DUST Listener Reviews

All are welcome at our free clinic for those whose faces have been melted. \m/
User avatar
SHEAKENBAKEN
BACON
Posts: 9402
Joined: Fri Oct 11, 2013 9:27 pm
Location: TABN

Re: DUST Listener Reviews

Post by SHEAKENBAKEN »

Ashlee wrote:Full disclosure: I hadn't really listened to the pre-order songs as they came out. Also, I know very little technical stuff about music. So this is going to be a little pretty superficial. So initial reaction upon first real listen having been awake for 21 hours:

My Last Mistake - Brutal opener. I love the lyrics. I think the guitars sound pretty excellent.

The Cage - I feel like I'm in the minority, but I don't love this one right away. Will probably grow on me. I don't like the effects on the vocals, it's too much, especially among a bunch of songs in which Mark's vocals sound pretty incredible. That bridge though. :bow

Once Dead - Can we not? People are saying this is their favorite song on the album, pray, the best song on the album. It's got to be up there. Holy hell.

Dust - To be honest, this is the only song I've spent any real time with. I didn't really like anything about this song but the melody when it first came out. And I felt like the worst fan in the world, because it's obvs one of Mark's favorite songs on the album. Follow up: I really like it now.

Betray Me - Um. If this makes the tour set list I will fall over dead. I can't imagine him singing this live every night. The solo 10/10. I hate that it's so damn easy to relate to. The backup vocals here too. :headbang

Tore My Heart Out - Would anyone be mad if I said the intro sounds like it could be a Creed song? :facepalm Sorry. The lyrics are so good to this song. But this song following "Betray Me" has me all like....

Image

Catching Fire - Who is the preacher? Who is the old man? This song leaves me with more questions than answers, but who cares because *DRUMS* Also, the guitar solo sounds like something from a Broadway musical, like some choreographed gang fight in the streets.

Never Wrong - Hello, I'm an Alter Bridge song that never happened. OMG I don't care though. Is it possible that Mark is the T.Swift of Metal? Like, dude is low-key pissed at some people. This song is pretty flawless. It's just seamless, from intro straight to the solo.

Rising Storm - Where is the love for this song? The chorus is amazing. And he's finally getting his sweet revenge. This is another one that's got a killer solo, but probably isn't ever going to be a live song because it sounds hard as hell to sing. LAAAAAAYYYYY TOOOOO WAAAASSSTTTTEEEE. It's the new FAAACCCEEEE YOOOUUUURRR FEEEAAAARRRRR.....

Unable to See - OMG. It's.. OMG. My favorite Tremonti sound. Throwin' it back to 12 years ago, I dig. Can I fangirl more than I already have? THESE LYRICS. THIS VOICE. Yes, throwing it back to the ODR days (which is still my fav AB album - I don't care if I have to turn in my fan card for it). This song is so applicable to my life at this moment that I nearly cried at my desk. My goodness this man can sing. I will play this one on repeat.

I don't have a favorite song yet, it's kind of hard. Will keep listening. Thanks for reading my silly review. I'm pretty tired, but it seems I can still type pretty fast which is a plus.
:lol If I'm being honest here I find your review amusingly confusing. Some songs I cant tell if you like or dislike them. Like Once Dead, Tore My Heart Out, and Never Wrong. And where is there a guitar solo in Catching Fire? I never heard one. :shrug (I hope im not coming off as rude or trollish as that's not my intention.)

User avatar
Ashlee
Site Admin
Posts: 2943
Joined: Fri Jun 15, 2012 2:12 pm

Re: DUST Listener Reviews

Post by Ashlee »

1. I like Once Dead. As most have said, it's probably one of the best songs on the album.
2. I don't know if I love it. But I didn't hate anything about it.
3. I said it was flawless. No other information is needed lol
4. The guitar part I'm speaking of is right after the second chorus before the drums, so 2:20. Maybe it's just a run? Like I said, I'm not super educated about musical parts.

And no you're not coming off rude. I'm testing my limits today with the all nighter I pulled. It has already been brought to my attention by co-workers that I am not communicating effectively. lol
Image

User avatar
Dayviewer
Isolated
Posts: 484
Joined: Mon Jun 18, 2012 1:57 pm
Location: The Netherlands

Re: DUST Listener Reviews

Post by Dayviewer »

I listened to it all two or three times.
And looking through all current replies I might be the only one, but shit:

I find this one of the most boring things he has ever done.

