New Panopticon is new

[Cthulhu]

Just wanted to post this before Aaron did, . Let me have my fun, 'k?

So, Panopticon released a new album, Collapse. Or released... I have it, in any case. Four songs, about 45 minutes.

Listening to the first track right now, 'The Death of Baldur and the Coming War'. Dunno what it's about, but the title and the intro with TV interviews about Bush seems to indicate that they're mingling Tolkien-esque stuff with politics, .

This song - although it might just be this rip, I don't know - sounds poorer in quality (i.e. recording quality) than their previous album(s), like it's been recorded in a cheaper studio or someone's garage.

Similar sound to their previous album (although less coherent due to the recording quality). The music stops at around 11:10 rather abruptly with some static, then silence, followed by an acoustic guitar piece. I'm no expert on music, but it sounds country like the 'collapsed' version of '..speaking..'. Same quality though.

Second song Aptrgangr starts like Dimmu's Stormblåst (i.e. thunder), then into a slow acoustic / electric guitar play.

Fuck, I suck at reviews, ergo, I'll finish later if I cba, . So far, it sounds like they've added some details and added some stuff and such to their existing style.

 

[Ⓐaron]

Baldur is from Norse mythology btw, which a lot of his lyrics focus around (see The Lay of Grimnir on previous album as well) I'm grabbing the torrent now, sounds like it'll be awesome. I need to order this and his previous stuff asap.

 

[Cthulhu]

...'kay, . Baldur / Grimnir all sound Tolkienesque to me, but might as well be Norse.

Same difference nevertheless. Mythology + politics = wtfbbq, lulz.

 

[Ⓐaron]

That's because Tolkien was heavily influenced by Norse mythology, .

 

[Cthulhu]

Obviously, .

Of course, in the end both Norse mythology and Tolkien's works were both fabrications of Cthulhu for His amusement, .

 

[Ⓐaron]

Anyway yeah, two tracks in so far and it's awesome. Sound quality is a bit shit but it's good enough for a leak. He's streamlined his sound somewhat and it's moar progressive than the previous album, which given the track lengths isn't much of a surprise. That said, track divisions are almost suggestions and there's probably at least two or three individual compositions in each track, which kind of reminds me of Godspeed You! Black Emperor.

interested to hear your thoughts on the rest of the album, btw

 

[Cthulhu]

Dunno yet, . There's a tick on the right channel for some frequencies, probably a poor rip. I've given the first track a proper listen in the train today, this time with closed earplugs and nothing else to do. The drums are (at least on my plugs / this rip) certainly a lot in the foreground, with the guitars sorta in the background - or so it seems.

I'm curious to what the rest of the TV narrative recording in the beginning of the track is about - the first bit is easy enough to hear, but then the music goes through it. Probably intentional though. The song is largely chaotic, it seems, at least moreso than his previous album, and based on one and a half listens, I don't think it's better than the stuff on his previous album.

The ending bit is good though, . Probably also due to it being a style that I haven't heard before (and certainly not on a (black) metal album).

Let me know if / when you have a better rip (particularly without the ticking stuff in the right channel), or if that's how it's supposed to sound.

Also, people poast moar.

 

[Ⓐaron]

Incidentally, he comments on the leak of the album in his blog here. His comments are pretty awesome imo. And yeah, the proper version will sound better, and this isn't even the final mix.

Also I had the first two tracks mistagged, it's "The Death of Baldr and the Coming War" and "Aptgangr", not whatever I had listed.

But yeah, even as leaked it's awesome and one of my favourite records of the year so far.

 

[Cthulhu]

The following citation deserves praise:

for those of you who choose to buy the album when it comes out next month,please feel free to upload and distribute it in this way.i ask that you include the lyrics and explanations by making jpgs of the booklet and instert,to ensure that others get the concept of collapse,but in general i have no problem with my work being pirated,as long as its decent quality and after the release date.

Minus the lack of spaces behind punctuation, off course, .

 

[Ⓐaron]

Yeah, agr'd

also, go hear for lyrics and an explanation of the concept and such.