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Offline Tjeerd

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« on: 07 January 2005, 12:44:17 »
Just posting some summarizes since it's not allowed to copy them.

Ardschok:

77/100 The music is good, the reviewer likes the "clannad-like choirs", but ุsten & Kjetil are considered mediocre vocalists (as in not too original/outstanding) and Vibeke lacks power in her voice.

Headache:

8,5/10 'Big step forward compared to the super-smooth WoG-album', 'more power just like BtV, but grown as band and in compositions', the lack of choirs pushes Vibeke forward, ุsten is praised for doing a great job (and is referred to being Nick Cave-ish in a positive way) and 'hobbit' Kjetil is completing the picture. 'these three turn this musical trip into a party' (dutch expression of praise).

In the same magazine is a one-page interview with ุsten & Kjetil (with some of Raplh Strathmann's photo) and a small review on their gig with ToT & Therion (same reviewer, altough not that positive this time). Complaints were that sometimes it looked like the entire gig was on tape instead of a live band and ุsten was too timid ('he panics if he's further away then two steps from the microphone').

So one review considers it a decent album and the other a good one.
« Last Edit: 07 January 2005, 12:49:58 by Tjeerd »
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Offline Black Swans

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« Reply #1 on: 07 January 2005, 22:13:13 »
its my personal favorite tristania album
Endogensis is just great
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Offline Black Swans

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« Reply #2 on: 07 January 2005, 22:17:21 »
come to think of it, its the first tristania album where i dont skip any song and i havent heard The Gate Nor Bird
But its not far, tristania gets reviewed with 2 songs less
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Offline drespido

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« Reply #3 on: 07 January 2005, 22:34:19 »
Another new review:

TRISTANIA - ASHES

"Beyond The Veil," Tristania's second full-length album is considered by many one of the best CDs in the "gothic" metal genre. After this release the band parted their ways with their main songwriter, guitar player and grunter, Morten Veland, who later founded a new project - Sirenia. However, neither Sirenia's debut, nor Tristania's third album, "World Of Glass," had the quality of "Beyond The Veil." The same goes for Sirenia's later releases. Now after quite a long break, Tristania comes back with new material, "Ashes."

It wouldn't be totally fair to compare this album with "Beyond The Veil," since the band has chosen now for really something different. The changes are maybe not this radical, but we can definitely speak of taking a new direction. "Ashes" differs a lot from the previous Tristania albums, when it comes to the approach, the atmosphere, the sound and the character of the compositions.

The songs are less melodic and way less bombastic. They don't have this classical character, either. They are more edgy, but at the same also a bit more laid-back. The sound is sometimes also a bit warmer. The compositions are more guitar-oriented, and the album opener, "Libre," is a very good example of it. Keyboards still play quite an important role, but they do not carry the songs. Their task is to create the right atmosphere, and further nothing more.

I guess one detail might be very surprising for many Tristania lovers - the new album features no choirs. At least not the choirs we are used to... Instead of bombastic choir-arragements, so dominant on "Beyond The Veil" or "World Of Glass," we get e.g. in the third song, "The Wretched," something which sounds more like a choir of orcs, goblins and other malicious creatures.

The way female vocals are handled is this time also different. Whereas on "World Of Glass" Vibeke Stene, Tristania's soprano, played a very important role, on "Ashes" she's more in the background. There are still songs where she's mainly in charge (e.g. "Equilibrium" or "Cure"), but she's never as dominant or as much present as on "World Of Glass." Of course, it has a lot to do with the bigger use of two other voices on the album - the grunter Kjetil Ingebrethsen and the clean singer Osten Beroy. However, Vibeke's vocals are this time also less-varied. I would call them "pale," quite one-dimensional.

Yet, somehow I do not mind all this. The same goes for the lack of choirs. I admit I loved all the choir arrangements on the two previous Tristania albums, but I do not miss them on "Ashes." On this new release everything in on the right place and in good proportions. And all the elements create a great, unusual atmosphere: melancholic, but very edgy; with character, but also with lots of beauty.

