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MEGALOPSY - The Abstract Machine


Trishula Records

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taken from www.psyreviews.com

 

Megalopsy

 

The Abstract Machine

 

Trishula (Germay)

 

 

 

"I would never have really thought that hard as nails, nightmarish stuff would lend itself too well to the artist-album-as-fluid-single-entity sort of thing. But this bunch of utter psychotics from Argentina have pulled a bit of a blinder, in fact more than that: this album (divided into three movements, sort of) has so many moments that just have me shaking my head in disbelief, grinning like a buffoon, and/or experiencing a rekindled faith in electronic music. The intro, Chaos, has a great sound to it, easing in with big breaks that clear the sonic pallet and ease open the scope for the distant, racing kick of Obscure Warlock, which proceeds to quickly dip you in batter before deep-frying you with high-end mentalism. Fractal Circus is unforgiving, heavy going with a rigid groove to it that’s caustic until you can’t take it any more, at which point it breaks and picks up this noise that sounds like a fountain, coming up from the centre and cascading 303style over the edges, before the tune employs some deliciously evil alice-in-wonderland carousel melodies under scything midrange swoops to really whip things into shape. The wonderfully-titled Goblin Grin has an almost Finnish backbone to it, and is all about pulling surprises out of the hat. Great changes, great noises, utter laughter eeks from the speakers. Absolutely excellent – just indescribable, but let’s say something like “all the evil demons you’ve ever encountered are back as mascots on a cereal box, and they’re chasing you down looking to fortify you with something rather punchier than vitamins and iron”. That’ll do. The flow here really starts to work, with the track easing out into Juggling Spheres, which puts a bit more zany funk into proceedings. More like a hammer horror moment, and the drop into the final run deserves to be committed to a mental institutio n. Then, the track shifts int an actually pretty gorgeous, yet still twisted, transylvaniac breaks movement. Sounding like a completely different track, and further proof that this is designed to work well played all the way through, I mean this really is something that other artists could think of doing. It adds as a great buffer, before Pachamama thunks in, sounding all the more energised for the hiatus. Building up to a really nice and clear peak, it’s a little like it’s taken an oldskool melody and dragged it through a hellish blender. The laughing monkeys then signal the start of something sweet: Monkey Supernova, possibly the standout track here. It’s just hilarious, it picks up and then messes about and just makes me laugh… oh man. So many changes, time signatures and basslines and midsection after midsection, orchestral stuff… I mean this is just sheer genius. Sheer. Genius. Space Cadet marks the final movement of the album, Cosmos, and also suggests a more menacing turn. It’ s a less playful vibe, picking up deep atmospheres at the break, all hanging together nicely. Devenir-Cosmos has an incredibly individual sound, all high-end and but driving, a perfect way to close the album before the outro Cosmos stabs in with messed up breaks, incredibly messed up sounds, delightful movement and… my god. Just staggering. There’s little more I can say that I haven’t said already: this is a ballsy, feisty triumph of an album, utterly adorable and with a gazillion times more imagination and flair than you’ll find on most discs. It may not be your normal style of psytrance, but it’s unquestionably good electronic music."

 

 

 

9

 

http://www.psyreviews.com

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good album from full-on to dark psy.

 

Trishula : most promising new label :the mushy mystery compilation together with boldly audio (sanaton rec) is the best of this year till so far.

227845[/snapback]

Yep, have to agree here, where will this end if they already start like that? :blink: Their new comp "Mushy Mystery" is absolutely mindblowing, probably one of the best dark psy CDs I´ve ever listened to. Megalopsy is a bit too normal full on for my taste but there are some great tracks on it for sure. Keep going like that Trishula!!

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Nice to see that someone still cares to make a full solid album instead of just putting random tracks after eachother.

Good album.

Peace.

227834[/snapback]

Nothing special i exept more and im again disapointed :( ok it has some nice moments but still week album 1 of the things that makes me :angry: is the fact that this guys have not there own style all tracks sounds almots completly difrent .1 way or another here is my opinion 4/10 :angry:

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1 of the things that makes me  :angry: is the fact that this guys have not there  own  style all tracks sounds almots completly difrent .

