The Rules of Pacers Digest
Hello everyone,
Whether your are a long standing forum member or whether you have just registered today, it's a good idea to read and review the rules below so that you have a very good idea of what to expect when you come to Pacers Digest.
A quick note to new members: Your posts will not immediately show up when you make them. An administrator has to approve at least your first post before the forum software will later upgrade your account to the status of a fully-registered member. This usually happens within a couple of hours or so after your post(s) is/are approved, so you may need to be a little patient at first.
Why do we do this? So that it's more difficult for spammers (be they human or robot) to post, and so users who are banned cannot immediately re-register and start dousing people with verbal flames.
Below are the rules of Pacers Digest. After you have read them, you will have a very good sense of where we are coming from, what we expect, what we don't want to see, and how we react to things.
Rule #1
Pacers Digest is intended to be a place to discuss basketball without having to deal with the kinds of behaviors or attitudes that distract people from sticking with the discussion of the topics at hand. These unwanted distractions can come in many forms, and admittedly it can sometimes be tricky to pin down each and every kind that can rear its ugly head, but we feel that the following examples and explanations cover at least a good portion of that ground and should at least give people a pretty good idea of the kinds of things we actively discourage:
"Anyone who __________ is a liar / a fool / an idiot / a blind homer / has their head buried in the sand / a blind hater / doesn't know basketball / doesn't watch the games"
"People with intelligence will agree with me when I say that __________"
"Only stupid people think / believe / do ___________"
"I can't wait to hear something from PosterX when he/she sees that **insert a given incident or current event that will have probably upset or disappointed PosterX here**"
"He/she is just delusional"
"This thread is stupid / worthless / embarrassing"
"I'm going to take a moment to point and
/ laugh at PosterX / GroupOfPeopleY who thought / believed *insert though/belief here*"
"Remember when PosterX said OldCommentY that no longer looks good?"
In general, if a comment goes from purely on topic to something 'ad hominem' (personal jabs, personal shots, attacks, flames, however you want to call it, towards a person, or a group of people, or a given city/state/country of people), those are most likely going to be found intolerable.
We also dissuade passive aggressive behavior. This can be various things, but common examples include statements that are basically meant to imply someone is either stupid or otherwise incapable of holding a rational conversation. This can include (but is not limited to) laughing at someone's conclusions rather than offering an honest rebuttal, asking people what game they were watching, or another common problem is Poster X will say "that player isn't that bad" and then Poster Y will say something akin to "LOL you think that player is good". We're not going to tolerate those kinds of comments out of respect for the community at large and for the sake of trying to just have an honest conversation.
Now, does the above cover absolutely every single kind of distraction that is unwanted? Probably not, but you should by now have a good idea of the general types of things we will be discouraging. The above examples are meant to give you a good feel for / idea of what we're looking for. If something new or different than the above happens to come along and results in the same problem (that being, any other attitude or behavior that ultimately distracts from actually just discussing the topic at hand, or that is otherwise disrespectful to other posters), we can and we will take action to curb this as well, so please don't take this to mean that if you managed to technically avoid saying something exactly like one of the above examples that you are then somehow off the hook.
That all having been said, our goal is to do so in a generally kind and respectful way, and that doesn't mean the moment we see something we don't like that somebody is going to be suspended or banned, either. It just means that at the very least we will probably say something about it, quite possibly snipping out the distracting parts of the post in question while leaving alone the parts that are actually just discussing the topics, and in the event of a repeating or excessive problem, then we will start issuing infractions to try to further discourage further repeat problems, and if it just never seems to improve, then finally suspensions or bans will come into play. We would prefer it never went that far, and most of the time for most of our posters, it won't ever have to.
A slip up every once and a while is pretty normal, but, again, when it becomes repetitive or excessive, something will be done. Something occasional is probably going to be let go (within reason), but when it starts to become habitual or otherwise a pattern, odds are very good that we will step in.
There's always a small minority that like to push people's buttons and/or test their own boundaries with regards to the administrators, and in the case of someone acting like that, please be aware that this is not a court of law, but a private website run by people who are simply trying to do the right thing as they see it. If we feel that you are a special case that needs to be dealt with in an exceptional way because your behavior isn't explicitly mirroring one of our above examples of what we generally discourage, we can and we will take atypical action to prevent this from continuing if you are not cooperative with us.
Also please be aware that you will not be given a pass simply by claiming that you were 'only joking,' because quite honestly, when someone really is just joking, for one thing most people tend to pick up on the joke, including the person or group that is the target of the joke, and for another thing, in the event where an honest joke gets taken seriously and it upsets or angers someone, the person who is truly 'only joking' will quite commonly go out of his / her way to apologize and will try to mend fences. People who are dishonest about their statements being 'jokes' do not do so, and in turn that becomes a clear sign of what is really going on. It's nothing new.
In any case, quite frankly, the overall quality and health of the entire forum's community is more important than any one troublesome user will ever be, regardless of exactly how a problem is exhibiting itself, and if it comes down to us having to make a choice between you versus the greater health and happiness of the entire community, the community of this forum will win every time.
Lastly, there are also some posters, who are generally great contributors and do not otherwise cause any problems, who sometimes feel it's their place to provoke or to otherwise 'mess with' that small minority of people described in the last paragraph, and while we possibly might understand why you might feel you WANT to do something like that, the truth is we can't actually tolerate that kind of behavior from you any more than we can tolerate the behavior from them. So if we feel that you are trying to provoke those other posters into doing or saying something that will get themselves into trouble, then we will start to view you as a problem as well, because of the same reason as before: The overall health of the forum comes first, and trying to stir the pot with someone like that doesn't help, it just makes it worse. Some will simply disagree with this philosophy, but if so, then so be it because ultimately we have to do what we think is best so long as it's up to us.
