Listening to these Dear Hunter tracks in isolation makes me realize how much better they work in the context of their albums. With the exception of Migrant and The Color Spectrum, every other album of theirs is one part of a single concept. I mean, I still think this is a really good song, but I remember loving it in the context of the album. It's a great chill-down after the frantic energy that is A Night on the Town. I think you should at least hear their last two albums--Act IV and Act V--in their entirety. I would say Acts 1-3 do have more harsher/metal-ish elements, but their vibe is still closer to this and A Night on the Town. If you're going to listen to full albums, I'd definitely just start with Act 1 and go forward from there. I do feel Act IV and V are their best, but it's not like Act 1-3 are bad and you may end up liking them more (I know some fans that prefer their earlier albums).
100% better to consume The Dear Hunter as a whole, not in isolation. But please still let us see your reactions to them. I for one would have zero issues if you focused the channel on Dear Hunter album reactions. Wink wink nudge nudge Also go in order act I - act V and make sure to check out Color Spectrum and Migrant
When you said "I think this is the last The Dear Hunter..." I said "oh no" out loud before you said "single". I'd love to see full album reactions, their songs are definitely strongest when listened to in the context of the albums.
You make the best point here. Listening to TDH is, without a doubt, best experienced by playing an album all the way through. There are musical motifs that span across all of the acts, which all together tells a complete tragic yet beautiful story. It would be so cool if you made a special series of you going through all the acts!
Excited to hear that full album listens are the way you intend to listen to The Dear Hunter. Starting with Act I is the way to go, however, Act V is definitely their best album. Acts I-III have more prog rock/post hardcore and Acts IV and V are essentially a double album of the symphonic jazz rock IV being light and V being dark. Their albums The Color Spectrum and Migarant are more of a collection of songs than a narrative. If full album reviews become a thing, I can't recommend Flying Lotus - Cosmogramma enough. For single song reactions: Steven Wilson - Luminol Enjoy!
I think this is my favorite The Dear Hunter song. Those chorus chords are dreamy. If you ever do album reactions, The Dear Hunter is a must. As far as track recommendations go for TDH, The March and Blood are some others of my favorites if you don't mind some narrative spoilers since they're from the climax of Act V. I think listening to the Acts in order is smartest. I think another RUclipsr reacted to these albums and had a write up of notes about the story from someone who knew the albums already so he could understand it clearer without the multiple listens these albums really require. Though if you're mainly listening to the music itself it might be unnecessary. Also, I know of a compilation of repeated musical and lyrical motifs from throughout all of the Acts if you wanted to use that after listening to them all to kind of connect some more dots. It's kinda weird to think of all this stuff for me because I listened to one album at a time, taking multiple weeks/months before listening to the next album while listening to all of them repeatedly, so a lot of the excitement of hearing the familiar phrases or whatever might not be as noticeable when listened to in shorter proximity.
Awesome reaction, I enjoy your take on their work. I agree with you and others that their work is probably best consumed as a whole. I do hope that you do get to the full albums. Act 1-5 is one continuing storyline. I'd suggest starting with Act 1 and go through 5 in order. It gives a chance to not only follow the story in order, but also to appreciate the bands growth over time as well.
Also, this band has more than 'The Acts' series of albums. The have a series of awesome EPs and an album called 'The Color Spetrum'. They also have an album called 'Migrant' which is definitely one of my favorites.
Yeah The Dear Hunter is basically a concept band. Acts I - V and soon to be Act VI all tell a single narrative about the life of a single character(The Dear Hunter) and the trials and tribulations this character experiences. You definitely have to start with Act I and then progress forward to get the whole story. You will also be able see just how far they have evolved as a band and how their composition has improved if you start at the beginning.
Great video again! I think you should most definitely listen to all of their Acts, you'd really dig them (and yeah, Acts 1-5 are one whole concept series of albums!). Acts 1-3 have more of that harsher post-hardcore sound you're talking about, and Act III is their heaviest for sure. I hope you react to them again in some form, and if so, I'd strongly recommend The Tank, from Act III (or The Lake and the River from Act II for a longer piece). Cheers!
The Dear Hunter is a really rewarding band to invest time into! I would definitely watch a livestream of Acts 1-5, which are all one continuous story about "The Dear Hunter". It is sort of like a musical with all of the dialogue between songs removed. It is possible to figure out what is happening on your own, but very challenging on a first listen.
Great song! Here's hoping to a full album reaction, we would be in for a treat. For my recommendation, I hope you can check out "The sun, the moon, the star" by Aether Realm. It IS a long one, but really interesting and I think you'll probably like it!
Definitely do full album reactions for them please in context they're insanely great start with act 1 but it is worth noting the production difference between 1 and 3 is night and day either way, keep up the awesome videos love the channel!
So pumped on this. Love the reactions to anything prog. Especially TDH, but yes you are totally correct in saying you need to listen to the albums from now on, it really allows you to understand the story and feel the emotion for yourself. Anyway keep it up man, love the content!
