Manchester Orchestra - The Million Masks of God (April 30, 2021) Album • Page 289

First half of this is the only part I revisit most. Album full of Angel of Death / Bed Head/ Keel Timing songs would fucking rule

 

I still find The Alien music so boring. It’s too similar to The Sunshine (which I like more in a Bad Books sort of way) to be back to back.

 

the sunshine is so much better than the alien.

related, the alien live is my go pee/grab a beer song (assuming they still play it)

 

No go pee songs for me.

Just a resilient and disciplined bladder.

 

This is how I ended up feeling about this. I listen to the first half all of the time, and then either stop there or skip ahead to the closer and listen to that too.

 

Way Back was one of my favorite songs last year and I can’t imagine skipping it.

 

See, I love The Alien on the record and rarely ever skip it. I couldn't believe how boring it felt live.

 

I think it's quite a testament that a 15-year-old band's "best" two records are their most recent ones. I know everyone has their favorites, but cool to see such growth and evolution to not just turn out some phoned-in bland snoozers so far into the band's life.

I'd say at this point MMOG is my favorite because Inaudible-Angel-Bed-Keel run is such a fantastic collection. With some great gems within songs like Dino, Obstacle, Way Back, The Internet

 

i def dont consider MMOG among their best but to each their own.

 

Yeah I think this album is far from the band's best

 

The run of the first five tracks on this album is absolutely up there with my favorite music of all time from these guys and there's a strong chance it's my favorite thing they've ever done. The back half of the album just does not live up to that same level for me, not even close, even though I don't think it's bad by any means. The closer is right up there with the first five songs for me though. Love the closer so much.

 

It's funny - I can go to sleep listening to Voyeurist on my headphones just fine. But if I fall asleep to TMMOG, the loud part in Dino wakes me up every fucking time.

Where are my other peeps who can't sleep without listening to music!

 

like a virgin isn’t in their two most recent records hmm

 

Inaudible and Keel Timing are fun on the album, but I like other songs from the back half more. I think I’m comfortable with mellower MO tracks because that’s what it was on LAVLAC where is started with this band.

Big records have different “best” parts to them. Best production, best songs, best opener, best closer, best single choice, and necessarily aren’t just from the same album for me

 

Is it really a testament though? I feel like artists putting out high quality work later in their careers (or their "best") is becoming more common (Radiohead, Lana Del Rey, Sufjan, etc. just to name a few), and artists phoning it in is not as common.

I do not think this band putting out quality work is anything out of the ordinary these days, is what I mean.

 

I put "best" in quotations because everyone has their subjective opinions on which ones they like the best or have the most connection to, I just felt as though the two most recent albums, despite any special connections or enjoyment are pretty impressive in a cohesive production and musical sense.

Obviously different people have different tastes, favorites, and personal attachments.

In my personal opinion, again, opinion, I'd say a giant chunk of the bands on that giant emo fest did their "best" work a decade ago.

 

I'm not a fan of Inaudible to the point where I feel like I need to tell people when I show them the album not to worry about it it gets better.

 

The last two are by far the best to me, and I like everything they've done

 

I consider all of their stuff to be about the same tier of really good, except with Black Mile as my head and shoulders fave.

 

I think nostalgia plays into it a lot. I'd probably say METN is my favourite for that reason, though I'd say Black Mile is probably their best. Masks is definitely up there but it still has that recency bias.

 

Whenever I listen to the entire album all the way through I get thrown by the back half not matching the energy of the first half. I don't love "Telepath" as much as many people seem to. It's cool, and it's a nice calm bit after the first half of the album, but then every song afterwards ends up being much more mellow than I am expecting / wanting, but in a frustrating way and not in a way like "oh wow, they didn't do what I expected here but it's cool and I'm enjoying it" type of way. When I look at the album as a whole I always wish "Dinosaur" and "Way Back" were more like the first half of the album.

I still think it's a great album and I am happy that many people just think the whole thing is awesome.

 

agreed. Band doesn’t stop pushing themselves to make good records.

 

In what universe do you live in where S/T and In Love and Death is better than Heatwork or Sing the Sorrow is better than Bodies?

 

Bodies is the greatest AFI album ever

 

yeaaaah for me this def isn't even in my top half of what's they've done. This and COPE are my two least favorites