My current musical obsession (metal)

[denoginizer]

Opeth just seems representative of these new crappy 'metal' bands... all of the things I *don't* like in metal. 

Outside of the cookie monster vocals (which I gather you're not a fan of), what it that you don't like about them?  I've always considered Opeth to be very good in terms of composition and song structure (the complexity and variation - especially in their newer stuff - is what drew me to them in the first place), but maybe that's just me listening with my amateur ear.

Just curious.

Okay...  well...

Most importantly, I just don't think it's very interesting or engaging.

Guitar sounds are washed out, dated, and lifeless.

Vocals are shit.  Melodramatic when clean, and indistinguishable from any other cookie monster when cookie monstering.

Lyrics are cheese city.  Melodramatic. Trite.  Juvenile in a way that's stupid instead of funny or clever.

Songwriting is overall quite boring to me... no good hook, no good groove... they rarely seem to be able to just sustain rocking for very long.

Also, the videos I'm watching to listen to them are idiotic.

There is nothing dangerous about this music... to me it sounds like metal for people who don't really like metal, or who don't want any surprises... not that I guess I think musical surprises are necessary all the time... I love AC/DC, and they haven't surprised anyone in 30 years... maybe that's the wrong way to put it... hrm...

Top to bottom it's just very slick, produced, and safe...  very 'done'... it sounds like a computer wrote it.

Also, I keep running into these kind of power ballad sorts of things that they are doing with pretty singing and crap... fuckin' kill me.  It's awful.  Fuck, yeah, I just ran into this song 'Burden', and I can now just declare this band fucking awful.  Ugh... you guys are just making me listen to more and hate them more.  SO TERRIBLE!


Oh, and I thought of one more... it tries too hard... at the wrong things.  Like a metal band should only try hard at rockin'.

Wow.  I couldn't disagree more with most of that. 

In my opinion Ghost Reveries and Blackwater Park are two of the greatest albums ever made.  Not metal albums, but albums in general.

[kratz]

I can agree to disagree, as long as you guys still like Ozzy era Sabbath.


(Even though you are horribly wrong. )

[El-Producto]

I will mention this again for those that don't know.  Another really good technical/progressive metal band from Canada, is Protest the Hero.  Fortress was my favorite CD last year, and I still spin it weekly.

http://www.myspace.com/protestthehero

Kratz calls them screamo, but if you like technical/melodic metal give them a try.  The album Kezia is also really good.

[Xmann]

i'll be passing by Best Buy tomorrow and thought about grabbing an older Trivium cd.   i might grab Mastodon's new album too since you guys are giving it such props.

[denoginizer]

i might grab Mastodon's new album too since you guys are giving it such props.

I will echo the props.  "Oblivion," "The Czar," and "The Last Baron" are all masterpieces.  The other songs on the album are solid as well.

[Gratch]

I will mention this again for those that don't know.  Another really good technical/progressive metal band from Canada, is Protest the Hero.  Fortress was my favorite CD last year, and I still spin it weekly.

http://www.myspace.com/protestthehero

Kratz calls them screamo, but if you like technical/melodic metal give them a try.  The album Kezia is also really good.

I've listened to these guys a bunch of times and can't decide if I like or hate them.  The music is pretty good, but I can't get past their Fall-Out-Boy-reject of a singer.

[El-Producto]

I will mention this again for those that don't know.  Another really good technical/progressive metal band from Canada, is Protest the Hero.  Fortress was my favorite CD last year, and I still spin it weekly.

http://www.myspace.com/protestthehero

Kratz calls them screamo, but if you like technical/melodic metal give them a try.  The album Kezia is also really good.

I've listened to these guys a bunch of times and can't decide if I like or hate them.  The music is pretty good, but I can't get past their Fall-Out-Boy-reject of a singer.

Man.. that's an insult if I've ever heard one.

It always kills me that as soon as someone who plays heavy music, but have a singer who can actually sing, as opposed to growl they are automatically soft.

Too bad.. great group, great music, great lyrics.. and amazing live.

