PP XII Lineup - Your Breakdown

[AngraRULES]

Agreed Milton.

While I still have no idea about Red Circuit besides it being something with Chitty Somapala, I can safely say I am aware of everything else going on, as a fan of the genre should.

Well, I don't even mean "knowing everything", but at least give the bands an hour or two to listen to their material ya know??

I swear to God, it seems sometimes people are afraid of checking out new bands...

 

[nomisofsiman]

I don't understand one thing... how is it possible, that people (as devoted to the music and the fest as they can be - or so they claim to) still haven't taken a little bit of time to check out all the bands and perhaps get familiar? I mean, I really don't get it... It's not like he announces the bands a month before the festival...

"Sure, let me NOT open my mind to a new band that's playing at the festival next year, instead I am going to listen to the same old album by (insert band here) album for the trillionth time..."

Yeah I really am not understanding why people at this point, what 7 months after the announcement, still haven't at least tried a couple of songs out from each band. I know I have. Hell, I tend to do it the following day if not that night and then will purchase discs based on that.

 

[Bamafan]

I actually wonder how many people have actual different breakdowns than what they originally posted.

After repeated listenings, I've adjusted my opinions of the bands a little bit. I'm far more excited to see Dream Evil and Red Circuit than I was several months ago. I wasn't at all familiar with Sanctuary, but after checking them out, I'm nonplussed. Darkwater's addition is a huge bonus for me. I had their cds in heavy rotation even before I found out they were coming to PP. I find that I skip over the Arcturus songs on my PP XII ipod playlist more than any of the other bands on the schedule. Finally, I have to be in an odd state of mind for Therion; sometimes it is the perfect music to have playing, other times it sets my teeth on edge.

 

[The Invisible Guest]

My thoughts are largely the same although I have spent a lot of time now with Into The Mirror Black and Refuge Denied from Sanctuary. I'm geeked to see them perform that stuff ... especially the Into The Mirror Black material. I think that disc is pretty damn great.

Here's my original thoughts:

Vanden Plas: My top highlight probably ... it's been two discs since they've been around. I can't wait to hear Christ Zero stuff.

Evergrey: If they do a lot of stuff pre MMA I'll probably really enjoy it.

Creation's End: I'm not familiar with them. I haven't got around to checking them out yet.

Voyager: A top highlight for me .. it will be interesting to watch.

Eldritch: This is one of my top highlight bands .. I kind of expect them to be one of the pleasant surprise bands for those that aren't all that familiar.

Mob Rules: None of their earlier stuff stuck with me .. I do like their latest.

Arcturus: I don't really like them that well on disc .. curiosity will keep me watching though.

Sanctuary: I never knew em' back in the day that well .. I'll be interested to see if Warrel can come close to any of the high stuff.

Haken: I don't have much interest .. I don't think I can tolerate the vocals. They grate on me badly.

While Heaven Wept: I'll check em' out .. decent on disc, but don't wow me.

Red Circuit: I've been pimping these guys for a few years now .. one of my top highlights for sure.

Labyrinth: I only like RTHD .. still I expect a nice professional performance.

Dream Evil: I've never much cared for them, but I suspect they will be good live.

Therion: I don't get it with these guys .. I'm not into them. I will however check out their set to see the stage performance. I think they put on an entertaining show.



Britt

 

[Akumu]

My thoughts haven't changed much with the exception that I am now totally stoked for While Heaven Wept.

 

[nomisofsiman]

Eldritch: This is one of my top highlight bands .. I kind of expect them to be one of the pleasant surprise bands for those that aren't all that familiar.

I'm not as familiar with them as you are, but I do think they will be the unexpected favorite of the week.

 

[Orion Crystal Ice]

Ah, forgot about Darkwater! I do like them although the vocals are a little odd to me at times. I will definitely check out their set, that will probably cement me as a fan.

 

[Orion Crystal Ice]

Also, I bought 2 tickets, one for myself and one for a new convert, and have been a fan of this music, though previously unable to attend the festival, since I was 14 (12 years). I have the ability to check out bands, without leaving anyone out, and will do so at my leisure, thanks..

 

[The Invisible Guest]

Ah, forgot about Darkwater! I do like them although the vocals are a little odd to me at times. I will definitely check out their set, that will probably cement me as a fan.

Yeah .. I forgot about them as well .. and Powerglove. As for Darkwater .. don't care for them. The vocals bug me as well.

As for Powerglove .. haven't given them a shot yet.


Britt

 

[Corsair]

Therion: Death metal

wat. I know it's been beaten into the ground already, but...For real.This has not been even remotely true true for like a decade and a half. Seriously. If this sounds like death metal to you, you're fucking deaf.
[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SSsXZirNUbs&feature=related[/ame]
I mean sure, they occasionally make sue of ahrsh vox but those tracks are very much in the minority, and are nearly absent from their last two albums. I can understand if they don't do anything for you, but passing them off as being death metal..well. it's honestly kind of hilarious how categorically incorrect that is.