Yes the riffs are cool, yes his solos and singing are great.
But I feel we already had this exact same record with Cauterize, which might also be why I'm reacting to it like this so strongly.
A lot of mis-matched parts again as well, and I think some parts even drag on too long.
How the songs were put together just feels lazy as well, like full auto-pilot.

I listened to his earlier work this week, and those songs FLOW.
Everything has a logic to it, how parts fit into eachother, and how the song is layed out, it works.
Very little of that is here anymore, and that just makes me sad.

Only song I find to appreciate a bit is Unable to See because it has that old school feel to it.
Image
Formerly known as Benjami

User avatar
Ashlee
Site Admin
Posts: 2943
Joined: Fri Jun 15, 2012 2:12 pm

Re: DUST Listener Reviews

Post by Ashlee »

Dayviewer wrote:I listened to it all two or three times.
And looking through all current replies I might be the only one, but shit:

I find this one of the most boring things he has ever done.

Yes the riffs are cool, yes his solos and singing are great.
But I feel we already had this exact same record with Cauterize, which might also be why I'm reacting to it like this so strongly.
A lot of mis-matched parts again as well, and I think some parts even drag on too long.
How the songs were put together just feels lazy as well, like full auto-pilot.

I listened to his earlier work this week, and those songs FLOW.
Everything has a logic to it, how parts fit into eachother, and how the song is layed out, it works.
Very little of that is here anymore, and that just makes me sad.

Only song I find to appreciate a bit is Unable to See because it has that old school feel to it.
I respect your opinion. I do try to remind people who are saying it sounds like Cauterize that he finished up writing this record at the same time. So that explains some of the mode/method. But to each their own :- )
Image

User avatar
Dayviewer
Isolated
Posts: 484
Joined: Mon Jun 18, 2012 1:57 pm
Location: The Netherlands

Re: DUST Listener Reviews

Post by Dayviewer »

Ashlee wrote:
Dayviewer wrote:I listened to it all two or three times.
And looking through all current replies I might be the only one, but shit:

I find this one of the most boring things he has ever done.

Yes the riffs are cool, yes his solos and singing are great.
But I feel we already had this exact same record with Cauterize, which might also be why I'm reacting to it like this so strongly.
A lot of mis-matched parts again as well, and I think some parts even drag on too long.
How the songs were put together just feels lazy as well, like full auto-pilot.

I listened to his earlier work this week, and those songs FLOW.
Everything has a logic to it, how parts fit into eachother, and how the song is layed out, it works.
Very little of that is here anymore, and that just makes me sad.

Only song I find to appreciate a bit is Unable to See because it has that old school feel to it.
I respect your opinion. I do try to remind people who are saying it sounds like Cauterize that he finished up writing this record at the same time. So that explains some of the mode/method. But to each their own :- )
Good to hear that, also respect everyone else's here of course :)

I am in fact aware that this was recorded during the Cauterize sessions, which I might have needed to say as well.
What I mean't to say with ''to me we had the same record before'' has to do with the fact that next to the production being the same, most of the songs also have the same feel, types of pacing, structure, and a lot of riffs share the same characteristics as well.

Due to this you could easily say you could swap out any song on one of the records with one of the other and it wouldn't have made any difference, again, for me.

I think if Mark took more time to make the songs flow and would cut down on the fat and make 1 record, it could have been much better
Image
Formerly known as Benjami

User avatar
Timotheus
Little Belgian Waffle
Posts: 16842
Joined: Mon Jun 18, 2012 3:52 am
Location: Belgium シ
Contact:

Re: DUST Listener Reviews

Post by Timotheus »

Here we go. Apologies for typos in advance:

My Last Mistake: I've shared my opinion about this song before. The chorus is a bit too copy/paste for my taste, but it doesn’t ruin the song. Overal I think it’s a solid song. My favorite part is the rhythmical change in the second verse.

The Cage: This is such a weird song. I love the drum intro and the intro riff. The verses are a bit weird but they work. The chorus ruins whatever feeling they managed to create. I feel like I’m listening to two separate songs at the same time. Afterwards it goes kinda back and forth and at first it really annoyed me. It’s kinda grown on me by now. You kinda have to go with it, but I think this song had a lot more potential. The intro is my favorite part.

Once Dead: Best chorus on the Cauterize/Dust albums. It has a bit of a Maiden feeling. Imagine Bruce singing it in a high-pitched voice and you’ll know what I mean. The main riff lacks a bit of identity in my opinion, but once Mark starts singing it’s all good. I love the bridge and and in particular the bass fill leading into the guitar solo. The rhythm guitar during the solo is pretty awesome as well. The chorus is my favorite part.