I guess if we've learned anything from this thread, it's to each their own.

[Gratch]

I will mention this again for those that don't know.  Another really good technical/progressive metal band from Canada, is Protest the Hero.  Fortress was my favorite CD last year, and I still spin it weekly.

http://www.myspace.com/protestthehero

Kratz calls them screamo, but if you like technical/melodic metal give them a try.  The album Kezia is also really good.

I've listened to these guys a bunch of times and can't decide if I like or hate them.  The music is pretty good, but I can't get past their Fall-Out-Boy-reject of a singer.

Man.. that's an insult if I've ever heard one.

It always kills me that as soon as someone who plays heavy music, but have a singer who can actually sing, as opposed to growl they are automatically soft.

Too bad.. great group, great music, great lyrics.. and amazing live.

Has nothing to do with them being "soft" - the music itself has plenty of crunch - he's just got that high pitched emo-whiny sound that drives me nuts.   Then again, I've only heard maybe half a dozen songs from them, so maybe I haven't heard enough to really judge.  They're actually going to be here in a couple weeks (4/18).  Maybe I ought to go check it out and see if my mind is changed.

[kratz]

Yeah, it has nothing to do with actually being able to sing. It has everything to do with being a pussy little emo dork in girl's pants.

[joeyjazz]

While not technically a metal band, the last couple Propagandhi albums have been a lot closer to full on thrash than their older punk/hardcore stuff.  The new one especially, Supporting Caste, absolutely tears.

As far as newer actual metal goes, I really enjoyed the new Lamb of God.

[Xmann]

Wrath by Lamb of God is some hard stuff.....and damn good

[kratz]

Cookie monster.

[kratz]

Went to that Mastodon show Tuesday. It was pretty badass.

They played 'Crack the Skye' front to back, then a bunch of older stuff... about 1:45 total.  I think that coming out and immediately playing the whole new album wasn't the best decision, as it turned off a few of my buddies who aren't really into Mastodon and hadn't heard the album... there just isn't enough really heavy, really rocking stuff on that album.  By the time they got around to stuff like Iron Tusk or Colony of Birchmen, two of my buddies had wandered off and thought that the show wasn't heavy enough.

Anyway... *I* thought they were awesome.  Really impressively good.  I didn't realize that Brann Dailor sang so much on the new record.

Kylesa was also super awesome.  My kind of stuff.  I bought two of their albums today.  Great.

[EngineNo9]

I finally found a video for both me AND the LARP rock crowd.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y3Vcoq-QRo4

Not to derail the hardcore metal talk here, but I was just catching up on the last few weeks of posts here and this one kind of stuck out.  For some reason it reminds me a bit of Clutch when they rock out.  Which I like.  Is the full album similar?

[kratz]

The rest of the album is similar, but not as good as that one song, sadly.  I was bummed since that one song was so good.

[Gratch]

Kratz will hate these, but I just picked up Draconian - Turning Season Within and Swallow the Sun - Morning Never Came.  Both are symphonic doom/gloom metal that totally fits my mood today.

Draconian - Seasons Apart
Swallow the Sun - The Morning Never Came

Some nice "feel good" music for your evening. 

[kratz]

We've started working, for real, on our metal band.

We don't have a name yet, but riffs are being written... hopefully we'll have some stuff for you guys to check out sometime in the next few weeks/month.

[Xmann]

i finally got a satellite radio last week and i don't know how i've lived without it.   been listening to nothing but the liquid metal station and it's awesome.

Trivium is still probably my favorite band right now.   however, my 6 year old loves Amon Amarth...especially Twilight of the Thunder God because it's about Thor   every time we are in the car i have to put that cd in

[Gratch]

However, my 6 year old loves Amon Amarth...especially Twilight of the Thunder God because it's about Thor   every time we are in the car i have to put that cd in

I can only hope to raise my daughter that well. 

[Xmann]

in honor of my son

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eABVwEgzIss

[Specter]

Saw Amon Amarth last night at Peabody's in Cleveland.  Awesome show!  Surprisingly large crowd for a dreary Tuesday night.  They played quite a bit from the last two albums and some older classics.