These guys are one of those bands that if you listen to a single song it doesn't really come across as prog, but if you listen to the album, the way to string a narrative together while doing big genre hops from song to song is the prog element.
I would say that in general The Dear Hunter is more similar to this and A Night on the Town. They aren't a very heavy band, most of their songs aren't even metal. But if you want something more like In Cauda Venenum I think Mustard Gas off the same album is similar
Funny enough, I experienced roughly the same series of musical discoveries that I see you going through on this channel with modern prog, but about a year before you. It started with Coheed, but led quickly into The Dear Hunter, Polyphia, Dance Gavin Dance, and my personal favorite, Thank You Scientist. Anyways, greatly enjoy this channel, Bryan. Stay healthy!
Yes oh yes please do album reactions for The Dear Hunter. It is the best way to digest them and to see how diverse they truly are. Also you should definitely do them in order because they just get better and better.
I was definitely on the same page as you when I first got into the Dear Hunter. I was first introduced to them on a double bill with Between the Buried and Me (imagine THAT show), and was a bit disappointed that so much of their other material was outside of the prog rock/metal box. I find that approaching them from an angle of jazz/folk/pop puts me in a better head-space to enjoy them (and I do, don't come at me DH fans). All that being said, check out their Black EP if you're interested in the harsher side of their sound. It's a narrow cut of a much larger project (a series of nine related EPs) which very intentionally channels their "heavier" side.
The vocalist/guitar player/mastermind behind this band has done tons of stuff with tons of bands and also a good amount of solo stuff. He even released a Symphony a few years ago it's called Armour & Attrition. It's worth a listen.
Also check out Fall of Troy. A man, a plan, a canal, Panama! is a good place to start. It's also a palindrome. They are a 3 piece that just put out a new record. But they influenced a lot of bands you feature on here like Chon, polyphia, dgd and more. Proggy, post hardcore, and jazzy with a bit of that Seattle vibe.
Act 4 is an amazing piece of work. I first heard this band in 2008 and haven't stopped listening since. Act 2 is by far my favorite though and i have listened to that album in full more times than I can ever care to know. It's just a masterpiece. Seriously skilled band. Casey is a great writer and vocalist.
Your favorite part of dear hunter is found in act 2 and 3. 1 aswell but really act 3: Mustard gas and The tank are my favorite songs of theirs. You should really listen to them in order as a whole though. It's such a mesmerizing experience!
Very interesting perspectives and analyses you came with on this. i realise it's been over a year since this video and you saying that you might do an album reaction, and I was just wondering if that's still a possibility, because it's definitely something i'd like to see
Soooooo COVID completely ruined my plans for this channel. I ended up becoming an at home teacher for my child for 1.25 school years. Thus all of my expansion plans were put on hold, including album reviews. On the plus side though, I've begun putting those plans back in motion and album reviews are back on the docket. I'll probably start next month but I don't know how often I'll be able to put them out. The Dear Hunter is certainly on the short list for that though.
@@CriticalReactions ah, that's unfortunate to hear. Many a plan have been foiled by the pandemic. Good to hear things are being put in motion again, though. I'll be interested to see what you come out with, and also, well wishes to your child!
You definitely have to react to the album as a whole because the way the songs flow into each other is beautiful . I mean they are telling a story with each Act and it just will make so much more sense if you listen to the album as a whole instead of piece by piece
The Acts are all one story! So it is good to start with Act I and get the story from beginning to end. Otherwise most of their songs on their own are like a random scene from a play. No one song makes the story, and the story is really the masterpiece imo. This song especially is just... not standalone. It's not musically or narratively the strongest. It's basically a hangover from A Night on The Town. The Color Spectrum and Migrant have more stand-alone songs. The Color Spectrum draws from a variety of influences. Migrant tends towards poppy, but The Kiss of Life is, so good..... Also I'm just nerding out at this point because this band is a special interest but, if you listen to all of The Acts, please pay attention to reprises, environmental cues, and just... How good they are at simulating sensations? The strings in The Tank. The swinging door as he ollies tf out of The Poison Woman's shack. The sound of objects flying by in Smiling Swine as he FALLS in love with Ms. Leading. The vocals with an underwater sound as Ms. Terri struggles not to drown in Act I. The underwater sound is also used in Act V, at a large plot point :) To me the overall story is largely about human experience: our relationships, our emotions, the way our past impacts our presence and future (The Oracles are even like the Moirai, and show up in every Act.) The struggle against internal and external corruption. Aight I'm done I'm just really passionate about TDH.
The only album I own on vinyl. This blew my mind the first 100 times I heard it. You def need to get to more of these guys. Try the Indigo EP. Namely Progress + Therma. So unique.