Dust: Still like this song a lot. The 6/4 time signature, the big chorus, the guitar solo (probably the best solo on this album) and Mark’s voice, which really shines on this song (good luck with that live). The bridge is my favorite part. It’s just so good.

Betray Me: The intro riff reminds me a lot of Another Heart’s riff. Love the vocals over it though, especially in the second verse where he goes higher. I like the pre-chorus and the chorus a lot. Great guitar solo over a really cool riff. Shame about the sloppy editing at the end the guitar solo, which I cannot unhear. My favorite part of the song is the pre chorus.

Tore My Heart Out: Classic example of a song that didn’t need a third chorus. I was perfectly satisfied with this song before that third chorus kicked in. From that point on the song started dragging, and brought nothing new to the table except the drumming at the end of the song which didn’t do much for me. The riff after the solo would’ve been a perfect outro. I love a lot of parts in this song though. I often don’t like the big anthemic choruses, but in this case it works pretty well. I especially liked the ending of the second chorus leading into the guitar solo, which is my favorite part of the song.

Catching Fire: I love everything about this song. I think the intro is super effective, I love the bass in the second verse, I love that they don’t rush to the choruses, the bridge in its entirety is amazing and Mark’s vocals at the end of the song are impressive (though it feels a bit processed). My favorite parts are the intro and the bridge

Never Wrong: Don’t really care about this song. I like the intro, but I think it could’ve been used way more effectively. The chorus is pretty good, but feels a bit random in the song. I like the bridge leading into the guitar solo and the moody part afterwards a lot though. Those are probably my favorite parts of the song.

Rising Storm: Again, not really impressed. The intro riff and verses do nothing for me. The choruses are impressing vocally, but don’t do that much for me either. Nice bridge and guitar solo though.

Unable To See: Beautiful classic Mark intro, which gets completely abandoned 20 seconds into the song. Random strumming from there on. I’m a sucker for beautiful ballads, but I’m just not feeling the first part of this song. The chorus is nice, but I’m not a fan of Mark’s tone in this one. The song gets interesting during the second chorus with the vocal harmonies. That’s the first time where I feel like I get drawn into the song. The guitar solo at the end of the song is beautiful as well. That’s it. I love ODR a lot and I get where the comparisons are coming from but to me this song comes nowhere near any of those songs. Dust would’ve been a better closer I think.

All in all, I think it’s a solid album. The Mark’s copy/paste trademark bothered me more on this album than it did on Cauterize. I also think there was a bit more variety on Cauterize. The riffs are a bit heavier on this one, but I don’t care about heavy riffs if they don’t have an identity. My favorite songs are Catching Fire, Once Dead and Dust. The last three songs are my least favorite tracks.
Image
anguyen92 wrote:
Oh well. Deal with it.

User avatar
antiwal
Loyal Follower
Posts: 340
Joined: Fri Aug 02, 2013 10:13 am
Location: Fleet, UK

Re: DUST Listener Reviews

Post by antiwal »

Timotheus wrote:I also think there was a bit more variety on Cauterize.
Wow, sorry but I think we have VERY different ears! I couldn't disagree more. I've just been thinking the exact opposite - this is a FAR more varied record in my opinion.

User avatar
luke62
White Knuckled
Posts: 244
Joined: Mon Jun 18, 2012 5:31 pm
Location: Georgia

Re: DUST Listener Reviews

Post by luke62 »

Okay. I'm doing like I've done in the past and "spoonfeeding" the record to myself so I'm only on listen #2.

Like, damn man. I love the dynamics of the record. Too many times bands get to this cookie cutter mode where every song sounds the same. You can tell what's about to happen before it happens. AB doesn't do it as much but Tremonti sure as hell doesn't do it. A song sounds like one thing, then boom, we're going in another direction, almost like a ride at a theme park lol. I dig that.

Just because it's the last song on this cycle, Unable to See is pretty damn sweet. Reminds me of "In Loving Memory" a little bit. I'm not fluent in guitar lingo but maybe the tone from the intro of ILM matches up.

Either way, Mark has a gift for hitting me right in the gut with the lyrics and emotion of a song while at the same time making me want to rock out.

