Composer Reacts to Ne Obliviscaris - Painters Of The Tempest (REACTION & ANALYSIS)

[@leoohollow4510]

This band can give me the emotion and feeling even without being able to understand the lyrics. The harmony and the chaos is just amazing. Forget Not til' this day is one of my favorite songs of all time.

[@harlanmonk569]

Its one of the tops for me also Leo. Hard to find a favorite with too many great songs by them to choose from.

[@Trivios111]

I agree 100%. Forget not is simply a masterpiece of humanity.

[@nathanreis4212]

I agree absolutely too, this band and Aether Realm gives the sensation of epicness, chaos, peace all in one. My favorite is Eyrie btw, but Forget Not is perfect

[@scottrobinson4611]

76 minutes dedicated to this beautiful piece of music. Thank you for giving this your full attention

[@alexandergatos2159]

Being a NeO fan myself I can only thank you once more for dissecting this beautiful track. Even though I will live and die with their first album, "Portal of I", the juxtaposition of harshness and melody in this track is mind-blowingly elaborate. Anyway, you can't go wrong with these guys.

[@DuskbloomRose]

I’m glad you did this song. It’s probably my favorite. My interpretation of the song is that it’s about the creation of the universe and the fall of angels. They referenced the light bringer and then also dark herald. Lucifer was an arch Angel and gods left hand. His name actually means light bringer/ bearer of light. So heaven being empty and the rebellion and being banished from heaven. The canvas would be the universe itself. This could also be a reference to painters of the tempest. Painting the canvas would be creation of the universe. The tempest could be seen as a storm, perhaps a reference to the chaos in the beginning, the Big Bang? Bruegel was a painter who famously made The Triumph of Death. A painting which displays plague. So another reference to plague and painting. I would say this could all be displayed and interpreted musically as well. As you have noticed the dynamics are basically on and off. I feel like it feels like a storm. Especially all the colors and flurry that hits at the beginning. And then the beautiful peace. Musically the 3 songs are a storm. But not much a reference to the lyrical material outside that. But the storm could be a reference to the creation of the universe which is referenced in the lyrics. That’s my interpretation. Thanks for doing this video! It’s my favorite song by them.

[@harlanmonk569]

Great analyses', Duskbroom Rose. It would go great with The Silmarillion intro when Eru creates that amazing universe.Bless you.

[@lorenzoaste9173]

As a bassist, this is the song I find most fun to play, idk how to explain it, but it’s so satisfying to play a song that respects your instrument and know the song isn’t just a bass solo.

[@merkuryjp]

I can guarantee you listening to proper lossless rips of this song sounds much cleaner. the audio on that video you watched did a big number to the sound

[@CriticalReactions]

I kinda figured. Since I've heard half the album I might as well complete my listen, starting over on Apple Music rather than some youtube video.

[@merkuryjp]

@@CriticalReactions please do! pyrrhic is my favourite NeO song!

[@EvilZlo]

@@CriticalReactions You should do a bonus video with that reaction, would be epic :D Devour me colossus is my fav NeO song!

[@silasnebulous4533]

Really? Idk what lossless means. But guess I'll try to check it out, if I can find it.

[@merkuryjp]

@@silasnebulous4533 it basically means the highest audio quality

[@yasithperera5700]

This is my favorite NeO song! One of the best songs ever made in my eyes ! That last movement curator has given me goosebumps and blasts of energy many times Unlike any other song I have heard in my life ! Its amazing when I listen to it while driving :) Another legendary song is Æther Realm - The Sun, The Moon, The Star

[@frankunodostres473]

I love to introduce people to this band^^ this is definitely one of their many masterpieces and possibly the biggest of them all. the journey that never lets you off the hook for the entire runtime is impossibly well crafted. you know it is a long epic when part 2 has 3 movements :D

[@oneclassyboi7970]

YESSSS, after all this time he's finally reacting to my all time favorite song! The one that not only got me into metal, but into music as a path in life.

[@seba.4926]

literally same

[@johnseward2934]

Don't think I've ever heard such a metal violin before, that was eye opening. This song is like listening to an entire album, so many different sections and change ups. I do love music that brings you on a journey, but honestly I lose a bit of interest due to how many very different sections occur throughout the song. Overall it feels a bit schizophrenic to me without enough of a theme connecting the entire thing. Will need to listen a few more times and really sit with it because at least a song of this complexity deserves it. Anyhow, you should really reaction to The Tyranny of Imagination by Wilderun, its a similar style of music with immense complexity and multiple sections and shifts, and fantastic vocal performance.

[@harlanmonk569]

John that's the secret to most music is listening a few times and then you find the beauty. Bless you brother.

[@scottrobinson4611]

Music, especially prog, is hard to digest on one or two listens. Of course it's a big time investment to even give this song a proper chance, but that's how it goes. I still find new things to love about this song, after probably 200 good listens.