Setlist:

Twilight Of The Thunder God
Free Will Sacrifice
Asator
Varyags Of Miklagaard
For The Stabwounds In Our Backs
Runes To My Memory
Guardians Of Asgard
Fate Of Norns
Bleed For Ancient Gods
Under The Norther Star
Death In Fire
Victorious March
Cry Of The Blackbirds
Pursuit of Vikings

Check em out if you get a chance.  You won't regret it!

np: Back To North - Moonsorrow

[Xmann]

damnit man.   they are coming to Orlando in a couple weeks and i'd love to find someone to go with.

[Booner]

We've started working, for real, on our metal band.

We don't have a name yet, but riffs are being written... hopefully we'll have some stuff for you guys to check out sometime in the next few weeks/month.

Metal band? Oh yeah. Still working Looker right?

My old metal band has reunited after many many years. The guy who took my place on bass after I left has been playing guitar with me and my old vocalist as we've been trying to fit the right pieces...then our old drummer left his other projects and joined us...so why not bring in the guitarist too.

Three rehearsals and we've a 50 minute set put together. Having ten years of material on DVD, CDs, VCR, and even old reel to reel masters helps a bit. We have 6 weeks before our first headlining gig, so we've got to get new photos, websites, press kits, radio spots and other crap together ASAP.

It'll be a blast though. It's been a while since this town has had something quite as aggressive roll in. There's just nothing quite like it around. Hell...It's been 7-8 years since the project folded, but I still see our tees and bumper stickers on occasion.

I'm hoping I'll be able to share stuff soon and have some live video by the middle of June.

[Gratch]

I fully expect to hear some samples from both you gentlemen in the near future.   

[kratz]

We've started working, for real, on our metal band.

We don't have a name yet, but riffs are being written... hopefully we'll have some stuff for you guys to check out sometime in the next few weeks/month.

Metal band? Oh yeah. Still working Looker right?

Yeah... just got back from a Looker gig, actually... I'm sort of over Looker, at least for now.  I want to do something else, and since all I seem to listen to any more is metal, it seems like a good place to go...

[El-Producto]

Did anyone catch the episode of Bones last night?  It was about a metal group that used a human skeleton on their stage show.

It was interesting to here David Boreanas talk about Doom Metal vs. Death Metal.



Any fans of Pinback should check out Goblin Cock http://www.myspace.com/goblincock Rob Crow's faux doom-metal band.  Really good stuff.

[Booner]

... I'm sort of over Looker, at least for now.  I want to do something else, and since all I seem to listen to any more is metal, it seems like a good place to go...

I dig Looker...but I absolutely understand where you're coming from. I was in the same state of mind when I left the band that has just been put back together...I just didn't have any projects in the works and stopped playing for a couple years.

Anyways, we've thrown up a myspace page to get a little networking started for our June 6th show. Still waiting to get photos and some graphic work done...so it's really basic for now. Supposedly we'll have all that finished up in the next week or two.

As for the tunes on the page, they are at least 12 year old recordings that are basically live with some simple vocal/solo overdubbing and a so-so mix. The guy who took my place after I left now plays guitar, so it's a bit beefier with some extra dynamics, plus the vocalist sings much more with his natural voice and less cookie monster...you can actually understand him as he actually has a good 'singing' voice.  I guess what I'm saying is that I'm not real fond of how the recording turned out compared to how it sounds so many years later.

So...here is the redneck devil music of Violent New Breed

[El-Producto]

Wow, just wow.

If you are even a casual fan get this album.  I think their new drummer might be a robot.

[TK-421]

However, my 6 year old loves Amon Amarth...especially Twilight of the Thunder God because it's about Thor  every time we are in the car i have to put that cd in

I can only hope to raise my daughter that well.  

My daughter lists among her favorites the following; Dimmu Borgir, Opeth, Old Man's Child, and Children of Bodom.  

She also likes the "classics" such as: Black Sabbath, Blue Oyster Cult, and Killer Dwarfs.

