日志

Veilside - Along the Way (song review) |This Time EP, Island Def Jam Digital Distribution, 2012| 5/5

Veilside was established in 2006 r. and has since released two EPs – their debut Chapter One (2008) and most recent released This Time (2012) which was produced by Chuck Alkazian. There are five musicians who comprise this Chicago based band. The present line-up includes Tony Engel (lead vocals), Mo Ismail (guitars), Russ Odean (guitars), Bob "Cabo" Hilton (bass) and Ron Thomas (drums). They admit they are inspired by all sorts of music ranging from 70's classical rock, through 80's metal sub-genres to 90's rock, but they don't oppose listening to mainstream music on the radio.

This Time brings six hard rock songs which includes a ballad called "Along the Way". The song has no specific intro, but has been composed to begin with a vocal part instead. The verses are based on classical guitar playing and Tony's strong, solid voice which seems to be a great match to any style of rock and metal music. …

Some of these links probably aren't right.

Swallow The Sun x2
The Empire Shall Fall x5
Frozen x2
CKY x6
Septicflesh x2
Polkadot Cadaver
Children Of the Dying Sun
Acaro x3
Elder x2
Scale the Summit
Warbringer x3
Foo Fighters
Ancient VVisdom
Sepultura
Holy Grail x3
Times of Grace
Enslaved x3
Amon Amarth x2
Mobile Deathcamp
Obscura
Psychostick x2
Honkeyball
Tree
Ghost x2
Devin Townsend Project x2
TesseracT
Deceased
Anthrax x2
Dream Theater
Rush x4
Phantom Glue
Roadsaw x3
Opeth x3
Evile x2
Charred Walls of the Damned
Infinite Descent x3
Western Massacre x2
Blood Ceremony
Thy Will Be Done x2
Symphony X
Iced Earth
Gojira
The Absence
Aerosmith x3
All That Remains
As I Lay Dying x3
Austrian Death Machine
Behemoth x3
Bleeding Through
Bush
Korpiklaani
Arkona
Forged in Flame
The Joy Formidable
Social Distortion
Death Angel x2
Testament x2
Mayhem
Woe
Hate x4
Keep Of Kallessin
Abigail Williams x2
Alcest
Junius
Katatonia x2
…

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c48oMTmYcz4
Black Label Society - In This River

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=75ckZg-WRns
Satellite - Don't Walk Away in Silence

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K5KymE6fatA
Loom - Ptaki

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CTe_eQFNYaA
Believe - New hands

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZgFHfPlRT6c
Cemetery of Scream - Komatrance

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Twa5hB6yAO8
Pendragon - Skara Brae

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KRMhwNLaI94
Marillion - The Space

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jZk9tycQ9q0
Bad Company - Bad Company

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NGyYjuteLUk
Gary Moore - Empty Rooms

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6sg0wWdo2HU
Deep Purple - Sometimes I Feel Like Screaming

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=amSHnYdBieY
Gazpacho - Upside Down

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C7oH6Ku27Us
Dream Theater - Forsaken

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yh9osYZNilU
Porcupine Tree - Blackest Eyes

…

Last Saturday, I discussed the issues with the current similar artist formula...especially Metallica being top 10 in similarity with The Offspring (like what?).

Well, since then, I put my programming skills to work and well, I built a little program to test to see it would work with other artists. Results were noticed on several bands/artists as their similar artists over went a make over. However, it did lead to new problems as I tried testing it out super-mainstream acts including our favorite band...Radiohead.


Rage Against the Machine showed up as a similar artist.


...well, apparently. Radiohead's top 250 similar artists currently are all over the place in random genres. A bigger batch of similar artists would be needed to get the best results, but the question is...is my new formula better. I'm going to show you some examples of artists top 25 similar artists...before, and after. You guys make the decision.