228958[/snapback]

that's what i liked about it. The tracks itself are good not mindblowing but they don't use same formule I got to give them credit for that.

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I had this one added to my latest order after realizing that this really is more than just a collection of killers... Should I take it as an omen that the case came shattered into a hundred small pieces of plastic? It's as if this CD were trying to leap out of its confines while en route... well, so far this is really satisfying my craving for above average dark & heavy psytrance. It seems like an album worth of a detailed review so perhaps I will get to that later... for now, enjoying it. Didn't these guys release on ultrabeat? Kudos.

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this is my kind of sjizzel .

dark weird and twisted.

un-mixeble tracks .

i love the evolution of dark music :)

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Didn't these guys release on ultrabeat? Kudos.

232058[/snapback]

The first release of Megalopsy was on the compilation "Ignis Fatuus" last year in december. On Ultrabeat they never released. So far they only released tracks on our label. The last was the intro and outro on "VA - Mushy Mystery". :)

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Nothing special i exept more and im again disapointed :( ok it has some nice moments but still week album 1 of the things that makes me  :angry: is the fact that this guys have not there  own  style all tracks sounds almots completly difrent .1 way or another here is my opinion 4/10 :angry:

228958[/snapback]

I guess some people like to listen the same old cheezy tube, but I like to hear different stuff with fresh ideas. Lot of hills in these tracks so I understand if people used to the basic rolling chemical stuff dislike it (I dont know if you are one of those persons).

I rather listen to an album that tries to find new angels on every track instead of just using the same formulas over and over...

Peace..

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Megalopsy – The Abstract Machine

 

Posted Image

 

High res: front + back

 

Artist: Megalopsy (Argentina)

Title: The Abstract Machine

Format: CD (jewel case)

Label: Trishula Records (Germany)

Cat. #: TRISHCD 02CD

Distribution: Arabesque

Date: 14 February 2005

 

Track listing:

 

01. 02’03” Intro (Chaos)

02. 07’32” Obscure Warlock

03. 08’24” Fractal Circus

04. 08’48” Goblin Grins

05. 09’27” Juggling Spheres

06. 08’42” Pachamama

07. 07’29” Monkey Supernova

08. 08’10” Space Cadet

09. 08’27” Devenir-Cosmos

10. 04’14” Outro (Cosmos)

 

Review:

 

Extraordinario Psytranco muy oscuro de la Argentina!

 

Dark psytrance from Argentina… yeah, that’s right Argentina! Megalopsy has the members Alejandro Santander, Matias Benamo and Nicolas Dibernardo and this is their debut album. Newly established German dark psytrance label Trishula Records is out with their second CD after the very nice compilation Ignis Fatuus released in December 2004…. I really liked that comp and the Megalopsy track ‘Zacatlocozipitl’ was a yummy taster of their deep, dark and pounding style… The album has a cool theme, as it’s divided into four chapters – taking us from chaos to cosmos in four easy steps… Right, I’m ready for a dose of gaucho trance… Let’s check it out!

 

Let me take you thru the tracks…

 

#01: Intro (Chaos)

“Welcome to the abstract machine. Our dark network of twisted and magic nodes. Darkness as a form of energy twisting between all things and unpredictable force of thousands of strange beings. This is our multiple dimensional cosmos spiralling from chaos to complexity. This is our dark platform. Drawing its lines in the endless void. Pulling its energy out of the abyss and multiplying it. Come one and come all and meet the creatures who live within the elements that will form the never-ending combinations of this warped world (…) Once you’re in, you are in. There are no doors around here. Welcome to the abstract machine.” The intro sets the mood instantly… You’re not gonna expect feather-light cheddar-trance after this… This is daaaaaaaark! Static, freaky noises and a naïve melody laid on top a mean-ass dubby beat… Could easily be the soundtrack to The Ring 3… Spooky, but nice…

 

#02: Obscure Warlock (Chapter I: Chaos)

This track starts with a very Matrixesque theme that soon evolves into the meanest bassline I’ve heard since the Kemic-Al album Twisted Parameters… Oh yes, this is rich tech-trance with obvious hints to the crude Boshke sound… Sick, repulsive, mean ultra-dark psytrance… I dig the chaotic feel and the constant evolving – the acid runs thick here, and damn that demented melody @ 6’00 will trip you out! Be careful! Highly psychedelic and extremely dark… Sweet!

