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View Fish Smell Like Cat profile

Rating 9/10

Fish Smell Like Cat (2000)

Various Artists

Electronica

Different nations have different attitudes, and this especially regards to Japan. Absolutely original compilation "Fish Smell Like Cat" brings together several Japanese groups performing music of easy listening and trip-hop styles. Eastern electronica is really original thing and it completely differs from music of the West. Everything it represents is beautiful and, above all, intelligent. Each composition is a separate story performed with unusual but pleasant vocal and light music bearing a positive mood. Sometimes it's mysterious, sometimes it's clear, but sometimes it's just hard to be explained. Eastern electronica on the whole and this album in partucular isn't music for dance halls. It's a little intimate and ideal for romantic evenings or agreeable picnics. All in all, everything is melodious, beautiful, and original. It remained only to say thanks a lot to the Japanese for their peculiar attitude and to try to imagine that "fish smell like cat".

Reviewed by Nik Kendell | Aug 23, 2006

View The Silent Force profile

Rating 8/10

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The Silent Force (2005)

Within Temptation

Gothic Rock

Within Temptation is a talented band from Netherlands. Lead singer Sharon den Adel as pretty as her voice is. The music is symphonic metal with orchestral and choir backing. It is highly melodic and enchanting. If you know and like the band Nightwish, then this is for you. "The Silent Force" is very different from their first album "Enter". On "Enter" the songs were much slower and longer; Sharon's voice was more wailing and had male death vocals in. The atmosphere was melancholy and practically gothic doom. "The Silent Force" is more up-tempo, Sharon's voice has noticeably improved and there are not death vocals here any more. The songs themselves are very dynamic, from very gothic "Forsaken" to ballad-like "Pale".

Reviewed by Alexey Gusev | Aug 22, 2006

View Desire profile

Rating 9/10

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Desire (1976)

Bob Dylan

Rock

"Desire" is a very interesting work from legendary Bob Dylan. Most songs from this album Dylan has written in co-authorship with theater artist Jacques Levy. To record "Desire" Dylan hooked up a bevy of musicians including singers Emmylou Harris and Ronee Blakely and violinist Scarlet Rivera. The sound of this album is completely unique for Dylan's discography. Scarlet Rivera's violin and Emmylou Harris' vocal (and Ronee Blakely's in "Hurricane") give the album completely distinct sound. Tracks like "Black Diamond Bay", "One More Cup of Coffee" and "Oh, Sister" are always great to listen to. "Desire" is accessible, dynamic, surprising, powerful and evocative work - in short, excellent.

Reviewed by Alexey Gusev | Aug 21, 2006

View Operation: Mindcrime II profile

Rating 7/10

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Operation: Mindcrime II (2006)

Queensryche

Progressive Metal

Eighteen years after the release of famous concentual album "Operation: Mindcrime", which is considered the classics of prog-metal genre, Queensryche have released the continuation of the story with "Operation: Mindcrime II". To say the truth, I like the continuation less than the original album, but if I compare this album with one of its predecessors "Tribe" (2003), then "Operation: Mindcrime II" is much better for me. This album is steady enough, it has a mighty drive, it's nice to listen to, and, as a matter of fact, it represents everything I expected from this album. As regards to Queensryche's creative work on the whole, though they are considered the originators of classical prog-metal, I'm not a big fan of this band. In comparison with their neighbours Dream Theater, they look rather faintly and blankly. But this album is good enough and it's worthwhile to be listened to just because it's a continuation of famous album with eighteen years' prescription.

Reviewed by Igor Brynskich | Aug 20, 2006

View Office of Strategic Influence profile

Rating 8/10

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Office of Strategic Influence (2003)

O.S.I.

Progressive Metal

"Dream Theater meet Porcupine Tree" - that's how I could describe music performed by american prog-metal supergroup O.S.I. with a single sentence. In a certain sense, this sentence is true. The originators of O.S.I. are keyboardist Kevin Moore of Chroma Key (he was a member of Dream Theater until 1994) and guitarist Jim Matheos of Fates Warning. Other members of the group are drummer Mike Portnoy (Dream Theater again) and bassist Sean Malone (Cynic, Gordian Knot), both of whom supplied the group with best rhythm section that any prog-metal band might ever dream of. But the most remarkable fact of this album is that Steven Wilson (here is Porcupine Tree!) appears on the album as a guest vocalist on "ShutDOWN", and he also became an author of lyrics of that song. An authorship of the rest of songs on this album belongs to Kevin Moore, who also performs all vocal parts here. Music of O.S.I. can't be simply called as prog-metal. As a matter of fact, the originators of the project don't dissemble their appeal to Porcupine Tree's audience, so some psychedelic and meditative sounding as well as original "not-for-metal" Moore's vocal are represented on this album. In short, "Office of Strategic Influence" is a quite original album, and I suggest you to listen to it very much.

Reviewed by Igor Brynskich | Aug 19, 2006

View Leftoverture profile

Rating 9/10

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Leftoverture (1976)

Kansas

Progressive Rock

Kansas is probably the best America's progressive rock band of the '70s. After their first release in 1974, Kansas became famous and popular very soon, and people began to compare them with such giants of British prog scene as Genesis, King Crimson and Yes. United States never were the fertile land for progressive rock, so Kansas might be considered as true phenomenon of prog music because they are Americans that were really compared with Brits in the '70s. "Leftoverture" is a key album in Kansas' discography, which became band's first platinum success, and the first song on this album "Carry on Wayward Son" became their all-time hit. I haven't listened to other albums by Kansas yet, but what I can say about this one - it's one of the best symphonic prog works I've ever listened to.

Reviewed by Igor Brynskich | Aug 18, 2006

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