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TRoTZ 
Prog Reviewer 
Joined: December 25 2004 Location: Portugal Status: Offline Points: 35 |
 Topic: Egyptian Kings first albumPosted: December 23 2006 at 08:11 |
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I would like to recommend all, for its originality and sublime ambiences, and particularly to all prog reviewers, as it could be a serious album to the top 5 of 2006:
Egyptian Kings - Almagest
The band put it to be downloaded from free at:
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Kotro
Prog Reviewer
Joined: August 16 2004 Location: Portugal Status: Offline Points: 2809 |
Posted: December 23 2006 at 08:26 |
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My two cents on it:
Sad as it may seem, I'm only stating the obvious... I find better space rock on the menus of my cable-TV server...
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Bigger on the inside.
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TRoTZ
Prog Reviewer
Joined: December 25 2004 Location: Portugal Status: Offline Points: 35 |
Posted: December 23 2006 at 08:51 |
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I guess anyone should have the pretenciousness to say that his/her opinions of music are obvious. And comparing this album to supermarket or video-games music only shows, at my view, your lack of music sensibility. The album transmitts an etereal cosmic feeling, different from all ambient music done before. That's why it is progressive, progressive means new domains for music, and not linked to great variations in the album. Well, let people judge from themselves.
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SevenColoured
Forum Groupie 
Joined: April 14 2005 Status: Offline Points: 57 |
Posted: December 23 2006 at 09:23 |
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Egyptian Kings have created in Almagest some highly sophisticated and really different way of composing music just turn off the ligths and close your eyes and contemplate a masterpiece album, a revolution.
 Kotro your review is a joke. Yes a joke. Jose Cid was bashed by portuguese critics when he made 10.000 anos Depois entre Vénus e Marte that now it´s considered a masterpiece. I hope the cynism and the envies that is frequent in portuguese people, dont afect you. And more if you want to listen to the space rock with formulas a la Pink Floyd a la Porcupine Tree a la Hawkwind etc etc. Just listen to this bands. But dont ask the band to emulate their sound our to made a copy. If they do that it will be obviously regressive rock and what they are doing, is progressing progressive music to boundiers never explored before.
P.S In your review you refer " videogame-talk" but it is not a sound from a video game talk , but a quote from one of the most brilliant genius of all time, Carl Sagan. Shame on. Edited by SevenColoured - December 23 2006 at 09:55 |
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Kotro
Prog Reviewer
Joined: August 16 2004 Location: Portugal Status: Offline Points: 2809 |
Posted: December 23 2006 at 09:30 |
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I am not a musician, nor have I ever tryed to be one. Therefore, you are right to say I have no musical sensibility. However, I do shop for my household, and often dwell into the music section looking for the occasional bargain, only to find those annoying machines playing a selection of various ambient CD's available for purchase. I also played video-games in my younger years. So even though I might not have "music sensibility", I know what I hear when I hear it. But you don't have to take my word for it (as no one should - there is no account for taste): just do the experience yourself - listen to Almagest, then walk out to your local supermarket.
I get a bigger "etereal cosmic feeling" by listening to NASA's Cassini Probe's recollections of soundwaves from some Saturnian moon... Now that's good ambient. Almagest just gets me sleepy.
Well, I guess Alvin and the Buzzcockcs, Sex Pistols and Joy Division are Prog, then...
Anyway, the album obviously does something for proggers, having such rave reviews. It just doesn't click for me, having heard it all before. But since I'm not even a Prog-Reviewer, just a regular music-listener, I guess I shouldn't even be entitled to an opinion...
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Bigger on the inside.
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Snow Dog
Special Collaborator 
Honorary Collaborator Joined: March 23 2005 Location: Caerdydd Status: Offline Points: 32995 |
Posted: December 23 2006 at 09:31 |
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Can't download it.
Download-session invalid. Please click here. Possible reasons:
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TRoTZ
Prog Reviewer
Joined: December 25 2004 Location: Portugal Status: Offline Points: 35 |
Posted: December 23 2006 at 10:03 |
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Kotro, in fact I admit I exceed my self and I want to appologize for what I said in respect of you. What I wanted to say is that i found that, in my opinion, you did not had the full sensibility on evaluating Almagest. I believe I'm right but I don't say it's the truth, and I respect your opinion!
Yeah I could say Sexpistols, JoyDivision are more progressive than many bands called "progressive".
Peace. Cheers.
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TRoTZ
Prog Reviewer
Joined: December 25 2004 Location: Portugal Status: Offline Points: 35 |
Posted: December 23 2006 at 10:09 |
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Snowdog something have to go wrong. It works on me. You have to click first on the "Free" option, at the bottom.
Then it will appear something like this "Download ticket reserved. In 0.7 minutes your download will be ready."
You have to wait until it ends but not letting wait to long or the session expires. Then choose one mirror and enter the code given and it's done
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Kotro
Prog Reviewer
Joined: August 16 2004 Location: Portugal Status: Offline Points: 2809 |
Posted: December 23 2006 at 10:58 |
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My review was meant to be honest, not offensive, and you can consider it a joke if you want, it won't change my mind nor will it make me re-write it. I wrote it having in mind it was for a Progressive Rock lovers community. Hell, I would have given it five stars in an ambient website, if I knew of any...
The example you gave of José Cid is totaly uncalled for - to start with, unlike Almagest, his album truly is a masterpiece of the portuguese progressive rock scene (as was is work with Quarteto 1111), and I have always thought of it that way from early on.
And let's get one thing straight. I am not a big fan of labels, but when something is labeled "Rock Music", that's what I expect to find. I enjoy Rock music as a whole, and I specificly like what is generally labeled as Space-Rock. Just Space and no Rock does not do it for me. And that's how I feel about Almagest. If you think taking a musical concept and striping it to basic minimalisms is Progressive, then you should be able to take a stick and a stone and do your own "progressive rock" masterpiece.
