System of a Down

[Raider]

wow interesting topic...
Incase some of you didn't know, last night (NZ TIME) there was a leak and the new album was exposed to the evil evil downloaders of this world. The site that had it was closed down but some got away with their new album "mesmerize". Now i'm a huge SOAD fan and support them all the way but i couldn't resist when my friend gave me a copy.... The songs are cool as and the last few songs (violent pornographgy, Questions!, old skool hollywood, lost in hollywood and sad statue are the coolest)
I do feel bad betraying them like that but I couldn't resist.
Forgive me fans.

[Nine Toes]

System Of A Down isn't bad.  I like them.  I didn't care for "Steal This Album", though.  I don't really pay attention to the lyrics, I just like to listen to the music.

[peepwood@school]

You wanna mix opera with rock? Try Nightwish, an awesome gothic metal band. You can't fail to love it. As for SOAD, I'm not a bush hater and stuff but I still love their music and think that some of their lyrics are completely brilliant. But I wouldn't classify SOAD as metal.

[Timosity]

I really enjoy listening to SOAD, and cant wait for Mezmerize, they're releasing 2 Albums but Hypnotize (I think that's the name?) wont be released till the end of the year or something.

They are quite musically talented, it may not seem like it, but if you actually get past the heavy stuff (if that's what you don't like) and listen, you'd be quite surprised.

It took me a while to get into them but I just love their changes. Their first self titled album is my favourite, but Ego Brain is my favourite song (occasionally).

When I first heard BYOB I didn't know what to make of it, but it is such a well structured song, even though originally I thought it was just all over the place.

I'm not sure when the album comes out in AUS, I think it may be the 23rd May, I'm definately looking forward to it.


I always listen to lyrics last as far as music goes, it's the least important part for me, I still don't even know the real words to most albums I've been listening to for decades.


As for this thread being locked, maybe Terran (and anyone else) should just ignore it if they're not into the music.

[2ma2]

Nightwish is.. slightly beneath ok. But it is not exactly Rock Opera, it'd fall more under the New-Age-of-Gothic-influenced-Power-Metal genre. I guess. But hey, it's metal. A bit weak, but metal none the less. Closer to being opera values might be Therion. And I'd rather put SOAD at the Punk-Rock counter, but that's just me being a genre-fudgenut.

Honestly, why would downloading their album be a horrifying thing to do? If you download, listen and like what you hear, why not buy the album then and support your favourite band all the same. The only difference is when you heard it the first time. I used to download tons, and what I liked, I bought.

Sylph, I thought you we're supposed to tell them how to rub you right...

[Paper Carnival]

Nightwish is awesome, that's what it is. But yeah that's your oppinion.

They are quite musically talented, it may not seem like it, but if you actually get past the heavy stuff (if that's what you don't like) and listen, you'd be quite surprised.

The metal bands I listen to are most times really deep musically. When people see metal as mindless clashes, screams and growls, of course they won't like it. But I actually enjoy metal and find it more melodic than the vast majority of the softer stuff. SOAD's music usually is very deep indeed.

[Las Naranjas]

We might have a nomenclature issue the term "Rock Opera". Rather than being rock with operatic elements musically, I've always understood it to be a rock album in which the songs are linked into a single narrative. Tommy, Jesus Christ Superstar [before the stage production], Deloused in the Comatorium, Chronicles of life and Death [yeah, it's shit], In Keeping Secrets of a Silent Earth:3 etc.

[AGA]

If anyone can name the original rock opera (in the way Las sees it, which I agree with), I'll give them a shiny thing.

[dgunpluggered]

The definitions get a little bit fuzzy here. In certain cases, some don't see a clear distinction between what's classified as a rock opera, what's classified as prog-rock, and what some would classify as a concept album. Some of these genres (or should I call them sub-genres?) tend to overlap with certain conventions, but they're exclusive terms (Or are they?). The problem is defining albums. Is it this genre? Is it another genre? Could it fit in more than one genre?

