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 Post subject: 'Spock's Beard - Spock's Beard (#3774)'
PostPosted: Mon Apr 02, 2007 7:54 pm 
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Spock's Beard - Spock's Beard
Progressive Rock
Quoted: 83 / 100


Click here to see the review.


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 Post subject:
PostPosted: Mon Apr 02, 2007 8:08 pm 
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Spock's Beard never quite do it for me, but throwing Camel all over the review kinda makes me want to check it out. Tips hat.


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PostPosted: Mon Apr 02, 2007 8:40 pm 
I remember reading about this band several years ago, about the same time as I read about Porcupine Tree (this was probably because I had just gotten Symphony X's V), and I thought about picking up one of their albums sometime. Turns out that I actually saw a couple of their albums in a local shop I used to live near, but I never pulled the trigger. I never completely forgot about them, and I never really lost an interest in listening to them sometime (like I did with Porcupine Tree), but it just never happened. As I have been listening to a bit more prog lately, maybe this will finally be the one I check out.

-Tyrion


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 Post subject:
PostPosted: Mon Apr 02, 2007 9:49 pm 
This is definitely a solid album. It's got a decidedly heavier edge than Feel Euphoria and V (I haven't heard Octane yet). Some of their melodies and whatnot still come off a bit too light and fluffy for me, but they're definitely a good band, and this album is well worth checking out if you like prog-rock, especially something a bit on the heavier side—relatively speaking.


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 Post subject:
PostPosted: Mon Apr 02, 2007 10:30 pm 
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Svartalfar

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I'll check this one out, although I doubt it will top Sola Scriptura from Neal Morse...Nice cover too.


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 Post subject:
PostPosted: Mon Apr 02, 2007 10:45 pm 
enemy of reality wrote:
I'll check this one out, although I doubt it will top Sola Scriptura from Neal Morse...Nice cover too.

If you're a Christian, I doubt it would top Sola Scriptura. That's a great album if you can stand a constant barrage of "Jesus is great" nonsense. I swear, Helloween is the only metal band that's able to write religious lyrics without them being ridiculously annoying and vapid.

[/off topic]


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 Post subject:
PostPosted: Mon Apr 02, 2007 11:11 pm 
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Svartalfar

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The Ghost of Eyesore wrote:
enemy of reality wrote:
I'll check this one out, although I doubt it will top Sola Scriptura from Neal Morse...Nice cover too.

If you're a Christian, I doubt it would top Sola Scriptura. That's a great album if you can stand a constant barrage of "Jesus is great" nonsense. I swear, Helloween is the only metal band that's able to write religious lyrics without them being ridiculously annoying and vapid.

[/off topic]


It's true Neal Morse is nowadays very religious...oh well, I don't mind, as long as the music is briljant...if I would only listen to bands who have the same opinion as I, there would'nt be much to listen to :D
Funny you mentioned helloween...aren't those religious lyricks more sarcastic? But at least the lyricks aren't indeed "ridiculously annoying and vapid" Well at the contrary :P


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 Post subject:
PostPosted: Tue Apr 03, 2007 12:37 am 
enemy of reality wrote:
The Ghost of Eyesore wrote:
enemy of reality wrote:
I'll check this one out, although I doubt it will top Sola Scriptura from Neal Morse...Nice cover too.

If you're a Christian, I doubt it would top Sola Scriptura. That's a great album if you can stand a constant barrage of "Jesus is great" nonsense. I swear, Helloween is the only metal band that's able to write religious lyrics without them being ridiculously annoying and vapid.

[/off topic]


It's true Neal Morse is nowadays very religious...oh well, I don't mind, as long as the music is briljant...if I would only listen to bands who have the same opinion as I, there would'nt be much to listen to :D
Funny you mentioned helloween...aren't those religious lyricks more sarcastic? But at least the lyricks aren't indeed "ridiculously annoying and vapid" Well at the contrary :P

No. They're not sarcastic. Helloween may not be a Christian band per se, but they have a ton of religious songs; it's just that most people don't realize it.

