Zoon - Ten Years on

[gilgamesh]

If all McCoy's stuff sounded the same we'd probably get bored of it. The great thing about Zoon is that it preserves the mystical aspects but has a very different sound- FOTN distilled and taken to the extreme. I don't like it more or less than anything else Carl has done, its just different and I listen to it when I'm in the mood for that kind of thing. Other times I want Elizium, sometimes some peace and quiet.............

[wild bill buttock]

See page 1,2 and 3 of this thread for all my further comments about Zoon.In the words of Mr Eldritch "I've nothing to say I ain't said before"

[weebleswobble]

In the words of Mr Eldritch "Fcuk me they turned up?"

[angry bob]

But back on topic I decided to give it another try and I hoped that I might like it and be very impressed at least with some of. So I downloaded a couple of tracks:

Shine
Melt (The Catching of the Butterfly)
Still Life
Venus Decomposing
Zoon, Pts. 1 & 2 (Saturation)
Zoon, Pt. 3 (Wake World)

So far I've got into Shine, Melt (The Catching of the Butterfly), Zoon, Pts. 1 & 2 (Saturation), Zoon, Pt. 3 (Wake World) & Venus Decomposing. I think I would rate it about 5 and a half for the time being. I will rate it higher if I find any other tracks that stand out for me. Normaly I'm incredibly super fussy when it comes to music and especially rock & metal. For example I would'nt give an album top marks if had only one track that stood out for me I would only give it 1 star out of 5. So I intend to love albums that have loads of standout tracks that kick ass, like 7,8 or 9 tracks out 10 is an excellent album for me. I might have a much higher opinion of it sometime soon maybe.

Don't get me wrong buddy, but I think you calculate things too much. Zoon works best as a whole. You need to swallow the whole bite

[angry bob]

Oh, and this:
http://www.spookhouse.net/angelynx/neph ... taliv.html

This is a great article/interview from Zoon era. It comes from the site that was mentioned here already. Check it out if you haven't yet

I love that stuff about flies in particular

[Lavey]

Why didn't I find this thread earlier ?

I've been making music myself for many years, and all I can say is that Zoon is a hell of a brilliant album.

As I already wrote somewhere in my "Hello" post, I found it in a store shortly after it came out and had to have it. Actually I was expecting something like "Elizium 2". When I was back home I put that CD into the player, pressed start and was startled. The very first moments I was soooo disappointed not to have an Elizium 2. But I kept listening. After pushing away the thought that it should have been a sequel to Elizium and giving this album its own space, it suddenly grew to unimaginable heights.

It was intense, dark, violent, raw and passionate. And I especially liked the changes between the harder and softer parts within some songs. Some songs were like a hurricane. They started hard and intense, then they seemed to be within the calm eye of the hurricane for a short while - bringing back that Elizium feeling - and then the storm started once again.

After listening to the album for a few hours I knew it was a masterpiece. Anybody who says it sounds like a <put some metal band's name here>-album, should really listen to it again without any prejudices and without considering personal disliking of the artist. I own a lot of those other bands' metal albums - Speed metal, thrash metal, black metal, death metal or just METAL. And they're all extremely different from Zoon, because Zoon STILL has the dense atmosphere known from Elizium. It was just implemented differently. There are so many speed changes, delicate background sound scapes, voice changes and many small details not found in any of the other metal albums. On most of the albums you get the growling voice and the hard guitar riffs from beginning to end. You can also hear some drums, but often that's it. Sometimes you'll also find some synth pads trying to create a dense atmosphere without ever meeting the class of all the small details that went into Zoon.

Melt and Shine certainly are two of the highlights on the album, but for me there's no single song which I don't like at all. Another difference to most other albums where you only find one or two songs you like, although there may be 16 songs on it.

And there's always a difference between saying "I don't like the album." and "The album is rubbish". The first statement is relative while the second statement is absolute, thus the second statement insults everybody who likes it, no matter if that's a wanted or unwanted effect.