Just watched all 3 of your TDH vids, ending here. Excellent analysis, instant subscribe. The pandemic has been difficult for us all, but (with no expectations) I'd be thrilled if you're able to find a way to get back to your idea of full album reviews. Based on your commentary thus far, you're much like me. Personally, Act II and III stand above the rest for their commitment to including the "roughness" and "chaos" of Emo/Post-hardcore, while still effectively merging with other genres. Act I sometimes leans a bit TOO far in that direction, but sometimes nails the desired sound as well. That said, IV and V are still incredible albums in their own right, just not my personal favorite when compared to the earlier work. Worth noting, IV and V were recorded at the same time, with the help of Awesome Orchestra in San Francisco, almost certainly leading to the noticeable change in sound. Best wishes to you, and, whatever the future holds, I'm thankful for the content you've already published.
I did my first full album review last month and it went well. I plan on doing more of them but I'm not quite sure how the choosing process is going to work just yet.
@@CriticalReactions It's an interesting dilemma, not just choosing the albums themselves, but also settling on a format. While I appreciate the "live reaction" format for single tracks, it's problematic for online content to be so long-form, especially when you put so much time into a video only to have it blocked by your primary platform. It might be more effective, for this platform at least, to produce a video that references your live reaction, only with more in-depth research, listening, and a loose script or outline. That sounds like a lot more work, but just wanted to throw it out there for you. As far as what albums to choose, I'd rather see you focus on albums that feature tracks you've already enjoyed in your song reactions, but that's just me. There's something to be said about choosing more popular works to increase your channel's visibility, and sure, I'd love to see your Dark Side of the Moon analysis, but I think your biggest draw is the opportunity to watch someone who really knows their shit getting really excited about something they only just recently discovered. Since you replied to me, obligatory album recommendations: Defeater - "Empty Days and Sleepless Nights", mewithoutyou - "Brother, Sister", Deltron 3030 - "Deltron 3030", Gavin Castleton - "Home", Touche Amore - "Stage Four", Bryan Scary and the Shredding Tears - "Flight of the Knife". That's way too many, but I couldn't help myself! Last of all, I just want to say, I really enjoy getting prog-rock analysis from Jon Snow.
I would love for you to react to some RX Bandits. Kind of in the vein of Thank You Scientist. They started as a 3rd wave ska band, but evolved so much more. Some great tracks would be: ...And the Battle Begun Mientras La Veo Sonar Ruby Cumulous I'm sure I'm a small minority here, but that would be pretty rad.
Yeah dude, start with act 1. Pretty sure Casey did the whole thing himself, with the help of his brother and their mom even does some backing vocals. The " Acts" tell a continuous story about the Dear Hunter which begins with a boy at the turn of the century. Act 3 is still my favorite. Enjoy.
Act 3 is their best work in my opinion, but every Act album is awesome in its own way. Act 4 and 5 are softer, which is something you've pointed out in your recations. The earlier acts delve more into prog ideas and have that post hard-core vibe to more songs, but generally this band doesn't stick to just one style. I'd recommend starting from act 1 though because the act albums heavily feature motifs that recur throughout all the albums and its a nice treat to recognize a motif from act 1 pop up in act 3 for example.
Bryan, if you begin to do full album listens, like more persons told in the comments, most of the albums of Pain of Salvation act as a conceptual albums: The Perfect Element part I, Remedy Lane, Scarsick, BE, In The passing light of day. Like was commented in patreon, a live version of BE it's a must for POS.
That solid bass line at the beginning was awesome. Too bad that wasn't the direction they went with the song. Kinda reminded me of an updated jazzy Beatles song. Ha ha. Like a Mr Bungle meets The Beatles meets '90's Ozzy meets The Mars Volta.
There's a few bands other than The Dear Hunter that you've done multiple reactions to that have concept albums that you should start delving into full album listens of such as BTBAM and Cult of Luna, but album reactions are a whole different beast that would take a ton of time so I totally understand that they're not really practical. Maybe if you personally listened/reacted to a full album in one sitting but then split it into five parts and released it over the course of the week like your normal schedule it would make it more feasible for you and we'd still get the same amount of content. Just an idea, haven't thought hard about it if that actually makes sense and could work.
Will you do a song from their first album? It's called "City Escape" (by The Dear Hunter) The album came out , I believe, less than a yr after Casey left TREOS(The Receiving End Of Sirens) Pls do!! I love these videos, man. Ty
As many other people have said they generally aren't a heavy band, but if you want something like In Cauda Venenum I would have to recommend City Escape.
Act 4 and 5 are more in the jazzy realm, the first 3 acts are more emo. Migrant is pretty poppy but still great and the color spectrum is varied incredibly widely per colour.
Some of the chord progression reminds me of some old classic, can't put my finger on it though. Maybe a Pink Floyd song? Edit: PF - Time. Not really similar at all listening again haha, ears can play weird tricks on you.
It pays homage to Comfortably Numb, not directly but there are some references (mainly the chorus melody, the ah-ah-ah vocals a couple of times and the title of the song).
