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The other day i went to Osaka for the second Opeth gig since i'm in Japan (the first was back in 2009), and it was awesome. Although back when the Heritage album came out, i wasn't exactly happy with it, since then it grew on me, and i didn't mind all that much that many of the songs at the show were from that album. It was nice to have more quiet songs, songs when the people around me didn't want to mosh (i don't think Opeth is the kind of music you're supposed to mosh to), but when i heard the first sounds of Face of Melinda, Heir Apparent or The Grand Conjuration, my heart skipped a beat. Ghost Reveries is still my favorite Opeth album, so i was very happy that they played at least one song off it.

Read it all @ valeblog

Last.FM Milestones1st track: (13 Aug 2006)
Queens of the Stone Age - In My Head
http://userserve-ak.last.fm/serve/252/81100.jpg1000th track: (05 Sep 2006)
Megadeth - Mechanix
http://userserve-ak.last.fm/serve/252/3538311.jpg2000th track: (01 Oct 2006)
Fear Factory - Scapegoat
http://userserve-ak.last.fm/serve/252/36158701.jpg3000th track: (26 Oct 2006)
Aphex Twin - Milkman
http://userserve-ak.last.fm/serve/252/43147103.png4000th track: (18 Nov 2006)
Butthole Surfers & Moby - Tiny Rubberband5000th track: (13 Dec 2006)
VNV Nation - Fearless
http://userserve-ak.last.fm/serve/252/29365375.jpg6000th track: (18 Jan 2007)
Tayla - Dimensions
http://userserve-ak.last.fm/serve/252/21834891.jpg7000th track: (18 Feb 2007)
PJ Harvey - My Beautiful Leah
http://userserve-ak.last.fm/serve/252/2320317.jpg8000th track: (08 Apr 2007)
Groove Armada - The Things That We Could Share
http://userserve-ak.last.fm/serve/252/152603.jpg9000th track: (07 Oct 2007)
…

20. Black Cobra – Invernal (Southern Lord)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sFqbTWlVov8

Mixing the murky tones of sludge with the aggressive battery of thrash might sound like a formula that’s worn out its welcome nowadays with the continuing exposure of Mastodon, Baroness and their brethren almost coming to define the contemporary metal sound in the last decade. Black Cobra, utilizing just guitar and drums to create the fullest sound I’ve heard come out of only two players (sorry Big Business!), take the mid ranged miasma of the sludge guitar tone and have developed, on their fourth full length, a fully crafted mission statement of their identity. Black Cobra are much closer in songwriting approach to the early efforts of the 80’s thrash and death titans than to the progressive leanings of Mastodon, to use a common example, and as a result, aided by the uniquely snarled vocals, give the songs real menace. I’m of the opinion that a lot of post-King Buzzo sludge/stoner/doom vocals sound…

Nie był to rok najgorszy. Kryzys szaleje na starym kontynencie, ceny benzyny śrubują rekordy a brak rannych policjantów na szczecińskim marszu niepodległości sprawił, że stolica grodu gryfa świadectwa patriotyzmu nie zdała. Było więc całkiem wesoło. -A co tam w muzyce, Panie? -Ano też fajnie:

(miejsce w zestawieniu – ocena/10 – Wykonawca – Tytuł albumu)

1. 9,53 - Mastodon - The Hunter
Sporo w internecie krytyki na temat nowego dzieła Mastodona. Pozwolę sobie się absolutnie nie zgodzić. Bom kierunek w jaki się udali z miejsca zaakceptował oraz zuwielbiał. Mastodon AD2011: zwrot ku melodii, charakterystyczne wielogłosy, zwarte formy i napakowane pomysłami, różnorodne, świetnie brzmiące piosenki. Jest nowa moc. Jest rewelacyjna moc. Najlepsze piosenki: Curl of the Burl, Stargasm.

2. 9,46 - Obscure Sphinx - Anaesthetic Inhalation Ritual
Widziałem ich na żywo jeszcze przed premierą tej płyty. Ledwo szczękę domknąłem! Ale czy studyjne wcielenie OS oddaje power z koncertów? Zdania są podzielone. …

A list of my top 5 albums from every year. I started with 2011 and will be gradually working backwards. My full lists, counting down from worst to best, can be found on my Rate Your Music Page.

2004

1. Wuthering Heights - Far From The Madding Crowd
2. Augury - Concealed
3. Within Temptation - The Silent Force
4. Iced Earth - The Glorious Burden
5. Mastodon - Leviathan

Full List on Rate Your Music

2005

1. Beyond Twilight - Section X
2. Opeth - Ghost Reveries
3. Аркона - Во славу великим!
4. Demons & Wizards - Touched by the Crimson King
5. Rebellion - Sagas of Iceland: The History of the Vikings, Volume I

Full List on Rate Your Music

2006

1. Beyond Twilight - For The Love Of Art And The Making
2. Pharaoh - The Longest Night
3. To-Mera - Transcendental
4. Iron Maiden - A Matter Of Life And Death
5. Forest Silence - Philosophy Of Winter

Full List on Rate Your Music

2007

1. Rebellion - Miklagard: The History Of The Vikings, Volume II
…

My girlfriend set me a challenge for two Tuesday Tens the other week, and it seemed like an interesting idea. Last week included the shortest Spotify Playlist I will ever post, and this week goes to the other extreme.

So this week is long songs – agreed to be more than ten minutes in duration, and also to be actual songs (as opposed to including secret tracks or silence). Which did, admittedly cut down my choice from the 447 tracks of 10:00 or more in duration by an a fair bit, and also reduced the number of genres involved. There were a few things I chose to ignore, too. Like the ridiculously over indulgent Mother by Goldie – all sixty minutes of that orchestral-drum’n'bass car crash – or the stupidly overlong Breaking Into Heaven by The Stone Roses, which would have been a great track if only they had reined it in a bit – then again, something that was said a lot about that album…

Even so, you’ll need a fair amount of spare time for this lot. …

With January 2012 already almost at its end, it might be a little late to post this. But because 2011 had so many great and impressive concerts for me, I still wanted to post this journal entry, featuring my 20 favorite concerts of the year. The list is quite diverse, but so is my musical taste.

1.Godspeed You! Black Emperor in Paradiso, Amsterdam

This reunion tour has been one of the most impressive live experiences I've ever had. I don't think there was a single person in that concert hall that didn't have goosebumps all over his body when Godspeed performed Moya in utter and complete perfection. I will remember this night for as long as I live.

2.Steven Wilson in Paradiso, Amsterdam

My favorite musical composer of all time on his first solo tour. A lot of work was put in the sound engineering, but the screen visuals, the stage performance and the perfectly executed songs were absolutely stunning. I have seen Mr. Wilson perform many times before…