Greetz,

Lav

[spiralinsana]

And there's always a difference between saying "I don't like the album." and "The album is rubbish". The first statement is relative while the second statement is absolute, thus the second statement insults everybody who likes it, no matter if that's a wanted or unwanted effect.

My thoughts exactly.

I'm sure Zoon was a disappointment for anyone expecting just another FOTN album, but labelling it as "crap" is a bit harsh, speacially when there are so many ...erm...thrasheads that think it's the best metal album ever.

Just think it was a shame that songs like Sensorium, Red777 or Chaocracy were left out. McCoy probably had his reasons, but sometimes it´s really hard to understand them.

[angry bob]

On most of the albums you get the growling voice and the hard guitar riffs from beginning to end. You can also hear some drums

Sometimes I hear some really good drums.

And there's always a difference between saying "I don't like the album." and "The album is rubbish".

I rather prefer when they call it rubbish than compare to cof, for instance...

[angry bob]

... speacially when there are so many ...erm...thrasheads that think it's the best metal album ever.

Just think it was a shame that songs like Sensorium, Red777 or Chaocracy were left out. McCoy probably had his reasons, but sometimes it´s really hard to understand them.

I wouldn't count that you ever find a thrashead who thinks that Zoon is their best metal album ever... I like lots of varied metal and go to the gigs but never consider myself as metalhead apart from early years when wearing Metallica t-shirt hehe. I was 12.
Zoon is my fav album but has a bit defferent effect on me

As for those songs you mentioned. Although I reckon they are great tracks they simply don't fit to the concept of Zoon. Red777 is more like Fields. Chaocracy lacks the dimensionality of Zoon tracks.
Obviously there always was a possibility that they could have been changed for album purpose, raised to its level...

[wild bill buttock]

... speacially when there are so many ...erm...thrasheads that think it's the best metal album ever.

I wouldn't count that you ever find a thrashead who thinks that Zoon is their best metal album ever

I wouldn't count on most Thrasheads or metalheads even having heard of Zoon.Hardly the biggest selling item from McCoy's catalogue was it?

[James Blast]

it rocks, now move on please

[angry bob]

it rocks, now move on please

You can go, I'm staying

[James Blast]

ok

[morphicfields]

it rocks, now move on please

You can go, I'm staying

Well, there's no where else to go is there? The forum seems to be drying up.

[Badlander]

it rocks, now move on please

You can go, I'm staying

Ah, the joy of a good old fashioned argument between civilized people.


Back on purpose, it's true that Zoon hardly seems to be a reference point in the metal world. I probably like it because I don't listen to a lot of metal and so I have nothing to really compare it to. But I can't think of any metalhead who didn't know the Neph and thought Zoon was a must-have. Most of the time it just goes unnoticed.

Fact !

[Badlander]

After listening to the album for a few hours I knew it was a masterpiece.

This statement is so absolute. I consider this an insult to all those who don't like this album. This shall not be tolerated !

Burn !

[spiralinsana]

Back on purpose, it's true that Zoon hardly seems to be a reference point in the metal world. I probably like it because I don't listen to a lot of metal and so I have nothing to really compare it to. But I can't think of any metalhead who didn't know the Neph and thought Zoon was a must-have. Most of the time it just goes unnoticed.

Fact !

I must be very lucky with the metalheads I know then, because most of them have a copy (or a copy of a copy) of Zoon and they love it, probably because there's no pathetic screaming or ridiculous 5 minute guitar solos in it.

Just another Fact !

After listening to the album for a few hours I knew it was a masterpiece.

This statement is so absolute. I consider this an insult to all those who don't like this album. This shall not be tolerated !

What about wild bill's post labelling it as "crap"? Not absolute enough? Not an insult to those who like it?

[Badlander]

What about wild bill's post labelling it as "crap"? Not absolute enough? Not an insult to those who like it?

I don't remember Bill complaining.

Seriously, why should anyone feel insulted in the first place ? We're talking about the album, not anybody's taste. Don't take it personally and everything will be alright.

[angry bob]

Jehovah! Jehovah!

[angry bob]

i did have that zoon thingy for a most of this bloody hot day and i thought of you my beloved thread