If you see a problem that we haven't addressed, the best and most appropriate course for a forum member to take here is to look over to the left of the post in question. See underneath that poster's name, avatar, and other info, down where there's a little triangle with an exclamation point (!) in it? Click that. That allows you to report the post to the admins so we can definitely notice it and give it a look to see what we feel we should do about it. Beyond that, obviously it's human nature sometimes to want to speak up to the poster in question who has bothered you, but we would ask that you try to refrain from doing so because quite often what happens is two or more posters all start going back and forth about the original offending post, and suddenly the entire thread is off topic or otherwise derailed. So while the urge to police it yourself is understandable, it's best to just report it to us and let us handle it. Thank you!
All of the above is going to be subject to a case by case basis, but generally and broadly speaking, this should give everyone a pretty good idea of how things will typically / most often be handled.
Rule #2
If the actions of an administrator inspire you to make a comment, criticism, or express a concern about it, there is a wrong place and a couple of right places to do so.
The wrong place is to do so in the original thread in which the administrator took action. For example, if a post gets an infraction, or a post gets deleted, or a comment within a larger post gets clipped out, in a thread discussing Paul George, the wrong thing to do is to distract from the discussion of Paul George by adding your off topic thoughts on what the administrator did.
The right places to do so are:
A) Start a thread about the specific incident you want to talk about on the Feedback board. This way you are able to express yourself in an area that doesn't throw another thread off topic, and this way others can add their two cents as well if they wish, and additionally if there's something that needs to be said by the administrators, that is where they will respond to it.
B) Send a private message to the administrators, and they can respond to you that way.
If this is done the wrong way, those comments will be deleted, and if it's a repeating problem then it may also receive an infraction as well.
Rule #3
If a poster is bothering you, and an administrator has not or will not deal with that poster to the extent that you would prefer, you have a powerful tool at your disposal, one that has recently been upgraded and is now better than ever: The ability to ignore a user.
When you ignore a user, you will unfortunately still see some hints of their existence (nothing we can do about that), however, it does the following key things:
A) Any post they make will be completely invisible as you scroll through a thread.
B) The new addition to this feature: If someone QUOTES a user you are ignoring, you do not have to read who it was, or what that poster said, unless you go out of your way to click on a link to find out who it is and what they said.
To utilize this feature, from any page on Pacers Digest, scroll to the top of the page, look to the top right where it says 'Settings' and click that. From the settings page, look to the left side of the page where it says 'My Settings', and look down from there until you see 'Edit Ignore List' and click that. From here, it will say 'Add a Member to Your List...' Beneath that, click in the text box to the right of 'User Name', type in or copy & paste the username of the poster you are ignoring, and once their name is in the box, look over to the far right and click the 'Okay' button. All done!
Rule #4
Regarding infractions, currently they carry a value of one point each, and that point will expire in 31 days. If at any point a poster is carrying three points at the same time, that poster will be suspended until the oldest of the three points expires.
Rule #5
When you share or paste content or articles from another website, you must include the URL/link back to where you found it, who wrote it, and what website it's from. Said content will be removed if this doesn't happen.
An example:
If I copy and paste an article from the Indianapolis Star website, I would post something like this:
http://www.linktothearticlegoeshere.com/article
Title of the Article
Author's Name
Indianapolis Star
Rule #6
We cannot tolerate illegal videos on Pacers Digest. This means do not share any links to them, do not mention any websites that host them or link to them, do not describe how to find them in any way, and do not ask about them. Posts doing anything of the sort will be removed, the offenders will be contacted privately, and if the problem becomes habitual, you will be suspended, and if it still persists, you will probably be banned.
The legal means of watching or listening to NBA games are NBA League Pass Broadband (for US, or for International; both cost money) and NBA Audio League Pass (which is free). Look for them on NBA.com.
Rule #7
Provocative statements in a signature, or as an avatar, or as the 'tagline' beneath a poster's username (where it says 'Member' or 'Administrator' by default, if it is not altered) are an unwanted distraction that will more than likely be removed on sight. There can be shades of gray to this, but in general this could be something political or religious that is likely going to provoke or upset people, or otherwise something that is mean-spirited at the expense of a poster, a group of people, or a population.
It may or may not go without saying, but this goes for threads and posts as well, particularly when it's not made on the off-topic board (Market Square).
We do make exceptions if we feel the content is both innocuous and unlikely to cause social problems on the forum (such as wishing someone a Merry Christmas or a Happy Easter), and we also also make exceptions if such topics come up with regards to a sports figure (such as the Lance Stephenson situation bringing up discussions of domestic abuse and the law, or when Jason Collins came out as gay and how that lead to some discussion about gay rights).
However, once the discussion seems to be more/mostly about the political issues instead of the sports figure or his specific situation, the thread is usually closed.
Rule #8
We prefer self-restraint and/or modesty when making jokes or off topic comments in a sports discussion thread. They can be fun, but sometimes they derail or distract from a topic, and we don't want to see that happen. If we feel it is a problem, we will either delete or move those posts from the thread.
