Alas - Absolute Purity

[Spirits of the Deep Waters]

Should i check this out?

[Cybermetatron]

the music is excellent, but the vocals are not good enough in my opinion...

[TamPron]

This album is neato.



Alex Webster told me last year that Erik was looking to finally getting around to recording a new Alas record.

[vO)))id]

[quote name="Cybermetatron"]the music is excellent, but the vocals are not good enough in my opinion...[/quote]



this is exactly right!

I only like the vocals on the title track and on Loss of a Life.





the music is WOW

[Mr. P]

All the songs are in youtube. So you can check them out in there.

[Spirits of the Deep Waters]

I will

[Hugo.]

[quote name="TAM TAM"]This album is neato.



Alex Webster told me last year that Erik was looking to finally getting around to recording a new Alas record.[/quote]



The album is actually finished. Eric's provisional name for it is 'this su.cks salad bar bollocks'

[painfulloss]

If you can find the Engulfed in Grief demo tracks, check those out as well. They have the original singer Tracey & she blows Martina out of the water, overall.

[vO)))id]

What? I actually thought she did a worse job at it! I really don't like her vocals one bit.

[painfulloss]

Funny you say that, actually. I put the demo tracks onto my MP3 player so I could listen to them on the walk to the grocery store. Hadn't put it in for quite some time...realized I liked Martina's voice on the AP CD more than Tracey on the demo tracks. Although Martina was flat/sharp in a few places, her voice is more powerful, warmer & clearer.



Funny how time can change perspective, isn't it? When I got that demo CD from Rutan in early '99, I played the living shit outta it for years, copying it for everyone.



I would love to hear the demo without vocals completely to hear all the great guitar/bass playing.

[vO)))id]

Yeah that's funny indeed.

I really REALLY like Hate Eternal's demo songs... Erik's vocals are so fruital on them, extremely raw and aggressive. Massiah of Rage

[painfulloss]

[quote name="Void"]

I really REALLY like Hate Eternal's demo songs... Erik's vocals are so fruital on them, extremely raw and aggressive. Massiah of Rage [/quote]



I totally feel the same way, man. Erik was/is a really, really intense hard-on bearer & you can almost picture him in Cannibal Corpse's rehearsal room fucking losing it into the mic doing his vocals. So much rage & hatred! He was a huge influence when I was recording the vocals to an old band's 2nd CD...just going balls out, full-throttle, blowing my voice up & channeling absolute hatred through my body.



Webster's playing is something really special, too. Under all the guitars are these killer basslines that add some real color to it all. It's no wonder he's one of the best bassists out there today.

[Spirits of the Deep Waters]

I think Erik has done a great job on every HE record. I like the first album best though, the vocals is very Suffocation-ish on that one

[djonni greazo]

[quote name="Maze"]I think Erik has done a great job on every HE record. I like the first album best though, the vocals is very Suffocation-ish on that one [/quote]



Lord "Riffmaster" Cerrito's riffage is what elevates that album. he should get back to what he does best: riffs

[Uncle Tuna]

It's a cool album but IMO it doesn't have a ton of replay value. Definitely worth a listen though.

[painfulloss]

[quote name="Maze"]I think Erik has done a great job on every HE record. I like the first album best though, the vocals is very Suffocation-ish on that one [/quote]



Agreed. CTT & I, Monarch are my favorites, and I flip-flop between which one I like the most. The 1st album is like 30 minutes of bloodthirsty vicious hatred, sorta like Reign in Blood on Mark McGuire steroids. I, Monarch is this huge, thick CD with the title track's amazing main riff and Roddy's innovative blasting.

[Anjel]

My favorite record is I, Monarch, but that's not saying much since I like all of their records.

[vO)))id]

Same for me! CTT and I, Monarch are my faves. I really like KOAK as well but the production lacks a little bit, the songwriting is great tho.

I still can't get into their last one. I like a few songs a lot, some a little. But the main problem I have is the drum sound and the overall mix. I appreciate how the bassguitar wants to come out because Alex's playing is amazing and gives the riffs a lot of nice depth and harmony. I'm not sure if it's the mix or the mastering that gave it the eventual sound that it has. Mix-wise it's the drums, there's too much compression in the kicks and it's simply too loud.



Don't get me wrong, I LOVE Hate Eternal and I really love Erik's work with all the bands that he's a part of (as a producer and as a musician). It would be a dream come true for me to ever work with him on music. I just think Fury & Flames could've had a better sound.

[painfulloss]

Couldn't agree with you more, man. Erik said himself it was a really difficult album to mix, because he wanted everyone to be heard clearly. It's a dense mix & there's a lot going on with everyone basically playing to the top of their ability throughout. I like the clarity of I, Monarch...although it would have been cool to bring the bass up a little in the mix. Roddy's drums sound amazing!



KOAK is a tough one for me to listen to because, quite frankly, the mix & guitar tones are just not there, not happening. It's muddy, it's confused and it's lacking something. For me, it's one of those albums I'd love to see get a fresh mix to clear everything up. After track 5, I find the songs go really downhill in quality, big time.



I really hope Erik does what he promised nine years ago and delivers a new Alas CD, because after all the fruital stuff he's been writing/recording/playing, the contrast of what Alas does would probably do him some good.