Customer Reviews

Gloria

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This is hard to even put into words how much I love Disillusion's music. This group to me are so unique and have so much talent and have such an awesome sound how could any metalhead old or new not like this. This group is unreal! No-one in metal sounds like them. They are true artists. Although their first album (BACK TO TIMES OF SPLENDOR) IS A MASTER PIECE and one of the greatest metal albums I have ever heard. This album is a lot different but not in a bad way. This album is also great but in a different kind of way from the last. Although I believe many metalheads don't like groups to change they would like them to put out the same kind of album over and over. I go against the grain on that and believe change is most of the time an art statement for the group and shows they have talent to do something fresh and new. I believe this is without a doubt exactly the case for this group and their new album. This album though different from their first one is still an amazing piece of metal music. So if you truly love metal music and appreciate the art of metal you should already have this album and their first one as well and if you don't then (DON'T GO ANY FURTHER).

This album rocks, it's as short and simple as that. I never heard Back to Times of Splendor, so I can't compare this album to that (I heard a clip at myspace, and I recall good ol' generic death vocals). If you are looking for something truly and completely orgininal in the metal genre, and like all types of metal, you've found a hit. I own about 400 metal albums now, and am always looking to expand my collection, and I can say this one stands on its own, in a good way.

Getting onto the details of the album, let me just first say that the lyrics to this album really don't make that much sense, but that's the beauty of art, it doesn't have to make sense (hence Picasso and other abstract art). In my opinion, if you're that concerned about the lyrics being superior, go read a book. People complain on here that the vocals are too processed and distorted and have too many effects (that description would fit Manson moreso). I don't really agree with that, and even if that was true, who the hell cares!? They sound cool, and they fit the music. The vocals are mostly clean, with a little processing.

The music itself is awesome, completely creative and unique. I can best describe it as industrial, experimental, avant-garde, heavy metal. The first track sets the tone of the album well. It begins with a cool mix of electronics, a pulsating violin (or cello), and a subtle choir in the background, then the drum kicks in, then...... BLAST, a freakin' huge wall of ultra distorted guitar and drums knocks you on your ass. From there, the ever-so unique vocals kick in with a great groove that you just want to move to.

I find track 3 (don't go any further) to be rather funny; the fact that it pisses the close-minded listeners of this album off. It starts with the cheesiest lyrics ever, and you would think the song would completely suck, but then the guitar and drums kick in with a huge groove. It jumps back and forth between the groovy part and a more relaxed part. Certainly a song you can bang your head to. If you can get through this song and like the album up to that point, then you'll love the whole album.

Track 4 (avalanche) just pulls you in. It is very unique sounding; consistent and one of the lighter ones. You get lost in this track; you'll have to stop what you're doing and the track will just take you on an auditory journey, trust me.

Aerophobic is interesting, although it's not metal. It kind of sounds like a disco-tek, with a good beat and the broken blades of a helicopter. It's cool how Disillusion use a track like this as a bridge between songs that sounds awesome, instead of filler.

The Hole We Are In is a pretty heavy track, and there is even a trace (a real, real small trace) of black metal (in the growled vocals that fade out).

Tracks 8 and 10 follow in the same vein as those that preceded; lava is the weakest track, and the last track is just a laid back, more peaceful conclusion to a completely awe-inspiring album.

I don't see how one of the reviwers on here find this to be uninspiring. Just b/c an album doesn't have guitar solos doesn't make it uninspiring, folks. And comparing it to Rammstein (the godfathers of industrial metal) is a huge plus in my opinion, not a drawback. This album can be compared to them maybe in an industrial sense, but it stands on its own as completely unique from anything out there. It's experimental, but in a good, concise way. The songs aren't 10 minutes and make you lose your interest and composure by 5 minutes. Disillusion don't rely on a pool of melody to draw the listener in; instead they do it with their great rythym and pure creativity. In my opinion it takes a lot of skill to be able to pull off experimentation, groove, heaviness, and serenity in the same song, and Disillusion do just that. If you're a metalhead with an open mind (or even if you're not) looking for something truly unique and awesome, look no further. If the above qualities fit you, this album may be destined to become one of your new favorites, as it has become mine. Also, it only takes a few listens to get into it, not 500 billion (like those super-long progressive, experimental discs; which are sometimes good, but more often than not just lose my attention).

Alright, before getting to the actual review I want to say this upfront. To those people who loved Back to Times of Splendor and are looking for another progressive masterpiece, you're looking in the wrong direction. Disillusion stated they didn't want to make a BtToS2, and thus Gloria takes a completely different approach music wise.

You're probably wondering what Gloria is then. Well essentially it's some kind of mix of industrial, electric sounds, funk and metal. The length of the songs has been reduced to your average 3-4 minutes, and the vocals received a big overhaul too. The rough death metal grunts accompanied by clean vocals are no longer there. Instead the tracks carry a heavily distorted voice that talks more then it sings.

