Composer Reacts to Slice the Cake - Odyssey to the West (REACTION & ANALYSIS & ALBUM REVIEW)

[@JakeHowsamLowe]

Damn, this is crazy. Jack and I put so much work into the writing of this instrumentals of this album it’s crazy to see someone dive this deep! Legendary. Thanks for the appreciation!

[@CriticalReactions]

Dude, your hard work and dedication shows throughout the album. You three absolutely nailed every aspect of it!

[@TStrait21]

I rediscover this album a couple times a year, still blown away every time that something like this was written. You guys seriously created a masterpiece. And thanks to Bryan for giving it the attention it deserves!

[@andrewcarroll9097]

Man, I can't even begin to express the way this album affected me. This fucking band with a meme name released an album under a genre I don't even like and it threw me to the floor when I finally got it. I first heard it as a 17 year old and it didn't click then. Three weeks ago, the day after my 24th birthday, I was was cleaning and decided to spin it again. I sat down and read through every lyric as I listened and just lost it after these last few years. One of my favorite metal albums ever. I'll be losing my shit to this album if I make it to 80, and for all the time in between. Thanks for adding this to the universe.

[@nathanlockhart3876]

Bro can’t wait for the rerelease! Hoping for a remix/remaster too!

[@Erullluvitar]

You all rule! Please create more music

[@mwatto90]

RIP Jack "Magero" Richardson. Riff in Peace

[@ryansadauskis]

This is hands down one of the greatest progressive metal albums of all time.

[@LeeGion_981]

It’s very good, but no it’s not the greatest prog metal album of all time.

[@ryans8907]

@@LeeGion_981 he said one of, and i would have to agree with that. Only one above it for me is Quiet World - Native Construct

[@Nika_Scott]

@@ryans8907 You mean Quiet world?

[@ryans8907]

@@Nika_Scott that was a big oopsie lmao. That is literally my favorite album of all time i dont know how i fucked that up. Maybe one to many hits that night lmao. Thanks for the correction.

[@vincentjohnson7175]

​@@LeeGion_981 for me it is up there with the likes of Operation: Mindcrime and other greats. I love prog metal and listen to so so much of it. But a lot of prog metal is filled with what amounts to extremely well written and performed wankery, or concepts that are cool but have little bearing on my personal life. But this album is so purposeful and ties in with the personal. Literally every second of it feels like it has meaning and the instruments fit perfectly with the words and ideas. And it isn't afraid to be catchy and full of amazing riffs while doing it. But in between those amazing riffs are some truly mind blowing atmospheric pieces that really set the mood for the journey. It feels much bigger than just your regular album as a result. And the vocal performance, my god. It's not that Gaia Mason is some extremely talented god like Geoff Tate or Mike Patton, but he sells the performance, every word is spoken with an aspect of the characters in mind and I love how he lets the occasional cracks in his voice slip in which makes it feel so raw and human rather than a vocalist just trying to impress me at every turn. You can really feel the emotions.

[@Unearthlywhales]

Bro an ALBUM REACTION/REVIEW TO THE WHOLE ODYSSEY TO THE WEST?! You lovely man!

[@EldritchPilgrim]

This is easily my favorite album and I'm so glad you reacted to it! So if you're interested here's a couple things I interpreted about the album. I might be wrong, but my interpretation means a lot to me so even if I'm corrected I'll probably just stick with it. So the Pilgrim awakens in the beginning from a recurring nightmare/dream. That supported by the end of the prelude with him saying "he awoke with a start on a bright and newborm day". The nightmare is of him committing this pilgrimage to attain enlightenment, but he fails to attain the enlightenment he seeks. So because of his hubris and ego, he believes he can succeed where the figure in his dream fails; he believes it's his destiny. So he leaves everything, including the one he loves, to seek this enlightenment. He starts by shunning the material world, essentially saying it's sinful and will bring about the end of these civilizations. I'll skip a bunch in the middle for the sake of a LITTLE bit of brevity, but I believe Castle in the Sky Pt 2 is essentially a goodbye song to his love saying the way they can be together is in their dreams and memories (their castle in the sky). The reason I say this is that I believe Unending Waltz is him believing he failed, and him killing himself. He travelled westward but instead of finding the Mountain, he found riddles (hallowed and concentric circles) and the sea. He's then taunted by the Oracle, saying that he is a fool, to which he responds by saying any lessons he could learn would fall on deaf ears and that he's done and throws himself off the cliff. In his death, he's reborn (sewn from void to form, sewn from shell to shell) Stating he will no longer blindly following the faiths, but he will find the Mountain. Finally he reaches the Mountain, only to find he lost his way and has failed. BUT he finally gains lucidity. The dreams he had were of his own journey wherein each time the Pilgrim is reborn with the hazy memories of the Pilgrimage which come to him in the form of obscure visions in a recurring dream (what I believe to be the remnants of what he has written of his own tale). However, he can never see the faces of the Pilgrims (thousands of nameless, faceless men, millions who have walked before, and millions who will yet come after) because he would simply see his own face. The circles drawn in sand represent him trying to warn himself of the cycle of this tale and how it WILL end. In Shell to Shell he states he has been there before because he literally has. But each time in the beginning his hubris tells him that he can succeed where "others" have failed and thus dooms himself every single time. And so he dies again upon the Mountain and that "seed" is cast to the wind in an attempt to warn himself and only ends up starting his journey all over again. It's an exhausting album for me to listen to, but I love it more and more every time. Edit: this idea can also be seen in the prelude with lines such as "my faithless frame befit to rot upon the Mount until my lesson is learned, O' and how cruel the lesson is".