[@johnname7163]

here's a suggestion for your next reaction video! :) Aether Realm - The Sun, The Moon, The Star

[@silasnebulous4533]

Ah yes, another hand ripping map on osu and a banger song. I think I got r.s.i from playing the song too much...

[@johnname7163]

@@silasnebulous4533 yeah, osu is where I found most of the bands/songs I listen to nowadays, lol. I don't play the game that much anymore though.

[@silasnebulous4533]

@@johnname7163 I used these songs to build stamina using the 'high intensity training' technique. It works very well!

[@johnname7163]

@@silasnebulous4533 huh, never heard of it, but then again I'm not a very good player (somewhere in the 100k area). Guessing the strat is you spam retry the map for a while each day?

[@silasnebulous4533]

@@johnname7163 1 try on a very hard over the top stamina heavy map to force my hands to get used to the constant strain. It worked, for some reason (Also, I'm 12K)

[@thegrimner]

One of the things you say in this reaction kinda ties in this and the ENslaved reaction together quite well. You commented on NeO being very good at understanding musical theory and mentioned also "metal theory" in a semi jokingly fashion. I'd say that there is indeed a metal theory, a staple of ideas on how to construct extreme sounds and make them crossover to other elements. You see the quintessential students of that game in bands like NeO, and you heard the trailblazing in Enslaved. Though the 80s had some flirtation with less conventional song structuring and longer, involved compositions, it was in the 90s that people sort of started discovering that everything goes, and metal could be mixed with neoclassical, symphonic, electronic, folk, industrial, jazz; in the case of arcturus all at once, and occasionally in the same song. But that idea was not yet truly conceptualized. Bands like NeO are clearly a lot more confident in mish mashing all those disparate textures, they're the slick current era jet plane with all the amazing avionics; that Enslaved song was the Wright brothers in comparison; they'd eventually take off, but it took a few ingenious tries.

[@CriticalReactions]

Fantastic connection there and I love the metaphor of aviation advancement. It'll be neat to check out more Enslaved, if nothing else than to hear more of this early experimentation with metal.

[@qgloafhun]

yup there's an entire channel called "metal music theory" that dissects metal concepts in really in-depth ways

[@biorythmicshifter]

I literally had an eargasm when I first heard this when it originally came out. This level of sophistication wasn’t as common back then so this was quite groundbreaking in my opinion. One of the few bands that had a truly gifted clean singer integrated into the extreme metal extremely well. In the process of searching for and discovering new music I haven’t listened to this in a few years, this reminded me how much I loved this song…

[@shork8467]

I remember i requested this on the forget not video :D after so long you're finally doing it .

[@VermillionGates]

I'm with the idea of you listening to the album in full, the tracks flow together really well. Also Pyrrhic (the only one you haven't heard from this album I believe) is an excellent track with a beautiful outro.

[@King_Nagger]

Hands down their best song imo

[@Bikonito]

IMO devour me colossus is better but this one also slaps insanely hard

[@harlanmonk569]

Their entire catalogue is flawless imo.

[@silasnebulous4533]

I've checked out other songs of theirs but this one claps the hardest for me...

[@maaaaaap]

Legendary song, i never really say this, but might be one of the best songs i've heard

[@progrockplaylists]

deserves the plus hour long analysis

[@facelesscovers763]

I've been waiting for this reaction for so long, thank you so much for reacting to this one, it's my favorite song/metal album/band of all time.

[@MJ-vd8bj]

Incredible song. The Curator part is clearly my favorite, it's so breathtaking.

[@sagebooker]

I like very much the strings at the beginning, and the rock shade that appears then. The way to use violin and guitar is very interesting and original, and I appreciate the clear vocals a lot. The balance between harsh and clear vocals is very smart. Bass and drum are like discreet sometimes but so important in the construction. Very enjoying this discovery. Interesting shades of spanish guitar in the violin theme, and some Klerzmer accents too. Painters, for sure, impressionnist painters.

[@seba.4926]

This is and will always be my favorite song. This song got me into NeO and for the past 2 years I have been absolutely obsessed with their work.

[@elpepo01]

Can't go wrong with NeO! Thank you Bryan.

[@TundraCH]

Only when you go from a Metallica song to a Ne Obliviscaris song do you see how far metal has evolved over years. It's definitely pretentious, but this is Art Metal through and through. Obviously progressive too, but this song is pure art like a renaissance painting by a famous painter.