Like I said... fuzzy.



AGA:

I found this...

The Who/Pete Townshend:
Influenced by his manager Kit Lambert to break out of the "4 minute shell" of pop, Townshend came up with 'A Quick One While He's Away' which was released in 1967 and probably wins the race for first rock-operetta. However, the Pretty Things (who shared Lambert as manager) released their mini-opera 'Defecting Grey' the same year and it's a matter of dispute as to who was influenced more by whom.

http://www.rockopera.com/bro/resources/rockoperahistory.html

But I'm going to ignore that and go with...

http://www.donlinke.com/drakula/

BLEEEGH!!!! I VANT TO SUCK VYOUR BLOOD!!!!

[AGA]

I was discounting A Quick One, because it's only 1 song, and lasts about 8 minutes. Didn't know about the Pretty Things' thing, but I'm also discounting that, because it seems as though it didn't last very long either. Keep guessing!

[Helm]

There's nothing gothic-y about Nightwish. And nothing really power metal-ish after oceanborn either. I don't like Nightwish, personally. 

And what Las describes has it's own stupid and misleading name, 'concept album', as if non-thematic albums are devoid of a concept, but anyway. A good concept album I'd suggest to anyone is 'Misplaced Childhood' by Marillion.

[dgunpluggered]

AGA: Arthur by Ray Davies?

Well, the answer has to be in that link I gave, right?

Meh, my answer is still gonna be Dracula The Rock Opera.

I also second Helm's 'Misplaced Childhood' recommendation. He recommended it to me three or four years ago and it's still one of my most listened-to albums.

[AGA]

It's not in that link at all actually, DG.

Anyway, it was Ogden's Nut Gone Flake (side 2) by the Small Faces.

[dgunpluggered]

No it's not. It's Dracula: The Rock Opera. Admit it.

[2ma2]

Helm: It's not goth, but the death romance is vivid. The scene has nested it's way into all sorts of genres, completely disforming itself on the way. It's gothic in the same way gothic lolita is gothic..

[Potch]

Ah ok, some of you did misunderstand the concept.  Matt (the writer of said Rock Opera) had that problem with many of his friends as well.  OK.  Las pretty much got it right.  You see, the term "opera" actually means to tell a story through music.  It doesn't HAVE to be the cliche of the fat lady singing high notes and breaking glass.  The cd that I am on it not like Pavarotti or Claudia Church.  THere is nothing like that on the cd.   Matt's influences for the album were more Rage Against the Machine and Marilyn Manson.  It is a ROCK album.  The only reason the term opera is added to it is because it tells a story.  It's a pretty awesome story actually.  It's about a woman who is trying to get revenge on these guys that killed her friends.  She is trying to drag others down with her in her quest for Vengeance.  It's violent and dark, and the music is awesome. 

Matt told me that they are going to be adding some song clips to the website really soon, so you can see for yourself that it's not like what many of you think of when you think of Opera.   

Back on the System topic... since they ARE growing on me, I have to say that my favorite song by them is Chop Suey.

[Haddas]

Nightwish DID spawn some popular "copy-cats" (<- note ""). Like Evanescense (or however it's spelled) and Within Temptations. Then again, I might be defending it because I've bene listening to it for the last 8 years or so . Or perhaps because they're from my country.

[Las Naranjas]

Rock Operas are concept albums, but concept album just means the songs are linked by a specific, stated theme, not necessarily in narrative. Rod Stewarts the Great American Songbook is a concept album under this definition, although you wouldn't hear it called that.

A better example would be 69 Love Songs by The Magnetic Fields.

[Potch]

That's true, but in this particular case, The Erinys was written in order to tell a story, and make a statement.

[Al_Ninio]

While on the topic of concept albums:
I have recently acquired Mastodon - Leviathan, a concept album based on Moby Dick.
It pretty much rocks.