[@CriticalReactions]

Interesting interpretation. It takes into account a lot of the lines that went over my head, ones that you attribute to a cyclical story of someone warning himself to not undertake this futile quest.

[@jukedem]

This interpretation is so good! Definitely my favorite

[@dozcheeks]

I just recently discovered this album, and can't stop listening to it. The song the "Pilgrim's Progress", reminds me of Plato's Allegory of the Cave in Plato’s Republic (look it up for those not familiar with the work) but interpreted within the context of the Pilgrim's faith.

[@intheshadowofathousandbean563]

Alright, Brian. Listen here, your channel becomes better and better with every video you release and it's getting difficult to catch up with the vids! Jokes aside though, this is amazing, I will greatly enjoy this one, perfect opportunity to listen to this masterpiece of an album again as well, have a nice day!

[@ckokomo808]

I had a week of business so didn’t have much chance to watch videos and now I’m SO FAR BEHIND! Haha. This’ll be a nice one for my weekend!

[@Superdudeawesome135]

Finally, thank you. There’s also a 30 min spoken word, called “Odyssey to the gallows” that ties in with this if you ever feel like checking it out.

[@CriticalReactions]

I saw that the night prior to recording and I thought about including it in the video. Then I thought about just listening to it on my own time prior to the video. But the sheer density of the lyrics intimidated me and I didn't really have the time to do so on such short notice. This could easily have been a 6 hour video if I included it 😅

[@Dukhevych]

Wait what? 5 hours? WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAT? OMG

[@CriticalReactions]

Took me by surprise too 🤣

[@paravarium]

Holy shit. One of the best albums in the last decade getting a full Bryan. I feel like I'll have to watch this in segments but it will be done haha. Now we just need 2018 Rivers of Nihil ( who I see live Thursday 🥰) album Where Owls Know My Name

[@CriticalReactions]

Rivers has been hit/miss for me but Owls was a fantastic song. I'd love to do a deep dive into the album that came from (which appears to be the same title 😄)

[@paravarium]

@@CriticalReactions Yeah that and Subtle Change are two from that album you did, Clean is form the newer one. I mean it's not like taste wise it's going to be a favorite album of yours, but much like how Stone and Silver was an interesting song that lead you to this album, Owls too has many call backs and ideas threaded together that gives the whole thing depth as one. Just not as deep as slice the cakes done here haha. What a save! What a save!

[@RikiazGaming]

Man, what an album. Truly a masterpiece. Gareth's lyrics and vocals are just, damn. What else can I really say? If you like Gareth's vocals and lyrics, you absolutely have to listen to Prison Walls by Novena. It's Ross Jennings from Haken and Gareth on vocals doing what they do best.

[@SirPrincePerson]

This album is my favorite piece of art I have ever experenced, and I'm glad you finally got to enjoy it too. As many other comments have pointed out, the album comes directly out of the EP "Odyssey to the Gallows", with the heavy breathing at the beginning being the narrator waking up from that nightmare. Additionally, you may want to go back and take a second look at their song "Homecoming", as it is actually a sequel that takes place after this album. If you want even more, their song "The Man With No Face" is set in the same universe and sheds some light on the themes of reincarnation you wondered about, as well as references to 'nameless, faceless men' that are present throughout this album.

[@jabba258]

i have just watched this in one sitting for the third time. I lack the understanding of music theory as much as I lack the level of mastery in the english language required to grasp this masterpiece to its fullest extent - thats why it‘s so great to be able to enjoy it vicariously through you. I‘d absolutely love for you to take on their song „The man with no face“ for all the same reasons. It still stands to be one of my favourite pieces of music of all time, but I just cant get a hold on the meanings behind all of it.

