Encyclopaedia Metallum: The Metal Archives

Message board

* FAQ    * Register   * Login 



Reply to topic
Author Message Previous topic | Next topic
Corpus47
Mallcore Kid

Joined: Fri Jun 08, 2012 12:12 pm
Posts: 7
Location: United States
PostPosted: Mon Apr 17, 2017 3:43 pm 
 

I'm given to a lot of self-doubt, so I apologize if this is an overly pedantic inquiry or is otherwise just a stupid question.

Although I've been an MA consumer for several years now, I've recently started reviewing albums on MA (having been spurred on by the Christmas-time/end-of-year challenge). Earlier, I submitted two reviews for two different albums from the same band (and had both accepted). I just barely submitted a third for a different band. They've all been positive reviews, but I did attempt to be balanced by pointing out things I did not like or could have been better.

So here's where my question comes in. In choosing what to review, I've been looking for albums that I've enjoyed that haven't been reviewed at all yet. Is that approach a problem at all? In other words, I get that MA appreciates and wants high-quality reviews on as many albums as possible, but should I not be focusing on albums that I really like that I think deserve attention? Should I consider reviewing an album I've bought that I did not enjoy and that has no reviews in order to be more balanced, or consider reviewing albums that already have one or more reviews?

Again, I'm a dude given to a lot of self doubt. (If I wanted to be charitable, I'd call it skeptical introspection, I guess.) So I suppose I'm just trying to make sure that I'm not causing problems (even minor ones) with my approach.

Top
 Profile  
Empyreal
The Final Frontier

Joined: Thu Nov 30, 2006 6:58 pm
Posts: 35180
Location: Where the dead rule the night
PostPosted: Mon Apr 17, 2017 4:29 pm 
 

Review whatever you want. Reviewing anything with little or no reviews is always looked at favorably here, no matter what score you give.
_________________
Cinema Freaks latest reviews: Black Roses
Fictional Works - if you hated my reviews over the years then pay me back by reviewing my own stuff
Official Website

Top
 Profile  
BastardHead
Worse than Stalin

Joined: Thu Aug 18, 2005 7:53 pm
Posts: 10857
Location: Oswego, Illinois
PostPosted: Mon Apr 17, 2017 7:52 pm 
 

Yeah man, you're doing fine. Reviewing virgins or less reviewed stuff is looked upon favorably as opposed to the squintillionth Metallica/Maiden/Slayer review. Giving out lots of positive scores is fine too as long as you don't wind up like some of our reviewers that give out almost exclusively perfect scores while occasionally dipping down to 95%, purely because that gives readers who follow you or notice you across several reviews any frame of reference towards your taste or standards of quality. Don't overthink it so much, just write what you want and you'll be fine.
_________________
Lair of the Bastard: LATEST REVIEW: In Flames - Foregone
The Outer RIM - Uatism: The dogs bark in street slang
niix wrote:
the reason your grandmother has all those plastic sheets on her furniture is because she is probably a squirter

Top
 Profile  
TheStormIRide
Certified Poser

Joined: Fri Jan 20, 2006 6:45 pm
Posts: 1842
Location: Brazildonesia
PostPosted: Mon Apr 17, 2017 9:55 pm 
 

Like BH said, you're doing fine. Review what you want, when you want; positive or negative. I tend to review albums I like and find that I can write those reviews more smoothly, but everyone is different in their style. Make sure you try different things, though, to see what your strengths and weaknesses are. Keep writing, keep improving.
_________________
POZERKILLER wrote:
damn I think ive already heard everything

Top
 Profile  
Corpus47
Mallcore Kid

Joined: Fri Jun 08, 2012 12:12 pm
Posts: 7
Location: United States
PostPosted: Tue Apr 18, 2017 12:44 am 
 

Thanks for the reassurance, guys. I appreciate it!