I feel the issue here, as it happened with Comfortably Numb by Pink Floyd (which this song pays homage too actually!), taking it one by one loses the proggy feel and you miss in the concept. Still, I get what you say. Both are mostly full-album bands. Great reaction as always!
Check out Tricot if you get the chance. They are a mostly girl math/prog rock band with some really interesting rhythmic ideas and groove. Omotenashi is my personal rec.
Please do album reactions for the acts. Holy moly, what a rush. Please. Please. Please. Start with Act 1 and end with Act 5. You gotta start at the beginning to understand all the motifs that intertwine through the entire story!
Act 1-5 in order, no doubt. They're all great, although I'm in the camp of 4/5 being my favourites. Migrant and The colour spectrum are also awesome. They've never put out a stinker, or even close to it.
Heavy isnt the end all be all for TDH imo... band is very multifaceted, so many different sounds/styles, cant be placed into a box, this song gives me a Hotel California vibe, I could see this song being huge, it has all of the needed qualities
Simplistic? Apparently nuance is a realm you can't seem to dip your inadequate toes in. I would love to hear you play and sing a song that half as good as any one of their songs.
As others have said: Other than some specific songs, a lot of their Prog is in the context of the album as a whole. They are anything but repetitious in the context of the album's themselves.
King of swords off that album is straight up funk. First time i heard it i thought spotify went rougue on me. Still here letin ya know im rootin for a bear ghost play. Beware the bear ghost.
When Act IV came out, I struggled with this song. It was kind of a sore thumb in an exceptional album for me. The crooner lounge jazz vocals of the chorus just rubbed me the wrong way. I've learned to love it though, but I admit I'm still mostly just waiting for that amazing guitar solo.
A lot already being said, I just want to add the GREATNESS of the "Color Spectrum" EP madness, running through the whole, well,... color spectrum, to me really having a synesthetic vibe between color and music. The acts and Migrant reprise not being lesser valued, though...
I saw that you've started doing those album reviews now! I really hope the dear hunter is still on your list for album reviews. Regarding the question at the end, i would say that listening to all the acts in order makes for the most cohesive experience, but i will say that the first two albums are the least compositionally ambitious and my least favourite. If you want just one to jump into to try out, i would say that act 4 seems to be most people's favourite
IMO- Reviewing a prog song out of context of the whole album especially a concept album will give you a different reaction. Kind of like watching one scene of a movie. Also criticizing a song for not being proggy enough is weird. Lyrics and the instruments/vibe should complement each other, Bryan doesn't concentrate on the lyrics much but it would help in understanding what the song is about.
I have the same feelings listen TDH than i have with pink floyd. They bored me most of the time. Too soft and slow, no changes of rythm, no colors in voice or any instrument. Perhaps i should give it a try to a full album.
Yeah with this band the Rhythm changes largely happen between songs, but they way they prepare you for it in the previous song is really masterful. It never feels like a harsh border between songs even though there is quite a clear change happening. If you don't have too much time I suggest City Escape + The Inquiry of Ms. Terri. If you have time to kill def start from the very beginning as the previous 2 tracks to these are an a cappella intro and short brass sub intro.
@@maxmaidment96 Listened the fourth firsts songs of ACT I. It's a good band. It reminds me to Muse ( in vocals) and i like his theatrical musical approach. Deserves a try. Most of the times with a single song you can see if a group it's good enough. Not always xd
@@magoelder9079 Vocals and composition are for sure the spotlight in this band. I can't say the drums grab me like Portnoy or the solos grab me like Petrucci, but the overarching context is just so rich. There are motifs which repeat from Act 1 to Act 5 and it takes a lot of listens to pick up on it. It's really rewarding, like when you finally know how to nod your head to a dream theater song.
Listening to these Dear Hunter tracks in isolation makes me realize how much better they work in the context of their albums. With the exception of Migrant and The Color Spectrum, every other album of theirs is one part of a single concept. I mean, I still think this is a really good song, but I remember loving it in the context of the album. It's a great chill-down after the frantic energy that is A Night on the Town. I think you should at least hear their last two albums--Act IV and Act V--in their entirety. I would say Acts 1-3 do have more harsher/metal-ish elements, but their vibe is still closer to this and A Night on the Town. If you're going to listen to full albums, I'd definitely just start with Act 1 and go forward from there. I do feel Act IV and V are their best, but it's not like Act 1-3 are bad and you may end up liking them more (I know some fans that prefer their earlier albums).
So basically listen to their entire discography? Hahaha
@@Kabz8 these guys are criminally underrated. If you haven't, listen to all the Acts in order (not necessarily in one sitting xD)
@@jessespector3882 And then look up the story summary for each album and do it again XD
I gotta give a listen to a whole album of this band.
They are outstanding!
Try that one act IV is my personal favorite.
Thought Act III is my favorite, all of them deserve a listen...outstanding band
Gotta do it beginning to end and see how flawlessly each act tells it’s story.