[@Orangeokie7]

First I have to say, I absolutely love this album. It was just recently remastered for vinyl and I got my vinyl copy in the other day. I started looking up videos bout this album and ran across yours. I'll admit, I saw the almost 5 hour long timeframe and thought, "there's no way I'll watch this whole video" but I wanted to here a little bit of what you had to say about it. Next thing I know, I'm watching the whole thing haha. You really contribute a lot of interesting comments about the music that makes me appreciate it even more. Thanks for this analysis of the album. 🤘🏼

[@ConceptGG]

I don’t get much time to watch full album reactions but I had to get this one in. Had to do it in parts, which felt fitting given the substance 😅 Watched your album review on The Ocean’s Pelagial. Now this. Next is Kardashev’s Liminal Rite. You do a great job. Glad to have people like you to explain things in a way that people like me with no musical background can understand and appreciate. Keep it up!

[@ptbempire]

Well here it is RIP Magero, I can't wait to watch this whole thing! I already checked your channel for Xanthochroid and I didn't see Of Erthe and Axen Pt I & II full review so that would be my next suggestion to you.

[@CriticalReactions]

I was going to reply on your other comment requesting me to check out Slice the Cake but it seems you found it on your own 😄

[@Kenshiken]

It was my dream for so long that somebody would review this album. You've done it absolutely perfectly. Thank you very much from the bottom of my nerd music heart!

[@CriticalReactions]

Glad you liked it! It was quite an undertaking but I like to think I did the album justice.

[@berserker8884]

One of my all time favorites! Absolutely ADORE this album. I randomly discovered it the day it came out on april 1st 2016 here on KZbin! It has that "fantasy" atmosphere to it that I really love, is brutal as all hell, but also beautiful with masterful performance and writing. Not to mention the catchy riffs and groove, which is often neglected in this kind of music and to me this is the highest praise I can give: the fact that they made intelligent and interesting music like this that is still super duper fun! Can't gush about this one enough.

[@janeg6759]

I stayed for the entire video in one listen. Magically got some free time today. I had downloaded this album after a song reaction you did a few months ago and freaking loved it without knowing anything about it or the band. This was just awesome all the way through. I like that you did a full analysis of lyrics because I had no clue when I first listened to it, I just liked the music so much and wanted to dive into it more but never took the time. So I appreciate that you took the time to take us on that journey. Just epic. 🤘

[@stratedmusic5139]

Its finally here. Your STC reactions brought me to this channel!

[@Matt1the3beast]

This is my favorite album of all time! I really enjoyed your analysis of the compositional and lyrical elements throughout the album. You pointed out a lot of cool things I never really payed attention to throughout my many listens.

[@CloudMountainJuror]

Ohhhh man, I'm going to be picking away at this vid for a while. What an unexpected treat.

[@wowie-ree131]

This album means so much to me. I've listened to it well over 100+ times at this point, daily listens of the whole albums for a week at times. I can't put it into words how beautiful this album is, it brings me to tears every time.

[@Purple_Moose]

This has been my favorite Metal album for so long. It feels SO SO good, to watch and listen to this get the attention it deserves all these years later. Thank you so much for doing this. Extremely enjoyable the whole way through.

[@posermetal8884]

Remember a bunch of my online prog-metal-dork friends singing this albums praises when it came out, but I judged this book by its cover HARD and it has sat in my music library unlistened to since. So glad you did this review so I could discover this album along with you - what an incredibly beautiful and COMPLETE (I don't know complete just seems like the right word) piece of art. Phenomenal stuff!

[@GeancarloRocha]

Thank you for this review, it does not go unappreciated. After watching the whole thing I looked up some of slice the cake's older albums and realized some of the themes - "Faceless Men" and "Race of Roses" - were there! Maybe they clear up some of the metaphors/riddles.

[@reguba3534]

Holy cow Bryan, the sheer magnitude of this video is astonishing. Doubt I'll have time to watch all of it, but I'm glad you enjoy this album. Your first reaction to Stone and Silver part I got me into this album, so it's kind of fun for me to see it come full circle like that.

[@xayax7920]

I would really love to see what you think of Sleepytime Gorilla Museum’s first album Grand Opening and Closing, I’ve been tripping over the album for a few years partly because of your analysis of The Donkeyheaded Adversary of Humanity Opens The Discussion in how they lovingly disregard the placement of one in the song. Loved this review of Slice The Cake, you set a great example for music reviews that I hope other channels pick up on (or not, all is fair game). Brightest blessings

[@justaguy2567]

Absolutely amazing work, my man! I have gone through this in one sitting as i had a day off and absolutely loved every second of it. Thank you immensely for your work! This is my favourite album by my favourite band and gosh did you do it justice! You've helped me see (hear?:) this album much deeper and i will now find more bits of meaning on my relistenes. Thank you for your meticulous attention and your expertise and ability to share you view! Now i need a break, too

[@samcutler453]

I’m going to comment as I watch so apologies if any of these are addressed later. I don’t think The Razor’s Edge is the middle of the story. I’m pretty sure the panting is waking up from a nightmare (not running) and he discusses his uncertainty in his decision to undertake the Odyssey. At the end he decides to and says goodbye to his loved one. The City of Destruction is then his reasoning for exiling himself due to the corruption, arrogance, and sins of the society with respect to god (“raising towers in our image” and in “defiance” of god, kind of like the Tower of Babylon). He then gives himself to god and undertakes this holy journey to save the city and the innocents within.

