help me decide ????

So I've been saving my pennies and dimes, but no 409 for me. I'm going to treat myself to some new music. It's been way too long.

Want to get the new E&S, and then raid the Ulterium store now that it's open again. What do y'all think I should get first? Should I go for the latest and greatest of the bands still recording? Are there hidden gems amongst the cheaper backstock? Or maybe you can think of something else in that style I should look at.

I've got a few ideas already, but will give you a few days to either change my mind or clinch it for me.

Trytan's dropping Blood of Kings next week!!

What do you already own from Ulterium?

rockerVu2 wrote:

What music do you like?

The type of stuff in Ulterium's stable. Symphonic/melodic/power mainly. Some thrash occasionally.

topshot rhit wrote:

What do you already own from Ulterium?

Nothing except the samplers. (I told you it's been a long time since I bought much music!) Time to show them a little thanks.

If you don’t have the new Messenger album “In To Win”, that needs to be your first purchase!

ChristTrekker wrote:

topshot rhit wrote:

What do you already own from Ulterium?

Nothing except the samplers. (I told you it's been a long time since I bought much music!) Time to show them a little thanks.

This is solely MY order of preference. You must pick up Theocracy's catalog. Then you can get:
Audiovision
Harmony
Signum Regis
Millennial Reign

Yeah definitely everything of Theocracy's! While I prefer the Czech versions, Ulterium released English versions of Kreyson's first two albums which are absolutely killer. I second Signum Regis too.

You should also check out Ulterium's most severely underrated band: Incrave. They're not everyone's cup of tea, but I for one really enjoy both their albums and wish they had made more.

Definitely let us know what you end up deciding!

Follower of Jesus wrote:

If you don’t have the new Messenger album “In To Win”, that needs to be your first purchase!

Why that over the groups I mentioned? I looked them up and happily discovered you can preview full tracks online. They're very different than what I'd been looking at, but great sound. Anyone who can write The Politician Song deserves a look!

topshot rhit wrote:

This is solely MY order of preference. You must pick up Theocracy's catalog.    Then you can get:
Audiovision
Harmony
Signum Regis
Millennial Reign

Why that order? Are there particular albums you'd recommend over others?

FWIW I have 62 tracks of Ulterium artists. (A few are dupes.) Not bad considering I haven't bought any yet.

Messenger's In To Win is my album of 2020, so that'll be great to own.  Also, Theocracy are probably the most consistently good band with really impressive lyrics.

ChristTrekker wrote:

topshot rhit wrote:

This is solely MY order of preference. You must pick up Theocracy's catalog.    Then you can get:
Audiovision
Harmony
Signum Regis
Millennial Reign

Why that order? Are there particular albums you'd recommend over others?

Theocracy is a no brainer to me, being my favorite Christian metal band.

To be honest, I mostly stopped getting new stuff when I stopped doing my show so I have the oldest 2 from Harmony and AV so those are the ones I know. They only list 1 from AV so that's an easy choice. I liked Chapter II more than Dreaming Awake.

SR and MR have decent music and lyrics but it's not enough of my thing anymore to justify buying since I won't listen to it enough but I know several here like them. Some of the others like Diviner sound too much like those two. Some of the others the lyrics didn't cut it for me, but maybe that isn't an issue for you.
I didn't include Rob Rock RoC since it must be a reissue, but would add it if you don't have it. If you are also including the bands in their "Distributed" list, then I'd add Empire 21 and Narnia.

topshot rhit wrote:

Theocracy is a no brainer to me, being my favorite Christian metal band.

To be honest, I mostly stopped getting new stuff when I stopped doing my show so I have the oldest 2 from Harmony and AV so those are the ones I know. They only list 1 from AV so that's an easy choice. I liked Chapter II more than Dreaming Awake.

SR and MR have decent music and lyrics but it's not enough of my thing anymore to justify buying since I won't listen to it enough but I know several here like them. Some of the others like Diviner sound too much like those two. Some of the others the lyrics didn't cut it for me, but maybe that isn't an issue for you.
I didn't include Rob Rock RoC since it must be a reissue, but would add it if you don't have it. If you are also including the bands in their "Distributed" list, then I'd add Empire 21 and Narnia.

Lyrics are important to me. I really want to like Sleeping Romance, because I think the music is well done and beautiful, but the thing that always gives me pause is that I don't know what the message really is. Leah is a better, but not always strictly Christ-focused. HB (since I seem to be picking on female-fronted groups for the moment) was great in that way.

Just made the first purchase at the E&S store. I was going to grab the new DotD, but am a sucker for sales, so got Valley of the Kings and Beyond the Gates instead.

ChristTrekker wrote:

Just made the first purchase at the E&S store. I was going to grab the new DotD, but am a sucker for sales, so got Valley of the Kings and Beyond the Gates instead.

