas album. As you would expect from a gospel group, they focus almost exclusively on the religious aspect of the festival, the sole exception being White Christmas. There is a different guest singer on each track except the opening and closing tracks, which are without guests.

With any album featuring a variety of guests, one's favorites depend to some extent on one's opion of the various guests. For example, my favorite guest is Shelby Lynne, who does a fine duet of The Christmas song - however, it's not quite my absolute favorite track. That distinction goes to Chrissie Hynde singing In the bleak midwinter, almost as a solo track with the group providing backup harmony. It is one of my favorite carols and I get the impression that it is more popular in Britain than in America, where it turns up occasionally on Christmas albums (this one included) but is by no means common. Other favorites include I pray on Christmas (a cover of a Harry Connick Jr song featuring Solomon Burke), Born in Bethlehem (with Mavis Staples), Little drummer boy (with Michael Franti) and Joy to the world (with Aaron Neville).

This is an album with plenty of variety - they put plenty of energy into Last month of the year (no guests) and Go tell it on the mountain (with Tom Waits), which provide plenty of contrast with the slower songs.

If you are looking for a bluesy gospel Christmas album, this is certainly a good one to choose.

Shout It From The Rooftops!.......2005-07-25

"Go Tell It On The Mountain"! . . . The Blind Boys Of Alabama present us all with their gifts of "Gold Frankinsence, and Myrrh" in spirit and sound. Every track on this cd is a true "gem" and will stand the test of time to last for generation after generation of listeners . . . it is 'classic" in that it defies the fads of time . . . no matter your age or musical taste preferences, these true musical artists will touch a chord in your soul that only "spiritual gospel" can stricke and resound . . .these singers create spiritual harmonics is your soul and heart.

The Christmas season is special . .and in truth it is all too short . . . but there ARE several "christmas albums" which i listen to and enjoy throughout the year, regardless of the month or season or "temperature on the thermometer": the one is The New Christie Minstrels' "Merry Christmas" . . . another John prine's Christmas album . . . and now, "Go Tell It On The Mountain" by The Blind Boys Of Alabama! :)

Don't wait for the holiday season to near to get a copy of this album . . . and don't delay until the department stores begin decorating with reindeers and snowflakes . . . get it now . . get it anytime of the year . . and put it on your cd player and just let their soulful harmonies engulph you in wave after wave until you find yourself a part of the flow . . . you will find it's Christmas all year long . . every day . . . and if you're like me, you'll go out and get yourself more and more albums by these men who have "real talent" . . "real abilities" . . and "real gifts" . . .

I give my thanks to The Blind Boys of Alabama for this album and for all of their recordings . . . American . . and "world" music . . . owes them a debt of gratitude for the treasures they have created and made permanent on recording after recording . . . long after these men have departed . . and long after all of us have vacated this world, these tracks will be listened to and appreciated and enjoyed by countless not yet born . . .and THEY TOO will be grateful to The Blind Boys Of Alabama for leaving these tracks behind . . .

I hope that they record many many more albums yet to come . . . but for now, i am happy to have this "Christmas All Year" album from them, "Go Tell It On The Mountain"! :)

Overproduced by WAY too many not so special guests..........2004-12-19

The Blind Boys of Alabama sound spectacular on this cd, and the gospel combo backing them up is exellent, the songs are also great, and the Boys' harmonies are swinging, however the special guests(who are mostly not so special) wiegh this projest down. There is a great version of 12th Month of The Year, Go Tell it on the Mountian and The Christmas Song with jazz piano great Les McCann. Otherwise there are too many soul r&b type artists who don'tconform well to the Boys' ad thier gospel, blues jazz style. Aaron Nevelle completely ruins several songs, with his feminine wimpy whining, and many singers rap thier way thru songs. Too many doo wop-ish guest stars water this down. Too bad the producers here went so commercial.