Oh, you don't remember the formula? Very well...time for a quick summary
…

Dziesmas
1. Jimmy Eat World - A Praise Chorus (2001) - 42 reizes
2. Green Day - Good Riddance (Time of Your Life) (1997) - 40x
3. The Naked and Famous - Young Blood (2010) - 33x
4. The Cure - Friday I'm In Love (1992) - 29x
5. The Gaslight Anthem - The '59 Sound (2008) - 28x
6. The Lonely Island - Jack Sparrow (feat. Michael Bolton) (2011) - 27x
7. Coldplay - Every Teardrop Is a Waterfall (2011) - 27x
8. Bruce Springsteen - Born To Run (1975) - 26x
9. Bryan Adams - Summer Of '69 (1984) - 26x
10. TV on the Radio - Will Do (2011) - 26x
11. Mr. Mister - Broken Wings (1985) - 25x
12. Pink Floyd - Mother (1979) - 24x
13. Blink-182 - Dammit (1997) - 24x
14. Tommy James & The Shondells - Crimson And Clover (1968) - 23x
15. Blink-182 - Down (2003) - 23x
16. Cut Copy - Need You Now (2011) - 23x
17. De La Soul - The Magic Number (1989) - 22x
18.The Rolling Stones - Paint It Black (1966) - 22x
19. Modern English - I Melt With You (1982) - 22x
…

100. Shakira – Addicted To You
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/a/a3/Shakira_-_Sale_el_Sol_%28album_cover%29.jpg/220px-Shakira_-_Sale_el_Sol_%28album_cover%29.jpg
99. Nicole Scherzinger – Poison
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/d/d0/Nicolescher.jpg.jpg/220px-Nicolescher.jpg.jpg
98. Antoine Clamaran feat. Soraya Arnelas – Stick Shift
http://i030.radikal.ru/1105/14/2fac7a1a07f7.jpg
97. Винтаж – Мама-Америка
http://userserve-ak.last.fm/serve/252/35931447.jpg
96. Cheryl Cole – The Flood
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/4/49/Cheryl_Cole_The_Flood.jpg/220px-Cheryl_Cole_The_Flood.jpg
95. Take That – Kidz
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/b/b3/Ttkidzpromo.jpg/220px-Ttkidzpromo.jpg
94. Hugh Laurie – You Don’t Know My Mind
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/b/b4/Let_Them_Talk_Hugh_Laurie.jpg/220px-Let_Them_Talk_Hugh_Laurie.jpg
93. Bruno Mars – Grenade
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/3/36/BrunoMarsGrenade.jpg/220px-BrunoMarsGrenade.jpg
…

As you've noticed the last several years, similar artists for bands/artists have gotten worse and more unreasonable. Especially if you keep reading on and on through the top similar artists for each artist. The one that has been baffling me for a while is The Offspring, a punk rock band that's not extreme metal or hard rock (though they do have alternative influences and sounds at times). In fact, as of 12/25/2011, these are their top 50 similar artists in order:

Sum 41
Rise Against
Bad Religion
Billy Talent
Pennywise
Metallica
Green Day
Blink-182
zebrahead
Millencollin

AC/DC
Nickelback
Papa Roach
System of a Down
Red Hot Chili Peppers
Disturbed
Anti-Flag
Rage Against the Machine
NOFX
Godsmack

Bloodhound Gang
Limp Bizkit
3 Doors Down
Rancid
Farben Lehre
Slipknot
Static-X
Nirvana
Korn
Dropkick Murphys

Ramones
Iron Maiden
Audioslave
Goldfinger
Rammstein
Drowning Pool
Pidżama Porno
Bullet For My Valentine
DragonForce
Rob Zombie

Bowling For Soup
…

Time to review another year!

Concerts I went to:

Panic! At the Disco, fun., Funeral Party – June 8, 2011
http://www.last.fm/user/kalsonberry/journal/2011/06/13/4flm7r_panic%21_at_the_disco_concert_review_-_682011

Darren Criss – August 13, 2011
http://www.last.fm/user/kalsonberry/journal/2011/08/14/4jgjer_darren_criss_concert_review_-_8132011

Yellowcard, Every Avenue, Go Radio – October 22, 2011
http://www.last.fm/user/kalsonberry/journal/2011/10/23/4uoq0u_best_concert_of_my_life_so_far.

Matt & Kim, Lupe Fiasco – November 4, 2011:
Although I was in the balcony of the arena of my school, Matt & Kim were still fun to see. I enjoyed singing along to Yea Yeah, Good Ol’ Fashioned Nightmare, and Daylight. I tried to throw a paper airplane to make them play Ice Melts, my favorite song off the album, but it didn’t go very far…haha. Lupe Fiasco was alright I guess.


Top 10 Albums:

10. Foster the People – Torches
…