Customer Reviews

Roseland featuring Tyler Bates and Azam Ali

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

 

 

This is a wonderful album, and all the more remarkable if you know Azam Ali's other work (Vas, Niyaz, her own solo albums). An acclaimed world music singer, she shifts gears in a big way in this collaboration with Tyler Bates, the soundtrack composer of the movies 300 and various horror flicks. Azam morphs her usually pure and spiritual sounding voice to a style that is both edgy and very sexy. Combined with Bates' at times very heavy rock guitar and atmospheric sound textures, the end result often raises goosebumps and is never dull. What is a mystery to me is why, only a few months after being released, this CD is nowhere to be found; I was only able to get the album by downloading the tracks from an indie music site. This is well worth searching for, and hopefully it will be back in print.

... rock sounds -deep and outstanding-, and a deep and lovely voice. Azam Ali at her best. Great to enjoy from the beggining to the end. A Great CD!!!

This album is excellent. It is one of my all time favorite albums. I got it back more than a year ago and still listen to it on a regular basis.
The album encompasses many genres in it. It is most common referred to as a rock-new age crossover (or darkwave of sorts), but it is really not just simple as that (some tracks border on alternative, while others - ambient).
The songs are like different moods and are designed to bring out emotion regardless of your perception of the lyrics; which are themselves true poetry. There are many ways in which one song may affect you. Truly masterful.
Tyler Bates' experience as a film score composer brings something that is rarely on the market. Azam Ali ingeniously achieves personality in her lyrics, which may be interpreted in many ways left to the listener.
Sadly, the album is a rare find nowdays, but is well worth buying if you find it somewhere.

Roseland is a strangely obscure collaboration between film score composer Tyler Bates (300, Doomsday) and Azam Ali from bands Niyaz and Vas. Both artists' historical output is amazing. However, this album is quite a departure for both of them, though no less competent.

Roseland reminds me a bit of trip hop, think Portishead or Massive Attack, injected with a healthy dose of Siouxie and the Banshees style gothic rock. It is a largely electronic recording with scattered riffy guitar work. There is a solid groove with a strong down beat, making this music a seductive dance floor choice. Each track is memorable, without annoying pop hooks, and work together to make a good, complete album.

Azam Ali's vocal work is simply divine. Her range, and vocal depth are staggering. Her work here is commanding, intense, passionate and utterly beautiful. Even though Ali's vocal work is quite potent, it is noteworthy that in no way does it overwhelm the overall mix or composition. This is a normal point of contention I have when a band showcases such a prominent vocalist. This is not just a showcase for how wonderful a vocalist she is. This is definitely an even collaboration between these two competent artists.

Roseland is not quite trip hop, but it is difficult to classify and I suspect anyone into bands like Massive Attack will enjoy this album. I would also recommend this to fans of darkwave/ethereal acts like Dead Can Dance or The Creatures.

This is one of my top rated album, Azam Ali is simply one of the greatest singers on earth! His voice is out of this world, it's like grace falling over me.
I can't stop enjoy and listen to this album.
Highly recommended.

Now that's something I would never expect!I'm a big fun of Azam Ali (particularly Portals of Grace), but even though I love her ethereal type of music, I was sceptic when I heard that she goes rock for this project! I have to admit that her singing in english was strange to get used to in the begining but once you isolate it from her previous work and face it as a work apart, selfstanding...this is a jewel! Comparisons with other artists are useless, this is a unique work! Try it and you will not regret it!