So where does that leave us with the actual music? It's hard to define really, each and every track has a somewhat different ring to it. What they all do share is an original experimental point of view. Some songs are build of typically catchy riffs, others use electric buzzing sounds as a foundation and the rest... are just plain weird.

That's not to say that this album is bad. Despite it's unusual nature, it has a lot to love if you can find to appriciate it. Most of the songs are actually very catchy and pleasant to hear. The different components (elecric and industrial with metal guitar) are very well matched together, which leaves a unique listening experience. Having said that I find this a hard album to rate. The album itself is really good, I'm just not sure how many people can truly appreciate it for wat it is...

...Which is also my biggest fear. I've already seen it being obliterated in several reviews not because of what it is, but because of what is _not_: The second installment of Back to Times of Splendor. That is not what it is, and neither what it wants to be.

But please let this review not scare you away in buying "Gloria" if you loved their previous album. Preview some of their tracks, see for yourself if you like their style. Just listen to it with an open mind, and don't judge it too quickly.

Gloria is an unbelievable departure from Disillusion's amazing debut Back to Times of Splendor, which was a great mix of melodic metal offering with both clean and death vocals and bits of progressive arrangements. Gloria abandons their roots and takes on quite an industrial edge, at times evoking Rammstein. The songs are all imbued with lots of electronic elements, cheesy synth patches, overdone processed vocal lines, and ever-present disco beats (see "Xerophobic", easily their worst song to date).

"The Black Sea" is spooky and overtly modern sounding. The vocals are clean but processed through lots of studio effects and therefore hard to understand. The song does contain a heavy guitar slam, but most of it is a synth-dominated wall of sound with plenty of industrial grooves. The band exposes their poppy side on "Dread It", opting for riotous choruses and failing miserably, while the album turns into a terribly arduous listen by the time the third song "Don't Go Any Further" kicks in. One of the most repetitive and boring songs I've heard recently, it is drenced in effect-laden spoken vocals that deliver angst-ridden lyrics and repeat the horrible song title. "Avalanche" does pick up on a melodic guitar harmony, but it's far from saving the disc going downhill. The orchestral arrangement of the title track starts a bit like Therion before a smashing drum and guitar battery plows through the composition. The use of female vocals works relatively well. Sadly though, the industrial male voice is awful -- imagine a boring spoken voice backed by a steady drum and bass beat and some horror film-like effects and downtuned industrial guitars churning out simple power chords. Somewhere in the middle, the song quietens down with a cool acoustic part and it gets slightly attention-worthy, but quickly, the same rhythms and beats return to create a symphonic edge thanks to the aforementioned female choir arrangement. And this is still one of the better tunes on this disc.

Overall, the longer, more progressive songwriting has been put aside by shorter (most within the 3-4-minute range) pieces and a more direct musical expression. Unfortunately whatever promise parts of these songs show is immediately destroyed by another Rammstein-like attempt that is neither as interesting nor creative given the potential of this band. The new CD may win them over some new fans, but most of the listeners who discovered Disillusion with their debut are likely to be disappointed. I spent more time with this disc than I do with most releases I dislike, and sadly, it only got worse.

I'll explain the scenario that most people have probably encountered with this album. "Back to the Times of Splendor," which I didn't get until June 2006, just a few months before "Gloria" came out, was probably the best progressive metal album I bought in the past 2 years or so. I was looking so forward to Gloria, I was counting down the days, and got it as fast as the mailmen brought it here (which is slow in America). Now shortly before I got Gloria, I heard it was "different" and that there was "electronics," but I didn't think too much of it. First time I popped it in, I HATED!!! It. I was disgusted, confused, surprised, and heartbroken all at once. But Alas! I love so many different kinds of music and am so open minded, I figured, hey, I like really experimental stuff, and electronica, and industrial a little, so I'm sure this will grow on me. And it did!

That's right folks, Disillusion has abandoned, at least on this album, their colossal, winding, folk-inspired metal adventures for short, experimental industrial/electronica-influenced metal and while it was not what I was expecting at all, it has grown on me kind of quickly. The vocals are almost always electronically distorted and processed, but that kind of fits with the theme as well. Disillusion's vocals have always been their little weak point anyways. On "Avalanche" it almost seems like he is singing out of tune because he's trying to sing at too high of a pitch that he can't physically accomplish...

"The Black Sea" is an awesome song. It's sludgy sounding, with very heavy guitars, some angelic female backing vocalists, highly distorted 'talking' style vocals, and a little electronic beat here and there. "Dread It" is perhaps my favorite song. It keeps a very steady, upbeat rhythm, with some sharp synth'd-violin sweeps that get a little mangled up sometimes, and some ultra heavy guitar riffs.