[@ckokomo808]

In my interpretation the first song is the protagonist waking from his nightmare which is Odyssey to the Gallows. It’s a nightmare moving through archetypes and ending near death. Odyssey to the West is the protagonist grappling with him “going westward” towards a more enlightened state of being. The entire time he’s grappling with “earthly” desires while trying to move towards the “heavenly”.

[@samcutler453]

Also for Pilgrim’s Path I think you had it right the first time. The “lecherous one” in both parts is his loved one, and he snaps and becomes angry with her disbelief due to the madness and darkness closing in on him. The quoted part is from God (aka “The One Thing,” which I think is different than the Horned God in Stone and Silver) or one of his messengers telling the Pilgrim that this won’t be the last of the nonbelievers he encounters which leads into that really heavy, bass-dominant part where he descends further into madness and cruelty.

[@warofages13]

Oh my god Bryan you finally did it! This has been on my Christmas list for years!

[@warofages13]

This album is easily the best I’ve ever heard, back then and to this day

[@greysonmorley8524]

I can’t thank you enough for this. I love your insight and your your knowledge. Yours is a mind to which I’ll look to further my recreational study of music. This album has been one of my most favorites because of its complexity, emotional story, and sheer creativity. Thank you so much for this dive. Because of this, I love the album even more. Gaia’s unmatched lyrical creativity, and Magero’s raw and gargantuan talent for composition are so much better understood because of this. I’m old enough to remember KZbin’s infancy. I’ve never ever subscribed to a channel before today. (Yours) Please please do Kardashev’s “Liminal Rite”. It’s another tale told alongside music, and I know you’re already aware of Kardashev’s capacity for beauty within metal. 🤘

[@_arto.h]

One of my top albums! I am returning to it once in a while and it always makes me return. Thank you very much for such an amazing reaction and analysis video, this time I went through the whole album with you and it's fascinating to see the number of details that were there yet to be discovered after so many listens.

[@christianslott2034]

Without a doubt my favourite thematic album ever made. So glad to see you dug so deep down into it! To me this enitre journey is a fantasy universe created as a metaphor for the leaving of a disagreeing relationsship, the journey through the four stages of grief from loosing this person, the attempted suicide (no ship just wandering into the ocean and drowning one self), the survival of this and concluding in the retrospect of this journey and coming out stronger. they did not part ways because the were mutually disagreeing but he could see that they were going to fail down the road (the furnace that chokes itself). So he had to leave and goes through the steps of grief through the days passing. The "deity" is his conscience "knowing better than this" that he struggels with because his feeling is taking over his logic. The nay-sayers that you refer to, in my view, are the people saying that holy matrimony is the only way and that you have to stay together no matter what. The divorcing of a relationship is not allowed and that you should live unhappy, if that's the case, because matrimony is the only way. In his mind this is poison words, and he would rather pursue happiness away from the relationship, both for his and his partners sake. Or at least that's my take on it.

[@CriticalReactions]

Very interesting take. I don't think it works on every level but that could just be that I'm missing the perspective on those. But I do think it works generally, which is pretty cool.

[@barbariansrus580]

4:48:31 into the video, just wanted to thank you for this video. I remember thinking this was a good album when this album released. Little did I know how much I would come to love it over the many years. It's always nice to see a fresh perspective on a hidden gem in music. Thank you

[@metanick1837]

Love this album, thanks for reacting to it!!

[@ega7072]

I've now watched most of this twice. Album reactions are gold, Brian. Love your thoughts and analysis.

[@PuppyFromH3ll]

I don't know if you'll see this in time, but Odyssey to the West is available on physical media pre-order until June 16. They've also done a remaster which sounds amazing.

[@CriticalReactions]

I saw the remaster but haven't had a chance to check it out yet. The physical release is very tempting though.

[@Panda_SMM]

this is a good birthday present for me

[@justaguy2567]

Happy cake day! I mean happy birthday :)

[@CriticalReactions]

Happy birthday dude!

[@recit0]

I hope you give a try on the remaster version of this album... and maybe a new 5h long analysis ahah!

