LEVITATOR review thread

Don't know about anyone else, but I would LOVE to read you, Steve's and J. Mak's track-by-track breakdown of this CD.

I'd like to read their thoughts, too. I'm also intrigued by this mysterious LEVIATATOR album.

I just got mine today, too. Thanks to Nick, John, and to a lesser extent, Steve (only for your guitar-playings).

I just got mine today too, and I have to say, Blood Gulch is sheer goddamn brilliance. I love Halo and all, but the song is so freakin' good. It's good on its own and it's a great complement to the best damn board on Halo. Keep up the funk.

Infinite Lives never gets old.

More when I gets the time. Oh don't worry... I'm sure I'll get around to bashing one of your most precious songs, Mr. Nunz. I'm just that heartless.

I'm writing a review of this album for next week's campus paper, so I can link to it after it gets printed. All in all, it will be a good review. Awesome cd, Nick!

Most excellent, Nick. I still haven't received my copy yet. I went the slow boat route. Sorry. I'm looking forward to hearing it in its entirety any day now. I'll give it a couple of run throughs and add my comments here.

A-N-T-I-C-I-P-A-T-I-O-N!

I expect to receive my copy sometime early this week (hopefully) and then you can expect a track-by-track review.

I haven't gotten any confirmation on my order, but expect a review whenever it shows up...

Okay Nick, there's something I need to ask you about. I listened to this with a few friends of mine (who, by the way, really dug the hell out of it), and we all pretty much had one complaint with it. It's a complaint I've had with a few other albums too... the vocals.

No, there's nothing wrong with your voices (well... maybe Steve's... ), it's the recorded quality. I had to read out the lyrics to many of the songs to my friends because we couldn't hear half the words. A friend of mine said all your songs are professional quality, except for the vocals. Often, the voices are over-powered by the other instruments and just fade away. I really hope you can fix this, as I love the fuck out of your lyrics and I want to hear them all clear. Are we being nit-picky assholes or do you know what we're talking about?

Is it just the studio or is it a part of your style?

Note: While I do ever-so love trampling your endeavors, I'm just trying to give ya some valid criticism. Nothing personal, buddy.

That's right, fellas. Piss on Steve.

I echo Cheese's sentiments. The music is definitely the key, and I think we all understand that, but there are occasions where the lyrics are muddled or just plain hard to hear. Almost to the point where I figure, "Why have lyrics at all?" Again, not a slight, as it works for some songs, but sometimes I guess I'd like to understand what you're singing...

Steve, I did thank you for your "guitar-playings", because they are golden, my friend.

Your guitar is fucking priceless. So, thanks for that.

I totally agree. Steve rocks. He's just oh so much fun to mock, though.

It's playing in my ears on a third run through as I type.

I'm in agreement with the muffled quality in parts, but it's not enough to hurt the finished product as a whole.

Overall, I like it quite a bit. You have a good voice, Nick, and your vibrato is showcased in all the right spots.

Steve's guitar work and John's drumming on Infinite Lives and Zartan Boogie (very tight) are great, but these two are impressive throughout. Nice lil' group there, guys!

Perfect Misery has a nice laid back sound and I LOVE the intros to Silenced Forever and Mental Paradise.

Zartan Boogie is a freakin' jam! My other faves are Blood Gulch, We Are and the previously mentioned Mental Paradise and Infinite Lives.

I know my son will flip when he hears it and I'll be sure to pass the word.

Just so everyone knows, Steve and I trade off on guitar and drum duties. You can normally tell which one I am doing by the level of funk. If it's funky, it is most likely me. Infinite Lives, Bloodgulch, Spines, and Silenced Forever all feature my Guitar work.

It's alright, fellas, I understand. Mock me all you want. I'm quite excellent. I can handle it.

Well, both of your guitar-playings are good. Funky=good. Rock=good. Great guitar work.

Guys... seriously, check this album out.

If you don't... I'm sending these guys to your house:

<img src="http://www.sos.mtu.edu/dawgs/pictures/Kday2002/DSC02609.jpg" alt="" />

Things won't be pretty.

Probably.

I will, hopefully, have my review up this weekend, if you care.

