Sigil 03_: An omen EP_

[FernandoDante]

Relevancy in music reviews involves actually discussing the music, why it's good, what it does differently or doesn't, instead of falling back on old clichés like "hipsters wear skinny jeans, and Animal Collective are often considered a hipster band, and they have the word 'animal' in their name, so I'm going to suggest that they put their hipster pants on one hoof at a time." That kind of dreck wouldn't fly in my community college English class. It's about being observant and finding out how to say what you mean without falling back on pretty-sounding words.

What's this about the way you put on pants determining your music taste? I'm lost.

[Shnoorum]

What's this about the way you put on pants determining your music taste? I'm lost.

The general consensus is that great artists don't wear pants at all. It's the secret to writing brilliant songs. NIN's Hurt? Thats right

[screwdriver]

Relevancy in music reviews involves actually discussing the music, why it's good, what it does differently or doesn't, instead of falling back on old clichés like "hipsters wear skinny jeans, and Animal Collective are often considered a hipster band, and they have the word 'animal' in their name, so I'm going to suggest that they put their hipster pants on one hoof at a time." That kind of dreck wouldn't fly in my community college English class. It's about being observant and finding out how to say what you mean without falling back on pretty-sounding words.

... but... hipsters do wear skinny jeans!

anyway, after the earlier taste this week, I've resisted listening to this again, and I'm finding myself very excited. Between this and the CoD theme, its a good TR week!

[gorast]

Does Topspin usually update the live receipt with download links right at midnight on release day, or is it a gradual roll-out thing? I think Dragon Tattoo was a gradual roll-out, but I can't remember.

[Shnoorum]

Does Topspin usually update the live receipt with download links right at midnight on release day, or is it a gradual roll-out thing? I think Dragon Tattoo was a gradual roll-out, but I can't remember.

I believe TGWTDT soundtrack was a gradual rollout. I remember much drama on the forums of people not getting theirs (myself included). Was up untill way early in the morning waiting for mine. Had to give up and go to bed in the end

[otnavuskire]

My Live Receipt says "Preorder download will become available on street date (2012-11-13 12:00 AM EST)"

I'm not going to hold my breath on that actually happening though.

[carpenoctem]

What's this about the way you put on pants determining your music taste? I'm lost.

Oh, I was just referencing the Rolling Stone review of the most recent AnCo record. It just made me mad because it didn't talk much about the music and fell back on stupid stereotypes to pad out the length.

[ZeroisGreg]

I really don't like MQ's voice in 'Ice Age' and most of the other tracks in the new EP. Does anyone else think it's too windy and not enouch fuit in her voice. By fruit I mean pureness and less raspiness. I dig the rest of the tracks but 'Ice Age' sounds too folksy for the direction they are testing.

[NotoriousTIMP]

I personally don't care for her vocals at all. I enjoy the music itself, and that's the reason why I even bother to follow this band, but her singing sucks and always sounds flat.

[Deepvoid]

I don't want to go through 31 pages of posts so excuse me if this has been brought up but is there someone coughing at the 3:26 mark of The Sleep of Reason Produces Monsters?

I sounds like a 2 coughs and definitely doesn't sound like it should there. However, I can't believe they would have missed that.

**EDIT**

Ok so the coughing has been brought up. Still wondering if it's suppose to be there or not.

[my voice just]

^^
sorry, my bad
caught a cold recently

[ItsJustDave]

Ok so the coughing has been brought up. Still wondering if it's suppose to be there or not.

Reznor is renowned for his obsessive attention to detail. I'm sure he missed the cough that numerous people have noticed after a few listens.

[sheepdean]

There are about 4 different vocal tracks, including the cough, that I can count in TSORPM, the cough is there on purpose, I guarantee you.

[butter_hole]

Reznor is renowned for his obsessive attention to detail.

but he somehow let starfuckers through... hmmm

[Fred]

Reznor is renowned for his obsessive attention to detail. I'm sure he missed the cough that numerous people have noticed after a few listens.

Probably intentional, yeah. And not the first time he has toyed with the glitchy and unexpected; at first, the early "am I..." in Discipline sounded like a mistake as well.

