New Unbiased EIMA Review

[gr8gonzo]

This just in from my sister, who received the EIMA SE CD/DVD for Christmas:

"The new Frost* kicks butt. Some of the tracks are very strong, a couple are going to take some getting used to (then I'll probably like them more than the ones I liked first), and I miss some of the flavor of the previous, but all in all a good one. Thanks."

That's pretty much it in a nutshell, isn't it?

As far as sisters go, I could have done worse.

[johninblack]

This just in from my sister, who received the EIMA SE CD/DVD for Christmas:

"The new Frost* kicks butt. Some of the tracks are very strong, a couple are going to take some getting used to (then I'll probably like them more than the ones I liked first), and I miss some of the flavor of the previous, but all in all a good one. Thanks."

That's pretty much it in a nutshell, isn't it?

As far as sisters go, I could have done worse.

Sounds to me like she know what she's talking about.

[Mickdoo22]

Fair enough assessment.  After having lived with this album a while now, I have to say that some of the tracks that I maybe didn't "get" early on are now my favorite tracks.  Lately "Secret Song" is one of my favorites....I love it!  I can still say honestly I think I like this album more than Milliontown in many ways.  The only track I just can't get into at the moment is "Pocket Sun".  I like the song well enough, but it is just too cluttered for my ears.  
But this album has taken up residence in my CD player and just won't go away!  

[Ziggy]

It's a great CD, but i think i miss milliontown-ness as much as i like this one  

To say what i mean i guess i have to say this;

If back in 2006 Frost put out this latest album, rather than the one they did put out, well i think things would be very different right now. I don't think i would have ever gotten into them enough to look up further info, discover frost reports, stuff like that. That's a bad thing - it does make me more thankful for milliontown, which despite becoming one of those albums which i've listened to so much i have to put it down for a while and listen to it less regularly these days on purpose, is contender for my favorite album ever (top 3 defo)

Basically the stuff was there on the first CD which made me fall in love (the opening Hyperventilate riff that made me think this was some kind of Metroid Metal band [which caught my attention off the bat and made me listen further], which failed to prepare me for the onslaught of awesomeness i was about to experience always sticks in my mind) is missing from EIMA.

I don't believe that a band has to change in order to count as progressive music, i also don't believe that progressive music itself has to change, any more than any other genre changes with time ( all contemporary music changes with time), to retain its right to be called progressive. To me the word relates to characteristics of the music in the genre, not a need to 'progress' these characteristics as time moves on. For this reason i get sad when alot of bands i get into decide to change their output, especially when i've just gotten into them, and everything up til that point is incredible, then they put out something new which is 'different', and generally not as good as older stuff (not specifically talking about this band here, happened a few times! Dream Theater and Symphony X are prime examples) However i respect anyone's decision on the path their band / music takes, it's their baby and if i were in their shoes i would certainly hope i would feel the need to do what i wanted to do and not what other people did.

Anyway i'm going round in circles here without really making a point  :mrgreen: And i know this kind of talk has the potential to spark 100 page + debates (and probably already has in the past) and that's not my intention.

I do love EIMA, unfortunately i'm already at the point where i've listened to it too much i think, but it's a great cd and certainly the melodic genius of Jem does shine through at points which make you realize the difference between this and other records of the same vein.

I still give it 5 stars!

[Sean]

I had a teacher that I help out with at school, I gave her the CD and it she LOVES IT. She is really into more indie music, but when she heard this I've got her hooked on Frost* and also a few other bands as well!

[LivingForever]

Welcome to the forum Ziggy, you make some good points.

If I was to be honest, I'd probably agree with at least some of them. EIMA is an excellent album by any standards - however... it's not in my top 5 albums of all time (yet).

Something about every single second of Milliontown made me know right from my first listen that it was something really special.

I think what I miss in EIMA is some of the more joyful passges in Milliontown - I couldn't care less whether something is "prog" or pop, or widdly-widdly, or thrashy, but when there's a passage that makes the hairs stand up on the back of my neck, puts a massive smile on my face, and makes me praise some deity I don't believe in that I'm alive, that's special.

And there are, ooh 10 or so little bits on Milliontown that fit the bill. And maybe only one or two on EIMA (Falling Down solo for one...)

So that's what I miss a bit on EIMA. Joyfulness and jollity.