Intronaut

[petemasterpete]

I'm not 100% on Adrenaline, just some things I've heard make me think that's what they did. Recording live isn't all that impressive though, to be honest. Any band capable of actually playing their song live can do it. It just requires more patience than tracking the parts individually.

Atleast partly true: Chino performed all his vocals live with the band in the room

[UndKeineZwEier]

And the bass was recorded live on Bored at least.

[blacksabbath]

Wether it's tracked live, or track by track, I care most about the end result.

[THE1TRUEMOG]

Another outstanding review of The Direction of Last Things

http://www.metalinjection.net/reviews/a ... ast-things

[N.Y.H.C.]

I'm not 100% on Adrenaline, just some things I've heard make me think that's what they did. Recording live isn't all that impressive though, to be honest. Any band capable of actually playing their song live can do it. It just requires more patience than tracking the parts individually.

Atleast partly true: Chino performed all his vocals live with the band in the room

that is awesome, a true front man.

[N.Y.H.C.]

And the bass was recorded live on Bored at least.

it's incredible that their first song on their first album can be considered one of the best songs they have ever written like what, 6 albums later? awesome.

[THE1TRUEMOG]

So review time:

In a word....Disappointing. Absolutely not in the same league with Habitual Levitations, Valley of Smoke, or Prehistoricisims. Fast Worms and Digital Gerrymandering are definitely the best songs on the album. The rest is good, don't get me wrong, an average Intronaut song is better than 90% of the shit that is out there, but from start to finish the album isn't in the same league with their three prior albums. It is in there somewhere with Null and Void. I understand the band wanting to get back to their heavier roots and I certainly can understand the band wanting to explore a more proggy sound, but they did so at the expense of losing cohesiveness and direction. The album is all over the place, to the point where it doesn't feel like an album, rather more a collection of songs. It feels like you could take tracks from this album and sprinkle them onto past releases and they would work better, but within the context of this album they simply do not fit well together. Most albums have a particular sound that is unique to that album. That is not the case with The Direction of Last Things.

Bottom line: The album showcases each members talent level and is definitely worth purchasing, but it isn't close to their best work. A final word on the mixing....I really hope they stay away from Devin next go around. I do not think he is the mixing guru many others do and I feel like the album doesn't sound any better than any prior works and the vocals in particular sound worse than anything they have done previously. Some of that is due to the fact that Dave handled a lot of the clean vocal duties and his voice works better in a supporting role or when harmonizing with Sasha. EDIT - Dave doesn't sound bad live or on past albums, maybe it is just this mix. Sasha did say Dave covered more vocal duties this go around, so again, not sure on that one, nonetheless the clean vocals and harmonizing sections sounded much worse compared to prior albums.

Final Verdict: 7 / 10

[Ravenpig]

Habitual Levitations was disappointing to me the first few times I heard it, now I only like Prehistoricisms more. Maybe it'll grow on you.

I'm gonna hear it later on when I get home.

[Kittaan]

Just got it in the mail this morning. Starting my third pass. Listened after I read your review Moggie, and I wonder if that colored my first run... on my second pass I was really digging it a lot more.

I see what you're saying here "It feels like you could take tracks from this album and sprinkle them onto past releases and they would work better, but within the context of this album they simply do not fit well together."

But I wonder how much of that may be due to it being a new release and not yet sunk in... time will tell. Anyway, it's your opinion and you are entitled to it.

As someone who is not a real fan of the growl, I welcome the clean vocals, and I don't have a problem with them either from Dave or Sacha like many seem to (I've heard it from several others, starting with VOS).

I'm also not hating the mix. It's quite good IMO. Agreed that it's not better than previous mixes, but not significantly different or worse.

One thing I can say with certainty: Can't wait to see them live again. That's where they really shine.

[N.Y.H.C.]

So review time:

In a word....Disappointing. Absolutely not in the same league with Habitual Levitations, Valley of Smoke, or Prehistoricisims. Fast Worms and Digital Gerrymandering are definitely the best songs on the album. The rest is good, don't get me wrong, an average Intronaut song is better than 90% of the shit that is out there, but from start to finish the album isn't in the same league with their three prior albums. It is in there somewhere with Null and Void. I understand the band wanting to get back to their heavier roots and I certainly can understand the band wanting to explore a more proggy sound, but they did so at the expense of losing cohesiveness and direction. The album is all over the place, to the point where it doesn't feel like an album, rather more a collection of songs. It feels like you could take tracks from this album and sprinkle them onto past releases and they would work better, but within the context of this album they simply do not fit well together. Most albums have a particular sound that is unique to that album. That is not the case with The Direction of Last Things.