For me? Full set for everybody, as i've nearly always done it. Royal Hunt was the only band i've ever walked out of, though I was tempted to during Delain, which was mostly due to the fact that I was on the edge of sleep the whole time.

 

[Orion Crystal Ice]

Was Royal Hunt really bad? I couldn't make it to the fest, and they were one of the bands I really wanted to see, love me some RH.

 

[Corsair]

I don't dislike the band's music, and in fact I was looking forward to seeing them.

Part of the problem was that they played some of their most boring songs, and the stage performance was less than entertaining. Another issue was they they had to find some way to follow up Diablo Swing Orchestra and Sabaton, which would have been difficult for anybody.

 

[Justin G]

I don't dislike the band's music, and in fact I was looking forward to seeing them.

Part of the problem was that they played some of their most boring songs, and the stage performance was less than entertaining. Another issue was they they had to find some way to follow up Diablo Swing Orchestra and Sabaton, which would have been difficult for anybody.

Royal Hunt with DC Cooper would have been an entirely different story. Better songs, better vocals (obviously) and better stage presence. This is probably my biggest "wish list item" (aside from the perennial request for Saxon and Pretty Maids) for PPUSA XIII.

 

[TheLongshot]

Yeah I really am not understanding why people at this point, what 7 months after the announcement, still haven't at least tried a couple of songs out from each band. I know I have. Hell, I tend to do it the following day if not that night and then will purchase discs based on that.

To be honest, I want some bands to be a bit of a surprise, to see if they can swing me with their live performance. If I have a strong interest in a band, I'll pick up a release or two. I even gave a couple bands that I owned albums and didn't like a second chance. (Which my opinion didn't change.)

Royal Hunt with DC Cooper would have been an entirely different story. Better songs, better vocals (obviously) and better stage presence. This is probably my biggest "wish list item" (aside from the perennial request for Saxon and Pretty Maids) for PPUSA XIII.

Yeah, Royal Hunt would have been more interesting if DC Cooper was still in the band.

 

[Orion Crystal Ice]

If the songs were no good it really wouldn't matter if DC was still in the band, this tells me everybody would rave over 'The Mission', 'Paradox II' etc if Cooper was simply singing on them......besides all that, I don't necessarily hear what's better by a landslide about DC as compared to Boals and West....there are strong and weak points with each (e.g., Cooper's upper middle register is too smooth and sweet, sounding too laid back, and Boals' screams aren't sharp/intense enough often enough..) though I'm sure this particular discussion has been done to death on these boards, but just my two cents...

 

[Palabra de Dios]

Familiarize Yourself With PPUSAXII Bands!

In lieu of other mass YouTube posts, I will make one for you lazies and fogies who haven't yet "checked out a band." How about two tracks from each band? Sound good? Okay. I'm sure this could start a "You should have picked this song or that song" debate, but whatevs. I'll include songs I think they will (or should) play live, or will overall give you an idea of what the band sounds like:

1. Sanctuary.
If you haven't yet checked out Sanctuary, get off your ass and ask yourself why you're interested in ProgPower. Seriously.

This one's essential: It begins their debut album and is probably their best song. At least it is in my opinion.


And they'll likely play this one too: this is quite a bit more progressive than the earlier stuff. I guess you'll also think that Warrel's vocals are closer to the 'Nevermore' style.


2. Therion.
This band can be daunting to try to "get into" because they have about 1001 albums out. But they'll likely focus on their later half of material. This band has some devoted fans who will spout out a million other songs for me to play. But here are a couple highlights (of which they had not released when they last played ProgPower, and are currently doing live):

This one will be very cool live. Not the fastest balls out metal song ever, but certainly a taste of what this band is all about.


And this is a track from their latest album. It's my favorite, and I've seen it on their recent setlists:


3. Arcturus
Hands down the weirdest band at the fest (tell me you're listening to these in order and you just heard Therion for the first time and now read that statement). But seriously, these guys play prog metal from a black metal point of view. And they're going to rip the venue to shreds.

An oldie, but a goodie:


And this is a track from their most recent album, with their most recent singer:


4. Dream Evil
Just straight up awesome power metal. I'm going to include three songs for this band: My favorite song, a song I know they will play (due to it likely being their most popular), and one from their newest album:

My favorite song from them:


A great song, that everyone should (and will) know:


And a song from their newest CD:


5. Mob Rules: power metal with class. Enjoy.

They will more than likely play this. Great keyboards:


And this is the first track from their most recent album. It definitely showcases the great voice of singer Klaus Dirks and some damn fine riffing.


6. Labyrinth: if you've ever heard the term "Italian Power Metal", these guys basically invented it. Bombastic, keyboard-driven, double-bassing madness.

"Moonlight" is definitely a classic track, and this is their sound in a nutshell, I'd say.