And to anyone who thinks I am insulting the band by comparing it to Ambient, just think of how Ambient Music producers must feel by your reactions, dismissing that kind of music as rubbish and the greatest insult to a so-called Prog ensemble. Which obviously is not the opinion of the band, since they themselves label their music as "Ambient".
I apologized in my review for it's tone, as I was expecting some might find it offensive. If you can't be a good sport about it, too bad.
And I wasn't refering to the Carl Sagan quote in "Low Mass Stars", I was refering to "Spirit of the Water", which is extremely close to sci-fi video-game intro narrations.
PS: And one more thing. I don't see how someone who freely distributes one-star ratings, without even bothering to say why, has the autority to call my review a joke. Edited by Kotro - December 23 2006 at 11:08 |
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Bigger on the inside.
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Kotro
Prog Reviewer
Joined: August 16 2004 Location: Portugal Status: Offline Points: 2809 |
Posted: December 23 2006 at 11:03 |
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You have nothing to appologize for, no offence was taken. We can agree it's a all a matter of taste.
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Bigger on the inside.
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Snow Dog
Special Collaborator
Honorary Collaborator Joined: March 23 2005 Location: Caerdydd Status: Offline Points: 32995 |
Posted: December 23 2006 at 12:24 |
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Did all this several times.....doesn't work. |
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chamberry
Special Collaborator
Honorary Collaborator Joined: October 24 2005 Location: Puerto Rico Status: Offline Points: 9008 |
Posted: December 23 2006 at 12:26 |
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Not quite.  In my humble opinion there isn't anything revolutionary in this album as many people have stated in their reviews. This is just an "ok" album by a new band. I can't say is 100% original either since they only take ideas from their influental bands and make them their own.
This is a bold statement you have here, SevenColoured. In my ears I hear them as regressive rock. That's not saying is bad album, but they aren't really doing anything extraordinary as many have pointed out.
I don't think he lacks sesibility, it's just his opinion and I can relate to it too.
Again, this is a pretty strong statement and I would like to see if you have something to defend it because I have heard of ambient albums from previous years that actually do transmit etheral cosmic feelings long before Almagest. The problem is that most of them are pretty obscure bands and don't get the recognition they rightfully deserve. |
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TRoTZ
Prog Reviewer
Joined: December 25 2004 Location: Portugal Status: Offline Points: 35 |
Posted: December 23 2006 at 12:54 |
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Again, this is a pretty strong statement and I would like to see if you have something to defend it because I have heard of ambient albums from previous years that actually do transmit etheral cosmic feelings long before Almagest. The problem is that most of them are pretty obscure bands and don't get the recognition they rightfully deserve. Hum I guess everyone feels "cosmic feeling" in its own way. I got specially "sensibilized" by this album because it relations, in a very delicate way, cosmic feeling with mankind. In my opinion the album shows the band has a very high music sensibility. Since the moment a band starts to build something of their own, that's when it goes beyond explanations and words. I know some bands like Tangerine Dream, No-Man and German Krautrock like Yatha Sidra and I don't find something similar in the kind of feeling it transmits. But i admit not knowing most of the ambiental music done, and I'm disposed to listen to your suggestions with all my consideration.
 Piece. Cheers o/ Edited by TRoTZ - December 23 2006 at 12:59 |
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chamberry
Special Collaborator
Honorary Collaborator Joined: October 24 2005 Location: Puerto Rico Status: Offline Points: 9008 |
Posted: December 23 2006 at 13:22 |
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I see what you mean, TRoTZ. Music doesn't affect us all the same way and I respect your opinion on them.
 And as for a recommendation, From a post-rock fan side of things, Check out "A Lily - Wake Sleep". It's a very warm album mixing electronica, drone and ambient all beautifully. |
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Selkie
Forum Groupie
Joined: September 27 2006 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 80 |
Posted: December 23 2006 at 17:47 |
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ALthough stated a bit too harshly, but I agree with much of the review. Perhaps there's something I'm not getting - this not unlikely given that I'm not especially familiar to space rock. To my ears, much of this sounds like it was composed it someone's bedroom via keyboards + samples from a basic audio editing program. |
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OpethGuitarist
Prog Reviewer
Joined: June 25 2006 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 1655 |
Posted: December 23 2006 at 22:39 |
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An ok album thats raved as godly by Portuguese fans because its one of the few bands from the region.
Sorry guys, not to hurt your nationalistic pride but it's nothing revolutionary. |
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back from the dead, i will begin posting reviews again and musing through the forums
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stonebeard
Forum Senior Member 
Joined: May 27 2005 Location: NE Indiana Status: Offline Points: 28057 |
Posted: December 23 2006 at 22:45 |
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What program to I need to unzip this thing? Winzip isn't working.
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stonebeard
Forum Senior Member
Joined: May 27 2005 Location: NE Indiana Status: Offline Points: 28057 |
Posted: December 23 2006 at 22:51 |
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Nevermind, all worked out.
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chamberry
Special Collaborator
Honorary Collaborator Joined: October 24 2005 Location: Puerto Rico Status: Offline Points: 9008 |
Posted: December 23 2006 at 23:11 |
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This is pretty much my opinion on the subject. I'm not trying to offend anyone either. |
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stonebeard
Forum Senior Member
Joined: May 27 2005 Location: NE Indiana Status: Offline Points: 28057 |
Posted: December 24 2006 at 00:09 |
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Ah, I really like this.
 This could be a long-lost Schulze album in many respects. I don't know where you got the idea that this was original, but it's still good for ambient. Might even manage to sneak into my top 5. 
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Egyptian Kings first album
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Kotro wrote: