NTTR - No Time to Review

I think Witch is a good In This Moment album because the band still understands how to make very polished modern metal feel personal. Maria Brink is obviously the main reason it works. Shame and Crawl use her voice particularly well, moving between whispers, clean vocals and much more aggressive screams without making every song feel like the same performance. I Want To Believe is probably my favourite because Rory Rodriguez actually adds something rather than simply appearing as a guest. I also like the amount of contrast. Into The Dark and Wrapped Around Your Finger slow things down, while Heretic does almost the opposite and becomes deliberately chaotic. Father is probably the most important song because the emotion feels much less theatrical and much more direct. My main issue is that In This Moment's formula is becoming very easy to recognise. The industrial production, whispered passages, huge choruses and dramatic builds still work, but I can often predict where a...

I think 2 Big To Rig is a good Ghost live album, but nowhere near essential. The setlist is obviously strong. Cirice , Year Zero , He Is , Rats , Mary on a Cross , Dance Macabre and Square Hammer are all here, and the newer material generally fits well beside them. Peacefield works particularly well as an opener, while Umbra gains some extra weight live. The problem is that I rarely feel I am hearing radically different versions of these songs. The performances are powerful, precise and very polished, but sometimes almost too controlled. I hear an excellent Ghost show more than a live album that changes my relationship with the material. The length is also a real issue. One hundred minutes is generous, but I don't think I need the complete experience every time. I would probably return to selected sections rather than replay the whole album regularly. There are some strong live moments, especially Mummy Dust and Monstrance Clock , where the crowd and extended arrangements...

I think Marrow Deep works because Mastodon sound genuinely hungry again. The opening two tracks are particularly strong. Barbarians Blood has exactly the kind of huge, slightly crooked riff I want from Mastodon, while Poisonous Weapons combines aggression with a very effective clean section from Brann. The heaviness feels purposeful rather than simply nostalgic. I also really like what the keyboards bring to the album. Your Ghost Again , Golden Spires and Moth and Bone have much more colour than I expected, and the seventies prog influences fit surprisingly naturally alongside the sludge riffs. The last part of the album is probably my favourite. The Vanishing has a great Sabbath atmosphere and develops slowly rather than immediately going for another huge chorus. Then The Three Fates gives the record a proper ending, moving through prog, psychedelic textures and heavy sections without feeling like an eight-minute collection of unrelated ideas. The emotional context obviousl...

I think Grimalkin is a good melodic progressive rock album, but I don't think it consistently rises above the level of a very competent genre exercise. The songwriting is clearly the main strength. Maybe All a Dream has enough melody to make the progressive structure feel natural, while Break Away balances hooks and instrumental detail particularly well. I also like Slowly Falls the Flying Man , which is probably the most ambitious track and the one where the different textures actually create something memorable rather than simply showing how many ideas the band can fit into one song. Ted Leonard remains a major asset. His voice gives the album warmth and continuity, and the shorter tracks help prevent the record from becoming overloaded with long-form prog. My main problem is familiarity. I hear a lot of Kansas, Spock's Beard and classic melodic prog in the arrangements, and although Pattern-Seeking Animals handle those influences extremely well, I don't always hear...

I think Ohm has a very strong identity, but I don't think the songs are as memorable as the sound of the album. The combination of analogue electronics, bandoneon, strings and Río de la Plata rhythms is immediately recognisable. Switched On Milonga is probably the best example: the synths feel playful and slightly strange, while the underlying rhythm keeps everything grounded. Acequias and Tres Empanadas also work well because they balance atmosphere and groove without feeling like obvious electro-tango exercises. I also like how compact the album is. Fourteen tracks in forty-six minutes means Bajofondo rarely overextends an idea, and the sequencing keeps things moving. My main problem is that too many tracks function more as textures, transitions or clever studio constructions than songs I really want to return to individually. I remember the palette of the album very clearly, but not enough specific melodies or hooks. Se Fue el Sol is interesting because Cristian Castro ...

I think Hazel Eyes is pleasant and very well produced, but I don't think the songs justify the amount of polish around them. The organic direction suits Sam Smith much better than the more synthetic pop of some previous releases. The acoustic guitars, piano, strings and gospel elements give the album warmth, and their voice is obviously excellent throughout. I also like that they don't constantly push every song towards a huge vocal climax. Everlasting Love is probably the track I would return to first, and Moondance works well because Feist brings a different texture to the album. Oh Mother also has some emotional weight without becoming too theatrical. My problem is that too many songs start to blend together. The production is warm and tasteful, but the songwriting is often quite conventional. I remember the atmosphere of the album, the voice and the seventies-influenced arrangements much more clearly than most of the actual melodies. The lyrics also don't help e...