I will get a review up soon, but in the meantime:

Excellent, Mr. Nunz. Spinning for a fourth time as I type...

Nah... I was looking for a funny pic and that's all I could find at the time.

I'll have my full review up as soon as I can. I've got tons of stuff on my plate at the moment, so I'll get around to it when I can.

My copy, still not here.

Here it is.

Keep in mind that every song that was available for this album I had downloaded and listened many times. So, technically, I have listened to the disc about 15 times.

1. Beyond the Bones - The only problem I have with this song is the cymbals and my car stereo. It is so high pitched it hurts. Now. It isn't the songs fault. The MP3 sounds much better but for some reason the mp3.com disc doesn't give the song justice. Strong song but not the best.

2. Blood Gulch - Fun. Funky. John does own this track. Hilarious lyrics. I want more songs like this.

3. We Are - This is the song that I get stuck in my head the most. As soon as the song hits the :38 second mark, everyone should be sold because everything after that makes the song a hit in my book.

4. No One Special - I liked the carnival music at the end of this and it is too bad it had to go. However I'll settle for it to be on the end of Bloodless. It has it has its own mood and fits nicely between song 3 and 5. It gives a taste for the rest of the songs.

5. Greek Mythology - Another funky song. I love it. I wish there were more lyrics, because I like for songs to have established characters, ie. Greek gods & myths so the enlightened listener can hear a song where the writer doesn't have to tell the history of the character. Whoa. Did I just write that? Like the "jam session" because you guys can pull it off as a song, if that is what it was.

6. Assassination Enthusiast - To me, the song that shows a listener what to expect from a LN song. Love.

7. Perfect Misery - Nick and the lyrics rule the song. Just enjoy the perfect misery.

8. Zartan Boogie - It is what it is. A boogie-inducing rock & roll song. A nice adrenaline rush.

9. Liquid Lunch - A very cool song. A great ending from the 5:18 mark. The vocals give it a very somber mood that just plain fits. I feel that this song is set about 8 years in the future. Don't ask me why.

10. The Night We Lost Our Spines - Oh yes. I wish the Beethoven harpischord part was still there. But the placement is perfect on the disc. This songs gets me pumped. Great bandwork on this song. A favorite. The dialogue is great.

11. Silenced Forever - This song is two different songs to me. Two very good spy movie songs. And the part of the song leading up to the vocals is hot. I will be expecting a sequel.

12. Levitator - One has to have very keen senses to hear the lyrics and knowing what they actually mean. I can picture the scenario that this song paints. The guitars are good too.

13. Mental Paradise - Whenever I hear the first part of this song, I always forget that it isn't any prog rock from Yes or anyone. But that it is the LN.

14. Infinite Lives - This song is the one that started it all for me. It, alone, sold me this disc. It was the first song I listened to and it is genius. There is nothing that needs to be said. Classic. And despite what you say, Nick. The vocal in this song are very, very good. The only problem that I have is with the song in my car. For some odd reason during the Konami Code the fade is majorly screwed up. I can only hear half the code. But right here on my computer. It is impervious to everything.

15. Bloodless - This is one groovin' song. Another great ensemble work. Much like We Are in the Rock factor. I love listening to this song.

16. Dust to Dust - The song is good. And at the 1:00 minute mark the guitars are awesome. I just wish I could hear the vocals a little better. The ending is what it should be.

I just would like to thank Nick, John and Steve once again for a great album. Very professional. It will be something that I'll enjoy for a time to come.

*ahem*

Many thanks, Agent. The beauty of music is that you can never guess which songs people will like the most, and your selections are living proof of that. Excellent.

It looks like you enjoyed most of the record, which is truly wonderful. We appreciate the time and effort you put into conveying your thoughts to us, and to listening to the tunes.

Thanks again, and I'm glad you enjoyed it. The next one will be better but then again, that should be the case with every artist's albums.

Anyone else?

1. Beyond the Bones -- Verse is hard to hear, but the chorus is fantastic. Great opening to the song, definitely gets me interested once I pop the disc in. It's a great opener for this album, it has a lot going on and definitely showed me that the rest of the album was going to be a mix of style. Love the drums at the end!