100% better to consume The Dear Hunter as a whole, not in isolation. But please still let us see your reactions to them. I for one would have zero issues if you focused the channel on Dear Hunter album reactions. Wink wink nudge nudge
Also go in order act I - act V and make sure to check out Color Spectrum and Migrant
When you said "I think this is the last The Dear Hunter..." I said "oh no" out loud before you said "single". I'd love to see full album reactions, their songs are definitely strongest when listened to in the context of the albums.
You make the best point here. Listening to TDH is, without a doubt, best experienced by playing an album all the way through. There are musical motifs that span across all of the acts, which all together tells a complete tragic yet beautiful story. It would be so cool if you made a special series of you going through all the acts!
Excited to hear that full album listens are the way you intend to listen to The Dear Hunter. Starting with Act I is the way to go, however, Act V is definitely their best album. Acts I-III have more prog rock/post hardcore and Acts IV and V are essentially a double album of the symphonic jazz rock IV being light and V being dark. Their albums The Color Spectrum and Migarant are more of a collection of songs than a narrative.
If full album reviews become a thing, I can't recommend Flying Lotus - Cosmogramma enough.
For single song reactions: Steven Wilson - Luminol
Enjoy!
agreed Act V is definitely the best
I think this is my favorite The Dear Hunter song. Those chorus chords are dreamy. If you ever do album reactions, The Dear Hunter is a must. As far as track recommendations go for TDH, The March and Blood are some others of my favorites if you don't mind some narrative spoilers since they're from the climax of Act V.
I think listening to the Acts in order is smartest. I think another RUclipsr reacted to these albums and had a write up of notes about the story from someone who knew the albums already so he could understand it clearer without the multiple listens these albums really require. Though if you're mainly listening to the music itself it might be unnecessary. Also, I know of a compilation of repeated musical and lyrical motifs from throughout all of the Acts if you wanted to use that after listening to them all to kind of connect some more dots.
It's kinda weird to think of all this stuff for me because I listened to one album at a time, taking multiple weeks/months before listening to the next album while listening to all of them repeatedly, so a lot of the excitement of hearing the familiar phrases or whatever might not be as noticeable when listened to in shorter proximity.
Awesome reaction, I enjoy your take on their work. I agree with you and others that their work is probably best consumed as a whole. I do hope that you do get to the full albums. Act 1-5 is one continuing storyline. I'd suggest starting with Act 1 and go through 5 in order. It gives a chance to not only follow the story in order, but also to appreciate the bands growth over time as well.
Also, this band has more than 'The Acts' series of albums. The have a series of awesome EPs and an album called 'The Color Spetrum'. They also have an album called 'Migrant' which is definitely one of my favorites.
Yeah The Dear Hunter is basically a concept band. Acts I - V and soon to be Act VI all tell a single narrative about the life of a single character(The Dear Hunter) and the trials and tribulations this character experiences. You definitely have to start with Act I and then progress forward to get the whole story. You will also be able see just how far they have evolved as a band and how their composition has improved if you start at the beginning.
Great video again! I think you should most definitely listen to all of their Acts, you'd really dig them (and yeah, Acts 1-5 are one whole concept series of albums!). Acts 1-3 have more of that harsher post-hardcore sound you're talking about, and Act III is their heaviest for sure. I hope you react to them again in some form, and if so, I'd strongly recommend The Tank, from Act III (or The Lake and the River from Act II for a longer piece). Cheers!
The Dear Hunter is a really rewarding band to invest time into! I would definitely watch a livestream of Acts 1-5, which are all one continuous story about "The Dear Hunter". It is sort of like a musical with all of the dialogue between songs removed. It is possible to figure out what is happening on your own, but very challenging on a first listen.
Great song! Here's hoping to a full album reaction, we would be in for a treat. For my recommendation, I hope you can check out "The sun, the moon, the star" by Aether Realm. It IS a long one, but really interesting and I think you'll probably like it!
Definitely do full album reactions for them please in context they're insanely great start with act 1 but it is worth noting the production difference between 1 and 3 is night and day either way, keep up the awesome videos love the channel!
So pumped on this. Love the reactions to anything prog. Especially TDH, but yes you are totally correct in saying you need to listen to the albums from now on, it really allows you to understand the story and feel the emotion for yourself. Anyway keep it up man, love the content!
These guys are one of those bands that if you listen to a single song it doesn't really come across as prog, but if you listen to the album, the way to string a narrative together while doing big genre hops from song to song is the prog element.
I would say that in general The Dear Hunter is more similar to this and A Night on the Town. They aren't a very heavy band, most of their songs aren't even metal. But if you want something more like In Cauda Venenum I think Mustard Gas off the same album is similar
And maybe The Tank too
Definitely listen to Act 2 start to finish. It flows so beautifully
If you want more hardcore stuff from the, try "The Procession" or "Dear Ms Leading". Same theatrics, twice the anger.