This is a track from their most recent album, which is a "sequel" of sorts to the album that "Moonlight" is on. They've played this one as a set opener as recently as a few weeks ago (in March at the time of this post). There are some slow moments in it, but don't worry, they pick up the pace too :


7. Eldritch

This band is interesting. You could say they're prog for power metal fans or power metal for prog fans. They're both. And they've evolved and gone back and forth between both styles...they're still damn awesome and have been around for quite a while now.

I love this song, and really really hope they play it live. Really good, driving main riff in this one:


And a tune from their latest album, from 2008:


8. Red Circuit:
Do you remember the album "Forged by Fire" by Firewind? Remember how awesome that singer was? Remember how he's only on that album? Well if you didn't notice, do. And he's in a newer band, now. One that's out of Germany, and it's Red Circuit. Knowing nothing other than that about the band should be enough to pique your interest, and they're quite the decent prog/power band. Standard for this fest, but the vocals of Chity really do make this an essential band for me.

Cool keyboard intro on this one. Cool riff too. Awesome vocals:


They WILL play this live. I'd think they have to :
[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gnFhYKYMgIA&feature=related[/ame]

9. Voyager
A band from Australia that just simply rules. At its essence, this is prog metal. But this band has a pop mentality that really gives their songs an extremely memorable quality. You'll be singing along after just a few listens, but this is simply high caliber stuff. I've loved this band since their debut was the only thing they had out, and the two follow ups are just as breathtaking:

From the first album, the first (and probably best) song:


From the newest album, I can't get enough of this one:


(And I know I said two tracks, but this one's awesome too!!!!)


10. While Heaven Wept
This band used to be extremely obscure but since releasing a newer album on Cruz Del Sur and being signed recently to Nuclear Blast, they are blowing up. They used to be an epic doom band, but now they're somewhat of a metal anomaly...melodic metal, with prog rock and just a myriad of other influences. I still think they have the epic doom influence behind it all even if it's not completely there in their current sound. Enjoy these tracks:

They should hopefully play this one live...it's from an earlier album:


This is the 'single' from their latest album, soon to be followed up with a 2011 album, though. It's called Vessel.


11. Darkwater
A late-game addition. This is a Christian prog/power band. They made a big splash with their debut, and followed it up quite well. Here are a couple cuts.

Song from the first album. It's quite good. This is the official video for it, and it is a shortened version, but I picked this video because the sound quality is the best...you just have to hear that crunchy guitar tone, man!:
[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZWTIRkcHyQ8&feature=watch_response_rev[/ame]

First song from the new album. Fucking killer, man. Seriously.
[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KSph5SDudmM&playnext=1&list=PLB3E62B3BED80E16C[/ame]

12. Haken
I predict these guys to be the new golden boys of prog. Seriously. They are fucking weird as hell, and their debut album is a concept album about a mermaid. You just have to hear it to believe it. Included is one song, split into two parts:


[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a_iq3IUHJqI&playnext=1&list=PLA27DA8783E5936FC[/ame]

13. Creation's End
Prog "supergroup" featuring members from bands that are only well-known in this close nit group of metalheads. Features vocals by Mike Dimeo formerly of Riot. At first, I didn't like this one as much, but it's such a grower that when you can appreciate how dense it is, is quite rewarding. I also think these veterans will kill it on stage.

They only have one album, here are two great songs (the album opener and the one right after it):

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7l4EjXa4oCM&feature=fvwrel[/ame]


Enjoy.

 

[Orion Crystal Ice]

thanks Dios I'm looking forward to listening to the Creation's End, I know Mike was also in Masterplan, but I don't like Masterplan, though he was good. Haken too, weird is good to me, so hopefully I will dig that. Let me add on to the Labyrinth ones. Something from the self titled, and from 'Freeman'. Stuff that also shows shades of the midpaced, more prog influenced stuff which is just as good. You just have to like both stylings..

 

[KingsGene]

Perhaps we need to bump or sticky those "get to know a band" threads again, and create new threads for the bands that have not yet been done yet...?

 

[Justin G]

If the songs were no good it really wouldn't matter if DC was still in the band, this tells me everybody would rave over 'The Mission', 'Paradox II' etc if Cooper was simply singing on them......besides all that, I don't necessarily hear what's better by a landslide about DC as compared to Boals and West....there are strong and weak points with each (e.g., Cooper's upper middle register is too smooth and sweet, sounding too laid back, and Boals' screams aren't sharp/intense enough often enough..) though I'm sure this particular discussion has been done to death on these boards, but just my two cents...

Why would DC Cooper sing anything from the albums after he left? They're doing Paradox in its entirety right now, and I'm sure that's the kind of thing they'd bring to PPUSA.

 

[TENTH DREAMER DECEIVER]

Their setlist and overall vibe was poor. The only highlights were the 2 girls singing backup and a song from Moving Target.

Was Royal Hunt really bad? I couldn't make it to the fest, and they were one of the bands I really wanted to see, love me some RH.