2. Blood Gulch -- I don't play HALO, but I still dig the song. Opening riff is great stuff. I'm usually not into the funky jamming kind of thing, but it definitely works. And when the drums stop and it goes to the guitar again...just so great. I love it, I rewind and listen to it again every time. Vocals are much clearer on this, so I'm guessing the vocal effects on "Beyond the Bones" just didn't sit well with me for some reason.

3. We Are -- Another great opening. Each of these first three songs have great hooks at the beginning. Vocals seem to go in and out for me, some stuff sounds obvious, some doesn't. Then the "I have something to tell you..." sounds fantastic. The "We Are" stuff sounds muffled, though. But the lyrics are obvious enough that it doesn't hurt. Sorry to keep harping on the vocals, but I want to hear them, so it's a bitching point of mine. Chorus is fantastic, love the keys (I'm assuming it's keys, who knows, I'm not musically intelligent). Very good tune.

4. No One Special -- Mellow tune, and the vocals are prominent. Nick's vocals always seem low and muffled on the high energy songs, which is understandable since they have so much going on. This is mellower, more laid-back despite the sinister sound it has at points. Really glad that I can hear the words on this one. Change of pace from the first three songs. Not a big favorite of mine, but a solid tune.

5. Greek Mythology -- Opening reminds me of something I'd hear on a sitcom. Don't know why. Not the best thing ever, but it's interesting. The vocals, keys and drums seem to all be colliding at once though. On their own merits they sound nice, but listening to them together is just odd and distracting. Can't really explain why, just is, to me. When the song picks up the pace a bit, though, I think it improves. Decent tune, I'm not totally in love with it, but I doubt I'd skip it over when listening. The ending seems redundant though, could've just ended the song without going back to the chorus.

6. Assasination Enthusiast -- So I wasn't crazy about "Greek Mythology," but this is a great choice to follow up with. Love the guitar work on this, the song is damn catchy...then it breaks down into its little funky, reggae-stuff (yeah, I'm horrible at explaining the music, sorry). Didn't really like that at all. Then it picks back up and all is well. Good speed with the vocals, dig the "mooooooothers." The middle, slow part kind of ruins the song's pacing, for me, but all in all the song is too good to dislike for one minor quip.

7. Perfect Misery -- "It's hard to say no when you're facing me..." is easily my favorite part of the song. Melody is great. Drums are good. Guitars are fantastic. I'm a big fan of this song. It's one of those songs that makes me stop what I'm doing to take it all in. In some of your longer songs you seem to change styles and mix it up, but this is definitely evident that you guys can tackle a four minute song based on the strength of the lyrics and melody.

8. Zartan Boogie -- The opening guitar work reminds me of something but I can't pinpoint it. Oh well. The drums are intense, I like them a lot, and the guitars work well with the drums. A lot of it feels familiar, but it's well-done.

9. Liquid Lunch -- Another great intro. I like the concept of the song, but it all seems to "same" to me. Would have liked to see you guys play around with volume, soft vs. loud. Song just seems to meander at points. I like certain parts, dislike others. I wanted to like this song, but it just doesn't seem sure of what it wants to be. Lots of different things going on, and while none of them are inherently bad, I think in the context of the song certain things don't work. The last 2-3 minutes are pretty solid, though. Definitely gets better as it goes along.

10. The Night We Lost Our Spines -- LOVE LOVE LOVE. Aside from "Infinite Lives," this is the album's best tracks. Great fucking vocals, catchy guitar work, drums aren't prominent but are great with the song. Lots and lots of love for this song. Fell in love with this tune on my first listen and it's held up over many spins in my stereo. The conversation at the end REALLY bothered me at first, I didn't enjoy it at all. It's grown on me since then, although a few of the stutters make me cringe.

11. Silenced Forever -- Around the 1:30 part, this reminds me of "Idioteque." Interesting opening before you get to the vocals. Not perfect, but the ideas are good and I enjoy listening to it. Would've been cool to hear an entire instrumental, but oh well, the lyrics don't disappoint in this one, so I'll deal.

12. Levitator -- Enjoy the guitarwork, but I dunno, the tune doesn't grab me. Considering it's the album's namesake, I was disappointed with it. Expected it to be something that could define the album, but I think the heavy guitar part gets repetitive. I really dug it at first but then it seems to lose its luster as the song moves on.