[Gratch]

I've bought a metric shit-ton of metal (most of it being of the non-Kratz approved variety) over the past year, and have been meaning to resurrect this thread with some highlights (and lowlights).  Will make that a project for tomorrow.

[pr0ner]

I'm actually thinking about going to my first metal concert in a couple of weeks.  Sonata Arctica, Mutiny Within, and Powerglove are the three main bands.

[Specter]

I'm actually thinking about going to my first metal concert in a couple of weeks.  Sonata Arctica, Mutiny Within, and Powerglove are the three main bands.

Good lineup.  Hopefully Sonata will play a lot of old stuff for you.  I saw Powerglove not too long ago.  They opened for Hammerfall.  They basically play metallized video game music, but they do it well.  Who would have thought the Tetris theme could kick so much ass?  lol.  I just got back from seeing Eluvietie myself.  Great show.  I've been giving their new one several spins since I got it last week.  I think I like Slania more but the new one is still growing on me.  Next up: Primal Fear!

[kratz]

I'm home recovering from High on Fire last night in Boulder... really good show... it started so early (7:30!) that we missed almost all of Bison BC's set (saw one song), but what I saw was cool... Black Cobra, who I was really looking forward to seeing, was truly badass... a 2 piece that pulls it off.  Priestess, who I think were put on the bill to draw a wider crowd, were terrible... bad singing, REALLY annoying drumming, fizzy sound...  High on Fire fuckin' rocked.

There have been some good metal releases the past year...


Baroness - The Blue Record - fighting with Crack the Skye for my best album of 2009.
Black Cobra - Chronomega - badass.
Saviours - Accelerated Living - good, way thrashier... not as good as the previous two...
High On Fire - Snakes for the Divine - some good tunes, but my least favorite thing they have done to date...

[Gratch]

Favorite albums I've purchased in the past year:

Sigh - Scenes from Hell - This is honestly one of the most batshit insane albums I have ever heard.  Black metal, saxaphones, full orchestral arrangements, a female vocalist, crazy lyrics...I can guarantee you've never heard anything quite like it in your life.  Possibly my favorite album of the last 3-4 years.
Edge of Sanity - Crimson - An amazing concept album in which the entire album is a single 40 minute song broken up into 8 parts. 
Scar Symmetry - Pitch Black Progress - Cheesy video aside, I'm a sucker for the combination of harsh and clean vocals.  PBP is a great melo-death album, although I haven't been a fan of most of their other stuff.
Hollenthon - Opus Magnum and With the Vilest of Worms to Dwell - Incredible symphonic metal side-project from the Pungent Stench frontman.
Svartsot - Ravnenes Saga - A great Viking metal album utilizing lots of additional woodwind and percussion instruments in the mix.
Cthonic - Seediq Bale - Politically tinged black metal from Thailand, got a Cradle of Filth vibe without the pretentious douchiness.
Augury - Fragmentary Evidence - Progressive death metal with a pretty unique sound.
Barren Earth - Curse of the Red River - A metal supergroup of sorts, with members from Amorphis, Moonsorrow, and Swallow the Sun.  Was looking forward to this album for a long time, and it didn't disappoint.
They may skirt the "metal" definition, but if you liked Faith No More and Mr. Bungle, you are required to check out both Dog Fashion Disco - Adultery and Polkadot Cadaver - Purgatory Dance Party.   Closest thing we'll ever get to new Bungle material.

A few I bought that didn't click with me at all
-  Behemoth - Demigod
-  Finntroll - Nifelvind (the most disappointing release of the year, imo.  A couple phenominal songs with a bunch of 'meh')
-  Trail of Tears - Bloodstained Endurance
-  Immortal - All Shall Fall

[kratz]

I thought I would revive this thread because I got an email from Amazon saying that there are all these $5 mp3 albums that are not going to be $5 at the end of the month, so I perused, and I saw a bunch of metal that people should own if they don't:


Baroness: The Blue Record:
http://www.amazon.com/Blue-Record/dp/B002OVD4GU/ref=br_lf_m_1000530621_1_4_img?ie=UTF8&s=dmusic&pf_rd_p=1270966622&pf_rd_s=center-3&pf_rd_t=1401&pf_rd_i=1000530621&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=0DYFKRRKV77ASFYWD07Z

The Sword: Age of Winters:
http://www.amazon.com/Age-of-Winters/dp/B003ABRS9C/ref=br_lf_m_1000530621_1_6_img?ie=UTF8&s=dmusic&pf_rd_p=1270966622&pf_rd_s=center-3&pf_rd_t=1401&pf_rd_i=1000530621&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=0DYFKRRKV77ASFYWD07Z

Mastodon: Leviathan:
http://www.amazon.com/Leviathan/dp/B000XUAITK/ref=br_lf_m_1000530621_1_3_img?ie=UTF8&s=dmusic&pf_rd_p=1270966622&pf_rd_s=center-3&pf_rd_t=1401&pf_rd_i=1000530621&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=0DYFKRRKV77ASFYWD07Z

High on Fire: Death is this Communion:
http://www.amazon.com/Death-Is-This-Communion/dp/B000Y29RNU/ref=br_lf_m_1000530621_1_10_img?ie=UTF8&s=dmusic&pf_rd_p=1270966622&pf_rd_s=center-3&pf_rd_t=1401&pf_rd_i=1000530621&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=0DYFKRRKV77ASFYWD07Z

Red Fang: S/T:
http://www.amazon.com/Red-Fang/dp/B001R322JQ/ref=br_lf_m_1000530621_1_16_img?ie=UTF8&s=dmusic&pf_rd_p=1270966622&pf_rd_s=center-3&pf_rd_t=1401&pf_rd_i=1000530621&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=0DYFKRRKV77ASFYWD07Z

Fu Manchu: Signs of Infinite Power:
http://www.amazon.com/Signs-Of-Infinite-Power/dp/B002R2K45K/ref=br_lf_m_1000530621_3_68_img?ie=UTF8&s=dmusic&pf_rd_p=1270966622&pf_rd_s=center-3&pf_rd_t=1401&pf_rd_i=1000530621&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=09TJC0WRZKFT2XRRZAJQ

Black Tusk: Taste the Sin:
http://www.amazon.com/Taste-The-Sin/dp/B003M71CRS/ref=br_lf_m_1000530621_1_24_img?ie=UTF8&s=dmusic&pf_rd_p=1270966622&pf_rd_s=center-3&pf_rd_t=1401&pf_rd_i=1000530621&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=0DYFKRRKV77ASFYWD07Z

and not really metal, but... Desert Sessions 9 & 10:
http://www.amazon.com/Desert-Sessions-9-10/dp/B000S54K76/ref=br_lf_m_1000530491_2_39_img?ie=UTF8&s=dmusic&pf_rd_p=1270962702&pf_rd_s=center-3&pf_rd_t=1401&pf_rd_i=1000530491&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=0XE8ZKE2T8HX7WS9HKY5

[Grimwar]

My favorite metal release for this year is Parkway Drive's newest called Deep Blue.  It's a punch to the face.  It has a lot of hardcore influence, so it tends to be more brutish than sophisticated, but damn it's a good album.

[Gratch]

I thought I would revive this thread because I got an email from Amazon saying that there are all these $5 mp3 albums that are not going to be $5 at the end of the month, so I perused, and I saw a bunch of metal that people should own if they don't:


Baroness: The Blue Record:
http://www.amazon.com/Blue-Record/dp/B002OVD4GU/ref=br_lf_m_1000530621_1_4_img?ie=UTF8&s=dmusic&pf_rd_p=1270966622&pf_rd_s=center-3&pf_rd_t=1401&pf_rd_i=1000530621&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=0DYFKRRKV77ASFYWD07Z

The Sword: Age of Winters:
http://www.amazon.com/Age-of-Winters/dp/B003ABRS9C/ref=br_lf_m_1000530621_1_6_img?ie=UTF8&s=dmusic&pf_rd_p=1270966622&pf_rd_s=center-3&pf_rd_t=1401&pf_rd_i=1000530621&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=0DYFKRRKV77ASFYWD07Z