Average customer rating: Decent CD, but live... Black Mountain you know who this band sounds like... It's worth checking them out! A Black Mountain

Black Mountain Black Mountain Manufacturer: Jagjaguwar ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music Indie Rock | Indie & Lo-Fi | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music General | Rock | Styles | Music General | Hard Rock & Metal | Styles | Music Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music Similar Items: Z Broken Boy Soldiers Feels Passover Broken Social Scene ASIN: B0006SNKTY Release Date: 2005-01-18

Tracks:

1. Modern Music
2. Don't Run Our Hearts Around
3. Druganaut
4. No Satisfaction
5. Set Us Free
6. No Hits
7. Heart of Snow
8. Faulty Times
9. Druganaut [Multimedia Track]

Amazon.com

From the first 60 seconds of the self-titled Black Mountain CD, you know that you are hearing something unique. An indie rock vocalist, deep, booming sax , and a joyful chorus is sung by a 70's sounding choir. Two tracks in, "Don't Run Our Hearts Around" is conversely dark and foreboding, with the guttural, Zeppelin-esque guitar. Black Mountain moves fluidly between very hard-to-near-psychedelic rock (with great, languid vocals courtesy of frontman/songwriter Stephen McBean and occasional lead/vocal doubling by Amber Webber, who shines especially brilliantly in the darkly emotive "Heart of Snow").

Most of the Vancouver band have been together for years under the moniker Jerk With A Bomb and later Pink Mountaintops. Though JWAB has been adored for years on Canada's West Coast it is Black Mountain's impressive debut has allowed them to truly break out, gaining substantial U.K. and U.S. press in the process. The disc is truly beautiful on the ears, filled with gorgeous dynamics, crisp, discordant playing and impressive production to boot. The music copies no one, but hearkens flashes of Pavement, Neil Young, Songs: Ohia, Nico, Jethro Tull--point being great players, fierce songwriting and unique timeless music makes this a mood-evoking lo-fi masterpiece. --Denise Sheppard

Customer Reviews:

Decent CD, but live..........2005-10-07

I had heard good things about Black Mountain and found the record to be pretty decent. Reminds me of some of that 70's bluesy rock, and I like the girl voice in the mix. I was curious to see them live and then happened to see them open for Coldplay. YIKES! They were absolutely atrocious--like, painfully hard to listen to. The crowd seemed to be blown away by how bad they were. I will never know how they got that gig-- opening for one of the biggest bands in the world...

Black Mountain.......2005-10-03

I first saw these guys when they opened for Coldplay over the summer. I didn't know what to expect, but I must say, it was a very good experience. They reminded me of a modern-day Floyd with a girl in the band. I finally found the albumn at the mall and picked it up right away. Definately worth it.

you know who this band sounds like..........2005-08-28

while everyone is busy debating and worrying over what other bands black mountain sounds like and who they were influenced by, i'm going to quietly steal them and keep them for myself. then it will just be black mountain and me.

It's worth checking them out!.......2005-08-11

I saw Black Mountain live, they were actually the opening band for Coldplay. They were pretty good, nobody heard about them but 20,000 people that were there actually liked them. It's worth checking them out.

A Black Mountain.......2005-08-09

The best way I can describe this music is that you don't listen to it, but rather, you experience it. It meanders along, exploring a variety of musical avenues, from uptempto jazzy-sounding numbers like "modern music" to quiet, introspective, and powerful tracks like "set us free", but all the tracks wrap themselves around your head and invade your psyche like you never realized music could.

It's sort of like listening to [Gasp!] Dark Side of the Moon [though of course I'm not saying they're necessarily musically the same], in that no matter how long the songs are, the entire album captivates you for it's entire duration, and after the last note has played, and the album gracefully ends, you feel like you've really experienced something, something that you don't experience often in music nowadays. You could say that you sort of have to be in the right mood to enjoy music like this, but the results can be pretty spectacular. So, well, I recommend this album to anyone looking for some challenging and intricate music, though sometimes the 6 1/2 minute song lengths aren't completely necessary, it's still a powerful and awesome achievement. 4 stars.

Average customer rating: Intelligent Lyrics... No Airplay

Nine Black Poppies The Mountain Goats Manufacturer: Emperor Jones ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music Lo-Fi | Indie & Lo-Fi | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music Indie Rock | Indie & Lo-Fi | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music General | Rock | Styles | Music Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music All Bargain Titles | Alternative General | Alternative Rock | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music 4-for-3 Alternative Rock | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music 4-for-3 Pop | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music 4-for-3 Rock | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music 4-for-3 All Music | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music Similar Items: Sweden Bitter Melon Farm Ghana Protein Source of the Future Now Beautiful Rat Sunset EP ASIN: B000004B91 Release Date: 1995-10-24

Tracks:

1. Cubs In Five
2. Going To Utrecht
3. Chanson Du Bon Chose
4. Pure Money
5. I Know You've Come To Take My Toys Away
6. Nine Black Poppies
7. Stars Fell On Alabama
8. Lonesome Surprise

Customer Reviews:

