Metal Reviews

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I think you're being a bit harsh with this, comparing it to the 'Jesu' album (maybe you should have listened to this first, as I am doing?), and the piano part that I quite liked. Sure, it takes patience, but as you said, no point listening to 19 minute songs without it.

75/100 for me, may rise with repeated listenings.

I honestly hate that piano part because it lacks anything compelling. I'm not going to sit through seven minutes of Note Chord Chord Note Chord unless there's a real good reason to do so, and there isn't in this case.

Yeah, I listened to Jesu first. Made my expectations skyrocket.

Firstly, it's not 7 minutes, it's less than 5. Mr Machine would do well if he researched his facts a little better. Secondly, do you "get" the idea of ambient music? You're supposed to just sit and let it wash over you, your subconcious doing the work. I assume you hate all the repetitive keyboard bits on Burzum (like the 25 minute one on Filosofem).
And you shouldn't compare Heartache to the album so much, especially since the ep was out first, and listening to that should have made your expectations skyrocket.

*spontaneously combusts*

Okay, now that that's over with, yes, you're right, it's only about 4:48.



I still listened to the album first, not the EP, regardless of the order that they were out in.

Yes, I 'get' the idea of ambient music: I just hate uninteresting ambient music. It's very easy to make uninteresting ambient music. Good ambient music is like the ambient bits from The Axis of Perdition and Leviathan's A Silhouette in Splinters, as well as Nurse With Wound.

The piano intro is boring ambient. It's not good.

The keyboard bits on Filesofem and Hvis Lyset Tar Oss, as well as on Hlidskjalf to an extent, are all interesting.

Interesting - what makes ambience interesting, in your eyes?

Variation. If you listen to A Silhouette in Splinters, you'll note that there's always a lot going on: it's very layered. This makes for more interesting images in one's head.

Same with TAOP. Broadrick's shot at ambience doesn't do anything for me besides bore me.

I find that the simplicity of the piano, after the crushing build up at the end of the previous track, is a nice interlude. Sometimes over-complication is too much for me, and althought the confusion that results from this has an effect of its own, calmer material is just as good.

Ultimately, it boils down to taste, but it's an interesting subject.

Taste indeed.