[@harlanmonk569]

Thanks for this. You could play their whole catalogue and it wouldn't hurt my feelings. Absolute brilliance and beauty. Their art takes you on mind boggling trips. Love them. While I'm a metal head at heart I'm going to drop a suggestion for you and you can decide if its up to par or your channel. Imo the best vocalist on the planet Dimash. 2degrees in music going for his next currently. Sings a plethora of genres in 12 languages also a multi instrumentalist. A humble 28 year old phenomenon. His classical training started when he was 5 years old. His abilities are unbelievable. I feel everyone should at least experience this beauty. I suggest SOS ,Sinful Passion,Adagio,Ogni Pietra,Unforgettable Day,and Samaltau. The Dears ( Fan Club ) will happily fill in any details. They are vast and very knowledgeable on his career. I at least hope you give him a listen on your own. His angelic voice should be heard by everyone. Open minds and you Open hearts. Thanks Brian!

[@BUCKikwi]

I believe that you should listen to and dissect Eyrie if you have not already, that is their magnum opus and is honestly some of the most beautiful music I have ever listened to.

[@ioandoo5347]

You definitely gotta check out their "Urn" album. I would recommend Libera, Intra venus, any song actually from that album. Great to see you reacting to NeO again after And plague flowers and Forget not. Keep it up!

[@jonathanhenderson9422]

I think I said my piece on NeO as a band in general on the recent video of them. This is one of my favorite songs from them with so many good sections that keep my attention throughout. My only issue is that, despite multiple listens, I'm not 100% it all hangs together coherently. They have a bit of that early-Opeth syndrome of sometimes making long songs by just stitching a lot of different ideas together. I do think this hangs together better than most early Opeth, but not quite as well as the best long prog metal/rock tracks I've heard. Still, that's a minor complaint given how superb many of the ideas are, and I really do appreciate their melding of proggy melodeath elements in the guitar riffs with the folky segments.

[@TheVanillaQueen]

If you want dynamics you might want to check more King Crimson. Moonchild and The Talking Drum are excellent. You already listened to Larks Tongues in Aspic part 1. At least in your own time given that if you make videos for them they'll get blocked (Thanks Fripp).

[@Xorealosu]

I usually don't like death metal but NeO songs hit different

[@silasnebulous4533]

Ah yes, my favorite song. Can't say anything about it it's just beautiful.

[@MandatoryZong]

Yo Bryan, I discovered a band recently I think you would find very interesting called Primeval Well, and they have a song called She Flies Undead, off their album Talking in Tongues With Mountain Spirits, and I think you would quite enjoy the track.

[@CriticalReactions]

I'll see about checking them out.

[@Panda_SMM]

top tier band

[@xumas1234]

Nice Reaction with a lot of usefull and interesting information! I really hope that you dont stop there as for NeO. This band has so much to offer and i hope you will check it out in the future. I belive you havent hered any of the Album Urn which is a lot heavier and faster I feel like! But any song of any Album is just Gorgeous, NeO just never misses in my opinion :D

[@Anarchronic]

Just to let you know when there is a reference to the bringer of light they are talking about Lucifer, which means the bearer of light. Also the light in this context is knowledge. A bit like prometheus who brought the light of knowledge to Man the same goes for Lucifer

[@GeoOoo7]

This band is just phenomenal, any plans on doing something off of Urn?

[@ryanschindler923]

Glad you liked the song so much, it'a a real epic journey. I can echo your sentiment on the compression, to me their first album is their best sounding one. IMHO the compression continues through their 3rd album as well. As far as dynamics of volume, that's a tricky subject, and i can see where it helps give a more natural sense like how it might be live. But i don't like the idea of having to turn up my volume during a quiet part and then pray to god i don't blow my eardrums out when it cranks back into a heavier part lol. But i completely understand the thought about wanting more of that in music but to me that's more suited to a live setting or a different genre of music, maybe? If i could throw a suggestion for something completely non metal and more world music based, try Yanni. Always love to see other styles of music on here.

[@Dukhevych]

OH MY GOD

[@liamohman7426]

enslaved and neo on the same day wow

[@normalhumanbeing6066]

i heard the among us violin at part III

[@CriticalReactions]

Do you have a timestamp for that? I'm curious now

[@sagebooker]

By the way, Bruegel is the name of two famous flemish painters 😉 (The young and the old Brueghel, XVIth century)

[@aidancarpio5151]

LETS GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

[@silasnebulous4533]

ME Love this song lots.

[@progperljungman8218]

PRESSURE? ("preAsia" 😁) Anyways, GORGEOUS song and I always enjoy your reactions and analyses the more when we both are loving the song. Only works when a reactor is as honest as you've always been 😍 Gives the praise credibility!

[@CriticalReactions]

Maybe pressure? I could see me wanting to talk about the topic but I can't see it fitting my handwriting. It's pretty funny to think that I talked about the song or some 50 minutes and was disappointed that I couldn't talk about it more :)

[@progperljungman8218]

@@CriticalReactions 🤣

[@christopherblowers443]

NeO is the shit

[@theluckiestperson3924]

Such a great band to listen but I really cannot get in to these vocals idk how to enjoy them there is no melody I try to understand but I cannot can anyone help:)

[@alexandergatos2159]

It takes many listens to get into the vocals. Back in the early 00s I thought the same of Opeth's early albums. But I kept on listening because I enjoyed the music. Then one fateful day it all made sense, just like an epiphany of sorts. It's worth it.