Intelligent Lyrics... No Airplay.......1999-04-17

The Mountain Goats have created a wonderful song-cycle with "Nine Black Poppies." The brilliant "Cubs in Five" starts this EP rattling off a list of impossible occurrences( such as "The Canterbury Tales" staying on the bestseller list for 27 weeks, finding intelligent life on the moon, and as the title suggests- the Chicago Cubs winning the World Series in five games) and then blasts into the chorus with- "...And I will love you again..." (another impossible occurrence). "Cubs in Five" is the most literate kiss-off breakup song ever recorded. My favorite song on this EP is "Cubs in Five," but the other songs are all excellent. In "cheshire County," over a lazy acoustic guitar rhythm the words begin- "When the sun came up, I got up 'cause you were saying my name backward in your sleep again..." As with most of the songs, the intro draws in the listener who can't help but be intrigued and anxious to find where the song will lead. Musically, this EP is mainly acoustic guitar and voice with the occasional bass or drum machine thrown in. Though this EP never got within six blocks of the radio station in my town(or yours probably), it deserves to be heard and will reward with each listen.

Average customer rating: Faster than a humming bird's heart exploding The warlord's ghost in the machine Wow.... Well blended electronica and grindcore = great experimental metal jesus christ

Dead Mountain Mouth Genghis Tron Manufacturer: Crucial Blast ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music General | New Age | Styles | Music General | Rock | Styles | Music Death Metal | Hard Rock & Metal | Styles | Music General | Hard Rock & Metal | Styles | Music Thrash & Speed Metal | Hard Rock & Metal | Styles | Music Electronica | Dance & DJ | Styles | Music Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music Similar Items: Cloak of Love Our Puzzling Encounters Considered Judas Goats and Dieseleaters I Don't Care Where I Go When I Die Canada Songs ASIN: B000FGG59E Release Date: 2006-06-06

Tracks:

1. The Folding Road
2. Chapels
3. From The Aisle
4. Dead Mountain Mouth
5. White Walls
6. Badlands
7. Greek Beds
8. Asleep On The Forest Floor
9. Warm Woods
10. Lake Of Virgins

Album Description

Dead Mountain Mouth is the hotly anticipated full length follow-up to Genghis Tron's bold 2005 debut EP, Cloak Of Love. Recorded at Godcity Studios with Kurt Ballou (Converge), Dead Mountain Mouth moves beyond the rapid-fire electro/grind genre splicing of Cloak Of Love and forms something new, something more cohesive and fluid, an arcane union of digital dreams and brutal heaviness, where speedcore outbursts blossom from clouds of maximum beat-driven bliss and futuristic metalcore riffage seethes from your speakers. These ten gloriously dense, triumphantly catchy jams soar through vast valleys of immense crush and wonderfully alien vistas of 8-bit wizardry unlike anything you've heard before.

Customer Reviews:

Faster than a humming bird's heart exploding.......2007-05-05

There's no band quite like Genghis Tron. seriously how many grindcore bands have samples and breakbeats? Brilliant. With a band as creative as Genghis Tron the sky is the limit.

Dead mountain mouth has some of the fastest heaviest stuff you'll hear. but it also has some really beautiful ambient parts that not only add to the eclectic sound of the album but really adds that extra push when they smash your skull after a quiet pretty interlude.

Seriously this album will rock your face off if you buy it. Genghis Tron deserves more credit than they get. One of the most innovative and talented bands I've heard in a long time. Buy this along with their EP Cloak Of Love, your mind will be blown.

The warlord's ghost in the machine.......2007-04-01

This is basically the sound of tuning an FM radio from inside a 1980s mainframe. A soundtrack to uploading Genghis Khan's consciousness to digital memory. The crazies in Genghis Tron spend equal time sounding like 65 Days of Static crossbred with Gregorian chant as they do thrashing the bejesus out of their guitars and vocal chords, Blood Brothers style, as if the end is truly near. Call them the Panic! At The Disco of grindcore.

Surprisingly, it's actually not too bad. The album's brevity should be praised, as anything in this vein much longer than thirty minutes or so runs the risk of biting the listener's ears right off. Length makes the record more palatable for replay value.

Considering that the vocals are as indecipherable as the next death metal band's, "Dead Mountain Mouth" is really an experiment in texture. Square wave wind chimes; too-perfectly-in-time, rabid-fire techno house drums; and digitally-created choral mirages play lieutenants to the raw meat guitars. If musical schizophrenia is your bag, you've arrived. Where, exactly, is another question. Simultaneously the past and the future?

Probably not, but it's an interesting listen nonetheless.

