Theocracy - Mosaic

[outprogged42]

The progheads might be more pleased with this album compared to the last one, although that was a superb record in its own right. A lot faster and heavier than Ghost Ship, and more technical and progressive - I heard some odd meters on one of the songs and another one is 19 minutes long, and there is a more pronounced thrash influence, likely due to the new guitarist. Pristine production, terrific melodies, and seriously addictive riffs and choruses as Theocracy has always done. This album is definitely in the upper part of their catalog.

[prog_powermetal99]

I think it's a really good CD. I don't let the Bible Thumping preachy religious crap bother me lyric wise, as I tend to just focus on the music instead.... I do like it better than their last cd, as it has a bit more variety.........

[introclaus]

I gave it the obligatory spin, and it's just not my kind of music anymore, sorry. It reminds me of mid-period Edguy but with the chick from Unleash the Archers on vocals Ok, Matt sounds pretty good, but somehow he has a "female" touch to his voice that I can't get past. I'm sure this album is quality for those who like this style, but it's just too "bland" for my taste - especially the drums (the production ain't doing them any favors either). Interestingly enough, the rest of the instruments are produced quite nicely, but the drum sound annoys me. I'll pass.

[prog_powermetal99]

I gave it the obligatory spin, and it's just not my kind of music anymore, sorry. It reminds me of mid-period Edguy but with the chick from Unleash the Archers on vocals Ok, Matt sounds pretty good, but somehow he has a "female" touch to his voice that I can't get past. I'm sure this album is quality for those who like this style, but it's just too "bland" for my taste - especially the drums (the production ain't doing them any favors either). Interestingly enough, the rest of the instruments are produced quite nicely, but the drum sound annoys me. I'll pass.

Speaking of the singer from Unleash the Archers. What an amazing voice she has huh? She hits some absolutely crazy highs and she does it incredibly well........Her live bar version of Queen of The Ryche blew my socks off..........

[introclaus]

I gave it the obligatory spin, and it's just not my kind of music anymore, sorry. It reminds me of mid-period Edguy but with the chick from Unleash the Archers on vocals Ok, Matt sounds pretty good, but somehow he has a "female" touch to his voice that I can't get past. I'm sure this album is quality for those who like this style, but it's just too "bland" for my taste - especially the drums (the production ain't doing them any favors either). Interestingly enough, the rest of the instruments are produced quite nicely, but the drum sound annoys me. I'll pass.

Speaking of the singer from Unleash the Archers. What an amazing voice she has huh? She hits some absolutely crazy highs and she does it incredibly well........Her live bar version of Queen of The Ryche blew my socks off..........

Yup, she is great. Unfortunately their songwriting skills aren't good enough to make them a top tier band in my opinion. What they do, they do fine - and "Time Stands Still" in particular was a good album - but they aren't ever going to be able to write a truly great disc.

[prog_powermetal99]

I gave it the obligatory spin, and it's just not my kind of music anymore, sorry. It reminds me of mid-period Edguy but with the chick from Unleash the Archers on vocals Ok, Matt sounds pretty good, but somehow he has a "female" touch to his voice that I can't get past. I'm sure this album is quality for those who like this style, but it's just too "bland" for my taste - especially the drums (the production ain't doing them any favors either). Interestingly enough, the rest of the instruments are produced quite nicely, but the drum sound annoys me. I'll pass.

Speaking of the singer from Unleash the Archers. What an amazing voice she has huh? She hits some absolutely crazy highs and she does it incredibly well........Her live bar version of Queen of The Ryche blew my socks off..........

Yup, she is great. Unfortunately their songwriting skills aren't good enough to make them a top tier band in my opinion. What they do, they do fine - and "Time Stands Still" in particular was a good album - but they aren't ever going to be able to write a truly great disc.

Since we are talking about songwriting, how about the band Jinger? While I'm not really into female growlers, I have to admit she's one of the best I've ever heard, and they have pretty good musicians to boot! Again, not really my style, but man it blows me out of the water how Tatiana can switch from clean soulful singing to growls flawlessly..........I still have a hard time believing that beast of a growl comes out of that woman lol.........Now I understand while they are one of the most reacted to bands on youtube....