[@Dukhevych]

4:11:51

[@呼吸-e9b]

(:

[@CriticalReactions]

Puzzle pieces were falling into place sooooo fast at that point haha

[@ckokomo808]

My weekend ended up being a bit busier than expected so haven’t made it very far in the video yet, but here’s my thoughts based on some of what you said! I’ll continue to work my way through and post another comment! You’re the man Bryan 🙏🏽 - interesting comment about the shift in speed to create a manic-depressive feel. I felt that through the dynamic of beautiful and harsh which is easy to pick out but didn’t quite hear that from the shift in speed. - you used the word nuanced a lot in the beginning. That’s one thing I love about this album. I think relating to my above point, there’s that also provides a dichotomy- nuanced and blatant (??). Some of the music has nuance to portray certain things while other parts just hit hard and drive something home. This band is brilliant at using many techniques to do this! - reading through the comments and al the different interpretations, this, IMO, is why the album is so loved. It’s what makes great art great- the depth of the lyrical/musical content cuts deep, speaks to Truth(s) and is “applicable” in many different ways.

[@CriticalReactions]

Completely agree. The entire album is heavily metaphorically and basically serves as an allegory for any sort of struggle. In such, people will be able to take out of it whatever they put in which, as you said, is a hallmark of some of the best art.

[@SmyD87_]

Dude this is fucking awesome!

[@tomasdepaivacardoso9579]

I'd say progressive death metal instead of tech death

[@vayne92]

I really can't put in to words how this album makes me feel. Thanks so much for doing this ♥️

[@empyrean-jamelgreaves8034]

The Holy Mountain is one of the best closers of all time, easily.

[@Coffmaestro]

Man, I love this album so much and this video was fantastic and pure joy to watch and listen to. Such great analysis and understanding of both music and the story, and you picked up on a lot of things that is central to the meta-theme of the lyrics. Didn't think I'd spend the evening watching the whole thing, but here I am.

[@CriticalReactions]

Glad you enjoyed it and I'm happy to hear that I was close with the meta-theme elements.

[@LordSummerIsle73]

Please please please do Gaahls Wyrd - carving the voices. Its such beautiful song

[@pietandersen6120]

I’m gonna have to watch this one over the course of the next few days, but I am unimaginably excited for it, les go!

[@CriticalReactions]

Take your time with it dude. :)

[@Laughingman923]

I consider this to be one of the greatest metal albums I've heard, and I've heard a lot of great albums in my life. On that note you have to do album reactions for The Dear Hunter. The Acts are amazing and will take you on a musical journey.

[@CriticalReactions]

TDH's 5 Acts are on my list of stuff to check out, either for the channel or on my own. I've heard a few songs from them and they consistently wow me.

[@ckokomo808]