Rule #9
Generally speaking, we try to be a "PG-13" rated board, and we don't want to see sexual content or similarly suggestive content. Vulgarity is a more muddled issue, though again we prefer things to lean more towards "PG-13" than "R". If we feel things have gone too far, we will step in.
Rule #10
We like small signatures, not big signatures. The bigger the signature, the more likely it is an annoying or distracting signature.
Rule #11
Do not advertise anything without talking about it with the administrators first. This includes advertising with your signature, with your avatar, through private messaging, and/or by making a thread or post.
Whether your are a long standing forum member or whether you have just registered today, it's a good idea to read and review the rules below so that you have a very good idea of what to expect when you come to Pacers Digest.
A quick note to new members: Your posts will not immediately show up when you make them. An administrator has to approve at least your first post before the forum software will later upgrade your account to the status of a fully-registered member. This usually happens within a couple of hours or so after your post(s) is/are approved, so you may need to be a little patient at first.
Why do we do this? So that it's more difficult for spammers (be they human or robot) to post, and so users who are banned cannot immediately re-register and start dousing people with verbal flames.
Below are the rules of Pacers Digest. After you have read them, you will have a very good sense of where we are coming from, what we expect, what we don't want to see, and how we react to things.
Rule #1
Pacers Digest is intended to be a place to discuss basketball without having to deal with the kinds of behaviors or attitudes that distract people from sticking with the discussion of the topics at hand. These unwanted distractions can come in many forms, and admittedly it can sometimes be tricky to pin down each and every kind that can rear its ugly head, but we feel that the following examples and explanations cover at least a good portion of that ground and should at least give people a pretty good idea of the kinds of things we actively discourage:
"Anyone who __________ is a liar / a fool / an idiot / a blind homer / has their head buried in the sand / a blind hater / doesn't know basketball / doesn't watch the games"
"People with intelligence will agree with me when I say that __________"
"Only stupid people think / believe / do ___________"
"I can't wait to hear something from PosterX when he/she sees that **insert a given incident or current event that will have probably upset or disappointed PosterX here**"
"He/she is just delusional"
"This thread is stupid / worthless / embarrassing"
"I'm going to take a moment to point and
/ laugh at PosterX / GroupOfPeopleY who thought / believed *insert though/belief here*""Remember when PosterX said OldCommentY that no longer looks good?
"In general, if a comment goes from purely on topic to something 'ad hominem' (personal jabs, personal shots, attacks, flames, however you want to call it, towards a person, or a group of people, or a given city/state/country of people), those are most likely going to be found intolerable.
We also dissuade passive aggressive behavior. This can be various things, but common examples include statements that are basically meant to imply someone is either stupid or otherwise incapable of holding a rational conversation. This can include (but is not limited to) laughing at someone's conclusions rather than offering an honest rebuttal, asking people what game they were watching, or another common problem is Poster X will say "that player isn't that bad" and then Poster Y will say something akin to "LOL you think that player is good". We're not going to tolerate those kinds of comments out of respect for the community at large and for the sake of trying to just have an honest conversation.
Now, does the above cover absolutely every single kind of distraction that is unwanted? Probably not, but you should by now have a good idea of the general types of things we will be discouraging. The above examples are meant to give you a good feel for / idea of what we're looking for. If something new or different than the above happens to come along and results in the same problem (that being, any other attitude or behavior that ultimately distracts from actually just discussing the topic at hand, or that is otherwise disrespectful to other posters), we can and we will take action to curb this as well, so please don't take this to mean that if you managed to technically avoid saying something exactly like one of the above examples that you are then somehow off the hook.
That all having been said, our goal is to do so in a generally kind and respectful way, and that doesn't mean the moment we see something we don't like that somebody is going to be suspended or banned, either. It just means that at the very least we will probably say something about it, quite possibly snipping out the distracting parts of the post in question while leaving alone the parts that are actually just discussing the topics, and in the event of a repeating or excessive problem, then we will start issuing infractions to try to further discourage further repeat problems, and if it just never seems to improve, then finally suspensions or bans will come into play. We would prefer it never went that far, and most of the time for most of our posters, it won't ever have to.
A slip up every once and a while is pretty normal, but, again, when it becomes repetitive or excessive, something will be done. Something occasional is probably going to be let go (within reason), but when it starts to become habitual or otherwise a pattern, odds are very good that we will step in.
There's always a small minority that like to push people's buttons and/or test their own boundaries with regards to the administrators, and in the case of someone acting like that, please be aware that this is not a court of law, but a private website run by people who are simply trying to do the right thing as they see it. If we feel that you are a special case that needs to be dealt with in an exceptional way because your behavior isn't explicitly mirroring one of our above examples of what we generally discourage, we can and we will take atypical action to prevent this from continuing if you are not cooperative with us.
Also please be aware that you will not be given a pass simply by claiming that you were 'only joking,' because quite honestly, when someone really is just joking, for one thing most people tend to pick up on the joke, including the person or group that is the target of the joke, and for another thing, in the event where an honest joke gets taken seriously and it upsets or angers someone, the person who is truly 'only joking' will quite commonly go out of his / her way to apologize and will try to mend fences. People who are dishonest about their statements being 'jokes' do not do so, and in turn that becomes a clear sign of what is really going on. It's nothing new.
In any case, quite frankly, the overall quality and health of the entire forum's community is more important than any one troublesome user will ever be, regardless of exactly how a problem is exhibiting itself, and if it comes down to us having to make a choice between you versus the greater health and happiness of the entire community, the community of this forum will win every time.