User avatar
Ashlee
Site Admin
Posts: 2943
Joined: Fri Jun 15, 2012 2:12 pm

Re: DUST Listener Reviews

Post by Ashlee »

I'm just glad he did it this way. Rather than scrapping most of them and just having a couple of B sides. I think these songs really deserved a fair shot on their own.
Image

Take The Sun
Bought The CDs
Posts: 66
Joined: Fri Mar 18, 2016 11:00 am

Re: DUST Listener Reviews

Post by Take The Sun »

Ashlee wrote: Never Wrong - Hello, I'm an Alter Bridge song that never happened. OMG I don't care though. Is it possible that Mark is the T.Swift of Metal? Like, dude is low-key pissed at some people. This song is pretty flawless. It's just seamless, from intro straight to the solo.
This.

First listen, this was my bottom track because it was the only chorus I couldn't remember to save my life. The rest stuck out and I could hum them back to myself no problem.

After a few listens though... I really love this friggin' song. And I agree with you. It sounds like a full on Alter Bridge song. Someone mentioned to me earlier that it reminded them of The Uninvited. I don't so much hear that. I hear a lot of similarities to Buried Alive, especially BA's swagger, dirty sounding chorus. The chorus in Never Wrong really hits that dirty groove sound. Something really awesome about that for me.

EDIT: And my god yes, the chorus of Rising Storm!
Image
Credit to greenhammock on deviantart for the awesome background

User avatar
Ryan
Blood Machines
Posts: 29811
Joined: Thu Jun 14, 2012 12:41 am
Location: Los Angeles
Contact:

Re: DUST Listener Reviews

Post by Ryan »

Ashlee wrote:1. I like Once Dead. As most have said, it's probably one of the best songs on the album.
2. I don't know if I love it. But I didn't hate anything about it.
3. I said it was flawless. No other information is needed lol
4. The guitar part I'm speaking of is right after the second chorus before the drums, so 2:20. Maybe it's just a run? Like I said, I'm not super educated about musical parts.

And no you're not coming off rude. I'm testing my limits today with the all nighter I pulled. It has already been brought to my attention by co-workers that I am not communicating effectively. lol
i consider myself to be a co-worker in this situation....just FYI. :lol
Photobucket cash grab.

User avatar
Ryan
Blood Machines
Posts: 29811
Joined: Thu Jun 14, 2012 12:41 am
Location: Los Angeles
Contact:

Re: DUST Listener Reviews

Post by Ryan »

i haven't done this yet because i haven't had a proper sit down with the record. lots going on at the house with 3 kids...also today is my 9 year anniversary with my wife. i'd like to sit down and listen to this album as it is with headphones. then, i want to listen to it in the original order from the listening party and see if it changes how i feel about any of it. then, i'll listen to Cauterize/Dust as they are. then, Cauterize/Dust in original order from the listening party. finally, i'll make my own album mixed with the songs i really dig the most...if i don't take any out that is.
Photobucket cash grab.

User avatar
luke62
White Knuckled
Posts: 244
Joined: Mon Jun 18, 2012 5:31 pm
Location: Georgia

Re: DUST Listener Reviews

Post by luke62 »

Ryan wrote:i haven't done this yet because i haven't had a proper sit down with the record. lots going on at the house with 3 kids...also today is my 9 year anniversary with my wife. i'd like to sit down and listen to this album as it is with headphones. then, i want to listen to it in the original order from the listening party and see if it changes how i feel about any of it. then, i'll listen to Cauterize/Dust as they are. then, Cauterize/Dust in original order from the listening party. finally, i'll make my own album mixed with the songs i really dig the most...if i don't take any out that is.
Happy Anniversary!

User avatar
Fish Tacos
Burn It Down
Posts: 2721
Joined: Sun Jan 26, 2014 12:52 pm
Location: noʎ puᴉɥǝq ʇɥƃᴉɹ

Re: DUST Listener Reviews

Post by Fish Tacos »

chtimixeur wrote:

So it's definitely a 2004-2005 song.
It has that old school Mark feel.
It really does. I was going to say it sounds like he's been sitting on it for quite some time. Not sure if we should be mad at the thief for taking all that stuff or thank him for inspiring such a cool song. Probably the former, but still, silver lining.

After listening some more Never Wrong sounds like it's some commentary on a relationship between some sort of label/music executive and whoever they signed.

Got my copies :D
Image
Last edited by Fish Tacos on Fri Apr 29, 2016 3:49 pm, edited 1 time in total.

User avatar
anguyen92
Expert Comma Negotiator
Posts: 10359
Joined: Mon Jun 25, 2012 12:31 pm
Location: California

Re: DUST Listener Reviews

Post by anguyen92 »

All right, my thoughts on the album.

I'll spare you the play-by-play as I listen along since I was not in the mood to write something that long. I got to say though, it took a while for me to really dig the album, but as soon as Dust come and onwards after that, it was really enjoyable to hear and another solid album from Mark though I think I prefer Cauterize slightly better.