Had a long run and was finally able to make it through this behemoth! Couldn’t quite write down comments as I was running but here’s some of my thoughts… First, loved your lyrical analysis. It seemed to be at a more literal level, but to me, it made a lot of sense. It also speaks to the depth of this album- the many levels at which it can be explored! Second, to comment about the “being dropped into a world”. You’re definitely correct. Tbh I don’t understand how everything fits together, but I do know that there’s songs off other albums that 1)serve as inspiration musical and 2) do connect in a philosophical way (the one that comes to mind is “man with no face”. To me this song serves as a foundation for the overarching theme, at least how I understand it. “A man with no face” is a person with no identity. Eastern philosophy talks about how when one looses ones self identity they are then able to connect with the broader, cosmological identity. Again, not sure exactly if this is “correct”, but this makes sense in the context of the album.) Another thing you mentioned was all the capitalized words. I think these are capitalized for a reason. These things such as God, Truth, Tower, Mountain, etc., to me are utilized in a deeply symbolic, almost archetypal, way. God in cultures is generally that which we aim for- the omniscient, omnibenevolent, highest Love, etc. Truth to me is related to God but not exactly equivalent. Mountains are generally places where the gods dwell. These are both literally and metaphorically places of difficult struggle which result in a transformation. The entire story, the protagonist 1) debating if they should move forward with the journey, 2) accepts moving forward with the journey, 3) doubts themselves, 4) is tempted (similar to other stories of “messiahs”/Buddha’s being tempted in deserts, forests, or the mountain), 5) decided to turn away, and finally 6) decided to commit again, not for their sake, but for all those who follow. The mountain is contrasted by the tower, mans attempt to create a “mountain” and reach heaven- Babylon is referred to here. Technology, at least in judeo-Christian theology, is related to “fallen angels” giving humans “power” over God. Without proper orientation, these technologies lead (and are currently leading) humans into ruin (this is reflected in the first few songs). There’s many more capitalized words, but this is why, to me, they’re capitalized. Another part I’ve been kinda confused on but am working through is the “horned god” riddle. I think this “horned god” might be related to a demon figure (horns are usually related to goats which are related to demon sacrifices), yet the god decided to help the protagonist. The riddle kinda reminds me of the first chapter of the Tao Te Ching- “The tao that can be described is not the eternal Tao. The name that can be spoken is not the eternal Name…Freed from desire, you can see the hidden mystery. By having desire, you can only see what is visibly real” In a sense, the god already gave the protagonist the answer, yet their desires are what’s causing confusion and turmoil. I find the setting of the songs very important symbolically. To me, a forest is usually considered the outskirts, the edge, the intertwining of chaos and order. The deeper one ventures, the more chaos one experiences. This is where we encounter that which doesn’t belong- I.e the horned god. I also found “The Lantern” to be a great setting which intertwined with the lyrics perfectly. Lighting a lantern generally means it’s getting dark. Darkness is usually another time of contemplation, questioning, and sometimes doubting. As the sun is setting, the darkness increases, just like the intensity and chaos of the music. “The pieces of ruin” are a love letter trying to justify why they is doing this in spite of hurting their Love. The Castle in the Sky, makes me think of the Ghibli movie. In the movie, the castle is grounded and stuck in the “earthly”. (SPOILERS AHEAD) As Howl grapples with this, and eventually solves his issues, the ending scene is them in a castle flying in the sky. It’s also reminiscent of the other Ghibli movie, “Castle in the Sky” movie where this civilization is highly technologically advanced yet has an aim of preservation and communion rather than domination. And biblically, this “castle in the Sky” is reminiscent of Heaven. A place where there is perfect unity towards “God”- the highest ideal in which we aim towards. Unending waltz is one of my favorites in the album because the lyrics slap me in the face! “Did you not think that the Pilgrim’s Way would be fraught?…Are you a man or a mouse? Or are you but a foolish child who’s come to cry out in the night?…Have you come to cry? Have you come to revel in the imposition of your Exile?” Holy heck…talk about a stern smack to get yourself together! The reverb reminds me of someone looking and talking into a puddle of water for self-reflection. Again, a perfect use of setting to convey what the protagonist is working through and transitions to the next section lyrically. The vocal performance is brilliant and the “unhinged” nature is really coming through. It’s something that’s very relatable as a listener. Ash and Rust are generally “one song” to me. The protagonist is submitting to the Darkness. Love the vocal delivery here! To me, this section is interesting. One usually considers falling to the darkness as “failing” but this is part of the process (you can fail when you don’t emerge). I don’t want to get all “hero’s journey” here, but there is usually a descent required- Anakin Skywalker, Jesus, Frodo, Harry Potter (etc.)- in order for transformation to occur. Destiny’s fool is the “almost failure”. He is stuck in his self-loathing, doubt, and even contempt towards “God” for bringing him on this journey. The Holy Mountain is the culmination of the entire album! The protagonist asks for forgiveness and help to accept the burden of being the “papyrus” man. There is lots of capitalized words here! Haha. I think most of these are capitalized to address anyone moving through this journey, past and present. I do know that “men of race and rose” is mentioned in their newest release 🤔 The monologue is brilliant and the music supporting it is epic. It’s honest and heartfelt. To me, the protagonist gets a taste of what this journey is supposed to be about. They even have glimpses of “enlightenment” but in the end, decide it’s not for them. They turn away and go home. I think it can be read as a tale of self-independence, not being “used” by another entity but rather making decisions for oneself. To me, this makes it an interesting tale. What happens when one sees the “purpose” yet turns away? He ends up being like his wife who wouldn’t leave in the first place? Maybe she has gone through it already and he was moving through in his own time? Lastly I wants to point out that just because there’s many “universal” symbols doesn’t mean it isn’t original or important. It follows a universal archetypal pattern that humans have “figured” out. This leads to other questions of how have we realized this? Is it still relevant (a question addressed in the album)? Should we still explore these ideas?? How do we follow this paradigm personally and/or societally?? And many more. Usually this album ends and I sit in silence for a few minutes to absorb what I just experienced. I’m sure you can tell, but this has and is an important album to me. It’s helped spur me in my own self reflection and (hopefully) growth. Lmk what you think of all this whenever you get a chance to read through it!

[@CriticalReactions]

This is a LOT to take in. I've read it twice and I'm not sure I'm in a position to reply yet, but here goes. For the "being dropped into a world", I found out there is an almost 30 minute prologue poem/song that exists as an EP. I wonder if listening to that helps at all with the feeling of being an outsider to the world of the album. As for the rest of your post, I love all of the depth you find in the lyrics. You're right, I did have a mostly literal reading of the text aside from me seeing the entire album as a metaphor for unnecessary hardships. You've certainly found a lot more to each of these, including some possible allusions or nods to pop culture. I remember when I checked out Castle in the Sky as a single reaction someone had mentioned that Kow Otani is the composer for a video game called Shadow of the Colossus about a man who undertakes an extremely difficult challenge in a desolate, empty land to aid a dying woman. I completely agree about the idea that using universal symbols doesn't equate to it lacking in originality. In fact, reinterpretting so many commonly held visual motifs into a unified story isn't an easy task. And it also means the story can have hidden depth or even simply be more digestible since there are so many cultural points of reference that people can use as entry points into the core themes of the album. You do ultimately have a very different read on the ending though. I read it as someone who pushed through to the end of the journey despite figuring out it was meaningless but you read it was someone who gave up halfway and returned home emptyhanded. Very interesting. I'll have to dive back into it at some point and see what a second listen unlocks.

