en http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.0/uk/ Thu, 1 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 Thu, 1 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 60 http://www.audioscrobbler.net/data/webservices AlphaFatum's Last.fm Journal http://www.last.fm/user/AlphaFatum/journal The Last.fm journal for AlphaFatum. Last.fm journals are a place to talk about all things music. 2010 Statistics http://www.last.fm/user/AlphaFatum/journal/2011/01/01/44tdcs_2010_statistics Sat, 1 Jan 2011 11:32:58 +0000 http://www.last.fm/user/AlphaFatum/journal/2011/01/01/44tdcs_2010_statistics Top 20 Artists:
1.) Blind Guardian (2,521 scrobbles)
2.) Subway To Sally (1,897)
3.) Dark Tranquillity (1,878)
4.) Schandmaul (853)
5.) Apocalyptica (725)
6.) Epica (706)
7.) Metallica (455)
8.) Kreator (353)
9.) Hypocrisy (306)
10.) Nightwish (279)
11.) In Extremo (232)
12.) Helloween (187)
13.) Death (163)
14.) Letzte Instanz (162)
15.) At The Gates (146)
16.) Anthrax (117)
17.) Saltatio Mortis (104)
18.) Tanzwut (89)
19.) Schelmish (83)
20.) Dream Theater (73)


Top 20 Tracks:
1.) Blind Guardian – A Voice in the Dark (82)
2.) Blind Guardian – War of the Thrones (68)
3.) Dark Tranquillity – Punish My Heaven (63)
4.) Dark Tranquillity – Lethe (56)
5.) Subway to Sally – Die Schlacht (53)
6.) Blind Guardian – Wheel of Time (51)
7.) Blind Guardian – A Past and Future Secret (50)
7.) Blind Guardian – Tanelorn (Into the Void) (50)
9.) Subway to Sally – Veitstanz (47)
9.) Blind Guardian – Imaginations from the Other Side (47)
9.) Blind Guardian – Ride Into Obsession (47)
12.) Blind Guardian – Sacred Worlds (45)
13.) Blind Guardian – The Script For My Requiem (44)
14.) Blind Guardian – Valhalla (43)
14.) Subway to Sally – Wenn Engel hassen (43)
14.) Blind Guardian – Mordred's Song (43)
17.) Subway to Sally – Henkersbraut (42)
17.) Subway to Sally – Herrin des Feuers (42)
17.) Dark Tranquillity – The Dividing Line (42)
17.) Dark Tranquillity – Silence, and the Firmament Withdrew (42)
17.) Blind Guardian – Valkyries (42)
17.) Blind Guardian – Control the Divine (42)


Top 20 Albums:
1.) Dark Tranquillity – The Gallery (507)
2.) Blind Guardian – At the Edge of Time (505)
3.) Dark Tranquillity – Damage Done (377)
4.) Blind Guardian – Imaginations From The Other Side (361)
5.) Blind Guardian – Nightfall in Middle-Earth (297)
6.) Schandmaul – Narrenkönig (294)
7.) Apocalyptica – Cult (290)
8.) Epica – Design Your Universe (284)
9.) Subway to Sally – Herzblut (282)
10.) Blind Guardian – Somewhere Far Beyond (258)
11.) Subway to Sally – Nackt II (242)
12.) Epica – The Divine Conspiracy (237)
13.) Dark Tranquillity – Character (213)
14.) Blind Guardian – Tales From The Twilight World (207)
15.) Dark Tranquillity – We are the Void (197)
16.) Subway to Sally – Engelskrieger (194)
16.) Blind Guardian – Follow The Blind (194)
18.) Dark Tranquillity – The Mind's I (189)
19.) Apocalyptica – Inquisition Symphony (185)
20.) Schandmaul – Wahre Helden (177)