Lastly, there are also some posters, who are generally great contributors and do not otherwise cause any problems, who sometimes feel it's their place to provoke or to otherwise 'mess with' that small minority of people described in the last paragraph, and while we possibly might understand why you might feel you WANT to do something like that, the truth is we can't actually tolerate that kind of behavior from you any more than we can tolerate the behavior from them. So if we feel that you are trying to provoke those other posters into doing or saying something that will get themselves into trouble, then we will start to view you as a problem as well, because of the same reason as before: The overall health of the forum comes first, and trying to stir the pot with someone like that doesn't help, it just makes it worse. Some will simply disagree with this philosophy, but if so, then so be it because ultimately we have to do what we think is best so long as it's up to us.
If you see a problem that we haven't addressed, the best and most appropriate course for a forum member to take here is to look over to the left of the post in question. See underneath that poster's name, avatar, and other info, down where there's a little triangle with an exclamation point (!) in it? Click that. That allows you to report the post to the admins so we can definitely notice it and give it a look to see what we feel we should do about it. Beyond that, obviously it's human nature sometimes to want to speak up to the poster in question who has bothered you, but we would ask that you try to refrain from doing so because quite often what happens is two or more posters all start going back and forth about the original offending post, and suddenly the entire thread is off topic or otherwise derailed. So while the urge to police it yourself is understandable, it's best to just report it to us and let us handle it. Thank you!
All of the above is going to be subject to a case by case basis, but generally and broadly speaking, this should give everyone a pretty good idea of how things will typically / most often be handled.
Rule #2
If the actions of an administrator inspire you to make a comment, criticism, or express a concern about it, there is a wrong place and a couple of right places to do so.
The wrong place is to do so in the original thread in which the administrator took action. For example, if a post gets an infraction, or a post gets deleted, or a comment within a larger post gets clipped out, in a thread discussing Paul George, the wrong thing to do is to distract from the discussion of Paul George by adding your off topic thoughts on what the administrator did.
The right places to do so are:
A) Start a thread about the specific incident you want to talk about on the Feedback board. This way you are able to express yourself in an area that doesn't throw another thread off topic, and this way others can add their two cents as well if they wish, and additionally if there's something that needs to be said by the administrators, that is where they will respond to it.
B) Send a private message to the administrators, and they can respond to you that way.
If this is done the wrong way, those comments will be deleted, and if it's a repeating problem then it may also receive an infraction as well.
Rule #3
If a poster is bothering you, and an administrator has not or will not deal with that poster to the extent that you would prefer, you have a powerful tool at your disposal, one that has recently been upgraded and is now better than ever: The ability to ignore a user.
When you ignore a user, you will unfortunately still see some hints of their existence (nothing we can do about that), however, it does the following key things:
A) Any post they make will be completely invisible as you scroll through a thread.
B) The new addition to this feature: If someone QUOTES a user you are ignoring, you do not have to read who it was, or what that poster said, unless you go out of your way to click on a link to find out who it is and what they said.
To utilize this feature, from any page on Pacers Digest, scroll to the top of the page, look to the top right where it says 'Settings' and click that. From the settings page, look to the left side of the page where it says 'My Settings', and look down from there until you see 'Edit Ignore List' and click that. From here, it will say 'Add a Member to Your List...' Beneath that, click in the text box to the right of 'User Name', type in or copy & paste the username of the poster you are ignoring, and once their name is in the box, look over to the far right and click the 'Okay' button. All done!
Rule #4
Regarding infractions, currently they carry a value of one point each, and that point will expire in 31 days. If at any point a poster is carrying three points at the same time, that poster will be suspended until the oldest of the three points expires.
Rule #5
When you share or paste content or articles from another website, you must include the URL/link back to where you found it, who wrote it, and what website it's from. Said content will be removed if this doesn't happen.
An example:
If I copy and paste an article from the Indianapolis Star website, I would post something like this:
http://www.linktothearticlegoeshere.com/article
Title of the Article
Author's Name
Indianapolis Star
Rule #6
We cannot tolerate illegal videos on Pacers Digest. This means do not share any links to them, do not mention any websites that host them or link to them, do not describe how to find them in any way, and do not ask about them. Posts doing anything of the sort will be removed, the offenders will be contacted privately, and if the problem becomes habitual, you will be suspended, and if it still persists, you will probably be banned.
The legal means of watching or listening to NBA games are NBA League Pass Broadband (for US, or for International; both cost money) and NBA Audio League Pass (which is free). Look for them on NBA.com.
Rule #7
Provocative statements in a signature, or as an avatar, or as the 'tagline' beneath a poster's username (where it says 'Member' or 'Administrator' by default, if it is not altered) are an unwanted distraction that will more than likely be removed on sight. There can be shades of gray to this, but in general this could be something political or religious that is likely going to provoke or upset people, or otherwise something that is mean-spirited at the expense of a poster, a group of people, or a population.
It may or may not go without saying, but this goes for threads and posts as well, particularly when it's not made on the off-topic board (Market Square).
We do make exceptions if we feel the content is both innocuous and unlikely to cause social problems on the forum (such as wishing someone a Merry Christmas or a Happy Easter), and we also also make exceptions if such topics come up with regards to a sports figure (such as the Lance Stephenson situation bringing up discussions of domestic abuse and the law, or when Jason Collins came out as gay and how that lead to some discussion about gay rights).
However, once the discussion seems to be more/mostly about the political issues instead of the sports figure or his specific situation, the thread is usually closed.
