ROSETTA

Rosetta's The Galilean Satellites is best experienced with both the ambient and metal tracks played simultaneously - some editions come with the tracks pre-combined, otherwise you should be able to find some way to combine them if you are technically minded. Either way, I don't know what possessed the band to attempt this odd experiment of theirs - perhaps they were overly impressed by Zaireeka by The Flaming Lips? - because their full-throated, furious brand of post-metal is only enhanced with the ambient backing of the second disc tracks. An enjoyable post-metal experiment, provided you can get past the oddities of the way it was released.

This genre of "Prog" (quite wide description of Prog these days, so we have to get used to it - I don't object) is a weird beast. Screams and switching of rough/calm passages, that's what it is basically about. It can be taken crudely, or masterly polished, carefully combined. Sure, it has to be raw and somehow wild, but not untamed. This is piece of art done in half way between these two sharp ends. Yes, I've heard better before, but there are pieces (of songs) of interest as well, so this record isn't damned at all.

I don't consider myself narrow/close minded, but I'm not going to fall for anything with such elements and consider it "terrific" and "superb" instantly. I'm enthusiastic for the good stuff, but also suspicious of what I call "screams for screams themselves" => making noise because it's nice, not because it serves higher purpose of creating art.

Anyway, here the beauty of "tamed" version comes with latter half of the album, while first "part" serves as shocking (won't shock me, but those who are not prepared for such kind of music), while the music slowly distills (like a good old whiskey), until we get pure heaven, especially featured on Renew and title track, A Determinism of Morality, while the second one descends into the same screaming chaos from which the whole album emerged. Wonderfully scripted and I dare to say that this was possible the intended background "story" of this album. Or not ? Depends on which version you want to understand.

4(-), some good, some bad.

I always possessed a soft spot for bands with a sludgy sound such as Buried Inside ans ISIS but my first impression of Rosetta's new album left me a bit hanging. It was most likely being in a despicable mood and that ruined it for me. Nevertheless, after a few sessions I found that the slow rhythm of screaming and barking vocals were skillfully used to create a never-ending exploding rush of metal that denies you the option of pausing or stopping the album short of it's end. Be warned that DETERMINISM OF MORALITY can feel very repetitive and slow but it IS sludge after all, that is the charm it holds.

Surely this is my favorite album of the genre that came out this year, a fantastic effort that holds much strength and deserves a 4.5 rating which I will gladly bring to 5 stars.

WARNING: This is not an album for closed minded people.

This is a metal album. It has influences from progressive music, but mostly is a metal album, with many hardcore traits, such as drumming, screaming/barking vocals and very few guitar solos, with a heavy emphasis on rhythm. So it shouldn't be compared to symphonic prog or neo-prog albuns, this is a completely different kind of music.

In what it is, and what it wants to be, this is an awesome album. Really good use of dynamics within every track, showing the light-dark contrast, which is sort of a genre trademark. If you're a post-metal fan, this is a must-have. If you want to hear really agressive music, at the same time strangely calming, give it a listen. But if you really doesn't like screaming vocals, stay away from this.

To be completely honest, I don't know how ROSETTA's Determinism of Morality made it onto this site. The majority of the album consists of horrible screaming over heavily distorted guitar playing roughly the same things over and over again. Besides the fact that, in my mind, it hardly qualifies as music, the only thing remotely progressive about it is the occasional use of an odd time signature. The few times I heard something sounding almost musical, it would just get repeated to death and then ruined by the noise of the rest of the album.

I would not recommend this album to anyone who likes pleasant melodies, interesting harmonies, or quality musical compositions.

In fact, I don't think I would recommend this album to anyone.

ROSETTA are from Philadelphia and play a heavy, sludge ridden brand of Post-Metal not too unlike ISIS or NEUROSIS the two bands many compare them to. I like how Butch Jones describes this album: "...a dark, daunting and depressing piece of work that is best described as a soundtrack to a killing, with thickly mixed and textured guitars and manic rhythms that exudes abrasive tendencies and other mental collapses of the mind". Haha.

