The gimmick with Galilean Satellites is that they released it on 2 separate CDs, one with ambient tracks, the other with this sludge metal thing. Funnily enough, you'll find that the track lengths match exactly. You know where I'm going with this - it's possible to listen to combined versions of the tracks (although that must have been quite a trick to pull off back in the day). So you get Départe/Deneb, Au Pays Natal/Sol etc. As for my own recs - you know what it is: Scar Symmetry - The Kaleidoscopic God. Since everyone seems to include overviews and I never did that, here's one: it's a 7 min long melodic death metal/prog metal song, the longest and proggiest one the band had written up to that point. Its full of surprises and seamlessly integrates space metal, crushing deatg metal riffs and even 80s style arena rock. You never know what's coming, but whatever does, never feels out of place and the full song for that reason is an extremely satisfying listen.
Where this track ends, it picks up on the same note on the first track of their next album ("red in tooth and claw" on wake/lift). But it's the complete opposite mood; instead of the pummeling despair of au pays natal, you're in for twelve minutes of insanely positive energy and vibes, bright and euphoric. I still doubt it's your thing, but I think it's a pretty cool flip of sound.
Yes, super stoked you're checking Rosetta out! Wake/Lift is my favorite album of theirs, but I think you would vibe with "Quintessential Ephemera" the most!
Love this record and band. They definitely do some great production work throughout their career to keep songs sonically interesting in a very rigid genre. Also their vocalist/noise guy is/was a high school science teacher so they could only tour during the summer. I was very happy to catch them in PDX on one of them, with a few fellow (at the time) music reviewers.
To me Rosetta always sounds space-y, especially on this album, having in mind the noise on disc two. The reason I connect the music to space, other than the obvious associations that stem from song titles + lyrics, is that for me the "sound of space" is forever tied to NASA's Symphonies of the Planets, more precisely the "music" that was obtained by converting various measurements from the Voyager spacecraft into audio and released as a series of, well, sort of music albums. Pretty sure that among these there are recordings from Jupiter (and its Galilean satellites)/Saturn. I guess that is the closest thing to space music that exists.
People who like post metal are a bit of a different breed. I would know, I am one. I write and play in a progressive metal band, and so we are always changing and introducing new melodic ideas. It’s nice to sit back and be lulled into a trance by the grandiose repetition.
Lars here, the guy who paid Brian to react to this one. First of all: thank you Brian, for giving us your thoughts on this track! I am a bit sorry for having picked the worst possible track from the album for you to listen to. Another commenter suggested track 4, which would likely have been a less agonizing listen for you. But I just picked my personal favorite, and didn't think about or expect that this one would hit you as bad as it did. Anyway, what's done is done - and I appreciate your effort despite the agony, insightful as usual :) I'd like to answer a question Brian kind of asked me in the video. He wondered whether I was trolling when I wrote that this is "rather easy on the ears". Believe it or not, I wasn't - but I should absolutely have mentioned that I find Rosetta easy on the ears *compared to most other post metal and sludge* that I know! I consider most Rosetta to be an easier listen than most Cult Of Luna, for instance. Without that context, I get it, that was a hilarious thing to say. I should maybe also have mentioned that I am the sort of listener who can find black metal meditative and relaxing as Brian puts it :D There are two little bits in Brians analysis that I'd like to comment on. The first is his perception of the music being "antagonistic". I found that interesting and a bit surprising to be honest, given that we make him listen to a lot of heavy music yet he doesn't often react quite that strongly (but maybe I just don't watch this channel enough). I must have listened to this album, specifically the last 2 songs, countless times for the better part of 20 years now, but the word "antagonistic" has never once crossed my mind. Far from it, actually. I'll try to describe how I perceive this album: I'm along for the ride on an intense hour-long journey. I can immerse myself into the emotions, atmospheres and musical landscapes that are created for me - these I find "huge" and "vast". But immersing myself into the music isn't the same to me as being sort of subject to anything that's happening in the music, or happening to whoever is the subject of the music. I am always a listener, a bystander in a way. So even when the album's journey ends in that seven minute soul crushing finale of breakdown and demise, I may well watch/listen in awe, but I am always safely within my own comfort zone. I'm on that intense ride I actually find enjoyable, rather than... hm... experiencing the music as something that is made to crush *me*. Hearing Brian describe his experience like that (hoping I'm not misrepresenting), it's understandable that he hated every minute of it. It's a bit painful to hear, I'm kinda sorry for putting him through that. The other thing I'd like to comment on is the one melody Brian liked, the "glimmer of hope" as he put it if I recall correctly, that was taken from him before it could even play out fully. I'll try do describe how differently I perceive this bit: I find it crucial that this melody - I'd describe it as a moment of intense emotionality, longing and