Rule #8
We prefer self-restraint and/or modesty when making jokes or off topic comments in a sports discussion thread. They can be fun, but sometimes they derail or distract from a topic, and we don't want to see that happen. If we feel it is a problem, we will either delete or move those posts from the thread.
Rule #9
Generally speaking, we try to be a "PG-13" rated board, and we don't want to see sexual content or similarly suggestive content. Vulgarity is a more muddled issue, though again we prefer things to lean more towards "PG-13" than "R". If we feel things have gone too far, we will step in.
Rule #10
We like small signatures, not big signatures. The bigger the signature, the more likely it is an annoying or distracting signature.
Rule #11
Do not advertise anything without talking about it with the administrators first. This includes advertising with your signature, with your avatar, through private messaging, and/or by making a thread or post.
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Re: Rock/Alternative/Metal Discussion
Discussion: August Burns Red "LEVELER"
Let the discussion begin!
-Each song after evaluation will be given a rating out of 5 stars.
Song Discussion
PANGAEA
"Cutting the Ties" and "Pangaea" deliver the same one-two punch such as "Empire" and "Internal Cannon" did.
The song begins with some wonderful drum fills and great fret work to kick things off. This song for me, had some pretty large shoes to fill following 'Cutting the Ties", but the beginning to this song made me think "Really? Are they going to burn the gates down again?!?!" They didn't necessarily do that, but I didn't walk away unsatisfied at all.
This song is huge talent trailer for JB, but being one of the best drummers out there, Matt makes his stamp on this one as well.
If somebody that never listened to ABR before, asked me to make them a CD with 5 songs on it from them to give them the basic foundation of the band's sound and style, Pangaea would be on there.
There isn't a whole lot to say about this song, so we'll just leave it at, "Vintage August Burns Red".
Overall rating: 3.5/5
Notes: N/AFollow me at @BluejbgoldComment
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Re: Rock/Alternative/Metal Discussion
Very basic, but very good.Originally posted by Constellations View PostDiscussion: August Burns Red "LEVELER"
Let the discussion begin!
-Each song after evaluation will be given a rating out of 5 stars.
Song Discussion
PANGAEA
"Cutting the Ties" and "Pangaea" deliver the same one-two punch such as "Empire" and "Internal Cannon" did.
The song begins with some wonderful drum fills and great fret work to kick things off. This song for me, had some pretty large shoes to fill following 'Cutting the Ties", but the beginning to this song made me think "Really? Are they going to burn the gates down again?!?!" They didn't necessarily do that, but I didn't walk away unsatisfied at all.
This song is huge talent trailer for JB, but being one of the best drummers out there, Matt makes his stamp on this one as well.
If somebody that never listened to ABR before, asked me to make them a CD with 5 songs on it from them to give them the basic foundation of the band's sound and style, Pangaea would be on there.
There isn't a whole lot to say about this song, so we'll just leave it at, "Vintage August Burns Red".
Overall rating: 3.5/5
Notes: N/A
Rating: 3/5Comment
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Re: Rock/Alternative/Metal Discussion
Discussion: August Burns Red "LEVELER"
Let the discussion begin!
-Each song after evaluation will be given a rating out of 5 stars.
Song Discussion
CARPE DIEM
*The first 1:10 of the song and from 2:29- 3:46, must be listened to through headphones
This song I was a little worried about, simply because after the first 2 tracks to this album, we had "Divisions". Now don't get me wrong it's a great song, but it didn't belong on this album. Then "Cutting the Ties" and "Pangaea" did they same as the first 2 tracks, I was simply afraid "Carpe Diem" was going to be another "Divisions". Oh how wrong was I...
The beginning of this track had me with goosebumps. It just sounds so dark and beautiful, and very well-written. They most definitley didn't just settle for the minimum when they wrote this track. The first 1:10 to this song is one of the most passionate sounding ABR songs I've ever heard.
At 1:10 Brent hits like a steel train going at full speed with wonderful lyrics and a bag of his screaming range, which had me doing that weird smile thing when things are awesome. <--- You know what I'm talking about? Like when I was watching "Gladiator" with my friends and during the stadium gauntlet scene when Maximus puts his swords together creating a pair of scissors and cuts off the heads of the challengers. I can't help but smile because it's so awesome. Am I alone in this? Sorry I digress.
Put the headphones back in during 2:29 - 3:46...It's just such a relaxing state that just shows the depth of the band's writing tools. This entire part could be used in any type of western movie. It should have totally been in "True Grit" lol. Seriously.
Another honorable mention for this track is Brent. His range skies throughout the entire song showing what a great roster this band really has. You knew he was capable of the range, but now he just shovels it into our faces.
I never wanted this song to end, which is why it resulted in one of my favorite songs from the album.
Overall rating: 4/5
Notes: A very powerful track for the guys. At this point, they are 5/6 on this album as far as I'm concerned.Follow me at @BluejbgoldComment
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Re: Rock/Alternative/Metal Discussion
I didn't like this song at first, but now I love it. "Carpe Diem", meaning Seize the Day, is exactly what this song is talking about. Some of the best lyrics on this CD in my opinion. This song is so soothing, but hardcore at the same time.Originally posted by Constellations View PostDiscussion: August Burns Red "LEVELER"
Let the discussion begin!
-Each song after evaluation will be given a rating out of 5 stars.
