marblesmike

I've had my vinyl since Saturday, and the quality is not so great. Lots of sibilance. Everything ssssssssounds like there is hissssssing on the vocals. I'm curious to hear others thoughts here, as I'm hoping I just got a dud that I can return.

I did a needle drop last night. Once I edit it I can share it and you guys can share elsewhere in guess. Pm me if interested.

Let's not completely flame the OP. Nick has done a great job with helping the band arrange their songs, which is a main role of a good producer. But I'm not a fan of the mix. Guitars are too layered and loud. The individual instruments aren't crystal clear like they were on say CP or Moving Pictures. The mastering is better than SnA, but a little bass heavy. Not as compressed either (waveforms are not brickwalled). I just think the album sounds muddy and doesn't have a lot of room to breathe. Maybe I'm just used to Steven Wilson spoiling my ears.

QUOTE (Soni @ May 21 2012, 01:22 PM) http://a1.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc7/303495_4026049536688_1445014825_33471745_120718663_n.jpg Funny pic. You know, there are rumors that SW is a little light in his loafers, but last I heard, he had a girlfriend.

It's easy for Roger Waters' vocals to sound good when they're being piped in. He lost his voice years ago and sings along with a backing track now.

QUOTE (ghostworks @ May 15 2012, 08:56 PM) QUOTE (friendlyfloridian @ May 7 2012, 02:56 PM) ...I think this album is awesome in its own right. There is nothing out there that sounds like this... actually, there's a lot out there that sounds like this regardless, it's an awesome album - it might even be 'better' than the No-Man project (which is a bold statement from me) Wilson has talent, it's nice to see it on display again (full disclosure: I loathe Porcupine Tree and the silly adulation heaped upon that boring, derivative Twilight-fanbase band) Twilight-fanbase? You mean a fanbase made up of mostly teenage girls? Oh wait.... You sound like an ignoramus. It's ok to not like PT, but come on, you couldn't be any further from the truth about their fanbase. Also, a lot of their fanbase doesn't like their newer stuff and a lot of it doesn't like their older stuff. So it's not just blind adulation as you would have us assume.

In the pictures in the Storm Corrosion sleeve I think the studio they're in has a red carpet, so I'm assuming that at least part of the album (or its demos) were recorded at his mom's house. Nevermind; red carpet is his studio at his new house. The other photo (white walls) is from his old bedroom.

QUOTE (Hatchetaxe&saw @ May 15 2012, 02:15 PM) U MAD. Tell me I'm mad.

QUOTE (treeduck @ May 11 2012, 02:44 PM) I think the album is excellent. I don't think of it as mellow or ambient, it's powerful. I don't notice the almost total absence of drums and therefore I don't miss them. It's hard to see how they'd fit with this music. My only complaint is there's not enough Akefeldt vocals. My complaint as well. I wish there would have been more vocal harmonies between the two of them.

Drag Ropes is one of my least favorites on the album, although I don't disklike it. For those judging the album based on one song, be patient with the rest and you may like it. And metaldad, judging by your handle, I'm assuming you're a MP fan. Good for you; I'm not and I couldn't be happier with him not being on the album. So here's another posting saying I'm happy he's not on the album, which was not the main intention of my last post. I'm amazed at the number of MP fanboys around. There are many better drummers that aren't as flashy and arrogant as him. But I'm guessing that if one uses the word metal to describe themselves that subtlety isn't in the cards.

QUOTE (Good,bad,andrush @ May 2 2012, 11:17 PM) QUOTE (marblesmike @ May 2 2012, 10:00 PM) Some of you people are just ignorant. Being surprised that this was mellow and not some prog-metal supergroup? SW and MA have been saying as much since they started working on the album last year. From what I've seen over the internet, those who knew what to expect like it, and those who didn't seem to hate it. This will be one of those albums where people are divided. I personally like it, although I will agree it isn't something I'd feel compelled to listen to all that often. But when I do, I will certainly enjoy it. Different strokes. No need to start with such a condescending tone. Not everybody follows the music news around so well. That said, I knew what to expect and I've enjoyed what I've heard so far, and quite a lot actually. I'm not trying to be condescending, but when people start bashing an artist because their release is not what they expected, despite said artist saying repeatedly that it would not be what most expected (wow, that's a mouthful), then what would you call it? Misinformed I guess is nicer than ignorant. MP was rumored to be part of the project 5 years ago, but last year it was noted that MA and SW would be doing the project without him, so it's no news that he's not part of it (thank god).