13. Mental Paradise -- One of the tunes I downloaded when Nick posted it. Helped sell me on buying the album. The drums are fucking fantastic, I love the military vibe that they give off. A great song, love everything about it. Vocals are a great mix of Nick's voice and effects. Great song. Outro rocks as well.

14. Infinite Lives -- Favorite song on the album. GREAT SONG. Something that everyone on CHUD should listen to. Can't think of anything to criticize about this. This is the song that I identify the Nightsticks with, this is everything that the albums builds up to, in my opinion. One of my favorite songs of the past few years.

15. Bloodless -- Solid tune. I've listened to it a lot since I downloaded before the album came out, but I dunno, it seems to have become too plain for me. I like the chorus a lot, especially the drumming, but the guitars don't stand out to me. They sort of remind me of other stuff from the album, for some reason.

16. Dust to Dust -- The intro is cool, but doesn't seem to be necessary to the song. The change at 1:30 or so is abrupt. Not a song that I am crazy about. Too much crammed into 2 minutes, and I think it's a weak choice to close the album.

So yeah, I ended on a bit of a downer, but the album is fantastic. I like it a lot, and I'm sure the stuff that will come further down the pipe will be even better.

Levitator CD Review 2.0 (close to my first one, but I added and edited based on repeated listens to the finished CD):

"Beyond the Bones" - Interesting choice for an opener. It DOES reach out and grab you, and the sheer abrasiveness does perk your ears up. A good melody and furthermore a good song. Just the harshness of the mix puts me off SLIGHTLY. Not too big a deal, tho. It sounds better on the CD than it ever did as an MP3, and overall, it's remained a strong fave.

"Blood Gulch" - A-1 little funk ditty. The Mak delivers yet again. Love this one on all counts.

"We Are" - Very appealing, yet somber LN tune. A side of yourselves you should explore more. I like the dichotomy between the Mak songs and the Nick/keyboard ones alternating. My only quibble would be with the vocal effects here. Just slightly overdone. A cleaner, simpler and subtler delay/reverb would've worked a lot better. The warbling chorus vocal effect isn't welcomed, either.

"No One Special" - Hard to pin down this one. I like the atmosphere of it, and the Rush-esque keyboard choices are neat, but I felt like it could've gone somewhere else (besides the nightmare carnival thing you snipped off of it) that would've really taken it to the next level. Maybe a Steve or John guitar coda or something. Still, I think it's a good track. Just not great. It does take repeated listens to really get into.

"Greek Mythology" - The repeated listening helped here, too. I REALLY like this one now. Strong hooks that sink deeper with each listen. The jamming stuff is fine to me now. Perhaps a wee-bit longwinded, but what jamming is there is a-ok.

"Assassination Enthusiast" - Nothing but love for this one, and probably the best tune that ALL THREE of you have functioned as a band ever. Awesome main riff by Steve, even better tangy funk chord vamping from John at the end with the icing coming from Nick's keyboard licks and tones here - both of which are well-done. The highlight of the CD so far.

"Perfect Misery" - A welcome blast of Steve-ness as he's been kind of subdued and transparent on the CD so far. A very classy pop song. Good hooks, good harmonies, and good guitar work. My only minor quibble would be that I wish Nick would stretch his vocals a bit more. Explore that upper range that I know is there. It could be done tastefully on a song like this. There's some of it near the end, but not enough in the whole song. MINOR quibble. I always laugh that Steve hates country music so when his playing is country-influenced especially on songs like this and PKG's "Whistlin' Dixie in the Pisser."

"Zartan Boogie" - Repeated listens help me really appreciate the vocals here. Great performance, Nick. Very strong and hooky. Good guitar riffing and tone, too. Another strong group effort.

"Liquid Lunch" - I've always loved this one. Nick's best keys on a LN record, and the song is so textured and multi-faceted, I find it gripping every time. Only minor quibble would be Steve's guitar in the beginning. Just the incessant, plain-toned Emin chords don't do much for me. There was space there for something with a bit more flair and emotion to it, and I didn't hear it from you, Murph. Alas, it's a quick section, and the song (and Steve's guitar choices) go on to improve and soar from there. One of Nick's best musical outings, composition and performance-wise.