I like the instrumental work even if it is doom-like, but the relentless "cookie monster" vocals are really a put off for me. I envy those who like growly vocals because I know i'm missing out on a lot of great music because of it. There is no escape from it on this album."Red In Tooth And Claw" is my favourite, gotta love those riffs.

Anyway I feel bad being the only collaborator to review it so far, I know that will change because this is a highly thought of album out there.

Ppst-metal?, what's that?, is that eatable?, whatever that is, this album is not a new style, but a combination o f two 2old styles: metal and post rock:

If you hear this band instrumentaly, you're going to find the sound of Godspeed You Black Emperor!, and, in some parts, but not many parts, the sound of Green Carnation, so, there's no new style here, just some guys who don't know if they want to play metal or post rock.

now the voice: awful, screams, trying to be gutural*, and complete pointless.

The result?, this is not a bad album nor a good one, it's between that, some parts, the instrumental ones, are good, but the voice is really bad, and not all the instrumental parts are good, so, you can try this, but is not a new style, nor a necessary album in your life, i can say that i can live without this album.

As i said: between green carnation and Godspeed You Black Emperor!, if you like these bands, try this, if you don't, skip this.

*that's a spanish word, i don't know any english word with a similar meaning, sorry, but a good example: the first scream of 6(sic)six (Slipknot), is a gutural scream

wow. was i ever suprised by this band. if i could add the little forum code clappy smiley guys they would be all over this review. its really exciting to see a band really come to their own and discover themselves, which is exactly what Rosetta have done. I can hear the isis, i can hear the neurosis, but it doesnt sound derivative. (clappy) i can hear the experimentation as well. They are borderline, not post metal, or at least they are pushing this border. Spacey, mellow sections dominate over the sludgy and the normally generic growl has evolved and is used much more effectively (clappy). i love the Lifts, parts 1-3 which culminates into wake whihc flows into my favorite song here and the least metaly song, Temet Nosce. Beautiful, lush, and atmospheric. for as long as the song is and considering the structure, im suprised it does not get borring but it works. and i think that sums upo the entire album. suprising, exciting, . . . it just works. 4.5 stars. not really a masterpiece but it is most deffinatley excellent and one of the best post-metal post- rock Discs in a long time. (CLAPPY!!!!) highly recomended.

Stunning.

Philadelphia four piece Rosetta's sophomore album is quite, simply, the best album of the year. Since their 2004 debut 'The Galilean Satellites', Rosetta have greatly matured. The Galilean Satellites was a great album, though quite unfocused in places, and Wake/Lift have fixed all these mistakes. MORE influenced by space rock in some places, Rosetta have also gone farther creatively, moving away from the typical post-metal sound. The sound is very layered, always focused, and is, quite simply, stunning.

Recommended for everyone, especially fans of post-metal and progressive metal.

While "The Galilean Satellites" may not be destined to be one of the classic albums of progressive metal, Rosetta show that they have the power to compete with the best of the post-metal genre. They borrow obvious influences from Isis and Neurosis, and sometimes tend to follow the soft-loud-soft-loud pattern, but they also manage to work in a good deal of electronic and dark- ambient music. These obscure influences are evident on the albums second disc, which is far more ambient in nature when compared to the raw and powerful--yet beautiful-- metal sounds of the first disc.

Listening to both discs straight through is certainly an enjoyable experience. Each disc is great on its own, but each in its own way. However, I usually only carry the first (read: metal) disc around to listen to, and save the other for dark nights when the mood strikes. The lyrics of the first disc are interesting, at least to me, as they seem to be based on Arthur C. Clarke's Space Odyssey series (Michael Armine screams: "The Monolith is calllliiing meeee!"). Awesome.

You can enjoy this album this way for a while as I did... but then comes the day when you look at them and realize that the two discs are exactly the same length. That's right... they sync! The ambient disc, though good on its own, is actually meant to complement the heavier side of the album. Listening to them both together is a really mind-blowing experience and it really shows what great things experimental metal is capable of.

All in all, I give it 4.5 stars. Points subtracted because the disc 1 by itself is pretty standard, though well-done, post-metal. But, I'm bumping it up to 5 because any fan of the genre really needs to check this out.