[introclaus]

Speaking of the singer from Unleash the Archers. What an amazing voice she has huh? She hits some absolutely crazy highs and she does it incredibly well........Her live bar version of Queen of The Ryche blew my socks off..........

Yup, she is great. Unfortunately their songwriting skills aren't good enough to make them a top tier band in my opinion. What they do, they do fine - and "Time Stands Still" in particular was a good album - but they aren't ever going to be able to write a truly great disc.

Since we are talking about songwriting, how about the band Jinger? While I'm not really into female growlers, I have to admit she's one of the best I've ever heard, and they have pretty good musicians to boot! Again, not really my style, but man it blows me out of the water how Tatiana can switch from clean soulful singing to growls flawlessly..........I still have a hard time believing that beast of a growl comes out of that woman lol.........Now I understand while they are one of the most reacted to bands on youtube....

Did you mean Jinjer? Can’t stand them, sorry.

[prog_powermetal99]

Yup, she is great. Unfortunately their songwriting skills aren't good enough to make them a top tier band in my opinion. What they do, they do fine - and "Time Stands Still" in particular was a good album - but they aren't ever going to be able to write a truly great disc.

Since we are talking about songwriting, how about the band Jinjer? While I'm not really into female growlers, I have to admit she's one of the best I've ever heard, and they have pretty good musicians to boot! Again, not really my style, but man it blows me out of the water how Tatiana can switch from clean soulful singing to growls flawlessly..........I still have a hard time believing that beast of a growl comes out of that woman lol.........Now I understand while they are one of the most reacted to bands on youtube....

Did you mean Jinjer? Can’t stand them, sorry.

Yea that's the band......... Yea they aren't everyone's cup of tea. My point is that anyone that thinks Tatiana isn't a good singer probably should listen to all of the vocal coaches who have nothing but high praise her for her insane vocal abilities...... But yea the style of music doesn't do much for me either.

[introclaus]

Since we are talking about songwriting, how about the band Jinjer? While I'm not really into female growlers, I have to admit she's one of the best I've ever heard, and they have pretty good musicians to boot! Again, not really my style, but man it blows me out of the water how Tatiana can switch from clean soulful singing to growls flawlessly..........I still have a hard time believing that beast of a growl comes out of that woman lol.........Now I understand while they are one of the most reacted to bands on youtube....

Did you mean Jinjer? Can’t stand them, sorry.

Yea that's the band......... Yea they aren't everyone's cup of tea. My point is that anyone that thinks Tatiana isn't a good singer probably should listen to all of the vocal coaches who have nothing but high praise her for her insane vocal abilities...... But yea the style of music doesn't do much for me either.

Those "YouTube vocal coaches" are TO ME the biggest hoax these days ... anyone can sit there and pretend to know a ton about singing (or whatever instrument) and talk for an hour about someone else's videos, and then make $$$ off of it. The whole make-money-by-talking-about-trendy-subjects on YouTube has become such a scam now. I've watched a few of "The Charismatic Voice" and the couple of times I've heard her actually sing, I've been shaking my head in disapproval - but hey, a lot of people seem to like her videos, so good for her.

Same way I feel about that "Tank" or whatever the merchandise-guy-now-calling-himself-a-tour-manager dude, who has a lot of comments on anything that happens in the business and people take his words for the truth. Sorry, but I've done the business thing inside and out for 30+ years (from fanzine to magazine to webzine, from record store to venue manager to club manager, from tour manager to tour booker, from band manager to graphic designer and web designer), and you won't hear me go on YouTube and claim I know better than anyone else, because I don't. I could sit there and state my opinion on various matters, but it really doesn't hold water, because at the end of the day it's just one persons opinion, and I don't know why it's such a big deal.