Just a warning, VotK isn't a Christian album per se but a concept album about the first female pharaoh as I recall. Their other 3 albums have obvious faith-based lyrics.

Got my E&S order today! Thanks, John! Love the guitar pick. Glad I double checked the package before tossing it!

ChristTrekker wrote:

Got my E&S order today! Thanks, John! Love the guitar pick. Glad I double checked the package before tossing it!

Something else coming your way. Check your mailbox in a few days.

Thanks for the support!!!

OK, so I threw BtG in the CD player while Doordashing tonight. Didn't get to listen to the lyrics closely (following map directions) but the music alone floored me on the way it sets the mood. Definitely designed to be listened to as an album. Loved it.

So I'd like to get Theocracy and Ghost Ship from Theocracy. At least one Signum Regis album, but which? And maybe one or two more but still having a hard time narrowing it down. *SIGH* I will probably have to relisten to the sample tracks I have. If I could get 10 instead of 4-5 it would probably be easier.

Strangely enough, I love the Signum Regis EP Through The Storm most of all.  I think it's probably because of

Fundy wrote:

Strangely enough, I love the Signum Regis EP Through The Storm most of all.  

MGitN is the reason I am looking for a SR album instead of something by Millennium Reign this time out.

AAUUUUGH! I spent three hours listening and comparing and typing out my thoughts and went to post...and I'd timed out!



Thankfully I posted a summary on FB as well before I lost it. So, sorry guys, you don't get all my additional eloquence, only a bit. I know you're heartbroken.

-=-=-=-

Anyway, long delayed due to other pressing expenses, I am back at this, due to Ulterium's sale.

I am going to get Theocracy and Ghost Ship for sure.

I am going to get something from Signum Regis for sure. Help me pick. Chapter IV is a safe choice. I know nothing of the new vocalist, but Seal of a New World might be good; haven't heard any of it. Exodus might be fun, with the guest vocals, but OTOH might not sound much like SR either.

Black Fate: Between, Deliverance

Darkwater: Human

Diviner: Empires, Realms

Harmony: Dreaming, Aftermath, Theatre

Incrave: Dead End, Escape

Innerwish: any of the five!!!

Within Silence: Gallery, Return

Anyone know if Sleeping Romance's lyrics are Christian themed? I like their sound.

I want to order 6 albums, of which 3 are spoken for. If I get a positive on Sleeping Romance I'll get Enlighten as well. So I need to choose 2-3 albums out of 17. If I don't get a strong recommendation, I'll choose 2-3 of the bands at random, and pick one album from each at random.

Top picks from that list I'd say is Diviner.  Love both of their albums, great music with a great singer.
Harmony's Dreaming is pretty good.  It made my album of the year when it was released, and I kind of found it like 'relaxing metal'. 
Within Silence is really good, but I only have their first one.

So, for me it would be
1 - Diviner - Fallen Empires
2 - Diviner - Realms Of Time
3 - Signum Regis Through The Storm (EP)
4 - Harmony - Dreaming Awake 

I picked 4 as the SR EP is only an EP and doesn't really count!

ChristTrekker wrote:

AAUUUUGH! I spent three hours listening and comparing and typing out my thoughts and went to post...and I'd timed out!



Thankfully I posted a summary on FB as well before I lost it. So, sorry guys, you don't get all my additional eloquence, only a bit. I know you're heartbroken.

-=-=-=-
....

Dude, I feel your pain.  After that happened to me once I started writing my longer (or more thought out) posts in a Word document and then just copying them over to CHM to post.

I will also champion
Diviner (either album)
Harmony - Dreaming

But I'm not a huge euro-power metal fan so I don't have a bunch of the others.

Signum's new vocalist is pretty good so you can't go wrong with any of them.

For Harmony, I really like Theatre of Redemption.

Innerwish is great on any of their albums.

Never could get into Diviner as much as these others.

Staybrite wrote:

Dude, I feel your pain.  After that happened to me once I started writing my longer (or more thought out) posts in a Word document and then just copying them over to CHM to post.

If I'd known in advance it was going to take that long I probably would have!  I guess using the "preview" button every so often would be a good idea.

So today's gonna be the day! Here's what my order will be, along with rationale, unless someone says something pretty convincing before tonight.

• Theocracy: Theocracy, Ghost Ship (because Matt Smith and the boys are amazing)
  
• Signum Regis: Seal of a New World (give the new guy a try, and have some "new" to go with older albums I've chosen)
  
• Diviner: Fallen Empires (more likely to go out of print sooner)
  
• Harmony: Dreaming Awake (most bang for buck: I already have several tracks from other albums via samplers)
  
• InnerWish: Inner Strength (bang for buck again)
  

Thanks to Fundy, kerrick, Staybrite, and TTDR for your input.