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Pelican - City Of Echoes review




Bandcamp music player
Reviewer:
8.0

103 users:
7.53
Band: Pelican
Album: City Of Echoes
Release date: May 2007


Disc I [CD]
01. Bliss In Concrete
02. City Of Echoes
03. Spaceship Broken--Parts Needed
04. Winds With Hands
05. Dead Between The Walls
06. Lost In The Headlights
07. Far From Fields
08. A Delicate Sense Of Balance

Disc II [DVD] [Japanese edition]
01. Bliss In Concrete [Live In Los Angeles 9/26/2006]
02. Мarch To The Sea [Live In Los Angeles 9/26/2006]
03. City Of Echoes [Live In Los Angeles 9/26/2006]
04. Aurora Borealis [Live In Los Angeles 9/26/2006]
05. Spaceship Broken-Parts Needed [Live In Los Angeles 9/26/2006]
06. Last Day Of Winter [Live In Los Angeles 9/26/2006]

I remember exactly the day I was blessed with "The Fire In Our Throats Will Beckon The Thaw", it doesn't matter, I stamped it on that review actually; two years later I received the follow-up, one would expect it to be a grand extention of the previous effort, an amazing journey to the odd ends of "The Fire in Our Throats?", well, it isn't.

Instead we have a different installment; the droned pasagges and the long atmospheres are way out of the question, Pelican, the band that was bombarding us with lengthy songs and incredibly layered structures is no more. But is it a bad idea? NOT AT ALL.

"City Of Echoes" shows a band trying new things, evolving, using a different plateu to release their sonic offering. It's more digestible to begin with, the songs flow smoothly through the speakers and this will make the "sit through" task a lot easier. What differs form the Pelican that we're used to is the lack of repetitions, the rest of their albums had a segment with a layered background and a repetitive front in each song, while you were listening to the same riff over and over again the background was going crazy with the atmospheres. Now we don't have crazy backgrounds, we don't have repetitive riffs, we have a band playing instrumental hard-rock for about 45 minutes.

The thing is, "City Of Echoes" moves towards a Post-Rock sound and leaves the Metal undertones behind; yes the music is way easier, but there's a catch, as the music goes a little faster in its structures, you won't be able to fully comprehend the entire riff's collection, the music becomes less catchy and it will take more listens for you to get used to them or even recognize the patterns.

I personally love this record, the production is way better than the rest of their albums, the sound is different, but it works perfectly, the guitar-play is truly amazing and the music still creates a shivering feeling in my spine. The band's purists will twist their eyes and will miss a great piece, but the truth is that "City Of Echoes" is Pelican's most personal album, a mind crusher?

?I do prefer "The Fire In Our Throats Will Beckon The Thaw" I can't lie.


Rating breakdown
Performance: 8
Songwriting: 8
Originality: 8
Production: 8

Written by Herzebeth | 06.06.2007




Comments

Comments: 15   Visited by: 98 users
06.06.2007 - 22:47
Southern Wind
Account deleted
naaah, an 8 is too high. The band totally lost their way with this album, I wouldn't give it more than a 4, seriosuly. Dissapointment of the year so far.
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07.06.2007 - 01:40
__Az__

I enjoyed Pelican's older material, so as they have changed Im wondering as to whether I will actually enjoy this release aswell.

However, as you've reviewed and rated it so high Herzebeth, Ill have to search the web for a track or two...
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07.06.2007 - 08:49
Susan
Smeghead
Great review, Herz, and I'd say very accurate. I also loved this album for it's own beauty instead of hating it for not being Fire in our Throats Pt. II

I just want to say "Spaceship Broken, Parts Needed" is the coolest song title I have ever seen
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"A life all mine
Is what I choose
At the end of my days"
--The Gathering "A Life All Mine" from Souvenirs
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07.06.2007 - 18:43
Undercraft

that sounds interesting, i'll take a hear at the Cd and make my own opinion
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07.06.2007 - 19:26
Rating: 8
Rupert

Written by Guest on 06.06.2007 at 22:47

naaah, an 8 is too high. The band totally lost their way with this album, I wouldn't give it more than a 4, seriosuly. Dissapointment of the year so far.


Disappointment doesn't necessarily mean bad. Disappointment is when you're expecting something else that you're more accustomed to. Just have to think about this one as a new album by a band you never heard of, them maybe you'll like it more.
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07.06.2007 - 19:49
Southern Wind
Account deleted
Written by Rupert on 07.06.2007 at 19:26

Written by Guest on 06.06.2007 at 22:47

naaah, an 8 is too high. The band totally lost their way with this album, I wouldn't give it more than a 4, seriosuly. Dissapointment of the year so far.


Disappointment doesn't necessarily mean bad. Disappointment is when you're expecting something else that you're more accustomed to. Just have to think about this one as a new album by a band you never heard of, them maybe you'll like it more.


I know... for example, for me the last by Watain was a dissapointment but it's still a good album, but in this case, dissapointing IS bad
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07.06.2007 - 20:26
Rating: 8
Rupert

Ah, ok.;)
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07.06.2007 - 21:05
Herzebeth

Written by Rupert on 07.06.2007 at 19:26

Written by Guest on 06.06.2007 at 22:47

naaah, an 8 is too high. The band totally lost their way with this album, I wouldn't give it more than a 4, seriosuly. Dissapointment of the year so far.


Disappointment doesn't necessarily mean bad. Disappointment is when you're expecting something else that you're more accustomed to. Just have to think about this one as a new album by a band you never heard of, them maybe you'll like it more.


I could have added this in my review, it's awesome!!
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08.06.2007 - 07:03
Rating: 8
Rupert

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22.07.2007 - 01:11
Rating: 7
Doc G.
Full Grown Hoser
just got it. Very interesting album. good review.
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"I got a lot of really good ideas, problem is, most of them suck."
- George Carlin
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23.07.2007 - 08:06
Rating: 9
Dangerboner
Lactation Cnslt
It's definitely their happiest release and I guess it is a bit more accessible, but I still love this album. The title track is bonerific.
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11.02.2008 - 21:34
+{Jonas}+
I R Serious Cat
They may have changed a little bit, but this album is still pretty cool. ALthough it's not as dense anc complex as teh previous ones, unfortunately.
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"Nobody wants to be the weird kid, you just end up being the weird kid. You don't know how you ended up getting there" - Rob Zombie

http://jonas-bs.deviantart.com My dA, mainly photography, go check it out!
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05.08.2008 - 21:53
Visioneerie
Urban Monster
I haven't heard their previous releases apart from the song Drought which is a mind blowing, really heavy song.

As for this album, i like it, i agree with the review, the guitar work is something bone chilling, or sometimes nostalgic, depends. I also find they create very good atmosphere, but if you say that their previous releases are even bigger in that aspect, i shall not wait to long to get em'.
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Any man can stand adversity, but to test his character give him power - A. Lincoln
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30.01.2009 - 22:26
Rating: 8
Elio
Red Nightmare
This is the only Pelican album I've listened to by far and it is indeed good, 8 is a fair rating
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IntoPlighT said: "Slipknot is 15 years old how the fuck is that Nu metal?"

BEST. QUOTE. EVER.
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24.11.2009 - 10:01
Uirapuru
Liver Failure
Im kinda torn.. I liked this album a little, but my expectations after listening to "The Fire In Our Throats Will Beckon The Thaw" were too high. The review is fair enough, but I give this album a 7.
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member of the true crusade against old school heavy metal, early 80s thrash, NWOBHM, traditional doom, first and second wave black metal, old school death metal, US power metal, 70s prog rock and atmospheric doomsludgestoner. o/
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