"The Night We Lost Our Spines" - Excellent placement of this on the CD, BTW. Repeated listens also help this one out. It'll always sound like a cop show theme to me, but it's got a slyly inescapable hook in the main riff. The energy here is crackling and perfect after "Liquid Lunch"'s atmospheric tone, too. One thing that's begun to bother me a bit, tho, is the abundance of keyboard bass or no bass whatsoever on this record. I think this record is missing something in the bottom end that would really help fill out the sampled drum kits you guys use, which tend - just by virtue of being samples coupled which John's personal preferences - to be a bit on the thin side. For a band that relies so much on funk, you don't have enough BASS, both in the literal figurative sense.

Even after listening to the CD, I do still miss the low-end real bass. Hopefully, they'll be more on LN 3. I think it's an important component of your best tunes, "Liquid Lunch" excepted.

"Silenced Forever" - I'm still kind of indifferent to this one. I love the verse bits because John's doing something really different with the beat...almost hip-hop-ish. But the keys are layered on a bit too thick here. It's like it's caught uncomfortablly between the old spy aesthetic of Bond music and the new spy aesthetic of the XXX type. And that quiet little keyboard flurry thing that repeats for the second time around 5:05? Just deflates the song a little. I can't help but hold it up to "In Plain Sight" which was infinitely catchier and more consistent.

"Levitator" - Like "Greek," this kind of simmers, but ultimately fails to boil. I didn't get ANY link or cohesion between the clean and heavy parts here. They just switch from part to part with no bridge, completely different keys, and little in common. Like two songs that just don't go together. I like the clean stuff the best. The mid-part around 2:57 was a chance to take it a notch higher, and it didn't really happen for me. Then, it just ends.

"Mental Paradise" - Sparklingly good. And so unexpected. Genesis...early Yes...ELP...kind of all here. And hell, I like prog a lot, so this song brought that out in me. Sonically, very interesting. Another great key performance from Nick, and Steve's guitar here is the most creative and interesting it's been on the disc.

One thing I can't cite enough is how well-sequenced the disc is. Even the stuff I don't like is well-placed.

"Infinite Lives" - Fantastic. Amazing intro. Great energy. Good musicianship. Nick stretching the vocal range with no effects. ALL things I love. The song is also quite memorable and the chorus kills all. A-1.

"Bloodless" - I always get put in the unenviable position of being invited to play on a LN record, doing so, and then ending up loving the track I'm on above many others. Then, it's hard not to appear as if I'm some egomaniac who thinks he's bringing some golden touch. Alas, this is one of my favorites on the disc. Cracklin' funk arrangement. Cool, atonal chorus guitars. Wall of distorted guitar in the middle. Percolating drums from The Mak. Just tres fun all around. I'm proud to have done the guitar (except for Steve's unique and ear-tinglingly good solo) on this cut. Didn't really miss the bass either because the keyboard and guitar are locked so as if to create the illusion that there is a bass playing. A neat and totally unintentional trick.

"Dust to Dust" - I love the intro, but I don't like the rest of this song as I used to. Here's the sole misstep in sequencing for this CD, I think. "Infinite Lives" would've been the perfect way to send people out on a charged high note.

Overall, I liked it better than "Exploder." I think there's a good bit of growth here. You're still kind of finding your COLLECTIVE identity, and I think it'll be important for LN3 that you guys collaborate more so that more smoothly integrated and fully orchestrated songs like "Assassination Enthusiast" come about. A lot of the songs here are Nick keyboard showcases with a background swash of guitar and drums, and while I'm glad he's coming into his own on the instrument, it minimizes the rest of the band too much if done this much. I guess sometimes it sounds like a Nick solo record with occasional compositional contributions from John and Steve. Their playing colors EVERY track, but I didn't hear enough of them in the songwriting or the instrumentation.

Nonetheless, there's some really good stuff here. I still think "In Plain Sight" is your best tune, but "...Enthusiast""Bloodless" and "Infinite Lives" are close contenders.

Better late than never, right? I suck.