Some of you people are just ignorant. Being surprised that this was mellow and not some prog-metal supergroup? SW and MA have been saying as much since they started working on the album last year. From what I've seen over the internet, those who knew what to expect like it, and those who didn't seem to hate it. This will be one of those albums where people are divided. I personally like it, although I will agree it isn't something I'd feel compelled to listen to all that often. But when I do, I will certainly enjoy it. Different strokes.

According to the art coordinator Carl Glover, it was done by Hans Arnold who passed away in 2010. I read that over at the PT forum.

I also think the lack of samples or preview songs has a lot to do with both SW and MA's affinity with the way music releases were back in the 70s--people rarely heard anything (besides maybe a single) from new albums until they were released. I know--what a foreign concept in the internet age!!! I just want to know when I can preorder the vinyl.

QUOTE (canadianice @ Feb 6 2012, 05:49 PM) QUOTE (Queslington @ Feb 6 2012, 04:23 PM) I think Steven Wilson should remix/remaster VT if or when they decide to do so. just dont let Steve Hoffman, get his hands on it! Why not Steve Hoffman? He's known to be one of the best mastering engineers in the business.

http://www.therushforum.com/index.php?showtopic=69908 I'm into Limelight on the vinyl and it's about what I was expecting soundwise. Loud and compressed, but nearly as bad as the CD. For $17 it was a decent value. I wish Rush would hire some decent engineers to mix and master their recordings. It's not as bad as Markbot said it was though in the thread above.

My vinyl copy should arrive tomorrow or Friday. I'll post an update to this thread when I have time to check it out. I'm expecting it to sound compressed (Chycki's style) but we'll see how bad it is.

Amazing album. He's outdone himself yet again. And to think I saw discussions around the internet that he'd spread himself too thin with all the projects. But one listen of this masterpiece will put that theory too bed, and Steven should be proud of what he's done here.

QUOTE (Ancient Ways @ Sep 9 2011, 07:00 PM) I love Bush. Judging by your photos I'd say you're more of a breast man. BTW, who's the chick to the right of Scarlet Johannsen?

Favorite band growing up. Saw them in 1997 and last month in Atlantic City. They put on a great show. BTW there's an online stream of the new album through their website I believe, but not sure, as I got the link through their mailing list. Listened to it once today at work and it was about as good as I expected. Some really good songs, some really not. Love the Sound of Winter and the Afterlife, two songs they've already officially released online. Looking forward to listening to it again when my vinyl comes next week.

Well, I got lucky and got to hear the album today with a friend in the music business. All I can say is....wow. I've read comments around the interwebs about SW spreading himself out too thin with being so busy, thus resulting in weaker material across the board. This album will make them all eat crow. He's outdone himself. The songs and musicianship are top notch. That's all I'll say, except for this: I think I've tortured myself so much because waiting until the end of the month to get my vinyl and hear this again will feel like a lifetime. Album of the year, mark my words.

QUOTE (quickfree @ Aug 31 2011, 08:59 PM) Just heard a preview of song samples from Heritage and its got a very classic prog rock feel to it as mentioned in previous advances press reviews. I could here an old school King Crimson and Genesis vibe in the latter tracks on the album. Its very hard to judge on 30 second samples but prepare to hold you're breakfast if you're expecting the usual in you're face heavy riffage, growling, and clean to heavy transistions that their traditionally known for. It's a weird album; very unique. It was only a matter of time until they did an album like this. Every album from MAYH on have had increasingly more passages influenced by stuff like Genesis and Crimson (among others) so this wasn't that much of a surprise to me. Heck, I've always asserted to my friends that Opeth's non-linear song structures remind me of early Genesis. Besides being non-fans of Genesis, they agreed wholeheartedly. However, early 70s prog is a niche genre, so this album is bound to piss off a lot of fanboys, especially the younger ones.

QUOTE (Jomboni @ Sep 3 2011, 04:56 PM) I'm sorry if it's not appropriate to talk about leaks here (and I absolutely am going to buy this album) but what the hell this is such a riduculous album in the best way possible. I never would have heard this coming from them in a million years. Also, anybody else get kind of a Rush vibe in Slither? Parts of it remind of The Analog Kid. Slither sounds like something Blackmore/Dio-esque to me. A couple of my friends agreed. Great album for me, especially as a prog (esp. Crimson, Genesis. and Tull) fan and Opeth fan--like the perfect combo. Mike's eclectic songwriting style does 70s prog/hard rock...match made in heaven for me. Can't wait for my vinyl to come :-)

You guys know Ian Anderson doesn't sing too well anymore right? This is going to turn into the thread where all the fanboys called me crazy for not wanting to see Roger Waters lip sync through The Wall last year... ...and I love Tull and Pink Floyd tons, two of my favorite bands.