Wow...........2007-03-26

This album is just down-right scary. Delivering a massive blast of Converge-esque grind/noise and coloring it very cleverly with sampling make Genghis Tron's 'Dead Mountian Mouth' one of grindcore's most atmospheric and haunting releases to date. Neither element of this bands evil concoction takes anything away from the other, rather, both compliment each other very casually.

You would probably suspect such a diverse feat to sound hacked, and maybe cut-and-paste sounding. My friends, this is definately not another Horse the Band. The sampling is a far cry from being a mere gimmick. Genghis Tron achieve atmospheres like most grindcore bands are incapable of with the use of sampling, and not once in this entire album, does the sampling cut in pointlessly. The flow is never disrupted, and the atmosphere is constant and frightening. A perfectly demented, and clever creation.

Well blended electronica and grindcore = great experimental metal.......2006-08-13

When I first heard their debut, the Cloak of Love EP, I thought that Genghis Tron weren't much more than another grindcore band employing the gimmick of drastic leaps from intense attacks on your ears to silly, tongue-in-cheek disco music or similar styles. I'm quite glad that this did not scare me away from their first full length, Dead Mountain Mouth because I would have missed out on a solid album of experimental, electronica infused metal.

Employing screams that sound as painful to make as they are to listen to, vicious distorted guitars, and no small amount of keyboards, this trio intersperses bombastic, Converge-style assaults on your ears with interludes of dance beats that bring to mind futuristic weaponry being reloaded for yet another apocalyptic assault. Rather than being split up into songs, the album seems to ebb and flow between these two styles throughout most of it.

Dead Mountain Mouth sees the somewhat silly side of Genghis Tron's sound being toned down in favour of making somewhat more serious music (really, how seriously can you take grindcore?). This is one improvement over Cloak of Love, the other being the intricacy of their full length - there are parts of this album that bring to mind such diverse influences as Cynic, Isis and The Dillinger Escape Plan. At the same time as they are sampling from a huge music plate, Genghis Tron blends it all into a unique sound that they can call their own.

To conclude if you want to hear a album of grindcore/metal that is intense, progressive, unique and well-done, then Dead Mountain Mouth is the one for you. Also Yakuza's Samsara is worth checking out if you like this kind of music.

jesus christ.......2006-06-27

i'm not even sure what to say about this album that hasn't been said. this is one of the most ecclectic, intense, aggressive, soothing, catchy, melodic, retardedly heavy, and dancable albums i've ever heard. actually i'm pretty sure it's the only album i've ever heard to which all of those adjectives even apply. it's also excellent, easily album-of-the-year material. if you've ever thought that maybe, just maybe, playing pig destroyer's and boards of canada's entire discographies simultaneously might not be a bad idea, buy this immediately. actually, f-ck that, if you in any way enjoy intelligent grind, metal, or mellowed-out ambient brain jams, preferably all three, buy this immediately.

Average customer rating: Beauty Wonderful. Wayfaring Stranger: Folksongs Surprisingly good Brilliant

Wayfaring Stranger: Folksongs Manufacturer: Decca ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Chamber Music | Forms & Genres | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Vocal & Song | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General | Renaissance (c.1450-1600) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Scholl, Andreas | ( S ) | Featured Performers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music General | Folk | Styles | Music General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Folk Songs | Songs & Lieder | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music The Decca Records Store | Specialty Stores | Music Similar Items: Andreas Scholl - English Folksongs & Lute Songs (17th Century) The Best of Andreas Scholl The Voice Andreas Scholl - Kantate Andreas Scholl - Ombra mai fu ~ Handel Arias from Giulio Cesare, Admeto, Radamisto, Rodelinda, Serse, Alcina ASIN: B00005OC0C Release Date: 2001-11-13

Tracks:

1. Wayfaring stranger
2. Down by the Salley Gardens
3. My love is like a red red rose
4. Wild mountain thyme
5. Henry Martin
6. Charming beauty bright
7. I will give my love an apple
8. She moved through the fair
9. Blow the wind southerly
10. Wife of Usher's well
11. I loved a lass
12. Pretty Saro
13. Down in yon forest
14. Barbara Allen
15. Raggle taggle gypsies o
16. Annie Laurie
17. Black is the color of my true love's hair