Anyway, I have just as deep double standards and is just as much guilty of hypocrisy as anyone else, because I follow other things on YouTube (running/ultra-runner channels, bourbon/whiskey channels...) where it also are just people with some interest in that specific subject that explain their opinion on what's "hot" right now, so yeah ... I'm not any better.

I guess, it's just that I care a lot about music to the extend that it pisses me off seeing these YouTuber's comments LOL

[prog_powermetal99]

Did you mean Jinjer? Can’t stand them, sorry.

Yea that's the band......... Yea they aren't everyone's cup of tea. My point is that anyone that thinks Tatiana isn't a good singer probably should listen to all of the vocal coaches who have nothing but high praise her for her insane vocal abilities...... But yea the style of music doesn't do much for me either.

Those "YouTube vocal coaches" are TO ME the biggest hoax these days ... anyone can sit there and pretend to know a ton about singing (or whatever instrument) and talk for an hour about someone else's videos, and then make $$$ off of it. The whole make-money-by-talking-about-trendy-subjects on YouTube has become such a scam now. I've watched a few of "The Charismatic Voice" and the couple of times I've heard her actually sing, I've been shaking my head in disapproval - but hey, a lot of people seem to like her videos, so good for her.

Same way I feel about that "Tank" or whatever the merchandise-guy-now-calling-himself-a-tour-manager dude, who has a lot of comments on anything that happens in the business and people take his words for the truth. Sorry, but I've done the business thing inside and out for 30+ years (from fanzine to magazine to webzine, from record store to venue manager to club manager, from tour manager to tour booker, from band manager to graphic designer and web designer), and you won't hear me go on YouTube and claim I know better than anyone else, because I don't. I could sit there and state my opinion on various matters, but it really doesn't hold water, because at the end of the day it's just one persons opinion, and I don't know why it's such a big deal.

Anyway, I have just as deep double standards and is just as much guilty of hypocrisy as anyone else, because I follow other things on YouTube (running/ultra-runner channels, bourbon/whiskey channels...) where it also are just people with some interest in that specific subject that explain their opinion on what's "hot" right now, so yeah ... I'm not any better.

I guess, it's just that I care a lot about music to the extend that it pisses me off seeing these YouTuber's comments LOL

Really? I've chatted with Elizabeth(Charmismatic Voice) and she's an absolute sweetheart! The main reason I love her is because she actually gets into how the notes are formed and what it takes breath wise to sing specific passages etc... I learned so much about singing that I never knew before.... .I mean how many other vocal coaches would stick an actual camera down Will Ramos throat like Elizabeth did? And those two have become absolute beast friends since then....
I agree that many vocal coaches rub me the wrong way, and most of them don't even give metal vocalists a chance.... but Elizabeth is the real deal... hell she even went to Bloodstock and has went from not caring for metal much to really appreciating and enjoying it........... Elizabeth knows that Metal doesn't have a big audience compared to other genres, yet unlike other coaches she's had some of the great metal singers on her channel, such as Tommy from Seventh Wonder, Ayreon, Simone, just to name a few. And her interviews are very in depth lasting about 2 hours a piece......And you can tell if she doesn't care for a vocalist because she will even say it's not her thing, like King Diamond for instance. But she still spends just as much time analyzing the voice........

As far as not liking her voice. I an understand that as vocals can be 100% subjective just like any form of art. I mean l'm not a singer so I can't appreciate singers as well as other singers. I mean I was a drummer all through college and studied it quite a bit to know that Lars is a shitty and sloppy drummer, but I only can say that because I studied him and covered him so much when he USE to be pretty good....My point is that I prefer to listen to a vocal coach's opinion who's taught singing for many years rather than other reaction channels that have zero credentials when it comes to if a singer is good or not.

I don't mind that she makes lots of money off her channel. More power to her, especially since only a tiny percentage of youtubers actually make money. And I understand that since I now day-trade for a living and only about 3% of day traders are successful. But I was a lucky one, so I always say go for it if you've got it .

I agree with lots of what you said though regarding reaction channels. I really don't listen to them. And there are only a couple of vocal coaches I listen to, especially since 90% of them avoid metal lol.