BEYOND THE BONES- Honestly, I thought the opening track would be stronger, like with the sequencing on the PKG albums. But then, I think this album pulls together many more styles than a PKG album so that's okay. This is a dark forboding tune that freaks me out a little. An interesting open that doesn't really allude to what is in store for the rest of the disc.

BLOOD GULCH- I'm torn on this song. On one hand I don't like it because it makes me jealous that I can't play HALO with youse guys. On the other hand, the lyrics are fun and it is some of the best music on the disc. I LOVE the guitar part. Great track.

WE ARE- Probably my second favorite track on the album. I really like what the lyrics are saying and the music complements the pace and rhythm of the singing. The harmonizing on "there is room for all of us" gets me every time. That part is great.

NO ONE SPECIAL- A haunting, moody tune. An interesting change of pace. The keys and drums are particularly strong here. This song makes me feel a little uncomfortable for some reason, so we move on to...

GREEK MYTHOLOGY- The melody on this track is bizarre, but I like it. I imagine some old guy just bopping down the street when I listen. Weird, I know, but it works. A fun track.

ASSASSINATION ENTHUSIAST- Great song. Some great music, particularly the percussion, and I love the lyrics. One of my favorites on the album.

PERFECT MISERY- This is my favorite track on the album. It's beautiful, just beautiful. Everyone is great on this track (more harmonizing!), but I might give the man-love to Murphy for the bass line.

ZARTAN BOOGIE- I hope an ode to Serpentor is next. I love how any kind of pop culture is fair game. Who else would make a rock song about a Team Cobra member? The instrumental break is cool, especially with the (sampled?) voices in the background.

LIQUID LUNCH- Another dark track. Nice guitar and vox effects throughout. The pounding force in the chorus is a nice, heavy touch.

THE NIGHT WE LOST OUR SPINES- Listening to the album as I write this, I realize was giving a number of the songs the short end of the stick. I didn't particularly like this song a while ago, but it's really grown on me. I hadn't noticed before but playing with the tempo, particularly during the chorus on the "on the night..." bit, really helps this song.

SILENCED FOREVER- The intro is funny, but seems a little disjointed. I seem to remember reading that the parts were recorded separately then mixed together. Is that right? Anyway, I think it's an interesting track that could probably work as two separate songs as it feels that the vocals come in a little late in the game and take off in a different direction than the instrumental. I really like the lyrics and vocals on this track. Power sliding into turns is fun and I recommend everyone try it. I wouldn't mind seeing this imported into a Spy Hunter game so I don't have to hear the Theme from Peter Gunn over and over and over...

LEVITATOR- Another track I short changed. I really like the vocals and rhythm section on this track. Interesting subject matter in the lyrics as well.

MENTAL PARADISE- The driving intro is great and opens into an even better song. Top notch work on the keys, in particular. There's even a good level of vox effects, which I generally don't like, so hooray for that.

INFINITE LIVES- I think there is a real dominance in the chorus here. The pace from the verses slows down, sits your ass in the chair, and tells you who the boss is. The guy in this song could totally kick the ass of the guy in Pac-Man Fever.

BLOODLESS- I like the main guitar part here, but not much else here really grabs me. Sorry

DUST TO DUST- An interesting ending track. I really like the keys and all the craziness happening during the intro. Musically, to me it kinda sounds like a recap of all the fun the listener has had in the past hour. Nick's hate for TV is delivered well in the musical venue.

You are all better than me. Excellent work, gents.

It's weird but I was just going to order this cd when my new credit card comes in next week. I'd love to have one if you have some extra, Nick. I dig most of the songs on Levitator and I'd love to give some feedback on the cd.

My full cd review will be up later tonight but here's a quick thought on the cd.

PRETTY DAMN GOOD!

More later.

Here's my review. Hope whoever reads it will enjoy it or not.

Beyond the Bones-Good vocals and nice guitar work. The opening gives me a Weezer feeling. I like the keyboard work as well. A very solid song.

Blood Gulch- I would have never thought I would hear a song about Halo. The song is very catchy and creative. There are good lyrics, which are hilarious at times. I love the use of the guitar in this track also. A good track.