Amazon.com

The German countertenor Andreas Scholl takes risks on his latest CD, Wayfaring Stranger, and not all of them pay off. It is a recording of 17 English-language folksongs, some of them very well known, such as "Down by the Salley Gardens" and "My love is like a red, red rose." This is not usually a repertory tackled by classically trained singers, who can sound prissy, but Scholl's clear, plaintive alto, with its rich low notes and gentle top range, is a quite plausible vehicle. "Wild Mountain Thyme" evokes real sadness, while "Barbara Allen" aches with unhappy love. A surprise awaits in the ballad "Henry Martin," as Scholl uses his rough, nondescript baritone to identify the hero. It is rather a jolt. At least, it is good to know his voice has actually broken. In this song, too-feminine endings in the lyric fall clumsily on stressed beats. Scholl does nothing to counter the infelicity; English, of course, is not his mother tongue. In the beautiful title track, which opens the disc, he sings endearingly of a "why-farring straincher." The accompaniments for various combinations of chamber orchestra, lute, dulcimer, and harp tend to be slushy, sentimental, and over-fussy. The bass uncomfortably parallels the tune in "Salley Gardens" and would have won a big red line through it in old-fashioned harmony classes. Still, on the whole, this is a worthwhile disc. Scholl clearly loves the songs he sings with great tenderness, and he deserves credit for his courage even where the experiment fails. --Rick Jones

Customer Reviews:

Beauty.......2006-05-12

This is one of the most beautiful CDs I know: so pure in tone, so haunting in its harmonies. The reservations of some other listeners seem to make this quality a sort of fault, and perhaps it is if you like your ballads gritty; but I find the selections, the arrangements, and Scholl's singing so ravishing that I felt I had to write this review just to urge everyone to try it. Listen to "I Will Give My Love ..." You might feel your heart stop.

Wonderful. .......2006-03-14

This is the perfect CD to listen to one a cold winter's afternoon with a warm cup of tea and a good book. Scholl's voice is so pure and smoothing. The orchestral arrangements are very creative and lush - sort of an English version of Canteloube's Chants d'Auvergne. The one down note I would have is eventhough Scholl's voice is very expressive his phrasing can be a little square. I would have liked him to take a bit more liberties with the sentences. The Orpheus Chamber Orchestra musical fluidity more than makes up for any of Scholl's rigidity however.
A recommended buy.

Wayfaring Stranger: Folksongs.......2005-10-26

This is a fantastic CD. The countertenor voice of Andreas Scholl gives an entirley new
meaning to traditional folk music. The orchestration is just enough to give a haunting sound to each selection. ' Wayfaring stranger' and 'Wild mountain thyme' are two selections that make the purchasing of the CD worth the pice.

Surprisingly good.......2005-03-05

At first I was suspicious due to the album's sleek marketing and desing. But right from the start I was delighted to hear the lush arrangements of these peculiar songs.

Granted, we do hear quite a lot of strings and even some sound effects that make the music sound dangerously "romantic", or worse, "exotic"...

And yes, the arrangements become very similar to those used by Sarah Brightman, Bocelli and other musical aberrations.... but Scholl's scholarly perfection of voice and delivery save the day. Not only that, but his (limited) potential to characterize the music is in full capacity... especially in the songs where he actually sings in his baritone in a self-contained duet.

Yes, the strings are too warm. And yes, there are parts that could even fit as background music for Disneyworld rides... And yes, it can at times sound cheap and "postcard-ish".........

But, truth be told, sometimes a Coke tastes better than Bordeaux, and sometimes a "Little Debbie" cake hits the spot better than the Sachertorte.

So, if you want to listen to songs that are warm and glowing -albeit effectist-, sung by a first class musician... this album will do the trick.

For those who are new to Scholl, I strongly reccomend his earlier CD's --namely those containing the Handel Arias, the English Lute Songs, and the German Baroque lieder.

As for "Wayfaring Stranger", play close attention to "My Love is a Red Red Rose"... If you've ever felt true love, this is the song to make you cry.

Brilliant.......2005-01-11

Putting this wonderful voice together with an easy-listening style of ochestration was simply a brilliant idea.

This compilation will surely bring this wondrous voice to the attention of a wholly different public to the one which presently adores Andreas, and secondly, it will introduce these folk treasures to an audience at present virtually ignorant of them.

Add this one to your Scholl collection

Rap Music:

1. Born
2. Brothers and Sisters [Original recording remastered]
3. Burn to Shine
4. Captain
5. Catch Bull at Four [Original recording remastered]
6. Cracked Rear View
7. Decoration Day
8. deSol
9. Discipline
10. Don't Shoot Me I'm Only the Piano Player [Original recording remastered]

Rap Music

rap music

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For the Love of Harry: Everybody Sings Nilsson