[@ckokomo808]

@@CriticalReactions The Gallows, IMO, sets the stage for this album. It also drips with symbolic imagery even more so than the album. I definitely agree that this album utilizes these “universal” symbols in a way that avoids cliche and allows them to speak for themself with the music simply being a conduit. Lastly, the ending I guess to me is ambiguous. It could be read as a “failure” but I think it points more to the idea that the journey is the purpose rather than the destination. Everything he learned was from the journey- “this is what happens in the mountain”. It also could be related to the idea that when Buddha reached enlightenment, he came back to share the knowledge. I also think it could be a story about the self and breaking free of what others are telling you to do- the god telling him to go on this journey. The protagonist goes and finally realizes that he doesn’t want to do this, so he doesn’t- “I have come so far from home, only to find I must return”. All of these are ways in which the protagonist learns about himself. Nothing is a “failure” but simply different lessons from his journey, all leading to fruitful growth. I think this is an important idea as we move through our own lives.

[@CriticalReactions]

@@ckokomo808 That's a phenomenal lesson to pull out of this album. Definitely need to give this one a second listen now.

[@randomstuffzofdoom]

I loved this album when it released, I love this album today, and this was a great analysis of it! :)

[@carlossalinas7008]

NICE

[@vincentjohnson7175]

I really appreciate this video man. I adore this album and it's criminally underappreciated considering how great it is. It was really awesome watching you react and give your thoughts on the composition and put into words what makes it so great. I wonder, have you gone back to the lyrics since you posted this video? You were actually right on the mark when you said it sounded like the vocalist was speaking directly towards the audience on the last two or three tracks and talking about his process while writing and finishing the album. The circumstances surrounding this album's release are just as fascinating as the album itself and make it something even greater artistically than it could have possibly been without that strife: The end of the project led to much frustration between the band mates which seems to be ambiguously reflected in the lyrics. Two of the band members then released the album without the consent of the third (who did not consider it to be finished yet), leading to a fallout. Thankfully, they have put all this behind them and reunited in 2020. There is a brilliant lyrical analysis piece here: www.heavyblogisheavy.com/2016/10/27/prognotes-slice-the-cakes-odyssey-to-the-west-part-i/ www.heavyblogisheavy.com/2016/11/01/prognotes-slice-the-cakes-odyssey-to-the-west-part-ii/

[@CriticalReactions]

I actually got to talk a lot with the vocalist after making this video. Very cool person to chat with and has very huge passion for their art.

[@vincentjohnson7175]

@@CriticalReactions that's awesome, Gaia is super chill with fans! I talked to them a few times on their discord channel last year. Thanks again for the great content! I'll be checking out more of your stuff.

[@warofages13]

What a surreal experience, this was worth watching every minute of. Thank you again Bryan!

[@yiannissuerefmusic]

You are right to be somewhat cought off by the lyricism, it is intentionally written cryptic and allusive, it is also riddled with existing religious symbolism, mainly Christianity and Hermeticism. But ultimately this album falls together when you accept it for what it is, which is an alchemical work of art, like literally. The main allusions as The One, The All, The Word, are all Alchemical in origin. There are modern day Alchemy allusions as well, like The Mountain, a reference to The Holy Mountain by Alejandro Jodorowsky, or the reference at the end of the album about the "multitudes of ones and zeros" as to describe reality, which the pythagoreans who practiced mysticism akin to Hermeticism and later Alchemical thought, believed that the universe could be understood through numbers and mathematical relationshisps. This story won't hold your hand as it's your responsibility as the "reader-learner" of this "alchemical" medium to decipher it, as alchemical tradition dictactes. It is very difficult to catch up, but imho the deep dive is worth the time investement. Also thanks for the humongous effort for this absolutely great content! Keep up the Great Work!

[@billybobthekidiswack]

Niceee! On your own time (or maybe as reaction) you have to check out their Odyssey to the Gallows EP which leads up to the intro of this album. Imo if you listen to both "albums" together you get the whole cyclical nature of it since I feel like the holy mountain could also lead to this EP just as well as the EP leading into the exile.

[@CriticalReactions]

Yup. I discovered this EP the night before recording and I wanted to either include it in the video or listening on my own beforehand but it never came together. I didn't have time on such short notice to listen on my own and I'm kinda lucky I didn't include it because I was cutting my recording quite close as it was. I budgeted my time for only a 3-4 hour video and ran over juuuuust a little bit on that 😅

[@red_eye95]

Heads up, they're planning to do a crowdfunding campaign for cd and vinyl for the remastered version

[@CriticalReactions]

Last I talked to Gaia they were getting out of music. I wonder if this is a full band thing or not. I'm stoked for a remaster of the album tho!