Mastodon: Leviathan:
http://www.amazon.com/Leviathan/dp/B000XUAITK/ref=br_lf_m_1000530621_1_3_img?ie=UTF8&s=dmusic&pf_rd_p=1270966622&pf_rd_s=center-3&pf_rd_t=1401&pf_rd_i=1000530621&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=0DYFKRRKV77ASFYWD07Z

High on Fire: Death is this Communion:
http://www.amazon.com/Death-Is-This-Communion/dp/B000Y29RNU/ref=br_lf_m_1000530621_1_10_img?ie=UTF8&s=dmusic&pf_rd_p=1270966622&pf_rd_s=center-3&pf_rd_t=1401&pf_rd_i=1000530621&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=0DYFKRRKV77ASFYWD07Z

Red Fang: S/T:
http://www.amazon.com/Red-Fang/dp/B001R322JQ/ref=br_lf_m_1000530621_1_16_img?ie=UTF8&s=dmusic&pf_rd_p=1270966622&pf_rd_s=center-3&pf_rd_t=1401&pf_rd_i=1000530621&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=0DYFKRRKV77ASFYWD07Z

Fu Manchu: Signs of Infinite Power:
http://www.amazon.com/Signs-Of-Infinite-Power/dp/B002R2K45K/ref=br_lf_m_1000530621_3_68_img?ie=UTF8&s=dmusic&pf_rd_p=1270966622&pf_rd_s=center-3&pf_rd_t=1401&pf_rd_i=1000530621&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=09TJC0WRZKFT2XRRZAJQ

Black Tusk: Taste the Sin:
http://www.amazon.com/Taste-The-Sin/dp/B003M71CRS/ref=br_lf_m_1000530621_1_24_img?ie=UTF8&s=dmusic&pf_rd_p=1270966622&pf_rd_s=center-3&pf_rd_t=1401&pf_rd_i=1000530621&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=0DYFKRRKV77ASFYWD07Z

and not really metal, but... Desert Sessions 9 & 10:
http://www.amazon.com/Desert-Sessions-9-10/dp/B000S54K76/ref=br_lf_m_1000530491_2_39_img?ie=UTF8&s=dmusic&pf_rd_p=1270962702&pf_rd_s=center-3&pf_rd_t=1401&pf_rd_i=1000530491&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=0XE8ZKE2T8HX7WS9HKY5

Thanks for the heads-up, will be grabbing a few of those.

I'm currently hooked on Chasm, Swallow the Sun, and the not-really-metal-but-ridiculously-awesome Pain of Salvation

[kratz]

Grimwar, based on your description of that album, you should check out that Black Tusk.

[Huw the Poo]

Isn't it about time Tool released another album?

[Alefroth]

I'm home recovering from High on Fire last night in Boulder... really good show... it started so early (7:30!) that we missed almost all of Bison BC's set (saw one song), but what I saw was cool... Black Cobra, who I was really looking forward to seeing, was truly badass... a 2 piece that pulls it off.  Priestess, who I think were put on the bill to draw a wider crowd, were terrible... bad singing, REALLY annoying drumming, fizzy sound...  High on Fire fuckin' rocked.

There have been some good metal releases the past year...


Baroness - The Blue Record - fighting with Crack the Skye for my best album of 2009.
Black Cobra - Chronomega - badass.
Saviours - Accelerated Living - good, way thrashier... not as good as the previous two...
High On Fire - Snakes for the Divine - some good tunes, but my least favorite thing they have done to date...

Holy shit!

I saw that same tour in early May in Bellingham. Like you, I showed up at what is typically the starting time at the venue, and Bison BC was already done. Black Cobra were absolute stand-outs and nearly on par with High On Fire. I had to leave while Priestess played. Awful doesn't begin to describe them. Came back for High On Fire, and while they started out a little disappointingly, they definitely rocked the rest of the show.

Ale

Ale