regret - is there only for a short while, swept over by an ocean of soul crushing at the end of the album's journey. This melody being as short as it is makes it so much more special and precious to me. For me, it's the centerpiece of the song, at least the first half, and in my mind it sort of reverberates on much longer even though it's played for only a short time. It actually may reverberate in my head long after the song is finished. But I get it, this kind of musical construction giving so little space to relief, release and melody has to be agonizing to somebody who can't enjoy the darkness around the light, to use Brians metaphor. I, on the other hand, very much enjoy the dark and crushing bits as well. Funnily enough I've never thought of Rosetta as being "all texture", but at the same time I can't object at all to Brian sorting it into that column. He's obviously right, yet this somehow never ocurred to me, I never bothered to analyze I guess. Up until I heard Brian's analysis, I would have put Rosetta in the more melodic camp of post metal for the riffing and layering alone, actually. But that is probably just my somewhat weird perception. So, then, here I tried to give you guys a little bit of insight into how Rosetta sounds like on the other end of the listener spectrum - much less articulate than Brian obviously :) Let me close this with just a quick note on what the whole album is supposed to be about. Copied from the Wikipedia article about the album, referencing an interview: "The band themselves have stated that the songs tell a story about a man who becomes dissatisfied with the world around him and leaves to find a place of solitude (Europa). However, upon reaching it, he realizes that he left behind things that were meaningful to him." Thanks for keeping with me if you have read all of this, and thanks again, Brian, for your thoughts!
Thanks for the insight. I can understand your perspective both as a long time listener and enjoyer of darkness that Rosetta plays with. I appreciate your take on this as it's probably more in line with what the band intended and your experience is most likely more indicative of what the art is "supposed" to be, especially given the interview quote at the end. You also did a great job describing how all of this works for you and the journey that it takes you on. And I'll agree, in context of the larger post-metal world this could be viewed as easier to listen to.
I think one of the things that can get overlooked in a lot of these draggier metal tracks is the music fits the story being told - this is the final step of a lonely intergalactic journey, where he is stripped down to a shell of a man due to the rigors of this lonely long devastating journey. And many post-metal (and metal more generally) bands write songs with this in mind and if you’re not in tune with that, the songs can feel monotonous (which they can be) without purpose, when there IS a purpose within the story
Yeah, so this is a concept album. The story is about this person leaving earth and traveling toward the Jupiter moon Europa. (Literally or metaphorically? Who knows.) It's also an album where the entire second disk is just atmospheric noise, and it's meant to be played simultaneously with the first disk (that's why the song lengths are all identical except for a little outro on the final track). I think it's a safe guess that the album sounds more space-y if you do listen to the combined versions rather than the first disk only. Personally I wish the selection had asked for the fourth track instead of the fifth. You probably wouldn't like it either, but I think it's the most central representation of what this album was going for. But I didn't pay for it, so far enough!
I think the "space" theme only comes up when taking into context the album itself. On youtube you can find the songs matched up with their second cd counterparts, without vocals. I don't remember if they're the same songs just instrumental, but I'd like to say they are a bit more atmospheric takes on the songs from when I got into it a year or so ago. This song specifically for some reason I really enjoyed in one of the grittier quality uploads, not sure what the cause of that is, almost as if it's less enjoyable when it's totally clear
Lyrics wise, this album seems to have taken a bit of inspiration from 2001: A Space Odyssey with all the mention of a monolith calling him and whatnot.
Technically the last song on the album. Rosetta has a track (heh) record of releasing instrumental "ambient" electronic companions to their albums. The difference with The Galilean Satellites is that if you look at the track lengths of the respective songs 1 through 5, they line up (e.g. Track 1 has the same length as Track 6, Track 2 the same as Track 7, etc). The cool thing is that these can be played simultaneously for a bit more depth in the sound--hearing the more ambient side underneath the post-metal songs is REALLY cool. I only know that because I found a rip someone made long ago that combined them--I wish they'd officially release that version.
Absolutely love Rosetta, so happy someone requested this for some much deserved attention to them.
Used to love these guys back in the day. Nice to hear them again.
oh man rosetta goes so hard, was a very nice surprise seeing this pop up on the feed, goat request
can't wait for more reactions to Rosetta
The gimmick with Galilean Satellites is that they released it on 2 separate CDs, one with ambient tracks, the other with this sludge metal thing. Funnily enough, you'll find that the track lengths match exactly. You know where I'm going with this - it's possible to listen to combined versions of the tracks (although that must have been quite a trick to pull off back in the day). So you get Départe/Deneb, Au Pays Natal/Sol etc.