[@red_eye95]

The remaster is live on Bandcamp I think Jonas and Jack are planning to do music again according to the Facebook post I saw..... I do wish Gaia the best on their future endeavors though, their voice and lyrical writing is awesome

[@geminisolace153]

YAAAAAAASSSSSSSS!!!!! 😍😍😍😍

[@thegrimm9846]

Please react to shining - langtar bort fran mitt hjarta it's a masterpiece (whole Halmstad album)

[@Nika_Scott]

I always wonder if "Odyssey to the west" is a reference to the chinese "Journey to the west" novel?

[@CriticalReactions]

I don't know the story of Journey to the West but I know the characters. There are plenty of little nods to other works in this album, I wouldn't put it past them to include that nod as well.

[@jbswreckfest19283]

Hell yeah

[@sthjr112358]

Hell yes, this album is amazing!

[@jessemidel]

The most beautiful Death metal album I've ever heard.

[@TundraCH]

That's uh... that videos 4 HOURS LONG, I know what I'm watching tomorrow LOL

[@RikiazGaming]

Nearly 5 actually XD

[@Mettle_DAD]

Why does this video have 5k views but only 300 likes. Come on people

[@sergeyandrushko600]

Holy shit indeed

[@domenicocampagna3948]

Next record: Sadness - I Want to Be There

[@thisisnotmyrealname6990]

Just came here to say slice the cake broke up but the other two are gonna start a new project with other people Edit: the vocalists life is moving away from music I didn’t mention that but y’all should follow their socials as the project will likely be announced their

[@CriticalReactions]

Yup heard about this today. I've had a wonderful time chatting with Gaia quite a bit prior to this. It'll be interesting to see where everyone goes from here.

[@artistically8437]

I just found this channel but wow, incredible reaction. Odyssey to the West really is a masterpiece both musically and lyrically, one of the most beautiful metal albums of all time, but that said I'd like you to react to Adjy - Idyll Opus, It's a bit different than this since It's folk + rock but it's brilliant, It's gorgeous, the instruments sounds so natural plus the equally beautiful musical ideas, paired with phenomenal storytelling and lyrics that I dare say is even better than Odyssey to the West and that's still underestimating what this album really is, it's so well crafted, the album tells a story about a teenage love story of 2 characters (June&July) that's written in a book, which is then read by an alchemist who thinks that reading the story will help bring back to life his twin, you can watch kzbin.info/www/bejne/o6fXYo2HjptgqLc for more details , It's complex and the fact that the album is made in June 30 when June meets July is amazing, every angle in this album is explored by them which is genius, you can read lyrics at www.theidyllopus.com/text

[@wolverine669]

What about the industrial (metal) week? Would be nice to show you a new genre. There's A LOT to digest, but some brief history, some of the most known acts and kinda forefathers of the game The genre got its name from the British label Industrial Records, which formed in 1976 to release the music of Throbbing Gristle. Industrial acts followed in the footsteps of German electronic pioneers like Kraftwerk. Still, industrial music was far more lyrically provocative from the start. In the United States, Chicago label Wax Trax became home to numerous industrial bands, including KMFDM, Coil, Meat Beat Manifesto, Front Line Assembly, Young Gods, Sister Machine Gun, My Life with the Thrill Kill Kult and Laibach. Chicago cemented its place as an industrial rock capital thanks to singer/instrumentalist Al Jourgensen, the founder of Ministry, Revolting Cocks, and several other bands. Ministry helped to develop industrial metal, a style adapted by Godflesh, Rammstein, and Marilyn Manson. Some others worth to mention is G.G.F.H., industrial band formed in 1986 in Oakland, California. Fear Factory from Los Angeles, formed in 1989. Their first three albums are more like death metal influenced industrial. Nine Inch Nails, Skinny Puppy, Front 242, Pitchshifter etc...... "New school" bands like Author & Punisher (Tristan Shone, a mechanical engineer who builds all his instruments by himself), Static -X, Pain, Turmion Kätilöt, OOMPH!, Hanzel und Gretyl, Powerman 5000, Emigrate (a Rammstein lead guitarist Richard Kruspe's band), Red Harvest etc....

[@CriticalReactions]

Sounds interesting. I'll see about doing an Industrial week some time.

[@bensinify]

The best album in the galaxy.

[@CriticalReactions]

Not sure if you've heard but they released a remaster of it a couple of weeks ago.

[@martyfrancis1011]

4hr KZbin video...wtf!!!

[@CriticalReactions]

I sometimes have 1 hour long videos for single songs, 4 hours for an album is comparatively short 😅