Best / Worst Opening Track

[Anna Woman von NRW]

Wow I'm going to agree with space 'Lurhstaap' is a brilliant song definitely one of my favourites

Oh bollox - me too   

[Intothewind]

Yeah I pretty much love all the opening tracks, but I have a bit of a problem with Impurity starting with the 3 weakest songs on the album. Overall It's one of my favorite albums but 'get me out' 'space' and Innocence' are my 3 least favorite songs on there.

I think with a different track listing I wouldn't notice they weren't my favorite, but as it is all of them at once at the beginning I think it could be sequenced better for me.

As I say really like all 3 though!   

[Brian-DC]

I like all their opening tracks, but if I have to choose my favorite, I'd say "Here Comes The War". 

Least favorite, hmmm, it would have to be either "Flying Through the Smoke" or "Horsemen".  The ONLY reason I'd pick those is because I tend to prefer albums that come storming out of the gates with the first track and those are a bit more laid back than the other openers.

Flying through the smoke is laid back?  Maybe to start off, but the end?

I'm always a fan of a lot of guitars and as intense as the drumming is with that song, it doesn't have the.... bite... that some of the more guitar-driven ones have.  I love that song, but it doesn't make the same kind of statement right out of the gate like the other ones do.  I'll admit that my idea of laid back is usually quite a bit different from others.  LOL!!

[Willard]

I've always though I love the world and Archway Towers are perhaps my favorite opening/closing set to an album I know.  In fact, much as I enjoyed their inclusion, I was always a little bothered the extra tracks on the US cd disrupted the flow of the album. 

[szmurf]

I've always though I love the world and Archway Towers are perhaps my favorite opening/closing set to an album I know.  In fact, much as I enjoyed their inclusion, I was always a little bothered the extra tracks on the US cd disrupted the flow of the album.

I think I owned the US tape first, and I believe it had the extra songs as well.  To be honest, when I got the 2xCD reissue, I thought, man that album seems short.  I never really think of first and last song, or album flow in general.  I know the artist do, but I'm not that concerned by it.

[Willard]

I've always though I love the world and Archway Towers are perhaps my favorite opening/closing set to an album I know.  In fact, much as I enjoyed their inclusion, I was always a little bothered the extra tracks on the US cd disrupted the flow of the album.

I think I owned the US tape first, and I believe it had the extra songs as well.  To be honest, when I got the 2xCD reissue, I thought, man that album seems short.  I never really think of first and last song, or album flow in general.  I know the artist do, but I'm not that concerned by it.

I agree on the  album feeling short when I got the 2xcd.  Just so epic with the White Coats ep and Nothing Touches.  I think the US tape had Nothing Touches before Archway Towers, can't quite remember (although I know I still have it).  I don't always pay that much attention to song order, especially in these days of digital music, but this is one case that just seemed so obvious.  I remember thinking Archway Towers should close TandC before I knew that it actually did, on the original running order.

[Tony S]

I'm not a big fan of LURHSTAAP.

Wow, that's odd. I find "Lurhstaap" to be one of NMA's top ten greatest tracks. Just curious, don't you love the nasty growl of that guitar? How about the nifty little guitar lick between the verses? Backwards guitar? The wary sense of dread and doom in the lyrics? A lyric chock full of memorable phrases ("now they're gone...all is gone," "you can buy a crown it doesn't make you king," "these changing winds can turn cold and hostile," "the death of the promised land"....) The song has it all. And if that chugging gritty guitar that opens the song doesn't grab you...man, how do you dislike "Lurhstaap'?

When you break it down into its components, yes, it does have many elements that should make it great. I do like the backwards guitar bits, and there are some great lyrics, but for once, I'm just not keen on the way Justin delivers the lyrics, and the pace of the song, and it's overall sound just comes across a bit too dirge-like for me. It just doesn't do anything for me the way so many others do. As I say I don't dislike it so much that I skip it if listening to that album. I can listen to it, but it's not a favourite at all.

[Guillaume]

I honestly believe that all the opening tracks are excellent

same opinion!

The best opening track?

"I love the world" is powerful, and "the hunt" too..."Here comes the war" "Wonderful way to go" and "Frightened" also very effective opening tracks.

The "worst" opening track?

Probably "Water"..."Today is a good day" is "fun" and effective enough opening song, but maybe not NMA at its most subtle and original!   

[lupus225]

Water is a bit of a weak opener in my opinion.

[ruckedout]

New Model Army - Live at Sziget 1997, you are going to be hard pushed to beat that, not only for the opening song but for the next few songs too....

[cthulhu]

just wanted to check that again, watch the beginning and just couldn't stop. the energy jumped directly from the screen and speakers into me. fantastic gig and nice to have such a recording.