Funny enough, I experienced roughly the same series of musical discoveries that I see you going through on this channel with modern prog, but about a year before you. It started with Coheed, but led quickly into The Dear Hunter, Polyphia, Dance Gavin Dance, and my personal favorite, Thank You Scientist. Anyways, greatly enjoy this channel, Bryan. Stay healthy!
Yes oh yes please do album reactions for The Dear Hunter. It is the best way to digest them and to see how diverse they truly are. Also you should definitely do them in order because they just get better and better.
I was definitely on the same page as you when I first got into the Dear Hunter. I was first introduced to them on a double bill with Between the Buried and Me (imagine THAT show), and was a bit disappointed that so much of their other material was outside of the prog rock/metal box. I find that approaching them from an angle of jazz/folk/pop puts me in a better head-space to enjoy them (and I do, don't come at me DH fans).
All that being said, check out their Black EP if you're interested in the harsher side of their sound. It's a narrow cut of a much larger project (a series of nine related EPs) which very intentionally channels their "heavier" side.
That show opened up with Leprous. Hope you caught them. Great line up
The vocalist/guitar player/mastermind behind this band has done tons of stuff with tons of bands and also a good amount of solo stuff. He even released a Symphony a few years ago it's called Armour & Attrition. It's worth a listen.
I love your reactions to this band man! Would love to see more!
Can’t wait to watch reactions to albums!
Also check out Fall of Troy. A man, a plan, a canal, Panama! is a good place to start. It's also a palindrome. They are a 3 piece that just put out a new record. But they influenced a lot of bands you feature on here like Chon, polyphia, dgd and more. Proggy, post hardcore, and jazzy with a bit of that Seattle vibe.
I feel like this song was heavily inspired by, and may even be an homage to, Pink Floyd. Specifically “The Great Gig in the Sky” and “On the Run”
Act 4 is an amazing piece of work. I first heard this band in 2008 and haven't stopped listening since. Act 2 is by far my favorite though and i have listened to that album in full more times than I can ever care to know. It's just a masterpiece. Seriously skilled band. Casey is a great writer and vocalist.
Your favorite part of dear hunter is found in act 2 and 3. 1 aswell but really act 3: Mustard gas and The tank are my favorite songs of theirs.
You should really listen to them in order as a whole though. It's such a mesmerizing experience!
Very interesting perspectives and analyses you came with on this. i realise it's been over a year since this video and you saying that you might do an album reaction, and I was just wondering if that's still a possibility, because it's definitely something i'd like to see
Soooooo COVID completely ruined my plans for this channel. I ended up becoming an at home teacher for my child for 1.25 school years. Thus all of my expansion plans were put on hold, including album reviews. On the plus side though, I've begun putting those plans back in motion and album reviews are back on the docket. I'll probably start next month but I don't know how often I'll be able to put them out. The Dear Hunter is certainly on the short list for that though.
@@CriticalReactions ah, that's unfortunate to hear. Many a plan have been foiled by the pandemic. Good to hear things are being put in motion again, though. I'll be interested to see what you come out with, and also, well wishes to your child!
You definitely have to react to the album as a whole because the way the songs flow into each other is beautiful . I mean they are telling a story with each Act and it just will make so much more sense if you listen to the album as a whole instead of piece by piece
The Acts are all one story! So it is good to start with Act I and get the story from beginning to end. Otherwise most of their songs on their own are like a random scene from a play. No one song makes the story, and the story is really the masterpiece imo. This song especially is just... not standalone. It's not musically or narratively the strongest. It's basically a hangover from A Night on The Town.
The Color Spectrum and Migrant have more stand-alone songs. The Color Spectrum draws from a variety of influences. Migrant tends towards poppy, but The Kiss of Life is, so good.....
Also I'm just nerding out at this point because this band is a special interest but, if you listen to all of The Acts, please pay attention to reprises, environmental cues, and just... How good they are at simulating sensations? The strings in The Tank. The swinging door as he ollies tf out of The Poison Woman's shack. The sound of objects flying by in Smiling Swine as he FALLS in love with Ms. Leading. The vocals with an underwater sound as Ms. Terri struggles not to drown in Act I. The underwater sound is also used in Act V, at a large plot point :)
To me the overall story is largely about human experience: our relationships, our emotions, the way our past impacts our presence and future (The Oracles are even like the Moirai, and show up in every Act.) The struggle against internal and external corruption. Aight I'm done I'm just really passionate about TDH.
The only album I own on vinyl. This blew my mind the first 100 times I heard it. You def need to get to more of these guys. Try the Indigo EP. Namely Progress + Therma. So unique.