 

#03: Fractal Circus (Chapter I: Chaos)

We drift seamlessly into the next track which is a little less chaotic – the bpm has decreased, and we’re in tech/dark night-trance border territory now… This has a very wobbly, bouncing quality to it… Very organic and very industrial at the same time… It’s a WTF?-track… You can’t really figure it out, and you have no idea where it’s going next… I like little surprises like that, but as a whole the first part of the track doesn’t do a great deal for me… The second part is much better, and the lengthy transition to the next track has a nice old-school touch to it… Decent track!

 

#04: Goblin Grins (Chapter II: Chaos Fade Out)

20 seconds into the 2nd chapter, and Megalopsy has already graced our ears with 30 different twisted FX… Oh yes, this is a very hectic track – in fact even more chaotic than the chaos tracks before it… Chaotic in the typical Finnish/Australian sense – this could’ve easily been on a Freakdance Records release… I’m not sure whether to like it, or to be repulsed by it… It definitely has its moments – both cool and annoying… Scores high on the weird-o-meter! Again the transition into the next track is notably cool, and damn I like that concept of tying the tracks together like that… Sweet indeed!

 

#05: Juggling Spheres (Chapter II: Chaos Fade Out)

“Oh I’m sorry, did I break your concentration?” This is another very dark, industrial-sounding night choon – with a distinct teKK_QUality to it… Reminds me of the track ‘Zacatlocozipitl’ of the Ignis Fatuus compilation… Very teKknoish, but still übercool… The energy put forward here is simply impressive… And Jules has never sounded better! The last three minutes have a totally different, yet cohesive sound – track transitions rule!

 

#06: Pachamama (Chapter III: Cosmos Fade In)

Enter the cosmos… A new chapter and a new sound… The sound is sharper now – it’s time to zip up and pay attention! This is very fast and more focussed – with a blunt, repetitive bassline… The combination of a really fast pounding beat and hints of melodies is unorthodox, and this track works more like a long transition into the next and you know which way it’s going when the monkey-madness starts… Decent track!

 

#07: Monkey Supernova (Chapter III: Cosmos Fade In)

The monkey track! After the transition, we’re soon exposed to a phat, twisted bassline… Yes, we’re back on track! This is what I love about this style – the rich, deeply twisted bassline… Hundreds of psychedelic effect and one phat acid-line after the other… Constant changes in pace and direction, but never loosing the overall focus of sheer nocturnal psychedelic bliss… Fucking awesome track!

 

#08: Space Cadet (Chapter IV: Cosmos)

After another very cool what-the-hell-is-wrong-with-my-speakers transition, we enter the last chapter of this CD… So get ready to hurtle through the cosmos! This track has a weird laid-back, yet totally pumping quality to it… Hard to describe really… Funky dark psytrance perhaps!? I never thought I should use ‘funky’ and ‘dark’ to describe the same track, but that’s one of the very cool things about this album… For the most part it’s very unprecedented stuff – and I always embrace new ideas… So this might not be the best track here, but it’s definitely something out of the ordinary… Cool!

 

#09: Devenir-Cosmos (Chapter IV: Cosmos)

My Spanish may be incredibly rusty, but as far as I know ‘devinir’ translates into ‘to happen’… So yeah, we must be well into the cosmos now… And the cosmos is indeed haunting… This track will leave you hanging on the edge of your seat… It’s a big, brutal powerhouse of demented, horrific, deeply psychedelic night-trance… Another highly original tune – this doesn’t sound like anything I’ve ever heard before… The closest I can think of is Overlap on the 6th Sense album – but even that is far from how this sounds… Again a magically spooky transition… You’ve been warned – this *will* mess with your mind!