Song Discussion
CARPE DIEM
*The first 1:10 of the song and from 2:29- 3:46, must be listened to through headphones
This song I was a little worried about, simply because after the first 2 tracks to this album, we had "Divisions". Now don't get me wrong it's a great song, but it didn't belong on this album. Then "Cutting the Ties" and "Pangaea" did they same as the first 2 tracks, I was simply afraid "Carpe Diem" was going to be another "Divisions". Oh how wrong was I...
The beginning of this track had me with goosebumps. It just sounds so dark and beautiful, and very well-written. They most definitley didn't just settle for the minimum when they wrote this track. The first 1:10 to this song is one of the most passionate sounding ABR songs I've ever heard.
At 1:10 Brent hits like a steel train going at full speed with wonderful lyrics and a bag of his screaming range, which had me doing that weird smile thing when things are awesome. <--- You know what I'm talking about? Like when I was watching "Gladiator" with my friends and during the stadium gauntlet scene when Maximus puts his swords together creating a pair of scissors and cuts off the heads of the challengers. I can't help but smile because it's so awesome. Am I alone in this? Sorry I digress.
Put the headphones back in during 2:29 - 3:46...It's just such a relaxing state that just shows the depth of the band's writing tools. This entire part could be used in any type of western movie. It should have totally been in "True Grit" lol. Seriously.
Another honorable mention for this track is Brent. His range skies throughout the entire song showing what a great roster this band really has. You knew he was capable of the range, but now he just shovels it into our faces.
I never wanted this song to end, which is why it resulted in one of my favorite songs from the album.
Overall rating: 4/5
Notes: A very powerful track for the guys. At this point, they are 5/6 on this album as far as I'm concerned.
Rating: 4.5/5Comment
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Re: Rock/Alternative/Metal Discussion
Discussion: August Burns Red "LEVELER"
Let the discussion begin!
-Each song after evaluation will be given a rating out of 5 stars.
Song Discussion
40 NIGHTS
This song had some ups and downs. There's always a few of these types of songs. But to be honest, this song has some fantastic foot work from Matt. There just isn't enough riffing in the song though to keep it alive for me.
The last 0:55 is what really saved the track for me. It is a really great ending, but the rest of the track was just lacking spirit.
The best part to this song however, are the lyrics, which I think are worth the read:
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You’re living for today, but your future is looking bleak. One day it’ll all come crashing down.
Nothing lasts forever. You’ve only planned for the here and now.
I said: Nothing lasts forever. Live fast, die young.
Live fast and die young. It’s what’s ahead, but just remember:
slow and steady wins the race, so pick your head up and keep your mouth shut.
You are the captor of originality. You are the thief of authenticity.
Respect is something that you’ll never see. Everything you write all sounds the same.
You’re forsaken. Forsaken on this mountain. The bridges have turned to ash.
This is your final hour. This is your great fall.
You won’t make it out alive, so say your dearest goodbyes.
You are Goliath standing firm in your light. We are David and you’re in our sights.
You are Goliath standing firm in your light. We are David and you’re in our sights.
Your dreams have come true. Have you forgotten the reason why?
Life, death, dreams, wealth - nothing lasts forever.
Greed, envy, gluttony will amount to nothing. Nothing lasts forever.
The earth is about to quake. The earth is about to quake. The earth is about to quake.
Brace for impact. Run for the hills. Brace for impact. It’s a long way home.
Brace for impact. Run for the hills. You’ll surely end here.
Goliath, we’re screaming your name. Goliath, we’re coming for you.
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Just an example of the wonderful writing talent and heart Brent has...
Overall rating: 2.5/5
Notes: N/AFollow me at @BluejbgoldComment
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Re: Rock/Alternative/Metal Discussion
Ahh, really?Originally posted by Constellations View PostDiscussion: August Burns Red "LEVELER"
Let the discussion begin!
-Each song after evaluation will be given a rating out of 5 stars.
Song Discussion
40 NIGHTS
This song had some ups and downs. There's always a few of these types of songs. But to be honest, this song has some fantastic foot work from Matt. There just isn't enough riffing in the song though to keep it alive for me.
The last 0:55 is what really saved the track for me. It is a really great ending, but the rest of the track was just lacking spirit.
The best part to this song however, are the lyrics, which I think are worth the read:
-------------------------
You’re living for today, but your future is looking bleak. One day it’ll all come crashing down.
Nothing lasts forever. You’ve only planned for the here and now.
I said: Nothing lasts forever. Live fast, die young.
Live fast and die young. It’s what’s ahead, but just remember:
slow and steady wins the race, so pick your head up and keep your mouth shut.
You are the captor of originality. You are the thief of authenticity.
Respect is something that you’ll never see. Everything you write all sounds the same.
You’re forsaken. Forsaken on this mountain. The bridges have turned to ash.
This is your final hour. This is your great fall.
You won’t make it out alive, so say your dearest goodbyes.
You are Goliath standing firm in your light. We are David and you’re in our sights.
You are Goliath standing firm in your light. We are David and you’re in our sights.
Your dreams have come true. Have you forgotten the reason why?
Life, death, dreams, wealth - nothing lasts forever.
Greed, envy, gluttony will amount to nothing. Nothing lasts forever.
The earth is about to quake. The earth is about to quake. The earth is about to quake.
Brace for impact. Run for the hills. Brace for impact. It’s a long way home.
Brace for impact. Run for the hills. You’ll surely end here.
Goliath, we’re screaming your name. Goliath, we’re coming for you.
---------------------
Just an example of the wonderful writing talent and heart Brent has...