Anyway, I generally don't mind Christian lyrics. My problem is when the lyrics are just so unbelievably cheesy and pedestrian, they really take away from the music. There's a good and a bad way to write lyrics, no matter the subject, and on Sola Scriptura the lyrics too often are simply cringe-worthy. And sadly, for me, that really overshadows the music.


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 Post subject:
PostPosted: Tue Apr 03, 2007 1:31 am 
Misha wrote:
Spock's Beard never quite do it for me, but throwing Camel all over the review kinda makes me want to check it out. Tips hat.


I love the old Camel stuff....from Mirage through Moonmadness, The Snow Goose, Rain Dances etc. Echoes saw them getting more commercial and I Can See Your House From Here was blatantly commercial except for the brilliant instrumental "Ice". I also loved Nude and Stationary Travellor. I have all of the releases since then and most have some good stuff but it's not as good as their most productive period in the mid 70's through to the early 80's. Spock's Beard's vocal styles remind me a lot of older Camel music...and that's a good thing!


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PostPosted: Tue Apr 03, 2007 6:58 am 
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Camel is one of the best prog rock bands i've heard. Snow Goose and Mirage are amazing albums.

As for Spock's Beard, well i only have the Kindness of Strangers album. Good music but a bit too poppy, you have to be in the mood for it. It's always a good album to fool people that listen to shit into listening to more interesting music though, it worked with my sister.

And Helloween isn't Christian. In an interview a guy asked Andi if the common belief was true that the guy on the Keeper-albums was Jesus Christ, and Andi responded that it was only a Jesus-like type of character. To me it's obvious that their Christian-thing has more of a metaphorical significance.


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PostPosted: Tue Apr 03, 2007 9:15 am 
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marty@metalreviews wrote:
Misha wrote:
Spock's Beard never quite do it for me, but throwing Camel all over the review kinda makes me want to check it out. Tips hat.


I love the old Camel stuff....from Mirage through Moonmadness, The Snow Goose, Rain Dances etc. Echoes saw them getting more commercial and I Can See Your House From Here was blatantly commercial except for the brilliant instrumental "Ice". I also loved Nude and Stationary Travellor. I have all of the releases since then and most have some good stuff but it's not as good as their most productive period in the mid 70's through to the early 80's. Spock's Beard's vocal styles remind me a lot of older Camel music...and that's a good thing!

Agreed agreed! The poppy part might be my problem with the Beard. What do you think of the mighty Soft Machine? Can? Amon Düül II? Gong? Henry Cow?


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 Post subject:
PostPosted: Tue Apr 03, 2007 5:48 pm 
Scion wrote:
And Helloween isn't Christian. In an interview a guy asked Andi if the common belief was true that the guy on the Keeper-albums was Jesus Christ, and Andi responded that it was only a Jesus-like type of character. To me it's obvious that their Christian-thing has more of a metaphorical significance.

No frickin' way! No, Helloween isn't a Christian band (I never said they were), but they have tons of religious songs, and not the metaphorical type. Take the English translation of "Laudate Dominum" for example:

Rejoice, men,
About the Lord,
Who gives everyone life, because he loves us!

Oh God of mine,
You live all-powerful,
You are always kind, you love us!

Our father in the heavens
Rules the whole world
And defeats wicked fear
Of all men

Oh praise the lord!
Boast of God,
Love the father,
Who created the earth.
Oh praise the lord!

Look, Jesus also wishes to free you,
Your friend (wishes) to lead (you) through life, praise (him)!

Friends, break away evil
And wrong from the mind!
Receive sound faith in your heart!

Jesus Christ on the cross, sad,
Retired from life
But a new light arose from his death

Oh praise the lord!
Jesus Christ, the son,
Savior of all
And a sacred spirit!
Oh praise the lord!


That's metaphorical?


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 Post subject:
PostPosted: Tue Apr 03, 2007 7:36 pm 
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It all comes down to how you prefer to interpret it. I belive that yes, it can be seen as metaphorical in the sense that Jesus and the good Christian God can be seen as symbols for things and musn't have anything to do with whether one wants to acknowledge the Christian dogmas and views on the world or not. Jesus is an eternal symbol for goodness and respect for human value, because of how he lived and what he did. The Lord can also be a symbol for things rather than referring to the Christian god in accordance with the Christian dogmas. I agree that the way this particular Helloween song is sung is pretty 'honoring' and praising in nature, but i believe it still is more on the playful side, and more having to do with metaphors.