 

#10: Outro (Cosmos)

Damn, if the transition didn’t totally freak you out I dunno what will… This outro is a very experimental piece of music… Kinda dubby with breakz and razorsharp frosty cuts… Electro-sauna-dub-skate-punk-fusion! Weird, but fitting to the album… A truly worthy ending to a very unique album in our scene! Diversity rules!

 

Woow – it’s been a while since an album have left such an impression with me… It’s not the best album I’ve heard this year, but it’s just so fucking different from what we’re used to hearing… I like music that challenges me – forces me to pay extra attention and heighten my perception… And in that sense, this album is a masterpiece… Musically it’s just good! And as a DJ tool it’s worthless… There is no compromise here – either play the whole album, or don’t play it at all!

 

The whole concept of chapters and long transitions between tracks is simply cool and I wish more artists outside the chill-spectre would do that… It makes for a very interesting listening experience – and justifies listening to an entire album from start to finish despite the weaker tracks…. And there are plenty of highlights here to justify that anyway… Also, let me mention the very cool conceptual art in the cover that correlates perfectly with the music… Well done Trishula!

 

This is not a psytrance album as we’re used to… This is an album that uses dark psytrance as a skeleton for an extended musical journey – and it really succeeds in that. Any fan of experimental electronic music should check out this album – I guarantee you an extraordinary ride! Enjoy!

 

Favourites: This album should be listened to as a whole… But 2, 4, 5 and 7(!) are stand-outs for me.

 

DeathPosture

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External links:

Trishula Records: http://www.trishula-records.com

Psyshop: http://www.psyshop.com/shop/CDs/trr/trr1cd002.html

Juno Records: http://www.juno.co.uk/products/169105-01.htm

Saiko Sounds: http://www.saikosounds.com/english/display...ase.asp?id=4605

Chaos Unlimited: http://www.chaosunlimited.co.uk/cgi-bin/pr...sp?LR=TRISHCD02

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Debut album by three guys from Argentina : Alejandro Santander aka Li..Matias Benamo aka z1P and Nicolas Dibernardo aka Filter.

 

Track list :

 

1. Chaos (Intro)

2. Obscure Warlock

3. Fractal Circus

4. Goblin Grin

5. Juggling Spheres

6. Pachamama

7. Monkey Supernova

8. Space Cadet

9. Devenir Cosmos

10. Cosmos (Outro)

 

 

Now for the review :

 

1. The CD open with a 2 minutes long intro..Kinda break beat track with spacey sounds and alien speaking or what ever it be.

 

2. Next is Obscure Warlock :It's not so fast tune but got some psychedelic sounds all over there..Some brainblowing pads powerfull kick and great leads!!!

 

3. Fractal Circus : Also not fast one but blowing check the balls in 4:00 very nice part!! until the end its build nicely with a great long outro!!

 

4. Goblin Grin : This is a very nice track with a double kick alot of scary FX and psychedelic tunes!! Sweet acid lines!!

 

5. Juggling Spheres. One of my favorits powerfull psychedelic and great spooky melo's the great way night music should be!!

The long outro in the end is like a evil story with thos pads!!! I love it!

 

6. Pachamama. Another powerull hypnotic night track check the FX in 4:49 very nice lines!! The track ends with some monkey voices and its leading us to the next one...

 

7. Monkey Supernova..Start with the last track monkey voices.But a new story.. Also another favoirt in here..I really love the kinda break in 3:40 after that a low kick is in and then its all explode like a bomb! I love this part..Until the end is keep edding more psychedelic voices FX and great tunes!

 

8. Space Cadet. The most not fast tune in this CD.. I really liked the sounds in 2:52 sounds like an alien speaking..Not much hypnotic but a nice one.

 

9. Devenir Cosmos.. My favorit in here,maybe because its the fast tune here (148).Start with a scary pad that leading you to another dimension.Powerfull kick and bassline with great pads in the backround!! check the laguh 3:26 after that the track explode and breaking loss!! great part!!