Just watched all 3 of your TDH vids, ending here. Excellent analysis, instant subscribe. The pandemic has been difficult for us all, but (with no expectations) I'd be thrilled if you're able to find a way to get back to your idea of full album reviews. Based on your commentary thus far, you're much like me. Personally, Act II and III stand above the rest for their commitment to including the "roughness" and "chaos" of Emo/Post-hardcore, while still effectively merging with other genres. Act I sometimes leans a bit TOO far in that direction, but sometimes nails the desired sound as well. That said, IV and V are still incredible albums in their own right, just not my personal favorite when compared to the earlier work. Worth noting, IV and V were recorded at the same time, with the help of Awesome Orchestra in San Francisco, almost certainly leading to the noticeable change in sound. Best wishes to you, and, whatever the future holds, I'm thankful for the content you've already published.
I did my first full album review last month and it went well. I plan on doing more of them but I'm not quite sure how the choosing process is going to work just yet.
@@CriticalReactions It's an interesting dilemma, not just choosing the albums themselves, but also settling on a format. While I appreciate the "live reaction" format for single tracks, it's problematic for online content to be so long-form, especially when you put so much time into a video only to have it blocked by your primary platform. It might be more effective, for this platform at least, to produce a video that references your live reaction, only with more in-depth research, listening, and a loose script or outline. That sounds like a lot more work, but just wanted to throw it out there for you. As far as what albums to choose, I'd rather see you focus on albums that feature tracks you've already enjoyed in your song reactions, but that's just me. There's something to be said about choosing more popular works to increase your channel's visibility, and sure, I'd love to see your Dark Side of the Moon analysis, but I think your biggest draw is the opportunity to watch someone who really knows their shit getting really excited about something they only just recently discovered.
Since you replied to me, obligatory album recommendations: Defeater - "Empty Days and Sleepless Nights", mewithoutyou - "Brother, Sister", Deltron 3030 - "Deltron 3030", Gavin Castleton - "Home", Touche Amore - "Stage Four", Bryan Scary and the Shredding Tears - "Flight of the Knife". That's way too many, but I couldn't help myself!
Last of all, I just want to say, I really enjoy getting prog-rock analysis from Jon Snow.
I would love for you to react to some RX Bandits. Kind of in the vein of Thank You Scientist. They started as a 3rd wave ska band, but evolved so much more.
Some great tracks would be:
...And the Battle Begun
Mientras La Veo Sonar
Ruby Cumulous
I'm sure I'm a small minority here, but that would be pretty rad.
Also, yes, react to the entirety of The Dear Hunter.
The middle-album suite on ...and the Battle Begun is awesome too! Great suggestion.
Yeah dude, start with act 1. Pretty sure Casey did the whole thing himself, with the help of his brother and their mom even does some backing vocals. The " Acts" tell a continuous story about the Dear Hunter which begins with a boy at the turn of the century. Act 3 is still my favorite. Enjoy.
Act 3 is their best work in my opinion, but every Act album is awesome in its own way. Act 4 and 5 are softer, which is something you've pointed out in your recations. The earlier acts delve more into prog ideas and have that post hard-core vibe to more songs, but generally this band doesn't stick to just one style. I'd recommend starting from act 1 though because the act albums heavily feature motifs that recur throughout all the albums and its a nice treat to recognize a motif from act 1 pop up in act 3 for example.
This song is awesome, so is The Dear Hunter.
Bryan, if you begin to do full album listens, like more persons told in the comments, most of the albums of Pain of Salvation act as a conceptual albums: The Perfect Element part I, Remedy Lane, Scarsick, BE, In The passing light of day. Like was commented in patreon, a live version of BE it's a must for POS.
That solid bass line at the beginning was awesome. Too bad that wasn't the direction they went with the song. Kinda reminded me of an updated jazzy Beatles song. Ha ha. Like a Mr Bungle meets The Beatles meets '90's Ozzy meets The Mars Volta.
There's a few bands other than The Dear Hunter that you've done multiple reactions to that have concept albums that you should start delving into full album listens of such as BTBAM and Cult of Luna, but album reactions are a whole different beast that would take a ton of time so I totally understand that they're not really practical. Maybe if you personally listened/reacted to a full album in one sitting but then split it into five parts and released it over the course of the week like your normal schedule it would make it more feasible for you and we'd still get the same amount of content. Just an idea, haven't thought hard about it if that actually makes sense and could work.
This is a great album
Will you do a song from their first album? It's called "City Escape" (by The Dear Hunter)
The album came out , I believe, less than a yr after Casey left TREOS(The Receiving End Of Sirens)
Pls do!! I love these videos, man. Ty
As many other people have said they generally aren't a heavy band, but if you want something like In Cauda Venenum I would have to recommend City Escape.
yes or 1878!
Act 4 and 5 are more in the jazzy realm, the first 3 acts are more emo. Migrant is pretty poppy but still great and the color spectrum is varied incredibly widely per colour.
Some of the chord progression reminds me of some old classic, can't put my finger on it though. Maybe a Pink Floyd song? Edit: PF - Time. Not really similar at all listening again haha, ears can play weird tricks on you.
Kansas has a new album that's very good and proggy IMO. Anyway, I'm going to to check out more of Deer Hunter.