[gorast]

I always did like that in Discipline, made the narrator sound hesitant to even speak his mind.

I honestly haven't heard the cough in the song at all. Granted, I haven't really listened for it yet, but I guess I'm just not very observant with those kinds of things.

[my voice just]

Reznor is renowned for his obsessive attention to detail.

but he somehow let starfuckers through... hmmm

sturfuckers is that detail, that makes the album`s perfection so fragile...
what`s wrong with that?

[cashpiles (closed)]

sturfuckers is that detail, that makes the album`s perfection so fragile...
what`s wrong with that?

Starfuckers is good.

[witte]

Oh no, please don't start this again...^^^

Edit:
Got a message
"Your order Has been shipped"

[eversonpoe]

i'm a bit worried that mine hasn't even gone into "about to ship" from amazon. i selected 2-day shipping and it's supposed to arrive tomorrow...

also, the price on amazon went up since i pre-ordered it, and is now $23.70.

[Alexandros]

Finally listened to it. I like it, there are some beautiful, droning melodies, there is the "Closer"-like Loop (and I have no problem with Reznor's looping phrase, don't see what the big deal is) and there is the discordant, menacing Speaking in Tongues. The Sleep of Reason is especially haunting, I feel like I'm being drawn deeper into a dream, getting closer to a huge revelation of some kind and right before I find out what it is, I wake up. The abrupt ending actually fits very well with this interpretation, so I don't really mind it (as some people apparently do).

[FernandoDante]

Hope I don't get too many facepalms for posting a link to my review here

http://www.antiquiet.com/reviews/201...-with-an-omen/

[screwdriver]

Hope I don't get too many facepalms for posting a link to my review here

http://www.antiquiet.com/reviews/201...-with-an-omen/

But is this review a relevant review? How did you put your pants on?

I'm loving that the rush to review everything IMMEDIATELY means that people have just given up the importance of quality. God forbid we digest things...

[sheepdean]

I'm still not sure how people justify reviewing an album at 192kbps

[gorast]

Why's everyone so scared to post their reviews? We haven't run people out of town for having criticisms about the EP (yet).

I can't wait to get the records, look over the sealed packages for a little bit, and then set them with my other records, still sealed, and never play them because I don't have a record player.

Oh awesome, my first facepalm. I'd like to thank the Academy...

[sukey]

My favourite upon my very few listens has to be 'The Loop Closes'. I love songs that drive, and this like many opening NIN tracks drives and builds in momentum.

Oooh yes you pinpointed why this one is my fave.

I like the rest of the EP a lot too, it definitely suits a particular mood, but it seems I'm in that mood this evening so s'all good.

Looking forward to the album a lot more now. Honestly, why in God's name did they pick Keep It Together as the single? Bizarre choice.

[imail724]

I'm still not sure how people justify reviewing an album at 192kbps

you do know it leaked right? flac and all...

[PhoenixML]

I'm still not sure how people justify reviewing an album at 192kbps

What? A bad song is bad at 192kpbs and in surround bluray 96-bit 24khz. I mean, I don't think I'll get a better kick at listening at Nickeback on cd. The melody of the song won't mysteriously change.

[sheepdean]

What? A bad song is bad at 192kpbs and in surround bluray 96-bit 24khz. I mean, I don't think I'll get a better kick at listening at Nickeback on cd. The melody of the song won't mysteriously change.

It might not make a 1/10 star into a 10/10, but it sure as hell can make a 8/10 into a 9/10

[screwdriver]

What? A bad song is bad at 192kpbs and in surround bluray 96-bit 24khz. I mean, I don't think I'll get a better kick at listening at Nickeback on cd. The melody of the song won't mysteriously change.

if you listen to music solely for the melodies; yeah. if you watch movies only for the plots, you could review them based on a cam-bootleg too. If you look at paintings only to see the subject depicted, it doesn't matter if you're looking at a crappy photograph under poor light of the painting. But art can be more than the sum of the parts.

I think your attitude (while totally fair) is completely incongruous with what music I like and how I like to listen to it. I love pop songs as much as the next guy (seriously, GANGNAM STYLE!), but sounds are important to some of us. And I think its clear that sonic detail was part of the enterprise here.