This release surprised me in a very positive way. The only critical point I could make is that the album lacks some really memorable melodies. However, I'm so thrilled by the album's atmosphere and the band's courage to create something new that this time I really don't mind.

[size=8]cursed with oblivion[/size]
« Last Edit: 07 January 2005, 22:37:19 by drespido »
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Offline Nordlys

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« Reply #4 on: 08 January 2005, 06:23:37 »
Quote
come to think of it, its the first tristania album where i dont skip any song and i havent heard The Gate Nor Bird
But its not far, tristania gets reviewed with 2 songs less
[snapback]5493[/snapback]

You skip songs from the previous?
Anyway, I miss the choirs on Ashes. This is just a different Tristania, not the one I know of
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Offline Black Swans

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« Reply #5 on: 08 January 2005, 09:13:09 »
I believe ashes is the most diverse tristania album within, not 1 song is like the other, they are totally different, each song has its own 'feeling', they did create a masterpiece in my opininon like da review said: "venturing out, checking new possibilities and succeding @ it, and i gotta love them for that" yes i do miss the choirs but they arent the main reason i like tristania, if i want choirs i'd go gregorian, tristania are a METAL band i.e Guitars , drums and what not
They have more style and incoporated violin, keyboards and choirs and the great great Mrs. Vibeke :D
But over all Ashes does have the tristania feeling IMHO
Like i said in another post, Forget WoG their nxt album is nothing like the others, its better (IMHO)
Every tristania album is great i am listening to BTV right now, and i think WOW, i listen to WW and think WOW, i listen to Ashes i think WOW
Ashes is definetly on the level of BTV and WW (surpassed WoG IMHO)
but the idea is WW and BTV had some what similar atmoshpere and the 'thing' about Ashes is that tristania managed to reach the same level but in another way completely diverse and different and YOU GOTTA LUV Em 4 That! IMHO
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Offline Deadlocked

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« Reply #6 on: 08 January 2005, 10:36:09 »
Another Dutch review, but in English... i just put it in here:
http://www.lordsofmetal.nl/showreview.php?id=4867&lang=en
95/100
Conclusion "Tristania will easily succeed in overwhelming their fans with this compositional effort close to perfection and win a lot of new souls. This is a huge step forward in their successful existence.
"

I'm not sure if someone posted it already... I hope not...:)
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Offline Nordlys

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« Reply #7 on: 08 January 2005, 10:53:24 »
Quote
YOU GOTTA LUV Em 4 That! IMHO
[snapback]5505[/snapback]

   No doubt about that, I love them for what they did on WW and BTV, and WoG to some extent, but unfortunately I didn't say WOW when I heard Ashes for the first time. Maybe I didn't expect such a drastic change ( Vibeke's voice totally different this time, I prefer her soprano vocals; I like Osten's parts but I think he did better on the previous releases, Kjetil's growling's powerful though) . The choirs were somehow one of the things that made Tristania discernible from all other bands right at first listen, now they're gone.
   The song that best captured my attention was Libre, pity it's so short. I think the medium and slow tempo parts are too many. Ashes sounds really more mature but it was that power and freshness,which maturity lacks, that I loved...
    Probably I need more time to get used to the change.
    The fact that u, Black Swans, place Ashes on the same level as WW and BtV does not mean that I should place it there as well. Don't get me wrong but for me Tristania is now a very different band. Also, Tristania is very special for me and in many cases I may be too subjective in my judgement, but now I tried to be as objective as possible, because they read this forum which means they want to know the fans' opinion.
Oh, I said it at last...
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Offline Deadlocked

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« Reply #8 on: 08 January 2005, 11:01:59 »
Hmm... Ashes is for sure pretty different... i had to got used to it too.. but now... it's a really masterpiece... even if I'd be not disappointed if they use more choirs and electronics again...
« Last Edit: 08 January 2005, 16:26:20 by Deadlocked »
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Offline Black Swans