We Are- One of my favorites on this cd. The lyrics are smokin hot in this track. Everything about this track just comes out on the winning end. This is one of those songs that you put on in your car and just jam away. A very good track.

No One Special-I liked the opening of the song but I didn’t like the closing much. It’s a very interesting tune though especially the lyrics. Not a fave but pretty harmless.

Greek Mythology-I like this track quite a bit. A good tune.

Assassination Enthusiast-Another fave of mine. The lyrics own. I like the keys in this track also. The song is a blast and gets better on repeated listens.

Perfect Misery-Wow. This is the best song on the cd. In terms of lyrics, guitar work and drums it’s a match made in heaven. I don’t know what it is about this song but it’s fucking brilliant. Excellent song.

Zartan Boogie-A very weird track but it’s that right kind of weird. The weird that your afraid to admit you like. Fun song but gets better on the 4th listen.

Liquid Lunch-Another song I like a good bit. Very moody. I love the fact that the song is based on fight club. Very good track.

The Night We Lost Our Spines- This song is a blast. The song may not be perfect or have anything catchy but its full of energy and balls I couldn’t help but like it. A ridiculously fun track.

Silenced Forever- I love the opening, which is fucking hilarious. I liked the secret agent feeling of the song. But overall the song is really average but it’s just well different.

Levitator-This is a very cool track. The guitar and drum work rocks in this song. Good track.

Mental Paradise- I've gotta give some love to this track. Very odd and catchy.

Infinite Lives-Another fave. This is another one of the most creative tracks on the album. The lyrics are brilliant as well as the guitar work. Great song.

Bloodless-Umm..this track didn't grab me like most of the songs on the album. Didn't care for this one to much.

Dust to Dust- A nice track to close the cd with. Some good vocals and nice guitar work.

Overall the cd is great. The creativity shines throughout Levitator and should rouse any music lover's interest. Nick,Steve and John thanks for making Levitator.

Thanks for calling my guitar work brilliant.

Your welcome. I gave this cd another spin this afternoon while working and it's still the goods.

Thanks for the copy, Nick! This really isn't my type of music, so I was prepared to listen to it once and then set it aside, but I actually spun it a few times in a row at work, and a lot of the songs are growing on me.

Afraid that when it comes to music, my reviewing abilities fall to shit, and I usually can't write more than "I like this song," or "I don't like this song" without resorting to making up words and phrases ("The schmallupper work here really shines, and you can tell the band is experimenting with their Gorvax playing."). So I won't do a track-by-track breakdown, but I will say that I liked a lot of the songs, with "Blood Gulch" (I'm a Halo freak, so it was an instant winner), "Liquid Lunch," "We Are" and whatever Track #6 is probably coming out as my favorites.

I'm always impressed with bands can segue from what sounds like impromptu jamming into a flowing hook and chorus, and you guys pulled that off well with each and every song. There's a nice blend of the funky and the stylized here, which keeps things from feeling formulaic or overproduced. And the singing and instrument playing was surprisingly good.

If I had any complaint, it's echoing what it looks like other people have said in this thread, that the music overpowers the vocals a little too much. When I read the lyrics in the booklet, a lot of them were pretty clever and funny, but on the album it's all a little too muted to properly understand. I don't know if this is a deliberate choice or something that you guys are still working on, but that's my only real criticism.

So I liked it a lot more than I expected to, and thanks again for the CD, Nick. Even though I'm pretty worthless when it comes to useful feedback, I'm looking forwards to checking out some of the other LN songs.

Two weeks later, and I'm still listening to this album regularly. It really grew on me more than I expected, although I think the best songs are definitely stacked towards the beginning of the disc. Current favorite is "No One Special," but I'm also digging the synth work on "We Are," and the last half of "Liquid Lunch" is still great.

Gonna have to order the first album when I get some extra cash. And when is the LN3 album coming out? Do you guys have a definite date yet?

Nick... I'd love to get a copy of this. What's the best way. I know you had links to purchase, but I don't know if you're still doing that since I hadn't seen on in a while.

Sweet. I promise to give some feedback, too.

Awesome.

Not to sound like I want free stuff but I was planning on buying Exploder sometime around christmas. I never could have found the ordering link.

Listened to Levitator again on Sunday. It still kicks ass.