Look at these Iron Maiden lyrics from The Greater Good of God:

He gave his life for us he fell upon the cross
To die for all of those who never mourn his loss


Are you gonna claim that these lyrics are also Christian because they speak in admiration for Jesus? You don't see how you could have a more complex perspective on these kind of things?


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 Post subject:
PostPosted: Tue Apr 03, 2007 10:18 pm 
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Svartalfar

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Scion wrote:
It all comes down to how you prefer to interpret it. I belive that yes, it can be seen as metaphorical in the sense that Jesus and the good Christian God can be seen as symbols for things and musn't have anything to do with whether one wants to acknowledge the Christian dogmas and views on the world or not. Jesus is an eternal symbol for goodness and respect for human value, because of how he lived and what he did. The Lord can also be a symbol for things rather than referring to the Christian god in accordance with the Christian dogmas. I agree that the way this particular Helloween song is sung is pretty 'honoring' and praising in nature, but i believe it still is more on the playful side, and more having to do with metaphors.

Look at these Iron Maiden lyrics from The Greater Good of God:

He gave his life for us he fell upon the cross
To die for all of those who never mourn his loss


Are you gonna claim that these lyrics are also Christian because they speak in admiration for Jesus? You don't see how you could have a more complex perspective on these kind of things?


Perhaps these lyricks are metaphorical, but it still is a sort of guessing...but when you look to the rest of their songs (helloween and Iron maiden), I doubt if one can call them christian...anyway, it still seems so strange to me why christian inspired bands or songs causes regulary more discussion than for instance satanical influenced songs...

Another thing, I've listened the new Spock's beard now and it pretty good imo!! But from what I guessed in my first post, it turned out to be true.


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PostPosted: Tue Apr 03, 2007 10:24 pm 
Come on, guys! :lol:

Oh praise the lord!
Jesus Christ, the son,
Savior of all

And a sacred spirit!
Oh praise the lord!


Open for interpretation? Playful? Pffft! And quit this Christian crap. I never said they were a Christian band.


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 Post subject:
PostPosted: Tue Apr 03, 2007 10:54 pm 
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Seems to me that Scion should have picked the name "Enemy Of Reality", hehe.


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 Post subject:
PostPosted: Thu Apr 05, 2007 11:46 pm 
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The Ghost of Eyesore wrote:
Come on, guys! :lol:

Oh praise the lord!
Jesus Christ, the son,
Savior of all

And a sacred spirit!
Oh praise the lord!


Open for interpretation? Playful? Pffft! And quit this Christian crap. I never said they were a Christian band.


déja vue, this subject has already been discussed before, i'm pretty sure. So why don't we just move on ? it's obvious from those lyrics that they use christian themes in their lyrics wether its methaphorically or not.

Many bands often use christian, religious or spiritual themes in lyrics. In some cases it's pretty obvious and in others less. It's no big deal, using such lyrics doesn't make a band christian though( Eyesore, I know you never said they where christian so to go kamikaze on me :P)


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PostPosted: Fri Apr 06, 2007 10:11 am 
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grandbazaar wrote:
it's obvious from those lyrics that they use christian themes in their lyrics wether its methaphorically or not.

Yes, sure, but it's still debatable whether you have to call these lyrics religious. Ostensibly they might be religious but my point is that in truth they might not nessecarily have a religious kind of intention, or function as somekind of religious propaganda.


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 Post subject:
PostPosted: Sat Apr 07, 2007 12:41 am 
Scion wrote:
grandbazaar wrote:
it's obvious from those lyrics that they use christian themes in their lyrics wether its methaphorically or not.

Yes, sure, but it's still debatable whether you have to call these lyrics religious. Ostensibly they might be religious but my point is that in truth they might not nessecarily have a religious kind of intention, or function as somekind of religious propaganda.

It is not debatable. Actually, it's not logically debatable. You can continue debating it, but again, the sky is blue no matter what someone says.


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