[@progperljungman8218]

Yeah. Opeth did the trick for many of us 😚

[@harlanmonk569]

The more you listen the better it gets. You get used to it. I suggest using lyric sheets while listening . Most can't understand the harsh lyrics which sometimes make it harder to process the meaning and beauty of the songs. It may help you. Rock on!

[@alexandergatos2159]

@@progperljungman8218 I was actually thinking about this today as well. I reckon if there is one song to temper one's ear to harsh vocals, then this has to be Opeth's, The Drapery Falls.

[@theluckiestperson3924]

@@progperljungman8218 true I can actually listen to opeth without vocals disturbing me

[@u.v.s.5583]

Back when NeO still had a decent bass player.

[@EatMoreWorms]

You laughing at the most emotionally charged part of the whole song was a shame. Keep counting to figure out the time signature, that's what music's all about, right?

[@Dukhevych]

?

[@darkstar8196]

Man, what a phenomenal album.

[@harlanmonk569]

I second that!! More NeO.

[@nguyencaotri3879]

Dude I was just thinking what if you reviewed this track. This is my favorite of NeO. You're a godsend, always loved your analysis, I wish I had your knowledge to dissect songs like you do.

[@nguyencaotri3879]

I always come back to this one. May I ask why did you laugh genuinely at the cymbal rhythm at 15:13? I've always found this interesting, as if it triggered a funny bone, quite an unusual reaction outta the blue. Love your content (and the laugh).

[@CriticalReactions]

You're spot on, it was like hearing a punchline to a good joke for me. For this case it was because the mood of the cymbals didn't quite fit the mood from the guitars on this first listen so it gave me this absurdist dissonance. By the second and third repetition of the cymbal idea I had figure out what they were going for but that first time felt like it betrayed the guitar. The guitar was stoic and moody, very stiff and direct with the playing of that lower, eerie yet melancholic atmosphere. Then the cymbals come on very bright and loose, almost dancing from glee amidst this darkness. It reminded me of a cute little imp overjoyed that their evil plan was panning out. But like I said, future repetitions of the idea slowly gave way to a more foreboding feeling so that contrast disappeared. But that first time through was great (unintentional) comedic timing.

[@nguyencaotri3879]

@@CriticalReactions haha that's great. I get your point, I guess it does seem like that, a bold contrast to the guitars. I just love this moment. Because when you think about it, music in general doesn't make you laugh, as if humor is the one thing that music can't really convey meaningfully on its own, without context. Funny music, for example cartoons (Tom & Jerry), wouldn't be that funny without visual aid. And this track, hell, instrumentally heavy, without much lyrics, could trigger a funny bone. Quite amazing. Wow, as a English learner and enthusiast for complex music, I must say, I thoroughly admire your articulate writing skill. Amazing, I strive to be your level. I thought your live, unfiltered analysis from the first listen was articulate already. Now that I witness your writing too? You gained a sub. I wish your channel success.

[@CriticalReactions]

@@nguyencaotri3879 I actually laugh at a lot of music for comedic reasons and I've gone on record to say that music is a language and, like all languages, can be used to tell jokes. The difference is that musical language isn't something that most people are taught to understand. With that said most of the times that music makes me laugh is because of expectation subversion -- which I suppose puts it in line with absurdist comedy, to do something odd or unexpected in an otherwise normal situation or environment. As for your writing, you're doing quite well. You use a wide variety of vocabulary and are quite clear in your intentions. There are a couple of small grammar mistakes but your thoughts come across clearly which, in all honesty, is the purpose of language. Perfection is nice but being understood is the purpose.

[@nguyencaotri3879]

@@CriticalReactions thanks for that last part. I'm studying to become an English teacher in the future. Explains why I pay great attention and appreciation to the language. There are many views of language, but I agree the main purpose would be to communicate meaningfully. Not saying grammar and other aspects aren't important, but successful communication should be at the top. I am very inept with music in general, trying to improve this. I was not raised in a musical environment, and I had no interest in music when I was young (thanks to public school). But on my own, getting into metal changed everything. NeO and Apocalyptica, 2 of the most genius bands imo. I hope you can dissect one of Apocalyptica's songs in the future. As for the humour in music, very interesting take. I can only comprehend your interpretation of music to humour as the only way to get humour out of music. I don't think I've ever laughed listening to music. I mean, I don't think music can tell a joke. For example, how would you write some tunes as the set-up, the hook, the twist, the punchline, ... I know I'm being technical. But I think humour is one of music's limitations. But I'm not adept as your are, haha. It's very interesting talking to someone with musical intelligence and creative.