 

10. Cosmos (Outro)..We close this CD with 4 minutes chill outro..Another break beat..All over ther is a sweet bell that remind me a indian tool or somthing..

 

Overall nice debut by Megalopsy..I didnt like the long outros of each track but this is the concept!! Keep like that Megalopsy..Another thing is the cover I really love the cover!..Keep up Trishula Records!

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I am not a fan of this CD. Lots of little ideas seem to be running around but the end effect is disappointing and boring.

 

Thumbs down from me.

 

 

 

Pedro

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Generally speaking, I like melodies, layers of melodies, and not just a note dropped and released occasionally. Something with substance, that builds and enhances the song, not just one melody, that is, unless its insanely catchy. (like Transwave Trashish, it had one awesome leading melody!) so this album drops melody notes (which is so-so) but also has some more defined. Don't get me wrong though, it isn't always just about melodies. Some tracks on The Delta, Space Monkey, X-Dream's Radio, and the There is No Tomorrow comp had few melodies, and those dark psytrance albums were all good/great.

 

Intro - I like the simple, basic melody. I also like the voices.

 

Fractal Circus - Track 3 is the first song and maybe best one that eventually aims for melodies in this dark but not THAT dark psytrance album. Its not just comprised of "a" melody, but several layers, and I wish there were more tracks with more melodies like this one. It has catchy moments, the melodies, and I wish there were even more of them and more change into a more involved formation of melodies. I like it.

 

And Monkey Supernova, when it slows down and the voice samples... then it picks up differently, I like that. Then I like the added melody, then it stops, then it speeds up... It could have been more creative (added more sounds) when it speeds up, but it works. :)

 

Juggling Spheres - I like the Pulp Fiction sample. Its funny in a cool way. And I like this song. I like those high-note metal, chime hits.

 

Track 6 should be shot. Pachamama is so freekin repetitive!, with its altered single notes pressed in here and there. I don't like Pachamama. Strong obvoius bassline aside, its pretty lame and lacking compared to many of the others. Give me something more involved and exciting please. Please NO FILLERS!!! There a turn-off. :(

 

I like the track, Space Cadet, when it slows down... cool dark space psytrance I call it. But that flute melody does get repetitive after a while.

 

Several tracks in the middle are pretty cool ... and I like the Outro, although it may come off as a slightly weak closing, its decent and while still being a slowler song, could have been better. The clapping sounds and chime or tune is fairly basic but catchy.

 

There are moments here on this MEGALOPSY album when the song slow down, changes, and some of it I find interesting to see where it goes! I just feel that certain changes could have been more dramatic, crazy, shocking, and productive if the artist aimed to make it such, as opposed to just changing and taking it into another area, an area thats usually more enjoyable because its change creates a track less repetitive, or rather not repetitive, but an area nonetheless thats not dramatic, crazy, intense, or more dark than before it seems. I like that the songs actually move around a bit and don't just stay in the same boring location through-out, its better than being repetitive because then many people would just stop listening or already be listeing to crap. (for the most part)

 

I like that this album has parts that really change. It has its moments, although far from great I feel, and each track is very different from the one before, THANKFULLY, because most people don't want to hear one 65-80 minute song. Some of this album sounds pretty good, while other parts seem okay or just whatever. I don't know why they don't just dive deeper into the melodies and actually make them darker!, because the little tunes that come in here and there wouldn't sound that dark if you removed the tone of the song, those harsh, dark sounds and left the melody or tunes all alone. Think about it.

 

These artists obviously have talent and potential above much of todays dark psytrance releases. And it would be interesting to see them dive deeper into darker, more involved, intense, ambitious, much MORE nightmareish psytrance WITH more melodies; dark eerie melodies! Take it deeper into the human psyche, while still making it danceable of course. I simply hope they avoid the typical full-on sound and make their next album more vivid, psychedelic, dark TONE, wild, and with more layers of melodies and atmosphere than before. This sounds like a pretty good album.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Very nice dark style cd.

A lot of quality trax here and lot of work putted on this album, I'm sure

 

Nice artwork and story + samples.