Bottom line: The album showcases each members talent level and is definitely worth purchasing, but it isn't close to their best work. A final word on the mixing....I really hope they stay away from Devin next go around. I do not think he is the mixing guru many others do and I feel like the album doesn't sound any better than any prior works and the vocals in particular sound worse than anything they have done previously. Some of that is due to the fact that Dave handled a lot of the clean vocal duties and his voice works better in a supporting role or when harmonizing with Sasha. EDIT - Dave doesn't sound bad live or on past albums, maybe it is just this mix. Sasha did say Dave covered more vocal duties this go around, so again, not sure on that one, nonetheless the clean vocals and harmonizing sections sounded much worse compared to prior albums.

Final Verdict: 7 / 10

you were disappointed?! holy shit man. you set the bar a bit high, huh? if this was the first time I heard these dudes I would've been hooked after the first three tracks. "In the Unlikely Event of a Water Landing" is amazing. "Sul Ponticello" is sick. it ends STRONG too, the title track "The Direction of Last Things" is my favorite right now. the vocals seemed to turn you off, I wonder why though?

[Ravenpig]

Ok so after hearing it a few times, I'm really digging the new album and it's going to be my go to for the next few weeks I'm sure. Every song is at least good and Sul Ponticello is SICK.

Very good stuff. I'd say 8/10 for initial rating. Higher than Habitual but not quite Prehistoricisms.

[joeypants]

Will write more later but in short: I fucking love it. Major step forward in a lot of ways, although ranking it at this point seems pointless to me. Need to sit with it longer.

[Ravenpig]

True, it's just my immediate reaction.

[THE1TRUEMOG]

you were disappointed?! holy shit man. you set the bar a bit high, huh? if this was the first time I heard these dudes I would've been hooked after the first three tracks. "In the Unlikely Event of a Water Landing" is amazing. "Sul Ponticello" is sick. it ends STRONG too, the title track "The Direction of Last Things" is my favorite right now. the vocals seemed to turn you off, I wonder why though?

Mildly disappointed certainly. Not happy with the clean vocal mix. Also, as I said previously the album lacks cohesion. It feels like a collection of songs rather than an album. There is no direction and certainly no unique sound to the album. It is disjointed and lacks flow. The tracks are all solid, but as I said before, all of them would work better as tracks on previous albums.

The album does showcase how incredibly talented all four members are but they jumped a bit too far off the prog deep end. Ultimately they talked about wanting to write songs they would enjoy playing live for long periods of time and while I understand that perspective I feel the album suffered for it. They should have written tracks with the primary focus of making a great album from start to finish, as they had with all previous albums to date, and then adjusted to playing them live. This album is a direct result of them getting tired of playing the slower tracks over longer periods of time from Habitual Levitations and that is a shame because Habitual Levitations is hands down their most complete album and showed a distinct maturation in song writing. The Direction of Last Things is an album that lacks identity. It contradicts itself musically and while I understand that the goal was to experiment with more prog elements while getting back to their heavier roots, it loses itself in the process.

Bottom line, it is a collection of very good songs. Taken by themselves, I would probably rate them all higher but when taken together, the album is a solid 7 / 10

[THE1TRUEMOG]

Fast Worms video is out

[youtube][/youtube]

[UndKeineZwEier]

Finally got my preorder today. Poster looks pretty good actually without the 3D, with the 3D it is actually pretty cool except for the blue and red shit you get with those kind of glasses. Can't say that I'm a fan of the way that the liner notes are just loose in the CD packaging, like what the fuck am I supposed to do with that? Not cool. I need to start ordering smaller shirts, at least from metal bands. These things are fucking huge.

Anyways, I haven't actually listened to this disc yet, but those are my first thoughts.



But seriously what the hell is up with those liner notes?

[Ravenpig]

My cd case has a little pouch for the liner notes.

[N.Y.H.C.]

great syncopation on this album.

[UndKeineZwEier]

My cd case has a little pouch for the liner notes.

Ha HA, you're right. I found it. Score one for the little guys. Anyways, after my first listen I think this might be my pick for best Intronaut album.

[Ravenpig]

But it doesn't have a song about Australopithecus!

[UndKeineZwEier]

But it doesn't have a song about Australopithecus!

That's where you're wrong! For you see that's... The Pleasant Surprise.

[Ravenpig]

Anyone familiar with the other bands Intronaut is touring with right now? I'd easily pay the $25 if they were the main event but they're not and I don't wanna waste my time with shitty bands.

[UndKeineZwEier]

Between The Buried and Me are pretty good. Enslaved's latest album was pretty good as well.



I'd definitely check them out.

[petemasterpete]

Anyone familiar with the other bands Intronaut is touring with right now? I'd easily pay the $25 if they were the main event but they're not and I don't wanna waste my time with shitty bands.

That show is an absolute steal for 25 bones ... I could easily suggest ways to waste your time for more money

[hellboy]

BTBAM and Enslaved are both worth checking out. $25 definitely us a great price for the lineup.