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#91 2011-04-20 18:10:21

Rikard Sjöblom
Moderator
Registered: 2008-06-27
Posts: 188

Re: Mammoth!

>Kazza3: no, it's alto (almost all of it) and baritone (in the heavy part of Akakabotu, playing along with the rest of the band..).

>hassanguason & Miner: yes, haha! but we're not paying royalties for that so SCHHH!!! smile

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#92 2011-04-20 23:13:46

Kazza3
Member
From: Albury, Australia
Registered: 2009-12-26
Posts: 51

Re: Mammoth!

Ok cool, I'll relisten. (Not like I wasn't going to anyway, wink )

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#93 2011-04-27 22:13:15

StagInsanity
Member
Registered: 2010-01-27
Posts: 50

Re: Mammoth!

OK, my turn I guess smile I don't know, maybe if it's a bit unethical of me to write my thoughts on this so soon, without letting it sink in much much more. But I've listened to the album quite a lot and feel I can start to type out my very much in depth current thoughts... if that's okay!

First, generally, I was very excited about this album.. I had no idea what to expect, but I had a feeling, a fear, that it would not keep up with Destined Solitaire and Sleeping in Traffic.

I think I had heard the radio edit of The Platform, and I didn't listen to it many times, maybe twice before I received the album. It never really grew on me much after hearing the album version either, but there was a mood to it but I felt it was kind of hard to grasp, sort of like a hazy train station. I felt some of the themes came back a bit too many times, in the same way in this song. But at the same time the entire song is dark and sort of bitter-intense, and after all there is many things to like about it. A few times though after hearing that song I thought "I don't feel inspired to hear that song again in many weeks". The part around 4 minutes I never really thought fit in. Who's singing around 4:20 and 4:26? I didn't recognize your voice there in any of those.. it reminded me very much of another prog rock singer I've forgotten where he belongs to. But I didn't find anything about it in the "Guest appearances". smile

And The Stone Said: If I Could Speak. Brilliant, definitely the highlight of the entire album for me. At first listen-through, I was unsure about every single song of the album, including this one, but after hearing it several times through the days and weeks, this song has grown a lot on me, and I really like it! Great mood in the beginning of the song, followed by a transition around 1 minute leading into a new exciting mood. The part that starts around 1:48 struck me as really cool. Reminded me of some of the stuff going on in The Sorceress by Return to Forever smile (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uky7_cIsipg#t=5m23s possibly totally irrelevant!) Brilliant dark mood around 3:20. For some reason I draw associations to Derelict Herds by Opeth at that part, but.. ignore that, it's the mood I mean! The rest of the song is really great as well. Great song.

Tightrope has a nice happy mood in the beginning, which sounds very nice. But I'd expect it to take a Beardfish turn.. I'd expect it to go a bit more in The Sane Day way when I listen to the song first, if that makes sense. Found it to be a bit too poppish and straight forward, for my own tastes. But there's a certain mood to it yes, but yeah, a bit too much of a hit, for me anyway.

In Green Waves there was nothing that caught me until 2 minutes where it's building up to the chorus. The chorus is very good, I feel, but everything before and after isn't quite for me. I get no images or feelings or moods. I find it very straight forward. Maybe the chorus comes a bit too many times as well, but I feel that what's in between the choruses is messy, a bit unorganized and with some.. lack of purpose. Forgive me! You're one of my very biggest heroes, even though I'm gonna say even more nasty things, maybe..

Outside/Inside was very hard to place in the album, I don't feel it makes sense. At first listen I didn't feel anything, but after several times I can start to hear some nice themes, but overall a bit random, I feel, in the way it's between Green Waves and Akakabotu. Then again, it might suddenly make sense the day I start paying attention to lyrics in all these songs..! Woops! I dunno smile

Akakabotu. Catchy main theme. It doesn't give me very exciting/special moods or associations as of yet though... but these things might also have everything to do with how you felt the first time you heard the song, and the expectations and stuff. And, I'd say the main theme is very good for driving in the car with open windows! A bit too much sax, I feel, a while after 2 minutes. It's an okay song, and I'm open for it growing on me. But yeah it's a saxophone solo song I think, and I might have had corrupted evil associations to saxophone long before listening to this... over the years...!

Without Saying Anything is my second favorite I'd say, on this album. Very fun intro! Really powerful and great sounding. A bit Radiohead inspiration present around 1:20? smile I don't think the chorus in this song is that fun though. Don't like it that much. unfortunately. But the way it goes back to the catchy opening theme makes it all okay in a way. 2:26 was a neat surprise! 2:35 caught my attention as well but I found it a bit unfitting, over the edge maybe. But it's fun in a way. 4:43 and onwards is very exciting. 5:31 is great. Very nice, really neat sounding.. mood, all, that riff. Overall, a cool song, but not too fond of the chorus or what the correct word would be. Refrain..


It was a very different Beardfish album, like you said it would be of course. I think you needed to do something different, and even though I don't personally like it as much as.. well, most of the other albums, I'm still glad you guys did this. It has much gold, and I think you've picked up a new/different/additional frequency in the audience spectrum. Oh, by the way, I really liked watching the bonus material. Next time you make an album, know that we cannot really get enough of seeing you mess around, around the studio in boxers and being Swedish and stuff. Haha, I've watched the making of Sleeping in Traffic countless times, because it's so freaking inspiring. You are a big part of the reason I have drums, bass, keyboard, microphones and recording equipment floating around the entire upper floor, in addition to my main instrument, guitar. But enough about me. You did a great job, it was a really interesting album all in all.

Oh yeah, and I dreamt that you played in a local music store. You (Rikard) were in the background, being really unsure of your guitar chords, and someone else was singing. Plausibly Robert. smile

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#94 2011-09-21 17:23:36

Emi
Member
Registered: 2010-10-31
Posts: 10

Re: Mammoth!

I subscribe every words by StagInsanity, and when I mean all, I mean ALL the full thinking. Oh, except for the sax, I love the addition in both songs. It reminds me the Mel Collins era with Crimson and Camel.

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