 

Intelligent dark music released by intelligent label people =)

 

Very good mastering

 

9/10

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I heard the samples. This is based on my thoughts from the samples.

238198[/snapback]

What?! Get the CD... half of the fun is the great segues between tracks...

 

I've been playing this one a LOT at home, which is very rare for a dark psy release... it's been very enjoyable. The group is clearly capable of so much more, but this is still a great debut. If they continue to follow a creative and artistic path they'll be at the forefront of psychedelic trance in due time...

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[...] If they continue to follow a creative and artistic path they'll be at the forefront of psychedelic trance in due time...

241668[/snapback]

Very true... I'm sure this is only the beginning of something extraordinary...

 

DP

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  • 4 months later...
Guest Le Lotus Bleu

It’s nice to see a country like Argentina very few talkabout in the trance scene providing artists like Megalopsy.

 

Their sound reminds me sometimes Tim Schuldt productions through their frequent use of heavy metal guitar riffs or fatty loudy harmonies (T 2,5,7,10) .

 

The intro & outro things are a sympathic idea, not too frequent but unfortunatly i didn’t dig them.

 

Fractal Circus it’s quite rare in the psytrance scene, fits well with its content, although Psychedelick Circus would be beter but more cliche ; btw it’s a nice one with a mischievous & hypnotic feeling like a sarcastic clown.

 

Goblin Grin reminds me several other artists productions like Audialize (the oscillating electrified lead at 2’45 ), some early 3D Vision tunes through the dry-picked bassline, not a bad track but it’s its main worry an evident lack of personnality for my ears.

 

Juggling Spheres has around 4’00 a very little something of The Violet Ray from Four Carry Nuts but after it completly vanishes. Once again i’m sorry from 6’25 i’ve got the impress of listening Infected Mushroom .

 

Curiously, this always changing style along a same tune quite pleased me despite some more or less evident influences previously mentionnned.

 

In Pachamma, the happy-go-lucky twisted short shrill tone makes a funny & thrilling contrast with the austere bassline.

 

Monkey Supernova & Space Cadet didn’t draw especially my attention & i’m not bothered about them.

 

Devenir-Cosmos is probably one of the most trippy for me in an Halloween rave party feeling.

 

climaxs :2,3,5,9

 

It’s not a bad debut album but it’s obvious Megalopsy lacks a bit more of personnality through their sounds & maturity to fully exploit their musical potential.

 

6,5/10

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  • 4 months later...

taken from www.psyreviews.com

"I would never have really thought that hard as nails, nightmarish stuff would lend itself too well to the artist-album-as-fluid-single-entity sort of thing. But this bunch of utter psychotics from Argentina have pulled a bit of a blinder, in fact more than that: this album (divided into three movements, sort of) has so many moments that just have me shaking my head in disbelief, grinning like a buffoon, and/or experiencing a rekindled faith in electronic music. http://www.psyreviews.com

225639[/snapback]

Nightmarish stuff??? :blink: Ummm.. maybe you're referring to Xenomorph's next album... or hopefully MEGALOPSY's follow-up to this one, which surely does NOT sound nightmarish in any way. Of course, that would be great if it was. You have the right idea. I too would like to be so impressed that I shake my head in disbelief. Alas, much of what you wrote sounds more poetic than actual truth. It kept my attention until I heard the album, which isn't bad but surely not amazing or excellent as you, or who ever wrote that made it out to be.

 

What?! Get the CD... half of the fun is the great segues between tracks...

 

I've been playing this one a LOT at home, which is very rare for a dark psy release... it's been very enjoyable. The group is clearly capable of so much more, but this is still a great debut. If they continue to follow a creative and artistic path they'll be at the forefront of psychedelic trance in due time...

241668[/snapback]

I actually did end up buying this album soon after writing impression in this thread in March 2005. listened to this album once after buying it... ONCE!!!
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Do you know what your problem is? or do I need to point it out again? :P

407315[/snapback]

OMG.. lol. No you don't have to. I just realized. I'm going to listen to it again now. :P
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