Composer/Musician Reacts to Maudlin of the Well - Birth Pains of Astral Projection (REACTION!!!)

[@chromecodec]

"i love these parts, not too keen about the heavier parts yet" classic first reaction to motw!

[@noisypinkbubble875]

I love weird music like this. I've always thrived on things I can't anticipate or understand at first. It doesn't always turn into a liked band or song, but I enjoy the exploration of it. I'm gonna be listening to this song again, along with more from them. As for Monday, I'm looking forward to your recommendations!

[@louiemac9455]

It's actually called avant garde metal.

[@foncess]

I really like how you never paused it and only said what you were thinking in short bits over the song and gave all of your thoughts after the song is over, makes sure that you don't ruin your experience by pausing and is a nicer video structure in my opinion.

[@CriticalReactions]

I'm glad you like my format. I was a concious decision to allow the song to play all the way through. I would hate it from the other side (having my works and their crafted atmospheres interrupted) so I don't do it to others.

[@__ethen_2814]

Getting thrown into this song is definitely jarring. It makes a lot more sense in the context of the album. "bath" the album this song is from is consistently shifting between those laid back and slow melodic parts and the rough abrasive parts, it's kind of like a consistent motif that slowly changes it's presence throughout and this song is one of the most jarring examples of it (intentionally in my opinion). Takes getting used to, I think "Heaven and Weak" would have been a better choice for a first experience since the transition between ideas is more gradual. This album is very weird but one of my absolute favorites, always find myself going back to it. "Heaven and Weak" and "They Aren't All Beautifull" are good songs to check out if you're interested in seeing more what they're about in general. Thanks for doing this, good insight!

[@liliIiliIilil]

This is the precursor band to Kayo Dot (You reacted to The Manifold Curiosity). A lot of the same members stayed with the lead songwriter, Toby Driver, to form Kayo Dot (Though, by now, there have been some member changes). This band helped me get into prog, back when I was exclusively a die-hard extreme metalhead. It must have been around 2005. One of my all-time favs. Leaving Your Body Map is still among my favorite albums.

[@nowave1465]

Listening to this band makes me emotional for some reason

[@Childofbhaal]

This is the album that made me realize Toby Driver is an absolutely brilliant composer. One of my all time favorite albums

[@MustObeyTheRules]

I don’t even like vocals like this very often except in this band and opeth. This is one of my favorite songs ever. You got to hear the entire album to really get it.

[@lukewilson7769]

LOVED this band in high school.

[@_____-_-_-_]

Teenager spaghetti spilling trying to explain abstract Astral death-jazz to girl

[@lightbulbsun]

You have no idea how mindblowing hearing maudlin of the Well and Kayo Dot was for me in 2004 when I was 18. Toby Driver is a music genius, and I don't throw that around lightly.

[@Malkovith2]

If you say this is a cat barking, listen to Stones of October's Sobbing. And I fucking love that feeling. It's so beatiful.

[@aphelionvoid4491]

Damn, i love this song so much. Hits so many emotions..

[@CharlesEMurphy]

Well, that was a very interesting journey. Special Selections, like Patreon Picks, is awesome for expanding the boundries of what I'm listening to.

[@StringHead92]

This is a band I knew of but had never checked. What a song! I loved it. I get what you say about the heavier section, but I actually loved the contrast between the "island tune" in the softer and heavier sections, it's like conceptually dissonant. Great input as always, Bryan!

[@StringHead92]

@Mayo Dog Thanks for the suggestion, will give it a try for sure!

[@liliIiliIilil]

Just want to mention that the songwriter has most of his musical projects on Bandcamp. All of Maudlin is on there and you can stream the songs for free (Or buy the album if you want to support him). kayodot.bandcamp.com/

[@StringHead92]

@@liliIiliIilil Thank you!

[@whythatspreposterous]

Just discovered your channel. Subbed. When I saw you had reacted to Kayo Dot, I immediately searched for a Maudlin of the Well reaction, and, lo and behold, you've done my fave. Love this song so hard. Great (very green) reaction. Very much enjoyed watching your face during one of the most beautiful guitar solos I've heard. Takes me places.

[@tim9202]

Their last album is AWESOM, especially if you prefer the softer stuff, it's some incredible stuff! really great obscur group!

[@thewhorocks515]

I was torn between this and Laboratories of the Invisible World! Part the Second is just as much of a masterpiece as Bath and Leaving Your Body Map.

[@justsomejusstsome8994]

Man you've come such a long way since this time. You've really improved as a channel overall.

[@thewhorocks515]

Thanks for the reaction Bryan! Knew you'd find it interesting at least even if you didn't love it, and as always appreciate your critique. It is funny that it this reaction reminded me of the Kayo Dot Manifold Curiosity reaction as people are saying this band is kind of the precursor for Kayo Dot, with Toby Driver being the main composer for both. Hope people keep requesting stuff from these bands as there's just so much incredibly interesting and vastly different material it's insane. Especially with Kayo Dot. You would not believe the same composer composed all of this music.