The title track is pretty cool, with some more angelic female vocals on top of those ultra-muddy guitars, almost making it feel like some kind of magical underground volcano area, and then suddenly there is that crumbly distorted voice almost _rapping_ on top of some funky beats you would probably find in a European dance club, Then later everything stops suddenly for a quiet little acoustic instrumental. This song always leaves me as confused as a rat in a labyrinth but it is oddly addicting. Next comes "Aerophobic," with a very eerie intro, which suddenly backflips into an intricate, upbeat electronic rhythm, and turns out to be a pretty neat "instrumental" song (with very few actual instruments).

"The Hole We Are In" is another really interesting track, highly "industrialized." The first half or so is instrumental, and the little rhythm that kind of sounds like banging on tin cans is awesome, along with the poetic, bizarre lyrics, sudden explosions of heavy guitars, and that little electronic-rhythm solo near the end.

"Lava" kind of annoys me. This is where I think they're overdoing the gimmick a bit too much. It would be a very nice instrumental song, but they have to add that thick, muddy layer of distortion on it. By this point in the album especially, it would be nice for a break and just have something a bit relaxing to the ears, instead you have a real nice melody that is distorted to the point of annoyance.

This is really a _very_ unique album, and I'm kind of glad that they went with this approach now, although it could be better. A few songs are kind of yuck. Maybe they'll be like Ulver and every album will be a completely new direction of insane unpredictability. This one sure is. And if you get this album and don't like it, keep listening to it.

What a difference a few years can make. I was taken completely surprised by Disillusion's 2003 debut Back to Times of Splendor, and was completely amazed as well. The German band debuted with such an incredible and unique mix of death and progressive metal that I could hardly wait for a follow-up. When that follow-up - 2006's Gloria - arrived, the initial press was so negative that I avoided the album until I ran across a cheap cutout copy earlier this year.

After spending some time with Gloria, I can understand people's initial reactions. This album sounds nothing like Back to Times of Splendor, and is so harsh and industrial that it seems like the band is actively trying to scare away fans of the first album. Here's the thing, though: Gloria is every bit as unique and progressive as the debut. It's obviously not the same kind of album, but what Disillusion accomplished then they do again here. They're pushing the envelope and seeing how far they can take their own style of metal, and that's to be applauded. I'm not an industrial metal fan by any means, but I'm fascinated by this album. The distorted vocals, techno beats and sludgy guitars normally would have me hitting the eject button, but here they absolutely enhance Disillusion's progressive metal style.

This is definitely an album where persistence pays off. The more you listen to Gloria, the more it draws you in. You have to work for it, but the payoff is an album that reveals something new each time you hear it. Disillusion has now released two completely distinct, completely powerful metal albums that open-minded fans of progressive metal should definitely look into.

I, much like a lot of other people were surprised in the direction they took with this album. Instead of the progressive elements they bring in electronics and industrial to the mix. Showing that they are not just a one track band.

They have gone a different direction (at least on this cd) and I really do enjoy bands that switch it up. The songs are a lot shorter the longest song is only 6:11 versus the 4 songs over 7 minutes on BTTTOS. If you are open minded then pop this disk in. It really isn't that bad.

As a musician (and someone who listens to quite a bit of music as well), it takes quite a bit to surprise me. I was quite impressed to hear Disillusion's latest album, "Gloria". In fact, I was impressed enough to write my first review on Amazon in 8 years!

This album sounds like nothing I've ever heard -- some odd mixture of dark, progressive metal and industrial. I can't really even describe bands it sounds like... perhaps a clinically depressed Pagan's Mind + Nine Inch Nails (but just a tad... no whining) There has been much weeping and gnashing of teeth on the Internet over this album, all around the theme of "This isn't Extreme Death Metal! It sucks! Try again!"

In response I say: "Listen." Favorite tracks are "Save The Past", "The Hole We Are In", "Dread It", and "Don't Go Any Further". I know...that's half the album. Why do I call it a "Magnum Opus"? Because it has an entire "atmosphere" around it that is unique...it makes a statement without bashing you in the face with a wall of sound. And there's something new to discover with each listening session.

For those of us tired of the same old growly vocals and guitar played so quickly as to lack substance...here's something to bite into.

well if your expecting another prog metal masterpiece like "back to times of splendor" than "dont go any further" lol. i was completely discusted with this album when i heard it, and i could not belive this was the same band that put out "back to times of splendor. first off the prog metal side is all gone. no more prog at all. and the songs are all short. now that would be fine with me if they were atleast good songs, but they all pretty much are crap. and also the singer sounds like crap through this whole album......i'd say there is about 4 songs at most that are good on this album. still not nearly as good as their debuit though. this album could be compared with rammstein type music. witch is really really sad...



utter dissapointment....

The music is really good, I can even tolerate the industrial elements but...the vocal delivery is in question. The FX on the vocals is wierd and not very appealing to me..but I'm going to listen to this a couple of more times. Right now I am a little disappointed there is nothing wrong with progression, in fact I encourage it but the vocals are pushing me away right now. But I will definately listen to it again.