Another note is that I think I hear more Creed-influence (albeit fused with a more modern metal approach that Mark has incorporated in his stuff nowadays) than AB-influenced which not really a bad thing. Just an observation. I do note that Unable to See was great stuff, the intro and outra reminds me of something like In Loving Memory, which the intro/outro mirrors itself somewhat, so I can totally see the ODR influence in that song.

On another note, this is bound to be one of the shortest albums Mark had released in recent times. Only 43 min. and it flew by fast, but it's hard to complain when you had 90 min. worth of material from him over the last year or so and there's going to be more with AB V!

Favorites: Dust, Tore My Heart Out, Catching Fire, Never Wrong, and Unable to See.

User avatar
antiwal
Loyal Follower
Posts: 340
Joined: Fri Aug 02, 2013 10:13 am
Location: Fleet, UK

Re: DUST Listener Reviews

Post by antiwal »

First of all, loving this album...think it just has the edge over Cauterize as I feel it's more varied and dynamic. Not gonna do a track by track, but here are few observations;

THE CAGE - intro sounds like the love-child of ODR and Metalingus.
TORE MY HEART OUT - intro reminds me of a sped up Broken Wings, kinda.
CATCHING FIRE - first part of the breakdown (muted section) reminds me of Creed song but can't think which right now. Bound & Tied maybe?
RISING STORM - verses are the evil twin of Tie The Noose
UNABLE TO SEE - 1st verse gives me What's This Life For vibes

User avatar
psycosquirrel789
Hardcore TABN'er
Posts: 824
Joined: Mon Jun 18, 2012 12:15 am

Re: DUST Listener Reviews

Post by psycosquirrel789 »

Once Dead and Betray Me have a cool vibes. Although too repetitive, I also like Tore My Heart Out.

The others were pretty unremarkable. Unable to See intro/outro was such a sore spot for me. If he was a better songwriter, that could have been a special song. The transition from the intro to the verse - laughable. This is what a lot of the "nay sayers" are referring to. Forget that its just a ripoff of Waters Rising's intro. Worse, is that its two absolutely random parts of music pieced together with no thought, no artistry, no cohesion - its a prime example of what he needs to work on.

His music isn't bad. Its just too pieced together, repetitive and stagnant. 2/5 for me.

Jaded Rescue
Hardcore TABN'er
Posts: 647
Joined: Mon Jun 18, 2012 12:00 am
Location: New Jersey
Contact:

Re: DUST Listener Reviews

Post by Jaded Rescue »

antiwal wrote:CATCHING FIRE - first part of the breakdown (muted section) reminds me of Creed song but can't think which right now. Bound & Tied maybe?
I can hear Bound & Tied as well as the bridge of What If, where Stapp sings, "I know that I can't hold the hate inside my mind..."

User avatar
Ryan
Blood Machines
Posts: 29811
Joined: Thu Jun 14, 2012 12:41 am
Location: Los Angeles
Contact:

Re: DUST Listener Reviews

Post by Ryan »

luke62 wrote:
Ryan wrote:i haven't done this yet because i haven't had a proper sit down with the record. lots going on at the house with 3 kids...also today is my 9 year anniversary with my wife. i'd like to sit down and listen to this album as it is with headphones. then, i want to listen to it in the original order from the listening party and see if it changes how i feel about any of it. then, i'll listen to Cauterize/Dust as they are. then, Cauterize/Dust in original order from the listening party. finally, i'll make my own album mixed with the songs i really dig the most...if i don't take any out that is.
Happy Anniversary!
Thank you!
Photobucket cash grab.

User avatar
antiwal
Loyal Follower
Posts: 340
Joined: Fri Aug 02, 2013 10:13 am
Location: Fleet, UK

Re: DUST Listener Reviews

Post by antiwal »

psycosquirrel789 wrote:Once Dead and Betray Me have a cool vibes. Although too repetitive, I also like Tore My Heart Out.

The others were pretty unremarkable. Unable to See intro/outro was such a sore spot for me. If he was a better songwriter, that could have been a special song. The transition from the intro to the verse - laughable. This is what a lot of the "nay sayers" are referring to. Forget that its just a ripoff of Waters Rising's intro. Worse, is that its two absolutely random parts of music pieced together with no thought, no artistry, no cohesion - its a prime example of what he needs to work on.

His music isn't bad. Its just too pieced together, repetitive and stagnant. 2/5 for me.
I think you got sent the wrong CD surely?? :lol

Post Reply