[@psychobells_]

Just discovered you and am so happy you listened to both maudlin of the Well and Kayo Dot! motW is my all-time favorite band - my first tattoo was from their double albums Bath and Leaving Your Body Map. It's fun to see your take on my favorite music. I think both motW and Kayo Dot would be worth revisiting as their music changes vastly between albums, and even songs on each album.

[@jonathanhenderson9422]

Others have mentioned this was Toby Driver's pre-Kayo Dot band, I'll just add that they only released 4 albums and two of them (Bath and Leaving Your Body Map) are stone-cold masterpieces. Insanely creative, utterly unique band. Nobody has sounded like them before or since, and even Kayo Dot took things in a very different direction. Would love for you to explore both bands more. You'd probably be shocked at how radically different they can sound across different songs and albums. Loved your "cat barking" metaphor. :D I think that hybridizing of very different genres is one of the few consistence things across Toby Driver's music. EDIT: Also, can't wait to hear your recommendations! Next week's gonna be fun.

[@thewhorocks515]

I'd say Part the Second is also a masterpiece! But yeah I'd love to see Bryan listen to something off that, then say something off Coyote, then say something off Coffins on Io or Plastic House on Base of Sky. It's amazing how different they all sound and they're all super interesting.

[@jonathanhenderson9422]

@@thewhorocks515 I need to listen to Part the Second some more. I got into them before it was released so I didn't spend as much time with it as I did Bath and LYBM. I'd love to see Bryan's reaction to something from Coffins on Io knowing it was from the same guy that did this and The Manifold Curiosity!

[@taterhamster]

This band is related to Kayo Dot which you reacted to. Very similar compositional style IMO. I'd love to see you react to another weird/off-the-wall band. I'll suggest: Free Salamander Exhibit - "The Keep" or "The Gift"

[@viridianloom]

If we could bring this full circle and check out Toby Driver's "Glyph" that would be wonderful :) One of his most beautiful songs I've heard in recent memory and I think its the most straight forward of all these songs.

[@apollyon24789]

unironically one of my favorite songs of all time

[@TheJosue378]

Piece of art every song.

[@pablobarrios6624]

React to Rolo Tomassi.. Cheers From Argentina!

[@tenebraefero168]

Wow! Reaction to motW! Thanks a lot, man!

[@redshift912]

That’s ahhh ... that’s a title right there 😂😂🤣🤣

[@wyburp7970]

Can you write in the youtube description what is the theme of the week? I personally just like to scan the songs to see if I like it, but the themes intrigue me.

[@CriticalReactions]

Sure I'll start that with tomorrow's video.

[@CriticalReactions]

I did ya one better (I think). I made playlists for every theme. The "sort by latest upload" seems to be wonky but if you sort by "playlist creation date" then you'll have a nice list for ya. I'll be adding to these as I go so you'll always have each week's theme compiled into a collection.

[@justsomejusstsome8994]

Still one of my favourite songs ever

[@x_hunter00]

Well that was interesting. I like the steady growl vocals better than the clean vocals. Check out Outrun the Sunlight's "Toska".

[@waterguyroks]

Same. The clean vocals are a bit shaky for me. Toby could really fucking howl, his screams are so cathartic

[@Ivan-ow5xc]

The growls sound a lot like Insomnium. Is it the same vocalist? Russian Circles - 309 (Empros Live Session) or Harper Lewis

[@wolverine669]

Noup.... Maudlin...was a US band, Insomnium is Finnish. Of course that doesn't say or mean anything, but no.

[@iChuckBricks]

Yesssss

[@benrichardson7306]

Someone reacting to maudlin of the Well? Wow, soo cool! My only complaint: Bath is my absolute favorite album by them, one of my favorite albums of all time. This song, "Birth Pains of Astral Projection," is my least favorite of the album. This is the only song I consider skipping. It's got all the same elements of all the other songs on the album but messier. The other songs are beautifully composed, telling a story through the music: "They Aren't All Beautiful" "Heaven and Weak" "The Ferryman" "Geography" "Girl With a Watering Can". This song's composition just seems to wander around, not really contributing to the story in any way. is not bad, just not as good. Still, thanks for the motW reaction.

[@Bigjuicydumbdumb]

(In your opinion)

[@meatlejuice]

Wow, that's an interesting opinion. To me this is one of the greatest composed songs and best listening experiences in all of music.

[@whythatspreposterous]

Weird. This is pinnacle MotW for me. One of my fav songs ever.

[@randucci]

Love MotW

[@Dukhevych]

Please, react to Trophy Scars - Nausea. Cheers from Ukraine! ;)

[@CharlesEMurphy]

Oh man, one with your daughter would be awesome!

[@Ohuelio]

Ебейшая музыка!