Second Culture - Flying Potion

Describing themselves as creating "...modern primitive, ambient, progressive, electronic, psychedelic, symphonic, post rock, soundscapes" comes along Second Culture, a group of three over forty men (which they made clear on their website) who create calming and soothing, tribal like beats. And, well, I came out with high hopes for the album with the first song down, but as it progressed, I kind of got annoyed with it.

Now, maybe I should have stopped and thought to myself that a band describing themselves with so many adjectives at one time really shouldn't be considered too top notch, but I have come across other bands who've done worse than that and I sometimes like them. However, once more, I really don't enjoy bands who try to describe themselves with every name under the book. On paper, it sounds interesting. But, try going up to someone and saying, "Oh, we're not electronic, we're ambient, progressive, metal, electro, helltrash, dark styled, hardcore, provocative electronics," and see how much of an ass you make out of yourself.

Now, I don't want to spend all day on the subject of genre defining, so let me just start off talking of the music. I would like to consider the twelve different songs in the album as one giant one, for each song progresses smoothly into the next, and they leech off of one another at the end. It's a neat little effect that I've seen before in other albums such as Temple Of The Black Star and Angelscrapings.

However, as I sit here, I feel myself getting more and more annoyed at the album. I would like to classify the first four songs, that is Dimension Door, Reishi King, Ancient Astronaut, and Hurricane Eyes, as one song. Yes, they are all slightly different in their own ways, with some having vocals and others not, but they are also very similar. They all induce a very beach like mood, I'd like to say kind of like a bunch of hippies surrounding a bonfire at a sunset. And, well, as relaxing as it can get, I also found it to be annoying for, I repeat, it gets redundant. As if what's been done is being done again. They reiterate themselves. They just go on and on when they should move onto something new, like I'm doing now, only I'm making a viable point through sarcasm.

However, past the initial first batting of the album, I find myself rather enjoying it. But, not thoroughly enjoying it. I can sit through it, and listen to it, but I can't really get into it. And that's most likely due to the fact that it just doesn't really push anything too hard for me. I mean, I'm kind of at a loss of words at the moment, don't really know what to say, and all I really can do is sit and listen to the music. I could try and open my mouth and describe what I'm listening to, but I can't, because there's nothing much to be said about it. In other words, I suppose it's boring me.

I mean, Hell, if I sit down to watch a television show, and it bores me, I can simply change the channel. But, I am not doing that, I am reviewing music, and, as such, I am supposed to sit down and talk about it. But, what happens when I can't say much? I surely just can't skip over the songs, as I need to review them; I can do that with the TV for I do not review television shows. So, I feel like I'm stuck in Limbo, unable to truly speak how I feel. And, with that said, I need to end this review, else I will sit here and just gawk at my laptop screen some more until my eyes fry out of my head for not knowing what to really say to such a mediocre album. Yes, I had my hopes, but they disappeared within the first four tracks, and the rest of the album can be enjoyable, but it otherwise bores me half way to death. And I like living for the most part. Aug 30 2013