Top
 Profile  
tomcat_ha
Minister of Boiling Water

Joined: Fri Oct 27, 2006 8:05 am
Posts: 5570
Location: Netherlands
PostPosted: Tue Apr 18, 2017 7:21 am 
 

i only review stuff i feel have something to say about instead of just "this is good and that is bad"

Top
 Profile  
CHAIRTHROWER
Methed-burnt rogue babelfish

Joined: Sun Dec 20, 2015 7:10 pm
Posts: 1028
Location: Canada
PostPosted: Tue Jun 06, 2017 11:54 pm 
 

Ah! The classic conundrum of the Overt Enthusiast

Yes, I know your pain! I impulsively and instinctively yearn to let the World know at any given time which album is well, making me want to throw chairs and the like.

As fun as this is - especially for unheard of unreviewed "gems" out there (and there are plenty!) - it creates a rift between the reviewer and most readers (not everyone freaks to the same extent over the same things, and Thank Goodness for that! Who wants censorship? A dictatorship? No thanks.) It sort of makes people think: "Hmm, this guy likes everything." Your writings may still be enjoyable to read, but not given as much street cred or whatever. I know, it's more like : "NO, I review what I LIKE". But life is all about the overall picture and how we market ourselves.

If you want to simply pay homage to the bands you love and thank them by churning in reviews, this effort which parallels , (although to a lesser degree of course) the monumental efforts of these hard-working men and women who repeatedly deliver the straight goods, the heavy metal goods. The right stuff, heavy metal wise. By all means , give 'em all 100%!

But if want to hobnob with some of the more respected and respectable writers on this site anyhow, you (and I both I know!) need to go out on a limb, out of our confort zone,and start reviewing albums which don't tickle us pink quite so or deserve to be proclaimed wide and loud on a pan-global scale. I think straying off the beaten path in regards to genres covered goes a long way too!

Whatever you choose to do though, NEVER give up writing! The pen may not be mightier than the axe (guitar) but it is very well stronger than the proverbial Sword.

CHAIR

Top
 Profile  
Dembo
Dumbo

Joined: Fri Apr 21, 2006 9:58 am
Posts: 2182
PostPosted: Fri Jun 09, 2017 2:06 pm 
 

CHAIRTHROWER wrote:
Who wants censorship? A dictatorship? No thanks.

It's a common misconception that censorship is about not providing a platform to anyone who wants it. If a site, MA or any other, would chose any policy of what they're gonna include and exclude on their site, none of it's censorship. For example if they were to decide that only positive reviews are allowed, it's not censoring anyone. However, it would be dictatorship if a site was forced to include stuff it didn't want. And obviously most sites, including MA to my knowledge, never claims democracy. Good thing they don't since millions of nu-metal fans could have effected the site to include tons of non-metal shit.

Top
 Profile  
BastardHead
Worse than Stalin

Joined: Thu Aug 18, 2005 7:53 pm
Posts: 10857
Location: Oswego, Illinois
PostPosted: Fri Jun 09, 2017 3:32 pm 
 

Dembo wrote:
CHAIRTHROWER wrote:
Who wants censorship? A dictatorship? No thanks.

It's a common misconception that censorship is about not providing a platform to anyone who wants it. If a site, MA or any other, would chose any policy of what they're gonna include and exclude on their site, none of it's censorship. For example if they were to decide that only positive reviews are allowed, it's not censoring anyone. However, it would be dictatorship if a site was forced to include stuff it didn't want. And obviously most sites, including MA to my knowledge, never claims democracy. Good thing they don't since millions of nu-metal fans could have effected the site to include tons of non-metal shit.


Dafuq are you saying? Did you just skim until you saw "censorship" and then vomited on the keyboard? He's not talking about that at all. I mean, you're right about everything you said but precisely none of it was pertinent.
_________________
Lair of the Bastard: LATEST REVIEW: In Flames - Foregone
The Outer RIM - Uatism: The dogs bark in street slang
niix wrote:
the reason your grandmother has all those plastic sheets on her furniture is because she is probably a squirter

Top
 Profile  
Display posts from previous:  Sort by  
Reply to topic


Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 11 guests


You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum

  Print view
Jump to:  

Back to the Encyclopaedia Metallum


Powered by phpBB © 2000, 2002, 2005, 2007 phpBB Group