The ever-popular "Currently Listening" thread

:'( Awww.
 
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Enjoying the new Anderson / Stolz album "Invention of Knowledge" quite a lot. It needs a few listens to truly appreciate the melodic complexity, despite some of the twee sing songishness which strikes you on the first listen. Good prog rock like this from Anderson is more and more rare.



More clips on the facebook page.

https://www.facebook.com/AndersonStolt/

Also, this got me on a kick to revisit some of my favorites.

Nice live rendition of Change We Must despite the not so good audio and video quality of the "bootleg".

Jon Anderson - Change We Must - May 12, 1996 - Live Mother's Day Concert
 
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Draconian - Where Lovers Mourn

Great gothic doom metal: mournful guitars, male/female vocals, spoken word, symphonic interludes, keyboards.

Good stuff, one of the standard bearers of the genre

Best song: the Solitude,

Draconian has been my favorite band ever since they released Where Lovers Mourn. They never fail to produce good music.
 
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Draconian has been my favorite band ever since they released Where Lovers Mourn. They never fail to produce good music.

Everything they've done is good, I was really hooked on them for a long time. I named my Dragon Age rogue, Draconia, after the band :D

Still, despite their extensive catalog, I always come back to Where Lovers Mourn, it's their finest work. Music, lyrics, vocals top notch. The female vocals are great, I like how she doesnt sound weak at all - she's got a beautiful, but powerful voice in contrast to the mournful guitars. Such a great contrast.

While the male vocals do the "harsh and raspy" thing, I can always understand what he's saying, and he never goes full-Cookie Monster. He has a great misanthropic screaming ranting style at times, for instance at the end of the opening track. The last track, same thing. Magnificent, never fails to get my blood pumping.

The final song, when the old man is reading the HP Lovecraft passage - un-fucking-believably-awesome, that whole song - what it means, the story behind it, how it's all tied together. When i realized that, I knew they were something special.

Other bands try, and they have their individual merits here and there , but nobody compares to Draconian

Have you heard Tristania's "Widow's Weeds"? Vibeke Sten's fragile female vocals alongside Morten Veland's otherworldly "dark overlord" style vocals are a treat
 
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I have a few problems with Anderson. He's done terrific work with yes, but a lot of his solo work is too low key for my tastes, and often the melodies aren't that good, IMNSHO. I guess I am spoiled by the strength of the Yes material.

One exception is "Olias of Sunhillow", which I think was his fiirst solo, during the Yes "hiatus". In addition to good music, the album cover is beyond excellence. Yes, I have the vinyl edition.

Here's


To be fair, there's a lot of his solo work I haven't heard, but the first things he did after Olias was disappointing, so I kind of gave up on him.

pibbur who finds the work with mr Stoltz interesting, and may give it a try
 
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Tristania is THE band that got me into the genre. Tristania's early works got me hooked, Draconian made me fall in love. I'm still sad that both Tristania and Morten Veland's new band, Sirenia, both went more or less commercial.

I went to the very first Sirenia live concert, gosh their two first albums were amazing. Sadly never saw Tristania live while Vibeke was there, really wish I had. She had the most amazing voice.
 
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Stuck on a Jon Anderson revival.

Probably my most favourite song by him from probably my most favorite album by him. Still gives me goosebumps.

Outstanding band members on this album. Saw his show for the album which was amazing, outdoors in the San Diego Old Globe festival theater during an eclipse of the moon. The acoustics were perfect in the forest like environment.

Jon Anderson - Animation (song)

Jon Anderson - Animation (whole album)

Pibbur, Olias is fantastic I agree. But the song Animaiton is just soooo much more emotional. Give it a listen. :)
 
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I wont even bother mentioning Theatre of Tragedy then, you've undoubtedly been there/done that.

how about this hidden gem - How Like a Winter - Beyond my Grey Wake ?

Been there, done that ;) Though I'm glad to see you mentioning them. They are really great and deserved much more attention than what they got. They actually considered making another album but they were too busy with other projects so it seems the idea was scrapped.

edit: Let's add some other rare goodies! Mors Syphilitica

 
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