First Track 2010: Subway To Sally – Die Schlacht (not counting the months before registration)
Last Track 2010: Dark Tranquillity – Iridium
First Track 2011: Dunkelschön – Intro & Bacchus]]> 4000th track: Dark Tranquillity – Damage Done http://www.last.fm/user/AlphaFatum/journal/2010/11/06/4114h5_4000th_track:_dark_tranquillity_%E2%80%93_damage_done Sat, 6 Nov 2010 21:00:30 +0000 http://www.last.fm/user/AlphaFatum/journal/2010/11/06/4114h5_4000th_track:_dark_tranquillity_%E2%80%93_damage_done
th track: (01 Jul 2010)
Dark Tranquillity – Damage Done (Damage Done, 2002)


It seems these days are getting shorter
Derails my train of thought

What said in hand was done
Chased unforgiveness down these corridors
Locked down the basis for the willing form
A trail far from strayed
The damage done


A year ago, I used to listen only to “not extreme” metal and other moderate stuff, until someone kept trolling me with some metalcore/melodeath stuff that I mostly didn't like. Though somehow I wondered whether there are some extreme metal bands out there who would suit my taste, so I tried out a set of well-known bands per genre, among them Dark Tranquillity. I wouldn't even call them “extreme” today, as there are no offensive lyrics and the music really isn't “cacophonous”, but certainly they have become one of my very favourite bands within the past months.
Damage Done was the first album I bought then and the only one I listened frequently by the 4000 mark here, so it should be one track off it. As I enjoyed this album as a whole – I didn't find a weak track nor an outstanding favourite –, I just chose the title track as a representative. It's got one interesting message, telling about life being “fast” and thus being bound to decisions which may cause damage not to be adjusted easily. Basically our path is leading us to a fork where we have to decide how to progress, without the option to turn back, at times, and there's not always enough time to consider or predict the consequences of the choice beforehand – and then the damage will be done.]]> 3000th track: Apocalyptica – Deathzone http://www.last.fm/user/AlphaFatum/journal/2010/10/29/40eb6c_3000th_track:_apocalyptica_%E2%80%93_deathzone Fri, 29 Oct 2010 14:19:33 +0000 http://www.last.fm/user/AlphaFatum/journal/2010/10/29/40eb6c_3000th_track:_apocalyptica_%E2%80%93_deathzone
th track: (12 Jun 2010)
Apocalyptica – Deathzone (Apocalyptica, 2005)


An instrumental track from Apocalyptica's last album which wasn't dominated by guest musicians, especially guest vocalists. I think all that vocal stuff kills the magic that emanates from pieces like this one. It's rather slow, compared to the fact of many older Apocalyptica tracks being somewhat “thrashy”, and resembles a fine mix of classical music and horror/war-movie soundtrack, so actually no metal in it – just a somehow intimidating atmosphere that suggests there might be something dangerous right around you…]]> 2000th track: Subway to Sally – 2000 Meilen unterm Meer http://www.last.fm/user/AlphaFatum/journal/2010/10/27/409zob_2000th_track:_subway_to_sally_%E2%80%93_2000_meilen_unterm_meer Wed, 27 Oct 2010 19:45:45 +0000 http://www.last.fm/user/AlphaFatum/journal/2010/10/27/409zob_2000th_track:_subway_to_sally_%E2%80%93_2000_meilen_unterm_meer
th track: (23 May 2010)
Subway To Sally – 2000 Meilen unterm Meer (Engelskrieger, 2003)


Zwei weiße Flügel falten sich um Deine Schultern,
im Rausch der Tiefe bist Du weiß und wunderschön.
Ich weiß genau, Du bist jetzt hier, mich zu erlösen:
Ich kann nicht weiterschwimmen, bitte lass mich geh'n!


