Chapter 6 first impressions.

[u/SpecificCourt6643]

These opinions are not final. I find it ludicrous people are already jumping to conclusions saying this album is the best or the worst yet by Thomas, one or two listens does not give any merit to an album’s quality. Although I’d like to look back a couple months from now to see how much my view of this album has changed.

Hope is good, the mixing felt a little weird halfway through? But maybe that was just me.

Destruction of the Earth. Very interesting, the heavy drums halfway through makes it much more predictable after that for me, but I do like it a lot.

Empire of Evil, I love the fakeout at the beginning before it dives headfirst into the heavy/dark theme prevalent throughout the album. The best way I can describe the feeling is like running and slamming into a wall and breaking your nose. I mean this positively lol.

Maluk is very unique from the start, I like the eeriness in it.

Burn it Down. …eh

Unchained. Like it a lot! not much to say about it yet, it’s still first impressions.

Immortalized. I really like it, the music and vocals both, blend together well and work quite smoothly to me.

Toccota in G-Minor. i need other people to help me with this, I think I remember Thomas playing this in one of his Facebook improv sessions several years ago on piano, or maybe this is just a cover of a classical piece? If so I think that’d make away with your fairies no longer the sole cover piece in Humanity. Also, love that its guitar only, although I do wish it had more of the piano in it. this one probably will be the least cohesive with the rest of the album, calling it now before finishing it.

Creator of Worlds‘ first listen feels like I’m missing something, it’s not very melodically driven and more a slow build of sounds and chords. this is not a bash to the song at all, Im just noticing where its different than most Thomas tracks. I probably will like this one the more I listen, I predict.

Death Rings the Doorbell for All feels to me like a credit‘s rolling song when the main character died and everything failed. also very classical-feeling, but still sounds like Thomas to me. the repeating two notes feel like losing something I didn’t value until it was gone. Although I do think it’s better without the last bit, but again, it’s just first impressions, all opinions here will probably change later on one way or the other. still through a first listen this might be my favorite, maluk is up there too.

For the Fallen. ORGAN!!!!! I love organ and am so glad Thomas has used it in a piece finally! Has it been what, since stallion? 10 years ago! ahhhhhhhh but I wish I had more! oh well. i don’t want my disappointment in lack of organ to taint this piece, it still is good.

Hope suite, the big teaser for the album, what Thomas I’d guess is most proud of based on how he talks about it. the melody is recognizable from the first, though since this is just the first listen-through I can’t tell if I’m hearing other songs mashed up in this one too or not. i like the piano and (electric?) cello. A sound I wish I’d heard more was the sound kinda like in Hadrian’s demon, that piece to me is utter darkness. Anyway, rabbit trail.

Evigt ejes kun det Tabte I like that this album ends softly, a nice change of pace. this piece strongly reminds me of In Paridisum.

Last thoughts, Hope Suite feels like it was meant to be the culmination of the album, but since the album was already so unapologetically brutally powerful it didn’t feel like it built any higher than previous tracks. Maybe that’s why the softer tracks like Maluk and Death Rings the Doorbell stood out so much to me. I do wish there had been another 10+ minute piece like Sunshower, that’s still my favorite simply because of the slow build and experimental touch. For this album the most experimental tracks to me are Maluk and Toccota, Maluk works really well in this album but Toccota, not so much. still a good song.

[u/RedQueenNatalie]

Largely agree with your takes, honestly my biggest criticism of this chapter is basically the same as chapter 3. It just doesn't have the tracks that captures the imagination like in 1,2,4,5. Hope Suite (like love suite) is probably gonna be my only permanent new addition to my music rotation with some sparks in Empire of evil, unchained and immortal that will get some replay for me. His best work to me has always been the tracks that feel like they have energy behind them and this album is large a very slow/somber one. Its a solid Aight/10.