Tech Check-Up

For those who are checking Manus on a regular basis, I am posting this as a request for new features.  If you have any ideas on what should be on the Blog, from a new design to a small new feature, add it in the comments and I will implament it.  The blog is rolling and it isn't my job to add content, but if there is a technological issue, let me know.

~Wayfarer

MP: Ghostland Observatory - delete.delete.i.eat.meat...

Ghostland Observatory - delete.delete.i.eat.meat...
2005
Trashy Moped Recordings








1. Candy Rider
2. Shoot 'em Down
3. Edge of Town
4. Silver City
5. Cause a Scene
6. Black Box
7. Rich Man
8. Over Again
9. Best Won't Do
10. Victory Lap
H. Untitled Instrumental Track

ALBUM OVERVIEW

Some of you may be asking, "Hey, you guys said you had different tastes in music! How come both albums so far have had the same rating?" To this, I reply: shut up. But in a more serious vein, that's because, for our beginnings of this blog, we wanted to start out on a strong, positive note so as not to seem like regular jackasses that know nothing about music (which is only true for Mr. Can't-play-an-instrument-and-compensates-by-playing-Guitar-Hero-really-well; I have at least an intermediate education in music). But we are certain to disagree on our review of this album, the main reason being I hate techno. I hate odd unclassifiable electronica that kind of sounds like techno but really isn't even more. And I also hate obnoxious vocals, uninteresting and/or boring melodies, and generally poor-quality music. I think the things I liked about this album stopped with the rear cover of the album, which is unfortunate because a) Google images didn't have it after a brief look and b) that doesn't make it worth buying the album. But I am getting ahead of myself. I'll submit myself to the pain that is an actual song-by-song overview, but don't expect too much that wasn't in this sum-up.

1. Candy Rider

Hm...okay, let's pop this cd in and...OH MY GOSH OBNOXIOUS OVERUSED RHTYHM ATTAAAAAAAAAACK *ear gauging* Okay, maybe it wasn't THAT bad, but the opening of this song left little reason to keep listening. I appreciate the mood the vocals attempt (repeat, attempt) to convey in this song, but they fail. The instrumental arrangement of this song is repetitive and boring, though there are remnants of what may have been a catchy hook in there. As this album goes, this is one of the less-sucky tracks. And...oh wait, it's over? MAN that's a friggin short song. Let's hope the rest are somewhat longer.

2. Shoot 'em Down

This song is almost the same as the last one, but wait! What's this? An attempt at unusual harmonies with the synthesizer? My goodness, what did I do to get graced by this! Oh wait, more obnoxious vocals. Nevermind. One other note on this song: the synth line at times is also reminiscent of a 70s or 80s style pop song. That was kind of nifty. But not enough to compensate.

3. Edge of Town

More of the same with less originality. Vocals are sparse and uninteresting, and the instrumental sections are boring and without merit. Entirely too short as well.

4. Silver City

What's this? A different tempo? So far, these guys have as many diverse tempos as power metal bands!* Oh wait, the vocals still suck. But they're distorted now, so they suck more. At least this song is of a somewhat proper length, clocking in at four minutes. And even then it manages to die before going anywhere. Arguably for this band, though, less is more.

5. Cause a Scene

And back to tempo one. I actually liked the buildup to this song (approximately the first minute), but then again the vocals come in and ruin it. And after the vocals come in, the rest of the song says "hell with it" and starts sucking as well. Oh well. What can you do? At least that guitar riff-type-thing in the middle was kind of cool. Five whole seconds. Woooo.

6. Black Box

Okay, I'm going to change stances at this point. This song is not short ENOUGH. And if I'm saying that about a 3.75 minute song, it must be BAD.

7. Rich Man

At this point in the album, I've almost stopped listening to it entirely. It's just boring, obnoxious, and the same, this song being no exception. I'm tempted to type "see review for song X" instead of this short paragraph to save time, but I'll save that just in case we review a DragonForce album.**

8. Over Again

This song might be able to pass as a Minutes to Midnight-era Linkin Park song, as it has a more alternative feel than the rest of the album. But it's still incredibly sub-par and without any merit. My review of the vocals is implied at this point.

9. Best Won't Do

This song's title certainly expresses my main sentiment about this album. The introduction to this song left me with some hope that it might make up for the rest of the album, but once again, I was let down by the vocals. If the vocals had been sung more melodically and the instrumental backing rearranged, this song could've been somewhat good. What an unfortunate miscalculation. It's also worth noting that I've resorted to reading xkcd while listening to this album at this point.

10. Victory Lap

And just when I thought there was nothing worth listening to on this album, I hear the opening notes of "Victory Lap." It's amazing what writing an instrumental can do to a band; without any vocals to rely on, it forces them to think about how they actually SOUND. And in this case, the result is actually a passable instrumental that I might voluntarily choose to listen to on occasion. Amazing what a band can do when they focus on it.

H. Untitled Instrumental Track

Though not as good as "Victory Lap," this instrumental is also passable, if somewhat more repetitive. If these guys recorded an entire album like these last two tracks, I'd rush to buy it.

FINAL RATING: 1/5

Credit for the effort guys, but better luck next time. Just not enough stuff worth listening to here.

BEST TRACKS:

Victory Lap, Untitled Instrumental Track

*Two.
**Admit it. All DragonForce songs sound the same.