Overall rating: 2.5/5
Notes: N/A
This is my favorite song on the CD. Like you said, the lyrics on this song are amazing, and I think this is the best song instrumentally on the entire album. It is pure metal throughout, and is what you come to expect from ABR. Maybe this is a love/hate song? However, I was really impressed.
Rating: 5/5Comment
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Re: Rock/Alternative/Metal Discussion
I think the problem with this song for me, is it was lacking the depth the other songs had provided. This song just reminds me of the same old vintage August Burns Red. Which is ok, but this album so far has just offered so much more depth to the writing.Originally posted by KingGeorge View Post
I've listened to the song a few times, and one of the gears just aren't clicking for me. I've just listened to them since 2007, heard them grow more and more, and just expect a little more writing depth from them.
Don't get me wrong though, for the album review purposes, it scores low. But it's still a great metal song.Last edited by Constellations; 06-28-2011, 02:46 AM.Follow me at @BluejbgoldComment
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Re: Rock/Alternative/Metal Discussion
That is understandable.Originally posted by Constellations View PostComment
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Re: Rock/Alternative/Metal Discussion
Discussion: August Burns Red "LEVELER"
Let the discussion begin!
-Each song after evaluation will be given a rating out of 5 stars.
Song Discussion
SALT & LIGHT
A great intro to the track to start things off. I think the opening riff alone is great . The next gallop riff is always a great addition to any metal song as well.
At this point I'm greatly impressed with the song's strong writing, and the mid break really surprised me how well it worked into the song. Any metal band(even alternative) can create a heavy chug chug with an open D, but they succeeded using other chords, making the song sound just as heavy instead of over-using an already visited road.
At 2:02 were taken back to a new world they've incorporated so much into this album that I've fell in love with. Every ABR fan will tell you this is a new addition to the band, and they have made it work so well. Brent's speech during this part, and I don't know why, is so powerful it gives you a small lump in your throat (Unless that's just me?).
--------------------
"I’m the harbinger, not the author of these timeless words.
Led by the Comforter I sing to you.
And if my throat were to be cut from ear to ear, I hope that these words
would carry on in these songs that I pray you sing one day."
--------------------
As impressed with the album thus far as I have been, it's hard to believe this far in that they could impress me even more. The next riff that JB plays fits so well with the song it's almost surreal. I have listened to ABR for a long time, but they did something at this point that they almost never do, and that is sing .
--------------------
"We sing, for you."
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The album just keeps out-doing itself almost every song, and for that, thank you ABR. I honestly believe this is a perfectly composed song by the guys. Strong opener, attention holding mid, powerful bridge, and an epic closure.
Overall rating: 4.5/5
Notes: Due to their lack of singing in songs, makes it just that much more powerful when they do, pointing out how important the song really means to them.
A very vocal powerful track for the album from Brent.Follow me at @BluejbgoldComment
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Re: Rock/Alternative/Metal Discussion
Discussion: August Burns Red "LEVELER"
Let the discussion begin!
-Each song after evaluation will be given a rating out of 5 stars.
Song Discussion
POOR MILLIONAIRE
As I stated earlier into this album review, any song that starts off with a drum solo, is almost a sure sign of an epic to come song from ABR. "Divisions" didn't deliver, but, "Poor Millionaire", most certainly did.
Every time I hear those rolls from the drums I just get excited. Matt is one of the most talented drummers I've ever heard, and he deserves to be recognized as one. The drum intro to this song is very solid and powerful, and with the guitars back-feeding in, makes you see through the fog: A giant stick of dynamite with a short wick about to explode .
The second most powerful attribute to this track, that I noticed, was the wonderful lyrics. Brent stresses them even better with A+ growls and gravel-like screams. As for the writing, musically that is, shouldn't be down played at all. Because the riffs to this song are just as strong as "Cutting the Ties." Although "Cutting the Ties" has a very different pitch and vibe, this creates a different aura when listening to it.
At 3:26 I thought we were going to go down the newly incorporated style which I thought was mistake of over-playing it. Wrong again. I've anticipated certain breakdowns in each song thus far in these reviews with an animated-like style, but none compare to 3:49. I will make this statement now for the super breakdown fans, don't look any further into the album for a heavier breakdown, because "Poor Millionaire" sinks them all. Resulting into the "Best Breakdown Award" track for the album. After hearing the "Cutting the Ties" breakdown I immediately told myself that it's breakdown wouldn't be broken on this album, but when it comes to ABR, you should never venture such a thought.
One the strongest tracks on the album by far for many reasons:
-Powerful drums
-Strong writing musically/lyrically
-Vocal tracks were A+
-Breakdown was un-touchable
Overall rating: 5/5
Notes: A very fast paced song, with just phenomenal drumming throughout the entire track. Crank it loud!Follow me at @BluejbgoldComment
-
Re: Rock/Alternative/Metal Discussion
Awesome song. Strong lyrics and great instrumentals(as usual).Originally posted by Constellations View PostDiscussion: August Burns Red "LEVELER"
Let the discussion begin!
-Each song after evaluation will be given a rating out of 5 stars.
Song Discussion
SALT & LIGHT
A great intro to the track to start things off. I think the opening riff alone is great . The next gallop riff is always a great addition to any metal song as well.
At this point I'm greatly impressed with the song's strong writing, and the mid break really surprised me how well it worked into the song. Any metal band(even alternative) can create a heavy chug chug with an open D, but they succeeded using other chords, making the song sound just as heavy instead of over-using an already visited road.
