Metal Reviews

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It seems that this might make up for the disappointment that Storm Corrosion brought me.

As is evident, it sure as heck did for me

Damn!! I hace problem listening to the white álbum, cos i just repeat the Luminol again and again!! can't get bored of it!!!!

No way is this a 98/100. What is that anyway? What kept this from get 2% more?

Anyway, Wilson is an immense talent, but he's increasingly becoming boring.

This is a great album. A lot more interesting than Grace of Drowning which was quite boring on many occasions. Th Raven That Refused to sing is quite the opposite, very compelling material and excellent musicianship throughout the whole album. Quite reminiscent of 70's prog rock.

Not sure it deserves such a high score, but it's definitely worthy of being considered for album of the month.

Ach, seems I have omitted a perfectly valid question here for far too long. Apologies.

So what is a 98 outta 100 anyway? How can a 2% difference be made? I find that fairly simple. I listen to an album and it feels superb, brilliant, just utterly enjoyable from end to end. Even when thinking of albums that I've scored 90 or above, it feels just that inch or a few better.

BUT then I start thinking of that ever elusive 100 / 100, the insinuation that an album is flawless, P-E-R-F-E-C-T, the kind of an experience I get when spinning, say, Painkiller, Alive In Athens or Imaginations From The Other Side. That I could nitpick on absolutely nothing when listening through.

And with The Raven, I guess there is one miniscule thing: Wilson's voice. It's good, absolutely suited to the music etc. but being the kinda stubborn oaf who has grown on the power tenors of classic metal, Wilson just quite didn't stack up to my feeling of PERFECTION even if an album is as stupendous as The Raven is.

A very subjective and probably-not-consistent thing, I know, but seven hells, I've written for this site a few months short of 10 years and I don't think I've given a single 100 / 100 score to a personally reviewed contemporary album (one that didnt end up in the Classics-section due to having the benefit of the test of time on its side already). Thinking back and now with that very time-factor in hand as well, I'd say that I should've given 100 / 100 to Symphony X's Paradise Lost and Nevermore's This Godless Endeavour. They are perfect. Maybe it takes that few years of hindsight for me in general. In any case, I just feel that the implication of absolute perfection is an extremely rare occurance. Naturally that is just my perception and way of evaluating/writing, which shouldn't be imposed on anyone else's reviews.

Make sense?