A somehow obvious choice, isn't it? ;)
However, it's still one of my very favourite tracks, and also one of the darker ones thereof. The song deals with euthanasia, mixing well-chosen nautical imagery (two white sails, two great white sharks and the title meaning something similar to “2000 miles undersea”, for example) with the actual hospital environment, which is also greatly supported by the music: In the background we have the sound of the waves and in the front there's a guitar riff resembling the electrical activity of the heart (it's difficult to actually put it in words, one should better listen). That said, we accompany a terminally ill person on their nightmarish journey across the “hospital-sea” while this person just longs for a peaceful death, but the doctors shall not switch the machines off and thus are dealing out even more agony.
I don't know about the judicial situation worldwide, but in Germany euthanasia is a very difficult topic that like no sane man actually gets the hang of – it's in fact an ocean of red tape on people's fucking decayed lives! I'm really happy that my very own grandpa somehow recovered from all those diseases and hence was able to leave those “white chambers of terror”. Being bound to the deathbed for decades (like his parents) is the one thing he dreads the most, especially when the choice of life and death is made by people who don't feel anything.
In addition for the curious, the album title could be translated with “angel warrior” and is a metaphor for a hidden force within us, be it good or evil.]]> 1000th track: Blind Guardian – Somewhere Far Beyond http://www.last.fm/user/AlphaFatum/journal/2010/10/26/406dql_1000th_track:_blind_guardian_%E2%80%93_somewhere_far_beyond Tue, 26 Oct 2010 13:50:07 +0000 http://www.last.fm/user/AlphaFatum/journal/2010/10/26/406dql_1000th_track:_blind_guardian_%E2%80%93_somewhere_far_beyond
th track: (09 May 2010)
Blind Guardian – Somewhere Far Beyond (Somewhere Far Beyond, 1992)


I am the narrator
And now I'll tell you
Where I've been
And what I saw
And how it ends


Somewhere… was my first Blind Guardian album and the title track is probably still my favourite off it (not counting the unbeatable Bard's Song, of course). This is not just straightforward speed and nice guitars, drums and stuff; it's also a heavy portion of most epic (by the true meaning of the word indeed) awesomeness! The atmospheric slower parts, the unusual bagpipes solo and Hansi's voice make listening to this otherwise fast-paced song quite an experience. I'm not getting why they don't like to play this live but still don't think about getting rid of a (imho) rather straightforward and worn out piece like Welcome to Dying at least for a few concerts…
As for the lyrics, they deal with Stephen King's Dark Tower novel series. I never got to read them, so the lyrics didn't have a significant impact on my opinion about this song.]]> 1st track: Subway to Sally – Die Schlacht http://www.last.fm/user/AlphaFatum/journal/2010/10/25/4057w5_1st_track:_subway_to_sally_%E2%80%93_die_schlacht Mon, 25 Oct 2010 23:39:51 +0000 http://www.last.fm/user/AlphaFatum/journal/2010/10/25/4057w5_1st_track:_subway_to_sally_%E2%80%93_die_schlacht
st track: (23 Apr 2010)
Subway To Sally – Die Schlacht (Herzblut, 2001)


Manchmal muss man, um zu siegen,
erst sich selbst im Kampf bezwingen,
seine Schwächen überwinden,
jeden Zweifel niederringen.


I was totally addicted to the Herzblut (= “heart blood” directly translated or better “great passion” by the proverbial meaning; the English language appears to lack this common German verbal image, unfortunately) album when I registered here, so it was rather obvious that the very first track should be one off it. In fact, I just played the whole thing and thus the opener, Die Schlacht (= “the battle/fight”) would also provide the first scrobble on my profile. Though it wasn't anything near coincidental, since it's also one of my very favourite tracks. The quoted part above exactly conveys the message: sometimes, one has to fight a symbolic battle against oneself and one's own weaknesses and doubts in order to progress. Fear and the lack of self-esteem are factors that often disable people from a “better life”, because they are simply remaining inside their rather cracked shell instead of trying hard to change things. Well, I'm certainly not one of these “weak” folks, but that still doesn't restrain the song from firing me up for the next battle to be fought. In fact, life is one hell of a battlefield!]]> My overall milestone tracks http://www.last.fm/user/AlphaFatum/journal/2010/10/20/3zrg2u_my_overall_milestone_tracks Wed, 20 Oct 2010 21:23:11 +0000 http://www.last.fm/user/AlphaFatum/journal/2010/10/20/3zrg2u_my_overall_milestone_tracks st track: Subway To Sally – Die Schlacht (link)
th track: Blind Guardian – Somewhere Far Beyond (link)
th track: Subway To Sally – 2000 Meilen unterm Meer (link)
th track: Apocalyptica – Deathzone (link)
th track: Dark Tranquillity – Damage Done (link)


The others are to be added soon.]]>