It pays homage to Comfortably Numb, not directly but there are some references (mainly the chorus melody, the ah-ah-ah vocals a couple of times and the title of the song).
I feel the issue here, as it happened with Comfortably Numb by Pink Floyd (which this song pays homage too actually!), taking it one by one loses the proggy feel and you miss in the concept. Still, I get what you say. Both are mostly full-album bands. Great reaction as always!
Interesting fact to learn!
Do one on The Reign of Kindo. It will blow your mind.
Check out Tricot if you get the chance. They are a mostly girl math/prog rock band with some really interesting rhythmic ideas and groove. Omotenashi is my personal rec.
I shared this in the Facebook The Dear Hunter group, come join us!
I would if I had a FB, thanks for the invite.
PLEASE DO A WHOLE ALBUM
Please do album reactions for the acts. Holy moly, what a rush. Please. Please. Please. Start with Act 1 and end with Act 5. You gotta start at the beginning to understand all the motifs that intertwine through the entire story!
Act 1-5 in order, no doubt. They're all great, although I'm in the camp of 4/5 being my favourites. Migrant and The colour spectrum are also awesome. They've never put out a stinker, or even close to it.
Heavy isnt the end all be all for TDH imo... band is very multifaceted, so many different sounds/styles, cant be placed into a box, this song gives me a Hotel California vibe, I could see this song being huge, it has all of the needed qualities
These dudes, I.Q. and like Sylvan are bands I can't really see one song at a time being as effective.
Simplistic? Apparently nuance is a realm you can't seem to dip your inadequate toes in. I would love to hear you play and sing a song that half as good as any one of their songs.
As others have said: Other than some specific songs, a lot of their Prog is in the context of the album as a whole. They are anything but repetitious in the context of the album's themselves.
You should check out Honorary Astronaut
King of swords off that album is straight up funk. First time i heard it i thought spotify went rougue on me. Still here letin ya know im rootin for a bear ghost play. Beware the bear ghost.
Deerhunter is a good band as well
Hope you do scardust & the contortionist & more vola for modern prog
You should definitely do Acts 1-5 in their entirety, in order. It's only 5 hours...
I think you’ll really like city escape on act 1
Soooo full albums when?
Another the end is the beggining of the next song
Look up there color spectrum and listen to there red color
When Act IV came out, I struggled with this song. It was kind of a sore thumb in an exceptional album for me. The crooner lounge jazz vocals of the chorus just rubbed me the wrong way. I've learned to love it though, but I admit I'm still mostly just waiting for that amazing guitar solo.
i think The Old Haunt is their most "interesting" song, off of this album at least
A lot already being said, I just want to add the GREATNESS of the "Color Spectrum" EP madness, running through the whole, well,... color spectrum, to me really having a synesthetic vibe between color and music. The acts and Migrant reprise not being lesser valued, though...
React to all of Act III!
I saw that you've started doing those album reviews now! I really hope the dear hunter is still on your list for album reviews. Regarding the question at the end, i would say that listening to all the acts in order makes for the most cohesive experience, but i will say that the first two albums are the least compositionally ambitious and my least favourite. If you want just one to jump into to try out, i would say that act 4 seems to be most people's favourite
There's a good chance we'll see Antimai in the future!
@@CriticalReactions that's very exciting! I hope you and your kid are doing well as well!
you should react to mgła. this is the black metal band and their new album has almost 1 mil views in 11 months
IMO- Reviewing a prog song out of context of the whole album especially a concept album will give you a different reaction. Kind of like watching one scene of a movie. Also criticizing a song for not being proggy enough is weird.
Lyrics and the instruments/vibe should complement each other, Bryan doesn't concentrate on the lyrics much but it would help in understanding what the song is about.
Jazz??? Great song though 😊
I have the same feelings listen TDH than i have with pink floyd. They bored me most of the time. Too soft and slow, no changes of rythm, no colors in voice or any instrument. Perhaps i should give it a try to a full album.
Yeah with this band the Rhythm changes largely happen between songs, but they way they prepare you for it in the previous song is really masterful. It never feels like a harsh border between songs even though there is quite a clear change happening. If you don't have too much time I suggest City Escape + The Inquiry of Ms. Terri. If you have time to kill def start from the very beginning as the previous 2 tracks to these are an a cappella intro and short brass sub intro.
@@maxmaidment96 Listened the fourth firsts songs of ACT I. It's a good band. It reminds me to Muse ( in vocals) and i like his theatrical musical approach. Deserves a try. Most of the times with a single song you can see if a group it's good enough. Not always xd
@@magoelder9079 Vocals and composition are for sure the spotlight in this band. I can't say the drums grab me like Portnoy or the solos grab me like Petrucci, but the overarching context is just so rich. There are motifs which repeat from Act 1 to Act 5 and it takes a lot of listens to pick up on it. It's really rewarding, like when you finally know how to nod your head to a dream theater song.