At 2:02 were taken back to a new world they've incorporated so much into this album that I've fell in love with. Every ABR fan will tell you this is a new addition to the band, and they have made it work so well. Brent's speech during this part, and I don't know why, is so powerful it gives you a small lump in your throat (Unless that's just me?).
--------------------
"I’m the harbinger, not the author of these timeless words.
Led by the Comforter I sing to you.
And if my throat were to be cut from ear to ear, I hope that these words
would carry on in these songs that I pray you sing one day."
--------------------
As impressed with the album thus far as I have been, it's hard to believe this far in that they could impress me even more. The next riff that JB plays fits so well with the song it's almost surreal. I have listened to ABR for a long time, but they did something at this point that they almost never do, and that is sing .
--------------------
"We sing, for you."
--------------------
The album just keeps out-doing itself almost every song, and for that, thank you ABR. I honestly believe this is a perfectly composed song by the guys. Strong opener, attention holding mid, powerful bridge, and an epic closure.
Overall rating: 4.5/5
Notes: Due to their lack of singing in songs, makes it just that much more powerful when they do, pointing out how important the song really means to them.
A very vocal powerful track for the album from Brent.
This is one of my favorite songs on the album.
Rating: 4.5/5Comment
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Re: Rock/Alternative/Metal Discussion
This is definitely my second favorite track on the album.Originally posted by Constellations View PostDiscussion: August Burns Red "LEVELER"
Let the discussion begin!
-Each song after evaluation will be given a rating out of 5 stars.
Song Discussion
POOR MILLIONAIRE
As I stated earlier into this album review, any song that starts off with a drum solo, is almost a sure sign of an epic to come song from ABR. "Divisions" didn't deliver, but, "Poor Millionaire", most certainly did.
Every time I hear those rolls from the drums I just get excited. Matt is one of the most talented drummers I've ever heard, and he deserves to be recognized as one. The drum intro to this song is very solid and powerful, and with the guitars back-feeding in, makes you see through the fog: A giant stick of dynamite with a short wick about to explode .
The second most powerful attribute to this track, that I noticed, was the wonderful lyrics. Brent stresses them even better with A+ growls and gravel-like screams. As for the writing, musically that is, shouldn't be down played at all. Because the riffs to this song are just as strong as "Cutting the Ties." Although "Cutting the Ties" has a very different pitch and vibe, this creates a different aura when listening to it.
At 3:26 I thought we were going to go down the newly incorporated style which I thought was mistake of over-playing it. Wrong again. I've anticipated certain breakdowns in each song thus far in these reviews with an animated-like style, but none compare to 3:49. I will make this statement now for the super breakdown fans, don't look any further into the album for a heavier breakdown, because "Poor Millionaire" sinks them all. Resulting into the "Best Breakdown Award" track for the album. After hearing the "Cutting the Ties" breakdown I immediately told myself that it's breakdown wouldn't be broken on this album, but when it comes to ABR, you should never venture such a thought.
One the strongest tracks on the album by far for many reasons:
-Powerful drums
-Strong writing musically/lyrically
-Vocal tracks were A+
-Breakdown was un-touchable
Overall rating: 5/5
Notes: A very fast paced song, with just phenomenal drumming throughout the entire track. Crank it loud!
Rating: 5/5Comment
-
Re: Rock/Alternative/Metal Discussion
Discussion: August Burns Red "LEVELER"
Let the discussion begin!
-Each song after evaluation will be given a rating out of 5 stars.
Song Discussion
BOYS OF FALL
What a awesome intro to the song! A few rolls and fills to pre-heat the oven to molten hot. Right from the get-go this song starts with the pedal to metal. Just a great in your face beginning.
The mid breakdown is a wonderful change of pace making a great powerful change in the track. After a couple prog riffs, it leads to a full blown breakdown which is very tasty for the metal heads.
The drums to this track never let up. Matt just keeps his in your face pounding rolling and rolling. This soon leads to the 1:59 breakdown which is even greater than the previous. Matt surprised me with a lot more blast beats than the usual ABR song, but they fit the writing of the song very well.
At 3:28 they re-incorporate the riff from 1/16/11 which made this song just an epic addition to the album. Not only do they re-incorporate the riff, the fade the song out with it, which is wonderful considering that's what the song was built upon.
Overall rating: 3.5/5
Notes: Just a great metal song for any fan.Follow me at @BluejbgoldComment
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Re: Rock/Alternative/Metal Discussion
Discussion: August Burns Red "LEVELER"
Let the discussion begin!
-Each song after evaluation will be given a rating out of 5 stars.
Song Discussion
LEVELER
Unfortunately the album is coming to an end, but the boys give us one hell of closure with the title track.
A very vintage ABR feel from the beginning which makes the album just a little nostalgic.
The breakdown at 1:07 is so epic it gives you cold chills. Matt throwing the off-beat bell in the background is just fantastic. They slow the breakdown a few beats at 1:42, and believe me, it is EPIC.
At 2:54 they really speeds things up with a great lick from JB. I absolutely loves Matt's double bass on the 3:16 breakdown.
The outro riff to this song is just pure chaos. But what's more better than going out with the insane talent from everyone colliding together for an ear-candy like ending.
Overall rating: 4/5
Notes:As EPIC as the song is, it's almost a little sad because you still know the album is coming to an end...Oh wait! I'll just listen to it again
Follow me at @BluejbgoldComment
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