Old school-solo part sounds better in live version...I'm talking about the rhythm behind it. I think the guitar playing some kind of variation of the main riff is needless. But anyways, I really like the song, and I'm sure I will like it more!
It hasn't. The only thing it has affected is which singles were chosen - by the label - to be used as promotion. If they were still on IO, they'd have either chosen the songs themselves, or odds are that IO, being a prog label, would've chosen some of the proggier material. The label had nothing to do with the music the band created, they just handle how it's promoted. No. I'm going to guess that the guys went with songs they were familiar with playing because they had VERY little time (as compared to their usual 6 weeks or more) to rehearse together before heading to Europe, & then out on the road here. I'm 95% sure that we'll be doing another setlist poll once Iconoclast has been released, like we have for the last 2 cds, to give the guys an idea of what you all want to hear (even then, half the fans will complain anyway, but at least they've had had a chance to have their say). Remember, this is just something of an interim tour, it's not actually in support of the new cd; the next tour , which WILL be in support of the new cd, will undoubtedly contain a LOT of material from Iconoclast. While I'm sure the label likely encouraged them to play new material, you are correct, they don't actually have any control over what the guys play out on tour. Some of them end up being morphed into different songs (for example, the first fan club cd has the demo for 'Gates of Misery' on it, which later ended up turning into 'Eyes of Medusa'), some end up being picked apart and pieces are used later, & some do end up on fan club cds (can't wait to see what material MJR will send over for the next one.. *chomps at bit*).
They might use them on the next album. I think some of the songs on The Odyssey were written for V and didn't make it onto that album.
It started popping up everywhere in prog metal and neo-prog after the release of Images and Words or thereabouts. I could be wrong, though - I'm not an authority on the history of the genre. Hmm...but wasn't Serpent's Kiss used to promote PL? In any case, I think it's at least a slight case of denial to say that this doesn't form a feedback loop for the band and encourage less progressive material. Like I've said before, labels have cultures surrounding them that they pull you into. There's a reason beyond just the size of the label that SX is going to Nuclear Blast and not Cuneiform - I think it would be hard to deny. Nuclear Blast just does not generally sign adventurous bands, and it is not a label that values innovation.
Hmmm... so you're saying that Inside Out chose STWOF and Serpent's Kiss as singles from PL, and that the band had no say in it? I always thought those two were odd choices; Eve, the title track, or even Domination would have made better singles in my opinion. Also, doesn't MJR generally prefer the proggier, more orchestrated songs?
Hmm, the verse riff sounds way less elaborate and funky than it did in the live version: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=obP3x4wsKnc#t=45s
It sure does. I still like it, though. You have to remember that the live version is much faster at some points (the verse is one of them), which may have something to do with it.
Blasphemy... See, this is why http://www.godhatestheworld.com/sweden/index.html This is far from the worst line they have created..."Your eyes, singing to me sweet lullabies as you lay there in submission".. I'm all for romantic ballads, love the chorus, but this is waaay to sweat-inducing. And not of the good kind.
i just realized something. The groove and melody of the verses in Dehumanized could definitely be in Russell´s Atomic Soul, i get the same feel from it than Blackout or any other song from Allen´s project. more obscure rock than metal oriented IMO. anyone else notice this?
I agree with you, although the verse riff does have some Symphony X-ish elements to it that aren't normally found in rock, like the harmonic minor notes (every 4th measure).
I gotta admit it grew on me a little. I find it pretty cool in the "heavy progressive metal song" sense (and also what Xtopher said). Mind you I like it better than End of Innocence which I don't think I'll listen to that much ever again. That "feel my pain" chorus bores me to death now.
I also greatly prefer Dehumanized, and I'll probably get sick of End of Innocence by the time the album comes out, to be honest. Dehumanized just has a lot more meat to it; End of Innocence is a standard, straightforward song that might be cool at concerts but less so on the album.