As for my own recs - you know what it is: Scar Symmetry - The Kaleidoscopic God. Since everyone seems to include overviews and I never did that, here's one: it's a 7 min long melodic death metal/prog metal song, the longest and proggiest one the band had written up to that point. Its full of surprises and seamlessly integrates space metal, crushing deatg metal riffs and even 80s style arena rock. You never know what's coming, but whatever does, never feels out of place and the full song for that reason is an extremely satisfying listen.
Where this track ends, it picks up on the same note on the first track of their next album ("red in tooth and claw" on wake/lift). But it's the complete opposite mood; instead of the pummeling despair of au pays natal, you're in for twelve minutes of insanely positive energy and vibes, bright and euphoric. I still doubt it's your thing, but I think it's a pretty cool flip of sound.
Yes, super stoked you're checking Rosetta out!
Wake/Lift is my favorite album of theirs, but I think you would vibe with "Quintessential Ephemera" the most!
Love this record and band. They definitely do some great production work throughout their career to keep songs sonically interesting in a very rigid genre.
Also their vocalist/noise guy is/was a high school science teacher so they could only tour during the summer. I was very happy to catch them in PDX on one of them, with a few fellow (at the time) music reviewers.
To me Rosetta always sounds space-y, especially on this album, having in mind the noise on disc two. The reason I connect the music to space, other than the obvious associations that stem from song titles + lyrics, is that for me the "sound of space" is forever tied to NASA's Symphonies of the Planets, more precisely the "music" that was obtained by converting various measurements from the Voyager spacecraft into audio and released as a series of, well, sort of music albums. Pretty sure that among these there are recordings from Jupiter (and its Galilean satellites)/Saturn. I guess that is the closest thing to space music that exists.
Sounds like a more atmospheric Cult of Luna, which I can very much dig. Will definitely check these guys out next time in the mood for new post-metal.
I have always loved this band.... I have a similar experiencing an Ulcerate song and you know how much I like Ulcerate lol
People who like post metal are a bit of a different breed. I would know, I am one. I write and play in a progressive metal band, and so we are always changing and introducing new melodic ideas. It’s nice to sit back and be lulled into a trance by the grandiose repetition.
If Rosetta were an instrumental band, they'd be one of my favourite bands.
There is actually an instrumental version of the track, you should check it out
Humilitive by meshuggah next, its from 94
Lars here, the guy who paid Brian to react to this one.
First of all: thank you Brian, for giving us your thoughts on this track! I am a bit sorry for having picked the worst possible track from the album for you to listen to. Another commenter suggested track 4, which would likely have been a less agonizing listen for you. But I just picked my personal favorite, and didn't think about or expect that this one would hit you as bad as it did. Anyway, what's done is done - and I appreciate your effort despite the agony, insightful as usual :)
I'd like to answer a question Brian kind of asked me in the video. He wondered whether I was trolling when I wrote that this is "rather easy on the ears". Believe it or not, I wasn't - but I should absolutely have mentioned that I find Rosetta easy on the ears *compared to most other post metal and sludge* that I know! I consider most Rosetta to be an easier listen than most Cult Of Luna, for instance. Without that context, I get it, that was a hilarious thing to say. I should maybe also have mentioned that I am the sort of listener who can find black metal meditative and relaxing as Brian puts it :D
There are two little bits in Brians analysis that I'd like to comment on. The first is his perception of the music being "antagonistic". I found that interesting and a bit surprising to be honest, given that we make him listen to a lot of heavy music yet he doesn't often react quite that strongly (but maybe I just don't watch this channel enough). I must have listened to this album, specifically the last 2 songs, countless times for the better part of 20 years now, but the word "antagonistic" has never once crossed my mind. Far from it, actually. I'll try to describe how I perceive this album: I'm along for the ride on an intense hour-long journey. I can immerse myself into the emotions, atmospheres and musical landscapes that are created for me - these I find "huge" and "vast". But immersing myself into the music isn't the same to me as being sort of subject to anything that's happening in the music, or happening to whoever is the subject of the music. I am always a listener, a bystander in a way. So even when the album's journey ends in that seven minute soul crushing finale of breakdown and demise, I may well watch/listen in awe, but I am always safely within my own comfort zone. I'm on that intense ride I actually find enjoyable, rather than... hm... experiencing the music as something that is made to crush *me*. Hearing Brian describe his experience like that (hoping I'm not misrepresenting), it's understandable that he hated every minute of it. It's a bit painful to hear, I'm kinda sorry for putting him through that.