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« Reply #9 on: 08 January 2005, 16:11:02 »
Quote
The fact that u, Black Swans, place Ashes on the same level as WW and BtV does not mean that I should place it there as well
That is y i used alot of IMHO :), its just my take on ashes
the first time i heard it i was kind of shocked, didnt know what to think of it cos it is so diffrent
But the guitar work is great, vibekes voice though changed a slight fits perfectly, drums a beauty, kj :D, osten its my favorite contribution of him so far and i didnt like the electronics so much so i dont really miss em, and not to mention the keyboards by Eniar (*listens to cure*)
So i'm kinda like deadlocked, got used to the idea of a different style tristania, although i do believe they kept their feeling (listen to Endogenisis, The Wretched, Cure, Circus :wub: etc...)
IMHO :)
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Offline Eclipse

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« Reply #10 on: 08 January 2005, 19:00:34 »
Quote
No doubt about that, I love them for what they did on WW and BTV, and WoG to some extent, but unfortunately I didn't say WOW when I heard Ashes for the first time. Maybe I didn't expect such a drastic change ( Vibeke's voice totally different this time, I prefer her soprano vocals; I like Osten's parts but I think he did better on the previous releases, Kjetil's growling's powerful though) . The choirs were somehow one of the things that made Tristania discernible from all other bands right at first listen, now they're gone.
   The song that best captured my attention was Libre, pity it's so short. I think the medium and slow tempo parts are too many. Ashes sounds really more mature but it was that power and freshness,which maturity lacks, that I loved...
    Probably I need more time to get used to the change.
    The fact that u, Black Swans, place Ashes on the same level as WW and BtV does not mean that I should place it there as well. Don't get me wrong but for me Tristania is now a very different band. Also, Tristania is very special for me and in many cases I may be too subjective in my judgement, but now I tried to be as objective as possible, because they read this forum which means they want to know the fans' opinion.
Oh, I said it at last...
[snapback]5509[/snapback]

my thoughts exactly, I can`t even add anything... Libre`s already my favourite on the album and I wouldn`t mind if there could be more similar songs as well. I`ll probably need more time to adjust myself to their new style, but generally Ashes is still a great album.  ;)
« Last Edit: 09 January 2005, 07:55:54 by Eclipse »
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Offline Tjeerd

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« Reply #11 on: 21 January 2005, 13:40:48 »
http://zwaremetalen.com/recensie/3783.html



The only Morten comment in the review is related to the extreme vocals, he prefers Mortens over the ones of Kjetil.

The last paragraph translated:

Inside the gothic genre I always considered Tristania, especially thanks to Beyond the Veil, to the highest regions and with Ashes this band lifts itself above other bands in this genre, because of the (in my ears) very good songwriting and the exchanging between the vocalists. The album needs some time to fit, but after that it won't dissapoint fans of the band and the genre. At the website samples can be listened of (in my ears) not the best parts of the album. next monday the album is in stores.

The two reactions this far find 'Equilibrium' weak.
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Offline Tjeerd

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« Reply #12 on: 21 January 2005, 13:54:36 »
Altough the original review is Dutch, they (Lords of Metal) have this English version:

http://www.lordsofmetal.nl/showreview.php?id=4867&lang=en


Edit:

Funny: at the review overview they have a top-list, guess who's second?
http://www.lordsofmetal.nl/reviews.php?lang=en
« Last Edit: 21 January 2005, 13:57:43 by Tjeerd »
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Offline Black Swans

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« Reply #13 on: 21 January 2005, 17:56:04 »
They deserve that
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Offline oscar

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« Reply #14 on: 22 January 2005, 15:23:07 »
Quote
They deserve that
[snapback]5868[/snapback]

let me quate this from a review above "However, I'm so thrilled by the album's atmosphere and the band's courage to create something new that this time I really don't mind." maybe they dont the potential they possess like from their World of glass album. maybe they have now more money that makes them less melancholic that affects their new songs. look at Type O, though lyrically, theyre still depressive but the melody...its crap.

I hate ashes...so disappointing...very!
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