The other thing I'd like to comment on is the one melody Brian liked, the "glimmer of hope" as he put it if I recall correctly, that was taken from him before it could even play out fully. I'll try do describe how differently I perceive this bit: I find it crucial that this melody - I'd describe it as a moment of intense emotionality, longing and regret - is there only for a short while, swept over by an ocean of soul crushing at the end of the album's journey. This melody being as short as it is makes it so much more special and precious to me. For me, it's the centerpiece of the song, at least the first half, and in my mind it sort of reverberates on much longer even though it's played for only a short time. It actually may reverberate in my head long after the song is finished. But I get it, this kind of musical construction giving so little space to relief, release and melody has to be agonizing to somebody who can't enjoy the darkness around the light, to use Brians metaphor. I, on the other hand, very much enjoy the dark and crushing bits as well. Funnily enough I've never thought of Rosetta as being "all texture", but at the same time I can't object at all to Brian sorting it into that column. He's obviously right, yet this somehow never ocurred to me, I never bothered to analyze I guess. Up until I heard Brian's analysis, I would have put Rosetta in the more melodic camp of post metal for the riffing and layering alone, actually. But that is probably just my somewhat weird perception.
So, then, here I tried to give you guys a little bit of insight into how Rosetta sounds like on the other end of the listener spectrum - much less articulate than Brian obviously :)
Let me close this with just a quick note on what the whole album is supposed to be about. Copied from the Wikipedia article about the album, referencing an interview: "The band themselves have stated that the songs tell a story about a man who becomes dissatisfied with the world around him and leaves to find a place of solitude (Europa). However, upon reaching it, he realizes that he left behind things that were meaningful to him."
Thanks for keeping with me if you have read all of this, and thanks again, Brian, for your thoughts!
Thanks for the insight. I can understand your perspective both as a long time listener and enjoyer of darkness that Rosetta plays with. I appreciate your take on this as it's probably more in line with what the band intended and your experience is most likely more indicative of what the art is "supposed" to be, especially given the interview quote at the end. You also did a great job describing how all of this works for you and the journey that it takes you on.
And I'll agree, in context of the larger post-metal world this could be viewed as easier to listen to.
I think one of the things that can get overlooked in a lot of these draggier metal tracks is the music fits the story being told - this is the final step of a lonely intergalactic journey, where he is stripped down to a shell of a man due to the rigors of this lonely long devastating journey. And many post-metal (and metal more generally) bands write songs with this in mind and if you’re not in tune with that, the songs can feel monotonous (which they can be) without purpose, when there IS a purpose within the story
This is actually the cathartic moment of the record. Music is fun!
Yeah, so this is a concept album. The story is about this person leaving earth and traveling toward the Jupiter moon Europa. (Literally or metaphorically? Who knows.) It's also an album where the entire second disk is just atmospheric noise, and it's meant to be played simultaneously with the first disk (that's why the song lengths are all identical except for a little outro on the final track). I think it's a safe guess that the album sounds more space-y if you do listen to the combined versions rather than the first disk only.
Personally I wish the selection had asked for the fourth track instead of the fifth. You probably wouldn't like it either, but I think it's the most central representation of what this album was going for. But I didn't pay for it, so far enough!
I think the "space" theme only comes up when taking into context the album itself. On youtube you can find the songs matched up with their second cd counterparts, without vocals. I don't remember if they're the same songs just instrumental, but I'd like to say they are a bit more atmospheric takes on the songs from when I got into it a year or so ago. This song specifically for some reason I really enjoyed in one of the grittier quality uploads, not sure what the cause of that is, almost as if it's less enjoyable when it's totally clear
Lyrics wise, this album seems to have taken a bit of inspiration from 2001: A Space Odyssey with all the mention of a monolith calling him and whatnot.
Man this is weird not hearing the combined versions , ive been a fan of this band since this album dropped
Dang your review was rough
Please listen to this with its companion ambient track on disc 2 "Sol". It makes it much more ambient, darker and spacey.
Technically the last song on the album. Rosetta has a track (heh) record of releasing instrumental "ambient" electronic companions to their albums. The difference with The Galilean Satellites is that if you look at the track lengths of the respective songs 1 through 5, they line up (e.g. Track 1 has the same length as Track 6, Track 2 the same as Track 7, etc).
The cool thing is that these can be played simultaneously for a bit more depth in the sound--hearing the more ambient side underneath the post-metal songs is REALLY cool. I only know that because I found a rip someone made long ago that combined them--I wish they'd officially release that version.
Cool stuff, just what the doctor ordered!